than an Infidell Yea and the same Apostle hath commaunded that seruauntes of necessitye should obey their Maisters Now resteth to shewe reasons testimonyes of the holy scriptures Testimonies of the holy scriptures for the sentence alledged for the dysalowing of this conuersation Fyrst our Sauiour feared not to say in Mathew the 5. and 18. chap. If thy hand fote or eye be an offence or let vnto thee cut him of and cast him from thee And these as the wyser interpreters do declare spake he not of the members of the body but referred theÌ„ vnto those which are our familiars most nygh of kynred vnto vs. They al are to be seperated froÌ„ oure coÌ„pany although they seme profitable and coÌ„modious when they eyther seperate vs froÌ„ God which is the euerlastyng saluation or do put lets and hynderaÌ„ces wherby we are called froÌ„ hym Chrysostome Chrysostome in a maner intreating the self same argument sayth in the 56. Homely vpon Iohn If we cut of a rotten membre froÌ„ the body least it should corrupt the other partes of the body which vndoubtedly we do not bycause we despyse that member For who at any tyme hated hys owne fleshe How much more should we do the same in those which are wickedly ioyned vnto vs not that we should despyse them but that we should prouide that our saluation be not there indaungered where we see that we can nothing at al profite them Wherfore in thys case it is muche vnprofitable to desire or to seke for familiaritie or concord To this also doth the law of Christ tend which he gaue in the 18. of Mathew that they which are in a manner past hope of saluatioÌ„ wil not heare their brethren iustly admonishing theÌ„ yea and also despise the voyce of the church correcting them let them be counted as Ethnikes and publicanes Which thing Paule also hath taught who in the fyrst of the Corrinthians the v. chap. commaunded the incestuous person to be excoÌ„municated that a litle leuen should not pollute the whole dough of the sainctes Moreouer the same Apostle taught and that in the same Epistle the 15. chap. out of a verse of Menander that Poet the euil coÌ„munications corrupt good maners And therby he shewed that the ryght fayth of the resurrection was greuously weakened among the Corinthians which were newly come vnto Christ and that for that cause bycause they had lightly geueÌ„ credite vnto the arguments prophane reasons of Philosophers or rather heretikes It is not possible to be thought how the bewitching of wicked words corrupteth the teÌ„der fayth of the weake ones Wherfore profitably and conueniently were the Corrinthians admonished with theÌ„ all such as are weake ar exhorted The couÌ„sels of Phisitions to auoyde contagiousnesse to abstayne froÌ„ the fellowship of infidels The phisitions also do counsell that when a contagious disease shal infect either a familye or the next familie vnto it that such as yet are of perfect health goe not vnto them which are sicke For that in the bodyes temperatures of men there is a certayne agrement wherby an affection easly issueth froÌ„ those which ar sicke to theÌ„ which are whole and sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poyson wherof though it be not byandby felt of those which take not hede vnto themselues yet for al that within a litle whyle after it deadly corrupteth Wherfore seing we are bidden so diligently to beware of the diseases of the bodye muche more ought we to prouide agaynste the vices of the mynde that we no way prouoke them vnto vs. Our nature is on euery side subiect to corruption Furthermore our nature is so framed by reason of our naturall or originall sinne that we are on euery side subiect to corruption as both the holy scriptures and also very many experiences do daily teach vs so that it is not to be doubted but that we should easly sucke in the poyson of other mens sinnes if we shoulde not with great diligence auoyde them And those synnes as they do without any laboure cleaue vnto vs before we beware so being once conceaued they can not be plucked from vs but with great paynes Chrysostome Wherfore Chrysostome in his 56. Homely vpon Iohn which I a litle before brought semeth wisely to saye If we coulde make theÌ„ the better and not hurt our selues he entreateth in the place of infidells and vngodly ones we should do all things but when we can do them no good bycause they are past amendment and that we may greuously hurt our selues then are they vtterly to be cut of And to confyrme hys sentence more strongly he bringeth in that which Paule writeth in the fyrst Epistle to the Corinth the .5 chap. which is Take away euil from among you Which wordes of the Apostle can not be vnderstand of synne forasmuche as the Greeke woorde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is euil By which kynde of speache a wicked man is signifyed Wherfore I shall nothyng erre if I a litle bend the wordes of the Apostle to the commoditie of the weake ones saying Take away your selues from among the euill ones For if ye being weake and vnskilfull shall company with them ye must nedes both see and heare very many thynges agaynst godlynesse the religion which ye professe And bicause ye are not able neyther to confute nor to reproue them ye shall seme to be called as witnesses of blasphemies and reproche of the truth And peraduenture there shoulde remayne a styng in your myndes wherewith your conscience should be vexed longer than ye thynke for Let vs herken vnto the wyse maÌ„ who hath wel and faithfully admonished That he which toucheth pytche shal be fyled with it and that he which hath fellowship with a proude man wil proue like vnto him The vices of other men are like vnto pitch Take vpon thee no greater burthen than thou art able to beare ioyne not thy selfe vnto a mightier thaÌ„ thou thy self art Ecclesiasticus the .13 chap. These things do two wayes serue for thys present matter Fyrst in that the vices of other men are lykened vnto pytche whiche sticketh wonderfull fast to the fyngers of them which touch it We must haue a regard to our own strength and also to garments Secondly are we faythfully admonyshed to haue a regarde to our own strength Examples of the holy scriptures Let the examples of the holy scriptures in any wise teach vs. The Israelits were 70. yeres captiues in Babilon were so infected with the conuersatioÌ„ of vnfaythful natioÌ„s that afterward wheÌ„ they had leaue geueÌ„ theÌ„ fyrst of Cirus theÌ„ of Darius the most noble kings to returne home very many of theÌ„ wold not returne but being ouercome with the coÌ„moditie of houses fields marchandises they remained stil among the Chaldians Medes Persians So cold became they in the loue of godlinesse study of religioÌ„ Exodus â—2
must alwayes loke for this when they are afflicted by the goodnesse of god that it would please him to mitigate the temptations and geue thē strength to beare them for as much as he hath promysed by his Apostle so to do For it is written to the Corinthians God is faythfull whiche wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your power but will with the temptation make a way out But whether god doth stirre vp men to sinnes by temptation shal be afterward declared But now to the history 20 And they gaue Hebron vnto Chaleb as Moyses sayd and he expelled thence the three sonnes of Enak 21 And the children of Beniamin dyd not caste oute the Iebusites that inhabited Ierusalem Wherefore the Iebusites dwelled with the children of Beniamin in Ierusalem vnto thys day Thys sentence is therefore repeated bicause now the warres of the tribe of Iudah are declared of which warres Chaleb without doubt was the captayne Wherefore here is declared what he obteyned Namely those thynges whiche God would haue done as he had spoken by Moyses as it is written in the fyrste chap. of Deut. and .xiii. chap. of Num. and xiiii and xxv chap. of Iosuah But that which is written after it how that the children of Beniamin dyd not caste out the Iebusites that inhabited Ierusalem but dwelled together with them perteyneth to those things which the other tribes had to do with the Chananites and it beginneth with Beniamin for thys cause bycause that tribe was next to Iudah yea and that which is now written of Beniamin The citie of Ierusalem was cōmon to Beniamin Iudah is declared of the tribe of Iudah in the booke of Iosuah toward the ende of the xv chap. And I thynke that that was therfore done bicause the citye of Ierusalem was in the limite of both the tribes and was inhabited together both of them of Iudah and also of the Beniamites Yea and some affyrme that the part of the citye where the temple stoode belonged to the tribe of Beniamin and to that purpose do they wrest that which Iacob the Patriarch sayd on his death bed when he blessed hys sonne Beniamin Beniamin is a rauenyng wolfe early taking hys pray in the morning and deuiding the spoyles at euen thynkyng thys oracle to belong to the morning and euenyng sacrifices of the Temple But howe truly they so doe I will not nowe reason But yet they are not so farre oute of the waye as Augustine whiche drewe the saying of the Patriarche to Paule the Apostle bycause he was of the tribe of Beniamin A fayned tale of the Hebrues I am not ignoraunt how the Hebrues write that the Iebusites were not cast out for thys cause bycause that Iudas and Beniamin would kepe the couenaunt which as it is written in the xxi chapter of Gen. was made betwene Abraham and Abimilech King of the Gerarites where the moste holy Patriarche sware that he woulde not molest neyther the same Abimilech neyther hys children nor yet hys childrens children wherefore seing he and hys posteritye inhabited Ierusalem and hys childrens children liued euen to thys tyme they saye it was not lawfull for the Hebrues for bycause of theyr othe geuen to caste them oute But afterwarde vnder Dauid the tyme of the couenaunte was oute bycause then were the childrens children of Abimilech worne out And for that cause Dauid dyd caste out the Iebusites oute of the citye of Ierusalem as it is written in the latter booke of Samuel the v. chapter But these are but fables yea if we looke in the foresayde booke of Samuell we shall fynde that the strong fenced Castle of that citye was the cause that the Iebusites were not caste oute before For Dauid to the end be would obtayne the castle promised a noble reward to him that coulde conquere it namely that he woulde make hym Captayne of the whole hoste of Israel Two causes why the Iebusites were not expelled oute of Ierusalem whiche office Ioab obtayned bycause he fyrste of all Conquered the Castle There were two causes why they of Iudah and the Beniamites dyd not caste oute the Iebusites out of the citye One was bycause they obeyed not the worde of God as they should haue done wherfore they are muche to bee blamed The other cause was bycause by the prouidence of God and hys moste wyse dispensation the whole victorye of these nations was reserued for Dauid and Salomon For so God abuseth the synnes of men that they hynder not but set forwarde hys Counselles specially for the aduauncyng of hys electe But to retourne to the Hebrues howe shoulde they knowe that the posteritye of Abimilech dwelled in Ierusalem The Scripture testifyeth no suche thyng Neyther can they tel whether Abimilech his stocke belonged to the Iebusites Wherfore let vs leaue their fayned opinion vnto thēselues Ierusalem was in the olde time called Iebus let vs follow this sentence nowe alledged as the truer But this is not to bee ouerskipped that Ierusalem was sometymes called Iebus For as muche as the .xix. chapter of this boke testifyeth the same also the fyrst booke of Paralipomenon in the xi chap. The summe is the Iebusites possessed the castle whiche being well fensed for as much as God had iustly with drawen his helpe for the Hebrewes they could not be dryuen out of it but Beniamin and the tribe of Iudah obtayned the Citie in the meane time Why Saul Dauid triumphed in Ierusalem Vnto whiche citie Saul and Dauid went after they had gotten the victory against the Philistians and Dauid himselfe brought thether the hed of Goliah whom he had slayne Peraduenture that citie semed mete for that triumphe bicause it was cōmon to the tribe of Iudah and Beniamin vnto which tribes Dauid and Saul belonged For as Dauid was of the tribe of Iudah so was Saul a Beniamite And the Iebusites dwelled in Ierusalem vnto this day That is euen to the time of Samuel who is thought to haue written this booke For afterwarde came Dauid when he ruled ouer all Israel and expelled the Iebusites from thence as it is sayd 22 In like maner they that were of the house of Ioseph went vp to Bethel and the Lord was with them 23 And the house of Ioseph caused Bethel to be searched whiche before tyme was called Luz 24 And the spyes saw a man come out of the citie and they said vnto hym shewe vs we pray thee the way into the citie and we wil shew thee mercy 25 And when he had shewed thē the waye into the citie they smote it with the edge of the sworde But let the man and all his houshold go free 26 And the man went into the lande of the Hethites and built a citie and called the name thereof Luz whiche is the name thereof vnto this day After the tribes of Iudah and Beniamin is also declared in a certaine ordre what the other tribes did The house
Howbeit I thincke it good this to be added that some iudge that prodition espiall do not much differ one from another and that it maye sometimes come to passe that one man may be both a betrayer a spye For if any Citizen be corrupted with money by the enemyes the same is both a betrayer of his countrey is also in the meane tyme a domesticall spye But this semeth not to be wisely spoken bycause the nature of these things as it appeareth by their definitions doth very much differ although sometimes they cleaue both in one mā so that the same man may be both a betrayer a spye Euen as musike Grammer differ much one frō an other yet it oftētimes happeneth the one mā is both a Grāmarian a Musitian Neuerthelesse the differēce which I haue before mencioned is for the most part obserued although not alwayes namely that espial cōmeth of enemies and prodition of them which be amongest vs whom we trust as friendes Whether prodition be at any tyme lawful Augustine But to the end we may the playnlyer know concerning prodition whether it be at any tyme lawful I thincke it best to cal to memory those wordes which Augustine writeth against the letters of Petilianus the second booke and 10. chap We may not sayth he heare the complaynts of such as suffre but seke out the mynde of them whiche are the doers This the man of God wrote agaynst the Donatistes whiche accused our men as betrayers persecutors And to them he answereth the Paul also deliuered vp some to Sathā whose saluatiō neuerthelesse semed to be committed to his charge but for all that bycause he did it of a good mynde namely to teache them not to blaspheme and that their spirit might be saued in the daye of the Lorde he could not be accused either of treason or els of deliueryng vp bycause as it is before sayd The complaintes of them whiche suffre are not to be heard What proditiō is good but we must seke out the mind of the doers Wherfore when warre or controuersy shall happen betwene any of which the one part is knowen to haue a iust good cause if the other part which defendeth the worser cause therfore doth vniustly wil by no meanes be brought to any good reasonable conditions surely good men whiche peraduenture are founde on the same syde ought in such sort to helpe to defend the other part as they may aduaunce iustice And if it be nede they ought to fall from the vniust to iust men Neither can their prodition be condēned iustly as ill although before they were neuer so much friendes very nighe vnto those which worke vniustly What cause the Israelites had against the Chananites Epiphanius Now must we speake somewhat of the Israelites cause agaynst the Chananites whiche may be considered of vs two manner of wayes namely either by common lawe and ordinary lawe of nature or elles by fayth and by the worde of GOD. Concerning the naturall or common lawe Epiphanius writeth that the lande of Palestine pertayned in very dede to the children of Sem by occasion whereof Melchisedek reygned there whiche was either Sem hym selfe or elles one of hys children But the Chananites whiche came of Cham passyng ouer the boundes of Egypte and Africa whiche were appoynted vnto them dyd caste out of Palestine the sonnes of Sem. And therefore the Hebrues whiche were the posteritie of Sem when they required to be restored to their Fathers landes semed to do it iustly and rightfully Wherefore as he sayeth GOD did both restore vnto the Israelites the countreys whiche belonged vnto their auncestors and also punished the Chananites for their wickednesse and this he did all with one and the selfe same worke Howbeit I can not easely agree to Epiphanius opinion for there was past prescription of very long time for at the least there were fyue hundreth yeares Wherefore it could not be sayde that the Chananites possessed that lande vniustly If we should go by this reason now in our tyme then should there be none in a manner counted a lawfull prince and iuste possessor when as their auncestor came to the possession of those prouinces and kingdomes by violence driuyng out botht the kings and the inhabitors that were in them before Wherfore the Israelites semed not to haue any iust causes by mans lawe by whiche they might make clayme vnto the land of Palestine as to their owne neither alledged they at any tyme any such reason And yet for al that they had good ryght therunto for as much as god testified as wel by words as by wonderfull workes that it was his wil that the Hebrues should haue the possession of those regions to whom as Dauid hath wel said both the earth and the fulnesse thereof belongeth Neither could the Chananites murmure agaynst the iudgement of God for as much as they were iustly cut of from their ryght for their sundry and manifold wicked Actes Wherfore none could in this cause iustly defend the Chananites if they wil cleaue to the true God and beleue his wordes Wherby it followeth that this Luzite which betrayed hys citizens dyd it either of faith as did Rahab in Iericho or els by some humane bargayne For the kepers or spyes sayd vnto him VVe will shewe thee mercy If he were stricken with feare howe could that as they say happen vnto a constant man for he was after a sorte a prisoner and was fallen into the handes of hys enemyes then was he brought to it by humane conuention and then did he fowly for it is not lawfull for any man to make any fylthy couenauntes agaynst hys countrey Neyther can he be excused bycause of feare It is not lawfull for any mā to make any fylthy couenātes against hys countrey for nothyng is to be done agaynste iustice and conscience althoughe what feare so euer he should be stryken with but if he were stirred vp vnto it by fayth and for that he sawe hys citezens obstinately to resiste the worde of God and his workes then he did well neither can hys treason be either disallowed or elles condemned For no lawes no vowes no couenaūtes or bondes thoughe they be neuer so strayte Feare must not cause vs to do any thyng against iustice can bynd any man to fight agaynst or to resiste the worde of God whiche worde all men must earnestly labour to haue done and fulfilled For this sentence abydeth and shall perpetually abyde That we must obey God more than men Neither can any man as Christe sayeth serue two maisters specially if they commaunde contrary thinges It is lawfull for the magistrate priuely to send inquisitors Moreouer the Magistrate is to be ayded in rooting out of vice and naughtynesse and to hym without doubte is lawfull priuely to send men to make enquiry and to deiecte wicked Actes that the offendors may be punished
to dwell from the people of God Dauid therof is witnesse who sighed when he was by reason of the vniust violence of Saul constrayned to lyue in deserte places And it appeareth in the Psalmes how grieuously he complayned and lamented that he was forced to dwell among straungers such as were farre frō god Daniel his fellowes mought haue had the fruition of the kinges table and of most delicate meates and yet they abiected those commodities pleasures lest they should defyle thē selues with the delicate meates of the Ethnikes and with the vncleane bankettes of the vnbeleuers Moses also as it is written in the xi to the Hebrues whē he mought haue ben counted the sonne of the daughter of Pharao and therby haue attayned to great honor he contemned all this and went vnto his brethren which were oppressed with miserable seruitude in making bricke and tyles They whiche followe not these examples do manifestly declare that they haue small mynde of the glorye of God and that they will not redeme the same with their own losse or binderāce thoughe it wer neuer so smal or littel Do we sayth Paul to the Corrnth 1. prouoke God Are we stronger than he Wherfore they whiche are weake and vnlearned It is not lawfull to dwell with infidelles when we are compelled to cōmunicate with theyr vngodly rites whilest they take vpon them to dwell among infidels they do without doubt tempte god and in a maner prouoke him as thoughe they would be strōger thā he I could gather a great many more reasons for this sentēce but these whiche I haue brought shal be sufficient at this tyme. Now let vs come to those whiche do so dwell among infidels that they are compelled to be present at their vnlawfull rites whether those be learned or vnlearned whether they be strong or weake what they be in this case it maketh no matter For I comprehend them altogether I say that none of them such an habitation or coniunction is to be suffred but either they must flye from thence or rather suffre death than to commit Idolatry Paul sayd as I haue before declared Flye from Idolatry The lawe and Prophetes the olde and new Testament are full of ordinaunces commaundementes lawes admonitions rebukes wherby straunge worshipping is forbidden Daniel 3. Daniels fellowes chose rather to be cast into the fornace than they would worship the ymage set vp by a moste mighty king Machabea the mother with her children would rather dye Machab. 7. than she would against the lawes of God eate swynes fleshe I could reckon an infinite numbre of Martyrs which most cōstantly suffred death rather than they would forsake theyr godlynesse which they had professed hauing this sayeng alwayes before their eyes feare not them whiche can kill the body c. Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians affirmeth the same bycause we are the temple of God the members of Christ and partakers of the table of the Lord which table can haue nothyng common with the table of deuils All these thinges are to be applied vnto our tymes when in the tyme of Papistrie godly men if they dwell with the vngodly are compelled to be at their Masses and most filthy seruices whiche of all thinges is not lawful vnto them But some take these probations by me now alledged to be vnderstand of sacrifices done to Idoles and not of the superstitions whiche are now vsed in the tyme of Papistry An outwarde worke can not be counted for the worshipping of God excepte it be grounded by hys worde But they ought to remember that no outward worke is to be had for the true worshipping of God vnlesse it be appoynted by the worde of God whiche if it be not it can be nothing els but an inuention of man For we can not without faith worship God and fayth can haue no place where the word of God is withdrawen Wherfore in humane actions how goodly in shewe so euer they be vnlesse god by his word do allow them they can be no worshipping of him Surely if we would honor men we are wont chiefly to marke A similitude in what things those men do delite in and when we haue found that out we thinke we haue bestowed our labour well when we haue shewed vnto them those thinges wherin they were wont to reioyce and delyte Why then do we not after the same sorte with God to serue him with that kynd of worshipping whiche he hath allowed by his oracles Let vs heare him in Esay how that in the oblations sacrifices incenses and offringes which were brought into the temple without faith he was rather weryed than reioysed in them He abhorreth and detesteth these kyndes of sacrifices as the Prophetes haue taught vs. Yf these thinges are spoken of those sacrifices whiche they by the word of God vsed that for that cause only bycause they were offred without faith what thinke we is to be iudged of the inuētions of men fayned worshippinges which beyng voyde of the word of God cā not be done with faith There is no true god which delighteth in fayned worshyppynges we may verely say that they pertayne vnto Idolatry And that may be manifestly gathered hereby bycause there is no true God whiche wil be worshipped with these thinges Wherfore it followeth that the vngodly whilest they adioyne such rites vnto their holy seruices they do not worship the true God but him whom they haue fayned with them selues to delyte in these thinges And for as much as in the whole nature of thinges there is no such they worship the Idole of their owne mynde and therfore iustly and worthely they may be called Idolaters But they say that those thinges which are sayd done in the Masse We must haue no regarde to the begynning of Ceremonies but whether they agre with the worde of God had their beginning by the institution of Christ althoughe they were afterward vitiated thoroughe mens defaulte That helpeth them nothing for as much as in these thinges we may not haue a regarde or consideration to their begynning but to their nature and forme And we must diligētly marke whether they agree with the worde of God The brasen Serpent by the commaundement of God had his beginning it was also endewed with miracles The brasē Serpent for the Israelites were by looking vpon it deliuered from their venemous byting The same Serpent neuerthelesse when the Iewes worshipped him and offered incense vnto it the godly men detested it So that the most holy king Ezechias brake him in pieces therwithall vtterly put away the worshipping therof We must not therfore haue a regard to the originall of a thing What the Hebrues meante whē they made thē selues the golden calfe but we must looke how it is vsed whether it agree with the first institution The Hebrues when they compelled Aaron to make them a calfe to worship had not that mynde
woorke by it selfe and other sometimes eyther by Aungels or by men and that in such maner as wee shall afterwarde declare Augustine Farther I wyll adde that Augustine writeth in the place before alledged against the Epistle of the Maniches the .xxvi. chap. Miracles woulde not mooue except they were wonderfull and they would not be wonderful if they shoulde be accustomed thinges As therefore they say that by admiration sprang Philosophy whych Plato thought to be the Raynebowe and for that cause calleth the daughter of Thaumans so may we beleue that faith Faithe cometh not of miracles but is by them confirmed which cōmeth of the worde of God although it do not vtterly spring of miracles yet by them it may be confirmed And therefore Augustine in his .xii. booke of Confessions the .xxi. chap. saith Ignorance is the mother of wondring at signes this is an entraunce vnto faith to the sonnes of Adam which haue forgotten thee By this sentence he teacheth that men which haue forget God haue by the admiration of miracles an entrance or cōming vnto faith And without doubt it is so The wyll of God is hidden from vs but he as he is good openeth the same to holy Prophets Apostles which that they may profitably declare vnto men he geueth vnto them the gift of his holy woord But bicause he knoweth that mortal men are contrary against his word he hath graūted the power of working of miracles that those thinges might the easilier be beleued which he would haue his messenger profitably to speake That cōfirmation of faith cōmeth by miracles Marke testifieth who toward the end of his Gospel saith And they went forth preaching euerye where the Lord working with them confirming the word with signes which followed And how apt this kinde of confirmation is hereby it is manifest The promises of God do of no other thing depend then of his wyll power And the signes which we now intreate of do testify the power of God forasmuch as they by al meanes ouercome nature and set forth the truth of his wil for by the inuocation of his name by his grace spirit they are wrought Augustine Wherefore Augustine in the place now alledged against the Epistle of Manicheus writeth that miracles do bring authority vnto the woord of God For he when he did these miracles semed to haue geuen an earnest peny of his promises Neither ar these wordes to be passed ouer which the same Augustine hath vpon Iohn in the .24 Miracles consist not in the greatnes of woorkes treatise That miracles consist not in the greatnes of workes for otherwise it is a greater woorke to gouerne this vniuersal composition of the world then vnto a blinde man to restore light which he is destitute of These thynges declared there remayneth that by apt distinctions we destribute miracles into his partes Some of them are to be wondred at An other distinction of myracles by reason of the thing it selfe which is done for that it is so vnaccustomed and great that in the nature of thinges we cannot finde the lyke of it Suche was the staying of the Sunne in the time of Iosua and the turning of that shadowe in the tyme of Ezechias the conception and byrth of the Virgin the foode of Manna in the deserte and suche lyke But there are some which ar miracles not for the nature and greatnes of the thing but bycause of the maner and waye whiche was vsed in bringing them to passe as was the cloude and rayne of Helias the budding of floures and fruites in the rod of Aaron the thunders of Samuel the turnynge of water into wyne and suche lyke For suche thinges are done by nature but they were then myracles bycause of the maner whereby they were wrought that is not by naturall causes but at the commaundement and wyll of Sayntes There is an other deuision of myracles An other deuision of miracles bycause some of them doo onelye mooue admiration as lyghtenynges and thundrynges in mount Sina the turning of the shadowe of the Sunne in the tyme of Ezechias the transfiguration of the Lorde in the Mount There are other which besides the admiration doo bring a present commoditye vnto men as when by the rodde dryncke was geuen out of the Rocke Manna from heauen and when by the Lord and the Apostles sycke folkes were healed And sometimes they bring punishment and hurt vnto the guiltye For by the woordes of Peter perished Ananias and Saphira Elimas the Sorcerer was made blynde by Paule and some were by hym delyuered vnto Sathan to be vexed By this also are miracles deuided An other partitiō of miracles bicause some of them are obtained by praiers For so did Elias and Elizeus namelye by praying restore their deade to lyfe Moses also praying for Pharao draue away Frogs and other plages And other some are wrought by commaundement and authority Iosua commaunded the Sunne to stay his course The Lord Iesus commaunded the windes and Peter said vnto the lame man In the name of Iesus Christ rise walke Ther ar also other which are done neither by praiers nor by commaundement but of theyr own wyll and accord the saintes them selues doing some other thing Euen as when the shadow of Peter as he walked healed those that were sycke and the napkin of Paul healed also folkes diseased Augustine An other diuision of myracles Lastly Augustine as it is written in his .83 booke of questions question 79. deuideth miracles that some are done by publik iustice that is by the stable and firme will of God which in the world is counted as a publike lawe By it God would that his ministers that is Apostles and Prophetes shoulde in preaching woorke miracles And there are other some which by the signes of this iustice are wrought as when the vngodly in the name of God or of Iesus Christ do work any miracle which is not geuen but by the honour and reuerence which thei vse towardes the name of God not that God or nature or any thinges created desire to gratefy them As when a man stealeth away a publike seale or handwriting he may wrest many thinges either from the men of the countrey or from the Citizens which are not geuen vnto him but vnto the seale which they know doth belong to the Magistrate and Prince So he which followed not Christe did yet in his name cast out deuils Thirdly are those miracles reckoned which by some certaine priuate bargaine are wrought wherby the Sorcerers do binde them selues vnto the Deuyl and the deuil likewise to them But those at done neither by publike iustice nor yet by the signes therof but come onelye of a certayne priuate conuention Howbeit wee must knowe that miracles of the second and third sort are not firme neither do they assuredly happen For asmuch as we reade in the .xix. chap. of the Actes of the Apostles that the sonnes of
thinke Gideon was a holy man That they cannot deny forasmuch as the Epistle to the Hebrues the xi chapter notably testifieth him so to be I wyll demaunde of them also whyther Aaron were a holy man They wil not deny it I suppose when as hee was of God appointed to be the highe Priest and the fellowe of Moses in woorking of miracles And yet for all that either of them when they instituted a woorshipping without the woord of God are greuously accused by the holye Scriptures Let them therefore cease to obtrude vnto vs the Saintes but when we require the woord of God if they wil that we should beleue them let them bring foorth the holy scriptures We know that rites and worshippinges instituted euen by God himselfe are not acceptable vnto him when they are done without fayth as Esay Ieremy and Dauid most manifestly teache howe muche lesse wyll hee receaue those thinges which are inuented of men whiche for that they are not grounded on his woord doo vtterly want fayth ¶ Of a good Intent BVt bycause there is something alledged of a good Intent whereby some go about to excuse Gideon I thinke it good briefelye to touche those thynges which are necessary as concerning it As touching the signification of the woorde Intent signifieth a motion of the mynde whereby by some meane we tende vnto an ende as if a man shoulde study by geuing of gifts or by seruices to attain vnto any honor For the nature of thinges is in such sort that many thinges are so connexed together betwene themselues that by the one is made a steppe vnto the other For by medecines drinkes we attaine vnto health by studies reading teachers vnto wisdome Wherfore an intent is an action of the wil for it is his office to moue and stirre vp the mynde And forasmuch as the wyl doth not perceaue the thinges that he desireth before that it hath the knowledge thereof it moueth not nor forceth the minde before knowledge which raygneth in the power of intelligence or vnderstanding It perceaueth both the end and those things which serue to the end and ministreth them vnto the wyl Therfore Intent stirreth vp to the end as to a terme The definition of an intent by those thinges which vnto it are directed Let this be his definition A wyl tending vnto the ende by some meanes Wyl which is his generall woord is an act of the power that wylleth The differrence is taken of the obiect namely of the ende and these thinges which are ordeined vnto it as nowe as touching Gideon his intent was a motion of his wyll to keepe the memory of the victory geuen him by the Ephod which he had made In will therefore he comprehended at once both the end and the meane There is bothe a good intent an euyll An Intent in deuided into a good intent and an euyll And to a good intent this is chiefely required that the ende be a thing iust and good which yet is not sufficient For if a man should steale to geue almes he vndoubtedlye shoulde set before his eyes a good thing but bycause the meane is euyll therefore the intent can not be called good But if the ende bee both vnlawfull and euyll then shall the intent also be euyll Wherefore that the intent be good both the ende and the meane must be honest and good thinges Howbeit certayne thinges are by theyr nature so euyll that we can neuer vse them rightly As theft periury adulterye An euill intent of two kyndes and suche lyke Wherefore the Apostles rule must alwayes be firme that wee must neuer doo euyll thinges whereby good thynges maye followe Therefore an euyll intent is two maner of wayes that is eyther by the naughtynesse of the ende Twoo thinges are required in a good intent or els of the meanes But the intent can neuer bee good except bothe ende and meane be good Thus farre the Philosophers and schoole Deuines agree wyth vs. Nowe must we see wherein they differ from vs. The Philosophers doo thinke that the righteousnes of the ende and meanes dependeth of humane reason or naturall vnderstanding as though it were sufficient to put a difference betwene iust thinges and vniust but that we denye and requyre fully fayth and the woorde of God Augustine as sure rules whych thyng Augustine testifieth in many places and especiallye vpon the .xxxi. Psalme where he sayth Doo not count thy woorkes good before faythe whyche are nothyng els then as me thynketh great strengthes and a most swyft course out of the waye and he which so maketh haste runneth headlong to destruction Wherefore a good intent maketh a good action Faith directeth the intent but fayth directeth the intent Wherefore we must take heede when we purpose any woorke that our hart haue a regarde vnto fayth whereby it may direct his endeuours The schoole Deuines wyll easelye graunt that fayth gouerneth the intent and maketh it good But we differ from them for three causes Fyrst bicause we affirme that faith dependeth onely of the woorde of God but they wyll haue it to leane vnto Fathers and Counsels Faith must not cleaue vnto fathers coūsels and that in no case maye be graunted vnto them forasmuche as fayth must bee constant and vtterlye without errour whych twoo thynges are not founde in the Fathers and Counsels bicause they speake thinges one contrary to an other Fathers very often stryue wyth Fathers and Counsels are against Counsels and those Fathers are rare yea in a maner none whych haue not sometyme erred and that in thinges most waightye and very many Counsels haue neede of amendement Doth not the scripture by expresse woordes testify that all men are lyers The other thing wherein wee can not assent vnto the Schoolemen is bycause by a good intent they affirme that our woorkes are made meritorious yea and that of eternall lyfe Which thing how farre of it is from the truth the nature of merite may teache vs whereof I mynde not nowe to speake The thyrde thing wherein we differ from the Schoolemen is bycause they wyl haue the worke to be made good by an habitual good entent as they speke The habitual entent of the Scholemen That is to saye done without any good mocion of the hart They fayn that our actions do please god as prayers reading of Psalmes and geuing of Almes although in act we thinke nothing of God they suppose that thys habitual entent which they place in him is sufficient inough So that if thou shouldst demaūd of him whych doth these thyngs why he doth so he may be redy to aunswer that he doth it to the glory of god especially whē in doing of it he hath not a cōtrary mind or repugnant will But this can we not graunt vnto them for asmuch as in this negligence wherby when we work we think not of god nor of his glory the commaundement of
whyche gouerned the publike wealth when they were wery with matters kept themselues close oftentimes in fieldes or manors not to sleepe or to geue themselues to sluggishnes and idlenes but to refresh theyr mindes and that they might returne the more prompte and better instructed to accomplish thinges And the most noble Rhethoricians being wearied with pleading causes of the law went sometimes into the country to heare to talke to reade somwhat to peruse ouer the oracions before herd and so by that meanes to returne more learned and readye to the place of iudgement So the Nazarites for a certayne time departed from the companye and felloweshippe of other menne that they mighte be the better and holier afterwarde to execute the duties of life Chryste also in the nyghte tyme departed to the mountayne But in the daye tyme he returned vnto the people And when the Apostles returned whom he hadde sente foorth to preache he led them a way for a little while into a deserte that they mighte there be quiet and refresh themselues The instituciō of Lent For this cause peraduenture was Lent first instituted that men which had al the yeare bene occupied with ciuill businesse might at the leaste at that time renew piety This is the pretence of the Papists But graunt that the thinge was at the first institued for this cause let them consider what it is now fallen to at the lengthe vndoubtedlye into mere superstition whereby nothing els is obtruded vnto the people then choise of meates olde wyues fables vngodly songs and pilgrimages whych they commonly call stations very prophane and idolatrous In the meane time there is no mencion made for the abolishinge of couetousnesse luste lecherye and other wicked actes Farther menne oughte by so longe a fast to haue beene made better but they are made much worse after Easter Paul tooke vpon him the vowe of a Nazarite But to returne to the vowe of a Nazarite Paule seemeth to haue vowed it when as in the .18 chapter of the Actes of the Apostles he poled his heade in Cenchre And in the .21 chapter he was perswaded of the Elders to doo it There are here say they foure menne whyche haue a vowe Thou shalte bee with them There the shauinge of the head declareth that that vowe pertained vnto a Nazarite For as it is wrytten in the lawe if it had happened that the Nazarite in the time of the vowe whyche he hadde taken vpon hym hadde defyled hymselfe vpon the deade or by anye other meanes then the vowe was violate And the Nazarite oughte to come vnto the Tabernacle and to declare vnto the priestes what hadde happened and to cutte of hys heare to offer sacrifice and so to begynne the vowe of a Nazarite a newe agayne For what soeuer he hadde before obserued it was counted as defyled and of no force So Paule as thoughe some thynge hadde happened vnto hym amonge the Gentiles where he had beene conuersant woulde be purified in the Temple as thoughe he shoulde haue begonne the obseruation of hys vow agayne A fayned tale of the Moonkes The Papystes crye that by this vowe of the Nazarites there was a certeyne shadowe at that tyme of theyr religious Moonkery neyther consider they that the vowes of the Nazarites were instituted by the woorde of God Let them shew on theyr side the commaundement of God for moonkry which thing if they cannot do then resteth there nothinge but that we may say that the institutions of Moonkes are not the vowes of Nazarites but of superstitious men and a certayne ridiculous imitation or an euill zele of the olde vowe of the Nazarites So also in the olde tyme superstitious men when they sawe that Abraham would haue offred his sonne Whereof began drawing of children throughe the fyre and that for the same cause he pleased God very well They also would nedes offer their sonnes and draw them thorough the fire By whiche most wicked institution they greuously offended God But our worshipping ought to leane vnto the worde of God In dede ciuill institutions yea euen without the expresse word of God may be receaued so that they be not agaynst the worde of God Agaynst the vowe of religious men but worshipping and religion ought not to come frō any other thyng but onely out of the word of God But I pray you let them tel whence they haue that vowe of perpetuall sole life or how can it agree with the Nazarites First it is contrary to the creation of man when as it was sayd vnto the first parentes Increase and multiply Farther it is agaynst the oracle which Paul wrote He whiche contayneth not let him mary They vowe pouerty also But what manner of pouerty forsoth to lyue of beggyng A trimme vow to be maintayned with the labours of other men Vndoutedly that is agaynste charitye when as Paul sayeth vnto the Ephesians He whiche stole let him steale no more but let him labor rather with his handes that he maye haue wherewithall to geue vnto hym that suffereth necessitye But thou wilte say that of the Monkes ther are some which are riche I graunt that but they also do contrary to the word of god wherin it is commaunded He whiche laboreth not let him not eate Farther they vowe obedience But to whom To certayne men when as Paul expressedly writeth Be not ye made seruauntes of men But they say I am of Frances I am of Dominike I am of Benedict where as Paul would not suffer that Christians should saye I am of Paul I am of Apollo and I of Cephas They agr◠not but are contrarye to the Nazarites Why then do they cry that they agree with the Nazarites Let vs diligently examine euery thyng The Nazarites shaued not the heare but these men do shaue it The Nazarites did drinke no wyne but these mē glot themselues with wyne The Nazarites came not to funerals but these men desire nothyng so much as the funerals and obsequies of the dead But I will ouerpasse these things One thing only wil I adde Although in the Iewish religion the vowe of the Nazarites was the principall vow Origene yet were they not forbidden to mary In other vowes sayth Origene they gaue either a shepe or a a gote or an oxe or some other thing But in this kynde of vow they offred thē selues and yet their state agreed well ynough with matrimony But let vs returne vnto Samson He proued a most strong young man Who would haue thought that this could haue come to passe The parentes were not cōmaunded to instruct hym in the arte of warfare or to send him forth to warre A mā would thinke much rather that he should be brought vp as a Monke not as a souldier But God would shewe that all the strength whiche should be in Samson should be deriued from his spirite But that he should be a Nazarite all his life tyme as Samuel also was
