is none of all these faculties which hath not speciall precepts appointed vnto it in the holie scriptures and dooth vse all these magistrates and princes for the defence of godlines and for the true worshipping of God eloquence that it may persuade profitable and godlie things gouernement of houshold that new ofsprings may alwaies growe vp vnto Christ and finallie all Arts aswell to the glorie of Christ as to the profit of our neighbours How magistrates and ministers of the Church must behaue them selues one towards another 15 And now as I thinke it may appeare how the ministers of churches which professe these holie scriptures should behaue themselues towards magistrates and magistrates towards them They out of the holie scriptures drawe precepts and rules of the princes function those precepts ought the magistrate to heare which also if he otherwhile transgresse must suffer admonishers and must not be offended if modestlie and with iust reuerence he be corrected And on the other side when ministers shall behaue them selues either negligentlie in their office or against the rules of Gods lawe they may be kept in their duetie by the magistrate and if they will not amend their faults they may be remooued from their place And thus let the ministerie of the church helpe the ciuill power and againe the ciuill power ouersée the ministerie that it may be pure and profitable to the christian Common-weale And in that wée attribute the chéefe power vnto that wisedome which we haue in the holie scriptures it must not be thought that anie thing is plucked awaie or diminished from ciuill administration for that authoritie remaineth still vnto princes and magistrates but we would onelie shew from whence they them selues ought to take the rules and principles of their authoritie that they should not so estéeme of the doctrines of the philosophers and lawes of men as they would straie from the most pure fountaines of iustice and honestie which flowe in the holie scriptures And they shall be able to get vnto them selues this knowledge either be diligent reading of the holie scriptures by them selues which God commanded kings to doo or else they may bée instructed by ministers of the church And whereas it is said that it belongs to the ciuill power to haue authoritie ouer those professions which are to be reteined in a citie and ouer those which are to be reiected from thence let princes magistrates vnderstand that the regard of diuine worship belongeth vnto them namelie that they preserue promote and defend that which is lawfull and that they prohibit and vtterlie roote out that which is vnpure forbidden The second Chapter Of the naturall knowledge of God by the things created whervnto this knowledge tendeth And whether there be anie that knoweth not God Out of the Epistle to the Romans Cap. 1 verse 19. Looke In Sam. Cap. 6 vers 22. PAule in the Epistle to the Romans disputing of the naturall knowledge of God In Rom. 1 verse 19. saith Read after in the fourth Chapter that that which is knowne of God is manifest among them In the Gréek we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if wée should saie That which may be knowen of God Which therefore is said bicause there be many diuine mysteries Naturallie we can not vnderstand the mysteries of God vnto which wée cannot by nature attaine as is this that God would iustifie vs fréelie forgiue our sins through Christ crucified and restore these verie bodies of ours vnto eternall felicitie These such other like the nature of things teacheth vs not Therfore saith Paule That which might be knowne of God is made manifest in them In that place he declareth what maner of truth it is that they withheld in vnrighteousnes It was the knowledge of things pertaining vnto God which they attained vnto by a naturall instinct And Paule reduceth all those things Two things of God wee naturallie knowe that they knew into twoo principall points namelie the euerlasting power of God and his diuinitie For by the very workmanship of this world they knew God to be most mightie Further they knew by the beautie shew distinction of all things that so great a power was administred by a most high prouidence and wisedome Wherein chieflie consisteth the maiestie of God Also the commoditie and profit of things created taught them the Maiestie of God which consisteth chieflie in this that he dooth good vnto all things These be the things which God bestowed vpon the Ethnikes but they abused the gifts of God Wherfore verie well agréeth with them that similitude A similitude which Chrysostome vseth For thus hée saith If a king should giue much monie to his seruant for the furniture of his houshold amplifieng of his gorgious estate to the end that his magnificence and honor might be the more manifest and the wicked seruant should lewdlie spend the monie vpon brothels and harlots should not this seruant saith he séeme woorthilie rightlie to haue deserued punishment Euen so did the wise men among the Ethnikes behaue themselues The wise Ethnikes abused the gifts of God For they receiued of GOD a verie excellent knowledge of things wherewith when they should haue worshipped and adorned him they turned it to the worshipping of stones and stocks and of images Wherfore not without cause did the wrath of God waxe hote against them 2 And whereas it is written It was made manifest in them neither is it said In all the Scripture dooth seuer the wise and the philosophers from the barbarous vnskilfull multitude For all things were not knowne to all alike which neuertheles happened by the fault of these philosophers For they ought to haue preached openlie and beaten into the eares of the common people those things which they knew The Philosophers hid the knowlege which they had of God Aristotles words vnto Alexander And yet this they did not as did the prophets and apostles but with a proud mind kept these things among themselues yea and after a sort hid them that they should not be vnderstood of all men Wherevpon the epistle of Aristotle to Alexander is much spoken of wherein he saith that his bookes of naturall philosophie are so set foorth by him as if they were not set foorth For the philosophers séemed of set purpose to make their writings obscure to the intent they should not be vnderstood by others Besides this through their arguings they polluted those excellent things which they knew to be pure When they vnderstood that there is but one God and iudged that hée ought to be worshipped they gathered afterward of themselues The original of signes and superstitions Séeing the common people are not apt to worship the high diuinitie that is spred ouer all things for they cannot perceiue it after this maner it shall be well doon to diuide it and to assigne it vnto images The Philosophers diuided the vnitie of
put in record And here it shall not be vnprofitable if we consider of the difference betwéene the word of God The word of God first reuealed then written as it was reuealed vnto the prophets at the first that which was preached afterward or published in writting wherein we shall only sée a difference in the time and not in the strength and authoritie For we grant that the word vnwritten was of more antiquitie than that which was afterward put in writing and that aswell both the one as the other was bestowed vpon the church but yet as we said before it was not lawfull for the church by any meanes to wrest or alter the same Secondlie we doubt not The duty of the church is to preach publish the word but that the churches part is to preach and set foorth the word of God committed vnto it wherein it is likened to a crier who notwithstanding he proclame the statutes of a prince or magistrate A similitude yet is he not either of more or of equall authoritie with them But all his labour is faithfullie to proclame all things euen as he receiued them from the princes and magistrates For if hée should so doo he might be counted a traitour Wherefore it behooueth the ministers of the church that they prouide and indeuour nothing more than to be found faithfull 8 Thirdlie we also acknowledge it to be the function of the church The church discerneth the true scriptures from not canonicall that séeing it is indued with the holie ghost it should descipher discerne the true and proper books of the heauenlie word from them that be not canonicall Which office doubtlesse is not to beare a higher authoritie than the scriptures as many doo foolishlie dreame For thus they saie Forsomuch as the church hath accepted and allowed some scriptures and hath refused other some to be no scripture therefore it hath authoritie to determine of them as it listeth But this is a verie weake kind of argument We will grant in verie déede that the ancient church had such an abundance of the spirit as thereby they easilie knew which of those that were presented vnto them were the true proper words of God and these as canons and rules of Gods word they disseuered by a spiritual vnderstanding from the other books called Apocrypha which being once done it was not lawfull for the church to make what interpretation it would but both the spirit of Christ must be harkened vnto and also the consent of all the places of scripture must be diligentlie considered The verie which thing we sée dailie to be done When a kings letters are brought to a citie or prouince A similitude the lieutenants and gouernours of those places by verie vse and morall skill knowe well inough whether the letters which be deliuered in the name of the king be true or counterfeit but when they shall perceiue them that they be neither fained nor depraued it is not lawfull to alter transforme and wrest them after their owne will Euen so must we thinke of the church For it is not onlie a faithfull witnesse but also a sure kéeper of Gods books and yet it is not lawfull for the church to appoint anie thing in them otherwise than God himselfe hath prescribed There be a great many that can iudge which be the right works of Aristotle and of Pâ—ato and which be not who neuerthelesse are not straight way to be thought comparable to either of them in learning And amongst vs christians euerie one can easilie espie the difference betwéene God and the deuill and yet must we not be compared with God and much lesse be thought to excell him Euen so the church must not for this cause preferre hir credit or authoritie aboue the scriptures Augustine 9 But they alledge that Augustine saith I would not beléeue the gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the church should mooue me But that place of Augustine hath this latine word Commouéret that is to saie To mooue with the help of another thing and not simplie To mooue of it selfe Faith is powred in by the holy ghost and the ministers work togither by him For vndoubtedlie it is the holie ghost which powreth in faith to the hearers of Gods word And the ministers of the church being his instruments are rather to be said to mooue togither by him than absolutelie by themselues The same Augustine against Faustus in the 28. booke and second chapter writeth that the heretikes called Manichei should aswell beléeue that the first chapter of Matthew was written by him as he beléeued that the epistle called the foundation of their religion was written by Manicheus bicause it was so preserued among the elders of their religion and so came from hand to hand at that time And therefore it must on this sort be vnderstood that the church mooueth vs to beléeue the gospell bicause it faithfullie kéepeth the holie scriptures preacheth them and discerneth them from other writings The same father in his sixt booke of confessions the fourth fift chapters dooth plainlie witnes that God himselfe doubtles giueth authoritie to the holie scriptures Tertullian Irenaeus Tertullian Irenaeus standing in disputation with the heretikes did therefore send them vnto the apostolike churches bicause they allowed not full and wholie of the scriptures wherefore they would that they should vnderstand the sense and meaning of them by such churches as were certeinelie knowne to be apostolike For méete it was that such churches should be continuall witnesses and preseruers of the bookes of God And yet did they not by this meanes affirme that the authoritie of the church is to be preferred aboue the scriptures 10 But our aduersaries saie that they are led by a common rule vaunted by the Logicians namelie That thing is to be iudged the more so A rule in Logicke for the which another thing is so Wherevpon they gather this reason If the scripture haue authoritie by iudgement of the church then it followeth that there is a more authoritie in the church than in the scripture But they consider not how that sentence of the Logicians taketh place onelie in such causes as are called finall but that in efficient causes it is not firme For although this inferiour world of ours be warmed by meanes of the sunne and planets it followeth not Similitudes that the sunne and planets be therefore more hot than the things which they haue warmed Likewise surfetters and intemperate men are droonke by reason of wine but we cannot conclude thereby that wine is more intemperate than they Yea the Logicians teach that the foresaid rule is then firme and true in efficient causes when they be brought whole and perfect not when they be mangled and vnperfect Which point doubtles is smallie obserued by our aduersaries in this argument For the church is no efficient cause of that authoritie and credit which
be only the ciuill head of the Church If thou require of Papistes they will neuer graunt that their Pope is onelie the ciuill head of the Church Nay rather they will haue them to be called spirituall fathers So as they haue two heads of one and the same kinde For they will neuer suffer themselues to bée inclosed within these boundes For they dispence against the word of God they forbid marriages they applie the merites of Christ and of the saintes they ordaine new Sacraments they sel Pardons This pertaineth not to a ciuill head Wherefore let them graunt that their Church hath two heads and that it is a monster But I will deale frankelie Admit the Pope be a ciuill head That if the Pope be a ciuil head yet the Church is double headed yet doe yée fal into the selfe same errour For seeing the Magistrate also is a ciuill head ye shall bée constrained to confesse that in the Church there be two ciuill heads both of one order and that so your Church is a monster But these men as they be importunate dreame of two heads First that the Pope is the ciuill head of his ministers and so is one head of the Church Whether the Pope be be ciuill head of his ministers Rom. 13. 1 For they will haue ministers to be exempted from the power of the ciuill Magistrate But this is a vaine conceite For Paul commaundeth that euerie soule should be subiect vnto the Ciuill power he exempteth none Yea and Chrysostome saith that neither the Apostles nor Euangelistes ought to be excepted Peter also exhorteth ministers that they should obey the ciuill power Wherefore in vaine doe they babble and ridiculouslie doe they adioyne two heads vnto their ministers Whether the magistrate may beare rule ouer preachers Ministers subiect two maner of wayes What then wilt thou saie Shall the Magistrate beare rule ouer ministers and Preachers I aunswere that the word of God and the Sacraments are subiect to no potentate But ministers are subiect two manner of waies both in respect of manners and of their function For if either they liue wickedlie or doe not their duetie they may be both reiected by the Magistrate and depriued Look part 4. pâ— 13. Act 7 6 But these men still dreame of one ciuill power that is Ecclesiasticall and of an other that is profane The one of the which they attribute vnto the Pope and the other vnto the Magistrate but all in vaine For as much as pertaineth vnto Ecclesiasticall power the ciuill Magistrate is sufficient For he as saith Aristotle in his Politikes must prouide that all men doe their duetie both lawiers Phisitians husband men Apothecaries among whom we may also recken ministers and Preachers What néede haue we here to multiplie heades Salomon Dauid Iosias being ciuill Magistrats yet did they not thinke religion to be without the compasse of their charge Constantine Theodosius and Iustinian thought vppon nothing more than to set in order the true church of God So then there was no néed that these men should raise vp a newe head vnto themselues in the Church and especiallie for the setting vp of tyrannie For the Church hath Elders who must prouide in what order all things ought to be doone and that all things be in order the Magistrate ought to prouide What the church must doe if the magistrate be vngodlie But what if the Magistrate be wicked Yet there is a Church there be Elders there be Bishops by these it must be decréed and appointed what ought to be doone in Religion And this perhaps is it Howe the king of England is called the head of his own church why the king of England would be called head of his own Church next vnto Christ For he thought that that power which the Pope vsurped to himselfe was his and in his owne kingdome pertained to him selfe The title indéed was vnwonted and displeased manie godlie men Howbeit if we consider the thing it selfe he meant nothing else but that which we haue now said 7 But they obiect that after the Pope Whether the Pope being nowe made head ought to be remoued 1. Sam. 8. 7. once became a Monarch and that we sée that christ is not therby excluded he must not rashlie be remoued For so the Israelites although they had made themselues a king without the commaundement of God he béeing once appointed they did not afterward reuolt froÌ„ him I aunswere The reason is not alike For the Israelites in creating their king had the voyce of God which thing if these men can shewe of their Pope we will confesse that the reason on both partes is alike But they cannot do it naie rather they haue the contrarie out of the holie Scriptures Wherefore we conclude first that it is not agréeable for the Church to haue a double head Secondlie that although it might be agréeable yet that one mortall man cannot rule and regard the whole world for that doth farre excéed mans strength Whether ciuill Prince that hath more prouinces than he can out-see be to be suffered But thou wilt saie If this reason be of force euen a ciuill Monarch ought not to be suffered who hath more Prouinces than he is able to take the charge of Wherefore if a king be not able to prouide for all that be his shal we reuolt from him as ye haue doone from the Pope I aunswere that these Empires larglie extended cannot be without fault For séeing the kings cannot deale in all things themselues they coÌ„mit their Prouinces vnto vnsatiable and gréedy cormorants by whom the people is miserablie drawen drie and suckt out And in auncient times when things were better seuerall cities had seuerall kings We read that Nynus first made ware vppon the nations adioining and amplified his borders So we read of so manie kinges that were in the land of Canaan being no verie great Region Indéede it is an ill thing to haue so large a dominion yet must not the people for that cause reuolt from their kings Howbeit if they wil commaund anie thing against God they must in no wise be heard Christ came not to chaunge the order of common weales For my kingdome saith he is not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. Neither did Paul at anie time perswade that there should be anie defection from Nero. So as we haue the word of God that we should obey the Magistrat whosoeeuer he be but we haue no word to obey the Pope If there be one head of the Church whether the â—…nt ought to bee at Rome 8 But admit that there maie be some one head of the Church why should he rather be at Rome than else where Because Peter saie they sat in Rome First that doth not sufficientlie appeare For by some it is denied But be it he was at Rome he was also at Antioch and Ierusalem Whie then should not the Bishops of these Cities bée
for a sinne to the intent a man maie follow his calling is not to be disallowed and so likewise if it be doone for auoiding of persecution proposition 2 That departure is condemned which procéedeth of the hatred of men or for a desire of commoditie and which is doone for the bringing in of the worship of God proposition 3 God not onelie requireth that we should giue him reuerence but that we should also declare the same by outward tokens proposition 4 Since God in his owne nature is not perceiued by the sense yet dooth he applie himselfe to mans capacitie and by his sensible word sheweth himselfe to be knowne of men in corporall formes and sacraments proposition 5 Although it should be certeine vnto euerie man that God is a spirit yet is it not vnprofitable to consider of him vnder figures and formes deliuered in the holie scriptures proposition 6 Since in the holie scripture he is said to be the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob which be dead thereof is inferred the resurrection of the dead proposition 7 Whereas the Iewes will not once name that name of God Iehouah which is written with foure letters it is superstitious proposition 8 The power of the name of God is not to be estéemed onelie by the pronouncing or rehearsing thereof proposition 9 God in commanding the Israelits that they should require of the Aegyptians gold siluer garments and vessels commanded them not to steale albeit that God otherwhile séeme to command anie thing against the second table yet in verie déed he commandeth not against the same proposition 10 There may be a good vse of gold siluer pretious stones silke and such like Probable proposition 1 WHen in the old testament as oftentimes it happeneth the name of angell is ioined with the name of God there is ment the second person of the trinitie that is to wit the sonne proposition 2 The name of God I am that I am sheweth that we ought to consider him to be such a God as will not suffer his promises to be in vaine proposition 3 In this name of God I am that I am is betokened the eternitie of his nature proposition 4 This name of God I am that I am sheweth that God is diuerselie to be named according to the diuersitie of his actions proposition 5 This name of God I am that I am is all one with the name Iehouah proposition 6 The Hebrues required not the Aegyptians to lend them gold siluer garments c but required to haue them giuen fréelie Propositions out of the fourth chapter of the booke of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 MIracles be testimonies of the doctrine and promises of God yet are they not such as without regard they should be beléeued proposition 2 God giueth not to euerie one of his ministers all the gifts of the spirit to the intent that the members of the church may be the more vnited one to an other proposition 3 Domesticall and ciuill duties are allowed by God and must not be left off vnder pretense of the calling of God so they be not repugnant therevnto proposition 4 It is not necessarie for him that entereth the holie ministerie to put awaie his wife proposition 5 The calling of GOD is a declaration of his will as touching the kind of life or peculiar function wherevnto we be appointed proposition 6 Sometimes the calling is by God himselfe without anie meanes and sometime by those which be indued with an ordinarie power proposition 7 Some are called otherwhile by an extraordinarie power proposition 8 Sometime nature is the meane or instrument of the calling of God proposition 9 In euerie vocation is required that he which is called be well instructed in the knowledge of God which calleth him proposition 10 To execute well the calling of God it behooueth that he which is called be certeine thereof proposition 11 The callings of God haue promises and gifts ioined with them proposition 12 It is against the calling of God as well if a man arrogantlie obtrude himselfe as if he obstinatelie resist it proposition 13 Manie things of themselues séeme to haue but small decencie which neuerthelesse must be doone if respect be had vnto the calling proposition 14 They which neglect to receiue the sacraments doo laie open themselues vnto most gréeuous dangers euen of the bodie proposition 15 When it is written in the holie scriptures that God is pleased with sacrifices that must not be vnderstood for the merit of the worke but the power of faith ioined therewithall Propositions out of the v. vi vij and viij chapters of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 TWo kinds there be of the knowledge of God one is common and is called naturall which also is attributed to the vngodlie an other is full and effectuall wherevpon followeth an obedience of Gods lawe and finallie eternall life and that is onelie of the elect proposition 2 In aduersities we must consider that men and the diuell may be the ministers and instruments but that they are sent of God as the chéefest cause for the which we must flie vnto him by praier proposition 3 It were sinne no doubt to be mooued against God for the felicitie of the wicked and oppression of the saints but yet to expresse such an affection before God as the saints did in the scriptures is both profitable and iust proposition 4 Although both the godlie and vngodlie are mooued for the said cause against the iudgments of God yet is there a difference betwéene them as well such as is betwéene the incontinent and intemperate as also bicause the one sort repent and the other obstinatlie persist in their sinne proposition 5 A couenant is an agréement of certeine among themselues whereby euerie of them promiseth that he will giue somthing in like maner he himselfe requireth something of others proposition 6 Miracles by themselues make no firme argument of doctrine vnlesse they doo agrée with the word of God proposition 7 God will otherwhile haue miracles doone by the aduersaries of religion that the godlie by such kind of temptation may be tried and that the vngodlie being the more blinded thereby may be punished for their vngodlinesse proposition 8 The miracles which the sorcerers of Pharao shewed were not the full and perfect cause of his incredulitie proposition 9 Repentance is of thrée sorts the first is perfect and whole which dooth please God another is temporall vpon which God bestoweth some thing the third is hypocriticall the which God dooth detest Probable proposition 1 THe name Shadai if it signifie omnipotent it ought chéeflie to be respected in the promises of God for it is required that we should thinke he can performe those things which he hath promised but the name Iehouah when God performeth his promises for it is deriued from his essence and God both in act in the thing it selfe bringeth to passe those things which he hath promised proposition 2 If the name Shadai
condemne you for mangling his sacraments and prophaning his ceremonies with your false seruices for giuing vnto creatures anie part of the honour that is due vnto himselfe for turning your eares from him when he crieth vnto you out of his holie word for refusing the congregation of his saints and ioining your selues to Baal-Peor for greeuing his spirit when he sounded his voice into your deafe eares and for that yee haue persecuted him in his saints vpon the earth Now the time approcheth wherein the Lord shall preuaile against you and shall tread all his enimies vnder his feet Then shall ye know that the Gospell of Christ is his power vnto saluation to all them that beleeue and that hee hath continuallie since his departure spoken and interpreted to you by his holie spirit speaking out of his word whatsoeuer is necessarie to saluation but ye would not harken vnto him no more than the Iewes would vnto Christ when he told them plainlie that he was that verie Messias Therefore since ye will not giue credit vnto him by the soft still noise of his spirit speaking vnto you in his word he shall come in a mightie consuming fire with a voice more horrible vnto you than was heard vpon mount Sina more terrible than was there the face of his maiestie victoriouslie leading captiuitie captiue ioifullie with all his saints and triumphantlie with innumerable Angels He shall gather his elect from all the corners of the earth and all those which would not hearken to his voice he shall reiect as they that would not suffer him to reigne ouer them they shall be cast into the vttermost darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth But all vs that haue beene obedient to his word in this life and haue sought our righteousnesse in Christ onelie and which doo sigh and grone for his comming he shall raise vp on high vnto him and we shall see the saluation of our God Let vs therefore with ioifull and true harts looke vp to heauen aboue for our redemption draweth neere Let vs fix our eies and minds vpon our mightie GOD which commeth in triumph and victorie Let vs run foorth togither with palmes in our hands to meet our bridegroome comming vnto vs. Let vs spread our garments before him in the waie and crie Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in he highest Then will he receiue vs gladlie and imbrase vs and bicause we haue continued with him in his temptations therefore shall we eate and drinke with him at his table in his kingdome where hee reigneth euerlastinglie and shall iudge the world with righteousnesse and his owne people with equitie I H S A breefe waie how Ministers should order their studious exercises for to benefit themselues and their flocks and also what good vse they may haue by travelling in the Common places of the Scripture and in such bookes as are alreadie gathered to this purpose THese things doo I write to the Ministers and Curates of the seuerall congregations but speciallie to them which hitherto haue not obserued anie conuenient order or method in their studies wherby they might be able to edifie the Church and discharge their duties in so excellent and honourable a vocation And first I exhort them that they will giue themselues to a continuall and earnest reading and studie of the holie scriptures which is able to make them wise vnto saluation and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse For vnlesse they haue the scriptures verie familiar vnto them they will sticke at manie things and while they haue not what to saie they will either speake that which rashlie commeth into their owne mind or else what other men haue inuented And they which giue themselues to this studie it shall be requisite that they haue the knowledge of the toongs especiallie of the Hebrue and Greeke wherein the holie books of the scriptures were first written by the Prophets and Apostles for he that dependeth altogither of interpreters seeth with other mens eies and speaketh in another mans mouth Further it is necessarie that a Minister be well acquainted with the histories and examples not onlie of the holie scripture of the old and new testament but also of all prophane writers and that he be perfect in the histories and chronicles of his owne countrie that he may shew vnto his hearers what in old time was either profitable or hurtfull to their ancestors Besides this to the intent he may reape some fruit of his studie and labor two things aboue other are necessarie First that he conceiue a certeine summe of doctrine which he must drawe togither as it were into one bodie and distinguish the same againe into their members or common places that while he teacheth he may knowe vnto what places or cheefe heads the places of the scripture which he will interpret to the Church ought to be referred The other thing is that he knowe what waie of teaching to take for the commodious and profitable shewing to the people that which with much studie he hath learned so as it may serue for the instruction edification and comfort of the hearers An example of the first kind is the ten Commandements which afterward both Moses and Christ himselfe drew into a shorter summe on this wise Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy mind and with all thy cogitation and thy neighbour as thy selfe So as vnder this double loue to wit of God and our neighbour Christ comprehendeth all the whole doctrine of religion and christian life Howbeit if ye looke more neerelie into the matter both the loues are verie largelie extended for the loue of God stretcheth vnto his seruice as well inward as outward and togither with faith it comprehendeth the obedience which we owe vnto him likewise the loue of our neighbour is diuided into infinite kinds according to the diuersitie of men with whom we deale And in like maner did the Apostles as Jraeneus testifieth comprise in those few articles of the Creed the summe of Christian religion which articles in their sermons and writings they did more diligentlie expound Neuerthelesse bicause such expositions are not taught in the holie scriptures in one certeine place or continued order so as they can be perceiued of euerie one except he be a verie attentiue reader it is altogither necessarie that they which shall profit the Church doo knowe not onlie the summe in generall of the heauenlie doctrine but that they can distinguish it into parts and kinds and distribute the same into their parts and places both that they may vnderstand how largelie they extend and what may be godlie and soundlie said as touching each one of them Thus haue manie and godlie learned men of old but especiallie of our time doone And to this purpose are these Common places of our famous Diuine D. Martyr Vermilius according to which forme euerie learned
