they dwelled peaceably and quietly among the Chananites Thre synnes of the Hebrues and contrary to the commaundement of God made those nations tributaries vnto them Secondly bicause they contracted matrimonies with that people And that had God prohibited to be done as the law in many places witnesseth Yea and in the booke of Esdras the last chap. we reade of a grieuous complaynt bycause the Iewes in their captiustye in Babilon had taken straungers to wyues And Esdras there decreed that such wiues should be put away God forbyddeth vnlyke maryages that those matrimonies should be counted voide which wer contracted betwene persons prohibited by God And why God would not haue matrimonies so contracted this reason is chiefly alledged bicause by such vnlike matrimonies the worshipping of God is wonderfully empaired For godly husbandes or wiues are by the vngodly parties oftentimes alienated from the true god Neither doth the Scripture onely teache vs this but also experience both in the olde time and also in our time testifieth it For as much as Salomon as it is written in the first boke of the kinges the .xi. chap. was both corrupted and also builded Temples for Idoles by the entisement of straunge women whom he most inordinatelye loued and more than was coÌuenient Wherfore he miserably incurred the wrath of god The Iewes also as our historye nowe declareth had experience of the same And we in our time see great hinderaunce to come vnto the beleuers bycause very many of them contract matrimony with Papistes The third synne of the Hebrewes was bicause they worshipped Idoles and that was most of all against the league which they had long before made with god for they sayd we will serue the Lord our god Further it is added And they woorshipped trees or groues Thys woorde Aschera with the Hebrues is a tree and being in the plural number Ascheroth as it is in this place it signifieth trees and of some it is translated groues For it is a most common maner among the Idolatrers Gods wer worshipped in groues to woorship their goddes in groues In Oken groues they sacrificed vnto Iupiter and the Oke of Dodome was in the old time most famous by reason of the answers which it gaue In woods of bay trees was Apollo woorshipped Daphne also is notable wher the Temple of Apollo was built Minerua also was wont to haue a temple among Oliue trees And lastly we may marke both in the Poetes and also in histories that shadowy woods most large riuers mountaines of exceding great height wer counted of the men in the old time places most apt for sacrifices to be done vnto Idoles Bicause such places driue into men no smal admiration Wherefore they thought that such notable places had the power of god present Yea and Abraham also Isaac and Iacob and the old Fathers From whence the maner of sacrificing in hyâ mouÌtains came offered sacrifices vnto the true god vpon the high mountaines which custome was tyll such time vsed as god by a law ordained that they should not do sacrifice euerye where but in that place onely which he himselfe had chosen 8 Therfore the Lord was angry with Israel and sold them into the handes of Chusan Riseathaim Kyng of Aram-Naharaim the children of Israel serued Chusan Riseathaim eyght yeares Now is particularly mencioned the punishment wherwith god being angry punished the Hebrewes For when they so fel from him that they forgot hym he deliuered them to Chusan King of Mesopotamia And this is the first bondage that the children of Israel were in And that which the Grecians cal ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mesopotamia the Hebrues name Aram-naharaim Nahar signifieth with them a Ryuer It is therfore put in the dual number bicause that part Siria or Aram is enclosed with two riuers Euphrates I say and Tigris Of the surname of Chusan Wherfore as touching the signification of the woord the Grecians haue followed the Hebrues But why Chusan was called Riseathaim it is darke Although D. Kimhi thinketh that the surname was geuen him of some certain place as we se to chauÌce to Princes of our time which receiue their surname of that places froÌ wheÌce their Elders had their beginning But other some thinke that this king was therefore so called bicause he was very wicked and vngodly For with the Hebrues Resehaha signifieth wickednes and vngodlines Wherfore they wil haue it to be as much as if one should say Chusan of vngodlines or vngodly Chusan It is the dual number to declare that he was corrupted not with any simple wickednes or vngodlines but with a doubt that is with a principal and absolute wyckednes or vngodlines And ther wer some of the Hebrues which went about to expresse the double vngodlines of the kings of Mesopotamia For they say that Balaam was hired from thence to curse the Israelites Farther and this say they was the other wickednes wherwith this Chusan oppressed the Iewes which by no right pertained to his dominion or Lordship But these ought rather to be called diuinations and coniectures than iust interpretations They serued hym eyght yeares Vndoubtedly a very long time which I suppose was so much the painfuller vnto them Why the Chaldeans and Sirians went about to gouern the Iewes bicause from their commyng out of Egipt hitherto they had serued none But vnder what pretence this Kyng subdued vnto him the Hebrues it is not declared Peraduenture he thought that the Iewes wer a part of his people sent abroade to inhabite For Abraham was called out of Chaldea and came first into Mesopotamia From whence by the commaundement of God he went into the land of Chanaan Furthermore in that place Iacobs children were borne which wer the Princes of the twelue Tribes This peraduenture wer the titles wherby the Chaldeans and Sirians endeuoured them selues often times to be Lords ouer the Hebrues which thing yet they did vniustly For ther wer no people sent from the Chaldeans or from the Sirians by the common wyll and consent of the Princes and Magistrates whyche should go and inhabite in some place of the land of Chanaan Wherfore they did wrongfullye oppresse the Iewes and were styrred vp thereunto by couetousnes and ambition to enlarge their dominions This is also vncertayn whether this Chusan did together with the Iewes oppresse the Chananites And it maye be that he was not troublesome to the Chananites as to his friendes but onely afflicted the Hebrues Neither wer it absurde to thinke that this king was called by the Chananites to oppresse the Hebrues their common enemies 9 And the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lord and the Lord styrred vp a Sauiour to the children of Israel and saued them one Othoniel the sonne of Chenez Calebs yonger sonne 10 And the spirit of the Lord was vpon him and he iudged Israel and he went out to warre and the Lord deliuered Chusan Riseathaim kyng of Aram into his
Neither let any say They were not Gods that were taken awaye out of the temple of Micha but onely two images of Gods But Augustine sayth If they can not defende their owne images what hope is there that they can defende Cities or houses Virgil. But this thing is so much ridiculous that euen the Ethnicke Poetes deride it For Virgil hath soong of his Eneas He caried Troy with hym into Italy their Gods being ouercome Vndoubtedly miserable Gods which could be ouercome of men and be caryed into an other place Some wyll obiect That the Arke of the Lord was also taken once and led away after a sorte captiue of the Philistians I grauÌt that But how was it caried away To be kept as a prisoner No vndoubtedly For when it was put in the temple of the Philistians it threw Dagon their god to the ground Farther it strake the Philistians with so grieuous plagues and woundes that at the last they were compelled to send it home againe with honour And it was taken not bicause God can either be ouercome or taken but that the Hebrewes shoulde bee admonished of their synnes who wythout repentaunce or fayth dyd put al their confidence in an outwarde thyng They placed their children cattel and substance before Bicause they suspected that Micha would with armed soldiours pursue them to see if he could recouer the thinges which they had taken away Wherefore they woulde chieflye prouide for their children cattel and substance This woord Supplex which we turne substance is called in Hebrue Kechodah either bicause it signifieth a burthen or a packe or els a thing whereof men make their boast 22 When they wer farre of from the house of Micha the men that were in the houses neare to Michahs house gathered together and pursued after the children of Dan. 23 And cryed vnto the chyldren of Dan who turned theyr faces sayd vnto Michah what ayleth thee that thou makest an outcry 24 And he sayde ye haue taken away my Gods whyche I made and the Priest and go your wayes and what haue I more Howe then say ye vnto me what ayleth thee 25 And the children of Dan sayd vnto hym Let not thy voyce bee heard among vs least peraduenture men of a bytter mynde runne vpon thee and thou loose thy lyfe wyth the liues of thine houshold 26 So the chyldren of Dan went their wayes and when Michah saw that they were to strong for hym hee turned and went backe vnto hys house 27 And they tooke the thynges whyche Micha had made and the Priest which he had and came vnto Laish vnto a quiet people and wythout mystrust and smote them wyth the edge of the sword and burnt the City wyth fyre 28 And there was none to helpe bycause Laish was farre from Zidon and they had no busynes wyth other men also it was in the valley that lyeth by Beth-rehob After they buylte the Citye and dwelt therein 29 And called the name of the City Dan after the name of Dan their Father whych was borne vnto Israel how be it the name of the City was Laish at the beginning 30 Then the chyldren of Dan set them vp the grauen image and Ionathan the sonne of Gershom the sonne of Manasseth and hys sonnes were the Priestes in the Tribe of the Danites vntyll the day of the captiuitye of the land 31 So they set vp the grauen image whych Micha had made all the whyle the house of God was in Shiloh In that it is said that they which dwelled nigh the house of Micha were gathered together is declared that the number of the houses had increased that by reason of peregrinacions ther was in that place a village builded VVere gathered together In Hebrue it is Noecu by which verbe is signified that they were raysed vp by an outcrye For so are men gathered together when they heare an outcry on euery syde The Danites made him afearde and threatned that men of a bytter mynde would inuade him whom they so cal either bicause they were angry for choler is of his nature bitter or els bicause they were desperate as they in a maner are which seeke new dwelling places and depart from home bicause they can not there abide commodiously It is agayne repeated that they of Lais wer far from Zidon which declareth that they were in league with them But in that it is written that Ionathan and his sonnes were Priestes there euen to the day of the captiuity of the lande wee must not as farre as I iudge vnderstand it of the captiuity which the Hebrues suffred either by the Assirians or by the Chaldeians but of that whiche happened when they were plagued by the Philistians when also the Arke of the Testament was taken away I know also that there are some of the Hebrues which fable that this Ionathan was the neâew of Moses by his sonne Gerson and that his Graundfather is here called Menasseh putting betwene this letter Nun for to honour Moses with all As though the holy scriptures doo not oftentimes make mencion of moste wycked children borne of excellent Parentes But this is to be marked that that is not very firme neither can it be certaine in that it was before said that this Leuite was a Gersonite bycause Gerson was the Sonne of Leui and not of Menasseh Wherefore it must nedes be vncertayne of what famely of the Leuites this man was But now let vs diligently weigh such things as are in this chapter worthy of peculiar noting Let vs chiefly consider how hurtful it is to want a Magistrate An euil Magistrate also wanteth not some vtilitye For althoughe sometimes there happen an euyl or to fauourable a Magistrate yet if the thing be wel weighed there commeth from him more good vnto the publike wealth then there would come euyl if there were in it no Magistrate at al. The Sunne and Moone although they haue sometimes aspectes not very fauorable whereby now and then ensue pestilences dearth of corne ouerflowing of waters or aultar to the ende that holy seruices shoulde bee done thereon but onelye they would haue it to be for a monument that they shoulde not bee counted straungers from their brethren but be thought to pertaine to the same people and the same God Wherfore if at that time the Israelites so hated Idolatry that they would for that cause haue made warre agaynst the Rubenites and Gadites it is not credible that they would haue suffered the impiety of Micha How this history is touched in the booke of Iosua How then could this history be mencioned of in that booke One of these twoo thinges we must answer either that there were two cities both of one name pertaining vnto the Danites which they by force conquered so that of the one is mencion made in the booke of Iosua and of the other in this historye But this seemeth to be but a fayned tale For those thinges which are written
Why was Socrates condemned at Athens The Ethnike princes had a regard vnto religion I do not now demaunde how holyly or iustly for as all men in a manner beleue Anitus and Melitus lyed agaynst hym this I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned but onely for religion as thoughe he taught newe gods and led away the youth from the olde and receaued worshyppyng of the gods and he was by a prophane Magistrate condeÌned Socrates was for religioÌ sake condemned of a prophane Magistrate Wherfore the Athenienses thought that the obseruance and care of religion pertayned vnto their Magistrate The law of God commaunded that the blasphemer should be put to death not I thinke by euery priuate maÌ or by the Priestes but by the Magistrates The Ethnike Emperors also in those first tymes did for no other cause rage agaynst the Christians but bycause they thought that matters of religion pertayned vnto their iudgement seat And assuredly as touching this opinion they wer not deceaued for none as Chrisostome sayth either Apostle or Prophet reproued the people Chrisostome either Iewes or Ethnikes bycause they had a care ouer Religion but they were deceaued in the knowledge of Religion bycause they defended theyr owne religion as true and condemned the Christian religion as vngodly and blasphemous Constantine and Theodosius are praysed and very many other holy princes bycause they tooke awaye Idoles and either closed vp or elles ouerthrew theyr Temples But they dyd not these thynges but for that they thought that the charge of Religion pertayned vnto them otherwise they should haue bene busy fellowes and should haue put theyr sicle into an other mannes haruest The Donatistes tooke thys in very ill parte and grieuously complayned thereof in Augustines tyme bycause the Catholique Byshoppes required ayde of the Ciuile Magistrate agaynst them Augustine But Augustine confuteth them with the selfe same argumentes whiche I haue a litle before rehearsed and addeth this moreouer Why did ye accuse Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage before ConstaÌtine if it be wicked for the Emperor to determine concerning Religion Farther there is gathered by those thynges whiche the same father wrote agaynst Petilianus and agaynst Parmenianus and also in many other his Epistles howe that the Donatistes accused Cecilianus as it is sayde before Constantine the Emperour who first sent the cause to Melchiades Bishop of Rome And when by hym they were ouercome they appealed agayne vnto the Emperor neyther reiected he their appealation from him but committed the matter vnto the Bishop of Orleance by whom they were agayne condemned Neither rested they so ConstaÌtine decideth a matter of religion but again appealed vnto the Emperor who heard theÌ decided their cause condemned them and by hys sentence absolued Cecilianus Where are they now which so often and so impudeÌtly cry that there is no appealyng from the Pope and that the causes of Religion pertayne not vnto the ciuile Magistrate To whom in the olde tyme pertayned the ryght of callyng generall counsels Pertayned it not vnto the Emperors Counsels were called by Emperors As for the counsell of Nice the counsell of ConstaÌtinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedonia Emperors called them Leo. 1. of that name prayed the Emperor to cal a counsell in Italy bycause he suspected the Gretians of the error of Eutiches yet could he not obteyne it and the Byshops were called together to Chalcedonia where at the Emperor also was present as was Constantine at the counsell of Nice Neither doo I thinke that they were there present to sitte idle and to do nothing but rather to put forth vnto the Bishops what they should doo and to vrge them to define rightly Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished the fathers to determine all thinges by the scriptures of the Euangelistes Apostles Prophetes and Canonicall scriptures Iustinian also in the Code Iustinian Augustine wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Byshoppes and Priestes and other such lyke Yea and Augustine hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same manner to punish Idolatrers heretikes as he punisheth adulterers for as much as they coÌmitte whoredome against God in mynd which is much more heynous then to committe whoredome in body And looke by what lawe murtherers are put to death by the same also Idolatrers and heretikes ought to be punished for that by them are killed not the bodies but the soules although the common people be stirred vp onely agaynst homicides bycause they see the bloud of the bodyes killed but see not the death of the soules Vndoubtedly it is profitable for the Magistrate to take vpon hym this care and by his authority to compell menne to come to holy sermons and to heare the worde of God for by that meanes it commeth to passe that by often hearyng those thyngs begyn to please whiche before displeased As Hystoryes teach that God hath oftentymes with most noble victoryes illustrate godly prynces God hath prospered princes whiche had a care vnto Religion which haue had a care vnto these thinges Farther it can not be denied but that it is the dewty of the Magistrates to defend those Cities and publique wealthes ouer whiche they are gouerners and to prouide that no hurt happen vnto them wherfore for asmuch as Idolatry is the cause of captiuity pestilence famine ouerthrowing of publique wealthes shal it not pertaine vnto the Magistrate to represse it and to kepe the true sound religion Lastly Paul teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline in the feare of God but a good Magistrate is a father of the countrey wherfore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiectes be instructed as common children But kynges and princes whiche say that these thynges pertayne not vnto theÌ do in the meane tyme let geue and sell Bishoprikes Abbacies and benefices to whoÌ they thinke good neither thinke they that to be none of their office onely religion they thinke they haue nothyng to doo with and they neglect to prouide that they whom they exalte to most ample dignityes should execute theyr office rightly Wherfore this thyng onely remayneth for them euen that GOD hymselfe at the length will looke vpon these thynges and with most grieuous punishement take vengeaunce of their negligence These thynges haue I spokeÌ the more at large by occasion of our Hystory which maketh mention twise or thrise that euilles happened in Israel bycause they had not a kyng or lawfull Magistrate ¶ The .xx. Chapter 1 THen all the children of Israell went out and the congregation was gathered together as one man from Dan euen to Beerseba and from the lande of Gilead vnto the Lord in Mizpa 2 And the corners of all the people and all the tribes of Israell assembled in the Churche of the people of God foure hundreth thousand footemen that drew sword 3 And the children of Beniamin heard that the childreÌ of Israell wer gone vp vnto
in warre taken in hand by common counsel to withdraw themselues by priuate counsell Metius Suffecius captaine of Albany when he forsoke Tullus Hostilius fighting against the Fidenates by the commaundement of Tullus was bound to two cartes and so draweÌ in peces Solon depriued him of al honour dignity Solon A decre of PoÌpeius which in the time of sedicion adioyned himselfe to neyther party And Pompeius as Plutarche affirmeth when he fled from Cesar proclaymed that he woulde count all them to be enemies which abode at Rome and helped not the common cause And after this maner are the Iabenites prescribed and counted for enemies And no otherwise are they to be counted which in this our tyme when there is controuersye concerning religion doo dissemble althinges when as in the meane tyme they wyl neither stand on the Papistes syde nor on ours It is not lawful for vs in religion to be neuters They say they wyll stand in the myddest betwene both which is nothing els then that they wyll be wyth the aduersaries or enemies For they halte on either side and therfore it may be said that after a sort they fauor them Farther the cause of religion is farre greater and greuouser then the cause of the publike wealth In the Churche no man can excuse himselfe that hee is a straunger for no man which professeth himself to be a Christian can be a straunger from religion wherfore warre is iustly proclaymed against the Iabenites Althoughe I thinke that in this matter also the Isralites wer to cruel For it semeth that it should haue bene sufficient to haue slaine the men that were apt vnto warre To much crueltye against the Iabenites which had committed the crime of rebellion But to kil womeÌ old men and children it was to much cruelty Neither could they say that they had vowed vnto the Lord the vow Cherem forasmuch as they had saued the mayden virgins And vndoubtedly so great cruelty turned them to euyl for if they had delt more gently with the Iabenites they had had more women for the Beniamites Neither coulde they haue geuen counsell to haue vsed force to get them selues wiues But it is good to vnderstand how the Israelites founde oute that the Iabenites were absent The battaile being finished they al assembled to Siloh and numbred the people among whom when they founde none of the Iabenites they easelye vnderstoode that they were absent from the warre So great was their piety and religion at that time that when they had obtained the victory al of them assembled together to geue thankes vnto God But that thing is contemned now a daies for how many are there which when they haue gotten the victory wil acknowledge the benefite of God and geue him thankes Preachers do out of the Pulpit admonish the people to pray publikely for sicke folkes of which we either se or heare of none in a maner which when they are restored to health do publikelye geue thankes vnto God for that they haue by the prayers of the Churche escaped free They proclaymed peace vnto them which were in Rimmon That is gaue them safeconduct to returne home againe in safety 14 And Beniamin returned at that tyme and they gaue them wiues whom they had made on lyue of the women of Iabes Gilead which yet were not sufficient for them 15 And the people had compassion on Beniamin bicause the Lord had made a gappe in the tribes of Israel 16 And then the Elders of the congregacion sayd what shall wee do for wiues for the rest For the womeÌ of Beniamin are destroied 17 And they sayd There must be an inheritance for them that bee escaped of Beniamin that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel 18 For we cannot geue them of our daughters to wyues For the chyldren of Israel had sworne saying Cursed be he that geueth a wyfe to Beniamin 19 Then they sayd Behold there is a feast of a Lorde yearelye in Siloh in the place which is on the North syde of the house of God and on the East syde of the way that goeth from the house of God vnto Sechem and is South from Libanon 20 And they commaunded the chyldren of Beniamin saying Go and lye in wayte in the vyneyardes 21 And take hede For behold if the doughters of Siloh come out to daunce in a row then come ye out of the vyneyardes and catche vnto you euery man hys wyfe of the daughters of Siloh and get you into the land of Beniamin 22 And if their fathers or brethren come vnto vs to complayne we wyll say vnto them Haue pity on vs for them bicause we reserued not to eche man hys wyfe in tyme of war And bicause ye haue not geuen vnto them so that ye haue at this tyme offended 23 And the children of Beniamin did euen so and tooke them wiues of the dauncers according to their number whom they cought and went their wayes and returned euery man to hys inheritance And repairyng their cities they dwelt in them 24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time euerye man to hys trybe and to his famelye And went out from thence euerye man to hys inheritaunce 25 In those dayes there was no kyng in Israel but euery man did that which seemed ryght in hys owne eyes They are sayd to haue made on lyue those maydens whom they had not slain for forasmuch as they had theÌ in their power it semed that they might iustly haue slayne them But they would preserue them on lyue Whereby they vnderstode that God wold saue the tribe of BeÌiamin for that they sawe it was not the wyl of God that al the Beniamites should vtterly be destroyed and here by they vnderstoode the wil of God bicause he had caused sixe hundreth of them to escape Wherfore they gaue them safeconduct and the maydens of the Iabenites to be their wiues God made a breache in Israel That which they did themselues they ascribe vnto God A breache they cal the cutting of of one tribe Here is expressedlye set foorth the inconstancy of mans minde In that fury and hot anger they woulde haue destroyed al and they desyred of God to graunt them a ful victory when they haue obtained it and finished the matter they mourne afflict themselues If they had moderatly vsed the victory this thing had not happened vnto them After the same maner they synned against the Iabenites for if they had not slaine al the women ther they had had wiues inough for the Beniamites Now hauing slayne all they found onely .400 mayden virgins which not being sufficient they are compelled to seeke other by rapte or stelth And the Elders sayd So were the Senators or Senadrim called or els the Tribunes and Centurions which were rulers ouer the warlike affaires Let their inheritance be safe Iosua had appointed vnto euery tribe his inheritance Wherfore the Israelites could not clayme vnto
so then were it very easy to persuade the Ethnickes and Turkes of the holy Scriptures and to bryng the Iewes to receaue the new Testament and how true this is the thing it selfe witnesseth And I thincke I haue spoken enough of the efficient cause of this booke and of the holy Scriptures Of the ende of this booke And now lastly order semeth to require the seyng we haue spoken of the matter forme and efficient cause of the holy bookes we shoulde also entreate somewhat to what end they were written Wherin I thincke it not nedeful to kepe the reader long for that before when I entreated many thynges of an historye I haue expounded also the profite and commodities whiche come therof whiche no doubte of it belong vnto the ende but nowe presently I will say thus much compendiously that all these thinges are mentioned by the holy ghost that we shoulde behaue our selues vprigthly both in prosperitie and also aduersitie For we learne by the examples of holy men when we are afflicted with sundry troubles and miseries stedfastly to holde our faith to put our hope in God to call vpon him only therewithall to repent vs of our sinnes whiche thinges if we do he will no lesse be presente to helpe vs than we know that he oftentimes deliuered the people of the Iewes And this Paul declared when he sayde to the Romaines whatsoeuer things are written they are written for our learning that we thorough patience and consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope Moreouer we are instructed in prosperous thinges to kepe the feare of god lest we fal into grieuous sinnes by whiche meanes we might be made guiltie both of punishement in this lyfe and also of euerlastyng damnatioÌ Finally we may moste manifestly gather the ende of reading of these bookes out of the Apostles doctrine whiche he deliuered to Timothe writing after this sorte in his second Epistle and third chap. All Scripture geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reprouing to correction and to instruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect and prepared to al good workes And now that as I suppose I haue spoken enough of the end and other causes of this booke I will come nygher to the exposition of the same first I wil declare whether this booke according to the sentence of the Hebrewes be the second booke of the firste Prophetes whose coniunction is so great with the history of Iosua that a man woulde easely saye that they be both one Whether the booke of Iosua ought to be reckened with the booke of Iudges And peraduenture there be some which suppose that Iosua should be reckened with the iudges to whom I will not subscribe For iudges were raised vp of god when the people were oppressed with outwarde enemies but when Iosua was proclaymed prince all the affaires of the Israelites were in good prosperitie For Sihon and Og most mightie kinges were ouercome and that office was coÌmitted to Iosua wherby Moyses being dead he might leade the people ouer Iordane and take possessioÌ of the lande of Chanaan and deuide the promised lande by lottes vnto the children of Israell and besides that the people did set their handes to a decree whiche they had made of Iosua that he whiche obeyed not his voyce should be killed as we read it written in the first chap. of his booke But there is no mention made of suche thynges as concernyng the Iudges And yet both the bookes are so like and of such affinitie that many thinges are repeated in this our booke especially in the beginning whiche no doubte were done when Iosua was yet lyuing There resteth now to admonishe the reader somewhat of the partes of this boke The partes of the booke of Iudges There are as many principall membres in it as there were Iudges to Samuels tyme. For that in euery one of them still riseth vnto vs a new historye But the first of all was Othoniel of whom we will speake in the third chap. So that all those thinges whiche are written vnto that place do contayne the thynges done from the death of Iosua vnto Othoniel And certainly bycause the Iewes as long as Iosua liued worshipped god a right kept the lawe as muche as the weakenesse of maÌ coulde do god stil wrought with them accordyng to his couenaunt gaue theÌ a great victorye ouer their enemies so that euery tribe ouercame his enemies for the most part which were yet adioynying to their borders And then when the Israelites obteynyng the victorye did transgresse the commaundements of their god did not cleane destroy the nations which they had ouercome as god had commaunded them yea they made them tributaries vnto them god therfore grieuously admonished them by his messanger bycause they had not onely saued their enemies but also had moste filthyly honoured theyr gods So that god was not wtout a cause angry with them and deliuered them into the handes of outwarde tyrannes But when they were sorye for it and called vpon their god he had compassion of them and raysed them vp Iudges by whom they might be deliuered when they were deliuered they fell agayne to Idolatry they were afflicted againe they repented wherby in course their deliueries and oppressions are set forth But their first oppressioÌ worthy of memory was vnder Chusan Resanthaim from the which Othoniel the first of al the iudges reuenged them of whom we will speake in his place But now we will put here vnderneth the wordes of the holy history The first Chapter 1 IT came to passe after the death of Iosua that the childreÌ of Israel asked the Lord sayeng Who shall go vp for vs agaynst the Chananites to fight first agaynst them 2 And the Lorde sayd Iudah shal go vp beholde I haue deliuered the lande into his handes IT semed good vnto the children of Israel to take warre in hande for as it is writteÌ in the xiii chap. of Iosua they had not yet at this tyme conquered all the promised land so that in euery tribes lotte there were enemyes remayning And when they sawe there was no remedy but that they must dryue them out by force they doubted not whether they shoulde make warre agaynst them but their doubte was whiche tribe should fight before all the other The Israelites aske counsell of God The matter seemed to be of such great importaunce that they asked counsell of god whiche was the chief gouernour of their publicque weale Iosua that worthy captayne was no more a liue at whose becke and pleasure they hanged The Israelites affaires had euill successe wheÌ they were done without God hys counsell Neither yet had they forgotten howe euill successe they had when not long before they toke weighty affaires in hand without asking counsell of God For in their settyng forth to battaill against the citie of Hai they sped very vnluckely in the
For if GOD would teache the Israelites the arte of warrefare then iudged he not that arte vnlawfull And to thys purpose serueth that which Dauid sayd Blessed be god which teacheth my handes to warre and my fyngers to battayle But thys question whyther it be lawfull to make iuste warres is not nowe to be entreated of for as muche as it is most euident and that by the holy Scriptures that it is lawfull And we shall haue occasion in an other place to speake at large of that matter Wherfore I will declare what the Hebrewe expositours iudge of thys place R. Salamon R. Dauid Kimhi and also R. Leui ben Gerson write that God when he had tempted the Hebrewes and detected theyr vngodlinesse and Idolatrye withdrewe from them their strength and ayde Wherby when they attempted to make warres by their owne power and to fight by their owne strength they learned what it was to make warre When God fought for the Israelits they knew not what it was to make warre Whereas before when God himselfe fought for them they were ignoraunt of it For he endued them with strength he draue a feare into their enemyes dissolued their strength and gaue the Hebrewes a prosperous successe in theyr enterprises One dyd then pursue a thousand and two ten thousand It is therfore aptlye sayd that the Israelites when he had not yet broken the league and god fought for them were ignoraunte of warlyke feates How our fyrste parentes after sinne knew both good and euell Euen as the fyrst parentes of mankinde when they had eaten of the forbidden tree beganne to know both good and euill For before when they were nourished with the grace of GOD they were touched with the feeling of no euil And we commonlye say of children when their parentes are taken from them that they shall nowe fele what it is to gette theyr own liuyng which before they had not learned when they had their parentes liuing Christe also vsed the same kinde of speche when he sayd vnto the Apostles When I sent you without bagge or scrippe vndoubtedly you wanted nothyng But now bicause I shall be taken from you let him which hath no sweard bye him one for hereafter the times shall be harde and paynefull vnto you so that ye shall proue and haue experience of those thinges which hitherto ye haue not felte And this is the meaning at this present that the Hebrewes were brought of necessitye now at the length to knowe and feele God commauÌded nothing in the lawe for the learning of the art of warfare what it was to make warre with enemyes stronger than themselues They had not experience of that before GOD taught them it in taking awaye their strength and ayde Neither is it founde in the whole lawe that he ordained any thyng for the learning of the arte of warrefare In Deutronomye the xx Chapiter he made certaine lawes for making of warre but they pertayne nothing to the attayning of knowledge in the arte of warrefare And I in my iudgemente doe allowe the interpretation of the Hebrewes rather than that which was fyrst assigned 3 Of those whom he left there were fyue Lordes of the Philistians and all the Chananites and Sidonites and the Heuites that dwelled in Mount Libanon euen from Mount Baal Hermon vnto the entrance of Hamath 4 Those I say remayned to proue Israell by and to wete whether they would obey the preceptes of the Lord which he commaunded their fathers by the hand of Moyses 5 The children of Israell therefore dwelt among the Chananites Hethites Amorites Pherezites Heuites and Iebusites That which is in the Hebrewe Sirni Ierome sometimes translateth rulers and sometimes Lordes And we may call them Princes or Presidentes or ells Gouernours Satrapes Those woordes the Grecians call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But yet they are deriued of the Persians yea the Latines sometimes vsed theÌ Terence in his comedie Heautontim Terence writeth If Satrapes that is a Lord be a louer he shal not be able to abide the charge Dauid Kimhi Dauid Kimhi thinketh these words in the text Fyue lords of the Philistians to be a figuratiue kinde of speche that by the fyue Lords The names of the Lordships of Palestine we might vnderstand those fiue places which they were lords ouer that is fiue Lordships of the Philistians And those places be named in the booke of Iosua the 13 chap. Gaza Asdod Ascalon Ackron Geth Of euery one of these cities they toke vnto theÌ the name of the lordship And vndoubtedly there is manifest mencion made of them in the fyrst booke of Samuell for of ech of theÌ there were gifts gathered wherwith the arke of the couenaunt was adorned to be sent agayne to the Israelites Howbeit this may seme to be strange how these cities should now be sayd not to be conquered by the Israelits When as in this booke the first chap. Gaza Ascalon Aekron are declared to be wonne in that battaile which was made by the tribes of Iuda and Simeon Whereunto we aunswere that in dede those cities were taken at the time when as for all that they were not fully conquered by the leading and conduct of Iosua as it is written in his boke Howbeit at this time as the history now testifyeth they were not in the power of the Iewes For by reason of the sinnes of the Hebrues the strength of the Philistians was confyrmed other nations of the land of Chanaan waxed euery day stroÌger stronger but the Israelites on the contrary side were feabled Wherfore it was an easye matter for these places to fall againe into the power of the Philistians For they were very skilful in feates of warre and they had yron and hooked Chariottes Neither did God fight for the Israelites Wherefore they might without any great trauaile by reason of the sinnes of the Iewes recouer againe the places which they had loste In that it is written And al the Chananites we must not vnderstand it absolutely and simplie but only of those which inhabited the places here mencioned Farther we must note that in the boke of Iosua there were also Chananites and Zidonites rehearsed which were not at that time destroyed And as touching the Mount Libanon The Mounte Libanon some write that it was so called of frankencense which the Grecians call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Yea and the Hebrues call frankencense Libona And Mount Hermon as the boke of Deut. teacheth was called of the Amorrites Naschir of the Sirians Scherion Wherof peradueÌture the prouince of Siria had his name 6 And they tooke the Daughters of them to be their wyues and gaue their own daughters to their sonnes and serued their Gods 7 Wherefore the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lorde their God serued Baalim groues The Israelites synned three times against God First bicause as it is already shewed
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 WheÌ as the Romayne lawes counted not that for matrimony which was contracted with a handmaydeÌ 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 meÌcion made of CoÌcubines 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 sufficieÌt at this time as touching these things Let vs now returne vnto Gidion who had by his CoÌcubine a son named Abimelech The Etimology of the name is My father the king PeradueÌture the coÌcubine of Gideon was arrogaÌt proud which couÌted 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 reckeÌ of eternal life I thinke Gideon obteyned it also Whether GideoÌ 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 meÌ which where adorned with this faith he maketh meÌcion of Abraham whoÌ 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 preueÌted 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 testameÌt 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 froÌ the true worshipping of him Wherfore it hereby manifestly appeareth how diligeÌtly 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 IoueÌ foederis or IoueÌ 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 froÌ 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 strauÌge 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
Beniamin and agaynst the house of Ephraim And Israel was in verye great miserye 10 And the chyldren of Israel cryed vnto the Lorde saying Wee haue synned agaynst thee euen bicause we haue forsaken our God and haue serued Baalim When they heaped synnes vpon synnes the latter sinnes wer alwaies more grieuous then the first And this is not to bee passed ouer that they are sayde to haue synned in the syght of the Lord for the world otherwise is often times deceaued and the iudgement of men many times either aloweth or excuseth sins And the euyl which the Israelites are sayde to haue done was nothing els but Idolatry As soone as the good Princes were dead the people easely fel to worshipping of Idoles and why they were so prone to this wicked crime there may be many causes alledged Why the Israelites were so prone vnto idolatry Fyrst they sawe that the Nations which were nyghe vnto them when they woorshipped Idoles floorished in all kinde of riches and honors but they theÌselues wer wonderfully oppressed with penury of thinges Wherfore they thought that the Gods of those nacions were both better more bountiful then their own God They considered that they them selues whyche woorshipped but one God were fewe in the number but there was an infinite number which woorshipped Idoles And as they detested the ceremonies and holye seruices of other Nations so on the other syde other Nacions bothe abhorred them and also vexed them with contumelies Lastly the woorshipping of the true God was more seuere and after a sort more sadde it hadde no pleasure no chalenging of battayl one with an other no stage playes no dauÌcings no running at tylts no Comodies no Tragedies all which thynges they sawe were vsed in the woorshipping of Idoles yea and also often times were added most vyle and fylthy thinges And forasmuch as the nature of man is of it selfe ready vnto pleasures hereof it came that they turned vnto straunge holy seruices And vndoubtedly the same causes in our time doo moue the myndes of many and therfore manye cleaue vnto the Papistes whom they see to lyue muche more pleasantly and to floorish in goods and riches they see also that they are more in number in Italy in Spaine and in Fraunce then we are Bicause also they thinke that they are infamed and reproched when they ar called Schismatikes and Heretikes And lastly bicause our ceremonies as touching the senses of the flesh are dry and without pleasures they haue no copes no descant synging no musical Organes nor stage play Masses Hereof come these defaultes and fallinges of many I might also adde that many say their fathers lyued so and died in that religion The stubdernnrs of the Iewes agaynste God which reasoÌ is with many of great force Such things without doubt did the Iewes thinke vpon But it is marueilous to behold their stubburnnes It seemeth that they had wholy bent their mindes perpetually to resist their God When God would haue them to obserue his ceremonies they sought for other ceremonies at the hands of the people that wer nigh vnto theÌ And for as muche as God hath nowe decreed that those ceremonies shoulde by Christ be made of none effect and they wyl styl keepe them they doo therin that which ouerthwart wiues are wont to do when the husband wyl they wyl not when he wyll not then they again wyll They did not onely woorship Baal and Astharoth but also the Gods of Aram Zidon the Gods of the Moabites and of the children of Ammon and also the Gods of the Pelisthims If we marke the number they woorshipped seuen kyndes of Idoles And forsooke the Lord. They did not onely follow straunge Gods but also forsooke the woorshipping of the true God There is a certaine Emphasis in this woorde forsooke It signifieth as much as if it should haue bene said They would not so much as haue the woorshipping of the true God named neyther made they any more mencion of it Wherfore the wrath of the Lorde kindled against them and he deliuered them into the handes of the Philistians c. WheÌ they forsooke the true God he againe tooke away from them his helpe and sold them to the Philistians and Ammonites whom they so serued as thoughe they had bene their bondslaues And the yoke of the Ammonites was much more greuous then the yoke of the Philistians Wherfore Iiphtah tooke in hande warre singularly against the Ammonites as against the chief vexers of the Israelites Farthermore let vs marke that euen the self same yeare wherin Iair died they were vexed and oppressed of their enemies The Lorde taried not straightwaye after the death of the Iudge hee beganne to afflict the people In whyche place we must note that most stronge Nations so soone as they are destitute of God are easelye without anye a doo conquered and ouerthrowne of their enemyes For it is God onely which geueth power and strength and therefore the Israelites were straightway oppressed of their enemies bicause the Lord had forsaken them for God is not onely the efficient cause of might and rule but also it is he that keepeth and preserueth it They oppressed vniuersally al the children of Israel For they kept not them selues within any bondes but wandred and made rodes through out al the borders of the Hebrues which thing is noted by these woordes Yea and they passed ouer Iordan The tribes of Ruben Gad The request of the twoo tribes the halfe tribe was vnwyse and part of Manasses dwelled on this syde Iordan For all that region was verye fertile therefore they required it of Moses when the other tribes were not yet passed ouer Iordan but they did not wel marke what they desired for although it wer a most fat and fertill countrye yet was it alwaies in greater daunger For often times their next enemies made rodes into their landes And this is very coÌmonly sene that men are more careful for gaine then for health but the Ammonites did not onely rob and spoyle those tribes but they also miserably afflicted al Israel When they had passed ouer Iordan they would also fight against Iuda Beniamin and Ephraim which were of al the tribes most noble Wherfore we must beleue that they raged against al the Hebrues VVherfore the Israelites were aboue measure oppressed And they cryed vnto the Lord. When they were but a litle oppressed they were nothing moued but when they wer farther vexed and most grieuouslye afflicted What God hathe a respect vnto in the punishmeÌts wherwith hee punysheth synners they began to turne to God and cryed vnto him Neither did they that lightly but weeping repented from the hart confessed their sinne implored his ayde This thing onely God regardeth when he afflicteth his people with aduersitye where wordes wil not serue he addeth stripes and vexations which are certain vehement sermons towarde the stiffer sorte and are of great force towarde the godly and