battail bycause they went to warrefare without oracle as it is written in the vii of Iosua It is also written in the same boke in the ix chap. that the Gabaonites were receaued into league without the oracle of god and it is also writtē in the boke of Numbers that the Israelites were slayne by the Amorrhites when they fought cōtrary to gods will This peoples iudgement therfore is worthy to be praysed for it is excellently well done in most weighty affaires to aske counsell of God first of all And that must be done conueniently and holyly otherwise it profiteth not For the Israelites whē they should make warre agaynst the tribe of Beniamin although they asked coūsell of God yet were they twice put to flight slayne cowardly tourned their backes to their enemies bycause they behaued not them selues well in asking counsell of god Wherfore they asked counsell of God And it is to be beleued that the Hebrues after the death of Iosua considered this with them selues that their hong a great matter in those first warres whiche should be enterprised after the death of Iosua bycause if they happened to be ouercome of those nations in one battaill or two then would those nations thincke with them selues that the good lucke of the Israelites were chaunged with the death of their captayne By whiche opinion they would easely haue ben boldened and their affaires should haue had better successe dayly But on the contrary if it happened that the Israelites gotte the vpper hand in the first battailles they sawe that the power and audacitie of the nations woulde euery daye diminishe and beyng made feable and faynter they should the easelyer be ouercome God was also asked counsell of in the tyme of Iosua They did not therfore without cause aske coūsell of God in so great a matter which also to do the cōmaundement of the law did vrge them which is writtē in the boke of Numbers Neither must it be now thought that they so required the oracle as though they did not the same whē Iosua was lyuing for they required also answers of God verye often when he was a lyue but after his death it is said that they enquired for this thing chiefly principally namely which tribe should go vp to battail before all the other in al their causes And thys is the signification of the hebrew word Lanu that is for vs. And this woord to go vp is mencioned bycause they saw that they should fyrst vanquishe the hyly places Against Chanaan This is somtimes a general name What the people of Canaā were containeth al these nations which God had decreed to destroy out of Palestine whereby all the lande was afterward called Channan And sometimes it signifieth particularly some one nation of that people And that lay chiefly about Tyre Sidon Which the Euangelical history proueth when it calleth the woman a Chananite which offered her self to the sonne of God when he was goyng to Tyre Sidon And of that nation peraduenture bicause it was mightier than the other were the rest called Chananites And I wyl not ouerskip this by the way that the people which is singularly called Chanaan when they wer driuen out of their coastes by the Israelites they departed to Aphrica where they remayned safe euen to the time of Augustine Augustine So that the father writeth in his booke of the exposition whych hee begon vpon the epistle to the Romaines thus Our rusticals beyng demaunded what they wer they answered in the Affrick tong Chananites And theyr language is very nye to the Hebrewe tong The Africans ar Chananites as the same Augustine writeth in hys booke of questions vpon the Iudges the .16 question For by Baal in the Affrick tong they seme to say Lord whereby by Baal Samen is vnderstoode as thoughe they would say Lord of heauen bicause these tonges differ not much one from an other Hierome also agreeth therw t Hierome writing vpon Esay the prophet when he enterpreteth these woords Behold a virgin shal conceaue in the Affrick tong saith he which is said to haue had his ofspring of the Hebrues Virgil. A virgin is properly called Almah Also Virgil when he called Dido an Aphrician a Sidonian the inhabitants of Carthage Tirianes hath most manifestly confirmed that Dido her people came of the Chananites Wherfore it is no maruel if they almost kept in remembraunce the Chananishe tong But these thinges I haue spoken by the way But now Chanaan signifieth no one special nation but is a cōmon word for al those nations which the Israelites should ouerthrow For the tribe of Iudah which is said to haue gone vp first of al to the war For what thing the Israelites asked councell of God had in his lot the Iebusites not the Chananites Moreouer I admonishe the Reader that the Hebrues asked not counsel of God for their Captaine neither desired they to know what man should be made chief ruler ouer the Israelites going to battail against the Chananites but which tribe should begin the battel first Othoniel the first Iudge should be of the tribe of Iudah But we entreate not of him now presently And bycause it is said that the children of Israel asked counsell of the Lorde Howe many waies that elders asked councell of God some wil aske after what sort the Iewes accustomed to aske anye thing of hym at that time It may be answered that ther wer three accustomed ordinarye waies which are rehersed in the .28 chap. of the first booke of Samuel namely by dreames by Vrim Thūmim lastly by prophets whē ther wer any to be had therfore Saul complained in the booke that God had answered hym by none of these waies when he would haue asked counsel of hym of the successe of the most daungerous battail I finde also other waies in the scriptures of asking coūsell of god but they wer extraordinary waies One is by reuelacion of angels or of god him self expressing him selfe vnder some forme An other way was when som holy men by the mouing of god did appoint to themselues certayn tokens of thinges to come which did signify before whether they happened this waye or that what should be looked for So Abraham hys seruaunt decreed with hymself that she should be his Lordes wife which only amongest many maydens comming to the well offred drinke of her owne mynde to hym and to his Camels Ionathas also the sonne of Saule had then the victory promysed him when the Philistianes shoulde say Come vp hither to vs and contrarilye if they shoulde byd him tary till they came downe thither I haue called these extraordinarye wayes bycause they were not commonly vsed neyther are they often red in the Scriptures Lottes also are of this kinde There is mention made of them in the fyrst booke of Samuel when Saule should be declared King all the tribes standing there
cause of the diuersity is this word Arba whych in his vsuall and proper signification signifeth the number whych the Latines cal Quatuor It is not certain that Adam and his wyfe were buryed in Hebron the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is foure Now some suppose the number of foure to be referred to the foure couple of men wyth theyr wiues which they say wer buried in that city Yet the holy scriptures make mēcion but of three for in the booke of Genesis .23 chap. we reade that Abraham and Sara wer buried there also in the .35 .49 chap. of the same booke we rede of Isaac and Rebeckaes burial there And lastly in the .50 chap. we fynde that Iacob was caried thither he him selfe before that had there buried his wife Lea. But concerning Adam Eue his wife whō they haue added vnto these we can finde nothing thereof in the holye scriptures For that which they alledge out of the .14 chap. of Iosua maketh nothing to the purpose for that the word Adam in that place is not the name of the first man Wherfore they can gather nothyng out of that place but that Arba was a certaine great man among the Anakims These are the words there Ha Adam Hagadol be Anakim Hui that is he was a great man among the Enakims But our interpretour translateth it thus Adā was counted the great among the Enakims Wherby it appeareth that he thought that Adam was a proper name But he was two wayes deceaued first he dyd not marke that the article Ha is ioyned to the word Adam which is neuer ioyned with proper names Wherfore it must needes be a common name whych must be referred to that woord Arba for that name was put a litle before The other errour is bycause we reade no where that the first man was reckoned amongst the Enakims that is to say Giauntes The opinion of others is that Hebron was called the City Arba bycause it was inhabited of .4 Giauntes namely Sesay Ahimman and Thalmay vnto which three brethren they adde Annak their Parent But the opinion of these men is easely confuted bycause that in the .14 chap. of Iosua toward the end it is by manifest wordes declared that this word Arba is the proper name of a Giaunt Wherfore it is manifest enough that this woord must not be referred to the number of four And by that meanes not onely this latter sentence but the first also is confuted which would haue this name Arba to haue a respect to the foure couple of men with their wyues buried in the old tyme in that City And vndoubtedly for the same cause also the opinion of others is not to be allowed which do thinke that the City was so called bycause although it were but one City yet it consisted of foure Cities and that this woord Arba is all one wyth this greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is foure Cities Wherefore I iudge it best to thyncke that it was so named of the buylder thereof named Arba Arba had three chyldren who how he came by that surname it is vncertaine Onely this we maye gather out of the scriptures that what so euer he was he had three chyldren which are called in this place and also in the booke of Iosua Sehai Ahimman and Thalmay And it is very lykely that they were deade long tyme before Iosua And when they were now dead then was there mencion made of them bicause their families which seme to haue bene of a wonderful huge stature were destroyed by Caleb and Othoniel And this is the reason why I suppose that these three brethrē liued not in Caleb and Othoniels tyme bycause this Citye as it is written in the booke of Numbers was a most auncient city and was buylt .vii. yeares before zoham that is Thamin the kingly Citye of the Egiptians And in zoham dyd Moyses and Aaron woorke the wonders before Pharao And if so be it was the kingly and noble city then it must nedes be built long time before Wherefore if Hebron were built before it and had the name thereof of Arba how could his children be on lyue at this time It cannot be so Besides thys Abraham had a lodging in this City bought there a double caue And from that time to Iosua his time wer almost .400 yeres It is not therefore very likely that the sonnes of him which builded so auncient a city should lyue tyl Iosua his tyme vnles any man wyl fayne that the same city was built long time before called by an other name then in processe of tyme casting away the first name it should be named by this most strong and mighty Giaunt But whether it be thus or no neither skilleth it much neither semeth it curiously to be sought for But this might somwhat moue some bycause Arba wherof we now speake is called in the .15 chap. of Iosua the father of Enak For if he had .3 sōnes which were named as well here as in the same booke of Iosua it wil then he doubtfull who that same Enak was What Hanack signifieth In which thyng sauyng the iudgement of a better learned I would thinke might be answered that it was not a proper name but a cōmon wherby at that time men of huge stature but such as were noble excellently adourned wer called For this word Enak in hebrewe is to gird or to compasse and is chiefly referred to chaines which are worne about the necke for comelynes sake And thereof is this name Enak deriued in the plural number hath both the masculine feminine forme it signifieth a chaine and is transferred to noble worthy men whom thou mayst cal chained Wherfore Sesay Ahimman Thalmay may be called the sōnes of Arba who was not called the father of them onely but also the father of Enak bycause euery one of his sōnes was noble Why giauntes were called Enakim wore a chaine or was a Giaunt for Giauntes also were called Enakim either bicause they wore chaines or els bycause they were of a notable stature of body for it may be that that word was applyed to all kynde of ornaments Of them is mencion also made in the booke of Numbers .13 chapter By how many names giaūtes are called in the holy scriptures Seing we are now by chaunce in hande with giauntes and that there is often mention made of them in the holy Scriptures it shall not be vnprofitable somewhat to speake of them Fyrste we muste knowe that they are called by diuerse names in the holy Scriptures as Enakim Eimim Zemasmim Nefalim Rephaim Why they were called Enakim manifestly appeareth by those things which we haue spoken before And they were called Eimim of the terror which they draue into others by their loke They were called Zemasmim of mischiefe bicause they trusting to their owne power and might were dispisers of lawes iustice and
by an other reason Romaine lawes forbad the mariage of the brothers daughter the incestuous mariages were forbidden by the light of nature seing that they were earnestly forbidden by the Romane lawes which were counted among the excellentest honestest lawes these by name wherby any man should marrye his niepce by the brother Although Claudius Caesar whē he would marry his brothers daughter Agrippina caused the fyrst law to be abrogated and to be decreed that euery man might haue his brothers daughter to wife But there was neuer a one at Rome except it were one or two which would follow his example And the Romaines obserued the first law which was most honest The Romaine lawes in prohibiting mariages had certaine lawes not mentioned by God Neuerthelesse we muste vnderstand the diuerse persons were prohibited by the lawes of the Romanes of whom the law of god hath made no mention and yet their prohibition was not without a reason Wherfore the Citizens of Rome were bound to obserue thē although by the light of nature they could see no cause why they should so doe which lawes were wont to be called a peculiar kinde of lawes bicause it semeth to be priuate for certain places I will make the thing more plaine by examples The tutor might not marry his pupill The Romaines would not as it is written in Codice that matrimonies shoulde be contracted betwene the tutor and pupill committed to his charge Bycause they saw that this would easely come therby that that tutor which had consumed his pupils goodes least he should be compelled after his tutorship to render accompt of those goods might sollicite the mayden to mariage which being obtained he should be free from geuing accompt of her goods This surely was a good law but yet it was not perfectly obserued Cicero otherwise a graue man Cicero was euill spoken of for the same cause for being farre in other mens debt when he had forsakē his wife Terence he maried his pupill of whose goods affayres he had charge ouer as a tutor The Romanes deceeed also A prisident myght not marry a wife of hys prouince that no president of any prouince should take to wife eyther to himselfe or to any of hys any out of the same prouince wherein he gouerned For they knew right wel that it might so happen that the Pretor Proconsul or President in a prouince cleauing to his families and kynsfolke cōming to him by his wife might make new tumultes and at length be alienated from the publique wealth They saw also a great daunger to hang theron least he should not be iuste and seuere in geuing iudgement bycause he woulde gratifie his kinsfolke more than others Lastly mariages shoulde not haue remayned at libertie in prouinces bicause Magistrates might in a manner compel thē of the prouince to contracte matrimonies either with thēselues Felix had a Iew to hys wife or with their frendes We see also this most honest law violated For Faelix which gouerned Iewrye vnder Nero as it is writtē in the xxiiii chap. of the actes of the Apostles had Drusilla a Iewe to wife But what nede I rehearse that these lawes of a small weyght were not obserued whē as that people had shaken of euen those lawes which we called morall and are knowen by the law of nature Cicero The monstrug lust of Sassia Cicero declareth in his oratiō for Cluentius the one Sassia a most wicked womā was so prouoked with filthy lust that she instigated her sonne in law Aurius Melinus to whō she had before maried her daughter to repudiate his wife wherby he shuld marry her self in stead of her daughter which thīg at the lēgth she got him to do And whē the dede was coūted ful of dishonesty yet was it not punished by the lawes neither do we rede that the matrimonye whiche Cicero cōtendeth to be cōtracted by no good grounds by no authors altogether vnluckely was dissolued by the power cōmaūdemēt of the magistrates Wherfore hereof cōmeth a good reasō also why god would againe inculcate by a law those things whiche by the light of nature were iudged honest For the bonds barres windowes of nature were brokē by the impotent lust of mē therfore it was necessary they should be boūd with an other bond For the Israelites were no more shamefast in keping of natural honestye than were the Romaines Neither is this to be left out the god had certaine proper things in his law whiche may be called peculiar thinges for all men were not bound vnto thē by the lawe of nature but the Hebrues onely For he woulde not haue them to contracte matrimony with the Chananites Hamorrites Iebusites c. And other people seme not to haue bene bounde to the law neither should we at this day if there were such nations still Matrimonyes ought not to be contracted in cōtrary religiō Augustine be letted but that we might ioyne our selues in matrimony with them Although the cause of the law ought at this day to be holden which cause is the matrimonies shoulde not be contracted with them which be of a contrary religion For it is not conuenient that the Godlye should be ioyned with the vngodly I know that Augustine writeth concerning vnlawfull mariages to Pollentius in the second booke and of the Sermon of the Lord vpon the Mountaine that there is not a place in the new Testament wherin by expresse words matrimonies with infidels are prohibited But of this matter I will not write much at this present seing that I haue largely entreated of it in the Epistle to the Corinthians This will I saye more ouer that a good man ought in contracting of matrimonyes to follow chiefly that which is honest and not lightly to depart frō cōmendable orders vsuall customes which are not agaynst the word of god And if there happen peraduenture any doubt let him not thinke it much to aske coūcell of his magistrate otherwise he shal rashly put both himselfe his wife and his children to daunger For if he be maryed in any of the degrees prohibited by the peculiar law he shal not then be counted a husband but a whoremonger and his wife a harlot their childrē bastardes Howbeit the magistrate although concerning matrimonie he maye forbid certaine other contractes besides those which God hath forbidden yet can he not neither ought he to remit any of those which God hath commaunded whiche he hath prohibited by his law yea he must most diligently see that he burthē not the people to much The pope hath grieuously sinned concerning these lawes or without an earnest cause as we see the Pope hath done who hath two wayes sinned in this thing fyrst in that he durst vsurpe the office of making of lawes in a common wealth which vndoubtedly pertaineth not vnto him Secondly bicause in his lawes he followed not the word of god but with out
and as God hath commaunded that euill maye be taken awaye from the worlde Yea and it is also lawfull for hym to offer rewardes to men confederated together for some ill purpose It is lawfull for them to offer rewardes to conspirators to open theyr conspiracye Augustine to allure them to open and detecte the conspiracye bycause that assuredly pertayneth to treason Howbeit heresy is neuer either to be dissembled or to be praysed or any wicked Acte to be committed that lawfull kynde of treason shoulde haue good successe Wherefore Augustine in hys latter booke of Retractions testifieth that he wrote hys booke de Mendatio chiefly for thys cause bycause some to the ende they woulde detecte the Priscillianistes fayned them selues to be followers of the same heresye for that the same Priscillianistes when they were accused Of the Priscillianistes affirmed with greate stoutenesse that they were farre from any suche doctrine But for all that afterwarde they disclosed them selues vnto those whome beyng deceaued by theyr dissimulation they thought they myght well haue trusted But Augustine in the same booke De mendatio teacheth that by this dissimulation of the Catholickes very many euils daungers chaunced For there they commende Priscillianus they vniustly praise his boke which is entituled Libra they allowed the heresy pronouncing many things which could not be spoken without blasphemie Moreouer that which they did was dangerous for if they whiche after this sort dissēbling were of any authoritie or estimation the heretikes might by their commendation be confirmed in their opinion those specially with whom they did so dissemble For those peraduenture were Priscillianistes before althoughe not very firme constant which after they heard their heresy to be praysed of a graue man did then sticke more more in their error Furthermore in thus dissembling and beyng conuersaunte with the Priscillianistes the dissembler also might easely fall into danger that he him selfe at length might become of a Catholicke a Priscillianiste And finally the heretikes them selues by the dissimulation of our men might easely gather that they did very well in hyding dissemblyng and denyeng their doynges But that betrayeng is sometymes lawfull in a iust cause and such a cause as is without the dangers aboue mencioned not onely the reasons whiche we haue before alledged do declare but we may also proue it by very many examples written here and there in the scriptures The Gabaonites Rahab The Gabaonites betrayed the rest of the Chananites when they fell from them to the Hebrues Rahab also betrayed her publicque wealth or kyng in receauyng hydyng and sendyng awaye them whiche were deadly enemyes vnto it who is sayed neuerthelesse in the Epistle to the Hebrues to haue done those things by faith Iahel Iahel also the wife of Aher the Kenite betrayed Sisara for she by a meruelous craft slewe him whom she had called into her and closely hidden as it shal be afterward declared in his place in this hystory of the Iudges Ionathas Yea and Ionathas the sonne of Saul betrayed vnto Dauid the wil and counsels of his father as it is written in the first booke of Samuel Husay the Arachite Besides all these Husay the Arachite betrayed Absolon the sonne of Dauid when he withstandyng the counsell of Achitophel did thrust in his owne counsell whiche was farre worse and shewed all things vnto Dauid I might bring in a great many more examples But I thinke these are sufficient for the ware reader Certein cautions are to be added to lawfull prodition The first caution Now resteth only to declare certain cautions or prouisoes wherewith lawfull treason is to be decked and adorned and not to be condemned The first is that he which betrayeth be by a certain faith assured that the cause is iust which he aduaunceth whiche can not be done excepte that he haue sure proofe of the goodnesse therof by the word of God Neither do I at this present argue whether the same word be reuealed vnto him in harte The secōd caution or whether it be opened vnto him in the holy scriptures Then must he take hede that being now well assured of the righteousnesse and honesty wherunto he is inclined he be only prouoked therunto with the loue therof and not with the hope of rewarde or gayne or for feare of any misfortune whiche he desireth to escape or to satisfy his hatred and enemities deceaued The third caution For so should he seke his owne and not iustice neither the obedience of hys fayth and of the will of God Furthermore it is very necessary that a man be not dryuen to that but then when all other kynde of remedyes wante For Rahab so did for except she had then so kept the Hebrew spyes they had bene by mans reason vndone neither was there then any other waye to saue them And certainly it oftentymes chaunceth that all other ways meanes being tryed the worse parte will not be brought to sobernesse so that there is no other remedy but onely by prodition And I would therefore haue these cautions diligently obserued bycause that men are to muche prone to proditions and that such as are both filthy and wicked Wherfore we must take hede that by the exāple of good men they flatter not thē selues as though they were innocent The fourth caution Moreouer Paul hath admonished vs not only to auoyde that which is euill it selfe but also the shew therof Howbeit we must vnderstand this doctrine of his in such sort as we may accomplishe it For it is lawfull sometymes to cōmitte a thing whiche is euill to see to but not euill in very dede whilest yet there is hope that the thing may be straight way made playn so that the which at the first sight semed euill may manifestly be knowen to be good So the Apostle hym selfe circumcised Timothe and shaued his hed whiche of them selues and in very dede were not euil although they semed to haue had a certayn shewe of euill vnto certayn of the Ethnickes which were cōuerted wer not yet wel strēgthned The fifth caution Finally periury or lyeng are not to be mingled with those proditions whiche may be allowable For as much as it is manifest by the Apostolical rule the euils are not to be cōmitted wherby good things may follow I know there be some which go about to defēd those kynd of lyes which are called officious or honest Honest and officious lyes are not to be allowed Augustine But Augustine doth not allow that Whose reasons they which are desirous to know let thē read his boke Ad Consentiū I assuredly agree vnto his opinion For though there were no other reason yet me thincketh this were sufficient bycause the lyer bringeth himself out of credite wherby nothing that he afterward speaketh cā scarcely be beleued for they which heare it wil suspect it alwaies as a lye And besides this that scripture doth
able to abide For their enemies began to vsurpe the mountaine of Heresch whych was appointed to their lot but the house of Ioseph aided them and so preuailed that they made the Amorhites tributaries The borders of the Amorrites wer very large And how farre the borders of the Amorhites extended is brieflye touched For they reached vnto the going vppe of Scorpions which is a place in the South borders of the tribe of Iudah not farre from the dead sea almost euen to Petra which city is the Metropolitan or chiefe city of Arabia Petra Strabo from which it is called Arabia Petrea Strabo describeth it that it was situated in a plaine ground compassed in with high rockes from the bottomes whereof flowed moste plentifull fountaynes when as the whole region which lieth by it was altogether dry and a deserte Whether it be lawfull for Christiās to dwel with infidels BVt seing the Israelites fel bicause they dwelled together with vngodli nations and did rather exact tributes of them than vtterly wede them out according to the cōmaundemēt of God I thinke it good to entreate whether it be lawful for godly men to be conuersant and to dwell together with the vngodly Reasons which proue that The first reasō And assuredly ther are many reasons wherby that maye seme to bee lawfull First bicause Christ despised not the feastes af Publicanes Phariseis and Sinners Reason 2 Secondly Paul to the Corinthians the first epistle geueth not libertye to a faithful wife to depart frō an infidele so that he be content to lyue dwel together Reason 3 with her Moreouer the same Apostle writeth that if any infidele byd you to a feast and ye wyll go with them then eate suche thinges as are set before you Reason 4 By these his woordes therefore he maketh it free Furthermore the same Apostle in the same epistle saith that he had admonished the Corinthians to auoyde whooremongers rauenours euyl speakers and suche lyke but not al sayth he for so must you go out of the world but if any be called a brother c. Wherfore we are not forbydden to auoyde the fellowship of al the vngodly Besides these Reason 5 Abraham was called out of Chaldey and commaunded to dwell as a straunger among nations which were farre from true religion Wherefore hee dwelt in Reason 6 the land of Chanaan and Egipt whych places were altogether geuen to idolatry Yea and Lot seperated him selfe from the fellowshyppe and familye of his Reason 7 kinsman Abraham and went and dwelt in Sodome Naaman also the Sirian returned to his idolatries Christe also retayned not with him al those whom hee Reason 8 had healed of diseases but sent them agayne sometymes to their owne to declare there what had happened vnto them Finally by ciuyl lawes certaine heretickes Reason 9 haue had places appointed vnto them as the Nouatians had in the citye of Constantinople and at this day the Iewes haue euery where leaue to dwell among the Christians This questiō surely as it is weighty so hath it also very many doubtes A distinction Wherfore we must fyrst make a distinction what may be lawfull to Magistrates and what to priuate men An other distinction Then must we vnderstand that the conuersation with infidels hath two considerations one is wherby men are driuen by compulsion to Idolatrous and vnpure worshipping of God an other whereby they remaine at libertye Then we must marke The third distinction that they which liue together with the vngodly as touching religion are sometyme learned and strong and sometimes they are both weake and also vnlearned Wherfore I thynke it good to be iudged as touching priuate men that if they be learned The learned strong may be conuersaunt with Infidels and haue with theyr learning adioyned constancie so that they be not compelled to cōmunicate with vngodly rites may lawfully haue to do and be conuersaunt with men that are infidels prouided that there be certayne cautions added The fyrst caution is that they do it with thys minde The fyrst Caution to teach those which are without godlynesse and to bring them to the sincere and pure religiō And therfore whilest they are conuersaunt among thē they ought not to cease but ought alwayes to go about that purpose for which they dwell in those places And that theyr instruction and doctrine may be fruitful they must take diligent hede that they be courteyse gentle and bounteous towarde those whom they thynke to ioyne vnto Christ For vnlesse they be fully persuaded that they which do admonyshe them and instructe them do loue them haue them in price the thing which they haue taken in hand shal haue but euill successe Furthermore they must take hede that they liue holily iustly and honestly The second Caution for if the infidels should be offended with theyr maners their ministerye would vtterly be vnprofitable for as much as it nothing auayleth to build with one hand and to destroye the same with the other hand Moreouer this most of al is to be sene vnto The third Caution that vnder the pretence of gentlenesse or frendship they myngle not themselues with vngodly vsages no though they were persuaded that they could that way allure thē the easlier vnto Christ For the rule of the Apostle must abyde vnshaken which is that euil thinges are not to be committed wherby good thyngs may happen They must beware also that in being conuersaunt with thē The fourth Caution they seke not theyr own cause or commodity For some there are found which although they make a pretence that they are desirous to haue the Gospel spred abroad Yet neuerthelesse in very dede follow seke for their owne pleasures gayne or aduantage Wherfore if there be no hope which neuerthelesse can seldome iustly happen of the health of such infidels we must no longer haue to do with them but so much as eyther our necessitie or theirs requireth that is if peraduenture they shoulde be very sore sicke and could not be holpen no other waye but by our helpe or if we our selues shuld not be able to get things necessary for our liuing any other where but among them It shall be lawfull also to be conuersaunte with them as much as naturall and ciuile necessityes requyre as if they were our princes fathers wiues or maisters such like Now resteth to cōfyrme this sentence Proues oute of the holy scriptures Math. 9. either by testimonies of the holy scriptures or els by examples Christ assuredly did so who for this cause was cōuersant with publicanes sinners pharisees scribes to instruct thē of saluation to conuert thē frō sinnes to vertues and godlinesse Wherfore Ierome on the 9. chap. of Mathew hath thys saying Ierom◠Christ in dede went to the feastes of sinners but to that end that he myght haue occasion to teache thē to recōpence theyr biddings with
his owne and is readye in Gods cause valiantlye to lose his life and therfore though he be somewhat angry or vntemperate he may for al that be called iust liberal and strong A similitude of the Stoikes Moreouer the same father confuteth the similitude of the Stoikes wherin they say that he is as wel drowned in water ouer whose head the water is but an hand bredth as he which hath the water tenne or twentye cubites ouer his head This similitude saith hee is not aptly brought Wherefore wee must bring in an other more fyt to the purpose namely a similitude of light and darknes Vndoubtedly the more a man departeth from darkenes and commeth nearer to the light hee beginneth then somewhat to see Wherefore it commeth to passe that although he be couered wyth darkenes yet for al that after a sort he is somewhat partaker of the light But he which is desirous to know more of this thing let him reade ouer that .29 Epistle And these thinges haue I to this end brought to confirme that all synnes are not equal as the Stoikes iudged Let vs returne therefore to the place of Iames which I before brought The obseruation of the law is not to be receaued with an exception Hee which offendeth in one is therfore made guyltye of all bicause the obseruing of the law is not to be receaued with an exception so that we shoulde chuse vnto vs any certaine part of it to keepe and lay away and neglect an other part for a tyme as we wil and lyst our selues God hath ioyned together the commaundementes of the law And it is not our part to seperat them as we lyst Seing the coÌ„mandemeÌ„tes of the law are ioyned together it is not our part to seperate theÌ„ We must looke vpon the authority of the lawgeuer which ought to be of force as well in one commaundement as in al. This interpretation Iames hym selfe seemeth to confirme when he saith He which said Thou shalt not commit adulterye The same saith Thou shalt not kyl as though he would say God is as muche resisted in breaking one of these commaundementes as in an other But it maye be proued also by an other reason that he which synneth in one is guilty of al. For if as we should be driuen by temptation lust or occasion whereby we shoulde be styrred to any certain transgression of the law so if by the same or lyke violence we wer driuen into any other transgression we shoulde as well breake the one as the other Augustine also teacheth in the place now alledged that the senteÌ„ce of Iames is for an other cause true bicause sinne which is committed is vndoubtedly contrary vnto charity wherin the obseruation of the whole lawe dependeth In suÌ„me to this end haue I rehersed al these things to declare that sinnes which are committed are not for that cause to be diminished or extenuated bycause they are counted light for so much as the transgressions of the law ar not to be waighed onely by the waight and woorthines of their actions but rather by the strength of Gods woord and authority of the lawe of God who hath forbidden to synne The ryght obseruing of the sacramentes perteyne vnto the first table But least in this thing I should seeme to rough I am coÌ„tent that they haue some consideration euen of the acte wherin the synne is committed And surely as touching that I cannot see how to sinne against the sacramentes can be iudged a light fault when as that kinde of sinne pertaineth to the first table wherin vndoubtedly the worshipping of God is set forth Which worshipping alone kept whole and sound other thinges are easely corrected And on the contrarye that being corrupted and defiled all other thinges whatsoeuer we doo become most vnthankeful vnto God Furthermore they thinke that the fault whereof we entreate maye therefore be extenuated bicause they affirme that they slide not of minde and purpose but onely by constraint Whom if thou shouldest demaund what maner of compulsory that is which they pretende They cannot vndoubtedly geue any other answer but bicause they would not incur the losse of their goodes Aristotell Shipmen suffer wise wyth their willes not bi coÌ„straint their fame and their lyfe But these thinges make not but that the action is voluntarye For as Aristotle hath taught in his Ethikes when as shipmen in daunger do hurle their goods in to the sea to auoyde the daunger of shipwracke they are said commonly to be compelled when as in dede they willingly throw them in For they take deliberation and with knowledge they determine rather to lose their goodes than their life And as they in that worke do wisely so do our men for the loue of lyfe and body couetousnes of the goodes of this world vnwisely choose the losse of eternall life when as with a wycked dissimulation they go vnto detestable Masses Wherefore the excuse which they bring cannot be receaued as iust The Corrinthians also mought by this reason when they were reproued of Paule haue defended them selues If wee go vnto the feastes dedicated to idols we go not thether of our own affection as though we would allow such sacrifices but by iust reasons we are compelled to go thether For if we should flye from such feastes we should be couÌ„ted seditious euyl Citizens and without humanity we should lose pleasant amities and most profitable defences and also peraduenture our riches and country If thei had said these thinges to Paule would he haue heard them No trulye For he was not ignoraunt but that they might haue said so and yet for al that as it is wrytten in his Epistle he vehementlye and most sharpelye reproued them Aaron also might according to these mens opinion iustly and rightly haue defended himself in that he made a Calfe vnto the Israelites For he mought haue said I dyd it not from the hart but I was compelled so to do bicause the people except I had obeyed them would haue stoned me In dede so be answered but Moyses which knew right well that that necessitye or compulsion was not iust but came of a naughty condition or ground which neither Iustice woulde suffer to be receaued Masse is a certain toâ—eÌ„ wherby the â—â—ythful at 〈◊〉 â—en froÌ„ the superstitious nor God would by any meanes admyt therfore dyd Moyses I say sharpely reproue him They ought also to be most assured of this that the Masse is a pledge an earnest peny a token and signe whereby Papistes knowe theirs from others For whether a man geue almes or no whether he pray or not pray whether he lyue chastly or vnpurely and such like things they neglect they onely haue a regarde to this whither he come to Masse which if they perceaue that he doo by and by they count him for one of their own And againe to detest the Masse Masse is a certaine profession of popery and not to
but may be chaunged for edification sake as time shall serue And Augustine to Ianuarius and to Cassulanus was also of this opinion Caution 3 The thirde condition or caution that is to be added is that Princes take heede that those infidels whom they suffer in their dominions be continuallye with diligence instructed And not as the maner commonlye is neglect them in those thinges which pertaine vnto godlines otherwise the glory of God cannot be looked for by their suffering if without teaching they may be suffered continually Caution 4 to abide in their vngodly opinion For in processe of time they becom nothing the better but farre worse then they were before Moreouer they must beware that by that mutual conuersation they infect not the people committed to Caution 5 their charge with the scab of infidelity and errours They must be cōpelled at the last to the soūde and pure outward worshippinges of God And finallye when they are wel instructed and taught they must compel them to sound and pure woorshyppings which are prescribed by the holy scriptures For the Magistrate maye not suffer his Citizens to liue without exercises of godlines For the ende of ciuyll rule is that the Citizens should lyue both vertuously happely And who seeth not but that godlines the worshipping of God is the chiefe of all vertues Whether a prince ought at the length to compell his subiectes to the right vse of the sacramentes But peraduenture some wyll say If a Prince shoulde compell those vnto the right vse of the sacramentes which are not yet persuaded of the truth he should driue them hedlong into synne so farre is it of from setting forwarde their saluation For there they should do against their conscience and what so euer they so do euen as the Apostle witnesseth is synne Wherefore I thyncke it good to make a distinction betwene that whiche is of or by it selfe and that which is at aduenture and by hap or as they are wont to speake in Schooles that whiche commeth per accidens that is by chaunce The Magistrate in this thing which we haue now in hande setteth foorth to his subiectes that thing which is of it selfe right good and iust but in that synne therby commeth that happeneth nothing at al by his default but rather by those mens incredulitye or misbeliefe whereof he is not to be accused when as he hath diligentlye laboured to haue his Citizens wel instructed Neither the Papistes which at this daye are suffered of Christian Magistrates are ignoraunt that wee oughte to haue in vse the Sacramentes instituted by the Lord. Wherfore they cannot iustlye complaine of their Magistrates if they wil haue them vprightlye and in due order ministred vnto them Moreouer they which obiect these thinges vnto vs must diligently marke this that by the same waye wee maye cauill againste God For hee hath sette foorth vnto menne his lawe whiche is most perfecte to bee kept of them Shall we say vnto him we are weake and of a corrupt and vitious nature neither can we perfourme thy commaundementes as thou commaundest wherefore whether we do against that which thou hast commaunded or whether we endeuour our selues to perfourme that which thou hast bydden wee shall euer synne bycause we shall fainte neither can we obey as we should doo Wherefore what soeuer we do we shall not auoide synne If anye manne brawlinglye shoulde speake these thinges againste God myghte not hee by good ryghte aunswere They bee iust and ryght which I haue sette foorth vnto you to bee obserued But in that ye are feable and weake it oughte not to bee counted a fault in mee For I haue excellentlye holpen your weakenes whyche for your sakes haue geuen my Sonne vnto the death If ye shall beleue onelye in hym what so euer ye shall not accomplish in perfourming my preceptes it shal not be imputed to you to euerlasting death So also may a good Prince aunswer I require of you those thinges whych are written in the woord of God and which are decent and do edefye Wherefore if your opinion or conscience bee againste it that is not to bee ascribed vnto me which haue diligently laboured that ye might not be ignorant of the truth and miserably perish For I haue diligently sene vnto that ye should be taught and instructed in the truth so wyll I styl go forward in exhorting admonishing and commaunding you but reade ye the holy Scriptures heare your Teachers and pray vnto God to open the eyes of your mynde These thinges if the Prince shall say vnto those men which doo so cauil against him I do not see by what right or by what meanes he can be reprehended And I thynke thys is not to be omitted that Augustine sayde Augustine chāged his sētence for compellinge of heretikes that hee was once of that opinion that nothing should be done by violence against heretiks but onely they should be instructed by admonitions and doctrine But hee confesseth that hee was admonished by certayne Byshoppes of more experience whych shewed hym of certayne Cities whyche before were in a manner vtterlye destroyed by the errour of the Donatistes and were by violence and lawes of the Emperours compelled to come vnto the Catholyque Churche whyche Cities beyng thus at the length syncerely couerted vnto the truthe rendered thankes vnto GOD neyther woulde they if by anye meanes they mought haue retourned agayne to so pernicious opinions Wherefore a godly Prince shall nothyng hurt suche men yea he shall proffyt them muche if after he haue instructed them he compell them to receaue the Sacramentes duelye as they be delyuered by the woorde of God But this is to bee vnderstande as touching his owne Citizens hys natiue countrey men and Denizens whiche enioye the ryght of the Citye or prouince Otherwyse I do not thinke that he ought to vse any violence towarde straungers that passe to and fro and whiche doo occupye the trade of Marchaundize either inwarde or outwarde Althoughe also as touching those men I thynke that he must diligently beware that they infect not the people with wycked doctrine An example of the Israelites which is to be obserued Wherefore I suppose that the steppes of the Israelites are to be followed who made none a Iewe or a Proselite neyther endewed any with the right of their people except first he circumcised hymselfe receaued the lawe of Moyses and communicated with their sacrifices And seing that that was so diligently obserued of them there is no cause why our Princes ought not to doo the lyke namely to suffer none to be of their City or as one of them or a straūger to be made free but first they shoulde constrayne hym to seruices and ceremonies agreing with the woord of God What is to be sayd of magistrates which are subiect to a superior power A distinction But now let vs go on and speake of those Magistrates or Lordts whyche are subiect to
