Original Douay–Rheims Annotations2 Corinthians 1

Passions of Christ.

^[1] All the afflictions of the faithful be called Christ's own passions, not only because they be suffered for him, but for that there is so strait conjunction and communion betwixt him being the head, and every of the living members of his body, which is the Church, that whatsoever is suffered by any one of the same, is counted as a piece of his own Passion. As likewise whatsoever good works be done to any of them, or by any of them, be accepted as done to, or by Christ himself, Which thing if the Protestants well weighed, they would not marvel that the Catholic Church attributeth such force of ^[2] merit and satisfaction to the work of holy men.

• 1 All our afflictions, be Christ's afflictions, for the conjunction between the head & body.
• 2 Merit and satisfaction.

The comfort abound.

^◦ Worldly men that see only the exterior miseries and afflictions that Catholics do suffer being persecuted by the Heathen or Heretics, deem them exceeding miserable. But if they felt or could conceive the aboundance of consolation which Christ ever giveth according to the measure of their afflictions, they would never wonder at the voluntary toleration of what torments soever for Christ's sake, but would wish rather themselves to be in any dungeon in England with the comfort that such have from God, than to live out of the Church in all the wealth of the world.

• ◦ Worldly men feel not the comfort of afflicted Catholics.

You helping in prayer.

^[1] S. Paul knew that the help of other men's prayers was nothing derogatory to the office of Christ's mediation or intercession for him, nor to the hope that he had in God: and therefore he craveth the Corinthians' aid herein as a support and succours for himself in the sight of God. With what reason or Scripture then, can the Protestants say that the prayers of Saints be injurious to Christ, or not to stand with the confidence we have in him? As though it were more dishonour to God that we should use the aid of Saints in heaven, than of sinners in earth: or ^[2] that the intercession of these our fellows beneath, were more available than the prayers of those that be in the glorious sight of God above.

• 1 Intercession of Saints or holy men for us, no derogation to Christ.
• 2 Hiero. cont. Vigil.

By many men's.

^◦ He meaneth, that as the prayers of many joined together for him, shall be rather heard, than of any alone: so their common thanks-giving to God for granting their request, shall be more acceptable and glorious to God, than any one man's thanks alone. Which thing doth much commend the holy Church's public prayers, processions, stations, and pilgrimages, where so many meet and uniformly join their prayers and lauds together unto God.

• ◦ Public prayers & fasts.

Your glory.

^◦ The Apostles, teachers, and preachers, that convert countries or particular persons to Christ, and the peoples or parties by them converted, shall in the day of judgement have much mutual joy and glory of and for each other, one giving to the other great matter of merit in this life, and of reward in the next. See 1. Thess. 2. v. 19.

• ◦ Their glory in heaven that convert others.

It is, it is not.

^◦ As he dischargeth himself of all other levity touching his promise or purpose of coming to them, so much more of all inconstancy in preaching Christ's doctrine and faith. Wherein, one day to affirm, another day to deny, to dissent from his fellows or from himself, to change every year or in every epistle the form of his former teaching, to come daily with new devices repugnant to his own rules, were not agreeable to an Apostle and true teacher of Christ, but proper to false prophets and Heretics. Whereof we have notorious examples in the Protestants: who being destitute of the spirit of peace, concord, constancy, unity, and verity, as they vary from their own writings which they retract, reform or deform continually, so both in their preachings, & form of Service, they are so restless, changeable and repugnant to themselves, that if they were not kept in awe with much ado, by temporal laws, or by the shame and rebuke of the world, they would coin us every year or every Parliament, new Communions, new faiths, and new Christs, as you see by the manifold endeavours of the Puritans. And this to be the proper note of false Apostles and Heretics, see in S. Irenæus li. 1. c. 18. and Tertull. de præscript. S. Basil. ep. 12.

• ◦ The Protestants' inconstancy in changing their writings, translations, service books, &c.

Hath sealed.

