Herewithall adde the iustice of rendering like for like for the prophets of Baal had caused the ministers of the true God to be slaine 1. kin 18 4. and 13. as well by Iezabel as by king Achab But will some man saie By these lawes and reasons it is prooued that these Baalites had indéed deserued death but perhaps they should not haue béene slaine by the prophet for auoiding suspicion of man-slaughter Howbeit this I answere that the king was also present and consented vnto the slaughter Helias indéed preuented the kings iudgement yet it appéereth not that he did against it bicause the king being present did not withstand it But wherefore he held his peace manie reasons may be brought First it might not be but that by séeing so great a woonder he also was astonished excéedinglie amazed wherefore he could not but spurne against the pricke Adde also that the king durst not stand against so great a consent of the people Also it might be that he was verie desirous of raine and that therefore least he should be disappointed he gaue some maner of consent vnto this slaughter He caused the false prophets to be brought to the brooke Kison to wit that their dead bodies should be cast into it a brooke otherwise noble Iudg. 4 15. for the victorie gotten of Iabin and Sisara by the leading and conduct of Barach and Debora as it is written in the booke of Iudges and mentioned by Dauid in the Psalmes Psal 43 10. But to some it séemeth an vnwoorthie and cruell thing that the prophet himselfe with his owne hand as the historie reporteth slue some of them As though it were not read that Samuel smote Agag the king of Amalech 1. Sa. 15 33. Moses also with the Leuits destroied manie thousands of idolaters But and if thou wilt saie that Moses was prince of the people and as a lawfull magistrat vsed the Leuits in stéed of soldiers I grant But what should we saie of Phinees who being a priuate man slue Zimbri and Cosbi Exod. 2 12. which were taken in whoredome Did not Moses also before he receiued the principalitie slaie an Aegyptian man It is not lawfull to blame that fact Act. 7 24. séeing Steeuen in the Acts of the apostles alloweth and commendeth it We knowe in déed that it is the part of prophets and ministers to deale by the word not by violence and by the sword Wherefore Peter and Paule Acts. 13 11. Acts. 5 5. if they punished or put anie to death they did it by the word not by the sword But we saie that these things which Moses and Helias did were not ordinarie but certeine acts out of vse and common order 1. kin 18 23 Yea and wheras Helias exercised the office of a priest and sacrificed out of the place chosen by God Augustine vpon Leuiticus question 56. excuseth it by the same reason by which was excused the déed of Abraham Gen. 22 3. who ment to slaie his owne sonne All these things were doone by the priuate instinct of God against the common lawe set foorth The lawe-giuer himselfe when he commandeth anie thing to be doone against his lawes his commandement must be counted for a lawe Of Parricide or slaieng of parents In Iudg. 9 verse 5. 9 Of the wicked crime of parricide there are manie things written in the ciuill lawes Ad L. Corneliam De parricidijs And as far as may be gathered out of the lawes and histories in old time the name of that crime was giuen vnto those which murthered their parents grandfathers and great grandfathers c to those also which murthered their children and childrens children c. But afterward by Pompeius the signification thereof was further extended And they were also called parricides which killed their brothers their sonnes in lawe their daughters in lawe their fathers or mothers in lawe and such other The lawe of Numa Pompilius Although there be an old lawe and giuen by Numa Pompilius If anie man wittinglie bringeth a frée man to death let him be taken for a parricide And Augustine in his third booke De ciuitate Dei Augustine the sixt chapter counted Romulus guiltie of parricide bicause he slue his brother And there he derideth the Ethniks which affirmed that their gods suffered Troie to be destroied bicause they would take vengeance of the adulterie of Paris But how saith he were they fauourable vnto Rome when as the builder thereof committed parricide straitwaie at the beginning Augustines booke De patientia supposed not his Howbeit the same Augustine in his booke De patientia which neuerthelesse is counted none of his in the 13. chapter appointed a certeine latitude or degrées betwéene parricides for as he saith he sinneth more heinouslie which killeth his parents or children than he which murthereth his brethren And he which slaieth his brethren offendeth more than he which destroieth those that be further of kin And the wicked crime of slaieng parents or superiours séemed to be so horrible that at Rome for the space of six hundred yéeres after the building of the citie it was not committed Yea and Romulus Romulus made no mention of parricide in his lawes that made no mention of it in his lawes being demanded why he left it out answered that he could not be persuaded that anie such thing can happen vnto men Solon also being asked why he likewise by his lawes did not restreine parricide An answer of Solon answered that he wold not by anie occasion of his lawes giue men knowledge of so horrible a wickednesse and by his admonishment to stir them vp after a sort vnto it For it oftentimes happeneth that they which forbid certeine vices prouoke men to fall into them who verie often will indeuour to doo such things as they are forbidden The murther of brethren and kinsfolke hath vndoubtedlie béene from the beginning as all histories doo testifie And the punishment of those parricides which slue their parents or children was by lawes as it is perceiued Ad legem Corneliam de parricidijs that they should be sowed in Culeo The punishment of parricides that is in a leather sacke and with them also were put an ape a cocke and a viper and were throwne into the deapth of the sea or else in the next riuer adioining But they which slue of their kinsfolke or cousins were punished with the sword onelie These punishments if at anie time they were either passed ouer or winked at by the magistrates God himselfe punished them as the historie of Samuel declareth of Absolom Absolom 2. Sa. 18 14. which killed his brother and most cruellie set vpon his father He also striketh them with rage and madnesse which commit such horrible wicked acts as both the poets and also historiographers write of Nero and of Orestes Nero. Orestes For both of them hauing killed their mothers became mad And it is a
For euen as those things which be sodden haue a pleasant taste so haue rawe things an vnpleasantnesse ioined with them togither with a certeine taste that is horrible Those be sauage and cruell which doo torment without a cause as though they were delited with the torments of other men euen as beasts that knowe not goodnesse and honestie but haue onelie respect vnto swéetnesse and commoditie either for that the sight of bloud is delitefull or else bicause they will be fed with flesh Now since crueltie consisteth in this that therein is a going beyond the measure of right reason let vs sée whether Dauid and others haue passed the bounds of reason Certes they followed a mediocritie and those things which they did belonged vnto punishing iustice for those were woorthie of the greatest punishments Dauid followed reason but yet a diuine reason the which reason alone is called good God stirred him vp vnto these things not without a cause And it was necessarie for him since he was a grand capteine to followe that reason which God had shewed vnto him 53 That the Ammonites were most wicked men we may knowe it by manie causes First of all they against the lawe of nations shamed the ambassadors of Dauid in cutting short their beards and garments They gaue an ill iudgement of the most godlie king Dauid namelie that he had sent that ambassage with a feigned hart not to comfort the sonne of the king of the Ammonites which was dead but to destroie him Againe when the head citie was besieged and that they had slaine Vrias and other valiant men they also vaunted against God This did Nathan declare 2. Sa. 12 14. Bicause thou hast prouoked mine enimies saith he to speake euill of me the child which is borne of thee shall be slaine If God slue the child of Dauid bicause Dauid had giuen an occasion of blaspheming God how much more gréeuouslie were they to be punished which did this thing And further wheras they had doone iniuries vnto Dauid yet did they first mooue war against him And neither would they onelie hurt Dauid but they also solicited others of his subiects and tributaries to forsake him They disquieted all those regions of Syria and Mesopotamia and that which is most of all they burned their sonnes and daughters for their idoll sake which they worshipped And what maruell was it if they were throwne into the same fornaces The punishment of like for like wherein they threw their owne children This was a punishment of like for like And alwaies in those punishments which are not reprooued in the scriptures we must flie vnto this namelie that God gouerned those fathers Some to make these punishments the lesse saie that all were not so handled but the seigniors and princes onelie which were as the staie and succour of the people But Iosephus saith that they were all rid out of the waie And the scriptures also séeme to make it a generall punishment Howbeit I would thinke that some were excepted for in the 17. chapter of the second booke of Samuel we read 2. Sa. 17 37. that Sobi the sonne of king Nahas did helpe Dauid when he was driuen out of the kingdome by Absolom Wherevpon it is gathered that the one sonne of king Nahas was slaine and that the other was by Dauid made ruler of the countrie These things are not so much to be woondered at in him séeing he was a figure of the true Dauid which at the last daie shall saie vnto all men Go ye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Those punishments which God shall laie vpon the wicked in hell are not cruell They shall be as it were intollerable punishments but yet they procéed of a right punishing iustice He saith in the Gospell Matt. 25. 41. Bring ye vnto me all them which would not haue me reigne ouer them and slaie them in my sight Here let magistrates learne to haue a regard vnto right reason when the guiltie are deliuered to them to be punished It must not gréeue their mind to execute those punishments which are iust and commanded to be doone Of Enuie 54 Now come we to enuie In Iudg. 8 verse 1. the same did Cicero thinke should rather be called Inuidentia than Inuidia the which word Inuidentia we may in English call Enuieng or Enuiousnesse Wherein enuie and enuiousnes doo differ bicause among the Latinists those that are enuied are said to suffer enuie But enuieng belongeth to them which pine awaie with this kind of gréefe And therefore he thinketh that enuie or enuieng is so called bicause they which be enuious doo looke too narrowlie to other mens prosperitie Wherefore A definition of enuie enuie is a gréefe taken at the prosperitie of other men especiallie of them which haue béene of like degrée with vs. For a poore man enuieth not a king nor yet beggers noble men Enuie is of equals and such as be like vnto our selues And likenesse is considered in kindred riches beautie age wit dignitie and such like The cause of enuieng is not in respect that we be afraid of harme to come vnto vs by such men as we doo enuie for that were feare but that men of a certeine hatred and stomach cannot abide the prosperitie of others especiallie of their like and equals this worketh enuie Enuie is alwaies had in euill things and it is gréeuouslie reprehended in the holie scriptures bicause it is most plainelie repugnant vnto charitie it selfe For in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13 4. the 13. chapter the apostle said Charitie enuieth not For Paule in that place did not take this Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his proper signification But vnto the Galathians he hath more plainlie forbidden enuie Gal. 5 26. saieng Be not desirous of vaine glorie prouoking one another and enuieng one another In which place not onelie enuie is reprooued but also the mother thereof is shewed Looke In Gen. 26 24. and In 2. King 6 16. Iudg. 8 1. that is to wit the desire of glorie And this may we also note in the historie of the Iudges for the Ephraits enuied Gedeon bicause the glorie of so great a victorie séemed to haue come vnto him And this affect beareth rule in all those things wherein we desire to excell Neither yet dooth it forbeare vertues for he that is enuious would not haue his equals and such as be like vnto him to excell in anie ornament of vertue And the reason why enuie is conuersant among such as be alike is that although the prosperous fortune of our equals and them that be like vs dooth not plucke anie of our goods from vs nor maketh vs lesse than we be yet the enuious man dooth so conceiue of other mens goods as if by them his honour and dignitie his gaine and other ornaments should be diminished An enuious man is called a
words in them but rather maruell thou at the power of the crosse which Christ suffereth not to be made voide by mans eloquence Yea rather when these thinges come to minde let vs giue thanks vnto our good God who would haue these testimonies of his wil to be sealed vp that wee béeing dull of memorie shoulde not forget them and that euerie man at his owne pleasure shoulde not deuise a doctrine in the Churche but that there might be extant a publike patterne whereby the sayings of all men might be prooued and throughly tried Luke 1. ◠And therefore Luke in the Preface of his Gospell that he might acknowledge the certeintie of those thinges whereof he was taught testifieth that he therefore wrote vnto Theophilus that hée might knowe the certeintie of those thinges wherof he was instructed Whosoeuer therfore beléeueth in Christ if he turne ouer the Booke he by the meanes thereof through the holy Ghost is euerie day made more assured of those things which he professeth For as Iron is by vse purged from rust A similitude and doeth the more glister and shewe bright so the doctrines of godlinesse which are contained in the holy Scriptures the more often they be reade the more manifest and true they appeare vnto vs. Plato in his Booke of lawes thinketh méete to giue commaundement to the husbandman that he doe not water his grounde with other mens water Digge saieth he a well therein that thou maiest vse the waters thereof when néede shall require Wherefore God also woulde that in the Church which is his vineyarde shoulde flowe a perpetuall reading of the scriptures whereby the necessarie water of the worde of GOD might be ministred to our faith which oftentimes waxeth drie It was a familiar saying in the mouth of Socrates when he was vrged to say or doe any thing If my good spirit shall permit me The Demon of Socrates For he had such a one who was as his counsellour or kéeper But wee must perpetually cleane vnto the worde of God as vnto a Counsellour when any thing is set foorth to be doone or beléeued we must answere so much as by the word of God shall be lawfull and in all our affaires take Counsell thereof faithfully The holy historie teacheth that there was a laudable custome of the people of GOD that as touching euery enterprise they first tooke Counsell of God before they tooke in hand to doe the same Iud. 1. 1. In the Booke of Iudges after the death of Iosua the Israelites demaund who shoulde goe vp against the enemies In the first Booke of Samuel 1. Sam. 30. 8 Dauid asketh whether he should followe after the théeues which had destroyed and burned the Citie of Ziklag Yea and Achab 1. kings 22. 6. although he were a wicked man went not altogether from his Countrie manner nay rather when he should fight against the king of Syria he tooke Counsell of God by the Prophets Therefore wee also must not attempt any thing wherein wee haue not first perswaded our conscience by the worde of God that the worke which wée take in hande is good and shall be acceptable vnto the Maiestie of God The Poets vaunted that their harmonie songes and verses wherewith men were delighted nay rather deceiued were not made by man but were drawen from Helicon Pernassus the fountaine of Castalius Pegasus or Caballinus frō the forrest of Cythaeron the Muses recyting them which as they be false lyes so is it most true that the doctrine which we now commende is drawen out of heauen and communicated vnto the Church vpō Mount Syna in Ierusalem and vpon Mount Sion Exod. 20. Esa 2. 3. as we reade in Exodus and as Esaie hath testified Out of Sion shall come a lawe and the worde of the Lorde from Ierusalem The Oracles of the Ethnikes In olde time the Ethnicks had secrete places in temples doores vnder the grounde a Caudron for sacrifice a Trenet vnder which they put fire brasse of Dodona most auncient Okes dennes Images names written in leaues and briefely vnprofitable Temples and innumerable wayes did the Diuell mocke them But vnto vs in the stead of all those things is by the mercie and goodnesse of God set foorth the onely Oracle of the holy Scriptures Pythagoras is for this cause not a litle famous that he had conference with Oules and Eagles Pompilius talked with the Nymphe Aegeria Apollonius Thyaneus as the histories report or rather fable vnderstoode the singing and chattering of little byrdes But vnto vs doeth the true God the Creator of heauen and earth speake most manifestly in the Scriptures by Moses by the Prophetes by his onely sonne Iesus Christ and by his Apostles and doeth so speake as he changeth the soules the hearts the mindes and the whole man and of stones is able to make the sonnes of Abraham not whom he may like fabulous Amphion forcibly drawe to the walles of Thebe but whom he may builde vppon Christ because he is both the onely and sounde foundation aswell of the Apostles as Prophets Let the Poets boast as they will that Orpheus tamed the wilde beastes we in the meane time being taught by experience will not doubt but that the wordes of the Scriptures turne them into the sonnes of God which before were serpents and generations of Vypers Whereupon Paul mentioning vnto Tytus what manner of persons we were before we were regenerated in Christ saieth Matt. 3. 7. Titus 3. 3. For wee also in times past were fooles disobedient going astray seruing lustes and diuerse pleasures liuing in malitiousnesse and enuie being hated and hating one another And vnto the Corin. the first Epistle and 6. Chapter Verse 11. when he had recited many detestable crimes he added And such were you in deede but nowe are ye washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified And séeing that to the breaking of our hearts which be hard and obstinate there should be néede not of weake instrumentes but rather of most strong engines for that cause GOD reuealed vnto his Church no faint or dull manner of spéeche but such as was deliuered by many of the Prophets and in diuerse manners For it exhorteth terrifieth driueth forwarde calleth backe teacheth confuteth promiseth threateneth pronounceth sigheth prayeth beséecheth praiseth dispraiseth sheweth things past declareth things present prophesieth things to come and as most soft waxe it is bended vnto all formes to the ende it may bow the stonie hearts of the vngodly Wherefore not wtout good cause it ought to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a vanquisher of all Yea and Sathan although he be most mightie was driuen out of the wicked bodie of Saul which was appointed to vtter destruction 1. Sa. 16. 23. being not able to abide the songes of Dauid the Musitian of the holy spirit By them the olde serpent being inchaunted was after a sort burst in péeces Matth. 4. And the same Sathan was driuen
also promises of him both to be and to be performed Wherefore that name of Iehoua is properlie attributed vnto God of the similitude of which word Iupiter being desirous to be reputed for a God commanded himselfe to be called Ioue The Rabbins saie that those letters wherof that word consisteth are spirituall What the word spirit signifieth And vndoubtedlie God is a spirit and a spirit first signifieth things that be without bodies or that haue light bodies as vapors and exhalations the which in shew are light and thin but yet they are of excéeding great strength For by them earthquakes are stirred vp the huge seas are troubled the storms of wind are blowne abroad Wherefore that word began afterward to be applied to the soule of man to angels and to God himselfe for these things which otherwise séeme but slender doo bring great things to passe Others saie that those letters whereof the word Iehoua is written be resting letters and that is verie agréeable vnto God No waie to find quietnes but in God onlie For séeing we doo all séeke for rest and felicitie there is no waie to find the same but in God onelie thus much hitherto of the word Iehoua signifieth the chéefe being wherevpon Plato had that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or essence And that this may be the more manifest some of the names of God are deriued from his substance Names deriued from Gods substance and other from some propertie Substantiall names be Iehoua Ehi that word signifieth I will be For there is no creature that may saie I will be For if God drawe backe his power all things doo straitwaie perish God doubtlesse may trulie saie so bicause he cannot faile nor forsake himselfe Names referred vnto his properties Other names are referred to some propertie of God as El vnto might Cadoseh vnto holines Schaddai vnto sufficiencie howbeit these things in God be no accidents but onlie as we comprehend them in our cogitations For whereas God is infinite and we cannot wholie comprehend him yet by certeine tokens and effects we doo in some part vnderstand of him thereof are those names which signifie some propertie of God The Iewes being led of a certeine superstition pronounce not that holie name Tetragrammaton but in the place thereof they put Adonai or Elohim and so thinke that they worship the name of God more purelie and reuerentlie but God requireth no such kind of worship And hereby it commeth to passe that in translating of the holie scriptures the Grecians for Iehoua haue made Lord as in stead of Iehoua liueth they haue said The Lord liueth And whereas in the new testament Christ is so oftentimes called Lord his Godhead is nothing atall excluded by that word as some vnpure men doo babble but is rather established Vndoubtedlie Thomas ioined both togither Iohn 20 28. My Lord saith he and my God Finallie God In Iudg. 2 verse 1. to the intent that the knowledge of him might not be forgotten hath accustomed to put men in mind of those benefits which he hath bestowed vpon them and would that those should be as certeine words expressing vnto vs his nature and goodnes And hée beginneth alwaies the rehersall at his latter benefits and of them he claimeth to himselfe titles or names attributed vnto him vnder which he may both be called vpon and acknowledged For euen at the beginning God was called vpon as he which had made heauen and earth afterward as he that was the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob after that as the deliuerer out of Aegypt then a deliuerer out of the captiuitie of Babylon but lastlie as the father of our Lord Iesus Christ ¶ Of the omnipotencie of God looke Peter Martyr in his Treastise Of both natures in Christ set foorth at Tygure 1563. pag. 4. 3 The words which be in the second booke of Samuel the seuenth chapter In 2. Sam. 7 verse 23. Looke In Gen. 18. at the beginning And In 2. Sam. 23 verse 2. verse the 23. namelie The gods came that he might redéeme vnto himselfe a people are a sharpe corsie vnto the Hebrues which will not acknowledge thrée persons in the diuine nature Som bicause it is said Gods refer it to the opinion of men Such is that saieng of Paule There be manie gods and manie lords 1. Cor. 8 5. For neither can they admit or alow of a multitude of gods But forsomuch as the intreating here is of a singular or particular fact this place must in anie wise be vnderstood of the true God Kimhi thinketh that Dauid said Gods for honor sake euen as men also to speake the more pleasinglie and ciuilie doo oftentimes vse the plurall number in stead of the singular But if it be so what new religion entered straitwaie into Dauid Why did he straitwaie adde Thou Lord in the singular number For we must heape vpon God all the honours that we can Others had rather refer this saieng vnto Moses and Aaron who were sent to deliuer the people out of Aegypt but this cannot be for in the booke of Chronicles all these things are spoken of God himselfe by name 1. Chro. 17 verse 11. For so Dauid speaketh Thou camest to redeeme thy people Wherefore we shall much more rightlie and trulie vnderstand the thrée persons in one diuine nature The Trinitie namelie the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost which being thrée persons yet are they shut vp vnder one substance This opinion is true sound and catholike whether the Hebrues will or no. But those words which be added And might doo great things for you some would by Apostrophe or conuersion of speach refer them to the Iewes which me thinke is not probable For Dauid talked not of these things with the people but secretlie with God Wherefore I had rather thus to vnderstand them of God himselfe and to ascribe these maruellous things to one God in thrée persons But God came to deliuer his people when he sent Moses Aaron vnto them for when he appointed Moses to that message he added withall And I will be with thee God doubtlesse is in euerie place at all times Exod. 3 12. but then he is said to come How God is said to come Exo. 12 12. when he dooth some great or new thing And so he was said to be among the Iewes when he smote the Aegyptians and their first borne Againe when Pharao followed the Iewes going foorth of Aegypt and that they began to murmur thinking that they should euen then haue perished Moses on this wise recomforted them God shall fight for you and ye shall be still Exo. 14 14. yea the Aegyptians themselues also did perceiue the same For they said Let vs flie awaie Ibidem 25. for God himselfe dooth fight for them Yea and afterward when the people had worshipped the golden calfe and that God was angrie he would not go foorth with them
euerie one of vs slip yet no man ought to saie that he hath slipped when he hath not We ought all to confesse our selues to be sinners but none ought to ascribe vnto himselfe anie sinne by name which he hath not committed I saie therefore that those spéeches which I haue made mention of if they be throughlie weighed they be true For some be vttered after that sort bicause absolutelie they be so some for that they be extolled by an excessiue spéech some bicause they be compared with an other thing by contention In what respect Paule calleth himselfe the principall sinner Paule calleth himselfe the principall sinner either bicause he was the first that came vnto Christ among those that persecuted the church of GOD or bicause he iudged himselfe in verie déed to be chéefe and greatest of the sinners Not as if there had béene no man that had sinned more heinouslie for there were such as had sinned against the holie Ghost there were those which had sinned without anie repentance but bicause that among all them which were redéemed by Christ and had obteined the mercie of God he thought himselfe to haue sinned most gréeuouslie For some had sinned of infirmitie some of plaine error and incredulitie some had procéeded so farre as they crucified Christ who neuerthelesse were afterward by the preaching of the word of God called home vnto repentance Acts. 3 17. Therefore saith Peter in the Acts I knowe brethren that ye did it by ignorance euen as did your rulers But Paule had no recourse vnto the sermons of the apostles there was néed of greater bonds for the drawing of him vnto Christ Wherevpon Christ spake thus vnto him from heauen Acts. 9 4. Saule Saule whie persecutest thou me With these men therefore he compareth himselfe and of these he saith he is the principall And so Chrysostome vpon this place saith that These words be against other words of his in the epistle to the Philippians Phil. 3 6. For there he saith that he was conuersant in the Iewish religion without crime and without complaint But these things saith he are nothing repugnant For euen they themselues which had performed the righteousnesse of the lawe yet were they sinners neuerthelesse And although Paule spake those things modestlie of himselfe yet did he not ascribe an vntruth vnto himselfe For notwithstanding he granteth himselfe to haue béene a persecuter and a blasphemer yet he saith not that he was an adulterer or a fornicatour or a théefe séeing these things should not haue béene true The things obiected out of the Prouerbs touching Agur the prophet How Agur had no wisdome were true by waie of comparing them vnto those things whereof a demand was made He saith that he had no wisdome not in respect that the wisdome which he had was no wisdome but bicause the same being compared vnto so great matters might séeme to be none So Socrates was woont to saie This onlie I knowe that I knowe nothing bicause that knowledge which he had would be nothing in comparison of the multitude of those things that he knew not Psal 22 6. So Christ called himselfe a woorme and a reproch of the people bicause men so accompted of him by reason of his afflictions and crosse Also in speaking there hapneth somtime an excessiue or hyperbolicall spéech such indéed as is not ioined with a a lie but which may serue for the better setting foorth of the matter VVhether faith must be kept toward him that breaketh his promise 42 In the beginning of the ninth chapter of the second booke of Samuel Dauid demandeth Whether it were lawfull to doo good for Ionathans sake Is there anie man left aliue of the familie of Saule to whom I may doo good for Ionathans sake When he speaketh of Ionathan he excludeth not God naie rather that which he did for Ionathans sake he did chéefelie for God and godlinesse sake So God saith that he would doo well to the people of the Iews for the couenant which he had made with Abraham yet dooth he not exclude his owne goodnesse Naie rather he chéefelie includeth the same therein séeing that couenant procéeded of the méere goodnesse and mercie of God But thou wilt demand whie Dauid saith that he will doo good vnto anie of the house of Saule for Ionathans sake and not for Saules owne sake For in the 24. chapter of the first booke of Samuel what time as he had cut off the skirt of Saules cloke verse 22 and 23 he being inforced by Saule to sweare promised that he would not root out his séed Whereby he was bound not onelie vnto Ionathan but also vnto Saule Some answer that Dauid was now discharged of his oth bicause Saule kept not promise with him but had doone him excéeding great wrong For he that breaketh his faith saie they let faith be broken with him And Cicero in his third booke of Offices citeth a verse out of Accius an old Poet Hast thou broken thy faith Atreus whom he bringeth in to speake answereth Neither haue I giuen neither doo I giue my faith to anie faithlesse person But this is no sure rule at all times For if one be wicked and false of promise yet oughtest not thou for that cause to shrinke from thy promises séeing God dooth oftentimes kéepe promise euen with vs that doo euill He promised that he would continue the kingdome or else some great honour in the familie of Dauid euen vnto Messias He promised that he would giue a sonne which should redéeme mankind Men vndoubtedlie were euill vnfaithfull and vnworthie to haue the promises kept with them yet did he performe these things to them according to his excellent faithfulnes Some answer on this wise that faith in déed must be kept with an euill and vnfaithfull man if he be vnfaithfull towards other so he be no such towards vs or else if he doo hurt vs so it be not in the selfe same thing wherein it was agréed vpon betwéene vs. Naie rather if he faile euen in the verie same thing which is agréed vpon yet must we kéepe promise if by that meanes neither his naughtinesse be increased nor a greater power to doo hurt be giuen vnto him We be therefore loosed of our promise if the thing cannot be which we haue promised or else if it should fall out ill vnto himselfe to whom the promise is made as if thou deliuer a sword vnto a furious man which thou didst promise vnto a man of sobrietie or if he wax woorse and woorse as though through thy patience he meaneth to reape a benefit of his vnfaithfulnesse or else if thou shalt promise such a thing as is against the word of God or the profit of the Church or Common-weale Therfore it is written in the 22. cause question second In euill promises breake thy faith But most of all we be at libertie of our promise if we being circumuented by anie fraud
If that election be free why yet is there added a respect vnto works least he should séem to haue striuen so much in vaine But if predestination be frée and doo depend of the méere will mercie of God as the scriptures testifie whie durst this man of his owne head imagine this new respect of works For the holie scripture and especiallie Paule vtterly excludeth works from this matter But Pighius the more to bewraie that his lewd desire of contending bringeth certeine arguments which make nothing at all to this matter That which in the blessed virgin the mother of God happened saith he touching election ought in others also to take place But shée was not predestinated fréelie but bicause of hir humilitie for shée sang Luke 1 48. Bicause he hath regarded the humilitie of his handmaiden Wherfore the selfe-same thing ought to happen in others I maruell how this man sawe not that there is great difference betwéene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a vertue which the Latines call Modestia that is modestie whereby men haue a lowlie moderate opinion of themselues the opposite to which vertue is pride or arrogancie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a vilenes and basenes which commeth vnto men either by reason of pouertie or by reason of base bloud or for other like things Wherefore the blessed virgin reioised and praised God for that he had aduanced hir to so great an honour Mary ment not that she was elected for any merit of hir owne The song of Marie setteth foorth the mercie of God and not merits Ibidem 50. verse 54. verse 55. The image of our predestination appeereth in Christ whereas she otherwise was base obscure and vnwoorthie For she was not as this man dreameth a setter foorth of hir owne merits and vertues to saie that she was therefore elected of God for that she had deserued it through hir modestie And if thou diligentlie consider the course of that song thou shalt easilie sée that she ascribeth all hir good things vnto God Thy mercie saith she is from generation to generation and she addeth He hath remembred his mercie afterward with mercie she ioineth the promises As he spake saith she vnto Abraham our father But why sawe not this good fellowe that the image of our predestination is to be set rather in Christ than in the virgin But Augustine saith that The humanitie of Christ was predestinated and taken altogither fréelie and vtterlie without anie respect of good works A place in the first booke of Samuel 1. Sam. 16. 7. 28 They obiect also vnto vs the words of the Lord to Samuel for he when he should annoint one of the sonnes of Isaie to be king ouer Israel and had first brought before him Eliab the eldest the Lord said vnto him This is not he whom I haue chosen haue no respect to the tallnes of stature For men see those things which appeere outwardlie but I behold the harts Lo saith Pighius this place teacheth that God is mooued by the perfection of the hart not by outward properties But in that historie is not intreated of the eternall predestination of God whereby he hath elected vs vnto perpetuall felicitie there it is intreated onlie of the exalting of a man vnto a kingdome In committing of an office to any man we must haue respect to the ablenes of the person 1. Tim. 3 1. Wherein God hath set foorth vnto vs a notable example that when we will commit anie office or function vnto a man we haue chéefelie a respect vnto the abilitie and skilfulnes which is required to the execution of that office according to which doctrine Paule also to Timothie setteth foorth vnto vs what things are to be required in him which should be chosen an elder or a bishop God himselfe also in the old testament hath at large described of what conditions he ought to be whom he would haue to be appointed a king Vnto which sense Peter also séemeth to haue had respect who when two were set before him Acts. 1 23. of which the one was to be placed in the roome of Iudas he called vpon God the searcher of harts for that he onlie knew the mind and heart of him whom he would haue to be chosen And yet ought we not to thinke that God findeth in men that hart which he hath a respect vnto he rather changeth and maketh méet those whom he will appoint vnto anie office God findeth not the hart good in men but maketh it good as we knowe he did in Saule of whom we read that he was so changed that he became vtterlie another man For wheras before he was but simple and rude he was afterward able to prophesie amongst the prophets which for that it was new and strange gaue an occasion of this prouerbe An example of Saule Sam. 19 24. What! Is Saule also among the prophets Pighius moreouer alledgeth that of this our doctrine will followe that men will séeke the causes of their damnation not in themselues but in God which is both absurd and wicked But let this man consider The cause of our damnation is not to be sought for in God how this may be inferred of our doctrine for we teach that euerie man is subiect vnto sinne therefore deserueth damnation Neither euer said we vnto anie man that he hath not in himselfe a most iust cause of his damnation yea we both are and alwaies haue béene persuaders of all men that when they will take in hand anie thing they take counsell no where else but from the will of God reuealed that is out of the holie scriptures and not of the secrecie of Gods predestination And yet dooth it not therefore followe that by this forme of teaching there is no vse of the doctrine of predestination for vnto it must we then chéefelie haue a respect when we are tossed with aduersities and when through the verie force of afflictions we féele that our faith is weakened in vs. This taught Paule in the eight chapter of the epistle to the Romans verse 30. and therefore he added If God be on our side who shall be against vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of God Shall tribulation or anguish c. So then this doctrine is not so to be left as though no man can applie it vnto himselfe it must rather diligentlie be kept till opportunitie shall serue to vse it Neither is it a point of arrogancie but of the spirituall wisedome for a man to vse it to himselfe when néed requireth 29 Moreouer Pighius falselie saith that those things which we speake are against the goodnes of God as though it should séeme vniust that God should elect vnto himselfe a certeine few and in the meane time ouerhip infinite others No creature is void of the goodnes of God For
They feigne that in the Church there bee two great lightes Two great lights fayned in the Church by the papists and that the Pope with the Bishops be the greater light that the Emperour and kings and Magistrates bée the lesser light These ought to take care that is as much to say as destroy their bodies but the other the soules So would they haue Princes to be onely certaine herd men to pamper the bodie But the verie Philosophers doe not so absurdly iudge For Aristotle in his Politicks saieth The office of a Magistrate that the office of a Magistrate is to prouide that the people may liue well and vertuously And no greater vertue there is than Religion And God commaundeth in Deuteronomie that the prince should write out for himselfe the booke of the lawe not onely for himselfe to kéepe but also to compell others to kéepe it And the law containeth not onelie ciuil gouernment but also Ceremonies and the worshipping of God And whereas the lawe is distributed into two tables both of them are committed to the power of the Magistrate Moreouer Paul saieth that the Magistrate standeth in the stead and place of God and that euerie soule ought to be subiect vnto the higher power Rom. 13. 1. Chrysost From which place saith Chrysostome neither Bishops nor Euangelistes nor Apostles be excluded And Augustine against the Donatistes It were a goodly matter in déede saieth he if Magistrates should haue power to punish adulteries but might not punish the whoredomes of the soule And he addeth that kings ought to serue God not onelie that they themselues may liue modestly and godly but also that they may bring others vnto godlinesse and defende the worship of God In all Artes as saieth Aristotle there is a certaine respect vnto the principall Art For example the Art of Riding commandeth the Sadlers craft Also the Art of Nauigation is aboue that Art which maketh Oers and sayles wherefore séeing the office of a Magistrate is the chiefe and principall science he ought to rule all the partes of a Common weale In déed he himself exerciseth not those Arts but yet ought he to sée that none doe corrupt and counterfeit them If a Phisitian cure not according to the prescript of Galen or Hypocrates or if an Apothecarie sell naughtie and corrupt drugges the Magistrate ought to correct them both And if he may doe this in other Artes I sée no cause why he may not doe it in Religion So Ezechias Iosias Dauid Salomon Constantine and Charles shewed verie well that religion belonged vnto their charge 2. Par. 26. ver 19. Ozias was striken and that iustly For God appointed him to be a king not a Priest he notwithstanding contrarie to the commaundement of God would offer sacrifice But if he had corrected the Priest when he offended or had made him doe his duetie there shoulde not any euill haue happened vnto him for that matter 2. Sam. 6. 7. Oza was striken vnto death because he rashly laide his hand vpon the Arke The Leuites ought to haue carried it vpon their shoulders neuerthelesse they laide the same in a Cart. And he was punished for laying hold vpon it when the Cart staggered What the duetie of Princes is in setting forwarde of Religion looke the Epistles in the end of this worke 3 Howbeit because the power of a Prince is féeble and without limits therfore he hath néede of manie eies manie hands and manie féete 2. Sam. 8. 16 Wherfore it is described by whom Dauid ruled the common weale not onelie in prophane but also in Ecclesiasticall affaires Ioab being a valiant man By whom Dauid ruled the Cōmon weale and skilfull in the art of warre the kinsman of Dauid and of an approoued faithfulnesse had the rule and gouernment of the warres 1. Par. 11. 6. That office was due vnto him by promise because he did first smite and vanquish the Iebusites Furthermore Dauid to the intēt that nothing should be done vnorderlie or be forgotten he would haue a reconder or maister of the requests to put him in mind of causes both priuate and publike Him the Italians call Referendarium The French men Maistre des requestes A Maister of the requests Afterward he bent his mind to Ecclesiasticall affaires and agréed together two families of Priests which were at variance For those as it oftentimes happeneth among Ecclesiasticall men contended for the principall place For which although there be woont to be great debate betwéene prophane Princes yet no where greater than betwéene them which ought most of all to contemne these follies The two families of Ithamar and Eleazar contended betweene themselues for the high Priesthood Two families contended for the priesthoods And least we should thinke that there were two high Priestes wee must vnderstande that there was onelie one Abiathar was he whose sonne Ahimelecke Dauid made equall with Sadoch that they two might bee next vnto the high Priest Howbeit some think that those two were as the kings chaplines that wheresoeuer he should be eyther at home or abroade he might alwaies by them aske counsel of the Lord. Afterward in the time of Salomō Achimileck was constrained to giue vp his place and in stead of him came Sadock God had then long before commanded that the Priests should be chosen out of the familie of Aaron So as Dauid admitted not other families but onlie followed the prescript rule of the lawe of God This would not the Pope at this day suffer to wit that the Emperour should ordaine orders among Bishops and cardinals And yet neuerthelesse Dauid did this and thought not that he did any thing against his owne office Dauid tooke the shildes of Golde of Hadarezer and whatsoeuer Gold siluer In 2. Sam. 8 Dauid heaped vp gold for the building of the Temple and brasse he had gathered out of Beta and Berothay and of King Thoi he consecrated all wholly vnto the Lord. So in the booke of Numbers what monie soeuer the Israelits tooke from the Moabites they did consecrate to the tabernacle Rightlie did Dauid and as it became a godlie King For although he were prohibited by the Kings lawe that he should not heape to himselfe treasures yet was there no let but that he might séeke for and kéepe those things whereby the Temple of God might be builded and adorned Yea and Moses commaunded all the vessels of the Tabernacle to be made of the spoiles of Egypt God had before forbidden Dauid that he should not build him a Temple yet he forbad him not to gather together the stuffe for that building Godlie Kings imploy all things to the building and beautifying of the Church of God The care of the Church belongeth to Princes and in the meane time contemne not the outward ornaments of Temples but the wicked Nabucadonezers and Dionysij doe pull away all euen with a contempt of God Neither is it any maruell In mindes
