touching outward iustice and ciuill conuersation which I thinke dooth most take place in them which being instructed from their youth in the christian faith doo imbrace godlines from their hart And this A praise of Edward the sixt king of England by a most manifest example did Edward the sixt king of England testifie who without doubt being a yoong man was euen in his first age most prompt to the exercise of all vertue The verie which thing also will happen to you if yée folowe the doctrine of the gospell with that indeuour which you haue begun Wherefore Aristotle ment not to exclude all yong men vniuersallie but this did he most regard to put awaie the obiections which might hurt the woorthines or estimation of this facultie And this he did least if thou shalt sée yoong men trained vp in learning to becom at anie time nothing the better thou shouldest ascribe that vnto the fault of this facultie as though it were of no estimation and serued to no vse wherefore he laieth the fault in the want of age bicause it is destitute of experience and is troobled with perturbations of the mind These he saith be the impediments for which the procéedings of doctrine and approoued fruits of the same haue no good successe And neither was Aristotle alone of this mind but Pindarus also who saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is For light wits or yoong heads want experience and Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie For yoong folke are alwaies rash vnstaid Moreouer Horace pronounceth thus of a yoong man that Youth vnto vice like waxe is soone applide And fierce to those that warning them doo chide And how wanton they commonlie are kindled in their affections the Comedie giueth a most euident testimonie Also the histories doo declare how Cicero was deceiued in Octauius and how little Aristotle himselfe could bring to passe towards the reformation of maners in his scholer Alexander of Macedonia who being alwaies inflamed with excéeding great ambition did most insolentlie beare himself in prosperous fortune most foolishlie desired to be a god and so gaue himselfe to wine as being droonke he sâ—ue his most louing friend and at the desire of an harlot burned the most noble populous large citie Persepolis which was the head citie of the kingdome in such sort as it was vtterlie extinct The like things dooth Plato in his dialog Gorgias speake when he said that There be two passages whereby good studies doo flowe out of our minds namelie Obliuion and Incredulitie for by Obliuion is taken awaie the skill and experience which are gathered in the memorie and by the other to wit Incredulitie it coms to passe that we giue no credit to those that admonish vs. But yoong men doo soone forget those things that they haue once or twise séene and had experience of wherefore they hardlie get to themselues generall sentences and rules For we cannot obteine those but by long and continuall obseruation which yoong men cannot gather by a short time of their life neither doo they willinglie giue credit to those that admonish them bicause they are carried awaie by the blind swaie of their affections 2 And saie not vnto me that yoong men doo protest and haue in their mouth How yoong men behaue themselues in hearing of doctrine and doo kéepe in memorie speciall and honest sentences of philosophie for although they speake manie things trulie yet doo they not thinke as they speake and sometime they perceiue are mooued with those things that be vttered not much better than Iaies doo vnderstand mens wordes which they are wont to prattle yea drunken and intemperate men doo oftentimes iangle and tell a faire tale where neuerthelesse either they iudge the contrarie or else they cannot tell what they speake and bréefelie their speach is not according to their mind but they haue one thing in their mind and another in their hart which is then most of all perceiued when they get libertie haue a full fréedome of their choise Then albeit they were first modest chast they bewraie their mind that lurked and their nature that laie hidden Who was a more commendable prince than Nero himselfe in the first yéere of his reigne while he was yet gouerned by the direction of Seneca Of whoÌ„ was there greater hope than of CoÌ„modus who as he was of an excellent wit from his youth so afterward he became a monstrous beast And doo we not remember Ioas in the holie historie which gouerned himselfe rightlie in the beginning of his dominion so long as he gouerned by the counsels of Iohiada the faithfull high préest whose authoritie when he afterward despised he became straitwaie corrupt and by the libertie which he claimed to himselfe made manifest the shameful desires of his mind But yet for all these reasons were neuer our forefathers lead Yong mens faults must be no cause to keepe them from hearing holsome doctrine nor at this daie are wise men lead but that they bring their children when they become to yoong mens state vnto philosophers to be instructed by their learning and wisedome They send them also vnto lawiers that they may vnderstand those things which be iust and honest And all this we learne out of Platos Axioms and out of the philosophers liues and we also obserue the custome of our times Which was therefore so doone in old time and is also doone at this daie for those words which Aristotle here writeth of haue not that sense as though yoong men by this philosophie shall receiue no profit but bicause they are not able to procéed so well forward as they can iudge in their mind what is here foorthwith to direct their actions according to vertue and to procure vnto themselues good and honest habits of the mind since these things require a mind fullie persuaded and trulie assenting therevnto But in perceiuing of other faculties it is enough if the wit be applied which whosoeuer shall haue it but dull and blockish shall not become skilfull But in this our philosophie two things are to be perfourmed one that the precepts should be vnderstood the other that they be put in practise As touching that first there is no let but that yoong and intemperate men which liue dissolutelie may attaine vnto For if they be anie thing prompt and wittie they will easilie vnderstand those things which be taught but to expresse the precepts of this facultie in this life they will not be brought partlie bicause they want experience as Aristotle saith and partlie for that they are caried awaie with euill affections What kind of experience is required of them that should be meet hearers Perhaps thou wilt demand what maner of experience it is that we require of them which should be fit hearers I will shew it by examples namelie by abstinence to ouercome lusts By valiant and temperate actions if they be often practised
king of the Assyrians to deliuer him from the siege 2. King 16 7 so far off was he from putting confidence in the Lord. And when as God béeing not ignorant of his disease offered him the remedie of a miracle and put it vnto his choise yet he through hypocrisie refused If Achaz had trulie beléeued God he would not haue refused to obeie séeing obedience is reckoned among the chéefest fruits of faith Let vs I beséech you compare with this vngodlie king the most godlie prince Ezechias his sonne who dealt not in this sort For he Obedience is the cheefe fruit of faith 2. King 20 8 to be the more assured of recouering his health verie modestlie required a signe vnto whose choise when Esaie had put whether he would haue the shadowe of the sunne to be set forward or to be turned backward he tooke his choise as he thought good neither did he frowardlie like his father refuse the miracle offered him by God Miracles offered not to be reiected But wicked Achaz to his infidelitie ioined hypocrisie For he considering that miracles are for two causes refused either for that a man openlie beléeueth in God and hath no néed of the helpe of miracles or else for that he vtterlie contemneth God and passeth nothing at all for this helpe he minded to hide the latter disease whereof he was sick namelie the contempt of God and made as though he had the vertue that is to saie a principall faith whereof in déed he was altogither destitute as though he durst not tempt God Psal 7 10. But séeing God most throughlie knoweth the harts and reines he by the prophet punished him according to his desarts A similitude What other thing is it to refuse a miracle offered by God but to reiect that which should helpe our spirituall infirmitie And euen as he that béeing well-néere starued with hunger would forsake his sustenance is worthie to be accused so was he to be reprooued which reiected a medicine offered him by God séeing God knoweth far better than our selues what euerie one of vs néedeth This is now sufficient concerning those things which in the beginning of this question séemed altogither to forbid the asking of miracles 18 I knowe indéed there be some which thinke that miracles ought not in anie wise to be asked but onlie that they should not be refused when God offereth them And they suppose that Augustine maketh with them Augustine De consensu Euangelistarum who in the fourth booke of the concordance or consent of the euangelists and in his 63. question vpon Genesis may séeme to affirme this thing But if a man obiect that verie manie godlie righteous men haue so doone especiallie our Gedeon they answere that they were mooued by the spirit of God to desire miracles therefore it was all one as if God had fréelie offered miracles vnto them and they with obedience had receiued those which were offered But these things ought nothing to trouble vs bicause Augustine in the places alledged dooth not flatlie and absolutelie forbid the desiring of miracles vnlesse they be demanded either in respect of tempting God or else for some other naughtie cause Yea and in the 63. question vpon Genesis he saith that When this is not rightlie doone it belongeth to the tempting of God Let vs rather heare what he saith in the tenth book of confessions the 35. chapter In religion also it is a tempting of God when signes and miracles are desired for making of a triall which thing I also a little before haue charged to be auoided For I will easilie grant that holie men required miracles not by the instinct of the flesh or of mans reason for then had their praiers béene vaine and to no purpose Rom. 8 26. séeing as Paule testifieth it is néedefull that the spirit should praie for vs with vnspeakable gronings But now I thinke there hath béene sufficientlie spoken of the questions propounded 19 But what the difference is betwéene signes and woonders In Rom. 15. verse 18. The difference betweene signes and woonders it cannot easilie be declared Origin thinketh that those onlie are to be called signes which though they be woonderfull of themselues yet they shew some other thing to come But woonders are those which doo onlie plucke men into admiration Looke an Epistle vnto Ludouike Lauater beginning Tuas litteras bicause they be doone after an vncustomed maner and against the power and order of nature But he also confesseth that this distinction is not obserued in the holie scriptures And trulie all the miracles whatsoeuer they were that Paule shewed were signes In 1. Cor. 12 verse 11. Looke In Iud. 2. verse 1. and In 2. King 2 verse 1. whereby the truth of his preaching was approoued The verie which thing we must affirme as touching the woonderfull works of Christ and of the prophets But the scriptures of the new testament wherin oftentimes there is mention made of the signes and woonders which Christ and his apostles did haue imitated the phrase of the old testament For there a man shall often find Othoth and Mophetim ioined togither Neither doo I thinke that there is anie difference betwéene the words except it be in degrée and quantitie yet am I not ignorant but that there may be signes or Othoth which haue in them no admiration at all Such be accents letters points speaches and other like the which we doubt not but are signes and yet they procéed either from art or from nature But the diuine oracles to the intent they might signifie that certeine works of the prophets of Christ and his apostles did not onlie shew some thing besides that which was wrought but also that they stirred vp a kind of astonishment woondring haue oftentimes ioined these words togither This vndoubtedly is my opinion which for anie thing that I sée I may still hold vnles an other man will shew me a better 20 But séeing it is written that The spirit distributeth to euerie one as he will wée learne thereby that no time must be prescribed vnto it for he desposeth these things when he will and how he will Whereby their argument is dissolued which saie that in Marke it is written These signes shall followe them that beleeue they shall cast out diuels Mark 16 17 they shall speake with new toongs they shall take awaie serpents c. Wherefore séeing these signes be not doone in vs it followeth that faith is not in the church of these daies But they be deceiued Miracles in the primitiue church were signes of faith For these things are not absolutelie and without exception but in some respect the tokens of faith belonging to that primitiue church vntill the gospell were made more manifest For miracles were as trumpets and open criers wherby the gospell was commended A similitude For euen as the lawe of Moses procured to it selfe credit through the
be multiplied And in the Gospels as touching Herod Matt. 2 3. when the wise men came to Ierusalem we find that not onlie hée himselfe was troubled but also the whole citie with him Lastlie it is concluded that in these grosser sort of pleasures cannot be reposed the chéefest good Which also the Apostle confirmeth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 6 13. Meate for the bellie and the bellie for meate God shall destroie both the one and the other And Christ himselfe speaking of the pleasure of procreation Matt. 22 30. In the regeneration they neither marrie wiues nor are married but they shall be like vnto the angels 11 Aristotle disputing yet further of pleasure saith That pleasure is not strange from felicitie that the same must not be counted strange from felicitie and so prooueth it bicause it is of those kind of good things which belong vnto the mind vnlesse we will saie that stones stocks mettalles reioice and be glad Let vs first declare his generall sentence That is pleasant to euerie man wherevnto he is said to be and therof is named desirous Héereby Aristotle meant that pleasure séemeth to be of those kind of things which haue relation one to another And it is no maruell for those things which be swéet must of necessitie be swéet to some bodie But what he is to whome pleasure is referred is declared by affection while he saith A horsse a shew iust things and vertues doo delight those men which haue bin desirous of horsses shewes a iust thing and of vertues The maner of all Syllogismes is that first should be brought foorth the cause in generall and then it is woont to be applied vnto that thing wherof it is spoken So in this matter the generall cause is set foorth for which anie thing is pleasant and swéet vnto anie man namelie for bicause he loueth it This generall cause is héere restreined vnto him that is happie bicause he is a louer of honest and good actions wherevpon of necessitie it followeth that he is verie much delighted with them For the confirmation of that generall cause he vseth diuers and manifold examples and first he alledgeth the pleasure that men haue in riding of horsses wherewith how fondlie and earnestlie some men are otherwhile delighted the yong man Strepsiades in Aristophanes doth testifie He bringeth foorth them also which are desirous to behold shewes vnto whome we may adde those which giue their mind to philosophie wine and monie all which men we sée are wonderfullie delighted when at anie time they enioie their desires By these examples the fourme of the argument which the Logicians call Induction being the maior proposition which comprehendeth the generall cause is plainelie confirmed and shewed which is straitwaie applied to the matter in hand whereas he saith that The like reason is to be had of those causes that are of a iust thing and of good actions and are referred to good and happie men to wit that those things be loued of them and that they reioice not a little in them Whereof it plainelie commeth that blessed and good men if they either sée or heare anie to liue well and honestlie they take great pleasure therein but without doubt much more while they themselues exercise themselues in iust good and honest actions By these things we now vnderstand that the life of happie men is not seuered from pleasure and we sée that they did not vtterlie straie from the right waie which ioined themselues vnto this felicitie 12 But the question is Whether all pleasures haue felowship with felicitie whether all pleasures haue fellowship with felicitie and if that all haue not as it should séeme we must affirme then what pleasure shall we ioine therewith To this we answere by distinction Some things are pleasant in their owne nature and by themselues but some haue it not of their owne propertie to delight but taketh delight by a certeine corruption or viciousnes of him that is caught therewith Wisedome vertues honest actions remembrance of good déeds prudent gouernment of things finding out of profitable counsels doctrine contemplation and such like are delightfull euen of their owne goodnes which if otherwhiles they be not liked of some that hapneth through their owne vnskilfulnes and rudenes But on the other side immoderate wine gorgeous sights surfetings and lusts are not in their owne nature pleasant and swéete but doo onelie delight them which of themselues bée caught by such things It is the common sort which hunt after things not pleasant in their owne nature which things are diuers and in sundrie sort those repugnant one to another No man doubteth but that there is a great number of pleasures of the common sort for there be manie minds and euerie one hath his owne delight which certeinlie is then not lawfull when it passeth his bounds and when it deteineth men too much therein or doth stir vp and disquiet their minds These and other pleasures of the senses if they hold themselues within their bounds and limits and doo not passe them are both naturall and by right cannot be condemned And what contrarietie there is of pleasures betwéene the vulgar sort The contrarietie of pleasures betweene the vulgar sort Eustratius thus sheweth One is delighted with salt meate another with swéet one with drinke somewhat bitter another with sower which tasts be one contrarie to another and cannot be had togither in one and the same thing But here a man may saie that this also may be séene among the pleasures which ye call naturall some are delighted in the mathematicall sciences others in the knowledge of naturall things some in logicke others onlie in prudent actions Wherefore since there is a varietie as well here as there this difference of contrarietie after that manner interpreted séemes not to put a distinction betwéene pleasures séeing it is found alike on both parts Vnlesse thou wilt saie there is a great varietie multitude of vulgar pleasures which are contraries as swéet and sower harsh and mild are one repugnant to another which contrarietie is not in the honest pleasures that we haue now recited For the mathematicall sciences are not against the knowledge of naturall things nor logicke against prudence But the difference is more trulie declared if we marke the repugnancie in the appetite of one the selfe-same man for euen he that delighted in a thing straightwaie hateth the same and he that desired meate dooth by and by loath it Whervpon Terence said In loue are all these faults iniuries suspicions of enimitie truce war and peace againe Here we sée a contrarietie of things among themselues and against the mind But those things are pleasant indéed wherewith the louers of honestie are delighted for they which giue credit to reason and not to the senses take counsell of the better iudge Thou shalt moreouer perceiue those to be constant and of one mind and that the right things
