Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsActs 8

Devout men.

^◦ As here great devotion was used in burying his body, so afterward at the Invention & Translation thereof. And the miracles wrought by the same, and at every little memory of the same, were infinite: as S. Augustine witnesseth. li. 22. de Civit. Dei c. 8. & Sermon. de S. Steph. to. 10.

• ◦ S. Steven's relics.

Sent Peter.

Some Protestants use this place to prove S. Peter not to be head of the Apostles, because he and S. John were sent by the Twelve, by which reason they might as well conclude that he was not equal to the rest. For commonly the Master sendeth the man, and the Superior the inferior, when the word of sending is exactly used. ^◦ But it is not always so taken in the Scriptures, for then could not the Son be sent by the Father, nor the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son: nor otherwise in common use of the world, seeing the inferior or equal may intreat his friend or Superior to do his business for him. And specially a body Politic or a Corporation may by election or otherwise choose their Head and send him. So may the Citizens send their Mayor to the Prince or Parliament, though he be the head of the city, because he may be more fit to do their business. Also the Superior or equal may be sent by his own consent or desire. Lastly, the College of the Apostles comprising Peter with the rest (as every such Body implieth both the head and the members) was greater than Peter their head alone. As the Prince and Parliament is greater than the Prince alone. And so Peter might be sent as by authority of the whole College, notwithstanding he were the head of the same.

• ◦ That Peter was sent, is no reason against his Primacy.

Did they impose.

If this Philip had been an Apostle (saith S. Bede) he might have imposed his hands, that they might have received the Holy Ghost, but this none can do saving Bishops. ^[1] For though Priests may baptize, and anoint the Baptized also with Chrism consecrated by a Bishop: yet he cannot sign his forehead with the same holy oil, because that belongeth only to Bishops, when they give the Holy Ghost to the Baptized. So saith he touching the Sacrament of Confirmation in 8. Act. This imposition therefore of hands together with the prayers here specified (which no doubt were the very same that the Church yet useth to that purpose) was the ministration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Whereof S. Cyprian ^[2] saith thus, They that in Samaria were baptized of Philip, because they had lawful and Ecclesiastical Baptism, ought not to be baptized any more: but only that which wanted, was done by Peter and John, to wit, that by prayer made for them and imposition of hands, the Holy Ghost might be poured upon them. Which now also is done with us, that they which in the Church are baptized, be by the Ruler's of the Church offered, and by our prayer and imposition of hand receive the Holy Ghost, and be signed with our Lord's seal. So S. Cyprian. But the Heretics object that yet here is no mention of oil. To whom we say, that many things were done and said in the administration of this and other Sacrament, and all instituted by Christ himself and delivered to the Church by the Apostles, which are not particularly written by the Evangelists or any other in the Scripture, among which this is evident by all antiquity and most general practice of the Church, to be one.

• 1 The Sacrament of Confirmation, ministered by Bishops only. And that with solemn prayer and imposition of hands.
• 2 ep. 73. nu. 3. ad Iubaianum.

^[1]

S. Denys ^[2] saith, The Priests did present the baptized to the Bishop, that he might sign them divino & deifico unguento, with the divine and deifical ointment. And again, Adventum S. Spiritus consummans inunctio largitur, the inunction consummating giveth the coming of the Holy Ghost. Tertullian de resur. carn. nu. 7. & li. 1. adv. Marcio. speaketh of this Confirmation by Chrism thus: The flesh is anointed, that the soul may be consecrated: the flesh is signed, that the soul may be fenced: the flesh by imposition of hand is shadowed, that the soul by the Spirit may be illuminated. S. Cyprian likewise, ep. 70. nu. 2. He must also be anointed, that is baptized, with the oil sanctified on the Altar. And ep. 72. (see also ep. 73. nu. 3.) he expressly calleth it a Sacrament, joining it with Baptism, as Melchiades doth (ep. ad omnes Hispaniæ Episcopos nu. 2. to. 1. Conc.) Shewing the difference betwixt it an Baptism. S. Augustine also, cont. lit. Petil li. 2. c. 104. The Sacrament of Chrism in the kind of visible seals is sacred and holy, even as Baptism itself. We omit S. Cyril mystag. 3. S. Ambrose li. 3. de Sacram. c. 2. & de ijs qui mysterijs initiantur c. 7. S. Leo ep. 88, the ancient Councels also of Laodicea, can. 48. Carthage 3. can. 39. and Aravsicanum 4. can. 1. and others. And S. Clement (Apost. Const. li. 7, c. 44.) reporteth certain constitutions of the Apostles touching the same. ^[3] S. Denys referreth the manner of consecration of the same Chrism to the Apostles' instruction. S. Basil li. de Sp. Sancto c. 27. calleth it a tradition of the Apostles. And the most ancient Martyr S. Fabian ep. 2. ad omnes Orientales Episcopos in initio, to. 1. Conc. saith plainly that Christ himself did so instruct the Apostles at the time of the institution of the B. Sacrament of the Altar. And so doth the Author of the book de unctione Chrismatis apud D. Cyprianum nu. 1. telling the excellent effects and graces of this Sacrament, and why this kind of oil and balsam was taken of the old Law, & used in the Sacraments of the new Testament. Which thing the Heretics can with less cause object against the Church, seeing they confess ^[4] that Christ and his Apostles took the ceremony of imposition of hands in this and other Sacraments, from the Jews' manner of consecrating their hosts deputed to sacrifice.

