But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard [it], they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What [is] this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Ver. 19. But when Sanballat the Horonite, &c.] At first these men were sad, but now mad with malice. Wicked men grow worse and worse, in peius proficiunt, but they shall proceed no further: for their madness shall appear to all men.
And Geshem the Arabian] Lieutenant of Arabia for the king of Persia. He also joins himself to the two former to hinder the work in hand. Such opposition met Luther with, when he began to reform. The pope excommunicated him; the emperor proscribed him; Henry, king of England, and Lewis, king of Hungary, wrote against him; but the work went on, nevertheless, because it was of God.
They laughed us to scorn and despised us] As a company of fools, that could never effect what we attempted. So Erasmus and Sir Thomas More thought to have mocked the Lutherans out of their religion, Notum est Erasmi dicterium, Qualem a se decimum Capito fore sperat? &c. This the Scripture calleth cruel mocking, Hebrews 11:36; and ranks it with bloody persecution. Indeed, the favourablest persecution, saith one, of any good cause is the lash of lewd tongues; whether by bitter taunts or scurrilous invectives; which it is as impossible to avoid as necessary to condemn, &c. Bravely condemn, saith another worthy, all contumelies and contempts for thy conscience; taking them as crowns and confirmations of thy conformity to Christ.
And said, What is this thing that ye do?] Scoffingly they said it; like as Pilate said to our Saviour, What is truth? Oh how easy is it to wag a wicked tongue! Nihil tam volucre quam maledictum, nihil facilius emittitur (Cicero). One while they charge this people with folly; another while with treachery. If to accuse a man only were sufficient to make him guilty, none should be innocent.
Will ye rebel against the king?] This was ever, saith Lipsius, Unicum crimen eorum, qui crimine vacabant, the only and ordinary charge laid upon the most innocent. Elias is a troubler, Jeremiah a traitor, Paul a pest, Luther a trumpet of rebellion, all the orthodox antimagistratical. To colour the massacre of Paris, and to accuse it to the world, there was coin stamped in the forepart, whereof (together with the king's picture) was this inscription: Virtus in Rebelles, Valour against the rebels; and on the other side, Pietas excitavit iustitiam, Piety hath excited justice.