good fauour of God we may wish for due honours so are we driuen to the very same thing by that charitie wherwith we ought to loue our neighbour And this dooth Dauid verie well confirme in the 15. Psalme when he spake of him which should dwell in the house of God and in the euerlasting habitation among other his vertues this he reckoneth He that is lowlie in his owne eies glorifieth them that feare God Therefore since without controuersie eternall life is to be wished vnto our neighbours this is to be wished for with most ardent praiers that the godlie and those which feare God may be had in honour which is this kind of honour namelie to haue them in estimation to be delighted with their companie to maintaine their good name and chéerfullie to reléeue their necessities all which things since they be so coldlie doone in these daies they which be godlie cannot choose but earnestlie sorrowe and wish that at the length it may be doone euen as God hath commanded Augustine in his Soliloquijs the first booke and eleuenth chapter iudgeth that since of honours authoritie dooth increase and that authoritie dooth much further to induce men vnto honestie and to driue men as well vnto true opinions as vnto holines of life therefore honours are to be desired Yea for their sakes whom we ought by our ministerie to helpe if we sée our authoritie to be despised we ought for iust honest causes to defend the same least in verie déed it become vnprofitable To this belongeth that which Paul wrote vnto Timothie Let no man despise thy youth 1. Tim. 1 12. Wherein honors profit them that doo well And when we doo well it doth not a little further to the confirming of vs if we haue the commendation of good men For euen as we are in a maner all troubled with the disease of selfe-loue we are easilie deceiued in affaires actions and those things which we doo least commendablie wée make most account of them And bicause this doth not seldome happen it causeth the more ignorant sort to become more doubtfull and ambiguous in their dooing vnto the which men honor praise and approbation would doo much good if by outward signes the same were yéelded for by these things their mind and iudgement is established But those which be not doubtfull nay rather be assured that those things which they doo be right when they are adorned by wise and good men with a iust kind of honor they cannot choose but excéedinglie reioise and be glad in themselues that they haue gotten so good and iust iudges wherefore honors doo also profit these men Neither doo these things which we haue said differ from the opinion of Aristotle For albeit he denie honor to be the chéefest good yet doth he not exclude it from the number of good things Touching those things which I haue spoken of firme and perfect honor there is nothing so agréeable That the faithfull in the daie of iudgement shall haue the cheefest good Matt. 25 34. as that that shall be the chéefest which the faithfull in the last daie of iudgement shall haue of Christ when he shall saie vnto them Come yee blessed of my father c. For that praise shall procéed from the most wise iudge to whome all iustice is best knowne neither can our dooings anie waie be hidden from him 17 Wherefore I thinke it is now sufficientlie concluded and made apparant that the moderate desire of honors is not to be blamed yet bicause manie doo soone ouer-reach themselues héerein and that the place is slipperie therefore must we declare some things which we ought to take héed of least in séeking for vertue wée shamefullie fall into vices To this must we haue a speciall regard that euen Aristotle being an Ethnike sawe that we desire not honor for it selfe That honor for it selfe sake must not be desired for this were of a meane good to make the principall good and to enioie those things which we ought but to vse Let the same desire therefore tend both to the glorie of God and to the edifieng of our brethren Next of all let vs beware that we take not too much care for honor That wee must not be too carefull for honor for so would the mind be soone disquieted which when manie who were accounted ciuill did not auoid they with the desire of praise became in a manner mad We knowe with what a furie Alexander of Macedonia was carried in a manner through the world séeking glorie without measure and reason who at length was brought to that passe as he thought that there were other worlds to be conquered besides this One world sufficeth not for yong Pellaeus With the verie which disease Iulius Caesar being infected set vpon his countrie and rashlie violated the lawes and libertie thereof So then let this desire be moderate and let it be bounded within certeine and iust limits And in receiuing of honors let vs follow Augustines counsell Neither receiue thou saith he all that is offered nor yet refuse thou all for he that reiecteth all the honor which is yéelded vnto him for the things that he hath rightlie and verie well done séemes as it were to suppresse the gifts of God and that he would not haue them acknowledged which in verie déed is against true godlines And on the other side he that imbraceth whatsoeuer is offered him doth manie times passe the limits of modestie And héerewithall must héed be taken that the kind of honor which is brought That the honor be not greater than the worthines of the person be not greater than the dignitie of men can sustaine which when it happeneth must not be abidden for thereat is God angrie and doth seuearelie take vengeance for his honors vsurped by men Herod was most gréeuouslie punished Acts. 12 23. when the people cried vnto him with voices not fit for a man but such as were méet for God And for the same fault is Domitian Nero and manie other most insolent Emperours iustlie condemned which would not be woorshipped as princes but as God Those things which belong to God let them be rendred vnto God and let good men receiue humane honors rightlie and moderatelie when they be offered Also let there be kept a iust and right measure in obteining of honors The right waie to come by honors There is onlie one waie and meane commended and that is by well bringing of things to effect which the Grecians call * That is to saie vertuous actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which things hypocrits doo counterfet and while by outward signes they indeuour to declare themselues godlie and holie they be had in estimation of the people But of them Christ said Matth 6 2. They haue receiued their reward And there be others which are carried so far foorth as they buie honors which vice without doubt is condemned by all
with hir action so laugh Aristotle to scorne which obiected not against them but an idle vertue and seuered from right action This answer at the first sight séemes vnto some to be iust and likelie to be true but if the thing be more narrowlie considered and that we shall more diligentlie looke into the same it is rather a shift than a true dissoluing of the argument bicause whether they will or no action and vertue from whence it procéedeth are distinguished one from another for they be conteined in sundrie Predicaments and are manie times seuered one from another For vertue when it is an habit belongeth vnto qualitie but the act which it worketh is comprehended vnder the Predicament of action But how they be seuered one from another I thinke no man that diligentlie considereth the matter is ignorant for he which is indued with knowledge or wisedome dooth neither contemplate alwaies nor yet is alwaies occupied about those things which he knoweth Wherevpon it commeth to passe that they which comprehend two for one and distinguish them not doo easilie swarue from the marke wherevnto they should haue an aime and in stead of an absolute and perfect doctrine doo followe that which is confused and not plaine This Aristotle perceiuing distinguished and seuered one of them from another and when he séeth that one of them is referred to the other he denieth that that which tendeth to another end can be the chéefe which reason of his opinion is so euident as I thinke nothing can be more manifest than the same But they which cannot confute the reason doo returne the argument vpon Aristotle himselfe who denieth that felicitie is therefore placed in vertue bicause vertue may easilie manie waies be hindered Another obiection If this argument saie they like thée so well neither canst thou indéed defend the most perfect action to be the chéefest good bicause the same also is as manie waies subiect to impediments as thou didst obiect against vertue For he which sléepeth dooth not contemplate neither can he doo the same which is vexed with gréeuous torments and he cannot endure anie perils which liueth in quiet peaceable common-weales Wherefore thou that saiest that vertue for these causes is not the chéefest good thou shalt also saie that the most perfect action must not be accounted for felicitie A shew indéed of truth this hath which is obiected but it maketh no matter at all bicause the Peripatetikes will easilie grant that the same most perfect action which they saie is felicitie is not continued so as it cannot be broken off but so long as it is they would not grant it to be no felicitie and much lesse will they yéeld that the same is referred to a better end Both which things cannot be said of the habit which is vertue For the same as it is in a man that sléepeth or is vexed with most painfull gréefes can neither he called felicitie nor yet can make him blessed in whose mind it is for the habit may remaine when the action is taken awaie but an action being let from breaking foorth neither is it nor yet remaineth it And besides this an habit while it yet remaineth hindered who séeth not that it is still referred vnto action when as it inclineth the mind and desire therevnto Moreouer that should be accounted our felicitie which approcheth most néere vnto the diuine felicitie but God séeing he is not onelie perfect but euen perfection it selfe hath felicitie in act not in power in verie déed not in habit therfore our felicitie also shall be an action which notwithstanding is requisite to be lesse than the blessednes of God which therefore happeneth bicause his act cannot faile him but ours is verie oftentimes broken off 25 After those things Another obiection that the action of vertue is onlie in the mind which we haue now spoken must their cauill also be confuted which laugh at the argument brought as touching the impediments whereby the action of vertue is repressed that it cannot be effectuall Ye feigne saie they that the worke of vertues perteineth to the bodie but it is not so bicause the whole action of vertue is in the soule and therein it standeth full and whole the goods of the bodie or instruments of fortune belong nothing thervnto And without doubt a poore man may be liberall by wishing to giue vnto them to whom he thinketh méete to be giuen Againe in the middest of torments and in the verie flames themselues feare dooth shine the more and becommeth more glorious According to which opinion Seneca vnto Lucillus the seuentie epistle writeth manie things and among others saith Vertue hath also place in the bed ouercome thou thy sicknes with a valiant courage bicause if others that be present shall perceiue thée to be couragious great and vpright in torments they will woonder at the brightnes of thy vertue and thou whilest thou art so vexed shalt rightlie instruct them and thorough vertue shalt not onelie helpe thy selfe verie much but them also What maner of things these be now will we more narrowlie consider They declare that the action of vertue is whole full and perfect in the mind that we denie For if we shall declare the nature of an habit the same is nothing else than a qualitie brought in by long exercise by the benefite whereof the powers of the mind and bodie are made more readie and fit to occupie themselues Neither dooth vertue in the mind alone expresse hir action They which saie that vertue dooth beare rule in eating drinking fleshlie desire and such like those also will saie that the action of that vertue is expressed in the bodie also not in the soule onlie So it may be lawfull to saie as touching fortitude liberalitie and manie other vertues to shew that the bodie and goods of fortune were not giuen by God vnto mankind Howbeit these men perhaps persuade themselues that the nature of man is fulfilled and made perfect in the soule onelie which how far it is from the truth your selues without me may perceiue A poore man say they may be liberall while he desireth to giue vnto them to whom he thinketh it méet to be giuen But I would faine learne of these Stoiks whether they that be indued with vertue and being hindered doo desire to worke by it for what cause they desire this Doo they it not for blessednes sake This if they shall denie they will declare themselues to be vnwise in desiring of those things which they refer not vnto the chéefest good But if they will grant that they wish those works for felicitie sake it shall be lawfull to saie that felicitie is perfectlie gotten not in vertue but in action I will easilie grant that vertue shineth and is more glorious in the midst of flames and in most cruell torments and him that with a valiant courage suffereth these things I will extoll with praises among good and wise men but yet
suffer euen those things which Apollo prophesied to be conteined vnder destinie How we put the knitting togither of causes But we as we declared at the first denie not but that things are knit togither as God ordeined and knew before hand yet so as the nature and condition of them remaineth whole and sound For vnto whom soeuer a thing contingent as the Schoole-diuines speake is due they haue the same and to whom soeuer necessitie belongeth with necessitie they be constreined But in verie déed grace which finallie séemeth to resist frée will dooth not take the same awaie To the seuenth but rather helpeth and restoreth it But now we will cease from these matters least we dispute more curiouslie of them than beséemeth christians Let euerie one followe their owne vocation and let vs leaue inquiring more than is requisite about the secret and hidden will of God touching prescience and predestination and let vs followe that doctrine of God which is plainlie laid out before vs in the holy scriptures ¶ Looke another place of the same argument in the addition at the end of this booke Now we thinke it conuenient to ioine vnto this disputation certeine other discourses namelie of Voluntarie and Not voluntarie and also of mans choise and such like Of Voluntarie and Not voluntarie 41 Aristotle in his first booke of Ethiks treateth at large of that which is voluntarie Out of the Commentaries vpon Aristotles Ethiks and of that which is not voluntarie the reason whereof is bicause praise dispraise pardon and sometimes mercie be voluntarie The argument is taken from the consequents Praises and dispraises serue vnto morall knowledge for as commendable maners and actions are to be desired so those which are blame-woorthie are to be auoided Howbeit such praises and dispraises cannot be iudged of vnlesse we knowe whether they be doon with a willing or vnwilling mind Further he added another cause to wit that this doctrine is a part of the ciuill facultie wherto belongeth the making of lawes And lawes set foorth rewards and punishments to the obseruers and transgressors of them it is néedfull therefore that they knowe which be voluntarie things and which be not voluntarie Whether lawes may command things not possible to be performed For men that be vnwilling doo not obteine rewards and they which sinne by compulsion should not suffer punishments Some wrest this reason of lawe-makers herevnto as though they ought to regard this that they command not those things which of necessitie must be doon nor those things which are vnpossible to be doone but onlie those which be in our owne power and that therefore it behooueth them to knowe what is the nature of voluntarie and not voluntarie I knowe in verie déed A definition of lawe that this is the definition of lawe that It is a reason commanding honest things and calling backe from things that be dishonest But that which these men auouch to wit that it commandeth things which be possible I would onelie grant it as touching ciuill laws but not of diuine laws for those require things that be vnpossible especiallie in respect of the state of nature corrupt defiled Howbeit Aristotle vsed not this reson he onlie touched these things which I haue mentioned of punishments rewards Whether the affects of the mind be voluntarie or not voluntarie But whie did he speake of the affects since those be not voluntarie but are naturallie planted in our minds The Gréek scholies answer that albeit as touching substance and root they be of nature yet may they some kind of waie be called voluntarie insomuch as by vse exercise they may be inlarged or repressed Or else we will answer that Aristotle made mention of both of affects I meane and of actions but voluntarie must onelie be referred to the actions The which thing being doone it will also belong vnto the vertues which are conuersant in the affections for those also are gotten by actions which when they be right and commendable must be accounted voluntarie Morouer whie dooth Aristotle saie that somtime pardon somtime mercie must be shewed Bicause we doo not alwaies take mercie on them whom we pardon for a man in defending himself killed him which set vpō him he did it not willinglie he is forgiuen but we take not pitie on him To knowe which is voluntarie and which not voluntarie may serue to the moderating of punishment due by lawe 42 But how the knowledge of that which is Voluntarie and Not voluntarie may helpe to moderate the punishments which laws appoint it may many waies be shewed They which haue committed anie thing against their wils or of compulsion are not punished And in the ciuill lawes there be verie manie titles which prouide remedie in the case of ignorance or compulsion euen as they doo likewise concerning those things which be doone for feare and by craftie collusion and touching them which be vnder 25. yéeres of age c. Also he that is taken with madnesse or frensie is forgiuen yea and a mad man although he kill his father shall not be punished The lawes of God quit the hewer of wood Deut. 19 5. which by chance and not willinglie shall kill an other bicause perhaps the axe might flie out of the helue and certeine cities were appointed for refuge Also Plato in his ninth booke of laws sheweth that manie things are to be forgiuen where the will did not consent So as it greatlie auaileth lawe-makers and iudges of the lawe bicause of giuing punishments and rewards to knowe what is doone voluntarie and what is not doone voluntarie We will speake first of Not voluntarie for in this matter the priuation séemeth to be better knowen than the thing it selfe By darknesse is the light better knowen and sicknesse dooth make the goodnes of health the more manifest The definition of not voluntarie This definition of Not voluntarie appéereth by the reckoning vp of the parts thereof so that it is rather a diuision than a definition albeit that iust and full diuisions haue sometime the place of a definition And we then chéeflie vse them when that which is common to the parts can not be expressed by anie one certeine point thereof Howbeit we must vnderstand that it is called Not voluntarie of these two formes or kinds which be of one signification for euen that which is doone violentlie and vnwittinglie is not voluntarie And we prooue that the diuision of these two parts is rightlie made for Voluntarie which is contrarie to Not voluntarie standeth of two things of knowledge and desire First we must knowe that which we must desire then are we stirred vp therevnto by a motion of the desire But either of these two may be hindred ignorance taketh awaie knowledge and violence letteth the desire For good cause therefore be these two put contrarie to that which is voluntarie Violence is defined what it is after this maner It is a
