of consolation wherfore it is no maruel if he againe desired the remedy which he had had experiēce of Why Gideon required contrary sygnes He requireth contrary signes bicause the first semed not to be so great a wonder that the rest of the earth should be dry the fleese moyst Bicause such is the nature of wool that by a certaine proper power it draweth moystnes vnto it selfe as the Magnete stone draweth yron and Naphtha fire Naphtha a kinde of chalk Wherefore the wool myght easilye drinke in the dewe and that aboūdantly although the earth wer not yet moist But that about the fleese the earth should be moist and the wool dry it was vtterly against nature What is the Allegorye of these sygnes Augustine vpon the .71 Augustine Ambrose The Allegorye of these signes Psalme writeth and also Ambrose in his first booke de spiriru sancto in the Proheme The fleese they vnderstand to be the people of the Hebrues who in the old time wer watred with the woord of God when as the whole earth that is all other nations wanted the preaching of the woord of God Christ also was the minister of the circumcision in the first embassadge he sēt his Apostles onely to the Iewes But afterward the thing was so altered that the whole worlde after the comming of the holy ghost vpon the Apostles was watred wyth the woord of God and the Iewes vtterly wanted it and as barren bowes were cut of from the fertile and fat Olyue tree ¶ Of Miracles IN the ende of the chapter twoo thinges are to be enquired of The first is of miracles the other is how much or in what sort it is lawful to require them The Etymology of the wordes As touching the firste the Hebrue verbe is Pala or Niphla whiche is it was hard or marueilous wherof ar deriued these nownes Niphlaoth or Miphlaoth By which woordes are noted thinges seuered from other for their dignitye or excellency seperated I say and wonderful The Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of thys verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to maruayle The Latines call them Miracula that is miracles bicause they are woorthy of admiration They cal them also Prodigia monstra and Portanta that is wonders monsters and thinges seldom sene that we should vnderstand that God by these thinges wyl shewe that some certayne thing shal come to passe or be done contrary to the cōmon order of things aboue hope or expectation Miracles very muche renoumed Wherfore seing mircales ar done aboue the natural course of thynges they bring with them admiration And vndoubtedlye there are verye many miracles which by writers are made famous as the temple of Diana in Ephesus the Tombe of Artemisia Queene of Caria the horrible great image of the Sūne at Rhodes the walles of Babilon very many other of the sort Wherfore Augustine against the Epistle of the Maniches the .xvi. Augustine A general description of myracles chap. prudently writeth I call a miracle whatsoeuer appeareth harde or vnaccustomed aboue the hope or faculty of the wonderer By which wordes a certaine large description of miracles may be had Transubstantiation is yll fayned to be a myracle And forasmuch as it said that a miracle appeareth they are worthely reproued which do fayne Transubstantiation and wyll haue it to be a miracle which can neither be confirmed by the holy scriptures and seing that it appeareth not neither can it be sene it cannot be called a myracle After this very common and large description ther is to be added that of miracles certaine are true False miracles and certaine are false For those are called false myracles which either are not that which they seme to be or els if they bee they are not done by anye power which passeth nature but by the powers of nature although it be secrete For Angels either good or bad may do them and that thre maner of wayes For sometime they applye vnto matter the strengthes of nature which they perfectly know of which cōiunction of the matter wyth efficient causes do follow effectes ar in dede in a maner vpon the sodaine at the which the beholders cannot but maruayle The deuils know that of thinges putrified are engendred Frogges woormes or some certaine Serpentes so that heate in certaine degrees be added Wherfore seing to them it is not hard to couple these thinges together they do it somtimes to deceaue men with al. And by this meanes Augustine thinketh as he writeth in his .3 Augustine booke de Trinitate that the sorcerers of Pharao did sometimes the same thinges which Moses dyd Farther the mouings of the spirites of the blood and humours doo verye much trouble the bodies of men whereby figures images and shapes of thinges whyche in them are kept are in the same mocion brought before the phantasy or imagination by that maner and order that the troubler of the spirite knitteth them Wherof do spring sundry and manifold sightes which we see doo sometimes happen in suche as are in phrensy And the thing may come so farre that the formes and images which are inwardly kept may be called backe euen vnto the outwards senses Whereby he which suffreth such thinges weeneth that he verilye seeth and feeleth those thinges whiche are in his imagination or phansye and in hys sense when as in very dede there is no suche thing outwardlye done And thys kinde of miracles ought rather to be referred to illusions then to miracles It also commeth to passe that sometimes these spirites by their own power either of the ayre or els other elements do forme certaine bodies that they appeare vtterly like mens bodies and vnder them they appeare to whō soeuer they lust So came they sometimes to Abraham Lot and other fathers These thinges if we speake properly and simply ar not true miracles but in our reason iudgement ther is nothing letteth but that they may so be called Yea and commonly Iuglers are said to do miracles when as for all that they deceaue by the nymblenes of the handes or by the powers of certaine thinges natural do represent thinges wonderful to the beholders What true miracles are But this is the definition of true miracles A miracle is a woorke hard and vnaccustomed by the power of God which passeth al faculty of nature created to this ende wrought to cause the beholders to wonder and to confirme fayth towardes the woord of God Causes of myracles Wherefore the matter of miracles are woorkes and the forme is that they be hard and vnaccustomed The efficient cause is the power of God which ouercommeth nature created And the end of them is both admiration and also confirmation of faith And that we should not doubt of the efficient cause this I thinke good to be added That that power of God which vtterly is aboue the faculties of nature is to be vnderstande sometimes to
asking counsell of the Lord pertayneth vnto vs. Why the Leuite aunswered in the name of Iehouah And in this Hystorye let vs consider as I haue before sayde that the Leuite aunswereth in the name of Iehouah that is of the Lord bycause he would signifie that he knewe well ynough that the Idole was nothyng I sayeth he aunswere in the name of the Lorde This sentence which R. Selemoh followeth seemeth plausible But to me it seemeth not so For I thinke that the younge man dyd it to get authoritye to his Religion For whiche cause he is the more grieuously to be accused for that he contaminated the name of GOD in applyeng it vnto an Idole He aunswereth your waye is in the sight of the Lorde that is God himselfe will go out before you and direct your iorney all thinges shall go well and prosperous with you when as God is with you and directeth you And so did it succede in very deede For they luckely spyed out all thynges the euent came to pas as they desired Wherfore it may well here be demaunded why God so prospered these euill workes Before I aunswere to thys question Our workes do not therfore please God bycause they haue good successe this I thinke good to put in by the waye that we ought not to take it for a sure token that our doynges do please GOD bycause sometymes they haue a prosperous successe otherwyse if we should measure thynges by the euent and successe we should allowe the wicked and most euil doers for as much as fortunate and prosperous thinges doo happen vnto them We should also prayse deuiners sorcerers southsayers and coniurers bicause they haue sometimes foretolde thinges that are true It is sometymes permitted vnto the deuill to deuine by them Let suche foretellynges be referred vnto the .13 chapter of Deuteronomye where it is thus written If a Prophet ryse vp among you or a dreamer of dreames and shall geue thee a signe or wonder and that whiche he hath foretolde thee come to passe Thou shalt not harkē vnto his voyce If he entise thee to Idolatry let hym be killed sayth he neither let hym be spared The Lord proueth his by the miracles of the vngodly Afterward is added a reason why God dealeth after this maner which thyng was at the begynnyng demaunded bycause sayth he the Lord proueth you whether ye loue him or not And therwith agreeth Paul in his .2 Epistle to the Thes the .2 chap. wher he entreateth of Antechrist His comming saith he shal be by the working of Sathan with power signes liyeng wonders withall deceatefulnes in those whiche perish bycause they receaued not the loue of the truth to that end they might be saued And therfore God shall send thē the efficacy of illusion that they should beleue lyes that all they should be iudged whiche haue not beleued the truth Wherfore althoughe we do see signes yet must we not straightwaye geue fayth vnto those by whom they are wrought but must diligently examine whether they attempt to teache any thyng contrary to the worde of God In the Papistical Masses marchādise of reliques were oftentymes wrought great miracles yet ought we not to beleue such superstitiōs to fall frō Christ the true worshipping of god How miracles profite for saluation God suffreth this kind of miracles to be wrought that ingrate men those which haue forgotten their God should be deceaued be taken as it were by these nettes that the godly should become the more vigilāt better Neither ar these things spokē to despise al miracles For they which are done in a true cause for sound doctrine are certaine praises of god trumpets of the truth But cōtrarily they which vnder the pretēce of miracles do with drawe men from the worshipping of GOD we ought to counte them cursed thoughe they worke neuer so great miracles 7 Then the fyue men went and came to Lais and sawe the people whiche were in it dwelling carelesly after the manner of the Sydonians quiet and sure And for that there was no mā in the land whiche made them ashamed in any thyng nor whiche by the inheritance receaued the kingdome and for that they were farre from the Sidonians neither had they any busines with other men 8 So they came agayne vnto theyr brethren in Zora and Esthoall and their brethren sayd What haue ye done 9 And they sayd Arise that we may go vp vnto them For we haue sene the lande and beholde it is very good and do ye sit stil Be not slouthfull to go to enter and possesse the land 10 When ye shall enter ye shal enter into a careles people farther the coūtrey is large in roome for god hath geuen it into your hāds a place whiche wanteth nothing that groweth in the earth 11 Thē there departed thēce of the family of the Danites frō Zorah frō Eshtaol sixe hundreth mē appoynted with instrumētes of warre 12 And they went vp pitched in Kiriah iearim in Iudah Wherfore they called that place Mahaneh dan vnto this day and it is behind Kiriah-iearim 13 And they went thence vnto mount Ephraim and came to the house of Michah 14 Then answered the fiue men that went to spye out the countrey of Laish and sayd vnto their brethren Knowe ye not that there are in these houses an Ephod and Theraphim and a grauen and molten Image Now therfore consider what ye haue to do 15 And they turned thetherward and came to the house of the yong man the Leuite whiche was in the house of Michah and saluted hym peaceably 16 And the sixe hundreth men appoynted with their weapons of warre whiche were of the children of Dan stoode by the enteryng of the gate 17 Then the fiue men that went to spye out the lande went in thether and tooke the grauen Image and the Ephod and the Theraphim and the molten Image and the Priest stoode in the entrynge of the gate with the sixe hundreth men that were appoynted with weapons of warre 18 And the other went into Michahs house and fet the grauen Image the Ephod and the Theraphim the molten Image Then sayd the Priest vnto them What do ye 19 And they aunswered him holde thy peace laye thyne hande vpon thy mouth and come with vs to be our father and Priest Whether is it better thou shouldest be a Priest vnto the house of one mā or that thou shouldest be a Priest vnto a tribe to a familye in Israel 20 And the Priestes hearte was glad and he tooke the Ephod and the Theraphim and the grauen Image and went in the middest of the people 21 And they turned and departed and put the children and the cattell and the substaunce before them The City of Lais is in the booke of Iosuah called Lesem And they saw the people dwelling in security This worde people is in this place ioyned with an adiectiue
is the father of the countrey We muste obeye hym but yet not aboue the Lord. Yea if he commaunde any thyng agaynst hym he is both to be hated and also to be denyed Neither is it lawfull for any manne to professe hymselfe to be a Christian whiche will not departe from the superior Magistrate in these thynges whiche are agaynste the woorde of GOD. Thys were to haue a wyll to serue two Lordes and to halte in two partes If GOD be God let vs follow hym and that not by halues but wholy But it is to be feared saye they least whylest we are agaynste the superior power we engender daunger to the publique wealth To this will I answere contraryly to that which Demades in the old tyme answered vnto the Athenienses An answere of Demades Cassander the Macedonian whiche succeded Alexander the greate entreated with the Athenienses to woorshippe Alexander for a GOD. They stayed at it but Cassander vnles they woulde consent seemed that he would inuade them with battaile Wherefore Demades spake thus vnto the people That it was to be feared least whilest they retayned heauen they lost not earth So doo I aunswere these menne but chaungyng the woordes That it is to be feared least whilest they to muche regarde and defende an earthely publique wealth they lose heauen For althoughe the superior power doo fume and threaten we must stande valiantly to a good cause For we muste woorshippe GOD holyly and godly thoughe all Magistrates and the whole worlde were agaynste vs. And therefore if that superior power commaunde any thyng agaynst the lawe of God it is not to be obeyed An example of Naboth So dyd Naboth behaue hymself he would not graunt vnto Achab hys vyneyarde whiche was his inheritaunce Neither had he in that thing a respect vnto any thing elles then that the lawe of GOD should remayne vnbroken wherin it was commaunded that the tribes and famelyes of the Israelites as touchyng possessions should remayne distincte and separated Wherefore by it it was not lawfull for Naboth to alienate hys inheritaunce for euer Yet a manne beyng farre endetted mought haue solde his inheritaunce till the yeare of Iubily But after that yeare it returned vnto the olde possessor agayne GOD woulde by thys meanes that the inheritaunces of the Israelites shoulde not be confounded Wherefore Naboth woulde not sell hys auncient inheritaunce that the lawe of GOD shoulde not be broken whome Magistrates also ought to follow and not to geue place in theyr Cityes and dominions vnto moste vnpure Masses and Papisticall Idolatrye The Iewes when they were oppressed vnder the Mocedonians The constancy of the Iewes agaynste the Macedonians Romanes chused to suffer any thynge rather then that the Image of Iupiter Olimpicus shoulde abyde in the Temple of GOD. And when the Romanes bare rule ouer them howe greate sedition and tumult stirred they vp rather then they would suffer the Siluer Eagle or the Image of Caligula to be set vp in the holy place Yea Valentinian the Emperor beyng an Arrian as both Eusebius writeth and also Ambrose in hys Epistles would haue had the Church of Millan delyuered vnto him there with hys heretikes to haue celebrated prayers and holy seruices Ambrose But Ambrose woulde not geue place but rather abode daye and nyght in the Temple together with the people that the Emperour should not fynd it empty and so possesse it If the Hebrues would not haue the Temple of GOD polluted with Idoles and Ambrose suffred not the Churche to be contaminated by heretikes why doo faythfull Magistrates permitte theyr Temples to Idolatrers and vnpure worshippynges of Papistes They saye that these thynges pertayne not vnto them and that these Temples are not in theyr power What then If murther shoulde be committed in those Temples or any shoulde there conspire agaynste the publique wealth woulde they leaue murtherers and conspirators vnpunished there And would they say that these wycked crimes pertayne nothyng vnto them Would they willingly wittingly suffer these thyngs I thinke not if they were wise if they would keepe and defend the publique wealth If a man should obiect vnto them this Temple is not yours neither maketh it any matter vnto you what is here done yea but they would then aunswere for as muche as it is in our City in that it sufficiently pertayneth vnto vs. But wicked actes farre more grieuous then murthers and conspiracyes are there committed Idolatry I say sacrilege and blasphemye And shall a Magistrate whiche will be called a Christian thynke that these thynges pertayne nothyng vnto hym But say they the superior power hath commaunded these thynges to be done To this I haue already largely aunswered Nowe thys thynge wyll I adde if the same power shoulde go aboute to destroye the Citye or to take awaye or diminishe the priuiledges they woulde neuer suffer that they woulde rather runne to weapons but these thynges whiche are farre more grieuous and cruell are openly and manifestly done and suffred And whiche is muche moste grieuous of all those thynges are there suffred where many yeares the Gospell of Christe hath bene receaued Nowe resteth bycause oftentymes the Magistrate excuseth hymselfe saying the Ecclesiastical causes pertayne not vnto him to declare that to be vntrue Although it be sufficiently declared by those things which I haue already spoken yet for the more easie vnderstandyng I thinke it good to adde those thynges First I say that the Magistrate is the keper of the law of God which conteyneth not onely the latter table but also the first Wherfore the Magistrate is a keper as well of the one as of the other I adde that also whiche Augustine sayth Augustine that not onely priuate men but also kynges ought to serue the Lorde For in the Psalme it is written In gatheryng together peoples into one and kynges to serue the Lorde And in an other place And nowe O kynges vnderstand be wise ye that iudge the earth Serue the Lord in feare c. A priuate man sayth Augustine serueth the Lorde if he confesse hys name and lyue vprightly Howe kynges ought peculiarly to serue the Lorde But this is not sufficient for a kyng and Magistrate For he by his authority and power ought so to serue the Lorde that he must punishe those that are agaynst hym whiche thyng vnles he doo he seemeth to assent vnto blasphemers and heretikes For the king when he seeth these menne and suffreth them is as much in faulte as if he shoulde ioyne hymselfe with them and mainteyne theyr wicked actes Nebuchad-Nezar as soone as euer he knewe GOD made a decree that whosoeuer spake blasphemy agaynst the GOD of Daniel shoulde dye The lyke decree made Darius afterwarde Wherfore our Magistrates also ought vtterly to take awaye all Idolatryes blasphemyes and superstitions assone as euer they find them out The Ethnike princes neuer thought that the care ouer Religion pertayned not vnto their power
then be But both we our selues and al ours doinges I say sayinges thoughtes and counsels are due vnto god Wherfore our merites do vtterly perish Moreouer those workes whereby wee should merite ought to be of our selues which cannot be affirmed for as muche as it is god which worketh in vs both to wil to perform that not as we wil but according to his good wil. Augustine Wherfore Augustine was accustomed very wel to say that God which crowneth his giftes in vs. And in his .100 Epistle ad Sixtū Presbiterum Paul saith he when he had sayd The rewarde of synne is death dyd not straightway adde contrarily The rewarde of righteousnes is euerlasting lyfe But Grace sayth he is eternal life for that is not rendred to our merites but is geuen freely He might in deede haue wrytten after the same manner if he woulde For the holye Scripture sometimes so speaketh But for that he was a defender of grace hee woulde not geue occasion vnto his enemyes to impugne it Farther our woorkes how holye so euer they appeare are neuerthelesse vnpure and imperfect Wherefore they are woorthye rather of punishment then that they should deserue any good And wythout doubt they should be punished were not the redempcion and iustification whyche wee haue by Christ our Lorde There ought also to be some anallogy or proporcion betwene merites and rewardes whereof there is none betwene our workes and eternall lyfe For as Paul saith The sufferinges of this time are not woorthy of the glory to come which shal be reuealed in vs. This is to be added that in the holye scriptures is no where found the name of merite Some in deede are wont to bring the .xvi. chap. of Ecclesiasticus and there they say it is written All mercy shal make place vnto euery one according to the merites of his workes But they which obiect this thing let him looke vpon the Greeke text wherin it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in latine Deus omni misericordiae faciet locum quisque iuxta opera sua inueniet Which in englyshe signifieth God wil make place vnto al mercy and euery man shall finde according vnto hys woorkes But in these woordes there is no mencion made of merite onely this is wrytten that whose woorkes are good they shall be in good case but yet their woorkes are not sayde to bee merites or causes of rewarde I wyll not speake howe that booke is not in the Canon bycause Paule and the Gospels vse the same forme of speaking But of that whyche is wrytten vnto the Hebrewes by suche Sacrifices God is well pleased I haue before spoken nowe wyth one woorde onely will I briefly touche the thing This woorde of deseruing is not founde in the Greeke In Greeke is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whyche woorde is onely signified that the good woorkes of the faythfull are gratefull and acceptable vnto God Of the woorde reward But as touching this woorde rewarde which some bicause they do not well vnderstand it do take for merite we must deuide it two maner of wayes For that is sometymes called a rewarde whiche is geuen freelye but yet is promysed by adding of some worke wherby men should be styrred vp to doo well So eternal life may be called a reward not that we deserue the same by our woorkes but bicause by a certain order appointed of God it followeth our good workes But somtimes a reward is that which is due vnto good dedes Whither eternal lyfe may be called a reward is rendred vnto them of duty After this maner eternal life cannot be called the reward of our workes Wherfore Paul to the Romanes saith Abraham beleued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes But vnto him which woorketh reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherefore eternal lyfe for as muche as it is not of ryght dewe cannot be a reward if the woorde be taken in that signification But when they thus reason there is a reward geuen ergo there is a merite The argument is not firme A genere ad species bicause in affirming we may not discend from the general woorde to the species Neyther doth he rightly conclude whych sayth It is a liuing creature ergo it is a man This generall word reward hath two species therfore this argument is not firme if we saye It is a reward Ergo it is plaine that it must be geuen of dewty This saying also of Ieremy is to be added Cursed be euery one that putteth his hope in man and calleth flesh his strength But all our thinges whatsoeuer they be are not without flesh Wherfore it is not lawful for vs to put confidence in them Ierome And Ierome writing vpon that place hath very well brought in manye thinges whereby may be vnderstanded that in our workes there is no regard of merite Yea and the Papists also themselues which ar the patrones of merites are sometimes compelled to confesse that our merites are nothing at all For on the 2. Sonday in the Aduēt thus they pray Be pacefied O god with the prayers of our humility and wher helpe of merites do want succor vs with the aydes of of thy mercy The fathers whē in theyr writings they oftentimes inculcate this word of meriting do by it signify nothinge els then to get to obteine and to atteine to And as manye of them as haue written purelye the same haue detested the consideration of merites whereof the papistes so much bost Wherfore the Israelites were not heard thoroughe the merite of their teares or prayers but bycause by fayth in Christ to come they obteyned forgeuenes of sins and so by his merite onely they returned into fauor againe with god They offred sacrifice What profite the sacrifices of the law had Although I haue before largely spoken of the sacrifices in the olde time yet I thinke it good here also briefly to touch what profite was of them in the old law When men are vexed with calamityes they beginne to think vpon theyr sin they loke vpon the law wher whē they behold the wrath of god kindled for sinne they are in hart deiected in which perturbatiō there remaineth no remedy but to get them vnto Christ which is the summe and end of all sacrifices Him did the fathers which wer godly embrase by faith but in the sacrifices as often as the sacrifice was slaine so often the death of Christe was after a sorte set before the eyes of those that stoode by by whose death the synnes of the world should be taken away The sacramēts of the olders ours at al one but differ in outward Simboles signes Wherfore they had after this manner a communion amonge themselues in Christ which by sundry notes and signes dayly signified to the people in the old time wherhēce they by fayth receaued vnto their saluacion both his death and the fruite
foure parts Of the diuision of the holy Scriptures and ascribe some bokes as wel of the old testament as of the new to lawes some to histories some to prophecies and other some agayne to wisdome But it is not meete so to deuyde the bookes of the holye scripture one from an other bicause that in the bokes of Exodus Leuiticus Numeri and Dâ—uteromie in which they appoint lawes to be conteined are founde almoste as many histories as lawes Besides that in the bokes which they assigne to prophetes lawes of liuing vprightlye are oftentimes written and clearely expounded Neither can we properly separate the bokes of Salomon other of the kynd which they wil haue proper to wisdome from lawes and prophecies For there are in them sentences here and there written which seruing for the instruction of life haue also wtout controuersy the nature of lawes Furthermore for the that in theÌ„ are very many secretes opened vnto the church by the inspiration of the spirite of god they poure vndoubtedly into the attentife hearers oracles of thinges to come It may easily he graunted that all these things which they make mentioÌ„ of are founde in the holy bookes I meane the precepts of liuing notable hystories prophecies of thinges to come and also moste wise sentences and sayinges but in such sort that in maner in euery booke they are set forth vnto vs dispersedly neither yet would I that these holy bookes should be deuided one from an other by these endes and limittes I would rather thinke as the learned sorte doe also iudge that whatsoeuer thinges are conteyned in the holy Scriptures should be referred vnto two principall heades the lawe I meane and the gospell There be two principal pointes whereunto al the whole scriptures are referred For euery where are declared vnto vs either the precepts of god of vpright liuing or wheÌ„ we are reproued to haue strayed froÌ„ theÌ„ by reasoÌ„ of weakenes or els of malice the gospel is layd forth before vs wherin by Christ that thing wherein we haue offended is pardoned and the strength and power of the holy ghost promised vs to reforme vs againe to the image of god whiche we had loste These two thinges maye we beholde in all the bookes of Moyses in the histories Prophetes and bookes appointed to wisdome and that not onely in the olde Testamente but also in the newe and they are not separated one from an other by bookes and leaues but by that maner which is now declared What thinges are entreated of in thys boke of Iudges And this is sufficient as touching the generall matter of the holy scriptures But nowe we must peculiarly speake of this booke that we may vnderstand what things they be which are entreated of in the same And to the ende we may the more plainly vnderstande this it is nedefull to call to memory those thinges which were spoken of in the former bookes In Genesis is set forth the creation of the worlde then howe of Abraham Isaac Iacob and his twelue childreÌ„ was engendred the people of god and how they wer brought into Egipt to driue away their famine Exodus teacheth the greate encrease and incredible multiplication of the Israelites the maner also and forme wherby they were of god by Moyses deliuered from bondage and set at liberty and how they wer excelleÌ„tly adorned with lawes iudgementes and ceremonies whiche thinges are also comprehended in the bookes of Leuiticus What is coÌ„tayned in the bookes which go before the iudges The booke of Numbers conteineth very many passages of the Hebrewes and diuerse placings and orderings of their tents in the desert places also certain vsages of those rules which were prescribed before of god in the lawes And lastly of al in Deuteronomy When Moyses should depart out of this life he like a most faithfull minister of god moste learned preacher repeteth vnto the people almost the whole lawe After whose death Iosua captain of the Hebrewes led the people beyond Iordane and possessed some parte of the promised land of Chanaan and deuided it as god had commauÌ„ded to his whole natioÌ„ by tribes WheÌ„ he was dead god gouerned the Hebrewes by certain excellent meÌ„ which were called Iudges of which Iudges this booke which we haue taken in hand to enterpreate hath his name and title Why thys is called the booke of the iudges But for the better vnderstanding of the title therof we muste know that this word Shaphat in the Iewes tongue signifieth somtime to execute the law and to iudge the causes betwene theÌ„ which are at controuersie which office yet is not proper to those Iudges of whiche we nowe entreate For there were Leuites appointed which sate and gaue iudgement at the gates of euery citye and aboue all iudgementes sate Senadrim which were an assembly of 70. elders Senadrim Furthermore the word signifieth to reuenge to set at libertie which these excellent meÌ„ performed whose noble acts ar declared in this volume They by their authoritie through their might and counsell deliuered the Israelites when they were oppressed of straungers and kept them in the obseruing of the law true worshipping of God And that their office may the better be perceiued we wyll briefly expound the face and estate of that publike weale God himselfe was the true and proper king of that nation Of the common wealth estate of the Iewes for he onely had the principal power there but not as he had ouer other nations but so that he by his becke oracle and certain commaundement gouerned the estate of the Israelites which he promised to do in the .18 chap. of Exodus Wheras he said that that people should be hys chiefe kingdome But bycause he would also vse the ministery of men he prouyded al thyngs necessary for the Hebrewes fyrst by Moyses and then by Iosua as long as they liued They exercised the office of princes or captaines which men being dead god would haue the best and most excellent men to haue the rule ouer theÌ„ for such men were picked out to be of the senate whose excellent conditions are set forth as well in Exodus as in Deuteronomy for the lawes of God would not suffer euery one to be called to that office That is wheÌ„ the best men are gouernours ouer the coÌ„moÌ„ weale If thou shalt therfore consider these men then shalt thou see the forme of that gouernment which is called Aristocratia But bicause that it was not lawfull to attempt great matters without the peoples consent we may therfore iustly thinke that it was also a common wealth which endured to the tyme of Saule and Dauid the first kings That estate therfore in respect of god was a kingdome but in respect of the Senate those chiefe men it was Aristocratia Bicause in electing of theÌ„ they had no regard to their riches but to their vertue and godlines for that the weightiest
this his true sayeng than the godly feling of the minde We gather hereby that the lawe of rendring like for like semeth euen to the wicked by the light of nature iust right which at the length wil they or nill they are compelled to acknowledge the iudgemēts of God For they haue certein principles of that which is right and honest written in their hartes although they expresse not the same in dedes But euen as Paul hath written to the Romaines they holde the truth of God after a certeine sorte captiue in vnrighteousnesse when they knew the righteousnesse of God neither was it hidden from them that they whiche do such thinges are worthy of death yet for all that they not onely do them but also they consent to them whiche do them As I haue done so God hath done to me agayne Bycause he spake of gods iudgementes therfore in naming of god he vsed not this worde Iehouah but Elohim The name Iehouah and the name Elohim By whiche worde the scripture vseth rather to set forth the myght and iustice of god than his mercy This most cruell tyranne confesseth that he had most cruelly cut of the feete of 70. kinges and brought them to that poynte the they were faine to gather their meate vnder his table It is not to be laughed or hissed at as a lye bycause in that prouince beyng not very large were 70. kinges Euery citie in the olde tyme had their king For it may be that at that tyme that custome was in vse that euery citie had his king Neither ought the gouernment of a king to be separated from other formes of gouernmentes by largenesse or bredth of borders but in what societie or multitude of men soeuer it be Definition of a kyng Iustine where as any one mā is lawfully made gouernour so that he depend not of any other superiour power the same man may by good right be called king yea and as Iustinus writeth euery king before Ninus tyme was content with the boundes and limites of his owne citie And such a custome if I should speake the trouth I can not but greatly commende It is not profitable to haue large kyngdomes For what shall it profit kinges most amplye to dilate the territory of their empyre when as afterward they are ouerwhelmed with ouer much weight therof neither are they able to gouerne it by reason and counsell But what should man do The Monarches in these dayes are so set on fire with such great ambition that they haue not a respect how many they are able to gouerne but onely haue a regarde to this how many they may reigne ouer Neither doth this disease whiche is the more to be lamented raigne onely in worldly princes The Bishops seke to haue large diocesses but it is also most filthyly spred abroade in the Churche where Byshoppes couet by all meanes to haue most large diocesses of whiche although they neuer looke to them they may receaue most plentifull fruites But nowe I returne to the matter and aske the cause why the Israelites did cut of the thombes of the handes and feete of Adonibezek Wherfore Adonibezeb was so maymed of the Hebrues R. Leui aunswereth to this interrogation and sayth that it was therfore done that the cruell Tirant might be made altogether vnapt to do any thing and especially to make warre For they whiche are so inaymed are neither able to drawe sworde neither to take or ouercome any man in battaille Moreouer by this so sharpe punishment other princes whiche were yet remayning might easely be made affeard to lifte any weapon agaynst the Israelites These thinges are somewhat lykely but the wordes of the same tyranne teache vs that we must consider some deeper cause namely that it was so done by the prouidēce of god that cruell and bloudy princes should not at the length escape the iudgemēt of God yea rather they should haue experience on them selues of that whiche they had committed agaynst others And in that thing bycause it is good sometymes to be taught by the example of wicked men God would now also admonishe vs by this Adonibezek He teacheth vs that we should not muche staye in inferiour causes whiche are nexte vnto vs We must not staye in the inferior causes but rather cōsider the highest causes but rather by these examples strayght wayes to lift vp the eyes of the mynde to consider the wonderful and most highe iustice of the decrees of God The selfe same most cruel tyranne doth not ascribe vnto the Israelites that they had feabled hym by cutting of his handes and feete but by and by sayeth As I haue done to other so God hath done to me agayne Which same thing also Christ hath taught vs for this also was his sentēce With what measure ye meate with the same shall other meate vnto you Of this lawe of rendring like for like let the cruel tyrannes of our tyme be affeard whiche neuer make an end of killing tearing and burning of holy and innocent mē as thoughe wisedome neuer admonished them By what soeuer a man sinneth by the same also is he punished Neither haue they at any tyme heard Habakuc the holy prophet cryeng thus Why tyrannes do so cruelly rage Bycause thou hast spoyled many nations others also shall spoyle thee Those be bloudy tyrannes when they do so extremely rage being altogether vnmindful of humane chaunces neuer thincking how the same thinges may happen vnto them selues wherwith they do so cruelly afflicte others For if they would remember this they would vse them selues more mekely not only toward innocent men but also euē to them which are giltie iustly condemned by them Let vs learne in all thinges whiche shal happen what soeuer they be to consider as well the iudgementes of god as also his goodnesse and therby we shall get good matter either of repentaunce or els of thankes geuing But there is a doubt why the Israelites killed not this king by and by Why Adonibezek was not by and by slayne of the Iewes and why they brought him to Ierusalem there to die miserably I aunswere to testifie vnto all men that he being woūded was not gloriously killed in the battaille for his horrible tyrāny deserued not so famous an end of this life Neither is it to be meruealed that when he came to Ierusalē he was not holpen by the diligence and remedies of Phisitians for the Iewes did it not of cruelty but bicause they were affeard to violate the commaundement of god who commaunded that all their enemies the Chananites should be slayne euery one amongest whom this Adonibezek deserued not one death but a thousand besides that it was done that his most shameful end might be an exāple to al mē He worthily therfore being maimed and despised departed this life in a most famous citie But it semeth to be demaunded for what cause when he had so vilye maymed
