He prophecieth that certaine should depart from the Catholike faith, willing Timothee therfore
to inculcate to the people those articles of the said faith. 7. Item to exercise himself in
spiritual exercise, 12. to get authoritie by example of good life, 13. to studie, to teach, to
increase in the grace giuen him by holy Orders.
1.
*
2. Tim. 3
3. Pet. 3.
Iude v. 18.
AND the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last times certaine
Shal depart.
Al Heretikes are Apostates from the faith.
It is the proper description of Heretikes, to forsake their former faith, and to be
Apostataes, as the Greeke vvord importeth: to giue care to particular spirites of error &
deception, rather then to the Spirit of Christ in his Church, to folovv in hypocrisie and
shevv of vertue the pernicious doctrine of Diuels, vvho are the suggesters and prompters
of al Sectes, and are lying spirites in the mouthes of al Heretikes and false preachers:
men that haue put their conscience to silence and made it sensles to the holy Churches
admonition: the Apostle noting *once before also in this same Epistle, that Heretikes haue
no conscience, vvhich is the cause both of their fall and of their obduration in
heresie.
* cap. 1,19.
shal depart from the
faith attending to spirits of errour, and doctrines of diuels,
2. speaking lies in hypocrisie, and hauing their conscience seared,
3.
Forbidding to marrie.
The old Heresies against matrimonie.
He speaketh (saith S. Chrysostom) of the Manichees, Encratites, and Marcionistes. ho.
12 in. 1 Tim. S Ambrose vpon this place, addeth to these the Patritians also. S. Irenæus
li. 1 c. 30. S. Epiphanius hær. 45. 26. 61. 30. S. Hierom 1 cont. louin. c. 1.
& ep. 50 c. 1 & 3. S. Augustine hær. 25. 40. and generally al antiquitie affirme the
same both of them, and also of the Heretikes called Apostolici, Ebionitæ, and the like. Their
heresie about mariage vvas, that to marrie or to vse the act of matrimonie, is of Satan, as S.
Irenæus vvitnesseth li. 1 c. 22. and that the distinction of male and femal and the
creation of man and vvoman for generation, came of an il God. They taught their hearers,
*saith S. Augustine, that if they did vse vvomen, they should in any vvise prouide that they
might not conceiue or beare children. Clemens Alexandrinus (li. 3. Strom. in principio)
vvriteth, that such admit no mariage nor procreation of children, lest they should bring into
the vvorld creatures to suffer miserie and mortalitie. And this is the damnable opinion
concerning mariage, noted here by the Apostle.
* Aug. hær. 46.
The old Heresie about abstinence from meats.
For the second point consisting in the prohibition of meates or vse of certaine creatures made to
be eaten, the said Heretikes or diuers of them (for they vvere not al of one sect touching these
points) taught, that men might not eate certaine sortes of meates, specially of beastes and
liuing creatures, for that they vvere not made (say they) of the good God, but of the euil. And
vvine they called the gall of the Prince of darkenes, and not to be drunke at al, and the Vine
vvhereof it came, to be of the Diuels creation. And diuers other creatures they condemned as
things by nature and creation polluted and abominable. August. hær. Manich. 46. & hær. 25. Tatian.
& toto libro de mor. Manich. to. 1. Lo these vvere the Heretikes and their heresies vvhich S.
Paul here prophecieth of, that forbid mariage and meates as you haue heard, for vvhich they and
their folovvers vvere condemned in diuers Councels.
The Catholikes impudently charged with the said old heresies.
Is it not novv an intolerable impudencie of the Protestants, vvho for a smal similitude of vvordes
in the eares of the simple, apply this text to the fastes of the Church, and the chastitie of
Priests and Religious?
Abstinence from certaine meats is no condemnation of the meats.
