1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Mark 12:17

And Jesus answering, said to them: *Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Romans 13:7.

Although Christ clearly establishes here the strict obligation of paying to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, to the confusion of his very enemies, we shall still find them bringing forward against him the charge of disloyalty, as if he forbade tribute to be paid to Caesar. (Luke 23:2.) After the example of her divine Model, the Catholic Church has uniformly taught with St. Paul, the necessity of obeying the powers in being; and this not for fear of their wrath, but for conscience sake. Render to Caesar the money on which his image is stamped, but render yourselves cheerfully to God; for the light of thy countenance, O Lord, is stamped upon us, (Psalm iv.) and not the image of Caesar. (St. Jerome) --- With reason were they astonished at the wisdom of this answer, which eluded all their artifices, and taught them at the same time what they owed to their prince, and what they owed to God: and whoever hopes for the favour of heaven, must conscientiously observe this double duty to God and to the magistrate.