also happeneth in prescriptioÌ when a maÌ is cast out of his possessioÌ or the matter is called into law the matter is in plead the prescription is broken Also the allowyng of the contradictory iudgement ought to be had that is that when one part alledgeth the custome and an other part denyeth it if it be pronouÌced on the custome side that doth confirme it But all these thynges as I haue before sayde must be reuoked vnto the rule of the woorde of God A custome that is burdenous to the Church is not to be suffred Augustine Now this onely is to be added whiche is had Extra de Consuet chap. 1. that a custome can not be suffred if it be burdenous to the Church Augustine also coÌplayned that in his tyme were so many new ceremonyes rites brought in that the Church was greuously burdened and the state of Christians at the tyme was nothing at all more tollerable then in the old tyme the state of the Iewes was That also we laye agaynst our aduersaryes that the Churche should not be burdened This is their owne lawe Why do they not acknowledge their owne wordes These things haue I therfore mencioned that we might vnderstand how firme an argument Iiphtah vsed of Prescription namely that the Israelites possessed that land .300 yeares whiche is much more firme and of greater force then if they had possessed it but .30 or .40 yeares Now let vs go to the other part of the chap. wherin Iyphtahs victory agaynst the Ammonites is described 29 Then the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iiphtah and he passed ouer to Gilead to Manasseh he passed ouer also Mizpa Gilead from Mizpa Gilead he went to the children of Ammon 30 And Iiphtah vowed a vowe vnto the Lorde and sayd If thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into myne hand 31 Then that thing that commeth out of the dores of my house to meete me when I returne in peace from the children of Ammon shall be the Lordes or I will offer it for a burnt offring 32 And so Iiphtah went vnto the children of Ammon to fight agaynst them and the Lord deliuered them into his handes 33 And he smote them from Aroer euen till thou come to Minnith twenty Cityes and eueÌ to Abel a very great region of vineyardes Thus the children of Ammon were humbled before the chyldren of Israell Two Mizpas Mizpa Gilead is an other City differyng from that Mizpa whiche lay in the tribe of Iudah The spirite of the Lord which is sayd to haue come vpon Iiphtah was the spirite of strength For there are sundry gifts of the spirite as of Wisedome of Vnderstandyng of Counsell c. Among which also is reckened the spirite of strength Wherfore the Lord gaue vnto Iiphtah this spirite that is all warlike might as well of the minde as of the body that he might valiantly execute that warre But we knowe that those giftes whiche in schooles are called gratuita that is free giftes Fre gifts iustify not do not iustifie for they happen as well to the euill as to the good But the spirit of god is three maner of wayes in men First in that he is god for so he is infinite is euery where SecoÌdly he is in men by fre gifts namely of miracles The holy ghost is thrââ maner of wayes in meÌ wisedome strength c. And these two wayes he is as wel in the euill as in the good But the third way he is men by sanctification and renouation And this dwellyng of the spirite of God is to be wished for of all the godly God had before ordeyned Iiphtah to he head ouer al the people of Israell but that was vnknowen vnto the people And the Gileadites when they made Iiphtah theyr captayne thought nothyng of a Iudge whiche should gouerne all Israell Here God sheweth his iudgement when he inspired hym with the gift of strength that all men might vnderstand that God had chosen him to be captayne Neither yet do I thus say that Iiphtah had the spirite of strength as thoughe he had not also the spirit of sanctification for as much as he might haue both But being moued with this spirite of strength he went out with a great courage and finished the thing valiantly Captaines wâr wont to vowe But before he went to handstrokes he vowed a vow vnto god as the History declareth It was the maner of Captaines that when they should make any great warre they vowed something to God so that they got the victory In Leui we rede ofteÌtymes that the Romayne Captaynes vowed riche spoiles prayes temples and such like either vnto Iupiter or vnto Apollo or to other Gods So the people of god as it is written in the boke of Numbers when king Adar inuaded them they vowed to make his land Cherem Nowe also Iiphtah voweth but his vowe is confused and defineth no certayne thing VVhat soeuer saith he shall come forth that shal be the Lordes and shal be sacrificed There are some expositors whiche thinke this letter Vau otherwise a copulatiue to make in thys place a disiunction as thoughe he should haue sayd Either it shal be sacrified vnto the Lord if it be of that kynd that it may be sacrificed or if it be not yet it shal be the Lordes that is it shal be dedicated vnto the Lord. And in deede D. Kimhi is of that opinion Kimhi The like manner of speakyng is there in these wordes If a man strike father and mother he shall dye the death for there also Vau is a disiunctiue And the meanyng is If a man strike either father or mother c. Herein what I thinke I do not declare I will afterward intreate more largely of this matter It is not gathered by these wordes Iiphtah vowed not by the inspiration of the holy ghost the Iiphtah made this vowe by the inspiration of the holy ghost The spirite in deede moued hym valiantly to atchieue the enterprise yet we rede not that it moued hym to make a vowe The Latine translation hath That whiche shall first come forth but the worde first is not in the Hebrew but must nedes be vnderstand otherwise he had bound all thinges that should come forth of his house But as I haue said it is an ambigous confused vowe For what if such a thyng should haue met him as myght neither haue ben sacrificed nor dedicated to the Lorde What if a dogge had met Iiphtah at his returne as it is a louing beast and oftentymes meeteth his Lord returnyng home But it is an vncleane beast neither may it be sacrificed nor redemed with any price It is wonderfull that so great a Captayne was so ignoraÌt of the law of God that he vowed not more distinctly It may be sayd that the Israelites had so longe tyme worshipped Baal vnder the Ammonites and other nations that they had forgotten the worshipping of the
Liberius the Pope decreed that al the lent we must abstein from pleadinges in the lawe Liberius This is not verye wiselye decreed for the publike wealth cannot consiste if it be so longe or euer matters be heard or iudgemente geuen If fasting should for a weighty cause be denounced for a day or two ther mought for that space of time be commaunded intermission of iudgement But that lawes shoulde cease so longe as Liberius will haue them it is againste the Publike wealth Farther the same Liberius saith that the vse of matrimony polluteth the fast of Lent wherefore they would haue men all that time to abstain from theyr wiues But Paule exhorteth man and wife more soundly namely to departe for a time and that by theyr mutual consent and to return to the same least they should be tempted of Sathan An abuse of shrouetide There is also an other abuse in that euery where before Lent all that time which they call Srouetide men do most vntemperately geue themselues to glotonye excesse dronkennes and filthye lustes and that vnder this pretence that they may the easelier fast as though it were lawful to do euill that good may ensew Neither is this a new kind of vice For Basill in his homely of fastyng and Chrisostome vpon Gen. do in many places greuouslye complaine of that thing Basile Chrisostome Some fast for delicatenes For when they know that they shal not suppe at dinner they lade theyr filthy sinke with many and heauy burdeÌs so that they make themselues vtterly vnprofitable for the whole day Other on the contrary part do vtterly wast themselues with fasting It is not lawefull for a man to consume him selfe with to much fastinge yea and in a maÌner kil themselues as Basilius and Nazianzenus did who being men excellently wel learned yet by abstinences and fastinges were made vtterly vnprofitable vnto the Church They wer compelled to kepe theyr bed sometimes halfe a yeare and somtimes a whole yeare Lastly there ar some which for that they fast haue a woÌderful delight in themselues ar proud also dispise other meÌ as that Pharesy which said I am not as other men I fast twise in the weeke c. I could reckeÌ a great many more of these abuses but for this time me thinketh these ar sufficient This one thing onely wil I adde that in fasting we see two extremities The Papists in a maner retaine theyr superstitious fastes but we vtterly neglect those fastes that ar lawfull and good Wherefore it seemeth that on eyther side the thing is to be amended And thus farre concerning these thinges ¶ The .xxi. Chapter 1 ANd the men of Israel sware in Mizpa saying Ther shal not a man of vs geue his doughter to any of Beniamin to wyfe 2 And the people came into the house of god abode there til euen before god lifted vp theyr voice wept sore 3 And they sayd O Lorde God of Israel why is this chaunced in Israel that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israell 4 And on the morowe the people rose vp and made there an altar and offred burnt offringes and peace offringes 5 And the children of Israell sayde Who are they amonge all the tribes of Israel that came not with the congregatioÌ vnto the lord For they had made a great othe concerning them that came not vp to the lord in Mizpah saying that they should surely dye 6 And the children of Israell had pity on theyr brother Beniamin and sayd There is one tribe cut of from Israell this day 7 What shall wee doo vnto the remnant of them for to get them wiues for asmuch as we haue sworne by the Lord that we will not geue them of our daughters to wiues 8 They sayd I say What ar they of the tribes of Israel that came not vp to Mizpah vnto the lord And behold there came none of the inhabiters of Iabes-Gilead vnto the congregation 9 For the people was numbred and beholde there was not one of the inhabiters of Iabes-Gilead there 10 And the congregation sent thither .12 thousande men of the stroÌgest of theÌ commaunded theÌ sayinge Go and smite the inhabiters of Iabes-Gilead with the edge of the sword both women childreÌ 11 And this is that ye shall do vtterly destroy all the males and all the women that haue lien by men 12 And they found among the inhabiters of Iabes-Gilead .400 mayden virgins that had knowen no man be lying with any male And they brought them to the host in Siloh which was in the land of Chanaan 13 And the whole congregatioÌ sent spake vnto the childreÌ of Beniamin that were in the rocke Rimmon called peaceably vnto theÌ The Israelites as farre as may be gathered by this history had bound themselues with a double othe First that no man should geue his doughter to wyfe to the Beniamites which was nothing els but that they were minded vtterlye to destroy the tribe of Beniamin Farther they sware that if any of the Israelites had not put to his help agaynst the Beniamites he should be slain Here are very many things worthy to be noted First we must consider that the Isralites wer to seuere against the Beniamits For they did not onely slay the men but also the wiues and maydens wherefore there were no women left on liue for those .600 menne whiche were remaininge to engender yssue of But afterwarde when the same Israelites more diligentlye considered their acte they iudged it not wel done that a whole tribe should be cleane destroyed Of which they nothing thought when they were in their great iury and rage Wherfore they now accuse theyr cruelty and detest theyr rigorousnes which they had vsed But that they bound themselues with an othe that they woulde not geue their doughters in matrimony to the Beniamites it is not in this history mencioned but yet it is most likely that it theÌ happened wheÌ they were in Mizpah the Beniamites would not deliuer the guilty Wherfore the Beniamites wer oppressed with great miseries For ether they must take to wiues foren strauÌge wemeÌ which thing was prohibited theÌ by the law or els they must perpetually lead a sole life without wiues and so that tribe should vtterly perish The Israelites were to cruel agaynst the BeÌiamites The Israelites in that they mourn do suffer punishments for theyr cruelty For it should haue ben inough for them to haue punished the men What nede was there to slay women maidens which had nothing offeÌded Vnles peraduenture they had vowed the vow Cherem But such a vow it was not lawfull for them to vow but by the authority and commaundement of God whych appeareth not to haue beene doone in this historye In reuenginge we muste keepe a meane for all are not to be slaine which come into the power of them that ouercome It is sufficient to punish the guilty
in heauen the Church is not fully perfect neither in al partes absolute For alwayes somthing is therein wanting especially seing we are fallen into the yron age of the latter time For was there not in the goldeÌ world of the Church many discords troubles and maners not agreable vnto a Christian life And shal not that part of the world which is christened be now sycke of the same discoÌmodities and vices when for age it nowe doteth Let vs looke vpon the Church of the Hebrues which at that tyme was the peculiar people of God seperated from al nacions Vndoubtedlye we shall there finde sundry courses and alteracions of thinges Some times they slipped out of the rightway Sometimes they repented and lamented and amended the synnes wherin they had fallen But whilest they lay in their sinnes and wickednes they were by God corrected with greuous afflictions and most sharp punishments But returning vnto him they faithfully implored his ayde which when they had obtayned they agayne preuailed against their enemies In them except we be vtterly blinde we see the image of the goodnes of God towardes the sayntes and his seuerity vpon the wicked painted and liuely expressed as it were in a table that is most rightly polished Blessed is God which defendeth his in most great daungers and calamities and faythfully keepeth his safe and found which commeth of his goodnes neither suffereth he them wholye to fall from piety or vtterly to be consumed with miseries and aduersities And we if we note these thinges in thys holye historye shall not maruayle that the people of God were often times tossed and euen in maner oppressed with so many and greuous chaunces for whether we behold the godly or whether we behold the vngodly we shall perceaue that al these thinges were done with great fruit and most wyse consideracion For vnto those whom God the heauenlye father hath euen from without beginning chosen vnto him by Iesus Christe and our of an innumerable number of mortall men adopted to be his children aduersities did to this end happen that euen as gold and syluer are by the power of fire purged so their mindes should proue more pure by aduersities For by them as by lyuelye flames the loue of our selfe and of frayle and transitorye thinges is burnt vp But the studies of piety and innocency are wonderfully kindled and inflamed But of the vngodly whom the diuine prouidence hath most iustly decreed to punish with eternal death the consideracion is farre otherwise For aduersities do not burne away their spots and vices but rather encrease and augment them by the augmentacioÌ of which aduersities the impiety of their minds also increaseth euen as we see that with one and the selfe same fyre claye waxeth hard and wax melteth away Wherefore the reading of the golden history of the Iudges is most profitable so that there want not fayth in reading of them and prayers be without ceasing added whereby we may pray vnto God not fayntly but feruently to make his woordes of efficacy in vs by the holy Ghost For those holye narracions are as it were certaine nourishments or stayes whereby our confidence towardes the promises of God is wonderfully confirmed and our minde is erected to a most firme hope of obtayning of them For whylest we diligentlye consider the wonderful notable actes which God did for the health and safety of the nacion of the Hebrues it is vncredible to be spoken how our hartes are styrred vp to woorship and honour him sincerely and religiously Farther in those heroicall actes the incredible power and wysdome of the prouidence of God doth euery where aboundantly and brightly shine forth which receaued with no lesse pleasure theÌ fruite For by those thinges which are declared except we wyll wyllynglye be blinde may easely be vnderstand that whatsoeuer was done or succeded luckely or vnluckely at home or on warfare the same is to be attributed either to the iustice or els to the mercy of the eternal God We are also most plainlye taught that God neglecteth not thinges humane But that he hath a consideracion and regard ouer the godly and the vngodly and of them to the one he giueth ioy and pleasure but the other he at the last moste greuouslye punisheth Farther thys thing is chiefly to be marked that Iesus Christ the sonne of God is not secluded from thys holy history For for as much as he is the end of the law and suÌme of the holy scripture as much as this booke pertaineth vnto the law and is a part of the holy scripture so much doth it shew and most euidently preach Christ vnto the Readers For the actes of noble captaines are here rehearsed which as it is written vnto the Hebrues through fayth wan kingdomes wrought righteousnes and obtayned the promise But that fayth which is natural and sound includeth Christ him selfe vnto whom singularly and in a maner onely it hath a regard For by him the promises of God are made of efficacye Wherfore whilest we behold the wonderful actes of the Iudges we ought to haue before our eyes the excellent fayth which brightly shined in them together with it the coÌmon deliuerer of humane kinde namely the sonne of God Christ Iesus whom they beheld as their Captaine and Emperour And that not vnwoorthely for he by them wrought and by them did set the people at liberty in admonishing them by the voyces of Angels and oracles of Prophetes in confirming them in daungers and at the last not vnconstantlye but most faythfullye performing those thinges which he had before most liberally promised Lastlye when we heare that the Hebrues which were the members of the same Christ were sometime oppressed and slayne of their enemies Let vs in them acknowledge the death and tormeÌtes of our head And in their victories and triumphes Let vs behold his resurrection kingdome and glory For God hath framed vnto vs winges of his spirite and woord but if through our own default we become fleshy and heauy we shal not be caryed vp into heauen but together with beastes bee drawen downewarde I haue hetherto spoken of the history how commodious and profitable it is to all the worshippers of god and how aptly it pertayneth vnto you most excellent rulers Wherfore it should seme that I should now somwhat speake of the interpretacion which I haue added But therof I wyll speake nothing for I feele that those thinges which come out of my study and labour are so sciender and small that I thinke them not worthy of commendacion There is one thing onely which I dare boldly affirme that I by this my doctrine howsoeuer it be my wyl was to be a helpe to the faythful of Christ Neyther do I deny but that there wer other much better learned then I am which with great prayse and fruit exercised themselues in this selfe same course of study howbeit bicause I excedingly allow the sentence of Basilius who in his .18 Epistle
writeth Euen as welles the more they are drawen the better they are so vndoubtedly are the wordes of God for the more diligently they are handled and vsed the more plentiful fruit is by them receaued therfore I tooke in hand to interpretate this history And although I am not ignorant that you do so abound with the most learned woorkes of other men that ye neede not thys my commentary yet to that I answer that to riche men also are debtes payde and giftes are geuen vnto kinges who otherwise are more riche Who is more riche then God himselfe Vnto whoÌ neuertheles al the godly do both geue thankes also to their power referre thankes Wherefore I doo not offer vnto you thys slight gift bicause I thinke that ye haue neede thereof but that your benefites should not remayne with me longer then is meete as though they wer neglected Farther that we might be styl more and more bound together in amity For these duties are certayn common bondes wherwith men are pleasauntlye and profitably bound together betwene themselues I haue in deede bene long in your debt yea rather I shal alwayes be in your debt for I shal neuer be able to pay al that I owe vnto you wherfore I wil gladly be perpetually in your debt And wil with great pleasure alwayes behold keepe and preserue your benefits layd vp with me so that they shal neuer dye nor neuer at anye time slyp out of my mynde So fare you wel most worthy and noble men God the father of mercy encrease prosper and for euer blesse you together with your publike wealth Church and Schoole in al good thinges through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen At Tigure the .22 of December 1560. ¶ Places of the scripture which here and there a man shall finde in these CommeÌtaries expounded or learnedly and wittely alledged wheras the first number signifieth the chapter the other the verse or verses of the same chapter as they be distinguished and set foorth in the Byble printed at Geneua the most expedite and ready way for speedy finding of the same GEnesis 1.1 In the begynning 262. b 6.2 The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire 15. b. and .285 33 18 Iaacob came safe to Sechem 159. 47 22 Onely the land of the priestes bought he not 264. Exodus 12.12 I wyll pas thorow the land of Egipt 128. b 20.13 15. .16 Non dices falsum testimonium 39. b Non furaberis NoÌ occides 39. b 20 16 Thou shalt not beare false wytnes c. 87. b. 22 16 .17 If a manne entyse a mayd that is not betrothed 284. b 33 11 Face to face Deuter. 5.9 Visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children c. 178. b. c. 181. b 7.1.2.5 When the Lorde shall geue the land into thy power 245 24.3 .4 The first shal not take agayne a wyfe repudiated after the second husbands death or diuorsment 250. 1. Kings 3.16 There came .ii. harlots vnto the king 233 4. Kings 5.18 Herein the Lorde be mercifull 50. b Ezra 7.24 No tole tribute or custome to be laid vpon the priestes 264 Psalme 2.11 Kynges serue the Lord. 54. b 15.4 He that sweareth to his hinderaÌce chaÌgeth not 85 b. 86 b 33.16 The kyng is not saued by the multitude 91. b 50.18 If thou sawest a thiefe 232 73.2 My feete were almoste moued 142. b. 14â 170. b 78.49 Vexation by sending oute of euil angels 128. b 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of the Gods 267. b 91.1 He that dwelleth vnder the helpe 247 102.22 When the people shall be gathered together and kynges to serue the Lord. 266 111.10 Feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wysdome 246. b Prouerb 18.23 He that retaineth an aduoutrous woman is vngodly and a foole 249. b Esay 7.12 I wyll not aske nor tempt God 131. b 66.3 He that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if he slew a dog 206. b Ieremy 1 10 I haue appoynted thee ouer nacions and kyngdoms 262. 31.31 I wyll make a newe couenaunt 74. b Ezechil 17.13 King of Babel had taken an othe of Zedechias 85. b 18.20 The sun shall not beare the iniquity of the father 179. Daniel 4.24 Peccata tua elcemosynis redime 72. Hosea 1.2 Take thee a wyfe of fornications 233. b 6.6 I desyred mercy and not sacrifice 194. 8.4 They haue set vp a king but not by me 256. b Ecclesiasti 16.14 He wyll make place to al mercy 272. b Baruc. 6.3 When ye shal se gods of gold and syluer 51. Mathew 5.16 That they may se your good works glorifi 157 b 5. 18 If thy hande foote or eye offend thee cut it of 46. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar 206. b 6.1.2.5 To be sene of men 153. 6.22 The light of the body is the eye 153. 7.1 Iudge not that ye be not iudged 277. b 9.30 See that no man know it 10.37 He that loueth father and mother more theÌ me is not worthy of me 265. 12.20 A brused reede shall he not breake 134. 14.6 But wheÌ Herods birth day was kept the daughter of Herodias daunced 287. b 15.4 Honour thy father and mother 189. b 16.18 Vpon thys rocke I wyll build my church c. wyll geue the keyes 149. 17.20 Faith as much as a graine of musterd seede 130. 17.21 This kinde goeth not out but by prayer and fasting 276. 19.28 Ye shall sytte vpon twelue seates 175. 21.31 Publicans harlotes shall go before you into the kingdome of heauen 232. b 23.24 Strain at a gnat and swalow a camell 201. b 25.41 Go ye cursed into euerlasting fyre prepared for the deuyl and his angels 208. b 26.4.5 The syxt houre 166. Marke 10.4 Moses suffered to write a bil of diuorcement 233. b 15.25 The third houre 166. Luke 18.13.14 Publican prayed and departed iustified 207. b 22.38 Behold here are two swerdes 259. b 22.35 When I sent you wythout bag or scrip dyd ye at anye tyme want any thing 260. 24.39 Feele and see for a spirite hath not flesh 209. Iohn 6.15 They would come c to make him a king 147. 8.44 The deuil wheÌ he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own 167 9.31 God heareth no synners 78. and. 207. 18.11 Put vp thy sword into thy sheath 260. b 20.26 The dores being shut 211. b 21.15 c. Feede my lambes 149. Actes 7. â0 An angel of the Lord in a flame 120. 10.25 Cornelius met Peter and fel down at his feete 69. b. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 41. b 21.25 Paul was purified 51. b. 15.29 That ye abstain froÌ things offred to Idols 229.233 b. Romains 3.8 Why do we not euil that good may come thereof 39. and. 253. 6.23 The wages of syn is death 272. b 9.3 I would wysh my selfe seperated from Christe for my brethren 253. b 11.29 Giftes and calling of God are without repentance 188. b 12.19 Vengeance is mine
236. 13.1 Let eueri soul be subiect 262 b 13.1 Powers ar ordained of God 260. b. 1. Corinth 2.15 He that is spirituall discerneth all thinges 262. 6.1 Dare anye of you hauyng a cause agaynst an other 256. b 6.13 14 The body is not for fornication 229. b 7.5 Defraud not one another except it be for a time 94. 7.11 If the womaÌ depart let her remain vnmaried or let her bee reconciled 222. b 7.14 Els were your chyldreÌ vncleane but now ar they holy 182 7.15 If the vnfaithful depart 86 7.37 He dothe well c. that wyll kepe his virgin 46. 8.4 We know that an Idol is nothing in the world 69. b 10.24 Non quae sua sunt quaereÌtes Such as seeke not their owne 38. b 10.27 If anye that is an infidell byd you c. 44. b. 45. b 11.5 Euery woman that prayeth or prophecieth barcheaded 93 13.2 If I had al fayth 130 13.12 We shal see him face to face 121. 14.34 Let your women keepe silence c. 93 15.44 It is raysed a spiritual body 211 Galath 1.8 Though we or an angel from heauen c. 262 1.15 c. When it pleased God to reueale his sonne in me c. I communicated not with fleshe and bloud c. 265 3.19 It was ordayned by angels in the hand c. 120 Ephes 5.18 Be not dronke with wyne c. but speake in psalmes c. and songes 103 Philip. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are honest 250 Collossi 3.16 Let the woorde of Christe abounde in you c. in psalmes c. 103 1. Thes 5.22 Ab omni specie ma la abstinete Refrain from al apparance of ill 18. b 1. Timo. 2.1 Supplications praiers intercessions and geuynge of thankes 44 2.11 I permit not a woman to teache c. 93 3.3 No striker 146. b 4.8 Bodely exercise profits lytle but. c. 140. 279 Titus 1.7 No striker 146. b 2.3 Women should be teachers of honest thinges c. 93 Hebru 7.2 Abraham payed tenthes c. 261 13.4 Hooremongers and adulterers God wyl iudge 254. b 13.16 To do good and to distribute c. 251. b Iacob 1.13 God tempteth no maÌ 79. b 2.10 Who so keepeth the whole law c. 53 1. Peter 4.17 Iudgement begin at the house of God 234. b Apocal. 19.10 22.8 9. I fell downe to woorshpp before the feete c. 69. b ¶ The common places contayned in this booke OF prediction or treasoÌ 36. b Of Masse 41 Of teares 62 Of Sacrifice 63. b Of Idolatrye 68 Of a league 73. b Of truth and of a lye 87 Of dissimulacion 89. b ¶ Whether it be lawfull to lye to preserue the lyfe of oure neighbours 90 ¶ Whether it be lawfull for subiectes to rise against their princes 90 ¶ Whether it bee lawfull for the godly to haue peace with the vngodly 99 Of musicke and songes 102 Of visions or in what sorte and how much God may be knowen of men 118 Of myracles 126 Of Dreames 134. b Of the affections of enuye and emulacion 141. b Of mercy 142 Of a good intent 132 Of Matrimonye and hauing of Concubines 153. b Of ambition 157. b Of murther of Parentes or kinsfolkes called paracidium 158 Of a fable and apollogy 159 Of wyne and dronkennes 161. b Of murther 165. b ¶ How synne dependeth of God 166. b ¶ Whether we caÌ resist the grace of God or no. 167. b ¶ How God sayth that hee wyll not geue that which he wil giue and contrarily 174. b Of bastards and children vnlawfully borne 177. b â Whether the sonne shal beare the iniquity of the father 178. b Of thinges which were taken by the right of workes 186 Of prescription 188 Of custome 189 Of the vow of Iiphtah 192 Of sedicion 197 Of the vow of the Nazarits 201 Of Sacrifice 206 Of the vision of Angels 208 â Whether it be lawful for children to mary without the consent of their parentes 214 Of playes 218 Of hooredome fornication 129 Of the head of the church 241 Of Securitye 246. b Of the reconciliation of the husbande and the wyfe after that adultry hath ben coÌmitted 247 Of a Magistrate 255 Of merites 272 Of fasting 274 Of Rapte 283 Of daunses 286 FINIS ⧠Faultes escaped in the printing desiring thee gentle Reader to correct the same in thy booke before thou beginnest to read this worke which shal helpe thee much in the vnderstanding of those places The order of which correction here vnder thou maiest see The letters a. and. b. which stand by the numbers signify the sides of euery leafe a. signifieng the first syde and b. the second syde Leafe Lyne Faultes Corrected 2. a 3 iudged and iudged 3. b 50 he Greeke the Greke 4. a 20 not reuenge reuenge 7. a 6 holy hylly 10. a 23 region religion 11. a 9 contamined contaminated 11. a 20 This is my This is in my 22. a 48 to vnprofita not vnprofitable 25. a 24 word wordes 25. b 20 wayling wayting 31. b 5 their maters their own mat 31. b 8 greuous suffer greuous 31. b 30 least left 32. a 34 the wel valle the valleys 35. a 2 helpe for the helpe from the 38. b 38 deceaued receaued 39. a 22 ceaseth not to ceaseth to be 40. a 13 signes synnes 43. b 28 saluation salutacion 47. b 47 stranger stronger 48. a 1 that none that to none 49. a 1 obey admoni obey their admo 52. b 25 contemne continue 53. a 10 workers workes 57. a 39 misery mistery 60. a 18 by colour by no colour 61. a 18 weyed weeded 62. a 9 offer offered 62. a 29 sacrifice sacrificer 62. b 33 nation motion 63. b 20 set setteth 63. b 48 sayth fayth 64. a 1 participacion particion 65. b 36 sawe same 68. b 21 there they 73. b 7 angry angry anger anger 77. b 14 doubt double 81. b 18 is maruayle is no maruayle 84. b 16 nothing one thyng 86. b 50 other vnderstaÌd othe vnderstand 87. a 49 not any not least any 92. b 27 do desperate and desperate 96. b 1 by an ordinarye by no ordinary 100. a 22 decreased digressed 100. a 23 the knight the Kenite 100. b 49 Leuites Kenites 106. a 17 xl C. men xl M. men 111. b 25 decrees .23 q. 5. cha dixerit aliquis decrees causa 23. q. 5. dicat aliquis .28 d. 1 120. a 53 word world 122. b 1â litle title 124. a 17 inuiolated violated 132. a 42 13500. men 135000. men 134. b 1 Recubites Recutites 144. a 32 mention mantion 192. b 51 dryuen drawne 201. b 4 eare heare 203. b 52 preserue obserue 223. a 15 doubting doubling 227. a 20 ententes euentes 228. b 14 pronounces prouinces 230. a 32 Sickenes Sadnes 247. a 16 Cain Cham 269. b 14 leuened leuelled 285. a 14 coÌmunicate excommunicate ¶ The commentarie of Master Peter Martyr vpon the Booke of Iudges THere be some whiche deuide the holy scriptures into
the mariage of his cousin Germaine or of his sisters daughter or of his brothers daughter or of his wiues daughter lastly of al whose mariage is forbidden and condemned But that law is not in these dayes found in the Digestes neither in the booke of the Code nor in the Authentikes Which neuerthelesse Clother the king followed as it is red in the lawes of the Almaines entituled of vnlawfull mariages yea and it is confirmed by the ecclesiasticall Canons and decrees in Gracian 35. Question the second and third also by the counsel of Agathen in the 61. Canon And Gregorye the fyrst in the same place is found to be of the same opinion in the chap. Quaedam ex Romana c. This answereth to the sixth interrogation of Augustine Bishop of Cantorbury and affyrmeth that those which be ioyned by the degree of cousin Germaines ought to abstaine from contracting of matrimony one with an other Yea and long before Gregorye his time Ambrose hath in his 66. Epistle ad Paternum condemned the mariage of brethrens children he testifieth that it was forbiddeÌ by the law of Theodosius which I haue also brought And if I should vse coniecture I thinke Theodosius did it by the persuasion of Ambrose who had a singular respecte to publique honestie Neither was that law so seuere at that time but that sometimes it might be released as he declareth in that Epistle to Paternus In that Ambrose affyrmeth there that such mariages were prohibited by Gods lawe It can be made probable to none which shall attentiuely consider the wordes of the law of god and doings of the fathers How the Romanes haue behaued themselues toward their cousins as concernyng matrimonyes in the old time this I haue obserued Ligustine sayth in the 2. booke and 5. decade of Liuy that his father gaue him his Vncles daughter to wife Cicero also writeth in hys oration for Cluentius that Cluentia had lawfully maryed her cousin Germaine M. Aurius And M. Anthonius the Philosopher tooke to wife Faustina his cousin Germaine as Iulius Capitolinus testifieth And before Rome was builded the mariages of Turnus and Lauinia were in hand which came of two sisters Howbeit Plutarch writeth in the place aboue mentioned that at the fyrst when Rome was builte it was forbidden by a lawe that they whiche were nighe of kinne shoulde not marrye together But yet he writeth that the lawe for brethren and sisters children was vppon thys occasion released bycause a certayne man beyng both honeste and also well beloued of the people of Rome when he was greuouslye oppressed with pouertye toke to wife his sisters daughter which was ryche and welthye for the whiche cause he was accused of inceste But the matter being decided he was quyted by the iudgemente of the people of Rome for he was greatly fauoured in the citye Then after that it was decreed by the consent of the people of Rome that from thence forth it shoulde be lawfull for brethren and sisters children to marry together These thinges I thought good to declare of this kinde of matrimonye both out of Gods lawes and the old new lawes of the Romanes and also out of the fathers and ecclesiasticall Canons Whereunto I will adde that there be very many Cities professing the gospell whiche do not admitte the mariages of brethren and sisters children as Surike Berna Basile Schapusin Sangallum Biema c. In the kingdome also of England when I was there that degree was excluded from matrimony Wherfore in places where the magistrate forbyddeth these mariages the faithful ought for those causes whiche I haue before declared to abstayne from them But now I will go to the present matter If Othoniel as I haue before sayd were cousin vnto Achsa he might mary her by the lawe of God but if he were her vnckle it was not lawful by the coÌmoÌ lawe But he maried her Wherfore we must nedes saye one of these two thinges either that it was a faulte for the fathers as we haue before sayd were not alwayes free from sinne or elles that god would haue this done by a priuilege or certain prerogatiue whiche we may not for all that take example by Neither is this to be forgotteÌ that after the accustomed manner of Scriptures Kinsfolkes in scriptures are called brethren they whiche were any way of kinne together were called brethren as Loth is called the brother of Abraham the kinsfolkes of Iesus Christ the sonne of God are called in the history of the gospel his brethreÌ So may it also be in this place that Othoniel may be called the brother of Chaleb when as he was but only some other waye of kinne vnto him And the interpretours do vse this expositioÌ ofteÌ times which I would not disallow but that I se this particle in the texte The yonger whiche is not wont to be added but when sisters and brethren in dede are compared together But now wil I go to other thinges whiche are to be considered in this history Chaleb had promised him which should coÌquere the citie of Debir Whether Chalebs promisse were a rashe promisse his daughter to wife What if any wicked persone had performed that should he by the vertue of the promise haue ben made the sonne in law of Chaleb surely it semeth not For what other thing had this ben than to betraye his daughter Therfore it may appeare that he promised rashly For a wise man ought to foresee those thinges whiche might happen How be it we must consider that there were not at that tyme such wicked and flagitious men among the Israelites for as long as those elders lyued whiche gouerned the publicque wealth together with Iosua as it shal be declared in this hystory the people feared god Wherfore it followeth that they vsed to put those to death by the lawe whiche were guiltie of very grieuous crimes Therfore there was no daunger lest any such maÌ should conquere the citie to whom for that act Hacsah should be geuen to wife of duetye But if there remayned certaine smal and common faultes in him which had conquered it the same might be recompenced by his other vertues For there is is none so absolute and perfect but that some times he may fal Moreouer there were some hope of amendement of life And the conquerour might be so nighe of kynne as peradueÌture this Othoniel was that he could not mary the daughter of Chaleb Wherfore it seemeth that at the least in that part it was a rashe promise But I do not thincke it can be accused of rashenesse A constant rule of all humane promises for as much as all promises ought among the godly so farre forth to be of force as they do agree with the word of god which thing if Iepthe had diligently considered he would neuer haue suffred hym selfe to haue committed so vnworthy thinges agaynst his daughter This coÌdition surely in all couenaunts and promises ought to be counted
for a most constant rule We gather also hereby that it is lawfull to go about a wife by iust wayes and meanes as we se Othoniel now to haue done and as also holy Dauid did A man by iuste meanes may go about a wife who did not only kill Goliah the giauÌt but also he gaue Saule an hundreth forekynnes of the Philistianes for the obteyning of Michol to wife We are hereby taught also that wise parentes ought to seke them a sonne in law not by riches not by power or nobilitie but by vertue Now of days they do not so Howe a sonne in a lawe should be sought and therfore the miserable daughters are very often tymes betrayed by their parentes and very many mariages haue vnhappy successe Wherfore I can not discommend the sayeng of Themistocles The sayeng of Themistocles who being demaunded why he had preferred a poore man to be his sonne in law before a riche and wealthy man he aunswered that he had rather haue a sonne in law whiche wanted money thaÌ to haue money wanting a man It is lawfull to set rewardes for good dedes We learne moreouer by this history that it is lawfull for princes to stirre vp men couragiously to enterprise honest actes and whiche they ought otherwise of dutye to haue done to set forth vnto them some rewardes For we see that Chaleb did so nowe and also Saul when he promised his daughter to hym whiche could kill Goliah and we remember Christ hath promised them an hundreth fold in this life Good honest actions are of them selues to be sought for whiche for his sake should leaue father and mother children and brothers Wherfore we must knowe that good honest actions are by them selues sufficient to be sought for for asmuch as in this worlde nothyng can happen more sweater thaÌ to obey god with a good conscience to be ioyned vnto him in liuing vprightly according to his coÌmaundementes Wherfore admitte we should obtayne no other thing yet a sufficient reward gayne should be rendred vnto vs Why God set forth rewardes and giftes if we may haue a quiet and pacified conscience and be inwardly filled with spirituall ioye but god such is his goodnesse would moreouer set forth vnto vs giftes and rewardes For he seeth the disposition nature of a maÌ to be feable and flowe to all thinges that be good healthfull and honest he would therfore stirre vp the same by promising manifold sondry rewardes whiche kinde of remedy we had not neded if we had continued perfect and absolute as we were created Who I pray you nedeth with reward to be stirred vp to drincke wheÌ he is thursty or to eate wheÌ he is huÌgry surely no body Wherfore neither nede men if they hungred and thrusted for righteousnesse as they ought to do a rewarde to stirre them vp to it A mother also vseth not to be intised with rewardes to geue sucke to feede and care for her own child that it perish not Promises and threatnynges are added in the lawe to the coÌmaundements Wherfore the promises of god are therfore necessary vnto men bicause they by reason of synne haue waxed colde from a vehement affection and zeale toward godly and holy workes we be altogether dull and sluggishe to the offices of godlinesse and righteousnesse wherfore God of his geÌtlenesse would adde spurres of promises which appeareth most manifestly in the law where almost for euery coÌmaundement are both threatninges also promises added Wherfore seing holy men haue done this oftentimes seing also the lawe of God hath done so and the same is found in the new testament we may conclude without doubte that it is lawfull For then is that whiche we do to be allowed when it agreeth with the example of god him selfe and rule of the scriptures or els with the excellent actes of holy men Whether it be lawfull to do good for rewardes sake But now must we se whether he whiche doth good workes and performeth the whiche he is bounde to do by the lawe of God ought to be moued with hope of the reward or whether rather he should only haue a regard to goodnesse righteousnesse and gods pleasure To aunswere to this question I thincke that thys must be the first grounde that a man is not only appoynted to some certein end wheÌ as god doeth nothing rashly or by chaunce but also he is appoynted to many endes which neuerthelesse are so ioyned together that they do mutually serue and helpe one an other by a certain order How maÌ is appointed to an end First we are created to set forth the glory of God then that by the sight and perfect knowledge of God we shoulde come to be happy and that whilest we liue here we should lyue together among our selues in an acceptable fellowship to God Souldiours do therfore beare weapons and make warres to defende honest and iust causes and that in that sorte by whiche God in his lawes hath commaunded to be defended which men moreouer ought so to be encouraged to bring this thing to passe that thoughe there were no other reward or gift comming vnto them yet ought they to enterprise it Moreouer men vse to fight to defend their country wiues children kinsfolkes friendes And if so be that they besides these looke for iust stipeÌdes whereby they may honestly norishe both theÌ selues theirs no man will counte that for a vice in them For what things we may auoyde wicked actes For the Apostle hath sayd in the first Epistle to the Cor. Who goeth on warfarre at his owne cost But now to descend to things more perticular when any maÌ tempereth him selfe from any grieuous wicked act he ought to do the first to the entent he may obey the coÌmaundementes of God as it is mete Then that therby he may escape either eternal or ciuile punishementes Moreouer that he may not offend the myndes of the brethren and plucke them backe from a holy conuersation and pure life by his wicked example and finally that by his wickednesse he prouoke not the wrath of God either against him selfe or his familye or against the people Wherfore it is manifest that the end of our actions is not simple but sundry and manifolde And this being thus finished and concluded we must diligently take hede Whiche end is to be preferred before the rest that when many endes are set before vs we may preferre that before the rest whiche by good right excelleth the rest For if it should be otherwise done and if those thinges whiche are hindermost and of smaller valew should be preferred before the better we should be iustly condemned for peruertyng the order of thinges Wherfore we must take hede that we directe not God him selfe or the worshipping of him either to our owne commoditie or els to any other endes For theÌ should that surely happen vnto vs which Augustine doth so
