foure parts Of the diuision of the holy Scriptures and ascribe some bokes as wel of the old testament as of the new to lawes some to histories some to prophecies and other some agayne to wisdome But it is not meete so to deuyde the bookes of the holye scripture one from an other bicause that in the bokes of Exodus Leuiticus Numeri and Dâ—uteromie in which they appoint lawes to be conteined are founde almoste as many histories as lawes Besides that in the bokes which they assigne to prophetes lawes of liuing vprightlye are oftentimes written and clearely expounded Neither can we properly separate the bokes of Salomon other of the kynd which they wil haue proper to wisdome from lawes and prophecies For there are in them sentences here and there written which seruing for the instruction of life haue also wtout controuersy the nature of lawes Furthermore for the that in theÌ„ are very many secretes opened vnto the church by the inspiration of the spirite of god they poure vndoubtedly into the attentife hearers oracles of thinges to come It may easily he graunted that all these things which they make mentioÌ„ of are founde in the holy bookes I meane the precepts of liuing notable hystories prophecies of thinges to come and also moste wise sentences and sayinges but in such sort that in maner in euery booke they are set forth vnto vs dispersedly neither yet would I that these holy bookes should be deuided one from an other by these endes and limittes I would rather thinke as the learned sorte doe also iudge that whatsoeuer thinges are conteyned in the holy Scriptures should be referred vnto two principall heades the lawe I meane and the gospell There be two principal pointes whereunto al the whole scriptures are referred For euery where are declared vnto vs either the precepts of god of vpright liuing or wheÌ„ we are reproued to haue strayed froÌ„ theÌ„ by reasoÌ„ of weakenes or els of malice the gospel is layd forth before vs wherin by Christ that thing wherein we haue offended is pardoned and the strength and power of the holy ghost promised vs to reforme vs againe to the image of god whiche we had loste These two thinges maye we beholde in all the bookes of Moyses in the histories Prophetes and bookes appointed to wisdome and that not onely in the olde Testamente but also in the newe and they are not separated one from an other by bookes and leaues but by that maner which is now declared What thinges are entreated of in thys boke of Iudges And this is sufficient as touching the generall matter of the holy scriptures But nowe we must peculiarly speake of this booke that we may vnderstand what things they be which are entreated of in the same And to the ende we may the more plainly vnderstande this it is nedefull to call to memory those thinges which were spoken of in the former bookes In Genesis is set forth the creation of the worlde then howe of Abraham Isaac Iacob and his twelue childreÌ„ was engendred the people of god and how they wer brought into Egipt to driue away their famine Exodus teacheth the greate encrease and incredible multiplication of the Israelites the maner also and forme wherby they were of god by Moyses deliuered from bondage and set at liberty and how they wer excelleÌ„tly adorned with lawes iudgementes and ceremonies whiche thinges are also comprehended in the bookes of Leuiticus What is coÌ„tayned in the bookes which go before the iudges The booke of Numbers conteineth very many passages of the Hebrewes and diuerse placings and orderings of their tents in the desert places also certain vsages of those rules which were prescribed before of god in the lawes And lastly of al in Deuteronomy When Moyses should depart out of this life he like a most faithfull minister of god moste learned preacher repeteth vnto the people almost the whole lawe After whose death Iosua captain of the Hebrewes led the people beyond Iordane and possessed some parte of the promised land of Chanaan and deuided it as god had commauÌ„ded to his whole natioÌ„ by tribes WheÌ„ he was dead god gouerned the Hebrewes by certain excellent meÌ„ which were called Iudges of which Iudges this booke which we haue taken in hand to enterpreate hath his name and title Why thys is called the booke of the iudges But for the better vnderstanding of the title therof we muste know that this word Shaphat in the Iewes tongue signifieth somtime to execute the law and to iudge the causes betwene theÌ„ which are at controuersie which office yet is not proper to those Iudges of whiche we nowe entreate For there were Leuites appointed which sate and gaue iudgement at the gates of euery citye and aboue all iudgementes sate Senadrim which were an assembly of 70. elders Senadrim Furthermore the word signifieth to reuenge to set at libertie which these excellent meÌ„ performed whose noble acts ar declared in this volume They by their authoritie through their might and counsell deliuered the Israelites when they were oppressed of straungers and kept them in the obseruing of the law true worshipping of God And that their office may the better be perceiued we wyll briefly expound the face and estate of that publike weale God himselfe was the true and proper king of that nation Of the common wealth estate of the Iewes for he onely had the principal power there but not as he had ouer other nations but so that he by his becke oracle and certain commaundement gouerned the estate of the Israelites which he promised to do in the .18 chap. of Exodus Wheras he said that that people should be hys chiefe kingdome But bycause he would also vse the ministery of men he prouyded al thyngs necessary for the Hebrewes fyrst by Moyses and then by Iosua as long as they liued They exercised the office of princes or captaines which men being dead god would haue the best and most excellent men to haue the rule ouer theÌ„ for such men were picked out to be of the senate whose excellent conditions are set forth as well in Exodus as in Deuteronomy for the lawes of God would not suffer euery one to be called to that office That is wheÌ„ the best men are gouernours ouer the coÌ„moÌ„ weale If thou shalt therfore consider these men then shalt thou see the forme of that gouernment which is called Aristocratia But bicause that it was not lawfull to attempt great matters without the peoples consent we may therfore iustly thinke that it was also a common wealth which endured to the tyme of Saule and Dauid the first kings That estate therfore in respect of god was a kingdome but in respect of the Senate those chiefe men it was Aristocratia Bicause in electing of theÌ„ they had no regard to their riches but to their vertue and godlines for that the weightiest
the holy oracles and wordes of god should get their credite by men which are otherwise lyers But these things they faine to the entēt that seyng they are manifestlye founde often tymes to haue decreed and ratified in the Sacraments doctrines farre otherwise than the holy scriptures will beare Whiche thing they would defend that they may do it bycause the Churche whiche doth bring authoritie and credite to the worde of God may alter things in the holy Scriptures as pleased it Wherfore we must resiste them by all meanes possible in this thyng which they take vpon them to do We may not suffre our selues to be brought to thys poynte to thincke that the Scriptures haue had their credite and authority by the Churche And yet do I not write these thynges as thoughe I woulde despise or contemne the dignitie of the Churche vnto the whiche There be three offices of the Churche touching the word of God The Churche as a witnesse kepeth the holy Bookes I do attribute thre offices and them moste excellent as touchyng the worde of GOD. The firste of them is that I do confesse that the Church as a witnesse hath kept the holy bokes But thereby it can not be proued that it is lawful for it to peruert or alter any thing in the holy bookes Experience teacheth vs that publique and priuate wrytinges are committed to scriueners whiche are commonly called notaryes to be layd vp and diligently kept of thē And yet there is none that is in his right wittes which wil say that he may alter any thing in them or wil beleue that their authoritie is of greater force than their willes were whiche desired to haue the same written The worde of God reuealed and written Neither shall it be here vnprofitable to obserue the difference betwene the worde of god as it was reuealed at the beginning to the Prophetes sainctes as it was afterwardes preached or written For we do easely acknowledge betwene these that there is onely difference of tyme and not of the authoritie or efficacie For we confesse that the worde vnwritten was more auncient than that which was afterward appointed to letters and we graunt that either cōferred together was geuen to the Churche but in suche sorte that the Churche as we haue sayd can not by any meanes wrest or chaunge it The office of the Churche is to publishe and preache the worde of God And this vndoubtedly is the second office of the Church to preach publish the wordes committed vnto it by God In which thing it is lyke a common crier who althoughe he do publishe the decrees of princes and magistrates yet he is not aboue the decrees or equal vnto them in authoritie But his whole office is faithfully to pronounce all thynges as he hath receaued them of the princes and magistrates And if he should otherwise do he should be counted altogether for a traytour Wherfore the ministers of the Churche ought to care and study for nothing so much as to be founde faithfull We acknowledge also the last office of the Churche to be The Churche discerneth the holy bokes frō counterfaite such as are Apochriphas that seyng it is endued with the spirite of God it must therfore discerne the sincere vncorrupted bookes of holy Scriptures from the counterfaite and Apocriphas whiche is not yet to be in authoritie aboue the worde as many do foolishely dreame For there are very many which can discerne the true propre writings of Plato and Aristotle from other falsely put to them yet in comparison of iudgement they are neither of greater lernyng nor yet of equall with Plato or Aristotle And euery one of vs cā easely know God from the deuill yet are we not to be coūted equal with God much lesse can we thinck that we do excel him So the Churche ought not bycause of this to preferre faith or authoritie thereof before the Scriptures Augustine But they say Augustine sayeth I would not beleue the Gospell except the authoritie of the Churche did moue me therunto But in that place is read to moue together for in very dede Faith is not poured in by the minister but by God it is the spirite of God which poureth faith into the hearers of his worde And bycause the ministers of the Churche are his instrumentes they are rather to be sayd to moue with than absolutely to moue The same Augustine writeth in his 28. booke and second chap. against Faustus that the Maniches ought so to beleue that the first chap. of Matthew was writtē by Matthew euen as they did beleue that the Epistle whiche they called Fundamentum was written by Maniche bycause vndoubtedly they were so kept by their elders from hande to hand deliuered vnto them This is it therfore that the Churche moueth withall to beleue the Gospell bycause faithfully it kepeth the holy scriptures preacheth them and discerneth them from straunge Scriptures The same father manifestly witnesseth in his 6. booke of his confessions the 4. and 5. chap. that God him selfe in very dede did geue authoritie to the holy scriptures Tertullianus Irenaeus But Tertullianus and Irenaeus hauing to do against heretikes did therfore send thē to the Apostolicall Churches bycause they did not admitte the whole scriptures Wherfore they would that they should take their iudgemēt of those Churches which were certainly knowen to be Apostolical For it was meete that those Churches should continuallye remayne both witnesses and also keapers of the holy scriptures and yet therfore they did not decree that the authoritie of the Churche should be preferred before the scriptures What is to be thought of a certayn rule of the Logiciens But the aduersaries say that they are led by the sentence whiche is cōmonly vsed among Logiciens Euery thyng is such a thyng by reason of an other VVherfore that other shal more be counted suche Wherfore they reason after this maner If by the Churche the Scripture hath hys authoritie it must nedes be that the Church much more hath that authoritie But they remēber not that this sentence put by the Logiciens taketh place onely in finall causes and is of no strength in efficient causes For althoughe our inferior worlde be made warme by the sunne and the starres yet doth it not thereby followe that they are farre more warmer And agayne when immoderate men by wyne are made droncke we can not therby conclude the wyne to be more dronken than they Yea the Logiciens teache this that this their sentence is then strong and of efficacy in efficient causes when such efficient causes are brought forth whiche are whole and perfect and not whiche are perciall and maymed whiche rule is not obserued of our aduersaries in this argument For the Churche is not the whole and perfect efficient cause of that faith and authoritie whiche the holy Scriptures haue with the faithfull For if it were
agayne to Gellius He sheweth that there were other which thought histories to be either an exposition or els a demonstration of thinges done But yerely chronicles were when things done in many yeres were compiled together obseruing the order of euery yeare c. According to which sentence this our booke cannot be called a yerely chronicle for that in the narrations thereof it oftentimes noteth not the yeres wherin things were done Moreouer the same author I meane Gellius addeth Sempronius Asellios mynde therin but this was the differēce betwene those whiche woulde leaue behinde them yearely chronicles and those which enterprised to write of thinges done by the Romaynes The yerely chronicles did declare that onely whiche was done and in what yeare it was done but that was not sufficient for an history to declare what was done but it must also shew by what counsell and after what sort they were done And a little after the same Aselio writeth in the same booke for neither can the bookes of the yerely chronicles any thing stirre vp the readers to be more quicke to defend the common wealth nor yet more slow to cōmit thinges vnaduisedly Furthermore bicause that by the knowledge of this booke men are admonished and stirred vp to the true worshippyng of god to repent to put their trust in god and to practise all dueties of lyfe cherefully It conteyneth an history and not yerely Chronicles Peraduenture I haue expounded these thinges with to many woordes but yet as I suppose with some fruicte The number of the yeares that the history of the iudges conteyneth But the space of the tyme which is comprehēded in these declarations if we may beleue Augustine in his xviii booke de ciuitate dei and 22. chap. is 329. yeares which he gathereth thus Whē Rome was builded the Hebrewes had bene in the land of Chanaan 718. yeares of which as he saith 27. perteyned vnto Iosua 329. to the Iudges 362. are referred vnto the kinges For Ezechias the king lyued in the tyme of Romulus God is the author of histories An history is not to be counted a thing of mans inuention when as god him selfe was the author therof which would haue the elders to expoūd to their children and their posteritie those thinges which he had done for Israell in Egipte in the sea and in the wildernes And he commaunded also as it is written in Exodus that the warre which was had against Amalech and the victory which the Hebrewes got of him Histories wer before Moyses time should be put in writing yea and this kind of writing began before Moyses for he maketh mencion both of the booke of the battails of the Lord as also of the booke of the iust men I will not speake of the Prophetes which with their prophecies oftētimes mixed histories I passe ouer Dauid who adourned here and there the psalmes whiche he song with histories I skip ouer our Euangelistes and the Actes which Luke wrote in which are written moste profitable histories in the new Testament If god be the author of these bookes as we must nedes beleue thē god must be counted the author of histories which is not a thing for him vnsemely for an history is a noble thīg as Cicero writeth in hys 2. The praise of an history boke de Oratore it is a witnes of times the light of truth the life of memory the maystres of life the messenger of antiquitie c. These prayses certainly are great and they agree not with euery kynde of histories but with those onely in which those rules are obserued What are requisite to a true history The Latin Historiographers are more faithful than the Grecians which the same author hath set forth in that place namely that it set forth no lies or be afraid to tel the truth that there be no suspicion of fauour or flattery Which order although the Latin Historiographers haue more faithfully accōplished than the Grecians for Quintilianus saith in his iiii chap. of his secōd boke that the greke Historiographers vsed as much licence in writing almoste as the Poets did yet Augustine in his .131 epistle to Memorius the Bishop when he amōg other liberall disciplines attributeth much to histories writing of the truth therof saieth that he cannot see how those histories whiche are written of men can wel follow the truth for that the writers are compelled to geue credite vnto men and oftentimes to gather together the brute of the vulgare people The holy histories are most true whiche writers neuerthelesse are yet excused if they kepe liberty and write nothing disceitfull but there can be nothing at al more true than the histories reuealed and written by the inspiration of god as our histories are Besides the truth whose knowledge without controuersie is most excellēt The commoditie of an historye by the reading of histories we get also other cōmodities and those very excellēt By them we attayne to matter and most aboundant plenty of moste profitable arguments For as Quintilianus writeth in the .iiii. chap. of his .12 boke Exāples and histories are iudgementes and testimonies The vse of examples is double And the profit of the examples is at the least way two fold One is that we should imitate vse allow and commend those thinges which we are taught to be done of holy mē We vnderstande by the diuyne historye that Abraham was a holye man and dearly beloued of god and also one that kepte very good hospitalitie Whereby we learne that hospitalitie is a noble vertue and very deare vnto God and againe we are taughte to auoyde those thinges which we see these godlye men to haue auoyded For when we consider howe Dauid woulde not kil Saul hys deadly enemye hauing twice libertie to doe it we gather that it is not to bee permitted that priuate men althoughe it laye in their power shoulde 〈◊〉 reuenge their priuate iniuries The other vse of examples is that of these thinges whiche are there declared perticularly when we shall perceaue that they be al like we may of them gather generally and vniuersally some one profitable sentence By the history of the Sodomites we note how greuously god punished most horrible fleshly filthines and that the tribe of Beniamin for the same cause was almost cleane put out and Ruben the first begotten son of Iacob for incest was put besides his place and dignity Dauid for committing aduoutry incurred horrible punishmentes and Ammon and Absolon for committing incest came to a most wycked end and Troy as the heathen testifye was vtterly ouerthrowen for aduoutry sake Of these things therfore in such sort considered which happened perticularly we plainly say that all these wandring and vnlawfull lustes of men are most greuously punished of god To which propositiō if we shal adde this sentence that now also throughout all Christendom such free and wādring filthy lust raigne euery where we may strongly conclude that for
