ioyned together by their parentes in some countries Afterwards when they be old either they do not agree or their willes are easily changed THAMAR the daughter in law of IVDAH did wayt vntill SELAH IVDAHS third sonne came to age that he might raise vp seed to hys ii brothers which departed without sons GEN. 38. Shee doth adde that she is moued and very much greeued for theyr troubles and that her sorrowe did increase Or she would say this it shoulde greeue me more than you if for my sake you shoulde come into any hard case Because the hand of the Lorde is gone out against me that is I am pressed of him with pouertie and other troubles what will ye do with me sith that I cannot prouide for your profite She is not so minded as they who when they are oppressed with euill doe wish all men to be oppressed with the same troubles do aduise for their own cōmoditie by other mens troubles Sometime manie men can prouide for their daughters children good marriages but they will not because they shall lacke their seruice and be at great charges I wil speake nothing of them who doe driue their children to filthines that they may in the meane season pamper their paunches NAOMI acknowledged that she fell into those daungers not by chance but she confessed that the hand of the Lord was stretched out against her for no afflictions fall out to the godly except God decreed to exercise them with the same the consideration of the whiche doth much auaile to perswade to beare all thinges patiently But what shee preuailed by this her speach we will shewe hereafter But thou doest aske wherefore shee did driue backe both her daughters in law offering their companie so willingly Was it not profitable that they shoulde be brought from idolatrie to true Religion as if it were to be deliuered out of burning fire I aunswere that NAOMIE earnestly desired her two daughters to haue bin conuerted to the worship of the true God but she would by her disswation trie their faith peraduenture she did sufficiently know theyr mindes For we may not trust their first motions especially being yong womē who will easely chaung their mindes yeeld some times to light temptations The wise woman feared least the matter peraduenture should otherwise fall out in a straunge land then they immagined and they then should by and by fall back to Idolatry how often do wee see men imbracing the Gospell when they doe not obtayne that which they dreamed of slide into errors to the great offence of others For it had bene better for those Apostaties as it is in the 2. PETER 2. neuer to haue knowne the truth then when they know it to fall away from that holy commaundement which was giuen to thē c. Christ him selfe in the 14. chap of LVKE doth commaunde them who will follow him to thinke what remaineth for them by two similitudes Also in the 9. chapter of LVKE he sayth after the hand is laid to the plowe we must not looke backe to thinges which are behind vs and in the 17. chap. hee putteth vs in minde of LOTS wife which was turned into a piller of salt they doe not well who will driue others to Christian religion by deuises or vayne policies For if afterwardes they vnderstand the matter to be otherwise then they heard they will prosecute true religion with deadly hatred we must deale with them with such arguments as are drawn out of the word of God How much then doe they offend who doe driue men to the profession of false religion with promises deceites threatninges and tormentes 23. MATT. Woe saith he be vnto you scribes and Pharisies for ye compasse sea and land to make one of your profession and when he is made ye make him two fold more the childe of hel than you be Because they who were of their sect were instructed by thē to this that they shuld be cruell enemies to Christ. There are some at this day who doe study to bring the Iewes to their religion cast thē into greater dangers teaching thē against the lawe prescribed to them of God to worship Idols and beleeue in a MESSIAS made of bread c. Also no man is to be forced to those things from whence he cannot returne A young man is not to be driuen vnwillingly to take a wife nor a Virgine to take a husband for consent is required in marriages Much lesse are they to be driuen to liue alwayes sole with entisementes or by craft or by force or threatninges If NAOMIE should haue had sonnes yet shee woulde not haue her daughters in law to tarry till they were men for the danger of the same but now she wished them good marriages much lesse shee would that they should vowe to liue alwaies widdowes being in their flower of youth In the counsell that was holden at Cesaraugusta it is recorded that Virgines were not to be accepted if they hadde vowed to GOD except it could be prooued that they were 40. yeeres old c. Afterwardes they were taken in at 30. yeeres of age all religion being ouerthrowne and at last all were taken how young soeuer they were no exception The Apostle 1. TIMOTHIE 5. chap. doth commaund widowes not to be taken to the seruice of the poore vntill they be 60. yeeres old and young widowes to marry and to haue children and be house-keepers c. At this day snares are laid for children of tender age For many whiche were more fit for marriage are thrust vnwillingly into Monasteries and of this are many monsterous