Ecclesia is a Greek signifieth a

word, and

congrega

tion.

translated throughout all the New Testament by this word church) that church is as common as ecclesia. Now is ecclesia a Greek word, and was in use before the time of the apostles, and taken for a congregation among the heathen, where was no congregation of God or of Christ. And also Lucas himself useth ecclesia for a church or congregation of heathen people thrice in one chapter, even in the xixth chapter of the Acts, where Demetrius Acts xix. the goldsmith, or silversmith, had gathered a company against Paul for preaching against images.

M. More

was skilful

in poetry.

Howbeit, M. More hath so long used his figures of poetry, that (I suppose) when he erreth most, he now by the reason of a long custom, believeth himself that he saith most true. Or else (as the wise people, which when they dance naked in nets, believe that no man seeth them) even so M. More thinketh that his errors be so subtilly couched that no man can espy them. So blind he counteth all other men in comparison of his great understanding. But charitably I exhort him in Christ to take heed, for though Judas were wilier than his fellows to Judas. get lucre, yet he proved not most wise at the last end. Neither though Baalam the false prophet had a clear Baalam. sight to bring the curse of God upon the children of Israel, for honour's sake, yet his covetousness did so blind his prophecy, that he could not see his own end. Let, therefore, M. More and his company awake by times, A good adere ever their sin be ripe, lest the voice of their wickedness ascend up, and awake God out of his sleep, to look More. upon them, and to bow his ears unto their cursed blasphemies against the open truth, and to send his harvestmen and mowers of vengeance, to reap it.

But how happeth it that M. More hath not contended in likewise against his darling Erasmus all this long while? Doth he not change this word ecclesia into congregation, and that not seldom in the New Testament? Peradventure he oweth him favour because he made Moria in his house. Which book, if it were in English, then should

monition

to M.

M. More favour did greatly

Erasmus.

every man see, how that he then was far otherwise minded than he now writeth. But, verily, I think that as Judas betrayed not Christ for any love that he had unto the high priests, scribes and pharisees, but only to come by that M. More wherefore he thirsted; even so M. More (as there are was a deep dissembler. tokens evident) wrote not these books for affection any that he bare unto the spiritualty, or unto the opinions which he so barely defendeth, but to obtain only that which he was an hùngred for. I pray God that he eat not too hastily, lest he be choked at the latter end, but that he repent, and resist not the Spirit of God, which openeth light unto the world.

WHY HE USETH THIS WORD ELDER, AND
NOT PRIEST.

M. More is A

captious.

M. More condemneth the

Latin text.

1 Pet. v.

NOTHER thing which he rebuketh, is, that I interpret this Greek word presbyteros by this word senior. Of a truth senior is no very good English, though senior and junior be used in the universities; but there came no better in my mind at that time. Howbeit, I spied my fault since, long ere M. More told it me, and have mended it in all the works which I since made, and call it an elder. And in that he maketh heresy of it, to call presbyteros an elder, he condemneth their own old Latin text of heresy also, which they use yet daily in the church, and have used, I suppose, this fourteen hundred years. For that text doth call it an elder likewise. In Seniores the 1 Pet. v. thus standeth it in the Latin text. qui in vobis sunt, obsecro ego consenior, pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi. The elders that are among you, I beseech, which am an elder also, that ye feed the flock of Christ, which is among you. There is presbyteros called an elder.

And in that he saith, Feed

Christ's flock, he meaneth even the ministers that were chosen to teach the people, and to inform them in God's word, and no lay-persons. And in the 2nd Epistle of John, John ii. saith the text, Senior electa domina et filiis ejus. The

Bishops are

ordained to

he over

seers and

governors

of the church.

elder unto the elect lady and to her children. And in the John iii. 4th Epistle of John, Senior Gaio dilecto. The elder unto the beloved Gaius. In these two Epistles presbyteros is called an elder. And in Acts, chap. xx., the text Acts xx. saith Paul sent for majores natu ecclesiæ, the elders in birth of the congregation or church, and said unto them, Take heed unto yourselves, and unto the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Episcopos ad regendum ecclesiam Dei, bishops, overseers, to govern the church of God. There is presbyteros called an elder in birth, which same immediately is called a bishop or overseer, to declare what persons are meant. Hereof ye see that I have no more erred than their own text, which they have used since the Scripture was first in the Latin tongue, and that their own text understandeth by presbyteros, nothing save an elder. And they were called elders, because of their age, gravity and sadness, as thou mayest see by the text and bishops, or overseers, by the reason of their offices. And all that were called elders, (or priests, if they so will) were called bishops also, though they have divided the names now, which thing thou mayest evidently see by the first chapter of Titus, and Acts xx., and other places more.

