1 Timothy — Chapter 3

The Apostle then, by this place we now treat of, neither commandeth, nor counseleth, nor wisheth, nor would haue Bishops or Priests to marrie, or such only to be receiued as haue been married: but, that such an one as hath been married (so it were but once, and that to a virgin) may be made Bishop or Priest. Which is no more then an inhibition that none hauing been twise married or being bigamus, should be admitted to that holy Order. And this exposition only is agreable to the practise of the whole Church, the definition of ancient Councels, the doctrine of al the Fathers without exception, and the Apostles tradition. Which sense S. Chrysostom wholy followeth vpon the Epistle to Titus (though here he follow not wholy the same sense) Hom. 2. in Epist. ad Tit. S. Ambrose also vpon this place & most plainely and largely in his 82. Epistle post med. giuing the cause why bigamus can not be made Bishop or Priest, in fine affirmeth, not only the Apostle but the holy Councel of Nice to haue taken order that none should be receiued into the Clergie, that were twise married. S. Hierom Epist. 83. ad Oceanum c. 2. & epist. 2. c. 18. ep. 11. c. 2 expresly writeth that the Clergie is made of such as haue had but one wife, at least after Baptisme: for he thought that if one were often married when he was yet no Christian, he might notwithstanding be ordered Bishop or Priest. But S. Ambrose ep. 82. S. Augustin de bono Coniug. c. 18. S. Innocentius the first ep. 2. c. 5. 6. to. 1. Concil. S. Leo ep. 87. *S. Gregorie, and after them the whole Church, exclude those also which haue been twise married when so-euer. * li. 2. ep. 25. Who are counted bigami. Whereof S. Augustin giueth goodly reason and example in the place alleaged. S. Leo ep. 87 addeth further, and proueth that the man is counted bigamus, and not the husband of one wife, in respect of holy Orders, not only if he hath had two wiues, but if his one wife were not a virgin. Which being obserued in the high Priests of the *old law, must needs be much rather kept now. See also the book de Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus c. 72, in S. Augustines workes. * Leuit. 22. The heretical Clergie nothing regardeth the Apostles prescription of one wife And by these few you may see how shamefully the state of the new heretical Clergie of our time is fallen from the Apostolike and al the Fathers practise and doctrine herein. Who doe not only take men once or twise married before, but (which was neuer heard of before in any person or part of the Catholike Church) they marrie after they be Bishops or Priests, once, twise, and as often as their lusts require. None euer married after holy Orders. Whereas it was neuer lawful in God's Church to marrie after Holy Orders. Neither is there one authentical example therof in the world. For those of whom Nice Councel speaketh, were married before, & were but tolerated only to vse their wiues: the Fathers in the same Councel prouiding expresly at the same time, that none from thence-forth should marrie after they came to holy Orders, and that according to the ancient tradition of the Church, as *Socrates and Sozomenus declare in most plaine words. See Suidas in the word Paphnutius. * Socrat. li. 1. c. 8. Sozom. li. 1 c. 22. They that were made Priests of married men, absteined from their wiues And in what countrie soeuer they haue been permitted to haue carnal dealing euen with their wiues whom they had before, is was not according to the exact rule of the Apostles and Churches tradition, by which al that be in holy Orders, should wholy abstaine, not only from marrying, but euen from their wiues before married. S. Epiphanius. Whereof thus writeth S. Epiphanius hæres. 