honesty and euer went about wicked actes For Zemah in Hebrue signifyeth mischiefe They were also named Rephaim Bycause they made men which met them to be after a sorte amased for that worde signifyeth sometimes the dead Lastly they were called Nefalim as oppressors bycause they assayled al men tyrannously of this worde Nafal which is to fall or subuerte Some thinke that they are sometimes called Geborim but bycause we vse to referre the worde to power and properly strong men are called Geborim therfore I woulde not put it among these When glaūtes began Augustine Furthermore if thou wilte demaunde when giauntes beganne to be if we may follow Augustine de ciuitate Dei the .xvi. boke and xxiii chapter We must say that they beganne before the floude And therfore we beleue him bycause he hath proued it by the testimonye of the holy Scriptures for it is written in the vi of Genesis that giauntes were at that time on the earth whose kind although it was kept after the floude yet as he beleueth they were not in so great number Whether Giauntes were begotten of mē Besides this it may be doubted concerning their procreation and parents for there are some whiche thinke that they were not begotten of men but that Aungels or deuils were their parentes And this sentence they say is confirmed by that which is written in the booke of Genesis The sonnes of God seing the daughters of men that they were fayre they tooke them to wiues and of them were borne most mightye men or giauntes Concerning this fall of the Angels many of the old writers agree that it was bicause they vsed company with women and among other is Lactantius in his second booke and xv Chapter For his opinion was as it is there written that God feared least Sathan to whom he had graunted the gouernement of the worlde shoulde vtterly haue destroyed mankinde Lactantius and therfore he gaue vnto it Angels for tutors by whose industrye care it mighte be defended But they being prouoked as well by the wilinesse of Sathan as also allured by the beauty of fayre women committed filthines with them Wherfore they were throwen downe from their dignitie and made souldiers of the deuill This was Lactantius opinion but yet he sayth not that Giauntes were borne of those copulations of Angels with women but earthly deuils which abide on the earth to our greate hurte Eusebius of Cesaria Eusebius of Cesaria in hys .v boke de preparatione euangelica doth nothing in a manner disagree from them For he also sayth that Angels which fell begat of women whom they filthilye loued those deuils which afterward troubled the world many wayes and to thē he referreth al these which the Poets and historiographers haue writtē to haue bene Gods haue eyther in Metre or in Prose made mention of their battailes discordes lustes and sundrye and grieuous tumultes Augustine But Augustine in his xv boke de ciuitate Dei xxiii Chap. thinketh that this opinion of these old men can not be gathered out of that place of Genesis Men of the stocke of Seth were called the sonnes of God For he sayth that those which are there called the sonnes of god were in very dede men namely cōming of the stock of Seth. For whē they worshipped god truely and sincerely and called vpō him holily and purely being adorned with his fauor grace they are called by the scriptures the sonnes of God What was the fal of the sonnes of God But whē at the length they began to burne in filthy lust with those women which came of the stocke of Cain and by that meanes fel into fellowship with the vngodly taking them to their wiues and cleauing also to superstitions and wicked worshippings they were chaunged from the sonnes of God not only into men but also into fleshe And thys will I say by the way Aquila Aquila translating these words out of Hebrue They wer not saith he the sōnes of God but the sonnes of Gods for thys cause so called as I suppose bycause their progenitors were holy men Simmachus but their children miserably fell from god and godlines by inordinate loue of women And Symmachus translateth it The sonnes of the mightye But nowe to Augustine againe he constantly affirmeth that there can be nothing gathered out of that place of Genesis concerning the carnall copulation of Angels with women but thinketh rather that farre contrary may be proued by the wordes of God written in the same place For whē the scripture had there sayd that there were Giaunts on the earth and that the sonnes of God as it is sayd were gone out of the right way and Giaunts were brought forth there is added And god sayd my spirite shal not abide in man for euer bicause he is flesh By this sentence he declareth that those which so sinned were called men and not only as they were by nature but also they were called flesh wherunto by their filthy luste they did to much cleaue But they which be of the contrary opinion do thinke that they do bring a strong witnesse of Enoch which was the vii from Adam of whom Iudas maketh mention in his canonicall Epistle Enochs booke Augustine For in the booke which is intituled to be Enochs booke it is writtē that giauntes had their of springs of Angels and not of mē But Augustine answereth vnto this and sayth that that booke is altogether Apocripha therefore such fables as are rehearsed in it are not to be beleued It is not to be doubted he sayth but that Enoch wrote some godly thinges when as Iudas the Apostle manifestly testifieth the same But it is not necessary that we should beleue that all thinges which are written in that Apocriphal booke shoulde be of hys writing Forasmuch as they haue no sure authoritie Neither although Iudas brought thence some one certaine sentence is it supposed that therfore he by his authoritie hath allowed the whole booke Vnlesse thou wilt saye that Paule allowed all the things which were written by Epimenides Aratus and Menander bicause he brought one or two verses out of thē Ierome Which thing Ierome in his exposition vpō the first chap. of the Epistle to Titus declareth to be a very absurde thing and worthily to be laughed at And now as concerning Enoch it semeth meruelous how he being but the vii from Adam could write of those things of the altercation betwene Michael and the deuil for the body of Moyses when as if there wer any such thing as there is no doubt but there wer they must nedes haue come to passe a thousand and almost .500 yeares after Vnlesse we wil say that those things wer reuealed at that time by some notable strength of prophecy Neyther is it to be forgotten that those whiche do thinke that giauntes had Angels to their parentes not men do therfore seme to suppose so The reason of
reason forbad fyrst al degrees euen to the seuenth which when he saw afterward was not obserued and al was ful of confusion he cut of his prohibitions to the fourth degree In which thing he is yet constant hardened if there come no money in but if money be offred wherof he must haue much brought hym to fyl his filthy cofers he setteth at libertie as pleaseth him both his own lawes and the word of god This we must also knowe that God had in his lawes an other decree whiche may lawfully be called peculiar bycause it extendeth no way to other nations neither ought it to be in force at all tymes And that was that when any husband deceased without children the brother which remained on liue or some other next of kynne should mary the first mans wife left so that the first childe which should be begotten of that mariage shoulde be counted the sonne of hym that was dead and should fully succede him as touching his inheritaunce For God would not in that publique wealth that men should altogether be extinguished and he prouided that the same distinction of landes shoulde be kepte as much as might be And seing the same is not vsed in our publique wealthes neither hath God commaunded that it shoulde it therfore pertayneth nothyng vnto vs. Wherfore we must keepe oure selues vnder the generall and common lawe She that is left of the kinnesman ought to he maryed namely that no man presume to mary the wife of his brother being dead although he dyed without children Let vs also knowe that in the beginning when onely the familie of Adam lyued on the earth brethren were not forbidden as they were afterwarde For brethren were driuen of necessity to mary their sisters But afterward wheÌ„ men were increased in number shame shewed it selfe forth and they began by the instinction of God or by nature either to abstayn from prohibited persons or at the least to know that such coniunctions were ful of ignominye But what tyme they began first to abstaine it appeareth not by the history The Gods of the Hâ—â—â—â—â—â—ried â—hâ—â—â— Systers Peraduenture the Heathen Poetes haue declared that necessity of the elders whych compelled the famyly of the first Parentes to constrayne the brother to mary the Syster when as they fable that their Gods had their Systers to wyues for the chiefe of them namelye Iupiter had Iuno whych in Virgil speaketh thus of her selfe But I whych walke the Quene of the Gods both syster and wyfe to Iupiter And although the woorde of God Causes 〈◊〉 manye degâ—â—es in mariages aâ— forbydden Augustine and instincte of nature were sufficient by them selues to make vs to abstayne from the foresayde coninunctions yet are there many good causes of prohibition alledged by diuers wryters Augustine in hys .xv. booke De ciuitate dei and .xvi. chap. writeth that the same abstinence was very profitable to dilate more amplye the bondes of humane fellowshyp For if mariages should be included wythin the walles of one family theÌ„ should there come no kynreds with others Furthermore it is not meete that one and the selfe man should occupye the persons of diuers kynredes namelye that one man should be both vncle and husband of one woman and the same woman to be both Aunt and wyfe of one man Which reason Cicero also hath touched in hys fyft booke Definibus and also Plutarch in his .108 probleme And they being both Ethnickes could not haue sene this but being illustrate by the light of nature This also is the third reason bicause these persons from whom we should abstain do dwel together often tymes in one house Wherefore if there shoulde be manye maryed folkes together they woulde not vse them selues so grauelye and seuerely as domestical shamefastnes requireth Plutarch The causes of strife betwene kinsfolk ought to be cut of Plutarch in the place before sayde hath set forth two other reasons besydes those which we haue declared One is bycause betwene kynsfolkes discordes are to be feared For they would soone complayne that the right of kynred should be taken away whych saying I doo vnderstand thus if eyther she or he which should ouerskyp the nearer degre and marry with the degree farther of she which were nearer would thinke that she had iniury done vnto her as though in ouerskipping her he would put her to shame as it is a common vse in wylles and Testamentes where they which are nyghest of kynne maye not nor oughte not to bee forgotten of hym which maketh the wyll And in the lawe for raysing vp seede to the brother already deceased the fyrst place must be geuen to the nyghest of kynne who if hee refused to vse hys right was made ashamed as that law doth more amplye declare the same Wherefore seyng discordes betwene al men are to be abhorred WomeÌ„ for that they are weake ought not to haue their patrimonies diminished but increased much more are they vtterly to be detested betwene kynsfolkes Plutarch also bryngeth an other reason bycause women are weake and therefore they haue neede of many sundry patrones wherefore when they are maryed to straunge men if they shoulde be euyll handled by their husbandes as often tymes they are they haue al their kynsfolkes easely for Patrones but if they be wyues to their own kynsfolkes and happen to be euil entreated of them they should then haue very fewe to defende their cause For other kynsfolkes woulde not bee so ready for their sakes to fall out with their own kynne which they woulde not be greued to doo wyth straungers But nowe that I am in hande wyth Plutarch I remember that whych he hath wrytten in the syxt probleme Of the matrimoni of brethreÌ„ and Systers chyldren Plutarch and I thinke it is 〈◊〉 vnprofitable to declare it although it seme to disagree from that whych Augustine wryteth in hys .xv. booke De ciuitate dei .xvi. chapter of the matrimony of Brothers and Systers chyldren For he affirmeth there that before hys tyme the same was lawfull although those kyndes of maryages semed very rare bycause men after a sorte eschewed to contracte with persons so nigh but he saith that the licence was afterward taken away Which I surely can not perceaue in the Romane lawes which were publikely receaued allowed which yet wer vsed thorough out Aphrica Wherefore it maye seme obscure to some of what lawes Augustine speaketh wherby he sayth that in his time those kindes of matrimonyes were prohibited But we must vnderstand that in his time the law of Theodosius the elder was of force who was the fyrst among the Emperoures that I know of which prohibited matrimonye of this degree Which also Aurelius Victor and Paulus Diaconus do testifye And that is found at this day writteÌ„ in the boke called Codex Theodosianus concerning incestuous mariages by these wordes Let this sentence remaine concerning them whosoeuer from henceforth shall defyle hymself with
Moyses he consented at length to iourney forth with the Israelits But these things could not haue bene so if we should thinke the Hobab had bene Iethro which after he had deuided set his things in order should haue returned againe to Moyses with the minde purpose to haue gone forward with the Israelits For what neded Moyses to haue entreated hym to do that for which cause he came from hys owne house to doe Or why shoulde he haue chaunged hys purpose to retourne into hys owne countreye whiche he had before vtterly forsaken Lastly why shoulde he afterwarde haue denyed to goe which he had before decreed with hymself to do I know in deede there be some but not many which affyrme that Iethro was that Hobab with whom Moyses spake in the booke of Num. which thyng let thē affyrme for me howbeit I thought good to declare what I iudged most likely And that the familye of the Kenites dwelled long among the Amelekites or very nyghe adioynyng vnto them the fyrste booke of Samuel testifyeth where it is written that Saule called forth the Kenites least he should haue destroyed them together with the Amelekites Wherefore it semeth that parte of the Kenites dwelled with the Amelekites part with the Israelits of whiche both of thē were alwaies most frendly to the Hebrues And god declareth that he had excellētly adorned thē in their publique wealth that with three principal giftes For they excelled in the study knowledge of the law Three thinges God seemeth to haue geuen to the Kenites They were also notable in obtaining of a great victorye Lastlye they liued vertuously and godlye And concerning the study of the law wherein they floorished the first booke of Paralipomenon and seconde chapter towarde the ende is a wytnesse vnto them For there is mencion made of them with the family of Iambes that is of Othoniel and they ar said to haue bene Scribes wherby it appeareth that the tradition of the Hebrues is not to bee despised that in the doctrine of the lawe they were the disciples of Othoniel for they ar reckoned in his family And it is a very common thing to count disciples in the place of children Ierome Ierome also in hys questions vpon Paral. alloweth this opinion which as it is said seemeth to agree with the scriptures Neither do I thynke that for anye other cause there is mencion made of them in this place among the actes of Othoniel Why mencion is made here of the Kenites but onelye bycause they lyued together alwaies with his family most louingly They ar also counted with the tribe of Iudah although they were not of the stocke of the Israelites Wherfore they amongst other wer a fygure of the callyng of the Gentiles The other notable ornament of theirs in that publique wealthe was that noble victory which is declared in the .4 chap. of this booke For Iahel the wife of Aber the Kenite slew Sisara the captayne of warre of Iabin king of Chanaan and God would by the hand of a woman of this familye graunt great health to the Israelites Lastly that they wer wel manered and obseruers of their fathers commaundementes the family of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab hath declared They dronke no wyne which at that tyme was the maner of the Nazarites Prayse of the Rechabites and notably despising earthly thinges they dwelled not in houses but lyued in tentes and exercised the arte of a shepherd which is most simple For which thing they are very much commended of Ieremy the Prophet and adourned wyth a most ample promisse aboue the Iewes bycause they had geuen more seruice obedience vnto him namelye Rechab their parent than the Hebrues had done vnto God himselfe which neuertheles dyd continually boast in that father and holy progenitours Wherefore we knowe that to be most true which Paul hath taught to the Romanes that they in dede had Abraham to their father whiche followed the steppes of hys fayth they were not Iewes by nature but by wyl and faith were made Proselites and in godlynes and holynes farre passed very many of those which were by nature Iewes We gather moreouer hereby It is very profitable for men to ioyne them selues to good godly persōs that it muche auayleth vs to ioyne our selues with good men and with the fellowshyp of the godly The Kenites which wer the posterity of Hobab if they would haue rested as the most part of men do in their own countrye and in the place where they were borne they had fallen at length into the ignoraunce of God and of his lawes wherby they should easely haue bene lyke vnto their neighbour Amalek But bycause they despising theyr owne thinges and kyndled with the faith of the promisse of God ioyned themselues vnto the Israelites What are the moste honest causes of peregrination therfore God gaue them suche good successe in theyr thinges We ought to remember with our selues the moste honest cause of the peregrination of these men For al good men trauayle not into straunge countries for one purpose There be very many which do therfore often tymes leaue their countrey bycause they may not worship God there after the sincere lawful maner of worshipping yea they are grieuously troubled there if they endeuour them selues therunto So Abraham was called out of his lande and from hys kynred least he should styl haue gone forwarde with his elders to contaminate him selfe with idolatry So Christ also said if they shal persecute vs in one city let vs flye vnto an other But ther be other which though they be not letted at home from the true godlynes yet for al that they wil go see those places wher they thinke they may yet get more profyt Plato his pergrination is praysed and be more certainlye enstructed in thinges deuine and necessary for saluacion For which cause Plato is commended bycause he came to the Egiptians went to a part of Italy that is great Greace he went also vnto diuers nations as though he should follow wisdome flieng from him So in like wise Saba the quene is commended in the holy scriptures which trauailed from so farre countries to heare Salomon after this maner the Kenites of whom we entreate folowed the people of Israel for although at home they knew worshipped one God whose Priest their father also was yet neuertheles they desired to be styl more instructed and more absolutelye to receaue the lawes institutions and worshipping of God They are also very much worthy of praise which do for this cause only trauaile into other countries to profyt others and to helpe and deliuer them from the miseries wherewyth they be oppressed After which sorte the Poetes haue sayd that Hercules wandred through the world Hercules by his might to destroy wicked and hurtful men which miserably afflicted mankinde Neither did the Apostels trauaile throughout the whole worlde for any other
must alwayes loke for this when they are afflicted by the goodnesse of god that it would please him to mitigate the temptations and geue thē strength to beare them for as much as he hath promysed by his Apostle so to do For it is written to the Corinthians God is faythfull whiche wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your power but will with the temptation make a way out But whether god doth stirre vp men to sinnes by temptation shal be afterward declared But now to the history 20 And they gaue Hebron vnto Chaleb as Moyses sayd and he expelled thence the three sonnes of Enak 21 And the children of Beniamin dyd not caste oute the Iebusites that inhabited Ierusalem Wherefore the Iebusites dwelled with the children of Beniamin in Ierusalem vnto thys day Thys sentence is therefore repeated bicause now the warres of the tribe of Iudah are declared of which warres Chaleb without doubt was the captayne Wherefore here is declared what he obteyned Namely those thynges whiche God would haue done as he had spoken by Moyses as it is written in the fyrste chap. of Deut. and .xiii. chap. of Num. and xiiii and xxv chap. of Iosuah But that which is written after it how that the children of Beniamin dyd not caste out the Iebusites that inhabited Ierusalem but dwelled together with them perteyneth to those things which the other tribes had to do with the Chananites and it beginneth with Beniamin for thys cause bycause that tribe was next to Iudah yea and that which is now written of Beniamin The citie of Ierusalem was cōmon to Beniamin Iudah is declared of the tribe of Iudah in the booke of Iosuah toward the ende of the xv chap. And I thynke that that was therfore done bicause the citye of Ierusalem was in the limite of both the tribes and was inhabited together both of them of Iudah and also of the Beniamites Yea and some affyrme that the part of the citye where the temple stoode belonged to the tribe of Beniamin and to that purpose do they wrest that which Iacob the Patriarch sayd on his death bed when he blessed hys sonne Beniamin Beniamin is a rauenyng wolfe early taking hys pray in the morning and deuiding the spoyles at euen thynkyng thys oracle to belong to the morning and euenyng sacrifices of the Temple But howe truly they so doe I will not nowe reason But yet they are not so farre oute of the waye as Augustine whiche drewe the saying of the Patriarche to Paule the Apostle bycause he was of the tribe of Beniamin A fayned tale of the Hebrues I am not ignoraunt how the Hebrues write that the Iebusites were not cast out for thys cause bycause that Iudas and Beniamin would kepe the couenaunt which as it is written in the xxi chapter of Gen. was made betwene Abraham and Abimilech King of the Gerarites where the moste holy Patriarche sware that he woulde not molest neyther the same Abimilech neyther hys children nor yet hys childrens children wherefore seing he and hys posteritye inhabited Ierusalem and hys childrens children liued euen to thys tyme they saye it was not lawfull for the Hebrues for bycause of theyr othe geuen to caste them oute But afterwarde vnder Dauid the tyme of the couenaunte was oute bycause then were the childrens children of Abimilech worne out And for that cause Dauid dyd caste out the Iebusites oute of the citye of Ierusalem as it is written in the latter booke of Samuel the v. chapter But these are but fables yea if we looke in the foresayde booke of Samuell we shall fynde that the strong fenced Castle of that citye was the cause that the Iebusites were not caste oute before For Dauid to the end be would obtayne the castle promised a noble reward to him that coulde conquere it namely that he woulde make hym Captayne of the whole hoste of Israel Two causes why the Iebusites were not expelled oute of Ierusalem whiche office Ioab obtayned bycause he fyrste of all Conquered the Castle There were two causes why they of Iudah and the Beniamites dyd not caste oute the Iebusites out of the citye One was bycause they obeyed not the worde of God as they should haue done wherfore they are muche to bee blamed The other cause was bycause by the prouidence of God and hys moste wyse dispensation the whole victorye of these nations was reserued for Dauid and Salomon For so God abuseth the synnes of men that they hynder not but set forwarde hys Counselles specially for the aduauncyng of hys electe But to retourne to the Hebrues howe shoulde they knowe that the posteritye of Abimilech dwelled in Ierusalem The Scripture testifyeth no suche thyng Neyther can they tel whether Abimilech his stocke belonged to the Iebusites Wherfore let vs leaue their fayned opinion vnto thēselues Ierusalem was in the olde time called Iebus let vs follow this sentence nowe alledged as the truer But this is not to bee ouerskipped that Ierusalem was sometymes called Iebus For as muche as the .xix. chapter of this boke testifyeth the same also the fyrst booke of Paralipomenon in the xi chap. The summe is the Iebusites possessed the castle whiche being well fensed for as much as God had iustly with drawen his helpe for the Hebrewes they could not be dryuen out of it but Beniamin and the tribe of Iudah obtayned the Citie in the meane time Why Saul Dauid triumphed in Ierusalem Vnto whiche citie Saul and Dauid went after they had gotten the victory against the Philistians and Dauid himselfe brought thether the hed of Goliah whom he had slayne Peraduenture that citie semed mete for that triumphe bicause it was cōmon to the tribe of Iudah and Beniamin vnto which tribes Dauid and Saul belonged For as Dauid was of the tribe of Iudah so was Saul a Beniamite And the Iebusites dwelled in Ierusalem vnto this day That is euen to the time of Samuel who is thought to haue written this booke For afterwarde came Dauid when he ruled ouer all Israel and expelled the Iebusites from thence as it is sayd 22 In like maner they that were of the house of Ioseph went vp to Bethel and the Lord was with them 23 And the house of Ioseph caused Bethel to be searched whiche before tyme was called Luz 24 And the spyes saw a man come out of the citie and they said vnto hym shewe vs we pray thee the way into the citie and we wil shew thee mercy 25 And when he had shewed thē the waye into the citie they smote it with the edge of the sworde But let the man and all his houshold go free 26 And the man went into the lande of the Hethites and built a citie and called the name thereof Luz whiche is the name thereof vnto this day After the tribes of Iudah and Beniamin is also declared in a certaine ordre what the other tribes did The house
was in their power The lawes made by god against the Chananites myght be mitigated to promise mercy and safety vnto this man And as touchyng the commaundement of God they thought gods lawes not to be so rigorous but they might be mitigated with some equitie as they remembred was done with the Gabaonites who were neuer the lesse Heuites or Hemorrites Thou wilt say peraduenture They were so saued that they were brought into bondage Bondage is a ciuille death And necessitie of bondage is a certain kynde of ciuile death wherfore in that the life of the body was graunted them the commaundement of the Lord seemeth not to be violated for they were killed after a sorte The question is not dissolued by this reason For God prescribed by law that the Chananites should be put to death he referred not that to a ciuile death but to a naturall death for otherwise Saul might haue excused him selfe bycause he killed not Agag the king of Amalek with an outwarde death For he might haue sayd that he had alreadye kylled hym ciuilly But bycause we are fallen into talke of the Gabaonites Of the Gabaonites I thincke it good to say thus much of them God ratified the othe performed to the Gabaonites First that God did ratifye that othe whiche the Israelites performed vnto them for as muche as he ayded the host of the Hebrues in deliueryng their citie from the other Chananites But if so be that they had violated the curse whiche was set forth of God he would not then haue done it For bycause of the sinne of Achan who had by stealth saued somwhat of that whiche was cursed in Iericho he did not helpe his people but suffred them fowly to be slayne when they fought against the citie Hay Besides this it is writtē in the latter booke of Samuel that God plagued the Israelites thre yeares continually with most grieuous famine bycause the Gabaonites were contrary to the othe slayne of Saul miserably dispersed Wherfore according to their request they had seauen of Sauls posteritie deliuered them to be hanged These are most certayne signes that God ratified the couenaunt which was made with the Gabaonites althoughe the Hebrues did grieuously sinne bycause they asked not counsell of God Augustine sayth vpon the x. chap. of the Iudges Augustine when he interpreteth that place where it is written that God promised Iosua that he would be with him in the defence of the citie Gabaon For he sayd be not affeard for I will deliuer them namely the Chananites whiche besieged that citie into thine handes if this league sayth he nowe made with the Gabaonites had displeased God then would he haue commaunded Iosua not to take in hand that expedition but rather to haue broken the couenaunt made with that nation But contrarily he encouraged hym and of his owne accord not called vpon promised to aide him in the fight as it may appeare by the history But why he did allow the league so made Why God allowed the league made with the Gabaonites there may be two reasons geuen for it One which is there mentioned bycause they had bounde it with an othe And if the Israelites shuld haue violated that their neighbours would haue coūted them as irreligious and vngodly and their God should haue ben mocked and contemned Wherfore lest the name of God and the fame of the Israelites should haue ben euill spoken of it was ratified althoughe it was vnwysely and without prayse perfourmed The other cause is The Gabaonites were turned to the true God bycause the Gabaonites did now beleue in the true God and were redy to embrase his religion and worshipping Whiche may easely be gathered by two argumētes For they sayd as it is written in the ix chap. of the booke of Iosua that they came in the name of the Lord beyng therfore moued therunto bycause they had heard what thynges God had done for that peoples sake both in Egypt and also in the deserte and lykewise about Iordane This is a tokē that they now beleued the God of the Israelites Moreouer the same appeareth in that they were appoynted by the Hebrues to cary and to prepare wood and also to draw water for the sacrifices whiche were done vnto the true God Therfore they were made labourers and seruauntes of the tabernacle and of the tribe of Leui wherof they were called Nathinites Nathinites And that the lawes whiche were made of God agaynst the seauen nations which inhabited the land of Chanaan were by this equitie to be interpreted and mitigated that if they returned to the true God would make peace with the Iewes they should not be destroyed it manifestly appeareth by that whiche is written in the xi chap of the booke of Iosua namely howe those nations were therfore destroyed bycause none of them the Gabaonites only excepted made peace with the Israelites For God to the end he would extinguish them had hardened their hartes and therfore they most obstinatly fought agaynst the Israelites Why god hardned the hartes of the Chananites But the cause why God so hardned their harts was bycause their sinnes were ful Wherfore they beleued not as did the Gabaonites neither adioyned they thē selues vnto the Israelites And for that cause they continually resistyng them fought so vnluckely that at length they were cleane destroyed But if so be that they had made peace with the Iewes and not despised their godlynesse and religion they should haue had the same geuen them whiche the Gabaonites had But in that they did not so their former sinnes were the hinderaunce therof for God for those sinnes tooke away his spirite and grace from their hartes that at the last they might suffer most iust punishment for their wickednesse This is the equitie and mitigations of those lawes against the Chananites Why the Gabaonites were brought into bondage But there ariseth a doubt why the punishement of bondage was imposed to the Gabaonites if they nowe became so good and faithfull Whereunto is aunswered that they therfore fell into bondage bycause they vsed fraude and guile For God would for this cause haue them so punished lest he should seme to allowe disceate and euill artes Whether the Luzite repēted Ierome Now resteth to enquire what this betrayer of Luz did whether he beleued and embrased the true worshippyng of God Out of the holy scriptures we can gather nothing of this thing Peraduenture it may seme to some that he abode still in his vngodlynesse bycause he went awaye from thence neither abode he with the Iewes But this is but a weake reason For Iethro also departed from Moyses whō he came to se in the desert although as I thincke he left his sonne with Moyses Neither would Christ haue all those continually with him whom he healed and whiche beleued in him yea he sayd to one of thē who would haue dwelled with hym returne to thine owne
to dwell from the people of God Dauid therof is witnesse who sighed when he was by reason of the vniust violence of Saul constrayned to lyue in deserte places And it appeareth in the Psalmes how grieuously he complayned and lamented that he was forced to dwell among straungers such as were farre frō god Daniel his fellowes mought haue had the fruition of the kinges table and of most delicate meates and yet they abiected those commodities pleasures lest they should defyle thē selues with the delicate meates of the Ethnikes and with the vncleane bankettes of the vnbeleuers Moses also as it is written in the xi to the Hebrues whē he mought haue ben counted the sonne of the daughter of Pharao and therby haue attayned to great honor he contemned all this and went vnto his brethren which were oppressed with miserable seruitude in making bricke and tyles They whiche followe not these examples do manifestly declare that they haue small mynde of the glorye of God and that they will not redeme the same with their own losse or binderāce thoughe it wer neuer so smal or littel Do we sayth Paul to the Corrnth 1. prouoke God Are we stronger than he Wherfore they whiche are weake and vnlearned It is not lawfull to dwell with infidelles when we are compelled to cōmunicate with theyr vngodly rites whilest they take vpon them to dwell among infidels they do without doubt tempte god and in a maner prouoke him as thoughe they would be strōger thā he I could gather a great many more reasons for this sentēce but these whiche I haue brought shal be sufficient at this tyme. Now let vs come to those whiche do so dwell among infidels that they are compelled to be present at their vnlawfull rites whether those be learned or vnlearned whether they be strong or weake what they be in this case it maketh no matter For I comprehend them altogether I say that none of them such an habitation or coniunction is to be suffred but either they must flye from thence or rather suffre death than to commit Idolatry Paul sayd as I haue before declared Flye from Idolatry The lawe and Prophetes the olde and new Testament are full of ordinaunces commaundementes lawes admonitions rebukes wherby straunge worshipping is forbidden Daniel 3. Daniels fellowes chose rather to be cast into the fornace than they would worship the ymage set vp by a moste mighty king Machabea the mother with her children would rather dye Machab. 7. than she would against the lawes of God eate swynes fleshe I could reckon an infinite numbre of Martyrs which most cōstantly suffred death rather than they would forsake theyr godlynesse which they had professed hauing this sayeng alwayes before their eyes feare not them whiche can kill the body c. Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians affirmeth the same bycause we are the temple of God the members of Christ and partakers of the table of the Lord which table can haue nothyng common with the table of deuils All these thinges are to be applied vnto our tymes when in the tyme of Papistrie godly men if they dwell with the vngodly are compelled to be at their Masses and most filthy seruices whiche of all thinges is not lawful vnto them But some take these probations by me now alledged to be vnderstand of sacrifices done to Idoles and not of the superstitions whiche are now vsed in the tyme of Papistry An outwarde worke can not be counted for the worshipping of God excepte it be grounded by hys worde But they ought to remember that no outward worke is to be had for the true worshipping of God vnlesse it be appoynted by the worde of God whiche if it be not it can be nothing els but an inuention of man For we can not without faith worship God and fayth can haue no place where the word of God is withdrawen Wherfore in humane actions how goodly in shewe so euer they be vnlesse god by his word do allow them they can be no worshipping of him Surely if we would honor men we are wont chiefly to marke A similitude in what things those men do delite in and when we haue found that out we thinke we haue bestowed our labour well when we haue shewed vnto them those thinges wherin they were wont to reioyce and delyte Why then do we not after the same sorte with God to serue him with that kynd of worshipping whiche he hath allowed by his oracles Let vs heare him in Esay how that in the oblations sacrifices incenses and offringes which were brought into the temple without faith he was rather weryed than reioysed in them He abhorreth and detesteth these kyndes of sacrifices as the Prophetes haue taught vs. Yf these thinges are spoken of those sacrifices whiche they by the word of God vsed that for that cause only bycause they were offred without faith what thinke we is to be iudged of the inuētions of men fayned worshippinges which beyng voyde of the word of God cā not be done with faith There is no true god which delighteth in fayned worshyppynges we may verely say that they pertayne vnto Idolatry And that may be manifestly gathered hereby bycause there is no true God whiche wil be worshipped with these thinges Wherfore it followeth that the vngodly whilest they adioyne such rites vnto their holy seruices they do not worship the true God but him whom they haue fayned with them selues to delyte in these thinges And for as much as in the whole nature of thinges there is no such they worship the Idole of their owne mynde and therfore iustly and worthely they may be called Idolaters But they say that those thinges which are sayd done in the Masse We must haue no regarde to the begynning of Ceremonies but whether they agre with the worde of God had their beginning by the institution of Christ althoughe they were afterward vitiated thoroughe mens defaulte That helpeth them nothing for as much as in these thinges we may not haue a regarde or consideration to their begynning but to their nature and forme And we must diligētly marke whether they agree with the worde of God The brasen Serpent by the commaundement of God had his beginning it was also endewed with miracles The brasē Serpent for the Israelites were by looking vpon it deliuered from their venemous byting The same Serpent neuerthelesse when the Iewes worshipped him and offered incense vnto it the godly men detested it So that the most holy king Ezechias brake him in pieces therwithall vtterly put away the worshipping therof We must not therfore haue a regard to the originall of a thing What the Hebrues meante whē they made thē selues the golden calfe but we must looke how it is vsed whether it agree with the first institution The Hebrues when they compelled Aaron to make them a calfe to worship had not that mynde