so then were it very easy to persuade the Ethnickes and Turkes of the holy Scriptures and to bryng the Iewes to receaue the new Testament and how true this is the thing it selfe witnesseth And I thincke I haue spoken enough of the efficient cause of this booke and of the holy Scriptures Of the ende of this booke And now lastly order semeth to require the seyng we haue spoken of the matter forme and efficient cause of the holy bookes we shoulde also entreate somewhat to what end they were written Wherin I thincke it not nedeful to kepe the reader long for that before when I entreated many thynges of an historye I haue expounded also the profite and commodities whiche come therof whiche no doubte of it belong vnto the ende but nowe presently I will say thus much compendiously that all these thinges are mentioned by the holy ghost that we shoulde behaue our selues vprigthly both in prosperitie and also aduersitie For we learne by the examples of holy men when we are afflicted with sundry troubles and miseries stedfastly to holde our faith to put our hope in God to call vpon him only therewithall to repent vs of our sinnes whiche thinges if we do he will no lesse be presente to helpe vs than we know that he oftentimes deliuered the people of the Iewes And this Paul declared when he sayde to the Romaines whatsoeuer things are written they are written for our learning that we thorough patience and consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope Moreouer we are instructed in prosperous thinges to kepe the feare of god lest we fal into grieuous sinnes by whiche meanes we might be made guiltie both of punishement in this lyfe and also of euerlastyng damnatiō Finally we may moste manifestly gather the ende of reading of these bookes out of the Apostles doctrine whiche he deliuered to Timothe writing after this sorte in his second Epistle and third chap. All Scripture geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reprouing to correction and to instruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect and prepared to al good workes And now that as I suppose I haue spoken enough of the end and other causes of this booke I will come nygher to the exposition of the same first I wil declare whether this booke according to the sentence of the Hebrewes be the second booke of the firste Prophetes whose coniunction is so great with the history of Iosua that a man woulde easely saye that they be both one Whether the booke of Iosua ought to be reckened with the booke of Iudges And peraduenture there be some which suppose that Iosua should be reckened with the iudges to whom I will not subscribe For iudges were raised vp of god when the people were oppressed with outwarde enemies but when Iosua was proclaymed prince all the affaires of the Israelites were in good prosperitie For Sihon and Og most mightie kinges were ouercome and that office was cōmitted to Iosua wherby Moyses being dead he might leade the people ouer Iordane and take possessiō of the lande of Chanaan and deuide the promised lande by lottes vnto the children of Israell and besides that the people did set their handes to a decree whiche they had made of Iosua that he whiche obeyed not his voyce should be killed as we read it written in the first chap. of his booke But there is no mention made of suche thynges as concernyng the Iudges And yet both the bookes are so like and of such affinitie that many thinges are repeated in this our booke especially in the beginning whiche no doubte were done when Iosua was yet lyuing There resteth now to admonishe the reader somewhat of the partes of this boke The partes of the booke of Iudges There are as many principall membres in it as there were Iudges to Samuels tyme. For that in euery one of them still riseth vnto vs a new historye But the first of all was Othoniel of whom we will speake in the third chap. So that all those thinges whiche are written vnto that place do contayne the thynges done from the death of Iosua vnto Othoniel And certainly bycause the Iewes as long as Iosua liued worshipped god a right kept the lawe as muche as the weakenesse of mā coulde do god stil wrought with them accordyng to his couenaunt gaue thē a great victorye ouer their enemies so that euery tribe ouercame his enemies for the most part which were yet adioynying to their borders And then when the Israelites obteynyng the victorye did transgresse the commaundements of their god did not cleane destroy the nations which they had ouercome as god had commaunded them yea they made them tributaries vnto them god therfore grieuously admonished them by his messanger bycause they had not onely saued their enemies but also had moste filthyly honoured theyr gods So that god was not wtout a cause angry with them and deliuered them into the handes of outwarde tyrannes But when they were sorye for it and called vpon their god he had compassion of them and raysed them vp Iudges by whom they might be deliuered when they were deliuered they fell agayne to Idolatry they were afflicted againe they repented wherby in course their deliueries and oppressions are set forth But their first oppressiō worthy of memory was vnder Chusan Resanthaim from the which Othoniel the first of al the iudges reuenged them of whom we will speake in his place But now we will put here vnderneth the wordes of the holy history The first Chapter 1 IT came to passe after the death of Iosua that the childrē of Israel asked the Lord sayeng Who shall go vp for vs agaynst the Chananites to fight first agaynst them 2 And the Lorde sayd Iudah shal go vp beholde I haue deliuered the lande into his handes IT semed good vnto the children of Israel to take warre in hande for as it is writtē in the xiii chap. of Iosua they had not yet at this tyme conquered all the promised land so that in euery tribes lotte there were enemyes remayning And when they sawe there was no remedy but that they must dryue them out by force they doubted not whether they shoulde make warre agaynst them but their doubte was whiche tribe should fight before all the other The Israelites aske counsell of God The matter seemed to be of such great importaunce that they asked counsell of god whiche was the chief gouernour of their publicque weale Iosua that worthy captayne was no more a liue at whose becke and pleasure they hanged The Israelites affaires had euill successe whē they were done without God hys counsell Neither yet had they forgotten howe euill successe they had when not long before they toke weighty affaires in hand without asking counsell of God For in their settyng forth to battaill against the citie of Hai they sped very vnluckely in the
Gospell For although God haue promised that the preaching of hys woord shal be fruitful through the benefite of his spirite yet must euerye man instruct him selfe in hys vocation according to his hability Neyther ought men to bragge out of season as phanatical men are accustomed to do God according to hys promyse wyl be with vs when we shal speake He hath promised in dede and wyll surely perfourme when tyme wyl not serue or that a man can not either thincke or meditate what to speake But if libertye be geuen and leasure graunted to fynde dispose and wysely to deuise those thinges which we should speake then can we not be excused but that we tempt God when as we neglect to do these thinges Yea rather let vs plucke all thinges vnto vs what so euer they be so farrefoorth as godlynes permitteth and occasion offereth it selfe to helpe our labour to obtayne those thinges which are already promised vs. Furthermore Princes publicke weales may make leagues somtimes this coniunction of Iudah wyth Simeon doth admonishe the readers that it is lawful in those warres which ar taken in hand iustly to make a league whereby Princes or publique weales maye be ioyned together to defende honest thynges The godly ought not to ioyne them selues wyth the vngodly as Iudah now ioyned fellowshyp wyth the Symeonites to fyght against the Chananites But thys must be taken heede of that such coniunction and league be ioyned together wythout fault neyther ought the godly to ioyne them selues in league wyth the vngodlye For the scripture reproueth Iosaphat who otherwyse was a godly kyng for making league wyth wycked Achab and other kynges are often tymes reprehended by the Prophetes for ioyning them selues in league eyther wyth the Egiptians or els wyth the Assirians But surelye this Simeon was of the same region that Iudah was and both their endeauours tended to thys ende religiously to fulfyl the wyll of God I knowe there be some whych by the example of Asa kyng of Iudah beyng well praysed defende suche leagues made wyth Infidels For he beyng greuouslye oppressed of Basa kyng of the ten Tribes as it is wrytten in the fyrst booke of the Kynges sent vnto Benadab kyng of Siria as appeareth in the .xvi. chapter a certayne somme of gold and syluer and he made a couenant wyth hym of that condicion that he shoulde inuade the kyng of Israel whereby he myght bee deliuered from hys oppression But they whych affirme those thynges should consider wyth them selues two thynges Fyrst that the kyngdome of the tenne Tribes had now fallen from God and from woorshypping of hym Wherfore if an vngodlye kyng was styrred vp agaynst it the same is not for all that to be conferred wyth those whych confessing them selues to be Christians do incense Tyrannes whych are of a straunge religion agaynst other Christians Besydes that thys deede of Asa kyng of Iudah is mencioned in the holy scriptures But we cannot fynde that it was allowed to be well done Yea if we looke vpon the latter booke of Chronicles the syxtene chapter we shall see that that kyng was most greuously rebuked of God by the Prophet for suche a wycked deede For it is thus wrytten At that tyme came Hanani the Sear to Asa kyng of Iudah and sayde vnto hym bycause thou haste trusted in the kyng of Siria and not rather put thy trust in the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoste of the kyng of Siria escaped out of thyne hande Had not the Ethiopes and they of Ludim an exceadyng strong hoste wyth many Chariotes and horsemen And yet bycause thou dyddest put thy trust in the Lorde he delyuered them into thyne hand For the Lorde and hys eyes beholde al the earth to strengthen them that are of perfect hart towarde hym But thou herein hast done foolyshly and therfore from hence foorth thou shalt haue warres c. For I shewed before that we myght without daunger discommende thys example whych they bryng of thys kyng when as God doth so sharpelye chasten hym by hys Prophet But we wyll entreate of thys more largely afterward 4 And Iudah went vp and the Lorde deliuered the Chananites and Pherezites into their handes and they smote them in Bezek to the number of ten thousand men The victorie whiche the two tribes obteyned ouer the Chananites is described and accordyng to the manner of the holy Scripture the same is set forth and comprehended in fewe wordes afterward the maner howe the thyng was done is more amplye expounded Now briefly is declared that they of Iudah obteyned the victorie and slew ten thousand of their enemies Why suche as are ouercome are sayde to be deliuered of God into the handes of their ouercommers And the Lord deliuered the Chananites The holy Scripture obserueth his olde order to say that they whiche are ouercome in battaile are deliuered into their enemies handes by God and speaketh thus to adminishe vs that victory is not the worke of our owne strength but of the goodnesse and counsel of God Wherfore souldiours and emperours whē they haue the vpper hand in battailes they must bridle them selues from boasting and gloryeng which Ieremy also faithfully geueth counsell to do For he sayth let not him that is mightye glory in his owne strength Nebuchadnezar kyng of the Babilonians folishely despising this was so vexed tossed with madnesse that he was almost chaūged into a dumbe beaste Wherefore the administration of the kyngdome was taken away from him he liued in great misery of long time who out of doubt had not fallen into so great misfortune if as it was mete he had confessed that what soeuer he had gotten was geuen him by the prouidence and coūsel of God But as Daniel mencioneth he being puffed vp with the noblenesse and dignitie of his actes most presumptuously and proudly bragged of them for he sayd that in the strength and might of hys owne arme he had established the kyngdome of Babilon In the bookes of the Ethnikes thou shalte very seldome or peraduēture neuer fynde any suche kynde of speache For men whiche are destitute of faith do not ascribe those good thinges vnto god which they thinke they haue attayned vnto by any labour or industrie Yea and they ascribed the chaunces of warre not to come by the fauour of God but by strength and pollicye and sometymes by fortune Wherfore Cicero in his boke of diuination affirmeth that the victory of the Decianes whiche they gotte by vowing of them selues to the people of Rome Cicero Howe Cicero interpreteth the vowing of the Decianes was an excellent and polliticque deuise of warre So farre is he from attributing it to the prouidence of the gods They knew sayth he that the strength force of the Romayne people was such that if they sawe their captaynes either to be in extreme daungers or els to be slayne or to be taken of their enemyes that they would by no meanes suffre
be geuen as the ability of the geuers could beare and as much as seemed mete for the worshipping of God From hence do these our Papistes think their Masse to be deriued as though it were a tribute and a willing oblation which might be offered euery where vnto God in the church for the quicke the dead But I thynke not so Certeyne Hebrew wordes are obserued in the latin church The hebrew words cam not vnto the latine church but by the Greeke churche I know right wel that the church hath borowed certayne words of the hebrues as Sathan Osianna Zebaoth Halleluia Pasah or Pascha and such other mo But we must marke that those woordes came not vnto the Latine Church but by the Greeke Church for as muche as those woordes are found in the new Testament as it is written first in Greeke also in the translation of the old Testament as it was turned by the .lxx. Wherefore wee haue no hebrew woordes deriued to our Church which the Greeke Churche had not first But if we shal diligently peruse ouer the bookes of the Greeke father we shal neuer find this woord Missa which is Masse vsed of thē Wherfore I thynk that this woord of Missa is not deriued from the Hebrues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greeke church called the holy supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woorke signifieth a common publicke woorke Neither is that woord proper to holy things yea it is also applyed vnto prophane actions which ar publike And who knoweth not that the administration of the supper of the Lord is a thing pertaynyng to Christian people For as many as be present ought to be partakers thereof and to communicate together An argument against priuate masses And least I should ouerskyp thys the etimologie of this woord bringeth no smal argument against priuate Masses Bisides this that woord pertaineth not only to the Lords supper but also it is attributed to other holy functions wherefore it is written in the actes of the Apostels the .13 chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whcyh some haue tourned whilest they did sacrifice whē as rather they should haue said whilest they serued or wrought publikely namely in a holy thing which they did without doubt in preaching of the Gospel Names of the holly supper among the Latynes This holy function namely the Lordes supper had other names among the Latines For it was sometimes called the Communion sometimes the supper of the Lord other sometimes the Sacrament of the body of Christ or the breaking of bread And our fathers haue often tymes called it as the Greeke fathers dyd dreadful misteries and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Howe the father 's called the supper a sacrifice I wyll not speake of how they vsed to cal it oftē times by the name of a sacrifice not therfore as our aduersaries do foolishlye imagine bicause that there the body blood of Christ is offered vnto God for a sacrifice for the quicke the dead Although the fathers abhorred not from that kinde of speche whereby they sayde that the body and bloud of Christ was offered vnto God But what they vnderstoode by those words if they be diligently red they do manifestly expound namelye that then were thankes geuen vnto The most auncient fathers vsed not the maine of Masse Augustine By those names did the most auncient fathers call the Lordes supper But they made neuer mencion of the Masse For it thou shalt reade Ireneus Tertulilan Ciprian Hilary and their like thou shalt neuer finde that woord in them in that signification Augustine maketh mēcion twice of it namely in her sermon de tempore 237. where he maketh mencion of the Masse of those that were to be instructed before baptisme In that place he exhoreth men to forgeue iniuries one to another For saith he we must come to the Masse of those that are to bee instructed where we shal pray forgeue vs our trespasses as we also forgeue our trespassers And be writeth also in the sermon de tempore .91 these woordes In the history which is to be red at Masses Some are in doubte whether those sermons were of Augustines writing or no Whē the name of Masse begā to be vsed but to me they seme to be the style and sentences of Augustine And as I coniecture I thinke that this name Masse began almost to be vsed at that time howbeit but seldome and not often For if it had bene then a woord in much vse Augustine in especial who framed hys wryting vnto the vulgare people would oftener haue made mencion of it They alledge Ignatius in his Epistle ad Smyrnenses Ignatius An argumēt against priuate Masses But that place maketh very much against the Massemongers for asmuch as there Ignatius ordayned that Masses shoulde in no wyse be had vnlesse the Bishop were present wyth such great warinesse did antiquity abhorre priuate cōmunions For he would haue al men to be presēt at that doing of it specially the Bishops These thinges haue I said as grautning vnto the aduersaries that it was the very booke of Ignatius The epistles of Ignatius are Apocriphas that it containeth in it the word Masse which yet we ar not compelled to graūt For it is Apocripha yea and that as their own Gratian testifieth Moreouer those Epistles were written in Greeke and therefore I am assured that be which turend it into latin did put this word Masse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For thus it is written in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and straight way after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This is the Greeke sentence of Ignatius wherein as appeareth ther is no mencion made of this woord Masse Leo also is cited in his .9 Epistle to Dioscurus Leo. And argumēt againste priuate Masses where I confesse that that father made mencion of Masse but yet in such sorte that in the same place he is wonderfullye againste priuate Masses For he was demaunded seing that the temple was not so large that it coulde not containe the whole people which came while holy thinges wer administred what the rest of the multitude should do which remained without and could not be present Leo answered that when that part of the people is gone forth which was before present at the holye celebration the residue might succede and repeate againe those holye thinges If so be that priuate masses had bene then in vse what needed of that matter to haue asked counsell of Leo the bishop of Rome Surely this question is a manifest token that Masse was not vsed to be had but once They wer wont also to bring Iohannes Cassianus Iohannes Casianus who lyued in the tyme of Honorius and was driuen out of the Churche of Ierusalem by heretickes from whence he came to Massilia and was a Monke by profession For hee maketh mencion of Masse in his .3 booke .7 and 8. chap. but he wresteth
