Original Douay–Rheims Annotations1 Timothy 2

Obsecrations.

^[1] This order of the Apostle S. Augustine (ep. 59.) findeth to be fulfilled specially in the holy celebration of the Mass, which hath all these kinds, expressed here in four diverse words pertaining to four sorts of prayers, the difference whereof he exactly seeketh out of the proper signification and difference of the Greek words. And he teacheth us that the first kind of prayers which here be called, obsecrations ^[2], are those that the Priest saith before the consecration: that the second called, Prayers ^[3], be all those which are said in and after the Consecration, & about the Receiving, including specially the Pater noster, wherewith the whole Church (saith he) in a manner endeth that part, as S. Hierom also affirmeth, that Christ taught his Apostles to use the Pater noster in the Mass. Sic docuit, &c. So taught he his Apostles, that daily in the Sacrifice of his body the faithful should be bold to say, ^[4] Pater noster &c. Li. 3. cont. Pelat. cap. 5. where he alludeth to the very words now used in the preface to the said Pater noster in the said Sacrifice, audemus dicere, Pater noster. The third sort called here in the text, Postulations ^[5], be those which are used after the Communion, as it were for dimissing of the people with benediction, that is, with the Bishop's or Priest's blessing. Finally the last kind, which is Thanks-givings ^[6], concludeth all, ^[7] when the Priest and people give thanks to God for so great a mystery then offered and received. Thus the said holy father handleth this text ep. 59. to Paulinus.

S. Epiphanius also insinuateth these words of the Apostle to pertain to the Liturgy or Mass, when he thus writeth to John Bishop of Hierusalem. When we accomplish our prayers after the rite of the holy Mysteries, we pray both for all others, and for thee also. ep. 60. c. 2. ad Io. Hierosolym. apud Hieronymum. ^◦ And most of the other fathers expound the foresaid words, of public prayers made by the Priest, which are said in all Liturgies or Masses both Greek and Latin, for the good estate of all that be in high dignity, as kings and others. See S. Chrys. ho. 6. in 1. Tim. & S. Ambr. in hunc loc. Prosper de vocat. li. 1. c. 4. So exactly doth the practice of the Church agree with the Precepts of the Apostle and the Scriptures, and so profoundly do the holy Fathers seek out the proper sense of the Scriptures, which our Protestants do so profanely, popularly, and lightly skim over, that they can neither see nor endure the truth.

• 1 The prayers & petitions in the Mass, deduced out of the Apostle's words by S. Augustine, & other fathers.
• 2 δεήσεις.
• 3 προσευχαὶ.
• 4 PATER NOSTER in the Mass.
• 5 ἐντεύξεις.
• 6 ἐυχαριστίας.
• 7 * Theoph. in hunc locum.
• ◦ Prayer in the Mass for kings and other.

Who will all men

^◦ The perishing or damnation of men must not be imputed to God, who delighteth not in any man's perdition, but hath provided a general medicine & redemption to save all from perishing that will accept it, or that have it applied unto them by his Sacraments and other means by him ordained, and so would have all saved by his conditional will and ordinance: that is, if men will themselves, by accepting, doing, or having done unto them all things requisite by God's law. for God useth not his absolute will or power towards all in this case. But he that list see the manifold senses (all good and true) that these words may bear, let him see S. Augustine, Ad articul. sibi falso impos. resp. 2. to. 7. Ench. c. 103. Ep. 107. De cor. & grat. c. 15. and S. Damascene li. 2. de orthod. fide c. 29.

• ◦ God will no man's perdition but the salvation of all.

One mediator.

