He desireth their praiers, 4 and inculcateth his precepts and traditions namely of working
quietly for their owne liuing, commanding to excommunicate the disobedient.
1.
*
Ep. 6,18.
Col. 4,3.
FOR the rest, Brethren, pray for vs, that the word of God may haue course and be
glorified, as also with you:
2. and that we may be deliuered from importunate and naughtie men. For al men haue
not faith.
3. But our Lord is faithful, who wil confirme and keep you from euil.
4. And we haue confidence of you in our Lord, that the things which we command, both
you doe, and wil doe.
5. And our Lord direct your harts in the charitie of God, and patience of Christ.
6. And we denounce vnto you, Brethren, in the name of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ,
that you withdraw your selues from euery Brother walking inordinately, and not according to the
✟
παϱάδοσιν .
Here also (as is noted before 2. Thess. 2,15.) the Aduersaries in their
translations auoid the, word, Tradition being plaine in thee Greek, lest
themselues might seem to be noted as men walking inordinately, and not according
to Apostolical Tradition, as al Shismatikes, Heretikes, and rebels to God's
Church doe.
tradition which they haue receiued of vs.
7. For your selues know how you ought to imitate vs: for we haue not been vnquiet among
you:
8.
*
Act. 20.
1. Cor. 4.
1. Thes. 2.
neither haue we eaten bread of any man gratis, but in labour & in toile night and day
working, lest we should burden any of you.
9.
*
1. Cor. 9,6.
Not as though we had not authoritie: but that we might giue our selues a paterne
vnto you for to imitate vs.
10. For also when we were with you, this we denounced to you, that if any wil not worke,
Neither let him eate.
The heretikes cauillation agaist Religious men that worke not, answered.
It is not a general precept or rule, that euery man should liue by his handy-worke, as
the Anabaptists argue falsely against Gentlemen, & the Caluinists applie it peruersely
against the vacant life of the Clergie, specially of Monkes and other Religious men. But
it is a natural admonition only, giuen to such as had not wherwith to liue of their
owne, or any right or good cause why to chalenge their finding of others, and to such as
vnder the colour of Christian libertie did passe their time idly, curiously, vnprofitably,
and scandalously, refusing to do such workes as were agreable to their former calling
and bringing vp. Such as these, were not tolerable, specially there and then, when the
Apostle and others (that might lawfully haue liued of the altar and their preaching) yet
to disburden their hearers, and for the better aduancement of the Ghospel, wrought for
their liuing: *protesting neuertheles continually, that they might haue done otherwise,
as wel as S. Peter and the rest did, who wrought not, but were found otherwise iustly
and lawfully, as al sorts of the Clergie preaching or seruing the Church and the altar,
be, and ought to be, **by the law of God and nature.
* 1 Cor. 9.
** See S. Cypr, ep. 66.
The spiritual trauailes of the Clergie.
Whose spiritual labours farre passe al boldily trauailes, where the dueties and functions
of that vocation be done accordingly: as S. Augustin affirmeth of his owne extraordinarie
paines incident to the Ecclesiastical affaires & regiment: insteed of which, if the vse
of the Church and his infirmitie would haue permitted it he wisheth he might haue
laboured with his hands somme houres of the day.
Religious mens working with their hands.
As some of the Clergie did euer voluntarily occupie themselues in teaching, writing,
grauing, painting, planting, sowing, embrodering, or such like seemely and innocent
labours. See S. Hierom. ep. 114. seu præf. in Iob. and in vit. Hilario.
And Monkes for the most part in the primitiue Church (few of them being Priests, and many taken
from seruile workes and handy-crafts, yea often-times professed of bond-men, made free by their
maisters to enter into religion) were appointed by their superiours to worke certaine houres of
the day, to supply the lackes of their Monasteries: as yet the Religious doe (women specially)
in many places, which standeth wel with their profession. And S. Augustin writeth a whole
booke (de opere Monachorum to. 3.) against the errour of certaine disordered Monkes that
abused these words, (Nolite esse soliciti, be not careful &c. and Respicite volatilia
cæli, behold the foules of the aire &c.) to proue that they should not labour at al, but pray
only and commit their finding to God: not only so excusing their idlenes, but preferring
themselues in holines aboue other their fellowes that did worke, and erroneously expounding the
said Scriptures for their defence: as they did other Scriptures, to proue they should not be shauen
after the manner of Monkes.
Monkes were shauen in the primitiue Church, and Nonnes clipped of their haire.
Which letting their heads to grow he much blameth also in them. See li. 2. Retract. c.
21. & do op. Monach. c. 31. and S. Hierom ep. 48. c. 3. of Nonnes cutting their haire.
Where by the way you see that the Religious were shauen euen in S. Augustines time, who
reprocheth them for their haire, calling them Crinitos, Hairelings, as the Heretiks now
contrariewise deride them by the word Rasos, Shauelings. So that there is a great
difference between the ancient Fathers and the new Protestants.
S. Augustines opinion concerning Religious mens working or not working.
And as for hand-labours, as S. Augustine in the *book alleadged would not haue Religious folke
to refuse them, where necessitie, bodily strength, and the order of the Church or Monasterie
permit or require them; so he expresly writeth, that al can not nor are not bound to worke, and
that whosoeuer preacheth or ministreth the Sacraments to the people or serueth the altar (as al
Religious men commonly now doe) may chalenge their liuing of them whom they serue, and are not bound
to worke, no nor such neither as haue been brought vp before in state of Gentlemen, and haue giuen
away their lands or goods, and made themselues poore for Christes sake. Which is to be noted,
because the Heretikes affirme the said Scripture and S. Augustin to condemne al such for idle
persons.
* li. de op. Monac. c. 21.
neither let him eate.
11. For we haue heard of certaine among you that walke vnquietly, working nothing,
but curiously medling.
12. And to them that be such we denounce, & beseech them in our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ,
that working with silence, they eate their owne bread.
13. But you, Brethren
*
Gal. 6,9.
faint not wel-doing.
14. And if any
Obey not.
Ecclesiastical censures against the disobedient.
Our Pastours must be obeied, and not only secular Princes. And such as wil not be
obedient to their spiritual Gouernours, the Apostle (as S. Augustin saith) giueth order
and commandment that they be corrected by correption or admonition, By degradation,
excommunication, and other lawful kinds of punishments. Cont. Donatist. post Collat. c.
4. 20. Read also this holy Fathers answer to such as said: Let our Prelates
command vs only what we ought to doe, and pray for vs that we may doe it: but let them
not correct vs. Where he proueth that Prelates must not only command and pray, but
punish also if that be not done which is commanded. Li. de correp. & great. c. 3.
obey not our word,
Note him.
Not to communicate with excommunicate persons but in certaine cases.
Disobedient persons to be excommunicated, and the excommunicated to be separated from
the companie of other Christians, and the faithful not to keep any companie or haue
conuersation with excommunicated persons, neither to be partaker with them in the fault
for which they are excommunicated, nor in any other act of religion or office of life,
except cases of mere necessitie and other prescribed and permitted by the law: al this
is here insinuated, and that al the Churches censures be grounded in Scriptures and the
examples of the Apostles.
note him by an epistle:
15. and doe not companie with him, that he may be confounded: and doe not esteem
him as an enemie, but admonish him as a Brother.
16. And the Lord of peace himself giue you euerlasting peace in euery place. Our Lord be
with you al.
17. The saluation, with mine owne hand, Paules: which is a signe in euery epistle. So
I write.
18. The grace of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ be with you al. Amen.