wickednesses begotten It is not onely a sinne in that that simple young ones are put in the Monasteries but this whole kinde of life as it is this day in vse is against the holy Scriptures Though men may see and vnderstand this yet doe they defend their inuentions obstinately But if anie will contend that NAOMI did therefore perswade them to returne into theyr countrie that they might liue better amongest their acquaintance than amongest straungers not that shee would trie their mindes We aunswere that she if the matter was so did sinne no lesse than they which perswade thē which are willing to forsake their country at this day where they cannot worship Christ as they desire and exhort them that they shoulde not doe so but beleeue in the heart what they list it is no matter what they doe beleue so that they beware of grosse crimes and obey the Magistrates and waite for better times c. For Christ doth require a publicke confession of them that beleue in him MATT. 10. chap. Wee ought to further the kingdome of heauen look to winne others yet wee must doe it wisely and not rashly and euery man ought especially to apply to instruct theyr children and houshold rightly in true Religion The 6. Sermon 14 Then they lift vp their voyce and wept again Orpah kissed her mother in law but
be led away from true religion When ORPAH was departed NAOMIE agayne perswaded RVTH that she should also returne home because her sister was returned to her people her Gods But what Gods did the Moabites worship besides others they had especially BAALPâ—OR as it is read NVM 25. whoÌ„e some called PRIAPVS as ISIDOR and THEOPHELAT as Gradus de dijs gentium witnesseth Others call him SATVRNE BAAL was the name of the God PIOR of the mountaine or place where he was worshiped Or the idoll PEOR was so called because he was naked for PAAR signifieth to discouer to make naked namely because that PRIAPVS as the author of a filthie verse sayth had his secret partes alwaies naked and neuer couered with anie garmentes The maner of the worship of this Idol was so filthie that in holy assemblies it may not be spokeÌ„ of for shame wherby we gather how far men fall away froÌ„ God when the light of the truth is lost they also worshiped the God CHEMOS For it is sayd 1. KINGS 11. That SO. LOMON built an alter to CHEMOSH the abhomination of MOAB in the Mount of Oliues And that which is written in IVD 11. that CHEMOSH is the God of the Ammonites is not contrary to this place for it seemeth that both the nations worshipped it Who this CHAâ—MOSH was it is vncertaine KAMAS signifieth to hide hereby some doe gather that he was PLVTO the God of the hels or of thinges vnder the earth GYRALDVS seemeth to say that VENVS ASTART was called CHEMOS whiche in the figure of a starre was worshipped of the Sidonians and the Moabites There are some which will haue BAAL PEOR and CHEMOSH to haue bin one and the same God to whome I doe not assent because it is certaine that the nations worshipped manie Gods some thinke that CHEMOSH was that God of banquets and drinkinges who is called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that the Greeke alludeth to the Hebrue worde The nations adioyning to them had also their Gods or Idols The Ammonites had MELCHOM 4. KIN. 23. IER 49. which signifieth their king peraduenture hee was so called because hee was chiefe among manie Gods which 〈◊〉 worshipped for their defence 〈…〉 11. The God of the Ammonites is called MOLOCH some thinke that hee was Saturnâ— what if he and Molcome were one the Philistines had Astaroth that is Iuno or Venus 1. SAM 7. The Accaronites had Belzebub that is thei worshiped the god of a flie 4. KIN. This seemeth to be the â—â—me with that which is called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 PLINIE in his 29. Booke 6. chap. caâ—â—eth it miodes but lib. 10. cap. 2. in the old edition he calleth it achores GREGORIVS NAâ—IANS calleth it ACARON The God ACARON was called so of ACARON a Citie of the Philistines where hee was especially worshipped IVBITER also was called Apoâ—â—nios MVSCAâ—IVS of driuing and chasing away flies for the multitude of flies did great harme to the Phenetians therefore they sacrificed to that God prayed him to driue them away The Philistines also worshipped DAGON of whom there is mention made IVD 16. 1. SAM 5. The Hebrues say that he had the vpper part of a man and the nether part of a fish as NEPTVNVS and SIRENEâ— are paynted Dag signifieth a fish others say the picture of a man set forth with a womens face The Grecians call him derceto or derce EVSEBIVS lib. de praparatione EuaÌ„gelica sayth DAGO inuented corne and the plow and therefore IVPITER was called arotrios amongest the Phaenecians This seemeth well to agree with the Hebrue etimologie for Dagan signifieth corne or wheat This was a great temptatioÌ„ to RVT For no man will willingly forsake his Countrey and friendes Neither doth piety perswade to do it vnlesse waighty and necessary matters doe enforce vs. Our country doth allure vs to it according to that saying of OVID lib. 1. de ponts Nescio qua natale solum dulcedine cunctos Ducit immemores non sinit esse sui Next men are of this qualitie that they can hardlye be drawne from their countrie religion God in Iâ—REM 2. cap amplifâ—ing the sinne of his people being