The Protestants are too peevish and pitifully blind, that charge the Catholic Church & Catholics, with making more Mediators than one, which is Christ our Saviour, in that they desire the Saints to pray for them, or to be their patrons and intercessors before God. We tell them therefore that they understand not what it is to be a Mediator, in this sense that S. Paul taketh the word, and in which it is properly and only attributed to Christ. ^[1] For, to be thus a Mediator, is, ^[2] by nature to be truly both God and man, to be that one eternal Priest and Redeemer, which by his sacrifice and death upon the Cross hath reconciled us to God, and payed his blood as a full and sufficient ransom for all our sins, himself without need of any redemption, never subject to possibility of sinning: again, to be the singular Advocate and Patron of mankind, that by himself alone and by his own merits procureth all grace & mercy to mankind in the sight of his Father, none making any intercession for him, nor giving any grace or force to his prayers, but he to all: none asking or obtaining either grace in this life, or glory in the next, but by him. In this sort then (as S. Augustine truly saith, Cont. ep. Parm. li. 2. c. 8.) neither Peter nor Paul, no nor our B. Lady, nor any creature whatsoever, can be our Mediator. The adversaries think too basely of Christ's mediation, if they imagine this to be his only prerogative, to pray for us, or that we make the saints our Mediators in that sort as Christ is, when we desire them to pray for us. which is so far inferior to the singular mediation of him, that no Catholic ever can or dare think or speak so basely unto him, as to desire him to pray for us: but we say, ^[3] Lord have mercy upon us, Christ have mercy upon us: & not, Christ pray for us, as we say to our Lady and the rest. ^[4] Therefore to invocate Saints in that sort as the Catholic Church doth, cannot make them our Mediators as Christ is, whom we must not invocate in that sort. And as well make we the faithful yet living, our Mediators (by the Adversaries' arguments) when we desire their prayers, as the departed Saints.

• 1 How there is but one Mediator, Christ, and what it is to be such a Mediator.
• 2 * Aug. li. 9. de Civ. cap. 15. De fid. ad Pet. c. 2.
• 3 Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison.
• 4 The different manner of praying to Christ, and to Saints.

^[1]

But now touching the word Mediator, though in that singular sense proper to our Saviour, it agreeth to no mere creature in heaven or earth, yet taken in more large and common sort by the use of Scriptures, Doctors, and vulgar speech, not only the Saints, but good men living, that pray for us and help us in the way of salvation, may and are rightly called Mediators. As S. Cyril li. 12. Thesaur. c. 10. proveth, that Moyses according to the Scriptures and Jeremie and the Apostles and others be Mediators. Read his own words, for they plainly refute all the Adversaries' cavillations in this case. And if the name of ^[2] saviour and redeemer be in the Scriptures given to men, without derogation to him that is in a more excellent and incomparable manner the only Saviour of the world: what can they say, why there may not be many Mediators, in an inferior degree to the only and singular Mediator? S. Bernard saith, Opus est mediatore ad Mediatorem Christum, nec alter nobis utilior quam Maria. that is, We have need of a mediator to Christ the Mediator, and there is none more for our profit than our Lady. Bernard, Ser. qui incipit, Signum magnum apparuit &c. post Ser. 5. de Assumpt. S. Basil also in the same sense, writing to Iulian the Apostata, desireth the mediation of our Lady, of the Apostles, Prophets, and Martyrs, for procuring of God's mercy and remission of his sins. His words are cited in Conc. Nic. 2. act. 4. pag. 110. & 111. Thus did and thus believed all the holy Fathers, most agreeably to the Scriptures, and thus must all the children of the Church do, be the Adversaries never so importunate and willfully blind in these matters.

• 1 How there be many mediators, as there be many saviors, and redeemers, even in the Scriptures.
• 2 Iudg. 3, 9. 2. Esd. 9, 27. Act. 7, 35.

I permit not.

^[1] In times of licentiousness, liberty, and heresy, women are much given to reading, disputing, chatting, and jangling of the holy Scriptures, yea and to teach also if they might be permitted. But S. Paul utterly forbiddeth it, and the ^[2] Greek Doctors upon this place note that the woman taught but once, that was when after her reasoning with Satan, she persuaded her husband to transgression, and so she undid all mankind. And in the Ecclesiastical writers we find that women have been great promoters of every sort of heresy (whereof see a notable discourse in S. Hierom ep. ad Ctesiph. cont. Pelag. c. 2. ) which they would not have done, if they had according to the Apostle's rule, followed piety and good works, and lived in silence and subjection to their husbands.

• 1 Women great talkers of Scripture, and promoters of heresy.
• 2 * S. Chrys. Ho. 9. in 1. Tim.