euils thus lost yee your commodities on this wise haue ye your selues cast awaie the honour and noblenesse of your order And yee haue caused manie to fall in the way c. Yee that should haue drawen men vnto God ye haue both by peruerse doctrine by example of most vnpure life and also by superstitious rites called them from the right course when otherwise they were in a good forwardnesse Yee haue made voide the couenantes of Leuie saith the Lord of hoasts c. The conditions and couenauntes shoulde haue béene inuiolate on both sides Let vs consider whether of vs kept or brake the promises I as I promised vnto your Fathers gaue you peace and life for they liued a long time in great glorie and happie state Yea verilie that same Phinees with whome I made my couenant liued a verie long time For as it is in the booke of Iudges Iud. 20. hee was yet on liue when all the Tribes made war against Beniamin And if we shall giue credite to Iosephus that people had from Aaron to the building of the Temple of Salomon onely 13. highpriests and all of one and the selfe same stocke namelie of Aaron and in the meane space were welnéere fiue hundreth yeares And no man can iustlie obiect but that they were accounted as the messengers of God Wherefore let vs confesse God to be faithfull whose wordes abide euerlastinglie in most assured equitie and trueth So nowe is the synceritie of Gods promise sufficiently prooued and made manifest But on the other side saith he you haue broken the couenant to whome onelie this sufficed and this yee accounted for your chiefe and singular benefite that your superstitious ceremonies tithes and reuenues might remaine vntouched but as for trueth knowledge equitie and compassion of heart you had none So farre were you off from bringing home and raising vp them that were fallen that ye haue béene a hinderaunce euen to them that goe and stande vpright Yée shewed not your selfe my Angels that is my messengers Naie rather ye haue pleaded for the aduersarie power for the world for darkenesse and for the Pope himselfe and sooner for anie power than for mine And euen I also haue caused you to bee had in contempt Nowe is the cause plaine why the ministers of God be cast downe why they are vile contemptible and in a manner despised of all men and maie séeme of all men to be made a mocking stocke Because yee haue not kept my waies c. Your calamitie is not ascribed to the fault of your order as though such were the condition and nature thereof For all thinges which be created haue these properties which the worde of God hath giuen vnto them Wherefore séeing wee perceaue them to be most surelie kept in other things can the holie ministerie which among the ordinances of God is so excellent be iustlie accused of falling awaie either through fault of God or it selfe from the auncient most excellent properties thereof It is said here to haue happened farre otherwise For because yee haue not kept my wayes but haue beene partiall in the lawe c. I beséech you déere brethren what is to bée parciall in the lawe in the administration of the worde of God but to haue in the holie ministerie a chiefe consideration of him selfe To prouide especiallie that no harme come to his owne commodities honours and substance that he hath gotten To take héede that he offende not the rich mightie noble nor principall men To prouide with singular care that they maie still retaine the partes and superstitious opinions which they haue once taken vppon them to defende Let rather the trueth say they preuaile let the scripture bee subiect to the traditions and inuentions of men Let the worde of God serue the priestlie maiestie or rather Tyrannie And as for Religion let not the heauenlie oracles of the diuine Scriptures but rather our wils order the same Verilie this saide the Prophete or rather God in him And yee haue beene parciall in the lawe Which thing the Apostles did not and the most godlie Prelates of the Church which liued in the best times thereof And in verie déede in the time of Moses and Aaron the Leuites were armed from gate to gate of the tentes sparing neither mother nor brethren nor children and for this cause are saide to haue consecrated their handes therein Therefore I heartilie pray beséech you my brethren for Iesus Christ his sake that so manie of you as either haue alreadie taken vppon you the holie ministerie or doe looke to come thereunto ye will regarde the same not as an vnprofitable and vile thing Consider diligentlie what bee the honours commodities and couenauntes thereof stand ye to the promised conditions and doubt ye nothing of the faith of Almightie God and of our sauiour Iesus Christ For he is true stedfast and most assured in perfourming those thinges which hee hath promised Heauen and earth saith the Lord shall perish but my wordes shall not perishe And these thinges as touching the holie ministerie are spoken to you that be the Elders Nowe I thinke it good to saie somewhat vnto the younger sort and to the children An Exhortation for young men to studie the holie scriptures I Reioyce gentle Auditorie at this your diligence in comming together to heare the interpretation of the holie Scriptures And this I doe not without a cause For since that this will procéedeth not from the fleshe from the sense or from nature it is vndoubtedlie giuen from aboue it is giuen you from heauen and from Gods holie spirite inspired into your heart For séeing the lawe is spiritual Rom. 7. 12 and the commaundement holie iust and good as Paul declareth and wee on the other side euil corrupt and altogether wicked it cannot bee but that we hate the sayings of God the lawe and the Scriptures Therefore so manie as shall not be stirred vp by the spirit of Christ doe both flée vnto them and doe also hate them most gréeuouslie not for anie fault in the scriptures but for their owne corruption That same people of Israel that was but a small nation and nowe hardened in perpetuall infidelitie did not onelie hate holie Moses Numb 11. 14. 16. c. but diuerse times indeuored to stone him to death which was the greatest punishment wherewith the people punished malefactors It cannot be declared howe gréeuous troublesome and hatefull that man of God was to the whole multitude whenas in verie déede he was most quiet amiable and courteous whom God pronounced to bee most méeke and gentle A true testimonie whereof he thereby showed in that he most earnestlie praied vnto God for them Ibidem whom he saw to bee inflamed with infinite enuie and vnspeakeable hatred against him and desired that himselfe might rather be wiped out of the booke of life than that they shoulde suffer extreme punishment as they deserued Wherefore it is plaine that
greatnes of works For otherwise it is a greater worke to gouerne this vniuersall composition of the world than to restore vnto a blind man the sight which he wanteth 4 These things being declared it resteth that we diuide miracles into their parts by fit distributions An other distinction of miracles Some of them are woonderfull euen for the thing it selfe that is doone for that they appeare to be so great strange things as the like cannot be found in the nature of things Such was the staieng of the sunne in the time of Iosuah Iosu 10 13. Esaie 38 7. Esaie 7 14. Exod. 16 13 and the turning of the shadowe therof in the time of Ezechias the conception and child-birth of a Virgin the food of Manna in the wildernesse and such like But some are miracles not in respect of the nature and greatnesse of the thing which is doone but by reason of the waie and means that is vsed in the working of them as was the clouds raine of Helias 1. Kin. 18 45 Num. 17 8. 1. Sam. 12 18 Iohn 2 9. the budding of the flowers and fruit in the rod of Aaron the thunder of Samuel the conuerting of water into wine and other like For such may be doone naturallie but yet they were then miracles bicause of the maner whereby they were doone that is not by naturall causes but by the will and commandement of the righteous Againe miracles are distinguished Exod. 19 18. Esaie 38 8. Matt. 17 2. There is an other diuision of miracles bicause some of them doo onlie mooue admiration as did the lightenings and thunders vpon mount Sinai the turning of the suns shadowe in the time of Ezechias the transfiguration of the Lord vpon the mount And some besides the woonder of them doo bring a present commoditie vnto men as when by Aarons rod drinke was giuen out of the rocke Exod. 17 6. Exo. 16 13. when Manna reigned downe from heauen when the sicke were healed by the Lord and his apostles Sometimes miracles bring punishment and harme to those that offend Mar. 16 18. as when Ananias and Zaphyra died at the words of Peter Acts. 5. 5. when Elymas the coniurer was striken blind by Paule and when by him others were deliuered vnto sathan to be tormented Acts. 13 11. Herein also miracles are diuided that some of them are obtained by praiers Miracles are againe distinguished 1. Kin. 17 22 2. Kin. 4 34. Ex. 8 12 30. For so did Elias and Elizeus namelie by praier they restored their dead to life Moses by making intercession for Pharao deliuered him from frogs and diuers other plagues And other miracles are wrought by commandement and authoritie Iosua 10 13. Iosua commanded the sunne to staie his course the Lord Iesus commanded the winds Matth. 8 26. Acts. 3 6. and Peter said vnto the lame man In the name of Iesus Christ rise vp and walke And there be some other miracles doone and yet neither by praier nor by commandement but come of their owne accord the righteous themselues béeing otherwise occupied euen as when the shadowe of Peter as he walked did heale the sicke Acts. 5 15. Acts. 19 12. and when the handkerchers that came from Paule cured sicke folke 5 Lastlie Augustine in his 83. booke of questions diuideth miracles Augustine to wit that some are doone by publike iustice that is An other partition of miracles by the stable and firme will of God which is counted in the world as a publike lawe By it God would that his ministers that is prophets and apostles in preaching shuld worke miracles But other miracles be doone by the signes of this iustice as when the wicked in the name of God and of Iesus Christ doo worke anie miracle which is not giuen but in respect of the honor and reuerence of the name of God which they vse not that God or nature or anie things created are desirous to pleasure them A similitude Euen like as when one hath priuilie conueied awaie a publike seale or writing and by meanes thereof extorteth manie things either from countrie men or from citizens which things are not giuen but to the seale which they acknowledge to be the princes or magistrats euen so he which followed not Christ yet did he in his name cast out diuels Mark 9 38. Thirdlie those are accounted miracles which are doone by a certaine priuate contract wherby sorcerers doo bind themselues to the diuell and the diuell to them but these are doone neither by publike iustice nor yet by the signes thereof but onelie of a certaine priuate compact Howbeit we must note that the miracles of the third sort are not firme nor yet doo certeinlie come to passe Acts. 19 13. For we read in the 19. of the Acts that the children of Sceua would haue cast foorth diuels in the name of Iesus whom Paule preached but the diuell said to them Iesus indeed I knowe Paule I knowe but what ye be I cannot tell which hauing spoken he set vpon them And as touching the third kind the act of Cyprian Cyprian which he did before his conuersion confirmeth my saieng For he attempted to bewitch a godlie maid to incline to vnlawfull lust which at the length the diuell told him that he could not bring to passe for him 6 But we must note that these miracles which are doone through a priuate contract are not verie miracles but doo belong vnto that kind which I mentioned before the definition For although sometimes they be verelie that They be not verie miracles which the diuell doth Iob. 1 16. and 19. Augustine which they séeme to be yet are they not miracles indéed For who doubteth but that it was verie fire which consumed the cattell of Iob and a verie storme of wind which by throwing downe his houses destroied his children Yea and Augustine affirmeth that those serpents which the sorcerers of Aegypt brought foorth were not illusions but verie serpents For the historie reporteth that when they came to the third miracle the wise men said This is the finger of God further that now their cunning failed them that they could no longer doo those things which Moses did by the power of God This doubtles is a token that they wrought not before by illusions and that the sorcerers till that time contended with Moses in verie things and not in illusions But some will saie If it be so that things wrought by the diuel the sorcerer be sometimes euen as they séeme to be wherefore is it written to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2 9. of antichrist Why the signes done by antichrist be called lies that By him verie manie should be deceiued through his false signes and woonders Herevnto we must answere that there may be a lie in saieng that a thing doone is a miracle whereas it is not and not in the
mens goods in stead of his owne What then Shall the heire neuer séeke the iust possession thereof If the right owner neuer make claime to his own ought the ignorant to defraud the heire for euer that he should neuer possesse it againe as his owne Doubtles if the owner doo neuer demand againe that thing it must be ascribed to his owne slouth sluggishnes and negligence Wherefore in detestation of such slouthfulnes in the fauour of good dealing and lastlie for publike quietnes sake the lawe of prescription hath béen deuised This lawe did Iephtha vse against the Ammonites Iudg. 11 12. We haue possessed this land saith he three hundred yeeres wherefore doost thou then disquiet and trouble vs Vnles there should be some certeine time prescribed within which space and not beyond things may be claimed againe the titles of all things would be vncerteine which is excéedinglie repugnant to the affaires of men wherefore this inconuenience is preuented by the right of prescription A definition of prescription And it is defined in the digests De vsu capionibus lawe the third that it is a claime of dominion through the continuance of possession during the time appointed by the lawe The definition is plaine and manifest But at this daie they make a difference betwéene prescription and that which they call Vsucapio when as neuertheles in the digests among the old lawiers there was put no difference These so far as I remember began first to be separated in the time of Antoninus Pius The difference betweene prescription Vsucapio so as Vsucapio takes place in things mooueable and prescription in things immooueable But thus much by the waie But in the historie of the Iudges it is to be noted that Iephtha did wiselie place his arguments for he vsed not prescription in the first place but before all things he obiected the lawe of armes afterward the gift of the true God and the cause being thus confirmed at the last he vsed the right of prescription bicause a continued possession dooth not by it selfe and alone prescribe but it hath néed of a good title What is required vnto the lawe of prescriptiō and of a good conscience A good title is that the thing be orderlie and lawfullie come by For he that hath gotten anie thing by theft or robberie although he haue long enioied the same yet he may not claime it by prescription but if the title be good the dealing plaine and a continuance of time had withall the prescription is firme and good If we haue gotten anie thing either by bargaine or by frée gift or by inheritance or by other like meanes the title is good But besides there must be good dealing whereby we may testifie in our consciences that no mans right is iniured and that we knowe there is nothing that by iust meanes should let vs. Wherefore Iephtha had a good title to wit the law of armes and the gift of God He possessed it also by good dealing for he was not guiltie either of fraud or of robberie and therefore he verie well vsed the lawe of prescription But the time of prescription in things mooueable is by our ciuill lawes The time required for prescription the space of thrée yeares but in things vnmooueable ten or twentie yeares if ignorance be not the cause thereof For if the owner shall know the thing to be his which another man possesseth and yet so long holdeth his peace he can not afterward demand it againe and the lawe séemeth iustlie to punish such negligence But if the owner shall not knowe of his interest the time is deferred namelie to thirtie or fortie yeares and this is done when there is no ignorance in the case and that one possesseth for himselfe and not for another otherwise it is no prescription Howbeit this we must consider by the waie that the ecclesiasticall rules touching prescription doo differ from the ciuill lawes For they as we haue said appoint thirtie yeares although the possessor haue not dealt well for they decrée that fraud shall be no let vnto prescription But as wée reade in the sixt De regulis iuris in the chapter Possessor A possessor which holdeth by ill dealing prescribeth not by length of time For wée must haue respect to the word of God and consider with what conscience a man possesseth anie thing 8 Now I thinke it fit to speake somwhat of custome yet bréeflie bicause the same hath some affinitie with prescription And bicause our aduersaries make much adoo about that and would vtterlie oppresse vs with customs the same ought to be agréeable vnto reason and be lawfullie prescribed as we haue it in the Extrauagants De consuet the last chapter The ciuill lawes assigne vnto custome the space of ten or twentie yeares and the canons thirtie or fortie yeares but most firme is that custome The most firme custome for prescription No custome can prescribe against the law of God whose beginning is time out of mind And it ought to be taken for a sure rule that whatsoeuer is repugnant to the word of God doth by no meanes prescribe And therefore whereas the Papists doo pleade that the Communion hath bin giuen to the laitie vnder one kind by the space of four hundred or fiue hundred yeares séeing that is manifestlie against the word of God they cannot prooue that it is prescribed by custome for such a thing is not as I may saie prescriptible For the verie which cause they cannot alledge a custome prescribed as touching the sole life of ministers For euen at the first it was enforced by violence and it is against the word of God Hostiensis And yet Hostiensis saith that The power of custome is so great as it constreineth priests to sole life In the distinct 23. in the chapter Placuit Howbeit as the ciuill lawes decrée A naughtie custome that contendeth with 〈◊〉 or common right Matth. 15 3. That custome which contendeth either with nature or publike right is a naughtie custome But that which I haue affirmed hath foundation in the word of God For when Christ said to the Pharisies Yee hypocrites why doo ye breake the commandements of God for your traditions sake for God saith Honor thy father and thy mother but yee saie Whoso shall saie to his father or mother By the gift that is offered by me c. They might haue prescribed vnto him custome but that was not lawfull in a thing quite contrarie to the word of God 9 There was a custome in the region of Taurus to kill such as were strangers and ghests Among the Persians the custome was neuer to deliberate vpon graue and weightie matters in counsell but in feasts and dronkennes The Sauromates had a custome among their cups that while they were drinking they sold their daughters These prescribe not séeing it appeareth manifestlie that they are naught and vicious but that custome prescribeth which is neither against the