As though either by appointing or vsing some daies of abstinence from certaine meates, the Church
or any Catholike man condemned the said meates, vnles the Rechabites Hierom. 35. or the
Nazarites Num. 6. or the Niniuites Ion. 3. or Moyses Exod. 34. or Elias
3 Reg. 19. or holy Anna the vvidow Luc. 2 or Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 & 9. or
Christ him self Mt. 4. commending, vsing, and folovving a
prescript number of fasting daies, or God him self that in the very beginning, in Paradise,
prescribed abstinence from the fruite of one certaine tree, and after appointed so many fastes in
the Lavv, vnles he therfore, condemned his ovvne creatures, & the rest, those creatures from
vvhich they abstained.
Diuers good causes of abstinence.
No, there be many good and lavvful causes to forbid some or to abstaine from some meates: as,
for obedience, as in Paradise: for signification, as the Ievves: for that they haue been
offered to Idols, as in the Epistle to the Corinthians: for chastening the bodie and penance, for
health also: and onely those causes are vnlavvful for vvhich the Manichees and other Heretikes
abstained.
Forbidding certaine persons to marrie is no condemnation of matrimonie.
Concerning mariage likewise, they may as vvel charge God or the Church for forbidding the father
to marrie the daughter, or the brother the sister, or other prohibited persons in the Lavv: as
vvel might they charge Christ and the Apostle for prohibiting the man to marrie, during his
vviues life: and appointing vvidowes that serue the Church, to liue vnmaried, and not admitting
a maried woman as vvel as vvidovv, nor her that hath had moe husbands, as vvel as her that hath
been maried but once: as they charge the Church for not admitting maried persons to the
altar, and for forcing them & Religious persons to keepe their promis of chastitie.
Catholikes esteeme matrimonie more then the Protestants doe.
No, the holy Church is so farre from condemning wedlocke, that she honoureth it much more then
the Protestants, accounting it an holy Sacrament, vvhich they do not, who onely vse it to lust
as the Heathen doe, and not to religion.
But it is an old deceitful practise of Heretikes to charge Catholike men vvith old condemned
heresies. The Eutychians slaundered the Councel of Chalcedon and S. Leo to be Nestorians, and to
make two persons in Christ, because they said there vvere tvvo natures. Vigilius li. 5. cont.
Eutychen. Arius charged Alexander his Bishop of Sabellianisme, for auouching the vnitie of
substance in Trinitie. Socrat. li. 1. c. 3. Iulianus accused S. Augustine of the heresie of
Apollinaris. li. 5. cont. Iulian. c. 15. Other Pelagians chalenged him for condemning
mariage.
The Protestants obiections answered long agoe by S. Hierom and S. Augustin.
Retrait. li. 2. c. 53. And that our Protestants bragge not to much of their goodly inuention,
louinian the old Heretike, their Maister in this point, accused *the holy doctors and Catholikes
vpon this same place, to be Manichees, and to condemne meates and mariage, as both S. Hierom and
S. Augustine do testifie. And they both answer to the Heretike, that the Church in deede &
Catholikes do abstaine from some for euer, and some for certaine daies, and euery Christian
man lightly al the 40 daies of Lent fast: not for that they thinke the meates vncleane,
abominable, or of an il creation, as the Manichees do: but for punishment of their bodies and
taming their concupiscences. Hiero. li. 2. cont. Iouin. c. 11. Aug. cont. Adimantum c. 14. Li.
de mor. Cath. Es. Hiero. in c. 4. ad Galat. And as for mariage, the said doctors answer, that
no Catholike man condemneth it for vnlavvful, as the old Heretikes did, but onely preferreth
virginitie and continencie before it, as a state in it self more agreable to God and more meete
for the Cleargie. See S. Augustine against Faustus the Manichee li. 30 c. 5. 6. and
hær. 25 in the name, Apostolici. S. Hierom ep. 50. c. 1 . & 3. Al this the
Catholikes continually tel the Aduersaries, and they can not but see it. Yet by accustomed audacitie
and impudencie they beare it out still.
* Aug. li. 2 c. 5 de nupt. & concupise.
forbidding to marrie, to abstaine from meats which God created to receaue with
thankes-giuing for the faithful, and them that haue knowen the truth.
