ANNOTATIONS
CHAP. 1
5. Ordaine Priests. ) Though Priests or Bishops may be nominated and elected by the Princes, people, or Patrons of places, according to the use of the time and diversitie of Countries and fashions, yet they can not be ordered and consecrated but by a Bishop who was himself rightly ordered or consecrated before, as this Titus was by S. Paul. And here it seemeth that he did not only consecrate them whom the people had elected before, but himself also made choice of the persons, no mention being here made of any other election popular. Which though it were long used in the Primitive Church, yet for divers causes and specially for continual tumultes, partialities, and disorders which S. Augustin much complaineth of in his time, was justly taken away, and other better meanes of their designment appointed. See Cone. Leaodie. cap. 12. 1:3. Augustine, de adult, conjug. lib. 2. cap. 20. Ep, 110. and Possid. in vita Aug. cap. 8.
And that the ordering of Priests or imposition of hands to that purpose, belongeth only to Bishops, and to no inferiour Priests or other persons, it is plain by the Apostolic practice set downe in the Scriptures, namely in the Actes, and in the Epistle to Timothee and Titus. And S.Hierom, who seemeth sometimes to say that in the Primitive Church there was no great difference betwixt a Bishop and Priest, yet he ever excepteth giving holy Orders, which preeminence he attributeth to Bishops only, ep. 85. as he doth also confirming the Baptized by giving them the Holy Ghost through imposition of hand and holy Chrism. Vial, cont: Lucifer, c. 4. Note also that Aerius was of old condemned of heresie, for holding that there was no difference betwixt a Priest and a Bishop. Epiph. her. 75. August, her. 53. Note lastly the fraudulent translation of the Heretikes, alwaies turning for Priests (which here is evident to be a calling of Order and office) Elders, saying, That thou ordain Elders, which in our vulgar tongue signifieth the age, and not the Office properly; and al this for hatred of Priests.
6 Of one wife ) To that which is said upon the like words 1 Tim. 3 add this testimonie of S. Epiphanius, lib. 3. tom. 2. cont. hareses infme. Holy Priesthood, saith he, for the most part proceedeth of Virgins: and if not of virgins, yet of them that live a sole or single life: but and if the single and sole persons suffice not the miaistry, of such as contain from their wives, or after once marrying remain widowes. For, him that hath been married twice, it is not lawful to take to Priesthood &c If you list to see the causes why bigamie is forbidden them that are to be Priests, and continencie required of the clergie, see the same Authour lib. 2. to. 1. hares. 55. S. Ambrose, £&. 1 OJic. c. 50. and upon, 1 Tim. 3. S. Augustine, de bono Conjugal, c. 18. S. Hierome, ep. 50. c. 5. ad Pammacliiutn, and against Jovinian, lib. 1. c. 19. Leo, ep. 87. and other ancient authors.
And if the studious Reader peruse all antiquitie, he shall find all notable Bishops and Priests of God's Church to have been single, or continent from their wives, if any were married before they came to the clergie. So was S. Paul, and exhorteth all men to the like 1 Cor.7.7 So were all the Apostles after they followed Christ, as S. Hierom witnesseth, affirming that our Lord loved John specially for his virginitie. Apol. ad Pammach. c. 8. et lib. 1. conl. Jovin. c. 14. Ignatius, ep. 6. ad Philadelph. saith of the said John, and of Timothee, Titus, Euodius, Clement, that they lived and died in chastitie, reckoning up of the Old Testament divers notable personages that did the same, as Elias, Jesus Nave, otherwise called Josue, Melchisedec, Elisseus, Haeremie, John Baptist. No man is ignorant that all the notable Fathers of the Greek and Latin Church lived chaste: Athanasius, Basil, Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Cyprian, Hilarie (who entered into holy Orders after his wives death) Ambrose, Hierom, Augustine, Leo, Gregory the great. Certaine other notable Fathers had once wives, but no holy men ever used them, much less married after they were in holy Orders. A marvelous thing, that so many heretofore should have the guift of chastitie then, and now so few, if the Protestants say true, that scarce one among them in our age of al their sects, even of their principal Superintendants, hath had it.
