Galatians — Chapter 3
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 10
10. Cursed be.) Notwithstanding venial sinnes, men are truly iust, and may keep the commandements. By this place the Heretikes would proue that no man is iust truely before God, al being guiltie of damnation and God's curse, because they keep not euery iot of the Law. Where indeed the Apostle meaneth not such as offend venially (as it is plaine by the place of Deuteronomie whence he reciteth this text) but only such as commit great & damnable crimes: and so by grieuous and mortal transgressions wholy breake God's precepts, and thereby incurre the curse of the Law; from which the said Law could not deliuer them of it-self, nor by any other meanes, but by the faith and grace of CHRIST IESVS.
Verse 11
11. Liueth by faith.) Not only faith. It is neither the Heretikes special presumption and confidence, nor the faith of Diuels, nor faith without workes, which is dead in it-self as *S. Iames saith, that can giue life to the iust: For that which is dead, can not be the cause of life: But it is the Catholike faith, as S. Augustin writeth, which worketh by charitie (according to the Apostles owne explication of this whole passage) by which the iust liueth. Li. 3. c. 5. cont. duas ep. Pelag. See the Annotation vpon the same word's. Rom. 1. *Iac. 2.
Verse 17
17. Haue put on Christ.) Baptisme giueth grace and iustification, not faith only. Here the Aduersaries might haue seen, if they were not blinded by contentious striuing against God's Church, that when iustification is attributed to faith without mention of good workes or other Christian vertues & Sacraments, it is not meant to exclude any of the same from the working of iustice or saluation. For here we learne that by the Sacrament of Baptisme also we put on Christ, which is to put on faith, hope, charitie, & al Christian iustice. By the same we proue also that the Sacraments of the new law giue grace, for that the receiuers therof put on Christ. And the Aduersaries euasion, that it is faith which worketh in the Sacrament, and not the Sacrament it-self, is plainely false: Baptisme giuing grace and faith it-self to the infant that had none before.