1 FOR the rest, brethren, pray for us, that the word of God may have course and be glorified, as also with you: 

2 And that we may be delivered from importunate and naughty men. For all men have not faith. 

3 But our Lord is faithful, who will confirm and keep you from evil. 

4 And we have confidence of you in our Lord, that the things which we command, both you do, and will doe. 

5 And our Lord direct your hearts in the charity of God, and patience of Christ. 

6 And we denounce unto you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking inordinatly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us. 

7 For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us: for we have not been unquiet among you: 

8 Neither have we eaten bread of any man gratis, but in labor and in toil night and day working, lest we should burden any of you. 

9 *Not as though we had not authority: but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you for to imitate us. 

10 For also when we were with you, this we denounced to you, that if any will not work, neither let him eat. 

11 For we have heard of certain among you that walk unquietly, working no thing, but curiously meddling. 

12 And to them that be such we denounce, and beseech them in our Lord Jesus Christ, that working with silence, they eat their own bread. 

13 But you brethren *faint not well-doing. 

14 And if any obey not our word, note him by an epistle: and do not company with him, that he may be confounded: 

15 And do not esteem him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 

16 And the Lord of peace himself give you everlasting peace in every place. Our Lord be with you all. 

17 The salutation, with my own hand, Paul: which is a sign in every epistle, so I write. 

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

__________________________

6. Tradition. Here also, as is noted before, 2 Thes. 2:15, the adversaries in their translations avoid the word Tradition, being plain in the Greek, lest themselves might seem to be noted as men walking inordinately, and not according to Apostolical Tradition, as all Schismatics, Heretics, and rebels to God's Church do.

10. Neither let him eat. It is not a general precept or rule, that every man should live by his hand-work, as the Anabaptists argue falsely against gentlemen, and the Calvinists apply it perversely against the vacant life of the clergy, especially of Monks and other religious men. But it is a natural admonition only, given to such as had not wherewith to live of their own, or any right or good cause why to challenge their food from others, and to such as under the color of Christian liberty did pass their time idly, curiously, unprofitably, and scandalously, refusing to do such works as were agreeable to their former calling and bringing up. Such as these, were not tolerable, especially there and then, when the apostle and others (that might lawfully have lived by the altar and their preaching) yet to disburden their hearers and for the better advancement of the Gospel, wrought for their living: protesting nevertheless continually, that they might have done otherwise, as well as St. Peter and the rest did, who wrought not, but were maintained otherwise justly and lawfully, as all sorts of the clergy preaching or serving the Church and the altar are, and ought to be, by the law of God and nature. Whose spiritual labors far surpass all bodily labors, where the duties and func tions of that vocation are done as they ought : as St. Augustine affirms of his own extraordinary pains incident to the ecclesiastical affairs and government: instead of which, if the use of the Church and his infirmity would have permitted it, he wishes he might have labored with his hands some hours of the day. As some of the clergy did ever voluntary employ themselves in teaching, writing, graving, painting, planting, sowing, embroidering, or such like seemly and innocent labors. See St. Jerome, (ep. 114. seu praef. in Job. & in vit. Hilarionis). And Monks for the most part in the primitive Church (few of them being priests, and many taken from servile works and handy- crafts, yea oftentimes professed from bond-men made free by their masters to enter into religion) were appointed by their Superiors to work certain hours of the day to supply the wants of their monasteries: as yet the religious do (women especially) in many places, which stands well with their profession. And St. Augustine writes a whole book (de opere Monachorum, to 3.) against the error of certain disordered Monks that abused these words, Nolito esse sollicitti, Be not careful, etc. and Respicite volatilia, caeli, Behold the fowls of the air, etc. to prove that they should not labor at all, but pray only and commit their support to God: not only so excusing idleness, but preferring themselves in holiness above others their companions that did work, and erroneously expounding the said Scriptures for their defense: as they did other Scriptures, to prove that they should not be shaved after the manner of Monks. Which letting their hair grow, he much blames also in them. See (li. 2. Retract. c. 21. and de op. Monach. c. 31.) and St. Jerome, (ep. 48. c. 3.) of Nuns cutting their hair. Where by the way you see that the religious were shaved even in St. Augustine's time, who reproaches them for their hair, calling them Crinitos, Hairlings, as the heretics now contrariwise deride them by the word Kasos, Shavelings. So that there is a great difference between the ancient Fathers and the new Protestants. And as for hand-labors, as St. Augustine, in the book alleged, would not have religious folks to refuse them, where necessity, bodily strength, and the order of the church or monastery permit or require them: so he expressly writes, that all cannot nor are bound to work, and that, whosoever preaches or administers the Sacraments to the people or serves the altar (as all religious men commonly now do) may challenge their living of them whom they serve, and are not bound to work, no nor such neither as have been brought up before in state of gentlemen, and have given away their lands and goods, and made themselves poor for Christ's sake. Which is to be noted, because the heretics affirm the said Scripture and St. Augustine to condemn all such as idle persons. 

14. Obey not. Our pastors must be obeyed, and not only secular princes, and such as will not be obedient to their spiritual governors, the apostle (as St. Augustine says) gives order and commandment that they be corrected by conception or admonition — By degradation, excommunication, and other lawful kinds of punishments. (Cont. Donatist. post Collat. c. 4. 20.) Read also this holy Father's answer, to such as said: Let our prelates command us only what we ought to do, and pray for us that we may do it; but let them not correct us. Where he proves that prelates must not only command and pray, but punish also if that be not done which is commanded. (Li. de correp. and grat. c. 3.)

Note him. Disobedient persons are to be excommunicated, and the excommunicated to be separated from the company of other Christians, and the faithful not to keep any company or have conversation with excommunicated persons, neither to be partakers with them in the fault for which they are excommunicated, nor in any other act of religion or office of life, except cases of more necessity and others prescribed and permitted by the law: all this is here insinuated, and that all the Church's censures are grounded in Scriptures and the examples of the apostles.