Westminster Annotations, Titus 2
ANNOTATIONS ON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL THE Apostle to TITVS.
CHAP. I.
Vers. 1. ACcording to the faith] Either the doctrine of faith which the Elect of God have ever beleeved from the beginning; or according to the faith which was wrought in the Elect, and whereby they are led to the acknowledgement of the saving truth of Christian Religion.
V. 2. In hope] Or, for hope.
before the world began] Or, secular, or, everlasting times. See 2 Tim. 1. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 20.
V. 4. own sonne] See 1 Tim. 1. 2.
common faith] That which before he called the faith of the Elect, he here calleth the common faith: as Jude v. 3. the common salvation that is, the ordinary means of salvation, or the faith communicated to all the Elect through the whole world; or the faith common to me and thee, for there is but one way of salvation common, both to the Pastour and the flock, to the father in Christ, as the Apostle was, and the sonne begotten by him in the Gospel, as Titus was.
V. 5. left I thee in Crete] Crete is an Island in the Mediterranean or Mid-land Sea, now called Candie; of which see Acts 2. 11. & 27. 7, 12.
set in order] Either to correct and amend what was done amisse, or farther to supply and perfect whatsoever was lacking of things behooffull to the Church.
wanting] Or, left undone.
ordain elders] Gr. appoint. That is, Pastours, one or more in all places, where there is a convenient number of the faithfull.
had appointed] Gr. gave order to.
V. 6. If any be blamelesse] See 1 Tim. 3. 2, &c.
V. 7. a bishop] See Phil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 2.
good men] Or, good things.
V. 9. as he hath been taught] Or, in teaching.
exhort] Gr. Tec. comfort those that are in affliction.
V. 11. Whose mouthes must be stopped] Either by solid confuting their errours, or by suspension and Ecclesiasticall censures.
V. 12. a Prophet of their own] Some will have this allegation to be taken out of Callimachus his hymne in praise of Jupiter; where the first part of this verse is found; but Callimachus was no Prophet of the Cretians: the Apostle therefore certainly meaneth Epimenides, who himself was a Cretian, whose Poem is called a Book of Oracles or Prophecies; among whom this whole Verse is found, viz. the Cretians are alwayes lyers, that is, craftie companions, false in their words and deeds, as the Latine Proverb, Cretizare cum Cretensibus, declareth: Evill beasts, that is, fierce, intractable, and dangerous to deal withall; and slow bellies, that is, given to sloth, and idlenesse, and luxurious gluttons. Which censure of the Cretians the Apostle here confirms, not to discredit those Islanders, or blast their reputation, but to discover the maladies of that people to him, whom he there left as a Physitian, to cure them by sound and wholesome doctrine.
V. 13. sharply] Gr. cuttingly, touching them to the quick.
V. 14. Not giving] See 1 Tim. 1. 4.
commandements of men] The Apostle forbiddeth not simply to give heed to the commandements of men: for elswhere he requireth us to obey the lawfull commands of our superiours in Church and Common-wealth: but to the traditions of those of the circumcision, whom he taxeth, vers. 10. and generally of such men as walke not with a right foot to the Gospel; for it is not here said simply the commandements of men, but of such men as turne from the truth, and therefore we must turne from them.
V. 15. Ʋnto the pure all things] See Rom. 14. 20. That is, all meats and other creatures of God. For the ceremoniall Law of Moses which made a distinction of clean and unclean meates being abrogated by the Gospel, the use of all those things is pure and holy to the faithfull, being themselves pure, that is, cleansed by the blood of Christ and sanctified by his Spirit: whereas on the contrary, the spirituall uncleannesse of unbeleevers maketh that the very things otherwise permitted by Moses, become unclean to them, Hag. 2. 13.
their mind and conscience i… defiled] Impuritie and uncleannesse doth not consist in the outward abstinence from any meats, or the eating of them, but it lyeth within the soul of man, and the faculties of the same, which are all of them unclean and defiled with sinne in the unbeleevers. Those two parts of man which may seem most pure and free from sinne, viz. the minde, which retaineth yet some light of knowledg, and the conscience, that applyeth this light, to testifie, discern, and judge of mens actions good or evill, now by that inward and in-bred corruption of ignorance and perversnesse, is become impure to man, the former hindring the knowledge of the latter conformitie to the will of God: by the former he tempteth God, and by the other he offendeth and resisteth him so long as he continueth in his unregenerate estate.