whom afterward when he knew he put him to death Wherfore at the beginning when he racked him ignorantlie he did it not with his will but bicause afterward he did not repent him he could not he said to haue doone it against his will And there may be brought another example He that killeth a man thinking he had béen a wild beast if he be afterward sorie he did it against his will But if anie man to whom brasen monie was owing receiueth gold and dooth not repent him of his error but rather reioiseth he is said to haue doone it not willing but yet not against his will Thus may the reason be made Whatsoeuer is doone violentlie or against the will it hath sorrowe or repentance ioined therewith But not all things that are doon by him which is ignorant haue repentance or sorrowe ioined therewith Therefore all such kind of things are not violent or against the will 51 There is vsed also another distinction Another distinction of ignorance It is one thing to doo through ignorance and another thing for the dooer to be ignorant They are said to doo a thing through ignorance or vnwittinglie vnto whom ignorance is after a sort the cause that they doo On the other side manie doo things being ignorant who by reason of som gréeuous perturbation whereof themselues are the cause doo as it were bring an error vnto themselues These things differ as the generall and the speciall kind as a thing spred foorth and a thing drawne togither For whosoeuer dooth a thing through ignorance is ignorant but not so on the contrarie part whosoeuer is ignorant dooth a thing through ignorance Herof Aristotle bringeth examples first of droonkennes An example Manie things are doone by droonken men wherein they knowe not what they doo yet are they not properlie said to doo anie thing vnwittinglie bicause they might haue absteined from too much wine and they which drinke more than is requisite did bring ignorance vnto themselues Wherfore such a vice causeth not that they should be said to haue doone against their will Another similitude is of anger for they which shall be mooued with a great furie of wrath doo oftentimes not knowe what they doo but yet they deale not against their will for they ought to haue tempered their wrath and to haue atteined vnto vertue whereby they might haue moderated that perturbation Which sith they would not doo they are not excused of those things which they through anger did amisse And bréeflie it is said that ignorance of that kind is the cause not of constreining the will but of naughtinesse otherwise euerie wicked man is ignorant yet is he not therefore to be excused That euill men be ignorant this doth prooue it namelie that they knowe not what to followe or what to auoid For they are beguiled of their owne lusts for whose sake they are so deceiued as they perceiue not what things are trulie pleasant trulie profitable and contrariwise which be trulie gréeuous and which be trulie damnable Wherfore they are corrupt in their iudgement and knowe not the nature of the end for the which they worke 52 The reason may be framed thus Not euerie euill man worketh through ignorance But euerie euill man worketh being ignorant Therefore to worke being ignorant and to worke through ignorance are things different The Maior proposition is manifest bicause euill men as is said if they wrought through ignorance might be excused And that as is conteined in the Minor proposition they be ignorant we haue declared a little before An ignorance generall and an ignorance particular A generall ignorance saith Aristotle excuseth not That is called generall which is not of the circumstances but of the whole thing it selfe As if one would saie that he is ignorant that fornication or adulterie be sinnes he is not excused bicause he ought to haue knowen these things nay rather he shall be the more gréeuouslie accused for this ignorance But a particular ignorance that is to wit of circumstances excuseth and deserueth pardon bicause the circumstances could not be knowen Otherwhile such chances fall out as no man can for certeintie knowe such circumstances But contrariwise the generall ignorance obteineth not mercie bicause it was in the power of them that are ignorant to haue learned it Wherefore if they be ignorant they them selues are in the fault that they knowe not and they séeme to haue had a desire to be ignorant Againe if the excuse of vniuersall ignorance were auailable then should no wicked men be accused The cause of their error is that they onlie séeke for pleasure and profit but neglect vertues and honestie which neuerthelesse they doo vnaduisedlie Wherevpon Plato in his treatise Memnon dooth verie well expound this First he taketh this as granted that there is no man which would be a miserable and vnhappie man Which being granted he addeth that then there is no man which desireth euill things since to be miserable and to be vnhappie is nothing else than to be conuersant in euill things and to be delighted in them So then it appéereth that euill men doo choose to themselues those things that be euill vnwittinglie And this error as saith Cicero we haue sucked togither euen with our nurses milke But the reason whie this generall ignorance maketh not a man to doo against his will is for that it hindereth not his choosing of things naie rather it is ioined therewith for ill men choose rather to steale than to labour rather to be idle than to exercise anie art rather surfeting than abstinence It may be that otherwhile the whole matter may be generallie vnknowen and sometime generallie knowen but vnknowen priuatlie and particularlie As if anie man shall saie he knoweth adulterie to be sinne but that he is ignorant particularlie that this adulterie is forbidden neither of these ignorances is worthie of pardon But if anie man doo not knowe the circumstances in generall and thinke that there is no consideration to be had of the end nor of the place nor of the time nor of the matter that he is about to doo whether shall this man be worthie of mercie or pardon No verelie for he ought to haue knowen this And this common kind of perceiuing belongeth to the vniuersall knowledge which must in anie wise be had but the ignorance of this or that circumstance particularlie may be excused since no man either maie or is able perfectlie to knowe all those circumstances in euerie particular Wherefore onelie the ignorance of them maketh the action to be an action doone against the will 53 And bicause such circumstances be of great weight for they obteine pardon and mercie when they are not knowen therefore Aristotle reckoneth them vp that they may be throughlie tried out and knowen They are in number seuen or eight and there is a common verse of them in the schooles Who what where whereby Wherefore how and when These are seuen
a maner alwais by that particle If and there wanteth the expressing of the cursse which must be alwaies supplied of vs. The doctrine of the Pharisies was so corrupt as they iudged themselues to fulfill the lawe throughlie if they performed the thing which they sware But Christ declareth it to be otherwise namelie that we ought to be of so great integritie of life as oths might be superfluous and to be abolished And by this selfe-same waie we must interpret the words of Iames Iames. 5 12. in the which he saith Let vs not sweare anie oth neither by heauen nor by earth By which meanes it is denied that the swearing by God should be in vse of the godlie and so in like maner of swearing by creatures Whether we may sweare bicause things to come are not in our power 5 The Anabaptists vse an other argument Things to come are not in our power to be doone and God may let the thing which we promise to doo Therfore it is better not to sweare than to promise doubtfull things For this is wittinglie to cast himselfe into the perill of periurie But if this reason of theirs be of force it will togither take awaie all bargains all promises couenants vowes yea and baptisme it selfe wherein we offer our name vnto Christ and bind our selues that we will liue vnto him to renounce the diuell and our sinnes all which things neuerthelesse are approued by the oracles of God those things I saie which I haue mentioned Neither put we foorth our selues as they thinke into the danger of periurie for when we sweare it sufficeth that we haue this will of performing that which we promise But if so be God shall shew that we ought to doo otherwise and it shall be declared that our promise is against Gods will now ought not he to whom we haue sworne to exact the same of vs which if perhaps he shall doo his right shall be accounted no right For no seruant can bind himselfe vnto anie man without the will of his lord And who knoweth not that God is our Lord and that we be bound to loue him with all our strength with all our hart and with all our mind Wherefore so often as we sweare our desire is that his will and the obeieng of him be euermore inuiolate Whereby appéereth the making frustrate of monasticall vowes for there men doo sweare that which is repugnant to the will of God for which cause it must be abrogated and abolished But concerning these vowes we shall speake larger hereafter it sufficeth now that we haue made answer to this argument of the Anabaptists The things that are to be blamed in oths 6 But now let vs come to the describing of that which is to be blamed in oths And let this be the first If we sweare anie thing which is repugnant to the will of God there sinne is committed two waies first by swearing rashlie secondlie if we performe that which we haue wickedlie sworne as Herod did when he deliuered the head of Iohn Baptist Matt. 14 9. vnto a most wicked dansing damsell A great deale more wiselie did Dauid 1. Sa. 25 22. in breaking his oth for he had sworne that he would kill Nabal the Carmelite yet being throughlie instructed and pacified by the words of Abigael he reuoked that which he had sworne amisse For he had said So let God doo vnto the enimies of Dauid if of all that perteine vnto Nabal I leaue one c. In which place it is to be noted that we must not will anie thing that we must not promise nor sweare to doo anie thing that is not allowed by God Deut. 6 5. This haue the words of Gods lawe declared to vs wherein we be commanded to loue God with all our hart with all our strength and with all our soule and this haue we vndertaken to doo in baptisme Therefore whether we be sworne or not sworne we are neuer bound by anie lawe to doo anie thing that is against the will of God But and if we haue sworne to doo anie such thing the same must not be performed Neither ought anie man to thinke that he hath then broken his oth séeing the same is not to be imputed as an oth for the licence of swearing extendeth no further than God hath giuen scope vnto the same It is not conuenient therfore that we take an oth for anie thing which is repugnant to the good pleasure of God Howbeit let euerie one take héed that he thinke not himselfe at anie time discharged of his oth vnlesse that for the which he hath sworne be made vnpossible or else perceiueth for a certeintie that the same is repugnant to the word of God no not although the Pope would dispense with him neuer so often Antichrist is not able to make frustrate the word of GOD. But those oths which be void and of none effect bicause they be against the lawe of God be dispensed with euen of themselues neither is there néed of such apostolicall yea rather diabolicall power to make them frustrate and of none effect But if thou shalt obiect vnto me the oth of the Gabaonites Iosua 9 15. The couenant of the Gabaonits 2. Sam. 21 2 wherein the children of Israel promised that which was against the decrée of God namelie that they would enter into league with the men of that prouince and yet GOD would the same to be established for that he minded that the stocke of Saule should be punished for that oth We answer that the oth or couenant in his owne nature was void and of none effect but that God held the same established bicause he would bring punishment vpon the Iewes namelie when they had ouer-rashlie sworne vnto them without consideration of Gods word Wherefore it was necessarie afterward that they should suffer them among them And forsomuch as God allowed of the oth therefore by his decrée it was afterward of strength although immediatlie vpon the making thereof it was void And at the last this thing redounded to the honor and commoditie of the people so as in verie déed they had these strangers to be the hewers of wood which alwaies drew water vnto the ministers of God Of forswearing 8 An other thing that is to be blamed in an oth is if a man doo not sweare but forsweare The greeuousnes of periurie Which sinne is so gréeuous as of that onelie among the ten cōmandements you find written Lo Iinke Exod. 20 7. He will not forgiue him He will not hold him guiltlesse For God is highlie offended when we abuse his name to confirme our lies But if so be the basest sort of men manie times cannot abide that they should be accounted witnesses of a lie how much lesse will God suffer a lie Besides our neighbor taketh verie great hurt not of the bodie substance or name but of the mind that is to wit of reason for
sometime with safforne and so they beguile the beholders of them and with maruelous craft deceiue them Héereof commeth that which we haue in common talke namelie that A man casteth a colour vpon anie thing when he deceiueth And it is woont to be vttered in bargains in couenants and agréements Without colour or counterfeiting that is Fréelie in good faith absolutelie and plainlie These things of the end The efficient and proper cause is the naughtie desire of pleasing The efficient cause the which sometime is stirred vp by pride and sometime by lust By pride bicause they will not haue anie to surpasse them in beautie but will make a shew to be farre more beautifull than others By lust for that they would séeme to be beautifull more and more than the measure of their owne naturall fauour hath appointed and so to allure men to satisfie their lust I am not ignorant that the most ancient fathers especiallie Cyprian in his booke De velandis virginibus teach that The diuell was the inuenter of such maner of trimming For when as he thinketh the euill angels had burned in the desire of women and had abused their bodies they for a reward of the licentious pleasures permitted vnto them made demonstration of these artes and shamefull ornaments Wherfore Cyprian writeth that these be not the ornaments which GOD made but those which the diuell deuised Touching the cause efficient we haue spoken enough But the matter is nothing else in a maner The matter but filth to wit smoke soot fome and spittle and such things for the most part as would loath a man to touch them Yea and sometimes poisons are mingled so that they with their counterfeit colours doo not onelie wound the minds of the beholders but doo also hurt their bodies Of the forme I haue nothing to saie bicause these things be tempered an infinite number of waies And looke how manie counterfeited women there are almost so manie kinds of false colours there be They are said also to die their faces and that is both to colour them and to deforme them It is also said that this vice is greater charge to women than to men bicause a woman through hir defiled and corrupt nature is desirous of beautie and as the Gréekes saie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is desirous to be trimme Howbeit Paulus the second of that name Pope of Rome Pope Paul the second vsed to paint his face as Platina writeth at such time as he should come abroad absteined not from false colouring euen to the intent he might séeme of the more beautifull countenance as he was verie tall of stature But how shamefull a thing it was for the vicar of Christ as he challenged himselfe to be let other men iudge Certeinlie the Ethnike poet pronounced that It best becommeth men to be carelesse of their beautie And againe Farre from vs may such yong men be which are curiouslie trimmed like women For Iulius Caesar was desirous to couer his baldnes Iulius Caesar Wherefore bicause of the honors which were verie manie that the citie had bestowed vpon him he most willinglie receiued the laurall crowne which for this cause he ware in a maner alwaie And Ierom writeth Maximilla that Maximilla the prophetesse of Montanus vsed Stibium which may note vnto vs by what spirit she was led The generall word The generall word of this vice is feigning and also leasing