feast daies of the Iewes 376. Whether it be lawfull to solemnize the birth daie of anie man pag. 377. chapter VIII The fift precept of the honouring of superiours pag. 377. A comparison betweene the duties of parents and magistrates Ibidem What dominion the husband hath ouer the wife pag. 379. Of ambition pag. 381. Of the desire of praise pag. 382. Of flatterie pag. 383. chapter IX The sixt precept of freendship 384. Of homicide pag. 385. Whether Elias did well in killing of the Baalites pag. 386. Of parricide pag. 390. Of sword-plaie Ibidem Whether it be lawfull for anie man to kill himselfe pag. 391. Of repelling of violence pag. 397. Of curssings imprecations and bannings Ibidem How far it may be lawfull to reioise in our enimies ouerthrowe pag. 400. Of a cursse shunning of reuenge 403. * Of the affects in generall pag. 405. * Of shamefastnesse pag. 411. * Of temperance pag. 412. Of mercie and Nemesis Ibidem Of crueltie enuie emulation and reuenge pag. 414. chapter X The seuenth precept of not coÌ„mitting adulterie pag. 418. Of matrimonie and concubins Ibid. Of polygamie pag. 420. Of barrennesse pag. 430. Whether it be lawfull for children to marrie without the consent of their parents pag. 431. Of rauine or violent taking awaie 437. Whether marriage be lawfull in persons of sundrie religions pag. 442. Of degrees forbidden in marriage pag. 447. Dispensation for marriage pag. 453. Of dowries pag. 454. Of diuorsements pag. 457. Whether matrimonie be a sacrament pag. 462. chapter XI Of whoordome fornication and adulterie pag 468. Of bastards pag. 475. Of idlenesse pag. 479. Of the punishments of adulterie 482. Whether the man or woman doo sinne more greeuouslie in adulterie pag. 489. Of reconciliation of man wife 495. Of wine and droonkennesse pag. 497. Of danses pag. 503. Of garments and apparell pag. 506. Of counterfet and false colouring 507. chapter XII The eight precept of not committing theft pag. 517. Of beneficence and hospitalitie 518. Of benefiting and vnthankfulnes 523. Of plaies and pastimes pag. 524. * Of gentlenesse and affabilitie pag. 528. chapter XIII The ninth precept of not bearing false witnesse Ibidem Of contumelie Ibidem Of suspicions pag. 533. Of mocking and taunting pag. 534. Of deceit or guile Ibidem Whether guile be lawfull for the rooting out of idolatrie and heresies 539. Of dissimulation pag. 541. Of truth and of a lie pag. 542. Whether it be lawfull to lie for preseruing the life of our neighbour pag. 546. Whether we may lie for modestie sake pag. 547. Whether faith against a promise breaker must be kept pag. 548. Of a fable and apolog pag. 550. chapter XIIII The last precept against lusting 551. Of the comparison betweene sins 553. Of charitie which is the fulfilling of the lawe pag. 556. Of salutations pag. 560. Whether the commandement of louing God with all the hart c. may bee kept in this life pag. 562. Whether the first motions should bee accounted sinnes pag. 565. Whether by rewards we ought to bee mooued to the obedience of God 573. chapter XV Of the vse and abrogating of the lawe pag. â—75 chapter XVI Of the likenesse and vnlikenesse of the old and new league or couenant pag. 582. A comparison of the sacraments of the fathers with ours pag. 586. chapter XVII Of Christ and his manifestation in the flesh and by what meanes he performed all the parts of our saluation pag. 599. chapter XVIII An exposition vpon the twelue articles pag. 612. The method and order of the Common places of the Third part AFter these things doo followe the causes and the generall meanes whereby we are both put and reteined in the possession of Christ and saluation and there be also shewed the effects of Christ remaining in vs. All which things the places following doo plainelie teach to wit the places of predestination and calling of faith and hope of adoption iustification Christian libertie of repentance of Christian life of patience in afflictions of the praiers of good men and finallie of eternall life THE CHAPTERS AND COMMON PLACES OF THE THIRD PART chapter I OF the eternall predestination of God wherein also are refelled the arguments which the aduersaries make against the same pag. 1. Whether GOD would destroie anie man pag. 42. chapter II Of the calling of God pag. 44. Of grace pag. 47. How grace and works are vnto eternall life pag. 52. chapter III Of faith and the certeintie thereof and how faith may agree with feare pag. 63. Of securitie pag. 67. Whether true faith may be separated from charitie pag. 69. How faith excelleth charitie and the contrarie pag. 75. What vnion the godlie haue with Christ pag. 77. Of the adoption of the sonnes of God pag. 79. The description of Christian hope 82. chapter IIII That iustification is of faith onelie not of works pag. 89. chapter V Of peace bondage Christian libertie of offense of conscience and of the choise of meates pag. 161. chapter VI Of vowes in generall pag. 175. Of the vow of Nazareth pag. 177. Of the vow of Ieptha pag. 182. Of the Rechabites pag. 188. Of peregrinations pag. 191. chapter VII Of marriage and sole life especiallie of ministers pag. 192. That chastitie is no common gift of God pag. 198. chapter VIII Of repentance of contrition confession and satisfaction pag. 203. chapter IX Of the works of supererogation imagined perfection of the Papists pag. 227. Of purgatorie and papisticall indulgences pag. 232. chapter X Of teares fasting there also of Lent pag. 245. Of watches pag. 256. chapter XI Of a Christian life and there of sundrie vocations pag. 257. Of freendship pag. 258. How we are to take counsel of God 260. The example of Naaman declared 263. That the possession of riches is lawfull for godlie men pag. 267. chapter XII Of liberalitie and magnificence 269. Of fortitude mortification enduring the crosse and affliction pag. 270. Of flight pag. 287. Whether Dauid did well in flieng to the Philistines for feare of Saule pag. 291. Whether the holie men were inferior to the Ethniks in abiding aduersities 296. chapter XIII Of holie praiers pag. 300. Whether praiers be the causes of the benefits of God pag. 310. How God saith he will giue that which he will not giue and contrariwise Ibid. Of the abuse of forreine language 309. Of musicke and meeter pag. 311. chapter XIIII Of death and of the consolation of the godlie against the same pag. 314. Of moorning for the dead pag. 315. Of buriall pag. 319. That soules loosed from their bodies do not sleepe pag. 323. Of wandering spirits pag. 326. chapter XV Of the resurrection pag. 327. chapter XVI Of the taking vp of Elias and Enoch and of their returne pag. 370. chapter XVII Of the end of the world pag. 385. Of the last iudgement pag. 386. That all mens glorie in heauen shall be alike pag. 389. Of the change of all things pag. 393. The method of the Common
flat And Balaam calleth himselfe A man falling with his eies open And yet were not these men enforced to vncomelie and dishonest gestures 1. Cor. 14 32 Wheras Paule saith that the spirits of the prophets are subiect to the prophets that he added least the prophets should be at any contention among themselues and should hinder one another or least that anie one should saie He could not wait till another had done Paule addeth an other note in the same place None saith he can saie the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 12 3. but in the spirit of God And no man speaking in the spirit of God defieth Iesus These be assured tokens both of a good prophet and of a bad Neuertheles it is not sufficient to confesse the Lord Iesus in words but it must also be done in true faith Augustine in his commentaries begun vpon the Epistle to the Romans There be found saith he which professe God in words but denie him in their dooings Wherefore whosoeuer professeth the true faith of God and sheweth the same in his déeds and maners must be accounted for a true prophet Yet we ought not to denie Euill men sometime prophesie true things but that euill men also doo sometimes foreshew true things Such be they which shall saie in that latter daie Haue not we cast out diuels Matth. 7 23. and wrought manie miracles in thy name And generallie we may conclude that whosoeuer confesseth Iesus Christ A generall rule to knowe true prophets of what maners soeuer he be so he lead vs not awaie from the faith the same is to be estéemed for a prophet of God For God can vse the works euen of euill ministers in shewing foorth his glorie so they kéepe themselues within the prescript of faith For this is it indéed to say Iesus is Christ For Augustine vpon the Epistle of Iohn saith Augustine that The verie same name of Christ is the knot Vnder the name of Christ is contained all the articles of the faith in the which all the articles of the faith are contained Bicause whosoeuer granteth Christ to be the sonne of God must of necessitie confesse the father and the holie ghost that Christ was borne that he suffered that he died that he was buried that he was raised againe that he was taken vp into heauen Paule to the Thessalonians saith 1. Thes 5 21. Prooue all things hold that which is good A little before Paule had giuen warning that the prophets should not be despised then he added that their saiengs should be pondered with iudgement For there be some which if by chance they heare somwhat spoken vnaduisedlie in a sermon do straitwaie contemne and refuse the whole Other som take altogither as it coms without anie choise But Paule warneth vs to take the meane waie he saith Prooue all things and hold that which is good In hearing of sermons Paule rule must be followed In those daies there was a discerning of spirits in the church whereas at this daie there is either none at all or else verie rare but yet the people ought to make their hartie praiers vnto God that they be not carried awaie from the truth by false teachers but in the giuing of their voices they must take héed that the best minister be chosen And bicause euen Homer himselfe as the prouerbe goeth may be sometime taken napping therefore must the ministers saiengs be tried and examined by the word of God and the articles of faith And prophesie hath a propertie common with other frée gifts Prophesie must be don freelie which is that it must be giuen fréelie So that they are deceiued who thinke that the same may be obtained by art or industrie or by I knowe not what maner of purgations For Peter saith 2. Peter 1 1. that Prophesie proceeded not of the will of man but that holie men spake as they were set on by the spirit of God And Paul saith that the spirit distributeth to all men 1. Cor. 12 11 euen as it will for it taketh hold both of the learned and vnlearned the child the herdman as it did of Amos the prophet Amos. 7 14. when he was gathering of wild figs yet it cannot be denied but that fasting and praier doo helpe verie well For we knowe that Daniel did much chasten himselfe and refrained from the kings table Daniel 1 8. being content with pulse Trulie these things doo further not a litle Prophesieng vnderstood for expounding the word of God 1. Sam. 5 10. Schooles of the prophets 2. King 3 15. howbeit they deserue not the gift of prophesieng But if we take prophesieng more largelie for the exposition of the prophets and word of God it cannot be denied but that that facultie may be attained by exercise doctrine And therfore to that purpose we find that schools were appointed wherein the children of the prophets were instructed and that when Elizeus was disquieted he called for a musician to the intent he might recouer his right mind 10 Now let vs in a few words declare the effects of prophesie The first effect is the edifieng of the church Therefore Salomon saith in the 29. of Prouerbs When prophesie ceaseth Prou. 29 18. the people be scattered and with idlenes and loitering be quite marred For prophesie kéepeth men in their dutie wherefore Paule saith 1. Cor. 14 3. Hee that prophesieth speaketh doctrine exhortation and comfort so that if the ordinarie ministration at anie time as it happeneth be out of course God raiseth vp prophets extraordinarilie to restore things into order Whether prophets be sure of those things which they prophesie But it may be douted whether prophets doo surelie knowe those things to be true which they foretell yes verelie For otherwise how could Abraham haue found in his hart to slaie his sonne vnlesse he had béen assured of the commandement of God Wherefore in that they be prophets they be sure of that which they saie I ad in that they be prophets For as being men they may both erre be deceiued In Parilip Dauid told Nathan that he would build vp a temple vnto the Lord. 1. Par. 17 2. Then Nathan the prophet as if he allowed the kings mind bad him doo that which séemed good to his owne eies but afterward he receiued from the mouth of God that the same worke pertained to Salomon therefore Nathan as man erred but God foorthwith called him home This much sufficeth for the effects of prophesieng One onelie thing I will ad Eccl. 48 14. It is written in Ecclesiasticus that the bones of Elizeus the prophet did prophesie bicause by the raising vp of a dead man Miracles whether they be prophesies they gaue testimonie of Elizeus doctrine but we must not séeme to call that a prophesie for then shall all miracles be prophesies In Gen. 20. 11 But we sée that
that is praised as of him that praiseth And yet for this cause am I not contrarie to Aristotle which saith that the same is in him which dooth the honour not in him which receiueth the honour bicause he as it is now brought in the definition saith that honour is a signifieng of a mans opinion and mind and therefore he iudgeth rightlie séeing as well the opinion as signification thereof procéed from him that honoureth and rest on him as on a certeine foundation and matter subiect therevnto But yet I haue respect to the originall wherevpon this opinion was raised and this iudgement is stirred vp in the minds of the wise and moreouer I note the fruits of this opinion and I sée all these things to be in the man that is praised that is to saie a greater authoritie gladnes Neither hath this my definition onlie place in honours but it must be no otherwise estéemed of the lawfull iudgement of a iudge and of a iust sentence when he pronounceth the lawe For these are the proper good things of him which therwithall turne to his good on whose side the matter is iudged And no otherwise should we saie of iustice the same without doubt is his good that is iust but it is also good vnto him to whom by the same iustice that which is due is rendered and paid Now by these examples it plainlie appéereth how honour is a certeine good thing perteining as well vnto him which is had in estimation as vnto him which did giue the same They doubt in like maner Whether one good mans testimonie be sufficient vnto perfect honour whether the testimonie of one honest and wise man be sufficient vnto true and perfect honour or rather that a signification from manie is not required I thinke it may be said that according to the nature of true and sincere honour the testimonie of one wise and good man and who knoweth vs well is sufficient bicause in one which is of this sort we haue all others like vnto him for there is one mouth and one iudgement of all wise and good men Howbeit to this end that the example may be made manifest and that the authoritie may growe and be confirmed to him that is praised the testimonie of one man is not of force bicause a verie great furtherance hereto is fame and good name which things doo require the testimonies of manie Now must this be séene Whether honour be alwaies ioined with iust deeds whether at anie time honour be seuered from vertues and iust déeds Some say it is and some say it is not Certeinlie the more common opinion among the learned is that honour followeth vertue as a shadowe followeth the bodie which similitude in my iudgement expoundeth the question The shadowe accompanieth the bodie but yet not alwaies after one maner sometime it goeth before sometime it is vpon one side and goeth togither but sometime it followeth after so the vertue of some men is had in honour straitwaie after the beginning of others it is not regarded till it be increast and made perfect Finallie thou maist sée some which are not honoured till they be quite gone for then are men woont otherwhile to perceiue though ouer-late how great a good they haue forgon Which we knowe happened in old time to the prophets and apostles and also in our times to manie most iust princes good pastors and godlie preachers While there were plentie of them they were contemned but when they were now taken awaie then did they stir vp an incredible desire of them Wherefore honour dooch accompanie vertue but not alwaies in the same step somtime before otherwhile togither and oftentimes after And besides this the testimonie and signification of wise men is neuer wanting vnto true vertue and iust actions except there be a want of the wise and such as haue séene and knowne these things 16 Now at the length let vs come néerer to the matter Whether there should be a desire of honour in good or euill men and consider yée togither with me whether the desire of honour should be accounted among good things or among euill things Shall we not commend honour séeing it is planted in vs by God and by nature séeing God promiseth it vnto them that be his that not seldome They that glorifie me saith he I will glorifie them 1. King 2 30 And The elders are by Paule pronounced woorthie of double honour And therefore it séemes 1. Tim. 5 17. that God planted this desire in mens minds that we might be more and more stirred vp to liue well and iustlie Neither is that common prouerbe rashlie to be reiected Honour nourisheth arts Againe Vertue comended increaseth Moreouer there is none which hath but a sparke of godlines can denie but that all our works must be so ordered as they may be allowed both of God and of men namelie that men by the séeing of them should as méete it is glorifie God Wherefore séeing honour for the things that be well doone staieth not in vs but redoundeth vnto God himselfe how manie soeuer be desirous of his glorie as we ought all to be we may at the least-wise for this cause desire honour Ouer this We obeie Gods commandements when we honor anie man woorthie thereof Rom. 12 10. verse 3. verse 17. who ought not to wish but that all the brethren should not faile of dooing their dutie and office Verelie this hath God commanded all men that they should honour their parents and by the same reason the magistrats And by Paule he commandeth In giuing honour go one before an other Also in the first epistle to Timothie the fift chapter Honour widowes which be widowes indeed In the first of Peter the second chapter Honour all men loue brotherlie fellowship And of Epaphroditus he said in the epistle to the Philipians Phili. 2 29. And such as he is haue ye in honour Such places as these be I may bring manie but séeing these be sufficient it appeareth that when anie man hath honour giuen him that is woorthie of it the commandements of God are obeied Which thing that it may be doone ought not they which be honest and behaue themselues well commend it and be glad of it and also wish that it may be doone Whie doo we praie Let thy will be doone in earth as it is in heauen Herevnto adde In honouring of the good we obteine rewards and by contemning punishments Exo. 20 12. that in giuing honour vnto good men we shall obteine rewards and benefits That thou maist saith God liue long vpon the earth And on the other side in contemning of them they procure destruction to themselues as the children which derided the prophet Elizaeus were rent in sunder of beares Which séeing it is thus he loueth not his neighbour which desireth not that he may auoid these punishments and obteine these commodities and rewards Wherefore euen as with the
this excuse of theirs is that diuine oracle sufficientlie declareth 1. kin 19. 18 wherin God thus answered Elias the prophet I haue left vnto me seuen thousand persons which haue not bowed their knee vnto Baal He said not Which haue rightlie iudged in their harts and which haue beleeued vprightlie in their minds but contrariwise mentioneth a signe of outward worshipping namelie of bowing the knée And he that hath made the whole man is not content with the halfe of him neither will he haue his creature parted with the diuell Esai 45. 23. To me saith he to me alone shall euerie knee bow Moreouer if this their reason had béene of anie value the Corinthians also might thereby haue excused their dooing for they might haue said vnto Paule Whie art thou so vehement against vs We our selues also knowe that an idoll is nothing we in our harts kéepe the right opinion Therewith let God be content it is lawfull for vs in the meane time with the bodie and outward presence to serue our owne commoditie 24 Yet further they saie We pollute not these things at all but rather we would haue them to be vncorrupt and perfect Wherefore what sinne soeuer is here committed it ought not to be ascribed vnto vs. I answer that truth indéed it is that another mans sin is imputed to no man but yet whilest ye are present at prophane rites this blame is ascribed rightlie imputed vnto you in that you communicate with another mans vngodlinesse The apostle in the first to the Corinthians said 1. Co. 10 18. Doo ye not knowe that they which eate of the sacrifice are made also partakers of the temple What saie I then that the image is anie thing Or that which is offered vnto idols is anie thing Naie but this I saie that the things which the Gentils offer they offer vnto diuels but I would not that ye shuld be partakers of diuels Ye cannot drinke of the cup of the Lord and of the cup of diuels Ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of diuels Against them which communicate without godlie rites c. So as although the corruption of the sacrifices be not to be imputed to the communicants yet the communicating it selfe from which they ought to haue kept themselues maketh them blame-woorthie And vnlesse the matter were so why would not the holie martyrs communicate with the rites of the Ethniks Wherefore did Paule so rebuke the Corinthians But here againe they replie and saie that The Masse is not to be compared to the idolatries of the Ethniks for howsoeuer it hath somewhat straied from the institution of Christ yet must it not be accounted a prophane and idolatrous thing But I affirme it to be so much peruerted as in a maner it agréeth nothing at all with the institution of Christ yea it is altogither contrarie vnto it which is verie easie for me to prooue 25 An Antithesis betweene the supper of the Lord and the Masse First of all The supper of the Lord as it was instituted by Christ was a common or publike worke But now commeth foorth the sacrificer apparelled in monstruous vestiments and doth all things alone Others are onlie present to sée and heare Wherefore if Paule iustlie and vpon good cause said to the Corinthians 1. Co. 11 20 which tarried not one for another that they were not now to eate the Lords supper how can they woorthilie call the papisticall Masse by the name of the Lords supper where onelie one sacrificer dooth eate and drinke Surelie by no meanes They may rather giue anie name vnto it than the supper of the Lord. Besides this they saie that they offer the sonne of God vnto the eternall father And that is expresselie denied in the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 10 14. for it teacheth that all things were finished by the onelie oblation of Christ which being perfect we may not renew it They will that Christ be offered vp euerie daie the word of God affirmeth that he was to be offered vp but once I grant indéed that the fathers sometime so spake as if the bodie and bloud of Christ are to be offered or sacrificed in the celebration of the sacraments How the bodie and bloud of Christ may be offered to God in the supper But they not seldome interpreted themselues that those oblations or sacrifices were onelie giuings of thanks or else a memorie and figure of that oblation sacrifice which Christ made when he died vpon the crosse Moreouer they affirme that the bread and wine is conuerted into the substance of the bodie and bloud of Christ when as the holie scriptures doo teach far otherwise Ouer this when they lift vp the bread and wine they set foorth the verie creatures of GOD to be worshipped in the stead of God For what is more shamefull than religiouslie to worship a péece of bread and a cup of wine It is true indéed that they be made partakers of the bodie and bloud of the Lord namelie in hart and mind which with a sincere faith doo eate and drinke the elements of the Eucharist and in such sort as God hath instituted the same But if a man onelie behold and worship them they are vnto him nothing but a péece of bread and a cup of wine Further the ministers of the church when as their dutie is to studie with all their power to rauish the minds of the people vnto heauen to the intent they should not séeke for Christ in the world and that they should not receiue anie carnall or earthlie thing in the holie supper doo miserablie attend the visible signes The apostle in the first to the Corinthians giueth charge 1. Co. 14 16 that in holie assemblies they should not vse a strange toong bicause that all men might answer Amen and bicause the edifieng of the hearers is aboue all things to be sought for But in the Masse all things be doone in Latine And those words which should bring great consolation vnto the standers by when as to them the participation of the bodie and bloud of the Lord is promised they doo speake them so softlie yea they mutter them so darklie that albeit a man knowe the Latine yet is he not able to vnderstand them They therfore whisper them so softlie as though the members of Christ were vnwoorthie to heare them when as neuerthelesse the Lord himselfe spake them openlie And the Gréeke church euen to this daie The Greke church pronounceth them with a lowd voice Yea and in times past it was a custome receiued as Ambrose and Augustine among others testifie that vnto those words the people answered Ambrose Augustine Amen But in my iudgement these men doo therefore mumble vp those words bicause they be warie least their lies should be perceiued For there they saie The papists speake manie lies in their masse Take ye and eat and
