The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III.

1. A good vvorke.] Nothing (saith S. Augustine) in this life, and specially in this time, is easier, pleasanter, or more acceptable to man, then the office of a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, if the thing be done onely for fashion sake and ••••••••••ringly 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 vvarre in such sort as our Captaine commaundeth. August. ep. 148.

2. A Bishop.] That vvhich is here spoken of a Bishop (because the vvordes Bishop & Priest in the nevv Testament be often taken indifferently for both or either of the tvvaine, 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, di∣gnities, and callings.

••. Of one vvife.] Certaine Bishops of Vigilantius sect (vvhether vpon false construction of this text, or through the filthines of their fleshly lust) vvould take none to the Cleargie, except they vvould be maried first, not beleeuing (saith S. Hierom aduers. Vigilant. c. 1.) that any single man liueth chastly, shevving hovv holily they liue them selues, that suspect il of euery man, and vvil not giue the Sacrament (of Order) to the Cleargie, vnl••s they see their vviues haue great bellies, and children vvalling at their mothers breastes. Our Protestants though they be of Vigilantius sect, yet they are scarse come so farre, to commaund euery Priest to be maried. Neuertheles they mislike them that vvill not marrie, so much the vvorse, and they suspect il of euery single person in the Church, thinking the gift of chastitle to be very rare among them, & they do not onely make the state of mariage equal to chast single life, vvith the Heretike Iouinian, but they are bold to say sometimes, that the Bishop or Priest may do his duety and charge better maried, then single: expresly against S. Paul, vvho affirmeth that the vnmaried thinke of the things that belong to God, and that the maried be diuersely distracted and intangled vvith the vvorld.

The Apostle then, by this place vve novv treate of, neither commaūdeth, nor counse∣leth, nor vvisheth, nor vvould haue Bishops or Priests to marrie, or such onely to be re∣ceiued as haue been maried: but, that such an one as hath been married (so it vvere but once, and that to a virgin) may be made Bishop or Priest. Which is no more then an inhibition that none hauing been tvvise maried or being bigamus, should be admitted to that holy Order. And this exposition onely is agreable to the practise of the vvhole Church, the definition of aūcient Councels, the doctrine of al the fathers vvithout exception, and the Apostles tradition. Vvhich sense S. Chrysostom vvholy folovveth vpon the Epistle to Titus (though here he folovv not vvholy the same sense.) Ho. 2 in ep. ad Tit. S. Ambrose also vpon this place, and 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 onely the Apostle but the holy Councel of Nice to haue taken order that none should be receiued into the Cleargie, that vvere tvvise maried. S. Hierom Ep. 83. ad Oceanum c. 2. & ep. ••. c. 18. ep. 11. ••. 2 expresly vvriteth that the Cleargie is made of such as haue had but one vvife, at least after Baptisme: for he thought that if one vvere often maried vvhen he vvas yet no Christian, he might notvvithstanding be ordered Bishop or Priest. But S. Ambrose ep. 82. S. Augustine de bono Coniug. c. 18. S. Innocentius the first ep. 2. c. 5. ••. to. 1. Concil. S. Leo, ep. 87•• S. Gregorie, & after them the vvhole Church, exclude those also vvhich haue been tvvise maried vvhen so euer. vvhereof S. Augustine giueth goodly reason and example in the place alleaged. S. Leo ep. 87 addeth further, & proueth that the mā is coū∣ted bigamus, & not the husband of one vvife, in respect of holy Orders, not onely if he hath had tvvo vviues, but if his one vvife vvere not a virgin. vvhich being obserued in the high Priests of the old lavv, must needes be much rather kept novv. See also the booke de Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus c. 72, in S. Augustines vvorkes.

And by these fevv you may see hovv shamefully the state of the new heretical Clear∣gie of our time is fallen from the Apostolike and al the fathers practise and doctrine here∣in. Vvho do not onely take men once or twise maried before, but (vvhich vvas neuer heard of before in any person or part of the Catholike Church) they marie after they be Bishops or Priests, once, tvvise, and as often as their lustes require. Whereas it vvas neuer lawful in Gods Church to marrie after Holy Orders. Neither is there one authentical example thereof in the world. For those of vvhom Nice Councel speaketh, vvere maried before, & were but tolerated onely 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 aūcient tradition of the Church, as Socrates and Sozome∣nus declare in most plaine vvordes. See Suidas in the vvord Paphnutius. And in vvhat coun∣trie so euer they haue been permitted to haue carnal dealing euen vvith their vviues whom they had before, it was not according to the exact rule of the Apostles & Churches tradition, by vvhich al that be in holy Orders, should wholy abstaine, not onely from marying, but euen from their wiues before maried. Vvhereof thus vvriteth S. Epipha∣nius