sith they feigne a countenance to themselues as they list and they counterfet beautie Neither is wantonnesse far from it for when by nature they haue not the woorthinesse of beautie they counterfet the same as they can And we will not omit that there be diuerse which haue sometime painted their faces not to the intent they might appéere the better fauoured and fairer but bicause they would séeme to be more cruell fierce and horrible to behold The Brittons died their faces to seeme terrible as it is written of the Brittons who died their faces with a kind of hearbe like vnto plantine as Caesar reporteth in his fift booke of his Commentaries And in India where is no small plentie of pretious stones they are woont to make hollowe places in their owne flesh that in the hollownesse thereof they may close in pretious stones and that as well in the forehead as in the chéekes These things shall suffice for declaring the nature of false colours Now remaineth to be said whether it be lawfull to vse the same Arguments whereby some would prooue it lawfull to vse false colouring Some affirme that it is lawfull of whom there be manie Schoole-men who rather fauour and make much of vices than pursue them and séeke to wéed them out First they alledge certeine testimonies of the holie scriptures which at the first vew séeme to be of their side Secondlie they labour to prooue the same by reasons 61 Out of the holie scriptures they alledge that which is written in the first to the Corinthians the seuenth chapter verse 34. He that is not married careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord but he that hath married a wife is carefull for those things that be of the world and how he may please his wife The vnmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holie both in bodie and in spirit but the married woman careth for those things that be of the world and how she may please hir husband It is lawfull therefore for women to indeuour to please their owne husbands whereby they may reteine them still to be content with their owne wife For if they should despise them they might easilie incline to whooredome and adulterie Wherfore saie they there is some good vse euen of counterfet colouring And further vnto this purpose they drawe that which is written in the first of Timothie the second chapter verse 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In trim comelie apparell And they saie that the apostle spake this when he gaue precepts touching women Moreouer they declare that in the first epistle vnto the Corinthians the twelfe chapter it is written verse 23. that Vpon those parts of the bodie which are lesse honourable put we more honour on and our vncomelie parts haue more comelinesse on And that therefore if anie deformitie be either in the countenance or in the eies it is conuenient that we should decke them more costlie And bicause they be not so verie blind and blockish but that they sée this to be a great stop vnto them that men by these paintings and counterfet colours are prouoked vnto lust they haue inuented certeine craftie and subtill shifts that with them they might shadowe and colour their error 62 First they saie that we fall into the false argument which is called A secundum quid ad simpliciter that is to saie From that which is in some respect vnto that which is absolute
people but what shall come to passe that lieth in the pleasure of God They in déed prepare the hart but God ordereth the answer of the toong according to his prouidence Such another weightie reason they cite out of the 10. psalme verse 17. The preparation of the hart of the poore The Lord hath heard the desire of the poore thine eare hath heard the preparation of their hart But in this place these good maisters make two flat errors for first they vnderstand not that which they speake secondlie they cite not the place according to the truth of the Hebrue For the sense is the God despiseth not the praiers of the poore but according to his great goodnes accomplisheth those things for them which they had determined in their mind to desire of him What is the preparation of the hart and this is the preparation of the hart For none that is godlie desireth anie thing of GOD but first he deliberateth in his hart that the same thing is to be desired otherwise he should come rashlie vnto God and should praie foolishlie But these men wheresoeuer they find in the holie scriptures this word To prepare straitway they snatch it vp euen against the nature thereof to establish works preparatorie But now let vs sée what the sentence is after the Hebrue veritie Thaauath anauimschamata Iehoua takin libbam tacschif ozneeca that is Thou Lord hast heard the desire of the poore thou hast prepared or shalt prepare their hart thine eare shall heare Here we sée Dauid doth affirme that God heareth the desires of the saints whom he calleth poore And he addeth a cause namelie because God prepareth their harts God prepareth the harts of the saints to require those things which may serue for their saluation and which please God But by whom God worketh such a preparation in the harts of the faithfull Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Romans and thus he writteth Rom. 8 25. What we should aske as we ought we knowe not but the spirit praieth for vs with vnspeakeable sighes But God who searcheth the harts séeth what the spirit will aske for the saints We sée therefore both by Dauid and also by Paule that God heareth those praiers which are by the impulsion of his spirit stirred vp in them that praie vnto him We learne also of the Ethnike philosophers God prepareth the harts by the holie ghost and that in mo places than one that those are reprooued which without consideration and rashlie doo require anie thing of God But they which professe Christ euen as they beléeue that he is the author of their praiers so also doo they close vp their praiers in this sentence Mat. 6 10. Thy will be done 30 But saie they Ezechiel saith in his 18. chapter Walke in my waies verse 13. and make ye a new hart And Ieremie Be ye conuerted vnto me saith the Lord. Wherefore a man saie they may of himselfe prepare himselfe to the obteining of righteousnes But these men should remember that it is no vpright dealing A conciliation of the place of Ieremie and Ezechiel verse 26. to cite some places of the holie scriptures and to ouerhip and leaue other some vnspoken Let them go therefore and sée what Ezechiel writeth in the 36. chapter I saith the Lord will bring to passe that ye shall walke in my waies And I will giue vnto you a fleshie hart and will take awaie from you your stonie hart Ieremie also in the 31. chapter Conuert me ô Lord verse 18. and I shall be conuerted Wherefore Augustine verie well said Giue what thou commandest command what thou wilt They abuse also an other place out of the prophet Ionas to confirme their error Ion. 3 10. for there it is written that God regarded the works of the Niniuites Of the fact of the Niniuites Behold saie they the afflictions of the Niniuites whereby they afflicted themselues with fastings and cried vnto the Lord the Lord prepared their minds and made them apt to obteine pardon As though it behooued not the Niniuites first to beléeue the word of God before they could either praie effectuallie or else repent them Séeing therefore they beléeued before they did anie works they were iustified by faith and not by works which followed afterwards And God is said to haue regarded their works bicause they pleased him Neither did we euer denie that the works of men being now iustified are acceptable vnto God So often as we find in the scriptures such places which serue to attribute righteousnes vnto our works wée must according to the doctrine of Augustine haue a consideration A rule of Augustine out of what foundation those works procéed And when we perceiue that they spring out of faith we ought to ascribe vnto that root that which afterward is added as touching righteousnes And how fowlie these men erre in their reasoning hereby we may perceiue for that they take vpon them to transferre those things which are proper to one kind of men vnto another Which thing humane lawes will not suffer to be done for A similitude as we find in the Code as touching testaments or last willes If rusticall vnlearned men which dwell out of cities and haue not store of wise and learned men doo make their last willes without a solemnitie required thervnto and without a sufficient number of witnesses prescribed which yet otherwise should be necessarie such testaments ought to be allowed Now if a man would transferre this prerogatiue vnto citizens who for that they haue their abiding in cities haue store of men of vnderstanding he should excéedinglie erre for if their testaments be so made they are refused neither are they counted firme So we saie that the works of men iustified may please God but this notwithstanding neither can nor ought to be granted vnto them which are without faith and without Christ 31 Further let vs marke the accustomed sophisticall and deceitfull kind of reasoning of the aduersaries which the Logicians doo terme A non causa vt causa to wit From that which is not the cause as though it were the cause For they alwaies appoint good works to be the causes of righteousnes when as in verie déed they are effects of righteousnes and not causes For it is as though a man should saie A similitude The fire is therfore hot bicause it maketh hot but it is cleane contrarie for therefore it maketh hot bicause it is hot So also we bicause we are iustified therefore we doo iust things and not bicause wée doo iust things therefore we are iustified Sometimes also they obiect 2. Cor. 5 10. How is to be vnderstood God rendereth to euerie man according to his works that God will render vnto euerie man according to his works wherfore works saie they are the cause of our felicitie But here also as their woonted maner is they are
verie much deceiued for vnles they deuise some new Grammar vnto themselues vndoutedlie this word According signifieth not the cause But Christ saie they in his last iudgement séemeth to expresse these to be as it were causes for the which the kingdome of heauen is giuen vnto them for thus will he saie I was hungrie Mat. 25 35. and ye fed me I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke But Christ doth not in verie déed rehearse these things as causes but rather those things which went before Why Christ in the last iudgment will make mention of outward works Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world For the true cause of our felicitie is bicause we are elected and predestinate of God to the eternall inheritance for they which are in this number are in their time adorned with faith whereby they being iustified haue right vnto eternall life But bicause this faith is hidden neither can it be séene and that Christ will haue all men to vnderstand that none but the iust are receiued into the kingdome of heauen therfore reherseth he these outward works that by them it might plainlie be perceiued that righteousnes is giuen vnto men by faith For there is no man which can be so ignorant There be two manie of principles of things 1. Sam. 2 3◠but that he knoweth that there are two foundations and principles of things the one wherby they are the other whereby they are knowne Againe they obiect out of the first of Samuel Those that honour me I honour and those that loue me I loue Here saie they the promise is made vnto the worke But if they would make a distinction betwéene the promise of the gospell and the promises of the lawe they should easilie vnderstand that that place is nothing repugnant vnto our saieng For if we could of our selues satisfie the commandements of the lawe then might it be the cause why the promise shuld be giuen vnto vs but forsomuch as no man is able to performe it all men flie vnto Christ and are through faith in him iustified Then by a certeine obedience begun we begin to worke which although it be not exactlie done according vnto the rule of the commandement yet it pleaseth God and he of his méere liberalitie performeth the promise which was adioined vnto that worke And so those conditions which are adioined vnto the precepts are not vnprofitable for they that are iustified atteine vnto them Neither are these men ashamed to cite these words out of the 25. psalme verse 18. Looke vpon my humilitie my labour and forgiue me all my sins as though our labours and afflictions are the causes of the remission of sinnes But in this place Dauid being in most gréeuous calamities desireth of God to forgiue him all his sins that if he were angrie for his sinnes the cause of punishments might be taken awaie For here is not intreated of labours which a man taketh vpon him of his owne voluntarie will but of punishments laid vpon men by God A similitude We sée also that children whilest they are beaten of their maisters doo desire forgiuenes and pardon If thou giue an almes vnto one that is leprous the leprosie cannot properlie be called the cause of thy compassion or mercie for otherwise all that passed by the leper should doo the same but the true cause thereof is the louing affection in thy mind 32 But they saie moreouer that in the holie scriptures much is attributed vnto repentance which thing we denie not But we on the other side would haue them to vnderstand that repentance is the fruit of faith and that no man can profitablie repent him of his sinnes vnlesse he first beléeue They also boast of manie things touching confession A distinction of confession But thereof we make a distinction for either it is separated from hope and faith as it was in Iudas which confessed that he had sinned Matt. 27 4. in béetraieng the iust bloud and that confession is so farre off from bringing anie profit that it is a preparatiue vnto desperation and also to destruction Or else it is ioined with faith and hope as it was in Dauid and Peter and so it is not the cause but the effect of iustification for it followeth faith Auricular confession and goeth not before it The auricular confession also of the papists is altogither superstitious wherefore we vtterlie contemne it for they obtrude it as a thing necessarie vnto saluation and a cause why sinnes should be forgiuen which they are neuer able to prooue by anie testimonie of the holie scriptures They violentlie wrest this also out of the Lords praier Matt. 6 12. Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. verse 14. Againe Forgiue and it shal be forgiuen you Ergo saie they the forgiuenesse of iniuries is the cause why our sinnes are forgiuen vs. Forgiue vs our trespasses expounded This their reason as the cōmon saieng is with the one hand stroketh the head with the other giueth a blowe For if the forgiuenes of iniuries should as these men would haue it deserue remission of sinnes then that remission should be no remission for after thou hast once paid the price there is nothing can be forgiuen thée but then hath remission place when the price is not paid And as touching that place we first desire that our sinnes should be forgiuen vs. And bicause that by benefits receiued men are incouraged to hope that they shall receiue other greater benefits therfore this is the meaning of that sentence O Father which hast of thy fatherlie goodnes giuen vs grace to forgiue iniuries vnto our trespassours forgiue vnto vs also our sinnes Now by these words is not signified a cause but a similitude although that similitude be not perfect absolute For none that is wise would haue his sinnes so forgiuen him of God as he hath forgiuen his neighbour the iniuries that he hath doone vnto him For euerie one by reason of the flesh and that infirmitie which it carieth about forgiueth much lesse vnto his brother than he ought for there sticketh alwaies in his mind some offense which although it burst not foorth yet his owne conscience is a sufficient witnesse vnto himselfe that his mind is not verie perfect and entire towards him by whome he hath béene hurt But the former exposition teacheth that the similitude is to be referred not vnto remission but vnto the liberalitie of GOD that euen as he hath giuen the one so also he will vouchsafe to giue the other But whereas it is said Forgiue and it shal be forgiuen that is a commandement and therefore it perteineth to the lawe But thou wilt obiect that this sentence was writen in the Gospell and not in the lawe That maketh no matter The lawe and the Gospell are not separated by