thinges beyng added as it seemed good vnto sundrye men neuerthelesse after a sorte they mighte bee borne withall neyther can they iustly be accused eyther of superstition or els of Idolatry Rites were not like in all churches The churche of Millayne Howbeit they were not a lyke in all Churches neyther were they obserued after one maner For yet in the Churche of Millaine it is otherwyse vsed after the institution of Ambrose But afterward the Romanē Antichristes corrupted all thynges as I shall declare in an other place And that by the olde institution were obserued those thinges whych I haue mencioned Tertulian I coulde easely proue by most auncient wryters Tertullian in hys Apologye sayth we assemble and gather together that wee praying might embrace one another as though we would make a rushing into God with our praiers This violence is acceptable vnto God We pray also for Emperours for their ministers powers for the state of the world for the quietnes of things the tariyng of the end These things declare the sūme of the collects And for the rehearsing of the Scriptures hee addeth wee assemble together to the rehearsal of the holy scriptures if the quality of the present time doth compel vs either to foresee any thing or diligently to acknowledge any faults we do assuredly fede our fayth wyth holye woordes wee erecte our hope wee fyxe oure confidence and yet we continually repeate discipline by inculcating the preceptes of God Ther are also exhortations castigations and sharpe iudgementes of God for there was iudgement with great waight c. These are the thinges whych wer done in the holy assembly Wherunto those thinges are also to be added which the same authour saith in an other place namelye that the Lordes Supper was wont to be receaued at the handes of the chiefe Ministers c. We may by these woordes perceaue the principal partes of the Masse which we haue made mencion of Iustine the Martyr in his second Apologie maketh mencion that the Christians assembled together on the Sonday Iustine martyr but he writeth nothing of other feast daies There he saith was rehersed the holy scriptures whereunto the Byshop dyd afterward adioyne his exhortation Which being finished saith he we ryse and pray He addeth afterward The bread and drinke is brought to the bishop ouer which he geueth thankes as earnestly as he can to whom all men answer Amen These two words declare that they wer not carelesly to be passed ouer First thankes were not geuen rashlye but with as muche earnest as might be that is with a singular affection Moreouer it is manifest that all these thynges were spoken with a loud voyce seing al the people answered Amen Afterward saith he is distributed the Lordes supper then is the common geuing of thankes and the offering of almes Dionisius in Hierarchia Ecclesiastica maketh mencion almost of these same things namely of the reading of the scriptures singing of Psalmes Cōmuniō Dionisius and other thinges which wer to long now to rehearse But which is muche to be maruailed of he maketh no mencion of the offering of the body of Christ The workes of Dionisius ar not hys whych was the Areo-Pagite Yet we must not thinke that he was that Areopagite of whom the Actes of the Apostles haue mencioned But whatsoeuer he was it is not to be doubted as farre as I can iudge but that he was an old wryter But why I can not thincke that he was an Areopagite these are the reasons that leade me thereunto First bycause the kinde of writing which he vseth especially of the names of God and de Hierarchia celesti containeth in it rather the doctrine of vayne Philosophye than the pure doctrine of Christian religiō and vtterly wanteth edefiyng moreouer those bookes ar in a maner voyd of testimonies of the holy scriptures Monkes were not in the churche in the Apostles tyme. Furthermore in his Hierarchia Ecclesiastica hee maketh Monkes as a myddle order betwene a Clarke and the Lay men When as in the Apostles time that kynde of life was not yet in the Churche Besides this the auncienter Fathers neuer made mencion of those bookes which is a good argument that those wrytinges wer none of that Martyrs doing Gregory the Romane was the first of all wryters that made any mencion of him who in one of his Homelies mencioneth of his writinges But let vs leaue him and come to Augustine Augustine That father in his .59 epistle to Paulinus when he dissolueth the .v. question expoundeth the .4 words which ar written in the .1 epistle to Timo. the .2 A place to Timothe expounded 1 Tim 2. chap. And these are the woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go before the celebration of the sacramēt but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh prayers which are said in the administration of the sacrament wher after a sorte we vow our selues vnto Christ and he thincketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee peticions and requestes with which the Minister of the Church prayeth for good thinges vnto the people standing by And finally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he affirmeth to be the cōmon geuing of thankes I could to these bring a great many more monuments of old writers but that I thinke these are sufficient at this present But now to returne to the name of Missa Note an other kind of mission I see ther haue bene some whych haue thought it to haue ben deriued of the word Missio that is sending bicause those thinges which wer offered of the faithfull were sayde to be sent and they thyncke that this hebrewe woorde Missath gaue the occasion to that name bycause in Penticoste the Iewes vsed to send gyftes But why I doo not thyncks the name of Missa to be deriued of the hebrewe woorde I haue before declared And nowe I adde this that if Missa were so named of the oblation of thinges which wer geuen of the godly then do the Papistes abuse that name who haue no regard at al to the almes of godly men but onely to the oblation of the bodye and blood of Christe which they commonlye boast and that impudently that they doo offer it vnto God the father for the quicke and the dead But of these thinges I thinke I haue spoken inough and inough 34 And the Amorrites draue the childrē of Dan vnto the moūtain for they suffered them not to come downe into the valley 35 And the Amorrites began to dwel in the mount Heresch in Aialem and in Saalbim and the hande of Ioseph preuailed so that they became tributaries 36 And the coast of the Amorrites was from the going vp of the Scorpions and from Petra and vpward They of the tribe of Dan distrusting the mercy and fauour of God wer driuē by the Chananites or Amorhites into the hilly places wher they were scarse
by the testimonies of his aduersaryes which is witnessed by our enemies And god hath wonderfully prouided for this kinde of testimonies for his church For we haue not only the bokes of the Hebrewes witnessing with vs but also Verses of the Sibillas which were borne in sundry countreyes Neither is it to be supposed that our elders fayned those Verses of themselues Verses of the Sibillas For in the time of Lactantius Eusebius of Cesaria Augustine which alledged those Verses the bokes of the Sibillas were rife in euery mans hand Wherfore if our elders should haue adioyned vnto them any counterfayte Verses the Ethnykes which were then many in number and were full of eloquence and deadly enemies to our religion would haue reproued them as vaine and liars What then remaineth but that god would wonderfully defend his church euen by the testimonies of our aduersaries Therfore the Iewes are now suffred among Christians partly for the promise sake which they haue that saluation should be geuē to their kinred partly bicause of the commodities which I haue now rehearsed out of Augustine Wherfore they are not only suffred but also thei haue Sinagoges wherin they openly read the bokes of the holy scriptures and also cal vpon the god of their fathers In which thing neuerthelesse the diligence of the Magistrates and bishops is much to be required who ought to prouide that they do there no other thing and by al meanes to beware that in their commō prayers exhortations and Sermons they curse not nor blaspheme Christ our God If the Magistrates and bishops haue not a care ouer these things they can not but be most iustly accused The Turkes ought not to haue any Sinagoges graūted them But it is not lawful to graunt vnto the Turkes any holy assemblies for that they haue not a peculiar promise of their saluation neither would they there read either the old Testament or the newe but only their most detestable boke called Alcoran Furthermore the Iewes muste be forbidden that they exercise not false bargayning and Vsurye among Christians The Iewes must be prohibited from false bargaining and vsurie therby to vexe and afflict the poore Christians before our face which can not be done but with great horror But our princes exacte of them a very great tribute and receaue at their handes a great pray by their handes by vsury and false bargayning So farre are they of from prohibityng them from these euill artes Furthermore which is more hurtfull they prouyde not to haue them taughte when as they oughte to compell them to come often to the holy Sermons of the Christians Princes ought to care that the Iewes may be taught otherwise whilest they are so neglected and vnloked vnto they waxe euery day worse and worse and more stubborne So that either very little fruite or ells almoste none at al can now be looked for by theyr dwelling among Christians It is also diligently to be sene vnto that they corrupte not our men in seducing them to their Iewishe religion The heresie of the Marranes By reason this thing hath bene neglected the heresie of the Marranes hath much increased and that chiefly in Spaine Moreouer it is mete that they may by some apparail or certain signe be knowen from Christians least a man vnawares should be as familiarly conuersaunt with thē as with Christians And as touching this kinde of infidelles these thynges are sufficiente What heresye is Now must we speake of heretikes The woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of thys verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to electe or choose For those kinde of men chose vnto thēselues some certaine opinions which are against the holy Scriptures and doe stubbornly defend the same The causes of heresye And the causes of this their choyse for the most part are either bicause they are ignoraunt of the holy Scriptures or els if they know them they dispise them and being driuen by some couetousnesse they applye thēselues to the inuention of some errors Wherfore Augustine in his booke de vtilitate credendi writeth Augustine An heretike is he which for the loue of gayne or rule eyther bringeth vp or els followeth new opinions The definition therfore of heresie is a choyse and stubborne defending of opinions The definition of heresye which are against the holy Scriptures either by reason of ignorance or els contempt of them to the end the easlier to obtaine their own pleasures and cōmodities The choyse and stubburne defending is in this definition in stead of the forme But the opinions disagreing with the holy scriptures serue for the matter Pride and couetousnesse make heresie And the obteining of dignities gayne and pleasures are appoynted as endes of thys so great a mischiefe By this definition it is manifeste inough as I thynke who be heretikes I minde not at this presente to speake of the kindes sortes of heresies I shall as I trust haue better occasiō a place more mete to speake therof This wil I say briefly as touching this questiō we must haue none otherwise to do with heretikes than with infidels and Iewes And I suppose that these things are sufficient as touching this question whiche hath bene hitherto discussed I woulde God so perfectly as with many woordes Wherfore I will returne vnto the historye The second Chapiter 1 ANd the Angel of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bochim and sayd I made you to go out of Egipte and haue brought you vnto the Lande whiche I sware vnto your Fathers And I sayde I wil not breake mine appoyntmente that I made with you TWo things haue hitherto bene set forth vnto vs. Fyrst the noble victories which the Israelits obteined as long as they obeyed the word of God Secondly the transgression wherby contrarye to the commaundementes of God they both saued and also made tributaries vnto themselues those nations whom they ought vtterly to haue destroyed But nowe is set forth vnto vs how God of his goodnesse by hys Legate reprehended the Israelites for the wicked acte whiche they had committed and that not without fruite For whē they heard the word of God they repented Fyrst the messenger of God maketh mencion of the benefites which god had bestowed on his people The principall poyntes of the Sermon Secondly he vpbraydeth thē of their wicked actes wherwith they being ingrate requited so great giftes Lastely are set forth the threatninges and punishementes wherewith God woulde punishe them excepte they repented But before we come to entreate of the oration of this legate it were good to declare what he was The Hebrew worde Melach It is doubtful what this Legate was and also the Greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are doubtfull and sometymes they signifie a nature without a body I meane spirites the ministres of God and other sometymes they signifie a messanger what soeuer he be There are examples of these in many
and made to stand stil I wyll not speake howe the Poetes fable that when the walles of Thebes the Citye were built the stones of their owne motion came together with the sound of the Harpe And no man is ignoraunt what the same Poetes haue written of Arion and Orpheus And who knoweth not how much Dauid here ther in his Psalmes praiseth both Musick songes Tertulian And among Christian men Tertulian in his Apology teacheth that the faithfull did very often make suppers wherin after they had moderatly and honestly refreshed the body they recreated themselues with godly songes And in an other place when he commendeth Matrimony that is of one and the selfe same religion he sayth that Christian couples doo mutually prouoke them selues tosing prayses vnto God Whether singinge may be receaued in the Church The east churche Plini But now that we haue sene the nature beginning and vse of songes and musicke ther resteth to inquire whither it may be vsed in Churches In the East part the holy assemblies euen from the beginning vsed singing which we maye easily vnderstand by a testimony of Plini in a certain Epistle to Traian the Emperor where he writeth that Christians vsed to syng hymnes before daye vnto their Christ And this is not to be left out that these words wer written in that time that Iohn the Euangelist lyued for he was a liue vnto the time of Traian Wherfore if a man shal say that in the time of the Apostles there was syngyng in holy assemblies He shal not stray from the truth Paule who was before these times vnto the Ephesians saith Be not filled wyth wyne wherein is wantonnes but be ye filled with the spirit speaking to your selues in Psalmes Himnes and spiritual songes singing in your hart geuing thankes alwaies vnto God for all thinges in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ To wyne the Apostle setteth the spirite as contrarye and forbiddeth the pleasure of the senses when in steede of wyne he wil haue Christians filled with the spirite For in wine as he saith is wantonnes but in the spirite is both a true and a perfect ioy Drounckerdes speake more than inough but yet foolish and vayne thinges Speake ye saith he but yet spirituall thinges and that not onely in voyce but also in hart for the voyce soundeth in vaine where the minde is not affected They which be filled with wine do speake foolish filthy and blasphemous thinges but geue ye thankes to God alwaies I say and for all thinges To this ende vndoubtedly ought Ecclesiastical songes to tend vnto To the Colossians also are written certaine thinges not disagreing from these Let the woord of the Lord sayth the Apostle abound plentifully in you teache and admonish ye one another in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songes singing in your hartes with grace By these woordes Paule expresseth two thinges Fyrst that our songes be the woord of God which must abound plentifully in vs and they must not serue onely to geuing of thankes but also to teache and to admonish And then it is added with grace which is thus to vnderstand as though he should haue said aptly and properly both to the senses and to measure and also vnto the voyces Let them not syng rude and rusticall thinges neither let it be immoderatly as doo the Tauernhunters To the Corrinthians the firste Epistle the .xiiii. chapter where he entreateth of an holy assemblye the same Apostle writeth after this maner When ye assemble together according as euerye one of you hath a Psalme or hath doctrine or hath a toung or hath reuelacion or hath interpretation let al thinges be done vnto edifieng By which woordes is declared that Syngers of songes and Psalmes had their place in the Church The west Church Augustine But the west Churches more lately receaued the maner of singing for Augustine in his .ix. booke of Confessions testifieth that it happened in the tyme of Ambrose For when that holy man together with the people watched euen in the Church least he should haue bene betrayed vnto the Arrians he brought in singing to auoyde tediousnes and to driue away the time But as touching the measure and nature of the song which ought to be retained in Musicke in the Church these thinges are woorthy to be noted What maner of measure the ecclesiastical song ought to be Augustine Augustine in the same bookes of Confession both confesseth and also is sory that hee had sometimes fallen bicause he had geuen more attentiue heede vnto the measures and cordes of musicke than to the woordes whiche were vnder them spoken Which thing hereby he proueth to be synne bicause measures and singing were brought in for the wordes sake and not wordes for Musicke The manner of the churche of Alexandria And he so repented him of his fault that he execeedingly allowed the manner of the Church of Alexandria vsed vnder Athanasius for hee commaunded the Reader that when he sang he should but lytle alter his voyce so that he shoulde bee lyke rather vnto one that readeth than vnto one that syngeth Howbeit on the contrary when he considered how at the beginning of his conuersion he was inwardly moued with these songes namely in suche sorte that for the zeale of pietye he burst forth into teares for this cause I say he consented that Musicke should be retained in the Churche but yet in suche maner that hee saide he was readye to chaunge his sentence if a better reason could be assigned And he addeth that those do synne deadly as they wer wont to speake which geue greater hede vnto musicke than vnto the woordes of God Ierome Gregory To which sentence vndoubtedlye Ierome assenteth as he hath noted vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians Gregory also of Rome in the Synode of Rome was of the same opinion And both their wordes are wrytten in the Decrees Dist 92. in the chap. Cantantes and in the chapter In sancta Romana In which place are read in the glose two verses not in dede so eloquent but yet godly Non vox sed votum non cordula musica sed vox Non clamans sed amans cantat in aure Dei That is Not the voice but the desire not the plesantnes of musick but the voyce Not crying but louing syngeth in the eare of God And in the wordes of Gregory this is not slightlye to be passed ouer in that hee saith Whilest the swetenes of the voyce is sought for the life is neglected and when wicked maners prouoke God the people is rauished by the pleasauntnesse of the voyce The abuses of Ecclesiasticall Musicke But now let vs declare the cautions which are to bee obserued to the ende we maye lawfully and fruitfully vse singing in the Church The first is That in Musicke be not put the whole summe effect of godlines and of the worshipping of God For among the Papists they do almost euery where thinke that