I am led by the Hebrue phrase wherein one signifieth the first as in the booke of Genesis And the euening morning were one daie that is The first daie Also in another place when it is written Looke In the booke De votis pag. 76. set foorth at Basil In one of the moneth it is ment The first daie of the moneth And when it is written One moneth it must be vnderstood The first moneth Also we read in the Gospell of Marke the 16. chapter verse 2. And earlie in the morning in one of the sabboths they came vnto the sepulchre the sun being now risen where manifestlie by one of the sabboths is vnderstood the Lords daie Matt. the 28 In the euening of the sabboth when the first daie of the weeke began to dawne verse 1. So it is also written in the 24. chapter of Luke verse 1. verse 1. and in the 20. of Iohn And to inflame our minds to giue almes vnto the poore Paule did verie fitlie choose the daie of the holie congregation Why Paule chooseth for almes the daie of the holie congregation bicause of the word of God publike praiers and godlie lessons which be vsed vpon that daie through all which things we be put in remembrance of the benefits which God for his mercie sake hath bestowed vpon vs. Also we receiue the sacraments wherby is renewed the memorie of that most excellent benefit I meane the death of our Lord Iesus Christ And what christian mind is not persuaded to benefite his neighbour by the godlie remembrance of so great a good turne Who is it that will not when he reuolueth in himselfe with a godlie mind that the sonne of God gaue himselfe vnto death euen to the death of the crosse for his sake that will not I saie alonelie impart some of that earthlie riches which is bestowed vpon him but rather giue himselfe for his brethren We confesse also the communion of saints which will be either verie slender or none at all vnlesse it be confirmed by liberalitie towards the poore But there is no token of godlinesse or communion of Christians more excellent than is charitie Neither are we for this cause to be accused as obseruers of daies and of times Gal. 4 10. as were the Galathians as though we attribute more holinesse to one daie than to an other We onelie for order sake and a certeine ciuill custome of the church doo méet togither vpon that daie rather than vpon an other But in the epistle to the Galathians either they are reprehended by Paule which renewed the Iewish feast daies or else the Ethniks which superstitiouslie obserued the daies of the Aegyptians or of those that professed the Mathematicall sciences In 1. Sam. 1. verse 3. 5 Moreouer there may be manie causes reckoned whie GOD would haue the people yéerelie besides the sabboth daie to ascend to the place which he had chosen for religion sake Exo. 23 15. First he appointed the same bicause the remembrance of his benefits should not be forgotten but should be reuiued by yéerelie peregrinations For in the feast of Passeouer was celebrated the memorie of their deliuerance out of Aegypt and in the Pentecost the remembrance of the lawe giuen by Moses Further in both the solemnities there was thanks giuen for the new fruits receiued Three principall feast daies of the Iewes For in the feast of Easter they offered the first fruits of barlie and at Pentecost they offered bread made of new wheat Lastlie in the feast of Tabernacles was remembred the benefit whereby God sustained the fathers by the space of fortie yéeres in the wildernesse and thanks were giuen bicause they had now gathered in all the sorts of fruits And rightlie were these thrée principall parts of the gifts of God called to remembrance in these thrée peregrinations for they be speciall good things wherein consisteth the societie of man For the first felicitie of anie nation is that there be a common-weale and that it be frée and this the Iewes obteined when they were deliuered out of the hard bondage of Aegypt The second felicitie is to haue lawes and religion proper to themselues for no common-weale consisteth without lawes and religion The third is that there be no want of things necessarie for life Wherefore the remembrance of these benefits was yéerelie renewed by the commandement of God Further an other cause of this ascending to the feasts at Ierusalem was that the mutuall concord of the people in diuine seruice and religion might be preserued For when the Iewes were once gathered togither and did their sacrifices all after one and the selfe-same order it was most prudentlie prouided that sundrie religions should not arise The first cause was that the priests and Leuits might openlie teach them concerning the lawe and holie seruice whereby the people returned home much better instructed than when they came thither There is also a sixt cause alledged that in such an assemblie and mutuall beholding of one another charitie might the more growe and increase among the tribes For they sawe and talked one with another they kept their feasts togither and that which was most of all they ioined in publike and solemne praiers togither Furthermore by these peregrinations there insued a necessarie sustentation of the holie ministerie For the oblations and sacrifices were multiplied the greatest part whereof came to the priests and Leuits Besides this the minds of them that praied was confirmed that God would heare their praiers for he promised that in that place he would fulfill the praiers of the people Which cause vndoubtedlie should mooue vs to celebrate holie congregations for notwithstanding that we may praie at home yet séeing he promised that he will allow of our praiers Matt. 18 19 where two or thrée shall be gathered togither in his name therefore the appointed celebrations of the méeting togither in the church must not be neglected Moreouer God would that by such godlie peregrinations they shuld testifie their obedience especiallie in that they did not choose the place wherevnto they had accesse but it was appointed by the will of God And it must not be omitted that that place did represent Messias vnto the fathers without whom no works of men though they be trim and goodlie in shew can please God Lastlie that worke was a notable exercise of faith for so often as they were to go vp vnto the place which was assigned for diuine seruice the Hebrues were compelled to leaue all vacant and without gard at home For the enimies were at libertie in the meane time to breake foorth to waste and destroie althings Howbeit they obeied the word of God and little regarded whatsoeuer should happen committing all that euer they had to the safegard of God And so great a confidence had they towards God as they doubted not but he would defend their borders although they were desolate Thrée times euerie yéere it behooued
euerie one of mankind to shew himselfe before the Lord and that at those certeine and determinate feasts which I haue before mentioned But the women forsomuch as either they were great with child or else might easilie be hindered vpon other iust causes were not bound so to doo Howbeit when they had no other impediment they came of their owne accord In Gen. 40. at the end 6 But to celebrate solemnelie the daie of a mans birth it hath béene a custome of all nations and in my iudgment it is not doon amisse so that there be vsed a godlie modestie Surelie it is a notable gift that we may be reckoned among the number of Gods creatures And who doubteth but that it is well doone to giue thanks vnto God for it and in thanks-giuing to testifie the ioifulnesse of mind by an outward token of some modest banket The vse of honest pleasures is such as they haue alwaies godlinesse ioined with them But in the meane time let vs remember that which we sée happened in the banket of Herod when he celebrated his birth daie For he vsed things which were not decent namelie the dansings of yoong women and rash swearings whereof followed that cruell example Matth. 14 6. so as he strooke off the head of Iohn This is not to giue God thanks for his great benefit but to serue the bellie and gréedie desires Further it must not be allowed in christians that they should kéepe in solemne remembrance the originall of their flesh and yet be forgetfull of their regeneration in Christ This benefit ought chéeflie to sticke in our minds that we be planted and ingraffed into Christ The eight Chapter The fift precept of the honouring of Superiours In Râ—m 12 HOnor is here taken not onelie for a certeine outward reuerence wherewith we reuerence the estate of our neighbour but also for the outward helpe sustentation and aid wherewith we reléeue them which haue néed But it hath also other significations So therefore parents must be honoured for which act rewards are not onlie promised but are also giuen Contrariewise we knowe that Cham suffered punishment Gen. 9 27. who had his father in derision Wherefore in them must honour be doone vnto the image of God For this cause Salomon In 1. King 2 verse 22 so soone as he heard that his mother was present he rose vp and went to méet hir and receiued hir reuerentlie hauing regard to the commandement of God Honour thy father and thy mother But some man will saie Was it séemelie for him being a king to reuerence hir Aulus Gellius Aulus Gellius in his second booke intituled Noctium Atticarum the second chapter disputing of this matter saith that Once the president of Creta came with his father to Athens and went to Taurus the philosopher that there was brought a seate Which being prepared Whether a sonne being placed as magistrate ought to giue place to his father being a priuate man the philosopher bad the father of the president to sit downe who answered Let rather this man sit pointing to his sonne for saith he he is a magistrate of the people of Rome But Taurus said Sit thou downe in the meane time till we shall discusse among our selues whether it becommeth rather thée or him to sit séeing thou art his father and he a magistrate of the Romane Common-weale Wherefore the father sat downe and the sonne also sat hauing another stoole brought for him Then after much talke the opinion of Taurus was that in publike places and offices the iurisdiction of parents being compared with their children placed in authoritie ceaseth for a while and for a time giueth place but that out of publike actions and publike places publike honors cease betwéene them and that the sonne must giue place vnto his parent Further the same author addeth an example of Quintus Fabius Maximus who being made Consull and his father comming on horsebacke to méet him commanded him by an officer to light downe which thing he not onelie tooke not in ill part but he reioised in his sonne which knew how to exercise with authoritie and manfullie the office committed vnto him by the people of Rome Wherefore if Salomon dooing the part of a priuate man honored his mother he committed nothing but that which was méet for him giuing a due honour vnto his mother He sate downe in his throne and commanded that his mother should sit downe in a most honourable place by him But as touching those things which were declared by hir he referred them not to hir iudgement but he himselfe gaue sentence not expecting the consent of his mother So as when children that be in office of authoritie are compared togither with their parents the comparison is of two kinds of paternitie For in verie déed the sonne as he is a prince is made the father euen of his owne father when notwithstanding as touching nature he is a sonne Wherefore he ought to iudge of those things which be either spoken or propounded by his faither 1 King 1 6. 2 Furthermore let not parents be ouer milde towards their children Indéed children are the bowels of their parents wherefore they cannot be corrected of them without great sorrowe to themselues which neuerthelesse must be lightlie passed ouer in respect of the honour of God and the safetie of their children But this did not Helie In .1 Sam. 2 22. Helie was too mild towards his children who ouer fauourablie rebuked his children for he should haue set euerie one of their faults effectuallie before their eies sith it is a lighter matter vnto them and of small force to their hearing when their faults be reckoned vp generallie than when euerie particular crime is with authoritie obiected against them And when they are sharpelie reckoned vp one by one they mooue them after a more vehement sort Moreouer he did not reprooue them by auouching anie thing but onelie vnder condition So saith he the talke goeth So it is reported vnto me as if he had said If the things be true which I heare ye doo gréeuouslie offend But he should haue said This is your wickednesse These be your faults Thus hainouslie doo ye offend Vndoubtedlie they which coldlie and mildlie doo admonish séeke nothing but to auoid ill will That Helie vsed not seueritie and correction enough héereby it appéereth in that he was for the same cause reprooued afterward both by the man of God 1. Sam. 2 27 and .3 13. and by Samuel Which would not haue happened if he in reproouing his children had vsed the authoritie of the high priest and not the tendernesse of a father The man was old and at that time men are woont to be more inclined vnto mercie Iosephus said that he from that time forward did wéepe in a maner alwaies for that he expected a most certeine punishment to be doone vpon his children by God Chrysost Chrysostome against the
to the people of the dansing of the daughter of Herodias And among other things he saith At this daie the Christians deliuer to destruction not halfe their kingdome not an other mans head but euen their owne soules And he addeth that Where wanton dansing is there the diuell danseth togither with them In the councell of Laodicea it is written The Councell of Laodicea It is not méet for Christian men to danse at their marriage Let them dine and sup grauelie and moderatelie giuing thanks vnto God for the benefit of marriage We read also in the same Councell Let not the Clergie come vnto shewes either vpon the stage or at weddings They may indéed be present at marriages but afterward when there come in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is singers or plaiers vpon instruments which serue for dansing let them rise and go their waies least by their presence they should séeme to allow that wantonnesse The Councell of Ilerden In the Ilerden Councell which was held vnder the Popes Symmachus and Hormisda and vnder Theodoricus the king the same is decréed namelie that Christians should not danse at marriages The Councell of Alliciodoren In the Alliciodoren Councell which was held vnder Pope Deus dedit this restraint séemeth to be made for the Clergie For there it is forbidden that anie of the Clergie should at a feast either sing or danse as though in a sort that might be lawfull for others The schoolmen Of the same opinion are certeine Schoole-diuines vpon the third booke of sentences distinct 37. who referre these prohibitions onelie vnto the holie daies Richardus De media villa saith that To danse on the holie daies is a sinne most gréeuous as though on other daies it might be permitted But the opinion of the fathers and sound councels is farre more seuere than the opinion of these men who perniciouslie leaue those things at libertie which should be restrained séeing therewith is ioined a danger vnto soules and not a danger onelie but offenses gréeuouslie to be lamented Howbeit it séemeth that these men borrowed this their doctrine wherein they forbid dansing on the holie daies out of the ciuill lawes For in the Code in the title De ferijs in the lawe Dies festos In déed we release idlenes on the feast daies but we will not haue men giue themselues vnto voluptuousnesse Wherefore it shall not be lawfull on the feast daies to vse dansings whether they be doone for lusts sake or for pleasure 56 But let vs sée what opinion the Ethniks had of this matter Aemilius Probus Aemilius Probus in the life of Epaminondas saith that To sing and danse was not verie honourable among the Romans when as the Graecians had it in estimation Salust Salust in his oration against Catiline wrote that Sempronia a certeine lasciuious and vnchast woman was taught to sing and danse more delicatelie than became an honest matrone And there he calleth those two things the instruments of lecherie Cicero Cicero in his third booke of Offices writeth that An honest and good man will not danse in the market place although by that meanes he might atteine to great possessions And in his oration which he made after his returne into the senate he in reproch calleth Aulus Gabinius his enimie Saltatorem calamistratum that is A dansing dizard It was obiected to L. Muraena for a fault bicause he had dansed in Asia And euen this also was obiected against king Deiotarus Cicero answereth for Muraena No man being sober danseth either in the wildernesse or at an honest and moderate banket vnlesse perhaps he be out of his wits The same Cicero in his Philippiks among other vices vpbraideth Anthonie with dansing But it appeareth that the nature and disposition of the men of the East and of the West parts was not all one They are chéerfull of mind and nimble of bodie and for that cause delight in dansings 2. Sam. 6 16 For to omit other examples Dauid the king dansed publikelie And they which come now vnto vs out of Syria doo affirme that the Christians which liue in those regions doo vpon the resurrection daie and also vpon other famous feast daies come into the temple with harps viols sing psalms among themselues danse togither For their spirits are verie light and ours more sad heauie Howbeit they saie they danse soberlie and modestlie the men apart by themselues and the women by themselues Of Garments and Apparell 57 We sée that the Lord did first giue vnto men decent and thriftie garments In Gen. 3 verse 21. such as haue respect vnto a vse and not vnto a delicatenesse and prodigalitie And séeing that in all men iustice comelinesse and modestie ought to be obserued we be taught héere to vse the same in our garments the end whereof is profit and honestie This must be obserued that therein we passe not our bounds either as touching the stuffe or as touching the maner and fashion That these limits are appointed for garments it appeareth in that Adam first made himselfe bréeches for he was ashamed of his nakednesse Therefore an honestie must be regarded God for this cause apparelled man for that he would cast him out of the distemperature of the weather therefore vtilitie is to be respected The Iewes had their frindges and the priests their proper kind of garments Further herein it is conuenient that there be a diligent consideration had of the custome age and sex that there be no rash alteration from the maner of the countrie And what custome must be obserued the sundrie garments which were appointed vnto priests doo declare and in that the prophets were clothed after another maner than the common people The sex also must be considered Deut. 22 5. for a woman must not weare the apparell of a man nor the man of a woman Touching age the youth must go after one sort and the elder people after another The vse of the countrie must be regarded for the Iewes ware frindges on their garments Matt. 23 5. How greatlie men doo sinne by wearing of wanton apparell we may gesse by the apostles Peter and Paule 1. Pet. 3 3. 1. Tim. 2 9. who forbad women to weare pretious garments and superfluous decking of their haire that should be trimmed or braided with gold or pearle who neuerthelesse haue a colourable excuse namelie to please their husbands Wherefore how much more must these things be reprooued in men Wherefore the vse of garments was giuen vs. If then the vse of garments was deuised to withstand the prouocation vnto wantonnesse whereof a shamefastnesse was giuen vs by God they are greatlie to be blamed which prouoke the same euill by the curious fashion finenesse and nicenesse or vanitie of apparell Also let all superstitiousnesse be auoided neither let there be anie vertue or holinesse attributed vnto garments And let here the goodnesse of GOD be considered
