Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

268 ST. MATTHEW.
God is so great towards us that he refused not to be
born and to die for us.
" 24. 5[ And when they were come to Capernaum,
they that received tribute-money came to Peter, and
said, Doth not your master pay tribute ?"
The divinity of Jesus Christ, stooping thus low,
confounds the vanity and eagerness of men in de-
fence of their rights. He refuses no kind of depen-
dence and submission, that he may make the sinner
like it, who has always so great an aversion thereto.
" 25. He saith. Yes. And when he was come
into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What
thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the
earth take custom or tribute? of their own children,
or of strangers? 26. Peter saith unto him, Of
strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the
children free."
Christ does not insist upon his rights as to ex-
ternal and temporal things, but only in secret, and
amongst his apostles. The clergy likewise, after his
example, should not speak too frequently to secular
persons, concerning this kind of privileges annexed
to their state; nor the faithful, concerning Christian
and evangelical liberty, which dispenses not with
external laws. The Son of God, the Lord of the
temple, and the true temple of God, could not be
obliged to pay a tribute imposed by God's command,
for the use and service of the figurative temple. To
make our prerogatives known, is not always vanity;
nor to take proper measures of receding from them,
without any prejudice to our right.
" 27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend
them> go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and