to some is geuē the word of wisedome to other the word of knowledge to some the power to heale and to other some fayth in the same spirite c. That fayth can not in thys place be vnderstand wherby we are iustified For it is not rekened among giftes which ar priuately distributed to some but is commō to all true Christians Now as I think it appeareth by what meanes they whiche are not iustified by theyr prayers doo sometimes obtayne miracles namely bycause they ar not destitute of euery kind of faith But now we haue sufficiently spoken of this fyrst question Whither it be lawfull for godly men to desire miracles Now must we see whither it be lawfull for godlye menne to desire miracles These reasōs they vse to alledg which seme to be against it First because god in that thing should be tempted and that doth the law of god vtterly forbid Yea our sauiour wyth this aunswere reproued the deuill Thou shalte not tempt the Lord thy God And the Hebrewes ar reprehended for this by name bicause thei tempted god in the wildernes The son of god also when the Pharesies sayde mayster we will see a signe of thee sayd This froward and adultrous nation seketh a sign and a sign shall not be geuen them c. And Achab otherwyse a wicked king pretended a shew of righteousnes saying that he would not tēpt God and therefore he detracted to desyre a sygne Vnto the question I answere That after a sort it is lawful to desire signes and the same also after a sorte is vnlawfull The first parte of the sentence is thus proued When holy men desire as touching any vnaccustomed vocation to be made more assured of the wil of God are afrayd least peraduenture they should be deceaued for as concerning it they haue nothing for certayn in the holy scriptures and we must not lightly beleue men and angels in those thinges for euil angels vse sometimes to be trāsformed into angels of light when I say they are troubled with such doubt the will is ready yea desirous to obey the commaūdement of the Lord if than they desire to be confirmed by some signe these godly men cā not be accused of tempting of god or of rashnes For who soeuer in those cases desireth those thinges whiche god vseth to offer he departeth not from the right way No man is ignoraunt but that to Achab was offred a signe that he might be cōfirmed of the promises offred him by Esay Wherfore to desire those thinges whiche god sometymes geueth and frely offreth ought not to be prohibited as vnlawfull The thing wanteth no examples Moses when he had nede of the helpe of god oftentymes in the desert obteyned miracles for the people of god And to confirme the doctrine of truth both Helias and Helizeus desired of god that life might be restored vnto the children of their hostes And to the same end Christ sayd But that ye should know that the sonne of man hath power to forgeue sinnes he turned to the man sicke of the palsey and sayd For what causes godly men may desire miracles Take vp thy bed rise and walke Wherfore miracles are desired of holy men and that iustly either that they may be made the more assured of their vocation or to helpe a great and vrgent necessity or els to beare witnesse vnto sound doctrine And alwayes when they desire miracles to these endes Cautions in desiring of miracles let them desire the same not of any creatures but of god onely and in asking them let them vse a meane for they declare that they will or desire nothyng but that whiche is agreable vnto the will of god Nowe on the contrary parte let vs consider after what maner miracles are vnworthely and vniustly desired First there are some When it is not lawfull to desire miracles whiche therfore desire miracles bicause they are not wel persuaded of the power goodnesse and prouidence of god neither seeke they any thing els but to haue a trial of those things Neither are they contente with the doctrine of the holy scriptures which manifestly and amply teache all these thinges Wherefore iustly are they to be reproued for asmuch as they be ready rather to beleue miracles than the worde of god Wherfore Abraham aunswered vnto that riche man whiche was tormented in flames of fire whē he desired that Lazarus might be sent vnto his brethren that they also should not be thrust downe into the same punishementes They haue Moses and the Prophetes By which wordes is manifestly declared that we must rather beleue the holy scriptures thā miracles There ar other also which for this cause desire miracles that they may liue more pleasauntly as touching the flesh and to satisfie their wicked lustes Of which faulte the Hebrues are accused bycause in the deserte when very great aboundance of Manna was ministred vnto them they desired fleshe that they might lyue the more pleasauntly in that wildernesse Lastly some desire miracles for this entent to satisfie theyr vayne curiosity For as Plinius hath sayd the nature of mā is most gredy of new things Plinius Wherfore they seme to desire miracles as playes and passetymes to sporte thē selues withal In that maner looked Herode for miracles of Christ for when he was brought vnto him he desired to fede and delite his curiosity with miracles Nowe I suppose it is manifest how it is forbidden to desire signes and howe it is lawfull sometymes to desire them Now must we dissolue these thinges An answere to obiections What it is to tempt god which semed to be agaynst those thinges that we haue spoken They which by the waye and maner already described do desire miracles do not without doubt tempt God forasmuch as that is nothing els than of an vnbeleuing minde and of rashnesse to desire a triall of hys will and power whiche vice certainely is in the holy Scriptures iustly and worthily reproued Wherfore the Lord Iesus Christ did not without iust cause reproue the deuil when he would haue led him to haue throwen himself hedlong from the temple whereby he myght be made the more assured of the beneuolence of God towardes him when that by arte there was a playne way to discende by The same sonne of god also did not vnworthily reprehend the Iewes as a frowarde and adulterous generation vnto whom he therfore denied a signe bycause they had already sene very many yet they spoke euill of them al and mocked Christ in such sorte that they desired not euery kinde of miracle but one from heauen as thoughe they would not also deride signes from heauen vndoubtedly theyr purpose tended to no other end but to alienate the people from the Lord although he had wrought wonderfull miracles And as touching Achaz the wicked king I shall not nede to stande long about him for he fayned that when he was called of the Prophet he
sometimes to call vs hys fellowe workers Bonifacius goeth on the lay power ought to be iudged of the Ecclesiasticall but by what kind of iudgement Vndoubtedly by this that in the churche he set forth the anger of God against sinners that they be admonished and corrected by the holy scriptures But the bishops may expel kings and put them out of their kingdome wher is the permitted Frō whence haue they that what writings wil they bring for it The Pope ought to be iudged of the church But that is most intollerable that the Pope sayth that he can be iudged of no man And yet Iohn .23 was in the counsel of Constance put downe and not onely by god but also by men So these men plant and replant Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they think good Yea and Emperors haue sometimes thrust out and put down Popes as it is before said Paul to the Gal. sayth If an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospel let him be accursed If the Pope which may come to passe and hath alredy long since come to passe obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed It is the dewty of the magistrate to execut the sentence of the church agaynst the pope Shall he be vtterly iudged of no man The church vndoubtedly shal geue sentence vpon him and the magistrate for that he is the chiefest part of the church shal not onely iudge together with it but also shall execute the sentence Farther it longeth vnto the magistrate to prouide that the riches of the churche be not geuen vnto the enemies of godlines Wherefore if bishoppes become enemies of the churche a faythfull magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the church to be consumed by them The Canonists haue this oftentimes in theyr mouth That for the office sake is geuen the benefice When therfore they do not their office ought the magistrate to suffer them to enioy their benefices But let vs heare howe Bonifacius proueth that he can be iudged of no man Bycause he that is spiritual sayth he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A godly and wel applied argument I promise you But let vs se what kind of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place He speaketh not vndoubtedly of the common kind of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put oute of theyr roome He entreateth there onelye of the vnderstandinge of thinges deuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say properlye belong vnto the iudgement of the spiritual man but concerning common iudgementes and knowledge of ciuill causes Paule neuer thoughte of them in that place Which is easely perceaued by his wordes we haue not receiued saith he the sprite of this world but a sprite which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the sprite is geuen vs He answereth that we should know those things that are geuen vs of God And bycause the sprite of this worlde cannot geue iudgemente of thinges deuine it is added The carnall man vnderstandeth not those things which ar of the sprite of god The spiritual man iudgeth al things What Doth he iudge also ciuill and common causes No vndoubtedlye but he iudgeth those thinges whiche pertayne vnto the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Without doubt both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuil power wherunto Paul appealed to be iudged there and yet were they both spirituall Peter Paule were iudged by the ciuil power But that place is thus to be vnderstanded He that is spirituall in that he is such a one cannot in thinges deuine and such as pertaine vnto saluation bee rightely iudged of any mā which is not endewed with the same sprite that he is The wicked and worldly ones count him oftentimes for a sedicious vnpure infamous fellow but only God and his sprite looketh vpon the hartes Note Lastly Bonifacius concludeth that there is one onely chiefe power which longeth vnto the pope least we should seme with the Maniches to make many beginninges We put this one onely beginninge and not many And he addeth That god in the beginning and not in the beginnings created the world We also abhorre from the Maniches and do put one onely beginning and pronounce one onely fountayne and ofspring of all powers namely god and his word without which can be no power either ciuil or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of god so we make but one beginning not two Farther if Bonifacius wil vrge these words of Genesis In the beginning god created c. there oughte to be in the world but one onely king For when Paul sayde One Lord one faith one baptisme he added not one Pope A Schisme of thre Popes At the length our Thraso commeth so farre that hee excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chief prince head of the church But when ther were two or three Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also endured the space of .60 yeares full it muste needes be that those were at that time Maniches and did put two beginnings which were of Bonifacius opinion Moreouer what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persiās and Christians which dwell in the East part for as much as they acknowledge not the Pope who yet neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beleue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are also ar called christians Al them Bonifacius excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambicion and vnspeakeable tirannye of the Popes When we obiecte vnto the papistes these wordes of Paule let euery soule be subiect vnto the superior powers they aunswere that euery soul ought to be subiect vnto the superior power but yet to theyrs not to other mens power otherwise the frenchmen ought to be subiect vnto the Spaniardes the Spaniardes to the Germaines which thing for that it is absurd it is concluded that euery man ought to obey his own Magistrat But now the clergy acknowledge the bishops for theyr power and ought to be subiect vnto thē and the bishops acknowledge the Archbishoppes and Primates and they lastly acknowledge the Pope After this manner say they we obey the power and satisfye Paule What haue we to do with kings or ciuil magistrats But this is nothing els then most filthily to abuse the wordes of Paule The Papistes do rēt into two partes both the kingdomes and the people Doo they not see that they deuide the publike wealth into two bodies which oughte to be one body onely For when they deuide the kyngdome of the Clergye from the kingedome of the laitye they make in one kyngedome twoo peoples and doo sette ouer eyther people a Magystrate And thereby commeth to passe that the Clergy whiche are Frenchemen seeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germanes seeme not to be
thinges beyng added as it seemed good vnto sundrye men neuerthelesse after a sorte they mighte bee borne withall neyther can they iustly be accused eyther of superstition or els of Idolatry Rites were not like in all churches The churche of Millayne Howbeit they were not a lyke in all Churches neyther were they obserued after one maner For yet in the Churche of Millaine it is otherwyse vsed after the institution of Ambrose But afterward the Romanē Antichristes corrupted all thynges as I shall declare in an other place And that by the olde institution were obserued those thinges whych I haue mencioned Tertulian I coulde easely proue by most auncient wryters Tertullian in hys Apologye sayth we assemble and gather together that wee praying might embrace one another as though we would make a rushing into God with our praiers This violence is acceptable vnto God We pray also for Emperours for their ministers powers for the state of the world for the quietnes of things the tariyng of the end These things declare the sūme of the collects And for the rehearsing of the Scriptures hee addeth wee assemble together to the rehearsal of the holy scriptures if the quality of the present time doth compel vs either to foresee any thing or diligently to acknowledge any faults we do assuredly fede our fayth wyth holye woordes wee erecte our hope wee fyxe oure confidence and yet we continually repeate discipline by inculcating the preceptes of God Ther are also exhortations castigations and sharpe iudgementes of God for there was iudgement with great waight c. These are the thinges whych wer done in the holy assembly Wherunto those thinges are also to be added which the same authour saith in an other place namelye that the Lordes Supper was wont to be receaued at the handes of the chiefe Ministers c. We may by these woordes perceaue the principal partes of the Masse which we haue made mencion of Iustine the Martyr in his second Apologie maketh mencion that the Christians assembled together on the Sonday Iustine martyr but he writeth nothing of other feast daies There he saith was rehersed the holy scriptures whereunto the Byshop dyd afterward adioyne his exhortation Which being finished saith he we ryse and pray He addeth afterward The bread and drinke is brought to the bishop ouer which he geueth thankes as earnestly as he can to whom all men answer Amen These two words declare that they wer not carelesly to be passed ouer First thankes were not geuen rashlye but with as muche earnest as might be that is with a singular affection Moreouer it is manifest that all these thynges were spoken with a loud voyce seing al the people answered Amen Afterward saith he is distributed the Lordes supper then is the common geuing of thankes and the offering of almes Dionisius in Hierarchia Ecclesiastica maketh mencion almost of these same things namely of the reading of the scriptures singing of Psalmes Cōmuniō Dionisius and other thinges which wer to long now to rehearse But which is muche to be maruailed of he maketh no mencion of the offering of the body of Christ The workes of Dionisius ar not hys whych was the Areo-Pagite Yet we must not thinke that he was that Areopagite of whom the Actes of the Apostles haue mencioned But whatsoeuer he was it is not to be doubted as farre as I can iudge but that he was an old wryter But why I can not thincke that he was an Areopagite these are the reasons that leade me thereunto First bycause the kinde of writing which he vseth especially of the names of God and de Hierarchia celesti containeth in it rather the doctrine of vayne Philosophye than the pure doctrine of Christian religiō and vtterly wanteth edefiyng moreouer those bookes ar in a maner voyd of testimonies of the holy scriptures Monkes were not in the churche in the Apostles tyme. Furthermore in his Hierarchia Ecclesiastica hee maketh Monkes as a myddle order betwene a Clarke and the Lay men When as in the Apostles time that kynde of life was not yet in the Churche Besides this the auncienter Fathers neuer made mencion of those bookes which is a good argument that those wrytinges wer none of that Martyrs doing Gregory the Romane was the first of all wryters that made any mencion of him who in one of his Homelies mencioneth of his writinges But let vs leaue him and come to Augustine Augustine That father in his .59 epistle to Paulinus when he dissolueth the .v. question expoundeth the .4 words which ar written in the .1 epistle to Timo. the .2 A place to Timothe expounded 1 Tim 2. chap. And these are the woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go before the celebration of the sacramēt but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh prayers which are said in the administration of the sacrament wher after a sorte we vow our selues vnto Christ and he thincketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee peticions and requestes with which the Minister of the Church prayeth for good thinges vnto the people standing by And finally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he affirmeth to be the cōmon geuing of thankes I could to these bring a great many more monuments of old writers but that I thinke these are sufficient at this present But now to returne to the name of Missa Note an other kind of mission I see ther haue bene some whych haue thought it to haue ben deriued of the word Missio that is sending bicause those thinges which wer offered of the faithfull were sayde to be sent and they thyncke that this hebrewe woorde Missath gaue the occasion to that name bycause in Penticoste the Iewes vsed to send gyftes But why I doo not thyncks the name of Missa to be deriued of the hebrewe woorde I haue before declared And nowe I adde this that if Missa were so named of the oblation of thinges which wer geuen of the godly then do the Papistes abuse that name who haue no regard at al to the almes of godly men but onely to the oblation of the bodye and blood of Christe which they commonlye boast and that impudently that they doo offer it vnto God the father for the quicke and the dead But of these thinges I thinke I haue spoken inough and inough 34 And the Amorrites draue the childrē of Dan vnto the moūtain for they suffered them not to come downe into the valley 35 And the Amorrites began to dwel in the mount Heresch in Aialem and in Saalbim and the hande of Ioseph preuailed so that they became tributaries 36 And the coast of the Amorrites was from the going vp of the Scorpions and from Petra and vpward They of the tribe of Dan distrusting the mercy and fauour of God wer driuē by the Chananites or Amorhites into the hilly places wher they were scarse
which when they geue any precepte do straight way ioyne therunto a promise When children are commaunded to obey their parentes length of life is straight waye promised Deborah also declareth that she exercised the office of a Prophet amōg the people when as she Prophecieth what shall become of Sisera and foretelleth a notable victorye whiche God had decreed vnto Barac Mount Thabor Mount Thabor is called Ithabyrius whiche is here mencioned of the Ethnike writers is called Ithabirius It is nighe vnto the Assirians Nepthalites and Sabulonites There the Lorde Iesus Christ our Sauiour was transfigured before three of his Disciples as it is declared in the history of the Gospell This mount hath by it the riuer Kyson The riuer Kison whiche by the destruction of the Baalites is made notable for there Helias the Prophete slewe the Priestes of Baal Drawe and take with thee ten thousand men This semeth to be a new kynde of speache but vnto the thing whiche is in hande it is moste propre For this Hebrew worde Maschach is not in this place to drawe by violence to but as all the Rabbines almost do interpretate with presuasion to leade that is with faire and pleasaunt wordes to allure them For without doubt it was a great and perillous worke wherunto they wer called for as much as they lyued vnder a Tyraunt their souldiers could not by publique authority be mustered or gathered together but must of necessitie by faire meanes be allured to conspire against a Tyraunt By this place we are taught that good and eloquent speaches are very profytable in warrelyke affaires Rethoricke is profitable in warlike affaires and that the arte of Rethorike by the lawe of God is not forbidden but may in hys place profitably serue for holy men Farther this is not to be left vnspoken of that those two tribes namely Nepthalim and Zabulon were not warrelike tribes but the weakest of all the tribes among the Israelites The tribes of Nepthalim Zabulon were of lesse estimation thā the other tribes And yet God commaundeth to chose out souldiers out of them wherby we learne that it is a lyke to hym to vse either weake souldiers or stronge warriers agaynst his enemies Some man peraduenture will doubte by what argumentes or reasons Barac could be persuaded to beleue the wordes of Deborah To whome we aunswere that he weyghed with hymselfe that those thinges whiche Deborah promised did very well agree with the wordes and promises of God For he as he had threatened that the Israelites when they sinned should by his commaundement and will be afflicted by outwarde nations so agayne had he promised that he would deliuer them out of the handes of their enemyes if they faythfully repented them of their wickednes committed and faythfully from the heart called vpon him He promised that he would fight for them neither should their weaknes or fewenesse in nomber be a let The wordes of Deborah were agreable with the holy Scriptures but that they shuld get the victory ouer their enemies Wherfore for as much as Deborah prophecied that those things should come to passe whiche the Lord had promised vnto the people of the Hebrues it was conuenient that Barac should receaue those wordes for true and faythfull Farther the authoritie of the speaker helped thereunto For Deborah was by God constituted in the ministery not vndoubtedly by an ordinary prerogatiue but by a certayn singular and principall prerogatiue And if we should looke vppon the Etimology of her name Deborah signifieth a bee we shall thinke that her orations were verye sweete For Deborah with the Hebrues is a bee which beast we know is a diligent artificer in makyng of hony And yet all these thinges had not ben sufficiēt to make Barac to beleue her vnles the power of the holy Ghost had persuaded in his mynde those things which were commaunded For fayth is onely the worke of the holy Ghost whiche he can worke in the heartes of men without any outward instrument but he hath decreed for the most part to vse them I meane the worde and the ministery not as though he were bound vnto them but to shew vnto vs how much we ought to make of these two instrumentes Neither do I thinke that it is to be doubted but that this holy woman was both by miracles and also by prophesieng of things to come declared to be the Minister of the true God and the most healthfull Iudge of the Israelites We therefore ought hereby to learne that we must altogether heare the Ministers of God when they set forth vnto vs his wordes promises and also threatninges out of the holy scriptures neither is there any authority in the worlde whiche ought to be preferred before the ministery of the Church and word of God They were heard thynges whiche Deborah commaunded Wherfore iustly ought Barac to beleue the thinges whiche Deborah commaunded althoughe they semed both greuous and heard For she commaunded hym to moue sedition and tumulte to rebell agaynst his prince a priuate man to gather an hoste and that a litle one agaynst a most mighty king Whether Barak were without faith And Barac sayde vnto her If thou wilte goo with me I wyll go In this place it semeth might be demaunded whether Barac were doubtful and beleued not at the beginning as he ought to haue done the wordes of Deborah And that semeth to some absurde when as in the Epistle to the Hebrues the 11. chap Barac is reckened with Sampson Gedeon Iephthe and others which by fayth ouercame kyngdomes And therefore it semeth that his fayth beyng praysed by the testimony of God ought not by our iudgement to be empared Wherfore they affirme that he would haue Deborah to go with him not bycause he beleued not the promise of God but that he myght haue a Prophetesse ready and ac hande whose Counsell he might vse in orderyng his warre in pitching hys Campes and other chaunces whiche are wonte to happen in warres And I am not ignoraunt Augustine that Augustine readeth it after this manner Bycause I can not tell in what day the Lorde will prosper his aungell with me c. As thoughe he should haue sayd I wyll therefore haue thee with me bycause thou beyng endewed with the spirite of Prophesy whiche hath not happened vnto me shalte easly knowe in what daye the aungell of the Lorde will luckely fyght for vs. But I do thinke that Barac did somewhat doubt for Deborah Prophecied in the name of God that bycause of thys aunswere he should be punished And more ouer sayeth she thy glory shal be taken awaye from thee and the Lord will sel Sysara into the hand of a woman Iosephus And as Iosephus testifyeth she spake these wordes beyng somewhat moued And a Prophetesse woulde not haue ben angry neither would GOD haue diminished the glorye of Barac without a faulte And it appeareth not that he
in the myndes of the vnderstanders than if they had ben perceaued by the outward senses Wherfore in expounding the Prophetes it is true that very oftentymes we stād in great doubt whether the thing were so done outwardly or rather so appeared to the Prophet to be done in mind And in certain of thē by reason of the circūstances of the matter we are compelled to graunt that it was onely a vision as Ierome testifieth of the breeches or hosen of Ieremy Ierome whiche at the commaundement of the Lord he put in a rocke by the riuer Euphrates and he suffred them to remayne there so long till they were rotten and then he was commaunded to take them and to put them on agayne And this vision happened whilest the city of Ierusalem was grieuously besieged by the Chaldeyans whē the Prophet could not go and come to the riuer Euphrates For at the same tyme when he would once haue gone to Anathoth where he was borne he was taken euē as he was going out of the gates and accused of treason In like manner the same Ierome affirmeth that that was onely done by a vision whiche is written in Ezechiell of the bread baked in the doung of an oxe and how it lay many dayes vpon one and the selfe same side To these may be added the eatyng of the booke and such like whiche either humane nature or circumstances of the matters and tymes suffred not so to be done as it is writtē And as touching the preaching expressing vnto the people that things which the Prophetes had in their myndes a thing sene by phantasy or imagination was all one and had as much efficacy as if it had outwardly bene sene But yet they fled not vnto the visions of the mynde when the thing it selfe might outwardly be done For seyng God can vse both wayes he hath sometymes taken this way and other sometymes that way as it hath pleased him and as he hath iudged mete and profitable for vs. But in all these things me thinketh the sentence of Ambrose is to be holden Ambrose The visions of Prophets wer not naturall which intreating of these images sayeth That they were such as will did chose and not such as nature hath formed whiche vndoubtedly maketh agaynst those whiche will haue prophesieng to be naturall as though by the power of the heauens or some certain instinct of nature or temperature of humors such images sights offred themselues to be sene of the outward senses of the Prophetes or to be knowen inwardly by imagination phantasy The will sayth Ambrose namely of god or of an aungell would those thinges and aboue other thinges chose them and not the power of nature formed them But there is an other doubt which in dede is not to be left vnspoken of Whether God at any tyme shewed himself or whether they were alwayes angels that appeared namely whether god himselfe at any tyme shewed himselfe vnder these images or formes Or whether onely aungels alwayes appeared which wrought spake with the Prophets sometimes in theyr own name other sometyme in the name of god Ther haue ben some which said the god himself neuer appeared but by angels in the name of god all those things were accōplished which are written to be either spoken or done in those visions And they contend that they haue certayne testimonies in the Scriptures which make with thē among which one is found in the Actes of the Apostles where Stephen expressedly calleth him an aungell whiche called to Moses out of the bushe when as for all that he is in Exodus named God Farther Paul to the Galathians testifieth that the lawe was geuen in the hande of a Mediator be the disposition of Aungels And no man doubteth but that in Exodus it is written that the law was geuen by god Wherfore they conclude that we must vnderstand that God appeared not by himselfe but by Aungels Howbeit forasmuch as the essence or diuine nature can not be taken away either from the holy ghost The holy ghost shewed himself in a Doue or from the sonne for either of them by nature is God how will they defend their opinion when as it is expressedly written in the gospell that the holy ghost descended vpon Christ in the forme of a Doue If they say that an aungell came and not the holy ghost they accuse the Scripture as a lyer but if they cōfesse that together with that Doue the holy ghost appeared what shall let but that god himselfe also appeared vnto the fathers vnder other figures and images They cā from this by no meanes escape except which I thinke they wil not do otherwise they should bring in a manifest heresy they will deny the holy ghost to be God And that which I haue aunswered of the holy ghost we may obiect the like of the sonne out of the wordes of Paul to Timothe the 3. The sonne of God appeared in humane flesh chap where he writeth Without controuersy it is a great mistery god is made manifest in the flesh iustified in the spirite c. For the whole Churche and right faith confesseth that the word was the true god whiche appeared vnder the fleshe of man Whiche if he did as vndoubtedly without conterfayting he did why may he not be said to haue done the same in the old Testament vnder sōdry formes and manifolde figures Without doubt that was much greater whiche he gaue vnto vs in the latter tyme. But he whiche hath geuen the greater thing we doubt not but that he also can geue that whiche is lesse Peraduenture they will say that that whiche was geuen in the latter tyme the holy Scriptures do set forth to the end we should beleue it but that whiche ye require to haue ben done in the old time is no where read It is the word or sonne of god by whom God spake vnto the fathers Prophetes Yea but if we diligently marke the Scriptures teach that also For the sonne of god is named by the Euangelist the worde or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche we must beleue was not by him done rashly but bycause it might be vnderstand that by him god spake when the scriptures testifie that he spake Wherfore as often as we read that the word of the Lord came vnto this mā or to that man I iudge that the same is so often to be attributed vnto the sonne of god Christ our Lord namely that god by him spake vnto the fathers and Prophetes Which least I should seme to speake in vayne I wil for this sentence bring forth two testimonies Iohn 1. The first is read in the first chap of Iohn No man hath sene god at any tyme straight way by the figure Occupatio is added The sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath reueled hym For a man might aske If no man haue sene god at any tyme who appeared then
to the fathers when things deuine wer shewed vnto them who talked with them when sondry formes and images appeared vnto them in the name of god Iohn 12. and wrought with them Straight way it is aunswered The sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath reueled him he was to man the most true interpretor of the father An other place is in the gospell the 12. chap where it is thus word for word writtē Therfore they could not beleue bycause agayn sayd Esay He hath blinded their eyes hardened their hart that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstād with their hart and should be conuerted and I should heale them These thinges sayd Esay when he saw his glory and spake of hym Vndoubtedly these two pronounes His and of Him do without cōtrouersy signify Christ for a litle before the Euāgelist had sayd Though he namely Christ had done so many signes before thē yet beleued they not in hym that the saying of Esay the Prophet might be fulfilled that he sayd c. And to this sentence which in very dede is natural do agree Chrisostome Ierome Cirillus Augustine Farthermore the wordes of Hosea the Prophet which he hath in the 12. Hose 12 chap are diligently to be weighed And thus speaketh the Lord there I haue spoken vnto the Prophetes and I haue multiplied visions and vsed similitudes by the hand of the Prophetes c. Hereby we vnderstand that similitudes were not geuen vnto the Prophetes from the beginning but god himselfe spake vnto them By examples it is declared both that God himselfe also that āgels somtymes appered But now must we by examples and such as are most euident confirme that the appearynges of god are vtterly distinct from the visions of aungels First it is declared vnto vs in the boke of Genesis that Iacob saw a ladder which reached from earth euen to heauen and by it the aungels both ascended and discended And at the top of the ladder namely in heauen stode the Lord from whom Iacob heard noble and large promises Hereby is gathered vnlesse we wil stil be blind that aungels shewed themselues in one kind of images and god himself appeared in an other forme This selfe same thing may we see in Esay when he sawe the Lord sitting in his throne and with him two Seraphins whiche cried mutually the one to the other Holy holy holy And with so great reuerence they worshipped God which was in the middest that with their two vpper winges they couered their face and with the two neither wings their feete Who seeth not here a great difference betwene god and the aungels which appeared I will not speake of Ezechiell which saw aungels in the formes of creatures namely of an Oxe an Egle and a Lion by whom wheles were turned but God himselfe sat in the hyghest parte in the forme of the sonne of man Of Daniell also was sene the auncient of dayes vnto whom came the sonne of man And he addeth that thrones were there put bookes opened and a certain forme of a iudgement appoynted then he maketh mencion of aungels of which he sayth were present ten thousand and ten hundreth thousand whiche ministred vnto hym And here we heare what great difference there is betwene God and the angels which ministred Farther there is a place most manifest in Exodus when God beyng angry with the people denied that he would go any farther with them thorough the desert least being prouoked with theyr sinnes he shuld at once vtterly destroy them But he promised to send his aungell with which promise Moses was not content and sayd that he would by no meanes go with the people except god himself would go together with thē And vndoubtedly by prayer and constantly abiding in his sentence at the length he ouercame and as he desired had god for the guide of their iorney How can these men therfore say that god himselfe was not present vnder those formes but only angels were sene in such images Moreouer let vs remember that Moses as it is writtē in the same boke of Exodus desired of God to see his face which his request god for that he loued him excedingly would not vtterly deny but yet he would not graunt him all that he required Wherfore he aunswered My face thou shalt by no meanes see bycause man shall not see me lyue but thou shalt looke vpon my hinder parts namely my backe What is more manifest than this testimony Surely god by certayne wordes here promiseth to appeare vnto Moses in the shape of a man of whose forme or image Moses should see not the face but the backe And the same he faythfully performed vnto Moses for as god passed by Moses sawe the backe of his image by the rocke and heard the wonderfull and noble names of god rehearsed with a most loude voyce Which when he saw he fell prostrate to the earth and worshipped and it is not to be doubted but that he gaue vnto hym that adoration which is onely due vnto the onely god For forasmuch as he beleued that he was there present according vnto his promise it is not to be had in controuersy but that he worshipped him as being present in very dede And vndoubtedly god except he had shewed himselfe present in very dede at the arke mercy seat should haue throwen the Israelites hedlōg into idolatry if he would haue had onely aungels to aunswere such as came to aske counsell for that he commaunded them to cal vpon him and to worship him there To these may be added that history whiche is written in the booke of kinges of Micheas the Prophet whiche prophecied before Achab king of Israell and sayd that he sawe god with whō was present an host of aungels he heard him aske who shal deceaue Achab and that one offred himself to be a lying spirite in the mouth of the Prophetes of the king Achab. By this vision also we vnderstand that there was an assured and notable difference betwene god and the aungels whiche appeared all together vnto the Prophet Wherfore the gift of god which he gaue vnto the fathers is not to be diminished or to be extenuated we must cōfesse that he was in very dede presēt whē he appeared forasmuch as we reade that it was so done and there is nothing that letteth as farre as can be gathered out of the holy scriptures neither is the very nature of god any thing against it that it could not be done It were not sound to attribute vnto aungels all those things which in the scripture are read of such visiōs For so might we easely slip so farre that at the last we should beleue that the word was not immediatly created by god but by angels at his commaundement Wherfore let vs confesse that god was present in very dede God was present in verye dede whē it is sayd that he appeared vnder diuers
