Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsColossians 2

By Philosophy.

^[1] Philosophy and all human science, so long as they be subject and obedient to Christ (as they be in the Schools of Christian Catholic men) be not forbidden, but are greatly commended and be very profitable in the Church of God. Otherwise where secular learning is made the rule of religion and commandeth faith, there it is pernicious and the cause of all heresy and infidelity, for the which, S. Hierom and before him Tertullian call Philosophers, the Patriarchs of Heretics, and declare that all the old heresies rose only by too much admiring of profane philosophy. Hiero. ad Ctesiph. cont. Pelag. c. 1. Tertul. de præscr. & cont. Hermog. & contr. Marcio. li. 5. And so do these new sects no doubt in many things. For, other arguments have they none against the presence of Christ in the B. Sacrament but such as they borrow of Aristotle and his like ^[2], concerning quantity, accidents, place, position, dimensions, senses, sight, taste, and other straits of reason, to which they bring Christ's mysteries. All Philosophical arguments therefore against any article of our faith be here condemned as deceitful, and are called also here, the tradition of men, and the elements of the world. The better to resist which fallacies and traditions of Heathen men, the School ^[3] learning is necessary, which keepeth Philosophy in awe and order of faith, and useth the same to withstand the Philosophical and sophistical deceits of the Heretics and Heathen. So the great Philosophers S. Denys, S. Augustine, Clemens Alexandrinus, Iustine, Lactantius and the rest, used the same to the great honour of God and benefit of the Church. So came S. Cyprian, S. Ambrose, S. Hierom, and the Greek fathers, furnished with all secular learning unto the study of Divinity, whereof see S. Hierom. ep. 84. ad Magnum Oratorem.

• 1 Philosophy and other human sciences how profitable or hurtful to the Church of God.
• 2 The Protestants abuse Philosophy against the B. Sacrament.
• 3 School learning.

In meat.

^[1] The Protestants willfully or ignorantly apply all these kinds of forbearing meats, to the Christian fasts: but it is by the circumstance of the text plain (as S. Augustine also teacheth ^[2] ) that the Iudaical observation and distinction of certain clean and unclean meats is forbidden to the Colossians, who were in danger to be seduced by certain Jews, under pretence of holiness to keep the Law touching meats and festivities and other like, which the Apostle sheweth were only shadows of things to come: which things are come, and therefore the said shadows to cease. Where he nameth the Sabboths and feasts of the new moon, that no man need to doubt but that he speaketh only of the Jewish days and kinds of fasts and feasts, and not of Christian holidays or fasting days at all.

• 1 Aug. ep. 59. ad Paulinum in solut. 7. quæst.
• 2 Scriptures abused by the Protestants against Christian fasting, & holy-days.

Religion of Angels.

By the like false application of this text as of the other before, the Heretics abuse it against the invocation or honour of Angels used in the Catholic Church, where the Apostle noteth the wicked doctrine of Simon Magus and others (See S. Chrys. ho. 7 in hunc locum, and Epiph. hær. 21. ) who taught, Angels to be our mediators and not Christ, non tenens Caput, not holding the Head, as the Apostle here speaketh, & prescribed sacrifices to be offered unto them, meaning indifferently as well the ill Angels as the good. Which doctrine the said Heretic had of Plato, who taught, that spirits (which he calleth dæmones ) were to be honoured as mediators next to God. ^[1] Against which S. Augustine disputeth li. 8. 9. & 10. de civit. as he condemneth also the same undue worship li. 10. Confess. cap. 42. S. Hierom (q. 10. ad Algasiam) expoundeth this also of ill spirits or devils, whom he proveth (out of S. Steven's sermon Act. 7. ) that the Jews did worship, avouching that they serve them still, so many of them and so often as they observe the Law. Of which idolatry also to Angels Theodorete speaketh upon this place, declaring that the Jews defended their superstition towards Angels by that, that the Law was given by them, deceitfully at once inducing the Colossians, both to keep the law, & to honouring of the Angels as the givers of the same. Whereby diverse of the faithful were so seduced, that they forsook Christ and his Church and service, and committed idolatry to the said Angels. Against which abominations the Councel of Laodicia Cap. 35 took order, accursing all that forsook our Saviour and committed idolatry to Angels, and contemning Christ, kept conventicles in the name of spirits and Idols. of which kind of worship of Angels and Devils see Clemens Alexand. Strom. 3. Tertullian ( li. 5. cont. Marcion. ) expoundeth this place of the false teachers that feigned themselves to have revelation of Angels, that the Law should be kept touching difference of clean & unclean meats. Which is very agreeable to that ^[2] in the Epistle to Timothee, where S. Paul calleth abstaining from meats after the Jewish or heretical manner, the doctrine of Devils: whereof see more in the annotation upon that place. Haimo a godly ancient writer, upon this place, saith further, that some Philosophers of the Gentiles and some of the Jews also taught, that there were four Angels Presidents of the four elements of man's body, and that in feigned hypocrisy (which the Apostle here calleth humility) they pretended to worship by sacrifice the said Angels. Theophylact expoundeth this feigned humility, of certain Heretics, that pretending the mediatorship to be a derogation to Christ's majesty, worshipped Angels as the only mediators. All which we set down with more diligence, that the Heretics may be ashamed to abuse this place against the due reverence and respect or prayers made to the holy Angels. Whom the Scriptures record so often to offer our prayers up to God, and to have been lawfully reverenced of the Patriarchs, never as gods, but as God's ministers and messengers. Josu. 5. 14. Tob. 12, 12. Gen. 48, 16. Angelus qui eruit me. 1 Tim. 5, 21. And that they may be prayed unto, & can help & hear us, See S. Hierom in cap. 10 Danielis, S. Ambrose in Psal. 118. serm. 1. S. Augustine li. 10. de civit. Dei c. 12. Bede li. 4. in Cantica c. 24.

