He recommendeth vnto him, to inhibit certaine Iewes who iangled of the law as though it
were contrarie to his preaching. 11. Against whom he auoucheth his ministerie, though he
acknowledge his vnworthines.
1. PAVL an Apostle of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ according to the commaundement of God our
Sauiour, and of Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ our hope:
2. To Timothee his beloued sonne in the faith. Grace, mercie, and peace from God the
Father, and from Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ our Lord.
3. As I desired thee to remaine at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou
shouldest denounce to certaine not to teach otherwise,
4. nor to attend to fables and genealogies hauing no end: which Minister questions
rather then the edifying of God which is in faith.
5. But the end of the precept is charitie from a pure hart, and
✟
S. Augustin saith: He that list to haue the hope of Heauen: let him look that he
haue a good conscience. To haue, a good conscience, let him beleeue and worke
wel. For that he beleueth, he hath of faith; that he worketh, be hath of charitie.
Præfat. in Ps. 31.
a good conscience,
and a faith not feined.
6. From the which things certaine straying, are turned into
✟
ματαιολογίαν,
vaine-talke,
7. desirous to be Doctours of the Law, not vnderstanding neither what things they
speake, nor of what they affirme.
8. But we know that
*
Ro. 7,18.
the Law is good, if a man vse it lawfully:
9. knowing this, that the Law is not made to the iust man, but to the vniust, &
disobedient, to the impious & sinners, to the wicked & contaminate, to killers of fathers & killers
of mothers, to murderers,
10. to fornicatours, to lyers with mankind, to man-stealers, to liers, to periured
perons, and what other thing soeuer is contrarie to sound doctrine,
11. which is according to the Ghospel of the glorie of the blessed God, which is
comitted to me.
12. I giue him thankes which hath strengthned me, Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ our Lord, because
he hath esteemed me faithful, putting me in the ministerie.
13. Who before was blasphemous and a persecutour and contumelious. But I obteined the
mercie of God, because I did it being ignorant in incredulitie.
14. And the grace of our Lord ouer-abounded with faith and loue, which is in Christ
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
15. A faithful saying, and worthie of al acceptation, that Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ came
into this world
*
Mat. 9,13.
Mr. 2,17.
to saue sinners, of whom I am the cheefe.
16. But therfore haue I obtained mercie: that in me first of al Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
might shew al patience,
✟
πϱὸς ὑποτύπωσιν
to the information of them that shal beleeue on him vnto life euerlasting.
17. And to the King of the worlds, immortal, inuisible, only God, honour & glorie for
euer and euer. Amen.
18. This precept I commend to thee, ô Timothee: according to the prophecies going
before
✟
ἐπὶ σε
on thee, that thou warre in them a good warfare,
19. hauing faith and a good conscience,
✟
Euil life and no good conscience if often the cause that men fal to Heresie from the
faith of the Catholike Church.
Againe, this plainely reproueth the heretikes false doctrine, saying, that no man
can fal from the faith that he once truely had.
which certaine repelling haue made ship-wrack
about the faith.
20. Of whom is Hymenæus & Alexander: whom I haue deliuered to Satan, that they
may learne not to blaspheme.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. I.
3. Not to teach otherwise.)
Teaching otherwise then the doctrine receiued, is a special marke of Heretikes.
The proper marke of Heretikes & false Preachers is to teach otherwise or contrarie
to that which they found taught and beleeued generally in the vnitie of the Catholike
Church before their time: al doctrine that is odde, singular, new, differing from that
which was first planted by the Apostles, and descended downe from them to al
Nations and Ages following without contradiction, being assuredly erroneous. *The Greek
word which the Apostle here vseth, expresseth this point so effectually, that in one
compound terme he giueth vs to wit, that an Heretike is nothing els but an after-teacher,
or teacher otherwise. Which euen it-self alone is the easiest rule euen for the simple
to discerne a false Prophet or Preacher by, specially when an heresie first beginneth.
* ἑτεϱοδιδασκαλεῖν
Luther teaching otherwise.
Luther found al Nations Christian at rest and peace in one vniforme faith, and al
Preachers of one voice and doctrine touching the B. Sacrament and other Articles: so that
whatsoeuer he taught against that which he found preached and beleeued, must needs
be another doctrine, a later doctrine, an after-teaching or teaching-otherwise, and
therfore consequently must needs be false. And by this admonition of S. Paul, al
Bishops are warned to take heed of such, and specially to prouide that no such odde
Teachers arise in their dioceses.