thinke Gideon was a holy man That they cannot deny forasmuch as the Epistle to the Hebrues the xi chapter notably testifieth him so to be I wyll demaunde of them also whyther Aaron were a holy man They wil not deny it I suppose when as hee was of God appointed to be the highe Priest and the fellowe of Moses in woorking of miracles And yet for all that either of them when they instituted a woorshipping without the woord of God are greuously accused by the holye Scriptures Let them therefore cease to obtrude vnto vs the Saintes but when we require the woord of God if they wil that we should beleue them let them bring foorth the holy scriptures We know that rites and worshippinges instituted euen by God himselfe are not acceptable vnto him when they are done without fayth as Esay Ieremy and Dauid most manifestly teache howe muche lesse wyll hee receaue those thinges which are inuented of men whiche for that they are not grounded on his woord doo vtterly want fayth ¶ Of a good Intent BVt bycause there is something alledged of a good Intent whereby some go about to excuse Gideon I thinke it good briefelye to touche those thynges which are necessary as concerning it As touching the signification of the woorde Intent signifieth a motion of the mynde whereby by some meane we tende vnto an ende as if a man shoulde study by geuing of gifts or by seruices to attain vnto any honor For the nature of thinges is in such sort that many thinges are so connexed together betwene themselues that by the one is made a steppe vnto the other For by medecines drinkes we attaine vnto health by studies reading teachers vnto wisdome Wherfore an intent is an action of the wil for it is his office to moue and stirre vp the mynde And forasmuch as the wyl doth not perceaue the thinges that he desireth before that it hath the knowledge thereof it moueth not nor forceth the minde before knowledge which raygneth in the power of intelligence or vnderstanding It perceaueth both the end and those things which serue to the end and ministreth them vnto the wyl Therfore Intent stirreth vp to the end as to a terme The definition of an intent by those thinges which vnto it are directed Let this be his definition A wyl tending vnto the ende by some meanes Wyl which is his generall woord is an act of the power that wylleth The differrence is taken of the obiect namely of the ende and these thinges which are ordeined vnto it as nowe as touching Gideon his intent was a motion of his wyll to keepe the memory of the victory geuen him by the Ephod which he had made In will therefore he comprehended at once both the end and the meane There is bothe a good intent an euyll An Intent in deuided into a good intent and an euyll And to a good intent this is chiefely required that the ende be a thing iust and good which yet is not sufficient For if a man should steale to geue almes he vndoubtedlye shoulde set before his eyes a good thing but bycause the meane is euyll therefore the intent can not be called good But if the ende bee both vnlawfull and euyll then shall the intent also be euyll Wherefore that the intent be good both the ende and the meane must be honest and good thinges Howbeit certayne thinges are by theyr nature so euyll that we can neuer vse them rightly As theft periury adulterye An euill intent of two kyndes and suche lyke Wherefore the Apostles rule must alwayes be firme that wee must neuer doo euyll thinges whereby good thynges maye followe Therefore an euyll intent is two maner of wayes that is eyther by the naughtynesse of the ende Twoo thinges are required in a good intent or els of the meanes But the intent can neuer bee good except bothe ende and meane be good Thus farre the Philosophers and schoole Deuines agree wyth vs. Nowe must we see wherein they differ from vs. The Philosophers doo thinke that the righteousnes of the ende and meanes dependeth of humane reason or naturall vnderstanding as though it were sufficient to put a difference betwene iust thinges and vniust but that we denye and requyre fully fayth and the woorde of God Augustine as sure rules whych thyng Augustine testifieth in many places and especiallye vpon the .xxxi. Psalme where he sayth Doo not count thy woorkes good before faythe whyche are nothyng els then as me thynketh great strengthes and a most swyft course out of the waye and he which so maketh haste runneth headlong to destruction Wherefore a good intent maketh a good action Faith directeth the intent but fayth directeth the intent Wherefore we must take heede when we purpose any woorke that our hart haue a regarde vnto fayth whereby it may direct his endeuours The schoole Deuines wyll easelye graunt that fayth gouerneth the intent and maketh it good But we differ from them for three causes Fyrst bicause we affirme that faith dependeth onely of the woorde of God but they wyll haue it to leane vnto Fathers and Counsels Faith must not cleaue vnto fathers coūsels and that in no case maye be graunted vnto them forasmuche as fayth must bee constant and vtterlye without errour whych twoo thynges are not founde in the Fathers and Counsels bicause they speake thinges one contrary to an other Fathers very often stryue wyth Fathers and Counsels are against Counsels and those Fathers are rare yea in a maner none whych haue not sometyme erred and that in thinges most waightye and very many Counsels haue neede of amendement Doth not the scripture by expresse woordes testify that all men are lyers The other thing wherein wee can not assent vnto the Schoolemen is bycause by a good intent they affirme that our woorkes are made meritorious yea and that of eternall lyfe Which thing how farre of it is from the truth the nature of merite may teache vs whereof I mynde not nowe to speake The thyrde thing wherein we differ from the Schoolemen is bycause they wyl haue the worke to be made good by an habitual good entent as they speke The habitual entent of the Scholemen That is to saye done without any good mocion of the hart They fayn that our actions do please god as prayers reading of Psalmes and geuing of Almes although in act we thinke nothing of God they suppose that thys habitual entent which they place in him is sufficient inough So that if thou shouldst demaūd of him whych doth these thyngs why he doth so he may be redy to aunswer that he doth it to the glory of god especially whē in doing of it he hath not a cōtrary mind or repugnant will But this can we not graunt vnto them for asmuch as in this negligence wherby when we work we think not of god nor of his glory the commaundement of
seemeth not to make muche to the purpose Manoah demaundeth of the childe and the aungell aunswereth of the mother But it is all one as if he had sayd That whiche I haue sayd of the mother I haue sayd it bycause of the childe Wherfore seyng god wyll haue the mother obserue these thynges muche more ought the childe to keepe the selfe same things Howbeit the cōmon trāslation I cā not tell how referreth these things vnto the childe but yet not rightly bycause in the Hebrewe the feminine gender is kepte still Augustine is his questions vpon this booke demaundeth Augustine why the mother is commaunded to absteyne from all vncleane thynges when as that was already before sufficiently forbidden by the lawe of God He aunswereth After that the Philistines possessed that lande Religion among the Iewes was feabled and the people did without choyse eate thyngs vncleane and forbydden by the lawe By these wordes Manoah easely perceaued that his wife did rightly vnderstande the wordes of the angell and that the child should be a Nazarite as longe as he lyued 15 And Manoah sayd vnto the aungell of the Lorde I praye thee let vs retayne thee and we will make ready a Kid for thee 16 And the angell of the Lord aunswered vnto Manoah Though thou make me abyde I will not eate of thy bread and if thou wilt make a burnt offring offer it vnto the Lorde for Manoah knewe not that it was an aungell of the Lorde 17 Agayne Manoah sayde vnto the Aungell of the Lord What is thy name that whē thy saying is come to passe we may honor thee 18 And the aungell of the Lorde aunswered hym Why askest thou thus after my name whiche is secret 19 Then Manoah tooke a Kid and an oblation and offred it vpon a stone vnto the Lord. And he wrought a miracle whilest Manoah and hys wife looked on 20 For when the flame came vp toward heauen from the alter the aungell of the Lord ascended vp in the flame of the alter And Manoah and his wife beheld it and fell on their faces to the ground 21 So the aungell of the Lord did no more appeare vnto Manoah and hys wyfe Then Manoah knewe that it was an aungell of the Lorde Whē they had heard these wordes they would haue retayned this mā of god haue made him a banquet Vnto whom he aunswereth Although ye make me to abide yet will I not eate of your bread This Hebrew worde Lechē signifieth not onely bread but sometymes meate in vniuersall yea sometymes flesh also Hereof was inuented the subtility of the Papistes to whō when we say that the bread remayneth in the Eucharist proue it by the which Paul writeth The bread which we breake is it not the cōmunicating of the body of Christ They answere the bread in that place may signifie fleshe as it doth oftētymes in the holy scriptures But they ought to remember that Paul wrote these words in Greke not in Hebrew But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bread in Greke cā not signify flesh as Lechem may in Hebrew Farther in the holy supper the flesh of Christ is not broken but they ar simboles or signes whiche are broken VVe will make a Kid. So some reade it and doo thynke that to make Sondry readyng is in this place nothyng els then to Sacrifice Peraduenture Manoah thought that that aungell was a Priest And in peace offringes one parte was burnt vnto God an other parte was geuen vnto the Priest the thirde parte they dyd eate which offred the sacrifice and so they banqueted together before the Lord. Wherfore they would entertayne the Aungell with a banquet But other rede in this place not to make but simply to prepare If thou wilt make a burnt offring offer it vnto the Lord. He declared that he looked not for a banquet bycause in burnt offrings al things were consumed with fire But in that he saith Sacrifice it vnto the Lord he putteth him in remēbraunce of the true God bycause the people at that tyme woorshypped the Gods of the gentiles The wilynes of the Papistes whereby they affirme that the Masse is a sacrifice The Papistes cry that to make is to sacrifice that this worde Facere that is to do or to make is properly applied vnto sacrifices And therby they labour to proue that their Masse is a sacrifice bycause Christ sayd in the Supper Hoc facite that is do or make this which they thinke is nothyng els thē sacrifice this Neither do they cite these places onelye but also very many other whiche are founde in the olde testament They say also that the Latin Poetes vsed this word after this maner Virgil. as Virgil when he sayd When I make a calfe for corne come thou Amitte it be so But how shall we vnderstand the certayne signification or strength of this word as ofte as it cōmeth And whē shal it signifie this when that From whence significatiōs of wordes ought to be gathered For otherwise to make a garment shal be to sacrifice a garment and to make a fire shal be to sacrifice a fire if that word as oft as it cōmeth shal signify to sacrifice vndoubtedly what the worde signifieth may be easely be vnderstād by the thyng it selfe and circumstances of the place as that in Virgil which they haue alledged where it is read When I make a calfe it is certayne that there is mention made of haruest Sacrifices And so it oftentymes happeneth in the olde Testament But in the supper what was it that Christe would Sacrifice what oblation what bloud Take saith he eate drinke Do this whiche I haue sayd namely to eate and drynke for a remembraunce monument of my death But the Papistes bring forth these vayne friuolous things bycause they haue no better as they whiche haue no wood vse to burne strawe Whether it were lawfull to sacrifice in any other place besides the tabernacle But to returne vnto the Hystory this semeth wonderful when as the law cōmaūdeth that sacrifice should be done but onely in the place which the Lord had chosen how it should be lawful for Manoah to sacrifice at his own house Dauid Kimhi answereth that this was done by the authority of the man of God by a certayn extraordinary meane For Elias also sacrificed when he was among the ten tribes that is in the kingdome of Samaria But those things he saith were peculiar neither might they be drawē into an exāple of others But I thinke the whilest the arke of the Lord was yet wandryng whilest it had not yet founde any certayne place the precept of the Lord had not yet his full strength For thus the Lorde had cōmaunded after that I shall bring you into the lande whiche I haue promised you ye shall not sacrifice vnto me but in the place which I wil shew vnto you Wherfore although before it was permitted
this horrible wickednesse there hangeth vpon this our world most sharpe punishments Yet in this kind of arguments that vice is most diligently to be taken hede of Of examples we reasō what vices are to be eschewed which creapeth vpō one before he beware thereof And the commeth two maner of wayes First that we take not vpon vs to follow those doynges of the sainctes which they sometimes committed vnaduisedly For euē as men they fell sometimes that most filthily Wherfore the things done by thē which we do set forth as examples to be folowed of vs must with great iudgement be examined Augustine Augustine writeth of this thing in his 2. booke against the 2. epi. of Gaudētius after this sort We must not alwaies imitate or allowe whatsoeuer good men haue done but we must adde therunto the iudgement of the scriptures marke whither thei allow these dedes This father doth very wel admonish vs here that although they wer holy mē pleased god very many waies The fallings of the sainctes are not to be folowed the holy scriptures witnessed excellently well of them yet are not all their actions to be iudged absolute and without fault For euery man both is a lyar and oftentimes sinneth For who woulde followe Dauyd his horrible aduoutrye and betraying of faythfull Souldiours or the forswearyng of Peter or hys wycked dissimulation surely none which hathe but euen a cromme of godlinesse Moreouer it sometymes happeneth that that worke whiche is done well and rightly by some excellent person is forbidden of other men bycause God whiche hath geuen a lawe to men is not so bounde vnto the same that he may not lose some frō that common bonde when it semeth good vnto him It is not lawfull for any man to steale God will some times haue certaine thinges done of godly men whiche be not lawfull for others to do and yet the Hebrewes when they were led out of Egypt were permitted yea and commaunded of god to cary awaye the Egyptians goodes whiche they had borowed of them euen agaynst their willes and without their knowledge What shal we do then Thus truly we must well and diligently cōferre those thinges which are expounded in the holy histories with the general rules of the cōmaundementes of God wherewith when we do perceaue that they do agree The doynges of saintes must be weighed by the rules of gods Law let vs boldly vse them But if they disagree from thē let vs recken them either for certaine fallinges or singular prerogatiues of some and kepe our selues backe from following of them And these prouisoes beyng added great profit shall come by reading of histories and especially diuine histories And that did Chrisostome very well vnderstand when as in the preface of his exposition vpō the Epistle to Philemon Chrisostome he wished that all those thinges had bene written for vs which the Apostles spoke and did when they sat downe what they did eate or what they did write other thinges of this kynde And the same Chrisostome writeth in his 57. Homily vpon Genesis that histories were geuen vs by the holy ghost to the entente we shoulde followe them Augustine Also Augustine in his seconde booke and 28. chap. De doctrina Christiana teacheth that many darcke and hard thinges may some times onely be opened by the knowledge of an history Moreouer who soeuer muche exerciseth him selfe in redyng ouer of histories he doth not without fruite reuolue with him selfe the doinges examples of our times There was vpon a tyme a certaine man euill fauored enoughe Note a pleasaunte historie who neuerthelesse was meruelous desirous of beautifull children and yet he maryed a fowle wyfe wherfore he was mocked of euery bodye This man went into the Citie where he bought most fayre ymages whiche he set in his chambre and gaue his wife charge that for a certayne space she should euery day most earnestly looke vpon those ymages She obeyed her husbandes commaundement and by that meanes brought him forth most beautifull children So wil it also come to passe with vs which thoughe we by reason of naturall sinne grafted in vs are defourmed lothsome and are continually prouoked as well by the deuill as by wicked men to vnlawfull thinges yet if we will attentiuely diligently gather together the exāples of the sainctes trimly paynted forth in the diuine histories and if we reuolue the same in our mynde we shall forthwith shewe forth most excellent workes acceptable to God And now that I haue entreated enough as I suppose of the matter and forme of writing of this booke the nexte is to speake some what of the efficient cause What is the efficient cause of this booke If we would searche to knowe the man by whom God would haue these thinges written that can we not vnderstand by the holy Scriptures The Hebrewes affirme that Samuel put these thinges in wryting but they speake that without testimonie of the Scriptures Other also thincke that euerye Iudge wrote suche thinges as were done in his own time which monument of theirs being in sondry pampheletes Samuel afterwarde compiled into one certain body or volume Agayne there be some whiche ascribe all this to Esdras or to Ezechias the king which Ezechias the booke of Prouerbes mencioneth to haue gathered together some of the sentences or as some call them the parable of Salomon but I thincke it is not mete for me to stāde about this matter for there is no cause why we should curiously searche out those things which God will not reueale in his oracles wherfore I will returne to declare the principall efficient cause of this booke The spirite of God is properly the aucthour of this Booke We must ascribe al what soeuer it is to the spirite of God For Paul writing to Timothe sayth that the scriptures were reuealed by god and there is no doubte but he spake then of the bookes of the olde Testament But thou wilte aske who shall persuade vs that the holy bookes were reuealed vnto men by the holy ghost The spirite of God testifieth vnto the faithful that the holy Scriptures came frō God Euen the same spirit which hath prouided to haue these things written doth make vs assuredly to beleue that they are not the inuentions of men For nether can the holy lyfe of the teachers nor yet miracles be sufficient to persuade vs of this It is the spirite the spirit I say of god which testifieth vnto our spirite of this thyng The moste daungerous error of the Antichristes must diligently be taken hede of whiche dare affirme It is not the Church which geueth authoritie to the Scriptures that it is the Churche which bringeth authoritie to the holy Scriptures when as it is cleane contrary For what soeuer authoritie or estimation cōmeth vnto the Churche that all whole cōmeth of the worde of God It is horrible to be heard that
the holy oracles and wordes of god should get their credite by men which are otherwise lyers But these things they faine to the entēt that seyng they are manifestlye founde often tymes to haue decreed and ratified in the Sacraments doctrines farre otherwise than the holy scriptures will beare Whiche thing they would defend that they may do it bycause the Churche whiche doth bring authoritie and credite to the worde of God may alter things in the holy Scriptures as pleased it Wherfore we must resiste them by all meanes possible in this thyng which they take vpon them to do We may not suffre our selues to be brought to thys poynte to thincke that the Scriptures haue had their credite and authority by the Churche And yet do I not write these thynges as thoughe I woulde despise or contemne the dignitie of the Churche vnto the whiche There be three offices of the Churche touching the word of God The Churche as a witnesse kepeth the holy Bookes I do attribute thre offices and them moste excellent as touchyng the worde of GOD. The firste of them is that I do confesse that the Church as a witnesse hath kept the holy bokes But thereby it can not be proued that it is lawful for it to peruert or alter any thing in the holy bookes Experience teacheth vs that publique and priuate wrytinges are committed to scriueners whiche are commonly called notaryes to be layd vp and diligently kept of thē And yet there is none that is in his right wittes which wil say that he may alter any thing in them or wil beleue that their authoritie is of greater force than their willes were whiche desired to haue the same written The worde of God reuealed and written Neither shall it be here vnprofitable to obserue the difference betwene the worde of god as it was reuealed at the beginning to the Prophetes sainctes as it was afterwardes preached or written For we do easely acknowledge betwene these that there is onely difference of tyme and not of the authoritie or efficacie For we confesse that the worde vnwritten was more auncient than that which was afterward appointed to letters and we graunt that either cōferred together was geuen to the Churche but in suche sorte that the Churche as we haue sayd can not by any meanes wrest or chaunge it The office of the Churche is to publishe and preache the worde of God And this vndoubtedly is the second office of the Church to preach publish the wordes committed vnto it by God In which thing it is lyke a common crier who althoughe he do publishe the decrees of princes and magistrates yet he is not aboue the decrees or equal vnto them in authoritie But his whole office is faithfully to pronounce all thynges as he hath receaued them of the princes and magistrates And if he should otherwise do he should be counted altogether for a traytour Wherfore the ministers of the Churche ought to care and study for nothing so much as to be founde faithfull We acknowledge also the last office of the Churche to be The Churche discerneth the holy bokes frō counterfaite such as are Apochriphas that seyng it is endued with the spirite of God it must therfore discerne the sincere vncorrupted bookes of holy Scriptures from the counterfaite and Apocriphas whiche is not yet to be in authoritie aboue the worde as many do foolishely dreame For there are very many which can discerne the true propre writings of Plato and Aristotle from other falsely put to them yet in comparison of iudgement they are neither of greater lernyng nor yet of equall with Plato or Aristotle And euery one of vs cā easely know God from the deuill yet are we not to be coūted equal with God much lesse can we thinck that we do excel him So the Churche ought not bycause of this to preferre faith or authoritie thereof before the Scriptures Augustine But they say Augustine sayeth I would not beleue the Gospell except the authoritie of the Churche did moue me therunto But in that place is read to moue together for in very dede Faith is not poured in by the minister but by God it is the spirite of God which poureth faith into the hearers of his worde And bycause the ministers of the Churche are his instrumentes they are rather to be sayd to moue with than absolutely to moue The same Augustine writeth in his 28. booke and second chap. against Faustus that the Maniches ought so to beleue that the first chap. of Matthew was writtē by Matthew euen as they did beleue that the Epistle whiche they called Fundamentum was written by Maniche bycause vndoubtedly they were so kept by their elders from hande to hand deliuered vnto them This is it therfore that the Churche moueth withall to beleue the Gospell bycause faithfully it kepeth the holy scriptures preacheth them and discerneth them from straunge Scriptures The same father manifestly witnesseth in his 6. booke of his confessions the 4. and 5. chap. that God him selfe in very dede did geue authoritie to the holy scriptures Tertullianus Irenaeus But Tertullianus and Irenaeus hauing to do against heretikes did therfore send thē to the Apostolicall Churches bycause they did not admitte the whole scriptures Wherfore they would that they should take their iudgemēt of those Churches which were certainly knowen to be Apostolical For it was meete that those Churches should continuallye remayne both witnesses and also keapers of the holy scriptures and yet therfore they did not decree that the authoritie of the Churche should be preferred before the scriptures What is to be thought of a certayn rule of the Logiciens But the aduersaries say that they are led by the sentence whiche is cōmonly vsed among Logiciens Euery thyng is such a thyng by reason of an other VVherfore that other shal more be counted suche Wherfore they reason after this maner If by the Churche the Scripture hath hys authoritie it must nedes be that the Church much more hath that authoritie But they remēber not that this sentence put by the Logiciens taketh place onely in finall causes and is of no strength in efficient causes For althoughe our inferior worlde be made warme by the sunne and the starres yet doth it not thereby followe that they are farre more warmer And agayne when immoderate men by wyne are made droncke we can not therby conclude the wyne to be more dronken than they Yea the Logiciens teache this that this their sentence is then strong and of efficacy in efficient causes when such efficient causes are brought forth whiche are whole and perfect and not whiche are perciall and maymed whiche rule is not obserued of our aduersaries in this argument For the Churche is not the whole and perfect efficient cause of that faith and authoritie whiche the holy Scriptures haue with the faithfull For if it were
battail bycause they went to warrefare without oracle as it is written in the vii of Iosua It is also written in the same boke in the ix chap. that the Gabaonites were receaued into league without the oracle of god and it is also writtē in the boke of Numbers that the Israelites were slayne by the Amorrhites when they fought cōtrary to gods will This peoples iudgement therfore is worthy to be praysed for it is excellently well done in most weighty affaires to aske counsell of God first of all And that must be done conueniently and holyly otherwise it profiteth not For the Israelites whē they should make warre agaynst the tribe of Beniamin although they asked coūsell of God yet were they twice put to flight slayne cowardly tourned their backes to their enemies bycause they behaued not them selues well in asking counsell of god Wherfore they asked counsell of God And it is to be beleued that the Hebrues after the death of Iosua considered this with them selues that their hong a great matter in those first warres whiche should be enterprised after the death of Iosua bycause if they happened to be ouercome of those nations in one battaill or two then would those nations thincke with them selues that the good lucke of the Israelites were chaunged with the death of their captayne By whiche opinion they would easely haue ben boldened and their affaires should haue had better successe dayly But on the contrary if it happened that the Israelites gotte the vpper hand in the first battailles they sawe that the power and audacitie of the nations woulde euery daye diminishe and beyng made feable and faynter they should the easelyer be ouercome God was also asked counsell of in the tyme of Iosua They did not therfore without cause aske coūsell of God in so great a matter which also to do the cōmaundement of the law did vrge them which is writtē in the boke of Numbers Neither must it be now thought that they so required the oracle as though they did not the same whē Iosua was lyuing for they required also answers of God verye often when he was a lyue but after his death it is said that they enquired for this thing chiefly principally namely which tribe should go vp to battail before all the other in al their causes And thys is the signification of the hebrew word Lanu that is for vs. And this woord to go vp is mencioned bycause they saw that they should fyrst vanquishe the hyly places Against Chanaan This is somtimes a general name What the people of Canaā were containeth al these nations which God had decreed to destroy out of Palestine whereby all the lande was afterward called Channan And sometimes it signifieth particularly some one nation of that people And that lay chiefly about Tyre Sidon Which the Euangelical history proueth when it calleth the woman a Chananite which offered her self to the sonne of God when he was goyng to Tyre Sidon And of that nation peraduenture bicause it was mightier than the other were the rest called Chananites And I wyl not ouerskip this by the way that the people which is singularly called Chanaan when they wer driuen out of their coastes by the Israelites they departed to Aphrica where they remayned safe euen to the time of Augustine Augustine So that the father writeth in his booke of the exposition whych hee begon vpon the epistle to the Romaines thus Our rusticals beyng demaunded what they wer they answered in the Affrick tong Chananites And theyr language is very nye to the Hebrewe tong The Africans ar Chananites as the same Augustine writeth in hys booke of questions vpon the Iudges the .16 question For by Baal in the Affrick tong they seme to say Lord whereby by Baal Samen is vnderstoode as thoughe they would say Lord of heauen bicause these tonges differ not much one from an other Hierome also agreeth therw t Hierome writing vpon Esay the prophet when he enterpreteth these woords Behold a virgin shal conceaue in the Affrick tong saith he which is said to haue had his ofspring of the Hebrues Virgil. A virgin is properly called Almah Also Virgil when he called Dido an Aphrician a Sidonian the inhabitants of Carthage Tirianes hath most manifestly confirmed that Dido her people came of the Chananites Wherfore it is no maruel if they almost kept in remembraunce the Chananishe tong But these thinges I haue spoken by the way But now Chanaan signifieth no one special nation but is a cōmon word for al those nations which the Israelites should ouerthrow For the tribe of Iudah which is said to haue gone vp first of al to the war For what thing the Israelites asked councell of God had in his lot the Iebusites not the Chananites Moreouer I admonishe the Reader that the Hebrues asked not counsel of God for their Captaine neither desired they to know what man should be made chief ruler ouer the Israelites going to battail against the Chananites but which tribe should begin the battel first Othoniel the first Iudge should be of the tribe of Iudah But we entreate not of him now presently And bycause it is said that the children of Israel asked counsell of the Lorde Howe many waies that elders asked councell of God some wil aske after what sort the Iewes accustomed to aske anye thing of hym at that time It may be answered that ther wer three accustomed ordinarye waies which are rehersed in the .28 chap. of the first booke of Samuel namely by dreames by Vrim Thūmim lastly by prophets whē ther wer any to be had therfore Saul complained in the booke that God had answered hym by none of these waies when he would haue asked counsel of hym of the successe of the most daungerous battail I finde also other waies in the scriptures of asking coūsell of god but they wer extraordinary waies One is by reuelacion of angels or of god him self expressing him selfe vnder some forme An other way was when som holy men by the mouing of god did appoint to themselues certayn tokens of thinges to come which did signify before whether they happened this waye or that what should be looked for So Abraham hys seruaunt decreed with hymself that she should be his Lordes wife which only amongest many maydens comming to the well offred drinke of her owne mynde to hym and to his Camels Ionathas also the sonne of Saule had then the victory promysed him when the Philistianes shoulde say Come vp hither to vs and contrarilye if they shoulde byd him tary till they came downe thither I haue called these extraordinarye wayes bycause they were not commonly vsed neyther are they often red in the Scriptures Lottes also are of this kinde There is mention made of them in the fyrst booke of Samuel when Saule should be declared King all the tribes standing there
ouer the red sea But for thys it is woorthy to beare awaye the garland bycause of that tribe Messias should be geuen not onely to the Iewes but also to al the world Neither happened these priuileges and dignities to Iudah by order of birth For it was reckoned the fourth amōg the sonnes of Iacob Ruben in deede was fyrst borne but bycause of his vile incest wherby he abstayned not euen from his fathers bed he was throwne downe from hys proper dignity and in his steade as concerning the kyngdome Iudah was substituted But the dignity of birthright was geuen to Ioseph Wherein Iudah excelled the tribe of Ephraim Wherefore his first tribe called Ephraim was not onely valiant mighty but also was exalted to the kyngdom of ten trybes which kingdome neuerthelesse was both vnconstant and also abode not alwayes in that famyly But the principallity of Iudah is euerlasting bycause it was not taken away from it euen to Christes tyme and he comming of that family raygneth and shall raygne for euer All whych thynges Iacob hym selfe confirmed wyth hys noble prophecye wherein he fore sayde to hys children what thynges shoulde happen to them in the latter tymes Wherfore it is not to be maruelled if his Prophecies be in some parte fulfilled now For the spirite of god doth euer wel agree with it selfe as it whiche bringeth those things to passe which are agreable to his prophecyes How farre the oracle geuē to the Israelites pertaineth vnto vs. And that which is sayd here to be answered to the Israelites let vs thinke also to be answered vnto vs that if we will be sure to obtayne the victory agaynst the enemyes of mans saluatiō we must haue him to be the captaine of our battayle which by the holy Prophecye of Iacob is called the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah If by hys conductyng and name we wil fyght agaynste the deuil the fleshe the world death and hell our victorye shall not then in any poynte be doubtfull but most certayne And yet would I not haue the reader to thinke bycause I haue put thys allegorye in that therfore I will vse many allegoryes in thys historye for I will vse them rarely and very seldome Allegoryes are not alwaies to he discōmēded not that I would haue theyr pleasantnes and elegancye be vtterly dispised The old fathers certaynly delited very much in them I will not say to much Yea and we fynde them sometymes applyed in the holy Scriptures For Christ in the gospell compared hymselfe allegorically both to Salomon and to Ionas and also to the serpent which Moyses at the commaundemente of God hong vp in the wildernesse I will not speake of Paule who writing to the Galathians made Isaac and Ismaell the sonnes of Abraham two peoples and pronounced Sara and Agar to be two Testamentes applying the Hebrewes to the Mounte Sina and the Christian Church to the Citye of Ierusalem but euen as Allegoryes are not vtterly to be dispised Allegories must not be rashly vsed so are they not to much rashly to be vsed For although it be free for euery man in thys kynde of interpretation to deuise what things he lyste so that he straye not from the rules of fayth and holy Scriptures yet haue we not therby any strong or certaine argumentes for the confyrmation of the doctrine of fayth Therefore there is smal profyte by the labour taken in them Neuerthelesse I except those which are put in the holy Scriptures Whither firme argumēts may be brought frō Allegories for they are to be counted the wordes of the holy ghost Wherfore theyr authoritye is great both in prouing alledging of testimonyes But the other wherin the wits of men haue dalied although with Godlynes and in a ryght vnderstanding bicause they are the inuentions of men theyr cōclusions and argumentes are very weake For men being the authors of them myght both be deceaued and also deceaue But thys Allegorye by me broughte forth namely that the aunswere of God for the appoynting of the tribe of Iudah to be captaine of the warres doth no lesse belong to vs than to the Hebrues hath no small certaynty and scarcely pertayneth to allegoryes For whatsoeuer they were that defended the people of God in the olde time Christ was theyr hed and captayne Wherfore whatsoeuer they dyd in defendyng of hys members they did it as his ministers and vicars Wherby he which religiously reuolueth their actes in his minde and then putting them asyde doth behold the hed and chiefe captayne Howe those thinges agree with Christ which seme to be spoken of Dauid Salomon by whose conducting they obtayned the victoryes He I saye doth not straye from the marke which the holy ghost had in the holy bookes After thys maner those thyngs which are red in the holy Scriptures both of Salomon and also of Dauid and seme to be spoken of them in respecte of the historye are not allegorically applyed by the Apostles in the new Testamente to Christ seing that the holy ghost spake them purposedly of hym Wherefore I haue not absurdely sayde that the oracle geuen to the Israelites shoulde be thoughte to bee spoken vnto vs. Behold I haue geuen the land into his hands God sheweth forth in this place his liberal boūtefull goodnes He doth not only geue answer to that which he was demaūded but also addeth therunto a most notable promise He first appointeth the tribe by name which he wyll haue to make warre first before the other tribes against the Chananites Then he promised to geue them the land of the Chananites whych he dyd to their great commoditye for he made the Iewes more cherefull to fight in that he sayde that he woulde helpe them Moreouer he wold not haue the possession of those regions ascribed vnto their own strength or power but vnto him selfe Ye shall not take it saith he but I haue deliuered the land into their handes And he vseth a verbe of the preterperfect tense wherby the certainty of hys sayinges shoulde be expressed Of this place we may iustlye gather We must aske counsel of God when wee take any thinges or affaires in hād that in busines which we take in hande what so euer they be God must alwaies be asked counsel of And thys maye be proued not onely by this example but also by infinite other whych the treasures of the holye scriptures minister vnto vs to which cōmeth a most strong reason What so euer is not of faith sayth Paul is synne wherby it followeth that no man should attempt any thing without fayth And that is no fayth whych leaneth not to the woorde of God For as the same Apostle hath taught From whence the woord of God is to bee sought faith commeth of hearing and hearing commeth by the woord of God which woord we cannot haue by any other accustomed rule and ordinary way than out of Gods oracles which haue bene set foorth
