taken awaie and those things which remaine are not imputed vnto vs to our eternall destruction But euerie thing ought to be considered by that which it is of it selfe wherefore if it be demanded of vs That which remaineth after regeneration is sinne but is not imputed to vs. whether it be sinne that remaineth in the persons regenerate We will answer it is sinne But and if thou shalt at anie time read that it is not sinne that thou must vnderstand to be spoken of the guiltines of sinne but of this matter we will speake more at large in another place Looke part 2 place 15 art 5. But at the time of death this kind of sinne shall altogither be abolished for in the blessed resurrection we shall haue a new made bodie and a bodie made fit for eternall felicitie And in the meane time while we liue here our old man and naturall corruption dooth continuallie pine awaie that finallie at the time of death it ceaseth to be at all Now haue we séene these thrée things how originall sinne is deriued whereby it is taken awaie and what we are to determine touching the remnant of the same 33 Now let vs speake of the punishment What punishment is for originall sin Some of the Schoole-diuines thinke the same shall be without féeling The Pelagians iudged that such should onelie be banished out of the kingdome of heauen and appointed nothing else but that But Pighius addeth this also that those should be blessed with a certeine naturall happines which die hauing but this sinne onelie and that they shall loue the Lord with all their hart with all their mind and with all their strength and shall set foorth his name and praise And although he dare not teach these things for anie certeintie yet he alloweth them as verie likelie But Augustine De fide ad Petrum and else-where not once adiudgeth yoong infants to hell-fire if they so die not regenerated And the holie scriptures doo séeme to fauour his part for in the last iudgement there shall be but onelie a double sentence pronounced There is no third place appointed betwéene the saued and condemned The Papists also notwithstanding that they thinke there shall be a purgatorie vntill the daie of iudgement yet doo not appoint anie meane place betwéene both after that daie And it is written euidentlie that they which beléeue not in Christ Iohn 3 36. not onelie shall not haue eternall life but also that the wrath of God resteth vpon them Ephes 2 3. And while we be enimies vnto Christ we be called the children of wrath and there is no doubt but God dooth punish those with whom he is angrie We will therefore saie with Augustine and with the holie scriptures that they must be punished But of the kind and maner of punishment we be able to define nothing but that whereas there be diuers sorts of punishments in hell for so the scriptures affirme that it shall be easier for some than for other-some it is credible concerning these that séeing vnto originall corruption they ioined not actuall sin they shall be the easilier punished I alwaies except the children of the elect for we doubt not to number them among the companie of beléeuers although they as yet beléeued not by reason of their age euen as they which be borne of infidels are reckoned among the vnbeléeuers although of themselues they withstand not the faith So as the children of the godlie departing without baptisme by reason of the couenant that God hath made with their parents may be saued if they apperteine to the number of such as be predestinate Also I doo except all others if anie there be which by the secret counsell of God belong vnto predestination Arguments of the Pelagians against originall sinne 34 Now these things thus ordered we will com to the arguments of the Pelagians wherby they thought themselues able to prooue that there is no originall sinne The first of their arguments is that it is not likelie that God will still persecute the sinne of Adam séeing he punished the same sufficientlie long ago especiallie for that the prophet Nahum saith Nahum 1 9 saith that God will not twise iudge for one and the selfe-same thing I knowe some doo answere that God did not twise giue iudgement vpon that sinne but once onelie for that vnder one iudgement he comprehended Adam and all his posteritie But that the matter may be the more plainelie declared I saie that in euerie one of vs so often as we be punished there is a cause whie we ought to be punished and that therefore in euerie person is condemned not the fault of another How is vnderstood the reuenge of Adams sin in vs. A similitude but his owne proper fault But and if we read that God dooth reuenge Adams fault in vs that must be so vnderstood bicause our corruption had the originall from him Euen as if one being sicke of the plague dooth infect others and they die but if a man will saie that they perished through the contagion of him from whom they did drawe their infection that must be so vnderstood bicause he was the first which brought the plague and infected others with the same But that sentence of the prophet Nahum maketh nothing vnto this purpose Indéed Ierom when he interpreteth that place saith that by those words Martion the heretike was confuted for he falselie accused God that he séemed in the old testament to be cruell a reuenger bicause he did bring most cruell punishments vpon men That thing Ierom saith must not be ascribed vnto crueltie but vnto benignitie for it was not for anie other cause that God did so gréeuouslie punish men among the Sodomits in the generall floud and at other times but to the end they should not perish euerlastinglie for he was once for all reuenged vpon them least afterward he should punish them againe But the same Ierom bicause perhaps he sawe that these things were not verie firme obiected against himselfe By these words it may séeme that it is well with adulterers if they be taken tarde for so it shall come to passe that while they receiue temporall punishment they escape the euerlasting paines of hell Wherfore he answereth that the iudge of this world cannot preuent the iudgement of God neither that it must be thought that sinnes be blotted out by an easie punishment which doo deserue a gréeuous and long continued paine In these words of Ierom In the time of Ierom adulterers were punished with death two things are to be noted one is that in those daies adulterie was punished with death another is that that first interpretation séemed not to satisfie him Wherevpon he bringeth another exposition of the Iewes that God would signifie vnto vs by these words that the Assyrians should not bring to pas that after the leading away often tribes they should also inioie the kingdome of Iuda as they
as it cannot be good vnto the beléeuer in Christ But adulterie is alwaies an euill thing none can well and rightlie vse the same And though the reason of that father be not firme and that it is not true that idolatrie is a lighter sin than adulterie for idolatrie is the greatest sinne of all Adulterie draweth neere vnto idolatrie yet the sinne of adulterie draweth so néere vnto idolatrie as in the holie scriptures it is compared with idolatrie Idolaters be called whooremoongers and adulterers for the wedlocke of God with men is violated In 2. Sam. 11 verse 26 18 But we might stand in doubt whether it he lawfull for anie man to take hir to wife Whether an adulterer may marrie an adulteresse whom he hath before polluted with adulterie If the ciuill lawes or the Iewish lawes were in vse this case would not so oft happen to be Adulterie was an offense wherevnto death was due If the adulterers both man and woman should be put to death how might they contract matrimonie Certeinelie not in another world where no marriages shall be But somtime perhaps a man scapeth vnpunished or else adulteries committed are not openlie knowne what then ought to be doone Leuit. 18 and 20. In the 18. and 20. chapters of Leuiticus there be appointed manie impediments and manie degrées wherein matrimonies be forbidden yet is not this named in that place Perhaps for the cause which I haue now spoken of namelie for that adulterie deserued death or else bicause it was a secret crime In that case there séemeth to be no lawes of God which prohibit Howbeit the Popes lawes did afterward ordeine this much that if one of the married persons did séeke the death of the other whereby such a one might enioie the desired matrimonie such marriage should be void The same we find in manie places of the Extrauagants in the title where disputation is had of him that marrieth his wife whom he had first polluted by adulterie And in the title De conuersione infidelium in the canon which beginneth Laudabilem If a husband while his former wife liueth committeth adulterie with another woman and they contract matrimonie togither or plight faith one to another such a matrimonie is of none effect Which also In â—oâ—cilio Triburiense in the fortie chapter was decréed Augustine in his first booke De nuptijs concupiscentia the tenth chapter séemeth to disallow matrimonie betwéene adulterers In the Authentiks there is nothing extant of this matter indéed they denie that marriage that is made betwéene the rauisher and hir that is rauished As for Dauid he cannot properlie be called a rauisher indéed he committed adulterie c. This matter is treated of by the Maister of the sentences in the fourth booke and 35. distinction These things may be gathered euen by humane lawes Howbeit God separated not Dauid and Bethsabe he suffered them to remaine married but yet in great affliction It séemeth that the bishops were led to make these lawes least men should be inclined to the murthering of husbands to the end they might enioie their wiues Of Idlenesse and other intisements vnto wickednes 19 But now that we may the easilier auoid In 2. Sam. 11. the causes of this wickenesse let vs sée by what steps Dauid was carried into adulterie The circumstances of place and time must be obserued In the afternoone he slept quietlie in his withdrawing place This was an argument of a carelesse and idle man Isboseth when he on that wise slept in an afternoone was slaine Dauid when he liued idle after the same maner was well néere ouerthrowne But if he had earnestlie meditated of Gods lawe and of Gods benefits which he had abundantlie bestowed vpon him of the warre which then he made and of the danger of the Common-weale he should neuer haue fallen into these mischéefes So great a matter was it to be idle And assuredlie idlenes is condemned by the iudgement of all wise men Idlenesse condemned by the iudgement of the wise Seneca Seneca when he passed by the manor house of one Vacia a citizen of Rome that was an idle and slothfull man Héere saith he is placed Vacia He did meane that a man idle and vnprofitable for the Common-weale was in a maner buried there But this I also adde that such maner of dead carcases both haue a verie foule sauor and doo also bring foorth rottennesse and woormes Not all kind of idlenesse condemned I knowe indéed that there is a certeine honest kind of idlenesse whereby good men being become the better prepared are woont to returne to execute their offices either priuate or publike After this maner Christ did oftentimes spend the whole night in praiers alone vpon the mount but so as he returned in the morning to preach Manie times was he in secret places but yet so as he instructed his disciples There is also an other idlenesse that is holie and commendable whereby we kéepe the sabboth holie from sinne that must we alwaies haue in estimation But we condemne a dull and slothfull idlenesse Cato whereby mens minds and wits are dulled Cato in his originals verie well wrote that It behooueth an excellent man to yéeld no lesse account of his idlenesse than of his businesse And Christians must consider that they be those excellent men and that they shall one daie be called to that account Ezechiel in the 16. chapter This saith he was the iniquitie of Sodome thy sister verse 49. pride fulnesse of bread abundance and idlenesse And albeit that idlenesse doo nourish otherwise manie euils yet dooth it not nourish anie thing either more or more easilie than lust This also did the Poets sée Ouid. and Ouid among others who saith Demand is made wherefore and whie Aegistus waxt an adulterer The reason followeth by and by He was an idle loyterer And in an other place If thou flie idlenesse Cupid hath no might His bowe lieth broken his fire hath no light Ambrose hath an excellent similitude of the crab and the oister Ambrose An excellent similitude of the crab and the oister The crab saith he most willinglie eateth the meate of oisters but for so much as those be well fortified with most strong shels on both sides so as they cannot be broken by force he craftilie watcheth while they open themselues to the sunne Then while they open themselues and take the aire the crab putteth a stone into the mouths of them that gape so as they cannot bring togither againe their shels afterward he safelie enough thrusteth in his clawes and féedeth of the meate So saith he when men be giuen to idlenesse and open their minds to pleasures the diuell commeth and putteth in filthie cogitations so that when they are not able to drawe backe their shell wherewith they were armed before they are deuoured 20 Dauid walked carelesse and at harts ease But princes are not created to lead their life