V. 16. reprobate] Or, void of judgement.
CHAP. II.
Vers. 1. SPeak thou] The doctrine of faithfull Pastours must not only be generally pure and sound, but particularly and discreetly applyed to all ages, and sexes, and callings, according to the diversitie of circumstances.
V. 2. sober] Or, vigilant.
V. 3. holinesse] Or, holy women.
false accusers] Or, make-bates.
given] Gr. subject; or, enslaved.
to much wine] foreign signifieth more then given to much wine, it implyeth as much as overcome or enslaved: whereby it appeares that as the men of Crete were given to their belly and luxurious feeding, chap. 1. 12. so the women also were given to their palate and more liberall drinking of wine, even to distemper: an odious vice in men, but much more in women.
V. 4. sober] Or, wise.
V. 5. obedient] See Ephes. 5. 23.
V. 6. sober-minded] Or, discreet.
V. 7. A pattern of good workes] A faithfull Minister must preach the Gospel as well in his life, as in his Sermons: so Saint Peter (Ep. 1. ch. 5. ver. 3.) requireth the Elders to carry themselves, not as Lords over Gods inheritance, but as ensamples to the flock.
V. 9. servants] See Ephes. 6. 5. Coloss. 3. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 18.
answering] Or, gain-saying.
V. 10. adorn the doctrine of God] As the ill lives of professors is a great obloquie and blemish, so on the contrary, their godly conversation is a great honourand ornament to the Doctrine of the Gospel.
V. 11. grace of God] The exceeding mercy and goodnesse of God: or the doctrine of the grace of God, exhibited to us by Christ, and comprehended in the Gospel.
that bringethsalvation, &c.] Or, that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appered.
hath appeared] foreign illuxit, hath clearly manifested it selfe, or shined forth as a light in the darknesse of the shadowes of the Old Testament, and of the ignorance of heathenisine, Esay 42. 7. 16. 18. Acts 26. 18. Rom. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 1 Jo. 2. 8.
to all men] Without distinction of Nations, sex, age, or condition, 1 Tim. 2. 4.
V. 12. Denying ungodlinesse] Thatis, renouncing and forsaking them. Under the name of ungodlinesse he compriseth all breaches of the first Table; under worldly lusts all inordinate desires against the second: which are called worldly, both in respect of the object, because they are conversant about such things as belong to the present estate of this life and world, and in regard of the subject, viz. such lusts as are found and reign in worldly and unregenerate men which are deseribed, Ephes. 2. 2, 3. & 4. 17, 18, 19. 1 Pet. 4. 3. 1 Joh. 2. 16.
we should live soberly] As in the former words were comprised all the negative, so under these three adverbs all the affirmative precepts of the Law, which have a three-fold reference: the first to our selves, the second to our neighbour, the third to God. Soberly, in respect of our selves; righteously, in respect of our neighbours and holily or godly, in respect of God. Haec tria perpetuo meditare adverbia Pauli, Haec tria sint vitae regula sancta auae.
V. 13. Looking] See 1 Cor. 1. 7. Phil. 3. 20.
blessed hope] The blessed recompense of reward which wee stedfastly hope for, everlasting life and glory, which we shall be fully possessed of at the second comming of Christ, which shall be with great majesty and glory, Col. 1. 5.
the great God] To the confutation and confusion of all that deny the Deity of Christ, the Apostle here calleth him not onelyonly God, but the great God, that is, immense, and of infinite power: for as life when it is attributed to God, signifieth immortality, and wealth all-sufficiencie, and age eternity, and strength omnipotencie, so greatnesse immensitie.