4. For
✟
We see plainely by these words such abstinence only to be disalowed as condemneth
the creatures of God to be naught by nature and creation.
euery creature of God is good, and nothing to be reiected that is receiued
With thankes-giuing..
Blessing of the table or of meates, specially by a Priest.
By the most ancient custom of the faithful both before Christ and sithence, men vse to
blesse their table and meates, by the hand and word of a Priest, if any be present,
othervvise by such as can conueniently do it. And in husbandmens houses vvhere they haue
no other meanes, they should at least blesse Gods giftes and them selues vvith a Pater
noster or the signe of the Crosse: not onely to acknowledge from whom they haue their
continual sustenace, but also to blesse their meate and sanctifie it. For the *Greeke
vvord vsed of S. Paul, by Ecclesiastical vse, vvhen it concerneth meates,
signifieth not onely thankes giuing, but blessing or sanctifying the creatures to be
receiued, as being al one vvith ἐυλογία, and in English vve call it grace, not onely
that after meate, which is onely thankes to God, but that before meate, vvhich is
alvvaies a benediction of the creatures, as it is plaine in the prescript and vsual
formes of grace. For vvhich cause a Priest should euer do it rather then a lay man or
any of inferior order in the Cleargie.
To blesse is a preeminence of the better person.
In so much that S. Hierom (ep. 85) reprehendeth certaine Deacons vvhom he savv say grace
or blesse the meate and the companie, in the presence of a Priest. Vvho also recordeth
(in the life of S. Paul the holy Eremite) the great curtesie and humilitie of him and S.
Antonie, yelding one to the other the preeminence of blessing their poore dinner. For to
blesse is a great thing, and a Priestly prerogatiue, as the Apostle vvitnesseth, declaring
the preeminence of Melchisedec in that he blessed Abraham. **Read the
note folowing.
* μετὰ εὐχαϱιςίας.
** Hebr. 7.
with
thankes-giuing.
5. For it is
Sanctified.
No creature il by nature, yet one more sanctified then another.
Al creatures be of Gods creation, none of the Diuel, or of any other cause and beginning,
as the Manichees blasphemed: and therfore none are il, abominable, or vncleane by
creation, nature, and condition, but al good and made for mans vse, though al be not
alike holy nor equally sanctified. God made seuen daies, but he sanctified onely one of
them, he made al places, but he sanctified none but the Temple and such like deputed to
his seruice, as the Arke, the altar, and the rest vvhich vvere by sacred vse both holy
them selues, and gaue also holines and sanctification to things that touched them or
vvere applied vnto them.
Holy times and places, & euery thing deputed to the seruice of God, holy.
So our Sauiour saith, that the Temple sanctified the gold, and the altar the gift, and
generally al creatures seuered from common and profane vse, to religion and vvorship of
God, are made sacred thereby. So the places and daies of Gods apparition or vvorking some
special vvonders or benefites tovvard the people, vvere holy, as Bethel, Sinai, and
others. And much more those times and places of Christes Natiuitie, Passion, burial,
Resurrection, Ascension: vvhich is so plaine a case, that the hil vvhere he vvas
transfigured onely, is called therfore by S. Peter, the holy mount.
* Mat. 23.
** 2 Pet. 1.
Creatures hallowed by the signe of the Crosse.
These therfore be holy memories and monuments of al sortes sanctified, besides that creatures (as
vve see here) be sanctified also by the vvord of God and praier, that is to say, by benediction &
inuocation of our Lordes holy name vpon them, specially by the signe of the Crosse, as S.
Chrysostom noteth on this place, ho. 12. in 1 ad Tim. by the vvhich the aduersarie povver
of Satan vsurping vniustly vpon Gods creatures through mans sinne, and seeking deceitfully in or
by the same to annoy mans body or soule, is expelled, and the meates purged from him and made
holesom. S. Gregoric (li. 1 Dialog. c. 4) recordeth that the Diuel entered into a certaine
religious vvoman by eating the herbe lettice vnblessed.
