a Christian dooth he dooth them by the impulsion of the spirit of God Those things which the philosophers doo according to morall precepts they doo them by the guide of humane reason The philosophers are stirred vp to doo those things bicause they so iudge it to be honest and right but the Christians bicause God hath so decréed Those doo thinke to profit and make perfect themselues these bicause the maiestie of God must be obeied Those doo giue credit to themselues but these giue credit to God and to the words of the lawe which he hath made Those séeke the loue of themselues these are driuen by the loue of God alone And of this manifold difference it commeth to passe that one and the same thing as touching the matter dooth please God and by his iudgement is condemned Which knowledge is preferred aboue other So now we sée that the speculatiue knowlege is preferred aboue the actiue For dooing is ordeined for contemplation and not contrariwise And no man doubteth but that that which is ordeined for another thing is lesse honorable than it But it is obiected that the contemplatiue kind dooth belong vnto action therefore indéed we behold nature that we may make much of the author thereof and therefore we séeke to knowe God to the intent we may worship him And our diuinitie is for this cause by some called actuall Howbeit these men reasoning after this maner are excéedinglie deceiued For no science is therefore called actuall bicause the worke attaineth vnto that knowledge except the selfe-same thing be performed which was first knowne When we behold nature and the heauen although we obtaine thereby a worship and loue towards God yet such a knowledge must not be called actuall bicause that is not brought to passe which we behold For there is no man that can make nature and heauen and other works which followe thereof accidentally they are said to behold them For not all men which behold these things doo loue and worship God nay rather they be oftentimes most farre from him Againe the works which folowe that knowledge and also our diuinitie haue respect vnto this that we may knowe God more and more vntill we shall behold him face to face in the kingdome of heauen And Christ our sauior confirmed this opinion saieng Iohn 17 3. This is eternall life to knowe thee the onlie true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The third Chapter Concerning Prophesie out of the first of Samuel the 19. Chapter verse 33. SEing therfore that God would be knowne vnto men by prophesie I thought it not from the purpose to speake somewhat thereof And that I may doo it the more bréeflie and plainlie A distinguishing of this question I will first shew what is meant by this name or word prophesie then what are the causes of it next the definition and lastlie the properties and effects As touching the name of prophesie What is ment by the name prophesie A prophet is in the Hebrue toong called Naui which noune commeth of the Hebrue verbe Bo that signifieth to come And it is in the passiue coniugation Niphal Looke in the fourth part cap. 1. art 8. Khimhi dooth interpret prophesie to be a certein facultie receiued from GOD. For prophets doo suffer a certeine breathing on them and instinct from God and that word dooth signifie sometime an interpretor or messenger And a prophet is called somtimes in Hebrue Roe that is a seer sometimes Chose that is a watchman sometimes Isch Eloim that is a man of God as in the first of Sam. the 9. chapter Sam. 9 10. and first of Paralipo the 29. In the Greeke he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to foretell or as some rather will of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to shew Whervpon among the Latins temples are called Phana and as Festus Pompeius thinketh the bishops of the temples were called prophets There were also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit interpretors which did seruice to the greater prophets They were also called among the Gréeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Latins mad men are called Fanatici yet further they were called of the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to stir vp and driue forward They were called in Latine Vates as some suppose of speaking although there were that thought otherwise A prophet is he which being stirred vp by the spirit foretelleth things to come The causes of prophesy The matter of prophesieng Prophesie is vsed about things past present to come Acts. 5 3. 2. King 5 26. 2 Now that we may also speake somwhat of the causes a prophet is occupied about heauenlie and hidden matters Somtimes he séeth the things that be present as Peter did of Ananias and Saphira and Elizeus of Gehezi saieng Was not my spirit present with thee Somtime he séeth things that are past as Moses concerning the creation of the world For as touching things to come no man doubteth but he foreséeth them Also they which expound other mens prophesies are prophets A prophet is an interpreter of the word For so was Aaron said to be the prophet of Moses vnto Pharao and the expounders of the holie scriptures are called prophets Also it belongeth to the office of a prophet to praie vnto God wherefore Paule saith that euerie man praieng or prophesieng c. And in Genesis 1. Cor. 11 4. God answereth Abimelech concerning Abraham Gen. 20 7. when he had taken his wife from him Giue him his wife againe for he is a prophet A prophet must praie for others and shall praie for thee And Paule in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the 14. chapter setteth foorth more at large the office of a prophet When ye come together saith he euerie one hath a psalme 1. Cor. 14 27 or hath doctrine or hath reuelation or hath interpretation let all things be done to edifieng They may also make hymnes and thanks-giuing and exhort the people For Paule saith He that prophesieth speaketh doctrine Ibidem 3. exhortation and consolation Which facultie pertaineth to the mind and power of vnderstanding And a prophet differeth from a préest Wherein prophets differ from priests in that a préest should not onelie exhort teach and comfort but also minister holie seruices which thing a prophet may not doo Besides the préests were of the tribe of Leui the prophets were of other tribes Moreouer the préests might erre often did erre but the true prophets in that they were prophets could not erre Indéed they somtimes added somwhat of their owne but therein they were not prophets Lastlie the préests were chosen onlie by succession and had an ordinarie ministerie but the prophets were sent by an extraordinarie means according to the will of God 3 The forme of prophesieng is the reuelation of God
Abraham obteined these things What is then here that Pighius should boast of What new thing is here promised What couenant not heard of before or new oth is here set foorth Nothing is héere rehearsed which was not before made mention of For the couenant which is héere made was before ordeined partlie when circumcision was appointed and partlie in that sacrifice wherein it was commanded that the beasts should be diuided partlie on the right hand and partlie on the left as though they which should sweare and make the couenant should passe through the middest For that maner to touch it by the waie was also vsed among the men of Athens A custome of the Atheniens as Demosthenes declareth in his oration against Aristocrates Further we can not denie but that Abraham was iustified before for euen before it was said Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes And séeing the matter is so although afterward were added some promise yet will that make nothing against vs for we denie not but that those works which followe iustification are both good and also doo please God and are of him although fréelie yet with great and ample gifts recompensed Now resteth onelie to declare another waie how to vnderstand this cause Bicause thou hast doone these things c. And this perteineth vnto the certeintie whereof we before made mention which as we haue said is from the effects and as they vse to speake A posteriori that is From the later The which that you shall not thinke to be of mine owne inuention go read Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis for he diligentlie peiseth these words Now I knowe thou fearest God Gen. 22 12. Was God saith he ignorant of this before Had he anie néed of this triall when as he is the searcher of the reins and of the hart Nothing lesse saith he for here this word I knowe is nothing else but I haue made thee to knowe or I haue made plaine and manifest Wherefore here is not rendered a reason of the promises by the cause but after the selfe-same maner vndoubtedlie by which it was said of the sinfull woman Manie sinnes are forgiuen hir Luk. 7 48. bicause she hath loued much of which place we haue so largelie before intreated that now there is no néed at all of anie repetition 75 Pighius hath scraped an other obiection out of the 18. chapter of Ezechiel If the wicked man saith the prophet vnder the person of God shall repent him of all his iniquities and shall doo all my commandements I will no more remember all his iniquities Here saith Pighius we sée that iustication which is the forgiuenes of sinnes is not promised vnto faith but vnto perfect repentance and vnto the obseruation of the lawe of God And here his bristles so arise as though we must néeds giue place An explication of a place in Ezechiel 〈◊〉 18. chap But this argument if it be more narowlie considered is both vaine and trifling for we easilie grant that if a man perfectlie repent him of all his iniquities and doo all the commandements of God he shall haue iustification by works None of vs euer denied this But here lieth all the matter here were a hard worke to find such a one who being not yet iustified hath performed this And where I praie you maister Pighius is that your interpretation wherein you said before that God required not that we should performe all the commandements but that he of his mercie remitteth manie things For here you haue brought a most manifest testimonie against your selfe But to returne to the matter forsomuch as man neither performeth nor also can performe those things which are set foorth both of the prophet and of the lawe what resteth there then but that he should come humblie vnto Christ and hauing through faith fréelie receiued iustification of him should by grace and the spirit now giuen vnto him perfectlie repent so much as this life will suffer and with an obedience such as in this life we may begin to obeie the lawe of God Intreating of this argument there came to my remembrance the old Philosopher Antisthenes Antisthenes for when a certeine glorious yong man which was one of his scholers boasted that he had a ship laden with excellent merchandize and when it were arriued he would giue vnto him an excellent gift This song was common euermore in his mouth that he was troublesome to him who heard him insomuch that Antisthenes brought him foorth into the market place and in a certeine shop asked a few elles of cloth Which cloth when Antisthenes had in his hand not hauing paid the monie he made a proffer to go his waie the Merchant called him backe againe Ho good fellowe saith he before thou depart paie me my monie Then Antisthenes shewing him the yoong man This man said he will paie you so soone as his ship is arriued Euen so will I answer vnto Pighius When you shall shew me one which being not regenerate by his owne strength repenteth him of all his iniquities and obserueth all the commandements of God we will saie that he is iustified by his works But when will this ship arriue Wherefore let him cease to boast of the words of the lawe for those words whatsoeuer they be whether they perteine vnto promises or vnto precepts we will after this maner interpret But he saith moreouer that Christ also said Mat. 7 21. He that dooth the will of my father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but the Lord said not saith he He which beleeueth Yea but I saie that in another place he did and maketh no mention of anie worke Iohn 6 40. for This saith he is the will of my father that he which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him hath eternall life Let not Pighius then from hencefoorth denie that the Lord euer spake this But least any man should thinke that the scriptures speake things contrarie I answer that these two sentences are not repugnant but agrée verie well togither Pighius by the will of the father vnderstandeth a great heape of good works but Christ saith This is the worke of God that ye beleeue Ibidem 29. And after this action of beléeuing doo followe manie other good works wherefore the holie scriptures are not repugnant one to another And Pighius his argument is left weake and of no efficacie But Pighius for that he séeth himselfe vrged with Gods word bicause so oftentimes is read in the holie scriptures that Man is iustified by faith he therefore saith that that is to be vnderstood of a liuelie and strong faith which hath other vertues ioined with it as though we euer spake of anie other faith That we be iustified by an effectuall faith If he spake this from the hart he beléeueth the selfe-same thing that we beléeue wherefore laie aside the contention and the controuersie
of the church he committed the matter to certeine Cardinals and Bishops which were counted more pure than the rest And what they iudged it is extant in the third volume of Councels And they complaine that the power of harlots is so great at Rome as it was in no other place the like But hath Paulus the third amended this Also in the synod of Trent the clergie of Rome promised some great reformation but they did it not neither did they indeuour it at all Why doo they not rather imitate and followe the laws of Iustinian He in his Authentiks in the title De lenonibus willeth that Harlots should be vtterlie thrust out of the citie and that if they promised anie thing vnto bawds they should not be bound to paie and accomplish the same Naie rather if they haue sworne to be harlots for a time the Pope absolueth them of their oth These things doo these men dissemble and doo suffer and mainteine harlots Which neuerthelesse we are not to woonder at for séeing they so diligentlie reteine and increase spirituall fornication of minds namelie superstition and idolatrie how can they but ioine therewith the fornication of the bodie But séeing they tooke awaie wiues from their massing priests it was a hard thing yea and vnpossible to be without brothell houses Iustinian sorrowed bicause he sawe brothell houses so nigh vnto the churches of GOD but now they dwell in the middest of cities not far from the houses of diuine seruice it gréeueth not the Pope one whit But let the owners in whose houses these harlots dwell plead their owne cause But such houses for the most part apperteine to Bishops and churches and they will saie We doo not take part of the gaine of an harlot but as méete is we receiue rents of our houses Which is not prohibited by the ciuill lawes for in the Digests De petitione baereditatis in the lawe Ancillarum it is said that Brothell houses are vsed in the citie rents of honest men And in the same title in the lawe Si possessor it is ordeined that If a man haue vnhonest gaines he should be compelled to restore them least an honest meaning might bring profit vnto him that is an owner by an vnhonest gaine Howbeit séeing they will mainteine it by lawes why haue they not a respect vnto the interpretation of those lawes Namelie if this kind of gaine be once exacted of harlots that ought to be restored vnto the heire otherwise it is not lawfull to require them Neither can contrarietie of lawes be auoided by anie other meanes for these lawes should not agrée with those of Iustinian which are to be read in the Authentiks De lenonibus scenicis mulicribus But let them I beséech you marke the words which are read in the title De ritu nuptiarum in the lawe Palà m and in the title De ijs qui notantur infamia in the lawe Athletas that That woman is infamous which professeth hir selfe an harlot and he also that is partaker of the gaine and generallie that all bawds are infamous Let vs also which is of much more weight haue a regard to the word of God who commandeth Be ye holie for I am holie Leuit. 11 44 What doo we gather by these words Euen that that is not to be suffered among christians whereby men are made infamous So then let bawds and harlots be remooued awaie forsomuch as these kind of persons are noted infamous by the ciuill lawe But they will saie Men oftentimes fall and sometimes commit those things whereby they are made infamous I grant it yet is not this to be borne withall wherby they are made infamous whether they will or no. But though they had a thousand ciuill lawes on their side yet ought we more to estéeme the word of God Ierom Ierom. speaking hereof writeth verie well in his epitaph of Fabiola Ciuill lawes saith he ought not so carefullie to be cited Papinianus writeth one thing Tertullian and Paule an other And before Ierom Tertullian De anima Brothell houses saith he are detestable before God 11 But if harlots saie they should be suffered there is some hope of their conuersion For Christ saith Matt. 21 31 The harlots and publicans shall go before you into the kingdome of heauen But let them shew me whether they can by no other meanes be called home into the kingdome of God but by sufferance But he meaneth not harlots so long as they be harlots and be not conuerted For what cause then is it said that they shall go before the Pharisies and Scribes into the kingdome of God Bicause they being conuerted doo acknowledge and bewaile their sinnes but the Pharisies Scribes regarded not their wicked acts but would séeme to be most holie If harlots should be suffered bicause they may be conuerted then shall there be no sinne so gréeuous which ought to be punished For there is none so farre past grace but that some hope remaineth that he may be called home into the right waie And so by this means all lawes shall be silent They saie moreouer that God did forbid harlots as we read in Deuteronomie and yet they were afterward permitted 1. King 3. 16 for Salomon gaue iudgement betwéene two harlots First I answer that it is not certeine that they were harlots in so much as this word Zonah signifieth hir also that kéepeth a vitling house and one that getteth hir liuing by sundrie sort of gaine Further though they were harlots it is yet but a weake and friuolous argument For we must not reason from that which is doone vnto that which ought to be doone GOD vndoubtedlie forbad harlots but afterward discipline quailed and manie things were committed against the lawe Howbeit we must haue a regard not vnto that which is doone but vnto that which GOD hath commanded to be doone otherwise if we will liue according to examples there are ill examples enow euerie where For Popes and Cardinals doo not onelie suffer harlots but also they themselues kéepe them as things most deintie Neither can they abide the Canons which decrée that a priest for whoredome should be depriued in the distinct 82. chapter Presbyter when neuerthelesse the Glosse saith there Now a daies no man is deposed for whooredome The same we haue in the 2. cause question 7. chapter Lator. The apostle excludeth whooremoongers from the kingdome of God but these exclude them not from the church neither thinke they that they ought to be deposed The papists reckon adulteries among light crimes But it is no maruell séeing they saie that the bishop may dispense with adulteries and other light crimes as may be perceiued in the Extrauagants De iudicijs in the lawe At clerici Looke 2. Sam. 11. 2. They be the words of Alexander the third whereby it appéereth that these men account adulteries for verie small crimes Whie should we then depend vpon their examples Philo a
no sinne to be with it for charitie is the fulfilling of the lawe Where the lawe is fulfilled and performed there is no place left for sinne But séeing while we abide héere in this life our charitie is féeble and vnperfect therfore it is easie to be prooued that the same suffereth manie defects and sinnes therewith The verie which thing we perceiue to happen in heate and other qualities of that kind which being in their perfection admit not by anie meanes anie contraries but if they be remisse and of lesse force they receiue perpetuallie something that is contrarie vnto them Howbeit in my iudgement we may easilier resolue the matter to saie that those things which are taught by the Philosophers are true concerning the morall vertues and sinnes onelie which they in their bookes intreate of but that the Christian faith dooth more narrowlie looke into the nature of sinne than they were able to discerne And those things which we admit to be sinne they would iudge not to be repugnant to their vertues and consequentlie would repute them not in the place of sinnes 7 But to returne to our purpose There séemeth a doubt to remaine against that which we haue affirmed touching sinnes namelie when as we said that they of necessitie be not ioined one with an other For Iames wrote A place of Iames expounded He that offendeth in one is become guiltie of all So as it séemeth that one sinne being committed the same draweth all other sinnes with it Howbeit it should appeare that the sentence of the apostle must be vnderstood of charitie which is violated by euerie kind of sinne the same being taken awaie all vices doo breake foorth Or else we will take his meaning thus when as a man transgresseth one commandement if he should be stirred vp by the same force of temptation against the rest of the commandements he should in like manner transgresse them Neuerthelesse the former exposition séemeth to approch more nigh the truth séeing whatsoeuer Iames saith he manifestlie referreth it vnto charitie For he that falleth into anie sinne against his neighbour he is straitwaie conuicted to be guiltie of the violating of loue Wherefore séeing it is not necessarie that he which is burthened with one sinne should be iudged to be guiltie of all the words of Paule in the first to the Corinthians the sixt chapter verse the ninth must not as we said be vnderstood as though the sinnes which he reckoned doo not exclude vs from the kingdome of heauen vnlesse that all the sinnes be ioined togither in one man at once One onelie sinne is sufficient vnto destruction And those things which are spoken by the apostle doo represse them which flatter themselues in the profession of their faith and make no reckoning to liue iustlie and godlie Augustine Verie well did Augustine in his fourth book of baptisme against the Donatists An infidell and an ill christian are both in one state of perdition write that An infidell disputeth against the faith but an ill christian liueth against the faith Séeing therefore either of them is against faith neither of them can be saued by faith Against the infidels Christ said Vnlesse a man be borne anew of water and the holie Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen And on the other part against the vngodlie christians this is to be alledged that Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Wherefore euen as the infidels haue not wherewith to delite themselues in morall vertues no more can those that be baptised if they liue ill promise vnto themselues euerlasting felicitie especiallie if they be infected with those heinous crimes which the apostle reckoneth vp séeing how can they with these crimes be in the kingdome of God For God gouerneth his kingdome by the word and the spirit but these men doo these things neither by the word nor yet by the spirit but rather by the flesh and suggestions of the diuell In 1. â—ing 2 at the beginning 8 Our Sauiour in the 22. of Matthew Marke the twelfe and Luke the tenth chapters rehearseth the sum of the commandements on this wise The words of Christ Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. expounded Loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy mind and with all thy strength And whereas he named the mind among the rest which word is not in the Hebrue that he did in his owne right For séeing he was the lawe-maker it was lawfull for him to expound the same Augustine in his fourth booke and sixt chapter De origine animae shewed What the hart is that héere the hart ought not to be taken for that little member of the bodie which lieth hidden vnder the ribs but he will haue it vnderstood to be that power of the mind out of which the cogitations doo arise And in verie déed euen as the hart is neuer at rest so the mind dooth neuer cease from cogitations Moreouer there be others that expound the hart to be the desiring power of the soule and therefore they saie that Christ added The mind It liketh others to saie that the hart conteineth the whole desire the soule the angrie part the mind the knowing part and finallie that vnder the name of powers or strengths it comprehendeth all the other faculties of the mind Or else it is added for the more vehement expressing of all those things which were mentioned before namelie that God must not be loued for an outward fashion sake but with the whole indeuour Barnard Wherefore Barnard saith that The maner how to loue God is to loue him without measure And Augustine in his first booke chapter 22. De doctrina christiana wrote When it is said With all the hart there is now no part left vnto vs which may attend or giue place to other desires And those things which we haue a mind vnto must of necessitie haue relation to that wherein the force of our loue consisteth that is vnto God If the words of the lawe and of Dauid were examined with a right iudgement the works of supererogation would quite be ouerthrowne and the reasons alledged for our merits conuinced séeing what is there remaining vnto vs that is not bound vnto God For if we doo well we doo but that which we ought to doo 9 Paule disputing of brotherlie charitie In Rom. 12 ver 10. Be you saith he affectioned to loue one another with brotherlie loue In Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which words is declared what maner of affect loue is namelie a brotherlie affect What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth And it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth an affect not comming of election such as are fréendships which men enter into one with another but graffed in by nature and therefore so ioined
confusion therewith They which sinne are made ashamed in themselues and with others wherefore after sinne great gréefes doo followe which afflict the spirit disquiet and after a sort kill the mind Furthermore there followeth a confusion so as they be greatlie ashamed if they remember their sinnes or else if their sinnes be recited by others They which be impatient of those euils would faine be deliuered they attempt manie waies but haue no successe Hercules when he had killed his sonne and Iphitus his host The expiations and purgings of the gentils was so disquieted in mind as he was desirous to be purged by sacrifice he came to Athens and was admitted to the sacrifice of Ceres Orestes when he had killed his mother came into the countrie of Taurica and would be purged by sacrifice Of Nero it is reported that after he had killed his mother and had committed other detestable crimes at the length could not sléepe and béeing haunted with furies he deuised to be purged by sacrifice By diuers and sundrie waies were they purged namelie by fire by water and sometimes they vsed egges brimstone witchcrafts and sundrie perfumes Thrise saith Ouid did he purge the old man by fire thrise by water and thrise by brimstone Thrise saith Virgil did he wash his fellowes all about with cleane water Vnlesse saith Iuuenal he will purge himselfe with a hundred egges But forsomuch as they were mans inuentions they profited nothing There is one purgation which is set foorth to vs by faith which hath repentance ioind with it by this men are purged and be at rest Tertullian saith that God consecrated this repentance in himselfe Gen. 8 21 for when he had punished men by the floud he repealed his sentence and said that he would destroie the earth no more for mans sake and it repenteth God of the euill Iere. 18 8. which he would haue brought vpon men so that they repent them of their wickednesse Not that repentance in verie déed hath place in God whereof we haue spoken else-where The originall of repentance Gene. 3 9 and. 15. Touching the originall of repentance it is said that the same began in paradise GOD called our first parents to repentance and added therewith a promise to wit that their séed should tread downe the serpents head This preaching of repentance hath béene continued by all the prophets at length it came to Iohn Baptist Matt. 3 2. who was the dawning and morning starre of our sauiour Christ and his apostles preached repentance Repent ye Matt. 4 17. Luke 24 47. What we vnderstand by the kingdome of heauen for the kingdome of heauen draweth nigh By the kingdome of heauen we vnderstand the newnesse of life heauenlie actions and regeneration So dooth God gouerne vs by his spirit and word which they that doo apprehend by faith doo repent there remaineth that the old life be put awaie So as the fountaine of repentance The fountaine of repentance is to haue the goodnesse of God and the kingdome of heauen in Christ to be manifested and to apprehend it by faith Remission of sinnes goeth before repentance And woorthilie dooth repentance followe for Christ calleth vs vnto a new life not to nourish sinne in vs which it behooueth vs to mortifie The thing is not so to be vnderstood that men maie first repent and by the merit of repentance haue remission of sinnes First it is apprehended by faith afterward followeth a sound repentance The outward signe of taking vpon vs a new life was baptisme therefore Marke calleth the baptisme of Iohn Mark 1 4. The baptisme of repentance vnto the remission of sinnes This is the voice of all those that preach the gospell they be voices crieng in the desert for how manie soeuer be without Christ are the desert The voice is that the kingdome of heauen is offered vnto them which beléeue Now it behooueth that they repent them that they renounce their old life for repentance is the crosse and gibbet of the old man Touching the names of Repentance 2 Before we doo procéed anie further let vs speake of the nature of the word The Hebrues haue this word Schub which signifieth To turne to be conuerted from whence they haue deriued the two nownes Schuua Shiua that is to saie Inuersion and Conuersion when our minds being changed and sinne sequestred a new course of life is taken in hand The Graecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hereof commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a certeine changing of the mind so that in stéed of an euill mind we establish a good The Latines vse the verbe Poenitere deriued of Poena that is Paine because the things which we haue committed are gréeuous and bitter vnto vs. Certeine descriptions of repentance After these Etymologies of words let vs sée what descriptions there be of repentance They are written in the fourth booke of the Master of the sentences the 14. distinct The first is ascribed vnto Ambrose Repentance is to lament for the euils that are past and not to commit againe things to be sorrowed for The verie same in a maner saith Gregorie the bishop of Rome Repentance is to bewaile the sins that are past and not to commit anie more to be bewailed By others it is said that to leaue off sinning is true repentance And others haue somwhat otherwise described the same namelie that repentance is a vertue wherby we bewaile and detest the euils committed with a purpose of amendement a will to cōmit no more anie such euils as are to be lamented They which fall euerie day 2. Pet. 2 22. are compared by saint Peter vnto a dog returning to his vomit vnto a sow which returneth againe to hir mire Repentance by Augustine is sometimes called reuenge béeing a punishment vpon him selfe bicause he is sorie that he hath sinned These descriptions be some without forme Neither will I passe it ouer Repentance called the second table that repentance is called the second table which we read in Ierom vpon the 16. chapter of Ezechiel and in the decrées De poenitentia distinct 1. in the chapter Secunda tabula And in this sort they vnderstood it At the beginning they saie that men sailed prosperouslie that shipwracke was made by the sinne of Adam that regeneration by baptisme is the first boord vpon which we swim out and that if men fall againe after baptisme repentance is the second boord Others doo otherwise interpret it howbeit I doo not much weigh the same 3 Now that we haue placed things on this wise let vs come to a plaine definition A definitiō of repentance which conteineth all the causes We may therefore in my iudgement saie that Repentance is a change of life which a man with great sorrowe for his sinnes committed willinglie taketh vpon him through faith vnto the honor of God and to the
miraculouslie put himselfe betwéene them and their destruction and did hinder the cause but this could not the diuell foresée For God sometime preserueth those that be his and sometime he leaueth them so that they die and so doth it oftentimes come to passe in things that may happen either this waie or that waie For although the experience of spirits be verie great yet is it not so great but that they maie be deceiued Vndoubtedlie the nimblenes of spirits is verie great so that they can easilie perceiue and report what is doone in regions verie farre distant one from another God reuoketh decred purposes but yet oftentimes God reuoketh his purposed decrées And if perhaps God command the diuell to wast and destroie some region and the people in the meane time doo repent if the diuell foretell that the destruction shall come vpon them it must néeds be that he maketh a lie for oftentimes when men begin to repent from their hart God forgetteth all his threatenings These spirits doubtlesse doo sée and knowe the predictions of the prophets but yet those purposes which God doth reueale by his prophets may sometimes be mitigated or changed Esaie prophesied that Ezechias should die Esai 38 1 and 5. but yet when he humbled himselfe and earnestlie repented his life was prolonged for 15. yéeres but that this should come to passe the diuell could neuer haue suspected Wherefore they may be deceiued partlie bicause they knowe not the will of God and partlie also bicause they cannot throughlie looke into our minds But the good angels are not deceiued bicause they referre all things to the will of God The diuell deceiued by ambition Besides this also the diuell is oftentimes deceiued through ambition for he will séeme to be ignorant of nothing therefore he doubteth not to foreshew those things which are far beyond his reach For which cause he mingleth therewith colorable deceits wiles that whatsoeuer should happen he might séeme to haue spoken the truth For he is a craftie and double dealing fellowe as appeareth by these two oracles of his The diuels double meaning I saie that thou Aeacides the Romans conquer may Againe Craesus being past ouer Halis floud shall bring great riches vnto naught Rightlie therefore said Esaie in the 41. chapter Let them tell vs what shall happen we will saie that they be gods not as though they tell not the truth sometimes but bicause they are oftentimes deceiued Wherefore this doth Esaie saie Let them answere vs certeinelie and truelie and alwaies and without error what shall come to passe and we will account them for gods But how fowlie the diuell may be deceiued it chéefelie appeareth in Christ our sauiour Augustine in the ninth booke De ciuitate Dei The knowledge that the diuell had of Christ the 21. chapter saith that The diuell knew and sawe manie things to be woondered at in Christ but he knew not with that holsome and quickening light wherewith reasonable spirits are clensed but onlie by certeine experiments and temporall signes yet did he know him far better than men did For he sawe better and more néerelie than any sight of man can discerne how much the acts of Christ did surpasse the power of nature And yet that knowledge in the diuell did God represse and darken when it pleased him And therefore the diuell doubted not to tempt Christ which certeinlie he would not haue doone Matth. 4 3. if he had knowne Christ indéed For that knowledge depended vpon certeine temporall signes which oftentimes may trouble a man 1. Cor. 2 8. Therefore Paule said If they had knowne the Lord of glorie they would neuer haue crucified him But these words you will saie were spoken of Pilate and of the chéefe préests But that maketh no matter for they were the organs and instruments of the diuell And Iohn saith that The diuell put into Iudas hart to betraie Christ Luke 22 3. But what did let him you wil say that he might not perceiue the Godhead of Christ I will tell you Euen manie things which in Christ séemed to be but poore abiect and vile For he suspected that he which suffered such infamous things could not be God and so it was but a suspicion and not a knowledge But wherefore then did he persecute Christ vnto death Bicause he did not think that his kingdome should by that meanes haue a fall yet on the other side when he saw that his tyrannie began to decline that his ouerthrowe was at hand he thought to preuent it in time and for that cause he sent those dreames vnto Pilats wife Mat. 27 19. The dreams of Pilats wife bicause he now suspected that it was Christ I might shew by other examples how the diuell is woont to be deceiued but I thought this one to be sufficient for our purpose at this time In déed he knoweth naturall things redilie inough vnlesse perhaps God will sometimes blind him and turne him awaie For though he be stubborne and rebellious yet is he in the hand and power of God Moreouer he is manie times let The diuell deceiued through his owne malice and pride through hatred enuie malice and pride And we haue experience in our owne selues how much reason is woont to be obscured by such troublesom affections Herevnto also may be added the greatnes of torments and the sharpenes of punishments wherwith he is vexed wherefore the angels are lesse deceiued bicause they sée al things with a quiet mind 18 But you will demand Whether the spirits see the cogitations of men whether they sée the thoughts and cogitations of men Here they that answere are woont to make a double distinction If we vnderstand the mind to be as it sheweth it selfe by signes and by some moouing gesture of the bodie so diuels can sée the minds of men For they which be in an anger are hot they which are afraid are cold and pale And Augustine saith that All the cogitations of the mind haue some impressions in the bodie by them the diuell can make his cōiecture what we cast in our mind Now our eies are not so sharp sighted that they can sée these things yet the same Augustine in his booke of retractations dooth after a sort moderate this sentence and denieth that anie impressions arise in the bodie by quiet cogitations But if we vnderstand the verie mind as it is of it selfe the diuel cannot reach so far as that he can vnderstand what we desire or thinke But you will saie Séeing mans vnderstanding dependeth of phantasies and forms cannot the diuell perceiue them Yes verelie but whether our vnderstanding be occupied in them that he cannot sée much lesse can he sée what the will dooth determine of them For the will dooth not followe those forms figures but it followeth the vnderstanding Now if we will aske counsell of the holie scriptures they answere most
it if sentence be giuen on the behalfe of custome custome is confirmed But all these things as I said before must be reduced to the rule of Gods word Onlie this séemeth now méet to be added which is in the Extrauagants De consuetudine A custome burdensom vnto the church must be reiected chapter 1. that A custome cannot be suffered if it be burdensome vnto the church Also Augustine complained that in his time there were such a number of new rites and ceremonies sprong vp that the church was gréeuouslie burdened and that the state of christians at that time was nothing at all more tollerable than in old time the state of the Iewes The same exception doo we also take against our aduersaries that the church should not be ouerburdened This is their owne lawe why doo they not acknowledge their owne words In Rom. 3 verse 21. Rom. 1 2. 12 Paule disputing in the third chapter of the epistle to the Romanes of the righteousnes of faith added that the same hath testimonie both of the lawe and of the prophets which he therefore saith bicause that the doctrine which he set foorth might séeme to be new and latelie sproong vp Newnes must be remooued from the Gospell But in the Gospell newnes must speciallie be shunned and therefore he testifieth in euerie place that the Gospell is ancient and was ordeined of God from the beginning And at the beginning of the epistle he wrote that God promised the same by his prophets in the holie scriptures And at this daie the controuersie betwéen vs our aduersaries is as touching doctrine while they affirme that we bring in new things and that themselues doo cleaue fast to the ancient doctrine But we learne of the Apostle how this coÌ„trouersie may be determined * What doctrine is old and what is new Assuredlie that doctrine is old and ancient which hath testimonie from the lawe and the prophets that is of the holie scriptures but that shall be iudged new whereof there is no mention in them They erect the Masse The popish is new for that it hath no testimonie of the scriptures where onlie one man doth communicate for others that doo stand by This hath no testimonie in all the whole scriptures We affirme that the supper of the Lord ought to be common vnto the faithfull which is most manifestlie shewed by the institution thereof as we haue it in the Gospels and in Paule These men deliuer vnto the laitie the sacrament of Christes bodie Matt. 24 26. 1. Cor. 11 verse 24. halfe maimed and vnperfect This doubtles they not onlie haue not out of the holie scriptures but plainelie against the scriptures They mainteine inuocations of the dead which they are not able to confirme by the scriptures They driue the cleargie from matrimonie They defend purgatorie They reteine images They vse strange toongs in the diuine seruice choise of meates and garments shauings annointings and an infinite number of such like things they obtrude vpon vs as necessarie to the woorship of God and that altogither without testimonie of the scriptures Let them learne out of Paule which minding to teach the righteousnes that commeth by Christ saith that It hath testimonie of the law and the prophets and not that it was deuised by himselfe But the doctrine of these men aduanceth impietie for they bring in the inuentions of men in stead of necessarie woorshipping of God which hauing no testimonie out of the scriptures The reason why newnes in religion must be auoided Deut. 12 32. must of necessitie be new And the reason why it behoueth in religion to beware of newnes is for that God commandeth in Deuteronomie that none should either adde too or take awaie anie thing from his customes and commandements Yea and Plato himselfe in his lawes and common-weale forbad that nothing should be made new in things which belonged vnto religion No doubt Mens laws may bee changed but the lawes of men may be altered bicause the fourme of a common-weale is sometimes altered Neither doo those lawes which serue for a kingdome serue also for the gouernement of a Signiorie a Common-weale of the vulgar people Moreouer séeing lawe-makers are but men they cannot perceiue all things that should be done And manie chances doo happen euer among for the which it behooueth both to amend and change lawes And as in arts something hapneth in euerie age for the more perfecting of them so lawes likewise now and then by successe of times are amended and reduced to a better fourme But none of these things takes place in the lawes of God For as touching the Church she altereth not hir fourme The outward gouernment of the church altereth not the fourme It is alwaies one manner of common-weale and nothing is hidden from the vnderstanding of God the author of the lawes he foreséeth all things neither is his knowledge augmented by the successe of time Wherefore there is no cause why men should attempt to alter anie thing in his word The twelfe Chapter Of sundrie things attributed vnto God and the holie Trinitie where his godhead is prooued to be in the Sonne and in the holie Ghost THE nature of God is infinite In 1. Sam. 17 verse 45. so as it cannot be comprehended vnder one title to knowe him by wherefore his name is verâ—e large By effects and works we gather of the nature of God yet neuerthelesse by effects works are gathered his singular properties whereby we may vnderstand all the diuine nature and power that séeing we cannot comprehend the whole we may at the leastwise come vnto the knowledge of him by parts This similitude was of strange and foren coines and could not be englished properlie If there were anie so rude and vnskilfull as he knew not the value of a double sufferant we would saie that the same conteineth in it pence grotes testers shillings crownes nobles roials and lastlie the sum of twentie shillings By these parts and small portions vnlesse he were excéeding blockish he might vnderstand how much a double sufferant is woorth Euen so men after a sort doo perceiue the nature and infinite substance of God by these parts and titles to knowe him by not that there be anie parts in God but bicause that we onlie by such effects parts may gather of his power infinit greatnes Diuers and manifold are the titles whereby he is knowne as when he is called Pitifull Mercifull Constant Iust Good The God of Sabaoth and such like In 1. Sam. 29 verse 6. 2 And that this may be the better vnderstood he is called Iehoua of Haia that is To be and that name agréeth properlie vnto God For God is so an essence or being Whereof God is called Iehoua as the same floweth from him vnto all other things Whatsoeuer things are doo depend of him neither can they be without his power helpe Lastlie they haue
it in silence least perhaps wée might suspect our selues to be their workmanship And euen as our redemption is onelie attributed vnto Christ the sonne of God and not to the Angels so was it méet to be as touching our creation The second reason bicause of the pronesse of men vnto idolatrie for if they haue worshipped heauen stars foure-footed beasts serpents and birds what would they haue doone if Moses had described that spirituall creature in his colours and had said that they were made to doo vs seruice to be presidents ouer countries and to be at hand with euerie man What would not men haue doone They would haue run a madding to the worshipping of them The first mention of them was at paradise with the sword of the cherubims Gen. 3 24. Also in Abrahams time Gen. 18 2. when there was present an excéeding strong deliuerer For euen then are dangers permitted by God when most strong remedies are also vsed by him And as touching this superstitious worshipping of Angels Paule speaketh in the second to the Colossians Col. 2 23. 4 Rabbi Selomoh saith that the names of Angels are secret so as they euen themselues In Iudg. 13 ver 17. doo not knowe their owne names yea and he addeth that they haue not names of their owne Angels take their names of those things which they doo but that onlie surnames are appointed them of those things vnto which they are sent to take charge of Wherevnto the epistle to the Hebrues assenteth when it calleth them Administring spirits Heb. 7 14. Rabbi Selomoh bringeth examples out of the holie scriptures An Angel was sent vnto Esaie Esaie 6 6. and bicause he put vnto his lips a burning cole he was called Seraphim Seraphim of the Hebrue verbe Saraph which signifieth To burne So of Raphael we may saie that he which cured Tobias was so called as who shuld saie He was the medicine of God Tob. 12 15. Luke 1 26. And Gabriel by the same reason is called The strength of God Also the word Peli which the Angel attributed to himselfe in the 13. of Iudges signifieth Woonderfull for he came Iudg. 13 18. to the intent he might doo a miracle And surelie it was verie woonderfull to bring out a flame out of a rock which consumed the sacrifice And it may be that the Angel would not open his name bicause men in those daies were prone vnto idolatrie and perhaps when they had heard the name of the Angel they would soone haue béene induced to worship it more than right religion requireth But Cherubims be Angels In Gen. 3. at the end Cherubim whose name is deriued of a figure Aben-ezra saith that Keruf signifieth A forme or figure be it either of man or of brute beasts it maketh no matter which séeing either of both is so called Angels haue these names bicause they appeare vnto men in figure or forme of a liuing creature as it appeareth in the tenth of Ezechiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others thinke that the name is compounded of the Hebrue letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a marke of similitude and of Raui which in the Chaldean spéech signifieth Boies or Yoong men bicause Angels appéered in the fourme of men and that of yoong men And to that similitude those in the tabernacle were made hauing wings put to them Which peraduenture Dionysius and other followed when they saie that they are signified by the fulnes of knowledge séeing a man whose figure they beare differeth in vnderstanding and knowledge from brute beasts In 2. Sam. 22 verse 11. Wherefore Cherub is a certaine figure giuen and betokeneth vnto vs The messengers of God which with great celeritie doo all those things which God commandeth He vseth them and rideth as it were vpon the winds Psal 18 10. which are gouerned by those Angels bicause by those things that which God would is brought to passe â—ings attributed vnto Angels Exod. 37 9. Esaie 6 2. Ezech. 10 5. Dan. 9 21. Also the Ethnicks made Mercurie with wings and attributed wings vnto the winds The Angels likewise are often-times put with wings In Exodus the Cherubims are made with wings Esaie saith that Seraphim came flieng vnto him Ezechiel Daniel sawe Angels flieng vnto them These things declare that the ministerie of Angels is excéeding swift In the 104. Psalme Psal 104 4. Who maketh his Angels spirits We must not héere imagine with the Saduces as though the Angels were but a bare seruice of no substance seuered from matter They are not onlie mooued with the moouing that brute creatures haue but they vnderstand they speake and they instruct vs. An Angel came vnto the virgin Marie Luke 1 26. and 11. and vnto Zacharie Their Angels as it is in the Gospell doo alwaies behold the face of their heauenlie father Matt. 18 10. Vnto the Hebrues they are called Administring spirits Hebr. 1 14. Dan. 10 13. and 12 1. Finallie they gouerne kingdoms and prâ—uinces In Iud. chap. 13. Looke before psal 9. art 25. 5 It followeth that I speake somwhat of the visions of Angels For an Angel appeared vnto Manoah and oftentimes in other places as the scriptures declare Angels haue bin séen of men But it may be demanded how they did appeare whether with anie bodie or onlie in phantasie and if with a bodie whether with their owne bodie or with a strange bodie and whether the bodie were taken for a time or for euer Of these things there be diuers opinions of men The Platonists saie that The minds that is The opinion of the Platonists the Intelligencis are so framed that certeine of them haue celestiall bodies and some haue firie bodies some airie some watrie and some earthie bodies and some they affirme to be darke spirits which doo continuallie dwell in darkenes and mist Of these things Marsilius Ficinus hath gathered manie things in his tenth booke De legibus and in his Argument of Epinomis The Peripatetikes affirme The Peripatetikes that there be certaine Intelligencies which guide and turne about the celestiall circles neither make they mention of anie other The schoole diuines Also the schoole diuines haue decréed that those minds and Intelligencies are altogither spirituall and that they haue no bodies And they were led thus to thinke by reason that these Intelligencies must néeds excell the soules of men whose perfectest facultie consisteth in vnderstanding Wherefore as they thinke it is méete that in this worke the Intelligencies should much excéed them and that this commeth to passe bicause those heauenlie minds haue no néed of images or of senses the which being so it should be superfluous for them to haue bodies 6 But amoÌ„g the Fathers The fathers Origin some haue affirmed far otherwise Origin in his bookes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom hath noted in his epistle Ad Pammachium de erroribus Iohannis Hierosolymitani
instruction of Angels was not vsed or néedfull vnto diuine things as commonlie it had bin in the old Testament euen so in the euerlasting kingdome where we shall haue Christ reuealed and the father euidentlie knowne vnto vs certeinlie we shall enioie the fellowship of Angels but not vse the ministerie of them But as touching the substance and nature of Angels and of men we cannot certeinelie knowe in what degrée we and they shall be placed in the heauenlie habitation but yet if we respect nature we doubt not but that they are more excellent than we be But who can boldlie either affirme or denie whether the grace and spirit of God shall more abound in some certeine men than in them Neuerthelesse as concerning the place of S. Paule in the second chapter to the Ephesians Ephes 2 6. it sufficeth that his words be true namelie that we as we be and are conteined in our head may be said to sit at the right hand of the father aboue all creatures But afterwards if one would infer thereby that we shall doo the same as touching our owne proper nature or person that cannot be prooued by anie firme argument And Paule vseth things past for things to come to wit that we are alreadie taken vp and sit in heauenlie places and that not without reason that he might make the same more certeine euen as those things be which are past alreadie Or else if we haue respect to the will and decrée of God these things be alreadie done But in the epistle to Timothie the selfe-same things are assigned vnto the time to come when the Apostle saith If we be dead together with Christ 2. Tim. 2 1â— we shall liue together with him If we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him Yet neuerthelesse we must not accuse him of a lie in that he vseth those times that be past in stead of the times to come For whatsoeuer is come to passe in our head we confesse it to be done in vs in so much verelie as we are growne vp together with him Wherefore let none saie If Christ be risen from death if he be carried vp into heauen if he sit at the right hand of God what belongeth this vnto mée Yes doubtles verie much for whatsoeuer hath hapned vnto him thou maiest of good right estéeme that it hath happened to thy selfe Those shall not greatlie trouble vs which by thrones principalities powers and dominions will haue to be vnderstood such princes monarchs magistrates For Paule when he maketh mention of these speaketh manifestlie of Angels of spirits that be aboue whom in the second to the Ephesians Ephe. 2 2. Colo. 2 15. he calleth rulers or guiders of the world and to the Colossians he saith Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers hath led them as it were in open triumph In which place who séeth not that these words doo signifie vnto vs the spirits which be aduersaries vnto God In 1. Cor. 15 verse 14. 20 But whereas it is said in the first to the Corinthians the 15. chapter When he hath put downe all principalitie 1. Cor. 15 verse 14. Chrysost and rule and power these things aswell Chrysostome as diuers other interpretors refer vnto the diuell other wicked spirits being souldiers of his band which I mislike not Albeit if anie will vnderstand them as concerning magistrates and principalities of this world I will not be against it For kings and princes haue the sword to the intent that sinne may be kept in subiection and that innocent subiects may be defended from violence and iniuries which things shall take no place when things shall be set at peace and quietnes by Christ We might also vnder these names comprehend the good Angels which be assigned as ministers and helpers vnto vs while we be here in this miserable life as we read in the epistle to the Hebrues and as Daniel testifieth Heb. 1 14. Dan. 10 13. and 12. 1. Angels be gouernours of kingdoms and gardians of men Mat. 18 10. The cause of the motion of the planets they be set ouer kingdoms and they be the gardians of men séeing Christ said as touching the yoong children Their Angels doo alwaie behold the face of the Father But when the kingdome of Christ shall be fullie appeased then these ministeries shall be superfluous and therfore it is said that they shall be taken awaie Yea and the labours of the sunne moone stars and celestiall bodies shall not be néedfull for therefore are they mooued and kéepe their circuite in the world that they may driue awaie darkenes and cold and bicause that fruits also may be brought foorth for the defense of our infirmitie which béeing perfectlie healed these helps and supportations shall be at rest Wherefore we read in the Reuelation of Iohn that an Angel sware by him that liueth for euer Apoca. 1 5. that hereafter there should be no time anie more which cannot be taken awaie vnles the motions of the heauens be at rest And therefore it is said that all these things shall be abolished if not as touching their substance In what respecâ—s the celestiall bodies shal be abolished yet as touching their gifts and offices which they exercise towards men The same thing also may be said of ecclesiasticall dignities and functions which now indéed further vnto edification but when all things shall be perfect absolute in the elect they shall cease and haue an end Manie things hath Dionysius concerning the signification of the words Principalitie power and dominion but yet such as are spoken onlie of him for among the rest of the fathers there is verie little extant as touching these things and that for good cause for the holie scriptures teach not these things bicause they further not to our saluation Wherefore they A iudgment of bookes ascribed to Dionysius which be of the greatest iudgment in ascribing of bookes to the true authours of them doo not thinke that Dionysius which wrote of these things is that Areopagita the scholer of Paule but some later Dionysius Neither is it likelie to be true that that worke was in estimation long ago séeing that Gregorie except Gregorie who was a Latin man none of the ancient fathers cited those writings I haue heard sometimes diuers saie that these surnames of Angels were commonlie translated by a metaphor taken of the powers of this world and therfore they would that Paule when he happened to make mention of Angels remembred these names as if he should saie Whether they be principalities or dominions And they alleadge the place vnto the Ephesians where it is said Ephe. 1 21. that Christ is set aboue euerie name that is named whether it be in this life or in the life to come But I doo not much allow this iudgement bicause not onlie the Rabbins Orders of Angels Among the celestiall spirits there be orders and offices In Rom