hares. 59 c••nt. Cathares. The holy preaching of God receiueth not, after Christ, them that marrie againe after their vviues departure, by reason of the great dignitie and honour of Priesthod. And this the holy Church of God obserueth vvith al sinceritie. Yea she doth not receiue the once maried person that yet vseth his vvife and begetteth children: but onely such an one she taketh to be Deacon, Priest, Bishop, or Subdeacō, as abstaineth from his one vvife, or is a vvidovver, specially vvhere the holy canō•• be sincerely kept. But thou vvilt say vnto me, that in certaine places Priests, Deacons, and Subdeacons do yet beget children (belike this holy father neuer heard of any Bishop that did so, and therfore he leaueth out that order, vvhich he named vvith the other in the former part of the sentence) but that is not done accor∣ding to order and rule, but according to mans minde, vvhich by time slacketh, and for the great multitude (of Christian people) vvhen there vvere not found sufficient for the ministerie, &c. the test of his vvordes be goodly for that purpose.

Eusebius also Euang. demonst. li. 1. c. 9▪ saith, that such as be consecrated to the holy ministerie, should abstaine vvholy from their vviues vvhich they had before. S. Hierom Apolog. ad Pammach. c. 8▪ proueth, that such of the Apostles as were maried, did so, and that the Clergie ought to do the same by their example. Yea in his time he testifieth (Cont. Vigil. c. 1.) that they did liue single in maner through the world, euē in the East Church also. What, saith he, shal the Churches of the East do, vvhat they of Aegypt, of the See Apostolike: vvhich take to the Clergie, either virgins, or the continent and vnmaried, or such as if they haue vviues, cease to be husbands? And againe he saith in Apolog. ad Pāmach c. 3. (See also c. 8.) If maried men like not vvel of this, let them not be angrie vvith me, but vvith the holy Scriptures, vvith al Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and the vvhole companie of Priests and Leuites, that knovv they can not offer sacrifices if they vse the act of mariage. S. Augustine 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 vvere forced (as many vvere in the primitiue Church) to be of the Clergie, vvere bound to liue chast, yea and did it vvith great ioy and felicitie, neuer complaining of these necessities and intolerable burdens, or impossi∣bilities of liuing chast, as our fleshly companie of new Ministers and Superintendents do novv, that thinke it no life vvhithout vvomen. much like to S. Augustine before his conuersion, vvhen he vvas yet a Manichee, vvho (as him self reporteth Confess. li. 6. c. 3) admiring in S. Ambrose al other his incomparable excellencies, yet counted al his feli∣cities lesse, because he lacked a vvoman, vvithout vvhich he thought (in time of his infide∣litie) no man could liue. But after his conuersion thus he said to God of S. Ambrose: What hope he had, and against the tentations of his excellencie vvhat a ••ight he fel••, or rather vvhat a com∣fort and solace in tribulation, and his secrete mouth vvhich vvas vvithin in his hart, vvhat sauourie and svveete ioyes it tasted of thy bread, neither could I coniecture, neither h••d I tried.

See Tertullian li. 1 ad vxorem. S. Cyprian de singul•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ the first Councel of N••ce can. 3. Conc. Tolet. 2 can. 3. Conc. Aurelian. 3 can. 2. of Carthage the second cap. 2. of Neocaesarea cap. 1, of Ancyra cap. 10. and you shal find that this vvas generally the Churches order euen from the Apostles time, though in some places by the licentiousnes of many, it vvas sometime not so reli∣giously looked vnto. Vvhereby you may easily refute the impudent clamors of Heretikes against Siricius, Gregorie 7, and others, vvhom they falsely make the authors of the Cleargies single life.

