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
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
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
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
would remaine with the vngodlie and so they should be led from Christ But if man and wife doo liue both togither the godlie parent will alwaies powre some godlines into the children Adeodatus the sonne of Augustine But neither in verie déed dooth this make with Paules purpose for godlie education may also happen vnto them which are begotten in adulterie and fornication Some holines redoundeth vnto the children from the parents by the vertue of Gods couenant which we perceiue was doone in Adeodatus the sonne of Augustine Wherefore the apostle séemeth rather to meane that some holines dooth redound vnto the children from their parents which neuertheles cannot depend of the flesh but of the promise made in the couenant For God promised vnto Abraham Gen. 17 7. 2. Cor. 6 18. Ezec. 16 20 21. that he would not onelie be his God but also the GOD of his séed So as in the prophets God dooth name the yoong children of the prophets to be his owne and complaineth that they did sacrifice his sonnes and daughters vnto Moloch And we stricking to the hope of this promise Vnder what promise we deliuer our children to be baptised doo offer our yoong infants to be baptised in the church bicause they belong vnto God and vnto Christ that the promise which we haue now spoken of may be confirmed with some outward seale 40 But thou wilt saie thou maist be deceiued bicause perhaps thy child shall not apperteine to the number of the elect I answer that the same difficultie may happen euen to them of ripe yéeres for it may be that one professeth faith with a feigned hart or may be led onelie by the persuasion of man or may haue faith but for a time so that in verie déed he apperteineth not to the elect But the minister hath not respect vnto these things but onelie regardeth the confession which the partie to be baptised dooth professe and he will saie that Gods election is hidden vnto him and that therefore he dooth not much trouble himselfe thereabout that concerning particular things he is able to determine nothing but waiteth vpon the generall promise from the which although manie be excluded yet that it is none of his part to define which they be So Paule speaketh of the Iewes If the roote be holie the branches also shall be holie Rom. 11 16. If the first fruits be holie so is the whole batch or lumpe By which words he sheweth that Gods fauour was inclined vnto the Iewes by reason of the promise and for their fathers and that for the same cause saluation was due vnto them The promise of God is indefinit and true Although therefore this promise be indefinite and that manie be excluded from the same yet neuertheles it remaineth stable for there be alwaies some of them conuerted vnto Christ and shall be conuerted euen vnto the end Which appéereth in Isaac vnto whose séed An example in Isaac although God promised that he would be gratious yet the same promise tooke place in Iacob onelie not in Esau and yet was that no cause why Esau should not be circumcised Euen so The elect infants when they be borne are in sundrie respects both holie and the children of wrath we confesse that the children of the christians which apperteine vnto the election of God be holie but yet they be infected with originall sinne bicause they are by nature the children of wrath euen as others be But if so be God doo not put awaie the guiltines and impute it not vnto them against their saluation that haue they by the grace and frée mercie of God not of the purenes of their owne nature Séeing then they be borne of a corrupted lumpe and belong vnto the election we affirme both that they be holie and are also by nature the children of wrath Wherefore it appeareth in what sort this argument must now be discussed But they adde that in infants there is nothing spoken doone or thought against the lawe of God so they haue no sin How shamfullie they erre in this place it appéereth by those things which we haue alreadie spoken A false argument An argument from the speciall kind to the generall by a negatiue This is euen as much as if they should saie They haue no actuall sin Therfore they haue no sin for to argue from the particular to the generall by a negatiue is the woorst kind of reasoning But they be deceiued bicause they followe not the generall nature of sin which I haue before described in such sort as it comprehendeth all things which are by anie meanes repugnant to the lawe of God 41 They obiect likewise that it is not rightlie said that originall sinne is spred abroad by meanes of the séed flesh bicause those things haue a senselesse and dull nature and therefore be not capable of sinne But I haue alreadie said that sinne is not in them but by originall as in the root and then the nature of sinne is perfected when the soule is once ioined therevnto We haue declared also how we are to answer the Pelagians Against the Pelagians séeing they affirme that those things which are spoken by Paule to the Romans should be vnderstood of imitation For first of all that cannot agrée with all the saiengs of the apostle Rom. 5 19. for he saith that All men haue sinned and by the disobedience of one manie are become sinners And that which is the more firme Rom. 5 14. he hath prooued that Therfore sinne was in the world before the lawe bicause death reigned from Adam vnto Moses There were reasons which Augustine vsed against the Pelagians which now we néed not to repeate Beside these they adde that mens afflictions and death it selfe are naturall for that we haue those fountaines in vs euen of nature from whence they flowe But we answere that these fountaines were not so ordeined when mans nature was first instituted but were afterward defiled and corrupted in such sort as we now perceiue them to be The philosophers resolue those effects which they sée into those principles which be now extant but that christians doo rather referre them vnto the woord of God Rom. 5 12. Séeing therefore the scripture teacheth that death came by sinne and that man as he was created might alwaies haue liued let Pighius and those which followe him sée how trulie and godlie they affirme that death coms vnto man by nature And they adde that that ought not to be accounted sinne which cannot be auoided But this is found false for that the lawe is proposed to vs which no man is able perfectlie to performe Not contingencie or necessitie but agreement or disagreement with the law of God must be weighed of in sinnes or to auoid all offenses against it In considering of sinnes we must not inquire whether anie thing be doone casuallie or necessarilie but alonelie whether it be repugnant
Gal. 3 28. Wherefore he writeth In the Lord there is neither Iew nor Greeke neither bond nor free man and that circumcision also and vncircumcision are nothing but onlie the obseruing of the commandements of God and a new creature Againe He that is circumcised let him not desire to haue vncircumcision if thou be called in vncircumcision be not then circumcised Let euerie man abide in that wherin he is called And that such things Things indifferent may sometime be obserued and sometime intermitted 1. Cor. 9 22. as were ciuill and indifferent might sometime be obserued and sometime discontinued as best should serue for edification he declareth by that which he spake of himselfe I am made all things to all men that I might win some To the Iewes I am made a Iew and to those which are without a lawe I am as without a lawe Neither did he anie lesse confirme his saieng by examples than by doctrine for when he was required to circumcise Timothie according to the maner of circumcision he granted vnto it Acts. 16 3 But when they would haue compelled him for the ouerthrowing of christian libertie Gal. 2 3. to circumcise Titus likewise he iudged that it was not to giue place no not for one houre For saith he false brethren are priuilie crept in among vs to search out our libertie He obserued therefore the ceremonies of Moses when the same might be doone without ill purpose and hurt of the church and by this means auoided the offense of the Iews least they should be alienated from the christian religion which they had receiued Neither ought the Nicodemites to compare the ceremonies of the old lawe with the inuentions of men The ceremonies of the lawe must not be compared with the inuentions of men For those ceremonies were brought in by the word of God but these were thrust into the church by the subtiltie of the diuell and deceitfull men They were not forbidden by and by after the ascension of Christ into heauen but might be so long obserued as the temple and publike weale of Israel remained and vntill the Gospell of the sonne of God were reuealed and preached vntill the church were well conioined both of Iewes and Gentiles Neither was it méet as Augustine godlie and learnedlie writeth vnto Ierom that those ceremonies of the ancient synagog should straitwaie without honor be reiected Augustine but idolatrous and superstitious things haue alwaies béene are and shal be forbidden Now then it was lawfull to obserue them for a time so that from them true righteousnesse were not looked for Wherfore Paule the apostle albeit thou shouldst looke vpon the actions themselues which he by the lawe obserued cannot be iustlie reprehended and much lesse can be blamed when thou shalt thoroughlie perceiue his mind purpose and as they terme it his intent But to the fauorers of the Masse They that dissembling lie go vnto a masse they seeke not God but their owne both these things be wanting First they defend that which is contrarie vnto the word of God and as I haue declared is woonderfullie against it Moreouer by meanes of that their dissimulation they trauell onelie for themselues namelie to kéepe their riches degrée place dignitie estimation wheras Paule sometime kept the legall ceremonies onlie bicause the Iewes should not start backe from Christ and to the end he might the better and more easilie allure them vnto the Gospell Whether Masse must be gone vnto for auoiding of offense 32 They obiect also that by their dissimulation they would auoid offenses For they saie If we shall vtterlie be enimies vnto the Masse we shal be accompted wicked and vngodlie men and in our owne countries we shall procure great offense I beléeue indéed that these men doo auoid offenses to wit offenses of the world that they would not be anie offense vnto tyrants and antichrists as who saith they would not prouoke their weapons anger and rage against them But these be not the offenses which Christ taught to be auoided when he saith of the Scribes Pharises Matt. 15 14 Let them alone they are blind and leaders of the blind What offenses then be dissallowed What offenses are to be disallowed Euen those verelie which hinder the spreading abroad of the Gospell of the sonne of God which staie men from comming to the pure doctrine and call them backe which alreadie beléeue in the religion of Christ Now let them consider I praie you whether by their dissimulation they offend not the superstitious and idolaters Yes vndoubtedlie for they saie with themselues Behold these men that knowe the truth of the Gospell doo come to our Masses Sure if they were so verie wicked as they are said to be these men would also abhorre them Wherefore they being confirmed by the example of them doo verie oftentimes determine to stand firme in their purpose The vngodlie by such dissimulation are the more confirmed Yea and the weaker brethren newlie conuerted vnto the Gospell perceiuing this learneder sort as ring-leaders to dissemble dare also doo the like suspect themselues to haue béen deceiued they which ought to haue gone profitablie forward in religion doo go backward But we ought saie they to beare with the weake ones and sometimes to frame our selues vnto them For there be manie which are not yet persuaded that the Masse is euill and they perceiuing vs not to come vnto the same would not giue eare vnto other points of religion Wherefore somewhat must be doone for their weakenes sake as Paule in his epistle to the Romans faithfullie gaue aduise Rom. 14 1. We grant that somewhat must be consented to for their sakes that be so weake howbeit with Paule we may not abide the same to be doon otherwise For the weake sake onelie things indifferent must be consented vnto Rom 3 8. than in things indifferent But things which of themselues be euill and forbidden by God we counsell that they be not doone for anie mans sake For this is a most firme and sure rule as I haue often before said that No man is permitted to doo euill things that thereby good may ensue Yea we must not alwaies beare with the weake ones in those indifferent things except in the meane time while they may be the better more perfectlie taught But when they once vnderstand the thing and yet neuertheles sticke fast in their opinion their weakenesse is not to be nourished Moreouer we must not so much beare with them as by our example we should hurt other and also manie members of Christ 33 Againe they obiect vnto vs whether we must dissemble for preseruation of the church If wée should so doo as you would haue vs either we must escape awaie or else strait waie be put to death Which things if they should happen our churches would be vtterlie forsaken there would be none to teach vs anie more I answer
principall 40 But some man perhaps will saie that If the prince should compell those vnto the right vsing of the sacraments which are not yet persuaded of the truth he should driue them headlong vnto sinne so farre is he from furthering of their saluation For there they shall doo against their conscience and whatsoeuer they doo in such wise Rom. 14 23 is sinne as the apostle testifieth And héere I thinke it good to make a distinction betwéene that which is of or by it selfe and that which is by aduenture and by hap or as they speake in the schooles that commeth by accident The magistrate in this matter which we haue now in hand setteth foorth to his subiects that which is right good and iust but whereas sinne is committed in the meane time that happeneth nothing at all by his default but rather by the incredulitie and misbeliefe of them whereof he is not to be accused when he hath diligentlie laboured to haue his subiects well instructed Whethe princes ought at the length to driue their owne subiects to the right vse of the sacramēts Neither are the Papists which at this daie be suffered by christian magistrates ignorant that we ought to haue in vse the sacraments instituted by the Lord. So as they can not iustlie complaine of their magistrates if they would haue them to be vprightlie and in due order ministred vnto them Besides they which obiect these things vnto vs must note diligentlie that by the same waie we may cauill against God for he hath set foorth vnto men his lawe which is most perfect to be kept of them Shall we then saie vnto him We be weake corrupt vicious of nature and not able to performe thy commandements as thou hast willed vs and so whether we doo against that which thou hast commanded or performe that which thou hast willed we shall euer sinne bicause we shall faile neither can we obeie as we should doo wherefore whatsoeuer we doo we shall not auoid sinne Thus whosoeuer shall contumeliouslie speake against God will not he of good right answer him againe The things which I haue declared vnto you to be kept be iust and right but in that ye be weake and feeble it ought not to be imputed vnto my default for I haue especiallie holpen your weaknesse hauing giuen mine onelie sonne vnto death for your sakes If ye will beléeue in him onelie whatsoeuer ye shall not accomplish in performing my precepts it shall not be imputed to you to euerlasting death So may a good prince answer I require of you those things which are conteined in the word of God and the things which are decent and doo edifie now if your opinion or conscience be against it that must not be ascribed vnto me which haue diligentlie imploied my trauell that ye might not be ignorant of the truth and miserablie perish For I haue verie carefullie studied that ye might be taught and instructed in the truth and so will I still procéed in exhorting admonishing and commanding you that ye read the holie scriptures and that ye praie vnto God to open the eies of your mind These things if the prince shall saie I sée not by what right or by what reason he may be reprooued 41 And I thinke it not méet to be omitted Augustine changed his mind touching the compulsion of heretiks which Augustine said that he was once of the opinion that nothing should be doone to heretiks by compulsion but they to be instructed by admonitions and doctrine But he confesseth that he was warned by certeine bishops of more experience which shewed him of certeine cities which before were in a maner vtterlie destroied by the error of the Donatists and were by violence and lawes of emperors compelled to come vnto the catholike church which cities being thus at the length sincerelie conuerted vnto the truth rendred thanks vnto God neither would they if by anie meanes they might returne vnto such pernicious opinions Wherefore the godlie prince shall nothing at all hurt such men naie rather he shall profit them verie much if when instruction hath béen giuen he compell them to receiue the sacraments dulie as they be deliuered by the word of God But this I would haue to be vnderstood concerning his owne subiects his natiue countriemen and denizens which inioie the right of the citie or prouince Otherwise I doo not thinke that he ought to vse anie violence towards strangers that passe to and fro and which occupie the trade of merchandize either inward or outward And yet I iudge also that he must take diligent héed touching these least they infect the people with wicked doctrine So as I suppose that the steppes of the Israelites are to be followed who made none a Iew or a Proselyte neither infranchised anie among their nation Leuit. 17 8. Exod. 14 7. vnlesse they had béene first circumcised receiued the lawe of Moses and communicated with their sacrifices Which thing being so diligentlie obserued by them there is no cause whie our princes should not doo the like vnto anie namelie to suffer no citizen of theirs either natiue or stranger borne but that they might compell or constraine him vnto the ceremonies and seruices consonant or agréeing to the word of God 42 But now let vs procéed and speake of those lords or magistrates which are subiect vnto the power of superiours A distinction Looke part 4. place 13. art 22. These séeme on this maner to be diuided some to haue iurisdiction either proper or by inheritance or else committed vnto them by emperours kings and publike weales Or else they be without iurisdiction and are reputed noble men onelie for the nobilitie of their bloud or by reason of notable riches gotten togither And surelie séeing this latter sort differ in a maner nothing at all from priuate men we must in my opinion so iudge of them as of those other priuate persons of whom I haue before spoken But the first which be rulers of prouinces cities and places either by inheritance or by office committed vnto them they ought not otherwise to doo in the thing whereof we now discourse than we haue before prescribed for those which are méere and absolute magistrates For by the commandement of the superiour princes it is not lawfull for them to compell the subiects whom they gouerne vnto vngodlie religion neither to permit the same to those infidels which inhabit their territories But if thou shalt saie We must obeie the higher powers I grant it but yet Vsque ad aras that is So far as religion shall permit The answer of the Lacedemonians When they which ouercame the Lacedaemonians commanded such things as were against their lawes and institutions they said If ye shall command vs things more harder than death we will rather die Then such kind of magistrates must in all other things be subiect to the superiour power but in those things which are against the word