he had a wonderfull great number of people in that City I might rehearse a great many other places both out of the old Testament and out of the newe but that I wil not be tedious Philo a Iewe. Philo a Iew as Ierome in his booke de viris illustribus saith wrote fyue bookes of Dreames which are sent by God Ciprian also telleth Ciprian that in his tyme wer certain things sene by dreames which serued for the edification of the Churche he doth geue not a litle Augustine Thre kindes of dreames but very much authority vnto them And Augustine in his .xii. booke de Genisi ad litteram the .3 chap. sayth That there are three kindes of dreames The first saith he pertaine vnto the outward senses which he calleth corporal Againe other some he calleth Spirituall which consyst of images haue place about the phantasy or power of imagination The last he nameth Intellectual bicause they are comprehended onelye by reason and iudgement of the mynde And those which consist by imagination namely those that are put in the secoÌ„d place as we haue a litle before taught saith he make not Prophets affirmeth that Ioseph was much more truly a Prophet then Pharao And bicause we wyl not go from our history we may affirme the same thing of the soldiour which in the hearing of Gideon expouÌ„ded the dreame of his fellow soldiour namely that he rather was a Prophet then he which had the vision But in this order or degree of Prophetes Daniel excelleth the rest For he dyd not onelye interpreate the dreames of the king but when he had forgotten those thinges which he saw in his sleepe he could reuoke them into his memory againe Farther he did not onely interpreate the dreames of other men but also he was by God instructed of his owne visions By the Deuil also are dreames sometimes moued for Augustine in the place alredy alledged de Genisi ad literam writeth that one possessed wyth a Deuil by dreames declared in what houre a priest would come vnto him through what places he would passe Oracles answered sometymes by dreames and visions And we are not ignorant that the Ethnikes had oracles where men were al night to obtaine visions and dreames Suche a one was the oracle of Amphiarus Amphilochus Trophonius and of Esculapius In those places the Deuil shewed vnto those whiche slept remedies and medicines to heale suche as were sycke and therwithal also he gaue answer of other matters And to obtaine such visions and dreames there were commaunded vnto those which came to enquire of any thing I cannot tel what choise of meates and separate lodginges Pithagorians and certain pure and chaste daies It is said also that the Scholers of Pithagoras eschewed beanes bicause they make troublesome dreames But our God to declare that he is not bounde to those thynges shewed vnto Daniel the kinges dreame when he and his fellowes by prayers had vehemently desired it of him And it is not to be doubted but that the deuil can mingle him selfe with dreames Augustine when as through his diligence there haue bene and also are now many false Prophetes wherefore Augustine in his booke before alledged the .xix. chap. If an euyl spirite saith he possesse men he maketh them either diuelish or mad or els false prophetes And contrarywise a good spirit maketh faithful prophetes speaking misteries to the edification of other He also demaundeth in the same booke the .xi. chap. by what meanes the reuelations of euyl and good spirites may be discerned one from an other Augustine Howe dreames ar to be knoweÌ„ whiche are of a good spâ—â—â—â— and which are of an euyll And he answereth That that can not be done except a man haue the gifte of discerning of spirites But he addeth that an euyl spirite doth alwaies at the last leade meÌ„ to wicked opinions and peruers maners althoughe at the beginning the difference can not be knowen with out the gift of the holye ghost In his Epistle to Euodius which is the .100 epistle inquiring of the same matter he sayth I would to God I could discerne betwene dreames which ar geuen to errour and those which are to saluation neuerthelesse we ought to bee of good courage bycause God suffreth his children somtimes to be tempted but not to perysh Aristotle But what shal we answer vnto Aristotle who denieth that dreames ar sent of God and that for this cause in special bicause God would geue this faculty of diuination to wyse and good men and not to the foolish and wicked We answer that for the most part it is true that true Prophetes which are by God illustrate with dreames and visions Why God somtimes vseth euyl Prophetes and vnwyse are both good and godlye Howbeit leaste it should be thought that the power of God is bound vnto the wysedome or maners of men God wyl sometimes vse the woorke of euyl men in those things to declare and shew forth the great and wonderful power of his prouideÌ„ce Tertulian as one which can vse all kinde of instrumentes Farther as Tertulian writeth in hys booke de Anima seing that he distributeth his Sunne and rayne both to the iust and to the vniust it ought not to be marueilous if he bestowe also these gyftes which serue especially to the instruction of men both to the good and to the euil And that we should not be ignorant of his doing the holy history declareth that the Ethnikes were by God verye oftentimes admonished and corrected in theyr sleepe So Pharao king of Egipt was commaunded to restore vnto Abraham his wife and Abimelech king of Gerar was in like maner admonished And Tertulian saith moreouer that euen as God when hee instructed the wycked in theyr sleepe doth it that they might become good so contrariwise the Deuil inuadeth the godly when they are a sleepe by dreames to seduce them oute of the ryghte way Aristotle thought the God in distributing his giftes ought to haue a regard to wise men and especially to Philosophers God reuealeth misteries rather vnto the litle ones then to the wyse when as Christ hath taughte altogether otherwise I thanke thee saith he O heauenlye father that thou hydyng these thinges from the learned and wise hast reuealed them to lyttle ones c. Paul also sayth that the vocation of God chiefly pertayneth to the vnnoble vnlearned and weake An other argument was that beastes also when they sleepe do dreame when yet no man wil say that God ministreth and disposeth their dreames That Philosopher is deceaued bicause he supposeth that if God do send some dreames vnto men he ought therefore to be made author of al dreames which vndoubtedly to farre froÌ„ our meaning For we referre not vnto God himselfe al those things which ar natural as certain peculiar effectes by which immediatly as to speake with Scholemen men should be instructed of thinges to
consecrated your handes so farre was it of that they shoulde be depriued of the holy Ministery But the Pope saith that Dauid for shedding of bloud was in the olde tyme prohibited to builde the Temple But in this place we muste marke the misterye wherin Salomon shadowed Christ the peacable king For he was by hym expressed whiche hath gathered together the Churche the true Temple of GOD without weapons vnto the true and euerlastyng peace But bloude beyng iustly and ryghtly shed Bloud shed iustly rightly restraineth not from the holy ministery restrayneth not from the holye ministery For Pinhas who was hygh Priest thrust thorough two moste vnpure whoremongers Elyas a man of the stocke of the Leuites slew with hys owne hande the Prophetes of Baal And Samuell a man of the same tribe dyd hymselfe kyll Agag the king yet neither of them both were reiected froÌ„ theyr office Neither do I therfore speake these thyngs to commend the promotyng of murtherers vnto holy orders but thys only I oppugne that euery slaughter euery murther maketh a man so irregular as these menne saye that he can not be ordeyned a Minister of the Churche What if a man haue bene a Iudge or a Magistrate or in iuste warre hath fought for hys countrey can not he therefore be ordayned a Minister of the Churche Peraduenture he hath obteyned excellent giftes of God and is endewed with singular doctrine adorned with a pure lyfe instructed with dexterity of gouernyng and godly eloquence can not the Churche as these men most absurdely thynke vse hys gyftes Vndoubtedly that was not obserued in Ambrose he was seruaunt vnto Cesar and decided matters in the lawe beyng Pretor of Millan and yet was he by violence taken to be a Byshop I knowe that Paul requireth that a Byshoppe be no striker but no manne doubteth but that that is to be vnderstande of an vniuste murther or violence But what should a man here doo all thynges are by the Papistes handled supersticiously Nowe the thirde cause why Lictores and hangemen are euyll spoken of is this bicause very many of them liue wickedlye and filthy and were before tyme noughty men Aristotle Howbeit the office defileth them not but rather by they re faulte they pollute an excellent office Aristotle in his .6 boke of Politikes the last chapter sayth that good men abhorre this kind of office namely of punishing of meÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bycause it hath a hatred annexed vnto it For they doe oftentimes incurre the hatred of men But in my iudgement a good and godly man ought not for that cause to abhorre his administration I remeÌ„ber an aunswere of Chrisippus A saying of Chrisippus who being demauÌ„ded why he excercised not the office of a magistrate If I excercise it not rightly sayd he I shal displease god but if I do rightly I shal displease men but I wil do neither of both He semed to some to haue aunswered very prudently but me thinketh he answered folishly For he should rather haue aunswered coÌ„trarily that the publike welth ought to be gouerned and that rightly to please both God and good menne but a wise and good man muste not haue a respecte vnto wicked men By these thinges it is now manifestly shewed that Gidion in that he himselfe killed the kinges of Madian committed nothing that was not decent for him neyther that he commaunded his sonne to do any fylthy acte 22 Then the men of Israel sayd vnto Gideon Reigne thou ouer vs both thou and thy sonne and thy sonnes sonne bycause thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of Madian 23 And Gideon aunswered them I will not raygne ouer you neither shall my chyld reigne ouer you the Lord shal raigne ouer you The people â—eceauinge a benefite at Gideons hand would haue made him king that they might not be couÌ„ted ingrate But seing gratitude is a vertue it ought to haue no vniust thing ioyned with it whiche these men obserued not For they appoynted not theyr kyngdome by the lawe of god In Deut. the .27 chap. it is written that he should be a king whom god had chosen It pertained vnto god to elect a king Neyther perteined it vnto the people to appoint a kinge whome they would Wherfore that which they doo now is not frely to geue any thing that is theyr owne but to geue the which is an other mans The right to appointe a king belonged to god and not vnto men which thyng also Gideon wysely saw neyther was Christ ignorant therof when they which were filled with bread came vnto him to create him a king Christ refused a kingdoÌ„e offred vnto hym What manner of men the olde Romayne bishops were he wayghed the maner of his vocation and for that his kingdome was not of this worlde and vnderstoode that they vsurped an other mans right and were not moued therunto By iust causes he put of from himself such a burtheÌ„ The same things happened in a maner vnto the bishops of Rome Which at the beginning were holy for very many of theÌ„ wer notable by constancy of faith martirdom Farthermore their church was kindled with feruentnes of charity towards the poore most liberal so that it sent almes euen into the east part to the Ilands and metalle places where the holy confessours of Christ liued in exile All which thinges got that chaire much fauor and grace with the faithful Gregorius Wherefore the supreame power and kingdome in the church was in a manner offred some times vnto those bishops which they like Gideon refused with a great spirite singuler modesty Of which thing also what Gregorius the b. of Rome iudged I will briefly declare In his .4 boke of Epistles in the .32.34.36.38 .39 Epistles he of that matter writeth at large both vnto Mauritius the emperor and also to Constantia Augusta likewise to the Patriarkes Alexandrinus and Antiochenus yea and to Iohn the Patriarche of Constantinople and lastlye to Anianus Deacon of the same church In the time sayth he of Pelagius my predecessor Ioannes Constantinopolitanus when he had assembled a sinode by an other pretence claymed vnto him self the title of the vniuersal supreame Patriarch which thyng Pelagius toke in euil part and therfore made the acts of that Sinode frustrate Farther he commaunded his Deacon which was his deputye whome he had with the Emperoure that he should not communicate with Iohn being so arrogant and proud Gregorye succeded Pelagius and decreed the same things writing vnto the emperor sayth Peter the chiefe amonge the Apostles neuer called himselfe vniuersall Apostle and neuerthelesse Iohn byshop of Constantinople now goeth about to cal him selfe the vniuersall Patriarch straightway he crieth out O times O maners And this reason he addeth to these things if the vniuersal head be so ordeyned of men by the ruine or corruption of such a head the church also shall perishe together Of this place
without an heade in it And when we speake of the head of the Churche we must keepe our selues in the Metaphore and as it should be absurde and monstrous for one man to haue two natural heades so shal it be iudged as portentous for the Churche to haue two Metaphorical that is spiritual heads We must alwaies wheÌ„ we entreate of any thing persist in the same order and kinde which thing if wee doo not obserue we shal easily be deceaued by equiuocation But let vs returne to the Pope Of the keyes foundation of the Churche who least he shoulde seme to be destitute of testimonies of the holy scriptures taketh two places out of them Whereof the one is Vpon this rocke I wil builde my Churche and wyll gyue the keyes c. But that place pertaineth to al those which confesse the verity of faith for Peter when the Lord demaunded what the Apostles beleued of him aunswered in the name of them al that he was the sonne of the liuing God Wherefore that which Christ speaketh vnto him pertaineth to all them whych together wyth him beleue and professe the same selfe thing For the keyes are geuen vnto the Church And in Iohn the Lord after his resurrection gaue them vnto all them at the last also when he should ascend vp into heauen he sent them all alike to preache throughout the world And as touching the fouÌ„dation the Church hath no other foundation but Christ For Paul vnto the Corinth sayde No man can lay any other foundation then that which is already layde How the Apostles are called foundations of the Church which is Christ Iesus And if at any time the Apostles be called foundacions of the churche that is to be vnderstand bicause they in the first time of the Churche cleaued vnto the foundation as the first and greater stones not bicause the Churche leaned vnto them as to the principal foundation The other place which they bring out of the scriptures is Not onely to Peter was the coÌ„maundement geuen to feede the flocke of Christ bicause Christ saith vnto Peter feede my Lambes But they are excedingly deceaued for it was not the office of Peter onely but also of the other Apostles to feede the flocke of the Lord. But it was so sayd peculiarly vnto Peter bicause he had denyed the Lord thrise and therefore he might haue seemed to haue fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles vnles he had of Christ bene restored by certaine woordes And that not onely he but also other ought to feede the shepe of Christ his own woordes testify which be writeth in his Epistle wher he admonisheth other Ministers to feede the flocke of the Lorde But graunt that the Lorde gaue vnto Peter anye principal thing what hath the bishop of Rome common with him Let hym declare his spirite and as Peter hath labored for the Church let hym also labour which thing if he performe then wil we acknowledge him not as an vniuersal bishop but as a good Minister of Christ The spirite of Christ is not bouÌ„d to chairs He sayth that hee hath the chaire that Peter had What seate I pray you speaketh he of The holy ghost is not bounde to seates But graunt that it were so Antioche had