Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsGalatians 4

Serving.

^[1] There can be no external worship of God nor association of men in religion, either true or false, without the use of corporal things or elements. The Heathen so used the creatures of elements that they served them as their gods. The Jews, of whom the Apostle here speaketh, served not the creatures themselves which they occupied in their ceremonies, but they served the only true God under the elements: that is to say, being servilely clogged, yoked, kept occupied and in awe, with innumerable fleshly, gross, and cumbersome offices about creatures. The Christians neither serve elements, as the one, nor be kept in servile thraldom thereby, as the other: but occupy only a few exceeding easy, sweet, seemly, and significant, for an agreeable exercise both of body and mind. ^[2] Whereof S. Augustine saith thus, li. 3. c. 9. de doct. Christ. Some few for many, most easy to be done, most honourable for signification, and most clean and pure for to be observed and kept, hath our Lord himself and the Apostolical discipline delivered. And li. de ver. relig. c. 17. Of the wisdom of God itself man's nature being taken, whereby we were called into liberty, a few Sacraments most wholesome were appointed and instituted, which might contain the society of Christian people, that is, of the free multitude under one God. And again, cont. Faust. li. 19. c. 13. The Sacraments are changed, they are made easier, fewer, wholesomer, happier. The same he hath in the 118. epistle c. 1. and many other places besides. By which you may see, it is not all one to use elements, visible Sacraments or ceremonies, and to serve them as the Pagans do, or to serve under them as the Jews did, wherewith the Heretics calumniously charge the Christians. ^[3] And as touching the small number, facility, efficacy, and signification, wherein the said holy father putteth the special difference; who seeth not that for so many busy sacrifices, we have but one: for Sacraments well near infinite, but seven: all so easy, so full of grace, so significant, as can be possible, as of every one in their several places is proved?

• 1 External worship of God by use of creatures, necessary: & how the Heathen, Jews, & Christians differ in the same.
• 2 The use of external elements in the Sacraments.
• 3 Our Sacraments few & easy, in respect of the Jews.

^[1]

Here, let the good Readers take heed of a double deceit used by the Adversaries about S. Augustine's places alleged. First, in that they say he made but two Sacraments, which is untrue. For, although treating of the difference between the Jewish Sacraments and ours, he namely giveth example in Baptism and the Eucharist (as Sometimes also for example he nameth but one) yet he hath no word nor sign at all that there should be no more. but contrarywise in the foresaid epistle

• 1 S. Augustine falsely alleged of the Heretics for two Sacraments only.

Ephes. 5.

^◦ The other forgery of the Adversaries concerning the elements or ceremonies, is, that S. Augustine (ep. 119. c. 19.) should affirm, that the Church and Christian people in his days (whereupon they infer that it is so much more now) were so loden with observation of unprofitable ceremonies, that they were in as great servility and subjection to such things as the Jews. He saith so indeed of some particular presumptions, inventions, and usages of certain persons, as that some made it a heinous matter to touch the ground with their bare feet within their own octaves, and such like vanities. Whereby some simple folks might be infected, which this holy Doctor specially misliked, and wisheth such things (as they may, without scandal) to be taken away. But that he wrote or meant so of any ceremony that the Church useth, either appointed by Scripture, or Councel, or custom of the Catholic Church, himself denieth it in express terms in the same place, and in sundry other: where he alloweth all the holy ceremonies done in the ministration of the Sacraments and else-where. Whereby it is clear, that the Church's most comely orders and significant rites pertain not to the yoke of the old law, much less to the superstition of Gentility, as Heretics affirm: but to the sweet yoke of Christ and light burden of his law, to order, decency, and instruction of the faithful, in all liberty, love, faith, grace, and spirit.

• ◦ S. Augustine falsely alleged against the ceremonies of the Church.

Weak and poor.

Whether he mean of the creatures which the Gentiles served (as it may seem by the words before of serving strange gods) so the elements were most base and beggarly: or of the Judaical ceremonies and sacraments (as most expound it) even so also their elements were weak and poor in themselves, not giving life, salvation, and remission of sins, nor being instruments or vessels of grace, as the 7 Sacraments of the new law be.

You observe days.

