Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 17
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Matthew 17 in the BibleMatthew 17:3
Appeared Moyses.
◦ By this that Moyses personally appeared and was present with Christ, it is plain that the Saints departed may in person be present at the affairs of the living. August. de cura pro mort. c. 15. 16. For even as Angels elsewhere, so here the Saints also served our Saviour: and therefore as Angels both in the old Testament and the new, were present often at the affairs of men, so many Saints.
- ◦ Saints after their death deal with and for the living.
Matthew 17:9
Mount.
[1] This mount (commonly esteemed and named of the ancient Fathers Thabor) S. Peter [2] calleth the holy Mount because of this wonderful vision, like as in the old Testament where God appeared to Moyses in the bush, and elsewhere to others, he calleth the place of such Apparitions, holy ground [3]. Whereby it is evident that by such Apparitions, places are sanctified, and thereupon groweth a religion and devotion [4] in the faithful toward such places, and namely to this Mount Thabor (called in S. Hierom Itabirium Ep. 17. ) there was great Pilgrimage in the Primitive Church, as unto all those places which our Saviour had sanctified with his presence and miracles, and therefore to the whole land of promise, for that cause called the holy land [5]. See. S. Hiero. in Epitap. Paulæ. & ep. 17. & 18. ad Marcellam.
Matthew 17:11
Elias shall come.
He distinguisheth here plainly between [1] Elias in person, who is yet to come before the judgement: and between Elias in name, to wit, John the Baptist, who is come already in the spirit and virtue of Elias [2], So that it is not John Baptist only nor principally of whom Malachie prophesieth (as our Adversaries say) but Elias also himself in person.
Matthew 17:19
Why could not we.
[1] No marvel if the Exorcists of the Catholic Church which have power to cast out devils, yet do it not always when they will, and many times with much a do: whereas the Apostles having received this power [2] before over unclean spirits, yet here cannot cast them out. But as for heretics, they can never do it, nor any other true miracle, to confirm their false faith.
- 1 True miracles only in the Cath. Church.
- 2 Mt. 10.
Faith as a mustard seed.
This is the Catholic faith, by which only all miracles are wrought: yet not of every one that hath the Catholic faith, but of such as have a great and forcible faith, and withal the gift of miracles. These are able as here we see by Christ's warrant not only to do other wonderful miracles here signified by this one, but also this very same, that is, to move mountains indeed, as S. Paul [1] also presupposeth, and S. Hierom [2] affirmeth, and Ecclesiastical histories namely telleth of [3] Gregorius Neocæsariensis, that he moved a mountain to make room for the foundation of a Church, called therefore and for other his wonderful miracles, Thaumaturgus. And yet faithless Heretics laugh at all such things and believe them not.
- 1 1. Cor. 13.
- 2 Hiero in vita S. Hilarionis. Niceph. li. 6. c. 17. Greg. Niss. de vit. Gregory.
- 3 Gregorius Thaumaturgus.
Matthew 17:21
Prayer and fasting.
◦ The force of fasting and praying: whereby also we may see that the holy Church in Exorcisms doth according to the Scriptures, when she useth beside the name of Jesus, many prayers and much fasting to drive out Devils, because these also are here required beside faith.
- ◦ Prayer and Fasting.
Matthew 17:26
The Children free.
Though Christ to avoid scandal, payed tribute, yet indeed he sheweth that both himself ought to be free from such payments (as being the king's son, as well by his eternal birth of God the Father, as temporal of David) and also his Apostles, as being of his family, and in them their successors the whole Clergy, who are called in Scripture the lot and portion of our Lord. ◦ Which exemption and privilege being grounded upon the very law of nature itself, and therefore practised even among the Heathen (Gen. 42, 27.) good Christian Princes have confirmed and ratified by their laws, in the honour of Christ, whose ministers they are, and as it were the king's sons, as S. Hierom declareth plainly in these words, We for his honour pay not tributes, and as the King's sons, are free from such payments. Hiero. upon this place.
- ◦ The privileges and exemptions of the Clergy.
Me and thee.
◦ A great mystery in that he payed not only for himself, but for Peter bearing the Person of the Church, and in whom as the chief, the rest were contained. Aug. q. ex no. Test. q. 75. to. 4.
- ◦ Peter's preeminence.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Matthew 17:2
Transfigured.
◦ Mark in this Transfiguration many marvelous points, as, that he made not only his own body, which then was mortal, but also the bodies of Moyses and Elias, the one dead, the other to die, for the time as it were immortal: thereby to represent the state and glory of his body and his Saints in heaven. By which marvelous transfiguring of his body, you may the less marvel that he can exhibit his body under the form of bread and wine or otherwise as he list.