this mischéefe to escape vnpunished If we giue credit to Strabo in the 16. booke of his Geographie the Arabians made it death In Arabia where spices growe the same punishment was prouided for adulterers Of the Arabians as Eusebius saith in his sixt booke eight chapter De praeparatione euangelica Of the Aegyptians The Aegyptians as Diodorus Siculus reporteth in the first booke of his Bibliotheca did cut off the nose of an adulteresse that the face of hir which was so pleasing might be deformed The adulterer was beaten with a thousand stripes euen well néere vnto death Aelianus in his historie of Varietie the 13. booke writeth Of them of Locris that Zeleucus the lawe-maker of Locris ordeined that an adulterer should haue both his eies put out The same was thought to be a hard lawe Within a while after it happened that his owne sonne was taken in adulterie the people would haue released him from punishment but the father would not And to the intent the same lawe might after some sort be kept he willed that one of his sonnes eies and another of his owne should be pulled out There were a people which Suidas calleth Laciadae Of the Laciade and others Placiadae among whom adulterers were tormented with punishments and ignominies about the secret parts Of the Germans Also the Germans if we beléeue Cornelius Tacitus were most seuere punishers of adulteries For the adulteresse being taken with the maner was set naked in the sight of hir kindred the haire of hir head was cut off and after that she was by hir husband beaten through the towne with a cudgell Of the Gortinei Plutarch in his Problems writeth that the Gortinaei when they had apprehended an adulterer they brought him foorth openlie and crowned him with wooll whereby they might shew him to be a wanton and effeminate person After which time he liued in perpetuall infamie among them Of the Cumei The people called Cumaei set an adulteresse in the market place vpon an infamous stone and there of the people was put to shame then being set vpon an asse she was carried through the citie Afterward in waie of ignominie it was said vnto hir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saletus a citizen of Croton as Lucianus writeth of them Of the men of Croton which being hired serue for reward made a lawe that adulterers should be burned aliue Within a while after he himselfe was taken in adulterie with his brothers wife he being accused made an oration wherein he so defended himselfe that all men bent their minds to pardon him But he considering with himselfe how shamefull an offense he had committed leapt of his owne accord into the fire And among the philosophers Plato Platos lawe in his eight booke De legibus saith that Adulterie is a great horrible offense when the husband goeth to another than his owne wife and the wife vnto another than hir owne husband Further that we ought to kéepe our bodies chast and not to bestowe them vpon strumpets and harlots They saith he that shall doo that are in perpetuall infamie Aristotle in his seuenth booke of Politiks Of Aristotle in the last chapter saue one writeth thus If anie man shall haue carnall copulation with hir that is not his owne or anie woman with him that is not hir owne let that be counted among most shamefull things So as they noted adulterers both men and women to be infamous Diogenes the Cynik was of another mind For it happened that a certeine man called Didymus was taken in adulterie Of Diogenes and Diogenes being demanded what should become of him answered that according to his owne name he ought to be hanged For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Graecians be the stones of a man or of a beast In old time among the Atheniens Of the Atheniens adulterie was a capitall crime as Pausanias in his Boetiks sheweth He citeth the lawe of Draco And it was lawfull among the Atheniens to slaie an adulterer that was taken with the déed dooing And euen this dooth the oration of Lysias testifie wherin it is spoken of the death of Eratosthenes the adulterer The adulteresse was not strait waie put to death but it was not lawfull for hir to come into holie assemblies Otherwise she might haue all maner of ignominie doone vnto hir by anie person onelie the punishment of death excepted not for that they did take pitie of hir but that they might giue hir the longer torment Which may be gathered by the oration of Demosthenes against Neaera if the same be his Polybius in the second booke of his historie If an adulterer be slaine saith he let the executioner go frée He séemeth to speake this by the lawes of the Graecians for he was a Graecian borne How greatlie the Graecians were moued for the adulterie and violent taking awaie of Helene all men knowe Of the Greekes which haue anie small skill of the poets Of Mahumet Mahumet as appéereth by his owne lawes would haue adulterers to be whipped in a maner to death The Goths made a lawe of death against adulterers Of the Goths as it is read in the first booke of Procopius De bello Gothico Manie things of sundrie nations might be recited but these for this time shall suffice 24 I come now to the Romane lawes The Roman lawes touching adulteris Dionysius Halicarnassaeus commendeth Romulus the first king of the Romans for that he would haue by his lawes matrimonie to be inuiolate and yet so farre as we can find he made not adulterie to be punishable by death Diuorse was permitted for the cause of adulterie Yea and afterward for the suspicion of adulterie a putting awaie of the adulteresse was admitted And so did Caesar for he put awaie his wife Pompeia finding hir with Clodius in the house of the head bishop But he being afterward bidden to declare against hir some witnesse of adulterie he would not and being demanded wherfore he had then put hir awaie he answered that his house should not onlie be frée from the filthinesse of adulterie but also from the verie suspicion thereof The lawes of the twelue tables By the lawes of the twelue tables an adulterer was put to death But in so much as belongeth to publike punishments it séemeth that in those former ages they were more easie Tacitus in his second booke declareth Other old lawes of this thing that a certeine man was accused of treason and of adulterie in the time of Tiberius Caesar And touthing adulterie it séemed that it was warilie enough prouided for by the lawe Iulia. But Tiberius who about the beginning of his reigne was gentle did by intreatie put awaie those great punishments and said After the maner of our ancestors let the adulteresse be remooued two hundred miles from the citie and the adulterer be banished both out of Italie and Aphrica We read in
lawfull in this crime to make an accord with the accuser which could not be accorded with the accuser as it appéereth in the Code De transactionibus in the lawe Transigere It is the lawe of Dioclesian Maximinian they would not haue it agréed vpon that monie being giuen to the accuser he should cease from pursuing this wicked fact Which yet was lawfull in other crimes of death namelie to redéeme the soule for monie or for anie thing else Moreouer the husband might not reteine the adulteresse nor yet call hir home after he had put hir awaie otherwise he should haue incurred the crime of brothelrie Besides this when a woman was thus conuicted no other man might take hir to wife In detestation of this crime this also was added that not onelie they Not onelie adulterie but also the intiser there to was punished which had committed adulterie were punished but they also which had intised anie woman though they could not atteine to their purpose In the Digests De criminibus extraordinarijs in the first lawe we read that the intiser ought to be punished without order of lawe Moreouer The punishment of soldiers for adulterie if soldiers had béene conuicted of adulterie they were dismissed from the oth of war they were put out of paie with shame whereof the lawiers beare record in the Digests Dere militari Plinius secundus in his sixt booke of epistles in his epistle vnto Cornelianus writeth that Traianus did straitwaie for adulterie discharge a soldier of his oth and dismissed him with shame But these punishments otherwhile were mitigated and it came to passe The punishment of adulterie mitigated that it was commonlie said as Iuuenal writeth Thou lawe Iulia what art thou asléepe They made but a scorne of it Sometimes they were contented with this shame that the adulteresse should be brought foorth openlie in the garment of a man Wherevpon the poet Martial saith When Numa sawe the adulterous â—ade a far off in hir gowne then he said that she was a condemned adulteresse At Rome in the daies of Theodosius there was a more shamefull custome An adulteresse being taken and condemned was brought to the brothell house as Socrates in the fift booke of histories third chapter writeth Theodosius comming to Rome tooke awaie this most shamefull custome least sinnes should be added vnto sinnes Constantinus lawe Constantinus Magnus as we read in the lawe Iulia de adulterijs in the Code in the lawe Quamuis adulterij appointed a verie seuere punishment of adulterie He calleth adulterers sacrilegers or robbers of matrimonie and therfore thinketh them to be vnwoorthie of this life Then was that lawe receiued which did endure vnto the time of Ierom as we read in the epistle to Innocentius De muliere septies icta Vercellis There be some also which affirme Whether at Rome deth was due for adulterie before Constantine that adulterie euen before Constantine was punished with death by the Romane lawes and they alledge a lawe woorthie to be knowne which was made by Alexander Seuerus the sonne of Mammea in the Code Ad legem Iuliam de adulterijs Thus it beginneth It is agréeable to the chastitte of our times that adulterers be punished If anie woman did by anie means escape capitall punishment he ordeined that none should marrie hir And yet the same Alexander was long before the time of Constantine 26 Some séeke for this shift and saie that by capitall punishment according to the ancient lawes is ment banishment But that maketh no matter for there is an other lawe of Dioclesian and Maximinian who were before Constantine though not long where it is thus read in the Code in the title De transactionibus in the lawe Transigere There is no let but there may be composition made for capitall crimes except it be for adulterie Crimes for the which death is due In capitall crimes the lawes doo permit that a man might redéeme bloud for monie if néed should be and might compound with the accuser to cease his accusation If by this word Caput thou saie is ment banishment the words that followe doo forbid it In the residue he saith In those faults which cause not the punishment of death it is not lawfull to make composition Howbeit the common opinion of the lawiers is that by the lawe of the Digests it is no crime of death but by the lawe of the Code it is by reason of that lawe of Constantine Which opinion if we should followe and saie that the lawe Iulia ordeined gréeuous punishments and yet not the punishment of death I will shew in histories the contrarie Iulius Caesar had a franchised