vncerteine for we vse them so often as anie present danger vrgeth vs. But Paule saith Rom. 1 9. that he alwaies maketh mention of the Romans in his praiers and in some bookes is added the aduerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euerie where although some copies haue blotted it out There were Heretiks which were called Messalians of them the Tripartite historie maketh mention The heresie of the Messalians or Eutichs they attributed all things vnto praiers and that so much as they did derogate both from the word of God and also from the sacraments affirming that all these things doo nothing profit but what commoditie soeuer we haue the same commeth by praiers And they could not abide to labour with their hands or to doo anie other thing If a man had vrged them to worke they would haue said that the same should nothing at all profit séeing we ought to doo nothing but praie Whereas the apostle neuerthelesse warneth expreslie 2. Thes 3 10 that He which laboureth not ought not to eate He also writeth that A man ought not to neglect the care of his owne 1. Tim. 5. 8. especiallie of his houshold which fault if anie man commit he should be taken as one that had renounced his faith But passing ouer this superstition we must attribute verie much vnto praiers séeing this is the nature of the children of God The nature of the children of God is to praie often euen for the most part to giue themselues vnto praiers for that is to acknowledge the prouidence of God For while we beléeue that a man can obteine nothing which is not giuen him by God we are oftentimes prouoked to praie humblie for his aid in such necessities as doo happen And while we praie we doo no lesse submit our selues vnto God than the claie is subiect vnto the potter for we chéeflie make our praiers that whatsoeuer we desire we may haue the same if it be his will And forsomuch as in praieng the mind is led awaie from carke and worldlie cares and is wholie carried vp vnto God there ought nothing to be more pleasant vnto vs than to occupie our selues in this kind of studie And it is to be lamented at this daie that the maner of praieng is so worne out of vre among Christians that it is a thing but rarelie vsed and especiallie in so great a light of the Gospell and of the holie scriptures It is no maruell then though all things doo wax so cold Certeinlie A similitude heat dooth there increase where the light can not easilie passe through but is heaten backe againe and as they saie reboundeth to the vpper parts Wherefore this lower part of the aire which compasseth the earth is most hot bicause the beames of the sunne which strike vpon the earth being not able for the thicknes thereof to perse doo rebound backe againe be in a maner doubled whereby the heat is stirred vp In like maner ought it to be in our harts when the light of Gods word shineth vpon them for when we haue receiued it we ought to returne it vnto God in making praiers vnto him to performe those things in vs which he hath commanded which he hath vouchsafed to reueale vnto vs. When we speake to God and God to vs. For when we read the scriptures God speaketh vnto vs but when we praie we speake vnto God And we ought verie often to vse this dialog that when we heare in the holie scriptures that God either reuealeth himselfe or commandeth anie things we againe for our part may desire of him that those things be not spoken in vaine vnto vs but may be doone with profit and fruit 2 We be also taught by Paule so to order our praiers that we praie not onelie for our selues but also for our neighbours Further Rom. 1 10. when he praieth that he might haue a prosperous iornie vnto the Romans he signifieth that our works should begin with praiers if we will haue them to haue good successe But some are feared awaie from calling vpon God bicause they saie he heareth them not But they ought to be confirmed séeing they heare that Paule was oftentimes let from going vnto Rome and yet continued he still in the same desire and vsed to repeat the selfe same praiers Yea and in the latter epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12. ◠he writeth that he desired no lesse than thrée times to be deliuered from the sting of the flesh vnto whom yet at the last answer was made that it was sufficient for him to haue the grace of God Wherfore either we be heard at length or else if that which we desire be not granted there is something granted in the stéed thereof far better and more profitable vnto our saluation God dooth oftentimes defer our requests Why God dooth oftentimes defer our requests to the end as Augustine saith in a certeine homilie that we may learne to desire great things with great feruentnesse Others are called awaie from praiers bicause they thus determine with themselues Although I desire not these things yet God will doo that which shall séeme good vnto him neither can his will be altered by my praiers But these men vnderstand not that God before he granteth anie good thing vnto his elect is woont excéedinglie to kindle their minds with a desire to obteine those things Why God will haue vs to praie for that which otherwise he is readie to giue Further when he will doo anie thing he stirreth vp those that are his to desire that which otherwise he would haue doone to the intent that for honour sake he might attribute the same vnto their praiers This is also another cause for that Gods benefits are then the more acceptable when they are craued and desired Moreouer in praieng our minds are more ioined vnto God Yea and these vowes and holie desires séeme to be nothing else but ladders and degrées whereby we ascend vp vnto God Neither doo the godlie doubtlesse while they praie thinke that by their praiers they deserue those things which they praie for That praiers be no causes of the benefits of God Why then wilt thou saie are praiers made I answer that they be as certeine waies and spaces whereby we come vnto that which we earnestlie desire Wherefore GOD will grant vnto vs those things which shall séeme to him profitable and conuenient but yet he hath decréed to giue them by these degrées not that praiers are the causes of his benefits but bicause they be as it were a waie wherby we must atteine to those things A similitude If thou wilt go vnto a riuer thou must go that waie which leadeth thither whereas neuerthelesse that is not the cause whereby thou commest to the riuer for if thou lacke powers of the mind and strength of the bodie thou goest thither in vaine A similitude And when a Schoolemaister goeth to the Schoole
against the God of Daniel should dye The like decrée made Darius afterward Ib. 6. 23. So likewise our Magistrates ought wholie to take away all Idolatries blasphemies and superstitions so soone as euer they shall finde them out The Ethnick princes neuer thought that the care of Religion appertained not vnto their power The Ethnick Princes accounted the care for religion to be in thē Why was Socrates condemned at Athens I demaund not now how rightlie or iustlie for as it is thought in a manner of all men Anitus and Melitus lyed against him This I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned but for Religion Socrates was condemned by the Magistrate for matters of Religion as though he taught new Gods and led away the youth from the auncient and receaued woorshipping of the Gods and he was by a prophane Magistrate condemned Wherefore the Athenians thought that the preseruation and care of Religion belonged to their Magistrate Leui. 24. 16 The lawe of God commaunded that the blasphemour should be put to death not I thinke by euerie priuate man or by the priestes but by the Magistrate The Ethnick Emperours also in those first times did for no other cause rage against the Christians but because they thought that the state of Religion belonged vnto their iudgemēt seate And assuredlie as touching this opinion they were not deceaued For none as Chrysostome saith either Apostle or Prophet Chrysost reprooued the people either Iewes or Ethnickes because they had a care of Religion but they were deceaued in the verie knowledge as touching Religion because they defended their owne as true and condemned the Christian as vngodlie and blasphemous Constantine and Theodosius and manie other godlie princes are commended because they tooke away Idols and either closed vp or else ouerthrew their Temples Howbeit they did not these thinges in anie other respect than that they thought the charge of Religion to belong vnto them otherwise they should haue bin busie fellowes and should haue put their Sickle into an other mans haruest The Donatists tooke this in verie ill part and gréeuouslie complained thereof in Augustines time because the Catholick Byshops required ayde of the ciuill Magistrate against them Augustine But Augustine confuted them by the selfe same Argument which I haue a little before rehearsed And addeth this moreouer why did ye accuse Caecilianus Byshop of Carthage before Constantine if it be wicked for an Emperour to determine concerning Religion 32 Furthermore there is gathered by those things which the same Father wrote against Petilianus and against Parmenianus also in manie other Epistles how that the Donatists accused Caecilianus as it is said before Constantine the Emperor who first referred the cause to Melchiades bishop of Rome And when by him they were ouercome they againe appealed to the Emperor neither reiected he their appellation frō him Appellatiō from the Pope to the Emperour in matters of religion but committed the matter to the Bishop of Orleance by whom they were againe cōdemned Neither rested they so but they appealed againe to the Emperour who heard them decided their cause condemned them and by his sentence quitted Caecilianus Where are they now which so often and so impudently crie The right of calling Councels in the Emperours that there is no appealing from the Pope and that the causes of Religion belong not to the Ciuill Magistrate To whom in the olde time belonged the right of calling generall Councels pertained it not vnto Emperours As for the Councell of Nice the Councell of Constantinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedon Emperours called them Leo the first of that name prayed the Emperour to call a Councell in Italie because he suspected the Gretians about the errour of Eutiches and yet could he not obtaine it And the Bishops were called togther to Chalcedonia whereat the Emperour was also present as was Constantine at the Coūcell of Nice Neither doe I thinke that they were there present to sit idle and to doe nothing but rather to set forth vnto the Bishops what they should do and to prouoke them to define rightly Theodoretus Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished the fathers to determine al things by the scriptures of the Euangelists Apostles Prophets and scriptures inspired from God Iustinian also in the Code wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Bishops of Priestes and other such like Yea and Augustine himselfe hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same maner to punish Idolaters and Heretikes Augustine with the same punishment that he punisheth adulterers withall for so much as they commit whoredome against God in minde which is much more heinous thā to commit whoredome in bodie And looke by what law murtherers are put to death Whoredom a more grieuous crime than adulterie by the same also ought Idolaters and Heretickes be punished for that by them are killed not the bodies but the soules Although the common people are stirred vp onelie against Homicides because it séeth the bloud of the slaine bodies but séeth not the death of the soules Surelie it is profitable that the Magistrate should take this care vpon him and by his authoritie compell men to come to the Sermons and to heare the word of God for by that meanes it commeth to passe that through often hearing those things begin to please which before displeased God hath prospered those Princes which haue had a care of Religion As the histories teach God hath oftentimes made godlie Princes famous through most noble victories which haue had a care of these things 33 Besides it cannot be denied but that it is the Magistrates dutie to defend those Cities and publike weales ouer which they are gouernors and to prouide that they take no harme Seeing then Idolatry is the cause of captiuitie plague famine ouerthrowing of publike weales shall it not belong vnto the Magistrate to represse it and to preserue both the true and sounde Religion Lastlie Paule teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline and in the feare of God But a good Magistrate is the father of the countrie wherefore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiects be instructed as common children Neuerthelesse Kinges and Princes which saie that these things pertaine not to them do in the meane time let giue and sell Bishopricks Abbies and benefices to whom they thinke good neither thinke they that this belongeth not to their office onelie they thinke that they ought not to take knowledge of matters of Religion and they neglect to prouide that they whom they promote to most ample dignities should execute their office rightly This therfore onelie remaineth for them euen that God himselfe will at length iudge of these things and reuenge their negligence The fourteenth Chapter Of the office of Magistrates especially in exercising of Iudgement PRinces for the most part in the time of great quietnesse In 2. Sam. 8. 15.
Howbeit Augustine desireth not that they should be wholy forgiuen but onelie that their bloud might not be shed Yet howsoeuer it were The example of Augustine the example of Augustine ought not to preiudice anie mans opinion sith we liue by lawes not by examples At this day if a man had killed a Minister or doone a robbery who would intreate for him But there was a refuge vnto the churches for such as were guiltie Admit it were so and we also doe not take away sanctuaries for God permitted them For if the cause be obscure they may better be there than in prison while the same be knowen Neuerthelesse the cause being manifest God himselfe commaunded that the wicked man should be taken from the verie altar and be slayne These be the thinges which mooue me to thinke that it is not lawfull for a prince to forgiue the punishment of offenders And assuredlie the wise men haue alwayes held that commonweale to be well ordered where verie few thinges are left to the power of the Iudges But fewe such thinges had the Commonwealth of the Israelites Yet had it some That which was defined by the lawes Deut. 13. 8. was in no wise to be remitted Let not thine eye saith God spare thine owne wife that sleepeth in thy bosome What is the office of a king in promotion of godlynesse looke the Epistles 18. and 36. at the end of this booke Of Executioners or Hangmen In Iud. 8. ver 10. Why Gideon stirred vp his son to kill the enemies 30 Moreouer Gideon did for this cause perhappes driue his sonne to slay the kings that he might inflame his heart from tender yeares against the enemies of Gods people as it is written of Hanniball who from a childe vowed himselfe against the Romans Or else he did it to learn him from his youth to obay the lawe of God Deut. 19. 17 wherein was commanded that the bloud of the next of the kin being shed should be reuenged But might not this haue bin committed to an executioner Why would he so vrge his sonne To this we may aunswere two wayes First that in the olde time it was not dishonourable to slay the guiltie The Hebrewes had no executioners Further that it cannot be perceiued that the auncient Hebrewes had executioners And that this for a certaintie was no office among the Hebrewes that which is writtē in the lawe testifieth namelie that a blasphemour being taken Deut. 13 9. 17. 7. was so stoned to death as the hand of the witnesses did throwe the first stone at him neither was putting to death committed to anie particular executioner And there are manie examples which testifie that it was not ignominious to slaie the guiltie 1. Sam. 22. ver 17. Saul when he would haue the priestes slayne did not call executioners to doe it but turned to the noble men which were with him and commaunded them to assaile the Priestes Who reuerencing their Ministerie and dignite durst not obay Onelie Doeg the Edomite was bolde to execute so horrible an acte who was not of the least estimation with the king 1. Sa. 15. 33. Also Samuel with his owne hand slewe king Agag the prisoner In like manner Ioab when he had caught hold of the horne of the Altar 1. Kings 2. 34. was slaine of Banaia the chiefe captaine of the hoste Wherefore it séemeth that the Hebrewes in those auncient times had no executioners But as much as may be gathered by the Historie of the Ethnickes the officers of punishmentes called Lictores Plutarch beganne at Rome vnder Romulus who as Plutarch writeth in the life of Romulus were called so either of Ligando that is of binding or else because the Gretians called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they executed a publike office Romulus gaue them roddes bound together to carrie and with them was ioyned an Axe They had also cordes therewith to binde the Citizens who being bound they might either beate them with roddes or strike them with the Axe But the men of more auncient time wanted this office euerie man executed the same according as it was commanded of the Magistrate without anie infamie vnto him And in verie déede that worke of punishing malefactors hath in it no dishonestie or vncomelinesse For if it be honest for a Iudge or Prince to giue sentence of death against euill doers why then shall it not be iust and honest to execute the same sentence Yea and God himselfe in punishing vseth not onelie euill spirites but good spirites 31 But thou wilt say Why the officers of execution haue commonlie ill report why are officers of punishment and executioners commonlie so euill spoken of First because the common people are greatlie afraid of them Neither would anie man be punished for his wicked factes Hereby it commeth that the sight of the Executioner driueth a certaine horror into them And that the people were so affected the maner of the publike weale of Rome declareth where when ambitious men flattered the people more than was méete they banished the executioner from the iudgement place from the sight of men and from the chiefe house in Rome as euen the Oration of Cicero for Rabirius dooth testifie The Citizens of Rome were not put to death for any crime The Citizens of Rome were not beaten with roddes nor put to death Their extremest punishment was banishment They were caried into Ilandes and at the length condemned to the Mines But the latter Roman lawes which are in the Digests did quite disanull this exemption For in verie deede it was vniust For a fault woorthie of death ought not to be winked at whatsoeuer Citizen of Rome were Author of it And there were two principall lawes whereby the back and the head of the Citizens were prouided for The Lawe Portia and Sempronia Acts. 22. 25 I meane the lawe Portia and Sempronia whose power and protection Paul as we haue it in the Actes vsed and by that meanes escaped both roddes and bondes This is one cause why the officers of punishment and executioners are so odious 32 An other cause hereof is the papisticall opinion of irregularitie The irregularitie of the Canonists which as the Canonistes will haue it is gathered of euerie manslaughter These men thinke that a man cannot so iustlie kill anie man but that the same will let him from being promoted to the holy Ministerie whereas neuerthelesse the Inquisitors of heretical leawdnesse as they call it doe dailie cause an infinite number and those innocentes to be killed The Popes Legates also in gouerning of Cities and prouinces and making of warres although they be Cardinals and Byshops doe still continuallie cause bloud to be shed But in the meane time with great hypocrisie they prouide that the sentence be giuen by a lay Iudge as they call him and so they wrappe themselues out of that irregularitie