declareth whereby GOD aunswered thus vnto Elias the Prophete I haue left me 7000. men whiche haue not bowed their knees before Baal he sayth not whiche thincke ryghtlye in theyr harte and whiche in their mynde beleue vpryghtly but on the contrary setteth forth a signe of outwarde worshyppyng namely of bowyng the knee God hath created the whole man and wyll haue him whole And he whiche created the whole man is not content with the halfe of him neither will he haue his creature parted with the deuill To me sayth God to me onely I say shall euery knee bowe Furthermore if this their reason had bene of any valew the Corinthians might also by it haue excused their doing For they might haue said vnto Paul what art thou so vehement agaynst vs We our selues know also that an Idole is nothyng and we kepe the right opinion in our heart Let God be content with that Other mennes faultes are not layde to oure charge but that we cōmunicate with them Yt is lawfull for vs in the meane tyme with the body and outwarde presence to serue our owne commoditie Furthermore they saye These thynges we do nothyng at all vitiate yea we would haue them vncorrupte and perfecte Wherfore what synne soeuer is here committed it ought not to be ascribed vnto vs. Whereunto I aunswere That that is true in dede that an other mans synne is imputed to no man but yet whilest ye are present at prophane rites that is blamed in you and iustely imputed vnto you in that you communicate with an other mans vngodlynesse The Apostle in hys firste Epistle to the Corinthians sayde do ye not knowe that they whiche do eate of the sacrifice are made also partakers of the Temple What saye I than That the Image is any thyng or that it whiche is offred vnto Images is any thyng Nay But this I say that the thyngs which the Gentiles offre they offre vnto deuilles But I woulde not that you shoulde be partakers of deuilles ye can not drynke of the Cup of the Lorde and of the Cup of the deuilles ye can not be partakers of the Lordes table and of the table of deuilles c. Wherefore thoughe the corruption of the Sacrifices is not to be imputed to the communicantes yet for all that the communicatyng it selfe from whiche they ought to haue kepte them selues maketh them blame-worthy And vnlesse the thyng were so why would not the holy Martyrs communicate with the rites of the Ethnikes why did Paul so reproue the Corinthians But here they returne agayne to this to saye That the Masse is not to be compared with the Idolatrye of the Ethnikes For saye they thoughe it somewhat straye from the institution of Christe The Masse hath nothyng common with the institution of the Lord. yet ought it not to be counted a prophane and an Idolatrous thyng But I affirme it to be so muche peruerted that almost it nothyng at all agreeth with the institution of Christ yea it is most vtterly contrarye vnto it Whiche is very easye for me to declare Firste the Supper of the Lorde as it was instituted by Christe was a common or publique worke A contrarietye betwen the supper of the Lord the Masse but nowe commeth forth the sacrificer adorned with monstrous garmentes and doth all thynges alone the rest stand by onely see and heare Wherefore if Paul did iustly and worthily rebuke the Corinthians which taryed not one for an other sayd that they could not eate the Lordes Supper how can they worthily call the Papisticall Masse by the name of the Supper of the Lorde whereas onely one sacrificer eateth and drinketh Vndoubtedly by no meanes Wherefore let them rather call it by any other name than the Supper of the Lord. Furthermore they saye that they do there offre the sonne of GOD vnto the eternall Father And that is by expresse wordes denyed in the Epistle to the Hebrues For it teacheth that all thynges were fynished by the onely one oblation of Christe Whiche beyng perfect we maye not renewe the same agayne They wyll offre vp Christ euery daye The worde of GOD affirmeth that it was to be offred but once I confesse in dede that the Fathers as I haue before sayde did sometymes in suche sorte speake as thoughe the body and bloude of Christe were either offred or sacrificed in the celebration of the Sacramentes How in the supper the body bloud of Christ is offred vnto God But they very oftentymes interpreted them selues that those oblations or Sacrifices were onely thankes geuyng or a memory and figure of that oblation and sacrifice which Christ dyeng vpon the crosse made They affirme also that the bread and wyne are chaunged into the substaunce of the bodye and bloud of Christe when as the holy Scripture doth teache vs farre otherwyse Moreouer they lyftyng vp the bread and wyne do set forth to the people creatures to be worshypped in steade of GOD. For what is more filthy than religiously to worshyppe a piece of bread and a Cup of wyne It is true in dede that they are made partakers of the bodye and bloude of the Lorde namely in hearte and mynde whiche eate and drinke the signes of thankes geuyng with syncere fayth as the Lorde hath instituted But yf a man do onely beholde and worshyppe them then are they nothyng vnto him but a piece of breade and a Cup of wyne Moreouer the ministers of the Churche when as their duety is to go about all that in them lyeth to lift vp the myndes of the people vnto heauen that they mought not seke Christ in the world nor looke for any carnall or earthly thing in the supper of the Lord they miserably holde the people geuyng head to the visible signes The Apostle in the first Epistle to the Corinthians commaunded that they should not vse a straunge tongue in holy assemblyes bycause euery one must aunswere Amen And bycause aboue all thinges the edifieng of the hearers is to be sought for But in the Masse all thinges are done in the Latine tongue And those wordes whiche should be to the great comfort of the standers by when as to them the participation of the body bloud of the Lord is promised those wordes do they speake softely yea they mumble them vp so darkelye that though a man vnderstande the Latine yet can he not vnderstande those wordes They do for this cause so softely mumble them vp as thoughe the members of Christ were not worthy to heare them The Greke Churche when as neuerthelesse the Lord hym selfe spake them openly and the Greke Churche euen to thys daye pronounceth them with a moste loude voyce Yea and in the olde tyme it was a custome vsed as Ambrose and Augustine among other do testifye that at those wordes the people aunswered Amen But as I thinke Ambrose Augustine these men do therefore mumble vp those wordes bycause they are affeard
by the testimonies of his aduersaryes which is witnessed by our enemies And god hath wonderfully prouided for this kinde of testimonies for his church For we haue not only the bokes of the Hebrewes witnessing with vs but also Verses of the Sibillas which were borne in sundry countreyes Neither is it to be supposed that our elders fayned those Verses of themselues Verses of the Sibillas For in the time of Lactantius Eusebius of Cesaria Augustine which alledged those Verses the bokes of the Sibillas were rife in euery mans hand Wherfore if our elders should haue adioyned vnto them any counterfayte Verses the Ethnykes which were then many in number and were full of eloquence and deadly enemies to our religion would haue reproued them as vaine and liars What then remaineth but that god would wonderfully defend his church euen by the testimonies of our aduersaries Therfore the Iewes are now suffred among Christians partly for the promise sake which they haue that saluation should be geuē to their kinred partly bicause of the commodities which I haue now rehearsed out of Augustine Wherfore they are not only suffred but also thei haue Sinagoges wherin they openly read the bokes of the holy scriptures and also cal vpon the god of their fathers In which thing neuerthelesse the diligence of the Magistrates and bishops is much to be required who ought to prouide that they do there no other thing and by al meanes to beware that in their commō prayers exhortations and Sermons they curse not nor blaspheme Christ our God If the Magistrates and bishops haue not a care ouer these things they can not but be most iustly accused The Turkes ought not to haue any Sinagoges graūted them But it is not lawful to graunt vnto the Turkes any holy assemblies for that they haue not a peculiar promise of their saluation neither would they there read either the old Testament or the newe but only their most detestable boke called Alcoran Furthermore the Iewes muste be forbidden that they exercise not false bargayning and Vsurye among Christians The Iewes must be prohibited from false bargaining and vsurie therby to vexe and afflict the poore Christians before our face which can not be done but with great horror But our princes exacte of them a very great tribute and receaue at their handes a great pray by their handes by vsury and false bargayning So farre are they of from prohibityng them from these euill artes Furthermore which is more hurtfull they prouyde not to haue them taughte when as they oughte to compell them to come often to the holy Sermons of the Christians Princes ought to care that the Iewes may be taught otherwise whilest they are so neglected and vnloked vnto they waxe euery day worse and worse and more stubborne So that either very little fruite or ells almoste none at al can now be looked for by theyr dwelling among Christians It is also diligently to be sene vnto that they corrupte not our men in seducing them to their Iewishe religion The heresie of the Marranes By reason this thing hath bene neglected the heresie of the Marranes hath much increased and that chiefly in Spaine Moreouer it is mete that they may by some apparail or certain signe be knowen from Christians least a man vnawares should be as familiarly conuersaunt with thē as with Christians And as touching this kinde of infidelles these thynges are sufficiente What heresye is Now must we speake of heretikes The woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of thys verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to electe or choose For those kinde of men chose vnto thēselues some certaine opinions which are against the holy Scriptures and doe stubbornly defend the same The causes of heresye And the causes of this their choyse for the most part are either bicause they are ignoraunt of the holy Scriptures or els if they know them they dispise them and being driuen by some couetousnesse they applye thēselues to the inuention of some errors Wherfore Augustine in his booke de vtilitate credendi writeth Augustine An heretike is he which for the loue of gayne or rule eyther bringeth vp or els followeth new opinions The definition therfore of heresie is a choyse and stubborne defending of opinions The definition of heresye which are against the holy Scriptures either by reason of ignorance or els contempt of them to the end the easlier to obtaine their own pleasures and cōmodities The choyse and stubburne defending is in this definition in stead of the forme But the opinions disagreing with the holy scriptures serue for the matter Pride and couetousnesse make heresie And the obteining of dignities gayne and pleasures are appoynted as endes of thys so great a mischiefe By this definition it is manifeste inough as I thynke who be heretikes I minde not at this presente to speake of the kindes sortes of heresies I shall as I trust haue better occasiō a place more mete to speake therof This wil I say briefly as touching this questiō we must haue none otherwise to do with heretikes than with infidels and Iewes And I suppose that these things are sufficient as touching this question whiche hath bene hitherto discussed I woulde God so perfectly as with many woordes Wherfore I will returne vnto the historye The second Chapiter 1 ANd the Angel of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bochim and sayd I made you to go out of Egipte and haue brought you vnto the Lande whiche I sware vnto your Fathers And I sayde I wil not breake mine appoyntmente that I made with you TWo things haue hitherto bene set forth vnto vs. Fyrst the noble victories which the Israelits obteined as long as they obeyed the word of God Secondly the transgression wherby contrarye to the commaundementes of God they both saued and also made tributaries vnto themselues those nations whom they ought vtterly to haue destroyed But nowe is set forth vnto vs how God of his goodnesse by hys Legate reprehended the Israelites for the wicked acte whiche they had committed and that not without fruite For whē they heard the word of God they repented Fyrst the messenger of God maketh mencion of the benefites which god had bestowed on his people The principall poyntes of the Sermon Secondly he vpbraydeth thē of their wicked actes wherwith they being ingrate requited so great giftes Lastely are set forth the threatninges and punishementes wherewith God woulde punishe them excepte they repented But before we come to entreate of the oration of this legate it were good to declare what he was The Hebrew worde Melach It is doubtful what this Legate was and also the Greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are doubtfull and sometymes they signifie a nature without a body I meane spirites the ministres of God and other sometymes they signifie a messanger what soeuer he be There are examples of these in many
as a deliuerer out of Egypte Then as a deliuerer out of the captiuitie of Babilon God beginneth the rehearsall of benefites last geuen But lastly as the father of our Lord Iesus Christ But now of the benefite lately bestowed on them he calleth him selfe the delyuerer out of Egypte Afterward he adioyneth an other benefite And I haue brought you into the lande whiche I sware vnto your fathers It was not sufficiēt that they wer deliuered out of Egypt but they had ample noble places assigned vnto them Thirdly he saith This haue I geuē you That I would haue my couenant made with you to haue cōtinued for euer if it mought haue ben by your obediēce But ye haue not suffred it These benefites whiche in this place are rehearsed are playne and manifest ynough Two principal thynges to be considered in the couenaunt But as touching the last namely of the couenaunt two thinges are to be considered in it First whiche is also the chief of all good thinges is the redemption whiche should be made by Christ Neither could this be hindered by any sinnes of mē For God is faithful as Paul testifieth to the Romanes neither departeth he from his truth for our euill desertes The second is the successe of outwarde good thinges and ciuill ornamentes Whiche kinde of couenaunte or promesse bycause it was conditionally it myght therefore sometymes be altered and vndoubtedly of this doth our preacher at this present speake And what conditions God required of the Israelites here he declareth in this sermon 2 And ye also shall make no couenaunte with the inhabiters of this lande but shal breake downe their altares Neuerthelesse ye haue not obeyed my voyce why haue ye this done 3 Wherefore I haue also determined I will not cast them out before your face but they shal be as prickes in your sydes and theyr Gods shal be a snare vnto you God by couenaunt had prescribed two thynges in especiall What god prescribed the Israelites in the couenaunt first that they should make no league with the Chananites secondly that they should plucke downe their altares and temples These are euery where written in the law especially in Exodus the 13. and 20. In the booke of Numb 33. In Deut. 7. Now after these conditions required of God is set forth the transgression of the Israelites But ye sayth he haue not hearkened vnto my voyce The Iewes were not yet fallen so farre that they committed Idolatry they are onely reproued for violating the couenaunt bycause they had saued the Idoles and altares of the Chananites The wonderfull goodnesse of God surely is shewed by these wordes VVhy haue ye this done A vehemente maner of amplifieng of synne He demaūdeth the cause as being ready to heare their excuse if they could bring any that were iust and lawfull And by this meanes also the grieuousnesse of the sinne is amplified as being so grieuous that it could by coulour be defended And vndoubtedlye thus it is God is not afeard in iudgement to contēd with synners Gods cause agaynste vs is so good that he is not affeard in Iudgement to reason with synners as the Prophetes Esay and Micheas haue playnely taught The preacher goeth forwarde and sheweth what punishement they shoulde haue for thys faulte For so much as ye haue not stande by your couenaunt I wyll also go from my promises I will not expell the Chananites out of this region as I had promised if so be that I do not expell them ye are so weake and feble that by your owne power ye can not cast them out They shal remayne therfore as ye would haue it but yet to your great discōmodity For they shal be as prickes in your sides namely as thornes where with ye shal be oftentymes sharply pricked The Hebrew worde is Letsdim And in dede Tsad signifieth a side Althoughe some thinke that worde to be deriued of this verbe Tsud whiche is to hunte or to fishe and bycause the hookes of fishermen are very sharpe therfore the worde is by a certaine Metaphore transferred to signifie thornes And after the same sorte we might say they signified nettes vsing the same Metaphore whiche we may deriue of hunters But the firste reason of the interpretation to signifye sides I sets both simple also more allowed by the commentaryes of the Hebrues And theyr Idoles shal be a snare vnto you Namely wherewith ye shal be taken and when ye shal be geuen to their Idolatry ye shal be punished with most grieuous punishementes and discommodities Augustine in his 13. Augustine questiō vpon this booke hath noted that God threatneth after his accustomed maner that at the length it shall come to passe that he will punishe synnes by synnes For the Israelites in not obeyeng the commaundement of God committed synne and he agayne threatneth that Idoles shal be a stumblyng blocke vnto them namely that they should worship them wherfore afterwarde they should be grieuously punished By whiche wordes he declareth that the first transgression should be punished and chastised with the wicked crime of Idolatry as Paul testifieth to the Romanes that the Idolatry of the Ethnikes was punished with most filthy lustes But the punishement of the Israelites as it is here set forth hath with out doubt a great emphasys For what can there happen more grieuous than to be among thornes and continuallye to fall among them Vndoubtedly hereof followe woundes almost thoroughe out al the partes of the body and new paynes and those vehement succede one an other And as thornes if they sticke in the fleshe do sharpely pricke so to dwell among enemyes and to haue them ioyned together with vs can not be but very full of troubles The punishement whiche God here threateneth is no new punishement for al that is here written was forespoken in the boke of Iosua the 23. chap. Namely that it should come to passe that if they obeyed not the preceptes of the law of God God would not then performe to destroy those natiōs before them yea he sayth they shal be vnto you a snare a stumblyng stocke a whip for your sides and thornes to your eyes vntill ye be destroyed out of this good lande whiche the Lord your God hath geuen you c. For the Israelites had afterward experience of these miseryes bycause they were oftentimes brought into bondage by their enemyes among whom they dwelled and with whom they had vngodly ioyned them selues And finally for that they would not ceasse of from Idolatry they were cast out to the Assirians and Babilonians This chidyng of God contayneth iust causes wherfore the Israelites were destitute of his helpe for a tyme. Causes why god forsoke the Israelites for a tyme. And the end of the whole sermon is that the people might be stirred vp to repentaunce and that most aptely For among those thinges whiche do vehemently amplify synne do set it playnly before our eyes
from bloud wherof the greater parte turneth into vrine and that whiche remayneth is thrust forth into teares Lastly Seneca in his 100. Seneca Epistle to Lucillus thincketh that with the stroke of grief and sorrowe the whole body is almost shaken and therwithall the eyes out of whiche eyes the humour lyeng nighe vnto them is expressed But howsoeuer this matter be it littell pertayneth vnto vs. Wherfore let vs come to the causes for whiche it besemeth a godly man to weepe Augustine in his 4. Augustine Causes why we shoulde weepe sermon of the first Sonday in Lente writeth that there be two causes in true repentaunce that bryng forth weepyng one is for bycause we haue thoroughe negligence omitted many thynges whiche we ought to haue done And by ouer muche boldenesse commytted many thyngs which we ought not to haue done Synnes of cōmittyng and omittyng These are cōmonly called synnes of commyttyng and omyttyng and in the same place he interpreteth thys sentence Brynge forth worthy fruictes of repentaunce after this maner that we shoulde weepe for the synnes alreadye committed and we shoulde take hede that we do not the same agayne Chrisostome also vpon the Epistle to the Collossians Chrisostome the 12 Homely cōplayneth that the Christians abused teares and when as otherwyse teares are good creatures of God The abuse of teares they diffame them in adioynyng them to those thynges whiche deserue not weepyng Synnes onely sayeth he are to be weeped for not onely our owne synnes but other mens also Whiche Paul performed in very dede who in the 2. to the Corinthians sayde that he was affeard not to come vnto them but so that he was deiected compelled to weepe for very many which had fallen and not repented Oure owne synnes other mens also are to be wept for Yea and he exhorted the same Corinthians to weepe for other mennes synnes when in hys first Epistle he sayde ye are puffed vp and ye haue not mourned namely for a grieuous cryme of an incestuous man And Dauid in his 119 Psalme wryteth Myne eyes haue brought forth riuers of waters bycause they haue not kepte thy lawe That most holy Prophete wepte bycause of the publicque transgressions of the lawe and when he sawe the same transgressions euery where perpetrated he aboundantly poured out teares And Ezechiell in the 8. chap Godly men do easelyer weepe than laughe commended certayn whiche wepte for the wicked Actes of other men And hereof it commeth that when holy men see horrible spectacles of synnes oftentymes to happen they easelyer burste forth into teares than into laughter For so Christ vsed whom we read to haue oftentimes wepte but neuer to haue laughed Whiche selfe same thyng also we must do at thys day when as so great and euill an haruest of synnes doth on euery syde offer it selfe vnto vs. Lastly we muste knowe that all kynd of mournyng is not allowed of god That weeping is not allowed which cōmeth onely of the feelyng of the punishmentes For some there are which as I haue before said are moued only with the feeling of the punishmētes neyther are they moued any further To be sory in dede for cause of paines and punishementes is a certayne degree of true repentaunce for that ende GOD doth both punyshe and also threaten men whilest they lyue here Howebeit this sorowe is not sufficient neyther is it by it selfe allowed of god for it spryngeth of selfe loue is in a maner a thyng vnprofitable vnlesse it go further Wherfore the Lorde sayeth in Zacharie the 7. chap that the Hebrues had fasted for them selues not for his glorye so these wepe for them selues and mourne not bycause they haue violated the commaundementes of GOD. Furthermore thou mayste see other some somewhat worse than these whiche beyng moued with the sorowe of troubles do wepe Their teares are condemned whiche when they weape speake euill of God and among their teares do speake euill of GOD hymselfe beyng angry with his Iustice as thoughe he were to seuere and a harder Lord than he ought to be and suche mournyng belongeth not to repentaunce but rather to desperation An example therof we haue in the booke of Numb the 14. chap. Where the people when they heard the bytter relation of the spyes fell to weepyng and spake euill both agaynst Moyses and agaynst God and determined to returne into Egypt What mourning pleaseth God most The thirde kynde of mournyng is very acceptable vnto god and that is when we are grieuously sorye for that we haue violated hys lawe and bycause we se a great numbre of others to resiste hys moste holy will To this kynde of Lamentations did Ioel and other holy Prophetes stirre vp the people of the Hebrues Christe also persuadeth vs vnto them when he sayeth that they are blessed whiche mourne bycause consolation is layed vp for them The Churche lykewise vseth sometymes to stirre vp the people to these kynde of mournyngs when as at sometymes it set forth publicque repentaunce whiche althoughe it ought continually to cleaue in the heartes of Christians Repētaunce is sometymes openly to be renewed yet by reason of publicque calamityes and a certayne sluggishenesse grafted in vs is sometyme to be renewed by the diligence of the Pastors Wherfore god in the olde lawe once in a yeare in the 7. moneth I saye instituted a fast whereby that daye the people of Israell myght for the synnes whiche they hadde committed afflicte them selues before god And to the ende it myght the oftener be done he dayely sent hys Prophetes to rebuke the people as we see in this historye he did when he commaunded this sermon whiche we nowe expounde to be made vnto the people ¶ Of Sacrifice Oure actions are either volūtary or natural NOw riseth somewhat to speake of Sacrifice The definition wherof when we searche out first we fynde it to be a certayne action and that voluntary whiche I therefore saye bycause there are founde some actions whiche they call naturall but those for so muche as they depende not of humane election they can not therfore be called voluntary Furthermore Sacrifice ought to be referred vnto religion Some actions are religious are separated from political oeconomicall actions whiche I do for this cause adde to remoue and seperate it from oeconomicall and ciuill workes For domesticall workes are profitable to gouerne a family and ciuil workes serue for the administration of a publicque wealthe But sacrifice is a religious action bycause it pertayneth to the worshipping of god and was by hym instituted that we should offre our things vnto hym and that to this ende that he might be honoured and therby as Augustine sayeth in hys 10. Augustine booke de ciuitate Dei the 7. chap to cleaue vnto hym with an holy societye And hereby may we see in what sorte a Sacrifice if we speake of it as it is properly
land of Egipt followed straunge Gods euen the Gods of the nations that wer round about them bowed them selues vnto them Wherefore they angred the Lord. 13 They forsooke I say the Lorde and serued Baal Astharoth Vnder those vngodlye Princes which succeeded the good the people grieuously fell Not bicause that they before had not also transgressed for that as we haue shewed they grieuously synned in sparing of the Chananites but nowe they began to contaminate and defile them selues with the superstitions and idolatry of those Nations R. Leui demaundeth in this place how it could be that none of those should be on lyue which had sene the woorkes of God which hee hadde done for Israel when as from their comming out of Egipt to this present time there were but 67. yeares passed He answereth that there might easely be some found which had sene those woorkes yea all men confesse that Phinches lyued at that tyme but there were but fewe suche and there were not many wise men and whych could rightly and with authority instruct the young of those things All the Israelites became not idolatrers which they had sene And it might be that the scripture spake not these woordes of al the people but onely of the new Magistrates which succeded Neither ought we hereby to vnderstand that all the Israelites were become Idolatrers but the moste part of them and which was more haynous they openly professed wicked worshippinges when as neuerthelesse some although but few and peraduenture secretly claue vnto the true God Neither maye wee gather hereby Miracles are not sufficient to persuade godlines that myracles of them selues haue the power to be sufficient either to bring in or to retaine godlynes For Chore Dathan and Abiram Zimri Achan and the ten spies were without dout at the doing of the myracles which were done as well in Egipt as in the wildernes and yet neuerthelesse they fell from God and defiled them selues wyth moste grieuous wicked actes Moreouer they whiche when Moyses was absent woorshypped the golden Calfe and were consecrated to Baal-Peor the God of the Moabites they I say vndoubtedly beheld the wonders whereby God defended the people from their enemies and helped them in diuers necessities and yet for al that they became Idolatrers committed wicked worshippings Euen so came it to passe of the Scribes and Phariseys for the history of the gospell declareth that they saw the wonderful workes of Christ They which sawe not the miracles in the old tyme are not therfore excused from infidelitie and yet they wonderfullye contemned and maliciouslye despised him Wherefore we must thinke that this is not now rehersed of our history as a lawful excuse of the transgressiō which afterward happened For if by that meanes the act of the Hebrewes coulde be defended then might the superstitious Idolatrers of our time defend their cause for they might say miracles haue now ceased and those thinges which Christe or his Apostels did are not in our time sene But we in this sort answer to them which doo thus excuse their infidelitye The miracles which wer don in the old tyme profite vs also namely that the miracles of Christ the Apostles which were done once ought also to suffice vs for for our sakes were they put in writing that wee readyng them myght receaue fruite by them beyng assured that they were ministred not onely to them which lyued at that tyme but also vnto vs. So might it be aunswered to the Hebrewes of whom we nowe entreate what though ye haue not sene the miracles which wer done in the time of your Fathers Haue not Moyses and Iosua faithfullye written all those thinges whych God hath done for your nations sake Yea and your Fathers which were present and saw them haue trulye declared them vnto you when ye were yet lytle ones The scripture therfore doth not so speake at this presēt to excuse that new generation But to declare what pretence they made when they departed from the woorshipping of the God of their Fathers and what occasion they tooke and also to set foorth that they were of a corrupt and naughtye nature which when their good Maisters and Magistrates were dead became vnmindfull of all true godlynes For it is very likely that they as they were impudent so also openly they boasted abroade those or such lyke woordes We ar in doubt neither do we easely beleue that the Lord did so many miracles as our Fathers haue both written and also shewed vs. Who can tell whether they were so or no we vndoubtedlye know not whether the Lorde or anye other God hath for our saluation sake caused such or so great thinges to be done And so they leauing faith and forsaking the true God dyd euyll in the syght of the Lorde How thinges in the scripture ar called good or euell in the sight of the lord By this hebrewe phrase it is declared that God was maruellouslye offended wyth thys their transgression As contrarywise they are called good thinges in the sight of the Lord which doo excedingly please him This is the common and receaued exposition Howbeit if we more narrowly marke this kinde of speeche we shall easylye perceaue that it declareth some other thing vnto vs. Namely that those thinges which the Iewes dyd were allowed by mans iudgement and peraduenture had a goodly shew but yet in Gods iudgement they were most detestable And withoute doubte that people synned a great deale more haynouslye in thys last transgression than they did in the first For there they onelye omitted the ouerthrowing of ymages and aultares but here they woorship straunge Gods Neither durst they do this onely but they forsooke also the worshipping of the true God Wherein vndoubtedly they were to be counted muche more corrupt than were the Samaritanes For they although they woorshipped their Idoles yet therwithall they ioyned the worshipping of the true God as it is declared in the second booke of Kinges And in how euyll part God taketh it thus to bee reiected he hath expressed by Ieremy the Prophet in the .2 chapter Where hee commaunded the Hebrewes to go and looke vpon other Nations An amplifieng of the idolatrye of the Hebrewes and see whether they haue so vnconstantly chaunged the Gods of their Fathers Whiche Nations if they were knowen constantlye to haue retayned their old woorshippings although they were vngodly Israel might thereby learne not to abiect their old rites and customes of their Fathers This wycked acte moreouer was for thys cause much more detestable bicause they had newly receaued the benefit of their deliuery out of Egipt and had also made a couenaunt with god first by Moses and afterward by Iosua when he was euen at the point of death Furthermore bicause they began to worship the gods of those nations which they had nowe eyther driuen oute of the lande of Chanaan or els made tributaries vnto them selues What a
vs by Antichriste Why God suffreth such miracles to be wrought by the deuill Paule hath faythfully admonished the Thessalonians But thou wilte saye that the deuill can not doe these thynges vnlesse God will and permitte I graunte that And why it is hys will so there are two causes sette forthe in the Scriptures Of the which the one is gathered out of Deutr. namely bicause he would tempt vs wherby might euidently appeare how much we esteme his word and whether we will suffer our selues to be plucked from him by suche illusions the seconde cause is to punyshe the vnbeleuers For so doth Paule teache vs to the Thessalonians bycause sayeth he they haue not receaued the loue of the truth therefore they are deliuered to be deluded with inchantementes and deuelishe miracles But there are two places in the Scriptures whiche are diligentlye to bee weyghed and considered that the doctrine now in hande may bee the more confyrmed The fyrste is written in the Actes of the Apostles the tenth Chapiter Of Cornelius the Centurion Cornelius caste himself down at the feete of Peter to whom when Peter came he caste himselfe at his feete But Peter woulde not suffer that yea he reprehended hym and aunswered in thys manner Doe not so ryse vp for I also am a man We read also in the Apocalipse Iohn fel downe at the feete of the Angell that Iohn fell downe before the Aungell but he admonished hym that he shoulde not so doe I am sayeth he thy fellowe seruaunt These two places maye thus bee vnderstande that Peter and the Aungell condemned these actes as in a manner Idolatrous as thoughe the Centurion and Iohn shoulde attribute any deuine nature Neither Cornelius nor Iohn would worship creatures the one to Peter the other to the Aungell and shoulde haue geuen vnto them more honoure than was conueniente for creatures But it seemeth that thys can not be easelye thoughte of eyther of these The Scripture testifyeth that the Centurion feared and worshipped God How should we therefore beleue that he coulde be led to beleue that Peter was God or at the leaste to attribute deuine honoures vnto a creature And it is not very likely that Iohn whiche was either an Apostle or ells a notable deuine as some call hym coulde not discerne an Aungell from God If so bee that neyther of these woulde worship a creature in stead of the Creator thys remaineth that it is not lawfull to geue vnto creatures this kind of outward reuerence Wherfore we shall seme not to haue sayd well before in saying that these thynges may be geuen vnto Princes and Kinges To thys I aunswere there muste be a difference obserued betwene a ciuile and a worldelye honoure and a deuine and religious woorshipping as we haue before expounded The Centuriō Iohn sinned in excesse but they can not be accused of Idolatrye Furthermore we muste knowe that these two men Cornelius I say and Iohn intended not by thys their worshipping to transferre the honour of God vnto creatures Howbeit it may easely bee that they fell to an vnmeasurable signe of reuerence and so in that excesse they somewhat committed sinne But as touching Kinges and Princes we are in much lesse daunger of falling than toward Angels or ministers of Christ For these bycause they exercise the spiritual office the honor which is geuen vnto thē draweth nighe to a religious adoration Wherfore in those places eyther the bowing of the knee or of the bodye are not by themselues condemned But in as muche as they are geuen for Religion sake Moderate honoures therefore maye bee geuen especially when they are geuen for Religion sake And thus muche at this presente as concerning thys thyng But let vs remember that whiche I haue also before admonyshed that thys also belongeth to Idolatrye when we woorship the true God by other wayes and rytes They which worship God otherwise thā he hath instituted are Idolatrers than he hath willed vs and prescribed vnto vs. If we shall doe otherwyse we shall woorship an Idole accordyng to that seconde forme before described in fayning to oure selues in oure mynde or harte any God whiche delighteth in a woorshippyng inuented by men and there is none suche Wherfore we shall not honoure and worship the true God but an Idole whiche we haue conceaued in our mynde And vndoubtedlye so oughte we to vnderstande Paule when he sayeth to the Corrinthians in the fyrste Epistle we knowe that an Idole is nothyng in the worlde Paule teacheth not that an Idole is nothyng as touchyng the shape and outwarde forme For no man doubteth but that those Idoles haue place either in the outwarde matter or ells in oure hartes By an Idole there fore he vnderstoode not the signe it selfe but the thing whereunto it is referred And he meant that the thing it selfe whiche is signified by Idoles is nothing for as much as there is no where a God which may be represented or els deliteth in such Images 14 And the wrathe of the Lorde waxed hotte agaynste Israell and he deliuered them into the handes of raueners that spoyled them and solde them into the handes of theyr enemyes round about them Neither had they any power any longer to stande before their enemyes 15 Whether so euer they went the hand of the Lord was agaynst them with euil lucke euen as the Lord promised them and euen as the Lord sware vnto them And he punyshed them sore The punishment imposed by God for Idolatry is now set forth to be diligently considered by vs. There are two thinges which are declared Fyrst is described that the anger of God was kindled agaynst the Israelites How we shuld vnderstand god to be angry and to repent Secondly how he punished the guiltye God therefore bycause of so grieuous a wicked crime of the Hebrewes waxed hotte agaynst them which is not so to be vnderstande as though God had any affections for that pertaineth only vnto men But according to the common and receaued exposition of these places we fele that god is like vnto men that are angry after which selfe same reason it is written that he sometime repenteth Wherfore God eyther to repent or to be angry is nothing ells but that he doth those thinges which men repenting and men angrye vse to do For the one do eyther alter or ells ouerthrowe that which before they had done and the other take vengeaunce of iniuries done vnto thē Ambrose in his booke of Noe and the Arke the fourth Chapter Ambrose speaketh otherwise of the anger of God For neither doth God sayth he thinke as men do as though some contrary sentence should come vnto him neither is he angrye as though he were mutable but therfore these thinges are beleued to expresse the bitternesse of our sinnes which hath deserued the wrath of God and to declare that the faulte hath so much and so farre encreased that euen God also whiche
condition ioyned with it as it may be in absolute and simple sentences when as the successe depēdeth of the kepyng or violatyng of the condition More ouer in these wordes of the history is expressed the cause why the Israelites sorowed and sighed namely bycause they were oppressed and afflicted and that with those kindes of calamityes whiche are before mencioned namely bycause they were spoyled sold and losyng their liberty and goods they were no longer able to stande before their enemyes 19 Yet for all that as soone as the Iudge was dead they turned and did worse than their fathers in following straunge gods and in seruing them and bowing them selues vnto them and ceased not from the Actes of them and from their hard waye When the Hebrues in the tyme of the Iudge that was raysed vp had a restyng tyme and came to a tollerable estate that iudge beyng dead they fell agayne worse than they did before and committed much more grieuous things than did their elders Whereby is founde true that whiche we before haue sayde namely that the infirmitye of our nature is so great that we can not longe abyde in pure religion and sincere worshipping of God And in that it is sayde that they whiche came after were a great deale worse than their fathers is declared that GOD not without reason and iuste cause was the more prouoked vnto anger so that wheras he had longe tyme spared their elders nowe at the last he would not forgeue those that came after And this is it whiche is often sayde Howe the iniquities of the fathers are visited in the children childrēs children that he doth visite the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children euen to the third and fourth generation whiche is not so to be vnderstand as thoughe he should punishe the posteritie more than they haue deserued But bycause God as he hath spared the fathers would so also haue forgeuen the children vnlesse they had so much followed the iniquities of their fathers that also they went farther in those mischieuous Actes then did their fathers God is patient and before the poureth out hys wrath and punishementes he vseth to tary for the thirde or fourth generation But howe these of whom we intreate were more corrupt than their fathers the history manifestly declareth for they committed more wicked Actes than did their fathers And of all those whiche their fathers perpetrated they forsooke none or left none vndone But of this kynde of speache wherein it is sayde It is not in mans power to auoyde sinne Neither ceased they from their endeuours we may not conclude that it lyeth in our strength power to auoyde synnes or to wrappe our selues out of them Wherfore they greatly erre which of the preceptes of the law of GOD do gather the strength and power of our free will For by the commaundementes the Scripture testifyeth what thynges they he whiche are required of men The power of free will is not to be gathered of the commaūdementes But the same Scripture manifestlye in an other place admonisheth that it lieth not in our power to fulfill them As Paul also writeth in hys latter Epistle to Timothe that there are in a great house not onely vesselles of golde and siluer but also vesselles of wood and vesselles of claye And he whiche shall purge hym selfe from them shal be a vessell sanctified to honour profitable to the Lorde and prepared to all good workes Neither for all that can we therby conclude that it is in our owne strength to purge our selues from synnes althoughe the same be required at our handes for as much as that is to be looked for onely of God Wherefore the same Apostle in the same Epistle when he had admonished the Minister of the Churche so be gentle ready to teache pacient to suffre euilles It is GOD whiche geueth repentaunce amendement but so for all that to confute them whiche resiste addeth If peraduenture God shall geue them repentaunce to the knowledge of hys truth By these wordes we are taughte that repentaunce from synnes whiche is commaunded commeth not of our selues but is louyngly and gently geuen of God The waye of synners is rightlye and worthily called harde The waye of sinners is hard and it is a metaphor elegantly taken of roughe and stonye places for stones and rockes for that they haue thicke and vnequall partes they hurte pricke and rente the tendre fleshe of theyr feete whiche trauayle vpon them So are the manners of the wicked they wounde theyr consciences and at the laste bryng them into extreme miseries which happeneth not without the great goodnesse of God for the god at the length by that meanes calleth vnto him very many sinners And the sawe hath Hoseas the Prophete very well described in hys ii chap when he sayeth And she sayde I will go after my louers whiche haue geuen me golde siluer wooll flaxe c. But I will hedge in thy wayes with thornes and will take awaye my gold my siluer my wooll and my flaxe And she shall say I will returne vnto my first husband for then was it better with me than it is now 20 Wherfore the wrath of the Lorde was kyndled agaynst Israel and he sayd Bycause thys people hath transgressed myne appoyntment whiche I commaunded their Fathers and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 21 I also will hence forth not cast out before them one man of the nations whiche Iosua left when he dyed 22 That thoroughe them I maye proue Israell whether they wyll kepe the waye of the Lorde and walke therein as their Fathers dyd or not 23 And so the Lord left those nations and droue them not out immediatly neither deliuered them into the handes of Iosua The cause being before declared namely the contempte wherby the Israelites contempned GOD now is set forth the effect thereof whiche is the kindlyng of the wrath of GOD. For this worde Chara in the Hebrue tongue is to waxe hotte or to be kyndeled with anger Whereby the property and nature of angry is properly and elegantely expressed For if angry should be defyned accordyng to the matter thereof it is a certayne inflamation of bloud about the hearte What is the matter of āger Neither do I speake it as thoughe that can be applied vnto GOD who vtterly is without heate and bloud But all these thynges as I haue allready oftentymes sayde are by a certaine translation applied vnto hym ¶ Of a League BVt bycause God complayneth for that the league was broken whiche he had made with them I thincke it good somewhat to speake briefly of a league whiche is in Latine called Faedus And that worde is deriued of the verbe Ferio whiche is to staye bycause that the ambassadours of eche partie kylled a hogge from whiche Etimologye peraduenture the Hebrue worde Berith differeth not much with whiche outwarde signe also they wished by prayer the destruction to that parte whiche