^[1] The learned Divines prove by this place and by the like in the fourth to the Ephesians ^[2], that the Sacrament of Baptism doth not only give grace, but imprinteth and sealeth the soul of the baptized, with a spiritual sign, mark, badge, or token, which can never be blotted out, neither by sin, heresy, apostasy, nor other ways, but remaineth for ever in man for the cognisance of his Christendom, and for distinction from others which were never of Christ's fold. By which also he is as it were consecrated and deputed to God, made capable and partaker of the rights of the Church, and subject to her laws and discipline. See S. Hierom in 4. Ephes. S. Ambrose li. 1 de Sp. Sancto cap. 6. S. Cyril Hierosol. Catechesi. 17 at the end, and S. Dionysius Areopag. c. 2. Eccl. Hierarch. The which Fathers express that spiritual sign by diverse agreeable names, which the Church and most Divines, after S. Augustine, call the character of Baptism. By the truth and force of which spiritual note or mark of the soul, he specially convinceth the Donatists, that the said Sacrament though given and ministered by Heretics or Schismatics or who else so ever, can never be reiterated. See ep. 57. & li. 6 cont. Donatist. cap. 1. & li. 2 cont. Parmenianum c. 13. As the like indelible characters given also by the Sacraments of Confirmation and Orders, do make those also irreiterable and never to be received but once. Whereas all other Sacraments saving these three, may be often received of the selfsame person. And that Holy Orders cannot be iterated, see S. Augustine li. 2 cont. Parmen. c. 13. li. de bono coniug. c. 24. and S. Gregory li. 2 Regist. ep. 32. The like of Confirmation is decreed in the most ancient Councel Tarracon. cap. 6. ^[3] Finally that this character is given only by these said three Sacraments, and is the cause that none of them can be in any man repeated or reiterated, see the decrees of the Councels Florentine and Trent. Which yet is no new device of them, as the Heretics falsely affirm, but agreeable (as you see) both to the Scriptures and also to the ancient fathers and Councels.

• 1 The indelible character of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders.
• 2 Eph. 4, 30.
• 3 See Conc. Tarraco. to. 2. Concil.

Not because we over-rule.

^◦ Calvin and his seditious Sectaries with other like which despise dominion, as S. Jude describeth such, would by this place deliver themselves from all yoke of spiritual Magistrates and Rulers: namely that they be subject to no man touching their faith, or for the examination and trial of their doctrine, but to God and his word only. And no marvel that the malefactors and rebels of the Church would come to no tribunal but God's, that so they may remain unpunished at least during this life. For though the Scriptures plainly condemn their heresies, yet they could writhe themselves out by false glosses, constructions, corruptions, and denials of the books to be Canonical, if there were no laws or judicial sentence of men to rule and repress them.

^[1]

Notwithstanding then these words of S. Paul, whereby only tyrannical, insolent, and proud behaviour and indiscreet rigor of Prelates or Apostles towards their flocks is noted, as also in the first of S. Peter cap. 5. (the Greek word in these places ^[2], and in the Gospel Mt. 20, 25. Mr. 10, 42. signifying lordly and insolent dominion:) yet he had and exercised just rule, preeminence, and prelacy over them, not only for their life, but also and principally touching their faith. For he might & did call them to account for the same, and excommunicated heretics for forsaking their faith. 1 Cor. 4. 5. 2 Cor. 10, 4. 13, 10. 1 Tim. 1, 20. Tit. 1, 11. And all Christian men are bound to obey their lawful Prelates in matters of faith and doctrine specially, and must not under that ridiculous pretence of obeying God's word only (which is the shift of all other Heretics, as Anabaptists, Arians, and the like, as well as the Protestants) disobey God's Church, Councels, and their own Pastors and Bishops, who by the Scriptures have the regiment of their souls, and may examine and punish as well John Calvin as Simon Magus, for falling from the Catholic faith. For though God alone be the Lord, author and giver of faith, yet they are his ^[3] cooperators and coadjutors by whom the faithful do believe and be preserved in the true faith, and be defended from wolves, which be Heretics, seeking to corrupt them in the same. And this same Apostle ^[4] challengeth to be their father as he that begat and formed them by his preaching in Christ.

• 1 Tyrannical dominion is forbid in Prelates, not Ecclesiastical Sovereignty for examination of faith or manners.
• 2 κατακυριεύειν.
• 3 συνεργοὶ 1. Cor. 3, 9.
• 4 1. Cor. 4, 15.
• ◦ The Calvinists will be subject to no tribunal in earth, for trial of their religion.