sacrificing priests and monks séeking after gaine doo spread abroad manie things altogither false which were neuer anie where doone or spoken But whie the elders as we haue aboue said signed their forehead with a crosse it is no easie matter to alledge the certeine cause Before in art 14. But I thinke that there were two respects first to testifie themselues to be Christians as though they were not ashamed of the crosse of Christ And this I gather by Augustine De verbis apostoli the eight sermon for the Ethniks triumphed ouer the Christians casting their follie in their téeth bicause they worshipped Christ that was nailed on the crosse To whom that father maketh answer A hart in déed we haue but yet no such as ye haue neither are we ashamed of him that was crucified but in that part where the signe of shamefastnesse is there haue we the signe of his crosse An other cause is that they would of a certeine euill and preposterous zeale imitate the legall ceremonies and bicause it might not be lawfull after the comming of Christ to sacrifice after the maner of the Hebrues Exod. 12 22 who were bidden to besprinkle the doore-posts of their houses with the blood of the paschall lambe our Christians in semblance thereof signed their foreheads with the crosse As Augustine dooth testifie in the 20. chapter De catechizandis rudibus Moreouer they persuaded themselues as it is alreadie shewed that the euill spirits were by such a signe chased awaie Yea and Gregorius Romanus also in his third booke of Dialogs writeth A wonderfull historie of a Iew that came by night into the temple of the idols that A Iew entering by night into a temple of an idoll there to take his rest and being greatlie astonished with the sight of verie manie wicked spirits which were in that place armed himselfe by the signe of the crosse And when the prince of the euill spirits vnderstood that a man was present he commanded one of the diuels that he should go vnto him and trie him what he was Who after he had beheld him returned and said Trulie I found an emptie vessell but it was marked and he left the Iew quite and cleane without anie harme Which thing he considering with himselfe came to the religion of Christ But Gregorie in that booke heaped vp togither manie vaine fabulous things the which not onlie may mooue the readers of them vnto laughter but also they are verie much against the religion of Christ The signe of the crosse is worne by princes vpon their crownes without superstition bicause by that signe they onelie testifie and professe that they honor and mainteine the religion of Christ Further if it be lawfull for a man to beare in armes the badge of his owne familie it is also lawfull for him by the signe of the crosse to professe Christian religion The signe of the crosse appeered vnto Constantine And in times past there appeared in heauen the signe of the crosse vnto Constantine the great and an inscription was added In this signe shalt thou ouercome For God was minded by a miracle to cōfirme him in the religion of Christ which he had latelie receiued Neither may he be condemned for that he caused that signe to be expressed in the banner which he ment to vse But that he afterward made such a maner of signe in gold that I allow not bicause by the dooing thereof he opened no small gap to superstition Concerning the finding of the Lords owne crosse by Helen wise men maruell that Eusebius Caesariensis who was verie familiar with Constantine and set foorth his life wrote nothing of it But Theodoretus Sozomenus indéed write somwhat of that matter Howbeit rather of the report of others than by the certeintie of their owne knowledge Yet in the reading of that historie there is found no mention of worshipping neuerthelesse it is said that it was placed in the temple Moreouer what great estimation Helen made of the nailes which the report is that she found it appéereth in that it is written that she put one of them in the bridle of that horsse which hir sonne vsed an other into his helmet and the third she cast into the sea for appeasing of tempests The speare which pearsed Christs side At this daie also they worship and honour at Rome with singular adoration the speare wherewithall they saie the Lords side was pearsed vpon the crosse This is the wilinesse of the diuell that he may perpetuallie driue men forward till at length they be throwne downe headlong into the bottomlesse gulfe of impietie An other obiection 21 Our aduersaries blame vs as being ouer hard and bitter and they saie If one walking by chance shall espie a faire plant not onelie gréene but loden with fruit and he being inflamed with an earnest affection towards the most bountifull goodnesse of God and féeling his mind stirred to worship God the author of so beautifull a worke what should let but that he may prostrate himselfe néere vnto that pleasant trée and there worship God and render thanks vnto him for his singular benefits bestowed on men Nothing as I thinke So in like maner if one shall behold the image of Christ and is earnestlie affected to the benefit of Christ his death wherefore may he not worship Christ the author of his life néere vnto the same Héerevnto I answer that the word of God must alwaies be before our eies whereby it is forbidden for religion sake to prostrate before a creature This ought to remaine alwais firme and sure and to be in force that neither we prostrate our selues vnto a trée nor yet vnto an image Neither is it lawfull to excuse these things by saieng that they doo not worship the outward matter neither the figure nor the lineaments What then doo they honour They saie they honour the thing signified So might the Ethniks likewise haue excused their idolatrie that they did not worship stones wood and metall but onelie the properties which were represented by those signes The epistle of Symmachus of restoring images confuted by Ambrose Verelie Symmachus wrote an epistle to the emperours that they would at length restore the images of the Romans and there he vseth such and such like arguments verie Rhetoricallie but Ambrose most stronglie hath confuted them all The writings on both parts are yet at this daie to be séene in the epistles of Ambrose God commanded absolutelie that images should not be worshipped wherefore we must rather obey his words than the subtill sophistications of men Augustine vpon the 113. psalme wrote this argument By the iudgement of Paule it is said Rom. 1 25. They turned the glorie and truth of GOD into a lie and they desired rather to worship the creature than the creator The first part of Pauls saieng condemneth images bicause they be lies which are repugnant vnto the truth and glorie of God and the other
Herewithall adde the iustice of rendering like for like for the prophets of Baal had caused the ministers of the true God to be slaine 1. kin 18 4. and 13. as well by Iezabel as by king Achab But will some man saie By these lawes and reasons it is prooued that these Baalites had indéed deserued death but perhaps they should not haue béene slaine by the prophet for auoiding suspicion of man-slaughter Howbeit this I answere that the king was also present and consented vnto the slaughter Helias indéed preuented the kings iudgement yet it appéereth not that he did against it bicause the king being present did not withstand it But wherefore he held his peace manie reasons may be brought First it might not be but that by séeing so great a woonder he also was astonished excéedinglie amazed wherefore he could not but spurne against the pricke Adde also that the king durst not stand against so great a consent of the people Also it might be that he was verie desirous of raine and that therefore least he should be disappointed he gaue some maner of consent vnto this slaughter He caused the false prophets to be brought to the brooke Kison to wit that their dead bodies should be cast into it a brooke otherwise noble Iudg. 4 15. for the victorie gotten of Iabin and Sisara by the leading and conduct of Barach and Debora as it is written in the booke of Iudges and mentioned by Dauid in the Psalmes Psal 43 10. But to some it séemeth an vnwoorthie and cruell thing that the prophet himselfe with his owne hand as the historie reporteth slue some of them As though it were not read that Samuel smote Agag the king of Amalech 1. Sa. 15 33. Moses also with the Leuits destroied manie thousands of idolaters But and if thou wilt saie that Moses was prince of the people and as a lawfull magistrat vsed the Leuits in stéed of soldiers I grant But what should we saie of Phinees who being a priuate man slue Zimbri and Cosbi Exod. 2 12. which were taken in whoredome Did not Moses also before he receiued the principalitie slaie an Aegyptian man It is not lawfull to blame that fact Act. 7 24. séeing Steeuen in the Acts of the apostles alloweth and commendeth it We knowe in déed that it is the part of prophets and ministers to deale by the word not by violence and by the sword Wherefore Peter and Paule Acts. 13 11. Acts. 5 5. if they punished or put anie to death they did it by the word not by the sword But we saie that these things which Moses and Helias did were not ordinarie but certeine acts out of vse and common order 1. kin 18 23 Yea and wheras Helias exercised the office of a priest and sacrificed out of the place chosen by God Augustine vpon Leuiticus question 56. excuseth it by the same reason by which was excused the déed of Abraham Gen. 22 3. who ment to slaie his owne sonne All these things were doone by the priuate instinct of God against the common lawe set foorth The lawe-giuer himselfe when he commandeth anie thing to be doone against his lawes his commandement must be counted for a lawe Of Parricide or slaieng of parents In Iudg. 9 verse 5. 9 Of the wicked crime of parricide there are manie things written in the ciuill lawes Ad L. Corneliam De parricidijs And as far as may be gathered out of the lawes and histories in old time the name of that crime was giuen vnto those which murthered their parents grandfathers and great grandfathers c to those also which murthered their children and childrens children c. But afterward by Pompeius the signification thereof was further extended And they were also called parricides which killed their brothers their sonnes in lawe their daughters in lawe their fathers or mothers in lawe and such other The lawe of Numa Pompilius Although there be an old lawe and giuen by Numa Pompilius If anie man wittinglie bringeth a frée man to death let him be taken for a parricide And Augustine in his third booke De ciuitate Dei Augustine the sixt chapter counted Romulus guiltie of parricide bicause he slue his brother And there he derideth the Ethniks which affirmed that their gods suffered Troie to be destroied bicause they would take vengeance of the adulterie of Paris But how saith he were they fauourable vnto Rome when as the builder thereof committed parricide straitwaie at the beginning Augustines booke De patientia supposed not his Howbeit the same Augustine in his booke De patientia which neuerthelesse is counted none of his in the 13. chapter appointed a certeine latitude or degrées betwéene parricides for as he saith he sinneth more heinouslie which killeth his parents or children than he which murthereth his brethren And he which slaieth his brethren offendeth more than he which destroieth those that be further of kin And the wicked crime of slaieng parents or superiours séemed to be so horrible that at Rome for the space of six hundred yéeres after the building of the citie it was not committed Yea and Romulus Romulus made no mention of parricide in his lawes that made no mention of it in his lawes being demanded why he left it out answered that he could not be persuaded that anie such thing can happen vnto men Solon also being asked why he likewise by his lawes did not restreine parricide An answer of Solon answered that he wold not by anie occasion of his lawes giue men knowledge of so horrible a wickednesse and by his admonishment to stir them vp after a sort vnto it For it oftentimes happeneth that they which forbid certeine vices prouoke men to fall into them who verie often will indeuour to doo such things as they are forbidden The murther of brethren and kinsfolke hath vndoubtedlie béene from the beginning as all histories doo testifie And the punishment of those parricides which slue their parents or children was by lawes as it is perceiued Ad legem Corneliam de parricidijs that they should be sowed in Culeo The punishment of parricides that is in a leather sacke and with them also were put an ape a cocke and a viper and were throwne into the deapth of the sea or else in the next riuer adioining But they which slue of their kinsfolke or cousins were punished with the sword onelie These punishments if at anie time they were either passed ouer or winked at by the magistrates God himselfe punished them as the historie of Samuel declareth of Absolom Absolom 2. Sa. 18 14. which killed his brother and most cruellie set vpon his father He also striketh them with rage and madnesse which commit such horrible wicked acts as both the poets and also historiographers write of Nero and of Orestes Nero. Orestes For both of them hauing killed their mothers became mad And it is a
Amalechite haue excused himselfe which furthered Saules death for the Philistines if they could haue taken Saule aliue would not onelie haue reproched him but God also Neuerthelesse Dauid commanded him to be slaine Yea and Augustine himselfe answereth this reason What sinne saith he did they feare Surelie the sinne which séemed to be at hand was none of theirs but of wicked men But if it be lawfull for vs to kill our selues for the escaping of our sinne then should euerie one slaie himselfe immediatlie after baptisme By all these reasons it is concluded that Saule in that he killed himselfe can not be excused But the Hebrues defend him on this sort That when he knew he should die yet he manfullie returned to his campe and failed not anie thing at all of his dutie but submitted himselfe to the iudgement of God which was declared by Samuel Naie rather he sinned two times gréeuouslie in one and the selfe-same matter first in that he tooke counsell of a witch secondlie in that he gaue credit vnto hir or rather vnto the diuell For both those déeds of his were against the lawe of God These things haue I reasoned at large The conclusion of this place but as I hope not vnprofitablie For these daies of ours be verie dangerous and the life of godlie people is open vnto prisons vnto banishments vnto torments vnto burnings finallie vnto all kind of euils Howbeit although we should enter into all kind of aduersities yet must none laie violent hands vpon himselfe Also doubtfull and intricate cogitations are oftentimes suggested vnto vs by the diuell touching some sinne of ours as of offense towards God our shame or infamie But these assaults we must valiantlie resist and not suffer our selues by anie persuasion of the diuell to be carried awaie from God Of resisting of violence In Rom. 12 verse 19. 19 A christian man is not forbidden but that he may repell violence by violence when either he is suddenlie set vpon in a desolate place or can not otherwise call for aid and helpe of the magistrate For séeing the lawes made by a iust magistrate doo giue this leaue vnto him he dooth not this act as a priuate man but as a publike minister armed by iust and publike lawes Matt. 5 39. Christ said If a man giue to the a blowe on thy right cheeke turne vnto him the other But this must be doone when thou séest that by this meanes thou maist profit thy brother or that it furthereth the aduancement of Gods glorie And out of these cases Iohn 18 23. Acts. 23 3. it is not necessarie so to doo as both Christ and Paule by their example haue taught But while we repell violence by violence we must vse a moderation of a iust defense of our selues as the lawiers speake that we séeke not to hurt or to kill him that dooth vs violence And this must be diligentlie regarded that with as litle harme to him as thou canst thou repell from thée his force or violence Vndoubtedlie if it had not béene lawfull to repell violence by violence the apostles following Christ would not haue borne swords with them But they had swords for they said vnto Christ at his last supper Luk. 22 38. Behold heere be two swords And Peter when Christ should be taken Shall we smite saith he with the sword Ibidem 49. Héereby it is manifest enough that the apostles to this vse ware swords If this had béene repugnant to the lawe of God Christ would neuer haue permitted it for he was a most earnest mainteiner of the commandements of his father Of curssings imprecations or bannings In â—o 11 9 Looke 1. Cor. 16. at the end and Iud. 5. 