hande and hys hande preuayled agaynst Chusan Riseathaun 11 And the lande had rest .40 yeares And Othoniel the Sonne of Chenez dyed Israel cryed vnto the Lord bicause they wer euil vexed and most grieuously oppressed of the Sirians They acknowledged now after their great hurt that straunge Gods profited them nothing yea rather they brought vpon them the miseries wherwith they were vrged When they vnderstoode that mans helpe was on euery side cut of they conuerting them selues vnto the true God called vpon him This is the fruite of miseries as touching the elect or rather the fruit of the goodnes of God which by troubles calleth againe vnto him those which are hys Of Othoniel we haue spoken inough before Now he is called a Sauiour bicause he brought health vnto the Israelites as the other Iudges dyd Othoniel was called a sauiour and a redemer which wer also called Sauiours he was a shadow of Christ But the Chaldey paraphrast calleth him Porken that is a Redemer Which surname also rightly agreeth with Othoniel bicause before it is sayd that God sold the Israelites and when bondmen are sold they haue nede of one to redeme them For as much as before it was said the God raised vp Iudges After what maner God raised vp Iudges now is declared the maner forme how he raysed them vp For it is written And the spirite of the Lord was vpon hym For by the holy ghost wer not onelye geuen vnto hym strength political wisdome and warlyke artes but also he was made the more certain of his calling The Chaldey paraphrast vnderstandeth by the Spirit of God the power of prophecy Dauid Kimhi But Dauid Kimhi interpreteth it the gift of force strength But I thinke that either interpretacion is to be allowed For besydes the strength and power which was geuen the Iudges they had also the iudgement and feeling of the wil of God which pertained vnto prophecy He iudged Israel That is he set them at liberty and was their Gouernour as touching ciuil thinges and restored the pure worshipping of God In that it is aboue written that God sold Israel to the king of Mesopotamia And nowe again it is declared that he deliuered the same king vnto Othoniel we may gather that victories ar geuē at the pleasure of God which also we haue often noted before R. Leui ben gerson thinketh that in that supputation of .40 R. Leui ben gerischon yeares wherein the Iewes lyued peaceably vnder Othoniel were comprehended also the eyght yeares of seruitude which went before But of this thing we wil speake aboundantly in the history of Iiphtah God is also to be called vpon of synners This place teacheth that men must call vpon God though they haue synned which I therfore thought good to note bycause sinnes vse much to feare away men from the inuocation of the name of God for this is the nature of synnes to alienate vs frō God vnto whom we yet by praiers come againe Wherfore seing these thinges are contrary namely to be alienated from God and to come vnto him it is wonder how they can be applyed to one and the selfe same man Augustine And this maketh with it also which is written in the gospel God heareth not sinners Although Augustine wryte of that sentēce that it is found in dede in the holy scriptures but it was spoken by hym whych was borne blynde when his hart was not yet illustrate Wherefore he iudgeth that that sentence is not to be taken as a firme and certaine rule A distinction of synners But I would rather make a distinction betwene synners for there are some which when they cry vnto the Lord do repent and from their hartes are sory for the euils which they haue committed But ther are other which continue stil in their mynd and purpose to synne and haue a very great delite therin Farther I am not afeard to affirme that god heareth those synners which being repentant cry vnto him with faith wher as those are repulsed which being hardened in their sinnes and wāting faith do call vpon god Wherfore it appeareth that those sinners which come to god and those that depart from god are not sinners of one sort bicause they which after they haue synned cal vpon god by faith repent them of theyr synnes are deuided from those which stubbornly without repentaunce perseuer in their synnes For they although by wordes they cry vnto god yet in hart and mynde they are farre from him so farre are they for to be ioyned vnto him or to come vnto him by fayth and prayers ¶ Whether God be the cause of synne BVt in these thinges which are sayd there ariseth a question which is not to be left vnspoken of For it is writtē that god sold the Israelites to the king of Mesopotamia Wherfore it semeth that he holpe a wicked man aided hym to satisfy his tyranny and ambition For he had neither a iust cause nor yet an honest title to clayme vnto him the dominion of the Hebrues What shall wee saye therefore Shall we affirme that God is the cause of this sinne Ther happeneth in this booke and in other places of the holye Scriptures suche kynde of speeche and that often times very plaine and therefore it semeth good to be expounded once for all Whether by the word permissiō this question may be dissolued Some yea and that with no euyl minde labour to excuse God and say that he doth not these euyl thinges but onely permitteth them And they thinke that in doubtful places that interpretation is to be applied which altogether wanteth fault and daunger of vngodlines Vndoubtedly this their saying wer to be praised if that we could se their exposition to be allowed in the scriptures But there it is farre otherwise sayd It is proued by good reasons that besides permission god worketh somewhat whē sins ar cōmitted namely that God doth stirre vp wycked men to their wicked actes that he seduceth delyuereth commaundeth hardeneth and deceaueth them and bringeth to passe those sinnes which are grieuous Suche kindes of speeche do manifestly teach vs that God after a sorte woorketh euyll thinges not onely in permitting but also in doing in vs. Without doubt al we are said both to haue our being and also our mouing in him For he is in suche sort the first cause of all thinges that without him we can do nothing For how should we moue our selues vnlesse by his power we wer both moued and also driuen Farther how farre his gouernment extendeth we may reade in the .xi. chap. of Mathew for two Sparowes saith the Lord are sold for a farthing and yet one of them falleth not to the ground without the wyll of the father And that was as much to say as without the counsell of God nothing be it neuer so smal is done in the world Moreouer that permission wherby certaine go about to make
vs is verye synne but in respecte that it commeth from God it is both good iust and holy For punishment is by God imposed to wycked men And to punishe synnes no man is ignoraunt but that it partayneth to iustice Wherfore God in withdrawing his grace from the vngodly and ministring some occasions which might moue to good things if they happened to right iust mindes and which he knoweth the wicked wyll turne to euil may after a sort although not properly be said to be the cause of sinne And vndoubtedly that act A â—â—militude in that it passeth through vs is sinne but not as it coÌ„meth from God For in that it coÌ„meth froÌ„ God it is most perfect iustice It happeneth somtimes that the self same wine being poured into a corrupt vessell is lost and made paide which wine as it was brought by the husbandmaÌ„ put into the vessel is both swete and good Neither is it hard to vnderstand how one the selfe same act may as touching one be vicious in respect of an other iust For when a murtherer hangman do kill a man the act as touching the matter or subiect without doubt is al one namelye the death of a man And yet the murtherer doth it most vniustly the hangman by law and iustice Iob also did wel vnderstand that when he said The Lord gaue the Lord hath taken away as it hath pleased him so is it done He did not by those wordes praise the Chaldians Sabines the Deuil which wer vessels of iniquity most vicious but he with great godlines allowed those euils as they were gouerned ruled by the prouidence of God namely for this cause bicause they pleased God It is also written in the .2 booke of Samuel the .24 chap. of Dauid who vnaduisedly wold haue the people numbred how God was angry with Israel therfore he styrred vp Dauid to do that And in the booke of Paral. it is writteÌ„ that Sathan was the doer of it For God doth those thinges which he wil haue done by Angels as wel good as euil Wherfore that numbring of the people as it proceeded of Dauid or the Deuil was in dede vicious but in that it came from God who intended to punish the Israelites it pertayned excedingly to the setting foorth of hys iustice Howbeit Iames sayth that God tempteth none to euyll but euery one of vs is allured by our own concupiscence Augustine Whyther God tempt or no. Augustine wryting of thys thyng in hys booke de consensa Euangelistarum saith that there are two kyndes of temptacion the one of trial the other of deceite And in dede as touching tryal he denyeth not but that God tempteth for that the scriptures do confesse it But with that kinde of temptation which deceaueth whereof Iames wrote he sayth that God tempteth no man But the scriptures teache not so as we haue declared a litle before of Dauid and before him of Achab. Yea and in Ezechiel the .14 chap. god saith that he had deceaued the Prophet And the same Augustine writeth not after the same maner in other places as it manifestly appeareth in hys bookes de Praedest Sanctorum de Cerrept Gratia ad Valent. and in hys .5 booke and .3 chap. contra Iulianum Wherfore the true interpretatioÌ„ of this place is that euery man is therfore tempted of his own concupiscence bicause al men haue their natural disease which is corruption and vicious lusts which ar together borne with them do also grow and increase in them Wherefore God instylleth no malice of his for we haue inough at home Therefore he cannot bee accused for as much as the beginning of vngodlines wickednes commeth not from hym God when he wyl bringeth to lyght our frowaconesse of mynde but lieth hid in vs. He ought not therefore to bee counted to geue the cause and fault who yet when it semeth good vnto him wil for iust causes haue our lusts wickednes brought to light and rule gouerne our wicked acts therby more and more to illustrate his iustice and glorye to aduaunce the saluation of the godly Wherfore his singular goodnes and prouidence is very much to be praised which can so iustly and wisely vse so wycked meanes Whence the variety of pronenesse to synne commeth But if a man wil aske how it happeneth that some are more prone to sinnes than others if as it is sayd malice wyckednes ar rooted into vs al from our byrth neither is it nede that any new or latter malice should be instilled in vs froÌ„ God And seyng that we ar al brought forth of one the selfe same lumpe and that lumpe likewise is altogether viciated it shoulde seeme that all also ought to be of a like disposition and inclination to wickednes But thys is diligently to be weighed that besides thys disposition ther happen naturall malices maners customes wicked qualities fellowshippes temperatures of bodies sundry parentes diuers countries and manifold causes wherby some are made more or lesse prone vnto sins which pronenesse of ours God according to his iustice goodnes and wisdome vseth and stirreth it vp gouerneth and ruleth it And this is not to be forgotten that none of vs haue so in our selues the beginninges of good actes which truely please God as wee euen from the verye birth haue within vs the beginninges of sins For they ar inspired in vs by the holy ghost and we continuallye receaue them of God neither burst they foorth out of the corrupt beginninges of our nature Now resteth to see from whence after the synne of Adam that frowardnes and corruption came Whether the first corruption after the synne of Adam were deriued froÌ„ god or no. and whither it wer deriued from God to punish the wicked act which was committed I answer that we maye not so thynke for man was for the fault which he had committed allenated from god wherfore he iustly withrew from him his giftes fauour and grace And our nature being left vnto it self falleth and declineth to woorse and woorse yea it coÌ„meth to nothyng from whence it was brought forth at the beginning Wherefore we must seke for no other efficieÌ„t cause of that corruption Wherefore by that wythdrawing of giftes and grace and departure from God which is the fountain of al good thinges nature is by it self throwen headlong into vice and corruption But now let vs returne to the history 12 Againe the children of Israel dyd euill in the syght of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel bicause that they had done euyl in the sight of the Lord. 13 And this Eglon gathered vnto him the Chyldren of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel and they possessed the city of Palme trees 14 And the childreÌ„ of Israel serued Eglon king of Moab .18 yeres The history declareth first the sinne which the Israelites committed then it
in hys right hand Yet let vs remember that god for the executing of noble dedes enterprises for the most part choseth the weake vnapt ones as the first epistle to the Corin. testifieth Brethren see to your calling how that not many noble men not many wise men not many mighty men are chosen but God hath chosen the folishe things of the world to put to shame the wise he hath chosen the weake things to ouerthrow things that are mighty also vile things and thinges of no reputation hath God chosē to confound things of reputation that no flesh should be glorified in his sight c. For as much as the glorye of God shoulde easlye bee darkened by the power wisedome of men Wherfore that that glory might excel he hath elected the folyshenesse of preaching he hath also chosen vnto himselfe rude Apostles and weake and feable men by whom he myghte shewe forth hys wonderfull workes Howbeit bycause that which was now done by Ehud seemeth to be done by crafte subtilitye and guile it is declared what occasion God gaue of this noble dede And by him the children of Israell sent a present vnto Eglon. God would therfore haue this messanger chosē that he might the easlier come to the presence of the King And I suppose that the present which they sent vnto Eglon was not the ordinary tribute which they payd but some honorable gift ther by to make the King more fauourable towards thē or els to obtayne somewhat at his hands For tribute is called by an other woord of the Hebrewes than by this word Minchah For that word is deriued of this verbe Nachah Minchah which is to bring or to offre Wherfore Minchah signified not only an oblation which was appointed for sacrifices but also a present and gift presented vnto noble men And for that cause in the booke of Genesis those thinges whiche Iacob as a gifte sent vnto his brother Esau before he came vnto him are called by the same name And when Ehud saw that he was called to a weighty and perilous enterpryse although he nothing doubted of the successe thereof yet he diligentlye weyghed with himselfe the daungers to the end he myght the more prudently auoyde them The callyng of GOD causeth vs to haue a sure confidence but yet it nothyng letteth but that we maye meditate howe we maye warely and wysely execute it Ehud therefore reuoluing with himselfe the thynges that were to be done caused that thyng to bee made for him whiche the holy historye by these wordes declareth 16 And Ehud made him a sword with two edges of a cubite lēgth and he girded it vnder his raymente vpon his right thigh 17 He presented the present vnto Eglon King of Moab And Eglon was a very fatte man 18 And when he had presented the presente he sent away the people that bare the present 19 But he himself returned agayne from the quarry of stones that was in Gilgal and sayd I haue a secret errand vnto thee O King whoe aunswered Kepe silence And all they that stoode neere went forth Ehud made him a two edged sworde whiche hauing a most sharpe edge on both sides mighte both easlye pearse and cutte and also quickely strike through the bodye He caused it also to be made but a Cubite in length that he might the easlier hide it What is the stature of Pigmeians Neyther is this woorde Gamar any other thing with the Hebrewes than Amah Wherefore the Pigmeians in Ezechiell the .xxvii. Chapiter are called Gamerim and therfore so called bicause they are but a Cubite in stature And such a short sworde the Latines call Sica that is a scayne He hidde it vnder his garments for if he had worne hys sworde openlye eyther he shoulde haue bene compelled to laye awaye his sworde or elles he shoulde haue had no accesse vnto the Kyng For Tirannes will not easely admitte armed men priuately to talke with them Furthermore if it had bene marked that at hys departure when he had killed the King he caryed not hys sworde with hym as he broughte it hys enterprise woulde easelye haue beene suspected He gyrded the shorte sworde vppon hys ryghte thye that he myght handsomly take it with his left hand which only he was able to vse Eglon was a very grosse man It is no straunge thing that Princes are troubled with ouermuch fatnesse For they liue delicately they eate and drinke aboundauntly and very litle exercise theyr minde and bodye Agag the Kyng of Amalek is in the fyrste booke of Samuell described to haue beene suche an other And he sent the people awaye namely those whiche broughte the gifte And returned from the place of grauen Images which were by Gilgall Those men which Ehud sent away were eyther fellowes of the message or they which bare the gift that should be offred vnto the king By good aduise he sent those away frō him bicause he would talke with the king alone without any arbiterers And he saw that whē he had finished his purpose he should by flying away a great deale better saue himself being alone thā he shuld do if he had many ioyned with him Conspiracies cōmunicated to many haue seldome good successe bycause then he should not haue bene carefull onely howe to saue himself but also how to saue others Farther conspiracies whē they are communicated to many haue very seldome good successe Peraduenture also he woulde endaunger but himselfe only and not bring others into daunger with him Wherefore he sent them awaye that if any daunger shoulde peraduenture happen they might be in safetye And the place fro whence he retourned is called Pesilim of this verbe Pasall which is to cut or graue bycause peraduenture there were in that place eyther a quarrey of stones or elles some Idoles of late set vp by Eglon. For Gilgal was among the Iewes counted a religious place For the arke of the couenaunt remayned there a while and we read that the Israelites after they were passed ouer Iordane rested first in that place and celebrated a general circumcision there Wherfore it might easlye come to passe the Eglon in contempte of the Hebrewes had there placed images and idoles Ehud when he had there sent away his fellowes returned againe alone vnto the king to whom he sayd I haue a secret businesse to tell thee O Kyng As touching the propre signification of his talke he tolde the truth as it was For Dabar signifieth with the Hebrewes not only a word but also a thing and businesse But bicause Eglon was thereby deceaued and he spake these thinges to deceaue he made a lye also The King when he heard thys answered Holde thy peace Beckening vnto him to tell it him secretly not to speake it before all them which stoode then by 20 And Ehud came vnto him and he sat in a sommer parler alone and Ehud said I haue a message vnto thee from God And
to keepe their othes Wherefore if there be an othe made guile is not to be vsed vnles peraduenture the one partye to whom the othe is made shall go from the condicions and couenauntes for then the common saying muste take place he that breaketh faith Ierome let faith also be brokē vnto him Wherfore Ierome ad Nepotianū cōmendeth this saying of Domitius the Orator vnto Phillip when thou countest not me for a senator I also wil not count thee for a Consul But hereof we haue testimonies also in the holy scriptures for Paul in the first to the Corinth the .7 chap writeth as touching faith geuē in matrimony If the vnfaithfull depart let him depart A brother or a sister is not in subiection vnto such but God hath called vs in peace And those thinges which are alledged of an othe I vnderstād also to be of the same efficacy in promises couenants In which promises couenants I affirme the godly iust men ought both to vse playne simple wordes also faithfully to fulfil them Sophisticall reasons of the Thracians Wherfore the Thrasians are iustly worthily condemned who after the truce was made for 30. dayes robbed spoiled by night excusing their act for that their truce was made for the day not for the night Neither did the legat of the Romaines vprightly yea he Sophostically dealt with Antiochus The guile of the Legate of the Romanes against Anthiochus who when he had decreed that the one halfe of the ships should be geuen vnto the Romaines the other halfe to the kyng cōmaunded them al to be deuided cut in sonder in very dede But he did it that the king should be vtterly destitute of a warrelike Nauy Wherfore what soeuer a godly man shall promise he ought before deepely to weygh with hym selfe whether he be able to stande by hys wordes and promises Wherefore Ierome hath written vnto Celautia Ierome thynges whiche thou shalt say thinke thou swearest them As touching the ende of the question that the thing may be the more manifest ther remaine certain doubts to be examined First if a mā promise vnto any mā armor and helpe that for the space of thre or foure yeares in the meane tyme the same man becōmeth a traitor to hys contrey maketh warre against it whether in this case he ought to performe his fayth or els by euill guile to breake it I answere that neither in this case nor in the like is faith to be kept bycause When an othe is made of a lawfull othe an vnlawfull othe is not to be kept as it is manifest a mischieuous acte hapeneth in the meane time whiche with a safe cōscience we may not helpe Neither in very dede is either euill guile or els periury here cōmitted For he which hath sworne is not changed but he to whom the othe was made For othes can plucke awaye or diminishe nothing of those bondes which went before An othe dissolueth not former bondes Wherfore for as much as euery man is bound vnto the word of god to the health of his cōtrey before he swereth any thing the which is afterward sworne must be vnderstād so that the first bondes be kept vnbroken The same also must take place in vowes which are vowed For although a man vow sole life for somuch as he before was bound vnto the word of God wherein it is sayd that it is better to mary thā to burne they which cā not kepe thē selues chast let thē mary No othe or vow taketh away the bonde vnto the commaundements of God he doth not by reason of the vow which followed take away the first bond Wherfore if he can not kepe hym selfe chaste or if he burne he ought by the commaundement of God to mary neither can any othe or vowe that is made take away the power strength of the commaundement of God There ariseth also an other doubt of those princes which haue geuē their publique faith or safeconduict vnto heretikes for to come vnto Coūsels or to communications whether they ought to stande by their promise Whether faith is to be kepte with heretikes or violating theyr othe to kepe still the heretikes and to punish them I aunswere that they ought to kepe whole and pure the promise made vnto them But say they we will easly graūt that it is then sinne when we geue promise of a naughty thing But if after we haue promised we kepe stand to our promises we fall into an other grieuous sinne For we execute not the office cōmitted vnto vs neither do we obey God For it is our part accordyng as God hath cōmaunded to punishe and to correcte Heretikes that they wast not the Church and go forwarde to defende theyr pestiferous doctrine amonge the godly Neither doth any man doubt but that Magistrates ought to defende the Churches Wherefore it semeth that Heretikes are not to be let goo when we haue them once in our handes I aunswere that this in dede is the office of kynges to punish and to correct heretikes but yet then when they haue them in their power But if they geue them a saueconduct to come vnto them They whiche by a saueconduct come vnto kinges princes are not in their power Of Iehu then can they not say that they haue them in their power For they came vnder a promise an othe to go come harmeles otherwise they would not haue come Wherfore if there be a promise made it is not lawful to breake it And this is the cause why I before said that I cā not easly allow the acte of the king of Denmarke Neither also would I iudge Iehu to be without sinne when he promised that he would worship Baal therby to get all Baalites together except peraduenture he manifestly knew that he was by God stirred vp to do it But of thys thing we will intreat in an other place Let them therfore which defend the Counsayle of Constantia cease to lay for their pretence that Iohn Husse with a safe conscience could not be let go bicause it is a heinous sinne in all princes if they suffre heretikes to wandre at liberty for bycause that which they say is so farforth true as they shal be in their power But when they come by a saueconducte geuen them then are they at liberty neither are they sayd to be in the power of the princes which call them Whether faith is to be kepte with thieues Other are in doubt whether it be lawfull to vse euill guile against thieues so that if a man fall into their handes by an othe be made vnto them is suffred to go home vpon this condicion there to gather money to redeme himselfe whether I say he ought to returne vnto thē with the money or wtout it if he cā not get it as he hoped to haue done especially if in a
If I will boast of my selfe I shall not be vnwise but I will not any man shoulde thynke of me more than he seeth in me or that he heareth of me By these wordes he reproueth those as foolishe and vnwise whiche do boast glory euen of those good things which they haue And he saith that he wil abstaine from it He which speaketh lesse of hīselfe than it is lyeth not Neither sayth he do I require that any mā should thinke more of me thā he either seeth in me or heareth of me Neither is he which speaketh lesse of him selfe than it is straightway to be accused as a lyer For that whiche is more cōprehēdeth and containeth in it selfe that which is lesse For whosoeuer hath fifty he may say truly that he hath twenty althoughe he speaketh not all that he hath Howbeit the same man We may not lye for humilicyes sake if he should affirme that he had but onely .xx. or els should deny that he had any thing without doubt he should lye which is not to be committed either for modesty sake or els as they say bycause of humilitie And as for testimonies of the holy scriptures which do stirre vs vp to speake the truth I could vndoubtedly bring a great many but a few shal suffice It is written in the x. cōmaundements Thou shalt not beare false witnesse which cōmaūdement is not only to be obserued in iudgement but in all things whiche in our talke we testifie to be either true or false Farther God is set before vs of vs to be followed whom the scriptures euery where pronounce to be true Wherfore we also ought to be most feruent louers of the truth And for that cause in Exodus the 18. chap Iethro counselled Moises that he shuld make rulers ouer the people such men as feared god strong men louers of the truth which hated couetousnesse Dauid saith also Behold thou hast loued truth therfore thou hast made me to vnderstand wisedome in the inward secret partes of my minde These wordes sufficiently declare that we are for the cause taught of god both by inwarde inspiraciō also by outward doctrine bycause he is a louer of the truth neither doth he easely suffre that his children should either erre or be deceaued by lyes In Zacharie the viii chap. it is writtē Speake ye the truth euery man to his neyghbour which selfe same sentence Paul vseth to the Ephesians he cōmaundeth the same vnto the Collos But to the Corinth the latter Epistle he saith of himselfe of the other Apostles that they cā haue nothing against the truth Yea the Scribes Phariseys beyng ioyned with the Herodians after this sorte flattered Christ whom they went about to entrappe in his speache Master we knowe that thou acceptest no persons yea thou teachest the way of god in truth Hereby they declared that it is a singular vertue for a noble notable mā to preferre the truth before all things But let these testimonies of the holy scriptures be sufficiēt at this time Now resteth to intreat of a lye Of a lye Augustine Augustine who wrot of it to Cosētius affirmeth a lye to be a false significatiō of a word And vndoubtedly all those things which before are declared of truth we may by the contrarity affirme of this vice And chiefly it is cōtrary to that that Marcus Tullius affirmed of truth namely that to be truth wherby things which are which haue ben which shal be are spokē vnaltered And a lye is that wherby is the signified which is not for Augustine cōtrarywise spake of the truth This vice is so hurtful that it maketh a mā which is infected with it In equally is the generall worde of a lye to reioyce to be glad in false thinges The generall word of truth was equalitie of the vice the generall worde shal be inequalitie And as the vertue was very nye ioyned with simplicity so belōgeth a lye to doublenes Truth is a part of iustice But a lye is a part of vniustice By truth humane fellowship is kept but by a lye it is hurte ouerthrowen Augustine But to returne to Augustine who writeth that he is sayd to lye which with a wil to deceaue speaketh that which is false that to lye is nothing els than to speake against the minde for liers speake otherwise than they haue in their heart But the desire to deceaue is vtterly against iustice loue amitie Three thinges ioyned with a lye which we mutually owe one vnto an other There are thre things therfore in a lye first to speake that which is false secondly his will in speaking and thirdly a desire to deceaue The first parte longeth to the matter of a lye the other two partes pertayne vnto the forme A diuision of a lye A lye is deuided into a Seruiceable lye a Sportfull lye a Pernitious lye And this deuision commeth of no other thyng but of the effectes or of the endes For this is euermore true that the endes them selues may haue the nature both of the cause and of the effecte For lyes do either profyte or delyte or elles hurte The ende of a pernitious lye is to hurte The ende of a Sportefull lye is to delyte and the ende of a Seruiseable lye is to profyte But Aristotle bycause in vertue he chiefly considereth the meane Aristotle therefore if in speakyng thou excede that meane he calleth that boasting but if thou want of the meane he nameth it Irony And in that euyl this is chiefly hurtful bicause an euyl or false opinion is ingendred in the minde of our neighbour A lye is both euyll and also to be auoyded For the which cause the same Aristotle semeth to haue sayd wel that a lye is both euyll and also it is to be auoyded Which thing we may also proue by testimonies of the holy Scriptures For to this belong al those thinges which we before brought to styrre vs vp to speake the truth And very many places are here and there set forth which detest lyes Dauid saith Thou wilt destroy al those which speake lyes In a lye is an abuse of signes Ther are reasons also which persuade vs the same whereof one is in a lye is an abuse of signes And for as muche as it is not lawful to abuse the giftes of God a lye is vnderstand also to be prohibited Farther as it is before said a lye is contrarye vnto humane fellowship for in lying the conceauinges of the minde ar not cōmunicated vnto our brethren but lyes Wherfore seing man is by nature made vnto fellowship and communication when he speaketh false thinges he fyghteth with his own nature And as Augustine saith Faith is therin hurt Augustine for hee which heareth beleueth those thinges which are spoken Wherfore that fayth which he geueth vnto other mens woordes is made frustrate And so great
thankes onely for prosperous thinges but also for aduersity Also thys woorde Perag signifieth to reuenge and by this meanes forasmuch as reuengemēt may be referred to two thinges the sense of it also may be taken twoo wayes The first is That god in oppressing the Israelites and deliuering them to the Chananites reuenged the iniury that was done vnto himselfe wherein they dyd grieuously offende hym when they fel to impietye and Idolatrye Neyther doth thys latter sentence vary any thyng from the fyrst Forasmuch as by thys way also Deborah commaundeth to geue thankes vnto god for the former afflictions For to the godly aduersitye also turneth to good For the Saintes when they haue fallen are wont by scourges wherewith they are punished to be called backe againe to repentaunce which repentaunce God poureth in them by diuers and many vexations The third sense is which is euery where and almost receaued of al men That they should geue thankes vnto God which at the last had reuenged the iniuries of the Israelites For they were before long time that grieuously oppressed by the Chananites And then by the spirite of God they were made willing and prompt which before were such abiectes and cowardes Two thinges therfore are expressed namely that God confounded the Chananites in reuenging the euyls whyche they had done vnto the Iewes and also that he strengthened them in the battaile If God reuenged them We do not ask those things of God whiche ar in our own power they by them selues coulde not reuenge themselues If he made them willing they themselues were not such Wherfore free wyl is put down and the goodnes of god commended For euen as we doo not aske of god those thinges which we haue in our own hands and power so for these things when they happen vnto vs we geue him no thankes 3 Heare ye Kinges hearken ye Princes I euen I wyll syng vnto the Lord I wyl syng prayse vnto the Lord God of Israel Why she calleth Kynges in special there maye be manye reasons alledged The first is bicause all the Iewes were called in a manner Kynges For God made that nation both a kingdome and a priesthoode vnto himselfe They were all therefore so called euen as we of Christ are called Christians or anoynted of our onely head Christ whych was chiefly annoynted wyth the oyle of righteousnes and grace An admonitiō to Magistrats Farther he maketh an Apostrophe to kinges bycause that shee song these wordes not onelye for her time but also hauing a regarde to the tyme to come wherefore by her all Princes and Magistrates are in especiall admonished bycause they being puffed vp with pride and ryches both thinke and also affirme that the people should looke for safety at their handes But now they ar taught by the woord of God that it is he which defendeth and keepeth although sometimes therunto he vseth the helpe of them that are preserued Lastly Deborah speaketh to straunge kynges whiche had determined wyth them selues to destroye the Israelites and exhorteth them diligently to weigh wyth themselues the thinges which God hath done and to marke howe hee knoweth to auenge hys people in due tyme. I euen I sayth she wyll syng The repeating of the pronowne of the first person is not onely vsed of Poetes but also of Orators nether doth it onely adorn the oration Virgil. Cicero but also moue the affections and stirreth vp men vnto admiration Virgil saith I euen I am present which did it turne your weapon against me Cicero also saith Ah I miserable man the goodes the goodes I saye of Gnaius Pompeius were most cruelly by the voyce of the cryer c. This nowe is as if Deborah should haue sayde I althoughe a woman yet a Prophet I although a woman yet a sauiour of Israel wyl syng vnto my God They vse to put a certayne difference betwene these two latin wordes canere that is to syng and psallere which is also to syng but bycause that difference is not alwaies obserued yea one is taken oftentymes for an other therfore I willingly ouerpasse it 4 Lord when thou wentest out of Seir whē thou departedst out of the fielde of Edom the earth trembled the cloudes also dropped water 5 The mountaynes melted before the Lord as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel In the ditties and periodes of songs and of the prophets this is a common vse that the latter part differeth not from the fyrst as touching sence Why in the periodes of the holy scriptures one sentence is repeated but cōtayneth the same thing the wordes being somewhat chaunged which thinge also in the Prouerbes of Salomon is easy to marke And I doubt not that the same is done vpon iust causes Forasmuch as of the holy ghost nothing is done rashly or vnprofitably The sentences also which are entreated of in those bookes are verye graue and therfore by that tarying in them our dulnes is holpen For it quickly passeth ouer the sence of the firste parte therfore the latter parte being all one with the fyrst maketh vs to geue more attentiue heede Farthermore our hardenes is so greate that to one stroke it vseth not to geue place Wherefore it is no merueyle if God strike it with a double stroke And when the wordes are chaunged the efficacy and wayght of the sentence alredye spoken is more and more expressed The want of humayne speache is holpen whiche want is suche that at one speaking the whole signification of a wayghty sentence can not be opened Wherfore by that repititiō that which is not expressed by the fyrst words is expounded by other woordes which serue for the same thing God therefore by whose conducte this victorye was obteyned is to bee praysed whych is by very good reason done forasmuch as his beneuolence towardes Israel is proued to be no strange or new beneuolence Wherefore Deborah celebrateth him as an old and auncient patrone of the Iewes From the time sayth she wherin the Israelites at thy cōmaundement walked .38 yeres by diuers writers as it is written in the .2 of Deutronomy about mount Seir and then at the length by thy will departing from thence they went forward to the land of Chanaan thou nobly takest in hande theyr cause For thou goyng with vs in a piller of fyre and of a cloud so fearedst the Chananites our enemies that they wer not able to resist vs which were otherwise weake and feble Before when we went aboute the mountayne they liued in securitye and stoutlye contemned vs. But when thou leddest vs out of those places such a feare came vpon them that euen the earth seemed to tremble and the heauens and cloudes caste downe great tempestes and showres And it was so greate as though the mountaines should roule down greate heapes of water to the inferior valleis By these alligories Deborah discribeth the feare that was driuen into the Amorites and Chananits And it is no
