2 Timothy — Chapter 1

Our Protestants in their great vvisedom laugh at good simple men vvhen they talke of their fathers faith. But S. Hierom, I am a Christian, saith he, and borne of Christian parents, and carie the signe of the crosse in my forehead. And againe ep. 65. c. 3. Vntil this day the Christian vvorld hath been vvithout this doctrine. that faith vvil I hold fast being an old man, vvherein I vvas borne a child. And the holy Scriptures set vs often to schole to our fathers. Aske thy fathers, and they vvil shevv thee, thy auncetours, and they vvil tel thee. And againe, Our fathers haue shevved vnto vs. And commonly the true God is called the God of the faithful and of their forefathers. Dan. 2. 3. And false Gods and nevv doctrines or opinions be named, Nevv and fresh. such as their fathers vvorshipped not. Deut. 32. Finally S. Paul both here and *often els alleageth for his defense and commendation, that he vvas of faithful progenitors. And it is a case that Heretikes can not lightly bragge of, no one sect commonly during so long vvithout intermission, that they can haue many progenitors of the said sect, Vvhich is a demonstration that their faith is not true. and that it is impossible our Catholike faith to be false, supposing the Christian religion to be true. Apol. cont. Ruff. li. 1. c. 8. Deut. 32. & Ps. 43. * Act. 24. 2 Cor. 11.

5. In thy grandmother.) A great blessing to haue Catholike progenitours: and very commendable to cleaue fast to their faith. Though God shevv mercie to many that be of Incredulous, heretical or il parents, yet it is a goodly benediction of God to haue good education and to haue good faithful progenitors and Catholike parents. And it is a great sinne to forsake the faith of our fathers that be Catholikes, or contrarie to our education in the Church to folovv strange doctrines, abandoning not onely our next natural parents faith, but the ancient faith and beleefe of al our progenitors for many hundred yeres together. And if to folovv the faith of mother and grandmother onely, the Christian religion being then but nevvly planted, vvas so commendable euen in a Bishop, hovv much more is it novv laudable to cleaue fast to the faith of so many our progenitors and ages that continued in the same Christian religion vvhich they first receiued? The peoples speaches of their fathers faith, is very Christian and laudable. Our Protestants in their great vvisedom laugh at good simple men vvhen they talke of their fathers faith. But S. Hierom, I am a Christian, saith he, and borne of Christian parents, and carie the signe of the crosse in my forehead. And againe ep. 65. c. 3. Vntil this day the Christian vvorld hath been vvithout this doctrine. that faith vvil I hold fast being an old man, vvherein I vvas borne a child. And the holy Scriptures set vs often to schole to our fathers. Aske thy fathers, and they vvil shevv thee, thy auncetours, and they vvil tel thee. And againe, Our fathers haue shevved vnto vs. And commonly the true God is called the God of the faithful and of their forefathers. Dan. 2. 3. And false Gods and nevv doctrines or opinions be named, Nevv and fresh. such as their fathers vvorshipped not. Deut. 32. Finally S. Paul both here and *often els alleageth for his defense and commendation, that he vvas of faithful progenitors. And it is a case that Heretikes can not lightly bragge of, no one sect commonly during so long vvithout intermission, that they can haue many progenitors of the said sect, Vvhich is a demonstration that their faith is not true. and that it is impossible our Catholike faith to be false, supposing the Christian religion to be true. Apol. cont. Ruff. li. 1. c. 8. Deut. 32. & Ps. 43. * Act. 24. 2 Cor. 11.

12. depositum.) All our good deedes are laid vp with God, to be rewarded. A great comfort to al Christians, that euery of their good deedes and sufferings for Christ, and al the vvorldly losses susteined for defense or confession of their faith, be extant vvith God, and kept as depositum, to be repaied or receiued againe in heauen. Vvhich if the vvorldlings beleeued or considered, they vvould not so much maruel to see Catholike men so vvillingly to lose land, libertie, credit, life and al for Christes sake and the Churches faith.

13. A forme.) The Apostles did set dovvne a platforme of faith, doctrine, & phrase of Catholike speach and preaching, & that not so much by vvriting (as here vve see) as by vvord of mouth: to vvhich he referreth Timothee ouer and aboue his Epistles vnto him. We must speake in Catholike termes, after a certaine rule of faith, and forme of wordes. And hovv precisely Christian Doctors ought to keepe the forme of vvordes aunciently appropriated to the mysteries and matters of our religion, S. Augustine expresseth in these vvordes li. 10 de ciuit. c. 23. Philosophers speake vvith freedom of vvordes & c. but vve must speake according to a certaine rule, lest licentious libertie of vvordes breede an impious opinion of the things also that are signified by the same. Trinitie, person, essence, Consubstantial, Transsubstantiation, Masse, Sacrament, and such like, be verba sanæ (as the Apostle speaketh) sound vvordes, giuen to expresse certaine high truthes in religion, partly by the Apostles and first founders of our religion vnder Christ, and partly very aptly inuented by holy Councels and fathers, to expresse as neere as could be the high ineffable or vnspeakable veritie of some points, and to stoppe the Heretikes audacitie and inuention of nevv vvordes and prophane speaches in such things, vvhich the Apostle vvarneth Timothee to auoid 1 ep. c. 6, 20. and 2 ep. 2, 16. See the Annotations there.

18. Our Lord.) Relieuers of Cath. prisoners. To haue this praier of an Apostle, or any Priest or poore Cath. man so relieued, giueth the greatest hope at the day of our death or general iudgement, that can be: and it is worth al the landes, honours, and riches of the vvorld.