Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsActs 23
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Acts 23 in the BibleActs 23:8
The Sadducees.
[1] This was the worst Heresy among the Jews, denying that there be any Angels, or spirits, the Resurrection also of the bodies: & consequently (as it may very well be gathered by the book of the Machabees [2] ) they denied prayer for the dead. For to offer or pray for the dead, & to think rightly & religiously of the Resurrection, are made there sequels one of another. Of this sect of Sadducees was (as Eusebius writeth li. 2. c. 22. Ec. hist. ) this Ananias the High Priest, that caused Paul to be smitten. For their Priesthood had now no more the protection of God to preserve it in truth and right judgement, the Christian Priesthood being then established.
- 1 The Sadducees (as it seemeth) denied prayer for the dead.
- 2 Mac. li. 2. c. 12, 43.
Acts 23:12
Vowed themselves.
[1] Such vows, oaths, or execrations as this, bind no man before God, yea they must in nowise be observed. It is a great offence either to vow voluntarily, or to take any such thing upon a man, for fear or by commandment. For example, if thou have rashly by promise, vow, or oath, appointed to be revenged upon any man, thou bindest not thyself thereby, neither must thou keep thy promise. If thou be put to an oath to accuse Catholics for serving God as they ought to do, or to utter any innocent man to God's enemies and his, thou oughtest first to refuse such unlawful oaths: but if thou have not constancy and courage so to do, yet know thou that such oaths bind not at all in conscience and Law of God, but may and must be broken under pain of damnation. For to make or take such vows or oaths, is one sin, and to keep them, is another far greater, as when Herod, to keep his oath, killed John Baptist [2]. And such vows and oaths to God as these, are unlawful & must be broken: and not the vows of Chastity and Religion, as our new Ministers teach by their words and works.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Acts 23:5
I new not.
[1] Our Lord (saith S. Cyprian [2] ) in the Gospel, when it was said to him, Answerest thou the high Priest so? Teaching that the honour of Priesthood must be kept, said nothing to the high Priest, but only purging his innocency, said: If I have spoken evil, bear witness of evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? Also the blessed Apostle when it was said to him, Doest thou assail the high Priest so with ill words? Speak not any thing contumeliously against the Priest, whereas he might have put forth himself stoutly against them which had both crucified our Lord, and which had now also lost their God and Christ, Temple and Priesthood. But though in false and spoiled Priests, yet considering the very bare shadow of the name of Priests, he said, I knew not brethren that he was high Priest. By which words of the Apostle, either it may be thought he knew not indeed that he was in that function, because he had not been of long time in those parts: or else that he so said in respect of the abrogation of the high Priesthood of the Jews, whereby he knew this man not to be truly any Priest, as also because at this time they came not orderly to it by succession of Aaron and Law of Moyses, but by the Roman Emperor's favour, [3] as is said before: though (as it is lawful in such a case) the less to irritate them, he frameth his speech so as they might not take occasion of further accusation against him.