Ezechiel — Chapter 18
These annotations are from the original 1609 Douay Old Testament, the first complete English Catholic Bible translation, produced by English scholars in exile at the English College of Douai. 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 21
Another general rule is here giuen, That as men alter their manners from euil to good or from good to euil, so they shal be iudged & finally rewarded or punished, according to the state wherin they end this life.
Verse 23
Is the death of a sinner my wil?] In manie places of holie Scripture it is cleere, that Gods wil is most assuredly fulfilled in al things, whatsoeuer he would: and none can resist his wil, &c. Neuertheles here, and in other places it is also expresly affirmed, that God would haue al sinners to repent, and none to dye in their sinnes; which seemeth to repugne with the former doctrine. For solution of which difficultie, S. Damascen (li. 2. c. 29. de Orthodoxa fide) and other Doctours distinguish Gods wil, which is either called Antecedent, and conditional, so God would haue al men to be saued, as appeareth by creating al to that end, by his frequent admonitions, precepts, threats, temporal punishments, and rewards; and especially by our Sauiours death, and redemption of al mankind, whereby he merited most sufficient meanes, and offereth his sufficient grace to euerie one, that they may be saued if they wil. Otherwise Gods wil is called Consequent and absolute; and so for iustice sake his diuine wil is, that impenitent sinners shal be damned, and eternally punished for their sinnes. As a iust Iudge conditionally and antecedently would haue al men to obserue good lawes, and to liue so long as they can by nature; but absolutely and consequently finding some to be murderers, or otherwise pernicious to the commonwealth, he punisheth them with death.
Verse 26
As a soule in mortal sinne spiritually is dead, so truly repenting it returneth to spiritual life. Not only repentance, which is auersion from sinne, & conuersion to God, but also doing penance, that is satisfaction for sinnes is necessary to saluation.