2 Timothy — Chapter 2

Secondly, the practise of Physicke, merchandise, or any other profane facultie and trade of life to gather riches, and much more to be giuen to hunting, hauking, gamening, shevves, enterludes, or the like pastimes, is here forbidden. What secularaffaires doe not agree nor consist with spiritual mens function. Thirdly, the seruices of Princes and manifold base offices done to them for to obtaine dignities and promotions, are disagreable to Priestly functions. not so, to be their chaplens for this purpose to preach vnto them, to heare their confessions, to minister the Sacraments vnto them, to say Diuine seruice before them, and such other spiritual dueties. for, al such seruices done to principal persons both of the Clergie and Laitie, be godly and consonant to Priestly vocation. How spiritual men may serue secular Princes, & deale in ciuil causes. As also seruing of Princes and Commonvveales in ciuil causes and matters of state, in making peace and quietnes among the people, by deciding or compounding their controuersies, and al such like affaires tending to the honour of God and good of men, and to the vpholding of true religion, vvhen they may be done vvithout notorious damage or hinderance of their spiritual charge, or vvhen the hurtes thereof be aboundantly recompensed by the necessarie dueties done for the general good of kingdom or Countrie: al such things (I say) be lavvful and often very requisite. And S. Augustine, S. Ambrose, S. Bernard, and other holy Bishops of old vvere much occupied therein, as vve see in S. Augustines booke de opere Monachorum c. 29. & Possid. in vit. c. 19. in vit. S. Ambr. & Bern.

4. No man being a souldiar.) First of al, the Apostle (1 Cor. 7.) maketh mariage & the needful cares, solicitude, and distractions therevpon euer depending, special impediments of al such as should employ them selues vvholy to Gods seruice, as Bishops & Priests are bound to do. He that is vvith a vvife (saith he) is careful for the vvorld, hovv to please his vvife, and is distracted or deuided. 1 Cor. 7. Secondly, the practise of Physicke, merchandise, or any other profane facultie and trade of life to gather riches, and much more to be giuen to hunting, hauking, gamening, shevves, enterludes, or the like pastimes, is here forbidden. What secularaffaires doe not agree nor consist with spiritual mens function. Thirdly, the seruices of Princes and manifold base offices done to them for to obtaine dignities and promotions, are disagreable to Priestly functions. not so, to be their chaplens for this purpose to preach vnto them, to heare their confessions, to minister the Sacraments vnto them, to say Diuine seruice before them, and such other spiritual dueties. for, al such seruices done to principal persons both of the Clergie and Laitie, be godly and consonant to Priestly vocation. How spiritual men may serue secular Princes, & deale in ciuil causes. As also seruing of Princes and Commonvveales in ciuil causes and matters of state, in making peace and quietnes among the people, by deciding or compounding their controuersies, and al such like affaires tending to the honour of God and good of men, and to the vpholding of true religion, vvhen they may be done vvithout notorious damage or hinderance of their spiritual charge, or vvhen the hurtes thereof be aboundantly recompensed by the necessarie dueties done for the general good of kingdom or Countrie: al such things (I say) be lavvful and often very requisite. And S. Augustine, S. Ambrose, S. Bernard, and other holy Bishops of old vvere much occupied therein, as vve see in S. Augustines booke de opere Monachorum c. 29. & Possid. in vit. c. 19. in vit. S. Ambr. & Bern.

15. Rightly.) Catholikes only, right handlers of the Scripture. The Scriptures or chalenge of the vvord of God is common to Catholikes and Heretikes; but al is in the handling of them. these later handle them guilefully, adultering the vvord of God, as *els vvhere the Apostle speaketh: the other sincerely after the maner of the Apostles and doctors of Gods Church. Vvhich the Greeke expresseth by a significant vvord of cutting a thing straight by a line, ὀϱθοτομοὺντα. 2 Cor. 2 & 4.

17. Their speache.) Heretical books and sermons are to be auoided. The speaches, preachings, and vvritings of Heretikes be pestiferous, contagious, and creeping like a canker. therfore Christian men must neuer heare their sermons nor read their bookes. For such men haue a popular vvay of talke vvhereby the vnlearned, and specially vvomen loden vvith sinne, are easily beguiled. Nothing is so easy (saith S. Hierom) as vvith voluble and rolling tong to deceiue the rude people, vvhich admire vvhatsoeuer they vnderstand not. Ep. 2. ad Nepot. c. 10.

20. In a great house.) Who are out of the Church or within it. He meaneth not that Hymenæus and Philétus (of vvhom he spake immediatly before) or other heretikes, be properly vvithin the Church, as catholike men are, though greuous sinners: but that euil men vvho for the punishment of their sinnes become heretikes, vvere before they fell from their faith as vessels of contumelie, vvithin the Church. Yea and often also after they be seuered in hart and in the sight of God, so long as they stand in external profession and vse of the same Sacraments, and in the outvvard fellovvship of Catholikes, not yet either separated of them selues, nor cast out by the gouernours of the Church, so long (we say) they be after a sort in the Church: though properly and in deede they be out of the compasse of Gods house. Mary of those that are openly seuered in Sacraments, Seruice, and communion, there is no question but they are out of the Church.

21. Cleanse himself.) Free-wil. Man then hath free vvil to make him self a vessel of saluation or damnation: though saluation be attributed to Gods mercie principally, the other to his iust iudgement: neither of both being repugnant to our free vvil, but vvorking vvith and by the same, al such effectes in vs as to his prouidence and our deserts be agreable.