^◦

To conclude, never none denied or contemned this Sacrament of Confirmation and holy Chrism, but known Heretics. S. Cornelius that B. Martyr so much praised of S. Cyprian, ep. ad Fabium apud Euseb. li. 6. c. 35. affirmeth, that Novatus fell to Heresy, for that he had not received the Holy Ghost by the consignation of a Bishop. Whom all the Novatians did follow, never using that holy Chrism, as Theodorete writeth, li. 3. Fabul. Hær. And Optatus li. 2. cont. Parm. writeth that it was the special barbarous sacrilege of the Donatists, to conculcate the holy oil. But all this is nothing to the savage disorder of Calvinists in this point.

• 1 Chrism in Confirmation.
• 2 Ec. Hier. c. 2. & 4.
• 3 * Ec. Hier. c. 4.
• 4 * Beza in Act. c. 6. v. 6.
• ◦ Old heresies against confirmation and Chrism.

And they received the Holy Ghost.

The Protestants charge the Catholics, ^[1] that by approving and commending so much the Sacrament of Confirmation, and by attributing to it specially the gift of the Holy Ghost, they diminish the force of Baptism, challenging also boldly the ancient Fathers for the same. As though any Catholic or Doctor ever said more than the express words of Scripture here and elsewhere plainly give them warrant for. If they diminish the virtue of Baptism, then did Christ so, appointing his Apostles and all the Faithful even after their Baptism to expect the Holy Ghost & virtue from above; then did the Apostles injury to Baptism, in that they imposed hands on the baptized, and gave them the Holy Ghost. ^[2] And this is the Heretics' blindness in this case, that they cannot, or will not see that the Holy Ghost is given in Baptism to remission of sins, life, and sanctification: & in Confirmation, for force, strength, and corroboration to fight against all our spiritual enemies, and to stand constantly in confession of our faith, even to death, in times of persecution either of the Heathen or of Heretics, with great increase of grace. And let the good Reader note here our Adversaries' great perversity and corruption of the plain sense of the Scriptures in this point: ^[3] some of them affirming the Holy Ghost here to be no other but the gift of wisdom in the Apostles and a few more to the government of the Church, when it is plain that not only the Governers but all that were baptized, received this grace, both men and women. Some, that it was no internal grace, but only the gift of diverse languages: Which is very false, the gift of Tongues being but a sequel and an accident to the grace, and an external token of the inward gift of the Holy Ghost, and our Saviour calleth it virtue from above. Some say, that whatsoever it was, it was but a miraculous thing, and dured no longer than the gift of the Tongues joined thereunto: by which evasion they deny also the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, and the force of Excommunication, because the corporal punishments which were annexed often times in the Primitive Church unto it, ceaseth, and so may they take away (as they mean to do) all Christ's faith or religion, because it hath not the like operation of miracles as in the beginning. But S. Augustine ^[4] toucheth this point fully. Is there any man (saith he) of so perverse an heart, to deny these Children on whom we now imposed hands, to have received the Holy Ghost, because they speak not with Tongues? &c. Lastly, some of them make no more of Confirmation or the Apostles' fact, but as of a doctrine, instruction, or exhortation to continue in the faith received. Whereupon they have turned this holy Sacrament ^[5] into a Catechism. ^[6] There are also that put the baptized coming to years of discretion, to their own choice whether they will continue Christians or no. To such devilish and diverse inventions they fall, that will not obey God's Church nor the express Scriptures, which tell us of prayer, of imposition of hands, of the Holy Ghost, of grace and virtue from above, and not of instruction, which might and may be done as well before Baptism, & by others, as by Apostles and Bishops, to whom only this Holy function pertaineth, in so much that in our Country it is called Bishoping ^[7].