had established the kingdome by his owne power therein he sinned against God Gen. 37 8. Also the sonnes of Iacob weighed with themselues that Ioseph was beloued of his parents that he had diuine dreames put into him by God this was a good thought for we must behold the works of God euen in others much more in our owne selues If they had rightlie vsed that cogitation they should haue giuen thanks to God but they turned it to enuie they deuised how to rid him awaie and to sell him Vndoubtedlie God who suggesteth these good things séeing he knoweth of the dooing of them he dooth not there let the occasions of euils he suffereth them to be doone for he is at hand with his prouidence and gouerneth them Wherefore by Pharao he would be glorified by Nabuchadnezar he would punish the Israelites by the brothers selling of Ioseph he would haue him to be honored with great benefits in Aegypt and to féed the houshold of Iacob 2. Sa. 16 10. Semei sawe Dauid to be cast foorth and the kingdome to be giuen vnto Absalom he said These be the iudgements of God That cogitation was good it fell into an euill mind he abused the same he spake contumeliouslie against Dauid he followed his owne wrath and reuenge 2. Sa. 16 20. Absalom hauing gotten the kingdome was put in mind that he should harken vnto the counsel of the wise that manie eies doo sée more than one eie The cogitation was good but it fell into an ill mind and he iudged that counsels so they be profitable though otherwise they be wicked and dishonest should be harkened vnto The first suggestion that was good he vsed naughtilie God suffered it he would not let it he ruled it that the sinne of Dauid might be punished and that the hatred of God towards sinne might be shewed Now I thinke that the matter is euident Whie God suggesteth those things which he knoweth that men will abuse 15 But it is demanded that Séeing God knoweth that wicked men will abuse these inward and outward motions although they be good wherefore dooth he suggest them The reasons of his owne counsels are knowen to himselfe but yet two reasons are set before vs. The first is that his iustice may appeare the more for to behold the iustice of God we are blind But by making cōparison it is knowen namelie by vnrighteousnes whereof in God there can be none séene but in diuels and corrupt men we sée it The second is that the boldnes of men may be restraind for manie would saie If God should put into our minds good cogitations we should haue a will and power to doo good things Behold good cogitations are giuen the which while they fall into a corrupt nature except it be restrained sinne through our owne fault dooth arise euen of things be they neuer so good of occasions I meane taken but not giuen And so I vnderstand the words Augustine which Augustine hath in his booke of Grace and Frée-will namelie that God dooth sometime incline our wils either vnto good or vnto euill bicause if the things which he suggesteth doo light vpon good men they are inclined vnto good but if they fall into ill men they are inclined vnto euill And so I vnderstand that which he writeth against Iulianus the fift booke and 3. chapter that God worketh not onlie in the bodies of men but also in their minds So likewise I vnderstand those things which Zuinglius of godlie memorie a learned and constant man Zuinglius did sometimes write that Men are otherwhiles by Gods prouidence prouoked to sinne and that one and the selfe-same action commeth both from God and from wicked men iustlie from him and vniustlie from them And thus I vnderstand those places of the scriptures Rom. 1 28. wherein it is said that God gaue them vp to a reprobate sense that He stirred them vp Of permission 16 Certeinlie a permission is there but some thing that is more ample is shewed by these effectuall spéeches And we grant that there is a permission for if God would resist these things should not be doone therefore he permitteth howbeit we must vnderstand that permission is a certeine kind of will In déed it is not the efficient will but yet it is a kind of will For as Augustine saith in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium Augustine God permitteth either willinglie or vnwillinglie doubtles vnwillinglie he dooth not for that should be with gréefe and there should be a power greater than himselfe if it be with his will he permitteth permission is a certeine kind of will But thou demandest that If he will it anie waie wherefore dooth he forbid it On the other part I would demand If he would it not at all how commeth it to passe that it is doone For the will of God is inuincible Paule saith Who can resist his will Rom. 9 19. God willeth and that which he willeth he willeth iustlie They which sinne doo will vniustlie that which they will That same Iulianus against whom Augustine disputeth held that there was a bare permission in those things to the intent we might vnderstand that God dooth nothing at all and he said that God dooth rather suffer and that this belongeth to his patience Augustine answereth Not onelie to his patience but also to his power bicause he ruleth sinne and thereof he worketh what he will And he alledgeth a place vnto the Romans If God Rom. 9 21. willing to shew his wrath and make his power manifest did suffer with great lenitie the vessels of wrath c. Héereby indéed we sée that he suffereth but that mention is also made of his power In the first epistle of Peter the fourth chapter it is written 1. Pet. 4 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules vnto him So that he attributeth the afflictions of the Christians to the will of God But they cannot suffer vnlesse there be a dooer If he would the suffering he would the dooing for suffering procéedeth from a dooer This will is a permission but yet such as belongeth also vnto the will This did Augustine shew in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium the 100. chapter where he treateth vpon that place of the psalme Psal 111 2 Great are the works of God searched out vpon all the wils of them He followeth the Gréeke translation The hebrue text hath Vnto all the will of them He writeth that So farre as belonged to them he intreateth of sinners they did that which God would not This could they not by anie meanes bring to passe as touching his power for euen in this that they did against his will his will was wrought vpon them therefore great are the works of the Lord. He addeth that by a maruellous and vnspekeable means euen that which is doone against his will is not doone without his will for vnlesse he
nothing either past or to come But we alledge nothing strange from the scriptures Paule saith that God hath predestinated vs before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1 4. If they beléeue not vs let them looke vpon the prophesies Iacob fore-shewed that Dauid should be king Gen 49 10. How might this haue béene vnlesse the will of God haue respect vnto the time to come But Paule in the 11. to the Romans saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance But the sentences of the scriptures must not be more largelie vnderstood than the place it selfe wherein they be written may beare for otherwise we may be sooner lead to error Paule intreated in that place of the couenant which God made with the Iewes and saith that these promises cannot be void and that it cannot be but that manie of the Iewes should bée at length conuerted vnto Christ bicause The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Although others vnderstand that place as touching the gifts which depend vpon the eternall predestination of God for that they be sure and stedfast Indéed other gifts whether they belong to the iustice of this life or to things which be temporall may both bée giuen and taken awaie For there be manie who hauing once beléeued doo afterward fall to destruction Theodoretus saith Gifts be without repentance if the nature of the things themselues be considered but if men fall from them and be depriued of them the fault is their owne How it could be said to Saule that his kingdome should be established for euer the same being before appointed to the tribe of Iuda 4 But let vs sée how Samuel said In 1. Sam. 13 vers 13. The Lord would haue established thy kingdom for euer For how could the kingdome haue remained for euer in the familie of Saule séeing it was fore-told before of Iacob that the kingdome should be in the tribe of Iuda and that God decréed from all eternitie that he would giue the kinglie right vnto the house of Dauid Here we may not answer that God indéed had so decréed at the first but that he afterward changed his mind for God is not changed Rabbi Leui Ben Gerson thinketh that this Hebrue word Adolam signifieth not eternitie but some certeine space of time and that so Saule might reigne according to the meaning of that word Adolam that is for a long time and afterward that Dauid might succéed him But this iudgement I doo not much allow for Dauid was now not onelie borne but was also of ripe age so as Saule might not reigne for anie long time But that God is not changed all men confesse yet all men not after one and the same maner for some saie that we feigne that God dooth predestinate somewhat from euerlasting which yet he executeth afterward That saie they is absurd for all things are present vnto God Howbeit we saie not that God is mooued for a time but his counsels are from euerlasting But this we saie that when a thing is come to passe he dooth not appoint anie new counsels Paule saith Ephes 1 4. that He was chosen from his mothers wombe and that we were predestinated before the foundations of the world These things no doubt are euerlasting in God but in the things themselues they were predestinate long before they were made But if they will cauill as touching predestination we will obiect prophesies in the which they cannot cauill When they had doone neither good nor euill Rom. 9 11. Malac. 1 2. that the purpose of God according to the election might abide it was said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated So as touching the kingdome to be established in the tribe of Iuda it was fore-shewed long before Dauid was borne who first reigned in that tribe How then dooth Samuel saie 1. Sa. 13 13. God would haue established thy kingdome for euer It is a potentiall maner of speaking But what potencie is this There be also manie such formes of speaking in the holie scriptures 1 Cor. 2 8. If they had knowne saith Paule they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glorie but it was predestinated from the beginning that Christ should die So are they commonlie woont to saie If Adam had not sinned Christ had not suffered But let vs passe ouer those things and let vs examine that sentence which we haue in hand whereby the same being well vnderstood all other like may be vnderstood 5 And first let vs sée whether the predestination of God touching Dauid were the cause why Saule was cast out of the kingdome It séemes to me that there were two causes of that casting out one the prouoking of God to wit the sinne of Saule and the other was the will of God but prouoked stirred vp by sinne to which of these causes therefore shall we rather ascribe the casting out Certeinlie vnto sinne for it was méet that he which had behaued himselfe ill should be remooued from his place Therefore Oseas saith Of the ô Israel commeth thy euill Indéed we cannot denie but that the will of God was after some maner the cause but the true and certeine cause was sin Also another no small difference it shall be if we compare our sinnes vnto the punishments and our good works vnto the reward That sinnes deserue puâ—…shment 〈◊〉 good 〈…〉 no 〈…〉 Rom. â— 18. for our sinnes deserue punishment but good works deserue no reward Why so wilt thou saie Bicause there is a proportion betwéene sin punishment but betwéene good works and reward there is none for The passions of this life are not woorthie of the glorie to come which shall be reuealed vnto vs. Moreouer ill works are properlie of our selues but good works are not but of God Wherefore eternall death may be called the reward of sinne but contrariwise eternall life cannot be called the reward of our righteousnes So that we saie that the sinne of Saule was the true cause why he fell from the kingdome but his good works could neuer haue béene a cause for him to haue continued But whether did this counsell and decrée laie a necessitie vpon Saule Hereof there was no absolute necessitie in him for as touching the inward originall of sinning that had Saule in himselfe and that which he did he did it willinglie and of his owne accord Indéed God decréed the kingdome vnto Dauid and to the tribe of Iuda but yet so as the same should be first taken from him iustlie And if God fore-sawe that Dauid should be king he also fore-sawe the sinne of Saule wherefore he sawe the one thing and the other both that the one should sinne and the other should reigne in this order there is no sinne committed by God True indéed it is that God might in such sort haue punished Saule as he would not take the kingdome from him For he manie waies punished the posteritie of Dauid when
said of Leuie in the epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 7 9. that He paied tythes in the loines of Abraham by the like and selfe-same reason we may saie that we were in the loines of other our forefathers from whom we haue descended by procreation and that therefore there is no cause whie the sinne of Adam hath béene deriued vnto vs rather than the sinne of our grandfather great grandfather his father or of anie other our progenitours And that by this meanes the state of them which shall be borne in the latter daies would séeme to be most vnhappie for that they must beare the offenses of all their forefathers These things alledge they to prooue that there is no originall sinne Originall sinne is prooued by testimonies of the scripture Gen. 6 3. and 5. Gen. 8 21. 3 But we on the contrarie part will prooue by manie testimonies of the holie scriptures that there is such a sinne Thus God saieth in the sixt of Genesis My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man bicause he is flesh And againe All the imagination of their harts is onlie euill euerie daie And in the eight chapter The imagination of their hart is euill euen from their verie childhood These things declare that there sticketh some vice in our nature when we be borne Psal 51 7. Also Dauid saith Behold I was conceiued in iniquitie and in sinnes my mother hath conceiued me Nothing can be plainer than this testimonie Iere. 17 ◠Also Ieremie in the 17. chapter saith that The heart of man is wicked peruerse and stubborne Iob. 3 3. Iere. 20 14. Yea the same Ieremie and Iob also do curse the day wherein they were borne into the world bicause they perceiued that the verie originall and fountaine of vices sprang vp togither with them Iob. 14 4. But Iob hath a most manifest testimonie of the vncleanes of our natiuitie for thus he saith Who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane seed And our sauiour saith Iohn 3 3 Except a man be borne againe of water of the holie Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen And euen as the potter dooth not make anie vessell anew vnlesse he perceiue the same to be ill fashioned before euen so Christ would not vs to be regenerated againe vnlesse he sawe that we were first vnhappilie begotten Which he also testifieth in another place saieng Ibidem 6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit By which words he would signifie vnto vs that therfore regeneration by the spirit is necessarie bicause we had before but onelie a carnall generation Paule in the sixt chapter to the Romans saith Rom. 6 2. that We must not abide in sinne bicause we are dead vnto it Which thing he prooueth by baptisme for he saith Ibidem 3. that All we which haue beene baptised into Christ Iesus haue beene baptised into his death to the end we should die vnto sinne and that our old man should be crucified and the bodie of sinne abolished And forsomuch as yoong children be baptised euen therby we haue a testimonie that sinne is in them for otherwise the nature of baptisme as it is there described by Paule should not consist Also he foloweth the same reason in the epistle to the Colossians where he saith that Col. 2 11. We be circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull bodie of the flesh being buried togither with Christ in baptisme He compareth baptisme with circumcision and faith that those which are baptised haue put off the bodie of sinne Neither is it to be doubted of but that those which be baptised are baptised into the remission of sinnes And assuredlie Gen. 17 14. the circumcision which in the old lawe was giuen vnto children was correspondent vnto our baptisme And as touching circumcision it is writen The soule whose flesh of the foreskinne shall not be circumcised the eight daie shall die the death Wherefore séeing children haue néed of the sacrament of regeneration it followeth necessarilie Ephes 2 3. that they be borne vnder the power of sinne Paule vnto the Ephesians the 2. chapter saith that We are by nature the children of wrath But our nature could not be hatefull vnto God vnlesse it were defiled with sinne And in the same place Paule with most weightie words describeth the féercenes of this wrath Ibidem 2. how that We walke according to the prince of this world which is of strength in our harts by reason of our disobedience and therefore wee doo the will of the flesh and of our mind Augustine also citeth a place out of the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15 verse 22. that Christ died for all men wherefore it followeth that all men were dead and had néed of his death But it is a wicked thing to exclude children out of the number of them for whom Christ died But if you shall demand what kind of persons they were for whom Christ suffered this did the apostle sufficientlie declare in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 5 6 and 8. when he said that they were weake Gods enimies vngodlie and sinners Among whom we must reckon yoong children if we will grant that Christ died for them Besides this it séemeth that originall sinne is most manifestlie taught out of the seuenth chapter of the epistle to the Romans for thus it is written verse 14 19 23. The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne Wherevnto is added The good which I would doo that doo I not but the euill which I would not doo that doo I it is not I then that doo it but it is sinne that dwelleth in me He also maketh mention of the lawe of the members lamenting that he was thereby drawne captiue and against his will And in the eight chapter he saith verse 7. that The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God and that it is not subiect to the lawe of God nor yet can it be Yea the death which yoong children haue dooth sufficientlie beare record that sinne sticketh in them vnlesse we will saie that God punisheth them vndeseruedlie Moreouer the place in the fift to the Romans conteineth a most euident testimonie of originall sinne for thus it is written verse 12 11 19. that By one man sin entred into the world and that all men without exception haue sinned and that the sinne of one man spred ouer all men and that for the disobedience of one man manie are made sinners Further they which are graffed in Christ are towards the end of the same epistle Rom. 11 17 called wild oliue trées by which metaphor is signified that man degenerated from the good institution of his owne nature But if we haue departed from our owne nature vndoubtedlie we haue gotten originall sinne And Paule before so
this colour to wit that sinne should not be vnderstood but after the true proper maner that is He will not haue sinne to be vnderstood but in his true and proper nature that it be a thing spoken doone or lusted against the lawe of God and that it be voluntarie bicause it is not forced vpon anie against their will but may be auoided but forsomuch as these things take no place in yoong infants therfore sinne cannot be in them Howbeit he saith that he denieth not originall sinne for he saith that it is the sinne of Adam for the which all we are condemned and doo die But therefore I said that this man séeketh pretenses bicause I sée in verie déed that he was mooued to speake these things for some other cause For whereas he attributeth so much vnto frée will and hath written so manie things touching that matter against vs Pighius would not plainelie grant originall sinne least he should deny free will and he séeing that the same might not consist if he should plainelie grant originall sinne in such sort as it is taught of all the godlie therefore he found out for himselfe this new deuised doctrine the which as I said is not altogither so new for it is both touched and reiected by the Maister of the sentences But to giue a more colourable shew to this his deuise A similitude of Pighius he bringeth a similitude of a most liberall prince who not onelie giueth fréedome to a seruant of his but also indueth him with lordship and heapes of riches the which also should come to his posteritie And he onelie chargeth him faithfullie to obserue certeine commandements of his the which he transgressing knoweth that all those riches and preferments shall be taken from him and he to returne to his old bondage againe This seruant as an vndiscréet and vngratefull person breaketh the princes commandement whereby not onlie himselfe is become a seruant as before he was but also his séed borne vnto him become bond-slaues He saith that those children haue nothing wherefore they should complaine of bondage to their prince but rather to giue thanks that he had so liberallie shewd himself to their fathers but that as concerning their father they may gréeuouslie sorowe bicause he lost those benefits as well from himself as from his posteritie Yea what if this also be added namelie that the princes liberalitie was so great as he inuited the posteritie of that vngratfull seruant to the verie same much greater preferments so inuited them as franklie he sent his owne sonne to prouoke them Euen so saith he standeth our matter Adam was so created of God that he was capable of that supernaturall felicitie who neuertheles setting light by the commandements of God was despoiled of all those supernaturall gifts and was left to the first state of his owne nature And in the same state we also are procreated and so for his sinne are we damned doo die and are banished out of the kingdome of heauen suffering manie discommodities which are deriued from the originals of our nature Wherefore we may complaine of our first parents but not of God for he was most liberall vnto him and especiallie séeing he calleth vs againe vnto himselfe which is the highest felicitie by his onelie sonne and him would haue to suffer death for our saluation 6 But that which I haue now twise spoken of dooth make verie much against this opinion to wit that infants doo die For death hath no right where there is no sinne Death hath no right where there is no sinne vnlesse we will saie that God punisheth the innocent and this reason is confirmed by the argument of saint Paule whereby he prooued sinne to be before the lawe Rom. 5 14. For death saith he reigned from Adam euen vnto Moses But according to Pighius opinion this reason might séeme to be verie blunt For some might saie Though they died yet it followeth not thereby that they had sinne for sinne happened vnto them by reason of Adam for whose sinne sake they became mortall Moreouer Paule confesseth sinne to dwell in him Rom. 7 17. and 23. dooth not Paule grant corruption to be in nature when he declareth that sinne dooth dwell in him and confesseth that the lawe of his members dooth drawe him awaie captiue and such other like things But let not Pighius obiect against me that these things come to the originals of nature We haue not the originals of nature perfect but of nature corrupt The respect is otherwise in man than in beasts for these originals be not of nature that is perfect but of nature corrupt and depraued Neither ought he in this matter to bring a similitude of brute beasts for man is created to be farre more excellent than brute beasts and to be the ruler ouer them Indéed man had in himselfe originals whereby hée might desire things pleasant and commodious but not against reason and the word of God for to haue such forceable and violent affects is not the propertie of men but of beasts Ouer this It behooued that the bodie should be meete for the soule séeing our soule was immortall and giuen from GOD it requireth a bodie méet for the same namelie such as might be preserued for euer least the soule should at anie time be constreined to be without the same So as we must not flie to the first grounds of nature for it was not so ordeined at the first as we now haue it It is blasphemie to make God the author of ill affections But if that Pighius will imagine that God created these wicked lusts and affections in vs he shall deale both blasphemouslie and reprochfullie against him the which faults hée goeth about to laie to our charge without a cause For séeing God is both the best the wisest and the most iust and hath created man vnto the chéefest felicitie hée would not haue indued him with those things wherby he should be drawne backe from that felicitie which would induce him to that which is contrarie vnto him commandements which things of themselues would be vile and would lead vs captiue vnder the lawe of sinne and death For if these affections should be mortified and crucified in vs as indéed they ought to be we must confesse Seeing ill affections should be mortified they be sinnes that they be vices and be hatefull vnto God Neither maketh it so great matter that he saith that those things properlie be not sinnes vnlesse euen as cold is called slowe A similitude bicause it maketh men slothfull so these things bicause they stir vp men to sinne that therefore after a sort they may be called sinnes Or else in like maner as the scripture is named a hand bicause it is written with the hand or that the spéech is called a toong bicause it is vttered by the ministerie thereof so these may be called sinnes bicause they
to haue no sinnes But we which say that they are altogither sins do teach that indéed they be not imputed vnto eternall death but yet that they be charged sometimes with certeine punishments to the intent it may be perceiued that they displease God But neither dooth that exposition of Augustine sufficientlie concurre with the meaning of Ezechiel for the prophet saith that It shall not so come to passe afterward that the children should saie that they suffer temporall punishments such as was exile and captiuitie for their parents sakes For the Lord saith The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of his father Wherefore it auaileth these men nothing at all when they saie that this is true concerning spirituall punishments and in eternall damnation for the prophet speaketh most plainelie of bodilie punishments of this life There was another interpretation of Augustine In Enchiridio ad Laurentium chapter 46. that this sentence was a prophesie concerning the benefit which Christ would bestowe vpon vs for séeing that by his death satisfaction is made euen for originall sinne the prophet saith Hereafter the sonne shall not beare the sinne of his father but of his owne And it séemeth that Augustine was led to this opinion bicause when as Ieremie in the 31. chapter dooth write in a maner the same thing there is straitwaie added a promise of the new testament Behold saith he the daies shall come that I will make a new couenant with the house of Iuda But it may séeme that this sense neither agréeth with the prophets meaning which we recited before Moreouer notwithstanding that Christ suffered at a certeine time By the vertue of Christs death children in the old testament were saued yet by the vertue and grace of his death the children also in the old testament were saued What néed was it therefore to saie Hereafter it shall not so be séeing vndoubtedlie it was not so before Besides this they also which be strangers vnto Christ doo beare their owne iniquitie neither doo they suffer punishment for the offenses of others but for their owne We say therefore that the sentence of the prophet is generallie true that all whether they be children or of ripe age as well of the old testament as of the new doo euerie one beare their owne iniquitie For all those which be borne haue sinne and corruption in themselues for which they should be punished so then this sentence confirmeth our opinion so far is it off that the same can be alledged against vs. But it maketh verie much against Pighius for he decréed that the children doo beare the sinnes of the parents when as otherwise he saith that they be cleane and are borne without sinne The Iewes vaunted that they were innocents that the torments which they abode were for their parents sakes for they sinned and not themselues But God saith that there should from thence foorth be no place for that prouerbe for he would declare by the prophet a plentifull illumination which should be of the holie spirit in the new testament for that his iudgements be not such as he will punish anie innocent person for the sinne of another And so he saith not that it should hencefoorth not be so as though it had béene so at anie time before but this he saith that it should not afterward happen for them to frequent such a prouerbe in their mouth when they had once knowledge of the truth 37 But the lawe séemeth to be against this exposition for therein God saith Exod. 20 5. that He will visit the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation These things appéere to haue but small concord both that God dooth auenge the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children and also that the children doo not beare the sinnes of their parents To satisfie this obiection first I will expound the words of the lawe for so we shall vnderstand that betwéene the prophet and the lawe there is no contrarietie Some there be which refer this sentence of the lawe vnto the mercie of God How God dooth punish the iniquities of parents in their children and some vnto his seueritie and iustice They which thinke that the mercie of God is cōmended by these words saie that God is so good and gratious as he will not straitwaie destroie man when he sinneth but he will rather expect his repentance And so sometimes when he spareth the father which offendeth yet he punisheth the sonne sometime when he forbeareth both the father and the sonne yet he punisheth the sonnes child and somtime he deferreth the punishment vnto the fourth generation Which we sée was doone in Iehu the king of Samaria 2. kin 15 12. An example in Iehu for whereas he had gréeuouslie sinned yet God did not béereaue his posteritie of the kingdome vntill the fourth generation was past Wherefore by these words séemeth to be declared the goodnes of God which so long restraineth his wrath neither dooth he immediatelie powre out the same But others there be which thinke that the goodnesse of God is declared séeing it is said that He will doo well vnto those that loue him vnto a thousand generations But contrariwise that his seueritie iustice may be knowne it is added that he will persecute sinnes not onelie against those which haue sinned Exod. 17 8. 1. Sam. 15 2. An example in the Amalekits but vpon their children and childrens children also euen vnto the fourth generation Which they suppose may be declared by examples for Amaleke did infest and vexe the children of Israel with manie euils while they wandered through the wildernesse and a long space after his posteritie was afflicted by the Israelites and so afflicted as at the last God commanded Saule to destroie them vtterlie euen vnto the last man Also Iehezi the seruant of Elizaeus Iehezi the seruant of Elizeus 2. Kin 4 27. bicause he had receiued monie in his maisters name of Naaman the Syrian both he himselfe was striken with a leprosie and all his posteritie euer after him Both of these two opinions be godlie and may be confirmed by examples yet the latter dooth rather séeme to agrée with the text But in what sort God dooth persecute the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation the lawe it selfe dooth sufficientlie declare for it is added Of them that hate me They that suffer for their fathers sinnes be also haters of God Two kinds of hating of God Whereby it appéereth that no other children shall beare the offenses of their forefathers but such as shall be like vnto them And it is to be noted that To hate God is two maner of waies taken either in act as they speake which is onelie proper to them of ripe age or else by an inclination and corruption alreadie conceiued by nature and this taketh place in infants 38 But some man will obiect If we vnderstand
to be made perfect euerie daie vnles we saie that the saluation begun in vs through iustification is dailie to be made perfect in vs for we are alwais more and more renewed and faith is made more full more expressed of more efficacie These words of Augustine vnles we interpret them on this sort either of necessitie they must be none of his or else he is repugnant to himselfe That the booke is Augustines we cannot denie but that he is repugnant vnto himselfe that is not likelie But if thou saie that these things may agrée well enough togither if we grant that Cornelius was not yet iustified when as neuertheles he did some works well pleasing and acceptable vnto God I answer that this can by no meanes agrée with Augustines meaning For he in his 801. treatise vpon Iohn and in his fourth booke and third chapter against Iulian and vpon the 31. psalme dooth prooue by most sure reasons that all works doone before we be iustified be sinne But that faith is more expressedlie set foorth and made perfect in them that are iustified we may easilie perceiue by that which Christ said vnto his apostles Manie kings and prophets desired to see the things Matt. 13 17. which ye see and sawe them not Yet notwithstanding those kings and prophets were men godlie and iustified although they knew not so expressedlie all the mysteries of Christ as the apostles did And Christ when he praied thus spake concerning the apostles themselues The words which thou gauest me Iohn 17 8. haue I giuen vnto them those haue they receiued and haue knowne that I came foorth from thee and that thou hast sent me These things doo shew that the apostles beléeued in Christ and therefore were iustified Yet the verie historie of the Gospell sufficientlie declareth that they were ignorant of manie things Luke 24 16 Matt. 16 9. Luke 18 34 for it is shewed oftentimes that either they had their eies closed that they should not sée or else that they vnderstood not those things which were spoken Note the interpretation of the words of Augustine Wherefore Augustine denieth that Cornelius had saluation before Peter was sent vnto him yet not altogither but that he had no perfect and absolute saluation 13 But they further obiect the same Augustine in his questions vnto Simplicianus in the second booke and second question where he plainlie teacheth that faith goeth before works After that he putteth a certeine meane betwéen graâ—e and the celebration of the sacraments for he saith that it may be that Catechumenus or one newlie conuerted vnto christian religion and that he which is conuersant among the Catechumeni may beléeue and haue grace and yet the same man is not yet washed by baptisme Moreouer he saith that grace is more plentifullie powred in after the sacraments By which words he signifieth that it is one and the selfe-same grace but is afterward made more abundant And that thou maist knowe he intreateth of a iustifieng faith he citeth a place out of the epistle to the Ephesians Ephes 2 8. By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God Whether grace and a weake faith haue the power to iustifie But our aduersaries will saie that they also teach that grace goeth before good works and that by this grace some faith is bestowed vpon men But this at the beginning is so weake as it cannot haue the power to iustifie howbeit there may some works be doon which may be acceptable to God But we will call to mind what Augustine writeth of Pelagius A historie of Pelagius in his hundred and fift epistle vnto Innocentius bishop of Rome he saith that Pelagius in the councell of Palestine to the end he would not be accurssed himselfe did cursse all those which should saie that they could liue vprightlie without grace But he by grace ment no other thing than the gift bestowed vpon vs in our creation as frée choise reason will and the doctrine of the lawe The Palestine bishops being beguiled by this colorable craft did absolue him Augustine excuseth them bicause they dealt plainlie and simplie for when they heard that Pelagius confessed the grace of God they could not vnderstand it to be other than that grace which the holie scriptures doo set foorth namelie the same whereby we are regenerate and ingraffed in Christ Wherefore it appéereth that they which feigne vnto themselues another grace than that whereby we are iustified and ingraffed in Christ doo thrust vpon vs a thing imagined by man or rather a Pelagian refuge which the holie scriptures acknowledge not Moreouer Augustine in the same place which we now spake of dooth affirme that the Catechumeni and such as beléeue though they be not baptised yet neuertheles be conceiued Who be Catechumeni and conceiued sonnes of God but they which are now conceiued to be the sonnes of God cannot be strangers from him or enimies vnto him wherefore it followeth that they also be alreadie iustified though not in such perfect sort And this also is manifest Grace following is all one with the first but differeth in degree and quantitie in that Augustine calleth the grace following a more full grace as that which differeth not from the first in kind and nature but onelie in degrée and quantitie and séeing it is of the selfe-same kind that the other is the same shall also iustifie had their reward But that God in appointing of kingdoms had respect to some other end than to paie a reward to those men Augustine himselfe sheweth vs sufficientlie in his fift booke De ciuitate Dei and twelfe chapter which we before cited Why God by his prouidence so transferreth kingdoms from nation to nation for he saith that Séeing the empire had first béene in the east God would at length that the kingdome of the Romans shuld beare the chéefe dominion to tame the wicked dooings of other nations 16 But manie suspect that by this doctrine is opened a windowe vnto manie vices for if all the dooings of ciuill men while they séeme to worke vpon vertue be sinnes they may easilie be pulled awaie from those goodlie works Ciuill discipline must not be pretermitted of infidels I answer that we teach not that ciuill discipline is to be let go for the same by Gods prouidence is as it were a bond wherewith ciuill societie is preserued God can suffer cities and Common-weales so long as in them flourisheth integritie of maners and honestie but when those things be altogither vitiate and corrupt then God is so prouoked vnto wrath as he will punish those things The Ethniks sinne lesse by keeping of ciuill discipline than by reiecting of it All sinnes are not alike which long before he had winked at So long as men be without Christ they sinne euen when they shew foorth notable works but yet they sinne farre lesse than
God But he which pleaseth God must out of all doubt haue faith for vnto the Hebrues it is written Without faith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11 6. But these men by this their heresie will obtrude vnto vs that which the same epistle denieth can be doone But a man saie they in that he is a man is no euill trée But Augustine saith If the respect be vnto nature no tree is euill Natures must not be weighed as they were made by God but according to the state that coms to them afterward If we consider the natures onelie then shall there be no where anie euill trée for both angell and man were created by God and receiued good natures But these natures must not be measured by vs according to that which they were made by God but according to the state which came vnto them afterward A man indued with a good will shall be called a good trée but an euill trée shall be the man which is indued with an euill will And we saie that after the fall of Adam and the first ruine of our kind men be such as they are not mooued with a good will but with an euill But to returne to the almes of an infidell Mercie doone to a neighbour without faith is faithlesse whereof we began to speake we may demand whether this mercie which is shewed be of faith or be faithlesse And forsomuch as it is doone without faith it must néeds be faithlesse wherefore it cannot be without vice sinne It is not sufficient to haue mercie of our neighbour Mercie of it selfe is not good vnlesse the same be also doone faithfullie and rightlie for mercie is not of it selfe alone good For God hath dissalowed manie benefits bestowed vpon our neighbours as when the king of Israell spared the king of Syria and Saule 1. kin 20 35. 1. Sam. 15 verse 16. Agag the king of Amaleck But faith which woorketh by loue God disallowed certeine works of mercie is alwaies good and can neuer be euill But forsomuch as mercie is not of that kind therefore it is necessarie that there be vsed an vprightnes whereby it may be doone faithfullie to receiue commendation The wicked abuse naturall affections They crie out that this naturall affection of shewing mercie is good which thing peraduenture we will not denie But they should haue â—onsidered that men not regenerate abuse the good thing when as they direct it not to God who is the onelie end of all our actions neither surelie dooth he commit a slight sinne which peruerslie abuseth so great a gift of God 21 Furthermore the same Augustine affirmeth that Whatsoeuer good thing can be perceiued to be in the worke of an infidell the same is wholie of God Wherefore in that our neighbour is holpen and some ordinance of reason obserued and some ciuill honestie reteined that commeth not anie otherwise than of God but so farre foorth as it procéedeth from an infidell and a man corrupt it is sinne and displeaseth God By these and such other reasons Pelagius was led to confesse that these men which so by nature behaue themselues aright are good indéed but yet without fruit Augustine againe replieth against them saieng that Such is the nature of barren trées that either they bring foorth no fruit at all or else euill fruit But Pelagius still endeuoureth to cleare himselfe and therefore he saith that these men are to be called barren for that although those things which they doo be good yet helpe they nothing to the atteinement of the kingdome of heauen But in saieng thus Pelagius and the Schoolemen affirme good works but not such as further to the kingdome of heauen he saith nothing naie rather he hindereth his owne selfe Truelie the Schoolemen of our time haue euen the verie same opinion the which thing Augustine withstandeth by all the might he can for he saith By this means the Lord which is good shall cut downe and cast into the fier a good trée bringing foorth as ye say good fruit What maner of iustice is this which ye so seuerelie defend eueriewhere Vpon this opinion of yours there followe manie vaine and absurd things Thus much hitherto out of Augustine A grace preuenting and knocking But our men boast that they differ much from Pelagius for we put saie they a certeine grace preuenting and knocking whereby in the harts of men may be inclosed some good treasure by which they may worke some good thing wherefore they are not plants vtterlie dead A similitude for after a sort they bring foorth fruit And although that which they doo bring foorth cannot bud foorth into flowers and into tried fruit yet are there boughes which may and doo come foorth of some sappe of the grace of God whereof euen they which be strangers vnto the grace of God be altogether destitute But Pelagius confessed euen the verie same things for he misliked not the name of grace when as neuerthelesse by the same name as Augustine dooth prudentlie discouer him he vnderstood what he listed rather than what he ought and a farre other matter than that word signifieth among the catholike writers or in the church of Christ or in the holie scriptures But these men in their similitude Against the former similitude haue small consideration for they remember not that the Lord in the gospell did curse the trée which onelie bare leaues without fruit and also commanded that the same should be cut off Mat. 21 1â— Luk. 13 6. and cast into the fier But there is nothing in the danger of Gods curse and of hell-fier but sinne But they haue yet an other colour whereby they would auoid this place for they saie that these trées indéed be euill but yet not vtterlie dead for in them there is found out sappe of grace For they affirme that there is in man a certeine grace which knocketh and preuenteth whereby in the harts of men not regenerate some good treasure may be inclosed out of which may spring some blossoms from a man not penitent For although they be not able to make that which they bring foorth prosper vnto a perfect and ripe fruit or to beare flowers yet at the least wise they bring foorth boughes and leaues which doubtlesse be a token of secret grace and life It is a woonder to sée how these men stand in their owne conceit concerning this knocking and preuenting grace whereof we haue declared before what is to be thought But they which speake and iudge after this sort are too much without consideration for they marke not that this grace of theirs is no other but a certeine inuiting vnto Christ but yet not of efficacie for men therewithall are left vnder the wrath of God neither are their harts changed What good treasure then can be in them from whence may bud foorth woorks acceptable vnto God But because we will not flie from their
Iehouah séeing they confessed him to be their guide out of the land of Aegypt Onlie this was their intent to worship him vnder some signe or visible forme and they chose that forme wherein they had séene the Aegyptians worship their GOD. So the Ethniks testified The manner of the Ethniks in their idolatrie that they worshipped one God the chéefe author of all things whom they fashioned to themselues in diuers and sundrie shapes For in Pallas they said was signified his wisdome in Mars his strength and power and in Iupiter his iustice and goodnesse Wherefore rites and ceremonies are not to be estéemed according to the counsell and will of men King 12 26. The purpose of Ieroboam No otherwise must we thinke to haue happened of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat for he professed that he would not leade the people from worshiping of the true God but bicause he stood in feare of his kingdome and sawe that it might soone come to passe that if his people should often go to the temple of Ierusalem they would fall from him returne to the familie of Dauid he said therefore What the Hebrues sought when they made themselues a golden calf that to worship the true God they néeded neither the temple of Ierusalem nor yet the arke of the couenant Forsomuch as the same God Iehouah as he was represented to the Iewes in the wodden arke and temple of Salomon in like maner might he be expressed in the signes of golden calues so as the worshiping which they should performe at Ierusalem they might commodiouslie celebrate to Iehouah in Bethel and Dan. No other thing therfore did this man but that he obtruded an outward worke which he inuented altogither without the word of GOD as if it had béene a worship of God but this word being wanting all that he did was méere superstition and idolatrie Tyrants therfore and princes when they compell men to corrupted customs although they professe they doo it vpon a good intent as they terme it and howsoeuer they pretend some certeine beginning of anciencie are not to be hard Ephe. 5 11. Paule in this maner admonisheth the Ephesians Haue no fellowship with their vnfruitfull woorks but reprooue them He called them their works for they could not be called the works of God in so much as they disagrée verie much from his word What we must doo when superstitions are obtruded vnto vs. 22 But what is then to be done when they are thrust vpon vs We ought to reproue them and with great libertie when néed requireth to reprehend them But that is dangerous saie they we shall loose our goods and dignities we shall be put to death I grant that But none of vs hath vpon this condition receiued christianitie that his life goods and dignities should remaine safe vnto himselfe Yea Christ hath by expresse words testified vnto euerie one of vs Except you renounce all that ye haue Act. 10 37. and 16 24. and take vp your crosse and followe me ye cannot be my disciples And vnlesse you loose your soules ye can not possesse them After this sort must we frame our selues The answer of Cyprian Cyprian as Augustine reporteth when he was led to execution the president being desirous that he might escape said vnto him Now I giue thée space to deliberat to choose which thou wilt whether thou wilt be thus miserablie executed or obeie and so be dismissed The man of God answered In a thing so holie deliberation hath no place They which are not affected with this mind but are ouer carefull least their life and goods should perish such doo easilie defile themselues with Masses vnpure superstitions and for the same cause suffer most gréeuous punishments First trulie their conscience dooth miserablie wrest them secondlie the light of the truth which before was kindled in their minds is by little and little extinguished Further they excéedinglie delight themselues oftentimes in that dissimulation so farre off are they from repentance thereof Yea and they go about to persuade the same vnto others and those which will not obeie their admonitions they begin to hate And lastlie as much as in them lieth they stirre vp against them the wrath forces and power of tyrants and worldlie potentates Such a most vnhappie end of manie of them my selfe haue séene 23 But while they dissemble on this sort thus they vse to defend themselues We doo not this saie they from the hart Outward actions be a certeine shew of confession we onelie behaue our selues so in bodie and outward gesture But whie consider they not that outward actions be a certeine shew of confession And as it is not lawfull for the toong to disagrée with the hart in profession of faith religion so whatsoeuer is outwardlie doone in diuine ceremonies ought to agrée with the same profession Adde thervnto this saieng of Paule Rom. 10 10 With the hart we beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation Mark 8 38. Christ also said Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me before men I will also be ashamed of him before my Father Furthermore I would haue these men to knowe that the same is no perfect and true faith which breaketh not out into actions agréeable vnto it Moreouer our Sauiour who most earnestlie sought the glorie of his Father after he had purged the temple of buiers and sellers said Iohn 2 17. The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp But these fellowes shew foorth no following of that godlinesse and faith which they crake that they haue inclosed vp in their hart Neither doo they remember that euen as the inward worshipping of GOD is found to be that whereby we rightlie and reuerentlie iudge of him so the outward worshipping of him is that wherein we honor him aright and as he hath prescribed Idolatrie is of two sorts And that idolatrie likewise is of two sorts for one is whereby in our hart we faine by euill opinion such a god as we list our selues an other is whereby we transferre the outward worship not onelie vnto creatures and idols but also we pollute the same with our owne lies and inuentions We retaine in our hart saie they the right opinion Grant it be so but yet the bodie is abandoned to idols and to the diuell But Paule sheweth that Your bodie is the member of Christ 1. Cor. 6 15. whie doo you then take it and giue it vnto an harlot But they affirme that Paule wrote that touching fornication I knowe that But the prophets in the meane time teach vs that idolatrie is the fowlest fornication of all other for Ieremie Ezechiel and other holie prophets Iere. 3 6. Ezec. 6 13. so inuesh against the Iewes and their church as they resemble the same to an harlot which vnder euerie gréene trée hath laid open hir selfe vnto idols and prophane worshippings Furthermore how vaine
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
Matt. 5 45. who maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and vpon the euill and that we are his disciples who answered his apostles when they required fire from heauen to burne the Samaritans Luke 9 54 Ye knowe not of whose spirit ye be namelie his which came not to destroie but to saue his Luke 22 51 who healed them that railed vpon him his who restored vnto Malchus his eare Matt. 26. 50 who came with the other soldiers of the chéefe rulers to take Christ his which both saluted the traitor Iudas as a friend Luke 23 43 and receiued him with a kisse finallie his Luke 23 34 which forgaue the wicked théefe and promised him eternall felicitie which praied for them that crucified him Rom. 5 8. and which of his owne accord died for his enimies It shall nothing profit thée to recompense iniuries with iniuries and taunts with taunts Thou oughtest rather to commit the matter vnto God who will be a most iust iudge and by no perturbation can be led awaie from iustice 27 Furthermore thou shouldest héereby gather that it is not lawfull to speake ill of anie man nor yet to cursse anie man For if it be forbidden to doo these things against our enimies which otherwise might séeme tollerable in mans iudgement much lesse may we suffer our selues to doo it vnto others Chrysostome How manie waies our aduersaries misreports doo benefit vs. to the intent he might persuade vs to followe these words of Paule reckoneth vp the commodities which the curssings and persecutions of aduersaries commonlie bring to the godlie First saith he they verie well helpe vs to the obteinment of the kingdome of heauen for Christ saith Matt. 5. 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And he addeth Blessed are ye verse 11. when they reuile you and persecute you speaking all manner of euill and lieng against you for my sake Be glad and reioise for your reward is great in heauen c. Besides this they are an occasion or matter of most excellent vertues for as Paule teacheth Tribulation worketh patience patience experience and experience hope Rom. 5 3. But where is the patience of the saints where is their experience where is their hope if thou take awaie the wicked enterprises of our enimies against vs Moreouer the glorie of God can by no other meanes be highlie aduanced than if we valiantlie and couragiouslie behaue our selues in those things which are to be suffred for his name sake For it is no hard matter to cleaue vnto God so long as all things go prosperouslie and quietlie with vs and as we would desire But when all maner of aduersities happen and yet we constantlie abide in his obedience this doubtlesse commeth of a manlie and stout faith And therefore I thinke Iames said that Patience hath a perfect worke Iam. 1 4. Vnlesse peraduenture a man will thus vnderstand it that perfection is not in anie worke vnlesse we perseuere in the same For when we leaue off we accomplish not the worke and so without patience it is left vnperfect Adde moreouer that by this meanes chéeflie our enimies are terrified that they procéed not to persecute vs. For when they sée that we are not mooued by their iniuries they thinke that they loose their labour and therfore they take not so great pleasure of the reproches wherewith they haue exercised vs. But if they shall perceiue vs to be vexed and to take it in ill part they will thinke that their iniuries haue taken good successe and will be afterward more bold in their wicked indeuour By this we may sée Matth. 5 11 why the Lord said Blessed are ye when men reuile you persecute you and speake all maner of euill against you falselie for my sake reioise and be glad for your reward is great in heauen This commandement of Christ the apostles executed for they returned from the presence of the Councell reioising that they were counted woorthie to be reuiled for his names sake And Paule in the first to the Corinthians saith 1. Cor. 4 12 We are euill spoken of and we blesse In Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 But this persuasion Paule did not alwaies obserue for to the Galathians he saith I would to God they were cut off Gal. 5 12. which trouble you Psal 69 12. And Dauid saith Let their table be made a snare before them let their eies be made dim that they may not see and bow downe their backs alwaies All other bookes of the prophets are euerie-where full of cursses and imprecations wherewith they cursse the enimies of the people of God Whether it be lawfull alwaies to cursse enimies Here doubtlesse in my iudgement it must be said that we ought so to deale as Paule now admonisheth so long as we haue a respect vnto our owne iniuries and that wée walke the ordinarie waie and common course whereby we are bound by loue to wish well vnto our neighbours But if so be God open vnto vs his secret will and declare what shall without doubt come to passe concerning our enimies and those which persecute vs then if we sincerelie and truelie loue him we ought vndoubtedlie to staie our selues vpon his will and counsell Howbeit this caution is added first to be fullie assured whether those things which God hath opened vnto vs perteine onelie to a threatening or else wholie to declare his determinate and assured will For where we suspect that God onelie threateneth to bring vs to repentance we ought not to cease praieng euen for the wicked Exod. 32 11 Gen. 18. So did Moses when he made supplication to God for his nation so did Abraham for the Sodomites 1. Sa. 15 11. Iere. 10 24. so did Samuel for Saule and so did Ieremie for the people But when they be out of doubt that it is the certeine and fixed will of God they doo not onelie praie against the wicked by prophesieng as thinketh Augustine against Faustus in his 16. booke and 22. chapter where he thus writeth But cursses when they are vttered by the waie of prophesie procéed not of an ill desire of him that cursseth but of the foreknowing spirit of him that denounceth them but also from the hart God now consenting therevnto and wishing the same with it Dauid when as otherwise he was so mercifull to Semei to Absolom and to Saule and to other enimies yet sometimes he so cursseth and banneth the wicked as he driueth a horror into them that read them Christ also first bewailed the infelicitie of the citie of Ierusalem Luke 19 41 for that she knew not the time of hir visitation and he saith How often would I haue gathered togither thy children as a hen dooth hir chickens vnder hir wings and thou wouldest not Howbeit euen he knowing the assured and vnmooueable will of GOD