vs by Antichriste Why God suffreth such miracles to be wrought by the deuill Paule hath faythfully admonished the Thessalonians But thou wilte saye that the deuill can not doe these thynges vnlesse God will and permitte I graunte that And why it is hys will so there are two causes sette forthe in the Scriptures Of the which the one is gathered out of Deutr. namely bicause he would tempt vs wherby might euidently appeare how much we esteme his word and whether we will suffer our selues to be plucked from him by suche illusions the seconde cause is to punyshe the vnbeleuers For so doth Paule teache vs to the Thessalonians bycause sayeth he they haue not receaued the loue of the truth therefore they are deliuered to be deluded with inchantementes and deuelishe miracles But there are two places in the Scriptures whiche are diligentlye to bee weyghed and considered that the doctrine now in hande may bee the more confyrmed The fyrste is written in the Actes of the Apostles the tenth Chapiter Of Cornelius the Centurion Cornelius caste himself down at the feete of Peter to whom when Peter came he caste himselfe at his feete But Peter woulde not suffer that yea he reprehended hym and aunswered in thys manner Doe not so ryse vp for I also am a man We read also in the Apocalipse Iohn fel downe at the feete of the Angell that Iohn fell downe before the Aungell but he admonished hym that he shoulde not so doe I am sayeth he thy fellowe seruaunt These two places maye thus bee vnderstande that Peter and the Aungell condemned these actes as in a manner Idolatrous as thoughe the Centurion and Iohn shoulde attribute any deuine nature Neither Cornelius nor Iohn would worship creatures the one to Peter the other to the Aungell and shoulde haue geuen vnto them more honoure than was conueniente for creatures But it seemeth that thys can not be easelye thoughte of eyther of these The Scripture testifyeth that the Centurion feared and worshipped God How should we therefore beleue that he coulde be led to beleue that Peter was God or at the leaste to attribute deuine honoures vnto a creature And it is not very likely that Iohn whiche was either an Apostle or ells a notable deuine as some call hym coulde not discerne an Aungell from God If so bee that neyther of these woulde worship a creature in stead of the Creator thys remaineth that it is not lawfull to geue vnto creatures this kind of outward reuerence Wherfore we shall seme not to haue sayd well before in saying that these thynges may be geuen vnto Princes and Kinges To thys I aunswere there muste be a difference obserued betwene a ciuile and a worldelye honoure and a deuine and religious woorshipping as we haue before expounded The Centuriō Iohn sinned in excesse but they can not be accused of Idolatrye Furthermore we muste knowe that these two men Cornelius I say and Iohn intended not by thys their worshipping to transferre the honour of God vnto creatures Howbeit it may easely bee that they fell to an vnmeasurable signe of reuerence and so in that excesse they somewhat committed sinne But as touching Kinges and Princes we are in much lesse daunger of falling than toward Angels or ministers of Christ For these bycause they exercise the spiritual office the honor which is geuen vnto thē draweth nighe to a religious adoration Wherfore in those places eyther the bowing of the knee or of the bodye are not by themselues condemned But in as muche as they are geuen for Religion sake Moderate honoures therefore maye bee geuen especially when they are geuen for Religion sake And thus muche at this presente as concerning thys thyng But let vs remember that whiche I haue also before admonyshed that thys also belongeth to Idolatrye when we woorship the true God by other wayes and rytes They which worship God otherwise thā he hath instituted are Idolatrers than he hath willed vs and prescribed vnto vs. If we shall doe otherwyse we shall woorship an Idole accordyng to that seconde forme before described in fayning to oure selues in oure mynde or harte any God whiche delighteth in a woorshippyng inuented by men and there is none suche Wherfore we shall not honoure and worship the true God but an Idole whiche we haue conceaued in our mynde And vndoubtedlye so oughte we to vnderstande Paule when he sayeth to the Corrinthians in the fyrste Epistle we knowe that an Idole is nothyng in the worlde Paule teacheth not that an Idole is nothyng as touchyng the shape and outwarde forme For no man doubteth but that those Idoles haue place either in the outwarde matter or ells in oure hartes By an Idole there fore he vnderstoode not the signe it selfe but the thing whereunto it is referred And he meant that the thing it selfe whiche is signified by Idoles is nothing for as much as there is no where a God which may be represented or els deliteth in such Images 14 And the wrathe of the Lorde waxed hotte agaynste Israell and he deliuered them into the handes of raueners that spoyled them and solde them into the handes of theyr enemyes round about them Neither had they any power any longer to stande before their enemyes 15 Whether so euer they went the hand of the Lord was agaynst them with euil lucke euen as the Lord promised them and euen as the Lord sware vnto them And he punyshed them sore The punishment imposed by God for Idolatry is now set forth to be diligently considered by vs. There are two thinges which are declared Fyrst is described that the anger of God was kindled agaynst the Israelites How we shuld vnderstand god to be angry and to repent Secondly how he punished the guiltye God therefore bycause of so grieuous a wicked crime of the Hebrewes waxed hotte agaynst them which is not so to be vnderstande as though God had any affections for that pertaineth only vnto men But according to the common and receaued exposition of these places we fele that god is like vnto men that are angry after which selfe same reason it is written that he sometime repenteth Wherfore God eyther to repent or to be angry is nothing ells but that he doth those thinges which men repenting and men angrye vse to do For the one do eyther alter or ells ouerthrowe that which before they had done and the other take vengeaunce of iniuries done vnto thē Ambrose in his booke of Noe and the Arke the fourth Chapter Ambrose speaketh otherwise of the anger of God For neither doth God sayth he thinke as men do as though some contrary sentence should come vnto him neither is he angrye as though he were mutable but therfore these thinges are beleued to expresse the bitternesse of our sinnes which hath deserued the wrath of God and to declare that the faulte hath so much and so farre encreased that euen God also whiche
condition ioyned with it as it may be in absolute and simple sentences when as the successe depēdeth of the kepyng or violatyng of the condition More ouer in these wordes of the history is expressed the cause why the Israelites sorowed and sighed namely bycause they were oppressed and afflicted and that with those kindes of calamityes whiche are before mencioned namely bycause they were spoyled sold and losyng their liberty and goods they were no longer able to stande before their enemyes 19 Yet for all that as soone as the Iudge was dead they turned and did worse than their fathers in following straunge gods and in seruing them and bowing them selues vnto them and ceased not from the Actes of them and from their hard waye When the Hebrues in the tyme of the Iudge that was raysed vp had a restyng tyme and came to a tollerable estate that iudge beyng dead they fell agayne worse than they did before and committed much more grieuous things than did their elders Whereby is founde true that whiche we before haue sayde namely that the infirmitye of our nature is so great that we can not longe abyde in pure religion and sincere worshipping of God And in that it is sayde that they whiche came after were a great deale worse than their fathers is declared that GOD not without reason and iuste cause was the more prouoked vnto anger so that wheras he had longe tyme spared their elders nowe at the last he would not forgeue those that came after And this is it whiche is often sayde Howe the iniquities of the fathers are visited in the children childrēs children that he doth visite the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children euen to the third and fourth generation whiche is not so to be vnderstand as thoughe he should punishe the posteritie more than they haue deserued But bycause God as he hath spared the fathers would so also haue forgeuen the children vnlesse they had so much followed the iniquities of their fathers that also they went farther in those mischieuous Actes then did their fathers God is patient and before the poureth out hys wrath and punishementes he vseth to tary for the thirde or fourth generation But howe these of whom we intreate were more corrupt than their fathers the history manifestly declareth for they committed more wicked Actes than did their fathers And of all those whiche their fathers perpetrated they forsooke none or left none vndone But of this kynde of speache wherein it is sayde It is not in mans power to auoyde sinne Neither ceased they from their endeuours we may not conclude that it lyeth in our strength power to auoyde synnes or to wrappe our selues out of them Wherfore they greatly erre which of the preceptes of the law of GOD do gather the strength and power of our free will For by the commaundementes the Scripture testifyeth what thynges they he whiche are required of men The power of free will is not to be gathered of the commaūdementes But the same Scripture manifestlye in an other place admonisheth that it lieth not in our power to fulfill them As Paul also writeth in hys latter Epistle to Timothe that there are in a great house not onely vesselles of golde and siluer but also vesselles of wood and vesselles of claye And he whiche shall purge hym selfe from them shal be a vessell sanctified to honour profitable to the Lorde and prepared to all good workes Neither for all that can we therby conclude that it is in our owne strength to purge our selues from synnes althoughe the same be required at our handes for as much as that is to be looked for onely of God Wherefore the same Apostle in the same Epistle when he had admonished the Minister of the Churche so be gentle ready to teache pacient to suffre euilles It is GOD whiche geueth repentaunce amendement but so for all that to confute them whiche resiste addeth If peraduenture God shall geue them repentaunce to the knowledge of hys truth By these wordes we are taughte that repentaunce from synnes whiche is commaunded commeth not of our selues but is louyngly and gently geuen of God The waye of synners is rightlye and worthily called harde The waye of sinners is hard and it is a metaphor elegantly taken of roughe and stonye places for stones and rockes for that they haue thicke and vnequall partes they hurte pricke and rente the tendre fleshe of theyr feete whiche trauayle vpon them So are the manners of the wicked they wounde theyr consciences and at the laste bryng them into extreme miseries which happeneth not without the great goodnesse of God for the god at the length by that meanes calleth vnto him very many sinners And the sawe hath Hoseas the Prophete very well described in hys ii chap when he sayeth And she sayde I will go after my louers whiche haue geuen me golde siluer wooll flaxe c. But I will hedge in thy wayes with thornes and will take awaye my gold my siluer my wooll and my flaxe And she shall say I will returne vnto my first husband for then was it better with me than it is now 20 Wherfore the wrath of the Lorde was kyndled agaynst Israel and he sayd Bycause thys people hath transgressed myne appoyntment whiche I commaunded their Fathers and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 21 I also will hence forth not cast out before them one man of the nations whiche Iosua left when he dyed 22 That thoroughe them I maye proue Israell whether they wyll kepe the waye of the Lorde and walke therein as their Fathers dyd or not 23 And so the Lord left those nations and droue them not out immediatly neither deliuered them into the handes of Iosua The cause being before declared namely the contempte wherby the Israelites contempned GOD now is set forth the effect thereof whiche is the kindlyng of the wrath of GOD. For this worde Chara in the Hebrue tongue is to waxe hotte or to be kyndeled with anger Whereby the property and nature of angry is properly and elegantely expressed For if angry should be defyned accordyng to the matter thereof it is a certayne inflamation of bloud about the hearte What is the matter of āger Neither do I speake it as thoughe that can be applied vnto GOD who vtterly is without heate and bloud But all these thynges as I haue allready oftentymes sayde are by a certaine translation applied vnto hym ¶ Of a League BVt bycause God complayneth for that the league was broken whiche he had made with them I thincke it good somewhat to speake briefly of a league whiche is in Latine called Faedus And that worde is deriued of the verbe Ferio whiche is to staye bycause that the ambassadours of eche partie kylled a hogge from whiche Etimologye peraduenture the Hebrue worde Berith differeth not much with whiche outwarde signe also they wished by prayer the destruction to that parte whiche
hande and hys hande preuayled agaynst Chusan Riseathaun 11 And the lande had rest .40 yeares And Othoniel the Sonne of Chenez dyed Israel cryed vnto the Lord bicause they wer euil vexed and most grieuously oppressed of the Sirians They acknowledged now after their great hurt that straunge Gods profited them nothing yea rather they brought vpon them the miseries wherwith they were vrged When they vnderstoode that mans helpe was on euery side cut of they conuerting them selues vnto the true God called vpon him This is the fruite of miseries as touching the elect or rather the fruit of the goodnes of God which by troubles calleth againe vnto him those which are hys Of Othoniel we haue spoken inough before Now he is called a Sauiour bicause he brought health vnto the Israelites as the other Iudges dyd Othoniel was called a sauiour and a redemer which wer also called Sauiours he was a shadow of Christ But the Chaldey paraphrast calleth him Porken that is a Redemer Which surname also rightly agreeth with Othoniel bicause before it is sayd that God sold the Israelites and when bondmen are sold they haue nede of one to redeme them For as much as before it was said the God raised vp Iudges After what maner God raised vp Iudges now is declared the maner forme how he raysed them vp For it is written And the spirite of the Lord was vpon hym For by the holy ghost wer not onelye geuen vnto hym strength political wisdome and warlyke artes but also he was made the more certain of his calling The Chaldey paraphrast vnderstandeth by the Spirit of God the power of prophecy Dauid Kimhi But Dauid Kimhi interpreteth it the gift of force strength But I thinke that either interpretacion is to be allowed For besydes the strength and power which was geuen the Iudges they had also the iudgement and feeling of the wil of God which pertained vnto prophecy He iudged Israel That is he set them at liberty and was their Gouernour as touching ciuil thinges and restored the pure worshipping of God In that it is aboue written that God sold Israel to the king of Mesopotamia And nowe again it is declared that he deliuered the same king vnto Othoniel we may gather that victories ar geuē at the pleasure of God which also we haue often noted before R. Leui ben gerson thinketh that in that supputation of .40 R. Leui ben gerischon yeares wherein the Iewes lyued peaceably vnder Othoniel were comprehended also the eyght yeares of seruitude which went before But of this thing we wil speake aboundantly in the history of Iiphtah God is also to be called vpon of synners This place teacheth that men must call vpon God though they haue synned which I therfore thought good to note bycause sinnes vse much to feare away men from the inuocation of the name of God for this is the nature of synnes to alienate vs frō God vnto whom we yet by praiers come againe Wherfore seing these thinges are contrary namely to be alienated from God and to come vnto him it is wonder how they can be applyed to one and the selfe same man Augustine And this maketh with it also which is written in the gospel God heareth not sinners Although Augustine wryte of that sentēce that it is found in dede in the holy scriptures but it was spoken by hym whych was borne blynde when his hart was not yet illustrate Wherefore he iudgeth that that sentence is not to be taken as a firme and certaine rule A distinction of synners But I would rather make a distinction betwene synners for there are some which when they cry vnto the Lord do repent and from their hartes are sory for the euils which they haue committed But ther are other which continue stil in their mynd and purpose to synne and haue a very great delite therin Farther I am not afeard to affirme that god heareth those synners which being repentant cry vnto him with faith wher as those are repulsed which being hardened in their sinnes and wāting faith do call vpon god Wherfore it appeareth that those sinners which come to god and those that depart from god are not sinners of one sort bicause they which after they haue synned cal vpon god by faith repent them of theyr synnes are deuided from those which stubbornly without repentaunce perseuer in their synnes For they although by wordes they cry vnto god yet in hart and mynde they are farre from him so farre are they for to be ioyned vnto him or to come vnto him by fayth and prayers ¶ Whether God be the cause of synne BVt in these thinges which are sayd there ariseth a question which is not to be left vnspoken of For it is writtē that god sold the Israelites to the king of Mesopotamia Wherfore it semeth that he holpe a wicked man aided hym to satisfy his tyranny and ambition For he had neither a iust cause nor yet an honest title to clayme vnto him the dominion of the Hebrues What shall wee saye therefore Shall we affirme that God is the cause of this sinne Ther happeneth in this booke and in other places of the holye Scriptures suche kynde of speeche and that often times very plaine and therefore it semeth good to be expounded once for all Whether by the word permissiō this question may be dissolued Some yea and that with no euyl minde labour to excuse God and say that he doth not these euyl thinges but onely permitteth them And they thinke that in doubtful places that interpretation is to be applied which altogether wanteth fault and daunger of vngodlines Vndoubtedly this their saying wer to be praised if that we could se their exposition to be allowed in the scriptures But there it is farre otherwise sayd It is proued by good reasons that besides permission god worketh somewhat whē sins ar cōmitted namely that God doth stirre vp wycked men to their wicked actes that he seduceth delyuereth commaundeth hardeneth and deceaueth them and bringeth to passe those sinnes which are grieuous Suche kindes of speeche do manifestly teach vs that God after a sorte woorketh euyll thinges not onely in permitting but also in doing in vs. Without doubt al we are said both to haue our being and also our mouing in him For he is in suche sort the first cause of all thinges that without him we can do nothing For how should we moue our selues vnlesse by his power we wer both moued and also driuen Farther how farre his gouernment extendeth we may reade in the .xi. chap. of Mathew for two Sparowes saith the Lord are sold for a farthing and yet one of them falleth not to the ground without the wyll of the father And that was as much to say as without the counsell of God nothing be it neuer so smal is done in the world Moreouer that permission wherby certaine go about to make
plaine this question at the length is called againe to the will For who soeuer can let and prohibite any thing that is euil and doth it not it is manyfest that after a sort he is willing therunto Besides that he permitteth it not against his wyll God doth not idlelye beholde those thinges whych are done o◠men but worketh together with them Esay 5. but willinglye Wherefore a wyll without doubt is contayned in that permission But now must we shew that God when sinnes are committed doth not ydely looke on yea he woorketh somwhat there For Esay in the .v. chap. saythe that God would geue a token and with his hissing cal a nation from the vtmost partes of the earth which should ouerthrow the kingdome of the Hebrues as their synnes had deserued By which it manifestly appeareth that God stirreth vp Tyrannes and outward nations to these vniust warres Esay 10. Also in the .x. chap. the same Prophet pronounceth that king to be wicked which in that expedition was in the hand of God as a saw a staffe and an axe There is no man ignoraunt but that al these thinges do so woorke and moue that they be first moued Yea and that proud king is therfore reprehended bicause he so exalted himselfe as though he wer God who had by him brought such and so great thinges to passe Gen 45. Ioseph also in the booke of Genesis said vnto his brethren which had by a wicked cōspiracy sold him It was not you but god that sent me into Egipt In the first booke of the kinges also 1. kinges 22. and the .xxii. chap Sathan who was readye to deceaue Achab was commaunded by God to do it to preuaile Which words declare that God himselfe commaundeth and also stirreth vp to deceaue Further it is written in the Prouerbes the .xxi. chap. Prouerbes 21. The hart of the king is in the hand of God he shal incline it whether soeuer he wyl The scripture saith also of Pharao Exodus 9.10.11 Rom. 9. kinges seme free from humayne lawes but God boweth them whether he wyll which place Paul alledgeth that his hart was hardened by God Neither maketh this anye thing against it Pharao was hardened both of god of hym self if thou shalt say that it is written in the .viii. chap. of Exodus that Pharao hardened himselfe for as muche as bothe sayinges are true For God doth no violence to the wyll of man seing that nothing is more contrarye vnto it than to make it to doo any thing vnwillingly or by compulsion Howbeit it is chaunged and bowed of God so softly and pleasantly that it willinglye without violence inclineth to whatsoeuer pleaseth God Augustine And it often times happeneth as Augustine in diuers places hath taught that God punisheth former sinnes by latter synnes And the holye scriptures before Augustines time testified the same especiallye Paule in his Epistle to the Roma the first chap. Wherfore God hath in his hand the affections of our hart which he loseth or restraineth as shal seeme good to his most wise prouidence turneth them whithersoeuer it shal please him And so great is his power God worketh more as touching sinnes than is expressed by the worde permission 2. Thess 2. that we must beleue that he worketh much more than may be expressed by the woord of permission For Paul feared not thus to write vnto the Thessalonians bycause they haue not receaued the loue of the truth therfore shal God send on them an error so that they shal beleue lyes al they shal be iudged which haue not beleued the truth but allowed vnrighteousnes These wordes manifestly testifye that God did cast error vpon them to punish their former sinne namelye vpon those which despised the truth offered them Dauid also semeth to tend to this when in the .2 booke of Samuel the .16 chap. he said of Simeck Suffer him 2. Sam 16. for God hath cōmaunded him to curse me Also in the same booke the .12 chap. God by Nathan the Prophet saith of Dauid which had grieuously fallen 2. Sam 12. behold I wyll stirre vp euil against thee wil take thy wiues geue them vnto thy neighbour who shal sleepe with them this diddest thou secretly but I wil do this thing openly in the eyes of the Sunne and of all Israel If the matter be so thou wilt say they which sinne shall easily be excused The sinnes of men are not excused by the working of god for they may sone say that they wer by God moued stirred vp to sin Not so For mē ar not so deliuered by God vnto sins as though they wer them selues pure innocent For they which ar so stirred vp to naughtines haue worthily deserued the same And the same men are not driuen against their wil but they wonderfully delite themselues in those transgressions and sinnes Wherefore their excuse is foolishe or rather none But this semeth to be agaynst the things before said Whither God do together both hate wil sinnes bicause in the Psalmes it is wrytten that God is such a one as willeth no iniquity and hateth synnes And vndoubtedly he is so in dede For vnles he hated sinnes why should he punish them for thinges that are allowed are not wont to be punished Farther he hath most seuerely prohibited them by his lawes But as touching this A distinction of the wyll of God thus must we decree of the wil of god that it is in nature and very dede one whych yet may be deuided for diuers and sundry respectes For as it is set foorth in the scriptures the law he condemneth sinnes he prohibiteth them and threatneth most grieuous punishments vnto them Howbeit bicause he directeth the same sinnes whithersoeuer he wil vseth them to his counsels and decrees neyther when he may letteth them it is therfore sayd that after a sort he wylleth them Neither is it meete to deny that such sundry respectes are in the wyl of god For god would before al beginninges haue his sonne sacrificed vnto him for a most swete sacrifice who yet himself said in the law Thou shalt not kil thou shalt not shed innocent bloud God also forbad that any shoulde be deceaued who for all that would haue Achab to be deceaued of Sathan Christ was killed by the will of God as we haue a lyttle before mencioned And least any man should doubt that Christ was put to death by the wyl of God we may se in the actes of the Apostles that it is most manifestly said that the Iewes did those things which God by his counsel had before ordained What then Shal we say that god is the cause of synne Not so God if we speake properli is not the cause of sinne for if we wil speake properly and that it may the more manifestly appeare we must marke that one selfe acte as it is deriued from
sheweth the punishment wherwith for the same they wer punished As soone as their good Prince was dead the people fel againe to their olde wyckednes neyther did they onely commit those sinnes which before they had committed but to them they added some sinnes more grieuous The last fallinges wer for the most parte more grieuous than the first Seruitude is against the nature of man For the last falinges were for the most part greuouser than they which wer past for at the least thei added this in that they more more became ingrate for the benefites past when they againe fel from God with whom they were before reconciled into fauour Their punishment was bondage wherin they wer bound serued the Moabites Without doubt a grieuous kinde of punishment bicause it is marueylouslye agaynst the state and nature of man For al men by nature ar borne free And bondage as euen the Lawyers also do confesse Seruitude was brought in by cause of sinne was brought in by a commō law among men agreing to natural reason But it may more truly be said that it was brought in bicause of sinne Enemies when they wer ouercome in warre wer somtimes saued compelled to serue them which ouercame them and ther can be no iust warres taken in hand vnles it be to reuenge some facinorous acte Wherefore we said wel that seruitude was deriued of sinne is therfore a grieuous punishment bicause it is against the nature of man Certaine subiections are natural I graunt in deede that this is natural for the children to be obedient vnto the parentes the subiect vnto the Magistrates the vnlearned vnskilful vnto the wiser the weake ones must apply themselues to the mightier But this kinde of obedience and seruice namely toward them whych are fauourable vnto vs and seeke for our profyt is voluntary Wherefore it very much differeth from the seruitude wherof we now intreate For that voluntarye kynde of obedience myght haue bene vsed when men were in perfecte state but thys whyche was brought in for synne coulde not bee there And bondmen are compelled to serue not suche as are their friendes but straungers and enemyes and that in thynges vnprofitable vnto them Which is the more greuous bondage yea and often tymes thynges hurtfull and vnhonest Seruitude also is then far more grieuous when people are subiect vnto those enemies which once wer ouercome by them and whom before they ruled These euyls happened vnto the Israelites The Moabits were enemyes to the Iewes from the begining For the Moabites were enemies vnto the Hebrues euen from the beginning and they hired Balaam to curse them and in the wildernes they abandoned their women vnto them for the which the people was afterward grieuously plagued Farther the Iewes ouercame the Moabites by warre and punished them sore as we reade in the booke of Numbers Besides that the Moabites wer a filthy and an infamed people for their father was Moab the sonne of Loth who begat him by incest Nether would God suffer that they should be admitted into his church For these causes therfore was this bondage most hard and especially vnto the Hebrues which were alreadye before by god set at liberty both from the Egiptians and also from the Sirians and by wonderfull woorkes from them redeemed God strengthned Aeglon namely in geuing him courage and strength making him prompt and styrring him vp also by some certaine occasions And adioyned vnto hym Ammon and Amalek This may be vnderstand twoo wayes either that Eglon adioyned vnto him selfe such confederates or that god caused this league to be made betwene these nations And vndoubtedlye both significations are true for that which they dyd they coulde not haue executed without the wyll and ayde of god Let vs note in this place that the vngodly which otherwise agree not verye wel among them selues The vngodly do easilye conspire agaynst the people of god do easely conspire against the people of god Wherfore these three nations being ioyned together did easely ouercome the Israelites which wer forsaken of god And they possessed the city of Palme trees which is Iericho as it appeareth in Deut. and as it is before declared But in that it is said that they tooke possession of it it signifieth that they did not spoyle it and leaue it voyde for they claimed it vnto them selues making the landes and possessions therof proper vnto them selues Neither is it vnlykelye but that they put in it a garison of soldiors for to oppresse the Hebrues more grieuously And yet I do not thinke that they restored again the city vnto them for that came to passe afterward in the time of Achab as it is declared in the booke of Kynges Why god punisheth his people by vngodly ones But this peraduenture may seeme maruellous vnto some that god vsed to punish his people by other nations farre woorse than they wer for as muche as the Ammonites Amalekites and Moabites wer Idolatrers nations that were ouerwhelmed in all kinde of wickednes To this I wil answer that it was the prouidence of god which as I haue before declared doth in the sorte punish syns with synnes and in such maner chasten the vngodly by others that are vngodly Whi god soner punisheth his owne than he doth strangers Farther by it he declareth that these things though they be euyll yet they can not escape but that some way they shal serue his wil. But whi he differeth to punysh nations which otherwise are wicked and his own he straight ways punisheth this is the cause bicause they pertaining to god do synne against his law which they know Wherfore ther is no cause why the Turkes and Papists though they somtimes preuayle against vs to punish our sinnes should flatter them selues therby God wyll not easeli suffer his worde beynge knowen receiued to be despised as though they were much better than we are or as though their supersticions were better than our religion For if the Moabites Chananites and Assirians were not counted better than the Iewes whom they ouercame no more shall the Turkes or Papistes obtayne the same thoughe sometymes by the wyl of God they afflict the Gospellers Wherfore god doth quickly punish his for his woord sake which is among them published hee wyll not easely suffer that his woord being receaued and knowen should be despised and escape vnpunished There were vndoubtedly very many lyers and false men at Ierusalem and yet god suffered them where as he strayght waye destroyed Ananias and Saphira For he would adorne set forth the gospel holy ministery And now that the Ethnikes do see how seuerely God punisheth vs they maye easelye coniecture what hangeth ouer their heades according to the saying of Christ If this be done in the grene tree what shall be done in the drye tree And if by reason of their blindnesse they vnderstand not this we ought diligently to remember it
men but in our history are called Fattemen not that they were fat in body but in richesse For they were riche and very stroÌ„g For by their myght and warlike power the Israelites were brought into bondage Wherfore it is very aptly a litle afterward sayd that the Hebrues when they had gotten this victory were in quiet a very loÌ„g tyme after for the Moabites wer so coÌ„sumed and worne away by reason their notable and excellent captaynes wer lost Augustine What peace of the Romanes was loÌ„ger theÌ„ other that they were not able to renew warre agayne And therfore it is sayde That Moab was subdued vnder the hand of Israell Augustine diligently consideryng that the laÌ„d was at rest lxxx yeares hath learnedly noted that the Romanes had neuer peace aboue the space of xl yeares which they had in the tyme of Numa Pompilius For the king setting aside the study of making warre applied himself wholy to institute ceremonies Wherfore therby he concludeth that the affaires of the Israelites were longer in quiet thaÌ„ were the affaires of the Romanes Howbeit the Hebrues thinke that in that suÌ„me of lxxx yeres are coÌ„prehended those xviii yeares wherin the Hebrues serued the kyng of Moab that the supputation of the tyme might agree more iustly There are two thinges whiche are to be marked in this place First the Ehud was of a valeant strong noble courage whereunto was adioyned a singular prudeÌ„ce And of those giftes faith was the principall fouÌ„datioÌ„ for vnlesse he had effectually beleued god wheÌ„ he called him also his promise he wold neuer haue put his life goods into so great ieopardies The second thing is that all thinges had therfore happy successe bycause god neuer faileth those which obey him followyng their vocation wherby they feele that by him they are called to accomplishe any thyng But now that we haue briefly touched the history there are thre places or questioÌ„s offred vnto vs whiche may not by any meanes be left vnspokeÌ„ of For foras much as Ehud as we haue heard vsed guile the euill guile made also a lye drew hys sworde agaynst hys prince me thinketh it is worthy to be declared whether it be lawfull for ChristiaÌ„ godly meÌ„ to vse guile Secondly whether it be lawful to lye lastly whether the subiectes may inuade their priÌ„ce for any cause ¶ Of Guile NOw let vs speake of the first That whiche the Latines call Dolus that is guile the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that their worde and the Latines is almost all one But the Hebrues call it Mirmah or Rimiah Then we must know this that guile is there vsed where any thing lyeth secret whiche is hidden Plautus lest the guile should appeare or easely be sene Wherfore Plautus sayd Guiles vnlesse they be couered by craft they are no guiles Thus much as touching the name Now let vs come to the definition In the digestes de dolo malo lege 1. The definition of guile Seruius Seruius an interpreter of the lawe hath thus defined euil guile namely to be a subtile inuention or deuise for to deceaue another by when as one thing is done and an other thing dissembled Wheresoeuer therfore is guile there is deceate by some dissimulation Labeo It is true in dede that Labeo an interpretor of the law reproued the definitioÌ„ which Seruius brought and that by two argumentes Whereof the one is that some may be beguiled without dissimulation or euill guile Wherefore the difinition is more strayte and narrowe than that whiche is defined whiche all men counte to be an error The other argument is bycause some sometymes by dissimulation do saue and defend their owne or elles other mens thinges and yet thereby they beguyle no man neither do they hurte any man Wherfore the definition is applyed vnto other thinges besides that whiche is defined An other definition of guile Vlpianuâ— whiche thing also is reproued as a faulte Wherfore he thus defineth it Noughty guile is all craft disceate and subtility inuented to beguile delude and deceaue an other Vlpianus in the same place alloweth the opinion of Labeo Sauyng the authoritie of suche a man I would say that Labeo did not well in remouing dissimulation from the definitioÌ„ of deceate And as touching the first argument whiche he hath I deny namely that men may be beguiled without dissimulation bycause vnlesse they should be together without sense they would not easely be brought to receaue to take that which they manifestly see wil be hurtefull vnto them Wherfore it is necessary that there be some shewe and colour added whiche can by no meanes be done without dissimulation Then where as he saith that there are very many whiche by dissimulation may defend either their owne thinges or elles thynges of other mens I graunt that but yet I affirme that the same is guile although it be good guile as afterward we shal more manifestly shew Wherfore as touching the definition of guile it semeth that fayning or dissimulation is alwayes to be added And for that cause the definitioÌ„ of Seruius pleaseth me better which definition for all that I my selfe would rather apply vnto guile in generall thaÌ„ vnto euill guile as he did Beyng by this meanes peraduenture moued bycause he vnderstode by deceate that deceate whiche should be hurtefull Cicero in his first booke of offices affirmeth that dissimulation or fayning Cicero pertayne chiefly vnto the nature of guile For he writeth that Aquilius his familiar frende beyng demaunded what guile was he answered where one thyng is doone and an other thyng dissembled To this sentence Augustine assenteth Augustine who in his 7. treatise vpon Iohn expoundyng these wordes whiche Christ pronounced of Nathaniel Beholde a true Israelite in whoÌ„ is no guile sayth TheÌ„ it is guile wheÌ„ one thing is done and an other thing fayned c. And to speake this by the waye by this place is easely gathered Augustine preâ—ched vnto the people in â—â—tiâ—e that Augustine preached his Sermons vnto the people in Latine bicause the Affricians vsed the Romane tongue although it were not pure but in some wordes corrupt For there Augustine admonished the people that Dolus which is guile signified not Dolor that is pain as many corruptly spake saying Dolus illuÌ„ torquet that is as they meant He is troubled with payne when as in that place they should haue said Dolor and not Dolus to take awaye therfore the ambiguitie of the worde he sayeth that Dolus whiche is guile signifieth fayning and dissimulation And in the same place to expresse what fayning beguilyng signifieth he addeth Guile coÌ„meth of doublenesse of heart that it commeth of doublenesse of the hearte He allegeth thâ— 12. Psalme where when mention is made of guilefull men Dauid sayth that they speake in hart and in harts that is as hee interpreteth in one parte of their heart they do se the
a thing cannot be hurt without blame And lastly euery man by lying leeseth hys own credite for being taken in a lye he shal euer after be suspected Wherefore though he would he shall not bee able by admonition or correction to helpe hys neighbour For the which cause the fault which is in a lye pertaineth not onely to the hurt and losse of our neighbour but it is in it by the general woord as by that which we haue already said manifestly appeareth But among lies What kinde of lye is most grieuous that lye semeth to be most grieuous which is cōmitted in religion doctrine and godlynes bicause in no other thing can guile be more hurtful pernicious For there if we shal erre we are thrust from the eternal felicity Augustine Wherefore Augustine in his Encheridion the .18 chap. hath very wel wrytten that they in dede doo synne grieuously which deceaue trauelyng men shewing them a contrary waye but they are much more detestable which as touching godlynes by lying doo bryng men into errours If the three kinde of lyes should be compared together I meane a pernitious lye a sportefull lye and a seruiceable lye A pernitious lye Two euyls in a pernitious lie should rightfullye be counted more detestable bicause in it are two euyls One is the abuse of signes the other is the hurt of our neighbour And that both of the minde which deceiueth which thing is common vnto all lyes and also of the thing whych is lost But as for other lyes although they are not without fault yet is that not a litle diminished by the good added vnto it either of delectacion or of helpe And in dede a sportefull lye hath in it but a smal and sclender nature of a lye A sporteful lye for as much as the falsehood is straightway founde out neither can it be long hydden from the hearers Augustine Yea Augustine wryteth that suche lyes are not to be counted for lyes But as touching a seruiceable lye the iudgement of it is more darke hard For some deny it to be synne for they say it hath a consideration to thys Whyther a seruiceable lye bee synne to helpe our neighbour whom we ought in woordes and dedes to relieue as much as we can Wherfore they thinke that therby commeth no abuse of signes for as much as al our thinges ought to haue a respect to the commodity of our brethren Neither do they thinke that in it is sinne committed against humane societie when as by this kinde of lye men are made safe and kept harmlesse Farther they say that where as it is in the holy scriptures written that God wyll destroy al those which speake lyes the same is not to be vnderstand of euery kind of lye but onely of a pernicious lye Which thing Augustine also in hys Encheridion the .18 chap. seemeth to graunt Plato They bryng also the opinion of Plato in his booke de Repub who although he feared away the people from lyes yet he gaue Magistrates libertye to lye especiallye in making of lawes But in my iudgement the thing is farre otherwyse neither wyl I easily graunt that a seruiceable lye wanteth the abuse of signes Aristotle For Aristotle in his booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defining woordes saith that they are notes of those affections which we haue in our minde Wherby it followeth that al they abuse wordes which signify thinges to be otherwise than they thinke in their minde Farther that reason which they bring of loue is a very weake reason For we ought to help our neighbours but yet by iust and honest meanes otherwise let vs permit thefts to be bestowed in almes geuing But the sentence of the Apostle must abyde firme and stable which is that euil thinges must not be done that therby good thinges may come to passe Neither do I thinke that true that by those kinde of lyes humane fellowship is not hurt for as much as take awaye fayth and there remaineth almost no trafficke among men But as touching that sentence of the holy scriptures wherin it is said Thou shalt destroy al them that speake lyes We graunt with Augustine that that sentence is not vniuersally spoken for as long as the power and coniunction of faith abideth with Christ so long those sinnes ar not imputed which otherwise of their own nature should be our destruction And this also wil I easily graunt of seruiceable and sportful lyes bicause they are not so much against charity as are pernicious lyes But this can no man deny that in making a lye we doo against faith And we must vtterly graunt that he which lyeth looseth thereby his own credite so that afterward he cannot profitably admonishe reprooue or with fruite geue counsel as he ought to do For they which heare him will easily beleue that he seruiceably lyeth to cal them againe into the way not that the thing is so in very dede A contentiō betwene Ierome Augustine This vndoubtedlye was the cause that Augustine was against Ierome who in a maner attributed a seruiceable lye vnto the holy scriptures If this saith he should be so the authority of the holy scriptures wold soone decay For the Readers of them would easily say that the thing is not so but that it is so written An error of Plato to keepe men in doing their duty Nether ought the authority of Plato much to moue vs for as much as in that place he very much erred graunting that in thinges pertayning vnto God they might fayne fables which might serue to bring foorth and keepe a good opinion of them Wythout doubt we may not mocke in matters touching God Farther the law of God is equal and the selfe same as it wyl not haue the people to lye so also it prohibiteth the same vnto the Magistrates Who are to bee excused of a lie Howbeit they cannot iustly be accused of a lye which in their talke ar farre from doublenes For somtimes it cōmeth to passe that some speake that whych is false and yet they thought the same to be true With which men they also ar excused which haue geuen their promise to do a thing which afterward they are not able to performe Bicause at the beginning when they promised it they wer fully mynded to doo that which they had promised and therefore they haue not lyed If so be that afterward they doo not accomplish those thinges whiche they haue said the same happeneth by some other meanes And sometimes it happeneth that he which deliuereth his sword to some man to kepe falleth afterward mad wherfore he ought not to restore the swoorde vnto him which hath left it with him bicause a new case as the Lawyers say requireth a new helpe After which selfe same sort Paule is excused who sayd that he would go into Spaine when as for al that he went not thither Paule also promised the Corrinthians
