Original Douay–Rheims Annotations1 Corinthians 5

I absent.

S. Paul here useth his Apostolic power, of binding this incestuous person, excommunicating him by his letters and Mandatum, though absent.

You being gathered.

^◦ Though he commanded the act should be done in the face of the Church, as such sentences and censures be at this day executed also, yet the judgement and authority of giving sentence was in himself, and not in the whole multitude, as the Protestants and the popular Sectaries affirm. For the power of binding & loosing was not given to the whole Church, but as in the persons of the Prelates, & to them for the benefit of the whole. Whereupon S. Chrysostom upon these words, Dic Ecclesiæ, Tell the Church. Mat. 18: Complain to the Church, that is, saith he, to the Prelates and Presidents thereof.

• ◦ The authority of ecclesiastical censures is in the Clergy only, and is executed in the name of Christ.

With the virtue.

All such great power over sinners, is holden and exercised in the name and virtue of Christ Jesus. And whosoever setteth light by it, despiseth our Lord's name and power.

To Satan.

To assure us that all excommunicate persons be in the power and possession of the Devil, and quite out of Christ's protection as soon as they be separated by the Church's sentence, from her body and the Sacraments and fellowship of Christian Catholic men; ^[1] it pleased God to give power to the Apostles and Prelates in the primitive Church, to cause the Devil straight upon their sentence of excommunication, to invade the body of the excommunicate, and to torment him corporally. So Christ excommunicated Judas, and the Devil entered into him, and he went forth of the happy fellowship of the Apostles. Io. 13, 27. So this Apostle excommunicated Alexander and Hymenæus, and Satan straight took them: 1. Tim. 1. Yea it is thought that S. Peter ^[2] excommunicated Ananias and Sapphira, and for sign of his power and terror of the sentence, strook them both stark dead. De mirabil. S. Scripturæ li. 3. c. 16. apud D. Aug. Which miraculous power though it be not joined now to the sentence, yet as far as concerneth the punishment spiritual, which it specially appertaineth unto, it is as before, and is by the judgement of the holy Doctors (Cyp. ep. 26. nu. 3. Chrys. in 1. Tim. 1. ho. 5. Ambros. in 1. Tim. 1. Hiero. ep. ad Heliod. c. 7. August. de cor. & gra. c. 15.) the terriblest and greatest punishment in the world, yea far passing all earthly pain and torment of this life, and being a very resemblance of damnation, and so often called by the Fathers, namely by S. Augustine. And by this spiritual sword (saith S. Cyprian ^[3] ) all must die in their souls, that obey not the Priests of Christ in the new law, as they that were disobedient to the judges of the old law, were slain with the corporal sword. Would God the world knew what a marvelous punishment Christ hath appointed the Priests to execute upon the offenders of his laws, and specially upon the disobedient, as Heretics namely.

• 1 The terrible sentence of excommunication.
• 2 Act. 5.
• 3 locis citatis.

Let us feast.

^[1] The Paschal lamb, which was the most express figure of Christ every way, ^[2] was first sacrificed and afterward eaten with azymes or unleavened bread. So Christ our Paschal, being then newly sacrificed on the Cross, is recommended to them as to be eaten with all purity and sincerity, in the holy Sacrament. Which mystery the holy Church in these words commendeth to the faithful every year at the feast of Easter.

• 1 Purity in receiving the B. Sacrament.
• 2 Exo. 12.

Not to take meat.

^◦ It is not meant that we should separate ourselves corporally from all sinners, or that we might refuse to live in one Church or fellowship of Sacraments with them, which was the error and occasion of the Donatists' great schism: nor that every man is straight after he hath committed any deadly sin, excommunicated, as some Lutherans hold: but that we should avoid them when the Church hath excommunicated them for such: though in mind, and condemnation of their faults, every one ought to be always far from them. As for the Heathen and Pagans, which be not under the Church's discipline, and at that time in external worldly affairs dealt with Christians and lived amongst them whether they would or no, the Apostle did not forbid Christians their company.

• ◦ We are bound to avoid, not all sinners, but the excommunicate only, & them, except in certain cases.

The evil one.

He concludeth that though they cannot, nor himself neither, cut off the Heathen that be public offenders, yet the ill person by him excommunicated being one of their own body, they may cut off, as is aforesaid, and avoid his company. Upon which commandment of the Apostle, we see that we are bound by God's word to avoid all company and conversation with the excommunicate, except in cases of necessity, and the spiritual profit of the person excommunicated.