Peter sitting in it before Rome had For that church he planted and long whyle gouerned But they say that he was slayne at Rome But the Iewes crucified Christ himselfe at Ierusalem which is a thing of greater waight Wherfore if we should follow this argument the bishop of Ierusalem should be preferred aboue all other Yea and Peter as it is written to the Galathians was not the Apostle of the Gentiles but of circumcision as it was agreed betwene Paul Iames Iohn and Barnabas Neither do we euer reade that Peter prescribed the other Apostles any thyng or that they depended of him Yea Paul most manifestly testifieth that he receaued nothing of Peter Farther it is certaine that Peter was slain vnder Nero Iohn liued euen to the time of Traiane And they say that Cletus Linus and Clemens succeded Peter at Rome What then shal we thinke that Iohn the Apostle was subiect vnto Clemens And of necessity he should be so if the Byshop of Rome be the vniuersal head or general bishop But who wil say that this may be suffred Moreouer An Epistle of Clemens lyes may be confuted with lyes Our aduersaries bring the Epistle of Clemens which is a fained Epistle as a thing certaine We wyl gratefy theÌ„ in this thing Clemens Iacobo â—ratri domini Epis copo EpiscoruÌ„ regnanti Ecclesiam que esi Hierosolymis omnes que suÌ„t vbique Dei prouidentia and we wyll now graunt that to be true which is false Let them marke his superscription which is written after thys maner Clemens to Iames the brother of the Lord by the prouidence of God the bishop of bishops gouernour of the Church which is at Ierusalem and of al the Churches euery where What wyl they say here The bishop of Rome ascribeth his title vnto the Byshop of Ierusalem and attributeth this vniuersall charge of all Churches vnto him and not to himselfe This argument maketh verye muche agaynste those which haue vnto the Churches obtruded this Epistle for true ratefied it But that can nothing hurt vs which is takeÌ„ out of that epistle against our doctrine For we know that it is a fayned thing as that which was neuer alledged by any of the fathers And in it the same Clemens affirmeth that he hym selfe wrote the litle booke called Itenarium Perri which booke as it is said in the Decrees is counted among the Apocripha bookes But of this thing I haue spoken sufficient these thinges haue I rehearsed onely that we might vnderstand howe much Gideon is to be preferred before the Antechristes of Rome Whither the gouernment of God bee excluded by humane Magistrates Here is put forth an other question whether the rule and gouernmeÌ„t of God be therfore excluded bicause the Magistrate of a publike wealth or of Aristocratia or of a kingdome is geuen vnto a man The cause of the doubt is bicause when it was sayd vnto Gideon Thou shalt raygne ouer vs he answered I wyl not raygne ouer you but the Lord shal raign ouer you It is not hard to dissolue this question proposed forasmuch as the administration wherwith God gouerneth publike wealthes hindreth not the Magistrate which is his Vicar Minister And assuredly God raigned together with Dauid and Iosias and the Israelites at that tyme had a certaine Magistrate and one of their own with whom also God himselfe also gouerned Wherfore the wordes of Gideon do not teach this that God cannot raigne there where as is a lawfull king But this thyng onelye he regarded that the present state of thinges whiche was instituted by God When God is sayd to gouerne pub wealthes ought not to be altred
Christ in Iohn aunswered of the man borne blynd Neither hath this man sinned nor his parentes that he should be borne blynd but that the glory of God should be made manifest Also Peter and Paul when they were put to death could not complayne that they had not deserued death Although God when they were killed had not a respect vnto this to punishe thē What God regardeth in the martyrdome of his sainctes but that by their bloud might be left a testimony of the Gospell of his sonne Wherefore seing the matter is so and we be al subiect vnto sinnes there is no cause why we should complayne that God dealeth to seuerely with vs if we be afflicted for the sinnes of our parents For God can so directe those troubles The scourges of the children profite sometymes the parentes that they shall pertayne not onely to hys glory but also to the saluation of our parentes For oftētymes he punisheth the parents in the children and the prince in the people For the parentes are no les grieued for the punishement of their childrē then if they themselues wer afflicted If the children dye for the parētes cause they haue no wrong done vnto them for death is also dew vnto then they should otherwise haue dyed Wherfore if God will so vse their death he may doo it iustly The grieues of the children are the grieues of the parents Which thing also we may affirme of other calamityes For if the sonne be vexed with sickenes he deserued the sickenes if he haue lost money thē hath he lost thinges transitory and vnstable and which were geuen hym on that condition that they mought easely be taken away agayn God as touching the regenerate turneth punishmēts into medicines Wherfore if god will with these kindes of calamityes punish the parentes in the children he can not be accused of iniustice Wherfore Augustine in his questions vpon Iosua the 8. question by originall sinne sayth he many punishements are dew vnto vs which yet God conuerteth into certayne medicines and maketh them very much to profite vs although they seme vnto vs euil For if the sonne had lyued peraduēture he would haue followed the euill steppes of his father or els committed woorser things Wher fore if God take him out of this life he can not complayne that he is ill delt with For through the benefites of god his death redoundeth to his profite For he is taken away least by malice his heart should chaūge And vndoubtedly we must suffer easy euils to atteyne vnto great good thyngs For so the Phisitions with a bitter purgation trouble the throte to restore the sicke person to hys former health In lyke maner when we haue deserued punishmentes God yet turneth them to good By this means discipline is kepte in the worlde And by this meanes saith Augustine a certayne discipline is established in the world For vnles it were so men would continually proue worse and worse A certayne coniunction also and society of mankinde is declared whē one after this maner is punished for the sinne of an other For they whiche pertayne vnto one kingdome or City or Churche are after a sorte one body among themselues And in the body one mēber suffereth for an other Wherfore seyng thys is so in the body it is not absurde that the same do chaunce also in the society of men Plutarche Plutarche in his booke de Sera numinis vindicta hath very well taught this The eye saith he is sicke the vayne of the arme is cut so the father hath sinned and the sonne is punished the prince hath behaued himselfe ill and the people is vexed and such compassion or suffring together is there in things humane That author iustly accuseth the rashenes of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche as often as these thynges doo chaunce do complayne that God dealeth cruelly For the father sayth he is either good or euill If the sonne of a good father be peraduenture afflicted with euill straightway they crye out that God doth vniustly neither is it meete that the sonne should be so miserably handled which had so good a man to his father But if the father be euill and the sonne come into misery agayne they make exclamation that here also god is vniust For the sonne ought not to haue ben punished when as the father sinned wherfore the common people thinke that the sonne should by no meanes be afflicted But what if the father be euill and yet all thinges go prosperously with the sonne here also they cōplayne as he sayth of the iniustice of god For they deny it is iust that then the sonne should lyue prosperously whiche hath so euill a father These thinges this man thoughe he were an Ethnike writeth very godltly Children are certayn partes of the parentes Moreouer we must consider that children are as certayn partes of the parētes and haue somewhat of the parentes in them Wherfore it is not absurde if God punish the part of the parentes in the children But I will returne to Augustine who saith the god by this meanes setteleth discipline in the world in the publique wealth in the Churche and in the famely Whose saying in any iudgement can not be discōmēded for if the children be punished for the sinnes of their parētes they haue nothing wherof to complayne They owe vndoubtedly this duty vnto their parentes for of them they haue that they are Wherfore if they leaue theyr lyfe for them they haue no wrong done them For they render vnto them that whiche they receaued of them If god shoulde saye vnto them I will vse your punishment to the saluation of your parētes they can by no right refuse it Iohn sayth that euery one ought so to loue his brother to be ready to lay euen his life for him And if we must geue our life for our brother how much more ought we to geue it for our father God vseth sundry instrumentes wherwith he draweth men vnto him Why then should he not vse either the sickenes or death of the children either for the chastenyng or for the saluation of the parentes Augustine in his .8 Augustine The lesser part iustly suffreth punishment for the greater question vpon Iosuah whiche I haue oftentymes alledged sayeth That it is iust that the lesser part suffer punishement for the greater as in that hystory it happened bycause of the sacrilege whiche Achan committed A fewe fel in the battaile and the whole multitude was absolued Hereby we vnderstād how great the anger and vengeance of God would haue bene if the whole multitude had sinned when as the sinne of one manne was so excedingly punished And Plutarche in that booke whiche a little before I brought This thing sayth he also the Capitaynes doo in their hostes If there be any thyng commonly committed of all they put the tenth manne to death that by the punishment of a fewe the rest
this .300 yeares and Balac though he were a mighty Prince and other also neuer required it againe wherfore then doest thou demaund it againe especiallye seing we haue had it so long time That which we translate Art thou better in Hebrue it is Tob tob For bicause they want the comparatiue degree they vse in steede of it a repeticion of the positiue degree Why Balac fought agaynst the Israelites Balac of whom he speaketh was he which hired Bileam to cursse the Iewes And when he fought against the Israelites he did not therefore fight bicause he would wrest from them that land this was onely his entent that they shoulde not enter into his borders Hesbon Hesbon was the kingly Citye of Sihon There dwelled Israell and in all her townes .300 yeares and now at the last demaundest thou it agayne If a man wyl count the number of the yeares euen to this time he shall not fullye finde .300 yeares but onely .270 But so vse they to doo which prescribe any thing by time to adde somwhat aboue the iust number Although the scripture also is wont in supputacions many times to follow the greater number And .270 yeares come nere vnto .300 yeares then to .200 yeares And for that cause it seemeth that the number should be put whole Wherfore Iiphtah concludeth after this maner I haue not offended thee Bicause thou art the occasion of the warre and haue shewed thee my reasons now resteth to put the matter in Gods hand he wyll iudge best Thys was the message of Iiphtah We must fyrst entreate by messengers before we go to weapons Titus Liuius This Oration as farre as it appeareth pertaineth vnto the iudicial kynde and entreateth of possession and the reasons are layde foorth But nowe let vs marke that Iiphtah before he moueth battail sendeth messengers before That is a custome verye laudable For Titus Liuius writeth in his first booke that it was the maner of Rome that before warre was proclaymed againste their enemies messengers were sent to complaine of the iniuries and to require againe the thinges taken away And if by their message they nothing profited they returned vnto the Senate who vnderstanding the matter proclaimed war by the publike assent For wise men iudged it not best rashlye and sodainlye to fall to warres So Iiphtah though he were a warlike and valiant man yet woulde he gouerne the matter wisely and moderatlye For he was not so light brained as many now adayes are who firste prepare them selues to battaile and make a bragging before any man know that there is any warre proclaimed God thus ordained in the .27 chap. of Deut. when thou shalt come to any Citye thou shalt firste offer peace So Iiphtah assayeth firste to compose the matter by woords before he goeth to hand strokes The king of Ammon alledgeth a cause in dede but it is but a fained cause for first it was not the laÌ„d of Ammon but of Moab and the Amorhites draue them out as the second chap. of Deut. testifieth For Israel had none of their landes For God had before said that he woulde geue nothing vnto the Israelites of that which pertained either to the Edomites or to the Ammonites or to the Moabites and when they offred no wrong vnto anye man Sihon the king of the Amorhites pursued them with an host and assayed to destroy them but God gaue the victory wherin both Sihon was slain and his kingdome came to the Israelites Wherfore it can not seme that they did wrong vnto the Ammonites for that land at that time longed to the Amorhites which they before had taken away from the Moabites Whither the Israelites sent messengers vnto the Moabites or no. But in this place ariseth a doubt for it is written that the Israelites sent messengers vnto the Moabites and that is not found in the .21 chap. of Numb The Hebrue interpreters say that that may be gathered out of the .2 chap. of Deutr. where it is after this sorte written I sent messengers vnto Sihon the king of the Amorhites with woordes of peace saying Let vs passe throughe thy lande and we wil go by the high way we wil not decline neither to the right hande nor to the leaft Sel vs meate for money for to eate geue vs water for money to drink Onely geue vs leaue to passe through as did the children of Esau which dwell in Seir and the Moabites which dwel in Arre Ther are three principal pointes in this message What wer the chief points of I phtahs meâ—sage for first Iiphtah answereth that he possesseth this land by the right of war secondly by gift lastlye by prescription I thinke it good to examine these thinges singularly and aparte ¶ Of things whych are taken by the ryght of warres AS touching the first we learne that it may be that some thing may be claymed by the right of warre which maye be confirmed both by mans lawes and by the lawes of God But I wyl begyn with mans lawes In the Digestes de captiuis et postliminio reuersis in the law Postliminium Postliminium a law by 〈…〉 we receaue agayn 〈◊〉 â—hichâ— we lostâ— in warres The thinges that we haue lost in war or in affaires of war if we afterward recouer the same again we shal possesse them by the law Postliminium For so long as they are not recouered they are possessed of our enemies And thys ryghte is towarde those whyche are declared to bee enemyes But suche were declared to bee enemies against whom the people of Rome publikelye proclaimed warre or they which publikely prohibited warre against the people of Rome as it is had in the same title in the law Hostes For Pirates or theues cannot by this meanes attaine to be owners or possesse any thing by the law of warre For warre ought to be made to the ende to attaine something by the right of warre And in the Digestes de acquirendo rerum dominio in the lawe Naturale paragrapho the last Such thinges as are taken from enemies by the common law of all men agreing vnto naturall reason are straightwaye made theirs which take them And thus the lawes of man as touching this thing are very manifest So is it also by the lawes of God Abraham as it manifestlye appeareth in the booke of Genesis the .14 chap. made warre against the .v. kinges whiche had led away Lot prisoner The battaile being finished theyr praye came into the handes and power of Abraham which maye easelye bee proued bicause of that pray he gaue tithes vnto Melchisedech But it had not bene lawfull for him to haue geuen tithes of an other mans goods therfore they wer his own of which he gaue Wherfore we must beleue that that pray was truelye in his possession For in that he gaue it to the king of Sodom it was of his mere liberality for he was not therunto compelled by the law I coulde make mencion what
