Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsJohn 20

The doors were shut.

Such Heretics as deny Christ's body to be or that it can be in the B. Sacrament, for that it is in heaven, and cannot be in two places at once, nor without the natural manner of the quantity, ^◦ space or place agreeable to the condition of his humanity, be invincibly refuted by Christ's entering into the Disciples, the doors shut: and by that that his true natural body, whole and perfect in all his limbs, length, breadth, and thickness, distinct and diverse from the substance and corpulence of the wood, was in the same proper place that the wood was in, and passed through the same: as he also came out of his mother's womb, the clausure not sturred: and passed through the stone, out of his Sepulcher. By all which the Heretics being plainly reproved, and convinced of infidelity, they boldly deny the plain Scriptures, or so fondly shift themselves from the evidence thereof, that their impudency is specially to be marked in this point.

^[1]

Some say, that he came in at the window: some, that the door opened of itself to let him in: some, that to come in, the doors being shut, signifieth no more, but that he came in late in the evening, at what time men use to shut their doors: and such other slights to defend falsehood, against express Scriptures, and against the Apostle's testimony, who therefore took him to be a Spirit, because they saw him stand suddenly in the midst of them, all the house being close shut. And the Fathers all confess that he went in, the doors being shut. See S. Ambrose li. 10 in Lucam c. 24. S. Augustine ep. 3 ad Volusian. & li. 22 de civit. c. 8, & S. Cyril, in Io li. 12, c. 53. & S. Hiero. li. 1 cont. Iovinianum c. 21. We know it is the natural course of God's ordinance, that every body should have but one and his own proper place fitted to the lineaments, quantity, terms and limits of the same: without which naturally the bodies were no where, and consequently not at all, as S. Augustine saith ad Dardanum. ^[2] but that God supernaturally and miraculously cannot by his omnipotency dispose otherwise of his own body, ^[3] than the natural form or quantity or quality thereof require, that is great incredulity, seeing we must believe that he can do so with any other body of mere men or other creatures, the Scripture being plain that he can make a camel pass through a needle's eye, continuing in his natural figure and quantity still: and S. Augustine ^[4] telleth of a woman whose ring fell from her girdle, both being fast and whole: and Rupertus of a Religious man, whose girdle fast buckled fell down before him from his body. De off. Eccl.

• 1 Heretical shifts to avoid plain Scripture.
• 2 August. ep. 57.
• 3 Christ can dispose of his own body & others above nature.
• 4 Mat. 19. Aug. li. 22. c. 8. de civ. Dei.
• ◦ The being of Christ's body in the B. Sacrament without space or quantity correspondent there unto, is proved by other examples in Scriptures.

^◦

Therefore it is to much unfaithfulness, by rules of place to embar Christ of his will or wisdom to be in the Sacrament how himself list, and on as many altars or places as he liketh. We detest for all that, the wicked heresy of certain Protestants, holding quite contrary to the Zuinglians, that Christ according to his Humanity is in every place where the Divinity is: which is both against faith, and the common rules of nature and divinity.

• ◦ Christ sheweth his commission & so giveth the Apostles power to remit sins.

As my Father.

As when he gave them commission to preach and baptise through the world, he made mention of his own power therein: so here before he institute the Sacrament of Penance, and give them authority to remit sins, ^◦ lest the wicked should ask afterward, by what right they do such great functions, he sheweth his Father's commission given to himself, and then in plain terms most amply imparteth the same to his Apostles: that whosoever deny the Apostle's & their successors, the Priests of God's Church, to have right to remit sins, should deny consequently Christ as man to have authority to do the same.

• ◦ Ubiquetaries or Brentiani.

He breathed.

He giveth the Holy Ghost in and by an external sign, to his Apostles, not visibly and to all such purposes as afterward at Whitsuntide, ^[1] but for the grace of the Sacrament of Orders, as S. Augustine saith, ^[2] and that none make doubt of the Priest's right in remission of sins, seeing the Holy Ghost is purposely given them to do this same. In which case if any be yet contentious, he must deny the Holy Ghost to be God, and not to have power to remit sins. It is not absurd (saith S. Cyril) ^[3] that they forgive sins, which have the Holy Ghost. For when they remit or retain, the Holy Ghost remitteth or retaineth in them, and that they do two ways, first in Baptism, and then in Penance. As S. Ambrose also (li. 1 c. 7 de poenitentia) refelling the Novatians (a Sect of old Heretics which pretending God's glory as our new Sectaries do, denied that Priests could remit sins in the Sacrament of Penance) asketh, why it should be more dishonour to God, or more impossible or inconvenient for men, to forgive sins by Penance than by Baptism, seeing it is the Holy Ghost that doeth it, by the Priest's office and ministry in both.

