Mark — Chapter 5
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 3
3. Could bind him.) Profane and natural men. We see here that mad men which have extraordinary strength are many times possessed of the Diuel: as there is also a deafe and a dumme Diuel, and vncleane spirits, which worke these effects in men, possessing their bodies. Al which things infidels & carnal men, folowing only nature and reason, attribute to natural causes: and the lesse faith a man hath, the lesse he beleeueth that the Diuel worketh such things.
Verse 28
28. If I shal touch.) The touche of Relikes. So the good Catholike saith: If I might but touch one of his Apostles, yea one of his Apostles napkins, yea but the shade of one of his Saints, I should be better for it. Act. 5. and 19. See S. Chrys. to. 5 cont. Gent. in principio. in vit. Babylæ. Yea S. Basil saith: *He that toucheth the bone of a Martyr, receaueth in some degree holinesse of the grace or vertue that is therein. *Basil. in Ps. 115.
Verse 30
30. Vertue.) Vertue to heale this womans maladie, proceeded from Christ, though she touched but his coate: so when the Saints by their Relikes or garments doe miracles, the grace and force therof commeth from our Sauiour, they being but the meanes or instruments of the same.
Verse 36
36. Only beleeue.) It is our common speach, when we require one thing specially, though other things also be as necessarie, and more necessarie. As the Physition to his patient, Only haue a good hart: when he must also keep a diet and take potions, things more requisit. So Christ in this great infidelity of the Iewes, required only that they would beleeue he was able to doe such a cure, such a miracle, & then he did it: otherwise it foloweth in the next Chapter: He could not do miracles there because of their incredulity. Againe, for this faith he gaue them here and in al like places health of body, which they desired. And therfore he saith not: Thy faith hath iustified thee: but, hath made thee safe or whole. Againe this was the fathers faith, which could not iustifie the daughter. Scripture fondly applied to proue only faith. Wherby it is most euident, that this Scripture, and the like, are foolishly abused of the Heretikes to proue that only faith iustifieth.
Verse 41
41. Wench arise.) By three dead, are signified three kinds of sinners. Christs miracles, besides that they be wonders & wayes to shew his power, be also significatiue: as these which he corporally raised from death, put vs in mind of his raising our soules from sinne. *The Scripture maketh special mention only of three raised by our Sauiour, of which three, this wench is one, within the house: an other, the widowes sonne in Naim, now caried out toward the graue; the third, Lazarus hauing been in the graue foure daies, and therfore stinking. Which diuersity of dead bodies, signifie diuersity of dead soules, some more desperate then other, some past al mans hope, and yet by the grace of Christ to be reuiued and reclaimed. *Aug. de verb. Do. ser. 44.