Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsPsalms 25

I have hated the Church of the malignant.

Holy David forced by reason of persecution to dwell amongst Infidels the Philistians ^◦; after he had twice spared King Saul's life (1. Reg. 24. v. 5. &. c. 26. v. 9.) lamented (v. 9.) how great affliction it was to him, to be cast out, that he could not dwell in the inheritance of our Lord (where God was rightly served) and that his enemies had done so much as in them lay, to make him fall into idolatry, by their fact, as it were saying: Go serve strange gods. Nevertheless his zeal was such, that (as he here professeth) he hated the Church of the malignant: that is, the congregations of all miscreants: & his immaculate religious purity was so perfect, that he would not so much as in external shew conform his actions to theirs, in matters of religion, nor yield his bodily presence in their conventicles, but said: With the impious I will not sit. Instructing us Christians (for the word to the end in the title sheweth that this Psalm pertaineth also to us) that we must both hate the Church or congregations of the malignant, to wit, of Paynims, Jews, Turks, and Heretics, and not sit, nor personally be present with them in the exercise of their false pretended religions.

• ◦ A singular great affliction to be hindered from God's true service. Christians must abhor, and abstain from all conventicles of Heretics and other Infidels.