Iustice in contaminatyng an other mannes thyng Ye are bought with a greate pryce wherefore glorify God in your body These argumentes of Paul are both most pleasaunt and also most strōg which if they satisfy not some let him loke vpon our Samson He was no idolatrer no murtherer no these and yet is he taken bound his eyes put out and is compelled to grinde in a prison euen as if he had ben a foure footed beast Paul laboureth by many argumētes to proue whoredome is sinne And no maruayle bicause then he wrote vno the Corinthians whiche at that tyme abounded aboue other in fornicatiōs Wherof came the Prouerb Nō quiuis Corinthū that is It is not for euery mā to go to Corinthus And in vniuersal al the Ethnikes were in an ill opiniō touching this vice Eusebius For which cause whē the Church was yet springyng as Eusebius testifieth in his .3 booke of his hystory the .29 chap. the Nicolaites did openly manifestly commit fornication layd the custome of their wicked crime vpō Nicolaus the deacon Clemēs Alexandrinus The history of Nicolaus the deacon although Clemēs Bishop of Alexādria in Stromatis do excuse Nicolaus For he sayeth that he neither thought nor taught any such thing But hauing a very fayre woman to his wyfe and therefore beyng thought to haue ben gelous ouer her he brought her foorth before the people and said This is my wife And that ye might vnderstand that I am not gelous ouer her I am cōtēt for my part that any of you take her to wife Which thing also he mēt as farre as the law of God would suffer But they which were afterward called Nicloaites vnderstandyng his wordes peruersly supposed that he thought the wyues among Christians ought to be cōmon Of this Secte it is written in the Apocalips But this thou hast bycause thou hast hated the actes of the Nicolaites whiche I haue hated Wherfore it is no meruayle though Paul tooke so great paynes to teache that whoredome is sinne Fornicatiō cōtrary to matrimony This wicked crime is contrary vnto matrimony For they whiche haunte wandryng lustes and harlots are farre from contracting of Matrimony Wherfore Terence sayth They which loue can ill abide to haue a wife geuen thē For whiche cause Clemens sayth Clemens whoredome leadeth from one matrimony to many that is from one lawful coniunction to many vnlawfull wicked The Epistle to the Hebrues ioyneth fornicators which aduoutrers testifieth that God will iudge them And those two vices are so ioyned together that they are comprehended in the selfe same precept wherin it sayd Thou shalt not commit aduoultry Fornication is repugnat vnto Christ the publique wealch This pestilence also is repugnāt both vnto Charity to the publique wealth vnto charity vndoubtedly bycause the fornicators do iniury vnto their children whiche not beyng lawfully procreated are scarsely at any tyme brought vp honestly vertuously And they hurt the publique wealth bycause they defraud it of good Citizēs For Mamzer a bastard I say one borne in fornication is prohibited to be receaued into the Church not that he is restrayned from the holy cōmunion or from the misteryes of saluation but bycause it is not lawfull for him to gouerne the publique wealth to be numbred among Citizens Some thinke that this euill may be remedyed if a man should keepe a concubine at home So say they shall the yssue be certayn It may be peraduenture certayne but it shall not be legitimate Seing therfore this wicked crime is both agaynst matrimony and charity also the publique wealth it cā not be denied but it is a sinne most grieuous A Christiā magistrate ought not to suffer harlottes And for as much as it is so why are fornications now a dayes openly suffred in Cityes I speake not of the Ethnikes I speake of Christians and of those Christiās which wil alone seme be called the successors of Christ Whoredome or fornicatiō is most impudently mainteyned in their dominion they not onely willing therunto but also taking a commodity tribute therof That whiche is against the word of God against matrimony against charity against the publique wealth is no sinne or els it is a notable sinne If it be sinne why is it not taken away weded out Augustine But I know what they will bable they bring foorth Augustine who in his booke de Ordine wryteth thus Take awaye harlottes and all thyngs shal be filled with filthy lustes But let vs consider in what time Augustine wrote that booke Vndoubtedly when he was yet Catechumenus and not sufficiently enstructed in religion And althoughe he had not beene Catechumenus yet thys his saying agreeth not with the word of God neyther with Augustine himselfe who in an other place affirmeth that the good which commeth of euil as a recompensacion is not to be admitted Which thing also Paule hath taught to the Romaynes euen as they were wont to say of vs Let vs do euil thinges that therby may come good thinges whose damnation is iust We must neuer haue a regard to the end and euent when we are vrged by the commaundemente of god Somtimes men say vnto vs Vnles thou committe sinne this euill or that will succede But we must aunswere let vs do what god hath commaunded vs he will haue a care of the successe Neither is it meete that one onely sentence of Augustine should be of greater authority then so many reasōs which we haue brought and so many most manifest wordes of God God commaunded absolutely and by expresse wordes that there shoulde be no harlot in Israell But some go aboute to wrest this place out of our handes in sayinge that these hebrewe woordes Kadschah and Kedaschim signifieth not whores or harlots but rather the priestes of Priapus which were vowed or consecrated to thinges most filthy I contrarily thinke that Chadschah signifieth an harlot and Kedaschim vnnaturall and effeminate persons God woulde haue neyther of these suffred among his people But in that they obiect the holy seruices of Priapus it is nothing For it was sufficientlye before decreed touchinge idolatry and what nede it agayn to be repeated But that we may the more manifestly vnderstand that Kadschah signifieth a harlot let vs reade the historye of Iuda and Thamar in the booke of Genesis Certaine wordes ar taken both in the good and euill parte and there we shall see that Louah Kadschah are taken both for one and the selfe same thing For whiche cause we must note that there are certayne wordes whiche maye be taken both in the good and euil parte of which sort is this word Kadschah among the Hebrewes which signifieth both holy and also an harlot euen as among the lattines thys word sacrum that is holye Virgil. wherefore Virgill sayth Auri sacra fames that is the holy hunger of gold This Hebrew word Kadasch is to prepare or
that there was a little of the day remaining So also men when they come to age ar weakned in the body The Leuit would tary no longer which turned to his greate hurt Let vs by the way note in this place that for him which shal make a iorney it is vnprofitable to tary long at banquetings For commonly they ar oppressed with night before they can come to theyr lodginges Now it semeth that I should entreate of adulteries wherby I might declare the nature and greiuousnes of that sinne and setforth the punishmentes of that crime which ar appointed both by the ciuil laws by the ecclesiastical but these shal be spoken of when wee are come vnto the history of Dauid who committed most filthy adultery with Bethsaba Now I haue determined to entreate onelye of the reconsiliation of the husband and the wife after the committing of adultery and I will touch the whole matter briefly ¶ Of the reconciliation of the husband the wife after that adultery hath ben committed THe ciuil lawes are vtterly against the reconciliation of the husband and the wife after the one hath committed adultery The ciuill lawes abhorre from reconciliation after adultery For in the Code ad l. Iuliam de adulteriis in the law Castitati nostrorum temporum it is ordeined that if a man maried againe a wife condemned of adultery he incurreth the crime of being a bawd And in the same title in the law Crimē it is had that he which retaineth still in matrimonye a wife that hath played the adulteresse can not accuse her of adultry Although afterward by a new law it was otherwise prouided for Neither was it a light thinge to be condemned is a bawde but it was euen as greiuous as if a man had ben condēned of adultry Yea and if a man retayn her that is condēned of adultry he may him self without an accuser be condēned of adultry And if a man marie agayn her whom that he hath once repudiated he cannot accuse her of the adultry before committed But if she again commit adultry he may Bycause in marieng her againe he seemeth to haue allowed her acte And if any woman be condemned of adultry no man can take her to wife Wherefore the ciuil lawes do abhor from reconciliacion after adultry so that it be conuict and condemned For if it be onely his suspicion it is lawful for the husband to retayne and accuse her whome hee suspecteth Who if hee afterwarde see that he was ledde by a vayne supicion to accuse her hee maye cease from that which he hath begonne so that he first obteine a release of the Iudge Ierome vpon the .19 chapter of Mathew may appeare to agree with the ciuil lawes For he writeth she which hath deuided one flesh into one or two ought not to be retained least her husbande be made subiect vnto the curse For as it is written in the .18 chapter of the Prouerbes He which retaineth an adultresse is vngodly and a foole In dede so haue the .70 interpreters turned it but the verity of the Hebrewe hath it not The same Ierome saith If there happpen any sin it breaketh not matrimony But if ther happen adoultery then the wife is not lawfull And in the .32 question the first ar rehearsed the words of Chrisostome If a manne haue to doe with an adulterous wife let him do penaunce And the same Chrisostome vpon the .26 chap. of Mathew Euen as he is vniuste whiche accuseth an innocent so is he a foole which retayneth an adulteresse The same thing is had in the decretals de Adult in the chap. Si vir sciens And it was decreed at the counsell of Orleaunce The husband which retaineth an adulteresse is partaker of the crime And if a woman repudiated marye an other her laste husband being dead she can not return vnto the first For now she is vncleane vnto him as it is written in the .24 of Deut. But now omitting these thinges let vs see the reasons which serue for reconciliation God himselfe which is onely good would be the husbande of the church and that not onely in our time but also in the times of the fathers But the church especially the old church oftentimes turned aside to idolatry and cōmitted whoredome with the Gods of the Gentiles as euerye where appeareth in this booke and also in the history of the kinges and in the prophetes Neuertheles yet Ieremy called it back againe in the name of God to return to her husband Which selfe thinge Hoseah the prophet also did that with many words And if god be redy to receaue his wife beynge an adulteresse man ought also to returne into fauor agayne with his wife especially if she repent and beginne a new life For as many as are christian men professe the imitation of God Ther is also an example of Dauid who toke agayne his wife Michol although her father had placed her to an other man Iustinian Iustinian also in his Authentikes when he commaundeth that an adulteresse should be beaten be shut vp in a monastery yet hee geueth libertye to the husbande to take her againe if he will within the space of two yeares so he most manifestly alloweth reconciliation Augustine Augustine in his 2 boke to Pollencius is very much in this that they should be reconciled For many in his time would not receaue their wiues which had cōmitted adultery as such as which were now polluted contaminated Where fore he wrote doest thou thinke her polluted whom baptisme and repentaunce hath purged Whom God hath clensed She ought not to seme to thee polluted And if she be now recōciled vnto the kayes of the church admitted into the kingdome of heauen by what right canst thou put her from thee These thinges are had also in 32. question .1 If she haue fallen thou must know it came of humayne nature mercy muste be shewed her if she arise For we woulde the same to be done vnto vs. And extreme right is extreme wronge In the decretals de adulteriis stupris in the chap. Si vir sciens it is had out of the counsel of Orleaunce An adultresse if she repent ought to be receaued The glose in that place demaūdeth by what right or dewty she ought to be receiued It answereth Not by the lawe of necessitye for if the man wil not he cannot be compelled to receaue her wherfore he ought by the law of honesty to take her agayne But I woulde demaund whither it ought not also to be done by the dewty of piety by the strēgth of the commaundement of God forasmuch as Paule to the Philip. saith do these things whatsoeuer ar honest and iust Therfore it is also don by necessity of the commaundement But the gloser in that place intreated of the outward iudgemente wherein no man can be compelled to receaue an adulteresse But in the Cannon now cited it is added Not
a lawe called Lex Scantinia Lex Scātinia whiche was of the same shapenes For he would signify that the Byshoppe of Vthinensis was contaminated with thys kynde of wickednes He feared not sayeth he the lawe called Lex Scantinia In the Code ad l. Iuliam de Adulteriis stupris in the lawe Cum vir nubit Constantius Augustus cōmaundeth the lawes to arise and the lawes to be armed with the auengyng sworde that such as are infamed by this crime should be subiect to most cruell punishementes Iustinian also in his Authentikes in the title vt no Luxurientur contra naturam maketh thys crime death and addeth that for such a detestable crime Cityes are ouerthrowen and plagued with pestilēces hunger and earthquakes He mought also haue added ciuile warres whiche as this Hystory testifyeth doo fellowe and those moste cruell Extra de excessibus prelatorum in the chapter Clerici it is ordeyned that they whiche are taken in thys crime shoulde be put out of theyr place and dignity And the lay men also should be excommunicated But it is to be knowen that euen GOD bendeth hymselfe to vengeaunce ☜ and sendeth fury and madnes vpon suche persons where the Magistrate neglecteth his dewty and suffreth wicked menne to go vnpunished Therefore in Genesis it is written that the aungelles smote the Sodomites with blyndnes so that they could not finde the house We muste also note that the Gabaonites came in a manner all of them vpon a heape vnto the doore that it myght appeare that they all conspired into thys so detestable a crime But there ariseth a doubt whether sinne may by any meanes be excused for this cause Sinne is not excused therefore bycause it is publique bycause it was common and almost all men were infected with it No vndoubtedly yea rather it was so muche the more wicked and heynous as it was committed of many and that without punishement For they dyd not onely conceaue and committe wickednes but also publishe and set it forth openly and without shame ranne together to accomplishe it Wherefore it is rightly written that the sinnes of the Sodomites cried and ascēded vp into heauen Esay also writeth They haue published abrode their sinne like Sodoma And where we see that done we must thinke that it is a certayne token that that publique wealth shall in shorte tyme perishe For menne when they are touched with some shamefastnes althoughe they sinne yet remayneth there some hope of amendement and repentaunce But when in a manner they openly professe wicked actes and write bokes of them and wil haue theyr wicked crimes to be publique there is nothyng elles to be looked for but the vengeaunce of God With thys wicked vyce the Prelates and Papisticall Sacrificers in these dayes are chiefely infected and also the Antechristes of Rome vnto whom matrimony is very odious Let vs also consider the goodnes of God whiche stirreth vp this olde man to admonishe and reproue them and to bryng them agayne into the ryght waye They were menne polluted and contaminated and vtterly vnwoorthy of so great a benefite But there are neuer men so euill but that GOD doth by some meanes admonishe them of their synnes The olde man dyd his dewty but they contemne and deride him He brought foorth hys concubine Who Not the olde manne but the Leuite who deliuered his wife for feare least he should hymselfe haue fallen into their power But why did not the olde manne delyuer his daughter also Paraduenture bycause those Citezins cared not for her beawty who yet counted the wife of the Leuite to be very fayre and beautifull They so afflicted her all the nyght that in the mornyng she dyed Theyr wicked crime turned at the length into murther In this place the hande and vengeaunce of GOD sheweth forth it selfe This woman hauyng before committed adultery and not for it iustly punished The adulteresse as she sinned so is she punished at the length dyeth euen in adultery and suffreth the lawe of the lyke But whether she repented at last or no there is nothyng written of that matter We onely see the outwarde thynges it is GOD whiche searcheth the heartes But if she dyd repent and that with fayth then escaped she eternall punishementes Yet GOD will haue discipline established in publique wealthes and the malefactors punished who if they repent then are they fatherly chastisynges and not punishementes Neither is it lawfull for the Magistrate to neglecte his office althoughe they repent for if they doo cease to punishe God as it is before sayd will by hymselfe reuenge Wherfore that whiche is written to the Hebrues Whoremongers and adulterers GOD will iudge may be vnderstand two manner of wayes bycause God sometymes punisheth by himselfe and sometymes by the Magistrate The Leuite layd his concubine beyng dead vpon the Asse went home and deuided her body into twelue partes whereof he sent into euery tribe a parte But it may be demaūded Howe the Leuite distributed the pieces how he sent twelue parts into euery tribe when as they wer 13. number Some thinke it was bycause he sent nothing vnto the tribe of Leui for that the Leuites dwelled dispersedly among the other tribes Other suppose that he would send nothing vnto the tribe of Beniamin bycause he thought that they would be no equall reuengers for as muche as the Gabaonites pertayned vnto them But this sentence seemeth not probable bycause it was the sinne onely of one City therefore it pertayned not vnto the whole tribe vnles peraduenture we will say that he supposed that the Beniamites were of such mindes that they woulde not know and take vengeance of the offences of theyr owne bretherne Neither was he deceaued in his opiniō For so happened it in very dede Other say that he sent two partes to the tribe of Manasses bycause the Manassites dwelled part beyond Iordane and part on this side therfore they say that in this hys distribution were omitted two tribes Beniamin and Leui for the causes before alledged The entent of the Leuite was What was the entent of the Leuite that no tribe should excuse themselues by ignorance He was compelled so to do bicause ther was then no Magistrate in Israel neyther any certayn place of iudgement where he might plead his cause Wherfore he stirreth vp al the people to take away euil amōg thē And it semeth that he more profited by this meanes then he shoulde haue done if he had vsed letters or spech For those things do very much moue which are set forth before the eies And yet in so doing he sought not reuengemēt either by a wicked or by an vnlawful meanes forasmuch as he did not tumultuously call souldiers together neyther raised vp sedicions or inuaded the city which did him the iniurye He broughte the cause before them to whom it pertained to knowe it He complained not to Ammorhites or Iebusites but to his owne people Wherfore he ordreth his