be excused than they which sinne by the instigation of lust proposition 3 The primitiue church had more prophets than the church now hath bicause signes were requiâ—… or the gathering of men vnto Christ and bicause that christian doctrine could not yet be had of godlie men by humane studie proposition 4 We haue not as the old synagog had perpetuall prophets bicause onelie Christ and his spirit which is present with his church succéeded all the old fathers Propositions out of the xxi chapter of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 AN oth is a confirmation of the will of God or a testimonie of diuine things proposition 2 An oth of his owne nature is good proposition 3 It is lawfull for a christian man to sweare proposition 4 Although that an oth arise of an ill occasion yet is it of a good cause proposition 5 An oth whereby those things are confirmed which be repugnant with the word of God is void proposition 6 To auoid periurie it is good not to sweare but seldome and for great causes proposition 7 We must not sweare by the names of idols Probable proposition 1 TO sweare by creatures is not altogither forbidden by God proposition 2 They are not excused from periurie which doo vse fraudulent and craftie words proposition 3 It is lawfull for christians to take oths of infidels although they sweare by the names of their idols Propositions out of the xxij and xxiij chapters of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 TEmptation is an vnknowne searching out of a thing to find out the knowledge thereof proposition 2 It cannot be denied but that God is the author of temptations proposition 3 God must not so be accounted the author of temptations as the fault of sinnes should be reiected vpon him proposition 4 It is lawfull for godlie men to resist temptations by praier proposition 5 Godlie men are not afraid of temptations whereby they should be excluded from eternall life proposition 6 To wéepe in funeralles is not forbidden proposition 7 Although death happen to no man but by the will of God yet they which sorrowe for the death of others doo not against the will of God proposition 8 We must beware least the prolonging or increasing of sorrowe be not against the faith of the resurrection proposition 9 Whether the dead doo lie buried or vnburied it maketh no matter as touching their owne saluation proposition 10 To be adorned with a sepulchre or to be destitute thereof is a solace or sadnesse of them that be aliue proposition 11 The care of burieng the dead must be reteined as a religious dutie proposition 12 The reuelation which commandeth that the bones of martyrs should be digged out of sepulchres to the intent they should be worshipped is not to be beléeued Probable proposition 1 IT is an absurditie to burie dead bodies in temples proposition 2 The saints which be dead are ignorant of themselues what is doone about their dead bodies or sepulchres proposition 3 It is agréeable vnto godlinesse for a man to choose himselfe a place to be buried in Propositions out of the xxiiij and xxv chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 THe seruant of Abraham which prescribed himselfe a signe to knowe the wife chosen by the Lord vnto Isaac did not tempt God proposition 2 He that séeketh an experiment of the power of God to the intent his owne faith or the faith of others may be the better confirmed or that he himselfe or others may be instructed such a one dooth not tempt God proposition 3 They doo tempt GOD which without a true faith but rather of a contempt doo séeke signes to satisfie their owne curiositie or desire proposition 4 To tempt GOD is without a cause to make triall of his power goodnesse and faith proposition 5 Curiositie is an immoderate desire of knowing whereby either we séeke those things that should not be sought or if they should be sought we séeke them not the right waie proposition 6 The women which somtimes in the holie scriptures are said to be the patriarchs concubines were their wiues proposition 7 Those things which are due vnto vs by predestination we ought to praie for and labour to atteine vnto proposition 8 Since predestination signifieth an eternall action of God we cannot assigne anie efficient cause thereof out of God proposition 9 We grant that God dooth predestinate them whom he forknew would vse well his gifts but we denie that the same good vse of Gods gifts is a cause of Gods predestination proposition 10 Our calling the good vse of Gods gifts faith and other vertues and holie actions of godlie men may be causes and beginnings of predestination but as from the latter and to knowe them by proposition 11 The declaration of the goodnesse and righteousnesse of GOD is the finall cause but there may be assigned a generall cause of Gods predestination Probable proposition 1 THe fathers sought wiues out of their owne kindred that a greater conformitie of maners might be had in matrimonie and that the worship of GOD might the more firmelie flourish among them and that they might haue the lesse familiaritie with infidels proposition 2 The barren which are described in the old testament to haue brought foorth no fruit declare fruitfulnesse to be the gift of God and doo confirme the childbirth of the virgine lastlie they signifie the regeneration of the children of God whervnto mans strength is not able to atteine proposition 3 Now are there no oracles shewed vnto vs as there were vnto the old synagog bicause Christ was appointed the end of oracles and by him came a more plentifull spirit and finallie there be now extant more and more cléere scriptures than the fathers had Propositions out of the xxv xxvi and xxvij chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 ALbeit God reuealeth vnto men some thing that shall come to passe it is not therefore lawfull for them to doo against the laws of God or against the rule of reason to bring it to passe proposition 2 Although they that doo vs good be but wicked men yet ought we with a thankfull mind both doo them good and wish them well proposition 3 When in the holie scriptures are shewed anie of the fathers sinnes we must not séeke from thence an example of life but rather woonder there at the faithfulnesse of God proposition 4 When the world is pressed with famine it is not to be doubted but that sinnes are punished thereby proposition 5 God otherwhile dooth good vnto the posteritie for the deserts of their forefathers which be now dead proposition 6 Albeit that enuie is a gréeuous sinne yet to be mooued with indignation and zeale dooth sometimes happen without blame proposition 7 Vehement perturbations of the mind must be auoided that we may be apt instruments of the holie Ghost proposition 8 The actions of the fathers which we sée haue a shew of sinne if we will grant that they were
that receiueth the sacraments as touching the substance of them otherwise than they were instituted by God it is dangerous vnto him and an abhomination vnto God proposition 6 As God called sacrifices abhomination when they were doone without faith so may we truelie determine of other good works in generall which be doone without faith Probable proposition 1 THe originall of lights in the Church procéeded hereof that the temples in old time were darke and the christians watched there in the night proposition 2 The eleuation and motion of the bread in the Masse which is doone by the massing priests is taken out of Leuiticus by reason of the lifting vp and moouing of those things which were offered vnto God Propositions out of the eleuenth chapter of the booke of the Iudges And the brethren cast foorth Ieptha and said Thou shalt be no heire in our fathers house for thou art the sonne of a strange woman proposition 1 As touching the punishments of eternall damnation Deut. 24 16 Eze. c. 18 20 euerie one shall beare his own burthen not another mans proposition 2 Whereas some are said to suffer temporall punishments for others they cannot complaine but themselues haue deserued the same proposition 3 GOD committeth no iniustice if at anie time he punish the children with temporall punishments for the safetie of their parents proposition 4 It must not onelie be attributed to the iustice but also to the mercie of GOD that he punisheth the sinnes of the parents vnto the third and fourth generation proposition 5 Séeing that good men are bewrapped in the temporall punishments of the wicked GOD hath appointed a discipline vpon the earth proposition 6 This is proper vnto GOD and must not be vsed of men to punish children for the sinnes of their parents when they consent not to their parents crimes Thus end the Propositions of Doctor Peter Martyr out of the bookes of Genesis Exodus Leuiticus and Iudges A disputation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist held within the famous Vniuersitie of Oxford betweene D. Peter Martyr and other Diuines of that Vniuersitie Peter Martyr to the Christian reader THere be two causes that haue moued me to write of the Eucharist namelie the slanders of euill men and the desires of my freends The one whereof to contemne had beene a point of vncurtesie and the other to neglect were vngodlie since I perceiued that thereof depended no small hinderance to the religion of GOD. For if onelie mine owne cause were heere dealt withall I might easilie haue contemned these things sith I make not so great an account of mine owne estimation that I thinke I ought to be mooued with the slanders of aduersaries and with the vaine rumors of enimies I knowe it is a wise mans part to dissemble verie manie things and especiallie such as be of this sort and that Christian charitie endureth all things that it seeketh not his owne but those things that be Iesus Christs howbeit not mine owne cause but Christs is here in hand not my name but the word of God is ill reported of For the danger of the authoritie of the ministerie is so ioined with the word of God as it reacheth euen to himselfe for so we see it come to passe that albeit good and godlie things be neuer so godlie and learnedlie handled yet if he that handleth them shall want authoritie speciallie if he be defaced or disgraced by anie blemish they proceed with little or no fruit at all But what the impudencie of some hath spred abroad as concerning the disputation had by me at Oxford the summer last past and how they slandered me to all sorts of men both princes noble men commonaltie citizens and countrie men I will not saie for they haue doone nothing in secret but euerie corner street house shop and tauerne doo still sound of their lieng triumphs and victories And I doubt not but that these ill reports are come also into other nations Wherefore one cause that vrged mee to set foorth these disputations was this and another as I said at the beginning is the requests of freends which in verie deed I denied vntill this present time as well for that I knew there were bookes enow extant of this matter wherein euerie godlie man might be sufficientlie instructed as also for that no man knoweth mine owne dooings better than my selfe which hitherto I haue so accounted of as I would not gentle reader hinder thee by them from the reading of better bookes But now these my freends being mooued and that not a little with the false reports of euill men haue so vrged me that granting to the requests of some compelled by the authoritie of others at the length I yeelded For what could I denie vnto the most reuerend Archbishop of Canturburie vnto whom I am most of all beholding Or what could I denie to the kings visitors which were not onelie present at these disputations but were also presidents thereof Wherfore I deliuer vnto thee this disputation Looke this treatise before part 4 chap. 10. togither with a treatise of the same matter for the plainer declaration thereof All which things I haue written in simple sort and as I may saie without anie stile neuerthelesse faithfullie For as concerning the disputation I compared mine owne with the examples of the aduersaries Which when I had diligentlie read those things which I sawe I had omitted that were of some importance I indeuoured as much as the truth of the matter would suffer to restore againe out of their writings and whereas I perceiued them otherwhile to haue expounded their reasons more largelie and in writing to haue handled them more artificiallie than they were vttered in the time of disputing I also reteining the truth of the matter haue expounded the same somewhat more largelie which neuerthelesse happeneth verie seldome But as concerning the effect the principall points and substance of the arguments and of the confutations or answers I haue not so far as I knowe changed or inuerted anie thing wherein I might doo wrong to them which disputed with me yea and I haue caused that oftentimes and in a maner alwaies the selfe-same words might be set downe which we vsed on either side when we disputed togither so far as either my memorie would serue me or their notes which gathered would giue me to vnderstand Whosoeuer therefore was present at our disputation shall perceiue that in truth there was no argument omitted nor added and shall vnderstand that I haue no where fled from the summe and sense of those things that were spoken But and if anie ill disposed persons shall for such is their nature complaine that I haue omitted or wrested anie thing those things let them put in writing and let them not deale against me by words which maketh no matter if they be spent in vaine but let them deale by written reasons which sith men may both read and well consider this kind of disputation
in the power of an other man Neither is there anie further waie open of flying honestlie away But this must be vnderstoode according to the lawes prescribed For if God shoulde bring thée out of prison as in olde time he did Peter by his Angell Acts. 12. 7. that shoulde be a speciall act whereof wee at this time speake not But all this disputation of ours hath respect vnto this onelie to let thée vnderstand that the flying which is contained within the compasse of due meanes and circumstance is not repugnant to the rule of charitie but doeth rather verie well agrée therewith I haue for this cause disputed so largelie of this matter because I sée manie They that condemne flight doe it for the safetie of their goods and especiallie in our countrie of Italie which being indued with some light of the trueth are like vnto contentious aduocats For euen as they if they defend an vniust cause search out with all diligence for some lawe which maie anie manner of waie leane to their ill purpose to the intent they may séeme to defende their cause vnder the zeale of iustice so those our men doe tarie at home where they dare not come in sight for the faith and truth sake and whereas they first leaue this vndoone this other also doe they omit to wit by not flying awaie which might be a cleare testimonie of their syncere faith which they doe being detained by the linkes of commodities and benefites of this worlde Vnto whom we cannot do a greater pleasure than if by our writings and sermons wee shoulde teach that flying awaie is not lawfull vnto Christians that vnder this pretence they maie commodiouslie inioye their goods After the same manner also are the foolishe sort which be sicke affected who if they be sicke either of a wound or impostume when they will not admit either searing or launcing they most loue and giue eare vnto those Phisitians which by the testimonie of some excellent writer reprooue such a way of healing that they may séeme to refuse those remedies not because themselues are ouer-nice but because the remedies agrée not with their diseases Howbeit euen as these sicke men at the length miserablie die and as those vniust aduocates before a wise and prudent Iudge fall in their cause so these men of ours refusing the best remedie for their griefe doe defile their consciences with dissimulation superstitious ceremonies and déepe silence or else which is woorst of all by detestable abiuration For all they which in the reformed and godlie Churches doe rightlie iudge of things vnderstand that the vniust and vnbridled desires of the goods of this life haue bin the cause hereof Wherefore since the intent of their minde is euill it is no maruell if they haue a woorse end He that will not denie himselfe certainlie he shall neuer liue according to the rule of the Gospell He that will liue vnto himselfe and retaine Christian profession is like vnto him that will build without cost or make warre without anie armie Luk. 14. 28. or ouercome enemies without forces He that is not dead to himselfe nor flyeth from himselfe shall neuer confirme the Christian trueth either by triumph of martyrdome or by laudable godlie or Christian flying away Wherefore I beséech you my most déere brethren in the Lord that at the length you will deale in good earnest dissimulations and faininges must be left vnto hypocrites and stage players If Christ and his Gospell which you by the benefit of God haue both imbrased and confessed be a trueth why doe you execute his commaundementes so coldlie But if you iudge it but a Poets woorke or a fable why delay you it to speake it openlie Why make you semblance to beléeue it God suffereth not himselfe to be mocked Mal. 6. 7. Matt. 6. 24. He requireth all the strength of man No man can serue him and Mammon both together nor yet obey two Lordes commaunding contrarie things If the Gospell be true it must be preferred before life and other our worldlie thinges Souldiers dare ieopard their life for them whose partes they take A great manie of Marchants spēd all their life long in strange countries to make themselues rich They which saile by shippe enter day and night into extreme perils of sea for purposes full of vncertaintie And are we vnto whome the kingdome of heauen eternall life and true felicitie is surelie promised of God so dull slothful and slacke in laying downe this mortall life and these miserable goods for his sake when occasion is offered that we should not denie the trueth The Lord at the length take away so great offence reproch and contumelie from his children make them all faithfull constant valiant prompt and readie and perswade that they which die for this truth sake doe passe into eternall life and they which leaue this their temporall countrie doe flie from hell and doe mount to the kingdome of heauen To the College of Saint Thomas in Strasborough IT would right reuerend Sirs deare beloued brethren haue bin much more to my liking to send you rather ioyfull than discomfortable newes But since it hath thus séemed good vnto the prouidence of God which is neuer to be accused it behooueth that I also doe beare that which hath happened with as good a minde as I can Hitherto perhaps I might bee suspected of negligence that I haue not written vnto you but because I knewe that this was diligently doone by Maister Bucer I thought there was no néede of my letters for that I am sure ye did sometimes vnderstande what we both did and what expectation of things might be looked for But nowe is he departed in peace to his and our Lorde Iesus Christ euen the last day of Februarie to the great sorrowe of all godly men and most of all to mée Neither doe I doubt but that yée my reuerend associates wil take great griefe since the Church the Schoole and our College hath lost so worthie a man This man had now ouercome the greatest difficulties and troubles which are woont to hinder beginnings so that he was nowe accepted in a manner of all the godly and learned sort of that Vniuersitie wherin he professed Therefore God would that he shoulde now reape the fruite of his labours and that his long tyred warfare shoulde be adorned with the honour of triumph He is well prouided for we are to bee accounted miserable or rather vnhappie who are yet tossed in the stormes of calamities Wherefore I desire the immortall God who for his mercie sake hath made him to rest in peace will also deliuer vs from the scourges hanging ouer our heades And no lesse doe I wishe that our Chapter may bee prouided of a Deane and gouernour which may be compared in learning and godlinesse with his predecessor I bid ye all farewell in the Lorde From Oxford in England the 8. of March 1551. To the Widowe of D.