The blessing of our meat what a vertue it hath.
And S. Augustine li. 18 de ciu. Dei c. 18. shevveth at large, vvhat vvaies he hath by meates
and drinkes and other vsual creatures of God, to annoy men: though his povver be much lesse
then it vvas before Christ. but still much desire he hath on al sides to molest the faithful by
abusing the things most neere and necessarie vnto them, to their hurt both bodily and Ghostly.
for remedie vvhereof, this sanctification vvhich the Apostle speaketh of, is very soueraine,
pertaining not onely to this common and more vulgar benediction of our meates and drinkes, but
much more (as the proprietie of the *Greeke vvord vsed by the Apostle for sanctification, doth
import) to other more exact sanctifying and higher applying of some creatures, and blessing them
to Christes honour in the Church of God, and to mans spiritual and corporal benefites.
* ἁγιάζεται
For as S. Augustine vvriteth li. 2 de pec. merit. c. 26. besides this vsual blessing of our
daily foode, the Cathecumens (that is, such as vvere taught tovvard Baptisme) are sanctified by
the signe of the Crosse, and the bread (saith he) vvhich they receiue, though it be not the body
of Christ, yet is holy, and more holy then the vsual bread of the table.
Holy bread.
He meaneth a kinde of bread then halovved, specially for such as vvere not yet admitted to the B.
Sacrament: either the same, or the like to our holy bread, vsed in the Church of England and
France on Sundaies. And it vvas a common vse in the primitiue Church to blesse loaues, and send
them for sacred tokens from one Christian man to an other. and that not among the simple and
superstitious (as the Aduersaries may imagine) but among the holiest, learnedst, and vvisest.
Such halovved breads did S. Paulinus send to S. Augustine and Alipius, and they to him againe,
calling them blessings. Read S. Hierom in the life of Hilarion (post medium:) hovv Princes
and learned Bishops & other of al sortes came to that holy man for holy bread, panem
benedictum. In the primitiue Church the people commonly brought bread to the Priests to be
halovved. Author op. imp. ho. 14 in Mt. The 3 Councel of Carthage cap. 24. maketh
mention of the blessing of milke, honie, grapes, and corne. See the 4 Canon of the Apostles. And
not onely diuers other creatures vsed at certaine times in holy Churches seruice, as vvaxe, fire,
palmes, ashes, but also the holy oile, Chrisme, and the vvater of Baptisme, that also vvhich is the
cheefe of al Priestly blessing of creatures, the bread and vvine in the high Sacrifice, be
sanctified.
August. ep. 31, 34 35. 36.
The signe of the crosse vsed in blessing.
for vvithout sanctification, yea (as S. Augustine affirmeth tract. 118 in Ioan.) vvithout the
signe of the Crosse, none of these things can rightly be done.
Can any man novv maruel that the Church of God by this vvarrant of S. Paules vvord
expounded by so long practise and tradition of the first fathers of our religion, doth vse
diuers elements and blesse them for mans vse and the seruice of God, expelling by the
inuocation of Christes name, the aduersarie povver from them, according to the authoritie
giuen by Christ, Super omnia dæmonia, ouer al Diuels: and by praier, vvhich importeth
as the Apostle here speaketh, desire of help, as it vvere by the vertue of Christ to combat vvith
the Diuel, and so to expel him out of Gods creatures, vvhich is done by holy exorcisme, and euer
beginneth, Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini, as vve see in the blessing of holy vvater and
the like sanctification of elements.
Luc. 9.
The Churches exorcismes.
Holy water.
Vvhich exorcismes, namely of children before they come to Baptisme, see in S. Augustine li.