heretikes and to punish them I answer that they ought to kéepe entier and perfect the promise made vnto them But they say We will easilie grant it to be sinne when we giue our faith for an euill thing but if after we haue giuen it we kéepe it and stand to our promises we fall into another gréeuous sinne séeing we doo not the dutie committed vnto vs neither doo we obeie God For it is our part as God hath commanded to punish and to correct heretiks least they should spoile the church and procéed in mainteining of their pestiferous doctrine among the godlie Neither dooth anie man doubt but that magistrats ought to defend the church So then it séemeth that heretikes should not be let go when wée once haue them in our power I answer They which come vnto princes vpon safe conduct be not in their power that this in déed is the office of kings to represse and kéepe vnder heretikes but that is when they haue them in their power But if they giue them a safe conduct to come vnto them then can they not saie that they haue them in their power for they came vpon trust of the promise and an oth otherwise they would not haue come Wherefore if there be a promise made it is not lawfull to breake it And this is the cause whie I said before that I cannot easilie allow the act of the king of Denmarke Neither also would I iudge Iehu to be without sinne Of Iehu when he promised that he would worship Baal thereby to get all the Baalites togither vnlesse peraduenture he knew manifestlie that he was stirred vp by God to doo it But hereof we will intreate a little after Let them therefore which defend the councell of Constance cease to laie for their pretense that Iohn Husse with a safe conscience might not be let go bicause it is hainous sinne in all princes if they suffer heretikes to go frée For this which they saie is so long true as the time lasteth that they shall be in their power but when they are come by a safe conduct then are they at libertie neither are they said to be in the power of those princes which did call them 22 Others doubt Whether promise giuen to theeues is to be kept whether it be lawfull to vse euill guile against théeues so that if a man happen into their hands and by an oth made vnto them is suffered to go home vpon condition to gather monie to redéeme himselfe whether I saie he ought to returne vnto him with the monie or if he cannot get it as he hoped to haue doone to returne without it especiallie in case he were almost assured either to liue in perpetuall seruitude or else to be put to a most cruell death I answer that in my iudgement he ought to returne vnto them especiallie séeing in this case there is no danger but as touching goods of this world namelie of monie of libertie and of bodilie life which are not so greatlie to be estéemed as for their sakes an oth or the name of God should be violated And the verse of Dauid before brought serueth well for this purpose And this sentence is so firme and true that euen an Ethnike M. Attilius Regulus Attilius Regulus I meane did acknowledge it For he returned to Carthage when he knew certeinlie that either he should be in continuall bondage or else loose his life and that most cruellie Tell me not that he did foolishlie herein For the Romane lawes as we haue before said De captiuis postliminio reuersis in the lawe Postliminium in the Paraph Captiuus doo ordeine and religiouslie decrée that he should not be counted as returned by the lawe Postliminium which had promised to returne againe Besides the nature of man persuadeth the selfe-same thing for it is ciuill and delighteth in societie Wherefore next vnto God and godlinesse to him-ward there is nothing which men ought more to estéeme than their faithfulnesse which woonderfullie furthereth the societie of men For without it it is vnpossible for men to liue togither Moreouer who will not saie that the monie libertie and life of one man is lesse to be regarded than it is of manie For if couenants and promises be not kept with those théeues hence-foorth they will giue credit to no man whom they apprehend They would send home none to their owne house to fetch their ransome but either they will kill as manie as they take or else reteine them with them in miserable and perpetuall bondage Lastlie I thinke it good to giue this aduertisement that in taking of oths no signes that be added of vniuersalitie ought to trouble anie man What is to be considered in a generall oth As if a man promise and sweare to his fréend that he will be an helper to him in all things or if a man promise and sweare vnto a schoole or church that he will doo and obserue all things that they shall decrée For all such kind of spéeches as it appéereth by that which we haue said are to be vnderstood with condition that if the obedience vnto the word of God be kept And vndoubtedlie although that clause through the nature of an oth be ment alwaies to be added yet neuerthelesse it is the dutie of godlie men to expresse it when they be receiued into anie Vniuersitie colledge office corporation or fellowship and according to the custome are compelled to sweare to the obseruation of statutes lawes and decrées It is the sure waie I saie by expresse words to testifie that they will obserue all those things vnlesse that they shall find that anie of the same be against the word of God And of this matter I thinke I haue now spoken sufficientlie Ehud practised euill guile I grant but yet against his enimie Neither dooth the scripture make mention of anie oth that was made betwéene him and Eglon the king And though there had béene an oth yet had he béene quit of it séeing the motion of God whereby God opened his will vnto him had abrogated the same VVhether Guile be lawfull for the rooting out of Idolatrie and heresie In 2. King 10 verse 17. 23 Iehu by fraud minded to allure the worshippers of Baal The fact of Iehu that he might bring them into the danger of death He proclaimed among the people that he would be a notable worshipper of Baal and that he would with all spéed possible offer a notable sacrifice therevnto Wherefore he commanded all the Baalites to come togither to the holie assemblie to the end they might be readie with their seruice about that sumptuous sacrifice Some are in doubt whether Iehu sinned in lieng after that sort They that defend his cause saie A seruiceable lie that this kind of lie was an officious lie and therefore not to be condemned And an officious lie they define to be that wherewith none are hurt and some are holpen But
if they could yet might they not doo it without great difficultie The verie same thing doo these men iudge of the soule that séeing it cannot by nature it selfe find the meanes to be acceptable vnto God and to doo the works which may please him it behooueth to haue a heauenlie and spirituall habit to bring these things to passe and while they thus addict themselues to their philosophie they straie from the common and allowed sense For when we saie that a souldier is in fauour with the king or emperour we saie not A similitude that there is fauour or grace in the souldier but rather in the king or emperour which with fauour maketh much of the souldier euen so here To haue the grace of God is to be receiued into his fauour if we shall speake rightlie we will not saie that grace is giuen or powred into vs but rather that we be receiued vnto grace by God when as we were his enimies before But that the error of the Schoole-men may the better be found out let vs shew what their definition is The definition which the Schole-men assigne vnto grace for they define grace to be an habit powred in by God like vnto his goodnesse and charitie whereby he that hath it is made acceptable vnto God and dooth works that be meritorious and well pleasing to him When they saie that the habit is powred in by God the separate the same from naturall vertues further whereas they make the same to be like vnto the goodnes and charitie of God they thinke that they alledge a reason whie those which be indued with this habit be accepted of God namelie bicause of that similitude And séeing they be not able to prooue out of the scriptures that grace is a thing created they indeuour to affirme the same by reasons for Thomas saith that The good wil of God is not idle for that God is said to loue when he bestoweth anie good things Wherefore he saith that the well willing of God vnto anie man or the fauouring of anie is to giue them or powre into them such an habit The good will of God towards the elect lieth not idle as we haue alreadie described But this argument is most féeble for we grant that the good will of God lieth not idle but dooth bestowe benefits vpon vs and those verie manifold But how followes this argument God bestoweth manie gifts vpon vs therfore he createth or powreth in such an habit Moreouer it is no small error that they would haue vs to be made acceptable vnto God by this habit or creature For it had béene a necessarie thing that he hauing bestowed this benefit vpon vs we should first haue looued him for the loue of God goeth before all his gifts Indéed the vertues which doo followe haue some reason whie they be giuen The loue of God towards vs goeth before all his gifts yet can they not haue the power to allure God to loue vs for we had him our fauourable God euen before he bestowed these things vpon vs. And an other reason of theirs is this If those men saie they which be conuerted vnto Christ haue the spirit of God which they had not before of necessitie there went some change betwéene But in God there is no change wherfore it behooueth to appoint the same to be in vs namelie that we should haue the habit of grace which before we had not But this reason also stands to none effect bicause God dooth deferre his helpe as to him séemeth good and mooueth the harts of men at a time appointed when as he mooued them not before Which thing neuerthelesse we doubt not to be doone without anie change of him God is not changed although he doo that now which before he did not It is prooued that the grace of God is the fauour which he beareth towards vs. Ephes 1 4. for we knowe that he created the world which before had not béene and yet doo we not therefore saie that God is changed 9 Now there remaineth that we confirme by she scriptures that the grace of God signifieth his owne voluntarie or frée good will secondlie the benefits or gifts which are bestowed vpon the saints thirdlie that the grace of Christ is that which carrieth authoritie with the father and for which we are belooued of the father Of the first Paule saith vnto the Ephesians that We were chosen of God before the foundations of the world were laid according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glorie of his grace In which place we sée the cause of our election to be that the good will and grace of God should be commended vnto vs. And in the latter epistle to Timothie he saith Who hath called vs by his holie calling not through works 2. Tim. 1 9. but according to his purpose and grace And Peter exhorteth that we should hope in that grace which is offered vs and it is not lawfull to hope in a creature 1. Pet. 1 13. And as touching Christ Paule saith vnto the Ephesians that God hath made vs acceptable in the beloued that is in Christ whom he loueth most and as his onlie dearling Ephes 1 6. And in the epistle to the Romans he calleth Grace euerlasting life Wherefore let this be the true definition of grace Rom. 6 23. A true definition of grace and that which is most agréeable vnto the scriptures It is the good will of God that commeth voluntarilie of his owne accord whereby he holdeth vs déere in Iesus Christ and forgiueth vs our sinnes giueth vs the holie Ghost a perfect life and euerlasting felicitie By which definition thou vnderstandest not onlie what we may call grace but also by whom we haue the same and in like maner what the chéefe effects of the same are 10 Now let vs sée by what meanes GOD worketh so excellent good things in vs. First he offereth the promises of these thigns secondlie by his inspiration he openeth the hart By what means God worketh good things in vs. that those promises may be admitted which vnlesse he should doo those good things would neuer find place in vs for mans hart is stubborne and resisteth spirituall things and therefore there is néed of continuall ministerie in the church For it is the dutie of pastors Whie an outward ministerie of the church is needfull to laie before the people the promises of God not onlie to vrge the same with words but also to seale the same by sacraments which are certeine visible words But first of all their part is to remooue two impediments which chéefelie lead men awaie from the promises of God For on the one part The ministers ought to remedie two impediments men thinke they cannot atteine to the promises of God bicause they be vnwoorthie of them here ought a faithfull minister diligentlie to persuade teach that these things are
or else redéemed the same for monie Hence rose the punishments of purgatorie was thought that after his death he should paie them in purgatorie that with gréeuous punishments as though God would in anie wise that the lawes which the church hath made should be established It appéereth therefore that euen through the satisfactions of the church no small occasion is giuen vnto purgatorie Ecclesiasticall satisfaction was at first to a good purpose and that which in the beginning was decréed of no ill purpose is growen in time to a most gréeuous abuse For who will not account it a gréeuous crime that he which a few daies past was an open adulterer and a manifest murtherer should vpon the sudden be brought to the table of Christ and be reconciled vnto the church when he is neither tried nor prooued yea without testimonie of anie true repentance Neither doo we saie that these works of satisfaction were vnprofitable while discipline was of strength in the church for beâ—ides the commodities By them faith was exercised which a little before we recited this also was an excellent thing namelie that by them faith was exercised and did more and more apprehend the promises of God not by the merit or woorthinesse of the works It is wickednes to thinke that for these sacrifices God was pleased with men but by reason of a more vehement attention of faith But this we most inueih against to wit that God should be thought to be pleased with men for these works sake séeing this honor must onelie be giuen vnto Christ And let vs note that To satisfie is otherwhile as saith Asconius To doo onelie so much as is sufficient to an angrie man for reuenge Asconius but this none of vs is able to doo namelie to recompense the wrath of GOD so much as we were bound to doo To satisfie is vnderstood two maner of waies Cicero This did Christ onelie performe But there is an other signification of this word among the Latins as is To answer vnto the iudgement and opinion conceiued of him euen as Cicero writeth in his first familiar epistle vnto Lentulus I in all dutie or rather pietie towards thée doo satisfie all other men but my selfe I neuer satisfie c. And in this sort did the fathers sometime write not that God is satisfied with these ecclesiasticall punishments but bicause in edifieng the church in this wise by rendring of good actions in the stéed of euill and by exercising of our faith we approoue our selues vnto God and answer vnto the opinion and dutie which is required of penitents obedience at the least wise being begoon 18 But now Auricular confessioÌ„ in the steed of satisfactions in the place of these satisfactions which perhaps were not in all respects to be disallowed there hath succéeded an abuse of auricular confession wherein the papisticall priests doo inioine priuate satisfactions in which dooing they erre two maner of waies First The popish priests in their auricular confession sinne two maner of waies in that they absolue from sinnes before such satisfactions be doone whereas the true and ancient order required those satisfactions before that either peace or absolution should be declared Moreouer they will haue that such satisfactions as these should consist of works otherwise not due vnto God where neuerthelesse Whatsoeuer worke is good is due vnto God They attribute too much vnto the â—…ies whatsoeuer worke is good the same is due vnto him and that which is not due vnto him is not to be accounted good There happeneth also a third error for bicause they saie that by vertue of the keies perpetuall punishments are conuerted into temporall paines This onelie perteineth vnto Christ namelie to deliuer from eternall death therefore it is written in Osee O death Ose 13 14. I will be thy death O hell I will be thy plage And some of the Schoole-men dare write that which is altogither intollerable and wicked to wit that such priuate satisfactions are also of strength if as they speake they be trulie paid in deadlie sinne And thus they attribute that which belonged to Christ vnto our works being such works as procéed neither of faith nor yet of charitie But Esaie crieth out against these men Esai 52 â— Yee are sold for naught and ye be redeemed without monie And Paule teacheth that Iustification is without works An other error disproued wherein is said that we are iustified freely before baptisme not after and is offered vnto God freelie Neither must we giue eare vnto them which would these sort of saiengs to haue place in our first conuersation and in baptisme but if we fall afterward they affirme that we our selues ought to satisfie as who would saie that after baptisme Christ were not our mediatour as before Iohn writing vnto them which alreadie beléeued in Christ and were baptised 1. Iohn 2 1. If we haue sinned we haue Christ our aduocate and intercessor with the father And Ezechiel In what houre soeuer an vniust man shall depart from his vnrighteousnes Eze. 18 33. I will no more remember his vnrighteousnes And that God will forget Not to remember sinnes is as much to saie as not to punish Augustine Psal 32 1. and not remember is as much to saie as he will not punish nor take reuenge of anie man Wherefore Augustine vpon the psalme Blessed be they whose iniquities bee forgiuen c writeth of God that he dooth not marke our sinnes bicause he will not punish them And in Leuiticus sacrifice was required for sinnes that it might be notified how the purging of them was to be sought onelie from the death of Christ What is to be required of a penitent 19 Perhaps thou wilt demand Shall we not require some thing of him that is penitent when he confesseth himselfe to haue sinned Yes verelie euen that he cut off the causes of sinnes and when he hath giuen an offense let him edifie that he may bring foorth fruits woorthie of repentance And as it is said vnto the Romans As ye haue giuen your members to serue vncleannes vnto iniquitie Rom. 6 19. so now giue your members to be the armour of righteousnes c. And these things ought not to be commanded for escaping of the paines of purgatorie When God forgiueth the sinne he also forgiueth the punishment The scourges of the godlie are not punishments but fatherlie corrections The punishments said vpon the saints while they liue are not vnder the power of the keies Esai 38 3. and .5 Iohn 3 5. or to the intent that eternall death should be changed into temporall death bicause that God when he forgiueth the fault dooth also deliuer from punishments But if that he séeme sometimes to afflict them whom he hath alredie receiued into grace those scourges which are so laid vpon vs are not to be called punishments but are fatherlie corrections as
sorrowe when they be mooued against these affections So Dauid the more he was inclined to his children the more he was vexed They which attribute all things vnto destinie and fortune or to the necessitie of a matter bicause they doo against the scriptures of God must not be heard We conclude that holie men when they on this wise sorrowe wéepe and are mooued with sadnesse doo please God so as they retaine faith and followe the spirit But on the other side we affirme that the philosophers and Ethniks while they séeme to deale so magnificallie to contemne all aduersities and by no meanes to be disquieted doo displease God with all their goodlie shew of vertues That the Ethniks with their goodlie shew of vertues displease God Heb. 11 6. This thing hath Augustine taught in his fourth booke against Iulian the fourth chapter and he alledged thrée reasons The first is that Without faith it is vnpossible to please God wheras they séeme to deale so heroicallie in the mean time be void of faith they cannot please God The second reason Men void of faith be as yet ill trées but ill trées bring foorth ill fruit The third reason It is not sufficient to doo those things which in their owne nature séeme good but we ought to doo well Who will saie that those Ethniks doo those woonderfull things rightlie séeing they doo vnfaithfullie In that they doo vnfaithfullie they doo not rightlie Let them boast of their things as magnificallie as they will these reasons haue we We saie that they their woorks doo not please God The same father saith in the exposition of the 25. psalme at the end that there were manie of the Ethniks which deferred to come vnto the Christians they said We sée in them manie defects the which we haue not He answereth that they are greatlie deceiued séeing in those vertues which they boast of they are not good but in a sort euill and I haue willinglie added that they are often times verie euill Forsomuch as they please themselues verie much with those vertues of theirs they become proud but pride is hated of God We conclude that Dauid and such as he was pleased God in sorrowfulnesse more than could the Puluilli Anaxagoras Aemillij Bruti or Torquati which séemed with a great loftie mind to contemne the sorrowfull things which happened When Socrates is obiected vnto vs of whom Plinie writeth in his seuenth booke that he alwaies shewed to be of one countenance neuer merrier or sadder Against him we oppose Christ which vnto vs is one for all also the apostles prophets and our Dauid and we will saie that these did a great deale more rightlie and wiselie than he did For the godlie are gouerned by the word of God not by the opinions which men haue spred abroad They are led not by the opinion or staie of assent of the Platonists and doubting philosophers but by a most certeine and constant faith They are directed by the spirit of God but not by the wisdome of humane flesh which is enmitie against God and therefore they please God Neither haue the godlie thought it méet that affections in these cases should altogither be restrained or taken awaie when they sawe themselues to be chastised by God when they sorrowed that they had broken the lawes of the Lord and that they had giuen the cause of these euils these things can neuer sufficientlie be lamented They did rather iudge it méet to slacke the bridle vnto affections which might further godlinesse and strengthen repentance 41 But one thing perhaps some man will demand how it happeneth Whie these greefes are more frequent in the old testament than in the new that we more read of those gréefes in the old testament than in the new I might peraduenture saie that this which they would prooue is not true In the new testament they lament which doo féele their sinnes But it appéereth not now as it did in the old time it is not doone with that preparation I grant that the custome then was that those moornings should be publike now the consideration of the age in our time suffereth not this Againe I might answer that certeinlie the forefathers had the promise of eternall life as we haue but moreouer and that the promises of the land of Chanaan and the increase of séed and these temporall blessings were more earnestlie offered vnto them than vnto vs. Matth. 6 33 These things are also promised vnto vs for if we First seeke the kingdome of God the rest shall be ministred vnto vs. Howbeit these things are generallie promised vnto vs they are nor so often repeated We are in greater light therefore we rather applie our mind vnto the better promises Thereby perhaps insue lesser sorrowes in the losse of temporall things 42 This must the rather be called to mind least we be disquieted when we perceiue that Dauid was so vexed 2. Sa. 12 13. whereas neuertheles God had said by Nathan that his sinne was put awaie Whie Dauid sorrowed though his sinne were taken awaie Those things are not repugnant in themselues for it was vndoubtedlie taken awaie and forgiuen bicause it happened not vnto him to eternall death which he deserued This bond which he had procured was extinguished by the mercie of God Further he deserueth to be slain as touching the life of the bodie but God did not slaie him Moreouer the aduersities which happened were not punishments of God in his anger but fatherlie chastisements to preserue discipline that he might the more déepelie acknowledge sinne take héed vnto himselfe from thence foorth and that others also might be made to beware Neither ought Papists therefore to make a purgatorie bicause God forgiueth sinne in this life and punisheth in an other For the holie scriptures haue nothing at all concerning purgatorie but they shew that the godlie shall straitwaie after death be blessed Howbeit if we should grant them which yet we must not grant them that God would punish the godlie in an other world yet might not the church with hir keies mitigate these punishments as the punishments of Dauid and of others this thing standeth in the pleasure of God The xiij Chapter Of Praiers and of the intercession of Christ wherein is intreated of speaking in a strange toong of Musicke and of hymnes In Rom. 1. verse 9. Two kinds of praiers THe praiers of the godlie are diuided into two kinds For some be at set times as be those which are vsed in a publike congregation at appointed and prescribed daies I mean vpon the Lords daie and vpon such other daies as are assigned by the church for publike praiers Further it is the dutie of a christian man to haue houres also appointed euerie daie wherein he maie praie vnto God and that thrée times fiue times or seuen times in a daie as his businesse will suffer him An other kind of those praiers there is which are called
short a space of time the doctrine of Christ could be spread abrode throughout the world when as it had so many aduersaries the diuell wicked persons and also tyrants the high Bishops and Priestes the wise men both of the Iewes and also of the Gentils and when as otherwise as touching humane artes the simplicitie and rudenes of the preachers was great Within the space of xx or xxx yéeres the preaching of Christ was in a maner euerie where heard Long before the Philosophers doctrine could be spread as Chrysostome writeth but it was verie long before the wise and learned Philosophers could spread abroade their doctrines further than Greece And in such sort were they at the length published in some places that verie fewe vnderstoode them or gaue credite to them Why Mahomets doctrine was so soone spread The doctrine of Mahomet perhappes may séeme to haue bin published with woonderfull expedition but we must consider that those thinges which he preached as touching the effect were no new opinions For he denieth not the Creator of heauen and of earth he beléeueth that the soules be immortall he commendeth Christ as a Prophet he affirmeth the resurrection of the dead he setteth forth also eternall punishmentes and eternall felicitie and verie manie other things which are contained in the old and new Testament Mahomets doctrine may be called an heresie Wherefore it maie iustlie be called an heresie And in déede they be fragments of the Arrians For he commendeth Christ but yet as a creature he builded therefore vppon another mans foundation But Christ and the Apostles when they began to preache the Gospell found all things vtterly strange from their doctrine so that it was an incredible miracle that the heauenlie doctrine could be published abroade in so short a time and that in some part it remained of long time welnéere in all places For there came vnto Christ some families of beléeuers almost throughout all prouinces and Cities In 1. Sam. 10. v. 9. Looke part 1. place 3. A definition of prophesie 8 But prophesie is a power giuen from God through the inspiration of the holie Ghost whereby the secrets and counsels of God may be knowen and expounded vnto others for the edifying of the church whether those things be present or past or to come And God reuealeth his counsels for the commoditie of the Church Prou. 29. 18. Therefore saieth Salomon in the 29. of Prouerbes Where there is no prophesie the people shall be scattered for prophesie is of great force to kéepe men in their duetie They prophesied in Musicall instrumentes Verse 1. For in the first booke of Chronicles the 25. Chapter they are appointed which should prophesie in Cimbals and Harpes Paul in the 14. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14. 3. 5. teacheth that Prophesie must be done to edifying he that prophesieth speaketh to men to edifying to exhortation and comfort And if so be that all doe prophesie and there come in one that beleeueth not or is vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and is iudged of all and so the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling downe vpon his face he will worship God confessing that God of a trueth is in you The diuell also as he is an Ape of God would haue also his diuine worshippers and phantasticall Priests of Sibill The Diuels Prophets who did fret and fume in their ceremonies not to edification but to destruction Deut. 18. 10. 18. 21. God in Deuteronomie doth earnestly forbid that none should aske counsell of a Magitian Soothsayer or Diuinour I saieth he will raise vnto you a Prophet him ye shall heare And by two signes he saieth ye shall knowe him to be the Prophet of God both if the things come to passe which he hath foreshewed and also if he leade not the people to Idolatrie I know that place of S. Peter in the Actes of the Apostles Actes 3. 22. is most truely applied vnto Christ yet also it may be vnderstoode not amisse as touching the Prophets of whom the people should aske counsell yea and in the Psalme Psal 74. 9. the people complaine that prophesie ceased We see not say they our signes At this day also the Iewes are miserablie destitute of all kinde of prophesie But in the Primatiue Church when prophesie florished The difference betwéene doctors and Prophets what differēce was there betwéene a Prophet and a Doctor I answere that although the office of them both were all one yet Doctors were instructed by Maisters but Prophets spake vpon the suddaine being moued by the inspiration of the holy Ghost without any helpe of man 9 But yet it is to be thought that Prophetes in olde time were of the tribe of Leuie In 1. Sam. 19. v. 18. Prophets of the tribe of Leui. for all administration and care of holie seruices pertained vnto that tribe Wherefore they that were chosen out of that tribe were brought that after they had bin well and godlie instructed they should afterward offer sacrifice and teach the people And they were taught euen from their childhood that godlinesse being planted betimes it might fasten with the more continuance and stedfastnesse They were exercised vnto no other trade of life than to teach the lawe to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people But thou wilt saie these be the giftes of God why then should they be learned of a Maister In déede I graunt they are the giftes of God yet there is no let but that young men may adorne their mindes with good arts the which afterward the holie Ghost may vse Children of the Prophets and why they were so called 1. Kings 2. v. 3. 5. 7. c. Gal. 3. 19. They were called the children of the Prophets bicause they held and reuerenced instead of fathers the elder Prophets of whom they were taught Also disciples and hearers in the holie scriptures are oftentimes called children Paul to the Galathians My little children saieth he of whom I now trauell in birth And vnto the Corinthians Children lay not vp for parents 2. Cor. 12. 14. Iohn 1. 12. 8. 35. 11. 52. 1. Iohn 5. Esay 8. 16. 18. but parents for children Also in Iohn Christ oftentimes calleth his Disciples Children And Iohn in his Epistles Little children saieth he beware of Idols Esaie in the 8. Chapter saieth Seale the law in my Disciples And straight way he addeth I and the children which the Lord hath giuen mee Vnto these children of the Prophetes the Nazarites of other tribes did oftentimes sort themselues those were vtterlie seuered from the common people and they caried some shew of our Moonkes who also might haue bin suffered Vnder what conditions our Mōkes might haue bin suffered if all things among them had not bin contaminated with superstitions For they had vowes inuocations of the dead Masses and