23. Gen. 9 25. 20 It shall now be verie conuenient for vs to intreat somewhat of imprecations and of bannings or curssings The vse of malediction and curssing is verie ancient in the holie scriptures Noah curssed his nephew Chanaan Cursed be Chanaan let him be a seruant to his brethren Baalac also the sonne of Zippor Num. 22 5. Deut. 27 13 called Baalam to cursse Israel In Deuteronomie we read Curssed shalt thou be in the towne and in the field in the barne in the store Curssed be the fruit of the wombe These execrations were to be recited vpon mount Hebal The law of gelosie hath also Num. 5 19. in the booke of Numbers proper imprecations namelie Ibidem 21. that The bellie should swell and breake and the thighes rot All which things could not hurt the woman if she were innocent but vnto an adulteresse they were recited not without force and effect Iosua 6 26 Iosua curssed him which would reedifie Iericho with the death of his children And this happened vnder Achab 1. King 6 34 Nehe. 13 25 Or 2. of Esdras as the historie of the Kings mentioneth And Nehemias saith that he not onlie rebuked those which had married strange wiues but also curssed them In the new testament also there want not examples the which shall be afterward alledged Yea and the Ethniks likewise vsed curssings Acteius a Tribune of the people of Rome Other write Aâ—teâ—us as Plutarch declareth in the life of M. Crassus when he could by no other meanes dissuade him from his expedition into Parthia at the length in the waie by the which Crassus should passe out of the citie he set a chafing dish of coles in the midst of the stréet And when Crassus came against it he cast in certeine perfumes and with most horrible and bitter cursses curssed the generall and all his host Which cursses were not in vaine as the euent ouer well declared Oedipus also as the Poets tell with bannings curssed his two sonnes Adrastes and Polynices namelie that they should be without citie and house that they should be beggers and wanderers abroad and so at variance in themselues that the one should kill the other Which effects according to his wish came to passe And Horace saith I will vtterlie cursse you and this bitter cursse can no sacrifice appease Neither is that to be passed in silence which Augustine mentioneth concerning Paule and Palladia For they being curssed of their mother miserablie wandred about from countrie to countrie vntill at the last they were deliuered at the toombe of S. Steeuen 21 Séeing therefore so great plentie of curssings and bannings hath alwaies béen as well among the Iewes as also among the Gentiles is it possible that it should altogither be vniust or be sinne to cursse or to wish euill vnto anie man so that it should be lawfull at no time Augustine Augustine vndoubtedlie was of this mind that it is not lawfull and he intreateth of this matter towards the end of his first booke De sermone Domini in monte He also writeth Cursses in the prophets are prophesies that those imprecations which are read in the prophets perteine onelie vnto prophesies so that vnder that
dissolued and we might saie that those things which make against vs in the fathers were thrust in by heretiks Howbeit the same Ambrose afterward giueth the scope of new marriages vnto women also Ambrose if the vnbeléeuer will not dwell togither with hir Which in verie déed standeth me in stéed of a reason to prooue that the libertie of both is alike For if the cause which the apostle sheweth extend it selfe vnto both the man and wife it shall no lesse be granted in the cause of fornication which Christ expressed Moreouer that which is permitted vnto the man shall no otherwise be but that matrimonie is dissolued bicause of fornication But if so be it be dissolued and the woman loosed from the same why shall it not also be lawfull for hir to be married vnto another Last of all we sée that the lawes of the bishops doo grant vnto a woman hir diuorse if she prooue that hir husband is verie cruell vnto hir Which séeing they doo as touching hir diuorse how dare they denie that it may not be doone in a man In the old lawe it was not lawfull for wiues to giue a bill of diuorsement bicause it was giuen for euerie cause And séeing women be inconstant it is not méet that they should depart from men for euerie cause But now if the certeine causes were limited we might easilie be rid of that inconuenience I will also adde that the time is not easie to be knowne wherin it began among the Romans to be lawfull for women to put awaie their husbands vnlesse it be in those questions mixed togither of the old and new testament Augustine which are intituled to Augustine In the question 115. it is written that vnder Iulian this began to be lawfull for them For then leaue was giuen vnto women that they might put awaie their husbands Notwithstanding who this Iulian was it appéereth not séeing we read of two emperours of that name 62 But these were woont to be counted the causes why the fathers would The causes why they would admit no new marriages after diuorse in case of adulterie that new marriages should not be lawfull after a diuorse was made for fornicatiō sake First for that it might séeme that the husband lusting after a new wife would inuent a feigned crime of adulterie against the first Further for that it might séeme no wise mans part that when it hapned ill with him before he would trie the same lucke againe after a sort séeke the same infelicitie Besides these there are brought in the places as well to the Romans as to the Corinthians Rom. 7 2. 2. Cor. 7 11. where the apostle séemeth to be of that mind that a wife so long as hir husband shall liue is bound to his lawe The latter writers also doo cauill that matrimonie is a sacrament and that therefore it cannot be made void And Innocentius when he decréed that it is not lawfull for the one partie married to enter into new matrimonie if the other shall be fallen into heresie addeth this reason that There would be a doore open vnto great inconuenience for anie man would soone feine himselfe to be an heretike that he might be deliuered of his wife and obteine another Further they be woont to vrge this saieng Matt. 19 6. 1. Cor. 7 8. That which God hath coupled togither let no man separate These reasons Erasmus dooth plainelie confute Touching the first Erasmus If a seuere iudgement be appointed by bishops and magistrates false reports might easilie be preuented neither will there be anie leaue giuen of diuorse vnlesse that fornication shall plainlie and euidentlie be prooued Of the other reason it is said That which is obiected is verie ridiculous séeing we oftentimes sée that those which haue sailed once without good successe and haue abidden shipwracke doo returne againe to shipping And the partie which is innocent while he endureth prickings and burnings and cannot easilie kéepe himselfe chast what maruell is it if he cast in his mind to marrie againe Touching the place to the Romans it may easilie be answered The apostle did not there dispute whether diuorsements might be by anie meanes admitted but it sufficed him that he shewed vnto the beléeuing Iewes and to them which were conuerted to our religion that it was now lawfull to marrie againe in Christ after that death was come which is the certeine and vndoubted cause of dissoluing matrimonie wherein although there were a singular coniunction and peace betwéen man and wife yet by death the same is dissolued Verie wiselie therefore did Paule in that place put onelie that cause of dissoluing matrimonie which of necessitie he was to grant although no other cause had hapned in the meane while So vnto the Corinthians he would shew that it was lawfull for a widowe to contract new marriages if she would bicause hir first husband was dead He reasoneth not there whether a diuorse may be made for anie other cause but onelie sheweth that there is no cause whie second marriages be not lawfull when either the husband or the wife happen to die Whether matrimonie be a sacrament Looke par 3 pla 8. art 15 63 But whether matrimonie be a sacrament or no it is not hard to be answered If thou vnderstand the name of a sacrament generallie and at large for euerie such thing as signifieth some holie thing we will not denie but that matrimonie may be a sacrament séeing it resembleth vnto vs the coniunction of Christ with his church whereof we haue a testimonie in the epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 5 32. But after this maner thou art forced to appoint not onelie seuen but an infinite number of sacraments such as are the washing of féete the shaking of dust from the féete the imbrasing of yong children in armes and in a maner all the actions of Christ But if thou wilt drawe the name of a sacrament to those things which not onelie betoken spirituall things but also are vsed to be doone by certeine words and of which there is a commandement extant that they should be doone in this sense thou canst not appoint matrimonie to be a sacrament Dionysius I passe ouer that Dionysius in his treatise De ecclesiastica Hierarchia reckoneth it not among the rest of the sacraments Iouinian Neither would Iouinian haue escaped this argument which left not anie small thing vntouched whereby he might extoll matrimonie Further what sort of sacrament soeuer this be the reason furthereth not the purpose of our aduersaries For Christ whom they would signifie to be ioined vnto the church hath made a diuorse from the synagog and hath coupled our church vnto him But if peraduenture they shall saie that this is not doone but by his death I will answer that the diuine nature in Christ for the which this matrimonie is especiallie agréeable vnto him neither died nor yet possiblie can die And yet as Esaie
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
pleasure 1. Cor. 6 12. Paule said All things are lawfull vnto me but all things are not expedient For whatsoeuer we doo it ought to be a furtherance vnto the glorie of Gods name and to the edifieng of our neighbours Let these things suffice for answer vnto the arguments and sophisticall reasons of our aduersaries The twelfe Chapter ¶ The eight commandement Thou shalt not steale And first of theft sacrilege and the stealing awaie of mens seruants and children In Rom. 2 verse 21. What theft is AS touching theft it is theft when we withhold that which is an other mans against the will of the owner or else when we by iniurie drawe vnto vs other mens goods or when we distribute not that which is our owne when néed requireth And there be manie other kinds of thefts But in the table of the ten commandements The forme of the doctrine of the ten commandements the chéefe purpose is onelie to set foorth a bréefe summe and that after the plainer and homelier sort in the which we may vnderstand all the parts thereof The head and summe of all theft is couetousnes Euen as in the vnhonester sort of pleasures onlie adulterie is expressed vnder which are comprehended all kinds of vncleanes so vnder the name of idolatrie all kind of false worshipping is forbidden whereas that onelie is expressed which is most grosse For a strange god is forbidden vs so likewise are grauen images and sundrie formes We must consider what is comprehended vnder euerie precept of the ten commandements Wherefore when anie of the ten commandements of God is set downe vnto vs it is our part to consider well what things be comprehended vnder that sinne Further the root must be sought out and there against we must striue with all the might we haue Couetousnes or theft hereof springeth that we distrust GOD and are alwaies afraid least we should want anie thing But adulterie and all vncleannesse of the flesh springeth from the desire of voluptuous pleasures as Christ expressed when he said If a man looke vpon a woman to lust after hir he hath alreadie committed adulterie in his heart And against this concupiscence we ought to wrestle As touching murder Christ hath likewise admonished vs Matt. 5 21. that we should take cleane awaie anger as the root thereof Sacrilege also is to catch What sacrilege is and rashlie vsurpe to a mans selfe holie things which be dedicated vnto God Deut. 12 3. or due vnto him either in respect of a vow or a separation The Iewes were coÌ„manded in the lawe A lawe giuen to the Iewes for destroieng of images Iosua 7 1. not to spare idols for they ought to haue ouerthrowne and destroied them all But they being drawne by couetousnesse reserued them vnto themselues and turned them to their owne commodities So sinned Achan and also Saule 1. Sam. 15 8 when he had ouercome Amalech Contrariewise Moses gaue an excellent example of courage Exod. 32 20 when he not onelie brake the golden calfe but also did beat it into pouder and threw it into the riuer But if the relikes of the idoll had remained still peraduenture the Israelits as they were mad vpon them would haue worshipped them Vndoubtedlie the Common-weale What our magistrats maie doo with the superstitious things that be giuen and our magistrates may take awaie those things which are superstitious and conuert the prices of them to good and godlie vses yet priuate men may not doo so But the Hebrues were generallie forbidden that they should not kéepe such things especiallie such as they had curssed 2 Theft was not a crime of death In 2. Sam. 12 verse 5. The punishment of theft but if there were found anie stolne thing in the hand of the robber the thing stolne was restored Howbeit if he had either slaine it or sold it he restored foure oxen for one and fiue shéepe for one But Dauid made it death He deserueth death saith he and willeth that there should be restored eight fold if we follow the rules of grammar For Arbathaiâ—m is the duall number albeit the Chaldaean interpretor and some of the Hebrues take it for foure fold What shall we answer herevnto We answer two manner of waies The first is that the lawe ought to be kept after the ordinarie and equall manner but it laie in the Iudges hands to increase or diminish the punishments according to the nature of the circumstances What were the circumstances for the which Dauid augmented the punishment He that stole was a rich man Further he stole from one that was poore which also dooth aggrauate the cause To take somewhat where great store is is not so great a matter Besides he tooke from him that one which of all other he held most deare vnto him Wherefore did he so To giue good interteinement to his ghest who perhaps was an ill man and to make good chéere with him Wherefore it must not séeme anie maruell if Dauid augmented the punishment Yea but thou saiest Whether the sentence of Dauid be against the lawe in Deut. 4 2. and 12 13. that this is to alter the lawe of God whereof God said Neither adde thou vnto it neither take thou from it They saie there be no words added the lawe remaineth perfect but forsomuch as the law-maker cannot expresse all cases it commeth to passe that it is put to the discretion of iudges either to aggrauate Whether the lawe of God be changed or to diminish the sentence Notwithstanding that is a great matter when the sentence of the iudge is so aggrauated as it maketh that to be death which is no crime of death He might haue said If it be not inough to restore home foure or eight fold let him paie ten twentie c. Another answer is that they saie This maner of Dauids speaking is not to be taken as though he would haue the partie to be punished with death but for the more vehement expressing of his mind Whether Dauids speech were hyperbolicall he vsed an excessiue speach as though he should haue said He might séeme to be guiltie of death and not that he would haue him to be put to death When a iudge heareth of anie gréeuous crime he saith that such a one deserueth a thousand deaths when as onelie one death can be laid vpon him by the lawe This saieng serueth to exaggerate the crime and maketh not the words false for all men knowe what the meaning thereof is This I speake the rather bicause if we saie that in the sacrament of the Eucharist there is a figure they saie that we make the proposition This is my bodie to be false But a figure dooth not make the words false So true is the figure which Dauid here vseth as he bindeth it with an oth Either of these answers is probable I sée that in that place the holie Ghost vsed the toong of Dauid