6 cont. Iulian. c. 5. & de Ec. dogmat. c. 31. De nupt. & concupis. li. 1 c. 20. and of holy
vvater, that hath been vsed these 1400 yeres in the Church by the institution of Alexander the
first, in al Christian countries, and of the force thereof against Diuels, see a famous historie
in Theodoret li. 5 c. 21. and in Epiphanius hær. 30 Ebionitarum. See S. Gregorie to
S. Augustine our Apostle, of the vse thereof in halovving the Idolatrous temples to be made the
Churches of Christ. apud Bedam li. 1 c. 30 hist. Angl. Remember hovv the Prophet Eliseus
applied salt to the healing and purifying of vvaters, 4 Reg. 2: hovv the Angel Raphael vsed
the liuer of the fish to driue avvay the Diuel, Tob. 6. 8: hovv Dauids harp and Psalmodie kept
the euil spirit from Saul, 1 Reg. 16: hovv a peece of the holy earth saued such a mans chamber
from infestation of Diuels, August. de Ciuit. dei li. 22 c. 8: how Christ him self, both
in Sacraments, & out of them, occupied diuers sanctified elements, some for the health of
the body, some for grace and remission of sinnes, and some to vvorke miracles by.
The force of sanctified creatures.
The holy land.
Relikes.
The crosse.
The name of IESVS.
See in S. Hierom against Vigilantius c. 2. hovv holy Relikes torment them. *In the historie
of Iulianus the Apostata, hovv the signe of the Crosse: in the Actes (cap. 19) hovv the name of
IESVS yea and of Paul putteth them to flight.
* Theodoret. li. 3 c. 3.
Remission of venial sinnes annexed to halovved creatures.
Furnish your selues vvith such examples and groundes of Scriptures and antiquitie, and you shal
contemne the Aduersaries cauillations and blasphemies against the Churches practice in such
things, and further also finde, these sacred actions and creatures, not only by increase of
faith, feruor, and deuotion, to purge the impuritie of our soules, and procure remission of our
daily infirmities, but that the cheefe Ministers of Christes Church, by their soueraine
authoritie graunted of our Lord, may ioyne vnto the same, their blessing and remission of our
venial sinnes or spiritual dettes: as vve see in S. Iames, remission of al sinnes to be annexed
to the vnction vvith holy oile, vvhich to the Catholikes is a Sacrament, but to the Protestants
vvas but a temporal ceremonie, and to some of them not of Christes institution, but of the
Apostles onely.
Ia. c. 5.
S. Gregorie.
In their ovvne sense therfore they should not maruel that such spiritual effectes should procede
of the vse of sanctified creatures, vvhereas venial trespasses be remitted many vvaies, though
mortal ordinarily by the Sacraments onely. S. Gregorie did commonly send his benediction and
remission of sinnes, in and vvith such holy tokens as vvere sanctified by his blessing and
touching of the Apostles bodies and Martyrs Relikes, as novv his successors do in the like
halovved remembrances of religion. See his 7 booke, epistle 126: and 9 booke, epistle 60. Thus
therfore and to the effectes aforesaid the creatures of God be sanctified.
The difference betweene the Churches exorcismes & other coniurations.
If any man obiect that this vse of creatures is like coniuration in Necromancie, he must knovv
the difference is, that in the Churches sanctifications and exorcismes, the Diuels be
commaunded, forced, and tormented by Christes vvord and by praiers: but in the other vvicked
practises, they be pleased, honoured, and couenanted vvithal: and therfore the first is godly
and according to the Scriptures, but Necromancie abominable and against the Scriptures.
sanctified by the word of God and praier.
6. These things proposing to the Brethren, thou shalt be a good Minister of Christ
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, nourished in the words of the faith and the good doctrine which thou hast attained vnto.
7. But foolish and old wiues fables auoid: and exercise thy self to pietie.
8. For
✟
1. Tim. 1,4.
Tit. 3,9.
Some (saith S. Chrysostome) expound this of fasting, but they are deceiued: for
fasting in a spiritual exercise. See a goodly commentarie of those words in S.