burst foorth into these words I giue thanks vnto thee Matt. 11 25 ô father of heauen and of earth for that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to the little ones euen so Lord for that it hath so pleased in thy sight Moreouer men of God when they come to this point they haue not a respect to their owne cause neither doo regard their owne iniuries but consider that by the wicked works of the vngodlie the church of God is harmed the spirituall procéedings thereof are hindered and the course of the Gospell is letted And they most ardentlie desire that the name of God might be sanctified and his kingdome most amplie spred abroad And hereof it commeth that when the godlie praie against wicked men they persecute not their owne enimies but the enimies of God whom they wish to be most purelie worshipped Dauid sawe that he was called by God to the kingdome and vnderstood that the enterprises of the wicked were not so much repugnant to his owne dignitie as to the will of God Wherefore woorthilie in his praiers he wisheth rather that they should perish and that most vilie than that anie iot of the most iust will of God should be hindered So that both in this place and in such other like we are forbidden not onelie to cursse but also to speake euill when we be ouercome with the spites and iniuries of the wicked by whom it is not méet that wée should suffer our courage to be quailed or to be led from the rule of charitie Wherein consisteth the magnanimitie of christians Herein doubtlesse consisteth the magnanimitie of christians and their incredible valiantnes of courage not onlie not to cursse them that persecute them but also to speake well of them and to praie vnto God for them 29 Howbeit I cannot woonder enough that Thomas Aquinas should saie that by the words of Paule The error of Aquinas christians are not compelled by force of the precept to shew particularlie vnto their enimies the affect of charitie or as they vse to speake to shew signes of beneuolence vnto them except it be in case of necessitie For it is enough if they exclude them not from the generall bond of loue wherewith we ought to loue our neighbours Neither saith he is it of necessitie that we should pray peculiarlie for them But this is sufficient if we exclude them not from the common praiers which we make for all men And if anie man saith he besides the case of necessitie doo shew vnto an enimie tokens of speciall loue or doo speciallie make intercession for him that man followeth counsell but obeieth not the commandement Matt. 5 44. Rom. 12 14 Yet Christ Paule when they spake of these things taught not this distinction This doctrine doubtlesse cutteth in sunder the sinewes of christian religion it presseth downe the vehemence of Gods spirit and taketh awaie the force and sharpenesse of the lawe of God Let these men go now and crie out that we be they which dissolue the indeuour of good works and open a windowe to licentious life when as they cannot denie but that themselues are those which at their owne pleasure change the certeine and seuere commandements of God into counsels Doubtlesse Christ and Paule commanded those things and doo not giue them onelie as counsels But this is excéedinglie to be lamented that these commandements in this iron age of ours are made like the lawes of Athens For they although they were wiselie inuented and published abroad yet notwithstanding laie neglected and were euerie where of all men violated And we must thinke that this came of no other cause but that the whole iuice bloud of christian religion is in a maner dried vp Of a cursse In Iudg. 1. verse 17. Looke in 1. Cor. 16. at the end 30 The Hebrues did not vtterlie ouerthrowe destroie certeine eities which they had taken into their hands but did inhabit them Howbeit some they curssed vtterlie rooted out And their vow of the thing that was promised was called Cherem of the verbe Charam which is To wast To destroie To kill To deface To accursse The Graecians called that word Cherem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as things consecrate and put apart And it may be that they were so called bicause they were hanged vp in temples and were sequestred from the vse of men and might not be remooued from off that place Yea men were sometimes called by that word Paule in verie déed vsed that word manie times for he saith to the Galathians Let him be accurssed Gal 1. 8. Rom. 9 3. whosoeuer shall preach anie other Gospell And to the Romans he wished himselfe to be * or separated from Christ 1. Co. 16 22 accurssed for the brethren And to the Corinthians the first epistle he saith He that loueth nor the Lord Iesus let him be accurssed Maranatha where he taketh this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this word Cherem that is A thing separated and disioined altogither from the companie and vse of man so as it was vnlawfull to touch it or vse it A testimonie whereof we haue in the booke of Iosua the sixt chapter as touching the citie of Ierico Iosu 6. 17 And it séemeth that it was so accurssed bicause it was after a sort the first fruits of the cities which were taken For after that they were passed ouer Iordan it was the first that was conquered of all the cities and that by no helpe of man for that the wals thereof fell downe of their owne accord and by the will of GOD. Wherefore it was méet that the spoiles thereof should altogither be consecrated vnto God 31 But it séemeth to be vtterlie strange from the seruice of God Whether the destruction of cities belong to the seruice of God to destroie both cities and men and these things haue rather a shew of crueltie than of religion I answer that destructions indéed of their owne proper nature apperteine neither to religion nor to godlines but so farre foorth as they be referred to the glorie of God And this may happen two maner of waies as when that destruction is counted for a certeine token of the seueritie and iustice of GOD against those people whom he for their wickednesse would haue to be destroied or else as a certeine testimonie of Gods goodnesse and mercie towards the Israelites whom in that expedition he mercifullie helped Wherefore the ouerthrowing of the citie houses men and beasts did shew the iustice and seueritie of God and the consecration declared the goodnesse helpe and mercie vttered to that people Moreouer God would by that meanes prooue the obedience of his people in absteining from the spoiles which were consecrated to God For we knowe that soldiers when they haue gotten the victorie are hardlie restrained from the preie But they
of the propertie of drawing togither or of spreading abroad When the obiect which is offered shal be good the heart spreadeth it selfe abroad to receiue it but if the obiect shal be euill then the humors withdrawe themselues to the inward parts And hence procéedeth palenesse of the face and from hence arise blushings according as the bloud either retireth vnto the inward parts or else powreth out it selfe into the outward parts And thus much shall suffice as touching the cause 37 Now remaineth Whether affects be opinions that we consider of two things First that these affects be not either cogitations or opinions as the Stoiks thought them to be Secondlie that they must not be all condemned as vitious and euill First it may euidentlie be prooued in those affects that be called naturall as are hunger and thirst which affects inuade vs without anie cogitation Also who will call it a cogitation or opinion when we be afflicted with a dissolution of the whole with a breaking of the sinewes or burning by flame or fire They may as well persuade vs as touching the naturall affections of parents towards their children which are not onlie vehement in men but in brute beasts also Howbeit since the matter is plaine I thinke it néedles to stand much therevpon Now as concerning the second I will not denie Whether all affects be euill but some affects haue their faults ioined with them But I will shew that manie of them are good and that those which are euill are euill through mans fault not in their owne nature And first may we speake of the error of iudgement for we doo not alwaies iudge aright of the obiects which are before vs. That which is euill is otherwhile taken for that which is good and that which is good is estéemed to be euill But the affects as we haue declared doo accompanie the iudgements of the mind and so the fault passeth from the iudgement vnto the affect Acts. 5 51. The apostles iudged the contumelies which they suffred for the name of Christ to be honourable vnto them and therfore departed with ioie and gladnesse from the Councell But contrariwise when Dauid was driuen out of his kingdome by his sonne he sorrowed bicause he sawe that his casting foorth would be an offense vnto men which knew what God promised vnto Dauid by the prophets He sawe moreouer that these things did happen through his owne fault and sith that these were euils he could not choose but sorrowe Either of these both Dauid as the apostles iudged rightlie of the things obiected albeit in diuers maners they iudged of the things that happened Vaine men doo estéeme flatteries to be good things indéed and therefore are delighted with them Others iudge more rightlie of them for they perceiue them to be but mockeries and for that cause doo dislike of them Those that are good men doo reioise in méere vertues for they iudge rightlie of them Againe thou shalt sée others which doo hate them bicause they be infected with a corrupt iudgement so as the naughtinesse and goodnes of the affects procéedeth of the true or false iudgement concerning the things which are obiected Howbeit it is not requisite to saie that all the affects are euill bicause manie men being seduced by error doo light vpon those ill motions of the mind for they which erre not are not hurt by the affects of error Ill affects are repugnant to right reason 38 An other euill there is in the affects which in verie déed procéedeth not of error but for that there be some which are aduersaries vnto right reason such is the desire of other mens goods of murther of adulterie and such like These affects must of good right be condemned but yet for these sakes must not sentence be giuen generallie sith there be other affects which are agréeable to right reason and sound iudgement namelie loue towards vertue and hatred and anger against sinnes Good and laudable affects Which affects being agréeable to reason are not onelie honest and laudable but also verie profitable for they are giuen as certeine spurs to godlie life For it is not sufficient to knowe those things that are good but we must be earnestlie stirred vp vnto them For the affects be as it were sinewes by whose stretching foorth or shrinking in we are the earnestlier or the lightlier stirred vp Who séeth not that this is most true that anger is as it were a whetstone vnto fortitude We should be verie dull euen vnto honest actions if we had not these prouocations we should be euen as a ship in the sea destitute of wind Wherefore the nature it selfe of affects is not euill since manie of them be verie profitable and honest Vndoubtedlie God gaue the organs of these affects and he appointed humors to attend on them and knowledges to accompanie them so as it can not be denied but that they are the works of God and especiallie since he in his lawe requireth such affects For he willeth vs to loue and to feare God to loue our neighbours and seruants to feare their masters and full of such precepts are the holie scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the impassibilitie of the Stoiks must be auoided That same impassibilitie then of affects which the Stoiks would haue albeit that Basil Nazianzen and certeine other of the fathers otherwhile séeme greatlie to commend must vtterlie be refused Christ wept was sad vnto death was mooued with mercie so then he was not without affects And therefore affects are not repugnant euen to the perfection of our humane nature True it is there happen euils manie times through the fault of our corrupt nature but we must indeuor our selues to correct our vitious affects and to confirme and restore those that be good and agréeable to reason And this we read that the holie and godlie heroicall men did both in the old and in the new testament These fathers did not followe their affections as guided by them but vsed them vnto those vertues and noble acts which God commanded And it is apparant in the holie scriptures that those heroicall men were stirred vp of God with certein more vehement affections than other men are But it may be doubted of Whence it coms that there is a dissenting of the affects from reason from whence the excéeding corruptions of affects or else so great a disagréement from reason in some of them such as is the gréedie desire of other mens goods of murther rape adulterie which can not anie maner of waie be allowed had their originall Vnto which question an answer may easilie be made out of the holie scriptures bicause that By one man that is by Adams fall sinne entered into the world But the philosophers which vnderstand not this doo flie vnto temperatures of the bodie and vnto aspects and motions of the starres howbeit as the thing it selfe declareth they can not by those causes yéeld a
For euen as those things which be sodden haue a pleasant taste so haue rawe things an vnpleasantnesse ioined with them togither with a certeine taste that is horrible Those be sauage and cruell which doo torment without a cause as though they were delited with the torments of other men euen as beasts that knowe not goodnesse and honestie but haue onelie respect vnto swéetnesse and commoditie either for that the sight of bloud is delitefull or else bicause they will be fed with flesh Now since crueltie consisteth in this that therein is a going beyond the measure of right reason let vs sée whether Dauid and others haue passed the bounds of reason Certes they followed a mediocritie and those things which they did belonged vnto punishing iustice for those were woorthie of the greatest punishments Dauid followed reason but yet a diuine reason the which reason alone is called good God stirred him vp vnto these things not without a cause And it was necessarie for him since he was a grand capteine to followe that reason which God had shewed vnto him 53 That the Ammonites were most wicked men we may knowe it by manie causes First of all they against the lawe of nations shamed the ambassadors of Dauid in cutting short their beards and garments They gaue an ill iudgement of the most godlie king Dauid namelie that he had sent that ambassage with a feigned hart not to comfort the sonne of the king of the Ammonites which was dead but to destroie him Againe when the head citie was besieged and that they had slaine Vrias and other valiant men they also vaunted against God This did Nathan declare 2. Sa. 12 14. Bicause thou hast prouoked mine enimies saith he to speake euill of me the child which is borne of thee shall be slaine If God slue the child of Dauid bicause Dauid had giuen an occasion of blaspheming God how much more gréeuouslie were they to be punished which did this thing And further wheras they had doone iniuries vnto Dauid yet did they first mooue war against him And neither would they onelie hurt Dauid but they also solicited others of his subiects and tributaries to forsake him They disquieted all those regions of Syria and Mesopotamia and that which is most of all they burned their sonnes and daughters for their idoll sake which they worshipped And what maruell was it if they were throwne into the same fornaces The punishment of like for like wherein they threw their owne children This was a punishment of like for like And alwaies in those punishments which are not reprooued in the scriptures we must flie vnto this namelie that God gouerned those fathers Some to make these punishments the lesse saie that all were not so handled but the seigniors and princes onelie which were as the staie and succour of the people But Iosephus saith that they were all rid out of the waie And the scriptures also séeme to make it a generall punishment Howbeit I would thinke that some were excepted for in the 17. chapter of the second booke of Samuel we read 2. Sa. 17 37. that Sobi the sonne of king Nahas did helpe Dauid when he was driuen out of the kingdome by Absolom Wherevpon it is gathered that the one sonne of king Nahas was slaine and that the other was by Dauid made ruler of the countrie These things are not so much to be woondered at in him séeing he was a figure of the true Dauid which at the last daie shall saie vnto all men Go ye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Those punishments which God shall laie vpon the wicked in hell are not cruell They shall be as it were intollerable punishments but yet they procéed of a right punishing iustice He saith in the Gospell Matt. 25. 41. Bring ye vnto me all them which would not haue me reigne ouer them and slaie them in my sight Here let magistrates learne to haue a regard vnto right reason when the guiltie are deliuered to them to be punished It must not gréeue their mind to execute those punishments which are iust and commanded to be doone Of Enuie 54 Now come we to enuie In Iudg. 8 verse 1. the same did Cicero thinke should rather be called Inuidentia than Inuidia the which word Inuidentia we may in English call Enuieng or Enuiousnesse Wherein enuie and enuiousnes doo differ bicause among the Latinists those that are enuied are said to suffer enuie But enuieng belongeth to them which pine awaie with this kind of gréefe And therefore he thinketh that enuie or enuieng is so called bicause they which be enuious doo looke too narrowlie to other mens prosperitie Wherefore A definition of enuie enuie is a gréefe taken at the prosperitie of other men especiallie of them which haue béene of like degrée with vs. For a poore man enuieth not a king nor yet beggers noble men Enuie is of equals and such as be like vnto our selues And likenesse is considered in kindred riches beautie age wit dignitie and such like The cause of enuieng is not in respect that we be afraid of harme to come vnto vs by such men as we doo enuie for that were feare but that men of a certeine hatred and stomach cannot abide the prosperitie of others especiallie of their like and equals this worketh enuie Enuie is alwaies had in euill things and it is gréeuouslie reprehended in the holie scriptures bicause it is most plainelie repugnant vnto charitie it selfe For in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13 4. the 13. chapter the apostle said Charitie enuieth not For Paule in that place did not take this Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his proper signification But vnto the Galathians he hath more plainlie forbidden enuie Gal. 5 26. saieng Be not desirous of vaine glorie prouoking one another and enuieng one another In which place not onelie enuie is reprooued but also the mother thereof is shewed Looke In Gen. 26 24. and In 2. King 6 16. Iudg. 8 1. that is to wit the desire of glorie And this may we also note in the historie of the Iudges for the Ephraits enuied Gedeon bicause the glorie of so great a victorie séemed to haue come vnto him And this affect beareth rule in all those things wherein we desire to excell Neither yet dooth it forbeare vertues for he that is enuious would not haue his equals and such as be like vnto him to excell in anie ornament of vertue And the reason why enuie is conuersant among such as be alike is that although the prosperous fortune of our equals and them that be like vs dooth not plucke anie of our goods from vs nor maketh vs lesse than we be yet the enuious man dooth so conceiue of other mens goods as if by them his honour and dignitie his gaine and other ornaments should be diminished An enuious man is called a
that Christ was therefore come to lead vs vnto a higher philosophie The true religion he calleth philosophie to take awaie the pride of the Graecians who attributed so much vnto their philosophie Ierom. Ierom writeth héereof in diuers places to Geruntia to Eustochius and against Iouinianus And among other things he writeth that Christ was Alpha Omega Apoc. 1 8. that is The first the last And when the mater was now come to Omega that is Vnto the last the same was reuoked by Christ to Alpha that is Vnto the beginning for that it pleased God as Paule saith to the Ephesians to bring althings into one Ephe. 1. 10. restore them in Christ that such things as yet were vnperfect might be brought to perfection Vnto Eustochius he saith that the world before time was vnreplenished but when the haruest was ripe God put to his syth that is to saie he cut off such libertie The Valentinians and Martionits by reason of this fact of the old fathers accused the God of the old testament but Christ they said the sonne of the good God reuoked this sufferance of the euill god Ierom answereth We diuide not the lawe and the Gospell neither doo we set Christ against his Father but we worship one God who would haue it for that time but now hath decréed against it For that then was the time to scatter stones abroad now is the time to gather them vp then was the time of imbrasing now is the time to absteine from imbrasings Bréefelie he saith that the fathers serued their times And that that saieng Gen. 1 28. Increase and multiplie is not in the same force at this daie for in old time virginitie was reprochefull that now Paule writeth The time is but short 1. Cor. 7 29 and therefore they which haue wiues let them be as though they had none And he addeth that Christ dooth allow of them Matt. 19 12 which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauens sake Also Augustine De doctrina christiana Augustine in the third booke and 13. chapter saith that Those forefathers were so chast as if they had happened to be in our daies they would haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen These things among the fathers must be read with iudgement for their mind was by all meanes to extoll virginitie and single life In verie déed Paule praiseth virginitie yet so 1. Cor. 7 26. The reason of Pauls praising virginitie as if a man perceiue that by that meanes the kingdome of heauen may be enlarged or if by dooing otherwise it may be hindered He praiseth it I saie not as a thing which of his owne force and of it selfe pleaseth God but as a state wherin we may the more commodiouslie and readilie spred the Gospell Augustine saith that now we cannot haue manie wiues but with lust bicause it would be against lawes and customes which cannot be violated without vnlawfull lust Also against Faustus he saith Bicause it was then the maner it was no sinne but now bicause it is not the maner it is sinne Clemens Clemens in his Stromata which place I cited before when he had said that God in the lawe required polygamie added afterward that the same is not now lawfull And Iustine against Tryphon saith Iustine that now euerie one dooth reioise vnder his vine that is Euerie one hath his owne wife and that is but one onelie And he reprooueth the Rabbins who as yet gaue leaue to themselues to haue more than one Out of Origin we cannot learne anie thing for a certeintie Origin he so plaieth in his allegories and manie wiues he maketh manie vertues and he saith that he is most happie that hath manie By all these things it appéereth that polygamie is at this daie forbidden And to all these I also adde this that the Romane laws did neuer permit polygamie and it is the part of a good citizen to obeie good lawes Yea and Plutarch saith that There followed a most gréeuous disturbance of the publike weale and of the whole world when that lawe was broken For after that Antonie who alreadie had in marriage Octauia the sister of Octauius Caesar had also married Cleopatra the people tooke it in ill part and Augustus most of all so as they put themselues in armes one against another with all their indeuour and power 15 Now must I confute those arguments An answer vnto the reasons making for polygamie To the first reason which we brought at the beginning for polygamie Abraham saie they and other fathers were holie men and had manie wiues Here might I make answer at a word that we must liue by lawes and not by examples But I adde moreouer that God either willed it or bare with it It is therefore a paralogisme A paralogisme or false argument A secundum quid ad simpliciter that is when that which is but in some respect is put for that which is absolute God dispensed with them will he therefore with vs also Or else it was a good thing in them is it therfore good of it selfe But the prophets reprooued not that fact To the second What maruell is it For they sawe it was either licenced by God or else doubtlesse permitted Howbeit A paralogisme here there is a false argument when that which is not the cause is put for the cause séeing it was permitted them for propagation or for figure sake Now there is no néed either of so populous a propagation or else of such a figure To the third They repented not It is no maruell bicause no man can repent him of the fact which he is ignorant of For it was a tollerable ignorance or else that which I rather beléeue they sawe it was lawfull for them GOD gaue the wiues of Saule into the bosome of Dauid 2. Sam. 12 8 It was lawfull insomuch as he had dispensed with his lawe To the fourth Or if anie man will saie that God permitted that vnto Dauid onelie this is the meaning namelie that God gaue the kingdome vnto Dauid then it followed that he might marrie the wiues of Saule if he would sith no man could then let him But the first answer pleaseth me better To the fift God made no lawe against polygamie And no maruell for his will was that that people should mightilie increase Afterward by Christ he reuoked it to the first institution So that which was wanting in Moses is supplied by Christ A brother although he had a wife yet he was compelled to marrie the wife of his brother that was dead To the sixt The case is particular and prerogatiues must not be drawne vnto examples God would haue that to be doone for certeine causes not onelie in the lawe but also before the lawe as appéereth by the children of Iuda and his daughter in lawe Thamar Moreouer the Rabbins saie
if it had béene said Let them be accurssed And againe he answereth to the other two things touching restitution and penance and saith that she which is taken awaie ought not to be restored but it is sufficient if he satisfie the father by some means although she be not deliuered into his hands euen as in theft it is not alwaies of necessitie that things taken awaie should be restored but sometimes it is sufficient that the wrong be recompensed either by a price or by a bond But concerning penance he saith The raptor if he contract without it he sinneth indéed but yet after he hath contracted the matrimonie is firme Lastlie he saith that the canons which decrée to the contrarie either be abrogated or else speake of spouses After this sort Thomas Caietanus the Diuines Ecclesiastiks and Canonists trifle among themselues and plaie the parasites with the Pope their god 33 Now I will declare what the holie scriptures doo determine hereof What the scriptures determine hereof or what they will haue vs to iudge of the same The first place is out of Genesis the sixt chapter where it is written Gen. 6 2. The sonnes of God seeing the daughters of men that they were faire tooke them to wiues such as they liked I know there are brought sundrie expositions of this place Some interpret The sonnes of God to be angels which being inflamed with the beautie of faire women had fellowship with them This exposition cannot agrée for séeing that angels haue no bodies they cannot burne in such lusts Others vnderstand by The sonnes of God those which came of Sâ—h and were brought vp in the true worshipping of God who being ouercome with beautie and fairenesse contracted matrimonie with the daughters of Caine that is with idolaters and infidels Whereby there now remained nothing sound and perfect and therefore God sending a floud destroied the whole world The Chalde interpretor The Chalde interpretor saith that the children of GOD were mightie men and magistrates who when they had taken to wiues the daughters of base men all things were fraughted with vices Here doo I sée that rapt was committed which thing the Chalde paraphrast hath signified whose authoritie among the Hebrues is incredible And certeinlie Moses saith not that they desired these wiues of their parents but onelie tooke them whom they liked best By that place may easilie be noted the course and as it were the degrée of mans wickednesse For first they sawe and then they desired and at the last they violentlie tooke awaie Neither were they won by their maners but onelie by the beautie of the bodie wherefore God punished that sinne by a floud And although there were manie other sinnes in men yet this one is expressed with an emphasis Gen. 34 2. Besides in the 34. chapter of the same booke Sichem the sonne of Hemor did violentlie take awaie Dina the daughter of Iacob but what end came of that violent taking awaie it is not now néedfull to declare But the cause whie Dina was violentlie taken awaie was hir curiositie The maiden would go foorth and vnderstand the maners of other women Curiositie was a hurt to hir then and also will be a hurt alwaies vnto women Looke In Gen. 34 at the beginning For if it were hurtfull vnto the familie of Iacob being so great a patriarch for a maiden to wander abrode how much more dangerous is it for other families which are not so holie nor acceptable vnto God But the nature of women is greatlie infected with this vice Titus 2 5. And therefore Paule to Titus admonisheth women to loue their husbands to bring vp their children and to be biders at home 1. Tim. 5 13. And to Timothie when he intreateth of wanton and yoong widowes They wander abroad saith he and runne from house to house and at the last go after Sathan Yea and these virgins of whom there is mention made in the 21. chapter of Iudges verse 21 when they wandered abroad through the vineyards and gaue themselues idelie vnto dansings were intercepted by the Beniamits Some will saie verse 7. that the brethren of Dina oppressed the Hemorhits by guile It is true indéed but when they were reprooued of their father they said Ought they to haue doone nebata that is a foolish and wicked thing in Israel And that Dina was taken awaie not willinglie but against hir will héereby appeareth bicause it is written that Sichem after he had oppressed hir spake vnto hir hart Which signifieth no other thing than that he would by flatterie haue comforted hir But it may séeme to be a maruell The Beniamits did not properlie commit rapt that these Beniamits were not punished for their rauine And yet we must consider that they did not properlie commit rauine bicause they led awaie the maidens not onelie by their owne counsell but also by the will of the elders What vnluckie ends haue come of raptings Otherwise true and proper rauine hath alwaies had an vnluckie end Io was led awaie by the Phoenicians Europa by the men of Creta Medea by Iason and Helen by Paris All which violent takings aawaie stirred vp discords and wars and also the ouerthrowes of publike weals and kingdoms Also the Sabine women while they would be curious beholders of publike games were caught by the Romans Whereof followed such wars as both nations were in a maner destroied Liuie Augustine as Titus Liuius and Augustine De ciuitate Dei doo write Séeing then God will not haue such wicked acts vnpunished it is méet that from hence foorth we auoid such matrimonies I am not of the mind to denie that matrimonis which haue béene hitherto after that sort contracted are no matrimonies at all For it is not my meaning to bring a confusion of things But these two points I affirme first that in contracting there is sinne especiallie if it be doone against the will of the parents further that those lawes whereby such matrimonies are permitted must be corrected that héereafter it may not be lawfull to doo the like For we sée that the order which God hath set is peruerted when as the parents are neglected by whose counsels matrimonies should be contracted And by this means yong men are incouraged to violent taking awaie séeing they hope that they shall marrie the wiues whom they violentlie take awaie Besides that which I speake is agréeable with the lawes of God with the lawe of nature and with the ciuill lawes Wherefore let the Canonists and Schoole-men take héed how they iudge the contrarie VVhether marriages be lawfull betweene persons of diuers religions In 1. Kings at the beginning 34 There be which defend this kind of marriages and affirme that they be lawfull For although God in the 23. of Exodus verse 32. in the seuenth of Deuteronomie verse 3. and in manie other places forbad the contracting of them that saie they must be
alledged De frigidis maleficiatis Howbeit there be some which saie If he can find anie that will haue him to hir husband so he make knowne this imperfection hée may contract matrimonie with hir But what maner of marriage will that be when it is doone neither for procreation of children neither for auoiding of whooredome Vnto this they answer according to the saieng of Augustine which we read in the 27. cause question the first in the chapter Nuptâ—arum and it is written in the eight chapter De bono conâ—ugali In the old time marriage was an obedience of the lawe now it is for the redresse of our infirmitie and for the comfort of mankind But the place is ambiguous for the comfort of mankind may haue a respect vnto procreation of children sith thereby the parents conceiue no small pleasure wherin they delite themselues Howbeit at this daie they admit this kind of marriage and there be manie found which doo peaceablie liue togither They which intreat of these things haue considered that there is a great difference betwéene coldnesse and old age And they define that old age must neuer be driuen from marriage A lawe that forbad old age to marrie In ancient time was made the lawe called Papia or Papaea vnder Tiberius Caesar whereof Tranquillus in Claudio maketh mention and so dooth Lactantius whereby it was prouided that they which were past thrée score yéeres of age should not marrie wiues and that the women should not be married which did excéed the age of fiftie yéeres But these lawes were abolished by Iustinian as is to be found in the Code De nuptijs in the lawe Sancimus For this coldnesse is not in all persons alike Howbeit neither the lawes of emperours nor of bishops gaue libertie to them which were gelded men indéed to marrie Yet it behooueth that that coldnesse or diuelish practises which may dissolue matrimonie shuld be perpetuall For skilfull men doo sometime make a remedie for things which hurt but for a time Besides this it is necessarie Which be the verie impediments of matrimonie that the impediment be before the contracting of matrimonie for if they once become one flesh marriage is not vndoone Of this matter also wrote the Maister of the sentences in the fourth booke the 34. distinction 74 Now remaineth that we intreat particularlie of the matrimonie of Dauid And this will we first note that he was not mooued vnto that marriage of his owne accord neither of lust or of naughtie desire but by the aduise of his noble men and by the prudent counsell of physicians Neuerthelesse thou wilt saie that a naughtie aduise and a wicked must not be admitted This in verie déed is true but in this matter so far as may appéere neither lewdnes of mind nor naughtie desire can be prooued First old age nothing hindered but that the king might contract matrimonie who perhaps also was thought that as touching coldnesse he might be restored although not to the strength which he was woont to haue yet so as should be fit for his old bodie Certeinlie Abraham was restored when he was an hundred yéeres of age so that after the death of Sara he married another and by hir he did beget children Neither was there wanting naturall helps to Dauid wherewith the physicians thought they might restore him Moreouer if they declared vnto the damsell the old mans impediment and the same being knowen she gaue hir consent she susteined no iniurie It might be added that hir mind was persuaded by God that she should consent for the benefit of the whole kingdome Notwithstanding if she were mooued thereto by ambition the counsell had not béene good But to iudge rashlie of these points it standeth neither with our godlinesse nor yet with our authoritie Séeing these things might be doone of a sincere mind and by the will of GOD I thinke they ought rather to be taken in good part This dooth the historie teach that this damsell was not long with the king bicause within a while after he died howbeit his life which was verie necessarie for the Common-weale was prolonged for a while Yet thus much I will admonish that we néed not labour so much to excuse the fathers of blame who also ought not to be charged vnlesse the historie compell therevnto Neither will we passe it ouer that GOD vsed the occasion of this damsell to oppresse Adonias 1. King 2 17 and to establish the kingdome of Salomon The eleuenth Chapter Of Whoredome fornication adulterie and other noisome things which are contrarie to the seuenth commandement NOw I thinke it good to speake somwhat of whordome or fornication In Iud. 16 verse 4. For as there were manie in old time so now there are not a few which affirme that it is no sinne But I will prooue by the scriptures and by most certeine reasons that it is a gréeuous sinne They which extenuate this wicked crime doo ground vpon diuers arguments verse 20. First in the Acts of the apostls the 15. chapter when in those first times there arose a dissention among the Iewes and the Graecians it was by common assent decréed that the Ethniks should absteine from bloud from strangled from things offered vnto idols and from fornication Héere saie they whoredome is reckoned among those things which in their owne nature are not sinnes wherefore it appéereth that of it selfe it is not sinne For these things were then for a time decréed by the apostles that Christians might liue peaceablie together For No creature of God is euill as Paule vnto Timothie saith 1. Tim. 4 4. Furthermore they saie God would not command that which of it selfe is sinne but he bad Oseas the prophet to take vnto him an harlot Ose 2 1. and to beget children of fornication so that of it owne nature it séemeth not to be euill Moreouer euerie sinne is against charitie either against that charitie which we owe vnto God or else that which we owe vnto our neighbour But in whoredome or fornication there séemeth to be nothing committed against God for his honour and religion is not hurt neither also against our neighbour for there is no violence vsed against his wife neither is there anie wrongfull oppression committed Augustine Moreouer Augustine in his booke De bono coniugali writeth that as meate is vnto the bodie so is the bed for procreation But if a man eate and drinke a litle more than he ought he is not accused of sinne so likewise if a man doo straie a litle in the companie of women he is not to be iudged guiltie of sinne Lastlie those things which God hath forbidden as sinnes are so plaine and manifest that euen by the light of nature euerie one may vnderstand them to be sinnes but fornication in mans iudgement is not so accounted and manie thinke that it is no sinne Mitio in the Comedie in Terence saith Beléeue me it is no wicked
oftentimes made woorse And besides that also such superfluitie might serue to reléeue other poore folks also 9 Neither saith he Giuing or bestowing In giuing of almes is a certeine communicating Esaie 2 3. Iohn 4 22. but Communicating bicause in almes giuing there is a certeine communicating For if we speake of the poore which were at Ierusalem the Gentiles had receiued at their hands spirituall things For the word of the Lord came out of Sion and the lawe of God out of Ierusalem and saluation from the Hebrues Séeing out of that nation were appointed preachers of the Gospell to preach vnto the whole world Therefore Paule in the second to the Corinths the eight chapter saith That your abundance maie releeue their want and that on the other side verse 23. their abundance may releue your want But if we speake of other poore folkes euen when we helpe them with our almes there redoundeth vnto vs no small commoditie or profit For Christ warned as we read in Luke Luke 16 â— Make you freends of vnrighteous mammon that when you faile they maie receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles But what if the poore be euill and they also excluded from the kingdome of heauen These things are to be vnderstood not of the men but of the works But by this meanes also followeth another absurditie That by the vertue of our works we should obteine the kingdome of God I answer As we denie that works are the causes of eternall life so likewise we denie not that God rewardeth the good works of the faithfull A reward of almes deeds Rom. 2 6. which are now regenerate by Christ since we know that He will iudge euerie man according to his works For he will saie I was hungrie Matt. 25 35 and ye fed me I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye harboured me The kingdome of God is giuen for election and for she promises sake which the saints receiue by faith But bicause those things are hidden from mans eies therefore are good works brought foorth which are the proper and manifest effects both of our faith and Gods election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Giuing our selues saith he to hospitalitie This is not spoken without a great emphasis To follow hospitalitie is more than to keep hospitalitie Gen. 18 2. Looke in Iud. 9 11. for it is a greater matter to pursue hospitalitie than onelie to be hospitall For Abraham expected not till strangers came home to him to desire to be receiued and to desire lodging but going of his owne accord out of his tent he looked round about to sée if he could espie anie stranger whom he might receiue into his house And if he sawe anie he ran vnto him and praied him not to passe by his house If I haue found fauour saith he in your eies I beseech you turne in vnto your seruant Gen. 19 2. And the same diligence and mind was in Lot and well nigh in all the fathers Paule in these words chargeth vs not with anie vile and vndecent works but with verie honorable and excellent works Hospitality becommeth a noble man For there was neuer anie noble man or notable prince but that he was desirous to doo good vnto others and was carefull ouer strangers Titus Vespasian when he called to remembrance at night that he had doone no good turne vnto anie man would with heauines saie Fréends we haue lost this daie And Christ saith that The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them and they which haue power ouer them are called gratious in Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ethniks also saie that GOD hath a care ouer strangers and therfore they worshipped Iupiter Xenius who had a care regard of strangers This propertie of GOD Homer describeth in the second booke of his Odysses And Virgil verie aptlie saith Iupiter was a keeper of hospitalitie Iupiter hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur that is For men saie that thou O Iupiter giuest right vnto strangers And the naturall affection toward citizens commonlie stirreth euerie man that if he méet a stranger and one that is néedie he will to his power helpe him and prouide harbour for him Euen so in like manner if peraduenture the saints which as touching the eternall countrie are our citizens doo come vnto vs we ought to helpe them and gentlie to interteine them 10 But bicause that Iahel séemed to haue violated the lawes and couenant of hospitalitie it is a doubt In Iudg. 4 verse 22. Whether Iâ—hel did right in violating the laws of hospitalitie whether we should condemne hir or quit hir Howbeit bicause all controuersie dependeth not a little of the circumstances of the persons we will therefore set hir before our eies and consider with our selues what manner of men the Kenites in the fourth of Iudges were They assuredlie in bloud were ioined with the Israelits Who the Kenits were for they were the posteritie of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses Moreouer they perfectlie agréed with the Hebrues in the exercise of godlinesse and in the lawe of God Neither was their faith idle but effectuall and working for they leauing their countrie followed the Israelits through the desert and God which was their guide through the wildernesse Wherfore at the length when the lands were distributed they obteined inheritance togither with them in the land of Chanaan For these causes if Iahel went about to set the Iewes at libertie she did but hir duetie neither did she take vpon hir anie other mans office On the other part let vs consider of Sisara Who Sisara was He was an oppressor of the people of God and now slaine by the power of God and vtterlie confounded neither appeared there in him anie token of repentance but he would rather hide himselfe to the intent that he escaping this so present a danger might againe gather a new host against the Israelites In déed after a sort he was in league with Heber the Kenite yet as it is to be thought with no sincere hart but onlie to plucke him away from the rest of the Iewes whereby he might haue the fewer enimies and not be compelled to fight with so manie enimies at one time or else to get of him a great tribute or some other commoditie which he looked for Furthermore in this his misfortune he calleth vpon no God he desireth not the helpe of other mens praiers but onelie séeketh lurking places where he might hide himselfe till such time as the rage and heate of the conquerors were somwhat slaked and onelie trusted vnto the helpes and aliance made with men By these things it easilie appeareth that Iahel did hir dutie and Sisara deserued to be slaine 11 But as touching the lawes of hospitalitie The lawes of hospitalitie ought ordinarilie to be kept iuiolated Gen. 19 8. we also iudge that they by themselues and of their
inquire either what is doone or what maie come to passe And suspicion is an obscure knowledge of some euill at hand from whence springeth feare And malicious men and old men and those which are often hurt and enimies are soone brought into suspicion And sometimes the causes of suspicious are iust as in the Digests De suspectis tutoribus curatoribus He is suspected who is such in manners And albeit that he be not such a one indéed yet it sufficeth if he séeme to be such a one For though that Dauid were no traitour yet by that report 1. Sam. 2 19. which commonlie went of him to wit that he was a traitour and desired the kingdome the Philistines did wiselie who thought good to beware of him In déed we cannot auoid it but but that suspicions will sometimes arise in our minds séeing they be not in our power We must not giue place to our suspicions Augustine but we must not rashlie assent vnto them or iudge by them Augustine in the 54. epistle to Macedonius Men saith he of a certeine selfe-loue are easilie lead to iudge insomuch as euerie man is a friend to his owne cogitations and thinketh that he dooth suspect wisely Yet saith he nothing must héerein be doone rashlie though the cause maie séeme neuer so probable for euen manie things are credible and yet false and againe manie things are incredible and yet true But thou wilt saie What if a man be a gouernour of a church or of the common-weale shall he not prouide in time if he suspect anie euill to be at hand What is lawfull in suspicion He ought no doubt but yet without hatred or harme of another man So iudges must beware that vpon light suspicion they disturbe no man for poore wretches being oftentimes ouercome with griefe in punishments doo confesse those things which they neuer thought The suspicions of the Philistines arose not of weightie but euen of probable causes therefore they commanded not Dauid either to be troubled or put to death but onelie to be sent awaie And this Dauid gained by fléeing vnto Achis that although he were had in honour yet he came into suspicion of treason Wherefore we must neuer depart to the enimies of the faith sith that had neuer good successe For admit thou canst persuade the prince that thou art a good man yet shalt thou neuer persuade the multitude And thus much by the waie Of mocking and tawnting In 1. kin 18 verse 17. 13 By the mocking wherewith Elias mocked the worshippers of Baal it appeareth that godlie and sincere men maie vse pleasant dissimulation What maner of mockings be lawfull Looke in 1. Sam. 22 verse 16. wittie conceits proper nips and merie speaches so they vse them not to satisfie reuenge and hatred against their enimies but for the condemning and disallowing of wicked religion The sense of these signes is perceiued rather by pronuntiation than by words The imitation of this kind did Paule vse when in the epistle to the Colossians he saith vnder the person of the false prophets Touch not taste not handle not verse 12. How pleasantlie dooth Esaie in the 44. chapter deride the idoll-maker bicause of the one halfe of a trée he maketh a fire to warme himselfe and to séeth his meate and with the rest of the blocke he frameth an image before which he afterward falleth downe giueth honour vnto it worshippeth it calleth vpon it and serueth it The whole chapter The same did Baruch the scribe of Ieremie in the sixt chapter he pleasantlie mocked the idols Elias by that wittie mirth of his taught that Baal was no god that he heard not felt not nor regarded anie maner of thing So then scornings mockings may sometimes serue verie fitlie for the prophets and ministers of the word of God For how could men be more plainlie taught that they lost their labor in worshipping of Baal Howbeit Paule in writing to the Ephestians séemeth to forbid this kind of talke in Christians Let there not be in you saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Ephe. 5 4. filthie and fowle communication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fond foolish words and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Vrbanitie and pleasant iesting which otherwise is counted a vertue wherby those that he sad in sicknesse are some times chéered vp bicause it must not be taken for sin when it perteines to charitie But it must be vnderstood that Paule in that place by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dooth note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is scurrilitie whereby scoffes and railing speaches be rashlie cast out against others rather with offense vnto the godlie hearers than with anie edifieng It is not lawfull for Christians to trifle vnaduisedlie Of Deceipt or Guile 14 To speake first of the word In Iudg. 3◠That which among the Latins is Dolus that is Deceipt the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that their word and ours is almost all one but the Hebrues call it Mirmah or Remijah Further let vs vnderstand that guile is there forbidden where anie thing lieth secret which is hidden least the fraud appeare or be easilie séene Wherefore Plautus said Plautus Guiles vnlesse they be couered by craft they be no guiles Thus much as touching the name Now let vs come to the definition A definition of guilt Seruius In the Digests De dolo malo in the first lawe Seruius the lawier thus defined ill guile or collusion namelie to be a subtill inuention or deuise to deceiue another when as one thing is doone and another feigned Wheresoeuer therefore there is guile there is deceit by some dissimulation It is true in déed that Labeo an interpretor of the lawe Labeo reprooued the definition brought by Seruius and that by two reasons Whereof one is that sometime it may happen that a man shall be beguiled without dissimulation or collusion Wherfore the definition should be more strict than that which is defined But this all men account as a fault The other is bicause otherwhiles some by dissimulation doo saue and defend their owne or other mens and yet therby doo beguile no man neither doo they hurt anie man So then the definition must be applied vnto other things besides that which is defined which also is culpable For which cause he thus defineth it Another definition of guile Ill guile or collusion is all maner of craft deceit or subtiltie doone to beguile delude and deceiue others Vlpian in the same place Vlpian alloweth the opinion of Labeo But hauing the authoritie of so great a clarke I would saie that Labeo did not well in remoouing dissimulation from the nature of fraud And as touching the first argument which he hath I denie that which he affirmeth namelie that men can be circumuented without dissimulation For vnlesse they were wholie without sense they would not easilie be led to take and
expoundeth of those which vow vnto God certeine sharpe and hard things which serue to the subduing of the flesh change not that which they haue promised But the sentence me thinketh séemeth more plaine if it be largelie taken namelie of an oth that is hurtfull vnto vs which a good and godlie man will not breake or change Ierom. Ierom also vpon Ezechiel the 17. chapter is of this opinion For there the Lord saith that he was verie angrie with Zedechias verse 15. bicause he brake the oth which he had made with Nabuchadnezar king of Babylon For though the Iewes counted him as an enimie yet as Ierom declareth he was now a friend when he had by oth promised his faith vnto Zedechias Séeing it belongeth vnto friends one to be faithfull vnto another so as euill guile ought not there to haue béene vsed Augustine And Augustine in the 32. cause question the first the chapter Noli existimare writing vnto Bonifacius admonished him to kéepe faith euen with his enimie Ambrose Ambrose also in the 22. cause question the fourth the chapter Innocens dooth so aduise And the same sentence he hath in his booke De officijs where he bringeth the example of Iosua Iosua 9 4. towards the Gabaonites who notwithstanding that he ought to haue made the oth void and of no force yet by the consent of God he caused it to be kept and ratified Neither suffered he the Gabaonites to be slaine whom neuerthelesse he punished bicause of the guile which they vsed But if an oth be giuen for fulfilling of an vniust or vngodlie thing An oth giuen for an vniust cause must be cut off it must wholie be made frustrate bicause an oth ought not to be a bond of iniquitie Neither is it necessarie therevnto that anie man should come before a iudge to be absolued of this kind of oth Which I therefore speake bicause the Pope claimeth this right to himselfe namelie to release such kind of oths and as they commonlie saie to dispense with them As it appéereth in the 15. cause question the sixt where Nicholas absolueth the bishop of Triers The Pope cutteth off oths both lawfull and vnlawfull And his pride and arrogancie hath now at length brought his lawe and power to that passe that he not onelie breaketh vnlawfull oths but also abrogateth iust and lawfull oths when it séemeth good to himselfe So Pope Zacharie loosed the French men from their oth wherein they were bound vnto their king and he deposed the king from his kingdome and placed Pipin in his stéed But this is not to be maruelled at A prouerbe in the court of Rome séeing it is commonlie said at this daie in the Court of Rome that It is not méet for kings and great personages but for merchants to kéepe their oths 19 So then if there be an oth made guile must not be vsed vnlesse perhaps the one partie to whom the oth is made shall first depart from couenants and conditions for then the common saieng must take place He that breaketh faith let faith also be broken with him Wherefore Ierom to Nepotianus Ierom. commendeth the saieng of Domitius the Orator vnto Philip Séeing thou accountest not me for a Senator I also doo not take thée for a Consul But hereof we haue testimonies also in holie scriptures For Paule in the first to the Corinthians the seuenth chapter as touching faith giuen in matrimonie writeth that If an infidell depart verse 15. let him depart a brother or a sister is not in subiection vnto such but God hath called vs in peace And those things which are alledged of an oth I vnderstand them to be of like force in promises and couenants In which promises and couenants I affirme that iust and godlie men ought both to vse simple and plaine words A sophisticall act of the Thracians and also to liue with a good conscience The Thracians therfore are iustlie and woorthilie condemned who after truce had béene made to continue for the space of thirtie daies robbed spoiled by night excusing their act in that that their truce was made for the daie and not for the night Neither did the legat of the Romans plainlie A guile of the Romane legat against Antiochus but subtilie with Antiochus who hauing decréed that she one halfe of the ships should be giuen vnto the Romans and the other halfe vnto the king commanded them all in verie déed to be diuided and cut in sunder But he did it to the end the king might be vtterlie destitute of a nauie for the warres Therefore whatsoeuer a godlie man will promise he ought déeplie to weigh with him selfe before hand whether he be able to stand to his words and promises Ierom. Wherefore Ierom hath written vnto Celantia Whatsoeuer thou speakest thinke that thou hast sworne it 20 As touching the end of the question there remaine certeine doubts to be examined that the thing maie be the more manifest First if a man promise armor and succour to anie man for the space of thrée or foure yéeres and in the meane time hée becommeth a traitour to his countrie and maketh warre against it whether in this case he ought to performe his faith or else by euill guile to breake it I answer that neither in this case nor in the like is faith to be kept séeing as it is euident a mischéeuous act happeneth in the meane time which with a safe conscience we may not aid And in verie déed neither euill guile or periurie is here committed For he which hath sworne is not changed but he is changed An oth dissolueth not former bonds to whom the oth was made For oths can plucke away or diminish nothing of those bonds which went before Séeing then euerie man is bound to the word of God and to the preseruation of his countrie before he take any oth that which afterward is sworne must be vnderstood conditionallie that if the first bonds be kept vnuiolate The same also must take place in vowes that be vowed For although a man vow sole life yet forsomuch as he was before bound to the word of God wherein it is said that It is better to marrie 1. Cor. 7 9. than to burne and They which cannot keepe themselues chast let them marrie he dooth not take awaie the first bond for the vow which followeth Wherefore if he can not kéepe himselfe chast or if he burne he ought by the commandement of GOD to marrie Neither can any oth or vow that happeneth herein take awaie the power and force of the commandement of God Whether faith must be kept with Heretiks 21 Another doubt commeth to my remembrance touching those princes which haue giuen their publike faith and safe conduct vnto heretikes for their comming vnto Councelles or to conferences whether they ought to stand to their promises or else violating their oth to kéepe still the
is applied vnto the thing signified In the desert God would haue this meat to be giuen vnto the Hebrues first to declare his power to wit that Man liueth not by bread onelie Deut. 8 3. but is nourished by euerie thing which God hath commanded man to eat Moreouer his mind was to win authoritie to Moses Aaron least that people should thinke themselues to be deceiued by them for they began alredie to suspect the same But meat being giuen in such sort it caused the promise and will of GOD to be beléeued Wherefore Moses and Aaron were no more suspected of falsehood Moreouer God shewed himselfe most readie of performing his couenant wherein he promised to be their God that is to helpe them so often as they should haue néed Lastlie he would teach all vs that beléeue in him that we shall not be forsaken of him when we followe our vocation By this means the promise of Christ is performed Matt. 6 33 First seeke ye the kingdome of God and these things shall be giuen vnto you They followed GOD when he called and he forsooke them not And so he will in like maner not forsake vs. Thou maist adde out of the saieng of Paule that God prouided not onelie that they should haue meat but also a sacrament Ambrose writing vpon this place saith that Manna had a figure of this mysterie which we receiue in remembrance of the Lord. Where he verie well admonisheth that as we now in the Eucharist beare in remembrance the Lords death that is past so in Manna and in other sacrifices of the old fathers the same death was shadowed to come Moreouer he writeth that this Manna was giuen on the Lords daie Which I knowe not how he can prooued 20 But when as Paule saith In 1. Cor. 10 6. and 11. These things were our figures or examples manie doo infer vpon these words that the sacraments of the old fathers were shadowes of our sacraments yet not all one with them Although forsooth it might not be that they were both figures of our sacraments and had also all one thing with them Assuredlie both the one and the other may be for there can be no other matter of the sacraments appointed than Christ himselfe whom Paule in expresse words affirmeth that the forefathers had But they might be called shadowes of our sacraments bicause they did not so manifestlie and cléerelie expresse the mysteries of mans saluation as ours doo Againe there is obiected against vs a place out of the epistle to the Colossians where after Paule had reckoned vp those things Col. 2 17. which perteined vnto the old testament he addeth Which are shadowes of things to come but the bodie is of Christ Herevnto I answer that the sacraments of the forefathers of right may be called shadowes and figures if thou respect those things which were performed at their time appointed I meane the death passion of Christ all which things were there represented to be exhibited Yet neuerthelesse they offered in the meane time vnto the fathers these things to be receiued by faith so far foorth as was sufficient for their saluation Thou maist adde moreouer that those sacraments were sometime to be abrogated also that ours shall not giue place vnto latter sacraments Further that the same which is abrogated and made void may haue the effect of a shadow which is past but those things that be firme and durable séeing they be sound are compared to the bodie Howbeit thou oughtest to vnderstand that the abrogating of the sacraments of the forefathers is onelie touching the signes Lastlie when thou shalt read among the fathers that the sacraments of the forefathers are so compared with ours that they are said to be deliuered out of Aegypt and we from our sinne that they obteined the land of Chanaan and we the kingdome of heauen they temporall kingdoms and we grace and the holie spirit and such like things thou must vnderstand that these men of God ment the things which the old Iewes had outward and visible and that our men doo compare them to spirituall heauenly gifts Not as though these things were not among the Iewes in times past but bicause in the old testament those spirituall gifts were folden vp in these externe and temporall things Neither yet doo they speake on this wise as though no temporall and visible things were extant among vs but bicause we haue those spirituall things more expressed and larger intreated of in the new testament the outward things doubtlesse as concerning the signes far fewer and as touching the promises verie much streictened Chrysostome in an Homilie which he wrote particularlie of these words of Paule Chrysostome which we haue now in hand compareth the old sacraments with the new by a certeine similitude after this maner A painter that is to expresse a king A similitude of a Painter with his horsemen and his enimies ouercome in triumph while the worke is yet rude or vnpolished he draweth his lines but slight and obscure The which neuerthelesse doo conteine the whole that was deuised to be doone and yet the same things so painted are not discerned but of them that be verie skilfull But afterward when he hath laid it ouer with flourishing and goodlie colours all things are manifest and are made euident and easie to be knowne of all them that haue accesse therevnto Wherefore he compareth the sacraments of the old fathers vnto the first portraiture and our sacraments vnto the latter so that as in each similitude one thing is conteined although there happen some difference as touching the apparant shew obscuritie euen so in each kind of sacraments there is an equalitie with some difference 21 But againe In Rom. 8 verse 15. bicause héere séemeth to be signified a difference of the old and new testament in these words For yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father it shall not be amisse to sée with what spirit we are now led in the Gospell Vndoubtedlie Chrysostome vpon this place writeth diuerse things as touching that matter wherevnto I cannot assent For first hée dooth affirme that the Iewish people in olde time had not the holie Ghost But séeing hée saith that the apostle in this place maketh expresse mention of the spirit he saith that he dooth this bicause the lawe of the forefathers being giuen by the spirit of God was therefore called spirituall and forsomuch as those men were instructed by that lawe therefore mention is here made of the spirit And although in the tenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 3. those fathers are said to haue eaten one and the selfe-same spirituall meat and to haue droonke one and the selfe-same drinke of the spirituall rocke yet will not Chrysostome grant that they were partakers of the spirit but he saith that those things