59 cont. Catharos. The holy preaching of God receiueth not, after Christ, them that marrie againe after their wiues departure, by reason of the great dignitie and honour of Priesthood. And this the holy Church of God obserueth with al sinceritie. Yea she doth not receiue the once married person that yet vseth his wife and begetteth children: but only such an one she taketh to be Deacon, Priest, Bishop, or Subdeacon, as abstaineth from his one wife, or is a widower, specially where the holy canons be sincerely kept. Marriage of Priests is contrarie to the ancient canons. But thou wilt say vnto me, that in certaine places Priests, Deacons, and Subdeacons doe yet beget children (belike this holy Father neuer heard of any Bishop that did so, and therfore he leaueth out that order, which he named with the other in the former part of the sentence) but that is not done according to order and rule, but according to man's mind, which by time slacketh, and for the great multitude (of Christian people) when there were not found sufficient for the ministerie, &c. the rest of his words be goodly for that purpose. Eusebius. Eusebius also Euang. demonst. li. 1. c. 9 saith, that such as be consecrated to the holy ministerie, should abstaine wholy from their wiues which they had before. S. Hierom. S. Hierom Apolog. ad Pammac. c. 8. proueth, that such of the Apostles as were married, did so, and that the Clergie ought to doe the same by their example. Yea in his time he testifieth (Cont. Vigil. c. 1.) that they did liue single in manner through the world, euen in the East Church also. What, saith he, shal the Churches of the East doe, what they of Ægypt, of the See Apostolike: which take to the Clergie, either virgins, or the continent and vnmarried, or such as if they haue wiues, cease to be husbands? And againe he saith in Apolog. ad Pammach c. 3. (See also c. 8.) If married men like not wel of this, let them not be angrie with me, but with the holy Scriptures, with al Bishops, Priests, Deacons, & the whole companie of Priests & Leuites, that know they can not offer Sacrifices, if they vse the act of marriage. S. Augustin. S. August. de adult. Coniug. li. 2. c. 20. maketh it so plaine a matter that al Priests should liue chast, that he writeth, that euen such as were forced (as many were in the primitiue Church) to be of the Clergie, were bound to liue chast, yea and did it with great ioy and felicitie, neuer complaining of these necessities and intolerable burdens, or impossibilities of liuing chast, as our fleshly companie of new Ministers and Superintendents doe now, that thinke it no life without women. See S. Leo ep. 92. c. 3. Much like to S. Augustin before his conuersion, when he was yet a Manichee, who (as himself reporteth Confess. li. 6. c. 3.) admiring in S. Ambrose al other his incomparable excellencies, yet counted al his felicities lesse, because he lacked a woman, without which he thought (in time of his infidelitie) no man could liue. S. Ambrose. But after his conuersion thus he said to God of S. Ambrose: What hope he had, and against the tentations of his excellencie what a fight he felt, or rather what a comfort and solace in tribulation, and his secret mouth which was within in his hart, what sauourie and sweet ioyes it tasted of thy bread, neither could I coniecture, neither had I tried. Tertullian. S. Cyprian. See Tertullian li. 1. ad vxorem S. Cyprian de singul. Clericor. the first Councel of Nice can. 3. Conc. Tolet. 2. can. 3. Conc. Aurelian. 3. can. 2. of Carthage the second cap. 2. of Neocæsarea cap. 1. of Ancyra cap. 10. and you shal find that this was generally the Churches order euen from the Apostles time, though in some places by the licentiousnes of many, it was sometime not so religiously looked vnto. Councels. Wherby you may easily refute the impudent clamours of Heretikes against Siticius, Gregorie 7, and others, whom they falsely make the Authours of the Clergies single life.

