Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 22

Marriage.

Then did God the Father make this marriage, when by the mystery of the Incarnation he joined to his son our Lord, the holy Church for his spouse. Greg. hom. 38.

Servants.

The first servants here sent to invite, were the Prophets: the second, were the Apostles: and all that afterward converted countries, or that have and do reconcile men to the Church.

One to his farm.

^◦ Such as refuse to be reconciled to Christ's Church, allege often vain impediments and worldly excuses, which at the day of judgement will not serve them.

• ◦ Worldly excuses against reconciliation.

A man not attired.

It profiteth not much to be within the Church and to be a Catholic, except a man be of good life, for such an one shall be damned, because with faith he hath not good works: as is evident by the example of this man, who was within, and at the feast as the rest, but lacked the garment of charity and good works. ^◦ And by this man are represented all the bad that are called. And therefore they also are in the Church, as this man was at the feast: but because he was called, and yet none of the elect, it is evident that the Church doth not consist of the elect only, contrary to our Adversaries.

• ◦ The Church consisteth of good and bad.

To Cæsar.

Temporal duties and payments exacted by worldly Princes must be payed, so that God be not defrauded of his more sovereign duty. ^◦ And therefore Princes have to take heed, how they exact: and others, how they give to Cæsar, that is, to their Prince, the things that are due to God, that is, to his Ecclesiastical ministers. Whereupon S. Athanasius reciteth these goodly words out of an epistle of the ancient and famous Confessor Hosius Cordubensis to Constantius the Arian Emperor: Cease I beseech thee, and remember that thou art mortal, fear the day of judgement, intermeddle not with Ecclesiastical matters, neither do thou command us in this kind, but rather learn them of us. To thee God hath committed the Empire, to us he hath committed the things that belong to the Church: and as he that with malicious eyes carpeth thine Empire, gainsayeth the ordinance of God: so do thou also beware, lest in drawing unto thee Ecclesiastical matters, thou be made guilty of a great crime. It is written, Give ye the things that are Cæsar's, to Cæsar: and the things that are God's, to God. Therefore neither is it lawful for us in earth to hold the Empire, neither has thou (O Emperor) power over incense and sacred things. Athan. Ep. ad Solit. vitam agentes. And S. Ambrose to Valentinian the Emperor (who by the ill counsel of his mother Justina an Arian, required of S. Ambrose to have one Church in Milan deputed to the Arian Heretics) saith: we pay that which is Cæsar's, to Cæsar: and that which is God's, to God. Tribute is Cæsar's, it is not denied: the Church is God's, it may not verily be yielded to Cæsar: because the Temple of God cannot be Cæsar's right. Which no man can deny but it is spoken with the honour of the Emperor. For what is more honourable than that the Emperor be said to be the son of the Church? For a good Emperor is within the Church, not above the Church. Ambr. lib. 5. Epist. Orat. de Basil. trad.

• ◦ Neither must temporal Princes exact, nor their Subjects give unto them, Ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

As Angels.

^◦ As Christ proveth here, that in heaven they neither marry nor are married, because there they shall be as Angels: by the very same reason, is proved, that Saints may hear our prayers and help us, be they near or far off, because the Angels do so, and in every moment are present where they list, and need not to be near us, when they hear or help us.

• ◦ The saints hear our prayers.

As Angels.

^◦ Not to marry nor be married, is to be like to Angels: therefore is the state of Religious men and women and Priests, for not marrying, worthily called of the Fathers, an Angelical life. Cyp. lib. 2. de discipl. & hab. virg. sub finem.

• ◦ Religious single life, Angelical.

Of the dead.

S. Hierom by this place disproveth the Heretic Vigilantius, and in him these of our time, which to diminish the honour of Saints, call them of purpose, dead men.

On these two.

^◦ Hereby it is evident that all dependeth not upon faith only, but much more upon charity (though faith be the first) which is the love of God and of our neighbour, which is the sum of all the law and the Prophets: because he that hath this double charity expressed here by these two principal commandments, fulfilleth and accomplisheth all that is commanded in the Law and the Prophets.

• ◦ Not only faith.