V. 14. redeem us from all iniquity] From the guilt, punishment and power of all sinne.
purifie unto himselfe] Purifie by faith in our justification, by charity and other graces of the Spirit in our sanctification: or, purifie, that is, sanctifie or consecrate to himself.
a peculiar people] A people exempt and separate from the rest of the world, a people whom he receives into his speciall favour and protection, whom he esteems as his chiefe treasure and pretious Jewell. Mal. 3. 17. 1 Pet. 2. 9.
zealous ofgood works] Not onelyonly carefull to shew forth good work, but bearinga servent affection to them, and earnestly striving that none may out-strip or excell you in them.
CHAP. III.
Vers. 1. TO be subject] Rom. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13.
principalities and powers] Some conceive that there were divers in …rete and other parts who were infected with the doctrine of Judas Galileus, of whom Gamahel speaketh, Act. 5. 37. who denyed that any ought to be called Lords save God; and that the people of God ought to pay tribute to none: and for this cause the Apostle both her and elsewhere presseth the doctrine of obedience to all civil Magistrates under the name of principalities and powers.
V. 2. brawlers] Gr. fighters.
all meeknesse] Though all sinners are not alike to be handled, but on some we are to have compassion, others to save with feare, pulling them out of the fire, Jude 23. yet the Ministers of God must doe nothing in rage or passion, but with the spirit of meeknesse, shewing all meeknesse to all men, Gentiles as well Jewes, enemies as well as friends, and that especially out of this consideration, that the best of Christians before their conversion were as bad as the worst of them, whose carriage is most offensive to the Church, v. 3.
V. 3. we out selves] 1 Cor. 6. 11.
V. 4. kindnesse and love] Or, pitie. See Chap. 2. 11.
V. 5. Not by, &c.] 2 Tim. 1. 9.
works of righteousnesse] That is, such as aredone according to the Law of God, which is the rule of all righteousnesse: so that here all workes are excluded from being meritorious causes of our salvation, not onelyonly the works of the ceremoniall Law, but also morall; not onelyonly done before our conversion, but after; for here the merciemercy of God is set against all works done by us, and to it alone is our salvation ascribed.
washing of regeneration] By the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which is like unto a Bath of water, whereby the filth of our sinnes is washed away and cleansed, Ezek. 36. 25, 26, 27. whereof the Font of Baptisine is a sign and seal. See the like manner of speech, Rom. 4. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 21.
and renewing of the Holy Ghost] The renewing, which the vertue of the Holy Ghost worketh, who applyeth the blood of Christ to the soule of the faithfull as the expiation for sinnes, whereupon a man is made a new creature regenerated accorcording to the image of God in righteousnesse and holinesse.
V. 6. abundantly] Gr. richly.
V. 8. maintaine good workes] Gr. goe before others, or excell in good.
V. 9. avoid foolish questions] 1 Tim. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 23.
V. 10. A man that is an heretick] An obstinate defender and spreader of erroneous doctrine, repugnant to the foundation of faith, and tending to the disturbing and distracting of the Church.
after the first and second admonition] This word comprehendeth not onelyonly warning given by the Church, but instructions resolving of his doubts, cleare refutations of his errour, friendly exhortations both in private and publike.
reject] Do not troublke thy self to dispute any more with him, for that were to cast holy things before dogges, Matth. 7. 6. giveno more eare to his replies, eavils, and objections, but according to thy office excommunicate him, hold him for a profane person, and as a member cut off from the body of the Church, Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 13. Gal. 1. 8, 9. & 5. 12. 2 Thess. 3. 14.
V. 11. is subverted] Quite desperate, perverted both in mind and will in things concerning the faith, like to a building that is broken down to the very foundation.
V. 11. condemned of himselfe] Sinneth wilfully and in a high degree, being convinced in his own conscience, that he shuts his eyes against the light, and resisteth and opposeth the known truth.
V. 12. to Nicopolis] A Citie in Macedonia, which had that name, as some affirm, given it from foreign, and foreign, because at that Citie, as S. Jerome writeth, Augustus got a famous victory against Antony and Cleopatra.
V. 14. maintain good works] Or, prosesse honest trades.