were for the spirit of Christ in what case they stood concerning the spirit of Christ that I thinke may be thus answered to wit if we diuide the Iewes into thrée sundrie parts For some of them were vtterlie wicked and vngodlie which besides name habitation and outward circumcision had nothing common with the people of God These men I grant be vtterlie void of the spirit of Christ yea rather they liued vnder the spirit of sathan On the other side there were some excellent and holie men as Dauid Ezechias Iosias Elias Daniel and manie such other like whom we can by no meanes denie but that they had the spirit of the Gospell although as the time required they were compelled to obserue manie ceremonies and rites perteining vnto the lawe Againe there be some others which were weake who although they cannot be compared with those whom we haue mentioned yet forsomuch as they being godlie beléeued in the Messias to come were by that faith iustified we ought not to thinke that they were strangers frō the spirit of Christ although by reason of their imperfection the lawe challenged great power ouer them And they were with others as those times required compelled to be subiect vnto infinite ceremonies And this is the reason whie the old fathers are said to haue liued vnder the lawe and vnder the spirit of bondage They had not the sacraments of their saluation so manifest and cléere as ours now are neither had they the mysteries of Christ so commonlie reuealed as we now haue in the Gospell Wherefore although amongst vs are manie wicked men and a great number of weake ones yet are we said to be deliuered from the lawe both bicause we be deliuered from ceremonies and for that we haue the sacraments and mysteries of saluation obteined through Christ made more cléere and more manifest than theirs commonlie were Paule also calleth the old fathers litle ones for that they liued vnder tutors and gouernours and were instructed of the lawe as of a schoolemaister And when they are called seruants we ought to vnderstand that they were profitable seruants For such seruants beare great goodwill and loue to their maisters and are persuaded that that which is to the honour of their maister shall also turne to their owne honour But lewd seruants neuer refraine from vices neither doo they anie thing well vnlesse they be by stripes compelled These their two titles which I haue mentioned Gala. 3 24. and 4 1. Paule ioineth togither in the epistle to the Galathians For thus he saith The heire so long as he is a little one liueth vnder tutors and gouernors and differeth nothing from a seruant when as yet he is lord of all By which words he declareth that the elect of God amongst the old fathers were in verie déed heirs although considering the time they were as little ones vnder the forme of seruants kept vnder the schooling of the lawe and elements of this world Thus I thinke is to be thought of the old fathers 26 But now let vs diligentlie examine those things which we touched a little before In 1. Sam. 2 verse 10. namelie that our minds must be lifted vp from temporall things vnto eternall and heauenlie things sith in this mortall life we be sometimes deliuered from afflictions yet vnperfectlie For by Christ we be alloted vnto righteousnes and vnto manie excellent gifts of God but yet we possesse all those gifts of God vnperfectlie But when the horne of Christ shall be exalted as speaketh Anna then shall all these things at length be fullie perfect in vs and that shall then be Luke 1 69 when the Lord shall iudge all the ends of the earth 1. Cor. 15 24. and when as Paule saith he shall deliuer the kingdome vnto God and the father But this kind of exposition will some saie is not proper séeing it sauoureth of an allegorie and that it ought not to be the verie due meaning of the scriptures But we must assure our selues A rule that those things that were written in the old testament concerning temporall things doo belong vnto eternall things In the old time God promised vnto the patriarchs that he would giue the kingdome vnto Dauid and his posteritie And this is to be vnderstood Psal 89 30 not onelie of Salomon but also of Christ Wherefore the angell speaking of him said God will giue vnto him the kingdome of his father Dauid Luke 1 33. and he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer Also in Deuteronomie GOD commanded his people that they should not take counsell of witches or sorcerers Deut. 18 10 and 15. For God saith he will raise vp a prophet among you The which although it may be vnderstood of the prophets which neuer should be wanting of whom the people might take counsell yet dooth Peter in the Acts of the apostles Acts. 3 22. translate the same vnto Christ and affirmeth that the kingdome promised to Dauid was made perfect in Christ For euen so the promise of séed made vnto Abraham Gen. 22 18 in the booke of Genesis although it may be referred vnto Isaac yet by Paule it is applied vnto Christ Gal. 3 16. For he saith It is said Not in thy seeds as in manie but in one which is Christ So that when we refer the song of Anna vnto higher matters we offend not against the doctrine of the apostles And why it is thus doone the reason is easilie shewed In weighing of all the benefits of God it is méet to returne to the fountaine and head it selfe from whence all those things doo flowe Assuredlie the highest benefit of God towards mankind is Christ wherefore all other things must be reduced wholie vnto this root Wherevpon Paule vnto the Romans reasoneth after this maner If God gaue his owne sonne vnto vs Rom. 8 13. how shall he not with him giue vs all things also 27 But thou wilt saie that manie benefits are bestowed vpon the wicked who neuerthelesse haue not Christ for their head neither doo they acknowledge him I grant it but those be gifts without gift as the poet saith and make not vnto their saluation but vnto their destruction Phil. 3 7 and 8. Euen so Paule vnto the Philippians although he had manie gifts before he came vnto Christ and euen such as were not to be despised yet he saith that He accounted them for losses and doong For the wicked when they flourish in all wealth and abundance are like vnto the beasts appointed for sacrifices which being found most fat are slaine in she shambles But to the intent that these things may the better be vnderstood let vs thus conclude the reason God either angrie or well pleased bestoweth his benefits vpon men He being angrie no man Would receiue of him bicause such things should be no benefits séeing they would worke to destruction not to saluation So as it is to be wished
the sunne entereth in at our windowes but when it hapneth that the sunne is to be named togither with the beame we call not the beame by the name of the sunne but saie it is the beame of the sunne But the first reason is more firme 14 As concerning the kingdome of Christ it séemeth to bring no small difficultie In. 1. Cor. 15 verse 24. when as be the holie scriptures there is often mention made of the eternall kingdome of Christ which if it shall haue an end as the words of Paule in the 15. chapter of the first to the Corinthians séeme to signifie some contrarietie will appéere to be stirred vp Gabriel said vnto Marie God shall giue vnto him the seate of his father Dauid Luk. 1 32. he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and there shall be no end of his kingdome And Daniel when he prophesied couertlie of the Monarchies Deut. 2 44. he was not silent as touching the kingdome of Christ but he prophesied that that should be a kingdome of all worlds and for euer This knot did Ambrose vndoo that we must not beléeue Ambrose that the sonne will so deliuer vp this kingdome vnto the father as he shall cease to reigne but bicause he will then declare vnto all persons that he dooth not reigne by himselfe but that all his strengths and actions be of the father from whome is all paternitie both in heauen in earth And after this sort he shall openlie glorifie him What is meant by deliuering the kingdome to the father Ambrose To reigne is taken two maner of waies Which thing shall be to deliuer the kingdome vnto God to the father that is not to vse the same vnto himselfe onelie Augustine wheresoeuer he intreateth of this place consenteth vnto Ambrose But we may expound it otherwise and as I thinke with a méete exposition by these waies that followe as to saie that to reigne is sometime taken as it were to excell to be aboue others and to hold the highest place And in this signification Christ shall reigne perpetuallie But if we saie that to reigne is in such sort as to exercise the office of a king to fight to defend to ouercome and other such like Christ shall not alwaies reigne For when we shall be perfect and absolute there will be no néed of these helpes of Christ When he came into the world he preached he taught he died for our saluation now also he maketh intercession for vs vnto the father he defendeth vs from euilles that hang ouer our heads neither dooth he at anie time cease from the office and actions of a mediator but in the end when all things be pacified he shall resigne these offices to his father when as there is no longer place for them Euen as when a most mightie king sendeth his onelie sonne into some prouince of his kingdome A similitude that is disquieted with seditions tumults and rebellions and his sonne going foreward with empire and with a strong host when he hath set at quiet and hath reduced the rebelles into subiection he returneth a conquerour vnto his father triumpheth and deliuereth vnto him the prouince subdued and vseth the empire of warre and legions no longer The maner of the Romans So was it vsed at Rome when the enimies were subdued the Dictator renounced his authoritie being become a priuate person returned to his accustomed businesse But betwéene such like things and this that we haue now in hand this is the difference that the sonne of GOD will not so renounce himselfe as he can be depriued of his honour but bicause as I haue said in the latter daie he shall rest from the office of reigning and shall be said to deliuer vnto God the father the kingdome being in peace and tranquillitie and the enimies subdued 15 Touching the death and resurrection of the Lord the apostle writeth In 1. Cor. 15. verse 3. that he taught the Corinthians first of all For these two be the two principall and chéefe points of our religion vnto which without controuersie all the rest be referred Further he saith that He taught them euen as he had receiued of God and of Christ Iesus our Lord Gala. 1 12. Acts. 9 10. as he testifieth vnto the Galathians and as we read in the Acts. He would not haue vs to sticke vnto the authoritie of man but he calleth vs backe vnto the authoritie of God whose ordinance they resist which command vs to beléeue onlie those things which the Romane church beléeueth These men doo giue place neither vnto God nor yet vnto the scriptures they account the Pope to be one aboue all But the apostle not onelie confesseth that he receiued those things which he taught but he also twise mentioned the scriptures when as he writeth that Christ died according to them that he rose againe according to them And séeing by the scriptures he meaneth the old testament we easilie gather thereby for what cause or to what purpose we ought to read the same to wit that we may confirme the new testament by sundrie and manifold testimonies We ought also to consider with our selues What we must call to mind in thinking of the death of Christ when we heare that Christ died for our sinnes how outragious and cruell our sinne is séeing it behoued the sonne of GOD to be therefore deliuered vnto the death of the crosse Neither let anie man tell me that GOD might haue redéemed the world by some other meanes and that it was not altogither necessarie for the saluation of man that the sonne of GOD should be fastened vnto the crosse For if we once determine that God is a most wise and iust considerer of things we will acknowledge that he choosing this meanes of our saluation did excéedinglie detest the nature of sinne when he decréed to giue his owne sonne vnto death and that vnto a shamefull death to the end he might rid his elect from sinne Neither will we iudge it to be doone without cause It is onelie sinne wherby we resist God if we remember that sinne is the onelie thing wherby we resist GOD. There is nothing in the world or in the nature of things except it be sinne that resisteth the will of God which propertie spreadeth so far as it dooth not onelie comprehend those sinnes which the schoolemen call actuall sinnes but also originall sinne and the first motions of the mind That originall sinne is against God hereby it is shewed in that he made man vnto his owne image in righteousnesse How originall sinne is against God in holinesse and in truth Now against this institution we are borne the children of wrath and strangers from God and are wholie giuen to lieng and vngodlinesse Wherefore originall sinne dooth altogither contend against the ordinance of God These things therefore haue we now alledged to the intent we may acknowledge the
whole and perfect benefit of Christ We must not weigh the gift of God as though it were but halfe a benefit When thou dooest heare that hée died for our sinnes vnderstand the same to be not onelie for the originall fault but extend thou this sentence euen vnto the ingendered and naturall lusts and also vnto those sinnes which we commit by the consent of reason Assuredlie we owe euen our selues also vnto Christ for so notable gifts The people of Rome attributed much vnto the Decii and Curtii much more must we vnto Christ Iohn 10 18. The people of Rome yéelded vnto Curtius and vnto the Decij bicause they had vowed themselues to death for the safegard of the people But these things being compared with Christ are nothing for those men otherwise should haue died Vnto which lawe Christ was not bound séeing in him it was as well to laie downe his life as to take it againe Before their eies was set present glorie and praise of men for the notable act which they tooke in hand but the death of Christ as concerning humane iudgement had shame ioined therewith on euerie side Those men for their louing countrie and déere fréends tooke their death but Christ Rom. 5 ver 6 8. 10. as we read vnto the Romans died for the weake for the wicked for sinners and for his enimies which dooth excell all maner of charitie 16 And when he saith According to the scriptures this is not to be referred vnto his death which was apparant enough Since humane reason and manie historiographers do testifie this that Iesus of Nazareth suffered death vpon the crosse but that he was made a sacrifice for our sinnes that is not proued by the sense or reason of mans iudgement He added also mention of buriall the which apperteineth vnto death for in that he was buried it gaue a more certeine declaration of his death And although here it be not added According to the scriptures yet is it commonlie admitted Touching the resurrection also he addeth that it was doone according to the scriptures Wherefore it now remaineth that we sée by what scriptures the death of Christ and his resurrection are prooued Vndoubtedlie the places are manie all which it shall not greatlie force to recite Onelie this I will admonish How we are to deale with the Rabbins that it should not much trouble vs if the Hebrues at anie time withstand these testimonies which Christ and the apostles alledge for confirmation of these articles Bicause it is not to be doubted but that the apostles and Christ did chéeflie admit the common and receiued expositions of the fathers For it was so allowed of at that time that those places should be so vnderstood of the Messias as they that were present could not for shame and conscience sake denie the same Wherefore we read not in the Gospels that they withstood bicause the scriptures which were brought were not to be vnderstood touching Messias but we rather perceiue that their mouthes were so stopped as they had not wherewith to answer But now when those receiued expositions are no longer alowed among the Hebrues we may perceiue lies to be readie with them Wherefore we when we shall heare Christ or the apostles to haue interpreted anie place let vs giue vndoubted credit vnto them Albeit there are found in the scriptures Some places touching Christ so euident in the scriptures as the Rabbins cannot denie them The whole psalme The whole chapter Acts 15 16. certeine places so manifest as the Hebrues themselues cannot resist them if they would In the 22. psalme as well the death as the resurrection of Christ are verie plainlie set foorth Vnto which psalme it séemeth that Christ of verie purpose sent vs when he died vpon the crosse And the 53. chapter of Esaie is so euident as thou mightest thinke thy selfe not to read a prophesie but an historie of the euangelist Also the apostles were accustomed for confirming of the resurrection to bring in those places of the prophets which make mention of restoring Dauids kingdome For séeing that externall kingdome is not restored nor that we ought to looke for restitution Of restoring the kingdome of Dauid we must haue respect vnto Christ who reigneth in heauen and in them which be his and shall reigne eternallie Christ alledged the type of Ionas the prophet Mat. 12 39. 16 2. Note certeine types of Christs death and resurrection concerning his death and resurrection and in manie such like places the death and resurrection of Christ were shadowed Againe it is to be noted that these things which so went before were not onelie types and shadowes of the Lords death and resurrection but after a sort also had in them the very truth it self of those things For séeing that those holie men suffered manie gréeuous things and that within a while helpe and deliuerance came by God insomuch as they were the members of Christ and had Christ for their head it followeth that Christ in them both suffered and was deliuered Wherefore we saie that the passion and resurrection of Christ beganne euen from the first times but that afterward they tooke place more manifestly in Christ himselfe and yet still become more euident vnto the church through the present death which it dailie abideth in labours and sorrowes expecting the blessed resurrection of the flesh Then indéed shall these two principall points of our religion be truelie fulfilled and become most manifest In Rom. 8 vers 3. 17 Augustine in his 14. booke against Faustus disputeth against an heretike which refused Moses as though he were contumelious against Christ Deut. 21 23 when he wrote Curssed be euerie one that hangeth vpon the tree Vnto whom Augustine answereth If thou vpon this occasion condemne Moses thou must also reiect Paule for he writeth Gal. 3 13. that Christ became accurssed for vs. And the same Paule saith that He which knew not sinne 2. Cor. 5 21. became sinne for our sakes Moreouer he citeth a place to the Romans that God sent his owne sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne by sinne condemned sinne He bringeth also a reason whie the flesh of Christ is called sinne namelie bicause it was mortall and tasted of death which of necessitie followeth sinne And he affirmeth this to be a figuratiue kind of spéech wherein by that which goeth before is expressed that which followeth But besides this interpretation of Augustine I remember also another which the same Augustine followeth and it séemeth he learned the same out of Origin An oblation for sinne is called sinne And that interpretation is taken out of Leuiticus where when as there be diuers kinds of sacrifices instituted mention is made of an oblation for sinne But vnto that word is oftentimes added a preposition and in the Hebrue it is written Lechataath and Leaschma that is for sinne and for trespasse So that hereby we may sée
spirituall man and to him which is renewed by Christ as Christ himselfe testifieth who speaking vnto his disciples said Feare ye not them which kill the bodie Matt. 10 28 but are not able to kill the soule But I will shew you whom ye ought rather to feare namelie God who after he hath killed the bodie is able to destroie the soule in hell fire Which of vs therefore déerelie beloued brethren in Christ will not so prepare himselfe as he may receiue with a chéerefull mind such a iudge through whose sentence an end shall be appointed vnto all the iniuries that are doone vnto vs Luke 12 35. This is that most high good man of the house which at the length shall make all his seruants to be knowne and shall demand an account of them touching such affaires as he hath committed vnto them This is that mightie rich merchant Matt. 25 14. that will returne to call for gaines of his great summe of monie deliuered into banke Matth. 25 1. This is that new bridegroome that by a iust choise shall seuer the wise virgins from the foolish This is that wise and expert steward Matt. 25 32. that knoweth how to laie vp the pure wheate in his barne and to burne the chafte with fire and who like a good shéepheard can seuer the shéepe from the goates and like a warie fisher the good fishes from the bad and finallie Matt 13 49. Ibid. 37. who like a wise husbandman will throwe the cockle into the fire but wiselie will saue the profitable and pretious séed Whosoeuer therefore thirsteth after the pure church or the sincere kingdome of Christ and after the sound and perfect fellowship of the chosen or that dooth long to sée that most excellent and immaculate spouse cannot but be pearsed in mind with the remembrance of that most swéet and acceptable daie that it is no maruell if the same be therefore called by Paule Blessed hope And in Luke Titus 2 13. after that he had reckoned vp diuerse tokens of the comming of that daie he added Luke 21 28 When ye shall see these tokens then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere 29 But least the ioie conceiued of that latter comming should be disturbed through the mistrust of saluation which might enter into your mind while ye vnderstand that the same most high iudge will be inquisitiue of mens works and this I saie bicause if thou wilt beléeue me there shall be no man how much honestie soeuer he be indued with that standing vpon the consideration of his owne works is able to hold fast this confidence and so if these things be not rightlie vnderstood by you in that blessed daie there would séeme to be an argument presented before your eies of nothing else but horrible excéeding feare of euerlasting death we must throughlie consider Who shall come to be examined at the iudgement of Christ and diligentlie weigh what shall come into triall and examination at the latter daie Wherein I first affirme that there shall be no néed of examination at all against the infidels as they that for their infidelitie be alreadie condemned Iohn 3 18. So Christ plainlie teacheth in Iohn Whosoeuer saith he beleeueth not is alreadie condemned But bicause this doubting might créepe into the minds of manie how it should come to passe that of them which are equallie intituled by the name title of christians some are adiudged to saluation and other some to eternall damnation for this cause our most iust iudge Christ will haue the reason of this difference to appeare to all the world séeing as he will neuer hereafter suffer his iustice to be hidden to the world in such wise as it was when he came first into the world to be conuersant among vs he will I saie at that second comming of his make his iustice knowne vnto all persons that it may manifestlie appeare who hath trulie taken vpon him his name and titles or who hath doone the same fainedlie and by hypocrisie 30 At the length also we may be warned hereby that not onelie the dead but also the liuing must come vnder the iudgement of Christ Which must be vnderstood as Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Corinths that vndoutedlie We shall not all die but we shall be all changed 1. Co. 15 51 And to the Thessal We which shall liue and shall be remaining 1. The. 4 17. shall be caught vp togither with them into the clouds to meete with the Lord in the aire and so we shall euer be with the Lord. Hereby it is gathered that of them which shall stand before that high iudgement seate some shall be raised from death and dust and others in verie déed shall not die but it will come to passe by the grace of GOD that they shall be translated vnto a better state the same not subiect to anie infirmities They shall be those elect which then shall be found aliue for there will be no néed for them to put off their bodies but their bodilie masse shall atteine vnto glorie so that death shall not take the same awaie from them Among them Paule did wish to be numbred as it is written in the epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15 32. and we also with him expect the same with great desire Howbeit in this matter as in all other things also let vs so behaue our selues that all may tend vnto the glorie of GOD. I beleeue in the holie Ghost Touching the signification of the word Spirit 31 Séeing the word Spirit signifieth manie things to the end we may the more easilie perceiue that which we beléeue it shal be verie good first to seuer and distinguish into diuers parts whatsoeuer is signified to vs vnder that name Out of which significations we will choose that which is agréeable vnto our purpose and will prosecute the same more at large That word spirit in generall dooth alwaies expresse a certeine secret strength or power which is able both to mooue and to driue forward Wherefore the winds togither with those organs whereby the life dooth gouerne mooue and stir the bodie are called the spirit And although this power be included and mixed with corporall nature yet séeing the bodies wherein it is conuersant be so subtile that they cannot for the most part be séene this word is also deriued to this point that it signifieth natures and essences which be simple and of diuers sorts such as is God the companie of angels togither also with the souls of men now separated from their bodies and therefore the diuine nature is called a spirit This dooth Christ manifestlie declare in Iohn Iohn 4 24. Bicause God is a spirit hee will be worshipped in spirit Neither is there in this respect anie difference betwéene the father the sonne and the holie Ghost To conclude that word of the spirit signifieth not onelie the
from the counterfeit The holie Ghost is not knowne by anie other thing than by it selfe Rom. 8 16. For the triall of our faith hope there is also required an examination of our selues 2. Cor. 13 5. demand how these faculties or powers are discerned from the counterfeit We answere that they are declared by the force and power of the holie Ghost which spirit hath in all spirituall things no other light more cléere than it selfe whereby it should be illustrated Which thing also we sée to be true in the sunne for the sunne is not declared to be the sunne but by his owne light Wherefore Paule vnto the Romans verie aptlie said It is the spirit that beareth record with our spirit that we be the children of God But besides this light of the holie Ghost is required also an examination of our selues wherefore Paule thus speaketh in the latter epistle to the Corinthians Trie your selues whether ye be in faith In which triall hope must be distinguished for there is one hope that hath alwaies repentance and a desire of amendement of life ioined with it of which kind of hope the apostle speaketh when he saith that It confoundeth not Our certeintie openeth not a waie vnto sinnes for it hath alwaies these companions ioined with it namelie faith and charitie Wherefore when we teach a certeintie thereof we open not a windowe vnto vices as our aduersaries slander vs neither doo we stir vp men to loose life for this true hope moueth vs not to these things but rather driueth vs to liue according to that hope There is another hope which we may rather call a securitie of the flesh Our certeintie is no securitie of the flesh whereof Augustine thus rightlie speaketh Such as cleaue vnto it by hoping perish And these be they which saie God is good and loueth vs Christ died for our saluation Howsoeuer we lead our life we shall obteine saluation Of this hope we must diligentlie beware for it is far distant from repentance and from a desire to liue well and being of that nature it vtterlie driueth awaie from it both faith and charitie this hope miserablie deceiueth men wherefore of this Paule dooth not here speake 52 Now remaineth to sée whether the blessed spirits or soules may in heauen haue this true hope wherewith the godlie are now adorned For on the one side we knowe that they wait for the resurrection of bodies Whether Christ and the saints may haue hope as yet 1. Cor. 13 vers 8 13. and the last iudgement which shall vnto them be verie welcome wherefore in that behalfe they séeme not to be vtterlie void of hope But on the other side the apostle vnto the Corinthians dooth describe faith hope and charitie but of these thrée he saith that onelie charitie falleth not awaie By which words he manifestlie teacheth that true hope can haue no place when we be in heauen And that which we haue spoken of the godlie may also bée called into question touching Christ for he also séemeth to haue hoped that he should rise againe and that he should carrie vp his humane nature into heauen Vnto these things we answer that it ought not to be doubted but that both Christ hoped and also the soules of the blessed doo yet after a sort hope But we denie that it is such a hope as ours is which we haue in this life bicause as we haue before declared out of the words of the apostle our hope hath as companions sighing and sorrowing ioined therewith which things doubtles in the eternall felicitie which the blessed doo enioie in heauen can haue no place Further our hope cleaueth fast vnto faith the which bréedeth an vnperfect and an obscure knowledge for as Paule saith vnto the Corinthians Ibidem 12. We see now by a glasse in a riddle and we knowe but in part but the saints in heauen knowe most perfectlie and most clérelie Moreouer forsomuch as faith hath chéeflie a respect vnto the last and chéefe good thing there ought no such hope as ours is to be ascribed to the blessed which now hold and possesse that good thing Hope is giuen vs as an anchor in this life For true and proper hope can haue no place in the eternall felicitie it is onelie giuen vs as an anchor so long as we abide here for so the epistle which is written vnto the Hebrues calleth it Heb. 6 19. For while we be tossed with the waues and tempests of this world vnles our mind be confirmed and established by the anchor of hope our ship will soone dash against the sands and rocks 53 Chrysostome calleth it a golden chaine let downe from heauen Hope is as a chaine which chaine if we take hold of we shall be drawne vp into heauen Wherefore we must diligentlie prouide that this hope be dailie more and more confirmed in vs which thing will then chéeflie come to passe Hope is made strōg by the consideration of Gods benefits if we weigh the singular benefits of God which benefits forsomuch as they are manfestlie conteined in the holie scriptures our hope by the reading of them shall greatlie be confirmed And this hath Paule in the epistle to the Romans most plainlie taught when he said Whatsoeuer things are written Rom. 15 4. are written for our learning that through patience and consolation of the scriptures we should haue hope The verie which thing Dauid also saith Psal 9 11. They which knowe thy name put their trust in thee Wherefore séeing the nature and name of God is no where better knowne than in the holie scriptures it followeth that by them we ought to confirme our hope And this if we will diligentlie obserue our mind shall not be discouraged God seemeth somtime to forsake his elect when God as oftentimes his maner is suffereth our doings to come euen to shame And the same we sée happened euen to Christ our sauiour for he was so vtterlie forsaken of God that he was nailed vnto the crosse Mat. 27 38. and died a most ignominious death betwéene two théeues Dauid also was brought to that point 1. Sam. 22 24. chapters that he not onelie being expelled from the kingdome of Israel was faine to wander in desolate places but also was now in a maner shut vp in the power of Saule The selfe-same thing we sée hath oftentimes happened vnto other of the godlie sort so as they were in a maner iudged to be quite wrong and to be fallen from their hope But the spirit of Christ giueth strength that men are able in the midst of their calamities to reioise and saie Matt. 19 11 These things should haue no power of vs if they were not appointed from aboue Which sentence Christ laid against Pilat when he boasted of his power The 42. psalme also hath excellentlie well taught vs how we ought to comfort our selues and with a good hope to erect
not vniuersallie Charitie dooth not alwaies followe a seruile feare that charitie alwaies followeth such a feare for we knowe that it otherwise happened in Caine and Iudas but it so happeneth onelie in men that are to be iustified For GOD vseth this meane first to pearse them with great feare of their sinnes and then by it to bring them vnto faith and charitie In the meane time yet we nothing doubt How a seruile feare maie be called profitable but that such a feare is sinne and yet neuerthelesse that feare maie be called profitable not by his owne merit or of his owne nature but bicause of the order instituted by God whose will is so to vse it to our saluation And this thing also we adde that that charitie the more it increaseth in vs so much the more and more dooth it cast out feare not onelie seruile feare but also the feare which men iustified haue For whosoeuer is throughlie persuaded of the loue of God towards him can neuer feare his owne damnation for that doubting whereby we feare eternall punishments is sinne And yet that doubt somewhat alwaies sticketh in our minds for we neuer in this life beléeue so much as we ought nor so much as we should and by reason of this weaknesse of charitie wherewith we should loue our neighbours and bicause of the féeblenes of persuasion wherby we ought to beléeue in God so long as we are in this life we neuer put off all this corrupt feare 34 They also take hold of this saieng and obiect the same against vs Aske Matt. 7 7. and ye shall receiue seeke How this is to be vnderstood Aske and ye shall haue and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you But they ought to remember that praiers procéed from faith and cleaue vnto it onelie for otherwise they cannot be heard But I maruell why they left this vnspoken of Whatsoeuer ye shall aske beleeuing it shall be giuen you For by these words it appéereth that whatsoeuer is giuen vnto them that aske is giuen vnto faith Herevnto also they adde a sentence out of Luke Luke 11 41. Giue almes and all things be cleane vnto you But these words may be expounded thrée maner of wais of which yet neuer a one serueth for their purpose How this entence Giue almes c. is to be vnderstood The first waie is to saie that that kind of spéech was a taunt as if Christ would haue said vnto the Pharisies Ye giue almes and ye thinke straitwaie that all things are cleane vnto you which is not so for we ought first to make cleane those things which are within Another waie is which Augustine followeth in his Enchiridion to Laurentius certeine had persuaded themselues that if they gaue almes they should be saued though they ceased not from sinning and their chéefest anchor-hold was these words of Christ Augustine answereth that those words of Christ are to be vnderstood of the true and approoued almes whereof it is written in Ecclesiasticus Eccl. 30 24. the thirtie chap. Haue compassion of thy soule and please God Wherefore thou oughtst to begin true almes at thine owne selfe that hauing compassion of thy selfe thou maist be conuerted vnto GOD and cease off from sinnes and afterward haue thou compassion of others The third waie is this which in my iudgement more agréeth vnto the purpose Christ being at dinner with the Pharisies began to eate with vnwashed hands for which thing when they were offended Christ began to reprooue their ignorance which would haue their dishes hands and all outward things cleane beautifull but as touching that which they had inwardlie that is in their mind they were nothing carefull Wherfore he first exhorteth them to purifie the hart which is inwardlie Which thing is doone by faith for in the Acts it is written By faith purifieng their harts Acts. 15 9. Afterward as touching outward things he addeth Giue almes and so all things shall be cleane vnto you Further Theodore Beza as Theodorus Beza a man of great learning and iudgement hath in his annotations verie well considered Christ spake not of all maner of cleanesse but of that which perteins vnto meate Wherevnto Christ applieth a double commandement one is that they should eate nothing gotten by robberie or stealth another is that of those things which are within that is which are conteined in the dishes somewhat should be taken out for the almes of the poore whereby whatsoeuer is left might be clensed and sanctified But of this there is nothing which may further our aduersaries opinion 35 There are others which thinke to establish this their error by the ministerie of the keies whereby they thinke that men are absolued from their sinnes But they are deceiued for they vnderstand not what those keies are that which Christ commended vnto his church The preaching of the word of God What be the keies deliuered to the church touching the remission of sinnes to be obteined by Christ is the onelie keie to open the kingdome of heauen And if he which heareth his word doo also adioine a true faith and giue full assent vnto those words then commeth also the other keie With these two keies is the kingdome of heauen opened and the forgiuenes of sinnes obteined Wherefore Christ sending foorth his apostles said Go ye and preach the Gospell Matt. 28 29. then he addeth He which beleeueth shal be saued By these few words he expresseth the keies which he deliuered vnto the church In the which words thou shalt find no worke wrought as they call it for Christ spake onelie of the faith of the hearers and of the word of God which is preached But how shall we at length confute this sentence which is neuer out of their mouth Manie sinnes are forgiuen hir Luk. 7 47. Manie sinnes are forgiuen hir bicause c. expounded bicause she hath loued much if the place be diligentlie pondered it will be an easie matter to doo We ought to knowe that some reasons are taken of the causes some of the effects Christ in a few words afterward sheweth the cause of saluation when he saith vnto the woman Thy faith hath made thee safe But bicause that faith was hidden in hir mind neither could it be séene of those which were present therefore putting foorth a parable he sheweth that they loue more which receiue greater gifts of anie And that this woman receiued a verie great gift that is iustification he sheweth by the effects namelie bicause she washed his féet with hir teares and wiped them with hir heare bicause she kissed them bicause she annointed them Which things forsomuch as that Pharisie did not it maie be a verie great token or signe that he had not receiued the like gift Rom. 2 13. Not the hearers but the dooers of the lawe shal be iustified expounded They cite also out of the epistle vnto
Paule toward the end of the chapter compareth charitie with true faith it is most likelie that he did not so before But if we should fullie grant this vnto Pighius that that faith whereof Paule speaketh is the generall faith whereby men are iustified yet neither so vndoubtedlie should he obteine his purpose For the apostle going about by all maner of meanes to set foorth charitie thought to amplifie that same by a fiction or feining which is a figure of Rhetorike knowne euen vnto children Figura fictionis And yet doth not Paule therefore bring a false proposition for he vseth a conditionall proposition which may not resolue into a categoricall proposition and yet notwithstanding is the truth in the meane time kept As if I should saie vnto anie man A similitude If thou haddest the life or vse of the reasonable soule without the life or vse of the sensible soule thou shouldest not be troubled with perturbations of the mind No man could reprooue this kind of speach as false and yet it is not possible that in a man the life and vse of the reasonable soule should be seuered from the sensible Such kind of speaches also are found in the holie scriptures as for example Psal 139 ver 7 8 c If I shall ascend vp into heauen thou art there if I descend downe into hell thou art present and if I take the fethers of the morning and dwell in the vttermost ends of the sea thither shall thy right hand lead me These sentences are true yet it is not possible that a man should take vnto him the fethers of the morning After the same maner we saie If a man should separate faith from charitie he should make it vnprofitable though in verie déed it cannot be separated from charitie And that Paule in that place vsed such an excesse of speach or fiction that euidentlie declareth which he a little before spake 1. Cor. 13 ◠Though I should speake with the toongs of men and of angels haue not charitie I am like to sounding brasse or a tingling cymball But wée knowe that angels haue neither bodies nor toongs and yet notwithstanding Paule speaketh truth that If they had toongs and I should speake with them yet that should nothing profit me without charitie And this exposition Basilius confirmeth in an epistle Ad Neocaesarienses for he saith that The apostle minded in this place to commend charitie and he saith that he vseth those reasons not that all those things which he here maketh mention of can be separated from charitie Wherefore of the former interpretation we haue Chrysostome for an author and the later interpretation Basilius confirmeth Let Pighius go now and of this saieng of the apostle conclude if he can that which he contendeth so much about 58 But as touching those words of Matthew Lord haue we not in thy name prophesied and in thy name cast out diuels c. Matt. 7 22. Which things Pighius denieth can be doone without faith and yet they which haue doone them are not iustified séeing they are excluded from the kingdome of heauen We maie answer with the selfe-same solution which we haue now brought namelie that they whome Matthew maketh mention of had the faith of signes or a dead faith but not a true and iustifieng faith Moreouer I sée not how true this is that miracles cannot be doone without faith Miracles are not alwaies doon for faiths sake for God sometimes worketh miracles not for his faiths sake by whome they are doone but either to aduance his glorie or to giue testimonie vnto true doctrine Vndoubtedlie Moses and Aaron when they stroke water out of the rocke of strife Num. 10 12 Psa 106 32. wauered in faith and yet God that he might stand to his promise with a great miracle gaue water vnto the people and reprooued Moses and Aaron of infidelitie And Naaman the Syrian doubted of recouering his health in the waters of Iordan yea also he would haue gone his waie for that he said that the riuers of his countrie were much better than Iordan and yet notwithstanding GOD left not his miracle vndoone And when the dead bodie was cast into the sepulchre of Elizaeus 2. Kin. 13 21 by a great miracle it came to passe that at the touching of the dead bones of the prophet life was restored vnto it But there was no faith there neither in the dead corps nor in the bones of the prophet nor in them which brought the dead man thither And yet not alwaies is it granted vnto them that desire to doo miracles that they should doo them when faith is absent for in the Acts we reade that when the Exorcists which were the sonnes of Scaeua the high priest would haue cast out diuels in the name of Christ whome Paule preached Acts. 19 15. the diuell answered Iesus I knowe Paule I knowe but who are ye And straitway he ran vpon them Here we sée that God would not giue a miracle when it was asked as it is most likelie by wicked and vnbeléeuing men Howbeit contrariewise in Marke the 9. chapter that a certeine man did cast out diuels verse 38. in the name of Christ who yet followed not Christ and when Iohn would haue reprooued him Christ suffered not Iohn so to doo By this Pighius might haue séene that to the working of miracles is not alwaies required faith And yet if I should grant him that faith is of necessitie required therevnto were sufficient either the faith of signes or else a dead faith Wherefore Pighius in his second confirmation prooueth nothing for it hath nothing in it that is found 59 Now let vs examine his third proofe Iohn saith Manie of the princes beleeued in him but they confessed him not Iohn 12 42. for feare they should be cast out of the synagog and therefore they were not iustified by faith This reason is but a waterish reason and not so strong as he thinketh it to be for we denie that they beléeued trulie For that assent of theirs was nothing but an humane assent for when they sawe that by Christ were wrought woonderfull works and that his doctrine was confirmed by most euident signes they began by a certeine humane persuasion to giue credit vnto him The diuell also for that he certeinlie knoweth manie things doone by God assenteth vnto the truth There is a certeine humane faith not inspired by God and beléeueth it and yet it is not to be thought that he is by a true faith induced to beléeue And that these rulers had not the true and liuelie faith hereby it is manifest that Christ said vnto them How can ye beleeue when ye seeke for glorie at mans hand Iohn 5 44. By which words we vnderstand that they which more estéeme humane glorie than godlinesse cannot beléeue trulie in God And those princes were to be numbred amongst them for they so
the holie ministerie But if men so delight to followe and tread in the steps of the priests of the old time wherefore doo our sacrificers séeing they are to minister dailie drinke wine euerie day when as the Lord commanded in the lawe that going into the sanctuarie they should neither drinke wine nor strong drinke But these men if there be anie wine more excellent than other that command they to be prepared for themselues If they will saie that the lawe of Moses is now abrogated why doo they now go about to call it againe as touching the vncleannesse which at that time was taken Wherefore let vs persuade them that they will not so much stand vpon that vncleannesse of the lawe which neuertheles as I haue said they cannot prooue by the lawe I haue now onelie shewed of that to the intent the vniust cause of contention may be knowen If they would haue the lawes of Moses to be still in force let them embrace ech one of them but if they confesse them to be abrogated why do they reteine this one more than the rest Furthermore if they indeuour to drawe these words of the apostle to extend to their dailie mysteries 1. Cor. 7 5. Why doo they not perpetuallie fast as the apostle saith let them vse iust and perfect fastings euerie daie but and if they will excuse themselues that they will be content with temperate diet let them also rest themselues in the moderate vse of matrimonie when necessitie shall require Neither doo I denie but that it maie be in the vse of matrimonie that sin of some excesse maie befall so that the bounds of temperance be not obserued this I willinglie grant but yet therewithall I adde that this cōmeth vnto that action by chance or as they call it by accident Yea of this verie thing we haue oftentimes experience in eating and drinking therein there is no due measure continuallie obserued and yet for all that our aduersaries would not absteine from holie functions the daie next after such excesse hath chanced Also I would not that the things which I haue spoken should be vnderstood as though I condemne or disallow of married ministers and other men for refraining themselues otherwhile especiallie when as the sacraments are either to be ministred or receiued so that the conscience persuade herevnto that it maie be doone without breach of charitie I maruell that some haue béene so bold to reason out of Paules words on this wise 1. Cor. 5. 7 A deceitfull argument of some It is good for married folks bicause of praier and fasting to absteine the companie one of another for a time Therefore it shall be better if they absteine for a long time and againe It shall be best of all if they temper themselues for euer Séeing thou most manifestlie offendest if thou reason on this sort This man can beare ten pound weight wherfore he can beare twentie pound weight if he can beare twentie he can beare fortie and so will go on vntill it be infinit who would not sée that these things be ridiculous There must be a consideration had of our infirmitie There be some which are able to absteine for a time yet if they should be constreined to do the same perpetuallie or for a long season they should find it intollerable 12 I knowe there be some which thinke not that the gift of sole life is granted by some singular grace of God In 1. Co. 7. 8 but iudge that it is a thing common vnto all beléeuers if they be disposed to imbrace that kind of life Chastitie commanded vnto all men Exod. 20 17 Chastitie in wedlocke and chastitie out of wedlocke But it must be vnderstood that chastitie is generallie commanded by God vnto all men most of all by that precept wherein it is said Thou shalt not lust The same is distinguished bicause it is reteined partlie in wedlocke partlie out of wedlocke Of this latter we now intreate the which virgins sole liuers and widowes do challenge to themselues And it is counted a vertue whereby the lusts of the minds the affects and motions of the bodie are restrained touching fleshlie inclinations and to speake morallie it may séeme to be a part of temperance It belongeth vnto temperance But if we will shew the matter as méete we should like Diuines we will saie that it is the gift of God wherby we may make our selues chast for the kingdome of heauens sake Chastitie is the gift of God 1. Cor. 7 7. Paule affirmeth that it is the gift of God Of the making chast for the kingdome of heauen sake Christ speaketh verie plainelie Mat. 19 11. True chastitie concerneth both the bodie and the mind The gift of chastitie is not in our power which must be vnderstood not onelie as concerning the bodie and outward impuritie but that we must also liue with a chast mind Of the which gift two things we affirme first that it is not in our owne power secondlie that it is not equallie bestowed by God vpon all men 13 For the establishing and confirming of these things I take vpon me the choise of a sole life the which some enter into and some others refuse When we enter into it either it is of our owne strength or by God if thou wilt saie that it is of our owne strength thou art of Pelagius opinion but if thou saie that it coms of God now thou agréest with vs and it wil be euident that a sole life is the gift of God Perhaps thou wilt saie that it commeth both of God and of vs bicause God helpeth and we are willing Here will I demand what that is in this choise that thou countest to be thine owne whether thou saie that it is so thine owne as it is not of God or else whether thou meane that thou hast the same also of God The first thou canst not saie Paule is against it What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued 1. Cor. 4 7. whie doost thou glorie as if thou hadst not receiued But if thou shalt grant that thou hast it of God thou shalt now vnderstand that it lieth not in thine owne power And séeing others doo not choose that which thou hast taken vpon thée we be manifestlie taught and euidentlie admonished that it is not giuen vnto others which is giuen vnto thée Further it should séeme rather that it ought to be that the gift of effectuall calling vnto faith in Christ and eternall saluation should be common vnto all men rather than the gift of single life But that is not granted vnto all men therefore neither ought this to be accounted common vnto all men Neither is the gift of effectuall calling nor yet the gift of single life common to all men That the other is not common vnto all men it is a thing most manifest for so much as all men are not predestinate all
life and matrimonie might after a sort be called counsels in this sense I meane that one and the same state is not conuenient for all sorts of men So then according as we shall perceiue either the one or the other of these to be fit for anie man that we must counsell him vnto Wherefore Paule said that he hath no precept whereby he should comprise and constreine all men but I giue counsell saith he namelie that euerie man take hold of that which shall be profitable for himselfe Further if thou shalt particularlie haue respect vnto men which burne in lust and be not continent these haue commandement to marrie and it is not in their libertie choise to liue a sole life So as it cannot properlie be called counsell in respect of them as though the matter were put in their power and choise And againe they which haue the gift of sole life and are in the same state and vocation and doo well perceiue themselues to doo better without matrimonie and sée that their sole life may stand them in great sted to aduance the glorie of God they should sinne by refusing of that state for they ought to followe the example of Paule But we in no wise admit this doctrine of counsels by which these men reckon manie of the commandements of God among counsels such as are the forbidding to reuenge iniuries Rom. 12 19 the turning of our chéeke vnto him that striketh vs Matth. 5 39. the letting go of our cloke and coate to him that will take it and such other like things For these be commandements of God whereof the Lord hath pronounced that he who shall breake the least of them shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen Also he said Ibidem 20 Vnlesse your righteousnesse shall more abound than the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen But it will not abound vnles we so vnderstand the lawe as Christ hath interpreted it As touching the widowe which offered with others Luke 21 1. To the fourth concerning the oblation of the widow we answer that she might not haue béene constrained by the iudgement of man to haue powred out all hir substance in that offering But God who had giuen hir strength before hand that she should be content to make so great an offering and knew right well how much she was able to giue would haue accused hir by his owne iudgement vnlesse she had offered according to the strength wherwith hir mind was prepared To the fift As touching satisfactions we passe not much what they saie séeing we vnderstand that those were altogither vaine and superfluous yea and contumelious against Christ for they séemed therefore to be vsed as though that Christ had not aboundantlie satisfied for vs. But if that by satisfieng they vnderstand a man to approue himselfe vnto God according as I haue aboue declared we well allow of the word but it will not serue their purpose For to satisfie God in that sort is to render vnto him those things which we doo owe vnto him To the sixt That which lastlie they brought out of the epistle to the Romans Rom. 1 35. namelie that the apostle saith We haue more than ouercome it is so friuolous as I thinke it scarse worth the answering For there Paule onelie sheweth the large and plentifull victorie which the Lord giueth vnto his people against temptations Looke part 2. place 15. 10 But bicause there be certeine places not to be ouerskipped which séeme to be against our assertion wherin we affirmed that in the works of godlie men there is a great want The scriptures seeme to affirme that we in this life may be perfect Deut. 18. 13 Gen. 17 1. Matt. 5 48. 2. Co. 13 11 Col. 1 28. séeing in the scriptures they be called vnperfect works now will I alledge those places and make answer vnto them We read in Deuteronomie and also in the booke of Genesis Be thou perfect And in the gospell Be ye perfect as your heauenlie father is perfect Vnto the Corinthians From hencefoorth brethren reioise be ye perfect Vnto the Colossians Exhorting euerie man teaching them all wisedome that we may make a perfect man in Christ Vnto the Philippians Phil. 2 10. Doo all things without anie murmuring that ye may be blamelesse and pure children of God without spot Vnto the Ephesians Ephes 1 3. Blessed be God and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenlie things that we should be holie and without blame before him And in that epistle it is written of the church that Christ clensed the same Ephe. 5 26. to the intent he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious church hauing neither spot nor wrinkle that it may be holie and without blame c. And Peter exhorteth 1. Pet. 1. 15. that we should be holie and without blame in our conuersation bicause it is written Be ye holie for I am holie And Dauid saith I shall be vnrebukeable before him Psal 18 24. and 119 1. And againe Blessed are they that are vndefiled in the waie Which testimonies séeme to tend vnto this namelie that we should not thinke our perfection to be without hope of recouerie in this life Augustine in a litle booke of his Augustine intituled De iustitia Christi against Coelestinus that is in the seuenth tome obiecteth all these testimonies against himselfe and answereth by these points He will in these places that certeine things be so spoken as they may be exhortations by the which we are stirred vp to walke perfectlie But in lawes and admonitions it is not required that we should performe so much as is persuaded but there is shewed how farre we ought to indeuour as now it hath béene said touching the precept which is giuen vnto vs for the louing of God with all the hart with all the mind and with all the strength An other chéefe point is that manie of these things doo shew not what maner of persons we be now but such as we shall become in the end when this life hath runne his course for then we shall be perfect when we shall be throughlie come to the place whither we tend The third point is that by vnblameable and perfect persons he vnderstandeth them which be without damnable crimes and such should they be that are chosen ministers of the church After which sort it is written that manie of the saints haue béene perfect How some saints are said to haue beene perfect in this life not as though they committed not some sinnes which is an vnpossible thing in this life but bicause they led their life without dooing of the damnable and the grosser sinnes Wherefore although they were innocent after this maner yet with others they were constrained to praie Forgiue vs Lord our trespasses Matt. 6 12. Lastlie he