it is not forbidden bicause it may be in the stéed of armour Wherefore if it be lawfull to take armes against them iustlie it is lawfull also to vse guile according to the saieng of the poet What matter is it against an enimie whether a man vse fraud or force Howbeit this must be considered that we speake onelie of those enimies which either God himselfe Who be verie enimies or the publike weale or a iust magistrate declareth to be enimies and not of those which euerie priuate man hateth Moreouer I doubt not but séeing it is lawfull to repell violence with violence when there is no other waie to escape it is also lawfull to set guile against guile For he which repelleth violence with violence as the lawes doo permit the same man is not to be counted a priuate person forsomuch as he is armed by the magistrate So as it is manifest that he dooth not against the lawes but with the lawe Euen so he that is suddenlie oppressed may lawfullie escape by euill guile if he can Moreouer the scriptures teach that this kind of guile is iust Ierom. For Ierom saith and it is written in the Decrées the 22. cause the second question 1. Kin. 10 21 the chapter Vtilem that Iehu did dissemble honestlie with the priests of Baal bicause he had not béene able to haue killed them all if he had begoon to put some of them to death Wherefore to the end that he might gather them all togither he feined himselfe to be much more desirous to worship Baal than Achab was and by that means he slue them all But this we ought to regard that they which are so destroied by guile be woorthie of punishment and as they be commonlie called are notorious offenders and such as cannot be punished by ordinarie means For which cause the king of Denmarke is by some commended who through guile destroied most pernicious théeues which he could not take For he fained a warre and made a proclamation that as manie as would come A guile vsed by the king of Denmarke against theeues Augustine should receiue wages of him and promised pardon vnto the théeues for the wicked acts which they had before committed But I for my part as I shall afterward declare would not so absolutelie allow these kind of examples Augustine as may be read in the 14. cause question the fift in the chapter Dixit and it is a place in his questions vpon Exodus sheweth that the Israelits deceiued the Aegyptians Exo. 12 35. when they borrowed of them gold and siluer vesselles And yet the same was not to be counted a fault in them when as yet no man doubted but that they did it by euill guile The same father in the 23. Cause question second in the chapter Dominus which is taken out of his questions vpon the booke of Iosua Iosua 8 4. rehearseth the place wherein it is said that GOD cōmanded the Hebrues to fight against the citie of Haie by lieng in wait which without doubt belongeth to guile Ierom Ierom. vpon the 17. chapter of Ezechiel alledgeth this sentence as a worldlie saieng namelie What matter is it against an enimie whether a man vse fraud or force Howbeit he agréeth therevnto although he denie that it can take anie place where an oth is made before But this I will anon discusse Ambrose in the 14. Cause question the fourth permitteth guile or gainefull fraud against enimies And after this manner he interpreteth the place of Deuteronomie where God gaue the Iewes libertie to put their monie in vsurie to strangers Deut. 23 20. namelie that where the warre is iust there also vsurie maie take place For the goods of the enimies are ours and they maie be lawfullie taken from them and whether it be by fraud or by violence it forceth not There be some which alledge that which is written in the latter epistle to the Corinthians the 12. chapter 2. Co. 12 1◠When I was craftie I tooke you with guile But that maketh nothing to the purpose séeing the apostle in that place dooth verie manifestlie vse the figure * That is mockerie Ironia For he was accused as though he had receiued monie of the Corinthians by the hands of other which by himselfe he refused to receiue Which he straitwaie disprooued But those examples which we brought first doo manifestlie prooue that it is lawfull to vse guile yea euill guile against enimies namelie kéeping close our counselles and actions and vsing tollerable works and words The ciuill laws allow of guile against enimies Neither doo the ciuill lawes teach otherwise In the Code De commercijs mercatoribus in the lawe Non solùm The emperor decréed not onelie that no gold should be transported vnto the barbarous nations which were enimies vnto the state but also that such gold as they had should be taken from them by subtill guile or policie And in the Digests De captiuis postliminio reuersis in the lawe Nihil interest It is decréed that captiues howsoeuer they returned into their countrie againe should recouer their owne goods and old estate whether they were sent home againe or whether they escaped by violence or by guile Although afterward in the lawe Postliminij in the Paraph Captinus it is restreined vpon condition that If they returne with a mind to tarie at home For if they should either promise or sweare vnto their enimies to returne they should not enioie the right of returning Wherefore Attilius Regulus enioied not the benefit Attilius Regulus bicause he was sent to Rome to persuade the Senate about the exchange of prisoners Then forsomuch as he had promised was minded to returne he by the lawes might not vse euill guile 18 Hereby also that appeareth to be true which a little before was said that we maie not vse euill guile against our enimie if there be an oth made betwéene vs. An oth distinguished And that this maie be the more plainlie vnderstood we must distinguish an oth as the lawiers doo one auowching another promising or as they terme it the one assertiue and the other promissorie For when we sweare either we doo affirme or else denie some thing to be or to haue béene which we neuer ought to doo with euill guile by adding an oth or else we promise to performe some thing And forsomuch as faith is to be kept euen with our enimie the same faith also is not to be broken by euill guile So as if those things which we haue sworne vnto our enimie to kéepe and obserue be temporall goods such as are monie honour and life of the bodie the name of God for these things ought not to be prophaned Wherefore Dauid Psal 15 4. in his 15. psalme saith He that sweareth to doo euill and changeth not In the Hebrue it is thus written Nischhab leharah velo iamir Which place I knowe that D. Kimhi
the harlot or vitler Augustine answereth Augustine that it was not the lie which the midwiues made but the faith and feare that they had towards God and the mercie shewed vnto the Israelits that pleased the Lord which the holie historie by expresse words dooth testifie And no otherwise must we thinke of Rahab Gregorie But I neuer like of the opinion of Gregorie who saith that for the lie which they made their eternall reward was turned to a temporall reward bicause it is said that God for their euerlasting blessednesse builded them houses But I iudge that by reason of the true faith which was effectuall in them in such sort as it brought foorth in them both loue and the feare of God which be lawfull and iust fruits of that faith the lie which they made through infirmitie béereaued them not of eternall felicitie 36 Abraham also is obiected who said Looke In Gen. 12. at the end and 19. 8. Gen. 12 13. that Sara was his sister Howbeit therein as Augustine teacheth he lied not he told that which was true but yet he spake not all the truth And that is of no man required to vtter all that he knoweth to be true He did not saie that she was his wife yet bicause she was his kinswoman he might according to the maner of the Hebrues truelie saie that she was his sister Notwithstanding he séemeth not to be holden altogither excused for although he lied not in calling of hir sister yet it appéereth that therein he fell bicause by not reuealing that she was his wife he put hir in danger of loosing hir chastitie sith he lest hir void of that helpe whereby onelie she might haue béene defended from falling into the loue of strangers Neither is it néedfull that I should indeuour to excuse Abraham altogither for he was a man and by too muth feare might easilie doo amisse Howbeit Augustine Augustine mentioneth that Abraham was then in danger two maner of waies the one least he should be killed him selfe the other the adulterie of his wife The first he might shun in calling hir his sister the other namelie least she should be polluted he was not able to repell For although he had said that he was hir husband that would not haue serued to deliuer hir from the shamefull lusts of the Aegyptians Wherefore that which he himselfe was not able to shun he committed vnto God and in that which was in his owne power he would not tempt him This séemeth to be the iudgement of Augustine But what I iudge I haue before declared 37 But did not the same Abraham lie when he said vnto his seruants Gen. 22 5. Looke In Gen. 27 19. Tarrie here and we will returne vnto you when neuerthelesse he was minded to sacrifice his sonne Which if he had doone he might not haue returned hauing his sonne with him but should haue returned alone without him Iacob also by expresse words lied Gen. 27 19. when he said vnto his father I am Esau thy sonne Paule also as it is written in the Acts saith that he knew him not to be the chéefe priest which commanded him to be striken when for all that as Augustine testifieth in his sermon of the Centurions sonne and as it is written in the 23. cause question the first chapter Paratus he knew him well enough Paule saith he was brought vp among the Iewes he had learned the lawe at the féet of Gamaliel wherefore he verie well knew the chéefe priest from other men 2. Kin. 10. 18 Iehu also lied manifestlie when he said Augustine Two kinds of men that he would worship Baal Augustine writeth that there be two kinds of men mentioned in the holie scriptures For that there were some so perfect as although they were not without sinne yet we may not rashlie iudge euill of them but rather séeke how we may defend those things which in their works haue a shew of sinne They oftentimes were so mooued by the holie Ghost that God by their words and acts might make certeine secrets knowne And so we must beléeue that oftentimes they both spake and did certeine things by prophesie So Abraham when he said We will returne vnto you prophesied vnwares that which shuld come to passe for he safelie returned from the mountaine with Isaac And Iacob in saieng I am Esau ment to declare nothing else but that he was the man to whom the degrée blessing and dignitie was due which séemed to perteine vnto Esau who was the first borne Paule also prophesied what should at the length become of the high priest namelie that as a painted wall and a thing altogither feigned and hypocriticall he should be taken awaie Further saith Augustine there were other men not so perfect but were euill which are spoken of in the old testament either to haue lied or else to haue doone some thing that might séeme to be sinne But he thinketh that we should not so greatlie indeuor to defend the good name and opinion of those men Of this sort of men was Iehu for although that murther which he executed vpon Achab and his familie and also his wéeding out of Baal and the worshippers thereof pleased God yet neuerthelesse he was a wicked king neither forsooke he the worshipping of golden calues Wherefore it shall be lawfull to confesse that in lieng he committed sinne But in my iudgement and as I noted before by this onelie distinction we may easilie dissolue this doubt namelie Note a distinction that those men were stirred vp to lie either by the spirit of man or by the motion of God When they did it as men we will not denie but that they sinned but when they spake so by the inspiration of God we maruell at their saiengs and dooings But we will not take it as an example and president to followe VVhether it be lawfull to lie for preseruing the life of our neighbour 38 But there ariseth a harder doubt Looke In 2. Sam. 15 33 namelie whether it be lawfull to make a lie for the preseruation of our neighbors life Augustine Augustine De mendacio ad Consentium saith If a man shuld be in great perill of death and the same man should also knowe that his sonne were in extreame danger who happening to die thou hauing knowledge thereof if the father aske thée Dooth my sonne liue And thou art sure that he also will die if thou shew him that his sonne is departed what wouldest thou doo in this case Whether thou saiest he liueth or whether thou saiest I cannot tell thou liest But if so be thou answer that he is dead all men will crie out vpon thée as though thou haddest committed man-slaughter and as though thou by thy heauie newes haddest béene the occasion of the death of this father being sicke and lieng at the point of death Augustine granteth that the case is hard neither denieth he but that as a man
and acknowledge this his libertie to come by Christ as the apostle hath willed in the same epistle Ibidem 3. that He which eateth should not be iudged of him that is weaker bicause he giueth thanks vnto God when he eateth Further let him doo that which maketh vnto the glorie of God let him not séeke after his owne pleasure or desire to satisfie his owne lust Whether ye eate 1. Co. 10 31 or whether ye drinke saith the same apostle doo ye all things vnto the glorie of God Let him take héed also that he rashlie offend not the weake let him teach them and let him receiue them with a purpose to instruct them with lenitie yet not so as he shuld nourish their infirmitie For they must be borne withall for a time not continuallie vnlesse they will alwaies be learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth Neither is that anie let which the apostle said 1. Cor. 8 13 I will neuer eate flesh while I liue For by these words he sheweth how readie his mind was and alledgeth a cause to wit Least I should offend my brother But he which is perfectlie taught alreadie is not offended vnlesse it be willinglie through his owne péeuishnesse which being perceiued we must not regard it least our long dissembling turne to the hinderance of the whole church Neither would I euer counsell men to go either vnto the bishops or Pope to obteine licence to eat meats forbidden We must not go to the Pope for licence to eat meat forbidden for séeing they sell them vnder their buls or charter warrant it were a waie to further their gains and to confirme their tyrannie by our accesse vnto them They haue no care to make them strong which be weake but rather on the other side by their terrors thunderbolts and excommunications they endeuor to make them weak which be strong Wherefore there is no cause why we should obeie them 25 But let vs sée in few words from whence began this superstition of absteining from flesh And if I be not deceiued I thinke it came from the Ethniks This rite of absteining from flesh came from the Ethniks for I read that the priests of Aegypt absteined from flesh And so did Apollonius Tyanaeus and Pythagoras and this they did bicause they thought by that means to make their soules the purer and to wipe awaie the darke mists from their minds Whereby they hoped to haue reuelations and vnderstanding of diuine things as who should saie We might by our owne wit atteine the gift of prophesie and heauenlie reuelations Which must not be beléeued séeing these be good gifts of the holie ghost who distributeth them as it pleaseth him Neither must Daniel and his fellowes be taken for an example hereof Dan. 1 8. Daniel and his fellows must not be taken for an example bicause they did not for this cause absteine from the kings meats from flesh and from wine but for that they would not be contaminated with meats in their lawe forbidden which might easilie haue béene if they had vsed the kings table as well touching the nature of the meats as the preparation thereof Also wine was a dangerous thing least it had béen pressed out from the vine that was not yet foure yeres old Leuit. 19 23 which might not be done by the law Neither doo I speake these things as thogh I denie it to be méet for students to liue verie temperatelie moderatelie Students must liue verie temperatelie for this I saie and most constantlie affirme that there is nothing more profitable for them But superstition I would haue remooued whereby they persuade themselues that they ought vtterlie to absteine from eating of flesh The Moonks of Charter-house From whence the libertie of Moonks sprang Gen. 9 3. Before the floud they did eat no flesh as did the Charter-house Moonks verie foolishlie 26 Now doth the nature of contrarietie require that we shew from whence sprang the libertie of meats We find that the same happened after the floud when as God assigned vnto Noah for his meat all things that mooued and had life as if it had béen gréene herbe for before the floud flesh was not eaten This is the power of the word of God that whatsoeuer he hath commanded is done He commanded at the beginning that the increase of corne the fruits of the trées the herbes of the field should be meat for men which thing came happilie to passe Afterward he commanded the same touching flesh and it was performed Exod. 16 4. for in the desert he would doo the same we read that it was done Whereby we vnderstand that it was verie well said that Man shall not liue by bread onelie Deut. 8 3. but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God that is by euerie thing which God hath commanded Wherefore we ought to ground the consideration of all our commodities vpon the word of God The philosophers make their resolution so far foorth as the power of nature extends howbeit The difference betweene our resolution and the philosophers this power must be reduced by godlie men vnto the word of God which doth not onelie adorne our tables with fruits with corne and with herbs but also furnisheth our kitchin with flesh our storehouse with wine These things must be thought vpon when we vse the things of this world These things gaue God after the floud Why God after the floud licenced flesh and wine partlie to shew that his wrath was appeased towards mankind and partlie bicause the earth perhaps being corrupted by the water brought not foorth so wholesome fruits as it did before This the philosophers acknowledge not but we bicause we beléeue that they had their beginning by the word of the Lord therefore A profitable rule so often as we looke on our meats our apparell our husbandrie our wife such other like things which serue our turne we should remember confesse the same to depend vpon the word of God This libertie did God somewhat restreine afterward in the law of Moses where he put a difference betwéene meats cleane and vncleane But for what cause he did this it is not néedfull in this place to discusse Howbeit In Moses time was appointed some choise of meats but after Christs comming it was set at libertie this I will adde that before the floud men did kill beasts for sacrifices as it is shewed of Abel but they did eate none of the flesh that was offered But after the floud they did not onelie offer vp sacrifices but they themselues also did eat of the sacrifices Which séemed to be a singular benefit of God as though he now vouchsafed to call them to his owne table and admit them to the communion with himselfe And before the floud the cleane cattell for sacrifice were distinguished from the vncleane Wherfore Noah by the commandement