• 1 Kemnit. in exam. conc. Trid. de Confir.
• 2 The effects of Baptism and Confirmation differ.
• 3 Heretical shifts and evasions against manifest Scriptures, and against this Sacrament of Confirmation.
• 4 Tractat. 6. in ep. Io.
• 5 * See Conc. Trid. Sess. 7. can. 1. de Confirmat.
• 6 * Conc. Trid. sess 7. can. 14. de Bapt.
• 7 Bishoping.

Offered money.

This wicked sorcerer Simon is noted by S. Irenæus li. 1. c. 20. and others, to have been the first Heretic, & father of all Heretics to come, in the Church of God. He taught, only faith in him, without good life and works, to be enough to salvation. He gave the onset to purchase with his money a spiritual function, that is to be made a Bishop. For, to have power to give the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands, is to be a Bishop: ^◦ as to buy the power to remit sins or to consecrate Christ's body, is to buy to be a Priest, or to buy Priesthood: and to buy the authority to minister Sacraments, to preach or to have cure of souls, is to buy a benefice. And likewise in all other spiritual things, whereof either to make sale or purchase for money or money worth, is a great horrible sin called Simony: and in such as think it lawful (as here Simon judged it) it is named Simoniacal Heresy, of this detestable man who first attempted to buy a spiritual function or office. D. Greg. apud Ioan. Diac. in vit. li. 3. c. 2. 3. 4. 5.

• ◦ Simony.

Do penance.

^◦ S. Augustine (ep. 108.) understanding this of the penance done in the Primitive Church for heinous offences, doth teach us to translate this and the like places (2. Cor. 12, 21. Apoc. 9, 21) as we do, and as it is in the vulgar Latin, and consequently that the Greek μετανοεῖν doth signify so much. Yea when he addeth, that very good men do daily penance for venial sins by fasting, prayer, and alms, he warranteth this phrase and translation throughout the new Testament, specially himself also reading so as it is in the vulgar Latin, and as we translate.

• ◦ Penance.

If perhaps.

You may see, great penance is here required for remission of sin, & that men must stand in fear and dread lest they be not worthy to be heard or to obtain mercy. Whereby all men that buy or sell any spiritual functions, dignities, offices, or livings, may specially be warned that the sin is exceeding great.

Pray you for me.

^◦ As this Sorcerer had more knowledge of the true religion than the Protestants have, who see not that the Apostles and Bishops can give the Holy Ghost in this Sacrament or other, which he plainly perceived and confessed, so surely he was more religious than they, that being so sharply checked by the Apostle, yet blasphemed not as they do when they be blamed by the Governers of the Church, but desired the Apostles to pray for him.

• ◦ Simon Magus more religious than the Protestants.

This is desert.

Intolerable boldness of some Protestants, here also (as in other places) against all copies both Greek and Latin, to surmise corruption or falsehood of the text, saying it cannot be so: Which is to accuse the holy Evangelist, and to blaspheme the Holy Ghost himself. See ^{[1] [2]} Beza, who is often very saucy with S. Luke.

• 1 Beza.
• 2 Annot. no. Test. 1556.

He baptized him.

^[1] When the Heretics of this time find mention made in Scripture of any Sacrament ministered by the Apostles or other in the Primitive Church, they imagine no more was done than there is expressly told, nor scarcely believe so much. As if imposition of hands in the Sacrament of Confirmation be only expressed, they think there was no chrism nor other work or word used. So they think no more ceremony was used in the baptizing of this noble man, than here is mentioned. Whereupon S. Augustine ^[2] hath these memorable words, In that that he saith, Philip baptized him, he would have it understood that all things were done, which though in the The Epistle upon the Conversion of S. Paul Ian. 25. Act. 22, 4. Gal. 1, 13.

• 1 The ceremonies of Sacraments done, though not mentioned.
• 1
• 2 De fid. & op. c. 9.
• 2