The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III.

8. Euery man shal receiue according.] A most plaine text for proofe that men by their labours, and by the diuersities thereof, shal be diuersly revvarded in heauen: and therfore that by their vvorkes proceding of grace, they do deserue or merite heauen, and the more or lesse ioy in the same▪ for though the holy Scripture cōmonly vse not this vvord merite,* 1.1 yet in places innumerable of the old and nevv Testament, the very true sense of merite is conteined, and so often as the vvord, merces, and the like be vsed, they be euer vnderstood as correlatiues or correspondent vnto it. for if the ioy of heauen be ••erribution, repaiment, hire, vvages for vvorkes (as in infinite places of holy Scrip∣ture,) then the vvorkes can be none other but the valure, deseit, price, vvorth, and merite of the same.* 1.2 And in deede this vvord, revvard, vvhich in our English tonge may signifie a volutary or bountiful gift, doth not so vvel expresse the nature of the * Latin vvord, or the Greeke, vvhich are rather the very stipend that the hired vvorkeman or iournieman couenanteth to haue of him vvhose vvorke he doth, and is a thing equally and iustly ansvvering to the time and vveight of his trauels and vvorkes (in vvhich sense the Scripture saith,* 1.3 Dignus est operarius mercede sua. the vvorke∣man is vvorthy of his hire) rather then a free gift. though, because faithful men must acknovv∣ledge that their merites be the giftes and graces of God, they rather vse the vvord revvard, then hire,* 1.4 stipend, or repaiment. though in deede it be al one, as you may see by diuers places of holy vvrite. as, * My merces (revvard) is vvith me to render to euery one * according to his vvorkes. And Our Lord vvil ••ender vnto me according to my iustice. Ps. 1••. And the very vvord it self merite (equiualent to the Greeke) is vsed thus.* 1.5 Mercie shal make a place to euery one * according to the merite of workes. Eccl••i 16, 15. And If you doe your iustice before men, you shal not haue reward▪ in heauen. Mat. 6, 1. Vvhere you see that the revvard of heauen is recompense of iustice. And the euasion of the Here∣tikes is friuolous and euidently false, as the former and like vvordes do conuince, for they say heauen is our Merces or revvard, not because is is due to our vvorkes, but to the promes of God: vvhere the vvordes be plaine, According to euery mans vvorkes or labours. vpon vvhich vvorkes, and for vvhich vvorkes conditionally, the promes of heauen vvas made.

12. Vpon this foundation.] The foundaion is Christ, and faith in him vvorking by charitie. The vppes building may be either pure and perfect matter of gold,* 1.6 siluer, and pretious stone, vvhich (according to the most authentical and probable exposition) be good vvorkes of charitie and al Christian iustice done by Gods grace: or els, vvood, hay, stubble, vvhich signifie the manifold actes of mans infirmitie and his venial sinnes. Vvhich more or lesse mixed and medled vvith the better matter aforesaid, require more or lesse punishmēt or purgation at the day of our death. At vvhich

day, if by penance or other meanes in the Church, the said venial sinnes be before hand cleansed, there shal neede no purgiug at al, but they shal straight receiue the reward due to them.

13. Shal be manifest.] Vvhether our life and workes be pure and neede no cleansing,* 1.7 novv in this vvorld is hard to iudge: but the day of our Lord, vvhich is at our death, vvil make it plaine in vvhat termes euery mans life is tovvards God▪ for then Purgatorie fire shal reueale and proue it▪ for, vvhosoeuer hath any impure matter of venial sinnes or such other dettes, to Gods iustice paia∣ble and purgable, must into that fire, and after due paiment and cleansing, be saued through the same. Vvhere the vvorkes of the perfect men and such as died vvith al dettes paied, cleansed, or forgiuen, are quitted from the fire, and neuer incurre damage, paine, or losse thereby. The places of fathers expounding this for Purgatorie, be very many most euident, vvhich are cited in the last Annotation folovving.