Dauid which he vseth in the second Booke of Samuel the 3. Chapter ought to be allowed For there be Arguments on eche part This briefe Treatise I hope will not be vnprofitable Basil For as Basill saith in the first Epistle The histories and liues of saints ought to be vnto vs as a certaine liuely Image of the Common weale of God For in them wée may sée how the lawe of God at all times hath bin obserued or neglected Arguments by which the fact of Dauid is defended The fact of Dauid séemeth that it may be defended by these Arguments First that Ioab was gratious and verie mightie among the souldiers and might not bee punished without a great tumult and that Dauid was warie least he shoulde doe any great harme to the Common weale and raise vp more grieuous euils séeing by the death of such a Prince and Captaine of the souldiers the kingdome would be weakened For so it is written of Honorius the Emperour when he had at Rauenna killed Stillico the lieftenant of his warres he cut off his owne handes For after that he was taken awaie he did neuer any thing worthie of fame Further that precept of punishing great offences was affirmatiue neither did it binde at all times For so are we commaunded to come vnto the holy assembly to do almes and such like howbeit not alwaies but when the time shal serue Euen so Dauid although he ought to haue punished Ioab yet might he waite a time Further although he were then let by the power of Ioab yet was he neuer vnminded to punish For at his death he commaunded his sonne Salomon that he should not suffer his graie haires to descend with peace vnto the graue And Plato saieth that punishments are like vnto medicines and must not be vsed when things séeme to be so desperate as they cannot be cured and that Princes be as it were certaine Phisitians of the common weale Yea and God himselfe oftentimes differreth punishments although as Valerius Maximus saieth he recompenseth the slacknesse with the greatnesse of reuenge Also Saul when he had deliuered the Iabins from siege 1. Sa. 11. 12 and inioyed nowe the whole Empire of Israel and some had perswaded him to put such to death as had before refused him to be king yet chose he rather to forgiue them Dauid also forgaue Semei is therefore greatly commended 2. Sa. 17. 10. And Augustine oftentimes made intercession for Heretickes vnto the Emperours and not onely for Heretikes but also for murtherers and most vngratious robbers by the high waie for * A kinde of Donatists Circumcellions Lastly Christ of whom Dauid was a shadowe and Image forgiueth all sinnes and fréely receiueth all men into grace Wherefore in this fact he departed nothing at all either from his duetie or from the Image which he represented 18 Also on the other part there be other Argumentes Arguments by which the fact of Dauid is disallowed and those in my iudgement much more weightie First he being the king of Israell it had bin néedefull for him to haue stoode to the lawes of that Commonweale And GOD in Deuteronomie commaunded with most effectuall wordes Deu. 17. 18. that the king should prouide that the Lawe might be distributed vnto him and should alwayes haue the same readie with him and should rule by the prescript thereof And it was alreadie written in the 21. Chapter of Exodus Exo. 21. 12. If one shall by happe or chaunce kill an other I will assigne him a place of refuge But if he shall doe it by laying in waite or of set purpose thou shalt pluck him away from mine Altar Howbeit Ioab of set purpose and by laying in waite killed Abner wherefore he ought in no place to haue béene safe Further it is written in the 18. Chapter of Exodus Verse 21. that they which should beare the office of a Magistrate ought to be valiant men fearing God louers of the trueth and haters of couetousnesse Wherefore Dauid in the punishing of wickednesse ought to haue bin valiant and to haue feared the power of none For this is not to haue a kingdome but a kingdome to haue him And he is had of a kingdome which for obtaining of a kingdome neglecteth iustice Rom. 43. 3. Paul saith that a Prince is the Minister of God vnto wrath and beareth not the sword in vaine This duetie ought to haue bin performed by Dauid In Deuter. the first Chapter God commaunded the Tribunes and Centurions Verse 17. That they should not haue respect of persons in iudgemēt For so onlie the poore men of lowe degrée should be bound to lawes but the mightie stoute and noble should escape But Iudges must neither be bent to wrath nor to mercie And for that cause in Mars stréete where iudgement was most seuerelie executed it was forbidden vnto Orators to stirre vp affections yea rather the causes were also knowen after a darke manner least the Iudge should be priuatelie touched with the fauor of anie man Yea and in the Romane lawes in the title De poenis in the lawe Respiciendum thus it is written The Iudges shall not indeuour to get glorie either by gentlenesse or seueritie Howbeit in light faultes there is permitted some certaine inclinatiō vnto lenitie in the greater faultes vnto seueritie but yet vsing therewith a moderatiō of benignitie In which place the glosse rightlie obserued that there the rigor of y◠sentēce may be moderated where there is nothing by name determined in the lawes And in the Code de Poenis in the lawe Decurionum it is writtē that the people must not be heard if they cry that anie man should either be condemned or deliuered for that the people is a beast of manie heades Besides this the Iudge is no other thing but the lawe it selfe that speaketh neither can he by anie meanes seeme to be a Iudge if he depart from the prescript rule of the lawe And the wise man Syrach prudentlie admonished Eccle. 7. 6. I would not saith he haue thee to be a Iudge if thou be not able to take away iniuries least thou feare the person of the mightie cause an offence to arise to thy integritie Also it was said vnto the king of Israel which had suffered Benhadad the king of Syria to escape out of his handes 1. kings 20. ver 42. Thy life shall goe for his life Thou wouldest not punish wherefore thou shalt be punished and shalt render an account of other mens wickednesse There followeth of this tendernesse and foolish pitie an innumerable sort of mischiefes The gentlenesse of Eli both extinguished his familie 1. Sam. 3. 13 in a manner subuerted the publike weale Certaine obiections 19 But thou wilt say that God dooth patientlie beare these thinges thou sayest wel But consider with thy selfe that if inferiour Iudges so behaue themselues in the Commonweale how will the
heresie for that the same Priscillianistes when they were accused affirmed with great stoutnesse that they were farre from anie such doctrine But afterward neuerthelesse they disclosed themselues vnto these men by whose dissimulation they were deceiued whome they thought they might haue trusted Howbeit Augustine in the same booke De mendacio teacheth that by this dissimulation of the Catholickes there happened verie manie euils and dangers For there they commended Priscillian Of the Priscillianists they vniustlie praised his booke which is intituled Libra they allowed the heresie pronouncing manie thinges which could not be spoken without blasphemie Moreouer that which they did was daungerous For if they which after this sort dissembling were of anie authoritie or estimation the heretickes might by their commendation be confirmed in their opinion and especiallie those with whome they did so dissemble For those peraduenture were Priscillianistes before although not verie firme and constant which after they heard their heresie to be praysed of a graue man did then stick more and more in their error Furthermore in thus dissembling and being conuersant with the Priscillianists the dissembler also might easilie fall into danger so as he himselfe at the length might of a Catholick become a Priscillianist And finallie the heretickes themselues by the dissimulation of our men might easilie gather that they did verie well in hiding dissembling and denying their dooinges But that betraying is sometimes lawfull in a iust cause and such a cause as is without the dangers aboue mentioned not onelie the reasons which we haue before alledged doe declare but we may also prooue it by verie manie examples written here and there in the Scriptures The Gabionites Iosua 9. 3. Rahab Iosua 2. 4. The Gabionites betrayed the rest of the Chananites when they fell from them to the Hebrewes Rahab also betrayed her publike wealth and king in receauing hiding and sending away them which were deadlie enemies vnto it who neuerthelesse is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11. 21 to haue doone those thinges by faith And Iahell the wife of Aber the Kenite betrayed Sisara Iud. 4. 18. Iahell for she by a maruelous craft slue him whome she had called into her and closely hidden as it is declared in his place in the historie of Iudges Ionathas 1. Sam. 20. verse 35. Yea and Ionathas the sonne of Saul betrayed vnto Dauid the purpose and counsell of his father as it is written in the first booke of Samuel Husay the Arachite 2. Sa. 16. 21. Besides these Husay the Arachite betraied Absolon the son of Dauid when he resisting the counsell of Achitophell obtruded his owne Counsell which was farre worse shewed al things vnto Dauid I might bring in a great many of examples more but these I thinke to bee sufficient vnto the wise Reader The eighteenth Chapter Whether Captiues ought to be kept or put to death BVt whether Captiues should be slaine In 2. kings 6. ver 22. or saued it cannot be determined in one sentence For otherwhile they which haue saued them are blamed and elsewhere some are called backe from slaying them Zach. 1. 15. And God reprooueth the crueltie of the Babylonians against the Israelites Furthermore Achab because he spared Benhadab heard of the Prophet Thy life shall goe for his life 1. kings 20. 42. 1. Sa. 15. 23. and thy people for his people And Saul was defeated of his kingdome because he spared the king of the Amalechites That enemies must sometime be killed and sometime spared 2. kings 1. 9. 15. Wherefore sometimes we must spare them and sometimes they must be put to death Which thing may wel be knowen in one and the selfe same Elias who hauing slaine the first two bandes of fiftie with fire from heauen saued the thirde which no doubt happened according to their diuerse affection For the two first fifties were altogether wicked men contemners of the word of God and of the Prophets But the other declared by prayers and humble spéeche whereby they approoued themselues vnto the Prophet that some godlinesse and faith did sticke in their mind 1. kings 18. 40. Also he thought it not méete to spare the Prophets of Baal because they were men wholy giuen to vngodlinesse neither woulde they yéelde when they were openly ouercome nay rather they were alwaies prepared and readie to amplifie and defende most shamefull Idolatrie wherefore it is néedefull to weigh the offences For we account none to be our enemies for any other cause but that they haue offended and must be kept vnder subiection But amōg other things By what things a fault is eyther aggrauated or lightened which lighten or aggrauate the fault are knowledge and ignorance And that the fault is no small deale lightened by not knowing of the thing it is certaine because séeing it hindereth the will they which sinne in such wise séeme not to haue sinned willingly but rather against their will But we must vnderstand that ignorance is of two sortes One is said to be of the fact and another of the law That which is of the fact doeth all wholie take awaie the nature of sinne As if a man meaning to kill a wilde beast slayeth his owne father being hidden among the shrubbes bushes where he was not accustomed to bee at another time Neuerthelesse the ignorance of the law doeth not generally excuse for euerie man is bounde to knowe the lawes especiallie the common lawes and lawes of nature and it behooueth the faithfull men of God to vnderstand the principall points of the holy lawes But if he that sinneth by this ignorance and he that committeth those things which he knoweth to be against right and lawes be compared together this latter is worthie of the more grieuous punishment Wherefore Christ saith Luk. 12. 47. A seruant knowing the will of his Maister doing it not shall haue double punishment And there is much difference betwéene him which willingly and of his owne proper naughtinesse rashlie runneth into grieuous crimes and another which is not stirred vp of his owne accord but by another man and especiallie by him which hath him at commaundement As were those souldiers which are spoken of in the Bookes of Kings 2. kings 6. 14. For the king of Syria sent them to apprehend the man of God Further they went to Samaria not by their owne will but being after a sort led by the hand of God For they went not of their owne minde vnto the Citie being populous which they might not resist Besides this also they came thither without any harme dooing For they spoyled not the fieldes nor fortresses nor Townes but followed the Prophet the right waie What nations were prescribed by God Deut. 7. 1. 2 Also it must bee vnderstoode that certaine nations were giuen ouer of God and others were not God so gaue ouer the Chananites as he would haue them to be vtterly
and not in God for if we shall continue thankfull and stand to the conditions the gift would be firme and ratified Further Paul in that sentence spake of giftes and calling which come vnto men by the eternall predestination of God not of those which are giuen onely for a time 12 Dauid in the first Booke of Samuel the 20 Chapter decréed In 1. Sam. 30. ver 21. that the pray should be equally diuided among all For he iudged it to be a iust thing that they which remained with the carriage For what causes the appointment of Dauid was iust should be partakers of the praie And this for manie causes séemeth to be iust First because they taried by the common consent of all Secondlie that notwithstanding they were one from another by distance of places yet were they not seuered in fellowship Further séeing that they abode still wearie and tyred and otherwise would haue gone against the enemie their will was to be accepted for the déede it selfe Also because they set forward to the common perill for if those former had bin ouerthrowen these men could not haue bin long safe What if so be that in the meane time while Dauid was awaie with his some enemie had assailed these men at the carriages these men had bin in no lesse daunger than those which went against the Amalechites When Abraham ha◠put his men in armes for the pursuing of those fiue small kings Gen. 14. 24 and had deliuered Lot he ioined vnto him Abner and Eschol But they so farre as wee can gather by the historie did not fight Perhaps they were left at the carriages Yet when the enemie was ouerthrowen Abraham gaue part of the praie to them also And in the 31. Chapter of Numerie when warre was taken in hand against the Madianites and that out of euerie tribe a thousand were armed through out all the tribes and the rest remained in their tabernacles when the victorie was finished the praie was so distributed as the first part was yéelded vnto the Tabernacle the second vnto them that fought and the thirde vnto them that remained in the Campe. Leuit. 6. 29. Leui. 22. 10 And in Leuiticus the Priests which ministred in the Tabernacle although they did not all minister euerie daie yet were they all maintained by the oblations But good ordinances are oftentimes by mens negligence blotted out of remembrance Wherefore it is the part of godly Princes to prouide that these thinges may euer betwéene while be reuoked By reason of ill maners said he sprang vp good lawes Euen so héere by reason of the malicious importunitie of these men good ordinances are reuoked Of the distribution of a pray 13 But this question as touching the distribution of the pray must bee somewhat more deepelie considered Ambrose in his booke De Patriarcha Abrahamo which place also is cited in the Decrees the 23. Cause question the 5. in the Chapter Dicat saith that the souldiers take not the praie for themselues but for the Emperour which things must be distributed among the soldiers at the Emperours appointment And the Emperour himselfe must retaine for himselfe a part which they call the principall part séeing otherwise it appeareth scarce equal that euery man should catch for himselfe as much as he can For so might it come to passe that euerie drudge or skullian should light vpon a riche bootie and that some captaine of souldiers or well deseruing souldier should bée excluded Wherefore this ciuill and equall way Dauid followeed in diuiding of the pray suffered not himselfe to be disquieted with the importunitie and slanders of those men So me thinketh must be vnderstoode those words which be in the Digestes De Acquirendo rerum Domino in the lawe Naturalem in Paragraphe the last namelie that those things which be taken in warres are theirs that take them They be indéede but at the deuotion of the Emperour not as eache one will himselfe But in distributing a proportion must be kept not Arithmeticall but Geometricall That did Isidorus note who is cited in the Decrees distinct 1. Chapter 1. the chapter beginning Ius militare For he saith that the pray must be diuided according to euerie mans dignitie valiaunt courage and labour and that the principall portion should be set aside by it selfe Because that portion was chosen out of the whole praie which the souldiers had caried together and with great triumphe was afterwarde brought into the Treasurie Why then saith he did Dauid part the pray equallie amongst all Some aunswere that hée by that meanes would prouide for the common peace of the souldiers and to quenche enuie For they would all haue repugned saying that they had béene all alike strong and that they had imployed as great labour the one as the other so as it would haue bin hard to giue iudgement afterwarde Others thinke that to be doone because that victorie happened not by the strength of man but by the onelie benefite of God Howbeit that séemeth not to be verie likelie For although it be true that God alone gaue that victorie yet did Dauid make that lawe not for that time onelie but for euer And it is not credible that he would abolish the Geometricall proportion or if that God gaue the victorie that therefore he would exclude iust order in as much as God commaunded to retaine that euen in those things which were specially giuen by him For in the distributing of almes he would haue a consideration to be had chéefely of our housholde and of the faithfull So as in distributing of the pray Dauid was to kéepe a certaine proportion of iustice Matt. 25. 14. c. For in the Gospell the Lorde gaue more vnto him that had gained fiue talents than vnto him which had gained onely one Wherefore I thus affirme that Dauid diuided not the pray equally but had a consideration of the soldiers Nay rather wilt thou saie the letter Caph being doubled doth shew an equalitie of likenesse For saith Esaie Such as the people is such shal be the Priests Againe Such people as mine be such a people be thine And againe Such as my horsemen bee such bee thy horsemen There is in verie déede some equalitie euen in this place which hath recourse both to the one and to the other And Dauid made as well the one sort as the other partakers of the pray and that also after one manner yet so as a proportion might be kept what eche one had deserued not onelie of them which fought against the enemie but also of them which remained with the carryings Wherfore in my iudgement this is the meaning That Dauid indéed gaue of the pray vnto all but yet that he had a consideration what eche one had deserued And thus the law was iust which otherwise might haue séemed vniust The nineteenth Chapter Of a seuerall Conflict or Combate betweene twaine hand to hand In 1. Sa. 17.
as he doubted not but to accuse both him and all our sort for impugning the glory and Maiestie of Christ and for denying the omnipotencie of God whereas notwithstanding it is knowen vnto all men in such sort as euen Brentius cannot bee ignoraunt thereof that our men teache quite contrarie It greeued him exceeding much that a man otherwise very notable and who might bee profitable to the Church so obstinately defended an opinion absurde monsterous and merely newe which leaneth vpon no euident testimonies of the scriptures nor vpon any authoritie of the fathers and auncient Church and which no not the Papistes who haue fained many thinges for defending of the carnall grosse and corporall presence of the bodie of Christ in the holy supper were so bolde at any time as to allowe For as he reported that at his being in Fraunce at the conference when certaine bookes of Brentius were brought foorth the chiefe of the Popes Diuines said openly that this opinion of Brentius was newe and neuer heard of and that it was merely hereticall Wherefore he had nowe prepared himselfe diligently and throughly to answere the slaunderous reproches of Brentius which were many and grieuous and his Arguments which were not many But alas for sorrow he being by the sudden violence of sicknesse taken awaie froÌ„ vs could not perfourme that which he was determined to doe Which mishap neuerthelesse might after a sort be borne because Bullinger the Pastor of our Church who had diuided with him the labour of answering shal by his studie labour and by his excellent learning with a good courage sustaine the labour of them both shall alone suffice for defending of theÌ„ both And moreouer the Arguments of Martyr which bee many that he produced in his Dialogue doe stand as yet firme by this attempt of Brentius could not be enfeebled much lesse ouerthroweÌ„ But this rather is to be sorrowed that Martyr coulde not finish other and most excellent works which might haue brought great benefite to the whole Church For nowe these certaine yeares hee hath interpreted as yee knowe the two Bookes of Samuel and nowe the first Booke of Kings being finished he trauelled in the seconde and those things which he read although all were not throughly reuiewed by him yet are they such that when they shall come foorth as shortly the Lorde willing they shall scarcely can any man desire a finishing of them And who will finishe this as it were the picture of Venus begunne by Apelles owne hande Who will so correct the Commentaries vpon Genesis vpon Exodus vpon Leuiticus vpon the smaler Prophets and vppon the Lamentations of Ieremie as they can haue that same dignitie and that same excellencie as if they had bin amended reuiewed and set foorth by himselfe What shall I speake of the most graue disputations of the greatest matters What of the Commentaries of Aristotle and other Commentaries which he began and left vnperfect For before he coulde I will not say correct these things but euen in a manner before he coulde take order what he woulde haue doone with them he was by the violence of a grieuous and vnexpected death oppressed and taken away from vs. For when he had begun to sicken the fifth day of this moneth he departed this life the 12. day of the same Hee was before but somewhat a sickly man aswell by reason of his age as for sundry cares and troubles and especially for the great griefe he tooke for the afflicted state of the French Church his powres did consume by litle and litle And therefore when the general disease wherof many of you haue had experience assailed him it did easilie consume nature alreadie spent But we because this disease hath not hitherto bin in any man vnto death nothing feared Martyr the first dayes of his sicknesse And he himselfe also confirmed our hope for the thirde and fourth day after the disease came vpon him he returned againe vnto his studies meant the day after when his turne was come to teach publikely albeit I was against it and admonished him that he shoulde haue a regarde to his health and saide that I woulde reade in his stead and that I doubted not but the Auditorie hauing a consideration of his sicknesse would easilie beare with him but he coÌ„trariwise thought himself strong ynough said that vnlesse some thing else happened he would reade the day after But eueÌ„ the selfe same night the feuer returned inuaded him more grieuously than it did before and in the meane time distilling of the rewme increased vpon him and therewithall the cough was verie troublesome vnto him Therefore albeit that his friendes bad him to hope well of his health and that the Phisitians also put him in some comfort yet hee himselfe foreshewed his death to bee at hande and for that cause made his Testament the day before he died and calling for the worthy man M. Bernhard Sprunglius the Treasurer being his neighbour to whom he commended the care of his wife great with child willed me to recite the same wil in his presence and desired of him that he would indeuour that the Senate might ratifie the same The next night after he tooke good rest the disease seemed vnto vs to be somewhat slaked but in very deede the power of nature being ouercome by the sicknes stroue no longer with it And in the meane time his friendes came euerie day to visit him with whome before the difficultie of breathing was hindered he talked of diuers thinges with them no lesse pleasantly than if hee had beene infected with no disease at all For by Phisicke wherein hee had diligently trauelled hee reasoned of the power and nature of his disease with such Phisitians as for friendshippe and courtesie sake did dailie visite him and because hee had slept some nightes not vnsoundly he greatly counted to his friendes this a benefit of God and out of the precepts of Phisicke rehearsed the nature and efficacie of sleepe as it were in sweetly refreshing the whole bodie Also he complained oftentimes of the Cough which hurt all the bodie but especially the head and brest And other while hee testified that hee was sicke indeede as touching his body but yet verie well as â—uching his minde And then if hee had begunne either to yeelde an account of his faith or to rehearse with what consolations hee was to erect his minde hee was in this kinde altogether diuine And on the day before hee shoulde die some of vs his friendes being present with him and speciallie Bullinger among the rest hee lay a certaine space meditating with himselfe then turning vnto vs he testified with speech plaine enough that hee acknowledged life and saluation in Christ alone who was giuen by the father an onelie sauiour vnto mankinde and this opinion of his hee declared and confirmed with reasons and wordes of the scriptures adding at the last This is my faith In this will I
God into parts signes of heauen and to other creatures And the same men when they acknowledged that the nature of GOD was seuered from all corporall matter that is to saie that he is a Spirit and therefore to be worshipped in mind and spirit they thinking the common people to be so rude in comparison of themselues as they could not attaine vnto this brought in outward rites and ceremonies deuised of their owne heads the which men hauing performed they should thinke that they had fulfilled the seruice of God and so by their slender reasons they corrupted that which being pure they had gathered out of the creatures and gaue no such credit as they ought to haue done to the truth which they knew The Philosophers yelded not thēselues to the prouidence of God Otherwise they would haue submitted themselues to the mightie power which they acknowledged and would haue suffered themselues to be ruled by the prouidence of God and would haue trusted to him in their aduersities which neuertheles they did not The Philosophers despaired naie rather they shamefullie despaired Cicero crieth out in his later time in an Epistle to Octauius O that I was neuer wise And in his bookes De natura deorum he bringeth in Cotta notwithstanding hée were chéefe bishop to saie that he would verie faine haue it prooued indéed that there be anie gods at all And so whilest they would not beléeue those things which they knew naturallie of God they were not onelie wicked towards him but also iniurious towards their neighbours The greate◠the philosophers the fowler of life And oftentimes the more famous philosophers they were the more infamous life they led According as the Poet taunteth them Curious life they faine but followe Bacchus vaine For the wrath of GOD waxed hot against them And euen as a schoolmaister that continuallie instructeth his scholler who yet in the meane time is thinking dooing other things cannot suffer so great negligence so doth God behaue himselfe towards vs. For he conitnuallie holdeth open before our eies the booke of the things created he is euer calling and illuminating of vs but we alwaies turne awaie our mind from his doctrine otherwise occupieng our selues Wherefore God will cast vs awaie as naughtie schollers neither will hée suffer so great an iniurie vnreuenged 3 And by these woords which Paule addeth namelie For God hath made manifest vnto them it was gathered that all truth commeth of God For it springeth not from vs How it is that all truth comes of God but how it is of God there be two opinions For some saie that therfore it is bicause God hath made those things by which wée may perceiue these truths But others saie whom I better allow that God hath planted in our minds certaine fore-gatherings and informations wherby we are driuen to conceiue excellent and woorthie things of the nature of God And these knowledges of God being naturallie ingraffed in vs by God are euerie daie more and more confirmed and made perfect by the obseruation of things created Some doo fondlie and no lesse wickedlie saie that they haue learned those truthes of Aristotle or of Plato so as they will giue God no thanks at all for them Indéed Plato and Aristotle were organs and instruments Teachers are instruments but not auctors but yet not authors But these men saie euen as if an Israelite should saie that hée knew the truthes of the lawe not by GOD but by Moses whereas he was but onlie a mediator messenger of God and one who made relation vnto the people of those things whereof God was the author And it is to be noted that wheras God is a nature so disseuered from anie matter as he cannot sensiblie be perceiued yet he hath béene accustomed by signes and certeine sensible woords to declare himselfe The creatures are signes which set foorth God And those signes which from the beginning haue declared God vnto vs are creatures which when the naturall philosophers did weie as touching the woonderfull properties qualities of nature they are brought vnto the knowledge of God How the Philosophers knew that there is a God For they knew the order of causes and the coniunction of them with their effects and when they easilie vnderstood that an infinite procéeding of things could not be determined they concluded that they must attaine to some chéefe thing and so included that there is a God These things both Plato Aristotle and Galen haue singularlie well set foorth But least wée should neglect the holie Scriptures they also haue declared vnto vs euen the same waie Matth. 6 26. and 28. The holie Scriptures send vs to the creatures to learne of them Prou. 6 6. For Christ sendeth vs to the fowles of the aire and to the lillies grasse of the field to the intent wée should acknowledge the singular prouidence of God in preseruing of those things which he had brought foorth And Salomon setteth before vs the Ant to be followed for his wisedome whereby hée prouideth in summer those things which shall be néedfull in winter Esaie 1 3. Esaie saith that the asse knew the manger of his lord and the oxe his maister but that Israel knew not his Lord. Hereby it plainlie appeareth that we may be taught manie things by the creatures Dauid wrote a Psalme wherein he declared the selfe-same thing Psalm 19 1. The heauens set foorth the glorie of God c. But among other bookes of the holie Scriptures which abound in this matter is the dialogue of the booke of Iob. The booke of Iob. For the speakers which he bringeth in were Ethnikes therfore the matter is there handled onelie by naturall reasons Manie things are spoken of there concerning the reuolutions of heauen of the stars of the earth of the sea of the light of the winds raine thunder lightenings snowe and I se also of beasts as of lions goats harts horsse and Behemoth which manie thinke to be the Elephant and finallie of the Leuiathan the most huge beast of the sea 4 All these things are so handeled there as they preach vnto vs the eternall power and diuinitie of God But among other things which doo chéeflie set foorth God vnto vs is the nature of our owne selues For we are made vnto his owne image and likenes The nature of man doth most resemble God Wherefore we most of all resemble him and especiallie as touching the soule wherein shineth the prouidence of things to come iustice wisedome and manie other most noble qualities and also the knowledge of that which is right and honest lewd and dishonest And séeing that man and his soule is not sproong vp of himselfe but dependeth of God it followeth that we ought not to denie vnto God the verie same that we tooke of him but that we yéeld it vnto him as vnto the chéefe and principall authour reasoning after this maner that God foreséeth
all things that are done and is a iust iudge of our déeds vnto whom as honest things are pleasing so vnhonest are displeasing I knowe that Cicero in his third booke De natura deorum Cicero laboureth to ouerthrowe this reason whereby we would prooue that the things which we saie are most excellent in vs must not be denied vnto God But let him reason as he list it is enough for vs to be confirmed in this matter by the scriptures In the 94. Psalme it is written Hee which planted the eare shall he not heare Psalme 94. Or hee which fashioned the eie shall hee not see Whereby wée are taught not to withdrawe from the diuine nature those things which be perfect and absolute in vs. Moreouer we sée The feele of the conscience dooth testifie that there is a God that our consciences doo naturallie detest the wickednes that we haue committed and contrariwise reioice and be glad at our well dooing Which thing séeing it is naturallie graffed in vs we be taught that Gods iudgment is to come the condemnation whereof is so terrible to our mind that somtimes it séemeth to be mad and on the other side it reioiceth when it hopeth to be allowed and rewarded at the tribunall seate We might also recken vp manie other like things of this sort howbeit they may be easilie gathered both out of the holie Scriptures and out of the philosophers bookes Wherefore I will cease to adde anie more and I count it sufficient to haue said Nothing so vile but giueth a testimonie of God that there can be nothing found in the world so abiect and contemptible which giueth not a testimonie of God Of Iupiter said the Poet all things are full For whatsoeuer is in the world so long as it is preserued so long hath it the power of God hidden vnder it which if by searching art and naturall knowledge it bée discouered will reueale God vnto vs. Looke In 1. Cor. Chap. 1 verse 21. 5 With this saieng of the Apostle séeme to disagrée other places of the scripture wherein is taken from the wicked the knowledge of God Wée read in the psalmes The foolish man said in his hart Psalm 14 1. There is no god And again it is written In the earth there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God And to make no long recitall it is said in the first chapter of Esaie Esaie 1 3. Israel hath not knowne me But this diuersitie may on this wise be reconciled After what manner the knowledge of God is attributed and taken awaie frō the vngodlie The wicked as Paule saith being conuinced by the creatures doo confesse that there is a God but afterward they affirme such things of his nature and propertie as thereby may be well inferred that there is no God For Epicurus said indéed that there are gods but he remooued them from all maner of dooing care and prouidence so that he ascribed to him a felicitie altogither idle Also when they saie that there is a God but that hée hath no regard to mans dooings punisheth not nor heareth such as call vpon him and such like it is gathered thereby that this was their opinion that they granted there is a God in name onlie And therfore the Scripture denieth that they knew God For the true God is not as they fained him to bée and as touching themselues to be holpen or haue the fruition of Gods help he was euen as if he were no God for so much as they neither called vpon him nor looked for hope or aid of him Some persuaded thēselues that there is no God Further some of them were so wicked as they went about to persuade themselues that there is no God at all And albeit they could not bring this to passe their owne mind denieng their conscience striuing against them yet the Scripture pronounceth of them according to their indeuours and saith that they knew not God Lastlie we must vnderstand that the knowledge of God is of two sorts the one effectuall Two kinds of knoledge of God whereby we are changed so that we indeuour to expresse in works those things that we knowe and this knowledge of God the holie Scriptures ascribe vnto the godlie alone but the other is a cold knowledge wherby we are made neuer a-whit the better For we shew not by our works that wée knowe those things which in verie déede wée haue knowne And of this kind of knowledge speaketh Paule Rom. 1 28. where he saith And as they regarded not to knowe God c. And Christ shall saie vnto manie which will boast of the gifts and knowledge of him Matt. 7 23. I knowe yee not But to knowe God after this maner séeing it profiteth nothing the holie Scripture dooth oftentimes so reiect as it vouchsafeth not once to giue it the name of diuine knowlege and saith that GOD knew not the wicked Rom. 1 20. séeing they were such maner of men 6 Neither is it in vaine that God dooth indue the vngodlie with this kind of knowledge In 1. Sam. 5 verse 7. For verelie Aristotle teacheth in his Rhetoricks that it is a goodlie testimonie wherby our affaires are allowed of our enimies Wherfore it is an excellent thing to heare in the first booke of Samuel how the Philistines being the most gréeuous enimies of the God of Israel confessed and pronounced his power to be so great as they were not able to abide it neither yet sought they out the naturall causes of the diseases wherwith they were afflicted when neuertheles the causes be naturall both of the piles hemerods and fluxes But when they sawe that they were altogither and at one time troubled with one kind of disease they straightwaie beléeued that they were oppressed by the hand of the GOD Iehoua and so God inforced them against their wils to confesse his name In like maner Pharao who after he had béen diuerslie plagued at the length cried out Exod. 9 27. I haue sinned against the Lord and against you make yee intercession to God for me Nabuchadnezar and Darius Dan. 3 95. and 6 25. after they had well considered what God had don vnto Daniel did notablie confesse him to be the great God and by their proclamations vnder a most gréeuous penaltie forbad that anie should blaspheme or speake euill of his name And Iulianus the apostata althogh otherwise most wicked yet was constrained at his death to acknowledge the power of Christ in saieng O thou Galilean thou hast gotten the victorie And the verie diuels were driuen to the same confession when they testified and cried out Matth. 8 29. that Iesus Christ is the sonne and the holie one of God and acknowledged that he came to destroie them before the time and confessed that they well enough knew Christ and Paule By the same reason it is euident Acts. 19 15. that the arke
