Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsLuke 13

These Galilæans.

^[1] It is God's mercy that he straight punisheth not all offenders, but some few for a warning to all: as that for Schism he striketh not all such as have forsaken the Church and the lawful Priests, as he did Core and his complices ^[2]: that for spoil of Churches he revengeth not all, as he did Heliodorus ^[3]: and all that vow and revoke their gifts to God, as Ananias and Saphira ^[4]. Some few therefore for their just deserts, be so handled for example, to provoke all others guilty of the same crimes to do penance. Which if they do not in this life, they shall all assuredly perish in the next world. Optatus li. 1. cont. Parmen. sub finem.

• 1 Some punished for example.
• 2 Nu. 16.
• 3 2. Mac. 3.
• 4 Act. 5.

This daughter.

^◦ We may see that many diseases which seem natural, do proceed of the Devil by God's permission, either for sin, or for probation: and both those kinds Christ specially cured, for that no natural medicines could cure them, and specially because he came to dissolve the works of Satan both in body and soul.

• ◦ Diseases not natural.

By the narrow.

Our Lord is not contrary to himself in that he answereth, the gate to be strait, and few to be saved, whereas elsewhere he said, that many should come from the East and West &c. and joy with Abraham in the kingdom of heaven. Mat. 8, 11. For though they be few in respect to the wicked of all sorts, yet they be many in themselves and in the society of Angels. The wheat corns are scarce seen at the threshing, when they are meddled with the chaff: but when the ill are removed, the whole barn of heaven shall be filled. So saith S. Aug. Ser. 32. de verb. Do.

Shall seek.

Many would be saved and look to be saved, but cannot, because they will not take pains to enter in at so strait a passage, that is to say, to fast much, pray often, ^◦ do great penance for their sins, live in holy Church's discipline, abstain from the pleasures of this world, and suffer persecution and loss of their goods and lives for Christ's sake.

• ◦ Penance.

Eat before thee.

^[1] It is not enough to feed with Christ in his Sacraments, or to hear his word in the Church, to challenge heaven thereby, unless we live in unity of the Catholic Church. So S. Augustine ^[2] applieth this against the Donatists, that had the very same service and Sacraments which the Catholic Church had, but yet severed themselves from other Christian countries by Schism.

• 1 Schism.
• 2 Cont. lit. Petil. li. 2. c. 55.