if a man reproue him he saieth that he hath appointed another there in his place But this so faithfull a Minister considereth not that Christ when he was by his comming and death to redéeme mankinde did send none in his place nor substitute an other vnto the Crosse in his stead He himselfe came he himselfe labored he himselfe died for vs. Might we haue God and cannot haue his vicars to attend vpon the office committed vnto them They saie it is lawfull for them so that they liue within any vniuersitie or Schoole whereby they maie procure vnto themselues good arts and learning Iohn 2◠15. But Christ when he saide vnto Peter Feede my sheepe excepted no such thing But and if they shall not bee as yet meete and sufficientlie learned they ought not to take the charge of a pastor in the Church Perhappes they thinke it sufficient for them if they haue the vocation title and possession But this is to plaie masking and counterfeit parts For it behooueth 1. Cor. 4. ◠as the Apostle teacheth that the Rulers of Churches should both minister faithfully and faithfully dispence the mysteries of God that is the sacraments 33 There be thrée things then required vnto the lawfull minister of a Church Thrée thinges required to a lawful Minister of the Church The first is that the Pastor should be iustlie called secondlie that he should féede in verie déede last of all that he should doe it faithfullie and with great discretion I speake not of the sinceritie of life which is required to be more than ordinarie both bicause it ought to be common vnto all Christians and also that all men vnderstand how necessarie it is I passe ouer also of how small faithfulnesse they be of which hide the gifts that God hath bestowed vpon them and will not communicate them with others for bicause these men are sufficientlie condemned in the parable of Christ vnder the person of that seruant which buried in the ground the Talent that was committed vnto him Mat. 25. 24 Neither doeth he lesse vnfaithfullie deale who hath made the graces which he hath obtained of God so proper vnto himselfe as he ascribeth them not vnto God and he that is such a one Chrysost A similitude is by Chrysostome compared vnto him that receiuing a purple robe of the king to be kept neuerthelesse was bolde to weare the same as his owne garment Doubtlesse such a one shall be accounted guiltie of treason So that if we will be faithfull vnto God we must ascribe all good things vnto him In the Actes Acts. 3. 12. Peter said of the lame man which was alreadie healed by him Ye maruell as though we of our owne power haue healed this man when as the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob would glorifie his sonne Iesus Vnto this faith also it belongeth that A good Pastor euen as Christ did Ioh. 10. 11. should giue his life for his sheepe Touching the flying away of ministers which in perill must not be forsaken vnlesse perhaps the persecution shall be of a particular Pastor for which cause it was lawfull for Athanasius to flie bicause of the crueltie of the wicked prince for so much as in the Church of Alexandria there were verie manie which coulde minister in his place Augustine vnto Honoratus in his 180. Augustine Epistle disputeth at large of flying awaie And furthermore manie things harde ynough hath Tertullian the which are not at this time in this place to be recited The dutie of a Pastor is so faithfullie to behaue himselfe that through his default he maie not suffer the least séelie shéepe though it be an abiect to perish in the Church He rather ought to followe Christ Mat. 18. 11. who saide that He came to seeke that which was lost and to saue that which had perished Christ is presēt with his ministers reuēgeth their iniuries And in these excellent actions Christ forsaketh not good Pastors he defendeth them oftentimes reuengeth for their sakes with great seueritie We knowe how displeasinglie he tooke it that Samuel was reiected 1. Sam. 8. 7. he reuenged that iniurie and in his furie gaue the people a king vnder whom they liued in small felicitie And he that shall peruse the Histories shal finde that they were sore afflicted vnder the greatest part of the kings 1. Sam. 22. 18. And when as Saul in the Citie of Noba had slaine manie of the Priests 1. Sa. 31. 4 he also with his sonne Ionathas vpon Mount Gelboa lamentablie perished God reuenged Moses and Aaron Numb 16. and executed vnaccustomed punishmentes vpon them that conspired against him So we sée likewise that the Iewes which siue Christ the high Priest and did ill intreate his Apostles were throwen headlong into destruction Of the Efficacie of the Ministerie 34 And first of all whereas the Corinthians are by Paul reproued bicause they made men their Authors In 1. Cor. 3. verse 4. let the faithfull Ministers of Christ learne not to make disciples or followers vnto themselues but vnto Christ vnto whom onlie the Church doth belong This did the Ethnicke Philosophers séeke namelie to distinguish the scholers which they had by their owne names so that some were called Platonians The arrogancie of Phylosophers The modestie of Socrates others Pythagorians others Epicureans But Socrates séemed more modest than the rest bicause he made not himselfe Author of the doctrine that he taught as he that affirmed himselfe to be like a midwife which shoulde bring helpe vnto parents so he thought good to be present at his questions among young men to the intent he might bring to light the sciences which they had in their minde Much rather doeth this take place in Christs affaires For although that a man teach cunninglie vnlesse that the holie Ghost doe inwardlie stirre vp the hearers he looseth his labour It is the spirit which truelie maketh the mindes fruitfull Wherefore it is saide there Who is Paul and who is Apollo 1. Cor. 3. An example of Iohn Baptist Iohn Baptist verie well declared this when being demanded of himselfe what he was said that he was not Christ nor Elias nor yet a Prophet but onelie Iohn 1. 20. A voice of a crier in the wildernesse prepare the waie of the Lord. The ministers of God haue verie ample giftes which like faithfull seruantes they ought to vse to the commoditie of other seruants and to the glorie of their Lord neither must they bend them either vnto gaine or vnto preferments 35 And although Paul séeme after a sort to abase the ministerie yet if thou diligentlie obserue what he saieth thou wilt confesse that there is nothing taken from the worthinesse thereof For in déede he leaueth vnto it a notable commendation when he saith The worthines of the ministerie 1. Cor. 3. 5 that they be Ministers by whom they beleeued Faith Remission of sinnes
1. kin 17. 10 Yea and the children of the Prophets which hid themselues in the dennes by fiftie and fiftie 1. king 18. 4 receiued dailie sustenance of that godlie man Abdias which was the steward of Achab the King Wherefore we haue examples and testimonies ynowe in the holie Scriptures whereby it is confirmed that it is lawful for Prophets Ministers of the worde of God to take a liuing of them whom they bring vp and instruct in godlie doctrine Hitherto also pertaineth the Law giuen by God as concerning the honoring of parents Exo. 20. 12. Num. 18. 24 and the maintenāce of the whole Tribe of Leuie by tythes Lastlie the reason that persuadeth this is verie plaine all men know that the ministerie of the Church is a thing verie laboursome which exerciseth and requireth the whole man if he will doe his duetie So that he hath no leisure to exercise other Arts and functions whereby he might get his liuing For the which cause vnlesse he should receiue a liuing of his flocke he shoulde be constrained to die with hunger Neither must he rashlie attempt so to doe least while he séeke to liue by anie other meanes the flocke of Christ should be defrauded of spirituall nourishment 2 But thou wilt saie what if peraduenture he shall haue whereof to liue either by Patrimonie or by inheritance Whether ministers hauing wherewithall otherwise may take stipends or that he hath ynough wherewithall both by occupation to maintaine himselfe and by ministerie to gouerne and féede well the Church Which the Ecclesiasticall historie teacheth to haue happened vnto some For they saie that Spiridion receiued litle or nothing of his Church when as neuerthelesse he executed the office of a Bishop and therewithall exercised the Art of a Pastor Which also Paul and Barnabas sometime did 1. Cor. 9. 6. The matter is hard to be iudged for daungers are not wanting of each side For if he take a liuing of the Church such a one perhaps shall offend his flocke which will thinke him to be too much addicted vnto gain for that he séeketh to liue by other meanes when he can be maintained of his owne charges But on the other part if he receiue not the ordinarie profite he shall grieue and cause to be enuied such as receiue stipend of the Church to liue by And it will easilie come to passe that men of his Parish when they haue not yéelded vnto him the accustomed stipend they being allured by such a custome would afterward denie the same to the successour So that such a man in my iudgement maie receiue the vsuall profits but to bestowe the same among the poore and conuert it into good vses that it may be prouided as much as is possible that the weaker sort take no offence Besides this I thinke it méete to consider that Christ himselfe séeing he was God Luke 8. 3. might easilie haue taken both offices vpon him namelie to execute perfectlie the office of preaching Christ and the Apostles liued at the charges of the godly and therewithall also to haue gotten his liuing with his handes which neuerthelesse he did not but as we saide before liued vpon the Almes of the godlie 1. Cor. 9. 6. Yea and the Apostles which were plentifully replenished with the holie Ghost nor néeded great studie might easilie haue taken both charges vpon them yet they did it not Which I suppose was therefore doone because it should not bée thought that this custome ought to be required of ministers Séeing therefore it hath bin shewed that it is lawfull for them 1. Cor. 9. 7. both to inioy their right and to receiue foode and raiment it is to be added Pastors must doe their duetie with a good courage that they on the otherside with a good courage ought to doe their duetie least they be iustlie accused of negligence For Paul tooke his arguments from those dueties and artes which be verie laboursome namelie from warfare husbandrie and from shepheards craft No man is ignorant how manie and howe great be the labours of warfare And the troubles which shepheards haue Gen. 31. 40 Iacob expressed when he was at variance with Laban his father in law For there he made mention of the watchings cold heat violence of Lions Wolues and theeues But as touching husbandrie how hard that is we haue no neede to declare séeing we haue the afflictions and vexations thereof continuallie before our eyes So as Prophets and ministers are hereby admonished that they receiuing foode and sustenance should not be daintie of their labours but should diligentlie and with courage behaue themselues while that they be able in respect of their age and health which thing I therefore speake because that euen they which haue lost their strength and who are vexed with grieuous diseases ought to be excused nourished and cherished as though they laboured The ministers may not without great offence be denied their stipends 3 These things thus concluded it is requisite to sée how gréeuously they sinne which either denie or vnwillinglie yéeld sustenance vnto the Prophetes and ministers of God Which not onelie some of the Anabaptistes doe but also verie manie of them which would séeme Gospellers And of the causes of this enuie I will not saie vngratiousnes towardes ministers of the Church I sée that there be manie rootes For some be mooued with couetousnesse and thinke it to be lost whatsoeuer is giuen to the ministers of the Church Others séeme to be moued of an vnskilfull zeale 1. Cor. 9. 6. Ibid. 15. for they hearing that Paul and Barnabas laboured and receiued no reliefe of the faithfull are of the opinion that all the ministers of the Church should doe the same But the argument is naught for of a particular and priuate fact they bring in an vniuersall lawe when as rather it should bée concluded on the contrarie neither should all ministers be charged by one example So it is said to be done at this daie in that part of Polonia where the Waldensian brethren do gouerne the Churches The brethren of Waldensis for they put the people to no charges for their liuing but they liue of their owne labours and those things that remaine they bestowe vpon the poore Hereof it commeth that the noble men of that prouince which triumph ouer others haue Euangelicall Pastors and as méete it is doe maintaine them saying that they haue true Pastors and that others be rather bellie gods than ministers of the Church The third roote is that certaine hypocrites crept into the Churches and the more to allure the mindes of the people they faine that they would yéelde of their owne right and that neither they would haue yéerelie rentes nor certaine reuenues Which doubtlesse at the first shew abused simple men for they were persuaded that they would liue of their own But the craftie men began afterward to beg from doore to doore
of sinnes it cannot be denyed but that they are of God For they haue a respect of Iustice For so doth God oftentimes for the sinnes of the people raise vp an vngodlie Prince But although he be vngodlie he must be obeyed After what sort wicked kings must be obeyed howbeit so farre forth as Religion shall permit And if he shall command vngodlie things he must not be heard Neither is it lawfull with silence to dissemble anie thing that the King doeth peruerslie and vngodlie We ought to warne counsell reprooue chasten and amend him for so did the Prophetes Also for defence of the common weale we must obey without exception Therefore Cicero Cato Pompeius and others must not be blamed who tooke warres in hand against Caesar But when he had once attained to the Empire no priuate man ought to haue takē armes against him Therefore when Augustus Caesar had heard railing wordes to be spoken against Marcus Cato being nowe dead because he dealt tyrannouslie against Iulius answered that Cato was a good Citizen in that he would not haue the present state of the common weale to be changed So that God raigneth together with kings whether they be good or euill Kings be the heads of the common weale Psal 18. 44. And kings maie be called the heads of the Common weale For so Dauid writeth of himselfe Thou hast set mee to be the head of the Nations Yet are they not properlie but Metaphoricallie called heads For euen as from the head is deriued all the sense and motion into the bodie so the senses by good lawes and motions by edictes and commandements are deriued from the prince vnto the people And this strength excéedeth not the naturall power 2 Now as touching the other question none may after this maner be called the head of the Church No mortall man may be called the head of the Church for heere the consideration is farre otherwise than in a common weale For the Church is a celestial diuine and spirituall bodie Sense can be giuen vnto hir by no mortall man For those things which pertaine to the sense of the Church be of such sort as neither eare hath heard Esa 64. 4. 2. Cor. 2. 9. nor eye hath séene neither haue they ascended into the heart of man for all quickening of the Church procéedeth from the holie Ghost So as they which will raise vp vnto vs a newe head of the Church are not wel aduised what they saie For regeneration and remission of sinnes doe flowe from the spirite of Christ and not from man Onely Christ is head of the Church Ephe. 4. 15 Also the Scriptures doe sufficientlie testifie that Christ alone is giuen to be head of the Church Paul vnto the Ephesians saith Christ is the head of the Church by whom all the members by order of assistance make increase of the bodie And vnto the Colossians Col. 2. 19. speaking of hypocrites They hould not saith he the head whereby all the bodie is knit together by synowes ioyntes And againe vnto the Ephesians Let vs therefore growe vp in him which is the head Ephe. 4. 15 namelie Christ So that euerie sense and mouing of the Church floweth from Christ alone not from anie mortall man But thou wilt obiect An obiection that Princes vndoubtedly cannot ingender ciuill vertues in the mindes of their people Wherefore the reason on both partes is a like The consideration of the Church and cōmon weale is diuerse Yes verilie they can for that doth not excéede the power of nature For vertue springeth of frequented Actions So when as princes by lawes and edictes driue their subiects vnto actions they also driue them vnto vertues But the spirit of God and regeneration is not attained by manie actions but onelie by the blessings of God For these gifts of God flowe vnto the Church by ioyntes and synowes that is by preachers and ministers For their part is to teache the people to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate offenders and to reconcile the penitent For albeit that Christ is the onelie head of the Church yet doth he vse the ministerie of these men Whether in the Church may be an outward head that should gouerne the ministers The order instituted by Christ must not be changed Aristocratia 3 But thou wilt saie that although the inward senses and mouings of the Church be of Christ yet there maie be an outwarde head to rule ministers and to kéepe them all in their duetie There maie not be neither vndoubtedlie is it lawfull to change the order appointed by God For God would that in the Church there should be a gouernment of the best men that Bishops shoulde take the charge of all these things should choose Ministers yet so as the voyces of the people should not be excluded That Byshops are to choose ministers But euen as the Israelites cast awaie the gouernment of God that they might make themselues a king euen so they that would haue the Pope to be the Head of the Church haue cast awaie Christ the true head of the Church Paul vnto the Ephesians saieth Eph. 4 11. that Christ Gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors some Teachers for edifying of the Church neither addeth he that he set one ouer al these persons Who commāded these men to alter this order Further when Matthias was to be substituted in the place of Iudas Acts. 1. 15. Acts. 6. 3. and when Deacons should be created the matter was referred not vnto the Pope but vnto the people Besides this That the Pope cannot be the vniuersall Byshop if the Pope were head of the Church he should be the bishop of bishops or the vniuersal bishop which thing no reason would beare But least that the Papists should thinke that there is smal weight in my words let them heare Gregorie the cheife of all Popes Arguments of Pope Gregorie touching this matter Hée in the fourth book of the register in the Epistles vnto Mauricius the Emperour vnto Constantia the Empresse vnto the Patriarch of Ierusalem Alexandria Antioch and vnto Iohn of Constantinople writeth at large of this matter I will comprise his arguments in as fewe words as I can There cannot saith he bée one head of the whole Church For if paraduenture that head should fall into anie heresie it would of necessitie bée that the whole Church should be corrupted And that the same head maie bée corrupted Nestorius and Macedonius may be a tryall who sometimes gouerned the Church of Constantinople The one of these affirmed distinct persons to be in Christ the other denied the holie Ghost to be God Furthermore if there might bée one onelie head of the Church he saith it would of necessitie be that the authoritie of all other Bishops should be deriued vnto him But that would be absurde Therefore Cyprian saith that there is one Bishopricke whereof
vnto the Romans it is written Beware of them which bring discordes and offences among you Ro. 16. 17. besides the doctrine which ye haue learned and shun ye them Gal. 1. 8. It is also said vnto the Galathians He that shall preach any other Gospell than that which wee haue preached let him be accursed Vnto Titus After one or two admonitions auoide an Hereticke Tit. 3. 10. The selfe same thing also hath Iohn 2. Ioh. v. 10 whom we alleaged a little before that for false and corrupt doctrine sake we shoulde not saie vnto him that coÌ„meth vnto vs God speede And vnto this haue all those vices respect of the which Paul saieth 1. Cor. 6. 10 They that doe such things shall not possesse the kingdome of Heauen of the which thou hast a particular enumeration aswell to the Corinthians Ephe. 5. 3. Col. 3. 5. as also vnto the Ephesians and Colossians and else where And when thou hearest reckoned vp euill speakers drunkardes couetous c. Vnder these names vnderstand them who are not penitent at all but be of an obstinate minde neither will amend those things which they haue committed but rather make vaunt and boast of these vices But in the Epistle which is written vnto the Thessalonians when he had spoken of them which labour not with their handes but be idle and deale curiously he added a generall particle when he saieth And euerie man walking inordinatelie 2. Thess 3. ver 10 11 And he is said to walke inordinatelie which dealeth against the word of God Howe one must not be excommunicated for an other Neither must it be suffered that one should be excommunicated for another vnlesse perhaps he also haue offended and is intangled in the same vice or gaue his consent vnto him that offended Augustine Augustine in an Epistle vnto Auxinus a Bishop wrote The whole house must not be comprehended within the curse for the sinne of the goodmaÌ„ of the house as the same Auxinus vnwiselie did Gal. 6. 5. Vnto the Galathians it is said Euerie man shall beare his owne burthen 6 Now presently will we shew from what things he who is seuered from the Church by excommunication is excluded From what things the partie excoÌ„municated is excluded This if we shall expresse in a worde is the fellowship of the faithfull among whom there is a coniunction forsomuch as company is not eschued in respect of Religion But it is méete that we distinguish what fellowship is CoÌ„mâ—…al distinguished One is inward and as touching God vnto whom we are coupled by our spirit in faith hope charitie and all vertues together with all the beléeuers in Christ But an other is outward whereby we are partakers aswell of the Sacraments as also of the conuersation with the members of the Church ExcommunicatioÌ„ doth not separâ—te vs from God but declareth vs to be separate From that first coniunction excommunication doeth not cast vs out as the first and principall cause but from thence euerie man falleth awaie by his owne sinne while he doeth against faith is enemie vnto charitie and resisteth other vertues But from the latter excommunication driueth vs least we should be partakers of the Sacraments and fellowship of the faithfull and the latter dependeth altogether of the first For a man is excommunicated for no other cause but that he is now for some grieuous sinne that is knowen and manifest declared a straunger from God and from the charitie of his neighbours But because Paul wrote 1. Cor. 5. 10 For then ye should goÌ„e out of the world he signified that all fellowship with excommunicates is not taken awaie Excommunication taketh not away all fellowship because it is lawfull to communicate with them in those things without which we cannot liue For if by chaunce a Magistrate should be excommunicate and something in the meane time shoulde happen wherby there ought to be treating dealing with him we must not refuse to deale with him least the Common weale should be troubled And the verie same must be iudged if a father or a husband shall be excommunicated The wife or children are not for this cause set a part from liuing with him neither be they excommunicated by reason of the conuersation with him vnlesse they consent and be partakers all in one crime Neither is it to be otherwise iudged of the buying of Marchandise of them that be excommunicate if that necessaries vnto life cannot otherwise be had for if all euill men should be auoided in bargains and ciuill contracts we shoulde of necessitie goe foorth of the world Albeit I confesse that séeing at this daie the Churches be most large we are not so greatlie vrged with this necessitie For that which we cannot get of some we shall easilie attaine of others 7 And when we be demaunded to what purpose the excommunicats be driuen foorth We will aunswere not doubtlesse to the intent they should despaire or think themselues to be without remedie of saluation For while we be in this life we must neuer laie awaie the hope of saluation vnlesse the sinne against the holie Ghost shall happen Sinne against the holie ghost which séeing it is not vnderstood vnles it be shewed by a certaine priuate reuelation hope must not be cast away In auncient time the Church had the gift of trying of spirites The gift of tryall of spirits sealed in the Church whereby peraduenture this kinde of sin was knowen But at this daie séeing we haue no tryall when anie man is detained therewith we must hope well of all men And albeit that the excommunicate man as touching himselfe is deuided from the Church yet the Church is not destitute of that which it should deale towards him The dutie of the Church towards the excommunicate For it will exhort him comfort him and pray for the conuersion of him And finallie as being desirous of his saluation doth beare great charitie towards him The causes of excommunication But the degrées of them which be renewed from the Sacraments are found sundrie and manifolde among the Fathers Abstinents Cyprian maketh mention of Abstinentes For so he calleth them which for a certaine time are driuen from the Sacraments They also be excommunicate who doe not yet repent vnto whome the Sacraments are forbidden not for a definite time as to the abstinents Thirdlie there be those which be accursed of whose saluation there is no more hope Chrysostom of a man accursed Chrysostome wrote an Homelie of the accursed and shewed that neither the liuing nor the dead shall be punished with this kinde of punishment That the dead stand now at the tribunall seate For of the liuing we must perpetuallie hope well and the dead stande nowe at the tribunall seat of God It is lawfull saith he to curse opinions but not men A part of this saying we willinglie allow wherein it is
against the God of Daniel should dye The like decrée made Darius afterward Ib. 6. 23. So likewise our Magistrates ought wholie to take away all Idolatries blasphemies and superstitions so soone as euer they shall finde them out The Ethnick princes neuer thought that the care of Religion appertained not vnto their power The Ethnick Princes accounted the care for religion to be in thē Why was Socrates condemned at Athens I demaund not now how rightlie or iustlie for as it is thought in a manner of all men Anitus and Melitus lyed against him This I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned but for Religion Socrates was condemned by the Magistrate for matters of Religion as though he taught new Gods and led away the youth from the auncient and receaued woorshipping of the Gods and he was by a prophane Magistrate condemned Wherefore the Athenians thought that the preseruation and care of Religion belonged to their Magistrate Leui. 24. 16 The lawe of God commaunded that the blasphemour should be put to death not I thinke by euerie priuate man or by the priestes but by the Magistrate The Ethnick Emperours also in those first times did for no other cause rage against the Christians but because they thought that the state of Religion belonged vnto their iudgemēt seate And assuredlie as touching this opinion they were not deceaued For none as Chrysostome saith either Apostle or Prophet Chrysost reprooued the people either Iewes or Ethnickes because they had a care of Religion but they were deceaued in the verie knowledge as touching Religion because they defended their owne as true and condemned the Christian as vngodlie and blasphemous Constantine and Theodosius and manie other godlie princes are commended because they tooke away Idols and either closed vp or else ouerthrew their Temples Howbeit they did not these thinges in anie other respect than that they thought the charge of Religion to belong vnto them otherwise they should haue bin busie fellowes and should haue put their Sickle into an other mans haruest The Donatists tooke this in verie ill part and gréeuouslie complained thereof in Augustines time because the Catholick Byshops required ayde of the ciuill Magistrate against them Augustine But Augustine confuted them by the selfe same Argument which I haue a little before rehearsed And addeth this moreouer why did ye accuse Caecilianus Byshop of Carthage before Constantine if it be wicked for an Emperour to determine concerning Religion 32 Furthermore there is gathered by those things which the same Father wrote against Petilianus and against Parmenianus also in manie other Epistles how that the Donatists accused Caecilianus as it is said before Constantine the Emperor who first referred the cause to Melchiades bishop of Rome And when by him they were ouercome they againe appealed to the Emperor neither reiected he their appellation frō him Appellatiō from the Pope to the Emperour in matters of religion but committed the matter to the Bishop of Orleance by whom they were againe cōdemned Neither rested they so but they appealed againe to the Emperour who heard them decided their cause condemned them and by his sentence quitted Caecilianus Where are they now which so often and so impudently crie The right of calling Councels in the Emperours that there is no appealing from the Pope and that the causes of Religion belong not to the Ciuill Magistrate To whom in the olde time belonged the right of calling generall Councels pertained it not vnto Emperours As for the Councell of Nice the Councell of Constantinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedon Emperours called them Leo the first of that name prayed the Emperour to call a Councell in Italie because he suspected the Gretians about the errour of Eutiches and yet could he not obtaine it And the Bishops were called togther to Chalcedonia whereat the Emperour was also present as was Constantine at the Coūcell of Nice Neither doe I thinke that they were there present to sit idle and to doe nothing but rather to set forth vnto the Bishops what they should do and to prouoke them to define rightly Theodoretus Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished the fathers to determine al things by the scriptures of the Euangelists Apostles Prophets and scriptures inspired from God Iustinian also in the Code wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Bishops of Priestes and other such like Yea and Augustine himselfe hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same maner to punish Idolaters and Heretikes Augustine with the same punishment that he punisheth adulterers withall for so much as they commit whoredome against God in minde which is much more heinous thā to commit whoredome in bodie And looke by what law murtherers are put to death Whoredom a more grieuous crime than adulterie by the same also ought Idolaters and Heretickes be punished for that by them are killed not the bodies but the soules Although the common people are stirred vp onelie against Homicides because it séeth the bloud of the slaine bodies but séeth not the death of the soules Surelie it is profitable that the Magistrate should take this care vpon him and by his authoritie compell men to come to the Sermons and to heare the word of God for by that meanes it commeth to passe that through often hearing those things begin to please which before displeased God hath prospered those Princes which haue had a care of Religion As the histories teach God hath oftentimes made godlie Princes famous through most noble victories which haue had a care of these things 33 Besides it cannot be denied but that it is the Magistrates dutie to defend those Cities and publike weales ouer which they are gouernors and to prouide that they take no harme Seeing then Idolatry is the cause of captiuitie plague famine ouerthrowing of publike weales shall it not belong vnto the Magistrate to represse it and to preserue both the true and sounde Religion Lastlie Paule teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline and in the feare of God But a good Magistrate is the father of the countrie wherefore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiects be instructed as common children Neuerthelesse Kinges and Princes which saie that these things pertaine not to them do in the meane time let giue and sell Bishopricks Abbies and benefices to whom they thinke good neither thinke they that this belongeth not to their office onelie they thinke that they ought not to take knowledge of matters of Religion and they neglect to prouide that they whom they promote to most ample dignities should execute their office rightly This therfore onelie remaineth for them euen that God himselfe will at length iudge of these things and reuenge their negligence The fourteenth Chapter Of the office of Magistrates especially in exercising of Iudgement PRinces for the most part in the time of great quietnesse In 2. Sam. 8. 15.