rewardes for gods sake which he loueth not for thy sake By these words is gathered that we may loue gayne and rewardes for gods sake for it is lawfull to embrace the meane endes for the last and chief goodnesse Neither are we forbidden but that we may sometymes wishe for meat drincke and cloth and such thinges as are nedefull for this lyfe yea and Christ hath commaunded by expresse wordes that we should aske them and he hath promised them to those whiche seke for the kyngdome of God for he hath sayd first seke the kingdome of God and these thinges shal be ministred vnto you Wherfore it is true that these may be so hoped for regarded and receaued of God as gifts and rewardes and not as the principall thinges For they also are to be referred to a farther end according to Paules most wholesome admonition who hath written whether we eat or whether we drinke or whether we do any other thing let vs do it to the glory of God And finally seyng God him selfe his glory What is the foundation of earthly promises beneuolence fauour are the roote and foundation of other promises and of euery rewarde so often as we shall beholde these other thinges for as much as they are comprehended in those former thynges we must neuer suffer to haue one separated from an other but in the latter continually looke vpon those whiche are first Wherby as Augustine hath geuen vs counsell we shall loue nothyng besides God which for his sake we should not loue And thus much of this said question In latter promises the firste are continually to be beholden now we will returne to the history For as muche as it is now manifest that it was lawfull for Chaleb to set forth a rewarde to all them whiche should conquere the citie of Debir to encourage them to performe that whiche they ought otherwise of duety to haue done it was counted no sinne in Othoniel of whome we now entreate couragiously to fight for the obtayning of a wife whiche he knew otherwise to be acceptable to God 14 And it came to passe as he went she moued him to aske of her father a fielde and she lighted of her Asse and Chaleb sayde vnto her What wilt thou 15 And she aunswered him geue me a blessing for thou hast geuen me a drye lande geue me also springes of water And Chaleb gaue her springes both aboue and beneath In the xv chap. of Iosua where all these things of Achsah and Othoniel are rehearsed in maner by so many wordes Dauid kimhi onely thre differences are perceaued in the word One is that which is here Techitioth and Alioth is there Techitith Alith Moreouer there it is said Tinna here is Hicah Lastly there is Scadah here is Haschadah R.D. Kimhi hath noted these things For the interpretors of the Hebrues are most precise yea in obseruing the very prickes I would they were as quicke in sight diligeÌt in rendring reasons of annotatioÌs Hachsah persuaded prouoked her husband to aske the field of Chaleb her father which I therfore tell you bicause the Latine traÌslation is corrupted For it hath that the husbaÌd persuaded the wife to aske the field of Chaleb The pollicy of Achsah Furthermore by this we may consider the sharpenesse of the witte of a woman She therfore moueth her husband to aske the field bycause she was persuaded with her selfe that her father would not deny him that whiche he should aske She thought moreouer that if her husband obtayned the field she should easely by her selfe afterward obtayne the waters wheras if she should haue asked them both at one time namely the field and the waters it might peraduenture be hard to obtayne both together But if the field were first geuen to her husband her father might be couÌted very hard if he should deny his daughter the waters she requiring theÌ of him And in asking she wisely watched a fitte tyme namely when she should be brought to her husbaÌd for then parents are wont to shewe theÌ selues more geÌtle towardes their childreÌ wheÌ they se that they shal be by by taken froÌ theÌ Wherfore thoughe they were at other times hard theÌ yet they somwhat relent In this reason of the petitioÌ I haue followed Leui the sonne of Gerson Leui the sonne of Gherson who expoundeth that Hachsah would therfore haue her husbaÌd to aske the ground first that she might the better afterward desire the waters But R. D. Kimhi in interpreting of the boke of Iosua sayth that he namely Othoniel would not aske it D. Kimhi wherfore the womaÌ her self was constrayned by her selfe to aske her father And this semeth to be the meanyng of this interpretor Chaleb had before geueÌ vnto his daughter the field as laÌd for her dowry the soyle wherof was dry barreÌ wherfore the witty maydeÌ toke occasioÌ to aske that it might be fertile thoroughe water But howsoeuer it be it skilleth not much let vs only deligeÌtly marke this that Chaleb was liberal honorable For that he graunted his daughter both the waters aboue the waters beneath She lighted of her Asse She lighted to declare her due obeysaunce towardes her father and to make her peticion the more acceptable and she so lighted that she kneled on the grounde with her knees as the Hebrew word signifieth For the Hebrewes vse that worde Sanach when they will signifie a stake or wedge or any such thyng to be driuen To be shorte she asked vpon her knees those thinges whiche she desired Rebecka also as it is written in the booke of Gen. wheÌ she sawe Isaak to whom she was brought for to be hys wife she lighted of her camele wheron she sat Neither let vs meruayle that Achsah beyng the daughter of a prince rode on an Asse Asses are very vsed in Siria seing that in Siria Asses are very muche vsed for this kynd of beast whiche is of his owne nature cold is more vsed in hotter countreys than in regions towarde the northe And as we shall heare in this historye fifty sonnes of a certain iudge road vpon fiftye Asses Mephiboseth also the nephew of Saul the kyng and Balaam the Prophete vsed this kynd of beaste Riuers fountaynes of waters are muche set by in Siria Why GOD brought hys people to drye regions Neither is it in vayne that this request for waters is so diligently described in this place for as muche as Siria hath grounde fertile enoughe but that it waÌteth water here and there Wherfore it commeth to passe that riuers and fountaynes of waters are muche estemed in those places And God of purpose brought his people to these so drye regions neither would he haue them dwell in watery places that they wayling for water might continually depend vpon hym and thereby might haue the better occasion to pray the oftener to the heauenly father and the more seruently to
obserue his commaundements Neither hath God him selfe left this his counsell vnmeÌcioned of in the holy scriptures The Hebrewe maydeÌs which had dowerye landes myght marye out of their own tribe Such things as Chaleb geueth his daughter belong as some thincke either to the dowery or to the augmentatioÌ therof whiche might be done by the ciuile law of that nation For it was not forbidden the wiues might not geue ground and landes to their husbandes in the name of a dowery so that they maryed in their owne tribe and familie as now Achsah was geuen to Othoniel who assuredly was of the same tribe and familie that she was of But if she had maryed in an other tribe it had not ben lawfull for her to geue grounde and landes to her husband by the name of a dowery For God had commaunded and that diligently and precisely that grounde and landes in especiall commyng by inheritaunce should not be alienated from their families for mariages sake And the daughters of Zalphead gaue an occasion of this lawe makyng as it is written in the booke of Num. the 27. and 36. chap. For those maydens hauyng no brethren obteyned of God by Moyses that they might not be put beside their Fathers inheritaunce but that in the deuisioÌ of the lande of Chanaan those landes might be assigned vnto them whiche should haue ben geuen either to their father or to their brethren But this was expressedly commaunded them that they should not mary out of their owne tribe and familie Whether husbandes in the olde tyme receaued doweryes of their wiues But whether husbands receaued doweryes of their wiues before the law it is vncertain The seruaunt of AbrahaÌ rather gaue giftes to Rebecka thaÌ receaued for as much as he brought with him golden and siluer vessels in the name of Abraham and Isaak to be geuen to his wife But there is no meÌtion made of the maydens dowery Iacob also serued for his wyues so farre was he froÌ receauyng any thyng of theÌ in the name of a dowery SecheÌ also the sonne of Hemorh inordinately louyng Dina the daughter of Iacob with whome he had committed fornication sayd vnto the sonnes of Iacob Increase her dowery as ye list I will refuse no condition so that I may haue your sister to wife How be it I can not tell how the custome of the auncient fathers in not taking but geuing doweries to wiues which they shuld mary ought to be coÌmeÌded yet I thought good to rehearse those thinges which I haue read of this matter by the way And to begyn with Magadorus as it is in Plaucus in his comedy Aulularia when he should take to wife the daughter of a poore maÌ Magadorus of Plautus being also without dowery commendeth hys counsell by these wordes If sayeth he other men would do after my example the Citie would then be in better concorde and enuie should not be so ryfe among vs as it is They namely the wiues will feare vs the more and we shall kepe them with much lesse cost c. When I consider these things they seme to be very wisely spoken For now then it happeneth that one citie is after a sort deuided into two parts wheÌ as the daughters of poore men are without hope to mary with them that be more riche either bicause of the smalenesse of their dowery or els bycause they be altogether without dowery For they obtayne that neuer but by a certain happe or els very rarely Wherfore the richer and mightier sorte are much enuied grieuously hated of the poorer sorte Besides that wiues that haue good doweries do not feare their husbandes yea they contemne and despise them countyng them as vnworthy to be matched with them in mariage Lastly their ornamentes and lustes can not be satisfied but with extreme charges Plutarch sayth in the Apothegmata of Licurgus Plutarch wheÌ he was demaunded why he had coÌmaunded by a law that virgines should mary without dowery he aunswered to the intent some should not be left vnmaried for pouertie sake or other some should be to much laboured for and estemed bycause of their riches but that euery man diligently considering the manners of the maydens might chose him a wife by her vertue He sheweth also in the 30. probleme The lawe of Decemuiri that a bride brought to the bridegromes house onely a distaffe and a spindle The Decem viri of Rome decreed also by the lawes of Solon that a woman should be without a dowery and should bring from her fathers house onely thre garmentes also certayne vessels of smal price bycause they would declare that the fellowshyp of mariage is not confirmed by money but by the loue of children These certainly agree very trimme with that whiche is written of Paul and VulpiaÌ in the Pandectes of gifte betwene the husband and the wife It is written also of the Egiptians The custome of the EgiptiaÌs that if they receaued dowery of theyr wiues they should be then counted as their wiues bondemen Whiche custome did manifestly teache that it seemeth both full of ignominie and also vnprofitable to seke a dowery for wyues when as nothing is more noble than libertie and nature hath ordayned that the husband should rule the wife The maner of the Spaniardes And it is written that the Spaniardes had a custome that the wyues should bring to theyr husbande 's a distaffe with flaxe on it in steade of a dowery I coulde make mencion of a great many besides to shewe that all the men in the olde time allowed not that husbandes should haue doweryes geuen them when they maried their wyues But certainly the lawes of God make mention very oftentymes of a dowery And I am assured that it was vsed somewhere before the lawe In Exodus he which had defiled a virgin was bound to mary her so that her father were content which if he were not then was he coÌpelled to geue her a dowery as the lawe sayth the dowery of virgins is Furthermore in the first booke of kinges .ix. chap. Pharao gaue for a dowery vnto Salomon which had maryed his daughter Gazar a citie whiche he had taken from the Chananites Besides this the Romane lawes whiche otherwise are most ful of equitie of all other lawes do make much mention of doweryes and haue many whole titles in whiche this thing onely is entreated of But now seyng we are come thus farre The definition of a dowery it were good to defyne what a dowry is that therby we may the eassyer knowe howe much of godly men is to be attributed vnto it in contracting of matrimonyes A dowery is a right to vse things whiche are geuen to the husband by his wife or by others in her name to sustayne the burthens of matrimonye And althoughe a dowery be properly sayd a right of vsyng yet notwithstanding those thynges which are geuen vnto the maÌ are oftentimes called by this
For there are haue bene very many which haue maried wiues cleane without any dowery yea those meÌ of so great honestye and authoritie that it should seme very rash to condemne their fact seing the holy scriptures are not against it neither do I iudge that matrimony should by any meanes be denied to those womeÌ which are without dowery if thei haue nede of matrimonye Paule furthermore testifyeth the matrimonye shadoweth the coniunction of Christ with the church wherfore if we should loke vpoÌ the truth the church had nothing which it could offer vnto Christ in the name of a dowry yea rather as Ezechiel teacheth God found it rolled in bloud and myre The fathers in the old testament seme to haue had wiues sometimes withoute dowries Wherfore it semeth to be decreed the men may and that it is lawfull to receaue doweryes when they are geuen that the same custome is honest so that the iust meane be not exceded and he which marieth be not allured to matrimony by the name of the dowery as the principall cause The manners and godlinesse of the wyfe ought chiefly to be regarded neither ought any man by and by to persuade himself If I shal marry a wife without a dowery I shall therefore haue her the better and the quieter Ierome The wyfe of Law seing as Ierome declareth in his fyrst booke against Iouinian Cato Censorius had Actoria Paula to wyfe who was borne of a base kinred who was poore also and without a dowerye and yet for all that shew as a dronckard weake and proud vnto the same Cato 16 And the children of Keni Moyses father in lawe went vp oute of the citye of the Palme trees with the children of Iudah into the wildernesse of Iudah that lieth in the south of Arad and went and dwelt among the people In the conquering the citie of Hebron and Debir there is mention made also of the children of Moyses father in law they were Ethniks in dede by kinde Of the Kenites but they wer ioyned with the Israelites in will and fayth from whoÌ also in the fyrst ofspring of kinred they wer not straungers for as much as they came of Madian the sonne of Abraham by his wyfe Keturah And the same Kenites constantly abode with the Hebrues tyll theyr captiuitye into Babilon for as much as the Rechabites came of the Kenites as it is written in the booke of Paralipomenon But why they were called Kenites it is vncertaine But some thinke that it came of this bycause the sonne of Iethro namely Hobab the brother of Moyses wife was called Kin by an other name He therfore in the beginning with his familye dwelled together with the Beniamites in the fieldes of Iericho when the Israelites passing ouer Iordane vnder Iosua possessed the city of Iericho But after when they sawe that the tribe of Iudah possessed the cityes of Hebron Debir they went vnto theÌ and dwelt more coÌmodiously in the plaine of Harad although they had no certayne houses but liued continually as it were in tentes The citie of Palmes Although some suspecte the citie of Palmes to haue bene Engaddi yet moste part of the expositours interprete it to be Iericho with whom Iosephus de Antiquit Hebr. agreeth and also Paraphrastes Caldaicus yea and the booke of Deut in the xxxiiii chap. testifyeth the same For as much as that citie had a notable groue of Palmes of a hundred furlongs Strabo which thing Strabo also testifyeth And yet we may not thinke that the Kenites reedifyed the citie of Iericho for it was accursed by the commaundement of Iosua who amongest other thinges published this as it is to be beleued in the name of God namely that he which should attempt to repayre it should wrappe himself vnder the curse which came to passe in very deede For in the time of Ahab the wicked king one Aiel builte it vp agayne but to his own great hurt Fo his two sonnes Abiram Segub perished wheÌ the citie was in repayring as it is written in the first boke of kings .xvi. chap. But the countrey or ground thereof belonged by diuision vnto the tribe of Beniamin The fielde of Iericho beloÌged to the tribe of Beniamin And these Kenites as it semeth had pitched tentes there eyther for warfare or els for keping of shepe in which thei liued for a time eyther about the cicie or els betwene the decaied places of the city And there was a regard had vnto theÌ in distributing of the land in assigning of fieldes as Iosephus also testifieth according to the promise made vnto theÌ by Moyses which is writteÌ in the x. chap. of Num. And it is thought to be very lykely that their lot was in the tribe of Iudah which being not yet possessed by the children of Israel they dwelled as it is said in the land with the Beniamites in the field of Iericho This exposition semeth ful and manifest inough Kimhi But Kimhi followeth an other opinion and thinketh that the children of Israell when they after they had conquered Hebron and Debir in the time of Iosua had determined vtterly to destroy the citie of Iericho vnderstanding that the Kenites dwelte there lyke straungers as I thinke bycause they came of the stocke of Madian before they ouerthrew al the city they called them away that they might not perish with the other Chananites The same curtesie dyd Saule shewe vnto them when he should make warre agaynst Amelek as it is writteÌ in the fyrst booke of Samuel xv chap. For he commaunded the Kenites to depart least they shoulde be destroyed with Amelek and he shewed a cause namely bycause they were good and gentle vnto the Israelites comming vp out of Egipt Kimhi addeth moreouer that Amelek and the Kenites were of a farre contrarye affection toward the Israelites For the Kenites loued theÌ wonderfull wel But Amelek hated theÌ deadly Wherfore eueÌ as god had bound himselfe by an othe the warre should be continually made agaynst Amelek so would he haue the Kenites recoÌpenced alwayes with benifites This interpretation should be very likely if this departing of the Kenites froÌ Iericho were not put by our history after Hebron and Debir were conquered But Iericho was conquered of Iosua fyrst of all after he had passed ouer Iordane and certainely before he had gotten Hebron Debir Besides thys oure historye entreateth eyther of the Kenites whiche remayned in Madian or ells of those which had ioyned theÌselues in fellowship with the people of Israel It semeth that this can not be spoken of the first wheÌ as Iericho is not in Madian yea it is farre distant froÌ thence but if we shal vnderstand this to be spoken of those which came with Israell how shuld it be vnderstand that they dwelt in Iericho before Iosua toke it Moreouer it is not found in the texte of the history that they were called forth as Kimhi writeth but it is
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 theÌ 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 coÌmon 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 theÌselues 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 coÌmon 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 theÌ 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
thinges beyng added as it seemed good vnto sundrye men neuerthelesse after a sorte they mighte bee borne withall neyther can they iustly be accused eyther of superstition or els of Idolatry Rites were not like in all churches The churche of Millayne Howbeit they were not a lyke in all Churches neyther were they obserued after one maner For yet in the Churche of Millaine it is otherwyse vsed after the institution of Ambrose But afterward the RomaneÌ Antichristes corrupted all thynges as I shall declare in an other place And that by the olde institution were obserued those thinges whych I haue mencioned Tertulian I coulde easely proue by most auncient wryters Tertullian in hys Apologye sayth we assemble and gather together that wee praying might embrace one another as though we would make a rushing into God with our praiers This violence is acceptable vnto God We pray also for Emperours for their ministers powers for the state of the world for the quietnes of things the tariyng of the end These things declare the suÌme of the collects And for the rehearsing of the Scriptures hee addeth wee assemble together to the rehearsal of the holy scriptures if the quality of the present time doth compel vs either to foresee any thing or diligently to acknowledge any faults we do assuredly fede our fayth wyth holye woordes wee erecte our hope wee fyxe oure confidence and yet we continually repeate discipline by inculcating the preceptes of God Ther are also exhortations castigations and sharpe iudgementes of God for there was iudgement with great waight c. These are the thinges whych wer done in the holy assembly Wherunto those thinges are also to be added which the same authour saith in an other place namelye that the Lordes Supper was wont to be receaued at the handes of the chiefe Ministers c. We may by these woordes perceaue the principal partes of the Masse which we haue made mencion of Iustine the Martyr in his second Apologie maketh mencion that the Christians assembled together on the Sonday Iustine martyr but he writeth nothing of other feast daies There he saith was rehersed the holy scriptures whereunto the Byshop dyd afterward adioyne his exhortation Which being finished saith he we ryse and pray He addeth afterward The bread and drinke is brought to the bishop ouer which he geueth thankes as earnestly as he can to whom all men answer Amen These two words declare that they wer not carelesly to be passed ouer First thankes were not geuen rashlye but with as muche earnest as might be that is with a singular affection Moreouer it is manifest that all these thynges were spoken with a loud voyce seing al the people answered Amen Afterward saith he is distributed the Lordes supper then is the common geuing of thankes and the offering of almes Dionisius in Hierarchia Ecclesiastica maketh mencion almost of these same things namely of the reading of the scriptures singing of Psalmes CoÌmunioÌ Dionisius and other thinges which wer to long now to rehearse But which is muche to be maruailed of he maketh no mencion of the offering of the body of Christ The workes of Dionisius ar not hys whych was the Areo-Pagite Yet we must not thinke that he was that Areopagite of whom the Actes of the Apostles haue mencioned But whatsoeuer he was it is not to be doubted as farre as I can iudge but that he was an old wryter But why I can not thincke that he was an Areopagite these are the reasons that leade me thereunto First bycause the kinde of writing which he vseth especially of the names of God and de Hierarchia celesti containeth in it rather the doctrine of vayne Philosophye than the pure doctrine of Christian religioÌ and vtterly wanteth edefiyng moreouer those bookes ar in a maner voyd of testimonies of the holy scriptures Monkes were not in the churche in the Apostles tyme. Furthermore in his Hierarchia Ecclesiastica hee maketh Monkes as a myddle order betwene a Clarke and the Lay men When as in the Apostles time that kynde of life was not yet in the Churche Besides this the auncienter Fathers neuer made mencion of those bookes which is a good argument that those wrytinges wer none of that Martyrs doing Gregory the Romane was the first of all wryters that made any mencion of him who in one of his Homelies mencioneth of his writinges But let vs leaue him and come to Augustine Augustine That father in his .59 epistle to Paulinus when he dissolueth the .v. question expoundeth the .4 words which ar written in the .1 epistle to Timo. the .2 A place to Timothe expounded 1 Tim 2. chap. And these are the woordes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And he affirmeth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to go before the celebration of the sacrameÌt but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he maketh prayers which are said in the administration of the sacrament wher after a sorte we vow our selues vnto Christ and he thincketh ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to bee peticions and requestes with which the Minister of the Church prayeth for good thinges vnto the people standing by And finally ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he affirmeth to be the coÌmon geuing of thankes I could to these bring a great many more monuments of old writers but that I thinke these are sufficient at this present But now to returne to the name of Missa Note an other kind of mission I see ther haue bene some whych haue thought it to haue ben deriued of the word Missio that is sending bicause those thinges which wer offered of the faithfull were sayde to be sent and they thyncke that this hebrewe woorde Missath gaue the occasion to that name bycause in Penticoste the Iewes vsed to send gyftes But why I doo not thyncks the name of Missa to be deriued of the hebrewe woorde I haue before declared And nowe I adde this that if Missa were so named of the oblation of thinges which wer geuen of the godly then do the Papistes abuse that name who haue no regard at al to the almes of godly men but onely to the oblation of the bodye and blood of Christe which they commonlye boast and that impudently that they doo offer it vnto God the father for the quicke and the dead But of these thinges I thinke I haue spoken inough and inough 34 And the Amorrites draue the childreÌ of Dan vnto the mouÌtain for they suffered them not to come downe into the valley 35 And the Amorrites began to dwel in the mount Heresch in Aialem and in Saalbim and the hande of Ioseph preuailed so that they became tributaries 36 And the coast of the Amorrites was from the going vp of the Scorpions and from Petra and vpward They of the tribe of Dan distrusting the mercy and fauour of God wer driueÌ by the Chananites or Amorhites into the hilly places wher they were scarse
condition ioyned with it as it may be in absolute and simple sentences when as the successe depeÌdeth 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 childreÌs 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 commauÌdementes 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 aÌger 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
highe priest of the old Testament Moreouer what did the high priest Aaron and his successors in the old testament whose office was both morning and euening perpetually to minister at the tabernacle For as theÌ wer not the courses of the priests distributed by Dauid Salomon and Ezechias Vsed they not their wiues Vndoubtedly they broughte forth children But they say that then it ought to haue bene done forasmuch as the successioÌ of the priest hode was by carnall propagation neither might the priestes he taken out of any other tribe then out of the tribe of Leui. But nowe that we are losed from that law and that we may euery where haue ministers of the church it is mete that they be without wiues I wil aske these men who was the author that the high priests the priests in the old time should be continued by carnal propagation It is meruelous if they grauÌt not that God was the author I wil therfore conclude that they make theÌselues wiser then god who is most wise who also suffred willed prists to vse matrimony He might haue taken priests out of euery tribe and commaunded continency But he would not do it But these men dare do more then he hath commaunded Farther let them tel vs whether there were ministers in the primatiue church or no The ministers of the primitiue churche had wiues and vsed them Canons of the Apostles vndoubtedly there were yea and those had wyues yet for all that they perpetually both taught and ministred That they had wiues the histories declare the Canons do testifye these Canons in especiall which ar of the Apostles whervnto our aduersaries thinke we must so much leane vnto For there we reade that he is accursed which teacheth that a priest ought to despise his wife I am not ignoraunt that there are certayne wily heades whiche by triflinge wordes do so auoyde the place alledged as though it were onely to be vnderstaÌd as touching meate and drinke and clothing for which thinges they say a prieste ought to prouide for his wife when he is seperated from her As thoughe a wyfe is not more dyspysed from whome the due beneuolence is taken awaye then if she should be neglected as touching meat and drinke and clothing The councel also of Gangrensis decreed Concilium Congrente that he is accursed which putteth difference betwen the oblation of a maried priest from others Here also least they should be counted dum they say that a maried prieste is taken for him whiche was once before maried and not he whyche is presentlye maried whiche they thinke happeneth when eyther the wife is deade or elles if they be seperated the one from the other Who maryed folkes are But graunt which of these two wayes thou wilt yet one of the clergy can not be called a maried man For they are maried folkes whiche both loue together and are not seperated one from an other And that the ministers in the primitiue church had wiues and vsed them the history of Nicolaus the Deacon sufficiently declareth And it is hereby also easely proued bicause if ministers accoÌpanied not with their wiues Sircius Pelagius and other Romayn Popes should not haue neded to haue made so many prohibicions that it should not froÌ thence forth be done for these tyrans coÌplained that it was so done therfore to theire power by decrees ordinaÌces threatnings they forbad the vse of matrimony to ecclesiastical meÌ which they should not nede to haue don if such matrimonies had not then bene in vse At the length they deny not but that so it was but they fly to thys that we must haue a respect vnto the times attribute somwhat to necessity For in the primityue church as they say was there a great waÌt of ministers wherfore they wer fayne to chose them out of euery state of men therfore ther were very many of them which wer maried at the time But now that the church is encreased we are not vrged with that necessity wherefore iustly it is decreed that onely vnmaried folkes should be chosen The primitiue church had greate aboundance of ministers But I would haue these meÌ to remember with themselues that in that first tyme when the heat of the holy Ghost did so much abound there were a greate many mo whych were mete for the ministery theÌ now ar by reason of the great aboundance of grace spiritual giftes Besides that the church when it was extended and increased it then neded many more ministers Farther an other necessitie oppresseth vs more grieuously Men are ãâã weaker bycause men at this day are more weake than they were then which their Popes also deny not For in the dist 34. chap Fraternitatis Pelagius iudgeth that a certaine Deacon which was to be promoted whiche had coÌmitted whoredome and yet hauing a wife of his own should be more gently intreated bycause in these dayes not onely bodies are febled but also vertue and maners If they be not ignoraunt of this weakenes of our times which is farre greater than it was in the olde tyme they ought not from thence to take away the remedy where they perceaue a greater necessitie Neither is it mete that they should dissemble the necessitie of this age whiche obiecting vnto vs the maner of the old Churche dare lay against vs the necessitie therof There is on either side necessitie and therfore if there be a consideration had of the one let there be also a consideration had of the other There are some amongst them which say Whether it be lawfull to mary a wife after orders receaued that ministers in the old tyme had wiues and somtimes vsed them but they deny that after they had taken orders it was at any tyme lawfull to mary wiues Vndoubtedly they erre For in the sinode of Ancyrana as it is written in the decrees the 28. dist chap. Diaconi it is decreed that if a Deacon while he is in ordering Synodus Ancyrana shal deny when the state of coÌtinency is required of him and shall testifie that he wil not lyue without a wife if the same Deacon after he is ordeyned do contract matrimony he may not be hindred but may frely execute his ministery By which place we are manifestly taught that it was lawfull to coÌtract matrimony after orders receaued â Gratianus Which Gratianus sawe well ynough and therfore he writeth that as touching that Synode a consideration ought to be had both to the time place For it is obserued in the east Church which in promotions of ministers admitte not the promise of continency but as touching time he addeth that as yet this continency of Ministers was not then brought into the Churche but if thou shalt aske when that counsell was had we answere as it also appeareth by the same decrees vnder Syricius and Innocentius which liued in the time of Ierome and Augustine But it is a
wonder to see how Tyranny hath increased Howe punishments agaynst the clergy which mary haue dayly increased ConciliuÌ Neocaesariensis and impiety by litle and litle taken depe rootes At the begynnyng the Ministers of the Church which contracted matrimonies were not altogether so seuerely handled For the counsell of Neocaesariensis as it is recited in the dist .28 chap. Presbiter coÌmauÌded such to be put onely out of their office and not from their benefice for they were still norished and receaued their stipendes from the Churche Neither in the meane tyme will I ouerpasse that the couÌsel did cast out of the Church such Priests as wer adulterers and whoremongers namely in excommunicating them which was very mete and iust when as our men now a dayes do altogether winke at those sinnes After that they began not onely to put them out of their offices but also as they speake to remoue them from their benefices as it is written in the 33. dist chap. Eos chap. Decreuerunt yea and those which so maried they banished either into a monastery or into some straight place to do penaÌce but in our tyme they burne many of them And afterwarde they raged also against the women with whom the Ministers had maried as it is founde in the dist 81. Concilium Toletanum out of a certaine counsell holden at Toledo chap Quidam where it is commaunded that the women should be sold And in the dist 34. chap. Eos they are appointed to be seruauntes of that Church wherin the Priest was which hath contracted with them into seruitude and if peraduenture the Byshop could not bring them into seruitude he should commit it vnto the prince or lay Magistrat They banished them also sometimes into a monastery to do penance as it is read in the 34. dist chap Fraternitatis Neither were they content with this cruelty but the children also whiche were by such matrimonies borne would they haue to be seruauntes of that Church wherin their father had ben they depriued them of al their fathers inheritauÌce And that is written in the 15. question the last chap CuÌ multae They do so not punish their adulterous sacrificers and whoremongers neither their harlottes nor yet their bastard children they onely exercise their cruell tyranny vpon the wifes of Priestes and their lawfull children At the laste when they haue almost no other thyng to bring they flye vnto theyr vowe as to a holy anchor They crye out that that must vtterly be kepte and therefore it is not any more lawfull for Ministers to mary bycause when they are ordeyned they do vowe sole lyfe Vow of vniust thinges are of no force As thoughe it were not both by the holy Scriptures and also by humane lawes commaunded that a vowe promise or othe shoulde be of no force if it compell vs to an vniust or vnhonest thyng And who seeth not that it is a thyng very filthy and agaynst the lawe of God that he whiche burneth in filthy luste yea and so burneth that he dayly defileth hymselfe with harlottes adulterers and vnlawfull Vsu veneris should be forbidden matrimonye Vndoubtedly the holy Ghost hath commaunded matrimony to all such as can not kepe themselues chaste yea and the fathers which in this matter are more enemyes to vs than they should sawe this Wherefore Ciprian as touchyng holy virgines Cyprian whiche had vnchastly behaued themselues sayeth If either they will not or can not kepe themselues chast let them mary Ierome Epiphanius Ierome also feared not to wryte the same vnto Demetrius Epiphanius also agaynste the Catharis sayeth It is better those whiche can not kepe themselues chast to mary wyues and sinne onely once than dayly to wounde their myndes with vnpure actions But the opinion of this father I do not in this thyng allowe bycause he affirmeth that those do sinne whiche when they haue made a vowe of chastitye do contracte matrimonye for as longe as they do obeye the voyce of GOD they charge not themselues with sinne Neither do I allowe that his reason wherein he sayth that one sinne is to be committed to auoyde a greater onely this I meane to shewe by his wordes that matrimony is very necessary to suche as can not kepe themselues chaste But I will entreate no more of this thing at this present for I haue aboundantly spoken of all this question in my booke of Vowes And the children of Israel ascended vp to her for iudgement Some affirme that this was done at certayne appoynted dayes so that the Israelites shoulde come to her house as to a certayne oracle and to an interpretor of the lawes of God Or els then they ascended vnto her when he was inspired with the spirite of Prophesye And vndoutedly it is very lykely that she then called the people together when she had any thyng to shewe vnto the Israelites in the name of God And they are sayd properly to ascende bycause in passing ouer the mount Ephraim they came vnto her 6 And she sent and called Barac the sonne of Abinoam out of Cedes Nephthalim and she sayd vnto hym Hath not the Lord God of Israel commaunded thee to go and leade vnto mount Thabor and take with the ten thousand men of thee childreÌ of Nephthalim and of the sonnes of Zebulon 7 And I wil bring vnto thee vnto the riuer Kison Sisera the captayne of the host of Iabin with his chariots and his people and I will deliuer him into thine handes 8 And Barac sayd vnto her If thou wilt go with me I will go but if thou wilt not go with me I will not go 9 Who answered I will surely go with thee but this iorney that thou takest shall not be for thine honour for the Lord shall delyuer Sisera into the hand of a woman So Deborah rose vp and went with Barac into Cedes Deborah vseth the authoritie of a prince when she citeth Barac vnto her and commaunded him to be called in her owne name he came from the Citie of Cedes That was a Citie of the Priestes in the tribe of Nepthalim and also a Citie of refuge as it is read in Iosuah the 19. chap. Hath not the Lorde God commaunded thee She vseth an interrogatiue speache for that very muche profiteth to stirre vp mindes and earnestly to commaunded any thyng Some thinke that Deborah had more than once yea often tymes admonished Barac in the name of god to accomplishe this office and he for feare lingered it Wherefore she at the last openly and before the Israelites reproueth them And it is as muche as if she should haue sayde In very dede it is God whiche hath commaunded thee these thynges That whiche I speake is not myne inuention I tell thee this thou must take in hande by the counsell and will of God To preceptes are ioyned promises And in these wordes of the Prophetesse may be obserued a maner much vsed in the holy Scriptures
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 worshiâpe 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 wheÌthey 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 coÌdempned 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 sedicioÌs 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 hâs 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 âretor 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 wordâs 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 violeÌce 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 hââe 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 coÌming of the enemyes the spirit of the Lord did put
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 hâbite 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 vnderstaÌded 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 accoÌplished 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 commeÌtaries 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 coÌcubines 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 meÌcion 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