seme to haue resisted the promises and callyng of God This must we rather note wither Gideon in obiecting these things sinned or no. Vndoubtedly if we looke vpon the holy scriptures we shal finde very many other which sayd that their infirmity striued against the vocation and promises of God Abraham sayd he was an .100 yeare old and therfore he desired that Ismael might rather liue before the Lord than that he should waite for a sonne of Sara which was both old and barren Yea and she also when she heard that a childe was promised her she could not keepe herself from laughing bycause she alredy felt her selfe vnapt by nature to beare a childe Moses also that he might not be sent vnto Pharao alledged the impediment of his tong for a let Farthermore Ieremy sayd Ah Lord I am a childe and I cannot speake The blessed virgin also sayd vnto the Aungel How can this be done forasmuch as I knowe no man There might peraduenture also be mencion made of others but these are now sufficient And I doubt not but that some of these whom I haue touched fell in speaking these woordes For God was angrye with Moses when hee so obstinately excused the office which he had committed vnto him Saras laughter also was reproued But I know that the other were praysed for their faith for Abraham bycause he beleued the promyse was iustified and Elizabeth sayd vnto Mary What is the differēce betwene those whyche seeme to resyst God Blessed art thou which beleuedst for the thinges which the Lorde hath sayd vnto thee shal be performed The difference betwene these is hereby to be taken bycause some did in suche sorte aske an excuse for that they beleued not the woord of God neither could they be perswaded to agree vnto God whyche sent them or made promise to them Wherfore forasmuche as they synned God was not without a iust cause both angrye with Moses and also reproued Sara But there were other some of them which beleued the woorde of God and yet for all that they put foorth certayne questions not in deede to resist but to declare what thinges seemed to be a let vnto theyr calling or to the thynges commaunded them and in demaunding these thynges they desired nothing els than that they might be instructed of the way maner which they ought to vse and they required to be confirmed least those thinges which seemed to be a let The same wordes ar allowed in one that are disallowed in an other might plucke them backe either for waiting for the promises or els from fulfilling the thinges cōmaunded them Howbeit these men can not be seperated one from an other by the woordes which they spake when as almost they spake all one thing But by the purpose and thought of the hart they are seperated for if they spake and excused those thynges of incredulitye they oughte not to bee counted without blame but if they beleued and desired onelye to bee confyrmed and instructed we ought not to diffame them as guilty of incredulity But who shal discerne these thinges in them Surely God which knoweth the harts and conscience of euery one of them And we know that the fayth of Gideon is commended in the .xi. to the Hebrues But whither that were straight waye geuen him when he heard the woord of God or whether it came vnto him after some tarying and wrastling with humane reason we are ignorant 16 Then the Lord sayd vnto him Bicause I wil be with thee and thou shalt smite Madian as it were one man Cease of saith he these humane reasons and haue no regarde to strength riches and authority if these thinges should ciuilly be done thou mightest iustlye require them But now thou shalt vse my power and might Thou shalt saue Israel not by thine own might but bycause I wyl be with thee So God answered vnto Moses when he detracted his message So was it also said of Iosua I wil be with him After that maner was Ieremy answered when he cryed that he was a childe and could not wel speake I wil be with thee saith the Lorde thou shalt accomplish al these thinges to whatsoeuer I wil send thee Gideon therefore is instructed of the way or maner of the victorye namelye that God woulde haue the handling and charge of it and that chiefly by these woordes Thou shalt destroy the Madianites as it were one man For with God it is as easy to ouerthrowe an infinite number as one man And the same thing as touching the marueylous murther of the Madianites then vndoubtedly tooke effect when they smote one an other with their own swordes and by the impulsion of God they wounded one the other 17 Thē he answered him I pray thee if I haue foūd fauour in thy sight then shew me a sygne that it is thou that talkest with me 18 Depart not hēce I pray thee vntil I come vnto thee and bring my sacrifice and laye it before thee And he answered I wyll tarye tyll thou come agayne He therefore desireth a signe least he should thinke him selfe to be illuded by a ghost or spirit For he was not content with words but he would haue an assured signe of the talke nowe had But this sentence That it is thou that talkest wyth me semeth to be spoken by the figure Eclipsis so that we must vnderstand in the name of God least peraduenture I might thinke that the woordes which thou speakest are the woordes of a man and not count them for the Oracle of God This visiō hapned to Gideon being wakyng not sleeping These thinges were not done when he was a sleepe as it appeareth by the historye but when he was waking although God as we shal afterward heare appeared also by night vnto Gideon He requireth a signe bicause it is the parte of a godly man to trye spirites and not rashlye to beleue euery spirite especially when any newe and vnaccustomed woorke is commaunded and that whych otherwyse is not thought to bee lawfull there no man wyll easilye assent except he be fullye perswaded that hys callyng is of God But when doctrine now receaued and confirmed by holye scriptures is set foorth or woorkes required which in them are commaunded we must beware that we require not signes for asmuch as we are bound to beleue and obey them But of this thing we wil more largely intreate afterward 19 Then Gideon went in made redy a Kid vnleauened breade of an Ephah of floure put the flesh in a basket put the broth in a pot and brought it out vnto hym vnder the Oke and presented it This place may be enterpreted two maner of waies One way it is thought that Gideon would haue made redy a dinner for the man of God for such a one did he take him to be Therfore for honours sake he desired to refresh him wyth meate in his iourney to talk with him at leasure for
the word of god thaÌ„ ciuile peace Euery godly man so roweth when tranquility of the publike wealth cannot be coupled with the obedience of the word of God Wherfore for asmuch as the one or the other is to be chosen the whole and vncorrupted worshipping of God ought rather to be wished for thaÌ„ the commodity of outward peace For the end of cities and publike wealthes is to obey God and rightly to worshiâ—pe god that is by his word and prescribed rule For to haue a city or publike wealth quiet and peaceable is not by it self necessary but to obey God to beleue his word and to worshippe him as he hath prescribed is the summe and end of all humayne things and therefore it is to be preferred aboue all good thinges Neither is it anye newe or vnaccustomed thing that by true piety sedicions are stirred vp Christ of that thing hath admonished vs I came not sayth he to send peace on the earth but a sworde I came to kindle fire what will I but that it should burne The time shall come sayth he that for the Gospels sake the father from the childe the children from the parentes brethern from brethren shall not onely be alienated but which is more cruell The godly are not guilty of the troubles whych happen for religions sake they shall deliuer one an other to the death And yet these sedicions troubles are not to be ascribed vnto the godly forasmuch as they wheÌ„they obey god do not depart from their office they do that which they should do the fault consisteth in the vngodly and idolatrers they are to be accused and coÌ„dempned as guilty of those euils because they can not abide the truth neyther will they obey the word of god Wherfore prechers of the gospel ar to be absolued of this crime for sedicioÌ„s spring not throgh theyr default which obey god but through the peruersnes of the world which streyght rageth agaynst the word of god Ioas like a wise and stoute Magistrate at the beginning asswageth the people being in an vprore shewing them how vnworthy a thinge they doo when they beyng priuate men dare auenge the cause of Baal VVill ye pleade his cause As though he should haue sayd It is not your office it pertayneth to me and the other magistrates And then he maketh a proclamation agaynst the sedicious persons He that will so stand in Baals cause shal dye and that this daye or the morninge He shal not liue till morning for he shal be executed out of hand If Baal be god let him plead his own cause agaynst him which hath cast down hys altar and hath cut down hâ—s groue If the matter be to be discussed without iudgemente and ordinary action Baal hath no neede of thys your helpe for seing he is god he can right wel reuenge himself The last part of this sentence is somewhat dark He that wil plead Lo for him or against him let him dy this day before morning Some expounde this woorde Lo to signify for him namely for Baal as though the â—retor had put forth his decree after this maner Whosoeuer goeth aboute to moue sedition as though he would pleade for Baal him will I strayghtewaye punish as a troublesome citezen which dareth to take vpon him more then hys state may suffer The other sense is to expound this woorde Lo against him as though he should haue sayde do not rage in this sorte bycause he shall vtterlye dye and that this day before morning which agaynst Baal hath pleaded and contended By the power of this god he shall not so escape And this sentence seemeth to be confirmed by the words which follow If he be god let him pleade his owne cause agaynst him which hath done him iniurye But I rather allowe the fyrst sentence because the holy scripture rather vseth this word Lo in that sense Gideon by his fathers aunswer was named Ierubbaal He shal plead saith Ioas or let Baal plead against him These ar words ether of them that praieth which would so speake in earnest or faynedly or els of one that affirmeth as though he should affirm that it should vtterly so come to passe The men which herd these wordâ—s either because they meruayled that the father wished these things vnto his sonne or els bycause they beleued that the earth would strayghtway swalow him vp or the lightning would destroy him or that god would by some exquisit punishment punish him they waited I say to see what would happen And therfore they called him Ierubbaal And his surname was then of farre more estimation when they saw that he escaped safe and sound and contrarye to the hope of all men deliuered the Israelites from the power of theyr enemies By this example Magistrates may know what they should doo The office of a stout Magistrate agaynste tumultes bycause of religioÌ„ when Papistes stirre vp sedition or tumult in their dominion bicause Masses are abrogated Idolatry taken away and the Pope throwen downe They must valiantly stande by it and must declare that this charge pertaineth not vnto these by violeÌ„ce to defend rites and supersticions forasmuch as they haue not the sword theyr care should be this to see that godlynes be rightlye and orderlye appointed If so bee that they desire any thing against lawes or right and thinke that they haue the better cause let them from God waite for the successe He is of himselfe by nature both mighty and wife and therefore if he allowe the Masse the Pope and superstitions hee wyll then take those thinges in hande himselfe In the meane time they ought to compel their subiectes to obey iust and healthful decrees By these thinges it appeareth as I suppose that Ioas was not a Baalite from the hart for he could not haue said If hâ—â—e God let him pleade his own cause Vnles thou will faine that he said in time to come Baal shal pleade his owne cause but what he before iudged of Baal now he declareth when he seeth the daunger of death that his sonne is in for his sake 33 Then al the Madianites and the Amalekites and the children of Kedem were gathered together and pitched their tentes in the valley of Iszreel 34 And the spirite of the Lorde did put on Gideon and he blew a trumpet and Abiezer was gathered together after hym 35 And he sent messengers through out al Manasseh and he also was ioyned wyth hym And he sent messengers vnto Aser and Zebulon and to Nephthali and they came vp to meete hym When the vprore seditions wer pacified which were stirred vp for a thing godlily done of Gideon God prouided that occasion shoulde be geuen whereby he might by Gideon geue vnto the Israelites the victory against their enemyes That thereby at the last they might vnderstand with howe muche godlines and profit the worshipping of Baal was taken away In the coÌ„ming of the enemyes the spirit of the Lord did put
to some is geuē the word of wisedome to other the word of knowledge to some the power to heale and to other some fayth in the same spirite c. That fayth can not in thys place be vnderstand wherby we are iustified For it is not rekened among giftes which ar priuately distributed to some but is commō to all true Christians Now as I think it appeareth by what meanes they whiche are not iustified by theyr prayers doo sometimes obtayne miracles namely bycause they ar not destitute of euery kind of faith But now we haue sufficiently spoken of this fyrst question Whither it be lawfull for godly men to desire miracles Now must we see whither it be lawfull for godlye menne to desire miracles These reasōs they vse to alledg which seme to be against it First because god in that thing should be tempted and that doth the law of god vtterly forbid Yea our sauiour wyth this aunswere reproued the deuill Thou shalte not tempt the Lord thy God And the Hebrewes ar reprehended for this by name bicause thei tempted god in the wildernes The son of god also when the Pharesies sayde mayster we will see a signe of thee sayd This froward and adultrous nation seketh a sign and a sign shall not be geuen them c. And Achab otherwyse a wicked king pretended a shew of righteousnes saying that he would not tēpt God and therefore he detracted to desyre a sygne Vnto the question I answere That after a sort it is lawful to desire signes and the same also after a sorte is vnlawfull The first parte of the sentence is thus proued When holy men desire as touching any vnaccustomed vocation to be made more assured of the wil of God are afrayd least peraduenture they should be deceaued for as concerning it they haue nothing for certayn in the holy scriptures and we must not lightly beleue men and angels in those thinges for euil angels vse sometimes to be trāsformed into angels of light when I say they are troubled with such doubt the will is ready yea desirous to obey the commaūdement of the Lord if than they desire to be confirmed by some signe these godly men cā not be accused of tempting of god or of rashnes For who soeuer in those cases desireth those thinges whiche god vseth to offer he departeth not from the right way No man is ignoraunt but that to Achab was offred a signe that he might be cōfirmed of the promises offred him by Esay Wherfore to desire those thinges whiche god sometymes geueth and frely offreth ought not to be prohibited as vnlawfull The thing wanteth no examples Moses when he had nede of the helpe of god oftentymes in the desert obteyned miracles for the people of god And to confirme the doctrine of truth both Helias and Helizeus desired of god that life might be restored vnto the children of their hostes And to the same end Christ sayd But that ye should know that the sonne of man hath power to forgeue sinnes he turned to the man sicke of the palsey and sayd For what causes godly men may desire miracles Take vp thy bed rise and walke Wherfore miracles are desired of holy men and that iustly either that they may be made the more assured of their vocation or to helpe a great and vrgent necessity or els to beare witnesse vnto sound doctrine And alwayes when they desire miracles to these endes Cautions in desiring of miracles let them desire the same not of any creatures but of god onely and in asking them let them vse a meane for they declare that they will or desire nothyng but that whiche is agreable vnto the will of god Nowe on the contrary parte let vs consider after what maner miracles are vnworthely and vniustly desired First there are some When it is not lawfull to desire miracles whiche therfore desire miracles bicause they are not wel persuaded of the power goodnesse and prouidence of god neither seeke they any thing els but to haue a trial of those things Neither are they contente with the doctrine of the holy scriptures which manifestly and amply teache all these thinges Wherefore iustly are they to be reproued for asmuch as they be ready rather to beleue miracles than the worde of god Wherfore Abraham aunswered vnto that riche man whiche was tormented in flames of fire whē he desired that Lazarus might be sent vnto his brethren that they also should not be thrust downe into the same punishementes They haue Moses and the Prophetes By which wordes is manifestly declared that we must rather beleue the holy scriptures thā miracles There ar other also which for this cause desire miracles that they may liue more pleasauntly as touching the flesh and to satisfie their wicked lustes Of which faulte the Hebrues are accused bycause in the deserte when very great aboundance of Manna was ministred vnto them they desired fleshe that they might lyue the more pleasauntly in that wildernesse Lastly some desire miracles for this entent to satisfie theyr vayne curiosity For as Plinius hath sayd the nature of mā is most gredy of new things Plinius Wherfore they seme to desire miracles as playes and passetymes to sporte thē selues withal In that maner looked Herode for miracles of Christ for when he was brought vnto him he desired to fede and delite his curiosity with miracles Nowe I suppose it is manifest how it is forbidden to desire signes and howe it is lawfull sometymes to desire them Now must we dissolue these thinges An answere to obiections What it is to tempt god which semed to be agaynst those thinges that we haue spoken They which by the waye and maner already described do desire miracles do not without doubt tempt God forasmuch as that is nothing els than of an vnbeleuing minde and of rashnesse to desire a triall of hys will and power whiche vice certainely is in the holy Scriptures iustly and worthily reproued Wherfore the Lord Iesus Christ did not without iust cause reproue the deuil when he would haue led him to haue throwen himself hedlong from the temple whereby he myght be made the more assured of the beneuolence of God towardes him when that by arte there was a playne way to discende by The same sonne of god also did not vnworthily reprehend the Iewes as a frowarde and adulterous generation vnto whom he therfore denied a signe bycause they had already sene very many yet they spoke euill of them al and mocked Christ in such sorte that they desired not euery kinde of miracle but one from heauen as thoughe they would not also deride signes from heauen vndoubtedly theyr purpose tended to no other end but to alienate the people from the Lord although he had wrought wonderfull miracles And as touching Achaz the wicked king I shall not nede to stande long about him for he fayned that when he was called of the Prophet he
the Ephod instituted by Gideon Wherefore Augustines opinion is that Gideon would haue had God worshipped so in his country that the same thynges might ther haue bene done which were done in Silo where the Arke was Which opinion although it can not be confuted by the scriptures yet it appeareth not very lykelye For we reade not that he had Priestes with him Neither doo the Hebrue Doctors who otherwise are diligent in expressing of thinges done attribut these thinges vnto him but rather agree with the other sentence namely that he constituted it for a monument of the victory which he had obtained which afterward was an occasion of superstition Wherefore it semeth to be spoken more probably that this erected signe was had in admiration of the foolishe people so that they thought it to be a place very meete to doo sacrifice there and especiallye for the offring of peace offeringes vnto the true God which seemed not woorthy of reprouing For at that time it was lawfull to doo that in a maner euerye where but superstition dayly creeping more abroade they began to attribute more then was meete vnto that signe as to a thing deuine and which had in it some power of God and for that cause they offred sacrifices and did incense vnto it keping neuertheles a pretence of the worshipping of God and the name of God the Lorde as in the time of Ezechias they did incense and sacrifice vnto the brasen serpent Whence came the begynnyng of reliques and inuocation of the dead And in the same maner we rede happened at the beginning of the sepulchers bones and reliques of holye men The Christians buried the dead bodies of the Martirs as honorablye as they coulde and to haue the memorye of them kept they began to haue places of prayer at their tombes not vndoubtedlye where they would woorship and inuocate the Martirs but where they might heare the woord of God receaue the Sacramentes and exhorte one an other to defende the faith And in deede that place seemed not a litle commodious for such a purpose For the sepulchres of Martirs seemed to admonish inflame the myndes to enterprise the same battailes and to behaue them selues most constantly for the name of Christ Wherfore it was thought that in assembling to the Sepulchres of Martirs two commodities were gotten First bicause some honour might be geuen to so great Confessors whilest the memory of them was not suffered to be forgotten but with verye great ioy thankes were geuen vnto God for their happy victory The other was bicause men might bee stirred vp to enterprise the like The beginning of the images of Sayntes and to hope for the like gifts at Gods hand And after the same maner began the images of Christ and of the Apostles priuatelye to bee made namely that their death which semed vnto the world full of ignominye myght be made more honorable and that the memory of them might floorishe and by beholding of those images so set vp men might be prouoked to the iust and laudable imitacion of them If the thing had abidden within these bondes it might haue bene borne with al neither was there any thing there which might iustly be condemned but euen as the act of Gideon was turned at the length to idolatry so in successe of tyme folowed the inuocation of Martirs at their sepulchers and the images of saintes began to be set vp and woorshipped not onely in priuate places but also in temples The act of Gideon was a snare to him and to his house for both hee synned and his children as we shal heare were horribly slayne It brought also great misery vnto the Israelites For from this superstition they fel by litle and litle to the open worshipping of Baal wherfore they were most grieuously oppressed of their enemies howbeit as long as Gideon lyued they woorshipped not Baal Hereby we gather that al worshipping of God instituted without his woorde is to him vnacceptable and to vs most daungerous There is but one God and he wil be worshipped but one way namely as he himself hath coÌ„maunded And if to the worshipping of him ther be any thing to be added by the decree of men â—oâ— comelines sake and for a iust and ciuil order the same ought to bee but lyttle Gideon sinneth two wayes and also mutable as it shall bee thoughte good for to aduaunce edification Wherefore Gideon synneth twoo wayes both in that hee abused the Ephod which he made for a signe and also bicause when he sawe superstition to come thereby he prohibited it not The good intent of Gideon excused not his act although he had a shewe of piety Leo the first of that name Leo the fyrst in his Sermon of the Passion of the Lorde sayth that Peter when he cut of the eare of the seruant of the highe Priest was moued with a godly mocion But what godlye mocion coulde it be which Christ reproued yea and so reproued it that he affirmed that he which so drewe the swoorde should perishe with the swoorde What other thing was this then to haue a zeale of God but as Paule sayth not accordyng to knowledge Paule also the Apostle when he afflicted and destroied the Christians thought that he dyd God high seruice These thinges haue a shewe of a good intent as they call it or of godlynes but they are not in very deede that which they shewe for Euen so encreased the pompe of the Masse by no other meanes then by a shewe of a good intent For it seemed good vnto our Elders to adorne the Supper of the Lord. Wherfore this Pope added this thing and an other that thing so that at the lengthe the thyng came to thys poynte that these additions excluded the institution of Christ in such sorte that it may seme to be any other thing els then the Supper of the Lord for those thynges are obserued which men haue inuented but that which Christ willed namelye that brethren should communicate together and celebrate the memory of his death this I say is abolished But why the woorshippinges instituted by mans inuention are to bee abiected this is an assured reason Why worshippings inuented by man are to be abiected bycause in woorshipping of God we must do all thinges chiefely throughe fayth but it is of no force if it want the word of God Wherefore if rites which are retayned for the woorshipping of God lacke hys woorde faith may not be geuen vnto them and therfore ar they rather synnes then woorkes pleasing God For all that is not of fayth is synne The authority of the fathers is not sufficieÌ„t as the Apostle saith But they say that in those woorshippinges the authoritye of the Fathers which were present at Counsels ought to be sufficient neither ought we to esteeme their sentences of any lesse value then the holy scriptures But I wil turne the same to them againe and aske whither they
god is violated which commaundeth vs to loue god withall the hart withall the soule and withall the strengthes Wherfore we rather counsell that this maye bee knowleged a synne then to be counted a good woorke But bicause they perceiued that theyr sayinges haue some absurdity they added so that in the beginninge of that woorke we thinke somewhat of god and his glory and so that that which is purposed be directed vnto hym But no man doubteth but that the begynning of all those thinges whiche we do oughte to be good but afterward if fayth follow not those thinges whyche we haue well begonne and if when we are working we haue not a respect vnto god and his glory we shall runne hedlonge into sinne which may not be dissembled Farther if we should worke as we ought to do and as the law requireth yet should we as Christ sayth be still vnprofitable seruants so far is it of that we can clayme vnto our selues any merites Wherfore so long as we desist from thinkinge vpon the honor and glory of God we fall neyther are such falles to be dissembled but rather to pray that they may be turned froÌ„ vs forasmuch as of their own nature they are sinnes Fayth is not sufficient in hâ—bite but we must beleue also in acte although vnto the beleuers for Christes sake they are not imputed vnto death Wherfore let there be added to our workes a good entent But yet such an entente as is adorned with faythe and let vs performe the same not in habite but in acte Wherfore the Lord sayth in the Gospell of Mathew the .6 chap The lyght of the body is the eye And if thyne eye be symple the whole body shal be lyght But if the light which is in thee be darknes Augustine how gret shal the darknes theÌ„ be These things Augustine in his questions of the Gospels the .2 boke .15 questioÌ„ and agaynst Iulianus in the .4 boke 20. chap. iudgeth to be vnderstaÌ„ded of a good intent And in like maner writeth he in his .10 Tome the .2 Sermon where he entreateth vpon this place we must not do righteousnes before men to be seene of them The intent saith he is alwayes to be applied vnto the glory of God but the wyll to haue it knowen vnto men is to be auoyded but so much as shall seme to pertayne to the honour of God And to that tendeth that whych Christ speaketh A good tree cannot bringe forth euel frutes neither an euil tre good for as much as the tree signifieth the entent Wherfore this act of Gideon done of a good intent if those thinges be true whyche we haue sayde cannot be excused when as fayth gouerned it not 28 Thus was Madian brought low before the children of Israell so that they lift vp theyr heds no more and the lande had quietnes .40 yeares in the dayes of Gideon 29 Then Ierubbaall the son of Ioas went and dwelt in his owne house 30 And Gideon had 70. sonnes which came out of his thigh for he had many wyues 31 And his Concubine that was in Sechem bare him a sonne also whose name he called Abimelech When we heare that the earth had quietnes we maye note two metaphores The first Metaphore is whereby the land is taken for them that dwell vpon it The other is whereby silence is put for peace for that in peace the cryes of souldiers the noyse of weapons the blast of trumpets and the running to and fro of horsemen and fotemen are not harde Augustine in this place doubteth howe it could be Augustine that God suffred superstition and idolatrye so longe vnpunished And he bringeth two answeres therfore First that GideoÌ„ did indede streyghtwayes as sone as the warre was finished Why the punishmente was differed 40. yeares gather a masse of golde but he made not the Ephod by and by but longe after namely towarde the end of his life or that the Ephod was made as sone as the victory was accoÌ„plished but the people fell not to idolatrye till aboute the latter tyme of his life An other cause he addeth because in that superstition the name of God was kept neyther was the worshipping of Baal and other gods of the Gentles admitted for that as long as Gideon liued the Hebrewes came not to that mischief therfore god delt not so sharply agaynste them And it was no small benefite to geue them peace for .40 yeares of which thing seying I haue spoken before in the former iudges I shal not nede now to repeate the same agayne Ierubbaal wente and dwelte in his house He coueted not a perpetuall rule as did Cesar who after v. yeares did agayn couet to continew vnto himself the prouince of France other v. yeres But Gideon when he had obteined peace ceased from warres and dismissing his host led his life at home in his owne house in a manner like a priuate man Suche are vprighte mindes whiche indeede wante ambicion In his commeÌ„taries vpon the 1. of Samuell the 25. chap. He had .70 children for he had many wiues Of hauinge many wiues I will not nowe speake muche bycause it is to be entreated of in an other place this is sufficient to be sayd at this present that god in the old lawe permitted the same after a sort vnto the fathers VVhich came out of his thigh This is therefore written least peraduenture we should suspecte that of those .70 children some were adopted Besides the 70. whiche he had of his wiues whiche were many he had Abimeleche by hys concubyne ¶ Of Matrimony and hauing of Concubines THe place doth now admonish me somwhat to speak of hauing of coÌ„cubines wherof is often mencion made in the histories of the old testament But fyrst must we define Matrimony that therout we may gather the vse of concubines for vnlesse the nature of it be manifest Of Matrimonye Marrimonium coniungium nuptie connubium The definition of matrimony we can not se how that hauing of a concubine differeth from it Matrimony mariages wedding and wedlocke sygnify al one thing And Matrimony as it is had in the .i. boke Inst Iustin wheÌ„ meÌ„cion is made of the power of the father and in the degestes de ritu nuptiarum is defined to be a coniunction of man and womaÌ„ an inseperable conuersation of life and a communication of gods law and mans law But this diffinicion muste be perfected by the holy scriptures Wherfore we must adde that this coniunctioÌ„ of man and woman was instituted by god for the bringing forth of children for the taking away of whoredome that therby humayne life might haue helpes and commodityes In this difinicion vndoubtedlye the coniunction of man and woman holdeth place in the matter The inseperable conuersation of life pertaineth vnto the forme for with this purpose and will man and wife muste marye together For though by adultery that copulation be taken away yet when the
God although openlye and by ciuill reason bycause of the seruile condicion of the woman shee was not acknowledged peraduenture for a wyfe Farther herein they differ bicause the Iewes had handmaydens to theyr Concubynes the same was not lawfull for the Romaynes if we followe that lawe that shee should be a Concubine which may be made a wife Whē as the Romayne lawes counted not that for matrimony which was contracted with a handmaydē But this ciuill law was not in Ieromes tyme retayned in the Romayn Empire Ierome eyther because the Ecclesiastical canons had mitigated it or els for some other cause For in hys Epistle to Oceanus he speaketh of certayne whyche had theyr handmaydens in steede of wiues for this cause not callinge them by the name of wyues to auoide burthens and charges who yet if they became rich made theyr handmaydens wiues After what maner the decrees permit Concubines But we must know moreouer that where Concubines seeme to be allowed and permitted in the decrees the same is to be vnderstand of those which are in very deede wiues although by the Romayn lawes and ciuily they were counted for Concubines bicause that woman was not solemply maried although there was a mutuall consent betwene them of matrimony This which I haue brought is had in the distinction .34 chapter Isqui Christiano Whereof the first is the decree of the councell of Toletanus the other is the testimony of Isidorus in his booke de distantia noui veteris Testamenti But when in the decrees there is mēcion made of Cōcubines which ar not in very dede wiues they are vniuersally prohibited And that is when eyther party will not alway dwel together neyther acknowledge one an other as man and wife Why the son of Gideon was called Abimelech And this shal be sufficiēt at this time as touching these things Let vs now returne vnto Gidion who had by his Cōcubine a son named Abimelech The Etimology of the name is My father the king Peraduēture the cōcubine of Gideon was arrogāt proud which coūted Gideon for a king and therefore called her sonne by this name and kindled in him the flames of bearing rule that he might right sone play the tirant and claim vnto himself a kingdome as dew vnto his father 32 So Gideon the sonne of Ioas died in a good age and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioas his father in Ophra Abiezer 33 But when Gideon was dead the children of Israell turned away and went a whoryng after Baalim and made Baal-berith their God 34 And the children of Israell remembred not the Lord their God whiche had deliuered them out of the handes of all their enemyes on euery side 35 Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal Gideon according to all the good thinges whiche he had done in Israel There is often mencion made in the holy scripture of a good age What a good age is And in the 15. chap. of Genesis it is promised vnto Abraham as a certaine excellent good thing And it semeth to shewe two things first a iust space of lyfe so that death should not come vntimely and strike as yet in tender age Farthermore it signifieth prosperity of life and a profitable end Wherfore it is required therunto that the minde be sound the body not broken with diseases no want of riches the famely countrey and dignity abiding firme this is iudged a good age But what shal we reckē of eternal life I thinke Gideon obteyned it also Whether Gideō was at the last saued or no for as much as in the Epistle to the Hebrues the .11 chap. he is numbred with those fathers which liued adorned with faith Thou wilt say peraduenture that his faith was not iustifieng and perfect but onely of that kinde of faith which sufficed to worke miracles But I do not thinke that the Apostle when he made mencion of Gideon and of the other fathers wrote of that faith For the faith whiche there he speaketh of he defined in the begynning that it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as they say the substaunce of things to be hoped for a certaynty of the which is not sene And in composing the Cataloge of the mē which where adorned with this faith he maketh mēcion of Abraham whō he testifieth to haue ben iustified by faith Wherby is gathered that the faith whiche is there attributed vnto the saintes is the true and perfect faith by whiche the godly are counted iust before God But they say he fell into superstitions I graunt that but he might be renewed by repentaunce whiche is the effect of true faith and at the last attayne eternall lyfe But thou wilt say what repentaunce was this when he ouerthrewe not the Ephod whiche he set vp neither reuoked the people from superstition Vndoubtedly there is neuer any repentaunce counted fruitefull vnlesse that be amended which was done amisse To this I aunswere it might be as Augustine saith that this superstition began toward the latter end of his life which thing being repentaunt he had decreed to take away if he had liued But being preuēted by death he was not able to performe it And was buried They made no prayers or supplications to deliuer his spirite from the paynes of Purgatory And we read not in any place of the old testamēt that for the same cause there were either sacrifices or oblations made And when Gideon was dead the Israelites went a whoryng and worshipped Baal Wherby we may learne how ingrate men are towards God He had adorned them with so many benefites yet their good prince being dead which kept them in their duty they fel straightway frō the true worshipping of him Wherfore it hereby manifestly appeareth how diligētly we must pray for good princes a godly Magistrate for then is vnderstand with how great a commodity they were geuen vnto the people when now at the length the anger of God waxing fierce they are taken awaye For that there were many Baalim What Bahal-berith was The Iupiter of couenaunt in this place is perticular mention made of Baal-berith whiche a man may call Iouē foederis or Iouē foederatum Hym made they a God ouer them and worshipped him for the Lord. The summe of the worshipping of him semeth to be this that they referred al the good things which they had as receaued of him they beleued that he turned away frō them those euils which they were not troubled with By reason of which faith they counted him for their God worshipped his outward image And forgat the Lord their god We can not worship straūge gods but straight way we must cast away the true God He is one and therfore he refuseth to be worshipped with more Wherfore it remayneth that they do not worship the true GOD but theyr owne inuentions as many as doo with the true God ioyne other whiche are idoles for