thankes for your so gentle and louing intertayning of Iulius Truelie hee declareth manie thinges of your coutesie which in verie déede are not onelie beléeued of mee but those thinges which of your goodnesse you haue doone vnto him I make account of them to be done vnto my selfe And I beséech God that he wil long preserue you in health amongst vs. Fare well right reuerende Prelate I beséech you loue mee still as you do My Wife heartilie saluteth you and both of vs together sende you louing salutations From Tigure the 23. daie of August 1561. To Maister Iohn Caluin 50. ALbeit right excellent man Our Beza will in his owne person shewe you all things which are here doone with vs in that matter for the which he came yet did I thinke good not to let him passe from hence without my letters whereby I might partlie salute you and parlie also signifie of howe ready and willing a minde I am to obaie the desires of the Frenchchurches Trulie I will neuer refuse anie labours nor anie perils in so notable a cause God which is the fountayne original of all good things vouchsafe to prosper our enterprise In the meane time assure you your selfe of me in all thinges which are in my power to do Fare well my good friende God long preserue you in safetie and blesse your godlie labours From Zuricke the 13. of Iulie 1561. I pray you salute my Lorde Marques To Maister Iohn Caluin 51. THe Kinges Ambassadour a very noble man hath found the meanes that the French Kinges safeconducte is brought hither which whē I had read I iudged it to be strong sufficient enough Bullinger shewed the same to both the Consuls who aunswered that they thought the matter was nowe delt in good earnest but they thinke not that as yet anie thing is to be determined of the iourney vntil of this matter somwhat be written out of France which also I perceiued to be your iudgement by those things which you wrote vnto me But as touching me I continue in the same minde and will which I protested here to our louing brother Beza and which I signified vnto you by my last letters I chaunge not my mind but I promise that in this matter I will by the grace of God doe whatsoeuer lieth in mee and I will protract no time so soone as euer I shall be dismissed I giue you most heartie thankes for the bookes I haue not yet read them because of my businesse Howbeit I doubt not but that they smell of the store-house of your goodnesse and learning The letters which you verie prouidentlie wrote vnto the king both we haue reade and doe also verie well like of them And doubt you not but we will take great héede that neither they be spread abroad nor yet that they goe farre from me Bullinger and the other fellowe ministers salute you God long preserue you my good friende in health and richlie blesse your labours From Zuricke the 13. of August 1561. To Henrie Bullinger 52. SInce the letters which I sent from Newburge the 30. Peter Martyrs iourney into Fraunce day of August I coulde not hitherto write any thing partly because I was in continuall iourney and partly because there was no store of cariers But nowe when I was come to Paris whole and safe together with my companie the 9. day of September I thought nothing better than to finde meanes that you might vnderstande of these things First that the verie same day wherein wee departed from Newburge about noone we came to the Ambassador who intertained mée with so great courtesie fauour and loue as nothing coulde bee more and all the whole iourney had no lesse care of mée than if I had bin his brother or sonne and when my horse was pricked in the foote with a naile so as he became lame he gaue mée a strong and lustie ambling horse of his owne which I vsed commodiouslie till I came hither What will you say He omitted no partes which can bee looked for of a most friendly man Wherefore I thinke my selfe verie much bounde vnto him and especiallie because I perceiued that he greatly fauoureth you and our Common weale and verie much loueth the Church We seldome departed from the table during all the iourney but that there was honourable and louing mention made of you This morning wee are one seuered from another for a while For he withdrewe himselfe to his owne house out of the towne To morowe or the day following he wil méete with mée at the Court which is at S. Germans As for mée I entered into the Citie bountifully louingly and friendly intertained by the kings Treasurer in his owne house For among other faithfull men he is an earnest fauourer of the Gospell Our friend Pradella went before and certifyed the Princes in the Court of my comming who he saieth are verie glad thereof I meane the Quéene Mother the king of Nauarre the Prince of Condie and the Admirall They did all salute mee verie friendly by him and I am appointed by them that I shoulde rest at Paris all this after noone vntill night To morowe at seuen of the clocke in the morning I shall goe to the Court whither that I might bee caried the more easilie the Prince of Condie hath sent mée his Mulet which goeth very easilie He sent also vnto mee to welcome mée both his Phisitian and his Secretarie This day they haue begun the conference and they say that we must first dispute of the Authoritie of the worde of God Beza conferred once with the Cardinall of Loraine who although he be stoutely against our opinion yet did he by expresse wordes forsake Transubstantiation The conference must be had in the Frenche tongue because both the King and the Quéene and the Princes will be present and heare it Wherefore I shall not speake among them but shall counsell assist and suggest such things so my associates as shall bee thought good I shall deale as they say with the Quéene who is saide to perswade her selfe of manie thinges touching mée The plague beginneth to bee somewhat busie in the Citie but the rumor of the euill is greater than is the hurt The Cardinall of Ferrara is not yet entered into the Citie All the faithfull request of the King that they may haue frée licence graunted them to méete at their holy assemblies This as yet they haue not obtained which nowe they hope they shall obtaine albeit that in diuers partes of the kingdome they haue Churches alreadie These things haue I written to daie To morowe I will tell you more and more certaine newes when I shall haue bin at the Court. The next day after I came to the Court namely vnto S. Germans where of our brethren the Coloquutors I was very friendlie and brotherlie receiued The conference of Poyssi The conference is had at Poyssi which place is from hence a litle Frenche mile where the Bishops also doe
haue béene oftentimes doone for the escaping thereof read examples 2 282 b Who they be that abhorre and feare it 3 85 b A consolation for the taking thereof 3 318 a Whether Christ in remoouing of sinne remooued it 3 315 a Why God will haue it to be gréeuous to his 3 319 a The state of the faithfull after it 3 235 a Whether it is to be accounted euill or good 3 317 a Whether it ouercome all men without exemption 3 380 ab Whether the essentiall beginnings of man do perish thereby 3 365 b Howe it is made profitable to Gods children 3 319 a The procurer thereof 3 43 a The bodie of the first man was not of necessitie subiect vnto Death 2 246 a Whether God would the Death of a sinner 3 42 ab The difference betwéene the Death of a man and a beast 3 332 a The Death of the bodie dependeth of the death of the soule 3 42 b Howe the Death of our bodie cannot be called death 2 589 b The Death which children suffer is a reason to prooue that they haue originall sinne 2 215 b What Ierom writeth touching the Death of Esai 1 31 a By what scriptures the Death of Christ is prooued 2 608 ab Most ignominious read how 2 618 ab Why Christs Death was so acceptable to his father 2 610 b What we must cal vpon in thinking thereof 2 607 b 608 ab Christ called Death baptisme 4 114 a Debt What the ciuill lawe determined touching priuate and publike Debt 4 315b 316 a Debtors The lawes of God touching Debters 4 316 a Ciuil lawes for them 4 315 ab Deceipt What Deceipt is and wherein it is forbidden 2 534 b ¶ Looke Guile Dedication Consecration and Dedication differ 4 â—24 b Of what strength the names thereof be 4 123 a A lawfull kind of Dedication 1 126 a What is to be doone at the Dedication of a Church 4 66 a From whence it came among Christians 4 124 a 123 a Dedication of the walles of a Citie 4 123 b Of the Hebrues 4 124 b Of Bizantium or Constantinople 4 123b The rites of the Ethniks 4 124 a Of priuate houses 4 123 ab ¶ Looke Consecration Defect Euerie Defect maketh not a thing euill prooued 2 222 b Definitions Thinges differing in nature haue some things common in their Definitions 3 91 b Delaie God vseth Delay in his guifts for thrée considerations 2 332 a Deliberation Concerning what things Deliberation is néedefull and concerning what it is néedlesse 2 253 a In what holy thing it néedeth not 2 316 a It doth not properly concerne pleasant grosse delights 2 295 b Demonstrations Demonstrations of two sorts 3 333 ab Descending The Descending of Christ into hel 2 621 a 3 374. 375. 344 a ¶ Looke Christ and Hell Desire Whether the power of Desire and of anger be all one 2 409b 410 a How it is carried vnto those things which be pleasant and vnpleasant 2 295 a An argument that it is not choise and that desire is contrarie to desire 2 294 b 295 a How contrarie anger is thereunto 2 410 a It commeth néerer to the sense than anger doth 1 410 a Howe the desire of praise must be reformed 2 382 b Desire of honour in Alexander and Iulius Cesar noted 1 144 ab It driueth men somtimes to madnesse 2 383 a The moderate Desire of honour is not to be blamed and what is saide to and fro therof 1 143 ab 144 a ¶ Looke Honour and Praise Desires Desires may be plucked away from the worke so cannot pleasures 1 136 b Contrarie Desires cannot be both at once in one man 2 295 a The Desires of actions are sundry and are the causes that pleasures doe varie 1 136 b Desperation Against Desperation 3 85 ab Wherof it procéedeth 3 68 a What faith and feare driueth men thereto 3 92 b 66 a 67 a It is one of the extremes of hope 3 68 a A woonderfull example of the same 3 23 b 24 a Destinie Destinie defended 3 6 b In what respect the Stoikes seuer mans wil from it 2 280 a Boetius opinion from whence it hath his name 1 174 b The reason why the Stoiks bring it in 2 277 b What kinde of necessitie they defined it to be 1 175 b The Ethnikes thereby vnderstoode God 3 36 a A subtle argument of Origens touching the same 3 6 ab Whether by the doctrine of Predestination it be confirmed 3 4 b 5 a Fauourers thereof 3 38 ab 39 a Wee must absteine from the name and why 3 5 a Howe the word is to be allowed or not allowed 3 36 a 9 a Destruction In what respectes Christ ma. bée called Destruction 3 355 a Whether the Destruction of cities and men belong to Gods seruices 2 403 b Deuises Platos narration of a Demon that presented Thamus king of Aegypt with foure of his Deuises and what they were 1 52 a Di. Diceplay Against their reasons which defende Diceplay 2 525 b 526 a Condemned by the ciuill lawes 2 525 b Iustinians decrée for the abolishing thereof 2 525 b Whether thinges lost thereby be recouerable 2 526a Discipline Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill Of Discipline and what the same is 1 57 a 2 634 a In what thing the ecclesiasticall consisteth 4 56 a Defined 4 96 a No inuention of man 4 56 b Life and manners must be tryed thereby 4 16 b Almost vtterly lost 3 236 a Vnto whome it belongeth and that it must be learned 1 154. Ciuill Discipline must not be neglected of Infidels and why 2 264 a By it the scourges of Gods wrath are auoyded 3 10 a The Ethnikes doe sinne lesse by kéeping therof than by reiecting of it 2 264 a By what meanes it is preserued in the worlde 2 364 b 365 a 466 b Discontinuance Of Discontinuance in artes sciences vertues c. and the effect of the same 1 161 b Diseases What Christes healing of bodily Diseases teacheth vs. 3 129 b 130 a The daunger of the contagious and that wee ought to auoide it 2 312 b Not onely bodilie but also of the minde deriued from the parentes to the children 2 231 a The causes of them and their difference 2 553 b Such as come by kinde doe passe from the parents to the Children 2 239 b They haue naturall causes and howe the Philistines behaued themselues in their diseases 1 13 b Dispensations A Dispensation graunted by God to the Iewes to marrie with the seuen nations of Chanaan 2 446 b Touching Polygamie and the reasons why 2 425 a 427 a Dispensations Whether the Pope may graunt Dispensations in cases of matrimonie 2 445 b For marriage betwéen parties of degrées forbidde 2 451 a The Schoolemen defende it 2 453 a For othes 2 537 b Dissentions Dissentions in the Church of the Iewes and of the Apostles 4 3 a Are no iust proofes that the Church is not the true Church 4 2 b 3 a ¶ Looke Contentions
ghost is in vs before faith 2 578 a A long contention betweene the Greeke and Latine Churches whether hee proceeded from the Sonne 1 107 b Whether hee should haue taken vpon him some visible nature as the sonne did seeing he was also sent 1 109 a He is not the same that be his giftes 2 627 b Of sinne against the Holie ghost 3 239 a 206 b 207 a Why it is irremissible 2 628 a Not apparently knowen 4 59a Whether such are to bee excluded from hearing Gods worde 1 57 b 58 a Whether all hope of their saluation is to bee cast away 4 59 a Holinesse What Holinesse is in the infants of faithfull parents 4 115 ab 2 25◠ab Whether a Holinesse consist in fasting 3 255 ab Homousion Of the worde Homousion and howe the olde Catholikes coulde not away with it 1 108 b Honestie A distinction of naturall Honestie out of Phil. Melanchthon 2 425 b Honor. Definitions of Honour or glorie 1 142 a 141 b 2 381 b Greater Honor must not be done to anie than the worthinesse of his person requireth ◠144 b Whether at any time it bee seuered from vertues and iust deedes or ioyned alwayes with them 1 142 b Howe and in what cases errour and offence is done on the part of him that doeth giue Honour 1 145 a Herod Domitian and Nero had Honour done them farre aboue their degree 1 144 b How Aristotles doctrine touching Honour agreeth or disagréeth with the Scripture 1 145 b It is not the cheefest good and reasons why 1 146 b 145 b 141 b 142 a What Honour is due vnto Princes and excellent creatures 2 342 b 377. 378 Wherein the Honour due to parents consisteth 2 380 b How Honour is ioyned vnto actions to what actions 1 141 b Whether the desire of Honour should bee accounted among good things or euill things 1 143 a Whether the testimonie of one honest and wise man be sufficient thervnto or the signification of many required 1 142 b The causes thereof both formall and efficient and in what signes the matter thereof shal be 1 141 b How Honour followeth vertue as the shadowe doth followe the body reade the similitude 1 142 b 143 a It is of the kinde of those thinges which are referred to some other thing prooued by scripture 1 145 b Whether it bee his that giueth it or his to whom it is giuen 1 142 a In giuing it vnto good men what we get and in contemning them what we gaine 1 143 b What kinde of Honour it is which we should to good and honest men 1 143 b The chéefe and perfect Honour that the faithfull shall haue of Christ at the last day of iudgement 1 144 a Honor is the good both of him that doth giue it and of him to whom it is giuen 1 142 a A rule of Augustines to be obserued in the receiuing of Honour 1 144 b Honour is not indéede the rewarde of vertues 2 381 b 382 a That we must not take too much care for it and of diuerse that haue hunted after it 1 144 ab Of how large and ample a signification this word Honour is 377 ab It must not be desired simplie and for it owne sake 1 144 a A sentence of Salust touching the desire thereof 2 382 a Why we do Honour vnto excellent men 2 381 b The right way to come to Honour is vertuous actions 1 144 b In what things the Honour due to God consisteth 2 342 b Honours In what respects Honours do profite them that doe well 1 144 a The duetie of them that yéelde and giue Honours vnto others 1 145 a Of such as buy them being a vice condemned by all iust lawes 1 144 b Why they are to be desired 1 143 b A diuision of them some small and slender othersome sounde and substantiall 1 142 a Cautions to bee vsed in the admitting of them 2 381 b Honours may soone be taken away 1 145 b It is lawfull for holy men to take them being offered and why 2 381 b We must vse them well when we haue gotten them and how some abuse honours 1 145 a Are compared to a brittle glasse 1 142 a Hope A definition of Hope 3 85 b Of two sorts 3 87b 88 a Why God gaue it vs. 3 86b The obiect and subiect thereof 3 84 a The vse of the same 3 88 a The certeintie and vncertaintie thereof 3 82. 