Original Douay–Rheims Annotations1 John 1
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read 1 John 1 in the Bible1 John 1:7
The blood of Jesus.
◦ Whether sins be remitted by prayers, by fasting, by alms, by faith, by charity, by sacrifice, by Sacraments, & by the Priests, (as the holy Scriptures do plainly attribute remission to every of these) yet none of all these do otherwise remit, but in the force, by the merit & virtue of Christ's blood: these being but the appointed means & instruments by which Christ will have his holy blood to work effectually in us. which means whosoever contemneth, depriveth himself of the commodity of Christ's own blood, & continueth still in sin and uncleanness, vaunt he himself never so much of Christ's death. Which point let the Protestants mark well, and cease to beguile their poor deceived followers, persuading them, that the Catholics derogate from Christ's blood, or seek remission otherwise than by it, for that they use humbly the means appointed by Christ to apply the benefit of his holy blood unto them.
- ◦ Many means & instruments of remitting sin, but all by the force & merit of Christ's blood applied by them.
From all sin.
◦ From original and actual, venial and mortal, a culpa & poena, that is, from the fault and the pain due for the same. V. Bede saith, that Christ's Passion doth not only remit in Baptism the sins before committed, but all other afterward also done by frailty: yet so, if we use for the remission of them, such means as be requisite and as Christ hath appointed, whereof he reckoneth some. Bede upon this place. See S. Augustine also upon this place to. 9. and S. Hierome li. 2 cont. Pelag. c. 3.
- ◦ All remission of sins is by the Passion of Christ though by secondary means also.
1 John 1:8
That we have no sin.
[1] We gather by these words and the former, that there be two sorts of sins: one mortal, excluding us from light and the society of God: another venial, which is found even in those that walk in the light, and are in the society of God. [2] Also we note against the Pelagians, that we be truly called the sons of God, and so just indeed, though we be not without all sins, every one of us, as well just as unjust, being taught and bound to confess our offences, and to ask pardon daily of God, by this petition of the Pater noster, Forgive us our debts. Therefore S. Augustine li. de natura & grat. c. 36. reckoneth up all the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, and renowned just persons, to have been sinners, even when they were in grace and justice: [3] excepting always Our B. Lady, de qua propter honorem Domini, nullam prorsus, cum de peccatis agitur, habere volo quæstionem. of whom, saith he, for the honour of our Lord, when we talk of sins, I will have no question. And Pelagius asking what sins Abel & such just men did commit, [4] [5] S. Augustine answereth, that they might laugh sometime immoderately, or jest too much, or covet somewhat intemperately, or pluck fruit over greedily, or in eating take somewhat more than afterward was well digested, or have their intention in time of prayer somewhat distracted, and such like. thus in sense S. Augustine. Whereby we may learn which be venial sins, that consist with true justice & [6] cannot always be avoided even of holy men in this life. In the book de fide ad Petrum c. 41. are excepted from this common rule of sinners, the children which be newly baptized and have not yet use of reason to sin either mortally or venially.
- 1 Some sins venial.
- 2 A man may be truly just, notwithstanding venial sins.
- 3 S. Augustine excepteth our B. Lady from sinners.
- 4 Examples of venial sins.
- 5 * c. 38.
- 6 * de dono perseverant. c. 2.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
1 John 1:3
You may have society.
◦ S. John sheweth manifestly, that whosoever desire to be partakers with God, must first be united to the Church's society, learn that faith, and receive those Sacraments, which the Disciples received of the Truth it-self, conversant with them in flesh. So saith Venerable Bede upon this place. Whereby we see there is no society with God in sects or schisms, nor any-where but in the unity, fellowship, and communion of that Church which can prove it-self to descend from the Apostles.