man whom he loued dearelie this man being knowne to haue committed adulterie with a matrone belonging to a certeine gentleman he put to death Opilius Macrinus as writeth Iulius Capitolinus was accustomed to burne in the fire the adulterer and the adulteresse both their bodies being ioined togither Aurelianus as testifieth Vopiscus hauing a soldier which rauished the wife of his host tied him fast vnto the top of two trées which he had bended downe the same being let slip againe with great violence plucked the bodie in sunder in two parts Augustus for adulterie put to death Proclus his franchised seruant If therefore the lawe Iulia did not condemne adulterers to death it appéereth héereby that emperours as the circumstances required might increase the punishments That law of Constantine which decréed death against adulterers as we haue it in the Authentiks is rehearsed in the Code Ad legem Iuliam de adulterijs The lawe of Constantine mitigated by Iustinian it beginneth Sed bodie Iustinian somewhat mitigated that seueritie who suffered the punishment to continue as touching the adulterer but he dealt somewhat more fauourablie towards the adulteresse He permitted them to haue their life but yet after such a sort as they should be beaten with cudgels and driuen to a monasterie from whence the woman might be demanded again of hir husband within the space of two yeares If the husband did not demand hir againe but were dead in the meane time she was constrained to liue there during hir life After this adulterie was so smallie regarded as they made a mocke thereof A neglecting of these lawes and would doo it in a maner of set purpose In some place they made it to be a penaltie of monie whereby the poorer sort in déed might be restrained but the richer had a greater occasion to sinne Euen in like maner as it happened of a law which Gellius speaketh of that for paieng a certeine summe of monie one man might strike another WhervpoÌ„ a certeine man giuing a blow to a citizen whom he met by the way commanded his seruant that followed him to go paie the iudge that summe of monie which he had forfeited By this meanes it came to passe that men said He is a vile man that séeketh for law at the chéefe
iustices hand against adulterie as if he might saie He hath small courage that thrusteth not through both the adulterer and the adulteresse But although the lawes are silent yet the iustice of God sheweth it selfe for it punisheth adulterers with madnesse with furie and with other most gréeuous punishments euen as we sée in Dauid A distribution of the punishments of adulterie These things had I to declare of ciuill punishments which if they were distributed into a certeine method were either punishable by death so as the magistrate himselfe punished them or it was appointed to be doone by priuate persons as by the husband the father of the adulteresse or else if they escaped the punishment of death they were noted with some infamie The infamie was sometime naked without outward tokens sometime it had certeine outward tokens of shame otherwhile the adulteresse was set vpon an asse and crowned with wooll Sometime there was added a chastising of the bodie The wiues were beaten with cudgels their noses were cut off Or else the punishment was of an other kind they were banished they forfeited a summe of monie they lost their dowrie they were diuorsed and might no more be married 27 Now we will speake of ecclesiasticall punishments And wheras manie things be shewed by the fathers and the councels we will vse this method that first we will declare what they haue disallowed in the ciuill lawes secondlie what ecclesiasticall punishments they themselues haue laid vpon adulterers They allowed not death for adulterie First the punishment of death liked them not In the Councell of Tribure chapter 46. it is ordeined that If an adulteresse shall flie vnto the church she may not be deliuered vnto hir husband or to the iudge or president The first councell of Orleans which was held vnder Clodouaeus in the 3. canon hath in a maner decréed the same namelie that Adulterers may be safe if they flie to the church shall not be deliuered or else if they be deliuered they shall take an oth that they will not hurt them and if so be they had not stood to their oth but violated the same they were excommunicated The bishops challenge the punishment hereof to themselues At the length it came to that passe that the bishops to saue them from death would haue the iudgement of that crime to perteine vnto their Court. And this they will haue to be the cause thereof If this examination be permitted to laie men they would be too negligent therein as who should saie that they themselues are most seuere And what I beséech you doo they by their episcopall examinations They set a fine vpon their heads and separate them from the marriage bed Hereof arise innumerable whooredomes yea and the naughtie men themselues sometimes abuse these wiues being separated They allow not the adulteresse to be slaine by hir husband Moreouer they allow not that the adulterer or the adulteresse should be slaine either by the husband or father Of this mind was Augustine in his treatise De adulterinis coniugijs ad Pollentium in manie places of the second booke He would that those priuate men should forgiue adulteries committed Reasons why the adulteresse should not be killed by hir husband verse 7. These reasons he bringeth We be all infected with sinne we haue néed of mercie Therfore vnto sinners we must shew mercie And he vseth the saieng of Christ in the eight of Iohn He which among you is free from sin let him cast the first stone against the adulteresse He that is thus vrged let him thinke with himselfe whether he be guiltie of sinne Matth. 6 12 Forgiue ye saith our Sauiour and it shall be forgiuen vnto you We praie Forgiue vs our trespasses euen as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. With what face can we speake these things if we be so cruell in reuenge God will not the death of a sinner Ezec. 18 32 but that he shuld turne and liue Why then wouldest thou his death These reasons be not firme in all respects For if they should be vnderstood concerning ciuill magistrates no malefactor should be punished and to what end should magistrates then beare the sword As touching priuate men I agrée with Augustine that they ought not to take such power vpon them as to slaie the adulteresse and the adulterer If anie man will saie The publike lawes doo there giue authoritie vnto the husband An obiection he is no priuate person euen as when they command the soldiers to fight or the executioner to put a man to death who be priuate men But if by the commandement of the magistrate they doo that which they are comanded they be not priuate persons anie more It is lawfull for a traueller by the waie to defend himselfe against théeues if they assaile him if he slaie them he is discharged For the magistrate at such a time armeth him he cannot be sued at the common lawe the prince would not that his subiect should perish I answer that the ciuill lawes haue giuen no such authoritie to the husband and the father of the adulteresse but onlie hath pardoned their gréefe conceiued they command not that this should be doone but they command the soldiers and executioners to doo their duties Wherefore the similitude is not alike So also it may be answered of the trauelling man which is set vpon by théeues if he defend himselfe with a mind to kill the théefe he is not absolued but if he kill him by chance or as they saie by accident then he is absolued The case is not all one for he hath no time to call vpon the magistrate he cannot sue him at the lawe But the husband might shut vp the adulterer in his house he might call for witnesses and deale with him by the lawe Also the Ecclesiasticall writers and the Canonists doo not allow that when accusation is had the adulterous husbands should be heard and not the adulterous wiues Neither would they allow accepting of persons to wit that onelie the common persons and not the nobler sort should be put to death 28 Also they are against that rigour that if the adulterer or adulteresse escape there should be no reconciliation had Augustine Looke art 30. in his booke a little before alledged will haue it to be otherwise If the woman saith he repent let there be a reconciliation He alledgeth reasons thereof God must be followed his church dooth oftentimes commit fornication as we knowe was doone in the time of the Iudges and Kings yet he saith by Ieremie Ierem. 3 1. Ye will not receiue your adulterous wiues I doo otherwise The same dooth Hosea affirme in the name of God Hose 1 14. and 2 3. If examples shall beare stroke Dauid did so Michol the daughter of Saule was giuen vnto another 2. Sam. 3 14 that which was committed was adulterie for in that meane while there was no diuorse
For by this reason the heretiks went about to prooue that Christ was contrarie to God in the old testament for condemning of those things which he ordeined Which sentence of Tertullian should not be true if iust diuorsements as the Hebrues vsed shuld not be admitted among the Christians 66 Neither ought this to trouble vs much that in the old testament a bill of diuorsement was permitted for euerie cause séeing now Christ draweth the matter into so streict a roome this is no cause why thou shouldest thinke him to be against the decrées and lawes of his father But this thou must consider that in those daies the same lawe of giuing a bill of diuorsement verse 1. which was ordeined in the 24. of Deuteronomie was ciuill Christ dealt not touching the ciuill affaires and Christ dealt not as touching the ciuill affaires They which gouerne a Common-weale appoint themselues such a scope as if two euils or discommodities be offered the lesse must be permitted lest they should fall into the greater A similitude Which may easilie be shewed in harlots whom they suffer to liue in cities least more heinous crimes should be committed Which neuerthelesse the lawe of the Lord in his Common-weale did not permit But now I bring this as an example which although it be not doone according to christianitie yet is it to be séene here and there in manie Common weales Euen so as concerning the affaires of matrimonie when the matches be vntoward one of the two discommodities séemed necessarie that they which hated their wiues either they would perpetuallie afflict them and at length kill them or else a licence of diuorsement was to be giuen them This latter euill séemed more tollerable wherfore GOD granted the same to be in his Common-weale but yet he so granted it Vnder what cautions God granted a diuorse as a bill of diuorsement should be written Wherewith a sharpe and vntractable man euen in writing of it might some waies be mooued might more déepelie ponder how dishonest a part it should be to driue hir awaie from him with whom euen from the beginning he had liued most familiarlie For we be woont more attentiuelie to ponder those things which we write than those things which we speake Moreouer he commanded that when she should be cast out by a bill of diuorsement she might neuer be receiued againe into matrimonie by hir first husband So as in these politicall lawes let a christian and godlie man so behaue himselfe that he vse not this leaue which he séeth is granted him least we fall into more heinous euils sith he may perceiue that it hath some euill also ioined with it although it be the lesser Wherefore our redéemer hath appointed decrées vnto his people both of pietie and religion In the meane time he condemned not the counsell of GOD which he vsed in the Common-welth of the Hebrues for restraining of more gréeuous sinnes 67 Thou shalt not find in the old testament anie men of praise or renowme so far as the holie histories make mention that vsed a diuorse Do not obiect Abraham which put awaie Agar and Ismael hir child from him Gen. 21 14. for this he did not of his owne accord but at the sute of his wife Augustine and commandement of God Also Augustine in the place abooue recited did write that It is vnbeséeming for Christian husbands to take the matter so gréeuouslie that they should not be reconciled to their wiues which fall into adulterie when they be penitent and shew hope of amendement of their life They must saith he consider with themselues that they be christians whose part is to incline to mercie and not to be hard-harted Michol the daughter of Saule 2 Sam. 3 14 Dauid he saith tooke Michol to him againe who neuerthelesse was coupled to an other man But this example of his séemeth not verie effectuall bicause Michol committed not a full and compleat adulterie for the yoong woman was compelled by hir father who was king to match hir selfe with an other man So that she was driuen vnto that latter matrimonie not onelie by the lawe of the countrie but also by the commandement of the king Iohn 8. 