there is no true God whiche wil be worshipped that way Or els this is the sense of it that the Israelites did wonderfully fal from the true God bycause they did not onely worship Baal but they so worshipped him that they vtterly forgot the god of their fathers and grandfathers altogether abiected the worshipping of hym Which thing they vsed not alwayes to do for many tymes they so allowed outward gods that yet in the meane tyme they retayned some part of the olde worshipping Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Gideon That happened vnto theÌ which must nedes come to passe When we departe from the true God the offices of charity are neglected for he whiche is euill agaynst God can not be good to men An example of ConstaÌtius the Emperor This vnderstoode the Emperor Constantius the father of Constantine who thought that they would not be faithfull vnto him whiche for to kepe still their dignity departed from the worshipping of Christ Gideon in dede deserued so to be punished but they ought not so to haue dealt against hym especially seing they behaued not themselues so for the reuenging of religion To shewe mercy is a phrase much vsed of the Hebrues and it is read in many places in the holy Scriptures neither signifieth it any thing els then to do good and to be of a gentle louing and ready minde to helpe those whiche haue nede And that whiche is nowe spoken by a certayne anticipation comprehendeth the narration whiche we shall heare in the chap. following of the calamity and destruction of the house of Gideon In the meane tyme let vs consider the nature of the worlde it is wonderfully infected with the vice of ingratitude we see in a maner no notable or excellent gifte bestowed vpon any man whiche by the children of this worlde is not recompensed with great ingratitude We must not besiste froÌ wel doyng bycause of ingratitude And yet for this occasion we must not suffer our selues to be withdraweÌ from doyng good least when as other are euill we imitate them in departing from our office Let vs go forward to do good vnto our neighbours and brethren who if they be thankful let vs chiefly reioyse for theÌ Why God permitteth ingratitude in the worlde and afterward for our selues But if they be otherwise let vs turne our selues vnto God himselfe for whose cause we do rightly decreing with our selues that we must not haue a regard what the sinnes of meÌ deserue but what God requireth of vs or what is decent for vs remembryng the God very often permitteth the vice of ingratitude in the worlde wherby our mindes may be the more erected vnto him for whose cause all our thinges are to be instituted and let vs so direct vnto him those things which we do that we require nothing of this world to be reÌdred vnto vs as a reward Farther wheÌ we see that meÌ do for the most part after this maner reward those with great euils whiche haue done them much good we may cal to remeÌbraunce the life to come where shal be rendred vnto euery man according to his workes Whiche thing if we had not a coÌfidence that it shall one day come to passe we should vtterly take away the prouidence of God ¶ The .ix. Chapter 1 THen Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Sechem vnto his mothers brethren and spake vnto them and to all the famely of the house of his mothers father saying 2 Say I pray you in the audieÌce of all the men of Sechem whether is better for you that all the sonnes of Ierubbaal whiche are 70. persons either that one man reigne ouer you Remember that I am your bone and your fleshe 3 Then his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of al the men of Sechem all these wordes and their hartes were moued to follow Abimelech for sayd they He is our brother 4 And they gaue him .70 peces of siluer out of the house of Baal berith wherewith Abimelech hired vayne and light fellowes whiche followed him 5 And he went vnto his fathers house in Ophra and slew his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal seuenty persons vpon one stone Yet Iothan the yongest sonne of Ierubbaal was lefte for he hid himselfe 6 And all the men of Sechem gathered together with al the house of Millowe and came and made Abimelech king by the playne of the image whiche was in Sechem The destruction of the house of Gideon is declared the detestable vsurpation of tyranny Abimelech went as I suppose from his fathers house for he vnderstoode that he could not there easely go about that whiche in his minde he purposed He was minded to bring into Israell the power of a king and being otherwise a priuate man went about to alter the state of the publique wealth Which thing was vtterly vnlawfull For that forme of gouernement whiche the Hebrues then vsed was instituted allowed by God euen as it is written in Exodus and Deuteronomy Wherby is also gathered that if at any time the people would haue a king he ought to be created whom the Lord appointed Farther if they should haue appointed a kyng by humane reason so great a dignity pertayned not vnto him whiche was borne of a concubine It semeth that it should rather haue bene geuen vnto the other sonnes of Gideon and to the first begotten before the rest It is good to marke by what guile he worketh He accuseth his brethren Abimelech accuseth his brethren vniustly as though they affected the kingdome VVhether saith he is it better that I or they reigne As though he would say one of these two thinges must nedes come to passe and except I obteyne the kyngdome they will clayme it vnto themselues which was vtterly false For they weÌt about no such matter yea it is rather to be thought but they followed their fathers steppes who when the kingdome was offred him refused it Therfore it is very likely that they as legitimate children would follow the example of their father He goeth to those men chiefly whom he hoped would soone be wonne to come vnto him namely vnto the kinsfolkes of his mothers He vseth glorious reasoÌs First he declareth that the rule of one alone is better theÌ the dominon of many And that is most easy to persuade humane reason Wherfore Homere sayth It is not good the many raigne let there be one Lord. Homerus Aristotle Whether a kingdome be better then âristocratia or no. Which verse Aristotle bringeth in his Metaphisikes Whiche thing in dede might be grauÌted as touching the institution perfection of the nature of man For in a kingdome occasions in deliberatyng are not ouerpassed and corrupted and the execution of things decreed is not delayed and slacked as we see often happeneth where many beare rule But in this corruption of nature it semeth to be otherwise for as much as in it hangeth a daunger
that most grieuous leâst the kingdome should fall into the hands of a wicked man Wherfore it is better to retayne Aristocratia that is the gouernauÌce of many good men Abimelech vrgeth not wiâh the other argument as he did before namely the publique vtility but the proper coÌmodity of his kinsfolkes I am sayth he your fleshe and your bone As though he would haue sayd When I am created kyng I will chiefly haue a regard vnto you I will increase you with riches dignity and power Wherfore it is better for you to chose me for your king being your kinseman rather then a straunger He sayth that he is their flesh and bone when as yet he was more fleshe and bone of his brethren and of his father whiche was dead For children pertayne more vnto the father then to the mother But this fellow lieth in all things and speaketh to get fauor What to be fleshe bloude of any maÌ signifieth and that guilfully It is an Hebrew phrase to be the bone and flesh of any man Laban spake so vnto Iacob when he required of hym Rachel for a wife This sayd the Israelites also vnto Dauid when they created hym kyng And Paul to the Ephesians sayeth that we are the members of Christe fleshe of his fleshe and bones of hys bones for as much as he is our head and the head of the Churche as the husband is ioyned vnto the wyfe In summe it is a speeche whereby is declared the greatest coniunction that may be The reasons of Abimelech are confuted Abimelech offendeth most grieuously in these reasons First in that he affirmeth that it is better that one do rule and that the gouernement of many is to be auoyded here I say he deceaueth and is deceaued bycause this thing was not to be weighed by the nature thereof but by the worde of God for we must not obey humane reason but the commaundementes of God Farther he deceaueth the Sichemites wheÌ as he sayth Ye are my fleshe and my bone for althoughe we must haue a respect vnto our kinsfolkes yet that must be done without any preiudice of the publique wealth or breach of the coÌmaundementes of God Wherunto thou mayst adde that in electing Magistrates a regard must be had to the commoÌ coÌmodity not to a proper profit But the people is moueable especially to sedicions tumults therfore the Sichemites ar coÌtent with the reasons of Abimelech and gaue him money whiche they would not willingly haue done for lawfull vses Why the money was in the Temple The money was in the Temple either bycause it was gathered of oblations and therfore as holy there kept or els bycause it was then the manner as in the olde tyme it was at Rome that the common money should be kept in the Temple of Saturne whiche was the threasory Seuenty peeces of Siluer Some interprete it a pounde of Siluer other some Siluer peeces of money But whatsoeuer it was this summe we can not know precisely and exactly But this is certayne if they were peeces of money we must thinke they were of a great deale more weight then are ours for an hoste could not be hired for so small a price What manner of men Abimelech adioyned vnto him And the men with got them to this warre are set forth by two wordes of very great signification Rikim that is vayne poore Pechizim that is light and hedlonge And as R. Dauid affirmeth in libro Radicum these men are vnderstande to be light chiefly in science or knowledge in whiche signification the same worde is read in the Prophete Zophonia the 3. chapiter Euen at this daye also suche men are ready to go on warfarre namely beggerly fellowes whiche haue wasted and consumed their goods and whiche are light hedded yea hedlong to take vpon them and to do any wicked acte And that commeth hereof bycause they are lyght in science or knowledge that is they want iudgement and ryght reason Warre maye sometimes iust be made Vndoubtedly warfarre is a thyng lawfull and iust if a man vse it ryghtly For for as muche as the holy Scriptures doo teache that the Magistrate beareth the swoorde to reuenge wicked actes and to defend the good it followeth that he may arme souldiers and call together his Citezins to a iust warre Wherfore Christian men in the old time went on warfarre when they were compelled to take wages euen of Ethnike princes For the army of the Thebeians was holy for they were al in a maner slayne for Christes sake and Christian souldiers sometymes when the host was almost destroyed with thyrste by prayers thorough Christ obteyned water of GOD. But amonge these holy souldiers Hyred souldiers are not coÌmendable are not those hired warriers woorthy to be numbred whiche for three crownes a month sticke not to put theyr lyfe to sale strayghtwaye offer themselues and runne vnto euerye one that calleth them when they heare a Trompet or a Dromme and addicte themselues to hym that offreth them most hauyng no regard at all vnto the cause whiche they defend The Sechemites if they had bene wise ought The sinnes of the Sechemites when they had heard the accusation agaynste the children of Gideon to haue enquired whether the thyng were so or no and when they had founde it so they ought to haue brought them to the Senadrim that they might by theyr iudgement haue bene punished Senadrim was an assembly of 70. Elders But if they had founde it otherwise it was their parte to haue chastned and kept vnder Abimelech as a false accuser But they did otherwise they consented to the coniuration and gaue the common money vnto Abimelech At the least they should haue remembred this that to them whiche were but certayne members of that publique wealth it pertayned not to create a kyng Examples of murtherers of kinsfolkes At the length he procedeth to the murther of his brethren vndoubtedly a heynous crime whiche as it shal be declared sprange of a very great ambition An accustomed example both in the holy Scriptures and also in the Ethnike histories Cain slewe Abel Ioseph was solde of his brethren Ioram the sonne of Iehosaphat as it is in Paralip the 21. chap. slewe all his brethren Absolom also an vngodly sonne spared not euen hys own father Romulus among the Ethnikes slewe hys brother Remus and Domitianus slewe Titus Bassianus Caracalla also slewe Geta. And vndoubtedly tyme woulde not serue me if I should rehearse all the examples of lyke sorte I am not ignoraunt that these manquellers pretended some excuses for theyr wicked acte but they were but vayne Firste Pretences of murtherers of their kinsfolks they pretended that they for the publique wealthes sake destroyed their brethren and kynsfolkes whiche were all desirous to be kynges bycause the kyngly power An aunswere of Alexander the great Cicero whiche one pertayneth onely vnto one can not be very
maner Bassianus Caracalla wheÌ he had destroyed his brother Geta. And not to ouerpasse our Abimelech God as we shall heare sent an euill spirite betwene hym and the princes of Sichemites and either party was taken with a certaine furie so that at length they destroyed one an other 7 And they told it vnto Iotham who went stode on the toppe of mount Gerizim lift vp his voyce cried said vnto them HerkeÌ vnto me ye men of Sechem that God may herken vnto you 8 The trees went forth to anoynt a king ouer them and sayd vnto the oliue tree reigne thou ouer vs. 9 But the oliue tree said vnto theÌ should I leaue my fatnes wherw t by me they honor God man go to aduance me aboue the trees 10 Then the trees sayd vnto the figge tree come thou and reygne ouer vs. 11 But the fyg tree aunswered them Should I forsake my swetenes and my good fruite and go to aduance me aboue the trees 12 Then sayde the trees vnto the vine Come thou and be kinge ouer vs. 13 But the vine sayd vnto them Should I leaue my wyne which maketh mery both god and man and go to aduaunce me aboue the trees 14 Then sayd al the trees vnto the bramble Come thou and raign ouer vs. 15 And the bramble sayde vnto the trees If ye wyll annoynte me kynge ouer you come and put your trust vnder my shadow and if not let the fyre come out of the bramble and consume the Ceders of Lebanon 16 Now therfore if ye haue done truly and vncorruptly to make Abimelech king and if ye haue delte well with Ierubbaal and with his house if moreouer ye haue done vnto him according to the deseruyng of his handes 17 For my father foughte for you and aduentured his life to deliuer you out of the handes of Madian 18 And ye are risen vp against my fathers house this day and haue slayne his children .70 persons vpon one stone and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his mayde seruant king ouer the men of Sechem because he is your brother 19 If ye I say haue delte truly and vncorruptly with Ierubbaal his house this day reioyse ye with Abimelech let him reioise with you 20 But if not let a fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Sechem the house of Millo Also let a fire come forth from the meÌ of SecheÌ and from the house of Millo destroy Abimelech 21 And Iotham ranne away and fled and weÌt to Beer and dwelt there from the face of Abimelech his brother Iotham the brother of Abimelech inspired as it appeareth with the spirite of god threatneth that punishments are at hande both for him and for the Sechemites He ascended vpon the mount Gerizim The citye of Sechem whiche was nere vnto the citye of Sechem In the booke of Genesis 34. chapter there is mention made of this city at that tyme Hemor the father of Sechem possessed it who rauished Dina wherefore the citye was destroyed by Simeon and Leui. And afterwarde Iacob gaue it vnto Ioseph Ierome A place of Genesis is expouÌded to haue it besides his common lot in the lande of Chanaan for his posterity as we rede in the same booke the 48. chapter Wherefore it was in the tribe of Manasses and as Ierom in his Hebrew questions vpon Genesis testifieth Iacob was there healed of his haltyng which he got by wrastling wyth the aungell as it appereth in the same boke the 34. chap. namely that he came Salem to the city of Sichem And we must know that Salem there is not a name of a city but signifieth safe and sound Otherwise Salem longed not to the Amorhites but to the Iebusites whiche afterwarde was called Ierusalem In his Epistle to Eustochius whych conteyneth an Epitaph of Paule the same Ierome writeth that this city lay situate by the side or roote of mount Gerizim and in his time it was called Neapolis and it longed vnto the Samaritanes And the same is it whiche Iohn maketh mencion of in his Gospel the .4 chapter wher it is written Sichar but as Ierome sayth by a corrupt word for it should haue bene written Sechem Thither went Iesus when he went out of Iewry into Galile But the mount Gerizim and Eball lay one ouer agaynste an other and in one of them euery yeare were recited blessings The Mountes Gerizim Eball and in the other cursings Thither did Iotham ascend peraduenture at that time as some suppose when the multitude was assembled according to the institution to heare the blessings and cursinges of the law Whiche thinge yet to speake as it is semeth to me not verye likely for as much as I rather beleue that for the worshipping of Baal that ceremonye was omitted and partelye because it seemeth that the multitude did for this cause assemble thither with a solemne assemblye to constitute Abimeleche theyr new kyng Wherefore in that solemnitye Iotham spake these thinges vndoubtedly by the holy Ghost as the euent taught The suÌme of his oration conteineth an exprobation of the wickednes which they had coÌmitted and a threatning of most grieuous punishments And that the thinge mighte be made more playne and manifest before theyr eyes he vseth a most elegant Apology Of a fable and Apology What a fable is Augustine AN Apologye they saye is a kinde of fable And they define a fable to bee a narration of a false thing fayned for coÌmodities sake or oblectation Or as Augustine sayth in his .2 booke and .11 chapt de Soliloquiis a fable is a lye made for delectation althoughe properlye it cannot be called a lye For the falsenes is strayghtway found out and specially in Apologies For in them are brought in insensible or vnreasonable creatures talking one to an other and entreating of matters very weighty And as sone as the hearer perceaueth that straightway he vnderstandeth that the thing is fayned and not so done in dede And vndoubtedly certaine thinges in fables are very likely Certain fables are likelye and some are not and some are most farre distante froÌ probability For it is very likely that sometyme there arose a coÌtention betwen Aiax and Vlisses for the armor of Achilles which was iudged at the length vnto Vlisses and that Aiax therfore toke such a displeasure that becomminge madde he slewe himselfe But contrarywise it is altogether improbable that a woman was turned into a plant or into a stone An Apology Wherfore an Apology may be counted a fable which is not likely The kindes of a fable What fables are to be repudiated what to be admitted Filthy fables are to be repudiated The kinds of a fable are Comedies Tragedies Satires and Narrations of Lirike and Heroike Poetes also Apologies But which of these fayned things are lawfull and which are vnlawfull thus may be discerned They which haue fylthinesse scurility that is mirth
of Isaschar That tribe was the lowest and obscurest tribe but god hath no respect to persons The state of this pub weal was most excellent namely Aristocratia wherin god chosed Iudges indiffereÌtly out of all the people And there was none which could iustly complayne that his famely could not be exalted to the highest dignity of rule which thing happeneth not in a kingdom For all the kinges came of the famely of Dauid The sonne of Pua Ben Dodo That word is ambiguous darke for it may be both a nowne proper and a nowne appellatyue If it be a proper nowne as the Chaldey Paraphrast supposeth we must say that Thola had to father Pua that Pua was the sonne of a certaine man named Dodo But other thinke that it is a nown appellatiue and that signifieth an vncle and hath a pronowne affixed vnto it of the third person And some vnderstand that by that pronown is referred or signifyed Abimelech as though it were noted that Pua was the vncle of Abimelech which sentence som of the Hebrewes allow Yea and the lattin interpreter to expresse that sentence and that there might be no darkenes therin addeth the name of Abimelech But how Pua shoulde be vncle vnto Abimelech and so the brother of Gideon beinge of an other tribe it seemeth meruellous bicause tribes were not mingled one with an other Some aunsweare that it mighte be that they were brethern on the mother side but yet not on the fathers side For such womeÌ which had no inheritaÌce maried ofteÌtimes in other tribes but so did not they which had inheritance that the lands and inheritance should not be confouÌded wherfore it might easly come to pas that ether her husband beyng dead or she by him repudiated maried agayne in an other tribe And by this meanes Gidion Pua may be bretherne although they came of suÌdry tribes But that those daughters whych were inheritors might not mary in an other tribe it is by many examples confirmed Saule otherwise a Beniamite gaue his daughter to wyfe vnto Dauid who was of the tribe of Iudah Iehoida a prieste of the tribe of Leui maryed the daughter of king Ioram whych was of the tribe of Iuda as it is written in the latter booke of Paralip the .22 chap. Aaron a Leuite maryed Elisaba the daughter of Aminadab of the tribe of Iuda Wherfore there ar two opinioÌs one is of them which thynke that Dodo is a proper name Now a maÌ mai be the sonne of his vncle and the other of those which say it is a name appellatiue The third opinion is that that annexed pronown namely of him is to be turned his so that this Thola had one and the self name to his father to his vncle which bi the ordinary meanes was not lawful yet was it detested when a man dyed without children for then the brother maried his wife namely him of whom he was begotten and the other which was dead whose name he bare and was made his heyre This sentence lyketh mee well for it very aptly declareth how a man might be the sonne of his vncle c. 3 After hym rose vp Iair a Gileadite and hee iudged Israel .xxii. yeares 4 And he had .xxx. sonnes that rode vpon .xxx. Coltes and they had .xxx. Cities whych are called Hauoth-Iair euen to thys day are in the land of Gilead 5 And Iair dyed and was buryed in Camon Of what tribe this Iair was appeareth by this woord Gilead which is repeated for Manasses had Machir to his sonne who begat Gilead And his name was coÌmune with the mount wherein Iacob and Laban made a league and named the place Gilead bicause there they raised vp a heape of stones for a wytnes Eusebius Câsâriensis Eusebius saith that the backe of this mount tendeth to Arabia and Phenicia and is ioyned with the hyls of Libanus And this mount hath a City of the same name Machir conquered that City and gaue vnto it a name which was coÌmon both to his sonne and to the mount Wherefore Iair was of the Tribe of Manasses a man hauing plenty of children for he had .xxx. And no maruaile when as then they vsed to haue many wyues His children was no Rascals or coÌmon people yea they were horsmen which is thus described which rode vpon .30 Asse colts This Hebrue woord Air signifieth either a Colt or an Asse Dauid Kimhi according to which sence are signified .xxx. Mules or the colt of a Mare as R. D. Kimhi expoundeth it Neither were they onely horsmen but also riche for they possessed .30 Cities bicause euery one of them was ruler of a City wherfore their father must nedes be very noble They were called Hauoth-Iair Bicause they wer not enuironed with a wall And were so called euen to this day namely euen vnto Samuels tyme who they say was authour of this booke In the booke of Numbers the .xxxii. chap. it is written Iair tooke many Cities from the Chananites and they were called Hauoth-Iair Wherefore it is demaunded whither he were the same man of whom we now speake or whether he were an other I doo not thinke that he was the same forasmuch as betwene them both there were .300 yeares passed He was a certaine other man distinct from this Iair of whom we nowe speake but yet hee was of the same famely and paraduenture this was his Neuew for they which are of the same famely doo for the most part retayne the names of their kynred Vnto this Iair came those Cities whych that other Iair tooke from the Chananites Wherfore the places agree but that it is not the same man This Iudge therefore is noble when as the twoo former were but of a base famely Neither doth Nobility anything hinder to gouerne a publike wealth if self trust and insolence be taken away yea rather they haue examples of their Elders excellent stirringes vp to vertue and very many helpes to gouerne thinges well And it is not vnlikely but that the people vnder these two Iudges rightly worshipped God in long and quiet peace otherwise God would not haue geueÌ them so long a time of rest But after them the Hebrues turned againe vnto Idolatry 6 And the chyldren of Israel wroughte wickedlye agayne in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Astharoth and the gods of Aram and the gods of Zidon and the gods of Moab the gods of the children of Ammon and also the gods of Pelisthim and forsooke the Lord and serued not hym 7 Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kyndled against Israel and he delyuered them into the handes of Pelisthim and into the handes of the chyldren of Ammon 8 Who from that yeare vexed and oppressed the children of Israel xviii yeares euen all the children of Israel whyche were beyonde Iordan in the land of the Amorrhites whych is in Gilead 9 Moreouer the chyldren of Ammon went ouer Iordan to fyght also against Iuda and
the soÌne of God who hath geuen himself for me Hereof springeth that confidence which Paul had when he said Who shall lay accusation against the elect of god It is god which iustifieth c. Wherefore if god accuseth vs not neither will our hart accuse vs when we beholde Christe For we haue now confidence towardes god and we shall obtaine And whilest wee are conuerted vnto Christ not onely accusation and sinne is abolished but repentance also is augmented as we now see is done in the Hebrues 15 And the children of Israel aunswered vnto the Lorde we haue synned doo vnto vs whatsoeuer is good in thyne eyes onelye wee pray thee delyuer vs thys day 16 Then they put awaye their straunge Gods from among them and serued the Lorde and hys soule was grieued for the miserye of Israel 17 Then the chyldren of Ammon gathered together and pytched in Gilead and the children of Israel assembled them selues and pitched in Mizpa 18 And the people and Princes of Gilead sayde euerye one to hys neyghbour whosoeuer wil begyn the battayle against the chyldren of Ammon shal be Captaine ouer al the inhabitantes of Gilead The repentaunce of the Hebrues profited god aunswered very sharpelye The propertye of true repentaunce I wyl not heare you But they crye againe Doo what seemeth good in thine eyes that is what soeuer pleaseth thee This vndoubtedly is to repent when we are not onelye repentaunt for the synnes which wee haue committed but also wee willingly suffer what soeuer pleaseth god A notable example is set foorth vnto vs in that they put away their straunge gods and woorshipped the true god It is not sufficient to take awaye euyll thynges excepte in the place of euyll thinges we substitute thinges that are good Many haue taken awaye Masses idolatries and superstitions and yet haue not woorshipped god trulye bicause he is not woorshipped by woordes but by true fayth good woorkes But ther are very fewe which embrace these thinges And hys soule was grieued Contraction ampliation of the mynde Thys Hebrew woorde Tiktsad signifieth to drawe together When we reioyce and are merye the spirites in vs are made more ample but when wee are sorye the spirites are contracted vnto the hart So it is said that God contracted hys soule Affections are improperlye attributed vnto God and was after a sorte sory for the miseries of his people This kinde of speeche is not proper of God but improper For God is not sory neither is he touched with affections Wherefore it is a speeche after the condition of men For often times those thinges are ascribed vnto god whych are noted to be in men ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And often tymes thinges which happen vnto men are ascribed vnto God For men are fyrst grieued for the miserye of an other before they haue compassion of them Therfore bicause God doth that which men do that ar grieued that is bicause he helpeth it is said he his grieued which thinges happeneth in men that helpe those that are in misery Such a kinde of speche is ther in the booke of Numbers the .21 R. Moses Maimon chap. The soule of the people was faint bicause of the iourney for that wildernes grieued the people But R. Moses Maimon sayth that this woorde Catsad signifieth not onely a minde but also a wil which being before ready to reuenge did now after a sort withdraw it self Howbeit the first interpretacion seemeth to hang wel together The Ammonites on euery side grieuously oppressed al Israel but bicause Gilead was a notable City and wel fensed they determined therfore first of al to conquer it But the children of Israel pitched in Mispa so far from thence that they could not easelye succour those that were besieged Wherfore the Gileadites in so great a daunger thought they had nede of a captaine for the administration of thinges for the state consisting onely of the people there could be nothing well done vnles some one man were made ruler ouer them Euen after the same maner as the Romanes were wont in great dauÌgers to create a Dictator Wherfore the Giliadites saw that they needed a Captaine but who that should be they could not easely prouide VVho so euer say they wyl begyn the battayle agaynst the Chyldren of Israel let hym be our heade Peraduenture they had desired a captaine of the Lord and receaued an answer that by this token they should know who should be receaued as their captaine namely he which first shoulde begyn the battaile against the enemies Such signes God somtimes vsed without any voice or outward oracle as whan he promised the seruant of Abraham that she should be Isaacs wife which should geue drinke vnto the Camels It maye also be that the Citizens decreed so among themselues that the chiefe man of the city being stirred vp with the desire of the rewarde might the more couragiouslye and cherefully fight against their enemies In this maner Chaleb when hee besieged Hebron encouraged the mindes of his soldiours Whosoeuer said he coÌquereth Hebron I wil geue him Achsa my daughter to wife With which promise Othoniel being moued coÌquered the City was made the sonne in law of Chaleb So in these hard times when things wer in great daunger it was necessary to vse such couÌsel But what if he which first would haue begon the battaile against the aduersaries had bene a naughty and wicked man What I say shoulde then haue bene done What also if he had bene vnmeete to gouerne the publike wealth although he had had warlike strength This obiection maketh me rather to allow the first sentence that is that the signe was offered of God and therfore they were sure that he would not geue them an euill captaine Although as touching the question we may thus answer All ciuil promises are so farforth to be kept as they may be performed by honest wayes right meanes that is so much as conscience and the woord of God wil suffer ¶ The .xi. Chapter 1 ANd Iiphtah the Galaadite was a mightye man the sonne of an harlot and Gilead begat Iiphtah 2 And Gileads wyfe bare hym sonnes whiche when they wer come to age thrust out Iiphtah and said vnto hym thou shalt not inherite in our fathers house For thou art the sonne of a straunge woman HEre is set foorth vnto vs Iiphtah a man abiect and obscure not as touching his Tribe for he was of the Tribe of Manasses but as touching his mother for he was the sonne of an harlot Wherefore his brethren thrust him out as a bastard The name of his father was Gilead who seemeth to haue bene so called by the name of the mounte and citye And that man had not onely this bastard to sonne but also he had other which wer legitimate children Wherfore though Iiphtah had a noble man to his father yet that nothing profited him bycause he was a bastard and not borne in lawful
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 strauÌger 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 signifycatioÌ 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 LegeÌ 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 childreÌ of CoÌcubines after the maner of the Iewes they wer legitimate as we haue before taught But the Romaynes counted theÌ 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 wheÌ 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 wheÌ 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
may geue somewhat vnto natural childreÌ yea they succede though they be not put in the will when there ar no other children But yet they succede not in the whole but onely in two twelue partes as appeareth in the Code de Naturalibus liberis The ecclesiasticall cannons in the law Licet patri But the bastard was so farre of from succeding the father that he could not desire of him so much as should serue to finde him as it is in Code de incestis nuptiis in the law ex coÌplexu But the Ecclesiasticall Cannons deale somewhat more gentlye for they permitte that a bastard should haue somewhat geuen him to find hym withall as it is Extra of him which maried her whom before he had polluted with aduoutry in the chapter Cum haberet And herein both the lawes of god and man do agree Neyther as I haue before sayd were these lawes written of hatred or cruelty agaynst bastardes but that at the least by this meanes the filthy lustes of men should be kepte vnder Howebeit this I will not ouerpasse that by the lawes of the Romaines the bastarde myght succede his mother as it is had in the Digests ad Senatus consultum Tertul. L. 1. he may also complayne of his mother if she leaue him out of her wil as it is had in the digests de inofficioso TestameÌto L. 29. which is to be vnderstand except the mother be noble And why bastardes are not counted in the steede of children and ar depriued of their fathers inheritance Augustine Augustine besides these reasons which I haue before brought bringeth also an other out of the holy scriptures For it is writteÌ in Leuit. the .20 chap. He that commeth to the wyfe of his vncle shall dye wythout children But sayth he many ar born also of incest whose parents are not childles He aunswereth that the Lord so speaketh in the lawe bycause such ar not counted for children Wherfore theyr fathers are iustly sayd to be without children althoughe they haue children bicause it is al one as if they had none And bicause such children are conteÌned of the father Bastardes proue oftentimes worse then other children Chrisostome Plutarche neyther are they rightly brought vp nor chastised oftentimes they proue worse then the other Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes the .12 chapter in his 29. Homely exhorteth the people to think that god doth like a father when he chastiseth vs for the father neglecteth vnlawfullye begotten children and bastardes Wherefore god when he chasteneth doth part of a true and lawfull father Plutarch in his Problemes the .103 Probleme saythe that the Romaynes had foure surnames so that some were called Cnei and other some Caii and those names they noted by two letters onely or by three Wherefore he demaundeth whye Spurius that is a bastard was written by these two letters Sp. bicause sayth he the fyrst letter S signifyeth Sine that is without P Pater that is a father bycause he was borne of an vnknowen father Althoughe that maye also be applied vnto Posthumos that is such as ar borne after theyr father is dead but to them it was not coÌtumelius to be called Spurii For. Sp. Melius Sp. Cassius and other of that name were very notable citisens We haue harde the law of God and the ciuill law now let vs see the Cannons In the decrees distinction .56 chapter Presbiterorum What the Cannons decree of bastardes Chrisostome bastardes are not suffred to be admitted vnto holy orders vnles they wer first brought vp in monasteries as though by this meanes they might be amended But the Canons which afterward follow are somewhat more gentle Chrisostome vpon Mathewe in hys .4 Homely as it is in the same place recited chapter Nunquam teacheth that so to be borne ought not to be hurtful vnto the children For if a man haue bene a thiefe a whoremonger or a murtherer and then repent him his former life shal not be hurtefull vnto him much lesse oughte the sinne of the father to be hurtefull vnto the child yea rather if the child behaue himselfe wel he shal be so much the more notable and worthye of more prayse in that he hath not followed the steppes of his father Ierome Ierome in his Epistle contra Ioannem Hierosolomitanum ad Pammachium as in the same decrees appeareth in the chapter Nascitur Bastardes sayth he are not to be contemned for they haue the hande of god to make them Gregory neyther did god disdayne to make them and to geue them a soule c. Gregory also in the same place in the chapter Satis peruersum sayth that it is a thinge vnworthy that the child should be so punished for the pleasure of the father that he shoulde not be promoted vnto the holye ministerye Ierome in the same place chapter Dominus If Christ in his genealogy vouchsafed to reckeÌ bastards why shall not we then admitte them to the ministerye c After these Cannons whiche are somewhat fauorable vnto bastardes What the father hindereth bastardes is brought out a stronge argument on the contrarye parte Whoremongers saye they do seme to poure in a certayne power into the seede whiche power passeth also into the children wherof follow euill inclinations and therof are they iudged to be worse then other bycause when they ar children they are not corrected Wherfore if they be promoted vnto the holy ministery the churche shall receaue dammage Yet at the last it is added in the chap. Cenomanensis if there be any that are notable they maye be admitted vnto holye orders but yet not that it shoulde be a generall rule of all but onelye a priueledge And these thinges are written in the decrees But in the decretalles de filiis presbiterorum it is had that bastardes if they be made Monkes may come vnto orders but in suche sorte that they be not promoted vnto dignities and be not made eyther Abbottes or Priors But if they liue without the monastery the bishop may ordeyne them and geue them small benefites but that is by his authority and as they commonly cal it by dispensacion But ecclesiasticall dignities must not be geuen them but by the Pope for that power he kepeth to himselfe alone The iudgment for promotinge of bastardes must be left vnto the church But suche releasinges of Popes and bishops tend onely to gayne The iudgemente of these thinges shoulde haue beene left vnto the churche which ought herein to haue a respect to two thinges to her owne necessitye and to the excellent vertues of him whome it will promote If the Church shall haue greate neede and he excell in vertues the manner of his byrth shall nothing let him For Paule to Timothy and to Titus when he diligently writeth of the election of bishops and priestes forbiddeth nothing of thys kynd of men But thou wilt say in the olde lawe bastardes were excluded from the ministerye
I graunte that but we ar not now bound to that law it was made onely for the detestation of aduoutry But nowe if they can much profite the churche theyr election is not to be prohibited And it is vayn which is writteÌ in the decretals that legitimates maye be chosen A trifling diuision of the decretals but bastards oughte to be reiected except with dispensation as it is had in the title de electionibus For these couloures and deceates the Romayne Byshoppes haue inuented to amplyfye theyr dominion But the sentence whiche I haue allowed agreeth with charitye and we may gather the like of it out of the ciuil law wher it is entreated of Decuriones for these wer ciuill Iudges for priuate cities and townes Bastardes might be made Decuriones Wherfore it is decreed that bastardes might be made Decuriones if necessity so required In the Digests de Decurionibus in the lawe generaliter paragrapho Debet enim The lawe therefore woulde haue that order namely of Decuriones to be ful Howbeit if an other legitimately borne were a suter to gether for the same he shoulde be preferred before the bastard So thinke I must we do in the churche that if anye man be as good and as apte for the ministery being legitimately borne let vs haue no regard vnto the bastarde who muste geue place in that lawefull case It is added in the lawe If they be honest and good the faulte of the byrth nothinge hindereth them In the same tytle in lawe Spurios and in the lawe followinge These thynges haue I therefore mencioned that we myghte vnderstande by what ryghte Iiphtah was of hys bretherne thruste oute and to see howe the Cyuyll lawes agree with the law of God ¶ Whither the sonne shall beare the iniquity of the father BVt in this place ariseth a question wayghtier and farre more hard bycause it seemeth that the sonne beareth the iniquitye of the father For he that is borne playd not the whoremonger but the father whom he could not let More ouer in Deutronomy the .5 chap. it is writen and also the same thinge is founde in Exodus I wil visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generatioÌ And the same did God repeate vnto Moses when he passed before him For among his Prophetes this also is added visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third I say and fourth And it semeth meruelous by what meanes that may be numbred among the titles of mercy This thing the Heretikes as the Martionites Valentinians and Carpocratians What the Heretikes reproue in the old testament left not vnspoken of who for that cause reiected the old testament and affirmed the author therof to be an euil God as he whiche spared the fathers that sinned and punished the innocent children being so far from mercy that he can not forget sinne but reserueth anger euen to the third and fourth generation The Iewes also tooke that in euill parte who in Ezechiel the .18 chap. sayd Our fathers haue eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth are set on edge That was as much as if they should haue sayd Ieroboam erected calues Manasses setforth idolatry must we be punished for them But the Lord aunswered by the Prophet Al soules are mine both the soule of the father also the soule of the sonne The soule that sinneth it shall dye and the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father These thinges seme not very well to agree together Some thinke that here must be vsed a distinction of euils and punishmentes A distinction of punishmentes For there are some punishementes say they whiche pertayne vnto eternal damnation and there are other whiche dure but for a tyme. And they vnderstand the place of Ezechiel before alledged of the first kinde of punishementes for as touchyng eternall saluation or damnation euery one shall beare his owne burthen And agayne the soule whiche hath sinned it shal dye Neither do they otherwise vnderstaÌd a place of Ieremy in the .31 chap. But as touchyng punishments which dure but for a tyme as are sicknes pouerty banishement death c. they affirme that it is not agaynst the iustice of God but that with these kinde of punishmentes he maye punishe the sonne together with the father and the people with the princes And in that sort they expounde that which is sayd in the law I will visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation Augustine semeth sometymes to haue allowed this distinction Augustine For in his questions vpon Iosua the 8. question when he reasoneth concernyng Achan whiche had hidden some of the thinges that were cursed for whose sinne all the Israelites were miserably afflicted and for the same cause not onely Achan was punished but also his sonnes and daughters were put to death together with him Augustine I say sayth there that those punishmentes may both profit and also hinder which thing God hymselfe knoweth and therfore he tempreth them accordyng to his iustice For god so moderateth theÌ that they do both afflicte the wicked and are not hurtfull to the good For such is his prouidence that those thinges whiche seme euill he can make good but as touching eternall punishementes bycause they alwayes are hurtfull euery man worthily suffreth them according to his euil desert No man saith he suffreth these punishments for an other mans faulte The same Augustine writeth agaynst the aduersary of the lawe and the Prophetes in his .1 boke and .16 chap. A diuision of men into regenerate and into those that are not yet regenerate There is no doubt sayth he but that in this life one is vexed for an other And agaynst Iulianus the Pelagian is his .6 booke the 12. chap. he maketh a diuision of the estate of people and sayth that some are regenerate in Christ but other some are not yet regenerate And the sinnes of those that ar regenerate are visited vnto the third and fourth generation that is vpon all their posterity And he alludeth it vnto originall sinne whiche was by Adam sowed into all his posterity But thou wilt say why is it visited vnto the third and fourth generation The same father aunswereth in his 42. question vpon Deut. bycause thre ioyned with fower make seuen whiche is a number of fulnes so that to say vpon the third and fourth generation The nomber of seuen is a tokeÌ of fulnes is all one as if he had sayd vpon all generations Which kind of speakyng Amos vsed saying For three transgressions and for foure I will not turne to it Wherfore Augustine vnderstandeth these woordes of the lawe for visityng the iniquityes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation as touching those that are not regenerate For the lawe sayeth he entreated of those whiche were vnder the lawe But Ezechiel and Ieremy entreate of menne