then should we not eate nor drinke and a number of such other things which by our owne fault and intemperance might doo harme For we must alwaies take héed whether the thing which we take in hand be dangerous of it selfe or by some accident Which thing also Salomon admonished Eccl. 21 4. saieng Hee that obserueth the wind shall not sowe and he that hath regard to the clouds shall not reape But when soeuer we are vncerteine whether the thing it selfe will please God or no and that great danger hangeth ouer our heads bicause we knowe that the same is not giuen by God vnto all men we ought to surcease vowing and to kéepe our selues frée And touching those vowes Whether vowes against the word of God are to be kept which perchance one hath made against the rule of the word of God and afterward séeth them to be odious and vnacceptable vnto God and that by the testimonie of the holie scriptures men oftentimes demand what is to be doone we answer in a word that they ought not to be performed Neither is the condition of a vow other than of an oth for séeing we be the Lords we cannot bind our selues to anie thing that is against his will euen as it is not permitted vnto men seruants by the ciuill lawe But this must chéeflie be regarded aboue all that before we doo make vowes and oblations we prouide to be iustified by faith for otherwise if we be enimies vnto GOD how can our gifts be acceptable vnto him For what a multitude of vnbeléeuers be there the which if respect should be had vnto gifts doo offer vnto God such as be excellent pretious and most déere vnto them and yet notwithstanding vnto him they are both vnacceptable and odious For we cannot estéeme those things as pleasant which we knowe doo procéed from an hatefull mind Yea and Esaie Esaie 1 13. in the name of God detested all the sacrifices of the Iewes when they disagréed from the true waie of godlines when notwithstanding the Lord had required in the lawe that those sacrifices should be offered vnto him And as Plato reporteth in Alcibiades Verie well did Homer write That the burnt sauours of the oblations and sacrifices which the Troians offered were not one whit acceptable vnto Iupiter bicause Priamus his people were hated of him ¶ These things are in the Commentaries vpon Genesis but of this whole chapter he wrote more largelie and more exactlie in his booke of vowes against Smith Of the Vow of the Nazarites 7 As touching the vow of the Nazarites In Iudges .13 at the beginning Numb 6. it is manifestlie set foorth in the sixt chapter of the booke of Numbers But those things which are there written may all be reduced to thrée principall points first that they should drinke no wine nor strong drinke nor anie thing that might make them droonke another was that they should not poll their head but all the time of their Nazariteship they should let their haire growe the third was that they should not violate themselues with funerall moornings no not at the death of their father or mother These things were to be obserued yet not for euer but for some certeine time onelie for they vowed themselues to be Nazarites onlie for a certeine number of daies moneths or years But wherefore God did institute these things there may be alledged manie causes First bicause men were so inclined to choose vnto themselues certeine kinds of life Wherefore God did institute this vow to the Nazarits by meanes whereof they might easilie fall into superstition Therefore God would after this maner bridle them As though he should haue said Wheras ye are thus prone to your owne indeuours and to inuent new waies of worshippings yet shall ye not doo what ye list your selues but ye shall doo that which I prescribe vnto you and so by making the lawe of a Nazarite he kept them in dooing their dutie But what is the meaning of these things They ought to kéepe their haire growing vntill the end of their vow for then while they were offering sacrifice and burning the flesh in the fier they cut off their haire and burned it in the same fier and from that time forward they were frée and returned to their old maner of life which also was common vnto other Others make it an allegorie An allegorie that when the haires were increased vertues also ought to increase in the mind But me thinketh there may be yéelded an other cause namelie that men should refraine from too much trimming and decking of their bodie for the clipping of the haire dooth serue verie much to the finenesse and trimming of the bodie For Paule saith in his epistle vnto the Corinthians verse 4. Vncomelie to let the haire grow the 11. chapter that For men it is a shame if they let their haire growe Although other reasons of other men are not to be contemned Cyrillus also and Procopius vpon the booke of Numbers Cyrill Procopius doo saie that These things were instituted by God to the intent he might call men backe from the idolatrous rites and worshipping of the Ethniks that that which they gaue vnto idols the Iewes might vouchsafe to bestowe vpon him So that whereas such men sacrificed vnto idols he would that these should rather sacrifice vnto himselfe not that God so much regardeth sacrifices but bicause he would withdrawe them from idolatrie We read that the Ethniks sometimes suffered their haire to growe bicause they would afterward consecrate the same either vnto the Nymphes or vnto Apollo wherefore Apollo was by them called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A nourisher of the haire Yea and Theseus as it is written in Plutarch Plutarch went to Delphos there to dedicate his haire vnto Apollo And yong men also in Rome when they were past their childhood offered their haire and beards vnto some God Sophocles Sophocles writeth that Orestes put his haire in the tumbe of his father There might also be rendred an other cause which were not impertinent It behooued the Nazarits alwaies to be pure and although they were not of the tribe of Leuie yet they so behaued themselues all that time as though they had béene priests of the tribe of Leuie Leuit. 21 5. And in the 21. chapter of Leuiticus the Leuiticall priests were forbidden to poll their head which thing also may be perceiued by the sixt chapter of Baruch verse 3◠Ye shall see saith he priests in Babylon with their heads shauen and their garments cut and these were the priests of idols The Hebrues did not shaue their heads verse 7. So then we sée by the commandement of God that the priests of the Hebrues had not their heads shauen 8 In the booke of Numbers the sixt chapter God calleth the haires of the head a crowne or as other translate it a separation But contrariwise the
and therefore verie manie of them in those daies were married But now that the church is increased we be not vrged with that necessitie wherfore it is iustlie decréed that onelie vnmarried men should be chosen The primitiue church had more plentie of ministers than be now 5 But I beséech you let these men consider with themselues that in the same first time when the feruentnesse of the holie Ghost did so much flourish there were a great manie more méet for the ministerie than now there be by reason of the excéeding plentie of grace and spirituall gifts Besides this the church being inlarged and spread abroad it néedeth many more ministers than it did at that time Furthermore there is a great necessitie that constreineth vs namelie bicause men at this daie are more weake than they were at that time Which also their Popes denie not for in the distinction 34. chapter Fraternitatis Pelagius iudgeth that a deacon who being in waie of preferment hath committed fornication and yet hath a wife of his owne should be the more gentlie intreated bicause in these daies not onelie bodies are become féeble but honestie and maners also If they be not ignorant of this weaknesse of our times which is farre greater than in old time it was they ought not to take from thence the remedie where they perceiue a greater necessitie Neither is it méet that they should dissemble the necessitie of this age when as they obiecting vnto vs the maner of the old church dare alledge against vs the necessitie thereof There is a necessitie in ech part and therefore if there be a consideration had of the one there must be also a consideration had of the other There be some among them which saie that ministers in the old time had wiues and sometime vsed them but they denie that it was lawfull at anie time to marrie wiues after they had taken orders They erre vndoubtedlie for in the Ancyran Synod as it is written in the decrées The Ancyran Synod the 28. distinction in the chapter Diaconi It is decréed that if a deacon while he is ordering shall refuse the purpose of continencie when the same is required of him and shall testifie that he will not liue without a wife Whether it be lawfull for a minister to marrie after he haue receiued orders if the same deacon after he haue taken orders doo contract matrimonie he shall not be hindered but maie fréelie execute his ministerie By which place we are manifestlie taught that it was lawfull to contract matrimonie after orders receiued Which Gratianus sawe well inough and therefore he writeth Gratian. that as touching that Synod there ought a due consideration to be had both to the time and place for it was held in the East church which in promoting of ministers admitted not the promise of continencie But as touching time he addeth that as yet this continencie of ministers was not then brought into the church But if thou wilt aske when that Councell was held we answer that as it also appeareth by the same decrées it was held vnder Syricius and Innocentius which liued in the time of Ierom and Augustine 6 But it is a iollie thing to sée how tyrannie hath increased How punishments dailie grew vpon the clergie men which contracted matrimonie The Councell of Neocaesaria and how vngodlinesse by little and little hath taken root At the beginning the ministers of the church which contracted matrimonies were not altogither handled so seuerelie For the Councell of Neocaesaria as it is recited in the 28. distinction in the chapter Presbyter onelie commanded such to be depriued from their office but not from their benefice for they were still mainteined and did receiue their stipends from the church Neither in the meane time will I passe ouer that that Councell did cast out of the church such priests as were adulterers and whoremoongers namelie in excommunicating them which was a verie méet and iust thing where as our men now a daies doo excéedinglie winke at those sinnes After this they began not onelie to put them out of their offices but also as they terme it to remooue them from their benefices as it is written in the 33. distinction in the chapter Eos and in the chapter Decreueruâ—t Yea and those which so married they sent them awaie either into a Monasterie or else into some strait place to doo penance but in our time they doo burne manie of them And afterward they were also in a great rage with the séelie women whome the ministers had married as we find in the 18. distinction out of a certeine Councell holden at Toledo in the chapter Quidam where it is commanded The Couâ—cell of Toledo that the women should be sold and in the 34. distinction in the chapter Eos they are appointed to be seruants in that church where the priest was which contracted with them and if perhaps the bishop could not bring them into bondage he should commit it vnto the prince or laie magistrate Sometimes also they put them into a Monasterie to doo penance as we read in the 34. distinction in the chapter Fraternitatis Neither were they content with this crueltie but they would also haue the children which were borne in such matrimonies to be seruants in that church wherein their father had béene and they depriued them of all their fathers inheritance And this is written in the fiftéenth cause question the last in the chapter Cùm multae They doo not on this sort punish their adulterous sacrificers and fornicatours neither the harlots nor yet their bastard children they exercise their cruell censure vpon the wiues of priests and their lawfull children onelie 7 At the last when they haue almost no other thing to alledge they flie vnto their vow as vnto an holie anchor they crie out that the same must in anie wise be kept and that therefore it is no more lawfull for ministers to marrie bicause when they were ordered they vowed a sole life As though it were not both by the holie scriptures and also by mans lawes prouided that a vow Vowes of vnhonest things be frustrate promise or oth hath no force if it compell vs to an vniust or vnhonest thing And who séeth not that it is a verie shamefull thing and against the lawe of God that he which burneth in lust and so burneth that he is oftentimes defiled with harlots adulterers and vnlawfull flesh should be forbidden to marrie 1. Cor. 7 9. Vndoubtedlie the holie Ghost hath commanded matrimonie to all such as cannot kéepe themselues chast Yea and the fathers perceiued this notwithstanding that they be more against vs herein than equitie would Cyprian Wherevpon Cyprian as touching holie virgins which had vnchastlie behaued themselues saith If either they will not or cannot kéepe themselues chast Ierom. let them marrie Ierom also feared not to write the same vnto Demetrias Epiphanius Epiphanius
is neuer certeine whether he haue vsed that diligence that is required of him They saie Let him repent of his negligence but how shall he knowe Either they will cast men into desperation or else will make them hypocrites as if they shall beléeue that they haue doone a thing they should be persuaded they haue not doone it Naie rather let them teach to doo before God as did that Publicane in the 18. chapter of Luke verse 13. We knowe the waie of forgiuing sinnes there is one maner of waie for all men we must not deuise other formes Let vs acknowledge that we haue sinned Mar. 10 52. Christ said Thy faith hath made thee whole he requireth not confession They saie that a man by confession is kept backe from wickednesse but if we be more ashamed to confesse our selues before the priest than vnto God that is not to be allowed The chéefest shame if we haue anie sparke of faith commeth through the remembrance of the presence of God There be manie which can contemne sacrifice It is true shame if we admit God into our hart They saie it behooueth that confession be heard bicause it is the precept of God Shew the precept bring foorth where it is It behooueth saie they that there be confession bicause men be not certeine of their contrition But of confession they will be as doutfull as of contrition they will remedie one doubt by an other No man saie they can iudge of his owne cause héere is no iudgement when remission is doone by the word of God the Ministers haue onelie the execution of an other mans benefit God answereth not saie they whether he will forgiue sinnes it behooueth that he answere by the priests He answereth by the oracles of the holie scriptures We will adde an other fault of theirs they haue certeine cases which be reserued so as each one cannot be absolued of euerie man for euerie matter The Pope will haue manie things to be dealt in by himselfe Manie cases reserued to the Pope and to the bishops and not to be remitted by others in the 17. distinction in the chapter Huic sedi The bishops haue reserued manie cases vnto themselues In the Extrauagants De sententia excommunicationis chapter Tua the offense of setting fire vpon places is reserued vnto the Pope or vnto the bishops so it is of homicide 23. cause question eight chapter Pessimum and in the chapter Si membrum Christ reserued nothing to himselfe he commanded his apostles that by their preaching they should remit sinnes but with those men all things are directed vnto gaine The vtilitie that may come by secret confession is not taken awaie We take not awaie the vtilitie which might come of confession which is doone vnto a godlie and learned man namelie that men should be instructed and haue consolation so that it be left frée vnto men Wherefore if such a confession that is frée and dooth not driue men to the numbering of their sinnes be reteined in anie place we make no schisme for the same so that they appoint it not a peculiar woorshipping of God Looke In 1. Sam. 3 ver 14 and 12. ver 24. If anie man thinke that he reapeth a commoditie thereby he ought not to speake ill of such a helpe 29 Now setting that part aside let vs come vnto satisfaction Of satisfaction manie things are written and deuised touching the same I will cut off as much as I can and be bréefe Let vs speake of the word To satisfie among good authors What is to satisfie is to approoue himselfe to anie man in dooing of dutie Cicero in the first of his familiar epistles I satisfie all other men in all dutie or rather pietie towards thée but my selfe I satisfie not Asconius said that To satisfie is to doo as much as dooth suffice an angrie man to reuengement But the Schoole-men of whom we speciallie make mention haue spoken otherwise of satisfaction The Maister of the sentences The schoole Diuines touching satisfaction in the 15 distinction saith out of Augustine that To satisfie is to cut off the causes of crimes and sinnes and no longer to yéeld vnto their suggestions Others haue said that it is a recompense of a wrong that is doone according to a iust equalitie when we repaie so much as we haue taken awaie of an other mans goods and their meaning is that men by certeine works The arguments of the aduersaries should repaie so much as they ought to suffer for sinne And while they will institute a satisfaction of that kind first they take vpon them to affirme that the fault indéed is forgiuen vnto men and the punishment also in respect of eternitie but yet that there remaineth some things to be suffered of them for the satisfieng of God Yea and they saie that confession was therfore ordeined to the intent that the priests should vnderstand what they ought to laie vp for God And they alledge reasons namelie that God dooth indéed of his great mercie forgiue men their sinnes yet not without iustice And although Christ hath made recompense by his death yet that God will not haue the satisfaction of Christ to take place vnlesse it be as touching them which worke together with the death of Christ that is to saie which with certeine actions will together with Christ satisfie for their sinnes The testimonies that they bring are these in Deuteronomie Deut. 25 2. Let the measure of the stripes be according to the maner of the offense In the Reuelation of Iohn Apoc. 18 7. Euen as much as she hath glorified hir selfe and hath liued in pleasures so much torment appoint ye vnto hir Iohn said Bring foorth the fruits of repentance Matt. 3 8. In the sixt chapter to the Romans Rom. 6 9. As you haue giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannes and from one iniquitie vnto another so now giue your members to serue righteousnesse And they thinke that their opinion is most of all confirmed by the words of Christ Matt. 18 â—… Whatsoeuer ye shall bind in earth shall also be bound in heauen c. For they vnderstand Loosing not onelie as touching sinnes but also as concerning punishments And they saie that this appointing of punishment was commanded to the priests that whatsoeuer they haue set downe without error of the keie should be established They saie that the fault being forgiuen the punishment tarieth 2. Sam. 11 12 13 24 vers 1. 12 30 That the punishment still remaineth to be suffered the fault being remitted they confirme by the example of Dauid who sinning twise had the fault forgiuen him yet that there were punishments remaining for him to suffer And that there is no doubt but Moses had his sinne forgiuen him yet that the punishment remained namelie that he should die before he entered into the land of Chanaan Afterward they stand at contention among themselues
doubt not but happened vnto Barnard Francis Dominicus Which of the fathers taught superstitions and to diuers of the ancient Fathers bicause séeing they liued in the foundation that is in Christ albeit they erected manie abuses and sundrie superstitions yet might they be saued neuerthelesse by fire when as at the last houre they stroue against death and against the terror of sinnes and in that conflict acknowledged the vanitie of their owne studies Whatsoeuer therfore of these thrée things lightened the minds of them that straied from the right building How he vnderstandeth The daie and The fire that do I call the daie and the fire To this end Paule prouoketh vs to the examination and iudgement of God for ill learnings may oftentimes lie hidden which shall then be made manifest and now they lie hidden partlie Causes why ill doctrines lie hid bicause they that teach be ambitious and being led with a gréedinesse of honor they doo not rightlie weigh those things which they teach And the hearers séeing they are verie oftentimes infected with vanitie they fansie the new doctrine of their teachers more than is méete and they estéeme the doctrine according to the godlie shew or eloquence of the teacher The last cause is the slouthfulnesse as well of the teachers as also of the hearers for they bend not their indeuor to th'examination of doctrine as méet it were And to conclude it hapneth that the abuses naughtie customes are colouâ—… by hypocrisie and they be so painted out â—…â—hey make a shew of holines euen as Paule writeth to the Colossians Col. 2 23. According to the commandement and doctrines of men hauing in outward words a shew of wisedome What thing is there at this daie more adorned and set foorth with colors With what arts and ornaments the Masse is decked out than is the Masse Therein is wonderfull decking with garments alluring songs instruments of musike war lights swéet perfumes bels curious gestures of the bodie heauing vp laieng downe whisperings fractions small péeces of cakes and innumerable false deuises of the diuell When they be reprooued they go about to excuse A simple excuse that these signes are vsed bicause we may be taught the woorthines of the Eucharist But where is there one among the miserable people that vnderstandeth the causes of these signes Neither can the Masse priests shew the causes of those things when they be demanded And the thing is so deformed and so greatlie degenerated as it may be counted or perceiued to be anie thing sooner than the supper of the Lord. 28 But séeing the foundation gold siluer pretious stones Seeing the other things are vnderstood by allegorie there is no doubt but that fire must be so vnderstood wood haie and strawe are spoken by allegorie there is no doubt but that fire also must be vnderstood allegoricallie It is not sufficient that doctrines should be tried by the iudgement of men it behooueth that those things abide firmelie by the fire of diuine examination Wherefore fire and daie light is a cléere beholding a certeine triall a manifest reuelation whereby we knowe at the length the truth of doctrines and also the guilefulnesse of them The propertie of fire The propertie of fire is to giue light and to make triall and from this fire no man is exempted whether he haue builded well or ill all men must be prooued by the same Wherein triall consisteth And herein will the triall consist that the doctrine which is builded shall be tried whether it agrée with the foundation or no. God likened vnto a purging fire Malac. 