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

CHAP. I.

Of vvhat qualitie the Priests and Bishops must be: 9 namely learned, considering the Iudaical seducers of that time. 12 That the Cretensians must be roughly vsed, 10 haue them continue sound in faith.

[verse 1] PAVL the seruant of God, and an Apo∣stle of IESVS Christ according to the faith of the elect of God and knowledge of the truth: vvhich is according to pie∣tie ✝ [leftJustify 2] into the hope of life euerlasting, vvhich he promised that lieth not, God, * before the secular times:* 1.1 ✝ [leftJustify 3] but hath manifested in due times his vvord in preaching, vvhich is cō∣mitted to me according to the precept of our Sauiour God: ✝ [leftJustify 4] to Titus my beloued sonne according to the cōmon faith, grace and peace from God the father, and Christ IESVS our Sauiour.

✝ [leftJustify 5] For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shoul∣dest reforme the things that are vvanting, and shoul∣dest ″ ordaine priestes by cities, as I also appointed thee: ✝ [leftJustify 6] * if any be vvithout crime,* 1.2 the husband ″ of one vvife, ha∣uing faithful children, not in the accusation of riote, or not obedient. ✝ [leftJustify 7] For a Bishop must be vvithout crime, as the stevvard of God: not proud, not angrie, not giuen to vvine, no striker, not couetous of filthy lucre: ✝ [leftJustify 8] but giuen to hos∣pitalitie, gentle, sober, iust, holy, continent: ✝ [leftJustify 9] embracing that faithful vvord vvhich is according to doctrine, that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, & to reproue them that gainesay it.

✝ [leftJustify 10] For there be many disobedient, vaine-speakers, and se∣ducers, especially they that are of the Circumcision. ✝ [leftJustify 11] vvho

must be controuled. vvho subuert vvhole houses, tea∣ching the things they ought not, for filthie lucre. ✝ [rightJustify 12] One of them said,* 1.3 their ov••ne proper prophete, The Cretensians alvvaies lier••, naughtie beastes, slouthful bellies. ✝ [rightJustify 13] This testimonie is true. For the vvhich cause rebuke them sharpely, that they may be sound in the faith, ✝ [rightJustify 14] not attending to Ievvish fables, and commaundements of men auerting them selues from the truth.

✝ [rightJustify 15] * Al things are∷ 1.4 cleane to the cleane:* 1.5 but to the pol∣luted and to infidels nothing is cleane: but polluted are both their minde and conscience. ✝ [rightJustify 16] They confesse that they knovv God: but in their vvorkes they deny, vvhereas they be abominable and incredulous and to euery good vvorke reprobate.

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I.

5. Ordaine Priests.]* 1.6 Though Priests or Bishops may be nominated and elected by the Princes, people, or Patrons of places, according to the vse of the time and diuersitie of Countries and fashions, yet they can not be ordered and consecrated but by a Bishop vvho vvas him self rightly ordered or consecrated before, as this Titus vvas by S. Paul. And here it seemeth that he did not onely consecrate them vvhom the people had elected before,* 1.7 but him self also made choise of the persons, no mention being here made of any other election popular. Vvhich though it vvere long vsed in the primitiue Church, yet for diuers causes and specially for continual tumultes, par∣tialities, and disorders vvhich S. Augustine much complaineth of in his time, vvas iustly taken avvay, and other better meanes of their designement appointed. See Conc. Laodic. cap. 12. 13. S. August. de adult. coniug. li. 2. ••. 20. Ep. 110. and Possid. in vita. Aug. ••. ••.

And that the ordering of Priests or imposition of hands to that purpose, belongeth onely to Bishops,* 1.8 and to no inferior Priests or other persons, it is plaine by the Apostolike practise set dovvne in the Scriptures, namely in the Actes, and in the Epistles to Timothee and Titus. And S. Hierom, vvho seemeth sometimes to say that in the primitiue Church there vvas no great diffe∣rence betvvixt a Bishop and Priest, yet he euer excepteth giuing holy Orders, vvhich preeminence he attributeth to Bishops onely. ep. 85. as he doth also Confirming the Baptized by giuing them the holy Ghost through imposition of hand and holy Chrisme.* 1.9 Dial. cont. Lucifer. c. 4. Note also that Aërius vvas of old condemned of heresie, for holding that there vvas no difference betvvixt a Priest and a Bishop. Epiph. har. 75. August. har. 53. Note lastly the fraudulent translation of the Heretikes alvvaies, turning for Priests (vvhich here is euident to be a calling of Order and office) elders, saying, That thou ordaine Elders. vvhich in our vulgar tonge signifieth the age, and not the Office properly:* 1.10 and al this for hatred of Priests.