regenerate and of the gift of regeneration whiche should be geuen by Christ But men that are regenerate shal be iudged euery maÌ according to his own desertes and not accordyng to other mens synnes And so the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father but the soule whiche hath sinned it shall dye But before regeneration originall sinne infecteth and destroyeth all posterityes This distinction of Augustine I disalow not but I doubt whether it be sufficiently applyed vnto the meaning of Ezechiel and Ieremy Ezechiel and Ieremy wrote both the selfe same wordes in sundry places Both those Prophetes wrote these selfe same wordes The fathers haue eateÌ sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge when as yet the one was in Iewry and the other caried away into Babilone Whiche is a manifest argument that they spake both with one and the selfe same spirite But Augustine sayeth that the exposition of Ezechiel is to be sought for in the .31 chap. of Ieremy For there after the same wordes it is added Beholde the dayes will come and I will make a new couenaunt c. Wherfore that place is wholy to be applied vnto regeneration and therfore by these wordes of Ieremy the wordes of Ezechiel are to be interpreted of those that are regenerate In this manner that father thynketh this question is fully aunswered But when I more attentyuely doo weighe the chap. of Ezechiel I thinke that he speaketh of the punishmentes and afflictions of this lyfe For why complayned the people saying that the fathers had eaten sower grapes and the childreÌs teeth were set on edge Did they complaine of the payne of hell No vndoubtedly but bicause they were led away captiue into Babilone and lyued in seruitude They complayne that God semeth to deale to hardly with them bycause for as much as their fathers were idolaters yet they which had not sinned were punished For those punishementes the people lamented wherfore it was necessary that the Prophet should aunswere them of the same punishementes The soule of the father is myne and the soule of the sonne is myne The soule whiche hath sinned it shal dye These wordes therfore haue a respect vnto the punishmentes of this lyfe Although I do not deny but that it may also be transferred vnto spirituall punishmeÌtes Argumentum a minori ad maius but not vnles it be by an argumeÌt from the les to the great And that after this maner God doth not for an other mans sinne punishe with paynes which dure but for a tyme those whiche are vtterly innocent therfore much les will he punishe them with spirituall and eternall punishmentes Ierome Ierome when he interpreteth this place of Ezechiel hath the solution which Augustine also afterward followed as in his place we shall declare But the interpretations do vary bycause it is a thing obscure and the difficulty hereof ryseth bycause it can not be denyed but that God doth vexe some for other mens sakes For although C ham vncouered the filthines of his father yet the curse was transferred to Chanaan his sonne And when the Sodomites had grieuously sinned the children were also burnt together with the fathers And when Dauid had committed aduoutry God caused that the sonne whiche was borne of the aduoutry to dye Wherfore in a thing so obscure Ierome bringeth his owne interpretation but he declareth also other mens iudgementes as touchyng this question An Allegorical exposition of some First he sayth that there were very many which did vnderstand this place of the lawe That God will visite the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation allegorically of euery singular soule or man For there are in vs certayn naturall passions Foure degrees of sinnes impulsions and violences to euil or as other say first motions ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Then followeth deliberation when a man determineth with himselfe to do euill Thirdly is performed that whiche was determined Fourthly followeth boastyng of the wicked acte when he reioyseth and hath a pleasure in his sinnes So in a maner are numbred foure generatioÌs but God is so gentle that in the first and second generation that is in the first motions and in deliberation he sayth nothing and winketh at it but the third and fourth that is the perpetrating boasting he punisheth when a man both doth euill and gloryeth in his sinnes and will not repent Wherefore they say that God reuengeth vpoÌ the bowes and not vpon the rootes For maÌ as they thinke if he neither do euill nor boast of his euil may be saued althoughe otherwise he both lusteth and deliberateth to commit euill And in that maner they interprete Paul vnto Timothe when he sayth that the woman shal be saued by procreation of children so that they abyde in the fayth c. that is The soule shal be saued if it worke that which is good althoughe it haue euill motions and cogitations This interpretation do not I allowe first bycause it is Allegoricall The impulsioÌs and first motions of the minde are sinnes when as God especially in the law speaketh simply and manifestly moreouer bycause if the wordes of God should be applied vnto allegoryes they should be made vtterly vncertayne lastly bycause that whiche is sayd is not true For these impulsions and first motions are sinnes bycause both they are agaynst the law of God and also they are condemned of Christ when he sayth in the Gospell He whiche seeth a woman and lusteth after her hath committed fornication already in hys harte And he whiche is angry with his brother is worthy of iudgement For God doth not so regarde the âctes but that he much more hath a respect vnto the mynde Moses at the waters of contention sinned grieuously and yet if we diligently weighe that hystory we shall finde nothing that he committed euill outwardly But God saw the incredulity of his heart and tooke great vengeance of hym Wherfore those motions and deliberations of the minde are not onely sinnes but also are grieuously punished of God Wherfore let vs leaue this interpretation whiche Ierome also bringeth not as his owne But now to make the matter playne as touchyng punishmentes of this lyfe As touchyng punishementes which dure but for a tyme that no man suffreth whiche he hath not deserued no man can say he suffreth that which he deserueth not bicause no man is pure no not the childe that is but a day old there is none whiche hath not deserued eueÌ death why then should men say Our fathers haue eaten sowre grapes c. wheÌ as euery man shall beare his owne burthen either as touching this lyfe or as touchyng eternall lyfe But God doth not alwayes send these euils which dure but for a time as paynes and punishmentes God doth not alwayes send those euilles which dure but for a tyme as punishements but hath very oftentymes a respect vnto others endes as
Christ in Iohn aunswered of the man borne blynd Neither hath this man sinned nor his parentes that he should be borne blynd but that the glory of God should be made manifest Also Peter and Paul when they were put to death could not complayne that they had not deserued death Although God when they were killed had not a respect vnto this to punishe theÌ What God regardeth in the martyrdome of his sainctes but that by their bloud might be left a testimony of the Gospell of his sonne Wherefore seing the matter is so and we be al subiect vnto sinnes there is no cause why we should complayne that God dealeth to seuerely with vs if we be afflicted for the sinnes of our parents For God can so directe those troubles The scourges of the children profite sometymes the parentes that they shall pertayne not onely to hys glory but also to the saluation of our parentes For ofteÌtymes he punisheth the parents in the children and the prince in the people For the parentes are no les grieued for the punishement of their childreÌ then if they themselues wer afflicted If the children dye for the pareÌtes cause they haue no wrong done vnto them for death is also dew vnto then they should otherwise haue dyed Wherfore if God will so vse their death he may doo it iustly The grieues of the children are the grieues of the parents Which thing also we may affirme of other calamityes For if the sonne be vexed with sickenes he deserued the sickenes if he haue lost money theÌ hath he lost thinges transitory and vnstable and which were geuen hym on that condition that they mought easely be taken away agayn God as touching the regenerate turneth punishmeÌts into medicines Wherfore if god will with these kindes of calamityes punish the parentes in the children he can not be accused of iniustice Wherfore Augustine in his questions vpon Iosua the 8. question by originall sinne sayth he many punishements are dew vnto vs which yet God conuerteth into certayne medicines and maketh them very much to profite vs although they seme vnto vs euil For if the sonne had lyued peradueÌture he would haue followed the euill steppes of his father or els committed woorser things Wher fore if God take him out of this life he can not complayne that he is ill delt with For through the benefites of god his death redoundeth to his profite For he is taken away least by malice his heart should chauÌge And vndoubtedly we must suffer easy euils to atteyne vnto great good thyngs For so the Phisitions with a bitter purgation trouble the throte to restore the sicke person to hys former health In lyke maner when we haue deserued punishmentes God yet turneth them to good By this means discipline is kepte in the worlde And by this meanes saith Augustine a certayne discipline is established in the world For vnles it were so men would continually proue worse and worse A certayne coniunction also and society of mankinde is declared wheÌ one after this maner is punished for the sinne of an other For they whiche pertayne vnto one kingdome or City or Churche are after a sorte one body among themselues And in the body one meÌber suffereth for an other Wherfore seyng thys is so in the body it is not absurde that the same do chaunce also in the society of men Plutarche Plutarche in his booke de Sera numinis vindicta hath very well taught this The eye saith he is sicke the vayne of the arme is cut so the father hath sinned and the sonne is punished the prince hath behaued himselfe ill and the people is vexed and such compassion or suffring together is there in things humane That author iustly accuseth the rashenes of men ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whiche as often as these thynges doo chaunce do complayne that God dealeth cruelly For the father sayth he is either good or euill If the sonne of a good father be peraduenture afflicted with euill straightway they crye out that God doth vniustly neither is it meete that the sonne should be so miserably handled which had so good a man to his father But if the father be euill and the sonne come into misery agayne they make exclamation that here also god is vniust For the sonne ought not to haue ben punished when as the father sinned wherfore the common people thinke that the sonne should by no meanes be afflicted But what if the father be euill and yet all thinges go prosperously with the sonne here also they coÌplayne as he sayth of the iniustice of god For they deny it is iust that then the sonne should lyue prosperously whiche hath so euill a father These thinges this man thoughe he were an Ethnike writeth very godltly Children are certayn partes of the parentes Moreouer we must consider that children are as certayn partes of the pareÌtes and haue somewhat of the parentes in them Wherfore it is not absurde if God punish the part of the parentes in the children But I will returne to Augustine who saith the god by this meanes setteleth discipline in the world in the publique wealth in the Churche and in the famely Whose saying in any iudgement can not be discoÌmeÌded for if the children be punished for the sinnes of their pareÌtes they haue nothing wherof to complayne They owe vndoubtedly this duty vnto their parentes for of them they haue that they are Wherfore if they leaue theyr lyfe for them they haue no wrong done them For they render vnto them that whiche they receaued of them If god shoulde saye vnto them I will vse your punishment to the saluation of your pareÌtes they can by no right refuse it Iohn sayth that euery one ought so to loue his brother to be ready to lay euen his life for him And if we must geue our life for our brother how much more ought we to geue it for our father God vseth sundry instrumentes wherwith he draweth men vnto him Why then should he not vse either the sickenes or death of the children either for the chastenyng or for the saluation of the parentes Augustine in his .8 Augustine The lesser part iustly suffreth punishment for the greater question vpon Iosuah whiche I haue oftentymes alledged sayeth That it is iust that the lesser part suffer punishement for the greater as in that hystory it happened bycause of the sacrilege whiche Achan committed A fewe fel in the battaile and the whole multitude was absolued Hereby we vnderstaÌd how great the anger and vengeance of God would haue bene if the whole multitude had sinned when as the sinne of one manne was so excedingly punished And Plutarche in that booke whiche a little before I brought This thing sayth he also the Capitaynes doo in their hostes If there be any thyng commonly committed of all they put the tenth manne to death that by the punishment of a fewe the rest
may be absolued and so one is punished for an other mans faulte The maner of punishing the tenth souldier But GOD as it is sayde doth no manne iniurye for he whiche dyeth was subiecte vnto death and GOD directeth hys death to a good ende namely to helpe other that is that by thys meanes eyther the parentes or the prynces maye bee reuoked vnto repentaunce or to establyshe discipline But those thynges whiche we haue sayde can by no meanes bee vnderstande of spirituall and eternall paynes For as touching them euery man shall suffer for hys owne faulte Nowe lette vs expounde the woordes of the lawe I sayeth he am a Ielous God visityng the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the chyldren vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Ierome Augustine These last woords Ierome vppon Ezechiel the .18 chapter diligently noteth And Augustine vpon Iosua in the question before alledged Of those sayeth GOD which hate me as though he should haue sayd I wyll not touch the innocents but will take vengeaunce of their iniquity which imitate euill Fathers and hath me After the same manner he promiseth to doo good vnto children and chyldrens chyldren euen vnto a thousande generations But to what chyldren Euen to those sayeth he that loue me Wherefore thoughe the Father bee vngodly and the sonne good the iniquitye of the father shall nothyng hurte hym But if the father bee good and the sonne wicked the godlynes of the father shall nothyng profyte hym And therefore Ierome sayeth He auengeth the iniquitye of the Fathers vpon the children not bycause they had euyll parentes but bycause they imitate theyr parentes The woordes themselues doo sufficiently declare that the lawe is not to bee vnderstande of Originall synne but of that synne whiche they call actuall For then shall the sonne beare the iniquitye of the Father when he lykewyse synneth as dyd the Father Also the wordes of Ezechiel can not bee vnderstande of Originall synne as that whiche followeth easely declareth Although thys sentence that the soule whiche sinneth it shal dye maye bee vnderstande of Originall synne Euery manne hath in himself his proper originall sinne For euery manne hath in hymselfe a corrupte nature and a prones vnto euill Wherefore euery manne beareth hys owne synne For althoughe that vice were by originall drawen of the parentes yet nowe is it made ours But thou wilte saye seyng in the lawe it is sayde Of them whiche hate me and infantes for as much as they hate not God therefore it can not pertayne vnto them I aunswer That in act in dede they hate not God but by corruption of nature and prones vnto euill So a woolfe that is at full age deuoureth a sheepe A younge woolfe whiche is but a whelpe doth it not not bycause it hath not the nature of the father but bycause it is not able And thus muche as touching the wordes of the lawe But why it is sayde vnto the thirde and fourth generation and not vnto the fyft and sixt we haue hearde what Augustine hath aunswered But in my iudgement we maye saye muche more commodiously that the parentes may lyue vnto the thirde and fourth generation GOD woulde therefore so punyshe the Fathers in the thirde and fourth generation that by that punyshement of theyr posterity some feelyng myght come vnto them they beyng yet on lyue that they myght see the miseryes of theyr neuewes childrens chyldren For thys cause the holy Scripture extendeth those generations no farther When the posteritye are euill and are punished of GOD there is no doubte but that the parentes are punyshed also in them Chrisostome vpon Genesis the. 29. Homely when he interpreteth these woordes Cursed be Chanaan c. But he synned not sayeth he but hys father Cham. That is true in deede he aunswereth but Cham was a greate deale more sharpely touched with that curse then if it had bene pronounced agaynste hymselfe Thys is the powre and fatherly affection to bee more vexed with the afflictions of theyr chyldren then with theyr owne Wherefore Cham dyd not onely see that hys sonne should be euill and subiecte vnto the curse but also he sawe that he hymselfe shoulde bee punished in hym This nowe resteth to bee declared why amonge the Proprietyes of the mercye of GOD this also was recited before Moses Visityng the iniquitye of the Fathers vpon the children when as this seemeth rather to pertayne vnto seuerity But it is not so yea rather if we looke more narrowly vpon the place we shall vnderstande that it is a pointe of mercy For where the sinne was firste committed he myght strayghtwaye if he woulde iustly bee reuenged But he is so good that he wyll defer the vengeaunce vnto the thirde and fourth generation and in the meane tyme calleth backe the father to repentaunce by admonitions of the Prophetes by sermons and benefites and many other wayes At the laste when the thirde and fourth generation is come and he made neuer a whitte the better he goeth to stripes and yet he doth not then vse affliction as the laste punishement but rather as a medecine Who seeth not that all this is a woorke of greate mercye Wherefore iustly and woorthily are these wordes numbred amonge the proprietyes of mercye And it can not bee denyed but that the Prophetes were oftentymes afflicted together with the people For Ezechiel and Daniel were led awaye into captiuity and Ieremy was caste into prison and wonderfully vexed in the tyme of the siege and afterwarde goyng with the Hebrues into Egypte he was slayne For God will haue the thyng in thys manner ordered that good men may not onely ryghtly gouerne their own lyfe but also in suffryng thynges greuous they may admonishe and bryng to amendement the euill For they are conuersant together with them in the same publique wealth and Churche and are after a sorte members of one body It profiteth the iust that they are wrapped in the same punishmentes with the wicked Wherfore the good ought thus to thinke with theÌselues If God afflicte the euill we also shal be vexed together with them we shall all be wrapped with the selfe same punishement Therefore we must see that we labour for them in reprouyng and prayng for them for theyr saluation beyng neglected shall bryng euilles also vnto vs. After thys sorte we muste vnderstande Augustine when he sayeth that GOD by thys meanes establysheth discipline amonge men Bycause if the people bee afflicted for their kynges and the sonne for the father then must they labour and trauayle one for an other Neither yet do good men so lyue without sinne that God can finde nothyng in them to punishe Althoughe the afflictions whiche happen vnto the godly The afflictioÌs of the godly ar not properly punishmentes can not as it is sayde be properly called afflictions but rather excercises of fayth For so God trieth theyr fayth and whatsoeuer he doth in them he turneth it
to their good Moreouer he wyll haue theÌ to expresse in themselues their first begotteÌ brother Iesus Christ whiche suffred in hymselfe other mens synnes For this also is a certayne portion of the Crosse of Christ althoughe they are not so innocent as Christ was neither serueth their crosse any thing to redeme sinnes Daniel in his captiuity after this manner confessed hys sinnes We haue sinned sayth he and done vniustly c. He sayd not They haue sinned but we And Esaye sayeth All our righteousnes are as a cloth stayned with floures of a woman There is in deede in holy menne a certayne ryghteousnes but not such a righteousnes as they can boast of before the iudgement seate of God Wherfore if they suffer any thing they haue no iust cause to complayne But thou wilt saye Why is it sayd that God in theÌ punisheth the sinnes of other meÌ when as they also sinne We should say rather that he punisheth their sinnes and not the synnes of their parentes I answere Bycause when god hath much and longe tyme wayted that their father should repent and it nothing profited and in the meane tyme it is come vnto the third and fourth generation at the length he poureth out his anger vpon the children whiche therefore are sayd to suffer for their fathers bicause vnles the malice of their fathers had gone before their affliction might haue ben deferred till farther time But now bycause they haue fallen into the third and fourth generation the consideration of the iustice of god wil not suffer the punishement to be deferred any longer And althoughe they themselues also haue deserued those euils yet bycause they are so corrected in the third and fourth generation they owe that dewty vnto their parentes And so God feareth the pareÌtes that they should temper themselues from wicked actes and thoughe they will not for gods sake or for their own yet at the least for theyr posterities sake It also maketh the children afrayde to imitate the sinnes of their fathers least the punishmeÌt due vnto their fathers be required of theÌ Neither is it vniust that the children suffer somthing for their fathers sake for by their fathers they receaue inheritances and are aboue other honored and exalted For god did not onely make fortunate Dauid but also for his sake fauored his posterity For the kyngdome perseuered in his famely the space of .400 yeares But as touching eternall life As touchyng eternall life the childreÌ are not punished for the sinnes of the fathers neither shall the father be punished for the sinnes of the children nor the children for the sinnes of the fathers Howbeit children obteine many spirituall giftes by good fathers For Paul in his .1 Epist to the Cor. the .7 chap. sayth Otherwise your children should be vncleane but now they are holy Wherfore the children haue of holy parentes some holynes and some spirituall gift as that place teacheth And on the contrary part ChildreÌ obtein some spirituall giftes for their parentes sake by euil parentes many such good giftes are hindred neither are they heard of God beyng euill and not repentaunt when they desire spirituall giftes for their children Yet by the prouidence of God it oftentymes commeth to passe Euil parentes doo sometymes hinder theyr children of god spiritual gifts that of good parentes are borne noughty children and of euill good as Ezechias a good kyng had to his father Achaza a wicked kyng And contrarywise the same Ezechias beyng a very godly prince begat Manasses a very vngodly and cruell kyng The same also myght I saye of Iosias Thys therefore commeth so to passe least wickednes shoulde increase without measure Why good childreÌ ar borne of euil pareÌtes euill of good if of euill parentes shoulde continually bee borne euill children God putteth to hys hande and maketh the sonne borne of an euill father a member of Christe And therewith all he sheweth that his goodnes can not be hindered by the parentes thoughe they be neuer so wicked Farthermore euill children are borne of good parentes that grace should be the better knowen And that the goodnes of the childreÌ should not be attributed vnto nature whiche they haue drawen of their parentes For god will haue it knowen to be his gifte that we are saued This one thyng onely is to bee added vnto the foresayde question It is not lawfull for men to punishe the sinnes of the parentes in the children That it is in dede lawfull for god as it is sayde to punishe in the children the synnes of the fathers but that is vtterly vnlawfull for men to doo For in Deut. the .24 chap. it is commaunded That the fathers should not be punished for the children nor the children for the parentes Whiche is to be vnderstande so that the father consent not vnto the sonne or the sonne vnto the father Wherefore Achan if he had bene called vnto tryall and to the iudgement seate he should be the ordinary lawe haue peryshed alone and not hys chyldren with hym But GOD hath thys hys proper law who would haue it otherwyse done although sometymes he obserueth thys also For in the booke of Numbers the 26. chap. When Core conspired agaynste Moses he was destroyed but hys chyldren were not together with hym extinguished Samuel came of the posterity of Core yea rather they were kepte for the holy ministerye and of their posteritye was Samuel borne Amasias the kynge was praysed who slewe the murtherers whiche killed his father and slewe not their children for he had a regard vnto the law of God The cause of this prohibition Augustine bringeth Augustine God sayth he may punishe the sonne for the father bycause although he afflicte hym in this worlde yet he can saue hym in the worlde to come And this can not man doo Farther god seeth that the children are not innocentes but man seeth not that Although the ciuill lawes are herein a great deale more seuere and do punishe the children for the fathers sake as it is in the digestes In treason the children are punished for the fathers and in the Code ad I. Iuliam maiestatis yet they put not the sonne to death for the father but depriue hym of all hys fathers goods dignityes and honours Howbeit they lefte some parte for the doughters whiche parte was called Falcidia to mary them withall Otherwise the ciuile lawes agree with the lawe of god For in the Code de paenis in the lawe Sancimus it is commaunded that the punishement be not transferred vnto other either to kinsfolkes by affinity or to kinsfolkes by bloud but onely to be layd vpon the author of the crime And yet as wel this law as the other before were ordeyned both of the self same Emperours Archadius and Honorius But the cause why it was so seuerely decreed agaynst treason seemeth to be this to feare men away from this kynde of wicked crime Yet the lawes of god decree
no suche thing of that matter but this by expresse woordes they commaunde not to kyll the sonne for the father But for goods they ordayne nothyng But our aduersaryes haue transferred thys ciuill lawe of treason vnto Heretikes For they doo not onely punishe the father whiche is an Heretike but also they depryue hys children of all his goods howe iustly I will not nowe tell Of these thinges I haue made mention the more largely bycause Iiphtah was thrust out of hys fathers inheritaunce and thereby seemed to beare the iniquity of hys father Nowe wyll I returne vnto the Hystory 3 Then Iiphtah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the lande of Tob and there gathered idle fellowes vnto Iiphtah and went out with hym 4 And in processe of tyme the chyldren of Ammon made warre with Israell 5 And when the Ammonites began to fyght with Israell the Elders of Gilead went to set Iiphtah out of the land of Tob. 6 And they sayd vnto Iiphtah Come and be our captayne that we may fight with the children of Ammon 7 Iiphtah answered the Elders of Gilead did not ye hate me and expell me out of my fathers house and why then come ye nowe vnto me when ye are vexed 8 And the Elders of Gilead sayde vnto Iiphtah Therefore we turne agayne vnto thee now that thou mayst go with vs and fight agaynst the children of Ammon and be our head ouer all the inhabitantes of Gilead 9 Then answered Iiphtah vnto the Elders of Gilead If ye bring me home agayne to fight against the chyldren of Ammon and if the Lord deliuer them before me shall I be your head 10 And the Elders of Gilead sayd vnto Iiphtah The Lord heare betwene vs if we do not according to thy woord 11 Then Iiphtah went with the Elders of Gilead and the people made him head and captayne ouer them And Iiphtah spake al his woordes before the Lord in Mizpah The land whereunto Iiphtah fled was called Tob Why the landâ was called Tob. namely of the name of the possessor therof otherwise Tob signifieth good But here it is the proper name of the Lord of that land Idle men That is vaine This woord signifieth poore men and such as were oppressed for debte So also there came vnto Dauid when he fledde from Saule men that were in debt and heauy of harte And they went out with him Namely to warre agaynste the enemyes of the people of God and they liued of the spoyle For Iiphtah beyng a man banished and dryuen oute of hys countrey hadde nothynge wherewyth to maynetaine souldiers And the children of Ammon foughte We haue tolde that the Ammonites made warre agaynste the Israelites whiche is vnderstande to haue beene after Iiphtah departed from his fathers house and when he shoulde goe into the land of Tob he moued warre agaynste those Ammonites and oute of theyr borders tooke praies and booties Therefore when the Gileadites wer oppressed they came vnto Iiphtah to bringe him home agayne and by hys conducte to defende the city from theyr enemyes They desire to haue him to be theyr head bycause when they wer grieuously oppressed of theyr enemies they iudged it expedient that there shoulde be one to gouerne their thinges And firste they had decreed among themselues as we haue heard that he shoulde be theyr captayne which fyrst shoulde fyghte againste theyr enemyes but whither they did that by theyr owne iudgemente and ciuill reason or by the oracle of God the historye mencioneth not But the act or coÌdicion which the Gileadites ordeined was fulfilled by Iiphtah for he with a few souldiours assayled his enemies Therefore they seyng that they were bound to stand to theyr couenant came vnto Iiphtah and chose him captayne bicause he fyrste of all beganne the battayle agaynste the Ammonites This is worthy to be marked that the Gileadites call not Iiphtah kinge Iiphtah aâoliâted captayne not kinge but only captayne or ruler Wherfore they are not to be accused as the Sechemites were For they did chuse Abimelech kinge but these men constitute Iiphtah captaine to fight against theyr enemies now for the presente time and also hereafter when oportunity should serue And vndoubtedly they do wel and wisely in choosing Iiphtah for he was a man expert and valiant in warres But god had with himself before in secret decreed that he shoulde be iudge ouer all Israell whiche manifestlye appeareth by those woordes whiche we shall afterward heare And the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iiphtah Farther we must consider that Iiphtah therfore fled bicause his bretherne had thrust him out of his fathers inheritance neither left they him any thing to defend his life with all wherfore he had rather fly and liue in exile then to liue with ignominye in his country This vndoubtedly came of a noble stoute courage that he woulde not liue there where he continuallye hearde his byrth vpbraided vnto him and where al men counted him for a bastard Therfore he got him to an other place and exercised the arte of warrefare It is also possible that that matter came in controuersy and the Iudges to gratify the legitimate bretherne did not onely iudge that he should be depriued of his fathers goods The law commaunded not to banish bastardes but also be thruste oute of the citye and seemeth to me verye probable For when the Gileadits came vnto hym and of theyr owne accorde offred vnto hym the pryncipalytye he aunsweared Did not ye expell mee oute of the citye These woordes declare that Iiphtah was handled more seuerelye then the lawe commaunded For the law commaunded not to banishe bastardes The Gileadites aunsweare that they did so in dede but as before they coulde expel him so also nowe it was in theyr power to call him home againe and make him ruler But nowe sayth Iiphtah you call me agayne when ye are in miserye As thoughe he woulde haue saide otherwise yee woulde not haue called me againe It is so saye they and therfore we come vnto thee that thou maist fight against our enemies bicause we are afflicted But in that it is written we are turned againe we muste not so vnderstande it as though they had before bene with Iiphtah but to turne again is in this place to be referred vnto the mind as though it should haue bene sayd we haue chaunged our counsel purpose Then Iiphtah like a wise maÌ would not be satisfied with these words but required the couenants of the principality to be coÌfirmed If I sayth he shal put my selfe in daunger and god shal geue vnto me the victory shall I be your hed He did not streyght way geue credite to theyr firste woordes bicause he feared least they would not kepe promise which had before doone him such hurt nether worketh he these things priuely with them but in a place most famous What place Mizpa was namely in Mizpa There in the olde time the kinges of Chanaan assembled against
true God But especially Iiphtah which was both a bastard and a banished man and also a man of warre which kinde of men do not so much thinke vpoÌ the lawes Wherfore he voweth but not according to the prescript of the lawe It was lawful to vowe meÌ also vnto God But we must knowe that it was lawfull for the Iewes to vowe menne also vnto GOD and to dedicate them vnto hym Yea and the redemption of manne is seased in the lawe by the variety of kynd and age Hanna the mother of Samuel dedicated him from a childe to the deuine worshyppyng and it is very likely that Helkana her husbande allowed the vowe But that which Interpreters say of the virginity of the daughter of Iiphtah it cannot be gathered by the woordes of the history Yea rather it is not true although some Rabines were of that opinion but yet without example and testimony of the woord of God I know that that Hanna of whom Luke maketh meÌcion was dayly in prayers and other women for praiers sake watched continually at the Tabernacle and that the sonnes of Hely accompanied with diuers of them but the scripture testifieth not of any that vowed chastity neither did God in the olde Testament euer speake anye thing of thys kynde of vowe Wherfore this sentence And I wyl offer it for a burnt offring is an interpretacion for it expoundeth and contracteth the first part of the Oration It shal be the Lordes How shal it be the Lordes He declareth howe when hee addeth And I wil offer it for a burnt offring Other make Vau a disiunctiue The vowe of Iiphtah was vnwarly made as I haue before touched But that is not certayne Neither is the vow therfore excused but that it was vnwarely made For there mought easely haue met him a dogge as I before admonished whiche could neither be sacrificed vnto GOD nor dedicated vnto hym He went forth and smote The victory is not here onely described but also amplified namely that there fell many in that battayle and that he ouerthrewe twenty Cityes and subdewed vnder him the Ammonites 34 Then Iiphtah commyng to Mizpa to hys house beholde hys daughter came out to mete him with timbrels and daunces which was his onely child and of hym selfe he had neither other sonne nor other daughter 35 And when he sawe her he rent his garmentes and sayd Alas Alas my daughter thou hast brought me lowe and thou art amoÌg them that trouble me For I haue opened my mouth vnto the Lord and can not go backe 36 And she aunswered hym My father if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord do vnto me as thou hast promised seyng that the Lord hath auenged thee of thine enemies the childreÌ of Ammon 37 And she sayd more ouer vnto her father Do thus much for me suffer me two monethes that I may go downe to the mountaynes and bewayle my virginity I and my friendes 38 And he sayd Go And he sent her away two monethes So she went with her frendes and lamented her virginity vpon the mountaynes 39 But after the ende of two monethes she returned to her father who did to her accordyng to the vowe whiche he had vowed Wherfore she had knoweÌ no man and it was a custome in Israel 40 The daughters of Israell went froÌ tyme to tyme to lament the daughter of Iiphtah the Gileadite fower dayes in a yeare When he had gotten the victory agaynst his enemyes he returned home to Mizpa for there he dwelled And therfore we heard before how he made the couenant with the Gileadites before the Lord in Mizpa Here let vs note with howe great a moderation godly princes in those tymes made warres they prolonged them no longer then necessity required but as soone as their enemyes wer tamed they strayghtway returned home So also the dictator among the Romaynes his enemyes beyng vanquished and all thinges accomplished accordyng to his minde he straight way forsooke his office of a Magistrate Iiphtah is sayd not to haue had other children of himselfe bycause peraduenture he had by his wyfe children in lawe Yea and he might haue children whiche were adopted Of him selfe he had begotten onely this daughter And this is put in that we might vnderstande howe hearde and bitter it was vnto hym to slaye hys onely daughter Things nobly done of princes wer publiquely songe She went out to mete her father by the waye with timbrelles and daunces to reioyse for hys victory and to singe a songe of victorye for so were the thynges that were nobly done by prynces wonte to be celebrated with daunces and songes The mayden also when Saul returned came and met hym with reioysing And vndoubtedly suche reioysinges were nothyng elles then publique geuyng of thankes In that it is sayd thou hast brought me lowe In Hebrew it is expressed by this verbe Caraa as thoughe it should haue ben sayd thou hast thrust me done or thou hast humbled me of late I was puffed vp with the victory whiche I obteyned agaynst myne enemyes but thou hast thrust me downe yea rather thou hast vtterly destroyed me and brought me to nothyng for as muche as my posterity is vndone myne enemyes did grieuously vexe me and now thou my daughter also art one of them whiche trouble and afflicte me I haue opened my mouth This is a circumscription or description of the vowe He tare hys garmentes after the manner of the Hebrues when they sawe that they were ouerwhelmed with any greuous calamity vnlooked for What the fearyng of garmeÌtes signifieth they tare theyr garmentes signifyeng that they were now subiect vnto the anger of God and not worthy to be couered with garmentes I haue opened my mouth sayth he The lawe of God in the booke of Numbers the .30 chapter intreatynge of Vowes vseth such a forme of speakyng whereby myght be vnderstande What to open the mouth in vowyng signifieth that the vowe was conceaued not onely in mynde and purpose but also outwardly expressed by wordes Wherefore they were called calfes of the lippes whiche a man had promised to God not onely in mynde but also in voyce And I can not go backe sayeth he It is meruelous why he should say so For in the last chapter of Leuiticus are many thynges wrytten of the redeemyng of vowes whiche I wyll thus gather into a fewe If any had vowed a man it was lawfull to redeme hym with a pryce and there was an estimation set And therefore it was called the vowe of estimation For they vowed either themselues or theyr seruauntes or theyr children and it was lawfull for euery manne to vowe them which he had in hys power From twenty yeares vpwarde to sixty they payd for the male fifty sicles for the female .30 From fyue yeares vpwarde to twenty for the male they payd twenty sicles and for the female tenne If a manne had vowed a house vnto GOD and would redeme it the house was estemed
not such that the maydeÌ should be bounds to be killed but that she should lyue dedicated to God and should continually geue her selfe to the worshipping of god And euen as a field or house vowed with this vowe Cherem could not be reuoked vnto the first owner so say they thys maydeÌ being once dedicated vnto the Lord could not returne to her old estate Dauid Kimhi in defeÌding this seÌtence bringeth these reasoÌs First he weigheth the wordes of Iiphtah what soeuer coÌmeth out of my house shal be the Lordes I will offer it for a burnt offring This letter Vau being a coÌiunction copulatiue as we haue before said he thinketh to make a propositioÌ disiuÌctiue as if it should haue ben sayd If it be such a thing as may be sacrificed it shal be sacrificed but if otherwise it shal be the Lords it shal be dedicated vnto him Farther he sayth that the maydeÌ desired space to bewayle her virginity neither is it written to bewayle her soule or life Wherfore it seemeth that she bewayled this onely that she should waÌt a husbaÌd childreÌ But if she should haue ben offred vp she ought chiefly to haue lameÌted for her life Lastly saith he that the very wordes of the history declare this thing For it is not sayd the Iiphtah sacrificed her but did accordyng to hys vowe If he had killed her it should haue ben writteÌ And he offred her a burnt offring to the Lord. Of the same opinioÌ is R. L. ben Gerson he addeth R.L. ben Gerson that it is written in the texte And she knew no man As though hereby might be vnderstaÌd what kind of sacrifice that was And he thinketh the Iiphtah builded a house for her where she should liue a lone he permitted her fellowe virgines once in a yeare to go and se her and bewayle her virginity together with her And afterwarde he addeth that a man so dedicated ought not to lyue without a wyfe bycause the man is not subiect vnto the wyfe Samuel although he were dedicated vnto the Lord by the decree of hys mother yet had he wyfe and children But a woman beyng so dedicated coulde not marry bycause it was necessary that she shoulde serue her husbande and if he remoued any whether she should go together with hym And therefore it is written that Iiphtah dyd vnto her accordyng vnto hys vowe and she knewe no man The same sentence Lyranus embraceth Lyra. and there are of the newe wryters whiche are of greate learnyng whiche doo followe this interpretation But Lyranus pondereth these wordes And the spirite of the Lorde came vpon hym and he sayth That that spirite would not haue suffred Iiphtah to committe this murther Farther he wryteth that there were two monethes space geuen so that he mought aske counsell of the Priests But it is not very likely that he asked not then Counsell of so weighty a matter or that they tolde hym not that he myght haue redemed hys vowe Neither is it probable that thys Iiphtah constituted any thyng rashely when as the Epistle to the Hebrues calleth hym holy If thou wilt saye He did vnto her as he had vowed but he had vowed a Sacrifice and to offer what soeuer mette hym they wyll aunswere He vowed in deede but vpon this condition so that it were lawfull But when his daughter met him either he learned or els he vnderstood that it was not lawfull Wherfore if he had killed her he had not accoÌplished his vowe but should haue contaminated hymselfe But on the contrary part it seemeth wonderfull that he was so abashed and rente hys garmentes if the mayden shoulde not haue bene offred vp Farther what shoulde the virgines haue lamented her For if she shoulde not haue bene slayne there seemed no iuste cause of mournyng Moreouer if her virginitye shoulde haue bene offred vnto GOD it shoulde haue bene geuen wyth a wyllynge mynde and not wyth an vnwyllyng mynde What is chiefly regarded in vowes and in rendryng vowes thys thyng was chiefely regarded to render them wyllyngly and with a chierefull mynde Besides these thynges Iiphtah had no example in the scriptures that it was lawfull for the father to binde his daughter by a vow to kepe her virginity but God contraryly promiseth aboundaunce of children vnto the obseruers of the law in Deuteronomy the .7 and Exodus the .23 Wherfore that which God promised in the place of a great benefite the same could not be hyndred by a vowe Farthermore the arguments of the Rabines are cold and weake as afterward shal be more aboundantly declared Paul in his .1 Epistle to the Corinthians the .7 chapter writeth If the father shall determine firmely in his hart hauing power ouer his owne will to keepe his virgine vnmaried he doth well c. Why writeth he hauing power ouer his owne will If the mayden her selfe will the father may kepe her vnmaried so that she consent But Iiphtah knew nothing of the will of his daughter wheÌ he vowed wherfore he ought not to thinke his vow to be ratified when his daughter met him And if this kynd of vowe was not firme in the new testameÌt it was of much les value in the olde Testament where the vowe of virginity was not knowen But of this thing I haue spoken more in my litle booke of Vowes There were other whiche thought that Iiphtah did in very dede offer the mayden which in these tymes ought not to seme so new and vnaccustomed a thing For God required of Abraham to offer his sonne and such a vow was thought of many to be most acceptable vnto God and that opinion also did spread abrode among the Ethnikes wherfore this sentence is often spoken Thou hast asswaged the windes with bloud with the virgin slayne There are workes of Poetes whiche make mencion of Pollixena Iphigenia also Historyes of the Curtians and Decians And vndoubtedly with this exposition agreeth the Chaldey Paraphrast which among the Hebrues is in a maner in the same estimation and authority that the holy scriptures are in That Paraphrast sayth that the mayden was immolated reproueth Iiphtah bycause he asked not counsell of the hyghe priest And the same thing do al the auncient Rabines thinke which also repreheÌd the highe priest bicause he of his own accord went not vnto Iiphtah Iosephus also is of their opinion Iosephus Chrisostome Ierome Chrisostome also writeth many thinges of this matter but altogether farre from the History he followeth allegories so that in a maner no certaynty can be gathered out of him But Ierome writeth agaynst himselfe In his Epistle to Iulianus he sayth that Iiphtah was numbred among the sayntes bycause he offred his daughter But in his .1 boke agaynst Iouinianus he writeth after the minde of the Hebrues that bycause he made an euil vowe by the dispensatioÌ of god he felt his error in the death of his daughter For there mought haue