3 2. Otherwise God is said to be like a purging fire and like the fullers sope for he will purge the children of Leuie and he will purifie them like the siluer and gold the third of Malachie The doctrines which be sound shall abide neither shall the triall of fire more hurt them than the fornace dooth the gold or siluer or no more than the thrée children that were tried in the fire at Babylon Augustine Augustine in sundrie places maketh mention of this sentence in his booke De fide operibus the 15. and 16. chapters in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence the 69. chapter De ciuitate Dei the 21. booke in his treatise of eight questions vnto Dulcitius question the first vpon the 29. psalme and agréeth with himselfe almost in euerie place and bringeth all one exposition of these words He affirmeth this to be a hard saieng and he accounteth it among the number of those of which Peter said In the epistles of Paule are manie hard things which the wicked peruert to their owne destruction It behooueth that this fire be common both to good men and to euill He admonisheth moreouer that we should interpret this to be such a kind of fire as may be common both to them which build well and ill At length he saith We must beware that we account not in this number such as be baptised which haue liued verie ill and so to feigne their gréeuous crimes that is to saie murther and adulterie for which things men are excluded from the kingdome of heauen to be wood haie and strawe For vnto these kind of men being wrapped in so horrible crimes hell it selfe is due whose fire cannot be common vnto them that build well vnles thou wilt also thrust them foorth into hell Mention is onelie made of those which haue builded holding themselues to the foundation in which number they are not to be reckoned who haue béene loden with damnable vices He goeth forward and saith that The foundation is Christ which interpretation the apostle himselfe maketh And he addeth faith bicause Christ himselfe dwelleth in our harts by faith and maketh them to be good builders which obeie the lawe of GOD. He writeth that they build haie and strawe who haue reteined those pleasures and delights of the world which neuerthelesse were not forbidden so reteined them as they gaue themselues therevnto more than was requisite They that build aright saith he doo possesse the goods of this world riches honours wife and other things though they possessed them not vse them as though they would not vse them But they that build amisse are more affected vnto those things than they should and yet doo they not so slacke the reines vnto lusts as they preferre such kind of goods before Christ vnto whom they cleaue as vnto the foundation but rather on the contrarie part they altogither estéeme Christ aboue those things For when they come either to the confessing of their faith or else vnto martyrdome they will rather loose those things than depart from Christ Yet bicause they haue imbraced such things with an ouer-vehement affection they féele fire in forgoing of them They sorrowe vndoubtedlie and it gréeueth them that these things are taken from them yet are they saued neuerthelesse bicause they held fast the foundation of the
of those persons departed whose monuments they behold To this part dooth Augustine incline But as he saith it is obiected vnto him by Paulinus The saints as it is written by Paule in the 2. to the Corinthians the fift chapter shall stand verse 10. as well as other men before the iudgment seate of Christ that there euerie man may receiue according to that he hath doone in his bodie whether it be good or euill That the dead receiue not according to the requests of them that are aliue Therefore the soules of them that be dead are neuer a whit the better for the praier and intercession of them which doo liue here He answereth that there be some which haue no néed of these things as they which haue alreadie atteined felicitie and that there be others so condemned to euerlasting punishments as by no supplications they can be deliuered from thence But he will haue some to be found such as haue so behaued themselues in their bodie that they haue deserued to be holpen with the praiers of them which be yet liuing and vpon this foundation thus laid he concludeth that it may somwhat profit them that be dead if they be buried at the monuments of martyrs But let him take héed how firme is this principle of his we in verie déed accept it not being set downe without the scripture The prophets nor yet the lawe haue not made mention of anie such thing neither would the scripture haue silenced a thing so verie dutifull and of so great charitie towards miserable deceased sinners and haue spoken no where anie one word thereof But if thou wilt saie that it is a most ancient tradition of the church we grant it but it is not prooued or concluded by the holie scriptures not onelie it is not conteined in them but it is in no wise prooued out of them And if the church doo praie it was not for this cause doone in times past to the intent the spirits of them that be dead should be deliuered but as Dionysius testifieth it was in respect that the priest should doo the part of Gods interpretour and should in the title of the praier Why in times past they haue praied for the dead informe and certifie them that are present what God had doone for him that was dead or what we also are to hope for after this life 15 Nor obtrude thou to vs the second booke of Macchabeis it is not in the canon 2. Macc. 12 verse 43. Further it was written in those daies when Iudaea was pressed with the yoke of the Graecians whose maners it had now not onelie receiued but also imbraced the opinions which sauored of philosophie and deuises of mans reason euen as it had receiued a wrestling place brothell houses after the verie which maner it receiued by chance the inuention of purgatorie The originall of purgatorie which the prelates of the church by chance espieng to be obserued of godlie men with a certeine religiousnesse did not much passe to take the same vtterlie awaie but they altered and corrected it as much as might be Which Dionysius whatsoeuer he were dooth by a coniecture plaine inough declare vnto vs in his Treatise De ecclesiastica hierarchia where he obiecteth against himselfe Séeing the dead man hath alreadie that which he shall haue whie dooth the priest praie ouer his corps for his felicitie Not saith he to the intent he should be holpen with those suffrages but bicause it may be declared to them which stand by what God hath doone concerning him and thereby is giuen to the people present as well comfort as assurance both of the resurrection of the bestowing of eternall rewards So as the priest in that place vnder the pretence of praiers plaieth Gods interpretour And against the opinion of Augustine is the Bracarensin Councell in the 36. canon which decréed that at the oratories of martyrs the dead should not be buried And in the 13. cause question 2. chapter Praecipiendum the same is decréed out of the Varensin Councell Albeit in the same place in the chapter Nullus mortuus out of the Magociensin Councell the matter was brought to that passe as none should be permitted to be buried in the temples but bishops priests and abbats And this dooth reason persuade for temples are not for this purpose prouided that therein dead bodies should be interred but that sacraments should be ministred that sermons should be preached Burleng places set forth to the sale and that God should be praied vnto and praised in them But now among the Papists the churches are become churchyards which they make onelie for gaine sake And whereas it is expresselie commanded in the decrées that nothing should be taken for buriall Gen. 23 11. they séeme neuer to be satisfied Ierom treating on a place in Genesis saith If this man I meane Ephron would not receiue the things offered of Abraham and that when he was ouercome with gaine he receiued them is lightlie passed ouer what shall be doone as touching them which dare wrest awaie by violence Otherwise did Ambrose will to be doone when as he writeth in his Booke of offices The causes whit gold was giuen to churches that gold must be bestowed vpon the church not onelie that the church may doo good vnto the poore but also that there may be prouision made for the buriall of the dead Gaine and superstition haue brought in this kind of abuse Let vs not therefore be disquieted if we be not buried in churches for against the opinion of Augustine and against this peruerse custome speaketh Chrysostome Chrysost vpon the epistle to the Hebrues Wheresoeuer we be buried The earth is the Lords In the 13. cause question 2. the chapter Vbicunque Yet is not the care to wit the care taking for buriall or sepulture to be detested naie verelie it is lawfull for them that be aliue to choose themselues a burieng place Which we sée that the prophet did 1. kin 1◠15 which deceiued the other prophet for after that he heard he was dead he cōmanded his children that after his death they should burie him in the sepulchre wherein the other prophet was laid For he not onelie iudged that it would be an honor vnto him that his bones should be spared in the time of Iosias but he also thought it not amisse in the meane time that his bodie shuld be ioined with the dead bodie of the other prophet Iustlie therefore may we prouide to haue our bodies buried among our ancestors among godlie men and among our friends and acquaintance That our soules being loosed from the bodies doo not sleepe 16 When Paule saith in the 13. In 1. Cor. 13 verse 12. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians But then we shall see face to face c that same abuerbe of time then dooth signifie vnto vs the state of the time after death when the
heades of the Church But Peter saie they died at Rome And Christ died at Ierusalem which is more We declared at the first that the Pope hath no word of God whereby hée should appoint his kingdom then that no one man can be ouerséer of the whole world lastlie if he might yet he ought not any more to be the Bishop of Rome than anie other Bishop Besides this the authoritie which they boast of either they haue it of God or of men if of God let them bring foorth some testimonie of the word of God that we maie beléeue But if they will saie of men yet men cannot nor ought not determine of the kingdome of God For that were to vsurpe vppon an other mans kingdome Neither doe we onelie shake off this power The elder Fathers shâ—…ned this power but also in a manner all the elder Fathers In the time of Cyprian there were such as woulde appeale out of Aphrica vnto Rome Of that matter Cyprian wrote vnto Cornelius Let causes be heard where they be committed There is one Bishopricke a part whereof is throughlie possessed by each one Apiarius the Priest being condemned of his owne bishoppes appealed to the bishop of Rome who commaunded that he should be wholie restored The councell of Carthage had decréed that if anie man had appealed beyond the sea he should be excommunicated And so the Bishops of Aphrica receiue not Apiarius answere that this is not lawful vnto the Romane Bishop Vnto theÌ„ was sent Potentinus a bishop The Pope once claimed not from Christ nor froÌ„ Peter but from the Councel of Nice The Aphricans demand froÌ„ whence the Pope chalengeth so great authoritie he aunswereth not of Christ not of Peter for as yet they became not so shamelesse but of the Synode of Nice The Aphricans desired the originall coppie The Pope made delaie for he had not what to shewe They send to Alexandria Constantinople and Antioch in the Libraries of which Cities they doubted not but that all decrées of the Nicene councell were extant But no such thing is there to be found Afterward the Pope by no verie faithful dealing instéede of the councell of Nice foisted in the councell of Sardis But the authoritie of that councel was ouer light Gregorie writeth that this title in in the councell of Chalcedon was tendered vnto Leo the Bishop of Rome but that hée would not accept the same But nowe as touching doctrine we shall find The Pope teacheth things contrary vnto Christ that the Pope doeth teach in a maner all things contrarie vnto Christ Iustification by workes inuocation of the dead maiming of the Sacraments praiers in a straunge and foraine language By these Argumentes which we haue spoken of is sufficientlie prooued that there is no head in the Church besides Christ Arguments of the aduersaries 9 Now will we weigh the foure strongest Arguments of our aduersaries what force they beare First they saie Christ went into heauen Acts. 1. 9. Christ went into heaueÌ„ therefore there is néede of an other visible head therefore the Church hath néed of a visible guide Further Christ loueth his Church therefore to the intent that the same might be the better gouerned he would haue it to be prouided for by one head For euen as the bodie cannot be gouerned without the soule Ephe. 5. 25. Christ loueth the Church therefore he would it to haue a head so neither the Church without a head Thirdlie they saie that the old Fathers had alwaies refuge to the Romane Church as vnto the head Lastlie they say The ministers be not equall among them selues Therefore least the matter should growe to a tumult one must be chosen who should be preferred among others and haue a preheminence of voice in councels Howe Christ remaineth with vs. As touching the first Argument Christ so went his way as he neuertheles remaineth perpetual lie in his Church not in bodie but in spirit grace and prouidence For so he promiseth Behold I am with you euen to the end of the world Mat. 28. 20. Mat. 18. 20. And whersoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name there am I. Wherfore Christ is alwaies with vs How Christ remaineth with vs. that is in our hearts Further he left his word from whence the forme of gouerning the Church must be sought But so thou wilt saie as he cannot be séene I grant it And your Pope also when is he seene of the Indians or Ethiopians But thou wilt saie The Pope hath his legates As though Christ hath not likewise his Legates To the second Argument Christ would haue the Church to be prouided for therefore he would haue one head therof The Argument foloweth not For the Church maie be otherwise prouided for Howe the Church is ruled prouided for The Romane and Athenian commoÌ„ weales were best administred and were most floorishing wheÌ„ they were ruled by Senatours Wherfore in the Church there maie be Aristocratia that all things be ordered and ruled in councels as in times past it was doone among the Apostles and in the auncient Church For what Cannot Heluetia be safe without a king Yet so strong are the Arguments of Pigghius although to himselfe hée maie séeme verie sharpe Thirdlie the auncient Bishops being wronged An argumeÌ„t taken of the Byshops appealing to Rome repaired alwaies vnto the Romane Church therefore it was the head I denie the Argument For in the common weale if perhappes a man receiue iniurie he flieth vnto some Senator whom he beléeueth to be a good man shall it therefore follow that the same Senatour is the head of the common weale In those dayes the Romane Bishop was more holie more learned and lesse corrupt than others hée was of great authoritie and in great place about the Emperour therefore Athanasius Chrysostome and others went vnto him for refuge not that they tooke him for the head of the Church And in that gouernment of the foure Patriarches of which we haue spoken before the west part did not so commit it selfe vnto the Romane Bishop as vnto their head but tooke his aduice in doubtfull causes and afterward referred the matter vnto a councell An argumeÌ„t taken from the vneuennesse of ministers 10 Vnto the fourth Ministers be not al equall among themselues Therefore least there might be a confusion of all things it were necessarie there should be one head I aunswere He that is better learned more spirituall Dignitie must not be tyed to Chayers It must be giuen to doctrine holinesse let him be aboue the rest So was there verie much ascribed to Athanasius and Basil not for the worthinesse of the seat but for doctrine and holinesse sake Manie in all parts for learning sake tooke counsell of Augustine but the posteritie bound al the dignities vnto certaine chaiers namelie of Alexandria Constantinople Antioch and Rome because they hoped that in these seates there
of that saying of Christ Luke 23. 33 I prayed for thee Peter that thy faith shoulde not faile The words of Christ I haue praied for the Peter expounded As though the Lord prayed not for others also Assuredlie he prayed as it is in Iohn for others also not onelie for the Apostles but also for all men that should beléeue But I returne to the place Of feeding the sheepe and I answere them which demand why those wordes were seuerallie spoken by the Lord vnto Peter Why it was onelie saide to Peter Féede my shéepe and I saie that Christ would take away the infamie of Peters thrise deniall And as Augustine saieth It was prouided that the tongue of Peter shoulde no lesse serue to the louing thā to the fearing of the sauiour to the intent that death being at hand he should speake no otherwise than in the life present he did And the same in a maner hath Cyrill So as the Lord dealing after this maner with Peter caught as it is commonlie said two hares at one leape First he indeuoured that all the Apostles should know that Peter was receiued into fauour and restored to his former place Secondlie that they might vnderstand that there is no néede of singular loue to the féeding of the flocke of Christ For he that from the heart and sincerelie loueth the Lord of the flocke cannot but féede it with excéeding faithfulnesse But least that vnto anie man it maie séeme somewhat hard which we affirme either that Peter spake for the rest of his fellowes or else that those things which were spoken vnto him pertaine also vnto others this will be easilie prooued by the vsuall spéeches in the scriptures Zuinglius iudgement Certainlie Zuinglius laboured verie well in that Argument He in his Treatise De vera Religione in the Chapter where he intreateth of the keyes of the Church gathered manie places which make well for the present purpose Verse 67. In the 6. Chapter of Iohn when the seuenty Disciples were gone Christ turning vnto the 12. said vnto them Will ye also goe awaie There Peter in the stead of all answered Lord vnto whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life We know and beleeue that thou art Christ the sonne of God Séeing he speaketh in the plurall number he manifestlie sheweth that he answered in the name of his fellow Disciples neither did the confession which he vttered differ from that which a little before both wee brought vttered out of the 16. Mat. 16. 16. Chapter of Matthew But somtime it commeth to passe that one man doeth not answer for all men but all men for themselues as when the Lord demanded in the 22. Verse 35. of Luke whether they wanted anie thing while they liued together with him they answered nothing Againe in the same Euangelist he said vnto the Apostles Luk. 9. 13. Giue them to eate Vnto whom they answered Wee haue no more but fiue loaues and two fishes There this answere is ascribed vnto all whereas neuerthelesse in Iohn it is assigned onelie vnto Andrew the brother of Simon Peter Iohn 6. 9. Matt. 4. 10. Moreouer vnto Peter and Andrew is saide that which belonged vnto all the Apostles to wit I wil make you fishers of men But to come more néere vnto that place in the 16. Chapter of Matthew of which I spake before it is easilie gathered by the other Euangelists that Peter answered vnder the name and person of all For wee haue it in the 8. Mark 8. 30 Luke 9. 21. of Marke and in the 9. Chapter of Luke The Lorde rebuked them and threatened them that they shoulde not tell it vnto others Our aduersaries doe not weigh these things They are onelie verie desirous to speake but what they doe speake they consider not They are excéeding carefull for the defence of their dominion and primacie Mat. 20. 26. But the Pope to become Lord of Lords calleth himselfe the seruant of seruants whereas the Lord forbad the same to his Apostles and commaunded that they which would be the greater should behaue themselues as the lesser and he warned that such Ambition was proper vnto the Kings and Princes of the Ethnicks and that it did not appertaine vnto his Disciples 33 Because we haue said that they deale verie wickedlie and shamefullie Whether the fowle life of the Romane Clergie because sufficient to depart from them Mat. 23. 2. here also they set themselues against vs and saie that the foule and reprochfull life of ministers is no cause of separation and departing from the Church because Christ said vnto his Apostles of the Scribes and Pharisées which sate vpō the chaire of Moses that they should doe those things which were spoken by them but not those things which they did We also confesse that we ought not to depart from the Church for the filthie maners and vitious life of Clergie men although it behooueth all godlie men and members of Christ to indeuour that either they may be amended or else if they shall be obstinate in their sinnes to be remooued from their place But while this cannot be done let vs heare them when they shall speake out of the bookes of Moses I meane out of the lawe of God out of the Prophets and out of the writings of the new Testament But if vnder the pretence of the holie Ministerie they will obtrude the traditions of men and especiallie such as be repugnant to the worde of God we maie not heare them neither shall wée violate the commaundement of Christ by withstanding them They are woont also to obiect that which is in the 17. Chapter of Deuteronomie Verse 12. where God commaundeth that the high Priest should be heard by the people of God A place in Deuteronomie answered But why do they not mark in like maner that it is commanded the Priest that he should answere according to the law Whereby it is gathered that he must in the meane time be obeyed while he declareth his opinion not out of his owne head but out of the law of God To this they alleage against vs the examples of the blessed Virgin An example of Simeon and others which in Christes time forsooke not the companie of the Scribes of Iohn Baptist of Elizabeth Ioseph and Simeon who being not ignorant that the Priests and Leuites of their times were corrupted yet did not withdrawe themselues from the Church Vnto this we answere First that the precepts of the lawe vrged them to sacrifice for the time of that age that for sundrie causes Deut. 12. 5 Againe they were enforced that they should not sacrifice whersoeuer they thought good but in some certaine place which God had chosen But we by the benefite of Christ are not bound to those preceptes Further the Priests and Leuites although they were corrupt and infected yet did they not compell anie man vnto wicked rites