Sechemites went not vnto Abimelech and vnto the sonnes of Gideon but rather Abimelech wente vnto them The other is wee do not here reade that the sonnes of Gideon refused the kingdome offred vnto them or aunswered those thinges which the trees sayd when they were called to raygne The latter question I thinke may be dissolued two wayes sayinge that the sonnes of Gideon in dede answered not so but they would haue answered so if they had beene demaunded Wherefore Iotham knowyng so rightwell al their mindes and wyll seemeth not to speake so muche from the purpose Or els we may say that Gideon hymself aunswered for his sonnes when he said I wil not reygne ouer you God himself shall raygne ouer you And that we maye vnderstand what the three noble trees ment by theyr aunsweres this is to be called agayne to remembrance that the kingdome was offred vnto Gideon not onelye for himselfe but also for his sonne and sonnes sonne Wherefore he refused the kingdome for three And hereof it commeth as the Rabbines suppose that ther are three kindes of trees brought in But as touchinge the first question the Sechemites and Israelites came not vnto Abimelech to make him theyr kinge but yet the holy ghoste so speaketh by Iotham bicause he is he that knoweth the harts knew that that people laboured with this desire to haue at the length a king For they had manifestly declared it before wheÌ„ they offred the kingdome vnto Gideon afterwarde more manifestlye they shewed it in the time of Samuel when they altogether desired to haue a king geuen them as other nacions had What manner of argument is gathered out of this Apologye Argumentum a comparatis A maiore ad minus Maior Out of this Apology is drawen an argument of thinges compared together For the sonnes of Ierubbaal are compared with Abimelech as farre nobler then he euen as the olyue tree vine tree and fyg tree do farre excell the bramble and brier And the reason is from the greater vnto the lesser by negation as though it should haue bene sayd If euen they would not raigne and iudged that it was not lawful for them which were most excellent endewed with vertues faculties apte and mete for to raygne much lesse is it lawful for him to reigne which wanteth vertues and is vnapte for a kingdome But they which were noble might haue raygned Minor would not neyther did they thinke that it was lawfull for them Wherfore Abimelech neyther could neyther oughte to haue bene by you appoynted kinge The first proposition is manifest ynough by the rule of things compared and the second most manifestly appeareth by the Apology We maye by the like argument reason of the Ecclesiasticall state For if the fathers which were endued with a great spirite The argument is apâ—â—ed vnâ— the Pastors of the Church notable in wonderfull vertues and excellent doctrine woulde not execute the office of a Pope or Monarchy in the Church or take vpon them principality ouer all Bishops and Churches that is much les to be graunted vnto their posterity which are much inferiour vnto them yea not to be compared with them But they woulde not wherfore neither is it meete that those shoulde The first proposition appeareth as we haue already said by the rule of thinges compared but the minor is proued both by Ciprian and also by the Counsell of Carthage lykewyse by Augustine Leo and Gregory Farthermore by this act we gather what euyll commeth by chaunging the state of a publike wealth especially when it was allowed by the woord of God as was the Aristocratia of the Hebrues Neither was there any cause why they should chaunge that forme of the publike wealth The Churche oughte not to haue altred the forme of the gouernmeÌ„t therof for God hym selfe gouerned them gaue them .70 Elders and raised them vp Iudges in perillous tymes In like maner ther was no cause why the Church should chaunge the forme of her gouernment Neither can they which brought in the Papacy alledge any thing which the Hebrues could not haue said to defeÌ„d their peticion for hauing a king For as these men faine for themselues that the Church shoulde be rightlier gouerned by one namely the Bishop of Rome then by many Bishops of whyche euery one fully should haue care as touching his owne portion So myght the Iewes haue alledged that their kingdome shoulde be farre better gouerned by one then by many And they might haue spoken that with muche more likelyhood when as the land of Chanaan extendeth not so farre as the Church very many thinges as touching ciuil matters maye be better executed by a Kyng that is absent then the Church which extendeth most largely can be gouerned of a Pastor that dwelleth in Regions most farre Fire commeth out of Abimilech Tirannes oppresse and gouerne not bicause oppression taketh his beginning of Tirannes So sayd Samuel vnto the Hebrues that the king would make theyr children Carters their daughters handmaidens and compel them both to eare and tyll their ground and take awaye from them their best Oliue gardens and vyneyardes Neither was that which Samuel rehearsed the right of a king and appointed of God but that which as the Prophet saw kings would afterward vsurpe Otherwise the law of a king is contained in Deut. the .xvii. chap. From the Pope as it is here said there is come foorth a fyre whiche hath wasted and corrupted all Churches But it is meete to consider what the profitable and fruitful trees answered when they were required to take vpon them a kingdome Holy men wyl not be promoted aboue other men They saide they were content with their own good thinges and therefore they would neither receaue a kingdome or suffer anye alteration of their state After the same maner euen holy and godly men doo Ambrosius very much and long time resisted bycause he would not be created bishop of Millane Augustine also many wayes laboured to be no Elder or Bishop And among the Ethnikes Numa Pompilius long time much deferred before he would take vpon him the kingdom of Rome Diocletianus although before he gouerned very tiraÌ„nically very cruelly yet after that he resigned it being desired to take vpon him the Empire again he vtterly refused it Saul also to turne to the holy history hid him self among the stuffe burthens when he should be publikely consecrated But now a daies bicause we haue thornes and brambles euery where al men with a wonderful ambicion desire to be created Bishops or Popes and by their tumult and importunity all Christendome is in a maner shaken Wherfore it is the part of good men to be content with their vocation and not rashly to demit themselues vnto that vocation which is against the word of God especially when in that vocatioÌ„ wher in they are placed of God they may be both beloued of him also profitable vnto meÌ„
matrimony Wherfore by the ciuil law of the Hebrewes it was not lawful for him to haue place in the congregation of Israell For in Deut. it is written Bastardes had not place in the congregation of Israell Mamzer shall not enter into the congregation or assembly Zor is in Hebrew a stranger And a bastard is so called bicause he pertaineth not vnto the famely of the father She that bare Iiphtah was not a wife but a harlot This Hebrewe word Zonah signifieth two thinges Firste a vitler that is suche a one as selleth thinges pertayning to victuales for Zon signifieth to fede or to bring vp It signifieth also an harlotte Paraduenture for this cause bicause vitlers are oftentimes euill spoken of as touching chastity As it appeareth by a certayne lawe of Constantine which is had in the Code ad l. Iuliam de adult And vndoubtedly eyther signification may aptly be applyed vnto this place Some of the Hebrewes thinke that Iiphtah was not the sonne of an harlot but only the sonne of a concubine whych was not espoused with wedding tables or bonds and a dowry The mother of Iiphtah was not a Concubine But that semeth not very wel to agree For the Hebrewes called not a concubine Zonah neyther had it bene lawfull for his brethern to haue thrust out Iiphtah as a straūger if he had bene the sonne of a Concubine For the hauinge of Concubines of that sorte was with the Iewes true Matrimonye Farther wee muste knowe that the Hebrewes had an other word which signified an harlot And that is Kedashah as though a man would say sancta that is holy as Virgill sayth The holy hunger of gold This word Kadash signifieth to prepare For as godly men prepare and sanctify themselues to the worshipping of god so do harlots prepare themselues vnto the decking and gayne of the body And in Deut. the .23 it was commaunded that no such whore should be in Israell And it is added that the hire of Zonah that is of a whore shoulde not bee brought into the sanctuary wherfore we may therby gather that zonah and Kedashah are taken both in one signifycatiō In the .21 of Leuiticus it was not law full for a prieste to haue such a one to wife Thou wilt say peraduenture what should it auayle to make such a lawe if there were no harlots in Israell Why bastards were not admitted vnto the pub wealth What not to enter into the congregation signifieth I aunsweare that god in dede commaunded there shoulde be none but the people obeyed not But why would not god haue a bastard to come into the congregation Not bicause that he shoulde be the worse man if he shoulde liue vprightly but that the people might know that god detesteth whoredom And not to enter into the congregation was nothing els then to be made vnapt for the executing of an office either ciuil or holy Although otherwise he had to his father eyther a priest or a ruler Wherfore it was not lawful for bastards to execute the office either of a Tribune or of a Pretor or Magistrate or prieste Why therfore doth god now make a bastarde ruler ouer his people Bycause he prescribed the law vnto men and not to himselfe An other cause is least they which are so borne shoulde be therefore straight waye discouraged Farther that they myghte remember that they are not excluded for theyr owne faulte but for theyr fathers faulte But nowe to returne vnto Iiphtah hys brethren coulde not haue thruste hym oute excepte he hadde beene borne of an harlotte Otherwise a Concubyne was a lawefull wyfe and the chylderne of Iacob whyche were borne of hys Concubynes abode wyth theire other bretherne and wer inheritors together with them But thou wilt say Abraham did thrust out Ismael That was done before the law and by the singular wil of God that the whole and perfect inheritance myght come vnto Isaac Otherwise by the ordinary lawe of the Hebrewes the children of Concubines were not vtterly excluded from al inheritance ¶ Of bastardes and children vnlawfully borne A diuision of children BVt to make the thing more plaine we wil thus deuide children namely that there are some which are lawfull and not naturall as they that are adopted Other some there are which were naturall and not lawfull as they whiche are born of Concubines But here I speake of Concubines after the manner of the Romaynes For as touching the Hebrewes they which wer born of them wer legitimate What childe is called a bastard And there are other which are both legitimate and natural as they which are borne in iust matrimony Lastly ther are some which ar neyther legitimate nor naturall as are bastardes A bastard is he whiche can not tell who is his father or if he can tell it is one whom it is not lawefull for him to haue to his father as it is written in the Digestes de statu personarum in the lawe Vulgo concepti There is a greate difference betweene the condicions of children but we as touching this matter that we haue in hand will neyther entreate of children adopted nor of children legitimate naturall but onely of naturall children and bastardes which seme to be more obscure then the other Children natural not legitimate may be made legitimate as it is in the Code de Naturalibus filiis Legē Anastasii And the wayes how they might be made ar described in the same Code in the law Si quis But bastards could not be made legitimate If we wil speak of the childrē of Cōcubines after the maner of the Iewes they wer legitimate as we haue before taught But the Romaynes counted thē not as legitimate onely this they ordeined that they might be made legitimate Farther bastards are not in the fathers power neither can they be but they that are naturall may be if they be made legitimate These things I speake that we mighte vnderstande in howe greate a miserye bastardes are Wherefore Iiphtah could not atteyne to the inheritaunce of his father And these lawes were made that men might be plucked from whoredome if it were but onely for the ignominy of theyr children Chrisostome For when they do beget bastardes they hurt them without hope of recouery Wherfore Chrisostome vpon the epistle to the Romayns whē he enterpreteth these wordes Now is the houre for vs to rise from sleepe vehemently inueygheth agaynst whoremongers Why dost thou sowe sayth he that which is not lawfull for thee to reape Or if thou doo gather it is ignominious vnto thee For infamy wil therby come both to him which shal be borne and to thee also For he as long as he liueth shal be ful of ignominy and thou both whē thou art liuing and when thou art dead shalt alwaies be noted of filthy lust c. Wherfore it is ordeined by the lawes that bastardes should not be admitted to the inheritance of theyr fathers The father when he dieth
thou arte come agaynst me to fyght in my land 13 And the kinge of the children of Ammon aunsweared vnto the messengers of Iiphtah bicause Israell tooke my lande when they came from Egipte from Arnon euen to Iaboc and vnto Iarden now therfore restore them with peace 14 Yet Iiphtah sent messengers agayne vnto the kinge of the children of Ammon 15 And sayd vnto hym Thus sayth Iiphtah Israell tooke not the land of Moab nor the land of the children of Ammon 16 But when Israell came vppe from Egipte and walked thorowe the wyldernesse euen to the Sea Suph then they came to Cades 17 And Israell sente messengers vnto the kinge of Edom sayinge Let me I praye thee goe thorowe thy lande But the Kynge of Edome woulde not consente And also they sente vnto the Kynge of Moab but he woulde not Therefore Israell abode in Cades 18. Then they wente thorowe the wildernes and compassed the Lande of Edome and the Lande of Moab and came by the Easte syde of the Lande of Moab and pytched beyonde Arnon neyther came they wythin the coaste of Moab For Arnon was the border of Moab 19 Wherefore Israell sente messengers vnto Sihon kinge of the Ammorhites and king of Hebron and Israell sayde vnto him Let vs passe we pray thee by thy land into our place 20 But Sihon trusted not Israell to go thorough his coaste but Sihon gathered together all his people and pitched in Iaaz and fought agaynst Israell 21. And the Lorde GOD of Israell gaue Sihon and all his people into the handes of Israell and they smote them so Israell possessed all the lande of the Ammorrhites the inhabitantes of that countrey 22 And they possessed all the coaste of the Ammorhites from Arnon euen to Iaboc and from the wildernes euen vnto Iordan 23 Nowe therefore the Lorde GOD of Israell hath caste oute the Ammorhites before his people Israell and shouldest thou possesse it 24 Wouldest not thou possesse that whiche Chemos thy God geueth thee to possesse So whomesoeuer the Lorde our God driueth out before vs them will we possesse 25. And arte thou now farre better then Balac the sonne of Zippor king of Moab Did not he striue with Israell Did not he fyght agaynste them 26. When Israell dwelte in Hesbon and in her townes and in Aroer and in her Townes and in all the Cities that are by the coastes of Arnon .300 yeares Why did ye not then recouer them in that space 27 Wherefore I haue not offended thee but thou doest me wrong to warre agaynst me The Lord the Iudge be Iudge thys day betwene the chyldren of Israel and the chyldren of Ammon 28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not vnto the woordes of Iiphtaph which he had sent hym When Iiphtah by his messengers saith vnto the king of Ammon what hast thou to do with me he vseth a phrase very much vsed of the Hebrues He inquireth the cause as though he woulde haue sayde why inuadest thou our landes what discord or iniuries are there betwene thee and me The king of the Ammonites answered that he therefore made warre bicause the Israelites did hym iniury which tooke away his landes namely from the borders of Arnon euen to Iaboc and Iarden He complayneth that all that coast was taken from hym which was betwene those riuers This he pretendeth to be the cause of the war And he desired that they would restore peaceablye that is without warre that which they had taken away from him He seemeth to promise that he will leaue of from warre if the Israelites woulde performe this Iiphtah denieth that the thyng is so VVe haue not taken away sayth he your land And bringeth a reason Bicause when the Israelites came vp out of Egipt they of their owne wyll sent messengers vnto the kyng of Edom that they might haue leaue to passe throughe his borders which thing he would not let them doo so farre is it of that wee dyd them iniury The people abode in Cades so muche tempered they themselues frō violence and weapons They went on the syde of the land of Edom for the Edomites would not permit Israel to go straight through the middest of their country Wherefore my people rather iourneyed with great labour then that they were troublesome vnto any man And pitched beyond Arnon There were the endes of Moab Wherefore ye can not complaine that we did anye man iniurye Therfore when the Israelites saw that they could not leade their host throughe the borders of Edom or Moab they sent vnto Sihon king of the Amorhites But he would not neither did he onely denye them passage through his borders but also assembled an host and pursued them And the battaile beyng ioyned God deliuered him in to the handes of the Israelites The Israelites possessed the land by the righte of warre Wherefore sayth he we haue done thee no wrong for this land we possesse by the right of warre Sihon assayled vs with his power and the victory fel on our syde wherfore both he and all his land by the right of warre came into our power And the Lord delyuered Wherfore forasmuch as Israel by the ryght of war succeded Sihon that land which thou desirest is not thine but in the olde tyme pertained vnto Sihon the king Therfore when we occupied this land thou diddest not possesse it but the Amorhites Neither do we possesse this land by the right of warre onely They also possessed it by the gift of God but also by the gift of God for the Lord our God which is Lord of al kingdomes hath geuen it to vs and deliuered it into our power This is the second reason that Iiptah vseth for by the first he onelye sheweth that those places came vnto him by the right of warre without any wrong doing But some man might say It is well perceiued that god gaue it bicause he draue out the Ammonits how knowest thou that God gaue thee this land Bicause saith he he expelled the old inhabiters the Amorhites before vs and wylt thou succede the Amorhites as though hee would say by what right He bringeth an argument a simili that is from the lyke You sayth he worship the God Chemos and you thinke you haue your lād by his benefite and ye beleue that ye possesse it by very good right So we haue receiued our land not from an idole as you haue but from the true God Chemos the god of he Ammonites and we retayne it by very good ryght He calleth not Chemos god bicause he beleued that idole to be a god but speaketh in this maner bicause they iudged that it was so Art thou better then Balac the sonne of Zippor They possessed also by the right of prescription Thys is the thyrde reason We possesse it saith they not onely by the right of warre or gyft but also by the right of prescription for we haue had it nowe in our handes
this .300 yeares and Balac though he were a mighty Prince and other also neuer required it againe wherfore then doest thou demaund it againe especiallye seing we haue had it so long time That which we translate Art thou better in Hebrue it is Tob tob For bicause they want the comparatiue degree they vse in steede of it a repeticion of the positiue degree Why Balac fought agaynst the Israelites Balac of whom he speaketh was he which hired Bileam to cursse the Iewes And when he fought against the Israelites he did not therefore fight bicause he would wrest from them that land this was onely his entent that they shoulde not enter into his borders Hesbon Hesbon was the kingly Citye of Sihon There dwelled Israell and in all her townes .300 yeares and now at the last demaundest thou it agayne If a man wyl count the number of the yeares euen to this time he shall not fullye finde .300 yeares but onely .270 But so vse they to doo which prescribe any thing by time to adde somwhat aboue the iust number Although the scripture also is wont in supputacions many times to follow the greater number And .270 yeares come nere vnto .300 yeares then to .200 yeares And for that cause it seemeth that the number should be put whole Wherfore Iiphtah concludeth after this maner I haue not offended thee Bicause thou art the occasion of the warre and haue shewed thee my reasons now resteth to put the matter in Gods hand he wyll iudge best Thys was the message of Iiphtah We must fyrst entreate by messengers before we go to weapons Titus Liuius This Oration as farre as it appeareth pertaineth vnto the iudicial kynde and entreateth of possession and the reasons are layde foorth But nowe let vs marke that Iiphtah before he moueth battail sendeth messengers before That is a custome verye laudable For Titus Liuius writeth in his first booke that it was the maner of Rome that before warre was proclaymed againste their enemies messengers were sent to complaine of the iniuries and to require againe the thinges taken away And if by their message they nothing profited they returned vnto the Senate who vnderstanding the matter proclaimed war by the publike assent For wise men iudged it not best rashlye and sodainlye to fall to warres So Iiphtah though he were a warlike and valiant man yet woulde he gouerne the matter wisely and moderatlye For he was not so light brained as many now adayes are who firste prepare them selues to battaile and make a bragging before any man know that there is any warre proclaimed God thus ordained in the .27 chap. of Deut. when thou shalt come to any Citye thou shalt firste offer peace So Iiphtah assayeth firste to compose the matter by woords before he goeth to hand strokes The king of Ammon alledgeth a cause in dede but it is but a fained cause for first it was not the laÌ„d of Ammon but of Moab and the Amorhites draue them out as the second chap. of Deut. testifieth For Israel had none of their landes For God had before said that he woulde geue nothing vnto the Israelites of that which pertained either to the Edomites or to the Ammonites or to the Moabites and when they offred no wrong vnto anye man Sihon the king of the Amorhites pursued them with an host and assayed to destroy them but God gaue the victory wherin both Sihon was slain and his kingdome came to the Israelites Wherfore it can not seme that they did wrong vnto the Ammonites for that land at that time longed to the Amorhites which they before had taken away from the Moabites Whither the Israelites sent messengers vnto the Moabites or no. But in this place ariseth a doubt for it is written that the Israelites sent messengers vnto the Moabites and that is not found in the .21 chap. of Numb The Hebrue interpreters say that that may be gathered out of the .2 chap. of Deutr. where it is after this sorte written I sent messengers vnto Sihon the king of the Amorhites with woordes of peace saying Let vs passe throughe thy lande and we wil go by the high way we wil not decline neither to the right hande nor to the leaft Sel vs meate for money for to eate geue vs water for money to drink Onely geue vs leaue to passe through as did the children of Esau which dwell in Seir and the Moabites which dwel in Arre Ther are three principal pointes in this message What wer the chief points of I phtahs meâ—sage for first Iiphtah answereth that he possesseth this land by the right of war secondly by gift lastlye by prescription I thinke it good to examine these thinges singularly and aparte ¶ Of things whych are taken by the ryght of warres AS touching the first we learne that it may be that some thing may be claymed by the right of warre which maye be confirmed both by mans lawes and by the lawes of God But I wyl begyn with mans lawes In the Digestes de captiuis et postliminio reuersis in the law Postliminium Postliminium a law by 〈…〉 we receaue agayn 〈◊〉 â—hichâ— we lostâ— in warres The thinges that we haue lost in war or in affaires of war if we afterward recouer the same again we shal possesse them by the law Postliminium For so long as they are not recouered they are possessed of our enemies And thys ryghte is towarde those whyche are declared to bee enemyes But suche were declared to bee enemies against whom the people of Rome publikelye proclaimed warre or they which publikely prohibited warre against the people of Rome as it is had in the same title in the law Hostes For Pirates or theues cannot by this meanes attaine to be owners or possesse any thing by the law of warre For warre ought to be made to the ende to attaine something by the right of warre And in the Digestes de acquirendo rerum dominio in the lawe Naturale paragrapho the last Such thinges as are taken from enemies by the common law of all men agreing vnto naturall reason are straightwaye made theirs which take them And thus the lawes of man as touching this thing are very manifest So is it also by the lawes of God Abraham as it manifestlye appeareth in the booke of Genesis the .14 chap. made warre against the .v. kinges whiche had led away Lot prisoner The battaile being finished theyr praye came into the handes and power of Abraham which maye easelye bee proued bicause of that pray he gaue tithes vnto Melchisedech But it had not bene lawfull for him to haue geuen tithes of an other mans goods therfore they wer his own of which he gaue Wherfore we must beleue that that pray was truelye in his possession For in that he gaue it to the king of Sodom it was of his mere liberality for he was not therunto compelled by the law I coulde make mencion what
thinges Iosua Othoniel Dauid Salomon and manye other mo possessed by the ryght of warre For when those Princes had the victory Warre is a iust woorke to attayne possessioÌ„ the thinges taken from their enemies came into their possession But it is not sufficient to make warre to clayme something by the right therof but the warre also must be iust Bycause vnles it be iust it is not warre but robbery But how shal we know when war is iust or vniust Whereby iuste war is knoweÌ„ from vniust Augustine Augustine as he is alledged in th .23 Question .2 chap. Notandum writeth that his war betwene Sihon and the Israelites was iust For they desired to passe wythout hurt through his kingdome which thing by humane fellowship should not haue bene denyed them especiall seing they had faithfully promised not to be troublesome to any man This sentence of Augustine the Gloser goeth about to defende and that by ciuill lawes In the Digestes de aqua pluuia cohercenda in the lawe in summa in the Paragraphe item varus somethyng is permitted in an other mans ground so that it be done without the hurt of the possessor And in the Code Dâ— Seruitutibus in the law per agrum Maximianus and Diocletianus doo thus ordaine That no man can prohibite thee to vse the common high waye And that thing onely did the Israelites desire wherfore being repulsed they iustly tooke warre in hand So much sayth the Gloser Whither a waâ— ought to be geueÌ„ vnto an hoâ—t whose reason doth not so fully satisfy me For that which Augustine speaketh of priuate men may easely be admitted and these thinges which are brought out of the ciuill law do seeme also to be written concerning priuate men But if a man wil leade an host through an other mans country and if they faithfully promise not to be troublesome yet whether a way ought straightway to be graunted him or whether he ought to be beleued it is not certaine They promise thou wilt say that their host shal do no harme but if they stand not to their promises then shall the lande be in theyr power Vndoubtedly Iulius Cesar would not permit the Heluecians to passe thorow his Prouince although they promised that they woulde passe without doing iniury or hurt The Israelits tought iustly against Sihon But I say that the warre which the Israelites made against Sihon was iust but not therfore bicause he denied them leaue to passe throughe his country but bicause he came out of his borders with his host and willinglye offred wrong vnto the Israelites For euery man ought to defend both himself and his against violence That which Augustine bringeth hath some shewe yet his reason is not firme For how could Sihon know certainly whither the Isralites would do him no hurt especially they being so many in number For ther were sixe hundred three score sixe thousand armed souldiours wel appoynted to the battail He might peraduenture haue permitted them to haue passed and that safely although not al of them together but by bandes But seing the first reason before alledged is sufficient wee must not muche labour for Augustines sake What maner of warre is iuste But now I wil generally declare what maner of war is counted iust Such a war is counted iust whiche is taken in hande at the commaundement of the Magistrate either to demaund things againe or els to put away iniuries or to reuenge them as it is had in the .23 question the .2 chap. iustum and they ar the woordes of Isidorus Isidorus For first we must beware that war be not taken in hande by the authority of a priuate man But the causes wherfore war may iustlye be made are these to require thinges taken away or els to repulse iniury Wherunto is agreable that which Augustine writeth in the same place in the chapter Dominus Augustine Iust war is that which is taken in hand to reueÌ„ge iniuries After this maner war is iustly proclaimed against Cities when they wyll not either render thinges taken away or amende those thinges which of theirs was vniustly done For if they wil not punish the guilty it is lawful for other to make warre against them So al Israel tooke war in hand against Beniamin that a most filthy wicked crime should not remaine vnpunished But Augustine addeth that those warres also do in especial seme iust which are taken in hande by the commaundement of God as are many which were done in the old Testament For if God commaunde once to make warre wee muste not seeke for anye other cause of iustice For God knoweth very well what is to be rendred vnto euery man For then both captaine and souldiours are not so muche to be counted authors of the warre as ministers of God of his law And therfore when the people are after this maner called to war they ought not to neglect the coÌ„maundement Augustine Wherfore the same Augustine in his .205 epistle to Bonifacius the Earle a maÌ„ of war which at that time gouerned Affrike vnder Cesar Thou oughtest not saith he to thinke that they which with weapons serue the publik wealth caÌ„ not please God This was the propositioÌ„ wherof afterward he bringeth reasoÌ„s For Dauid saith he made many wars and yet was he dearely beloued of God And vndoubtedly I could bring forth very many examples out of the old testament But the Anabaptistes cry that the old Testament pertaineth nothing vnto vs. I wil therfore make mencion of those thinges whych Augustine alledgeth out of the new Testament The Centurion came vnto Christ and desired him to heale his seruant which was sicke but Christ said he would come to hys house The CeÌ„turion said I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe but onely say the woord my seruant shal be healed And other woordes which are red in the .8 chapter of Mathew At the last Christ answered that he founde not so muche faith in Israel no not in those whiche seemed most holye And the same man was a Centurion and had soldiours vnder him vnto whom for all that Christ ascribeth a very good and most excellent faythe In the Actes also of the Apostles the .x. chapter it is written that Cornelius so lyued in warfare that the Angell testified of hym that hys prayers wer heard of God Yea God also so regarded hym that at Peters hande he hearde the Gospell was baptised and receaued the holye ghost And the Soldiours when they came vnto Iohn to be baptised of him as it is in the third chapter of Luke asked what they should doo Iohn aunswered ye shall doo violence vnto no man bee ye content with your wages Neyther called he them backe from warfare but rather confirmed them when he commaunded them to be content wyth their wages The same Augustine againste Faustus in his .xxii. booke and .lxxiiii. chapter saythe The Lorde was tempted of the
Herodians whither it were lawfull to geue tribute vnto Cesar and he aunswered Geue vnto Cesar that whych is Cesars and the thinges that are of God to God By which woordes he woulde signifye nothing els but that tributes are to be geuen vnto Princes And tributes are geuen that Princes should vse the swoorde defend the right of the publike welth and make warre when neede shall require Which thing if it had not bene lawfull the Lord would neuer haue commaunded them to pay tributes vnto them But to returne to the Epistle of Augustine In making of iust war saith he What thynges are to be taken heede of in iuste warres many thinges are to be taken heede of For it is not sufficient that the warre be iust except also the warre be iustly handled Wherefore he admonisheth hys Earle when saythe hee thou puttest on thyne armour remember that thy strength is the gyft of God and determine wyth thy selfe not to abuse that gift against God Yea rather doo thys fyght for hys lawes and name let promises be kept euen with enemies but muche more with friendes for whom thou makest warre By which woordes hee reprehendeth those Soldiours whiche are more grieuous in Cities then the very enemies of which we see in our dayes a great many mo then we would which when they are in their places where they wynter it is wonderfull to see how they handle the Citezens and the men of the country it is horrible to see what filthy and abhominable things they commit He addeth also the thirde caution Thinke with thy selfe that warre must not be made but for necessity Wherefore let the minde alwaies be enclined vnto peace Make warre bicause thou canst not otherwyse doo but if thou canst make peace refuse it not Warre is taken in hand onely to amende thinges amysse Yea and the Apostles afflicted certaine that they might become the better Paul sayd vnto the Corrinthians deliuer suche a one to Sathan to the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite may be saued And to Timothe he sayth of Hymeneus Alexander I haue delyuered them to Sathan to learne not to cursse So oughte they also to restrayne Princes that they maye bee made better Augustine also in his .xix. Augustine booke De ciuitate dei sayth that warres though they bee neuer so iust yet vnto godly men they seeme both troublesome and grieuous for besydes other things which the nature of man escheweth they shall see the iniquity of their aduersaries syde for which they are compelled to fyght and they cannot but be sorye for it And in the Epistle before alledged Rage not saythe hee nor waxe not insolent agaynst those that submyt them selues but shewe mercye to those that are ouercome Wherefore Virgil sayth Spare them that submit them selues Virgil. and destroye the proude Moreouer he admonisheth the same Earle to beware of vyces whyche are wont to followe hostes namelye of fylthye luste of rauenous pyllynge and of dronkennesse For it is a thyng moste vyle for thee therefore to make warre to amende the vices of others when as thou in the meane tyme art a great deale more vicious and muche more art ouercome bothe wyth affections and diseases then they are whyche are ouercome For in warre we reproue not the ende but the desire to hurt the crueltye of auengement the outragiousnesse of rebelling and the lust of bearing dominion These thinges saith he are condemned For they which forsaking suche vices doo make iust warre are the Ministers of God and of the lawes The same father against Faustus Manicheus This order saith he is to bee kept that the war be proclaimed either of God or of Princes to breake the pryde of man and to came the stubburne Farther the Souldiours oughte to bee perswaded that the warre is iustlye made and not taken in hande againste the woorde of God otherwyse let them not fight Neither doo I to this ende speake these thinges bicause I woulde haue Soldiours to vnderstand the secretes of Princes but that knowing wittingly they suffer not themselues to fight against true and iust causes Yet it may be saith Augustine that the Prince may make warre againste his conscience and yet his Soldiours nothing offende so long as they obey the ordinarye power For the people must obey their Prince And in their so doyng it may be doubtfull vnto them whether their Prince make warre contrarye to the commaundement of God But they are excused so long as they obey their owne Prince in a doubtful cause their own Prince I say and not a straunge Prince Wherefore those hired Soldiours can not be excused which hauing no respecte vnto the cause Againste hyred Soldiours but onely for mony and rewardes sake do serue straunge Princes Wherefore Iiphtah thus reasoned as touching the first point of his Oracion we haue taken the land by the right of warre therefore thou vniustly requirest the same of vs. The next poynt is our God hath geuen it vnto vs whiche is the Lorde and distributer of all thinges humane He brinketh his argument from the gyfte of God God is the distributer of kyngdomes Virgil. And that God might geue and distribute kingdomes the verye Ethnike authours also sawe And therefore in Virgil Eneas doth so often boast that hee by the commaundement of God went into Italy and for that cause would not abide either at Carthage or in Sicilia when he mought haue obtained either of those kingdomes Augustine Augustine in his .v. booke De ciuitate dei the .xxviii. chap. Of kingdomes sayth he and Prouinces it is certaine that God distributeth them both when and how muche and to whom hee wyll and that by secrete iudgementes but not vniust In the booke of Genesis God promised vnto Abraham and his posterity the land of Chanaan but hee promised it after foure hundred yeares Now saith he I wyl not geue it for as yet the synnes of the Chananites are not full I wyll not cast them out now but I wyll tary tyll their iniquitye be come to the hyghest afterward I wyll bring you in Also in the seconde chapter of Deutronomy it is written that the Horites dwelled in mount Seir which were men experte in warres and very valiant whom God sayth he draue oute of those mountaynes that the Chyldren of Esau myght possesse the lande And in the same chapter he testifieth that he dyd cast out the people of Emim gaue their kingdomes vnto the Ammonites and draue out Zanzumim oute of theyr places and placed the Moabites there If thou wylt say that thys was done by God peculiarly agaynste these nacious bycause the Edomites had their ofspring of Esau the Ammonites and Moabites of Lot which was kynsman vnto Abraham and had together with hym accomplished most daungerous viages I aunswer the same may be saide also in the same place of other nacions which came not of Abrahrm The Capadocians draue out the Heuites whyche were the first
to father or mother The gyft c. they might haue prescribed vnto hym custome but it was not lawful bicause it was manifestly against the woord of God In the country of Taurus there was a custome to kyll straungers and gests The Persians had a custome neuer to deliberate of waighty matters but in feastes and when they were dronke Among the Sauromates there was a custome that when they were drinking they solde their daughters These prescribe not when as they are manifestly vicious and euyll But that custome prescribeth which is neither against the woord of God nor the law of nature nor the common law For the right of custome commeth of the approbation and secrete assent of the people Otherwise why are we bound vnto lawes but bicause they were made What differēce is betwene a lawe and a custome Aristotle the people consenting and agreing vnto them For this is the difference betwene a custome and a lawe bicause in the one is a secrete assent but in the other an open assent Wherfore such customes cannot be reuoked wythout daunger Aristotle in Politicis admonisheth that men which haue learned to doo sinister thinges ought not to be compelled to do thinges dextere Wherefore in thinges indifferent and of no great value custome is to be retayned It is an old Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Law and Country For euery region hath certaine customes of their owne which cannot easelye be chaunged But as it is sayde when they are againste the woorde of God or againste nature or the common lawe they do not prescribe For then are they not customes but beastly cruelties It is very wel read in the Digestes De legibus Senatusconsultis in the law de quibus Augustine Custome without reason hath no force And in the decrees distinction the .viii. chapter Veritate Augustine sayth The truth being founde out let custome geue place let no mā presume to preferre custome before truth and reason And in the next Canon Christ sayd I am the way the truth and the life he said not Ciprian Aquarii were they whiche in the Eucharist vsed water in steede of wyne I am the custome Ciprian against the * Aquarii Let al custome thoughe it be neuer so auncient geue place vnto the truth otherwise Peter when he was reprehended of Paul to the Galathians myght haue claymed custome but he assēted rather that custome should geue place vnto the truth Ciprian in the same Epistle agaynst the Aquarii Custome sayth he without truth is the auncientnes of error and the more it obteyneth the more grieuous it is Let the Papistes therfore cease to bragge of their customes which are altogether ful both of error and also of vngodlines Moreouer to establish a custome it is not sufficient that some men do a thyng or that a thing be often done vnles it be so done that it be receaued into a vse What establysheth custome an institucion to be obserued For many thinges are done either rashely or of necessity which yet we wil not haue drawen into a custome In the digestes de Itinere actu priuato in the law .1 and last Graunt that I go thorough the fielde once and agayne and the thyrd tyme bycause peraduenture the hyghe way is so foule that a man can not passe thoroughe it Whither bycause I sometymes go and returne thorough thy field do I therefore get vnto my selfe in it the right of dominion seruitude No for I entended not with that mynde to go thoroughe thy field but bycause I was of necessity compelled thereunto In the decrees distinction the .1 chap. Consuetudo Custome is said to be a certain right instituted by manners whiche is taken for a law when a lawe fayleth What custome is When in the first tymes of the Churche when tyrannes persecuted Christian religion godly men thorough feare were cōpelled to assemble together in houses and caues by night and in the darke thys assembly was by a certaine right maner then instituted counted lawful But if we would now that the Church is constituted worshyp God after the same maner we should both be derided laughed at also it wer not to bee suffred For they vsed not that manner to the end they would haue it drawen into a custome or that it should be an institutiō which other men should followe Ambrose beyng Catechumenus that is newly conuerted to the Christian faith and not baptised was chosen Bishop of Millan and Nectarius of Constantinople and peraduenture other Yet is it not lawfull for vs now to followe the same custome and to elect a Bishop which neither hath seene sacred seruices nor hath ben washed with the water of Baptisme But they did so They dyd so in deede but compelled by necessity bycause they had no other which were both learned endewed with authority whō they might oppose against the Arriās So is that easely confuted An answere to an example of Eusebius whiche they are wont to bryng out of the Hystory of Eusebius for the communicatyng vnder one kinde that Serapion sent a child and commaunded the bread to be dipped in the wyne I could in deede expounde that place otherwise but at this tyme it shal be sufficiēt to say that that was not therfore so done then thereby to bring in a custome which should be imitated of others Wherfore custome is not made by examples but by the assent approbation and institution of the people Otherwise ther are in many places dronkēnes and night robbynges But these things bicause they are not allowed of the people as institutions to be obserued haue not the power of a custome And that the thing may the better be vnderstand An other definitiō of custome Hostiensis I wil bring a definition of custome which I foūd in Hostiensis in the title de Consuetudine It is an vse saith he agreing with reason allowed by the cōmon institution of them that vse it whose begynnyng is tyme out of mynde or whiche is by a iust tyme prescribed and confirmed so that it is by no contrary acte interrupted but allowed with contradictory iudgement This is as he thinketh a full definition But in that he saith That that vse ought to be agreeing with reason it is not sufficient but first it is to be sayd that it ought to agree with the worde of God for that is to be counted for the chiefest reason Afterward it must be allowed by the institution of the people for as much as it is not sufficient that it be done ether rashly or of necessity or for some other cause but it ought also to be allowed by the assent and institution of the people and of whose beginnyng there is no mention or that it is prescribed by a iust tyme and appoynted by the lawes neither is interrupted by any contrary action For if the iudge or prince shal geue iudgement agaynst it the custome is broken as it
