In Marc., 1, 17: The Lord has also bound the strong man, that is, the devil: which means, He has restrained him from seducing the elect, and entering into his house, the world; He has spoiled his house, and his goods, that is men, because He has snatched them from the snares of the devil, and has united them to His Church. Or, He has spoiled his house, because the four parts of the world, over which the old enemy had sway, He has distributed to the Apostles and their successors, that they may convert the people to the way of life.
Neither however are those, who donot believe the Holy Spirit to be God, guilty of an unpardonable blasphemy, because they were persuaded to do this by human ignorance, not by devilishmalice.But he subjoins, “Because they said, Hehath an unclean spirit,” that he might show that His reason for saying it, was their declaring that He cast out a devil by Beelzebub, not because there is ablasphemy, which cannot be remitted, since even this might be remitted through...
And because He has already shewnby an example that a devil cannot cast out a devil, He shows how he can be expelled, saying, “No man can enter into a strong man’s house”
Or this is meant; that he will not deserve to work out repentance, so as to be accepted, who, understanding who Christ was, declared that He was the prince of the devils.
Vict. Ant.e Cat. in Marc.: The blasphemy of the Scribes having been detailed, our Lords hews that what they said was impossible, confirming His proof by an example. Wherefore it says, “And having called them together unto Him, He said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?” As if He had said, A kingdom divided against itself by civil war must be desolated, which is exemplified both in a house and in a city. Wherefore also if Satan’s kingdom by divided against itself, so that Satan expels Satan from men, the desolation of the kingdom of the devils is at hand.
Vict. Ant.e Cat. in Marc.: He says indeed, that blasphemy concerning Himself was pardonable, because He then seemed to be a man despised and of the most lowly birth, but, that contumely against God has no remission. Now blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is against God, for the operation of the Holy Spirit is the kingdom of God; and for this reason, He says, that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be remitted. In...
The meaning of the example is this: The devil is the strong man; his goods are the men into whom he is received; unless therefore a man first conquers the devil, how can he deprive him of his goods, that is, of the men whom he has possessed? So also I who spoil his goods, that is, free men from suffering by his possession, first spoil the devils and vanquish them, and am their enemy. How then can ye say that I have Beelzebub and that being the friend of the devils, I cast them out?.
We must however understand, that they will not obtain pardon unless they repent. But since it was at the flesh of Christ that they were offended, even though they did not repent, some excuse was allowed them, and they obtained some remission.