answer of Bonifacius a deceite of equiuocation For we demaund whither an ecclesiastical Minister may beare the office of a ciuil Magistrate and vse a ciuil sword and they remit vs vnto the sword of Peter a man otherwise priuate Bernardus Howbeit Bernardus in his .4 booke de Consider ad Eugenium semeth to interprete the two swordes I graunt that Bernard hath certaine thinges lyke vnto this but yet not vtterly the same But we must remember in what tyme Bernardus lyued He liued at that time wherein all thinges were corrupted in the Church and if a man reade those his bokes de Consideratione he shal se that he grieuously complaineth of the corruption of his time Eugenius was by the Romanes excluded the City and peraduenture he meditated by violence to restore himselfe Wherefore Bernard exhorted them to preache the Gospell to deale aganst the Romanes with the woorde and with Sermons rather then wyth the sword Eugenius said what wilt thou haue That I should feede Serpentes and Dragons and Beastes Yea rather assayle them saith Bernard with the woord not with iron And in an other place he saith If thou wilt haue both swordes thou shalt leese both Neither is it to be thought that Eugenius would by himself haue fought but peraduenture he assayed to moue warre by other from whiche purpose Bernard disswaded him And thus much of him But in that Bonifacius addeth that those swords of the church ought to be in order namely that the one should be subiect vnto the other that he proueth by thys saying of Paule Those powers that are are ordeined of God is manifestly declared how this man wresteth the scriptures For this word ordinatae that is ordered is in Greeke written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nothing els then instituted or appointed But be it so as Bonifacius hath expounded it what manner of order shal this be at the length Vndoubtedly it shoulde be that the Minister shoulde teache and the ciuil power shoulde heare and beleue But this is nothing vnto the Pope which teacheth nothing The lowest thinges saith Dionisius are by meanes reduced vnto the hyghest Wherfore Bonifacius concludeth that the outward sword ought to be referred vnto God by the spiritual Vndoubtedly I wil easely graunt that the swoord of the spirit that is the word of God is the meane wherby the other sword namely the outwarde ought to be tempered and directed vnto God But why doth not the Pope retaine this meane The Pope vseth not the swoorde of the woord Why vseth he not the word Why teacheth he not why preacheth he not Nndoubtedly princes that stray are not by him reuoked into the right way yea rather contrarywise the Pope and bishops of the Church are somtimes rebuked and iustly reproued of princes Aaron assuredly being high priest It longeth to princes sometimes to admonish and correct Ecclesiastycall men fel greuously in making the golden calfe and obeing the foolishnes of the people Moses accused him greiuously whome it is certayne that he was a ciuil magistrate For toward the end of Deut. he is called a king And when the priestes abused the mony which was offred for the mending of the couerings of the temple who remedied that but onely Ioas the king I will not speake of Dauid and Salomon and others which deuided the lottes of the priest orders of the Leuites And I will not at this time proue these things by any more examples For they are manifest inough of them selues Wherefore I graunte that the ciuill power maye be corrected of the ministers by preaching of the word But the Pope vseth not this kind of gouernment but rather an incredible tirrannye They boaste moreouer that they themselues are greater in dignitye for that they excercise spirituall heauenly thinges where as princes are occupied onely about earthly and ciuill thinges Be it so for we deny not but that ministers are occupied about thinges greater and more deuine then magistrates are But doth the Pope alone minister them Yea rather he neuer doth it at al. Wherfore if the dignity of the ministery depend of those things then will it follow that many bishops and priestes do in dignity far excell the Pope which neuer preacheth most rarely and to very few administreth the Sacraments Let vs come to tenthes Of tenthes by the paiment wherof Bonifacius laboreth to proue that al princes ar subiect vnto him This argumēt semeth to haue some shew bicause at the first sight it agreeth with the .7 chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wher Paul proueth the dignitie of christ to be greater thē the dignity of the priesthode of the Leuits For thus he gathereth Abraham payd tenthes vnto Melchisedech at which time Leui was not yet but was at the time in the loins of Abrahā so paid tēthes in him And he which payeth tenths to an other by the self same thing professeth himself to be inferior vnto him Christ was priest accordinge to the order of Melchisedech Wherfore the Apostle concludeth that the priesthode of the Leuits was much inferior vnto the priesthode of Christ I haue opened the spring frō whence Bonifacius deriued his argumēt The place is very dark and nedeth explicatiō and moreouer Bonifacius doth not aptly apply it to his purpose First we ought to vnderstand that tenthes in the old time pertayned vnto ceremonies that aswel in Melchisedech as in the Leuites Both the priesthode of Leui also of Melchisedech signified Christ For in either priesthode they were referred vnto Christ And either priesthode was in very dede a figure of Christ for euen as the Leuiticall prieste entred once euery yeare into the Sancta Sanctorum and that neuer without blood So Christ by his blood entred once into the tabernacle that is into heauen and agayne Melchisedeche for that he had neyther father nor mother resembled Christ which in respect that he was God had no mother and in respect that he was a man wanted a father But what signified the tenthes in either priesthode Christe was more playnelye signified by the priesthode of Melchisedech then by the Leuiticall priesthode Vndoubtedly they signified nothing els then that the elders ought to referre al theyr things vnto christ By that ceremony the people worshipped euen Christ And if a man wil conferre Melchisedech and the priesthode of Leui together although both of them seme to shadow Christ yet shall he se that he is more expressedly manyfestly signified by Melchisedech as the Epistle to the Hebrewes testifieth Bonifacius sayth we receiue tenthes of all the lay men Ye do take them indede but now that Christ is come the paying of tenthes is no more a ceremony as it was before the comming of Christ when by tēthes men worshipped Christ which was to come in the flesh and confessed that they ought vnto him both thēselues and al that they had After which self same manner they payd the
owne woorkes But to beleue to pray to acknowledge sinnes to bewaile them with an earnest repētāce are the woorkes of God and therfore are not forbidden on festiuall dayes but rather commaunded The Ethnikes acknowledged a Religious fast These thynges haue not onely the Hebrues learned out of the lawes of God but also the Ethnikes by the instincte of nature For when Ionas preached vnto the Niniuites that their City should within .40 dayes be ouerthrowen they dispayred not of the mercy of God but got themselues to repentaunce and euery one of them euen from the kyng vnto the lowest Citezin with their beastes also and cattell fasted And when they vehemētly and with a feruent zeale cried vnto the Lorde Augustine Porphyrius they were heard Augustine de ciuitate dei writeth that Porphyrius taught that abstinence from flesh and grosse meates doth purify the myndes of men wherby they are made the more prompt to thinges deuine and to familiarity with good spirites Plutarche Plutarche also in his litle booke de Iside Osiride sayth that the Priestes of Heliopolis vtterly absteyned from all meates whiche might noorishe and augment the wantones of the fleshe and that they neuer brought wyne into the temple of their God For they counted it a vilany to drinke wyne in the day tyme in the sight of their God other men sayd he vsed wyne but not much and they had many purifications without wyne The same Plutarche de cohibenda Iracundia sheweth Holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that among the Athenienses wer certayne holy sacrifices which were done onely with water without wyne And this is notable which is written in the same booke Empedocles Titus Liuius that Empedocles was wont to say that a mā ought most of all to fast from malice Titus Liuius maketh mention that when at Rome there happened many portentuous thyngs which seemed to foreshewe some great euill the decemuiri were sent to looke into the bookes of the Sibilles and that there was aunswere made that they should institute a publique fast in the honor of Ceres whiche fast should also be repeated agayne euery .5 yeare And that by that meanes the anger of the gods should be pacified Wherfore the Ethnikes beyng smiten with the feare of the euils whiche hoonge ouer their heades fled vnto the oracles fasted and prayed the gods to turne away their anger But Christians not onely seyng so many so great euils but also hearyng them told from all parts of the world yet turne they not vnto GOD by prayer neither are they any thyng moued in mynde But peraduenture some man will say that Fastes Fastes are commended in the new Testamēt bycause they are partly Iewishe and partly Ethnike seeme to be farre from our Religion But that it is not so may easely be proued by the new Testament In the Actes of the Apostles the .13 chap. the Church beyng admonished by an oracle that Paul and Barnabas should be chosen to visite the Cityes and Townes where the Gospell had ben preached first decreed a fast then they layd their handes vpon them And in the .14 chap. when they after they had accomplished their matters thorough Iconium Listria and Antioche returned home they instituted a fast and created ministers and Priestes in euery City Augustine in his Epistle to Cassulanus sayth Augustine When Peter should at Rome haue talke with Simon the sorcerer vpon the Son day the Churche of Rome vpon the Sabaoth day denounced a faste whiche custome was alwayes afterward retayned Ierome Ierome in his prologue vpon Mathew sayth that Iohn beyng desired of the Churches to write the Gospell agaynst Ebion and Cerinthus who denyed the deuine nature of Christ aunswered that he woulde so doo if the whole Churche woulde before indicte a publique faste Whiche thyng Eusebius also in his Ecclesiasticall Hystory testifieth Eusebius Paul also in the .1 to the Corinthians the .7 chapter admonisheth those that are ioyned together in matrimony not to separate themselues a sonder but for a tyme to geue themselues to fastyng and prayers In whiche place I thynke he vnderstādeth publique prayers and also a publique fast For fellowshyp with the wife nothyng letteth but that they may be vsed priuately but whether he vnderstood publique fastes or priuate it skilleth not much Farther Christ being asked of his Apostles why they could not heale the dōme and cast out the deuil He answered Bycause of your incredulity And he added This kynd of deuils is cast out onely by fasting and prayer That place is somewhat darke and therfore it shall not be vnprofitable briefly to expounde it Is it to be thought that by the merite of fastyng and prayers as they vse to speake deuils are cast out by vertue of the worke wrought Not so What thē signified the woordes of Christ First he said Bycause of your incredulity for if ye had fayth euen so muche as a grayne of mustard and should say vnto this mountayne Take vp thy self cast thy self into the sea it should obey you And together with a fayth is necessary a vehement and feruent prayer and also fastyng bycause a fixed and earnest prayer which draweth the mind not onely frō meate and drinke but also from all other humane cogitacions and pleasures Wherefore Christ by the effectes describeth the cause namely fayth by prayers and fasting and he speaketh of those deuils to whom god gaue more liberty as though he should haue sayd ye must not lyue easely or idely if ye will cast out this kynd of deuils Ye must haue a sure and strong fayth whiche thyng he expressed by the effectes by prayers I say and fastes By these reasons and testimonyes may fastes also be commended in the new Testament But in them are faultes to be taken heede of What vices in fasting ar to be taken heede of whiche very often are many and those greuous First bycause in the Papacy are obserued fastes vpon certayne appoynted dayes without consideration of persons or occasions Faste brought in without measure as an yearely ceremony whiche at this day is vtterly of no strength is as if it were Iewishe Moreouer euery man hath added heaped vp of his owne whatsoeuer pleased him and not that which calamity of tymes or feruent prayers required For one man brought in Septuagesima an other Sexagesima an other Quinquagesima another Quadragesima which is Lent an other Rogatiō dayes an other Imber dayes an other the euēs of the Apostles an other Friday an other Saterday an other brought in fastyng on the Wēsday But of so many fastes what vtility hath there at the length followed Many contentions and questions concernyng fastyngs A great many questions contentions For a man will scarse beleue howe many question 's the elders haue had concernyng fast Augustine ad Cassulanum writeth that therfore we must fast on the Wensday bycause Christ was sold that day and on
dayes althoughe he mought haue commaunded it What then commaunded he Learne sayth he of me for I am meeke and humble in heart But the manner of these men is peruerse For they will imitate Christe in that which they ar not commaunded but that which they are cōmaunded they will not followe Our sauior when he sent foorth his disciples Go sayth he to all nations teachyng to obserue those thynges not whatsoeuer thynges I haue done but whatsoeuer thynges I haue commaunded you And it is a wonder to see howe superstitiously and subtelly they haue decreed of these thynges in the Counsell of Martine de Consecratione Confiliū Martini in the dist 3. Non licet and in the Canones of the Counsell of Laodicenum in the chapter Non oportet it is commaunded that in the Lent fastyng on the Thursday should not be broken And in the Counsell of Agathensis it is commaunded Consiliū Agathense that in the Lent fasting on the Saterday also should not be broken bycause on the Thursday Saterday many fasted not Yea on the Sondayes also in the Lent wherin they fasted not they would that there should be retayned a choise of meates And de Consec in the dist 4. A reason out of Gregorye for the obseruynge of Lent Gregoryes reason confuted chap. Denique sacerdotes it is ordeyned that the Priestes should begyn theyr fast from Quinquagesima And in the same place .5 distinct chap. Quadragesima Gregorius hath inuented a reason wherby to proue that Lent is to be fasted We must sayth he geue the tenth part of the whole yeare vnto God And the .x. part of the yeare cōsisteth of .40 dayes Wherfore we must fast so many dayes A goodly reason I promise you Why doth thys Gregory forget that the Leuiticall priesthoode and ceremonies thereof haue now ceased Wherfore it is not lawfull to bind christian men to tenthes and Iewishe ceremonies And if for that cause the time of Lent be to be cōsecrated to a fast bicause it is the tenth part of the whole yeare why did not the Iewes in the old time so fast Why did not the Prophets reproue them bicause they deceaued god of such a kind of tenth But why Lent was inuented as much as I can gather I wil declare Why the father 's instituted Lent The fathers when they saw men liue very carelesly and negligently thoughte it good that they should be cōpelled after a sort to renew godlines in some part of the year somewhat to bridle the fearcenes of the flesh And for this thing they thought that the .40 dayes before Easter were most mete that men should so long haue theyr minds both occupied in repentance also in remembring the benefites of God This inuention although at the first sight it might seme trimme The institutiō of Lent is against Christiā liberty yet it agreeth not with Christian liberty For we must think vpon the benefites of god and of our greate ingratitude and other our moste grieuous sinnes not onelye 40. daies but also continually Farther by this meanes they opened a most wide window to liue securely and reacheleslye For if they once had performed fullye those .40 dayes they thoughte that all the whole yeare after they mighte geue themselues wholy to al kind of pleasures and lustes For they referred the time of repentance to these .40 dayes And although the elders had a lent Eusebius Ireneus yet as Eusebius sayth in his .5 booke and .24 chapter it was left free vnto all men For Ireneus after this manner entreated with Victor bishop of Rome whē he would haue excommunicated the East church because in the obseruinge of Easter it agreed not with the church of Rome What sayd he can we not liue at concord although they vse theyr owne rites as we vse ours For some fast in the Lente two dayes some .4 dayes some ten dayes some .15 some .20 and other some .40 dayes and yet is concord neuertheles kept in the Church Ther is an other abuse Fasting is an excercise not a holines namely bicause som put holines in fasting as though a worshipping of god consisted in it where as in very dede fasting is onely an excercise which of it selfe hath no holines They are fooles which in fasting thinke that for that cause they haue god bound vnto them Ierome wherfore we must not rashly geue credite vnto Ierome when he sayth that fasting is not a vertue but the foundation of al vertues For onely Christ and faith in him is the foundation of all vertues If he had sayd that fasting is a helpe of certayn vertues he mought haue bene borne with al. And vndoubtedly herein the elders oftentymes erre A fall of the riders for that they prayse extol fasting aboue measure If so much should be attributed vnto fasting we must of necessity confesse that Iohn Baptist liued more holily then Christ For he fasted more then Christ did For Christ did eate and drinke as temperate and modest men vse to do But it is sayde that Iohn did neither eat nor drinke Yea and Paule to Timothy writeth that the exercise of the body hath small vtilitye but piety is profitable to all thinges If thou wilte demaunde what piety is What piety is I wyll aunsweare that it is a true worshippinge of God a soundnes of doctrine and a pure life which thinges follow hope and faith In these thinges assuredly is very great profite and the excercise of the body hath indede some profit but not so great But we must note that Paule speaketh not of fasting and excercise of the body which is Hipocriticall and wanteth fayth but of the true and christian fasting and excercise of the body For those things which want fayth and procede of hipocrisy are sinnes neither do they any thing profite Wherfore Esay sayth Fasting is not a part of satisfaction Is this the fast which I haue chosen But these our men go farther and besides that in fastynge they put holynes they make it also a parte of satisfaction Forasmuch as the Scholemē in the .4 They extende fastes euen to purgatory Gracian boke of sētences do appoint satisfactiō to consiste of prayers almes fasting What abrogateth the death of Christ if this do not They say also that by fasts soules are deliuered out of purgatory And least any should think that I fayn these things let him rede Gratian in the .13 quest .2 chapter anima where he putteth the wordes of Gregory who sayth Soules are deliuered from purgatory either by the prayers or fastinge of theyr kinsfolkes There is also an other more greuous abuse for that some affirme that by fastes they can satisfye the churche althoughe they ceasse not from sinne Thys kynde of faste God himselfe reproueth by expresse woordes in Esaye What care I saith he for your fastes Ye fast contentions and strifes Is thys the faste which my soul hath chosē