Aug. li. de mor. Eccl. Cath. c. 33.
corporal exercise is profitable to litle: but pietie is profitable to al
things: hauing promise of the life that now is, and of that to come.
9. A faithful saying and worthie of al acceptation:
10. For to this purpose we labour and are reuiled, because we hope in the liuing
God which is the Sauiour of al men, specially of the faithful.
11. Command these things and teach.
12. Let no man contemne thy youth: but be an example of the faithful, in word, in
conuersation, in charitie, in faith, in chastitie.
13. Til I come, attend vnto reading, exhortation,
✟
and
doctrine.
14. Neglect not
The grace.
Grace giuen in the Sacrament of Orders.
The grace. S. Augustine declareth this grace to be the gift of the holy Ghost giuen
vnto him by receiuing this holy Order, vvhereby he vvas made fitte to execute the office
to his ovvne saluation and other mens. And note vvithal, that grace is not onely giuen
in or vvith the Sacraments, by the receiuers faith or deuotion, but by the Sacrament, per
impositionem, by imposition of handes. for so he speaketh 2 Tim. 1. Which is here
said, cum impositione, vvith imposition.
the grace that is in thee: which is giuen thee by prophecie,
With imposition.
Consecration of Priests by imposition of handes.
S. Ambrose vpon this place, implieth in the vvord Imposition of hands, al the holy
action and sacred vvordes done and spoken ouer him vvhen he vvas made Priest. Whereby
(saith he) he vvas designed to the vvorke, and receiued authoritie, that he durst offer
sacrifice in our Lordes steede vnto God. So doth the holy Doctor allude vnto the vvordes
that are said novv also in the Catholike Church to him that is made Priest: Accipe
potestatem offerendi pro viuis & mortuis in nomine Domini. that is, Take or receiue
thou authoritie to offer for the liuing and the dead in the name of our Lord. for the
vvhich S. Hierom also (as is noted before) saith, that the ordering of Priests is, by
imposition of handes and imprecation of voice.
In Esa. c. 58.
with
imposition of the hands,
Of Priesthood.
Holy Orders a Sacrament.
The practise of the Church giueth vs the sense of this place, vvhich the auncient
Councel of Carthage doth thus set dovvne. *When a Priest taketh orders, the Bishop
blessing him and holding his hand vpon his head, let al the Priests present lay also
their hands on his head by the Bishops hands &c. Vvho seeth not novv, that holy Orders
giuing grace by an external ceremonie and vvorke, is a Sacrament? So al the old Church
counteth it. And S. Augustine (cont. ep. Parmen. li. 2. c. 13.) plainely saith that
no man doubteth but it is a Sacrament. and lest any man thinke that he vseth not the vvord
Sacrament proprely and precisely, he ioyneth it in nature and name vvith Baptisme. Againe
vvho seeth not by this vse of imposition of hands in giuing Orders and other Sacraments,
that Christ, the Apostles, and the Church may borovv of the Ievvish rites, certaine
conuenient ceremonies and Sacramental actions, seing this same (**as the Heretikes can not
deny) vvas receiued of the maner of Ordering Aaron and the Priests of the old lavv or
other heads of the people? See Exod. 39. Num. 27, 23.
* Conc. Carth. 4 c. 3.
** Beza in cap. 6. Act.
of priesthood.
15. These things doe thou meditate, be in these things: that thy profiting may be
manifest to al.
16. Attend to thy self, and to doctrine: be earnest in them. For, this doing, thou
shalt
Saue both thy self.
Men also are called Sauiours without derogation to Christ.
Though Christ be our onely Sauiour, yet the Scriptures forbeare not to speake freely
and vulgarly and in a true sense, that man also may saue him self and others. But the
Protestants notvvithstanding folovv such a captious kind of Diuinitie that if a man
speake any such thing of our Lady or any Sainct in heauen, or other meane of procuring
saluation, they make it a derogation to Christes honour. Vvith such hypocrites haue vve
novv a daies to do.
saue both thy self and them that heare thee.