met hym either a dogge or an asse whiche had hen wicked to haue offred and so in one place he prayseth that whiche in an other place he dispraiseth Ambrose Ambrose in his .3 booke de Virginitate sayth that the mayden was in very deede immolated he writeth the Iiphtah vowed not before the battaile but in the fight in the very conflict when things were doubtfull And he addeth I do not allow the murther but I se a laudable feare that he would not violate his promise that he had made And he saith moreouer that this act is to be cōferred with the worke of Abrahā For Abrahā when he was about to kill his sonne the Lord cried out vnto him Now I know that thou louest me And he concludeth that after the same maner may Iiphtah be praised bycause he shewed by his example that the oracle of god wherin he cōmaunded the vowes should be performed was to be preferred before childrē although the onely begotten child should be killed But he demaūdeth whether God haue a respect vnto persons whiche letted Abrahā that he should not offer vp his sonne but with stoode not Iiphtah He denieth the God accepteth persons but it behoued saith he to declare vnto Abrahā that he delighted not in humane sacrifices Afterward succeded the law which in Deut. Leui. prohibited the immolatiō of children Wherfore the will of god was already declared both in Abrahā in the law wherfore there neded no new oracle or new prohibition Farthermore he noted that in Iiphtah was not that perfection whiche was in Abraham For Abraham wept not tare not his garmentes deferred not two monethes but strayghtwaye went and Isaac followed hym Therefore it is no meruayle sayth he if God prohibited not Iiphtah for so muche as he woulde punishe hys longe taryeng And in his thyrd booke de officiis the .12 chapter he writeth I will neuer be persuaded but that Iiphtah vowed vnaduisedly for so muche as he afterwarde repented And he addeth that in deede he alloweth not the acte but he sayeth that in a godly feare he fulfylled his vowe but in suche sorte that he appointed his posterity to lament it He sayeth farther I can not accuse the mā bycause it was necessary for hym to paye that whiche he had vowed but it is a miserable necessitye sayeth he whiche is payed with parricide and it is better not to vowe that thyng whiche he wyll not vnto whome thou vowest And strayght way he saith All promises are not to be kept for euē god also sometymes chaungeth his will By which wordes he alludeth vnto the place whiche is written in Numbers the .14 chapter of the prayers of Moses Wherfore Ambrose is vtterly of that sentence to thinke that the mayden was offred and for that cause as I haue sayde preferreth her before the two Pithagorians And of her he sayeth in hys exhortation to virgins She payed with her bloude the vnaduised vowe of her father And vpon the firste Epistle to the Corinthians the .15 chapter he sayth In a thyng whiche could not be acceptable he was founde faythfull offryng his daughter as he had foolishely vowed And agayne The acte is not allowed but the perseueraunce of fayth is worthy to be brought foorth for an example to followe But these wordes of Ambrose are not so lightly to be passed ouer What thynges are to be noted in the woordes of Ambrose for they can not be simply allowed and as they be spoken of hym Yet haue I brought them to shewe that he thought that the mayden was offred in very deede But in hys woordes thys firste I marke that he affirmeth a certayne godly feare to be in Iiphtah whereby he was led to performe his vowe and that children were not to be preferred before Religion thirdly that Iiphtah was found faythfull in that thyng whiche coulde not be acceptable vnto God Lastly that hys perseuerance of fayth is brought foorth for an example to followe As touchyng the first I knowe not how that may seeme a godly feare which driueth a man to parricide for he calleth that kyllyng parricide Godly feare driueth not a man to commit parricide and that three or foure tymes Ther are in dede affections in vs which are grafted by god but yet to vertues and to do well A feare to eschewe sinnes An anger to punishe wicked actes c. Wherfore feare when it is applied vnto vertue may be called godly but if it serue for vice it can not seme godly yea rather What affections are to bee coūted godly it hath a certayne maner of vngodlines Otherwyse the endeuor of Idolatrers might be praysed for we see them diligently labor to worship god but bycause they apply not themselues to the sincere worshippyng of God their endeuour can not be called godly So when that feare of Iiphtah draue him to commit parricide howe could it be godly If thou wilt say that by parricide he vnderstādeth not the sinne or the wicked acte but the immolatiō of his daughter I will demaūd why he sayth that he alloweth not the acte vndoubtedly if he cā not allowe it then perceaueth he that it is sinne But in that he sayth That the loue of children is les to be estemed them Religion That is true but that was no religion but a foolishe vnaduised and rashe vowe Neither is the loue of children to be les estemed then such religion Thirdly he sayeth that he was founde faythfull But what fidelity is there in that thyng whiche coulde not be acceptable to God If my seruaunt should do that whiche I had forbidden hym can he therin seme faythfull But in that he calleth the vnchaungeable mynde of Iiphtah constancy in my iudgement he erreth when as rather it was wilfulnes wherby he would nedes fulfill that whiche he had vnaduisedly vowed neither can perseuerance in an euill thyng bee called constancy He attributeth vnto hym a feare whiche also he calleth a godly feare and yet afterwarde he sayth that he repented If he repented hym he dyd agaynst his conscience but no man ought to doo any thyng agaynst it For what is not of fayth is sinne Farther if he repented why amended he not hys faulte For if any thyng had ben done rashely that ought to haue ben amended If GOD as he sayeth doo sometymes chaunge his sentence why then is it not lawfull for vs to chaunge a sentence that is not ryght Afterwarde he sayth he can not but prayse Iiphtah But what will he prayse An vncircumspect vowe But that ought rather to bee reprehended What wyll he prayse the performaunce of the vowe But that he calleth parricide neyther can that bee praysed I saye therefore that Ambrose affirmeth that the mayden was in very deede immolated and yet are not al hys wordes to be allowed Augustine Let vs heare nowe what Augustine sayeth of thys thyng In hys question 29. vpon thys booke he writteth that out of this place
whyche gouerned the publike wealth when they were wery with matters kept themselues close oftentimes in fieldes or manors not to sleepe or to geue themselues to sluggishnes and idlenes but to refresh theyr mindes and that they might returne the more prompte and better instructed to accomplish thinges And the most noble Rhethoricians being wearied with pleading causes of the law went sometimes into the country to heare to talke to reade somwhat to peruse ouer the oracions before herd and so by that meanes to returne more learned and readye to the place of iudgement So the Nazarites for a certayne time departed from the companye and felloweshippe of other menne that they mighte be the better and holier afterwarde to execute the duties of life Chryste also in the nyghte tyme departed to the mountayne But in the daye tyme he returned vnto the people And when the Apostles returned whom he hadde sente foorth to preache he led them a way for a little while into a deserte that they mighte there be quiet and refresh themselues The instituciō of Lent For this cause peraduenture was Lent first instituted that men which had al the yeare bene occupied with ciuill businesse might at the leaste at that time renew piety This is the pretence of the Papists But graunt that the thinge was at the first institued for this cause let them consider what it is now fallen to at the lengthe vndoubtedlye into mere superstition whereby nothing els is obtruded vnto the people then choise of meates olde wyues fables vngodly songs and pilgrimages whych they commonly call stations very prophane and idolatrous In the meane time there is no mencion made for the abolishinge of couetousnesse luste lecherye and other wicked actes Farther menne oughte by so longe a fast to haue beene made better but they are made much worse after Easter Paul tooke vpon him the vowe of a Nazarite But to returne to the vowe of a Nazarite Paule seemeth to haue vowed it when as in the .18 chapter of the Actes of the Apostles he poled his heade in Cenchre And in the .21 chapter he was perswaded of the Elders to doo it There are here say they foure menne whyche haue a vowe Thou shalte bee with them There the shauinge of the head declareth that that vowe pertained vnto a Nazarite For as it is wrytten in the lawe if it had happened that the Nazarite in the time of the vowe whyche he hadde taken vpon hym hadde defyled hymselfe vpon the deade or by anye other meanes then the vowe was violate And the Nazarite oughte to come vnto the Tabernacle and to declare vnto the priestes what hadde happened and to cutte of hys heare to offer sacrifice and so to begynne the vowe of a Nazarite a newe agayne For what soeuer he hadde before obserued it was counted as defyled and of no force So Paule as thoughe some thynge hadde happened vnto hym amonge the Gentiles where he had beene conuersant woulde be purified in the Temple as thoughe he shoulde haue begonne the obseruation of hys vow agayne A fayned tale of the Moonkes The Papystes crye that by this vowe of the Nazarites there was a certeyne shadowe at that tyme of theyr religious Moonkery neyther consider they that the vowes of the Nazarites were instituted by the woorde of God Let them shew on theyr side the commaundement of God for moonkry which thing if they cannot do then resteth there nothinge but that we may say that the institutions of Moonkes are not the vowes of Nazarites but of superstitious men and a certayne ridiculous imitation or an euill zele of the olde vowe of the Nazarites So also in the olde tyme superstitious men when they sawe that Abraham would haue offred his sonne Whereof began drawing of children throughe the fyre and that for the same cause he pleased God very well They also would nedes offer their sonnes and draw them thorough the fire By whiche most wicked institution they greuously offended God But our worshipping ought to leane vnto the worde of God In dede ciuill institutions yea euen without the expresse word of God may be receaued so that they be not agaynst the worde of God Agaynst the vowe of religious men but worshipping and religion ought not to come frō any other thyng but onely out of the word of God But I pray you let them tel whence they haue that vowe of perpetuall sole life or how can it agree with the Nazarites First it is contrary to the creation of man when as it was sayd vnto the first parentes Increase and multiply Farther it is agaynst the oracle which Paul wrote He whiche contayneth not let him mary They vowe pouerty also But what manner of pouerty forsoth to lyue of beggyng A trimme vow to be maintayned with the labours of other men Vndoutedly that is agaynste charitye when as Paul sayeth vnto the Ephesians He whiche stole let him steale no more but let him labor rather with his handes that he maye haue wherewithall to geue vnto hym that suffereth necessitye But thou wilte say that of the Monkes ther are some which are riche I graunt that but they also do contrary to the word of god wherin it is commaunded He whiche laboreth not let him not eate Farther they vowe obedience But to whom To certayne men when as Paul expressedly writeth Be not ye made seruauntes of men But they say I am of Frances I am of Dominike I am of Benedict where as Paul would not suffer that Christians should saye I am of Paul I am of Apollo and I of Cephas They agr◠not but are contrarye to the Nazarites Why then do they cry that they agree with the Nazarites Let vs diligently examine euery thyng The Nazarites shaued not the heare but these men do shaue it The Nazarites did drinke no wyne but these mē glot themselues with wyne The Nazarites came not to funerals but these men desire nothyng so much as the funerals and obsequies of the dead But I will ouerpasse these things One thing only wil I adde Although in the Iewish religion the vowe of the Nazarites was the principall vow Origene yet were they not forbidden to mary In other vowes sayth Origene they gaue either a shepe or a a gote or an oxe or some other thing But in this kynde of vow they offred thē selues and yet their state agreed well ynough with matrimony But let vs returne vnto Samson He proued a most strong young man Who would haue thought that this could haue come to passe The parentes were not cōmaunded to instruct hym in the arte of warfare or to send him forth to warre A mā would thinke much rather that he should be brought vp as a Monke not as a souldier But God would shewe that all the strength whiche should be in Samson should be deriued from his spirite But that he should be a Nazarite all his life tyme as Samuel also was
it was peculiar and aboue the common institution of others by the deede I say and not by the ryght or vowe of the parentes Samson ought to haue obeyed althoughe he had not vowed Whether it was lawful for Hanna â—o vow for her sonne bicause it was done by the word of god Howbeit of Hanna the mother of Samuel it may be doubted how it was lawfull for her to vow for her sonne For it may scarse seme iust that the sonne should be bound by the vowe of the parent It was demaunded in the tyme of Benedict whether the children offred by the parentes vnto monasteries when they came vnto mans state might mary Gregorius Gregorius Magnus to Augustine a Byshop of England aunswereth that it is vtterly vnlawful Whiche is a verye hard saying and agaynst the word of god For Paul sayth it is better to mary then to burne And he whiche can not conteyne let him mary ConciliuÌ„ Carthaginense In the counsell of Carthage the .3 wherat Augustine also was present it was decreed that childreÌ„ offred vnto the Church when they came to mans estate should either mary or els vow chastity This also was rough ynough For who shuld require this at that age being vnskilfull of thinges not certayne of his own streÌ„gth But these things I speake that we might knowe that decrees are contrary to decrees But to returne to the matter I saye that Hanna mought vowe for her sonne for as touching the performyng of the vow as longe as he was brought vp by his pareÌ„tes she might easely prouide that he should not drinke any wyne nor cut of hys heare nor be at any funerals But after he came to lawfull age it was Samuels duty to obserue these things not in dede in respect of the vow but bycause of the obedience whiche he ought vnto his parentes For children ought to obey theyr parentes in all those thinges which are not agaynst piety the word of God So the Rechabites as it is in Ieremy wheÌ„ they obeyed their father Ionadab The Rechabites who coÌ„maunded them to drinke no wine all their lyfe tyme or to dwel in Cityes were for the same cause praysed of God Howbeit Hanna vnles she had had a peculiar inspiration from God she could not haue vowed that Samuel should all his lyfe tyme haue ministred at the tabernacle of the Lord for as much as the law of god absolued meÌ„ froÌ„ the ministery at a certaine space of yeares namely in the .50 yere Magister sententiarum But that which I haue sayd that it was lawful for Hanna to vowe the vow of a Nazarite for her sonne it semeth not to be firme with the definition of a vow whiche is thus brought of the Master of the Sentences A vowe is a testificatioÌ„ of a willing promise made vnto God The definition of a vowe of things which pertayne vnto God But a vowe which is vowed by the parent for the sonne can not seme willing Yea but it is bycause the parentes vowed not being compelled but of their owne fre will farther it is mete for the children to obey the will of their parentes freely of their owne accorde especially when they commaunde no vngodly thyng or contrary to the worde of God By this place some gather that Samson was sanctified in the wombe of hys mother whiche selfe same thyng is beleued both of Ieremy and also of Iohn Baptiste How some are sayd to be sanctified froÌ„ the wombe And they will haue him so to be sanctified that afterwarde he committed no mortal sinne as they call it But this is false and vayne Neither to sanctifye in this place is anye thyng els then to appointe one to the execution of some certayn worke Samson therefore was sanctified that is appoynted of God to deliuer his people So was Ieremy ordeyned to Prophesie And Iohn to be the voyce of a crier in the wildernes Neither of this kinde of sanctification doth it follow that these holy men neuer sinned For euery maÌ„ is a lyer also there is no maÌ„ sayth Salomon whiche sinneth not Farther what shal we say of Samson Did he neuer sinne He fel vndoubtedly and that greuously Paul also who sayth to the Galathians that he was himselfe separated from his mothers wombe and yet he persecuted the Churche of God Moreouer the children also of Christians are called holy for as muche as God is not our God onely but also the God of our seede according to that saying of Paul to the Corinthians Your children are holy who yet no man doubteth but that they afterward fal and grieuously sinne If the vow be against charity it is to be broken One thinge remayneth to be spoken of and afterwarde I will returne vnto the history When the father voweth and the sonne desireth to performe the vowe of the father what if the vow be a gaynste the health of the sonne He shall peraduenture fal into some disease and he must nedes drinke wine or cut away his heare what is to be done in this case I haue in an other place admonished that the preceptes of god ar of diuers sortes so that some ar greater and some easier As touching god whiche is the commaunder all are equall and like one to an other But as touching the thinges which are coÌ„maunded there is some difference Wherfore the lesse precept must geue place vnto the greater For whiche cause Christ sayth by the wordes of the Prophet I will haue mercy and not Sacrifice not as thoughe God vtterly contemned Sacrifices which he had commaunded but bycause he more estemed mercy And Christ also admonisheth in the Gospell in the .5 chapter of Math. that if thou offer thy gift at the alter and there remeÌ„berest that thy brother hath somewhat agaynst thee thou must go first and reconcile thy selfe vnto thy brother and then returne and offer thy gifte Whereby he declareth that he altogether wil haue the les precepte geue place vnto the greater Wherfore we must thus aunswere vnto the question God commauÌ„deth the Nazarites to absteyne from wine he also commaundeth euery man to defend his life by good meanes Here when as the sicke man can not preserue both the preceptes it is necessary that he preferre the greater before the les For so dyd the Rechabites the sonnes of Ionadab behaue themselues For althoughe theyr father coÌ„maunded them that they should not dwel in Cities neither drinke any wine and were also commended of God bycause they obeyed the preceptes of theyr father yet at that tyme when Ieremy wrote these thinges of them they dwelled at Ierusalem contrary to the precept of their father For the Chaldeyans had wasted all the fieldes Wherefore they perceaued that there was then no place for their fathers precept But in monasteryes they doo contraryly For if the father be sicke the sonne is so bound by religion that he can by no meanes helpe him 6 And the
fayth do in vayne poure out theyr prayers What manner of one the publicane was when he prayed But if a man will obiecte the Publicane who being a sinner prayed vnto god and departed iustified I aunswere that that publicane was in suche sorte a sinner that yet when he prayed he was not without fayth yea rather he prayed with fayth otherwise god would not haue heard his prayers And vndoubtedly Iames doth right wel admonishe vs when he sayth Pray hauing faith In sum that sentence is firme and perfecte wherin it is sayde whatsoeuer is offred vnto God for a sacrifice the same is acceptable vnto him if faythe and iustification of him that offreth go before A verye subtile cauilacion Some do cauile of the fyrst acte of fayth whereby we begynne fyrst to assente vnto god and they doubt whither it be acceptable vnto god or no. Vndoubtedly before it he is an enemy which now beginneth to beleue Then say they if that fyrst consente be acceptable vnto God then accepteth he the gifte of an enemye But if it be not acceptable then it iustifieth not To this I aunswer two wayes Fyrst that men are not iustified of the worthinesse of the acte of fayth but of the firme promise of god which faith embraceth Farther when any man first assenteth and beleueth then is he first made of an enemy a friende and although before he was an enemy yet so sone as he beleueth he is made a friend and ceaseth to be an enemy Plato But that which we haue before concluded that he which offreth is more acceptable vnto God then the gift the Ethnikes also sawe For Plato in Alcibiade maketh mencion that the Athenienses vpon a time made war againste the Lacedemonians and when they were ouercome they sente messengers vnto Iupiter Ammon by whom they sayd that they marueiled for what cause where as they hadde offred so greate giftes vnto the Godes and theyr enemies on the contrary side sacrificed sparingly and sclenderly and yet had they the victorye ouer them Ammon aunswered that the gods more estemed the prayers of the Lacedemonians then the moste fatte sacrifices of the Athenienses For when they burnt Oxen vnto theyr Gods in the meane time they thought nothinge of theyr soules So in Homere Iupiter speaketh that the Gods are not moued with the smoke and smel of sacrifices when as they hated Priamus and the Troyanes Wherfore the Ethnikes vnderstoode that which the Papists at this day see not which thynke that theyr blinde sacrificer though he be neuer so vnpure and vngodly doth yet with his hands offer vp Christ vnto god the father Now let vs see the other argument of this woman God would neuer haue shewed vs these thinges if he woulde haue killed vs Forasmuche as hee is not wont to make hys enemies of his coūcel Thus the wife of Manoah comforteth her fearefull husband But this argument seemeth somewhat obscure when as Balaam althoughe he were vngodlye was not ignorante of the Councelles of GOD. Chryste also sayth Manye shall saye vnto mee in that daye haue wee not Prophesyed in thy name To these thynges I aunsweare that GOD didde not onelye foretell vnto them thynges that should come to passe for the deliuerye of the people but also of the childe whiche they should receaue and of his education Wherefore seying he vsed them as fellowe workemen it was a certayne argument that god had not appointed strayghteway to kyll them Neyther speaketh she here of eternall life but of this earthlye and corruptible life And the childe grew and his name was called Samson Hereby we know that Zorah was the name of the place where Samsons fathers was borne Samson This Hebrew word Shemesch signifieth the sunne being therefore so called as though he wer of the sunne but for what cause he was so called it is not known I meruaile that Iosephus interpreteth Sampson for stronge or mightye Iosephus vndoubtedly such an Etimology agreeth not with the Hebrew word But he oftentims goeth from the historye And in this place also he sayth that the woman prayed when as that is not founde in the text God blessed Samson That is bestowed and heaped benefites vpon hym The sprite of God That is the sprite of strength and mighte began to strengthen him In the host of Dan. The history speketh thus by reason of those times The tribe of Dan had not yet obteined possession in the land of promes but they wer in tents and fought against theyr enemyes R.D. Kimhi R.D. Kimhi sayth that they did thē besiege the city of Lais. Wherefore he being a younge man was together with thē in the hoste The Hebrew worde is Paam and it signifieth to be moued to be striken at certayne tymes not perpetually but by courses He being a yonge man was moued and waxed hote to fyght the more vehemently against his enemies And his impulsions bycause they were of God therefore are they ascribed vnto the spyrite But bicause wee are alreadye come vnto the ende of thys chapter before we enter into the next there are certayne thinges whych are to be marked Fyrst hereby we gather a most sure argumēt with how singuler a care god gouerneth his church For although the Iewes had greuously sinned yet had god a regard to theyr health sendeth thē a captain which should deliuer them foretelleth what things should come to pas least they should seme to haue happened by chaunce Farther he woulde haue the childe to be a Nazarite Outward thynges are not to be neglected and to haue his heare to grow and to abstaine from wine and stronge drinke Wherefore we are taught that these outward thinges are not vtterly vaine but may be applied vnto the glory of god Men are wont sometimes to say when they are admonished of outward thinges What doth god regard these thinges In dede we know also that in those thinges is no holinesse to be put Howebeit we muste take heede that both in liuinge and in apparell and in going also in all gesture and in habite we behaue our selues comely both before God and also before the churche not superstitiously but holily that our modesty may aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and his holy Gospel Farthermore let vs here consider that the wife helpeth the husband with her councell For although by the ordinarye lawe it is not lawfull for women to preach and teache in an assembly yet are they not so destitute of the gratious gifts of God but that they may instruct theyr husbands with good counsels ¶ Of the visions of Aungels THe nexte thinge is that I somewhat intreate of the visions of Aungels For as we haue now heard an Aungel appeared vnto Manoah and oftentimes in other places as the scriptures declare aungels haue bene sene of men But it may be demaunded howe they appeared whither with any bodye or els onely in phantasye And if it were with a bodye whither it were with theyr
Iustice in contaminatyng an other mannes thyng Ye are bought with a greate pryce wherefore glorify God in your body These argumentes of Paul are both most pleasaunt and also most strōg which if they satisfy not some let him loke vpon our Samson He was no idolatrer no murtherer no these and yet is he taken bound his eyes put out and is compelled to grinde in a prison euen as if he had ben a foure footed beast Paul laboureth by many argumētes to proue whoredome is sinne And no maruayle bicause then he wrote vno the Corinthians whiche at that tyme abounded aboue other in fornicatiōs Wherof came the Prouerb Nō quiuis Corinthū that is It is not for euery mā to go to Corinthus And in vniuersal al the Ethnikes were in an ill opiniō touching this vice Eusebius For which cause whē the Church was yet springyng as Eusebius testifieth in his .3 booke of his hystory the .29 chap. the Nicolaites did openly manifestly commit fornication layd the custome of their wicked crime vpō Nicolaus the deacon Clemēs Alexandrinus The history of Nicolaus the deacon although Clemēs Bishop of Alexādria in Stromatis do excuse Nicolaus For he sayeth that he neither thought nor taught any such thing But hauing a very fayre woman to his wyfe and therefore beyng thought to haue ben gelous ouer her he brought her foorth before the people and said This is my wife And that ye might vnderstand that I am not gelous ouer her I am cōtēt for my part that any of you take her to wife Which thing also he mēt as farre as the law of God would suffer But they which were afterward called Nicloaites vnderstandyng his wordes peruersly supposed that he thought the wyues among Christians ought to be cōmon Of this Secte it is written in the Apocalips But this thou hast bycause thou hast hated the actes of the Nicolaites whiche I haue hated Wherfore it is no meruayle though Paul tooke so great paynes to teache that whoredome is sinne Fornicatiō cōtrary to matrimony This wicked crime is contrary vnto matrimony For they whiche haunte wandryng lustes and harlots are farre from contracting of Matrimony Wherfore Terence sayth They which loue can ill abide to haue a wife geuen thē For whiche cause Clemens sayth Clemens whoredome leadeth from one matrimony to many that is from one lawful coniunction to many vnlawfull wicked The Epistle to the Hebrues ioyneth fornicators which aduoutrers testifieth that God will iudge them And those two vices are so ioyned together that they are comprehended in the selfe same precept wherin it sayd Thou shalt not commit aduoultry Fornication is repugnat vnto Christ the publique wealch This pestilence also is repugnāt both vnto Charity to the publique wealth vnto charity vndoubtedly bycause the fornicators do iniury vnto their children whiche not beyng lawfully procreated are scarsely at any tyme brought vp honestly vertuously And they hurt the publique wealth bycause they defraud it of good Citizēs For Mamzer a bastard I say one borne in fornication is prohibited to be receaued into the Church not that he is restrayned from the holy cōmunion or from the misteryes of saluation but bycause it is not lawfull for him to gouerne the publique wealth to be numbred among Citizens Some thinke that this euill may be remedyed if a man should keepe a concubine at home So say they shall the yssue be certayn It may be peraduenture certayne but it shall not be legitimate Seing therfore this wicked crime is both agaynst matrimony and charity also the publique wealth it cā not be denied but it is a sinne most grieuous A Christiā magistrate ought not to suffer harlottes And for as much as it is so why are fornications now a dayes openly suffred in Cityes I speake not of the Ethnikes I speake of Christians and of those Christiās which wil alone seme be called the successors of Christ Whoredome or fornicatiō is most impudently mainteyned in their dominion they not onely willing therunto but also taking a commodity tribute therof That whiche is against the word of God against matrimony against charity against the publique wealth is no sinne or els it is a notable sinne If it be sinne why is it not taken away weded out Augustine But I know what they will bable they bring foorth Augustine who in his booke de Ordine wryteth thus Take awaye harlottes and all thyngs shal be filled with filthy lustes But let vs consider in what time Augustine wrote that booke Vndoubtedly when he was yet Catechumenus and not sufficiently enstructed in religion And althoughe he had not beene Catechumenus yet thys his saying agreeth not with the word of God neyther with Augustine himselfe who in an other place affirmeth that the good which commeth of euil as a recompensacion is not to be admitted Which thing also Paule hath taught to the Romaynes euen as they were wont to say of vs Let vs do euil thinges that therby may come good thinges whose damnation is iust We must neuer haue a regard to the end and euent when we are vrged by the commaundemente of god Somtimes men say vnto vs Vnles thou committe sinne this euill or that will succede But we must aunswere let vs do what god hath commaunded vs he will haue a care of the successe Neither is it meete that one onely sentence of Augustine should be of greater authority then so many reasōs which we haue brought and so many most manifest wordes of God God commaunded absolutely and by expresse wordes that there shoulde be no harlot in Israell But some go aboute to wrest this place out of our handes in sayinge that these hebrewe woordes Kadschah and Kedaschim signifieth not whores or harlots but rather the priestes of Priapus which were vowed or consecrated to thinges most filthy I contrarily thinke that Chadschah signifieth an harlot and Kedaschim vnnaturall and effeminate persons God woulde haue neyther of these suffred among his people But in that they obiect the holy seruices of Priapus it is nothing For it was sufficientlye before decreed touchinge idolatry and what nede it agayn to be repeated But that we may the more manifestly vnderstand that Kadschah signifieth a harlot let vs reade the historye of Iuda and Thamar in the booke of Genesis Certaine wordes ar taken both in the good and euill parte and there we shall see that Louah Kadschah are taken both for one and the selfe same thing For whiche cause we must note that there are certayne wordes whiche maye be taken both in the good and euil parte of which sort is this word Kadschah among the Hebrewes which signifieth both holy and also an harlot euen as among the lattines thys word sacrum that is holye Virgil. wherefore Virgill sayth Auri sacra fames that is the holy hunger of gold This Hebrew word Kadasch is to prepare or
first fruites of al their thinges Tēthes at this day ar no more ceremonies but rather rewards and stipendes But our men do in these dayes receiue tenthes But by what law Not vndoubtedly by the ceremoniall law but by the morall lawe Forasmuche as it is mete that the Mynister shoulde bee nooryshed of the people For the laborer is woorthye of hys rewarde and hee whyche serueth the Gospel it is meete that he liue of it Wherfore whither stipéds be payd vnto ministers out of lands or out of houses either in ready mony or in tenths it skilleth not so that they be not maintained filthily but honestly Indede these rewardes in some places doo retayn the olde name of tenthes But in many places they ar not called tenthes but stipendes or wages And assuredly they are in very deede rather rewards whiche are dew vnto the labours of the ministers then tenthes Stipendes are paid both to superiors and also to inferiors And as touching this foresayd argument we must vnderstand that such rewardes and stipendes are thinges indifferent bicause they are sometimes payd vnto inferiors and sometimes to superiors For tributes which are geuen vnto kinges and princes are theyr stipendes which we geue vnto them partly to norish and susteine them and partly to confesse that we are subiecte vnto them and lastly the they may haue wherwithal to defēd the publike welth and vs. And somtimes inferiors also do receaue stipendes For princes pay them vnto souldiers and yet cannot we therefore saye that the souldiours are greater then Kynges and Prynces And notwythstandynge I woulde not haue anye thynke that I speake these thinges to dimynyshe the dygnitye of the Ecclesiasticall ministerye but that men myghte vnderstande that theyr argumentes are very trifling The church which payeth the stipēd vnto the minister is greater then he Why in the church kinges are consecrated Power is geuē vnto princes of god and not of bishops Neither doubt I to affirme that the church it self whiche payeth the stipend vnto the minister is greater then the minister Wherfore if we speake of tenthes as they are at this day geuen vnto ministers they are no cause that they should be greater then those that pay them But in that kinges and Emperors are consecrated and annointed of byshops and in that they receiue the crowne and sword of them it nothinge helpeth their cause For if we speake of the ciuill power that is not geuen of the bishop but of God But this thing is ther done that after the king or Emperor is chosen of god in such manner as is agreable prayers should be made for him in the assembly of the church that god may confirm and strengthen his hart that he may encrease piety in him and instil in him a feare of his name prosper his counsels and so make fortunate his actions that they may proue profitable vnto the church and vnto the publike welth And the bishop whilest these thinges are in doing is the mouth of the church goeth before it in expressing the prayer And this function was deriued of an olde ceremony and custome of the Iewes And the the king receaueth not his power of the bishop but of God euen their owne decrees also do testifye In the dist 96. chap. Si Imperatur Gelasius saith that the Emperor hath the priueleges of his power at gods hand Why then doth Bonifacius arrogātly claim it vnto himself namely that which longeth to God onely For as Paule sayth All power is of god In the Code de Iure veteri enucleando in the lawe firste Iustiniane Iustinian declareth that his power was geuen him of the deuine maiesty And the Glose in Extrauag de maioritate obediencia in the chapter vnam sanctam toward the end saith that power is geuen vnto kings of God onely and that therfore they do indede receiue the crowne of the byshop and the sword from the aulter But let vs more narowly examine Bonifacius argumēt I sayth he do geue power vnto Emperors Therfore I am greater then Emperors Let this most blessed Thraso aunswere me who consecrated him when hee was chosen Pope Vndoubtedly the bishop Hostiensis Let vs conclude therfore that the bishop Hostiensis is greater then the Pope And if that follow not thē is the argument also of Bonifacius of no force bicause as I haue now shewed it cleaueth vnto a broken foundation For they are not bishops which geue power vnto kinges Farther All emperors were not consecrated of the Pope wer there not many Emperors whiche were neuer consecrated of bishops and yet were neuertheles for al that Emperors Neither were the old Grecian Emperors so annointed Wherfore that is a new inuētiō But what if I proue that the head bishop was somtimes consecrated of the ciuill magistrat Vndoubtedly Moses cōsecrated Aaron whē as yet as it is sayd Moses was a ciuil prince Wherfore Bonifacius laboreth in vayne about his consecration bicause he canne gather nothing thereby He boasted moreouer of the kayes Wherin the kayes of the church consyst We sayth he haue the power of binding and losing But the power of the kayes consisteth herein that ye should preach the word of god truly For he which beleueth the gospel is losed he which beleueth not is bound But when ye neither preach nor teach neither can ye binde nor lose And farther this subiection which we haue graunted is spiritual namely of fayth and of obedience and not ciuill and with dominion Afterward was Ieremy obiected vnto whom the Lord sayde I haue appointed thee ouer nacions and kingdoms c. First here I demaund what kings Ieremy deiected or whom he abrogated of theyr Empire and what new kinges he instituted They can shew of none What therefore signify these woordes I set thee ouer nacions and kingedomes Vndoubtedly nothing els then that by the sprite of prophecy word of god he should foretell what kingdomes god would ouerthrow for sinnes and what new ones he would institute Why doe not the Popes so excercise theyr power Let them sette before kinges and princes of the earth the threatninges of god Prophetes are not the efficiēt causes of the ouerthrow of kingdomes Ministers and prophetes are an occasion but not a iust cause of ruines and let them be in this manner ouer nacions and kingdomes Could Ieremy be called the cause of the ouerthrowe of kingdomes He was not properly the efficient cause but onely a certayn occasion For when he had admonished the king of Iudah and he beleued him not the prophet by his preachinge was some occasion that he shoulde be condemned and ouerthrowne So Paule sayth To some we are the sauor of life to life and to other the sauor of death to death When as yet the Apostle properlye killed no man but his preaching after a sorte broughte death vnto those whiche would not beleue It is god therefore that seperateth ouerthroweth scattereth planteth Neither disdaineth he