heretikes and to punish them I answer that they ought to kéepe entier and perfect the promise made vnto them But they say We will easilie grant it to be sinne when we giue our faith for an euill thing but if after we haue giuen it we kéepe it and stand to our promises we fall into another gréeuous sinne séeing we doo not the dutie committed vnto vs neither doo we obeie God For it is our part as God hath commanded to punish and to correct heretiks least they should spoile the church and procéed in mainteining of their pestiferous doctrine among the godlie Neither dooth anie man doubt but that magistrats ought to defend the church So then it séemeth that heretikes should not be let go when wée once haue them in our power I answer They which come vnto princes vpon safe conduct be not in their power that this in déed is the office of kings to represse and kéepe vnder heretikes but that is when they haue them in their power But if they giue them a safe conduct to come vnto them then can they not saie that they haue them in their power for they came vpon trust of the promise and an oth otherwise they would not haue come Wherefore if there be a promise made it is not lawfull to breake it And this is the cause whie I said before that I cannot easilie allow the act of the king of Denmarke Neither also would I iudge Iehu to be without sinne Of Iehu when he promised that he would worship Baal thereby to get all the Baalites togither vnlesse peraduenture he knew manifestlie that he was stirred vp by God to doo it But hereof we will intreate a little after Let them therefore which defend the councell of Constance cease to laie for their pretense that Iohn Husse with a safe conscience might not be let go bicause it is hainous sinne in all princes if they suffer heretikes to go frée For this which they saie is so long true as the time lasteth that they shall be in their power but when they are come by a safe conduct then are they at libertie neither are they said to be in the power of those princes which did call them 22 Others doubt Whether promise giuen to theeues is to be kept whether it be lawfull to vse euill guile against théeues so that if a man happen into their hands and by an oth made vnto them is suffered to go home vpon condition to gather monie to redéeme himselfe whether I saie he ought to returne vnto him with the monie or if he cannot get it as he hoped to haue doone to returne without it especiallie in case he were almost assured either to liue in perpetuall seruitude or else to be put to a most cruell death I answer that in my iudgement he ought to returne vnto them especiallie séeing in this case there is no danger but as touching goods of this world namelie of monie of libertie and of bodilie life which are not so greatlie to be estéemed as for their sakes an oth or the name of God should be violated And the verse of Dauid before brought serueth well for this purpose And this sentence is so firme and true that euen an Ethnike M. Attilius Regulus Attilius Regulus I meane did acknowledge it For he returned to Carthage when he knew certeinlie that either he should be in continuall bondage or else loose his life and that most cruellie Tell me not that he did foolishlie herein For the Romane lawes as we haue before said De captiuis postliminio reuersis in the lawe Postliminium in the Paraph Captiuus doo ordeine and religiouslie decrée that he should not be counted as returned by the lawe Postliminium which had promised to returne againe Besides the nature of man persuadeth the selfe-same thing for it is ciuill and delighteth in societie Wherefore next vnto God and godlinesse to him-ward there is nothing which men ought more to estéeme than their faithfulnesse which woonderfullie furthereth the societie of men For without it it is vnpossible for men to liue togither Moreouer who will not saie that the monie libertie and life of one man is lesse to be regarded than it is of manie For if couenants and promises be not kept with those théeues hence-foorth they will giue credit to no man whom they apprehend They would send home none to their owne house to fetch their ransome but either they will kill as manie as they take or else reteine them with them in miserable and perpetuall bondage Lastlie I thinke it good to giue this aduertisement that in taking of oths no signes that be added of vniuersalitie ought to trouble anie man What is to be considered in a generall oth As if a man promise and sweare to his fréend that he will be an helper to him in all things or if a man promise and sweare vnto a schoole or church that he will doo and obserue all things that they shall decrée For all such kind of spéeches as it appéereth by that which we haue said are to be vnderstood with condition that if the obedience vnto the word of God be kept And vndoubtedlie although that clause through the nature of an oth be ment alwaies to be added yet neuerthelesse it is the dutie of godlie men to expresse it when they be receiued into anie Vniuersitie colledge office corporation or fellowship and according to the custome are compelled to sweare to the obseruation of statutes lawes and decrées It is the sure waie I saie by expresse words to testifie that they will obserue all those things vnlesse that they shall find that anie of the same be against the word of God And of this matter I thinke I haue now spoken sufficientlie Ehud practised euill guile I grant but yet against his enimie Neither dooth the scripture make mention of anie oth that was made betwéene him and Eglon the king And though there had béene an oth yet had he béene quit of it séeing the motion of God whereby God opened his will vnto him had abrogated the same VVhether Guile be lawfull for the rooting out of Idolatrie and heresie In 2. King 10 verse 17. 23 Iehu by fraud minded to allure the worshippers of Baal The fact of Iehu that he might bring them into the danger of death He proclaimed among the people that he would be a notable worshipper of Baal and that he would with all spéed possible offer a notable sacrifice therevnto Wherefore he commanded all the Baalites to come togither to the holie assemblie to the end they might be readie with their seruice about that sumptuous sacrifice Some are in doubt whether Iehu sinned in lieng after that sort They that defend his cause saie A seruiceable lie that this kind of lie was an officious lie and therefore not to be condemned And an officious lie they define to be that wherewith none are hurt and some are holpen But
of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. Herevnto also had Ambrose a respect who thus interpreteth this place that Christ is called the end of the lawe bicause GOD by him bringeth things to passe which he had promised and commanded These words of the apostle teach that the principall office of the lawe is to direct vs vnto Christ and therefore vnto the Galathians it is called a schoole-maister Gal. 3 24. So then they are worthilie to be reprooued which of a schoole-maister make it a father séeking for righteousnesse at the lawe which ought onelie to be looked for at the hands of Christ Let vs therefore learne héereby to consider two things in euerie precept of the lawe namelie our sins and Christ our redéemer whom all the commandements doo set foorth for otherwise we shall vnprofitablie consider of the lawe And the Iewes for that they excluded Christ boasted of the law in vaine as they which had not the law but a shadowe of the same 29 But now let vs sée what testimonies there be out of the lawe and the prophets In Rom. 3. verse 21. of this righteousnes which Paule affirmeth was made manifest in Christ Iohn 5 39. And although Christ hath spoken generallie that Moses had written of him Luke 24 27 and that it is shewed by Luke that in the habit of a stranger while he was by the waie he talked with two disciples beginning to teach them at Moses and after by the prophets and psalmes yet is there no certeine place brought foorth in the which is expresse mention of Messias Neuerthelesse if we shall speake particularlie of Christ we read in Genesis that The seed of the woman should bruse in sunder the serpents head Gen. 3 15. And to Abraham it is said In thy seed shall all nations be blessed Gen. 22 18. Gen. 15 6. And of the same man it is written Abraham beleeued and that was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes Héerevnto is added that which Paule saith Deu 30 12 Saie not in thy hart Who ascendeth into heauen or who shall descend into the depth The word is neere euen in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10 6. Paule addeth And this is the word of faith which we preach if thou wilt beleeue with thy heart and confesse with thy mouth Againe Gen. 49 10. The scepter shall not be taken awaie from the tribe of Iuda neither a captaine out of his loins till he be come which shal be sent and he shall be the expectation of the Gentils Ier. 23 6. Ieremie writeth of Christ He shal be called God our righteousnes And in the same prophet we read Iere. 31 33. that God appointed to giue a new testament not according to that which he made with the fathers but by writing his lawe in their hearts and in their bowels Abacuk saith The iust man shall liue by faith Abac. 2 4. Esaie saith I am found of them that sought me not Also God hath laid vpon him all our iniquities Esai 65 5. and 53 6. Dauid also saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen Psal 32 1. and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord hath not imputed sinne Another kind of testimonies are the acts of the fathers Also an other kind of testimonies is had out of the acts of the old fathers which were certeine foreshewings that Christ should come to redéeme mankind For as he is said to liue in vs for we be members of him so also he both liued and was in the old fathers wherefore they were no lesse his members than we are But how the head suffereth and is recreated in his members it is most manifestlie declared in Paule Acts. 9 4. when it was said Saule Saule whie persecute thou me And in the last iudgement Christ will pronounce Matt. 23 35 that whatsoeuer hath béene giuen vnto the least of his is giuen vnto him Wherefore so often as we read that the ancient fathers were ouercome brought into captiuitie and oppressed with calamities we must vnderstand that Christ in them suffred the selfe-same things And againe when we héere that they gat the victorie and were restored and deliuered let vs thinke that Christ also was in like sort affected in them And in the one we haue a shew of his death begoonne and in the other a shadowe and beginning of his resurrection And that this is so we are taught by that which Christ said Matt. 12 14 that He should be in the heart of the earth three daies and three nights like as Ionas the prophet He also likened himselfe vnto the brasen serpent which Moses set vp Iohn 3 14. wherevpon whosoeuer looked obteined health being otherwise in danger to die of the venemous stinging And in the prophet Ose we read Osâ— 11 1. Out of Aegypt haue I called my sonne Which Oracle the Hebrues labour to wrest vnto Pharao which was destroied and vnto the people of Israel deliuered from his tyrannie Which if we should in the meane time grant then yet would I aske of them of whence that nation had the preeminence to be called by the name of the children of God That vndoubtedlie could not be proued to come by anie other meanes than by Christ which is the sonne of God being the first begotten among manie brethren By whom others also as manie as are numbred to be the children of God haue aspired to such a diuine adoption So as the apostle saith that Christ was the first fruits and pronounced 1. Co. 15 â—0 and 23 Col. 1 18. that he hath the principalitie ouer all things Wherefore not without cause hath our Euangelist cited this place of the prophet touching the Lord forsomuch as he also was by the admonishment of the angell called backe out of Aegypt Lastlie the sacrifices oblations and ceremonies of the fathers beare witnesse of this kind of righteousnesse séeing in those beasts which were slaine the death of Christ was manifest to the faith of the old fathers For euen as the thing sacrificed which otherwise had not offended at all was slaine for the sinne of another which escaped frée so was thereby shewed that Christ should be slaine for vs which were guiltie of death that by pacifieng of the heauenlie father we might escape the punishments which we had deserued 30 But some man will demand In .1 Sam. 3. verse 14. by what reason it may appéere vnto vs that the death of Christ was shadowed in the sacrifices of the forefathers I answer that first God saith that he granted bloud vnto the Iewes to the intent they should vse the same at the altar for purgings by sacrifice but not to eate the same and he added a reason namelie bicause bloud is the life So he would signifie by the rite Gen. 9 4 that sinne might not be purged by sacrifice vnlesse it were by death Séeing therefore
that the sacraments as we haue often said haue the names of those things that they signifie And other toongs also both Latine Gréeke séeme to haue imitated this forme of speaking For the Latins call that Piaculum or Piacularem hostiam which is offered to turne awaie the wrath of God The same thing the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of making cleane and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is it which Paule sometimes calleth sinne a cursse This therefore is the meaning that Christ condemned sinne which was in our flesh by sinne that is by that oblation which was for sinne that is by his flesh which is now called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which after the Hebrue maner of speaking is the sacrifice for sinne But to condemne signifieth in this place to take away and to discharge those things which vse to followe them that are condemned And that we may the easilier vnderstand how Christ by his death condemned sinne we ought by faith to be assured that he hath obteined the holie spirit for vs by whom our sinnes be forgiuen by whom lusts which are the root of all sinnes be repressed in vs. In Rom. 4 verse 25. 18 But here ariseth a doubt by what means the apostle may séeme to seuer and plucke these things one from another namelie forgiuenesse of sinnes and iustification and on the other part the faith of the death from the faith of the resurrection when as it may séeme that by the saith of both parts I meane of the death and resurrection not onelie is giuen remission of sins but also iustification Augustine in his 16. booke against Fautus Faith is cheeflie carried vnto the resurrection of Christ séemeth to bring this interpretation that our faith is chéeflie directed vnto the resurrection of Christ That he died the Ethniks also grant but that he rose againe they vtterlie denie And therefore séeing faith is said to be the thing whereby we are iustified Paule would make mention of that thing wherin faith is most conuersant And for confirmation of his saieng he citeth a place out of the tenth chapter to the Romans verse 9. If with thy mouth thou confesse thy Lord Iesus Christ and beleeue in thy hart that he was raised from the dead thou shalt be saued By which words it appéereth that saluation and iustification are attributed vnto the faith of Christs resurrection But these things must not so be vnderstood as though our faith should not be directed euen vnto the death of the Lord. Indéed it is true Our faith is also carried euen to the Lords death that the Ethniks confesse that Christ hath béene slaine but they beléeue not the same to be doone for the sinnes of men but either for some fault of his owne or else by iniurie Whereas we assuredlie beléeue that he was crucified for the saluation and redemption of mankind So as our faith is exercised as well in the death of Christ as in his resurrection And that which he bringeth out of the tenth chapter to the Romans dooth make nothing against vs. In the faith of the resurrection is comprehended the faith of his death For who vnderstandeth not that in the faith of the resurrection of Christ is comprehended that faith also which we haue of his death and crosse Wherefore there remaine two other interpretations verie likelie to be true Whereof the first is that by she verie death of Christ the price of our redemption was performed But that this might be applied vnto vs there was néed of the holie Ghost by whom we might be led to beléeue Christ that it should be expedient for vs that he had risen from death that he had sent abroad his apostles to preach in all parts and that he is now with his father as an intercessor and high priest He is said to haue therefore risen againe that he might helpe vs to obteine iustification Chrysostome séemeth to like of this exposition Another exposition is that the faith of the death and of the resurrection bringeth iustification but that Paule disseuered these things to the intent he might aptlie declare the analogie and proportion betwéene them Vnto the death of Christ verie well answereth the forgiuenesse of sinnes for by reason of them death was due vnto vs. And as Christ concerning this corruptible life died so also we ought when we are iustified to die vnto sinne Againe bicause iustification séemeth herein to be declared in that we begin a new life therefore it is referred vnto the resurrection of Christ for that he then séemed to haue begoone an heauenlie and happie life Paule vseth in a maner the selfe-same forme of words when he saith With the hart we beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth we confesse vnto saluation For the faith of the hart both worketh righteousnesse and also bringeth saluation Howbeit bicause saluation and instauration are chéeflie declared in action therefore he ascribeth it to confession But whether of these expositions is the truer neither doo I contend nor yet willinglie will I now declare In Rom. 5 vers 8. 19 Rightlie therefore is it said that GOD commended his loue towards vs when he deliuered his owne sonne vnto the crosse for our sakes For there is nothing that men hold more déere and set more store by than their children Wherefore we read that wicked mothers when they would testifie to their adulterous louers their most feruent loue and faithfulnesse of their continuall companie slue their owne children bicause they sawe they had no other argument more sure to testifie their good will towards them The charitie of God shined most in the death of Christ So God when for our sakes he deliuered his sonne vnto the death and that vnto a most shamefull death gaue vnto vs a most sure token of his excéeding good will towards vs. In that he created the world for our sakes it was indéed a great signe of his good will towards vs although therein rather shined foorth his power and diuine might and wisedome For it is the part of liberall and frée harted lords to giue and bestowe manie things vpon their subiects Howbeit lords will neuer go so far as they will endanger themselues for their seruants sakes Why God shewed so great charitie towards vs. Wherefore when GOD gaue his owne sonne vnto the death for our sakes therein as Paule saith he most of all set foorth his loue towards vs which thing he therefore did to stir vs vp to loue him againe Deut. 6 5. God had commanded vs in the lawe that we should loue him with all our hart with all our soule and with all our strength And that we might the willinglier performe this he would first declare his good will towards vs that it might appéere that he loued and cared for vs more than for himselfe For he would die euen for our sakes which death yet we so little estéeme that we will