the enemyes of the olde Testament snatche occasion to speake euill of GOD the creator of the world For they called hym both an euyll GOD and a cruell Suche were the Maniches Valentinians Marcionites and suche lyke pestilences When he delighteth saye they in the bloude of manne howe can he not but bee cruell Augustine aunswereth God reioyseth not in bloud So farre is it of that GOD reioyseth in the bloude of man that he reioyseth not euen in the bloude of beastes onely he suffred for a tyme that sacrifices of beastes shoulde be offred by lytle and lytle to instructe men But what the Sacrifices of the Elders signified whiche serued to theyr erudition in that place What the sacrifices of the Elders signified he declareth not but I will in fewe woordes shewe it First was set foorth in those Sacrifices that the rewarde of sinne is death And that dyd he after a sorte testifie whiche brought the Sacrifice namely that he had deserued to be kylled but by the goodnes of GOD hys death was transferred to the Sacrifice By thys meanes were the Elders instructed that they should eschewe synnes Farther those Sacrifices directed the myndes of menne vnto Christe and they were certayne visible sermons of hym and taught that Christ shoulde bee that Sacrifice whiche shoulde take awaye the sinnes of the worlde and vpon whom our death and damnation should be transferred God mought haue required humane sacrifices Wherefore GOD of hymselfe delyghted not in bloude but by thys schoolyng he instructed his people Yea if he had delyghted in Sacrifices he mought haue required them of the number of menne For what should haue letted hym or what iniury shoulde he haue doone vs if he woulde haue had Sacrifices of menne offred vnto hym For manne must needes sometymes dye Wherefore to preuent the tyme one yeare or two it woulde not haue bene so grieuous neither shoulde he haue doone vs any iniurye chiefly when we shoulde vnderstande that with hym we shoulde lyue for euer Vndoubtedly in thys thyng no manne coulde haue accused GOD as cruell But nowe seyng he hath remoued all those holy seruices he manifestly teacheth that he reioyseth not neither in the bloude of menne God woulde haue the firste borne of menne redemed and not sacrificed nor in the bloude of beastes Yea the firste borne of menne when they were bounde vnto hym he woulde not haue them Sacrificed but redemed with a price whiche he woulde not haue doone if he had taken any pleasure in bloude In Deuteromy the .12 chapter he sayeth The Nation whiche I wyl expell before thee doo Sacrifice theyr sonnes and daughters but see that thou do not so Certayne kyllynges of men are acceptable vnto God But Augustine demaundeth farther whether there be any slaughter of men whiche is acceptable vnto GOD Hee aunswereth that there is But what slaughter When menne sayeth he are kylled for ryghteousnes sake not that the death of Martyrs of it self pleaseth GOD but bicause faith towardes God piety is by that Martyrdomes are lyke sacrifices both declared and also kept And the death of Christ so pleased God that it redemed the whole worlde and the death of Christians whiche they suffer in Christes name may be called after a sorte a Sacrifice Wherefore Paul in the .2 to Timo. the last chapter writeth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is I sacrifice c. in whiche saying he calleth his death an immolation And to the Phil. the .2 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is The martirdomes of men make not satisfaction for sins but if I offre in an oblation and seruice of our fayth And yet do not such sacrifices make satisfaction for sinnes for that doth the death of Christe onely But the death of Martirs are acceptable because the cause is thankefull Augustine was baptised of Ambrose and being woÌderfully affectioned toward him he followeth his opinion as his Scholemayster asmuch as he may but somwhat more warely He coÌpareth Iiphtah with Abraham but he putteth a difference whyche Ambrose noted not Abraham saythe he had the woorde of god to sacrifice his sonne so had not Iiphtah yea rather he had the law against him that he shoulde not sacrifice And in Abraham not the death pleased god but the faith Farther there is great difference for a man to do any thinge of himself and to haue a will to doo those thinges that are commaunded him And Augustine doth subtilly admonish Iiphtah vowed an humanâ sacrifice as Augustine thinketh that Iiphtah vowed an humane sacrifice not deceaued but willinglye Whatsoeuer sayth he shall come out of my house I will offer it for a burnte offringe c. Doo we thinke that beastes woulde come forth to meete him returninge home Men vse to go and mete such as haue the victory and to reioyse Wherfore he vowed an humane sacrifice The scripture only maketh mencyon of this acte but praiseth it not as also it is there written that Iudas had to do with his daughter in law but it is not allowed So there can nothing be gathered by these wordes The rashenes of the father is punished in the death of the children why the acte of Iiphtah should be praysed Farther Augustine thinketh with Ierome that god woulde punish the rashenes of the vow in the father by the death of hys daughter But there are two places sayth he why I cannot reprehend Iiphtah Because in the Epistle to the Hebrewes he is numbred among the saints in this place it is written that the spirite of the Lord was vpon him But those holy men which are rekoned vnto the Hebrewes did they neuer sinne Vndoubtedly their sinnes also ar set forth in the holy scriptures Gideon who is in the number a little before his deth made an Ephod which was the destructioÌ both of himself of his house But as touchinge the other place The sprite of the Lorde came vpon hym But this nothing letteth but that afterward he might fall But Iiphtah thou wilte saye had the victory but Gidion after that acte nothing went well with him Yea rather sayth he Gideon did before after a sort tempt God yet he had the victory So much of Augustine But I would say otherwise For I agree not with Augustine to thinke that Gidion teÌpted God Therfore I would aunswere after this maner Dauid coÌmitted aduoutry straightway afterward obteined the victory toke the city Rabath-Ammon in whose siege he prepared that Vrias should be slayne Saule persecuted Dauid in the meane time there were brought him messengers from the Philistians He leauing Dauid went to war and obteined the victory Moses sinned at the waters of strife the people also hadde sinned many waies and yet they obteyned the victorye agaynste Sihon and Og moste myghtye Kynges Wherefore wee will graunte that Iiphtah was numbred amonge the Sayntes and yet he mighte sinne and althoughe he synned he obteyned the victorye And we wil graunt that
said that he did this by the impulsion of the holy ghost not as though god would haue other men to imitate this act but that men might by it vnderstand that Christ should dye for their saluation It is indifferent for euery man to chose eyther of these aunsweres But I thinke rather he fell Nowe resteth to confute the argumentes of the Rabbines In that they say the mayden was not killed of her father but only punished with ciuil death namely that she should liue a part from the followship of men with out a husband and children it is not wel sayd bicause it can not be proued by the holy scriptures that there was any such kind of vow in the old time I know that there were Nazarites whiche abstained from wyne and stronge drinke and all drinke which would make one dronke but they abstained not from matrimony Samuel and Sampson beyng either of them a Nazarite had wiues and Samuel had children as the holy history declareth But departinges from the companye of men are not altogether to be disalowed so that of them come some fruite vnto the church Christ departed .40 dayes and fasted How departings from the company of men are allowed or disalowed but afterward he returned to instruct the people Iohn Baptiste went a parte but yet for certayne dayes baptised and preached So some of the fathers went sometime a part wher they gaue themselues both to prayers and godly meditations wherby they might returne the better instructed to preach But I can in no case allow the perpetuitye of solitarye life for wee are not borne to oure selues but to other also But that in the olde time there were some whiche were Nazarites for euer that was not don by the institution of man but by the commaundement of God which thing is written to haue happened to Sampson and Iohn Baptist Otherwise Nazarites vowed but onely for a time Wherfore that which the Rabbines clayme is false for there was no ciuill death by the law whereby men or women were for euer depriued of matrimonye Kimhi sayth that this letter Vau maketh somtimes a proposition disiunctiue I graunt that the same is found in certayne places of the scripture But it is not a fyrme argument if we shall say It is thus founde in some places therfore it is so also in this place But rather for the most part Vau maketh not a disiunctiue proposition but a copulatiue And vndoubtedly here it is brought in by exposicion It shal be the Lords sayth hee After what manner For I will offer it for a burnt offringe Farther they reason The mayden desyred space of time wherin to bewayle her virginity neither saith she her soule or life This argument hath a shew but no strength For if death be to be lamented vndoubtedlye then is it muche more to be lamented when it hath a bitter condicion annexed wyth it The mayden was sure to dye at some certaine time but that seemed vnto her very hard that she should dye without childreÌ Therfore that condicion is expressed which made the cause more miserable He sayth moreouer It is not writen that Iiphtah offred her for a burnte offringe but onelye that he dyd accordynge to hys vow I aunswere That there is sufficientelye sayde when it is sayde that he did according to his vow And it is often sene that in narrations the sharpest thinges are not expressed And althoughe the woordes be not all one yet is it sufficient if they be equall Leui Ben Gerson reasoneth of this that it is written and shee knewe no man Therfore sayth he she liued but maried not But this reason hath no force For this sentence is an exposition of the wordes that go before For why did the virgins bewayle her Because she was vnmaried and was not coupled to anye manne But Liranus sayth The sprite of the Lorde came vpon Iiphtah wherefore he vowed not his daughter for a burnt offring This reason Augustine as we haue hearde aunsweareth That spirite vndoubtedlye was the sprite of strength and warrelike knowledge Neither can al that Iiphtah afterward did be said to haue come from the same spiryte Moreouer sayth Liranus ther was twoo monethes space betwene wherin he asked counsel of the priestes and thei gaue him counsell to saue his daughter a Virgin Yea but the auncient Iewes affirme that he was so stubburne that he woulde not aske counsell of the priestes And for that cause he is reproued by the Chaldey Paraphrast Neither is it any newe thinge that men somtimes sinne because they thinke not that they haue nede of counsel and that is wont most of al to happen vnto princes For they haue a high mind and proude stomackes wherfore they think that they haue counsell inough But he is numbred among the sayntes To this Augustine aunsweareth also that other were also numbred amonge the Sayntes whiche yet greuouslye sinned Lastly he saith If he had sacrificed his doughter he should not haue fulfilled but contaminated his vow I graunt that Neither is it any maruaile that he erred seyng he was a man and might fall Now shoulde remayne to declare what I thinke of vowes in vniuersall but bycause of that matter I haue written aboundauntly in an other place namely in my Apology against Smith therefore I remitte the reader to reade ouer that booke ¶ The .xii. Chapter 1 ANd the men of Ephraim gathered themselues together and passed ouer Northward and sayd vnto Iiphtah Why haste thou passed ouer to fyghte agaynste the children of Ammon and haste not called vs to goe with the We will therfore burne thee and thyne house with fyre 2 And Iiphtah sayde vnto them I and my people were at greate strife with the children of Ammon and when I called you ye deliuered me not out of theyr handes 3 So when I sawe ye delyuered mee not I put my lyfe in myne handes and went vpon the children of Ammon And the Lord hath deliuered them into myne hande But why are ye come vpon me thys day to fight agaynst me 4 Then Iiphtah gathered all the men of Gilead and foughte agaynst Ephraim And the men of Gilead smote Ephraim bycause they sayd Ye Gileadites are abiectes among the Ephramites and among the Manassites 5 And the Gileadites tooke the passages of Iordan before the Ephramites And when the Ephramites that were escaped sayd Let me passe the men of Gilead sayd vnto him Art thou an Ephramite If he sayde Nay 6 Then sayde they vnto hym Say now Schiboleth but he sayde Siboleth for he coulde not so pronounce Then they tooke him and slewe hym at the passages of Iordan and there fell at that tyme of the Ephramites twoo and fourty thousand HEre is a sedicion set foorth vnto vs The Ephraits wer veri proud the cause whereof was the pride of the Ephramites whyche was so great that they thought there was nothyng which was not due vnto them Euen the lyke did they vnder Gideon as
Iiphtah delyuered hys not onelye from theeues but also from moste grieuous enemies from the Ammonites I say Wherefore the principallitye of hys Countrye being geuen hym he coulde not iustly be spoyled of it Whereunto thou mayest adde that he was instituted a Iudge by God Therefore he ought to defende both hym selfe and hys in punishyng wycked men Let vs in this place note the seuere iudgement of God vpon sedicious and ingrate persons 7 And Iiphtah iudged Israel syxe yeares then dyed Iiphtah the Gileadite and was buryed in the Cities of Gilead 8 After hym Iibzan of Bethlehem iudged Israel 9 And he had .xxx. sonnes and .xxx. daughters whych he sent out and tooke .xxx. daughters from abroade for his sonnes And he iudged Israel seuen yeares 10 Then Iibzan dyed and was buryed in Bethlehem 11 And after hym Elon a Zebulonite iudged Israell and he iudged Israel tenne yeares 12 Then Elon the Zebulonite dyed and was buryed in Aialon in the lande of Zebulon 13 After hym Abdon the sonne of Hillel the Pirathonite iudged Israel 14 And he had .xl. sonnes and .xxx. sonnes sonnes that rode on 70 Coltes And he iudged Israel .viii. yeares 15 Then died Abdon the sonne of Hillel the Pirathonite and was buryed in Pirathon in the lande of Ephraim in the mount of the Amelachites The Hebrewes fable that Iiphtah for hys wycked cryme in kyllynge hys daughter Nowe hee was buryed in the cities of Gilead was so smytten of God that hys members rotted and wasted away And that when he walked throughe the Cities of Gilead he lost in euerye one of those Cityes some part of his fleshe And therefore it is not sayde that he was buryed in any one certayne place but in the Cities of Gilead Other say that he was very desirous of glory and renowne and therfore he prouided to haue monumentes made for him in manye Cities of that Prouince These ar thyngs friuolous and ful of fables which other Interpreters seing do thus expounde that forme of speaking that In the Cityes of Gilead is nothyng els then in some one certayn of the Cities of Gilead But I thinke that it might be that the principal Citye of the Gileadites was so builte that it seemed to bee not one Citye but many Wherefore it myght bee sayde in the plurall number Cityes So in Hungary is a Citye called Quinque ecclesiae whyche is fyue Cyties and Siracusae a Citye in Sicilia So that Are Gilead was the proper name of one Citye After hym Iibzan iudged Israel This man counted to be Boaz. Some coniecture that thys maÌ was that Boaz whych maryed Ruth but that cannot be confirmed by any authoritye of the scripture He had thirty sonnes and thirty daughters And that we shoulde perceiue that they remayned long on lyue it is sayd that they were all by hym coupled in matrimony But bycause the actes of this Iudge and of the other twoo whych are afterwarde mencioned were not as it is to be thought notable therefore they are not spoken of But thys Iudge was of the Tribe of Iuda whych thyng Bethlehem hys Countrye declareth Elon whych was Iudge after hym tenne yeares was of the Tribe of Zabulon Abdon the sonne of Hillel the Pirathonite as the name of his country declareth was an Ephramite and he also was famous by his posteritye for he had fourtye Sonnes and of them thirtye Neuewes It is declared that they all came to rype age for it is sayde that they were all horsmen who as it is to be thought in ryding compassed the sydes of their father To haue many Children is an excellent gift of God Vnles a great number of children were an excellent gift of God it shoulde not so diligentlye haue bene mencioned of in those places God promised vnto his friend Abraham that hys seede should be increased lyke the starres of heauen and sand of the sea Yea and Dauid also syngeth Thy wyfe shall bee lyke a fruitfull vyne in the sydes of thy house and thy children lyke Olyue braunches rounde about thy table Priamus also is renowmed of the Poetes bycause he had fyfty chyldren The lawe of chyldren âeÌ the Romaââ The Romanes made a lawe called the law of three Chyldren For if anye at Rome had three chyldren a lyue they were excused from personall offices Throughout Italy to obtaine that liberty foure were sufficient But in a Prouince fiue wer required as it is in the Code of those which haue deserued an excuse by the number of Chyldren in the lawe de Personalibus and Eosvero But there are some whych doo hate plentiful fruite bycause they haue no confidence in the goodnes of God and doo dispaire that they shoulh be able to nooryshe them They synnâ whyche hatâ plentifull issue And there are other whiche are infected with this wicked affection bycause they desyre to auoyde the troubles of bryngyng them vp and are afrayde that they shall leaue their Chyldren beggers behynde them But thys thing happeneth vnto them bycause they doo euyll esteeme the benefites of God neyther vnderstande they what great honour and dignity he geueth them What is the dignitye of the Parentes as often as they haue issue As God is the Father of men so also would he haue men to be the Parentes of men that they should vnderstande by the fatherlye loue or affection what mynde and beneuolence God beares towardes vs. ¶ The .xiii. Chapter 1. BVt the Children of Israel continued to coÌmit wickednes in the syght of the Lorde and the Lorde deliuered them into the handes of the Philistines fourtye yeares 2 And ther was a maÌ in Zorah of the family of the Danites named Manoah whose wyfe was barren and bare not 3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared vnto the woman and sayd vnto her Behold nowe thou art barren and bearest not But thou shalt conceaue and beare a sonne 4 And now therfore beware that thou drinke no wyne nor strong drinke neyther eate any vncleane thyng 5 Bicause lo thou shalt conceaue and beare a sonne and no rasor shall come on hys heade for the Childe shal be a Nazarite vnto God from hys byrth and he shall begyn to saue Israel out of the handes of the Philistines This affliction of the Israelits is longer then the other GOd afflicted the Israelites and deliuered theÌ to their enemies bycause they returned to their old nature and forgetting the Lord their God woorshypped Idoles And this affliction dured fourtye yeares We reade of none longer then this From the death of Abdon the last Iudge euen almost vnto Hely this affliction endured bicause Samson did not fully deliuer the people He in deede smote the Philistines but he did not vtterlye repell them from oppressing of the Hebrues This woorde Zorah is a name of a place and not of a famelye as we shal afterward vnderstand towardes the ende of the chapter Of the Tribe of Dan. The learneder sorte doo to this place referre those
thinges which are written in the booke of Genesis the .49 chapter There Iacob when he was ready to dye The prophecie of Iacob as touching SamsoÌ foretolde what should happen vnto his children after long time And when by order he came vnto Dan Dan sayth he shall iudge hys people and he shal be a Serpent in the way and an Adder in the pathe byting the horses heeles so that his ryder shall fall backward For Samson after a sorte did byte the foote of the horse when he ouerthrew the pyller that is the foote of the parler laid the rider on the ground that is the company of the Philistines with the fal of the wal These thinges I therfore make mencion of that it might appeare that they were no small or vulgare things when as Iacob so long time before prophecied of them Samson was of the Tribe of Dan when as the nexte Iudge before him was of the tribe of Ephraim God vsed not at the tyme any ordinary Magistrate Onely SamsoÌ appoynted a Iudge before hys byrth neither dyd the Children succeede the Parentes in this kynde of gouernment There was no Iudge vnto this tyme of the Tribe of Dan. And there was none of all the Iudges but onelye Samson whom God appoynted and as it were published a Iudge before he was borne And hys name was Manoah whose wyfe was barren When God decreed to sende any notable and excellent man Many excelleÌt meÌ borne of baren mothers he verye often tymes styrred hym vp out of a barren woman whiche thing also wee see came to passe in Samson lykewise in Samuel and in Iohn Baptist and in very many other that it myght manifestly appeare to be altogether the woorke of God Barrennes among the Hebrues was a thyng ignominious but God bycause he woulde declare that of thynges most contemptible he can bring foorth thinges excellent hath very often tymes done after thys manner And that faulte of barrennes was in thys place in the woman and not in the man For sometymes it may be in both but the scripture here pronounceth it of the woman and not of the man He shall beginne sayth he to saue Israel Here is signified that Samson should not fully deliuer the people for Israell did not vnder him fight in battayle against theyr enemies he alone assailed theÌ somtimes greuously afflicted them The Aungell appeared vnto his mother a part when her husband was awaye and shewed her of the sonne which she should beare Also the Aungell appeared vnto Mary the mother of Christ when she was a lone Iosephus in his bookes of Antiquities addeth Iosephus that thys Manoah somewhat suspected his wife and thought that it was not an aungell but some man that his wifes chastity was assaulted but eyther doubt was taken away wheÌ as at the last when he made sacrifice the angel vanished away in the flame So Ioseph wheÌ he somwhat suspected Mary herd of the Aungel Ioseph be not aferd to take Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost God woulde haue his not onely borne lawfullye but also cleared from all suspicion But in Samuel there could be no such suspicion for when Hanna prayed softely Heli the priest rebuked her and counted her for a dronkard who yet when he vnderstode how diligently and earnestly she prayed at the tabernacle of the Lorde he promised vnto her issue But here besides the promise of the sonne is added also a precepte For the Aungell commaundeth her to abstaine from wine and stronge drinke Why such an abstinence was commaunded the mothâs and all thinge that might make her dronke There is also a reason added Bicause he shal be a Nazarite vnto the Lord. Wherfore the mother also is commaunded to abstayne from wine stronge drinke and euerye vncleane thinge that the childe shoulde not be nourished with thynges vnlawefull no not in the wombe of hys mother ¶ Of the vow of the Nazarites ANd as touching the vow of the Nazarits it is manifestly set forth in the .6 of Numb But those thinges whiche are there written The summe of the vow of the Nazarites maye all be reduced to three principall poyntes The firste was that they shoulde drinke no wine nor stronge drinke nor any thinge that might make them droonke An other was that they should not pole theyr hed but all that time the Nazarite shoulde let his heare grow The third was that they should not defile themselues with mourninge for buriales no not at the death of theyr father or mother These thinges were to be obserued but not for euer but onelye for some certayne time For he vowed to bee a Nazarite but for certayne number of dayes or Monethes or yeares But why did God institute these thynges Why god gaue the institution of the Nazarites There may be many causes geuen Fyrste because menne were so prone to chuse vnto themselues certayne kindes of lyfe whereby they mighte easely fall into superstition Therfore God would after this maner bridle them as though he should haue sayd Forasmuch as ye are so prone to your own studies and to inuent newe woorshippings yet shall ye not do what ye liste your selues but what I prescribe vnto you And so geuinge vnto them the lawe of a Nazarite hee kepte them in doynge theyr dewtye But what mente these thinges They ought to keepe theyr heare growinge till the ende of theyr vow For then in offring sacrifice and burninge the fleshe in fire they did cut of the heare and burned it in the same fire And froÌ that time they were free and returned to theyr old manner of life which was common also vnto other Some referre these thinges vnto an Allegorye that when the heares were increased the Nazarites should consider that vertues also oughte to increase in the minde But me thinketh there may be an other cause rendred namelye that men should abstayne from to much trimming and deckinge of the body For the clipping of the eare much adorneth the body For Paule sayth in his 1. Epistle to the Corrinthians the .11 Chapter that to menne it is vncomelye if they let theyr heare growe Althoughe other reasons of other menne are not to bee contemned Cyrillus Procopius Cirillus and also Procopius vpon the booke of Numbers say that these thinges were instituted of God to reuoke men from the idolatrous worshippinges and rites of the Ethnikes that that which they gaue vnto idols the Iewes should geue vnto him So also whereas they sacrificed vnto Idols he would haue these men rather to sacrifice vnto himselfe not that god so much regardeth sacrifices but to wythdrawe them from idolatry We reade that the Ethnikes sometimes suffred theyr heare to growe that they mighte afterward consecrate it ether vnto the Nimphes or to Apollo Wherefore Apollo was by them called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is a nourisher of the heare Yea and Theseus as it is
wee muste directe both life and manners For the other will we must not be to much carefull vnles we feele it most apertly And we must with great diligence take heede that when we thinke we are ledde by the impulsion of the holy Ghost we be not led by our affections Of the secrete wil of God Paule intreated when he made meÌcion that of Iacob and Esau before they had done any good or euill it was sayd Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated This will of God is obscure and hidden from the eyes of men therfore no man can rendre a reason of it Wherfore when we heare any thinge of it we muste say with Paule O the depth of the riches of the wisedom and knowlege of God c. But by the will reueled we may vnderstand that we are acceptable vnto god when we trust in him when we detest vices and renew our life and manners by the grace of god not bicause these thinges are the causes of the goodnes of God towardes vs These two willes in god are not in very dede seperated but bicause they are certayne sure tokens therof But how these two willes are not in very deede seperated in God but are one and a simple will we shall declare more oportunely in an other place In that it is now written that Samson or rather God soughte occasion of the Philistians Of the occasion which God sought it seemeth verye obscure And what occasion was there to bee soughte for Was not this cause sufficient inough that they by violence withhelde the land promised vnto the Israelites and had put them to Tributes and taxes Liranus Liranus thinketh that betwene the Hebrewes and the Philistians there were certayne couenauntes made whiche were not rashlye to be violated I also adde this that Samson was a priuate man as farre as anye man knewe of hym then And therefore God woulde haue an honester occasion for hym to fyght so that if he being by them contumeliouslye handled shoulde againe somewhat endamage them he shoulde seme to reuenge his owne priuate iniuries and not the publike And vndoubtedlye it seemed that matrimonye after this manner contracted should rather haue caused peace to follow But contrarywise there ensued greuous war which happened not by the default of matrimony but of men So also now are not a few found whiche to possesse kingdomes and to gette them other mens riches do abuse matrimony Wherefore we ought not to meruayle if suche mariages haue verye ill successe For oftentimes by them doo happen both warres and also ouerthrowinges of publike wealthes But by whose fault thou wilt say sprange this warre What sinnes happened in this matrimonye By the faulte of the woman whiche was maried and also of her parentes and corruption of the publike wealth And these woulde God vse to bringe to lighte theyr sinnes and to punishe them The mayden ought to haue estemed her husband aboue all men But she betrayed him and shewed his riddle to her citizenes so that Samson was fayne to paye vnto them a greate rewarde His wiues father also did him no small iniury for he tooke away from him his wife and gaue her to an other Thys thynge oughte he not to haue doone for matrimonies oughte to be firme and ratified But the coruption of the publike wealthe of the Philistians maye hereby bee knowne bycause suche a wycked offence was not openlye reproued and punyshed as thoughe it hadde euerye where bene lawefull to haue doone it By the waye Samson turned a syde from hys Parentes whome a roaringe Lion mette and mette hym beinge vnarmed so that he myght easely haue killed him But that we should vnderstande that Samson by the power of the sprite of God preuayled agaynst that wild beast it is added And the sprite of the Lorde came vpon him Fowre names of Lions amoÌg the Hebrewes and he deuided the Lion as one shoulde rente a kidde There are foure names of Lions amonge the Hebrews according to the diuerse decrees of theyr age The first is Gor when hee is yet a whelpe The seconde is Cepher when he is somewhat growen in age The third is Ariath when he is strong and myghty The fourth is Liba when he is waxen olde althoughe he bee called also Lisch when he is very olde That whiche is now written is called Cephir that is growen in age fyerce ynough to thend a man should not think that he was a whelpe of the first age Neyther was he tame and gentle as soÌtimes they are wont to be but he ranne roaring to inuade Samson Why God would haue SaÌson to fight with the Lion God would geue vnto Samson an experience of the strength that he had geuen him that he shoulde enterprise greater thinges afterward So also he excercised Dauid from his youth before he shoulde fighte agaynste Goliath Wherefore he sayde vnto Saule There came a Beare and a Lion and thy seruant rent them Plini Lions ar very common in Siria as Plini affirmeth ¶ Whither it be lawful for children to mary without the consente of theyr parentes NOw shall it be good to see whither it be lawful for children to contract matrimony without the consent of theyr pareÌtes Vndoubtedly Samson would not and it is a matter of much honestye and gratitude towardes the parentes if matrimony be not contracted without theyr consent and knowledge Examples of the Elders At the beginninge Adam did not chuse himselfe a wife God was his father and broughte vnto him Eue. Abraham when Isaac was now a man sent his seruant to his kinred to seke out a wife amongst theÌ for his son Isaac also sent Iacob into Masopotamia to his vncle to the end he might get him a wife there The law of God Afterward succeeded the law geuen of God by Moses that Children should honoure theyr Parentes But the honour which is to be geuen vnto them is not only to vncouer the hed to geue the vpper hand and to rise vp although these thinges also are to be performed but yet ar they not sufficieÌt but they must also norish theyr progenitors if nede shal be and shew themselues humble and diligent towards them Wherfore the power of the father is defined to be a bonde of piety What is the power of a father wherewith the children are bounde vnto the parentes to performe the offices of humanity and gratitude If children in other things ought to obey theyr parentes vndoubtedlye they ought chiefly to do it in contracting of matrimony Of this thing there is a peculier law in Exodus the 22. chap. If a maideÌ which is not betrouthed shal be deceaued hee that hath defiled her oughte to geue her a dowry and to take her to wife But it is added if the father will otherwise hee shall onely geue a dowry neyther shall he haue the mayden to wife againste the fathers will And in the booke of Numbers the
.30 chapter if a mayden vowe a vowe and the father heare it and letteth it not the vowe shal be firme but if he gainsay it it shal be in vain But what is a vow A promes made vnto god But matrimony is a promise which is made vnto maÌ If god permit a vow made vnto him to the iudgement of the father much more wil he permit matrimony vnto hym when as it is a promise made betwene men In the seconde booke of Samuel Thamar aunswereth vnto Ammon her brother If thou desire me of my father he will not deny me vnto thee The custom was then that the doughters were desired of the parentes Here I dispute not whither it was lawfull for Dauid to geue to Ammon his sister to wife This shal be entreated of in his conuenient place Farther Paule sayth to the Ephesians Children obey your Parentes in all thinges He excepteth nothynge when he wryteth so but he sayth in all thynges namelye whyche they commaunde not against the woorde of God And in his first Epistle to the Corrint the 7. chapter is most manifestly declared that it longeth to the Parentes to place theyr daughters to husbands And that was known not onely by the law of God but also by the light of nature which thinge also the Comedies of Terence and Plautus manifestly declare Euripides And in Euripides a mayden aunswered Of our mariages my father shall haue charge for that iudgement pertayneth not vnto vs. Ambrose Whiche verse vndoubtedlye so pleased Ambrose that he rehearsed it in hys booke of the patriarches Farther it serueth very much for domesticall peace for the daughter in law ought to be to the father in law in stede of a doughter Contrarily of rash mariages rise great discords at home And forasmuch as the father ought to helpe the sonne with his goods it is right that the son agayne in contractinge matrimonye obey the father In other ciuill contractes the sonne can doo nothynge wythout the consente of the Father as appeareth in the Digestes De mutuo ad senatus consultum Macedoniarum Wherefore in a thynge farre greater it is meete that the iudgemente of the Father be had What the ciuil lawes iudge in mariage of children The ciuill lawes haue decreed this selfe same thinge Iustinian in his institutions in the title de Nuptiis wil not that mariages should be firme without the consent of the Parentes And in the Digestes De statu hominum in the Lawe Paulus If a sonne mary a wife against the will of his parentes the childe which shal be borne of those mariages shall not be legitimate c. And in the Code De Nuptiis in the law Si proponis the case is diligentlye to be marked The daughter marieth by the consent of her father shee afterward complayneth of her husband and departeth from him Afterward he coÌmeth into fauor agayne and shee marieth him againe against her fathers will It is aunswered that that matrimony is not lawfull Hereby appeareth how much the lawes estemed the power of the father Afterward in the law Si furiosi Children if peraduenture their parentes bee mad or bestraught of theyr wittes bycause they cannot vse their consent in contracting of matrimony shall vse the consent of theyr tutors What the cannons iudged Wherfore it semeth meruelous how Christians at this day determine that mariages are lawefull without the consente of the parentes and for that thinge they lay for an excuse the Cannons of which I thinke it good brieflye to declare some And firste I will make mencion of the better Cannons whiche were more aunciente For the later they were decreed the more corrupte they were In the decrees .30 quest 5. chap. aliter Matrimonies are then lawfull when the maydens are desired of their parents and deliuered openly Otherwise they are not matrymonies but whooredomes vnhonest companieng aduouteries and fornications Euaristus Nicolaus Thus decreed Euaristus Nicolaus also at the consultacion of of the Bulgares in the .30 quest 5. chap. nostrates Those matrimonies are firme which are ioyned with the consente of those that contracte them and of those in whose power they are Leo also the fyrst in the .30 quest 5. chap qualis Then it is to be counted matrimony when the mayden is by her parentes deliuered vnto her husbande Leo And in the 31. q. 2. chapt non omnis A woman whyche marieth by the consente of her father is without blame if anye man afterwarde shall fynde faulte withall Gratianus And thus Gratianus concludeth that place that he sayth in contractynge of matrimonye the consente of the Parentes is alwayes required Ambrose Farther Ambrose entreating of a place of Genesis wher it is writen that the seruaunte of Abraham came into Mesopotamia and founde a wyfe for hys masters sonne the parentes of the mayden when they labored to retayne hym longer he would not abyde they called the mayden asked her whether she would go with him After this maner he sayth as also it is declared in the 23. q. 2. chap. honorandum They asked not her saith he touching the weddyng but onely whether she would go with him For it pertaineth not sayth he to maidenly shamefastnes to chuse vnto her selfe a husband And the same thing affirmed he of wydowes which are yonge Althoughe to speake the truth I can not in this thing graunt vnto Ambrose that the mayden was not demaunded the question whether she would mary hym neither do I doubt but that she was asked the question of either cause For in the .30 q. 2. chap. vbi non est it is had The consent of childreÌ is required in spousages That there can be no matrimony where is not the consent of those that contract yea in mariages of children which are but .7 yeares of age bycause at that age they are thought to vnderstand somewhat of matrimony the consent of those that contract is necessary And bycause there is mention made of spousages this semeth good to be noted by the way the children so contracting ought to be seuen yeares of age otherwise the parents can promise nothing for theÌ The same children if afterward being of more yeres they shal contract an other matrimony the same is of force and not the spousages whiche yet is to be vnderstand if the parentes consent to the second matrimony Moreouer in the .31 quest 2. chap. tua Hormisdas answereth that children when they contract after this maner ought to stand to the will of their parentes And Extra de sponsatione impuberum chap. tua it is ordayned that children when they come to ripe age ought to obey their parentes for as much as also they gaue their faith and consented I thought it good also to bring somewhat of the counsels Counsels Concilium Toletanum the fourth .32 q. 2. chap. hoc sanctum decreeth If widowes wil not professe chastity let theÌ mary to whoÌ they will and the same