holily yet they cannot satisfy the people And so much of this question 31 After him was Sangar the sonne of Anath and he smote of the Philistians .600 men with the goade of an oxe he also saued Israel What this Sangar was or of what tribe or family the holy scripture doth not declare But this coniecture is very likely that when the Hebrues had a long tyme liued in peace vnder Ehud as sone as he was dead the Philistiās began to vexe them Wherfore Sangar being stirred vp by God defended the people from cōming again into subiection vnder the Philistians And among other victories of the which I think ther wer very many this is chiefly mēcioned as a miraculous wonderful victory The Hebrues think that this notable act of this Sangar happened in the time of the oppression vnder Iabin But thei bring no reasons why they should so thinke Farther Iosephus by the holy scriptures it appeareth not how many yeres the Hebrues wer kept by this Iudge yet by Iosephus we may know that he fought for the Israelites but onely one yere That which we translate wyth the goade of an Oxe the Grecians cal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with the foote or staffe of a plow The comon translation in latin hath with the plow share Augustine Augustine as it appeareth by his questions on this place redeth beside calues of the kyne Which clause semeth to haue no sense in it And he iudgeth that this Sangar in this murther of the Philistians slew peraduēture many oxen which ar called calues And he addeth that the Egiptians vsed in his time to call all kind of oxen of what age soeuer they wer by the name of calues As we saith he cal Chickens all vniuersally as many as ar cōprehended vnder the kind of hens with out any difference of yeares and age In the meane time he confesseth that it is not so in the Hebrue he hath saide truly for in the Hebrue bibles we read Melamed Which woord is deriued of this verbe Lamad And that verbe in the cōiugation Kal is to learn but in the cōiugation Pihel it is to teach Wherfore Melamed might be turned a teacher of Oxen Kimhi namely to be that instrumēt wherby Oxen in plowing ar guided And least we should doubt what it is Kimhi writeth that it is a rod or a staffe in the end or top wherof ther is fastened a prick And the Chaldey paraphrast testifieth the same which in steede of the word hath put this word Perasch that word signifieth to prick Wherfore it is an instrumēt whereby oxen in plowing ar pricked Wherfore the word Peraschim signifieth horsmen of spurres wherby horses are by the riders vpon them pricked And thus much by the way The old writers thinke that in this place is vsed the figure Synechdoche as though Sangar did not alone kil so great a number of Philistians but that hee wyth other rusticall men fought agaynste them whyche rusticall men were armed with no other kinde of weapons than with goades of Oxen. In deede I know that the holy scriptures many times do admit chaūge of numbers which whither in this place it be to be receaued I do very much doubt Yea if I should speake the truth as it is I thinke the contrary forasmuch as in this present hystory me thinketh no vulgare acte is set foorth but rather a wonder or myracle But howsoeuer it be this I thinke is godlily and profitablye to be noted That any thing may serue vs for weapons when the woord of God is added A slyng and stones of a ryuer furnished Dauid nobly The iaw bone also of an Asse was a weapon to Samson and a naile to Iahel wherwith she slew Sisera And contrariwise what kind of weapōs of fence so euer we deuise vnles it be strengthened by the word of God it shal be vtterly vnprofitable and serue to no purpose The walles of Iericho which otherwise were wel fenced fell downe of their own accord Psal xxxiii and the great sword of Goliah the Giant was made to cut the throte of hys own maister Wherfore it is most truly said in the Psalmes A king is not saued by much strength and a horse is a vayne thing to saue a man But what doo we speake of weapons when as the same happeneth vnto al creatures For so long euery one of them is and abideth as the woorde of God caryeth and vpholdeth them For althings whatsoeuer they be do by that onely both abide consist Yea and the Sacramentes themselues taking away the woord of God are vtterlye nothing For what do we thinke bread wyne or water to haue by themselues which may be profitable for our saluation Augustine or serue to stirre vp or to strengthen faith Vndoubtedly nothing Wherefore Augustine hath right well sayde The word cōmeth vnto the element it is made a sacrament Wherfore in that .vi. hundred Philistians were kylled with an Oxe goade wee must beleue that the same came to passe by the cōmaundement of God by the power of his woord ¶ The .iiii. Chapter 1. ANd the children of Israel began againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord when Ehud was dead 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Iabin king of Chanaan which raygned in Hazor whose captain of warre was called Sisera which dwelt in Hazoreth of the Gentyles The cause of the oppression of the Israelites is mencioned namely bicause when Ehud was dead they began to do euil that is to sinne They abused therfore the quietnes and tranquillity of the foure score yeares in which they lyued peaceably vnder their Iudge neither declined they onely from the right waye but also they increased in syn This is the nature of carnal men that by prosperytie they are not made the better but farrs woorser VVhen Ehud was dead It cannot be told how easily the people fal from the right way when as holy Princes are also remoued from the same Wherefore that is not vnworthely to be counted a most grieuous plague when the pyllers both of the Church and also of the publike wealth are taken awaye There is no mention made of the death of Sanger But what should be the cause why there is no mention made of the death of Sangar wee cannot easily tel The Hebrue interpreters saye that it therefore happened bycause he continued but a litle time and for that cause is scarcely coūted among the Iudges nether was the deliuery which by him happened perfect which is in the next chapter by expresse wordes declared Farther it is in dede sayd of hym that he saued Israel but it is not added as it is of Othoniel and Ehud that the land was any yeares at rest vnder hym And God sold them When al thinges seme vnto the vngodly to be in quiet and at rest and that they thinke that on no syde anye hurt or euyll can happen vnto them
when hee taketh the weake ones he straight waye endueth and adorneth them with his grace and gyftes For as muche therefore as he had vnto thys ministerye chosen Deborah beyng weake in kynde hee strayght waye endewed and adorned her wyth the spirite of prophecye By whyche grace and peraduenture manye other moe myracles she was by God constituted and by myracles confirmed as she that was elected vnto so great an office Neyther onely this woman was endewed with the sprite of prophesy We comen prophetesses did openly instruct the people for in the holy scriptures we reade of other women which were likewise inspired by the holy Ghost Mary the sister of Moses Hanna the Mother of Samuel Holda in the time of Iosias the king were Prophetesses And in the new testament Marye the Virgin Elizabeth the mother of Iohn and Anna the wife of Phanuel the daughters also of Phillip the Deacon as it is written in the Actes of the Apostles were prophetesses Neyther do I thinke that we maye denye that some of those weomen endewed with the sprite of prophesy did openly teach the people in declarynge those thynges vnto them whiche God had shewed vnto them Forasmuch as the giftes of God are not therfore geuen that they shoulde lye hidden but to aduaunce the common edifying of the church And yet hereby it followeth not that that which God doth by some peculiar priuiledge we should by and by draw it for an example because according to the rule of the Apostle we are bound vnto an ordinary law whereby both in the Epistle to Timothy and in the first Epistle to the Corrinthians Why wemen are commounded to kepe silence in the church he commaundeth that a woman should kepe silence in the church And he assigneth causes of this silence so commaunded namely because they ought to be subiect vnto theyr husbandes But the office of a teacher hath a certayne authority ouer those whiche are taught which is not to be attributed vnto a womā ouer men For she was made for the man whome she ought alwayes to haue a regarde to obey whiche thing is also appoynted her by the sentence of God wherby after synne committed he sayd vnto the woman Thy lust shal pertayne vnto thy husband Farther the Apostle geueth an other reason drawne from the fyrste faute bicause as he sayth Eua was seduced and not Adam wherfore if women should ordinarily be admitted vnto the holy ministery of the Church men might easely suspecte that the deuill by his accustomed instrument would deceaue the people and for that cause they would the lesse regard the Ecclesiasticall function if women should be beleued It ought therfore to be committed onely to men that by ordinary right and the Apostles rule And though God do sometimes otherwyse yet can he not be iustly accused forasmuch as all lawes are in his power Wherefore if sometimes he send any prophetesse and adorne her with heauenly giftes if the same woman speake in the church vndoubtedly she is to be hearde but in suche sort that she forgette not her owne estate Twoo places of Paule conceliated Wherefore these two testimonies of Paule which seme to be contrary one to an other may easelye be conciliated To Timothe the fyrst Epistle he writeth that a woman ought in the church to kepe silence which thinge toward the ende of the first Epistle to the Corinth he most manifestly confirmeth And in the same epistle he commaundeth that a man prophesieng or praying should haue his hed vncouered but a woman when she prophesieth should haue it couered whereby vndoubtedly he teacheth that it is lawfull for a woman both to speak and also to prophesy in the church For he would not haue commaūded that in this doing she should couer her head if she should vtterly kepe silence in the holy assembly The thinge is in this manner to be taken that we should vnderstande the precept of silence to be a generall precepte but the other which is for the couering of the head when they pray or prophesy pertained onely to those which wer prophetesses They vndoubtedly are not forbidden to prophesy for the common edification of the church Why women prophetesses were commaūded to haue theyr heds couered but to the ende by reason of theyr office extraordinarely committed vnto them they should not forget theyr owne estate and waxe proude they are commaūded to haue their head couered whereby they myght vnderstande that yet they haue the power of man aboue them Farther whereas to Titus the ii chap. it is commaunded that the elder women should admonish the yonger women of temperance and that they should loue theyr husbandes and children and diligently looke to theyr famely this is not to be vnderstand of publike doctrine or ecclesiasticall sermons but of priuate exhortacions which it is meete that the elders haue to the yongers 5 And the same Deborah dwelt vnder a Palme tree betwene Ramath and Bethell in mount Ephraim And the children of Israell ascended vp to her for iudgement How Deborah iudged the people The word of iudging as we haue admonished in this booke oftentimes signifieth to reuenge and to set at liberty Which signification if we now follow we shall se that Deborah was appoynted vnto the same namelye to deliuer the Israelites And as soone as they by the inspiraciō of God vnderstode that they ascēded to her to heare of her what they should do to attayne vnto liberty But if any man wil haue the word of iudgemēt to signify to set lawes or to geue sentence of controuersies I wil not be much against it For so great peraduenture was the oppression of Iabin that now the Israelites could not vse ordinary iudges They therfore being taken away whē they saw that Deborah was endewed with the spirite of God they had rather be iudged by her than by the Chananites Iosephus But Iosephus inclineth more vnto the first interpretation and he saythe that they beinge oppressed by their enemies came vnto Deborah whome they knew to be a most holy woman and endewed with the sprite of god and desired her to pray vnto God for them which she both did and was heard As touching the ministery of the churche how women may be preferred in what sort they are not apt we haue before declared And this we ad now that whē churches ar newly planted when ther want men to preach the Gospel a womā may at the beginning be admitted to teach but in such sorte that when she hath taught a while some one mā of the faithful to be ordeyned which afterward may minister the sacramēts teach faithfully execute the office of a pastor But bicause Deborah was not onely a Prophetesse but also in setting at liberty gouerned ciuil things I might therfore demaund whether a womā may be appoynted to gouern a pub wealth But I haue determined to entreat of this question in an other place namely whē I come
thee So Barac went downe from mount Thabor and ten thousand men after hym 15 And the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his chariots and al his host with the edge of the sworde before Barac So that Sisera lighted downe of his chariot and fled away on his feete Barac is made strong by the wordes of Deborah and forced to ioyne battail with his enemyes For that is the power of fayth to strengthen the weakenesse yea if the exhortation of Deborah had not bene Iosephus Barak if we may beleue Iosephus by the sight of his enemies was so feared and troubled that he would haue gotten hym to the stronger fensed places of the hill but she called hym backe agayne and by her wordes draue hym to fyght Beyng therefore strengthened and confirmed he forsooke the well fensed partes of mount Thabor and came downe to fight with Sisera This is sayeth she the day As thoughe she should haue sayd no humane power or warlike might can let the victory which the predestination of God hath this day decreed vnto thee But a man will aske howe it is nowe sayd that Sisera should be deliuered into the handes of Barac when as before it was foretold that he shoulde be solde into the hande of a woman I aunswere that it is therfore bycause that the host should be destroyed by Barac and Sisera should be so made to flye that the matter was begonne by the conduct of Deborah and finished by Iahell but the flyght and slaughter was accomplished by Barac Wherfore in the hystory there can not iustly be noted any contrariety or diuersitie Is not the Lorde The interrogation whiche the Prophete vseth doth not onely stirre vp and encourage the heart of Barac but also vehemently commaundeth hym as the Latine Poete also hath sayde Shall not armure dispatche the matter and shall they not followe me through the whole Citie But here may somewhat be doubted in that our text hath that the Lorde went forth before Barac when as the Chaldey paraphrast turneth it an aungell For it sayeth Shall not the aungell of the Lorde prosper thee And vndoubtedly this paraphrasis sheweth Augustine what was the cause why Augustine read as we haue before admonished that Barac sayde vnto Deborah go with me bycause I knowe not in what day GOD shall prosper hys aungell me Wherfore we must thinke that the Greke interpretors had these wordes of the Chaldey paraphrast which afterwarde crepte into the texte but yet out of place But as touchyng the matter Christ was the aungell which defended the Iewes eyther is true both that GOD and hys aungell were present and fought on the Hebrues side And vndoubtedly Christ was that aungell whiche defended the Iewes and fought for them Of Malachie the Prophete he is called the Aungell and in Exodus God promised both that he himselfe woulde come with his people and also send his aungell for our Christ both is GOD and also had euer with hym aungels as Ministers defending the Hebrues And the Lorde destroyed Sisera Thys Hebrew worde Ieham maye haue for hys roote or grounde thys worde Hamam whiche signifieth to make afeard or to trouble And then shall the sense be God made him afeard but the same worde signifieth also to breake or to destroy althoughe as Kimhi writeth his rote may be this word Hom and Him which almost signifieth the same thinge And in dede God did both he terrified the hartes of the Chananites and stroke and brake their host How this slaughter happened or by what singuler ayde of God the Israelits ouercame it is not in this place written But Iosephus affirmeth that a greate violence of tempeste and hayle was caste from heauen into the eyes of the aduersaries wherewith the Chananites were so hindred in the battayle Iosephus that they were not able to defend thēselues therefore they were miserablye slayne whē as yet the misery nothing at al hurted the Iewes For the hayle was onely on their backe and therfore theyr violence against theyr enemies was in nothing letted VVith the edge of the sword It is sayd that God slew them for he made them afeard and wonderfully troubled them with the tempest or hayle Howbeit the victory was so obteyned that the Israelits also fought for it is written that the enemies perished by the edge of the sword by which kind of speach vndoubtedly is declared that they were slayne This I haue for this cause noted God somtimes destroyeth hys enemies without the helpe of men bicause God somtimes so maketh afeard his enemies graunteth victory ouer them that his people whome he deliuereth do nothing at all as it came to passe in the red sea when Pharao perished there with his host and when the host of Senacherib was wonderfully destroyed in one night by the aungell 16 But Barak pursued after the Chariotes and after the host euē vnto Harozeth of the gentiles al the hoste of Sisera fell vpon the edge of the sword And there was not a man left 17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his fete to the tent of Iahell the wife of Heber the Kenite For there was peace betwene Iabin the king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite Againe in this place we haue this worde Bergeliu that is on his feete And in dede it appereth that it signifieth nothing els but a footeman For Sisera thought he could not in that battell be saued in hys chariote wherfore he determined priuely to flye amonge the raschall souldiours He now therefore forsaketh and abiecteth his chariot which was prepared vnto him for a defence and ayd And assuredly whē God taketh away audacity and strength the things which before wer weapons are then made burthens and lettes Miserable Sisara flyeth but he escapeth not He made hast vnto the place wher god had prepared a snare for him For the other Cananits fled to Hazoreth of the gentils namely vnto the place from whēce they came But Sisera turned his iourny an other way from the rest of the souldiers neither fled he the right way as the other did He knew the shortest way he gat him to the tent of the Kenits which he knew was nigh home and not far from the place wher the battayle was fought And there he hoped to haue lurked till the rage of the warre should haue bene pacified In that they were all destroyed it is a token of a perfecte victory But as concerninge the peace betweene Iabin and the Kenites in what sorte or manner it was we haue no certainty Wherfore to affirme any thinge of it for certaine it should be rashly done For it mighte be that Hebor payed somewhat vnto Iabin for the pastors which he occupied and contrariwise that the kinge promised him security and safety for his flockes cattel and family There may be also very many other things thought those very likely but not to be affirmed for certaine Whither it be lawful for the
of Reuben were greate thoughtes of harte 17 Gilead abode beyond Iordane but why doth Dan remayne in shipes Aser sat on the sea shore and taried in his decayed places Ruben is described both by the arte of a shepheard which he exercised and also by the places of Pastors whiche he inhabited and therwith all it is shewed that they were great men and men of a wise vnderstandyng peraduenture to reprehend their swelling and pride as though they would not obey the commaundementes and conduct of Deborah being a woman This is the nature of hyghe mindes that they thinke that al things that they do are wel done But in that it is added To heare the bleatinges of flockes it may be vnderstande plainely as though the Rubenites had more minde to the bleating of cattell than they had to the regarde of the publicque wealth but some vnderstād Allegorically saying that the Rubenites sat styll among the shepefoldes by the fertile pastors of Iordane althoughe they heard they lamentations and complaintes of the flockes of Israel that is of the people of God with whiche lamentations and complayntes they earnestly implored theyr ayde Gilead abode by the riuer of Iordane or beyond Iordane Some thinke that the Galaadites were reprehended together with the Rubenites bycause they also with their cattell abode by Iordane and neglected this battayle Halfe the tribe of Manasses vnto which the Galaadites pertayned when the land of Chanaan was deuided obtayned the region beyond Iordan together with the Rubenites They which thus expound it are encombred with a certain doubt bycause it is before sayd that Machir came and he was both the sonne of Manasses and also possessed the mount Gilead Therfore if Gilead came as it is before sayd why is he here reproued as thoughe he came not Peraduenture they will aunswere Two sonnes of Manasses that Manasses had two childrē Machir Iair of which childrē wer two families deriued of whiche either possessed parte of Gilead Wherfore it might be that Machir of whom before is mencion had came but Iair is nowe reproued whiche together with the Rubenites neglected this battayle But other with whom I agree do thus thinke that the thinges which are now spoken serue to aggrauate the crime of the Rubenites as though it should haue ben sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou Ruben without doubt dwellest by the riuers of Iordane and there dwelleth Gilead also who came for all that to the battayle Therfore all excuse both of dwellyng and place is cut of from the Rubenites And it semeth that this sentence should be spoken by a certaine interrogation Did not Gilead also dwell by the riuers of Iordane Wherfore cease Rubē to excuse that whiche thou hast naughtly cōmitted VVhy doth Dan go to the shippes The situation of the Danites This can not be vnderstand of shyppes lōging to the sea for as much as the lot of the Danites fell not by the sea side but we must vnderstand it of the shippes of Iordane Not as though Dan did altogether dwell by Iordan but as they say this tribe was so feared with the sight of the hostes that they fled vnto their shippes to passe ouer to the Rubenites And that euen as it was filthy and vncomely so also is it nowe iustly worthily blamed Aser sat on the sea shore and in his decayed places Aser is also blamed who semeth to haue excused his absence first bycause he dwelled far of that is by the sea shore secondly bicause his Cities and Townes were decayed and vnfensed And therfore would he tary at home for feare lest if he had gone his enemyes should easely haue had occasion to inuade his borders For for as much as he possessed places whiche were weake he thought that if he were absent his neighbours would easly beriue him of them I do not doubt but that it was greuous and troublesome to those tribes so to be reprehended which yet the holy ghost would haue done partly that they beyng admonished might repent partly the other and we also beyng by this example stirred vp myght not refuse to obey the worde of God yea thoughe it be with daunger whiche if we shall not performe as these men are now reproued so also shall we in the last day of iudgement not onely be reproued with ignominie and irrecouerable hurte but also we shal be damned for euer 18 But the people of Zebulon haue ieoparde their soules vnto the death and Nepthalim in the high places of the field She praysed the tribe of Zebulon and Nepthalim for theyr desertes bycause they had put forth to reproche their soule that is their life For other men counted thē fooles bycause so few and vnarmed men durst rashly take in hand warre agaynst so many and well appointed souldiers as they thought Or They put their soule to reproche bycause they nothing estemed their life and in a manner counted it as a vile thing putting themselues forth into most certaine daunger of death if they should looke vpon mans iudgemēt Howbeit they are for the same cause very much to be commended bycause they preferred both God and also his worde before their owne life And it is added In high places of the fielde or els in high fieldes bycause those were souldiers led vnto mount Thabor from whiche place they might easely behold the whole host of their aduersaries But although they beholde them yet were they not so feared to leaue of their enterprise 19 The kinges came and fought then fought the kinges of Chanaan in Thaanach and by the waters of Megiddo they receaued no gayne of money Nowe is described the forme of the battayle or victory She sayth in the plurall number that kinges came and fought bycause peraduenture Sisera had very many other rulers ioyned with him who although they were not there in person they had for all that their hostes there Or els by a figuratiue kinde of speach the plural number is put for the singular number as is this sentence of the Poet. But we haue gone a great space of the sea Virgil. Cicero Cicero also sayth we haue deceaued the people we semed to haue bene orators Thaanah and Megiddo semed to haue ben riuers in the tribe of Manasses whiche had by them two Cities of the same names not farre from mount Thabor We must thinke therfore that the hoste of Sisera possessed all the playne grounde whiche laye betwene these two Townes Cicero And those repeticions for one verbe serue to adorne the sentēce or song Nilchamiu Are Nilchamiu that is they fought then they fought as Cicero also sayth No man looketh vpon the matter no man considereth the reason c. so that betwene two wordes repeted he putteth this one worde no man This word also Melachim that in kinges is repeted Cicero For it is sayd that the kynges came and that they fought as Cicero also sayth This O fathers appoynted is found to be your acte
the composition she maketh the cōclusiō with the helpe of Lord beginneth the next clause with the self same wordes as doth Virgill Virgil. O ye Periedes do ye these noble thynges to Gallus to Gallus I say whose loue doth dayly so much increase towardes me What is to be iudged of cursinges bannynges We haue at large before handled the place of cursinges wherfore now I wyll not speake much of it The Summe is That it is not lawfull for a man to curse any mā for the satisfieng of his owne anger For when our own matters are in hand we must loue our enemies we must blesse thē which curse vs. But when God doth somtimes certainely make manifest that he will haue some destroyed they whiche are so admonished of his wil can not but allow it for by the spirite wherw t they are inspired they wil also the same thing the God wil. And after this maner Dauid other Prophetes burst forth oftētymes into cursinges of the enemies of God whiche selfe same men for all that as they were men by naturall compassion whiche is not vicious were not a litle sory for the destruction of the enemies of God So Samuel Dauid Ieremy yea our sauiour himself wept lamēted the fall of vngodly mē Neither is it to be doubted but the dutyes of this kind were very acceptable to God for as much is they procede from charity Howbeit when we see some men cruelly to rage agaynste the godly men and Gospell of God it is lawfull in that case to praye that either theyr will may be chaunged or theyr strength confounded that they shoulde not accomplyshe all the things which they appoint to do Which things if they can not be obtained this is at the least to be prayd for the God will geue vs strength myght to suffer all such things which may aduāce his honor glory And we must diligētly weigh that this curse was therfore stirred vp agaynst the citie Meroz bycause they denyed to helpe the people of god What thē is prepared for those which do not onely not helpe the seruauntes of Christe but persecute grieue and cruelly vexe them Farther we must marke that it is sayd these came not to helpe the Lord as though God neded theyr ayde and that coulde not be as touchyng hym selfe howbeit God in hys people wanteth helpe and in the members of Christ when they are vexed Christ himselfe is vexed Wherfore he will say in the last day of iudgement I was hungry and ye fed me Math. 25. I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke c. Wherfore let vs hereby learne to obey whē God calleth vs as did the Israelites whiche are commended of Deborah neither neglected they to take in hande the battayle Let vs learne also to helpe those that are in nede especially when they followe theyr vocation 24 Iahell the wife of Heber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women aboue women shall she be blessed in tentes When she had cursed the wicked Citie by a contrary phrase she addeth a good prayer as the City Meroz was worthy to be cursed so of the contrary was Iahel to be commended Christ in the last daye of Iudgement wyll not onely saye Come ye blessed of my Father but on the contrary parte he wyll adde Go ye cursed Here is in hys place a parte of the saluation of the aungell Mary as it is described in Luke Blessed art thou aboue women Whiche clause is here twise put for the greater mouing But in that in this repetitiō it is added In tentes it may be thus interpreted For this cause let this woman be praysed bycause she dwelleth in tentes So that by a wonderfull compendiousnesse of one worde the slaying of Sisera is noted which happened not in the campes but was done in the tente Or els we may say that Iahell is to be praysed aboue other womē dwellyng in tentes For the family of the Kenites dwelled not in houses but in tentes Wherefore she is praysed aboue all the women Kenites which are signified by this worde tentes 25 He asked water and she gaue him milke she offred him butter in a cup of the mighty Iahel is here praysed for her prudence and strength For what vertues Iahell is praysed but the mother of these vertues is fayth It was prudence to call the enemy vnto her handsomely to couer hym and to geue him milke to drynke Also to finde out a hammer and a nayle and to chose out his hed among the rest of the members whiche she would strike and among the partes of the hed to smite thorough the temples Her might and strength is hereby knowen bycause a woman durst enterprise suche a notable acte and feared not to assayle such and so greate a Captayne but had a full confidence that she notwithstandyng that she was a woman should be able to kyll hym Peraduenture thou wilt saye the Scripture maketh no mencion here of fayth I graunte that it doth not by expresse wordes but when it is sayd she shal be blessed or praysed her fayth is noted For we be al by nature the children of wrath neither are any blessed with faythfull Abraham but by fayth as the Epistle to the Galathians testifieth He asked water and she gaue him milke That he might the easelyer and soner fall on sleepe Why menciō is made of butter this as some say is the cause bycause out of that milke the butter was not yet cherned And in dede of that kind of milke a mā may drinke a great draught for as much as beside the quenchyng of thirst it hath also a certaine swetenesse She vsed the cup of noble men Whiche namely was a very great one For noble mē wer wont to drinke out of large and wide cuppes Cicero Cicero also agaynst Anthony sayeth If so be that it had happened in the Supper tyme among thy greate cuppes who woulde not count it filthy c. Yea and they were wonte in bāquets of noble mē at the latter end to bring forth great cuppes Wherfore this witty woman to the end she would prouoke him to drinke a very depe drought vsed a cup apte for the fame Kimbi R. D. Kimhi expoundeth these thinges as thoughe she gaue him not onely drinke but meate also For he thinketh that when he had dronke the woman did set butter before him to eate Whiche exposition if we receaue we must then put out this word cup whē as that is vsed for drinke and not for meate vnlesse by the maner of a cup we vnderstand such a kynde of vessell wherin meate also is wont to be put 26 She put her hand to the nayle and her right hand to the workemās hammer with the hammer smote she Sisera she smote of his head wounded him and persed his temple 27 He was bowed down betwene her feete he fell downe he slept betwene her feete he bowed hymselfe and
seme to haue resisted the promises and callyng of God This must we rather note wither Gideon in obiecting these things sinned or no. Vndoubtedly if we looke vpon the holy scriptures we shal finde very many other which sayd that their infirmity striued against the vocation and promises of God Abraham sayd he was an .100 yeare old and therfore he desired that Ismael might rather liue before the Lord than that he should waite for a sonne of Sara which was both old and barren Yea and she also when she heard that a childe was promised her she could not keepe herself from laughing bycause she alredy felt her selfe vnapt by nature to beare a childe Moses also that he might not be sent vnto Pharao alledged the impediment of his tong for a let Farthermore Ieremy sayd Ah Lord I am a childe and I cannot speake The blessed virgin also sayd vnto the Aungel How can this be done forasmuch as I knowe no man There might peraduenture also be mencion made of others but these are now sufficient And I doubt not but that some of these whom I haue touched fell in speaking these woordes For God was angrye with Moses when hee so obstinately excused the office which he had committed vnto him Saras laughter also was reproued But I know that the other were praysed for their faith for Abraham bycause he beleued the promyse was iustified and Elizabeth sayd vnto Mary What is the differēce betwene those whyche seeme to resyst God Blessed art thou which beleuedst for the thinges which the Lorde hath sayd vnto thee shal be performed The difference betwene these is hereby to be taken bycause some did in suche sorte aske an excuse for that they beleued not the woord of God neither could they be perswaded to agree vnto God whyche sent them or made promise to them Wherfore forasmuche as they synned God was not without a iust cause both angrye with Moses and also reproued Sara But there were other some of them which beleued the woorde of God and yet for all that they put foorth certayne questions not in deede to resist but to declare what thinges seemed to be a let vnto theyr calling or to the thynges commaunded them and in demaunding these thynges they desired nothing els than that they might be instructed of the way maner which they ought to vse and they required to be confirmed least those thinges which seemed to be a let The same wordes ar allowed in one that are disallowed in an other might plucke them backe either for waiting for the promises or els from fulfilling the thinges cōmaunded them Howbeit these men can not be seperated one from an other by the woordes which they spake when as almost they spake all one thing But by the purpose and thought of the hart they are seperated for if they spake and excused those thynges of incredulitye they oughte not to bee counted without blame but if they beleued and desired onelye to bee confyrmed and instructed we ought not to diffame them as guilty of incredulity But who shal discerne these thinges in them Surely God which knoweth the harts and conscience of euery one of them And we know that the fayth of Gideon is commended in the .xi. to the Hebrues But whither that were straight waye geuen him when he heard the woord of God or whether it came vnto him after some tarying and wrastling with humane reason we are ignorant 16 Then the Lord sayd vnto him Bicause I wil be with thee and thou shalt smite Madian as it were one man Cease of saith he these humane reasons and haue no regarde to strength riches and authority if these thinges should ciuilly be done thou mightest iustlye require them But now thou shalt vse my power and might Thou shalt saue Israel not by thine own might but bycause I wyl be with thee So God answered vnto Moses when he detracted his message So was it also said of Iosua I wil be with him After that maner was Ieremy answered when he cryed that he was a childe and could not wel speake I wil be with thee saith the Lorde thou shalt accomplish al these thinges to whatsoeuer I wil send thee Gideon therefore is instructed of the way or maner of the victorye namelye that God woulde haue the handling and charge of it and that chiefly by these woordes Thou shalt destroy the Madianites as it were one man For with God it is as easy to ouerthrowe an infinite number as one man And the same thing as touching the marueylous murther of the Madianites then vndoubtedly tooke effect when they smote one an other with their own swordes and by the impulsion of God they wounded one the other 17 Thē he answered him I pray thee if I haue foūd fauour in thy sight then shew me a sygne that it is thou that talkest with me 18 Depart not hēce I pray thee vntil I come vnto thee and bring my sacrifice and laye it before thee And he answered I wyll tarye tyll thou come agayne He therefore desireth a signe least he should thinke him selfe to be illuded by a ghost or spirit For he was not content with words but he would haue an assured signe of the talke nowe had But this sentence That it is thou that talkest wyth me semeth to be spoken by the figure Eclipsis so that we must vnderstand in the name of God least peraduenture I might thinke that the woordes which thou speakest are the woordes of a man and not count them for the Oracle of God This visiō hapned to Gideon being wakyng not sleeping These thinges were not done when he was a sleepe as it appeareth by the historye but when he was waking although God as we shal afterward heare appeared also by night vnto Gideon He requireth a signe bicause it is the parte of a godly man to trye spirites and not rashlye to beleue euery spirite especially when any newe and vnaccustomed woorke is commaunded and that whych otherwyse is not thought to bee lawfull there no man wyll easilye assent except he be fullye perswaded that hys callyng is of God But when doctrine now receaued and confirmed by holye scriptures is set foorth or woorkes required which in them are commaunded we must beware that we require not signes for asmuch as we are bound to beleue and obey them But of this thing we wil more largely intreate afterward 19 Then Gideon went in made redy a Kid vnleauened breade of an Ephah of floure put the flesh in a basket put the broth in a pot and brought it out vnto hym vnder the Oke and presented it This place may be enterpreted two maner of waies One way it is thought that Gideon would haue made redy a dinner for the man of God for such a one did he take him to be Therfore for honours sake he desired to refresh him wyth meate in his iourney to talk with him at leasure for
the shewing of the signe And he thought not that God or an Angel was present with him Wherfore he thought to folow the example of Abraham Lot And in dede the things which he presented partained rather to a dinner thā to a sacrifice He erected no alter neither prepared he the fat to be burnt nor the shoulder and the brest to be lifted vp nor the blood to be shed The other interpretation is that he would therfore bring him a sacrifice that in that oblation he might obtayne a signe as to Abel the fauour of God was declared when he was offring sacrifice And the authors of this sētence beleue that this doth nothing let that Gideon sod the flesh Flesh in sacrifices was sometimes sod forasmuch as that kind of sething was sometimes vsed in peace offrings as the fyrst booke of Samuel testifieth Of the interpretours of this place this latter sētence seemeth to be receiued for they iudge the Gideon intended to offer sacrifices But I rather allow the first sentēce as touching the feast although I know that the Angell contrary to Gideons purpose vsed that meate to a sacrifice and in it gaue the signe which a little before was desired of him This hebrew word Mitsoth signifieth vnleauened cakes Why the Elders vsed so oftē swete cakes in their feastes But the roote of the word may be Natsa whiche is to hast or to make speede For the Elders were carefull to prepare meate for straūgers with as much speede as might be Wherfore they straightway baked new bread bicause peraduenture their houshold bread was somewhat hard and stale The measure of an Ephah Therfore to the end they might the sooner refresh the weary they vsed swete cakes which were very soone baked This measure Ephah was not a measure for liquide thinges but for thinges dry and as the Hebrues affirme it held thre peckes and a pecke contained .144 egges And ten Ephas made one Corus Certaine Rabbines fable that there is therfore mencion made of sweete breade bycause this thing was done in the time of Easter But how trifling this is hereby we may gather bicause it is wel knowen that swete bread were by the commaundement of God vsed not onelye for sacrifices at Easter but also at other times especially such as wer to be burnt at the altar of the Lord. But if we shal say that Gideon prepared not a sacrifice but rather a feast we haue alredy shewed the reason why he brought swete bread Gideon is vtterly to be quitted of ydolatry For his wil was not to do sacrifice vnto the Messanger of God bicause his purpose was eyther to set meate before the mā of God or els to sacrifice vnto the lyuing God by the hand of the Prophet whom hee counted to bee farre better than himselfe 20 And the angel of God said vnto him take the flesh the vnleuened bread lay it vpon this stone poure out the broth he did so 21 Then the Angel of the Lord put forth the ende of the staffe that he held in his hand and touched the flesh the vnleauened bread there arose vp fire out of the stone consumed the flesh the vnleauened bread so the Angel of the Lorde departed out of hys syght They which thinke that Pinhas the sonne of Eleazar was this mā of god which appeared vnto Gideon affirme that the same man was also afterward called Elias And euen as when Achab raigned in Israel he obtained fire from heauē wherby the burnt offring was consumed wherupon he had poured water and that aboundantly very many times so likewise now out of the rocke by the power of god be raised vp a flame wherby the meate which was put vpon it was burnt wherupon he had before caused the broth of the flesh to be poured I confesse in dede that ther is some similitude betwene these two actes but therwithal I see many thinges to be causes wherby the one differeth from the other Farther I vtterly reiect this fained tale wherin they faine that Pinhas was present eyther there or here Ther by reason of the great distance of times here bicause as I haue expounded Augustine the wordes of the history do manifestly testify it was eyther god himself or an angel which talked with Gideon Augustine in his booke De mirabilibus sanctae scripturae teacheth that the signe whiche is here geuen doth aptly agree vnto that which was demaūded For it was shewed that by the wōderful power of god without mans labour and fight the enemies of the people of the Iewes should be ouercome euen as by the might of god aboue the ability of nature fire came forth Ambrose wherwith without mans healpe or industry those vittailes were consumed But Ambrose very elegantlye writeth the Allegorye of this place in the Proheme of his booke de spiritu sancto which I to auoyd tediousnes do ouerpasse This one thing onely I wil admonish you of Al thinges that wee offer are to bee offred by Christ that our giftes are then acceptable vnto God when wee offer them vpon the rocke whiche is Christ There our actions are by the fire of the holy ghost purged that which otherwise of his own nature is vncleane is of God receaued as holy And the Angel of the Lord departed By this sodain departure Gideon vnderstood that it was an Angel whom he saw wherefore he was sore afraide as the wordes of the history which follow do manifestly declare 22 And when Gideon saw that it was the Angell of the Lorde he sayd Alas my Lord God shall I bycause I haue sene an Angell of the Lorde face to face This is spoken by the figure Ecliptica for when Gideon sayth The fathers by seyng of god of angels wer made alrayde Alas my Lorde God shal I bycause I haue sene an Angel of the Lord there should be added dye Thou shalt euermore perceaue that the old fathers after that they had sene god or beholdē his Angels wer very sore afraid yea so astonished that they feared present death to come vpon them And no maruail for they wer not ignoraunt what God answered Moses when he desired to see his face Man shal not see me and liue Iohn Baptist also as we reade in the first of Iohn sayth No man hath sene God at any time And Paul to Timothy hath confirmed the same writing No man hath sen God neither can he se him for he is inuisible bicause he dwelleth in the light that no man can come vnto And that also which nowe Gideon speaketh Mannah the father of Samson as we shal afterward heare shal speak Iacob likewise after he had wrastled al night thinking that he had striuen with a man when he vnderstood that he was an Angel maruailed howe he escaped a lyue and safe Haue I sene the Lord sayth he face to face and is my lyfe saued As though that