their works or merits sake but I will doo it saith he for my name sake From this reason Paule departeth not for he sheweth that God by predestination will make open the riches of his glorie that all men might knowe how little the Iewes had deserued this election of God that the nations being ouerhipped they alone should be counted for the people of God Which thing Steuen expoundeth in the Acts of the apostles when he saith that They had euer resisted God and had bin alwaies stiffe-necked What good works then did God sée in them to prefer that nation before all other nations Ezechiel notablie describeth how God looked vpon the people of the Iewes at the beginning Ezec. 16 3. namelie as vpon a naked damsell and on euerie side polluted and shamefullie berolled in bloud I passed by saith the Lord and when I sawe thee in that case I had compassion of thee What must be doone in iudging of controuersies 25 Further let vs remember what is the scope of the apostle in the epistle to the Romans for if we will iudge vprightlie of controuersies we must not cast our eie off from the scope The indeuour of the apostle was that he might by all maner of meanes commend the grace of Christ And this purpose can nothing more hinder than to affirme that the predestination of God that is the head and fountaine of grace commeth of the works of men And if it be counted a fault in Orators if in their oration they perchance reherse things which would much hinder the cause that they tooke in hand how can we suspect that the holie Ghost persisteth not in that which he began but speaketh things strange from that which he purposed Neither can we make anie other reason of the members than of the head which is Christ Iesus The sonne of God did freelie take vpon him the humane nature Séeing therfore that no man can doubt but that the sonne of God did fréelie take vpon him mans nature for if the question shuld be asked why rather he than anie other man tooke flesh of the virgin Marie There can no other reason be giuen but that it so pleased him For as touching works anie other man borne of anie other virgin might haue had them no lesse than he which was borne of Marie For whosoeuer had had the Godhead as Christ had trulie he should haue doone the selfe-same works which Christ did Séeing therefore that that humanitie was taken of the sonne of God fréelie and of the pure and méere mercie of God euen after the selfe-same maner whosoeuer are the members of Christ As iustification is not of works so likewise is not predestination are chosen fréelie and without anie merits of works Finallie all those reasons which prooue that iustification consisteth not of works the same also prooue that predestination dependeth not of works Now resteth to declare whether Christ and his death may be said to be the cause of predestination Here we answer that Christ and his death is the principall and chéefe effect of predestination Christ and his death is the principall effect of predestination For amongst those things which are of God giuen vnto the elect is Christ himselfe the fruit of his death For whatsoeuer is giuen vnto vs by this waie and by this conduit as it were is deriued vnto vs from God And forsomuch as it is certeine that the effects of predestination may so be cōpared togither Christ as touching his humane nature and death is not the cause of predestination as one may be the cause of the other but vnto none of them agréeth to be the beginning of predestination therefore we denie that Christ as touching his humanitie or death is the cause of our predestination although he be the beginning and cause of all good things which come vnto vs by the purpose of God 26 I am not ignorant that there haue béene some Sentences of manie of the fathers agree not togither as touching this doctrine which haue gone about to reconcile togither the sentences of the fathers with this most true doctrine which we haue now by manie reasons prooued For they saie that the fathers when they write that predestination is of works foreséene by the name of predestination doo not vnderstand the worke or action of GOD whereby he electeth or predestinateth anie man but rather the end and certeine meanes and that as touching them nothing can let but that works may be causes For it is without all doubt certeine that the last damnation commeth of works as the cause and good works spring of faith as from their head or fountaine I sée indéed that the intent of these men is not to be discommended which labour to applie the sentences of the fathers vnto the truth as much as is possible but yet that which they auouch to be true cannot I affirme For there are certeine sentences of the fathers so hard that they can by no meanes be drawne to this meaning It is not true that they saie that all wholie is not of God for they to defend the libertie of our will will not haue all things to depend of the predestination of God and of purpose saie that all wholie is not of God but somewhat also is required of vs. And they expresselie write that God electeth some It is not true also that God electeth bicause of faith foreseene for that he foresawe that they would beléeue They haue also here and there manie other such like saiengs so that I by no meanes can sée how their sentences can agrée with our doctrine in this point Howbeit Augustine fullie agréeth with it Ierom also disagréeth not from it although oftentimes in manie places he agréeth with Origin and others but against the Pelagians he highlie commendeth the sentence of Augustine touching this matter and excéedinglie alloweth his writings against this heresie Séeing therefore that Augustine oftentimes vsed this argument against the Pelagians it must néeds be that the same verie well pleased Ierom now being old And Cyprian as we haue before said manifestlie writeth that There is nothing ours wherefore it followeth of necessitie that it is all of God But howsoeuer it be there is no néed that we should now dispute much as touching the fathers As in all other things which belong vnto faith We must giue sentence according to the scriptures not according to the fathers so also in this question we must giue sentence according to the scriptures not according to the fathers And this selfe-same thing euen the fathers themselues required at our hands which I in alledging of arguments haue performed to my power 27 Amongst the latter writers Pighius being forced by the vehemencie of the scriptures granteth vnto vs that works are not causes of predestination For he confesseth that it consisteth fréelie and of the méere mercie of God with a respect saith he to works I thinke
wicked regard not these things and also without this doctrine liue wickedlie but the godlie for that they haue confidence that they are predestinated labour by holie works to make their calling sure By the doctrine of predestination is opened a windowe vnto good works not vnto wickednes The doctrine of the aduersaries openeth a wide gate vnto manie euils And vnto them by this doctrine is opened a windowe vnto modestie vnto patience in afflictions vnto gratitude and vnto a singular loue towards God But take awaie this doctrine there is made open not a windowe but an excéeding wide gate to pride to ignorance of the gifts of God to vncertentie and doubting of saluation in aduersities and the weakening of our loue towards God 31 But these men saie further that this maketh verie much against vs for that nothing can light vnder predestination or reprobation but that which God willeth but that God should will sinnes is to be counted for a most absurd and a blasphemous doctrine They saie moreouer that God cannot iustlie punish if we commit those things which he himselfe both willeth and worketh But this must we of necessitie saie if we affirme that not onelie our ends but also our meanes to the ends depend of the purpose of GOD. To satisfie this doubt first let them remember that it cannot be denied but that God after a sort willeth or as some other saie permitteth sinne But forsomuch as that is doone without anie coaction of our mind therfore no man when he sinneth can be excused For he willinglie and of his owne accord committeth those sinnes for which he ought to be condemned and hath the true cause of them in himselfe and therefore hath no néed to séeke it in God Further this is no good comparison which these men make betwéene good works and sinnes For God so worketh in vs good works that he ministreth vnto vs his grace and spirit whereby these works are wrought for those are the grounds of good works which grounds we haue not of our selues But sinnes he so gouerneth and after a sort willeth that yet notwithstanding the grounds of them that is the flesh and our corrupt and naughtie nature are not in God but in vs. Wherefore there is no néed that they should be powred into vs by anie outward moouer And God is said after a sort to will sinnes How God is after a sort said to will sinnes either for that when he can he prohibiteth them not or for that by his wisedome he directeth them to certeine ends or for that he suffereth them not to burst foorth but when and how and to what vses he himselfe will or finallie for that by them he will punish other sinnes But these adde that God by no means willeth sinne for so it is written in Ezechiel As trulie as I liue Ezec. 33 11. Looke in 1. Sam. 2 22 The first answere saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted liue But we answere that the prophet in that place intreateth not of the mightie hidden will of God of his effectuall will for God by that will worketh all things which he will both in heauen in earth But he intreateth of that will Psal 115 3. which they call the will of the signe for no man can by those signes and tokens which are expressed in the lawe gather that God willeth his death or condemnation For the Lord commanded his lawe to be published vnto all men he hath vnto all men set foorth those things which should be profitable healthfull lastlie he vpon all men indifferentlie powreth great benefits wherfore by this will which we call the will of the signe he willeth not the death of a sinner yea rather he prouoketh them to repentance But as touching the other will which they call the will of his good pleasure if by it he would haue no man perish then doubtles no man could perish and there is no will so peruerse as Augustine saith which God if he will cannot make good Then according to this will he hath doone all things whatsoeuer he would This is a readie and plaine interpretation which if our aduersaries admit not but will néeds contend that the words of the prophet are to be vnderstood of the mightie will of God and of his will of good pleasure then will we answere The second answere that that sentence perteineth not vniuersallie vnto all sinners but onlie to those which repent And they are the elect and predestinated vnto whom God as according to his purpose he giueth faith and calling so also giueth he repentance And therefore whether sense soeuer they followe they shall neuer out of those words conclude that God vtterlie and by no meanes willeth the death of sinners or sinne 32 But they obiect certeine words out of the first chapter of the booke of Wisedome where it is written verse 13. God reioiseth not in the destruction of the liuing But if saie they he by anie maner of meanes willeth sinne or the punishment thereof he cannot be said not to reioise for he reioiseth in that which he will haue to be doone First I answer that that booke is not in the canon and therefore the authoritie thereof may be refused But admit that that booke were canonicall yet doo those words make nothing against vs for he whatsoeuer he was that was the author of that booke ment nothing else but to remooue from God that naughtines of nature whereby wicked men take pleasure in euill things God punisheth not wickednes against his will And yet was it not his meaning that God punisheth wicked facts against his will for otherwise whosoeuer be that author vnder the name of Salomon he should be against the true Salomon For he in his Prouerbs vnder the person of wisedome thus writeth of the vngodlie and vnbeléeuers Prou. 1 26. I also laugh in your destruction In which words is declared that God with this laughing that is with a chéerfull mind administreth iustice verse 11. As touching the words of Ecclesiasticus which are written in the fiftéene chapter that No man ought to saie of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Hee hath deceiued mee in which place the Latin translation hath Me implanauit Vnlesse we will haue that place to be manifestlie repugnant with manie other places of the scripture in which God is said to haue deceiued the people by false prophets Ezec. 14. 9. 1. Kin. 22 22. Esaie 6 10. and to haue cōmanded that Achab the king should be deceiued and to haue made blind the hart of the people least they should sée we must néeds after this maner expound those words How it must be vnderstood that God deceiueth no man that No man ought to laie the fault in God as though he would excuse himselfe Achab if he was deceiued iustlie deserued to be deceiued for that he
declared himselfe to be euen he that should forgiue sinnes and that euen as those healings were receiued by faith so also by the same faith are men iustified and receiue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Mat. 9 28. And in the same .9 chapter it is declared that Christ answered vnto the two blind men which were verie importunate and most earnestlie desired to be healed Doo ye beleeue that I can doo this for you And when they had made answere that they beléeued he said Euen as you haue beleeued so be it vnto you And when our sauiour was going to the house of the ruler of the synagog to raise vp his daughter from death there followed him a woman which had an issue of bloud which woman was indued with so great faith that she thought thus with hir selfe that If she might but touch the hem of his garment she should straitwaie be made whole Wherefore Christ answered hir Be of good confidence daughter Ibidem 22. thy faith hath made thee whole But whie Christ adioined confidence to faith we haue before declared in the beginning of this question when we declared the nature of faith for we taught that that assent wherewith we take hold of the promises of God is so strong and so vehement that the rest of the motions of the mind which are agréeable vnto it doo of necessitie followe In Luke also is set forth the historie of that sinfull woman vnto whom the Lord thus answered Luk. 7 50. Thy faith hath made thee safe signifieng that he for hir faith sake had forgiuen hir hir sinnes And that the faith of this woman was verie feruent she declared by the effects In that she loued much in that she kissed his feete in that she washed them with hir teares and wiped them with hir heare 54 In the Gospell of Iohn the third chapter Christ said vnto Nichodemus Iohn 3 16. So God loued the world that he gaue his onlie begotten son that he which beleeued in him should not perish but haue eternall life And in the selfe-same chapter Iohn Baptist thus speaketh of Christ He which beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he which beleeueth not hath not life but the wrath of God abideth on him Out of which place we gather not onelie that we presentlie intreat of It is prooued that strangers from Christ can doo no good thing that may please God but also this that they who are strangers from Christ and beleeue not can doo nothing that may please God and therefore they cannot merit of congruitie as they call it and as our aduersaries affirme the grace of God And in the sixt chapter Christ saith This is the will of him that sent me Iohn 6 40. that he which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him hath eternall life and I saith he will raise him vp at the last daie And when he had before said verse 44. No man commeth vnto me vnlesse my father drawe him also He that hath heard of my father verse 45. and hath learned commeth vnto me afterward he addeth And he which beleeueth in me verse 47. hath eternall life In the eleuenth chapter when Christ should raise vp Lazarus he saith vnto Martha Ioh. 11 25. He which beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and he which liueth and beleeueth in me shall not die for euer And in the 17. chapter This is eternall life Iohn 17 3. that they acknowledge thee the onlie true GOD and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ But this is to be noted that here he speaketh not of a cold knowledge but of a mightie and strong faith wherefore if it be eternall life then shall it also be iustification For iustification and life are so ioined togither that the one is oftentimes taken for the other And in verie déed iustification is nothing else than eternall life now alreadie begun in vs. And in the 20. chapter Ioh. 20 31. These things saith he are written that ye should beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and that in beleeuing ye should haue eternall life Acts. 15 9. In the Acts of the apostles the 15. chap. it is thus written By faith purifieng their harts In which place Peter speaketh of the Gentils that they should not be compelled vnto the works of the lawe of Moses forsomuch as Christ had without them giuen vnto them the holie Ghost and had by faith made cleane their harts from sins Paule also in his oration to king Agrippa said verse 18. that He was called of Christ to be sent vnto the Gentils which should by his ministerie be illuminated and by faith receiue remission of sinnes and lot amongst the saints And these testimonies hitherto we haue gathered out of the new testament But if I should out of the old testament rehearse all that which maketh to this purpose I should then be ouer tedious And if there be anie of so obstinate a hart that those things which we haue alreadie spoken cannot force them to confesse the truth neither should it anie thing profit such men if we should bring manie more testimonies wherefore a few shall suffice And besides those testimonies which Paule cited out of the 15. chapter of Genesis Gen. 15 ◠Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes out of Abacuke The iust man shall liue by his faith out of Dauid Abac. 2 4. Psal 3◠1. Esai 28 26. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen out of Esaie Euerie one that beleeueth in him shall not be confounded and a few other such like Besides these testimonies I saie I will cite the 53. chapter of Esaie wherein Christ by most expresse words is painted foorth For there He is said verse 4. to haue taken vpon him our sorrowes to haue borne our infirmities to haue giuen his soule a sacrifice for sinnes and manie such other things which are so plaine that they can be applied vnto none other but onlie vnto Christ Iesus our sauiour And it is said moreouer And by the knowledge of him shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie and he shall beare their iniquities These words doo teach that Christ iustifieth manie namelie the elect by the knowledge and perfect vnderstanding of him which knowledge vndoubtedlie is nothing else but a true faith and that he also in such sort iustifieth them that he taketh vpon himselfe and beareth their iniquities And Ieremie in the fift chapter writeth verse 3 O God haue not thine eies a regard vnto faith As if he should haue said Although thou séest all things and there is nothing perteining vnto man hidden from thée yet hast thou chéeflie regard vnto faith as vnto the roote and foundation of all good actions And as touching the oracles of the scripture this shall suffice 55 Now will I answer such obiections as are commonly brought against this second proposition And we will begin first with