after Sathan Yea these virgins of whom we nowe entreate when they wandred thorough the vyneyardes and gaue themselues idely vnto dauncinges were taken vp by the Beniamites Some man wil say that the brethren of Dina oppressed the Hemorhites by guile It is true in deede but when they were reproued of their Father they sayde Ought they to haue done Niblah that is a foolishe and wycked thing in Israel And that Dina was rapte not wyllingly but against her wyl hereby appeareth bycause it is written that Sichem after he had oppressed her spake vnto her hart which signifieth nothing els then that he woulde by flatterye haue comforted her The Beniamites did not properlye commyt rapte Vniuckiendes of raptes But it maye seeme marueilous that these Beniamites were not punished for their rapte but we must consider that they dyd not properlye commit rapte bycause they led away the maydens not onely by their owne counsell but also by the wyl of the Elders Otherwise true and proper rapte hath alwayes had an vnlucky ende Io Argus was led awaye of the Phenicians Europa of the men of Creta Medea of Iason Helena of Paris all whych raptes styrred vp discordes and warres and also the ouerthrowinges of publike wealthes and kingdomes Also the women of Saba being of curiositye desirous to bee present at open spectacles Titus Liuius Augustine were rapted by the Romanes Whereof followed suche warres that both nacions were almost destroyed as Titus Liuius and Augustine De ciuitate dei wryte Wherefore forasmuch as God wil not haue such wicked actes vnpunished it is meete that from hence foorth we auoyde suche matrimonies I am not of that sentence to deny that those matrimonies which hitherto haue ben contracted after that maner are matrimonies For it is not my mynde to bring in a confusion of thinges But these two things I affirme first that in contracting there is sinne especially if it be done against the wil of the Parentes Farther that those lawes wherby suche matrimonies are permitted are to be corrected that hereafter it be not lawful to doo the like For we see that the order whyche God hath set is peruerted when Parentes are neglected by whose counsels matrimonies should be contracted And by this meanes yong mē at encouraged to raptes whē as they hope that they may mary the wiues whō they shal rapte Farther that which I speake is agreable with the lawes of God with the law of nature with the ciuil lawes Wherfore let the Canonistes Schoolemen take hede how they iudge the contrary Now resteth somwhat to speake of daunces ¶ Of Daunses CHorea that is a daunse is formed as Plato sayth of this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche signifieth ioye bycause it is a certayn testification of ioy Seruius And Seruius when he interpreteth this verse of Vergil Omnis quam chorus socii comitantur ouantes that is whō all the daunse and fellowes followed with mirth saith that chorus is the singyng and daunsing of such as be of like age But whēce daūces had their beginning there at sōdry opiniōs Of the offryng of Daunses Some thinke that men when they beheld the sondry motiōs of the wādring and fixed starres sound out daunsing wherby the variety of motions might be represented Other thinke that daunses came rather of religion bycause among the old Ethnikes there were in a maner no holy seruices wherein was not leapyng or daunsing For they led their daunses from the leaft part of the alter to the right wherby to resemble the motion of the heauen from the East vnto the West afterward they returned frō the right to the leaft to expresse the course of the wādryng starres Whiche thyng peraduenture Vergil signified when he sayd Virgil. Instaurantque choros mixtique altarla circum that is and they beyng mixed together renewed theyr daunses compassing about the alters Yea the Priestes of Mars whiche were daunsers Salii the priestes of Mars were had in great honour among the Romanes And there are some also which referre the beginning of daūsing to Hiero a tyran of Sicilia For he they say to establish his tyranny forbad the people to speake one to an other The deuise of Hiero. Wherfore men in Sicilia began to expresse their meaninges and thoughtes by beckes and gestures of the body and the thing turned afterwarde into an vse and custome But whatsoeuer this thyng was daunsinges in the olde tyme were not agaynst Religion althoughe afterwarde they were applied to publique mirth There was also an other kind of daunsing wherby young mē wer exercised to warlike affaires For they wer cōmaunded to make gestures to leape hauyng vpon thē their armor the afterward they might be the more prompt to fight whē neede for the publique wealth should require Saltatio Pyrrhica This kind of daunsing was called saltacio Pyrrhica bycause it was exercised in armor it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of this daūsing is mētion in the ciuile lawes namely in the digestes de paenis in the law ad dānū And sometymes yong men whē they had offēded wer not straightway put to death but were condēned either to hunte vpon a stage or els to daunse in armor And they wer called Pirrhicarii Also there was an other kind of daūsing Wanton daunsyng which was instituted onely for pleasure wantōnes sake that was called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But of those daūses which by gestures of the body expressed the senses of the minde writeth Lucianus in hys booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucianus Athenaeus so doth Atheneus In which kynd at the length it came to the point that when at Rome Demetrius Cynicus derided the daunse called Mimica saltacio callyng it a thyng vaine nothing worth a noble daūcer which thē was had in honor at Rome desired him that he would once onely beholde hym daunsing afterward to iudge speake his fansy whatsoeuer he would He came vnto the stage the daunser called saltator Mimicus begā by gestures to resēble the cōmon fable of Mars takē in adultery with Venus In which thing he so expressed the sunne whiche declared the fact Vulcanus knittyng his nets Venus ouercome with shame Mars humbly destring pardon A saying of Demetrius Cynicus that Demetrius being astonished cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I heare O mā the things that thou doest I do not onely see thē for by these thy handes thou seemeth to me to speake About the same tyme by chaūce came to Rome the king of Pontus whē he had sene this daūser played his gestures on the stage being afterward biddē of Nero to aske what thīg he most desired to haue geuē him he desired to haue the Mimus Nero meruailed forasmuch as he mought haue asked other thinges of much greater price asked him the
publique wealth he doth in deede punishe sinnes greuously but after his fatherly correction he doth with an vnmeasurable goodnes restore the hurtes and losses wherin men oftentymes incurre by theyr owne error faulte In all these things we may see an Image of our tymes For we are infected with the same infirmityes that our fathers were neither doth the deuill and his meÌ„bers with lesse diligence at this day vexe the congregatioÌ„ of the godly then he did in the old time Wherfore let vs praye vnto God our most louyng father thoroughe his sonne Iesus Christ that euen as from the begynning he hath holpen and noorished hys Churche in most great daungers so also he would now keepe and defende it when it is almoste ouerwhelmed with euils and calamityes Let vs desyre him also that euen as he from tyme to tyme stirred vp Iudges and deliuerers vnto the Hebrues by whom he restored both liberty and health and as in our tyme he hath geuen Heroicall and most excellent men namely Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Phillip Melanchton and suche like setters forth of the doctrine of the Gospel so he would vouchsafe to go forwarde and in conuenient tymes stirre vp certayn lyghtes by whiche he may illustrate the mindes of hys elect and kindle their heartes to keepe amplifie the Church of Christ that at the leÌ„gth he may haue it raygning with him in heauen without spot or wrinkle Amen ¶ The ende of the Commentary vpon the Booke of the Iudges ¶ A diligent Index or table of the most notable thinges matters and wordes contayned in thys whole woorke VVhich thinges ye shall fynde by the folio which is on the fyrst syde of the leafe and b signifieth the seconde syde of the same leafe A. AAroÌ„ reproued iustly 53 b Abimeleche Gedeons sonne 153. b Abimileches tiraÌ„ni 155 b Abimileches vices 157. b Abraham maried his brothers doughter 20. Abrahams leage with the Chananites 99. b Abrahams saying Sara was hys Sister 89. Abuses of church musicke 103. b Accidences do differ 286. b Accusations violate not but helpe the lawes 255 Action one and the same maye be good and bad 79 Actions should be both iust and iustly done 245 Actions voluntary naturall 63. b Adam and Eua whether they wer buried in Hebron 14. b Adonibezek 11 Aduersity giueth occasion of profitable sermons 113. b Aduersity oght to moue vs to praise thaÌ„k god aswel as prosperiti 104 Aduersities behauiour 6 Aduoutries counted lyghte crimes with Papistes 233 Aduoutries looseth her dowry 81 Adulterers and hooremongers god wyll iudge 249 Adultry punished with adultry 254. b Adultry salued by recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ 249 Adultry and rapt ioyned 283. b Aesopes fables 160 Aestimation is not so much to be regarded as truth 90 Affections are qualities 141. b Affections of the bodye and mynde also signified by dreames 135 Affections ar attributed to God improperly 176 Affections which are to be counted godly 194 Affections whether they bee good or euyll 142 Affections may be ioyned with obedience 195. b Afflicted persons thinke god is not with them 114. b Affliction to the afflicted of God is not to be added 235. b Affliction springeth of synne 112 Affliction of the Israelites of forty yeares 200. b Afflictions of the goodlye are not properly punishments 181. b Afflictions of this life God sendes to diuers endes 180 Afflictions great or smal is no sure argument of the heynousnesse of synnes 171. b Afflictions final causes 8 Affricanes are Chananites 7 Affricanes wer Phenitians 68 Age good what 155. Ain turned by g. 226. b Allegories vse 8. b Allegory taken out of the holy scripture 141 Alexander vnto Darius 157 Altare erected 280. b Altare is not to bee erected but to God 69 Altars vsed why 122. b Alteracion is none in God 175 Ambition handled 157. b Ambition when it hath place 183. b Ambition of kings and bishops 12 Ambrose a Neophyt when he was made bishop 184 Ambrose opinion of Iiptah disalowed 194 Ambrose first vsed singyng in the west church 103 Anabaptistes fault 132. b Anabaptistes error 264. b Anabaptistes deny that the olde testament pertaineth to vs. 186. b Anadiplosis 109. b Anathemata 30. b Anarchia is destruction of a coÌ„mon wealth 139 Ancyrana Synodus 95 Angel signifieth diuersly 59 Angels howe they haue their names 205. b angels why they fell 15. q angels cannot burn in lustes 285 Angels whyther they dyd eate and drinke 212 angels bodyes wherin they appere are true and humaine 211. b Angels what maner of bodies they take vpon them 209. b angels apparitions 208 Angels apparitions may be imagigined .3 maner of waies 209. b. 211 Angels appearing and Gods do eeuidently differ 1â—2 b Angels whether they se God 121. b angels may worke miracles 126. b Anger of God described 70 Anger defined by the matter 73. b anger asswaged by gentle aunswer 141. b anger why Christ forbad 166. b Anger an vnfit affection to punysh in 280. b Answer with the Hebrues is to begyn to talke 244 Anthropomorphites error 118 Antichrist the pope of Rome 147. b Anticipation a common figure in scriptures 246. b Antiochus begyled 86 Apelles error 210. b Apis the oxe was loÌ„g fatting 122 b Apollonius Thyaneus 211 Apology defined 159. b Apoplexia 163. b Apostles how thei ar fouÌ„dacioÌ„s 149 Apparel prescribed by lawes 111. b Apparitions of angels 208 appeale from the Pope 266. b Application of popishe sacrifice for quicke and dead 50 Aquarij heretikes 189. b Arba the builder of Hebron 15 Arguments false of Siricius 94 Arguments from the euents to the cause are not alwayes firm 271. b argument against the Pope 161 Aristocratia 1. b Aristocratia in the church 241 Aristocratia compared with a kingdome 156 Aristotle deceiued 138 Arke taken 244. b Armes of noble men 140. b Artes forbidden 283 Ascension daye whether it was on the wensday or thursday 276. b Asers situation 108 Asking at God how 272 Assamonites or Machabites 259 Assemblies exercises 65 asses vsed in Syria 106. b Asses much vsed in Syria 25. b Attilius Regulus 85. b Augustines saying I would not beleue the Gospel c. scanned 5. b Augustine vsed the latine toung to preach in 84 Augustine Ierome contend 60. b Augustine excuseth Tertullian 120 Augustine chaunged his opinioÌ„ for compelling of heretikes 55 Augustines mother 138. b Aunts why meÌ„ may not mary 19 b B. BAal-berith 155 Baal handled 123. b Baal and Baalim 68 Balaams praying was prophesying 207 Banished mens custome in buylding of Cities 40 Banishment the extremest punishmeÌ„t of the citizens of Rome 146 b Baptisme of Infanes 75. b Baren mothers haue brought forth many excellent men 200. b Baruch is Apocripha 51 Bastard defined 177 b Bastards haue no place in the congregacion of Israel 177 Bastardes proue wurs then other children 178 Bastards wer not commaunded to be banished by the law 183 Bawde who acording to the Ciuill law 249 Bawdes are the Popes 232 Bawdry 232 Beanes make
before other kynde of men had the promise of saluation neither are they paste all hope when as daylye some of them although but a fewe retourne vnto Christ Blindnesse sayeth Paule to the Romanes fell partly on Israel as though he woulde say not on al. Moreouer the same Apostle addeth when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is entred then all Israell shall be saued And least thou shouldest peraduenture thinke that these wordes are to bee vnderstand allegorically Paule writeth them as a miserye and to confyrme his sentence he bryngeth the Prophecye of Esay the Prophet namely that iniquitie shal be then taken away from Iacob Furthermore they are now called enemyes vnto God for our sakes but called frends bycause of their fathers The same Augustine in hys Questions vppon the Gospell the second boke and xxxiii Question if that these bookes be of Augustine his writing when he interpreteth the parable of the prodigal sonne he sayeth that that sonne signifyeth the Gentiles For it is written that he departed into a farre countrey bycause the Ethnikes were so farre departed from God that they openly worshipped Idoles and with open profession But the elder sonne by whome was shadowed the people of the Hebrewes went not so farre And although he were not in hys Fathers house whiche is the Churche he dwelled for all that in the fielde For the Iewes are exercised in the holy Scriptures whiche they doe not ryghtlye vnderstande nor yet with that spirituall sense wherein the Churche of Christe taketh them but in an earthlye and carnall sense Wherefore they are not vnaptelye sayde to bee in the fielde Thys Elder sonne entreth not at the begynnyng into the house of hys Father but in the latter dayes he shall also bee called and come The same Father also bringeth for thys sentence that which is written in the 58. Psalme as he readeth it Do not kil them least they forget thy law but in thy power disperse them The Sonne of God sayth he prayeth vnto the father that that nation might not be destroyed but might wander euery where throughout the worlde Other prouinces when they were ouercome of the Romanes followed the lawes and rites of the Romanes The Iewes receaued not the lawes and customes of the Romanes so that at the length they were made Romanes but the Iewes although they were ouercome by the Romanes yet woulde they neuer followe their lawes rites and ceremonies they yet obserue theyr owne as muche as they maye and being dispersed they wander abroade Neither haue they vtterly forgotten the lawe of GOD not that they Godlye applye themselues to obserue it but only reade it and kepe certayne signes and institutions wherby they are discerned from other Nations Moreouer it semeth that God hath put a signe vppon them as he dyd vppon Caine bycause he had killed his brother Abell namely that euery man shoulde not kill them The dispersing of the Iewes is profitable to Christians Neyther is thys theyr dispersion through oute the worlde vnprofitable to the Christians bycause as it is written to the Romanes they are shewed vnto vs as broken bowes And for so much as we were grafted in their place when as we see that they were so miserably cut of we acknowledge the grace of god toward vs and by beholding of them we are taught to take heede that we also bee not likewyse cut of for infidelitie sake for which self cause they are broken of There is also an other commoditie whiche commeth vnto vs by theyr dispersing bycause our bookes are saued by them I meane the holy Byble whiche they euery where carye aboute with them and reade And althoughe bycause they are blynded Against those whiche burne the Bibles in Hebrewe they beleue not yet they confesse that those writynges are moste true They are in harte deadly enemyes agaynst vs but by these bookes which they haue and reuerence they are a testimonye to our religion Wherefore I can not inough meruaile at those whiche doe so much hate the Iewes tongue and Bibles in Hebrewe Augustine that they desire to haue them destroyed and burnte when as Augustine de doctrina Christiana thinketh that if we chaunce somtymes to doubt of the Greke or Latin translation we must fly vnto the truth of the Hebrue And Ierome in many places writeth the same Whether the Hebrues haue corrupted the bokes of holy scriptures Ierome But they say that the holy bookes were vitiated and corrupted by the Hebrues To thys Ierome vpon Esaye the .vi. Chapter towarde the ende aunswereth thus Eyther they dyd thys before the comming of Christ and Preachyng of the Apostles or els afterwarde If a man will saye that it was done of them before then seing Christ and his Apostles reprehended the moste greuous wicked actes of the Iewes I maruaile why they would speake nothing of that sacrilege and so detestable a wicked acte Vndoubtedly they woulde haue reproued them for viciating and corrupting the Scriptures But if thou wilt contend that there were afterward faultes brought in by them then will I say that they ought chiefly to haue corrupted those places which do testifye of Christ and his religiō and which were alledged by the Lord himself and of the Apostles in the newe Testament But they remaine vncorrupt and the same sentence remaineth stil in the Hebrue Bibles which they put For they wer not so carefull for the words Wherfore it is not likely that they as touching other places haue corrupted the holy scriptures Yea if a man diligently reade ouer their bookes he shall finde in them a great many more testimonyes and those more plaine and manifest than our common traslatiō hath Do not they read in the second Psalme Kysse ye the sonne which ours haue translated Take ye hold of discipline Which woordes vndoubtedly are referred vnto Christ But I meane not at this present to bring all such testimonies It is sufficient if with Ierome I proue that the bokes of holy Scriptures are not corrupted by the Hebrues neither assuredly if they woulde they should haue missed of their purpose For there are found many most auncient handwritten bookes which haue bene of a long time most diligently kept by Christians which came neuer in their hands to corrupt But let vs retourne to treate of that commoditye which Augustine hath declared There are very many sayeth he that would peraduenture thinke that those things which we declare of the auncient people and of the Prophets are vayne and fayned of vs vnlesse they saw the Iewes yet remaining on liue The Hebrues their bokes ar most plaine witnesses of our fayth which with their bookes maintaine our sentence euē against their will Wherfore although the Hebrues be blinded in hart are against vs as much as they maye yet are they with their bokes most plaine witnesses of our fayth And vndoubtedly of al testimonies that testimony is most of value God wil haue a church euen