The forme of prophesieng For he that declareth naturall causes and arts and sciences is not a prophet And so a prophet is distinct frō a doctor or teacher Wherein a prophet differeth from a teacher For doctors although they be instructed in the gifts of God to teaching persuading comforting yet they get those things by exercise instruction studie and labour but prophets are taught by no other means than by the onelie reuelation of God Howbeit such prophets as are thus taught of God although perhaps there be some now a daies in the church yet I thinke there be not manie But at the verie beginnings More prophets when the church began than now when the church began to spring vp God raised manie prophets For when men were conuerted from Gréekish gentilitie vnto Christ and were altogether ignorant and vnskilfull of the holie scriptures Loke in the 13. art it was néedful that God helped them by such reuelations but now that all places abound with bookes and teachers there is no néed of the helpe of prophets For the Iewes did onlie looke for Christ to come he is now come wherefore we haue no néed of other prophets Besides they were not so instructed in the holie scriptures For at the beginning they had the lawe and nothing else Then came Samuel and other prophets which made all things full and whole Now there is scripture enough euerie-where Finallie they were alwaies curious serchers of things to come and prone to idolatrie therefore least they should run vnto sorcerers and soothsaiers Deut. 18 15. GOD promised that he would giue them a prophet from among their owne brethren Acts. 3 22. This dooth Peter by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trulie transfer vnto Christ But in verie déed God euermore cared and prouided that they should not be without some prophet of their owne number But in our daies that grosse idolatrie is taken awaie Chrysostome Chrysostome vpon Genesis saith that the sinnes of men haue brought to passe that no such rare pure spirit can dwell among vs which reason dooth not much mooue me For when the people did most gréeuouslie offend God did euer stir vp his prophets The end of prophesieng as Paule saith is to edifie The end of prophesieng that is to bring vs to eternall felicitie but that is not perceiued by mans iudgement For neither eie euer sawe it or eare heard it wherefore it was néedfull to haue it shewed in a more hidden sort by prophets But they could not open it vnlesse they themselues vnderstood it neither could they euer vnderstand it vnlesse they were admonished by the inward spirit of God The efficient cause For otherwise they would be as ignorant in those things which are done by nature as other men be The spirits that stir vp prophets are sometime good sometime euill 4 But now that spirit wherewith they bée stirred vp is sometime good and somtime euill For as God dooth edifie the church by his prophets so the diuell apishlie counterfeiting God subuerteth it by his prophets There was neuer anie heresie that boasted more of prophesies than did the Montanists For they accounted their Prisca and Maximilla being rich and wealthie women for prophetisses The idolaters foretold some things that were true the more easilie to deceiue did mingle them with falshoods But thou wilt saie Why God suffereth the euill men to foretell true things Augustine Why did God suffer them to speake true things Augustine in his 14. booke De trinitate answereth Bicause they were both sinnes and the punishments of sinnes and they had deserued to be giuen vp to lies and strong delusions as Paule saith to the Thessalonians And God saith 2. Thes 2 11 Ezec. 14 verse 19. that If a prophet be seduced I haue seduced him And Augustine against Iulian saith Augustine The diuels report true things euen of Christ bicause God will by all meanes maintaine the truth both to the comfort of the godlie and condemnation of the wicked But such kind of witches are now forbidden by the lawes of princes Lawes of princes against witches as appeareth in the Code De maleficis mathematicis Howbeit bicause none shall be deceiued they are not called Mathematicks in that place which doo foreshew anie thing by the starres or speculation of naturall causes but such as vnder the name of Mathematicks vttered for gaine curious arts and inchantments which kind of people the Emperour Constantine commanded to be burnt But the good spirit is sent in by God which when the heathen knew not they called it furie and distraughting of the mind Plato in his dialogues Phaedro and Ioue Propheticall furie saith that poeticall furie is one mysticall another foretelling of that which should come and another diuine Now concerning the originall of prophesie it is certeine that as touching the time thereof the same was first in Adam Gen. 2 23. For thus did he saie This is now bone of my bones The originall of prophesie Iude. 14. After him preached Enoch which was the seuenth from Adam as it is written in the Epistle of Iude. Then succéeded Moses and Samuel But thou wilt saie If prophesieng bée so ancient whie dooth Peter on this wise saie in the booke of the Acts It is written in the prophets Acts. 3 24. from Samuel and thence foorth I answere that Peter had first made mention of Moses then he maketh Samuel the head or chéefe of the prophets Samuel chiefe of the prophets bicause he had made verie famous the order of the prophets Lastlie bicause nothing was written of anie prophet before Samuel 5 Chrysostome in his second homilie vpon these words of Esaie Chrysost I sawe the Lord sitting Esaie 6 1. setteth foorth although not verie exactlie a definition of prophesie Prophesie saith he Prophesie defined is nothing els but a declaration of things to come And vpon the prologue of Paule to the Romans he saith that the holie men did not onlie prophesie by writings and words but also by déeds Prophesie by deeds as Abraham did in the sacrifice of his sonne and Moses in the brazen serpent and all the people of Israel in eating of the passouer But a fuller definition is this Prophesie is a facultie giuen vnto certeine men by the spirit of God without teaching or learning whereby they are able certeinlie to knowe things heauenlie high and secret and to open the same vnto others for edifieng of the church Here this word facultie is the generall word to prophesie which may be referred to naturall power not that the same power is naturall but that it may make men apt as naturall power dooth whereby they may be assured of their knowledge Which I therefore added bicause they that vtter those things which they themselues vnderstand not be rather mad persons than prophets The other parts of the definition may
both sides aswell in excesse as in homelinesse 8 But thou wilt saie How good prophets are knowne from bad Looke after in the fift cha art 10. Also in the fourth part chapter 4 art 7. Deut. 13 1. and 18 21. Séeing there be some good prophets and some bad by what marke may the one sort be discerned from the other Forsooth not by garments and apparell of the bodie There be certeine other more sure tokens shewed vs in the scriptures God saith in Deuteronomie that these be two sure arguments of a good prophet The first if he leade not awaie the people to idolatrie and strange gods Secondlie if it certeinlie come to passe whatsoeuer he foresheweth The one of these which concerneth idolatrie Sometimes the predictions of true prophets happen not is vndoubted and certeine but of the second some doubt may be For sometimes the foreshewings of the true prophets haue not come to passe Esaie did prophesie that king Ezechias should die of that disease whereof he was sicke and Ionas said Esaie 38 1. Ionas 3 4. that within fortie daies the citie of Niniue should be destroied and yet neither of these things came to passe according to the prophesie Here the answere may be that those saiengs were not prophesies so much as they were threatnings and that the prophets did foresée those effects according to the causes and when the causes were changed it was no absurditie that the effects changed also In 1. Sam. 2 34 In 1. King 13 17. and in this booke part 4. ch 4. art 8. 1. Sam. 10 2 and therefore the prophets cannot be reproued as liars But that place of Deuteronomie is not to be vnderstood of threatnings but of other prophesies Such is that which Samuel foreshewed vnto Saule that he should méet two men by the waie and take of them loaues and that afterward with him should méet a companie of prophets Such also was that which Gedeon receiued as touching the drie and deawie fléece Iudg. 6 36. And such was that which was foretold to Marie Luke 1. namelie that hir cousin Elizabeth should conceiue Other tokens hath Chrysostome noted vpon the 12. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Chrysost vpon these words 1. Cor. 12. When ye were Gentiles ye were caried away to dumbe idols There he saith that the prophets of the idols had two certein tokens to be knowen by The diuels prophets fared like mad men For first when they were possessed with the euill spirit they were vexed with vndecent gestures as men rauished out of their wits Further they vnderstood not themselues whatsoeuer they said For the proofe whereof he alleageth the testimonie of Plato namelie that they spake goodlie things but vnderstood not themselues Iustinus Martyr Iustinus Martyr in the end of his sermon against the Gentiles saith that these words be in a dialogue of Plato Plato which he intituleth Menon the which Chrysostome writeth not of but he addeth two things which séeme repugnant one to the other The Sibyls For he praiseth the Sibyls as though they had spoken by the motion of the holie Ghost and as though their prophesies were certeine preparatiues to the reading of our prophets But he saith that their verses were corrupted by the writers and that when the vehemencie of their spirit was asswaged and they come to themselues againe hauing forgotten what they said could not correct them But that is not like to be true if they had béene stirred vp by the spirit of God First Chrysostome saith that the diuels préests were woont to be mooued with scarse honest gestures And he citeth an old poet The vnhonest gestures of the prophane poet wherein this is written Vnloose ye now the king for a mortall man can no longer conteine God within him Wherevnto that is like which is written by Virgil Dame Sibyll mumbling made and strugling strong withstood the charge If haplie so she might the gods enforsing shake from brest But he preuailing still with more and more hir spirit opprest Hir hart hir raging mouth he taming staid and fixed fast 9 Also the diuell dooth oftentimes driue his prophets to hang themselues Prisca and Maximilla hoong them selues as he did Prisca and Maximilla of whom we spake before In like maner the préests of Baal did bore themselues with small pikes And the French Sibyls did geld themselues And Chrysostome addeth as touching Pythia that she was woont to sit vpon a thréefooted stoole and to let in the diuell into hir by hir dishonest parts from thence to giue hir answers And it is no maruell for the diuell is a tyrant and maketh men to behaue themselues shamefullie so that they cannot tell what to doo or saie But the holie Ghost vseth his prophets after an other sort Naie rather will some saie God dooth also compell his prophets Whether God doth compell his prophets Exod. 3 11. Ionas 3 11. Ierem. 1 6. For Moses Ionas and Ieremie did first shun the office of prophesieng when it was offered them yet were they compelled against their wils to prophesie It is true that these holie men did first striue against it but afterward being persuaded by the holie Ghost they tooke vpon them the function For they were not so brought to the executing of Gods messages as though it had béene quite against their wils But the diuell compelleth and haleth his prophets by violence He maketh their toong to runne at randon he wresteth their eies and tosseth their whole bodie after a lothsome maner On the other side Whether the inspired of GOD knowe not what they saie Iohn 11 49. Daniel 2 1. Gen. 41 1. one may saie that Caiphas foretold vnwares he wist not what bicause he was the high préest for that yere And that Nabuchadnezar and Pharao foreshewed by their dreames such things as themselues vnderstood not I answere that those were no full prophesies but onlie vnperfect For in the definition we said that a prophet must be able both to vnderstand and expound his prophesies for they be giuen for the vse of the church which vse is not at all vnlesse there be vnderstanding Thirdly thou wilt saie also Whether they know not what they doo 1. Sam. 19 verse 23. Read part 1 Cap 4. Art 16. Mans flesh is terified at the presence of God Dan. 10 8. Apoc. 1 17. Matth. 17 6. Num. 24 16. that Saule laie naked a whole daie and a whole night I answere that the flesh of man is terrified and weakened at the presence of the Godhead yet that the holie Ghost dooth neither corrupt nature nor yet disfigure the bodie of man In déed all the strength and power of man dooth faile and is weakened at so great a maiestie For so did Daniel so did Iohn in his reuelation fall prostrate to the earth And so did Peter Iohn Iames being astonished at the transfiguration of Christ fall downe
set foorth their matter with goodlie words and so it may be vnderstood what they saie they account breuitie a speciall praise of speaking And a little after it followeth thus The name of things doone requireth order of time to be obserued will also haue the description of countries For in matters which be great and woorthie of memorie we first looke what counsell was taken secondlie the acts that were doone and lastlie what end and successe came thereof And in counsels is signified what the writer alloweth and in the acts is declared not onelie what was doone and said but also in what maner they were executed c. By these things we may perceiue what is the nature of Annales or of historie And it séemeth we may affirme The narrations of the scriptures be rather histories than chronicles that the narrations of the holie scriptures be rather like histories than Annales For not onelie acts are there set foorth as they were doone but also the verie causes counsels and meanes are shewed Also the orations admonitions and reprehensions are otherwise set foorth with som ornaments All which rather belong vnto histories than vnto bare Chronicles 21 But since we haue heard the opinion of Cicero let vs sée also what Aulus Gellius saith Aulus Gellius opinion of chronicles and histories who in his fift booke and fift chapter writeth on this sort Some doo thinke that a historie differeth from a Chronicle in this that whereas both of them are a declaration of things that be doone yet that a historie is properlie of such things as the writer himselfe is present at the execution of those things which he intreateth of c. This distinction he himselfe dooth not followe and that for some certeine cause Which distinction neuertheles Seruius the Grammarian vsed and after him Isidorus in his first booke of Etymologies which is a maruell bicause he is not only against Tullie who said that An historie is a gathering of things doone from yéere to yéere but also contrarie to Virgil whose verse is in the first of Aeneidos And if it please you to heare the Chronicles of our labours Wherein he declareth that Chronicles also belong to such things as the writer was present at But I will speake againe of Gellius He reporteth that there were others which thought histories to be either the exposition or demonstration of things that haue béene doon and they be Annales or Chronicles when the acts of manie yéeres are afterward compiled an order of euery yéere being kept According to which iudgment the historie of the scriptures cannot be named among Chronicles séeing in the declarations of things doone in them the course of yéeres manie times is not obserued Afterward the same Gellius according to the mind of Sempronius Asellio added this much But the difference betwéene those which would leaue Chronicles behind them and others which indeuoured to discourse of the worthie acts of the Romans was this In their Chronicles they onlie shewed what déeds were doon euerie yéere but the histories not onelie shewed what was doone but also how by what order deuise and counsell the same was atchéeued And a little after the same Asellio in the same booke Chronicles can neither mooue the more couragious sort to defend the Common-weale nor yet the more cowardlie to doo amisse Wherefore since by the knowledge of the scripture men be admonished and stirred vp to the right worshipping of God to repentance of their life to put their whole confidence in God and finallie to take in hand all offices which appertaine to good life and conuersation they rather containe historie than chronicle I haue vsed manie words touching this matter but I trust not without some fâ—uit God is the authour of historie 22 But it must not be thought that historie was deuised by man séeing God himselfe is the author thereof who would that the forefathers should declare vnto their children and posteritie the maruellous things that he did in Aegypt in the red sea and in the wildernesse yea and he bad as we read in Exodus that the warre against Abimelech Exod. 17 14 the victorie which the Israelites had of him should be recorded in writing but this kind of writing began before Moses For euen he maketh mention Histories before Moses time Num. 21 15 Ios 10 13. 2. Sam. 1 18. aswell of a booke of the wars of the Lord as also of an other booke of iust men The prophets also oftentimes mingled histories with their prophesies I omit Dauid who manie times garnished his psalmes which he soong with histories of the scriptures I passe ouer our euangelists in the new testament and the Acts written by Luke wherin are large and most profitable histories Of these bookes if God be authour as we must beléeue he is euen God himselfe shal be counted the authour of historie And this is not vnbeséeming for him séeing historie is an excellent thing for as Cicero writeth in his booke De oratore it is a testimonie of times The praise of historie a light of the truth the life of memorie the maister of life and the messenger of antiquitie c. Verie singular are these commendations and not fit for euerie historie but for such onelie wherein those rules are obserued which this authour hath in the same place set downe that is to wit The rules of a true historie that there be no false thing told that there be no bashfulnes in telling the truth that there be giuen no suspicion of fauour or hatred Wherin although the Latine Historiographers were better than the Gréekes The Latine histories of more credit than the Greeke which as Quintillian saith were in these matters almost as lewd as the poets yet Augustine in his 131 epistle to one Memorius a bishop giuing no small praise to historie among other liberall disciplines and writing of the truth saith that he could not perceiue how those stories which are compiled by men can be well able to kéepe the truth séeing that writers are constrained to giue credit vnto men and oftentimes to gather rumors and reports of the multitude who neuerthelesse are to be excused if they kéepe the course that is required in a historie and write nothing of affection or set purpose to beguile men The histories of the scriptures most true But there is nothing more true than the histories reuealed and written by the inspiration of God as these histories of ours be 23 Besides the commoditie of the truth The commodities comming by histories the knowledge whereof is without doubt most excellent we obtaine other commodities also and those not small by the reading of histories By them we may gather great and abundant store and matter of most profitable arguments For as Quintillian saith histories and examples be iudgements and testimonies And the vse of examples is of two sorts at the least Two maner of vses of examples one is
that we should imitate and vse them also that we should allow and commend those things which we perceiue haue béene doone by excellent men We know out of the diuine historie that Abraham was a holie man and in the fauour of God Gen. 18 2. and that he was a kéeper of hospitalitie whereof we may gather that hospitalitie is a verie good vertue and is acceptable to God and so we may conclude of the contrarie that such things as godly men haue eschewed we also are to take héed of For when we consider of Dauid that might two times haue killed Saule his chéefest enimie and yet would not 1. Sam. 24 7. 1. Sam. 26 7. we may gather therby that priuate persons although they may yet must not reuenge their owne proper iniuries Out of the preface vpon the 2. booke of Samuel pag 2. Gen. 19. The other vse of examples is this that out of manie things seuerallie told we vnderstanding them to be alike may gather thereby some profitable rule to applie them to things generallie As by the storie of the Sodomites we note that intollerable lusts were gréeuouslie punished wée knowe that for the same cause the whole tribe of Beniamin was almost extinguished Iudg. 19 20. Gen. 49 4. we read that for incest Ruben the eldest sonne of Iacob was put besides the inheritance that for cōmitting of adulterie Dauid suffered the indignation of the Lord that for fornication 2. Sa. 13 29. 2. Sam. 19 9. Ammon and Absolom were destroied that Troie as the Ethniks report was subuerted for adulterie Thus by the marking of these things seuerallie doone we saie it is manifest that all vnlawfull and wanton lusts of men are surelie punished by the hand of God To which proposition if we adde the next to wit that now also in these daies throughout all christendome there reigneth the like incest abhomination and wanton life we may make a certeine conclusion that most bitter punishments hang ouer our age for these horrible sinnes 24 But yet in this kind of argument we must take very great héed of a fault which might easilie arise and this commeth two waies First What faults we must beware of when we reason by examples that we take not in hand to imitate such dooings of holie men as they sometimes enterprised naughtilie For as they were men so they did manie times amisse yea and that shamefullie Wherefore the things which they did must be first examined with great iudgement before we make them our examples to followe Augustine Augustine in his second booke against the second epistle of Gaudentius writeth in this maner The falles of saints must not be imitated We must not saith he alwaie imitate allow whatsoeuer thing honest men haue doone but it is necessarie to compare the iudgement of the scriptures therwith and to marke whether they allow of those acts or no. This godlie father giues vs a good warning that as godlie men although they pleased God many waies and haue great credit giuen them through the testimonie of the scriptures yet that all their dooings must not be iudged sound and blamelesse for euerie man is a lier and sinneth manie times For who will folowe the abhominable adulterie of Dauid and the vngodlie betraieng of his faithfull souldier Or who will imitate the forswearing of Peter or his fained dissimulation None I hope that hath anie sparke of godlinesse in him Moreouer it happeneth diuers times that the worke which some haue doone well and iustlie is neuertheles forbidden in others Sometimes God will haue some men to doo things repugnant to the generall lawe Exod. 11 2. For God which made the lawe for man is not so tied thereby as it should not be lawfull for him when he thinketh good to exempt some from the generall bond It is not lawfull for anie man to steale and yet it was permitted yea commanded vnto the Hebrues to carrie awaie the goods which they had borowed of the Aegyptians vnknowne to them and against their wils What is best therefore for vs to doo in such cases Trulie this when we sée anie thing set foorth in the scriptures The doings of godlie men must be weighed by the generall rules of the lawe of God to weigh it well and diligentlie with the generall rules of Gods commandements wherevnto if we perceiue that they be consonant let vs then boldlie vse them but if they disagrée with them let vs assure our selues that they were certaine misdéeds or else speciall prerogatiues permitted to some let vs refraine from following of such examples These cautions being vsed there is great profit to be reaped of histories especiallie those histories which be in the scriptures And this did Chrysostome so well perceiue Chrysost as in his preface vpon the exposition of the epistle to Philemon he wisheth that all those things had béene committed to writing which were either said or doone by the apostles when they sate when they did eate when they wrote and such like And the same father in his 57. homilie vpon Genesis writeth that histories were giuen of the holie ghost to be followed Augustine Augustine also in his second booke De doctrina christiana the 28. chapter sheweth that Manie darke and hard places may be resolued by the knowledge of histories Moreouer whosoeuer shall exercise themselues much in perusing of the scriptures may the more fruitfullie consider the examples and dooings of our times There happened once a man to be somewhat deformed A pleasant historie who neuerthelesse was desirous of godlie children but yet he maried a foule wife and therefore euerie man laughed him to scorne A similitude But he went into the citie and bought himselfe verie faire curious pictures brought them home and placed them in his chamber and gaue his wife commandement that euerie daie for a certaine space of time she should fixe hir sight vpon those pictures which commandement she obserued therefore bare vnto him goodlie children Euen so shall it happen to vs which although for our sinnes naturallie ingraffed in vs we are most foule and vglie to behold and are led aswell by the power of the diuell as by ill conuersation of men vnto lewd and licentious life yet notwithstanding if we will earnestlie and diligentlie make a choise of examples of the godlie described and plainelie set foorth to vs in the holie scriptures will well consider of them in our minds verelie we shall yéeld foorth excellent works and such as be acceptable vnto the Lord. 25 But those things that be written In Gen. 38. Why certaine dishonest things are rehersed in scriptur◠séeme vnto men to be so vnpure and foule as they doo thinke them vnwoorthie to be read in the holie scriptures But vnderstand thou that the sum of those things which he had in the holie scripture are so distributed as some perteine onelie to be knowne others to be imitated
others they are not excluded God verie well knoweth who they be which are wrapped in this kind of sinne but men séeing they knowe not who are by nature fallen into so great a wickednes may not remooue them from the holie doctrine It is requisit no doubt that those which are sinners against the holie Ghost be not such as fall by ignorance or infirmitie but that they be such as are led therevnto by a hatred of the truth to striue against the same so that willinglie and wittinglie they oppose themselues against the truth resist it and to the vttermost of their power hinder the course thereof which neuertheles they will knowe to be the truth How are men able to vnderstand this thing séeing they cannot attaine to the secretnes of anie mans mind and will Wherfore those which be thus ill affected doo heare the word of God without fruit although they be not excluded from the hearing thereof euen for this cause that they cannot be perceiued howbeit that which they heare dooth increase their greater condemnation For of such force is the word of God Iam. 1 21. as either it saueth the hearers or becommeth a destruction vnto them And so great héed dooth the church take 1. Cor. 1 18. that it driueth not awaie anie from the word of God Excommunicate persons are not excluded from hearing the word of God it admitteth thervnto euen those which be excommunicate and them which doo not yet beléeue whom otherwise it driueth both from the sacraments and from publike praiers Perhaps thou wilt demand How cōmeth this difference betwéene the word of God and the doctrine of the philosophers Herof assuredlie it commeth Wherein the word of God and the philosophers doctrine differ that mens saiengs although they be famous and commendable yet are they not indued with that strength and power as they be able to change or correct vnprofitable and corrupt minds But the power and strength of the word of God to call men vnto God is incredible Not as though euen those things which the philosophers also taught or put in writing be without their strength For we denie not that most ancient common saieng wherin it is said that Whatsoeuer is true of what author soeuer it was spoken procéedeth from the holie Ghost But those things which be spoken by the motion of the holie Ghost cannot be altogither void of some effect although it be of much lesse effect than the vehemencie wherewith the holie scriptures are furnished Who will denie that the common sort of stones are adorned with their owne strength and proper power and the same not vnprofitable to our life although they may not be compared with the strength of pretious stones Vnto whō the holie scriptures must not be imparted But I returne to the matter I find onlie one kind of men vnto whom the holie doctrine must not be imparted and they be such as deride and openlie slander the doctrine of Christ For he commanded his apostles that they should not commit the heauenlie doctrine to dogs hogs which in verie déed must be vnderstood of contempt and outward derision that is Matth. 7 6. when with slanders and contumelies they raile vpon true godlines Which if they doo secretlie to themselues so that they will heare quietlie and will suffer themselues to be admonished and taught they must not be put backe from hearing the same Neither must publike preaching be left off for their sakes which are open scoffers railers reprochfull persons when such cannot be driuen awaie bicause perhaps they be ouer mightie lest for one or two mens causes the whole people should be defrauded of the food of their soule Yée sée therefore that onlie these are to be remooued from the holie doctrine from whence other men of what condition soeuer they be must not be forbidden naie rather they must be exhorted to come verie often therevnto Those things which I haue spoken belong to the vsuall and receiued ordinance of the church since I knowe that the spirit hath sometime forbidden the apostles and may now restraine some that they preach not in some places to those to whom otherwise they had determined to preach which bicause it is a worke of God not of men therefore it serueth not to this purpose The eight Chapter Of Lots whereby Gods counsell was asked and first of Vrim and Thumim which were so called of charitie and perfection AN olde expositor of the scriptures called Kimhi Out of the booke of Iudges 20 27. The maner of giuing out oracles by Drim and Thumim Looke In Iudg. 1 verse 1. vpon the twentie chapter of the booke of Iudges verse the 26 noted manie things not vnprofitable for the vnderstanding of other places of the scripture by questions and oracles He saith that It was the maner among the Hebrues to aske questions of God and he that would demand anie thing touching either publike or weightie matters he came to the préest who being apparelled with his Ephod garment stood before the arke of the Lord. And vpon his Ephod were set twelue pretious stones wherein the names of the twelue tribes were ingrauen togither with the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and also all the letters of the Hebrue alphabet It behooued him that asked a question to turne his face towards the préest and his spéech should neither be so lowd as hée might plainlie be heard nor yet so lowe as if he had onlie praied with his inward cogitations but euen in such wise as Anna praied in the first booke of Samuel where it is said 1. Sam. 1 13 that She onelie mooued hir lips said nothing that might be heard After this the oracle was shewed to the préest in this maner By the power of the holie Ghost certeine letters appéered foorth or shined vpon the breast wherin the préest did read the oracle or wil of God And this was that Vrim and Thumim which is spoken of These be the words of Kimhi But what credit should be giuen vnto him I knowe not For it might be that the spirit of God gaue out his pleasure by the mouth of the préest without those letters In 1. Sam. 10 vers 19. 2 Touching lots we haue an example in the first of Samuel the 10. verse for there Samuel willeth that all the people should stand by tribes He himselfe would pronounce nothing least the thing should séeme to be doone by his owne appointment therefore God pronounced Saule to be king doubtlesse not through his owne merit but for the people sake least they should striue among themselues for the choosing of him Saule was chosen by lots The cause of lotting The matter was permitted vnto lots to the intent that dissention might be auoided For if Samuel had chosen the king vpon his owne liking they might haue thought him to be led by fauour affection Againe if the voices of the people should haue taken place
no doubt but euerie one would haue fauoured his owne tribe and béeing so manie tribes as there were they would hardlie haue agréed all vpon one man And wheras Saule was of the least tribe of lowe degrée of base parentage if he should haue béene chosen by anie other means the matter might haue béen greatlie stomached of all sorts Num. 16 2. Core Dathan Abiram and others of their felowes stirred vp sedition against Moses and Aaron bicause they supposed them to haue vsurped the principalitie and preesthood by fraud and collusion Sundrie waies were the lots in old time Kimhi thinketh that all the people stood before the Lord for in deliberation and counsell of great matters it behooued the magistrate or prince to stand before the high préest So we sée in the book of Numbers Num. 27 22 that when Iosua was appointed to be captaine of the people he stood before Eleazar and the préest vsed to make answere through Vrim and Thumim So dooth Kimhi thinke that Samuel stood before the high préest and receiued the oracle of Vrim and Thumim that is to saie by those letters which were ingrauen in the pretious stones of the Ephod He saith moreouer that the arke perhaps was brought thither howbeit these things be vncertaine For there is here no mention made either of the préest or yet of the arke Rab. Shelomo thinketh that such was the maner of lots as that the names of euerie of the tribes were written in seuerall scrols which béeing throwne into a pot were afterward drawne by the chéefe préest It maketh for Kimhi that there is no mention made of lots Shelomo followeth the common opinion which is that Saules election was doone by lots which thing was not strange from the vse custome of the Iewes For of two hée goats Looke in Iudg. 20 8. Much vse of lots among the Iewes Leuit. 16 8. Iosua 13 6. 1. Par. 24 31 1 Sam. 14 41 Ionas 1 7. Acts. 1 26. it was chosen by lots which of them should scape By lots the land of Canaan was diuided among the tribes by lots the préesthood was appointed by lots Ionas Ionathas were found out and by lots Matthias was taken into the apostleship as we read in the first of the Acts. Wherfore séeing lots were in such sort vsed commonlie among the Iewes it should appeare that Shelomo did not thinke amisse in saieng that Saule was chosen by lots And whereas Kimhi saith that the high préest the arke of the Lord and the Ephod were present me thinketh it is not agréeable to truth For the arke at that time was in Kiriathiarim And if so be that the Ephod were there yet it followeth not of necessitie that therefore the arke was also there for we may sée how often those things were a sunder 1. Sam. 30◠For when Dauid fled and came to Ceila he had Abiathar the préest to put on the Ephod and yet the arke was not carried with him in that flight The same thing was afterward doone in Siceleg when as yet the arke was present with him But thou wilt saie that in the text lots are not named I grant but yet there is another word there of the same signification For Lachad signifieth To get to laie hold on and to attaine by coniecture 3 But what lots those were I knowe not for as I said there were manie kinds of lots Cicero in his booke De diuinatione saith Many kinds of lots that When one Numerius Suffecius had cut in sunder a flint stone the lots made in an oke leaped out that at the same time an Oliue trée bid sweat honie and that therefore a little chest was made of the same trée into which the lots were cast these were called Praenestine lots which were verie famous in times past In Plautus we read of lots made of firre and poplar trées which were cast into a vessell of water and according as euerie lot arose first or last from the bottom so the matter was decréed Pausanias saith that lots were woont to be doone out of a pot made of claie and that one Cresphon in the diuision that was made of Peloponnesus to handle the matter that the field of Missena might fall out to his share he corrupted the préest Temenus for he dried others lots by the sun but Cresphons by the fier and therefore Cresphons lots béeing longer before they were made wet he obtained the féeld of Missena Darius the king of Persia in stead of lots vsed the neighing of a horsse And some haue obserued the first arising of the sun To vse lots is nothing else What is to vse lots but to doo something through which we may come by the knowledge of a thing that we knowe not Three kinds of lots But all kinds of lots may be reduced to thrée sorts For either we doubt to whom a thing should be adiudged as in the diuision that is made of féelds and possessions these lots are called lots of diuision either we doubt what is to be doone and such be called consulting lots or else we would faine knowe what should come to passe and this is called diuination by lots But it behooueth verie much to knowe Vpon what principle lots depend vpon what principle lots doo depend For to saie that they be ordered by fortune that were a vaine thing by diuels that is superstitious by heauen and the stars that is plaine ridiculous wherefore they are ruled by God For as saith Salomon Lots are put into the bosome Pro. 16 33. but they are tempered by the Lord. And Augustine vpon the 30. psalme sheweth that lots are nothing else but a signifieng of Gods will when man standeth in doubt And digressing from hence he saith Lots a token of the will of God that predestination and grace may be called lots bicause they depend not vpon our merits but vpon the mercies of God For with God predestination is eternall and certaine though it séeme to come to passe by lots And to Honoratus he saith that In a great persecution all ministers ought not to flie awaie nor yet all abandon themselues vnto perill but those must be retained which shall be sufficient for the present vse and the rest to be sent awaie that they may be reserued till a better season But here what maner of choosing shall be had Those must be retained saith he whom we shall thinke to be the more profitable and better for the people which remaine But if all shall be alike and all shall saie that they would tarie and die then saith he the matter must be committed vnto lots And in his booke De doctrina christiana he saith If there happen to méet with thée two poore men whose néed presentlie is alike and thou hast not then wherewith to helpe them both but one thou canst helpe there is no better waie than to deale by lots How and when lots must be vsed 4 But
