Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsLuke 16
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Luke 16 in the BibleLuke 16:9
They may receive.
[1] A great comfort to all great alms-men, and a wonderful force and virtue in alms, which beside the merit of the work of mercy, which (as in other places of Scripture [2] is said) purgeth sin and gaineth heaven, procureth also not only the prayers of their beadsmen in earth, but their patronage in heaven also. [3] Whereby also the prayers of Saints for the living, and namely for them to whom they were beholding in their life, are proved. Yea and that they be in such favour with God, that they may and do receive their friends which were once their benefactors, into their mansions in heaven, no less than the farmers whom the ill steward pleasured, might receive their friend into their earthly houses. Which also insinuateth to us, that alms bestowed specially upon holy men, who by their merits and prayers are great in God's grace, may much more help us than our charitable deeds done upon vulgar men in necessity, though that be of exceeding great merit also. See all this in these Doctors following. Hiero. qu. 6. ad Algas. to. 3. Ambros. in Luc. August. ser. 35. de verb. Do. c. 1. Gregor. moral. li. 21. c. 14. Augu. li. 2. q. Evang. qu. 34. Chrys. ho. 33 ad po. Antioch. to. 5.
- 1 Alms meritorious.
- 2 Tob. 12, 9. Mat. 25.
- 3 The Saints do pray for us.
Luke 16:18
And marrieth.
◦ The good of Marriage throughout all nations and men, is in issue and fidelity of chastity, but among the people of God it consisteth also in holiness of Sacrament: Whereby it cometh to pass that it is a heinous crime to marry again, though there be a divorce made, so long as the parties live. Aug. de bono coniug. c. 24. to. 6. See the Annotations upon Mark 10, 11.
- ◦ Marriage after divorce unlawful.
Luke 16:22
Of the Angels.
◦ Angels carry good men's souls to heaven now, as they did then his to Abraham's bosom. See the reward of poverty, affliction, and patience: and on the contrary, the end and reward of wealth joined with unmercifulness. Note also here, that at the day of every man's death there is a particular judgement, and therefore the soul sleepeth not, nor hangeth in suspense till the general judgement.
- ◦ Unmerciful rich men.
Abraham's Bosom.
[1] The Bosom of Abraham is the resting place of all them that died in perfect state of grace before Christ's time, Heaven before being shut from men. It is called in Zachary [2], a lake without water, and sometimes a prison, but most commonly of the Divines Limbus patrum [3], for that it is thought to have been the higher part or brim of Hell, the places of punishment being far lower than the same, which therefore be called Infernum inferius. [4] the lower hell. Where this mansion of the Fathers stood, or whether it be any part of Hell, S. Augustine doubteth: but that there was such a place, he nor no Catholic man ever doubted: as all the Fathers make it most certain, that our Saviour descending to Hell [5], went thither specially, and delivered the said Fathers out of that mansion. Iren. li. 4. c. 39. Euseb. Demonst. Evang. li. 10. c. 8. sub fine. Nazian. orat. 2. de Pasch. Chrysost. to. 5. in demonst. Quod Christus sit Deus paulo post initium. Epipha. in heres. 46. Tatiani. Ambros de myst. Pasch. c. 4. Hiero. in 9. Zachariæ. August. ep. 99. & li. 20. de Civit. c. 15. Paulinus in Panegyrico Celsi. Cyrillus in Io. li. 12. c. 36. ad illud, Inclinato capite. Gregor. li. 6. ep. 179. which truth and place though of all the ancient writers confessed and proved by this and other Scriptures: yet the Adversaries deny it (as they do Purgatory) most impudently.
Luke 16:26
A great chaos.
A great distance betwixt Abraham's bosom and the inferior hell. Some judge Purgatory [1] to be placed there, from whence (no doubt) Christ also delivered some at his descending to hell. For, these in Abraham's bosom were not in pains: and S. Augustine [2] saith the Scriptures be plain that he took some out of the places of punishment, and yet none out of the hell of the damned. What other place then can that be but Purgatory?
- 1 Purgatory.
- 2 Aug. ep. 99.
Luke 16:28
Lest they also.
If the damned had care of their friends alive, how & for what cause soever, much more have the Saints and saved persons. And if those in hell have means to express their cogitations and desires, and to be understood of Abraham so far distant both by place and condition, much rather may the living pray to the Saints and be heard of them [1]: betwixt earth (that is to say) the Church militant and heaven, being continual passage of souls, and [2] Angels ascending and descending by Jacob's ladder. Men must not for all that be curious to search how the souls of the deceased express their minds, and be heard one of another, and so fall to blasphemy, as Calvin [3] doth, [4] asking whether their ears be so long to hear so far off, and wickedly measuring all things by mortal men's corporal gross manner of uttering conceits one to another. Which was not here done by this damned nor by Abraham, with corporal instruments of tongue, teeth, and ears: though for the better expressing of the damned's case, Christ vouchsaved to utter it in terms agreeing to our capacity.
- 1 Saints do hear our prayers and have care of us.
- 2 Gen. 32.
- 3 Calv. li. 3. Instit. c. 22. sect. 24.
- 4 Calvin's blasphemy.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Luke 16:8
The lord praised.
This man's deceiving his master is not praised, nor we warranted by this fact to gain unjustly for to have wherewith to give alms ◦: but his prudence, in that he provided so substantially for himself whilst his master's goods were in his hands, is commended, not for a virtue, but for a worldly policy: and proposed as an example of the careful provision that rich men (who are God's stewards in earth) should make for their souls, against they be put out of their bailiffship and be called to account, which is the day of their death: and for a condemnation of faithful men's folly and negligence, that being assured they shall out of their offices, and well knowing they might gain salvation by their money, have so little regard thereof.