••. Not a Neophyte.] That vvhich is spoken here properly and principally of the nevvly bapti∣zed (for so the vvord Neophyte doth signifie) the fathers extend also to al such as be but nevvly ••etired 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 praescript.) noteth Heretikes for their lightnes in admitting euery one vvithout discretion to the Cleargie. Their Orders (saith he) are rash, light, incōstant: novv they place Neophytes, then secular men, then our Apostataes, that they may tie them by glorie and preferment, Wh••m vvith the truth they can not. No vvhere may a man sooner prosper and come forvvard, then in the cam••e of rebelles, vvhere to be onely, is to deserue much▪ therfore or•• to day a Bishop, to morovv somevvhat els: to day a Deacon, to morovv Lector, that is, a Reader: to day •• 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 Ca••echumene 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 Aristophan••s 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 cares vvith florishing declamations. Dialog. cont. Lucifer. c. 5.

8. Deacons.] Vnder the name of Deacons are here conteined Subdeacons, as before vnder the name of Bishop, Priest also vvere comprehended▪ for to these foure pertaineth the Apostles pre∣cept and order touching one vvise, and touching continēcie and chastitie, as by the alleaged Coun∣cels 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, Exorcista, Lectores, and O••tiarij. Vvho neither by precept nor vovv be bound to per∣petual 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 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 Car∣thage, 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. har•• 59. S. Cyprian ep. 24. S. Ignatius ep. 9▪ ad Antioch••nos, 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.

1••. In the house of God.] 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 Go∣uernour onely of one particular See, but of Christes vvhole house, vvhich is the Vniuer∣sal Church, vvhose Rector this day is Gregorie the thirtenth.

15. The piller of truth.] This place pincheth al Heretikes vvonderfully, and so it euer did, and therfore they oppose them selues directly against the very letter and confessed sense of the same, that is, cleane contrarie to the Apostle. some saying, the Church to be lost or hidden: some, to be fallen avvay from Christ these many ages: some, to be driuen to a corner onely of the vvorld: some, that it is become a stewes and the seate of Antichrist: lastly the Protestants most plainely and directly, that it may and doth erre, and hath shame∣fully erred for many hundred yeres together. And they say herein like them selues, and for the credit of their ovvne doctrine, vvhich can not be true in very deede, except the Church erre, euen the Church of Christ, vvhich is here called the house of the liuing God.

But the Church vvhich is the house of God, whose Rector (saith S. Ambrose) in his time was Damasus, and novv Gregorie the thirtenth, and in the Apostles time S. Peter, is the piller of truth, the establishement of al veritie: therfore it can not erre. It hath the Spirit of God to lead it into al truth till the vvorldes end: therfore it can not erre. It is builded vpon a rocke, hel gates shal not preuaile against it: therfore it can not erre. Christ is in it til the end of the vvorld, he hath placed in it Apostles, Doctors, Pastors, and Rulers, to the consummation and ful perfection of the whole body, that in the meane time we be not caried about vvith euery blast of doctrine: therfore it can not erre. He hath prai∣ed for it, that it be sanctified in veritie, that the faith of the cheefe Gouernour therof faile not: it is his house, his spouse, his body, his lotte, kingdom and inheritance, giuen him in this vvorld: he loueth it as his ovvne flesh, and it can not be diuorced or separated from him: therfore it can not erre. the nevv Testament, Scriptures, Sacraments, and sacri∣fice can not be changed, being the euerlasting dourie of the Church, continued and neuer rightly occupied in any other Church but in this our Catholike Church: therfore it can not erre. And therfore al those pointes of doctrine, faith, and vvorship, vvhich the Arians, Manichees, Protestants, Anabaptistes, other old or new Heretikes, vntruely thinke to be errors in the Church, be no errors in deede, but them selues most shamfully are deceiued, and so shal be still, til they enter againe into this house of God, vvhich is the piller and ground of al truth: that is to say, not onely it self free from al error in faith and religion, but the piller and stay to leane vnto in al doubtes of doctrine, and to stand vpon against al heresies and errors that il times yeld, without vvhich there can be no certaintie nor se∣curitie. And therfore the holy Apostles, and Councels of Nice and Constantinople, made it an article of our Creeds, to beleeue the CATHOLIKE and APOSTOLIKE CHVRCH. Vvhich is, not onely to acknowledge that there is such a Church, as heretikes falsely say: but that that which is called the Catholike Church, & knovven so to be, and cōmuni∣cateth vvith the See Apostolike, is the Church: and that vve must beleeue, heare, and obey the same, as the touch stone, piller, and firmament of truth. For, al this is comprised in that principle, I beleeue the Catholike Church. And therfore the Coūcel of Nice said, I beleeue in the Church, that is, I beleeue and trust the same in al things.

