of Reuben were greate thoughtes of harte 17 Gilead abode beyond Iordane but why doth Dan remayne in shipes Aser sat on the sea shore and taried in his decayed places Ruben is described both by the arte of a shepheard which he exercised and also by the places of Pastors whiche he inhabited and therwith all it is shewed that they were great men and men of a wise vnderstandyng peraduenture to reprehend their swelling and pride as though they would not obey the commaundementes and conduct of Deborah being a woman This is the nature of hyghe mindes that they thinke that al things that they do are wel done But in that it is added To heare the bleatinges of flockes it may be vnderstande plainely as though the Rubenites had more minde to the bleating of cattell than they had to the regarde of the publicque wealth but some vnderstād Allegorically saying that the Rubenites sat styll among the shepefoldes by the fertile pastors of Iordane althoughe they heard they lamentations and complaintes of the flockes of Israel that is of the people of God with whiche lamentations and complayntes they earnestly implored theyr ayde Gilead abode by the riuer of Iordane or beyond Iordane Some thinke that the Galaadites were reprehended together with the Rubenites bycause they also with their cattell abode by Iordane and neglected this battayle Halfe the tribe of Manasses vnto which the Galaadites pertayned when the land of Chanaan was deuided obtayned the region beyond Iordan together with the Rubenites They which thus expound it are encombred with a certain doubt bycause it is before sayd that Machir came and he was both the sonne of Manasses and also possessed the mount Gilead Therfore if Gilead came as it is before sayd why is he here reproued as thoughe he came not Peraduenture they will aunswere Two sonnes of Manasses that Manasses had two childrē Machir Iair of which childrē wer two families deriued of whiche either possessed parte of Gilead Wherfore it might be that Machir of whom before is mencion had came but Iair is nowe reproued whiche together with the Rubenites neglected this battayle But other with whom I agree do thus thinke that the thinges which are now spoken serue to aggrauate the crime of the Rubenites as though it should haue ben sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou Ruben without doubt dwellest by the riuers of Iordane and there dwelleth Gilead also who came for all that to the battayle Therfore all excuse both of dwellyng and place is cut of from the Rubenites And it semeth that this sentence should be spoken by a certaine interrogation Did not Gilead also dwell by the riuers of Iordane Wherfore cease Rubē to excuse that whiche thou hast naughtly cōmitted VVhy doth Dan go to the shippes The situation of the Danites This can not be vnderstand of shyppes lōging to the sea for as much as the lot of the Danites fell not by the sea side but we must vnderstand it of the shippes of Iordane Not as though Dan did altogether dwell by Iordan but as they say this tribe was so feared with the sight of the hostes that they fled vnto their shippes to passe ouer to the Rubenites And that euen as it was filthy and vncomely so also is it nowe iustly worthily blamed Aser sat on the sea shore and in his decayed places Aser is also blamed who semeth to haue excused his absence first bycause he dwelled far of that is by the sea shore secondly bicause his Cities and Townes were decayed and vnfensed And therfore would he tary at home for feare lest if he had gone his enemyes should easely haue had occasion to inuade his borders For for as much as he possessed places whiche were weake he thought that if he were absent his neighbours would easly beriue him of them I do not doubt but that it was greuous and troublesome to those tribes so to be reprehended which yet the holy ghost would haue done partly that they beyng admonished might repent partly the other and we also beyng by this example stirred vp myght not refuse to obey the worde of God yea thoughe it be with daunger whiche if we shall not performe as these men are now reproued so also shall we in the last day of iudgement not onely be reproued with ignominie and irrecouerable hurte but also we shal be damned for euer 18 But the people of Zebulon haue ieoparde their soules vnto the death and Nepthalim in the high places of the field She praysed the tribe of Zebulon and Nepthalim for theyr desertes bycause they had put forth to reproche their soule that is their life For other men counted thē fooles bycause so few and vnarmed men durst rashly take in hand warre agaynst so many and well appointed souldiers as they thought Or They put their soule to reproche bycause they nothing estemed their life and in a manner counted it as a vile thing putting themselues forth into most certaine daunger of death if they should looke vpon mans iudgemēt Howbeit they are for the same cause very much to be commended bycause they preferred both God and also his worde before their owne life And it is added In high places of the fielde or els in high fieldes bycause those were souldiers led vnto mount Thabor from whiche place they might easely behold the whole host of their aduersaries But although they beholde them yet were they not so feared to leaue of their enterprise 19 The kinges came and fought then fought the kinges of Chanaan in Thaanach and by the waters of Megiddo they receaued no gayne of money Nowe is described the forme of the battayle or victory She sayth in the plurall number that kinges came and fought bycause peraduenture Sisera had very many other rulers ioyned with him who although they were not there in person they had for all that their hostes there Or els by a figuratiue kinde of speach the plural number is put for the singular number as is this sentence of the Poet. But we haue gone a great space of the sea Virgil. Cicero Cicero also sayth we haue deceaued the people we semed to haue bene orators Thaanah and Megiddo semed to haue ben riuers in the tribe of Manasses whiche had by them two Cities of the same names not farre from mount Thabor We must thinke therfore that the hoste of Sisera possessed all the playne grounde whiche laye betwene these two Townes Cicero And those repeticions for one verbe serue to adorne the sentēce or song Nilchamiu Are Nilchamiu that is they fought then they fought as Cicero also sayth No man looketh vpon the matter no man considereth the reason c. so that betwene two wordes repeted he putteth this one worde no man This word also Melachim that in kinges is repeted Cicero For it is sayd that the kynges came and that they fought as Cicero also sayth This O fathers appoynted is found to be your acte
punishments of other men We ought to take perfect by the punishmēts of other For he aunswered do you thinke that those Galileians sinned aboue all the reast bicause they suffred these thinges No verilye I tell you but excepte ye repente ye shall all likewise perishe Or thinke ye that those 18 vpon whome the Tower in Siloi fell were sinners aboue all men that dwel in Ierusalem No verely I tell you but excepte ye repente ye shall all lykewise perishe Abimelech also shoulde rather thus haue sayd wyth himself If these things haue chaunsed vnto them what shall then happen vnto me Let vs also speake thus with our selues If by the Turkes and Saracenes so grieuous thinges haue happened vnto the Grecians Hungarians and Africanes what shall then become of vs at the length Excepte we repente wee shall lykewyse peryshe The names of two milstones A peece of a milstone Thys Hebrewe woord Rachab signifieth a milstone But there ar two milstones namely that that is aboue and that that is beneath The higher is he which is called Rachab bicause it is put vpō the other and after a sort rideth vpon it The other is called Schachab bycause it semeth to lye still By what meanes the woman hadde a peece of a mylstone in the vpper parte of the house it appeareth not Howebeit it is verye likelye that they caryed vppe stones and greate heauye peeces of rockes into the vpper partes of the houses to haue them in a redinesse to beate backe the enemy And hys page thruste him thorowe and he died This is the ende of a most cruel tiranne He is killed of a woman and when he saw that he must nedes dye he studieth to put away the infamye neyther would he haue it sayd of him that a woman slew him What madnes is thys He is at the poynt of death and he vaynelye thinketh vpon glorye He thinketh it a reproche to be killed of a woman and is nothinge carefull for the soule nor for the other life he onelye careth for his name and fame And god when he hadde vsed thys mannes cruelty to afflicte the Sechemites at the laste destroyed him also He entred in by euell artes He raygned cruellye and tyrannouslye and died moste filthylye And when Abimelech was dead euery man returned into his country Neither was the tower which he assaulted conquered And least any man should thinke that these thinges happened by chaunce but that all menne myghte vnderstande that they were doone by the prouidence and counsell of god the cōclusion is added Thus God rewarded Herebye we are very well taught that if at anye time the like thinges doo happen wee muste not attribute them to fortune but onely vnto the prouidence of God Achab the kinge when he went on warfare chaunged his apparell and woulde not be knowen to be the kinge but be counted a raschall souldiour yet was he slayne wyth an arrowe whiche was shut at auenture whiche thinge myghte haue seemed to haue bene done by chaunce when as yet God in very deede gouerned the shafte And in like manner as Plutarch telleth Pirrhus was slayne of a moman in besieging of Thebez Plutarch she throwing downe a tyle from the house toppe Verye many suche thinges are doone in oure time whiche seeme vnto vs therfore to haue happened by chaunce bycause wee knowe not the causes of thynges and iudgementes of God Moreouer by thys conclusion thys we profitablye gather that GOD at the length reuoketh all thynges to hys tribunall seate and iudgemente If wee shoulde demaunde why the Sechemites were so myserablye afflycted and why Abimeleche was so fylthylye slayne The holye Ghoste aunsweareth God reuenged the ingratitude of the Sechemites toward Gideon and the Parricide of Abimeleche who slewe his bretherne For the bloode of so manye bretherne cryed no lesse vnto the Lorde then the bloode of Abel as is written in Genesis Lastlye let vs note that there are hitherto some good Iudges spoken of among whome is put Abimeleche a moste cruell tyranne that theyr vertue by a comparison or an Antithesis myghte be made more noble But happye was that publyke wealthe whyche amonge manye good had onelye one tyranne but we amongest manye euell haue scarce one good Prince And vndoubtedlye God gaue not vnto the Israelites thys tyranne neyther raysed he hym vp after the manner of the other Iudges but they elected him themselues ¶ The .x. Chapter 1 ANd after Abimeleche rose vp to saue Israell Thola the sonne of Pua the sonne of Dodo a mā of Isaschar and he dwelled in Samir in mount Ephraim 2 And he iudged Israell .23 yeares and died and was buried in Samir AFter the deathe of Abimeleche followed a longe peace namelye .45 A peace during 45. yeares yeares which space of time is destributed into two Iudges whereof the one gouerned the people three and twenty yeares and the other two and twentye yeares So greate is the goodnes of God that he would restore peace vnto men though they deserued it not And after Abimelech rose vp Thola In that it is written both of this Iudge and of the other And there rose vp wee must not for all that thinke that they of theyr owne minde claimed vnto thē selues the principality but they wer elected vnto it by the lord and of him set to rule by the people of Israel And thei are sayd to haue risen vp bycause they followed the instinct of the Lord. To saue Israell Betwene good princes and tirans this is the difference Tirans seke onely theyr own gayn but good magistrats haue only a care for this to saue the people Dauid Kimhi thinketh that Abimelech also saued the Israelites although he both slew his bretherne and made ciuil warres The difference betwene a tyrā a true prince Dauid Kimhi For he was a warlike and stoute man wherfore outward nations feared him But I wil not easely graunt vnto this sentēce for as much as the holy scriptures mencion not that he made warres with outward nations which they would not haue otherwise left vnspoken of If thou wilt say that it maye therefore seeme that he saued Israel by cause he is nombred amonge the Iudges I aunsweare this is rather to be marked that the scripturs called him not a Iudge but rather a king neither is it written that he iudged but reigned But in that he is nombred among the Iudges that was the cause which we haue before touched namely that the vertues of the Iudges might be more illustrat and that it might be made manifest how much princes that are geuen of God do excell those whiche men choose vnto themselues Iosephus in his boke de antiquitatibus leaueth out this Thola and onely maketh mention of the other A iudgemente of the storye of Iosephus of whom we will straightway speake And it is no meruayle for that author is wonte to ouer passe very manye thinges and sometimes to alter some thinges Of the tribe
this is a weake reason for these thinges are not reckoned of the Apostles that in them shoulde be like reason of fault but bicause that all those thinges if they shoulde haue bene vsed would at the tyme haue disturbed the Churche The Iewes by the custome of their law abstained from blood and that whyche was strangled and the Ethnikes made nothing of whooredome Wherefore that peace should be had among them all they decreed that they al shoulde abstayne from these thinges wherby it followeth not that al these thinges are like sins but rather this we may inferre that all these thinges were an occasion of disturbing the Churche To the second Farther they obiected that God commaundeth not sinnes but he commaunded Hosea the Prophet to haue fellowship with an harlot I aunswer Euerye synne What is the proper nature of synne is in that respect synne bicause it is against the word of God But if God commaund any thing to be done priuately which otherwise disagreeth with the woord written the same vndoubtedly is not sinne bicause vniuersally it repugneth not with the woord of God for although it disagreeth with the word written yet it disagreeth not with the woord priuately reuealed It is synne to take away an other mans good But God when the Hebrues shoulde depart oute of Egipt commaunded that they should borowe stuffe and syluer vessels of the Egiptians and take them away with them which thing they did with out sinne No man doubteth also but that murther is synne and yet Abraham if hee had sacrificed his sonne at the commaundement of God which he was ready to doo had not synned So may we say of Hoseas the prophet If he committed whooredome at the commaundement of God his whooredome was no synne I knowe there are some which thinke that Hoseas was not cōmaunded to cōmit whoredome but to take a harlot to his wife but that agreeth not for it followeth and thou shalt beget of her children of fornication Children gotten after that maner namely of a lawful wife should not haue bene children of fornication Ierome doth better interprete these thinges Hiperbollically Ierome and saith that by this image was expressed the wickednes of the Iewes which had forsaken god their common husband and had committed fornication with the Idoles of the Gentiles and had begotten vnlawfull and bastard children as touching the woorshipping and religion of God To the thyrde Farthermore that is false which they