it shall be said else-where But admit we should grant these scourges of God to be punishments yet doo they nothing further our aduersaries For so much as they shall be called temporall punishments the which God hath not put vnder the power of the keies that they should be ordered by them séeing God hath distributed them at his owne pleasure and dooth oftentimes turne them awaie or mitigate them according as he is called vpon by the saints and as he séeth them to be conuerted vnto him earnestlie and with true repentance as it may plainlie appéere in Ezechias and in the Niniuits In which sense that may be vnderstood which is written in Daniel Dan. 4 24. Redeeme thou thy sinnes with almes A place of Daniel declared that is to saie thy punishments which remaine by the seueritie of Gods iudgement Or else vnderstand the same on this wise Euen as thou hast afflicted the poore and hast oppressed them that be weake so on the other part God puniâ—…eth not the godlie as a reuenger take thou pitie vpon them So that To redeeme is To put that which is good in the place of that which is euill God punisheth not the faithfull sort like a reuenger iudge but he chastineth them as a father Neither dooth hée alwaie of all men exact punishments after sins be forgiuen for he hath forgiuen manie sins to manie without laieng those punishments vpon them For vnto the théefe he said Luke 23 43 This daie thou shalt be with me in paradise And the Publican which praied Haue mercie vpon me a sinner Luke 18 13 went his waie iustified And Peter when he had forsworne Christ onelie wept Luke 23 62. and was receiued into grace Wherevpon as touching his repentance Ambrose wrote Ambrose I read of the teares of Peter but I read not of his satisfaction Also it was said vnto the man sicke of the palsie Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Matth. 9 5. neither did the Lord require anie other thing of him 20 They are woont to obiect that the woman which was a sinner Luke â— 37 and 48. did therefore obteine remission of sinnes bicause shée washed the Lords féete with hir teares and wiped them with the haires of hir head and annointed him with pretious ointment They crie out that all these things were satisfactions for sinnes Howbeit these men ought to consider The woman was forgiuen hir sinnes in two respects that our Sauiour shewed how sinnes were forgiuen to that woman in two respects First when he said vnto hir Thy faith hath made thee whole and this waie was a right waie as an effect procéeding from the causes namelie from the mercie of God which that woman comprehended by faith Further vnto the Pharisie which could not perceiue the faith that laie hidden in the womans mind he shewed that hir sinnes were pardoned and forgiuen hir for another cause to wit that séeing he loueth most to whom most is forgiuen and that the Pharisie sawe that that woman loued Christ more than he did he might thereby knowe that she was no longer a sinner but a true iustified woman And he sheweth by tokens of charitie that she most loued him the which tokens she did at his féet The effects of charitie do followe iustification not go before it in the sight of all men Wherefore it is certeine that these effects of loue which these men call satisfactions are not doone before iustification but doo rather followe after the same 21 And whereas these men feigne that soules doo satisfie through paines and torments in purgatorie after this life they are verie repugnant vnto the saieng of Cyprian who in the end of his booke against Demetrianus writeth When we shall passe from hence there shall neither be place for repentance neither yet effect of satisfaction The aduersaries are woont to pretend vnto this their opinion an indeuour of pitie bicause they will not estéeme them to be damned which are departed in the confession of Christ when as neuertheles they should be deteined in some blemish of their sinnes But it is a foolish pitie which dooth driue vs to decrée those things which we are ignorant of whether they make to the glorie of God and cannot be shewed out of the holie scriptures Further we are bound to loue God with all our strength and with all our soule And we ought neither to appoint nor beginne anie thing which we knowe not to be alowed by him or that shall make to his glorie But purgatorie maketh manie to be negligent of liuing well Purgatorie maketh manie negligent of liuing well bicause they suppose that by their riches they may easilie purchase men to praie for them when they be dead The verie which inconuenience followed the opinion of Origin wherein he affirmed that the punishment of damned soules should at one time or other finish Whereby appéereth that this opinion of purgatorie neither edified the church neither yet prouoked men vnto godlie life Manie other inconueniences by the opinion of purgatorie and therefore it was not prudentlie deuised And further by this deuise manie poore folkes are defrauded of iust almes and an intollerable market of Popes pardons breake foorth Also by this abuse is mainteined the slothfulnes of Moonks popish priests who that they may be well mainteined and that through their praiers they may release the paines of mens soules in purgatorie the right heires in vndutifull testaments are skipped ouer so as all things in a maner are giuen to the fat panches of these men Here are all things vncerteine They which iudge that the soules of them that be departed in the faith of Christ be not foorthwith admitted into the heauenlie rest how can they knowe that such persons be tormented by fires Vnto whom also if thou shouldest grant that they are afflicted with flames how will they prooue that they can be holpen by our praiers and sutes 22 But and if we should suffer the suspicions of men to take place perhaps some will be found which for purgatorie will appoint as I may saie an eruditorie or instructing place wherein the soules of infidels which in this life hard nothing of Christ or the soules of rude persons and of infants which were neuer taught may yet there at the least wise learne and obteine an occasion of beléeuing For vnto some it will séeme an vnméet thing that either ignorant men should be damned eternallie or else that those which be not yet adorned with the knowledge of God should be brought into the kingdome of heauen And manie other such things séeing there be an aboundance of errors may be feigned Now haue we séene that purgatorie is no opinion necessarie to be beléeued Further if by suspect opinion it be receiued it hath weake and slender reasons to cleaue vnto and it rather hindereth godlinesse than furthereth the same Wherefore they which be of an opinion that there is
purgatorie doo not well if they obtrude the same vnto the church to be beléeued in which church as things to be beléeued nothing must be taught but that which certeinlie and vndoubtedlie may be proued by the scriptures 23 Now there remaineth A confutation of the arguments which make for purgatorie To the first 1. Mac. 12. 6. that we confute the arguments which were set foorth at the begining First was obiected a place out of the 2. booke of Machabeis which can be no hindrance to the truth bicause those bookes be none of the canonicall scriptures But these men saie that although the Hebrues haue not those bookes yet that our church hath receiued them How the bookes of the Machabeis haue beene receiued of the church Cyprian I grant that the church hath receiued them but as Cyprian testified in the exposition of the Créed to the intent they should be read in the church but not that our faith should thereby be confirmed In the which place the blessed martyr reckoned vp the canonicall bookes and added These be the bookes out of which the fathers would haue the grounds of our faith to consist And Ierom Ierom. when he citeth the bookes of the Machabeis is woont to adde If anie man will beléeue them or receiue them Augustine also Augustine against the second epistle of Gaudentius saith that They were receiued but not equallie with the bookes of the lawe the prophets and the psalmes yet he saith that they be not vnprofitable so they be read and heard discréetelie Discréetelie I saie They must be read discreetlie that we maie iudge wherein they either consent or disagrée with the scriptures Also Melito bishop of Sardine Melito Sardinensis in the recitall which he maketh of the canonicall bookes vnto Eusebius reckoneth not these bookes among them Epiphanius also ouerskipped them Epiphanius Razias 2. Ma. 14. 41. Vnto these things adde that in those bookes is the historie of one Razias who killed himselfe bicause he would not come into the hands of his enimies there both the man his acts are cōmended whose example in the time of Augustine the Circumcellions did abuse when as they did violentlie murther themselues Augustine wherefore Augustine against the Donatists laboured much to defend the booke but how much he profited let other men iudge To conclude at the end of these bookes it is read If I haue written well 2. Ma. 15 39 The writer of these bookes in the end of the booke excuseth himselfe verse 11. To the second that was my desire but if I haue spoken slenderlie and barelie I haue doone that I could Which words are not beséeming where the holie Ghost is author 24 Secondlie there was brought Zacharie the ninth chapter But by the lake wherein no water was Ierom expressedlie vnderstandeth hell where there is no mercie the which being prepared for vs worthilie are we redéemed from thence by Christ Also the place is expounded by some to be that receptacle or roome wherein the soules of the fathers were before Christ ascended into heauen from whence by the benefit of him they were deliuered and caried into heauen yea Ierom. and Ierom affirmeth that in the same lake the riotous rich man was in torments Whereby it appéereth that their exposition of purgatorie faileth Also the sentence of Ecclesiastes wherein it is said Eccl. 4 14. To the third Out of bonds and prisonments some are otherwhile aduanced vnto kingdomes serueth nothing vnto this purpose séeing in that place there is onelie a discourse of the dailie alteration of things And Gregorie the bishop of Pontus Gregorie of Laodicea who was of Laodicea saith as Ierom citeth Euen as a king who is both a foole and an old man may be easilie cast out of his kingdome so on the other side a yong man although he be poore so he be wise may be aduanced from a lowe state vnto a kingdome Origin Victorinus But Origin and Victorinus turne it to an allegorie and saie that An old king and To be cast out betokeneth vnto vs the diuell who otherwise is called the prince of this world and they vnderstand the yong man to be Christ who so soone as he came vnto his father receiued full power whereas before he was greatlie vexed in the world as in a prison That which is in the Psalmes Psal 66 12. To the fourth We haue passed through fire and water c. Augustine expounded concerning the temptations of this world so as aduersities are described by the fire and prosperities by the waters at which temptations while the godlie doo not shrinke they are led vnto the heauenlie refreshings 25 But now let vs sée what they haue obiected out of the new testament Matt. 12 31 To the fift That which is written in the gospell of not forgiuing of sinne against the holie Ghost neither in this world nor yet in the world to come prooueth not that there be anie sinnes which be forgiuen in an other life Among the Logicians two negatiue propositions are not woont to conclude an affirmatiue wherfore Not to be forgiuen in this world and Not to be forgiuen in an other world doo not affirme a forgiuenesse of sinnes to be after this life And it plainelie appéereth that those things were spoken of Christ by exaggeration or amplifieng that thereby the greatnes of that sinne might be the more euident Mark 3 29. And when as Marke writeth the same thing he saith It shall neuer be forgiuen making no mention either of this world or of the world to come Matt. 5 25. To the sixt As touching him that would not agrée with his aduersarie while he is in the way and therefore is commanded to be deliuered vnto the officer by whom he may be cast into prison so as he shall not come foorth from thence vntill he haue paid the vttermost farthing Augustine dooth plainlie vnderstand the same Augustine touching hell fire and he will haue the particle vntill to be vnderstood in the same signification wherein it is said Matt. 1 25. And he knew not hir vntill she had brought foorth hir first begotten sonne Ierom. And Ierom interpreted this place to concerne the kéeping of concord among the faithfull while they shall liue héere which he prooueth both by that which went before and which followeth It was said before Matt 5 23. If thou offer thy gift at the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath anie thing against thee leaue there thy gift c. Further after these things it is written Loue your enimies Ibidem verse 44. He also maketh mention of an allegoricall interpretation wherein by an Aduersarie some haue vnderstood the spirit it selfe which exposition notwithstanding séemeth absurd vnto him that the spirit should deliuer vs vnto the iudge Neither did he let to speake that there are some which by an Aduersarie vnderstood the
true faith inuiolate This saith he is it that haie wood and strawe is set on fire perisheth for euen those lusts of theirs as flames doo torment them and they vanish awaie And he added that this happeneth vnto manie while they liue here for it happeneth not seldome vnto the most part of martyrs and saints that they be spoiled of the goods of this world for the name of Christ But he saith that finallie we are all tried with this examination at the end of our life And that fire signifieth tribulations he prooueth it out of the 65. psalme where it is written We haue passed through fire and water verse 12. thou hast brought vs into a wealthie place where by fire is declared aduersitie and by water prosperitie And for the same cause in the exorcisme of baptisme he would haue as well fire as water to be vsed that we may vnderstand we be tried by these two things And he bringeth the sentence of Ecclesiasticus Thus farre of Augustines interpretation The fornace trieth the potters vessell but the temptation of trouble trieth the minds of the iust 29 Vnto this interpretation of Augustine by fire to vnderstand calamities and aduersities Gregorie agréeth Gregorie albeit that he incline vnto purgatorie But as we haue said it is most euident that Paule by buildings either good or ill Paule by building signified doctrine signified doctrines either sound or corrupt whose end is described that if they be good they haue their reward but if they be euill they vanish and come to naught Matt. 15 13. For euerie plant which my heauenlie father hath not planted shall be plucked vp Neither is it anie maruell if good buildings doo stand firme séeing the word of God abideth for euer He that hath not builded well may indéed be saued neuerthelesse by fire bicause he shall perceiue that his doctrine is both confuted and condemned He shall acknowledge that he hath wrought in vaine A similitude euen as he that escapeth through fires whose garments are so burned as yet he leapeth out naked Some expound So as it were by fire bicause men are hardlie brought that they can be caried awaie from their opinions for all men imbrace and loue their owne inuentions more than is méet Howbeit it is more sincere to say that in the examination of God they shall haue experience of shame sadnes trouble and of an vnquiet conscience And vnto this interpretation Ambrose agréed He must of necessitie be alwaies ashamed Ambrose that séeth himselfe to haue defended a false matter in stéed of a truth In this iudgement of God the fault of doctrine is discouered and foorthwith entereth great sadnes and sorrowe of repentance Chrysost 30 Chrysostome thought that this fire perteined vnto hell but bicause he sawe that to make against him which is written But he him selfe shall be saued as it were by fire he interpreteth that To be saued is nothing else but To indure not to be extinguished not to be turned into ashes or to be brought to naught that this ill builder shall remaine as touching substance but shall not as he saith be reserued vnlesse it be vnto punishment that he may be burned with fire and euerlasting flames He was not ignorant that this interpretation was somewhâ—…â—orced and therefore he indeuoured to mitigate the same and he shewed that Paule with goodlie words did sometime set foorth things which otherwise are euill and to be disallowed and againe to call things excellent and praise-woorthie by dishonorable names In the latter epistle to the Corinthians he saith that We make all our cogitatioÌ„s captiue where 2. Cor. 10 5 by the word captiue he calleth that persuasion whereby men willinglie and of their owne accord submit themselues vnto faith Also when he preacheth mortification of the flesh Col. 3 5. and members that be vpon the earth certeinlie by the word mortification he commendeth a thing allowed and perfect whereas by nature we all flie from death And on the other side when he saith vnto the Romans Rom. 6 11. Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies by the name of reigne he adoorneth tyrannie a thing vndoubtedlie to be detested with the name of a kingdome So now he calleth the euerlasting continuance in fire and in the paines of hell by the name of Sauing But let Chrysostome defend this interpretation of his as well as he can Chrysostome interpretation confuted it appéereth plainlie that it can not stand for two causes For séeing all things be here taken allegoricallie what néed he labour to prooue it true fire Vnlesse perhaps he will haue hell fire to be an allegorie which thing the receiued opinion in the church will not suffer Further where it is said The fire shall prooue euerie worke what it is we must as Augustine verie well aduiseth determine it to be that fire the which as well the good as euill builders shall haue experience of But I doo not thinke that he would haue the good and holie men to be tormented in hell fire And yet neuertheles haue the Gréeke Scholies brought this opinion of Chrysostome The Greeke expositions Erasmus And Erasmus a notable learned man in his annotations saith that It is a vaine thing to make mention in this place of purgatorie séeing it is here ment farre otherwise Surelie I doubt not but that he himselfe sawe the same thing that if purgatorie fire should be gathered of this place it shall be néedfull for that fire to be common both vnto the apostles and vnto all the saints although they haue builded the church with sincere and approoued doctrines And I can not sufficientlie woonder at them which affirme that this sentence is vnderstood of purgatorie when as otherwise they defend the Popes pardons and doo knowe that some of them are so granted by the Pope as a man may be absolued from all punishment when he dieth so that his soule as they speake may foorthwith flie into heauen How shall such a one be tried in the fire of purgatorie Yea and Scotus said that There may be found an action or motion of charitie so absolute and perfect or as he himselfe speaketh of such feruencie that it can wash awaie all punishments Let the same man shew how this fire of purgatorie which they would wrest out of this place can be common vnto all men Vnlesse perhaps they will place the same in the aire and will deuise that all the saints when they flie awaie vnto heauen passe through the fire As it is spoken of one Alcuinus that he inuented such a tale A deuise altogither feigned namelie that all saints before they ascend into heauen passe through the fire of purgatorie It séemeth also that this should not be vnspoken of that Paule after a sort alludeth the saieng vnto the words of Esaie in the first chapter where it is said verse 31. And their strength shall
this saieng who being furnished with kinglie power and infinite wealth might atteine vnto all kind of pleasures and delights And séeing he preuailed greatlie in wit and excelled others in singular knowledge vndoubtedlie he sawe all the waies and meanes by the which pleasures and delights might be obteined For as he himselfe confesseth he spared no cost he appointed for himselfe singers both men and women he prepared for himselfe rich buildings and also notable houses of plesure and fishponds in the countrie and finallie he had experience of althings whereby men are woont to atteine vnto bodilie pleasures But yet at the last he repenting with vehement affirmation cried out Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie Wherefore if we imbrace this sentence we will saie that he did repent and that the predestination of God was not made frustrate in him and that his falles were specified in the holie historie for all our instruction and they were laid before our eies by the prouidence of God But if he be reckoned among the reprobate yet can it not in like maner be denied but that by his falles we haue notable warnings but he himselfe which transgressed hath vndoubtedlie suffered iust punishment of his ingratitude Yet neuerthelesse there is no cause why we should by anie meanes accuse God who indued him abundantlie with all good things In men certeinlie is alwaies the cause of sinne the which in no wise can be in God yet is it not therefore brought to passe but that GOD may vse the transgressions of men for the instruction of his owne chosen people Let his owne secrets be sound and intire vnto himselfe let vs followe his will according as it is reuealed in his lawe and diuine scripture And in the meane time let vs consider that it is no safe waie to liue in continuall prosperitie Wherefore it is not by the fault of the gift of God that we fall headlong into damnation but it commeth by reason we are so verie corrupt that we neuer in a maner kéepe our selues within iust limits It is an incredible thing to be spoken what great libertie the most mightie Monarchs the rich men and notable learned men giue vnto themselues And if there be anie other example extant of this thing woorthie to be giuen I suppose this of Salomon dooth chéeflie serue to the purpose Of Liberalitie and Magnificence 19 In the bestowing of monie In the commentaries vpon Aristotles Ethiks the meane is accounted liberalitie and he which excéedeth is counted riotous vnthriftie and prodigall he saueth not his things naie but he destroieth them he giueth ouer much but receiueth little But the couetous man he standeth in the other extremitie and receiueth more than is méet but bestoweth lesse Wherefore excesse and couetousnes are on this wise opposed one against another Magnificence Magnificence is by Aristotle called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause expenses are powred out beyond the bounds of measure and honestie This excesse is also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A certeine affectation of gorgiousnes and greatnes while in the bestowing of cost we endeuour to haue an honour and comlinesse where néed requireth not For base artificers since they be vnskilfull in things while they would séeme to be magnificall doo greatlie offend in this kind of expenses Once a shoomaker that became rich made a feast to the people of Rome And Aesop the plaier in tragedies minding to make a magnificall feast bought toongs of most pretious birds And oftentimes in cities where the peoples fauour is sought such kind of expenses are vsed bicause the people delight in them And those base artificers which knowe not wherein a mediocritie standeth although for their small abilitie they are not able to make such expenses yet are they delighted in them Wherefore Cicero said that Priuate riotousnes did not please the people of Rome but publike magnificence 20 But here peraduenture some man will aske In 2. King 4 at the beginning For what cause God so often suffereth his people that is to saie those which doo trulie and sincerelie worship him to suffer pouertie Iob. 1. Tob. 2 12. Gen. 32 10. For the holie histories doo shew that Iob Tobias and Iacob when he went to Laban as a stranger from his fathers house and manie other of the saints were brought into pouertie Of these euents there may be manie causes shewed One is that God by this kind of exercise would declare the faith and patience of his people for by such means he bringeth foorth into light those vertues which he hath bestowed vpon them least they should be hidden Furthermore he will sometime haue his protection and care towards them to be made manifest when their state being changed he maketh them rich againe and restoreth them to their former state according as we knowe it happened vnto Iob Tobias and Iacob and vnto manie others Further he will teach vs hereby that we must not make so much account of worldlie riches as we should thereby measure the grace and fauour of GOD. Looke In 2. Sam. 22 verse 24. Galat. 3 28. For euen as respecting the kingdome of heauen there is neither male nor female neither bond nor frée euen so there is neither rich nor poore Which thing cannot generallie be affirmed by the Papists which sell their pardons for monie and for rich oblations doo pull soules out of purgatorie which oblations séeing the poore cannot make they want those benefits of theirs Besides this through want of the goods of this world God brideleth the wantonnes of the flesh for there be verie manie which if they should abound in wealth they would abuse the same to the fulfilling of the lusts of their flesh Wherefore by this wholesome remedie the heauenlie father dooth kéepe them vnder least they should shamefullie run at large And lest that pouertie should be reputed for an infamous and vile state the onelie begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour would suffer the same while he liued among vs. In 1. Cor. 4 ver 11. 21 Yet perhaps some man will here doubt that séeing Christ hath said that The workman is woorthie of his reward Matt. 10 10 And againe Your heauenlie father knoweth Matt. 6 32. that you haue need of all these things And againe Seeke ye first the kingdome of heauen Ibidem 33. and all things shall be giuen vnto you and Dauid saith I neuer sawe the iust man forsaken Psal 37 25. nor his seed begging their bread How can hunger thirst and nakednes which the apostle in the first to the Corinthians the fourth chapter declareth that he suffered agrée with these things We answer that the promises of God are most true but yet that they are not separated from the crosse God hath promised the foresaid things but yet not so as we should possesse them without penurie and affliction Matth. 4 2. Iohn 18 28. 1. Sam. 21 3. Christ did hunger and
touching them which be obstinate in sinnes and which will by no meanes repent but that promises and consolations shall be most certeinlie true and fulfilled towards them that repent Repentance is remooued from mine eies This added God that he might appoint the certeintie of the resurrection as if he should saie I will not repent me of this decrée it shall in anie wise come so to passe Ephraim shall increase and multiplie among brethren Vnder the name Ephraim he vnderstandeth all them with Christ their head which shall be heaped vp in the resurrection with great honors and incredible ornaments Afterward the prophet returneth with his prophesie vnto the wicked Ephraimits and saith that they shall be vtterlie banished Doutles they were men of wealth riches and power in the which things they putting their trust thought that they should neuer come to ruine But God saith Behold I will bring the east wind that is Salmanazar the king of Assyria which shall drie vp their fountaines and veines that is not onlie the waters but also the springing of the fountaines the verie originals and roots so as they may not be repaired anie more and he will take awaie the treasure and all pleasant vessels This is the interpretation which to me séemeth plaine and manifest 51 Albeit I note The interpretation of Dauid Kimhi that Dauid Kimhi conuerteth the future tense into the preterpluperfect tense saith I had deliuered the dominion of the twelue tribes out of the graue had redeemed them from death and had bene the plague of their death the destructiom of their graue if they had beene wise By wisedome I meane verie repentance that is If they had repented and heard my words And bicause they should not despaire by reason of so vnhappie a successe the prophet speaketh so magnificallie of deliuerance redemption and also of plague death and abolishing of the graue Euen as if he had said Although that they had béene extinct and vtterlie abolished yet I had deliuered them Whereby is gathered that there is no calamitie of men so great but that God can either take awaie or mitigate the same Wherfore we must neuer despaire but set alwaies before our eies that it is the propertie of God to redéeme from death and to be the death and destruction thereof And if at anie time deliuerance come not and that death be not taken awaie God is not in fault thereof but our owne obstinacie and vnbeléefe bicause we will not repent Paule 1. Co. 15 9 who was most circumspect in perusing the saiengs of the prophets deriued the argument wherewith he confirmed the resurrection of the dead from that same propertie of God whereby he is pronounced in the scriptures to be the conquerour of death and redéemer from the graues bicause it behooueth somtimes that the properties of God should breake foorth into act He noteth that the prophet dooth stir vp vnto repentance the kingdome of the ten tribes by promising them that God would be with them who is so mightie and magnificent a conquerour ouer death Which exhortation certeinlie would be of no force if we should desire of God that thing which indéed would neuer come to passe And séeing the apostle had affiance that it would so be therefore he vseth glorious reioisings against death saieng O death where is thy victorie O death where is thy dart wherewith thou didst pearse all men It is vnderstood These things are wrested from thée by Christ In what respect Christ may be called a plague 52 It must not séeme anie maruell if Christ be called a plague or destruction for this must be vnderstood in respect of euill things And alwaies a new generation must néeds be the corruption of the thing which went before for when fire is made of wood the forme and nature of wood must néeds perish otherwise the fire would not be brought foorth And as the Philosophers or Logicians doo commonlie affirme The corrupting of euill things is numbered among good things And we are woont to saie of a noble and happie emperor He is a lion a woolfe a dragon he is féerse and terrible but it is added Vnto his enimies whereas otherwise vnto his citizens he is mercifull gentle and courteous Yea and in this selfe same prophet Ose 5 12. 14 13 7 God named himselfe like a beare a leopard and a lionesse but that was toward the wicked and vngodlie whereas otherwise he is mild and mercifull towards the faithfull So as God hath tempered for vs a medicine out of the death and resurrection of Christ whereby we be deliuered and death perisheth A similitude in like maner as a wise Physician drinketh vnto the patient of the medicine wherewith he is reléeued and the ague or disease extinguished And of this wholesome medicine we drinke healthfullie while as either by reading or by preaching there is mention made of the death and resurrection of the Lord and we with a liuelie faith embrace the same and also when we make protestation of our faith by the sealing of baptisme and receiuing of the Lords supper For in these holie actions both the death and resurrection of Christ are celebrated In the treatise of this place Paule added that Death is swallowed vp by victorie namelie of Christ Testimonies of the new testament for the resurrectiō 53 And thus much haue we spoken concerning the places of the old testament of which sort there might be more brought but these I was minded to produce and to stand content with them And I haue the more largelie expounded them bicause there be some at this daie which affirme that in the old testament there is nothing concerning the resurrection of the dead or if there be anie testimonie there extant they saie it was not knowne vnto the fathers of those times Now come I to the testimonies and assertions of the new testament First we read in the fift of Iohn Iohn 5 28. which alreadie I haue oftentimes alledged They which be in their graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they which haue doone well shall come foorth into the resurrection of life but they that haue doone euill into the resurrection of iudgement Iohn 6 verse 39. 40. 44 54. And in the sixt chapter He that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the last daie In the 22. of Matthew the 12. of Marke Matt 22 32. Mark 12 26 Luk. 20 37. and the 20. of Luke I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob But God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing And in the 14. chapter of Luke Luk. 14 14. when Christ had exhorted them that stood by that they should be beneficiall vnto the poore and that they should make feasts vnto them They haue not wherewithall saith he to requite thee againe but it shal be
there thou art at rest in the bosome of Abraham if anie such place be now extant The bosome of Abraham Where he séemeth to doubt whether the bosome of Abraham be yet remaining after the ascension of Christ And in the same oration he saith that it is the saieng of the wise that The soules of the godlie when they be loosed from the bodie are brought vnto the sight of God The verie which thing did Cyrillus write Cyrillus in the ninth booke vpon the gospell of Iohn the 36. chapter where he saith that The soules of them that be dead dwell not vpon the earth neither yet are thrust foorth to torments as are the soules of sinners but doo escape into the hands of the heauenlie father the beginning being made by Christ Howbeit the more ancient fathers thought that the soules of the godlie should be detained in the bosome of Abraham vntill the blessed resurrection as we haue alreadie declared out of Irenaeus 11 Hilarius likewise was of the same mind Hilarius whose iudgement I will declare in few words not alonelie as touching this opinion but also of the infernall place First vpon the second psalme he affirmeth that The spirits of the wicked after death doo not wander vpon the earth but that they come either to paine or reward immediatlie after And this he prooueth by the historie of Lazarus and the rich man Luk. 16 23. bicause he was alreadie tormented in the fire while his brethren yet liued vnto whom he desired that Lazarus might be sent Further he maketh mention of the place of rewards the which he calleth The bosome of Abraham and also of the place of punishments the which he affirmeth to be in the earth inclining to the place in the Apocalypse where it is written Apoc. 5 3. that None might open the booke of them which be in heauen or which be vpon the earth and which be within the earth Whereby he noted that euen the places which be within the earth haue their inhabitants That also might be brought which is written to the Philippians Phil. 2 10. that In the name of Iesu euerie knee must bow of things I saie in heauen of things vpon the earth and of things vnder the earth Moreouer the same author vpon the 120. psalme God kéepeth the spirits of the godlie in the bosome of Abraham euen from the time of departing out of their bodies vntill the time that the kingdome of heauen be come Tertullian And Tertullian as touching either point séemeth not to haue disagréed For against Marcion in the fourth booke 274. page writeth that he dooth thinke that the infernall places are one thing and the bosome of Abraham another bicause the bosome of Abraham is higher than the infernall place Which he confirmeth by this that the rich man is said to haue lifted vp his eies in his torments Luke 16 23 when he sawe Abraham and Lazarus Whereby it appéereth that Augustine borrowed his argument out of Tertullian Furthermore in the 275. page he writeth of the bosome of Abraham The same I saie is a region although not heauenlie yet higher than the infernall place And he addeth that the same shall be giuen for a place of solace for the soules of the iust vntill the resurrection Afterward he defineth the bosome of Abraham that it is a temporall place to receiue the soules of the faithfull wherein is described the image of that which is to come Which as I suppose he therefore speaketh bicause the perfect and absolute blessednes which shall happen in our countrie after the the resurrection is there begun But in his booke De anima page 685. he saith that The infernall place and the bosome of Abraham are vnderneath the earth So as he séemeth not to agrée well with himselfe vnlesse a man will saie that his booke De anima togither with other bookes last found out are none of his works albeit they may séeme in the stile to imitate him Finallie he concludeth that The kingdome of heauen shall be opened togither with the finishing of the world that is to saie The entrance into heauen shall not be opened vntill the world be at an end By these things it appéereth that the most ancient fathers did not iudge that the soules of the godlie doo ascend vnto heauen till the resurrection be past and that the latter writers beléeued that after departing from the bodie the blessed soules doo immediatelie atteine vnto God Verelie the scriptures which are set foorth by the spirit of God incline vnto the latter writers Phil. 1 23. For Paule said I desire to be loosed from hence and to be with Christ The Lord said vnto the théefe Luke 23 43. This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise Vnto which purpose there might also be other diuine testimonies heaped togither Yet neuerthelesse The error of pope Iohn the twentie Iohn the twentieth Bishop of Rome followed the opinion of the elder fathers and thought that the soules of the blessed doo not behold the presence of God vntill the last daie of resurrection and he was so obstinate in his opinion as he would not change the same vntill he was compelled The Diuines of Paris For the Diuines of Paris vsing the helpe of Philip the king surnamed Pulcher made him to recant For this king withdrew himselfe with his whole kingdome from his obedience wherevpon the Pope recanted perhaps not from his hart Recantation of a pope Gerson but through feare least his popedome should be pulled from him Wherefore he openlie recanted and that not without sound of trumpet as Gerson testified in his sermon of the passeouer But the bosome of Abraham I meane the seats of the blessed soules and the infernall place of the wicked spirits come to the knowledge euen of the poets For they described Orcus or hell to be that wherein the wicked are tormented And they also made mention of féelds of pleasure wherein they placed the soules of iust men who should delight themselues therein with songs with doctrines and with philosophicall contemplations 12 Now it séemeth also good to examine what opinion the Hebrues be of In the holie scriptures there be manie names of infernall places whereof I will recite some that be the more notable Hebrue names of the infernall place verse 11. It is called in the Hebrue Scheol of the verbe Schaal which is To seeke or To aske bicause hell séemeth euermore to craue and neuer to be satisfied In the 16. psalme it is written Thou shalt not leaue my soule Lischeol In hell It is also called Abaddon which is Perdition In the eightie eight psalme we read Psal 88 11. Who shall declare thy mercie and thy faith or thy truth Baabaddon that is to saie In perdition Further it is named Beer Schachath of the which we read in the 55. psalme verse 24. Thou hast made them to go downe into the
in his booke De bono mortis for there in the seuenth chapter verse 32. it is said that It shall come to passe at the last daie of iudgement that the dust and the graues shall restore the bodies of the dead and that the store-houses or receptacles of soules shall render them vp and so the resurrection shall be made But those store-houses or receptacles wherein soules are kept Ambrose dooth interpret to be the manie mansions Iohn 14 2. which be in the house of the father according to the saieng of Christ and also to be those places which Christ said that he went to prepare for his apostles when he ascended vp out of this world vnto the father And when as Ambrose had there disputed against the philosophers which affirmed that the soules of iust and wise men when they depart from hence doo passe into the bodies either of bées or of nightingales that there they might delight themselues either with swéet exercise or pleasant musicke he saith that they should rather haue taught that they went vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Vnto an inuisible place prepared for the dead Whereby it appéereth that the name of infernall place is generall as well vnto the place of torments as vnto the place of rest whereas the name of that hell belongeth onelie vnto the wicked 14 But what is the cause that led the ancient fathers into error to thinke that the soules of the faithfull doo abide in the bosome of Abraham vntill the last resurrection it is vncerteine Howbeit they séeme to haue taken hold of certeine places of the scripture which they did not rightlie vnderstand For it is said in the Apocalypse Apoc. 6 9. that The soules of the slaine are vnder the altar and crie vnto God that he would once at the last reuenge the bloud of them that be slaine But they should haue considered that the altar is not the infernall place séeing in the eight chapter of the same booke it is said to be in heauen verse 3. and in the sight of God neither dooth the altar betoken anie other thing but Christ himselfe And we are taught by that vision that the spirits of the godlie euen after this life doo remaine in the kingdome of God vnder the protection of Christ Further whereas they heard in the holie scriptures that Those which depart are called sléepers 1. The. 4 13 that also haue they referred vnto the soule when as it rather belongeth vnto the bodie For that resteth like them that be asléepe neither can it trulie and properlie be said to be dead séeing it shall returne vnto life and that there is no waie to returne from verie death indéed So as it is rightlie compared to sléepers who being deteined with heauie sléepe yet are woont at the length to be wakened againe Neither must we passe it ouer that whereas it is said of the infernall place that All men euen vnto the comming of Christ should bée brought thither and that afterward the spirits at the least-wise of the damned shall there be kept still Some there be which denie that there can be anie space found so large as may hold so manie spirits or soules And they séeme that euen as they appoint heauen to be in euerie place so they would appoint the infernall places to be euerie-where Neither doo they consider that mens soules be spirits and therefore doo not occupie a place as bodies doo Indéed they be in a place but yet definitelie as I haue alreadie said before not that they fill a place with their greatnes or quantities of measure but after the resurrection when they shall be indued with bodies God will not want places wherein they shall be punished for their ill déeds either vnder the earth or aboue the earth or in the waters or in the aire These things had I to saie as touching the diuers opinions of infernall places And by the testimonie of the most ancient fathers and also of the latter poets and likewise of the Hebrues I haue prooued that there be two kinds of them whom I affirme to haue spoken probablie yet doo I not saie that they haue rightlie and soundlie vsed the places of the scriptures 15 But now Into what place Henoch and Elias are translated if I should be asked vnto what place Henoch Elias were translated I will saie that absolutelie I knowe not bicause it is not shewed vs in the holie scripture Yet to followe the reason most likelie to be true I would saie that they were brought to the place of the fathers or bosome of Abraham that there waiting for the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ they might liue togither with the blessed fathers so that afterward with him being risen againe they might be lifted vp aboue the heauens Howbeit it may be said that this priuiledge they had before others to wit that wheras the soules of the faithfull were in the bosome of Abraham without bodies they being yet aliue had place there But as for their bodies whether they were glorified that is a thing hard to be determined yet may it be said that in the verie taking vp they were changed with that kind of changing I meane which is described in the first epistle to the Corinthians namelie 1. Co. 15 53 that Corruptible did put on incorruption and mortall immortalitie The verie which shall come to passe in our taking vp 1. The. 4 15 whereof it is written to the Thessalonians euen that we shall go to méet with Christ in the aire for it is written to the Corinthians 1. Co. 15. â—1 that Indeed we shall not all die but we shall be all changed But we said that Christ is the first fruits and therefore it ought to be affirmed Christ is the first fruits that he first of all other atteined vnto rest with his bodie Vnto this may be answered that this must be vnderstood of the highest seate of the blessed wherevnto he being raised from the dead was the first that came but we speake here of the bosome of Abraham not of the highest region of the liuing Further we might saie that the holie fathers in the bosome of Abraham in that they were at rest that they were well that they reioised that they were exempted from the punishments of the damned they had all this by Christ For the vertue of his death was not onelie profitable to vs but also to the fathers which were before his comming Wherefore in the Apocalypse the 13. chapter it is rightlie said The lambe was slaine froÌ„ the beginning of the world Neither must he be heard verse 8. which in our age hath not interpreted but peruerted that place For he translated That they were fallen that they worshipped the beast whose names were not written in the beginning of the world in the booke of life of the lambe which is slaine To what end hath he inuerted the particles of this speach What
manner what preeminence had Henoch and Elias aboue other men All the elect and faithfull of Christ as touching the soule are translated from hence vnto God and are not condemned with euerlasting death Indéed I am not ignorant that sometimes Not to see death is referred to the soule euen as the testimonies which we haue alreadie brought doo declare but sometimes on the other side it is referred to the death of the bodie as it is manifest by Simeon vnto whom it was reuealed Luke 2 26. that He should not see death till he had first seene the Lord Christ Yea and the sonne of God himselfe saith Matt. 16 28. There be of them which stand here present who shall not taste of death vntill they see the kingdome of God that is Note the preaching of the Gospell spread ouer the face of the earth or as others will vntill they shall sée the transfiguration of Christ vpon mount Thabor Neither is there anie doubt but that the death of the bodie is betokened in both these places Further those words of Paule to the Hebrues alledged a little aboue are so significant as they séeme wholie to testifie that Henoch is not dead But they that be of an other mind doo vrge that which is written in the same epistle of the Hebrues namelie Heb. 9 27. that It is decreed that all men shall once die But we answer that these generall propositions must not alwaies be vnderstood without anie exception True indéed it is which is now affirmed as touching the ordinarie and common maner but yet it is not brought to passe thereby but that GOD by his speciall prerogatiue and certeine peculiar will may exempt some from the lawe of death For what shall become either of vs or of others which shall be found aliue at the last daie Vndoubtedlie 1. Thes 4 15 They shall be caught vp to meet with Christ in the aire And Paule vnto the Corinthians said 1. Co. 15 51 We shall not all die but we shall be all changed Besides this if the words of that saieng be vrged with extremitie how will it be true that men once die séeing Lazarus the sonne of the widowe Iohn 11 â—4 Luk. 7 15. Matt. 9 25. Matt. 27 52 and also the daughter of the ruler of the synagog whom the Lord raised vp from the dead died not once but twise And it is thought by Augustine and diuerse others that those manie bodies of the saints which rose after the death of Christ and appéered vnto manie in the citie of Ierusalem when they had performed that which they were appointed to do setled in their graues as they did before 18 They also saie that it is written vnto the Romans Rom. 5 12. that Death by one man entred in vpon all men and that in the first epistle to the Corinthians the 15. chapter it is said verse 22. As in Adam all men are dead so in Christ all shall be made aliue that it may be taught that the life lost in Adam is recouered againe in Christ Vnto these saiengs we answer manie waies First euen as I said before that these generall propositions must not be vnderstood without priuiledge and exception Secondlie I will confesse that Henoch and Elias in their owne nature were subiect vnto death and in that they are not dead but doo inioie eternall life that they obteine by Christ Howbeit an other answer there is much more perfect namelie to saie that the same changing wherby we affirme that the bodies of those saints were glorified in taking vp was a certeine kind of death Wherfore Iustinus Martyr in his dialog with Triphon saith Iustinus Martyr that the world in the last time shall perish and not perish In what respect the world shall perish It shall not perish séeing it shall not be reduced to nothing But it shall perish bicause it shall be changed to better for the light of the sunne and moone shall both be purer and greater than now it is For we shall haue a new heauen and a new earth for bicause all things shall then be made new Others saie that the death of Henoch and Elias is not altogither taken awaie but rather deferred bicause they shall come in the last time shall die in fighting against Antichrist of which opinion was Tertullian Tertullian who in his book De anima page 682. saith Elias and Henoch were translated and their death is deferred For they are reserued to die hereafter that with their bloud they may extinguish Antichrist Againe in the same booke in the 672. page Elias shall come not from the departure of life but from the translation thereof he shall not be restored to his bodie from which he was not exempted but he shall be restored to the world The same father against the Iewes called Henoch an Inceptor Candidâ—tus or one readie apparelled for eternitie And in his booke De trinitate 603. he saith that God translated Henoch into the societie of his owne fréendship And séeing a fréend dooth benefit him whom he loueth and wisheth well vnto it is not likelie that God translated Henoch for to kill him Irenaeus But Irenaeus in his fourth booke thirtie chapter is of the opinion that Henoch hath exercised a message against the angels who were thought in old time to be fallen through a naughtie desire towards women and he saith that he is euen as yet preserued aliue for a testimonie of Gods iudgement And these things may suffice as touching the second point whereby is prooued by probable reason that they séeme not to be dead Thy Henoch and Elias were caught vp 19 It remaineth that we séeke to what end they were so taken vp Some saie that it was doone to the intent we might haue before our eies a certeine figure and shew of our resurrection as if so be that the taking vp of these were a liuelie example thereof to teach vs that we are not to measure our felicitie by or with the terme of this life But in my iudgement examples ought to be cléere and manifest for that otherwise they are but weake proofes Certeinlie in this place there is no mention made of resurrection either ours or theirs The signe of Ionas the prophet dooth manifestlie shadowe the resurrection Matt. 12 40. who was cast vp aliue out of the bellie of the whale Rom. 8 11. But Paule to the Romans did plainlie shew the resurrection after another sort If ye haue saith he his spirit which raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead the same shall quicken your mortall bodies As if he had said Séeing the spirit is one it will bring foorth the same effects And in the first epistle to the Corinthians the 15. chapter he saith vers 12 c. If Christ be risen from the dead we also shall rise againe Which he therefore speaketh bicause it is not méet that Christ
thing Also Christ promised to his apostles The 6. reason Matt 19 29 that they should sit vpon 12. seats as iudges of Israell But hath not Paule obteined the same reward although he be accounted the thirtéenth in the same fellowship 1. Co. 15 10 The 7. reason 1. Cor. 6 3. whereas neuerthelesse he laboured more than the rest Yea rather he hath also made the Corinthians partakers of the same reward and with them all beléeuers when he saith But doo you not knowe that we shall iudge the world and the angels And in the last chapter to the Romans it is written Rom. 8 18. that The passions of this life are not to be compared to the glorie to come which shall be reuealed vnto vs. But if so be that God in giuing of eternall life hath not respect to the worthinesse of our works how shall we prooue these degrées of rewards We shall obteine felicitie by the méere liberalitie of God wherefore we should séeke for a diuersitie of rewards at his mercie and not of our owne works But we sée that those men which defend the contrarie opinion doo chéeflie cleaue vnto this ground as if so be we should deserue euerlasting life by our works and that as they speake of condignitie Which thing if we should affirme vndoubtedlie GOD might séeme to be vniust if he would not assigne greater rewards to them which haue deserued them aboue others An expending of the former arguments Rom. 2 5. To the first 10 But now let vs come to the weighing of those arguments wherby they indeuor to shew that this difference of rewards is necessarie First they obiected that There shall be giuen to euerie man according to his works Which we saie must be generallie vnderstood as touching glorie and damnation And this interpretation we haue out of the scripture in the epistle to the Romans the 2. chapter And Christ by the last sentence of iudgement Matt. 2 5. that To euerie one shall be giuen his owne proper reward thus expoundeth it to wit when he calleth those that be on the right hand into the kingdom casteth those on the left hand into destruction Brieflie he whose labors haue béene godlie and iust shall be saued but he that hath laboured ill shall fall to ruine To the second Dan. 12 2. Those verie words which Daniel hath in the 12. chapter to wit that Manie which slept in the dust shall be raised vp some doubtles vnto glorie but others vnto shame and that they which haue taught others shall be like the firmament and they which haue instructed others to righteousnes shall be as the starres doo prooue nothing necessarilie bicause the selfe-same things which had béene spoken before as it is often vsed in the scripture are repeated in the clause in the second place The difference which séemeth to be assigned is of the firmament and of the starres But whereas they which teach and those which instruct others vnto righteousnesse be euen thoroughlie all one and are conteined in one and the selfe-same degrée there shall not euen according to our aduersaries iudgement be due vnto them sundrie rewards séeing they laboured all alike Wherefore it appéereth that the same thing is spoken afterward which was affirmed before howbeit more euidentlie But if thou shalt aske why Daniel rather made mention of them which teach than of others The answer is readie to wit that these men were rather to be confirmed bicause they were more abandoned vnto persecutions than others were Therefore had they néed of consolation for it behooueth them to be of a good courage Yet thereby is not prooued that the selfe-same promises should not be made vnto the rest séeing Christ plainlie said Matt. 13 43. Ierom. The righteous shall shine like the sunne in the kingdome of God Furthermore Ierom in expounding of this place when he had plainelie treated of that sentence added that Some did demand whether the godlie vnlearned man and godlie learned man should haue all one glorie And he saith that we may answer according to the translation of Theodosius The translation of Theodosius that one shall be as the firmament another as the starres Howbeit I haue alreadie shewed that it is all one thing that is spoken on both parts 11 As touching the argument which they doo bring in of contraries To the third we should not much passe For we grant it to be a probable reason but yet not necessarie for this maner of argument oftentimes faileth as if so be a man will saie that he can kill himselfe therefore he can quicken himselfe and manie other instances might be brought but for breuitie sake I omit them Wherefore I grant that in punishments there is some diuersitie which neuerthelesse followeth not to be in rewards for by our works we deserue punishment but on the other side we deserue not felicitie by them So that the argument or reason in these contraries are differing or vnlike It is true that Christ said To the fourth Iohn 14 2. In my fathers house there be manie mansions but he saith not Sundrie mansions As if so be I should saie In Oxford there be manie Innes A similitude but if the ghests be intertained in them all after one maner the Innes shall not be altogither diuers but of equalitie if so be that in euerie one of them the selfe-same dinners and the same suppers and wholie the same commodities be set before the ghests As touching angels we saie To the fift that the scripture granteth that they haue among them sundrie orders and iurisdictions bicause God vseth the ministerie of them for the gouerning of the world but at the end Dan. 10 1 3. 1. Ihâ—s 4 16 Iude. vers 9. all principalities and powers as we haue said shal be abolished Neither doo we knowe whether there shall be anie more a diuersitie of orders or degrées as touching felicitie Further they that affirme sundrie orders to be in angels their mind is that they differ in speciall kind and perhaps in the next generall kind which cannot be affirmed as touching blessed men or our spirits Wherefore the similitude betwéene vs and angels agréeth not as touching all things For then should we take all angels to be of one forme or one order whether they haue all a like or equall happinesse or no. But these matters no man can define by testimonies of the holie scriptures séeing verie few things are taught vs concerning the affairs of angels bicause they were not necessarie vnto our saluation to be known He that shal obserue teach the coÌ„mandements shal be called great in the kingdom of heauen To the sixt Matth. 5 19 We answer that vnder the name of the kingdome of heauen is vnderstood the church wherin they are greatlie to be estéemed which teach rightlie doo those things which they shall teach and in the elections of the churches they must be preferred before