we must beware that we come not to the triall of lots too vnaduisedly For we must first vse other meanes and gifts of God namelie the spirit the word reason and discretion and not to deale by lots except when necessitie shall require And it is to be counted necessitie whensoeuer any thing happeneth that may tend to the glorie of God and to the edifieng of his church which thou canst not reach vnto by mans wisedome or if thou canst yet not without incurring of enuie and suspicion and so doo brethren diuide betwéene them the inheritances And the Romans in times past vsed to decide controuersies by casting of lots Secondlie we must beware that nothing be doone rashlie for we must come vnto lots with great reuerence and religion Thirdlie we must auoid superstition Fourthlie there must be no fraud nor deceit Fiftlie about lots we must not vse the gospell or word of God But bicause we cannot easilie beware of all these things Ierom vpon the prophet Ionas denieth that it is lawfull in anie wise to vse lots Howbeit there be some which conster his meaning to be onlie of superstitious lots but he plainelie condemneth all and saith that Whatsoeuer is read in the holie scriptures as touching lots must not be drawne to an example and yet the opinion of Augustine was otherwise as I said before And there is no danger why wée should séeme to tempt God for it is he that ordereth the lots But thou wilt saie The Israelites had an oracle and Ephod therefore what néed had they of lots In déede they had so and so had they Samuel for their prophet who willed them in the name of God to cast lots Beda vpon the Acts saith Beda Acts. 1 26. The example of lots in Matthias must not be followed that The election of Matthias into the apostleship by lots must not be laid hold on for an example For he saith that as yet they had not receiued the holie ghost which when they had receiued they vsed no more lots in the choosing of deacons Neuerthelesse I doubt not but that both sorts of election were approoued and holie alike And although they had not as yet receiued the gifts of the holie Ghost yet in their harts they had him Neither tooke they lots in hand till they had first tried all other ordinarie meanes for they sawe that there were two men of equall godlines iudgement and woorthines wherby no danger might insue vpon the choise of anie of them But in appointing of deacons there was no néed of lots seuen were brought foorth and they did choose them all But if so be that some part onlie of that number should haue béene chosen I doubt not but they might haue chosen them by lots But this in the example of Samuel must be followed In vsing lots they praied vnto God they while lots were casting praied the Lord. And Samuel saith that the people stood before the Lord that is they reuerentlie expected what the Lord would appoint And we must note that in the text it is written They still asked the Lord when as yet they had not found Saule He said still for they had first asked the Lord by way of lots but were rebuked of Samuel both to the intent they might repent and that they might stand deuoutlie before the Lord which to doo accordinglie they asked the Lord by praier But when they sought whether Saule was come they tried not that by lots for how could they haue found him out by lots who was hidden among the cariages But at the praier of Samuel God shewed where he was And here is to be noted the woonderfull faith of Samuel who knowing assuredlie that God had appointed Saule to be king yet doubted not to commit the matter vnto lots An other perhaps would haue said It shall not be so perhaps the lots will fall out otherwise and so will exclude this man Of forespeaking or foretelling called Omen In 1. Sam. 14 9. 5 Ionathas in the first booke of Samuel the 14. chapter verse the 19 desired to haue a signe or token to be shewed him of the Lord Sometime a man may prescribe vnto himselfe a signe the Hebrues interpret this signe or token to be on this sort If they had said Let vs come vnto you that would haue béene a signe of mind both valiant and readie to fight but contrariwise if they had said Come ye vnto vs that would haue béene a signe that they were alreadie discouraged and faint harted And Ben Gerson saith that The beginning of persecutions coms from conquerours Howbeit this is onlie a coniecture for sometime it happeneth otherwise But this is no new kind of vnderstanding the will of God For so in the booke of Genesis Eleazar the seruant of Abraham made this to be his signe The maid which shall saie to me Gen. 24 14. Drinke thou and afterward I will giue thy camels to drinke the same is she whom the Lord hath assigned to be the wife of my masters sonne The Philistines also decréed with themselues that If the arke should be carried by wild and vntamed cattle directlie to the Iewes 1. Sam. 6 9. they would take that as a signe of euill sent by God but if it happened otherwise they would impute it but to fortune and chance And this is to aske a signe What maner of faith is to be confirmed by signes euen that a mans faith may be confirmed But what faith doo I meane Not the faith of Moses lawe or the truth of the prophets for that hath béene sufficientlie confirmed before but there is sometime a certeine particular faith of some thing not expressed in the word of God and therein confirmation by signes is often requisite This we sée happened in the historie of Gedeon Iudg. 6 15. for hée doubted not but that GOD would deliuer his people from their enimies but he knew not that he himselfe should be the deliuerer wherefore he was to bée confirmed by miracle That Messias would com all men were sufficientlie persuaded but that Marie the virgin should be his mother that God had not speciallie promised herevpon a signe was requisite to be had Behold Elizabeth thy cosin hath in hir old age conceiued Luke 1 36. Wherefore miracles are otherwhile of force to confirme the faith be it general or particular And none ought to thinke that Ionathas did tempt God in appointing such a signe vnto himself To tempt God what it is For to tempt God is to make a triall of his power wisedome and will and that when there is no necessitie of the case Wherein the offense is double first After chap. 8 art 117 and part 2 ch 4 art 54. bicause faith is wanting secondlie for that it is doone curiouslie when as neither necessitie nor anie profit dooth require Augustine in his booke of confessions the 36. chapter hath these words When signes saith he are craued not for
rich man which decréed with himselfe to inlarge his barnes and to laie vp for manie yéeres to come it is said Thou foole Luke 12 20. this night shall they take thy soule from thee Also Chrysostome in his second homilie of Lazarus The soules of men saith he are not taken awaie al in one maner of estate for some depart hence vnto paine and others béeing garded with angels are taken vp into heauen Apoc. 7 14. and 14 4. In the Apocalypse the soules of the blessed receiue long garments they stand before the throne and followe the lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Acts. 7 59. When Steeuen was dieng he said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit If the soule should haue died vtterlie why did he rather commend that than his bodie doubtlesse it cannot be found in anie place that the godlie commended their bodies vnto the Lord. And in the second to the Corinthians the 5. chap. For we knowe verse 9. that if the earthlie mansion of this our tabernacle be dissolued we haue a building giuen of God euen an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens These words are not to be vnderstood of our state after the resurrection for there we shall be clothed with our bodies also and therefore they are ment of the state betwéene our departure hence and the resurrection Wherefore soules doo remaine after this life And in the same epistle Paule saith Whether in the bodie or out of the bodie 2. Cor. 12 3. I knowe not c. Which prooueth that the soule may be seuered from the bodie For he putteth a possibilitie both of the one waie the other In this place therefore the question is not as touching the bodie but as touching the soule of Samuel 3 But the controuersie is whether this were Samuel or the diuell About which matter not onlie the Rabbins but also the christian fathers haue disagréeed among themselues The opinions of the fathers and first of Iustinus Yea and among the latter writers Burgensis thinketh one waie and Lyra another Iustinus Martyr against Triphon saith that It was Samuel In which place he hath certeine things which may not well be granted For he saith that all souls before Christ euen of the godlie were after a sort vnder the power of the diuell so that he might bring them backe when he would But Christ saith Luke 16 22. that Lazarus was in the bosome of Abraham and not in the power of the diuell But that thou wilt saie is a parable I grant it yet is it drawne from things likelie to be true and which might be Yea and Tertullian so accounted that narration to be doone indéed as he thinketh that Lazarus was Iohn Baptist and the rich glutton was Herod and that Christ would forbeare their names verse 23. In the 46. of Ecclesiasticus is set foorth the praise of Samuel where among other things it is said that he prophesied after that he was dead and foreshewed to the king the daie of his death Contrariwise Tertullian in his booke De anima Tertullian hath manie things most worthie to be marked For he calleth the arts of magicke a second idolatrie For euen as in the former the diuell faineth himselfe to be God so in the latter he faineth himselfe to be an angel or a dead man séeketh both waies to be worshipped And it is no maruell if he dazell the outward eies of men when as he before occupied the eies of the mind For so saith he did the rods of Pharaos sorcerers séem to be serpents Exod 7 1◠The rod of Pharao sorcerers but yet afterward falshood was deuoured vp of the truth And wheras the Symonians say that they can with their inchantments call vp the dead vnto life that was onlie a méere imagination and a mocke And euen so the diuell in this place mocked both the witch and Saule and deceiued both the eies of the one and the eares of the other In Lybia saith he there be Nasomons which lie at the toombs of their parents and in Europe French men which lie watching at the sepulchers of mightie men to the intent they may receiue oracles frō them after they are dead but he saith that in those things there is no certeintie or soundnes and that they be onlie vaine lies and phantasies Origin writeth nothing purposelie of this matter and yet in the historie of Balaam he saith Origin that good spirits doo not obeie magicall incantations Contrariwise Ambrose vpon Luke Ambrose held that it was Samuel in the first booke and first chapter saith that Samuel prophesied euen when he was dead But without doubt he alludeth vnto that place of the 46. chapter of Ecclesiasticus As touching Chrysostome and Ierom I will speake afterward Augustine was doubtful whether it was Samuel or not 4 Augustine did not alwaies write of this thing after one maner In the second booke to Simplicianus the third question he saith that both may be defended yet as touching the first opinion he séemeth to doubt how Saule béeing a man now reiected by God could talke with Samuel béeing a prophet and holie man But he answereth that this is no new thing for in Iob Iob. 1 6. the euill spirits talked with God himselfe And in the historie of Achab the lieng spirit offered his seruice vnto the Lord 1. Kings 22. yea and that princes doo sometimes talke with théeues yet to the intent they may punish them whereas in the meane time they speake not with honest men The diuell can doo manie things against the godlie Iob. 1. 12 and 2 6. Luk. 22 31. Matth. 4 5. whom they looue and meane to defend But what power saith he had the diuell ouer Samuel that he was able to bring him He answereth that he had power to torment Iob and that he coueted to sift his disciples that he set Christ vpon the pinacle and furder that if Christ without anie diminishing of his honour might be hanged vpon the crosse and afflicted with torments it is likelie that Samuel also might be raised againe without anie impairing of his felicitie doubtlesse not by anie strength or power of the diuell but by the permission of God that he might terrifie Saule So doo some vnderstand that which was doone in Balaam Num. 22 12 for he was a soothsaier and tooke his iournie to the intent that by magicall charms he might curse the Iewes but God preuented the cunning of the diuell Howbeit of this matter I affirme nothing But Augustine demandeth further how Samuel being so good a man did come vnto an euill man And he answereth that in this life also good men doo come vnto euill men But this is a weake argument for men doo it in this life either of dutie or else of fréendship or familiaritie Now Samuel was out of this life and was called by a witch whom he ought not to haue obeied But Augustine
thinketh that it may be more easilie answered if we saie that it was not Samuel but onelie a vaine imagination and phantasie A rule howbeit he cannot but grant that two things are against this opinion one is that the scriptures doo alwaies so speake as if it had béene verie Samuel But he answereth that it is the vsuall maner of the scriptures to call similitudes by the names of those things which they represent For so the woodden images were called cherubims and Salomon made brasen oxen 1. Kin. 6 23. 1. Kin. 7 25. 1. Sam. 6 11. and the Philistines gaue siluer mice Neither doo the holie scriptures lie when they speake after that sort For men are woont commonlie so to speake and it pleased God to applie himselfe to the sense and capacitie of man Another thing is that he trulie fore-shewed what would come to passe namelie 1. Sa. 28 19. The diuell sometime speaketh true things that Saule with his sonnes should be slaine and that the host of Israel should be ouerthrowne But he answereth that this also is no new or woonderfull thing for the diuels confessed Christ to be the sonne of God Mark 1 24. And in the Acts of the apostles they gaue a verie goodlie testimonie of Paules doctrine Acts. 16 17. Euen so in this place God vseth the seruice of the diuell to the intent he might terrifie Saule that he which had taken counsell of euill spirits might be afflicted with an euill answere But he addeth how might Saule be with Samuel a wicked man with an holie prophet A great distance of places between blessed soules and lost soules Luk. 16 26. Such he saith is the subtiltie of the diuell alwaies to mingle some truth with falshood For assuredlie saith he there is great distance of place betwéene the blessed soules and the reprobate And this he prooueth out of the historie of the rich man and Lazarus This I make mention of forsomuch as I sée that they which affirme the bodie of Christ to be in euerie place haue no reason so to saie For if that were true then the soules of the godlie should be in euerie place also For Christ saith Wheresoeuer I am Iohn 12 26. there also my minister shall be And by this meanes there should be no differences betwéene soules Of vbiquitie for all should be in all places But they saie Ierom against Vigilantius that Ierom writeth thus against Vigilantins For Vigilantius denied that we should call vpon dead men for they are in the bosome of Abraham and doo not wander about their sepulchres and ashes Then are they not saith Ierom in anie stinking prison but in a pleasant and large custodie like certeine fathers of the order of senatours But saith he They followe the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth now the Lambe is euerie-where Apoc. 14 4. Further saith he shall we grant this vnto diuels that they can wander vp and downe thoroughout the whole world shall we denie the same vnto the blessed soules of godlie men Here Ierom by his good leaue may it be spoken is somwhat out of the waie Ierom misseth concerning the vbiquitie of soules and yet he hath not spoken of that whereof these men did meane He erreth in saieng that the soules of dead men are conuersant about their sepulchres and that they are to be inuocated yet dooth he not saie that they be euerie-where He compareth them with spirits which he saith doo wander euerie where that is they be sometimes here and sometimes there But if they were euery-where they could not wander héer and there and change places and therefore Ierom saith that neither the lambe nor the soules departed nor diuels be in euerie place but that they in such sort wander at large as they may be wheresoeuer they list These things I haue touched by the waie But Augustine answereth that that saieng of Samuel may be vnderstood of the generall state of death and not of the equalitie of happines In the latter end he addeth that whereas there be but these two waies onlie the former may not be admitted vnles it be prooued to be possible that soules departed may by magicall charms be called againe and beare the proportion of mens bodies And therefore of necessitie the other waie remaineth namelie that it was doone by the counsell and will of God But by the power of incantation that could not be doone and yet by the purpose and commandement of God it might be brought to passe And to this opinion I willinglie agrée For if God will I sée not what should hinder it Augustins booke of questions of the new and old testament 5 In the sixt question to Dulcitius he hath in a maner the same that he hath to Simplicianus But in the questions of the old and new testament if that be Augustines booke which I speake bicause of the censure and iudgement of Erasmus who hath separated that booke from the works of Augustine he accounteth it detestable for anie man to thinke that it was Samuel whom the witch raised vp for it was onlie a delusion and an imagination For the diuell did this to bring himselfe vnto honour and to persuade men that the soules of the dead be in his power and that they shall not escape from his hands after death But if the historie be well discussed we shall not find anie thing at all to prooue that it was Samuel but that Saule indéed when he had heard the description of his apparell and the fashion of his bodie thought that it had béene so that the scripture applied it selfe to his mind and opinion that Saule fell downe and worshipped and thereby the diuell had that which he sought for that Samuel would neuer haue suffered it but that he said Saule should be with him the next daie bicause he was wicked and should perish euerlastinglie But what shall we answere as touching Ionathas 1. Sa. 28 19. who was well knowne to be a iust man Wherefore this answere of Augustine séemeth to be féeble In his second booke De doctrina christiana Augustins booke De mirabilibus scripturarum the 26. chapter he saith It was an image raised vp by sacriledge In another booke De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae if the same be Augustines booke he likewise denieth that it was Samuel indéed Also in his little booke De cura pro mortuis agenda he hath manie excellent things but in the end he concludeth The dead knowe not what is doone in this life that it séemeth vnto him the soules of those which are departed be ignorant what is doone in this life For wheras they oftentimes appéere and present themselues to liuing men somtimes waking and somtimes sléeping Looke In 2. Kings 22 verse 23. that may be doone by angels either good or bad And he saith that we our selues doo oftentimes present our selues to our fréends in our sléepe when as we our selues
called the sonnes of God and came of the generation of Seth the third sonne of Adam For séeing they reteined the true and sincere religion of God and the pure inuocation of his name and were adorned with the fauour and grace of God they are called by the scriptures The children of God In what sort the children of God fell from God Neuertheles when they afterward burned in the lusting after those women which descended of the stocke of Cain and therefore belonged to the societie of the wicked and had taken to themselues wiues of them they themselues also inclined to superstitions and vngodlie worshippings and they of the sonnes of God not onlie became men but also flesh And to shew this by the waie Aquila translating those words out of the Hebrue Aquila Not saith he the sonnes of God but the sonnes of gods in this respect as I thinke bicause they had godlie progenitours which so miserablie fell from God through the mad loue of women Symmachus But Symmachus translateth it The sonnes of the mightie But to returne to Augustine he constantlie affirmeth that out of that place of Genesis there can be nothing gathered as touching the copulation of angels with women but rather thinketh that far otherwise may be gathered of the words of God there written For when the scripture had there said that giants were vpō the earth that the sonnes of God as it is said had transgressed and brought foorth giants it is added And God said Gen. 6 3. My spirit shal not alwaies striue with man bicause he is flesh By this saieng Augustine will haue it manifest that they which so offended are called men not onelie as they were in their owne nature but also as they are called flesh vnto the which they inclined with their shamefull lusts But they which vnderstand it otherwise thinke that they bring a great testimonie of Enoch the seuenth from Adam Iude. 14. The booke of Enoch of whom Iude speaketh in his canonicall epistle For in the booke which is intituled to him the giants are said to haue had not men but angels to be the authours of their generation But vnto this answereth Augustine Augustine that the booke is altogither Apocryphus not canonicall and therefore that credit must not be giuen to the fables which be recited therein He saith that it must not be doubted but that Enoch wrote manie diuine things séeing Iude the apostle did plainlie testifie the same but yet that it is not necessarie to beléeue all the writings in the booke of Apocryphus which are shewed to haue come from him forsomuch as they lacke sufficient authoritie Neither should it be thought that if Iude vttered some certeine sentence out of it that therfore by his testimonie he approoued the whole booke vnles thou wilt saie that Paule also allowed of all things that were written by Epimenides Aratus and Menander bicause he alledged one or two verses out of them Ierom Which thing Ierom in expounding of the first chapter of the epistle to Titus testifieth to be a verie absurd and ridiculous thing And as concerning Enoch it would séeme a verie great maruell if he were the seuenth from Adam how he could write that Michael wrestled with the diuell for the bodie of Moses séeing if these things were as in verie déed we must beléeue they were they of necessitie happened well-néere a thousand fiue hundred yéeres after vnles we shall grant that this was reuealed vnto him at that time by a certeine excellent power of prophesie 34 Neither must it be forgotten that those The reason that mooued some to thinke that giants came not of men which thinke that giants had not men but angels for their parents were therefore brought thus to thinke bicause they thought it might not possiblie be that huge giants can be borne of men which be of an ordinarie stature and bignes Wherefore there were some which procéeded so farre in the matter as they affirmed that the first man was a giant and also Noah and his children For they beléeued not that that kind of men either before or after the floud if so be they might be thought to haue sproong of men could be vnles they had such progenitours But Augustine prooueth that opinion to be false Augustine and saith that A little before the destruction which the Gothes made A woman giant in Rome there was in Rome a woman of a giants stature whom to behold they came by heaps out of diuerse parts of the world which woman neuertheles had parents that excéeded not the common and vsuall stature of men If we shall search what the cause is that nature hath brought foorth giants of such huge bodies we can alledge no other A naturall cause of the tall stature of giants but an abundance of naturall heate and a moisture which abundantlie and largelie ministreth matter For the heate not onelie extendeth a man to tallenes and heigth but also spreadeth and inlargeth him to breadth and thicknes Wherefore giants began to be before the floud and they were also before the resort which the sonnes of God had with the daughters of men and were bred after that also Further men did beget them and there was a naturall cause as I haue shewed Also for a truth there were of them borne after the floud For there is mention made of them in the bookes of Numbers Deuteronomie Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Paralipomenon and in others of the holie bookes Of what stature giants haue bin 35 Of the greatnes and stature of them we may partlie coniecture and partlie we haue the same expresselie described The coniectures be that Goliah had a coate of male which weighed fiftie thousand sickles of brasse 1. Sam. 17 5. The haft of his speare was like a weauers beame and the iron speare had weighed sixe hundred sickles of iron We also coniecture of the excéeding great stature of Og the king of Basan Deut. 3 11. by his bed which being of iron was of ten cubits long Also the Israelits being compared with Anachis Num. 13 34 séemed to be but grashoppers these things may be a token vnto vs of what greatnes these men were The greatnes of Goliah 1. Sam. 17 4 But the greatnes of Goliah is properlie and distinctlie set foorth in the booke of Samuel for it is said there that he was of sixe cubits and a hand-breadth high and a cubit if we followe the measure of the Gréekes is two foote but according to the account of the Latins The cubit of the Greeks and Latins one foote and a halfe Some alledge this to be the cause of the difference that the measure may be sometimes extended from the elbowe to the hand sometime closed together and sometime open stretched foorth This is as much as I could gather of the stature of giants out of the holie scripture The Ethnicks testimonie
false prophets God alloweth and commandeth it Go thy waies doo so He giueth incouragement It shall be so Further we cannot denie but that sinne is a certeine humane action but euerie déed as it coms in act dependeth of the first principle of all things God is as the Philosophers acknowledge him Actus Primus actus the first agent Vnlesse he be the vpholder there can be no agent wherefore sinne dependeth on God as vpon the cause efficient Sinnes for the most part be motions and motions haue an order so as the inferiour dependeth vpon the superiour therefore the cause of sinne so far-foorth as it is a motion is directed vnto his owne moouer Augustine hath certeine testimonies of this thing and confirmeth it also by some places of the scripture In his booke De gratia libero arbitrio the twelfe chapter he saith that There is no doubt but that God worketh in mens minds to make their wils incline either to good according to his mercie or vnto euill according to their merits by his iudgement vndoubtedlie which sometime is open sometime secret but euermore iust In the beginning of that chapter he saith Who can but tremble at these horrible iudgements of God whereby he worketh what he will in the harts of the wicked yéelding to euerie one according to his deserts And he addeth He verelie worketh in the harts of men the motions of their will and by them he dooth those things that he will doo who neuertheles cannot will anie thing vniustlie This he prooueth by the scriptures In the first of kings we haue the historie of Roboam 1. Kin. 12 15 who harkned not to the counsell of the ancients that he should deale mildlie with the people But it is said that this turning away was of the Lord to the intent he might establish the saieng of Ahia the Silonite Wherefore as Augustine expoundeth it that naughtie will was of the Lord. He alledgeth another place out of the second booke of Chronicles the 21. chapter 2. Par. 21 16. God stirred vp the Philistines and Arabians against Ioram which followed idolatrie God was minded to punish him Vndoubtedlie the motions of the minds in the Philistines and Arabians were wicked against Ioram insomuch as they inuaded other mens countries and were infected with crueltie and yet God is said to haue stirred them vp In the same historie of kings 2. Kin. 14 8. there is speaking of Amasias which prouoked Ioas the king of Israel vnto battell Yea and Ioas himselfe 2. Par. 25 14 and also the prophet of the Lord discouraged him from the purpose but he being carried with ambition hearkened not vnto the godlie admonitions which thing neuertheles came from God who would that he should be deliuered into his hands bicause he followed the idols of Edom. 4 We reade in the 14. chapter of Ezechiel Ezec. 14 9. If the prophet be deceiued I haue seduced him and I will stretch foorth my hand and will smite him He intreateth of the false prophets which euer betwéene whiles vainlie fed the people Ieremie saith in the fourth chapter Iere. 14 10. that God deceiued the people In the 63. chapter of Esaie the prophet complaineth Esai 63 17. Wherefore hath God so seduced the people or made them to erre that they should depart from him Salomon saith in his Prouerbs Prou. 21 1. Euen as the violence of waters so is the kings hart in the hand of God Vndoubtedlie Pharao was a king therefore he inclined his will vnto what part he would Nabuchadnezer was a king therefore he inclined his will vnto which part he would In the 104. psalme Psa 105 25. it is said of the Aegyptians that God turned their harts so as they hated the children of Israel they séemed before to loue the Israelites In the second epistle to the Thessalonians the second chapter 2. Thes 2 11 Bicause men cast awaie the loue of the truth therefore God sent them strong illusions that they might giue credit vnto lies It is written in the eleuenth chapter of Iosua Iosua 11 20 that None made peace with the children of Israel among all the nations of the Chanaanites saue onelie the Gabeonites For God incouraged their hart to fight against the Israelites And it is added vnto what end namelie that they should be wéeded out by them Assuredly he did animate them that they should not desire to haue peace but rather to haue warre Moreouer he that would an end séemeth to will those things which serue vnto the end and by the same will he would those meanes which craue an end The physician willing to heale a sicke man séeth that cutting or searing or else a bitter potion is fit and euen these he will vse for recouerie of health When GOD would that a testimonie vnto the truth should be giuen by the martyrs and that Christ should die he also would those things that should procure this end namelie the vexation of the saints and crueltie of kings and people for it behooued to attaine vnto that end by these kind of meanes In the prophets especiallie in Esaie Esai 10 5. and 15. kings are said to be in the hand of God like rods hammers and axes which comparisons haue no place if it were not vnderstood that God mooueth the harts for they be not mooued vnlesse they be driuen forward Also when God was displeased with the people of Israel 2. Sam. 24 1. he stirred vp the hart of Dauid to number that people by the poll which thing was wicked It is to small purpose if thou wilt saie that in the booke of Chronicls is read 2. Par. 21 1. that satan prouoked him for satan can doo no more than God giueth him leaue Whether God did it by himselfe or by satan thou séest that Dauid was stirred vp by the will of God vnto that which was not lawfull An obiection They are woont to excuse this matter that God permitteth but not helpeth We saie it is not enough for the offense is still left in our minds God as yet séemeth after some sort to will sinne he knoweth that a man cannot stand by himselfe A similitude If some blind man should walke before vs and we should sée him readie either to stumble against a stone or to fall into a ditch and we are present we may helpe him but we will not we suffer him to go on now when he falleth shall not we after some sort be said to be guiltie of his fall For thou wouldest haue him fall if thou diddest not staie him when thou mightest And that which yet is more gréeuous A similitude if so be that an old impotent man were leaning vpon his staffe and so after a sort were going and if some man should take awaie his staffe wherevnto he leaned although he inforced him not to fall should he not after some sort be called the author of the fall
wiped out who were written in before the will séemeth not to be constant Read Augustine vpon that place A man commonlie saith Quod scripsi scripsi What I haue written that haue I written and will God wipe out that which he hath written How then are they said to be wiped out The kind of spéech is according to the hope of them In verie déed they were not registred but they thought themselues to be registred But there be some which refer blindnesse and hardening of harts to foreknowledge onelie Howbeit there is not a bare prescience of these things but there is a certeine will of God whereby God cannot foreknowe things to come vnlesse they be such as shall come to passe And those things that shall be or be cannot come to passe or be vnlesse that God with some kind of will will haue them to be or to come to passe Wherefore there is some will of God that preceadeth fore-knowledge he hath a will not to let things and he hath a will to vse them according to his predestinated counsels 33 An other argument To the 19. These tyrants Nabuchadnezar Senacherib and others Esaie 10 5. and. 19 were in the hand of God as a staffe and rod and therefore God séemeth to be the cause of sinne Indéed it is true that they were as a rod and when they had executed their office they were throwne into the fire yet were they not without sense and perceiuing but were mooued forward by their owne naughtie will and therefore are iustlie punished For there is two kinds of instruments as I declared before Howbeit this is no beguiling that God will vse these things yet command that they shall not be doone These men doo them of a naughtie will but God vseth their naughtines Men also can vse well the naughtie actions of their aduersaries and manie times they doo vse them without anie craftie dealing euen to the intent they may take héed to themselues and may shew patience Sometime God vseth sinnes to punish the sinners themselues yea rather he vseth them so alwaies for bicause sinne is alwaies a punishment of the sinner And otherwhile he vseth them for the punishment of others An other argument was To the 20. that God put into the hart of Dauid to number the people Indéed 2. Sam 24 1. 1. Paâ— â—1 1. the scripture speaketh after this maner These kind of spéeches we heare not in the poets but in the word of God Plato might banish poets out of his common weale but we may not driue out scriptures which speake on this wise But how these things must be vnderstood I haue declared before God withdrew his helpe from Dauid he hindered him not he would vse that worke for punishing of the people But it is obiected If God withdrawe his grace hée dooth it iustlie I grant it yet notwithstanding he dooth the same further he vseth the diuell also Ibidem In the booke of Chronicles it is said that the diuell set on Dauid therefore God also did it insomuch as he gaue the diuell leaue But they obiect against that which we haue oftentimes spoken namelie that grace being remooued from vs sinne dooth créepe on of it selfe séeing our owne will of it selfe inclineth vnto it euen as darknes dooth naturallie come after the light is gon God saie they is euen as the sunne bicause his light shineth in euerie place but there be men which conueigh themselues into corners but if his lightening be in euerie place into what corners should men go where that light is not The diuine scripture saith otherwise for it saith of him that abused the talent Matt. 25 28 Take it awaie from him c. Dauid praieth Take not awaie thine holie spirit from me wherefore God ment to vse the sinne of Dauid for punishment of the people And Aeschylus the tragicall poet is by some vniustlie accused who saith that God if he will destroie and take awaie anie he giueth the causes and occasions séeing the scripture so speaketh which can speake against the lawes of Plato but not against the lawes of God 1. Sam. 2 25 For it saith that the sonnes of Helie did not hearken to their father bicause the will of God was to destroie them 1. Kin. 12 15 and that Roboam would not giue eare vnto the elders bicause the turning awaie was of God It was said that If the matter should be thus To the 21. then God should not be the cause of all things if he be not the cause of sinnes It followeth not for although God be not the cause of sinne yet he gouerneth the sinnes which be committed he vseth them and maketh the verie ground-worke so farre foorth as it is a naturall thing But it behooueth saie they that sinne be voluntarie If we speake of actuall sinnes it is true but of originall sinne it is not true Also the first motions which be sinnes are not voluntarie Barnard And Barnard in his treatise of frée will setteth downe certeine degrées of mans nature Men that be blessed in the heauenlie habitation cannot sinne it was in Adam not to haue sinned after sinne committed we cannot choose but sinne So be the damned so be the reprobate and wicked But the godlie regenerate are able not to giue place vnto sinne and bring to passe that sinne shall not altogither reigne in them and this they haue of the spirit of God Whereby it appéereth by this distinction that the sinne of the damned is of necessitie We cannot make choise of anie part without the spirit of God and yet sinne neuertheles For although it be a thing of necessitie yet it is voluntarie but not so voluntarie as we be able of our selues to make choise of the other part which is contrarie therevnto for we cannot haue the choise on the other part but through the same spirit of God In punishing there is no respect what wee are able or not able but what we doo against the lawe of God Sinnes are iustlie punished but there is no respect had what thou art able or not able but whether that which thou dooest be doone against the lawe of God or no. And God dooth iniurie vnto no man Wherfore this obiection is not of force if we respect God If one sée a blind man to be falling dooth not stretch foorth his hand to helpe him or setteth him not vp againe it séemeth to be crueltie To the 22. God séeth a man readie to fall he putteth not foorth his hand it séemeth to be crueltie In whom In men bicause the lawe is prescribed vnto them GOD is not subiect to these lawes Zuinglius This answer maketh Zuinglius in his booke De prouidentia and in his booke De falsa vera religione where he intreateth of merit And although God bestowe not so large gifts vpon the reprobate as he dooth vpon others yet he giueth them manie things
4. God made all things for his owne selfe euen the vngodlie to an euill daie And Paule teacheth vs that God is like vnto a potter and that he maketh some vessels to honor Rom 9 21. and some to dishonour And this is also the same will whereby God ruleth gouerneth and moderateth the naughtie desires and sinnes of men at his owne pleasure as it hath béene said before By this will God deliuereth the wicked into a reprobat sense sendeth in the Chaldaeans to lead awaie his people into captiuitie addeth efficacie vnto illusions would haue the wicked to be seduced and is said to harden them 40 But séeing these things are expresselie read that we oftentimes light vpon them in the holie scriptures we must diligentlie consider how they should be vnderstood The cōmon sort thinke that whereas it is written that God dooth blind dooth harden dooth deliuer dooth send in dooth be guile nothing else is ment thereby but that he suffereth these things to be doone After the which manner How these words To blind to harden c. are of the fathers interpreted by permission verie manie of the fathers doo interpret those spéeches being led doubtles by this reason that they thought it a wicked and blasphemous thing if God should be accounted the author of sinne and they would not that men should cast vpon God himselfe the causes of their sinnes Which counsell of theirs I verie well allow and confesse togither with them that these things be doone by the permission of God for séeing he can inhibit sinnes to be doone and yet dooth not let them he is rightlie said to permit or suffer them Wherefore Augustine verie well saith Augustine in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence the 98. chapter that There is no mind so wicked but that God can amend the same if he will but not to prohibit when thou canst is to permit And the same author against Iulian in the fift booke the ninth chapter sheweth that There be manie euils which God would not permit vnlesse he were willing thervnto But there must be somwhat else also brought besides permission if we will dulie satisfie those places of the scripture which are obiected For they which saie that God dooth onelie permit they cannot altogither exclude his will bicause he permitteth the same either willinglie or else vnwillinglie vnwillinglie I am assured hee dooth not bicause none may compell him it followeth therefore that he dooth willinglie permit those things to be doone Neither must we imagin the same will of permission to be stacke in God for in God there is nothing that is not perfect and absolute In what respect God not onelie permiteth but also would haue sinne Wherefore it must of necessitie be determinned that God dooth not onelie permit sinne but also after a sort willeth it yet not in respect that it is sinne for his will is alwaies of necessitie carried vnto good but in that it is a punishment of wickednes doone before for in that respect although it be sinne yet it goeth vnder the forme of good So doo princes and magistrats otherwhiles set lions and wild beasts vpon ill men and incourage elephants against enimies yet they made not those kind of beasts but they cause the féercenes and crueltie of them to serue their vse So God vseth the labour of tyrants when he will take iust punishment of anie people Wherefore the king of Babylon is called the hammer staffe and sawe of the Lords hand Esaie 10 15. when God would by his violence chastise the people of Israel For that king notwithstanding he was the mightiest prince was not able of his owne force to afflict the children of Israel naie rather he was rebuked of arrogancie bicause he sometime ascribed that thing to his owne strength for God declareth that he himselfe was the verie author of so great destruction And Iob when he was so gréeuouslie vexed by the Sabees by the Chaldaeans and also by the diuell Iob. 1 21. and depriued in a maner of all his goods he no lesse godlie than wiselie said The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken awaie And that he might the more euidentlie shew that this happened by the will of God he added Euen as it pleased the Lord so it is come to passe for he sawe that God vsed the Sabees Chaldaeans and the diuell as instruments And in the second booke of Samuel 2. Sam. 24 1. the 24. chapter it is said that God stirred vp Dauid to number the people which act in Paralipomenon is attributed to the diuell 1. Par. 21 1. Both with saiengs be true bicause God by the ministerie and worke of the diuell prouoked him to doo it For euen as Salomon saith The hart of the king is in the hand of God Prou 21 1. he inclineth the same which waie soeuer he will certeinelie not by instilling of new euill as we haue oftentimes said before but by vsing of the same which he hath alreadie found either to the punishment of sinnes or else to the perfourmance of his other counsels Therefore when it is written that God dooth either harden or make blind we must beléeue that he not onelie forsaketh and leaueth but that he also applieth his will 41 Neither must we passe it ouer that in the seuenth and eight of Exodus it is written that God hardened the hart of Pharao Exod. 7 13. and 8 15. when neuertheles in the eight chapter it is written that Pharao himselfe hardened his owne hart In what sort Pharao both hardened himselfe was hardened by God either of which is certeinelie true For first Pharao had in himselfe the originals of so great an obstinacie and he willinglie and of his owne accord set himselfe against the word of God But on the other part as I haue declared before God prouided that the same his obstinacie shuld be openlie shewed and did moderate and gouerne it according to his owne pleasure We must not thinke that GOD dooth so rule the world as he should sit like an idle man in a watch tower and there doo nothing or that he suffereth the world and inferiour things to haue scope to wander at will as dooth a horsse which hath the raines at libertie Neither is that true which is alledged by some that God neither willeth nor nilleth those euils or sinnes as if hée thought not vpon them at all Euen as if one should aske me whether I would the French king should hunt this daie or no I might rightlie answere that neither I would it nor would it not séeing the matter perteineth nothing vnto me But as touching God it cannot rightlie be answered so séeing what things soeuer are in all the world they doo belong to his care and prouidence But I would that these men did weigh with themselues by what testimonie of the scripture they be able to confirme that permission of theirs which they so obstinatelie reteine I