vnto vs in the holy scriptures And it wer good to marke the difference which is found betwene the asking counsel of God in the old time and ours at this present Howe wee and the elders do diuersly aske coūsel of God They were very much carefull for the successe of thinges and they almost desyred alwayes to knowe when they tooke warres in hand or attempted anye other thyng whether they should speede wel or il in them And that was not hard for them to do for they had an oracle prepared of God for them for that purpose And God had promysed that he would answer them out of the mercy seate what soeuer they should demaunde or aske of him But we if we should aske counsel of the holye scriptures for the successe and end of our enterprises and purposes cōcerning earthly infelicities and misfortunes we should seeme and that not vnwoorthily to play the fooles For there is no place there at all which answereth anye thyng for our singular and priuate thinges But that onelye remayneth for vs to enquire for whether that which we begyn or go about be allowed to be iust holy and acceptable to God by the testimonies of the holy scriptures But why the Iewes had proper and certayne oracles geuen them for theyr matters and we haue nothing answered vs particularly Why we haue not oracles as the Iewes had I thynke there be no other cause but bycause vnto that people a certain assured publique wealth was due by the immutable coūsel of God which should endure to the time of Christ and therefore there were prepared for it certaine extraordinarye aydes aboue the power of nature whereby it should be kept and defended by God But vnto vs there is no such promise made of any certain seate or publique wealth seing that our church is dispersed throughout the whole world whereunto is no certaine seate or place promised and therefore it needed not that concernyng humaine thinges our publique wealthes should be particularly gouerned by certaine oracles answers for temporal thinges Besides this the volumes of the holy scriptures are more aboundaunt in our tyme than they were at that time with the Hebrewes when these thinges were done whych we nowe expounde They had but the law onelye we haue receaued nowe the bookes of the Prophetes and of wyse men vnto which are added also al the writinges of the new Testament And seing that those writinges are so manye so excellent it is no maruayle if we are not euery day enstructed of god by new oracles answers Neyther ought we to thinke bicause of that that God setteth lesse by vs than he dyd by the Hebrewes I wyl not speake howe hys spirite is geuen to vs thorow Christ more aboundantly and more openly than it was in the olde tyme to the Iewes Finally our publique weales dominions and kingdomes at endewed with many more artes which serue for peace and warre than the people of the Hebrewes were How we ought to behaue our selues in asking counsel of God Wherefore it is no maruel if we being heaped vp with so many other gyftes be destitute of singular oracles It shal be our part therefore aboue al thinges when we haue any affaires to take in hand diligently to consider the woord of God wherein is opened vnto vs hys commaundement or wyl afterward to embrace the same with a firme and stedfast fayth wherby we maye bee vehementlye kyndled to cal vpon our heauenlye father by the which we may be able to fulfyl that which he hath commaunded and to obtayn that which he hath promysed 3. And Iudah said vnto his brother Simeon Go vp with me into my lot that we may fight agaynst the Chananites and I wyl also go with thee into thy lot And Simeon went with hym The tribe of Iudah doth associate to it selfe the Simeonites to make warre against the Chananites which most euidentlye testifieth that the answer of God dyd not speake of any one singuler man but of the whole tribe of Iudah For neither Othoniel Why Simeon is taken into felowshyp wyth Iudah nor yet Caleb had any brother which was called Simeon and therefore there is no mencion made of them by Gods oracle but it comprehendeth the whole tribe of Iudah But the cause why Simeon is called of Iudah to be as a companion of hys warre and that they twoo ayded one an other is bycause the possession of the tribe of Simeon was mingled and scattered among the fieldes and countries belonging to the tribe of Iudah Neighbourhed therefore made them to defende and succour one the other And this coniunction of these two tribes is most manifestly gathered out of the .xv. chapter of the booke of Iosua It is not agaynst fayth to vse the ayde of men Let vs learne hereby that it is not agaynst the true fayth for vs to vse vsual aydes and mans strength when occasion serueth to obtayne the easelyer those thinges which God of his goodnes hath liberally promised vnto vs. God had promised vnto the tribe of Iudah that he would geue the land of Chanaan into their handes which althoughe they of Iudah faythfullye beleued yet were they not afeard to cal vnto them the Symeonites whych were their neighbours that they myght bee ayded of them in their fight For by that meanes they thought they should be the stronger to ouercome their enemies Christ hath no otherwyse confuted the deuyl which counselled hym to cast him selfe down hed long vnder the pretence of Gods promise wherin he sayd that he had now committed his health to the Angels whych sentence he put foorth out of the holye scriptures But the sonne of God answered that God must not be tempted but he must rather vse staires which were made for that purpose to serue to come downe by Moreouer al they are counted to tempt God which trusting to gods promises do neglect humane helpe which are already or maye be easelye prepared and gotten Dauid in the latter booke of Samuel setteth him selfe foorth vnto vs as an example who beyng wonderfullye adourned with the promises of God vsed for al that in the insurrection of Absalon not onely to flye away but also the diligence of Chusay the Arachite and of the Priestes Yea and Paul the Apostle as it is written in the Actes of the Apostels althoughe his onelye confidence was in Christ yet he appealed vnto Cesar made a discension betwene the Pharisies and Saduces and testified that he was a Citizen of Rome It is euident therfore by these manyfest examples that we must vse the helpe of nature and wysdome to obtayne those thinges which God hath promised to geue vs. Yong men are to be exhorted to good studies Wherefore the yong men of our tyme are diligently to be admonished to labour to attayne vnto languages good artes and sciences and that wyth great study Which they may when oportunity serueth vse in preaching and defending the
Gospell For although God haue promised that the preaching of hys woord shal be fruitful through the benefite of his spirite yet must euerye man instruct him selfe in hys vocation according to his hability Neyther ought men to bragge out of season as phanatical men are accustomed to do God according to hys promyse wyl be with vs when we shal speake He hath promised in dede and wyll surely perfourme when tyme wyl not serue or that a man can not either thincke or meditate what to speake But if libertye be geuen and leasure graunted to fynde dispose and wysely to deuise those thinges which we should speake then can we not be excused but that we tempt God when as we neglect to do these thinges Yea rather let vs plucke all thinges vnto vs what so euer they be so farrefoorth as godlynes permitteth and occasion offereth it selfe to helpe our labour to obtayne those thinges which are already promised vs. Furthermore Princes publicke weales may make leagues somtimes this coniunction of Iudah wyth Simeon doth admonishe the readers that it is lawful in those warres which ar taken in hand iustly to make a league whereby Princes or publique weales maye be ioyned together to defende honest thynges The godly ought not to ioyne them selues wyth the vngodly as Iudah now ioyned fellowshyp wyth the Symeonites to fyght against the Chananites But thys must be taken heede of that such coniunction and league be ioyned together wythout fault neyther ought the godly to ioyne them selues in league wyth the vngodlye For the scripture reproueth Iosaphat who otherwyse was a godly kyng for making league wyth wycked Achab and other kynges are often tymes reprehended by the Prophetes for ioyning them selues in league eyther wyth the Egiptians or els wyth the Assirians But surelye this Simeon was of the same region that Iudah was and both their endeauours tended to thys ende religiously to fulfyl the wyll of God I knowe there be some whych by the example of Asa kyng of Iudah beyng well praysed defende suche leagues made wyth Infidels For he beyng greuouslye oppressed of Basa kyng of the ten Tribes as it is wrytten in the fyrst booke of the Kynges sent vnto Benadab kyng of Siria as appeareth in the .xvi. chapter a certayne somme of gold and syluer and he made a couenant wyth hym of that condicion that he shoulde inuade the kyng of Israel whereby he myght bee deliuered from hys oppression But they whych affirme those thynges should consider wyth them selues two thynges Fyrst that the kyngdome of the tenne Tribes had now fallen from God and from woorshypping of hym Wherfore if an vngodlye kyng was styrred vp agaynst it the same is not for all that to be conferred wyth those whych confessing them selues to be Christians do incense Tyrannes whych are of a straunge religion agaynst other Christians Besydes that thys deede of Asa kyng of Iudah is mencioned in the holy scriptures But we cannot fynde that it was allowed to be well done Yea if we looke vpon the latter booke of Chronicles the syxtene chapter we shall see that that kyng was most greuously rebuked of God by the Prophet for suche a wycked deede For it is thus wrytten At that tyme came Hanani the Sear to Asa kyng of Iudah and sayde vnto hym bycause thou haste trusted in the kyng of Siria and not rather put thy trust in the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoste of the kyng of Siria escaped out of thyne hande Had not the Ethiopes and they of Ludim an exceadyng strong hoste wyth many Chariotes and horsemen And yet bycause thou dyddest put thy trust in the Lorde he delyuered them into thyne hand For the Lorde and hys eyes beholde al the earth to strengthen them that are of perfect hart towarde hym But thou herein hast done foolyshly and therfore from hence foorth thou shalt haue warres c. For I shewed before that we myght without daunger discommende thys example whych they bryng of thys kyng when as God doth so sharpelye chasten hym by hys Prophet But we wyll entreate of thys more largely afterward 4 And Iudah went vp and the Lorde deliuered the Chananites and Pherezites into their handes and they smote them in Bezek to the number of ten thousand men The victorie whiche the two tribes obteyned ouer the Chananites is described and accordyng to the manner of the holy Scripture the same is set forth and comprehended in fewe wordes afterward the maner howe the thyng was done is more amplye expounded Now briefly is declared that they of Iudah obteyned the victorie and slew ten thousand of their enemies Why suche as are ouercome are sayde to be deliuered of God into the handes of their ouercommers And the Lord deliuered the Chananites The holy Scripture obserueth his olde order to say that they whiche are ouercome in battaile are deliuered into their enemies handes by God and speaketh thus to adminishe vs that victory is not the worke of our owne strength but of the goodnesse and counsel of God Wherfore souldiours and emperours whē they haue the vpper hand in battailes they must bridle them selues from boasting and gloryeng which Ieremy also faithfully geueth counsell to do For he sayth let not him that is mightye glory in his owne strength Nebuchadnezar kyng of the Babilonians folishely despising this was so vexed tossed with madnesse that he was almost chaūged into a dumbe beaste Wherefore the administration of the kyngdome was taken away from him he liued in great misery of long time who out of doubt had not fallen into so great misfortune if as it was mete he had confessed that what soeuer he had gotten was geuen him by the prouidence and coūsel of God But as Daniel mencioneth he being puffed vp with the noblenesse and dignitie of his actes most presumptuously and proudly bragged of them for he sayd that in the strength and might of hys owne arme he had established the kyngdome of Babilon In the bookes of the Ethnikes thou shalte very seldome or peraduēture neuer fynde any suche kynde of speache For men whiche are destitute of faith do not ascribe those good thinges vnto god which they thinke they haue attayned vnto by any labour or industrie Yea and they ascribed the chaunces of warre not to come by the fauour of God but by strength and pollicye and sometymes by fortune Wherfore Cicero in his boke of diuination affirmeth that the victory of the Decianes whiche they gotte by vowing of them selues to the people of Rome Cicero Howe Cicero interpreteth the vowing of the Decianes was an excellent and polliticque deuise of warre So farre is he from attributing it to the prouidence of the gods They knew sayth he that the strength force of the Romayne people was such that if they sawe their captaynes either to be in extreme daungers or els to be slayne or to be taken of their enemyes that they would by no meanes suffre
cause of the diuersity is this word Arba whych in his vsuall and proper signification signifeth the number whych the Latines cal Quatuor It is not certain that Adam and his wyfe were buryed in Hebron the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is foure Now some suppose the number of foure to be referred to the foure couple of men wyth theyr wiues which they say wer buried in that city Yet the holy scriptures make mēcion but of three for in the booke of Genesis .23 chap. we reade that Abraham and Sara wer buried there also in the .35 .49 chap. of the same booke we rede of Isaac and Rebeckaes burial there And lastly in the .50 chap. we fynde that Iacob was caried thither he him selfe before that had there buried his wife Lea. But concerning Adam Eue his wife whō they haue added vnto these we can finde nothing thereof in the holye scriptures For that which they alledge out of the .14 chap. of Iosua maketh nothing to the purpose for that the word Adam in that place is not the name of the first man Wherfore they can gather nothyng out of that place but that Arba was a certaine great man among the Anakims These are the words there Ha Adam Hagadol be Anakim Hui that is he was a great man among the Enakims But our interpretour translateth it thus Adā was counted the great among the Enakims Wherby it appeareth that he thought that Adam was a proper name But he was two wayes deceaued first he dyd not marke that the article Ha is ioyned to the word Adam which is neuer ioyned with proper names Wherfore it must needes be a common name whych must be referred to that woord Arba for that name was put a litle before The other errour is bycause we reade no where that the first man was reckoned amongst the Enakims that is to say Giauntes The opinion of others is that Hebron was called the City Arba bycause it was inhabited of .4 Giauntes namely Sesay Ahimman and Thalmay vnto which three brethren they adde Annak their Parent But the opinion of these men is easely confuted bycause that in the .14 chap. of Iosua toward the end it is by manifest wordes declared that this word Arba is the proper name of a Giaunt Wherfore it is manifest enough that this woord must not be referred to the number of four And by that meanes not onely this latter sentence but the first also is confuted which would haue this name Arba to haue a respect to the foure couple of men with their wyues buried in the old tyme in that City And vndoubtedly for the same cause also the opinion of others is not to be allowed which do thinke that the City was so called bycause although it were but one City yet it consisted of foure Cities and that this woord Arba is all one wyth this greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is foure Cities Wherefore I iudge it best to thyncke that it was so named of the buylder thereof named Arba Arba had three chyldren who how he came by that surname it is vncertaine Onely this we maye gather out of the scriptures that what so euer he was he had three chyldren which are called in this place and also in the booke of Iosua Sehai Ahimman and Thalmay And it is very lykely that they were deade long tyme before Iosua And when they were now dead then was there mencion made of them bicause their families which seme to haue bene of a wonderful huge stature were destroyed by Caleb and Othoniel And this is the reason why I suppose that these three brethrē liued not in Caleb and Othoniels tyme bycause this Citye as it is written in the booke of Numbers was a most auncient city and was buylt .vii. yeares before zoham that is Thamin the kingly Citye of the Egiptians And in zoham dyd Moyses and Aaron woorke the wonders before Pharao And if so be it was the kingly and noble city then it must nedes be built long time before Wherefore if Hebron were built before it and had the name thereof of Arba how could his children be on lyue at this time It cannot be so Besides thys Abraham had a lodging in this City bought there a double caue And from that time to Iosua his time wer almost .400 yeres It is not therefore very likely that the sonnes of him which builded so auncient a city should lyue tyl Iosua his tyme vnles any man wyl fayne that the same city was built long time before called by an other name then in processe of tyme casting away the first name it should be named by this most strong and mighty Giaunt But whether it be thus or no neither skilleth it much neither semeth it curiously to be sought for But this might somwhat moue some bycause Arba wherof we now speake is called in the .15 chap. of Iosua the father of Enak For if he had .3 sōnes which were named as well here as in the same booke of Iosua it wil then he doubtfull who that same Enak was What Hanack signifieth In which thyng sauyng the iudgement of a better learned I would thinke might be answered that it was not a proper name but a cōmon wherby at that time men of huge stature but such as were noble excellently adourned wer called For this word Enak in hebrewe is to gird or to compasse and is chiefly referred to chaines which are worne about the necke for comelynes sake And thereof is this name Enak deriued in the plural number hath both the masculine feminine forme it signifieth a chaine and is transferred to noble worthy men whom thou mayst cal chained Wherfore Sesay Ahimman Thalmay may be called the sōnes of Arba who was not called the father of them onely but also the father of Enak bycause euery one of his sōnes was noble Why giauntes were called Enakim wore a chaine or was a Giaunt for Giauntes also were called Enakim either bicause they wore chaines or els bycause they were of a notable stature of body for it may be that that word was applyed to all kynde of ornaments Of them is mencion also made in the booke of Numbers .13 chapter By how many names giaūtes are called in the holy scriptures Seing we are now by chaunce in hande with giauntes and that there is often mention made of them in the holy Scriptures it shall not be vnprofitable somewhat to speake of them Fyrste we muste knowe that they are called by diuerse names in the holy Scriptures as Enakim Eimim Zemasmim Nefalim Rephaim Why they were called Enakim manifestly appeareth by those things which we haue spoken before And they were called Eimim of the terror which they draue into others by their loke They were called Zemasmim of mischiefe bicause they trusting to their owne power and might were dispisers of lawes iustice and
is the head of the woman as Paule hath said in the first to the Corinth In mariages the fyrst order of kinred maye not be peruerted Wherfore ther must alwaies bee a regarde had that in mariage the order of kinred bee kept least the order which was before should be peruerted For it is meete that mariages should obserue and not violate honesty of order among men Which honesty should he violated if euery man might take to wife hys Aunt his vncles wife or mothers sister For bicause that women ioyned vnto vs by this degree of kynred are to be reuerenced as mothers But if they be made wyues then by the law of matrimony they are made subiectes and ar bound to honour to obey and reuerence their husbands whom otherwise they ought to haue had in place of childrē Which semeth nothing els than to commit thinges repugnaunt to nature But if it be contraryly done then is there no peruerting of order incurred For hee which is an vncle either by fathers syde or mothers syde shoulde be honoured and reuerenced lyke a father when he taketh to wyfe his niepce the husband is made her head and shal be honoured and obeyed of her no lesse than if he wer her vncle eyther by the fathers syde or mothers syde neither commeth there any perturbation of order by coniunction of matrimony These thinges Burgensis alledgeth Wherfore this place doth not onely admonish but in a maner also cōpel vs somwhat to entreate of degrees prohibited in contracts of matrimony Yet wil I leaue at liberty whether Chaleb Othoniel wer brethren or whether they were ioyned with any other affinity together This is most certain if Othoniel wer the sonne of Chaleb his brother the mariage then was very lawfull But the state of the question is whether it wer lawfull for Othoniel by the common lawe to marye hys brothers daughter In the law are not rehersed all the degrees in which maryages ar prohibited This seemeth first to bee agreed vpon that in the .18 .20 chap of Leuit. are not rehearsed al persons or degrees in which mariages are prohibited for there is no mencion made of Graundmother when as neuertheles al men wyll confesse it to be most filthy if anye man shoulde take to wife his Graundmother which is farre aboue him in his yeares The wife also of the Graundfather is not mēcioned of though the wife of the vncle by the fathers side be spoken of yet is there nothing spoken of the wife of the vncle by the mothers syde Yea that we more maruayle at there is no prohibition for the father to marye hys daughter when as al men confesse that these mariages are most incest Wherfore it is to be thought that in that place are set forth by the holy ghost certayne degrees prohibited those not many but yet such that by them as by certain exquisite and manifest rules we may iudge of the like Wherfore we must thinke that those thinges which are spoken of the mother are also commaunded of the Graundfather or Graundmother or wife of the Grandfather seing that al these are to bee reckoned for Parentes Those thinges also whych are spoken of the wife of the vncle by the fathers syde do manyfestly declare what is to be done with the wife of the vncle by the mothers side For as much as these aliaunces or degrees are of one space or distaunce one from an other Wherefore I am of this opinion that I thinke the prohibitions mencioned in the law are therefore set forth that by them we might euidently vnderstand what is meete to doo in the lyke degrees I graunt neuerthelesse concerning Paulus Burgensis reason that they doo muche more violate the law which do concract matrimonies with persons forbiddē Who syn more greuouslye against the degrees prohibited It is vncertain whether the Iewes doo abyde in the right obseruyng of their lawe and therwithal peruerting also the order of kinreds For it semeth to me that he doth farre more vilye which marrieth his Graundmother than he which marryeth his niexce by the brother although I thinke that bothe these matrimonies are not lawful What the Hebrewes do in our time I passe not much to know yea I much doubt of that which Paulus Burgensis taketh vnto him as a thing sure manyfest namely that the Iewes are at this day most diligent in obseruing of theyr outward lawes For me thinketh that I should doo well in not geuing to them more dignity or religion than to Christians Wherfore as it is manifest inough that we haue for mens traditions very much straied from the right obseruation of the comaundementes of God and also from the right knowledge of the scriptures so is it also lykely that the same hath happened vnto the Iewes especially in this our age Wherfore I am not iniurious against them whē as I wyl not geue more to them than to our selues The Iewes haue added mani other degres to the degrees expressed of god Neuertheles I wil not omit that the Rabines haue added to their prohibited degrees in the law many more as wel in ascending as descending which I see the most learned man Paulus Fagius hath declared in his annotacions vpon Leuit. nether can I be perswaded that they wer added by them for any other cause but onely bicause they thought that those degrees wer comprehended in the degrees expressed by God What we must haue a respecte vnto in iudging of degres Wherefore to geue iudgement of any lawful mariages that shal not be sufficient in my iudgemēt if the degree wherin they are contracted shal not be prohibited by manifest proper wordes in the law neither the order of kinred peruerted for it maye be that the like degree of the same distaunce be forbidden by authority of the law The scripture declareth not by manyfest wordes the peruertyng of order which is to be taken heede of in mariages Nether doth the scripture as far as I can see alledge in any place the reason concerning peruerting of order although as I haue before said I doo not vtterly abiect that reason Some man peraduenture wil saye what matter is it for vs of this age either to know or els to obserue those preceptes which ar contained in the .18 .20 chap. of Leuit. seing that we after the cōming of Christ are no more bounde to the ciuill lawes of the Iewes I confesse that the Christians are not bound to the ciuil preceptes of the law but yet I ascribe those preceptes whych are there geuē for mariages not to ciuil lawes but rather to moral And I think that I maye bring a reason out of the same place to confirme my sentence For God when he gaue those lawes added these wordes therunto The Chananites ar reproued bicause thei had defiled thē selues with incest Take hede therfore that ye defile not your selues with whordomes such incestes as the Gentiles
sore detest Augustine that we should haue the fruition of those things which we only ought to vse contrariwise we should vse those things which we should haue the fruition of than which peruersenesse in humane actions no worse thyng cā be thought What is the chief peruersenes of humane actions Wherfore when it is demaūded whether it be lawful in well doyng to haue a respect to the gayne or rewarde We can not well deny but that it is lawfull for as much as god him selfe hath promised a reward to them whiche lyue godly neither did God that for any other cause thā by his giftes and allurements to stirre vp men to iust good godly and holy workes Neither is the rewarde onely to be desired neither the chief partes must be ascribed vnto it But although we do not vniustly in hauing a regarde vnto the reward offred vs by God whē we are occupied in good workes yet this is diligently to be taken hede of that we be not moued onely bycause of the rewarde whiche is offred vs. Neither is this sufficient for if a mā would say that he would in doing good both obtayne the rewarde set forth and by the same worke obey God he must take hede that he attribute not the chiefest partes to the gift or rewarde bycause alwayes as I haue already sayd that among the endes eche of them as he is more excellent by nature so ought it to be preferred in the first place And in this there nedeth a singular diligence bycause it oftentimes happeneth that we deceaue our selues falsly supposing that nothing is more excellent or dearer to our mindes than god from whom neuerthelesse we are by litle and litle withdrawen and plucked backe by reason of to much desire and delite of reward or gift Wherfore it afterward happeneth If we preferre other things before god we incurre into grieuous punishementes that we come to great miseries therby For when god perceaueth that we more esteme those thinges whiche ought to be of lesse estimation with vs he withdraweth them away lest they should more and more plucke vs away from him Whiche thing happened many tymes to the Israelites frō whom God sometymes toke away riches libertie and the promised lande to call them agayne to him selfe whom they lesse estemed than their riches possessions and also Idols Wherfore those thinges being marked and obserued whiche I haue rehearsed I doubt not but that it is lawfull for godly men after the sincere earnest desire of God to do good for rewarde and gift Neither am I ignoraunt that Bernarde writeth in his litle booke of louyng of God that charitie by it selfe can not be empty althoughe it behold no reward Bernarde c. By which words he putteth vs in mynde of two things both that the workes of charitie in them selues haue so much delectatiō pleasure and commoditie as may be sufficient for them whiche lyue well although of that their well doyng they should haue no other rewarde geuen them of God And that we in louyng of God should looke for no other reward but this that he according to his goodnesse wil not suffer but faithfully to rendre those things which are to be rēdred vnto vs. And therfore no man ought chiefly to be moued with the desyre of the rewarde A comparison of the loue of the children of the wife And he addeth that he doth farre preferre the loue of the wyfe toward her husband before the loue and obeysaunce wherwith the children loue the father For as much as the sonnes do so loue their father bycause they hope they shal be enriched of him by his inheritaunce wherfore their loue as he thincketh is not so pure But the wife if she be such a one as she ought to be she wisheth good to her husband for his owne cause and his owne sake although she hopeth or looketh to obtayne no good at his hand Many haue thought that the sentēce of this father ought to be allowed haue gone about to make playne the same by a certain distinction not so circumspectly inuēted by them in my opinion for they affirme that we may measure God or his nature by our worthynes or that we may beholde him according as our perfection vprightnesse is Moreouer they say that we must do what soeuer we do for his sake in the first consideration and not in respect that he is our chief goodnesse and felicitie And this they thincke that Bernarde ment by the wordes now alledged For they bryng these words which he writeth in another place We must worship god also in that he is our felicitie blessednesse namely that he suspected al that loue wherewith we loue any thing besides God But these men do not marke that by this distinction which is founde out rather by the iudgement of men thā by the veritie of the Scriptures that they are agaynst the sentence of God For he sayd vnto Abraham as it is written in Gen. I am thy reward and that very ample walke thou therfore before me be perfect vndoubtedly by these wordes God offreth him selfe vnto vs not imagined by him selfe or plucked away from our commodities but in respect that he is our rewarde Moreouer as I sayd now at the first god would not adioyne promises gifts and rewardes to his commaundementes in vayne or without effect but aduisedly and moste wisely Did he that I praye thee that we should close our eyes and ouerskip them To looke for a rewarde set forth vnto vs by God is not only of such as are vnperfecte I thincke not Neither canst thou say that they serue for the ruder sorte and such as be not yet absolute and perfect for I will demaunde strayght waye of thee whether Abraham Moyses Dauid the Prophetes and Apostles were not so perfect as either the nature of men in this life can be or is required of vs If thou wilt say they were imperfect then can not I tell what excellencye or perfection of men thou faynest to thy selfe Paul certainly setteth forth him selfe vnto ythers as a perfect man in such sorte as a man may in this lyfe be perfect when he wrote be ye perfect as I am perfect I speake not how the Scripture yea god him selfe pronounceth Moyses to be most meeke he commendeth Dauid also that he was made accordyng to his will and harte Wherfore if thou wilt graunt that these were notable excellent and perfect men as men may be in this world neither canst thou deny the promises and rewardes offred to them of god This without doubte followeth that men of the excellenter sorte may in well lyuing and doyng lift vp their eyes to the rewarde Augustine And I thincke Augustine hath trimely made manifest this thing where as he sayth in his booke of confessions he loueth thee not speaking to God whiche loueth any thing besides thee We may loue gayne and
lest their lyes shoulde be founde out For there they saye Take ye and eate and also The Papistes in the Masse make many Lyes As often as ye shall do these thynges ye shall do them in remembraunce of me When as neuerthelesse they haue appoynted to eate and drinke it alone And vndoubtedly very many other thynges speake they secretly and openly in the Masse as thoughe many did communicate or should communicate when as the sacrificer alone doth it in dede A lye is euer fylthy but then most filthy of all when it is admitted in holy thinges and before the Lord. But what shall we saye of their applications They affirme that they can as they luste them selues applye the sacrifices whiche they make vnto the quicke and the dead Euery man is iustified by his owne faith and lyueth dyeth in hys owne righteousnesse But the Scripture teacheth that euery man is iustifyed by hys owne fayth and that all men shall either dye or lyue in their owne ryghteousnesse or vnryghteousnesse but they saye otherwyse for they can as they saye helpe both the quicke and the dead by their Masses If they woulde attribute that vnto prayers namely that they taught that by prayers they mought helpe the necessityes of others it myght be borne with all By praiers we heâ—pe other But when they affirme that the worke it selfe namely of the Masse hath in it so muche power and vertue that it can helpe all kynde of men that maye by no meanes be suffred Besides this Masses are very oftentymes celebrated in the honour of certayne Sainctes whiche vndoubtedly is moste farre from the truthe for as muche as Christe hath for thys purpose instituted hys Supper that it shoulde be a memorie of hys death and not of other Saynctes I will not speake howe that it is moste commonly sene that there is nothyng founde certaine of those Sainctes whome they there worshyppe The lyues of many sainctes are Apochripha and full of Fables the lyues of them are Apochripha and very often also full of fables and Poetes faynenyngs There are also in it certayne yea very many straunge rites signes to be laughed at gestures in a manner foolyshe and garmentes not vsed the significations of whiche thynges are vtterly vnknowen not onelye of them whiche stande by but euen the sacrificers them selues SignificatioÌ„s of Ceremonies in the Masse are not knoweÌ„ if they shoulde be demaunded what they meant they coulde not aunswere Wherefore either they aunswere nothyng or if they go aboute to saye any thyng they bryng forth not one thyng but thyngs moste disagreyng whereby thou mayste easely gather that there is no truth in their wordes Wherefore fayth can haue no place in these thinges whiche they do in theyr Masse when as it onely there hath place where the worde of God offreth it selfe vnto vs. And that they can not defend them selues from the detestable synne of Idolatry the ymages do testifye Images are worshipped in the masse vnto the whiche they turnyng them selues do celebrate their most vnpure seruices For they can not be content in the Masses to looke vpon them but they cense them and kneele before them and finally they do vnto them all kynde of worshippyng whiche is to be done onely to God And bycause as I haue before mencioned they dare affirme that the Masse hath affinitie I can not tell what with the institution of Christ it shall not be from the purpose Sacrifices of the Ethnikes are more agreable with sacrifices appointed by God thaÌ„ is the Masse with the holy supper and it is easy to be done to declare that if we marke the tokens the olde Ethnikes may with much more likelyhode excuse and defend their sacrifices than these can defend the Masses For the sacrifices of the gentiles did not differ from the maner of sacrificyng whiche the fathers had before the lawe and whiche God allowed in his lawe when as these men in their Masse differ from that supper whiche Christ prescribed and as the EuaÌ„gelistes and the Apostle Paul haue deliuered There on euery syde was inuocation of God a temple an alter Sacrifices Priestes Killing sheding of Bloud Salte Wyne Oyle Meale a holy banket religious garmentes washynges fumigations continuall fyer singing oracles and such lyke whiche would be to long to rehearse Let the Popishe sacrificers shewe as many thinges if they can in their Masse whiche do agree with those thinges whiche Christ did in the supper But if so be they can not let them then thinke that their Masse doth no more agree with the godly celebration of the holy Supper than do the rites of the Idolatrers agree with the legall sacrifices Wherfore let them cease of so to kysse their littel daughter and to preache that it ought to be counted the institution of Christ and of the Apostles I will not speake of the yearely Obites and Funerals of the dead whiche are oftentymes vsed there of whiche thinges the Lord hath nothing commaunded By it they stablishe Purgatory wherof the holy scriptures write nothyng That furthermore is most farre from pietie bycause in their Masse they poure out prayers vnto sainctes whiche are already departed out of this lyfe In hearyng of Masses the anger of God is not pacified but prouoked Finally all the thynges whiche they there do they make a market of them sell bargayne and set them out to most filthy gayne Wherfore we must diligentlye take hede that whilest we desyre to worshyp GOD and to haue hym mercifull vnto vs we do not in hearyng of Masses exceadyngly prouoke hys anger agaynst vs. What is to be answerd to the exaÌ„ple of Naaman the SiriaÌ„ These superstitious men go forwarde and by the example of Naaman the Sirian will proue that it is permitted them to be present at the most fylthy Masses Naaman prayed Elizeus the Prophet that if he bowed his knee in the teÌ„ple of the Idoll Rimnon when the kyng whiche leaned his hand on his shoulder should so do he would implore for hym mercy and forgeuenesse of GOD. To whom Elizeus aunswered only go in peace These our men ought to consider with theÌ„ selues whether they onely haue sene and read this diuine history I thinke not For the holy Martyrs in the olde Churche were studious day and nyght in the holy Scriptures Wherfore this history of Naaman was not hidden from them And what cause was there then that they would not followe such an example and that with the losse of their lyfe These auncient noble men and pillers of our fayth sawe that whiche our aduersaryes recken not with them selues namely that that Naaman whiche is set before vs was newly conuerted vnto the true God and was yet a weake souldiour who was not also yet ready to deny both hys owne and hym selfe for Gods cause but desyred after a sorte to kepe hys olde place and dignitie with hys kynge The whiche thyng to attayne vnto he sawe