suffereth and cherisheth them with most ample benefites whereas notwithstanding he verie well knoweth both what they are and what they will be So that Princes should much rather pardon offenders séeing it is vnknowen vnto them what manner of men they will become at the length He confirmeth his reason out of a place in the Epistle to the Romans wherein it is said Rom. 2. 4. Doest thou not know that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance We saith he doe imitate God when we would not haue the guiltie to bee destroyed but to be kept vnto repentaunce Princes also should followe this God doeth not punish verie manie in this worlde yet doeth he otherwhile bring punishment vpon some least he should séeme to haue cast off the care of the world But he suffereth many to goe vnpunished that we may perswade our selues that once at the length shall be the general iudgement wherein according to their desertes he wil punish them that be obstinate and grounded in sinnes but those which promise repentance and amendment he giueth to the Church Fifthly the heauenly father hath commanded Matt. 5. 44. that we shoulde loue our enemies but they which are condemned to death for their misdéedes be enemies of mankinde so according to the word of God we ought to beare them good will But we can wish no better to them than saluation that is repentance amendment and eternall felicitie Sixtlie in the Church they shall not straightway be admitted vnto the holie supper First their minde shall be tryed by that publike repentance they shall poure out teares in the holie congregation they shall craue the ayde and prayers of the Church they shall fast they shall goe in the habite of Mariners and they shall exercise themselues in godly workes What else is this than to punish themselues iustlie Wherefore those whome ye shall let goe shall not escape among vs vnpunished Seuenthlie that which we desire is easie not onelie possible vnto you because ye haue the power of life and death ouer them for whome we intreate Therefore when ye yéelde them vnto the Church ye depart not from your duetie For you excéede not the charge committed vnto you Eightlie that which we require of you I would not haue you to doubt but is for your owne profit For ye as well as other Christians haue néede of mercie vnlesse ye thinke your selues altogether frée from sinne Then set them frée vnto vs that your fault may also be forgiuen by God Ninthlie it is méete that ye should follow the example of Christ Iohn 8. 11. He acquited the adulteresse which was guiltie of death he condemned her not onelie he exhorted her to amendment saying Go thy way sinne no more Tenthly After all this consider ye the fact of Ioseph the husband of the blessed virgin Matt. 1. 19. He being otherwise a iust man was so mooued with mercie towardes his spouse as although he knew her to be great with child yet would he not put her to open shame or by accusing her of adulterie abandon her to extreme punishment Againe ye ought to haue a consideration of mans infirmitie which is such as being well weighed it may not onelie aswage the griefe of the accuser but also the rigor of the Iudge Furthermore ye ciuill men which would be accounted honest boast euerie where as a token of good nature and gentlenesse that ye had rather defend in place of iudgement than accuse therefore ye ought not to be offended at vs if we seeke the preseruation of them that be guiltie Neuerthelesse betwéene intercession and defence there is a great difference For he that defendeth that which is layd to the charge of the guilty affirmeth it to be well doone the which we doe not For neither doe we comfort and excuse théeues and murtherers other malefactors but confessing that they haue offended we make intercession for their safetie Moreouer the maner of ciuill men is that if they sée broyles risen in an other mans house for that the father would punish the sonne or the husband his wife they come betwéene them and intreate that the matter may be pacified And what they themselues would punish in their owne house they intreate that it should not be punished in the familie of an other Hereunto euen you your selues which be rulers of the people of Rome doe sometime in the Ecclesiasticall Synodes make intercession for some priestes that they be not more sharply dealt withall and according to the seueritie of the Canons of the Church Wherefore that which you graunt vnto your selues towardes the Church graunt in like manner vnto vs to vse at your tribunall seates and at your executions Last of all we while we craue of your power this kinde of obedience chiefely haue this regard that vnto the ministerie of the Church and vnto the word of trueth which we preach we may winne the loue and goodwill of the people For whē they shall perceiue that the Ministers of the word of God and the pastors of the Church doe so desire thirst after the saluation euen of most wicked men they cannot choose but loue them and gladlie giue eare vnto them 7 And this last Argument as it séemeth to me mooued him to make these demaundes Yet doe I not sée that other Byshops especiallie those of the East part were earnest in this matter so farre as I might discerne by the most ancient Ecclesiastical histories Howe the repentance of the guiltie might be prouided for But as touching the saluation and repentance of the guiltie there was no cause why the bishops should so much disquiet themselues if the Ministers were brought to the prysons of the condemned men before they were put to execution For by exhorting them by warning and teaching them those thinges which serue vnto repentance and amendment they might as they doe in our dayes haue brought them by the helpe of God vnto acknowledging of their sinnes and sound repentance But I perceiue not that this wholesome ordinance in times past was in vse in the Church especiallie when the Emperours now professed Christ Now that we haue rehearsed the reasons of Augustine I thinke good to admonish you hereof to wit that the letting goe of Benhadad which is declared in the 1. 1. Kings 20. ver 23. The sending away of Benhadad was vnlike to that which Augustine vrged booke of kinges the 20 Chapter is not in all parts conformable vnto the pardoning which the Byshops required of the Magistrates for them which be guiltie For neither anie high priest nor priest at all made sute for Benhadad Further he himselfe made no promise of repentance or amendment yea and there was nothing at al specified concerning Religion Yet there remaineth some likelihood that on both sides he is let goe whom God had deliuered vnto the Magistrate to be punished 8 But after the reasons of Augustine let vs heare the Arguments of Macedonius The
which are terrified through beholding of the punishmeÌ„t so as they maie desist from that kinde of sinne which they sée is so seuerely punished or else to beware that they fall not into such heynous offences Wherefore it is written in Deuteronomie Ver. 1. c. the 13. Chapter as touching the stoning of an Idolater To the intent that the Israelits may see feare To the third Augustine further argued that after this life there is no other place of amendment repentance and that therefore there is a danger least if they that be guiltie should after this manner be suffered to depart out of this life without repentance they woulde fall into those punishments which shall neuer haue ende To this I answere That repentance is not denied vnto them which he condemned For time space of repentance is giuen them there are appointed vnto theÌ„ pastors Ministers of the word to admonish them diligentlie of saluation to driue faith repentance into their mindes Notwithstanding it séemeth that Augustine in this place attributed ouer much vnto that publike repentance as though the guiltie sort if they should be put to death without it might not haue saluation But the matter is not in such sorte and those things which be there spoken if they be somewhat narrowly considered cannot stand together For séeing that repentance of that kinde is not often renewed least as Augustine himselfe confesseth so notable a remedy should through much frequenting become of no estimation what shall we doe vnto them which after that repentance fall againe into the selfe same and more gréeuous crymes shall we bid them to dispaire No verilie If they beléeue sincerelie and that they are againe penitent no doubt but they shall againe obtaine pardon of God And if that the sinnes committed after the same publike repentance may be forgiuen without it why shall not those sinnes also be forgiuen without it which were doone in the former tyme The grace of God is not tyed to those rites and ceremonies which are abolished in our age In the stead of publike repentance they haue placed auricular confession which cannot be denyed but was the destruction of the west Church Purgatorie ouerthrowen by a reason of Augustine Further those words of Augustine are to be noted to wit that after this life there is no place of amendment or repentance For so is Purgatory taken away if that those which depart from hence are either exalted vnto glorie or else doe fall into punishment that shall neuer haue end 11 That doubtlesse which was brought as concerning the imitation of God is of small force To the fourth because his counsels far differ from ours He is exempted from all lawes gouerneth all things by his owne frée will as it pleaseth him Howbeit we liue vnder lawes and must doe not those things which are séene but which are prescribed God must be imitated of vs but yet so much as our condition and the lawes laide vpon vs will beare To the proofe that he brought out of the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 2. 4. Because God of his benignitie leadeth euill men vnto repentance it may also be saide that Princes doe leade such guiltie ones to repentance when as with singular benignitie and gentlenesse they make the way open for the Ministers of the word of God to come vnto them To the fifth God in verie déede commaunded vs to loue our enimies Matt. 5. 44. howbeit that must be vnderstoode that we doe it so much as the lawes and the safetie of the common weale doe permit Is it not also commaunded vs that we should account as Ethnickes and publicans Matt. 1â— ver 17. those rebellious and obstinate persons which will not heare the Church And yet though we doe this we loue them well ynough In like manner it is lawfull for the Magistrate to slaie the guiltie and therewith to kéepe charitie towardes them It was saide also To the Aâ—t that these escape not vnpunished séeing they punish themselues in the Church by fasting wéeping praying and by exercising them selues in good workes Some punishment indéede they sustaine yet not so much as the lawes require séeing it is not lawful for them to kill themselues when as neuerthelesse by iustice they ought to be put to death That Argument deriued from a possibilitie and easinesse because Magistrates haue power of life and death ouer the guiltie is not firme for the powers which be the gouernours of the world haue their sword froÌ„ God to take vengeance of them that be guiltie to defend honest good men and not that they should vse the same at their owne will and pleasure And it is certaine that they doe not their duetie if they let goe the guiltie vnpunished séeing they haue receaued authoritie to punish them To the 8. He said moreouer ye also that be Magistrates haue néede of the mercie of God séeing euen like other men ye passe not ouer this life without sinnes wherefore yeelde ye vnto others that it may also be yéelded vnto you Neuerthelesse it must be considered that euerie man ought to giue not that which belongeth to another but that which is his owne Howbeit whatsoeuer paine and punishment is forgiuen to the offender it is not giuen of the Magistrates goods but it is giuen either of the partie harmed or else of the publike discipline and seueritie of the lawes Which thinges if they be not kept remaine safe there followeth an incredible confused order Iohn 8. 11 To the 9. 12 And as touching that which is brought of the adultresse whom the Lorde Iesus Christ absolued it serueth not vnto this present question because while Christ liued vpon the earth he had no Magistrates office but was an interpretour of the will of his Father and he ministred the worde of God vnto the people Wherefore it was not his part to condemne the adulteresse to death séeing he tooke not to him the sword vpon the earth Also he could not prosecute the accusation of her séeing he tooke her not in the present crime neither could he prooue the crime by witnesses but as a Minister of the word of God he first gaue a warning of repentance vnto the accusers after that according to his office he warned the adulteresse that she should sinne no more So that we may not gather hereby that the fact of Christ either diminished or hindered Magistrates from the lawfull punishing of them Neither dooth the example of Ioseph the husband of the blessed virgin anie thing more belong vnto this matter Matt. 1. 19. To the 10. for he also was no Magistrate But he would not bring Marie into obloquie because he was iust These wordes haue a dubble sense Tsedec for clemencie or mercie First Tsedec sometime among the Hebrewes is mercie and therefore some thinke that Ioseph spared Marie whom he suspected of adultrie because he was of a
mercifull and pitiful minde wherefore he determined to put her away omitting the accusation of the fault This interpretation if we followe we cannot otherwise but condemne Ioseph of too much tēdernesse slacknesse that would not prouide to his power for taking away the euil of adulterie out of the Commonweale of Israel according as the lawe of God had cōmaunded Or else we will say that Ioseph séeing he was properlie truely iust would not defame the adultrie of his wife because he was vncertaine of the maner of the crime For aswel it might be that the maid sinned before they were betrothed as after If she had falne after they were betrothed Deu. 22. 23. Ib. ver 28. she was held for an adultresse but if before she might only be accused of whoredome Which crime in very déede was no crime of death yet he that had doone the dishonor to her should of necessitie marrie her yet so notwithstanding that her parents had giuen their consent Wherefore séeing he was iust he would not accuse Marie of adulterie because he was not sure that it was adulterie And so to vnwinde himselfe out of these perplexities he determined to put away his wife But that this might not be God forbad it by an Oracle Brieflie he was no magistrate Further y◠kinde of the crime did not appeare Howbeit they of whome we now intreate be Magistrates they must giue iust punishmēt for a fault that is knowen not for that which is vncertaine 13 Moreouer Augustine willed that mans weakenesse should be considered To the 11. for if that be somewhat diligentlie weighed he thinketh that aswell the griefe of the accuser as the rigor of the iudge shall be broken Profitable and verie godlie is the admonition because it is euerie mans part to sorrowe that the nature of men so noblie instituted is fallen headlong into so great an imbecillitie Howbeit we must not be led by this sorrow although it be iust either to diminish or to corrupt publike iustice Besides foorth To the 12. it was inferred that good men say they had rather defend than accuse before the iudgement seate I know this hath bin often boasted of but I affirme that both the dueties be necessarie vnto the commonweale and that sometimes the one and sometimes the other is more to be desired as may séeme most conuenient for the partie accused for the time and for the place For he that accuseth helpeth the Magistrate who cannot sée all thinges by himselfe He also that defendeth the partie accused helpeth the commonweale he instructeth the Magistrate against the vehemencie of accusers or their slaunders or cauillations Neuerthelesse Cicero said when he accused Verres that he defended Sicilia And so earnestlie did he labour that his accusation should be accounted for a defence To the 13. And as for them which runne vnto families among whome they perceaue either trouble or discord to be raised if they doe it with this minde that by their comming they may prouide least the good man of the house should excéede measure either in punishing his seruants or children or in correcting his wife they are to be praysed but if it be to the intent they may take away all kinde of chastisement and discipline they behaue not themselues well To the 14. Neither also did he well which for a priest made intercession to the Ecclesiastical Synode if perhappes he meant that an adulterer a whormoonger or a drunkard should be vnpunished and honest Canons of the Church to be neglected for his sake But if he onelie sought that he should not be punished ouer sharplie or more than was méete and that he should be gentlie handled so farre as Ecclesiasticall discipline would suffer he shall not be blamed In déede Paul made intreatie vnto Philemon for Onesimus Ver. 17. which had fled from him But that seruant being now renewed in Christ returned of his owne accord vnto his Maister He was no captiue neither was it a crime of death Wherefore this example belongeth nothing to the cause which we haue in hand To the 15. 14 There remaineth the last Argument which as Augustine thought was of verie great weight namelie that it would winne fauour and good will to the word of trueth which is preached by the Ministers of the Church The reason in déed is plausible For the Church of Christ séemeth herein to be amiable and louing in that it hath carefull pastors and such as be verie desirous of the saluation of Christians and would gladlie haue their offences though they be grieuous to be forgiuen them Thus doe some say that Constantine was allured vnto Christianitie because our Byshops had promised him pardon for a parricide committed for he had caused his sonne to be slaine But whether this be true or no I referre it to the Authors That goodwill and fauor must be woonne vnto the holy Gospell I my selfe also am of that minde but yet not by such a way as the lawes and discipline which be the thinges whereon the commonweale dooth depend should be loosed Grace vndoubtedlie is preached in the Church of Christ as touching reconciliation with God which is fréelie graunted vnto beléeuers without woorkes but yet not to this end that the guiltie sort should be plucked away from Magistrates This did not Christ nor the Apostles at anie time neither doe the holie scriptures either in the old or new Testament commaund anie such thing nor yet is it read that the holie fathers in olde time did set foorth anie such example Augustine was verie milde of nature and whereas this thing was alreadie vsurped in his time in the Church and especiallie in the Church of Africa he would not haue it abrogated For which cause in that Epistle he gaue place both to his owne nature and to the cause And Iames when he saith Iame. 2. 13. that Iudgement without mercie remaineth to him that hath not shewed mercie A place of Magistrates expounded speaketh not of Magistrates but he earnestlie putteth other men in remembraunce to forgiue iniuries and offences which can neuer sufficientlie be vrged among Christians And Ezechiel when he saith I will not the death of a sinner Eze. 18. 32. but rather that he conuert and liue writeth it of God who is frée from lawes But earthlie Magistrats must iudge according to lawes Yea and good princes for their owne part would not the death of sinners but their conuersion and wishe them life and would bestow it vppon them but yet so farre as the lawes whereof they be Ministers doe permit them 15 Now there remaineth that I declare what I am to say as touching this controuersie What we are to decrée as touching this matter First let vs make a distinction betwéen inferiour Magistrates and superiour from whom there lyes no appeale and who haue absolute dominion The inferiours must in anie wise iudge according to those things which are prescribed
must pray vnto God that we may be deliuered from the necessitie of warre but not frō warre it selfe if it be necessarie Of this saying Hostiensis gathereth that he dooth ill which taketh warre in hand of will and not of necessitie And necessitie oftentimes commeth by reason that a Magistrate must manie times for duetie sake make warres least he should séeme to forsake the people Men are two wayes retained in their duetie namelie by reward and by punishment that the obseruers of lawes may be rewarded and the contemners punished Wherefore this the Magistrate may rightlie prouide and that without blame The same Augustine All things saith he are at quiet when warres be made For warres he saith are not made for pleasure sake or vppon a gréedie minde of getting or vppon crueltie but for a desire of peace that good men may be aduaunced and euill men restrained Which saying is recited by Gratian Cause 23. quest 1. the Chapter Apud pios And in the same question in the Chapter Militare To goe on warfare is no sinne but to goe to the warre for bootie sake is sinne And against Faustus the Maniche in the 22. booke of the 73. Chapter What doe we reprehend saith he in warre That men doe die who otherwise should die if that were not But this is the part of an effeminate and weake man wherefore we condemne a couetous desire a crueltie of fighting and a lusting after dominion But in that the godlie are defended and the wicked suppressed that may not be condemned 6 But I heare of a doubt obiected by some An obiection that those testimonies are out of the old Testament that the greater part of these Testimonies are auouched out of the olde Testament To what end speake they this Doe they not receaue the olde Testament Vndoubtedlie the holy Ghost in the new Testament cited very manie testimonies out of the olde Howbeit the olde Testament they reiect not neuerthelesse they say that there be thinges extant therein which are not set foorth vnto vs to be followed I graunt that But those things which be written of warre belong vnto the lawe of nature which ought to be eternall For it is an euerlasting lawe that good men should be holpen and euill men repressed Albeit in the new Testament there is no lesson giuen as touching warrefare First because the Christians in those beginninges had not either a Commonwealth or their Magistrates Secondlie because there had bin sufficient commaundement giuen of that matter in the olde Testament For immediatelie after the floud God made a lawe That bloud vniustlie shed Gen. 9. 6. should be required of the manquellers and that was to be doone by the Magistrate Wherefore it was sufficient that those thinges were confirmed in the new Testament And that did Paul in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 13. 3. when he writeth that a Magistrate hath the right of the sword Yet did not God in those first times forsake his Church although the same had no Magistrate For in stead of the outward sword it had the woonderfull power of the holie Ghost Acts. 5. 5. Acts. 13. 11. For by it Peter fiue Ananias and Saphira and Paul made Elimas blinde So those thinges which the Church had not by an ordinarie meanes it had them then by miracles They had no languages they had no Phisitiōs they had no Schooles but they had from God the gift of tongues the gift of healinges and the wordes of wisdome But now must those thinges be gotten of vs by studie and industrie After the same sort God gaue vnto the Israelites Manna from heauen when they were in the desert and could neither till the fieldes nor yet haue graine But whē they were come to the land of promise they lacked Manna therefore they began to till and eare the land and to liue vppon their labors So was it with the Christians at the beginning yet in the meane time they vsed a ciuill Magistrate For if they had offended in anie thing or if they had bin commaunded anie thing they might not escape because they were Christians yea and they also went a warrefare with the Emperours which were Ethnickes For there is a speciall mention made of that famous Legion of Thebes And Eusebius in his first booke and fift Chapter saith that the Christians went a warrefare vnder M. Aurelius the Emperour in Germanie And that they in a great drought prayed to the Lord and obtained rayne from heauen Moreouer the Gospell as it forbiddeth not the vse of the Sunne and Moone so it forbiddeth not the iust vse of warre Whether vnto a iust warre the authoritie of a Magistrate be alwayes required 7 And whereas I say that the Authoritie of a Magistrate is required there be some which thinke that this is not generallie true Wherefore they vse this distinction that it is one warre whereby we inuade our enemies and an other whereby we defend our owne They confesse that it is not lawfull for warre to be made without commaundemēt of the Magistrate But in the defending of our goods if it be a sudden violent assault they say that oftentimes it is no safetie to expect the rule of the Magistrate For so it is lawfull to a good man and one that is a priuate person being assailed on the way by a théefe to defend himselfe with his weapon which neuerthelesse they so temper as it may be lawfull with moderation of such defence as is faultlesse It may also be say they that some Citie is suddenlie besieged by the enemie where if the assent of the Prince be expected all thinges will come into danger But he that is so oppressed by a théefe as he cannot craue the tuition of the Magistrate he is now no more a priuate man for the Magistrate himselfe armeth him and giueth him the sword in his hand to defend himselfe For he will not that a Citizen should perish without a cause The same aunswere may be made for the defending of a Citie For the lawes themselues will in such a case that Citizens should defend themselues And that they should doe that they are bound thereunto both by the lawes and by the royall authoritie of the Magistrate Therefore Hostiensis saith well That warres are vniust which are taken in hand neither by the commaundement nor by the secret consent of the Magistrate But Abraham say they although he were a priuate man yet he armed his owne familie Gen. 14. 14 Iudg. 15. 8. and deliuered Lot And Sampson a man priuate yet made he great slaughters of the Philistians Howbeit Abraham Sampson The examples of Abraham Sampson although they séemed to be priuate men yet in verie déede they were not For God had alreadie chosen them and would haue them to be princes For of Sampson it is read Iudg. 14. 6. that the spirit of the Lord came vppon him These examples none ought to followe vnlesse he be such a