others And those are to be lesse estéemed who breake the lest of Gods commandements teach others to breake them Except perhaps thou wilt saie that they which breake teach others to breake the cōmandements of God To the seuenth Matth. 13 8 shal be in eternal felicitie which thing is most absurd Neither is it any difficult thing to perceiue what meneth the parable of the séed wherof a part falleth on good ground and giueth fruit thirtie fold when as of other parts there is had euen sixtie fold or an hundred fold There is none but vnderstandeth that these things belong to the state of this present life bicause Gods word fructifieth not in all the godlie after one sort To the eight Matth. 25. Neither doth the parable of the talents respect anie thing else for he that vseth Gods gifts well is made worthie to be placed ouer manie things graces are increased in him he dailie made more capable of spirituall gifts To the ninth 2. Cor. 9 6. 12 Also they cited that saieng vnto the Corinshians He that soweth sparinglie shall also reape sparinglie Which saieng also may apperteine to the receiuing of spirituall fruits in this life for they that be liberall in almes doo abound in spirituall good things and it oftentimes commeth to passe that God more abundantlie imparteth riches vnto them to the intent they may haue the more plentie whereof to be mercifull So then as touching all these things we may vnderstand that a sparing haruest shall be if we sowe sparinglie Wherefore there is nothing necessarilie prooued as touching rewards of eternall life To the tenth Matt. 20 27. And whereas the Lord said vnto the apostles He that will be greater let him become the least of all it is nothing against vs séeing it may be vnderstood as touching the church where those should be acknowledged for chéefe which doo behaue themselues lowlie But the testimonie out of the Apocalypse To the 11. Apoc. 14 4. that They which be virgins doo followe the lambe wheresoeuer he shall go and that those hundred fiftie foure thousand Ibidem 2. soong a song which might not be soong by others and those things besides which are alledged out of the same booke are obscure since it is said to be sealed vp and that it is not easilie yea rather of verie few vnderstood And it appéereth not vnto vs whether the things shewed doo belong vnto the life present or vnto the life to come We grant that they which be of the purer life be more apt to penetrate the secrets of GOD. And on the other side we are taught that where-soeuer Christ is there also shall his ministers be Wherefore it is promised not onelie vnto some but also vnto all which serue Christ that they shall followe the lambe 13 Concerning the fathers we fréelie grant To the 12. that they affirmed a difference of rewards But in this place it is onelie called into question whether this opinion may be prooued by the testimonie of the holie scriptures Further they doo not also alwaies speake with one consent Ierom in his epistles when he had commended a widowe and that he séemed to compare hir vnto a virgin saith that He liked not to put this difference betwéene the saints whereas yet he himselfe séemeth to be an earnest defender of these differences To the 13. Neither doo we make anie great account that it was said that men are made sluggish who otherwise by this diuersitie of rewards would be incouraged to liue godlie For they which be not mooued through the loue and faith of the word of God and through a hope of excellent felicitie neither also will they be easilie stirred vp to doo well in respect of these differences But if they should doo otherwise they might rather be counted hirelings than sonnes of God Neither as I said before are these things spoken by me to the intent I would vtterlie denie such a difference of rewards but this onelie I ment to saie that they cannot be prooued by the scriptures Otherwise A great difference betweene them that shall be raised from the dead among those that shall be raised from the dead we put a difference bicause the habit of the damned soules shall be one and of the blessed soules shall be another Moreouer we denie not but it may well be that when the saints consider in their mind that God by himselfe did manie acts and those verie excellent they will perhaps conceiue thereby more delight and ioie than others which cannot remember with themselues that so manie and so great acts were doon by him which neuertheles is vncerteine but is brought as a thing probable But this chéeflie I thinke to be friuolous which the School-men deuise I knowe not what as touching crownes of laurell and substantiall accidentall reward 14 The same men also reason manie things In 1. Cor. 13 vers 12. as touching the state of felicitie and they demand among other things Curious questions touching the life to come whether the knowledge which is gotten here shall so be lost as when we shall come into the heauenlie habitation there shall be no difference betwéen the learned and vnlearned This is a curious search séeing it hath small or no profit at all First it were good to come thither and it should behooue vs to be carefull of the meanes how we should atteine thither rather than with a superfluous indeuour to dispute now of the condition qualitie and forme of the blessed The holie scriptures call vs not to this indeuour and perhaps there is nothing concerning this matter determined by them But as touching the difference of the elect in the euerlasting habitation the place serueth not to dispute anie more héereof we haue spoken sufficientlie when we intreated of the conditions of them that shall rise againe But that gifts and frée graces shall at that time be abolished Whie gifts and free graces shal be then abolished it is no maruell séeing they be giuen for the aduancement of faith which then shall continue no longer Yea we haue experience at this daie when as the gospell is in a maner euerie where preached that those gifts which we spake of before are either taken awaie or else they be verie rare As touching languages whether they shal be then abolished some man perhaps will demand Shall not the saints in heauen speake Spéech to this purpose is giuen To what purpose speach is giuen that either we may communicate with others those things which we knowe or else to demand of others those things which we want But among the saints in the kingdome of God it séemeth that neither of both shal be necessarie bicause both in God and in our selues all things shall aboundantlie enough be knowen and be had But if perhaps such a familiar custome shal be granted vnto vs it is verie likelie that all shall vse one maner of language
by the number of a thousand yéeres But how it may be said that satan is bound in this time it cannot be so easilie answered for euen now also the church is gréeuouslie vexed by him But Augustine thinketh Why satan is said to be bound that he is therefore bound bicause his strength is broken and Christ hath ouercome the strong armed man so as he cannot now in such sort rage as he would but especiallie bicause he cannot turne the elect those that be predestinate vnto euerlasting life from their appointed saluation Albeit as touching this euen before Christ ascended vp into heauen satan was no lesse hindered than he is now that he might not be able to disturbe the elect from eternall life But here it might be answered that they which so liued were few in number before Christ for the diuell ranged and spoiled in a maner euerie-where throughout the world except some of the Israelites and a few others But now after that the Gospell was spred abroad throughout the world the power and strength of satan is much more restreined And this may sufficientlie appéere by the ceasing of oracles and by the ouerthrowe of idolatrie in a maner euerie where Wherefore I thinke with Augustine that this renewing of creatures shall not serue to this vse that the saints should vse them liuing with Christ in anie temporall kingdome in this world And as for the prophesies of the prophets which are euerie where set foorth touching the kingdome of Messias The prophesies of the prophets touching the kingdme of Christ are metaphoricall and which make mention of certeine things carnall and that belong to an earthlie kingdome they are so to be taken as we vnderstand them to describe by such metaphors as are commanlie thought agréeable to the greatnesse and maiestie of our kingdoms the kingdome of Christ which he now exerciseth in the church which in the daie of iudgment he will shew foorth with great power And this the prophets themselues haue sufficientlie signified séeing they haue interlaced manie things which farre excéeded beléefe and went beyond the course of humane things For therein they plainlie shew that they speake metaphoricallie But to returne to our purpose we thinke that the world as touching the nature and substance thereof shall not vtterlie perish but rather as writeth Esaie Peter and the booke of the Apocalypse and also Paule in the same place that it shall be renewed And of this renouation there are set foorth two principall conditions Two principall conditions of the renouation of the world All maner of light dooth not giue heate the one is immortalitie and the other is light The Schoole-men haue noted that that light shall not be such as can cause heate for if it should so doo all things should soone be dried vp and burned And it is no difficult thing to find light which ingendreth not heate for there be found manie pretious stones most bright which giue no heate at all 23 Now that these things are thus declared let vs consider of the other parts of the world whether they also shall be preserued as plants pretious stones metals brute beasts and such like things The Schoole-men thinke that man being renewed which is the principall part of the world other creatures shall be restored also Which saieng is most true for it is gathered by the words of Paule But as touching the parts they thinke that onelie heauen and the elements and the bodies of men shall remaine A reason of the Schoolmen touching the vnmortalitie of things Yet in my iudgment the reason that they bring is weake for they affirme that onlie those things shall haue immortalitie which after some sort were made fit for it Such is a celestiall bodie which is altogither simple and is not changed by contrarie qualities The elements also which as touching parts are ingendred and corrupted yet as touching the whole doo alwaies abide So saie they also of man who although he haue a transitorie bodie yet he hath an immortall soule Yea rather the bodie it selfe was so made at the beginning as it had possibilitie not to die wherefore it shall not be absurd if immortalitie be also communicated with it A disabling of the former reason Howbeit this reason is weake for two causes first for that without anie authoritie of the word of God it taketh awaie renouation from manie parts of the world secondlie bicause that which it affirmeth is euen as doubtfull as is that which is concluded namelie that those things onelie shall be renewed with immortalitie which by their constitution séeme fit for the same Immortalitie is the meere gift of God and dependeth not of nature For séeing this immortalitie is the liberall and méere gift of God it cannot depend of anie means or power of nature For that power of God whereby both the heauens and the elements shall be restored vnto immortalitie can preserue also the other parts of the world And as the elements remaine whole although their parts be ingendred and corrupted euen so also doo generall natures of brute beasts and plants perpetuallie indure although their * Indiuidua particulars are renewed and perish If thou demand what vtilitie these things shall haue if they remaine still I answer they shall haue the selfe-same that thou canst attribute vnto the elements For euen as then we shall haue no néed of the elements no more shall we haue néed of brute beasts or plants or other parts of the world In my iudgement Probable reasons on both sides it had béene a better reason for them to haue said that therefore they thinke that other things shall not indure bicause the scripture maketh no mention of their preseruation Albeit I sée also that this reason is not of necessitie for though the scripture hath not made mention of these creatures apart by themselues and expressedlie yet it is sufficient that it hath generallie signified that creatures shall be renewed neither did they euer except anie thing Further if we should contend by reasons that the sunne as they say shall therefore be adorned with greater aboundance of light bicause it is méet that after a sort it should receiue a reward of his labours so may the rest of the creatures also saie that they haue with no lesse labour and fidelitie doone seruice vnto men than the sunne hath Adde moreouer that there is no lesse inclination and naturall desire in other creatures to preserue themselues than is in the sun moone heauen and earth wherefore if the one ought not to be frustrated of their desire no more ought the other 24 These things might probablie be said on both sides Eph. 3 15. Col. 1 20 And Paule vnto the Ephesians and Colossians saith that All things shall be restored by Christ whether they be things in heauen or things in earth But this also in verie déed maketh not an argument of necessitie for things
commaundements extant in the lawe of God But there is another vocation priuate whereby euerie one of the faithful is appointed to his owne proper degrée Euery man in the Church hath some priuate function office state and function For there is none founde in the Church of Christ that is not placed in some particular calling To the first 1. Cor. 16. 15. 17 These things being now determined let vs confute their Argumentes First as touching Stephana and his fellowes wée therefore saie that they ordained themselues bicause they offered themselues to the holie ministerie of their owne accord and chose to themselues this kinde of life the which is both troublesome and laborious And this exposition doeth Chrysostome followe Neither doe we so vnderstande those things that be spoken as though they despised the laying on of handes and the custome of right due ordering Nor doe I doubt but that either Paul or Apollo did lawfullie ordaine these men and admitted them vnto the holie ministerie That which Peter saieth is true To the second 1. Pet. 2. 9. Exod. 19. 6 that we by Christ are made both a kingdome and priesthood And the same sentence we reade in Exodus vttered according to this sense vnto the Israelites that God of his bountifulnesse promoted the Nation of the Iewes vnto excellent honours that in their common weale they might haue kinglie honour and Priesthood In what maner we be all partakers of the kingdome and priesthood whereby their affaires both in Religion and ciuill state might be in good case The verie which thing Christ hath bestowed vpon vs Christians séeing we haue euen himselfe in the Church to be both King and Priest But hereof we must not conclude that eche one priuate man either then among the Hebrewes or nowe among vs might vse these functions at his owne pleasure but it sufficeth that euerie one be partaker of those functions bicause although these things be not exercised by all men yet doe they profite all men We might also vnderstand that we are all spirituallie both kings and Priests For they which be regenerated by Christ doe as Priests offer vnto God Praiers and giuing of thankes Almes mortification of the flesh and other sacrifices of this kinde They be also kings bicause they are not subiected vnto naughtie affections but doe raigne ouer them Wherefore this place nothing at all serueth the Anabaptistes Further we graunt To the third Iohn 20. 23. Mat. 16. 19. that the keies are giuen vnto the whole Church but yet least a confusion should happen it is méete that some should be chosen among all which should vse the keies the vse of which maie redound vnto all that beléeue in Christ To the fourth Rom. 12. 6. 1. Cor. 12. 4. Ephe. 4. 11. That there should be Rulers of the Church Paul hath admonished more than once and Christ hath not forbidden it who when he gaue commandement that we should not be called Maisters and Rabbi he repressed ambition Math. 23. 8 and would that none of vs should hunt after these things but he forbad not that wée should haue in honour and honorablie count them whom the Lord hath set ouer vs Nay rather Paul wrote vnto Timothie that he was appointed to be the Maister of the Gentils 18 As to brotherlie correction and housholders which instruct their familie and also of them which were restored vnto health by Christ and finallie of Martyrs which confessed Christ before the tribunall seats of the Iudges To the fifth sixth seueÌ„th and eight we thinke it must be answered all after one manner bicause these things pertaine vnto the generall vocation which consisteth in the commaundements of God For the Lord commaunded Math. 18. 15. Deut. 67. Titus 2. That we should correct our brother that parents should instruct their familie and that those which had receiued benefite should be of a thankefull minde vnto their benefactors and that they shoulde not suffer the benefites which they haue receiued of God to lie hidden but should publish them whereby the Author maie be the more glorified Moreouer we are commanded not onelie To beleeue Rom. 10. 10. but also to confesse with the mouth So as the Martyrs were bounde by duetie when they were examined by the Iudges to confesse Christ openlie otherwise they had denied him To the ninth Iud. 4. 4. Exod. 15. 20. 2. Kings 22. 14. As touching the holie women and other Prophets which exercised the ministerie without attending till they were called those wée saie had extraordinarie vocations the Church either béeing as yet not planted or else so fallen to decaie as it might not otherwise be repaired And as concerning Paul when he saith To the tenth 1. Cor. 14. 30. that hee that prophesieth ought to giue place if it shal be reueiled vnto an other We haue spoken at large before and nowe we brieflie answere that then the giftes of the holie Ghost flourished by myracle neither ought it to haue bin extinguished or hindered but rightlie ordered But now the matter is otherwise There is some one man which preacheth and he commeth instructed and prepared to teach Wherefore he must not rashlie be interrupted by others Howbeit if there shall be anie among the number of the faithfull to whom it maie séeme otherwise and that hath better perceiued the matter whereof the other intreated if we will conforme the Church vnto the decrée of the Apostle as much as our state wherein we haue no myracles wil suffer hée shal not bée despised in respect that he is a laie man or vnlearned but ought to be had in conuenient maner place and time Nor shall this bée to attribute vnto him the publike function of the ministerie To the eleâ—…th Furthermore that which they last of al affirme earnestly that to iudge is more than to speake is not true For there be fewe that can speake verie well of which talkers neuerthelesse there bée infinite that can iudge especiallie as touching the principall and generall pointes of Religion Againe wée affirme not that all which stand by can iudge aught of those things that be spoken when as notwithstanding they do al iudge Besides this the iudgement is not pronouÌ„ced according to the opinion of all but according to theÌ„ which determin most soundly In 1. Cor. 25. vers 9. The example of Paul must not teach vs to chose â—l men to be ministers in the Church 1. Tim. 3. 5 6. Rules in elections set downe vnto Timothie to be kept 19 But the election of Paul and such other ought not to moue vs but that in choosing the Ministers of the Church we must followe the doctrine of the same Apostle taught vs in the Epistle vnto Tymothie where he wil that those which bée nouices in religion shoulde not bée chosen but they which haue a good testimonie But it must be considered that the rules discribed vnto Timothie were giuen vnto men from
said that we must not cast awaie hope of them that be onliue But whereas he saith that no man must be punished with a curse it agréeth not with the sayings of other fathers Councels which cursed Arrius Manicheus and manie Heretikes Further it séemeth to agrée but little with the holie Scriptures séeing it is said vnto the Galathians Gal. 1. 8. If an angell from heauen shal preach anie other Gospel than we haue doone let him be accursed In the Synode of Nice there séeme also some degreées to be appointed in the Church In the Synode of Nice Hearers In the first place were herers bicause they were suffered to be present at the holy preaching Wherfore none were vtterlie driuen awaie vnles there were some open derider contemner There were also men that prostrated themselues Men prostrated who desired pardon of the ministers of the Church for their sinnes committed There be also suppliants reckened Suppliāts who not withstanding they were driuen from the sacraments yet when the faithfull prayed they were suffered to be present vnto which degrée it séemeth that the abstinents did pertaine Finallie they are reckened which communicated in the Sacramentes with the whole Church Excommunicants Among these degrées it was accompted the smallest to be driuen from the Eucharist for a time more gréeuous to be put apart from the companie of them that prayed but most gréeuous of all to be remooued from them that laie prostrate But as touching the Councell of Nice manie thought that these articles were counterfeit and that they are not to be reckened for the lawfull decrées of that Synode séeing they are almost no where obserued yet out of Cyprian we manifestlie gather To men fallen into Idolatrie no peace giuen but at the houre of death that there were some degrées vnto them which were falen into Idolatrie as he saith there was giuen no peace by the Church vnlesse it were about the houre of death but vnto adulterers it was graunted after a long repentance Adulterers Libellates what they were But vnto the Libellatistes for so were they called which for monie redéemed themselues in the time of persecution pardon was somewhat easilier granted So as out of the Fathers are easilie gathered these degrées which neuerthelesse cannot be prooued by the holie scriptures Who shold vse the sentence of excommunication 8 Now are we to intreate who they be which ought to exercise excommunication Separation from God and from the members of Christ the which as wee said happeneth through infidelitie and other sins cannot be laid vppon vs by anie creature wée separate our selues from God Esa 59. 2. Wherfore Esaie saide Sinnes haue made a separation betweene me and you Rom. 8. 35. 39. And Paul saide that he certainlie knewe that no creature could pluck him awaie from that loue wherwith God Christ loueth theirs But Excōmunication which is a token of this inward * Apostasie is a falling away from him that we professe Apostasie in déede not a certaine and necessarie token yet a great one and greatlie to be feared must be inflicted by the Church of Christ Excommunication is no certaine token of the separation from God And therefore I haue said that it is no certaine and necessarie token of the separation from God and the members of Christ because it maie sometime be that a good and innocent man maie be excommunicated by the corrupt iudgement of the rulers in the Church as we haue knowen it to bée doone more than once in the councels and among the Fathers which were otherwise accounted holie Wherefore by excommunication we are not properlie said to be separated from God but are shewed and discerned to be separated A similitude as in the old law a priest when he iudged anie Leaper did not infect him with leprosie but pronounced him to be alreadie infected Mat. 16. 18 Neither is it against this sense that the Church is said to bind loose because this iudgement when it concurreth with the word of God Howe God worketh together with the iudgement of the Church is not in vaine And séeing God worketh together with them the separation which had alreadie happened to the poore wretch is become more gréeuous But now this onelie we say that in excommunication it perpetuallie happeneth that Apostasie and falling awaie from God goeth before the same and so God worketh together with this iudgement of the Church when according to the rule of the holie scriptures it decréeth that he maie send scourges and vncleane spirites for to vex them that be excommunicate Ambrose We read of Ambrose that the Scribe of Stellico when as he had excommunicated him beganne to be gréeuouslie vexed with an ill spirite And these thinges doth God to the intent he maie declare that he confirmeth that in heauen which in earth shall be iustlie bound 9 But that we maie rightlie vnderstand who ought to be excommunicate it is néedefull to discusse in what sort the societie of the Church is It is not simple What maner of societie the Church is of but it is cōpounded of one alone of manie good gouernours and of the gouernment of the people For from it must be remooued pernitious kindes of common weales I meane Tyrannie the gouernment of a few How it is a monarchie Act. 20. 28. and the Lordshippe of corrupt people If thou respect Christ it shall be called a Monarchie For he is our king who with his owne blood hath purchased the Church vnto himselfe He is now gone into heauen yet doeth he gouerne this kingdome of his indéed not with visible presence but by the spirit and word of the holie scriptures How it is an Aristocracie 1. Co. 12. 28 Ephe. 4. 11. And there be in the Church which doe execute the office for him Bishops Elders Doctors and others bearing rule in respect of whom it maie iustlie bee called a gouernment of manie For they which are preferred to the gouernment of Churches onlie because of the excellent gifts of God as touching doctrine and purenesse of life must be promoted vnto these degrées These offices are not committed vnto them according to the estimation of riches and reuenewes not for fauour bewtie or nobilitie sake but in respect of merites and vertues but if it be otherwise it is doone against the rule But because in the Church there be matters of verie great weight importance How it is a Democracy referred vnto the people Acts. 1. 15. Acts. 6. 2. as it appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles therefore it hath a consideration of politike gouernment But of the most weight are accounted excommunication absolution choosing of ministers and such like so as it is concluded No man can be excommunicated without the consent of the Church The Romane common weale that no man can be excommunicated without the consent of the Church On this
are continually preserued after one order as though they may in no wise be chaunged where neuerthelesse it may be and daylie commeth to passe that those things which in olde time were good doe vtterly degenerate The Church of the Hebrues in the olde time was verie acceptable vnto God 1. King 9. 2 Mat. 21. 13. Ier. 7. 11. so long as right religion florished therein but when that was afterward polluted that which was the temple of God was turned into a denne of theenes which they not considering trusted vnto it more than was méet always crying on this wise The Temple of the Lorde Verse 4. c. as though their common wealth shoulde not perish so long as the Temple remained Euen so our aduersaries thinke so that the name of the bishops church and the outward pompe and shewe of the ministerie bée at Rome there the Church is when as they haue subuerted all things which make to the nature of the Church of Christ It is a grieuous crime to depart from the Church but when that is called the Church which is not who will disallow the departing from thence The Hebrues in the time of the Apostles bosted that they had the Church but séeing they refused the Gospell of the sonne of God the Apostles vpon iust cause departed from theÌ„ And this did Ezechiel beforehand declare in the tenth Chapter Verse 18. when he saw the maiestie of God lifting it selfe vp into heauen and forsaking the Temple of Ierusalem Besides this Iosephus testifieth that when the Roman warre was at hand there were voices heard from the secret places of the Oracle who oftentimes repeted Let vs depart from hence And the ecclesiastical historie bewraieth that the Christian Church which was at Ierusalem was translated to Pella when the war was at hand Againe into Chaldea the Church of the Iewes remooued vnder Nabuchad-nazar So as ther is no cause why these men should assure themselues that the continuance of the Roman Church is vnchangeable 39 But some of them say that among the people of Israel changes were easily made but after the comming of Christ and that the seate of Peter was setled in the Citie of Rome it is not to be thought that these alterations would at any time happen But let them tell vs what assurance they haue aboue other Churches Whether the Roman Church shall neuer change his place If they goe about openly to perswade that the Churches of Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch are subuerted wherfore be they exempted from the like mutations Assuredly Paul did not so thinke For vnto the Romanes speaking vnto the nations conuerted vnto God he saith Ro. 11. 21. that they shoulde diligently take héede to themselues because God who spared not the naturall braunches would in like manner not spare them Wherefore they erre as farre as heauen is wide if they affirme that Christ and the holy ghost are so bounde to the seate of Rome as they will neuer go from thence So long they tarried there as that Church did leane vnto the true foundation But when it began to be founded vpon the sand of mans traditions it was subuerted Neither can it be saide that it is of God séeing Christ prescribed a rule that they be of God which heare the worde of God Rom. 8. 47. And afterwarde of them which boasted themselues to be the Church he boldly pronounced yee heare not those things because ye be not of God And what congregation can there be of the Church if it be not of God And the cause why the Romanists admit not the worde of God is for that they perceiue it to be woonderfully against them Furthermore what Church I pray you can that bâ— which iudgeth not it selfe to stande safely vnlesse that Christ and his word be driuen away He that beléeueth not those things let him more narrowly behold their dealings They haue transformed the Church into a court or place of iudgement for so they speake among themselues and these words they vse euerie where and moreouer a farre greater labour is vsed in the stile of Chauncerie which consisteth altogether of frauds and guiles than in any studies of diuine things Gregorie in the register the 4. booke in the epistle 251 and 55 writing of the holy ministerie faith that séeing it is fallen within it cannot long stand without This did he iudge 800. yeares past And shall we thinke that that Church hath truely stoode hitherto Malachie in the second Chapter saith Verse 8. Because ye haue gone out of the way and haue caused manie to fall therefore haue I made you to be despised Wherefore in going from the Romanists we haue not forsaken the Church but haue fledde from an intollerable yoke and from the conspiracie against the Euangelicall doctrine It is a woonder that these men would perswade Christians that it should be permitted them by God without any limit yea continually to wast the vineyard of the Lord to yéelde no fruite for it but to murder the seruants of the Lorde which are sent vnto them to demaund any fruite Vndoubtedly they be much more foolish than the Hebrues which answered Christ when he had put foorth the parable of the vineyard He will cruelly destroy those wicked men Mat. 21. 41 and wil let out his vineyearde vnto other husbandmen Why doe not these men remember that it was said of the verie trueth it selfe vnto the Iewes Ibid. ve 43 The kingdome of God shal be taken from you Séeing then they be in the same faultes séeing the cause is all one séeing he is the sonne of God I sée no cause why wée should doubt but that the power dignitie and true nature of the Church is taken away from them But to disprooue this our departure they bring a place out of the epistle of Iude which blameth the wicked because then haue separated themselues But the answere is readie A place of Iude expounded because it ought not to bée ascribed vnto vs that wee haue departed from the Pope God hath seuered vs from him as it hath béene shewed by his Oracles and precepts Acts. 4. 19. neither could we forget the saying of the Apostle that we must rather obey God than men Euen as when there is a iust diuorce for adulterie Matt. 19. 6. man diuideth not them whom God coupled together but God himselfe by his word and law seuereth man and wife in that case 40 Also they inforce against vs as they thinke a verie strong reason Whether al that hitherto haue liued vnder the Pope haue perished in demanding whether all men that were before vs and haue liued vnder the obedience of Rome are perished yee say they are nâ—we men and lately spruÌ„g vp séeing yée were scarsly to be séene 30. yeares past or thereabouts But there be aboue 900. yeares past since Boniface the 3. whom ye make author of the Popedome It were most absurde to be said
the last houre of his life doeth receaue the faith which he can neither testifie by words nor yet by signes Further our aduersaries also confesse that there is a baptisme of request desire Baptismus flaminis which they cal The baptisme of fire For whenas a man beléeuing desireth baptisme cannot inioy it dieth they saie he is saued Which also Ambrose iudged of Valentinian the Emperor What Ambrose iudged of Valentinian the Emperour which came vnto him to be baptised and was slaine by the waie How then do they regard this sentence Vnlesse a man be borne againe of the water and the spirit c If a request desire be there sufficient why maie it not be sufficient in children the election of God and the promise and the holy Ghost wherewith we declare them to be indued séeing they be borne of faithfull progenitors Iohn 3. 5. The water and the spirit taken to be both one Moreouer Christ talked there with Nichodemus who was of a perfect age and might haue had the benefite both of water and of a minister There be some also which there by the water and the spirit vnderstand all one thing so as the latter worde expresseth the former For Water allegoricallie doeth diuerse times signifie grace and the holie ghost as Christ shewed when he talked with the Woman of Samaria and when he cried Iohn 4. 10. Iohn 7. 37. Ioel. 2. 28. He that thirsteth let him come vnto me and drinke And in Ioel it is saide I will powre vpon you cleane water c. And the same manner of spéech in a maner thou hast in that which Iohn Baptist saide of Christ Matt. 3. 11. He that commeth after me he baptiseth with fire and with the spirit In which place fire and the spirit signifie all one thing but the former answeres are plaine enough 19 There is another place in the 17. Chapter of the booke of Genesis Verse 14. But the vncircumcised manchilde in whose flesh the foreskinne is not circumcised that soule shall be cut off from his people Whose flesh shall not be circumcised his soule shal be rooted out because he hath broken my couenant Behold saie they the young Hebrewes which died without circumcision were to be cut off and that as touching the soule wherefore it séemeth to followe that they cannot haue saluation Howbeit this place also prooueth but little which euen our aduersaries shall be compelled to graunt Forsomuch as the Maister of the Sentences in the 4. The master of the Sentences Booke when he followeth this opinion that children which died before the viij daie being vncircumcised were damned is forsaken How the Hebrewes vnderstand that sentence and for the more part is not defended by the writers And as touching the matter the Hebrewes referre these words vnto him which after the viij daie was not circumcised and they vnderstand the cutting off to be as concerning the life of the bodie to wit that he shoulde die before his naturall time which opinion séemeth to be prooued out of the historie of Moses Exod. 4. 24 where the Angel would slaie him because he had not circumcised his sonne But this proofe séemeth not to be sufficient ynough because it is not read that the Angell meant to kill the childe but the father vnlesse perhaps they bring this testimonie onelie to the intent to declare that the threatening was to kill the bodie There be others which vnderstand That the soule should be cut off from among the people because he shall not be reckoned among the Israelites nor their Church neither shall be numbred in the common weale there to obtaine neither heritage nor office Nowe séeing these two interpretations may be vsed it maketh the argument to be weake But least we should séeme to giue the slip Look part 4 cap. 7. art 20 admit that God speake there of the death of the soule and of the losse of eternall life yet may wée expound that these things must not so be vnderstoode except when the circumcised shall be come to age and shall consent to the negligence of his elders which did not circumcise him Otherwise if he himselfe shall circumcise himselfe and shall detest that which the Parents did towards him he shall not deserue to be cut off but rather to be commended So must the law of God be vnderstood if their happen a consent of omitting Circumcision he is worthie to perish he I meane shall be cut off But if so be he depart vncircumcised before he haue power to circumcise himselfe he must be left to the merrie of God neither is it méete to iudge rashlie of him But séeing he might belong to the predestination or to the election of God and that he came of godlie ancestors we maie hope well of him And the selfe same iudgement in all respectes is to be giuen of this sentence that was of the saying of Christ which we intreated of before namelie Iohn 3. 5. Vnlesse a man shall be borne of water and the spirit he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Which saying since our aduersaries are constrained whether they will or no to vnderstand modestlie there is no cause why thy shoulde so greatly wrangle about this sentence By these things which we haue nowe alleaged it is easilie prooued that our young children séeing now by the worde of God and promise of the couenant they séeme to be ingraffed to the Church ought not to be excluded from Baptisme Euen as the children of the Hebrewes although they were young ones were circumcised The ninth Chapter Of the dedication of Temples wherein is intreated of sundrie corruptions of Baptisme WHile I earnestly think vppon the Dedication of the temple which Salomon made In 2. kin 8. at the end that cōmeth to my remembrance which Augustin hath in a certaine Oration to the people of the dedication of a temple to wit that those things which are doone in the outward temples doe also pertaine vnto vs who bée the true temples of God The dedication of a Temple is applied vnto vs. Verse 17. Wherefore in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the third Chapter it is written That the Temple of God is holie which are you Verse 17. Further we haue in the 6. Chapter Verse 19. Your bodies are the Temples of the holie Ghost Therefore we must take héede least we erre in the dedicating of any of both temples The outwarde temple is then dedicated when we begin to applie it to holie vses Godlie men are visible consecrated when they be baptized and godlie men are then visiblie consecrated vnto God when they be washed in holie baptisme But this must be prouided that both the one and the other bée doone according to the rule of the word of God But séeing we are to intreate of these things it is méete we should begin with the Etymologie of the words What
would woonderfullie maruell if they should nowe see men being not indued with that grace so boldlie and impudently commaund the Diuels as at this daie it is doone by Priestes and feigned exorcistes But those things that were afterward spoken by the latter writers of the Church as touching the ioyning of exorcismes with Baptisme seeing they bee alleadged without Scriptures and sauour of superstition neither are doone with any fruit nor ought to be receiued But from whence the errour sprang it was declared before when we handled a certaine place of Cyprian 3. c. Further an other cause of the error was for that men had begunne to attribute ouer much vnto Sacramentes In which thing Augustine otherwise a man of a sharpe wit and incomparable learning was verie much deceiued For he thought that the Infantes did then first goe out of the power of the Diuell when they were baptised But seeing it hath beene declared that this is not so I thinke it good not to vse anie newe confutation Onelie this I will say that the Sacraments must not be contemned but on the other side wee must not attribute vnto them that which belongeth onelie vnto God An answere to the arguments of the Exorcists 22 And thus much as concerning the Testimonies of the Fathers Nowe come we to confute the reasons alleadged First it was taken as graunted that wee out of the kingdome of darkenesse shall be translated into the kingdome of light That we willinglie graunt but we denie that to bee first doone by receiuing of Baptisme seeing Infants obtaine this by the predestination and promise of GOD and also in right of inheritaunce of the couenant So that there is no cause why place should therefore bee giuen to exorcismes And they which were of ripe age obtaine this translation by faith For by the same they receyue iustification Wherefore they must not be adiured seeing they belong alreadie vnto Christ We confesse also that by the desert of sinne it is come to passe that men are come into the power of the Diuell but yet that the same is taken away and euacuated by Christ through the holie Ghost and the word of God and as concerning men of ripe age by fayth not by adiurations and exorcismes And whereas otherwhyle when adiurations be vsed the ill spirites crie out that they be wrung tormented and vexed it maie be doone by collusion namelie that the father of lies doeth faine such things to the intent that superstitions may increase and may be longer time nourished in the Church And wheras they say that they do not blow out or exorcise the mans nature made by God which is therfore good but onelie indeuour by their adiurations to make féeble the power of the diuel original corruption least then it should as much hurt as it did before We aunswere that this may much more iustlie and religiouslie bee obtained by prayers Further if this were their mind men ought to exorcise not onelie at Baptisme but also in a maner through out their whole life seeing men are indangered all their life long by the violence and temptations of the Diuell and also by the naughtie originall corruption which doeth perpetuallie remaine in them 1. Tim. 4. 5. But after what manner meates and those thinges which we vse for defending the life of the bodie are sanctified by the worde of GOD and by prayers their is no néede now to expresse séeing of that matter we haue spoken largelie enough before They added that in times past the earth was cursed by GOD by reason of the first fault of Adam and that therefore it is needfull that the fruites thereof should by adiurations be plucked out of the power of the diuell This doe wee not denie but we adde that the curse was through Christ either mitigated or turned into blessing and that therefore exorcismes should be counted for superfluous and vnprofitable séeing that the vse of the earth and the fruits thereof so that thankesgiuing and prayers be vsed therein are made cleane and pure vnto the faithfull Also the words of the Apostle were alleadged wherein hee sayth That our wrestling is not against fleshe and bloud Eph. 6. 12. but against spirituall wickednesses What this maketh for the present purpose I cannot so much as imagine much lesse perceiue The Apostle in that place instructed vs with a woonderfull complete armour against spirituall enemies and against celestiall things yet spake he not of exorcismes and exsufflations To conclude they said that before regeneration bee wrought the impediments must be remooued namelie the forces of the Diuel That which they first take vnto them let vs graunt them but we must adde that such obstacles are remooued by the might of Christ and also by the power of the holie Ghost by the promise of God by the right of the couenaunt and in men of riper age by the preaching of the worde by faith and by prayers and therefore there is no place left vnto adiurations vnlesse perhappes in some one man that shall be indued peculiarlie from God with the gift of healing Which power or facultie we iudge not that it can be giuen by the bishoppes to whomsoeuer they wil by laying on of hands séeing it is the holie Ghost which distributeth these giftes of his vppon whomsoeuer he will And thus much haue we spoken as concerning the question propounded Of Papisticall holie VVater 23 The fact of Elizeus In 2. kings 2. ver 21. wherein he applied sault to helpe the waters of Ierico doe the priests of the Pope imitate of a certaine * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peruerse zeale who not onely vse sault in the baptising of infantes but doe also powre it into their holy waters Aqua lustralis piacularis which may rather be called haynous waters I maruell that they sometimes vse not figges since that Esai once applied them in healing the sore of Ezechias 4. Kings 20. 7. Howbeit so great is the boldnesse of these men that in their fainings and inuētions they not onelie exercise these thinges which Christ and his Prophets vsed but they also take those things which they neuer vsed For they say that they mingle the holy oyle with Balme But they make a notable lye séeing Balme hath not bin brought vnto vs of long time And séeing they so bountifullie abuse sault they bewray themselues that the sault is become vnsauourie Cardinall Caietanus Which Cardinall Caietanus manifestlie confessed when he interpreted the wordes of Christ wherein he said Matt. 5. 13. But if the sault be made vnsauourie it is nothing else woorth but to bee cast foorth and to be trodden vnder foote by men When he wrote these thinges the Citie of Rome was sacked by the Spanyardes vnder Pope Clement the vij Rome sacked Whereupon he said Because we are now become vnsauorie sault therefore are we cast foorth and trodden vnder foote Wherefore wée must pray vnto
be broken séeing it is written Exo. 12. 46. Thou shalt not breake a bone of him But these so sharpe witted men although they haue found in the 6. Iohn 6. 51. Chapter of Iohn that Christ called him selfe bread where I pray you shall they finde that he called himselfe wine That the materiall bread of the Eucharist is not the bread spoken of in the 6. of Iohn Mat. 26. 29 A confirmation For somuch as in this supper the other signe is called wine namely in those words of the Euangelist I wil not hereafter drinke of the fruite of this vine But there is no doubt but that vines bring not foorth accidentes but wine Further it is to no purpose which is spoken of the fathers with great consent that the mysticall body is betokened by the signes of this sacrament because bread is made of many graines and wine runneth together of many grapes which thinges in accidents haue no trueth And of these men we maruel very much who if at any time they heare vs bring similitudes as for example The rock was Christ The Lambe or beast for sacrifice is the pasouer Circumcision is the couenant they cry that these Allegories serue not for this place And now these men heape vp euery where tropes and figures They say also that bread is here taken for all that which may be eaten Certaine other obiections and answeres as Lehem in the Hebrew tongue is taken for all kinde of meate But against them make the Euangelist which restraine this kinde of meate vnto bread Others faine that bread signifyeth accidentes and the forme of bread who as the Logitians terme it doe Petere prrincipium and take as it were already graunted that which is in controuersie namely that accidentes be there without a subiect which thing they ought first to prooue Neither must miracles be heaped together without necessitie 8 An other Argument is that the olde Fathers had the same sacraments which we haue and yet there was no néede of Transubstantiation that the Rocke or the water flowing out of the Rocke or Manna should be transubstantiated which might not then be doone wherfore neither is this to be required vnto our Sacramentes The former proposition we haue read in Paul to wit 1. Cor. 10. 4 That the olde fathers and we had one and the selfe same meate Our aduersaries deny it and would haue that our Sacramentes should altogether many manner of wayes be distinguished from the mysteries of the olde fathers which we also graunt aswell in respect of diuers signes as also for the difference of times and certaine other properties But as touching the matter of the Sacramentes which was receaued by the holy Patriarches we say that the meate was altogether the selfe same and the drinke the selfe same with the substance of our Sacramentes That the sacraments of the forefathers and ours be all one Look before cap. 7. art 7. Look Dial. Of both natures in Christ Augustine vnto Marcellinus writeth of the difference of these Sacraments that vnto a prudent man it may suffise that by some Sacramentes it was foreshewed when Christ should come and that by others it ought to be shewed when he was come where Augustine seemeth to haue onely a regard to the difference of the time And in his little booke De vtilitate verae poenitentiae agendae he very plainely writeth that the olde fathers when they had Manna did eate the very same thing that we doe eate For saith he they did eate the very same spirituall meat What else is the very same but because they did eate euen it that wée doe And because vnto some man it might haue séemed an vnworthie thing that we haue no more than the Iewes had he vrgeth the testimonie of Paul vnto whom saith he it was not enough to say that the old fathers had spirituall meate but he would adde that they had The very same whereby we may vnderstand that they in their Manna did eate the very same thing that we doe eate therefore he added The very same Neither is it a let which some doe say that he spake of spirituall eating to wit that the Patriarches beléeued in Christ to come First because these men are not able to confirme their fleshly eating of Christ Secondly because the old fathers not onely beléeued with their minde but receaued a token of the thing beléeued that is Manna or water therefore the thing did not stand onely in faith and the saying of Augustine standeth faste that the meate of the fathers was not onely spiritual but the selfe same 9 It little also auaileth if thou obiect out of the same Augustine vppon the psalme 73. in the prologue the differences betwéene the new and the old sacramentes which as it séemeth he maketh to be thrée First that the sauiour is there promised but here giuē Afterward he saith that our sacramentes be easier fewer nobler and happier And lastly that those were as thinges to play with in the handes of children but that in ours there is some thing more profitable and substantiall These thinges as touching the first must be vnderstood of the promise of Christ that should come but notwithstanding that he in very déede had not as yet taken flesh vppon him yet was he spiritually giuen for a meate vnto the fathers beléeuing in the promise But ours are said to giue Christ namely because they testifie that he is come so as he must be looked for no more Further it is certaine that ours be fewer haue a greater facilitie and they signify with greater magnificence because the wordes which are declared are more plaine than they were in the olde testament Moreouer the felicitie is greater for we be frée from the yoke of ceremonies and we liue in the last houre being vndoubtedlie more nigh vnto the kingdome of Christ The spirit also is now more plentifull and the Church extendeth more largely than it did at that time Wherefore Many kings and Prophets desired to see those thinges which you see Matt. 13. 7. And the Sacramentes of the lawe were as thinges for pastime in the handes of children because it behooued the age of the olde fathers to be exercised like children vnder many ceremonies sundry elementes and diuers sortes of instructions But it is not prooued by all these thinges that the Sacramentes of the olde fathers had not as touching the substance of a mysterie those thinges which our Sacramentes haue For Cyprian hath in the 2 booke and 3. Epistle Our Lord Iesus Christ offered the selfe same thing which Melchizedeck offered that is to say bread and wine to wit his owne body and bloud Augustine against Faustus the 19. booke chap. the 16. In what a doting error be they which thinke that the signes and Sacramentes being chaunged the thinges also be diuers And in the same Treatise in the 20 booke the 21 Chapter The flesh and bloud of this Sacrifice before
God is the true and proper cause of Magistrates 4 But here some cauill saying If all Magistrates be of God then must all thinges be rightlie gouerned But in gouerning of publike weales we see that many thinges are doone naughtilie and peruerslie Doubtlesse vnder Nero Domitian Commodus Caracalla and Heliogabolus good lawes were despised good men killed and discipline of the Citie was vtterlie corrupted But if the Magistrate were of God such thinges had neuer happened The office must be distinguished from the person This reason neither can nor ought any thing to mooue vs because the office is to be separated from the person And certainlie it may be that he which hath the office may be a naughtie and wicked man when as neuerthelesse the authoritie it selfe is good and very profitable For there is nothing so good but that men by their naughtinesse may vse it ill Wherefore it is no maruell if there haue bin kings and Emperors which sometime haue abused the power giuen them which notwithstanding they were not so able to corrupt but that men by it receiued many good thinges and commodities as I haue before shewed Dan. 2. ver 12. 37. By the testimonie of Daniel it is most manifest that Magistrates are of God For saith he he giueth and translateth kingdomes at his owne pleasure Furthermore we sée that the Monarch hath sometime bin in the East sometime in the South afterward in the West and sometimes in the North and that otherwhile there haue bin good princes otherwhile euil sometimes haue reigned noble men and sometime men of obscure kinred And we perceiue it oftentimes happeneth that riches or power further not to the obtainement or holding of a kingdome and to thinke that these thinges are doone by chaunce without the prouidence of God it is most absurd 5 Some Astronomer perhappes will say The alterations of Princes must not be attributed to the starres that these chaÌ„ges or alterations are brought in by the starres But Daniel the Minister of trueth saith that it is God which changeth times For euen as he hath in the yeare appointed the seasons of times so as it pleaseth him dooth he sometimes establish princes and sometime taketh them away 1. Sam. 16. 1 He cast downe Saul and he also promoted Dauid And he foretold that he would so doe least it might haue séemed to happen rashlie or by chaunce Yea kingdomes and publike weales may be called certain woorkhouses or shoppes of the will of God For that is doone in them which GOD himselfe hath decréed to be doone although princes oftentimes vnderstand it not God called the Medes and the Assyrians Esa 10. 5. 12. to afflict the Israelites and those when it seemed good vnto him he expelled and tooke away He raysed vp the Persians against the Chaldeans and the Gretians against the Persians and lastlie the Romans against all other nations Who diuided the kingdome of the Hebrewes into Iuda and Israell God verilie did it Ahias the Silonit did foretell that it should so come to passe 1. kings 11 30. and sayd that the word was come foorth from the Lord that it should so be Who ouerthrew Achab The cause why Tyrants are placed who caused Iehu to be annointed but onelie God But there are certaine tyrants which destroy publike weales I graunt it but our wickednesse sinnes deserue it For there be ofteÌ„times so grieuous sinnes so manie that they cannot be corrected by the ordinarie Magistrate and by a gentle and quiet gouernment of things And therefore God dooth then prouide Tyrantes to afflict the people After Tyrants God causeth good Princes to succéede And yet for the most part he tempereth qualifieth his punishment in placing among them good and godlie princes After the fall of Nero he set vp Vespasian After Domitian he sent Nerua and Traian After Commodus Pertinax and Seuerus After Heliogabalus Alexander But they which say the wicked actes of Tyrantes are not of God yet doe those thinges spread abroad into kingdomes and Empires Therefore Empires and kingdomes are not of God A false argument they I say make a false Syllogisme A secundum quid ad simpliciter that is from that which is in some respect vnto yâ— which is absolute Neither is this a perfect conclusion Certaine thinges in a Magistrate are not of God therefore the Magistrate himself is not of God Or else they reason ill froÌ„ Accidentes For vices and wicked actes happen to publike powers but are not ioyned vnto them by themselues or by their owne nature Whether a godlie man may vse the helpe of a Tyrant Acts. 25. 11 But some man will doubt If the Magistrate be an Ethnick and also a Tyrant whether it be lawfull for a godly man to vse his helpe and ayde What else Paul appealed vnto Caesar a most wicked Tyrant But it may séeme he did against his owne preceptes 1. Cor. 6. 1. For in his first Epistle to the Corinthians he reprehended those Christians which pleaded causes at the iugement places of the Ethnickes He iustly reprooued the Corinthians because there were Christians among them which might in the Church haue decided their causes Neither was it conuenient that Christians should contend with Christians at the iudgement places of the vngodlie But Paul when he appealed vnto Caesar had not to doe with Christians but with the Iewes and president of Rome Wherefore séeing he had not a faithfull Magistrate neither could it otherwise be doone and his life also was sought he did not ill in crauing the tuition and helpe of the common Magistrate although he were an Ethnicke For euen as we vse the Sunne and Moone so also is it lawfull to vse the publike and ordinarie Magistrate what manner of man soeuer he be 6 The Christian Church did euen so The church vsed an Ethnicke Magistrate when as yet there were no Christian Emperors For Paulus Samosatenus was condemned as an heretick and being a Byshop was cast from his dignitie But because he would not goe out of the house which belonged to the bishop there was sute made vnto Aurelianus the Emperour and ayde obtayned at his handes who compelled him to deliuer his house vnto the newe Byshop Who can say that the Church herein sinned because it vsed the publick Magistrate though he were an Infidel But let vs returne from whence we digressed and let vs constantlie beléeue that the Magistrate is of God though oftentimes our sinnes deseruing the same many thinges are by him doone wickedly and vniustlie Hose 8. 4. How Tyrants may be saide not to raigne of God Looke In Rom. â—3 Howbeit Hosea the Prophet seemeth yet to be against vs wheÌ„ he saith They haue reigned but not by me But we must vnderstand that Hosea entreated of tyrantes which neither regarded lawes neither nourished the good nor tooke away the euill froÌ„ among the people and therefore they reigned not by God