a superiour power These seeme after thys manner to be deuided some to haue iurisdiction eyther proper or by heritage or els committed vnto them by Emperours Kynges and publique wealthes Or els they are wythout iurisdiction and are counted noble onely for nobilitye of bloude or for ryches heaped together And assuredly for so much as those latter sortes differ nothing almost from priuate menne in myne opinion wee muste so iudge of them as before I haue taught of priuate men But the first which are Rulers of Prouinces Cities and places eyther by inheritaunce or by office committed vnto them they ought not otherwyse to doo in the thyng whereof we now entreate than wee haue before prescribed for those which are mere and full Magistrates For by the commaundement of the superiour Princes it is not lawfull for them to compell the Subiectes whom they gouerne vnto vngodly religion neyther to permyt the same to those Infidels whych inhabite in their dominions But if thou wilt say we must obey the hygher power I graunt that but vsque ad aras that is An answeare of the Lacedemonians as farre as religion suffereth When they whych ouercame the Lacedemonians commaunded suche thynges as were against their lawes and institutions they sayde We woulde rather dye yea than ye shoulde commaunde vs thinges harder than death Wherefore suche kynde of Magistrates must in all other thynges be subiect to the superiour power but in those thynges whyche are agaynste the woorde of God they muste not in anye sorte followe theyr affection An example of the Machabites The Machabites when the Iewes then lyued vnder the Macedonians Antiochus Demetrius and Alexander who wythdrewe the Iewes from the true woorshypping of God would not be obedient vnto them And when that that house of priesthoode was chiefest next to the kynges house least the syncere and auncient religion should be destroyed it fell from these kynges The bookes of the Machabits conteyne not so do argumēts wherby the doctrin of the faithful cā be proued Neyther in alledging these thynges count I not the bookes of the Machabites to be suche from whence I woulde iudge any strong argumentes of doctrine maye be taken but that I counte that storye true as a storye whyche is not onelye contayned in theese bookes but also hathe beene wrytten of other authours An example of Ezechias I wyll adde also the acte of Ezechias the kyng who as it is wrytten in the seconde booke of Kynges the .xviii. Chapter was bounde to the kyng of the Assirians For as it is mencioned in the same booke the .xvi. chapter Achas had yelded hym selfe vnto the kyng of the Assirians to whom hee dydde not onelye paye tribute but to please him with all he chaunged the woorshyppyng of the true God For he goyng to Damascus to meete the kyng commaunded an aultar to bee made at Ierusalem accordyng to the example whiche hee had there seene and followed the religion and woorshyppynge of the Sirians But Ezechias his Sonne beyng verye godlye perceauing that those thinges which his Father had done were against the woord of God vtterly fel from the king of the Assirians who then ruled ouer him as a superiour power But first he assayed to pacifye him with giftes and money but when he saw that woulde take no place We must beware as muche as is possible of sedicions he defended both his people and him selfe against him with al his power We must take heede neuerthelesse that in those thinges wee beware of seditions as much as may be and we must most diligentlye prouide that suche Magistrates vnder pretence of religion seeke not their own These thinges if they obserue and resist their superiour Magistrates onely for godlynesse sake let them not suspect that they commit anye vniust thyng Moreouer the holy Scriptures commaunde that euery soule shoulde bee subiect to the higher powers But that must be vnderstande as muche as shall be lawfull by the woord of God For in the same scriptures it is written That a Magistrate is a feare not to good woorkers but to euyll Wherefore if the inferiours doo not set forward euell workes but good they do not then resiste theyr powers Wilt thou not feare the power sayth the apostle do good and for that thou shalt be praysed Wherfore if they defend godlynes they shall deserue rather prayse than blame But if thou do euyll feare the power for he beareth not the sweard in vayne for he is the minister of God and a reuenger to anger against him which doth euyll Al these sentences do confirme the courages of the inferiour powers that they should be nothing afearde of the superiour power when they in defending of religion obey it not But thou wilt say by what lawe doo inferiour Princes resist either the Emperour or Kynges or elles publique wealthes when as they defend the syncere religion and true faith I aunswer by the law of the Emperour or by the lawe of the King or by the law of the publique wealth For they are chosen of Emperours Kinges and publique wealthes as helpers to rule whereby Iustice may more and more florishe And therfore were they ordeyned according to the office committed vnto them rightly iustly and godly to gouerne the publyke wealthe Wherefore they doo according to their duty when in cause of religion they resist the higher power Neither can that superiour power iustly complain if in that case the inferiour power fal from it The Emperour testifieth in the Code Iustinian that his mynde is not that any of hys decrees shoulde take place in iudgementes agaynste right but that they ought to bee made voyde and of no force if that peraduenture they bee knowen to declyne from Iustice Wherefore Traian is not vnworthily commended A goodly sentēce of Traian whych when he delyuered the sweard and the gyrdle vnto the Lieuetenant of the Pretorshyppe sayd If I rule iustlye vse it on my syde but if I rule vniustlye vse it agaynst me Gregory a Byshoppe of Rome can not bee excused An errour of Gregory Bishop of Rome whyche knowing that the lawe made by Mauritius was vniust for he had decreed that no manne beyng occupyed wyth busynes of the publique wealthe or appoynted for warrefare should be made a Clarke or a Monke wrote in deede to the Emperour that when hee had seene hys lawe he was wonderfullye affrayde and therefore desyred hym eyther to remytte somewhat of the rigour thereof or els vtterlye to alter it Howe beit he added that he woulde nowe that hee hadde done hys dutye in admonishing hym bycause of that obedience and seruice whych he oughte vnto hym publyshe the lawe at Rome as he was commaunded Vndoubtedlye thys act of Gregory cannot but be reproued bycause he ought not to haue obeied the superiour power in that thing whych he iudged to be vniuste or wycked When we do after this sorte write of these thinges we do nothing at all
A vehemente amplyfieng of synne is the greatnesse of the benefites of god which ought to stirre vs vp to the obseruing of the law Afterward is set forth the grieuousnesse of the punishmēts bycause the waight of the synnes cōmitted doth euidently declare the burtheu of thē Wherfore these two things are worthily alledged in the sermon to the end the Hebrues might fele the enormity of the wicked acte whiche they had committed whereas otherwise they would haue thought it but a light faulte Two Antitheses to be considered in thys oration Furthermore we must consider in this oration the contrary positions artificially ioyned together to augment the vehemency For to that benefite wherin God had brought them out of Egypt this is layde agaynst that they draue not the Chananites from the countrey geuen vnto them And to this benefite that God had geuen them an aboundant and fertile countrey this is contrary that the people suffred Idolatry to be no lesse vsed there than it was before And this was to rendre euill for good Wherfore God would not suffer that to be left vnpunished but caused it to happen otherwise vnto them than they thought For the nations whiche they for their cōmoditie had saued did them great hurte so that they are cōpared to thornes And the Gods of those nations which they had not abolished turned to a snare greuous stumbling blocke to the Hebrues Whether the people wer by this oratiō stirred vp to faith But this sermon may seme vnperfect enoughe for so muche as fayth is not set forth in it wherunto the mynde of the hearers should be erected onely the synne is declared and the punishement wherewith they should be punished is expressed And these thinges except fayth be mixed with thē breede rather desperation thā saluation so farre of is it that they should bryng a iust remedy To this I aunswere that that parte whiche semeth to wante is elegantly contayned in the sermon nowe alledged so that it be somewhat more diligently considered For when the benefites bestowed on them by God are expressed they make vs assured of the goodnesse and mercy of God whiche benefites also remayne still for the Israelites if they will repente For god is not chaunged but is perpetually of the selfe same nature and will And vnlesse he be resisted by sinnes he is towardes men very fauorable and louyng Furthermore fayth is stirred vp in the hearers when it is shewed vnto them that god would that his couenaunt made with them should abide for euer Wherefore it is manifest that this was his will that the impediment of synnes beyng by full repentaunce taken away his couenaunt whiche he had made might be of force for euer Wherfore there is no cause why we should complayne that fayth is left out when as both the promises and the couenaunt are mencioned whiche can not be conceaued and established but onely by fayth There yet remayneth a doubte whether God require the selfe same thyng of Christians whiche he woulde haue to be done of the Hebrues Wether it be required of vs that we should breake Idoles namely that they should by violence take awaye and breake in pieces the Idoles and superstitions both of the infidelles also of heretikes If thys should be demaunded as touchying Princes and Magistrates it is without controuersie that they ought to purge their dominions from such euils and to that end haue they receaued of God the sword and power But they which are priuate persons ought to abstayne from violence for so much as to them is not committed the sworde and power to constrayne Of thys thyng Augustine in the .x. tome and 6. Augustine sermon after this manner aunswereth that the Christians ought so to do as God commaunded the Hebrues in the 7. of Deut where he expressedly commaunded that these thinges ought then to be done of the Iewes when the lande was in their owne power Wherfore Christians ought also to do the same but yet in those landes cities and houses whiche they possesse namely they must there ouerthrowe Idoles and superstitious altars Howbeit it is not lawfull for them to breake into other mens houses landes and Townes and with violence to breake and ouerthrowe Idoles and altares This sayeth he is not to heale the synne of Idolatrye whiche lyeth chiefly in the hearte it ought chiefly be weyed out of the heartes of our neighbours by the worde and doctrine whiche beyng done as many as we shall wynne vnto Christ will helpe vs to take awaye outwarde Images when as they are persuaded by the worde of GOD and that by our diligence they haue first shaken away the same thinges out of their own heartes Cōsilium Eliberinum And accordyng to this meanyng the Counsell holden at Eliberium did decree in the 60. Canon By these thynges we muste note that this is the will of GOD that we should abstayne from traffickes We must haue no felloweshyp with the vngodly matrimonyes and fellowshippes with infidels and heretikes as by the lawe it was forbidden that the Iewes should make no league with the Chananites but this would I haue so to be vnderstande as I haue before and that largely declared Moreouer we are playnely taught that the commaundementes of GOD are simply to be obeyed The commaūdemēts of god are not to be mitigated by man his inuentions so that we may not go about either to mollefye or to mitigate them by mannes inuentions Seyng that GOD punished the Hebrues and that grieuously whiche peraduenture thought that they had sufficiently fulfilled hys precepte when they had made the Chananites tributaries But as touchyng their Idoles and superstitions he required nothyng elles of the Israelites but that they woulde not worshyppe them Wherefore suche interpretations are to be taken hede of whiche do either vtterly take away the worde of GOD or at the least do make it to be of small force This did the sonne of GOD sharpely reproue when he sayed that the Phariseys by their doctrine and humane inuentions did wrest the law of God as thoughe it had ben made of ware to their filthy lustes wicked desires This sermō is takē out of the holy scriptures We must also marke that this whole sermon is taken out of the holy Scriptures for there is nothing contayned in it which is not found in the bookes of Numb Deut and Iosuah Whereby we gather that preachyng is then of efficacy when it is drawen out of the worde of GOD and not of the inuention of man Sinners ar punished by the same thinges whereby they haue trāsgressed Neither is it to be passed ouer that it is a common thyng with the Iustice of God to punishe synners by the same thynges whereby they transgresse As nowe it is declared that the Israelites should incurre most great damages as well by the nations as also by the Idoles whiche they contrary to the commaundement of GOD had
land of Egipt followed straunge Gods euen the Gods of the nations that wer round about them bowed them selues vnto them Wherefore they angred the Lord. 13 They forsooke I say the Lorde and serued Baal Astharoth Vnder those vngodlye Princes which succeeded the good the people grieuously fell Not bicause that they before had not also transgressed for that as we haue shewed they grieuously synned in sparing of the Chananites but nowe they began to contaminate and defile them selues with the superstitions and idolatry of those Nations R. Leui demaundeth in this place how it could be that none of those should be on lyue which had sene the woorkes of God which hee hadde done for Israel when as from their comming out of Egipt to this present time there were but 67. yeares passed He answereth that there might easely be some found which had sene those woorkes yea all men confesse that Phinches lyued at that tyme but there were but fewe suche and there were not many wise men and whych could rightly and with authority instruct the young of those things All the Israelites became not idolatrers which they had sene And it might be that the scripture spake not these woordes of al the people but onely of the new Magistrates which succeded Neither ought we hereby to vnderstand that all the Israelites were become Idolatrers but the moste part of them and which was more haynous they openly professed wicked worshippinges when as neuerthelesse some although but few and peraduenture secretly claue vnto the true God Neither maye wee gather hereby Miracles are not sufficient to persuade godlines that myracles of them selues haue the power to be sufficient either to bring in or to retaine godlynes For Chore Dathan and Abiram Zimri Achan and the ten spies were without dout at the doing of the myracles which were done as well in Egipt as in the wildernes and yet neuerthelesse they fell from God and defiled them selues wyth moste grieuous wicked actes Moreouer they whiche when Moyses was absent woorshypped the golden Calfe and were consecrated to Baal-Peor the God of the Moabites they I say vndoubtedly beheld the wonders whereby God defended the people from their enemies and helped them in diuers necessities and yet for al that they became Idolatrers committed wicked worshippings Euen so came it to passe of the Scribes and Phariseys for the history of the gospell declareth that they saw the wonderful workes of Christ They which sawe not the miracles in the old tyme are not therfore excused from infidelitie and yet they wonderfullye contemned and maliciouslye despised him Wherefore we must thinke that this is not now rehersed of our history as a lawful excuse of the transgressiō which afterward happened For if by that meanes the act of the Hebrewes coulde be defended then might the superstitious Idolatrers of our time defend their cause for they might say miracles haue now ceased and those thinges which Christe or his Apostels did are not in our time sene But we in this sort answer to them which doo thus excuse their infidelitye The miracles which wer don in the old tyme profite vs also namely that the miracles of Christ the Apostles which were done once ought also to suffice vs for for our sakes were they put in writing that wee readyng them myght receaue fruite by them beyng assured that they were ministred not onely to them which lyued at that tyme but also vnto vs. So might it be aunswered to the Hebrewes of whom we nowe entreate what though ye haue not sene the miracles which wer done in the time of your Fathers Haue not Moyses and Iosua faithfullye written all those thinges whych God hath done for your nations sake Yea and your Fathers which were present and saw them haue trulye declared them vnto you when ye were yet lytle ones The scripture therfore doth not so speake at this presēt to excuse that new generation But to declare what pretence they made when they departed from the woorshipping of the God of their Fathers and what occasion they tooke and also to set foorth that they were of a corrupt and naughtye nature which when their good Maisters and Magistrates were dead became vnmindfull of all true godlynes For it is very likely that they as they were impudent so also openly they boasted abroade those or such lyke woordes We ar in doubt neither do we easely beleue that the Lord did so many miracles as our Fathers haue both written and also shewed vs. Who can tell whether they were so or no we vndoubtedlye know not whether the Lorde or anye other God hath for our saluation sake caused such or so great thinges to be done And so they leauing faith and forsaking the true God dyd euyll in the syght of the Lorde How thinges in the scripture ar called good or euell in the sight of the lord By this hebrewe phrase it is declared that God was maruellouslye offended wyth thys their transgression As contrarywise they are called good thinges in the sight of the Lord which doo excedingly please him This is the common and receaued exposition Howbeit if we more narrowly marke this kinde of speeche we shall easylye perceaue that it declareth some other thing vnto vs. Namely that those thinges which the Iewes dyd were allowed by mans iudgement and peraduenture had a goodly shew but yet in Gods iudgement they were most detestable And withoute doubte that people synned a great deale more haynouslye in thys last transgression than they did in the first For there they onelye omitted the ouerthrowing of ymages and aultares but here they woorship straunge Gods Neither durst they do this onely but they forsooke also the worshipping of the true God Wherein vndoubtedly they were to be counted muche more corrupt than were the Samaritanes For they although they woorshipped their Idoles yet therwithall they ioyned the worshipping of the true God as it is declared in the second booke of Kinges And in how euyll part God taketh it thus to bee reiected he hath expressed by Ieremy the Prophet in the .2 chapter Where hee commaunded the Hebrewes to go and looke vpon other Nations An amplifieng of the idolatrye of the Hebrewes and see whether they haue so vnconstantly chaunged the Gods of their Fathers Whiche Nations if they were knowen constantlye to haue retayned their old woorshippings although they were vngodly Israel might thereby learne not to abiect their old rites and customes of their Fathers This wycked acte moreouer was for thys cause much more detestable bicause they had newly receaued the benefit of their deliuery out of Egipt and had also made a couenaunt with god first by Moses and afterward by Iosua when he was euen at the point of death Furthermore bicause they began to worship the gods of those nations which they had nowe eyther driuen oute of the lande of Chanaan or els made tributaries vnto them selues What a
vs by Antichriste Why God suffreth such miracles to be wrought by the deuill Paule hath faythfully admonished the Thessalonians But thou wilte saye that the deuill can not doe these thynges vnlesse God will and permitte I graunte that And why it is hys will so there are two causes sette forthe in the Scriptures Of the which the one is gathered out of Deutr. namely bicause he would tempt vs wherby might euidently appeare how much we esteme his word and whether we will suffer our selues to be plucked from him by suche illusions the seconde cause is to punyshe the vnbeleuers For so doth Paule teache vs to the Thessalonians bycause sayeth he they haue not receaued the loue of the truth therefore they are deliuered to be deluded with inchantementes and deuelishe miracles But there are two places in the Scriptures whiche are diligentlye to bee weyghed and considered that the doctrine now in hande may bee the more confyrmed The fyrste is written in the Actes of the Apostles the tenth Chapiter Of Cornelius the Centurion Cornelius caste himself down at the feete of Peter to whom when Peter came he caste himselfe at his feete But Peter woulde not suffer that yea he reprehended hym and aunswered in thys manner Doe not so ryse vp for I also am a man We read also in the Apocalipse Iohn fel downe at the feete of the Angell that Iohn fell downe before the Aungell but he admonished hym that he shoulde not so doe I am sayeth he thy fellowe seruaunt These two places maye thus bee vnderstande that Peter and the Aungell condemned these actes as in a manner Idolatrous as thoughe the Centurion and Iohn shoulde attribute any deuine nature Neither Cornelius nor Iohn would worship creatures the one to Peter the other to the Aungell and shoulde haue geuen vnto them more honoure than was conueniente for creatures But it seemeth that thys can not be easelye thoughte of eyther of these The Scripture testifyeth that the Centurion feared and worshipped God How should we therefore beleue that he coulde be led to beleue that Peter was God or at the leaste to attribute deuine honoures vnto a creature And it is not very likely that Iohn whiche was either an Apostle or ells a notable deuine as some call hym coulde not discerne an Aungell from God If so bee that neyther of these woulde worship a creature in stead of the Creator thys remaineth that it is not lawfull to geue vnto creatures this kind of outward reuerence Wherfore we shall seme not to haue sayd well before in saying that these thynges may be geuen vnto Princes and Kinges To thys I aunswere there muste be a difference obserued betwene a ciuile and a worldelye honoure and a deuine and religious woorshipping as we haue before expounded The Centuriō Iohn sinned in excesse but they can not be accused of Idolatrye Furthermore we muste knowe that these two men Cornelius I say and Iohn intended not by thys their worshipping to transferre the honour of God vnto creatures Howbeit it may easely bee that they fell to an vnmeasurable signe of reuerence and so in that excesse they somewhat committed sinne But as touching Kinges and Princes we are in much lesse daunger of falling than toward Angels or ministers of Christ For these bycause they exercise the spiritual office the honor which is geuen vnto thē draweth nighe to a religious adoration Wherfore in those places eyther the bowing of the knee or of the bodye are not by themselues condemned But in as muche as they are geuen for Religion sake Moderate honoures therefore maye bee geuen especially when they are geuen for Religion sake And thus muche at this presente as concerning thys thyng But let vs remember that whiche I haue also before admonyshed that thys also belongeth to Idolatrye when we woorship the true God by other wayes and rytes They which worship God otherwise thā he hath instituted are Idolatrers than he hath willed vs and prescribed vnto vs. If we shall doe otherwyse we shall woorship an Idole accordyng to that seconde forme before described in fayning to oure selues in oure mynde or harte any God whiche delighteth in a woorshippyng inuented by men and there is none suche Wherfore we shall not honoure and worship the true God but an Idole whiche we haue conceaued in our mynde And vndoubtedlye so oughte we to vnderstande Paule when he sayeth to the Corrinthians in the fyrste Epistle we knowe that an Idole is nothyng in the worlde Paule teacheth not that an Idole is nothyng as touchyng the shape and outwarde forme For no man doubteth but that those Idoles haue place either in the outwarde matter or ells in oure hartes By an Idole there fore he vnderstoode not the signe it selfe but the thing whereunto it is referred And he meant that the thing it selfe whiche is signified by Idoles is nothing for as much as there is no where a God which may be represented or els deliteth in such Images 14 And the wrathe of the Lorde waxed hotte agaynste Israell and he deliuered them into the handes of raueners that spoyled them and solde them into the handes of theyr enemyes round about them Neither had they any power any longer to stande before their enemyes 15 Whether so euer they went the hand of the Lord was agaynst them with euil lucke euen as the Lord promised them and euen as the Lord sware vnto them And he punyshed them sore The punishment imposed by God for Idolatry is now set forth to be diligently considered by vs. There are two thinges which are declared Fyrst is described that the anger of God was kindled agaynst the Israelites How we shuld vnderstand god to be angry and to repent Secondly how he punished the guiltye God therefore bycause of so grieuous a wicked crime of the Hebrewes waxed hotte agaynst them which is not so to be vnderstande as though God had any affections for that pertaineth only vnto men But according to the common and receaued exposition of these places we fele that god is like vnto men that are angry after which selfe same reason it is written that he sometime repenteth Wherfore God eyther to repent or to be angry is nothing ells but that he doth those thinges which men repenting and men angrye vse to do For the one do eyther alter or ells ouerthrowe that which before they had done and the other take vengeaunce of iniuries done vnto thē Ambrose in his booke of Noe and the Arke the fourth Chapter Ambrose speaketh otherwise of the anger of God For neither doth God sayth he thinke as men do as though some contrary sentence should come vnto him neither is he angrye as though he were mutable but therfore these thinges are beleued to expresse the bitternesse of our sinnes which hath deserued the wrath of God and to declare that the faulte hath so much and so farre encreased that euen God also whiche
hande and hys hande preuayled agaynst Chusan Riseathaun 11 And the lande had rest .40 yeares And Othoniel the Sonne of Chenez dyed Israel cryed vnto the Lord bicause they wer euil vexed and most grieuously oppressed of the Sirians They acknowledged now after their great hurt that straunge Gods profited them nothing yea rather they brought vpon them the miseries wherwith they were vrged When they vnderstoode that mans helpe was on euery side cut of they conuerting them selues vnto the true God called vpon him This is the fruite of miseries as touching the elect or rather the fruit of the goodnes of God which by troubles calleth againe vnto him those which are hys Of Othoniel we haue spoken inough before Now he is called a Sauiour bicause he brought health vnto the Israelites as the other Iudges dyd Othoniel was called a sauiour and a redemer which wer also called Sauiours he was a shadow of Christ But the Chaldey paraphrast calleth him Porken that is a Redemer Which surname also rightly agreeth with Othoniel bicause before it is sayd that God sold the Israelites and when bondmen are sold they haue nede of one to redeme them For as much as before it was said the God raised vp Iudges After what maner God raised vp Iudges now is declared the maner forme how he raysed them vp For it is written And the spirite of the Lord was vpon hym For by the holy ghost wer not onelye geuen vnto hym strength political wisdome and warlyke artes but also he was made the more certain of his calling The Chaldey paraphrast vnderstandeth by the Spirit of God the power of prophecy Dauid Kimhi But Dauid Kimhi interpreteth it the gift of force strength But I thinke that either interpretacion is to be allowed For besydes the strength and power which was geuen the Iudges they had also the iudgement and feeling of the wil of God which pertained vnto prophecy He iudged Israel That is he set them at liberty and was their Gouernour as touching ciuil thinges and restored the pure worshipping of God In that it is aboue written that God sold Israel to the king of Mesopotamia And nowe again it is declared that he deliuered the same king vnto Othoniel we may gather that victories ar geuē at the pleasure of God which also we haue often noted before R. Leui ben gerson thinketh that in that supputation of .40 R. Leui ben gerischon yeares wherein the Iewes lyued peaceably vnder Othoniel were comprehended also the eyght yeares of seruitude which went before But of this thing we wil speake aboundantly in the history of Iiphtah God is also to be called vpon of synners This place teacheth that men must call vpon God though they haue synned which I therfore thought good to note bycause sinnes vse much to feare away men from the inuocation of the name of God for this is the nature of synnes to alienate vs frō God vnto whom we yet by praiers come againe Wherfore seing these thinges are contrary namely to be alienated from God and to come vnto him it is wonder how they can be applyed to one and the selfe same man Augustine And this maketh with it also which is written in the gospel God heareth not sinners Although Augustine wryte of that sentēce that it is found in dede in the holy scriptures but it was spoken by hym whych was borne blynde when his hart was not yet illustrate Wherefore he iudgeth that that sentence is not to be taken as a firme and certaine rule A distinction of synners But I would rather make a distinction betwene synners for there are some which when they cry vnto the Lord do repent and from their hartes are sory for the euils which they haue committed But ther are other which continue stil in their mynd and purpose to synne and haue a very great delite therin Farther I am not afeard to affirme that god heareth those synners which being repentant cry vnto him with faith wher as those are repulsed which being hardened in their sinnes and wāting faith do call vpon god Wherfore it appeareth that those sinners which come to god and those that depart from god are not sinners of one sort bicause they which after they haue synned cal vpon god by faith repent them of theyr synnes are deuided from those which stubbornly without repentaunce perseuer in their synnes For they although by wordes they cry vnto god yet in hart and mynde they are farre from him so farre are they for to be ioyned vnto him or to come vnto him by fayth and prayers ¶ Whether God be the cause of synne BVt in these thinges which are sayd there ariseth a question which is not to be left vnspoken of For it is writtē that god sold the Israelites to the king of Mesopotamia Wherfore it semeth that he holpe a wicked man aided hym to satisfy his tyranny and ambition For he had neither a iust cause nor yet an honest title to clayme vnto him the dominion of the Hebrues What shall wee saye therefore Shall we affirme that God is the cause of this sinne Ther happeneth in this booke and in other places of the holye Scriptures suche kynde of speeche and that often times very plaine and therefore it semeth good to be expounded once for all Whether by the word permissiō this question may be dissolued Some yea and that with no euyl minde labour to excuse God and say that he doth not these euyl thinges but onely permitteth them And they thinke that in doubtful places that interpretation is to be applied which altogether wanteth fault and daunger of vngodlines Vndoubtedly this their saying wer to be praised if that we could se their exposition to be allowed in the scriptures But there it is farre otherwise sayd It is proued by good reasons that besides permission god worketh somewhat whē sins ar cōmitted namely that God doth stirre vp wycked men to their wicked actes that he seduceth delyuereth commaundeth hardeneth and deceaueth them and bringeth to passe those sinnes which are grieuous Suche kindes of speeche do manifestly teach vs that God after a sorte woorketh euyll thinges not onely in permitting but also in doing in vs. Without doubt al we are said both to haue our being and also our mouing in him For he is in suche sort the first cause of all thinges that without him we can do nothing For how should we moue our selues vnlesse by his power we wer both moued and also driuen Farther how farre his gouernment extendeth we may reade in the .xi. chap. of Mathew for two Sparowes saith the Lord are sold for a farthing and yet one of them falleth not to the ground without the wyll of the father And that was as much to say as without the counsell of God nothing be it neuer so smal is done in the world Moreouer that permission wherby certaine go about to make
If I will boast of my selfe I shall not be vnwise but I will not any man shoulde thynke of me more than he seeth in me or that he heareth of me By these wordes he reproueth those as foolishe and vnwise whiche do boast glory euen of those good things which they haue And he saith that he wil abstaine from it He which speaketh lesse of hīselfe than it is lyeth not Neither sayth he do I require that any mā should thinke more of me thā he either seeth in me or heareth of me Neither is he which speaketh lesse of him selfe than it is straightway to be accused as a lyer For that whiche is more cōprehēdeth and containeth in it selfe that which is lesse For whosoeuer hath fifty he may say truly that he hath twenty althoughe he speaketh not all that he hath Howbeit the same man We may not lye for humilicyes sake if he should affirme that he had but onely .xx. or els should deny that he had any thing without doubt he should lye which is not to be committed either for modesty sake or els as they say bycause of humilitie And as for testimonies of the holy scriptures which do stirre vs vp to speake the truth I could vndoubtedly bring a great many but a few shal suffice It is written in the x. cōmaundements Thou shalt not beare false witnesse which cōmaūdement is not only to be obserued in iudgement but in all things whiche in our talke we testifie to be either true or false Farther God is set before vs of vs to be followed whom the scriptures euery where pronounce to be true Wherfore we also ought to be most feruent louers of the truth And for that cause in Exodus the 18. chap Iethro counselled Moises that he shuld make rulers ouer the people such men as feared god strong men louers of the truth which hated couetousnesse Dauid saith also Behold thou hast loued truth therfore thou hast made me to vnderstand wisedome in the inward secret partes of my minde These wordes sufficiently declare that we are for the cause taught of god both by inwarde inspiraciō also by outward doctrine bycause he is a louer of the truth neither doth he easely suffre that his children should either erre or be deceaued by lyes In Zacharie the viii chap. it is writtē Speake ye the truth euery man to his neyghbour which selfe same sentence Paul vseth to the Ephesians he cōmaundeth the same vnto the Collos But to the Corinth the latter Epistle he saith of himselfe of the other Apostles that they cā haue nothing against the truth Yea the Scribes Phariseys beyng ioyned with the Herodians after this sorte flattered Christ whom they went about to entrappe in his speache Master we knowe that thou acceptest no persons yea thou teachest the way of god in truth Hereby they declared that it is a singular vertue for a noble notable mā to preferre the truth before all things But let these testimonies of the holy scriptures be sufficiēt at this time Now resteth to intreat of a lye Of a lye Augustine Augustine who wrot of it to Cosētius affirmeth a lye to be a false significatiō of a word And vndoubtedly all those things which before are declared of truth we may by the contrarity affirme of this vice And chiefly it is cōtrary to that that Marcus Tullius affirmed of truth namely that to be truth wherby things which are which haue ben which shal be are spokē vnaltered And a lye is that wherby is the signified which is not for Augustine cōtrarywise spake of the truth This vice is so hurtful that it maketh a mā which is infected with it In equally is the generall worde of a lye to reioyce to be glad in false thinges The generall word of truth was equalitie of the vice the generall worde shal be inequalitie And as the vertue was very nye ioyned with simplicity so belōgeth a lye to doublenes Truth is a part of iustice But a lye is a part of vniustice By truth humane fellowship is kept but by a lye it is hurte ouerthrowen Augustine But to returne to Augustine who writeth that he is sayd to lye which with a wil to deceaue speaketh that which is false that to lye is nothing els than to speake against the minde for liers speake otherwise than they haue in their heart But the desire to deceaue is vtterly against iustice loue amitie Three thinges ioyned with a lye which we mutually owe one vnto an other There are thre things therfore in a lye first to speake that which is false secondly his will in speaking and thirdly a desire to deceaue The first parte longeth to the matter of a lye the other two partes pertayne vnto the forme A diuision of a lye A lye is deuided into a Seruiceable lye a Sportfull lye a Pernitious lye And this deuision commeth of no other thyng but of the effectes or of the endes For this is euermore true that the endes them selues may haue the nature both of the cause and of the effecte For lyes do either profyte or delyte or elles hurte The ende of a pernitious lye is to hurte The ende of a Sportefull lye is to delyte and the ende of a Seruiseable lye is to profyte But Aristotle bycause in vertue he chiefly considereth the meane Aristotle therefore if in speakyng thou excede that meane he calleth that boasting but if thou want of the meane he nameth it Irony And in that euyl this is chiefly hurtful bicause an euyl or false opinion is ingendred in the minde of our neighbour A lye is both euyll and also to be auoyded For the which cause the same Aristotle semeth to haue sayd wel that a lye is both euyll and also it is to be auoyded Which thing we may also proue by testimonies of the holy Scriptures For to this belong al those thinges which we before brought to styrre vs vp to speake the truth And very many places are here and there set forth which detest lyes Dauid saith Thou wilt destroy al those which speake lyes In a lye is an abuse of signes Ther are reasons also which persuade vs the same whereof one is in a lye is an abuse of signes And for as muche as it is not lawful to abuse the giftes of God a lye is vnderstand also to be prohibited Farther as it is before said a lye is contrarye vnto humane fellowship for in lying the conceauinges of the minde ar not cōmunicated vnto our brethren but lyes Wherfore seing man is by nature made vnto fellowship and communication when he speaketh false thinges he fyghteth with his own nature And as Augustine saith Faith is therin hurt Augustine for hee which heareth beleueth those thinges which are spoken Wherfore that fayth which he geueth vnto other mens woordes is made frustrate And so great
that he was a wycked king neyther departed he from the woorshipping of golden Calues Wherefore it is lawfull for vs to graunt that in lying he synned A distinctiō to be noted And as I thinke and before admonished by this onely distinction we maye easily dissolue this doubt Namely that those men were styrred vp to lye either by the spirite of man or by the motion of God When they dyd it as men wee will not denye but that they synned but when they spake so by the inspiration God we will maruaile at their sayinges and doinges but let vs not take example by them or follow them ¶ Of dissimulation Dissimulacion is of two kindes BVt what shal we affirme of dissimulatiō I answer that it is of two kindes One is which hath a respect onely to deceaue And that forasmuch as it differeth not much from a lye it is vndoubtedlye synne If one being wicked doo fayne himselfe to be good and holy the same man without doubt is an hipocrite and in that he dissembleth he haynously sinneth Whosoeuer also hauing a malitious and enuious hart against anye man doth flatter the same man and dissembleth to be his friend he is not without synne yea he is infected with a detestable dissimulation But ther is an other kinde of dissimulation which tendeth not to deceaue any man but serueth onely to kepe counsels secrete that they bee not hindred And this dissimulation is not to be repudiated or to be condemned as a syn forasmuch as we haue alredy declared that it is not alwaies required that we shoulde open what soeuer truth wee knowe What Christ mēt by his dissimulation So Christe being most innocent tooke vpon him the flesh of syn hid his innocency diuine nature And that not to deceiue mortal men but that he might suffer for the saluatiō of mēt For if he had bene knowen to haue bene the Lord of glory thei would neuer as saith the Apostle haue crucified him The same Christ fained also before two of his Disciples that he would go farther He did not that to deceiue them but hee therfore a while opened not himself vnto them to reprooue them of their incredulity and to instruct them by testimonies of the scriptures Therewithall also he signified how farre he was from their hartes Or as Augustine interprereth it he shaddowed vnto them his departure into heauen Wherefore it manifestly appeareth that in those dissimulations there was no lye seing his woordes did well agree wyth the thyng signified And Dauid when hee fell into a most great daunger before Achin Kyng of Geth chaunged his countenaunce and fained himselfe a foole Of the dissimulatiō of Dauid and for that hee seemed suche a one he escaped Here some say that he cōmitted no dissimulation but that God to deliuer him strake such a feare in him that his senses might be taken from him and so did these thinges whych are rehearsed of him in the fyrst booke of Samuel Wherefore in his Psalme which beginneth Psal 34. I wyl alway geue thankes vnto the Lorde he gaue thankes vnto God for so great a benefite And therwithal in his act by the inspiratiō of God he shadowed what Christ should suffer for our sakes namely that he should be counted as a foole and a mad mā Either els we answer that Dauid is not altogether to be excused of synne if as a man being more afeard than was mete he sought for this kinde of helpe But if he by the mocion of God did it wittingly and with knowledge we wil not accuse him of synne although we may not follow his example Neither is it lawful that any man should fayne himselfe to haue committed any crime which he hath not perpetrated Gregory Augustine although Gregory saith that good myndes wyll there acknowledge a fault wher none is Augustine writeth more truly and soundly of that thing in his .29 Sermon de verbis Apostoli For he writeth In so faining if before thou wast not a sinner thou shalt be made a sinner namely in saying that thou hast cōmitted that yl which thou hast not perpetrated It is lawful in dede for euery man to confesse himself to be a synner in vniuersall But this or that crime in special no man ought to receaue in himself which he hath not in verye deede committed Farther we must note that this is true that it is not required of vs that we should open the truth euery where and in all places to speake al that we know but yet in iudgement the same is not to bee permitted For when two of vs are examined as witnesses there we are bounde to testifye that whych we know serueth for the thing whereof at that time we be demaunded ¶ Whither it be lawful to lye to preserue the lyfe of our Neyghbours BVt there ariseth a more hard doubt namely whether it be lawfull to lye for to preserue the life of our neighbour Augustine of a lye to Consentius saith Augustine If a man should be in verye great daunger of death the same man also should know that his sonne also wer in the like extreme daunger which happeneth to dye and thou knowest of his death when the Parent shal aske thee lyueth my sonne or no and thou art sure that he also wil dye if thou shalt tel him that hys sonne is deceased what wouldest thou do in this case whyther thou sayest he liueth or whither thou saiest I cannot tel thou lyest But if thou shall answer that he is dead al men wyll cry out vpon thee as though thou haddest cōmitted manslaughter and as though by thy heauy newes thou haddest bene the occasiō of the death of this father being sycke and lying at the poynt of death Augustine graunteth that it is a hard case neither denieth he but that as a man he shoulde be moued peraduenture it might so happen that affections woulde not suffer him to speake that which is iust right But al the length he concludeth that he should not lye And he addeth moreouer A similitude that if thou knowest that any vnchaste woman loueth thee inordinately which also threateneth to kyl her selfe yea and wil do it in very dede vnles thou wylt graunt to her wicked lust whether therfore thou oughtest to be entised to commit any filthye thing against chastitye I think not So also saith he thou oughtest not for the sauing of thy neighbours life to offend against the truth And moreouer what a window shuld be made open to lyes if we shoulde otherwise iudge of thys For that which one shall thincke to be lawful for life an other wil iudge that he may do the same for money an other for estimation or for defending of lands possessions And so shal it come to passe that there wil be no measure or end of lyes We maye not suffer sayth Augustine that any man should kil his own soule for the corporall