11. Christ pardoneth an adulteresse In the second place he bringeth in the example of Christ who séemeth to haue pardoned the adulteresse which no doubt is of force to persuade the minds of husbands vnto mercie towards their penitent wiues Yet dooth it not prooue that adulterers should not be punished by lawes and magistrates with death For Christ by that action did not take anie thing awaie from the ciuill lawes or from the seueritie of publike iudgements Bitter men saith Augustine did so hate that chapter of Iohn as they blotted it out of his place By which words he séemeth to note as the thing it selfe declareth that the same chapter was not found in all the copies Certeinlie these men ought to haue remembred their owne frailenesse and to marke how oftentimes they them selues fell into sundrie mischéefes and sometime perchance into the verie same kind of sinne of violating the faith of marriage 68 They moreouer which so obstinatelie hate their wiues saie it is not méet that husbands who be the heads and wiues should be both vnder one lawe Augustine Naie rather saith Augustine séeing the man is the womans head hir ruler guide therfore it had béene méet he should excell hir in vertue The law of Antonius Gregories booke And he citeth the lawe of Antonius the emperour which he saith he read in Gregories booke which is on this wise I iudge it to be verie vniust that a man should require chastitie of his wife which he himselfe performeth not to hir Where vpon he decréed that she should not be condemned of adulterie which prooued hir husband either guiltie of that crime or else that he gaue hir an occasion of falling By these and such other meanes Augustine exhorteth men to pardon their wiues when they haue offended Which I verie well allow when there is hope of true repentance and change of life So then if the magistrate once applie his mind to take awaie these euils and to reforme the faults that be in matrimonie let him prouide that husbands which complaine of their wiues naughtines being proued in the same fault themselues escape not vnpunished and let him prouide by good lawes that husbands giue vnto their wiues no occasion of sinning 69 But when the apostle saith In 1. Cor. 7 verse 12. Vnto the remnant speake I not the Lord. If anie brother haue a wife that is an infidell and shee is content to dwell with him let him not put hir awaie c. thou shalt note that dwelling togither is required to a iust matrimonie To a iust matrimonie is required a dwelling togither Wherefore the Lord said that he would appoint man a wife to be a helper vnto him Which I speake not to
vnto the Corinthians 1. Co. 11 10 commandeth women to haue their head couered in the holie congregation at the least-wise bicause of the angels And euen as women ought to shadowe their face that they be not séene so on the other side men ought to temper themselues that they doo not ouer-curiouslie behold them Of which matter Tertullian wrot manie things verie well in a little booke intituled De virginibus velandis And Solomon thus wiselie admonished Lust not after hir beautie Prou. 6 25. Also Gregorie the first They saith he which abuse the outward eie be worthie to haue the inward eie shadowed Iob. 31 1. I haue made a couenant saith Iob with mine eie that I will not thinke vpon a virgine He saith not onelie that I would not looke vpon but that I would not admit into my mind an imagination of hir This séeing Dauid did not he cast himselfe into the danger which all godlie men ought to take héed of Of the punishments of Adulterie In 2. Sam. 12 14. 22 Somewhat we will declare in this place of the punishments of adulterie And this I thinke to be necessarie for me for by the gréeuousnesse of punishments we know the weightinesse of sinnes By rewards and punishments Common-weales are preserued But punishments must be applied according to the heauinesse of offenses It is verie well written in the 24. cause question 1. in the chapter Non afferamus which words be ascribed vnto Ierom but rather they are the words of Augustine The greeuousnesse of Schisme How gréeuous a sinne is Schisme or to be diuided from the church it is perceiued by the punishments laid vpon men for other gréeuous sinnes The idolatrie doone vnto the molten calfe Exo. 22 27. Iere. 36 29. God punished by a kind of death Bicause Zedechias burned the booke of the prophet God did reuenge it with captiuitie But the rebellion done against Moses and Aaron he punished more gréeuouslie Num. 16 he sent a fire wherewith those which conspired with Chore were consumed and the earth swallowed vp the seditious persons A diuision of this place We will first then consider the punishments of adulterie that we may vnderstand how heinous a sinne it is Secondlie we will sée whether the adulterer and the adulteresse should haue equall punishments and whether they be bound to like punishments and whether of them is the greater sinner Thirdlie what euils maie come by reason that these punishments are either neglected or vtterlie taken awai◠As touching the first we must search in the holie scriptures what may be found touching the punishments of adulterie after that we will descend to the reckoning vp of punishments of diuers nations then will we come to the Romane lawes and last of all vnto the ecclestiasticall and Canon lawes Of the first we must vnderstand that the diuine scriptures teach vs that The wages of sin is death Rom. 6 23. Séeing therefore that death is due vnto sinnes foorthwith after a man hath transgressed he might be put to death by the iustice of the lawe But God is not so strict an exactor he granteth as yet some space vnto life the which neuerthelesse is somtime broken off by the sword of magistrates if gréeuous crimes be committed which can by no meanes be suffered But there are other sinnes of lesse weight for which it is not lawfull to put men to death Further we will sée whether adulterie may be reckoned among those sinnes wherevnto death is due Certeinlie it was a sinne wherevnto death belonged as the holie scriptures declare vnto vs and that for good cause For by this wickednesse is hurt that societie from whence is deriued the fountaine of all friendship among men Gen. 26 11 In the booke of Genesis when Abimelech the king of Gerar had séene Isaac plaieng somewhat familiarlie with Rebecca he perceiued him to be hir husband and not hir brother Death for adulterie before the lawe Gen. 39 20. So then he charged that none vpon the paine of death should touch that woman Therefore we sée that before the law of Moses adulterie was by the Ethniks punished with death Ioseph after that it had béene laid to his charge in Aegypt that he committed adulterie with his mistresse was deliuered to the head officer of capitall crimes and was cast into prison Thamar Gen. 38 24. when she had buried two husbands and waited for the third vnto whom she was betrothed did commit adulterie and was iudged to be burnt And vndoubtedlie when a woman that is betrothed dooth abuse hir selfe she committeth adulterie For although it be not a full marriage yet is there such hope of marriage as it ought not to be polluted This did the emperour Seuerus perceiue The lawe may be read Ad legem Iuliam de adulterio in the Digests the lawe Sivxor in the Paraph Dinus In the 22. chapter of Deuteronomie Deut. 22 22 Leuit. 20 10 and in the 20. of Leuiticus by the lawe that is there giuen the adulterer adulteresse are commanded to be put to death Which sentence God in the 16. chapter of Ezechiel confirmeth verse 38. where he saith that he would bring punishment vpon the adulterous Israelits The same lawe is confirmed in the eight chapter of Iohn When the Scribes and Pharisies had brought vnto Christ a woman which was taken in adulterie they said Moses commanded vs in the lawe verse 5. that such a woman should be stoned c. So greatlie did God estéeme chastitie and vnspotted wedlocke as he would not haue so much as a suspicion to remaine betwéene them which were man and wife For in the booke of Numbers Num. 5 14. The lawe of gelousie there is ordeined a lawe touching gelousie She which was suspected of adulterie was brought vnto the priest cursses were denounced a drinke was giuen hir and straitwaie it was knowne whether she was an adulteresse or no. And if a man had married a wife and had béene able to gather and prooue by certeine signes that she was not a virgine she was punished Punishments for abusing a maid betrothed If a maiden betrothed to a husband had béene forced by anie abroad in the field the rauisher should haue béene punished with death if in the citie the damsell should also haue had the same punishment Deuteronomie 22. So then great seueritie was vsed héerein verse 13 25 Howbeit the reuenge was not committed to priuate persons the husband killed not his wife nor the father his daughter but the matter was brought before a iudge verse 27. So read we to be doone in Susanna although that historie be Apocryphall In the prophet Ieremie we read that Nabuchadne-zar rosted Zedechias and Achabus Iere. 29 22. two vnchast priests These things we haue in the holie scriptures especiallie of the old testament The Ethniks lawes for punishment of adulterie 23 The lawes of the Gentils also suffered not
ought to haue gouerned well in his owne house 1. Tim. 3 4. But there was a suspicion of negligence séeing his wife did fall into adulterie If a clergie man had not reiected his wife when she fell into adulterie the Eliberine Councell gaue him no peace or fellowship with others during his life The Councell of Toledo decréed otherwise as we haue it in the Decrées 32. cause question the sixt in the chapter Placuit to wit that A clergie man whose wife did fall into adulterie might kéepe hir at home howbeit tied for certeine yéeres with a fasting that should serue to kéepe hir in health but not that should make hir to die In the Decrées the 81. distinction in the chapter Romanus the chapter Presbyter and the chapter Diaconus Adulterous ministers be vtterlie remooued from the ministerie And the Eliberine Councell did giue no peace vnto bishops priests or deacons being fallen into adulterie no not when they should die no more also did they to the common sort of men which had committed adulterie more than once or twise They found also another kind of remedie but that was in cases of suspicion In the Extrauagants De iudicijs in the chapter Significasti If a minister were suspected of adulterie and the crime could not be prooued Canonicall purgation they vsed the canonicall purgation namelie that he should find out other fiue ministers which would affirme by oth that they could not beléeue this of him But such it behooued these ministers to be as they might be sure would not forsweare themselues They vsed also another thing namelie that an adulterer should not contract matrimonie with the adulteresse if hir first husband had béene dead But this they vnderstood conditionallie if so be they had contracted while the other spouse were aliue or had conspired the death of the husband A decree of Iustinian There resteth to declare what we are to thinke of the decrée of Iustinian As touching that that a woman after she were beaten should be driuen into a monasterie and not be punished with death as an adulterer I perceiue not by what reason that might be prooued The crime belongeth vnto both as well to the man as to the woman why then is the punishment vnlike The sinne of the woman dooth no lesse staine the familie than the sinne of the man yea and that more Perhaps it will be said that she is weake but if that reason should take place no woman ought to be punished