4. To fables.)
Al heretical doctrine is fables.
He speaketh specially of the Iewes after-doctrines and humane constitutions repugnant to
the lawes of God, whereof Christ giueth warning Mt. 23 and in other places, which
are conteined in their Cabala and Talmud: generally of al heretical doctrines, which
indeed, how so euer the simple people be beguiled by them, are nothing but fabulous
inuentions, as we may see in the Valentinians, Manichees, and other of old: by the
Brethren of loue, Puritans, Anabaptistes, and Caluinistes of our time. For which cause
Theodoret entitleth his book against Heretikes, Hæreticarum fabularum, Of Heretical
fables.
4. Questions.)
Curious questioning in religion.
Let our louing Brethren consider whether these contentious and curious questionings &
disputes in religion, which these vnhappie heresies haue ingendered, haue brought forth
any increase of good life, any deuotion, or edification of faith and religion in our
daies, and then shal they easily iudge of the truth of these new opinions, and the end
that wil follow of these innouations. In truth al the world now seeth they edifie to
Atheisme and no otherwise.
5. The end Charitie.)
Charitie the very formal cause of our iustification.
Here againe it appeareth, that Charitie is the cheefe of al vertues, and the end,
consummation, and perfection of al the law and precepts. And yet the Aduersaries are so
fond as to preferre faith before it, yea to exclude it from our iustification. Such
obstinacie there is in them that haue once in pride and stubbernes forsaken the euident
truth. Charitie doubtles which is here commended, is iustice it-self, and the very formal
cause of our iustification as the workes proceeding therof, be the workes of iustice.
Charitas inchoata (saith S. Augustine) inchoata iustitia: Charitas prouecta,
prouecta iustitia: Charitas magna, magna iustitia: Charitas perfecta, perfecta iustitia
est. Charitie now beginning, is iustice beginning: Charitie growen or increased, is
iustice growen or increased: great Charitie, is great iustice: perfect Charitie, is
perfect iustice. Li. de nat. & great. c. 70.
7. Desirous to be Doctours.)
Heretikes great boasters, but vnlearned.
It is the proper vice both of Iudaical & of Heretical false Teachers, to professe
knowledge and great skil in the Law and Scriptures, being indeed in the sight of the
learned most ignorant of the word of God, not knowing the very principles of diuinitie,
euen to the admiration truely of the learned that read their books, or heare them preach.
9. The Law not made to the iust.)
Libertines alleadge Scripture.
By this place and the like, the Libertines of our daies would discharge themselues (whom
they count iust) from the obedience of lawes. But the Apostles meaning is that the iust man
doth wel, not as compelled by law or for feare of punishment due to the transgressours
thereof, but of grace and mere loue toward God and al goodnes, most willingly, though there
were no law to command him.
20. Deliuered to Satan.)
Excommunication of Heretikes, and the effect therof.
Hymenæus and Alexander are here excommunicated for falling from their faith and teaching
heresie: an example vnto Bishops to vse their spiritual power vpon such. In the primitiue
Church, corporal affliction through the ministerie of Satan was ioyned to excommunication.
Where we see also the diuels readines to inuade them that are cast out by excommunication,
from the fellowship of the faithful, and the supereminent power of Bishops in that case.
Wherof S. Hierom (ep. 1. ad Heliod. c. 7) hath these memorable words: God
forbid (saith he) I should speake sinistrously of them, who succeeding the Apostles
in degree, make Christes body with their holy mouth, by whom we are made Christians: who
hauing the keies of heauen, doe after a sort iudge before the day of iudgement: who in
sobrietie and Chastitie haue the keeping of the spouse of Christ.
The Priests high authoritie of Excommunication.
And a litle after, They may deliuer me vp to Satan, to the destruction of my flesh, that
the spirit may be saued in the day of our Lord Iesus.
The terrible effect therof.
And in the old Law whosoeuer was disobedient to the Priests, was either cast out of the
camp and so stoned of the people, or laying downe his neck to the sword, expiated his
offense by his bloud: but now the disobedient is cut-off with the spiritual sword, or being
cast out of the Church, is torne by the furious mouth of diuels, So saith he. Which
words would God euery Christian man would weigh.