alledge namely that whooredome is neither against religion nor charitye For we haue before declared that it is otherwise neither is it needeful here to repeate that which we haue sayd To the fourth They bryng Augustine also whiche sayth what meate is vnto the body that is accompanieng together for procreation but to eate or drinke a litle more thē needeth is not a grieuous synne therefore neither is fornication also A similitude is not takē to agree in euery part but serueth onely for that part for which it is taken And vndoubtedly he which eateth or drinketh more then he ought doth not straightway loose the health of his body but he which strayeth in carnal fellowship and committeth whoredome may easelye straightwaye beget a childe vnto whom he doth iniury bicause throughe his fault he is borne a Bastard Farther there succeedeth euyl education and so charity is hurt I myghte say also euen as euyl and hurtful meate destroyeth the bodye yea Adam by eating of the prohibited aple corrupted his posteritye so whooredome killeth the soule Lastly that which they alledged To the fyfte namely that fornication is therefore no sinne bicause it cānot be so iudged by the light of nature that I say is nothing For the preceptes of God are knowen to bee iust of nature but yet of a nature vncorrupt and perfect when as a corrupt nature doth often times allow sinnes for vertues For with the Lacedemonians theft was praised Thucydides and as Thucydides writeth among the auncient Grecians piracy was counted a vertue Farthermore it followeth that the preceptes of god may by nature be knowen to be iust and honest but yet of a nature instructed and formed by the woord of god otherwise as Paul testifieth The carnal man knoweth not the thinges whiche are of god But now let vs returne to the history 21 Therefore the Philistines tooke him and put out his eyes and brought him downe to Azzah and bound hym wyth fetters and he did grinde in the pryson house 22 And the heare of his head beganne to growe agayne after that it was shauen 23 Then the Princes of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice vnto Dagon their God and to reioyce For they sayd Our God hath deliuered Samson our enemye into oure handes 24 Also when the people saw him they praised their God for they sayd our God hath deliuered into our handes our enemye and destroyer of our countrey whych hath slayne many of vs. 25 And when their hartes were mery they said cal Samson that he maye make vs pastime So they called Samson out of hys pryson house and he was a laughing stocke vnto them and they sette hym betwene the pyllers 26 Then Samson sayde vnto the seruaunt that ledde hym by the hande leade me that I may touche the pyllers that the house standeth vpon and that I may leane to them 27 Now the house was full of men and women and there were al the Princes of the Philistines also vpō the roofe wer about three thousand men and women that beheld whyle Samson played 28 Then Samson called vnto the Lord and sayde O God I beseche thee strengthen me at this tyme onely that I may be at once auenged of the Philistines for my two eyes 29 And Samson layde holde on the twoo myddle pyllers wherevpon the house stoode and on whiche it was borne vppe on the one wyth hys ryght hand and on the other with hys leaft 30 Then sayd Samson Let me lose my lyfe with the Philistines and he bowed hym wyth al hys myght and the house fell vpon the Princes and vpon all the people that were therein So the deade which he slewe at hys death were mo then they whyche hee hadde slayne in hys lyfe 31 Then hys brethren and all the house of hys father came downe and tooke hym and brought hym vp and buryed hym betwene Zorah and Esthaol in the Sepulchre of Manoah hys father nowe he had iudged Israel twenty yeares When Samson was kept in prison hys heare in the meane time grew to the same length that it was before it was shauen by the harlot God at the lengthe tooke vengeaunce of the Philistines when yet he had first begone at hys owne house For Samson for his synne came into the power of hys enemyes and hys eyes being put out he was compelled to grinde in prison and was vtterly made a mocking stocke Howbeit the wicked Philistines in the meane tyme escaped not vnpunished
in heauen the Church is not fully perfect neither in al partes absolute For alwayes somthing is therein wanting especially seing we are fallen into the yron age of the latter time For was there not in the goldē world of the Church many discords troubles and maners not agreable vnto a Christian life And shal not that part of the world which is christened be now sycke of the same discōmodities and vices when for age it nowe doteth Let vs looke vpon the Church of the Hebrues which at that tyme was the peculiar people of God seperated from al nacions Vndoubtedlye we shall there finde sundry courses and alteracions of thinges Some times they slipped out of the rightway Sometimes they repented and lamented and amended the synnes wherin they had fallen But whilest they lay in their sinnes and wickednes they were by God corrected with greuous afflictions and most sharp punishments But returning vnto him they faithfully implored his ayde which when they had obtayned they agayne preuailed against their enemies In them except we be vtterly blinde we see the image of the goodnes of God towardes the sayntes and his seuerity vpon the wicked painted and liuely expressed as it were in a table that is most rightly polished Blessed is God which defendeth his in most great daungers and calamities and faythfully keepeth his safe and found which commeth of his goodnes neither suffereth he them wholye to fall from piety or vtterly to be consumed with miseries and aduersities And we if we note these thinges in thys holye historye shall not maruayle that the people of God were often times tossed and euen in maner oppressed with so many and greuous chaunces for whether we behold the godly or whether we behold the vngodly we shall perceaue that al these thinges were done with great fruit and most wyse consideracion For vnto those whom God the heauenlye father hath euen from without beginning chosen vnto him by Iesus Christe and our of an innumerable number of mortall men adopted to be his children aduersities did to this end happen that euen as gold and syluer are by the power of fire purged so their mindes should proue more pure by aduersities For by them as by lyuelye flames the loue of our selfe and of frayle and transitorye thinges is burnt vp But the studies of piety and innocency are wonderfully kindled and inflamed But of the vngodly whom the diuine prouidence hath most iustly decreed to punish with eternal death the consideracion is farre otherwise For aduersities do not burne away their spots and vices but rather encrease and augment them by the augmentaciō of which aduersities the impiety of their minds also increaseth euen as we see that with one and the selfe same fyre claye waxeth hard and wax melteth away Wherefore the reading of the golden history of the Iudges is most profitable so that there want not fayth in reading of them and prayers be without ceasing added whereby we may pray vnto God not fayntly but feruently to make his woordes of efficacy in vs by the holy Ghost For those holye narracions are as it were certaine nourishments or stayes whereby our confidence towardes the promises of God is wonderfully confirmed and our minde is erected to a most firme hope of obtayning of them For whylest we diligentlye consider the wonderful notable actes which God did for the health and safety of the nacion of the Hebrues it is vncredible to be spoken how our hartes are styrred vp to woorship and honour him sincerely and religiously Farther in those heroicall actes the incredible power and wysdome of the prouidence of God doth euery where aboundantly and brightly shine forth which receaued with no lesse pleasure thē fruite For by those thinges which are declared except we wyll wyllynglye be blinde may easely be vnderstand that whatsoeuer was done or succeded luckely or vnluckely at home or on warfare the same is to be attributed either to the iustice or els to the mercy of the eternal God We are also most plainlye taught that God neglecteth not thinges humane But that he hath a consideracion and regard ouer the godly and the vngodly and of them to the one he giueth ioy and pleasure but the other he at the last moste greuouslye punisheth Farther thys thing is chiefly to be marked that Iesus Christ the sonne of God is not secluded from thys holy history For for as much as he is the end of the law and sūme of the holy scripture as much as this booke pertaineth vnto the law and is a part of the holy scripture so much doth it shew and most euidently preach Christ vnto the Readers For the actes of noble captaines are here rehearsed which as it is written vnto the Hebrues through fayth wan kingdomes wrought righteousnes and obtayned the promise But that fayth which is natural and sound includeth Christ him selfe vnto whom singularly and in a maner onely it hath a regard For by him the promises of God are made of efficacye Wherfore whilest we behold the wonderful actes of the Iudges we ought to haue before our eyes the excellent fayth which brightly shined in them together with it the cōmon deliuerer of humane kinde namely the sonne of God Christ Iesus whom they beheld as their Captaine and Emperour And that not vnwoorthely for he by them wrought and by them did set the people at liberty in admonishing them by the voyces of Angels and oracles of Prophetes in confirming them in daungers and at the last not vnconstantlye but most faythfullye performing those thinges which he had before most liberally promised Lastlye when we heare that the Hebrues which were the members of the same Christ were sometime oppressed and slayne of their enemies Let vs in them acknowledge the death and tormētes of our head And in their victories and triumphes Let vs behold his resurrection kingdome and glory For God hath framed vnto vs winges of his spirite and woord but if through our own default we become fleshy and heauy we shal not be caryed vp into heauen but together with beastes bee drawen downewarde I haue hetherto spoken of the history how commodious and profitable it is to all the worshippers of god and how aptly it pertayneth vnto you most excellent rulers Wherfore it should seme that I should now somwhat speake of the interpretacion which I haue added But therof I wyll speake nothing for I feele that those thinges which come out of my study and labour are so sciender and small that I thinke them not worthy of commendacion There is one thing onely which I dare boldly affirme that I by this my doctrine howsoeuer it be my wyl was to be a helpe to the faythful of Christ Neyther do I deny but that there wer other much better learned then I am which with great prayse and fruit exercised themselues in this selfe same course of study howbeit bicause I excedingly allow the sentence of Basilius who in his .18 Epistle
counsel to be done For this is a most firme sure rule as I haue oftē before said that no man is permitted to cōmit euil things that therby good things might ensue Yea we must not alwayes bear with the weake ones in those indifferent things The imbecillitie of the weake ones is not to be mainteyned but til such time as they be better perfectlier taught But when they once vnderstand that thing do for all that still sticke theyr weakenesse is not to be norished Moreouer we must not so much beare with thē that by our example we shoulde hurt other mēbers of Christ and that many Whether we shoulde dissemble for the preseruation of the churches Againe they obiect vnto vs If we should do so as ye would haue vs to doe eyther we must flye or els we shal strayght way be put to death Which thing if it should happē our churches should be vtterly forsakē there should be no more there to teach vs. Wherunto I answere euery one of vs seeth that also And that more is it is not hidden from God him self whose cōmaundement neuerthelesse we must obey Let vs commit the end vnto him to whom the church belongeth Let vs not doubt but that he wil louingly that in time prouide for his spouse Christ said vnto Peter when he called him and he taryed and demaunded what should become of Iohn If I will that he tary till I come what is that to thee Follow thou me We are taught therefore to follow the word of god whether so euer it call vs and let vs cōmit to the caller the care of other things which seme to hinder vs. Doctrine which is sealed with flight and with death edifieth Furthermore this is not to be ouerpassed that that doctrine oftentimes is of more value and more edifieth which is sealed by flight and by death then that which is set forth only by words Let vs not be affeard though one of vs fall or flye But let vs hope that god in his place wil rayse vp very many moe But if we contemne and long dissemble the light of the truth and flambe of charitie whiche is kindled in the hartes of men will by little and little be extinguished They bring examples of the Prophets of Zachary of Iohn Baptiste and of Mary the Virgin Whether in the corrupted church of the Iewes it were lawful to cōmunicate with the legal rites and of Ioseph who in those corrupt defiled times went vnto the cōmon seruices and to the temple of the Iewes And therfore they thinke thei may also be permitted to do in like sort But they ought to consider with themselues that at that time there were many pernitious doctrines and euill opinions among the Scribes and Phariseyes But yet the manner of sacrificyng was not chaunged for the same beastes and oblations were stil offred which the law had cōmaunded the same daies and ceremonies were obserued Wherfore holy mē might vse thē for as much as they had the word of god ioyned with thē But as for the corrupt doctrines opinions and manners of certaine priests bishops and Scribes were no let vnto holy men especially seing they were pure and farre from them and in all thinges both iudged and also liued according to the word of god And the corruptions of doctrine and vices when opportunitye serued they reprehended and sharpely reproued This doth Augustine testifye as it is writtē in the .xxiii. Augustine Question the fourth Chap. Recedite and in certaine other Chapters also which are there writtē Let the papists do so in these dayes with vs let them so setforth the Lordes Supper and other rites as they are appointed by the woorde of god and we will not refuse to vse them so that they compell vs not to the confession of wicked opinions and preache not heresyes vnto vs but deliuer vnto vs the pure and vncorrupte woorde of God If they them selues thincke euill and if they liue fylthilye we will bee sorye for them we will admonyshe rebuke and accuse them and put them if we maye from the holye administration when as they are paste amendemente althoughe we abstayne not from the Sacramentes That vndoubtedly the Lord ment when he said The Scribes Phariseis sit on the chaire of Moyses and what they say doo ye but what they do do ye not It was lawful therfore for the blessed Virgin after she was deliuered of our sauiour to offer a paire of turtle Doues or two yong Pigeons The Virgin mari might after her delyueri offer the oblations required by the lawe bicause it was so commaunded in the law Wherfore let them shew vnto vs that their Masse by them corrupted is commaunded by the woorde of God and not forbidden and then wil we nothing contend with them in that matter Last of al when they ar confuted in these obiections they come to this point to say Although it be sinne to be present at Masse yet it is but a light sinne and not to be so seuerely reproued by vs. But when they thus say why doo they not remember that al synnes haue their weight not by the nature of the workers From whens◠synnes haue their weighte which are prohibited but by the woord of God and the law whereby they were forbidden Here hence do synnes get al their heauines and waight Whereunto Iames the Apostle seemeth to haue had a respect when as he saith in his seconde chapter He which obserueth the whole law offendeth in one of them A place of Iames expoūded is made guilty of them all Neither do I speake so as though I woulde haue all synnes by al meanes alyke which thing Augustine in his 29. Sinnes are not equal Augustine How philosophers proue the vertues are knit together Epistle to Ierome aptlye and manifestlye denieth He confesseth in deede that the Philosophers went about to proue it when they affirme that al vertues are so knyt together that he which hath one vertue hath al and he which wanteth one doth want them all For as much as prudence is not feareful neither vntemperate nor yet vniust Wherefore it hath al the other vertues with it And againe Iustice Strength Temperance and the other vertues ar not without wisdome and therfore they are al had being knit together These thinges saith he agree not with the holye scriptures For there it is written In manye thinges we al offende And if we say we haue no synne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Wherfore seing we synne in many things we can not in synning haue vertue which is opposite vnto sinne which we commit Oftē tymes he whiche slideth in one is constante in an other And neuerthelesse it often chaunceth that hee whiche falleth in one thing maye be constant in other thinges Peraduenture hee whiche is angrye or eateth or dryncketh excessiuelye rendreth for all that to euerye man