with death Wherefore vnder correction of so notable a man the inequalitie of the punishment can hardlie be allowed but I thinke he did this in fauour of the bishops Moreouer he is blamed insomuch as he ordeined that If a husband shall not demand his wife againe within two yéeres or else that he die she should be constreined to liue continuallie in the monasterie without marriage Vndoubtedlie that is against the holie scriptures What if she be incontinent as she gaue a token thereof by reason of the crime of adulterie If so be that the magistrate grant life vnto a malefactor he ought also to grant those things which perteine to a godlie life Otherwise what profit commeth by putting hir awaie vnlesse it be to make hir woorse I haue declared what I thinke concerning the decrée of Iustinian 30 Now let vs come vnto the other question namelie Whether women doo sinne in adulterie more greeuouslie than men whether a man and a woman doo sinne the one as gréeuouslie as the other in the case of adulterie and whether they both are to be driuen vnto one punishment so that in all respects they should be in all things equall Vnto verie manie it hath not so séemed good and that verelie for diuers causes They would haue the case to be more gréeuous touching women than touching men and the causes which lead them thereto are these First bicause they perceiued that the ciuill lawes doo admit no accusation of the husband against his wife or of the father against his daughter but not so of the woman although she take hir husband with the shamefull act and haue witnesses of the same as we haue in the Code within the title Ad legem Iuliam de adulterijs in the first lawe Wherefore they in old time accounted the fault to be more gréeuous in the woman Also they weigh this that a woman being taken is straitwaie infamous but a man must be first accused and condemned before that he be stained with infamie Thirdlie it was sometime lawfull before the lawe Iulia for husbands to kill their wiues as Cato testifieth in the place aboue recited The lawe saith he is to slaie hir that is taken But it is not lawfull for hir to touch thée once with hir finger if she perceiue thée to commit adulterie Herevnto Plautus pleasantlie alluded in the comedie Mercator In verie déed women are here bound to ouer-streict a lawe as Plutarch vpon the life of Romulus reporteth that it was lawfull for the husband to put awaie his wife for adulterie but not so on the contraie part Which lawe séemed also to like Constantine as we read in the Theodosian Code De adulterijs in the chapter Placuit Let the husband saith he put awaie his wife for adulterie but let not hir doo the same vnto hir husband though he be an effeminate person or a muliercularian For this terme he vseth Also they héerby consider of an inequalitie for that the woman if she kept ill companie with an other mans bond-man she was made a bond-woman but it is not taught that it was so doone vnto men if they sinned against bond-women Moreouer they saie that lust is alwaies counted to be more shamefull in women and that therfore the crime should be more gréeuous in them Further they suppose that a man although he liue in matrimonie if he kéepe ill companie with others being loose or single women as they call them he committeth not adulterie when as on the contrarie part a woman being married may haue fellowship with no man but she falleth into adulterie And they alledge that which Suetonius writeth vpon the life of Vespasian that he caused the Senate to decrée that a frée-woman which ioined hir selfe with bond-men should be constrained to bondage but decréed not so touching men Howbeit this and the fift argument is all one There is an other argument taken Ex Orificiano out of the Code in the lawe Illustris that It is a farre more shamefull thing for a woman to haue bastards that is by one which is not a lawfull husband than it is for a man to haue bastards Ecclesiasticus is alledged which in the 7. 24. 26. chapters verse 26. verse 13. speaketh manie things of the custodie which the father ought to haue of his daughters for the conseruation of their chastitie but speaketh nothing of his men children They also consider this that A woman being taken in adulterie looseth hir dowrie and
their parents they might imitate their sinnes or else reuenge their death the which in daughters is not to be feared But yet it must not therefore be concluded that there is a difference as touching the crimes Bréeflie I allow well inough that distinction of the Schoolmen that if the faith of matrimonie be considered the sinne is of like equalitie both in the adulterer and adulteresse If the state of the parties be considered the man sinneth more gréeuouslie but if we regard the harme that is doone vnto the familie it is to be laid to the womans charge And that man sinneth more gréeuouslie in respect of that which belongeth to his state and degrée it is manifest not onelie by this that he is of a greater iudgement but we may also perceiue it euen by the holie historie Nathan was not sent vnto Bethsabe but vnto Dauid Punishment of death for adulterie is not well intermitted 36 And thus much haue we said concerning the second question Now let vs come to the third namelie what we are to determine of these punishments intermitted Verelie if I should speake fréelie what I thinke it is not well ordered that the punishment of death is not in vse séeing the same agréeth with the woord of God and with diuine lawes which ought to be of great importance with vs. In Leuiticus and in Deuteronomie Leui. 20 10. Deut. 22 22 God ordeined that both the adulterer adulteresse should be slaine Secondlie I proue this by the verie order it selfe of the commandement of God Let vs laie before our eies the ten commandements As touching the worshipping of the true God it perteineth to the first commandement he that should doo otherwise was to suffer death Of taking the name of the Lord in vaine it is said If there be anie blasphemer let him die the death Of kéeping holie the sabboth daie we read that he which did gather stickes on the sabboth daie was commanded to be slaine Of the fift precept it is decréed that if any man were rebellious against his parents he should be brought to the iudges and slaine Of the sixt precept He that hath slaine an other man let him perish and let him be plucked euen from the altar Then followeth the precept of adulterie there the sword staieth his execution and procéedeth no further Vnto stealing and false-witnesse-bearing there is no punishment of death appointed Neither hath concupiscence any punishment of bloud belonging therevnto Séeing the order is on this wise I would know why the men of our time inuert the same But they saie that the Common-weale is more disturbed by théeues than by adulterers for we must haue a consideration vnto the commoditie of the Common-weale But I denie that théeues doo more disturbe the Common-weale If they robbe and slaie by the high waie in the night and lie in wait for mens liues I might easilie grant it but absolutelie of stealing I cannot say so Doubtles if our iudgement be right who had not rather loose somewhat of his goods and substance than that his wife should be dishonested Howbeit such a couetousnesse there is at this daie ingraffed in men that they make more accompt of their monie than of their wiues honestie Wherefore I saie that there is some iniurie doone vnto théeues in so much as they be hanged and adulterers who sinne more gréeuouslie are suffered to liue The fourth reason is that in suffering adulterers to liue they intricate vs with verie hard questions First there is brought in by the papists a diuorse from the marriage bed but not from the bond of matrimonie Moreouer there is disputation whether the innocent partie may contract matrimonie while the other partie liueth And there is a controuersie whether the adulteresse which suruiueth may marrie againe with an other Further they dispute of reconciliation betwéene adulterers and by this easie meanes cities are filled with vncleannesse and adulteries and men would after a sort be more pitifull than God himselfe 37 It is obiected The historie of the adulteresse in the 8. of Iohn ver 6. that Christ suffered not the adulterous woman to be stoned The eight of Iohn Wherby they gather that the Lord would not haue this to be doone in the state of the Gospell and therefore adulterers are to be spared in these daies They saie also that Ioseph being accused of this crime was not put to death To these two examples we must answer First I am not ignorant that the same storie in the eight chapter of Iohn hath béen reiected by some bicause it rather séemed to be put in of others than to be written by Iohn Ierom in his second booke against Pelagius writeth of this matter The same dooth Eusebius Caesariensis touch in his third booke who saith that he did thinke it to be taken out of the gospell of the Nazarits Augustine in his second booke De adulterinâ—s coniugijs ad Pollentium thinketh that It was the verie storie of Iohn in déed but deuised by cruell husbands to be wiped out to the intent that adulterous wiues might be put to death Héereby it commeth to passe that in some copies it is found and in some not How likelie a thing this is let other men iudge What so euer it be whether it be of Iohns writing or no the matter is not great for it conteineth nothing against the sentence which I haue proposed which thing I will somewhat more largelie declare Ye must thinke with your selues that the Pharisies did not bring the adulteresse vnto Christ as vnto a iudge or king for they neuer acknowledged him to be such a one Neither did Christ euer vsurpe such an office vnto himselfe Iohn 6. 15. he withdrue himselfe when they would haue made him a king neither would he diuide the heritage Luke 12 13 and he pronounced his kingdome not to be of this world Whie then doo they bring hir to him Iohn 18 36 Euen to laie a bait for him and as they saie to take him in a trip He was praised among the common sort for his clemencie he was loued of the people Then did these Pharisies deuise among themselues If he shall saie that she must be put to death this fauour of the people will fall from him as being one that would bring in againe the rigor of the lawe but if he saie that she must be let go he shall doo against the lawe of Moses yea of God himselfe But Christ verie well repelled their wilinesse He did neither of both which they hoped he would doo yet in the meane time he did his part verie woorthilie He was no ciuill magistrate but the minister of the church It was his office to preach the Gospell and repentance both which he did Wherefore he said to the Pharisies Hee that among you is free from sinne let him throwe the first stone at hir He said not Let hir not be put to death but Take héed what ye
