Original Douay–Rheims Annotations2 Timothy 2

No man being a soldier.

^◦ First of all, the Apostle ( 1 Cor. 7. ) maketh marriage & the needful cares, solicitude, and distractions thereupon ever depending, special impediments of all such as should employ themselves wholly to God's service, as Bishops & Priests are bound to do. He that is with a wife (saith he) is careful for the world, how to please his wife, and is distracted or divided. 1 Cor. 7.

Secondly, the practice of Physic, merchandise, or any other profane faculty and trade of life to gather riches, and much more to be given to hunting, hawking, gaming, shews, interludes, or the like pastimes, is here forbidden. ^[1] Thirdly, the services of Princes and manifold base offices done to them for to obtain dignities and promotions, are disagreeable to Priestly functions. Not so, to be their chaplains for this purpose to preach unto them, to hear their confessions, to minister the Sacraments unto them, to say Divine service before them, and such other spiritual duties. For, all such services done to principal persons both of the Clergy and Laity, be godly and consonant to Priestly vocation. As also serving of Princes and Commonweals in civil causes and matters of state, in making peace and quietness among the people, by deciding or compounding their controversies, and all such like affairs tending to the honour of God and good of men, and to the upholding of true religion, when they may be done without notorious damage or hinderance of their spiritual charge, or when the hurts thereof be aboundantly recompensed by the necessary duties done for the general good of kingdom or Country: all such things (I say) be lawful and often very requisite. ^[2] And S. Augustine, S. Ambrose, S. Bernard, and other holy Bishops of old were much occupied therein, as we see in S. Augustine's book de opere Monachorum c. 29. & Possid. in vit. c. 19.

• 1 How spiritual men may serve secular Princes, & deal in civil causes.
• 2 in vit. S. Ambr. & Bern.
• ◦ What secular affairs do not agree nor consist with spiritual men's function.

Rightly.

^[1] The Scriptures or challenge of the word of God is common to Catholics and Heretics, but all is in the handling of them, these later handle them guilefully, adultering the word of God, as ^[2] elsewhere the Apostle speaketh: the other sincerely after the manner of the Apostles and doctors of God's Church. Which the Greek expresseth by a significant word of cutting a thing straight by a line, ὀρθοτομοῦντα.

• 1 Catholics only, right handlers of the Scripture.
• 2 2. Cor. 2. & 4.

Their speech.

^◦ The speeches, preachings, and writings of Heretics be pestiferous, contagious, and creeping like a canker. Therefore Christian men must never hear their sermons nor read their books. For such men have a popular way of talk whereby the unlearned, and specially women loaden with sin, are easily beguiled. Nothing is so easy (saith S. Hierom) as with voluble and rolling tongue to deceive the rude people, which admire whatsoever they understand not. Ep. 2. ad Nepot. c. 10.

• ◦ Heretical books and sermons are to be avoided.

In a great house

^◦ He meaneth not that Hymenæus and Philetus (of whom he spake immediately before) or other heretics, be properly within the Church, as Catholic men are, though grievous sinners: but that evil men who for the punishment of their sins become heretics, were before they fell from their faith as vessels of contumely, within the Church. Yea and often also after they be severed in heart and in the sight of God, so long as they stand in external profession and use of the same Sacraments, and in the outward fellowship of Catholics, not yet either separated of themselves, nor cast out by the governors of the Church, so long (we say) they be after a sort in the Church: though properly and indeed they be out of the compass of God's house. Mary of those that are openly severed in Sacraments, Service, and communion, there is no question but they are out of the Church.

• ◦ Who are out of the Church or within it.

Cleanse himself.

^◦ Man then hath free-will to make himself a vessel of salvation or damnation: though salvation be attributed to God's mercy principally, the other to his just judgement: neither of both being repugnant to our free-will, but working with and by the same, all such effects in us as to his providence and our deserts be agreeable.

• ◦ Free-will.