sacrifice but bycause the memorye of hym beyng once offred is called to remembraunce Moreouer we must take heede that we persuade not our selues that God is pacified either by teares or by Sacrifices or by the receauyng of the Sacramentes whiche are but outwarde thynges God is not pacified by outward thynges of them selues For by one onely Sacrifice by the death I saye of Christ God is made mercifull vnto vs the fruite of whose death euery man applyeth vnto hym selfe by fayth And of that fayth we haue those outward thynges as witnesses and sygnes Wherfore if at any tyme we shall heare either the Fathers or the Scriptures them selues to saye that by teares synnes are wyped awaye or that by Sacrifices or Sacramentes GOD is made mercyfull vnto men so ought we to vnderstande their speaches that we referre the Sacrifices and Sacramentes both to Christ hym selfe The properties of thinges are oftentimes attributed to the signes of the same thīgs and also to faith in him for so much as all those are signes of him Neyther let vs thinke that this is a newe or an vnaccustomed thing that the properties operations and efficacy of thynges shoulde be transferred to the signes whiche by the institution of God do note and signife vnto vs the same thinges But these thinges left a syde let vs speake somewhat particularlye both of teares and syghing and also of Sacrifice ¶ Of Teares TEares are counted as certayne thynges added and ioyned to repentaunce Teares are adioyned both to repentaunce also to prayers and also to prayers For not onely the repentaunte when they with a grieuous sorowe deteste their synnes do vse to weepe but also as many as do earnestly and vehemently contend to obteyne any thyng Howbeit the tokens of true repentaunce are not alwayes measured by teares Weepyng is not alwayes a tokē of true repentaunce Teares do not alwayes declare that the praiers are of efficacy 2. Sam. 12. For we reade both in the booke of Genesis and also in the Epistle to the Hebrues that Esau also wepte Teares also do not alwayes declare that the prayers are of efficacye to obteyne that whiche is desired For Dauid after hys aduoutry fasted and wepte whilest he earnestly prayed that lyfe might be spared vnto hys sonne whiche was borne vnto hym by Bethsabe whiche thyng neuerthelesse he could not obteyne but that teares in those examples had no good successe there were diuerse causes thereof For Esau as we shall strayght waye declare mourned not of fayth And Dauid obtayned not that whiche he desired bycause GOD had ordayned to geue him that whiche was much better and more noble than that whiche he required In dede the sonne whiche was conceaued by aduoutry remayned not a lyue But of the same mother he afterwarde had Salomon who succeded the Father in a peaceable and moste ample kyngdome after his death yea and he beyng yet lyuyng But contrarywyse let vs marke howe in Peter teares were tokens of very true repentaunce And also in that woman whiche as the Euangelistes declare with her teares washed the feete of the Lorde And as touchyng prayers Ezechias was hearde when with weepyng he prayed and the death which was threatned hym was differred to an other tyme. Iosias also was hearde who prayed vnto GOD with many teares The 126. Psalme speaketh thus of the fruite of prayer whiche hath sighyng and teares adioyned with it They wente and wepte castyng their sedes but doubtelesse they shall come with ioye shall bryng with thē their sheaues And they which sowe in teares shall reape in ioye It is also written in the 7. Psalme The Lorde hath hearde the voyce of my weepyng And in the 56. Psalme The teares of the Sainctes are in a manner put before GOD in a bottle or potte and faythfully sealed in hys booke Dauid also in hys 95 Psalme stirreth vs vp by these wordes Let vs weepe before the Lorde whiche made vs c. But muche more are we instigated vnto it by the example of Christe who as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrues with a loude crye and with teares prayed for vs. Paul also in the 20. of the Actes sayeth that he had longe serued the Lorde with an humble hearte and with teares What teares ar not allowed of God Neuerthelesse God alloweth not those teares whiche are by a certayne naturall nation powred out without any affection of the mynde as it commonly happeneth vnto those whose eyes are striken with any stroke or to those whiche runne either on foote or on horsebacke and whiche with ouer muche drinke become dronke for these are naturall accidences neither pertayne they any thyng to godlynesse But affections after which teares do followe are these heauynesse of the mynde After what affections teares do followe whiche other call sorrowe also gladnesse and that by contrary reasons For of sorowe spryngeth cold whereby as the whole bodye is constrayned together so also are the humors of the hed whereby it commeth to passe that weapyng by violence bursteth forth But contrarywyse in gladnesse the pypes pores wayes about the eyes are loosed wherby there is made a waye open vnto teares And vndoubtedly of those two affections we haue a testimony in the booke of Esdras For there it is written that when the temple was built the people wept but not all for one cause Parte of thē very sory that the new buylding differed muche in dignitie and ornamentes from the fyrst But contrarywise other reioysed that the house of GOD whiche had layen so longe prostrate was raysed vp agayne And it is manifest in the holy hystorye that Ioseph when he sawe hys brother Beniamin whome he loued wepte for ouer muche ioye Anger hath sorrowe and pleasure mingled together Furthermore there are other affections mixed of sorrowe and ioye whiche make vs to weepe as is a vehement anger whiche hath by reason of contempt sorowe myngled with it and also some ioye and pleasure whilest it goeth aboute reuengement as thoughe it were present Mercy also shaketh out teares for that we are troubled and are sory for other mens euils and are desirous to profite the afflicted For a vehement desire also casteth out teares Wherfore the men of God when in prayeng they earnestly desire to obtayne any thing easely burst forth into teares But what the matter of suche an humour is The Phisicall matter of teares we leaue to the consideration of naturall Philosophers for they do not well agree among them selues as touching it Some thincke that they do come by reason of the gaule beyng troubled vnto which opinion agreeth the first booke de mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae Augustine the x. chap whiche booke is entituled to be Augustines wryting Other suppose them to be a certayne kynde of sweate whiche Plutarche affirmeth Plutarche but some do thinke that euen as from mylke is seperated whay so also a watrish humour is separated
maruayle howe chaunce Why the Isralites after their repentance â—o not breake the league maâ—e with the Chananites that they styll kept the league which was wickedlye made with the Chananites ouerthrew not their detestable worshippinges Temples and Idols Vndoubtedly if theyr repeÌ„tance had bene true and perfect they ought faythfully to haue amended that wherein they synned for among other thinges those ar counted the iust fruites of repentaunce I haue nothing els to answer here but that I thinke they dyd not thys bicause they wanted force God forgeueth sinnes but he doth not by by restore the good thinges taken away luckelye to fight against those nations For God to punish the transgression and violating of his law had nowe withdrawen theyr strength and audacity And although they repented yet he did not by and by restore vnto them their old strengthes For he vseth in deede straightwaye to receaue repentaunt synners into fauour but he doth not by and by restore those thinges which he by his iust iudgement hath for sinnes taken away This maye we easely see in the fal of our first Parentes For the euils therby comming vnto mankinde wer not taken away of God Yea and those commodities most quiet state whiche they had in Paradise men neuer afterwarde recouered although God hath reconciled vnto himselfe those that beleue in Christ For Dauid had woord brought him by Nathan the prophet that his sinne was forgeuen him yet he could not escape but that his sonne which was borne vnto him perished and he himselfe fel into grieuous miseries So God woorketh somtimes partly to keepe discipline and partly to make manifest vnto men how much he detesteth sinnes Againe more and more to stirre vp repentaunce and that an earnest repentaunce of wicked actes committed in suche as are renued But let vs returne vnto the history wherin certain thinges which happened vnder Iosua are more fully repeated Now saith he He had let the people go and euery man went into his inheritaunce Iosua sent away the people twice from hym to possesse the land The Israelites were twice thus sent away by Iosua First when the land of Chanaan was deuided by lottes For at that time euery Tribe went to possesse those places which fel vnto them by lot Iosua also sent away the people when he should dye For he had called together vnto him the whole multitude of the Israelites by his last sermon to admonish and exhort them Which he preached in such sorte as it is described in his booke the .24 chap. And as it is most likely we ought to vnderstande that sending away in this place to be the same which was done last Seing that it is written in the place now alledged that when the people had heard the words of Iosua renued the couenante of god they wer sent awaye and euerie one went to his owne possession After that is mencioned the deathe of Iosuah euen with as many wordes as it is now repeated Iosua when he should dye executed the office of a good prince Here let vs note that Iosua being almost at the poynt of death executeth the office of a good Prince in exhorting the people openly that with many words not to depart from the sincere religion In which thing he with a godly and holy study imitated Moyses whom he succeded who as we reade toward the end of Deut. behaued himselfe after the sawe sort Iacob also the most holye Patriarche euen now ready to dye called vnto him al his children and seriously and with great holines preached vnto them And that Princes and Kinges shoulde coÌ„modiously do the same it is prescribed vnto them in Deuter. that they should be most studious in the law of God For by that meanes were they made apt to admonish the people and to exhort them faithfully to obserue the commaundementes of the Lord. The Israelites when they wer sent away by Iosua ar sayd to haue gone to possesse the land bicause as yet ther remained very many places for euery Tribe not yet conquered Of which places when Iosua was dead and in the time of the Elders they obtained certain when as they got the victories in battailes as we haue heard froÌ„ the beginning After which victories the first transgression folowed vnto which succeded the repentaunce before mencioned But they abstained from idolatry as long as Iosua lyued and all the time of the Elders which wer equall with him and ouerlyued him who also had seene the wonderfull workes of the Lord. For at that time sound doctrine and the woord of the Lord testified by notable victories wer of great force That good Magistrate by whom the publike wealthe was then gouerned had had experience of the wonderfull power of the woord of God and therefore he continually laboured openly to inculcate vrge it vnto the people of Israel which thing could not want iust fruit ExperieÌ„ce declareth People frame them selues to the example of their princes that almost in euery age the people frame them selues to the example of their Magistrates For if the Princes be zelous both of religion and godlines their subiectes also wil embrace godlinesse and religion But coÌ„trarywise if Princes liue vngodly and dissolutely the people wil likewyse despise religion and lyue filthily Moreouer let the Magistrate as long as he is in authority chiefly haue a care to thys that the holy ministery be perfect and that it teache and administer sound doctrine and pure rites and that he suffer not supersticious or wycked opinions to bee thrust into the church But euen as he prouideth that other Artificers abuse not their sciences so let him diligently beware that the Ministers of the church do not either corrupt the godly rites or falsify the holy doctrine We see that somtimes it happeneth that the ministery in the Church is very laudable and pure But yf an vngodly and wicked Magistrate obtaine the chief rule of thinges It profiteth much to the Ecclesiasticall ministery to haue the magistrate a helper that holy ministery is easely despised of the people Wherfore it is made of lesse efficacy than it would haue bene if it myght haue had the Magistrate a furtherer of it Wherfore we must with most feruent praiers desire that seing the church hath now by the benefit of God in many places recouered godly doctrine and sincere Ministers that it would please God to geue vnto it Magistrates which may be most zelous of godlines and religion If a man should aske whether the people may be good and godly although the Magistrate and Minister of the Church be corrupt I answer that somtyme they may be as touching some as we see to happen in the Papacy where some godly and holy men are euery wher found which neuertheles lyue vnder wicked corrupt and vngodly ciuyl Magistrates and Ministers of the church Howbeit publike exercises of sound religion and godlynes can not vniuersally be had wythout them