From whence the word masse is thought to haue come which signifieth tribute whereof is deriued Masah which word by some is taken for the tribute that hath bin accustomed to be paid by each person In very déede diuers bondslaues of the Pope haue thought that their Masse hath taken his name frō thence Wherefore perhappes it shall not be vnprofitable to write somewhat thereof We haue that word in the 16. Chapter of Deuteronomie when God commaundeth that after Easter vii wéekes should be numbred and then should be held the feast of Pentecost Thou shalt appeare saith he before the Lord and thou shalt giue Missath Nidbhath Iadeca that is a freewill offering of thine owne hand And so is that oblation called as it were a yeerelie tribute which neuerthelesse should come willinglie Howbeit others and that perhaps more truelie interprete that word a sufficiencie namely that there should so much be giuen as might be enough and sufficient For in the 15. Chapter of the same booke where the Lord commaundeth the Israelites that they should open their handes vnto the poore and should lend them sufficient Looke In 1. Cor. 3. 11. that particle De the Chaldie Paraphrast interpreteth Missah In which place I perceiue there must be a consideration had aswell of the want of the poore as of the habilitie of the giuer for this was méete to be obserued in voluntarie oblations to wit that so much should be giuen as the power of the giuers would suffer and as much as might be comelie for the seruice of GOD. Hereof these men of ours thinke that the Masse tooke her name as though it were a tribute or freewill offering which is euerywhere offered to God in the Church for the quicke and the dead But I doe not so thinke Doubtlesse I know very wel The Church hath borrowed certain words of the Hebrewes that the Church hath borrowed certaine wordes of the Hebrewes as Satan Osanna Zebaoth Halleluia Pesah or Pascha and such other Howbeit it must be considered that those wordes came not vnto the Latin Church but by the Gréeke The Hebrewe wordes came not to the Latines but by the Gréeke Church seeing those wordes are found in the new Testament as it was first written in Gréeke and also in the Translation of the olde Testament as it was translated by the seuentie Wherefore we haue no Hebrew wordes deriued vnto our Church which the Gréeke Church had not before But if wée diligentlie examine the Gréeke bookes of the Fathers we shall neuer finde the word Masse vsed by them Wherefore I doe not thinke that the name of Masse is deriued from the Hebrewes 2 The Gréeke Church called the holy supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth a common and publike worke Neither is it proper to holy things nay rather it is applyed euen to prophane actions which were publike And who is ignorant that the administratiō of the Lordes supper is a matter pertaining to the Christian people For so manie as be present ought to be partakers thereof and to communicate together And that they doe not passe ouer this An argument against priuate masses there is an Argument of some weight taken against priuate Masses out of the Etimologie of that word Furthermore that word belongeth not onelie vnto the Eucharist but it is applied vnto other holie functions Wherefore in the 13. Acts. 13. 2. Chapter of the Actes it is written of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which some haue turned They sacrificing whereas they should rather haue sayd They ministring or woorking publikelie to wit in the holy seruice which no doubt but they did in preaching of the Gospell Among the Latins there were other names of this holy function For sometime it is called a Communion Holie names of the Supper among the Latines otherwhile the supper of the Lord now and then the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ or the breaking of bread and many times our fathers as did the Gréekes called the fearefull mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Howe the Fathers called the Supper a sacrifice I omit that they very oftē vsed the name of sacrifice not certainlie as our aduersaries fondlie imagin that therein is offered vnto God by the priest the bodie and bloud of Christ for the quicke and the dead notwithstanding that the fathers also themselues haue not mislyked of that manner of speach wherein they said that the bodie and bloud of Christ is offered vnto God But what they meant by these wordes if they be attentiuely read they plainlie declare namelie that then thankes are giuen vnto God who for our sakes gaue his sonne vnto death and vnto the crosse The most auncient Fathers vsed not the name of Masse By these names haue the most auncient Fathers called it the supper of the Lord but of Masse they haue made no mention For if thou wilt read Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Hilarius and their equals thou shalt neuer finde that word among thē in that signification Augustine Augustine made mention thereof at two seuerall times namely in his 237. Sermon De Tempore where he speaketh of the Masse of the Catechumeni There he exhorted men to the forgiuing of iniuries one toward an other For saith he we must come to the Masse of the Catechumeni where we shall pray Forgiue vs our trespasse euen as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Also in the 91. Sermon De Tempore he writeth In the historie which is to be read at Masses Some haue doubted whether these were Augustines sermons Truely they séeme vnto me to be the stile and sentenses of Augustine When the name of Masse began to be vsed And if I shall follow mine owne coniecture I thinke that this name of Masse began in a manner at that time to be vsed seldome in déede but not often for if that word had bin vsuall at that time there would haue bin more often mention thereof especiallie by Augustine who applyed his speach vnto the common people Ignatius An argument against priuate masses 3 They alledge Ignatius in an Epistle to the people of Smirna Howbeit that place maketh very much against the Massemongers séeing Ignatius there decréed that Masses ought not to be had vnlesse that the Byshop shall be present so greatly did the auncient time prouide against priuate Communions For they would in very déed all to be present and especiallie Byshops while they were administred These thinges haue I sayd as it were graunting to our aduersaries that that was the very true booke of Ignatius and that it hath therein the word Masse but this are we in no wise compelled to graunt The Epistles of Ignatius are Apocrypha séeing it is Apocriphus euen by the testimonie of their owne Gratian. And herewithall that those Epistles were written in Gréeke and that therefore no doubt but he which translated them into Latin did put
against the God of Daniel should dye The like decrée made Darius afterward Ib. 6. 23. So likewise our Magistrates ought wholie to take away all Idolatries blasphemies and superstitions so soone as euer they shall finde them out The Ethnick princes neuer thought that the care of Religion appertained not vnto their power The Ethnick Princes accounted the care for religion to be in thē Why was Socrates condemned at Athens I demaund not now how rightlie or iustlie for as it is thought in a manner of all men Anitus and Melitus lyed against him This I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned but for Religion Socrates was condemned by the Magistrate for matters of Religion as though he taught new Gods and led away the youth from the auncient and receaued woorshipping of the Gods and he was by a prophane Magistrate condemned Wherefore the Athenians thought that the preseruation and care of Religion belonged to their Magistrate Leui. 24. 16 The lawe of God commaunded that the blasphemour should be put to death not I thinke by euerie priuate man or by the priestes but by the Magistrate The Ethnick Emperours also in those first times did for no other cause rage against the Christians but because they thought that the state of Religion belonged vnto their iudgemēt seate And assuredlie as touching this opinion they were not deceaued For none as Chrysostome saith either Apostle or Prophet Chrysost reprooued the people either Iewes or Ethnickes because they had a care of Religion but they were deceaued in the verie knowledge as touching Religion because they defended their owne as true and condemned the Christian as vngodlie and blasphemous Constantine and Theodosius and manie other godlie princes are commended because they tooke away Idols and either closed vp or else ouerthrew their Temples Howbeit they did not these thinges in anie other respect than that they thought the charge of Religion to belong vnto them otherwise they should haue bin busie fellowes and should haue put their Sickle into an other mans haruest The Donatists tooke this in verie ill part and gréeuouslie complained thereof in Augustines time because the Catholick Byshops required ayde of the ciuill Magistrate against them Augustine But Augustine confuted them by the selfe same Argument which I haue a little before rehearsed And addeth this moreouer why did ye accuse Caecilianus Byshop of Carthage before Constantine if it be wicked for an Emperour to determine concerning Religion 32 Furthermore there is gathered by those things which the same Father wrote against Petilianus and against Parmenianus also in manie other Epistles how that the Donatists accused Caecilianus as it is said before Constantine the Emperor who first referred the cause to Melchiades bishop of Rome And when by him they were ouercome they againe appealed to the Emperor neither reiected he their appellation frō him Appellatiō from the Pope to the Emperour in matters of religion but committed the matter to the Bishop of Orleance by whom they were againe cōdemned Neither rested they so but they appealed againe to the Emperour who heard them decided their cause condemned them and by his sentence quitted Caecilianus Where are they now which so often and so impudently crie The right of calling Councels in the Emperours that there is no appealing from the Pope and that the causes of Religion belong not to the Ciuill Magistrate To whom in the olde time belonged the right of calling generall Councels pertained it not vnto Emperours As for the Councell of Nice the Councell of Constantinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedon Emperours called them Leo the first of that name prayed the Emperour to call a Councell in Italie because he suspected the Gretians about the errour of Eutiches and yet could he not obtaine it And the Bishops were called togther to Chalcedonia whereat the Emperour was also present as was Constantine at the Coūcell of Nice Neither doe I thinke that they were there present to sit idle and to doe nothing but rather to set forth vnto the Bishops what they should do and to prouoke them to define rightly Theodoretus Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished the fathers to determine al things by the scriptures of the Euangelists Apostles Prophets and scriptures inspired from God Iustinian also in the Code wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Bishops of Priestes and other such like Yea and Augustine himselfe hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same maner to punish Idolaters and Heretikes Augustine with the same punishment that he punisheth adulterers withall for so much as they commit whoredome against God in minde which is much more heinous thā to commit whoredome in bodie And looke by what law murtherers are put to death Whoredom a more grieuous crime than adulterie by the same also ought Idolaters and Heretickes be punished for that by them are killed not the bodies but the soules Although the common people are stirred vp onelie against Homicides because it séeth the bloud of the slaine bodies but séeth not the death of the soules Surelie it is profitable that the Magistrate should take this care vpon him and by his authoritie compell men to come to the Sermons and to heare the word of God for by that meanes it commeth to passe that through often hearing those things begin to please which before displeased God hath prospered those Princes which haue had a care of Religion As the histories teach God hath oftentimes made godlie Princes famous through most noble victories which haue had a care of these things 33 Besides it cannot be denied but that it is the Magistrates dutie to defend those Cities and publike weales ouer which they are gouernors and to prouide that they take no harme Seeing then Idolatry is the cause of captiuitie plague famine ouerthrowing of publike weales shall it not belong vnto the Magistrate to represse it and to preserue both the true and sounde Religion Lastlie Paule teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline and in the feare of God But a good Magistrate is the father of the countrie wherefore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiects be instructed as common children Neuerthelesse Kinges and Princes which saie that these things pertaine not to them do in the meane time let giue and sell Bishopricks Abbies and benefices to whom they thinke good neither thinke they that this belongeth not to their office onelie they thinke that they ought not to take knowledge of matters of Religion and they neglect to prouide that they whom they promote to most ample dignities should execute their office rightly This therfore onelie remaineth for them euen that God himselfe will at length iudge of these things and reuenge their negligence The fourteenth Chapter Of the office of Magistrates especially in exercising of Iudgement PRinces for the most part in the time of great quietnesse In 2. Sam. 8. 15.