without the good will of the parentes are whoredomes fornications and aduoutries the master of the sentences aunswereth that that is true not bycause such mariages are in very deede such but bycause they assemblyng together secretly among theÌselues priuely without the parents knowledge are wont to be counted as whoremongers and adulterers but yet the matrimony abideth ratified and is firme bicause of the wordes of the present tense which wer therin vsed Also Thomas Aquinas in the same place Thomas Aquinaâ is of the same iudgement and vnto that whiche is brought out of Paul vnto the Ephesians where he sayth children obey your parentes in al things He answereth that that is to be vnderstand of those things wherin the children haue not any liberty namely as touching familiar and domesticall things And this reason he addeth bycause matrimony is a certayne kynde of seruitude which the childe is not compelled to take vpon him agaynst his will And in that it is written of Abraham that he sought his sonne a wife out of hys kinred he aunswered that that happened bycause he knewe that that lande was promised vnto hys posterity and that God had decreed to take it awaye from the Chananites Wherfore he would not haue hys sonne contract matrimony with them These fellowes in deede speake many things but they bryng not so much as one word out of the holy scriptures they stil contend that children ought to haue most ful liberty left them as touchyng mariages But that is a mere inuention of theirs whiche by no meanes hath his foundation vpon the worde of God The old fathers were of our opinion but of them it happened as of the CanoÌs What the olde fathers iudges Tertullian for the more auncient they were the more sincere they were and the more new the more corrupte Tertulliane in his .2 booke to his wife as touchyng the mariages of Christians with Ethnikes writeth very wel neither alloweth he mariages betwene persons of a contrary religion God sayth he deliuereth thee to a spouse And he addeth No not in earth caÌ daughters right and iustly mary with out the consent of the parentes How therfore wilt thou mary without the consent of thy heauenly father Chrisostome vpon Genesis and vpon Mathew Chrisostome when he entreateth of mariages remitteth the matter vnto the exaÌples of the fathers in the olde TestameÌt neither is it of great necessity to rehearse his wordes wheÌ as the same father vpon the first Epistle to Timo. in his .9 Homely entreateth very manifesty of that matter there he exhorteth parents bicause of the slippery age of their childreÌ to ioyne them in matrimony but he exhorteth not the children that they should chuse vnto theÌselues husbandes or wyues but by Apostrophes he conuerteth his oration vnto the parentes that they should prouide for them as touchyng matrimony he addeth a very notable sentence If saith he they begin to playe the whoremongers before they be maryed they wil neuer be faithfull in matrimony I wil note also by the waye what he writeth in the place of weddyng crownes or garlandes For euen at that tyme they vsed crownes or garlandes in weddinges What saith he signifieth the crown or garland Forsoth that the husband and the wife should declare that eueÌ to that tyme they had ben vanquishers of lustes if thou hast ben an adulterer or whoremonger howe wearest thou a crown or garlaÌd Augustine in his .133 Epistle Augustine beyng desired to make the mariage betwene a manchilde a womaÌchild I would do it sayth he but the mother of the child is not present and thou knowest that to contract the mariage her good will is necessary In this place Augustine writeth more seuerely then the ciuill lawes For they will not haue the childe to be in the power of his mother Of Ambrose I will speake nothing nowe I haue sufficiently spoken of hym before Wherfore seyng the lawe of God and the law of nature the ciuill lawe and eoconomical lawe the fathers and sincere Canons do affirme that the consent of the parentes is necessary and the examples of the faintes declare the same what should let but that we should be of the same mind Neither ought this to seeme griuous vnto children for it was for theyr commodity so appointed by God and by lawes For young persons in such thinges and specially wemeÌ prouide very yll oftentymes for themselues It is mete the children should require the consent of their parentes Wherefore it is written in the Code de sponsalibus in the law si pater When a father hath betrouthed his daughter if he afterward dye the gouerner or tutor caÌnot vndoo the couenant of the father and a reason is added bycause tutors sometymes are wonne with money and women thorough weakenes fall to their owne discommodity The example also of Christ ought to moue vs whiche was geuen of his father a husbande vnto the Churche and he alwaye sayd that he did not his own will but the will of his father of whoÌ he was sent Farther how great a discorder ariseth in the publique wealth of this deprauation and abuse how great a window is opened vnto fylthy lustes He that can first haue carnall fellowship with the mayden in some places hopeth to obteyne her to wife yea euen against her parentes good wil. To the reasoÌs of the aduersaryes But now must we answere the reasons whiche the contrary party alledge for themselues First as we before sayd they cry that in contractyng of matrimony there ought to be full liberty But I pray you what liberty Of the fleshe or of the spirit Vndoubtedly that liberty of the spirite is the greatest when we obey the coÌmaundemeÌtes of god The chiefest liberty is to obey the commaundements of god who if he would haue vs obedient vnto our pareÌtes in other thinges why not also in contractyng of matrimony Wherefore they breake the lawe of God which obey not the parents also in this thing Farther if they will haue the liberty of contracting of matrimony to be so great why doo they themselues prohibite so many degrees of mariages whiche God neuer prohibited Once the Popes would not suffer matrimony to be coÌtracted eueÌ vnto the seuenth degree but now they contayne within the fourth moreouer why do they forbid mariages vnto the ministers of the Churche Farther why did God himself forbid matrimonies betwene persons of contrary religion if in mariage there ought to be so great a liberty as they fayne to be But they adde Children for feare of their parentes will saye that that matrimony pleaseth them whiche pleaseth them not But the sonne is not compelled so to say nothyng letteth but that he may answere that that wife pleaseth him not and that such a matrimony he can not abyde And in deede without his consent matrimony can be by no meanes contracted In the digestes de ritu nuptiaruÌ in the lawe non cogitur we
rede that the sonne caÌ not be coÌpelled to mary a wyfe de sponsalibus in the lawe sed ea if the doughter hold her peace she seemeth to coÌsent vnto the father there are two causes ascribed wherfore the doughter may resiste her father if either the father offer her a wicked husband or a disfigured husbaÌd Otherwise if there be none of these causes it is required of her to loue him whom the father hath choseÌ If she wil not assent when the husbaÌd hath neither wicked maners nor is mishapen The punishement of ingratitude she incurreth the crime of ingratitude whiche is so great that the father may disinherite her for it And in the title de ritu nuptiarum in the law si cogente patre Although the sonne haue assented for feare of the father yet bicause he had rather assent then offend his father such a matrimony ought to be firme and ratified I would adde vnto the former cause the third if the father offer a husband whiche is of a contrary religion and I would euer counsell the parentes to gratifie their children What may bee done against to streight pareÌts vnles they see them to obstinate and vniust But when the parentes deale to tyraÌnically with their children compell them to mary wiues whom they caÌ not abyde the matter ought to be brought before the Magistrate whose office is to heare the cause and to delyuer the sonne from iniury if he be to cruelly oppressed Then if the sonne mary a wife by the authority of the Magistrate yea agaynst the will of the father he can not seme vtterly to haue maried without his fathers coÌsent The Magistrate is the father of the couÌtrey For the Magistrate is the father of the couÌtrey The same thing semeth to be decreed de ritu nuptiaruÌ in the lawe qui liberos And methinketh the schoolemen haue not well sayd that the children of the householde haue dominion ouer their owne body For as much as they owe vnto their parentes that they are They ought not to be compelled to mariages agaynst their wil but that they should mary without the consent of the parentes it can not be graunted theÌ And when they so often obtrude vnto vs liberty The doughters of Zalphead alledge the dominioÌ of their body we lay against it the answer of god as touching the daughters of Zalphead who sayth of them Let them haue heritage among their brethren but let them mary in their own tribe These wemeÌ are compelled to mary their nyest of kynne neither had they that liberty whiche these men fayne And the brother was sometymes compelled to mary the wyfe of his brother beyng dead neither could she mary an other therfore so great liberty is not necessary in mariages as these men pretend And by the ciuill lawe It is permitted vnto the parentes to sell theyr children so great is the power of the father ouer the sonne that he may sell hym if he fall into greuous necessity And least that should seeme barbarous vnto any man the same thyng is permitted by the lawe of God in Exodus the .21 chap but yet adding certayne cautions whiche I thinke not good here to repeate Wherefore they did not rightly argue when they sayd that matrimony is a kynde of seruitude which the sonne ought not to take vpon him at the appointement of his father And in that they saye that the consent of the parentes is required for the honesty of matrimony and not for necessity it is friuolous and vayne For what greater necessity can there bee then that whiche the lawe and commaundementes of God bryng with them Children are commaunded to honour father and mother Also Paul the Apostle prescribeth them to obey their parentes in all thinges And the same thyng writeth he vnto the Phillipians the .4 chapter That whiche remayneth brethren What soeuer thynges are true whatsoeuer are honest whatsoeuer iuste whatsoeuer pure whatsoeuer profitable whatsoeuer lucky these thinges do ye c. By these woordes appeareth that the thynges whiche are honest muste not bee separated from the commaundementes of God Wherefore looke howe necessary it is to obey the commaundementes of God so necessary is it not to mary without the consent of the parentes And that whiche they adde that the consent of the parentes is in deede required but yet if they will not consent the matrimony may be firme That is nothyng elles then to deride the parentes For what contumely is it for the sonne in suche sorte to desire the consent of hys parentes that thoughe he be agaynst it and gaynesay it yet notwithstandyng will he abyde in hys purpose and execute it It were muche better not to desire it then to desire it with that mynde This also seemeth wonderfull vnto me that the master so peruerteth the woordes of Euaristus that when Euaristus sayeth that matrimonyes contracted without the consent of the parents are whooredomes and fornications and not matrimony he dare expounde that the matter is not so in deede but bycause they so assemble rogether as whooremongers and adulterers vse to doo But the sentence of Euaristus is manifest They are not sayeth he matrimonyes and he addeth what in deede they are namely fornications adulteryes and whooredomes And he sayeth not that they seeme to be these thynges but that they are There are other whiche obiecte vnto vs the booke of Genesis where it is wrytten that Esau maried Chananitishe wyues whiche his parentes tooke in very yll part for he had maryed them contrary to their coÌmaundement And yet the Scripture calleth them wyues Wherefore it seemeth that matrimony may be contracted euen agaynst the parentes will I graunt in deede that in the holy Scriptures they are called wiues But yet for that cause bycause he so couÌted theÌ bycause the nations amoÌg whom he dwelled counted theÌ for wyues But hereby is not gathered that the scriptures do confirme such matrimony The same forme of speakyng vsed Paul in the firste to the Corinthians the eyght chapter Euen as there are many gods and many Lordes He sayeth that there are many gods not the there are so in deede for there is but one God but bycause the most part so beleued and publique persuasioÌ thought that there was an infinite nuÌber of goddes Therfore he sayth many goddes but to vs that thinke rightly there is but one God The scripture so calleth thiÌgs as they are coÌmonly called of men one Lord Iesus Christ It is no vnaccustomed or straunge thyng in the scriptures so to call thinges as men vse coÌmonly to speake yet in an other place when they speake properly they call euery thing by his owne name But thou wilt say we neuer rede that the children of Esau were not legitimate I answere that Esau had in dede a greate posterity but whether it were legitimate or otherwise the Scripture declareth not Wherunto adde that with those nations among
whome he dwelled they were counted legitimate For they had not the worde of God wherein it is commaunded that that should not be doone and they had wonderfully corrupted the lawe of nature Other crye What shall we thinke of our elders what also of many whiche lyue nowe and haue contracted matrimonyes without the consent of their parentes Shall we call them mariages or adulteryes And shall we counte theyr children for legitimate or for bastardes I aunswere when such mariages were had in those darkenes before the new light of the Gospell those men were not in dede excused from synne for it was not lawfull for them to be ignoraunt of the law of God but yet bycause they were done publikely the Magistrate permitting them I am persuaded that such contractes are firme and ratified If they obiect that in such mariages the consent of the parentes wanted I aunswere that it was there not there For the Magistrates had made their ciuill lawes subiect vnto the Canons whiche vndoubtedly they ought not to haue done And in this thing all meÌ agree And for as much as the Magistrate hath authority ouer the people if he consent to any thing there after a sorte is the publique coÌsent of the people As at this day in assemblyes when they asseÌble that some summe of money should be payd although some priuate maÌ of the people do take it in euill part yet bycause it is agreed vpoÌ by the Magistrate he ought to seme to haue coÌsented So the father would not that the matrimony of his sonne should be firme without his coÌsent yet bycause he hath made his owne wil subiect vnto the iudgement of the Magistrate he ought to seme after a sorte to haue consented But now the truth of the thyng beyng knowen the Magistrates ought to reuoke the errour Wherfore the matrimonyes whiche haue bene hitherto that is in darknes contracted agaynst the will of the parentes ought to bee firme and the children borne of them ought to be counted legitimate But if the lawe should afterwarde bee reuoked then should they not be matrimonyes but onely be presumption but in very deede fornications whoredomes and aduoutryes as Euaristus ryghtly iudgeth But whylest the lawes whiche are nowe of force are not abrogated I doo not dissolue the matrimonyes whiche are so contracted neyther doo I saye that the children borne of those mariages are bastardes but I declare what seemeth more agreable vnto the woord of GOD and vnto honesty But Euaristus myght iustly write so bycause in hys tyme the Romane lawes were of force whiche counted not suche coniunctions for matrimonyes Farther I adde that fathers are not to bee obeyed when they let the mariages of their children onely for religion sake bycause in that case God is to be obeyed aboue all thynges who is the chief father of all men 7 He went downe I say and talked with the woman which pleased the eyes of Samson 8 And within a fewe dayes when he returned to receaue her he went aside to see the carkase of the Lyon And beholde there was a swarme of bees and hony in the body of the Lyon 9 And he toke therof in his handes and went eatyng and came to his father to his mother and gaue vnto theÌ they did eate but he told not them that he had taken the hony out of the body of the LioÌ 10 So his father went downe vnto the woman Samson made there a feast For so vsed the yonge men to do 11 And when they sawe hym they tooke 30. companions and they were with him In this place the Lion is not called Cepher as he was before but Ariah bycause that difference whiche I haue before shewed is not alwayes obserued The matrimony of Samson is celebrated wherein the prouidence of God prepareth occasion whereby he should doo some violence vnto the Philistines And that occasion was bycause as he returned he remembred the Lyon whiche he had slayne He went a litle aside to looke vpon the carkase of the Lyon And he founde therein a swarme of bees and a combe of hony And this is such a straunge thyng as hath not bene heard of for it is in no other place that I wot of eyther shewed or red that bees haue made hony in the carkase of a Lion Pliny Virgil. Plutarche Pliny and Virgil in his .4 booke of Georgiques teache that of dead bullockes or oxen doo come bees as of a horse Waspes and of an asse Hornets Plutarche in the lyfe of Cleomenes saith eueÌ as of a horse do engeÌder Waspes of an asse Hornets of an oxe bees so also of the carkase of a man and especially of the marow humor which falleth vpon the earth are brought foorth serpentes For that cause the elders wer wont to consecrate serpentes vnto noble men But we neuer rede any such thing of a Lion wherfore this ought we to iudge that this was done by the singular prouidence of God Ambrose Ambrose thinketh that the place where Samson had cast the Lion was a pleasaunt and fertile place and the bees flyed thether for flowers and made hoony in the carkase of the Lion But I as I saue sayd doo attribute all this vnto the prouidence of God Pliny in his .7 booke sayth Pliny that bees vse not to make hony excepte it be in the hyue or in a tree or in caues vnder the earth he affirmeth the aboue al things they flye froÌ euill sauors Farther he saith the hornets and waspes doo eate dead carkases but bees touche theÌ not Ambrose sayth that Samson turned aside to the Lion to take his skinne that beyng clothed with it he might come vnto the feast as a great valiant man as afterward did Hercules But bycause he sawe that that apparell was not very handsome for wedding apparell he tooke rather thereout the hoony combes of the which he myght geue part vnto his parentes and parte vnto his wyfe They tooke thirty companions Some thinke that these thirty companions were ioyned vnto Samson for to doo hym honour But some of the Hebrewe interpreters suspecte that the Philistines when they perceaued that he was a strong and valiant man brought these men to be kepers for hym least thorough the shewe of mariage he should make some commotion 12 Then Samson sayd vnto them I wil now put forth a ridle vnto you and if ye can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast I will geue you 30. sheetes and 30. chaunge of garmentes 13 But if ye can not declare it me then shal ye geue me .30 sheetes and .30 change of garmentes And they aunswered hym put foorth thy ridle that we may heare it 14 And he sayde vnto them Out of the eater came meate and out of the stronge came sweetenes and they coulde not in three dayes expounde the rydle The elegaÌcy of the riddell consisteth in contraryes for he which eateth he the geueth meate What
to the Ephesians the .v. chap. saith Speake vnto your selues in Psalmes Tertulian Himnes and spiritual songes singing and making mery in your hartes And the same thing writeth he vnto the Colossians the third chap. Tertulian in Apologetico sayth that Christians vsed to assemble together to their moderate shorte suppers and when they wer refreshed with meate they sang deuine praises or recited somthing out of the holye scriptures prouoking one an other by them And by this meanes they returned sober home Other honest pleasures besides playes There are also problemes wherwith the wits may be exercised and refreshed which problemes if they seme to hard there are histories which may wyth lesser labour be learned Why are not men hyred to reade them vnto them There is no history so sclender which is not very much profitable for some part of mans life There are also histories of plants of herbes and of stones There are lykewise communications of godlye men one with an other which are sweete and pleasant wherewith mindes are refreshed and therewithal edefied I do not as I haue said vtterly take away playes but I prefer these thinges as much more honest and profitable But now let vs returne vnto the play of Samson whych though it was honest and liberal yet had it a deadly ende And if this playe had such yl successe what is to be hoped of those which are prohibited by the lawes They which made those lawes wer wise men in gouerning the publike welth who seing their faith in other thinges is to be allowed why is it not also to be allowed in thys thing And the young men could not interpreate The feast indured seauen dayes and when Samson had put foorth his riddle the first day they coulde doo nothing in three dayes wherefore when wyt failed them they turned themselues to craftines and euyll artes 15 And when the seuenth day drew neare they sayde vnto Samsons wife Entise thine husband that he may declare vs the riddle least we burne thee and thy fathers house with fire Hast thou called vs that he should possesse vs Is it not so 16 And Samsons wife wept before hym and sayd Surelye thou hatest me and louest me not for thou hast put foorth a ryddle vnto the chyldren of my people and hast not tolde it me And he sayd vnto her Beholde I haue not tolde it my father nor my mother and shall I tell it thee 17 Then Samsons wyfe wepte before hym seauen dayes whyle theyr feast lasted and when the seuenth daye came he tolde her bycause she was importunate vpon hym And shee tolde the ryddle to the chyldren of her people 18 And the men of the City sayd vnto him the seuenth daye before the Sunne went downe What is sweter then hoony and what is stronger then a Lyon Then he sayd vnto them if ye had not plowed with my Heifer ye had not found out my ryddle 19 And the spirite of the Lord came vpon hym and he went down to Ascalon And he smote of them .xxx. men and taking away theyr vpper garmentes gaue chaunge of garmentes vnto those whyche expounded the ryddle And hys wrath was kindled and he went vp to hys fathers house 20 Then Samsons wyfe was geuen to hys companion whom he had associated vnto hymselfe The young men come vnto Samsons wife desire her to intreate her husband and by al meanes to enquire of him what his proposicion signified They adde moreouer threatninges and those horrible namely that otherwise they would burne her and her fathers house This is the nature of peruers men when they can not ouercome by strength and industry they flee to deceites This maye be sene in these young men rather then they would suffer them selues to be conquered or ouercome they go about fraude and snares But chiefly they go vnto hys wife that both bicause she was a woman which might easelye be wonne bicause she was deare welbeloued of her husband they myght vse her labour to wrest and wring out the secrete of her husbande They make her therefore the betrayer and that which is most grieuous of her own husband This is often times the ende of playes The thing for which they contended was of no great value For euery one of them were in daunger onely of the losse of one garment and sheete a peece yet they say Hast thou called vs that he should possesse vs As though they should lose al that euer they had These thinges rightlye agree with those which do play to that end to depriue other men of their goods They which haue lost may after this maner complain of the winner Thou hast with this pretence prouoked me to plai to rob me not to take any pleasure by play The woman in the meane time as Ambrose saith wept and complained vnto her husband Ambrose that he loued her not neither esteemed her Thou hatest me sayth she for as much as thou wylt not declare vnto me thy secretes But Samson aunswereth wisely Yea but I haue not shewed it vnto my pareÌtes and thinkest thou that I loue them not What cause is there that thou shouldest complaine There are in deede many good and faithful women but Samson had not yet had anye trial of his wife It is not expedient alwayes to coÌmunicate secrete couÌsels vnto wyues Plutarch And seing ther are many euil and babling women which blab out thinges of great importance to their husbandes great dammage therefore wise men commit not many thinges to their wiues secrete keeping for ther are many thinges that are not expedient for them to know And babling is a vyce in a maner proper vnto women Plutarche telleth of this thing an elegant hystory of Papirius Pretextatus which nowe is sufficient onelye to shewe Many though they be strong in body and excel in strength yet are they weake in hart Samson had ouercome a Lyon but yet at the last hee coulde not ouercome the teares of hys wyfe As long as his wife shewed her selfe sad and heauye vnto him Samson could not beare it The holye ghost woulde haue these thinges set foorth in the holy scriptures whereby we might see the nature and corrupcion of our fleshe The seauenth day before the sunne went downe The end of the daye is the sun set Ambrose All they of the East did measure the ende of the day by the going downe of the sunne which by thys place we may gather and by many other They expounded the ryddle after this maner VVhat is sweeter then hoony what is stronger then a Lyon Ambrose sayth that Samson when hee heard these thinges strayghtwaye added what is more vnfaythfull then a woman This assuredlye which is added in the text is not much vnlike Except ye had plowed wyth my Heyfer To plowe is to dyg to turne and to searche the earth So they searched out the mayden that by her they might come to the counsell of her husbande This
sundrye interpretacions For Chamor signifieth both an asse and also a heap or gathering together Wherefore some following the signification of this woord heape do thus interprete it there was made heapes vpon heapes of dead bodies namely of meÌ which he had slaine Or I haue made heape vpon heape And the sense is that Samson sayth that he had made so greate a slaughter of his enemies that he gathered greate heapes of them together But other hauing a respecte vnto this woorde asse do thus enterpretate it of an asse of asses that it should not be here vnderstand in a metaphore And they thinke that a sword which is called by the name had the form of an asse He saith therfore that it was the iaw bone of an asse of an asse I say of asses as in other places of the scripture we reade a kidde of goates and a bullock of Oxen. The Rabbines for the most part interprete this place for heapes and gatheringes together of enemies When the slaughter was finished then first the place was named Ramath-Lechi Ramam in Hebrew is highe Wherefore Ramah signifieth a high place And Ramah-Lechi is nothing els then a hill or toppe of a iaw bone There may also be geuen an other Etimologye so that the naminge of it may be deriued of this verbe Ramah which is to cast away bicause Samson in that place threw away the iaw bone when he had fynished the slaughter 18 And he was sore a thirste and called on the Lorde and sayde Thou hast geuen this great deliuerance by the hand of thy seruant and nowe shall I dye for thirste and fall into the handes of the vncircumcised 19 Then god brake the cheke tooth that was in the iawe and water came thereout and when he had dronke his sprite came agayn and he was reuiued Wherefore he called the name therof Ain Hakorah which is the fountaine of him that calleth vpon which is in Lechi vnto this day 20 And he iudged Israell in the dayes of the Philistians twentye yeares Whereas it is written that god opened the cheeke tooth whiche was in the iaw bone it is in the Hebrewe Aschar Belchi Hamachtich wherefore the place is darke for this woorde Machtisch signifieth ether that holownes wherein the teth are fixed or els by a Metaphore it signifieth a stone or rocke wherein is a hole cut Out of what thing god brought foorth water Iosephus R. Leui Ben Gerson like vnto the holes of the cheke tethe And in fine it is that which commonly we call a morter And this latter interpretation Iosephus R. Leui Ben Gerson do follow And they thinke that god brought not forth water out of the iaw bone but out of a rocke being holow like a iaw bone But others say that water came forthe of that iaw bone wherewith he had slayne his enemies The place was called the fountayne of him that prayeth bicause God at the prayers of Samson opened the rocke or iawe bone And this woorde Aim Leui expoundeth for an eye for in very deede it signifieth eyther namelye bothe a fountaine an eye And the sense that be gathereth is that the eye of the Lorde was vpon him which called vpon him that is God had a regarde vnto the prayers of hym that called vpon him It is added that Samson iudged Israell in the dayes of the Philistianes whiche is therfore written bicause in his time the Hebrewes were not yet fully deliuered from the tirranny of the Philistianes Samson beganne to deliuer them but he finished not In this latter history are certayne thinges which we oughte to obserue The first is that Samson was bound with two cordes and those new that the miracle mighte be the more wonderfull New cordes are stronge For newe cordes are more hardly broken then old And it is eligantly described how they brake namely as flaxe burnt with fire The cordes might be broken two waies eyther bicause the strength of Samsons body was encreased or els because the cordes were weakned by god and eyther way is apt inough Farther when he being naked and vnarmed was cast forth vnto his enemies god ministred weapons vnto him of a thing most vile so can he vse all thinges to setforth his glory the iawe bone was made onely to chawe and cutte small meate but God woulde vse it to committe a slaughter So althoughe sometimes we seeme to be vnarmed agaynste our enemies yet are we sufficiently armed when god will Some to make the thinge more probable do imagine that that iaw bone of the asse was a great one bicause that in Siria are so great asses that in greatenes they may be compared with our horses Which thing I do not disproue The Philistians shoute and reioyce as thoughe a moste deadlye enemye had fallen into theyr handes But the sprite of the Lord came vpon SampsoÌ and there was a greate slaughter made of them And the songe which he sang was a geuing of thankes for the victorye ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is a songe of victorye But some doubte whither the whole songe be here written or onely the beginninge thereof I thinke here is but the beginning onely the rest paraduenture was knowen among the Iewes and soong thorough And he was sore a thirst Iosephus and Ambrose thinke that god strake Samson with thirst bycause he attributed the victory vnto himselfe and not vnto God I sayth hee with the iaw of an asse haue slaine a thousande men He sayth not Iosephus Ambrose Why Samson was vexed with thirste God hath slayne neyther erecteth he an altare or monumente vnto God nor maketh anye sacrifice and therfore is he afflicted with thirste For god would haue him to vnderstand that he was a maÌ would also haue him to know by whose benefite he had obteined the victory This say they but bicause those thinges which they alledge are not of the holy Scriptures therefore I do not geue credite vnto them Moreouer let vs note that in the old Testament very manye places haue theyr names geuen them of the benefites of God For they would haue the goodnes of God kept in memory for theÌ that should come after that they also should hope that by the same meanes they should be holpen as they fee theyr fathers in times past were holpen of God For whych selfe same cause the hebrewes were commaunded to enstructe and teache theyr children of the benefites bestowed on them by god Wherefore they instructed theyr posterity not onely by words but also by such tokens and monumentes as by some certayne sacramentes Wherefore the thirste of Samson as farre as I iudge was not a punishment for sinne which he had committed but a certain caution or prohibition that he should not sinne He might in deede by reason of ouermuch labour naturally thirste but god woulde haue him remember that in so greate fortune he was mortal He had slayne many but herin was the daunger least he also should haue
oppressed of theyr enemies And that Iiphtah was stirred vp by the sprite to bear rule But before God aunsweareth the very sharpely For he sayd I will not helpe you bycause you alwayes returne vnto your Idoles and forsake me But rather cal vpon your gods let them helpe you Which words when the people heard they repented put away froÌ them their idols which they had made But this idole which is now spokeÌ of These thinges seme to haue happened after the deathe of Samson indured to the time of Samuel Wherfore it caÌnot seme probable that it was done at that time The order of the holy scriptures is of most high authority with me and therfore I thinke that these things happened after the death of SaÌson Forasmuch as froÌ that time euen to Heli there wer many yeares passed wherin the Philistians possessed the land of the Iewes neither suffred they any magistrate to be ouer theÌ Iosephus Iosephus agreeth with the Rabbines but he is many times deceued Wherfore it shal be best to follow that opinion which agreeth with the simple order of the holy history Howbeit ther is one thing which semeth to be a let An obiection namely if a man rekeÌ the yeares froÌ SamsoÌ vnto Saul he shal find theÌ to be scarse .60 or at the most .70 And wheÌ as by reasoÌ of filthy whoredom the tribe of Beniamin was almost brought to nothing and they which remained of it had no wiues but those which they got by violence how could it be that in so short a time it should so much encrease the Saule was out of that tribe chosen a king This argumeÌt hath a certain shew but it is not firme nor sound inough if a man more deligentlye examine it For although there were but a fewe remayninge of that tribe yet were they not so few but they mought very much multiply For there escaped sixe hundreth meÌ of warre who had wiues geuen them partly of the men of Iabes Gilead and partly by violence And sixe hundreth men wer able in the space of .60 or .70 yeares to beget a great yssue and to se theyr childrens children They could not indede be so many as to be equall with the other tribes but yet they might encrease to a sufficient numbre But that is farre more harde whyche is obiected concernynge Pinhas An other obiection namelye that hee remayned on lyue euen to the tyme of the warres of the Beniamites Whiche if it be so then muste he be at that time .300 yeares of age Therfore some thinke that it is more commodious to draw backe this historye vnto the beginninge of the Iudges But I see not what should let but that god might permit him to liue so longe For when he had slaine a prince of Israell a Madianitish woman when they were committing whoredome god graunted him not onely to succede his father in the priesthode but also gaue him very long to liue D. Kimhi But vndoubtedly I chiefely allow the order and course of the historye from which vnlesse great necessity vrge I will not depart And in this sentence I follow the iudgement of Dauid Kimhi whose authority in expounding of the texte I thinke is not to bee contemned Yea and all the Hebrewes in a manner agree in this that Pinhas liued a very long time and there are some whiche produce his age euen vnto the time of Elias the Prophete Vnto whome I doo not agree bicause no necessity compelleth me thervnto Howbeit as coÌcerning this thinge I will not much striue But I leaue it free to euery willing mind to follow which opinion he will And in this history first I marke the institution of idolatry then the consecration of a priest which was twise doone For firste Micha instituted his sonne a prieste and then when by chaunce he met with a Leuite he made him a priest But wherefore was this ido le made What a vowe is For her vowes sake For the promise of the mother of Micha was not simple but with a vow And a vow as al deuines affirme is a holy promise made to God of thinges which are ours Wherefore it must nedes be that this woman was a widow with whome paraduenture her sonne dwelled For if she had beene a wife or a maiden vnmaried or a widowe in the house of her father shee coulde not haue vowed a firme vowe as it manifestly appeareth by the booke of Numb Those persons might not vowe with out the consent of their father or husbaÌd For the law ordeined that if they wer against it the vow should then be voide Hanna did in dede vowe in the firste of Samuell but we must beleue that Helkana her husbande confirmed her vowe This woman sinned not bicause shee vowed but bicause shee vowed a thinge vngodlye namely an idole For it was at that time lawefull for anye to vowe anye thinge of his owne thinges for the adorninge of the temple of God and to amplify his honor But to institute a new and forbidden worshippinge it was vtterly vngodly The sonne had stolen from his mother that money neyther is it any maruall if he would steale whych was so redy to idolatry He which sinneth against the first table doth easely sinne against the second The mother curseth the theefe whosoeuer he were neyther doth she so greuously take the matter for the money taken away as for that she could not performe her detestable vow And she curseth as men in a manner vse to do in aduersities Yea and God himself also vsed curses in the old testament in the assembly to the mount Hebal Garizim The priest also cursedly prayed for bareÌnes diseases losse of children and other thinges of like sorte And in our time the Pope Women do easely fall to cursinges by what wicked zeale I know not in the day of the supper of the Lord seÌdeth forth curses vpon all those whiche haue alienated themselues from his institution and sect This woman cursed the theef and no maruaile Bycause women when they fail in strength do easely fall to cursinges The sonne as soone as he heard the curse of his mother was a feard For so hath nature ordeined that children do wonderfully feare the curses of their parents But this man feared not to violate the lawe of God which thing happeneth not seldome vnto men to haue horror of small sinnes and to neglect them that ar more grieuous Ther is some fruit somtimes of curses euen as of excoÌmunicatioÌ Ther ar some somtimes so hard obdurated that they can be bowed by no other meanes then by curses although they be corrected by publike and apert repreheÌsion But whither this sonne knew that his mother had by a vow dedicated that mony vnto the Lord before he tooke it away it appeareth not by the wordes of the history Neither is this to be passed ouer in that the mother sayth that she had consecrated it vnto the lord
when hee consecrated Aaron and his sonnes did put in their handes sweete cakes the shoulder breste and other thynges whyche by them should be offred vnto god Now is the idolatry instituted But how could that be doone in Israell Bycause saith the history ther was no king in Israel but euery man did that which semed right in his owne eies By these words is declared that it was a wicked and detestable acte that the mother and the sonne committed If ther had bene a law full magistrate who oughte chieflye to haue a regarde to the worshippinge of God and obseruation of the firste table this hadde not beene permitted nor suffred vnpunished Wherefore let it not seeme meruailous if the lawe slepte For there was no Magistrate whyche shoulde haue beene the keeper thereof And if at any tyme there be Magistrates whiche haue no care of these things bycause they execute not their office it is all one as if there were none Publique wealthes do ofteÌtymes degenerate a kingdome into Tyranny Aristocratia into Oligarchia a publique wealth into Anarchia an vnrulines of the people Anarchia whiche is wââ of a ruler is a destructioÌ o publique wealths that euery man doth what himselfe listeth And there is nothing in the society of meÌ more pernicious then that euery man should follow his owne will For our nature is corrupt vitiated therfore whosoeuer followeth it onely as a leader must nedes exceedingly erre But a law is a true minde and a firme and sure rule of men in doyng of thinges Plato in Cratilo elegantly sayth As we call the mynde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Plato What ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã so call we the lawe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as it were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is an abydyng stable minde otherwise the minde of men is wandring For the whiche seemeth good vnto one the same seemeth not so vnto an other Neither doth one and the selfe same maÌ abide alwayes in one and the selfe same opinion Wherfore for as much as all thinges are vncertayne as often as any man doth that whiche seemeth good in his owne eyes for the most part he strayeth from the true end 7 There was also a yong man out of Bethelehem Iudah of the familie of Iudah who was a Leuite and soiourned there 8 And the man departed out of the Citie eueÌ out of BethleheÌ Iudah to dwell where he coulde finde a place and as he iourneied he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micha 9 And Micha sayd vnto hym whence coÌmest thou And the Leuite answered him I come from BethleheÌ Iudah go to dwell where I may finde a place 10 Then Micha sayd vnto hym Dwell with me and be vnto me a father a Priest I will geue thee ten peeces of Siluer by yeare a sute of apparell thy meat and drinke So the Leuite went in 11 And the Leuite was content to dwell with the man the yong man was vnto hym as one of his owne sonnes 12 And Micha consecrated the hand of the Leuite and the younge man was his Priest and dwelled in the house of Micha 13 Then sayd Micha Now I knowe that the Lorde will be good vnto me seyng I haue a Leuite to my Priest Here is set forth the consecration of an other Priest For by chauÌse there coÌmeth a younge man of the tribe of Leui whom Micha hyreth to minister in hys holy seruices and remoueth his sonne from the priesthood And the Leuite soiorned to find out a place where he might get his liuing for he desired a state of life Micha receaueth him to be his priest By this Hystory is gathered Idolatrous worshippyngs do imitate the true worshypping of God the idolatrous worshippings although they be coÌtrary to the institution of god yet they enterprise as much as may be that they may be like vnto it For euen as Apes wil seeme to be men although they be not men in deede so idolatrers although they worshippe not the true God yet they will seeme to worship hym For they labor to retayne some shewe of his worshipping as much as may be So Micha that he might seeme to worship the true God rightly instituted an Ephod a temple and a Priesthode Lastly bycause he would not much straye from the institution of God he ordreth a Leuite ouer his holy seruices and ceremonyes The Leuites wandred hether thether The tribe of Leui was dispersed amonge other tribes For that tribe was disparsed among the other tribes In whiche thing we must remember the maner of the publique wealth of Israel The other tribes had landes and possessions and conteyned theÌ selues in some certayne regions But the Leuites dwelled dispersedly among them that they might the easelyer minister vnto them The Leuites in deede had their Cities also but many of them wandred abrode through other tribes This younge man was of Bethlehem which perteyned vnto the tribe of Iudah But it may be demaunded if he were a Leuite howe he belonged vnto the tribe of Iudah There are some whiche thinke that he had a Leuite vnto his father but his mother was of the tribe of Iudah For tribes were oftentymes mingled as concernyng matrimonyes D. Kimhi But Dauid Kimhi somewhat doubteth concernyng that thing For he sayth it is not the maner of the holy Scriptures for the sonnes to deriue his tribe or famely of his mother Other aunswere that whiche Kimhi sayth is for the most part true but not alwayes For if the mother wer an inheritor the sonne had his surname of her and to proue this true they alledge a place of the .2 booke of Paralp where Ezron of the tribe of Iudah toke to wife the daughter of Machor of the tribe of Manasseh the children which he had by her were named by the name of their grandfather on the mothers side were called the children of Machor And that was done bycause the mother was an heire of 30 Cities So it may be that this young mans mother was an inheritor of Bethlelem of the tribe of Iudah But me thinketh these thinges are spoken superfluously The Cityes called Bethlehem peradueÌture not very truly For it is sayd a young man of the tribe of Leui of Bethlehem Iuda And in that it is agayne added of Iuda the ought to be referred vnto Bethlehem that it might be separated from the other Bethlehem that lay in the tribe of Zabulon If we fellowe this interpretation then is there no ambiguity But how dwelled the Leuite in Bethlehem Not vndoubtedly as a Citezine but as a straunger and he wandred abrode to seke his lyuing Wherfore it is not very likely that his mother was an inheritor when as he was compelled to seeke his lyuing beggingly Why the tenthes were not at this tyme geuen vnto the Leuites And that the Leuite so wandred abrode being compelled by huÌger was not for lacke of order by