^[1] That which S. Paul speaketh against the Idololatrical observation of days, months, and times, dedicated by the Heathen to their false gods, and to wicked men or spirits, as to Jupiter, Mercury, Ianus, Iuno, Diana, and such like, or against the superstitious differences of days, fatal, fortunate, or dismol, and other observations of times for good luck or ill luck in man's actions, gathered either by particular fancy, or popular observation, or curious and unlawful arts, or (lastly) of the Judaical festivities that were then ended and abrogated, unto which notwithstanding certain Christian Jews would have reduced the Galatians against the Apostle's doctrine: all that (I say) do the Heretics of our time falsely and deceitfully interpret against the Christian holidays, and the sanctification and necessary keeping of the same. Which is not only contrary to the Fathers' exposition, but against the very Scriptures, and the practice of the Apostles & the whole Church. Aug. cont. Adimant. c. 16. Ep. 118. c. 7. Hiero. in hunc locum. In the Apocalypse c. 1. there is plain mention of ^[2] the Sunday, that is, our Lord's day (Dominicus dies) unto which the Jews' Sabboth was altered, their Pasch into our Easter, their Pentecost into our Whitsuntide: which were ordained & observed of the Apostles themselves. And the antiquity of ^[3] the feasts of Christ's Nativity, Epiphany, & Ascension is such, that they can be referred to no other origin but the Apostles' institution ^[4]: who (as S. Clement testifieth li. 8. const. Apost. c. 39. ) gave order for celebrating their fellow Apostles, S. Steven's, and other Martyrs' days after their death: and much more no doubt did they give order for Christ's festivities. According to which, the Church hath kept not only his, ^[5] but S. Steven's and the B. Innocents', even on the same days they be now solemnly kept, & his B. Mother's, and other Saints, (as the Adversaries themselves confess) above 1300 years, as appeareth in the barbarous combats between Westphalus the Lutheran, & Calvin, and by the writings betwixt the Puritans and Protestants.

• 1 The Heathenish and Judaical observation of days heretically compared with the Christian observation of festivities and holy-days, &c.
• 2 Sunday, Easter, Whitsuntide.
• 3 The festivities of Christ.
• 4 Orig. ho. 3. in divers. Aug. ep. 28. et Ser. de Sanctis. Fulgent. Leo.
• 5 Other holidays of Saints.

For which purpose, see also how old the holiday of S. Polycarpe is in Eusebius li. 4 c. 14. of the ^{[1] [2]} Assumption of our Lady or her dormition in S. Athanasius, S. Augustine, S. Hierom. S. Damasc. & both of that feast and of her Nativity in S. Bernard, who professeth he received them of the Church, & that they ought to be most solemnly kept. ep. 174. Wherein we cannot but wonder at the new Church of England, that (though against the pure Calvinist's will and doctrine) keep other Saints' and Apostles' days of their death, and yet have abolished this special feast of our Lady's departure, which they might keep, though they believe not her Assumption in body (whereof yet S. Denys ^[3] giveth so great testimony) being assured she is departed at the least: except they either hate her, or think her worthy of less remembrance than any other Saint. ^[4] Herself prophesying the contrary of all Catholic generations, that they should bless her. And indeed the Assumption is her proper day, as also the feast of her Nativity: the other of the Purification and the Annunciation, which they keep in England, being not so peculiar to her, but belonging rather to Christ's Presentation in the Temple, and his Conception. To conclude, we may see in S. Cyprian ep. 34. Origen ho. 3. in divers. Tertullian de cor. mil. ^[5] S. Gregory Nazianzene de amore pauperum. the Councel of Gangres ^[6], yea and the Councel of Nice it-self giving order for Easter and the certain celebrating thereof, that Christian Festivities be holy, ancient, and to be observed on prescript days and times, and that this is not Judaical observation of days, as Ærius taught, for which he was condemned of Heresy, as S. Epiphanius ^[7] witnesseth. But of holidays S. Augustine sheweth both the reason and his liking, in these memorable words. First for the feasts belonging to our Lord, thus: ^{[8] [9]} We dedicate and consecrate the memory of God's benefits with solemnities, feasts, and certain appointed days, lest by tract of times there might creep in ingrateful and unkind oblivion. Of the festivities of Martyrs thus: Christian people celebrate the memories of Martyrs with religious solemnity, both to move themselves to imitation of them, and that they may be partakers of their merits, and be holpen with their prayers. Cont. Faust. li. 20. c. 21. And of all Saints' days, thus: Keep ye and celebrate with sobriety the Nativities of Saints, that we may imitate them which have gone before us, and they may rejoice of us which pray for us. In Ps. 88. Conc. 2. in fine.