renowmed Quéene is a schoole or a certain place of warfare of the Almercifull and Almightie God where he through sundrie laboursome exercises God exerciseth the godlie with diuerse afflictions sometimes by afflictions and sometimes by diuerse perils teacheth and instructeth them that be his I suppose that of Godly men it is iudged most certaine and vndoubted Yet for all this the heauenly father doth not so deale as he hath determined that those whom he leaueth shal perpetually be troubled with afflictions and bée pressed with euerlasting griefes but sometimes helpeth to ouercome euils and at such oportunitie as he hath determined with himselfe suffereth them to escape out of the flouds and whilepittes of daungers to the intent he may declare that it is he that leadeth them to the gates of death and bringeth them backe againe 1. Sam. 2. 6. while hee taketh care that in his adopted children may shine the image whom he naturally begate vnto himselfe before all eternitie Rom. 8. 28. For the same our first begotten brother Iesus Christ dyed first before hée should be raised vp by his owne and his fathers power Therefore it behooueth that we also which are appointed to be made like his image shoulde first die before we rise againe After this sort the Israelites were in a manner deade while they were pressed vnder the most gréeuous tyrannie of Pharao in Egypt but they being deliuered by Moses and Aaron were after a sort plucked away from death Moreouer they séemed againe to haue perished in the manifold daungers and sundrie mischances of the wast wildernesse who afterward reuiued by entering into the lande of Chanaan To conclude they being ledde into captiuitie were thought vtterly consumed who neuerthelesse returning after 70. yeares florished againe and were then restored vnto life The verie which thing O most mightie Quéene Elyzabeth séeing God hath doone vnto you he hath not departed from that his olde manner of custome but hath rather confirmed the same and made it more manifest For while his workes are executed in the meaner and baser sort of men they indéed appeare the lesse But on the otherside when they be shewed in men woemen of noblest and highest estate then are they made in a manner famous in the eye of al mē Wherfore since you most noble Quéene Elizabeth are aduanced to the kingdome not in verie déede by a gentle Quéene Elyzabeth easie and pleasāt way but for certain yeares now passed you haue appeared to be scarse a foote frō death For so great déepe haue bin the daungers as the ship of your life was now welnéere loonke you are preserued by the power of God not by the helpe of man are promoted as we nowe sée to the possession of that famous kingdome Wherefore by the mercie and goodnesse of the sonne of God in whom only you did put your trust you are reuiued by the good helpe of God do inioy the kingdome of your father and grandfather and that to the safetie of the Church of Christ and to the restitution of the common weale of England falling in decay Therefore fitlie doth that saying sounde in the mouthes of all Godlie men at this time which is most ioyfully pronounced in the Psalme Psal 118. 28. This is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner I confesse indéede that these wordes appertaine vnto Christ But séeing Godly men are accounted for his members I iudge they may be applied vnto them also For that the other members of the bodie are both garnished and haue profite by the ornaments and honour of the head Ephe. 5. 27. Paul the Apostle of Christ doth aboundantly testifie which in verie déede must be specially vnderstood of those members which are so eminent in the Lords bodie as it pleased God that your maiestie should at length excellently appeare among his people Now this is so great a benefite of God as it cannot be shut vp in you onely but through your own selfe is deriued vnto a great number of the faithfull For so manie as either are borne subiects in the kingdome or wish well thereunto and which séeke nothing else but the glorie of Christ all these séeme to themselues to be raised together with you from death Amongst whom because I neither am nor wil be the last euen as I perceiued my selfe by these welcome newes to be made excéeding and marueilous ioyfull so I thought it méete that first of all we should giue thanks vnto our most mighty and mercifull God secondly that we shoulde reioyce on the behalfe of your maiestie and also of the Church and Realme of England Wherfore let vs praise God and the father of our Lorde Iesu Christ which hath visited his people being almost deade and hath opened the way which a long time was shut vp from preaching of the Gospel of the sonne of God Beholde nowe againe is the horne of saluation lifted vp in the kingdome of Englande whereby the chosen of God by the inuincible power of our Sauiour Iesus Christ are deliuered out of the hand of their enemies and doe most syncerelie woorship the blessed GOD according to the prescript rule of the holie Scriptures Glorie be nowe to GOD on high Peace in the Church and the good will of God towardes the people of England that by the guide and good gouernement of this godlie Quéene her subiects being adorned with righteousnesse and holinesse may walke alwaies and innocentlie before him and that hee will so lighten them from aboue as they which through the night that went before were againe fallen into darkenesse and into the shadowe welnéere of death now the daies of peace being sprung vp may walke their waies safelie without any offence And that this may be done most mightie Quéene it is in your hand next vnto God Neither doe I doubt but for your auncient faith sake your godlinesse and fauour of God which hath protected defended and gouerned you from your childehood vnto this daie you wil giue the due honour vnto God and to his worde God kéepe from your syncere and religious heart the blemish of an vngratefull minde which though in euery sort of man it be most fowle in you which by the benefite of Christ are in this place it would be altogether intollerable Howbeit I am whollie perswaded that your Maiestie is both of a readie minde and will to restore the Euangelicall Religion And albeit that you are sufficientlie prepared and learned of your selfe this to doe and that you haue no want of the holie counsels godlie exhortations of others which daily sound in your eares Yet haue I also thought good for the verie great bounden duety that I owe vnto your Maiestie with no lesse breuitie than modestie to put you in minde of some things which principallie belong hereunto Which thinges I humblie beséeche you may bee no otherwise
diuell and this doo we read in Ambrose And Tertullian in his booke De anima declareth the same albeit he affirmeth Ambrose Tertullian that the same place is more sincerelie to be vnderstood of concord Wherefore séeing by these allegories nothing certeinlie can be gathered the argument is verie weake 26 But touching the sentence In 1 Cor. 3. 12. which they cite out of the third chapter of the first to the Corinthians vnderstand it on this sort They that build pretious things should be circumspect and prouide well for themselues These â—e the authors of sound doctrine the which is compared to most noble and excellent things yea and if we giue credit vnto Dauid it farre excelleth them séeing it is said in the psalme Psal 19 11. that The commandements of God are to be desired aboue gold and pretious stones Howbeit at this daie they haue transferred this ornament of siluer gold and pretious stones vnto crosses The gold pretious stones at this day are not in doctrine but in chalices and crosses Boniface the fift chalices and candlesticks which gold siluer and pretious things they carefullie looke vnto when as in the meane time they suffer leaden and more than iron doctrine to be carried about Wherefore that saieng of bishop Boniface in the Triburian councell appéereth most true who as it is read in the 18. canon when he was demanded whether woodden vessels should be vsed in the holie mysteries answered Of wodden priests and golden vessels and of the contrarie When we had golden priests they vsed vessels of wood but now our woodden priests haue brought iâ— golden vessels By this diuersitie of stuffe are shewed the degrées whereby Christ is more or lesse described expressed set foorth in doctrine euen as on the other part wood haie and strawe declare that Christ who is the foundation is more or lesse disfigured and dishonoured by strang doctrines Chrysostome thinketh Chrysost that this saieng is not ment of teachers For saith he if they teach ill and others perish bicause of them wherefore dooth Paule saie that the builders shall at the least wise be saued séeing destruction is rather due to them than to their hearers bicause they gaue them an occasion to erre But if they haue taught well and others through their owne fault haue taken no profit the teachers are without blame Neither is it méete that they should suffer anie harme they shall be saued neuerthelesse but yet so as it were by fire But that deceiued Chrysostome in that he compared the hearers and teachers togither What deceiued Chrysostome But we for our part thinke certeinlie that these things must be referred vnto doctrines Wherefore it may be that the opinions of them which haue not wiselie built being reiected and condemned they themselues so they haue kept well the foundation may be saued but yet so saued as they shall not escape without fire And certeine it is that here onelie is intreated of those builders which haue not forsaken the foundation Wood haie and stubble thou maiest vnderstand to be the commandements and inuentions of men Matt. 15 â— of the which it is said In vaine doo they worship me with commandements doctrines of men Herevnto belong vaine and curious questions Vaine and curious questions which séeing they further not to edification Paule vnto Timothie commanded them to be auoided Let vs vse examples Some man teacheth 1. Cor. 4 34 He disputeth by examples She that is vnmaried thinketh of those things which be the Lords This is a good foundation but if thou adde Let it be a decrée that priests shall be constrained to liue a sole life now doest thou build with strawe Fasting furthereth praiers it maketh the mind perfecter the foundation is not euill but they adde Let daies be prescribed let a choise of meats be had vnder paine as they call it of deadlie sinne let these things be commanded now doo they build haie Further yet Psal 116 15 bicause The death of the saints is pretious in the sight of the Lord it is méet that the memorials of martyrs should be had in honor this doctrine doth not varie from the foundation but when they inferre that their bones must be worshipped their names called vpon and their images adored all this shall be accounted stubble and sticks The metaphore is most plainelie drawne from these things for they deface the foundation and séeing of nature they be withered they cannot long endure and they be the fire food and nourishment whereby the flame is kindled By time errors are discouered Matt. 10. 