Romans — Chapter 7
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 7
7. Thou shalt not couet.) Actual concupiscence forbidden, not habitual. It is not the habitual concupiscence or infirmitie of our nature or sensual desire or inclination to euil, coueting against the spirit, that is forbidden properly in this precept: but the consent of our reason and mind vnto it, to obey and follow the lusts therof, that is a sinne and prohibited.
Verse 15
15. That which I worke.) Sodain inuoluntarie motions are no sinne. This being vnderstood of S. Paul himself or any other iust person, the sense is, that the flesh and inferiour part stirreth vp diuerse disordered motions and passions or perturbations against the mind, and vpon such a sodain sometimes inuadeth the same, that before it attendeth or reason can gather itself to deliberate, man is in a sort (though vnwittingly) entangled. Which as soone as it is perceiued, being of the iust condemned, reiected, and resisted, neuer maketh him a sinner.
Verse 19
19. Not the good which I wil.) Sinne is voluntarie, and, otherwise it is no sinne. So may the iust also be forced by the rage of concupiscence or sensual appetite, to doe of suffer many things in his inferiour part or external members, which his wil consenteth not vnto. And so long it is so farre from sinne, that (as *S. Augustine saith) he need neuer to say to God, forgiue vs our sinnes, for the same. For sinne is voluntarie, and so be not these passions. *Ep. ad Asellicum 200.
Verse 25
25. With the mind, with the flesh.) Concupiscence defileth not a iust man's actions as the Lutherans say. Nothing done by concupiscence (which the Apostle here calleth sinne) whereunto the spirit, reason, or mind of man consenteth not, can make him guilty before God. Neither can the motions of the flesh in a iust man euer any whit defile the operations of his spirit, as the Lutherans doe hold: but make them often more meritorious, for the continual comb at that hath with them. For it is plaine that the operations of the flesh and of the spirit doe not concurre together to make one act, as they imagine; the Apostle concluding cleane contrarie; That in mind he serueth the Law of God, in flesh the law of sinne, that is to say, concupiscence.