that are necessary for our liuyng Peace be with thee Thy pouerty be vpon me Care not sayth he I wil furnishe that whiche wanteth I nothing passe what thou hast with thee or what thou hast not The humanity of this man was great whiche appeareth so muche the more excellent bycause he dwelled among the inhumane and cruel Gabaonites He was borne brought vp in an other place where the feare of God was more regarded then among the Gabaonites Yet he seemeth not herein to be praysed for that he dwelt so longe among vngodly and wicked men We must flye the fellowshyp of wicked men For we ought not to esteme any thyng so much that for the cause therof we should haue a will to dwell among idolatrous wicked men Wherfore if any greuous chaunce happen in that society vnto men which are otherwise good they can not complayne that the same happeneth vnto them vndeserued Lot sped yll bycause he dwelt among the Sodomites He saw the couÌtrey fertyll and plentifull hauing great pleÌty of heardes and flockes he would abide there But with that he escaped not vnpunished For once he was led away prisoner and except Abraham had delyuered him with an army which he had assembled he should al his lyfe tyme haue serued in most hard bondage Afterward when these Cityes were burnt he scarsely escaped froÌ burning Whiche benefite he may ascribe rather vnto Abraham then vnto himself How vnprofitable euill fellowship is for if he had perished together with them he should haue had no cause to haue coÌplained of God Euill fellowship alwayes for the most part either hurteth or eis engendreth daunger The Gabaonites beyng of the tribe of Beniamin are called also the children of Iemini bycause that famely was noble in the tribe Wherfore this famely possessed the City D. Kimhi although Dauid Kimhi expoundeth the sonnes of Iemini for stroÌge and migthy men for Iemini in Hebrew signifieth the right hand Wherfore the children of Iemini as he thinketh are they whiche haue lawe and ryght in the right hand and therfore do not what is lawful but what they can I do not deny but that the Gabaonites were such but I rather allowe the first exposition as the truer and more simple For it is manifest that it was a famely in Beniamin of whiche came Saul also Mesapua signifieth in Hebrew whatsoeuer meate is geueÌ vnto cattell besides straw and chaffe that is Tares Otes and Barley The old man had compassioÌ of the straunger either peraduenture bycause he was his contreyman or els at the least for that he himselfe also dwelt there as a straunger For common miseryes do oftentymes ioyne men together Wherfore in Virgil Dido sayth Virgil. I not beyng ignoraunt of euil do learne to succor the miserable After the same maner the Lord sayth in the law afflict not strauÌgers bycause ye were sometymes strauÌgers your selues in Egypt But the Gabaonites had vtterly forgotten their olde estate But the old maÌ bicause in time past he had ben a strauÌger or rather bicause he was euen then also a strauÌger was moued with mercy Yea God doth somtymes somewhat afflict those that are his that they should learne to haue coÌpassion ouer other For they whiche alwayes florishe in wealth and riches are not greatly moued with the miseryes of other men And Paul to the Hebrues sayth that Christ was made lyke vnto his brethren in all thynges that he myght haue compassion of other The Leuite maketh mention that he would go vnto the house of God that is in Siloh where the arke of the Lord was And Siloh was in mount Ephraim He would therfore go thether peraduenture to geue thaÌkes vnto god bicause bringing home his wife agayn he had luckly finished his busines Other thinke that the yong man added these things of the arke and house of God to the end the old maÌ should be the more gentle vnto him when he should vnderstand that he was no common man but a Leuite which would go vnto the holy tabernacle of God 21 So he brought hym into his house gaue foddre vnto the Asses Afterward they washed their feete and did eate and drinke 22 And as they were making their hartes merye Behold the men of the City wicked men be set the house round about and smote at the doore and spake to this old man the master of the house saying Brynge foorth the manne that came into thyne house that we maye knowe hym 23 And this man the master of the house went out and sayde vnto them Nay my brethren do not so wickedly I praye you seyng that this man is come into mine house do not this vilannie 24 Beholde here is my daughter a virgine and his concubine theÌ will I bryng out nowe and humble them and do with them what seemeth you good but to this man do not this detestable acte 25 But the men would not harken to hym therfore the man tooke hys concubine and brought her out vnto them and they knew her and abused her all the night vntyl the mornyng and when the day began to spryng they let her go 26 So the woman came in the dawning of the day and fell downe at the dore of the maÌs house where her Lord was till the light day 27 And her Lorde arose in the mornyng and opened the doores of the house and went out to go his waye and behold the woman his concubine was dead at the doore of the house and her handes laye vpon the threshold 28 And he sayde vnto her vp and let vs go but she aunswered not Then he tooke her vp vpon the Asse and the man rose vp and went vnto his place 29 And when he was come to his house he tooke a knife and layde hand on his concubine and deuided her in peces with her bones into twelue partes and sent her throughout al the quarters of Israel 30 And all that sawe it sayd There was no suche thyng doone or sene since the tyme that the children of Israell came vp from the lande of Egypte vnto this daye consider the matter consulte and geue sentence Where as it is sayde And he gaue his Asses foder In Hebrew it is written Vaiabol whiche signifieth he mingled for this verbe Balal signifieth to myngle For in those regions they vse to mingle chopped straw with barley so to geue them vnto their cattell The maner of washing of fete very muche vsed in Syria And washed their fete In those places that are extreme hot when men haue done their iorney they vse to washe their feete to wipe away the dust which office was sometymes shewed vnto Christ our sauiour and he agayne executed the same vnto his Apostles Paul also required this of good widowes namely to washe the feete of the Saintes Bring out the man that we may know him By these words is described a thing most filthy an horrible act There was
of the tribe of Beniamin but to all Schebat in Hebrue is a tribe but here it is taken for a famely And in very dede tribes wer nothing els then famelies comming of the Patriarches namely the children of Iacob But the tribe of Beniamin had ten famelies Beniamin had ten faâelies R. Selomoh who toke their names of their first Parentes And those ten famelies were so notable and aboundant that R. Selomoh saith that Rachel after a sort brought forth twelue tribes that is ther came out of Beniamin ten famelies which myght bee likened vnto ten tribes Farther of Ioseph were borne Ephraim and Manasses Wherfore the Tribe of Beniamin was very populous and mighty Whereby also it came to passe that they trusted to much in their own strength and thought that they were able to resist al Israell Wherfore they would neither deliuer the guiltye nor yet punish them For they thought it ignominious vnto them if they should haue don either of them They would not geue place to sound counsels wherefore they could not deny but that warre was iustlye made against them which by honest meanes they might haue auoided But the rest of the people are to bee praysed bicause they with so great moderacion tooke in hande so great a matter Fyrst A comparyson betwene the people and the BeÌiamites they would know the cause then sende messengers to require that the guiltye might be put to death lastly they would assay althinges rather then they would make war against their brethren On the contrarye syde the Beniamites doo al thinges peruerslye they take no counsel they neither deny nor excuse their act they wyll not deliuer the guilty but prepare them selues to defende And so for the wickednes of a fewe they contaminate them selues all And as Paul sayth to the Romanes they do not onelye euyll them selues but also consent to them that doo euyl Neither could they excuse themselues by ignoraunce of the law which they had so often heard They acknowledge that the wycked act was most grieuous which yet they allow in defending the guilty 14 But the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together out of the Cities into Gibea to go out and fyght agaynst the chyldren of Israel 15 And the children of Beniamin were numbred at that tyme .26 thousand men that drew swoorde besides the inhabiters of Gibea whych were numbred .vi. hundreth chosen men 16 Of al this people there were .7 hundreth chosen men that were shut in their ryght hande all these coulde slyng stones at an heare breadth and not fayle 17 Also the men of Israel beside Beniamin were numbred .400 thousand men that drew sword Al these wer men of warre 18 And they arose vp and went vp to Bethel and asked of God the children of Israel sayd which of vs shal go vp firste to fyght agaynst the chyldren of Beniamin And the Lord sayde Iuda shall be fyrst 19 Then the chyldren of Israell rose vp earelye and camped agaynst Gibea 20 The men of Israel I say went out to battaile agaynst Beniamin and the men of Israel put them selues in aray to fight against them besyde Gibea 21 And the chyldren of Beniamin came oute of Gibea and slewe downe to the ground of the Israelites that day .xxii. thousand meÌ 22 And the people the men of Israel plucked vp their hartes and set their battayle agayne in aray in the place where they put them in a ray the fyrst day 23 And the children of Israel went vp and asked the Lord saying Shal I go agayne to battayle agaynste the chyldren of Beniamin my brethren And the Lord sayd Go vp against them 24 Then the chyldren of Israel came neare the chyldren of Beniamin the second day 25 And the second day Beniamin came forth to meete them out of Gibea and slew downe to the grounde of the chyldren of Israel agayne .xviii. thousand men Al they could handle the swoord The Beniamites assembled together to Gibea bicause they saw al the brunt of the battail bent thitherwarde They tooke out the choyce of their soldiours wherein were not comprehended the inhabiters of Gibea which were in number sixe hundreth men of warre and men picked out And it is added for a thyng wonderful that there were of the Beniamites seuen hundreth which had an impediment in their right handes but vsed slynges leuened so nye that they missed not euen an heare bredth What hande is said to be closed It is saide that they had their handes closed bycause the sinews wer bound neither could the spirites haue their mouings frely For which cause they were vnapt to draw swordes The latin translacion hath ambi dexteros bicause they could vse both handes as though either hand were the right hand Leafthanded And they which excuse this translacion do say that they so vsed the leaft hand as if they had had no right hand I thinke rather that they were leaft handed But in that it is added that they leueled so rightly that they missed not a heare bredth Hyperbole I thinke it be spoken by this figure Hiperbole wherby their cunning and industry might the more be commended In the Hebrue it is read that the Beniamites had .xxvi. thousande soldiours But in the latin interpretacioÌ are put onely .xxv. thousaÌd for this cause as I suppose bicause in that last conflict wherein the Beniamites were ouerthrowen we reade onely of .xxv. thousand that were slaine Wherfore if a man compare the first number with the latter there are a thousand ouer whom other thinke that when their host was discomfited and thinges past all hope they turned backe fled into Europe D. Kimhi But Kimhi thinketh more rightlye that they were myssing when the Beniamites got the vpper hand in those twoo first conflictes For it is not credible that they so ouercame that they lost none of their soldiours Wherfore if thou adde them vnto the .xxv. thousand which fel in the third battail then is the whole number of .xxvi. thousande explete These thinges I knowe are of smal waight which yet I thought good to note bicause the Rabbines haue written many thinges of them and the translacions do differ When the soldiours were chosen out and al thinges set in an order the Israelites send to Bethel and aske counsel of God The Arke of the Lorde was at that time in Siloh Bethel is not alwaies the proper name of a place and from thence wer geuen answers And Bethel in this place is not the name of a City but is takeÌ for the house of God and signifieth a place where the Arke of the couenant remained Farther Siloh was not farre from Gibea wherfore it was no hard matter for the Israelites to send thether to aske counsel of God They asked the Lord which tribe should haue the fyrst place in the battayle for some one tribe must nedes be the first Answer was made that this should be geuen vnto the tribe of Iuda
therof as we do Wherfore Paule sayth trulye vnto the Corrinthians All did eate of one and the self same spirituall meate and all dronke of one and the selfe same spirituall drinke And they dronke of the spirituall rocke following them And that rocke was Christ Wherefore the elders had theyr misteries and sacraments whereby they also embrased Christ And vndoubtedly as touching the thing they had the same that we haue the difference was onely in the Simboles But Augustine noteth in theÌ certaine other differences Augustine Differences betwene the Sacramentes of the elders and ours which here to rehearse shal not be vnprofitable Firste they hadde manye sacramentes and wee but few the Simboles of our sacraments are water bread and wine they had oxen calues shepe gotes doues turtle doues bread wine oyle such other like Farther the condicion of our sacramentes is diuerse from the equality of theirs for theyrs were more greuous but oures are by Christe made both easier and also lighter Moreouer those simboles that were geuen vnto them were conteined in one country onely but ours ar common to the whole world Farther in them Christ was setforth as he which should come but to vs as he which is now alredye come But as touchinge saluation there is no difference For the same saluation and the same Christ was offred vnto them which is settefoorth vnto vs. This is also to be added that our Sacraments are more manifest and excellent for asmuch as they haue more manyfest woordes of Christ and his redemption which make fayth more ful And therfore the sprite is now had more aboundaÌtly then it was in that time if we speake of the coÌmon state of men For I speake not of persons singularely neither do I thinke that Abraham had lesse faith and sprite then christian men now haue But now let vs returne vnto the history The hebrewes when they were afflicted fled vnto God by Christ who was set before them in their sacrifices and was there apprehended by fayth Therehence was all the vtility of their sacrifices to the offring or receiuinge wherof it was not lawfull to come rashly otherwise they should haue beene to their hurt and should haue kindled the wrath of God against them which thinge Paul hath very well admonished vs of saying He whiche eateth or drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh vnto himself damnation What the purifications of the Elders signified Wherefore in the law there were many purifications sprinkelings and washinges before they came vnto the holy seruices And these men now repent and throwe themselues downe vnto the ground wepinge before the Lorde for they were touched with the bitternes and greuousnes of their sinnes When god had heard the prayers of the Israelites and had promised to deliuer the Beniamites into theyr handes he ministred also vnto them secrete and sound counsels namely that they shoulde in a conuenient place lay an embushmeÌt and making as though they would flee draw away their enemies from the cities that afterwarde they mighte oppresse them both before and behinde They had among them contrary counsels The counsels of the Bâniamits and of the Israelites are diuerse The like poletike deuise in the boke of Iosuah The Beniamites sayd They flee let vs follow them and oppresse them as they are fleing The Israelites contrarily said Let vs geue place vnto the Beniamites hat they may follow vs more insolently and securely For we will stoppe them of their returne into the city We reade of the like pollicy of warre in the booke of Iosua when the city of Hais was assalted It is now writteÌ that god himself smote them For it is said And god made Beniamin to fall before the Israelits least the victory should seme to be attributed either vnto the strengthes of the Israelites or to theyr pollitique deuyse The whole suÌme of those which were slayn were .25 thousand The order of this history might seme somewhat trobulesome which yet if it be apart coÌsidered perticulerly shal be the better vnderstanded For at the first conf ict were slaine of the Beniamites 18000. then when they fled into the desert .5000 lastly when they fled to Gibea .2000 all whyche summes added together doo make the full nomber of .25000 The city ascended vp to heauen Here is the figure Hiperbole whereby is signified either that the smoke of the citye ascended vp into heauen or that els all the riches thereof which were now on fire and turned into smoke ascended vp into heauen The Beniamites being in extreme daunger loke backe vnto the city as though there they should haue found succor and ayde They recule but they fall into the handes of the Embushments and are slaine From thence they get themselues and flee vnto the woods but in the flight they are miserably killed A few whych escaped in those ouerthrowes got them to the rock Rimmon as in to a high castel and wel fensed both by nature and situation And ther a few wer saued as is afterwarde declared Whereby we gather that no mighte or power can help vs when god wil strike Whatsoeuer can be deuised or inuented of vs it nothing profiteth agaynst the Lord. In the hebrew tongue a place of fence is called a rocke So great and so populous a tribe as soone as euer god would perished in a manner wholy Ther remained only .600 men whiche got themselues into the castle of RimmoÌ It is called a rock bycause in the holy scritures places of fence are so called for that they are in a manner situate vpon stony rockes and high places But why the .600 men were left on lyue there is shewed a cause Why the .600 men wer saued namely least any one whole tribe should want in Israell God would not for theyr deserts but for his names sake haue a certayn few remaining that the pub wealth of the Israelites should be preserued And those same he left not whole but in a manner mained for they had no wiues neyther were there anye wemen lefte of that whole tribe for them to marry therfore they wer compelled to desire wiues of the other tribes Wherfore the tribe of Beniamin The tribe of Beniamin that remained consisted also of other tribes Whither it was lawful for the Israelites to kill the children although otherwise it remained but smal yet howsoeuer it was halfe the part therof coÌsisted of other tribes For the Israelites had slayne al their wyues and children and cattayle This seuerity of the Israelites was great or rather it may seme to be cruelty and also against the law of God wherin it was forbidden that the childreÌ should be slaine for the sinnes of the parents But it is very likely which thing the Hebrewe interpreters also affirme that the Israelites when they fasted and prayed before the lord vowed Cherim that is the vow of a curse wherby it was not lawefull to reserue any thing which thing they vsed to do in battaile
delight in daunsinges For to omitte other examples Dauid the kyng daunsed publikely And they which come now vnto vs out of Siria do affirmâ that the Christians which liue in those regions do vpon the Resurrection day also vpon other famous feast dayes come into the temple with harpes and violes sing Psalmes among theÌselues daunse together For their spirites ar more nimble chearefull ours more heauy Howbeit they say that they daunse soberly and modestly the men a part by themselues the women also by theÌselues Now should remayn Certain thiÌgs as touching an othe to speake somwhat of an othe but bicause to entreate therof would be loÌg therfore I thinke it good to defer it til an other tyme. This thing onely wil I say for the expouÌding of this place that those othes which ar agaynst the word of god charity ar of no streÌgth neither do they bynd the men that sweate They sinned in swearyng rashly but they sinned more grieuously in performing it for asmuch as they had made an euill othe Yet are these elders of Israell to be praised who althoughe they saw that their othe was not firme yet they would not seme opeÌly coÌteÌptuously to violate it least by their exaÌple they should open vnto the rude people a window vnto periuries which thing also it semeth that Iosua did vnto the Gabaonites For although in very dede they performed not their othe yet they would by a certayne shew seeme to performe it and to haue it in estimation That which remayneth to be spoken of this thyngâ I will deferre vnto the interpretation of the Hystory of Samuel And now I thinke good to adde this The Israelites erred in that they asked noâ counsel of god that it is no meruail that the Israelites sware a foolish othe and excercised their sharpenes towardes their brethren more cruelly then was mete and also admitted gaue counsell to that rapt such as it was for asmuch as they neither asked counsel of god nor of the highe priest nor of the Prophet concerning these thinges God in deede had promised theÌ the victory yet had he not geuen theÌ this commandemeÌt cleane to destroy the tribe of Beniamin to kil al their women also to slay all the women of the Iabenites they had no coÌmauÌdement out of the word of god The negligeÌce of the Priestes is to bee meruayled at But the negligence of the highe Priest Priestes is most of all to be meruayled at which did not of their owne accord offer theÌselues although the elders asked not counsell of them But Pinhas as I suppose was at this tyme sore worne in age the other Priestes raking all things vnto theÌ they cared not how very coldly regarded thinges pertayning vnto God for asmuch as there was no king in Israel nor stoute Magistrate whiche should haue kept the Hebrues in the duty of the lawe Wherfore the people not being holpen by the holy ministery so much as nede required committed many thinges thorough folishnes fury gathered such fruites of their workes as the hystory rehearseth For they should not haue ben so outragious to haue slayne al the maydens of the Beniamites for asmuch as the law had prohibited that children should be slayne for the sinnes of their pareÌtes Neither ought the Israelites to haue bound theÌselues by an othe not to mary theyr daughters by any meanes to the Beniamites It was also to cruelly done to destroy all the women of the Iabenites which were not virgins Neither ought they to haue committed that kynd of rapt to saue theyr othe vpright which was but a vayne othe and of no force Neither is this to be passed ouer that the virgine maydens The punishement of the abuse of religioÌ by that rapt wer punished for the contempt of religion For as I haue before said they abused the rest of the holy day Vndoubtedly the Israelites were not coÌmaunded to assemble before at certayn tymes of the yeare in the holy congregation of the Lord to the end they should apply themselues to daunses and playes The sonne of God when he was twelue yeares of age came vnto the temple An example of Christe beyng yet a childe there as it behoued applied himself to the busines of his father which thing if the maidens of Sylo had done they had not ben rapted Wherfore it is the part of virgins when they came to holy assemblies religiously to geue themselues to things deuine and to abide nyghe vnto their pareÌtes not to runne about daunsing in the fieldes townes streetes vineyardes For as often as they are out of the sight of their parentes kepers The parentes of the maidens that were rapted did sinne they are ready for raptors and for the impotent fury of young men This also is to be considered that the parentes of the maydens that were rapted were iustly punished bycause they negligently kept their daughters on the feast day For God geueth children vnto the parentes to kepe as a pledge and that not carelesly but warely And ye shall by violence take vnto you euery man his wife An argument against hauing mo wiues theÌ one called Polygamia The elders doo not geue Counsell vnto the rest of the Beniamites to take mo wiues then one but they wil euery man to take his own wife And a litle after it is added They tooke vnto them wiues according to their number Vndoubtedly if plurality of wiues should haue at any tyme ben admitted for the procreation of children here it seemed most of all to haue bene nedefull for asmuch as the tribe of Beniamin was in a maner destroyed needed a speedy instauration or renewyng But the elders althoughe they carefully studyed for the restitution of the Beniamites yet they thought it not mete to flye vnto the remedy of Polugamia whiche is an argument that in theyr iudgement that was not allowed Euery man departed from thence vnto his owne inheritaunce Being as it is to be thought moued in their myndes with sundry and dyuers affections They partly reioysed for the victory whiche they had obteyned partly they pitied the Beniamites and were sory they had made so vncircumspect an othe and had raged with to cruell and vnaduised a zeale They lamented also theyr brethren and fellowe souldiers whom they had in that expedition lost by two ouerthrowes Wherfore let the greuous horrible punishment of the Beniamites be a warnyng vnto vs to auoyde and eschew vnhonest and filthy lustes as pernitious pestilences as wel of the soule as of the body and also of al good thynges The fruite of the readyng of this hystory But for asmuch as we are by the fauour of God come to the end of this booke it is our part as it were in a table to set before our eyes this foresayd hystory to beholde in it the gouernement whereby God defended and gouerned his Church and
troublesome dreames 137. b Bearing with others weaknes 52 Beda liued in a corrupt time 42. b Bearfoote is Elleborus 164. b Bees of bullockes dead 218 Begging disalowed 203 Behauor in prosperiti aduersiti 6 Benefits degres worthines 198 Benefits whether they be to be wtdraweÌ froÌ vnthaÌful persons 198 Benefits of god ar of .2 sorts 198 b Beniamin had .x. families 269 Beniamites worthy to be condemned 271 Beniamites how many of theÌ wer slayne by the Israelites 273. b Berdes of Priestes 201. b Bernhards error of angels 209 Bethabara 141 Bethel is not alwayes a propper name of a place but wher the ark of the couenant remained 269. b Bethlehem .2 of that name 239. b Betraying handled 36 b Betraying defined 37 Betraying wurs theÌ besieging 37 Betraying lawful 37. b Betraying examples 38. b Betrothing in woordes of the future tence 284. b Bezek situate 11 Bibles preserued by the Iewes 57 b Bishop of Rome hath nothing common with Peter 149 Bishops of Rome refused kingdom in the church at the first 147 Bishops ambicious 12 Bishops coÌsecrating of kings whether they be therein greater then kinges 261. b Blabbing a vice moste peculiare to women 221. b Blasphemies horrible 235 Bloudshedding iustly and rightly restrayneth not from the holy ministery 146. b Boasting what 87. b Boasting against God 132. b Body what it signifieth with Tertulian 209 Body spiritual how 211 Body and bloud of Christe howe it is eaten 212. b Bodies of men after the floud whether lesse then before 17 Body humaine cannot consist with out flesh and bones 118. Body remoueth vs not from the beholding of God 117. b Bodye is ioyned to the soule for a helpe and not punishment 208. b Body is anoyed with druÌkeÌnes 163. b Bodely diseases les grieuous then the mindes 247. b Bona goods 139. b Bondage first of the Israelits 77 Bondage more grieuous then losse of goods 70 Bondage is agaynste the nature of man 80 Bondage is a ciuill death 36 Bond saruants may not flye from their masters 227. b Bonifacius the right 257. Booke de Patientia none of Augustines 158. b Booke de Dogmate ecclesiastico is none of saint Augustines 121 borders of the Hebrues couÌtri 267 Bramble a vile plant 160. b Breade remayning in the Eucharist 205 brethreÌ for al maner of kinsfolks 23 Brothers children ar not forbidden to mary by Gods lawe .19 but by the law of nature 21 Brothers wyfe onelye lawfull for the Iewes to mary 21. b Bribery of Abimilech 158 Burials of the Hebrues in their own possessions 66 Burnt offringes 271 Burthens personall 263. b C. CAesar touched 153. b Caiphas the hie priest was no prophet 137 Calcedonia Synode 147. b Calfes made by Aaron IeroboaÌ were made of a good intent 48. b Calues of the lyps 192 Canons of the apostles allow mariage of Ministers 94. b Canons latter corrupt 215 Canons authority aboue the Ciuill lawes 217. b Cantones vilages of Heluetia â67 Captains ouer ten Centurions c why God appointed 115. b Captaynes to haue Ministers in their campes 96. b Captaine needefull in great daungers 176. b captiues returning or escaping 85 b Carthage inhabited wyth Sidonians 243. b Cardinals hoorehunters 232 Carefulnes contrary to securitye yet not alwaies to be praised 247 case new requireth a new help 88 b Cases of lying to auoyd dauÌger 90 Castels whether it bee lawfull to fence 113 Castels municions cannot defend from the anger of God 112. b Cathecumeni 42 b Cato burthened with droÌkennes 163 Caues described 112. b Cause of synne is not to be layd vnto God 167 Cause iust vniust differ much 271 Causes first more to be considered then the second 71 Centurions c. why God appointed 115. b Ceremonies complayned on 190. b Ceremonies neede not be all a lyke euery where 54. b Ceremonies of the law howe long they might be vsed 52 Ceremonies of the law howe farre Paule condemned them 51. b Ceremonies are not good bycause they had a good begynning but bicause they be good of theyr nature 48 Ceremonies in the Masse what they signify is vnknowen 50 Chaire of Peter 149 Chaldry paraphrast with the Hebrues is of great authority 285. b Chalebs petigree 18. b Chaleb a faythful spy 18 Chanaan nation discussed 7 ChanaaÌ deuided by Iosua before it was possessed by the Israelits 7. b Chananites why God woulde not by and by destroy them 8 Chananites expelled by the Israelites went into Affricke 7 Charges extraordinary 263. b Chariotes for warre described 32. they can not resist God 32 b Charity is neglected when we depart from the true God 155. b Charity not broken in destroying of Cities 31 Chaunce is not with God 172 ChauÌce is not wtout gods wil 165 b Chaunge is not in God 175 Chemos god of the Amonites 185 Cherem vowes 192 Ches play 220 Children many is an excellent gyft of God 200 Children fayre of foule Parentes how 4. b Childe of a day old is not pure 180 Children are more of the father theÌ of the mother 156. b Children deuided for legitimacion c. 177. b Childrens obedience to their Parentes 203. b Childrens duties to their parents al one with subiects to their Magistrates 265 Children whether they may marye wtout coÌsent of their parents 214 Children when they maye disobeye their parentes 253 ChildreÌ ar not punished for theyr fathers as touching eternal life 182 Choyce of meates is not to bee followed 278 Christ is man 211. b Christ is the vniuersal head 147. b Christ the head of the church 241 Christ dissembled 89. b Christ as wee reade oft wept but neuer laught 63 Christ how he resembled Melchisedech 261 Christe is the mediator in makyng leagues 73. b Christ refused a kingdoÌ offred 147 Christ is our peace 122. b Christes appearing to the olde Fathers how it may be proued 119 b Christ how he is taught bi the boke of Iudges 2. b Christ had a true body after hys resurrection 209 Christes bodye howe it entred the doores shut 211. b Christ appeared to Gedion 115 Christes body bloud ar not included in the simbols or signes 212 b Chronicles howe they differ from histories 3 Chrysippus foolish answer 147 Church is gouerned of God wyth a singuler care 203 Church had not two swords in the apostles time 260. b Churche howe it maye haue twoo swordes 259. b Churche geueth not authoritye to the scriptures but contrary 5 Church hath three offices touching the word of God 5 Churches consent if it be to be waited for in reformacion of religion 265 Church ought to entreat for the reconciliation of the repentant 250 Church that payeth tythes is greater then the minister 261. b CipriaÌ resisted the church of Rome 148 Circumstances make much in euery matter 101 City of Palmes what 27. b Cities whether it bee lawfull to fence 113 Cities of refuge beloÌged to the Leuites 18 Citizen good who 150 Ciuil lawes are to bee corrected by the woord
man is his castle 252. b Humours abounding in the bodye knowne by dreames 135 Hus and Ierome of Prage traiterously murdered 39. b Husay traitor 38. b Husband how he is the wyfes hed 149 Husbandry not contemned of excellent men 114 Hye way ought none to forbid 186 Hypallage 14. b Hyperbole is not alwais a lie 88. b I IAbes Gilead where 281 Iacob lyed 89 Iahel praised 110 Iahels guile in killing Sisara 100 Iahel traitor 38. b Idle persons oft see dreames 135. b Idole defined 68 Idole of the minde 69. b Idols taken away 266 Idols breakyng not lawfull for all sortes of men 61 Idolaters blindnes 244. b Idolaters cannot abide to haue vngodly worshippings taken away 124. Idolatry handled 68 Idolatry of ij sortes 49. 238 Idolatry committed to Princes 68. b Idolatry the common sinne of the Israelites 173. b Idolatrous worshippings imitate as nie as they can the true worshipping of God 239 Iebus an old name of Ierusalem 34. b Iebus is Ierusalem 250. b Iebusites why they were not driuen out of Ierusalem by Iudah and Beniamin 34 b Iehues disceit defended 85 Iehues facte againste his prince is not to be imitated vnlesse a man haue like commission 91 Ienunies family 251. b Iericho in the territory of Beniamin situate in a plaine 30. 27. b Iericho cursed why 30. b Ierome vpon the prouerbes 42 Ierome against Augustine 88. b Ieromes error 279 Ierome of Prage 39. b Ierubbaal a name of Gedeon 124. b Ierusalem called Iebus 250. b Ierusalem taken in Iosuas tyme 14. b Ierusalem commune to Iudah and Beniamin called Iebus 34. b Iewes common welth was Aristocratia 255. b Iewes suffred emonges Christians 57 It oft in scripture declareth an oth 106 Ignatius alledged for the masse 42 Ignorance of christians is to be reproued 45. b Ignorance lesse sinne theÌ transgression with knowledge 20 Ignorant of god who 66. b Iiphtah sonne of an harlot 176. b Iiphtah and Abimilech compared 183. b Images of saintes original 151. b Images erecting not alwaies for deuine worshippings 157. b Images worshipped in the masse 50. b Images ought to be taken awaye but not of priuate men 245 Image of the sun not vngodlye vsed 66. b Image of God consisteth holynes 111 Imber dayes 276. b Imitation of God professed of all christen men 249. b Imitation of God not lawfull in all thinges 129 Imitation of Christ fond 278. b Imitation superstitious 202. b Immunity defined 263 Impulsions are sinnes 180 Incest punished 4 Incest hath commonly ill end 20. b Incestuous seede hated of god 80. b Inconstancy of mans mynd 282 Inconstancy of scholemen 129 Indifferent thinges may bee kepte sometimes or left 51. b Indifferent thinges and necessarye 287 Infantes should not be compelled to fast 277 Infection is to be auoyded 46. b Ingratitude and commodities therof 155. b Ingratitude to defer thankes to God 104 Ingratitude of the Ephramites against Iiphtah 197 Ingratitudes degrees 198 Iniquities of fathers visited vpon their children how 73 Iniuries priuate shoulde be forgeuen 13. b Iniuries priuate we may not reuenge 4 Iniury with iniury is not to be put away 227. b Inquisitors of hereticall prauitye 146. b Instance and perseuerance in calling vpon god 175 Instilling of newe malice into vs god vseth not 97 Intent good 152 Intent godly 283 Intent ill of ii kindes 152. b InteÌt habituall without any good mocion of the hart 153 Interdictious of the Pope 246 Interpretors of dreames punished by the Romain lawes 138. b Interrogatiue speache 96 Inuasion what 283 Inuentions of man to worship god are to be abiected 152 Inuentions of man are not to bee compared with ceremonies of the law 52 Inuentions of man to serue God with is Idolatry 69 Inuentions of men lacke no defenders 124 Inuocation of the dead saints 68. b Inuocation of the dead how it began 151. b Inuocation lawfull for thinges aboue mans power onely to God 129 Ioannes Cassianus 42 Ioas Gedeons father no Baalyte 115 Iobs booke 171. b Iohn the apostle whether he were subiect to Cletus Liuus or Clemens 149. b Ionathas traytor 38. b Iorneying ought not to be taken in hand without inuocation of God 251 Iosaphat had ill lucke for ioyning with the king of Israel 99. b Iosephus boke of antiquities 172. b Iosua no booke of the iudges 6 Iosua wheÌ he should die executed the office of a good prince 65. b Iosuas death and buriall 66 Iothans apology 159. b Iorneying into far countreies 29. b Ioy moueth weeping sometimes 62. b Ioynters to wiues 26. b Irony what 88 Irony vsed by god 174. b Irregularitye of the Canonistes 146. b Isaschar the obscurest tribe 172. b Ismaelites and Madianites whether they were all one 150. b Israelites commune weale gouerned by iudges how long 3. b Israelites oppressed in tyme of the iudges why 2. b Israelites why they were so prone to Idolatry 173. b Israelites offences in their expedition against the Beniamites 288 Israelites against Beniamin ouerthrown why 271. b Israelites cruelty against the Beniamites 280 Ithabyreus is thabor 98. b Itenerarium Petri. 149. b Iudges booke is rather an historye then a chronicle 3 Iudges booke who wrote it 4. b Iudges boke why it is so called 1 b Iudges booke what thinges it entreateth of 1 Iudges booke howe it is referred vnto Christ 2. b Iudges of the Israelites chosen by God 2 Iudges how God raised vp 78 Iudges of the Israelites are an example for the papists in that they were neither kinges nor Lords 2 Iudges and kinges compared 2 Iudge is no murtherer when hee punisheth 165. b Iudging signifieth reuenging 93. b Iudgementes in gates why 106. b Iudgement rashe ii wayes 277. b Iulianus Apostata 45. b Iustification is not of the worthynes of the acte of faith but of the firme promise of god which fayth embraceth 207. b K KAyes of the church wherin they consist 262 Kayes geuen to all the Apostles alyke 149 Kenites children of Moses father in lawe 27 Kenites wer kinsfolkes by aliance to the Israelites 101 Killings of men some please God 194. b Killing by chaunce 165. b King of Denmarkes guile 85 King defined 11. b King of the Israelites coulde none appoint but God 147 Kinges ende 157 Kings letters for a wyfe 215. b Kinges and great men shoulde not kepe othes but merchaunts onelye 85. b Kings are vehemeÌtly angry 166. b Kings that raigne vniustly are not to be put downe 91 Kinges corrected by their subiectes 91 Kinges are bound both to serue the Lord and to see that other do the same 266 Kingdom compared with Aristocratia 156 Kingdoms large not profitable 11. b Kinred is to be contemned for gods wordes sake 101. b Kinsfolkes how far they are to bee respected 156. b Kinsfolkes of all sortes called bretheren 23 Kinsfolke murtherers 157 Kiriath sepher 17. b Kison riuer 96 Knowledge the beginning of foure principal affections 141. b Knowledge of God diuers wayes 118 Knowledge of God in this lyfe is
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 defeÌd 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 pareÌts or kinsfolk 158 Murther of what sorte condemned by Gods word 165. b Murtherers without weapoÌs 166 Musicke handled 102 Musick delighteth both senses and mynde 102. b Musickes abuses 103. b Musicke not commauÌded to be had in the church 104 N. NAamaÌs exaÌple answered 50 b Nabals denial of vittals like them of Succoth 144. b Naboths exaÌple for obedieÌce 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 daÌgerous 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 EuaÌgelio c. skaÌned 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 ObedieÌce to god more then men 38 Obedience when god requireth he withdraweth not affectioÌs 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 caÌnot 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. PAcieÌce 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 PareÌts coÌsent 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 Pâx 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 aÌswered 149 Pharao was hardened both of god and of him selfe 78. b Philip the Emperour
fyrst christen Prince 258. b Phineas nephew of Aaron 59 Phineas liued long 272. 237 Phisicion traitour 37. 39. b Phrantike persons oft see dreames 135. b Piety defined 279 Pigineians stature 82 Pithagorians .ij. the one pledge for the other 192. b Pithagoras opinioÌ of musick 102. b Pity foolish 13 Plage of the church greuous 92 Playes handled 218. b Playes and daunces vppon feast dayes 282. b Platoes prayse 29 Pleadinges in the law forbidden in the Lent 279. b Pleasures some delite the mynde som the outward sences also 102. b Plinies epistle to Traian 102 b Plural for the singular 108 b Plutarches diuine sentence 180. b Poetries begynnyng and lawfulnes 102 Poetes 139 b Pollicy not to make manye priuye of thine enterprise 170. b Pollicy of war agaynst the Beniamites 273. b Pollicy in fulfilling a mans vocation God forbiddeth not 123. Pollicies of Gedeon 139 Poligamia argued against 288 Pope Antichrist 231. b Pope hath no authoritye to make lawes in a common wealth 21. b Pope teacheth he must bee obeyed vpon necessity of saluation 257. b Pope aboue all kynges and Princes 257 Pope aboue emperor absurd 147 b Pope inferiour to many priests in dignity 261 Popes put downe kings and Emperours which the prophets neuer did nor Christ nor his Apostles 259 Pope maketh the sword of the emperour subiect vnto him 257 Pope whether he maye bee iudged of no man 262 Pope claymeth dignity for spirituall thinges neuer vseth theÌ 261 Popes are bawdes 232 Popes and popish bishops compared to brambles and briars 161 Pope ouerthrowen by Iothams apology 161 Popes ought to haue before theyr eyes c. 148 Pope dissolueth othes lawfull and vnlawful 85. b Pope touched 150 Popes wickednes in handling degrees of mariage 21. b Posteritye whether they maye bee bound by their elders 75. b Postliminium 186 Pouerty vowed 203 Power of God absolute and ordinarye 97. b Powers .ii. ecclesiastical and ciuil 257. b Power is geuen to princes of god not of bishops 261. b Powers Ecclesiasticall and Ciuil wherin they differ 259. b Precepts of the law when one is contrary to an other the weightier is to be obserued 184 Precepts of God of diuers sortes 203. b Prescription 38 Prescription handled 188. b President forbidden to mary a wife in his prouince 21 Preterperfectence expouÌded by the preterpluperfectence 14 Praying we helpe other 50 Praiers distinguished into publike and priuate 94 Praiers wtout faith auaile not 1â0 Pray onely to God for that which is aboue the faculty of man 129 Pratlers oft see dreames 135. b Preaching of gods word is not subiect to ciuill power but the preacher 258. b Preaching of the word of god hath all men and all states subiect vnto it 258 Priestes for hooredome should bee deposed 233 Priestes may excell the Pope in dignity 261 Priesthode bothe of Melchisedech and of Leui signified Christ 261 Pride detested of God 270 Pride of the Ephramites 197 Princes are called Deacons and pastors 255. b Princes good are diligently to bee prayed for 155 Princes duty to be a father of hys country 105. b Princes maye bee called heads of their people 148. b Princes euyll are the apointment of God 150 Princes dutye in suffering fellowship of godly and vngodly 54 Princes duty to be careful for hys peoples good state after his death 65 b Princes haue not lawfullye exemte Ecclesiasticall men from their subiection 263 Priscillanistes 38 Prisons are not to be violated 227 Prisoners condemned though the partye iniured by them forgeue them yet may they not be deliuered wythout the wyl of the Magistrate 81 b Priuate men admonished 122. b Priuate mans duty in taking awai vngodlynes 123. b Priuate mans syn sometimes cause of common calamity 124 priuate man sodenly oppressed is armed by the Magistrate to defend him selfe 85 Priuate men ought not to take away Images 245 Priuy contractes vnlawful 154 Prodition handled 36. b Prolepsis a comman figure in scriptures 246. b Promises how far they be of force 23 Promis first is euer to be kept if it be honest 86 promis rash of Chaleb 23 Promises how farre they are to be kept 39. b promises of as much efficacy as an othe 86 Promises ciuil how far they are to be performed 176. b Promises of the law 175 Promises of God howe they are to to be vnderstanded 175 Promises of the law gospell 13. b Promises ioyned commonly to preceptes 96 promises and threatnings why thei they be added to the commaundementes 23. b promocion offered godly men modestly refused 161 Pronounce of the first person repeated 104. b Prophecy in women 93 Prophetes might sacrifice though they were not of the Tribe of Leui 206 prophetes ar not the efficient cause of ouerthrowing of kingdomes 262 prophetes false by beyng possessed of an euil spirite 137. b propiciatory sacrifice is but one 64 Prosopographia 111 Prosperities behauiour 6 Prosperous euent sheweth not the enterprise to be iust 271. b prosperous succes is no good argument that our doinges please the Lord. 243 Prouerbe law and country 189. b Prouerbe of the courte of Rome 85. b Prouidence of God by light things bringeth weighty thinges to pas 122 Prouoking occasion of destruction geuen by God 97 Prudence God forbiddeth not in fulfilling a mans vocation 123 Publike prayer what behauiour is required thereat 207 Publike welth is more to be regarded then kinsfolke 156. b Punishment by the purs 284 Punishments should rather bee diminished by Iudges then augmented 12. b punishment of the vngodly after 2. sortes 11 punishments of this life no maÌ suffreth which he deserueth not 180 Punishmentes outwarde vsed by the Apostles 259 Punishment would not be done in anger 280. b Punishment firste in the Lordes house 234. b Punishmentes of God is to moue repentaunce 174 Punishing of fathers in the children is lawfull for God but not for men 182 punishments of other ought we coÌsider to our profit 171. b Purgatorye emptied with fasting 279. b Purifications of the elders 273. b R. RAhab traytor 38. b Rapte handled 283 Rapte hath most commonlye an vnlucky end 285 b Reading of an history what it profiteth 288 b Reasons humane must geue place to Gods vocation 115. b Reasoning by the example of god is not alwayes lawful 233. b Rechabyts came of the Kenites 27 b. their prayse 29 Rechabites came of the Kenites 98 Reconciliation of the husband and the wyfe after adultry hath bene committed 249 Reformation of Rome and romysh religion promised 222 reioycing at an other maÌs hurt 143 Religion pure can wee not long abide in 72. b Religion pure must be so receued that we depart from pernicious Masses and papistical impieties 123 Religion remaining vnrestored nothing can go forward in a publike wealth 122. b Religion hath continual nede of repayring and purging 68 Remedies against feare 247. b Remista for remissio 42. b Remnauntes described 1â7 Remus why he was kylled of Romulus 227 Repentaunce 174 Repentance true 176