26 27 Wherefore the daie shall declare them for those things which are corruptlie taught cannot alwaies lie hidden For there is nothing hidden that shall not be reuealed But if that naughtie opinions be not presentlie made manifest yet as time commeth on they are declared We sée at this daie by experience that manie things are discouered the which haue béene hid manie yeares In the remoouing of errors we must deale warilie In the remoouing of which things we must deale warilie least perhaps we roote vp good things togither with euill the which hauing afterward found the error we be not able to restore againe What Paul vnderstandeth by The daie Wherefore by the daie is vnderstood manifest reuelation when as darkenesse shall be driuen awaie so that we may giue iudgment of the thing according as it is in déed And for the bringing of this to passe God vseth sundrie means and manifold waies whereby he lighteneth their minds that be astraie God illuminateth by diuers means Heb. 4 12. Sometime he vseth the preaching of the Gospell for the word of GOD is a sharpe and two edged sword and entreth euen into the inward parts of the hart And sometimes he sendeth the calamities troubles of this world whereby he may instruct men Aduersities of their owne nature bring not light Which thing neuerthelesse agréeth not with aduersities according as they be of their owne nature séeing they compell men to cast out blasphemies against God and driue some to desperation but then they bring light vnto our minds when the mercie of God vseth them vnto our saluation It is written in Esaie Esaie 2 22. It shall come to passe in exceeding great tribulation that a man shall cast awaie his idols either of gold or siluer his moles I saie his bats And Manasses the king of Iuda Manasses 2. Par. 33 12 then confessed idolatrie to be vnprofitable when he was led awaie captiue and cast in prison And it happeneth not seldome that vnto them to whom it hath not béene giuen to thinke well of religion all their life long this is oftentimes granted them at the last houre and when they are in the pangs of death they vnderstand that those superstitions and abuses wherewith they had béene wrapped themselues were both vaine and full of harme Which I
doubt not but happened vnto Barnard Francis Dominicus Which of the fathers taught superstitions and to diuers of the ancient Fathers bicause séeing they liued in the foundation that is in Christ albeit they erected manie abuses and sundrie superstitions yet might they be saued neuerthelesse by fire when as at the last houre they stroue against death and against the terror of sinnes and in that conflict acknowledged the vanitie of their owne studies Whatsoeuer therfore of these thrée things lightened the minds of them that straied from the right building How he vnderstandeth The daie and The fire that do I call the daie and the fire To this end Paule prouoketh vs to the examination and iudgement of God for ill learnings may oftentimes lie hidden which shall then be made manifest and now they lie hidden partlie Causes why ill doctrines lie hid bicause they that teach be ambitious and being led with a gréedinesse of honor they doo not rightlie weigh those things which they teach And the hearers séeing they are verie oftentimes infected with vanitie they fansie the new doctrine of their teachers more than is méete and they estéeme the doctrine according to the godlie shew or eloquence of the teacher The last cause is the slouthfulnesse as well of the teachers as also of the hearers for they bend not their indeuor to th'examination of doctrine as méet it were And to conclude it hapneth that the abuses naughtie customes are colouâ—… by hypocrisie and they be so painted out â—…â—hey make a shew of holines euen as Paule writeth to the Colossians Col. 2 23. According to the commandement and doctrines of men hauing in outward words a shew of wisedome What thing is there at this daie more adorned and set foorth with colors With what arts and ornaments the Masse is decked out than is the Masse Therein is wonderfull decking with garments alluring songs instruments of musike war lights swéet perfumes bels curious gestures of the bodie heauing vp laieng downe whisperings fractions small péeces of cakes and innumerable false deuises of the diuell When they be reprooued they go about to excuse A simple excuse that these signes are vsed bicause we may be taught the woorthines of the Eucharist But where is there one among the miserable people that vnderstandeth the causes of these signes Neither can the Masse priests shew the causes of those things when they be demanded And the thing is so deformed and so greatlie degenerated as it may be counted or perceiued to be anie thing sooner than the supper of the Lord. 28 But séeing the foundation gold siluer pretious stones Seeing the other things are vnderstood by allegorie there is no doubt but that fire must be so vnderstood wood haie and strawe are spoken by allegorie there is no doubt but that fire also must be vnderstood allegoricallie It is not sufficient that doctrines should be tried by the iudgement of men it behooueth that those things abide firmelie by the fire of diuine examination Wherefore fire and daie light is a cléere beholding a certeine triall a manifest reuelation whereby we knowe at the length the truth of doctrines and also the guilefulnesse of them The propertie of fire The propertie of fire is to giue light and to make triall and from this fire no man is exempted whether he haue builded well or ill all men must be prooued by the same Wherein triall consisteth And herein will the triall consist that the doctrine which is builded shall be tried whether it agrée with the foundation or no. God likened vnto a purging fire Malac. 3 2. Otherwise God is said to be like a purging fire and like the fullers sope for he will purge the children of Leuie and he will purifie them like the siluer and gold the third of Malachie The doctrines which be sound shall abide neither shall the triall of fire more hurt them than the fornace dooth the gold or siluer or no more than the thrée children that were tried in the fire at Babylon Augustine Augustine in sundrie places maketh mention of this sentence in his booke De fide operibus the 15. and 16. chapters in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence the 69. chapter De ciuitate Dei the 21. booke in his treatise of eight questions vnto Dulcitius question the first vpon the 29. psalme and agréeth with himselfe almost in euerie place and bringeth all one exposition of these words He affirmeth this to be a hard saieng and he accounteth it among the number of those of which Peter said In the epistles of Paule are manie hard things which the wicked peruert to their owne destruction It behooueth that this fire be common both to good men and to euill He admonisheth moreouer that we should interpret this to be such a kind of fire as may be common both to them which build well and ill At length he saith We must beware that we account not in this number such as be baptised which haue liued verie ill and so to feigne their gréeuous crimes that is to saie murther and adulterie for which things men are excluded from the kingdome of heauen to be wood haie and strawe For vnto these kind of men being wrapped in so horrible crimes hell it selfe is due whose fire cannot be common vnto them that build well vnles thou wilt also thrust them foorth into hell Mention is onelie made of those which haue builded holding themselues to the foundation in which number they are not to be reckoned who haue béene loden with damnable vices He goeth forward and saith that The foundation is Christ which interpretation the apostle himselfe maketh And he addeth faith bicause Christ himselfe dwelleth in our harts by faith and maketh them to be good builders which obeie the lawe of GOD. He writeth that they build haie and strawe who haue reteined those pleasures and delights of the world which neuerthelesse were not forbidden so reteined them as they gaue themselues therevnto more than was requisite They that build aright saith he doo possesse the goods of this world riches honours wife and other things though they possessed them not vse them as though they would not vse them But they that build amisse are more affected vnto those things than they should and yet doo they not so slacke the reines vnto lusts as they preferre such kind of goods before Christ vnto whom they cleaue as vnto the foundation but rather on the contrarie part they altogither estéeme Christ aboue those things For when they come either to the confessing of their faith or else vnto martyrdome they will rather loose those things than depart from Christ Yet bicause they haue imbraced such things with an ouer-vehement affection they féele fire in forgoing of them They sorrowe vndoubtedlie and it gréeueth them that these things are taken from them yet are they saued neuerthelesse bicause they held fast the foundation of the