speake for for that he is most simple The knowledge of God by fayth he is farre otherwise good iust wise thā men either are or are called But besides this naturall knowledge of god this knowledge also offreth it selfe vnto vs which consisteth of faith is by the worde of god reueled vnto vs. But faith is not of vs as to the Ephesians it is sayd but it is the gifte of God for Christ also saith No man can come vnto me except my father drawe him Faith therfore aboundantly gathereth out of the holy scriptures the knowledge of god as much as sufficeth to saluation or as much as this our lyfe is able to receaue Howbeit as Paul testifieth this knowledge also is imperfect For now we know hym by a glasse in a shadow but partly althoughe in this knowledge we profyte whilest we liue here yet can we not atteyn to the knowledge of the essence of god I know that Augustine thought as touching Paul Moses the sometyme The opinion of Augustine of Paul and Moses in minde whilest they were here they saw the substaunce of God but I can not easely agree vnto it forasmuch as I iudge that those places of Iohn of the lawe of Paul which I before alledged are most euidēt Vnto which this may also be added which is written in the 6. chap. of Iohn Not that any man hath sene the father he which is of god he seeth the father And this is not to be passed ouer the that which is here spoken of the father is true also of the sonne as touchyng his deuine nature Bycause as I haue aboue declared both out of Chrisostome and out of Augustine the nature as wel of the Sonne as of the Father is inuisible And it skilleth not if thou say as Augustine sayth that they sawe the nature and substaunce of God not vsing the outwarde senses but in a certayne traunse or rauishing or beyng alienated from the vse of this lyfe These thinges are not gathered out of the Scriptures yea contrarily we haue heard that Moses was denyed the sight of the face of God Wherfore by the knowledge of fayth we both knowe God and his good will towarde vs as much as is sufficient to our true and perfect saluation But among all those thinges wherby out of the holy sciptures we know god In Christ god is sayd to be made visible there is none more excellent than Christ himselfe Wherefore Paul hath iustly sayd without controuersye it is a great mistery God is made manifest in the fleshe c. The Lord also sayth Philip he whiche seeth me seeth also the father Paul also said that he knew nothing els but Iesus Christ and him crucified And vndoubtedly in Christ God may be sayd to be made visible bycause he was ioyned together with man in the same selfe person Wherfore they whiche sawe Christ might say that they had sene God And he which by faith beholdeth and acknowledgeth him doth see far much more than if he should behold the burnyng bushe of Moses Wherfore to the Collos it is written that in him are put all the treasures of the wisdome knowledge of god And Iohn doth healthfully admonishe vs in his Epistle the 3. chap. as he which hath a hope to see God as he is let him prepare himselfe therunto by purging himself as he is pure cleane Thus much of the Question now let vs returne vnto the history 23 And the Lord sayd vnto him Peace be vnto thee be not afeard thou shalt not dye 24 And Gideon built there an alter vnto the Lorde and called it Iehouah Shalum euen vnto this day It is yet in Ophrath the pertayneth to the Abiezerite Whē these things were spokē vnto Gideō by the history it appeareth not but I thinke it was the next night after the things already rehearsed wherfore he was cōmaūded to build there an alter where the meates which was setforth were cōsumed with fire namely vpon the rocke wherof is menciō made a litle before Why God appeared vnto Gideon the second tyme. Gideō was vexed with feare supposing the bycause he had sen god he should die Wherfore god cōforted him that he being voyde of the feare might the chearefullier prepare him selfe vnto those thinges which wer cōmaūded him That feare wōderfully letted his faith For how could he beleue that he should set the Israelites at liberty which euery houre suspected death to be at hād Wherfore god in cōforting him remoued away the feare that he might persecute the worke which lōged especially vnto faith Thou shalt not die saith he Peace be vnto the. In the hebrew phrase peace signifieth trāquility good successe as the cōmon people say prosperous fortune This word Shalū is deriued of the verbe Shalā which is to performe to finish to accōplish The latin word Pax also which is peace agreeth with the hebrew significatiō For if we may beleue Augustine Pax that is peace is a trāquility of ordre And then we recken al things to be peaceable whē they are right quietly disposed And Gideon built there an altar These wordes are spoken by the figure Prolepsis for he was in the night admonished of the Lord to builde this altare for the holy scripture vseth to set forth a thing summarily then to declare the thing as it was done Wherfore god came vnto Gideon in his sheape comforted him that he should not feare least he should dye cōmaunded him to buyld an alter to take a bulloke to do sacrifice to cut downe the prophane groue and to ouerthrow the alter of Baal Why the Elders vsed alters which was had in estimation The elders vsed alters not only to sasacrifice vpon but that they might be monumentes of some notable benefite geuen by god We read that Moses did so when the Israelites vnder the Lord obteyned the victory against Amalek After the exāple of Gideō euery one that is iustified by faith hauing peace toward god by Christ being assured of eternall life ought in his hart to graue such a litle Christe is our peace Christ is my Peace which thīg Paul also hath taught when he wrote to the Ephes He is our Peace which made both one 25 And the same night The Lord said vnto him Take thy fathers yong bullok the other bullok of vii yeares old destroy the altar of Baal that thy father hath cut downe the groue that is by it 26 And build an altar vnto the Lord thy god vpon the top of this rocke in a playne place take the second bulloke offer a burnt offring with the wood of the groue whiche thou shalt cut downe That which before was in a sūme spokē is now particularly expressed Some thinke the two bullokes are here mēcioned of which the one is called the secōd other by order of natiuity or as they stoode in order at the racke mangor
the word of god thaÌ„ ciuile peace Euery godly man so roweth when tranquility of the publike wealth cannot be coupled with the obedience of the word of God Wherfore for asmuch as the one or the other is to be chosen the whole and vncorrupted worshipping of God ought rather to be wished for thaÌ„ the commodity of outward peace For the end of cities and publike wealthes is to obey God and rightly to worshiâ—pe god that is by his word and prescribed rule For to haue a city or publike wealth quiet and peaceable is not by it self necessary but to obey God to beleue his word and to worshippe him as he hath prescribed is the summe and end of all humayne things and therefore it is to be preferred aboue all good thinges Neither is it anye newe or vnaccustomed thing that by true piety sedicions are stirred vp Christ of that thing hath admonished vs I came not sayth he to send peace on the earth but a sworde I came to kindle fire what will I but that it should burne The time shall come sayth he that for the Gospels sake the father from the childe the children from the parentes brethern from brethren shall not onely be alienated but which is more cruell The godly are not guilty of the troubles whych happen for religions sake they shall deliuer one an other to the death And yet these sedicions troubles are not to be ascribed vnto the godly forasmuch as they wheÌ„they obey god do not depart from their office they do that which they should do the fault consisteth in the vngodly and idolatrers they are to be accused and coÌ„dempned as guilty of those euils because they can not abide the truth neyther will they obey the word of god Wherfore prechers of the gospel ar to be absolued of this crime for sedicioÌ„s spring not throgh theyr default which obey god but through the peruersnes of the world which streyght rageth agaynst the word of god Ioas like a wise and stoute Magistrate at the beginning asswageth the people being in an vprore shewing them how vnworthy a thinge they doo when they beyng priuate men dare auenge the cause of Baal VVill ye pleade his cause As though he should haue sayd It is not your office it pertayneth to me and the other magistrates And then he maketh a proclamation agaynst the sedicious persons He that will so stand in Baals cause shal dye and that this daye or the morninge He shal not liue till morning for he shal be executed out of hand If Baal be god let him plead his own cause agaynst him which hath cast down hys altar and hath cut down hâ—s groue If the matter be to be discussed without iudgemente and ordinary action Baal hath no neede of thys your helpe for seing he is god he can right wel reuenge himself The last part of this sentence is somewhat dark He that wil plead Lo for him or against him let him dy this day before morning Some expounde this woorde Lo to signify for him namely for Baal as though the â—retor had put forth his decree after this maner Whosoeuer goeth aboute to moue sedition as though he would pleade for Baal him will I strayghtewaye punish as a troublesome citezen which dareth to take vpon him more then hys state may suffer The other sense is to expound this woorde Lo against him as though he should haue sayde do not rage in this sorte bycause he shall vtterlye dye and that this day before morning which agaynst Baal hath pleaded and contended By the power of this god he shall not so escape And this sentence seemeth to be confirmed by the words which follow If he be god let him pleade his owne cause agaynst him which hath done him iniurye But I rather allowe the fyrst sentence because the holy scripture rather vseth this word Lo in that sense Gideon by his fathers aunswer was named Ierubbaal He shal plead saith Ioas or let Baal plead against him These ar words ether of them that praieth which would so speake in earnest or faynedly or els of one that affirmeth as though he should affirm that it should vtterly so come to passe The men which herd these wordâ—s either because they meruayled that the father wished these things vnto his sonne or els bycause they beleued that the earth would strayghtway swalow him vp or the lightning would destroy him or that god would by some exquisit punishment punish him they waited I say to see what would happen And therfore they called him Ierubbaal And his surname was then of farre more estimation when they saw that he escaped safe and sound and contrarye to the hope of all men deliuered the Israelites from the power of theyr enemies By this example Magistrates may know what they should doo The office of a stout Magistrate agaynste tumultes bycause of religioÌ„ when Papistes stirre vp sedition or tumult in their dominion bicause Masses are abrogated Idolatry taken away and the Pope throwen downe They must valiantly stande by it and must declare that this charge pertaineth not vnto these by violeÌ„ce to defend rites and supersticions forasmuch as they haue not the sword theyr care should be this to see that godlynes be rightlye and orderlye appointed If so bee that they desire any thing against lawes or right and thinke that they haue the better cause let them from God waite for the successe He is of himselfe by nature both mighty and wife and therefore if he allowe the Masse the Pope and superstitions hee wyll then take those thinges in hande himselfe In the meane time they ought to compel their subiectes to obey iust and healthful decrees By these thinges it appeareth as I suppose that Ioas was not a Baalite from the hart for he could not haue said If hâ—â—e God let him pleade his own cause Vnles thou will faine that he said in time to come Baal shal pleade his owne cause but what he before iudged of Baal now he declareth when he seeth the daunger of death that his sonne is in for his sake 33 Then al the Madianites and the Amalekites and the children of Kedem were gathered together and pitched their tentes in the valley of Iszreel 34 And the spirite of the Lorde did put on Gideon and he blew a trumpet and Abiezer was gathered together after hym 35 And he sent messengers through out al Manasseh and he also was ioyned wyth hym And he sent messengers vnto Aser and Zebulon and to Nephthali and they came vp to meete hym When the vprore seditions wer pacified which were stirred vp for a thing godlily done of Gideon God prouided that occasion shoulde be geuen whereby he might by Gideon geue vnto the Israelites the victory against their enemyes That thereby at the last they might vnderstand with howe muche godlines and profit the worshipping of Baal was taken away In the coÌ„ming of the enemyes the spirit of the Lord did put
Beniamin and agaynst the house of Ephraim And Israel was in verye great miserye 10 And the chyldren of Israel cryed vnto the Lorde saying Wee haue synned agaynst thee euen bicause we haue forsaken our God and haue serued Baalim When they heaped synnes vpon synnes the latter sinnes wer alwaies more grieuous then the first And this is not to bee passed ouer that they are sayde to haue synned in the syght of the Lord for the world otherwise is often times deceaued and the iudgement of men many times either aloweth or excuseth sins And the euyl which the Israelites are sayde to haue done was nothing els but Idolatry As soone as the good Princes were dead the people easely fel to worshipping of Idoles and why they were so prone to this wicked crime there may be many causes alledged Why the Israelites were so prone vnto idolatry Fyrst they sawe that the Nations which were nyghe vnto them when they woorshipped Idoles floorished in all kinde of riches and honors but they thēselues wer wonderfully oppressed with penury of thinges Wherfore they thought that the Gods of those nacions were both better more bountiful then their own God They considered that they them selues whyche woorshipped but one God were fewe in the number but there was an infinite number which woorshipped Idoles And as they detested the ceremonies and holye seruices of other Nations so on the other syde other Nacions bothe abhorred them and also vexed them with contumelies Lastly the woorshipping of the true God was more seuere and after a sort more sadde it hadde no pleasure no chalenging of battayl one with an other no stage playes no daūcings no running at tylts no Comodies no Tragedies all which thynges they sawe were vsed in the woorshipping of Idoles yea and also often times were added most vyle and fylthy thinges And forasmuch as the nature of man is of it selfe ready vnto pleasures hereof it came that they turned vnto straunge holy seruices And vndoubtedly the same causes in our time doo moue the myndes of many and therfore manye cleaue vnto the Papistes whom they see to lyue muche more pleasantly and to floorish in goods and riches they see also that they are more in number in Italy in Spaine and in Fraunce then we are Bicause also they thinke that they are infamed and reproched when they ar called Schismatikes and Heretikes And lastly bicause our ceremonies as touching the senses of the flesh are dry and without pleasures they haue no copes no descant synging no musical Organes nor stage play Masses Hereof come these defaultes and fallinges of many I might also adde that many say their fathers lyued so and died in that religion The stubdernnrs of the Iewes agaynste God which reasō is with many of great force Such things without doubt did the Iewes thinke vpon But it is marueilous to behold their stubburnnes It seemeth that they had wholy bent their mindes perpetually to resist their God When God would haue them to obserue his ceremonies they sought for other ceremonies at the hands of the people that wer nigh vnto thē And for as muche as God hath nowe decreed that those ceremonies shoulde by Christ be made of none effect and they wyl styl keepe