signe SOD. This in déed is true but I would also learne the cause of the changing of the names ORTH. The ende why it is so called is manifest vnto them which be instructed in Religion For he woulde that they which be partakers of those diuine mysteries should not haue regard vnto the nature of those things which be séene but that by the changing of names they shoulde beléeue that transmutation which is doone by grace For he that called his owne naturall bodie Corne and bread and also called himselfe a vine euen he himselfe also honoured those things which séeme to be signes with the name of his bodie and bloud not forsooth changing nature it selfe but vnto nature adding grace SOD. Truelie the mysticall things are spoken mystically those things which are not knowen vnto al men are made cleare and manifest ORTH. Wherefore séeing he confesseth that the robe and garment is by the Patriarch called the Lordes bodie and that we be entred into the talke of diuine mysteries tel me in verie déede whose singe and figure thou thinkest that most holy meate to be Was it the signe of the verie diuinitie of Christ or else of his owne bodie and bloud SOD. Doubtlesse euen of those things whereof also they receiued their names ORTH. Doest thou meane of the bodie bloud SOD. So I meane ORTH. Thou hast truely spoken For the Lorde taking the signe saieth not This is my diuinitie but This is my bodie And againe This is my bloud And in another place But the bread which I will giue for the life of the world SOD. Iohn 6. 51. In verie déede al these things be true for they bee the wordes of GOD. ORTH. Certainely if these things be true the Lord had a bodie in déede SOD. But I say that he is without bodie ORTH. But thou confessest that he had a bodie c. 30 Out of the second Dialogue we haue these wordes SOD. We must doubtlesse according to the prouerbe remooue euery stone that we may attaine vnto the trueth especiallie in setting foorth the doctrine of God ORTH Shew me then whereof the signes which be offered vnto God by the ministers of holy thinges be mysticall signes SOD. Of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. ORTH. OF the true bodie or not SOD. Of the true bodie ORTH. Very wel said for they must be a principall patterne of the Image For the painters doe followe nature and they paint the Images of those thinges that be séene SOD. Thou sayst true ORTH. If then those diuine mysteries be examples of a bodie being then is the Lordes bodie now also a bodie and is not changed into the nature of diuinitie but is replenished with diuine glory SOD. In good time hast thou mooued this speach of diuine mysteries for thereby will I shew thée a changing of the Lordes bodie into an other nature aunswere therefore vnto my questions ORTH. I will aunswere SOD. What callest thou that gift which is offered before the priestes inuocation ORTH. We must not speake openly For it is very lykelie that some here present be not yet throughlie instructed SOD. This is a diffuse aunswere ORTH. Looke what séede it was such meate it is SOD. But how doe we name the other signe ORTH. This name also is common betokening a figure of the cup. SOD. How doost thou call those thinges after sanctification ORTH. The bodie of Christ and the bloud of Christ SOD. And doest thou beléeue that thou receauest the bodie and bloud of Christ ORTH. Yea verily I beléeue it SOD. Therefore euen as the signes of the bodie and bloud of the Lord be one thing vndoubtedlie before the inuocation of the priest but after the very inuocation be changed from one to an other and become other thinges so likewise the bodie of the Lord after it is receaued is changed into diuine substance ORTH. Thou art caught in the same nettes which thou hast layd For those mysticall signes after sanctification doe not change their owne proper nature Note that the signes do not cast away their old nature for they in very déede remaine in their former substance both in figure and forme and are euen so séene and handled as before and the thinges that are doone are vnderstood and beléeued honored as though they were such as they are beléeued to be Compare therfore the Image with the principall figure and thou shalt sée the similitude For a figure must agrée with the trueth For that very bodie it selfe hath his first figure and forme and circumscription and to speake plainlie the very substance also of a bodie But after the resurrection it became immortall and it is accounted woorthie of the seate which is at the right hand of God and is woorshipped of all creatures as a bodie being of the Lordes owne nature SOD. Howbeit that mysticall signe changeth his first name and is not afterward named by that name which it was first called but is called a bodie Wherefore the trueth it selfe must now be called God and not any more a bodie ORTH. Thou appearest ignorant vnto me it is not onely called a bodie but also the bread of life for so the Lord called it Yea and we also call this a diuine bodie and a quickening bodie and the maisters bodie and the Lordes bodie teaching that it is no common bodie of euerie man but the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ who is God and man euen Iesu Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer 31 There is extant an Epistle in the Lybrarie of Florence albeit not imprinted of Chrysostome to Caesarius the Moonke in the time of his second banishment Chrysost An example of that Epistle is extant with the Byshop of Canterburie written against Appolinaris and others which confoūded the diuinitie and humanitie of Christ Christ is both God and man God because he cannot suffer Man because of his passion and suffering One sonne one Lord one and the selfe same doubtlesse possessing one dominion and one power of the natures vnited although they be not together of one substance and each one of them being vnmingled kéepeth an acknowledgement of his owne propertie for this cause that they be two thinges not confounded For like as before the bread be sanctified we name it bread and the same being sanctifyed by the diuine grace by meanes of the priest is vndoubtedlie deliuered from the name of bread and is accounted woorthie to be called the Lords bodie although the nature of bread haue remained in it and is declared not to be two bodies but one bodie of the sonne euen so this diuine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the nature of an ouerflowing bodie hath made both these one sonne and one person Hesychius in the 20. Hesychius booke vppon Leuiticus the 8. Chapter Therefore he commaundeth that the flesh should be eaten with bread to the intent we might vnderstand the same to be called a mysterie of him
Chapter Non minus where the words of the Lateran Councell are cited and in the Chapter Aduersus consules will haue the ecclesiasticall men to be vtterlie exempted And Boniface the 8. in 6. De immunitate Ecclesiarum in the Chapter Clericis Laicos permitteth them not to paie any thing yea and hée excommunicateth the Prince which taketh tribute of a Minister of the Church and also the minister himselfe which payeth it This lawe as being too cruell Benedictus the 11. after a sort mitigateth in the Extrauagants De immunitate Ecclesiae in the Chapter Quod Olim. Yet he permitteth not the Prince to doe any thing without asking Counsell of the Bishop of Rome For he indéede doth not excommunicate those Princes which receiue tribute of ecclesiasticall men but onelie those which exact it of them Séeing hee permitteth not that Princes should exact anie thing in their owne right which yet he sometimes permitteth in case of necessitie as in danger of Religion and life so that first there be had the consent of the Bishop clergie and afterward also the Pope to allow of the fact So long then hath he decréede that they must tarry So these men exempt themselues from the obedience and tributes of Princes and Kings which as I haue before said out of Vlpian are the strength and sinowes of the commonweale When I thinke vpon these things I call to remembrance a profitable saying of Dioclesian A saying of Dioclesian of whom when a Philosopher had desired an immunitie This request saide he disagréeeth with thy profession Thou said he professest that thou wilt ouercome thy affections but thou shewest that thou art ouercome of auarice So these men professe themselues to be spiritual but in a spiritual man there is nothing more required than charitie which counselleth vs not to liue franchised securely when others are oppressed with cares and burthens Thomas Aquinas Gen. 47. 11 Aquinas bringeth a place of Genesis to shew the Priests are exempted from tributes not indéede by the law of God but by a law made by Princes and yet neuerthelesse agréeing with the law of nature For Pharao King of Egypt prouided that the Priestes should not pay the fift part of their fruite for tribute when as neuerthelesse so much was exacted of all the Egyptians Wherefore he concludeth that Priestes are exempted This place is diligentlie to be considered First let vs note that the Egyptian Priestes had their daylie liuing out of the treasurie of the King They had prouisiō giuen them to liue by Afterwarde it came to passe that when the hunger waxed great all the Egyptians solde their landes vnto the King therewith to buy corne to satisfie hunger But when that famine was past the King restored the lands vnto the owners yet vpon this condition that euery yeare they should pay him the fift part but of the landes of the Priests there was no fift part payde And no maruaile because they soulde not their landes vnto the king séeing they were maintained at the common charge Yet it is to be thought that they paide so much tribute of their landes as they were woont to pay before the famine Neither vndoubtedly can any other thing be gathered out of that place except that Priests ought to be maintained of the common cost And in that they payde not the fift part that happened for an other cause as we haue nowe declared 26 They alleage also the vij Esdr 7. 23. Chapter of Esdras where Artaxerxes prouided that when he had laid a tribute vpon the Iewes there should be nothing leuied vpon the Leuites in the name of a tribute But this is not to be maruelled at séeing the Leuites had no landes to pay tribute of in as much as to them pertained onely the oblations first-fruites and tenthes for which cause they were released of tributes Also Iulius Caesar in his Booke of the French warres saith that the Druids which were the French Priests paide no tributes Plinie The Druids paid no tributes But Plinie in his 16. booke and 44. Chapter writeth that the Druids had no landes And yet are not these things spoken to this ende It would be honourable for the magistrates to deale somewhat gently with the Ministers that I would not thinke it lawfull for Magistrates to deale somewhat gently with Ministers and to beare somewhat with them because they must alwaies applie themselues to holy things and studie for nothing else Whereby it commeth to passe that they can not increase their substance yea rather they verie oftentimes suffer great losse neither haue they their substance but during their life Onely this I disallow that they claime vnto themselues immunitie both reall personall that they vtterly refuse both ordinarie extraordinarie charges and that by tyrannie or contrarie to the authoritie of the word of God and for that the Pope will not suffer Princes to exact tributes of Bishops and Ecclesiasticall men after their owne minde and because they will not yéelde them if they be required The word of God hath otherwise commaunded when it saith Let euerie soule bee subiect to the higher power Rom. 13. 1. And therefore saith he ye paie tributes None is exempted neither woulde Christ himselfe bee exempted Chrysostome vppon that place of Paule Chrysost It may saith he séeme gréeuous vnto Christians for that they being the Children of God and appointed for the Kingdome of heauen are subiect vnto the Princes of this worlde But he answereth While we are in this life our dignity is hidden For it appeareth not what we shal be Wherefore whilest we liue héere let it not be gréeuous vnto vs to do reuerence to Magistrates to giue them the way and to honor them these things are full decent and well beséemeth saints Now that we are regenerate by the word and the Spirite it might seeme that we néede no Magistrate Whereupon the Iewes because they were the people of God tooke it verie greeuouslie that sometime the Babylonians raigned ouer them sometime the Persians sometime the Gretians sometimes the Romanes and other nations which were strangers from God The Anabaptists Libertins The Anabaptistes and Libertines crie that it is a thing vnworthy for a Christian to suffer a Magistrate ouer him The clergie of the Pope also haue shaken off this yoke from themselues But the Apostles which foresawe that this would come to passe did oftentimes vrge that the ciuill power should be obeyed We sin two maner of waies against the Magistrate Which precept is two waies transgressed One is when men saie that they will not obey the Magistrate and doe sediciously take armes against him The otherwaie is when they circumuent him by subtiltie and guile so as he cannot execute his office For in Courtes there be such as flatter in the eare of Princes dispraise and praise whom they list accuse the good in stead of the euill and commend the euill for good So
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
held this for a crime of death But on the other side there followed thereof manie harmes and discommodities which I thinke good in like maner to rehearse 37 Thereby it commeth oftentimes to passe What euils Sanctuarie causeth that Maisters be despised by their seruaunts if they vpon hope to escape punishment doe flie vnto Sanctuaries there remaine many daies in which time their maisters without doubt are constrained to be destitute of the dueties and necessarie seruice of them Herewithall thou maiest adde that men doe then more fréelie sinne if they haue Sanctuaries readie whereunto they maie flie This did Tiberius Caesar prudently perceiue who as Suetonius and Tacitus report being displeased at so great a libertie tooke awaie the priuiledges from all sanctuaries It was come to passe as Plutarche saieth in his Problemes that the Priest of Iupiter stoode before the gates of the Temple and they which came and fell downe at his féete should be out of daunger and if they had bin bound they were straightwaie loosed After the which maner also many temples of the Papistes at this day become dens of theeues For they which be indebted by kéeping of themselues there be nothing carefull to satisfie their Creditors they shunne labour and behaue themselues ill in such Sanctuaries There happeneth another mischiefe that they which are come thither and their cause knowen are founde wicked men and doe escape by the helpe of the Moonkes and Priestes and by this meanes grieuous crimes are left vnpunished Yea and the Commonwealth it selfe is oftentimes by the like maners troubled to wit when as in such Sanctuaries those that be guiltie of treason be defended 1. kings 1. 51. as Adonias who hurt the commonweale and by reason of the Altar remained without harme 38 That immunitie in such kinde of crimes was graunted vnto those which fled to the Church Socrates testifieth in the fifth Booke and 6. Chapter of his historie where he sheweth that Eutropius one of the noble men of Arcadia desired verie much to be reuenged of them which fled vnto the Church And séeing that was not lawfull for him by the law he wrested a decrée from the Emperour whereby the right of Sanctuarie of the Church was abrogated But within a while after it happened that the same Eutropius himselfe with certaine men of his incurred the indignation of Caesar Wherefore least he shoulde be apprehended he went to the Church which thing did not profite him Against the same man Chrysostome inueighed in a Sermon saying that the Church could not defend him who tooke awaie the priuiledge thereof And because Iustinian saw that the same so large and ample immunitie did hurt the Commonweale therefore he restrained the same as we may sée in the Authenticks in the Title De Mandatis Principum the Paragraphe Quod si delinquentes where he excepteth homicides adulterers and those which rauish virgins For he writeth vnto his lieftenaunt that he shoulde in any wise punish such and shoulde not suffer them to inioy any priuiledges of Sanctuarie This lawe being otherwise firme and of good authoritie hath the Bishops lawe disabled What importunitie the Papisticall Sanctuaries doe graunt For in the Decretalles De Immunitate Ecclesiae in the Chapter Inter alia Innocentius the thirde wrote vnto the King of Scots Let none bée taken awaie from the Church though he haue committed grieuous faultes Further he decréed that they which haue betaken themselues to the Churches if they be afterward deliuered cannot any more in respect of that crime bee punished with corporall paine but onely by some other ciuill punishments And before that the rulers of the Church doe render them let them receiue an assuraunce from the Magistrates that they doe not put them to death 39 But least they might séeme to giue too much libertie they excepted thrée cases First they will not haue common théeues to be defended who lie in waite vppon the high-wayes Secondlie Robbers by the night which spoyle the fieldes Thirdlie they which commit haynous offences in the Churches or the Churchyardes being animated vppon hope that they shall there be without harme For such are not protected by the Church séeing they doe gréeuouslie sinne against the Church This is decréed in the decretals De Immunitate Ecclesiae in the lawe Immunitatem And as touching seruantes they decréed that if they shall flie vnto the Church being armed they shall not be receaued That also we haue in the Code De ijs qui confugiunt ad Ecclesiam in the law Si Seruus Howbeit if young men goe thither and séeke aduocates in the Church they are receaued their Maisters are called who assuring them of impunitie take them into their handes againe But other faultes although they be grieuous as murthers rauishing of virgins and adulteries they defend as it is in the decrees 36. quest 1. in the Canon De raptoribus And that immunitie they giue not onelie vnto Christians but also vnto Iewes so that they dissemble not So doe they in like manner vnto Ethnickes and also vnto men excommunicate and vnto heretickes But they make a difference after this manner If an heretick come into perill for other faultes he is defended but if for heresie it selfe he inioyeth not sanctuarie Furthermore this libertie is not only graunted vnto the Church A Bishops house had the power of Sanctuarie but also vnto a Byshops house although it be not ioyned to the Church Which thing is in the decrees 17. quest 4. in the Canon Id constituimus As much priuiledge also they graunt to their breadē God When the Priest was in steed of a Sanctuarie when it is caried about either in pompe or vnto the sicke For then if they take hold by the priest they haue sanctuarie Neuerthelesse they which liue in a sanctuarie and haue obtained priuiledge may there deale with their aduersaries But if they owe anie thing and be indebted to the common treasure the Canonistes in that case decree that it is lawfull for Iudges to cite that man before the Church doore if he will satisfie it is well if not they procéede to the possession of his goods which afterward they sell and withhold vntill all the debt be discharged But if so be they owe not vnto the commō treasure but to other men they haue respit giuen them for thirtie dayes wherein they may goe foorth séeke some Patron But if sentence be pronounced against them they are constrained either to stand to the iudgement or else to returne to the sanctuarie 40 Also in the time of warre they will that the rite of sanctuarie shall be of force to the intent that they which flie vnto the tempels may not be killed by the enemies vnlesse perhappes they make the Temple their hold and doe fight from thence Verie many such like thinges they haue which verie often doe turne to great wickednesse But yet they themselues doe iudge that this immunitie must by all meanes