am not ignorant that they alledge for themselues that which is said in the 81. psalme Psal 81 13 I permitted them to their owne harts lust But if we confer with the true Hebrue text it will appéere more féeble of lesse proofe than they be aware of For the verbe Schillach in the Hebrue is in the coniugation Piel which by the force of the coniugation signifieth A vehement action neither is it conuenient that we should abate the force thereof through expounding of it by the word Permission Nay rather How the word of permitting is vnderstood in the scriptures Rom. 1 24. it agrées with the phrase of Paule wherein it is said in the epistle to the Romans that God deliuered the wicked to a reprobate sense and it is rather shewed that God cast awaie the wicked than permitted them But whereto did he permit them or cast them off Verelie to their own wicked desires as who saith they should be wholie possessed and gouerned by them And in this sense is that Hebrue word oftentimes vsed in the scriptures In Genesis it is shewed Gen. 3 24 that God cast man out of Paradise and who would there interpret the word Cast out by the word Permitted seing he rather draue and thrust them out from thence Moreouer in the 19. chapter the angels saie And the Lord hath sent vs out to destroie Sodom in which place Gen. 19 13. To send foorth cannot be the selfe same that is to Permit And it is written in Ezechiel It brought foorth the branch Ezec. 17 6 while notwithstanding a vine dooth not permit the branch to come foorth of it but dooth rather inforce it to bud out Wherfore let the interpretour beware least in that place he interpret the Hebrue verbe Schillach by the verbe of permitting 42 Neither must we passe it ouer The scriptures attribute the permission of God as well to good things as to bad Hebru 6 30 that the holie scriptures no lesse attribute the permission of God vnto good things than vnto euill For the apostle in the sixt chapter to the Hebrues when he intreated of good things saith If God shall permit Iulian the Pelagian as appéereth out of Augustine in the third chapter of the fift booke which he wrote against him was of the opinion that when it is said in the scriptures that God deliuereth or blindeth it must onelie be vnderstood that he leaueth or permitteth But contrariwise Augustine saith that God dooth not onlie permit but as the apostle taught He declareth his wrath and power Furthermore Iulian writeth that such spéeches are hyperbolicall or excessiue spéeches Augustines opinion of permission Rom. 9 22. but Augustine affirmeth that they be proper Iulian interpreteth that these which are said to be deliuered to their owne lusts were infected before with these diseases wherfore he addeth What néed was it Whether to haue lusts and to be deliuered to them is all one that they should be deliuered to them It was enough that they were suffered to wallowe and rest in them Vnto this Augustine saith Dooest thou thinke it all one to haue desires and to be giuen ouer vnto them For the vngodlie be giuen ouer vnto their naughtie luss not onelie that they may haue them but that they may be altogither had and possessed of them Wherefore the same father added Euen as God dealeth in the bodies of wicked men by vexing punishing them euen so he worketh in the minds of them by driuing of them vnto sinnes And in the same place he intreateth of the historie of Semei 2 Sam. 16 verse 10. where Dauid saith The Lord commanded him to curse me The Lord saith Augustine iustlie inclined the will of Semei being euill through his owne fault to raile vpon Dauid and the cause is shewed For the Lord shall reward me good for this rebuke The same Augustine also in his booke De gratia libero arbitrio writeth that God dooth worke in mens minds inclining them as well vnto good as vnto euill oftentimes by his secret iudgement yet somtimes by his manifest iudgement but euermore by his iust iudgement Wherevnto adde that how and for what cause he dooth these things it is excéeding hard to expresse But yet this is most certeinlie to be determined that these euils so far foorth as they come of God be not sinnes but are things iust and good but in that they procéed either from the diuell or from men of good right they ought to be accounted sinnes The Manicheis The Manicheis when they could not vnwrap themselues out of this doubt did feigne that there were two beginnings of things whereof the one should be good but the other euill But we teach that there is one God the author of all good things wée saie that sinnes sprang vp by the departing of Adam from God and yet that those sinnes are tempered and ruled by the will and pleasure of God Wherevpon we conclude that the verie actions themselues that is the subiects of sins be of God and that he when he thinketh it meet dooth withdrawe his grace and succour and that afterward he ruleth bendeth the naughtie lusts of men which waie soeuer it shall please him and that séeing he vseth the sinnes of men to the punishment of other sinnes it cannot be said that he by no meanes at all would them Of the sinne of Adam But of the sinne of Adam the question is the more difficult bicause there was no fall of his went before which should be punished by God with a latter sinne Yet vnto this we answer that the action of his that is the subiect of deformitie and vnrighteousnes was of God but the priuation or defect came of the frée will of Adam whom God created vncorrupt frée and perfect but yet not so that he might not reuolt and doo amisse Neither was the grace of God whereby he should be kept backe from falling so great as it did firmelie establish him And it cannot be doubted but that God would that Adam should fall otherwise he had not fallen and he would haue him fall doubtlesse not in respect of sinne but that he might vse that fall to make manifest his power and the vnmeasurable riches of his goodnes and that he might shew himselfe able not onelie to make man pure and perfect but to restore him also being fallen and perished And for that cause he sent his sonne to die for mankind vpon the crosse Wherefore Gregorie cried out O happie fault Gregorie which deserued to haue such a redéemer 43 But this must be diligentlie marked that God dooth somtimes allow those things In 1. Kin. ◠verse 16. How God sometimes alloweth those things that he would not to be whereas yet it pleaseth him not that they should be doone Not as though there be two wils in him for he hath but one will onelie whereof notwithstanding there be diuers obiects for he
which God would reueale vnto vs and no further No man therefore hath said I will vnderstand those things which God himselfe knoweth These things are largelie intreated of in the first booke of sentences the 48. distinction and in Augustines Enchiridion An other discourse of the same argument I Affirme the cause of mans sinne to be the will or the frée will of our first parents who fell of their owne accord and obeied rather the suggestion of the diuell than the commandement of God from whom afterward was deriued originall sinne vnto all the posteritie wherevpon we haue vice and corruption inough in our owne selues Wherefore God instilleth not in vs a new naughtines vnto sinning neither dooth he bring in corruption and therefore I doo affirme our wils to be the causes of sinne and not God But the scripture saith in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 1 26 and 28. that God deliuered vp the Ethnikes vnto a reprobate mind and vnto vile affections And in the second of Samuel it is said that God stirred vp Dauid to number the people 2. Sam. 24 1 And in the same historie Dauid said that God commanded Semei to curse Dauid 2. Sam. 16 verse 11. In the same booke the twelfe chapter God said vnto Dauid by the prophet verse 11. I will take thy wiues and giue them to thy neighbour and he shall sleepe with them for thou didst it secretlie but I will doo this thing before all Israel and in the open sunne light It is said by others that these spéeches must be referred vnto the permission which thing I doo not absolutelie denie for God if he would might haue let these mischéefs but hée would not hinder them Howbeit I adde that such a permission must not be granted whereby some may affirme that God dealeth so idlelie and so leaueth the gouernement of things as hée dooth nothing about sinnes themselues First he taketh his gifts and his grace from certeine men bicause they abused the same which grace being remooued and that iustlie for a punishment of their former sinnes men being destitute of that helpe doo fall into more gréeuous crimes And that God dooth sometime withdrawe his grace Dauid knew well enough when he somtime said Psal 51 9. Turne not thy face from me nor take awaie thine holie spirit from me Secondlie God dooth punish sinnes with sinnes as it appéereth in the epistle to the Romans Rom. 1 24. and in the places now alledged And sinnes so far foorth as they be punishments doo belong vnto iustice and in that respect are good Wherefore it is not vnfit for God thus by sinnes to punish former sinnes Thirdlie hée ruleth and gouerneth sinnes themselues for he suffereth them not to rage so far out of measure as the euill will of man desireth he restreineth them he kéepeth them backe neither dooth he suffer them to rage against euerie man and at all times also hée directeth them to the performance of his counsels namelie to the triall of iust men and to the scourge of the wicked such like purposes Wherfore the scripture saith Esaie 10 5. that féerce and cruell tyrants are in the hand of God as staues hammers and sawes Fourthlie God sendeth in other occasions which if they should light vpon good men they would prouoke them vnto good things but bicause they light vpon euill men they are by those mens fault soone taken in euill part and are made occasions of sinne So Paule saith Rom. 7 8. that By the lawe sinne was increased And the words of God spoken vnto Pharao by Moses were an occasion to expresse out of him blasphemies and hardnes of his hart Which thing God sawe would come to passe yet did he not restreine his owne word when he knew that Pharao would become the woorse thereby who neuertheles had the naughtines in his owne selfe and tooke not the same of God Fiftlie since that the defect of sinne is onelie in humane actions the which are depriued of right gouernement the verie action of man cannot be susteined preserued and stirred vp without the common influence of GOD by which all things are gouerned and preserued for trulie is it said Acts. 17 28. In God we be we liue and are mooued Therefore the defect which properlie is sinne procéedeth not of God but the action which is a naturall thing wherein the defect sticketh cannot be drawne foorth but by the common influence of God These be the things which I said that God dooth by his prouidence and gouernement about sinnes although he be not the true and proper cause of sinnes By which interpretation we may rightlie vnderstand what those spéeches of the holie scriptures and saiengs of the fathers doo meane wherein God séemes to bée made the cause or author of sinne The xviij Chapter How it may be said that God dooth repent and dooth tempt In 1. Sam. 15 verse 11. Looke before plac 11 art 26. and In Gen. 6 6. In Iudg. 2 verse 18. THE interpretours labor earnestlie to vnderstand how repentance may happen vnto God Malac. 3 6. 1. Sa. 15 29. Num. 23 19 For GOD saith I am God and am not changed And in the first of Samuel The triumpher of Israel is not changed And Balaam in the book of Numbers saith God is not as a man that he should be changed neither as the sonne of man that he should be a lier Yet in Genesis he saith It repenteth me that I haue made man Genes 6 6. Forsomuch as these places séeme to be repugnant they must be accorded togither Some after this sort expound these places that Euen as the holie Ghost is said To call and make request for vs Rom. 8 26. with sighes that cannot be expressed so it may be said that God dooth repent But the spirit praieth not requesteth not sigheth not for he is God but bicause he stirreth vs to praie to make request and to sigh he himselfe is said to doo the same And according to this sense Paule biddeth vs Ephes 4 30. that we should not make sorrowfull the spirit of God that is to saie we should not with our wicked acts offend the saints in whom is the spirit of God Euen so God is said to repent when he stirreth repentance in others bicause the wickednes of Saule was a gréefe vnto good men and that God stirred vp that affection in them therefore God himselfe is said to be led with repentance This reason Luther followeth in his treatise vpon Genesis But Augustine in his booke of 83. questions the 52. question where of set purpose he handleth this question saith that The scripture is accustomed oftentimes to humble it selfe to our capacitie and to attribute those things vnto God which we sée doone in the life and conuersation of men for that the same cannot otherwise be vnderstood How God is said to reuenge to be angrie Therefore bicause men vse
our selues But if that our nature were innocent and perfect there would be no néed why we should renounce the same We must not denie the things that be good for things that be good should be reteined and not abandoned from vs. With this definition which we haue made of originall sinne agréeth the want of originall iustice Augustine Anshelme agree with our opinion so likewise agréeth Augustines definition wherein he saith that the same is concupiscence of the flesh so that both the one and the other be rightlie vnderstood Those which were chéefe among the Schoole-men acknowledged this doctrine as Thomas Scotus and especiallie Bonauentura these affirme the materiall part in this sinne Whether guiltines in this sin be the formall part to be the corruption of nature or concupiscence the formall part to be the want of righteousnes and so of those two opinions which I now spake of they make one But there be some of our men Striuing wrestling against the law of God seems to be the formall part of this sinne which would haue the formall part to be guiltines or the imputation of God but séeing that this is an outward thing from sinne I had rather incline to that sentence which maketh those formall parts to be the fight and wrestling against the lawe of God for that is the principall reason why the corruptions of nature must be called sinnes 20 And there must be no credit giuen vnto them which crie out that our nature is good Indéed I would grant it to be true How nature is good not good as concerning our first creation of nature but not as the same is fallen for good it is indéed but yet so good as it hath some corruption ioined therewith But whereas these men saie that lusting is good they must giue me leaue if I giue more credit vnto Paule than vnto them But he saith I knowe that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7 18. So good is the flesh as in it dwelleth no good thing verse 21. Gala. 5 24. Naturall concupiscence dooth not alwaies wish profitable things and a little after I find by the lawe that when I would doo good euill is present with me In this place he saith that concupiscence is euill To the Galathians also he sufficientlie prooueth it to be euill when as he willeth the same to be crucified It is also false which they say that it doth alwaies desire things which be profitable and which tend to preseruation for we find by experience that the same is continuallie prone to offenses and to those things which be enimies vnto life Moreouer if nature were as innocent good as they imagin it to be wherefore should it be so gréeuouslie punished by God An argument is taken from the punishments and greefs of men Among all the kinds of liuing creatures we sée in a maner none more miserable than man If we respect either his birth infancie childhood education and discipline all things are replenished with teares with sorrowe with lamentation with infirmitie and with paines taking The bodie must labour to get his liuing the mind is continuallie disquieted with troblesome affections the hart is stirred vp with perturbations the whole bodie is tormented with diseases all which things some considering with themselues haue said that nature is not a mother but a step-mother I passe ouer that the bodie and soules also of children and infants are some deliuered vnto the diuell to be vexed so we read in the Gospell that a yoong man was in such sort tormented by the diuell The bodies and soules of infants are otherwhile deliuered to the diuell to be vexed Mat. 17 15. that he cast himselfe sometime into the fire and sometime into the water so as the seueritie of God dooth so account of the innocencie of mans nature as he gréeuouslie punisheth the same And it should appéere that the verie Ethnike men perceiued more concerning this thing than these diuines for Plato in his second booke De republica saith that Men by nature are euill as those which cannot be led by their owne accord to imbrace righteousnes but onelie to be discontent with iniurie And Socrates sheweth that vnlesse men be inspired as it is said the poets were with some diuine power vertues cannot be had And Cicero in his third booke De republica as Augustine alledgeth in his 4. booke against Iulian saith that Man is brought into light by nature his stepmother with a naked fraile and weake bodie hauing a mind vexed with gréefe subiect to feares féeble vnto labours prone vnto lusts in whom is hidden the feruent loue of God and also his mind and his wit Also the ecclesiasticall writers haue condescended to this opinion manie of whose consents Augustine hath gathered togither in his booke against Iulian. 21 Touching Irenaeus and Tertullian The opinions of the fathers I haue alreadie spoken Cyprian also saith that Christ healed the wounds which Adam made and the venom wherewith the diuell infected our nature Cyprian Cyprian acknowledgeth infirmitie to be deriued from the sin of our first parent wherewith we be so prouoked vnto sinne as no man can flatter himselfe in his owne innocencie for who can boast that he hath a cleane hart For as Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 1 10. If we shall saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Againe Cyprian in his epistle vnto Fidus teacheth that Children must be baptised least they perish euerlastinglie Also Augustine citeth Reticius the bishop whose words we recited before he citeth also Olympius a bishop of Spaine who saith that The sinne of Adam the first framed man was so sprinkled among the yoong plants that sinne is borne togither with man He also citeth Hilarius which thus wrote concerning the flesh of Christ Therefore he being sent in the similitude of sinfull flesh euen so he had sinne But bicause all flesh is of sinne namelie of the sinne deriued from Adam the first parent he was sent in the similitude of sinfull flesh so that there was no sinne in him but the similitude of sinfull flesh The same father in another place expounding the 18. psalme vrgeth this sentence of Dauid Behold how I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne my mother hath conceiued me The same father in an homilie vpon the booke of Iob saith that The bodie is a matter of naughtines which could not so be said to be at the first creation Ambrose And Ambrose vpon Luke saith that The bodie is a fowle puddle and harborough of sinnes but by the benefite of Christ it is changed into the temple of God and a holie place of vertues The same father writing against the Nouatians saith that Our beginning was in sinne againe in his apologie Psal 51 7. Dauid saith that afore we be borne we are spotted with contagion and before we haue the
vse of light we receiue originall vnrighteousnes be conceiued in iniquitie And he saith of Christ The sanctification of Christ It was not requisite for him in whose bodie no sinne should be to féele anie naturall contagiousnesse of generation Iustlie therefore did Dauid bewaile in himselfe the fowle filthines of his nature and that infections began to be in a maner before he had life The same Ambrose in his booke De arca Noe Whom then hath he now called iust but him that is frée from these bonds whom the common bonds of nature cannot hold Also vpon the gospell of Luke Through the washing of the healthfull ministerie those infants which haue béene baptised are now clensed from wickednes Ierom. Ierom vpon the prophet Ionas saith that Yoong children are subiect to the sinne of Adam And least thou shouldest thinke he onelie spake of the * Or imputation of fault guiltines of Adams fault vpon the 18. and 41. chapters of Ezechiel he saith Not so much as the child of a daie old is without sin vrging also that sentence Iob. 14 4. Who can make that cleane which was conceiued of an vncleane seed Nazianzen Gregorie Nazianzen saith The image of God shall cleanse the blemishes of bodilie inundation And afterward Reuerence the birth by which thou art deliuered from the chaines of earthlie natiuitie And intreating of baptisme he saith By this man the spots of our natiuitie are taken awaie by the which we were conceiued in iniquitie and in sinnes our parents begat vs. Augustine defendeth Basil 22 Basilius Magnus is defended by Augustine for the Pelagians would haue had him séeme to be of their parts He writeth against the Manicheis that euill is not a substance Whether euill be an essentiall thing but a conuersation which commeth onlie of the will Which saieng he ment of those which procured the infection of conuersation by their owne proper will which conuersation saith he may easilie be seuered from the will of them that be diseased for if it could not be seuered from the same euill should be a substantiall part thereof All these things Augustine affirmeth to be rightlie spoken The opinion of the Manicheis for the Manicheis decréed that euill is a certeine substance and that the same is the beginning of worldlie affaires But contrariwise Basil saith that that euill is in a good thing and that it happened through the will of the man and of the woman that sinned Euill may be separated from vs by the mercie of God And wheras he saith that it may easily be seuered from the will he ascribeth not that vnto our strength but vnto the mercie of God And in that he saith there shal be no token thereof left we also doo hope the same though not in this life A perfect separation from euill is hoped for in the life to come yet in the life to come But that he acknowledged originall sinne his owne sermon of fasting dooth sufficientlie beare witnes for thus he saith If Eue had absteined from the trée we should not haue had anie néed of this fasting Matt. 9 12. for Sound men haue no need of the physician but sicke men We became sicke through that sinne let vs be healed by repentance but repentance without fasting is vaine By these words Basil determined that we by reason of the sinne of Adam are not sound Moreouer he citeth the twelue bishops of the east which condemned Pelagius To whom we should adde Origin Origin who interpreting that sentence of Paule which we haue spoken of Death came vpon all men he said that Abel Enoch Rom. 5 12. Methusala and Noah sinned other fathers he saith he will not recite bicause they sinned all euerie one and that none is cleane from corruption though he haue liued but one daie But vpon the sixt chapter of the epistle to the Romans he speaketh more plainlie when he saith that Baptisme was appointed by tradition from the apostles to be giuen vnto infants Baptisme appointed vnto infants by the apostolicall tradition bicause the apostles knew that the naturall corruption of sinne is in all men which ought to be washed awaie by water and the spirit And Chrysostome vpon Genesis intreating of the question Chrysost Wherefore men now a daies bée afraid of beasts and be hurt by them séeing they be created lords ouer them This saith he happens by reason of sinne and bicause we depart from our confidence and honour And thereby Augustine prooueth that the naturall gift of yoong children is fallen awaie in that the beasts doo not spare them The same Chrysostome expounding that place of the sixt to the Romans saith how that sinne which remaineth through the disobedience of Adam hath polluted all things He hath also manie other places to the same effect 23 But yet the Pelagians The Pelagians indeuoured to haue Chrysostome on their side and especiallie Iulianus were not ashamed to cite this father for a witnes as though he had made for him bicause in his sermon De baptisatis he reciting manie gifts of baptisme saith that They which be baptised doo not onelie receiue forgiuenes of their sinnes but also are made the children and heires of God the brethren of Christ and ioint-heires with him the members and temple of God and instruments of the holie Ghost He addeth at the end Doost thou sée what a sort of liberalities there be of baptisme And some doo thinke that heauenlie grace consisteth in remission of sinnes and for that cause we doo baptise yoong children when as neuertheles they be not polluted with sinne that vnto them should be giuen or added righteousnes holines adoption inheritance brotherhood of Christ that they may be his members By these words Iulian thought that Chrysostome giueth not his consent that there is originall sinne It may be said that infants be innocent as touching sinnes aduisedlie committed Rom. 9 11. But Augustine saith that his words must be vnderstood concerning sinne committed vpon their owne aduisement from which sinne assuredlie they be exempt and by this reason they may be called innocent According to which meaning Paule writeth of those two brethren Before they had doone either good or euill when neuerthelesse there is none altogither exempted from that which the apostle said By the sinne of one Rom. 5 16. condemnation came vpon all men And By one mans disobedience manie are made sinners Hereof it appéereth A great warines must be in reading of the fathers how warelie it behoueth vs to be in reading of the fathers for sometimes we read in them that yoong children haue no sinne proper of their owne when neuerthelesse they especiallie acknowledge the corruption of nature Sinnes proper are two waies to be vnderstood that is originall sinne to be in them But to haue sinnes proper may be two waies vnderstood either concerning things which they haue doone of their owne will
the second to the Corinthians 2. Co. 10 18 he saith Not he which commendeth himselfe is allowed but whom God commendeth If praise be from God so is also dispraise If euerie mans praise shall come vnto him from God the same is also to be iudged of dispraise For in the iudgement of God as there shall be manie praised so on the other part manie according to their deserts shall be dispraised In 1. Sam. 12 verse 5. 9 But insomuch as godlie men doo séeme somtimes to be forgetfull of themselues when they speake honourablie of their owne vertues we will declare in few words how the same may be lawfull How the godlie may praise them selues First the godlie make no shew or brag of their owne vertues for they knowe them to be the gifts of God and that they themselues be defiled and manie waies corrupted Secondlie they acknowledge those vertues to be giuen them not onelie for their owne sakes but also for the people that they may prouide and care for such things as be necessarie for others Thirdlie they perceiue that they haue not fulfilled the lawe of God but that they oftentimes offend and fall and that they be not able to stand in iudgement before God But if they be compared with their aduersaries they doubt not but euen before God they shall be their superiours Moreouer they would that by their good life the glorie of God should be set foorth and that others by their example should be stirred vp to liue well and godlie Furthermore they call their owne acts to remembrance not for to make vaunt of themselues among others but to giue a weight vnto their doctrine sith their spéeches be neither false nor vaine nor full of wind For as when place serueth they set foorth their goodnesse so else-where they dissemble not their euill But here must be diligent héed taken that we be not be guiled by our flesh For as touching the thing it selfe the verie same is doone by the godlie which is doone by the wicked howbeit that which is doone well of the one is doone wickedlie of the other Samuel Esaie 38 3. Ezechias and others commend their owne acts the verie same dooth the Pharisie Luke 18 11 but not with the same mind God is he that knoweth the hart and séeth with what mind euerie thing is doone of euerie man Againe the godlie giue thanks vnto God for his gifts and as often as they call this to remembrance so manie times doo they begin to be of a most assured hope that GOD will in this sort be with them perpetuallie Lastlie they would not that the same light which they perceiue is kindled in them Matt. 5. 14. should be hidden vnder a bushell or the citie to be set in an obscure place where it cannot be séene It is probable that Samuel had respect vnto these things but yet to nothing rather than that the people should acknowledge their sinne Of Flatterie 10 Flatterers be they In 1. Sam 29 verse 8◠which for commoditie sake doo temper their words to win fauour of him whom they flatter for some commoditie sake For it is flatterie when we applie our selues both in words and déeds vnto the will of another and that feinedlie and not faithfullie to the intent we may reape some profit by him They which be of this sort doo dissemble all things and altogither depend vpon the will and countenance of another and doo not onlie sinne in talking but oftentimes in kéeping silence The etymologie of the word is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A seruant The etymologie of the word for it is altogither seruile and vnhonest Chrysostome in his fift homilie vpon the epistle to the Philippians Flatterie saith he is when we honour anie man What flatterie is for that which he ought not to be honoured that we may get from him some temporall benefit The same father in his twentieth homilie vpon the first to the Thessalonians saith It is flatterie when for some euill purpose we doo anie thing that becommeth not a man Euerie speaking in fauour is not flatterie Gal. 1 20. but if we speake anie thing to please howbeit not dissemblinglie or falselie to the intent we might win some man vnto Christ that is not flatterie For Paule himselfe although he saie that he dooth not couet to please men but God and addeth that his communication was not in the intisement of words yet vnto the Corinthians he saith 1. Thes 2 5. that He was made all things to all men 1. Cor. 9 2◠to the Iewes a Iew to them which were vnder the lawe as though he also had beene vnder the lawe finallie all things to all men that he might win all But this was no flatterie for that as I haue said is when we not trulie but feinedlie applie our selues to the wils of others to the intent we may reape some temporall commoditie And so is flatterie distinguished from christian humanitie Dauid did flatter 1. Sam 27. Wherefore Dauid shamefullie flattered Achis and that with a most subtill kind of flatterie For Plutarch in a little booke how one may discerne a flatterer from a fréend saith that He is the closest flatterer The most cunning kind of flatterie who when he flattereth most carrieth yet with him such a shew of libertie as he may séeme not to flatter but rather to gainesaie For that grosse kind of flatterie namelie to hold vp a man with yea and naie euerie man can soone espie Plato saith that It is the most hurtfull kind of iniustice if a man can so hide it as he may séeme to be iust Dauid did so flatter as it might séeme in words that he would withstand the king and to heape kindnesse vpon him whether he would or no. This is to make a shew of iustice in a matter that is vniust for he falned that he would imploie his whole trauell and indeuour towards the king and to take it in euill part that he should be so dismissed At this daie in princes courts and speciallie in the court of Rome there is no waie more readie to attaine honors than if one so order himselfe as he can sooth euerie man in euerie thing Whether Dauid ment to tarrie in the campe Dauid fained himselfe to depart with gréefe and that he was verie destrous to tarrie He fained I saie for his meaning was not so For if he had fought he had dealt vngodlie towards his owne countrie men if he had not fought he should haue béene vngratefull towards him of whom he was interteined R. Ben Gerson saith that He would remaine in the campe bicause he might make frustrate the counsels of the Philistines and reueale the same vnto his owne people And vndoubtedlie when as afterward Absalon had made a commotion against him 2. Sa. 15 34. he priuilie sent Chusa the Arachite who might frustrate the counsell of
Matt. 5 45. who maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and vpon the euill and that we are his disciples who answered his apostles when they required fire from heauen to burne the Samaritans Luke 9 54 Ye knowe not of whose spirit ye be namelie his which came not to destroie but to saue his Luke 22 51 who healed them that railed vpon him his who restored vnto Malchus his eare Matt. 26. 50 who came with the other soldiers of the chéefe rulers to take Christ his which both saluted the traitor Iudas as a friend Luke 23 43 and receiued him with a kisse finallie his Luke 23 34 which forgaue the wicked théefe and promised him eternall felicitie which praied for them that crucified him Rom. 5 8. and which of his owne accord died for his enimies It shall nothing profit thée to recompense iniuries with iniuries and taunts with taunts Thou oughtest rather to commit the matter vnto God who will be a most iust iudge and by no perturbation can be led awaie from iustice 27 Furthermore thou shouldest héereby gather that it is not lawfull to speake ill of anie man nor yet to cursse anie man For if it be forbidden to doo these things against our enimies which otherwise might séeme tollerable in mans iudgement much lesse may we suffer our selues to doo it vnto others Chrysostome How manie waies our aduersaries misreports doo benefit vs. to the intent he might persuade vs to followe these words of Paule reckoneth vp the commodities which the curssings and persecutions of aduersaries commonlie bring to the godlie First saith he they verie well helpe vs to the obteinment of the kingdome of heauen for Christ saith Matt. 5. 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And he addeth Blessed are ye verse 11. when they reuile you and persecute you speaking all manner of euill and lieng against you for my sake Be glad and reioise for your reward is great in heauen c. Besides this they are an occasion or matter of most excellent vertues for as Paule teacheth Tribulation worketh patience patience experience and experience hope Rom. 5 3. But where is the patience of the saints where is their experience where is their hope if thou take awaie the wicked enterprises of our enimies against vs Moreouer the glorie of God can by no other meanes be highlie aduanced than if we valiantlie and couragiouslie behaue our selues in those things which are to be suffred for his name sake For it is no hard matter to cleaue vnto God so long as all things go prosperouslie and quietlie with vs and as we would desire But when all maner of aduersities happen and yet we constantlie abide in his obedience this doubtlesse commeth of a manlie and stout faith And therefore I thinke Iames said that Patience hath a perfect worke Iam. 1 4. Vnlesse peraduenture a man will thus vnderstand it that perfection is not in anie worke vnlesse we perseuere in the same For when we leaue off we accomplish not the worke and so without patience it is left vnperfect Adde moreouer that by this meanes chéeflie our enimies are terrified that they procéed not to persecute vs. For when they sée that we are not mooued by their iniuries they thinke that they loose their labour and therfore they take not so great pleasure of the reproches wherewith they haue exercised vs. But if they shall perceiue vs to be vexed and to take it in ill part they will thinke that their iniuries haue taken good successe and will be afterward more bold in their wicked indeuour By this we may sée Matth. 5 11 why the Lord said Blessed are ye when men reuile you persecute you and speake all maner of euill against you falselie for my sake reioise and be glad for your reward is great in heauen This commandement of Christ the apostles executed for they returned from the presence of the Councell reioising that they were counted woorthie to be reuiled for his names sake And Paule in the first to the Corinthians saith 1. Cor. 4 12 We are euill spoken of and we blesse In Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 But this persuasion Paule did not alwaies obserue for to the Galathians he saith I would to God they were cut off Gal. 5 12. which trouble you Psal 69 12. And Dauid saith Let their table be made a snare before them let their eies be made dim that they may not see and bow downe their backs alwaies All other bookes of the prophets are euerie-where full of cursses and imprecations wherewith they cursse the enimies of the people of God Whether it be lawfull alwaies to cursse enimies Here doubtlesse in my iudgement it must be said that we ought so to deale as Paule now admonisheth so long as we haue a respect vnto our owne iniuries and that wée walke the ordinarie waie and common course whereby we are bound by loue to wish well vnto our neighbours But if so be God open vnto vs his secret will and declare what shall without doubt come to passe concerning our enimies and those which persecute vs then if we sincerelie and truelie loue him we ought vndoubtedlie to staie our selues vpon his will and counsell Howbeit this caution is added first to be fullie assured whether those things which God hath opened vnto vs perteine onelie to a threatening or else wholie to declare his determinate and assured will For where we suspect that God onelie threateneth to bring vs to repentance we ought not to cease praieng euen for the wicked Exod. 32 11 Gen. 18. So did Moses when he made supplication to God for his nation so did Abraham for the Sodomites 1. Sa. 15 11. Iere. 10 24. so did Samuel for Saule and so did Ieremie for the people But when they be out of doubt that it is the certeine and fixed will of God they doo not onelie praie against the wicked by prophesieng as thinketh Augustine against Faustus in his 16. booke and 22. chapter where he thus writeth But cursses when they are vttered by the waie of prophesie procéed not of an ill desire of him that cursseth but of the foreknowing spirit of him that denounceth them but also from the hart God now consenting therevnto and wishing the same with it Dauid when as otherwise he was so mercifull to Semei to Absolom and to Saule and to other enimies yet sometimes he so cursseth and banneth the wicked as he driueth a horror into them that read them Christ also first bewailed the infelicitie of the citie of Ierusalem Luke 19 41 for that she knew not the time of hir visitation and he saith How often would I haue gathered togither thy children as a hen dooth hir chickens vnder hir wings and thou wouldest not Howbeit euen he knowing the assured and vnmooueable will of GOD
féeding and propagation would be frée from impediment and had rather fight than to be kept from these things And in the state of polygamie although women come not to the field yet they be at war togither somtime with chiding and bralling and oftentimes with their fists and nailes He that marrieth a wife giueth his bodie vnto his wife how can he then deliuer the same afterward to another It is a great iniustice when one will not abide by his promise Neuerthelesse thou wilt saie He deliuereth his bodie indéed yet not altogither I heare thée but why then will he haue his wife to giue hir bodie altogither vnto him In contracts consideration must be had to both alike Besides this the principall point of matrimonie is fréendship and fréendship dooth chéeflie consist in iustice if iustice halt matrimonie must néeds be lame Paule addeth that verse 4. The husband hath not power of his owne bodie but the wife nor the wife of hir owne bodie but the husband Wherefore the husband cannot marrie a second wife without iniurie doone vnto the first He affirmeth also that the troubles in matrimonie are verie great verse 28. For such shall haue tribulation of the flesh And it is not the part of a wise man to increase his owne troubles where no néed is for there be verie few which be able well to susteine one such kind of crosse as this is The eight argument 8 Another reason is deriued from the signification or sacrament Paule saith vnto the Ephesians Ephes 5 25. Husbands loue your wiues as Christ hath loued his church c. And They shall be two in one flesh Great saith he is this sacrament or mysterie in Christ I saie and his church But Christ hath one onelie church wherefore if our actions ought to be correspondent vnto the originall forme it shall not be lawfull for vs to marrie more wiues than one This reason Ierom vsed against Iouinian in which place he earnestlie inueiheth against Lamech who as he saith diuided one rib into two And so he affirmeth that the heretiks diuide the church into sundrie conuenticles This dooth not much trouble me séeing this reason might serue for polygamie For Salomon 1. Kin. 11 3. had seuen hundred Quéenes and thrée hundred concubins And in the Canticles it is read Cant. 6 7 and 8. that he had thrée score Quéenes and foure score concubins howbeit one of them was his dooue one was his perfect one That dooth Augustine in his treatise De bono coniugali the 18. chapter thus interpret that Christ of all his particular churches throughout the world hath collected one church vnto himselfe I passe ouer how others doo interpret Rachel to be the church and Lea the synagog In verie déed there was one onelie dooue that is to saie one perfect church The Schoole-diuines saie that thrée things speciallie are requisite in matrimonie fruitfulnesse dwelling togither that the man and woman may one helpe another and the sacrament as they terme it that is the signification That first good thing touching fruitfulnesse polygamie nothing hindereth naie rather it is an increase to the same Yet that they can dwell togither in that state and the husband helpe all his wiues alike it can hardlie be In matrimonie there must be a singular charitie But both reason it selfe and Aristotle in the eight booke of his Ethiks doo teach that speciall fréendship cannot abide among manie for among the more in number that fréendship is spred the slacker it must be toward euerie one in particular There ought also to be a singular vnitie in wedlocke for They be two in one flesh And Paule saith Ephe. 5 30. Bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh But no one man can be one and the same towards manie Further in polygamie all the rest are oftentimes contemned in comparison of one and they are counted in the place of handmaids and that same one dooth beare rule and command the rest Neither dooth malice there staie it selfe sith oftentimes for that one womans sake the residue are miserablie afflicted And this appéereth out of the second chapter of Malachie verse 14. for there the wiues that were waxed old when they were despised and wronged by their husbands by reason they had married other wiues came into the court of the temple and complained vnto the Lord. And héerein the husbands committed double sinne both in that they married others wiues and bicause they afflicted their former wiues It séemeth also that the hauing of manie wiues maketh against good manners sith enimities are not onelie sproong vp among their wiues but also are bred and increased among their children For Agar Gen. 16 4. when she sawe hir selfe to haue conceiued she despised hir mistres then she fled afterward when she was returned and could not agrée with Sara Abraham was constrained to cast hir foorth Ibid. 21 14. Touching Iacob the historie is well knowne Of Helcan and his wiues we haue spoken in our Commentaries vpon the first booke of Samuel Epiphanius Epiphanius against the Massalians saith that The ancient fathers when they had manie wiues neuer susteined them togither in one house Gen. 31 33. Whence he tooke that I knowe not yet from thence I suppose he had the same for that Laban when he pursued Iacob and sought his idols it is written that he first entered into the tent of Rachel afterward of Lea whereby it appeareth that they dwelt asunder Salomon although he gaue no good counsell to himselfe yet by th'inspiration of the holie Ghost he gaue good warning to others For in the Prouerbs he saith Prou. 5 19. Delight thy selfe with the wife of thy youth let hir be thy hynd let hir be thy fawne satisfie thy selfe alwaies with hir paps But this cannot he doo which hath manie wiues And not onelie Salomon did sée this but Laban also For he although he had forced Iacob to take the two sisters yet when he ouertooke him flieng into Gilead and had made a couenant with him he added this Gen. 31 50. Molest not my daughters nor yet bring in other wiues vnto them For this he sawe could not be doone but that those should be greatlie disquieted Lamech had two wiues Gen. 4 19. Ada and Sela and Sela signifieth in Latine Vmbra eius that is His shadowe For she séemed rather to be the shadowe of a wife than a wife indéed 9 Yea and the Comedie also teacheth that polygamie is a great corrupting of matrimonie sith in the Comedie Phormio the old man Chremes when he had a wife at Athens that was rich and would marrie an other in Lemnos was constrained to change his name and to call him selfe Stilpho Which vnlesse he had doone perhaps that second woman of Lemnos would not haue béene married vnto him Yea Chremes by the Parasite Phormio is accused of polygamie as of a gréeuous crime and offense The Romane lawes