them they doo therin that which ouerthwart wiues are wont to do when the husband wyl they wyl not when he wyll not then they again wyll They did not onely woorship Baal and Astharoth but also the Gods of Aram Zidon the Gods of the Moabites and of the children of Ammon and also the Gods of the Pelisthims If we marke the number they woorshipped seuen kyndes of Idoles And forsooke the Lord. They did not onely follow straunge Gods but also forsooke the woorshipping of the true God There is a certaine Emphasis in this woorde forsooke It signifieth as much as if it should haue bene said They would not so much as haue the woorshipping of the true God named neyther made they any more mencion of it Wherfore the wrath of the Lorde kindled against them and he deliuered them into the handes of the Philistians c. Whē they forsooke the true God he againe tooke away from them his helpe and sold them to the Philistians and Ammonites whom they so serued as thoughe they had bene their bondslaues And the yoke of the Ammonites was much more greuous then the yoke of the Philistians Wherfore Iiphtah tooke in hande warre singularly against the Ammonites as against the chief vexers of the Israelites Farthermore let vs marke that euen the self same yeare wherin Iair died they were vexed and oppressed of their enemies The Lorde taried not straightwaye after the death of the Iudge hee beganne to afflict the people In whyche place we must note that most stronge Nations so soone as they are destitute of God are easelye without anye a doo conquered and ouerthrowne of their enemyes For it is God onely which geueth power and strength and therefore the Israelites were straightway oppressed of their enemies bicause the Lord had forsaken them for God is not onely the efficient cause of might and rule but also it is he that keepeth and preserueth it They oppressed vniuersally al the children of Israel For they kept not them selues within any bondes but wandred and made rodes through out al the borders of the Hebrues which thing is noted by these woordes Yea and they passed ouer Iordan The tribes of Ruben Gad The request of the twoo tribes the halfe tribe was vnwyse and part of Manasses dwelled on this syde Iordan For all that region was verye fertile therefore they required it of Moses when the other tribes were not yet passed ouer Iordan but they did not wel marke what they desired for although it wer a most fat and fertill countrye yet was it alwaies in greater daunger For often times their next enemies made rodes into their landes And this is very cōmonly sene that men are more careful for gaine then for health but the Ammonites did not onely rob and spoyle those tribes but they also miserably afflicted al Israel When they had passed ouer Iordan they would also fight against Iuda Beniamin and Ephraim which were of al the tribes most noble Wherfore we must beleue that they raged against al the Hebrues VVherfore the Israelites were aboue measure oppressed And they cryed vnto the Lord. When they were but a litle oppressed they were nothing moued but when they wer farther vexed and most grieuouslye afflicted What God hathe a respect vnto in the punishmēts wherwith hee punysheth synners they began to turne to God and cryed vnto him Neither did they that lightly but weeping repented from the hart confessed their sinne implored his ayde This thing onely God regardeth when he afflicteth his people with aduersitye where wordes wil not serue he addeth stripes and vexations which are certain vehement sermons towarde the stiffer sorte and are of great force towarde the godly and
thinges which are written in the booke of Genesis the .49 chapter There Iacob when he was ready to dye The prophecie of Iacob as touching SamsoÌ„ foretolde what should happen vnto his children after long time And when by order he came vnto Dan Dan sayth he shall iudge hys people and he shal be a Serpent in the way and an Adder in the pathe byting the horses heeles so that his ryder shall fall backward For Samson after a sorte did byte the foote of the horse when he ouerthrew the pyller that is the foote of the parler laid the rider on the ground that is the company of the Philistines with the fal of the wal These thinges I therfore make mencion of that it might appeare that they were no small or vulgare things when as Iacob so long time before prophecied of them Samson was of the Tribe of Dan when as the nexte Iudge before him was of the tribe of Ephraim God vsed not at the tyme any ordinary Magistrate Onely SamsoÌ„ appoynted a Iudge before hys byrth neither dyd the Children succeede the Parentes in this kynde of gouernment There was no Iudge vnto this tyme of the Tribe of Dan. And there was none of all the Iudges but onelye Samson whom God appoynted and as it were published a Iudge before he was borne And hys name was Manoah whose wyfe was barren When God decreed to sende any notable and excellent man Many excelleÌ„t meÌ„ borne of baren mothers he verye often tymes styrred hym vp out of a barren woman whiche thing also wee see came to passe in Samson lykewise in Samuel and in Iohn Baptist and in very many other that it myght manifestly appeare to be altogether the woorke of God Barrennes among the Hebrues was a thyng ignominious but God bycause he woulde declare that of thynges most contemptible he can bring foorth thinges excellent hath very often tymes done after thys manner And that faulte of barrennes was in thys place in the woman and not in the man For sometymes it may be in both but the scripture here pronounceth it of the woman and not of the man He shall beginne sayth he to saue Israel Here is signified that Samson should not fully deliuer the people for Israell did not vnder him fight in battayle against theyr enemies he alone assailed theÌ„ somtimes greuously afflicted them The Aungell appeared vnto his mother a part when her husband was awaye and shewed her of the sonne which she should beare Also the Aungell appeared vnto Mary the mother of Christ when she was a lone Iosephus in his bookes of Antiquities addeth Iosephus that thys Manoah somewhat suspected his wife and thought that it was not an aungell but some man that his wifes chastity was assaulted but eyther doubt was taken away wheÌ„ as at the last when he made sacrifice the angel vanished away in the flame So Ioseph wheÌ„ he somwhat suspected Mary herd of the Aungel Ioseph be not aferd to take Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost God woulde haue his not onely borne lawfullye but also cleared from all suspicion But in Samuel there could be no such suspicion for when Hanna prayed softely Heli the priest rebuked her and counted her for a dronkard who yet when he vnderstode how diligently and earnestly she prayed at the tabernacle of the Lorde he promised vnto her issue But here besides the promise of the sonne is added also a precepte For the Aungell commaundeth her to abstaine from wine and stronge drinke Why such an abstinence was commaunded the mothâ—s and all thinge that might make her dronke There is also a reason added Bicause he shal be a Nazarite vnto the Lord. Wherfore the mother also is commaunded to abstayne from wine stronge drinke and euerye vncleane thinge that the childe shoulde not be nourished with thynges vnlawefull no not in the wombe of hys mother ¶ Of the vow of the Nazarites ANd as touching the vow of the Nazarits it is manifestly set forth in the .6 of Numb But those thinges whiche are there written The summe of the vow of the Nazarites maye all be reduced to three principall poyntes The firste was that they shoulde drinke no wine nor stronge drinke nor any thinge that might make them droonke An other was that they should not pole theyr hed but all that time the Nazarite shoulde let his heare grow The third was that they should not defile themselues with mourninge for buriales no not at the death of theyr father or mother These thinges were to be obserued but not for euer but onelye for some certayne time For he vowed to bee a Nazarite but for certayne number of dayes or Monethes or yeares But why did God institute these thynges Why god gaue the institution of the Nazarites There may be many causes geuen Fyrste because menne were so prone to chuse vnto themselues certayne kindes of lyfe whereby they mighte easely fall into superstition Therfore God would after this maner bridle them as though he should haue sayd Forasmuch as ye are so prone to your own studies and to inuent newe woorshippings yet shall ye not do what ye liste your selues but what I prescribe vnto you And so geuinge vnto them the lawe of a Nazarite hee kepte them in doynge theyr dewtye But what mente these thinges They ought to keepe theyr heare growinge till the ende of theyr vow For then in offring sacrifice and burninge the fleshe in fire they did cut of the heare and burned it in the same fire And froÌ„ that time they were free and returned to theyr old manner of life which was common also vnto other Some referre these thinges vnto an Allegorye that when the heares were increased the Nazarites should consider that vertues also oughte to increase in the minde But me thinketh there may be an other cause rendred namelye that men should abstayne from to much trimming and deckinge of the body For the clipping of the eare much adorneth the body For Paule sayth in his 1. Epistle to the Corrinthians the .11 Chapter that to menne it is vncomelye if they let theyr heare growe Althoughe other reasons of other menne are not to bee contemned Cyrillus Procopius Cirillus and also Procopius vpon the booke of Numbers say that these thinges were instituted of God to reuoke men from the idolatrous worshippinges and rites of the Ethnikes that that which they gaue vnto idols the Iewes should geue vnto him So also whereas they sacrificed vnto Idols he would haue these men rather to sacrifice vnto himselfe not that god so much regardeth sacrifices but to wythdrawe them from idolatry We reade that the Ethnikes sometimes suffred theyr heare to growe that they mighte afterward consecrate it ether vnto the Nimphes or to Apollo Wherefore Apollo was by them called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a nourisher of the heare Yea and Theseus as it is
the Apostles did not alwaies heale Similitudes but yet the signes of the Ayostles also were sometimes hurtful For Paul made Elimas the Cuniurer blynde and sayd Thou Sonne of the Deuyl why peruertest thou the right wayes of the Lord Beholde the hand of the Lord is ouer thee and thou shalt be blynde and shalt not see Peter also wyth hys woorde slewe Ananias and Saphira Yea and Paule delyuered manye vnto Sathan Wherfore Samson prayeth vnto God to make fortunate and to helpe his ministery Neyther can it be properlye sayde that Samson kylled himselfe Samson killed not hymselfe He dyed in deede but he prescribed not vnto hymself this ende namely to dye But sought vengeaunce of hys enemies whych he vnderstoode woulde by this meanes ensue The Apostles also dyd thus make reckonyng wyth themselues Similitudes If as wee haue begonne we teache vnto the people the kingdome of Christ vndoubtedly we shall bee kylled and in that they went on wyth their purpose to teache the Gospell it cannot be iustly sayd that they kylled them selues Paule also when hee shoulde go vnto Ierusalem and Agabus the Prophet tolde hym that the Iewes woulde bynde hym at Ierusalem what dyd hee when hee hearde these thinges Dyd he forsake hys vocation No verely But rather affirmed that hee was ready both to be bounde and to dye for Christ So sayth Samson Let my soule dye wyth the Philistians He dyd not rashely incurre death but followeth hys vocation Souldiours when they go on warrefare if a man peraduenture say vnto them ye shall be slayne wyth gunnes or wyth the swoorde or wyth arrowes They wyll aunswere if they be men of valiaunt courage we seeke not death but victorye or we followe the defence of our owne thynges whereunto we are called But as touching Samson God gouerned him by his spirite Wherefore when he dyed he slewe more of the Philistines then he did before while he liued What fruite therefore had the Philistines by their deceite and treason They bought to them selues death and present destruction And euen as to them that loue god al thinges woorke to good so to the aduersaries and enemies of God al things are turned to their destruction The difference betwene the death of the Philistines and of Samson A moste profytable admonicion of Salomon Samson dyeth together with the Philistines but the ende and maner is far diuers For they dye in their wanton behauiour cruelty and idolatrye but thys Samson in fayth and calling vpon the true God But as touching the matter it selfe the residewe were to eyther of them alyke Wherefore Salomon admonisheth vs most wisely that wee muste not measure the godlynes of men by outward thinges bicause they happen alyke both to the godlye and to the vngodly That Samson dyed in the fayth hereby it appeareth bicause euen in the very destruction he called vpon God and was heard and bycause God restored vnto him hys old strength But they which are in the fleshe can not please God neyther can God be rightly called vpon vnlesse fayth shyne before Howe shall they cal vpon hym sayth the Apostle in whom they haue not beleued And bycause he was heard he prayed by the inspiracion of the spirite For wee knowe not what we shoulde praye Therefore the spirite doth with vnspeakeable sighinges pray for vs. Samson had before fallen he turneth vnto god he heareth hym So let vs also when we haue somtimes sinned returne vnto God faithfully cal vpō him we shal be heard For he is the same god that he was then riche vnto al those that cal vpon him Ambrose that which he did vnto him he wil do also vnto vs. Ambrose vpon this place writeth that Samson was so heard of god that hee lost his lyfe triumphantly Samson is a figure of Christ and he did not onely ouercome the Philistines but also hymself for he represented the image of Christ who although while he lyued exceedingly hurted the diuel yet when he dyed he vtterly triumphed ouer hym The Philistines when they ouercame Samson got vnto them selues moste certayne destruction So the Iewes when they crucified Christ threwe them selues into euerlasting condemnaciō And which is to be marueiled at the Philistines with this so great and so sodaine destruction were so amased that they suffered the kinsfolkes of Samson to come and honorably to bury him For when the Princes were perished the courages of the people were daunted neither durst they attempt any thing against the Hebrewes This place seemeth here to requyre a disputacion whither it be lawful for any man for any cause to kyll hymselfe But bicause we shall haue a place more opportune for it at this present I wyll omyt it and wyl in an other place fully write thereof ¶ The .xvii. Chapter 1 THere was a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Michaiehu 2 And he say d vnto hys mother The eleuen hundreth peeces of syluer that were taken frō thee for the which thou cursedst and spakedst it euen in myne hearing behold the syluer is wyth me I tooke it Then his mother sayde blessed be thou my sonne of the Lorde 3 And when hee had restored the eleuen hundreth peeces of syluer to hys mother hys mother sayde I had dedicated the syluer to the Lord of myne owne hand for my sonne to make a grauen and molten image Now therefore I wyl geue it thee againe 4 And when he had restored the mony vnto his mother his mother toke two hundreth peeces of siluer and gaue them to the goldsmith whych made thereof a grauen and molten image and it was in the house of Michaiehu 5 And this man Micha had a house of God he made an Ephode and Theraphim consecrated the hand of one of his sonnes and he was his priest 6 In those dayes there was no kinge in Israell but euery man did that which was good in his owne eies Fyrst I think good to enquire in this history cōcerning the time wherin these thinges happened For al men do not aunswere a like vnto this question When thys history happened The elder Rabbines do thinke that this was done when Iosua was olde and hee not able for age to execute hys offyce neyther was there anye other Magistrate substituted in his place But this is not verye likely bicause wee reade that in all his time the Israelites worshipped God rightly and orderlye It is not to be ascribed vnto the time of Iosua and that he in the latter time of his life renued the couenant of god with the people Other thinke that they were done after Iosuas death when Othoniell gouerned This sentence R. Selomoh defendeth The sonne of Gerson thinketh that this happened vnder Eglon kinge of Moab whome Ehud afterward slewe R. Selomoh Leui ben Gerson But this also can not be proued for in the x. chap. of this boke it is written that the people cried vnto the Lord when they were
