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. XIII.

2. Hospitality.]* 1.1 Hospitality, that is, receiuing and harbouring of poore pilgrimes, persecuted and desolate persons,* 1.2 is so acceptable to God and so honorable, that often∣times it hath been mens good happe to harbour Angles in steede of poore folke vnawares. Vvhich must needes be euer a great benediction to them and their families, as vve see by Abraham and Lot Gen. 18. & 19. (and the like fell also to S. Gregorie, as Io. Diaconus vvriteth, to vvhose ordinarie table of poore men, not onely Angels but Christ also came in Pilgrimes vveede. In vit. li. 1. c. 10. & li. 2. c. 22, 23.) vvhereof if vve had not example and vvarrant by S. Paules vvordes in this place, and many other expresse Scriptures of the old Testament, these scorneful miscreants of this time making so litle account both of good vvorkes and such miraculous enterance of Christ and his Angels into holy mens harbour, vvould make this also seeme fabulous, as they do other like things.

4. Mariage honorable.]* 1.3 The Apostle (saith a holy doctor) saith, Mariage honorable in all, and the bed vndefiled. And therfore the seruants of God in that they are not maried, thinke not the good of ma∣riage to be a fault, but yet they doubt not perpetual continencie to be better them good mariage, specially in this time vvhen it is said of continencie, He that can take, let him take. De fid. ad Pet. 6. 3. apud Aug. in fine. Marke the doctrine of the fathers and of the Catholike Church concerning matrimonie, that it is honorable, and so honorable, that it is a holy sacrament, but yet* 1.4 inferiour to vir∣ginity and perpetual continencie: honorable in all, that is, all such as may lawfully marie and are lawfully maried: not in brother and sister, not in persons that haue vowed the contrarie, to vvhom the same Apostle saith it is damnable. 1. Tim. 5. v. 11. And this vvere the meaning of this place, if it vvere to be read thus, Mariage is honorable.

But to see how the Protestants in all their translations,* 1.5 to abuse the simple, do falsifie this sentence of the Apostle, to make it serue for the mariage of Votaries, it is notorious. First, they vse deceit in supplying the verbe substantiue that vvanteth, making it the Indi∣catiue moode thus, Mariage is honorable &c. as though the Apostle affirmed al mariage to be

honorable or lavvful,* 1.6 vvhere the verbe to be supplied ought rather to be the Imperatiue moode, Let mariage be honorable, that so the speache may be an exhortation or commaunde∣ment to them that be or vvil be maried, to vse them selues in that state in al fidelity, clean∣linesse,* 1.7 and coniugal continencie one tovvard an other:* 1.8 as vvhen S. Peter also and this A∣postle exhorte maried men to giue honour to their vviues as to the vveaker vessels, and to possesse their vessel in honour, not in the passions of ignominie and vncleanlinesse: this is honorable or chast mariage, to vvhich he here exhorteth. And that it is rather an exhor∣tation, then an affirmation, it is euident by the other partes and circumstances of this place both before & after: al vvhich are exhortations in their owne translations, this only being in the middes, and as indifferent to be an exhortation as the rest (by their owne confession) they restraine of purpose. Our text therfore and al Catholike translatiōs leaue the sentence indifferent* 1.9 as it is in the Greeke, and as true translatours ought to do, not presuming to addict it to one side, lest they should restraine the sense of the holy Ghost to their owne particular fantasie.

Againe,* 1.10 our new Translatours corrupt the text in that they translate, in omnibus, among al men, because so they thinke it vvould sound better to the ignorant, that Priests, Religious, and al vvhosoeuer, may marie: vvhere they can not tell either by the Greeke or Latin, that in omnibus should be the masculine gendre, rather then the neutre (as not only Erasmus, but* 1.11 the Greeke doctors also take it) to signifie that mariage should be honorably kept betweene man and vvife in al pointes and in al respectes. See S. Chrys. and Theophyl. in hunc locum. For there may be many filthy abuses in vvedlocke, vvhich the Apostle vvarneth them to take heede of, and to keepe their mariage-bed vndefiled. But the third corruption for their purpose aforesiad, and most impudent, is,* 1.12 that some of the Caluinistes for, in omni∣bus, translate, inter quosuis, vvith a marginal interpretation to signifie al orders, condi∣tions, states, and qualities of men. So boldly they take away al indifferencie of senses, and make Gods vvord to speake iust that vvhich them selues vvould, and their heresie requireth, in vvhich king they passe al impudencie and al heretikes that euer vvere.