1••. The day of our Lord shal declare.] That this purgation rather signifieth the place of Gods iu∣stice after our death, then any affliction in this life, the Apostles precise specifying of fire declareth, and of reuealing and notifying the difference of mens vvorkes by the same: vvhich is not done eui∣dently euer in this life:* 1.8 and namely the vvord, day of our Lord: vvhich commonly and properly si∣gnifieth in Scripture and namely in this Apostle (1 Cor. 3, 5. 2 Cor. 1, 1••. Philip. 1, 10. 6. 1 Thes. ••, 2. 2 Thes. 2, 2.) either the particular, or the general iudgement: and therfore that the trial spoken of, is not properly nor litterally meant any affliction or aduersitie of this life,* 1.9 as Caluin also cōfesseth, coyning a folish nevv construction of his ovvne. Vvhere you may note also in that mans Com∣mentarie, that this vvord, dies Domini, vvas so preiudicial against him and al other expositions of the trial to be made in this vvorld, that he vvould gladly haue (Domini) ou••, reading thus, A day shal ••••me vvhich shal open &c.* 1.10 Vvhere vnderstand, that if it vvere only Dies (as * in the Greeke) yet thereby also the Scripture is vvont to signifie the self same thing: as, 2 Tim. 1, 12. 28. and 2 Tim. 4, 8. and Heb. 10, 25, the day, as in this place, vvith the greeke article only, vvhich is al one vvith Dies illa, or Dies Domini.

15. As by fire.] S. Augustine vpon these vvordes of the Psalme 37. Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation, nor amend me in thy vvrath. For it shal come to passe (saith he) that some be amended in the vvrath of God, and be rebuked in his indignation. And not al perhaps that are rebuked, shalbe amended, but yet some there shal be saued by amending.* 1.11 It shalbe so surely, because amending it ••amed: yet so as by fire. but some there shalbe that shalbe rebuked, and not amended, to vvhom he shal say, Goe ye into euerlasting fire. Fearing therfore these more greuous paines, he desireth that he may neither be rebuked in indignation by eternal fire, nor amended in his vvrath. that is to say, Purge me in this life, and make me such an one as shal not neede the amending fire, being for them vvhich shalbe saued, yet so as by fire. Wherfore? but because here they build vpon this foundation, vvood, hay, stubble? for if they did build gold, siluer, and pretious stones, they should be secure from both fires, not onely from that eternal vvhich shal torment the impious eternally: but also from that vvhich shal amend them that shalbe saued by fire. for it is said, he shal be safe, yet so as by fire. And because it is said, he shalbe safe, that fire is cōtemned. Yea verely though safe by fire, yet that fire shalbe more greuous,* 1.12 then vvhatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life. And you knovv hovv great euils the vvicked haue suffered, and may suffer: yet they haue suffered such as the good also might suffer. for vvhat hath any malefactor suffered by the lavves, that a Martyr hath not suffered in the confession of Christ? These euils therfore that are here▪ be much more easie, and yet see hovv men, not to suffer them, doe vvhat∣soeuer thou cōmaundest. Hovv much better doe they that vvhich God commaundeth, that they may not suffer th••se greater paines? Thus far. S. Augustine. See S. Ambr. vpon this place 1 Cor. 3. & Ser. 20 in Psal. ••18. Hiero. li. 2 c. 13 adu. Iouinianum. Gieg. li. 4. Dialog. c. ••9. & in Psal. 1. P••nit. in principie. Origen. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. •• in c. 15. Exod. and b••. 14 in c. 24. Leuit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Good vvorkes meritorious, and the re∣vvardes in heauē are dif∣ferent accor∣ding to the same.
• * 1.2

  Merces 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  1. Tim. 5, 18.
• * 1.4

  Apoc. ••2, 12. Mat. 16, 27. Ro. 22, 12.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.6

  Building of gold, or stub∣ble.
• * 1.7

  Our vvorkes shal be mani∣fested by fire.
• * 1.8

  Vvhat is si∣gnified by, the day of our Lord.
• * 1.9

  Calu. in hunc lo∣cum.
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.11

  Tvvo fires after this life: one eternal, the other tem∣poral, that is, the purging or amending fire.
• * 1.12

  Purgatorie fire passeth al the paines of this life.