And when he layeth Timothy unto my charge, how he was young, then he weeneth that he hath won his gilden spurs. But I would pray him to shew me where he readeth that Paul calleth him presbyteros, priest, or elder. I durst not then call him episcopus properly. For those overseers which we now call bishops after the Greek word, were alway biding in one place to govern the congregation there.

Now was Timothy an apostle. And Paul also writeth that he came shortly again. Well, will he say, it cometh

The minis. ters of the

church, why they were called

elders.

Bishops ought to be biders in

one place.

yet all to one. For if it becometh the lower minister to be of a sad and discreet age, much more it becometh the higher. It is truth. But two things are without law, God and necessity. If God, to shew his power, shall shed out his grace more upon youth than upon age at a time, who shall let him? Women be no meet vessels to rule or to preach, (for both are forbidden them) yet hath God endowed them with his Spirit at sundry times, and shewed his power and goodness upon them, and wrought wonderful things by them, because he would not have them despised. We read that women have judged all Israel, and have been great prophetesses, and have done mighty deeds. Yea, and if stories be true, women have preached since the opening of the New Testament.

Do not our women now christen and minister the sacrament of baptism in time of need? Might they not by as good reason preach also, if necessity required? If a woman were driven into some island, where Christ was never preached, might she there not preach him, if she had the gift thereto ? Might she not also baptize? And why might she not, by the same reason, minister the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and teach them how to choose officers and ministers? O, poor women, how despise ye them! The viler the better welcome unto you. An whore had ye lever than an honest wife. If only shaven and anointed may do these things, then Christ did them not, nor any of his apostles, nor any man in long time after. For they used no such ceremonies.

Notwithstanding, though God be under no law, and necessity lawless; yet be we under a law, and ought to prefer the men before the women, and age before youth, as nigh as we can. For it is against the law of nature that young men should rule the elder, and as uncomely as that women should rule the men, but when need requireth. And, therefore, if Paul had had other shift, and a man of age as meet for the room, he would not have put Timothy in the office, he should no doubt have been kept

back until a fuller age, and have learned in the meantime

ferred by

why young
Timothy
was pre-
Paul to be
bishop.
Paul was
a fatherly
instructorto

a

St. Paul was a worthy and most reve

rend father and in

in silence. And whatsoever thou be that readest this, I exhort thee in our Lord, that thou read both the Epistles The cause of Paul to Timothy, that thou mayest see how diligently (as a mother careth for her child, if it be in peril) Paul writeth unto Timothy, to instruct him, to teach him, to exhort, to courage him, to stir him up, to be wise, sober, diligent, circumspect, sad, humble and meek, saying: These I write that thou mayest know how to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church or con- Timothy. gregation. Avoid lusts of youth, beware of ungodly fables and old wives' tales, and avoid the company of men of corrupt minds, which waste their brains about wrangling questions. Let no man despise thine youth. As who should say, Youth is a despised thing of itself, whereunto men give none obedience or reverence naturally. See, therefore, that thy virtue exceed, to recompense thy lack of age, and that thou so behave thyself that no fault be found with thee. And again, Rebuke not an elder sharply, but exhort him as thy father, and young men as thy bre- structor. thren, and the elder women as thy mothers, and the young women as thy sisters, and such like in every chapter. Admit none accusation against an elder under less than two witnesses. And Paul chargeth him in the sight of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his elect angels, to do nothing rashly or of affection. And shortly, whereunto youth is most prone and ready to fall, thereof warneth he him with all diligence, even almost or altogether half a dozen times of some one thing. And finally, as a man would teach a child that had never before gone to school, so tenderly and so carefully doth Paul teach him. It is another thing to teach the people, and to teach the preacher. Here Paul teacheth the preacher, young Timothy. And when he affirmeth that I say, how that the oiling and shaving is no part of the priesthood, that improveth he not, nor can do. And therefore I say it yet. And when he hath insearched the uttermost that he can, this is

A great difference

between teaching of the people,

and teach

ing of a

preacher.

Oiling nor shaving is any thing or any part of priesthood.