seduced hir ought to giue hir a dowrie and to take hir to wife But it is added If the father will Otherwise he shall onelie giue a dowrie neither shall he haue the maiden to wife against the fathers will And in the booke of Numbers the thirtie chapter verse 4. If a maiden vow a vow and the father heare it and letteth it not the vow shall be firme but if he gainsaie it it shall be in vaine And what is a vow A promise made vnto God Howbeit matrimonie is a promise which is made vnto man If God permit a vow made vnto him to the iudgement of the father much more will he permit matrimonie vnto him séeing it is a promise made betwéene men 2. Sa. 13 13. In the second booke of Samuel Thamar answered vnto hir brother Ammon If thou desire me at my fathers hand he will not denie me vnto thee The custome was then that the daughters were desired of the parents Héere I dispute not whether it were lawfull for Dauid to giue to Ammon his sister to wife Ephe. 6 1. Further Paule saith to the Ephesians Children obeie your parents in all things He excepteth nothing when he writeth so but saith In all things namelie which they command not against the word of God And in his first epistle to the Corinthians the seuenth chapter verse 36. is most manifestlie declared that it belongeth to the parents to giue their daughters in marriage to husbands And that was knowne not onelie by the lawe of God but also by the light of nature Which euen the Comedies of Terence and Plautus manifestlie declare Euripides And in Euripides a maiden answereth Of my marriages my father will haue care séeing these things are not in me to determine Which verse certeinlie so liked Ambrose Ambrose as he placed it in his booke of the patriarchs Further it serueth verie well for domesticall peace for the daughter in lawe ought to be to the father in lawe in stéed of a daughter Contrariwise of rash marriages rise great discords at home And for so much as the father ought to helpe his sonne with his goods it is méete againe that the sonne should obeie his father in contracting of matrimonie In other ciuill contracts the sonne can doo nothing without the consent of his father as appéereth in the Digests De mutuo ad senatusconsultum Macedonianum Wherfore it is méet that the iudgement of the father should be tarried for in so weightie a matter The ciuill lawes touching this point The selfe-same thing haue the ciuill lawes decréed Iustinian in his institutions in the title De nuptijs will not that marriages should be firme without the consent of the parents And in the Digests De statu hominum in the law Paulus If a sonne marrie a wife against the will of his parents the child which shal be borne of those parents shall not be legitimate And in the Code De nuptijs in the lawe Si proponis the case is diligentlie to be marked The daughter marrieth by consent of hir father she afterward being agréeued at hir husband departeth from him after that he returneth into fauour and she marrieth him againe against hir fathers will It is answered that that matrimonie is not lawfull Héereby it appéereth how much those lawes estéemed the authoritie of a father Againe in the lawe Si furiosi children if perhaps their parents be mad or béerest of their wits séeing they cannot vse the consent of them in contracting of matrimonie they shall vse the consent of their tutors 18 So then it séemeth maruellous that christians at this daie determine that marriages are lawfull without consent of the parents What the Canons determine hereof And to couer this they alledge the Canons of the which I thinke it good bréefelie to declare some And first I will make mention of the better Canons which were the more ancient for the later they were decréed the more corrupt they were In the Decrées cause 30. question 5. chapter Aliter Matrimonies are then lawfull when the maidens are desired at the parents hands and deliuered openlie otherwise they are not matrimonies but whoredomes dishonest companings adulteries and fornications Thus decréed Euaristus Nicolaus also at the consultation of the Bulgars Euaristus Nicolaus cause 30. question 5. chapter Nostrates Those matrimonies are firme which be knit by the consent of them which contract them and of those in whose power they are Leo. Leo also the first in the 30. cause question 5. chapter Qualis Then it is to be counted matrimonie when the maiden is by hir parents deliuered vnto hir husband And in the 31. cause question 2. chapter Non omnis A woman which marrieth by the consent of hir father is without blame if anie man shall afterward find fault withall And thus Gratianus concludeth that place Gratian. that he saith In contracting of matrimonie the consent of the parents is alwaies to be required Further Ambrose Ambrose intreating of the place in Genesis where it is written that the seruant of Abraham came into Mesopotamia Gen. 24 47. and found a wife for his masters sonne the parents of the maid when they indeuoured to reteine him longer and he would not tarrie they called the maide and asked hir whether she would go with him After this maner he saith as also it is declared in the 23. cause question 2. chapter Honorandum They asked not hir of the wedding but onelie of the iornieng with him For it perteineth not saith he to maidenlie shamefastnesse to choose vnto hir selfe a husband And the same he affirmed of widows which be yong Although to saie the truth I cannot héerein agrée vnto Ambrose that the maiden was not demanded the question whether she would marrie him Neither doo I doubt but she was demanded as touching both maters For in the 30 cause question 2. chapter Vbi non est we read that There can be no matrimonie where is not the consent of those which contract yea euen in the marriages of the children which are but seuen yeares of age And séeing at that age they are thought to vnderstand somewhat of matrimonie necessarie is the consent of them which contract And bicause there is mention made of spousages we thinke good to note this by the waie that children so contracting ought to be seuen yeares of age for otherwise the parents can promise nothing for them Those children if they afterward being of more yeares shall contract another matrimonie the same is of effect and not the former espousals which yet must be vnderstood if the parents consent to the second matrimonie Moreouer in the 31. cause question the second chapter Tua Hormisdas answereth that children when they contract after this maner ought to stand to the will of their parents And in the Extrauagants De sponsatione impuberum in the chapter Tua it is ordeined that children when they come to ripe age
as it cannot be good vnto the beléeuer in Christ But adulterie is alwaies an euill thing none can well and rightlie vse the same And though the reason of that father be not firme and that it is not true that idolatrie is a lighter sin than adulterie for idolatrie is the greatest sinne of all Adulterie draweth neere vnto idolatrie yet the sinne of adulterie draweth so néere vnto idolatrie as in the holie scriptures it is compared with idolatrie Idolaters be called whooremoongers and adulterers for the wedlocke of God with men is violated In 2. Sam. 11 verse 26 18 But we might stand in doubt whether it he lawfull for anie man to take hir to wife Whether an adulterer may marrie an adulteresse whom he hath before polluted with adulterie If the ciuill lawes or the Iewish lawes were in vse this case would not so oft happen to be Adulterie was an offense wherevnto death was due If the adulterers both man and woman should be put to death how might they contract matrimonie Certeinelie not in another world where no marriages shall be But somtime perhaps a man scapeth vnpunished or else adulteries committed are not openlie knowne what then ought to be doone Leuit. 18 and 20. In the 18. and 20. chapters of Leuiticus there be appointed manie impediments and manie degrées wherein matrimonies be forbidden yet is not this named in that place Perhaps for the cause which I haue now spoken of namelie for that adulterie deserued death or else bicause it was a secret crime In that case there séemeth to be no lawes of God which prohibit Howbeit the Popes lawes did afterward ordeine this much that if one of the married persons did séeke the death of the other whereby such a one might enioie the desired matrimonie such marriage should be void The same we find in manie places of the Extrauagants in the title where disputation is had of him that marrieth his wife whom he had first polluted by adulterie And in the title De conuersione infidelium in the canon which beginneth Laudabilem If a husband while his former wife liueth committeth adulterie with another woman and they contract matrimonie togither or plight faith one to another such a matrimonie is of none effect Which also In â—oâ—cilio Triburiense in the fortie chapter was decréed Augustine in his first booke De nuptijs concupiscentia the tenth chapter séemeth to disallow matrimonie betwéene adulterers In the Authentiks there is nothing extant of this matter indéed they denie that marriage that is made betwéene the rauisher and hir that is rauished As for Dauid he cannot properlie be called a rauisher indéed he committed adulterie c. This matter is treated of by the Maister of the sentences in the fourth booke and 35. distinction These things may be gathered euen by humane lawes Howbeit God separated not Dauid and Bethsabe he suffered them to remaine married but yet in great affliction It séemeth that the bishops were led to make these lawes least men should be inclined to the murthering of husbands to the end they might enioie their wiues Of Idlenesse and other intisements vnto wickednes 19 But now that we may the easilier auoid In 2. Sam. 11. the causes of this wickenesse let vs sée by what steps Dauid was carried into adulterie The circumstances of place and time must be obserued In the afternoone he slept quietlie in his withdrawing place This was an argument of a carelesse and idle man Isboseth when he on that wise slept in an afternoone was slaine Dauid when he liued idle after the same maner was well néere ouerthrowne But if he had earnestlie meditated of Gods lawe and of Gods benefits which he had abundantlie bestowed vpon him of the warre which then he made and of the danger of the Common-weale he should neuer haue fallen into these mischéefes So great a matter was it to be idle And assuredlie idlenes is condemned by the iudgement of all wise men Idlenesse condemned by the iudgement of the wise Seneca Seneca when he passed by the manor house of one Vacia a citizen of Rome that was an idle and slothfull man Héere saith he is placed Vacia He did meane that a man idle and vnprofitable for the Common-weale was in a maner buried there But this I also adde that such maner of dead carcases both haue a verie foule sauor and doo also bring foorth rottennesse and woormes Not all kind of idlenesse condemned I knowe indéed that there is a certeine honest kind of idlenesse whereby good men being become the better prepared are woont to returne to execute their offices either priuate or publike After this maner Christ did oftentimes spend the whole night in praiers alone vpon the mount but so as he returned in the morning to preach Manie times was he in secret places but yet so as he instructed his disciples There is also an other idlenesse that is holie and commendable whereby we kéepe the sabboth holie from sinne that must we alwaies haue in estimation But we condemne a dull and slothfull idlenesse Cato whereby mens minds and wits are dulled Cato in his originals verie well wrote that It behooueth an excellent man to yéeld no lesse account of his idlenesse than of his businesse And Christians must consider that they be those excellent men and that they shall one daie be called to that account Ezechiel in the 16. chapter This saith he was the iniquitie of Sodome thy sister verse 49. pride fulnesse of bread abundance and idlenesse And albeit that idlenesse doo nourish otherwise manie euils yet dooth it not nourish anie thing either more or more easilie than lust This also did the Poets sée Ouid. and Ouid among others who saith Demand is made wherefore and whie Aegistus waxt an adulterer The reason followeth by and by He was an idle loyterer And in an other place If thou flie idlenesse Cupid hath no might His bowe lieth broken his fire hath no light Ambrose hath an excellent similitude of the crab and the oister Ambrose An excellent similitude of the crab and the oister The crab saith he most willinglie eateth the meate of oisters but for so much as those be well fortified with most strong shels on both sides so as they cannot be broken by force he craftilie watcheth while they open themselues to the sunne Then while they open themselues and take the aire the crab putteth a stone into the mouths of them that gape so as they cannot bring togither againe their shels afterward he safelie enough thrusteth in his clawes and féedeth of the meate So saith he when men be giuen to idlenesse and open their minds to pleasures the diuell commeth and putteth in filthie cogitations so that when they are not able to drawe backe their shell wherewith they were armed before they are deuoured 20 Dauid walked carelesse and at harts ease But princes are not created to lead their life
alienated Lot from himselfe that he vnderstood not with what women he had kept vnlawfull companie Wherefore rightlie saith Seneca in his 84. epistle before alledged Seneca They which are droonke doo manie things which afterward when they be sober they be ashamed of Lot sought to make himselfe merrie by wine and he incurred a perpetuall sadnesse Let them therefore which séeke to be made merie with ouermuch wine remember that they put themselues into a verie present danger and by that meanes may easilie throwe themselues headlong into most gréeuous sinnes Neither is there anie cause why anie man should excuse that such euents be vncerteine so that a man cannot tell for a certeintie whether he which drinketh too much shall fall into these shamefull matters for so much as the thing is so certeinlie knowne that euen the daughters of Lot being yet virgins vnderstood it namelie that the old man by wine might be driuen to naughtie lusts and be so deceiued as he might haue ill companie euen with his owne daughters Who will therefore saie that he knoweth not that which they vnderstood Lot was deceiued and snared by his owne daughters But they which loue too much mirth to wit droonken men doo allure themselues God punisheth droonkennesse with most greeuous punishments and doo fight openlie against themselues neither thinke they or call to remembrance that God with most gréeuous punishments taketh vengeance of droonkennesse and suffereth not the abuse of his most pretious gift to be long vnpunished These bibbers are woont sometimes to bring foorth Lot as a patrone of their intemperance Neither doo they marke Why the holie scriptures make mention of the historie of Lot that the holie scripture setteth foorth the storie of him as an horrible and almost a tragicall example God did not lightlie punish the droonkennesse of that man for he being coupled with his daughters they conceiued by him and the thing could not be dissembled Incestuous children were borne Ammon and Moab of whom came the nations of the Ammonits and Moabits which were both hated of God and enimies to the Israelits Lot himselfe as it is to be thought was alwaies in gréeuous sorrowe for the crime which he had committed he became a by-woord among men And séeing the testimonie of the holie scriptures is extant and shall remaine vnto the end of the world how often so euer they be read so often is his infamie noted spred abroad If so be God spared not a mâ—n otherwise holie the nephew of Abraham harborer of angels what will he do to those gluttons and swine whom no vertue can persuade either from sitting or lieng droonken both daie and night That which we read happened once to Lot these men haue euerie daie in exercise Droonkennesse obiected against Cato 46 But looke what our droonkards alledge of Lot the Romans in old time alledged of Cato bicause he being so verie a graue man sometimes in the night recreated his mind doubtlesse not in bolling and bibbing immoderatlie but in sipping and drinking a little adding therwith much honest talke Neither considered they that the same man was sober all the whole daie and laboured much in determining and iudging of causes in consulting with other Senators concerning the publike weale in hauing affaires with the people in executing the office of a magistrate in reading and in writing Such good and honest indeuours ought these men to haue imitated But let vs procéed in rehearsing of examples Amnon 2. Sa. 13 28. Dauids sonne was slaine by Absalom verelie not in his sober mood but when in a banket he was more merrie than was méet by drinking of too much wine And as it is declared in the latter end of the first booke of the Machabeis Simon the high priest was with his two sonnes Mattathias and Iudas slaine by his sonne in lawe 1. Macc. 16 16. when in a feast they were in a maner droonken by swilling in of much wine And the historie of Iudith although it be not found in the Canon of the Iewes sheweth Iud. 12 20. that Holofernes otherwise a verie féerce generall of an armie was so ouerwhelmed with wine that without much a doo he was beheaded by a â—ilie woman I might adde how Sisera Iud. 4 19. being droonken was slaine by Iahel although his drinke was milke and not wine And if beside these we will read ouer the stories of the Ethniks we shall find manie and notable examples of them which were most gréeuouslie hurt by droonkennesse Alexander of Macedonia Alexander of Macedonia the conqueror of the world was most shamefullie ouercome with wine and being droonke slue Clytus his most valiant and faithfull fréend whose diligence industrie labour prudence strength he had long time vsed in the wars to his great commoditie So when he had slept his fill till he was sober againe and had remembred with himselfe the act which he had committed he was so sorrie and ashamed that he wished himselfe dead But yet he amended not his vice of droonkennesse naie rather he droonke so much wine in one night as he fell into a feuer and bicause he would not temper himselfe from wine he within a while after died Wherefore Seneca in his 84. epistle alreadie alledged writeth that Alexander which had escaped so manie dangers and ouercome the hardest enterprises perished through intemperance of drinking and by the fatall cup of Hercules Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius otherwise a stout and valiant grand capteine and a conqueror in manie battels so laded himselfe sometimes with wine that euen in a morning in the tribunall seat before the people of Rome whilest he sat to giue iudgement he was compelled to vomit And in Aegypt he vsed much drinking by reason whereof he could doo nothing honourablie but was most shamefullie put to flight by Octauius What the Poets write of the feast of the Lapiths and Centaurs it is better knowne than should be néedfull for me to recite at this time And I thinke I haue now brought examples sufficient which being diligentlie considered serue much for the auoiding of droonkennesse 47 But they which are not terrified from the filthinesse thereof by the word of God which we haue first and foremost shewed and doo not abhor the same being persuaded by those examples now alledged The effects of droonkennesse shall perhaps be woone and led from it by considering those euils which doo spring of the abuse of wine It is expedient that the trée be knowne by his fruits And assuredlie droonkennesse is to be counted such a thing as the fruits which spring thereof be knowne to be Howbeit that we may speake orderlie we will diuide the euils by their subiects for it hurteth the bodie vexeth also the mind wasteth the goods The losse and hurts by droonkennesse and is hatefull to our neighbours As touching the bodie by droonkennesse come oftentimes sudden deaths the dissolution
setteth foorth his seruice of Baal by a comparison Achab séemed in that religion to be most superstitious but it is said that in comparison of Iehu he worshipped Baal but a litle This is euen as if he should saie Those things were but sport and plaie in comparison of those same which I am minded to giue The holie scriptures testifie that he did these things fraudulentlie Why Iehu pretended an honour and seruice vnto Baal to the intent he might gather all the Baalites into one and slaie them all togither bicause he might not otherwise haue brought his purpose to pas For verie manie of the Baalites hauing intelligence of the slaughter of Achab and Ochozias and also the children of Achab and kindred of Ochozias fled awaie for feare and hid themselues in secret places Wherefore Iehu feigned these things and made proclamation that he did maruellouslie fauour the Baalites Moreouer he perhaps feared least if he should deale violentlie and openlie a sedition might be raised among the people to take in hand new matters But the Baalites being inuited by such faire and curteous indeuours came in and of their owne accord cast themselues headlong into the danger of death whereas otherwise they were both subtill and craftie But after this maner God dooth infatuate such men and taketh them tarde in their owne wilinesse Euen as we also perceiue that it came to passe in Pharao Exo. 14 23. who wilfullie and of his owne accord entring into the red sea was drowned and all his whole host with him The fact of Constantius Cesar This kind of guile and lieng in times past Constantius the father of Constantine the great vsed who hauing imbraced Christ set foorth an edict which was far contrarie vnto his will as though he would not suffer anie christian to liue in his Court. So as he commanded by his edict that they which would professe christian religion should surrender the offices which they had receiued and should be discharged from the wars They which sincerelie imbraced Christ despised courtlie dignities and departed from the Emperours traine on the other side they which onelie bare the name of christians bicause they would kéepe their former place and degrée departed from Christ But the matter fell out otherwise for the Emperour called home those that went their waie and commanded that they should enioie their former offices and commodities and he put awaie those from him which had forsaken Christ And he vsed this reason If they were not faithfull to that power that is Christ whom they worshipped neither will they be faithfull to me nor yet faithfullie labour and indeuour for the defense of me and mine empire But Iulian whom they call the Apostata who reuolted from Christ made an other maner of lie A lie of Iulian the Apostata For as Ammianus Marcellinus reporteth when he led his armie against Constantius his brother by the fathers side fearing least he should offend his soldiers of whom the most part were Christians feigned himselfe to worship Christ also when as he was alreadie reuolted from him Wherefore vpon a solemne feast daie of Epiphanie he entered into the temple togither with the Christians And there be verie manie dissimulations as touching religion to be found out in the histories Of Dissimulation In Iud. 3. at the end 26 But what shall we set downe as touching dissimulation Dissimulation is of two sorts I saie that the same is of two sorts One which hath respect onelie to deceiue the which séeing it differeth not much from a lie vndoubtedlie it is sinne If one being wicked doo faine himselfe to be honest and godlie the same man is an hypocrite in that he dissembleth he sinneth gréeuouslie Whosoeuer also hauing a malicious and enuious heart against anie man flattereth him and feigneth to be his fréend is not without sinne yea he is infected with a detestable dissimulation But there is an other kind of dissimulation which tendeth not to the deceiuing of anie man but serueth onelie to kéepe counsell secret least they should be hindered and this dissimulation is not to be refused or condemned as sinne séeing as we haue alreadie declared it is not alwaies required that we should open whatsoeuer truth we doo knowe Socrates was praised In the Commentaries vpon Aristotles Ethiks although he were a verie great dissembler Howbeit he said he knew nothing meaning in comparison of the knowledge of God So dooth Plato excuse him in his Apollogie Also he compared those things which he knew with those things which he knew not and being so compared they might be accounted nothing Besides this his mind was not to deceiue but rather to shew vnto others which boasted that they knew manie things how verie little or nothing they knew So Christ being most innocent tooke vpon him the flesh of sinne After what maner Christ dissembled 1. Cor. 2 8. and hid his innocencie and diuine nature the which he did not to deceiue mortall men but that he might suffer for the saluation of men For if he had béene knowne to be the Lord of glorie they would neuer as saith the apostle haue crucified him Moreouer Christ feigned also before two of his disciples that he wold haue gone further this he did not Luke 24 28 bicause he would deceiue them but he therefore opened not himselfe vnto them for a time bicause he would reprooue them of their incredulitie and instruct them by testimonies of the scriptures Therewithall also he signified how far he was from their hearts or as Augustine interpreteth it he shadowed vnto them his departure into heauen Wherefore it euidentlie appéereth that in those dissimulations there was no lie séeing his words well agréed with the thing signified 27 And Dauid Of Dauids dissimulation Looke in 1. Sam. 21. at the end when he fell into a most perillous danger being with Achis the king of Geth changed his countenance and feigned himselfe a foole and by meanes that he séemed to be such a one he escaped Héere some saie that he dissembled not but that God to deliuer him strake such a feare into him and that his senses being taken from him he might doo those things which be spoken of him in the first booke of Samuel 1. Sa. 21 13. Wherefore in his psalme which beginneth I will alwaies giue thanks vnto the Lord Psal 34. he gaue God thanks for so great a benefit Togither also with this his act he by the inspiration of God shewed what Christ should suffer for our sakes namelie to be counted as a foole and a mad man Or else it may be answered that Dauid is not wholie to be excused of sinne if he as being a man more afraid than was méet sought for this kind of helpe But if he by the motion of God did it wittinglie and with knowledge we will not accuse him of sinne though we may not imitate his example Neither is it lawfull
were for the spirit of Christ in what case they stood concerning the spirit of Christ that I thinke may be thus answered to wit if we diuide the Iewes into thrée sundrie parts For some of them were vtterlie wicked and vngodlie which besides name habitation and outward circumcision had nothing common with the people of God These men I grant be vtterlie void of the spirit of Christ yea rather they liued vnder the spirit of sathan On the other side there were some excellent and holie men as Dauid Ezechias Iosias Elias Daniel and manie such other like whom we can by no meanes denie but that they had the spirit of the Gospell although as the time required they were compelled to obserue manie ceremonies and rites perteining vnto the lawe Againe there be some others which were weake who although they cannot be compared with those whom we haue mentioned yet forsomuch as they being godlie beléeued in the Messias to come were by that faith iustified we ought not to thinke that they were strangers frō the spirit of Christ although by reason of their imperfection the lawe challenged great power ouer them And they were with others as those times required compelled to be subiect vnto infinite ceremonies And this is the reason whie the old fathers are said to haue liued vnder the lawe and vnder the spirit of bondage They had not the sacraments of their saluation so manifest and cléere as ours now are neither had they the mysteries of Christ so commonlie reuealed as we now haue in the Gospell Wherefore although amongst vs are manie wicked men and a great number of weake ones yet are we said to be deliuered from the lawe both bicause we be deliuered from ceremonies and for that we haue the sacraments and mysteries of saluation obteined through Christ made more cléere and more manifest than theirs commonlie were Paule also calleth the old fathers litle ones for that they liued vnder tutors and gouernours and were instructed of the lawe as of a schoolemaister And when they are called seruants we ought to vnderstand that they were profitable seruants For such seruants beare great goodwill and loue to their maisters and are persuaded that that which is to the honour of their maister shall also turne to their owne honour But lewd seruants neuer refraine from vices neither doo they anie thing well vnlesse they be by stripes compelled These their two titles which I haue mentioned Gala. 3 24. and 4 1. Paule ioineth togither in the epistle to the Galathians For thus he saith The heire so long as he is a little one liueth vnder tutors and gouernors and differeth nothing from a seruant when as yet he is lord of all By which words he declareth that the elect of God amongst the old fathers were in verie déed heirs although considering the time they were as little ones vnder the forme of seruants kept vnder the schooling of the lawe and elements of this world Thus I thinke is to be thought of the old fathers 26 But now let vs diligentlie examine those things which we touched a little before In 1. Sam. 2 verse 10. namelie that our minds must be lifted vp from temporall things vnto eternall and heauenlie things sith in this mortall life we be sometimes deliuered from afflictions yet vnperfectlie For by Christ we be alloted vnto righteousnes and vnto manie excellent gifts of God but yet we possesse all those gifts of God vnperfectlie But when the horne of Christ shall be exalted as speaketh Anna then shall all these things at length be fullie perfect in vs and that shall then be Luke 1 69 when the Lord shall iudge all the ends of the earth 1. Cor. 15 24. and when as Paule saith he shall deliuer the kingdome vnto God and the father But this kind of exposition will some saie is not proper séeing it sauoureth of an allegorie and that it ought not to be the verie due meaning of the scriptures But we must assure our selues A rule that those things that were written in the old testament concerning temporall things doo belong vnto eternall things In the old time God promised vnto the patriarchs that he would giue the kingdome vnto Dauid and his posteritie And this is to be vnderstood Psal 89 30 not onelie of Salomon but also of Christ Wherefore the angell speaking of him said God will giue vnto him the kingdome of his father Dauid Luke 1 33. and he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer Also in Deuteronomie GOD commanded his people that they should not take counsell of witches or sorcerers Deut. 18 10 and 15. For God saith he will raise vp a prophet among you The which although it may be vnderstood of the prophets which neuer should be wanting of whom the people might take counsell yet dooth Peter in the Acts of the apostles Acts. 3 22. translate the same vnto Christ and affirmeth that the kingdome promised to Dauid was made perfect in Christ For euen so the promise of séed made vnto Abraham Gen. 22 18 in the booke of Genesis although it may be referred vnto Isaac yet by Paule it is applied vnto Christ Gal. 3 16. For he saith It is said Not in thy seeds as in manie but in one which is Christ So that when we refer the song of Anna vnto higher matters we offend not against the doctrine of the apostles And why it is thus doone the reason is easilie shewed In weighing of all the benefits of God it is méet to returne to the fountaine and head it selfe from whence all those things doo flowe Assuredlie the highest benefit of God towards mankind is Christ wherefore all other things must be reduced wholie vnto this root Wherevpon Paule vnto the Romans reasoneth after this maner If God gaue his owne sonne vnto vs Rom. 8 13. how shall he not with him giue vs all things also 27 But thou wilt saie that manie benefits are bestowed vpon the wicked who neuerthelesse haue not Christ for their head neither doo they acknowledge him I grant it but those be gifts without gift as the poet saith and make not vnto their saluation but vnto their destruction Phil. 3 7 and 8. Euen so Paule vnto the Philippians although he had manie gifts before he came vnto Christ and euen such as were not to be despised yet he saith that He accounted them for losses and doong For the wicked when they flourish in all wealth and abundance are like vnto the beasts appointed for sacrifices which being found most fat are slaine in she shambles But to the intent that these things may the better be vnderstood let vs thus conclude the reason God either angrie or well pleased bestoweth his benefits vpon men He being angrie no man Would receiue of him bicause such things should be no benefits séeing they would worke to destruction not to saluation So as it is to be wished
to be deposed But he saith that the same was doone partlie bicause the discipline of the canons waxed cold and partlie excuseth them The small number of ministers in the time of Ambrose bicause of the multitude of beléeuers and small number of the ministers These men vndoubtedlie did minister euerie daie and yet notwithstanding they begat children in matrimonie In like maner Paphnutius obteined in the councell of Nice that the ministers were not separated from their wiues Wherevpon it remaineth according to his iudgement that they which execute the worke of matrimonie may minister and it followeth most euidentlie that the same tradition séeing it was mutable and sometime tooke no place in the church procéeded not of the word of God 10 Now there resteth to consider of the second point touching Ambroses words Whether the worke of matrimonie did make a man vnpure namelie Whether to execute the worke of matrimonie did in the old lawe make a man vnpure so that he ought to absteine from holie ministration There is a place cited out of Leuiticus the 15. chapter verse 2. where the aduersaries thinke this matter to be intreated of howbeit they vnderstand not that sentence For the words in that place concerne onelie the issue of séed while one is asléepe whereby not onelie the husband is contaminated but the wife also which shall sléepe with him in the same bed in like maner as it was of a womans naturall disease for not onelie the woman was polluted but euen whosoeuer else did touch either hir or hir garments or the bed whereon she laie so as they cannot prooue anie thing by that place But if so be that they which be ignorant in the Hebrue will not giue me credit let them read the translation of Munster and the interpretation of Cardinall Caietanus But they are woont to cite out of the booke of Samuel that Abimelech the priest being about to giue Dauid the sew-bread 1. Sam. 21 4 Looke In 1. Sam. 21 4. Abimelech demanded of Dauid whether he his yoong men were cleane frō women demanded of him Whether his yong men were cleane from women Vnto whom Dauid answered that as touching women both he and his seruants were cleane enough bicause they had béene thrée daies separated from women They saie It is not credible that the priests demanded of harlots and haunting of the companie of naughtie women by reason of the holines of Dauid and further bicause in Israell harlots were forbidden Wherefore they saie it appéereth that he demanded of the vse of lawfull wedlocke Here doo I consider that it was not lawfull for laie and prophane men to eat of those loaues of sew-bread dedicated vnto God vnlesse extreame necessitie constreined them for in such a case this precept was to be obserued I will haue mercie Esaie 6 6. and not sacrifice Put the case that Dauid had béen vncleane if so be that the priest would haue doone iustlie If also he had beene vncleane bread was to be giuen in a necessitie should he not haue giuen the holie bread vnto him Would he haue suffered him to perish for hunger No surelie he would haue giuen him Yet he neuerthelesse demanded concerning cleanesse that if perhaps he had acknowledged himselfe to be vncleane he might at the least-wise haue had a desire to be purged by sacrifice if he could not inioie it indéed least the lawe of GOD should séeme altogither to haue béen contemned howbeit Dauid answered that both he and his were cleane Why he chieflie demanded as touching women The priest of God did speciallie demand whether they were pure from women bicause men might easilie offend in that vncleanesse for that by reason of their monthlie disease not onelie the woman hir selfe was vnpure but also he that had touched hir garments bed seat or ought else of hir might easilie incurre the danger of vncleanesse Wherefore Dauid saith that he neither kept companie with vnlawfull women neither had he touched anie thing of theirs being vncleane for that they had béene separated from them by the space of thrée daies We changed saith he our garments when we departed and the vessels of the yoong men be cleane to wit those wherein the loaues are to be carried For there might haue happened an infinit sort of defilings of the vessels So that it is not of necessitie that either the answer of Dauid or the demand of the priest should be vnderstood touching the méere coniunction with a lawfull wife séeing therein by the lawe is not found anie vncleanesse Vndoutedlie manie causes might be alledged wherein that cōtamination might happen by the means of coniunction as if a woman haue béene vncleane after hir monthlie disease or after an issue of bloud or else after hir child-birth and such like then a man might haue drawen vncleannesse to him after what sort so euer he had touched either hir or anie thing of hirs Wherefore séeing there may be manie causes of this polluting if thou onelie alledge one cause and thinke thou hast brought vs a firme argument thou shalt fall into a paralogisme A false argument That being taken for the cause which is not the cause An other solution or false argument And these men are chieflie to be reprehended séeing they set foorth that cause which as we haue declared before they cannot prooue by the lawe that it made men fowle and vncleane vnder the old lawe 11 But let vs grant for this time that in those daies there was some contamination mentioned in the lawe A legall contamination was no sinne which neuerthelesse might not be prooued by the scriptures yet it followeth not therefore that sinne was there committed Now then if it be not prooued that sinne was therein how can it be that the same action should debarre men from holie functions The monthlie issue made a woman vncleane but yet who is so farre deceiued as to say that that disposition of the bodie is sinne He that had touched a dead bodie was defiled shall we then saie that they which buried dead bodies committed sinne And at this day should not the sacrament be giuen vnto them after such handling of a dead carcase And to speake of the séed which passeth away in sléepe the Canonists and also Augustine denieth the same to be sinne of it selfe and yet neuerthelesse by the lawe it made a man vncleane By what meanes therefore shall we say that the lawfull coniunction of man and wife can remooue men from holie functions especiallie when as Augustine beareth manifest record that if it be vsed for procreation sake it is without sinne Vnto whose saieng I haue also added this that it must not be counted sinne when it happeneth to be doone for auoiding of fornication séeing we are thus persuaded by the holie Ghost whom if we make a persuader vnto sinne it were wicked and detestable Séeing therefore it is no sinne so can it not be anie let to
