Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsJohn 14
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read John 14 in the BibleJohn 14:16
For ever.
◦ If the Holy Ghost had been promised only to the Apostles, their successors and the Church after them could not have challenged it, but it was promised them fore ever. Whereby we may learn, both that the privileges and promises made to the Apostles were not personal, but pertaining to their offices perpetually: and also that the Church and Pastors in all ages had and have the same Holy Ghost to govern them, that the Apostles and primitive Church had.
- ◦ The HOLY GHOST is promised to the CHURCH for ever.
John 14:17
The spirit of truth.
They had many particular gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost before, and many virtues by the same, as all holy men have at all times: but the Holy Ghost here promised to the Apostles and their successors for ever, is to this use specially promised, ◦ to direct them in all truth and verity: and is contrary to the spirit of error, heresy, and falsehood. And therefore the Church cannot fall to Apostasy or Heresy, or to nothing, as the Adversaries say.
- ◦ The spirit of truth shall assist the CHURCH always.
John 14:28
Father greater than I.
There is no place of Scripture that seemeth any thing so much to make for the Sacramentaries, as this and other in outward shew of words seemed to make for the Arians, ◦ who denied the equality of the Son with the Father. Which words yet indeed rightly understood after the Church's sense, make nothing for their false sect, but only signify that Christ according to his Manhood was inferior indeed, and that according to his Divinity he came of the Father. And if the Heresy or disease or this time were Arianism, we should stand upon these places and the like against the Arians, as we now do upon others against the Protestants, whose sect is the disease and bane of this time.
- ◦ The Arians allege as plain Scriptures as the Protestants.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
John 14:12
Greater than these.
[1] S. Chrysostom [2] in a whole book against the Pagans proveth that this was fulfilled not only in Peter's shadow, and Paul's garments, which as we read in the [3] Acts, healed infirmities: but also by the Relics and monuments of Saints, namely of S. Babylas, of whom he there treateth: thereby inferring that Christ is God, who could and did perform these wonderful words, by the very ashes of his servants. The Protestants clean contrary, as patrons of the Pagan's infidelity, as though our Saviour had promised these & the like miraculous works in vain, either not meaning or not able to fulfil them, so do they discredit all the approved histories of the Church concerning miracles wrought by Saints, namely that S. Gregory Thaumaturgus [4] removed a mountain, the miracle of S. Paul the eremite and S. Hilarion written by S. Hierom, the miracles of S. Martin written by Severus Sulpitius, the miracles testified by S. Augustine de Civit. Dei, the miracles approved by S. Gregory in his Dialogs, the miracles reported by S. Bede in his Ecclesiastical story and lives of Saints: and all other miracles never so faithfully recorded in Ecclesiastical writers. [5] In all which things above their reach of reason and nature, they are as little persuaded and have no more faith than had the Pagans, against whom S. Chrysostom in the foresaid book, and S. Augustine de Civ. Dei li. 22 c. 1. and other Fathers heretofore have written. No man therefore needeth to marvel that the very Image of our Lady, & the like, do miracles, even as Peter's shadow did: nor wonder, if such things seem stranger and greater than those which Christ himself did: whereas our Saviour to put us out of doubt, saith expressly, that his Saints shall do greater things than himself did.