Neither can the Heretikes escape by fleing from the knovven visible Church, to the hid congregation or companie of the Predestinate. For that is but a false phantastical

apprehension of Vvicleffe and his folowers. The companie of the Predestinate maketh not any one Societie among them selues, many of them being yet vnborne, and many yet In∣fidels and heretikes, and therfore be not of the one house of God vvhich is here called, the piller of truth. And those of the Predestinate that be already of the Church, make not a seue∣ral companie from the knovven Catholike Church, but are baptized, houseled, taught, they liue and die in the common Catholike visible Church, or els they can neither receiue Sacraments, nor saluation. S. Paul instructeth not Timothee hovv to teach, preach, cor∣rect, and conuerse in the inuisible societie of the Predestinate, but in the visible house of God. So that it must needes be the visible Church which can not erre.

If any make further question, how it can be that any companie or societie of men (as the Church is) can be void of error in faith, seing al men may erre: he must knovv that it is not by nature, but by priuilege of Christes presence, of the Holy Ghosts assistance, of our Lordes promis and praier. See S. Augustine vpon these vvordes of the 118 Psalme Cone. 13. Ne auferas de ore meo verbum veritatis vsqucquaque. Vvhere he hath goodly speaches of this matter. For the same purpose also these vvordes of Lactantius are very notable. It is the Catholike Church onely, that keepeth the true vvorship of God, this is the fountaine of truth, this the house of faith, this the Temple of God: vvhither if any man enter not, or from vvhich if any man go out, he is an aliene and stranger from the hope of euerlasting life and saluation. No man must by obstinate con∣tention flatter him self, for it standeth vpon life and saluation. &c. S. Cyprian saith, The Church neuer departeth fr••m that vvhich she once hath knovven. Ep. 55 ad Cornel. nu. 3. S. Ireneus saith, That the Apostles haue laid vp in the Church as in a rich treasurie, al truth. And, that she keepeth wish most sincere diligence, the Apostles faith and preaching. li. 3 c. 4. & 40. & li. 1. c. 3. It vvere an infi∣nite thing to recite al that the fathers say of this matter, al counting it a most pernicious absurditie to affirme, that the Church of Christ may erre in religion.

Notes

• The great charge, & great merite, of Ec∣clesiastical fun∣ctions.
• The Apostle vnder the name of Bishop in∣structeth Prie∣stes also.
• The heretikes opinion cōcer∣ning Priests mariage.
• 1 Cor. 7.
• S. Paules place, of one vvife, ex∣cludeth biga∣mos from holy Orders.
• li. 2▪ ep. 25.
• Vvho are coun∣ted bigami.
• Leuit. 21.
• The Heretical clergie nothing regardeth the Apostles pres∣cription of one vvife.
• None euer ma∣ried after holy Orders.
• Socrat. li. 1 c. 8.
• They that vvere made Priests of maried men, ab∣steined from their vviues.
• Sozom. li. 1 c. ••2.
• S. Epiphanius.
• Mariage of Priests is con∣trarie to the aūcient canōs.
• Eusebius.
• S. Hierom.
• S. Augustine.
• See S. Leo ep. 92. c. ••.
• S. Ambrose.
• Tertullian.
• S. Cyprian.
• Councels.
• None rashly to be admitted to the Clergie▪
• Heretikes ad∣mit al sortes vvithout ex∣ception.
• The three ho∣ly orders, only bound to cha∣stitie.
• Leo ep. 92. c. 3.
• Greg. li. 1, ep. 42.
• The 4 infe∣riour orders not bound to chastitie.
• Al the seuen orders aun∣cient, euē from Christ and the Apostles time.
• S. Ambrose calleth the B. of Rome Re∣ctor of the vvhole Chur∣ch.
• The heretikes say directly cōtrarie to the Apostle, that the Church is not the piller of truth.
• That the Church is the piller of truth and can not erre, is proued by many rea∣sons.
• Io. 14, 16.
• Mat. 16.
• Mat. 28.
• Eph. 4.
• Io. 17.
• Luc. 22.
• Psal. 2.
• Eph. 5.
• The meaning of this article, I beleeue the Cath. Church.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• It is the visible Church that is the piller or truth and can not erre.
• Vvhence the Church hath this priuilege neuer to erre.
• S. Augustine.
• Lactantius.
• S. Cyprian.
• S. Irenaeus.