7. Remember your Prelates.]* 1.13 Vve be here vvarned to haue great regard in our life and beleefe, to the holy fathers, Doctors, & glorious Bishops gone before vs in Gods Church, not doubting but they being our lawful Pastors, had and taught the truth: of vvhom S. Augustine said, That vvhich they found in the Church, they held fast: that vvhich they learned, they taught: that vvhich they receiued of their fathers, the same they deliuered to their children. Cont. Iulian. li. 2 c. 10. Vvhich respect to our holy forefathers in faith, is now in this vvicked contempt of the Heretikes, so much the more to be had. See the said holy doctors second booke against Iulian the Pelagian throughout, vvhat great account he maketh of them in the con∣futation of heresies,* 1.14 and hovv far he preferreth them aboue the proud Sectmaisters of that time: as vve must now doe against our new doctors. This place also is rightly vsed to proue that the Church of God should keepe the memories of Saincts departed, by solemne holi∣daies and other deuout vvaies of honour.

9. Not vvith meates.]* 1.15 He speaketh not of Christian fastes, but of the legal difference of meates, vvhich the Hebrues vvere yet pro••e vnto: not considering that by Christes faith they vvere made free from al such obseruations of the Law.

10. We haue an altar.] He putteth them in minde by these vvordes, that in folowing to much their old Iewish rites,* 1.16 they depriued them selues of an other maner and a more ex∣cellent sacrifice and meate: meaning, of the holy altar, and Christes ovvne blessed body offered and eaten there. of vvhich, they that continue in the figures of the old Law, could not be partakers. This altar (saith I sychius) is the altar of Christes body, vvhich the Ievves for their incredulity must not behold. Li. 6 c. 21 in Leuit.* 1.17 And the Greeke vvord (as also the Hebrue ansvvering therevnto in the old testament) signifieth properly an altar to sacrifice on, and not a metaphorical and spiritual altar.* 1.18 Vvhereby vve proue against the Heretikes, that vve haue not a common table or profane communion borde, to eate mere bread vpon, but a very altar in the proper sense, to sacrifice Christes body vpon: and so called of the fathers in respect of the said body sacrificed. Greg. Nazianz. in orat. de sorore Gorgonia. Chrys. demonst. quòd Christus sit Deus. Socrat. li. 1. c. 20. 25. Aug. ep. 86. De ciu. Dei. li. 8. c. 27. & li. 22. c. 10. Confess. li. 9 c. 11. 13. Cont. Faust. Manich. li. 20. c 21. Theophyl. in 23. Mat. And vvhen it is called a table, it is in respect of the heauenly foode of Christs body and bloud receiued.

15. The hoste or praise.]* 1.19 Though it may signifie the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thankes∣giuing of vvhat sort soeuer: ye it specially may be thought to signifie the great Sacrifice of the B. body and bloud of Christ: not as vpon the Crosse, vvhich vvas but once done in bloudy sort, but as in the Church, and new Testament, vvhere it is daily done vnblouddily, being the proper host of laude and thankes giuing▪ and therfore called the Eucharist, and being the fruite and effecte of Christ and his Priests lippes or vvordes, that is, of consecration: because this sacrifice is made by the force of the holy vvordes, And vvhen vve reade in the psalme and other places of the olde

Testament, of the host of praise, it may be thought to be a prophecie of the nevv Sacrifice, & not of euery vulgar thankes giuing. And so the old fathers in the primitiue Church to hide the mysteries from the vnvvorthy or heathen, often speake. What is (saith S. Augustine) a more holy sacrifice of praise, then that vvhich consisteth in thankes giuing, all vvhich the faithful do knovv in the sacrifice of the Church. Li. 1. cont. aduers. leg. & preph. c. 18. Againe, c. 20. The Church from the times of the Apostles by the most certaine successions of Bishops, offereth to God in the body of Christ the Sacrifice of praise. And a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 aftervvard, Novv Israel according to the spirit, that is, the Church offereth a singular Sacrifice according to the spirit: of vvhose house be vvil not take calues nor goates, but vvil take the Sacrifice of praise, not according to the order of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchisedec. See ep. 120. c. 19. & ep. 57. ad q. 1. in fine. Thus you see, vvhen the holy fathers handle the Scrip∣tures, they finde Masse and Sacrifice in many places, vvhere the ignorant heretikes or the simple might thinke they speake onely of a common thankes giuing.