but by their owne lustes They regarded their owne affections and not the lawe of God Further they inuaded kingdomes being stirred vp by their owne lustes and driuen by their owne ambition not as they which felt the calling of GOD vnto a kingdome Neither did they take authoritie vppon them with a will to obay God but to satisfie their owne ambition Ier. 27. 6. This was not to reigne by God But that they were not promoted to the kingdome by the will of God that is contrarie welneare to the whole scripture For God called Nabuchad-nezar his seruant because he would vse his labour to afflict the Israelites whereas notwithstanding it might haue bin said that he reigned not by God because he fought against the Iewes for his owne pleasure sake and not of a zeale to fulfill the will of God So that the saying of Osea the Prophet is nothing against vs but that we may beléeue that the Magistrate is of God and that we ought to obay him Paul saith Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. The same is written to Titus Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 1. Tim. 2. 2. And in the first Epistle of Peter the 2. Chapter And Paul to Timothie addeth That we should praie for them But the Papistes and they which will be called Ecclesiasticall men will not giue eare hereunto That the ministers of the Church are not exempted from the ordinarie power Rom. 13. 1. Ib. ver 2. Looke the 3. Chapter of this booke Act. 6. Chrysost For they cry that they are exempted from publike and ordinarie powers whereas yet the Apostle vsed no exception when he said Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Againe He which resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Yea and Chysostome also vppon that place saith that the Apostles Prophets Euangelistes and Moonkes are comprehended vnder that Lawe And Chrysostome wrote these thinges of Ecclesiasticall persons whenas neuerthelesse he himselfe was Byshop of Constantinople and we had then Christian Emperours 7 But it is a worlde to heare the arguments which these false ecclesiastical mē vse In the Extrauagants De Maioritate Obedientia in the Chapter Vnam Sanctam Bonifacius the eight whom they write to haue entred in as a Fox raigned like a Lyon and dyed like a dog saith that there be two swordes in the Church And least he should séeme to speake it rashlie he citeth these wordes out of the 22. Verse 35. Chapter of Luke When I sent you without bagge or scrippe did ye at anie time want anie thing They saide vnto him No. Christ added But now I saie vnto you let euerie man take his scrippe and wallet and he which hath none let him sell his coate and buye a sworde They saide vnto him behold heere are two swordes Christ answered it is sufficient The trifeling which the false ecclesiasticall men make about their double sword Looke before pl. 3. Art 6. Boniface saith Two swordes are sufficient for the Church namelie the spirituall sword and the temporall Wherefore they which saie that Peter had not an outward sword doe séeme not to vnderstand the wordes of Christ wherein he saide vnto Peter Put vp thy sworde into thy sheath Thy sword saith he and not an other mans For he had a sworde of his owne although he were bidden to put it vp But there must néedes bée some order kept in these swords séeing what powers so euer bee they bee ordained by God And there would be a great confusion if two swords being in the Church the one should not be gouerned by the other So then the Temporall sworde ought to bée gouerned by the spirituall And to make this Argument more plaine The Church saith he hath two swordes but it vseth not them after one and the selfesame manner For it exerciseth the spirituall sworde but the temporall sworde ought to be drawen onelie at the becke sufferance of the Church This is so obscure that it may in a manner séeme to be a riddle Howbeit this is his meaning The Emperors sword subiected to the Pope that the sworde of the Emperour ought to be drawen onelie at the will and pleasure of the Pope That when he commandeth he must strike and by sufferance that is he must goe foreward in striking so long as he listeth and will suffer it These things therefore must be in order and the order is that the temporall sworde be reduced vnto God by the spirituall For as saith that Dionysius The supposed Dionysius Areopagita who is thought to be the Areopagite wheras he is another All inferiour things are referred to the chéefest but yet by a meane Wherefore saith he the temporall sworde must be drawen at the Popes becke that so it may be referred vnto God Thus we sée it to be doone at this day For so often as the most holie father doth hold vp his finger to make war against the Lutherans he wil haue the Emperor foorthwith to obay And if any prince will not with competent submission obay him straight way legates are sent vp downe that all other Kinges and Princes should bend themselues to his becke and to vex and withstande him that will not obaie him 8 Boniface addeth moreouer The Pope preferreth himselfe aboue all Kings and Princes that he himselfe is aboue all Kings and Princes For principallitie is to be estéemed according to the dignitie of the things which be exercised by it We saith he exercise spiritual things and they temporall their sword therefore is inferior to ours and they vnto vs. He addeth also an other reason They pay vnto vs tenthes but tenthes are paide by the inferior vnto the superior wherefore séeing kings and Princes pay tenthes they testifie that their lands and reuenewes belong to the Church and that they are subiect vnto it Besides this he which blesseth is greater thā he which is blessed but Byshops consecrate annoint Kings The Glosse addeth that of Kings onely the right shoulder is annointed but Byshops haue their heads annointed Kings are annointed with Oyle but Byshops with Chresme So then wée must néedes confesse that Kings are inferiour to Byshops Furthermore Kings receiue their crowne and scepter of Byshops For who saith he inuested Saul 1. Sam. 10. 1. 1. Sam. 16. 1. 2. kings 9. 1. Reasons why the Pope will not be iudged or gouerned of any man Mat. 16. 19 Ier. 1. 10. and who Dauid but Samuel Who annointed Iehu but a Prophet sent by Helizeus The thing also which is exercised by Byshops is greater than that whereabout Kings are occupied For Christ saide vnto Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth shal be bound in heauen This power is greater than all humane power And God saide vnto Ieremie I will set thee ouer nations and kingdomes that thou maist roote out destroy scatter and plant therefore wee are greater than all the power of Kings
soeuer there be the same as I haue said is wholie as touching the manner of reproouing This the Ministers of the Church doe by the word and Princes by outward punishmentes But our false Ecclesiastickes wil be princes and reigne and yet Christ would be no king And when he was sought for to the end he should be made a king he vtterlie refused it Iohn 6. 15. yea rather he plainlie confessed that his kingdome is not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. He said also vnto the Apostles Mat. 20 25. Princes of the nations doe beare rule ouer them but ye shall not so doe Peter also whose successors these men professe themselues to be 1. Pet. 5. ver 3. warneth Ministers that they should not exercise dominion ouer the Cleargie But these men will haue prisons souldiers and swordes and stirre vp warres as they list themselues 13 Perhaps they will obiect vnto vs the Assamonites out of the olde Testament Of the Assamonites or Machabées who for a certaintie were both kings and Priests and confounded both the powers That Historie indéede is written in the bookes of the Machabites Machab. But we must sée whether they did it rightlie or else wickedlie and ambiciously Doubtlesse I thinke they did it not orderly for God by his word had many times adiudged the Kingdome to be giuen vnto the Tribe of Iuda euen vnto the time of Messias Gen. 44. 10 Psal 89 39 Numb 18. 20. And contrarilie he commaunded the Leuites that they should possesse no landes and much lesse to occupie a kingdome among their brethren But if a man had rather say that they did this by a certaine secret reuelation and hidden iudgement of God he shal not further the cause of these men séeing that which is doone after this manner must not be drawen to an example For I thinke rather that they offende in so doing Certainlie they did wel when they deliuered their country from tyrannie but that being performed they ought not to haue taken the kingdome vpon them and God declared plainely that the same Act of theirs displeased him For as we gather out of Iosephus that house afterward was neuer voyde of troubles They further obiect vnto vs Acts. 5. ver 5. 9. Acts. 13. 11 that Peter slue Ananias and Saphira and that Paule strake Elimas the sorcerer with blindnesse This is true in déede but they did these things by the word of God By what instrumēts the Apostles vsed sometime outward punishmēts not by violence not by the sworde neither by helpe of an executioner Let these men doe the same things by the worde and we will regard them Why doe they not heare Paul vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 2. 4. Let no man going on Gods warfare wrap himselfe in cares of this life If they will goe on warfare for God why doe they in such sort hinder themselues with worldly businesse Haue they so much leasure from their owne affaires as they can haue a care ouer other mens Let them answere plainely woulde they at this day abide that any king should attempt to teache the Gospell or administer the Sacramentes They would not suffer it Neither did God himselfe also suffer it 2 Par. 26. ver 16. But he strake Ozeas with Leprosie when he woulde haue burnt incense vnto God Why then doe they inuade the boundes of other men These functions ought to be separated Why these functions ought to be seuerall because either of them requireth a whole man apart by himselfe yea rather there hath scarcely bin found any one man at any time which coulde rightly execute either of them so hard is the executiō of them both Howbeit both of them doe one helpe another for the politick Prince giueth iudgement and the Ecclesiasticall in déede doth not giue iudgement but he teacheth how iudgement ought to be giuen Haue not respect saieth he of persons in iudgement Deut. 1. 16. Afflict not the poore and straunger receiue no bribes and so forth So on the other side the ciuill Magistrate preacheth not neither administreth the sacraments But vnlesse these things be rightly ordered In the ciuill Magistrate and Minister of the Church is to be considered both the person the office he ought to punish the Ministers And to be briefe there are two things to bee considered of vs in this comparison In the Ciuill Magistrate is to bee considered both the power and also the man which beareth exerciseth the power He in respect that he is a Christian man is subiect to the word of God and in respect that he beareth authoritie and gouerneth hée ought also to be subiect vnto the same worde of God séeing out of the same he ought to séeke rules to gouerne and beare rule In the Minister of the Church also is to be considered both the ministerie it selfe also the person which executeth it As touching the person the minister is subiect vnto the Ciuil power For both he is a Citizen and he also payeth tribute as other men doe is vnder the correction of manners But as concerning the Ministerie he is also subiect some waie vnto the Magistrate For if either he teach or administer the sacraments against the word of God he must be reprehended by the Ciuil Magistrate And yet must he not seeke for rules reasons of his function at the same Magistrates hand but out of the word of God By this distinctiō we may easily vnderstand the differences and agréement of either power 14 Nowe resteth that we come to that Thraso Boniface to confute his Arguments To the arguments of Boniface First out of that saying which the Apostles answered Behold here are two swordes and Christ added It is sufficient he gathereth that the Church hath two powers and both of them committed vnto him To this I answere that it is possible that sometimes there may be two swordes in the Church but they haue not alwayes bin therein neither perhaps shall euer hereafter be What outward sword had the Church in the time of Christ and of the Apostles and Martyrs But yet now they will say it hath I graunt because Kings and Emperours are Christians which in olde time were Ethnickes The Church also hath husbandrie trade of marchandize the art of building and other such like For they which exercise these things are members of the Church but that commeth to passe as the Schoolemen speake accidentally sith there may be a Church though it had none of these things Howe the Church may be said to haue two swords So now because there are princes in the Church it is saide to haue an outward sword But because princes in our time are a part of the Church it doeth not therefore follow that the sword of Princes is the sword of Ministers euen as although there be in the Church husbandrie and the trade of marchandize and also the Art of building it cannot thereby be
man The Pope ought to be iudged of the Church And yet Iohn the 23 was in the Councell of Constance deposed and not onely by God but also by men Thus doe these men make and repeate Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they thinke good Yea and Emperours haue sometimes thrust out and put downe Popes as it is before said Gal. 1. 8. Paul to the Galathians saith If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospell let him be accursed If the Pope which may be and in times past hath bin obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed Shall he in no wise be iudged of anie man The Church no doubt shall giue sentence vppon him The Magistrate is the principall part of the Church the Magistrate for that he is the principal part of the Church shall not onelie iudge together therewith but shall also execute the sentence He may execute the sentence of the Church against the Pope He must ouersée the Bishops in their reuenewes Further it belongeth to the Magistrate to prouide that the goods of the Church be not giuen to the enemies of godlynesse So as if Byshops become enemies of the Church a faithfull Magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the Church to be wasted by them The Canonistes haue this oftentimes in their mouth that for the office sake is giuen the benefit Therefore when they doe not their office ought the Magistrate to suffer them to inioy their benefices But let vs heare how Boniface prooueth that he can be iudged of no man Because ◠Cor. 2. 15 He that is spirituall saith he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A goodlie and well applyed Argument I promise you But let vs sée what kinde of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place Verilie he speaketh not of the common kinde of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put out of their roome he intreateth there onelie of the vnderstanding of things diuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say belong properlie vnto the iudgement of the spirituall man But as touching iudgement seate and knowledge of ciuill lawes Paul neuer thought of them in that place which is easilie perceaued by his words Ib. ver 12. We receaue saith he not the spirit of this world but the spirit which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the spirit is giuen vs He aunswereth To the end we should know those thinges that are giuen vs of God And because the spirit of this world cannot giue iudgement of thinges that be diuine Verse 14. it is added The naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges What Dooth he iudge also ciuill and publike causes Peter and Paul were iudged by the Ciuill power Acts. 25. 10 No not so but he iudgeth those thinges which belong to the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Assuredlie both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuill power vnto which Paul appealed that he might be iudged there and yet were they spiritual But that place must thus be vnderstood He that is spirituall in that he is such as one cannot in things diuine and such as pertaine to saluation be rightlie iudged of any man which is not indued with the same spirit that he is of The wicked sort and worldlinges account him oftentimes for a seditious vnpure and infamous fellowe But onelie God and his spirit looketh vppon the heartes Lastlie Boniface concludeth that there is one chiefe power onelie and that belongeth to the Pope least we should with the Manichees séeme to make many beginninges Gen. 1. 1. And he addeth that God in the beginning and not in the beginninges created the world Note We affirme one beginning not many We also detest the Manichees and affirme that there is one onelie beginning and pronounce one onelie fountaine and ofspring of all powers namelie God and his word without which there can be no power either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of God and so we make but one beginning and not two Further if Boniface will vrge these wordes in Genesis In the beginning God created c. there ought to be but one onelie king in the world For when Paul said One Lord one Faith Ephe. 4. 5. one Baptisme he added not One Pope 22 At the length our Thraso commeth so farre as he excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chiefe head and Prince of the Church A schisme of Popes But when there were two or thrée Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also indured for the full space of 60. yeares Two or three Popes 60. yéeres together it must néedes be that those which at that time were of Boniface his opinion should confesse themselues then to be Manichees and to haue established two beginnings Againe what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persians and Christians which dwell in the East part séeing they acknowledge not the Pope who neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beléeue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are and also are called Christians All those Boniface excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambition and vnspeakeable tyrannie of the Popes When we obiect vnto the Papists these words of Paul Let euerie soule submit it selfe to the higher powers they aunswere Rom. 13. 1. That euerie soule ought to be subiect vnto the higher power but yet to their own not to other mens power otherwise it were néede that Frenchemen should be subiect to the Spaniards and the Spaniards to the Germanes which because it is absurd it is concluded that euerie man ought to obey his owne Magistrate But nowe the Clergie acknowledge the Bishops for their head and that they should bée subiect vnto them And the Bishops acknowledge the Archbyshops and Primates and they lastlie the Pope After this maner say they we obeie the Pope and satisfie Paul What haue we to doe with Kings and the ciuill Magistrate Howbeit this is nothing else than shamefullie to abuse the wordes of the Apostle The Papists made a diuision of a kingdome into two parts Doe they not sée that they diuide the publike weale into two bodies which ought to be but one bodie onelie For when they diuide the kingdome of the Cleargie from the kingdome of the Laitie they make in one kingdome two peoples and set ouer eyther people his Magistrate and thereby it commeth to passe that the Clergie which be Frenchemen séeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germans séeme not to be Germans and this maketh not coniunction but diuision Besides this of what power I beséeche you speaketh Paul Verilie not of Bishops or Archbishops but of that power which beareth the sword He doth not without a
prince take that No doubt but he would condemne them of treason And doe we thinke that GOD will not take it to be wickedlie doone if he sée his lawes contemned and trodden vnder foote Dauid sawe a daunger to hang ouer him But he had the promise of God and that was not written in the winde or in the water but was stable and eternall And what if he had bin cast out of his kingdome Yet God could haue reserued him full and whole Wherefore we sée that Dauid was so troubled in that he depended somewhat of men It had bin a hard matter to haue punished Ioab yet should he at the leastwise haue attempted it He dooth nothing here now onelie he complayneth of the power of Ioab In verie déede I deny not but that punishment may sometimes be differed that fit occasions may be waited for but to doe nothing at all it was too great a lenitie And surelie there be manie causes why punishmentes ought otherwhile to be differred Causes for the which punishmēts may be differred as appeareth in the Code De Poenis in the law Si vindicari First least the Magistrate should doe anie thing vnaduisedlie in his wrath That lawe did Theodosius the Emperour write at the request of Ambrose when he was by him grieuouslie blamed and excommunicated because through a wilfulnesse and rage of minde he had bin ouercruell against the Thessalonians That historie and cause of the lawe is set foorth in Socrates and is repeated in the decrees Cause 11. Quest 3. the Chapt. Apud Thessalonicam Wherefore it is prouided that betwéene the sentence giuen and execution should be xxx dayes space An other cause of delay is if the woman which should be executed be great with childe Also a seruāt ought to be differred vntill he haue made an account vnto his Maister and haue certified him of all thinges The execution likewise of him against whom a thing is examined by tormentes is differred that it may be knowen whether he stand to his opiniō For men being oftentimes ouercome with torments confesse those thinges which they neuer thought Likewise executiō is manie times differed so often as we are to inquire of other crimes or of thē that be priuie to thinges And these onelie so farre as I know may be the iust causes of differring punishment For if a man that is condemned in a prouince say that he hath somewhat which pertaineth to the safetie of a prince the Roman lawes decrée that he should not be heard because he séemeth onelie to séeke the delay of punishmentes Neuerthelesse if he haue anie thing that pertaineth to the prince he should haue shewed it before But now none of these matters cā serue for Ioab wherfore Dauid should not haue differred his punishment so long 20 Sometime punishment is forgiuen if a man shall offend vnder xxv yeares of age Why punishment is sometime forgiuen sometime increased Albeit an adulterer is not pardoned although he be vnder that age And besides this it must be considered whether a man haue sinned by deceite or by the prouocation of his minde or by wantonnesse or rashlie For in him that hath vsed deceite or laying in waite the punishment also is augmented But Ioab vsed both wicked deceite and hauing called Abner after a courteous and friendlie manner slue him euen before the publike place of iudgement and violated the publike faith Also punishmentes may be augmented as we haue it in the Digestes De poenis in the lawe Aut facta If a fault be committed by a multitude through sedition then verilie some one man is more gréeuouslie punished to the terror of others By this lenitie of Dauid some are after a sorte animated vnto detestable factes For afterward Théeues were so hardie as to kil Isbosethe at his owne house Ammon to deflower his owne sister 2. Sam. 4. 6. Absalon to slay his brother Ammon 2. Sa. 13. 14 2. Sam. 29. And Ioab himselfe to kill Amasa We cannot perceiue that Dauid behaued himselfe on this wise towardes others Dauid delt otherwise towards others 2. Sa. 1. 15. sith he commaunded that the Amalechite which by his owne confession furthered Saul vnto his death and afterward that the théeues which had slaine Isboseth 2. Sam. 4. 9. should foorthwith be slaine It may also be perceiued that he somewhat followed his owne priuate affection vnto Ioab 2. Sa. 20. 9. 2. Sa. 1. 15. for he was his owne sisters sonne But albeit he were not led with anie such affection yet he made a great shewe thereof For he that in the selfesame or in the like cause forgiueth one man and punisheth an other cannot séeme to be led with the loue of iustice Dauid in déede was a man of a gentle and méeke heart yet should he not haue polluted that worke of God and haue set a colour on the vessel which was bewtifull of it selfe For this was to communicate with other mens sinnes What shall we therefore say Dauid no doubt was holy and feared God yet so excellent a bodie was not without his blemishes Euen as there is no day so bewtifull and cléere but hath his night so was there neuer man so holy and perfect in euerie respect but was corrupted with some sinne Verilie we ought to follow and imitate the vertues of godlie men but not to dissemble their faultes A confutation of the reasons made on Dauids part 21 Now will I in fewe wordes confute those reasons which were brought on Dauids side at the beginning Ioab was mightie what then Assuredlie Dauid had God himselfe on his side Did he peraduenture thinke him to be weake Furthermore he had all the Israelites which so much attributed vnto Abner that out of all doubt they would haue ayded Dauid in the punishing of Ioab That which was brought as concerning the delay of punishmentes it is alreadie aunswered For I say not that he should straightway haue bin slaine He should haue bin taken cast into prison his cause was to be knowē lastlie punishment was to be executed But in that he differred the same euen to his death the delay was ouer great But at his death he gaue it in charge to his sonne Salomon Yea and Dauid himselfe aunswereth farre otherwise Let God iudge saith he Truelie this is not the part of a Magistrate to cast the iudgement of causes vppon God Punishmentes be like vnto medicines those are not to be vsed except when they may profit But if they had not profited Ioab yet might they haue profited others God differreth punishmentes therefore Dauid also dooth rightlie differre them But the dooinges of princes must not be compared with the dooinges of God For God is eternall and immortall but a prince may die And what if he die to morrowe Who shall then take punishment of the wicked But God if hée doe not take punishment to daie yet will he take it to morrowe or when he himselfe
iustly shead Howbeit these things are mere trifles for that temple was a shadow of the Church And because Christ builded his Church not by violence or by bloud therfore God woulde haue his temple to be builded not by Dauid but by Salomon the peaceable king Moreouer Salomon in himselfe did shadowe Christ Psal 110. 3. But Christ gathered vnto himselfe men that came not against their willes but a willing people For that cause God made this aunswere vnto Dauid And whereas they say that this must be vnderstoode of bloud iustly shead by Dauid it is false Nay it ought rather to be vnderstoode of the betraying of Vrias and of those souldiers which were slaine together with him This fact although God had forgiuen Dauid before yet would he appoint some discipline for it But let these men which be so sharpe and wittie tell me whether Peter when he slue Ananias and Saphira Acts. 5. 5. Acts. 13. 11. or Paul when he had blinded Elimas were made irregular Or else if they were not from that time forforwarde exercised in the office of Apostles That ministers ought to be in the campe 12 But in a Campe there be and ought to be Ministers howbeit not to fight but to instruct the souldiers and to minister the Sacramentes if néede require In Deuteronomium God commaunded the Priestes to be in the Campe Deut. 30. 2. Num. 10. 9 who should sound with the Trumpets And when as Ministers doe teach vertues and the worshipping of God they may often put men in remembrance of those thinges which pertaine vnto the ende And if the Prince be ouerslacke they may stirre him vp vnto vertue and vtter this saying vnto him Deut. 13. 5 The Lord commaundeth that euill should be taken away from among the people Ioiada 2. kings 11. 2. a good high priest preserued Ioas the king and when he was now growen to be a young man he created him king and by iust battell chased away Athalia although that he fought not with his own hand Exo. 32. 38. Yet notwithstanding Moses together with his Leuites slue a great number of idolaters And Samuel slue Agag 1. Sa. 15. 32. But these thinges because they were particular must not be drawen in example Howbeit Whether Byshops haue the rule of both swords whether Byshops haue the right of both swordes I will speake nothing in this place Onelie this one thing I will say that it is not conuenient séeing they cannot be fit for both functions Booke of Machab. But the Assamonites thou wilt say held both the head byshoprick and the kingdome I aunswere in that they deliuered their Countrie and preserued Religion they are to be praysed But in that they would retaine vnto themselues the kingdome I allow it not séeing they vsurpe an other mans right For the promise of the kingdome was made to the Tribe of Iuda Gen. 49. ver 10. Psal 89. ver 21. and to the house of Dauid Hostiensis in this matter is altogether of my minde and addeth at the last Let the lawes say let the Canons decrée let men cry out as much as they will yet will our Cleargie men be warriers And assuredlie euer since the times of Adrian the Pope which called Charles the Great into Italie the Byshops and Cardinals haue neuer ceased from warres 13 But the warre of mercenarie souldiers is for manie causes disallowed Against mercenari◠souldiers First séeing such souldiers doe without a cause put themselues in danger For if the warre be vniust and that vnknowen vnto the people subiectes may be excused but those men cannot insomuch as they cannot pretend an obedience because they are not led with obedience but with couetousnesse Further vnlesse that these men would so easilie runne to the Drummes manie warres would not so rashlie be taken in hand nor be so long continued Moreouer they bring to passe that their Countrie is ill reported of and is hated of other nations For it must néedes be that he which taketh harme be agréeued Also they are lauish of their owne life which had béene meete for them to haue saued Furthermore they leaue their owne vocations their wiues their children their families and haue a care of other mens Also they wast the strength of their owne countrie sith it is not credible that all they which go forth doe returne home Besides it is a thing of most wicked example For after a sort they sell their owne life not for iustice sake but for monie Gen. 14. 22 And yet would not Abraham take anie part of the pray from the king of Sodom whome he had mightilie holpen He thought it to be sufficient that he had deliuered Lot Moreouer which is a special point of vnrighteousnes they hurt them of whom they were neuer hurt so as the poore wretches whose townes and fieldes they waste and spoile may cry out Wherefore doe you these iniuries vnto vs What haue we deserued at your handes Haue you so great leasure frō your owne businesse as you wil destroy other mens Adde withall that such souldiers doe returne home much woorse than they wēt foorth For they imitate whatsoeuer they perceiue to be doone naughtilie and licentiouslie among other Nations and when they be returned home they infect their owne countrie Yet neuerthelesse I blame not honest leagues made betwéene néere neighbours but yet so as the cause of the warre should be considered whether it be iust or vniust Further that they assist one another to repel an vniust force or vncleane not for to make warre for their owne pleasure But by this meanes will they say a commonweale shall be vnskilfull of warlike affaires Howbeit it is not the part of Godlie men so to thinke For who were euer lesse exercised than the Hebrewes when they went out of Egypt Yet was God present with them and hauing destroyed the warlike Nations he brought them into the land which he had promised Rom. 3. 8. A rule of Paul But that rule of Paul must still be retained We must doe no euil that good may come of it So manie mischiefes must not be suffered that thereby we may haue better exercised souldiers Possidonius in the life of Augustine the 27. Chapter saith that he in his writinges would neuer commend them which went to warre in anie place of their owne accord although he vsed oftentimes to intreat for other naughtie men But Plato would haue warres to be common vnto women aswell as all other exercises But we iudge out of the word of God that the same is not lawful For it behooueth them to tende to their houshold and especiallie to haue regard vnto chastitie Whether women may be in warfare Yet if a verie great necessitie of the commōweale require they may helpe the souldiers either in gathering of stones or in carying of earth vnto Bulwarkes but vnto the ordinarie warrefare they ought not to indeuour themselues 14 Now as
we reade in the x. Booke of Aeneidos sorrowed because he had slaine Lausus the sonne of Mezentius And Marcellus hauing conquered the Syracusans who most obstinatelie did resist when he behelde the citie being set on fire to fall down on heapes did wéepe Thus did he sorrow for the ruine of a most vnfriendly Citie Some such like thing also is reported of Scipio in the destroiing of Carthage Yea and they in old time so tempered themselues from shedding the bloud of enemies as those which were ouercome they put vnder a yoke Titus Liuius as wee reade was doone at the gallowses made at Caudina But otherwhile some Princes being driuen by indignation and wrath no lesse rash than vehement not weighing well the matter haue so raged against their enemies as they haue caused to be slaine both the guiltie and the innocent one with another Which happened vnto Theodosius the great when he was vehemently inflamed with wrath against the Thessalonians which sinne of his Ambrose did most seuerely chastise They will be prouoked vnto clemencie if they forget not that themselues also are men that those things which haue happened to the ouercome may sometimes also happen to themselues Into which cogitatiō Cyrus fel who hauing taken Craesus iudged him to the fire But he that within a while after was to be burned began to crie O Solon Solon because he before his death had made aunswere vnto him when he boasted of his wealth happinesse that none might be called happy before his death With this saying Cyrus being mooued he not onely deliuered the man from death but also helde him in honour about himselfe and many times vsed his counsell and aduise Also Iustinianus when he had by Belisarius ouercome Gilimer the king of Vandals after he had triumphed of him Eccle. 1. 2. was required to decrée what he woulde haue doone with him he cried out Al is most vaine and but plaine vanitie neither did he slaie the man but he banished him farre off into Fraunce Also Iulius Caesar when he had obtained victorie was verie much inclined to forgiue them that were ouercome for which cause he is maruellouslie commended by Cicero This also ought verie much to driue princes vnto mercie that among their Titles they specially imbrace that wherein they are called most mercifull Wherefore séeing they reioyce in this Title it is méete they should in verie déede declare themselues to be such Verilie séeing the warres which are exercised among Christians who be all of one Religion although they bee iust warres be more than Ciuil our Magistrates vnlesse that iust occasions as manie such like may be gathered beside those which wee haue alleaged ought to haue their mindes so much the readier bent to shew mercie vnto them which be ouercome And thus farre concerning this matter Of things vvhich be taken by the right of vvarre In Iud. 11. 5 That it is possible that some thinges may be claimed by the right of war it may be prooued both by mens lawes and by the lawes of God But I will begin with mans lawes In the Digestes De captiuis Postliminio reuersis in the lawe Postliminium the things that we haue lost in warre or in the affaires of warre if we shall afterwarde recouer againe we shall obtaine them by the lawe Postliminium For so long as they are not recouered they are possessed by our enemies And this right is against them which are pronounced enemies But those were pronounced enemies against whō the people of Rome did publikly proclaime war or they which did proclaime war against the people of Rome as it is in the same title in the law Hostes. For pyrats or théeues cannot by this meanes attaine to be owners or possesse any thing by the law of warre For warre ought to be made to the end we may attaine somewhat by right of warre And in the Digestes De acquirendo rerum dominio in the law Naturale Paragraphe the last such things as are taken from enemies are by the common lawe of nations straightwaie become theirs which take them And thus the lawes of man as touching this matter are verie manifest So is it also by the lawes of God Abraham as it plainely appeareth in the booke of Genesis the 14. Chapter Verse 14. made warres against the fiue Kings which had led awaie Lot prisoner The battaile being finished the praie came into the handes and possession of Abraham which maie easilie be prooued because of that praie he gaue tythes vnto Melchisedeck But it had not bin lawfull for him to haue giuen Tythes of another mans goods wherefore they were his owne of which he gaue By reason whereof we must beléeue that that praie was in his possession For in that he gaue it to the king of Sodom it was of his mere liberalitie sith he was not thereunto compelled by the lawe I might rehearse what things Iosua Othoniel Dauid Salomon and manie other more possessed by the right of warre For when those Princes had the victorie the things taken from their enemies came to their possession But it is not sufficient to make warre It behooueth that warre be made for a iust cause otherwise it is theft and robberie Augustine How a iust warre may be knowen from an vniust for claiming of somewhat by the right thereof but the warre also must be iust for vnlesse it bée iust it is not warre but theft and robberie 6 But howe can wee knowe that the warre is iust or vniust Augustine as he is alleaged in the 23. Cause Question 2. in the Chapter Notandum writeth that the warre betwéene Sehon and the Israelites was iust For they desired to passe without doing any harme through his kingdome which in respect of the fellowship of man should not haue bin denied them especiallie séeing they had faithfully promised that they woulde not be troublesome vnto any man This sentence of Augustine the Glosser goeth about to defende and that by the Ciuill lawes In the Digestes De Aqua pluuia coercenda in the lawe In Summa in the Paragraphe Item varus some thing is permitted in another mās grounde so that it be doone without harme of the possessor And in the Code De Seruitutibus in the law Per Agrum Maximianus and Dioclesian doe thus decrée No man can forbid thée to vse the common high waie And that thing onelie did the Israelites desire wherefore béeing repulsed they iustlie tooke warre in hande So much saieth the Glosser whose reason doeth not so fully satisfie me For that which Augustine speaketh of priuate men may easilie be admitted and these things which are brought out of the ciuill lawe doe séeme also to bee written concerning priuate men Whether passage ought to be graunted to a straunge armie But if a man will leade an hoste through another mans Countrie although they make faithfull promise not to be troublesome yet whether a waie ought foorthwith to be graunted him and
he to be beleeued it is vncertaine They promise thou wilt saie that their Hoste shall doe no harme but if they stand not to their promises then will the lande be in their possession Vndoubtedly Iulius Caesar woulde not permit the Heluetians to passe through his prouince although they promised that they would passe without doing iniurie or harme But I say that the warre which the Israelites made against Sehon was iust The Israelites made iust warre against Sehon yet not therefore because he denied them leaue to passe through his Countrie but because he came with his hoste out of his owne borders and willingly offered wrong vnto the Israelites For euerie man ought to defende both himselfe and his against violence That which Augustine bringeth hath some shewe yet his reason is not firme For howe coulde Sehon knowe certainely whether the Israelites would doe him harme or no especially they being so manie in number For there were sixe hundreth thréescore and sixe thousand armed souldiers and well appointed to the battell He might perhaps haue permitted them to haue passed and that safelie although not all of them together but by bandes But séeing the first reason before alleaged is sufficient we néede not much to labour about excusing of Augustine Augustine What must be taken héede of in iust wars 7 The same Augustine in the 105. Epistle vnto Boniface In the making of iust warre saith he many thinges must be taken héede of For it is not sufficient that the warre be iust vnlesse also the warre be iustlie handled Wherefore he admonisheth his Earle WheÌ„ saith he thou puttest on thine armour remember that thy strength is the gift of God and determine with thy selfe not to abuse that gift against God Yea rather doe this Fight for his lawes and name let promises be kept euen with enemies but much more with friendes for whome thou makest warre By which wordes he blameth those souldiers which are more grieuous in Cities than be the verie enemies Of which sort we sée in our dayes a great manie more than we would which being in their Garisons good Lord how doe they handle the Citizens and men of the countrie How shamefull abhominable thinges doe they commit He addeth also a third Caution Consider with thy selfe that warre must be made vppon a necessitie Wherefore haue thou alwayes a minde vnto peace Make warre because thou canst not otherwise doe but if thou canst make peace refuse it not Warre is taken in hand onelie for the amending of thinges that be amisse Yea and the Apostles did so afflict some to the intent they might become the better Paul said vnto the Corinthians 1. Cor. 5. 5. Deliuer such a one vnto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may by saued 1. Tim. 1. 20. And to Timothie he saith of Hymenaeus and Alexander I haue deliuered theÌ„ to Sathan that they may learne not to blaspheme So ought they also to restraine princes to the intent that they may be made the better And Augustine in his 19. Augustine booke De Ciuitate Dei saith that warres though they be iust vnto Godlie men they séeme both troublesome and gréeuous For besides other thinges which the nature of man eschueth they shall sée the wickednesse of the contrarie part by reason whereof they are constrained to fight and they cannot but be sorie for it And in the Epistle before alleaged Rage not saith he nor waxe not insolent against those which submit themselues but let mercie be shewed to those that be ouercome Such is that saying of Virgill Spare thou them that be subiect vanquish them that be proud 8 Moreouer he admonisheth the same Earle to beware of vices which are woont to followe Hostes Namelie of filthie lustes of rauenous pillage and of drunkennesse For it is a most dishonest part that thou shouldest make warre for the amending of other mens vices when as thou thy selfe in the meane time art a great deale more vitious and much more art ouercome both with affections and diseases than they which are ouercome And in warre we reprooue not the end but the desire of hurting the crueltie of reuenging the outragiousnesse of rebelling and the gréedie desire of ruling these thinges said he are condemned For they which without those vices make iust warre are the Ministers of God and of the lawes The same father against Faustus the Manichie This order saith he must be kept that the warre be proclaimed either by God or by Princes to breake the pride of man and to tame the obstinate Moreouer souldiers ought to be perswaded that the warre is iustlie made and not taken in hand against the word of God Whether souldiers ought to be prâ—ne to the cause of the warre otherwise let them not goe on warrefare Neither doe I to this ende speake these thinges because I would haue souldiers to vnderstand the secrets of princes but that to their knowledge and wittinglie they suffer not themselues to fight against true and iust causes Yet it may be saith Augustine that the prince himselfe may make warre against his conscience and yet his souldiers nothing offend so long as they obay the ordinarie power For the people must obay their prince And in their so doing it may be doubtfull vnto them whether their prince make warre contrarie to the commaundement of God But they are excused so long as they obay their owne prince in a doubtful cause their owne prince I say and not a strange prince Wherefore those hyred souldiers cannot be excused Against mercenarie souldiers which hauing no respect to the cause but onelie for monie and reward sake doe serue strange princes Wherefore Iiphtah thus reasoned as touching the first poynt of his Oration We haue taken this land by the right of warre therefore thou vniustlie requirest the same againe of vs. 9 He addeth afterward Our God hath giuen it vnto vs which is the Lorde and distributer of all humane thinges Iud. 11. 21. God is the distributer of kingdomes He bringeth his Argument from the gift of God And that God may giue and distribute kingdomes the verie Ethnick authors sawe And therefore in Virgil Virgil. Aeneas dooth so often boast that he by the commaundement of GOD went into Italie and for that cause would not abide either at Carthage or in Sicilia when he might haue obtained either of those kingdomes Augustine Augustine in his 5. booke De Ciuitate Dei the xxi Chapter As touching kingdomes saith he and prouinces it is certaine that God distributeth them both when and how much and to whome he will doutlesse by his iudgement which is secret but not vniust In the booke of Genesis GOD promised to Abraham and his posteritie the land of Chanaan Gen. 15. 13 but yet he promised it after foure hundreth yeares Now saith he I will not giue it for the Chananites as yet had not fulfilled their sinnes I will
not cast them out now but I will tarie till their iniquitie be come to the highest afterward I will bring you in And in the second Chapter of Deuteromie it is written that the Horites dwelled in Mount Seir Verse 12. which were men expert in warres and verie valiant whome God saith he draue out of those moūtaines to the intent that the children of Esaw might possesse the land Verse 10. And in the same Chapter he testifieth that he did cast out the people of Emim and gaue their kingdomes vnto the Ammonites and draue out Zanzumim out of their seates and placed the Moabites there 10 But if thou wilt say that this was doone by GOD peculiarlie against those Nations because the Edomites had their ofspring from Esaw the Ammonites and Moabites of Lot which was the kinsman of Abraham and together with him accomplished most dangerous viages I aunswere And this may also be sayd of other Nations there which came not of Abraham The Cappadocians draue out the Heuites Deut. 2. 23. which were the first inhabitantes who going out of Cappadocia destroyed them and inhabited those Regions in their stead Deut. 32. 8. And in Deuteronomie the 32. Chapter it is written When GOD by lot diuided the Nations and the people according to the number of the children of Israel What is meant by saying that the kingdoms were distributed by lot In that it is said to be doone by lot that is all to be referred to our vnderstanding which see not the causes of things But with God nothing is doone by chance God hath distributed the Nations according to the number of the children of Israel Séeing the Israelites were not yet increased when GOD put the people into those Regions who at the last gaue place vnto the Israelites when they came Neither ought we to be offended if by this distribution oftentimes tertill and fat landes happen vnto the vngodlie Augustine Forsomuch as Augustine in his 4. booke De Ciuitate Dei the xxxiij Chapter saith That giftes which indure but for a time Matt. 5. 45. happen both to the iust and vniust séeing God maketh his sunne to shine both vppon the good and euill and raineth vppon the iust and vniust But by this common benefite the godlie sort haue this commoditie onelie that they vnderstand that these thinges are not the chéefest gifts which we ought to looke for because these are common both to the good and to the euill Howbeit the godlie waite for other more excellent giftes which are not common to the good and euill Yea and Daniel saith Dan. 2. 20. The name of the Lord be blessed for euer For it is he which translateth kingdomes and driueth out the first inhabitantes and bringeth in other Neither dooth he onelie bring men into prouinces Dan. 10. ver 13. 20. but also setteth Angels to rule ouer them as we there reade the prince of the Persians and Gretians And he hath not onelie diuided men by Regions but also by tongues and manners Further me must remember that these mutations were not onelie doone at the beginning but also in the latter times For the French men possessed Gallia and the English Saxons Britaine but the Britaines being cast out by them found newe places in Gallia by force and armes And that part which they obtained they called Britanie according to their owne name The men of Gallia also of late going out of their owne borders possessed a great part of Italy The Hunnes subdued vnto themselues Pannonia and called the countrie Hungaria So God distributeth kingdomes casteth out some and bringeth in other some as it séemeth good vnto his iust iudgement which is secret For the earth is the Lordes and the fulnesse thereof This distribution chaūced euen at the beginning to the sonnes of Noah and afterward to those which builded the Tower of Babel For God dispersed them throughout the whole world God distributeth kingdomes of his mere liberalitie 11 Now will I declare by what meanes God is woont to giue kingdomes He giueth them of his owne liberalitie no right compelling him thereto That is the true manner of gift which otherwise is not a gift vnlesse it be frée And yet nothing letteth but that God by the dueties and obedience of godlie men may be prouoked to giue He giueth in déede manie times thinges vnto godlie men but yet of no duetie Because there hath bin none at anie time so godlie as he might desire anie thing of God as his owne in his owne right For he must doe his duetie though God giue him nothing And yet there is a certaine recompensing gift A recompensing gift although it be frée and giuen without any right compelling it yet because it is after a sort bestowed vpon dueties it hath a shewe of a reward Eze. 29. 18. So in Ezechiel God gaue a gift vnto the king of Babylon Because saith he he laboured in the siege of Tyre I will giue vnto him the land of Egypt There be also amongest men * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recompenses when duetie is repayed with duetie These also are voluntarie neither can they be demaunded by Iuditiall action and therefore are they counted among giftes But we haue nothing which we can giue vnto him We haue nothing that we can giue vnto GOD. wherefore if we attempt to bring anie thing vnto him we render vnto him his owne And so no consideration of merit can be fit for vs towards him wherefore God giueth liberallie no lawe compelling him thereunto Neuerthelesse Whether such gifts may be reuoked it may be demaunded whether such giftes can be reuoked Why can they not Séeing the giftes of men also are reuoked sometimes as we haue it in the Code De reuocatione donationum First if they haue conditions annexed vnto them which haue not bin performed And assuredlie God after that manner gaue the land of Chanaan to the children of Israel namelie that they should woorship him not onelie in ceremonies but also in good manners and holinesse But séeing this condition was not performed God iustly reuoked his gift and led them away captiue and gaue the land vnto the Babylonians Assyrians Egyptians and Romans A great ingratitude also of him that is indued with the gift maketh the gift of smale force For if he be so vngratefull as he will be contumelious reprochfull vnto the giuer the gift is then reuoked So GOD in Ezechiel complaineth Eze. 16. 10. c. I haue clothed thee with vestures and garmentes of sundrie colors thou hast bestowed them vppon Idols and hast giuen them vnto Baal therefore wil I take away my garments from thee and my clothings of sundry colors c. But thou wilt saie that the giftes and vocation of God are without repentaunce The gifts of God are without repentance Ro. 11. 29. as it is written to the Romanes that I graunt but the chaunging is in vs
elect the superiour power and by certaine lawes doe gouerne the CommoÌ„weale as at this day we sée doone by the Electors of the Empire And perhaps the same is doone in other kingdomes To these vndoubtedly if the Prince perfourme not his couenaunts and promises it is lawfull to constraine and bring him into order and by force to compell him to perfourme the conditions and couenaunts which he had promised and that by warre when it cannot otherwise be doone By this meanes the Romanes sometime compelled the Consul whom they themselues had created to goe foorth of his office The Danes in our time did depose their king and held him long in prison Polidore Virgil. Polidorus Virgilius writeth that English men sometimes compelled their Kings to render account of the monie which they had misspent Neither are wée ignorant that Tarquinius the proud was by the Romanes for his ouer much crueltie and arrogancie throwen out of his Kingdome Of Brutus Cassius I will not speake of Brutus and Cassius which slue Caesar But whether they did it iustlie or otherwise most graue men vary in their opinions And I in examining their enterprise by the rule of the Scriptures doe not allowe it For they gaue not vnto him the gouernement or Empire of Rome but he vsurped the same himselfe by violence and power And God as testifieth Daniel translateth Empires and kingdoms Dan. 2. 37. Though also it be lawfull to resist Tirantes which assaile a Kingdome yet when they haue obtained the same and doe beare rule When tyrants haue obtained kingdoms priuate men must not seeke to put them down it séemeth not to belong vnto priuate men to put them downe Wherefore séeing that the Kingdome of the Iewes was such a Kingdome as in it all men depended of the King For they were not chosen by noble men but the posteritie of that familie which God had appointed did gouerne by succession Deu. 17. 15. 1. Sam. 8. 11 Therefore in the lawes of Deuteronomie and in the 1. booke of Samuell wherein is ordained the right of Princes there is no libertie graunted vnto any man to disturbe them Yea and sometimes it hath happened that some of them were killed yet wée neuer reade that God allowed the murdering of them nay rather he punished the murtherers When God at any time would displace the Kings of Iuda he did it by the Babylonians Assyrians and Aegyptians but not by the Iewes 2. king 9. 1. He onelie armed Iehu against his Lord which as it was peculiar so must we not take example by it He destroyed Saule also by the handes of the Philistians and not by Dauid 1. Sam. 31. 2 And I am not ignoraunt howe manie things of this matter are decréed in the Code and in the Digests Ad legem Iuliam Maiestatis But endeuoring to be bréefe I doe of purpose passe them ouer And although I knowe right well that the Ethnickes in the olde time appointed rewards for such as killed Tyrants yet I haue aunswered that godlinesse and the holie Scriptures allowe not the same Assuredlie if it bée lawfull for the people to cast out of a Kingdome those that vniustlie beare Rule there shall neuer bée anie Princes or Kinges in safetie For although they liue iustlie and godlie yet doe they not satisfie the people VVhether Jehoiada did right in putting Athalia from the kingdome 14 But there be many reasons In 2. kings â—1 at the beginning whereby it may be shewed that Iehoiada did well and rightly conspire against Athalia First he was not altogether a priuate man but was the high Priest in the common weale vnto whom belonged to iudge not onely Ecclesiasticall and sacred but also ciuill causes For the Iewes had no other Bookes of lawe but the holy Byble Further there conspired with him the Leuites and Priests and also the Princes of families and the most noble men of the kingdom and the captaines of the souldiers By which kinde of men it was méete that the Common weale or kingdome of Iuda shoulde be deliuered from that womans Tyrannie Moreouer than this were the promises of God which he had made vnto the familie of Dauid which promises it was the high Priests part to defende Also the lawe of Deuteronomie was to be obserued namely that the kingdome shoulde not fall vnto straungers Besides Iehoiada was ioyned in affinitie with the kings familie forsomuch as he had to wife the sister of Achazias departed Wherefore it was his part to prouide that a confused order shoulde be rid out of the kingdome of Iuda But perhaps some man will reprooue this indeuour of Iehoiada First because he did not rightly and orderly in dispossessing of that person which was alreadie in office Méete in déede it is for good men to trauell and indeuour to their power that the state of thinges present should not be changed but when it is changed and that some one hath gotten the soueraintie and is entered into the gouernment it is not lawfull to cast him out Furthermore although that some conspiracie maie otherwhile be good yet it séemeth in his owne nature to haue the shewe of euill wherefore men ought iustly to flie the same especially Priests whose part it is with all diligence to kéepe innocencie Besides this Iehoiada might on this behalfe séeme to séeke his own For séeing the childe was verie young he after a sort did intrude himselfe to be gouernour in his stéede Moreouer it might seeme that God was displeased therewith which in this respect may be prooued 2. Chron. 24. 21. in that Ioas wheÌ„ Iehoiada was dead killed his sonne as though God would reuenge the sinne of his father Adde herewithall that this was doone by the Leuites and Priestes by force and armes which the holie ministerie ought to eschue Furthermore because he set forth the holy place to be violated with slaughter and bloud which is thought to be contrarie to all godlinesse To all these things we will aunswere in order 15 To the first reason thus we answere that indéede it is not the part of a priuate man to put out of place a Magistrate already constituted or a Prince which is in possessioÌ„ of a kingdome But we denie that Iehoiada was a priuate person séeing in the common weale he was the next person to the king iudged and sometime exercised both the sacred and ciuill affaires and was the kéeper of the lawes Deu. 17. 15. And in Deuteronomie there is a lawe for instituting of the king which now by Athalia was violated and the promises made vnto Dauid and his posteritie were hindered by Athalia Besides this it happened that she not onelie was a stranger but an Idolatres and that incurable wherfore she was worthie to be deposed by the primates and péeres of the kingdome And whereas in the second place it was said that not onelie euill must be taken héede of but also the shewe of euill
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
but doe rather despise him he looseth his labour séeing through such a contempt he is made blinde But if he be indued with the feare of God he will assent vnto him that rightlie admonisheth Howbeit both parts of the argumēt are easilie refelled He that feareth not God and when the punishment of eternal death is set before him procéedeth in contemning of him procureth vnto himselfe a more gréeuous iudgement harder condemnation But he that is indued with the feare of God will by applying of more vehement spurs hasten with a swifter course vnto the trueth Wherefore such doctrine as this hath no fruite and draweth much losse with it Those things in effect iudge we of the whole cause Now wil we come to examine particularlie the parts and members thereof which we are faine to doe in fewe words and briefelie séeing we haue other businesse in hande which although we woulde we may not intermit This first of all we cannot choose but maruell at that the Anabaptists are affirmed to haue a true mediatour although they beléeue that his flesh was brought from heauen Whether the Anabaptists doe acknowledge the true mediator not taken of the virgin Vndoubtedlie a mediator he cannot be vnlesse he both be and be comprehended by faith according as God hath ordained him and reuealed him in his promises But he decreed that he shoulde haue flesh of men and this he testified by euident and plaine wordes in the holie scriptures So as they which attribute vnto him a heauenly flesh haue not the mediatour promised by God but him whom they haue inuented to themselues and imagined of their owne braine It is obiected that those men doe not sée nor perceiue that such a mediator is set foorth and promised by God as ought to haue taken flesh of Marie What they can sée or what they cannot sée it maketh little or nothing to the matter This doubtlesse are they driuen to beléeue that in the holie Oracles it is left vnto vs for a most certaintie we doe not affirme that they doe sée these things But this be we assured of that not to sée nor professe those things but with full mouth to denie them remooueth them from saluation A iudgemēt as touching the Iewes As touching the Iewes of our times which crie out that they cannot finde by the holie scriptures that Messias is yet come but say that they do beléeue in him as did the Patriarches Prophets and as their forefathers beléeued what will Hadrian iudge Will he saie that they be not out of the kingdome of heauen Let him saie what he will we will saie with Iohn that they be antichrists which say that Christ is not come in the flesh 1. Iohn 4. 3. A blindnesse in those thinges which the scripture teacheth concerning the mediatour remooueth not damnation from the vnfaithfull That blindnesse is laide vpon vs as a iust punishment of former sinnes which when it transgesseth the lawe and bounds of faith it taketh not eternall damnation away They that denie the consequent denie also the Antecedent but rather procureth the same Neither is it truely sayde that it comes oftentimes to passe that they which denie the consequent doe not denie the antecedent for they in déede doe denie this although in words they séeme so much to graunt it For the ouerthrowing of the consequent is so repugnant to the antecedent as they can not stande together But thou wilt say that vnawares they take away the antecedent of Christes humanitie I graunt it but ignorance as touching naturall prophane thinges is counted but a light matter but in articles of the faith it bringeth the extremest and chiefest losse And it is not nowe called ignorance but incredulitie Matt. 1. 25. Luke 2. 7. But that Christ was borne of the virgine Marie no man of sounde religion doubteth but that the same doth belong to the chiefe pointes of faith And for man to be borne of a mother is not onelie to passe through the wombe of her and this euen children themselues doe knowe Further we confesse that he was not onlie borne of a virgin but that hee was also conceiued of her And who I beséech you will say that those things which passe through the wombe are conceiued Howbeit we are not nowe about to bring foorth testimonies of the scriptures whereby the Anabaptists may bee conuinced that it may be shewed to them that the flesh of Christ was receiued of his mother but to the intent wee may prooue that they which denie this which truelie belongeth to a mediatour doe vtterlie take awaie the mediatour himselfe although by mouth and wordes they professe that they beléeue and confesse him A similitude If in anie kingdome a man should teach that we should not for anie cause obey a king and yet neuerthelesse would confesse him to be lawefull king and that he holdeth the same kingdome by right of inheritance hee should as I thinke be punished by death neither should it anie thing auaile him to crie that he séeth not the dependencie or connection betwéene the consequent and the antecedent But they which were wise or had anie knowledge at all of politike gouernement would say vnto him either thou séest or séest not this knitting together by denying this that is the consequēt thou ouerthrowest also the antecedent Neither are the papistes deliuered from the curse and euerlasting destruction in this respect that they thinke themselues to preach no other gospell than that which the Apostles taught and they themselues moreouer denie that they doe sée a iust and effectuall coniunction betwéene their doctrine and that which is accursed Yet for all that these thinges must not in such sort be vnderstoode as though we do not thinke that they sinne more gréeuouslie who reiect and oppresse the trueth which they verie well knowe than they of whome consequentes are denied and antecedentes by wordes and false opinion affirmed but in vaine since these may not consist with the contraries of the consequent These men in déede doe sinne somewhat lesse yet so gréeuouslie notwithstanding as vnlesse they at the length repent them That the Anabaptists haue no true mediator they shal perish eternally séeing they haue no true mediatour but such a one as they themselues haue forged Neither doth Hadrians similitude belong anie thing vnto this matter Whether the Anabaptists doe beléeue in Christ Mat. 26. 27 The Hebrewes saieth hee of a false opinion doe thinke that our Lorde Iesus was nothing else but a méere man and that a seditious and naughtie man Wherefore they being deceiued by this errour did naile him to the crosse which iniurie of theirs although it procéeded of a false opinion yet did it breake out against verie Christ not against a fained Christ So the Anabaptistes when they beléeue and call vpon Christ which suffered for vs which rose againe and by whome sinnes are fréely forgiuen although they thinke that he