Themistocles when he would not assaile his owne countrie dranke poison Alcibiades also was for the same cause slaine Such in a maner is the end of fugitiues vnlesse GOD take pitie vpon them A great deale the more gréeuous it is that séeing Dauid knew for certeintie that he should be king he might also haue knowne that of necessitie he should haue war with the Philistines How then suffered he himselfe now to be ouercome by their benefits so as he might not fight against them without a great blemish of ingratitude I might bring manie other things but these séeme to be sufficient at this time wherefore I conclude that I cannot in anie wise allow this fact of Dauid And I am not onelie led by reason so to iudge but by example also for if so be that our Emperors soldiers at this daie should go vnto warfare with the Turke how greatlie would that be to the hinderance of christianitie But in vaine doo I make complaint in verie déed we had experience thereof of late daies in Hungarie And I would to God that in this were she end of euils Perhaps thou wilt saie that God by a secret persuasion warned Dauid to go vnto Achis I answer first that it is more than I knowe secondlie that it is not verie probable for God warned him before hand that he should returne into Iudaea But yet howsoeuer it be this I saie that that example is not set foorth for vs to be followed Herein Dauid committed sinne although not vnto death his faith did after a sort wax féeble but it was not vtterlie extinguished An answer to the arguments by which Dauids fact is defended 34 Now must I dissolue those arguments which we obiected on the other part Wherefore saie they is he more reprooued now than he was before when he went vnto the Moabites I answer that the consideration was otherwise both of the time of Dauids mind and of the nation For first he did not then drawe so manie soldiers with him Secondlie he went not with the mind to warre on the Moabites side but that he might place among them his old father and mother Neither had he as yet receiued the word of the Lord to returne for there he was first admonished by Gad the prophet that he should returne into Iewrie Neither were the Moabites so strange vnto the Iewes as were the Philistines Gen. 19 37. for they were of the posteritie of Lot And God verse 9. in the second chapter of Deuteronomie had strictlie commanded the Iewes that they should not meddle with their féelds wherefore the reason is not alike But whether Dauid did well in going to the Moabites I doo not here dispute Certeinlie it appéereth that the same iournie pleased not GOD verie well in that he afterward willed him to be called backe by Gad. But he was vrged both by the persecution of Saule and by the treason of his owne kindred that of necessitie either he was to die or else to flie vnto the Philistines Naie rather by this flight he did not auoid danger but he changed one for another for he cast himselfe into a more dangerous state among the Philistines than if he had taried still in Iudaea But it is not the part of a wise or godlie man through feare and féeble courage to take in hand or doo those things which are not conuenient for his person Saule pursueth thée The Ziphits betraie thée but God hath bewraied their lieng in wait vnto thée so as they shall not be able to hurt thée Saule againe and againe commeth into thy danger But it is a gréeuous thing thus to liue perpetuallie Admit it be so yet God by these kind of chastisements frameth thée to be a king in time to come Bréeflie These things thou dooest either for the mistrust thou hast in God or else in hatred of the crosse If for mistrust sake refer thy selfe vnto the promises of God and consider what he hath before time doone for thy sake If in hatred of the crosse rather lament thou this infirmitie of flesh which so cleaueth to our nature as it may not be remooued no not from the most holie men As touching that argument wherein it is said that either we must flie or else suffer death it is weak and vnperfect For adde a third point namelie that thou tarrie there where the Lord hath placed thée and thou shalt hope that he will no lesse be present now with thée than he hath béen before time Thou saiest that it behooued Dauid not onelie to haue a regard vnto himselfe but also vnto the sixe hundred soldiers which he had with him The Iewes would not of their owne accord giue him anie thing to wring from them by violence it was not lawfull for him but the mind was to be eleuated vnto God he had promised that he would bring helpe and that he would stand to his couenants He shuld not in anie wise haue departed from his station wherein God had placed him Further there was no néed that either he should haue vsed violence or expected the liberalitie of his owne countriemen The Philistines were borderers being enimies vnto the name of the Iewes and alreadie condemned of God from them it was lawfull to take preies for so he did before and God did prosper his indeuours Consideration was to be had of fréends who bicause they séemed to fauour Dauid that was banished were ill intreated by Saule Certeinlie friends ought not rashlie to be contemned but we must take héed least while thou wouldst deliuer them thou bring not a greater infamie vpon them For it was a farre more gréeuous thing that Dauid fled vnto the Philistines than that he was condemned by Saule but thou must rather suffer death than that others should come in perill for thy sake But we must not alwaies respect that which is magnificall and glorious but that which is pleasing vnto God The occasion offered was not to be contemned I answere He doth those things that we may the more easilie suffer aduersities Further it had béene his part to hope that GOD will not alwaies suffer the better sort to be afflicted or that the church should be oppressed with continuall might This should a wise man thinke If he had doone otherwise it had béene to haue tempted God No verelie he should rather haue put his trust in God haue taried in that place wherevnto God had called him He had promised to helpe him But the promise of God maketh not men to be as stocks or blocks that it should not be lawfull for anie man to prouide for himselfe I grant it doth not howbeit we ought by faith to wait for the helpe of God we must not step backe through feare and mistrust If there were no suretie to liue in the court of Saule much lesse safetie was it to liue among the Philistines Christ went vnto the men of Tyre and Sidon and to the Samaritans I know he
in the word of God caution 5 Neither may that broken and quauering Musicke be lawfullie reteined wherewith they which be present are so hindered as they cannot vnderstand the words though they would faine doo it caution 6 Furthermore héed must be taken that in the churches nothing be sung without choise but onelie those things which be conteined in the holie scriptures or which are by iust reasons gathered out of them and doo exactlie agrée with the word of God For if there should be a windowe opened vnto the inuentions of men it were to be feared lest ecclesiasticall Musicke would at length turne to fables and trifles Yea we sée alreadie that there are brought into the congregation manie fond Sequences as they call them and fabulous hymnes and manie other things also which rather stirre vp laughter and lothsomnes than true faith to the hearers The hymns of Ambrose I speake not these things as though I would dispraise the hymnes of Ambrose and other hymnes which be of that nature forsomuch as I iudge that by them the faithfull may be instructed The Symbole of Athanasius The psalms of Augustine and of Chrysostom and also admonished The Symbol of Athanasius séemeth also méet to be allowed and the psalmes of Augustine against the Donatists and the psalmes of Chrysostome if they were extant whereof the ecclesiasticall historie of Eusebius in the 7. booke maketh mention For whatsoeuer things were written in them we must beléeue that they agrée with the holie scriptures and that they further the edifieng of the faithfull in the church But contrariewise the psalmes of Valentine The psalms of Valentine of which Tertullian maketh mention must of all other be condemned and with them the most corrupt psalmes which were sung in the temple in the honour of Paulus Samosatenus as the historie of Sozomenus declareth But now to conclude the matter I affirme that godlie religious songs may be reteined in the church and yet I grant No precept in the new testament for singing in the congregation that there is no precept giuen thereof in the new testament Wherfore if there be anie church which vpon iust causes vseth it not the same cannot be iustlie condemned so that it defend not that the thing it selfe of his owne nature or by the commandement of God is vnlawfull and that it doo not for the same causes either reprooue other churches which vse singing and Musicke or else exclude them from the fellowship of Christ For the church of Alexandria as it hath béene said before either vsed verie little singing or well-néere none at all For they sawe the infirmitie of the people to be such as they gaue more héed vnto the harmonie than vnto the words So that if we shall perceiue in these daies that the christian people doo run vnto the churches as vnto a stage plaie where they might be delighted with piping and singing in this case wée must rather absteine from a thing that is not necessarie than to féed their owne pleasures with the destruction of their soules The xiiij Chapter Of Death of Consolation of Moorning and Buriall in what state the soules of the godlie are before the resurrection WE ought not to séeke for the fruit of Christs actions in his owne person onelie In 1. Cor. 15 12. The fruit of Christs acts doth redound vnto vs. séeing it most of all redoundeth vnto vs neither did the diuine nature take vnto it the humanitie in Christ to the intent it would shut vp his benefits within the precincts thereof but by the same it would deriue the force of his goodnesse vnto the rest of the parts of our nature So that the same concurreth verie well Cyrillus which Cyrillus writeth in his Treatise vpon Iohn namelie that GOD the word hath after a sort assumed the whole humane nature For albeit as touching the substance he onelie put on a particular man yet by the same he quickened and sanctified the rest Euen as if a sparke of fire shuld suddenlie catch hold A similitude and inflame a parcell of haie indéed it would first take hold of that which were ioined therevnto but afterward passing through by little and little If Christ remooued sinne he also remooued death it would kindle the whole stacke of haie were it neuer so great The diuinitie did first remooue all sin from the man which it assumed and by remouing sinne remoued death Secondlie through Iesus Christ himselfe it tooke awaie sinne from the beléeuers according as Iohn said Iohn 1 29. Behold the lambe of God which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world And if so be that he haue put awaie sinne from them he hath also driuen awaie death therfore so that we beléeue in him the life of resurrection shall be giuen vnto vs. Seeing we be iustified wherefore are we subiect vnto death But some will saie If we be iustified foorthwith so soone as we beléeue and that sinne is taken awaie wherefore dooth death remaine vnto vs We answer that notwithstanding by the mercie of GOD and through Christ sinne shall not be imputed vnto vs yet the same resteth still in our flesh and we are bound euerie daie to put off the old Adam For during the time that we shall kéepe still anie part of the reliks of his oldnesse euen so long shall we carrie death about with vs. Wherefore we shall once die at the last that we may put off what infection soeuer we gat vnto vs by the first Adam and a bodie altogither changed shall be restored vnto vs in the time appointed ¶ Looke the fift and sixt epistles at the end of this booke Of moorning for the dead out of the booke of Genesis vpon the 23. chapter verse 7. That it is lawfull to moorne for the dead 2 But now let vs speake of moorning for the dead Let our proposition be that It is lawfull to moorne for the dead First this is apparent not onelie by the example of Abraham but for the most part also of the fathers Looke Iu 2. Sam. 3. 31 and 35. verse 41. vers 33 35. Christ in the 19. of Luke wept ouer the citie that was to be destroied and in the eleuenth of Iohn when Lazarus was dead and that his sisters wept he rebuked them not It is not for Christians to haue that mind void of all affections as the Stoiks would haue it They themselues boasted thereof yet thou shalt not find that they had such affections If Tertullian in his booke De patientia and other fathers at anie time saie that the dead ought not to be moorned for this vnderstand thou not of moorning at all but of moorning immoderatelie according as Paule saith in the first epistle to the Thessalonians the fourth chapter verse 13. I would not haue you sorrowe concerning them that sleepe as others sorrowe which haue no hope Faults they be if thou moorne immoderatelie that is
ouer-much Faults in moorning After which maner we read that Samuel was reprooued when he lamented ouer-much for Saule 1. Sam. 16 1 being now cast out of his kingdom Ouer this if vndecent things be doone as the renting of the bodie and such like or else if it be doone semedlie Finallie that moorning is most to be disallowed which procéedeth of denieng the resurrection But we must sorrowe moderatelie as Paule by his example testifieth for in the second to the Philippians he saith of Epaphroditus God had mercie of him and of me Phil. 2 27. least I should haue sorowe vpon sorrowe Thou séest that the apostle by his owne confession had sorrowed for the death of Epaphroditus if the same had happened Neither doo moorners that which is contrarie vnto the word of God bicause God by whom death is inflicted would haue the nature thereof to be such that it should bring teares and sorrowe not onelie vnto them which die but vnto those also of whom they that die are beloued and are of néere fréendship for it is a punishment for man If it be gréeuous there is nothing that commeth without the ordinance and decrée of God looke how he will haue it to be so let vs take it Who would saie that men doo sin if they should complaine of hunger of thirst and of cold which neuerthelesse is not laid vpon vs without the will of God We confesse that God suffereth nothing to happen vnto them that be his but such as turneth vnto their good In moornings two things to be considered Two things therefore are to be considered in these moornings one is the present losse we haue when as a man that is déere vnto vs dieth and the other is the counsell of Gods prouidence which we beléeue by faith to be good and profitable vnto vs but in what sort the same is we doo not now perceiue Howbeit we are greatlie touched with the wound of our present losse doubtlesse not to the contumelie of God or that we complaine of him as though he handleth vs vniustlie or cruellie but we are moued through the sense of our owne nature so instituted by God which is the cause why we be mooued at the present euill Wherefore we sorrowe for iust causes that anie brother is departed all which causes it shall not be néedfull to recite Put the case it be bicause he was déere vnto vs bicause he was gentle louing bicause he promoted the honour of God was profitable to the church and such like Charitie driueth vs vnto two things to wit that we as members of one bodie are desirous to liue togither as much as long as is possible and further that we thinke the mishaps of other men to be our owne through the mutuall compassion of Christ his bodie Now then to sorrowe moderatelie we attribute the same vnto nature and vnto charitie and not to sorrowe ouer-much we attribute vnto faith séeing we haue the comfort of the resurrection the which with ouer-much lamenting we séeme to denie In. Gen. 35. verse 8. 3 The Ethniks doo therefore thinke that a meane must be vsed in moorning bicause death is a necessarie euill as that which cannot be auoided by anie remedie Death a necessarie euill But this vndoubtedlie cannot mitigate sorrowe but augment the same For who will thus vnfitlie answer him that so comforts him I in verie déed do sorrowe bicause I shall neuer atteine to an end of euill séeing I cannot auoid the same by anie means in that it hath all desperation ioined therewith Wherfore there be some which attempt an other waie We ought not saie they so to sorrowe for death sake bicause if it be a loosing of the soule from the bodie as it is reported to be it is not to be reckoned among euils Whether the coniunction of the soule with the bodie be a troublesome thing for that the coniunction of the soule with the bodie is a troublesome thing and doth not much further our felicitie But if so be thou obiect against this their opinion Then let euerie man that is wise laie violent hands on himselfe to the intent he may obteine that cōmoditie they will gainesaie with these reasons First it behooueth vs to know that our soule is placed by God in this bodie of ours A similitude euen as a lieutenant is appointed to anie castell or fortification the which for his allegeance sake is not lawfull for him to forsake except he haue leaue of the Lord which placed him there vnlesse he will be counted a traitour And this is knowne to all wise and godlie men that a man is none of his owne but he is the iust and lawfull possession of GOD. Wherefore if anie man kill himselfe he doth not destroie that which is his owne but destroieth the substance of an other which thing how vniust it is let vs thus learne of our selues A similitude If our horse or bondman should worke his owne death would the same please vs or no I suppose it would not naie rather we would be gréeuouslie offended thereat and if we might we would that so great a crime should not be vnpunished And if so be we would thinke it vnwoorthie that so great an iniurie should be offered vnto vs will we not giue eare when we doo the verie same vnto our selues Neither can we otherwise be in better case or be better prouided for than vnder the Lord God himselfe Wherefore doo we then flie so good a Lord But when he calleth vs we must go vnto him without anie delaie for in departing when he commandeth we shall not onelie dwell with him but also with notable and excellent men which perpetuallie inioie the societie of him Wherefore séeing this coniunction of the mind and the bodie is verie vnprofitable vnto vs a philosopher must perpetuallie think vpon the separation of them But if so be it be the better and that he professe he desireth it would it not be a shamefull thing for him to be striken with feare when he should sée the same drawing néere vnto him But that the bodie is hurtfull to the soule they hereby thinke to prooue bicause it is against true philosophie to obeie or make much of the pleasures and affections which by the same are stirred vp in vs. For true philosophie teacheth nothing else indéed but that we should be alwaies mindfull to shunne these things as noisome plagues of our nature Which if we cannot altogither reiect from vs yet that we may at leastwise to our power breake their force and kéepe them vnder Lieng senses ministred to the soule by the bodie 4 Afterward they adde that the bodie is most troublesome vnto the vnderstanding for that which they said before must be referred to the appetite for vnto the perceiuing of the truth it ministereth deceiueable senses Vnto the which who so do giue credit are foorthwith beguiled in searching out the nature
