VER. 27—40. ST. LUKE. 665 39. Then certainof the Scribesansweringsaid, Master,Thou hastwellsaid. 40. And afterthat they durstnot ask Him any questionsatall. BEDE. There were two heresiesamong the Jews, one of the Pharisees,who boasted in the righteousnessof their traditions,and hence they were calledby the people," sepa rated;" the other of the Sadducees, whose name signified "righteous,"claiming to themselvesthat which they were not. When the former went away, the lattercame to tempt Him. ORIGEN. The heresyof the Sadducees not only denies theresurrectionof the dead,but alsobelievesthe soulto die withthe body. Watching then to entrap our Saviour in His words,they proposed a questionjust at the time when theyobservedHim teachingHis disciplesconcerningthe re surrection; as itfollows,And theyaskedHim, saying,Master, Moses wrote to us, If a brother,fyc. AMBROSE. According to the letterof the law, a woman is compelled to marry, however unwilling,in order that a brother may raiseup seedtohisbrotherwho isdead. The letterthereforekilleth, but the Spiritis the master of charity. THEOPHYL. Now the Sadducees restingupon a weak foundation,did not be lievein the doctrineof the resurrection.For imagining the futurelifein the resurrectionto be carnal,they were justly misled,and hence revilingthe doctrineof the resurrection asa thingimpossiblethey inventthe story,There were sevenBedebrothers,fyc. BEDE. They devisethisstoryin orderto con- utsup' victthose of follywho assertthe resurrectionof the dead. Hence they objecta base fable,that they may deny the truthof the resurrection. AMBROSE. Mystically,thiswoman isthe synagogue,which had seven husbands, as it is said to the Samaritan,Thou John4, IR hadstfivehusbands,because the Samaritan followsonly the fivebooks of Moses, the synagogue forthe most partseven. And from none of them has she receivedthe seed of an hereditaryoffspring,and so can have no partwith her hus bandsin the resurrection,because she pervertsthe spiritual meaning of the preceptinto a carnal. For not any carnal brotherispointed at.who should raiseseed to his deceased