cause of the will of God which is reuealed in them proposition 4 The summe of those things which are conteined in the holie scriptures is the lawe and the Gospell which parts are indifferentlie conteined as well in the new as in the old testament proposition 5 The fift booke of Genesis hath a preface agréeable to the lawe and the Gospell as being that which should be capable both of the one part and the other proposition 6 They which perceiue the knowledge of God taught here by the creation doo obteine the same by faith proposition 7 We beléeue that the world was so made by God that notwithstanding there is auouched no alteration of the will of God Probable proposition 1 HEauen and earth which are written to haue béene first made doo expresse the matter of all things that were to be brought foorth both of the bodies aboue and beneath proposition 2 The spirit of the Lord which was carried vpon the waters may verie probablie be taken for the holie Ghost and for the wind proposition 3 The word of GOD in the bringing foorth of things is a manifestation of his will proposition 4 Whereas GOD might manie waies haue made the world he onelie approoued this waie and therefore it is oftentimes added And God sawe that it was good proposition 5 The euening and morning were made the first daies of the gathering togither spreading foorth of the light before the bringing foorth of the sunne proposition 6 The waters aboue the firmament be in the middle region of the aire A disputation of the article of creation proposition 1 WHen we speak of the creation of things we bring not foorth one thing out of another after Aristotles maner but we affirme all natures as well bodilie as without bodie to be created of nothing by the word of God proposition 2 For God to the intent he would make manifest both his power and his mercie created of nothing an infinit sort of men in the whole nature of things proposition 3 And thus must this creation be vnderstood not that things be here created in such wise as they should haue their being without the counsell of God but God continuallie gouerneth and directeth them as Paule in the Acts saith In him we be we liue and haue our moouing proposition 4 Further the maner of the creation was this First God made the heauen and the earth and those things which be conteined in them proposition 5 Besides this that there might be a certeine mind which should vnderstand this infinit power and wisedome of this creation he made man and gaue him rule ouer his creatures proposition 6 And bicause he had made him after his owne image he commanded also that he should be acknowledged and magnified of him aboue his works proposition 7 And this was no hard matter for man to doo when he had the whole power in his owne hand proposition 8 For the image of God according wherevnto God had made man was the mind it selfe in man in the which mind shined the true knowledge of God and in the will true obedience Propositions out of the first chapter of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 ALbeit that names are manie times giuen by men yet this also must be referred vnto God séeing the ends conditions from whence things be named be of God and by his procurement he that nameth is rather mooued in respect of one of those things than in respect of another proposition 2 The kéeping backe of waters from drowning the earth we attribute not to the stars but to the word of GOD as also the power whereby plants and hearbs are brought out of the earth proposition 3 The great lights are set for signes to gather thereby the faire and stormie weather to come and the other dispositions of the aire and they be also signes whereby the wrath and mercie of God is perceiued before hand proposition 4 Vnto the signes of heauen must not be attributed a power ouer the reasonable part of our mind neither yet a frée power of things to come proposition 5 Albeit it is said Let the waters or earth bring foorth this or that yet the creation of all things must be attributed to God alone proposition 6 So must we occupie our selues in the bookes of philosophie and in the contemplation of naturall things as we referre all the properties instruments actions and substances of them vnto God the authour proposition 7 Whatsoeuer things are spoken in the creation of man as touching the image and similitude of God doo most fullie agrée vnto Christ and by him are restored vnto vs. proposition 8 In that that man being created according to the image of God is set ouer creatures we gather a rule what maner of elections we ought to make either of ministers of the church or of magistrates proposition 9 The perfection of life must not be weighed by abstinence from eating of flesh proposition 10 The true sabboth is the ceasing from works which be proper to our nature corrupted but not from those wherevnto God leadeth vs by his spirit and admonition proposition 11 All the life of a christian man ought to be a sabboth after the maner before said Probable proposition 1 A Man is said to be created vnto the image and similitude of God bicause since he is made of a reasonable nature and indued with all vertues whereby he should represent GOD he had by God his dominion ouer creatures proposition 2 God hath oftentimes restored by faith vnto the godlie that power ouer creatures which was giuen at the beginning proposition 3 Our bodie is partaker of the image of God bicause it is the instrument wherewith we through our actions doo expresse the properties of God proposition 4 By this reason that a man is indued with the image and similitude of God is declared the nature of true felicitie of vertues and of all laws and whome the church ought to haue for hir citizens proposition 5 When God said Be ye fruitfull and multiplie he commanded matrimonie by which precept all men are bound which can doo that dutie or by a speciall instinct of God are not mooued that in single life they should be more readie to serue the Gospell proposition 6 The eating of flesh was not dispensed with before the floud either bicause men were then stronger or bicause the earth brought foorth better fruits than now it dooth or else that men might more enure themselues to humanitie proposition 7 Whereas in the holie scriptures are taken manie arguments and similitudes wherby we are persuaded to liue well there is a forme giuen vs from plants lights liuing creatures which forme we may vse in other things when they happen Propositions taken out of the second chapter of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 MAns soule is not of the substance of God neither hath it the same nature that the soules of other brute beasts haue proposition 2 The soules of men were not
12 And on the other side when he saith that the fathers which did eate Manna in the wildernes are dead this he meaneth touching them which did vnworthilie eate the same proposition 13 Among the fathers which did eate Manna in the desert some of them which did spirituallie and woorthilie eate are not dead euerlastinglie proposition 14 Manna which was an outward meat could not giue eternall life but in respect that it had Christ ioined therewith proposition 15 We must beware that we attribute not vnto elements or signes being considered apart from Christ those things which agrée to Christ himselfe but when as well Christ as the signe be receiued iointlie togither then be the properties communicated Probable proposition 1 WHen the people are commanded by Moses Aaron to come vnto the Lord I vnderstand it not to be vnto the cloud but vnto the holie assemblie proposition 2 Quailes are therefore giuen in the euening bicause in the daie time they flie ouer the sea and are accustomed at the euening tide to light on the shore and Manna was commanded to be eaten in the morning when it came downe with the dew proposition 3 When the children of Israel had heards and flocks of cattell they desired flesh either bicause their beasts would not haue sufficed so great a multitude or else bicause they desired delicate and deintie flesh proposition 4 Manna mentioned in the holie scripture is like vnto that which the Arabian Physicians doo vse but not to that which Galen and the Gréeke Physicians call Manna proposition 5 Since God described to euerie particular man a certeine measure of gathering Manna he sheweth that in policie there should be no great inequalitie of liuing Propositions out of the xvij and xviij chapters of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 WArs are not forbidden vnto christians so they be taken in hand for a iust cause and by them which haue the right of the swoord proposition 2 A magistrate is a publike power instituted by God to helpe the good and punish she euill by distributing punishments and rewards as the lawes doo appoint proposition 3 Wars must not for this cause be made that when victorie is gotten the subiects should liue in idlenesse or giue themselues to pleasures but to aduance and restore religion and ciuill discipline proposition 4 In the making of wars albeit that we are principallie to put our trust in God yet are not the meanes and waies agréeable to the art of war to be contemned proposition 5 They which do war in the campe for the saftie of the people although of the whole people they must be assisted by praier yet dooth this speciallie belong vnto the ministers of the church whose duties of calling are not to fight with weapons but with praiers proposition 6 Although there be a conuenient secret place for praiers yet must not the holie assemblie of the church vnder that pretense be omitted for the praiers be most effectuall which procéed from manie ioined togither proposition 7 When God commandeth that victorie obteined should be written euen so in like sort he commandeth that it should be read euen as when he commandeth that the Gospell should be preached he willeth that the same should be heard proposition 8 It is lawfull not onelie to giue vnto GOD signes of reuerence as to vncouer the head to bow the bodie and such like but also to those men which excell in publike authoritie holinesse doctrine or excellent gifts of God reseruing neuerthelesse a difference of the honours due to God and to men proposition 9 It is no sound argument to saie it is lawfull to giue these signes of reuerence vnto noble men therefore also vnto images dead saints proposition 10 They which contend in iudgement ought so to settle their mind as to inquire of iudges the will of God taken out of the lawes and to rest therein when they heare the same proposition 11 Iudges likewise since they be ministers of lawes should so behaue themselues as though they were to giue answer concerning the will of God and not according to their owne affections proposition 12 The higher sort in the Church and Common-weale do not alwaies sée the better things wherof it commeth that in more difficult causes men should also aske counsell of the meaner sort proposition 13 Christian men ought not to neglect those profitable and sound things which are taught of the Ethnike authors since they procéed of the holie Ghost proposition 14 It is not profitable for the Common-weale or the Church that one by himselfe should take all offices vpon him Probable proposition 1 AMaleck was the first enimie that came out against Israel bicause he was of the posteritie of Esau and feared least the Israelites would chalenge to themselues the blessing of the first birth-right proposition 2 Moses would praie vpon the mountaine his hands being lifted vp with the rod that he might be in the sight of the people while they fought and to be in the stead of an ensigne at whose sight they might call to mind how manie and great benefits they had before time obteined by him and the ministerie of his rod and so their faith to be made the stronger proposition 3 Hands lifted vp were a signe of earnest praiers proposition 4 The lifting vp of hands dooth well agrée with praiers as who should saie the bodie is drawne thither that is to wit into heauen whither the mind is carried and by an outward signe is shewed that we doo desire helpe of our father out of heauen Propositions out of the xviij and xix chapters of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 IT is not profitable in a Common-weale that one should beare rule altogither but it is expedient that more should gouerne the same proposition 2 Kingdoms and magistrates as they be ordeined by God so are they in such wise preserued of him as they cannot be so greatlie confounded and corrupted by the wicked which inuade them and rule them as there should remaine no good thing in them proposition 3 This is a strong argument GOD made lawes therefore he would also haue magistrats proposition 4 We ought to absteine as much as we can from contentions yet is it not forbidden vs but that we may sometime trie our cause by lawe proposition 5 No godlie man ought as touching himselfe to refuse the Ecclesiasticall iudgement if he can obteine the same proposition 6 It is a good prouocation for a man to receiue the lawe and to obeie the same to be persuaded that GOD dooth so by his prouidence rule humane things as he dooth good to them that obeie him and punisheth them that be disobedient proposition 7 The promises which be in the holie scriptures haue first of all place in Christ and afterward they be deriued through him vnto the saints proposition 8 God being infinit dooth occupie all things yet neuerthelesse he is said to come or descend to anie place when he declareth himselfe there after a
determine of the goodnesse and naughtinesse of humane actions those eate the fruit of the trée of good and euill forbidden to our first parents Propositions out of the xx chapter of the booke of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 THe commandement of the sabboth is partlie morall Thou shalt keepe holie the sabboth daie and partlie ceremoniall wherevpon some thing conteined therein is eternall and some thing but for a time proposition 2 The christian church erred not when in the place of the Iewes sabboth it appointed the Lords day to be kept whereof there is mention made in the holie scriptures although there is no commandement there extant as touching the obseruation thereof proposition 3 The magistrate ought to compell strangers although they be of an other maner of religion that they doo nothing openlie against the religion of the citie proposition 4 Those works were not forbidden to be doone on the sabboth daie which might neither be deferred nor preuented without the losse of life proposition 5 The works of charitie which we are bound necessarilie to doo vnto our neighbour must be preferred before holie ceremonies proposition 6 The commandements of God haue an order among themselues therefore when two of them méet togither at one time which cannot be performed both at once we must applie our selues to the former not indéed neglecting the latter but deferring it till an other time proposition 7 Those works must be doone vpon holie daies which by the word of God it is manifest doo belong to the worship of God proposition 8 It is lawfull for the church to adde vnto the ceremonies deliuered to vs by the word of God both time maner place yea and some ceremonie as well for ornament as for edifieng of the faithfull who neuerthelesse are not permitted to change the substance of them as the Papists haue doone in their Masse which now cannot be doone with a safe conscience proposition 9 The Monkes which drawe awaie children from their parents and make them Monkes Honor thy parents sinne more gréeuouslie than did the Scribes and Pharises whom Christ reprooued bicause they transgressed the commandement of honouring parents proposition 10 In the promises of temporall things God includeth spirituall promises proposition 11 Temporall things although they sometime séeme vile yet are they conteined in the promises of God to the intent we may be taught that the prouidence of God extendeth it selfe vnto all things and to let vs knowe that good things although they be neuer so small must be asked from God Probable proposition 1 IN the word Parents are comprehended schoole-maisters maisters ministers of the church bicause in old time when there were but few men the good man of the house performed all these duties proposition 2 In the table of the ten commandements parents are not expreslie commanded concerning dutie towards their children bicause they haue by nature more vehement affections ingraffed therevnto than children haue towards their parents proposition 3 The precept of honouring parents is chéefelie in the promise as Paule saith namelie in the particular promise for that promise which is in the second precept is generall Propositions out of the xx chapter of the booke of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 WHen God commandeth that we should not kill he by the testimonie of Christ Thou shalt not kill forbiddeth anger which must not be vnderstood of euerie anger but of that onelie which is against charitie proposition 2 Reuenge belongeth not to priuate men séeing it is a worke of the magistrate proposition 3 They which saie that the commandement of not reuenging is a counsell and not of necessitie to saluation doo greatlie erre proposition 4 It is lawfull for euerie man against them that be priuate to repell violence by violence so it be not doone of hatred or desire to reuenge and onelie when an extreame necessitie forceth wherein we cannot vse the helpe of lawfull defenders proposition 5 The mishap of those that are punished with death is to be lamented but yet the execution of a iust iudgement against them must not be hindered by our defenses or by the intercessions of others proposition 6 It is not lawfull for a man to kill himselfe Wherefore Peâ—llianus is iustlie condemned for iudging them to be martyrs who when they were fallen into gréeuous mischéefes killed themselues vnder pretense of repentance proposition 7 Neither are those to be heard which grant the same when chastitie is put in danger proposition 8 The death of Samson excuseth not them which of their owne will doo kill themselues proposition 9 In the precept wherein adulterie is forbidden Thou shalt not commit adulterie matrimonie which is the contrarie is commended for that it is a lawfull â—oming togither of man and wife into one flesh by the institution of God for the procreating of children and godlie education of them and that fornication may be auoided proposition 10 The lawfull vse of matrimonie is not as manie thinke a veniall sinne proposition 11 They which saie that matrimonie is not good but in comparison of whooredome and adulterie are of an ill iudgement proposition 12 Matrimonie is violated when man and wife being lawfullie ioined togither into one flesh there is mingled a strange flesh not onlie in the grose and outward fact but with the hart with words beckes and other dispute actions proposition 13 Also matrimonie is violated by a diuorse admitted without lawfull causes proposition 14 It is not in the power of man and wife that the one should grant to the other the vse of their bodies vnto others out of matrimonie proposition 15 In a well ordered Common-weale the crime of adulterie ought to be punished with death proposition 16 Christ released not the seueritie of the lawe of God in that respect that he condemned not that woman which was taken in adulterie Propositions out of the xx chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 BY that precept Thou shalt not steale the Israelites could not be reprooued of theft when they robbed Aegypt Thou shalt not steale since to vsurpe other mens goods against the will of the Lord belongeth vnto the nature of theft But they carried not out other mens goods but their own to wit being giuen them by God proposition 2 By this precept are established priuate possessions of things so as there must be no communitie brought in as touching the possession of all our goods but onlie as touching a participation of the vse and fruits proposition 3 The entercourse of merchants if it be iustlie ordered is not to be condemned but it ought rather to be accounted as a bond of humane societie proposition 4 They which deceiue the magistrate of tributes are guiltie of theft no lesse guiltie are prâ—…ces when they exact greater tributes than reason would or else when they grant not vnto the subiects those things for the which they paie tributes proposition 5 They which deâ—…aâ—… ministers yoong students and the poore of the
man to haue vsed this * â—…iâ—s herbe that remedieth all diseases Let young men learne a most excellent waie of gouerning their life Let men of ripe age learne after what manner they must perseuere in right opinions and godly workes Let olde men that haue no long life learne the ioy which is to be conceiued by dissolution of the bodie and departing of the soule to Christ Let poore and afflicted soules learne that they are happie in Christ although of the world or of the flesh they be iudged miserable Let women learne the dueties of their state namely modestie silence subiection towardes their husbands and chastitie And since that all men should with singular profite dwell in the holy Scriptures doe ye thinke O ye Diuines that ye alone shall be without fruite in this kinde of studie God forbid Hereby none I knowe what I speake shall be more holpen than ye For the most part of ye all are either now made ministers of the Churche or in time to come shall be the duetie of which function is to catche men to féede men and to drawe men vnto God But I beséech you what be the nettes What is the foode What chaines shal ye haue néede of in this worke of yours The Scriptures of God If any thing be to be taught let it be taught by the worde of God If any thing be to be confuted let it be confuted by the worde of God If any thing be to be corrected let it be corrected by the word of God If any thing be to be instructed let it be instructed by the worde of God To conclude let the worde of God in all Ecclesiasticall functions be vnto you the whole summe and effect of all Whatsoeuer Homer woulde signifie by that his golden chayne whereby he fained that Iupiter did drawe all thinges vnto him I passe ouer at this present and doe affirme that the true chayne wherewith meÌ„ may be led vnto God by you is the order or course of the worde of GOD knit together by degrées of ages which shall neuer vanish for the helping of mortall men drawing them vnto life which neuer should haue ende These thinges are plainely set downe in the olde and newe Testament and may verie fitly be called Iacobs ladder reaching vnto heauen whereby the Angels both descend and ascend For who is so blockish that he vnderstandeth not that in the holy Scriptures the knowledge of the infinite wisedome of God doeth submit it selfe from his Maiestie to the capacities of men and as it were descende from heauen to the plaine fielde of the worlde Neither as I thinke is there any man so blinde but he séeeth how highly he whatsoeuer he be that is commonly exercised in reading of the holie Scriptures is exalted from the earth That the holie scriptures are not obscure Now that we haue answered them which wil not haue men eueriwhere to reade the holy scriptures because they are infected with vices and sinnes nowe let vs come to that sort of men which alleage the darkenesse and obscurenesse of the worde of God Let these men take it for an aunswer that in those things which are required necessarie vnto mens saluation the Scriptures of God are neither intricate nor yet haue any mist before them and if a man will be diligent and héedefull in reading ouer of them he shall easilie perceiue that in some places is plainely and manifestly taught those things which in another place are taught as it were in some darke spéeche The goodnesse of God which is spread ouer all is not enuious neyther would he by obscurenesse of spéech hide from men whom he so greatly loueth the knowledge of things necessarie to saluation And I haue wished you Diuines that at this day ye were throughly perswaded herein that the obscurenesse of the holy Scriptures if it be at all is like the heauenly bodies out of which by your labour and meditation if they be continually shaken and pressed together there will breake foorth aswell bright lightenings of the trueth as also the casting foorth of heauenly thunderboltes 2. Cor. 10. 4 whereby all defences and places shall be broken and cast downe which doe exalt themselues against God and his true knowledge For it is a woonder vnlesse it be nowe most plainely perceiued what these Parasites of the Pope meane to drawe men awaie from reading and meditating of the worde of God Without doubt they would bring Religion into the olde deformitie and confusion that it was in before But ye my deare brethren and herein neuer sufficiently commended doe most wisely which knowe that the worde of God must be kept as the Apple of an eye and must bée written in the tables of the heart The custodie thereof albeit it belong vnto all Christians yet doeth it chiefely vnto them which by teaching and preaching doe nowe serue the Church or doe prepare themselues to the holy ministerie Which office albeit many seruaunts of the flesh and of the world doe scorne as vile and contemptible yet is it honourable and full of dignitie on euerie side For they that haue bin counted wise men thought a Iudge to be a speaking lawe for no other cause in déede but because he is the interpreter of the will minde and sense of the lawe Which if they haue not fondly deuised we not amisse may say that a true and sincere Diuine is a God speaking among men Which saying I iudge must so long be receiued as it agréeth not with the inuentions of men but with the worde of God and doeth not mingle falshood with trueth as Sinon did in Virgill To the following of which purenesse in teaching and preaching I exhort you my deare fellowe ministers with all my heart and with all Christian affection Beware I beséeche you of the nurses of vices which are Pleasure and Idlenesse But I would haue these men and together with them all ye my déere brethren in Christ to be admonished that the place or schoole of this Philosophie is heauen wherefore they which créepe vppon the ground and haue not their conuersation as the Apostle commaunded in heauen are in hazard least in studying they loose their labour Phil. 3. 20. Moreouer we must remember that the teacher hereof is the holie Ghost For although you haue innumerable teachers preachers instructers and Maisters vnlesse the holy ghost doe fashion the inward partes anew they shall all take paines in vaine And who haue bin alwayes chosen Ministers of this doctrine the holie Histories doe abundantlie declare namelie the Prophetes being for the most part of the common sort Husbandmen Fishers Publicans and men of occupation Howbeit the word of God tooke no dishonor or reproch hereby For this function what and how much soeuer it be dependeth of God and his spirit We must not therefore weigh what they were but what they teach or whither they carrie vs by their doctrine In déede they call vs not to the