sent into Gallies that they may neither hurt themselues nor others and that they may labour with some profite to the Common-weale By this meanes might the inconueniences which come by banished men be taken away These thinges vndoubtedlie are not set downe of vs by reasons Demonstratiue but confirmed as me thinketh by probable reasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This moreouer I thinke good to adde that if anie through feare flie away of their owne accord the Citie is not therefore to be blamed because it could not let them But yet it séemeth not to be well aduised if afterward it forbiddeth them to returne Better it should be to suffer them to returne whome being returned they may send out vnto such places as they shal thinke to be due vnto their misdéedes The sixteenth Chapter Whether it be lawfull for a Christian man to goe to lawe HEre nowe the place putteth vs in remembrance to sée whether it bee licenced vnto a Christian man to trie matters by lawe In 1. Cor. 6. Thrée things to be spoken of In which we will accomplishe thrée thinges First wee will prooue by firme and strong Argumentes that it is lawfull Secondly shall be set foorth the forme and waie wherein this ought to be And finallie whereas there be certaine places in the holy Scriptures which séeme to teach the contrarie and that certain reasons are woont to be brought which are thought to be a let we will interprete the wordes of the holie Scripture and will confute the reasons obiected The first place Verse 1. As touching the first the sentence of Paul which we haue in the 1. Epistle to the Corinthians the 6. Chapter plainely perswadeth that to goe to lawe is not forbidden he reprooueth those onlie because they went vnto Infidels Further because they were ouercome with perturbations of the minde in that they coulde not beare iniuries finally because themselues did iniurie Remooue thou those faults that are reprooued and what will remaine but that causes may be heard betwéen faithful men in the Church and that wise iudges maie be appointed to discerne pronounce iustly of causes Acts. 15. 20 Paul appealed vnto Cesar In the Actes of the Apostles Paul appealed vnto Caesar for defence of his owne life he would not be iudged by the lieftenant of Iurie because he sawe that his Tribunall seate was alreadie corrupted by the head Bishops and Priests He chose Caesar to bee his iudge with whom his cause might be vnderstoode Wherefore before the Apostle were laide two vniust tribunall seates and both of Infidels That he chose vnto himselfe which séemed to haue least discommoditie Euerie godly man so much as is possible must escape the iudgements of the faithlesse and vngodly euen as wee at this day will not bee iudged by the Pope who holdeth all for excommunicate euen so manie as will not be subiect to his Tyrannie And the verie same Apostle as we reade in the same Booke of Actes sent a young maÌ„ his sisters sonne vnto the Tribune Acts. 23 17 Paul caused that the â—aying in waite of the Iewes should be shewed vnto the Tribune who shoulde declare the conspiracie which the Iewes made against him and so was he saued and sent againe by night vnto Caesarea Whereby it appeareth that it is not forbidden to implore the helpe of publike power Iudgement and Magistrates are instituted by God 2 Furthermore God did not institute any thing which is against Charitie But iudgement and Magistrates without all doubt are brought in by God so as they are not repugnant vnto charitie Gen. 9. 6. We reade in Genesis the 9. Exo. 18. 19. Deut. 1. 9. in Exodus the 18. and in Deuteronomie the first that a Magistrate and iudgements are instituted by God The Anabaptists crie that in Christianisme there is required a farre greater perfection than in the old law and therefore that arguments must not be sought from thence These mad men vnder a colour of perfection endeuour to confound the world by a confused order of things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we shoulde want Magistrates woulde not murthers robberies and other mischiefes euerie where abound There is no hope that anie man might let offences to happen For as Christ said they must of necessitie happen What doe these men meane Matt. 18â— Will they haue them punished or not punished If they will say vnpunished what ende or measure will there then be of calamities But if they will haue them to be punished by whom at the length shall punishments be executed Doubtlesse Magistrates being taken away if euerie man punish and reuenge at his owne pleasure all things will be filled with a confused order and while they faine to followe perfection they will bring vs into an vtter confusion of things Verse 19. Verse 9. Besides this in the 18. Chapter of the Booke of Exodus and in the first Chapter of Deuteronomie God prouided with all diligence that the qualities and vertues of them which should be appointed Iudges might be expressed to the intent we may plainelie perceiue that he had a singular care of iudgements In Esaie it is said Esa 1. 17. Seeke yee iudgement helpe the fatherlesse iudge the widowe and the like places wée méete withall euerie where in the Prophets And in the Psalmes it is shewed that God hath so great a care of iudgementes Psal 82. 1. as he himselfe will sit with the Iudges Wherefore it is said God stoode in the Synagogue or in the companie of Iudges he is Iudge in the middest of them 2. Par. 19. ver 6. And in Paralipomenon the Iudges are admonished that it is not the businesse of men which they execute but the businesse of God The verie which thing is written in the first Chapter of Deuteronomie Deut. 1. 10. 3 But least these men should thinke that a Magistrate and Iudgements are assured onelie by the olde lawe we heare that they be established in the Epistle to the Romanes the 13. Chapter Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. That it is lawfull for godlie men to beare office and also by Peter in his Epistle And that it is lawfull for godly men to beare office the examples of Ioseph Dauid Ezechias Iosias Daniel and his fellowes doe plainely declare And in the new Testament Paul in the 16. Verse 23. Chapter to the Romans writeth Erastus the Chamberlaine of the Citie saluteth you Acts. 13. 1â— And in the Actes of the Apostles when Sergius Paulus the Proconsull was conuerted vnto Christ he renounced not his office And that it belongeth to a Magistrate to iudge causes and take away contentions by punishing and rewarding it is perceiued by the definition thereof The definition of a Magistrates office For it is a power instituted by God vnto the safetie of good men and reprehension of euill men by laying of punishments vpon the one sort and giuing rewardes vnto
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
time the kingdome and priesthoode were cōmitted to one man this may be declared the cause namely that in those persons Christ was shadowed to whom was due both the true Priesthood and soueraine kingdome But after his comming vpon the earth we haue no other Priest but himselfe our onely mediatour and redéemer Vndoubtedly those ministers of the Church which are instituted by him The office of the ministers of Christ are appointed to preache the Gospell of the sonne of God and to administer the sacraments Wherefore it is méete that they shoulde abstaine themselues from outward principalitie and administration of ciuill affaires since they haue bin so instructed by Christ For he said vnto his Apostles Mat. 20. 25 The Princes of the nations haue dominion ouer them but it shall not be so among you And being required by a certaine man to commaunde his brother to diuide the heritage with him saide Luk. 12. 13. Who hath made mee a iudge ouer you shewing that it agréed not with his vocation while he remained vpon the earth to haue authoritie to diuide heritages And after the same maner ought ministers to iudge themselues to bée sent euen as he was sent from the father Ioh. 20. 21. Moreouer Paul informing his Timothie and instructing him as touching the holy ministerie saieth 2. Tim. 2. 4. No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life Where he vseth an argument of comparison to wit from the lesser to the greater Euen as if he should say If it be not lawful for them which are bounde by the othe of warfare to take vpon them other businesse or trades of life much lesse ought they which are bounde to the holie ministerie intermeddle themselues with other charges For their vocation requireth the whole man because they must not onely twise or thrise in the yéere execute their office but it is necessarie that as the Apostle hath warned they preache the Gospell and earnestly apply themselues to reading and doctrine both in season and out of season 2. Tim. 4. 2 18 Howbeit it must be vnderstood that Armes is not vtterlie taken away from the Ministers of the Church because so it may otherwhile befall as it shall be lawfull for them to exercise the same For if in a desert place anie of them should be set vppon by murtherers wherein they cannot implore the ayde and helpe of the Magistrate it should be lawfull for him to repell violence by violence to vse weapons if they should come to hand strokes by making as they terme it a blamelesse defence For he that is so inuaded is not in that place a priuate person but is armed by the Magistrate and by iust and publike receaued lawes For neither the lawes nor yet a iust Magistrate would that their Citizens should rashlie perish Wherefore in that case they giue leaue to vse weapons God also by his lawes would that if théeues came armed to anie house in the night season if they were killed by the owner of the house that fact was not punishable because they were iudged to haue come not onely to robbe but also to murther and God decréed no vniust thing Séeing therefore that the Ministers not onelie doe seruice to the Church but be also subiectes of a Citie and partes of the Commonweale they ought not to be depriued of the priuileges which other Cities inioy especiallie when as by the vse of them they are not reuoked from the holie Ministerie Also it may so happen that there shal be so great scarcitie of men in a Towne When ministers may doe the part of souldiers as without helpe of the Ministers the walles or gates might not be defended nor the enemie repulsed in that case they are not let nay rather they are bound and that iustlie to helpe their countrie being in danger But if such or the like necessitie doe not vrge I thinke it not the part of a godlie Magistrate to compell them vnto warrefare because they cannot with a safe conscience leaue their vocation neither can they execute the same together with the exercise of warre But yet I deny not but that it may be lawfull for a short time and when necessitie vrgeth That the ministers of the word ought to be in the camp to exhort the souldiers Neither yet doe I deny but that he may be in the Camps to preach vnto the souldiers yea rather I doe counsell that this be diligentlie doone for in the place there is most néed of the word of God aswel for reproouing of the euill actes which cōmonlie depend vpon warres as also to incourage the mindes of thē that fight Forsomuch as God himselfe made the lawe as it is in Deut. that the priestes should come foorth into the Campe for to put the souldiers in remembrance of the promises of God Deut. 20. 2. But yet notwithstanding these exceptions the Pope and Bishops of our times are not excused when they proclaime and make warres yea rather they set princes together at variance neither doe they thinke themselues to liue well and quietlie vnlesse that slaughter sworde and warre rage in euerie place Of the induring of Tyrannie by godlie men In Gen. 34 19 Tyrant hath the name of the Gréeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word Tyrant is taken both in good part and in bad which is to rule or haue soueraintie And that word sometimes we interpret in good part and sometimes in bad In good part in Virgill Some peace shall I haue which haue touched the Tyrantes hand But in the songes of Horace the 3. booke Acron expounding that particle Latè Tyranni saith that Tyrant signifieth a cruel man a mightie man and a Lorde And while it is drawen into the ill part it is thus defined That it is he which beareth rule against right honestie lawes This doubtlesse may be doone two manner of wayes either by inuading vniustlie or by ruling the dominion naughtilie Wherefore such a wicked prince must godly men suffer Godlie men must suffer the rule of Tyrants séeing they be priuate persons and haue no authoritie ouer him Neither is it their part seditiouslie to mooue warre against him Paul saith Rom. 13. 1. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for whatsoeuer powers there be they be ordained of God and they which resist power get vnto themselues damnation And let vs reason thus Those things which God will take away frō his by other meanes and instruments let vs beare it with no lesse patience if he take them away by Tyrantes And what godlie man will not abide diseases stormes and losses of which sort Iob suffered diuers Without doubt we must assure our selues that euen these thinges are no lesse doone by God through Tyrantes than by those other meanes 20 But he 〈◊〉 some man will say An obiection If this reason take place it shall neuer be lawfull for me by helpe
the Romane Antichrist which might haue letted is taken away And to speake of our students in Oxford we haue here many noble wittes and such as be exercised in no meane learnings many Colledges are builded which be well indued wherein meate drinke and things necessarie for scholers are prouided so that they want nothing to a happie state Al which commodities being neglected and contemned the house of God lyeth fallen downe flat Thirdly the Iewes were hindered from building of the Temple by the lets and threatenings of the Princes néere adioyning as we may gather out of the bookes of Esdras Nehemias The Thathanai the Tharpelai Stharbusanai others partly Samaritans partly Idumeans did perpetually resist them that builded 1. Esd 4. 5. and wrote against them to the king of Persians In like maner of Christ the feare of the Romanes was a hinderaunce that he could not be receiued of the Iewes for the high Priests feared least they and all that they had should perish if they receiued an other king besides Caesar And our people doe at this day say that the Gospell must not bee receiued because that Fraunce being so great a kingdome doeth resist it Spaine consenteth not vnto it Italie repugneth against it and will we alone be wiser than all Christendome besides But O my brethren if this were a good reason it shoulde haue behooued the Apostles to cease from preaching for the whole world spake against them The Ethnicks no doubt confessed God to be the Lorde of heauen but they committed Idolatrie with the Idols and Images receiued of their Fathers The Iewes contended that their fathers lawes were to be retained and would not suffer that the Lawes of Moses should be changed Since the Apostles were assured of the matter they contemned the iudgement of the world and it is not méete that Religion should be subiect to the slaunders of men and to haue her confirmation by the consent of mans reason Otherwise if this Argument were of any great force wée might bid Christ farewell since a great part of the world doe at this day resist him The Turkish vncleannesse at this day occupieth many regions infinite is the heape of the Iewes the Epicures Atheistes are without number therefore we which worship after a right maner are alwayes but a small weake companie Fourthly the Prophet remembreth our cause when the building of the Iewish Temple should he differred namely because euery mā regarded his owne houses decked them and seeled them as also because they were occupied in those thinges that were their owne proper but the house of GOD was neglected In like manner the Scribes and high Priests of the Iewes because they would haue their owne place and their owne honour saued reiected Christ who was nowe come After the selfe same manner doe ours thinke if the Gospel shall be published there will be a consideration had of discipline it shall not be lawfull for euerie man to doe what he list and they which shall be founde méete and apt for teaching shall be thrust foorth into labour vnto the flockes which be destitute of Masters and teachers shall their pastors be restored which are so farre off and haue béene so long from them some meane and measure would be appointed of pleasures delightes riches pryde pompe and idlenesse These thinges doe they ponder which are affected to their owne commodities and doe wholy giue themselues to pleasures Then doe they incline to their owne wit They say that the time of building is not yet come and when there can bee no other reason pretended they take holde of this which is dayly spoken eueriewhere that in very déede the séeking is not to restore Religion but that this is the onely indeuour of noble men to make a spoile of the Ecclesiasticall goods An ill cogitatiō doubtlesse an vngodly counsell and I would neuer say it were well doone that those things which were appoynted for maintenance of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie shoulde be conuerted to other vses Howbeit we must not thinke it a méete cause to flie from the vocation laide vppon vs because the Church goods and riches are diminished for it were great shame that godlinesse wherein standeth the chéefe stay of mans saluation should depend of the things of this world What else is this than to preferre riches before Christ and that wée will not receiue him vnlesse he come loaden with gold siluer If we were wise we shuld say with Iob The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away as it hath pleased the Lord euen so is it done The counsels of God beléeue me are great déepes vnsearchable perhaps he hateth these riches as goods ill gotten Mich. 1. 7. Micheas the Prophet saith They are of the hire of an harlot and to an harlots hire shall they be returned againe It hath béene thought that the Masse is of great moment to saluation and hence haue sprung so many Altars and béene made so many foundations It was beléeued a great while that by masses the soules of the deade are redéemed from the paines of Purgatorie for which cause they which would haue their parents or friends to be deliuered from the torments of Purgatorie did excéedinglie enrich the Church Wherefore since in oblations the Lord doth chiefely consider the will purpose and ende it displeased him that men shoulde be so deceaued as to thinke that whatsoeuer they themselues should offer vnto God were it lawfull or vnlawfull should be acceptable vnto him since in all our actions God hath a regarde how right and syncere a faith wée haue But yet I woulde not haue it to be thought that I speake this as though I maintained the spoile and auarice of some onely this I admonish and haue regarde vnto that our minds be not so offended by these spoyles that either we shoulde flie from the ministerie or doubt but that they be doone by the great wisedome of God He promised to his Apostles that there should neuer be anie want to them which labour in the Gospell Heauen and earth shall perish before any iot of the promises of God shal be left vnperformed What should we feare Christ hath opened vnto vs the barnes houses and treasuries of al rich men yea and of al the world For of him it is saide He that leaueth father or mother house or land for my sake and for the Gospell shall receiue a hundreth folde in this life and euerlasting felicitie in the worlde to come When the good man of the house thrusteth foorth laborers into his vineyeard he forsaketh them not but rewardeth them with a pennie a day and that so liberally as he withdraweth not the same from them that labour least which rewarde if thou interpret Eternall life I denie it not but I thinke it may be gathered He vouchsafeth heauenly rewardes to his seruaunts Neither will he take away from them that be of little faith the small helps of this