lyfe of an oother man Yea and he affirmeth that we must not lye for the saluation of anye mans soule Euery lye sayth Iohn is not of God but wee ought not to speake those thinges which are not of God What if murtherers should persecute a man to kil him thou knowest that he lyeth ther hiddē wher thou presently art they demaūd of thee if thou knowest whither he be there or no He answereth that if thou be of a valiant courage as it becōmeth a Christiā thou must say wher he is I know but I wil not vtter it do ye what ye wil. But whē the matter cōmeth to this point that for the safety of any mans life thou must make a lie know thou that thou oughtest to cōmit the thing vnto God that thou hast nothing there more to doo Either thou must answer that thou wilt not betray him or els thou must hold thy peace But by thy silence the murtherer wil suspect that he is in thy house and then thou shalt seme to haue geuen occasion of his taking But in verye deede thou hast not so done For thou canst not let him to thinke what he wil. Wherfore the matter is rather to be cōmitted vnto God than that thou shouldest make a lye Howbeit thou must very wel weigh with thy self namely to speake so that thou say not al and yet speake not falsly For in these cases I thyncke it is not forbidden yea I iudge it is most lawful to speake doubtfullye And as touching this question thys is sufficient As I deny not but that our Ehud manifestly lied so wil I also say that he was stirred vp of God so to speake Those wordes vndoubtedly although they deceiued Eglon yet without controuersy they declared that which was in very deede true namely the word of God that he had a secret thing to do with the kyng ¶ Whither it be lawful for Subiectes to ryse agaynst their Princes BVt leauing these thinges let vs come vnto the third question wherof for as much as I haue somwhat before spoken I thinke not to speake of it aboundantly in this place least I should be more ful of wordes than is needeful Let vs deuide subiects as we haue before deuided them so that some of them are mere priuate men others are in such sort inferiors that the superiour power in a maner dependeth of them as among the Lacedemonians wer the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and at Rome the Tribunes of the people Those which onely are subiect counted altogether priuate ought not to rise against their Princes Lordes to dysplace them of their dignity or degree The two Apostles Peter Paul haue commaunded the same namely that seruants should obey their Lordes how rough hard soeuer they be Farther the sword as it is written to the Romanes is geuen onely to the powers And they which resist the power are sayde to resist the ordinance of god God would that the Iewes should obey Nabuchad-nezar he was angry with Zedechias the king bicause he fell from hym Yea Ieremy by the cōmaundement of God admonished and exhorted the people to pray for the health of the king of Babilon Dauid also would not stretch forth his hād against the anointed of the Lord when he might haue done it with out any difficulty to his great cōmodity The godly soldiours of Iulianus the Apostata obeyed the same Iulianus in fighting and pitching their campes nether did they at any time being also armed rebel against that most cruel tyran Phocas whē he had slaine Mauricius possessed the Empire by great violence vniustice wrote to Rome to Gregory who obeyed him as his Prince and gaue vnto him great reuerence But ther are in publike weales other which in place dignity are lower than Princes yet in very dede they elect the superior power by certaine lawes do gouern the publike wealth as at this day we see in done by the Electors of the Empire and peraduenture the same also is done in other kingdomes To these vndoubtedly if the Prince performe not his couenants promises it is lawfull to constrain to bring him into order by force to compel him to fulfil the conditions couenants whiche he had promised and that by warre when it cā not otherwise be done By this meanes the Romanes somtimes compelled the Consul whom they themselues had created to go out of their offices The Danes in our time did put down their king held him long in prison Polidorus Virgilius Polidorus Virgilius writeth that the Englishmen somtimes cōpelled their kings to render accompt of the mony which they had noughtely consumed Neither are we ignoraunt that Tarquinius the proud Of Brutus and Cassius was by the Romanes for his ouermuch cruelty arrogancy put out of his kingdome I wil not speake of Brutus Cassius which slew Caesar but whether they did it iustly or otherwise most graue mē vary in the opinions And I in examining their enterprise by the rule of the scriptures do not allow it Bicause they gaue not vnto him the tyranny or Empire of Rome but he vsurped it himself by violence and power And God as Daniel testifieth transferreth Empires kingdoms And although it be lawful to resist tirānes which inuade a kingdome yet when they haue obtayned the Empire and that they do gouerne it semeth not to belong to priuate men to put them downe Wherfore forasmuch as the kingdome of the Iewes was suche a kingdome that in it al men depended of the king for they were not chosen by the noble men but by succession the posterity of that family gouerned which God had also cōmaūded therfore in the lawes in Deut. in the .1 booke of Sam. wherein the ryght of a king is constituted ther is no liberty graunted to any to resist them Yea somtimes it happeneth that some of them wer killed But yet we neuer reade the god allowed the murther of them yea he punished the murtherers When God at any time would trouble the kings of Iuda he did it by the Babilonians Assirians Egiptians but not the Iewes He onely armed Iehu against his Lorde whyche thing as it was peculiar so also must not wee take example by it Hee destroyed Saul also by the handes of the Philistians and not by Dauid Neither am I ignorant how manye thinges are decreed of this matter in the Code in the digest in the law Iuliā maiestatis But I studieng to be brief do of purpose ouerpasse these things And although I know right wel that the Ethniks in the old time appointed rewardes for such as killed Tirannes yet I haue answered that godlines the holy scriptures do not allow the same Vndoubtedly if it be lawful for the people to put down kings that raigne vniustly no kinges or Princes should at any time be in safety For although they raygne iustly and
they haue in the churches fully worshipped God wheÌ„ they haue long much soong and bleated Farther we must take hede that in it be not put merite or remissioÌ„ of synnes For there are very many Priestes and Monkes which for this cause do thinke they haue very wel deserued of God bicause they haue soong very many Psalmes Yea and the Pope also Cardinals Bishops Abbots when they haue heard songes of Masses and Euensonges do oftentimes pronounce vnto the people indulgences of synnes This vice also is to be taken away that singing be not so much occupied in the Churche that there bee no time in a maner left for to preach the woord of God and holy doctrine as they doo almost euerye wher For they so chaunt all thinges with synging and piping that there is no part of the time reserued for preaching Wherby it coÌ„meth to passe that the people depart out of the Church ful of Musick and harmony but yet hungerstoruen and fasting as touching heauenly doctrine Moreouer so riche large stipendes are appointed for Musicians that either very litle or in a maner nothing is prouided for the Ministers which labor in the woord of God Neither may that broken quauering Musicke be lawfully retayned wherewith the standers by are so letted that they cannot vnderstand the wordes no though they woulde We must also take heede that in the Church nothing be soong without choyse but onely those thinges which are contained in the holy scriptures or which are by iust reasons gathered out of them and do exactly agree with the woord of God For if there should be a wyndow opened vnto the inuentions of men it wer to be feared least Ecclesiastical Musicke should at the last be chaunged into trifles and fables Yea we already see that there are brought into the assemblye verye many foolish Sequences as they call them and fayned Hymnes and manye other thinges also which doo styrre vp vnto the hearers rather a laughter and a wearynes Hymnes of Ambrose than a true fayth Neither doo I speake these thinges as thoughe I would disprayse the Hymnes of Ambrose and other whiche are of that kynde forasmuch as by them I iudge that the faythful maye be both instructed and also admonished The Symbole of Athanasius The Psalmes of Augustine The Psalmes of Chrisostome The Symbole of Athanasius seemeth also to bee allowed and the Psalmes of Augustine against the Donatistes and also the Psalmes of Chrisostome of which the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius maketh mention in the .7 booke if they were remayning For whatsoeuer thinges were written in them we must beleue that they agree with the holy scriptures and that they doo aduaunce the edification of the faithfull in the Churche The Psalmes of Valentine But contrarywyse the Psalmes of Valentine of which Tertulian maketh mencion ar aboue al things to be condemned Psalmes in the honour of Samosatenus And with them the most corrupt Psalmes whych were soong in the Temple in the honour of Paulus Samosatenus as the history of Sozomenus declareth But now to conclude the matter I affirme that godly religious songes maye be retained in the Churche and yet I confesse that there is no precept geuen in the new Testament of that thing Wherfore if ther be any Church Ther is no precepte geuen for the hauing of Musicke in the Churche which vpon iust causes vseth it not the same Church cannot iustly be condemned so that it defend not that the thing it selfe of his own nature or by the coÌ„maundement of God is vnlawful and that it do not for the same cause reproue other Churches which vse singing Musicke or els exclude them from the fellowship of Christ For the Church of Alexandria as it is before said vsed either very litle singing or els almost none at al. For they saw the infirmity of the people to be so great that they gaue more heede to the harmony than they did to the wordes Wherefore if in these daies we shal perceaue that the Christian people do runne vnto the Churches as to a stage play where they may be delighted with piping singing in this case we must rather abstaine from a thing not necessarye than to suffer their pleasures to be cockered with the destruction of their soules But now I thinke it good to returne vnto the history Then sang Deborah and Barak Who made this song It seemeth that Deborah alone made thys ditty for the spirite of prophecy had persed her and not Barak Howbeit hee is ioyned with her bicause euen as in the battayle he was the Captaine so also among the singers and those which gaue thankes vnto God he was the chiefe In that day We may thus enterprise that in the selfe same day of victorye this song of victory was both made and also song which lyketh me verye well that we might hereby learne straightwaye to geue thankes for the benefites receaued For to deferre it as some do It is vicious to defer thanks geuing it can scarcely be defended from the vyce of ingratitude Neither can the maner of certaine men be commended which to obtayne anye thing at Gods handes cease not wyth moste importunate vowes to pray vnto him but when they haue obtayned their request they scarce returne vnto God to geue him thankes sometymes at the last The Ethnikes as we gather by good authors writers of histories when they had gotten the victory did strayghtway syng hymnes in praises of their Gods CoÌ„querers did straightwaye syng Hymnes vnto their gods if they with so great a study gratified their false Gods howe muche more ought we for the benefites which we haue receaued without any tarying to offer thankes vnto the true and liuely God whom we woorship Prayse ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel Bicause thys Hebrue woorde Perag is doubtful therfore the sense therof may be taken diuers waies Fyrst it signifieth to make naked to spoyle as it is put in Exodus when Aaron tooke golden ornamentes of the Israelites to make the molten Calfe For he was reproued of Moyses bicause he had with ignominy made naked the people Wherfore according to this signification the sense of the dittye is Geue thankes vnto God which first made you naked both of strength and of his ayde when we wer geuen ouer vnto the Chananites Furthermore geue hym thankes bicause he hath afterward made you prompt both to take in hand warre and also to recouer your liberty Eche of these actions of God is to bee praysed To the elect 〈◊〉 is profitable both to beâ— câ—st down 〈◊〉 be deliueâ— We must 〈◊〉 thankes oâ— God for proâ—â—â—rity aduersitâ— for they turned to good to his people For the deiection calleth them backe to repentaunce and the deliuery deliuereth them from a grieuous yoke Let god therefore be praysed which both leadeth to hel and bringeth from hel Neither must we geue hym
thankes onely for prosperous thinges but also for aduersity Also thys woorde Perag signifieth to reuenge and by this meanes forasmuch as reuengemēt may be referred to two thinges the sense of it also may be taken twoo wayes The first is That god in oppressing the Israelites and deliuering them to the Chananites reuenged the iniury that was done vnto himselfe wherein they dyd grieuously offende hym when they fel to impietye and Idolatrye Neyther doth thys latter sentence vary any thyng from the fyrst Forasmuch as by thys way also Deborah commaundeth to geue thankes vnto god for the former afflictions For to the godly aduersitye also turneth to good For the Saintes when they haue fallen are wont by scourges wherewith they are punished to be called backe againe to repentaunce which repentaunce God poureth in them by diuers and many vexations The third sense is which is euery where and almost receaued of al men That they should geue thankes vnto God which at the last had reuenged the iniuries of the Israelites For they were before long time that grieuously oppressed by the Chananites And then by the spirite of God they were made willing and prompt which before were such abiectes and cowardes Two thinges therfore are expressed namely that God confounded the Chananites in reuenging the euyls whyche they had done vnto the Iewes and also that he strengthened them in the battaile If God reuenged them We do not ask those things of God whiche ar in our own power they by them selues coulde not reuenge themselues If he made them willing they themselues were not such Wherfore free wyl is put down and the goodnes of god commended For euen as we doo not aske of god those thinges which we haue in our own hands and power so for these things when they happen vnto vs we geue him no thankes 3 Heare ye Kinges hearken ye Princes I euen I wyll syng vnto the Lord I wyl syng prayse vnto the Lord God of Israel Why she calleth Kynges in special there maye be manye reasons alledged The first is bicause all the Iewes were called in a manner Kynges For God made that nation both a kingdome and a priesthoode vnto himselfe They were all therefore so called euen as we of Christ are called Christians or anoynted of our onely head Christ whych was chiefly annoynted wyth the oyle of righteousnes and grace An admonitiō to Magistrats Farther he maketh an Apostrophe to kinges bycause that shee song these wordes not onelye for her time but also hauing a regarde to the tyme to come wherefore by her all Princes and Magistrates are in especiall admonished bycause they being puffed vp with pride and ryches both thinke and also affirme that the people should looke for safety at their handes But now they ar taught by the woord of God that it is he which defendeth and keepeth although sometimes therunto he vseth the helpe of them that are preserued Lastly Deborah speaketh to straunge kynges whiche had determined wyth them selues to destroye the Israelites and exhorteth them diligently to weigh wyth themselues the thinges which God hath done and to marke howe hee knoweth to auenge hys people in due tyme. I euen I sayth she wyll syng The repeating of the pronowne of the first person is not onely vsed of Poetes but also of Orators nether doth it onely adorn the oration Virgil. Cicero but also moue the affections and stirreth vp men vnto admiration Virgil saith I euen I am present which did it turne your weapon against me Cicero also saith Ah I miserable man the goodes the goodes I saye of Gnaius Pompeius were most cruelly by the voyce of the cryer c. This nowe is as if Deborah should haue sayde I althoughe a woman yet a Prophet I although a woman yet a sauiour of Israel wyl syng vnto my God They vse to put a certayne difference betwene these two latin wordes canere that is to syng and psallere which is also to syng but bycause that difference is not alwaies obserued yea one is taken oftentymes for an other therfore I willingly ouerpasse it 4 Lord when thou wentest out of Seir whē thou departedst out of the fielde of Edom the earth trembled the cloudes also dropped water 5 The mountaynes melted before the Lord as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel In the ditties and periodes of songs and of the prophets this is a common vse that the latter part differeth not from the fyrst as touching sence Why in the periodes of the holy scriptures one sentence is repeated but cōtayneth the same thing the wordes being somewhat chaunged which thinge also in the Prouerbes of Salomon is easy to marke And I doubt not that the same is done vpon iust causes Forasmuch as of the holy ghost nothing is done rashly or vnprofitably The sentences also which are entreated of in those bookes are verye graue and therfore by that tarying in them our dulnes is holpen For it quickly passeth ouer the sence of the firste parte therfore the latter parte being all one with the fyrst maketh vs to geue more attentiue heede Farthermore our hardenes is so greate that to one stroke it vseth not to geue place Wherefore it is no merueyle if God strike it with a double stroke And when the wordes are chaunged the efficacy and wayght of the sentence alredye spoken is more and more expressed The want of humayne speache is holpen whiche want is suche that at one speaking the whole signification of a wayghty sentence can not be opened Wherfore by that repititiō that which is not expressed by the fyrst words is expounded by other woordes which serue for the same thing God therefore by whose conducte this victorye was obteyned is to bee praysed whych is by very good reason done forasmuch as his beneuolence towardes Israel is proued to be no strange or new beneuolence Wherefore Deborah celebrateth him as an old and auncient patrone of the Iewes From the time sayth she wherin the Israelites at thy cōmaundement walked .38 yeres by diuers writers as it is written in the .2 of Deutronomy about mount Seir and then at the length by thy will departing from thence they went forward to the land of Chanaan thou nobly takest in hande theyr cause For thou goyng with vs in a piller of fyre and of a cloud so fearedst the Chananites our enemies that they wer not able to resist vs which were otherwise weake and feble Before when we went aboute the mountayne they liued in securitye and stoutlye contemned vs. But when thou leddest vs out of those places such a feare came vpon them that euen the earth seemed to tremble and the heauens and cloudes caste downe great tempestes and showres And it was so greate as though the mountaines should roule down greate heapes of water to the inferior valleis By these alligories Deborah discribeth the feare that was driuen into the Amorites and Chananits And it is no
the composition she maketh the cōclusiō with the helpe of Lord beginneth the next clause with the self same wordes as doth Virgill Virgil. O ye Periedes do ye these noble thynges to Gallus to Gallus I say whose loue doth dayly so much increase towardes me What is to be iudged of cursinges bannynges We haue at large before handled the place of cursinges wherfore now I wyll not speake much of it The Summe is That it is not lawfull for a man to curse any mā for the satisfieng of his owne anger For when our own matters are in hand we must loue our enemies we must blesse thē which curse vs. But when God doth somtimes certainely make manifest that he will haue some destroyed they whiche are so admonished of his wil can not but allow it for by the spirite wherw t they are inspired they wil also the same thing the God wil. And after this maner Dauid other Prophetes burst forth oftētymes into cursinges of the enemies of God whiche selfe same men for all that as they were men by naturall compassion whiche is not vicious were not a litle sory for the destruction of the enemies of God So Samuel Dauid Ieremy yea our sauiour himself wept lamēted the fall of vngodly mē Neither is it to be doubted but the dutyes of this kind were very acceptable to God for as much is they procede from charity Howbeit when we see some men cruelly to rage agaynste the godly men and Gospell of God it is lawfull in that case to praye that either theyr will may be chaunged or theyr strength confounded that they shoulde not accomplyshe all the things which they appoint to do Which things if they can not be obtained this is at the least to be prayd for the God will geue vs strength myght to suffer all such things which may aduāce his honor glory And we must diligētly weigh that this curse was therfore stirred vp agaynst the citie Meroz bycause they denyed to helpe the people of god What thē is prepared for those which do not onely not helpe the seruauntes of Christe but persecute grieue and cruelly vexe them Farther we must marke that it is sayd these came not to helpe the Lord as though God neded theyr ayde and that coulde not be as touchyng hym selfe howbeit God in hys people wanteth helpe and in the members of Christ when they are vexed Christ himselfe is vexed Wherfore he will say in the last day of iudgement I was hungry and ye fed me Math. 25. I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke c. Wherfore let vs hereby learne to obey whē God calleth vs as did the Israelites whiche are commended of Deborah neither neglected they to take in hande the battayle Let vs learne also to helpe those that are in nede especially when they followe theyr vocation 24 Iahell the wife of Heber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women aboue women shall she be blessed in tentes When she had cursed the wicked Citie by a contrary phrase she addeth a good prayer as the City Meroz was worthy to be cursed so of the contrary was Iahel to be commended Christ in the last daye of Iudgement wyll not onely saye Come ye blessed of my Father but on the contrary parte he wyll adde Go ye cursed Here is in hys place a parte of the saluation of the aungell Mary as it is described in Luke Blessed art thou aboue women Whiche clause is here twise put for the greater mouing But in that in this repetitiō it is added In tentes it may be thus interpreted For this cause let this woman be praysed bycause she dwelleth in tentes So that by a wonderfull compendiousnesse of one worde the slaying of Sisera is noted which happened not in the campes but was done in the tente Or els we may say that Iahell is to be praysed aboue other womē dwellyng in tentes For the family of the Kenites dwelled not in houses but in tentes Wherefore she is praysed aboue all the women Kenites which are signified by this worde tentes 25 He asked water and she gaue him milke she offred him butter in a cup of the mighty Iahel is here praysed for her prudence and strength For what vertues Iahell is praysed but the mother of these vertues is fayth It was prudence to call the enemy vnto her handsomely to couer hym and to geue him milke to drynke Also to finde out a hammer and a nayle and to chose out his hed among the rest of the members whiche she would strike and among the partes of the hed to smite thorough the temples Her might and strength is hereby knowen bycause a woman durst enterprise suche a notable acte and feared not to assayle such and so greate a Captayne but had a full confidence that she notwithstandyng that she was a woman should be able to kyll hym Peraduenture thou wilt saye the Scripture maketh no mencion here of fayth I graunte that it doth not by expresse wordes but when it is sayd she shal be blessed or praysed her fayth is noted For we be al by nature the children of wrath neither are any blessed with faythfull Abraham but by fayth as the Epistle to the Galathians testifieth He asked water and she gaue him milke That he might the easelyer and soner fall on sleepe Why menciō is made of butter this as some say is the cause bycause out of that milke the butter was not yet cherned And in dede of that kind of milke a mā may drinke a great draught for as much as beside the quenchyng of thirst it hath also a certaine swetenesse She vsed the cup of noble men Whiche namely was a very great one For noble mē wer wont to drinke out of large and wide cuppes Cicero Cicero also agaynst Anthony sayeth If so be that it had happened in the Supper tyme among thy greate cuppes who woulde not count it filthy c. Yea and they were wonte in bāquets of noble mē at the latter end to bring forth great cuppes Wherfore this witty woman to the end she would prouoke him to drinke a very depe drought vsed a cup apte for the fame Kimbi R. D. Kimhi expoundeth these thinges as thoughe she gaue him not onely drinke but meate also For he thinketh that when he had dronke the woman did set butter before him to eate Whiche exposition if we receaue we must then put out this word cup whē as that is vsed for drinke and not for meate vnlesse by the maner of a cup we vnderstand such a kynde of vessell wherin meate also is wont to be put 26 She put her hand to the nayle and her right hand to the workemās hammer with the hammer smote she Sisera she smote of his head wounded him and persed his temple 27 He was bowed down betwene her feete he fell downe he slept betwene her feete he bowed hymselfe and
the word of god thaÌ„ ciuile peace Euery godly man so roweth when tranquility of the publike wealth cannot be coupled with the obedience of the word of God Wherfore for asmuch as the one or the other is to be chosen the whole and vncorrupted worshipping of God ought rather to be wished for thaÌ„ the commodity of outward peace For the end of cities and publike wealthes is to obey God and rightly to worshiâ—pe god that is by his word and prescribed rule For to haue a city or publike wealth quiet and peaceable is not by it self necessary but to obey God to beleue his word and to worshippe him as he hath prescribed is the summe and end of all humayne things and therefore it is to be preferred aboue all good thinges Neither is it anye newe or vnaccustomed thing that by true piety sedicions are stirred vp Christ of that thing hath admonished vs I came not sayth he to send peace on the earth but a sworde I came to kindle fire what will I but that it should burne The time shall come sayth he that for the Gospels sake the father from the childe the children from the parentes brethern from brethren shall not onely be alienated but which is more cruell The godly are not guilty of the troubles whych happen for religions sake they shall deliuer one an other to the death And yet these sedicions troubles are not to be ascribed vnto the godly forasmuch as they wheÌ„they obey god do not depart from their office they do that which they should do the fault consisteth in the vngodly and idolatrers they are to be accused and coÌ„dempned as guilty of those euils because they can not abide the truth neyther will they obey the word of god Wherfore prechers of the gospel ar to be absolued of this crime for sedicioÌ„s spring not throgh theyr default which obey god but through the peruersnes of the world which streyght rageth agaynst the word of god Ioas like a wise and stoute Magistrate at the beginning asswageth the people being in an vprore shewing them how vnworthy a thinge they doo when they beyng priuate men dare auenge the cause of Baal VVill ye pleade his cause As though he should haue sayd It is not your office it pertayneth to me and the other magistrates And then he maketh a proclamation agaynst the sedicious persons He that will so stand in Baals cause shal dye and that this daye or the morninge He shal not liue till morning for he shal be executed out of hand If Baal be god let him plead his own cause agaynst him which hath cast down hys altar and hath cut down hâ—s groue If the matter be to be discussed without iudgemente and ordinary action Baal hath no neede of thys your helpe for seing he is god he can right wel reuenge himself The last part of this sentence is somewhat dark He that wil plead Lo for him or against him let him dy this day before morning Some expounde this woorde Lo to signify for him namely for Baal as though the â—retor had put forth his decree after this maner Whosoeuer goeth aboute to moue sedition as though he would pleade for Baal him will I strayghtewaye punish as a troublesome citezen which dareth to take vpon him more then hys state may suffer The other sense is to expound this woorde Lo against him as though he should haue sayde do not rage in this sorte bycause he shall vtterlye dye and that this day before morning which agaynst Baal hath pleaded and contended By the power of this god he shall not so escape And this sentence seemeth to be confirmed by the words which follow If he be god let him pleade his owne cause agaynst him which hath done him iniurye But I rather allowe the fyrst sentence because the holy scripture rather vseth this word Lo in that sense Gideon by his fathers aunswer was named Ierubbaal He shal plead saith Ioas or let Baal plead against him These ar words ether of them that praieth which would so speake in earnest or faynedly or els of one that affirmeth as though he should affirm that it should vtterly so come to passe The men which herd these wordâ—s either because they meruayled that the father wished these things vnto his sonne or els bycause they beleued that the earth would strayghtway swalow him vp or the lightning would destroy him or that god would by some exquisit punishment punish him they waited I say to see what would happen And therfore they called him Ierubbaal And his surname was then of farre more estimation when they saw that he escaped safe and sound and contrarye to the hope of all men deliuered the Israelites from the power of theyr enemies By this example Magistrates may know what they should doo The office of a stout Magistrate agaynste tumultes bycause of religioÌ„ when Papistes stirre vp sedition or tumult in their dominion bicause Masses are abrogated Idolatry taken away and the Pope throwen downe They must valiantly stande by it and must declare that this charge pertaineth not vnto these by violeÌ„ce to defend rites and supersticions forasmuch as they haue not the sword theyr care should be this to see that godlynes be rightlye and orderlye appointed If so bee that they desire any thing against lawes or right and thinke that they haue the better cause let them from God waite for the successe He is of himselfe by nature both mighty and wife and therefore if he allowe the Masse the Pope and superstitions hee wyll then take those thinges in hande himselfe In the meane time they ought to compel their subiectes to obey iust and healthful decrees By these thinges it appeareth as I suppose that Ioas was not a Baalite from the hart for he could not haue said If hâ—â—e God let him pleade his own cause Vnles thou will faine that he said in time to come Baal shal pleade his owne cause but what he before iudged of Baal now he declareth when he seeth the daunger of death that his sonne is in for his sake 33 Then al the Madianites and the Amalekites and the children of Kedem were gathered together and pitched their tentes in the valley of Iszreel 34 And the spirite of the Lorde did put on Gideon and he blew a trumpet and Abiezer was gathered together after hym 35 And he sent messengers through out al Manasseh and he also was ioyned wyth hym And he sent messengers vnto Aser and Zebulon and to Nephthali and they came vp to meete hym When the vprore seditions wer pacified which were stirred vp for a thing godlily done of Gideon God prouided that occasion shoulde be geuen whereby he might by Gideon geue vnto the Israelites the victory against their enemyes That thereby at the last they might vnderstand with howe muche godlines and profit the worshipping of Baal was taken away In the coÌ„ming of the enemyes the spirit of the Lord did put
imaginacion of the Crow there is such an alteration before the rayne that he beginneth to croke Wherfore the effects in the phantasy of those which ar on slepe and also in dede come vndoubtedly of the self same cause Yet haue they great diuersity by reasō of the subiectes in which they are made And it is not to be doubted but that there is a certayne slender and hidden similitude betweene these effectes But it is verye hard to vnderstand the reason of this proporcion or analogy And if we say that the starres are the cause of such effectes or affections who can refer these signes vnto his own propre cause Why diuinatiō by dreames is hard and vncertayne that is to some certayne starres more then to other Assuredly I suppose that there are very few I will not say none whiche can do it Farther if they shuld also be referred vnto propre starres what can we iudge to come to passe by them especially as touching things comming by happe whē as iudiciall Astrology is euermore counted moste vncertayne In fyne images similituds which ar sayd to portend things to come ar so doubtful vncertain ambiguous that we can affyrm nothing for certayn of thē Wherfore this is to be added that forasmuch as dreams cannot be broght to passe of one only cause but of many as we haue declared we shall easely fal into an error if we of those many causes chuse onely one certayne cause Therefore let vs hold this that is not easely to foretel any thing by dreames for that they may easlier de iudged by the euentes then the euentes can by them be foretold Wherefore there remayneth of dreames but onely a certayne suspicion whiche also of necessity is verye sclender A gate of horn a gate of puerye The two most noble Poetes Homere I say and Virgill made twoo gates of dreames the one of horne the other of yuery That of horne as they say pertayneth vnto the true dreames and that of yuery to false and they say that the gretest part passeth through the gate of yuery and not through that of horn Wherfore in iudging naturall dreames let vs not passe the measure of suspition nor stick to much in dreames forasmuch as it is not the duty of a christiā man to cleaue more then is conueniente vnto perillous and vncertayne coniectures bicause whilest they so busily apply them selfes to those things Of dreames sent ether of god or of the deuill To fore shewe any thynge by visions or dreames twoo thinges are required they neglect other things whiche are of greater wayght And the deuil very often times mingleth himself with those thinges to this entent eyther to cal vs back from good actions or els to driue vs to actions that are euell Nowe let vs see what we oughte to affirme of dreames sente of God or moued by the deuel When any thing by the work of god or of angels is in dreams foresene twoo thyngs are required The fyrste is that certayne notes or images of things which are shewed do inform or imprint the phantasy or imagination Secondly must be adioyned iudgement to vnderstand what those things at the last do portend As touching the first we must know that these notes and images are somtimes offred vnto the senses bicause of those things which God maketh outwardly to appeare as whē Balthazar the successor of Nebuchad-Naezar saw in the wall the fyngers of a hande which wrote as it appeareth in Daniel And somtimes without any outward sight are images and formes described in the imagination or phantasy which happeneth two maner of waies For either the formes or images which are kept in the minde are called backe to such vse as God hath entended as when to Ieremy was shewed a seething pot tourned to the North Or els newe formes are shewed whyche by the senses were neuer seene as if formes of coulours and images shoulde bee shewed vnto one blynde from hys byrth And in this kinde or prophesieng images or formes are in steede of letters Formes or images ar lyke letters For as they are ordered and disposed so sundry oracles are shewed Euen as in the diuers chaunging of letters orations and sentences are made diuers Teachers which instruct their scholers may by their study and industry of teaching fashion manifold images in the mindes of the hearers although they be not able to geue the iudgement and right vnderstanding But God ministreth both God somtimes geueth not vnto one to the selfe same man formes and the vnderstandyng of them They whych haue onely images are not simply prophecies not in dede alwaies together for to some sometimes he sheweth onely the formes as to Pharao and to his Butler and Baker also to the king of Babilon al which men needed an Interpretor namely Ioseph Daniel to expound their dreames And vndoubtedly those vnto whom are shewed onely the images of thinges to come are not truely and plainly counted Prophets forasmuch as they haue but onely a certaine degree beginning and in a maner a step of prophecye euen as Caiphas also the high Priest is not to be counted a Prophet when as hee spake those thinges which he knew not But why God would sometimes by dreames manifest vnto Kinges Princes thinges to come as now he doth there are two causes The one is bycause he had a regarde vnto the people and Nations whom they gouerned For if the penury which was at hand had not ben shewed vnto Pharao Egipt had vtterly bene destroyed by famine Secondly it was the counsel of the Lorde by these expositions of dreames to manifest vnto the world his Prophetes and holy men which before were hidden which thing the holy scriptures testifye happened in Ioseph and Daniel The Ethnike Historiographers also do write verye manye thinges of dreames which Princes sometimes saw Yea Tertulian and Tertulian in hys booke de Anima maketh mencion of certayn of those dreames as the dreame of Astyages of his daughter Mandane also of Philip of Macedonia and of Iulius Octauius whom M. Cicero being yet a boy thought he saw him in his dreame and being awake as soone as he met him he straightway knewe him And the same man telleth of certayne other also of this kinde But omitting these let vs by testimonies of the holy scriptures which shall easily be done confirm that certain dreames ar sent by God Mathew testifieth that Ioseph the housbande of Mary was in dreames thrise admonished by the Angel The wyfe also of Pilate had knowledge by a dreame and sent woorde to her housband that he should not condemne Christ being an innocent Peter in the Actes of the Apostles the x. chap. saw a sheete let downe from heauen And in the .xvi. chap. a man of Macedonia appeared vnto Paule and mooued him to go into Macedonia And the Lord commaunded the same Paule in a dreame that he should not depart from Corinthe bycause