his dearest sister in his roume who maie perfourme many moe things than he could and shall the more fully answere the opinion conceiued of you in that you are the elder and therefore shall gouerne the kingdome not by the will of others but by your owne iudgement Wherefore you haue most gracious Quéene most liuelie examples of the auncient and also of the latter kings and finallie of your most déere brother in whose steps if you be willing religiously to walke and willing thereunto you ought to be you shall obtaine many singular great coÌ„modities First you shall doe an acceptable thing vnto God by ioining your selfe vnto his word you shall restore the Church of Christ which is almost vtterly decaied you shal satisfy the godlier sorte of your owne nation By your noble example you shal shew to foreine princes a sounde and sincere patterne of gouernment And I beséech you neuer hearken vnto them which faigne that the regard of the reformation of religion belongeth not vnto Princes That the â—aâ—e of Religion belongeth vnto â—ings For the good kings whome I before remembred did not so iudge The holy Scriptures doe not so instruct vs neither did the verie Ethnickes and Philosophers themselues so iudge Is it the office of a godlie Magistrate to defende onely one and that the latter table of the lawe diuine Shall the Prince take vppon him the care of all other businesse that they bee doone rightlie and without fraude and shall cast awaie the respect of Religion onelie God forbid If Bishops and Ministers of Churches shall not doe their duetie if in handling of doctrine and administring of the Sacraments they forsake the iust rules of the holy Scriptures who but a godlie Prince shall reuoke them into the right way Let not your Maiestie expect as things nowe be that those men are stirred vp to these things of themselues vnlesse they be mooued thereunto by princely authoritie they will not repaire the ruine of the Temple of God Ioas a king of the Iewes 2. kings 12. 8. when he perceiued that the Préestes perfourmed not this took vnto him the charge to amend the decaied buildings of the Temple Go forward therfore O holie â—ebora of our times Ioine vnto you some godlie Barac Iud. 4. 6. The manlie courage of godlie women The Israelites which are diuers waies oppressed deliuer you to the sincere and pure libertie of the Gospell Bée not afraide for God is not woont to leaue these enterprises destitute of his fauour Him you shall haue with you that you Ib. ver 21. like valiaunt Iahel may strike the head of Iabin with the hammer of your power and fasten it to the ground from whence it came whereby he may cease to be troublesome vnto your good nation We haue verie great hope that you shall bee the same Hester which shall driue Haman vnto hanging Hester 7. which thirsteth for the slaughter and blood of the people of God Let these holie women be an incouragement vnto your Maiestie and suffer not your selfe to faint for this cause that you are not borne a man but a woman 1. Cor. 1. 28 For where doth the power of God rather discouer it selfe than it dooth in weakenes Neither he vsed the strong things of the world to spread the kingdom of Christ but by weake and base men he subdued to the Gospell the wisedome of man and the loftie reasons of the flesh And in that warre which Xerxes waged against the Gretians if wée shall regard the Ethnicke affaires the men of Persia were slaine and gaue them selues to shameful flight when in the meane time Artemisia the most renowmed Quéene with a manly minde fought most stoute battailes Which thing being vnderstoode Xerxes saide that the men in that battaile were women that the women had shewed themselues to be most valiant men Also Zenobia defended the Empire of Rome much more valiantly than did Galienus Albeit thankes be to God there is nothing sauing woman kinde that can iustly bee noted in your Maiestie either woman like or weake But least I should be thought to speake to please your eares I am minded to passe ouer the incomparable learning the knowledge of tongues the clemencie virginitie wisedome and aboue all other the godlinesse and other vertues wherewith you being adorned by the benefite of God are not onelie called but are in verie déede most famous Wherefore girde your selfe with a good courage vnto that holy worke which all good people doe expect of you feare nothing at all the deceites of the diuell the impediments of wicked persons nor yet the weakenesse of woman kind God shall put awaie all these thinges with one breath of his mouth In the meane time verilie it shall be my part and such as I am to desire of God in our daily deuoute praiers that he will first graunt vnto your Maiestie that you may throughly perceiue all that good is by your own wit and vnderstanding secondly that wholsome and profitable counsels may by others be suggested vnto you further that you may receiue those things that shall be rightly shewed you and finally that in whatsoeuer you shal vndertake God will graunt you fortunate and happie successe These praiers doe I dailie make vnto God for you most gratious Ladie and doe promise that while I liue I will neuer cease from these prayers Prou. 21. 1. But the heauenly Father which hath the heartes of Kings in his owne hand by whom Kings doe raigne Prou. 8. 15. and who at his owne pleasure transferreth Empires to whom he will Dan. 2. 21. euen he by his spirit direct your Maiestie together with the Church and nation of England and by his comfortable grace long continue the same in safetie At Tigure 22. of December 1558. Your Maiesties most humble Oratour Peter Martyr Here followe certaine Theologicall Epistles of D. P. Martyr vnto diuers States and priuate Persons To all the faithfull of the Church of Luca Sainctes by calling grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Peter Martyrs separating himselfe from Papistrie IF I should vse long silence in this flying awaie no doubt but it woulde be vnprofitable vngratefull vnto you and it woulde ill become me so to do Wherefore hauing the spirite of God as I hope I haue I minded to talke with you by these letters since I cannot speake with you face to face I taried at Basill vntill the 16. Calendes of Nouember Although I were welcome and receiued of all men yet I founde no fit state of life for my studies because the Citie had no néede of teachers Therefore since I was not able to beare out pouertie and scarsenesse without some honest labour and that my minde gaue me not to take anie other trade in hande than mine owne namelie the expounding of the worde of God I remained in a doubt expecting what the Lorde would haue to be doone with me
doubt that I haue spoken more at large than your businesse may endure and perhappes haue said lesse than can fullie expresse my meaning I pray you when you shall thinke good hide not anie thing of your opinion from me Martyr called to Geneua Now it remaineth that I make aunswere vnto the choyse of our Italian Church and I will dispatch this point in fewe wordes for that the cause séemeth vnto me to be easie Assuredlie I am desirous it would delight me verie much that yet once at the length I might doe seruice to my owne countriemen of Italie For I am not made of brasse and my flesh is not of Iron Wherefore euen as Paul desired saluation to the Iewes so I principallie desire that my Italian countrimen might be saued Howbeit as you your selfe knowe I am not at mine owne libertie This Commonweale and Church hath had me bound vnto it welnéere the space of twelue yeares For when I went into England I went with the goodwill of this Magistrate and Church I hoped when I did returne to be dismissed which if it had happened I was minded to come directlie vnto you But when the matter was propounded in the Senate I had no leaue to depart nay rather I was appointed againe to my former place and yoke Further because manie benefites are shewed vnto me by this Senate and Church I feare least I should bee iustlie accused of inconstancie or else of some other gréedie desire if I should attempt to withdrawe my selfe from hence without some iust occasion What shall I pretend That the Italian Church is destitute of a Pastor They haue at the leastwise Celsus who is as déere vnto me as my owne soule and whom I verie well knowe to be an honest man learned graue and fit to gouerne the Church Shall I say that I would assist him with my counsell in thinges that be of the greater importance But you are appointed there to be a Superintendent who of your charitie will neuer denie him your helpe and Counsell Vndoubtedlie there is not euen anie honest colour whereby I can craue of this Magistrate to be dismissed Further although I perfourme not in the schoole so much as I ought yet as I thinke my labour is not there vnprofitable They which heare are both Germans and other strangers And it is diligentlie prouided that they shoulde not bee taught those thinges which ought afterward to be vnlearned againe And while Zanchus and I which be of verie great familiaritie doe thus procéede there is no place in the schoole for error Besides this the French Church intreateth me not to depart You are wise in Christ consider you these thinges diligentlie I will stand to your iudgement that which you shall iudge méete to be doone I will doe But yet this I willinglie promise that if euer anie honest occasion shall be offered whereby I may by iust meanes vnwind my selfe from hence there shall be nothing that I wil more desire than to goe thither that especiallie with you and with my countrimen the rest of my life I may liue to Christ Fare well you man of God and in manie respectes most reuerenced of me Sturmius Sleidan and Zanchus doe most dutifullie salute you From Strasborough the 8. of March 1555. To Maister Iohn Caluin 15. REuerend sir I lately receiued this packet of letters but I meant not that they shoulde bée deliuered vnto you without letters from me I haue my health after the vsuall manner and I was glad to sée the Maister of Saint Andrew your fellowe Minister of whom I plainely vnderstoode the affaires of Geneua which I verie much desired because of the sundrie rumours which were spread Blessed bée God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which forsaketh not them that be his The Saxons are not at quiet They haue set forth a verie vaine Bolimonge for so they call it They gather certaine sentences out of the Fathers and also out of Luther Philip Brentius Pomeranus and such other They adde thereunto Bucer Illiricus and Ioachim Westphale to the intent they may shewe themselues to agrée among themselues Also they haue inserted certaine Epistles written sometime against vs. But they touche neither you nor mée by name They shamefullie rebuke Iohn a Lasco not in déede that he maintaineth a priuate opinion but onelie vnder the name of a Sacramentarie And forsooth in this fragment they haue a speciall Title that the bodie of Christ is euerie where This now they doe openly defende and this article they handle in three or foure leaues and vse no other reason than that the sonne of God tooke the nature of mā into one and the selfe same substaunce At the last they haue added a place touching the duetie of a Magistrate which I thinke they did for no other cause but to inflame Princes against vs yet do they so vnwiselie and fondly speake all things as they haue more néede to be pitied than confuted What will our Philip Melanchthon say They cite him euerie where for a witnesse Howbeit your selfe shall the better iudge when you sée the booke Molinaeus is returned hither from the Mariage with the Princes I heard of him that he iudgeth certaine things amisse touching Fréewil and that he would publish the same I called the man to me I shewed him what great hurt he should doe aswel to the peace of the Church as vnto the faith He séemed to be perswaded and promised that he woulde not doe it yea and he denied that it was euer in his minde to publish those things which he wrote of this matter Moreouer Doctour Baldwine when we were talking together of other matters saide that you let him vnderstand that Molinaeus complained of him that he possesseth his place amongst vs. Truelie if he so say I maruell verie much for when he was here he coulde not agrée with the Maisters of the Schooles wherefore he went to Tubinge and there receaued a place and almost a whole yeare professed the lawes Afterward he went to Mombelgard tooke the same state againe And while he was there he sent me letters of commendation by Maister Baldwine which came hither So that this place was then voide wherefore in my iudgement there is no iust cause why he should complaine Furthermore as I heard this day there is a booke set foorth by Ioachim Westphale as they say against you or more trulie against the Sacramentaries I haue not séene the booke It is a woonder that these men neither can write well nor yet will holde their peace All these things of theirs they haue caused to be printed at Franckeforde perhaps because they maie trouble the Frenche and Englishe Church which be gathered there Garnerius is departed from hence and is gone to the Landgraue Our Church beginneth againe to take breath and if it be the Lordes pleasure it will one day be at some more rest but of a perfect quietnesse I doe not easilie assure my selfe Verily they
word and the spirit 4 49 b Whether the be visible 2 630b 4 92 ab She consisteth of good bad 4 92 a Whether a strange tongue is to be vsed in the same 3 309 b 310. 311. The Pope oppresseth it 4 93 b 94 a The papists and we define to diuersly 4 92 a She hath not now the gift of trying of spirits 4 59 a Howe God worketh together with the iudgement thereof 4 60 a Of what manner of gouernement she is 4 60 b Why she is called Catholike 2 630 b 631 a To what ends she hath respect 3 78 b She standeth firme and fast 2 631 b What kinde of bodie she is 4 91 b 92 a 69b Dissentions therein are no â—ist proofes that it is not the true 4 2 b 95 b Pressed with infinite burdens 3 172a Whether her authoritie excel the scriptures 4 74 a 4 71 b 72 a 1 42 a 3 59 a 1 43 b 4 47 ab 48a 54 ab 72 b Ours much more vnhappie than that of the Iewes 4 94 a Augustines Church or temple had no images in it 2 352 a What nations vncircumcised were perpetuallie and what nations but for a time excluded from the Church of the Iewes 2 443 a Whether multitude bee any true note of the Church 4 93 a Where she was before reformation 4 91 b Diuerse functions of the same 4 4. 5. 6. 8. The thrée societies thereof 4 17a 1 42 ab Whether women may teach openlie therein 4 7 ab 8 a Whether shee haue power to make lawes 3 172 a 4 41 b 42 a Why the publike ministeries thereof are called frée giftes 4 8 b Whether abuses therein must bee borne withall 3 164 ab Of the vnity whereby Christ and shee are coupled 4 144. Thrée kindes of things in the same 4 70 a There arguments that confounde callings therein 4 11a b Why that of Ierusalem was not preferred to the primasie 4 71 ab Vnderstoode vnder the name of the kingdome of heauen 3 392 a What is to be doone at the Dedication thereof 4 66 a Gouerned by the holy Ghost 2 63â— ab Whether we must dissemble for the preseruation of the same 2 32â— b The state thereof in the Apostles time 4 50a Comforts for her being afflicted â— 351 b 352 a Vniuersall cannot bee ruled by one man 4 37 b 36 a Primitiue had all thinges necessarie to be 〈…〉 3 23b Marks whereby to know 〈…〉 6. Howe long the giftes of healing c. were therein 4 13â— b Two famous witnesses of the same in the last age 3 382 b Infants belong thereto 4 120 b 114b 115 a What her keyes be 4 108a 3 218 a 116 b 2 636 a 4 237 a Whether shée may erre 4 72 b 73 ab 207 b False notes of discerning the same 4 93 ab The state thereof in the latter time prophessed 3 351 b 352 a A meane to restore her to her first institution 4 55 a A prophesie thereof 3 305b Shée hath her resting places of receipt 2 429 b How she is the piller of the truth 4 54 a 1 40 a Why the Pope must obey her 4 40 b Latter than the word 4 72 b At the beginning among the Iewes 2 430 b How she oftentimes plaied the harlot 2 496 a What it was to enter into the Church of the Iewes 2 447 ab The rich ornameÌ„ts of the Church of Ments 4 66 b The Church had no dowrie to offer vnto Christ 2 456 b Shée discerueth the true scriptures from not canonicall â— â—2 b Which is Catholike and which not 4 70 b 71 a Whether the expositioÌ„ of scriptures beloÌ„g to her 4 74 b 86b 87. 88. 89 Vniustly slandered with troubles seditions 4 319. 320 How Christ remaineth with her though hee bée ascended â— 39 b 40 a In what state shee was before Christ matched with her 2 610 b The outward gouernement thereof altereth not her forme 1 99 b Whether we or the Papistes haue broken the vnitie of the same 4 96a One Nilus a bishop counselleth him that buildeth a Church to beautifie it with pictures images 2 352 a How God maintaineth her against wicked tyrants 3 285 b An vnméete spouse of Christ 2 610b 3 92a Her great authoritie 2 634. 635. 636. Remission of sinnes no where to be hoped for but there 2 634 b Whether the whole Church shall at any time faile 3 64 a Of the spirituall communion thereof 2 631 b Shée hath power to iudge the Pope 4 237 b 238a Her dutie is to preach and publish the worde 1 42 b In the Apostles time shee had not two swords 4 234 b Of a Church planted and not yet planted the consideration is diuerse 4 11 b Why God would not gouerne his Church without ministers 4 23 b Whether that of Corinth were the Church of God 4 2 a Her libertie is to be redéemed 4 33 a Whether Peters confession may be called the foundation thereof 4 83 b Of comlinesse order therein 4 65ab How shee is ruled and prouided for 4 40 a That therein should be ordinarie callings 4 10 b 11 a Shee would bee a monster if it had two heads 4 37 b 38 a Shee vsed an Ethnicke magistrate 4 228 b How to know that shee erreth not 3 59 a Whether shee were a long time cast into error by God 4 187a Shee hath borrowed certeine wordes of the Hebrewes 4 215 a What wée must do if the magistrate be vngodly 4 38b Of her coniunction with Christ 3 78. 79 The care of her belongeth to Princes 4 247b 248 a In what things shée hath authoritie in what not 3 63 a Two great lightes feined in the same 4 246 b Of certeine things which the primitiue Church did commaunde and for how long 1 9 b 10a Who is the head of the Church who is not 2 632a b In what things she hath not liberty 3 310 b The Church of the Hebrues when good and when bad 4 89 b 90a Whether the consent of the Church must be expected in reforming of religion 4 242 ab Whether Christ instituted one head in the same 4 37 a What is the roote thereof 2 629 b 630 a What be her weapons 2 632 a Many abuses crept thereinto in Bedes time 4 2â—6 b How shee preserueth the holy scriptures 4 74 a 1 42 ab 43 a Whether therin may be an outward head to gouerne ministers 4 36a What gouernement Christ instituted in the same 4 36 b What is to be done when the greater part therof is infected with one vice 4 62 a How this saying of Christ that the Church must be heard is to be meant 4 75 ab A place of the Apocalyps touching the twelue foundations thereof 4 84a The old Iewish Church erred and how 4 73 ab Her state at Christs first comming 4 187 a The same shewed by comparisons 4 290 b 291a Whether she hath two swordes that is two distinct powers
how 2 228 a God worketh in mens mindes inclining them as well vnto Euill as vnto good 1 204 a Manichees error that we were created Euill by nature and therefore cannot resist sinne 2 274 a And about the causes of Euill issuing from two gods a good and a bad 1 18 b Euill saieth Augustine hath not an efficient but a deficient cause 1 184 a Whether a lesse Euill must bee preferred before a greater and how that is meant 2 305 b 306 a 295 b We must absteine euen from al appearance of Euill 3 264 b Two kindes of Euill men 4 63 a Euils Platoes opinion that there be many Euils amongst men whereof God is not the cause 1 200 a What are of their owne nature to bee feared 3 271 a Which bee great and which be lesse and that for the auoyding of the greater the lesse are to be chosen 2 282 b 283 a Why God taketh not away all out of the world and that the leauing of some is for our cōmoditie 1 200 a Eucharist An Abuse of the holie Eucharist 4 309 b What is broken therein 4 155 b Whether the difference thereof be towardes all alike 4 196 b Whether infantes may receiue it 4 51 ab The vse and benefits thereof 4 141. 142. 143. 144. 194 b Of the remnants of the same after the vse of the sacraments 4 178 b 179 a Whether the Lordes bodie bee eaten substātially therein of the wicked 4 160 a 172 b 201 b 194 b 189a 182 b 183a 202a 195 b The nature of the bread after consecratiō 4 174 Giuen to dead women 244 a Certaine true positions touching the right vse of the same 4 202 b 203. 204 a The signes therein doe not change their own nature after sanctification 4 165 a For how many causes miracles might bee doone about it 4 185 ab Christes bodie in the same is receiued neither with the sense nor with the reason 4 146. The treatise touching the same diuided into foure principall pointes 4 147 b 148 a Whether Christ gaue his passible or his glorified bodie in it 4 159 b 160 a Against those that stand by communicate not 4 176 b Why it is not meete to call it a sacrifice 4 222 a Of the Reall presence of Christ therein 4 200 b 201 a 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 165. 156. 157. 144. 145. The doctrines or opinions of the Fathers touching the same 4 160 b 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. Of our coniunction with Christ therein ◠175 b 176 a 179. 180 a by three degrees 4 196 a Reasons to prooue that it is to bee ministred in one kinde onelie 4 204. 205. Extenuated by the Fathers and Anabaptists 4 145. Whether the words of Iohn in the 5. Chapter belong thereto 4 156 b Reasons why it ought not to be ministred in one kinde 4 205 b 206. Certaine rules for the vnderstanding of the Fathers when they speake thereof 4 172b 173 ab 174 a It consisteth of two things heauenlie and earthlie 4 174 b 182 b An error of the same 3 362 a Whether it must be giuen to the sicke 4 214 a Howe Christ is giuen in Baptisme and in it 4 153b The chiefest end thereof is let by transubstantiation 4 158 b The state of the question touching the same 4 144 b The force of the worde therein 4 187 b What Analogie there is of the signes thinges signified in the same 4 154 a That the materiall bread therof is not the bread spoken of in the 6. of Iohn 4 151b Answeres to the reasons making for it ministred in one kinde 4 207. 208. 209. Wherof it tooke his name 4 218 b This is my bodie being the wordes thereof expounded at large 4 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. The senses are not deceiued therein 1 114 ab The same sent from house to house 4 178b Whether any kind of drink may be vsed therin 4 214 b How it may bee said to consist of two things 4 194 a Whether it or Baptisme is the worthiet sacrament 4 185 a Whether in receiuing the same it be lawfull to vse adoration by the outwarde signes 4 178 a What manner of change of bread is graunted therin 4 174 b An Emperour and a Pope poisoned by taking thereof 4 159 b Excellēt notes touching the doctrine of the same 4 166 ab 167 ab ¶ Looke Communion Sacrament and Supper Ex. Example The first Example of sinne came from the Diuell 2 242 b 243 a 215 b Examples In what respectes Examples are but weake proofes 3 381 a We must not liue by them but by lawes ◠454 a Of godly men not absolutely to be followed 3 174 a 1 50 a 2 387 ab 395 a 4 311 a Ill must be taken heede of 3 265 a and all before in the discourse vpon Naaman They make not custome but the assent of people as how 1 98 ab In what respect they should prouoke vs to followe them 1 62 a Of what fault we must beware when we reason by them 1 49 b 50 a The vse of them is of two sortes and how 1 49 b Against the Stoskes which say that men by nature are made vnto vertue but corrupted by others Examples 1 55 ab It is not lawfull to teache Citisens their duetie by euill Examples as howe 2 393 a Sundrie Examples of the apprehension of the truth 1 16 a Excesse Some pleasures admit Excesse other some admit none 1 137 b Excommunicated Howe one must not be Excommunicated for another 4 58 b To what end the partie offending is 4 59 a None may be without the consent of the Church 4 60 b Who they are that must be 4 58 a.b Diuerse degrees of them which be Excommunicated 4 59 ab From what things the partie Excommunicated is excluded 4 58 b In what thing wee may communicate with them 4 59 a The dutie of the Church towardes such 4 59 a That the godlie may lawfully be conuersant with them and why 2 311 a They are not excluded from hearing Gods word 1 58 a Howe we ought to behaue our selues towardes them 4 64 b 65 a Excommunication Excommunication defined 4 57 a Of what affection they ought to be which execute it 4 64ab Correction goeth before it 4 57 b The best time for it 4 63b The necessarinesse thereof 4 57 a What is to be doone if it bee not obteyned against offenders 4 63 b Who shoulde exercise it 4 60 a Their opinion which say that is not needefull 4 61 b Against whome the Church is to thunder it out 2 414 ab To what ende Excommunication must be vsed 4 64 a And that the godly feare it 3 64 b Against it being bought with monie 4 64 a Whether it is committed to one Bishop 4 61 a Degrées to be obserued therein 4 58a Diuers causes thereof 4 59 ab When it
after death 3 235 a 1 144 a It is proued that they are in Christ by all kinde of causes 3 78 b Faithfulnesse Faithfulnes required in Ministers and how they swarue from it 4 19. 20. Fall A temporall Fall and an eternall fall and what the godly doe in either of them 1 212 ab Adams miserable Fall described by way of comparison 2 253 b 254 a Whether it did any way depend of Gods will 1 204a b It was by Gods sufferaunce why 1 187 b It was voluntarie 1 205b The miserable Fall of Priamus described 1 158 b Of Solomon 3 268 b 269a Of the godly temporall and hath an happie issue 1 211 a Fast The Fast of a manichie and a Christian compared 3 353 b The exercise of them that vse it truely 3 248b A religious Fast defined with al the causes thereof 3 248 b Of proclaiming a publike Fast and sanctifying it 3 249a Fastes Of the foure quarterly Fastes called Ember dayes 3 251 b What the Councels and Apostolicall Canons haue decreed touching publike Fastes 3 252 a Fastes abused touching yâ— choise of meates 3 253 a Abused as touching the space of time 3 252 b What verie heretiks haue thought of the superstitions kind 3 251 b Of the Ethnikes religions Fastes 3 249 b 250 a. Of the Encratistes and Montanistes 3 170 a Fasting Diuerse kindes of Fasting in Lent 3 171a Auailable to cast out diuels 4 130 ab None betweene Easter and Pentecost why 4 45 a Iewish in the time of the lawe 3 171 a 252 b 253 a 247 a 249 b Certaine times and dayes appointed for it 3 172 a To what ende it was ordained the continuance thereof 3 171a In what cases the Church the Magistrate may sometime bring it in 3 173 ab Whether a holinesse consist therein 3 255 ab Whereupon rose Fasting vppon the sabboth day 3 173 b On Thursday and Friday 4 45 a Whether soules are deliuered out of Purgatorie thereby 3 255 b For other mens sake beside our own 3 248 b Whether it be a part of satisfaction 3 255 b What hath beene thought touching diuerse dayes for it 3 250 b 251a Ouermuch attributed thereunto 3 255 a Commended in the new TestameÌ„t 3 250 ab Whether wee shoulde imitate Christ therein 3 254 ab 256 a 252 ab 273 ab Whether men may consume themselues therewith 3 257 b Diuerse formes thereof vsed of the fathers 3 253b What kinde is commended and the commodities thereof 3 247 b 248 a What faults are to be auoided therein 3 250 b Abused by mens misdemeanour at Shrofetide 3 255 b Who was the first that wrote lawes thereof 3 254a A distinction thereof 3 247 b 248 a That it is thirstie why 3 247 b Diuerse causes for the which publike Fasting must be vsed 3 252 a Religious Fasting distinguished 3 248 b This kinde of diuels is cast out onely by Fasting and prayer expounded 3 250 b Fastings A distinction of prayers and Fastings 3 193 a What do please God and why 3 248 b Whether being rightlie commaunded by Princes they are to bee obeyed 3 252 a Howe they are said to be free or not free 3 252 b To what end the Papists inioyned them 3 224 ab Brought in without measure 3 250 b Father The power of a Father defined 2 431 b It is not a name vsurped or challenged of men 2 381 a Howe much the ciuill Lawes esteemed his authoritie 2 432 a 436a His duetie to his children notablie set downe 3 259 a What we are taught by calling God Father 3 81 b Christ is no where in the Gospel called so 2 381 a Whether a sonne placed as a Magistrate ought to giue place to his Father being a priuate man â— 377 b Fathers in the time of the Lawe Causes of the long life of the Fathers 1 126 b 127 a Where they were before Christs ascension 4 104 a Why it was so long before they did beget children 1 127 b Howe they were perfect hauing so many imperfections among them 2 425 ab They are not to be followed in all pointes 2 148b Howe we and they are both in one stocke and roote 4 101 b They as well as we were iustified by faith onlie 2 5â—4a b They entred into couenant with God for their posteritie 2 585 a Howe they did eate the flesh of Christ he being not then borne â— this concerneth the Sacrament 2 58â— b Whether they were ignorant of Christ c. 3 339 b 340 341. It is prooued that they wanted not Gods spirit 2 592 b 593a Chrysostomes error in diuerse points touching them and vs. 2 593 b 594 a They had both temporall and eternall felicitie promised them 2 592 a 593 b They are called litle ones and seruants and why 2 595b They and â—e haue one saluatioÌ„ 3 336 b 340 a Fathers according to the flesh Howe Christs words are to be meant in forbidding vs to be called Fathers vpon earth 2 380 b 381 a Howe God punisheth the sins of the Fathers vpon the children 2 236 b ¶ Looke Punish Sinnes Fathers of the Church The Fathers at contradiction with themselues 3 151 b 250 b 251 a 183 ab 2 380 b 381 a 4 49 a 50 b 51 ab 102 a Howe we must interprete all their sentences 3 151 b What they say of Iepthas vow 3 183 ab 200 a 1 4. 3 b Whether wee must alwayes iudge of the scriptures by them 4 50b 51 a Rules for the vnderstaÌ„ding of theÌ„ speaking of the Eucharist 4 172 b 173a b 174 a How they are said to be spirituall 4 53 a They doe erre 4 50 a 72 b 3 149 a 243. 244. The inconstancie of certaine of them the schoolemeÌ„ 1 67 a How Pighius esteemeth of them is shewed by similitudes 2 229 a In what cases they are to bee receiued 4 49 a The most auncient were not subiect to the Romane bishop 4 80 a No appeale from the scriptures to them admitted 4 48 b 49 ab They extenuate the sacraments of the old lawe 4 102 a What they haue saide touching the choise of meates â— 170a b What they meant by the word sacrifice 4 19 a If Peter erred much more they and why 1 44 a Whether they are to bee allowed when they all agree 4 50b The later the corrupter 2 434 b In what respect they are to be reiected 4 54 a Why the aduersaries sticke so close to them 4 52 a Which of them taught superstitions 3 240 b The greater number of them graunt that there is a purgatorie 3 243 b A rule as touching their writing 3 158 a A rule for reading of them 3 362 a 2 229 a Fatherhood Two kindes of Paternitie or Fatherhood in the sonne and the father 2 377 b 378 a All Fatherhood dependeth of Christ and who deserue not that title 2 381a Fault By what things a Fault is aggrauated or lightened 4 300b What