fallen away sayth if they should go thorow the whole world they should not finde any nation whiche will chaunge their Gods with other Gods yet that they haue chaunged his glorye with a vayn thing with those which are not treue Gods All nations do straightly keepe those Gods which they haue chosen Therfore it is a hard matter to turn men from the worshippe of false Gods to the worship of the true God Wherefore it had bene no maruel if RVTH had worshipped straunge Gods and refused to imbrace a new religion Furthermore householde examples do much mooue the mindes of men for if they returne to idolatrie whome we loue especially if they be great men and many diuerse men although they loue true religion beginne to fall away Therefore it had bene no maruell if RVTH had returned to hers being shaken and weakened by the perswations of their mother in law And it seemed that NAOMIE was not of that minde to constrayne RVTH to go backe but to trie her fayth and shee had a care least it should bee sayd after that shee was forced by her mother in law to receaue the Israelitish religion In such like cases the minds of men are to be confirmed by contrary examples promises and threatninges drawne out of the word of God MAT. 10. sayth the Lord He that loueth father or mother aboue me is not worthy of me hee that loueth sonne or daughter aboue me is not worthy of me c. So hee that preferreth his countrey his religion and other thinges before Christ. Wee must not looke what other men doe whether they be many or fewe but rather howe well they doe it and what God doth require of vs and he is to be solicited with dayly prayer that he will confirme and preserue vs by his spirit in true religion The 7. Sermon 16 And Ruth aunswered entreate me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee for whether thou goest I will goe and where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shalbe my people and thy God my God 17 Where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried the Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death depart me and thee 18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to goe with her she left speaking vnto her RVTH coulde not be perswaded by any meanes to leaue her mother in law but as hot lime wherupon colde water is poured shee by disswasion becomes more earnest and forward and in many wordes she declared that she would not depart from her but that she was ready to suffer all estates with her and that she would embrace the Israelites religion and auoyd the superstition of the Genâ—â—es as it appeareth by her wordes Entreat me not to leaue thee c or set not against
great riches and nobilitie of their familie when they are amongest straungers Here this question may be asked whether did these two being Israelites born in BethleheÌ„ wel in marrying Moabitish womeÌ„ For God had made a law that such marriages shuld not be made NVMB. 25. chap. The women of Ammâ—n did entise the Israelites to fornication and Idolatrie and of this it arose that they ought not to marry or make a league with the Ammonites or Moabites EXODVS 23. So it is not lawfull for the Iewes to marry with any other Infidels for the same danger EXOD. 34. least thou shouldest take of their daughters to thy sonnes they should commit fornication after their Gods and also entise thy sonnes to commit fornication after their Gods Idolatrie that I may note it by the way is euery where in the scripture figured out by whoredome For God doth espouse to hym as a wife not onely his whole Church but euery member of the same And therefore they ought onely to depend vpon him but if they doe allowe other Gods and forsake him they commit adulterie This Metaphore doth expresse notably the disposition of Idolaters For adulteresses and adulterers doe thinke night and day of their filthy loues neglecting the care of houshold affaires and spending their goods vpon adulteresses and adulterers They doe excuse the vices of adulteresses and adulterers they cannot be brought from the loue one of another they canne abide no warning DEVTER 7. Thou shalt not ioyne in affinitie with them the seuen nations spoken of before giue not thy daughter vnto his sonne nor take his daughter vnto thy sonne For she will cause thy sonne to turne away from me and to serue other Gods then will the wrathe of the Lord waxe hote against you and destroy you sodenly IOSHVA doth repeate the same in the 23. chap. in those great assemblies which he called a little before his death so likewise in the 3. chap. of the IVDGES and 1. booke of the KINGES the 11. chap. And that those lawes are not to be vnderstood onely of those seuen nations spoken of before but of other also it is vnderstoode of the generall reason whiche is ioyned to the lawe for hee saith it will come to passe that they will be called back from the embracing of the true GOD the which daunger they doe runne into which doe marrie Idolaters EZRA in the 9. and 10. Chap. and also NEHEMIAH in the 13. chap. are angrie with them because they did breake the law of GOD who did marrie the women of Moab and Ammon The like is read in the 2. chap. of ZEPHANIAH Neither is there want of examples which doe shew how vnprosperous those vnequall marriages are SALOMON married many straunge women against the kingly law wrote