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            THE CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE

Chapter 1

He exhorts them to stand to the faith first delivered to them and to

beware of heretics.

1:1. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James: to them

that are beloved in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and

called.

1:2. Mercy unto you and peace: and charity be fulfilled.

1:3. Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your

common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech

you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.

1:4. For certain men are secretly entered in (who were written of long

ago unto this judgment), ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God

into riotousness and denying the only sovereign Ruler and our Lord

Jesus Christ.

1:5. I will therefore admonish you, though ye once knew all things,

that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did

afterwards destroy them that believed not.

1:6. And the angels who kept not their principality but forsook their

own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains,

unto the judgment of the great day.

Principality. . .That is, the state in which they were first created,

their original dignity.

1:7. As Sodom and Gomorrha and the neighbouring cities, in like manner,

having given themselves to fornication and going after other flesh,

were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

1:8. In like manner, these men also defile the flesh and despise

dominion and blaspheme majesty.

Blaspheme majesty. . .Speak evil of them that are in dignity; and even

utter blasphemies against the divine majesty.

1:9. When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended

about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of

railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee.

Contended about the body, etc. . .This contention, which is no where

else mentioned in holy writ, was originally known by revelation, and

transmitted by tradition. It is thought the occasion of it was, that

the devil would have had the body buried in such a place and manner, as

to be worshipped by the Jews with divine honours. Command thee. . .or

rebuke thee.

1:10. But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what

things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are

corrupted.

1:11. Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain: and after

the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves and have

perished in the contradiction of Core.

Gone in the way, etc. . .Heretics follow the way of Cain, by murdering

the souls of their brethren; the way of Balaam, by putting a scandal

before the people of God, for their own private ends; and the way of

Core or Korah, by their opposition to the church governors of divine

appointment.

1:12. These are spots in their banquets, feasting together without

fear, feeding themselves: clouds without water, which are carried about

by winds: trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by

the roots:

1:13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion:

wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.

1:14. Now of these Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied,

saying: Behold, the Lord cometh with thousands of his saints:

Prophesied. . .This prophecy was either known by tradition, or from some

book that is since lost.

1:15. To execute judgment upon all and to reprove all the ungodly for

all the works of their ungodliness, whereby they have done ungodly: and

for all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God.

1:16. These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to

their own desires: and their mouth speaketh proud things, admiring

persons, for gain's sake.

1:17. But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful of the words which have

been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful, etc. . .He now exhorts the

faithful to remain steadfast in the belief and practice of what they

had heard from the apostles, who had also foretold that in aftertimes

(lit. in the last time) there should be false teachers, scoffing and

ridiculing all revealed truths, abandoning themselves to their passions

and lusts; who separate themselves from the Catholic communion by

heresies and schisms. Sensual men. . .carried away and enslaved by the

pleasures of the senses.

1:18. Who told you that in the last time there should come mockers,

walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses.

1:19. These are they who separate themselves, sensual men, having not

the Spirit.

1:20. But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy

faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

1:21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our

Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting.

Building yourselves upon your most holy faith. . .Raising by your

actions, a spiritual building, founded, 1st, upon faith; 2d, on the

love of God; 3d, upon hope, whilst you are waiting for the mercies of

God, and the reward of eternal life; 4th, joined with the great duty of

prayer.

1:22. And some indeed reprove, being judged:

1:23. But others save, pulling them out of the fire. And on others have

mercy, in fear, hating also the spotted garment which is carnal.

And some indeed reprove being judged. . .He gives them another

instruction to practice charity in endeavouring to convert their

neighbour, where they will meet with three sorts of persons: 1st, With

persons obstinate in their errors and sins; these may be said to be

already judged and condemned; they are to be sharply reprehended,

reproved, and if possible convinced of their error. 2d, As to others

you must endeavour to save them, by pulling them, as it were, out of

the fire, from the ruin they stand in great danger of. 3d, You must

have mercy on others in fear, when you see them through ignorance of

frailty, in danger of being drawn into the snares of these heretics;

with these you must deal more gently and mildly, with a charitable

compassion, hating always, and teaching others to hate the carnal

garment which is spotted, their sensual and corrupt manners, that

defile both the soul and body.

1:24. Now to him who is able to preserve you without sin and to present

you spotless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, in

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1:25. To the only God our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be

glory and magnificence, empire and power, before all ages, and now, and

for all ages of ages. Amen.

Now to him, etc. . .St. Jude concludes his epistle with this doxology of

praising God, and praying to the only God our Saviour, which may either

signify God the Father, or God as equally agreeing to all the three

persons, who are equally the cause of Christ's incarnation, and man's

salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who, being God from eternity,

took upon him our human nature, that he might become our Redeemer.