the word of god thaÌ„ ciuile peace Euery godly man so roweth when tranquility of the publike wealth cannot be coupled with the obedience of the word of God Wherfore for asmuch as the one or the other is to be chosen the whole and vncorrupted worshipping of God ought rather to be wished for thaÌ„ the commodity of outward peace For the end of cities and publike wealthes is to obey God and rightly to worshiâ—pe god that is by his word and prescribed rule For to haue a city or publike wealth quiet and peaceable is not by it self necessary but to obey God to beleue his word and to worshippe him as he hath prescribed is the summe and end of all humayne things and therefore it is to be preferred aboue all good thinges Neither is it anye newe or vnaccustomed thing that by true piety sedicions are stirred vp Christ of that thing hath admonished vs I came not sayth he to send peace on the earth but a sworde I came to kindle fire what will I but that it should burne The time shall come sayth he that for the Gospels sake the father from the childe the children from the parentes brethern from brethren shall not onely be alienated but which is more cruell The godly are not guilty of the troubles whych happen for religions sake they shall deliuer one an other to the death And yet these sedicions troubles are not to be ascribed vnto the godly forasmuch as they wheÌ„they obey god do not depart from their office they do that which they should do the fault consisteth in the vngodly and idolatrers they are to be accused and coÌ„dempned as guilty of those euils because they can not abide the truth neyther will they obey the word of god Wherfore prechers of the gospel ar to be absolued of this crime for sedicioÌ„s spring not throgh theyr default which obey god but through the peruersnes of the world which streyght rageth agaynst the word of god Ioas like a wise and stoute Magistrate at the beginning asswageth the people being in an vprore shewing them how vnworthy a thinge they doo when they beyng priuate men dare auenge the cause of Baal VVill ye pleade his cause As though he should haue sayd It is not your office it pertayneth to me and the other magistrates And then he maketh a proclamation agaynst the sedicious persons He that will so stand in Baals cause shal dye and that this daye or the morninge He shal not liue till morning for he shal be executed out of hand If Baal be god let him plead his own cause agaynst him which hath cast down hys altar and hath cut down hâ—s groue If the matter be to be discussed without iudgemente and ordinary action Baal hath no neede of thys your helpe for seing he is god he can right wel reuenge himself The last part of this sentence is somewhat dark He that wil plead Lo for him or against him let him dy this day before morning Some expounde this woorde Lo to signify for him namely for Baal as though the â—retor had put forth his decree after this maner Whosoeuer goeth aboute to moue sedition as though he would pleade for Baal him will I strayghtewaye punish as a troublesome citezen which dareth to take vpon him more then hys state may suffer The other sense is to expound this woorde Lo against him as though he should haue sayde do not rage in this sorte bycause he shall vtterlye dye and that this day before morning which agaynst Baal hath pleaded and contended By the power of this god he shall not so escape And this sentence seemeth to be confirmed by the words which follow If he be god let him pleade his owne cause agaynst him which hath done him iniurye But I rather allowe the fyrst sentence because the holy scripture rather vseth this word Lo in that sense Gideon by his fathers aunswer was named Ierubbaal He shal plead saith Ioas or let Baal plead against him These ar words ether of them that praieth which would so speake in earnest or faynedly or els of one that affirmeth as though he should affirm that it should vtterly so come to passe The men which herd these wordâ—s either because they meruayled that the father wished these things vnto his sonne or els bycause they beleued that the earth would strayghtway swalow him vp or the lightning would destroy him or that god would by some exquisit punishment punish him they waited I say to see what would happen And therfore they called him Ierubbaal And his surname was then of farre more estimation when they saw that he escaped safe and sound and contrarye to the hope of all men deliuered the Israelites from the power of theyr enemies By this example Magistrates may know what they should doo The office of a stout Magistrate agaynste tumultes bycause of religioÌ„ when Papistes stirre vp sedition or tumult in their dominion bicause Masses are abrogated Idolatry taken away and the Pope throwen downe They must valiantly stande by it and must declare that this charge pertaineth not vnto these by violeÌ„ce to defend rites and supersticions forasmuch as they haue not the sword theyr care should be this to see that godlynes be rightlye and orderlye appointed If so bee that they desire any thing against lawes or right and thinke that they haue the better cause let them from God waite for the successe He is of himselfe by nature both mighty and wife and therefore if he allowe the Masse the Pope and superstitions hee wyll then take those thinges in hande himselfe In the meane time they ought to compel their subiectes to obey iust and healthful decrees By these thinges it appeareth as I suppose that Ioas was not a Baalite from the hart for he could not haue said If hâ—â—e God let him pleade his own cause Vnles thou will faine that he said in time to come Baal shal pleade his owne cause but what he before iudged of Baal now he declareth when he seeth the daunger of death that his sonne is in for his sake 33 Then al the Madianites and the Amalekites and the children of Kedem were gathered together and pitched their tentes in the valley of Iszreel 34 And the spirite of the Lorde did put on Gideon and he blew a trumpet and Abiezer was gathered together after hym 35 And he sent messengers through out al Manasseh and he also was ioyned wyth hym And he sent messengers vnto Aser and Zebulon and to Nephthali and they came vp to meete hym When the vprore seditions wer pacified which were stirred vp for a thing godlily done of Gideon God prouided that occasion shoulde be geuen whereby he might by Gideon geue vnto the Israelites the victory against their enemyes That thereby at the last they might vnderstand with howe muche godlines and profit the worshipping of Baal was taken away In the coÌ„ming of the enemyes the spirit of the Lord did put
on Gideon the spirit I say of strength as the Chaldey Paraphrast interpreteth God had before appointed Gideon for a sauiour of the Hebrues now when he should go forth vnto the battail he suffreth him not to go vnarmed but endueth him with his spirit The Metaphore of putting on is deriued of garmentes which are put vpon the bodye The spirite of the Lorde therfore is inwardlye hidden in the outwarde man and so woorketh by him as though he had put him on And this is a phrase of speche very muche vsed in the scripture and especially in this booke This did the Angel signify shoulde come to passe when he said vnto Gideon Go in this strength and deliuer the Iewes frō the Madianites Now is it brought to passe that Gideon is endued wyth the spirite of strength For this was that power and myght of God wherewith in the old time he deliuered the fathers He blew a trumpet and Abiezer followed him which in dede was marueilous forasmuch as they were so angry for the ouerthrowing of Baal But their myndes were by the inspiration of God chaunged For when they saw that the Idole did to him no hurt they began to haue a good opinion of him The whole tribe of Manasses followed him also Zebulō Aser Naphthali Gideon alone was called but yet he would not fight with hys enemies alone For faith refuseth not humane helpe which iustlye may be had for godly men are not by fayth styrred vp to tempt God 36 And Gideon sayde vnto God If thou wylt saue Israel by my hande as thou haste sayde 37 Behold I wyl put a fleese of wool in the threshyng place if the dew come vpon the fleese onely it be dry vpon al the earth thē shal I be sure that by my hand thou wilt saue Israel as thou hast sayd 38 And it was so for he rose vp earlye on the morrowe and thrust the fleese together and wrynged the dewe out of the fleese and fylled the vyole with the water 39 Againe Gideon sayde vnto God Be not angry wyth me and I wyll speake onely once more Let me proue onely once I praye thee wyth the fleese Let it I pray thee he dry vpon the fleese onely and let the dewe be vpon all the ground 40 And God dyd so the same night for it was drye vpon the fleese onely and there was dewe on all the grounde Mans imbecillity is diuers and manyfold wherby it cōmeth to passe that in the promises of God we wauer and doubt Gideon was called by so playne and manifest woordes that there was no occasion of doubting left He had no cōmon signe when the sacrifice was consumed with fire he is nowe furnished wyth an host yet he now also wauereth needeth a new confirmation We vse not so to do when we beleue men for if there de but a bare promise or a hand writing made we are content But God must continually beate in into vs those things which he promiseth and seale them with miracles and Sacramentes and yet euen then also we geue litle credit vnto them And though we should endaūger our selues for accomplishing of our own lustes or prosecuting our own affairs there are we stoute there are we bolde and nothing afeard when as otherwise few there are found which in God his cause or for his words sake wil put them selues in daunger In which thing neuerthelesse we ought to be most stoute for God wyl not leaue vs destitute of his ayde He addeth the spurres of promises the confirmation of miracles and to those which cease of he threateneth verye grieuous punishmentes Whence our distrust cōmeth And this pestilence springeth of no other thing but bycause we trust to our owne sense and reason more then is conuenient And against thys euyl there is no remedy so present as frō them to prouoke our selues to fayth and constancy in God Whither Gideon in requiring these signes be to be condēned R. Leui ben Gerson thinketh that Gideon when he required these signes did partly distrust and partly beleue whose opinion if it be receaued then Gideon is guilty of infidelity And I iudge that we must not labour much vtterlye to acquite him of al faultes To the Hebrues his faith in dede is commended but me thinketh that we must not deny but that it was wauering before it was by diuers meanes confirmed And vndoubtedly it is a great matter to confirme the harte of man in the woord of God Although I am not ignorant that they which defend Gideon do say that he doubted not but that he was called of god to set at liberty the Israelites But in requiring these signes he onelye asked counsell of God whither he should then obtaine the victorye againste the Madianites when now he had collected and host And that in the old time with the captaines of the Israelites was a common custome For Saul and Dauid although they wer by God chosen kinges namely to saue the people neither did they therof any thing doubt yet did they often times aske counsel of God whither they should ascend to any place whither their enemies should be deliuered into their handes or contrary whither they should fall before their enemies or bee deliuered into theyr handes So peraduenture it might be sayd that this captain for that he had not with him the Arke of the Lord or a Prophet whom he might aske counsel of as touching the successe of the battail by those signes did aske counsel of the Lord. Augustine in his .63 Augustine Ambrose question vpon Genesis in this maner excuseth Gideon and affirmeth that he by these petitions tempted not God but asked counsel as touching the successe And as cōcerning this thing as he is wont he agreeth with Ambrose who in his first booke de spiritu sancto and .i. chap. affirmeth that Gideon doubted not And the Rabbines of the Hebrues think that these signes wer geuen vnto Gideon by the ministery of some prophet but what he was neyther the scripture declareth neither can they tell And there are some of them whiche suppose that al this thing was done in a vision But of these things what nede we any more to argue Forasmuch as there is nothing whiche letteth but that Gideon might in very dede both demaund and haue experience of these things Howbeit the thing teacheth that al these things happened in the summer time for that there is mencion made of dew I easily assent vnto Augustine which saith that Gideon tempted not God Augustine We maye require a signe to strengthen our fayth bicause I am perswaded that by such signes he woulde haue his fayth confirmed which otherwise was wauering It is synne in deede to doubt in faythe but to strengthen the same it is lawful in time to require a signe For in the Gospell the man cryed Lord I beleue but helpe thou my incredulitye Yea and Gideon also in the selfe same thing had before tryal
dareth do thing but so much as God himselfe wyll somtime permit him as we reade was done of Iob. God sometime suffreth the sayntes to be greuously afflicted of Sathan to the ende his grace towardes them may most manifestly be declared Whither the plagues of the Egiptians wer done by good Aungels or by euyll But when Augustine expoundeth these wordes of the Psalme namelye the sending out of euyll Angels he doubteth whither the plagues of the Egiptians were done by a good Angel or by the Deuyl And at the length he sheweth that the plague and destruction of the first begotten maye be ascribed vnto the ministery of the Deuyl but the other plagues are to be attributed vnto good angels that the sentence both of the booke of Exodus and of the Psalme may stand fast Howbeit as touching that plage of the firste begotten in Exodus it is written vnder the name of God I wil this night passe through Egipt and wil smite c By these woordes that destruction semeth to be ascribed eyther vnto god or to a good Angel and not vnto the Deuil But that moueth me not much bycause although it were done by the ministery of the Deuil yet maye it be ascribed vnto the Lorde For Iob when by the woorke of the Deuil he was bereft bothe of goodes and children said neuerthelesse The Lorde hath geuen and the Lorde hath taken away and that sayd he was done by the Lorde which was done by the Deuil But some obiect If we assigne these things vnto the Deuil then shal he seme to haue fought against himself For the Sorcerers by the help of deuils withstoode Moses when they did the same thinges that he dyd And if plagues were by euyl Angels sent against the Egiptians and the Sorcerers went about to withstand them then Sathan semed to resist Sathan Neither could the Sorcerers haue trulye sayde that they fayled and testified that it was the fynger of God whych wrought But these reasons in my iudgement are not strong bycause the thinges done by the Sorcerers were done by the power of Sathan which is vnto him naturall For by it he is able to applye the seedes of thynges and woorking causes to his matter prepared and to woorke wonders as touching the sight of man But those thinges wherewith God afflicted the Egiptians were by his most mighty power wrought by the instrument of the Deuyll Wherefore it is no maruail if the Sorcerers failed and felt the most excellent power of the finger of God The place of Exodus and of the Psalme is conciliated Howbeit the booke of wysdome the .xviii. chap. semeth vtterly to ascribe these plagues vnto God wher he saith while al thinges wer stil and when the night was in the middest of her course thy almighty word c. And in the .xvii. chap. it is written that the Egiptians being among those plagues especially when they were oppressed with darknes wer with horrible vexations of minde and sights very terrible so vexed as though most doleful spirites had perpetuallye bene before their eyes and about their phantasy which vndoubtedly might be done by the sending of euyl Angels as the Psalme doth mencion Their hart also was hardened and their mindes were dayly made much more obstinate againste the Israelites And that semeth to haue pertained to the sending downe of euil angels Wherfore these two places may easely be made to agree in ascribing the plagues which ar mencioned in Exodus to good Angels and the terrible sights and hardning of the hartes to the sending of euyl Angels vpon them of whych the Psalme now alledged maketh mencion The power to work miracles maketh not mē better or woorser But forasmuch as God as it is declared for the woorking of miracles vseth both euil good angels men the godly men ought not therfore to be greued bicause oftentimes he geueth not vnto them this faculty For they are not for the cause of any worse condition then are they to whom God graunteth to woorke miracles For the Lord said vnto his Disciples when they returned from theyr embassadge Reioyce not in this bicause spirites are subiect vnto you reioyce ye rather for this bycause your names are wrytten in heauen There are some which are so desirous of such thinges that to obteine signes they are not afraid to vse euen the help of the deuill and vnder this pretence they excuse themselues To worke signes we must not vse the help of the deuill bycause god himself to worke signes vseth Sathan in following of whome they do well so farre ar they of that they can be cōdemned guilty of any crime They say also that Paul deliuered some to the deuill to be vexed and therfore they also may vse his ministerye But what manner of men are they whiche wil affirme that it is lawfull for them to do asmuche as is lawfull vnto god God is the author of all creatures wherfore it is no marueile if he vse them all But vnto vs it is by the law of god prescribed that we should not do it It is not lawfull to imitate God in all thinges And the immitation of god is so farforth commended vnto vs as by his law it is commaunded vs and no otherwise For he reuengeth his owne iniuries And who will saye that priuate men may do the same God adioyned vnto his owne burnt offring the bullocke appointed for Baal as we haue haue now hard with the wood also dedicated vnto the same idole Shall euerye one of vs therefore eate thinges dedicated vnto idoles The rule of our actiōs is the word of God Wherfore we ought not to be drawen to imitate him but so muche as the lawe suffreth That lawe hath he made not for himself but for men that they should frame theyr life after it Wherfore it was to him lawful to require of Abraham the immolation of his sonne which thing none of vs can require of our frend Paule and other Apostles had euill sprites subiect vnto them and by them it was sometimes lawfull vnto them to punish the guilty for theyr saluation Wherefore those to whome such a gift is not graunted ought to abstayne from excercising the same Wherefore the vse of the power of euil spirites is of two sortes wherof one is with authority and that belongeth chiefelye vnto god also to the Apostles and to the sayntes of the primitiue church The other by compact obedience which is vtterly forbidden mē For what participatiō cā ther be of the light with darknesse of god with Belial And for that cause the sorcerers which beleue thē can not be excused yet they ar by the law condēned guilty of superstition idolatry And it is not to be thought but that god vpō very iust causes and to vs most profitable hath forbidden these things to be done Why God forbad men to vse the helpe of the deuil to worke myracles For he prouideth that we should not
a king neither do beggers enuy noble men We enuy those that are like equall vnto vs. And the likenesse is to be vnderstand as touching kinred riches beawty age witte dignity and such like The cause of Enuidence is not bycause we feare that some hurte is at hand of those whom we enuy for that should be feare But of a certayne hatred and stomacke we can not abide the prosperity of other men especially of our matches and like And therof Enuy is the cause Enuy is euermore counted euill and it is by the holy scriptures grieuously reproued For it is most manifestly against Charity For the Apostle said vnto the Corinth the 1. chap. Charity enuieth not Charitye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Paul taketh not properly there the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is turned enuy But to the Galathians he more playnly forbiddeth enuy writing Be not ye made desirous of vayne glory prouoking one an other and enuieng one an other Where not only Enuy is reproued Desire of glory is the mother of Enuy. but the mother of it is also shewed namely desire of glory As also we may in this history perceaue For the Ephraites enuied Gideon bycause the glory of so great a victory semed to redound vnto him And this affectioÌ„ is of force in all those things wherin we desire to excel Neither absteyneth it also from vertues for the enuious persons would not that his matches and like should excell him in any ornament of vertues But the cause why enuy is conuersant among like is this bycause although the prosperous fortune of like or matches doth take away none of our goods neither maketh vs lesser then we are yet the Enuious person so thinketh of the good things of other men as though by them his honor dignity gayne Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other ornamentes were darkened And this is not to be left vnspoken of that euery enuious person is one that reioyseth in an other mans hurte for he reioyseth in the aduersity of his equall Euery enuious mâ—nne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one that reioyâ—eth at another masâ—â—â—â— Yet are not these to be counted for one and the selfe same vice seyng they pertayne vnto contrary mocions of the mynde For Enuidence is a grief or sorow when he that reioyseth in an other mans hurte is affected with ioy Yet are these vices although they be diuerse otherwise so ioyned together that there is no enuious man whiche is not moued with the reioysing in the hurt of an other And hereby it manifestly appeareth that EnuideÌ„ce plainly is contrary vnto Mercy For it lamenteth an other maÌ„s misery but the enuious man reioyseth therin bicause of the disease of reioysing in the hurt of an other wherewith he is sicke Nemesis is ioned also with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that are affected with Nemesis want not also this motion of the mynde For he which is sory for the prosperous successe of wicked men the same man is also affected with pleasure when he seeth them oppressed and vexed The Latines haue no worde to expresse this kynde of ioye wherewith both the enuious man and he that hath Nemesis is affected in beholding an others mans prosperity Of emulation Lastly we must entreate of Emulation which is a grief of the minde whiche we conceaue for good things whiche happen vnto other whiche we want which we thinke should beautify vs would gladly attayne vnto them By this motioÌ„ of the minde we desire not that other meÌ„ should be depriued of their ornameÌ„ts but that grieueth vs bycause we our selues are destitute of theÌ„ And it is a point of a good nature in this maner to be affected therfore Emulation is numbred among laudable Affections Emulation is counted among laudable affections Cicero in his Tusculan questions defineth it to be a grief which procedeth of that that an other enioyeth that good thing whiche we desire The same writer obserueth also that Emulation is sometymes so taken that it nothing differeth from Enuidence wherfore it is sometymes reproued But if the definition therof be receaued as it is now alledged it is an affection laudable bycause it maketh men better for it vseth to bring forth the imitacion of good things We must beware that Emulation degenerate not into enuy Cicero Riuality is the enuy betwene two louing one woman The matter wherin Emulation is occupyed EmulatioÌ„ hath hope ioyned with it The Ephraites were sicke of Enuy and not of Emulation But we must take hede whiche vndoubtedly is easely done that it degenerate not into Enuy and EmulatioÌ„ procede not so farre that we should wish that men fortunate and noble and also wise men might be spoyled of theyr ornamentes good things Wherfore Cicero sayd that that Emulation is laudable which is not like vnto riuality For this is the nature of those that be Riuales so to enioy their delightes that they vtterly exclude all other But addyng these cautions Emulation is both good and holy Wherfore Paul exhorted the Corinthians to emulate Charity and the chiefest giftes This affection is chiefly occupied about vertues and al thinges which are had in honour and admiracioÌ„ For that which a man contemneth and dispyseth he vseth not to emulate Emulation hath Hope coÌ„tinually ioyned with it of obteyning that which it desireth For if a man should dispayre it is not possible that he should emulate And thus much of these affections Wherfore we gather that the Ephraites were moued with enuy against Gideon bycause they would haue him depriued of the glory whiche he had gotten Neither contended they so bycause they studyed to do the like although peradueÌ„ture they made that their pretence But Gideon maketh not mentioÌ„ vnto them of his vocation labour industry loue of his countrey his good acte such other thinges which might haue serued to the amplifieng of hys deserte towarde the people and of his dignity For by that meanes he should the more haue moued them to enuy but after a sort he gaue place vnto them interpreteth their affection as though it were an honest emulatioÌ„ And teacheth them that they haue now the fruit of this affectioÌ„ bycause they had not only imitated him but they had done more then he had accomplished But now let vs returne vnto the History 4 And Gideon came vnto Iorden to passe ouer he and the 300. meÌ„ that were with him weary yet pursuing them 5 And he sayd vnto the men of Succoth Geue I pray you morsels of bread vnto this people that are at my fete for they are weary I will follow after Zebah and Zalmonah Kinges of Madian 6 And one of the princes of Succoth sayd Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmonah now in thine hande that we should geue bread vnto thine army 7 Gideon then sayd Therfore when the Lorde hath deliuered Zebah Zalmonah into myne hand then I will beate
that they committed thys acte nowe when they came to make thys warre or els before when euery yeare they inuaded the lande of the Israelites in the tyme of haruest Of mount Thabor we haue before spoken when we entreated of the victory of Barak and Deborah It was not lawfull to saue these kyngs on lyue As the Lorde liueth if ye had saued their lyues Gideon mought haue saued these kynges lyues if they had not slayne hys brethren but bycause they had slayne them it was not lawfull For in the booke of Numbers there is a lawe wherein it is ordayned that the nexte of kynne muste not suffer the bloude of hym that is dead vnpunished not that a priuate man shoulde kyll a murtherer but he must be brought vnto the Iudge that there the cause beyng knoweÌ„ he myght be punished And therefore Gideon beyng a Magistrate ought by that lawe to punishe them Otherwyse he myght haue let them goo for as muche as they were not Chananites whom GOD had commaunded that they shoulde not spare Wherefore Gideon sweareth nothyng contrarye to the woorde of God And he sayde vnto Iether He commaundeth hys firste borne sonne beyng then a younge manne to slaye them but he feared neyther durste he drawe hys swoorde The two kynges disdayne would not be kylled with the hande of a chylde euen as Abimelech would be slayne of hys Armor bearer least he should seeme to be kylled of a woman Farther they easely sawe that they shoulde bee longe in payne or they were dead when as the chylde by reason of want of strength coulde not rid them out of theyr lyfe quickely Why Gideon willed his soÌ„ne to kil the kings And Gideon peraduenture dyd for thys cause commaunde hys sonne to doo thys thynge to inflame hys hearte euen from hys tendâ—r yeares agaynste the enemyes of the peopl of GOD as it is written of Hannibal who from a chylde vowed hymselfe agaynst the Romaynes Or elles he dyd it to learne hym from hys tender age to obey the lawe of God wherein was commaunded that the bloud of the next of kynne beyng shed should be reuenged But might not he haue committed that office vnto a hangeman why would he so vrge hys sonne To thys maye be aunswered two wayes Firste that in the olde tyme it was not vncomely to slay the guylty Farther The Hebrues had no hangemen that it is not sene that the Hebrues had hangemen And vndoubtedly that thys was no office amonge the Hebrues this testifieth bycause in the lawe it is written that a blasphemer beyng taken was so stoned to death that the hande of the wytnesses dyd throwe the firste stone agaynste hym neyther was the puttyng to death of any body committed to any peculiar hangeman And there are many examples whiche testifye that it was not ignominious to slaye the guilty Saul when he woulde haue the Priestes slayne called not hangemen to doo it but turned to the noble men whiche were with hym and commaunded them to inuade the Priestes who reuerensyng theyr ministery and dignitye durst not obey Onely Doeg the Edomite durst execute so greate a wycked acte who was not of least estimation with the kynge Samuell also with hys owne hande slewe kynge Agag the prysoner Ioab in lyke manner when he had cought holde of the horne of the altar was slayne of Banaia the chiefe Capitayne of the hoste Wherefore it seemeth that the Hebrues in that auncient tyme hadde no hangemen But as muche as maye be gathered by the Hystoryes of the Ethnikes Lictores were ministers appointed to execute corporall punishment Plutarche Lictores began at Rome vnder Romulus who as Plutarche wryteth in hys lyfe were called so eyther of ligando that is of byndyng or bycause the Grecians callem them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bycause they executed a publique office Romulus gaue them Roddes bounde together to cary and to them was an axe ioyned They had also cordes to bynde the Citezins withall that beyng bounde they myght eyther beate them with roddes or strike them with the axe But the men of more auncient tyme wanted thys office euery man executed it without any infamy as it was by the Magistrate commaunded hym And in verye dede that woorke of punishyng malefactors hath in it no dishonestye or vncomelynesse For if it be honest for a iudge or prince to geue sentence of death agaynst euyll doers why then shall it not be iuste and honest to execute the same sentence Yea and GOD hymselfe in punishyng vseth not onely euyll spirites but good spirites But thou wilte saye Why Lictores and hangemen are of the commoÌ„ people euill spoken of why are Lictores and hangemen commonly so euyll spoken of Firste bycause the common people are afrayde of them neither would any manne be punished for hys wicked actes hereby it commeth that the syght of the hangman driueth into them a certayn horror And that the people were so affected the maner of the publique wealth of Rome declareth where wheÌ„ ambicious men flattered the people more then was meete they sent away the hangeman out of the market place and iudgement house of Rome as euen the Oration of Cicero for Rabirius testifieth The Romaynes vsed not a hangeman for their Citezins The Citezins of Rome were not beaten with roddes nor put to death Theyr extremest punishement was banishement they were caried into ylandes at the length condemned to the working of Mettalles But the latter Romayne lawes whiche are in the digestes blotted out that exemption for in very dede it was vniust For a faulte worthy of death ought not to be wynked at althoughe a Citezin of Rome were the author of it And there were two principall lawes whereby the backe and head of the Citezins were prouided for Portia lex Sempronia the lawe I saye Portia and Sempronia whose power and defence neuerthelesse Paul as we rede in the Actes vsed and so escaped both roddes and bondes This is one cause why Lictores and hangmen are so hated The irregularity of the Canonistes An other cause hereof in the Papisticall opinion of irregularity whiche as the Canonistes wyll haue it is contracted of euery murther These men thinke that a man can not so iustly kyll any man that he may be promoted to the holye Ministerye when as yet the Inquisitours of the herecticall prauity as they terme it doo dayly cause an infinite number and those innocentes to be kylled The Popes Legates also in gouernyng of Cityes and Prouinces and makyng warres althoughe they be Cardinalles and Byshoppes doo styll continually cause bloud to be shed But in the meane tyme with greate hypocrisie they take hede that the sentence be geuen by a laye Iudge as they call hym and so they wrappe themselues out of that irregularity But the holy Scriptures do not so teache Moses sayde vnto the Leuites whiche with hym had kylled so many ye haue
it is geuen it is freely geuen Moreouer we dayly heape sinnes vpō sinnes wherfore god in withdrawing it is not to be accused of iniustice For he cōpelleth no man to do euill but euery man willingly sinneth wherfore the cause of sinne is not to be layd in him The cause of is not to be sayd in God For seyng he procreateth not in vs wicked desires he ought not to beare the blame if wicked actions doo spring out of a corrupt roote of wicked affections yea the goodnes of God is rather to be acknowledged whiche is present and so gouerneth the wicked affections that they can not burst forth nor be hurtefull and troublesome to any but when he hath appointed to chasten some and to call them backe to repētaunce or to punishe them Neither ought we to thinke that after the sinne of the first man Whence ou◠frowardnesse springeth God created a wicked lust and euill affection to corrupte all our whole kynde It was not so done but nature when it departed from God fell by it selfe from lyght to darkenes from the right way to vice and from integrity to corruptiō And how good so euer it was before it nowe degenerated into euill Wherefore let this be holden for certayn that sinne entred into the world by men and not by God as Paul testifieth to the Romanes And in that Christ saith Synne entred into the world by man not by God that the deuill when he lieth speaketh of his owne it is not to be vnderstand onely of himself but also of his members whiche when they lye or do euill worke not by the worde of God neither are they moued by the inspiration of the good spirite And they excedingly reioyce and haue great pleasure in those thinges whiche they do so farre is it of that they should be compelled by any violence Moreouer we must note Of permission that when either the Scriptures or fathers doo seme to affirme God to be the cause of sinne this worde permission is not then so to be added as thoughe he onely suffred men to synne and by hys prouidence or gouernement wrought nothing as concerning sinnes In dede he letteth thē not thoughe he can but vseth them and sheweth in them his myght and not onely his pacience Augustine whiche thing Augustine vnderstood right well and in disputing agaynste Iulianus he confuteth that sentence wherin it is sayd that God suffreth sinne only according vnto pacience and proueth that his might is also therunto to be added by the wordes of Paul who wrote vnto the Romaynes If God by much pacience hath suffred vessels of wrath prepared for destruction to shewe forth his anger to make knowē his might And vndoubtedly there are many things in the holy scriptures which can not alwayes be dissolued by the worde of permission or pacience For the heart of the kyng is sayd to be in the hād of the Lord so that he inclineth it whether soeuer it pleaseth him And Iob testefieth that it was so done as god would But as touching the sinne of the first man when yet nature was not viciated and corrupted Of the sinne of the first man we graunt that the cause therof came from the wil of Adam and suggestion of the deuil and we say that God permitted it bycause when he might haue withstanded and letted it he would not do it but decreed to vse that sinne to declare his iustice and goodnes ¶ Whether we can resiste the grace of God or no. BVt now ariseth an other doubt as touching our nature as it is now fallen corrupt whether it can resiste the grace of God his spirite beyng present or no There ar sundry degrees of grace of God I thinke we must cōsider that there are as it wer sundry degrees of the helpe or grace of God for his might aboūdance is sometymes so great that he wholy boweth the will of man doth not onely Counsel but also persuade And when it so commeth to passe we can not departe from the right waye but we are of Gods side and obey his sentence Wherfore it was sayd vnto Paul It is hard for thee to kycke agaynst the prycke There is no violēce or coaction inferred to mans will And yet must we not thinke that when it is so done there is any violence or coaction brought vnto the will of man for it is by a pleasaunt mouyng and conuersion altered and that willing but yet so willing that the will therof cōmeth of God for it is it which willeth but God by a stronge and most mighty persuasion maketh it to will But somtymes that power of God and spirit is more remisse which yet if we wil put therunto our endeuor apply our will we should not resiste yea we should obey his admonishmentes and inspirations and when that we do it not we are therfore sayd to resiste him and oftentymes fall And yet this is not to be vnderstand as touching the first regeneration but as concerning those whiche are regenerated whiche are now endewed with grace and spirite For the will of the vngodly is so corrupt and vitiate that except it be renewed it can not geue place vnto the inspirations of God and admonishynges of the holy ghost it in the first immutatiō of mās conuersion it onely suffreth and before the renewyng it continually as much as in it is resisteth the spirite of God But the first parentes whilest they were perfect if with the helpe of grace beyng somewhat remisse they had adioyned theyr endeuor they might haue perfectly obeyed the commaundementes of God But we although we be renewed seyng grace is more remisse remitting nothing of our endeuor we shall not be able constantly and perfectly to obey the commaundementes of God but yet we may be able to containe our selues within the boundes or limites of an obediēce begon whiche thyng bycause we do not therfore oftentymes we sinne and greuously fall Why the grace of god worketh not alyke alwayes in vs. But why God geueth not his grace alwayes to his electe after one sorte and one increase but sometymes he worketh in them more strongly and sometymes more remissedly two reasons may be assigned First least we should thinke the grace of God to be naturall strengthes which remayne alwayes after one sorte Wherfore god would most iustly alter the degree efficacy of his helpe wherby we myght vnderstand that it is gouerned by hys wil not as we lust Moreouer it oftentimes happeneth that our negligence slouthfulnes deserueth this variety Lastly let vs conclude the matter that if we wil speake properly it is not to be sayd that God either willeth or bringeth forth sinne in that it is sinne for what soeuer God willeth whatsoeuer he doth it is good But sinne in that it is sinne is euil Wherfore god neither willeth nor doeth it in that it is sinne yea he detesteth prohibiteth
Beniamin and agaynst the house of Ephraim And Israel was in verye great miserye 10 And the chyldren of Israel cryed vnto the Lorde saying Wee haue synned agaynst thee euen bicause we haue forsaken our God and haue serued Baalim When they heaped synnes vpon synnes the latter sinnes wer alwaies more grieuous then the first And this is not to bee passed ouer that they are sayde to haue synned in the syght of the Lord for the world otherwise is often times deceaued and the iudgement of men many times either aloweth or excuseth sins And the euyl which the Israelites are sayde to haue done was nothing els but Idolatry As soone as the good Princes were dead the people easely fel to worshipping of Idoles and why they were so prone to this wicked crime there may be many causes alledged Why the Israelites were so prone vnto idolatry Fyrst they sawe that the Nations which were nyghe vnto them when they woorshipped Idoles floorished in all kinde of riches and honors but they thēselues wer wonderfully oppressed with penury of thinges Wherfore they thought that the Gods of those nacions were both better more bountiful then their own God They considered that they them selues whyche woorshipped but one God were fewe in the number but there was an infinite number which woorshipped Idoles And as they detested the ceremonies and holye seruices of other Nations so on the other syde other Nacions bothe abhorred them and also vexed them with contumelies Lastly the woorshipping of the true God was more seuere and after a sort more sadde it hadde no pleasure no chalenging of battayl one with an other no stage playes no daūcings no running at tylts no Comodies no Tragedies all which thynges they sawe were vsed in the woorshipping of Idoles yea and also often times were added most vyle and fylthy thinges And forasmuch as the nature of man is of it selfe ready vnto pleasures hereof it came that they turned vnto straunge holy seruices And vndoubtedly the same causes in our time doo moue the myndes of many and therfore manye cleaue vnto the Papistes whom they see to lyue muche more pleasantly and to floorish in goods and riches they see also that they are more in number in Italy in Spaine and in Fraunce then we are Bicause also they thinke that they are infamed and reproched when they ar called Schismatikes and Heretikes And lastly bicause our ceremonies as touching the senses of the flesh are dry and without pleasures they haue no copes no descant synging no musical Organes nor stage play Masses Hereof come these defaultes and fallinges of many I might also adde that many say their fathers lyued so and died in that religion The stubdernnrs of the Iewes agaynste God which reasō is with many of great force Such things without doubt did the Iewes thinke vpon But it is marueilous to behold their stubburnnes It seemeth that they had wholy bent their mindes perpetually to resist their God When God would haue them to obserue his ceremonies they sought for other ceremonies at the hands of the people that wer nigh vnto thē And for as muche as God hath nowe decreed that those ceremonies shoulde by Christ be made of none effect and they wyl styl keepe them they doo therin that which ouerthwart wiues are wont to do when the husband wyl they wyl not when he wyll not then they again wyll They did not onely woorship Baal and Astharoth but also the Gods of Aram Zidon the Gods of the Moabites and of the children of Ammon and also the Gods of the Pelisthims If we marke the number they woorshipped seuen kyndes of Idoles And forsooke the Lord. They did not onely follow straunge Gods but also forsooke the woorshipping of the true God There is a certaine Emphasis in this woorde forsooke It signifieth as much as if it should haue bene said They would not so much as haue the woorshipping of the true God named neyther made they any more mencion of it Wherfore the wrath of the Lorde kindled against them and he deliuered them into the handes of the Philistians c. Whē they forsooke the true God he againe tooke away from them his helpe and sold them to the Philistians and Ammonites whom they so serued as thoughe they had bene their bondslaues And the yoke of the Ammonites was much more greuous then the yoke of the Philistians Wherfore Iiphtah tooke in hande warre singularly against the Ammonites as against the chief vexers of the Israelites Farthermore let vs marke that euen the self same yeare wherin Iair died they were vexed and oppressed of their enemies The Lorde taried not straightwaye after the death of the Iudge hee beganne to afflict the people In whyche place we must note that most stronge Nations so soone as they are destitute of God are easelye without anye a doo conquered and ouerthrowne of their enemyes For it is God onely which geueth power and strength and therefore the Israelites were straightway oppressed of their enemies bicause the Lord had forsaken them for God is not onely the efficient cause of might and rule but also it is he that keepeth and preserueth it They oppressed vniuersally al the children of Israel For they kept not them selues within any bondes but wandred and made rodes through out al the borders of the Hebrues which thing is noted by these woordes Yea and they passed ouer Iordan The tribes of Ruben Gad The request of the twoo tribes the halfe tribe was vnwyse and part of Manasses dwelled on this syde Iordan For all that region was verye fertile therefore they required it of Moses when the other tribes were not yet passed ouer Iordan but they did not wel marke what they desired for although it wer a most fat and fertill countrye yet was it alwaies in greater daunger For often times their next enemies made rodes into their landes And this is very cōmonly sene that men are more careful for gaine then for health but the Ammonites did not onely rob and spoyle those tribes but they also miserably afflicted al Israel When they had passed ouer Iordan they would also fight against Iuda Beniamin and Ephraim which were of al the tribes most noble Wherfore we must beleue that they raged against al the Hebrues VVherfore the Israelites were aboue measure oppressed And they cryed vnto the Lord. When they were but a litle oppressed they were nothing moued but when they wer farther vexed and most grieuouslye afflicted What God hathe a respect vnto in the punishmēts wherwith hee punysheth synners they began to turne to God and cryed vnto him Neither did they that lightly but weeping repented from the hart confessed their sinne implored his ayde This thing onely God regardeth when he afflicteth his people with aduersitye where wordes wil not serue he addeth stripes and vexations which are certain vehement sermons towarde the stiffer sorte and are of great force towarde the godly and