16. God is promerited.] This latin vvord promeretur, cannot be expressed effectually in any one English vvord.* 1.20 It signifieth, Gods fauour to be procured by the foresaid vvorkes of almes and charitie, as by the deserts and merites of the doers. Which doctrine and vvord of merites the Aduersaries like so il, that they flee▪ both here and els vvhere from the vvord,* 1.21 translating here for, promeretur Deus, God is pleased, more neere to the Greeke, as they pretend. Which in deede maketh no more for them then the latin, vvhich is agreable to most auncient copies,* 1.22 as vve see by Primasius S. Augustines scholer. For if God be pleased vvith good vvorkes and shew fauour for them, then are they meritorious, and then only faith is not the cause of Gods fauour to men.

17. Obey your Prelates.]* 1.23 There is nothing more inculcated in the holy Scriptures, then obedience of the lay people to the Priests and Prelates of Gods Church, in matters of soule, conscience, and religion. Vvhereof the Apostle giueth this reason, because they haue the charge of mens soules, and must ansvver for them: vvhich is an infinite preemi∣nence and superiority, ioyned vvith burden, and requireth maruelous submission and most obedient subiection of al that be vnder them and their gouernement. From this obedience there is no exception nor exemption of kings nor Princes, be they neuer so great. If they haue soules,* 1.24 and be Christian men, they must be subiect to some Bishop, Priest, or other Prelate. And vvhatsoeuer he be (though Emperour of all the vvorld) if he take vpon him to prescribe and giue lawes of religion to the Bishops and Priests, vvhom he ought to obey and be subiect vnto in religion, he shal he damned vndoubtedly, except he repent, because he doth against the expresse vvord of God and law of nature. And by this you may see the difference of an heretical and a disordered time, from other Catholike Christian daies. For heresie and the like damnable reuoltes from the Church of God, is no more but a rebellion and disobedience to the Priests of Gods Church, vvhen men re∣fuse to be vnder their discipline, to heare their doctrine, and interpretation of Scriptures, to obey their lawes and counsels. This disobedience and rebellion from the Spiritual Go∣uernour, vnder pretence of obedience to the Temporal, is the bane of our daies, and spe∣cially of our Countrie, vvhere these new Sectes are properly mainteined by this false principle, That the Prince in matters of soule and religion may commaund the Prelate: vvhich is directly and euidently against this Scripture and all other, that commaund the sheepe of Christes fold to obey their spiritual Officers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hospitalitie.
• * 1.2

  Angels harbo••∣red.
• * 1.3

  Hovv mariage is honorable in al, if the Apostle did so say, as he doth not.
• * 1.4

  1 Cor. 7. v. 38.
• * 1.5

  One short place manifold∣ly corrupted by the Prote∣stants.
• * 1.6

  They restraīe the sense to their Here∣tical fansie.
• * 1.7

  1 Pet. 3.
• * 1.8

  1 Thes. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.10

  The Eng. Bib. 1577.
• * 1.11

  O••cum. in Collect.
• * 1.12

  Beza in no. Test. Groecolat. an. 1565.
• * 1.13

  Vve must haue regard to the faith & doctrine of the fathers.
• * 1.14

  Memories and feastes of Saīcts.
• * 1.15

  Iudaical absti∣nence from meates.
• * 1.16

  Material altars for the sacrifice of christs body.
• * 1.17

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.18

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.19

  The Sacrifice of the altar is the principal host of praise and thankes giuing, therfore called, Eucharistia.
• * 1.20

  The Prote∣stants auoid the vvord me∣rite.
• * 1.21

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.22

  Good vvorkes meritorious.
• * 1.23

  The Apostle doth inculcate obedience to the Priests and Bishops of Gods Church.
• * 1.24

  No person ex∣empted from this obediēce, in matters of religion.