in DEVTER 17. amongest whom the scripture maketh mention of the Ammonites and the Moabites 1. booke of the KINGES the 11. chap. to whom he grauÌ„ted that they shuld build them temples to their Gods neither is it to be doubted but that he had many probable reasons for the defence of his deedes but hee threwe both himselfe and his into great daungers Hee had REHOBOAM of his wife which was a Moabitish woman who was a most wicked man and a great cause of the deuision of the kingdome IEHOSAPHAT ioyned affinitie with the wicked familie of ACHAB For hee gaue ATHALIA the daughter of ACHAB for wife to his sonne IORAM the whiche without doubt he seemed to himselfe others to haue done of a wise forecast who had perswaded themselues that by this meanes that kingdom whiche was cut and deuided might be made whole but there wanted but little but that the whole familie of Iehosaphat was almost ouerthrowne by this marriage 2. Chronicles 21. chap. It is said that IORAM the sonne of IEHOSAPHAT liued no otherwise then AHAB did the cause is shewed because he married AHABS daughter wicked women doe not onely entise theyr husbandes to Idolatrie but they instill the same into their children with their milke But these thinges are not so to be taken as if it were not lawfull by anie meanes for the Israelites to marrie straungers though they had bene conuerted to the truth For there is a lawe extant in the 21. chap. of DEVTER that a woman taken captiue might vpon certaine conditions be married with an Hebrue SALMA who is also called SALMON a Prince of the tribe of Iuda married RAHAB a Cananite BOAZ married this RVTH which women are placed in the genealogie of Christ MATTH 1. DAVID married MAACHAM the daughter of the King of GESVR Neyther is it to be thought that those marriages were vnlawfull That we may come nearer to the matter whether did these two brethren wel or no in marrying wiues of the Moabites there can be no certainty said of it They who say that they did euil do vrge this that the Scripture sayth they did take to themselues wiues of the Moabites saying that theyr Mother dyd not geue those wiues to them but it may bee as easily aunswered that they tooke their wiues with the consent of their mother Next that they had no children of them which was had in reproche amongst the Israelites and God doth threaten barrennes to them which do breake the law of marriage MALAC. 2. chap. also for that they died a sodain death which is numbred amongest the punishments of sinners But these arguments are weake I will rather hold with them which say that they sinned in that that they tooke them wiues of the Moabites not yet conuerted to the true faith and worshippe of the onely God For I do gather that although ORPAH was daily in companye with the faithfull yet shee was not turned to the true fayth then that shee returned to her countrie Gods Also RVTH was not fully conuerted to the true religion I gather of that that LIRA sayth in the last chapter of this booke that NAOMI doth perswade her to return also which she would not haue done if she had bin conuerted before because shee would not perswade her to returne from the fayth and worshippe of the onely true God but of this we will speake at other tymes But God would not haue them that they should marrie with the Moabites and Ammonites not onely because they were Idolaters but also for other causes set downe in EXOD. 23 Chap. But NAOMIE doth confesse afterward that both these did shew their mariage fayth to their husbands Those two sonnes ought to haue returned into their country married wiues there For they were not ignorant that by the law the Israelites were forbidden marriage with straungers and this lawe was repeated oftener theÌ„ once But it is most daunger when the Israelitishe virgins do marry the Moabites and other strangers Also in the new testament marriages with Idolaters are disalowed of 2. COR. 6. chap. PAVLE sayth thou must not drawe the yoke with vnbeleeuers which doth chiefly belong to marriage For this word Wedlocke is taken
but in the meane season hee doth comfort them Many thinke that they shall fall into extreame danger both of life of their estate if they should embrace the gospell therefore they doe retayne a false religion against their conscience and in the meane season being vexed with the stings of conscience they doe lead an vnpleasaunt and a miserable life The other thing that BOAZ did praise in her is this that shee did loue her mother in law though her husband departed out of life and left no childe by her and her mother in law was a straunger from whence it may be gathered easily that she did loue her husband she doth by her example teache them that are married mutually to loue togither and withall seek one to exceed the other in all marriage dueties It is knowne by experience what great good doth arise of good marriages and what great euils doe befall by euill marriages It is after added that hee did pray for the prosperitie of RVTH hee sayth the Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward bee geuen thee of God that is the Lord reward the both in this lyfe in the lyfe to come wherof many examples are euery where in the holy scriptures The papists do aleage this to shew that we deserue the kingdome of heauen by our good deedes And they doe not onely vnderstand by those good works those which are wrought by the faythfull by the spirite of God according to his worde but the deuised and chosen workes which the foolishnes and coutousnes of man hath inuented and they go so far that the works which ar called supererogatory they do sel to others for mony Of this it came to passe that they did put their hope and trust in their deeds and they atributed much to their own forces and so obscured the doctrine of the merite of Christ. Therefore it is profitable to know how these places are to be vnderstood where mention is made of wages rewardes and recompence c. The scripture teacheth vs that God of his meer mercy through faith for christs sake doth forgiue sinnes and giueth eternall life There is a notable place to the Ephes. 