may be absolued and so one is punished for an other mans faulte The maner of punishing the tenth souldier But GOD as it is sayde doth no manne iniurye for he whiche dyeth was subiecte vnto death and GOD directeth hys death to a good ende namely to helpe other that is that by thys meanes eyther the parentes or the prynces maye bee reuoked vnto repentaunce or to establyshe discipline But those thynges whiche we haue sayde can by no meanes bee vnderstande of spirituall and eternall paynes For as touching them euery man shall suffer for hys owne faulte Nowe lette vs expounde the woordes of the lawe I sayeth he am a Ielous God visityng the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the chyldren vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Ierome Augustine These last woords Ierome vppon Ezechiel the .18 chapter diligently noteth And Augustine vpon Iosua in the question before alledged Of those sayeth GOD which hate me as though he should haue sayd I wyll not touch the innocents but will take vengeaunce of their iniquity which imitate euill Fathers and hath me After the same manner he promiseth to doo good vnto children and chyldrens chyldren euen vnto a thousande generations But to what chyldren Euen to those sayeth he that loue me Wherefore thoughe the Father bee vngodly and the sonne good the iniquitye of the father shall nothyng hurte hym But if the father bee good and the sonne wicked the godlynes of the father shall nothyng profyte hym And therefore Ierome sayeth He auengeth the iniquitye of the Fathers vpon the children not bycause they had euyll parentes but bycause they imitate theyr parentes The woordes themselues doo sufficiently declare that the lawe is not to bee vnderstande of Originall synne but of that synne whiche they call actuall For then shall the sonne beare the iniquitye of the Father when he lykewyse synneth as dyd the Father Also the wordes of Ezechiel can not bee vnderstande of Originall synne as that whiche followeth easely declareth Although thys sentence that the soule whiche sinneth it shal dye maye bee vnderstande of Originall synne Euery manne hath in himself his proper originall sinne For euery manne hath in hymselfe a corrupte nature and a prones vnto euill Wherefore euery manne beareth hys owne synne For althoughe that vice were by originall drawen of the parentes yet nowe is it made ours But thou wilte saye seyng in the lawe it is sayde Of them whiche hate me and infantes for as much as they hate not God therefore it can not pertayne vnto them I aunswer That in act in dede they hate not God but by corruption of nature and prones vnto euill So a woolfe that is at full age deuoureth a sheepe A younge woolfe whiche is but a whelpe doth it not not bycause it hath not the nature of the father but bycause it is not able And thus muche as touching the wordes of the lawe But why it is sayde vnto the thirde and fourth generation and not vnto the fyft and sixt we haue hearde what Augustine hath aunswered But in my iudgement we maye saye muche more commodiously that the parentes may lyue vnto the thirde and fourth generation GOD woulde therefore so punyshe the Fathers in the thirde and fourth generation that by that punyshement of theyr posterity some feelyng myght come vnto them they beyng yet on lyue that they myght see the miseryes of theyr neuewes childrens chyldren For thys cause the holy Scripture extendeth those generations no farther When the posteritye are euill and are punished of GOD there is no doubte but that the parentes are punyshed also in them Chrisostome vpon Genesis the. 29. Homely when he interpreteth these woordes Cursed be Chanaan c. But he synned not sayeth he but hys father Cham. That is true in deede he aunswereth but Cham was a greate deale more sharpely touched with that curse then if it had bene pronounced agaynste hymselfe Thys is the powre and fatherly affection to bee more vexed with the afflictions of theyr chyldren then with theyr owne Wherefore Cham dyd not onely see that hys sonne should be euill and subiecte vnto the curse but also he sawe that he hymselfe shoulde bee punished in hym This nowe resteth to bee declared why amonge the Proprietyes of the mercye of GOD this also was recited before Moses Visityng the iniquitye of the Fathers vpon the children when as this seemeth rather to pertayne vnto seuerity But it is not so yea rather if we looke more narrowly vpon the place we shall vnderstande that it is a pointe of mercy For where the sinne was firste committed he myght strayghtwaye if he woulde iustly bee reuenged But he is so good that he wyll defer the vengeaunce vnto the thirde and fourth generation and in the meane tyme calleth backe the father to repentaunce by admonitions of the Prophetes by sermons and benefites and many other wayes At the laste when the thirde and fourth generation is come and he made neuer a whitte the better he goeth to stripes and yet he doth not then vse affliction as the laste punishement but rather as a medecine Who seeth not that all this is a woorke of greate mercye Wherefore iustly and woorthily are these wordes numbred amonge the proprietyes of mercye And it can not bee denyed but that the Prophetes were oftentymes afflicted together with the people For Ezechiel and Daniel were led awaye into captiuity and Ieremy was caste into prison and wonderfully vexed in the tyme of the siege and afterwarde goyng with the Hebrues into Egypte he was slayne For God will haue the thyng in thys manner ordered that good men may not onely ryghtly gouerne their own lyfe but also in suffryng thynges greuous they may admonishe and bryng to amendement the euill For they are conuersant together with them in the same publique wealth and Churche and are after a sorte members of one body It profiteth the iust that they are wrapped in the same punishmentes with the wicked Wherfore the good ought thus to thinke with thēselues If God afflicte the euill we also shal be vexed together with them we shall all be wrapped with the selfe same punishement Therefore we must see that we labour for them in reprouyng and prayng for them for theyr saluation beyng neglected shall bryng euilles also vnto vs. After thys sorte we muste vnderstande Augustine when he sayeth that GOD by thys meanes establysheth discipline amonge men Bycause if the people bee afflicted for their kynges and the sonne for the father then must they labour and trauayle one for an other Neither yet do good men so lyue without sinne that God can finde nothyng in them to punishe Althoughe the afflictions whiche happen vnto the godly The afflictiōs of the godly ar not properly punishmentes can not as it is sayde be properly called afflictions but rather excercises of fayth For so God trieth theyr fayth and whatsoeuer he doth in them he turneth it
the enemyes of the olde Testament snatche occasion to speake euill of GOD the creator of the world For they called hym both an euyll GOD and a cruell Suche were the Maniches Valentinians Marcionites and suche lyke pestilences When he delighteth saye they in the bloude of manne howe can he not but bee cruell Augustine aunswereth God reioyseth not in bloud So farre is it of that GOD reioyseth in the bloude of man that he reioyseth not euen in the bloude of beastes onely he suffred for a tyme that sacrifices of beastes shoulde be offred by lytle and lytle to instructe men But what the Sacrifices of the Elders signified whiche serued to theyr erudition in that place What the sacrifices of the Elders signified he declareth not but I will in fewe woordes shewe it First was set foorth in those Sacrifices that the rewarde of sinne is death And that dyd he after a sorte testifie whiche brought the Sacrifice namely that he had deserued to be kylled but by the goodnes of GOD hys death was transferred to the Sacrifice By thys meanes were the Elders instructed that they should eschewe synnes Farther those Sacrifices directed the myndes of menne vnto Christe and they were certayne visible sermons of hym and taught that Christ shoulde bee that Sacrifice whiche shoulde take awaye the sinnes of the worlde and vpon whom our death and damnation should be transferred God mought haue required humane sacrifices Wherefore GOD of hymselfe delyghted not in bloude but by thys schoolyng he instructed his people Yea if he had delyghted in Sacrifices he mought haue required them of the number of menne For what should haue letted hym or what iniury shoulde he haue doone vs if he woulde haue had Sacrifices of menne offred vnto hym For manne must needes sometymes dye Wherefore to preuent the tyme one yeare or two it woulde not haue bene so grieuous neither shoulde he haue doone vs any iniurye chiefly when we shoulde vnderstande that with hym we shoulde lyue for euer Vndoubtedly in thys thyng no manne coulde haue accused GOD as cruell But nowe seyng he hath remoued all those holy seruices he manifestly teacheth that he reioyseth not neither in the bloude of menne God woulde haue the firste borne of menne redemed and not sacrificed nor in the bloude of beastes Yea the firste borne of menne when they were bounde vnto hym he woulde not haue them Sacrificed but redemed with a price whiche he woulde not haue doone if he had taken any pleasure in bloude In Deuteromy the .12 chapter he sayeth The Nation whiche I wyl expell before thee doo Sacrifice theyr sonnes and daughters but see that thou do not so Certayne kyllynges of men are acceptable vnto God But Augustine demaundeth farther whether there be any slaughter of men whiche is acceptable vnto GOD Hee aunswereth that there is But what slaughter When menne sayeth he are kylled for ryghteousnes sake not that the death of Martyrs of it self pleaseth GOD but bicause faith towardes God piety is by that Martyrdomes are lyke sacrifices both declared and also kept And the death of Christ so pleased God that it redemed the whole worlde and the death of Christians whiche they suffer in Christes name may be called after a sorte a Sacrifice Wherefore Paul in the .2 to Timo. the last chapter writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I sacrifice c. in whiche saying he calleth his death an immolation And to the Phil. the .2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The martirdomes of men make not satisfaction for sins but if I offre in an oblation and seruice of our fayth And yet do not such sacrifices make satisfaction for sinnes for that doth the death of Christe onely But the death of Martirs are acceptable because the cause is thankefull Augustine was baptised of Ambrose and being wōderfully affectioned toward him he followeth his opinion as his Scholemayster asmuch as he may but somwhat more warely He cōpareth Iiphtah with Abraham but he putteth a difference whyche Ambrose noted not Abraham saythe he had the woorde of god to sacrifice his sonne so had not Iiphtah yea rather he had the law against him that he shoulde not sacrifice And in Abraham not the death pleased god but the faith Farther there is great difference for a man to do any thinge of himself and to haue a will to doo those thinges that are commaunded him And Augustine doth subtilly admonish Iiphtah vowed an human◠sacrifice as Augustine thinketh that Iiphtah vowed an humane sacrifice not deceaued but willinglye Whatsoeuer sayth he shall come out of my house I will offer it for a burnte offringe c. Doo we thinke that beastes woulde come forth to meete him returninge home Men vse to go and mete such as haue the victory and to reioyse Wherfore he vowed an humane sacrifice The scripture only maketh mencyon of this acte but praiseth it not as also it is there written that Iudas had to do with his daughter in law but it is not allowed So there can nothing be gathered by these wordes The rashenes of the father is punished in the death of the children why the acte of Iiphtah should be praysed Farther Augustine thinketh with Ierome that god woulde punish the rashenes of the vow in the father by the death of hys daughter But there are two places sayth he why I cannot reprehend Iiphtah Because in the Epistle to the Hebrewes he is numbred among the saints in this place it is written that the spirite of the Lord was vpon him But those holy men which are rekoned vnto the Hebrewes did they neuer sinne Vndoubtedly their sinnes also ar set forth in the holy scriptures Gideon who is in the number a little before his deth made an Ephod which was the destructiō both of himself of his house But as touchinge the other place The sprite of the Lorde came vpon hym But this nothing letteth but that afterward he might fall But Iiphtah thou wilte saye had the victory but Gidion after that acte nothing went well with him Yea rather sayth he Gideon did before after a sort tempt God yet he had the victory So much of Augustine But I would say otherwise For I agree not with Augustine to thinke that Gidion tēpted God Therfore I would aunswere after this maner Dauid cōmitted aduoutry straightway afterward obteined the victory toke the city Rabath-Ammon in whose siege he prepared that Vrias should be slayne Saule persecuted Dauid in the meane time there were brought him messengers from the Philistians He leauing Dauid went to war and obteined the victory Moses sinned at the waters of strife the people also hadde sinned many waies and yet they obteyned the victorye agaynste Sihon and Og moste myghtye Kynges Wherefore wee will graunte that Iiphtah was numbred amonge the Sayntes and yet he mighte sinne and althoughe he synned he obteyned the victorye And we wil graunt that
it was peculiar and aboue the common institution of others by the deede I say and not by the ryght or vowe of the parentes Samson ought to haue obeyed althoughe he had not vowed Whether it was lawful for Hanna â—o vow for her sonne bicause it was done by the word of god Howbeit of Hanna the mother of Samuel it may be doubted how it was lawfull for her to vow for her sonne For it may scarse seme iust that the sonne should be bound by the vowe of the parent It was demaunded in the tyme of Benedict whether the children offred by the parentes vnto monasteries when they came vnto mans state might mary Gregorius Gregorius Magnus to Augustine a Byshop of England aunswereth that it is vtterly vnlawful Whiche is a verye hard saying and agaynst the word of god For Paul sayth it is better to mary then to burne And he whiche can not conteyne let him mary ConciliuÌ„ Carthaginense In the counsell of Carthage the .3 wherat Augustine also was present it was decreed that childreÌ„ offred vnto the Church when they came to mans estate should either mary or els vow chastity This also was rough ynough For who shuld require this at that age being vnskilfull of thinges not certayne of his own streÌ„gth But these things I speake that we might knowe that decrees are contrary to decrees But to returne to the matter I saye that Hanna mought vowe for her sonne for as touching the performyng of the vow as longe as he was brought vp by his pareÌ„tes she might easely prouide that he should not drinke any wyne nor cut of hys heare nor be at any funerals But after he came to lawfull age it was Samuels duty to obserue these things not in dede in respect of the vow but bycause of the obedience whiche he ought vnto his parentes For children ought to obey theyr parentes in all those thinges which are not agaynst piety the word of God So the Rechabites as it is in Ieremy wheÌ„ they obeyed their father Ionadab The Rechabites who coÌ„maunded them to drinke no wine all their lyfe tyme or to dwel in Cityes were for the same cause praysed of God Howbeit Hanna vnles she had had a peculiar inspiration from God she could not haue vowed that Samuel should all his lyfe tyme haue ministred at the tabernacle of the Lord for as much as the law of god absolued meÌ„ froÌ„ the ministery at a certaine space of yeares namely in the .50 yere Magister sententiarum But that which I haue sayd that it was lawful for Hanna to vowe the vow of a Nazarite for her sonne it semeth not to be firme with the definition of a vow whiche is thus brought of the Master of the Sentences A vowe is a testificatioÌ„ of a willing promise made vnto God The definition of a vowe of things which pertayne vnto God But a vowe which is vowed by the parent for the sonne can not seme willing Yea but it is bycause the parentes vowed not being compelled but of their owne fre will farther it is mete for the children to obey the will of their parentes freely of their owne accorde especially when they commaunde no vngodly thyng or contrary to the worde of God By this place some gather that Samson was sanctified in the wombe of hys mother whiche selfe same thyng is beleued both of Ieremy and also of Iohn Baptiste How some are sayd to be sanctified froÌ„ the wombe And they will haue him so to be sanctified that afterwarde he committed no mortal sinne as they call it But this is false and vayne Neither to sanctifye in this place is anye thyng els then to appointe one to the execution of some certayn worke Samson therefore was sanctified that is appoynted of God to deliuer his people So was Ieremy ordeyned to Prophesie And Iohn to be the voyce of a crier in the wildernes Neither of this kinde of sanctification doth it follow that these holy men neuer sinned For euery maÌ„ is a lyer also there is no maÌ„ sayth Salomon whiche sinneth not Farther what shal we say of Samson Did he neuer sinne He fel vndoubtedly and that greuously Paul also who sayth to the Galathians that he was himselfe separated from his mothers wombe and yet he persecuted the Churche of God Moreouer the children also of Christians are called holy for as muche as God is not our God onely but also the God of our seede according to that saying of Paul to the Corinthians Your children are holy who yet no man doubteth but that they afterward fal and grieuously sinne If the vow be against charity it is to be broken One thinge remayneth to be spoken of and afterwarde I will returne vnto the history When the father voweth and the sonne desireth to performe the vowe of the father what if the vow be a gaynste the health of the sonne He shall peraduenture fal into some disease and he must nedes drinke wine or cut away his heare what is to be done in this case I haue in an other place admonished that the preceptes of god ar of diuers sortes so that some ar greater and some easier As touching god whiche is the commaunder all are equall and like one to an other But as touching the thinges which are coÌ„maunded there is some difference Wherfore the lesse precept must geue place vnto the greater For whiche cause Christ sayth by the wordes of the Prophet I will haue mercy and not Sacrifice not as thoughe God vtterly contemned Sacrifices which he had commaunded but bycause he more estemed mercy And Christ also admonisheth in the Gospell in the .5 chapter of Math. that if thou offer thy gift at the alter and there remeÌ„berest that thy brother hath somewhat agaynst thee thou must go first and reconcile thy selfe vnto thy brother and then returne and offer thy gifte Whereby he declareth that he altogether wil haue the les precepte geue place vnto the greater Wherfore we must thus aunswere vnto the question God commauÌ„deth the Nazarites to absteyne from wine he also commaundeth euery man to defend his life by good meanes Here when as the sicke man can not preserue both the preceptes it is necessary that he preferre the greater before the les For so dyd the Rechabites the sonnes of Ionadab behaue themselues For althoughe theyr father coÌ„maunded them that they should not dwel in Cities neither drinke any wine and were also commended of God bycause they obeyed the preceptes of theyr father yet at that tyme when Ieremy wrote these thinges of them they dwelled at Ierusalem contrary to the precept of their father For the Chaldeyans had wasted all the fieldes Wherefore they perceaued that there was then no place for their fathers precept But in monasteryes they doo contraryly For if the father be sicke the sonne is so bound by religion that he can by no meanes helpe him 6 And the
to sacrifice any other wher yet after the Salomon had built the tēple it was not lawful to offer out of it wherfore the highe places were to be takē away they should sacrifice no where but at Ierusalē But of al the kings onely Iosias Ezechias toke away the high places so hard a thing was it to leade the people to the true obediēce of god But Elias was moued by a certayne peculiar inspiration of God to Sacrifice other where Manoah demaundeth after the name of the Aungell neyther dyd he that so simply as hys wyfe dyd But that he should not be thought to demaund it curiously or without a cause he addeth a reason of hys request That if that come to passe whiche thou hast sayd we may honour thee that is with some reward But I cā not recōpence thee vnles I know who thou art where thou dwellest This Hebrew worde Peli is ambiguous to the Hebrues R. Salomon Aungels ar named of those things whiche they worke signifyeth both wonderful and also secrete R. Salomon sayeth that the names of aungelles are secrete so that they themselues knowe not their owne names And he addeth also that the Aungelles haue no names of their owne but onely haue surnames geuen them of those thynges whiche they are sent to take charge ouer Whiche thyng also the Epistle to the Hebrues toucheth when it calleth them ministryng spirites R. Salomon bryngeth examples out of the holy Scriptures An Aungell was sent vnto Esaye and bycause he dyd put a burnyng coale to his lyppes he was called Seraphim of this verbe Seraph whiche signifieth to burne So maye we saye of Raphaell that he was so called bycause he had healed Tobias as thoughe he were the medicine of GOD. Gabriell also after the same manner was called the strength of GOD. Also thys woorde Peli signifieth wonderfull for therefore came the Aungell to woorke a miracle And vndoubtedly it was very wonderfull to bryng fire out of a rocke whiche shoulde consume the Sacrifice And it may bee that the Aungell would not open hys name bycause menne at that tyme were prone vnto Idolatrye and they would easely when they had hearde the name of an Aungell peraduenture haue woorshypped it to muche religiously That which we haue called an oblation in Hebrew it is Minchah But what manner of oblation that was is vnderstoode by the .2 chapter of Leuit. There wer diuers kindes therof but it euer consisted of corne but yet not alwayes prepared after one manner it was so offred that some part of it was burnt vnto the Lord the other part was left for the Priestes The Papists babble that Minchah was a shadowe of their bready Sacrifice whiche thinge they haue fayned most impudently But hereof we will intreate in an other place Manoah layd the Kid and Minchah vpon the rocke Manoah myght not Sacrifice vnto the Lord by the lawe bycause he came of the tribe of Dan and not of the tribe of Leui. Wherefore he deliuered the fleshe vnto the aungell whom he thought to be a Prophete that he should sacrifice it For Prophetes had an extraordinary vocation that althoughe they were not of the famely of Aaron yet it was lawfull for them to sacrifice as we rede of Helias and Helizeus For whē religiō was decayed in the Priests god suffred others to minister their office But the aungell when the fleshe was put vpon the rocke wrought wonderfully He raysed vp fire out of the stone whiche consumed the offring Whiche thing we rede also was done in Gideon Althoughe it be not herein expressedly shewed that fire was drawen out of the rocke as it was openly sayd in Gideon yet is no mention made of fire that was brought by Manoah at the last it is sayd that the angell vanished away in the flame therfore it is credible that fire was striken out of the stone The angell ascended into heauen as though he vsed the flame for a chariot He dissolued the body whiche he bare and vanished away into the flambe whiche was a notable miracle They fell to the ground for feare for they were wonderfully amased and astonished when they sawe that it was an aungell whom before they thought to haue ben a man 22 And Manoah sayd vnto his wife We shall surely dye bycause we haue sene God 23 But hys wife sayde vnto hym If the Lorde would kill vs he woulde not haue receaued a burnt offryng and an oblation of our handes neither would he haue shewed vs all these thinges nor at this tyme told vs such thynges 24 And the wife bare a sonne and called his name Samson And the childe grewe and the Lord blessed hym 25 And the spirite of the Lord began to strengthen hym in the host of Dan betwene Zora and Esthaol In dyeng we shall dye That is we shall moste assuredly dye For the Hebrues in doublyng the woordes doo earnestly affirme Bycause we haue sene the Lord. Whereof this opinion sprang I haue tolde in the Hystory of Gideon where also I haue declared how God was sene of the fathers The opiniō of R. Leui ben Gerson Wherfore it nedeth not to repeate them in this place But this will I not ouerpasse that R. Leui ben Gerson writeth that this was not an aungell but a man of god and a Prophet namely Pinhas the sonne of Eleazar But he was called angel bycause Manoah and his wife thought hym to be so For after the same maner Ezras although he was a man yet was he called an aungell And Christ whiche is very man is called the aungell of the Testament But how he being a man vanished awaye in the flambe Leui ben Gerson declareth not But I more simply doo iudge him to haue ben an aungell in dede For Pinhas had not a secret name but a name well knowen in his tyme and the wordes of the texte do tend to this Of the name of Elohim to teache that it was an aungell VVe haue sene the Lord. In Hebrewe it is Elohim which althoughe it be the name of GOD yet is it communicated to aungelles yea and also to prynces and Prophetes accordyng to that saying I haue sayde ye are Goddes And Christe in the Gospell sayeth If they are called Goddes vnto whome is come the woorde of GOD why doo ye meruayle c This woman seemeth to be of a stouter courage them the man for she comforteth her husband Whose Oration is grounded vpon two argumentes The first is I do not thinke we shall dye bycause God would not haue accepted our sacrifice if he would haue destroyed vs. Wherfore seyng our sacrifice was acceptable vnto him he counteth not vs as enemyes But whereby knew she that that sacrifice was acceptable vnto GOD. Firste bycause the Aungell had commaunded it to be done which vndoubledly he would not haue don vnles he had vnderstoode that it should be acceptable vnto God Farther bycause the flambe had consumed the Sacrifice and
fayth do in vayne poure out theyr prayers What manner of one the publicane was when he prayed But if a man will obiecte the Publicane who being a sinner prayed vnto god and departed iustified I aunswere that that publicane was in suche sorte a sinner that yet when he prayed he was not without fayth yea rather he prayed with fayth otherwise god would not haue heard his prayers And vndoubtedly Iames doth right wel admonishe vs when he sayth Pray hauing faith In sum that sentence is firme and perfecte wherin it is sayde whatsoeuer is offred vnto God for a sacrifice the same is acceptable vnto him if faythe and iustification of him that offreth go before A verye subtile cauilacion Some do cauile of the fyrst acte of fayth whereby we begynne fyrst to assente vnto god and they doubt whither it be acceptable vnto god or no. Vndoubtedly before it he is an enemy which now beginneth to beleue Then say they if that fyrst consente be acceptable vnto God then accepteth he the gifte of an enemye But if it be not acceptable then it iustifieth not To this I aunswer two wayes Fyrst that men are not iustified of the worthinesse of the acte of fayth but of the firme promise of god which faith embraceth Farther when any man first assenteth and beleueth then is he first made of an enemy a friende and although before he was an enemy yet so sone as he beleueth he is made a friend and ceaseth to be an enemy Plato But that which we haue before concluded that he which offreth is more acceptable vnto God then the gift the Ethnikes also sawe For Plato in Alcibiade maketh mencion that the Athenienses vpon a time made war againste the Lacedemonians and when they were ouercome they sente messengers vnto Iupiter Ammon by whom they sayd that they marueiled for what cause where as they hadde offred so greate giftes vnto the Godes and theyr enemies on the contrary side sacrificed sparingly and sclenderly and yet had they the victorye ouer them Ammon aunswered that the gods more estemed the prayers of the Lacedemonians then the moste fatte sacrifices of the Athenienses For when they burnt Oxen vnto theyr Gods in the meane time they thought nothinge of theyr soules So in Homere Iupiter speaketh that the Gods are not moued with the smoke and smel of sacrifices when as they hated Priamus and the Troyanes Wherfore the Ethnikes vnderstoode that which the Papists at this day see not which thynke that theyr blinde sacrificer though he be neuer so vnpure and vngodly doth yet with his hands offer vp Christ vnto god the father Now let vs see the other argument of this woman God would neuer haue shewed vs these thinges if he woulde haue killed vs Forasmuche as hee is not wont to make hys enemies of his coūcel Thus the wife of Manoah comforteth her fearefull husband But this argument seemeth somewhat obscure when as Balaam althoughe he were vngodlye was not ignorante of the Councelles of GOD. Chryste also sayth Manye shall saye vnto mee in that daye haue wee not Prophesyed in thy name To these thynges I aunsweare that GOD didde not onelye foretell vnto them thynges that should come to passe for the deliuerye of the people but also of the childe whiche they should receaue and of his education Wherefore seying he vsed them as fellowe workemen it was a certayne argument that god had not appointed strayghteway to kyll them Neyther speaketh she here of eternall life but of this earthlye and corruptible life And the childe grew and his name was called Samson Hereby we know that Zorah was the name of the place where Samsons fathers was borne Samson This Hebrew word Shemesch signifieth the sunne being therefore so called as though he wer of the sunne but for what cause he was so called it is not known I meruaile that Iosephus interpreteth Sampson for stronge or mightye Iosephus vndoubtedly such an Etimology agreeth not with the Hebrew word But he oftentims goeth from the historye And in this place also he sayth that the woman prayed when as that is not founde in the text God blessed Samson That is bestowed and heaped benefites vpon hym The sprite of God That is the sprite of strength and mighte began to strengthen him In the host of Dan. The history speketh thus by reason of those times The tribe of Dan had not yet obteined possession in the land of promes but they wer in tents and fought against theyr enemyes R.D. Kimhi R.D. Kimhi sayth that they did thē besiege the city of Lais. Wherefore he being a younge man was together with thē in the hoste The Hebrew worde is Paam and it signifieth to be moued to be striken at certayne tymes not perpetually but by courses He being a yonge man was moued and waxed hote to fyght the more vehemently against his enemies And his impulsions bycause they were of God therefore are they ascribed vnto the spyrite But bicause wee are alreadye come vnto the ende of thys chapter before we enter into the next there are certayne thinges whych are to be marked Fyrst hereby we gather a most sure argumēt with how singuler a care god gouerneth his church For although the Iewes had greuously sinned yet had god a regard to theyr health sendeth thē a captain which should deliuer them foretelleth what things should come to pas least they should seme to haue happened by chaunce Farther he woulde haue the childe to be a Nazarite Outward thynges are not to be neglected and to haue his heare to grow and to abstaine from wine and stronge drinke Wherefore we are taught that these outward thinges are not vtterly vaine but may be applied vnto the glory of god Men are wont sometimes to say when they are admonished of outward thinges What doth god regard these thinges In dede we know also that in those thinges is no holinesse to be put Howebeit we muste take heede that both in liuinge and in apparell and in going also in all gesture and in habite we behaue our selues comely both before God and also before the churche not superstitiously but holily that our modesty may aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and his holy Gospel Farthermore let vs here consider that the wife helpeth the husband with her councell For although by the ordinarye lawe it is not lawfull for women to preach and teache in an assembly yet are they not so destitute of the gratious gifts of God but that they may instruct theyr husbands with good counsels ¶ Of the visions of Aungels THe nexte thinge is that I somewhat intreate of the visions of Aungels For as we haue now heard an Aungel appeared vnto Manoah and oftentimes in other places as the scriptures declare aungels haue bene sene of men But it may be demaunded howe they appeared whither with any bodye or els onely in phantasye And if it were with a bodye whither it were with theyr
thing it decreeth of a mayden but it addeth so that it be not agaynst the will of the parentes or her own Such an addition we se that Nicolaus the second added as it is had in the .27 quest 2. chap. sufficiat where he writeth after this maner To ioygne matrimony the cōsent of those whiche contract is sufficient it followeth according to the lawes matrimonyes of children are not acknowledged if they be made without the cōsent of the parentes Yet the glose referreth not those wordes vnto the ciuile lawes but to the Canons bycause as the Canonist say the ciuill lawes are sometimes corrected by the Canons But oftentymes happeneth that those Canons are in very deede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rules without a rule as Extra de coniugiis seruorum A discord of the Canons and of the ciuill lawes as touchyng the matrimony of bondemen chap. 1. if bondemen contract yea agaynst the will of their Lordes such matrimonyes shal be ratified Beholde sayeth the Glose the Canons amende the ciuill lawes For in them it is forbidden that a bondemā should mary a wife agaynst the wil of his Lord yea if a free man haue very much resort vnto an others mās bonde woman he is made a bondeman a free woman if she haue much accesse vnto an other mans bondeman she also loseth her liberty The glosse saith more ouer that more is attributed vnto matrimony then vnto holy orders bicause it is not lawfull to bring a straunge bondeman into orders but it is lawfull to cōtract matrimony with him Wherfore it manifestly appeareth that the latter Canons were viciated and corrupted whiche tooke away from mariages the consent of parentes as necessary But nowe let vs see what reasons they pretend Extra de sponsalibus chap. cum locum it is sayd There ought in contracting of matrimony to be most full liberty And in the same chap. veniens If there should be there any feare the matrimony ought to be voyde and there is geuen a reason bicause she can not long please hym of whom she is hated And bycause such contractes haue oftentymes an vnlucky end and also bycause that is easely contemned whiche is not loued Yea the Canons seme so to haue loued liberty in contracting of matrimony that the Counsel of Paris as it is had in the .30 quest 2. decreed That it is not lawful to desire a wife by the letters of a kyng Although the same thyng also be decreed in the Code de Nuptiis in the law .1 chap. si nuptias ex rescriptio The reason is bycause the letters of princes are in a manner commaundementes and threatninges Neither do I dissalow that althoughe I do not a litle meruayle that the Canons haue proceded so far that they haue decreed that matrimonye may be cōtracted betwene hym the steales away a mayde her that is stolē Extra de Raptoribus Incendiariis chap. cum causa A mayden that was stolen awaye out of the house of her father had contracted matrimony with hym that stole her the father withstandeth such a mariage Here the good Pope aunswereth for as muche as the mayden consenteth she can not seme to bee stolen Wherefore he decreed that matrimony to be good And in the next chap. Accedens If a man had stolen away a mayden not onely agaynst the wyll of her parentes but also agaynst her owne wil whiche mayden yet if she afterward consented with hym that stole her he decreed that firme matrimony may be contracted betwene thē The same thyng seemeth to be decreed in the .36 q. 2. chap. in summa where is entreated of the stealer and her that is stolen it is decreed If she the is stolen shall consent with the stealer matrimony may be contracted betwene them but yet in such sorte that first they do some penance But bycause some Canons make against this decree therfore they thus moderate the matter that wheresoeuer they rede that matrimony cā not be contracted betwene such persons that they vnderstand to be sayd for some one of these thre causes either bycause she that is stolen did not consent or els bycause she was betrouthed before vnto an other by words as they vse to spake of the presēt tense for I say not of the future tense for the husbād was not cōpelled to mary one defiled or bicause she was not marigeable But in the Code it is farre otherwise decreed for stealers away of virgins namely that matrimony can by no meanes be contracted betwene those persōs yea althoughe the father cōsent vnto her that is stolen and Iustinian also in his Authentiques Collation .9 in the title que raptoribus nubunt decreeth the same to the detestation of so great a crime But our Canonistes in gods name do thinke that matrimonyes are lawful euen against the parētes wil wherfore in the .32 q 2. chap. Mulier the glose sayth that the power of the father is broken as touchyng an othe and matrimony when rype age cōmeth which sentence the schoolemen also haue followed Of this matter they dispute in the .4 boke of Sentēces dist 28. where they define that a man euen the sonne of the father of the house hath a certayne dominion ouer his owne body neither is so bound to his parentes but that he may at his owne liberty dispose of it as touching matrimony And when they rede in the Canons that the consent of the parentes is required for the contractyng of matrimony they by theyr interpretation corrupte them and say that Euaristus How the Papistes require the consent of the Parentes Nicolaus and Leo when they so decreed dyd iudge that the consent of the parentes is required as touchyng the honesty of matrimony but not as touchyng the necessity whiche thynge peraduenture they drewe out of the glose Extra de desponsa impuberum in the lawe tua whiche is after this sorte That the good will of the parentes is to be required but rather for the comelynes of the mariage then for the necessitye so that if the parentes will not assent yet are the children free and maye contracte matrimony at theyr owne liberty Yea and the Master of the Sentences also in the distinct .28 The master of the scholemen The consent of the parentes sayeth he serueth for the comelynes and honesty of mariages and not for necessity And he bryngeth the woordes of Euaristus but he sayeth there is a difference betwene those thynges whiche are required to the substaunce of mariages and those thynges which serue for the honesty and comelynes And the good will of the parentes as he sayeth pertayneth not to the substaunce of mariages he thynketh that without it chyldren maye lawfully contracte And for as muche as hee maketh matrimonye a Sacramente hee wylleth that in such mariages should be the vertue of matrimony and not the honesty But bycause they very much presse the wordes of Euaristus when he writeth that mariages contracted
is not credible as Ambrose saith that these thinges were done wtout the good wil of the maiden Ambrose But diuorsement should not be made so rashly and for so light a cause Christe hath made one cause onely of diuorcement namely aduoutry Paul addeth the difference of religion although he wyll not haue the faithfull to depart if the vnbeleuing party wil dwel together Neither permitted he second mariages bicause man and wife agree not in religion but bicause the one wil not abide wyth the other Ther was here no cause of iust diuorcement In Samsons cause there is neither of these There was no aduoutrye neyther did the mayden say she would not dwell with her husband neither did Samson repudiate his wife although he then departed from her For afterwarde he returned vnto her as we shal heare And although he so departed that the wyfe knewe not where he was become yet ought she not straight way to marye an other For the ciuill lawes when any suche thing happeneth doo appoynt her to tary fyue yeares as it is had in the Digestes De diuortiis in the law Vxor. And in the Authentikes De Nuptiis in the Paragraphe Sed etiam The Canon lawes in the Decretals would haue amended these thinges and decreed that it should not bee lawfull to marye againe before some certaine woorde were broughte of the death of the first husbande or wyfe But with what godlynes and wysdome they did that I wyll not at this tyme declare It is certaine that in this place was iniustice done for the wife to mary an other being not ignoraunt that her husbande was yet on lyue But the Father excuseth the act saying I thought thou haddest hated my daughter But why should he haue suffered hymselfe to be perswaded after this sorte It was conuenient that he shoulde before haue knowen Samsons mynde Iosephus and taryed for a booke of deuorcement Although I see that Iosephus is of this opinion that hee thinketh Samson dyd repudiate his wyfe But that is not very lykely when as he afterwarde descended to take his wife againe vnto him Neyther should the Philistians iustly haue burned that maÌ„ with his famely Ambrose Yea and Ambrose also denyeth that there was any deuorcement This is in a maner the fruite of those that are ioyned together in an vnequall mariage We reade the lyke thing in the fyrst booke of Samuel the .xxv. chapter Dauid had maryed Michol the daughter of Saul and when Dauid fled her Father gaue her vnto an other husbande when as the first husbande had not yet repudiated her but afterwarde Dauid demaunded her agayne In the meane tyme let vs that are Christians determine thys with our selues that it is not lawfull to dissolue matrimonies for lyghte causes Paule saythe If the wooman depart let her remayne vnmaryed or let her be reconciled vnto her husbande Chrisostome Which assuredlye hee ment not of aduoutry for he woulde not amende the woordes of Christ but as Chrisostome sayth he vnderstoode these thynges of lyghter offences for as muche as of them some reconsiliacion may be hoped for whych is vtterly cut of if she be maryed to an other ¶ The .xv. Chapter 1 BVt within a while after in the time of wheate haruest Samson visited his wife with a Kyd saying I wil go vnto my wife into her chamber but her father would not suffer him to go in 2 And her father sayde I had thought that thou haddest hated her therefore gaue I her to thy companion Is not her younger syster fayrer then shee Take her I praye thee in steede of the other 3 And Samson sayd vnto hym Nowe am I more blameles then the Philistines and therfore wil I doo them displeasure THis was the simplicity of those times that the husbande shoulde bring vnto his wyfe a Kyd. It was a gyft of reconcilement to pacify hys wyfe withall In saying I haue sayd That is I did fyrmly and constantly thinke That doubting of woordes with the Hebrues addeth a vehemency which selfe thing we maye see in that which followeth In hating thou diddest hate her that is thou diddest exceedingly hate her The father in lawe seemeth to lay the fault in the Sonne in lawe For it is as muche as he shoulde haue sayde Thou wast the cause that I gaue her vnto an other Is not her yonger syster fayrer then shee He feared Samson bycause he was of a strong and mighty body least he shoulde rage and kyll and slaye the Philistines therefore he offereth him his other daughter to asswage his anger He offereth her but yet against the law of God by which it was not lawfull to mary twoo Systers as it is manifest in the eightene and twentye of Leuiticus Wherefore the father offereth vnto Samson mariage but yet an incestious mariage Neither was it by the Romaine lawes lawfull to marye two systers It is not lawful to maâ—y two Sisters although the first were dead and vndoubtedly for a iust cause For for as muche as man and wife are one fleshe thereby commeth that the kynsfolkes of the one are ioyned in the same degree with the other Wherefore the syster of my wyfe must be counted for my sister Let the Pope therefore take heede what he doth when he so easely geueth licence in this kinde of mariages But this is nothing to him which thinketh that all thinges are lawfull vnto hym But it maye be that the Philistians obserued not these degrees in matrimonies For when Moses gaue the law before brought Ye shal not doo saith he as the nacions do which the Lord your God shall subdue vnto you For therefore hath the earthe syued them out before your face Samson receiued not the condicion offred hym Of you saith he is sproong the iniury my cause is the better and more iust if it should come to iudgement Wherfore he hath cause to be reuenged of the Philistians And assuredly it was written before of God And he sought occasion We must not thinke of Samson as of a priuate man Here the Reader is agayne to be admonished not to thinke of Samson as of a priuate man For it is not lawful for anye priuate man after this maner to prosecute hys owne iniuries He must rather go vnto the Magistrate But Samson was nowe constituted of God as a Magistrate First hee taketh vengeaunce of the goods of the Philistians and that after a wonderfull maner 4 And Samson went tooke .xxx. Foxes and tooke firebrandes and turned them tayle to tayle and put a fyrebrande in the middest betwene two tayles 5 And when hee hadde set the brandes on fyre hee sent them oute into the standyng corne of the Philistians and burnt vp bothe the reekes and the standing corne with the vineyardes and oliues 6 Then the Philistians sayd who hath done this And they aunswered Samson the sonne in law of the Thimnite bicause he had taken awaye hys wyfe and geuen her to hys