oppressed of theyr enemies And that Iiphtah was stirred vp by the sprite to bear rule But before God aunsweareth the very sharpely For he sayd I will not helpe you bycause you alwayes returne vnto your Idoles and forsake me But rather cal vpon your gods let them helpe you Which words when the people heard they repented put away frō them their idols which they had made But this idole which is now spokē of These thinges seme to haue happened after the deathe of Samson indured to the time of Samuel Wherfore it cānot seme probable that it was done at that time The order of the holy scriptures is of most high authority with me and therfore I thinke that these things happened after the death of Sāson Forasmuch as frō that time euen to Heli there wer many yeares passed wherin the Philistians possessed the land of the Iewes neither suffred they any magistrate to be ouer thē Iosephus Iosephus agreeth with the Rabbines but he is many times deceued Wherfore it shal be best to follow that opinion which agreeth with the simple order of the holy history Howbeit ther is one thing which semeth to be a let An obiection namely if a man rekē the yeares frō Samsō vnto Saul he shal find thē to be scarse .60 or at the most .70 And whē as by reasō of filthy whoredom the tribe of Beniamin was almost brought to nothing and they which remained of it had no wiues but those which they got by violence how could it be that in so short a time it should so much encrease the Saule was out of that tribe chosen a king This argumēt hath a certain shew but it is not firme nor sound inough if a man more deligentlye examine it For although there were but a fewe remayninge of that tribe yet were they not so few but they mought very much multiply For there escaped sixe hundreth mē of warre who had wiues geuen them partly of the men of Iabes Gilead and partly by violence And sixe hundreth men wer able in the space of .60 or .70 yeares to beget a great yssue and to se theyr childrens children They could not indede be so many as to be equall with the other tribes but yet they might encrease to a sufficient numbre But that is farre more harde whyche is obiected concernynge Pinhas An other obiection namelye that hee remayned on lyue euen to the tyme of the warres of the Beniamites Whiche if it be so then muste he be at that time .300 yeares of age Therfore some thinke that it is more commodious to draw backe this historye vnto the beginninge of the Iudges But I see not what should let but that god might permit him to liue so longe For when he had slaine a prince of Israell a Madianitish woman when they were committing whoredome god graunted him not onely to succede his father in the priesthode but also gaue him very long to liue D. Kimhi But vndoubtedly I chiefely allow the order and course of the historye from which vnlesse great necessity vrge I will not depart And in this sentence I follow the iudgement of Dauid Kimhi whose authority in expounding of the texte I thinke is not to bee contemned Yea and all the Hebrewes in a manner agree in this that Pinhas liued a very long time and there are some whiche produce his age euen vnto the time of Elias the Prophete Vnto whome I doo not agree bicause no necessity compelleth me thervnto Howbeit as cōcerning this thinge I will not much striue But I leaue it free to euery willing mind to follow which opinion he will And in this history first I marke the institution of idolatry then the consecration of a priest which was twise doone For firste Micha instituted his sonne a prieste and then when by chaunce he met with a Leuite he made him a priest But wherefore was this ido le made What a vowe is For her vowes sake For the promise of the mother of Micha was not simple but with a vow And a vow as al deuines affirme is a holy promise made to God of thinges which are ours Wherefore it must nedes be that this woman was a widow with whome paraduenture her sonne dwelled For if she had beene a wife or a maiden vnmaried or a widowe in the house of her father shee coulde not haue vowed a firme vowe as it manifestly appeareth by the booke of Numb Those persons might not vowe with out the consent of their father or husbād For the law ordeined that if they wer against it the vow should then be voide Hanna did in dede vowe in the firste of Samuell but we must beleue that Helkana her husbande confirmed her vowe This woman sinned not bicause shee vowed but bicause shee vowed a thinge vngodlye namely an idole For it was at that time lawefull for anye to vowe anye thinge of his owne thinges for the adorninge of the temple of God and to amplify his honor But to institute a new and forbidden worshippinge it was vtterly vngodly The sonne had stolen from his mother that money neyther is it any maruall if he would steale whych was so redy to idolatry He which sinneth against the first table doth easely sinne against the second The mother curseth the theefe whosoeuer he were neyther doth she so greuously take the matter for the money taken away as for that she could not performe her detestable vow And she curseth as men in a manner vse to do in aduersities Yea and God himself also vsed curses in the old testament in the assembly to the mount Hebal Garizim The priest also cursedly prayed for barēnes diseases losse of children and other thinges of like sorte And in our time the Pope Women do easely fall to cursinges by what wicked zeale I know not in the day of the supper of the Lord sēdeth forth curses vpon all those whiche haue alienated themselues from his institution and sect This woman cursed the theef and no maruaile Bycause women when they fail in strength do easely fall to cursinges The sonne as soone as he heard the curse of his mother was a feard For so hath nature ordeined that children do wonderfully feare the curses of their parents But this man feared not to violate the lawe of God which thing happeneth not seldome vnto men to haue horror of small sinnes and to neglect them that ar more grieuous Ther is some fruit somtimes of curses euen as of excōmunicatiō Ther ar some somtimes so hard obdurated that they can be bowed by no other meanes then by curses although they be corrected by publike and apert reprehēsion But whither this sonne knew that his mother had by a vow dedicated that mony vnto the Lord before he tooke it away it appeareth not by the wordes of the history Neither is this to be passed ouer in that the mother sayth that she had consecrated it vnto the lord
very often For if she fal often into adultry she ought not to be receaued The Glose in the same place obiecteth vnto it self christ who whē he was demaūded how oftē we shuld forgeue our brother whē he offendeth against vs answered not onely seuē times but seuenty seuē times To this he sayth that the words of the Cannō are to be vnderstād that when the adulteresse so oftentimes falleth the church shall not entreate for her reconciliacion partelye bycause there shoulde be opened a wyndowe to wyckednes When the churche ought to entreate for those that fall and partly bycause she might thinke that penaunce is but fayned and dessembled There is also added an other aunswere that that is spoken for a terrour least men should more freely and carelesly commit sinne Hereby is gathered that the church oughte to entreate for the reconciliation of the repentant that they may be reconciled Wherfore an adultresse either sheweth signes of repentaunce or els sheweth not If she shew signes the church oughte to entreate for her that there may be a reconciliation made But if she shewe none the churche shall not entreate for her otherwise it should seme to maintain sinnes Now must we aunswere vnto the arguments which semed to be agaynst reconciliation Aunsweres vnto the reasons on the contrary part The counsell of Orleance The cause why the law of Moses prohibited the returne of a wyfe repudiated vnto her first husbande As touching the ciuill lawes they are to be corrected by the word of God Ierome and Chrisostome do speake of such an adultresse whiche repenteth not which selfe same thing is manifestly vnderstand by the counsel of Orleance For that it is there had He whiche retaineth an adultresse is partaker of the crime but if she repent let her be receaued But why the lawe of Moses suffred not that a wife repudiated should not after the death of her latter husbande returne vnto her first the cause may easely be assigned For if he had permitted that then diuorsements would easely haue bene had in hope somtimes to recouer agayne theyr wife God would that she that was repudiated shoulde returne no more to the ende that shee shoulde not easelye bee repudiated There mighte also bee conspiracies made agaynste the latter husbande whereby the wyfe myghte when hee were dyspatched awaye returne agayne vnto her firste husbande Wherefore the lawe of God was moste iuste whiche pertayned not vnto adultrous women which by the commaūdement of God ought to be stoned By these thinges now it is manifest that it is lawfull for the husband to return into fauor with his wife being an adulteresse so that she repent who yet ought to accuse his wife of adultry if it be a publike crime or if she perseuer in her wickednes or els if she bring forth any children by adultry least the lawful heires should be defrauded for vnlesse she be accused the husbande cannot depriue the son borne in adultry but that he shall inherite Farther let the church entreate and work with him that he would receaue againe the woman being repentāt Wherfore our Leuite ought not to be reproued bicause he receaued again into fauor his wife being an adultresse so that she repented her of her adultery But now will I return to the interpretation 11 When they were nere to Iebus the day was sore spent and the seruant said vnto his master come I pray thee and let vs turn into this city of the Iebusites and lodge al night there 12 And his maister aunswered him we wil not turne into the city of straungers that are not of the children of Israel but we will go forth to Gibaah 13 And he said vnto his seruant Come and let vs draw nere to one of these places that we may lodge in Gibaah or in Ramah 14 So they wente forwarde vpon their waye and the sunne wente downe vpon them nere to Gibaah which is in Beniamin 15 Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibaah and when he came he sate him down in a strete of the city for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging 16 And behold there came an old man from his worke out of the field at euen and the man was of mounte Ephraim but dwelte in Gibbaah and the men of the place wer the children of Iemini 17 And when he had lift vp his eyes he saw a wayfaringe man in the streetes of the city then this old man sayd whether goest thou and whence camest thou 18 And he aunswered him we came from Beth-lehem Iudah vnto the side of mounte Ephraim from thence am I and I wente to Beth-lehem Iudah and go now to the house of the Lorde and no man receaueth me into his house 19 Although we haue straw and prouender for our Asses and also breade and wyne for me and thine handmayd and for the boy that is wyth thy seruant we lacke nothing 20 And the old man said peace be with thee al thy penury be vpon me onely abide not in the strete al night Ierusalem was therfore called Iebus bicause the Iebusites in the old time inhabited it The seruant counselled his master to take iodgynge before the Sunne should set But he would not VVe will not turne in sayth he neither to this city nor to that neither to any other city of straungers which ar Gentiles But it may seme merueilous how Ierusalem is called straunge from the Israelites when as in the beginning of this booke there is mencion made that the Hebrewes toke it named it Ierusalem How it is sayd that Ierusalē was at this time a city of straungers They which sayd that this history is to be referred vnto the fyrst times of the Iudges namely that it was done before Othoniell beganne to iudge from the death I say of Iosua to the gouernment of Othoniell seeme to be ledde by this argument In that space of time they say these thinges happened These mens coniecture hath in dede som shew of truth But it is not very firm For wee muste knowe that the Iewes often times behaued themselues ill in fallinge from the worshippinge of the true God Wherefore he left them destitute of his ayde wherof they being beriued they were again ouercome of those whome before they had ouercome whereby it came to passe that the Iebusites recouered agayne theyr city and dwelled in it Wherfore those thinges which are written in the beginninge of this booke are not agaynst those which are nowe declared For the Iebusites hauing recouered theyr city inhabited it as they did before and it was called after the old name The wise counsell of the seruaunt The seruant did geue his maister wise counsell if a man should loke vpon that the euent For it is daungerous to trauayle by night especially for a man that is a straunger and vnarmed as this Leuite was which had with him onely his wife and his seruant Neyther is
