Do not receive a charge against an Officer of the Church, 19 unless it is supported by two or three witnesses; but rebuke offenders publicly, so that others may take warning.

On various

I

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charge you solemnly, before God and Christ Jesus and the Chosen Angels, to carry out these direcSubjects. tions, unswayed by prejudice, never acting with partiality. Never ordain any one hastily, and take no part in the wrong-doing of others. Keep your life pure. Do not continue to drink water only, but take a little wine on account of the weakness of your stomach, and your frequent ailments. There are some men whose sins are conspicuous and lead on to judgement, while there are others whose sins dog their steps. In the 25 same way noble deeds become conspicuous, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

As to Slaves.

All who are in the position of slaves should regard their masters as deserving of the greatest respect, so that the Name of God, and our Teaching, may not be maligned. Those who have Christian masters should not think less of them because they are their Brothers, but on the contrary they should serve them all the better, because those who are to benefit by their good work are dear to them as their fellow Christians.

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False

IV. CONCLUSION.

Those are the things to insist upon in your teaching. Any one who teaches otherwise, and 3 Teaching. refuses his assent to sound instruction-the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ-and to the teaching of religion, is puffed up with conceit, not really knowing 4 anything, but having a morbid craving for discussions and arguments. Such things only give rise to envy, quarrelling, recriminations, base suspicions, and incessant wrangling on 5 the part of these corrupt-minded people who have lost all hold on the Truth, and who think of religion only as a source

Wealth.

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of gain. And a great source of gain religion is, 6 True when it brings contentment with it! For we brought nothing into the world, because we cannot even carry anything out of it. So, with food and shelter, 8 we will be content. Those who want to be rich fall into the 9 snares of temptation, and become the prey of many foolish and harmful ambitions, which plunge people into Destruction and Ruin. Love of money is a source of all kinds of evil; 10 and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the Faith, and have been pierced to the heart by many a regret.

19 Deut 19. 15.

But do you, Servant of God, avoid all this. II Personal Aim at righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurExhortations. ance, gentleness. Run the great race of the 12 Faith, and win the Immortal Life. It was for this that you received the Call, and, in the presence of many witnesses, made the great profession of Faith. I urge you, as in the 13 sight of God, the source of all life, and of Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate made the great profession of Faith--I urge you to keep his Command free from stain or reproach, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. This will be brought about in his own time by the one ever-blessed Potentate, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, who 16 alone is possessed of immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or ever can see-to whom be ascribed honour and power for ever. Amen.

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Urge upon those who are wealthy in this life not to pride 17 themselves, or fix their hopes, on so uncertain a thing as wealth, but on God, who gives us a wealth of enjoyment on every side. Urge upon them to show kindness, to exhibit a wealth of good actions, to be open-handed and generous, storing up for themselves what in the future will prove to be a good foundation, that they may gain the only true Life.

·

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane prattle and contradictions of what some miscall theology,' for there are those who, while asserting their proficiency in it, have yet, as regards the Faith, gone altogether astray.

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TO TIMOTHY.

THE SECOND LETTER TO TIMOTHY,

[DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING UNCERTAIN.]

WHAT has been said as to the history of the first of these two "Letters to Timothy" applies equally to the second.

This Letter contains warnings against false Teachers, and exhortations to an earnest discharge of duty. It has been supposed to be the last extant letter written by St. Paul.