figure Hypérbole or else by Catachrésis By which figures we saie that this thing was not extant or was not doon bicause it was extant enduring but for a short time or for a moment If this be spoken as touching them which beléeue as we read in Iohn Iohn 8 51. They which haue beleeued in the sonne of God shall not see death whereas they shall be in death till the end of the world how much rather and more trulie is it pronounced of Christ which was there but thrée daies and those not fullie compleat And certeinlie according to these tropes or figures his dieng was no dieng and his burieng no burieng Indéed he died trulie but he tarried not in death he was trulie buried but he tarried not in the sepulchre but as touching corruption or putrefaction he had no maner of triall thereof Wherfore vnto the question proposed I answer that Dauid when he hoped well of his owne resurrection to come spake these things but yet so spake them as he altogither bent his mind vpon Christ knowing that he himselfe was appointed vnto the church to be the shadowe or figure of him Chéeflie therefore he referred the resurrection which he spake of vnto him by whom it is deriued vnto other men 1. Co. 15 20 so as he is iustlie and deseruedlie called by Paule The first fruits of them that sleepe For this cause he spake those things which might wholie surmount and excell the degrée condition of his owne reuiuing for he would carrie vp men to Christ himselfe Neither had these words béene trulie nor profitablie spoken by him vnlesse he had referred them to Christ the author of the most happie resurrection A rule Wherefore we must vnderstand that it is a certeine and firme rule that the dignities and prerogatiues which we read in the holie scriptures to be attributed vnto the saints all those are chéeflie and that excellentlie well to be referred vnto Christ So then Dauid spake not alonlie of Christ but also of himselfe but yet so farre foorth as he was in Christ and was included among others of his members Thou wilt perhaps saie that the apostles séeme to denie this which affirme it to be fulfilled onelie in the Lord. I answer they denied not that the dead bodie of Dauid was left in the sepulchre for they affirmed the same to be left there euen vnto those times Nor denie they that he sawe the graue séeing he was therein euen vntill that daie But againe they denied not but that he should from thence be taken at the time appointed and that he should at the last be raised from corruption Wherefore these things agrée to Dauid so far foorth as the graue and corruption shall not be perpetuall vnto him Hereby likewise it appéereth what answer we are to shape vnto the third question namelie that these things belong also vnto vs so farre foorth as we with Dauid be the members of Christ For as Christ by dieng ouercame death not onelie for himselfe but also for vs so by rising againe he liueth both vnto himselfe and vnto vs. Wherefore perfect life perpetuall and eternall felicitie as concerning both the soule and the bodie doo rest in Christ the head and by little and little distill and flowe into the members according to the analogie or proportion of them Some demand whie God suffereth the dead bodies of holie men to lie so long in the graue and to be corrupted and putrified séeing both they be holie and as Paule saith the temples of the holie Ghost Herevnto is answered 1. Cor. 3 16 that our flesh indéed is of one kind and nature with the flesh of our Lord but that in the meane time there be manie differences put betwéene them For the flesh of Christ was pure neither was it in anie respect subiect vnto sinne but on the contrarie part we are compassed on all sides with sinnes onelie we are not altogither oppressed Moreouer as Dauid saith We are conceiued in iniquitie but Christ by the holie Ghost Beside this it is verie méet Matth. 1. 18. that the head should go before the rest of the members and it is requisite that the members should be all made perfect togither in one So then the dead bodies of the elect doo wait vntill the full number of the brethren be compleat 33 But séeing in the places now alledged there is onelie mention made of the resurrection of the blessed some man perhaps will doubt Whither the resurrection belong also to the wicked whether the wicked shal be also raised from the dead We answer that the resurrection dooth also belong vnto them bicause euen as in Adam all doo perish 1. Cor. 15 22 and are wrapped in the sentence of death so shall all be quickened in Christ But this difference there is that the godlie shal be raised vp to glorie but the vngodlie to destruction Wherefore we read in Iohn Iohn 5 25. that They which be in the graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God they which haue doon well shall go foorth into the resurrection of life and they which haue doon ill into the resurrection of iudgement that is of condemnatiō Therfore the holie scriptures haue the oftener made mention of the resurrection of the faithfull bicause that is the resurrection of life The other which is of the reprobate may rather be called an euerlasting fall and destruction than life and resurrection For which cause the prophet Esaie in the 26. chapter said verse 19. Thy slaine men shall rise againe but speaking before of the wicked The dead men saith he shall not rise againe So then we must assure our selues that by the benefit of Christ life shal be restored aswell vnto the good as vnto the bad But the godlie shall be honoured with great glorie whereas the wicked shall receiue perpetuall shame This in verie déed is the cause whie the diuine scriptures make oftener mention of the resurrection of the godlie than of the wicked And that in this place onelie the resurrection of the iust is treated of those woords which Dauid added doo heare witnesse saieng Thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnes of ioies and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore By which woords are shewed that this happie resurrection perteineth onelie vnto them which haue set God alwaies before their eies 34 But there doo not want at this daie also which saie That the testimonie of Dauid touching the resurrectiō is manifest inough that Dauid indéed fore-told of these things yet not so expresselie and manifestlie as they might be vnderstood by others but that onelie by the apostles after the comming of Christ those things were expounded and made plaine For they affirme further that in the old testament the resurrection was altogither vnknowne But we saie that the prophesie was euident and that there was no obscuritie therein but by
bodie was made to be a help not a detriment vnto man GOD made the nature of man to be bodilie bicause it might be holpen by the bodie not to receiue detriment thereby This if it did afterward in some part procure it must not be ascribed vnto God but vnto sinne Neither yet in the meane time is it altogither vnprofitable while we be conuersant in these calamities if a man by faith vse the same well Wherevnto adde that it shall be restored vnto vs so corrected and amended in the blessed resurrection and so furnished with excellent conditions and qualities as it shall not diminish the desired felicitie but it shall rather augment the same There was an other argument namelie that after death the parts of our bodie are so resolued into elements from whence it is taken and so mingled with them as thence foorth it can be no more disseuered and brought foorth But this is to iudge ouer meanlie and baselie of the power of God when we will not attribute as much vnto him as we grant vnto the indeuours of men in this life A similitude If water be mingled with wine there be such men as can disseuer the one from the other againe Further goldsmiths and finers of mettalles can resolue into their parts those lumps which are mixed togither of gold siluer brasse and stéele Neither dooth there want such as can of euerie drie and hard thing presse out oile or liquid fatnesse And shall not God who is declared to be omnipotent and could create the world of nothing be able to drawe humane bodies out of the ashes againe And therefore it is written in the Apocalypse the twentie chapter Apoc. 20 13 And the sea gaue vp hir dead which were in hir and death and hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them c. 68 But it may be saie they that humane flesh should be deuoured either of fishes or of birds the which afterward may become the food of men and be conuerted into the flesh of another man What is to be iudged of them which are consumed of fishes and birds Herevnto we answer that certeinlie the dust and ashes are raised vp not as they were the substances of fishes or of birds but as they were of a man first coÌ„sumed by them Neither shall the latter man which fed of those fishes and birds and turned them into his owne flesh be raised vp with the augmentation or matter of the other man which went before him The verie which answer may be made concerning the Anthropophagi Certeine men which liue by the eating of mans flesh And that the matter may be the more plainelie knowne we must vnderstand that in the nature of things there is no néed about the kéeping still of the substance of one and the selfe-same bodie that all things which were in it should perpetuallie remaine in the same For the matter of our bodie dooth continuallie shed and fall awaie the heares and nailes doo shed and are clipped manie things flowe out by the mouth by the nostrils and by other excrementall parts further the naturall heate dooth alwaie spend the vitall moisture and the substance which floweth out is repaired againe by new eating and drinking and this is doone euerie houre and yet doo not the bodies cease to be the same in number Which also we sée come to passe in trées A similitude whose fruits are gathered whose leaues fall and whose branches are each yéere shred when as yet the same trées doo remaine verie long the same in number So that if the whole matter togither should be taken awaie that vnitie might not be appointed but bicause the matter auoideth by parts and that the new matter which is gathered by meate drinke is ioined to those that were before therfore vnitie is reteined especiallie where one and the selfe-same forme endureth and is preserued Séeing therefore vnto the truth and vnitie of a bodie there is no necessitie that all things which passed through the same should be in it it may be that GOD dooth not laie vp in the resurrection for such as were consumed by the Anthropophagi the flesh of those which did eate them but that he will restore other things which at sundrie times flowed from their bodie And if perhaps anie thing should be wanting he will supplie it by his power euen as an addition of flesh was giuen to the rib of Adam Gen. 1 11. when Eue was formed thereof But if a man will saie that it may happen that the Anthropophagi did not féed of anie other thing than mans flesh we saie that this is to small purpose séeing they haue also other brute beasts which they féed of They doo also vse milke and the graines called millet and panicke and such other like meats Wherfore the substance to some shall be all one that it was in others it shall be diminished which was too much There was brought another reason If there be a resurrection to come there had béene no néed of new generation But the same as we sée is continued Gen. 1 28. Gen. 17. and God commanded it as well before the floud as after But they which reason after this sort Generation shall haue an end ought to consider of two things First that procreation endureth to the end of the world but that it is to take place no more after that time Further when generation was commanded there was no condition added that it should be perpetuall Wherefore the argument is most weake for it is taken from the nature of things present wheras this state of ours is sometimes vtterlie to be changed 69 Besides this it was said that In death the essentiall beginnings of man are destroied That the essentall beginnings perish not by death and not the bodie alone but the inferiour parts also of the mind For the powers of the senses namelie of feruent desiring and being angrie doo perish as doo those which serue vnto nourishment and procreation We answer that the vse indéed of these things dooth surcâ—ase by death but that the powers themselues are not extinguished but be kept whole in the soule which is seuered from the bodie so that when the bodie shall be restored therevnto the exercise of them shall be restored also except that which declareth it selfe to belong either to procreation or nourishment of the bodie in this life Furthermore it was obiected that One and the same vnitie of bodie cannot be preserued when as the life or continuance thereof shall be broken off For the being wherein we be consisteth in a certeine succession or continuation of life And indéed we sée that walking when it is broken off if it be afterward renewed is not one and the same in number And it was added that in augmentation the same thing happeneth as touching other qualities A similitude For health being discontinued by reason of sicknesse when the sicke man is restored
almes must be bestowed bicause after death there is no place reserued for these actions And thus spake Christ in the Gospell of Iohn Now worke yee while it is daie otherwise the night will come wherein no man can worke Gregorius Neocaesariensis referreth the places which we haue alleged out of Ecclesiastes vnto Salomon who wrote these things of himselfe Bicause when he gaue himselfe to pleasures he in a maner felt his mind to grewe beastlie and to be infected with these cogitations namelie that the end of man and beasts should be all one that after this life in another world there remaineth not either cogitation or worke or wisedome or knowledge And assuredlie it commeth to passe that they which be occupied in such beastlie cogitations doo eftsoones euerie daie burne in the lusts of delights and doo more and more growe beastlie So as this interpretor dooth not thinke that these things were approoued by Salomon The booke Ecclesiastes is thought to be the repentance of Salomon whom he thinketh to make report of the things which he affected of old and of the which he repented bicause this booke of Ecclesiastes is accounted among the Iewes The Repentance of Salomon Wherefore the voluptuous and delicate men to confirme themselues in their beastlinesse doo saie that as well men as beasts doo die that there shall nothing remaine after this life Let vs vse therefore no measure in carnall and earthlie delights and as Paule said 1. Co. â—5 3â— Let vs eate and drinke for to morowe we shall die Also Olympiodorus an interpretor of the booke of Ecclesiastes saith The saleâ—… of Olympodorus that First these things doo belong vnto the life of the bodie wherein as it hath béene said manie qualities are common as well to men as beasts Secondlie that they which bend themselues wholie to pleasures and deligths doo rather approch to the nature of brute beasts And therefore he will haue vs here to be admonished that we should withdrawe our selues from these things least we in our maners degenerate into brute beasts whereas we be made vnto the image of God and ordeined to become one daie like vnto angels Lastlie he interpreteth them to be men which rightlie vse reason but those to be beasts which haue vtterlie addicted themselues to flesh and affections But who saith he knoweth those men which belong vnto the one sort or those which belong vnto the other séeing the conditions of men are secret and hidden So as it may be that Salomon spake these things vnder the person of voluptuous men or else as it séemed to Gregorius Neocaesariensis he had in remembrance his owne person 73 Iob in the 14. chapter verse 7 c. séemeth to make men of woorse condition than either trées cut downe the riuers and the sea For a trée cut downe springeth againe and returneth to his former state And riuers although through heat they be emptied of their waters yet are they abundantlie restored vnto them againe And the sea albeit euerie six houres it depart from the drie land yet couereth it the same againe But it fareth not so with man when he is dissolued by death bicause he returneth no more neither is he restored to his former state These things dooth Iob there lament and that trulie in verie déed if man should be considered in his