very great thankes And I aunswere that as the cause standeth I am not now minded to labour or séeke for the same hauing thankes be to God foode and clothing competent enough wherewith I content my and séeke for nothing else But when it shal happen otherwise I will not refuse your honours helpe to whome I might séeme to doe iniurie if I shoulde chaunge you for an other since you giue a verie manifest testimonie that you loue mee exceeding much aswell for the glorie of Gods sake as for the affection that I haue alwayes borne to that godlie and glorious kingdome Whereuppon I reioyce with all my heart that the cause so standeth with the same as it nowe doeth For I am well assured that the loue thereof towardes mee will growe euerie day more and more séeing the good wil that I beare to the English nation doth continually waxe greater greater Nowe as touching leaue to sée you againe safe and sounde in person for the commoditie as you write both of your coūtrie and my owne comfort I am verie sorie that I cannot aunswere you in such sort as may satisfie both you and my selfe Truelie if I might haue mine owne will I woulde no lesse serue the Church of Englande than before time I haue doone howbeit neither mine age nor the strength of my body wil any longer indure the same being not able to indure a viage so long so diuers and not altogether easie Wherein also for one of my age and féeblenesse there be manie daungers and the labours there will be more gréeuous vnto me than those that we haue here Wherefore to the intent that I become not vnprofitable both vnto you and also to them that be here it séemeth better for me that I remaine where I am And this doe not onely I iudge but so likewise doth the Magistrate together with the Ministers of this Church who otherwise would be most readie to pleasure your excellēt lordship as much as lieth in their power especially in those thinges that tend to the spreading and setting foorth of the Gospel of Christ Neuerthelesse my good Lord wheresoeuer I shall bee I am readie at your commandement and to doe you anie seruice desiring you that for Gods cause you wil continuallie growe vp in al goodnes especially in the indeuour of confirming and enlarging the Gospell of the sonne of GOD. Finally if as you write vnto me you haue béene greatly satisfied by my good and faithfull seruaunt Iulius thereby doe I receiue verie great comfort For I louing him very much as I doe both for the zeale that hee hath vnto godlinesse and sound religion and also for other good parts that be in him there can be no greater contentation vnto me than to sée him wel accepted of such a one as your honor is whose seruice I hauing no meanes to recompence you in some part may helpe him when néed shal require Again if as you write you accept well of his friendship vndoubtedly to serue you wil alwaies be most acceptable vnto him The Lorde God long preserue you in health to the seruice of the Church and the commonweale From Zuricke 1561. The end of the Epistles To God alone the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost be all honour praise glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen AN ORATION WHEREin is set foorth the life and death of the most famous man and excellent Diuine D. Peter Martyr Vermillius Professor of diuinitie in the Schoole of Tygure made there by Iosias Simlerus one of Zuricke To the Reuerende Father in Christ Iohn Iewel by the grace of God Bishop of Salisburie his very good Lord. WHereas latelie at the death of that most godlie and graue diuine P. Martyr Vermillius I made an oration openly in our Schoole wherein I comprehended briefelie the historie of his life manie of Peter Martyrs friendes and mine desired of mee that I woulde recognise the same and augment it if it were possible and so to put foorth the same into light Which thing I coulde not denie them aswell for their loue towardes mee as also for other great causes For albeit that my Oration be not so well furnished and composed as it can extoll Martyr with deserued praises yet doe I thinke that the same for the true and syncere commemoration of the thinges themselues wilnot be altogether vnwelcome vnto such as bare good will vnto Peter Martyr For I haue declared nothing but that which either I my selfe haue seene or haue learned of witnesses worthie of credit For I haue indeuored earnestly herein to know euen as perfectlie as might be al the historie of his life of those which were conuersant with him Wherein I was holpen by others but especially of Iulius Terentianus who both was Martyrs scholer in Italie and in his banishment and al his peregrinations coulde neuer be separated from him vntill his death Manie thinges also did I vnderstand by diuers of Martyrs owne writings and by his letters vnto his friends and in like manner by the letters of his friendes vnto him the which I diligentlie perused and by the good will and request of his heyrs gathered them into order Wherefore this Oration of mine such as it is for I knowe well and confesse willingly that all my workes are but slender and bare I thought good to sende vnto you reuerende Father and that it shoulde passe foorth openlie vnder the authoritie of your honourable name For since you both loued and honoured Martyr while he liued I doubt not but that the remembraunce of him woulde be to your ioy and liking and I iudge that the incredible sorrowe which I thinke you haue taken for his death cannot be better reliued by anie meanes than by the continuall memorie and consideration of the diuine vertues which shined in him And because the life of Martyr was throughlie well seene and knowen vnto you you may verie well also iudge of the trueth of my discourse You liued in Englande with him vnder King Edwarde of happie and godlie memorie But the state being changed when by reason of the imminent perils and the persequution which then waxed hote manie good men went out of their countrie you in your banishment ariued againe at your Martyr as it were in a certaine port of your studies and so liued with him both first at Strasborough and then after with vs at Zuricke and was a perpetuall companion and assistant of his studies and labors which were verie great And nowe after that by the singular benefit of God through the indeuour good will and diligence of the most excellent Queene Elizabeth the true Religion beganne to be perfectlie restored amongest you and that you together with manie other godlie and learned men were restored to your countrie and that you were aduanced to great honours according as your excellent vertues deserued you being absent did alwaies through continuall letters and all manner of dueties carefullie and diligently maintaine your auncient friendshippe
For you accounted him insteede of a father and he in like manner most willingly confessed you to bee vnto him in age a sonne and in dignitie a father Nowe sith that by domesticall familiaritie and continuall acquaintance you haue had full triall of his wit learning godlinesse modestie humanitie and sweete conuersation and haue also hearde of him manie thinges concerning his life for he vsed somtimes to recken vp to his friendes request those thinges which had happened to him both in Italie and else where to their great delight shall iudge best of all other of the trueth of this Historie And vnlesse I be deceiued you will rather iudge that manie thinges which belonged to his praises are either omitted of mee or else not sufficientlie expressed according to the worthinesse thereof than to affirme that I haue cōmended him aboue his desert And perhaps also those of Martyrs friendes among you will iudge no lesse diuers noble and gentle men and also reuerende Bishoppes and manie other worthie men which sometime knewe Martyr loued him wel if so be that anie of them will vouchsafe to reade this Oration of ours which I doubt not but many will in whose mindes the memorie of Martyr though hee be deade is deepelie imprinted and firmely fastened But the iudgements of these men I dare not withstand but rather I confesse a fault before iudgement and I desire pardon partlie because I thinke that I do iustly deserue pardon if I alone not being sufficiently indued with the power of wit and eloquence and therewithall let with sorrow and heauinesse coulde not in speach comprehend all the praises of that man whose vertues alone manie ages before haue not had the like comparable vnto his and partly because I thinke that not onelie the successe but also my purpose and will of taking the worke in hande ought to be regarded For I meant for this cause speciallie to publish those things which I had learned of my friends and gathered by some reasonable studie to the intent that notable and eloquent men fauouring and louing Martyr as I know many both Italians and English men and also Germans and French men did stirred vp by my example might easilie performe that which I for manie causes could not doe namelie to celebrate the praises of Martyr by an excellent eloquent and well furnished Oration And this office vndoubtedly now that Martyr is deade manie Godly men wish it had beene performed of you which knewe both what you are able to doe in eloquence and are also full assured how greatly you loued Martyr And they thinke that such kinde of Orations are not repugnant to your office and dignitie since that with such kind of funerall Orations both Nazianzene honoured Basil and Athanasius and Ambrose Valentinian and Theodosius his brother Satyrus and other Bishops other excellent men And that they doe not require this of you right reuerend Father they are mooued by this reason namelie that they thinke there wants not in you anie good will but leasure and time For how great labours you indure in inlarging the kingdome of Christ and with how great studie and diligence you execute the office of a Bishop we also are not ignorant though wee be farre distant from you But in the meane time if by this my Oration I may prouoke you to describe the prayses and life of Martyr euen as cunning musitians are oftentimes prouoked by the rude playing of others that as it were of a certaine indignation they which before would not doe afterward plaie most excellentlie I shall receiue sufficient fruit of my labour but if you lacke time and to others willingnesse to doe it yet at the leastwise I wish that this my Oration may be extant not for a memorie of him which he by his owne writings and labours hath procured to himselfe to be eternall but that they which are mindfull of his name may yet at the leastwise haue this hystorie such as it is of his life wherein they may see both the beginnings and proceedings of his studies and from thence fetch examples both of manifolde and rare vertues Nowe I craue of you right reuerende Father that you will take in good part this token of my dutifull goodwill towards you and in the considering of this Oration not to haue so much respect to me as to Martyr himselfe whom the whole hystorie doth concerne Indeede your loue towards me required that I should giue some greater and more notable testimonie of my obseruation towards you but since my habilitie serueth not therefore I beseech you rather haue respect to my good will and continue your accustomed loue and good liking of me Fare you well right reuerend Father Dated at Zurick the principall Citie of Swicherland the 4. Calendi of Ianuarie 1562. ⧠AN ORATION OF the life and death of that worthie man and excellent Diuine D. Peter Martyr Vermillius professor of Diuinitie in the Schoole of Zuricke O That it had seemed good vnto God right honorable Fathers and welbeloued Auditorie that out of this place we might often a long time yet haue heard speake that excellent man and most graue Diuine our generall teacher Peter Martyr But for so much as God the Father who gouerneth all things most excellently hath thought good to take him awaie from vs being vnwoorthie perhaps of the presence of such a man and to call him into the euerlasting kingdome seeing now we cannot heare him as we desire to doe yet I at the leastwise will speake vnto you that which the present time and consideration of mine office doeth require Notwithstanding I am not ignoraunt that my speech cannot be equiualent to the vertues of Peter Martyr whereby he so excelled all others as they can verie hardlie be celebrated according to their woorthinesse euen by the best Oratour of the world But in mee there is scarce a meane wit welneere no exercise of speaking but so great a sorrowe as it may diminish the wit euen of an excellent Orator For I lament deare Auditorie for my owne sake I lament for his sake and I lament for the schooles sake and for all your sakes which haue loued and honored Martyr For mine owne sake because truelie I haue lost a fellowe in office but in verie deede a most faithfull Maister in age and loue a most deare father who loued mee entirely and that euen at such time as I least of all thought it For his owne sake not so much for that he is dead for he hath alwayes this long time wisht to bee loosed and to be with Christ and who will denie but that it happened well to him that he is deliuered from diseases from labours from cares and sorowes which he did infinitelie take for the calamities of the godly and dispoyling of the Church and that he heareth not seeth not and knoweth not of the sacking of Cities or of the bloudie battels captiuities and slaughters of good men all which
difference made betwéene him and the Pope 4 38a The state of his soule separated from his bodie 2 622 a The saying of Hylarius howe he had sinne to bée marked 2 227 b He tooke flesh vpon him in one respect Angels in another 1 115 b What kind of creature the Arrians taught him to be 1 106 b Whether he be inferiour to his father 3 306 b Of his bodie much spokeÌ„ too fro worth the noting out of the fathers 1 116. 117. What his bodie hath respect vnto 3 78 b The later Dauid with what stones he smote the head of Goliah 1 44 b He grounded his doctrine vpon scriptures 3 340b Of his exaltation to glory 2 622 a A Iewe borne 3 30â— a Wherefore he is called our mediator 3 308 a What his soule did when it was departed from the bodie 2 621 a Of the first and second comming of Christ 3 383 ab 2 625 ab 597 b The opinion of Apelles the heretike touching his flesh that it was not borne but brought from heauen confuted 1 115 b He was borne and brought not a body from heauen proued 1 117 b 118 a Nothing ca. bée doone without him and why 3 102 a Of his conceptioÌ„ by the holy ghost 2 616 b What we haue to note in that hee did eate after he was risen 1 88a b In what sense he is called the first begotten 1 108 a 2 â—16 a The head and chiefe of new exorcists 4 130 a The scornings that he suffered at his death 2 619 a Why he called himselfe the sonne of man 1 117 b A most effectuall example of patience constancie 2 620 a How he is ioyned with all men 3 77 b 78 a Whether it wereof necesittie that he should die 2 610 b Why he departed this life loden with shame c. 2 618 b His humanitie is definite 2 611 b Of his sitting at his rathers right hande and what it meaneth 2 611 b Frée from sinne 2 615 ab The blowes wounds that he suffered at his death 2 619 a His death most ignominious 2 618 ab How he is said to haue left the world 4 156 b 157 a Their reasoÌ„s which say that he brought his bodie out of heauen 2 603 ab 604 a Why he is called the onely sonne of God 2 â—15b He came from heauen though hée had his bodie out of the earth â— 602 b 603 a How he had true sleâ—… when he appeared vnto Abraham the fathers 1 117 b 118a Diuerse properties of his body set downe 2 638a Howe hee dwelleth in our hearts 2 60â— a 3 162 a Why hée is called Lord 2 606 b 600 b 614 b 615 a How he is said to haue dyed for vs all 3 31 a The Manichies defame his genealogie and how 1 51 a All his passion reduced to foure chéefe parts 2 618 b 619 ab More oppugned his diuinitie than his humanity 2 614 b The difference betwéene his prayers and ones 3 368 b His death voluntary and noâ— voluntary 3 298 b Of his affections how ours his differ 3 298 ab How he satisfied his father 3 222 b 223 a He was not deliuered to the crosse against his fathers wil 2 276 ab What his healing of the diseased teacheth vs. 3 129 b How he saw not the graue 3 343 a 344 b 345 a Himselfe was the cause of his owne comming 2 600 a Whether his kingdome shall haue an end 2 607 a He was not annoynted with oile 2 6â—6 b What he did for vs at his ascending 2 624 a Vnto whom his nobilitie is communicated 4 313 b Fine things to be noted in his person 2 614 a His innocency obscured 2 618 b Adam and he compared and howe 3 31 a Both the old and the new testament do speake of him 1 39 b He dyed not altogether without sin 3 12 b 43 a How God is said to be made visible in him 1 30b 31 a His death resurrection represented in types shadowes 2 581 b 582a The very name of him is the knot wherein al the articles of the faith are conteined saieth Augustine 1 22 a How the prophets apply their doctrine vnto him 2 596 b Against such as helde that he had no true body 2 601 ab How the false Apostles woulde take him from the law 2 585 b 586 a He Manna most excellently compared 2 591 ab Against certaine heretikes that affirmed him to be a méere man 2 600b Howe farfoorth he concerning his humane nature is the full image of God 1 124 a Whether he were the sonne of God by nature or adoption 3 81 a Hee was otherwise in the loines of Abraham than of Leuy 2 245 a Augustine iudgeth that he hath restored vs vnto more than Adam tooke from vs 2 246 b Vnder his name is contained all the articles of the faith as saith Augustine 1 22 a Whether he may haue hope as yet 3 88 a The end of his predestination 3 25a Accused of sedition 4 319 a Of his death and buriall 3 342b Of his felicity now in heauen 2 598 a Of his kingdome 2 597 ab Christians A difference of Christians 3 105 b Why they are called annoynted 2 606 ab Wickedly accounted dogs 3 311 a Whether they may vse or desire helpe of infidels 4 296. 295. Their boÌ„dage greater now than that of the Iewes 3 172 a How it commeth to passe that some are iudged to damnation some to saluation 2 626b Against the counterfait or such as are but so in name 2 628 b The common profession of all Christians 4 310 a ¶ Looke Beleeuers and Faithfull Christianitie Wherein the whole sum of Christianitie consisteth 2 625 a ¶ Looke Religion Chronicles Aulus Gellius opinion of Chronicles and hystories 1 48 b The difference betwéene them and histories 1 48 ab 49 a Ciceroes opinion touching the same 1 48 ab ¶ Looke Histories Church militant The Church defined 4 1 a She cannot be well gouerned without troubles 4 63 a By what meanes she is increased 2 633 a 637 a Augustines meaning in saying I would not beléeue the scriptures vnlesse the authoritie of the Church mooued me 1 43 a 3 586. The Catholike Church is the communion of saints 3 78 b She of her owne authoritie cannot decide controuersies 4 75 b Whence the name is deriued 4 1 a 54 a 1 45 b 2 630 a In what cases euill men must not be excluded thereout 4 2 a How it is ment that she is the pâ—…ier and ground of truth 4 75 b Her dutie towards the excommunicated 4 59 a Whereof so great corruption in the same commeth 4 63 b Whether two heads may be therein one visible another inuisible 4 35 a Who be indéede of the Church and who not 4 1 b 2 a 3 79 a Dissentions in the Church of the Iewes and of the Apostles 4 3 a 2 425 ab The Church hath alwayes iudged by the
from it 3 155 b 156 a The lawe is not idle no not after it 2 300 a The order thereof in mans reason howe it behoueth to bee 1 16 b The promise concerning the same is not conditionall 3 136 b Howe often it is taken holde of 3 136 a Life and it are so ioyned that oftentimes one is taken for another 3 130 b Whether it may be separated from faith 3 131 ab 132 ab Whether it be ascribed to the sacramentes 3 157 b 158 a Howe diuerslie the fathers vnderstoode it 3 158 a Who they be that cast away the grace thereof 3 160 a Why the fathers attribute it to charitie onely 3 159 a Whether a man being iustified can doubt thereof 3 135 a The effects of charitie doe followe it 3 237 b Whether it be an effect of faith 3 136 b Whether it depend of attrition 3 214 b 215 ab In whome properly it consisteth 3 124 b 125 a It dependeth not of baptisme 4 136 b 137 a What faith bringeth it 3 57 b Predestination confirmeth the doctrine thereof 3 3 b Howe it is referred to Christes resurrection 2 610 a Wherein it séemeth to be declared 2 609 b It dependeth not of mans will 3 28 b Of two inwarde motions thereof 3 124 a One manner thereof in the time of the lawe and the Gospell 2 586 ab Why God woulde that it shoulde come by faith 3 96 a It is shewed by reason that it is of faith not of charitie 3 137 a Whether it bee giuen vs by the promise 3 145 b 146 a Whether in anie respect it depende vppon man 3 123 b 124 a Whether charitie do worke it 3 77 b Whether it be denied to bee only as touching the ceremonies of the lawe 3 103 ab 104 ab 105 ab Vnto whome Paul wrote the doctrine thereof 3 108 a Whether it be by workes 3 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 106. 107. Attributed by sâ—me both to workes morally good and superstitious 3 102 b Whether it may concurre with workes 3 156 b Howe it is graunted vnto workes 3 147a Goodly works a let or impediment thereunto 1 95 ab Of workes preparatorie thereunto and in whome they bée 2 264 b Howe it would follow that it shoulde come by workes 3 14 b What the Fathers say thereof giuen fréely 3 119 b 120 a.b By faith onelie was proper to the fathers in the law aswel as to vs. 2 584 a It doeth consist of grace not of workes 1 145 b The Pelagian heresie touching iustification without grace 3 107 a Howe Pighius vnderstandeth frée iustification 3 147 b Vnto what thinges hee ascribeth it 3 138 b Howe he prooueth that it is had of loue 3 138 b Smith denieth it by faith 3 147 b 148 a Aristotle vnderstoode not nor beléeued the iustificatioÌ„ through Christ mentioned in scriptures 1 132 ab The difference and order of diuine and humane or Ciuil iustification 2 303 a The iustification of the publicane was not in workes but in prayer 2 266 ab Proofes of Cornelius his iustification when hee prayed 2 260 a The causes and effectes thereof 2 259 ab The doctrine of iustification is the principall point of all godlines 3 93 b 94 a Ke. Keyes What the Keyes of the Church bée 4 108 a 297. 2 a 636 a 3 116 b Diuerslie interpreted 3 218 a Looke Church Ki. Kings Kinges be the heades of common weales 4 35 b Whether they may be deposed by a Bishoppe in a case of offence 4 232 ab Whether they or Bishoppes are superiour 4 22â—b 230 a Why they be consecrated â—y Bishoppes 4 623 b How God reigneth together with the good 4 35 a After what sort the bad must bee obeyed 4 3â— b In what manner we bee all Kings and Priestes 4 12 ab Kingdome terrestiall The Papistes make a diuision of a Kingdome into two partes 4 23â— b The Kingdome was not giuen to Saul by the same couenaunt that it was vnto Dauid and why 1 209 b Two causes why Saul was cast out and Dauid surrogated in his roume 2 209 b Of restoring the Kingdom of Dauid 1 608 b Of the Kingdome of the Iewes and Gods kingdome 3 161 b 162 a Why in olde time the Kingdome and priesthood were committed to one man 4 327 b Kingdomes Whether Empires and Kingdomes are of God 4 228 a Why God by his prouidence transferreth them from nation to nation 2 264a Vnto whome the distribution of them belongeth 4 305 a By what meanes God giueth them 4 306 a What is meant by the distribution of them by Lot 4 305b The cause of their alterations 4 227 b 228 a The Prophets may be a certeine occasion not a cause of the ouerthrowe of Kingdomes 4 237 ab Kingdome of Christ and God Prophesies of Christs Kingdom 2 596 b 597 ab 3 397 a Diuerse errours touching the same in this life 3 396 a Of the Millenaru 3 358 a Whether it shall haue an ende 2 607 a What is meant by his deliuering vp of the same to his father 2 607 a That when it shal be fulfilled the ministeries of Angels and labours of celestiall bodies shall cease and why they now moue 1 120a Who seeke the Kingdome of God 2 598 ab Kingdome of heauen What the Kingdome of heauen signifieth preached by Christ 3 203 b Vnder the name thereof the Church is vnderstood 3 392 a Kinred A definition of Kinred declaring what it is 2 453 a Within what degrees thereof marriage may not be made 447. 448. 449. 450. 451. 452. 453. ¶ Looke Marriage Kisse Of the Kisse of peace and the originall thereof 4 218 b Kn. Knowe How we may Knowe God by the workemanship of the worlde 1 16 a We may Knowe him thrée maner of wayes 1 16 a Two wayes naturally 1 10 b Knowledge physicall Wherein opinion and Knowledge do differ 2 296 a It is either reuealed or gotten by endeuour studie 2 300 b Of certeine affects which follow the Knowledge either of euill or good 2 411 a It breedeth vnquietnesse prooued 1 168 b Wherein the power thereof consisteth 3 137 a Whether the bodie be troublesome thereunto 3 316 b 317 a We are led to the Knowledge of causes by their effects 1 47 a The Knowledge of things commeth partly by causes and partly by effects 3 75 b How particular things ouercom a general Knowledge 3 70 b 71 a Of a Knowledge that may séeme both true and false 3 73 b Of the Knowledge of things to come and to whome the same is graunted 1 81 b Of the Knowledge which spirites haue 1 81 b The Knowledge of the principall end is profitable 1 9 a Our naturall knowledge corrupted 3 166 a Of certeine things which cannot bee gathered thereby 1 17 a The pride of Philosophers noted therein 1 2 a They hid that which they had of God 1 11 a How Philosophie and diuinitie do varie concerning
21 b 22 a His diuerse names in Hebrew and in Latine and who is one 1 18 a The names vsed in holie Scriptures for an interpretor as for example 1 23 ab 18 a What he is called in the Hebrewe tongue 1 17 b and what it signifieth ibidem 18 a Wherein hee and a priest doe differ 1 18 a About what things he is occupied 1 18 a The olde Israelites were neuer without a Prophet 1 23 b Two sure argumentes or tokens of a true Prophet 1 20 b Who he is that must bee reputed and taken for one 1 22 a Prophets true and false Tokens to discerne True Prophets and false 4 6 b 1 20 b They must not diminish the worde nor adde to of their owne 1 20 a Difference betwéene them and Doctors 4 6 b Degrées of them that they were not inspired all alike from heauen 1 19 b Of God and of the Diuel 4 6 b A rule in reading of them 3 354 ab Of the tribe of Leuic 4 6 b They were to the hie Priestes as the Apostles are to the Bishops 4 4a The authoritie of them is constant 3 38 a Howe they cease to bee prophetes and become diuiners 1 20 b Why God doeth sometimes vse the euill Prophetes 1 37 b God reuealeth to the Prophetes the thinges that hee will doe 3 38 a In that they were Prophetes they coulde not erre 1 8 a How they applie their doctrine vnto Christ 2 596 b What visions they bee that make not Prophetes 1 36 b Why Paul saith that the spirits of the Prophetes are subiect to the Prophetes 1 21 b Howe and in what cases spirites maie be called Prophetes 1 81 b 82 a Schooles of them and wherefore they were appointed 1 22b Whether God doeth compell them or no. 1 21 b By their life they must winne credite to the word 1 20 b Whether they do surely knowe those thinges to be true which they foretell 1 22 b They are not nowe so necessarie as in former times and why 23 a There be some still in the Church although not so famous as in times past 1 24 a There were many Prophets in the primitiue church 2 23 b Being in sundrie places did write the selfe-same wordes in their Prophesies 2 363 a They may be a certeine occasioÌ„ not a cause of the ouerthrow of kingdomes 4 237 ab Whether being inspired of God they knowe not what they say 1 21 b The spirites that stirre them vp are sometimes good sometimes euil 1 19 a The cause of this prouerb What is Saul among the Prophets 3 20b Prophets do somtimes see things printed in their imagination and sometime sée them outwardly 1 25b They must not be corrupted for fauour or rewarde 1 20 b They to whome are shewed only the signes of things to come are not in verie déede accounted Prophets why 1 26 a By what thing it was that God spake to the fathers and Prophets 1 26 b 27 a The children of the Prophets and whose disciples they were 1 23 b 4 6 b In what respects Paul and Peter were Prophets 1 23 b More Prophets when the church began than nowe and why 1 18 b That the Prophets of Idols had two certeine tokens to bee knowen by 1 21 a A general rule to know true Prophets by 1 22 a Sometimes their predictions happen not as howe 1 20 b 21 a Of certeine women Prophets expressed by name 1 20 a Which did openly teach the people 4 7 a How it is to be vnderstoode that Samuel was the chief of Prophets that like to Moses there was neuer any Prophet and that among the children of women there arose not a greater than Iohn Baptist 1 â—9 ab The diuels Prophets fare like mad men 1 21 a That wicked men may bee Prophets and yet no friendes to God 1 23 a What Gods law determined touching the punishment of false Prophets 2 389 a Propitiatorie What was the Propitiatorie or mercie seate 2 356 b 339 a The place thereof 3 306 b No more among the Iewes 2 577 b Propositions Generall Propositions are to bee restreined 3 26 b 27 a 30 a 31 ab 32 a 33 ab 145 ab 132 b 133 a 389 ab 380 b 397 b 398 a 1 193 b They make their particular true 3 143 b Conditionall resolue not into categoricall 3 133 b Of particular are ill inferred vniuersal 4 30 a Two negatiue are not woont to conclude affirmatiue 3 239 a Prouidence A definition of Prouidence 3 9a 1 170 b 167 a Why it is perpetuall 3 9 a Diuerse notable points touching it 3 35 b The Epicures denie it and why so 1 170b What commodities and comforts we reape by a liuely faith therof 1 168 a How it predestination agree differ 3 8b Why the same is said to be common to all things 3 8 b It worketh orderly by causes effects read how 2 26â—a The Philosophers yelded not theÌ„selues thereto 1 11 b Too too contumelious a thing to exempt man from it and who do so 1 172 a The opinion of the Peripatetiks touching the same 1 154b To bee acknowledged of vs by the example of creatures 1 12 a Whether it doe bring any changing in Gods as in men 1 168 a Whether it take away chaunce fortune 1 168 b Nothing is to be excepted from the same 1 200 b That there is such a thing proued substantially 1 170ab Whether the same be vnchaÌ„geable 1 173 b 174 a Whether it can admit any thing touching chance 1 174 a 171 b Why the Greeks named it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 175 b A firme and strong argument as some think against it 1 169 a Whether things that bee of necessitie are vnder it 1 172 b Whether all things be ruled thereby 1 167 b That euen Tyrantes are but instrumentes thereof and that they are limited 1 172 b Whether counsels admonitions be taken away thereby as may be obiected 1 176 a Things happening by chance are vnder it â— 173 a Howe sinnes doe depend thereupon 1 173 b How Zuinglius is to bee vnderstoode that men are otherwhiles thereby prouoked to sinne 1 186a By what tokens Cicero teacheth that it may bee knowen from naturall reason 1 167 b What things some referre thereunto and what thinges not 1 167 b A briefe sum of the thinges which God thereby doeth about sins 1 206b A generall opinion to be retained in the church that without it nothing is doone in the world be it good or bad 1 199b That the same as touching his decrees is as the iron and adamant and what is obiected against it 1 197 ab Plato and others seemeth to streiten it into a narrow roome and how 1 200 a What things some doe exempt from it 1 171 b 169 b Things that come by chance serue thereunto 1 182 b Cicero calleth it an olde soothsaying wife of the Stoikes 1
inserted into the Common places you shall find the Disputations which he made at Oxford with certein learned aduersaries of the Gospell and also a notable sermon of reedification of the church and some learned epistles neither in the Latine booke nor before extant in print but brought to light by mine owne industrie and diligent search And least anie should mistrust that I being not exercised in the studie of diuinitie might not be able to performe so great a charge and faithfullie to translate so notable a worke wherein is comprehended so manifold learning so incomparable knowledge and so diuine vnderstanding especiallie I liuing in the Court as it were in continuall peregrination and as a Rechabit among the children of Israel I thought it good for the satisfieng of you my deere and welbeloued brethren in the Lord to let you vnderstand that although the time of comming foorth of the booke were hereby prolonged yet the faithfull translation of the same was nothing hindered For by this meanes I had fit oportunitie to confer and examine the same with sundrie persons of great learning and iudgment neither did I presume to bring it into light before I had found out the perfect sense of euerie thing and was fullie resolued in euerie word clause and sentence which was hard or doubtfull And herewithall adde that what want of skill soeuer might be ascribed vnto me that hath my care and diligence fullie supplied Wherefore all godlie Readers being by this means persuaded it shall be verie profitable for them to bestowe some time in the studie of this booke whereby perhaps the better learned themselues may more readilie with greater light discerne the hardnesse and doubtfulnesse which otherwhile appeereth in the Latine booke especiallie where some of the ancient fathers be cited Whereby also the lesse skilfull and learned sort by applieng their minds to the reading and remembring of those things which they shall find herein shall be fullie satisfied in the greatest matters and be able to stop the mouthes of the most learned aduersaries in the cheefest controuersies of religion And for this cause would I exhort the ministers of the word not to let passe so good an occasion Whome in the name of Iesus Christ I exhort that they hauing taken vpon them so weightie a charge will not be negligent in their excellent vocation but will wholie dedicate themselues daie and night to all maner of godlie readings necessarie for their function For the better performance whereof if they doo not knowe how to order their studies and to benefit the church I haue at the end of this Preface set downe a breefe waie and example for them to follow with the right vse of common places of the scripture Wherewith if euerie one bicause of my breuitie shall not thinke himselfe satisfied I refer them which vnderstand the Latine to Hyperius an excellent writer to this purpose in his booke De ratione studij Theologici where they shall bee fullie instructed And when they are by this maner of meanes made fit harolds to proclame the name of the Lord in Sion I would desire them and all other which seeke the truth and would gladlie haue the church of the Lord to be restored to the right forme that God hath prescribed in his holie word that they will set to their hearts and hands to the building vp of the same and indeuour by all meanes possible to reduce the wandring flocke vnto their owne sheepefold And first of all ye my good Lords whome I honour reuerence and obeie in my heart with all dutie and seruice ye to whom the seruant of God our deare Souereigne hath committed the sword of gouernment ye which be the nurses and pillers and defenders of the English church ye which be vnto vs as Moses Iosua and Samuel to the children of Israell continue ye the great care and zeale that ye haue alwaies borne to the true religion and prouide that both by the faithfull execution of hir Highnes lawes and by the vertuous example of your owne life the church of England may be commended and well spoken of among all nations But principallie I beseech you put to your helping hand that the Bishops pastours and all others that haue anie commission to gouerne the church and causes ecclesiasticall be so chosen as their godlines of life be of all men allowed their soundnesse of doctrine cleerelie approoued their boldnesse in professing throughlie well tried their gifts of edifieng of all men perceiued and which seeke not for the desire of honour but receiue for edification of the church the liuings honours and authorities giuen vnto them which being performed ye shall be rid of infinit care and businesse otherwise your labours will be no whit lessened nor your heauie burthen lightened but the appeales vnto you will be dailie increased and the troubles of the church remaine vnpacified And this will be one speciall furtherance to the building vp of the Lords temple Furthermore ye that be the Bishops and cheefe Prelates of the congregation my honourable Lords and reuerend fathers in Christ which haue committed vnto you the care of the Lords house and of the ministers of the same I beseech you for the discharge of your owne offices and consciences for the more speedie reedification of the temple and for the desire ye haue of the chosens felicitie ye will haue a watchfull eie vnto your charge and that ye will neither for fauour nor for affection nor for priuate commoditie no nor at the speciall sute of anie mortall man admit anie other ministers than such as bee learned graue and of good report among all men and vnto whom God hath giuen gifts to edifie in the congregation That ye will likewise prouide by your gouernment that all things may be doone to the glorie of God to spirituall edification and to a decent order in the church That ye suffer no notorious fault to escape vnpunished and that there be no occasion giuen to the aduersaries to speake euill of the Gospell for your sakes That ye will by all meanes possible reconcile the diuersitie of opinions and make that we may speake and thinke and beleeue all one thing in Christ Iesus That ye will liue in a continuall peregrination in your diocesse and not onelie visit all your particular churches if it be possible by your selues if not by your faithfull and well chosen officers but eftsoones also search and inquire whether your decrees be executed and all disorders amended Remember if anie part of the Lords house fall to decaie by your default it shall be required at your hands but if it be kept in good plight by your diligence and good ouersight ye shall reape an incomparable reward in the kingdome of heauen What remaineth now when ye and other excellent men haue by your writing and by your teaching and preaching both confirmed the true religion and confuted all superstitious doctrine but that all the aduersaries will be
ashamed and yeeld when they see your diligence in gouerning and vnblameablenesse of liuing ioined with the godlie zeale of your preaching if they perceiue you to contemne all things as dung in comparison of the Gospell of Christ and to be readie if need shall require to laie downe your life for the brethren finallie if ye mortifie your selues to the world that yee may liue vnto Christ For vnlesse life and gouernement be ioined with preaching and teaching ye labour in vaine and withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse making the word of God of none effect And ye shall but loose your labour in rising earlie and in late taking rest and in eating the bread of carefulnesse For if all these things be not performed of you whatsoeuer ye build vp with the one hand ye plucke downe with the other Againe ye that be the heads of both the Vniuersities haue ye a circumspect eie that there be no corrupt member within your Colleges and where yee perceiue anie such to growe vp let him be examined and weeded out from the good come least he persuade Israell to commit sinne and idolatrie Cease ye not but declare him to the magistrates which may take further order for him least he by his libertie infect other places in the realme And generallie all ye that be the common people which liue in hope of your felicitie and looke for the second comming of our Sauiour be ye diligent in hearing and reading of the word And cease not there but if there be anie necessarie place which you doo not easilie vnderstand compare it diligentlie with other places of the scripture which concerne that matter If this will not suffice consult ye either with some godlie and learned man or with this and such other learned bookes how that place should be trulie vnderstood And for this cause speciallie beloued Readers I haue set foorth vnto you large and ample tables whereby ye may by the alphabet of letters find out a full exposition of all those things which this booke setteth foorth out of the holie scriptures necessarie to saluation Those read I saie with all humilitie but be not too curious in searching out of the mysteries which be too high aboue you but desire God alwaies that ye may see what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is For it is no woonder why a great part of the world is yet still lead in blindnesse sith it is their owne wilfulnesse that causeth their error it is their owne negligence that maketh their ignorance it is their owne malignant hart that driueth the Lord to refuse them When Augustine was conuerted from Manicheisme to the true religion hee was commanded by the spirit of God To take vp the booke and read And the Eunuch in the Acts when he was diligent in searching out of a mysterie that tended to saluation God sent Philip to interpret vnto him And thinke we that he will not send his spirit to interpret vnto vs when we earnestlie desire him by praier to vouchsafe vnto vs the right vnderstanding of his word Now last of all though with griefe and lamentation of hart I conuert my speech vnto you the pretended Catholiks of England O ye blind guides the leaders of the blind into the destruction of their soules I bewaile your wofull case howsoeuer ye your selues reioise in your euils The God of this world hath blinded your minds for ye disdaine the glorious Gospell of Christ and deride the plaine sinceritie thereof ye are enimies to the true church euen to them that Christ bought with his pretious bloud yee hate your owne flesh and bloud ye storme and rage against your mothers children and that more furiouslie and maliciouslie than against the Turks and infidels that haue no knowledge of Christ Ye are deceiued and seduced in the waie of the Lord and your ignorance is wilfull bicause ye will not take vp the booke of the holie scriptures and labour earnestlie therein that ye might trie and search out the truth but ye followe your owne waies and the deceiueable paths of your forefathers neither will ye suffer the simple sort to read it or the true interpretors of it Ye knowe that there is but one true religion and that there be assured marks to knowe the same by but ye in so diuine a thing choose rather to trie a certeintie by such vncerteine marks as the corrupt hart of man doth deuise than by the infallible rule of the word of God Ye knowe that all things in the world which are out of square must be compared by that rule and paterne from whence it was deriued The picture of a man is examined according to that man whom it representeth or by the first lineaments taken from him A house to be built is set vp according to the platforme drawne for the same A keie is shapen according to the print of the originall Euerie offense committed against the lawe of man is examined by the lawe prouided against that offense If it so fare in temporal things and that by reason of the vncerteintie of mans iudgement humane things must be tried not by mans will but by mens rules how much more then must the doctrine of Gods religion be tried by the rule of Gods word and by no other meanes Howbeit ye will haue no other iudges of controuersies but your selues nor anie others to interpret the truth but your selues you consider not that ye be our aduersaries and that no aduersarie parts may be their owne iudges ye see not that we are growne of equall number with you our bookes and volumes as manie and as great as yours our arguments not onelie in number as manie but in proofe and substance more inuincible than yours The fathers doo differ your selues doo varie Councels doo erre all men be lyers but the word of God is true and endureth for euer Why doo you not then confesse that the written word is the most equall and indifferent iudge and that the spirit of God speaking out of it to the harts of men is the verie right and iust interpretor of the Lords will and that no mortall man may presume to knowe his will further than he hath declared vnto him out of his holie word but ye intermingle all both diuine and humane things togither Ye make the waies of the Lord to be your waies ye thinke it vnpossible that Christ sitting in heauen can rule his church vpon the earth by his spirit and by the gouernement of Christian magistrates vnlesse he haue one principall prelate on the earth for his vicar and him onelie will you haue to be the bishop of Rome vnlesse the counsels of men doo establish after their maner that which the counsell of God hath alreadie decreed after his maner Besides this of an insatiable hatred that you beare vnto vs and vnto the truth which we professe ye crie out against all our translations of the bible and ye continuallie beate into the eares
of God they must not in anie wise followe their mind An example of the Machabeis What time as the Macedonians Antiochus Demetrius and Alexander withdrew the Iewes which then liued vnder them from the true worshipping of God the Machabeis would not be obedient vnto them And whereas that house of priesthood was chéefe next vnto the kings familie it reuolted from those kings least that the sincere and ancient religion should be destroied And here in alledging of these things I count not the bookes of the Machabeis to be such as that I iudge from thence should be taken firme arguments of doctrine but bicause I reckon that historie to be true as the which is not onlie conteined in those bookes but also hath béene written by other authours 43 I will also adde the act of king Ezechias An example of Ezechias verse 7. verse 7. as it is written in the second booke of Kings the 18. chapter For as it is written in the 16. chapter of the same booke Achas had yéelded himselfe vnto the king of Assyria to whom he did not onelie paie tribute but for his sake he changed the worshipping of the true God For he going to méet the king at Damascus commanded an altar to be made at Ierusalem according to the paterne of that which he had séene at Damascus and he followed the seruice and religion which the Assyrians vsed But Ezechias his sonne being verie godlie perceiuing that those things which his father had doone were repugnant to the word of God fell vtterlie from the king of the Assyrians who then ruled ouer him as a superiour power But first he assaied to pacifie him with gifts and monie but when he sawe that would take no place he then defended himselfe and his people against him with all his power Neuerthelesse Seditions must be auoided so much as is possible in these things so much as is possible we must auoid seditions and most warilie prouide that vnder the pretence of religion princes séeke not their owne These things if they obserue and resist their superiour magistrates onelie for godlinesse sake let them not mistrust that they commit anie iniustice Moreouer the holie scriptures command Rom. 13 1. that Euerie soule should be subiect to the higher powers But that must be vnderstood as much as shall be lawfull by the word of GOD. For in the same scriptures it is written that the magistrate is a terror not vnto good works but vnto euill So as if the inferiours promote not euill things but good verse 3. they doo not then resist their powers Wilt thou not feare the higher power saith the apostle Doo good and for that thou shalt be praised Then if they defend godlinesse they shall deserue rather praise than blame but if thou doo euill feare the superiour power for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God a reuenger vnto anger against him that dooth euill All these sentences doo confirme the minds of the inferiour powers that they should be nothing afraid of the superiour power when they in defense of religion obeie him not Howbeit if thou wilt saie By what lawe doo inferiour princes resist either emperours or kings or Common-weales when as they defend the sincere religion and true faith I answer By the lawe of the emperour or by the lawe of the king or by the lawe of the Common-weale for they be chosen of emperours of kings and of Common-weales as supporters to gouerne whereby iustice may more and more flourish To the end therefore that they should rightlie iustlie and godlie gouerne the Common-wele according to the charge committed vnto them they were appointed wherefore they doo according to their duetie when in cause of religion they withstand the superior power Neither can that superior power iustlie complaine if in this case Iustinian the inferior power fall from it The emperor testifieth in the Code that his mind is not that anie of his decrées should take place in iudgements against right but that they should be made frustrate if happilie they be perceiued to varie from iustice Wherevpon Traian is not without cause commended who deliuering the sword and the girdle vnto the gouernor said If I rule iustlie A goodlie sentence of Traian vse it on my side but if I rule vniustlie vse it against me 44 Gregorie the bishop of Rome cannot be excused who perceiuing that the lawe made by Mauricius was vniust for he had decréed that none which was encombred with affaires of the Common-weale or appointed to the warres should be made a clarke or monke wrote indéed to the emperor that when he had séene his lawe he was woonderfullie afraid and therefore desired him either to remit somewhat of the rigor thereof or else vtterlie to alter it Howbeit he added Now that he had doone his dutie in admonishing him according to the obedience and seruice which he ought vnto him he would publish the lawe at Rome as he was commanded A fault in Pope Gregorie Doubtlesse this act of Gregorie cannot but be reprooued bicause he ought not to haue obeied the superior power in that thing which he iudged to be vniust and wicked When we write of these things in this maner we doo not open anie waie at all vnto seditions but onelie our care is that those things may be giuen to God which are due vnto God and vnto Caesar the things which be due vnto Caesar If the higher power would require either the goods or things of this world for the vse of the publike weale my counsell is that they should be giuen but not when those things be required to be ouerthrown and subuerted which haue respect to the worship of God And by this means surelie we may excuse iust Naboth 1. King 21 3 Naboth is excused which would not grant to the king his vineyard for he did not that of couetousnes and pride but bicause he sawe the lawe of God thereby to be violated whereby it was ordeined that lands and possessions among the people of Israel should remaine distributed by iust diuision This lawe of God the king went about to violate and to the performance thereof he sought the consent of that man which he with a good conscience could not haue doone Whether the inferior officers shuld resign their râ—ome◠〈◊〉 they be constrained to wicked things Some thinke that when the superior powers go about to constraine their inferiors to do wicked things it were good and méet that they which exercise the inferior office should resigne and depart from their office but I thinke not so For this were to fall from his vocation which he ought not to doo especiallie when we sée that his surrender must be made to the vngodlie which either resist or oppresse the kingdome of God I iudge therefore that they ought to continue vntill by force they be deposed by the superiour powers that they through
abiding may couragiouslie defend the glorie of God But alas we sée verie manie dukes earles and princes which if the king or emperor would take from them their dominions they would not leaue a stone vnmooued to defend and kéepe their own There would they with all their force resist their higher powers for this cause and vnder this title that they would vniustlie depriue them of their owne But when the kingdome of God godlinesse and true religion are assailed by them and that these inferiour powers are required as ministers to prepare themselues to be present and helpe to the ouerthrow of these things they dare not speake or resist anie thing at all Wherby we can thinke nothing else but that they haue but small loue to the kingdome of Christ and true religion 45 Now remaineth An answer to the arguments put forth at the first that we answer vnto those arguments which were obiected at the beginning where it séemed to be prooued that conuersation togither with the infidels is lawfull Christ was alledged which kept companie with Pharisies sinners and Publicans Matt. 9 10. Howbeit he was not onelie constant and wise but was the head of all wise and constant persons and was in such sort able to profit euill men 1. Cor. 7 12 as their naughtinesse could nothing at all hurt him Wherefore they which are constant and learned may lawfullie as we haue taught be conuersant with infidels to the end they maie thereby further them to saluation Secondlie Paule was brought foorth who forbad that a faithfull husband or wife shuld not depart from an vnbeléeuing husband or wife so that he or she were content to dwell togither Vnto the second We also shewed that naturall and ciuill friendships especiallie such as are instituted by God should be kept still And yet must not that which the apostle hath there said be vnderstood absolutelie as it séemeth there to be spoken For if the vnfaithfull husband should entise his wife being a christian vnto vngodlinesse or would not cease to blaspheme Christ such a matrimonie ought not to continue Further there was rehearsed the sentence of the same apostle to the Corinthians namelie that all couetous persons 1. Cor. 5 10 droonkards and whooremongers are not to be auoided for then we should be gone out of the world but he said that those onlie were to be eschewed To the third which were accounted brethren And touching this purpose of Paule we must diligentlie note that he perceiued verie well that the necessities of life could not suffer that all those which beléeued not in Christ at that time should be shunned for the greatest part of men at the beginging were farre from Christ Neither could the infidels haue become better if our men had separated themselues altogither from them But according to the mind of the apostle the corrupt brethren would be striken with sorrowe and shame when they should perceiue themselues for their sinnes sake to be abandoned of those to whom before they had béene so familiar and déere that they were ioined to them as members of one bodie Besides when this discipline floorished the church was not ill spoken of for the offenses of brethren which would otherwise haue béene if they had winked at wicked acts Wherefore these saiengs are nothing at all against that case which we before determined To the fourth Gen. 12 1. And much lesse that which was alledged of Abraham how he iornied as a stranger among Ethniks and idolaters first bicause he did it by the calling of God Gen. 13 1. secondlie for that he was of so great staiednesse and wisedome so as he could be conuersant among the vngodlie without anie hurt to himselfe and with great fruit to them For whither so euer he went he carried about with him the religion and worship of God Gen. 13 12. Vnto the fift Of Lot We may answer the same also of Lot If he went vnto the fiue cities with a good mind namelie to teach the Sodomits godlinesse and the right waie he did well but if he went thither being mooued onelie with the commoditie of the place he did not well And assuredlie his going thither had but ill successe for he was led awaie captiue and Abraham was faine to redéeme him And when afterward those places were set on fire by the power of God he was compelled to remooue from thence whether he would or no. I néed not speake much at this time concerning Naaman the Syrian 2. King 6 18 Looke part 3. pla 11. art 9. Luke 8 38. for I haue before treated of him and will againe And I thinke it is manifest inough withall what was the cause whie some of them which were healed by Christ were sent home to their owne families namelie to the intent they should preach and faithfullie declare vnto them what had happened vnto them selues Of the Iewes Looke part 2. pla 16. art 31. 46 Now there remaineth to speake somewhat particularlie of Iewes and Heretikes for this kind of men are suffered almost in all cities prouinces and kingdomes and they dwell togither with Christians Why the Iewes should be suffered Augustine Augustine among others bringeth certeine reasons He De ciuitate Dei the fourth booke the 18. chapter as also vpon the 58. psalme and in other places writeth that Therefore they be suffered bicause they before other men had the promise of saluation neither are they past all hope séeing that some of them manie times although few in number doo returne vnto Christ Rom. 11 25. Blindnesse saith Paule vnto the Romans fell partlie vpon Israel as though he would saie Not vpon all And to this the same apostle addeth Ibid. 25 26. When the fulnes of the Gentiles is come in then all Israel shal be saued And least peraduenture thou shouldest thinke that these words are spoken allegoricallie Paul writeth them as a mysterie And to prooue his saieng he bringeth the prophesie of Esaie the prophet to wit Ibidem that The iniquitie shall be then taken awaie from Iacob Furthermore they be now called enimies vnto God for our sakes but friends in respect of their fathers The same Augustine in his questions vpon the gospell the second booke and 33. question if those be Augustines bookes when he interpreteth the parable of the prodigall sonne he saith Luk. 15 11. that That sonne doth betoken the Gentils For it is written that he departed into a far countrie bicause the Ethniks were so far departed from God as they worshipped idols publikelie and in open profession But the elder sonne vnder whom is shadowed the Hebrue people went not so farre off And although he were not within his fathers house which is the church yet neuerthelesse he abode in the field For the Iewes are occupied in the holie scriptures which they vnderstand not rightlie nor with such spirituall sense as the church of Christ dooth knowe them but