Mizpa Then the children of Israell sayde Howe is this wickednes committed 4 And the man the Leuite the womans husband that was slayne aunswered and sayde I came vnto Gibea whiche is in Beniamin with my concubine to lodge 5 And the men of Gibea arose agaynst me and beset the house roūd aboute vpon me by nyght thynking to haue slayne mee And haue forced my concubine that she is dead 6 Then I tooke my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her thorough out all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel For they haue committed abhomination and vilany in Israel 7 Beholde all ye children of Israell geue your aduise and Counsell herein The congregation of the Israelites was assembled together to iudge of the crime This Hebrew word Edah signifieth a Church or an assembly The end of assemblyes or meatynges together beyng deriued of this verbe Adah whiche is to testify bycause that it is the vse and ende of such assemblyes that the godly should faythfully testify before God of those thynges whiche are put forth to be consulted of From Dan euen vnto Beerseba Dan Beerseba In this kinde of Paraphrasis is comprehended the whole people of Israel For these ar the endes of that kyngdome Dan is the ende towarde the North wherby the Iewes are neyghbours vnto the Zidonians and Beerseba toward the South Euen vnto Gilead That land is beyond Iordane The borders of the region of the Hebrues where the two tribes Ruben and Gad together with halfe the tribe of Manasses dwelled Thys was the third end toward the East And ouer agaynst that toward the West lay the sea called mare Mediterraneum Within these termes and lymites was conteyned the region of the Hebrues whiche they possessed in the land of Chanaan They came into Mizpa vnto the LORDE Where Mizpa was Mizpa was a place moste apte to haue assemblyes in it was not farre frome Ierusalem in the Tribe of Iudah In the fyrste booke of the Machabites the thyrde Chapiter it is thus written When the people by reason of the tyranny of the Macedonians fled out of Ierusalem they assembled together in Mizpa vnto Iudas Machabeus And it is added that that place was a house of prayer of aūcient tyme laye situate ouer agaynst the City of Ierusalem And in this booke we haue before heard how that when Iiphtah should be ordeyned Iudge ouer the people the people assembled together in Mizpa In Samuels tyme also the people assembled together twise vnto that place once when they should leade an army agaynst the Philistines an other tyme when Saul should be created kyng Farther when all the Citye was ouerthrowen by Nebuchad-Nezar all the people fled to Godolia in Mizpa Moreouer besides the oportunity of the place was added a notable benefite of God bycause as we rede in the .10 chapter of Iosuah there assembled thether agaynst the people of Israel a very great nūber of kynges for there were not fiue or sixe but very many kinges which were neyghbours entending vtterly to destroye the name of the Iewes Yet God commaunded them to be of a good valiaunt courage bycause he would geue vnto his people the victory ouer them all And when that thyng happened contrary to all mans hope the Hebrues for a monument of so great a benefite built in that place an alter vnto God Wherfore it is probable as the Rabbines affirme that in Mizpa began to bee a house of prayer For the people went not to the tabernacle or to Ierusalem so often as they had occasion to pray Euery Citye had Synagoges but had in Cityes and Villages certayne Synagoges wherein they prayed together vnto GOD. But to doo Sacrifices it was not after that manner lawfull but onely at the tabernacle of Moses or at Ierusalem after Salomon had builte the Temple althoughe hyghe places were sometymes vsed Wherfore the people assembled thether as well for the opportunity of the place as also by reason of the auncient Religion neither thought they it lawefull to begyn any thyng without prayers Whiche institution for that the Papistes woulde somewhat resemble they firste prouide to haue a Masse of the holy Ghost songe before they make any leagues or rather conspiracyes agaynste Christe It is sayde that they assembled together vnto the Lorde to praye together vnto the Lorde D. Kimhi Although Dauid Kimhi thinketh that this was added bycause wheresoeuer is a multitude of the godly there is GOD also present And to confirme that sentence he bringeth a place put of the Psalme GOD stoode in the Synagoge of Goddes For Iudges whiche in thys place are called Goddes when they geue iudgement ought not to thinke that they haue theyr owne cause in hande but Goddes cause as Iosaphat the godly kynge shewed them I doo not dissallowe this sentence for it is both godly and also it maketh menne to vnderstande that when assemblyes are godly had then doo menne assemble vnto GOD whiche thyng if menne in these dayes woulde consider greate menne woulde handle publique causes with more feare of GOD. Howbeit thys is for certayne that the Israelites assembled not in Silo as some thinke And the corners of all the people assembled The Hebrewe woorde is Penoth whiche properly signifyeth corners but in this place it is taken for Capitaines heades ouer ten Cēturious Tribunes and gouernors of warlike affayres For they after a sort are corners strengthes and stayes of an army Wherfore the villages of the Holuetians in the Italian toungue are called Cantones Wherfore the Hebrues come and assemble in Mizpa not rashly but in their orders They had not in deede a kyng or myghty Magistrates or Senadrim as it is thought for they wer sore decayed and weakened by the Philistines Yet they retayned among themselues some order and discipline Fower hundreth thousande footemen When they went out of Epypte they were 666000. The nomber of the Israelites diminishe men It seemeth that the number was nowe diminished And no meruayle bycause they had ben afflicted with many greuous calamities Also the tribe of Beniamin was away which peraduenture had thirty thousande soldiours For that tribe was both ample and also mighty And the chyldren of Beniamin heard The Beniamites would not be present they onely heard what should be done Dauid Kimhi Kimhi admonisheth that these woordes are put in by a parenthesis for there is no cause shewed why they woulde not be among them And the children of Israel sayd Tel how this wycked act was committed Kimhi thinketh that these things are to be red in the vocatiue case as though it should haue bene sayd O ye children of Israel declare the whole matter in order as it was done in the meane time it seemeth that the Beniamites are noted bycause they would not come vnto the assembly neyther take awaye euill from among them The people assembled together to vnderstand the cause that for as much as ther was
the woorse Dauid was eiected of Absolon and yet was not Absolons cause therefore anye whyt the better In our time Princes that are Protestantes haue had yl succes in war and yet is therfore not the cause of the Gospel to be thought the worse The Beniamites now got the victorye more then once or twise in a cause moste wicked The holy Martirs in our times are most miserably slayne of Tyrannes and that with most cruel kinde of torments and yet we nothing doubt but that their cause is most excellent England had of late as touching the word of God and truth a Church most rightly instituted which was afterwarde miserablye disiected and seperated neither followed it therby that the cause of religion was euil But now thankes be geuen vnto God which hath restored it From the cause to the effects is a firme argument wher the effect followeth of necessitye the cause There may in deede be drawen an argument of the euentes but not of necessity yea scarse probable For the passage from the effectes to the cause is not firme vnlesse the effectes and causes be necessary Wherefore this argument is of no force The Israelites haue a good cause therfore they shall not fall in battayle for it may be that God wil illustrate hys glory yea euen with the slaughter of them And this argument also is no stronger then that The Beniamites ouercame wherefore they had the better cause These things I haue spoken the more at large to the end we should not wauer in mynde or doubt of the goodnes of our cause if peraduenture the thinges go not prosperously wyth vs. The godli wheÌ„ they haue receaued the ouerthrow flee vnto God The vngodlye gaue not thaÌ„ks vnto God for the victory Farther in this place is to bee noted the nature of godlye men when they haue receaued the ouerthrow they flee vnto God But the vngodly euen when they get the victorye doo not geue thankes vnto God as now we rede not that the Beniamites gaue thankes vnto God for their good successes we haue heard of none of their prayers nor of any confidence they put in God yea rather there arose so great security and insolencye of some of their successes that they brake out of the Citye and pursued the enemies farther then was meete or conuenient But at the last they receaued the iust fruite of their pride Contrarilye the Israelites being afflicted with miseries got themselues vnto God Vnto whoÌ„ god answered that he would the next day deliuer the Beniamites into their hands In the two first interrogacions the Israelites seemed to doubt nothing of the victory bicause they had yet a confidence in their own strengthes and number but after the second ouerthrowe they shewed in verye deede a lowlye and humble mynde Shal we go vp say they or shal we cease As though they shoulde haue said O Lord Iehouah al the victory lieth in thine hand therfore we wholy coÌ„mit our selues to thy mercy shew thou vnto vs what we ought to do If thou commaunde vs we are ready to leaue of from our enterprise Leui ben Gerson Dauid Kimhi This is a perfect interrogacion after the opinion of Leui ben Gerson Kimhi hath noted manye thinges in this place not a litle profitable for the vnderstanding of other scriptures concerning interrogacions and oracles This saith he was the maner of asking of God He which would enquire concerning anye publike affaire The maner of asking of God or otherwise of anye waighty matter came vnto the priest and he putting on an Ephod stoode before the Arke of the Lord. In the Ephod or in the brest plate wer twelue precious stones wherin were written the names of the twelue tribes and ther were also set the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in those stones were al the letters of the Alphabete The asker ought to turne his face vnto the priest and to aske not in deede so apertely that his voice should be hearde neyther yet so softly that he should onely thinke in minde the thinges whych he desired but in such sorte as we reade that Hanna prayed in the firste booke of Samuel wher it is sayd that she moued her lips onely neither spake she any thing that could be heard Then was the oracle in this maner geuen vnto the Priest By the power of the holy ghost certaine letters appeared aboue the other in the brest plate and that either in place or in brightnes wherin the Priest red the oracle and wil of God And these thinges are those Vrim and ThuÌ„mim which the Priest bare in his brest plate This is Kimhies opinion Vnto whom what faith is to be geuen I caÌ„not tel For it might be that the spirit of god did wtout letters geue oracles by the voice of the high Priest whose hart he inspired with prophecy This Pinhas which is written to haue stand now before the Lord Pinhas is not called by his proper name onely but also by the names of his father and grandfather are added with al that is the names of Eleazar and Aaron which is don so much the more diligently bicause no man otherwise would beleue that he could haue lyued so long Therfore the Readers woulde haue thought that thys had bene some other rather then the sonne of Eleazar For if thou wilt count the yeares Pinhas lyued long thou shalt finde that ther wer no les then .300 yeres passed from the time of that noble act of Pinhas vnto this age wherof we now speake Wherfore it mought seme incredible that it should be the same man Howbeit for as much as the holy scriptures do testify this thing we ought so to beleue Neither vndoubtedlye is it any maruaile though God prolonged his life so long For when he had slaine the harlot of Midian and the Prince of the Tribe of Simeon euen in that their wicked act God iudged that he had employed his labour excellently well that he had done a most notable act Therfore my couenant said he shal be with hâ—â— life and peace By which wordes was promised vnto him long life honorable which he should execute in his priesthood Of what tribe Elias was Ther are some which produce his life farther and say that he was Elias But that hath no grounde of the holye scriptures Yea rather some thinke that Elias came of the tribe of Beniamin and not of the tribe of Leui wherof Pinhas came ¶ Of Merites VVHere as it is said that the Israelites went vp wept fasted did sacrifice Against merits we must not think that by those actions they satisfied the anger of god for we haue no merites for as muche as we cannot perfectly obey the law of God Farther if there were any merites of ours they should consist of such woorkes which we ar not of duty bound to do vnto God otherwise if we owe vnto God whatsoeuer we do what thing can our merite
the Friday bycause on that day he was crucified But of the Sabaoth day he much doubted For they of Millane of the East parte affirmed that on the day we should not fast bycause Christ that day was at reast in the sepulchre contraryly the Romanes and Affricans and certayne other bycause Christ was deiected euen vnto the ignominy of the sepulchre therfore contended that the Sabaoth should be fasted Monica the mother of Augustine The mother of Augustine when she came out of Affrike to Millane and sawe that the men there fasted not on the Sabaoth day began to meruayle at the vnaccustomed manner Wherfore Augustine which was not yet baptised came to Ambrose asked in his mothers behalfe what was best to be done Do sayth Ambrose that which I do An aunswere of Ambrose By which words Augustine thought that he should not fast bycause Ambrose fasted not But what he ment he himselfe more manifestly expressed I sayth he when I come to Rome do fast bycause the Sabaoth day is there fasted but when I returne to Millane bicause here it is not fasted I fast not De consecratione dist 3. chap. De esu carnium it is decreed that Friday and Wensday should be fasted the Sabaoth day is left free And in the same distinct the chap. Sabbato vero Innocentius InnoceÌ„tius hath added That the Sabaoth also must be fasted But he bringeth a farre other cause then that which before we spake of For for bycause saith he the Apostles both vpon the Friday and also vpon the Sabaoth day were in great mourning and sorow therfore we must fast In the same dist chap. Ieiunium Melchiades decreed that we must not fast on the Sonday nor on the Thursday and he geueth a reason bycause the fastes of Christians ought to be on contrary dayes to the fastes both of heretikes and of Ethnikes Epiphanius Epiphanius bringeth a reason why the Wensday is to be fasted namely bycause Christ was that day taken vp to heauen for it is written that when the bridgrome is taken from theÌ„ then they shall fast and this he affirmeth to be the tradition of the Apostles when as yet at this day we beleue that the Ascension happened on the Thursday We must geue â—â—le credite to traditions wherfore let the Papistes take heede howe muche credite they will haue to be geuen vnto their traditions For there are many of them whiche euen they themselues can not deny but that they are ridiculous and vayne I know in deede there are traditions founde whiche are necessaryly gathered out of the holy scriptures and for that cause they ought not to be abrogated But other traditions whiche are indifferent are not to be augmented in number least the Churche should be oppressed neither to be thought so necessary that they can not be abolished And we must beware that in them be not put the worshipping of GOD. But as for those whiche are agaynst the woorde of god are by no meanes to be admitted In the dist 76. chapter .1 are added Imber dayes or the Fastes foure tymes in the yeare Which why they are so diuided scarsely can any man perceaue They cite Ierome vpon Zachary who maketh mention of the fourth moneth fift seuenth and tenth And they seeme to be moued with a wicked zeale to distribute these fastes into foure partes of the yeare And those fastes whiche the Iewes receaued euery yeare for the calamityes which they had suffred Why the fast of Imber dayes were inuented the same our men haue made yearely But other haue inuented an other cause namely bycause in those foure tymes of the yeare Byshops are wont to promote clarkes vnto the ministery and orders Wherfore they say that the people ought then most of all to faste and praye that GOD would graunt them good Pastors Fasting and prayers should be had in the ordering of Ministers But I would demaund of the Byshops why they institute Ministers onely at those .iiii. tymes of the yere Vndoubtedly they caÌ„ render no certayn iust reason therof Augustine Aerius an heretike Augustine in his boke de Haeresibus sayth the Aerius contemned oblatioÌ„s for the dead also such fast as were appointed bycause ChristiaÌ„s were not vnder the law but vnder grace but he would the euery maÌ„ should fast at his owne pleasure wheÌ„ he himselfe would In dede I allow not Aerius in that he was an ArriaÌ„ but as touchiÌ„g sacrifices oblations for the dead he iudged rightly godly And also concerning appointed fastes I see no cause why he ought to be reproued vnles peradueÌ„ture he thought this that fastes could not be denouÌ„ced of the Magistrate of the Church as the difficulty of times required The reason also which he vseth the ChristiaÌ„s are not vnder the law but vnder grace is weake for we are not so deliuered froÌ„ the law that we are absolued froÌ„ all order Iouinian an heretike Augustine also writeth that IouiniaÌ„ contemned abstinences fastes as things vaine vnprofitable where in if he spake of bare fastes onely such as wer appointed at certayne dayes certayne tymes of the yeare he iudged not ill For vnles they be adioyned with faith repentaÌ„ce also with vehement prayers they nothing at all profite In Esay the .58 chap. the people coÌ„playned We haue fasted thou hast not looked vpon vs which wordes shew that fastes with out circumstances requisite are not acceptable vnto God but if they be ioyned with their additions they are not vnprofitable By the decrees of Liberius who liued in the tyme of CoÌ„staÌ„tius may be knoweÌ„ Liberius how that wheÌ„ the ayre was vnteÌ„perate or that there was any famine or pestileÌ„ce or warre then they asseÌ„bled together to denouÌ„ce a fast wherby to mitigate the anger of god Augustine Augustine wheÌ„ he saw his city besieged of the Vandales gaue himself vnto fastyng prayers in that siege died as Possidonius testifieth And generally wheÌ„ we atteÌ„pt any great waighty matter as wheÌ„ we denouÌ„ce war or creat Magistrats or ordeine Ministers of the Church we haue nede most of al of ferueÌ„t prayers for the ferueÌ„tnes wherof fasting very much auayleth Christ when he should begyn his preaching went into the wildernes fasted A widow when her husband is dead is left in a perillous state Therfore prayers fastes are very conuenient for her Anna the daughter of Phanuel led her life in the temple where she gaue herself to prayer fasting Paul to Tim. sayth A widowe which is truly a widowe putteth her coÌ„fidence in the Lord day night applieth herselfe to prayers fastes Cornelius when he was not yet sufficiently instructed of Christe and was heauy and pensiue in mynde in the ninth houre was fastyng and in prayers to whom the Aungell as it is written in the Actes of the Apostles appeared But it may be demaÌ„ded when fastes are denouÌ„ced of princes
from ordinary power 257 Ministers are fraunchised froÌ„ personall burthens 263 Ministery ought to be well reported 248. b Minister maye rebuke a prince by gods word but not depose him 259 Minister how he may take awaye vngodlines 123. b Ministers of God are to be heard when 96. b Ministers and prophetes are an occasion but not a iuste cause of ruines 262 Ministers with captaines in theyr campes 96. b Ministers maraige 93. b Ministers admonished 144. b Ministers how they maye bee present at mariages 287. b Minister ill may be heard of God though not for his own sake yet for the peoples whom he prayeth for 207 Ministers to bee orderd at imberdayes why 277 Miracles handled 126 Miracles go before fayth in them that beleue not the preachynge which they haue heard 130 Miracles not sufficient to perswad godlynes 67 Miracles woorking makes a man neither better nor wurs 128. b Miracles of the vngodly god suffereth to proue his by 243 Miracles may be wrought to defeÌ„d false doctrine aswel as true 129 b Miracles whether godly men may desire 130. b Miracles at the bodyes of deade saintes 69 Mirth of hart allowed of god 161. b Mirth is somtimes vnconuenient 162. b Missa for missio 42. b Mishah original of masse 41 Miseries common ioyne men in amitye 252 Misery is not without fruit 78 Mizpa what place it is 183. b Mizpa where it was 267 Moabites came of Lot 80. b monarches vices in these daies 11 b Money is not so muche to be esteemed as truth 90 Monica the mother of Augustine 138. b Montanus for fasting 278. b Moral good workes 72 Moses was a ciuil magistrat 261 Moses father 284. b Motions first are synnes 180 Motherlye affection for absence of her children 111 Mother cities or churches 40. b Mourning for the dead 202 mourning somtimes necessari 162 b mournig acceptable before god 63. b Mouth of the church is the Minister 207 Munitions helpe not against gods anger 112. b Munkey 202. b Murther is not to bee let vnpunished 145. b Murtherers of kinsfolk 157 Murther of pareÌ„ts or kinsfolk 158 Murther of what sorte condemned by Gods word 165. b Murtherers without weapoÌ„s 166 Musicke handled 102 Musick delighteth both senses and mynde 102. b Musickes abuses 103. b Musicke not commauÌ„ded to be had in the church 104 N. NAamaÌ„s exaÌ„ple answered 50 b Nabals denial of vittals like them of Succoth 144. b Naboths exaÌ„ple for obedieÌ„ce 265 b Naboth excused 56. b Nathinites 36. b Nature of ours subiect to corruption 46. b Nazarites vow 201 Nazarites abstayned not from mariage 196 Negligence defyned 247 Neighbour who 31 Nemesis defyned 142. b Nepthalim 96 Newters are detestable 281 Nicolaus the Deacon 230. b Nicopolis called Emaus 41 Night traueling is daÌ„gerous 250 b Night deuided into .iiii. partes 139 Ninth houre 277. b Noah an example to auoyde dronkennes 162. b Nobility 173 Noblenes wherin it consisteth 197 NoÌ„ credereÌ„ EuaÌ„gelio c. skaÌ„ned 5. b Numa Pompilius law 158 Numbers reckening in the scripture 157 O OBedience one of our chiefe workes 64. b Obedience is the principall fruite of faith 131. b Obedience to god is to be preferred before ciuil peace 124 ObedieÌ„ce to god more then men 38 Obedience when god requireth he withdraweth not affectioÌ„s 195. b Obediences limites 55. b Obedience vowing 203 Obedience to the magistrate is due how far 264. b Obedience to the magistrate brokeÌ„ ii wayes 264. b Obedience of Iiphtahs daughter 192. b Oblations please not God but for the offerers sake 206. b Offence auoyding 52 Offerer is more acceptable vnto God then the sacrifice 206. b Offers require weying before they be taken 150 Offices of both the powers muste not be confounded 259. b Offrings are to be made by Christ 117 Offrings for the dead 277 Oyles commendacion 161. b Old test perteineth nothing to vs say the Anabaptists 186 Olde testament reiected by heretikes why 17â— Oliue tree estemed of God 161. b Ophra ii places of that name 114 Oppression geueth occasion of profitable sermons 113. b Oppression taketh his beginnyng of tyrantes 161 Oppressors shall one daye be punyshed 71. b Oracle of god neglected 6. b Oracles how they should be moued 272 Oracles answered by dreames 137 Orders whether they many be geuen to bastardes 178 Ordinary charges 263. b Origens folish opinion of Angels deuils 208. b Othes assertiue promissory 85. b Othe of execration 282 Othes are not easely to be violated 281 Othe first lawfull and afterwarde vnlawfull is not to be kept 86 Othes against the worde of god charity are of no force 288 Othes how far they are to be kept 39. b Othes caÌ„not take away the bond to the commaundements of God 86 Othe ought not to be a bond of iniquity 85. b Oth of the israelits did not bind theÌ„ to destroy al the Beniamits 280. b Oth ioyned to threatnings 71 Othoniels pedigre 18. b Outward workes without inward godlines nothing worth 74. b P. PAcieÌ„ce a necessary vertue 175 b Palamedes 139 Papistes ascribe more to creatures then is meete 69 Papistes handle all thinges supersticiously Their hipocrisy 146. b Papistes commit Idolatry to their Pope 68. b Papists impudent clayming of authoritye is the casting awaye of Christ 2 Papists subtelty of Lechem 205. Papistes compared with the Danites 246 Papists church is without a Magistrate 255 Papistes common infection Sodomitry 254. b Papists mayntain hooredom 230. b Papistes count aduoutries lyghte crimes 233 Papists more ignorant of gods wil then the Ethnikes 207. b Papists wiser then God 94. b Papists falsly accuse vs of sedicion being sedicious themselues 197. b Papists cruelty in punishing heretikes 182. b Papistes make manye lyes in the Masse 50 Papists offering of Christe in the Masse 207 Papists are scolers of Montanus 278 b Papistry more liked then the truth why 173. b Papistes how they should be ordered 61. b Pardon defined 13 Parentes duty concerning keping of their children 288 Parentes consent whether it bee nedefull in mariage of their children 214 PareÌ„ts coÌ„sent in matrimony 212. b Parents obtaine for their children some spiritual gifts 182 Parricide 158 Patres conscripti 105. b Paul whether he lyed wheÌ„ he said he knew not the hye priest 89 Pâ—x defined 122. b Peace among the Romanes neuer aboue forty yeares 83. b Peace offringes 271 Peace is not so much to be sought as obedience to God 124 Peace of the Israelites during 45 yeares 172 Penuel 145 People alwayes frame them selues to the example of their prince 66 Peregrinations causes 29 Perils are to be auoided rather theÌ„ nourished 286. b Peripatetikes exposicion of dreames 135 Peripatetikes opinion of affections 142 Periurye is diligentlye to be auoyded 288 Permission 167 Permission of God to excuse hys doinges 78. b Persecutions abrogate not the lawes of God 54 Personals burthens defined 263. b Peter slain at Rome aÌ„swered 149 Pharao was hardened both of god and of him selfe 78. b Philip the Emperour
Repentaunce consisteth in twoo poyntes 61. b Repentaunce is not perfect in vs. 175. b Repentaunce is somtimes openlye to be renued 63. b Repentaunce and amendement is geuen of God 73 Repentaunce bringeth not alwaies the former good state again 65. b Repentaunce of God how 70 Repetition of periodes in the scripture 105 Repetitions in speeche are to purpose 109 Reprobate are forsaken of God before they forsake him 33 Reprobate why they be tempted 34 Reprouing lawful 37 Resisters of Gods vocation differ 1â—5 b Reubenites trade and country 108 Reuenging of a mans owne iniuries 31. b Reward handled 272 b Rewardes may lawfully be set for good deedes 23. b Rewardes may be respected in doing well 23. b Rhetorike profitable in war 36 Riddles in feastes 218. b Right of war 186 Rites and ceremonies neede not be al alyke euery where 54. b Riualty 143. b Riuer swellyng at the battayle of Sisara 109 Rochesters false argument 148. b Rocke in the scriptures signifieth oft a castle or fortres 273. b Rome builded when 3. b Romes dignity caused the Byshop thereof to bee preferred before other 148. b Romaynes in the primatiue church communicated euery day and yet were maryed 94 Romaines neuer had peace aboue xl yeares at once 83. b Romaynes compelled their Consull 91 Romaines punished their Citizens onely by banishment 146. b Romish prouerb 85. b Romulus in Ezechias time 3. b Rule firme of inuocation 129 Rule of our actions is the woorde of God 129 Ruth the doughter of Eglon. 83 S. SAbboth day to daunce in 287 Sabboth endureth from euening to euening 277. b Sacramentes of the Elders and ours were all one and differ in outward simboles signes 273 Sacramentes all one in both testamentes 74 Sacrament and Sacrifice may be both in one thing 64 b Sacrament sacrifice differ 63. b Sacramentes and miracles are after a sort lyke 129. b Sacramentes consist by the word of God 91. b Sacrifice handled 206. b Sacrifice defined 63. b Sacrifices of the Elders what they signified 194. b Sacrificing in other places besides the Tabernacle 205. b Sacrifices of the law what profit they had 273 Sacrifices kyllyng signified c. 6â— Sacrifices of Christians 207 Sacrifice hath twoo special properties 64. b Sacrificer is more acceptable vnto God then the Sacrifice 206. b Sacrificing belonged onelye to the Leuites 123. b Sacrifices for the dead 277 Sacrifice for quicke and dead 50 Sacrifices of Ethnikes agre more with Gods sacrifices then the Masse with the CoÌ„munion 50. b Sasconduit 86. b Saintes whether they beholde all thinges in the glas of the deuine essence 68. b Sayntes sometimes not to bee followed 4 Salomons syn 54 Salt sowing 170 Saluation is the gift of God 182 Salutacion of the Hebrues 114. b Samson had fayth 235. b Samson onely appointed a Iudge before his birth 200. b Samsons mother coÌ„pared to Mary the virgin 201 Samuel of the posteritye of Chore. 182 Sanctified in the wombe .. 103. b Sangar 91 Sapor king of the Persians 12. b Sassias monstruous lust 21 Satisfaction for synnes is not by death or martyrdom of men 195 Satisfaction is not in fasting 279 Scoffing punished 144. b Schoole maysters shoulde bee godlye 45. b Schoolemaister traitor 37. 39. b Schoolemens inconstancy 119 Schismes what 197. b Scots matrimony 20. b Scriptures came from God and their authority 5 scriptures whether Iewes haue corrupt 57. b Scriptures verity 226. b scriptures diuersly deuided 1 Scriptures is rather to be beleued then miracles 131 Scriptures terme thynges sometymes according as men vse commonly to speake 217. b Scriptures neuer attribute that to God whiche in a man is of it selfe vice or of his owne nature synne 142 Sechems situation 159 Sechemites synnes 157 Secrets reueiled by droÌ„keÌ„nes 164 secretes reueiling death 37 Secretes are not rashly to be communicated to a mans wife 221. b Secundum quid ad simpliciter 256. b Security handled 246. b Security laudable 247. b Securitye of the fleshe pernicious 244 Sedicion handled 197 Sedicions springeth oft of settyng forth of true piety 124. b sedicious persons who 197. b Seyng of God or angels 117 Seing of God by men 118 Senadrim 1. b Sences cannot know God 118 Sences when they may be receaued 209. b Sences are not deceaued in seyng of angels 210. b SeÌ„sible things distinguished 209 b Sepulchres of dead men watched 139. b Sequences and fained hyms 103. b Serapions act for Communion vnder one kinde 190 Sermon of a Prophet 113. c Sermon must be taken out of the scriptures 61 Serpents of the carkas of a man 218 Seruantes sometimes wyser then their maisters 250. b Seruitude 80 Seuen a number of fulnes 179 Seuerity of God toward hys enemies 112 Seuerity to much against the Beniamites 280 Seuerity in a mans own cause not commendable but in Gods necessary 31. b Shadowes of the old law are remoued but the things shadowed remayne 47. b Shaphat interpreted 1. b Shauing of heades 201. b Shepherdes vsed watches 139. b Shew of yll how far it is to bee auoyded 38. b Shipwrack cruellye dealt with in certayn regions 235. b Shratâ—tide 279. b Sibyllas verses 58 Sicarii 166 Sicera dronke 202 Sicles valew 238 Signe desired by Manoah 204. b Signe required by Gedeon 116 Signe may be required to strengthen our fayth 126 Signes haue the names of the properties of things oft times 62 Signes are called lyes why 127 b Silence enioyned to wemen in the church 93 Silla eaten of lice 13 Siloh was in mouÌ„t Ephraim 252 Simbole or Crede is called the tradâ—tion of the Church 43 Similitudes force in reasonyng 234 Sinnes in .4 degrees 179. b Sinne entred by man and not by God 167 Sinne seperateth vs from the familiarity of God 117. b Sinnes are not equall 53 Sinnes punished by sinnes 248. b Sinnes of committing and omyttyng 63 Sinnes former by latter sins punished 79 Sinne cured with sinne 168. b Sinnes cannot be auoyded by vs. 73 Sinne is not therfore excused bycause it is publike 254. b Sinnes haue their weighte by the law 53 Sinnes are yll and good in diuers respectes 166. b Sinne is syn bycause it is againste Gods woord 233. b Sinne no synne when God commaundes it 39 Sinne whether God be the cause thereof 78 Sinnes reward is death 194. b Sinnes cause is not to be layde to God 167 Sin how it depeÌ„deth of god 166. b Sinne punished with sinne 11 Sinne is not to be committed to auoyd synne 253 Sinne is euer to be auoyded let folow what wyll 253 Sinnes of the Israelites 40. b Sinners punished by God two maner of wayes 11 Sinners punished by the same thinges wherin they transgres 61 Sinners ar not excused by the working of God 79 Sinners ought to cal vpon God 78 Sinners whether God heare 207 Single life for Ministers 94 Singuler for plural 109. b Singing in the church 102. b Singing dauncing alike 286. b Sircius a Romain forbad mariage of Ministers 94 Sisera a
woorke by it selfe and other sometimes eyther by Aungels or by men and that in such maner as wee shall afterwarde declare Augustine Farther I wyll adde that Augustine writeth in the place before alledged against the Epistle of the Maniches the .xxvi. chap. Miracles woulde not mooue except they were wonderfull and they would not be wonderful if they shoulde be accustomed thinges As therefore they say that by admiration sprang Philosophy whych Plato thought to be the Raynebowe and for that cause calleth the daughter of Thaumans so may we beleue that faith Faithe cometh not of miracles but is by them confirmed which cōmeth of the worde of God although it do not vtterly spring of miracles yet by them it may be confirmed And therefore Augustine in his .xii. booke of Confessions the .xxi. chap. saith Ignorance is the mother of wondring at signes this is an entraunce vnto faith to the sonnes of Adam which haue forgotten thee By this sentence he teacheth that men which haue forget God haue by the admiration of miracles an entrance or cōming vnto faith And without doubt it is so The wyll of God is hidden from vs but he as he is good openeth the same to holy Prophets Apostles which that they may profitably declare vnto men he geueth vnto them the gift of his holy woord But bicause he knoweth that mortal men are contrary against his word he hath graūted the power of working of miracles that those thinges might the easilier be beleued which he would haue his messenger profitably to speake That cōfirmation of faith cōmeth by miracles Marke testifieth who toward the end of his Gospel saith And they went forth preaching euerye where the Lord working with them confirming the word with signes which followed And how apt this kinde of confirmation is hereby it is manifest The promises of God do of no other thing depend then of his wyll power And the signes which we now intreate of do testify the power of God forasmuch as they by al meanes ouercome nature and set forth the truth of his wil for by the inuocation of his name by his grace spirit they are wrought Augustine Wherefore Augustine in the place now alledged against the Epistle of Manicheus writeth that miracles do bring authority vnto the woord of God For he when he did these miracles semed to haue geuen an earnest peny of his promises Neither ar these wordes to be passed ouer which the same Augustine hath vpon Iohn in the .24 Miracles consist not in the greatnes of woorkes treatise That miracles consist not in the greatnes of workes for otherwise it is a greater woorke to gouerne this vniuersal composition of the world then vnto a blinde man to restore light which he is destitute of These thynges declared there remayneth that by apt distinctions we destribute miracles into his partes Some of them are to be wondred at An other distinction of myracles by reason of the thing it selfe which is done for that it is so vnaccustomed and great that in the nature of thinges we cannot finde the lyke of it Suche was the staying of the Sunne in the time of Iosua and the turning of that shadowe in the tyme of Ezechias the conception and byrth of the Virgin the foode of Manna in the deserte and suche lyke But there are some which ar miracles not for the nature and greatnes of the thing but bycause of the maner and waye whiche was vsed in bringing them to passe as was the cloude and rayne of Helias the budding of floures and fruites in the rod of Aaron the thunders of Samuel the turnynge of water into wyne and suche lyke For suche thinges are done by nature but they were then myracles bycause of the maner whereby they were wrought that is not by naturall causes but at the commaundement and wyll of Sayntes There is an other deuision of myracles An other deuision of miracles bycause some of them doo onelye mooue admiration as lyghtenynges and thundrynges in mount Sina the turning of the shadowe of the Sunne in the tyme of Ezechias the transfiguration of the Lorde in the Mount There are other which besides the admiration doo bring a present commoditye vnto men as when by the rodde dryncke was geuen out of the Rocke Manna from heauen and when by the Lord and the Apostles sycke folkes were healed And sometimes they bring punishment and hurt vnto the guiltye For by the woordes of Peter perished Ananias and Saphira Elimas the Sorcerer was made blynde by Paule and some were by hym delyuered vnto Sathan to be vexed By this also are miracles deuided An other partitiō of miracles bicause some of them are obtained by praiers For so did Elias and Elizeus namelye by praying restore their deade to lyfe Moses also praying for Pharao draue away Frogs and other plages And other some are wrought by commaundement and authority Iosua commaunded the Sunne to stay his course The Lord Iesus commaunded the windes and Peter said vnto the lame man In the name of Iesus Christ rise walke Ther ar also other which are done neither by praiers nor by commaundement but of theyr own wyll and accord the saintes them selues doing some other thing Euen as when the shadow of Peter as he walked healed those that were sycke and the napkin of Paul healed also folkes diseased Augustine An other diuision of myracles Lastly Augustine as it is written in his .83 booke of questions question 79. deuideth miracles that some are done by publik iustice that is by the stable and firme will of God which in the world is counted as a publike lawe By it God would that his ministers that is Apostles and Prophetes shoulde in preaching woorke miracles And there are other some which by the signes of this iustice are wrought as when the vngodly in the name of God or of Iesus Christ do work any miracle which is not geuen but by the honour and reuerence which thei vse towardes the name of God not that God or nature or any thinges created desire to gratefy them As when a man stealeth away a publike seale or handwriting he may wrest many thinges either from the men of the countrey or from the Citizens which are not geuen vnto him but vnto the seale which they know doth belong to the Magistrate and Prince So he which followed not Christe did yet in his name cast out deuils Thirdly are those miracles reckoned which by some certaine priuate bargaine are wrought wherby the Sorcerers do binde them selues vnto the Deuyl and the deuil likewise to them But those at done neither by publike iustice nor yet by the signes therof but come onelye of a certayne priuate conuention Howbeit wee must knowe that miracles of the second and third sort are not firme neither do they assuredly happen For asmuch as we reade in the .xix. chap. of the Actes of the Apostles that the sonnes of