companyon Then the Philistians came vp and burnt her and her father wyth fyre 7 And Samson said vnto them If ye had done these thinges but I wyl be auenged of you and then I wyl cease This woord Lampades they haue translated firebrandes which are easelye set on fire Samson bounde the tayles of the Foxes two and twoo together wyth a strong knot and in the middest he bound a fyrebrande When the Foxes coulde not agree together in their course for the one drew this way and the other that way so that they could not hide themselues in their holes but the flame by stirring and moouing was more and more kindled they ran into the standing com And at that time was the wheate haruest and the wheate partlye reaped and partly grewe still Wherefore the Foxes running thorowe the corne dyd them very great hurt For they lost both their straw and their corne with their vineyardes and Oliues Why Samson did chuse foxes The coÌ„sideration of Samsons pollecy was this He chose a Foxe to this enterprise rather then any other beast bicause it is a craftye and subtil beast and goeth by crooked and bye passages But Samson goeth the right way to woorke otherwise he mought easelier haue bound Dogges together but he rather vsed Foxes for the cause before alledged as Dauid Kimhi affirmeth Neither would he to euery Foxe alone binde a firebrande partly bicause they would haue drawen the firebrands along the ground and so might easely haue put them out and partly bicause they would soone haue gotten them into theyr holes But wheÌ„ two and two wer by the tayles ioyned together the one drew one way the other an other way by that mocion was the fire the more kindled Origene and when they ranne into the corne they did very great hurt Origene vpon Cantica Canticorum in his .iiii. Homely as he is euery where ful of Allegories referreth al this thing also to an Allegory although he plainely confesseth that it is hard to apply an Allegorye vnto this History But I as I haue often in other places so do I also in this place omit Allegories But if a man aske how Samson got so manye Foxes he must vnderstande that as there are sundry regions so are there also in them manyfolde and sundry increase of thinges In some place there are manye horses and those fayre In some place there is great aboundaunce of Cattell In Englande there is great plentye of Conies and so is there in the Ilandes called Baleares In those Regions a man maye easelye in one daye and in a lytle grounde take three or foure hundreth Conies Siria aboundeth in Foxes which to some peraduenture myght seeme incredyble And so is it sayd that there is a very great aboundaunce of Foxes in Siria and specially in the borders of Iewry Wherefore Salamon in hys Canticles sayth Take Foxes for vs which destroye the vyneyardes Wherefore there was so great number of them that they also destroyed the vineyardes for they delight most of all in ripe grapes Yea and Dauid saith of the vngodlye They shall bee partes of Foxes that is their pray so that their karkases shall be deuoured of them And out of the .4 chap. of Nehemias is gathered that the number of them was so great that they could in a maner ouerturne the walles of the city And Samson tooke them either by his own industry or by the helpe of his friendes He sent the Foxes and destroied their corne Hereby we may gather that in iust war it is lawful to vse burninges and spoilinges to endomage their enemies The Philistians sayd who hath done this They seeke for the authour and they doo not onely fynde him but also they vnderstand the cause why he dyd it and they take vengeaunce of hys father in lawe and his wyfe that was maryed vnto an other If ye had done these thynges These are the woordes of a man that is angry and therefore cut of wherefore we must vnderstand if ye had done these thinges at the beginning when my wyfe was first taken from mee I had bene pacified But ye haue done it to late therefore I wyll yet be auenged of you For that which ye haue done ye haue not done for loue to iustice and honesty but for feare of a greater hurt If iustice had moued them they woulde at the fyrste haue punished them But they followe the common nature of men which are with no other thing more touched then by the feelyng of present euyls which we may perceaue not onely here Men are morâ— moued by â—â—râ— then bâ— anye other meanes but also in the historye whyche is found in the latter booke of Samuel Absolon had long lyued in exile Ioab obtained of the kyng that he might returne Wherefore he returned but hee was not admitted vnto the kynges syght And when Ioab woulde not wyllinglye come vnto him Absolon commaunded hys seruauntes to burne the corne of Ioab Wherefore Ioab beyng mooued with this iniurye came vnto hym at the last So also the Philistians being in a manner compelled Whi somtimes the syn oâ— a priuate man is the cause of the destruction of a whole citye or kingdome doo reuenge the iniury of Samson This also is to be noted that often times a whole City or kingdome is punished for the synne of one man or of one famely And that sawe the Poetes when they wrote that onelye the aduoultrye of Paris ouerthrewe the kingdome of Troy And vndoubtedly when a publike wealth eyther wynketh at or defendeth or punisheth not the synne of a priuate man God counteth it all one as if they had all synned together If they haue good lawes and doo followe them in punishyng wycked actes God wyll not for their sakes punyshe them all Hereby also we may see that the sentence of Salomon is most true wherein he sayth That which the vngodly feareth shall happen vnto him The maâ—den feared least her fathers house should be burnt Why the vngodlye call 〈◊〉 those euylls or which they be a feard of and she by that waye moste of all brought burning by which shee thoughte to auoyde it But why happeneth iâ— that the vngodlye doo fall into that which they feare Bicause when they fearâ— euyll thinges they go about to auoyde them by euyll meanes and not by good Iosephs brethren feared least he should be preferred before them when they saw that his father loued him so well And that they might auoyde his promocion they sold him into Egipt But by that meanes chiefly it came to passe that Ioseph was made ruler ouer them The Iewes feared least if Christ should go forward as he began the Romanes woulde come and take awaye their nacion and place And to turne awaye that they gaue vnto Iudas a price and crucified Christ whereby they the sooner threwe them selues headlong into those euyls which they feared The mayden was burned with al her fathers famely By
sundrye interpretacions For Chamor signifieth both an asse and also a heap or gathering together Wherefore some following the signification of this woord heape do thus interprete it there was made heapes vpon heapes of dead bodies namely of mē which he had slaine Or I haue made heape vpon heape And the sense is that Samson sayth that he had made so greate a slaughter of his enemies that he gathered greate heapes of them together But other hauing a respecte vnto this woorde asse do thus enterpretate it of an asse of asses that it should not be here vnderstand in a metaphore And they thinke that a sword which is called by the name had the form of an asse He saith therfore that it was the iaw bone of an asse of an asse I say of asses as in other places of the scripture we reade a kidde of goates and a bullock of Oxen. The Rabbines for the most part interprete this place for heapes and gatheringes together of enemies When the slaughter was finished then first the place was named Ramath-Lechi Ramam in Hebrew is highe Wherefore Ramah signifieth a high place And Ramah-Lechi is nothing els then a hill or toppe of a iaw bone There may also be geuen an other Etimologye so that the naminge of it may be deriued of this verbe Ramah which is to cast away bicause Samson in that place threw away the iaw bone when he had fynished the slaughter 18 And he was sore a thirste and called on the Lorde and sayde Thou hast geuen this great deliuerance by the hand of thy seruant and nowe shall I dye for thirste and fall into the handes of the vncircumcised 19 Then god brake the cheke tooth that was in the iawe and water came thereout and when he had dronke his sprite came agayn and he was reuiued Wherefore he called the name therof Ain Hakorah which is the fountaine of him that calleth vpon which is in Lechi vnto this day 20 And he iudged Israell in the dayes of the Philistians twentye yeares Whereas it is written that god opened the cheeke tooth whiche was in the iaw bone it is in the Hebrewe Aschar Belchi Hamachtich wherefore the place is darke for this woorde Machtisch signifieth ether that holownes wherein the teth are fixed or els by a Metaphore it signifieth a stone or rocke wherein is a hole cut Out of what thing god brought foorth water Iosephus R. Leui Ben Gerson like vnto the holes of the cheke tethe And in fine it is that which commonly we call a morter And this latter interpretation Iosephus R. Leui Ben Gerson do follow And they thinke that god brought not forth water out of the iaw bone but out of a rocke being holow like a iaw bone But others say that water came forthe of that iaw bone wherewith he had slayne his enemies The place was called the fountayne of him that prayeth bicause God at the prayers of Samson opened the rocke or iawe bone And this woorde Aim Leui expoundeth for an eye for in very deede it signifieth eyther namelye bothe a fountaine an eye And the sense that be gathereth is that the eye of the Lorde was vpon him which called vpon him that is God had a regarde vnto the prayers of hym that called vpon him It is added that Samson iudged Israell in the dayes of the Philistianes whiche is therfore written bicause in his time the Hebrewes were not yet fully deliuered from the tirranny of the Philistianes Samson beganne to deliuer them but he finished not In this latter history are certayne thinges which we oughte to obserue The first is that Samson was bound with two cordes and those new that the miracle mighte be the more wonderfull New cordes are stronge For newe cordes are more hardly broken then old And it is eligantly described how they brake namely as flaxe burnt with fire The cordes might be broken two waies eyther bicause the strength of Samsons body was encreased or els because the cordes were weakned by god and eyther way is apt inough Farther when he being naked and vnarmed was cast forth vnto his enemies god ministred weapons vnto him of a thing most vile so can he vse all thinges to setforth his glory the iawe bone was made onely to chawe and cutte small meate but God woulde vse it to committe a slaughter So althoughe sometimes we seeme to be vnarmed agaynste our enemies yet are we sufficiently armed when god will Some to make the thinge more probable do imagine that that iaw bone of the asse was a great one bicause that in Siria are so great asses that in greatenes they may be compared with our horses Which thing I do not disproue The Philistians shoute and reioyce as thoughe a moste deadlye enemye had fallen into theyr handes But the sprite of the Lord came vpon Sampsō and there was a greate slaughter made of them And the songe which he sang was a geuing of thankes for the victorye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a songe of victorye But some doubte whither the whole songe be here written or onely the beginninge thereof I thinke here is but the beginning onely the rest paraduenture was knowen among the Iewes and soong thorough And he was sore a thirst Iosephus and Ambrose thinke that god strake Samson with thirst bycause he attributed the victory vnto himselfe and not vnto God I sayth hee with the iaw of an asse haue slaine a thousande men He sayth not Iosephus Ambrose Why Samson was vexed with thirste God hath slayne neyther erecteth he an altare or monumente vnto God nor maketh anye sacrifice and therfore is he afflicted with thirste For god would haue him to vnderstand that he was a mā would also haue him to know by whose benefite he had obteined the victory This say they but bicause those thinges which they alledge are not of the holy Scriptures therefore I do not geue credite vnto them Moreouer let vs note that in the old Testament very manye places haue theyr names geuen them of the benefites of God For they would haue the goodnes of God kept in memory for thē that should come after that they also should hope that by the same meanes they should be holpen as they fee theyr fathers in times past were holpen of God For whych selfe same cause the hebrewes were commaunded to enstructe and teache theyr children of the benefites bestowed on them by god Wherefore they instructed theyr posterity not onely by words but also by such tokens and monumentes as by some certayne sacramentes Wherefore the thirste of Samson as farre as I iudge was not a punishment for sinne which he had committed but a certain caution or prohibition that he should not sinne He might in deede by reason of ouermuch labour naturally thirste but god woulde haue him remember that in so greate fortune he was mortal He had slayne many but herin was the daunger least he also should haue
Iustice in contaminatyng an other mannes thyng Ye are bought with a greate pryce wherefore glorify God in your body These argumentes of Paul are both most pleasaunt and also most strōg which if they satisfy not some let him loke vpon our Samson He was no idolatrer no murtherer no these and yet is he taken bound his eyes put out and is compelled to grinde in a prison euen as if he had ben a foure footed beast Paul laboureth by many argumētes to proue whoredome is sinne And no maruayle bicause then he wrote vno the Corinthians whiche at that tyme abounded aboue other in fornicatiōs Wherof came the Prouerb Nō quiuis Corinthū that is It is not for euery mā to go to Corinthus And in vniuersal al the Ethnikes were in an ill opiniō touching this vice Eusebius For which cause whē the Church was yet springyng as Eusebius testifieth in his .3 booke of his hystory the .29 chap. the Nicolaites did openly manifestly commit fornication layd the custome of their wicked crime vpō Nicolaus the deacon Clemēs Alexandrinus The history of Nicolaus the deacon although Clemēs Bishop of Alexādria in Stromatis do excuse Nicolaus For he sayeth that he neither thought nor taught any such thing But hauing a very fayre woman to his wyfe and therefore beyng thought to haue ben gelous ouer her he brought her foorth before the people and said This is my wife And that ye might vnderstand that I am not gelous ouer her I am cōtēt for my part that any of you take her to wife Which thing also he mēt as farre as the law of God would suffer But they which were afterward called Nicloaites vnderstandyng his wordes peruersly supposed that he thought the wyues among Christians ought to be cōmon Of this Secte it is written in the Apocalips But this thou hast bycause thou hast hated the actes of the Nicolaites whiche I haue hated Wherfore it is no meruayle though Paul tooke so great paynes to teache that whoredome is sinne Fornicatiō cōtrary to matrimony This wicked crime is contrary vnto matrimony For they whiche haunte wandryng lustes and harlots are farre from contracting of Matrimony Wherfore Terence sayth They which loue can ill abide to haue a wife geuen thē For whiche cause Clemens sayth Clemens whoredome leadeth from one matrimony to many that is from one lawful coniunction to many vnlawfull wicked The Epistle to the Hebrues ioyneth fornicators which aduoutrers testifieth that God will iudge them And those two vices are so ioyned together that they are comprehended in the selfe same precept wherin it sayd Thou shalt not commit aduoultry Fornication is repugnat vnto Christ the publique wealch This pestilence also is repugnāt both vnto Charity to the publique wealth vnto charity vndoubtedly bycause the fornicators do iniury vnto their children whiche not beyng lawfully procreated are scarsely at any tyme brought vp honestly vertuously And they hurt the publique wealth bycause they defraud it of good Citizēs For Mamzer a bastard I say one borne in fornication is prohibited to be receaued into the Church not that he is restrayned from the holy cōmunion or from the misteryes of saluation but bycause it is not lawfull for him to gouerne the publique wealth to be numbred among Citizens Some thinke that this euill may be remedyed if a man should keepe a concubine at home So say they shall the yssue be certayn It may be peraduenture certayne but it shall not be legitimate Seing therfore this wicked crime is both agaynst matrimony and charity also the publique wealth it cā not be denied but it is a sinne most grieuous A Christiā magistrate ought not to suffer harlottes And for as much as it is so why are fornications now a dayes openly suffred in Cityes I speake not of the Ethnikes I speake of Christians and of those Christiās which wil alone seme be called the successors of Christ Whoredome or fornicatiō is most impudently mainteyned in their dominion they not onely willing therunto but also taking a commodity tribute therof That whiche is against the word of God against matrimony against charity against the publique wealth is no sinne or els it is a notable sinne If it be sinne why is it not taken away weded out Augustine But I know what they will bable they bring foorth Augustine who in his booke de Ordine wryteth thus Take awaye harlottes and all thyngs shal be filled with filthy lustes But let vs consider in what time Augustine wrote that booke Vndoubtedly when he was yet Catechumenus and not sufficiently enstructed in religion And althoughe he had not beene Catechumenus yet thys his saying agreeth not with the word of God neyther with Augustine himselfe who in an other place affirmeth that the good which commeth of euil as a recompensacion is not to be admitted Which thing also Paule hath taught to the Romaynes euen as they were wont to say of vs Let vs do euil thinges that therby may come good thinges whose damnation is iust We must neuer haue a regard to the end and euent when we are vrged by the commaundemente of god Somtimes men say vnto vs Vnles thou committe sinne this euill or that will succede But we must aunswere let vs do what god hath commaunded vs he will haue a care of the successe Neither is it meete that one onely sentence of Augustine should be of greater authority then so many reasōs which we haue brought and so many most manifest wordes of God God commaunded absolutely and by expresse wordes that there shoulde be no harlot in Israell But some go aboute to wrest this place out of our handes in sayinge that these hebrewe woordes Kadschah and Kedaschim signifieth not whores or harlots but rather the priestes of Priapus which were vowed or consecrated to thinges most filthy I contrarily thinke that Chadschah signifieth an harlot and Kedaschim vnnaturall and effeminate persons God woulde haue neyther of these suffred among his people But in that they obiect the holy seruices of Priapus it is nothing For it was sufficientlye before decreed touchinge idolatry and what nede it agayn to be repeated But that we may the more manifestly vnderstand that Kadschah signifieth a harlot let vs reade the historye of Iuda and Thamar in the booke of Genesis Certaine wordes ar taken both in the good and euill parte and there we shall see that Louah Kadschah are taken both for one and the selfe same thing For whiche cause we must note that there are certayne wordes whiche maye be taken both in the good and euil parte of which sort is this word Kadschah among the Hebrewes which signifieth both holy and also an harlot euen as among the lattines thys word sacrum that is holye Virgil. wherefore Virgill sayth Auri sacra fames that is the holy hunger of gold This Hebrew word Kadasch is to prepare or
in the Sacrifices of Idols all thynges were ordayned for ryot and pleasure and they seldome departed from thence wythout fylthy lustes or murther as at thys daye doo the Papistes in consecrations of theyr Churches after Masse they celebrate a feast afterward they fall to dauncyng and wanton leapinges whereby oftentymes they fall together by the eares The Philistines assembled together aboue three thousande men and at the length commaunde that Samson shoulde be brought before them a man myserable bounde and blynde When they had with so many iniuries not sufficientlye fulfylled their hatred they woulde moreouer make hym a mocking stocke These thinges were farre more hytter Iosephus then if they had put him to death For as Iosephus writeth in thys place Death is naturall and maye after a sorte bee suffered but for as muche as to bee made a mocking stocke hath reproche and contumely ioyned with it that seemeth not possible to be borne wythall It is a thing very cruell to adde affliction vnto the afflicted Wherefore althoughe God seemed to haue smytten Samson they oughte to haue bene touched wyth some mercye towardes hym neyther must we be molestious vnto them that are smytten by God as thoughe we woulde imitate God Wherefore Amos the Prophet writeth For three transgressions of Edom for the fourth I wyl not be turned For when the Iewes were dryuen and banished oute of theyr owne countrey and had escaped to their borders they handled them moste cruellye Thys thyng sayth God by the Prophet hee wyll not leaue vnpunished For althoughe the Iewes were for their desertes afflicted of God yet it was not the duty of neighbours to heape more iniuries vpon the afflicted Dauid in hys hundreth and nyne Psalme curseth hym which shoulde persecute him whom the Lord hath stricken Set thou sayth he the synner ouer him and let Sathan stande at hys right hand When hee is iudged let hym go oute condemned and let hys prayers be turned into synne Let hys dayes bee fewe and let an other take hys charge Bycause he remembred not to shewe mercye but persecuted the afflicted and poore man and the sorrowful harted to kill him These thynges we reade A cruel maner towarde those which haue suffred shipwrack and contemne them and it is horryble to see the maner in certayne regions for if any that hath suffered shypwracke escape to the shore theyr goods if peraduenture they bee cast on lande are made forfayte What other thyng is thys then to adde affliction to the afflicted Howe Samson was reconciled vnto God Samson beyng brought before them declareth by the successe howe deare he was to God Not that the sufferaunce of the pryson had purged hys synnes it is Christ onelye whych purgeth synnes Not that by pacience or anye other vertue he had deserued the mercye of God awaye wyth all consideracion of desert But in pryson he acknowledged hys synne hee beleued trulye in Christe and as it becommeth a godlye man hee repented and that so muche the more howe muche greater the calamitye was wherewith he was oppressed Wherefore being endued wyth fayth whereby he tooke holde of the mercye of God by Christ Samson is proued to haue had fayth he was reconsiled vnto God And that he had fayth manifestlye appeareth by that which he prayed How sayth Paul did they cal vpon god in whom they beleued not And in the Epistle to the Hebrues Samson is numbred amōg them which being excellent in fayth wrought wonderful thinges And he sayd vnto the Ladde leade me vnto the pyller As thoughe he had bene wearye hee made as though hee woulde haue leaned to the pyller There were there al the princes of the Philistines They were assembled thether bycause god had appointed to take punishmēt of them al together In what manner Samson prayed And Samson prayed Remember me Lord. These prayers at the fyrste syght seeme not verye godly For he praieth to haue vengeaunce graunted him of his enemies bicause they had put out both his eyes Vndoubtedly if he did it of a stomake or choler we could not iustly defend his prayers For he should haue bene no more allowed of god then if be should expressedly haue sayd I pray thee Lorde prosper eyther my theft Augustine or my aduoutry Augustine sayth that Samson dyd these thinges not of his own wyl but by the impulsion counsell of the holy ghost Farther as I haue often admonished wee muste not thynke of Samson as of a priuate man but as of a Magistrate whom God hym selfe had appoynted And in deede as a priuate man it was not lawful for him to reuenge his owne iniuries but as a Magistrate he both might ought If we haue in hand a priuate cause that saying of Paul ought to be of force Geue place vnto anger To me belongeth vengeaūce I wil render saith the Lord. But in a publike cause the Magistrate ought by the commaundement and authority of God to auenge iniury bicause he is gods vicar in earth and god himselfe although often times he take vengeaunce of synnes by himselfe and as it is sayde withoute meanes yet for the most part he punisheth by Magistrates Wherfore those wordes To me belongeth vengeaunce and I wyl render doo not let the seueritye of Magistrates wherby they punish the guilty For they are the Ministers of God and that which they do God himselfe doth by them By the same maner of speeche it is sayd vnder the person of God God communicateth many of hys properties vnto men Equity is mine iudgement is mine and power is mine all which thinges yet he communicateth wyth men vpon whom hee bestoweth them Wherefore God commaunded Samson to reuenge the iniuries of eyther namely of the name of God and his owne for as muche as the Philistines had put out hys eyes But for what cause What bicause he had committed whooredome No vndoubtedlye For what cause the Philistines afflicted Samson but bicause he was an Israelite a deliuerer and reuenger of the people of God Wherefore Samson auengeth either iniurye both that whiche the Philistines had done vnto hym selfe and that which they had done vnto God When he calleth vpon God he prayeth hym to prosper hys vocation And suche prayers are woont to be of most efficaye For what other thyng dyd the Apostles and other brethren pray for as it is wrytten in the Actes of the Apostles the fourth chapter then that God would prosper their vocation and office Geue vnto thy seruauntes sayde they not to regarde their threatninges graunt them boldlye to speake thy woorde Streche foorth thine hande that they maye woorke sygnes If a man will say the sygnes of the Apostles were profitable and healthful bycause they delyuered and healed the afflicted But contrarilye the signe of Samson tended to the slaughter of his enemies Wherfore there is not in them both one consideration I answer that often times it happeneth so The sygnes of
very often For if she fal often into adultry she ought not to be receaued The Glose in the same place obiecteth vnto it self christ who whē he was demaūded how oftē we shuld forgeue our brother whē he offendeth against vs answered not onely seuē times but seuenty seuē times To this he sayth that the words of the Cannō are to be vnderstād that when the adulteresse so oftentimes falleth the church shall not entreate for her reconciliacion partelye bycause there shoulde be opened a wyndowe to wyckednes When the churche ought to entreate for those that fall and partly bycause she might thinke that penaunce is but fayned and dessembled There is also added an other aunswere that that is spoken for a terrour least men should more freely and carelesly commit sinne Hereby is gathered that the church oughte to entreate for the reconciliation of the repentant that they may be reconciled Wherfore an adultresse either sheweth signes of repentaunce or els sheweth not If she shew signes the church oughte to entreate for her that there may be a reconciliation made But if she shewe none the churche shall not entreate for her otherwise it should seme to maintain sinnes Now must we aunswere vnto the arguments which semed to be agaynst reconciliation Aunsweres vnto the reasons on the contrary part The counsell of Orleance The cause why the law of Moses prohibited the returne of a wyfe repudiated vnto her first husbande As touching the ciuill lawes they are to be corrected by the word of God Ierome and Chrisostome do speake of such an adultresse whiche repenteth not which selfe same thing is manifestly vnderstand by the counsel of Orleance For that it is there had He whiche retaineth an adultresse is partaker of the crime but if she repent let her be receaued But why the lawe of Moses suffred not that a wife repudiated should not after the death of her latter husbande returne vnto her first the cause may easely be assigned For if he had permitted that then diuorsements would easely haue bene had in hope somtimes to recouer agayne theyr wife God would that she that was repudiated shoulde returne no more to the ende that shee shoulde not easelye bee repudiated There mighte also bee conspiracies made agaynste the latter husbande whereby the wyfe myghte when hee were dyspatched awaye returne agayne vnto her firste husbande Wherefore the lawe of God was moste iuste whiche pertayned not vnto adultrous women which by the commaūdement of God ought to be stoned By these thinges now it is manifest that it is lawfull for the husband to return into fauor with his wife being an adulteresse so that she repent who yet ought to accuse his wife of adultry if it be a publike crime or if she perseuer in her wickednes or els if she bring forth any children by adultry least the lawful heires should be defrauded for vnlesse she be accused the husbande cannot depriue the son borne in adultry but that he shall inherite Farther let the church entreate and work with him that he would receaue againe the woman being repentāt Wherfore our Leuite ought not to be reproued bicause he receaued again into fauor his wife being an adultresse so that she repented her of her adultery But now will I return to the interpretation 11 When they were nere to Iebus the day was sore spent and the seruant said vnto his master come I pray thee and let vs turn into this city of the Iebusites and lodge al night there 12 And his maister aunswered him we wil not turne into the city of straungers that are not of the children of Israel but we will go forth to Gibaah 13 And he said vnto his seruant Come and let vs draw nere to one of these places that we may lodge in Gibaah or in Ramah 14 So they wente forwarde vpon their waye and the sunne wente downe vpon them nere to Gibaah which is in Beniamin 15 Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibaah and when he came he sate him down in a strete of the city for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging 16 And behold there came an old man from his worke out of the field at euen and the man was of mounte Ephraim but dwelte in Gibbaah and the men of the place wer the children of Iemini 17 And when he had lift vp his eyes he saw a wayfaringe man in the streetes of the city then this old man sayd whether goest thou and whence camest thou 18 And he aunswered him we came from Beth-lehem Iudah vnto the side of mounte Ephraim from thence am I and I wente to Beth-lehem Iudah and go now to the house of the Lorde and no man receaueth me into his house 19 Although we haue straw and prouender for our Asses and also breade and wyne for me and thine handmayd and for the boy that is wyth thy seruant we lacke nothing 20 And the old man said peace be with thee al thy penury be vpon me onely abide not in the strete al night Ierusalem was therfore called Iebus bicause the Iebusites in the old time inhabited it The seruant counselled his master to take iodgynge before the Sunne should set But he would not VVe will not turne in sayth he neither to this city nor to that neither to any other city of straungers which ar Gentiles But it may seme merueilous how Ierusalem is called straunge from the Israelites when as in the beginning of this booke there is mencion made that the Hebrewes toke it named it Ierusalem How it is sayd that Ierusalē was at this time a city of straungers They which sayd that this history is to be referred vnto the fyrst times of the Iudges namely that it was done before Othoniell beganne to iudge from the death I say of Iosua to the gouernment of Othoniell seeme to be ledde by this argument In that space of time they say these thinges happened These mens coniecture hath in dede som shew of truth But it is not very firm For wee muste knowe that the Iewes often times behaued themselues ill in fallinge from the worshippinge of the true God Wherefore he left them destitute of his ayde wherof they being beriued they were again ouercome of those whome before they had ouercome whereby it came to passe that the Iebusites recouered agayne theyr city and dwelled in it Wherfore those thinges which are written in the beginninge of this booke are not agaynst those which are nowe declared For the Iebusites hauing recouered theyr city inhabited it as they did before and it was called after the old name The wise counsell of the seruaunt The seruant did geue his maister wise counsell if a man should loke vpon that the euent For it is daungerous to trauayle by night especially for a man that is a straunger and vnarmed as this Leuite was which had with him onely his wife and his seruant Neyther is
neuer heard of the like boldnes filthy lust as was this of the Gabaonites therfore they are called the children of Belial that is without an yoke bycause they had shaken of good manners the lawe of God and of nature neither would they abyde to beare any yoke Hereby also appeareth theyr exceding cruelty for they did not onely despise a straunger but also would reprochefully haue doone him great iniury But the good old man the host of the Leuite had not onely receaued him into hys house but also afterward defended him with the daunger iniury of his house He goeth forth vnto thē exhorteth thē not to cōmit any such thing First bicause the thing was filthy horrible farther bicause the mā had entred into his house he coūted it his part by right of hospitality to defēd him frō al iniury Lastli whē he perceaued that their lust was importunate vnbrideled he offred vnto thē his own daughter the wife of the Leuite rather thē they should do him so great a reproche Howbeit they as contēners both of god mē nothing care for these things Of the fayth of Hospitality The right of hospitality was of no force with thē which the old mā obiected vnto thē Vndoubtedly faith is to be kept with an enemy and much more with a guest or strāger Wherfore in the digestes de nautis cauponis in the law .1 there is a double actiō allowed against the host if any thing be takē away out of the lodging frō the guest how much more if there be violence done against his body Among the elders the religiō of straūgers was great bycause it semed a thing acceptable vnto god to defēd saue harmeles the straūger Iupiter Hospitalis Wherfore Iupiter as he was called Stator Pheretrius so also was he named Hospitalis as it were a keper and defēder of straungers Busyris a cruell host But Busiris like a cruell bloudy Tyrant slewe his guestes But his cruelty escaped not vnpunished for Hercules slew him with his club Euery manne ought to bee sale in his own house The Gabaonites wtout al yoke rāged abrode in the night tyme beset the house threaten to breake it opē to stay them that are in it when as otherwise euery mā ought to be safe in his owne house Which thing was also decreed afterward by the Romane lawes as it is had in the title de in ius vocando in the digestes in the lawe plerique No man ought to haue hys house inuaded For the priuate house of euery man seemeth to be a certayne holy sanctuary to his possessor But with the Gabaonites there was nothyng safe or holy so much had lacke of a gouernor brought to passe The vngodly are sometymes called brethrē The olde man when he dissuaded them from their wicked crime called them brethren to see if by pleasant and gentle speech he could haue asswaged thē For if he should haue dealt more sharpely he should more vehemently haue kyndled them And yet in callyng them brethren he lyed not for as they came of the tribe of Beniamin and he discended of Ephraim they were begotten all of one father namely of Iacob Lot also in the like cause called the Sodomites brethren It was vndoubtedly wysedome in moste daungerous corrections to vse moste gentle wordes Yea and Augustine when he wrote to the Madaurenses Augustine whiche otherwise were Idolatrers called them brethren Wherfore it is to be lamented and meruayled at that the Ministers of the Churches of the Lutherians doo so abhorre from our men that they will not in any case call them brethren as though they denyed the sonne of GOD and preached not his Gospell But our Churches nothing regarde their importunity but of Christian charity counte them for brethren whether they will or no and althoughe they differ from them in the matter of the Sacrament yet haue they not broken the bande of brotherly charity towardes them But whether of vs doo behaue our selues more sincerely and faythfully in the fielde of the Lord Christ in the last day also in tyme hereafter shall declare But here commeth a question whether this olde man did well in offryng his daughter and the wife of the Leuite vnto the Gabaonites to the ende they should not violate his guest To this all men aunswere not after one manner Some say that he considered the greatenes and horriblenes of the wicked crime and preferred the lesser euill before the greater and would not breake his fayth geuē vnto his guest And by these reasons they thinke to excuse hym And after the same manner they iudge of Lot Chrisostome And amonge other Chrisostome excedyngly prayseth Lot in that thyng Ambrose whiche selfe thyng doth Ambrose also in hys booke of Abraham the Patriarche bycause he lesse estemed the contumely of hys house then so great a wicked acte But Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis Augustine considereth these things both more diligently also more depely and denyeth that to recompēse one faulte by an other is not in any case to be suffred Compensation of sinnes is not to be admitted By his sentēce it was not lawfull for hym to permitte hys daughter to the lust of the Sodomites to the ende they should not sinne more grieuously Neither is it lawfull for vs to committe the lyghter crime to auoyde a more grieuous For the Apostle hath apertly taught That euyll thynges are not to be doone that good should ensue Wherfore when the matter commeth to sinne althoughe it seeme light yet we must vtterly abstayne from it And if it should seeme that some greuouser sinne would followe if we should refuse to sinne that care is to be committed vnto GOD but we vnder that pretence ought not to committe any sinne This was Augustines opinion whiche I excedingly well allowe And not to goo from our Hystory whiche we haue in hande althoughe this olde man ought fayth vnto hys guest yet ought he fayth and defence also vnto his daughter and vnto the wife of the Leuite Neither was it lawfull for him to performe more fayth vnto hys guest then the woorde of GOD would suffer Wherfore he could not iustly humble vnto them his daughter or the wife of his guest For the father hath not the daughter so in hys power that he maye put her foorth to other men to be abused Neither ought the daughter to obey in any thyng that is sinne thoughe the father wil and commaunde her But they say The lesser euill is to be preferred before the greater How the lesser euill is to bee preferred before the greater I knowe that men are wont so to say But it must ryghtly be vnderstand namely that it taketh place in outwarde afflictions and griefes of the body and of the lyfe Bycause in such discommodityes as often as we must take deliberation what we ought to preferre the lesser
sometimes to call vs hys fellowe workers Bonifacius goeth on the lay power ought to be iudged of the Ecclesiasticall but by what kind of iudgement Vndoubtedly by this that in the churche he set forth the anger of God against sinners that they be admonished and corrected by the holy scriptures But the bishops may expel kings and put them out of their kingdome wher is the permitted Frō whence haue they that what writings wil they bring for it The Pope ought to be iudged of the church But that is most intollerable that the Pope sayth that he can be iudged of no man And yet Iohn .23 was in the counsel of Constance put downe and not onely by god but also by men So these men plant and replant Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they think good Yea and Emperors haue sometimes thrust out and put down Popes as it is before said Paul to the Gal. sayth If an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospel let him be accursed If the Pope which may come to passe and hath alredy long since come to passe obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed It is the dewty of the magistrate to execut the sentence of the church agaynst the pope Shall he be vtterly iudged of no man The church vndoubtedly shal geue sentence vpon him and the magistrate for that he is the chiefest part of the church shal not onely iudge together with it but also shall execute the sentence Farther it longeth vnto the magistrate to prouide that the riches of the churche be not geuen vnto the enemies of godlines Wherefore if bishoppes become enemies of the churche a faythfull magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the church to be consumed by them The Canonists haue this oftentimes in theyr mouth That for the office sake is geuen the benefice When therfore they do not their office ought the magistrate to suffer them to enioy their benefices But let vs heare howe Bonifacius proueth that he can be iudged of no man Bycause he that is spiritual sayth he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A godly and wel applied argument I promise you But let vs se what kind of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place He speaketh not vndoubtedly of the common kind of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put oute of theyr roome He entreateth there onelye of the vnderstandinge of thinges deuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say properlye belong vnto the iudgement of the spiritual man but concerning common iudgementes and knowledge of ciuill causes Paule neuer thoughte of them in that place Which is easely perceaued by his wordes we haue not receiued saith he the sprite of this world but a sprite which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the sprite is geuen vs He answereth that we should know those things that are geuen vs of God And bycause the sprite of this worlde cannot geue iudgemente of thinges deuine it is added The carnall man vnderstandeth not those things which ar of the sprite of god The spiritual man iudgeth al things What Doth he iudge also ciuill and common causes No vndoubtedlye but he iudgeth those thinges whiche pertayne vnto the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Without doubt both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuil power wherunto Paul appealed to be iudged there and yet were they both spirituall Peter Paule were iudged by the ciuil power But that place is thus to be vnderstanded He that is spirituall in that he is such a one cannot in thinges deuine and such as pertaine vnto saluation bee rightely iudged of any mā which is not endewed with the same sprite that he is The wicked and worldly ones count him oftentimes for a sedicious vnpure infamous fellow but only God and his sprite looketh vpon the hartes Note Lastly Bonifacius concludeth that there is one onely chiefe power which longeth vnto the pope least we should seme with the Maniches to make many beginninges We put this one onely beginninge and not many And he addeth That god in the beginning and not in the beginnings created the world We also abhorre from the Maniches and do put one onely beginning and pronounce one onely fountayne and ofspring of all powers namely god and his word without which can be no power either ciuil or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of god so we make but one beginning not two Farther if Bonifacius wil vrge these words of Genesis In the beginning god created c. there oughte to be in the world but one onely king For when Paul sayde One Lord one faith one baptisme he added not one Pope A Schisme of thre Popes At the length our Thraso commeth so farre that hee excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chief prince head of the church But when ther were two or three Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also endured the space of .60 yeares full it muste needes be that those were at that time Maniches and did put two beginnings which were of Bonifacius opinion Moreouer what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persiās and Christians which dwell in the East part for as much as they acknowledge not the Pope who yet neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beleue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are also ar called christians Al them Bonifacius excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambicion and vnspeakeable tirannye of the Popes When we obiecte vnto the papistes these wordes of Paule let euery soule be subiect vnto the superior powers they aunswere that euery soul ought to be subiect vnto the superior power but yet to theyrs not to other mens power otherwise the frenchmen ought to be subiect vnto the Spaniardes the Spaniardes to the Germaines which thing for that it is absurd it is concluded that euery man ought to obey his own Magistrat But now the clergy acknowledge the bishops for theyr power and ought to be subiect vnto thē and the bishops acknowledge the Archbishoppes and Primates and they lastly acknowledge the Pope After this manner say they we obey the power and satisfye Paule What haue we to do with kings or ciuil magistrats But this is nothing els then most filthily to abuse the wordes of Paule The Papistes do rēt into two partes both the kingdomes and the people Doo they not see that they deuide the publike wealth into two bodies which oughte to be one body onely For when they deuide the kyngdome of the Clergye from the kingedome of the laitye they make in one kyngedome twoo peoples and doo sette ouer eyther people a Magystrate And thereby commeth to passe that the Clergy whiche are Frenchemen seeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germanes seeme not to be