them selues as though they wer not sufficiently described and expressed in the holy scriptures haue framed vnto themselues certaine armes tending very muche to this purpose None of them in a maner doo in their armes cary vertues but Lions Woulues Tigers Beares Eagles and such lyke whereby they rather set foorth their cruelty then vertue and goodnesse 22 And when the .300 men blew with trumpets the Lord set euery mans swoord vpon hys neyghbour and vpon all the hoste So the host fled vnto Beth-Hasittah in Zererath and to the border of Abel meolah vnto Tabath 23 Then the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphthali and out of Aser and out of al the tribe of Manasses and pursued after Madian This counsell or act of God is no new or vnaccustomed thing For so dyd he when Ionathas with his armour bearer came vnto the host of the Philistians as we reade in the first booke of Samuel And that is not vnlike whiche in the secōd booke of Paralip the .xx chap. is written of the battaile which in the time of Iehosaphat the king was fought with the Moabites and Ammonites For in those battailes also the enemies of the Israelites wounded one another And Goliah was by Dauid slayne with his own swoord And we also in these daies haue many times experience of the like benefites For when our aduersaries haue decreed by violence and force vtterly to oppresse vs by a wonderfull prouidence they haue turned their force against themselues and being letted by manye slaughters and warres they haue ceased from their enterprises most cruel 24 And Gideon sent messengers vnto al mount Ephraim saying Come downe agaynste the Madianites and take before them the waters euen vnto Beth-Bara and Iordan Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and tooke the waters vnto Beth Bara and Iorden 25 And they tooke twoo Princes of Madian Horeb and Zeb and slewe Horeb vpon the rocke of Horeb and slewe Zeb at the wynepresse of Zeeb And they pursued the Madianites And they broughte the heades of Horeb and Zeeb vnto Gideon beyonde Iorden Now were other of the Israelites gathered together as Aser Naphthali and Manasses Gideon also sent vnto the Ephraites that the victory which he had gotten might on euery syde haue a lucky ende He enuieth not to haue a companion of his glory when as yet he with a few put himselfe in great daunger I would to God we were so conioyned in the Church that when wee haue begone anye good and profitable institution we woulde for the performance of the same desire other to helpe vs but which is to be lamented as our sinnes do deserue we oftentimes let one an other Come down against the Madianites take before them the waters As touching these waters the Interpreters do varye Kimhi thinketh that it is not Iordane his reason is bicause it is added euen vnto Iordane R. Semoloh vnderstandeth that of those waters which deuideth Palestine or the lande of Chanaan from Siria and among those waters he rekoneth Iordane But the place of Beth-Bara is to be noted bicause of the first chap. of Iohn Beth-Bara where our translation hath Bethania which in dede lyeth farre distant from Iordane neither did Iohn there baptise those that came vnto hym But the Greeke text hath Bethabara Wherfore it is thought that this place whereof we now entreate is ther ment He commaundeth that the waters should strayghtway be preuented from those which fled whilest yet they were troubled with feare before they shoulde recouer strength vnto them againe We must not slowlye followe the victory For he knew that it was very much hurtfull for Capitaines slowlye and softlye to pursue the victorye Wherefore he addeth all speede least his enemies might haue space geuen them to vnderstande theyr errour and to renue their power again And therfore he commaundeth that with speede they should meete them that the victorye begone myght at the lengthe haue a full ende And they tooke twoo Princes The Ephraites accomplished that which Gideon commaunded in preuenting those that fled and they slew the Captains of the Madianites Horeb they slewe at the rocke which was afterwarde called by his name and Zeb in the wynepresse which Kimhi expoundeth as thoughe there were there a playne countrye Whose forme or figure was lyke a wynepresse The Ephraites brought the heades of the twoo Princes vnto Gideon beyonde Iordane This is supposed to be now put in by the figure Prolepsis for it is thought that it was not done tyll suche time as Gideon had returned frō the victory being finished In the meane time let vs consider the ignominy that god put those tyrannes vnto bringing their most proude heades vnder the power of the Israelites whom they counted for people very abiect and wonderfullye oppressed them with their cruelty It is thought that the head of Pompeius which was offered vnto Cesar dyd much encrease the calamity of that man It is also declared that the heade of Cicero was brought vnto Anthonius as a thing most myserable But nowe in fewe woordes we must touche the Allegory of this act An Allegory taken oute of the holy scriptures not vndoubtedly a vayne Allegorye but which is drawen out of the fountaines of the holy scriptures Esay in the .ix. chap. intreating of the redemption by Christ writeth in this maner The yoke of his burthen the staffe of his shoulder and the rod of his oppressor hast thou ouercome as in the daye of Madian By whyche woordes is shewed that this victorye is to be referred vnto that deliuerye from synne which by Christ we haue obtayned Neyther doo these trumpets portend any other thing then the preaching of the Gospel now spread abroade throughout the whole worlde For God geueth saluation vnto the worlde by the ministery and doctrine of the Church not as though this were sufficient but the pitchers being broken burning fyrebrandes are shewed foorth bicause by the death of Christ vpon the crosse the lyght of the holye ghost shyneth in the hartes of men and the cryes of prayers are adioyned from whence saluation commeth vnto the true Israelite ¶ The .viii. Chapter 1. THen the mē of Ephraim said vnto him Why hast thou done thys vnto vs that thou calledst vs not whē thou wētest to fight with the Madianites And they chode with him sharpely 2 To whom he answered What haue I nowe done in comparison of you Is not the gleanyng of grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer 3 God hath delyuered into your handes the Princes of Madian Horeb and Zeeb and what was I able to do in comparisō of you And when hee had thus spoken then their spirites abated towarde hym The Ephraits nobler thē they of Manasses THe Ephraites enuied Gideon bicause great glorye redounded vnto hym by this battaile That Tribe was much more noble then the Tribe of Manasses For Iacob when he blessed the sonnes of Ioseph stretching
a king neither do beggers enuy noble men We enuy those that are like equall vnto vs. And the likenesse is to be vnderstand as touching kinred riches beawty age witte dignity and such like The cause of Enuidence is not bycause we feare that some hurte is at hand of those whom we enuy for that should be feare But of a certayne hatred and stomacke we can not abide the prosperity of other men especially of our matches and like And therof Enuy is the cause Enuy is euermore counted euill and it is by the holy scriptures grieuously reproued For it is most manifestly against Charity For the Apostle said vnto the Corinth the 1. chap. Charity enuieth not Charitye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Paul taketh not properly there the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is turned enuy But to the Galathians he more playnly forbiddeth enuy writing Be not ye made desirous of vayne glory prouoking one an other and enuieng one an other Where not only Enuy is reproued Desire of glory is the mother of Enuy. but the mother of it is also shewed namely desire of glory As also we may in this history perceaue For the Ephraites enuied Gideon bycause the glory of so great a victory semed to redound vnto him And this affectioÌ„ is of force in all those things wherin we desire to excel Neither absteyneth it also from vertues for the enuious persons would not that his matches and like should excell him in any ornament of vertues But the cause why enuy is conuersant among like is this bycause although the prosperous fortune of like or matches doth take away none of our goods neither maketh vs lesser then we are yet the Enuious person so thinketh of the good things of other men as though by them his honor dignity gayne Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other ornamentes were darkened And this is not to be left vnspoken of that euery enuious person is one that reioyseth in an other mans hurte for he reioyseth in the aduersity of his equall Euery enuious mâ—nne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one that reioyâ—eth at another masâ—â—â—â— Yet are not these to be counted for one and the selfe same vice seyng they pertayne vnto contrary mocions of the mynde For Enuidence is a grief or sorow when he that reioyseth in an other mans hurte is affected with ioy Yet are these vices although they be diuerse otherwise so ioyned together that there is no enuious man whiche is not moued with the reioysing in the hurt of an other And hereby it manifestly appeareth that EnuideÌ„ce plainly is contrary vnto Mercy For it lamenteth an other maÌ„s misery but the enuious man reioyseth therin bicause of the disease of reioysing in the hurt of an other wherewith he is sicke Nemesis is ioned also with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that are affected with Nemesis want not also this motion of the mynde For he which is sory for the prosperous successe of wicked men the same man is also affected with pleasure when he seeth them oppressed and vexed The Latines haue no worde to expresse this kynde of ioye wherewith both the enuious man and he that hath Nemesis is affected in beholding an others mans prosperity Of emulation Lastly we must entreate of Emulation which is a grief of the minde whiche we conceaue for good things whiche happen vnto other whiche we want which we thinke should beautify vs would gladly attayne vnto them By this motioÌ„ of the minde we desire not that other meÌ„ should be depriued of their ornameÌ„ts but that grieueth vs bycause we our selues are destitute of theÌ„ And it is a point of a good nature in this maner to be affected therfore Emulation is numbred among laudable Affections Emulation is counted among laudable affections Cicero in his Tusculan questions defineth it to be a grief which procedeth of that that an other enioyeth that good thing whiche we desire The same writer obserueth also that Emulation is sometymes so taken that it nothing differeth from Enuidence wherfore it is sometymes reproued But if the definition therof be receaued as it is now alledged it is an affection laudable bycause it maketh men better for it vseth to bring forth the imitacion of good things We must beware that Emulation degenerate not into enuy Cicero Riuality is the enuy betwene two louing one woman The matter wherin Emulation is occupyed EmulatioÌ„ hath hope ioyned with it The Ephraites were sicke of Enuy and not of Emulation But we must take hede whiche vndoubtedly is easely done that it degenerate not into Enuy and EmulatioÌ„ procede not so farre that we should wish that men fortunate and noble and also wise men might be spoyled of theyr ornamentes good things Wherfore Cicero sayd that that Emulation is laudable which is not like vnto riuality For this is the nature of those that be Riuales so to enioy their delightes that they vtterly exclude all other But addyng these cautions Emulation is both good and holy Wherfore Paul exhorted the Corinthians to emulate Charity and the chiefest giftes This affection is chiefly occupied about vertues and al thinges which are had in honour and admiracioÌ„ For that which a man contemneth and dispyseth he vseth not to emulate Emulation hath Hope coÌ„tinually ioyned with it of obteyning that which it desireth For if a man should dispayre it is not possible that he should emulate And thus much of these affections Wherfore we gather that the Ephraites were moued with enuy against Gideon bycause they would haue him depriued of the glory whiche he had gotten Neither contended they so bycause they studyed to do the like although peradueÌ„ture they made that their pretence But Gideon maketh not mentioÌ„ vnto them of his vocation labour industry loue of his countrey his good acte such other thinges which might haue serued to the amplifieng of hys deserte towarde the people and of his dignity For by that meanes he should the more haue moued them to enuy but after a sort he gaue place vnto them interpreteth their affection as though it were an honest emulatioÌ„ And teacheth them that they haue now the fruit of this affectioÌ„ bycause they had not only imitated him but they had done more then he had accomplished But now let vs returne vnto the History 4 And Gideon came vnto Iorden to passe ouer he and the 300. meÌ„ that were with him weary yet pursuing them 5 And he sayd vnto the men of Succoth Geue I pray you morsels of bread vnto this people that are at my fete for they are weary I will follow after Zebah and Zalmonah Kinges of Madian 6 And one of the princes of Succoth sayd Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmonah now in thine hande that we should geue bread vnto thine army 7 Gideon then sayd Therfore when the Lorde hath deliuered Zebah Zalmonah into myne hand then I will beate
woord Netiphoth is deriued of Nataph which signifieth to drop For that woord signifieth a drop namely that is odoriferous That was enclosed in smal vessels either of gold or of syluer that with them both the necke might be adorned and the nose fylled with a most swete smel Of the vse of carynges But the ornament of earinges was most auncient and vsed in the time of Abraham For his seruant gaue vnto Rebecca bracelets when he desired to haue her for a wyfe for Isaac his Maisters Sonne The Romanes also sometimes vsed them as we may gather out of Platus in Epidico Doest thou not remember sayth he that I brought thee an earing on thy byrth day The Egiptians also vsed them for it is written of Cleopatra that she tooke from her eare a most precious pearle and dissolued it in vineger wheÌ„ she contended with Antonius for a sumptuous preparation of a banket The Carthaginenses also wer decked with bracelets as Plautus in Penulo testifieth For thus he writeth And as I suppose they haue no fingers on their hands bicause they go with ringed eares Gideon tooke also purple garmentes but whither he vsed them to his purpose Ephod it appeareth not He made an Ephod The Hebrewe woord Aphad is to binde or to gird whereof this nowne is deriued signifieng a garment which compassed the shoulders and then it was bound together and it after a sorte girded together the inward coate Gideon did therfore make this ornament to be a monument of the victory which he had gotten as some write in which thing if he sought his own glory he cannot but be blamed But if this were onely his desyre to keepe in perpetual memory the benefite of God he is not to be accused for as much as oftentimes such monumentes were erected as the holy scriptures testify Iacob erected a stone wheÌ„ he went in to Mesopotamia and whilest he fled from Laban in Gilead he builded a great heape of stones together And it were to long to rehearse all the monumentes or tokens whiche were in the old time set among the people of God that the memory of the benefites of God should not be forgotten Gideon made an Ephod and vsed a sygne not so apt and conuenient Wherin Gideon synned He mought haue written a song as Barac and Deborah did or erected a pyller or some suche like thyng God had not commaunded in the law to make an Ephod to this vse but onely that the Priestes should put it on when they should doo sacrifice Neyther is it needeful now to describe the forme of this garment for as much as in Exodus it is most manifestly set forth this thing onely I wil admonish you of Twoo kynde of Ephodes that there were two kindes of it as the holy scriptures declare as Ierome both to Marcella to Fabiola against Iouinianus the first booke testifieth There was one which onely the high Priest vsed It was made of purple violet coulour sylke scarlet it had gold wrought in it suÌ„dry kindes of most precious stones There was also an other which was called Ephod bad that is a linnen Ephod whyche the Leuites also vsed in holy seruices Wherfore in the .1 of Samuel the .2 chap. we reade that Hanna made euery yeare for Samuel a litle coate and an Ephod when she had then offred him vnto the Lord to minister at the tabernacle Yea and Dauid being girt with an Ephod daunced before the Arke of the Lord. The children also of Dauid were girt with an Ephod But Gideon made his a pontifical and precious Ephod for the other kinde was simple of linneÌ„ wherefore he should not haue neded so great cost to make such a one For there wer gathered as the history teacheth a thousand seuen hundreth as manye expound theÌ„ sicles of gold Some suppose that Gideon did therfore make an Ephod that eueÌ„ as Micha durst take vpoÌ„ him to haue a holy ministry at home in his own house so did Gideon now attempt the same But of this sentence we wyll afterwarde speake when we declare Augustines minde of this thing But nowe following the interpretation which we haue alreadye begon which is of those which say that Gideon made this to remaine as a signe and monument of the benefite of God geuen vnto the Hebrues this I iudge is to be added that the vulgare men began to haue in admiration the signe which was set vp and as they wer prone to superstitions they iorneyed thither and offred peace offringes there whych thing was a ruine and snare vnto them for by title and litle they fel into idolatry Neither was Gideon without blame For he erected the monument abused the signe when he saw how the people fel yet tooke he not away that monument but rather winked at it Ezechias afterward did more rightly who when he saw the people offer insence vnto the brasen serpent he brake it downe Certaine Rabbines labour to excuse Gideon bycause wyth a good mynde he caused the Ephod or monument of the benefite of God to bee made but the Israelites misused it But they go about that in vaine for as much as the scripture sayth that it turned to the destruction of Gideon and his house Augustine intreating of this place Augustine thinketh that the figure of Synechdoche is here to be vnderstand so that by this word Ephod al priestly ornamentes may be noted as though Gideon would in his Citye haue an holye ministery which was plainly against the wil of God who had appointed to be worshipped at the Arke of the couenant That was no other thing then to plucke away men from the tabernacle of God after a sort to deuide the church Gideon the people did not saith Augustine sacrifice vnto idols but with these garmentes they constituted a worshipping vnto the true God in Gideon his house that is in Ophra But forasmuch as they did otherwise then God had prescribed they fell therfore into a certaine kinde of Idolatry And that Gideon worshipped not idols it doth not onely hereby appeare in that he ouerthrew the altar of Baal cut downe his groue and offred vpon the alter of God the bullocke consecrated vnto Baal but also bicause the people al his life time as we shal straightwaye heare are sayde not to haue woorshipped Baal This woord whooring is to be vnderstand Methaphorically The Methaphore of whoâ—tyng which is a thing very coÌ„mon in the scriptures For the Church is the Spouse of God and therefore it ought to worship him onely and to depend onely of him Wherfore euen as a maried woman if she leauing her own husband follow other men is counted an harlot and vnchaste euen so also the Churche when it forsaketh the worshipping of the true God and geueth place to supersticions is iustlye called a harlot and an adultresse And this is it whiche is nowe wrytten that the chyldren of Israel went a whooryng after
it is geuen it is freely geuen Moreouer we dayly heape sinnes vpō sinnes wherfore god in withdrawing it is not to be accused of iniustice For he cōpelleth no man to do euill but euery man willingly sinneth wherfore the cause of sinne is not to be layd in him The cause of is not to be sayd in God For seyng he procreateth not in vs wicked desires he ought not to beare the blame if wicked actions doo spring out of a corrupt roote of wicked affections yea the goodnes of God is rather to be acknowledged whiche is present and so gouerneth the wicked affections that they can not burst forth nor be hurtefull and troublesome to any but when he hath appointed to chasten some and to call them backe to repētaunce or to punishe them Neither ought we to thinke that after the sinne of the first man Whence ou◠frowardnesse springeth God created a wicked lust and euill affection to corrupte all our whole kynde It was not so done but nature when it departed from God fell by it selfe from lyght to darkenes from the right way to vice and from integrity to corruptiō And how good so euer it was before it nowe degenerated into euill Wherefore let this be holden for certayn that sinne entred into the world by men and not by God as Paul testifieth to the Romanes And in that Christ saith Synne entred into the world by man not by God that the deuill when he lieth speaketh of his owne it is not to be vnderstand onely of himself but also of his members whiche when they lye or do euill worke not by the worde of God neither are they moued by the inspiration of the good spirite And they excedingly reioyce and haue great pleasure in those thinges whiche they do so farre is it of that they should be compelled by any violence Moreouer we must note Of permission that when either the Scriptures or fathers doo seme to affirme God to be the cause of sinne this worde permission is not then so to be added as thoughe he onely suffred men to synne and by hys prouidence or gouernement wrought nothing as concerning sinnes In dede he letteth thē not thoughe he can but vseth them and sheweth in them his myght and not onely his pacience Augustine whiche thing Augustine vnderstood right well and in disputing agaynste Iulianus he confuteth that sentence wherin it is sayd that God suffreth sinne only according vnto pacience and proueth that his might is also therunto to be added by the wordes of Paul who wrote vnto the Romaynes If God by much pacience hath suffred vessels of wrath prepared for destruction to shewe forth his anger to make knowē his might And vndoubtedly there are many things in the holy scriptures which can not alwayes be dissolued by the worde of permission or pacience For the heart of the kyng is sayd to be in the hād of the Lord so that he inclineth it whether soeuer it pleaseth him And Iob testefieth that it was so done as god would But as touching the sinne of the first man when yet nature was not viciated and corrupted Of the sinne of the first man we graunt that the cause therof came from the wil of Adam and suggestion of the deuil and we say that God permitted it bycause when he might haue withstanded and letted it he would not do it but decreed to vse that sinne to declare his iustice and goodnes ¶ Whether we can resiste the grace of God or no. BVt now ariseth an other doubt as touching our nature as it is now fallen corrupt whether it can resiste the grace of God his spirite beyng present or no There ar sundry degrees of grace of God I thinke we must cōsider that there are as it wer sundry degrees of the helpe or grace of God for his might aboūdance is sometymes so great that he wholy boweth the will of man doth not onely Counsel but also persuade And when it so commeth to passe we can not departe from the right waye but we are of Gods side and obey his sentence Wherfore it was sayd vnto Paul It is hard for thee to kycke agaynst the prycke There is no violēce or coaction inferred to mans will And yet must we not thinke that when it is so done there is any violence or coaction brought vnto the will of man for it is by a pleasaunt mouyng and conuersion altered and that willing but yet so willing that the will therof cōmeth of God for it is it which willeth but God by a stronge and most mighty persuasion maketh it to will But somtymes that power of God and spirit is more remisse which yet if we wil put therunto our endeuor apply our will we should not resiste yea we should obey his admonishmentes and inspirations and when that we do it not we are therfore sayd to resiste him and oftentymes fall And yet this is not to be vnderstand as touching the first regeneration but as concerning those whiche are regenerated whiche are now endewed with grace and spirite For the will of the vngodly is so corrupt and vitiate that except it be renewed it can not geue place vnto the inspirations of God and admonishynges of the holy ghost it in the first immutatiō of mās conuersion it onely suffreth and before the renewyng it continually as much as in it is resisteth the spirite of God But the first parentes whilest they were perfect if with the helpe of grace beyng somewhat remisse they had adioyned theyr endeuor they might haue perfectly obeyed the commaundementes of God But we although we be renewed seyng grace is more remisse remitting nothing of our endeuor we shall not be able constantly and perfectly to obey the commaundementes of God but yet we may be able to containe our selues within the boundes or limites of an obediēce begon whiche thyng bycause we do not therfore oftentymes we sinne and greuously fall Why the grace of god worketh not alyke alwayes in vs. But why God geueth not his grace alwayes to his electe after one sorte and one increase but sometymes he worketh in them more strongly and sometymes more remissedly two reasons may be assigned First least we should thinke the grace of God to be naturall strengthes which remayne alwayes after one sorte Wherfore god would most iustly alter the degree efficacy of his helpe wherby we myght vnderstand that it is gouerned by hys wil not as we lust Moreouer it oftentimes happeneth that our negligence slouthfulnes deserueth this variety Lastly let vs conclude the matter that if we wil speake properly it is not to be sayd that God either willeth or bringeth forth sinne in that it is sinne for what soeuer God willeth whatsoeuer he doth it is good But sinne in that it is sinne is euil Wherfore god neither willeth nor doeth it in that it is sinne yea he detesteth prohibiteth
those that are predestinate vnto saluation but to the vngodlye impenitent to their greater damnation God did not these thinges as thoughe he had a pleasure in the euils of men or that he woulde satisfye himselfe after thys maner for that thing onely Iesu Christ vpō the crosse performed but that they which ar fallen may be called backe into the right way vices corrected and his iustice declared And the Israelites do not onely cal vpon God but also humbly acknowledge and submissedly confesse their synnes For they knewe that God heareth not synners except they repent 11 And the Lord said vnto the children of Israel Haue not I delyuered you from the Egiptians and Ammorhites and children of Ammon and Pelisthim 12 Moreouer the Zidonites and Abimelech and the Moabites oppressed you and ye cryed vnto me and I delyuered you out of their handes 13 But ye haue forsaken me and haue serued straunge Gods therfore I wyll delyuer you no more 14 Go and crye vnto the Gods whom ye haue chosen let them saue you in the tyme of your trouble Howe God answered the Israelites When the people called vpon the Lorde and began to repent God in deede answered them but yet sharpely and hardly He answered peraduenture by the high Priest which had Vrim and Thumim by hym counsell was asked of God publikely It may also be that some Prophet was stirred vp by whō God spake The Hebrues thinke that God answered by Pinchas whom they say lyued vntil the time of Elias but that they faine without any testimony of the holye scriptures And if we looke vpon the time Pinchas was at the least .330 yeares before these thinges were done Why God answered so sharplye But let vs see why God answered so hardly vnto the Hebrues namely that the people should repēt and that not vulgarly but with stable and firme constancy It is as much as if he should haue said ye woulde be deliuered that when ye are deliuered ye may woorship straunge Gods againe For who can beleue that ye wil not hence foorth depart frō me Haue ye not called vpon me at other times and as soone as ye were deliuered ye fell from me I haue deliuered you from the Egiptans Ammorhites Ammonites Philistians Zidonians Amalechites and Maonites but ye begon straightway to worshippe straunge Gods a fresh For it was a thing most vnmeete that they which ar by God set at liberty should take vpon them to worship Idoles of many nations A moste sharpe Irony Go and cry vnto your Gods whom ye haue chosen Doth God commaund vs to sinne No vndoubtedly There are sundry figures in the holy scriptures which vnles we diligently marke we shal easely fall into most grieuous errors This exprobation which is set foorth by an Irony is most grieuous as though he would haue said Now at the length ye haue tried and ye vnderstand what your Gods can doo The same Irony vsed Elias towarde the Prophetes of Baal Cry saith he more loude peraduenture your God is on sleepe or is in hys sommer parler He dyd not commaunde them to crye but more attentiuelye to marke what god they woorshipped This is therfore an ironious oration and a most bytter taunt ¶ How God sayth that he wyl not geue that whych he wyl geue and contrarily HE saith he wyl not helpe them and yet afterward he helped them Did Godlye therfore No vndoubtedly but as yet the repentaunce of the people was not come vnto that point that he would haue it according to that state and condicion that they were then in he saith he wil not helpe them For God knoweth the momentes of times So vseth a Phisicion to handle his Patient when hee requireth wine in his burning and heate of his feuer I wyll not geue it sayth he not bicause hee will neuer geue it but bicause hee knoweth when it shal be profitable vnto him A similitude Againe the sicke person desireth a purgation the Phisition denieth him it bicause he wil first haue the humors wel concocted that they may the easelier be educed so doth God now with his people And this is no vnaccustomed forme of speaking in the scriptures The Lord said vnto Moses Suffer my wrath to kindle that in a moment I may destroye them These things he said when as yet he would spare the people but the praiers of Moses pacefied God and therfore he would haue them inflamed and his affection faith increased In Mathew the woman of Canaan cried vnto Christ but he as though he would not heare her passed by saying nothing Then shee being more instant I am not saith he sent but to the sheepe which hathe peryshed of the house of Israel And she not yet ceasing he called her Dogge It is not good saith he to take the childrens breade and geue it vnto Dogges and yet had he euen from the beginning decreed to help her But first he would haue her faith brought to light that it might be knowen by all meanes And in an other place vnder the parable of one that desired breade he saith To whom the good man of the house which was within answered I and my children are in bed And the other being instant by his importunity obtained as many loaues as he would So in this place God aunswereth that he wyll not helpe God is not chāged but wyll haue vs chāged namely that people as they were then For their repentaunce was not at that instantful God chaungeth not his sentence but wil haue vs more and more chaunged Ieremy in his .xviii. chap. saith If I shall speake euyl against any nacion and that nation shal repent I wil also repent me of that euyl which I said I would do And that Ieremy might the manifestlier vnderstande the thinges that were spoken he bad him go into the house of a Potter wher he saw the Potter make a vessell of claye which was broken in the handes of the woorkeman But the Potter made againe an other vessel of the same clay So saith the Lord If they repent I wyl also repent I doo now make for them euill thinges but for euyll thinges I wyll make good and yet as I haue saide he chaungeth not his sentence bicause suche threatninges and promises doo depende vpon a condicion which is sometimes chaunged when as God yet abideth the selfe same Of thys thyng right well wryteth Chrisostome vpon Genesis in hys .xxv. Homely The Lord commaund Noe to builde an Arke and threatned that after 120. yeares he woulde destroye all mankinde by a flood but when in the meane tyme they nothing at all profited he cut of twenty yeares and sent the flood in the hundred yeare and yet was not god chaunged but the condicion of men varyed The same Chrisostome also vpon Mathew in his .65 Homely when he interpreteth this Verely I say vnto you ye which haue forsaken all thynges c. demaundeth Was not Iudas one of the twelue
may be absolued and so one is punished for an other mans faulte The maner of punishing the tenth souldier But GOD as it is sayde doth no manne iniurye for he whiche dyeth was subiecte vnto death and GOD directeth hys death to a good ende namely to helpe other that is that by thys meanes eyther the parentes or the prynces maye bee reuoked vnto repentaunce or to establyshe discipline But those thynges whiche we haue sayde can by no meanes bee vnderstande of spirituall and eternall paynes For as touching them euery man shall suffer for hys owne faulte Nowe lette vs expounde the woordes of the lawe I sayeth he am a Ielous God visityng the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the chyldren vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Ierome Augustine These last woords Ierome vppon Ezechiel the .18 chapter diligently noteth And Augustine vpon Iosua in the question before alledged Of those sayeth GOD which hate me as though he should haue sayd I wyll not touch the innocents but will take vengeaunce of their iniquity which imitate euill Fathers and hath me After the same manner he promiseth to doo good vnto children and chyldrens chyldren euen vnto a thousande generations But to what chyldren Euen to those sayeth he that loue me Wherefore thoughe the Father bee vngodly and the sonne good the iniquitye of the father shall nothyng hurte hym But if the father bee good and the sonne wicked the godlynes of the father shall nothyng profyte hym And therefore Ierome sayeth He auengeth the iniquitye of the Fathers vpon the children not bycause they had euyll parentes but bycause they imitate theyr parentes The woordes themselues doo sufficiently declare that the lawe is not to bee vnderstande of Originall synne but of that synne whiche they call actuall For then shall the sonne beare the iniquitye of the Father when he lykewyse synneth as dyd the Father Also the wordes of Ezechiel can not bee vnderstande of Originall synne as that whiche followeth easely declareth Although thys sentence that the soule whiche sinneth it shal dye maye bee vnderstande of Originall synne Euery manne hath in himself his proper originall sinne For euery manne hath in hymselfe a corrupte nature and a prones vnto euill Wherefore euery manne beareth hys owne synne For althoughe that vice were by originall drawen of the parentes yet nowe is it made ours But thou wilte saye seyng in the lawe it is sayde Of them whiche hate me and infantes for as much as they hate not God therefore it can not pertayne vnto them I aunswer That in act in dede they hate not God but by corruption of nature and prones vnto euill So a woolfe that is at full age deuoureth a sheepe A younge woolfe whiche is but a whelpe doth it not not bycause it hath not the nature of the father but bycause it is not able And thus muche as touching the wordes of the lawe But why it is sayde vnto the thirde and fourth generation and not vnto the fyft and sixt we haue hearde what Augustine hath aunswered But in my iudgement we maye saye muche more commodiously that the parentes may lyue vnto the thirde and fourth generation GOD woulde therefore so punyshe the Fathers in the thirde and fourth generation that by that punyshement of theyr posterity some feelyng myght come vnto them they beyng yet on lyue that they myght see the miseryes of theyr neuewes childrens chyldren For thys cause the holy Scripture extendeth those generations no farther When the posteritye are euill and are punished of GOD there is no doubte but that the parentes are punyshed also in them Chrisostome vpon Genesis the. 29. Homely when he interpreteth these woordes Cursed be Chanaan c. But he synned not sayeth he but hys father Cham. That is true in deede he aunswereth but Cham was a greate deale more sharpely touched with that curse then if it had bene pronounced agaynste hymselfe Thys is the powre and fatherly affection to bee more vexed with the afflictions of theyr chyldren then with theyr owne Wherefore Cham dyd not onely see that hys sonne should be euill and subiecte vnto the curse but also he sawe that he hymselfe shoulde bee punished in hym This nowe resteth to bee declared why amonge the Proprietyes of the mercye of GOD this also was recited before Moses Visityng the iniquitye of the Fathers vpon the children when as this seemeth rather to pertayne vnto seuerity But it is not so yea rather if we looke more narrowly vpon the place we shall vnderstande that it is a pointe of mercy For where the sinne was firste committed he myght strayghtwaye if he woulde iustly bee reuenged But he is so good that he wyll defer the vengeaunce vnto the thirde and fourth generation and in the meane tyme calleth backe the father to repentaunce by admonitions of the Prophetes by sermons and benefites and many other wayes At the laste when the thirde and fourth generation is come and he made neuer a whitte the better he goeth to stripes and yet he doth not then vse affliction as the laste punishement but rather as a medecine Who seeth not that all this is a woorke of greate mercye Wherefore iustly and woorthily are these wordes numbred amonge the proprietyes of mercye And it can not bee denyed but that the Prophetes were oftentymes afflicted together with the people For Ezechiel and Daniel were led awaye into captiuity and Ieremy was caste into prison and wonderfully vexed in the tyme of the siege and afterwarde goyng with the Hebrues into Egypte he was slayne For God will haue the thyng in thys manner ordered that good men may not onely ryghtly gouerne their own lyfe but also in suffryng thynges greuous they may admonishe and bryng to amendement the euill For they are conuersant together with them in the same publique wealth and Churche and are after a sorte members of one body It profiteth the iust that they are wrapped in the same punishmentes with the wicked Wherfore the good ought thus to thinke with thēselues If God afflicte the euill we also shal be vexed together with them we shall all be wrapped with the selfe same punishement Therefore we must see that we labour for them in reprouyng and prayng for them for theyr saluation beyng neglected shall bryng euilles also vnto vs. After thys sorte we muste vnderstande Augustine when he sayeth that GOD by thys meanes establysheth discipline amonge men Bycause if the people bee afflicted for their kynges and the sonne for the father then must they labour and trauayle one for an other Neither yet do good men so lyue without sinne that God can finde nothyng in them to punishe Althoughe the afflictions whiche happen vnto the godly The afflictiōs of the godly ar not properly punishmentes can not as it is sayde be properly called afflictions but rather excercises of fayth For so God trieth theyr fayth and whatsoeuer he doth in them he turneth it
