John Trapp on 1 Timothy 3

CHAP. III. Verſe. 1. If a man deſire]

AS no woman, ſo neither may every man deſire the office of a Miniſter, but ſuch only as are gifted and fitted for ſuch a ſervice.

He deſireth a good work] But a hard work. The Miniſtery is not in idle mans occupation, but a fore labour, Onus ipſis [illegible: 1 letter]tiam[illegible: 1 letter] angelis tremendum, ſaith Chryſoſtome, a burden too heavy for an Angels ſhoulders, a pains nothing ſhort of that of a travelling woman, ſaith Melancthon, after Paul, Gal 4.19. There were that read this text thus, Quicu[illegible: 1 letter] que deſiderat Epiſcopatum bonum, opes deſiderant. But this was a foul miſtake at beſt.

Verſe 2. A Biſhop then muſt be blameleſſe] That is, Every faithfull Paſtour muſt be ſuch as againſt whom no juſt exception can be laid, no groſſe faule objected. In volu[illegible: 1 letter]ry fallings and unavoidable infirmities have a pardon of courſe, both with God, and all good men.

The husband of one wife] ſc. At once. The Aegyptian Prieſts were forbidden alſo polygamy.

Vigilant] Pale and wan with watching. [non-Latin text not transcribed], Homer. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. A publike perſon ſhould not ſleep a whole night together.

Sober] That can contain his paſſions, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. B[illegible: 1 letter]ne moratum. Huron ad Dam▪ ſum. and keep a mean.

Of good behaviour] Compoſitus, modeſtus. Neat and hand. ſome in his out ward habit, venerable in all his behaviour.

Given to hoſpitality] Quie quid habent Clerici, pauperum eſt: The Miniſters cheſt is the poor mans box.

Apt to teach] Not able only, as Dr Tailour Martyr, who preached not only every Lords day and holy day, but whenſoever elſe he could get the people together.Act. and Mon. fol. 1381. Praedicationis officium ſuſcipit,Greg Paſtor. quiſquis ad ſacerdotium accedit, ſaith Gregory. He's no Miniſter that's no preacher.

Verſe 3. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Not given to wine] No Ale-ſtake, tavern-haunter, that ſits cloſe at it, till the wine inflame him.

No ſtriker] Either with tongue or hand. Such as were Timotheus Herulus, anno 457. Pope Julius 3. who caſt away his keyes, and girt on his ſword. Biſhop Bonner, who uſually bu[illegible: 1 letter] fetted the poor Martyrs brought before him, pulling off their beards, &c.

Not greedy of filthy lucre] So as to get by unjuſt arts, and ſinfull practices, as the Pope by allowing the Srews in Rome, and elſwhere. See Fiſcus Papalis by Craſhaw.

But patient] Eaſily parting with his own right for peace-ſake, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as Abraham did, as no covetous man will do.

No brawler] Or, Wrangler, quarrelſome, like a cock of the game, that is ſtill bloudy with the bloud of others, and of himſelf.

Not covetous] Not a lover of ſilver; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and that (Euclio-like) fits abrood upon his heaps of evil gotten goods, and will part with nothing.

Verſe 4. One that ruleth well] [non-Latin text not transcribed], A good prieſt in his own family, which he daily perfumes with Evangelicall ſacrifices, till his houſe, as the houſe of David, be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them, Zach. 12.8.

Having his children in ſubjection] Yet Pope Pelagius forbids a Biſhop to have either wiſe or children:Diſtinct 61. Ca[illegible: 1 letter]tnenſis. whereof this wiſe reaſon is given, becauſe children are argumentum ambulans ſuper terram. A walking argument of their fathers incontinency. Os durum!

Verſe 5. For if a man know not how] A very cogent argument from the leſſe to the greater: uſed alſo by our Saviour, Luk. 16.11, 12. Eli was juſtly taxed, and Auguſtus heavily upbraided with their domeſticall diſorders, as therefore unfit for government.

Verſe 6. Not a novice] Rude and proud, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. A young plant. a young ſchollar or newly-converted: but well experimented, and ſufficiently commended by men of worth. He that offered to run a race, was led about by the Crier, Chryſuſt Hom. 21 ad pop. Antioch. to ſee what any one preſent could object againſt him, ere he was ſuffered to run, as Chryſoſtome reporteth. So it ſhould be here.

Verſe 7. A good report of them, &c.] For a workman that needeth not to be aſhamed: ſuch a one as may muzzle the black mouth of any Campian, that ſhall ſay, as he doth of our Church, Miniſtris corum nihil vilius: This is moſt true of Popiſh greaſie hedge Prieſts. See the Note on v. 6.

Verſe 8. Not double-tongued] [non-Latin text not transcribed] —Tyr[illegible: 1 letter]oſ que bi. lingues. Virg. That can turn their tales, and tune their fiddles to the baſe of the times, ſaying as the company ſaies, being as the planet Mercury, good in conjunction with good, and bad with bad.

Verſe 9. Holding the mystery] See the Note on 1 Tim. 1.19.

Verſe 10. Being found blameleſſe] The world will look round about them, and expect (though unjuſtly) an Angelicall perfection.

Verſe 11. Muſt their wives be grave] As themſelves muſt very 6. Gravity is ſuch an Elixar, as by contraction (if there be any diſpoſition of goodneſſe in the ſame mettall) it will render it of the property. So that Deacons wives cannot be otherwiſe then grave and gracious, having ſuch husbands as is above deſcribed.

Verſe 12. Huſbands of one wife, &c.] See the Notes on Verſe 2. and 4.

Verſe 13. A good degree] Or a fair ſtep to a higher order, i. e. to a Biſhoprike or Presbyterſhip.

And great boldneſſe in the ſaith] The peace of a good conſcience, and the plerophory of faith. This thoſe that are faithfull in the Miniſtery ſhall be ſure of; the former preferment they may poſſibly fail of.

Verſe 14. Hoping to come unto thee] And to be an eye-witneſſe of thy diligence, whereof I doubt not, joying in the mean while, and beholding your order, and the ſtedfaſtnes of your ſaith in Chriſt, Col. 2 5.

Verſe 15. In the houſe of God] See here the dignity of the Church, and the duty of Miniſters, which is to be faithfull as ſtewards in all Gods houſe. But what mean the Papiſts ſo to cry up the Church even above the Scriptures (as the Councel of Baſil did by their Cardinal Cuſanus in anſwer to the Huſſites) nay above Chriſt himſelf, as Hoſius and others. Can they mean honeſtly (quoth that Martyr)A [illegible: 2 letters]and Mon. fol. 1478. that make ſo much of the wife, and ſo little of the husband [illegible: 1 letter] Baſtard children are all for their mother, and are called by her name, &c.

Verſe 16. And without controverſie] Learned Cameron beginneth this verſe at thoſe words before, The pillar and ground of truth, and confeſſedly great is that mystery of godlineſſe, God manifeſted in the fleſh, C[illegible: 1 letter]mer, de eccl. p. 278. &c. It being a uſuall form of ſpeech among the Jews (as he proveth out of Maimonides) to preface theſe very words, The pillar and ground of truth, to any ſpeciall doctrine touching religion.

God manifested] Out of the boſome of his father, out of the womb of his mother, out of the types of the law, &c.