6. Of one vvife.] To that vvhich is said vpon the like vvordes 1 Tim. 3: adde this testimonie of S. Epiphanius li. 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 2. cont. harese•• in fine. Holy Priesthod, saith he, for the most part procedeth of Vir∣gins:* 1.11 and if not of virgins, yet of them that liue a sole or single life: but and if the single and sole persons suffice not to the Ministerie, of such as conteine from their vviues, or after once marying remaine vvidovves. For, him that hath him maried tvvise, it is not lavvful to take to Priesthod &c. If you list to see the causes vvhy bigamie is forbidden them that are to be Priests, and continencie required of the Clergie, see the same author li. 2. to. 1. hares. 59. S. Ambrose li. 1. Offic. c. 50. and vpon 1 Tim. 3. S. Augustine de b••no Coniugal. c. 18. S. Hierom ep. 50 c. 5 ad Pammachium, and against Iouinian li. 1 c. 19. S. L••o ••p. 87. and other auncient authors.

And if the studious reader peruse al antiquitie,* 1.12 he shal finde al notable Bishops and Priests of Gods Church to haue been single, or continent from their vviues, if any vvere maried before they came to the Clergie. So vvas S. Paul, and exhorteth al men to the like. 1 Cor. 7, 7. So vvere al the Apostles after they folovved Christ, at S. Hierom vvitnesseth, affirming that our Lord loued

Iohn specially for his virginitie. Apol. ad Pammach. c. 8. & li. 1 cont. Iouin. c. 14. S. Ignatius ••p. •• ad Philadelph. saith of the said Iohn, and of Timothee, Titus, Euodius, Clement, that they liued and died in chastitie, reckening vp of the old-Testament diuers notable personages that did the same, as Elias, Iesus Naue (othervvise called Iosue) Melchlsedec, Elisaeus, Hiere••••••e, Iohn Baptist. No man is ignorant that al the notable fathers of the Greeke and Latin Church liued chast: Atha∣nasius, Basil, Nazianzene, Chrysostom, Cyprian, Hilarie (vvho entered into holy Orders after his vviues death) Ambrose, Hierom, Augustine, Leo, Gregorie the great. Certaine other notable fa∣thers had once vviues, but no holy men euer vsed them, much lesse maried, after they vvere in holy Orders.* 1.13 A maruelous thing, that so many heretofore should haue the gift of chastitie then, and novv so fevv, if the Protestants say true, that skarse one among them in our age of al their sectes, euen of their principal Superintendents, hath had it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Tim. 1, 9.
• * 1.2

  1. Tim. 3, 2.
• * 1.3

  Epimeni∣des.
• ∷ 1.4

  He speaketh not of the Churches ab∣staining from meates some times, vvhich is not for any vncleannes in the creatures, but for chaste∣ning their bo∣dies: but he meaneth the Ievvish super∣stition, vvho novv being Christians, vvould not cease to put difference of cleane and vn∣cleane accor∣ding to their old lavv. See S. Augustine Cont. Faust. li. 31. c. 4.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 14, 20.
• * 1.6

  Priests must be consecrated by Bishops only.
• * 1.7

  The popular election of the Cleargie taken avvay.
• * 1.8

  The preeminēce of a Bishop aboue a Priest.
• * 1.9

  To put no dif∣ferēce betvvene them is Aërius heresie.
• * 1.10

  Heret. transla∣tion.
• * 1.11

  Bigami exclu∣ded from holy Orders, and the causes thereof.
• * 1.12

  The notable men of both Testamēts, that liued cōtinētly from vviues.
• * 1.13

  Only the Pro∣testants com∣plaine that they haue not the gift of chastitie.