the enemyes of the olde Testament snatche occasion to speake euill of GOD the creator of the world For they called hym both an euyll GOD and a cruell Suche were the Maniches Valentinians Marcionites and suche lyke pestilences When he delighteth saye they in the bloude of manne howe can he not but bee cruell Augustine aunswereth God reioyseth not in bloud So farre is it of that GOD reioyseth in the bloude of man that he reioyseth not euen in the bloude of beastes onely he suffred for a tyme that sacrifices of beastes shoulde be offred by lytle and lytle to instructe men But what the Sacrifices of the Elders signified whiche serued to theyr erudition in that place What the sacrifices of the Elders signified he declareth not but I will in fewe woordes shewe it First was set foorth in those Sacrifices that the rewarde of sinne is death And that dyd he after a sorte testifie whiche brought the Sacrifice namely that he had deserued to be kylled but by the goodnes of GOD hys death was transferred to the Sacrifice By thys meanes were the Elders instructed that they should eschewe synnes Farther those Sacrifices directed the myndes of menne vnto Christe and they were certayne visible sermons of hym and taught that Christ shoulde bee that Sacrifice whiche shoulde take awaye the sinnes of the worlde and vpon whom our death and damnation should be transferred God mought haue required humane sacrifices Wherefore GOD of hymselfe delyghted not in bloude but by thys schoolyng he instructed his people Yea if he had delyghted in Sacrifices he mought haue required them of the number of menne For what should haue letted hym or what iniury shoulde he haue doone vs if he woulde haue had Sacrifices of menne offred vnto hym For manne must needes sometymes dye Wherefore to preuent the tyme one yeare or two it woulde not haue bene so grieuous neither shoulde he haue doone vs any iniurye chiefly when we shoulde vnderstande that with hym we shoulde lyue for euer Vndoubtedly in thys thyng no manne coulde haue accused GOD as cruell But nowe seyng he hath remoued all those holy seruices he manifestly teacheth that he reioyseth not neither in the bloude of menne God woulde haue the firste borne of menne redemed and not sacrificed nor in the bloude of beastes Yea the firste borne of menne when they were bounde vnto hym he woulde not haue them Sacrificed but redemed with a price whiche he woulde not haue doone if he had taken any pleasure in bloude In Deuteromy the .12 chapter he sayeth The Nation whiche I wyl expell before thee doo Sacrifice theyr sonnes and daughters but see that thou do not so Certayne kyllynges of men are acceptable vnto God But Augustine demaundeth farther whether there be any slaughter of men whiche is acceptable vnto GOD Hee aunswereth that there is But what slaughter When menne sayeth he are kylled for ryghteousnes sake not that the death of Martyrs of it self pleaseth GOD but bicause faith towardes God piety is by that Martyrdomes are lyke sacrifices both declared and also kept And the death of Christ so pleased God that it redemed the whole worlde and the death of Christians whiche they suffer in Christes name may be called after a sorte a Sacrifice Wherefore Paul in the .2 to Timo. the last chapter writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I sacrifice c. in whiche saying he calleth his death an immolation And to the Phil. the .2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The martirdomes of men make not satisfaction for sins but if I offre in an oblation and seruice of our fayth And yet do not such sacrifices make satisfaction for sinnes for that doth the death of Christe onely But the death of Martirs are acceptable because the cause is thankefull Augustine was baptised of Ambrose and being wōderfully affectioned toward him he followeth his opinion as his Scholemayster asmuch as he may but somwhat more warely He cōpareth Iiphtah with Abraham but he putteth a difference whyche Ambrose noted not Abraham saythe he had the woorde of god to sacrifice his sonne so had not Iiphtah yea rather he had the law against him that he shoulde not sacrifice And in Abraham not the death pleased god but the faith Farther there is great difference for a man to do any thinge of himself and to haue a will to doo those thinges that are commaunded him And Augustine doth subtilly admonish Iiphtah vowed an human◠sacrifice as Augustine thinketh that Iiphtah vowed an humane sacrifice not deceaued but willinglye Whatsoeuer sayth he shall come out of my house I will offer it for a burnte offringe c. Doo we thinke that beastes woulde come forth to meete him returninge home Men vse to go and mete such as haue the victory and to reioyse Wherfore he vowed an humane sacrifice The scripture only maketh mencyon of this acte but praiseth it not as also it is there written that Iudas had to do with his daughter in law but it is not allowed So there can nothing be gathered by these wordes The rashenes of the father is punished in the death of the children why the acte of Iiphtah should be praysed Farther Augustine thinketh with Ierome that god woulde punish the rashenes of the vow in the father by the death of hys daughter But there are two places sayth he why I cannot reprehend Iiphtah Because in the Epistle to the Hebrewes he is numbred among the saints in this place it is written that the spirite of the Lord was vpon him But those holy men which are rekoned vnto the Hebrewes did they neuer sinne Vndoubtedly their sinnes also ar set forth in the holy scriptures Gideon who is in the number a little before his deth made an Ephod which was the destructiō both of himself of his house But as touchinge the other place The sprite of the Lorde came vpon hym But this nothing letteth but that afterward he might fall But Iiphtah thou wilte saye had the victory but Gidion after that acte nothing went well with him Yea rather sayth he Gideon did before after a sort tempt God yet he had the victory So much of Augustine But I would say otherwise For I agree not with Augustine to thinke that Gidion tēpted God Therfore I would aunswere after this maner Dauid cōmitted aduoutry straightway afterward obteined the victory toke the city Rabath-Ammon in whose siege he prepared that Vrias should be slayne Saule persecuted Dauid in the meane time there were brought him messengers from the Philistians He leauing Dauid went to war and obteined the victory Moses sinned at the waters of strife the people also hadde sinned many waies and yet they obteyned the victorye agaynste Sihon and Og moste myghtye Kynges Wherefore wee will graunte that Iiphtah was numbred amonge the Sayntes and yet he mighte sinne and althoughe he synned he obteyned the victorye And we wil graunt that
other suche lyke thinges For that for as muche as it was in their mynde or imaginatiue faculty it might well be done by formes images and visions Angels appearing in humane bodyes wer not men Nowe remayne there twoo thynges to be diligently wayghed One is whither Aungels when they after this sorte put on humane bodyes maye bee called men I thynke not For if we vnderstande humane fleshe whiche is formed and borne of a reasonable soule vndoubtedlye Aungels after that maner cannot be sayd to haue humane fleshe What then wyll some man saye Were the senses deceaued when men sawe them Not so For the senses iudge onelye outwarde thinges and suche thinges as appeare But what inwardlye impelleth or moueth those thinges which they see they iudge not That longeth to reason to seeke and searche out Thys also is to be added that Aungels dyd not continually retayne these bodies bicause they were not ioyned vnto them in one and the selfe same substaunce So that an Aungell and a bodye were made one person The holy ghost was not the Dooue nor the Doue the holye Ghost The holy ghost also although it was a true Dooue where he descended yet was not he together one substaunce with it Wherefore the Dooue was not the holye ghost nor the holy ghost the Dooue Otherwyse Aungels may as we haue before taught enter in deede into a bodye before made and whiche before had hys being as it is read of the Aungell whiche spake in the Asse of Baalam and of the Deuyll which by the Serpent talked wyth Eue. But at thys present we dispute not of that kynde but onelye saye that Aungels woorking in thys manner in the bodies of creatures are not ioyned vnto them in one and the selfe same substaunce Wherefore the Asse coulde not be called an Aungell neyther was the Aungell an Asse euen as the serpent was not in very deede the Deuyl neyther was the Deuyll the Serpent The sonne of God is God man But the Sonne of God for as much as he tooke vpon him humane nature was man and man was God bycause of one and the selfe same substaunce wherein were twoo natures But before when he appeared vnto Abraham and to the Fathers although he had true fleshe yet bycause it was not ioyned vnto hym in one and the selfe same substaunce he could not be called fleshe neither was flesh God But afterwarde when he tooke vpon hym both fleshe and soule so that there was onely one substance or person then man was God and God man Whereby it came to passe that he shoulde trulye bee borne that hee should dye and redeeme mankinde Wherefore he dyd truely call hym selfe the sonne of man and in Iohn he sayth ye seeke to kyl me a man whiche haue tolde you the truth And in the Scriptures it is sayd Made of the seede of Dauid And Peter in the Actes ye haue kylled sayth he a man appoynted you of God And Esay Behold sayth he a virgin shall conceaue and beare a Sonne These words haue great force For vnlesse Christe had bene true man a Virgin coulde not haue conceiued him neither haue brought him foorth nor called him her sonne This thing Tertulian prudently marked If he had bene a straunger sayth he Tertulian a Virgin coulde not either haue conceaued him or borne him The Aungell also saluted Mary after this maner Be not afraid sayd he thou shalt conceaue c. Elizabeth sayd How happeneth this to me that the mother of my Lorde shoulde come vnto me If she had Christ onely as a Straunger she coulde not be called hys Mother The Aungell also sayde Blessed be the fruite of thy wombe But how could it haue bene sayde the fruite of her wombe if he had brought a body wyth hym from heauen And in Esay it is wrytten A rod shall come oute of the roote of Iesse and a floure shall ascende out of his roote Iesse was the stocke Mary the braunch but Christ is the floure which tooke his body of her Mathew also thus beginneth his Gospell The booke of the generacion of Iesus Christe the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham If Christ brought a bodye from heauen how was he the sonne of Abraham or Dauid Farther the promise made to Abraham of Christ is in this sorte In thy seede shall all nacions be blessed Paul intreating of these woordes to the Galathians He sayde not sayth he in seedes as though in many but in thy seede whych is Christe And in the Epistle to the Romanes wee reade Of whom is Christe according vnto the fleshe All these thynges prooue most apeartly that Christ was true man and in hym was one substaunce of God and man These thinges cannot be sayd of the Aungels neither of the Sonne of God before he was borne of the Virgin although whylest he appeared he had true fleshe as we haue before sayde but yet not ioyned vnto hym in one and the selfe same substaunce neither could it be sayde of the holy ghost that he was in very deede a Dooue althoughe that wherein he once appeared was a true Dooue And in this sense wrote Tertulian those thynges whych we haue before cited whych thinges being not wel vnderstoode might breede either error or offence vnto the Readers Now resteth the other question Whither Aungels did in very deede eate drink whē they appeared Scotus Whyther Aungels clothed wyth bodyes taken dyd in verye deede eate and drinke Of the Schoolemen some thinke that they dyd eate in verye deede and other denye it Scotus thynketh that to eate is nothyng els then to chawe meate and to conueyghe it downe into the bellye And thys thyng dyd the Aungels wherefore he gathereth that they dyd eate in very deede Other thynke that to eate is not onely to chawe the meate or to conueyghe it downe into the bellye but moreouer to conuert it into the substaunce of hys bodye by concoction thoroughe the power of vegitacion Thys for as muche as the Aungels dyd not therefore they dyd not eate in very deede The booke of Thobias The booke of Tobias is not in the Canon of the Hebrewes but yet it might be applyed vnto our purpose but that there is variaunce in the copyes For in that booke which Munster set foorth in Hebrue in the .xii. chapter Raphael the Aungell sayth I seemed to you to eate and to drinke but I dyd not eate neyther drynke The common translacion hath I seemed to you to eate and to drinke But I vse inuisible meate and drinke Neyther text denyeth but that the Aungell dyd after a certayne maner eate Augustine But whatsoeuer may be gathered of those woordes me thinketh the interpretacion of Augustine is to be receaued in his .iii. booke de Trinitate the .22 chap. where he thus writeth The Angels did eate in very dede but not for neede but to contract custome and familiarity with men Wherefore when in the one text it is said
without the good will of the parentes are whoredomes fornications and aduoutries the master of the sentences aunswereth that that is true not bycause such mariages are in very deede such but bycause they assemblyng together secretly among thēselues priuely without the parents knowledge are wont to be counted as whoremongers and adulterers but yet the matrimony abideth ratified and is firme bicause of the wordes of the present tense which wer therin vsed Also Thomas Aquinas in the same place Thomas Aquina◠is of the same iudgement and vnto that whiche is brought out of Paul vnto the Ephesians where he sayth children obey your parentes in al things He answereth that that is to be vnderstand of those things wherin the children haue not any liberty namely as touching familiar and domesticall things And this reason he addeth bycause matrimony is a certayne kynde of seruitude which the childe is not compelled to take vpon him agaynst his will And in that it is written of Abraham that he sought his sonne a wife out of hys kinred he aunswered that that happened bycause he knewe that that lande was promised vnto hys posterity and that God had decreed to take it awaye from the Chananites Wherfore he would not haue hys sonne contract matrimony with them These fellowes in deede speake many things but they bryng not so much as one word out of the holy scriptures they stil contend that children ought to haue most ful liberty left them as touchyng mariages But that is a mere inuention of theirs whiche by no meanes hath his foundation vpon the worde of God The old fathers were of our opinion but of them it happened as of the Canōs What the olde fathers iudges Tertullian for the more auncient they were the more sincere they were and the more new the more corrupte Tertulliane in his .2 booke to his wife as touchyng the mariages of Christians with Ethnikes writeth very wel neither alloweth he mariages betwene persons of a contrary religion God sayth he deliuereth thee to a spouse And he addeth No not in earth cā daughters right and iustly mary with out the consent of the parentes How therfore wilt thou mary without the consent of thy heauenly father Chrisostome vpon Genesis and vpon Mathew Chrisostome when he entreateth of mariages remitteth the matter vnto the exāples of the fathers in the olde Testamēt neither is it of great necessity to rehearse his wordes whē as the same father vpon the first Epistle to Timo. in his .9 Homely entreateth very manifesty of that matter there he exhorteth parents bicause of the slippery age of their childrē to ioyne them in matrimony but he exhorteth not the children that they should chuse vnto thēselues husbandes or wyues but by Apostrophes he conuerteth his oration vnto the parentes that they should prouide for them as touchyng matrimony he addeth a very notable sentence If saith he they begin to playe the whoremongers before they be maryed they wil neuer be faithfull in matrimony I wil note also by the waye what he writeth in the place of weddyng crownes or garlandes For euen at that tyme they vsed crownes or garlandes in weddinges What saith he signifieth the crown or garland Forsoth that the husband and the wife should declare that euē to that tyme they had ben vanquishers of lustes if thou hast ben an adulterer or whoremonger howe wearest thou a crown or garlād Augustine in his .133 Epistle Augustine beyng desired to make the mariage betwene a manchilde a womāchild I would do it sayth he but the mother of the child is not present and thou knowest that to contract the mariage her good will is necessary In this place Augustine writeth more seuerely then the ciuill lawes For they will not haue the childe to be in the power of his mother Of Ambrose I will speake nothing nowe I haue sufficiently spoken of hym before Wherfore seyng the lawe of God and the law of nature the ciuill lawe and eoconomical lawe the fathers and sincere Canons do affirme that the consent of the parentes is necessary and the examples of the faintes declare the same what should let but that we should be of the same mind Neither ought this to seeme griuous vnto children for it was for theyr commodity so appointed by God and by lawes For young persons in such thinges and specially wemē prouide very yll oftentymes for themselues It is mete the children should require the consent of their parentes Wherefore it is written in the Code de sponsalibus in the law si pater When a father hath betrouthed his daughter if he afterward dye the gouerner or tutor cānot vndoo the couenant of the father and a reason is added bycause tutors sometymes are wonne with money and women thorough weakenes fall to their owne discommodity The example also of Christ ought to moue vs whiche was geuen of his father a husbande vnto the Churche and he alwaye sayd that he did not his own will but the will of his father of whō he was sent Farther how great a discorder ariseth in the publique wealth of this deprauation and abuse how great a window is opened vnto fylthy lustes He that can first haue carnall fellowship with the mayden in some places hopeth to obteyne her to wife yea euen against her parentes good wil. To the reasōs of the aduersaryes But now must we answere the reasons whiche the contrary party alledge for themselues First as we before sayd they cry that in contractyng of matrimony there ought to be full liberty But I pray you what liberty Of the fleshe or of the spirit Vndoubtedly that liberty of the spirite is the greatest when we obey the cōmaundemētes of god The chiefest liberty is to obey the commaundements of god who if he would haue vs obedient vnto our parētes in other thinges why not also in contractyng of matrimony Wherefore they breake the lawe of God which obey not the parents also in this thing Farther if they will haue the liberty of contracting of matrimony to be so great why doo they themselues prohibite so many degrees of mariages whiche God neuer prohibited Once the Popes would not suffer matrimony to be cōtracted euē vnto the seuenth degree but now they contayne within the fourth moreouer why do they forbid mariages vnto the ministers of the Churche Farther why did God himself forbid matrimonies betwene persons of contrary religion if in mariage there ought to be so great a liberty as they fayne to be But they adde Children for feare of their parentes will saye that that matrimony pleaseth them whiche pleaseth them not But the sonne is not compelled so to say nothyng letteth but that he may answere that that wife pleaseth him not and that such a matrimony he can not abyde And in deede without his consent matrimony can be by no meanes contracted In the digestes de ritu nuptiarū in the lawe non cogitur we
rede that the sonne cā not be cōpelled to mary a wyfe de sponsalibus in the lawe sed ea if the doughter hold her peace she seemeth to cōsent vnto the father there are two causes ascribed wherfore the doughter may resiste her father if either the father offer her a wicked husband or a disfigured husbād Otherwise if there be none of these causes it is required of her to loue him whom the father hath chosē If she wil not assent when the husbād hath neither wicked maners nor is mishapen The punishement of ingratitude she incurreth the crime of ingratitude whiche is so great that the father may disinherite her for it And in the title de ritu nuptiarum in the law si cogente patre Although the sonne haue assented for feare of the father yet bicause he had rather assent then offend his father such a matrimony ought to be firme and ratified I would adde vnto the former cause the third if the father offer a husband whiche is of a contrary religion and I would euer counsell the parentes to gratifie their children What may bee done against to streight parēts vnles they see them to obstinate and vniust But when the parentes deale to tyrānically with their children compell them to mary wiues whom they cā not abyde the matter ought to be brought before the Magistrate whose office is to heare the cause and to delyuer the sonne from iniury if he be to cruelly oppressed Then if the sonne mary a wife by the authority of the Magistrate yea agaynst the will of the father he can not seme vtterly to haue maried without his fathers cōsent The Magistrate is the father of the coūtrey For the Magistrate is the father of the coūtrey The same thing semeth to be decreed de ritu nuptiarū in the lawe qui liberos And methinketh the schoolemen haue not well sayd that the children of the householde haue dominion ouer their owne body For as much as they owe vnto their parentes that they are They ought not to be compelled to mariages agaynst their wil but that they should mary without the consent of the parentes it can not be graunted thē And when they so often obtrude vnto vs liberty The doughters of Zalphead alledge the dominiō of their body we lay against it the answer of god as touching the daughters of Zalphead who sayth of them Let them haue heritage among their brethren but let them mary in their own tribe These wemē are compelled to mary their nyest of kynne neither had they that liberty whiche these men fayne And the brother was sometymes compelled to mary the wyfe of his brother beyng dead neither could she mary an other therfore so great liberty is not necessary in mariages as these men pretend And by the ciuill lawe It is permitted vnto the parentes to sell theyr children so great is the power of the father ouer the sonne that he may sell hym if he fall into greuous necessity And least that should seeme barbarous vnto any man the same thyng is permitted by the lawe of God in Exodus the .21 chap but yet adding certayne cautions whiche I thinke not good here to repeate Wherefore they did not rightly argue when they sayd that matrimony is a kynde of seruitude which the sonne ought not to take vpon him at the appointement of his father And in that they saye that the consent of the parentes is required for the honesty of matrimony and not for necessity it is friuolous and vayne For what greater necessity can there bee then that whiche the lawe and commaundementes of God bryng with them Children are commaunded to honour father and mother Also Paul the Apostle prescribeth them to obey their parentes in all thinges And the same thyng writeth he vnto the Phillipians the .4 chapter That whiche remayneth brethren What soeuer thynges are true whatsoeuer are honest whatsoeuer iuste whatsoeuer pure whatsoeuer profitable whatsoeuer lucky these thinges do ye c. By these woordes appeareth that the thynges whiche are honest muste not bee separated from the commaundementes of God Wherefore looke howe necessary it is to obey the commaundementes of God so necessary is it not to mary without the consent of the parentes And that whiche they adde that the consent of the parentes is in deede required but yet if they will not consent the matrimony may be firme That is nothyng elles then to deride the parentes For what contumely is it for the sonne in suche sorte to desire the consent of hys parentes that thoughe he be agaynst it and gaynesay it yet notwithstandyng will he abyde in hys purpose and execute it It were muche better not to desire it then to desire it with that mynde This also seemeth wonderfull vnto me that the master so peruerteth the woordes of Euaristus that when Euaristus sayeth that matrimonyes contracted without the consent of the parents are whooredomes and fornications and not matrimony he dare expounde that the matter is not so in deede but bycause they so assemble rogether as whooremongers and adulterers vse to doo But the sentence of Euaristus is manifest They are not sayeth he matrimonyes and he addeth what in deede they are namely fornications adulteryes and whooredomes And he sayeth not that they seeme to be these thynges but that they are There are other whiche obiecte vnto vs the booke of Genesis where it is wrytten that Esau maried Chananitishe wyues whiche his parentes tooke in very yll part for he had maryed them contrary to their cōmaundement And yet the Scripture calleth them wyues Wherefore it seemeth that matrimony may be contracted euen agaynst the parentes will I graunt in deede that in the holy Scriptures they are called wiues But yet for that cause bycause he so coūted thē bycause the nations amōg whom he dwelled counted thē for wyues But hereby is not gathered that the scriptures do confirme such matrimony The same forme of speakyng vsed Paul in the firste to the Corinthians the eyght chapter Euen as there are many gods and many Lordes He sayeth that there are many gods not the there are so in deede for there is but one God but bycause the most part so beleued and publique persuasiō thought that there was an infinite nūber of goddes Therfore he sayth many goddes but to vs that thinke rightly there is but one God The scripture so calleth thīgs as they are cōmonly called of men one Lord Iesus Christ It is no vnaccustomed or straunge thyng in the scriptures so to call thinges as men vse cōmonly to speake yet in an other place when they speake properly they call euery thing by his owne name But thou wilt say we neuer rede that the children of Esau were not legitimate I answere that Esau had in dede a greate posterity but whether it were legitimate or otherwise the Scripture declareth not Wherunto adde that with those nations among
wyl speake in this booke in his due place But men could not be content with these plaies bicause also their mindes which for sundry causes cannot exercise the powers of the body are to be recreated wyth some pleasure therfore they haue founde out an other kinde of play namely the play of Chessemen cōmonly called Chesse neither is this kinde of play thought woorthy to be condemned Farther there is a certaine other maner of playing Tables which leaneth partly to chaunce and partly to industry as is playing at Tables and suche lyke where in deede they cast by chaunce but the castes are gouerned by industry Plato wherfore Plato affirmed that the life of men is like vnto the play at Tables For euen as in tableplay so also in the life of mā if any thing go not very wel Terence the same must by arte be corrected To which sentence Terence also in Adelphis alludeth and vndoubtedly these kindes of plaies seeme suche that sometime they may be permitted so that they bring no hurt refresh the powers and be ioyned with honesty and that that time which should be spent vpon better thinges be not bestowed vpon them But what shal we answer vnto Ambrose This vndoubtedly that that place De officiis yertaineth not to playes for as muche as there he entreateth of pleasant talkes tauntes and skoffes especiallye such as are ioyned with scurrility But vpon the .118 Psalme vpon these woordes Turne away mine eyes that I see not vanity he calleth stage playes vanitye Augustine Lactantiu◠as doth Augustine also together with Lactantius Ierome and other Fathers For they had much filthines wer at the beginning instituted to the honour of Idoles Ierome Why stage playes bee condemned of the Fathers and therefore they wer odious vnto the Fathers Christians But the reason which Ambrose first alledged was bicause there is nothing found in the holy scriptures how these things ought to be vsed To that we wil answer that they are found in the holye scriptures generallye whither ye eate or whither ye drinke or whither ye doo anye thing els doo al thinges to the glory of God Wherfore the body and the minde are so sometimes to be refreshed with plaies that we may afterward be prompt to grauer matters Farther there is nothing found peculiarly in the holy scriptures touching Bakers Cookes nor Shipmen and yet neuertheles their exercises are not vtterly to be excluded Chrisostome said that the Deuil found out play and alledged this Chrisostom◠The people sat downe to eate and to drinke they rose vp to play If a man looke more narowly vpon that place of this father hee shall see that hee spake of those men which would not repent but were woont to say I woulde to God I might neuer weepe but might alwaies play and laugh To whom he sayth Christ preached Blessed are they which mourne And forasmuche as we so often sinne and doo so grieuously offend God how should we haue leasure to play He also condemneth those playes whereby we are made sluggish vnapt to good workes We doo not in play and laughing sayth he imitate Christe or the Apostles for we neuer reade that they either played or laughed How beit he addeth a moderation for as muche as he addeth I doo not vniuersaly take away al laughter but the excessiue and immoderate laughter Lastly he turneth him selfe to stage playes and saith that they were inuented by the Deuill for they containe the wicked actes and whooredomes of the Gods whereby the consciences of godly men are greuously wounded and wicked lustes are many waies stirred vp And in that he saith that these thinges were inuented by the Deuil he speaketh nothing contrary to the truth bicause as I haue admonished they were instituted in the honour of false Gods Yea and this thing he addeth also that the Deuyll builded stages in Cities But nowe to conclude me thinketh that those kindes of playes which serue to renewe strengthes in men are not vtterly to be forbidden Neither ought we lightly to be offended if we se a man play at Chesse with which play the powers of the body are nothing holpen but onelye the industrye of the minde exercised For if through age strength faile so that they cannot exercise them selues by any other meanes or that their body be but weake why shoulde they not be permitted moderately to delight them selues with this kinde of play Neither also is he straightway to be condemned which being sicke or weake recreateth himselfe with that kynde of playe which dependeth of Fortune or chaunce so that there in be no daunger of losse of money To what entēt the lawes restrayned or prohibited playes For we must chieflye regarde to what entent the lawes forbad that It was vndoubtedly that a man should not waste his goods prodigally and therfore it was prouided by the law that a man should not hasard aboue a shilling as it is had in the Code in the place before alledged This was the meaning of the law that money should not be yll consumed But some say they delight not in play except they play for money But I wil demaund of them to what vse they entend to bestow that mony Peraduenture they wil say vpon a feast Why not rather vpon the poore But I saye it is much better and safer not to play for any money For although it maye bee that thou thy selfe art not touched with couetousnes the other yet with whom thou playest is peraduenture touched Let the occasions vnto euyll be taken awaye which otherwise are very manye which moue vnto euyll And if there were nothing els to feare vs away from playes let vs for Gods sake wayghe this howe greate the penury of time is The law of God requireth so manye duties that not our whole lyfe is able to performe them and yet shall wee bestowe time in playes We are otherwise sufficientlye sicke with couetousnes of money wyth ambicion to ouercome and excell other why do we styrre vp these diseases with playes But thou wilt say These thinges are neuer stirred vp in me But now thou must remember that they maye easelye be stirred vp And we must see not onely to our selues but that we bring not other also vnto the same disease These thinges are spoken of the honest kindes of playes If so be there be anye whyche doo play being entised with couetousnes let those men knowe that they rather like euil marchauntes trafficke Male mercari then playe For they seeke no other thing but filthy gaine Neither seeke they pleasure which in honest playes is the chiefest but they seeke their owne thinges and that by filthye meanes And when they which delight immoderatly in playes doo say There must be some pleasure in the life whereby we maye be recreated Their request is to be graunted but in the meane time they must bee admonished that there are other pleasures more honest Paul
accusation well and lawfully neyther by accusing doth he violate the law By accusinge the law is not violated but holpen yea rather he is an help vnto it as on the coÌ„trary side they which hold their peace and vtter not wicked acts ar against the lawes For eueÌ„ as of our selues we ought not to wish any mans death so must we not suffer the lawes to be openly and vilanously violated with out punishmeÌ„t This ciuil war is not to be imputed vnto the Leuite Wherefore let the bishops in the old time looke howe godly they did when they made intercession vnto magistrates for wicked men and for such as wer appointed to dy If thou wilt say ther straight way followed most ciuil warre whiche thing seemeth may be imputed vnto the Leuite But it is not so it ought rather to be ascribed vnto the Beniamits which would not punyshe so greate a wicked cryme In this history Iosephus somewhat varieth from the holy scriptures Iosephus Firste he denieth that this woman was an adultresse and that she therefore departed from her husband She was sayth he very beawtifull and when her husbande loued her excedingly and complained that she loued not him agayn she as one not able to abide his brawlinges fled vnto her parents But the holy scriptures do manifestly teache that she had played the harlot In which sentence al the interpreters agree together Farther he denieth that the Gabaonites thoughte this namely to abuse the Leuit he sayth that they being allured by the beawty of the wife desired onely to haue to do with her But that also is plainly against the holy scriptures wherin it is by expresse words written Bring forth the man that we may know him Farther he denieth that the Leuit deliuered his wife vnto them but the Gabaonites saith he toke her by violence At the last also he addeth this which I thinke also is very likely that the Leuite when he sent the peces of the body did sende messengers also to declare what was done otherwise he shoulde not much haue profited if he had sent but the peeces onely These euils did therefore happen bicause there was no magistrate or prince to iudge the Israelites In the papistical church ther is no magistrat The same thinge also happeneth when there is a magistrat or prince which doth not his office And bicause the ecclesiastical men haue at this day shaken of the yoke of the politicall Magistrate there is therefore no magistrate amonge them Whereby the Christian publike welth suffreth great discommodities ¶ Of a Magistrate THis place admonisheth me to entreat of a magistrate whome I iudge may thus be described namely to be a person elected by the institution of God to kepe the lawes as touching outward discipline in punishing traÌ„sgressors with punishment of the body and to noorish and defend the good There are vndoubtedly many persons elected by the institution of God which are not Magistrates as the ministers of churches whiche yet are keepers of the worde of God of his law but not as touching outwarde discipline onely Bycause it is the office of ministers by the word of God to pearce eueÌ„ to the inward mocioÌ„s of minds for the holyghost adioyneth his power both to the right preachinges of his word also to the sacraments which are distributed in the church But the magistrat onely exerciseth outward discipline punishment vpon transgressors The minister bindeth the guilty vnpenitent in the name of god and in his name excludeth them from the kingdome of heauen as long as they so remain The magistrate punisheth withoutward punishmentes when nede requireth vseth the sword Ether of them nourisheth the godly but after a diuerse manner the magistrate encreaseth them with riches honors and dignities the minister comforteth them with the promises of god and with the Sacramentes Wherefore the magistrate is instituted The end of a magistrate to the end that the lawes should be most diligeÌ„tly kept the guilty punished the good holpen noorished And vndoubtedly the law is a dumme magistrate againe the magistrate is a liuing and speaking law and so also is the minister of god as Paule sayth to theyr prayse which do well and contrarily he beareth the sword against the wicked as gods reuenger iudge neyther tende these thinges to any other end then to the health of men But the forme of magistrates is not one onely but manye as Monarchia Aristocratia Many formes of magistrates Policia or Tirannis Oligarchia Democratia The discriptioÌ„s and natures of which forms Plato Aristotle and other Philosophers haue elegantly taught Of all those formes the best is to be desired and all men to whome it pertayneth ought to prouide that a good or tollerable estate degenerate not into an euill one But if it happen that Tirans or wicked princes obteine the gouernment of thinges An example of the Iewes that is to be suffred asmuch as is by the word of god lawfull The Iewes were by violence oppressed of the Babilonians whome yet god admonished that they should obey to pray for the king although he were a tiran possessed the kingdome of the Hebrewes most wrongfully Cesar also held Iewry by tiranny and yet Christ sayd Geue that whiche is Cesars vnto Cesars the thinges that are of god vnto god The Apostles also haue taught that we must obey princes pray for theÌ„ Nero was a most vnpure beast whoÌ„ yet the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romains declared that he ought to be obeyed not onely for fear but also for coÌ„science sake Phocas possessed the empire of Rome by euil arts most cruelly slew Mauricius his prince also his children whom yet the Romaines acknowledged as theyr Emperor Gregory the .i. red vnto the people his coÌ„maundements writings If thou wilt demauÌ„d what form of a publike wealth that Iewes had it may easly be known by those things which we haue in an other place spokeÌ„ They had at the beginning this forme Aristocratia for god allowed the counsell of Iethro which was that ther should be choseÌ„ out wise meÌ„ strong such as fered god which should gouerne the publike welth as it is writteÌ„ in Exodus Deut. Yea god himself did so with his sprite inspire these .70 men whoÌ„ he had coÌ„maunded to be choseÌ„ as helpers of Moses that they also prophesied So were the Israelite gouerned although afterward they were gouerned by the power of a king Princes ar called Pastoâ—â— But this is not to be omitted the princes in the holy scriptures ar not only called DeacoÌ„s or ministers of god but also pastors of whoÌ„ Ezechiel coÌ„plaineth for many causes for that they cruellye peruerslye fed the people of God Homere also calleth Agamemnon the feder of the people For they ought not to beare rule as thieues or hired meÌ„ to flese to oppresse but to kepe