in the holie Scriptures 2 318 b 3 23 b The greater number of Fathers graunt it 3 243 b Whether Purgatorie bee an article of our faith â— 233 b Augustine spake doubtfullie thereof 3 234 a Diuerse inconueniences by the opinion of the same 3 238 a Whether soules doe there satisfie for sinnes 3 237 b What place it is feigned to bee 3 232 b The reasons for the proofe thereof confuted 3 38b 239 ab 240 a Of Purgatorie fire what is said by way of proofe and disproofe 3 2â—9 240. 241. 242. 243. 244. c. Whether it be common vnto all 3 243 a Whether soules are deliuered thereout by fasting 3 255b The holie scriptures are flat against the doctrine thereof 3 235a The Papists opinion thereof and the time of the continuance discontinuance thereof 2 23â— a Whether praiers intercessions of Saints be auailable for soules in Purgatorie 3 24â— a Purpose Gods Purpose signifieth his good pleasure 2 15a 9 b It belongeth to his will 3 9 b Not to haue mercie is as free as the purpose to haue mercie 3 13 a Common to reprobation and predestination 3 9 b God reuoketh his decreed â—urpose and howe 1 82b Qua. Qualitie One Qualitie cannot bee the forme of another 3 74 a 75 a Pleasure is a Qualitie and so is beautie also as howe 1 35 b Qualities The Qualities of the minde say the Schoolemen passe not from the Parentes to the children 2 239 b disprooued 2â—1 a With what Qualities the senses bee grieued and delighted as saieth Galenx 1 136 b 117 a Quantitie A Quantitie diuided is no more one in number 3 330 a What a Quantitie Mathematicall is 4 155 b Quantities Quantities be neuer reckened of the Philosophers among things that worke 1 79 b Que. Question The Question whether a thing be is naturally before the question what a thing is 3 1 b What shall become of the people which haue not heard of Christ 4 â—6 b Of the Question Howe and that the same hath been vsed of diuers godlie men women 2 333 ab Questions Of vaine and curious Questions 3 240 a About the state of our bodies in heauen 3 360 b Touching diuerse actions of God 3 268 b The maner of asking them of God among the Hebrewes reade the order 1 58 b 59 a Augustines booke of Questions supposed to be none of his why 1 75 a Qui. Quietnesse No way to finde rest Quietnes but in God onelie 1 100a Ra. Rapt Of Rapt or stealing away a mans daughter to marie her 2 433 b 438 ab What it is wherein it differeth from theft 2 437 ab From such as commit it is taken away the vse of appealing 2 438b It is of two sorts howe they differ 2 437 b That one may commit it against his own spouse 2 438 b What vnluckie endes haue insued followed it 2 44â—ab What the schoolemens iudgementes bee touching it in case of mariage pretended 2 441 a The opinion of the Canonistes and Councels touching the same 2 439 b 440 ab It cannot be properlie saide of a harlot 2 438 a What the ciuil Law determineth when it is coÌ„mitted of a woman in taking a man away by violence 2 439 b What the punishment is if in such a case the maide consent 2 439 a Whether the partie gotten away by Rapt may possesse the goods of the rapter 2 438b 439 a The Beniamites did not properlie commit Rapt 2 442 a Of the Rapt or violent taking away of Dina and whether that make for Rapt 2 440 b The cause thereof 2 442 a And the reuenge of the same 4 329 a Diuerse Raptings or takings vp in the Newe Testament 3 385 a ¶ Looke Enoch and Elias Rauishing The Rauishing of Lucretia done by Tarquinius 2 394a Of a maiden betrothed punished and howe 2 482 b Re. Reason What sound Reason and exercise is able to compasse in artes and sciences 1 56 b Children haue not the vse thereof and yet they doe many voluntarie actions 2 290 a Euill affects are repugnant thereto 2 408 a The regiment that God gaue it ouer the affects how it is impeached 2 409 a What affects belong to the regiment thereof and what not 2 406 b Why some haue ascribed it to brute beasts 2 290 a What things cannot be done by it 1 77 b By what tokens Gods prouidence may be knowen from it 1 167 b Reason rather than beleeuing maketh men mad 3 61 a 71 a Howe it is corrupted 2 564 b 226 a Reasons Gods Reasons are vnsearcheable vnto man 3 21 b Rebell Whether subiects may Rebell against their Prince 4 324 b Rebellion Whence Rebellion against God is deriued 3 388 a Against Moses and Aaron grieuouslie punished 2 482 b Rebuke The causes why we be loath to Rebuke others sharplie 2 378b The soft Rebuke that Helie vsed to his children blamed 2 378 a Rebukes The Rebukes of Christ 2 617 b 618 a Recantation The Recantation of Pope Iohn the xx 3 376 b Rechabites Of the Rechabites their linage vowe 3 188. 189. 190. 191. The abstinence of the Rechabites and of their descent 3 172 b Looke Vovve Reconciliation Reconciliation of the wife and the first husband after diuorsemeÌ„t not lawfull in Moses time and why 2 497 a Whether in such cases it be lawfull 2 487b 488 a Cleargie men admit it not 2 488b 489 a Reasons which make for it 2 496 ab 497 a The ciuill Lawes are against it 2 495 b 496 a The Fathers allowe it not 2 496 a An answere to the reasons against it 2 497 a Perfect Reconciliation betwixt God and vs our concupiscence corrupt motions notwithstanding 2 274 b. Redeemer Why Christ is called the last Redeemer 3 341 a ¶ Looke Christ Redemption What was requisite in the price of our Redemption 2 610 b Why God chose the death of Christ for the onelie meanes thereof 2 619 b Christs Redemption sufficient to all men but not effectuall to all men 3 31 a How it is ment that in hell there is no Redemption 3 369 b Redemptions Two Redemptions established by the doctrine of the Papistes 3 224 a Regenerate Of diuers things proper to the Regenerate 2 563 ab 564 They behaue not theÌ„selues al alike 2 564b 565 a Of their workes righteousnesse 2 562 b 563. 564. 568. 3 46a In them be some properties of the olde and new man 2 564 a They are solde vnder sinne 2 565 a They fulfill the law after a sort 2 566 b 3 110 a They haue neede of the lawe 2 576 b In them God conuerteth punishments into medicines 2 364 b The office of the law in them 2 300 a They may abstaine from the grosser sort of sinnes 2 274 ab Whether the concupiscence first motions remaining in them be sinnes 2 271 ab Of their libertie 2 270 a They are called the men of God but not simplie 2 271 a
Colossians frée will worship is condemned although it be offered vnto angels And I will not omit that which was spoken by Claudius bishop of Thurine against those which did prostrate themselues before the image of the lambe whom Iohn Baptist shewed with his finger These men saith he doo worship painted lambes but deuoure liuing lambes Againe They honour painted lambes but they doo flea and spoile the true lambes of Christ Furthermore the godlie which be departed are blessed yet are they not become gods that they should be worshipped and adored much lesse the images of them But God saie they adorneth his saints and therefore so it becommeth vs to doo True indéed it is that God indueth his saints with honour and with vncorruptible reward séeing he giueth them eternall life Let vs doo the same in like maner by speaking well of them by setting them foorthvnto the church to be followed Let vs consider beside that God dooth make his saints honourable yet dooth he not either adore them or put them foorth to be adored Matt. 25 40. But it is said by Christ that Whatsoeuer ye did to the least of mine that ye haue doone vnto me But these words must be vnderstood as touching the duties of charitie and not as touching worship and adoration And certeinlie what Christ ment he himselfe verie well expounded Ibidem 35. when he said I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke Why christians oght to flie the worshipping of images Origin in the eight booke against Celsus sheweth a reason why the christians should abhorre the worshipping of images and he saith Images we haue indéed not outward images which haue béene made by most vile carpenters but the minds of the faithfull and holie men from whence procéedeth as from the altar of God most swéet sauour of praiers which doo reach vp euen vnto heauen Wherefore in the reuelation of Iohn Apoc. 5 8. the praiers of godlie men are called swéet odours And Dauid sang Let my praier be in thy sight as the incense Psal 141 2. Afterward he addeth We abhorre the worshipping of images bicause they haue no sense Another obiection This also is woont to be obiected that If vpon the death of one emperour there succéeded another the images of the first were destroied throughout all the prouinces of the empire vnto which images honour was doone as vnto the emperour who was not present This I grant but that was onelie a ciuill honour whereby they testified themselues to be subiect vnto him and they receiued their new emperour with ioifull voices Also this must be well considered Idolatrie hath beene spoken against in all ages that there haue béene alwaies some men in euerie age which haue fréelie cried out against the worshipping of images And vndoubtedlie for that cause manie of the Graecian emperours as namelie the Philippicans the Constantines the Leos resisted the Romane bishops against whom on the other side the Romane bishops opposed themselues of a certeine hatred bicause they desired earnestlie to be rid of their subiection For which cause they ioined themselues with the French men and by that meanes rent in sunder the Romane empire Wherefore it is no maruell if at this daie also for images sake they stir vp vaine contentions Further they obiect woonders and maruels Miracles are obiected for the defense of idolatrie An answer which are wrought before images And did not Peter saie they while he was vpon the earth worke things of great woonder and admiration This cannot be denied and yet did he not suffer himselfe to be adored Wherefore the argument is most féeble namelie Some miracles be doone at signes and images Ergo they must be worshipped and adored Antichrist also shall come with manie woonders 2. Thes 2 9. and yet to followe and honour him is a heinous wickednes Also the brasen serpent did heale them 2. Kin. 18 4. which were hurt in the wildernesse which neuerthelesse when it was worshipped it was abolished by Ezechias In like maner the Ethnikes shewed manie signes and miracles for the establishing of their idols as we may read in Valerius Maximus Liuius and other old writers They obiect for their idols the tradition of the church An answer At the last when they haue nothing else they saie that This worshipping is the tradition of the church and therefore must be still reteined Verelie we reiect not all the traditions of the church but those without controuersie we reteine which agrée with the word of God those also which be not superfluous nor bring in a new seruice or worshipping But if there be anie which be repugnant to the word of God or burdensome to the church of God or doo import some new kind of seruice we vpon iust cause reiect them Moreouer how is the worshipping of images an apostolicall tradition when as the primitiue church vsed no such things Naie rather as we haue before declared some of the ancient fathers not onelie condemned images but also the makers of them And most vaine is that which these men haue alwaies in their mouth It is a tradition inquire not of it But I on the other part saie It is a tradition therefore inquire diligentlie of it whether it be agréeable to the word of God or whether it were in times past allowed of all the ancient fathers But as concerning miracles which be obiected vnto vs we must vnderstand that the diuell dooth manie times put himselfe among who is accustomed to nothing more than to establish superstitions and idolatrie Againe the miracles which are of that sort be doone by the iust iudgement of God bicause men doo cast awaie from them the loue of the truth 2. Thes 2 12 as it is in the epistle to the Thessalonians Note 20 The diuell séeing the signe of the crosse faineth himselfe to flie when neuerthelesse by such counterfeiting he créepeth more and more into vs. The strength and power of the crosse consisteth not in the signe but in the true and sound faith of Christ crucified The sacrificing priests also doo report that they sanctifie in a maner all things with the signe of the crosse But the scriptures speake farre otherwise which testifie that meates are sanctified by faith praiers and by the word of God 1. Tim. 4 5. Wherevnto while we assent and doo praie for the vse of things to the cleane all things are made cleane I denie not but that certeine miracles haue sometimes béene wrought by the signe of the crosse as Augustine reporteth in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei and eight chapter But I haue alreadie declared the cause thereof which séemeth not néedfull to be repeated onelie this I will report that the diuell is maruellouslie fed and delighted with mans errors And withall it is to be added that manie of those miracles were forged Fained and falso miracles for the
sacrificing priests and monks séeking after gaine doo spread abroad manie things altogither false which were neuer anie where doone or spoken But whie the elders as we haue aboue said signed their forehead with a crosse it is no easie matter to alledge the certeine cause Before in art 14. But I thinke that there were two respects first to testifie themselues to be Christians as though they were not ashamed of the crosse of Christ And this I gather by Augustine De verbis apostoli the eight sermon for the Ethniks triumphed ouer the Christians casting their follie in their téeth bicause they worshipped Christ that was nailed on the crosse To whom that father maketh answer A hart in déed we haue but yet no such as ye haue neither are we ashamed of him that was crucified but in that part where the signe of shamefastnesse is there haue we the signe of his crosse An other cause is that they would of a certeine euill and preposterous zeale imitate the legall ceremonies and bicause it might not be lawfull after the comming of Christ to sacrifice after the maner of the Hebrues Exod. 12 22 who were bidden to besprinkle the doore-posts of their houses with the blood of the paschall lambe our Christians in semblance thereof signed their foreheads with the crosse As Augustine dooth testifie in the 20. chapter De catechizandis rudibus Moreouer they persuaded themselues as it is alreadie shewed that the euill spirits were by such a signe chased awaie Yea and Gregorius Romanus also in his third booke of Dialogs writeth A wonderfull historie of a Iew that came by night into the temple of the idols that A Iew entering by night into a temple of an idoll there to take his rest and being greatlie astonished with the sight of verie manie wicked spirits which were in that place armed himselfe by the signe of the crosse And when the prince of the euill spirits vnderstood that a man was present he commanded one of the diuels that he should go vnto him and trie him what he was Who after he had beheld him returned and said Trulie I found an emptie vessell but it was marked and he left the Iew quite and cleane without anie harme Which thing he considering with himselfe came to the religion of Christ But Gregorie in that booke heaped vp togither manie vaine fabulous things the which not onlie may mooue the readers of them vnto laughter but also they are verie much against the religion of Christ The signe of the crosse is worne by princes vpon their crownes without superstition bicause by that signe they onelie testifie and professe that they honor and mainteine the religion of Christ Further if it be lawfull for a man to beare in armes the badge of his owne familie it is also lawfull for him by the signe of the crosse to professe Christian religion The signe of the crosse appeered vnto Constantine And in times past there appeared in heauen the signe of the crosse vnto Constantine the great and an inscription was added In this signe shalt thou ouercome For God was minded by a miracle to cōfirme him in the religion of Christ which he had latelie receiued Neither may he be condemned for that he caused that signe to be expressed in the banner which he ment to vse But that he afterward made such a maner of signe in gold that I allow not bicause by the dooing thereof he opened no small gap to superstition Concerning the finding of the Lords owne crosse by Helen wise men maruell that Eusebius Caesariensis who was verie familiar with Constantine and set foorth his life wrote nothing of it But Theodoretus Sozomenus indéed write somwhat of that matter Howbeit rather of the report of others than by the certeintie of their owne knowledge Yet in the reading of that historie there is found no mention of worshipping neuerthelesse it is said that it was placed in the temple Moreouer what great estimation Helen made of the nailes which the report is that she found it appéereth in that it is written that she put one of them in the bridle of that horsse which hir sonne vsed an other into his helmet and the third she cast into the sea for appeasing of tempests The speare which pearsed Christs side At this daie also they worship and honour at Rome with singular adoration the speare wherewithall they saie the Lords side was pearsed vpon the crosse This is the wilinesse of the diuell that he may perpetuallie driue men forward till at length they be throwne downe headlong into the bottomlesse gulfe of impietie An other obiection 21 Our aduersaries blame vs as being ouer hard and bitter and they saie If one walking by chance shall espie a faire plant not onelie gréene but loden with fruit and he being inflamed with an earnest affection towards the most bountifull goodnesse of God and féeling his mind stirred to worship God the author of so beautifull a worke what should let but that he may prostrate himselfe néere vnto that pleasant trée and there worship God and render thanks vnto him for his singular benefits bestowed on men Nothing as I thinke So in like maner if one shall behold the image of Christ and is earnestlie affected to the benefit of Christ his death wherefore may he not worship Christ the author of his life néere vnto the same Héerevnto I answer that the word of God must alwaies be before our eies whereby it is forbidden for religion sake to prostrate before a creature This ought to remaine alwais firme and sure and to be in force that neither we prostrate our selues vnto a trée nor yet vnto an image Neither is it lawfull to excuse these things by saieng that they doo not worship the outward matter neither the figure nor the lineaments What then doo they honour They saie they honour the thing signified So might the Ethniks likewise haue excused their idolatrie that they did not worship stones wood and metall but onelie the properties which were represented by those signes The epistle of Symmachus of restoring images confuted by Ambrose Verelie Symmachus wrote an epistle to the emperours that they would at length restore the images of the Romans and there he vseth such and such like arguments verie Rhetoricallie but Ambrose most stronglie hath confuted them all The writings on both parts are yet at this daie to be séene in the epistles of Ambrose God commanded absolutelie that images should not be worshipped wherefore we must rather obey his words than the subtill sophistications of men Augustine vpon the 113. psalme wrote this argument By the iudgement of Paule it is said Rom. 1 25. They turned the glorie and truth of GOD into a lie and they desired rather to worship the creature than the creator The first part of Pauls saieng condemneth images bicause they be lies which are repugnant vnto the truth and glorie of God and the other