1. A good worke.) The great charge, and great merit, of Ecclesiastical functions. Nothing (saith S. Augustin) in this life, and specially in this time, is easier, pleasanter, or more acceptable to men, then the office of a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, if the thing be done only for fashion sake and flatteringly: but nothing before God more miserable, more lamentable, more damnable. Againe, There is nothing in this life, and specially at this time, harder, more laborious, or more dangerous, then the office of a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon: but before God nothing more blessed, if they warre in such sort as our Captaine commandeth. August: ep. 148.

2. A Bishop.) The Apostles vnder the name of Bishop instructeth Priestes also. That which is here spoken of a Bishop (because the words Bishop & Priest in the new Testament be often taken indifferently for both or either of the twaine, as is noted in an other place) the same is meant of euery Priest also: though the qualities here required, ought to be more singular in the Bishop then in the Priest, according to the difference of their degrees, dignities, and callings.

6. Not a Neophyte.) None rashly to be admitted to the Clergie. That vvhich is spoken here properly and principally of the nevvly baptized (for so the vvord Neophyte doth signifie) the fathers extend also to al such as be but nevvly retired from prophane occupations, ciuil gouernement, vvarfare, or secular studies, of vvhom good trial must be taken before they ought to be preferred to the high dignitie of Bishop or Priest. though for some special prerogatiue and excellencie, it hath in certaine persons been othervvise, as in S. Ambrose and some other notable men. Tertullian (li. de præscript.) noteth Heretikes for their lightnes in admitting euery one vvithout discretion to the Cleargie. Heretikes admit al sorts without exception. Their Orders (saith he) are rash, light, inconstant: novv they place Neophytes, then secular men, then our Apostataes, that they may tie them by glorie and preferment, Whom vvith the truth they can not. No vvhere may a man sooner prosper and come forvvard, then in the campe of rebelles, vvhere to be onely, is to deserue much. therfore one to day a Bishop, to morovv somevvhat els: to day a Deacon, to morovv Lector, that is, a Reader to day a Priest, to morovv a lay man. for to laie men also they enioyne the functions of Priestes. And S. Hierom ep. 83 ad Oceanum c. 4. saith of such, Yesterday a Catechumene or nevvly conuerted, to day a Bishop: yesterday in the theatre, to day in the Church: at night in the place of games and maisteries, in the morning at the altar: a vvhile ago a great patrone of stageplaiers, novv a consecrator of holy virgins. And in an other place, Out of the bosome of Plato and Aristophanes they are chosen to a Bishoprike, vvhose care is, not hovv to sucke out the marovv of the Scriptures, but hovv to soothe the peoples eares vvith florishing declamations. Dialog. cont. Lucifer. c. 5.

8. Deacons.) The three holy Orders, only bound to chastitie. Vnder the name of Deacons are here conteined Subdeacons, as before vnder the name of Bishop, Priests also vvere comprehended. for to these foure pertaineth the Apostles precept and order touching one vvife, and touching contin&ebarcie and chastitie, as by the alleaged Councels and fathers (namely by the vvordes of S. Epiphanius) doth appeare. for they onely be in holy Orders, as seruing by their proper function about the Altar and the B. Sacrament: in respect vvhereof, the law of chastitie pertaineth to them, and not to the foure inferior Orders of Acolyti, Exorcistæ, Lectores. and Ostiarij. Leo. ep. 92. c. 3. Greg. 6 li. 1, ep. 42. The 4. inferour orders not bound to chastitie. Vvho neither by precept nor vovv be bound to perpetual chastitie, as the others of the holy and high Orders be bound, both by precept and promis or solemne assent made vvhen they tooke Subdeaconship. Al the seuen Orders ancient, euen from Christ and the Apostles time. Al these degrees and orders to haue been euer since Christes time in the Church of God, it might be proued by al antiquitie but for as much as the Apostles purpose is not here to recken vp al the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie, it neede not be treated of in this place. But we vvish the learned to reade the 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 chapters of the 4 Councel of Carthage, vvhereat S. Augustine vvas present: vvhere they shal see the expresse callings, offices, and maner of ordering or creating al the said sortes, and shal vvel perceiue these things to be most auncient and venerable. Let them read also Eusebius historie, the 35 Chapter of the 6 booke, vvhere for al these orders he reciteth Cornelius epistle to Fabius, concerning Nouatus. Likewise S. Cyprian in many places, namely ep. 55. nu. 1. Where see the notes vpon the same. S. Hiero. ep. 2. c. 6. Of Subdeacon there is mention in S. Augustine. ep. 74. and ep. 20 de epistolis 22 in edit. Paris. S. Epiph. hær. 59. S. Cyprian ep. 24. S. Ignatius ep. 9 ad Antiochénos. and in the 43 canon of the Apostles. Conc. Tolet. 2. can. 1 & 3. Conc. Laodicen. can. 21. Epist. Epiph. apud Hiero. 60. c. 1.

15. In the house of God.) S. Ambrose calleth the B. of Rome Rectour of the whole Church. Al the vvorld being Gods, yet the Church onely is his house, the Rector or Ruler vvhereof at this day. (saith S. Ambrose vpon this place) is damasus. Where let our louing brethren note vvel, how cleere a case it vvas then, that the Pope of Rome vvas not the Gouernour onely of one particular See, but of Christes vvhole house, vvhich is the Vniuersal Church, vvhose Rector this day is Gregorie the thirtenth.