him so greatlie were they disquieted with his miserie Wherefore before they talked with him their mind was by fasting and praier to desire God to asswage that great miserie of his So Dauid when Abner was slaine 1. Sam. 3 32. did not onelie moorne at his buriall but also sware that he would that daie eate no meate till the sunne set The selfe-same did he 2. Sa. 12 16. when he was reprooued by Nathan the prophet and when he had receiued tidings of the sicknes of the child vndoubtedlie he neuer tooke meat all the while that the child was in that case verse 4. Nehemias in the 2. chapter when he heard of the afflictions of the Hebrues which remained in Ierusalem afflicted himselfe with fasting and praied vnto the Lord. Dan. 9 2. Also Daniel when he had read those things which Ieremie wrot of the captiuitie of 70. yeares confessed both his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people also he wept and fasted Wherefore priuate fasting ought to be taken in hand not onelie for our selues but for others also How publike fasting is proclaimed 9 But publike fasting is two maner of waies commanded either of GOD himselfe by the lawe or of the magistrate or else by the bishop or by the prophet And this is to sanctifie a fast whereof we sometime read in the holie scriptures What is to sanctifie a fast Of this kind there be manie examples namelie that fast which the children of Israel laid vpon themselues In the first booke of Samuel 1. Sam. 7 4. and 6. when the Philistines gréeuouslie afflicted the Iewes the whole people at the exhortation of Samuel assembled at Mizpah they wept fasted 2. Sam. 1 11 and threw awaie their idols Dauid also with all his fasted when he heard of the ouerthrowe of the people and of the death of Saule And the men of Iabes Gilead tooke the carcases of Saule and Ionathas 1. Sa. 13 13. and wept and also fasted That likewise was a publike fast which Iosaphat commanded in the 2. 2. Par. 20 3. booke of Chronicles the 20. chapter Hâ—ster 4 16 Quéene Hester being in extreme danger commanded by Mardochaeus that a publike fast should be proclaimed The Israelites in their captiuitie as it is written in the 7. chapter of Zacharie verse 5. had a fast both in the 5. moneth and in the 7. 2. Kin. 25 8. moneth bicause in the 5. moneth the sacking of the citie and desolation of the temple happened Ibidem 25. and in the 7. moneth Godolias was slaine whereby so manie miseries insued afterward 1. Kin. 21 9. That also was a publike fast which Iezabel proclaimed being otherwise a wicked woman and an hypocrite The act of this woman shewed it to be the custome that when anie great crime was committed the whole church should fast as it were putting awaie by praier the publike punishment And this fast the prophets required as Ioel when he said Ioel. 2 16. Esd 8 21. Why a publike yerelie fasting was commanded among the Hebrues Leuit. 16 23 Sanctifie ye a fast Esdras also in his 8. chapter proclaimed a fast Wherefore fasts for certeine godlie considerations were publikelie proclaimed God himselfe also commanded a publike fasting for he commanded that in euerie yere the feast Chephurim that is the feast of expiations or cleansing of sinnes should be celebrated the tenth daie of September with a publike fast For the people committed manie sins throughout the whole yéere neither did they diligentlie obserue the ceremonies Leuit. 23 27 So that once in a yéere the tabernacle was purified and a publike fast was obserued These things in the old testament signified as it were by a certeine shadowe that the sinnes of men should be abolished by Christ of whom when we take hold by a true and liuelie faith we are absolued from our sins And thereof followeth the mortification of sins and of carnall delights and pleasures Neither is this to be passed ouer The day of publike fast was a festiuall daie that the same one daie of fast was a festiuall daie for it was not lawfull in the publike fast either to worke or else for a man to be occupied about his owne busines And we were commanded to absteine onlie from our owne works not that on festiuall daies we ought to be altogither idle but that we should doo good déeds on those daies through which we may rest in God But to beléeue to praie to acknowledge sinnes to bewaile them with an earnest repentance are the works of God and therefore are not forbidden vpon festiuall daies but rather commanded 10 These things haue not onelie the Hebrues learned out of the lawes of God The Ethniks by the instinct of nature had a religious fast Ionas 3 4. but the Ethniks also by the instinct of nature For when Ionas preached to the Niniuits that their cities should be destroied within fortie daies they despaired not of the mercie of God but repented and euerie one of them euen from the king to the meanest citizen with their beasts also and cattell fasted and when they earnestlie and with a feruent zeale cried vnto the Lord they were heard Augustine Porphyrius Augustine De ciuitate Dei writeth that Porphyrius taught that Abstinence from flesh and grosse meats dooth purifie the minds of men whereby they are made the more prompt vnto diuine things and to familiaritie with spirits Plutarch also Plutarch in his little booke De Iside Osiride saith that The priests of Heliopolis vtterlie absteined from all meats which might nourish and augment the wantonnesse of the flesh and that they neuer brought wine into the temple of their god for they accounted it a villanie to drinke wine in the daie time in the sight of their god Other men in verie déed saith he vsed wine but not much and they had manie purifications without wine The same Plutarch Holie sacrifices doone with water without wine in his treatise De cohibenda tracundia saith that Among the Atheniens were certeine holie sacrifices which were onelie doone with water without wine And this is notable which is written in the same booke Empedocles that Empedocles was woont to saie that A man ought speciallie to fast from malice Titus Liuius maketh mention Titus Liuius that when as at Rome there had happened manie prodigious things which séemed to fore-shew some great euill the Decemuiri were sent to looke into the books of the Sibyls and that answer was made that they should ordeine a publike fast in the honour of Ceres which fast should also be renewed euerie fift yéere and that so the anger of the gods should by that meanes be pacified Wherefore the Ethniks being striken with the feare of the euils which hoong ouer their heads fled vnto the oracles fasted and praied the gods to turne awaie their anger But christians not onelie séeing so manie and so
why It is also a thing most to be desired most pleasant being graffed in vs by nature or rather by God And Aristotle in his Ethiks saith of it that It is more conuenient than iustice For if we were all trulie friends betwéene our selues there should be no néed of iustice for no man would hurt one an other but if we were all iust we shuld yet still néed friendship for that it is a thing of his owne nature and of it selfe good In 1. Sam. 18. verse 1. Among the Gréeks there were reckoned two paires of friends Orestes and Pilades Damon and Pithias Also the Romans had their Scipio and Laelius vnto whom some ioine Cicero and Atticus But among all friends Dauid and Ionathas were famous for in both of them was a perfect likenesse of age of religion of godlinesse and of care towards the common weale both of them also put their life in danger to deliuer the common weale from the Philistines This likenesse procured betwéene them a most néere friendship But more and more néerelie did the secret spirit of GOD ioine them for when GOD sawe the hatred of Saule against Dauid he would procure vnto him some aid with Ionathas This friendship was stedfast and firme for it was founded vpon loue towards their countrie and pietie towards God Friendship as saith Augustine against the epistle of Parmenianus the first booke Whereof friendship is so called and first chapter is so called of loue The same they saie can be faithfull but onelie in Christ and in him onelie be stedfast and continuall The knot of friendship ought to be constant and durable But it behooueth that a reconciler of friends should lead them to felicitie and that eternall and true felicitie for other felicities are transitorie and vncerteine But this can no man performe but Christ What is to loue Aristotle Now are we to sée what is properlie To loue Aristotle saith that To loue is to will well and also if thou canst to doo well vnto anie man for his owne sake not for thine This definition although it may séeme probable yet must it be amended for we must not will well to anie man for his owne sake but for Gods sake But the philosophers rested in the second causes as if so be they sawe anie man godlie and good they said that he was to be beloued for his owne sake But we must ascend higher and place the causes of things in God 3 Cicero defineth friendship to be a consent of diuine and humane things A definition of friendship Aristotle with good will and charitie But Aristotle in his Ethiks speaketh somewhat more distinctlie for he saith that friendship is a good will But it happeneth oftentimes that a man loueth him that is vngratefull and is not loued againe therfore he addeth Mutuall But some men loue one another mutuallie who neuerthelesse are ignorant that they are loued one of another wherefore it behooueth that both of them open their good will one to an other Moreouer it is requisite that this friendship should be stirred vp for some certeine good thing for we loue not without it be for a certeine cause And good things are referred either vnto vtilitie or vnto pleasure or vnto honestie But they which are brought in to loue either for pleasure or for profit doo loue rashlie and accidentallie for if the cause either of gaine or pleasure should cease the friendship would straitwaie be dissolued But the friendship which vertue hath ioined togither is stedfast What vertue is and neuer dissolued for vertue is an habit gotten by a long vse which cannot be remooued Betweene Dauid therefore and Ionathas there was a stedfast friendship Seneca Seneca in the 9. epistle vnto Lucilius reprooueth Epicurus bicause he had said that A friend must be sought that if néed be thou maist haue one to helpe thée and if thou be sicke to sit by thée For it is a far swéeter friendship saith Seneca which profiteth another than which is holpen by another So then saith he a friend must be sought that thou maiest haue whom thou maist profit that thou maist haue whom to sit by if he be sicke For he saith that Apelles Praxiteles tooke more pleasure of their works when they deuised them and had them in their hands than afterward when they had them in their chamber readie made and polished so a true friend is more delighted if he himselfe doo anie good thing to another than if he receiue a good turne of another Looke In 2. Sam. 17. at the end Wherefore those notable men were greatlie to be praised which helped Dauid in the time of his great aduersitie for they shewed a notable token of most stedfast friendship when they delaied not to be present with him in aduersitie Assuredlie it is not a thing of small importance to helpe a condemned man as Dauid was at that time for he incurreth great danger that giueth anie succor to such men In 1. Sam. 2 19. 4 Howbeit we must not determine with our selues that onelie those precepts should be kept which be common vnto all men but those also which particularlie belong to euerie mans owne vocation As he that shall be a minister of the church let him faithfullie indeuour to teach if he be a magistrate let him painefullie execute iustice according to the prescript rule of the lawes if he be a father let him bring vp his children with seuere and graue discipline Euerie man must keepe the particular precepts of his owne vocation Ezec. 33 2. Neither must anie man flatter himselfe that he anie waies performeth the common precepts if he leaue the particular parts of his owne vocation In Ezechiel the Lord saith When I shall send a prophet to teach the people and he will not teach them they in deed shall die in their owne sinne but their bloud will I require at the hands of that prophet The father towards his children hath the place of a prophet wherefore if he shall neglect to instruct and bring them vp the fall and destruction of them shall be required at his hands 1. Sam. 2 12. Elie was not onelie a father but also a bishop and a iudge wherefore in all these respects it was his part to punish his children seuerelie Paulus 3. Paule the third of that name bishop of Rome when he was now at the point of death confessed that in this he sinned grieuouslie in that he was ouer fauourable to his owne as though he onelie among all the rowt of Popes had committed that fault They sore vexe in a maner all other men when as yet they let their owne haue their will to the vttermost Elie is blamed bicause he made more account of his children than of God But at this daie they that hold the chiefe roomes in the church doo openlie preferre their dignities their courtlie traine and their vaine pompe before God himselfe And
value it can Surelie these things be spoken by Dauid for to haue the fauour of the tyrant and that which may not be borne with a mind to deceiue 32 But let vs sée what euils followed after this flieng awaie That citie which Dauid had receiued as a gift from the king was sacked by the Amalekites 1. Sam 30 1. so that he was miserablie constrained to bewaile the mishap of his owne citizens I speake nothing how he was constrained to change that imperiall power strength into théeuerie Ibidem 17. 27 11. for he siue all he spared neither age nor sex least the king should haue anie suspicion of his doing Further he diuided the preie with the tyrant and this he did not once or twise onlie but so long as he was there In the meane while he was constrained to suffer the dishonestie of being at attonement with Achis and to professe himselfe openlie an enimie vnto his countrie Besides this it séemed to be no wise mans part to commit himselfe vnto a reconciled friend Indéed men are wont to vse the helpe of them with whom they are returned into amitie but that is onelie for the time that they haue néed For what else may we iudge that Achis in the meane time thought of Dauid but that he was a man rude and barbarous which could find in his hart to warre against his owne nation Augustus was woont to saie I loue treason but a traitor I loue not And what harts the Philistines had towards Dauid 1. Sam. 29 3 it sufficientlie appéereth by the historie for when they should méet togither What make these Hebrues héere said they How can they better please their owne king than by our bloud Héere dooth Dauid openlie professe himselfe to be an enimie vnto his countrie and Achis admitteth him to be the garder of his person And when Dauid through the earnest sute of the Philistines should be sent home he tooke it gréeuouslie saieng What haue I committed What shall we saie that in all this space there were heard no praiers there were written no psalmes No maruell for these things were doone by the counsell of man without the commandement of God No wilt thou saie it was not of necessitie that he should aske counsell of God Yes verelie God in the 26. chapter of Numerie verse 21. commandeth in expresse woords Dauid ought to haue asked counsell of God that in such things counsell should be asked of him Iosue saith he the sonne of Nun shall stand before Eliazer and shall receiue the oracle of him according wherevnto he should go in and out But Dauid was a capteine of the people 1. Sam. 22 5 1. Sam. 30 7 and in verie déed had before time asked counsell of the Lord and to the same intent he also returned afterward but now we sée no such thing to be doone by him He séemeth to haue changed his nature togither with his place for before that time he did nothing but that which was plaine and sincere at this time he did all things craftilie and deceitfullie and he séemeth now by warre to assaile Saule the king whom he before preserued But Achis bicause he beléeued that Dauid would imitate the dooings of them whose words he had followed did not make verie diligent inquisition of his dooings And to consider this matter more narrowlie this defection of Dauid brought great losse vnto the Iewes For as it appéereth out of the twelfe chapter of the first booke of Paralipomenon verse 22. That this act of Dauid brough◠detriment vnto the Iewes there flocked vnto him a great number of soldiers from all parts of Iudaea so that he had now a great companie of bands euen as the armie of God By meanes whereof it came to passe that Achis fought onelie with some part of the Iewes and not with their whole strength for they which should haue helped Saule were fled vnto Dauid But if so be they had remained in the borders they might haue inuaded the land of the Philistines and so either haue deliuered or else helped their owne countrie Furthermore the modestie of Saule may sufficientlie condemne the rashnes of Dauid for he when he had almost caught Dauid left him to the intent he might repell the Philistines whome he heard at the selfe-same time to haue inuaded his countrie and so he preferred the common wealth before his priuate hatred But Dauid when he sawe his countrie in danger ioined himselfe with a most cruell enimie that by a publike destruction he might reuenge priuate hatred and complained that he might not be permitted vnto that battell But thou wilt saie that he fained it may well be and I contend not for the matter but in the meane time he helped not his countrie The secret will of God excuseth not Dauid 33 But thou wilt saie that GOD by this meanes would punish Saule I grant it But we ought not to haue regard vnto the secret will of God but vnto his will as it is expressed in the lawe for vnto that must all our actions be directed Further we ought to beware that we come not into infamie by our owne default And when Dauid violated those borders of the Philistines he séemeth to haue violated the rite of ghestship for it may be that either they paid tribute or custome vnto Achis But bicause it is vncerteine in what state they stood towards him I will not speake much concerning that matter This is certeine that he would haue béene reuenged of Saule and I sée not how that can be defended For if thou wilt saie that he ment not so ill towards Saule thou shalt prooue nothing thereby For if at this daie some great professor amongst vs should as God forbid go on the Papists side although he should saie that he would neither dispute nor write against the Gospell yet what maner of man would we take such a one to be Certeinlie I am sore afraid when I heare some men saie they had rather be Papists than Zuinglians Doubtles we would neuer so speake of them But Dauid humbled himselfe not onelie vnder the rest of the Israelites but also vnder the soldiers of Saule This excuseth not for those men defend their countrie this man fighteth against it 1. Macc. 7 5. 2. Macc. 1. 7. In the historie of the Macchabeis Iason and Alcymus and such other like either for reuenge or ambition sake gathered themselues vnto the Macedonians The same thing did Dauid at this time he was euer the thunderbolt of war and to what part soeuer he inclined he caried with him a great force to the victorie yet neuertheles he would be absent when he might haue broght great profit But admit he would not fight against his owne nation The same end vndoubtedlie had followed him that happened vnto Coriolanus and Themistocles Coriolanus when he refused to fight against the Romans was slaine by the Volscians The end of fugitiues
sorrowe when they be mooued against these affections So Dauid the more he was inclined to his children the more he was vexed They which attribute all things vnto destinie and fortune or to the necessitie of a matter bicause they doo against the scriptures of God must not be heard We conclude that holie men when they on this wise sorrowe wéepe and are mooued with sadnesse doo please God so as they retaine faith and followe the spirit But on the other side we affirme that the philosophers and Ethniks while they séeme to deale so magnificallie to contemne all aduersities and by no meanes to be disquieted doo displease God with all their goodlie shew of vertues That the Ethniks with their goodlie shew of vertues displease God Heb. 11 6. This thing hath Augustine taught in his fourth booke against Iulian the fourth chapter and he alledged thrée reasons The first is that Without faith it is vnpossible to please God wheras they séeme to deale so heroicallie in the mean time be void of faith they cannot please God The second reason Men void of faith be as yet ill trées but ill trées bring foorth ill fruit The third reason It is not sufficient to doo those things which in their owne nature séeme good but we ought to doo well Who will saie that those Ethniks doo those woonderfull things rightlie séeing they doo vnfaithfullie In that they doo vnfaithfullie they doo not rightlie Let them boast of their things as magnificallie as they will these reasons haue we We saie that they their woorks doo not please God The same father saith in the exposition of the 25. psalme at the end that there were manie of the Ethniks which deferred to come vnto the Christians they said We sée in them manie defects the which we haue not He answereth that they are greatlie deceiued séeing in those vertues which they boast of they are not good but in a sort euill and I haue willinglie added that they are often times verie euill Forsomuch as they please themselues verie much with those vertues of theirs they become proud but pride is hated of God We conclude that Dauid and such as he was pleased God in sorrowfulnesse more than could the Puluilli Anaxagoras Aemillij Bruti or Torquati which séemed with a great loftie mind to contemne the sorrowfull things which happened When Socrates is obiected vnto vs of whom Plinie writeth in his seuenth booke that he alwaies shewed to be of one countenance neuer merrier or sadder Against him we oppose Christ which vnto vs is one for all also the apostles prophets and our Dauid and we will saie that these did a great deale more rightlie and wiselie than he did For the godlie are gouerned by the word of God not by the opinions which men haue spred abroad They are led not by the opinion or staie of assent of the Platonists and doubting philosophers but by a most certeine and constant faith They are directed by the spirit of God but not by the wisdome of humane flesh which is enmitie against God and therefore they please God Neither haue the godlie thought it méet that affections in these cases should altogither be restrained or taken awaie when they sawe themselues to be chastised by God when they sorrowed that they had broken the lawes of the Lord and that they had giuen the cause of these euils these things can neuer sufficientlie be lamented They did rather iudge it méet to slacke the bridle vnto affections which might further godlinesse and strengthen repentance 41 But one thing perhaps some man will demand how it happeneth Whie these greefes are more frequent in the old testament than in the new that we more read of those gréefes in the old testament than in the new I might peraduenture saie that this which they would prooue is not true In the new testament they lament which doo féele their sinnes But it appéereth not now as it did in the old time it is not doone with that preparation I grant that the custome then was that those moornings should be publike now the consideration of the age in our time suffereth not this Againe I might answer that certeinlie the forefathers had the promise of eternall life as we haue but moreouer and that the promises of the land of Chanaan and the increase of séed and these temporall blessings were more earnestlie offered vnto them than vnto vs. Matth. 6 33 These things are also promised vnto vs for if we First seeke the kingdome of God the rest shall be ministred vnto vs. Howbeit these things are generallie promised vnto vs they are nor so often repeated We are in greater light therefore we rather applie our mind vnto the better promises Thereby perhaps insue lesser sorrowes in the losse of temporall things 42 This must the rather be called to mind least we be disquieted when we perceiue that Dauid was so vexed 2. Sa. 12 13. whereas neuertheles God had said by Nathan that his sinne was put awaie Whie Dauid sorrowed though his sinne were taken awaie Those things are not repugnant in themselues for it was vndoubtedlie taken awaie and forgiuen bicause it happened not vnto him to eternall death which he deserued This bond which he had procured was extinguished by the mercie of God Further he deserueth to be slain as touching the life of the bodie but God did not slaie him Moreouer the aduersities which happened were not punishments of God in his anger but fatherlie chastisements to preserue discipline that he might the more déepelie acknowledge sinne take héed vnto himselfe from thence foorth and that others also might be made to beware Neither ought Papists therefore to make a purgatorie bicause God forgiueth sinne in this life and punisheth in an other For the holie scriptures haue nothing at all concerning purgatorie but they shew that the godlie shall straitwaie after death be blessed Howbeit if we should grant them which yet we must not grant them that God would punish the godlie in an other world yet might not the church with hir keies mitigate these punishments as the punishments of Dauid and of others this thing standeth in the pleasure of God The xiij Chapter Of Praiers and of the intercession of Christ wherein is intreated of speaking in a strange toong of Musicke and of hymnes In Rom. 1. verse 9. Two kinds of praiers THe praiers of the godlie are diuided into two kinds For some be at set times as be those which are vsed in a publike congregation at appointed and prescribed daies I mean vpon the Lords daie and vpon such other daies as are assigned by the church for publike praiers Further it is the dutie of a christian man to haue houres also appointed euerie daie wherein he maie praie vnto God and that thrée times fiue times or seuen times in a daie as his businesse will suffer him An other kind of those praiers there is which are called
concerning the nature of death changed by the goodnes of God how of a damnable nature it is made profitable vnto vs not onelie those things which we haue spoken of doo put vs in mind Rom. 3 25. Heb. 9 10. but this also namelie that the same in Christ was made an onelie sacrifice pacifieng and reconciling vs vnto God Yea and our death also if we be ioined vnto Christ and die for his truth is made an acceptable oblation vnto God so as we are said to be offered vp vnto him ◠Tim. 4 6. euen as Paule wrote vnto Timothie I saith he am sacrificed or offered and the time of my departing is at hand Psal 116 15 And in the Psalmes it is written Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints But there followeth an excéeding great reward after such a death for If so be as the apostle writeth in the same epistle we die togither 2. Tim. 2 12. we shall also liue togither if we also suffer togither we shall also reigne togither But what can more ease vs of sorrowe than to acknowledge that Christ tooke the same death vpon him Wherefore for that which he hath suffered why should we so sorowe and lament if it happen vnto vs séeing he died without desert but we most deseruedlie Neither could the diuine promises or rather the league couenant and testament be more aptlie or better confirmed vnto vs for euen as it is said vnto the Hebrues Heb. 9 16. Not anie one of these is ratified vntill that death doo come Bréeflie Christian men may manie times drawe out of the scriptures these and such other like comforts But let them not maruell if that all sorrowe be not vtterlie taken from them for the Lord will that death shall be gréeuous Neither did Christ indure the same without sorrowe and teares Matt. 26 38 c. yet neuerthelesse they shall doo these things in such sort as the limits and prescribed bonds shall not be excéed And finallie it may appéere easilie by that which hath béene spoken what things of the Gentils mentioned since the beginning of this disputation ought to be reteined by vs and what must be refused We confesse that the pleasures of the flesh as corporall things must be mortified but yet we grant not that they procéed of the bodie vnlesse it be by accidentall meanes in that it is corrupted with sinne But we denie it to be an vtter enimie vnto sciences as Plato or Socrates hath affirmed for as we haue alreadie expressed the senses of the bodie doo verie much further to the atteining of them And that we be much drawen awaie through preseruing of the bodie it selfe from the searching out of the truth and from diuine things we doo not easilie grant it to be in godlie men For they while they referre all things to the glorie of God and Christ doo bestowe little or nothing vpon the bodie that is not doone well and according to vertue But admit that it dooth happen sometimes through our fault in such sort as thou affirmest thou oughtest not therefore to inferre that the bodie is ill rather séeke thou that the faults therein may be amended But we vtterlie reiect that kind of consolation namelie that death must in no wise be lamented bicause there is no remedie for the same For we beléeue the resurrection according as Christ and the holie scriptures haue taught vs. Of Buriall 9 Whether it be anie thing expedient for the dead to be buried or to be left vnburied In Gen. 23. verse 7. Whether it be any thing expedient for the dead to be buried The Poets haue said that it is expedient namelie Virgil in the sixt booke of his Aeneidos on this wise Nec ripas datur horrendas aut rauca fluenta Transportare priùs quā sedibus ossa quiêrunt that is Nor from these fearefull banks nor riuers boarse they passage get Till vnder earth in graues their bodies bones at rest are set Moreouer the common sense of all nations dooth well-néere agrée with this opinion The Iewes were verie diligent in annointing The Romans burned the bodies with great pompe Suetonius reporteth that togither with the dead carcase of most lewd Nero was burned a great abundance of spices and pretious odors Our Papists at this daie and in ancient time manie Christians prouided that in remembrance of the martyrs their bodies should be safelie laid vp In the first booke of kings the 13. chapter verse 20. the prophet of God threateneth an other prophet who did eat bread in Bethel contrarie to the commandement of God that his carcase should not come into the sepulchre of his fathers But if so be that the matter had not forced it should not haue béene appointed as a punishment And in the second of kings the 22. chapter verse 19. God promiseth vnto Iosias that bicause he wept rent his cloths and sorrowed for the wickednesse of the people he should be brought into the sepulchre of his fathers In the second booke of Samuel verse ◠the second chapter the men of Iabes-Gilead are commended and blessed by Dauid bicause they shewed kindnesse vnto Saule and Ionathas for they buried them But and if so be it had perteined nothing vnto them what kindnesse had they vsed vnto them In the 79. psalme Dauid complaineth Psal 79 2. that the vnbeléeuing tyrants which were destroiers of the people of God left vnburied the dead carcases of the seruants of the Lord to be meat for the fowles of the aire and to be torne with beasts of the féeld But if so be the matter forced not the prophet would not haue sorrowed or lamented for the same These things notwithstanding That it nothing auaileth the dead to be buried or not verse 4. we are of the same mind that Augustine is of in his little booke De cura suscipienda pro mortuis that It nothing auaileth the dead as touching their saluation whether they be buried or lie vnburied In the 12. of Luke the Lord saith concerning them that persecute the Christians When they haue killed the bodie there is no more for them to doo The Lord denieth not that they cannot triumph against them that they cannot scorne them or that they cannot cast them out to the beasts and birds but there is nothing else saith he that they are able to doo against them that can be felt that shall be gréeuous or shall bring them anie harme All the haires of the head are so numbred Matt. 10 30. as they cannot fall without the will of the father Matthew the tenth Euen so those things which be doone about the dead bodies of martyrs vnlesse it were the will of God they should not be doone but if those should be hurtfull to their saluation how could it be that God would not turne them awaie from such as he loueth Augustine intreateth of these things in his first booke De
almes must be bestowed bicause after death there is no place reserued for these actions And thus spake Christ in the Gospell of Iohn Now worke yee while it is daie otherwise the night will come wherein no man can worke Gregorius Neocaesariensis referreth the places which we haue alleged out of Ecclesiastes vnto Salomon who wrote these things of himselfe Bicause when he gaue himselfe to pleasures he in a maner felt his mind to grewe beastlie and to be infected with these cogitations namelie that the end of man and beasts should be all one that after this life in another world there remaineth not either cogitation or worke or wisedome or knowledge And assuredlie it commeth to passe that they which be occupied in such beastlie cogitations doo eftsoones euerie daie burne in the lusts of delights and doo more and more growe beastlie So as this interpretor dooth not thinke that these things were approoued by Salomon The booke Ecclesiastes is thought to be the repentance of Salomon whom he thinketh to make report of the things which he affected of old and of the which he repented bicause this booke of Ecclesiastes is accounted among the Iewes The Repentance of Salomon Wherefore the voluptuous and delicate men to confirme themselues in their beastlinesse doo saie that as well men as beasts doo die that there shall nothing remaine after this life Let vs vse therefore no measure in carnall and earthlie delights and as Paule said 1. Co. â—5 3â— Let vs eate and drinke for to morowe we shall die Also Olympiodorus an interpretor of the booke of Ecclesiastes saith The saleâ—… of Olympodorus that First these things doo belong vnto the life of the bodie wherein as it hath béene said manie qualities are common as well to men as beasts Secondlie that they which bend themselues wholie to pleasures and deligths doo rather approch to the nature of brute beasts And therefore he will haue vs here to be admonished that we should withdrawe our selues from these things least we in our maners degenerate into brute beasts whereas we be made vnto the image of God and ordeined to become one daie like vnto angels Lastlie he interpreteth them to be men which rightlie vse reason but those to be beasts which haue vtterlie addicted themselues to flesh and affections But who saith he knoweth those men which belong vnto the one sort or those which belong vnto the other séeing the conditions of men are secret and hidden So as it may be that Salomon spake these things vnder the person of voluptuous men or else as it séemed to Gregorius Neocaesariensis he had in remembrance his owne person 73 Iob in the 14. chapter verse 7 c. séemeth to make men of woorse condition than either trées cut downe the riuers and the sea For a trée cut downe springeth againe and returneth to his former state And riuers although through heat they be emptied of their waters yet are they abundantlie restored vnto them againe And the sea albeit euerie six houres it depart from the drie land yet couereth it the same againe But it fareth not so with man when he is dissolued by death bicause he returneth no more neither is he restored to his former state These things dooth Iob there lament and that trulie in verie déed if man should be considered in his owne proper nature namelie without the word of God and without Christ But if it be considered that euen he himselfe that was intangled in these things hath a baine wherein he being washed doth not onelie reuiue againe but returneth from death to life we must otherwise determine of him It is further to be noted that a time is limited wherein the dead returne not vnto life séeing it is there written Vntill that heauen shall passe awaie Ibidem 12. In which words are noted the end of the world Iob then denieth not but that men shall rise againe after heauen is passed awaie And much more doth he séeme to affirme this when in the same place he séemeth to compare death vnto sléepe and maketh mention of men that shall be wakened For sléepe is not perpetuall but herevnto is ordeined that it should be limited by watching Yea and he added in the same place Iob. 14 13. Who shall bring to passe that thou wilt hide me in the graue vntill thy wrath be ouerpast By which forme of speaking he sheweth that there will be an end of Gods wrath and that death shall once haue an end And yet more plainlie he saith Ibidem And to appoint a time wherein thou maist remember me And he afterward beareth record that he waiteth for a renewing And straitwaie he saith Thou shalt call me I will answer thee namelie I rising from the dead thou vndoubtedlie shalt stretch foorth â—…y right hand to thine owne workemanship Yea and some haue expounded the same place by an interrogatiue point as though it should be an argument from the lesse to the greater saieng Shall a tree cut downe a riuer and the sea be restored to their former state and man not attaine thereto It is not likelie seeing man is farre better than these things thou with no lesse care regardest him And vndoubtedlie Aben-Ezra granteth that the resurrection in that place is vnderstood But those things séeme to be somewhat more difficult which are spoken in the 7. chapter of the same booke Iob. 7 7. where he saith Mine eie shall not returne to see good things Howbeit this must be vnderstood as concerning the good things which perteine vnto this life For after the resurrection the dead shall not returne againe to eat to drinke to beget children as they did before while they liued here Moreouer he saith The eie shall see me no more Ibidem 8. which séemeth to be nothing else than that after this world there shall be no bargains couenants entercourse betwéene men as there was before To this he addeth verse 9. The cloud is gone and returneth no more euen so he that descendeth into the pit ascendeth not neither returneth to his owne house neither knoweth anie more his owne place 74 These things as I haue hitherto warned are spoken as touching the strength of nature and if a man be considered to be without God and Christ as he is in his owne nature corrupt and vnperfect and also if death and hell be weighed of according as they be indéed For these things cannot be ouercome by naturall strength Wherefore it is said that In hell there is no redemption bicause no man by the helpe of man or by the power of nature can be called backe from thence But if we embrace Christ with a perfect faith forsomuch as he ouercame sinne death and hell we haue thereby great redemption in him 1. Sam. 2 6. And in the booke of Samuel we read that It is God which leadeth vs downe vnto hell and bringeth vs backe againe Neither are we to
among the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 5. the which is very much commended by Paul saying that they were instructed in all wisedome and in the worde Were they quiet among themselues There were Schismes among them Ibid. ver 12 They saide I hold of Peter I of Paul I of Apollo But thou wilt say they disagréed not as touching matters of weight Manie were at that point that they thought simple fornication no sinne 1. Cor. 6. 13 So as it behooued Paul to instruct them concerning the same Of the resurrection it selfe they iudged amisse If there be errours in the Anabaptistes or in others we agrée not with them Arrius In the latter age the Arrians did shake the Church for the space of 150. yeares and there were Ethnickes which were agréeued thereat Themistius For Themistius wrote of this matter vnto the Emperour Constantius Graunt me that the Ethnickes which then were reasoned against the Church How are ye Christians diuided among your selues In one Church was a Catholike Bishop in an other a Nouatian as at Constantinople was Chrysostome and Agelius In Africa also welnéere throughout euerie Church were two Bishops a Catholike and a Donatist A part would haue Images Epiphanius counted it as a thing detestable What shall we say as touching the Supremacie of the Pope They woulde haue it to be an article of necessitie vnto saluation but haue they all receiued the same Gregorie said that this is the title of Antichrist The Bishop of Constantinople sued against the Bishop of Rome At length the whole East part acknowledged not the Romane Bishop and yet they saide that it was the Church They say that they haue the Popedome ioyned thereunto God he knoweth But to deale frankelie with them let vs graunt them this It is a token that they are wholie carried vnto lewdnesse and it is rather a conspiracie than a veritie Dauid had the kingdome of God yet was it not quiet Such is the Church Of the true markes of the Church looke after Place 6. Art 16. and 38. c. Of diuers Ministeries of the Church 4 But nowe let vs obserue that the Apostles were to that ende chosen In Rom. 1. at the beginning that they shoulde institute the seruice of the Gospell The difference betweene the Apostles and the Byshops shoulde publish vnto the beléeuers the things which they had heard of Christ But the Bishops were ordeined to this purpose that they shold defend those things which are cōteined in the Gospel and the holie scriptures Looke in the Treatise against Gardiner p. 152 which they should so receiue to be defended as they must not ad vnto them anie new things and forge traditions at their owne will Further the holie fathers which were Bishops when they take in hand to write doe confesse themselues to be handlers of the holie scriptures and woulde not that those things which they write shoulde be accounted of so great authoritie as we attribute vnto the Cannon of the Scriptures Nay rather they forbid that anie credite shoulde be giuen vnto them if they speake anie thing against the holie Scriptures Thirdlie to the Apostolical doctrine were adioyned manie miracles whereby their authoritie is confirmed which we sée was not doon in the traditions of the Elders Againe we are sure that the Apostles wrote by the inspiration of the holie Ghost which we dare not affirme of our Bishoppes Whereupon we conclude that the Apostles could not erre in those things which they wrote but we sée that the Bishoppes haue oftentimes decréeed amisse as concerning the rules of Religion as it appeareth in the Councell of Ariminum and also in the second Synode of Ephesus and also in manie other yea and they erred verie much also in their Actions At Chalcedone and Constantinople were Synods gathered together in which Chrysostome was condemned and deposed Chrisostom condemned and deposed which also was doone in the name of those Bishops which were accompted Catholike And there might be alleadged manie examples of this sort 1. Tim. 1. 14. Also Paul writing vnto Timothie prayeth him to saue that which was giuen him to kéepe declaring that hée ought neither to ad nor diminish any thing of the doctrine of the Gospell receiued This is to preserue the thing giuen him to kéepe Adde hereunto that the Apostles be so vnto Bishops and ordinarie Pastors The Apostles are to the Byshops as the Prophets were to the high Priestes as in old time the Prophets were vnto the high Bishoppes and Priests For the Prophets might bring bookes and mixe them with the Canonical Scriptures For Samuel added his bookes vnto the Scripture Esay Ieremie and the other Prophets added their monumentes vnto the Scripture which the Scribes high Priests and Bishops might not haue done The Apostles called the Gentiles abrogated the Ceremonies of the lawe which was beyond the compasse of the high Bishops and Priests Therefore the Apostle setteth foorth himselfe by sundrie titles that when wée reade him or heare him wée may thinke that we heare not the wordes of a man but oracles powred out of heauen In Rom. 10. 5 But in the Scriptures there be manie places by which it may be prooued that the doctrine of the Gospell shoulde be published throughout the whole world by the ministerie of the Apostles Esay 24. 16. 59. 19. Mal. 1. 11. As in Esay the 24. and 59. Chapters and in Malachie and almost euerie where in the Prophets And if so be the Gospell were published throughout the worlde then coulde not the Iewes cauel that they had not hearde of it especiallie when as Preaching began at them according to that saying Out of Sion shall go the lawe Esay 2. 3. Actes 13. 46. and the word of the Lorde out of Ierusalem Neither did the Apostles turne vnto the Gentiles vntill they had nowe séene the obstinacy of the vnbeléeuing Iewes For then they went vnto the Gentiles who neuertheles also had Ministers of the word of God before although not in such plentie That the Gentiles had some ministers of the word before the Apostles and ordinary succession as the Iewes had Among the Gentils liued Melchizedeck Balam Job and the Sibils whose testimonies as touching Christ are reueiled of olde writers Ioseph liued in Egypt Ionas was sent vnto the Nineuites Daniel and his companions preached in Babylon Nehemias Esdras liued among the Persians all which men kindled some light of true godlinesse amongst the Gentils but at length the doctrine was made fullie compleate by the Apostles The Iewes therefore are confuted by an argument taken a minori that is of the lesse If the Gentiles being farre off and at the ends of the world did heare howe haue you Iewes not heard And this manner of exposition doeth Chrysostome follow Neither is it anie maruell that Paul in the tenth Chapter to the Romanes writeth Verse 18. that the Gospel is published euerie where
