Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsRomans 2
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Romans 2 in the BibleRomans 2:4
Doest thou contemn?
◦ This proveth that God offereth his grace and mercy to many, and by long patience and sufferance expecteth their repentance, deferring their punishment of purpose that they may amend, and that he is not delighted in their perdition, nor is the cause of their sin: but contrarywise that they harden their own hearts, and of their own free-will reject his grace and contemn his benignity.
- ◦ God's long suffering is for our repentance.
Romans 2:6
According to his works.
[1] Though the holy Apostle's special purpose be in this Epistle, to commend unto the Gentiles that trusted so much in their moral works, the faith in Christ: yet lest any man should think or gather untruly of his words, that Christian men's works were not meritorious or the cause of Salvation, he expressly writeth, that God giveth as well everlasting life and glory to men, for and according to their good works, as he giveth damnation for the contrary works. And how so ever Heretics fondly flee from the evidence of these places, yet S. Augustine saith [2], Life everlasting to be rendered for good works according to this manifest Scripture, God shall render to every man according to his works.
- 1 Good works meritorious.
- 2 Li. de grat. & lib. arb. c. 8.
Romans 2:13
Not the hearers.
This same sentence agreeable also to Christ's words (Mat. 7, 21) is the very ground of S. James disputation, that not faith alone, but good works also do justify. Therefore S. Paul (howsoever some perversely conster his words in other places) meaneth the same that S. James. [1] And here [2] he speaketh not properly of the first justification, when an Infidel or ill man is made just, who had no acceptable works before to be justified by (of which kind he specially meaneth in other places of this Epistle) but he speaketh of the second justification or increase of former justice, which he that is in God's grace, daily proceedeth in, by doing all kind of good works, which be justices, and for doing of which, he is just indeed before God. [3] And of this kind doth S. James namely treat. Which is directly against the Heretics of this time, who not only attribute nothing to the works done in sin and infidelity, but esteem nothing at all of all Christian men's works toward justification and salvation, condemning them as unclean, sinful, hypocritical, Pharisaical: which is directly against these & other Scriptures, and plain blaspheming of Christ and his grace, by whose spirit and cooperation we do them.
- 1 The first justification without works; the second by works.
- 2 Aug. de Sp. & lit. c. 26. to. 3.
- 3 S. Paul speaketh of the first specially, S. James of the second.
Shall be justified.
[1] Of all other Articles deceitfully handled by Heretics, they use most guile in this of Justification: and specially by the equivocation of certain words, which is proper to all contentious wranglers, and namely in this word, Justify, Which because they find sometime to signify the acquitting of a guilty man of some crime whereof he is indeed guilty, & for which he ought to be condemned, (as by man's judgement either of ignorance or of purpose often a very malefactor is deemed or declared and pronounced innocent) they falsely make it so signify in this place and the like, wheresoever man is said to be justified of God for his works or otherwise: as though it were said, that God justifieth man, that is to say, imputeth to him the justice of Christ, though he be not indeed just: or of favour reputeth him as just, when indeed he is wicked, impious, and unjust. Which is a most blasphemous doctrine against God, making him either ignorant who is just, and so to err in his judgement, or not good, that can love and save him whom he knoweth to be evil. [2] And a marvelous pitiful blindness it is in the Church's Adversaries, that they should think it more to God's glory, and more to the commendation of Christ's justice, merits, and mercy, to call and count an ill man so continuing, for just: than by his grace and mercy to make him of an ill one, just indeed, and so truly to justify him, or as the word doth here signify, to esteem and approve for just indeed, him, that by his grace keepeth his law and commandments. For, that the keepers or doers of the commandments be just and so reputed, it is plain by the correspondence to the former words, Not the hearers are just, but the doers. Whereupon S. Augustine de Sp. & lit. c. 26. to. 3. hath these words, When it is said, The doers of the Law shall be justified, what other thing is said, than, The just shall be justified? For the doers of the Law verily are just.
- 1 Against imputative justice.
- 2 True inherent justice more for God's glory, & for the commendation of Christ's merits.
Romans 2:26
Keep the justices.
If a Gentile either now since Christ, by his grace and faith, or any other before Christ, not of the stock of Abraham, through the Spirit of God keep the justices of the Law, he is just no less than if he had been outwardly circumcised, and shall condemn the circumcised Jew not keeping the Law ◦, without which, his outward Sacrament cannot serve him, but shall be much to his condemnation, that having the Law and peculiar Sacraments of God, he did not keep the Law, nor inwardly exercise that in his heart which the outward sign did import. And all this is no more but to insinuate that true justice is not in faith only or knowledge of the Law, or in the name either of Jew or Christian, but in doing good works and keeping the Law by God's grace.
- ◦ True justice both in Jew and Gentile, is by keeping the Law.
Romans 2:29
In spirit, not letter.
[1] The outward ceremonies, Sacraments, threats, and commandments of God in the Law, are called the letter: the inward working of God in man's heart, and enduing him with faith, hope, and charity, and with love, liking, will, and ability to keep his commandments by the grace and merits of Christ, are called the spirit. [2] In which sense, the carnal Jew was a Jew according to the letter, and he was circumcised after the letter: but the true believing Gentile observing by God's grace in heart and in God's sight, that which was meant by that carnal sign, is a Jew according to the spirit, and justified by God. Of the spirit and letter S. Augustine [3] made a famous work, very necessary for the understanding of this Epistle.
- 1 The letter, and the spirit.
- 2 The carnal, and spiritual Jew.
- 3 de Sp. & lit. to. 3.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Romans 2:1
Thou that judgest.
◦ Such as by public authority either spiritual or temporal have to punish offenders, be not forbidden to judge or condemn any for their offences, though themselves be sometimes guilty in their conscience of the same or greater: yet may it be matter of aggravating sins before God, when they will not repent of those offences themselves, for the which they punish others. But if they be open offenders themselves, in the same sort for which they judge other, they give scandal, and thereby aggravate their sins very much. Properly here he forbiddeth to charge another falsely or truly with these crimes whereof himself is as far guilty or more than the other, as the Jews specially did the Gentiles, to whom he speaketh here.