thing in dede the Magistrate doth not by himselfe but hee ought to haue a regarde that they may be in a redynes which should do them wel Wherefore either power extendeth most amply and comprehendeth al thinges but not after one and the selfe same maner And the rule of either of them is to bee taken out of the woord of God which is plaine to be in the Church Againe there are two subiections One is political and ciuil Two kinds of subiection whereunto all men are subiect who if they offend in any thing against the lawes let them at the iust Magistrates hand looke for imprysonment punishment by the pursse banishment death and outward paines But if they doo wel let them looke for honours rewardes dignities and prayse And after this maner the ciuil power is not subiect vnto the ministery of the woorde bicause by it it can not by these kindes of punishmentes be afflicted and constrained The other subiection is spiritual that is of faith and of obedience For strayghtway as sone as men heare of their duty out of the woord of God and that either this thing or that is to bee done or this or that thing to be auoyded they geue place beleue and obey Bycause they perceaue that that which is spoken is the woorde of God And these are the endes of eyther power A sentence of Valentiniā the Emperour And so is to be vnderstand that saying of Valentinian the Emperour out of the booke called Historia Tripartita which thing is had also in the distinction .63 chap. Valentinianus Chuse saith he suche a bishop vnto whom we which gouerne the Empire may sincerely submyt our heades and vse his admonicions as medicines c. By which wordes is vnderstand that it longeth vnto the Ecclesiastical power An error of the same Valentinian to admonish out of the woorde of God for saluacion Although the same Emperour afterward erred For when he had appointed Ambrose Pretor of the City of Millane the people did chuse him byshop Which thing when the Emperor knew A bishop ought not to haue a care onely ouer soules or onely ouer bodyes he gaue thankes vnto God therfore after this maner I had made hym ruler ouer the bodyes of men but thou wouldest haue him ruler ouer the soules c. Valentinian did not rightlye put a distinction betwene offices For why Ought bishops to haue a care onely ouer soules and not also ouer bodies What if they geue them selues to glotonye or dronkennes or liue licenciouslye touching outwarde thinges shall they not reproue these thinges Vndoubtedly they must reproue them Neither must princes haue a care onely ouer the bodies of men and neglect their soules For wee do not imagine that a prince is a neateherd or a swineherd to whom is committed onely the care of the belly flesh and skinne of his subiectes yea he must prouide that they may liue vertuously and godlily But what if Christian Princes when they are by the woorde of God admonished of publike and most grieuous synnes wil not heare neither amende that which they haue noughtely committed What I say shal the bishop do herein Ambrose excommunicated Theodosius the Emperor when he exercised so grieuous tiranny against the Thessalonians Innocentius also excommunicated Arcadius when he had exiled Iohn Chrisostome who admonished him freely and trulye as it is had in the dist 96. chap. Duo sunt in the dist 18. in the chap. Quoniam quidam And they are the wordes of the syxt Synode where it is decreed that ther should euery yeare be had two Sinodes And if princes would hinder them let them be excommunicated Eusebius But what do I make mencion of these latter thinges Let vs reade Eusebius in his .vi. booke and .xxxiiii. chap. where he saith that Philip the Emperor who liued in the tyme of Origene was the first Christian prince and when he would haue bene present together with the faithful on Easter euen and haue communicated with them in prayers the bishop bicause he was a wicked and noughty liuer reiected him among them that wer put to penance that he should make open confession before the Churche and acknowledge his synne otherwyse hee could by no meanes be admitted vnto the Communion This did the byshop at that tyme against the Emperour chiefe Monarche of the whole world Wherfore the ciuil power ought to be subiect vnto the woorde of God which is preached by the Ministers But againe the Ecclesiasticall power is subiect vnto the ciuil when the Ministers behaue themselues yll either in thinges humane or Ecclesiastical For these powers are after a sorte conuertible and sundry wayes are occupied about the selfe same thinges and mutually helpe one an other euē as Aristotle Theodectes calleth Rhethorike and Logike interchangeable artes Aristotle bicause either of them are occupied in the selfe same thinges after a sundry maner The Ecclesiastical power is subiect vnto the Magistrate not by a spiritual subiection but by a politike For as touching the Sacramentes and sermons it is not subiect vnto it bicause the Magistrate cannot bende the woord of God or the Sacramentes which the ministery vseth neither can he compel the pastors and Teachers of the Church to teach otherwise or in any other sorte to administer the Sacramentes then is prescribed by the woorde of God Howbeit ministers in that they are men and Citizens are without all doubte subiect vnto the Magistrate and also their lands riches and possessions So Christ payd tribute so also did the Apostles and the whole primatiue Churche when there were yet most holye men Their manners also are subiect vnto the censures and iudgementes of the Magistrates Farthermore we must adde that Ministers are subiect vnto the Magistrate not onely as touching those thinges which I haue rehearsed but also as I before signified cōcerning their function Bicause if they teache not right neither administer the Sacramentes orderly it is the office of the Magistrate to compel them to an order and to see that they teache not vnpurelye and that they myngle not fables Princes may put Ministers oute of their place if their be haue thē selues yll or that they abuse not the Sacramentes or delyuer them otherwise then the Lorde hath commaunded Also if they liue noughtelye and wickedly let them put them out of the holy ministerye This did Salomon who deiected Abiathar and substituted Sadok in his roume as it is written in the fyrst boke of Kinges the second chap. And in the new Testament Iustinian displaced Siluerius Vigilius which thing I doubt not but other princes did sometimes But how iustly I wil not presently declare this one thing I wil say that that thing was lawful for them in the causes now alledged But some man wil say that I speake now of the fact and not of the right Yea but I speake also of the right For the king ought to haue with him the law of God
sometimes to call vs hys fellowe workers Bonifacius goeth on the lay power ought to be iudged of the Ecclesiasticall but by what kind of iudgement Vndoubtedly by this that in the churche he set forth the anger of God against sinners that they be admonished and corrected by the holy scriptures But the bishops may expel kings and put them out of their kingdome wher is the permitted Frō whence haue they that what writings wil they bring for it The Pope ought to be iudged of the church But that is most intollerable that the Pope sayth that he can be iudged of no man And yet Iohn .23 was in the counsel of Constance put downe and not onely by god but also by men So these men plant and replant Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they think good Yea and Emperors haue sometimes thrust out and put down Popes as it is before said Paul to the Gal. sayth If an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospel let him be accursed If the Pope which may come to passe and hath alredy long since come to passe obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed It is the dewty of the magistrate to execut the sentence of the church agaynst the pope Shall he be vtterly iudged of no man The church vndoubtedly shal geue sentence vpon him and the magistrate for that he is the chiefest part of the church shal not onely iudge together with it but also shall execute the sentence Farther it longeth vnto the magistrate to prouide that the riches of the churche be not geuen vnto the enemies of godlines Wherefore if bishoppes become enemies of the churche a faythfull magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the church to be consumed by them The Canonists haue this oftentimes in theyr mouth That for the office sake is geuen the benefice When therfore they do not their office ought the magistrate to suffer them to enioy their benefices But let vs heare howe Bonifacius proueth that he can be iudged of no man Bycause he that is spiritual sayth he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A godly and wel applied argument I promise you But let vs se what kind of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place He speaketh not vndoubtedly of the common kind of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put oute of theyr roome He entreateth there onelye of the vnderstandinge of thinges deuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say properlye belong vnto the iudgement of the spiritual man but concerning common iudgementes and knowledge of ciuill causes Paule neuer thoughte of them in that place Which is easely perceaued by his wordes we haue not receiued saith he the sprite of this world but a sprite which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the sprite is geuen vs He answereth that we should know those things that are geuen vs of God And bycause the sprite of this worlde cannot geue iudgemente of thinges deuine it is added The carnall man vnderstandeth not those things which ar of the sprite of god The spiritual man iudgeth al things What Doth he iudge also ciuill and common causes No vndoubtedlye but he iudgeth those thinges whiche pertayne vnto the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Without doubt both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuil power wherunto Paul appealed to be iudged there and yet were they both spirituall Peter Paule were iudged by the ciuil power But that place is thus to be vnderstanded He that is spirituall in that he is such a one cannot in thinges deuine and such as pertaine vnto saluation bee rightely iudged of any mā which is not endewed with the same sprite that he is The wicked and worldly ones count him oftentimes for a sedicious vnpure infamous fellow but only God and his sprite looketh vpon the hartes Note Lastly Bonifacius concludeth that there is one onely chiefe power which longeth vnto the pope least we should seme with the Maniches to make many beginninges We put this one onely beginninge and not many And he addeth That god in the beginning and not in the beginnings created the world We also abhorre from the Maniches and do put one onely beginning and pronounce one onely fountayne and ofspring of all powers namely god and his word without which can be no power either ciuil or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of god so we make but one beginning not two Farther if Bonifacius wil vrge these words of Genesis In the beginning god created c. there oughte to be in the world but one onely king For when Paul sayde One Lord one faith one baptisme he added not one Pope A Schisme of thre Popes At the length our Thraso commeth so farre that hee excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chief prince head of the church But when ther were two or three Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also endured the space of .60 yeares full it muste needes be that those were at that time Maniches and did put two beginnings which were of Bonifacius opinion Moreouer what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persiās and Christians which dwell in the East part for as much as they acknowledge not the Pope who yet neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beleue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are also ar called christians Al them Bonifacius excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambicion and vnspeakeable tirannye of the Popes When we obiecte vnto the papistes these wordes of Paule let euery soule be subiect vnto the superior powers they aunswere that euery soul ought to be subiect vnto the superior power but yet to theyrs not to other mens power otherwise the frenchmen ought to be subiect vnto the Spaniardes the Spaniardes to the Germaines which thing for that it is absurd it is concluded that euery man ought to obey his own Magistrat But now the clergy acknowledge the bishops for theyr power and ought to be subiect vnto thē and the bishops acknowledge the Archbishoppes and Primates and they lastly acknowledge the Pope After this manner say they we obey the power and satisfye Paule What haue we to do with kings or ciuil magistrats But this is nothing els then most filthily to abuse the wordes of Paule The Papistes do rēt into two partes both the kingdomes and the people Doo they not see that they deuide the publike wealth into two bodies which oughte to be one body onely For when they deuide the kyngdome of the Clergye from the kingedome of the laitye they make in one kyngedome twoo peoples and doo sette ouer eyther people a Magystrate And thereby commeth to passe that the Clergy whiche are Frenchemen seeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germanes seeme not to be
Why was Socrates condemned at Athens The Ethnike princes had a regard vnto religion I do not now demaunde how holyly or iustly for as all men in a manner beleue Anitus and Melitus lyed agaynst hym this I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned but onely for religion as thoughe he taught newe gods and led away the youth from the olde and receaued worshyppyng of the gods and he was by a prophane Magistrate condēned Socrates was for religiō sake condemned of a prophane Magistrate Wherfore the Athenienses thought that the obseruance and care of religion pertayned vnto their Magistrate The law of God commaunded that the blasphemer should be put to death not I thinke by euery priuate mā or by the Priestes but by the Magistrates The Ethnike Emperors also in those first tymes did for no other cause rage agaynst the Christians but bycause they thought that matters of religion pertayned vnto their iudgement seat And assuredly as touching this opinion they wer not deceaued for none as Chrisostome sayth either Apostle or Prophet reproued the people Chrisostome either Iewes or Ethnikes bycause they had a care ouer Religion but they were deceaued in the knowledge of Religion bycause they defended theyr owne religion as true and condemned the Christian religion as vngodly and blasphemous Constantine and Theodosius are praysed and very many other holy princes bycause they tooke awaye Idoles and either closed vp or elles ouerthrew theyr Temples But they dyd not these thynges but for that they thought that the charge of Religion pertayned vnto them otherwise they should haue bene busy fellowes and should haue put theyr sicle into an other mannes haruest The Donatistes tooke thys in very ill parte and grieuously complayned thereof in Augustines tyme bycause the Catholique Byshoppes required ayde of the Ciuile Magistrate agaynst them Augustine But Augustine confuteth them with the selfe same argumentes whiche I haue a litle before rehearsed and addeth this moreouer Why did ye accuse Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage before Constātine if it be wicked for the Emperor to determine concerning Religion Farther there is gathered by those thynges whiche the same father wrote agaynst Petilianus and agaynst Parmenianus and also in many other his Epistles howe that the Donatistes accused Cecilianus as it is sayde before Constantine the Emperour who first sent the cause to Melchiades Bishop of Rome And when by hym they were ouercome they appealed agayne vnto the Emperor neyther reiected he their appealation from him but committed the matter vnto the Bishop of Orleance by whom they were agayne condemned Neither rested they so Constātine decideth a matter of religion but again appealed vnto the Emperor who heard thē decided their cause condemned them and by hys sentence absolued Cecilianus Where are they now which so often and so impudētly cry that there is no appealyng from the Pope and that the causes of Religion pertayne not vnto the ciuile Magistrate To whom in the olde tyme pertayned the ryght of callyng generall counsels Pertayned it not vnto the Emperors Counsels were called by Emperors As for the counsell of Nice the counsell of Constātinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedonia Emperors called them Leo. 1. of that name prayed the Emperor to cal a counsell in Italy bycause he suspected the Gretians of the error of Eutiches yet could he not obteyne it and the Byshops were called together to Chalcedonia where at the Emperor also was present as was Constantine at the counsell of Nice Neither doo I thinke that they were there present to sitte idle and to do nothing but rather to put forth vnto the Bishops what they should doo and to vrge them to define rightly Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished the fathers to determine all thinges by the scriptures of the