Letters to the Churches

Notwithstanding, through bearing of children she shalbe saued if they continue in faith, and loue, and holines with modestie.

This is a true saying, If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a worthie worke.

A Bishop therefore must be vnreproueable, the husband of one wife, watching, temperate, modest, harberous, apt to teache,

Not giuen to wine, no striker, not giuen to filthy lucre, but gentle, no fighter, not couetous,

One that can rule his owne house honestly, hauing children vnder obedience with all honestie.

For if any cannot rule his owne house, how shall he care for the Church of God?

He may not be a yong scholer, lest he being puffed vp fall into the condemnation of the deuill.

He must also be well reported of, euen of them which are without, lest he fall into rebuke, and the snare of the deuill.

Likewise must Deacons be graue, not double tongued, not giuen vnto much wine, neither to filthy lucre,

Hauing the mysterie of the faith in pure conscience.

And let them first be proued: then let them minister, if they be found blameles.

Likewise their wiues must be honest, not euill speakers, but sober, and faithfull in all things.

Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as can rule their children well, and their owne housholdes.

For they that haue ministred well, get them selues a good degree, and great libertie in the faith, which is in Christ Iesus.

These things write I vnto thee, trusting to come very shortly vnto thee.

But if I tary long, that thou maist yet know, how thou oughtest to behaue thy self in ye house of God, which is the Church of the liuing God, the pillar and ground of trueth.

And without controuersie, great is the mysterie of godlinesse, which is, God is manifested in the flesh, iustified in the Spirit, seene of Angels, preached vnto the Gentiles, beleeued on in the world, and receiued vp in glorie.

Now the Spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and shall giue heede vnto spirits of errour, and doctrines of deuils,

Which speake lies through hypocrisie, and haue their cosciences burned with an hote yron,

Forbidding to marrie, and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes of them which beleeue and knowe the trueth.

For euery creature of God is good, and nothing ought to be refused, if it be receiued with thankesgiuing.

For it is sanctified by the worde of God, and prayer.

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Iesus Christ, which hast bene nourished vp in the wordes of faith, and of good doctrine, which thou hast continually followed.

But cast away prophane, and olde wiues fables, and exercise thy selfe vnto godlinesse.

For bodily exercise profiteth litle: but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things, which hath the promise of the life present, and of that that is to come.