Of what 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, to haue them continue
sound in faith.
1. PAVL the seruant of God, and an Apostle of Iesvs Christ according to the faith
of the elect of God and knowledge of the truth: which is according to pietie.
2. Into the hope of life euerlasting, which he promised that lieth not, God,
2. Tim. 1,9.
before
the secular times:
3. but hath manifested in due times his word in preaching, which is committed to me
according to the precept of our Sauiour God:
4. to Titus my beloued sonne according to the common faith, grace and peace from God
the Father, and Christ Iesvs our Sauiour.
5. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest reforme the things that
are wanting, and shouldest
Ordaine Priests.
Priests must be consecrated by Bishops only.
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, but him self also made choise of the
persons, no mention being here made of any other election popular.
The popular election of the Clergie taken away.
Vvhich though it vvere long vsed in the primitiue Church, yet for diuers causes and specially
for continual tumultes, partialities, 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. c. 20. Ep.
110. and Possid. in vita Aug. c. 8.
The preeminence of a Bishop aboue a Ptiest.
And that the ordering of Priests or imposition of hands to that purpose, belongeth onely to Bishops,
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 difference 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. Dial. cont. Lucifer. c. 4.
To put no difference between them is Aërius heresie.
Note also that Aërius vvas of old condemned of heresie, for holding that there vvas no difference
betvvixt a Priest and a Bishop. Epiph. hær. 75. August. har. 53.
Heret. translation.
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: and al this
for hatred of Priests.
ordaine Priests by cities, as I also appointed thee:
6.
1. Tim. 3,2.
If any be without crime, the husband
Of one wife.
Bigami excluded from holy Orders, and the causes thereof.
To that vvhich is said vpon the like vvordes 1 Tim. 3: adde this testimonie of S.
Epiphanius li. 3. to. 2. cont. hæreses in fine. Holy Priesthod, saith he, for
the most part procedeth of Virgins: 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
been 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. hæres. 59. S. Ambrose li. 1.
Offic. c. 50. and vpon 1 Tim. 3. S. Augustine de bono Coniugal. c. 18.
S. Hierom ep. 50 c. 5 ad Pammachium, and against Iouinian li. 1 c, 19. S. Leo
ep. 87. and other auncient authors.
The notable men of both Testaments, that liued continetly from wiues.
And if the studious reader peruse al antiquitie, 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, as 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 ep. 6 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) Melchisedec,
Elisæus, Hieremie, Iohn Baptist. No man is ignorant that al the notable fathers of the Greeke
and Latin Church liued chast: Athanasius, Basil, Nazianzene, Chrysostom, Cyprian, Hilarie (vvho
entered into holy Orders after his vviues death) Ambrose, Hierom, Augustine, Leo, Gregorie the
great. Certaine other notable fathers had once vviues, but no holy men euer vsed them, much
lesse maried, after they vvere in holy Orders.
Only the Protestants complaine that they haue not the guift of chastitie.
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.
of one wife, hauing faithful children, not in
the accusation of riot, or not obedient.
7. For a Bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not angrie,
not giuen to wine, no striker, not couetous of filthy lucre:
8. but giuen to hospitalitie, gentle, sober, iust, holy, continent:
9. embracing that faithful word which is according to doctrine, that he may be able
to exhort in sound doctrine, and to reproue them that gainesay it.
10. For there be many disobedient, vaine-speakers, and seducers, especially they that
are of the Circumcision.
11. Who must be controuled. Who subuert whole houses, teaching the things they ought
not, for filthie lucre.
12. One of them said, their owne proper
Epimenides.
Prophet, The Cretensians alwaies liers,
naughtie beasts, slouthful bellies.
13. This testimonie is true. For the which cause rebuke them sharply, that they may
be sound in the faith,
14. not attending to Iewish fables, and commandments of men, auerting themselues from
the truth.
15.
Rom. 14,20.
Al things are
He speaketh not of the Churches abstaining from meates sometimes, which is not for
any vncleannes in the creatures, but for chastening their bodies: but he meaneth
that Iewish superstition, who now being Christians, would not cease to put difference
of cleane and vncleane according to their old law. See S. Augustin. Cont. Faust. li.
31. c. 4.
cleane to the cleane: but to the polluted and to infidels nothing
is cleane: but polluted are both their mind and conscience.
16. They confesse that they know God: but in their workes they deny, whereas they
be abominable and incredulous and to euery good worke reprobate.