Euangelistes Apostles Prophetes and Canonicall scriptures Iustinian also in the Code Iustinian Augustine wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Byshoppes and Priestes and other such lyke Yea and Augustine hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same manner to punish Idolatrers heretikes as he punisheth adulterers for as much as they cōmitte whoredome against God in mynd which is much more heynous then to committe whoredome in body And looke by what lawe murtherers are put to death by the same also Idolatrers and heretikes ought to be punished for that by them are killed not the bodies but the soules although the common people be stirred vp onely agaynst homicides bycause they see the bloud of the bodyes killed but see not the death of the soules Vndoubtedly it is profitable for the Magistrate to take vpon hym this care and by his authority to compell menne to come to holy sermons and to heare the worde of God for by that meanes it commeth to passe that by often hearyng those thyngs begyn to please whiche before displeased As Hystoryes teach that God hath oftentymes with most noble victoryes illustrate godly prynces God hath prospered princes whiche had a care vnto Religion which haue had a care vnto these thinges Farther it can not be denied but that it is the dewty of the Magistrates to defend those Cities and publique wealthes ouer whiche they are gouerners and to prouide that no hurt happen vnto them wherfore for asmuch as Idolatry is the cause of captiuity pestilence famine ouerthrowing of publique wealthes shal it not pertaine vnto the Magistrate to represse it and to kepe the true sound religion Lastly Paul teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline in the feare of God but a good Magistrate is a father of the countrey wherfore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiectes be instructed as common children But kynges and princes whiche say that these thynges pertayne not vnto thē do in the meane tyme let geue and sell Bishoprikes Abbacies and benefices to whō they thinke good neither thinke they that to be none of their office onely religion they thinke they haue nothyng to doo with and they neglect to prouide that they whom they exalte to most ample dignityes should execute theyr office rightly Wherfore this thyng onely remayneth for them euen that GOD hymselfe at the length will looke vpon these thynges and with most grieuous punishement take vengeaunce of their negligence These thynges haue I spokē the more at large by occasion of our Hystory which maketh mention twise or thrise that euilles happened in Israel bycause they had not a kyng or lawfull Magistrate ¶ The .xx. Chapter 1 THen all the children of Israell went out and the congregation was gathered together as one man from Dan euen to Beerseba and from the lande of Gilead vnto the Lord in Mizpa 2 And the corners of all the people and all the tribes of Israell assembled in the Churche of the people of God foure hundreth thousand footemen that drew sword 3 And the children of Beniamin heard that the childrē of Israell wer gone vp vnto
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
writeth Euen as welles the more they are drawen the better they are so vndoubtedly are the wordes of God for the more diligently they are handled and vsed the more plentiful fruit is by them receaued therfore I tooke in hand to interpretate this history And although I am not ignorant that you do so abound with the most learned woorkes of other men that ye neede not thys my commentary yet to that I answer that to riche men also are debtes payde and giftes are geuen vnto kinges who otherwise are more riche Who is more riche then God himselfe Vnto whoÌ„ neuertheles al the godly do both geue thankes also to their power referre thankes Wherefore I doo not offer vnto you thys slight gift bicause I thinke that ye haue neede thereof but that your benefites should not remayne with me longer then is meete as though they wer neglected Farther that we might be styl more and more bound together in amity For these duties are certayn common bondes wherwith men are pleasauntlye and profitably bound together betwene themselues I haue in deede bene long in your debt yea rather I shal alwayes be in your debt for I shal neuer be able to pay al that I owe vnto you wherfore I wil gladly be perpetually in your debt And wil with great pleasure alwayes behold keepe and preserue your benefits layd vp with me so that they shal neuer dye nor neuer at anye time slyp out of my mynde So fare you wel most worthy and noble men God the father of mercy encrease prosper and for euer blesse you together with your publike wealth Church and Schoole in al good thinges through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen At Tigure the .22 of December 1560. ¶ Places of the scripture which here and there a man shall finde in these CommeÌ„taries expounded or learnedly and wittely alledged wheras the first number signifieth the chapter the other the verse or verses of the same chapter as they be distinguished and set foorth in the Byble printed at Geneua the most expedite and ready way for speedy finding of the same GEnesis 1.1 In the begynning 262. b 6.2 The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire 15. b. and .285 33 18 Iaacob came safe to Sechem 159. 47 22 Onely the land of the priestes bought he not 264. Exodus 12.12 I wyll pas thorow the land of Egipt 128. b 20.13 15. .16 Non dices falsum testimonium 39. b Non furaberis NoÌ„ occides 39. b 20 16 Thou shalt not beare false wytnes c. 87. b. 22 16 .17 If a manne entyse a mayd that is not betrothed 284. b 33 11 Face to face Deuter. 5.9 Visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children c. 178. b. c. 181. b 7.1.2.5 When the Lorde shall geue the land into thy power 245 24.3 .4 The first shal not take agayne a wyfe repudiated after the second husbands death or diuorsment 250. 1. Kings 3.16 There came .ii. harlots vnto the king 233 4. Kings 5.18 Herein the Lorde be mercifull 50. b Ezra 7.24 No tole tribute or custome to be laid vpon the priestes 264 Psalme 2.11 Kynges serue the Lord. 54. b 15.4 He that sweareth to his hinderaÌ„ce chaÌ„geth not 85 b. 86 b 33.16 The kyng is not saued by the multitude 91. b 50.18 If thou sawest a thiefe 232 73.2 My feete were almoste moued 142. b. 14â— 170. b 78.49 Vexation by sending oute of euil angels 128. b 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of the Gods 267. b 91.1 He that dwelleth vnder the helpe 247 102.22 When the people shall be gathered together and kynges to serue the Lord. 266 111.10 Feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wysdome 246. b Prouerb 18.23 He that retaineth an aduoutrous woman is vngodly and a foole 249. b Esay 7.12 I wyll not aske nor tempt God 131. b 66.3 He that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if he slew a dog 206. b Ieremy 1 10 I haue appoynted thee ouer nacions and kyngdoms 262. 31.31 I wyll make a newe couenaunt 74. b Ezechil 17.13 King of Babel had taken an othe of Zedechias 85. b 18.20 The sun shall not beare the iniquity of the father 179. Daniel 4.24 Peccata tua elcemosynis redime 72. Hosea 1.2 Take thee a wyfe of fornications 233. b 6.6 I desyred mercy and not sacrifice 194. 8.4 They haue set vp a king but not by me 256. b Ecclesiasti 16.14 He wyll make place to al mercy 272. b Baruc. 6.3 When ye shal se gods of gold and syluer 51. Mathew 5.16 That they may se your good works glorifi 157 b 5. 18 If thy hande foote or eye offend thee cut it of 46. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar 206. b 6.1.2.5 To be sene of men 153. 6.22 The light of the body is the eye 153. 7.1 Iudge not that ye be not iudged 277. b 9.30 See that no man know it 10.37 He that loueth father and mother more theÌ„ me is not worthy of me 265. 12.20 A brused reede shall he not breake 134. 14.6 But wheÌ„ Herods birth day was kept the daughter of Herodias daunced 287. b 15.4 Honour thy father and mother 189. b 16.18 Vpon thys rocke I wyll build my church c. wyll geue the keyes 149. 17.20 Faith as much as a graine of musterd seede 130. 17.21 This kinde goeth not out but by prayer and fasting 276. 19.28 Ye shall sytte vpon twelue seates 175. 21.31 Publicans harlotes shall go before you into the kingdome of heauen 232. b 23.24 Strain at a gnat and swalow a camell 201. b 25.41 Go ye cursed into euerlasting fyre prepared for the deuyl and his angels 208. b 26.4.5 The syxt houre 166. Marke 10.4 Moses suffered to write a bil of diuorcement 233. b 15.25 The third houre 166. Luke 18.13.14 Publican prayed and departed iustified 207. b 22.38 Behold here are two swerdes 259. b 22.35 When I sent you wythout bag or scrip dyd ye at anye tyme want any thing 260. 24.39 Feele and see for a spirite hath not flesh 209. Iohn 6.15 They would come c to make him a king 147. 8.44 The deuil wheÌ„ he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own 167 9.31 God heareth no synners 78. and. 207. 18.11 Put vp thy sword into thy sheath 260. b 20.26 The dores being shut 211. b 21.15 c. Feede my lambes 149. Actes 7. â—0 An angel of the Lord in a flame 120. 10.25 Cornelius met Peter and fel down at his feete 69. b. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 41. b 21.25 Paul was purified 51. b. 15.29 That ye abstain froÌ„ things offred to Idols 229.233 b. Romains 3.8 Why do we not euil that good may come thereof 39. and. 253. 6.23 The wages of syn is death 272. b 9.3 I would wysh my selfe seperated from Christe for my brethren 253. b 11.29 Giftes and calling of God are without repentance 188. b 12.19 Vengeance is mine
236. 13.1 Let eueri soul be subiect 262 b 13.1 Powers ar ordained of God 260. b. 1. Corinth 2.15 He that is spirituall discerneth all thinges 262. 6.1 Dare anye of you hauyng a cause agaynst an other 256. b 6.13 14 The body is not for fornication 229. b 7.5 Defraud not one another except it be for a time 94. 7.11 If the womā depart let her remain vnmaried or let her bee reconciled 222. b 7.14 Els were your chyldrē vncleane but now ar they holy 182 7.15 If the vnfaithful depart 86 7.37 He dothe well c. that wyll kepe his virgin 46. 8.4 We know that an Idol is nothing in the world 69. b 10.24 Non quae sua sunt quaerētes Such as seeke not their owne 38. b 10.27 If anye that is an infidell byd you c. 44. b. 45. b 11.5 Euery woman that prayeth or prophecieth barcheaded 93 13.2 If I had al fayth 130 13.12 We shal see him face to face 121. 14.34 Let your women keepe silence c. 93 15.44 It is raysed a spiritual body 211 Galath 1.8 Though we or an angel from heauen c. 262 1.15 c. When it pleased God to reueale his sonne in me c. I communicated not with fleshe and bloud c. 265 3.19 It was ordayned by angels in the hand c. 120 Ephes 5.18 Be not dronke with wyne c. but speake in psalmes c. and songes 103 Philip. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are honest 250 Collossi 3.16 Let the woorde of Christe abounde in you c. in psalmes c. 103 1. Thes 5.22 Ab omni specie ma la abstinete Refrain from al apparance of ill 18. b 1. Timo. 2.1 Supplications praiers intercessions and geuynge of thankes 44 2.11 I permit not a woman to teache c. 93 3.3 No striker 146. b 4.8 Bodely exercise profits lytle but. c. 140. 279 Titus 1.7 No striker 146. b 2.3 Women should be teachers of honest thinges c. 93 Hebru 7.2 Abraham payed tenthes c. 261 13.4 Hooremongers and adulterers God wyl iudge 254. b 13.16 To do good and to distribute c. 251. b Iacob 1.13 God tempteth no mā 79. b 2.10 Who so keepeth the whole law c. 53 1. Peter 4.17 Iudgement begin at the house of God 234. b Apocal. 19.10 22.8 9. I fell downe to woorshpp before the feete c. 69. b ¶ The common places contayned in this booke OF prediction or treasō 36. b Of Masse 41 Of teares 62 Of Sacrifice 63. b Of Idolatrye 68 Of a league 73. b Of truth and of a lye 87 Of dissimulacion 89. b ¶ Whether it be lawfull to lye to preserue the lyfe of oure neighbours 90 ¶ Whether it be lawfull for subiectes to rise against their princes 90 ¶ Whether it bee lawfull for the godly to haue peace with the vngodly 99 Of musicke and songes 102 Of visions or in what sorte and how much God may be knowen of men 118 Of myracles 126 Of Dreames 134. b Of the affections of enuye and emulacion 141. b Of mercy 142 Of a good intent 132 Of Matrimonye and hauing of Concubines 153. b Of ambition 157. b Of murther of Parentes or kinsfolkes called paracidium 158 Of a fable and apollogy 159 Of wyne and dronkennes 161. b Of murther 165. b ¶ How synne dependeth of God 166. b ¶ Whether we cā resist the grace of God or no. 167. b ¶ How God sayth that hee wyll not geue that which he wil giue and contrarily 174. b Of bastards and children vnlawfully borne 177. b ☞ Whether the sonne shal beare the iniquity of the father 178. b Of thinges which were taken by the right of workes 186 Of prescription 188 Of custome 189 Of the vow of Iiphtah 192 Of sedicion 197 Of the vow of the Nazarits 201 Of Sacrifice 206 Of the vision of Angels 208 ☞ Whether it be lawful for children to mary without the consent of their parentes 214 Of playes 218 Of hooredome fornication 129 Of the head of the church 241 Of Securitye 246. b Of the reconciliation of the husbande and the wyfe after that adultry hath ben cōmitted 247 Of a Magistrate 255 Of merites 272 Of fasting 274 Of Rapte 283 Of daunses 286 FINIS ⧠Faultes escaped in the printing desiring thee gentle Reader to correct the same in thy booke before thou beginnest to read this worke which shal helpe thee much in the vnderstanding of those places The order of which correction here vnder thou maiest see The letters a. and. b. which stand by the numbers signify the sides of euery leafe a. signifieng the first syde and b. the second syde Leafe Lyne Faultes Corrected 2. a 3 iudged and iudged 3. b 50 he Greeke the Greke 4. a 20 not reuenge reuenge 7. a 6 holy hylly 10. a 23 region religion 11. a 9 contamined contaminated 11. a 20 This is my This is in my 22. a 48 to vnprofita not vnprofitable 25. a 24 word wordes 25. b 20 wayling wayting 31. b 5 their maters their own mat 31. b 8 greuous suffer greuous 31. b 30 least left 32. a 34 the wel valle the valleys 35. a 2 helpe for the helpe from the 38. b 38 deceaued receaued 39. a 22 ceaseth not to ceaseth to be 40. a 13 signes synnes 43. b 28 saluation salutacion 47. b 47 stranger stronger 48. a 1 that none that to none 49. a 1 obey admoni obey their admo 52. b 25 contemne continue 53. a 10 workers workes 57. a 39 misery mistery 60. a 18 by colour by no colour 61. a 18 weyed weeded 62. a 9 offer offered 62. a 29 sacrifice sacrificer 62. b 33 nation motion 63. b 20 set setteth 63. b 48 sayth fayth 64. a 1 participacion particion 65. b 36 sawe same 68. b 21 there they 73. b 7 angry angry anger anger 77. b 14 doubt double 81. b 18 is maruayle is no maruayle 84. b 16 nothing one thyng 86. b 50 other vnderstād othe vnderstand 87. a 49 not any not least any 92. b 27 do desperate and desperate 96. b 1 by an ordinarye by no ordinary 100. a 22 decreased digressed 100. a 23 the knight the Kenite 100. b 49 Leuites Kenites 106. a 17 xl C. men xl M. men 111. b 25 decrees .23 q. 5. cha dixerit aliquis decrees causa 23. q. 5. dicat aliquis .28 d. 1 120. a 53 word world 122. b 1◠litle title 124. a 17 inuiolated violated 132. a 42 13500. men 135000. men 134. b 1 Recubites Recutites 144. a 32 mention mantion 192. b 51 dryuen drawne 201. b 4 eare heare 203. b 52 preserue obserue 223. a 15 doubting doubling 227. a 20 ententes euentes 228. b 14 pronounces prouinces 230. a 32 Sickenes Sadnes 247. a 16 Cain Cham 269. b 14 leuened leuelled 285. a 14 cōmunicate excommunicate ¶ The commentarie of Master Peter Martyr vpon the Booke of Iudges THere be some whiche deuide the holy scriptures into