Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 15

English College of Douai–Rheims

Matthew 15:8

With their lips.

This is to be understood properly of such as have ever God in their mouth, the word of our Lord, the Scriptures, the Gospel, but in their heart and all their life be indeed Godless. It may be applied also to such as say their prayers without attention or elevation of mind to God, whether he understand the prayers or no, that saith them. For many a poor Christian man that understandeth not the words he speaketh, hath his heart nearer heaven, more fervour and devotion, more edification to himself, more profit in spirit (as the Apostle speaketh ^◦ ) and less distractions, than not only all Heretics which have no true feeling of such things, but than many learned Catholics. And therefore it is not to be understood of praying in unknown tongues, as Heretics sometime expound it, far wide from the circumstance of the place and Christ's intention, speaking of the hypocritical Jews.

◦ 1. Cor. 14.

Matthew 15:9

Commandments of men.

Such only are here called traditions, doctrines, or commandments of men, which be either repugnant to God's laws, as this of defrauding their parents under pretence of religion: or which at the least be frivolous, unprofitable, and impertinent to piety or true worship, as that other sort of so often washing hands and vessels without regard of inward purity of heart and mind. ^[1] Let no man therefore be abused with the Protestants' perverse application of this place against the holy laws, canons, and precepts of the Church and our spiritual Governors, concerning fasts, festivities, and other rules of discipline and due order in life and in the service of God. For such are not repugnant but consonant to God's word and all piety, and our Lord is truly honoured, worshipped, and served both by the making and also by the observing of them. ^[2] S. Paul gave commandments both by his epistles and by word of mouth, even in such matters wherein Christ had prescribed nothing at all, and he chargeth the faithful to observe the same. ^[3] The Apostles and Priests at Hierusalem made laws, and the Christians were bound to obey them. ^[4] The Keeping of Sunday in stead of the Sabboth is the tradition of the Apostles, and dare the Heretics deny the due observation thereof to be an acceptable worship of God? ^[5] They prescribed the Feasts of Easter, and Whitsuntide and other Solemnities of Christ and his Saints, which the Protestants themselves observe. ^[6] They appointed the Lent and Imber fasts and other, as well to chastise the concupiscence of man, as to serve and please God thereby, as is plain in the fasting of Anna, Tobie, Judith, Esther, who served and pleased God thereby. Therefore neither these nor other such Apostolic Ordinances, nor any precepts of the holy Church or of our lawful Pastors are implied in these Pharisaical traditions here reprehended, nor to be counted or called the doctrines and commandments of men, because they are not made by mere human power, but by Christ's warrant and authority, and by such as he hath placed to rule his Church, of whom he saith, ^[7] He that heareth you, heareth me: he that despiseth you, despiseth me. They are made by the Holy Ghost, joining with our Pastors in the regiment of the faithful, they are made by our Mother the Church, which whosoever obeyeth not, ^[8] we are warned to take him as an Heathen. But on the other side, all laws, doctrines, services and injunctions of Heretics, how soever pretended to be consonant to the Scriptures, be commandments of men: because both the things by them prescribed are impious, and the Authors have neither sending nor commission from God.

1 The difference between the Jewish traditions here reprehended, and the Church's Apostolical traditions.
2 2. Thes. 2, 15. 1. Cor. 11.
3 Act. 15.
4 Aug. Ser. de temp. 251. See 1. Cor. 16, 2.
5 Epiph. hær. 75.
6 Hiero. ep. 54. ad Marcel. cont. Mont.
7 Luc. 2, 37. Tob. 12. Judith c. 8. Esth. 4. Luc. 10, 16
8 Mat. 18, 17.

Matthew 15:11

Not that which entereth.

^◦ The Catholics do not abstain from certain meats, for that they esteem any meat unclean either by creation or by Judaical observation: but they abstain for chastisement of their concupiscences. Aug. li. de mor. Ec. Cath. c. 33.

◦ Difference of meats.

Matthew 15:18

Defile a man.

It is sin only which properly defileth man, and meats of themselves or of their own nature do not defile: but so far as by accident they make a man to sin, as the disobedience of God's commandment or of our Superiors who forbid some meats for certain times and causes, is a sin. ^[1] As the apple which our first parents did eat of ^[2], though of itself it did not defile them, yet being eaten against the precept, it did defile. So neither flesh nor fish of itself doth defile, but the breach of the Church's precept defileth.

1 Catholic abstinence.
2 Gen. 3.

Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0