Mizpa Then the children of Israell sayde Howe is this wickednes committed 4 And the man the Leuite the womans husband that was slayne aunswered and sayde I came vnto Gibea whiche is in Beniamin with my concubine to lodge 5 And the men of Gibea arose agaynst me and beset the house roūd aboute vpon me by nyght thynking to haue slayne mee And haue forced my concubine that she is dead 6 Then I tooke my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her thorough out all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel For they haue committed abhomination and vilany in Israel 7 Beholde all ye children of Israell geue your aduise and Counsell herein The congregation of the Israelites was assembled together to iudge of the crime This Hebrew word Edah signifieth a Church or an assembly The end of assemblyes or meatynges together beyng deriued of this verbe Adah whiche is to testify bycause that it is the vse and ende of such assemblyes that the godly should faythfully testify before God of those thynges whiche are put forth to be consulted of From Dan euen vnto Beerseba Dan Beerseba In this kinde of Paraphrasis is comprehended the whole people of Israel For these ar the endes of that kyngdome Dan is the ende towarde the North wherby the Iewes are neyghbours vnto the Zidonians and Beerseba toward the South Euen vnto Gilead That land is beyond Iordane The borders of the region of the Hebrues where the two tribes Ruben and Gad together with halfe the tribe of Manasses dwelled Thys was the third end toward the East And ouer agaynst that toward the West lay the sea called mare Mediterraneum Within these termes and lymites was conteyned the region of the Hebrues whiche they possessed in the land of Chanaan They came into Mizpa vnto the LORDE Where Mizpa was Mizpa was a place moste apte to haue assemblyes in it was not farre frome Ierusalem in the Tribe of Iudah In the fyrste booke of the Machabites the thyrde Chapiter it is thus written When the people by reason of the tyranny of the Macedonians fled out of Ierusalem they assembled together in Mizpa vnto Iudas Machabeus And it is added that that place was a house of prayer of aūcient tyme laye situate ouer agaynst the City of Ierusalem And in this booke we haue before heard how that when Iiphtah should be ordeyned Iudge ouer the people the people assembled together in Mizpa In Samuels tyme also the people assembled together twise vnto that place once when they should leade an army agaynst the Philistines an other tyme when Saul should be created kyng Farther when all the Citye was ouerthrowen by Nebuchad-Nezar all the people fled to Godolia in Mizpa Moreouer besides the oportunity of the place was added a notable benefite of God bycause as we rede in the .10 chapter of Iosuah there assembled thether agaynst the people of Israel a very great nūber of kynges for there were not fiue or sixe but very many kinges which were neyghbours entending vtterly to destroye the name of the Iewes Yet God commaunded them to be of a good valiaunt courage bycause he would geue vnto his people the victory ouer them all And when that thyng happened contrary to all mans hope the Hebrues for a monument of so great a benefite built in that place an alter vnto God Wherfore it is probable as the Rabbines affirme that in Mizpa began to bee a house of prayer For the people went not to the tabernacle or to Ierusalem so often as they had occasion to pray Euery Citye had Synagoges but had in Cityes and Villages certayne Synagoges wherein they prayed together vnto GOD. But to doo Sacrifices it was not after that manner lawfull but onely at the tabernacle of Moses or at Ierusalem after Salomon had builte the Temple althoughe hyghe places were sometymes vsed Wherfore the people assembled thether as well for the opportunity of the place as also by reason of the auncient Religion neither thought they it lawefull to begyn any thyng without prayers Whiche institution for that the Papistes woulde somewhat resemble they firste prouide to haue a Masse of the holy Ghost songe before they make any leagues or rather conspiracyes agaynste Christe It is sayde that they assembled together vnto the Lorde to praye together vnto the Lorde D. Kimhi Although Dauid Kimhi thinketh that this was added bycause wheresoeuer is a multitude of the godly there is GOD also present And to confirme that sentence he bringeth a place put of the Psalme GOD stoode in the Synagoge of Goddes For Iudges whiche in thys place are called Goddes when they geue iudgement ought not to thinke that they haue theyr owne cause in hande but Goddes cause as Iosaphat the godly kynge shewed them I doo not dissallowe this sentence for it is both godly and also it maketh menne to vnderstande that when assemblyes are godly had then doo menne assemble vnto GOD whiche thyng if menne in these dayes woulde consider greate menne woulde handle publique causes with more feare of GOD. Howbeit thys is for certayne that the Israelites assembled not in Silo as some thinke And the corners of all the people assembled The Hebrewe woorde is Penoth whiche properly signifyeth corners but in this place it is taken for Capitaines heades ouer ten Cēturious Tribunes and gouernors of warlike affayres For they after a sort are corners strengthes and stayes of an army Wherfore the villages of the Holuetians in the Italian toungue are called Cantones Wherfore the Hebrues come and assemble in Mizpa not rashly but in their orders They had not in deede a kyng or myghty Magistrates or Senadrim as it is thought for they wer sore decayed and weakened by the Philistines Yet they retayned among themselues some order and discipline Fower hundreth thousande footemen When they went out of Epypte they were 666000. The nomber of the Israelites diminishe men It seemeth that the number was nowe diminished And no meruayle bycause they had ben afflicted with many greuous calamities Also the tribe of Beniamin was away which peraduenture had thirty thousande soldiours For that tribe was both ample and also mighty And the chyldren of Beniamin heard The Beniamites would not be present they onely heard what should be done Dauid Kimhi Kimhi admonisheth that these woordes are put in by a parenthesis for there is no cause shewed why they woulde not be among them And the children of Israel sayd Tel how this wycked act was committed Kimhi thinketh that these things are to be red in the vocatiue case as though it should haue bene sayd O ye children of Israel declare the whole matter in order as it was done in the meane time it seemeth that the Beniamites are noted bycause they would not come vnto the assembly neyther take awaye euill from among them The people assembled together to vnderstand the cause that for as much as ther was
the woorse Dauid was eiected of Absolon and yet was not Absolons cause therefore anye whyt the better In our time Princes that are Protestantes haue had yl succes in war and yet is therfore not the cause of the Gospel to be thought the worse The Beniamites now got the victorye more then once or twise in a cause moste wicked The holy Martirs in our times are most miserably slayne of Tyrannes and that with most cruel kinde of torments and yet we nothing doubt but that their cause is most excellent England had of late as touching the word of God and truth a Church most rightly instituted which was afterwarde miserablye disiected and seperated neither followed it therby that the cause of religion was euil But now thankes be geuen vnto God which hath restored it From the cause to the effects is a firme argument wher the effect followeth of necessitye the cause There may in deede be drawen an argument of the euentes but not of necessity yea scarse probable For the passage from the effectes to the cause is not firme vnlesse the effectes and causes be necessary Wherefore this argument is of no force The Israelites haue a good cause therfore they shall not fall in battayle for it may be that God wil illustrate hys glory yea euen with the slaughter of them And this argument also is no stronger then that The Beniamites ouercame wherefore they had the better cause These things I haue spoken the more at large to the end we should not wauer in mynde or doubt of the goodnes of our cause if peraduenture the thinges go not prosperously wyth vs. The godli wheÌ„ they haue receaued the ouerthrow flee vnto God The vngodlye gaue not thaÌ„ks vnto God for the victory Farther in this place is to bee noted the nature of godlye men when they haue receaued the ouerthrow they flee vnto God But the vngodly euen when they get the victorye doo not geue thankes vnto God as now we rede not that the Beniamites gaue thankes vnto God for their good successes we haue heard of none of their prayers nor of any confidence they put in God yea rather there arose so great security and insolencye of some of their successes that they brake out of the Citye and pursued the enemies farther then was meete or conuenient But at the last they receaued the iust fruite of their pride Contrarilye the Israelites being afflicted with miseries got themselues vnto God Vnto whoÌ„ god answered that he would the next day deliuer the Beniamites into their hands In the two first interrogacions the Israelites seemed to doubt nothing of the victory bicause they had yet a confidence in their own strengthes and number but after the second ouerthrowe they shewed in verye deede a lowlye and humble mynde Shal we go vp say they or shal we cease As though they shoulde haue said O Lord Iehouah al the victory lieth in thine hand therfore we wholy coÌ„mit our selues to thy mercy shew thou vnto vs what we ought to do If thou commaunde vs we are ready to leaue of from our enterprise Leui ben Gerson Dauid Kimhi This is a perfect interrogacion after the opinion of Leui ben Gerson Kimhi hath noted manye thinges in this place not a litle profitable for the vnderstanding of other scriptures concerning interrogacions and oracles This saith he was the maner of asking of God He which would enquire concerning anye publike affaire The maner of asking of God or otherwise of anye waighty matter came vnto the priest and he putting on an Ephod stoode before the Arke of the Lord. In the Ephod or in the brest plate wer twelue precious stones wherin were written the names of the twelue tribes and ther were also set the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in those stones were al the letters of the Alphabete The asker ought to turne his face vnto the priest and to aske not in deede so apertely that his voice should be hearde neyther yet so softly that he should onely thinke in minde the thinges whych he desired but in such sorte as we reade that Hanna prayed in the firste booke of Samuel wher it is sayd that she moued her lips onely neither spake she any thing that could be heard Then was the oracle in this maner geuen vnto the Priest By the power of the holy ghost certaine letters appeared aboue the other in the brest plate and that either in place or in brightnes wherin the Priest red the oracle and wil of God And these thinges are those Vrim and ThuÌ„mim which the Priest bare in his brest plate This is Kimhies opinion Vnto whom what faith is to be geuen I caÌ„not tel For it might be that the spirit of god did wtout letters geue oracles by the voice of the high Priest whose hart he inspired with prophecy This Pinhas which is written to haue stand now before the Lord Pinhas is not called by his proper name onely but also by the names of his father and grandfather are added with al that is the names of Eleazar and Aaron which is don so much the more diligently bicause no man otherwise would beleue that he could haue lyued so long Therfore the Readers woulde haue thought that thys had bene some other rather then the sonne of Eleazar For if thou wilt count the yeares Pinhas lyued long thou shalt finde that ther wer no les then .300 yeres passed from the time of that noble act of Pinhas vnto this age wherof we now speake Wherfore it mought seme incredible that it should be the same man Howbeit for as much as the holy scriptures do testify this thing we ought so to beleue Neither vndoubtedlye is it any maruaile though God prolonged his life so long For when he had slaine the harlot of Midian and the Prince of the Tribe of Simeon euen in that their wicked act God iudged that he had employed his labour excellently well that he had done a most notable act Therfore my couenant said he shal be with hâ—â— life and peace By which wordes was promised vnto him long life honorable which he should execute in his priesthood Of what tribe Elias was Ther are some which produce his life farther and say that he was Elias But that hath no grounde of the holye scriptures Yea rather some thinke that Elias came of the tribe of Beniamin and not of the tribe of Leui wherof Pinhas came ¶ Of Merites VVHere as it is said that the Israelites went vp wept fasted did sacrifice Against merits we must not think that by those actions they satisfied the anger of god for we haue no merites for as muche as we cannot perfectly obey the law of God Farther if there were any merites of ours they should consist of such woorkes which we ar not of duty bound to do vnto God otherwise if we owe vnto God whatsoeuer we do what thing can our merite
then be But both we our selues and al ours doinges I say sayinges thoughtes and counsels are due vnto god Wherfore our merites do vtterly perish Moreouer those workes whereby wee should merite ought to be of our selues which cannot be affirmed for as muche as it is god which worketh in vs both to wil to perform that not as we wil but according to his good wil. Augustine Wherfore Augustine was accustomed very wel to say that God which crowneth his giftes in vs. And in his .100 Epistle ad Sixtū Presbiterum Paul saith he when he had sayd The rewarde of synne is death dyd not straightway adde contrarily The rewarde of righteousnes is euerlasting lyfe But Grace sayth he is eternal life for that is not rendred to our merites but is geuen freely He might in deede haue wrytten after the same manner if he woulde For the holye Scripture sometimes so speaketh But for that he was a defender of grace hee woulde not geue occasion vnto his enemyes to impugne it Farther our woorkes how holye so euer they appeare are neuerthelesse vnpure and imperfect Wherefore they are woorthye rather of punishment then that they should deserue any good And wythout doubt they should be punished were not the redempcion and iustification whyche wee haue by Christ our Lorde There ought also to be some anallogy or proporcion betwene merites and rewardes whereof there is none betwene our workes and eternall lyfe For as Paul saith The sufferinges of this time are not woorthy of the glory to come which shal be reuealed in vs. This is to be added that in the holye scriptures is no where found the name of merite Some in deede are wont to bring the .xvi. chap. of Ecclesiasticus and there they say it is written All mercy shal make place vnto euery one according to the merites of his workes But they which obiect this thing let him looke vpon the Greeke text wherin it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in latine Deus omni misericordiae faciet locum quisque iuxta opera sua inueniet Which in englyshe signifieth God wil make place vnto al mercy and euery man shall finde according vnto hys woorkes But in these woordes there is no mencion made of merite onely this is wrytten that whose woorkes are good they shall be in good case but yet their woorkes are not sayde to bee merites or causes of rewarde I wyll not speake howe that booke is not in the Canon bycause Paule and the Gospels vse the same forme of speaking But of that whyche is wrytten vnto the Hebrewes by suche Sacrifices God is well pleased I haue before spoken nowe wyth one woorde onely will I briefly touche the thing This woorde of deseruing is not founde in the Greeke In Greeke is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whyche woorde is onely signified that the good woorkes of the faythfull are gratefull and acceptable vnto God Of the woorde reward But as touching this woorde rewarde which some bicause they do not well vnderstand it do take for merite we must deuide it two maner of wayes For that is sometymes called a rewarde whiche is geuen freelye but yet is promysed by adding of some worke wherby men should be styrred vp to doo well So eternal life may be called a reward not that we deserue the same by our woorkes but bicause by a certain order appointed of God it followeth our good workes But somtimes a reward is that which is due vnto good dedes Whither eternal lyfe may be called a reward is rendred vnto them of duty After this maner eternal life cannot be called the reward of our workes Wherfore Paul to the Romanes saith Abraham beleued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes But vnto him which woorketh reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherefore eternal lyfe for as muche as it is not of ryght dewe cannot be a reward if the woorde be taken in that signification But when they thus reason there is a reward geuen ergo there is a merite The argument is not firme A genere ad species bicause in affirming we may not discend from the general woorde to the species Neyther doth he rightly conclude whych sayth It is a liuing creature ergo it is a man This generall word reward hath two species therfore this argument is not firme if we saye It is a reward Ergo it is plaine that it must be geuen of dewty This saying also of Ieremy is to be added Cursed be euery one that putteth his hope in man and calleth flesh his strength But all our thinges whatsoeuer they be are not without flesh Wherfore it is not lawful for vs to put confidence in them Ierome And Ierome writing vpon that place hath very well brought in manye thinges whereby may be vnderstanded that in our workes there is no regard of merite Yea and the Papists also themselues which ar the patrones of merites are sometimes compelled to confesse that our merites are nothing at all For on the 2. Sonday in the Aduēt thus they pray Be pacefied O god with the prayers of our humility and wher helpe of merites do want succor vs with the aydes of of thy mercy The fathers whē in theyr writings they oftentimes inculcate this word of meriting do by it signify nothinge els then to get to obteine and to atteine to And as manye of them as haue written purelye the same haue detested the consideration of merites whereof the papistes so much bost Wherfore the Israelites were not heard thoroughe the merite of their teares or prayers but bycause by fayth in Christ to come they obteyned forgeuenes of sins and so by his merite onely they returned into fauor againe with god They offred sacrifice What profite the sacrifices of the law had Although I haue before largely spoken of the sacrifices in the olde time yet I thinke it good here also briefly to touch what profite was of them in the old law When men are vexed with calamityes they beginne to think vpon theyr sin they loke vpon the law wher whē they behold the wrath of god kindled for sinne they are in hart deiected in which perturbatiō there remaineth no remedy but to get them vnto Christ which is the summe and end of all sacrifices Him did the fathers which wer godly embrase by faith but in the sacrifices as often as the sacrifice was slaine so often the death of Christe was after a sorte set before the eyes of those that stoode by by whose death the synnes of the world should be taken away The sacramēts of the olders ours at al one but differ in outward Simboles signes Wherfore they had after this manner a communion amonge themselues in Christ which by sundry notes and signes dayly signified to the people in the old time wherhēce they by fayth receaued vnto their saluacion both his death and the fruite
they say by anticipatiō For it is written in the .11 chap. And Iosua came at the tyme destroyed the Enakims from the mountaynes namely Hebron Debir and all the mountaynes of Iudah If these things should haue ben mencioned in the place as things whiche should come to passe sone after the death of Iosua then had it not ben well spoken to haue sayd And Iosua came at that tyme. And this I thincke the reader shall playnly see proued if he will not thincke it paynfull diligently to read ouer the 10 and 15. chap. of Iosua 12 And Caleb sayd He that smyteth Kiriath Sepher and taketh it to him will I geue Hacsah my daughter to wife 13 And Othoniel the sonne of Kenatz Chalebs yōger brother toke it and he gaue him Hacsah his daughter to wife Here is wont to be demaunded how these cities Hebron and Debir should be written in the booke of Iosua to haue ben taken of Iosua when as it is here put that Chaleb conquered them Chaleb desired to haue these regions assigned him for his inheritaunce whereunto I aunswere that all that warre was gouerned by the conduicte of Iosua who was the chief and principall gouernour of the whole hoste but the principall settyng forward agaynst Hebron and other places adioyning thereunto was committed vnto Chaleb the chief of the tribe of Iudah and that not without a cause For he as it is written in the xiiii chap. of Iosua desired to haue that parte assigned peculiarly vnto hym for hys inheritaunce whiche requestes he easely obtayned For he required the same trusting to God hys promises Chaleb was a faithfull espye for when he was sent with other spyes to view the lande of Chanaan he faithfully made relation of the things as they wer in dede not vnfaithfully as his fellowes did Neither was he an author of the peoples seditiō as the other were yea he rather encouraged the peoples myndes and diminished those thinges whiche his fellowes had amplified concerning the fence of the cities of the giaūtes also and of the strength of the Chananites For he regarded not mās strength but with a singular faith most constantly remembred the power the goodnesse promises of god Wherfore god being angry with the rest destroyed them in the wildernesse so that they came not to the promised lande But he promised Chaleb for his faithfulnesse this inheritaunce whiche when he afterward demaunded he put Iosua in remembraunce of the thyng before done and of the promises of God God promised Chaleb the lād whereon he should treade And the place where the promise is contayned is in the 14. chap. of Num. there God promised him that land wheron his foote should treade whiche wordes the Iewes thincke thus to be expoūded The rest of the spyes being amased for feare of the giauntes and putting small confidence in god durst not entre into the citie of Hebron whiche Chaleb him selfe searched with a valiaunt courage The promise therfore of this possession was made vnto him in the second yeare after the deliuery out of Egypt Chaleb surely declared a valiaunt noble hart when as he did not only require the possession of these places but he enterprised also to conquere thē for al that they were fenced inhabited with most strong giaūtes Wherfore we must beleue that he tooke in hand such so great an enterprise not by his owne power but by gods promises And here ariseth no small doubt howe Chaleb being of the tribe of Iudah Hebron was one of the Cities of refuge could obtayne the citie of Hebron which by lotte belonged to the Leuites For god had cōmaunded that certain cities as wel beyond Iordane as on this side should be had for refuge sake The cities of refuge belōged to the Leuites that thither might flye as many as had slayne any man by chaunce and not of pretensed purpose And the possession of those cities whiche were therfore appoynted belonged to the Leuites Wherfore it was not lawfull that Hebron should be geuen to Chaleb The Leuites had the citie of Hebron but Chaleb had the grounde and Lordship seing it was numbred amōg the cities of refuge These thinges are true but we must vnderstand in the meane tyme that the Leuites myght possesse but their cities only the suburbes adioyning to the walles of them But as for the grounde or dominion whiche they call at this day Lordship it was not graunted them to haue Chaleb therfore desired to possesse the grounde but as for the citie whiche he had in his handes he let to the Leuites as the lawe commaunded It is most certein that there is mention of the citie Hebron in the booke of Gen. when as it is there written that Abraham liued in the groue of okes of Mamere the same had if we may beleue Ierome a precious turpentine tree which grew there from the beginnyng of the world and continued till the time of Constantine the great It is said to be 12000. paces distaunte from Ierusalem Dauid reigned in it some while before he was anoynted king ouer all Israel Neither haue we any thyng to do to write nowe of the auncientnesse therof seing I haue somewhat spoken of it before And Chaleb sayd he that smiteth This whole history is declared in the 15. chap. of the booke of Iosua word for word wherby it appeareth that that is most certain whiche I before admonished you of The conqueryng of Debit was harde namely that all these thinges are now mencioned by a certain repeticiō The conquering of Debir semeth to haue ben paynefull and daungerous and meruelously much desired of Chaleb when as he offreth so ample noble a gift to the conquerour therof namely his owne daughter to wyfe being him selfe the prince of the most noble tribe of Iudah And Othoniel the sonne of Kenaz Chalebs younger brother tooke it It is certain that Othoniel obtayned the victory but whether be were Chalebs brother or his brothers sonne or some other kinne to him it cānot be gathered by these words But how they were kinne it wer good to know partly for the knowledge of the history partly to vnderstand whether the matrimony which followed betwene Othoniel and Achsah were lawfull In the first booke of Paralip Hefron was called also Iephuna and second chap. the father of Chaleb is called Hesron whiche man was the third frō Iudah for Iudah had Pharez by Thamra his sonnes wife and Phares begat Hefron which was called by an other name Iephuna for which cause Chaleb is very often written the sonne of Iephuna R. Salomoh Of whiche thing I can not tell what fonde inuētion R. Salo. writeth namely that he was so called bycause he disagreed from the mynde and counsell of the other spyes Panah signifieth in Hebrew to depart or to decline wherfore he thincketh that this surname was geuen to Chaleb for the cause now alledged Neither maketh that any
thing agaynst it as he sayth that he is called the sonne of Iephuna Howe the Hebrues vse this worde Sonne sometymes when as in the holy scriptures it is a coÌ„mon vse that this phrase the sonne of death the sonne of perdition are all one with these he is worthy of death and a maÌ„ lost And by the same kynd of speach saith he the sonne of declination turning away is all one in this place as if he had ben called declining turning away from the counsell wicked will of the rest of the spyes I will not deny peraduenture but that this opinioÌ„ of R. S. is prety Many of the Hebrues had two names What Othoniel was but yet I thincke it maketh nothing to the purpose For other seme to speake more simply whiche say that Hesron was also called Iephuna Wherfore Chaleb was sometymes called the sonne of Iephuna and sometymes the sonne of Hesron neither is it a rare thing or vnheard of in the holy scripture that some one man should be called by two names Nowe we se what Chaleb was namely the fourth from Iudah the sonne of Iacob wherfore we must speake somewhat of Othoniel He is here written to be the sonne of Kenaz and so is he likewise in the boke of Iosua Othoniel was also called IaÌ„hes and also in the first booke of Paralip and iiii chap. where he is called Iambes also and renowmed to haue bene noble and very excellent his mother called him Iambez bycause she bare him with most bitter payne for so doth that name signifie in Hebrew whiche the father as an vnluckye name chauÌ„ged and in stead of Iambez named his sonne Othoniel We read that the same happened vnto Beniamin whoÌ„ the mother as she was dyeng named Benoni whiche name bycause it was not very pleasaunt nor luckye Iacob turned and would haue him called Beniamin for Benoni Neither was Othoniel notable only in strength and feates of warre but he was very godly and religious for in the boke of Paralip and in the place now alledged his prayers are described wherwith he most faithfully called vpoÌ„ God Three excelleÌ„t condicions in Othoniel Wherfore the scripture testifieth that his praier was heard the Hebrues haue added therunto that he was excellently wel learned in the law of the Lord. And these thre vertues in one maÌ„ are most rare namely to be a good warriour to be religious and learned But now seing his fathers name was Kenaz What kin Chaleb Othoniel wer together Chaleb had Hesron or Iephuna to his father how neere of kyn were they then Some hold opinion that Kenaz when Hesron or Iephuna was deade maryed his wife who had not onelye her with him but also kept her sonne namely Chaleb being but a litle one whoÌ„ she had by her first husband then they say he had Othoniel by her whereby they conclude that Othoniel and Chaleb came both of one mother but not of one father Wherefore Othoniel was by nature the sonne of Kenaz but Chaleb was called also the sonne of Kenaz bicause he Othoniel were brought vp together with Kenaz R. D. confuteth thys opinion R. D. â—imhi bycause it is neuer red in the holye scriptures that any Israelite tooke his surname of hys mother and much lesse of his Stepfather The surnames among the Israelites wer taken of the fathers For euery one in that publique wealth tooke alwaies their surnames of their fathers as the Gersonites Merarites Leuites And by the booke of Paralip he saith may be knowen that that maner was so styl kept obserued This reason if it be true in dede as it semeth to be probable refelleth a certaine opinion of others which say that Chaleb had a brother a great deale elder thaÌ„ him selfe who was called Kenaz with whom Chaleb was brought vp lyke a son together with Othoniel Kenaz sonne Wherfore they seming after a sorte to be both of one age being nourished vp together were easelye counted brethren namely the soÌ„nes of Kenaz wher as in dede Chaleb was Kenaz brother Wherfore it came to passe that they wer both of them called the soÌ„nes of Kenaz This I say doth R. D. Kimhi iudge absurde for if no man could attayne to any kynde of surname by the mother or stepfather then vndoubtedly coulde he not haue it by the brother But the same R. D. Kimhi thinketh that they were brethren euery way bycause they had both one father and one mother And therefore bothe of them are called the sonnes of Kenaz but not by their next Parentes but by the name of the family seyng that both brethren were borne of one and the selfe family what shal we then do The Hebrues and our meÌ„ differ among theÌ„selues of the kinred of Othoniel Chaleb We are not holpen by the history which we haue in hand we cannot dissolue the question by the places conferred euery way together Yea and the Iewes agree not in it among them selues neither doo they onely vary one from an other but our writers also write nothing like one to an other of it Lyranus doth vtterly deny that they wer brethren which neuertheles Paulus Burgensis affirmeth yea that more is Lyranus agreeth not with hym selfe for as in the interpreting of the booke of Iosua hee denyeth that they were brethren so afterward vpon the first booke of Paral. in the second fourth chap. he graunteth they wer brethren But when I more diligeÌ„tly weigh the reason why in the booke of Iosua he contendeth that they were not brethren I gather it to be this bicause he thought that if they had ben ioyned together with so neare a bond of kinred that ther could haue ben no mariage wherby Othoniel should haue had to wife Hachsah his brothers daughter seing that it was forbidden by the lawe namely the .18 .20 chap of Leuit. that no maÌ„ should mary his aunt Wherfore he thinketh it must nedes follow that the niepce by the brother is prohibited bicause that we are ioyned with the same degree of kinred to the aunt by which the vncle is ioyned to the niepce by the brother But if Hachsah Othoniel wer brothers children then shal this absurdity be wholy auoided for mariage betwene these was neuer forbidden by Gods lawes But Burgensis a man otherwise very wel learned contendeth that they wer vtterly brethren saith that the vncle might by Gods law mary his niepce by the brother that the Iewes theÌ„ selues which otherwise are most diligent obseruers of outward lawes do kepe this custome at this day He saith moreouer that it coÌ„meth to passe oftentimes as concerning mariages that in degrees either of consanguinity or affinity ther is found the like distauÌ„ce betwene persons of the which neuertheles the one is forbiddeÌ„ the other grauÌ„ted And often tymes the prerogatiue of the men and baser condicion of the wyues altereth the thing For in matrimony man
to their good Moreouer he wyll haue thē to expresse in themselues their first begottē brother Iesus Christ whiche suffred in hymselfe other mens synnes For this also is a certayne portion of the Crosse of Christ althoughe they are not so innocent as Christ was neither serueth their crosse any thing to redeme sinnes Daniel in his captiuity after this manner confessed hys sinnes We haue sinned sayth he and done vniustly c. He sayd not They haue sinned but we And Esaye sayeth All our righteousnes are as a cloth stayned with floures of a woman There is in deede in holy menne a certayne ryghteousnes but not such a righteousnes as they can boast of before the iudgement seate of God Wherfore if they suffer any thing they haue no iust cause to complayne But thou wilt saye Why is it sayd that God in thē punisheth the sinnes of other mē when as they also sinne We should say rather that he punisheth their sinnes and not the synnes of their parentes I answere Bycause when god hath much and longe tyme wayted that their father should repent and it nothing profited and in the meane tyme it is come vnto the third and fourth generation at the length he poureth out his anger vpon the children whiche therefore are sayd to suffer for their fathers bicause vnles the malice of their fathers had gone before their affliction might haue ben deferred till farther time But now bycause they haue fallen into the third and fourth generation the consideration of the iustice of god wil not suffer the punishement to be deferred any longer And althoughe they themselues also haue deserued those euils yet bycause they are so corrected in the third and fourth generation they owe that dewty vnto their parentes And so God feareth the parētes that they should temper themselues from wicked actes and thoughe they will not for gods sake or for their own yet at the least for theyr posterities sake It also maketh the children afrayde to imitate the sinnes of their fathers least the punishmēt due vnto their fathers be required of thē Neither is it vniust that the children suffer somthing for their fathers sake for by their fathers they receaue inheritances and are aboue other honored and exalted For god did not onely make fortunate Dauid but also for his sake fauored his posterity For the kyngdome perseuered in his famely the space of .400 yeares But as touching eternall life As touchyng eternall life the childrē are not punished for the sinnes of the fathers neither shall the father be punished for the sinnes of the children nor the children for the sinnes of the fathers Howbeit children obteine many spirituall giftes by good fathers For Paul in his .1 Epist to the Cor. the .7 chap. sayth Otherwise your children should be vncleane but now they are holy Wherfore the children haue of holy parentes some holynes and some spirituall gift as that place teacheth And on the contrary part Childrē obtein some spirituall giftes for their parentes sake by euil parentes many such good giftes are hindred neither are they heard of God beyng euill and not repentaunt when they desire spirituall giftes for their children Yet by the prouidence of God it oftentymes commeth to passe Euil parentes doo sometymes hinder theyr children of god spiritual gifts that of good parentes are borne noughty children and of euill good as Ezechias a good kyng had to his father Achaza a wicked kyng And contrarywise the same Ezechias beyng a very godly prince begat Manasses a very vngodly and cruell kyng The same also myght I saye of Iosias Thys therefore commeth so to passe least wickednes shoulde increase without measure Why good childrē ar borne of euil parētes euill of good if of euill parentes shoulde continually bee borne euill children God putteth to hys hande and maketh the sonne borne of an euill father a member of Christe And therewith all he sheweth that his goodnes can not be hindered by the parentes thoughe they be neuer so wicked Farthermore euill children are borne of good parentes that grace should be the better knowen And that the goodnes of the childrē should not be attributed vnto nature whiche they haue drawen of their parentes For god will haue it knowen to be his gifte that we are saued This one thyng onely is to bee added vnto the foresayde question It is not lawfull for men to punishe the sinnes of the parentes in the children That it is in dede lawfull for god as it is sayde to punishe in the children the synnes of the fathers but that is vtterly vnlawfull for men to doo For in Deut. the .24 chap. it is commaunded That the fathers should not be punished for the children nor the children for the parentes Whiche is to be vnderstande so that the father consent not vnto the sonne or the sonne vnto the father Wherefore Achan if he had bene called vnto tryall and to the iudgement seate he should be the ordinary lawe haue peryshed alone and not hys chyldren with hym But GOD hath thys hys proper law who would haue it otherwyse done although sometymes he obserueth thys also For in the booke of Numbers the 26. chap. When Core conspired agaynste Moses he was destroyed but hys chyldren were not together with hym extinguished Samuel came of the posterity of Core yea rather they were kepte for the holy ministerye and of their posteritye was Samuel borne Amasias the kynge was praysed who slewe the murtherers whiche killed his father and slewe not their children for he had a regard vnto the law of God The cause of this prohibition Augustine bringeth Augustine God sayth he may punishe the sonne for the father bycause although he afflicte hym in this worlde yet he can saue hym in the worlde to come And this can not man doo Farther god seeth that the children are not innocentes but man seeth not that Although the ciuill lawes are herein a great deale more seuere and do punishe the children for the fathers sake as it is in the digestes In treason the children are punished for the fathers and in the Code ad I. Iuliam maiestatis yet they put not the sonne to death for the father but depriue hym of all hys fathers goods dignityes and honours Howbeit they lefte some parte for the doughters whiche parte was called Falcidia to mary them withall Otherwise the ciuile lawes agree with the lawe of god For in the Code de paenis in the lawe Sancimus it is commaunded that the punishement be not transferred vnto other either to kinsfolkes by affinity or to kinsfolkes by bloud but onely to be layd vpon the author of the crime And yet as wel this law as the other before were ordeyned both of the self same Emperours Archadius and Honorius But the cause why it was so seuerely decreed agaynst treason seemeth to be this to feare men away from this kynde of wicked crime Yet the lawes of god decree
no suche thing of that matter but this by expresse woordes they commaunde not to kyll the sonne for the father But for goods they ordayne nothyng But our aduersaryes haue transferred thys ciuill lawe of treason vnto Heretikes For they doo not onely punishe the father whiche is an Heretike but also they depryue hys children of all his goods howe iustly I will not nowe tell Of these thinges I haue made mention the more largely bycause Iiphtah was thrust out of hys fathers inheritaunce and thereby seemed to beare the iniquity of hys father Nowe wyll I returne vnto the Hystory 3 Then Iiphtah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the lande of Tob and there gathered idle fellowes vnto Iiphtah and went out with hym 4 And in processe of tyme the chyldren of Ammon made warre with Israell 5 And when the Ammonites began to fyght with Israell the Elders of Gilead went to set Iiphtah out of the land of Tob. 6 And they sayd vnto Iiphtah Come and be our captayne that we may fight with the children of Ammon 7 Iiphtah answered the Elders of Gilead did not ye hate me and expell me out of my fathers house and why then come ye nowe vnto me when ye are vexed 8 And the Elders of Gilead sayde vnto Iiphtah Therefore we turne agayne vnto thee now that thou mayst go with vs and fight agaynst the children of Ammon and be our head ouer all the inhabitantes of Gilead 9 Then answered Iiphtah vnto the Elders of Gilead If ye bring me home agayne to fight against the chyldren of Ammon and if the Lord deliuer them before me shall I be your head 10 And the Elders of Gilead sayd vnto Iiphtah The Lord heare betwene vs if we do not according to thy woord 11 Then Iiphtah went with the Elders of Gilead and the people made him head and captayne ouer them And Iiphtah spake al his woordes before the Lord in Mizpah The land whereunto Iiphtah fled was called Tob Why the landâ— was called Tob. namely of the name of the possessor therof otherwise Tob signifieth good But here it is the proper name of the Lord of that land Idle men That is vaine This woord signifieth poore men and such as were oppressed for debte So also there came vnto Dauid when he fledde from Saule men that were in debt and heauy of harte And they went out with him Namely to warre agaynste the enemyes of the people of God and they liued of the spoyle For Iiphtah beyng a man banished and dryuen oute of hys countrey hadde nothynge wherewyth to maynetaine souldiers And the children of Ammon foughte We haue tolde that the Ammonites made warre agaynste the Israelites whiche is vnderstande to haue beene after Iiphtah departed from his fathers house and when he shoulde goe into the land of Tob he moued warre agaynste those Ammonites and oute of theyr borders tooke praies and booties Therefore when the Gileadites wer oppressed they came vnto Iiphtah to bringe him home agayne and by hys conducte to defende the city from theyr enemyes They desire to haue him to be theyr head bycause when they wer grieuously oppressed of theyr enemies they iudged it expedient that there shoulde be one to gouerne their thinges And firste they had decreed among themselues as we haue heard that he shoulde be theyr captayne which fyrst shoulde fyghte againste theyr enemyes but whither they did that by theyr owne iudgemente and ciuill reason or by the oracle of God the historye mencioneth not But the act or coÌ„dicion which the Gileadites ordeined was fulfilled by Iiphtah for he with a few souldiours assayled his enemies Therefore they seyng that they were bound to stand to theyr couenant came vnto Iiphtah and chose him captayne bicause he fyrste of all beganne the battayle agaynste the Ammonites This is worthy to be marked that the Gileadites call not Iiphtah kinge Iiphtah aâ—oliâ—ted captayne not kinge but only captayne or ruler Wherfore they are not to be accused as the Sechemites were For they did chuse Abimelech kinge but these men constitute Iiphtah captaine to fight against theyr enemies now for the presente time and also hereafter when oportunity should serue And vndoubtedly they do wel and wisely in choosing Iiphtah for he was a man expert and valiant in warres But god had with himself before in secret decreed that he shoulde be iudge ouer all Israell whiche manifestlye appeareth by those woordes whiche we shall afterward heare And the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iiphtah Farther we must consider that Iiphtah therfore fled bicause his bretherne had thrust him out of his fathers inheritance neither left they him any thing to defend his life with all wherfore he had rather fly and liue in exile then to liue with ignominye in his country This vndoubtedly came of a noble stoute courage that he woulde not liue there where he continuallye hearde his byrth vpbraided vnto him and where al men counted him for a bastard Therfore he got him to an other place and exercised the arte of warrefare It is also possible that that matter came in controuersy and the Iudges to gratify the legitimate bretherne did not onely iudge that he should be depriued of his fathers goods The law commaunded not to banish bastardes but also be thruste oute of the citye and seemeth to me verye probable For when the Gileadits came vnto hym and of theyr owne accorde offred vnto hym the pryncipalytye he aunsweared Did not ye expell mee oute of the citye These woordes declare that Iiphtah was handled more seuerelye then the lawe commaunded For the law commaunded not to banishe bastardes The Gileadites aunsweare that they did so in dede but as before they coulde expel him so also nowe it was in theyr power to call him home againe and make him ruler But nowe sayth Iiphtah you call me agayne when ye are in miserye As thoughe he woulde haue saide otherwise yee woulde not haue called me againe It is so saye they and therfore we come vnto thee that thou maist fight against our enemies bicause we are afflicted But in that it is written we are turned againe we muste not so vnderstande it as though they had before bene with Iiphtah but to turne again is in this place to be referred vnto the mind as though it should haue bene sayd we haue chaunged our counsel purpose Then Iiphtah like a wise maÌ„ would not be satisfied with these words but required the couenants of the principality to be coÌ„firmed If I sayth he shal put my selfe in daunger and god shal geue vnto me the victory shall I be your hed He did not streyght way geue credite to theyr firste woordes bicause he feared least they would not kepe promise which had before doone him such hurt nether worketh he these things priuely with them but in a place most famous What place Mizpa was namely in Mizpa There in the olde time the kinges of Chanaan assembled against