• 1 Festivities of our B. Lady.
• 2 * See the Annotation, Act. 1. v. 14.
• 3 ep. ad Timotheum.
• 4 Luc. 1. v. 48.
• 5 See S. Grego. li. 7. ep. 29. of Martyrs' feasts all the year, and Masses in the same.
• 6 Conc. Gangr. c. 20.
• 7 Epiphan. Hær. 75.
• 8 S. Augustine's words of Festivities and holy-days.
• 9 Aug. de Civit. Dei li. 10. c. 16.

^[1]

And as is said of prescript days of feasts, so the like is to be said ^[2] of fasts, which else-where we have shewed to be of the Apostle's ordinance. And so also of the Ecclesiastical division of the year into Advent, Septuagesima, &c. the week into so many Feries, ^[3] the day into Hours of prayers, as the Prime, the Third, the Sixth, the None, &c. Whereof see ^[4] S. Cyprian, who deriveth these things by the Scriptures from the Apostles also, and counteth these things which the wicked Heretics reprove, to be full of mystery. Like unto this also is it, ^[5] that the holy Scriptures were so disposed of, and divided, that certain pieces (as is always observed and practised until this day) should be read at one time, and others at other times and seasons, throughout the year, according to the diversity of our Lord's actions and benefits, or the Saint's stories then recorded. Which the Puritane Calvinists also condemn of superstition, desiring to bring in hellish horror and all disorder. See Conc. Carthag. 3. c. 47. & pag. 288. of this book.

• 1 Prescript fasting days.
• 2 * Hilar. prolog. in Psal. explan. Epip. hær. 75. & in fine. li. 3. cont. hær.
• 3 Canonical hours.
• 4 * Cypri. de orat. Do. nu. 15.
• 5 Reading of the Scriptures according to the time of the year.

By an allegory.

^◦ Here we learn that the holy Scriptures have beside the literal sense, a deeper spiritual and more principal meaning: which is not only to be taken of the holy words, but of the very facts and persons reported: both the speeches and the actions being significative over and above the letter. Which pregnancy of manifold senses if S. Paul had not signified himself in certain places, the Heretics had been less wicked and presumptuous in condemning the holy Fathers' allegorical expositions almost wholly: who now shew themselves to be mere brutish and carnal men, having no sense nor feeling of the profundity of the Scriptures, which our holy Fathers the Doctors of God's Church saw.

• ◦ The Scriptures have an allegorical sense beside the literal.

Freedom.

^◦ He meaneth the liberty and discharge from the old ceremonies, sacraments, and the whole bondage of the Law, and from the servitude of sin, and the Devil, to such as obey him: but not liberty to do what every man list, or to be under no obedience of spiritual or temporal laws and governers: not a licence never to pray, fast, keep holyday, or workday, but when and how it seemeth best to every man's phantasy. Such a dissolute licentious state is far from the true liberty which Christ purchased for us.

• ◦ True Christian liberty.

^[2] he insinuateth, that besides those two, there be other of the same sort in the Scriptures. ^[3] Yea, with water and bread, which be the elements of the two foresaid Sacraments, he expressly nameth oil also (li. 2. cont. lit. Petil. c. 104.) the element or matter of the Sacrament of Confirmation: which in the same place he maketh to be a Sacrament as Baptism is. So doth he affirm of the Sacrament of Orders li. 1. de bapt. c. 1. and also of Matrimony li. de bono coniug. c. 24. of Penance likewise, he speaketh as of Baptism, which he calleth Reconciliation, li. 1. de adult. coniug. c. 28. Lastly, by the book de visitatione infirmorum in S. Augustine, li. 2. c. 4. by Prosper de prædictionibus p. 2. c. 29. S. Innocentius ad Eugubinum to. 1. Conc. ep. ad Eugub. c. 8. S. Cyril, li. 2. in Leviticum, and S. Chrysostom li. 3. de Sacerdotio, ^[4] Extreme unction is proved to be a Sacrament. It is false then that the Heretics affirm of S. Augustine, by whose doctrine it is plain, that though the elements or Sacraments of the new law be but few and very few in comparison of those in the old law, yet there be no fewer than seven specified by him. Which number of seven the holy Councels of Florence and Trent do expressly define to have been instituted by Christ, against these late Heretics. See more of these Sacraments in their places. Act. 8. 1. Tim. 4. Io. 20. Ia.

• 2 ep. 118. c. 1. & in Ps. 103. conc. 1.
• 3 The other Sacraments proved out of S. Augustine.
• 4 * Aug. ser. 215. de temp. & de rectitud. Cath. conversat.