2. chap. It is the gift of God c. But he doth promise rewards for good deeds not for the worthynes of them but for the grace wherwith God doth imbrace beleeuers AVGVSTINE writeth wel God doth crown in vs his owne gift not our merites for first hee bestoweth vppon vs his grace that wee maye doe that which is good Then of his meere grace he doth adorn with rewards that good which he hath wrought in vs. Eternall life is called a reward but not properly neyther doe the godly looke for eternall life as â— reward for their owne good deeds but as the free gift of God wee do not denye but that God rewardeth good deedes but we doe not by them deserue his so great liberalitie For this is the condition on of a merite first that we should geue of our owne and what haue we which wee haue not receiued the Lord doth geue vs both will and abilitie to do wel Next it is required in a desert that wee be not bound to any thing but to do it of our one accord and good will And we although wee haue done all thinges yet we be vnprofitable seruaunts LVKE 17. chapter Also it is required that there be some equalitie and proportion betweene that which is geuen and that which is receiued But what equalitie can there be betweene our workes and eternall life If thou sayest we deserue eternâ—ll damnation through sinnes and that therfore we deserue eternall life by good works it is not a good coÌ„clusion For good thinges proceed from the spirite of God euill thinges from vs euill thinges are perfectly euill but our good workes are maymed and vnperfect It doth not so followe this man can kill himselfe therefore he can geue himselfe life Then thou doest obiect what do good workes auayle verye much for they do serue to the glory of our heaueÌ„ly father he is glorified if they liue vprightly which ar willing to be called his people they do make vs assured of our election and vocation when we do finde by their testimonie the vertue of Christ to encrease more and more in vs they prouoke others to liue holylie Concerning also the outward duety the hungry are fed the naked are clothed the strangers are receiued into hospitalitie c. Furthermore they do testifie that we be thankefull to God for the benefites receiued of him And we gather out of this place that good deedes are to bee praysed to bee well spoken of and to be garnished with rewardes The Poet doth also say vertue being praysed doth encrease ANTISTINES beeing asked howe the common wealth should bee preserued hee aunswered if rewardes were appoynted for wel doers and punishments for euil doers yet wee must not set our delight in vertue to thend that we may be praised but for Gods commaundement though it commeth to passe that wee are stirred vppe to vertue by rewardes How many are there this day who if they should auoyd theyr country after the example of RVTH that they may publikely and freely heare and openly professe the pure religion would sette themselues to be scorned at of others If any man doth loue his mother in-law as his own mother they would call him a foole It commeth to passe so also in other matters but we ought to be content in this vnthankefulnesse corruption of this world with the iudgement of a few good men Principally this exaÌ„ple doth teach vs to pray to God that hee will render to the godly for theyr good deedes that they may receaue a full rewarde for their good deedes as he hath prayd Moreouer we gather what wee must looke for of God if we cast away Idolatrie and serue him For the prayers of godly men are not in vaine but they are as it were promises This praier doth agree with the wordes of Christ in the 19. chap. of MATTHEVV verily I say vnto you whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or Children or landes for my names sake he shall receaue an hundred fold more and shall inherite euerlasting life MARK 10. chap. it is added also in this life with trouble The meaning is that the godly should not be destituted of the help and aide which they looked for of theyr dearest friendes Also the Lord doth so bestow his grace on them that small goodes are to them in stead of great riches and truely the matter is so amongest true Christians IOVINIAN and VALENTINIAN being created Emperors they who vnder IVLIAN the Emperor held the profession of Christs religion were put out of thâ—ir captainship But God euen in th◠〈◊〉 doth requite their faith and theyr godlinesse with a reward But the successe dothe declare that this prayer of BOAZ was not in vaine For when RVTH forsooke all that shee had