• 1 S. Paul's place concerning religion of Angels, explicated: and that the Protestants wickedly abuse it against the due honour & invocation of Angels.
• 2 1. Tim. 4, 1.

Not holding the Head

Because he hath much a do with such false preachers as taught the people to prefer the Angels which gave the Law, or other whatsoever, before Christ: in this Epistle, and to the Ephesians, he often affirmeth Christ to be our head, yea and to be exalted far above all creatures, Angels, Potestates, Principalities, or whatsoever.

Why do you.

^[1] A marvelous impudent translation of these words in the English Bibles thus, Why are you burdened with traditions? Whereas the Greek ^[2] hath not that signification: but to make the name of Tradition odious, here they put it of purpose, not being in the Greek: and in other places where Traditions are commended (1 Cor. 11. and 2 Thes. 2.) and where the Greek is so most flatly (παραδόσεις) there they translate it, instructions, ordinances, &c.

• 1 Heretical translation.
• 2 δογματίζεσθε

Touch not.

^[1] The Heretics (as before and always) very vainly allege this against the Catholic fastings: when it is most clear that the Apostle reprehendeth the foresaid false teachers that thought to make the Christians subject to the observation of the ceremonies of the old Law, of not eating hogs, conies, hares' flesh, and such like, not to touch a dead corpse nor any place where a woman in her flowers had sit, & other infinite doctrines of touching, tasting, washing, eating, and the rest, either commanded to the old people by God, or (as many things were) voluntarily taken up by themselves, sometime clean against God's ordinance, and often frivolous and superstitious. Which sort as Christ in the Gospel, so here S. Paul calleth the precepts and doctrines of men, and superstition, and (as the Greek word signifieth) ^[2] voluntary worship, that is invented by Heretics of their own head without the warrant of Christ in the Scriptures, or the Holy Ghost in the Church, or any lawful authority of such whom Christ commandeth us to obey. Against such sect Masters therefore as would have yoked the faithful again with the Jewish or Heretical fasts of Simon Magus and the like, S. Paul speaketh, and not of the Church's fasts or doctrines.

• 1 Scripture abused against the Church's fasts.
• 2 ἐθελοθρησκέια

Having a shew.

^[1] Again the Heretics of our time object, that these foresaid false teachers pretended holiness, wisdom, and chastisement of their bodies (for so S. Paul saith) by forbidding certain meats according to the Jews' observation, even as the Catholics do. It is true they did so, and so do most vices imitate virtues, for if chastising of men's bodies and repressing their concupiscences and lusts were not godly, and if abstinence from some meats were not laudably and profitably used in the Church for the same purpose, no Heretics (to induce the abolished observations and differences of meats of the Jews, or the condemnation of certain meats and creatures as abominable, according to others) would have falsely pretended the chastisement of their flesh, or made other shew of wisdom and piety, to found their unlawful Heretical or Judaical superstition concerning the same. The Catholic Church & her children, by the example of Christ, S. John Baptist, the Apostles and other blessed men, do that lawfully, godly, religiously, and sincerely indeed to the end aforesaid, which these false Apostles only pretended to do. So ^[2] S. Paul did chastise his body indeed, by watching, fasting, and many other afflictions, and that was lawful, and was true wisdom and piety indeed. The foresaid Heretics not so, but to induce the Colossians to Judaism and other abominable errors, did but pretend these things in hypocrisy.

• 1 The hypocritical abstinence of old Heretics, maketh nothing against true and sincere fasting, but commendeth it.
• 2 1. Cor. 9, 27. 2 Cor. 11, 27.