Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 9

He blasphemeth.

When the Jews heard Christ remit sins, they charged him with blasphemy, as Heretics now charge his priests of the new Testament, for that they remit sins: to whom he said, Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven &c. Io. 20.

Whether is easier.

^◦ The faithless Jews thought (as Heretics now a days) that to forgive sins was so proper to God, that it could not be communicated unto man: but Christ sheweth that as to work miracles is otherwise proper to God only, and yet this power is communicated to men, so also to forgive sins.

• ◦ Men have power to forgive sins.

The son of man in earth.

Christ had power to remit sins, and often executed the same, not only as he was God, but also as he was a man, because he was head of the Church, and our chief Bishop and Priest according to his manhood, in respect whereof all power was given him in heaven and earth. Mat. 28. v. 18.

Glorified.

The faithful people did glorify God that gave such power to men for to remit sins and to do miracles, knowing that that which God committeth to men, is not to his derogation, but to his glory, himself only being still the principal worker of that effect, men being only his ministers, substitutes, and working under him and by his commission and authority.

To men.

Not only Christ as he was man, had this power to forgive sins, but by him and from him the Apostles, and consequently Priests. Mat. 28. All power is given me. Mat. 18. Whatsoever you shall loose in earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Joan. 20. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.

Not sacrifice.

^◦ These are the words of the Prophet, who spake them even then when sacrifices where offered by God's commandment: so that it maketh not against sacrifice, but he saith that sacrifice only without mercy and charity, and generally with mortal sin, is not acceptable. The Jews offered their sacrifices duly, but in the mean time they had no pity nor mercy on their brethren: that is it which God misliketh.

• ◦ External Sacrifice.

Fast often.

^◦ By the often fasting of S. John's disciples, we may easily gather that he appointed them a prescript manner of fasting: as it is certain he taught them a form of prayer. Lu. 5. and 11.

• ◦ Fasting.

New wine.

By this new wine, he doth plainly here signify fasting and the straiter kind of life: by the old bottles, them that cannot away therewith.

Twelve years.

This woman a Gentile, had her disease twelve years, and the Governer's daughter a Jew (which is here raised to life) was twelve years old, Luc. 8. Mark then the allegory hereof in the Jews and Gentiles. As that woman fell sick when the wench was born, so the Gentiles went their own ways into idolatry, when the Jews in Abraham believed. Again, as Christ here went to raise the wench, and by the way the woman was first healed, and then the wench revived: so Christ came to the Jews, but the Gentiles believed first and were saved, and in the end the Jews shall believe also. Hiero. in Mat.

Touch only.

Not only Christ's words, but his garment and touch thereof, or any thing to him belonging, might do and did miracles, force proceeding from his holy person to them. Yea this woman returning home ^[1] set up an Image of Christ ^[2], for memory of this benefit, and the hem of the same Image did also miracles. This image Iulian the Apostata threw down, and set up his own in stead thereof, which was immediately destroyed by fire from heaven. But the image of Christ broken in pieces by the heathen, the Christians afterward gathering the pieces together, placed it in the Church: where it was (as Sozomenus writeth ^[3] ) unto his time.

• 1 Euseb. li. 7. c. 14. hist.
• 2 Relics and Images.
• 3 li. 5. c. 20.

Do you believe that I can?

We see here that to the corporal healing of these men he requireth only this faith, that he is able. Which faith is not sufficient to justify them. How then do the Heretics by this and the like places plead for their only justifying faith? See the Annot. Mar. 5, 36.

Pray therefore.

Therefore doth the Church pray and fast in the Imber days, when Holy Orders are given, that is, when workmen are prepared to be sent into the harvest. See Act. 13, 2.