• 1 The Holy Ghost is here purposely given to the Apostles, to remit sins.
• 2 Augu. q. no. Test. q. 93. Cont. ep. Parmen. li. 2. c. 11.
• 3 Cyril. li. 12. c. 56. in Io.

Whose sins.

Power to offer Sacrifice, which is the principal function and act of Priesthood, was given them at the institution of the B. Sacrament: the second and next special faculty of Priesthood, consisting in remitting sins, is here bestowed on them. ^[1] And withal the holy Sacrament of Penance implying Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction in the Penitent, and absolution on the Priest's part, is instituted. For in that, that express power and commission is given to Priests to remit or retain all sins: and in that, that Christ promiseth, whose sins soever they forgive, they be of God forgiven also: and whose sins they retain, they be retained before God: it followeth necessarily, that we be bound to submit ourselves to their judgement for release of our sins. ^[2] For, this wonderful power were given them in vain, if none were bound to seek for absolution at their hands. Neither can any rightly seek for absolution of them, unless they confess particularly at least all their mortal offences, whether they be committed in mind, heart, will and ^[3] cogitation only, or in word, and work. For, God's priests being in this Sacrament of Penance constituted in Christ's stead as judges in causes of our conscience, cannot rightly rule our cases without full and exact cognition and knowledge of all our sins, and the necessary circumstances and ^[4] differences of the same. Which cannot otherwise be had of them being mortal men, than by our simple, sincere, and distinct utterance to them of our sins, with humble contrite heart, ready to take and to do penance according to their injunction. For that authority to retain sins, ^[5] consisteth specially in enjoining satisfaction and penitential works of praying, fasting, alms, and such like. All which God's ordinance whosoever condemneth or contemneth, as Heretics do, or neglecteth, as some careless Catholics may perhaps do: let them be assured they cannot be saved. Neither must any such Christian man pretend or look to have his sins after Baptism, remitted by God only, without this Sacrament: (which was the old Heresy of Novatians Ambr. li. 1 de poenit. c. 2. Socrat. li. 7 Ec. hist. c. 25 ) more than any may hope to be saved or have his original or other sins before Baptism, ^[6] forgiven by God without the same Sacrament. Let no man deceive himself, this is the second table or board after shipwreck, as S. Hierom ^[7] calleth it. Whosoever take not hold of it, shall perish without all doubt, because they contemn God's counsel and order for their salvation. And therefore S. Augustine (ep. 180) joining both together, saith it is a pitiful case, when by the absence of God's Priests, men depart this life, aut non regenerati, aut legati. that is, either not regenerated by Baptism, or fast bound, and not absolved by the Sacrament of penance and reconciliation: because they shall be excluded from eternal life, and destruction followeth them. And S. Victor (li. 2 de persecut. Vandalica) telleth the miserable lamentation of the people, when their Priests were banished by the Arian Heretics. Who (say they) shall baptize these infants? Who shall minister penance unto us, & loose us from the bands of sins &c? And therefore S. Cyprian very often (namely ep. 54) calleth it great cruelty, & such as Priests shall answer for at the later day, to suffer any man that is poenitent of his sins, to depart this life without this reconciliation and absolution: because (saith he) the Lawmaker himself (Christ) ^[8] hath granted, that things bound in earth, should also be bound in heaven: and that those things might there be loosed, which were loosed before here in the Church. ^[9] And it is a world to see, how the Heretics wrastle with this so plain a commission of remitting sins, referring it to preaching, to denouncing God's threats upon sinners, and to we cannot tell what else. ^[10] though to our English Protestants this authority seemeth so clear, that in their order of visiting the sick, their Ministers acknowledge & challenge the same, using a formal absolution according to the Church's order, after the special confession of the party. ^[11] But to conclude the matter, let every one that list to see