Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 3

Desert.

^[1] Of this word desert (in Greek eremus ) cometh the name Eremitages, and Eremites, that live a religious and austere life in deserts and solitary places, by the example of S. John Baptist, whom the holy Doctors therefore call the Prince and as it were the author of such profession. S. Chrys. ho. 1. in Marcum & ho. de Io. Baptista. Hiero. ad Eustoch. de custod. virg. Isid. li. 2. c. 15 de divi. off. Bernardus de excel. Io. Baptistæ. Wherewith the Protestants are so offended that ^[2] they say, S. Chrysostom spake rashly and untruly. And no marvel, for whereas the Evangelist himself in this place maketh him a perfect pattern of penance and Eremitical life, for desert or wilderness, for his rough and rude apparel, for abstaining from all delicate meats (according to our Saviour's testimony also of him Mt. 11, 8. Luc. 7, 33) they are not ashamed to pervert all with this strange commentary, that it was a desert ^[3] full of towns and villages, his garment was ^[4] camlet, his meat ^[5] such as the country gave and the people there used: to make him thereby but a common man like to the rest, in his manner of life: clean against Scriptures, Fathers, and reason. ^[6]

• 1 Eremites.
• 2 Magdeb. Cent. 5. c. 6. pag. 711.
• 3 Cent. 1. li. 1. c. 10.
• 4 Cythræus in 3. cap. Mat.
• 5 Bucerus ibid.
• 6 See Canis. de verb. Dei corruptelis li. 1. c. 2. 3. 4.

Do penance.

^[1] So is the Latin, word for word, so readeth all antiquity, namely S. Cyprian ep. 52. often, and S. Augustine li. 13. Confes. c. 12. and it is a very useful speech in the New Testament, specially in the preaching of S. John Baptist, ^[2] Christ himself, and ^[3] the Apostles: to signify perfect repentance, which hath not only confession and amendment, but contrition or sorrow for the offence, and painful satisfaction: such as S. Cyprian speaketh of in all the foresaid epistle. But the Adversaries of purpose (as ^[4] namely Beza protesteth) mislike that interpretation, because it favoureth Satisfaction for sin, which they cannot abide. Where if they pretend the ^[5] Greek word, we send them to these places Mat. 11, 21. Lu. 10, 13. 2. Cor. 7, 9. Where it must needs signify, sorrowful, painful, and satisfactory repentance. We tell them also that ^[6] S. Basil a Greek Doctor calleth the Ninivites' repentance with fasting and haircloth and ashes, by the same Greek word μετάνοιαν. And more we will tell them in other places.

• 1 Penance.
• 2 Mt. 4, 17. Lu. 13, 3. 5. Lu. 24, 47.
• 3 Act. 2, 38. 26, 20.
• 4 Annot. in hunc locum.
• 5 Μετανοεῖν. Μετάνοια.
• 6 Serm. in fam. & siccit.

Confessing their sins.

John did prepare the way to Christ and his Sacraments, not only by his baptism, but by inducing the people to confession of their sins. Which is not to acknowledge themselves in general to be sinners, but also to utter every man his sins.

Fruit worthy.

He preacheth satisfaction by doing worthy fruits or works of penance, which are (as S. Hierom saith in 2. Joel) fasting, praying, alms, and the like.

The axe.

Here preachers are taught to dehort from doing evil for fear of Hell, and to exhort to do good in hope of heaven: which kind of preaching our Adver. do condemn.

In Water.

^◦ John's baptism did not remit sins, nor was comparable to Christ's Baptism, as here it is plain and in many other places. Hiero. adv. Lucifer. Aug. de Bapt. cont. Donat. li. 5. c. 9. 10. 11. Yet is it an article of our Adv. that the one is no better than the other. Which they say not to extol John's, but to derogate from Christ's baptism, so far, that they make it of no more valure or efficacy for remission of sins, and grace, and justification, than was John's: thereby to maintain their manifold heresies, that Baptism taketh not away sins, that a man is no cleaner nor juster by the Sacrament of Baptism than before, that it is not necessary for children unto salvation, but it is enough to be born of Christian parents, and such like erroneous positions well known among the Calvinists.

• ◦ John's baptism and Christ's.

Floor.

This floor is his Church militant here in earth, wherein are both good and bad (here signified by corn and chaff) till the separation be made in the day of judgement: contrary to the doctrine of the Heretics, that hold, the Church to consist only of the good.

Opened.

To signify that heaven was shut in the old law, till Christ by his Passion opened it, and so by his Ascension was the first that entered into it: contrary to the doctrine of the Heretics. See Hebr. 9, 8. and 11, 40.