Magistrate are seditious 4 323 b His charge according to Aristotle 4 38 b Whether Religion and the determining thereof belong to the Magistrates 4 246b 247ab The Magistrate is the principall part of the Church 4 237 b To what ende hee is appointed â— 226 b The manifold forme of a Magistrate 4 226 b Whether Ecclesiasticall matters belong to the ciuill Magistrate 4 243 b 244 a What things are to be considered in the Magistrate 4 233 ab In what thinges hee is to be obeyed or disobeyed 4 241 b 242. 243. Whether a Magistrate may iudge another in that crime whereof himselfe is guiltie 4 259 a The dutie and office of a Magistrate in the Church 4 2 7 b Differente betwéene him and a minister 4 226 a An example of obedience to the Magistrate 4 226 b Magistrates Magistrates may not forgiue punishments and why 2 41â— a The diuerse wayes whereby they doe punish 4 61 b How it is ment that they would rather diminish than increase punishments 2 414 b Their office is to see that euerie man vse his owne well 2 526 a Manie executions no lesse dishonourable to them than manie funerals to Phisicians 2 414 a What Magistrates may doe with things superstitious 2 517 b Whether it be lawfull for them to lie as Plato gaue them leaue 2 544 b 545 a Why citizens must be sworne to defende them 4 298 a What thinges they shoulde respect in their punishments for adulterers 2 464 ab Of the reuenge that they ought to execute 2 417 b 418 a A lesson for them touching the execution of punishments 2 416 ab They must be intreated to determine in a case of diuorse 2 459 a In what cases the superiour sort are to be forced vnto order by inferiour 4 324 b Without their consent matrimonie is not so to be dissolued that another shoulde be aduentured 2 458 b Drunkennesse more tollerable in any than in them 2 500 ab 501 b Magistrates must not spare to punish others though themselues bée guiltie of the same crime 2 495 a Their sinnes may be reprooued 1 324 a Howe farre foorth they must be obeyed 4 323 b 324 a and why 41 a Whether Christian Magistrates may vse exile for punishments 4 273ab 274 ab In what respects ciuill Magistrates haue power ouer ministers 4 232 a 61 b They and ministers haue their functions ioyned together 4 22 a 232 a 233 a By whom they are appointed 4 227 ab 276 a It is lawfull for Christians to be Magistrates 4 276 b They are called fathers 4 227 a A definition of their office 4 270 b 246 b A cauill whether all Magistrates be ordeined of God 227 b What woulde insue the want of Magistrates 4 276 ab A distinction betwéene superiour and inferiour Magistrates 4 254 b Howe they and ministers of the Church shoulde behaue themselues one to another 1 10 a Causes for the which Magistrates may sometimes deferre punishmeÌ„ts 4 257 b Whether Magistrates may let the guiltie passe vnpunished 4 248. 249 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258 259 The Church vsed Ethnicke Magistrates 4 228 b Magnificence Of Magnificence and howe offence is doone therein 3 269 b Mahomet Of Mahomets doctrine and that it is heresie 4 6 a Maiestie Of the Maiestie of God wherein the same consisteth 1 11 a ¶ Looke God Maisters Howe Maisters must handle and vse their seruantes 4 314 b Paul and Christ were Maisters in what respectes 2 381 a Howe Christes wordes are to bee meant in forbidding vs to be called Maisters vpon earth 2 380 b Malice The Diuell deceiued through his owne Malice 1 33 b ¶ Looke Enuie Man The true notice and knowledge of Man his nature properties and end 1 125 a The opinions of Ethnikes declaring what he is by nature 2 227 a The ende whereunto he is instituted and ordeined 2 231 b No creature in a manner more miserable than he proued 2 227 a Howe euerie creature toyleth and laboureth for his sake an excellent place 2 247 b 248 a In him are foure differences of state which they be 2 253 a In him as in a certaine litle worlde are comprehended al thinges 2 248 a Destitute of grace described 3 94 ab Wherein hee is like and vnlike vnto grasse 3 366 b A place whereby he is admonished of his duetie manner and forme of his actions 1 125 a Of the Image of God in him and wherein the same consisteth â— 23 b What wee must call to minde when wee heare that God created him 1 125 b Augustins allegoricall exposition about the worde Man and woman and the reason of the names and howe they bée applied vnto vs. 1 124 a Men. Two kindes of Men noted in the holy Scriptures 2 546 a As touching nature there is no difference in them 3 15 b 16 a The diuerse endes whereto they are appointed 2 573 b The condition of carnall Men of two sortes 2 563 b Two kindes of euill Men. 4 63 a Mankind Mankinde diuided into two sorts and which of them waâ—…e for the reuelation of the sonnes of God 2 248 ab Manna The difference betwéene the Iewes Manna and our Manna called honie of the â—et 2 5â—0b What it signified and of the receiuers of the â—…e 2 â—…b Howe it rained 〈◊〉 heauen and why it is called Angels foode 2 590 a A most excellent analogie betwéene it Christ 2 591 ab In what respect Christ denied that it came from heauen 2 588 b 589 a What Phisitians doe say thereof 2 560 b Giuen on the Lords day as Ambrose saith 2 591 b None giuen to the Israelites in the wildernesse on the Sabboth day and why 2 374 b 375 a A figure of our Eucharist 2 591 b Manners What thinges Plutarch saith are verie necessarie for men to bee made perfect in ciuill Manners vertues 1 57 a Manners are more iudged by making of choise than by actions 2 293 b The iudgement of Manners by actions is deceaueable and why 2 293 b 294 a Manslaughter What manner of Manslaughter is condemned by God 2 385 ab Punished by exile and how 4 271 b who they be that though they kill a man yet are not guiltie thereof 2 385 ab Whether Manslaughter disable a man from the ministerie 4 265 a In what cases therof cities of refuge Were appointed 2 385 a Whether that that Elias did on the Baalites was lawfull 2 386 ab c. 388 a 389. A certaine kinde of Manslaughter acceptable to God 3 185 a Marie the virgin Whether Marie Christes mother abode perpetually a virgin 3 58 ab Whether she had vowed her virginitie to god 3 62 b Certaine titles giuen vnto her reprooued 4 22 a Marrie The degrées of kinred forbidden to Marrie is morall 2 453 b It was lawfull for a man to Marrie his brothers wife 2 426 a The Gardian might not Marrie his pupil by the Romane lawes and why 2 449 b
the sacraments 170 a The coniunction of them with the things signified 139 b 140 a Similitude and in what things it must hold 232 b Sinne punished with sinne 130 b Whether a lesse is to be committed for the auoiding of a greater 150 b What necessitie therof is in men 126 b 104 b 105 a How it had place in Christ and how it is in vs 4 b 5 a How it is ment that God would it not 119 b What be the properties which followe it 146 a Why the préests is more gréeuous than the peoples 170 a What we haue to gather when a place where it much reigneth is spared 151 a How it is ment that euerie one shal be punished for his owne 170 b 171 a When it shall be possible for vs not to commit anie 105 a How it is remitted and reteined 26 a How the feare of death is Sinne 67 a b Whether the same in Christ be so and how it is to be considered in vs 66 a b 67 a The difference of the predestinate and reprobate after they are fallen thereinto 143 b 144 a b. Sinne originall and who are guiltie thereof and who absolued from it 147 b 148 a How it commeth to passe that the soule is defiled therewith 148 a Sinne veniall and that the lawfull vse of matrimonie is so counted 167 a Sinnes of committing and omitting 169 b. What those of the old fathers doo shew vs 153 a Forgiuen in sacrifice and how 168 b The regenerate cannot be without them 125 b. 104 b 105 a Not the cause of reprobation 131 a We be naturallie giuen to hide them 156 b Sinners whether they are to be withdrawne from knowledge of the scriptures 48 a Why Christ would haue certeine in his stocke 156 b. Singing in the church lawfull 160 b. 161 a Soldiers their dutie and charge and how they misbehaue themselues 19 a Solitarinesse disallowed 53 b Sonnes of God which are said to haue gone in to the daughters of men c. 147 a. Sorrowe of manie doubled whie it dooth lighten a heauie mind 82 b Where remedies therein are to be found 83 a b. Soule is not deriued à semin◠genitali to the children 146 a The substance thereof and that it is created 148 a How it commeth to passe that it is defiled with originall sinne 148 a Whether the bloud be all one with it 203 b What must be vnderstood when it is so called 141 a An error touching the mortalitie of the same 136 a The reasonable commeth not by the strength of nature 145 b Spirit of God the fortitude thereof and that it is not in all alike 72 b The Demon or good Spirit of Socrates 38 a State of men distinguished 102 a. Stewes are not tollerable in a common-wealth 156 b Suffer and how Christ is said to doo so at this daie 7 b Sunne and whie God placed it in an high place 39 b Superstitions must not be pared awaie but rooted out 87 b Diuerse papisticall ones iniurious to Christ 7 b 8 a Peter Martyrs praier against all maner of them 251. 252. Supper of the Lord and whie it maybe called a sacrifice 147 b 132 b How the vnfaithfull are partakers thereof 139 b Christ receiued by faith therein 138 b Of the outward signes thereof 168 b An exhortation to the mysticall receiuing therof 137 a b From what things we depart in departing from it vnreceiued 138 a Why Iohn in describing it maketh mention of the flesh and bloud of Christ 237 a The Lord offereth himselfe to be eaten of the beléeuers both in it and out of it 238 a How the bodie and bloud of Christ is present in the same 164 a 139 b 140 a Surplis and whether it were a popish inuention 119 a b. A pretended honest signification for the same 119 b. Swearing the vse and abuse thereof 151 b Thrée formes thereof vsed in the scriptures 143 a T. TEmple of God at Ierusalem why it was defiled and burned 12 a How long it laie ruinated 23 a Reedified c. restored and by whom 12 a What causes hindered the Iewes from building it 14 a b 15 a c. Tempt GOD who doo so and by what meanes 152 a 148 b Temptation what it is whether God be the author thereof and of resisting the same 151 b Of Adam and Eue read page 146 a. Why permitted by God 146 a Testament old new how they differ 6 a Testimonies of God vnto vs in the scripture 13 b Theft punished by death 157 a b What mens actions fall within the compasse of it 166 b The Israelites could not be reprooued thereof when they robbed Aegypt 167 a Titles and the diuers ends of them and names inuented by the godlie and vngodlie 147 a Transubstantiation forsaken by expresse words of the Cardinall of Loren 150 a 152 b Manie absurdities do followe it as how 230 a b Proofes for the doctrine thereof 229. 230. 235 b 236 c. 238 b 239 a What kind were to be wished in the church 22 a Whether these words This is my bodie may be doone without it 185 a b Against it and reall presence 88 a 176 b 177 a 24 b The chéefe principle for the which it is denied 221 b Thereby is peruerted the nature of things 229 b A similitude brought to prooue it disprooued 196 b 197 a b Why the scriptures admit none 215 a None of bread and wine in the Eucharist 178 b 179 a b. Tree of life and the trée of good and euill 145 b Who eate the fruit of it 166 a Trinitie and whether the angels that spake with Abraham giue vs a notice thereof 150 b Truth and diuers waies whereby it is established 79 a Who haue changed it into a lie and how 86 b What it is to deteine it in vnrighteousnesse 86 a Tyrants estate touching their regiment most miserable 8 a b Whether priuate men may rise against them and slaie them 155 b Tythes and wherto the institution of them dooth serue 118 a V. VBiquists error touching Christs naturall bodie conuinced 102 b 139 a Vbiquitie of Christs naturall bodie prooued and disprooued 10 b 86 b 88 a 162 a 188 a 189 a b 205 b 221 b 222 a Proper and peculiar to God onelie 190 b Vertue ciuill and the end thereof 104 b Vertues of the Ethnikes fruitlesse and why 47 b 48 a Whereto they are compared 25 a Vices of whom pleasure and idlenesse are the nursses 49 b Violence and how it is lawfull to repell it by violence 167 a 157 a Violent defined 118 b Vnitie charitie with their two plags 2 a Vnrighteousnesse and what it is to deteine the truth of God therein 86 a Vnthankfulnes must not cause vs to leaue off from dooing well vnto men 157 b Vocation ¶ Looke Calling Vowes wherein they stand and what we haue to note in them 154 a Vrim and Thumim and what they signifie 30 b Vsurie of what kind the
first motions are sinnes bicause they are against the lawe of God and they be condemned by Christ when he saith in the Gospell He that looketh vpon a woman Matt. 5 28. to lust after hir he hath alreadie committed fornication with hir in his hart And Ibidem 22. He that is angrie with his brother is worthie of iudgement God dooth not so looke vpon dooings but that he hath much more respect vnto the mind Numb 20. 9 Moses sinned gréeuouslie at the waters of strife and yet if we examine that historie we shall find no euill act that he outwardlie committed but God sawe the incredulitie of his mind and gréeuouslie punished him Wherefore these motions and deliberations of the mind not onelie be sinnes but they be also gréeuouslie punished by GOD. Let vs then passe ouer this interpretation which also Ierom brought as none of his owne Men deserue euen the temporall punishmēts which they suffer 46 But now to make the matter it selfe plaine none can be said to suffer that which he hath not deserued as touching the punishments of this life bicause there is none perfect no not the child which is but one daie old There is none but hath deserued euen death it selfe Why then doo men saie Our fathers haue eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge séeing euerie one beareth his owne burden whether it be touching this life God dooth not alwaies bring temporall euils as punishments or the life to come But God dooth not alwaies bring these temporall euils as paines and punishments but oftentimes they haue relation to other ends as Christ in the Gospell of Iohn answered concerning the blind man Neither did this man sinne nor yet his parents Iohn 9 3. that he should be borne blind but that the glorie of God might be made manifest Also Peter and Paule when they were put to death What respect God hath in the martyrdom of saints could not complaine that they had not deserued it although God when they were slaine did not respect this to haue them punished but that by their bloud a testimonie might be left of his sonnes Gospell Wherefore séeing the case so standeth and that we be all guiltie of sinne we must not complaine that God dealeth too sharpelie with vs if for the sinnes of our parents we be punished For God can so direct those troubles as they may belong not onelie to his owne glorie but also to the saluation of the parents Oftentimes he dooth punish the fathers in the children and the prince in the people The sorrowes of children are the sorrowes of the parents For the punishment of children no lesse gréeueth their parents than if they themselues were afflicted But if so be that the children die for their fathers sake they haue no iniurie doone vnto them for death is due vnto them also and otherwise it is certeine that they must die Now then if God will vse their death in that sort he may doo it lawfullie Which also may be affirmed as touching other calamities for if that a child be vexed with sicknesse he deserued sicknesse if he haue lost his monie he hath lost but fraile and vnstable things and those he had vpon condition that he might easilie forgo them So then if with these kind of calamities God will punish the parents in the children he can not be accused of vniustice 47 Wherevpon Augustine in his questions vpon Iosua the eight question In the regenerate God conuerteth punishments into medicines We are saith he by reason of originall sinne debtors of manie punishments the which neuerthelesse God conuerteth into certeine medicines and findeth meanes that they doo verie much profit although they séeme euill vnto vs. For if so be the son had liued peraduenture he would haue troden in his fathers euill steps or else haue committed woorse things Wherefore if God take him awaie out of this life he cannot complaine that he is ill dealt with since death by Gods blessing dooth redound to his commoditie For he is suddenlie taken awaie least wickednes should change his hart And certeinlie we ought to suffer and indure the lesse euils for to obteine greater good things For so dooth the physician with a bitter medicine trouble the mouth that the sicke man may be restored to his former health In like maner when we haue deserued punishments yet GOD dooth turne them vnto good By what meanes discipline is preserued in the world And by this meanes saith Augustine a certeine discipline is established in the world for vnlesse it were so men would perpetuallie become woorse Also there is declared a certeine coniunction and societie of mankind when as on this sort one is punished for the fault of another For they which belong all to one kingdome or citie or prouince be as it were one bodie among themselues and in the bodie one member dooth suffer for another member Séeing therefore this is doone in the bodie it is no absurd thing that the same doo happen in the societie of men Plutarch Plutarch in his little booke De sera Numinis vindicta did verie well teach the same The eie saith he is gréeued and the veine of the arme is lanced euen so the father did offend and the sonne is punished The prince behaued himselfe amisse and the people are afflicted And such a naturall consent or agréement there is of humane things Iustlie dooth this author accuse the rashnesse of men which so often as these things doo happen complaine that God dealeth cruellie For the father saith he is either good or euill And if perhaps the sonne of a good father be punished by and by they exclame that God dealeth vniustlie and that it is not méet that the sonne should be so miserablie handled who had so good a father But if so be the father be euill and the sonne fall into calamitie there againe they crie out that herein also God is vnequall and that the sonne ought not to be punished when the father hath sinned Wherefore the vulgar sort thinke that the sonne should not in anie wise be afflicted But what if the father be euill and yet all things chance happilie to the sonne Here also as he saith they complaine of the vniust dealing of God for they denie it to be méet that the sonne should liue happilie which had so euill a father These things he spake godlie enough although he were an Ethnike Children be certeine parts of their parents 48 Moreouer it must be considered that the children be as it were certeine parts of their parents and haue somewhat of theirs in them wherefore it is not absurd if God punish that part of the parents in the children But I come againe to Augustine who saith that God by this meanes appointeth a discipline in the world in a Common-weale in a church and in a familie Whose saieng in my iudgement cannot be disallowed for if so be
the children doo suffer punishment for the sinnes of their parents they haue not whereof to complaine Vndoubtedlie they owe this dutie vnto their parents for euen this that they are they had it from them Wherefore if they leaue their life for their sakes they haue no iniurie doone vnto them for they yéeld that vnto them which they receiued of them If God shall saie vnto them I will vse your punishment for the safetie of your parents they could by no right refuse the same Iohn teacheth that Euerie one so ought to loue his brother 1. Ioh. 3 16. as he should be readie to yeeld his life for him And if so be that life must be yéelded for a brother how much rather for a father God vseth diuers instruments wherewith he draweth men vnto him why then may he not vse either the sicknes or the death of children for the chastisement or saluation of parents Augustine Iosua 7 5. Augustine in his eight question vpon Iosua which we haue oftentimes alledged It is méet saith he that the lesser part should suffer punishment for the greater The lesse part suffereth punishment for the greater as in that historie it came to passe for the sacrilege which Achan had committed A few were slaine in the host and the whole multitude was assoiled Herby is vnderstood how great the wrath and vengeance of God had béene if the whole multitude had sinned when as the sinne of one alone was so costlie And Plutarch in the same booke which I cited a little before saith that thus the emperours doo in their camps For if there be anie fault generallie committed by them all they take the tenth of the multitude A custome of tithing of soldiers to the intent that by the punishment of a few the rest may be assoiled and so one dooth suffer for the fault of another But as it hath béene said God dooth iniurie to no man for he that dieth was subiect to death and God directeth his death to a good end namelie that he may helpe others that is that by this meanes he may call home either parents or princes to repentance or else to establish discipline Those things which we haue said must not be vnderstood concerning spirituall and eternall punishments for as touching them euerie one shall be punished for his owne fault 49 Now are we to expound the verie words of the lawe I saith he am a gelous God and visit the sinne of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation of them which hate me These latter words Ierom Ierom. vpon the 18. chapter of Ezechiel noted diligentlie and Augustine also in the question vpon Iosua alreadie alledged Augustine Of them saith God which hate me as if he had said I will not touch the innocents but I will be auenged vpon the iniquitie of them which imitate euill parents and hate me After the like maner he promiseth that he will doo well vnto the children and childers children euen to a thousand generations But to whom Euen to them he saith which loue me Wherefore if the father were wicked and the sonne good his fathers wickednesse shall doo him no harme But if the father were good and the sonne wicked his fathers godlinesse shall not auaile him And therefore saith Ierom God punisheth the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children not bicause they had euill parents but bicause they did imitate their fathers The words themselues doo sufficientlie declare that the lawe must not be vnderstood of originall sin but of that sinne which they call actuall For then the sonne shall beare the iniquitie of his father when he sinneth in like maner as his father did Also the words of Ezechiel cannot be vnderstood as touching originall sinne as the words which followe doo easilie declare Albeit that which is said to wit The soule which sinneth the same shall die may be vnderstood euen of originall sinne Euerie man hath in him his owne originall sin sith euerie man hath in himselfe a nature corrupt and prone vnto euill wherfore euerie one dooth beare his owne sinne For although that that sinne be originallie drawne from the parents yet is it now become our owne But thou wilt saie Séeing it is said in the lawe Of them that hate me surelie sith infants doo not hate God therefore it cannot perteine vnto them I answer indéed they doo not hate God in act but by naturall corruption and pronenesse vnto euill So the woolfe that is growne deuoureth the shéepe but the woolfes whelpe dooth not so not bicause he hath not the disposition of his dam but bicause he is not able to doo it And thus much concerning the words of the lawe But for what cause it is said Vnto the third and fourth generation and not Vnto the fift and sixt Why the scripture mentioneth the fourth generation we haue heard what Augustine hath answered But in my iudgement we might much more fitlie saie that the parents may liue vnto the third and fourth generation God therefore would so punish the fathers in the third fourth generation as some féele of that punishment of the posteritie might come to them while they should be yet liuing and that they might sée the calamities of their childers children the children of them And for this cause the holie scripture did not make mention beyond those generations When their posteritie is euill and is punished by God there is no doubt but the parents be punished in them Chrysostome on Genesis Chrysost homilie 29. interpreting these words Curssed be Chenaan c. But it was not Chenaan saith he that sinned Gen. 9 25. but his father Cham. He answereth true indéed it is but C ham tooke that cursse far more gréeuouslie than if he himselfe had bin afflicted Such is the naturall working and affection in fathers that they be more disquieted with the afflictions of their children than with their own So C ham perceiued that not onlie his sonne should be euill and subiect to the cursse but also that he himselfe should be punished in him Exod. 34 7. A sentence vnto mercie not vnto seueritie 50 Now remaineth to be declared why this also namelie Visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children was recited before Moses among the titles of Gods mercie séeing it séemeth to haue respect vnto the seueritie of God But it is not so naie rather if the place be more narrowlie sifted we shall sée the same to be a part of his mercie For so soone as sinne is committed God in his owne right might by by take vengeance but so good is he that he will defer it vntill the third fourth generation in the meane time he calleth home the father to repentance by the admonitions of the prophets by preachings by benefits and manie other meanes Last of all when it is come to the third and fourth generation and the man nothing the