83. 84 ab 87 b 88 a Whereupon it depēdeth dependeth not 3 82 ab 83 a Whether Hope dependeth of merits 3 86 b How it doeth not confound 3 82 ab Of what extreames it is the meane 3 67 b Whether it bee the forme of faith 3 74 ab It conteineth expectation or attendance 3 86 a Howe Hope is after and not after faith 3 85 b It hath respect vnto difficult thinges as howe 3 86 a Taken for regeneration and for faith 3 158 a The difference betwéene it and faith 3 86 b It is an affect of the angrie power and why 2 410 a Howe emulation and Hope are ioyned together 2 417 b In it is sorrow ioyned together with ioy 3 86 a Whether the sainctes in heauen haue Hope 3 88 a Faith Hope and charitie are inseparable 3 72 a Christian Hope is carried vnto those good things which cannot bée séene and howe 1 1 a 2 a Howe it is discerned from the counterfait 3 87 b Whether the workes of charitie and it be iust 3 156 b Whether Paul were frustrate thereof as it should séeme by his words 3 86 b 87 a Hope is a golden chaine and how it is confirmed 3 88b What is required for the triall thereof 3 87 b The Hope of Christians and Ethnikes differ 3 89 a What it is to beléeue in Hope contrarie to hope 3 96 a The Godlie in affliction cast it not away 3 85 a In what part of euerie liuing creatures minde it consisteth 3 86 a Howe absurdlie the schoolemen define it 3 83 ab It calleth those thinges which are to come as alreadie doone 3 84 b Howe Hope and charitie are ingendred of faith 3 74 b Whether good workes auaile to the certaintie of Hope 3 86 b What the fathers of the Church say of the same 3 85 ab Horses Howe Salomon had such store of Horses sith Palestine bréedeth verie few 4 317 a The price of these Horses 4 318 b Hospitals Hospitals néere vnto Temples 4 17 b Hospitalitie Hospitalitie becommeth a noble man 2 522 a Whereof we may gather that it is a verie good vertue 1 49 b To followe it is more than to kéepe it 2 522 a The lawes thereof ought ordinarily to bee kept vnuiolate prooued 2 522 b 523 a Inioyned vnto ministers 4 17 b The swallow noted for an enimie thereto 2 522 b 523 a The Hospitalitie of Abraham Lot and others 2 522 a Whether Iohell did right in violating the lawes of Hospitalitie 2 522 ab Lot
faults 4 259 b Nemesis A definition of Nemesis called of some indignation 2 413 a A difference betweene it and crueltie 3 21 b We must seldome giue place thereto and why 2 413 b The obiects of that affect 2 413 b It is a meane betwéene enuie mercie 2 413 b The agreement difference betweene mercie Nemesis 2 413 b It is in the iust godly 2 413 a ¶ Looke Affects Ni. Night The Night diuided into foure watches 3 256 a ¶ Looke VVatches Nilus Nilus thought to be one of the riuers of Paradise 1 126 a A very old ruier and of the vncerteine originall thereof 1 126 a Nimblenesse Of the Nimblenesse of our bodies at our resurrection 3 359 a ¶ Look Resurrection No. Nobilitie Wherein Nobilitie consisteth 4 311 b 312 a 313a The lack therof is no hinderance vnto felicitie 1 149 a Required thereto and why 1 148 a In what estimation the people of God had their Nobilitie 1 148 b 4 312 ab Arguments against Nobilitie by birth 4 312 b 313 a Vnto whome Christes Nobilitie is communicated 4 313 b Number A Number definite or certeine put for a number indefinite or vncertein 3 358b 3â—2b 396 b 2 237 a Of the Number of seuen and how the same compriseth all former numbers 1 3 a and betokeneth a complete number 2 362 b Numbers Why error may séeme to be committed in Numbers 1 51 b Ob. Obedience Obedience is the chiefe fruite of faith 1 70 b In what respects it is to be done to Princes 4 285 a To God it is not condicionall but to man it is 2 342 b Why it is better than sacrifice 4 44 ab 45 a Of Obedience to a wicked King 4 35 b Obedience of two sorts 3 175 b Whether we ought by rewards to be moued to the Obedience of God 2 573 a Wherein the Obedience of Pope Gregorie to the Emperour Mauricius is blamed 2 327 a An example of Obedience to the magistrate in the Iewes 4 226 b Howe farre foorth it is to bee perfourmed of the inferiour powers to the superiour powers 2 326 b Proofes that perfect Obedience may be doone vnto God 2 562 a By an Obedience begunne wee obey Gods lawes 3 50 a It is in the regenerate thereof Reade 2 242 a 562 ab 569 a 570. 3 47b 113. 236 b Obiectes Of certeintie as touching Obiectes and subiectes 3 84 a In all artes the Obiectes are before the science 4 246 a Howe by Obiectes actions are knowen 4 320 b Oblations Thrée manner of vses of the Oblations of communicants 4 218. What Arrius thought of Oblations for the deade 3 251 b ¶ Looke Offeringes and Sacrifices Obliuion Platoes opinion of Obliuion and the hurtes which it bringeth 1 53 b ¶ Looke Forgetfulnesse Oc. Occasion Wherein cause and Occasion doe differ 2 516 a 509 b 510 a Two sorts therof the one giuen the other taken 2 516 a 1 185 a Occasions Occasions be not remote causes but immediate which stirre vp our desires 1 196. Aeschylus the Poet excused in saying that God if hee will destroy and take away any giueth the causes and Occasions 1 198 a What the ciuill lawes determine touching them 2 515 b 516 a What great account God made of them 2 515b Examples of Occasions of sinning 1 185 a Howe God offereth such 1 184 b 185 a Good thinges vnto the wicked are Occasions of sinning as how 1 185 a Of. Offende Howe to behaue our selues towards our brethren when they Offende vs. 3 387 a If thine eye Offende thée c. expounded 2 88 a Offenders Whether Magistrates may let Offenders passe vnpunished 4 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 353. 254 255. 256. 257. c. Whether to be executed with death 4 291 a Released in the holy weake of Easter 4 263 b Causes for the which they are not presently to bee executed 4 257 b Thrée kindes of Death appointed in Gods lawe for them 2 414. Tryed verie straungely in some places 4 309 b How their repentaÌ„ce might be prouided for 4 250 b Against what offenders the Church and ciuill power is to execute iustice 2 414ab Offence What Scandalum or Offence is 3 163 a Of two sorts the one giueÌ„ the other taken 2 516 a 1 185 a 3 163 b Of life of doctrine 3 163 a Doone against the weake three maner of wayes against Christ 3 16â—a In what crimes the will is estâ—…med as the Offence 2 385 b 386 a In what thinges we must passe not passe for offence 3 166 b 167 a Howe Christ is saide to bee a worke of Offence 3 163 b Offences What Offences must be auoyded 3 163 b 2 321 a Offences compared and their difference and more or lesse heynousnesse 2 553 ab Offeringes What Offeringes wee must bring vnto God 3 176 a Dooue at the Lords supper 4 19 a Frée will Offeringes of the Iewes 4 220 b What was méete to bee obserued therein 4 215 a ¶ Looke Sacrifices Office What wee must haue respect vnto in committing an Office vnto anie man 3 20 b That it is lawfull for Christian godlie men to beare Office 4 276 b Offices What personall Offices bee 4 34 a For thrée causes men were ledde to take Offices saith Plato 4 23 ab Whether two Offices may be excuted by one man 4 327 b why not 4 286 b Om. Omen Of forespeaking or foretelling called Omen 1 61a Omen is so called as it were Oremen saith Festus and why 1 62 a ¶ Looke foretelling Oi Oile The ceremonie of Oile vsed in elections what it signified 4 14 a Of healing the sicke 3 211 ab Papistical and of their vnction 2 606 a Solemnitie vsed at the making thereof 4 139 a Two sortes of the same in their Popish religion 4 15 a Added to Baptisme and why 4 127 a The superstitious vse thereof to sundrie purposes 4 15 b Of the holie Oile of S. Remigins 4 15 a On. One In the Hebrewe tongue One signifieth the first proofes 2 375 b 376. â— The Hebrew Phrase These thrée be vnto One maketh not for the Arrians against the Trinitie 1 105 b 106 a Onelie Of the worde Onelie in the doctrine of faith institution 3 154 b 155 a Op. Opinion The nature of Opinion 3 234 b It is doubtfull 3 57 b The difference betweene it and faith 3 69 b 2 296b What affects doe accompanie it 2 405 b Aristotles proofe that it is of all kinde of things yea of things eternall 2 296 b Wherein it and knowledge doe differ 2. 296 a That no kinde thereof is all one with choise 2 297 a Defined 2 296 a It is a qualitie 2 297 a Neither euill nor good and why 2 296 b 297 a Of what things it is not neither hath to doe 2 296 b A reason to prooue that it is choise and the same answered 2 296 b 297 a No antiquitie of Opinion can prescribe against the trueth 3 244 a
3 37 ca The diuell hath power ouer them 4 330 a We must take heed of attributing too much vnto them 4 22 a Howe some are saide to haue bin perfect in this life 3 232 b Whether they in heauen haue repentāce 3 216 ab Against coniurations done at their sepulchres 1 68 b Whether they in heauen doe pray for vs. 3 308 ab They shal not wholie throughlie know the nature and substance of God 1 29 b What maner of feare is in them that bee departed 3 67a Howe and by what meanes they in heauen shal know the essence of God 1 29 b Why they cannot sin 2 256 b What honour we must do them being dead 2 342 b 343 a Of their communion 2 630 a Of certaine miracles which God hath doone by them being deade and why 2 308 b Whether they in heauen haue hope 3 88 a What woorship that is which we must doe them 2 348 a The liues of many of them are falsely written 2 318 a Against the innocation of them vsed by the Papists 2 307 b 308 a Wherein wicked men and they doe differ 2 569 b A feigned glasse of the diuine essence wherein they behold all things 2 308 a What gifts belong onelie to them 3 52 a Sanctuarie What thing a Sanctuarie is and whereof it is so called 4 265 b A popish Priest serued in stead of a Sanctuarie 4 268 b A Byshops house had the power of a Sanctuarie 4 268 b Sanctuaries The originall of Sanctuaries diuerslie supposed 4 266 ab What euils they doe cause 4 267 b 268 a Sixe among the Iewes 4 266 b Two sortes of them 3 306 a Whether it be expedient to retaine them among vs. 4 269b The diuerse kinds of them 4 266 ab The causes why they were thought profitable 4 266 b 267. ab Generall Councels greatlie fauoured them 4 269 b Satan Why Satan is saide to be bound since it seemeth otherwise 3 396 ab ¶ Looke Diuell Satisfaction Howe Christ made Satisfaction to his Father 3 222 b 223 a Whether it was not all sufficient 3 225 a For sinnes 3 101 a A difference betweene Christes and ours 3 221 a Arguments for proofe of satisfaction 3 220 b Whether fasting bee a part thereof 3 255 b Vnto whome the propertie of Satisfaction is due 3 224 a The Papists disagrée among themselues touching it 3 223 b Workes thereof reduced to thrée pointes 3 221 b The doctrine of the same disprooued 3 222 a Whether punishmentes are at anie time forgiuen without it 3 221 b Howe the workes of the penitent make Satisfaction vnto God 3 222 b Defined and the schoolemens opinion touching the same 3 220 b The argumentes for proofes thereof aunswered 3 225 ab 226 a Vnderstoode two wayes 3 236 ab Diuers notable errors touching it 3 221 a Satisfactions Satisfactions for sinnes superfluous and contimelious against Christ 3 232 a They obscure the lawe and the Gospell 3 224 b The customes thereof degenerated into a lawe 3 236 a Allegations for them 3 237 b Priuate ioyned in auricular confession 3 236 b Not vnprofitable to the worker 3 235 b What manner of Satisfactions the olde Church had 3 222 b Why they were inuented 3 235 b 236 a In whome they were required 3 106 a Satyrs Of the Satyrs and the reason why they are so called 1 90. ¶ Looke Spirites Sauiour Howe God is saide to bee the Sauiour of all men 3 33 a Saued Howe God will haue all men to become Saued is meant 3 31 b 1 193 ab Whether all shall bee Saued in Christ as all perished in Adam 1 389 b Who is saued fréelie 3 119 a ¶ Looke All. Sc. Schisme The efficient cause of Schisme 4 68 a Whether wee or the Papistes haue giuen cause thereof 4 86 b 87. 88. 89. The Etymologie of the word 4 68 a The gréeuous crime thereof 2 482 a The difference betwéene it and heresie 4 68 a How God prouided that their should◠be none in religion among the Iewes 2 515 b A definition and distinction thereof 4 68 b What great héede is to bee taken of bringing it into the Church 4 61 b 62 a When contention is named a Schisme 4 320 b A detestable Schisme 4 68 b Schismes Schismes in the Church of the Iewes Apostles and Fathers 4 2 b 3 a In the Church of Corinth 4 95 b Whether wee ought to leaue the worde of God for the auoyding of them 4 62 ab Schooles The vse of Schooles and Colleges 4 7 a Schooles and Cathedrall Churches commonly went together 4 7 a Schoolemaisters That Schoolemaisters haue much a doe to breake their Scholers is prooued by example 1 53 b Euill ones are the cause of Iulianus his Apostasie and fal 2 311 b Diuerse and howe long their youth profited vnder them 1 53 b 54a Against such as are scarse sound in religion and howe daungeous it is to bee at the teaching of such 2 311 ab Scholemen The inconstancie of certaine of the Fathers and Schoolemen 1 67 a Science In all artes the obiectes are before the Science 4 246 a Of the Science or facultie whereto the principall ende belongeth 1 9 a The nature of the Mathematicall Science there ariseth some doubt therein 3 59 a Of the Ciuill Science which Aristotle calleth Architectonicall 1 9 ab Science ingendereth a firme assent 3 57 b Of the Science facultie which heareth rule ouer all others what it is 1 9 b Sciences Of the excellentnes of the principall Sciences called Architectonicall 1 4 a They and the vertues of the Parentes are not deriued into their issue 2 243 b Why there may sooner happen a forgetfulnes of them than of vertues 1 161 b Aristotle impugned in saying that they are easilier forgotten than vertues 1 162 a Why the secretes of saluation are hidden from men furnished with Sciences and artes 1 3 b In what respects Sciences would be as firme as vertues 1 161 b Scripture The holie Scripture inspired by the spirite of God 1 39 a It hath vnder it most noble functions 1 10a Whether it hath authoritie of the Church 3 58 b Of adding to or diminishing anie thing thereof 3 57a The harder places must bee compared with the easier 3 63 a 1 46 ab What wee must doe when we come to such places thereof whose sense cannot certeinely bée gathered 3 58 b It calleth things as men vse commonlie to speake 2 436 b Howe grossely the Manicheis Iudge of the contentes of holie Scripture generallie 1 50 b 51 a A distribution of such thinges as be had therein and that some are to bee knowen othersome to bee followed 1 50 b Diligence must bee vsed in comparing Scripture with scripture 1 44 b Scriptures The diuision of holie Scriptures according vnto some 1 47 b 3 138 b In whose time the Scriptures were translated out of the Hebrew into Gréeke 4 331 ab Howe wee must be minded when