wise it stood with the common weale of Rome In the miserable most daungerous times It created a Dictator who behaued himselfe as a Monarch It appointed also a Senate hauing respect vnto vertues and merites By reason whereof it might be called a gouernment of manie Howbeit in the most weightie affaires and in confirming of lawes and decrées the matter was brought vnto the common people of Rome by meanes whereof it was iudged to be a gouernment of the people 10 Cyprian writeth vnto Cornelius the Bishoppe of Rome Cyprian that he laboured much with the people that they which are fallen might haue pardon Which if it might haue béene giuen by him selfe there had béene no néed that he should so greatlie haue trauelled in perswading of the people Augustine And Augustine against the Donatistes sheweth the same when he saith We must then cease to excommunicate if the holie people shall be infected with one and the selfe same vice For it will not saith he consent to excommunication but will defend and maintaine him whom thou shalt excommunicate Wherefore this right pertaineth vnto the Church neither ought it to be plucked from the same against which opinion they chiefly are Excommunicatiō must not be committed to one Byshop or Pope which would haue the same to be committed vnto one Bishop or Pope because they saie that a bishop is the vniuersall Church as they speake virtuallie But at this daie we sée that he is oftentimes the whole Church as I maie so saie viciouslie This vnderstand thou of them that be euil that deale tyrannouslie They are woont to saie that this is therefore to be doone that tranquillitie maie be kept For if so be that consent of voices should be left vnto the multitude there wil be tumults and seditions raised vp But these men ought to consider that the Citie of Rome was in better state when it suffered those broiles of the Tribunes and people than afterwarde when it was come vnto Tyrantes For in those turmoiles of the people thou maiest perceiue some good and wholsome laws continuallie to be made and manie wicked were condemned By meanes whereof the Romane common weale flourished and stood But when it was come to the Tyrannie of one it suffred Neroes Domitians Caligulaes and Commodoes and other like pestiferous persons Euen so when excommunication was turned to one man thou maist often times sée him with great abuse excommunicate others who is himselfe excommunicated and cut off both from Christ and from the true Church which thing is in no wise conuenient to be doone For he that commandeth a man to be banished it is necessarie that he himselfe haue the right of the Citie And that the Bishoppes of Rome be excommunicate and be strangers from the Church A proofe that the Pope is excomunicated frō the Church Gal. 1. 8. the Epistle to the Galathians doth sufficientlie teach where it is said If anie man shall preach any other Gospel than we haue done let him be accursed And that they doe teach otherwise than doe the holie Scriptures it is so euident as it néedeth no proofe Further it is required that they which be excommunicate should be present neither can it therefore be that they which be in England or in Spaine should be condemned by them which be at Rome Of this matter as we haue aboue declared The Councell of Africke did the councell of Africke complaine And Cornelius the Bishoppe of Rome in the time of Cyprian sent backe to bee absolued into Africa those which were there excommunicated Tertullian And Tertullian in Apologetico Chapter 39. writeth that iudgements were giuen in the Church with great consideration as with them that were assured of the sight of God and that there was a singular prouidence of the iudgement of God the elders or Priestes sitting as chiefe who attained vnto the degrée and honour not by reward but by testimonie that is to wit because they were allowed for their life maners 11 There is a saying of some The opinion of them which say that excommunication is not needfull that in times past séeing Magistrates were Ethnickes excommunication might take place but not at this daie when as the Magistrate is a Christian who with the sword and ciuil punishments taketh awaie euill from among the Cities and Church But let these men know that there be manie vices whereat the ciuill lawes do wincke as adulteries drunkennesse euill talke and such like kind yet cannot those things be suffered of the Church Againe the Magistrat doth oftentimes punishe by monie by a certaine exile and prisonment for a time which punishments being performed he restoreth them to be citizens neither requireth he anie repentaunce but the Church cannot reconcile vnlesse they be such as be penitent Wherefore let not iurisdictions be confounded The difference betweene ciuil power and ecclesiastical power in reconciling Let one be ciuill and an other Ecclesiasticall Yet doe we not denie but that princes or a Magistrate hath that principall power by which although he exercise not all offices and all Arts in a common weale yet doeth he prouide that all things be doone in due order 1. Chro. 15 25. c. 2. kings 12. 2. king 18. 4 2. kings 22. c. And if so be that the ministers of the Church behaue not thēselues well he correcteth them as Dauid Ioas Ezechias and Iosias reformed the religion and Priestes 12 Now let vs sée When excōmunication must be vsed Augustine The Donatists when excommunication must be vsed Augustine in the 3. booke against the Epistle of Parmenianus and in manie other places against the Donatistes writeth that the same must be vsed when there is no danger of schisme The Donatistes did vrge him obiecting that the Catholikes haue no Church because they wanted excommunication On the otherside Augustine obiected Cyprian who in his Sermon de lapsis Cyprian complaineth that certaine bishoppes of his time were greatlie corrupted who notwithstanding the poore did starue they would possesse plentie of siluer they drew lands vnto them by craftie practises and by manifolde increasing of vsuries they made their gaine the greater from whom neuerthelesse Cyprian did not seperate himselfe and yet neuerthelesse we must not beléeue but that he had a Church Therefore Augustine saide If it maie be doone without schisme let it be had if otherwise let vs staie our selues For that would be to séeke destruction and that which was inuented for charitie sake would be repugnant vnto charitie He also bringeth the parable of the tares Mat. 13. 29. The parable of the tares wherin Christ would not haue the tares plucked vp least the wheate should be destroied together with it And he calleth to minde the example of Christ Iohn 12. 6. Mat. 26. 21 Iudas communicated with the Lord. who forbare Iudas whom he knewe to be a thiefe and did communicate with him in the institution
Cornelius the Centurion euen then when he was in warriers state heard that his prayers and almes déedes pleased God Augustine for this purpose oftentimes citeth that saying Mat. 22. 21. Giue vnto Caesar the things which be Caesars But those things are not giuen for any other vse but for the payment of wages vnto the souldiers and for defence of the Commonweale And Paul when he had said that the Prince beareth the sworde and is the minister of God Rom. 13. 6. therefore saith he Giue custome vnto whom custome and tribute vnto whom tribute belongeth for money is the strength of warres It is most certaine doubtlesse which he saith That a Prince is the minister of God vnto wrath Ibid. ver 4. And if so be that a Prince may chastise seditious Citizens at home why may he not also suppresse an outward enemie if he doe violence and vexe and waste the Common weale God oftentimes warneth Princes that they should reléeue the oppressed the fatherlesse and widowes and sometime it happeneth that this cannot be doone without warre By this meanes also there is respect had though not to the will of the enemies yet to their profite For euen as a father of charitie chasteneth and punisheth his childe so ought a Prince to restraine the fiercenesse of an enemie not of hatred but of Christian charitie and to benefite him whether he will or no and by this meanes the licentiousnesse of sinning is diminished in him And Augustine vnto Boniface saieth that there is nothing more vnhappie than the happinesse of sinners Further God in the olde Testament Num. 10. 9 Deut. 20. 1. made lawes concerning the taking in hande and making of warres But euill things must rather be taken quite away than adorned with lawes In Deuteronomie the 20. Verse 5. Chapter God commaundeth them to be discharged out of the host which either builded that yéere or planted or married wiues and they which were of a faint courage least they should trouble their brethren He commaundeth that the Priest should be present and to instruct and warne the people that they should be of valiant courage that God would be with them and that although they should sée themselues to be excéeded in number and multitude yet not to haue faint hearts but to cast their hope vpon God He also commaundeth that they shoulde not cut downe their fruite trées vpon their enemies soile In the 10. Num. 10. 9 Chapter of Numeri he commaunded two trumpets to be made wherewith they should sound and especially in warre that those being heard they should not doubt but that the rememberance of them was before God In the 31. Chapter of Numeri Verse 2. he commaundeth that there should be sought for a reuenge of the Madianites because that through the making common of their young women they had circumuented the Israelites in their iourney Againe he commaunded also that that pray should be common Ib. ver 27. aswell to the souldiers which fought against the enemie as vnto them which they had appointed to kéepe the fardels and vnto the Leuites and that some part should be imployed vnto the vse of the sanctuarie But this he would not haue doone if by no meanes it had bin lawfull to make warre In the 17. Verse 9. Chapter of Exodus whē the Amalachites had doone violence vnto the Israelites Moses commaunded Iosue to take muster and to fight against the enemie And in the meane time lifted vp his handes vnto God Aaron and Hurre sustaining his wearie armes Exo. 17. 16. and God sware that the warre of the Amalachites with them should be perpetuall In the 31. Chapter of Deuteronomie God also promiseth victorie vnto his Verse 6. Leui. 26. 8. One of you saieth he shall chase a thousand and ten ten thousand Iosua when he came into the land of promise Iosua 5. 13. sawe the Lorde armed and shaking a drawen sworde and heard him promise that he would be the Prince and Captaine of that warre In the 13. of Deuteronomium Deut. 13. 12 if any Citie turne to Idolatrie God commaundeth that the same shoulde be ouerthrowen and that the pray shoulde be burned And when in the first of Iudges Verse 1. warre was to be taken in hande against the Heuites and Chananites and Iebusites they aske counsell of the Lorde what Tribe shoulde first ascend and he aunswered The tribe of Iuda Dauid in the 144. Psalme Psal 144. 1. Who teacheth my handes to fight and my fingers to the battell But God teacheth not euill And there is a great Emphasis in that which he saieth My handes for he was a man according to the heart of God yet did he not make warre by his own counsell but by the commaundement of God 5 Neither must those warres be vnspoken of which the Machabees made for Religion and for the commonweale Eccle. 3. 8. Ecclesiastes saith There is a time of warre and there is a time of peace but there is no time for a thing vniust and forbidden 1. Sam. 10. 1. c. While Amnon stood to his promise Dauid maintained the league and sent Ambassadours vnto him But when as he had reprochfullie handled the Ambassadours of Dauid the warres began Zacharie the 10. Verse 5. Chapter They shall fight because the Lord will be with them Yea and they be called the warres of the Lord. For so said Saul vnto Dauid 1. Sa. 18. 17 1. Sa. 25. 28. Thou shalt make the Lordes warre And Abigail Thou saith he fightest the Lordes battels And in the 2. booke of Paralipomenon the 20. Verse 15. Chapter When the king of Syria had gathered his power against Iosaphat and he openlie made his prayers vnto the Lord Iahaziel the Leuite being inspired with the holy Ghost This saith he is the warre of God not of men In the new Testament Acts. 23. 17 Paul would by the aide of the souldiers be brought vnto Caesaria that he might not be taken holde of by the Iewes Heb. 11. 33. In the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is thus written The Saintes by faith subdued kingdomes Wherefore warre may be an exercise of faith And least that anie man should thinke that that place is to be vnderstood of spirituall fighting it is added They ouerthrewe the Armies of Aliants Verse 34. Augustine vnto Boniface the warrier thus writeth Thou oughtest to knowe that thy strength is the gift of God Therefore so often as thou puttest on armor thou shouldest remember to take héede that thou vse them not against him that gaue thée them Besides in the making of warre there is néede of patience in the induring of labours a stout heart in perils a diligence in the enterprising of thinges a spéedinesse in performing and a Counsell in prouiding Which thinges vndoubtedlie cannot be had without the gift of God And Augustine addeth that peace is of will and warre of necessitie Wherefore we
elect the superiour power and by certaine lawes doe gouerne the CommoÌ„weale as at this day we sée doone by the Electors of the Empire And perhaps the same is doone in other kingdomes To these vndoubtedly if the Prince perfourme not his couenaunts and promises it is lawfull to constraine and bring him into order and by force to compell him to perfourme the conditions and couenaunts which he had promised and that by warre when it cannot otherwise be doone By this meanes the Romanes sometime compelled the Consul whom they themselues had created to goe foorth of his office The Danes in our time did depose their king and held him long in prison Polidore Virgil. Polidorus Virgilius writeth that English men sometimes compelled their Kings to render account of the monie which they had misspent Neither are wée ignorant that Tarquinius the proud was by the Romanes for his ouer much crueltie and arrogancie throwen out of his Kingdome Of Brutus Cassius I will not speake of Brutus and Cassius which slue Caesar But whether they did it iustlie or otherwise most graue men vary in their opinions And I in examining their enterprise by the rule of the Scriptures doe not allowe it For they gaue not vnto him the gouernement or Empire of Rome but he vsurped the same himselfe by violence and power And God as testifieth Daniel translateth Empires and kingdoms Dan. 2. 37. Though also it be lawfull to resist Tirantes which assaile a Kingdome yet when they haue obtained the same and doe beare rule When tyrants haue obtained kingdoms priuate men must not seeke to put them down it séemeth not to belong vnto priuate men to put them downe Wherefore séeing that the Kingdome of the Iewes was such a Kingdome as in it all men depended of the King For they were not chosen by noble men but the posteritie of that familie which God had appointed did gouerne by succession Deu. 17. 15. 1. Sam. 8. 11 Therefore in the lawes of Deuteronomie and in the 1. booke of Samuell wherein is ordained the right of Princes there is no libertie graunted vnto any man to disturbe them Yea and sometimes it hath happened that some of them were killed yet wée neuer reade that God allowed the murdering of them nay rather he punished the murtherers When God at any time would displace the Kings of Iuda he did it by the Babylonians Assyrians and Aegyptians but not by the Iewes 2. king 9. 1. He onelie armed Iehu against his Lord which as it was peculiar so must we not take example by it He destroyed Saule also by the handes of the Philistians and not by Dauid 1. Sam. 31. 2 And I am not ignoraunt howe manie things of this matter are decréed in the Code and in the Digests Ad legem Iuliam Maiestatis But endeuoring to be bréefe I doe of purpose passe them ouer And although I knowe right well that the Ethnickes in the olde time appointed rewards for such as killed Tyrants yet I haue aunswered that godlinesse and the holie Scriptures allowe not the same Assuredlie if it bée lawfull for the people to cast out of a Kingdome those that vniustlie beare Rule there shall neuer bée anie Princes or Kinges in safetie For although they liue iustlie and godlie yet doe they not satisfie the people VVhether Jehoiada did right in putting Athalia from the kingdome 14 But there be many reasons In 2. kings â—1 at the beginning whereby it may be shewed that Iehoiada did well and rightly conspire against Athalia First he was not altogether a priuate man but was the high Priest in the common weale vnto whom belonged to iudge not onely Ecclesiasticall and sacred but also ciuill causes For the Iewes had no other Bookes of lawe but the holy Byble Further there conspired with him the Leuites and Priests and also the Princes of families and the most noble men of the kingdom and the captaines of the souldiers By which kinde of men it was méete that the Common weale or kingdome of Iuda shoulde be deliuered from that womans Tyrannie Moreouer than this were the promises of God which he had made vnto the familie of Dauid which promises it was the high Priests part to defende Also the lawe of Deuteronomie was to be obserued namely that the kingdome shoulde not fall vnto straungers Besides Iehoiada was ioyned in affinitie with the kings familie forsomuch as he had to wife the sister of Achazias departed Wherefore it was his part to prouide that a confused order shoulde be rid out of the kingdome of Iuda But perhaps some man will reprooue this indeuour of Iehoiada First because he did not rightly and orderly in dispossessing of that person which was alreadie in office Méete in déede it is for good men to trauell and indeuour to their power that the state of thinges present should not be changed but when it is changed and that some one hath gotten the soueraintie and is entered into the gouernment it is not lawfull to cast him out Furthermore although that some conspiracie maie otherwhile be good yet it séemeth in his owne nature to haue the shewe of euill wherefore men ought iustly to flie the same especially Priests whose part it is with all diligence to kéepe innocencie Besides this Iehoiada might on this behalfe séeme to séeke his own For séeing the childe was verie young he after a sort did intrude himselfe to be gouernour in his stéede Moreouer it might seeme that God was displeased therewith which in this respect may be prooued 2. Chron. 24. 21. in that Ioas wheÌ„ Iehoiada was dead killed his sonne as though God would reuenge the sinne of his father Adde herewithall that this was doone by the Leuites and Priestes by force and armes which the holie ministerie ought to eschue Furthermore because he set forth the holy place to be violated with slaughter and bloud which is thought to be contrarie to all godlinesse To all these things we will aunswere in order 15 To the first reason thus we answere that indéede it is not the part of a priuate man to put out of place a Magistrate already constituted or a Prince which is in possessioÌ„ of a kingdome But we denie that Iehoiada was a priuate person séeing in the common weale he was the next person to the king iudged and sometime exercised both the sacred and ciuill affaires and was the kéeper of the lawes Deu. 17. 15. And in Deuteronomie there is a lawe for instituting of the king which now by Athalia was violated and the promises made vnto Dauid and his posteritie were hindered by Athalia Besides this it happened that she not onelie was a stranger but an Idolatres and that incurable wherfore she was worthie to be deposed by the primates and péeres of the kingdome And whereas in the second place it was said that not onelie euill must be taken héede of but also the shewe of euill
wee admit the sentence of the Apostle to bée true adding neuerthelesse that the same is not generall in that it belongeth to things indifferent Albeit in those things which are of necessitie to be kept it cannot take place But and if those things which GOD hath commaunded maie sometimes in mans iudgement séeme to be euill it is not in our power to eschue that shewe of euill but we ought in any wise to doe that which is commaunded by God It was a shewe of euill for a man to be willing to kill his owne sonne to carie away goods foorth of Egypt by fraude to disobey Antiochus that commaunded to eate swines flesh and not to doe that which the Romane Caesars commaunded whereupon the Christians were euerie where accused of sedition but those things that we haue mentioned were so necessary to saluation as the shewe of euill was nothing there to bée passed of So likewise séeing that vnto the high priest by his office belonged the reformation of things fallen in decay there was no cause why he should staÌ„d in feare of this shew of euil He was not occupied in an indiffereÌ„t but in a necessarie matter Whereas it was afterward alleaged that hée might séeme to haue doone these things for his owne commoditie that vnder pretence of protectorship of the child he him selfe would beare rule vntill Ioas had come to full age is but vaine since that he ruled in déede the childs age as a good tutor but the kingdome was gouerned by the Counsell and iudgement of the Senate not by the iudgement of one high Priest And straightway the matter was discouered For he claimed not the kingdome for himselfe or for his owne house but for him to whom in right it belonged So then the Assamonites sinned verie much not in déede in that respect that they fought with strange nations for setting their religion and Countrie at libertie but because they did rather claime the kingdome to themselues than to the tribe of Iuda and familie of Dauid whereunto of right it belonged Wherefore the rest of the nobilitie being negligent the care of restoring the kingdome turned to the high Priest himself which if he tooke vpon him in respect of his office he is to be praised not reprooued 16 Besides there was obiected as touching the place because he séemed to open the Temple vnto slaughters and effusion of mans bloud which was not conuenient for the holinesse thereof the same being appointed for sacrifices Hereunto we answere that Athalia had the Tyrannicall gouernment in her handes they could not easilie goe to the vsuall place of assembly in Mispah where the people were woont to méete together at other times in the more daungerous cases as is manifest out of the Booke of Iudges and first Booke of Samuel Wherefore a place fit and frée from suspitions was chosen But and if that Iehoiada would haue dealt by open force ciuill warre might easilie haue bin stirred vp and the Citizens haue bent themselues one against another for Athalia also had her fauourers neither was she vtterly voide of Souldiers To this ende therefore that the king which laie hid in the Temple might the easilier bee brought foorth from thence and also be annointed by the Priests and be defended from violent assaultes by any munition of some close building there could not bee perceiued a more conuenient place than the Temple But as concerning slaughters and effusion of humaine bloud these things made not so great a matter as is woont to bee made of superstitious men God ordained in the lawe as it is in Deuteronomie that whosoeuer vnwittingly or vnwillingly had killed any man he might repaire to Cities of refuge But if a man had aduisedly and of set purpose committed murther him saieth God plucke thou away euen from mine Altar 1. kings 2. 3. 4. And when Ioab would not depart from thence Salomon commaunded that he should be slaine there neither did he feare to violate the Tabernacle of God 1. kings 1. 51. But thou wilt say he spared Adonias when for the same cause he fled thither I graunt but yet he did it not because he thought that if he were slaine there the Tabernacle should therefore be polluted but he did it either for that he had not vtterly cast awaie all hope of his amendment or else because he was not guiltie as Ioab was of two murthers and and those most vniust Therefore at such time as the Temple might be spared they did the same gladly but when the wicked could not elsewhere be suppressed they feared not to slaie them euen in the Temple when as the slaying of them shoulde be a certaine kinde of sacrifice not vngratefull to God In 2. kings 11. p. 280. Whether it be lawful for Ecclesiastical men to deale in martial affaires 17 Lastly it remaineth to sée whether it beséemed the high Priest Leuites to take armes vpon them yea and whether it bée méete for Ecclesiasticall men in generall to deale in martiall affaires after the example of Ioiada and his fellowes That this may be the better declared I thinke it best to shew the difference betwéene the state or condition of the olde testament and the newe As touching them in olde time I haue no doubt but that it was lawfull for them For the Leuiticall tribe was not altogether exempted from Ciuill gouernment nay rather to them were committed the iudgements not onelie of Ecclesiastical but also of Ciuill affaires Furthermore the administration of sacrifices and sacraments was not so greatlie frequented because the sacrifices were made onelie in one place that is in Salomons temple And whereas they were 24. as wel of the Leuites as priests they scarsely once or twise in the yeare or litle more ministred these holie things so as they had leasure both to exercise iudgements and ciuill affaires And this also may be declared by manie examples When the Israelites iournied through the wildernesse the Leuites also had their tents and went forward armed with others of their brethren Besides this Moses brought foorth the Leuites from one gate of the Campe vnto an other Exo. 32. 27. who with their naked swords slue the Idolaters which they met sparing neither brethren nor kinsmen nor aliance vnto whom at the length Moses said Ye haue consecrated your hands Banaias also the sonne of Ioâ—adâ— 3. kings 2. 35. 1. Sam. Cap. 1. c. notwithstanding he was a priest was made ruler ouer the host of Salomon Eâ—i was the high Priest who neuerthelesse had the principalitie ouer the people and iudged Israell manie yéeres Which thing also Samuel did being a Leuite who was present in the warres and slue Agag the King of Amalecke 1. kings 15. â—… The Assamonites likewise which were of the stocke of the Priesthood fought against the Macedonians were present at many battailes But why in times past both the principalitie and Priesthood were ioyned together Why in old
vsed it is onelie knowen by the motion of the spirit which sometime mooueth to one kinde of confession and sometime to an other according to that which both the places times conditions of persons strēgth requires Moreouer it must be vnderstoode that Paul in this place speaketh particularlie of the minister of the Church For first hee saide 2. Tim. 1. 6. Stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee by laying on of hands Wherunto he straight waie ioyneth those wordes which are nowe obiected For God hath not giuen vnto vs the spirite of feare c. By these wordes doubtlesse he woulde teach nothing else but that offices of ministers which be weightie ful of labors dangers striking a great terror into carnal affections should be valiantlie vndertaken For the spirite that God hath giuen vnto them which are nowe promoted to the ministerie is properlie the spirite of fortitude of loue and of temperance For erudition good manners and other good qualities are required in a man before he be chosen into the ministerie séeing he that is destitute of such kinde of qualities is not woorthie to be chosen But that spirite by whose guide euerie function is doone with a couragious minde with much loue and with singular modesty to the edifying of the Church the Christian people desire of God and doe then obtaine it when the minister is alreadie chosen and inuested into the ministerie by imposition of hands How farre foorth flying may be lawfull vnto Pastors Ioh. 10. 12. Therefore if we speake as Paul did particularly of this kind of men the aunswere maie be easilie made For I maie saie as Christ also saide that they bée heirlinges not pastors which forsake their flocke vnlesse they haue manie Pastors let onelie one of them hazarde himselfe sith in this case when the Church maie be without him it shall be lawfull for him to flie awaie For so I thinke Paul fled awaie out of the citie of Damascus Acts. 9. 30. not leauing that Church without Pastors But yet this must be considered that he perhappes be not such a notable man in the Church as the defence of the trueth and safetie of the Church séeme to depende chéefelie of him and that it is verie likely that after his departure al things wil be full of trouble For if thinges be in that state he must tarie still and must as becommeth a good Pastor laie downe his life for his shéepe Besides further Augustine teacheth in his 180. Epistle vnto Honoratus that if the Church be furnished with manie ministers it standeth with the profite thereof that when persequutions bee at hande a part of them shoulde hide themselues least they shoulde altogether in one moment be taken awaie For if a first sort shall be taken away they which lie hidden maie succéede in the place of others And for this verie cause haue I thought that Abdias the Prophete in the time of Achab and Iezabell 1. kings 18 13. hid manie Prophetes in dennes that if those first had béene slaine there shoulde yet haue remained other Prophetes by whose helpe the people in due time might haue béene reléeued This place therefore of Paul wee haue expounded two manner of waies First that flying awaie as it was described by vs is a worke of fortitude secondlie that the author speaketh particularlie of the Pastors and Ministers It is obiected moreouer that they which flie awaie they flie for the feare of death which thing is repugnant to the scriptures For wee are commaunded not to bee anie thing afraide of them which kill the bodie Vnto whome I aunswere as before it was expounded Mat. 10. 28 that the feare of death kéeping it selfe within iust bondes is not of it selfe faultie especiallie if he that feareth doe not onelie feare death but haue most respect vnto this that is to wit least when he is not yet come into the handes of the Magistrate nor is stirred vp by the spirite to tarie and to indure tormentes or death it selfe hauing in the meane time an occasion offered of departing he shoulde denie the trueth and should fal away from the faith once receiued which otherwise might happen vnto him He which after this manner feareth death and directeth this feare of his to the glorie of God as the diuine law in all thinges commaundeth such a one doeth not violate the law of God nor yet doth sinne If a man saie our aduersaries bee weake in faith hee must not streight waie séeke for remedie by flying awaie but must runne vnto prayers euen as Christ taught and must praie that hee yeeld not vnto temptations Touching this we haue a commaundement which if wee will follow we shall be heard but as concerning flying away we are not instructed by anie place of the Scriptures They which obiect these thinges doe euermore suppose a repealing of that commaundement which is extant in Matthew but we shewe Mat. 10. 13. that they doe erre neither doe themselues prooue that which they say by anie effectual reason But if it be lawfull without reason to alleadge what a man will I also maie say that the precept of not fearing them which kill the bodie is abrogated because it was deliuered to the Apostles in their first Embacie and written in the selfe same 10. Chap. of Matthew Wherefore both the precepts remaine firme but we must take héede that they bée not wronglie vnderstoode So then hee that flyeth awaie according to the rules prescribed is fauoured not onelie of the Scriptures but also of manie of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the Martyrs yea and of Christ our Sauiour who though he fled not away through feare of sinning yet neuerthelesse he fled that by his example hee might teach what is lawefull for vs so long as our houre is not yet come which must then be vnderstoode to be come when the spirite doeth inwardlie stirre vs vp and prouoke vs to tarie or that necessitie otherwise requireth that is to wit if we be alreadie in the power of the magistrate if we be tyed by anie vocation that we maie not depart euen as a little before it was saide of Pastors As concerning prayers those we doe not reiect but we verie much allowe and therefore wee warned before that they which intended to scape through flying awaie must commende themselues by most earnest prayers vnto God that they in no wise maie erre But if powring out their praiers the spirite doe still sollicite them to flie and doeth not minister more strength and boldnesse they ought to vse that remedie which the goodnes of God doeth offer except they will tempt God And so in the holie scriptures we reade that Dauid him selfe fledde from the face of his sonne Absalon The flight of Dauid 2. Sa. 15. 16. in which flight hée sung that excellent Psame which by order is the thirde in the booke of Psalmes Wherefore hee fled and gaue place to the furie of
brought his flesh out of heauen yet doe they not stray farre from a true mediatour Héere doe we say that vnlesse a man doe diligentlie examine similitudes he shall easilie be deceiued by them True in déede it is that the errours of men doe not change thinges for the nature of God is not peruerted by the false opinions of men as being that which alwaies abideth the selfe same firme and vnshaken A distinctiō of mens actions But yet the actions of men must be distinguished Some are so conuersant about their subiectes as they imprint nothing at all in them they change or innouate nothing such is the action of knowing or beléeuing For thinges which be knowen and beléeued suffer nothing at all of them that beléeue and knowe But there be other workes which doe deforme and alter sometime to the better and sometime to the worse the matter about which they are conuersant So the true Christ by the Iewes although they were deceiued was scourged woonded and slaine But in the first kinde of actions if there happen to be an errour the thinges themselues are not comprehended but certaine other thinges farre differing from thē This will I declare by examples Similitudes If anie man that exerciseth his wit in mathematical figures would iudge that a triangle hath foure corners he should not comprehende in his minde a very triangle but a quadrangle vndoubtedly he should erre and by that error it would come to passe that he should not attaine to the thing which he had thought to doe but vnskilfully be occupied about other thinges So in naturall thinges they which affirme that mans soule is a vanishing blast of winde or a flame that shall be soone quenched should not comprehende in their minde the true soule of man but either a vanishing blast or a litle fire to perish within a while so as they that erre are commonlie saide to take one for an other Therefore the Anabaptists while they dreame that Christ tooke not flesh of the virgin since they erre so gréeuouslie in that same now do they not beléeue in the true mediatour neither doe they attaine vnto him by faith but are caried to one whome they themselues haue forged not that their error hath changed the true Christ but because they are not occupied with their faith about him And he whō they haue feigned did neither die nor suffer nor yet is anie where extant Indéed they take the actions properties of verie Christ and fasten them to their Christ whom they imagine but all in vaine for since this is doone by their onelie imagination 1. kings 12. 28. all this is a monster but not true Christ Ieroboam also and his complices saide that they in that figure and visible signe worshipped not calues but god But the scripture in Paralipomenon testifieth that their imagination was made frustrate because they did these seruices not to Iehoua 2. Chron. 11. 15. but vnto diuels Neither ought anie to stirre vp hatred against vs for Luthers cause As touching him we decree nothing séeing God at the last or while he was dying might lighten him as I am perswaded was doone vnto Cyprian when he shedde his bloulde for Christ his sake Of aboundant greatnesse is the mercie of God God doth not forsake thē that be his those which he séemeth to haue forsaken he helpeth being at the point of death Howbeit we doe here speake of them which be obstinate and doe not repent And vndoubtedlie the selfe same question might bee mooued as touching Tertullian and Origen and such like fathers which erred from the trueth in verie weightie matters when as in diuerse other thinges they wrote verie agréeably to the right faith Howbeit we iudge not here of men which perhaps by the benefit of God repented them before their death but of them onelie which of an obstinate minde continue in their error vntill the last end Moreouer we affirme that the weight and hurt of this error is so great as it damneth euerlastinglie those which abide and indure therin vntil the end Further this belongeth little or nothing to our matter For that which is brought as touching Luther belongeth vnto the fact but we reason of the lawe Now we haue no other right than that which the holie Ghost hath appointed in the scriptures of God where Iohn saith 1. Iohn 4. 3. that they which confesse not Christ to haue come in the flesh are Antichristes But Hadrian which earnestlie trauelleth in the Anabatistes behalfe aunswereth that they with open mouth confesse that Christ came in the fleshe although they denie that the same was taken of the virgin Howbeit it behooueth to vnderstande the oracle of Iohn according to his owne meaning and sense But he when he maketh mention of fleshe vnderstandeth no other than that which the diuine promises haue expressed Namelie which shoulde be the séede of Eue the séede of Abraham the séede of Dauid and the infant of Marie The holie Ghost is not contrarie to him selfe Wherefore that which he spake by Iohn is al one thing with that which the diuine promises haue shewed in other Canonicall bookes Wee knowe as thou doest O Hadrian that Christ to haue come in the flesh to haue taken the same of the virgin are two thinges and are in such sort two as the one maie be beléeued without the other as at this daie we sée it come to passe in the Anabaptistes Howbeit we ought not to haue respect what they do but what God requireth of Christian men He assuredlie wil haue those two to be ioyned together in one article whereby the benefit exhibited by the promises which were made before as touching him shoulde not be seuerall Who moreouer wil not maruell that the Anabaptistes are reckened among them which Christ the true foundation beeing preserued build vppon him hay 1. Cor. 3. 11 strawe and stubble which thinges although they shal be burned yet they that haue builded shall be saued because of the foundations In what respect Christ is the foundation of the Church Gen. 4. 15. Gen. 17. 7. Psal 132. 11 Assuredlie Christ is not the foundation of saluation except so farre foorth as it is laid by God for he as the scriptures most plainely testifie gaue and promised him as touching the humane nature to bee the séede of Eue the séede of Abraham the séede of Dauid and the sonne of man that is of Marie Why do we not rather by hay stubble and straw vnderstande to bee noted infinite genealogies vaine bablings vnwritten verities vnseasonable visions allegories and diuers traditions of men which maie or maie not bee beléeued All these thinges although they bée not plaine repugnaunt against Christ yet because they builde not they shall be burned with the fire of the diuine iudgement although that the authors because of the sound foundation from which they departed not shall not perish euerlastinglie But to beléeue that the fleshe of the