the true meaning of Christ's words, and the Priest's great power and dignity given them by the same words and other, mark well these words of S. Chrysostome. ^[12] For, saith he, they that dwell on the earth, and converse in it, to them is commission given to dispense those things that are in heaven, to them is it given to have the power which God would not to be given neither to Angels nor Archangels. ^[13] For, neither to them was it said, Whatsoever you shall bind in earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose in earth, shall be loosed in heaven. The earthly Princes indeed have also power to bind, but the bodies only: but that bond of Priests which I speak of, toucheth the very soul itself and reacheth even to the heavens: in so much that whatsoever the Priests shall do beneath, the self same God doth ratify above, and the sentence of the servants the Lord doth confirm. For indeed what else is this, than that the power of all heavenly things is granted them of God? Whose sins so ever, saith he, you shall retain, they are retained. What power (I beseech you) can be greater than this one? The Father gave all power to the Son: but I see the same power altogether delivered by the Son unto them. And as this concerneth the Priest's high authority to absolve, so thereupon concerning confession also to be made unto them, the ancient Fathers speak in this sort. S. Cyprian de Lapsis nu. 11. They (saith he) that have greater faith and fear of God, though they did not fall in persecution, yet because they did only think it in their mind, this very cogitation they confess to God's Priests sorrowfully and plainly, opening their conscience, uttering and discharging the burden of their mind, and seeking wholesome medicine for their wounds though but small and little. ^[14] And a little after. Let every one (my brethren) I beseech you, confess his sin, whiles he is yet alive, whiles his confession may be admitted, whiles satisfaction and remission made by the Priests is acceptable before God. S. Cyril (or as some think, Origen) li. 2 in Levit. calleth it a great part of penance, when a man is ashamed, and yet openeth his sins to our Lord's Priest. See also Tertul. li. de Poenit. S. Hiero. in c. 10 Ecclesiastæ. S. Basil. in Regulis breu. quæst, 229. Who compare sinners that refuse to confess, to them that have some disease in their secret parts, and are ashamed to shew it to the Physician or Surgeon, that might cure it. Where they must needs mean secret confession to be made to them that may absolve. And S. Leo ep. 80 most plainly (as before S. Cyril) expressly nameth Priests. That confession is sufficient which is made first to God, then to the Priest also. And again. ^[15] It is sufficient that the guiltiness of men's consciences be uttered to the Priest only by the secrecy of confession. S. Hierome in 16 Mat. saith, that Priests loose or bind, audita peccatorum varietate, having heard the variety and differences of sins. S. Paulinus writeth of S. Ambrose, that as often as any confessed his sins unto him for to receive penance, he so wept for compassion, that thereby he caused the penitent to weep also. ^[16] He addeth moreover, that this holy Doctor was so secret in this case, that no man knew the sins confessed, but God and himself. And S. Augustine ho. 49 de 50 homiliis to. 10. saith thus, Do penance such as is done in the Church, let no man say, I do it secretly, I do it to God. in vain then was it said, ^[17] Whatsoever you shall loose in earth, shall be loosed in heaven. See S. Ambrose de poenitentia throughout. S. Cyprian de Lapsis, the book de vera & falsa poenit. in S. Augustine. beside all antiquity which is full of these speeches concerning absolution, and confession.

• 1 The Sacrament of PENANCE instituted.
• 2 Men are bound to confess all their mortal sins, and that in particular.
• 3 * Cypr. de laps. nu. 11.
• 4 * Hiero. in 16. Mat.
• 5 To retain sins.
• 6 The necessity of this Sacrament.
• 7 Hiero. ad Demetriadem. c. 6, to. 1.
• 8 Mat. 18.
• 9 The Heretics wrestling against plain Scripture.
• 10 The English Ministers hear confessions, and absolve.
• 11 See the Communion book.
• 12 Li. 3. de Sacerd.
• 13 Priests' power to forgive sins, is above the power of Angels or worldly Princes.
• 14 Confession to Priests.
• 15 Secret or auricular Confession.
• 16 In vita D. Ambr. prope finem.
• 17 Mt. 18.