answer of Bonifacius a deceite of equiuocation For we demaund whither an ecclesiastical Minister may beare the office of a ciuil Magistrate and vse a ciuil sword and they remit vs vnto the sword of Peter a man otherwise priuate Bernardus Howbeit Bernardus in his .4 booke de Consider ad Eugenium semeth to interprete the two swordes I graunt that Bernard hath certaine thinges lyke vnto this but yet not vtterly the same But we must remember in what tyme Bernardus lyued He liued at that time wherein all thinges were corrupted in the Church and if a man reade those his bokes de Consideratione he shal se that he grieuously complaineth of the corruption of his time Eugenius was by the Romanes excluded the City and peraduenture he meditated by violence to restore himselfe Wherefore Bernard exhorted them to preache the Gospell to deale aganst the Romanes with the woorde and with Sermons rather then wyth the sword Eugenius said what wilt thou haue That I should feede Serpentes and Dragons and Beastes Yea rather assayle them saith Bernard with the woord not with iron And in an other place he saith If thou wilt haue both swordes thou shalt leese both Neither is it to be thought that Eugenius would by himself haue fought but peraduenture he assayed to moue warre by other from whiche purpose Bernard disswaded him And thus much of him But in that Bonifacius addeth that those swords of the church ought to be in order namely that the one should be subiect vnto the other that he proueth by thys saying of Paule Those powers that are are ordeined of God is manifestly declared how this man wresteth the scriptures For this word ordinatae that is ordered is in Greeke written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nothing els then instituted or appointed But be it so as Bonifacius hath expounded it what manner of order shal this be at the length Vndoubtedly it shoulde be that the Minister shoulde teache and the ciuil power shoulde heare and beleue But this is nothing vnto the Pope which teacheth nothing The lowest thinges saith Dionisius are by meanes reduced vnto the hyghest Wherfore Bonifacius concludeth that the outward sword ought to be referred vnto God by the spiritual Vndoubtedly I wil easely graunt that the swoord of the spirit that is the word of God is the meane wherby the other sword namely the outwarde ought to be tempered and directed vnto God But why doth not the Pope retaine this meane The Pope vseth not the swoorde of the woord Why vseth he not the word Why teacheth he not why preacheth he not Nndoubtedly princes that stray are not by him reuoked into the right way yea rather contrarywise the Pope and bishops of the Church are somtimes rebuked and iustly reproued of princes Aaron assuredly being high priest It longeth to princes sometimes to admonish and correct Ecclesiastycall men fel greuously in making the golden calfe and obeing the foolishnes of the people Moses accused him greiuously whome it is certayne that he was a ciuil magistrate For toward the end of Deut. he is called a king And when the priestes abused the mony which was offred for the mending of the couerings of the temple who remedied that but onely Ioas the king I will not speake of Dauid and Salomon and others which deuided the lottes of the priest orders of the Leuites And I will not at this time proue these things by any more examples For they are manifest inough of them selues Wherefore I graunte that the ciuill power maye be corrected of the ministers by preaching of the word But the Pope vseth not this kind of gouernment but rather an incredible tirrannye They boaste moreouer that they themselues are greater in dignitye for that they excercise spirituall heauenly thinges where as princes are occupied onely about earthly and ciuill thinges Be it so for we deny not but that ministers are occupied about thinges greater and more deuine then magistrates are But doth the Pope alone minister them Yea rather he neuer doth it at al. Wherfore if the dignity of the ministery depend of those things then will it follow that many bishops and priestes do in dignity far excell the Pope which neuer preacheth most rarely and to very few administreth the Sacraments Let vs come to tenthes Of tenthes by the paiment wherof Bonifacius laboreth to proue that al princes ar subiect vnto him This argumēt semeth to haue some shew bicause at the first sight it agreeth with the .7 chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wher Paul proueth the dignitie of christ to be greater thē the dignity of the priesthode of the Leuits For thus he gathereth Abraham payd tenthes vnto Melchisedech at which time Leui was not yet but was at the time in the loins of Abrahā so paid tēthes in him And he which payeth tenths to an other by the self same thing professeth himself to be inferior vnto him Christ was priest accordinge to the order of Melchisedech Wherfore the Apostle concludeth that the priesthode of the Leuits was much inferior vnto the priesthode of Christ I haue opened the spring frō whence Bonifacius deriued his argumēt The place is very dark and nedeth explicatiō and moreouer Bonifacius doth not aptly apply it to his purpose First we ought to vnderstand that tenthes in the old time pertayned vnto ceremonies that aswel in Melchisedech as in the Leuites Both the priesthode of Leui also of Melchisedech signified Christ For in either priesthode they were referred vnto Christ And either priesthode was in very dede a figure of Christ for euen as the Leuiticall prieste entred once euery yeare into the Sancta Sanctorum and that neuer without blood So Christ by his blood entred once into the tabernacle that is into heauen and agayne Melchisedeche for that he had neyther father nor mother resembled Christ which in respect that he was God had no mother and in respect that he was a man wanted a father But what signified the tenthes in either priesthode Christe was more playnelye signified by the priesthode of Melchisedech then by the Leuiticall priesthode Vndoubtedly they signified nothing els then that the elders ought to referre al theyr things vnto christ By that ceremony the people worshipped euen Christ And if a man wil conferre Melchisedech and the priesthode of Leui together although both of them seme to shadow Christ yet shall he se that he is more expressedly manyfestly signified by Melchisedech as the Epistle to the Hebrewes testifieth Bonifacius sayth we receiue tenthes of all the lay men Ye do take them indede but now that Christ is come the paying of tenthes is no more a ceremony as it was before the comming of Christ when by tēthes men worshipped Christ which was to come in the flesh and confessed that they ought vnto him both thēselues and al that they had After which self same manner they payd the
of peril and in great daunger Yea and in Deut. the .13 chapter God commaunded that if any citye of the Israelites fell vnto idolatry all the tribes shoulde go vp and ioyne theyr powers together and conquer it so that they shoulde with sword and fire destroye all thinges that they found in it But the Beniamites defended a manifest wicked act which differred not much from idolatry and it is possible that the city of Gibeah was idolatrous Wherfore nothing ought to be reserued in it In the boke of Iosuah it is written that when Acham had hidden for himself a certayn small thing of the curse of Iericho the whole host was afflicted for that cause which deceate being afterward found out not onely he himselfe was killed but also hys sonnes and daughters with his oxen his asses his shepe and his tente also and all his stuffe Which thing yet we must not thinke that it was done by the prescript of the law but by a certaine singulare counsell of God Ciuill warres more cruel thē outward wars But whither Israell exceded measure in this auengement or no wee shal afterward see We may learne also by this history what sharpenesse there is in ciulll wars for they haue farre more cruell endes then outwarde warres ¶ Of fasting NOw that we are come to the end of the chapter For asmuche as it is sayde that the Israelites fasted and afflicted themselues before the Lord I haue occasion geuen me somewhat to speake of fasting And to beginne from the Etimoligy of the word this Hebrew woorde Tsum signifieth to afflict Aben Ezra Wherefore Aben Ezra sayth that whersoeuer in the holy scripture is founde affliction of the soule there is vnderstand fasting There is a nother word namely Tsama verye ny vnto this word and it signifieth to thirst for they which fast much ar wont to thyrst bicause the humors of the body ar with hunger and fasting dried vp The Grecians cal it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this particle primatiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to be strong and firme bicause by fasting the strength of the body is diminished But bicause this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rather extensiue it semeth to signify very firm and very strong bycause a man that is fasting is verye firme and constante so that he had rather suffer grief then to go from his purpose Also the Grecians cal fasting by an other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause they which faste doo beriue themselues of foode For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both corne and meate But before I define what fasting is I think it good first to vse a distinction A distinction of fastes Natural fast For forasmuche as there are sundry kindes of fastings they serue not all to our purpose For there is a certaine fast that is naturall whyche pertayneth eyther to the recouering or to the defending of the health of the body Wherfore Hipocrates sayth that they which are of a full and perfect age or also are old can verye well abide to fast in which place old men are to be vnderstande as touching the first part and beginning of age For they which are very old can no better abide fasting Ciuill fast then young men or childrē There is an other fast which is ciuil is thē taken in hand whē men are so bent to their things that by no meanes they will intermitte the affaires which they haue begonne So Saule when he pursued the Philistians and had the victorye nowe in his handes commaunded that no man should taste of any meat before euening So also certain Hebrewes vowed that they would neither eate any thinge or drinke A fast familiar vnto christiās before they had killed Saul as it is written in the actes of the Apostles This manner also of fasting pertaineth not to this present matter There is an other kinde of fasting which ought to be familiar vnto all Christans namely to take meate soberly and temperatly which thing they shal do if they neither eate to often in one day nor whē they do eate doo gorge themselues with to muche meate or seeke for delicates and fine banquetes The commodities of christiā sobriety This manner of liuing is very muche profitable to diminishe lustes neyther suffreth it the minde to bee troubled with affections It maketh the minde more chearfull and redy both to prayers and also to the actions of the life Wherfore Christ sayd let not your hartes be oppressed with surfeting or dronkēnes Peter also hath writtē Be ye sober for your enemy the deuil goeth about like a roaring lion seking whom he may deuour Paul also wrote of himselfe I chasten my body and bring it into bondage least I preaching to other should be made a reprobate Farther there is an other commodity of this fast that thereby expenses are spared not to lay them vp couetously but that that which is ouerplus vnto vs we may geue vnto the poore There is an other fast which is aboue mans strength and is sometimes geuē of god meruelously vnto some of the saints Miraculous faste to commend theyr doctrin Moses in the mountayn fasted .40 dayes for God would by a notable example shew that that law which he setforth came from himself and was not inuented of men Nether went Moses therfore vnto the mountayne to fast but to receiue the lawe of GOD and to talk with him Elias also receued bread and water of the Aungel and in the strength of that meate walked .40 daies euen vnto the mount of god Horeb that hee by this miracle shoulde bee declared to bee the true reuenger of the lawe By this kynde of fastynge our Sauioure commended the preachynge of the Gospell that it should not seeme to bee a thynge vulgare but shoulde be proued a thyng begonne by God But these wer miracles neyther pertayne they anye thinge vnto vs but onelye that wee shoulde haue them in admiracion and by suche examples bee stirred vppe with reuerence to receaue the word of God A fast cōpelled There is also an other fast which lieth not in our power As when we beinge destitute of meate haue not wherof to eat Here is nede of pacience and we must pray vnto god that he would strengthen and encourage vs. So the saints when they wandred about and preached the Gospel wer compelled somtimes to hunger And the disciples when they followed the Lorde were driuen by hunger to plucke the eares of corne and to rubbe oute the corne Elias also desired meate of the widow and wayted at the brooke for such meate as the Rauen should bringe him This kind of fasting men do not take vpon them of their own free wil but it is layd vpon them by God Religious fast But omitting all those as which nothing pertayne vnto our disputation let vs come to our fast which we may cal religious And this fast is an
troublesome dreames 137. b Bearing with others weaknes 52 Beda liued in a corrupt time 42. b Bearfoote is Elleborus 164. b Bees of bullockes dead 218 Begging disalowed 203 Behauor in prosperiti aduersiti 6 Benefits degres worthines 198 Benefits whether they be to be wtdraweÌ„ froÌ„ vnthaÌ„ful persons 198 Benefits of god ar of .2 sorts 198 b Beniamin had .x. families 269 Beniamites worthy to be condemned 271 Beniamites how many of theÌ„ wer slayne by the Israelites 273. b Berdes of Priestes 201. b Bernhards error of angels 209 Bethabara 141 Bethel is not alwayes a propper name of a place but wher the ark of the couenant remained 269. b Bethlehem .2 of that name 239. b Betraying handled 36 b Betraying defined 37 Betraying wurs theÌ„ besieging 37 Betraying lawful 37. b Betraying examples 38. b Betrothing in woordes of the future tence 284. b Bezek situate 11 Bibles preserued by the Iewes 57 b Bishop of Rome hath nothing common with Peter 149 Bishops of Rome refused kingdom in the church at the first 147 Bishops ambicious 12 Bishops coÌ„secrating of kings whether they be therein greater then kinges 261. b Blabbing a vice moste peculiare to women 221. b Blasphemies horrible 235 Bloudshedding iustly and rightly restrayneth not from the holy ministery 146. b Boasting what 87. b Boasting against God 132. b Body what it signifieth with Tertulian 209 Body spiritual how 211 Body and bloud of Christe howe it is eaten 212. b Bodies of men after the floud whether lesse then before 17 Body humaine cannot consist with out flesh and bones 118. Body remoueth vs not from the beholding of God 117. b Bodye is ioyned to the soule for a helpe and not punishment 208. b Body is anoyed with druÌ„keÌ„nes 163. b Bodely diseases les grieuous then the mindes 247. b Bona goods 139. b Bondage first of the Israelits 77 Bondage more grieuous then losse of goods 70 Bondage is agaynste the nature of man 80 Bondage is a ciuill death 36 Bond saruants may not flye from their masters 227. b Bonifacius the right 257. Booke de Patientia none of Augustines 158. b Booke de Dogmate ecclesiastico is none of saint Augustines 121 borders of the Hebrues couÌ„tri 267 Bramble a vile plant 160. b Breade remayning in the Eucharist 205 brethreÌ„ for al maner of kinsfolks 23 Brothers children ar not forbidden to mary by Gods lawe .19 but by the law of nature 21 Brothers wyfe onelye lawfull for the Iewes to mary 21. b Bribery of Abimilech 158 Burials of the Hebrues in their own possessions 66 Burnt offringes 271 Burthens personall 263. b C. CAesar touched 153. b Caiphas the hie priest was no prophet 137 Calcedonia Synode 147. b Calfes made by Aaron IeroboaÌ„ were made of a good intent 48. b Calues of the lyps 192 Canons of the apostles allow mariage of Ministers 94. b Canons latter corrupt 215 Canons authority aboue the Ciuill lawes 217. b Cantones vilages of Heluetia â—67 Captains ouer ten Centurions c why God appointed 115. b Captaynes to haue Ministers in their campes 96. b Captaine needefull in great daungers 176. b captiues returning or escaping 85 b Carthage inhabited wyth Sidonians 243. b Cardinals hoorehunters 232 Carefulnes contrary to securitye yet not alwaies to be praised 247 case new requireth a new help 88 b Cases of lying to auoyd dauÌ„ger 90 Castels whether it bee lawfull to fence 113 Castels municions cannot defend from the anger of God 112. b Cathecumeni 42 b Cato burthened with droÌ„kennes 163 Caues described 112. b Cause of synne is not to be layd vnto God 167 Cause iust vniust differ much 271 Causes first more to be considered then the second 71 Centurions c. why God appointed 115. b Ceremonies complayned on 190. b Ceremonies neede not be all a lyke euery where 54. b Ceremonies of the law howe long they might be vsed 52 Ceremonies of the law howe farre Paule condemned them 51. b Ceremonies are not good bycause they had a good begynning but bicause they be good of theyr nature 48 Ceremonies in the Masse what they signify is vnknowen 50 Chaire of Peter 149 Chaldry paraphrast with the Hebrues is of great authority 285. b Chalebs petigree 18. b Chaleb a faythful spy 18 Chanaan nation discussed 7 ChanaaÌ„ deuided by Iosua before it was possessed by the Israelits 7. b Chananites why God woulde not by and by destroy them 8 Chananites expelled by the Israelites went into Affricke 7 Charges extraordinary 263. b Chariotes for warre described 32. they can not resist God 32 b Charity is neglected when we depart from the true God 155. b Charity not broken in destroying of Cities 31 Chaunce is not with God 172 ChauÌ„ce is not wtout gods wil 165 b Chaunge is not in God 175 Chemos god of the Amonites 185 Cherem vowes 192 Ches play 220 Children many is an excellent gyft of God 200 Children fayre of foule Parentes how 4. b Childe of a day old is not pure 180 Children are more of the father theÌ„ of the mother 156. b Children deuided for legitimacion c. 177. b Childrens obedience to their Parentes 203. b Childrens duties to their parents al one with subiects to their Magistrates 265 Children whether they may marye wtout coÌ„sent of their parents 214 Children when they maye disobeye their parentes 253 ChildreÌ„ ar not punished for theyr fathers as touching eternal life 182 Choyce of meates is not to bee followed 278 Christ is man 211. b Christ is the vniuersal head 147. b Christ the head of the church 241 Christ dissembled 89. b Christ as wee reade oft wept but neuer laught 63 Christ how he resembled Melchisedech 261 Christe is the mediator in makyng leagues 73. b Christ refused a kingdoÌ„ offred 147 Christ is our peace 122. b Christes appearing to the olde Fathers how it may be proued 119 b Christ how he is taught bi the boke of Iudges 2. b Christ had a true body after hys resurrection 209 Christes bodye howe it entred the doores shut 211. b Christ appeared to Gedion 115 Christes body bloud ar not included in the simbols or signes 212 b Chronicles howe they differ from histories 3 Chrysippus foolish answer 147 Church is gouerned of God wyth a singuler care 203 Church had not two swords in the apostles time 260. b Churche howe it maye haue twoo swordes 259. b Churche geueth not authoritye to the scriptures but contrary 5 Church hath three offices touching the word of God 5 Churches consent if it be to be waited for in reformacion of religion 265 Church ought to entreat for the reconciliation of the repentant 250 Church that payeth tythes is greater then the minister 261. b CipriaÌ„ resisted the church of Rome 148 Circumstances make much in euery matter 101 City of Palmes what 27. b Cities whether it bee lawfull to fence 113 Cities of refuge beloÌ„ged to the Leuites 18 Citizen good who 150 Ciuil lawes are to bee corrected by the woord
and as God hath commaunded that euill maye be taken awaye from the worlde Yea and it is also lawfull for hym to offer rewardes to men confederated together for some ill purpose It is lawfull for them to offer rewardes to conspirators to open theyr conspiracye Augustine to allure them to open and detecte the conspiracye bycause that assuredly pertayneth to treason Howbeit heresy is neuer either to be dissembled or to be praysed or any wicked Acte to be committed that lawfull kynde of treason shoulde haue good successe Wherefore Augustine in hys latter booke of Retractions testifieth that he wrote hys booke de Mendatio chiefly for thys cause bycause some to the ende they woulde detecte the Priscillianistes fayned them selues to be followers of the same heresye for that the same Priscillianistes when they were accused Of the Priscillianistes affirmed with greate stoutenesse that they were farre from any suche doctrine But for all that afterwarde they disclosed them selues vnto those whome beyng deceaued by theyr dissimulation they thought they myght well haue trusted But Augustine in the same booke De mendatio teacheth that by this dissimulation of the Catholickes very many euils daungers chaunced For there they commende Priscillianus they vniustly praise his boke which is entituled Libra they allowed the heresy pronouncing many things which could not be spoken without blasphemie Moreouer that which they did was dangerous for if they whiche after this sort dissēbling were of any authoritie or estimation the heretikes might by their commendation be confirmed in their opinion those specially with whom they did so dissemble For those peraduenture were Priscillianistes before althoughe not very firme constant which after they heard their heresy to be praysed of a graue man did then sticke more more in their error Furthermore in thus dissembling and beyng conuersaunte with the Priscillianistes the dissembler also might easely fall into danger that he him selfe at length might become of a Catholicke a Priscillianiste And finally the heretikes them selues by the dissimulation of our men might easely gather that they did very well in hyding dissemblyng and denyeng their doynges But that betrayeng is sometymes lawfull in a iust cause and such a cause as is without the dangers aboue mencioned not onely the reasons whiche we haue before alledged do declare but we may also proue it by very many examples written here and there in the scriptures The Gabaonites Rahab The Gabaonites betrayed the rest of the Chananites when they fell from them to the Hebrues Rahab also betrayed her publicque wealth or kyng in receauyng hydyng and sendyng awaye them whiche were deadly enemyes vnto it who is sayed neuerthelesse in the Epistle to the Hebrues to haue done those things by faith Iahel Iahel also the wife of Aher the Kenite betrayed Sisara for she by a meruelous craft slewe him whom she had called into her and closely hidden as it shal be afterward declared in his place in this hystory of the Iudges Ionathas Yea and Ionathas the sonne of Saul betrayed vnto Dauid the wil and counsels of his father as it is written in the first booke of Samuel Husay the Arachite Besides all these Husay the Arachite betrayed Absolon the sonne of Dauid when he withstandyng the counsell of Achitophel did thrust in his owne counsell whiche was farre worse and shewed all things vnto Dauid I might bring in a great many more examples But I thinke these are sufficient for the ware reader Certein cautions are to be added to lawfull prodition The first caution Now resteth only to declare certain cautions or prouisoes wherewith lawfull treason is to be decked and adorned and not to be condemned The first is that he which betrayeth be by a certain faith assured that the cause is iust which he aduaunceth whiche can not be done excepte that he haue sure proofe of the goodnesse therof by the word of God Neither do I at this present argue whether the same word be reuealed vnto him in harte The secōd caution or whether it be opened vnto him in the holy scriptures Then must he take hede that being now well assured of the righteousnesse and honesty wherunto he is inclined he be only prouoked therunto with the loue therof and not with the hope of rewarde or gayne or for feare of any misfortune whiche he desireth to escape or to satisfy his hatred and enemities deceaued The third caution For so should he seke his owne and not iustice neither the obedience of hys fayth and of the will of God Furthermore it is very necessary that a man be not dryuen to that but then when all other kynde of remedyes wante For Rahab so did for except she had then so kept the Hebrew spyes they had bene by mans reason vndone neither was there then any other waye to saue them And certainly it oftentymes chaunceth that all other ways meanes being tryed the worse parte will not be brought to sobernesse so that there is no other remedy but onely by prodition And I would therefore haue these cautions diligently obserued bycause that men are to muche prone to proditions and that such as are both filthy and wicked Wherfore we must take hede that by the exāple of good men they flatter not thē selues as though they were innocent The fourth caution Moreouer Paul hath admonished vs not only to auoyde that which is euill it selfe but also the shew therof Howbeit we must vnderstand this doctrine of his in such sort as we may accomplishe it For it is lawfull sometymes to cōmitte a thing whiche is euill to see to but not euill in very dede whilest yet there is hope that the thing may be straight way made playn so that the which at the first sight semed euill may manifestly be knowen to be good So the Apostle hym selfe circumcised Timothe and shaued his hed whiche of them selues and in very dede were not euil although they semed to haue had a certayn shewe of euill vnto certayn of the Ethnickes which were cōuerted wer not yet wel strēgthned The fifth caution Finally periury or lyeng are not to be mingled with those proditions whiche may be allowable For as much as it is manifest by the Apostolical rule the euils are not to be cōmitted wherby good things may follow I know there be some which go about to defēd those kynd of lyes which are called officious or honest Honest and officious lyes are not to be allowed Augustine But Augustine doth not allow that Whose reasons they which are desirous to know let thē read his boke Ad Consentiū I assuredly agree vnto his opinion For though there were no other reason yet me thincketh this were sufficient bycause the lyer bringeth himself out of credite wherby nothing that he afterward speaketh cā scarcely be beleued for they which heare it wil suspect it alwaies as a lye And besides this that scripture doth
euery where detest lyes And we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded as Peter saith to speake as it wer the wordes of god And these wordes are pure neither must we grauÌ„t that there is any lye fouÌ„d in theÌ„ as Augustine hath very wel writteÌ„ vnto Ierome What is to be aunswered coÌ„cernyng the lyes of the sainctes And thoughe we read that the sainctes did somtimes lye yet we must either not excuse theÌ„ seing they were meÌ„ or els we must thinke that it was done by the wil of god For then the actioÌ„ which of his own nature appeareth to be vicious ceasseth 〈◊〉 to be sinne when it is manifest that god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded the same And after this sorte AbrahaÌ„ is excused in that he would haue killed his sonne The Israelites also are defended whiche when they departed tooke away with them those things which they had borowed of the EgyptiaÌ„s These cautioÌ„s at this preseÌ„t offer theÌ„ selues vnto me He answereth to the reasons put in the be-beginning wherby may be adorned this kind of proditioÌ„ which may be allowed or defended whiche otherwise is a thing to be cursed detested as it is manifest that the prodition of Iudah was Neither caÌ„ the reasons which I haue alledged in the begynning any thing hinder but that some prodition may be approued We declared first by the authoritie of Ierome To the first Antigonus augustus Philip of Macedonia the traitors haue ben accustomed to be euil spokeÌ„ of I answere that therfore that happened bicause proditioÌ„s for the most part lacke these cautioÌ„s before declared For they which are traytors haue not for the most part a respect to that whiche is iust honest neither are they sure of the will of god neither haue they any sure proofe that the cause is right which they follow but are only brought to betray for hatred for their own coÌ„modity for feare wicked affectes And they might also ofteÌ„times haue defeÌ„ded iustice by other wayes meanes Besides this they are not afeard therin to make lyes to coÌ„mit manifest sinnes Furthermore I repete that agayn which I sayd before that it was euill said of theÌ„ in pronouÌ„cing that they loued that treasoÌ„ hated the traitors seing either semeth either equally to be allowed or els equally to be coÌ„deÌ„ned And to be brief the testimonies which wer brought caÌ„ only take place in naughty daÌ„nable treasoÌ„s And to such as coÌ„sider of theÌ„ selues that they would not theÌ„ selues nor theirs to be betrayed therfore wil not that any kind of prodition should be couÌ„ted good we must answere as S. Augustine sayth That the complayntes of such as suffer are not to be heard but we must seke out the mynd of the doers Secondly we declared by the oppinion of Appianus To the second that prodition was farre worser than besiegyng bycause thys namely besiegyng is done by ennemyes but the other by friendes We wyll easely graunte to that for if a naughtye and vniuste prodition be conferred also with an vniuste besiegyng As some besieging is iust so also is some prodition good than shall prodition be iudged farre worser for as muche as it commeth from friendes of whom we looke neither to be hurt nor yet to receaue any damage But euen as some besiegyng is found iust what inconuenience shall it be then or not agreeyng with the truth if some prodition also be found iust The coÌ„parison therfore of Appianus is so to be vnderstaÌ„d that either of the things compared together be euill For as the GraÌ„marians say the comparatiue degree alwayes râ—quireth the positiue degree wherin the comparison is made And in that Theodosius the Emperor as Ierome testifieth did put to death a betrayer it is no meruayle when as the Romane lawes so ordayned in the digestes in the Codice as it is before shewed they determine so of the prodition wherby places of muÌ„nitioÌ„ are deliuered vp to the enemies Euill proditioÌ„ is to be couÌ„ted amonge moste grieuous crimes likewise for treason And assuredly that prodition which is euill ought to be couÌ„ted for a most grieuous crime For if therby come any losse of name or fame then is it against the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god which coÌ„maundeth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse But if it bring losse of good and possessions then is the coÌ„maundement broken which is ordained against theft Finally if it be the cause of losse of body life it violateth the precept wherin god hath coÌ„maunded Thou shalt not kill And there is no doubt but that of proditions such murthers oftentimes happen for the inhabiters of cities which are betrayed are wont to be slayne of their enemies Naughty proditions are iustly punyshed with death Wherfore when that warre is vniust the wicked betrayer is guilty of the murther whiche therof followeth And therfore if lawes or princes haue ordayned death for this wicked crime I thincke it is not vniustly done but the letteth not but that there may be good proditions founde Who doubteth but that thieues should be hanged when as neuerthelesse it â—s lawfull in iuste warre to take spoyles from the enemies To the thirde The Romanes as it was afterward declared toke veÌ„geauÌ„ce of the scholemaster of the children of the PhalisciaÌ„s they detected vnto Pirrhus his phisitioÌ„ which would haue betrayed him These things are true in dede but I may easly aunswere that the Romanes had here a regard to two things First that these namely the scholemaster the PhisitiaÌ„ had not in that which they did a regarde to iustice but were only stirred vp therunto by couetousnesse or hatred Wherfore they semed to haue deserued not a reward but a punishmeÌ„t Furthermore that Romanes had a woÌ„derful great desire of glory which they called valiaÌ„tnesse of mind And being stirred vp with that they thought that victory in a maner vnworthy whiche they got not by force but after this sort which semed to be very cowardly And it is possible that they thought to wynne those agaynst whom they warred and rather by benefites or at the lest way no lesse by benefites than by force To the fourth The Edomites â—nd Moabites did vniustly betraye the Iewes Isai as it was sayd admonished the Moabites in the name of God that they should not betray them whiche did flye vnto them bycause they semed to do that of enuie and malice and not that they were desirous to set forward the will of God For God had not commauÌ„ded the Moabites to afflicte the Israelites Wherfore when the Hebrues were betrayed of the Moabites or of the Edomites that could not be done but of crueltie for as much as the lawes of neighbourhed kynred were violated And that Paul spake vnto Timothe of a wicked prodition it is more manifest than I shall nede now to declare To the fyft Lastly were obiected othes lawes of nature wherw t citizens are bound to defend their countrey Of which
whome he dwelled they were counted legitimate For they had not the worde of God wherein it is commaunded that that should not be doone and they had wonderfully corrupted the lawe of nature Other crye What shall we thinke of our elders what also of many whiche lyue nowe and haue contracted matrimonyes without the consent of their parentes Shall we call them mariages or adulteryes And shall we counte theyr children for legitimate or for bastardes I aunswere when such mariages were had in those darkenes before the new light of the Gospell those men were not in dede excused from synne for it was not lawfull for them to be ignoraunt of the law of God but yet bycause they were done publikely the Magistrate permitting them I am persuaded that such contractes are firme and ratified If they obiect that in such mariages the consent of the parentes wanted I aunswere that it was there not there For the Magistrates had made their ciuill lawes subiect vnto the Canons whiche vndoubtedly they ought not to haue done And in this thing all mē agree And for as much as the Magistrate hath authority ouer the people if he consent to any thing there after a sorte is the publique cōsent of the people As at this day in assemblyes when they assēble that some summe of money should be payd although some priuate mā of the people do take it in euill part yet bycause it is agreed vpō by the Magistrate he ought to seme to haue cōsented So the father would not that the matrimony of his sonne should be firme without his cōsent yet bycause he hath made his owne wil subiect vnto the iudgement of the Magistrate he ought to seme after a sorte to haue consented But now the truth of the thyng beyng knowen the Magistrates ought to reuoke the errour Wherfore the matrimonyes whiche haue bene hitherto that is in darknes contracted agaynst the will of the parentes ought to bee firme and the children borne of them ought to be counted legitimate But if the lawe should afterwarde bee reuoked then should they not be matrimonyes but onely be presumption but in very deede fornications whoredomes and aduoutryes as Euaristus ryghtly iudgeth But whylest the lawes whiche are nowe of force are not abrogated I doo not dissolue the matrimonyes whiche are so contracted neyther doo I saye that the children borne of those mariages are bastardes but I declare what seemeth more agreable vnto the woord of GOD and vnto honesty But Euaristus myght iustly write so bycause in hys tyme the Romane lawes were of force whiche counted not suche coniunctions for matrimonyes Farther I adde that fathers are not to bee obeyed when they let the mariages of their children onely for religion sake bycause in that case God is to be obeyed aboue all thynges who is the chief father of all men 7 He went downe I say and talked with the woman which pleased the eyes of Samson 8 And within a fewe dayes when he returned to receaue her he went aside to see the carkase of the Lyon And beholde there was a swarme of bees and hony in the body of the Lyon 9 And he toke therof in his handes and went eatyng and came to his father to his mother and gaue vnto thē they did eate but he told not them that he had taken the hony out of the body of the Liō 10 So his father went downe vnto the woman Samson made there a feast For so vsed the yonge men to do 11 And when they sawe hym they tooke 30. companions and they were with him In this place the Lion is not called Cepher as he was before but Ariah bycause that difference whiche I haue before shewed is not alwayes obserued The matrimony of Samson is celebrated wherein the prouidence of God prepareth occasion whereby he should doo some violence vnto the Philistines And that occasion was bycause as he returned he remembred the Lyon whiche he had slayne He went a litle aside to looke vpon the carkase of the Lyon And he founde therein a swarme of bees and a combe of hony And this is such a straunge thyng as hath not bene heard of for it is in no other place that I wot of eyther shewed or red that bees haue made hony in the carkase of a Lion Pliny Virgil. Plutarche Pliny and Virgil in his .4 booke of Georgiques teache that of dead bullockes or oxen doo come bees as of a horse Waspes and of an asse Hornets Plutarche in the lyfe of Cleomenes saith euē as of a horse do engēder Waspes of an asse Hornets of an oxe bees so also of the carkase of a man and especially of the marow humor which falleth vpon the earth are brought foorth serpentes For that cause the elders wer wont to consecrate serpentes vnto noble men But we neuer rede any such thing of a Lion wherfore this ought we to iudge that this was done by the singular prouidence of God Ambrose Ambrose thinketh that the place where Samson had cast the Lion was a pleasaunt and fertile place and the bees flyed thether for flowers and made hoony in the carkase of the Lion But I as I saue sayd doo attribute all this vnto the prouidence of God Pliny in his .7 booke sayth Pliny that bees vse not to make hony excepte it be in the hyue or in a tree or in caues vnder the earth he affirmeth the aboue al things they flye frō euill sauors Farther he saith the hornets and waspes doo eate dead carkases but bees touche thē not Ambrose sayth that Samson turned aside to the Lion to take his skinne that beyng clothed with it he might come vnto the feast as a great valiant man as afterward did Hercules But bycause he sawe that that apparell was not very handsome for wedding apparell he tooke rather thereout the hoony combes of the which he myght geue part vnto his parentes and parte vnto his wyfe They tooke thirty companions Some thinke that these thirty companions were ioyned vnto Samson for to doo hym honour But some of the Hebrewe interpreters suspecte that the Philistines when they perceaued that he was a strong and valiant man brought these men to be kepers for hym least thorough the shewe of mariage he should make some commotion 12 Then Samson sayd vnto them I wil now put forth a ridle vnto you and if ye can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast I will geue you 30. sheetes and 30. chaunge of garmentes 13 But if ye can not declare it me then shal ye geue me .30 sheetes and .30 change of garmentes And they aunswered hym put foorth thy ridle that we may heare it 14 And he sayde vnto them Out of the eater came meate and out of the stronge came sweetenes and they coulde not in three dayes expounde the rydle The elegācy of the riddell consisteth in contraryes for he which eateth he the geueth meate What