2 Corinthians — Chapter 10
These annotations are from the original 1582 Rheims New Testament, produced by English scholars in exile at the English College of Rheims. The archaic spelling is preserved.
This content was digitized from the original 1609 Douay (Old Testament) and 1582 Rheims (New Testament) print editions by OCR. The OCR process sometimes confused print page numbers with verse numbers, and may have assigned annotations to the wrong chapter. Chapter and verse labels on this page reflect the OCR output from the original print pagination and may not correspond to canonical Scripture chapter/verse numbers. For canonical reference, consult a standard Douay-Rheims edition. The annotation texts themselves are authentic 1609/1582 Douay-Rheims content.
Verse 4
4. Weapons.) Punishing of Heretikes. Their pride. He meaneth the ample spiritual and Apostolical power giuen by Christ for the punishment of false Apostles, Heretikes, and rebelles to God's Church, who are here noted specially by pride, and insolence (which is the proper marke of such fellowes) to extol themselues aboue the measure of the science of God, which consisteth in humble obedience to the faith and the Preachers of the same.
Verse 6
6. To reuenge.) The spiritual power of Bishops against Heretikes. You may see hereby, that the spiritual power of Bishops is not only in preaching the Ghospel, and so by persuasion and exhortation only (as some Heretikes hold) to remit or retaine sinnes, but that it hath authoritie to punish, iudge, and condemne Heretikes and other like rebelles: which power *one of the principal rebelles of this time being conuinced by the euidence of the place, acknowledgeth to be grounded vpon Christes word, whatsoeuer you bind in earth, shal be bound in Heauen: Mat. 18,18. applying also the words spoken to Hieremie c. 1,10. Behold I appoint thee ouer Nations and Kingdoms, that thou plant plucke vp, build and destroy, to confirme & explicate the power Apostolike here alleaged by S. Paul. Heretical Consistories. Mary they would gladly draw this power from the lawful Successours of the Apostles, to themselues, their Ministers, and Consistories, which are nothing els but the shops and Councels of sedition and al the conspiracies of this time, against the lawful Princes of the world.
Verse 8
8. Vnto edification.) Ecclesiastical censures (namely excommunication) when & where to be executed. This great power of the Churches censures, specially of excommunication, as it was giuen for the good and saluation of the people, so it must not be vsed against the innocent, no nor yet vpon Heretikes or other offenders, but where & when it may by likelyhood benefit either the parties, or the people, or may be executed without the hurt or perturbation of the whole Church, as oftentimes it can not be, by reason of the multitude of offenders. Which caused the Apostle here to signifie that he would not vse his vtermost authoritie against the false Apostles which disturbed him; til themselues were in perfect obedience vnto him, lest by punishing the principal offenders, a greater disturbance & reuolt might fal among the people, if they were not before in perfect obedience.