owne proper nature namelie without the word of God and without Christ But if it be considered that euen he himselfe that was intangled in these things hath a baine wherein he being washed doth not onelie reuiue againe but returneth from death to life we must otherwise determine of him It is further to be noted that a time is limited wherein the dead returne not vnto life séeing it is there written Vntill that heauen shall passe awaie Ibidem 12. In which words are noted the end of the world Iob then denieth not but that men shall rise againe after heauen is passed awaie And much more doth he séeme to affirme this when in the same place he séemeth to compare death vnto sléepe and maketh mention of men that shall be wakened For sléepe is not perpetuall but herevnto is ordeined that it should be limited by watching Yea and he added in the same place Iob. 14 13. Who shall bring to passe that thou wilt hide me in the graue vntill thy wrath be ouerpast By which forme of speaking he sheweth that there will be an end of Gods wrath and that death shall once haue an end And yet more plainlie he saith Ibidem And to appoint a time wherein thou maist remember me And he afterward beareth record that he waiteth for a renewing And straitwaie he saith Thou shalt call me I will answer thee namelie I rising from the dead thou vndoubtedlie shalt stretch foorth â—…y right hand to thine owne workemanship Yea and some haue expounded the same place by an interrogatiue point as though it should be an argument from the lesse to the greater saieng Shall a tree cut downe a riuer and the sea be restored to their former state and man not attaine thereto It is not likelie seeing man is farre better than these things thou with no lesse care regardest him And vndoubtedlie Aben-Ezra granteth that the resurrection in that place is vnderstood But those things séeme to be somewhat more difficult which are spoken in the 7. chapter of the same booke Iob. 7 7. where he saith Mine eie shall not returne to see good things Howbeit this must be vnderstood as concerning the good things which perteine vnto this life For after the resurrection the dead shall not returne againe to eat to drinke to beget children as they did before while they liued here Moreouer he saith The eie shall see me no more Ibidem 8. which séemeth to be nothing else than that after this world there shall be no bargains couenants entercourse betwéene men as there was before To this he addeth verse 9. The cloud is gone and returneth no more euen so he that descendeth into the pit ascendeth not neither returneth to his owne house neither knoweth anie more his owne place 74 These things as I haue hitherto warned are spoken as touching the strength of nature and if a man be considered to be without God and Christ as he is in his owne nature corrupt and vnperfect and also if death and hell be weighed of according as they be indéed For these things cannot be ouercome by naturall strength Wherefore it is said that In hell there is no redemption bicause no man by the helpe of man or by the power of nature can be called backe from thence But if we embrace Christ with a perfect faith forsomuch as he ouercame sinne death and hell we haue thereby great redemption in him 1. Sam. 2 6. And in the booke of Samuel we read that It is God which leadeth vs downe vnto hell and bringeth vs backe againe Neither are we to
An obiection that they are not of the same minde that the Capernaites were for say they they thought that the flesh of Christ should be cut into péeces and should be torne with the téeth and therefore they haue vtterly mislyked thereof but as touching the speciall imagination of the Capernaites An answere what soeuer it was they know not but very lyke it is that they thought carnally therefore they were troubled with the mention made of ascending into heauen Why doe not these men teach themselues thereby who are bound to say that they eate Christ both carnally and corporally What differēce is there whether thou receaue him by partes or if thou swallow him all at once 16 Hereunto it serueth that Christ said vnto his Apostles about the ende of his life Iohn 14. and after Christ at his death saide he would leaue the world that he would leaue the world and would depart from them which should not bée true if he were with vs by transubstantiation as these men would They haue vsed to aunswere that Christ left the world as touching mortall conditions and as touching familiaritie and bodilie conuersation These indéede are subtile shifts but they serue not to the purpose For when Christ spake these wordes Ioh. 16. 29. Philip aunswered Beholde nowe thou speakest plainelie and without parables Howbeit if it were so to be vnderstood the spéech had béene obscure and like a parable Further if Christ remaine with vs so corporallie in the Eucharist he might by the same reason remaine both in our heartes also in our selues Therefore hee might still after his ascension rule the Church by his owne selfe and bee present with his Apostles The holie Ghost is Christs Vicar But he saieth that hee would leaue a vicar in his stead namelie the holie Ghost who had not béene necessarie if whole Christ as touching diuinitie humanitie as these men will were present For séeing the flesh and bodie of him is by participation in eache one of vs according to their doctrine and that his godhead is present hee might deale by his owne selfe without the holie Ghost to be the prompter Marie the mother of the Lord the most blessed virgin when shee had heard of the Angel Luke 1. 34. that the word of GOD should take flesh vpon him and that she was chosen to conceiue bring foorth the sonne of God she iudged these to be strange and woonderful things and demaunded howe these things should be so forth But this translation of the bread into the bodie of Christ séeing it is no lesse matter than is that mysterie of his incarnation and natiuitie of the Virgin it is a woonder that in the holy scriptures there is founde neither admiration nor question demaunded of that matter and that in none of the writings of the Euangelists or Apostles If Transubstantiation were true there would be some admiration therof in the scriptures as was of the mysterie of the incarnation Verse 52. this beliefe of Transubstantiation is commēded vnto vs being a thing of so great importance Neither doe we hearken vnto some that say in the 6. Chapter of Iohn there went a question before because the answere that was there giuen of spirituall eating they wil now transferre vnto this sacramentall eating which neuerthelesse they assigne to be another than that was For vs therefore doeth that question and answere serue but it nothing at all profiteth these men who faine another eating differing from that spirituall eating to wit this eating which wee nowe haue in hand 17 Other inconueniences and absurdities doe follow the faining of these things For Christ said Ioh. 12. 26. Ioh. 14. 2. I will that where I am there also my minister should be and he spake the same often times to his Apostles Apoc. 14. 4 And in the Apocalips wee reade of certaine Martyrs They follow him wheresoeuer he shall goe Whereupon woulde be concluded that in the Eucharist not onely shoulde be affirmed Transubstantiation into the bodie of Christ but into all the Saints Which if it displease them let them leaue Christ in heauen with his saints otherwise they shal follow him together for companie But they say Concomitantia We suffer him also to be in heauen visible and in his Maiestie and glorie but yet herein the sacrament wee affirme him to be inuisible and those things which be obiected as touching the fellowship of the Saints and Martyrs they be true as touching Christ according as he is visible in heauen in his glorie and Maiestie This answere leaneth vppon a false grounde for it admitteth that one and the same bodie of Christ is in many places at once which the fathers denie It admitteth that Christ is with vs as touching his bodie and flesh whereas he said that as touching these things Ioh. 14. 16 he woulde send another in his place namely the holy Ghost Neither can they auoide it that Christ had two bodies séeing in the supper when he had taken bread into his hands Howe Christe with his bodie could beare his owne bodie if it had bin trāsubstantiated into his bodie yet he himselfe had borne his owne bodie with his bodie and it should bée necessarie to graunt both the bodie bearing and the bodie borne to be both one when as neuerthelesse one and the same agent and pacient in respect of one and the selfe same thing in one verie time cannot be Manifest absurdities And thus we sée into what absurdities they cast themselues An obiectiō They are woont to bring Augustine vpon the Psalmes who said that Christ bare himselfe in his owne handes An answere But if the place which is written vppon the 73. Psalme be considered that he After a sort bare himselfe in his owne handes that also doe we graunt because he bare in his owne handes the sacrament of his owne body and not properly and really his owne body Adde that because Christ communicated with his Apostles it followeth that he did eate his owne selfe But they haue béene accustomed to answere that these things be exercises of our faith But we replie that we haue sentences of the scripture in which our faith may exercise it selfe farre otherwise than in these which men haue deuised True exercises of our fayth We beléeue that the sonne of God is incarnate of the virgin that he was borne that he died for vs that he was raised vp from the dead and that he was taken vp into heauen and many of these kinde of things wherein our faith doth aboundantly ynough exercise it selfe And séeing the sense toucheth not the reason vnderstandeth not nor experience teacheth this Transubstantiation how shall it be knowē I know thou wilt say by faith but if we are to deale by faith that without the worde of God can not be had and thereof ye be vtterly destitute 18 Furthermore séeing Christ made this sacrament of two parts
more plainelie fashion out the Lordes death and place it before our eyes than our bread and wine doe The difference betweene our sacraments and theirs in old time We aunswere that as touching the substance our sacramentes are the selfesame that the olde fathers Sacramentes were the selfesame thing is giuen in the one and the other although the signes be diuers And this did Paul testifie in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. 1 Yet neuerthelesse our Sacramentes haue many prerogatiues aboue the Sacramentes of the olde lawe For they be firme and are no more to be changed vntill the ende of the world and they shew not the thing that is to be doone but the thing that is doone alreadie They be plainer and belong to a more ample and greater number of people And séeing they be plainer they stirre vp a greater faith and thereby followeth a greater measure of the spirit In what respect our sacraments be plaine◠than theirs in old time In that they be more playne it procéedeth not as the aduersaries faine vnto them selues of a more manifest outward prefiguration but of the nature of the wordes which be there vttered For our redemption performed is with more excellent and plaine wordes declared than the common people in the olde Lawe vnderstoode it But and if that the thing be more plainelie expressed by wordes an outward representation is not to be looked for Besides this they woondred how it can be that the Church was so long in an error Whether the Church were long time cast in an error by God and that no small error if it be so as we say Which neuerthelesse they would not maruell at if they considered what Christ said of his last comming Luke 18. 8. Thinkest thou that when the sonne of man commeth Matt. 24. verse 24. he shall finde faith vppon the earth And it is shewed that so great the error shall be that if it were possible the very elect should be seduced I beséech you let these men tell vs what manner of Church Christ did finde at his first comming Had not now the Scribes and Pharisies and also the Byshops corrupted and infected all thinges with their traditions Yet are we not to thinke that the Church was vtterlie left in error For there were alwayes some good men who were displeased at these things and which repugned against them And as in the first comming there were Simeon Anna the widow Ioseph and Mary the virgin Elizabeth and Iohn Baptist which were godly and of very good vnderstanding and that the Church would not be sayd to be vtterlie forsaken so lykewise is it come to passe in these latter times For the vniuersall Church is not infected with these traditions of men They say also that as touching the signification this very thing may be doone by bread wine in banquets and that therefore there is no cause that we should so greatlie honor the Eucharist But the Argument is most weake séeing that in common meates there is no institution of the Lord no Sacrament the wordes of the Lord not heard neither is any promise there Wherfore these thinges must not be compared together 64 Lastly there was brought in an argument taken from the force efficacie of the worde of God which being spoken of Ambrose Algerius cyteth in the first Booke the seuenth Chapter It is called a working word as when by the bread and wine which remaine the selfe same are changed into another thing As concerning the words of Ambrose we willingly accept them For we also affirme that bread and wine remaine the selfesame not in déede as the transubstantiatours say as touching accidents or formes so as there should be a change the substance being cast away but we affirme that they are preserued as touching their owne proper natures yet that the change is made onlie by a sacramentall grace We must attribute to the words of the Lord but not attribute to them as to some enchantment And we derogate nothing from the strength of the Lordes wordes Yet doe wee not thinke it méete to attribute vnto them as to some inchauntment that after what manner soeuer and in what place soeuer they are by the priest pronounced ouer bread and wine with a minde to consecrate they shal straightwaie obtaine effect For all wholy dependeth vpon the institution of the Lord and the working of the holie spirit We néede not much to care for Algerius Algerius the Monk◠a man of no great iudgement for he was after the time of Berengarius and of whose recantation he maketh mention in his writing Further of what iudgement he was it appeareth by a certain argument of his For in the xxi Chapter of the first booke minding to prooue that aswell the godly as the wicked doe receiue the bodie of Christ in the sacrament which in déede followeth vpon Transubstantiation Hearken to a similitude sayeth he of the outward word that is to say of the spéeche that is doone by the founde Vnto whom soeuer such a spéeche commeth it containeth and hath with it his owne proper sense But if it come to men of vnderstanding they heare with profite for they perceiue those things which he spoken and if doubtlesse it shall come to the vnlearned and ignoraunt it no lesse carieth the proper sense with it but yet without profite to the hearer because he vnderstandeth it not This man presumeth in his argument that words carie a sense with them yet doeth he not consider that the sense is not included or foulded as they say really in the sound or forme of spéech of the letters but by a signification onlie The same if it be said vnto him as concerning bread and wine in the Sacraments because they offer the bodie of Christ by signification he shall bee confuted by his owne similitude Whereby also it is prooued that the wicked doe not receiue the bodie of the Lorde like as the rude and ignoraunt who when they heare the Gréeke and Latine wordes vnderstande not the meaning thereof Wherefore no man could haue saide more for vs. The same Author affirmeth in the first Chapter of the second Booke that the accidents in the Sacrament doe not in verie déede admit corruption or horinesse but that it onelie séemeth so vnto vs which the Schoolemen themselues would not haue said For what else is this than to appoint a perpetuall illusion of the sense So wee are not to passe much vppon him although he indeuour by all meanes to fortifie his Transubstantiation Thus farre of the first opinion why it hath béene somewhat largely entreated of 65 Now haue we made tryall of the first opinion and that largelie for that being remooued verie many superstitions are taken away Of the other two we wil not so largelie dispute because whether of the two is appointed we doe not greatlie passe so it bée soundlie vnderstoode Now wée will onelie speake of
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.
prince take that No doubt but he would condemne them of treason And doe we thinke that GOD will not take it to be wickedlie doone if he sée his lawes contemned and trodden vnder foote Dauid sawe a daunger to hang ouer him But he had the promise of God and that was not written in the winde or in the water but was stable and eternall And what if he had bin cast out of his kingdome Yet God could haue reserued him full and whole Wherefore we sée that Dauid was so troubled in that he depended somewhat of men It had bin a hard matter to haue punished Ioab yet should he at the leastwise haue attempted it He dooth nothing here now onelie he complayneth of the power of Ioab In verie déede I deny not but that punishment may sometimes be differed that fit occasions may be waited for but to doe nothing at all it was too great a lenitie And surelie there be manie causes why punishmentes ought otherwhile to be differred Causes for the which punishmēts may be differred as appeareth in the Code De Poenis in the law Si vindicari First least the Magistrate should doe anie thing vnaduisedlie in his wrath That lawe did Theodosius the Emperour write at the request of Ambrose when he was by him grieuouslie blamed and excommunicated because through a wilfulnesse and rage of minde he had bin ouercruell against the Thessalonians That historie and cause of the lawe is set foorth in Socrates and is repeated in the decrees Cause 11. Quest 3. the Chapt. Apud Thessalonicam Wherefore it is prouided that betwéene the sentence giuen and execution should be xxx dayes space An other cause of delay is if the woman which should be executed be great with childe Also a seruāt ought to be differred vntill he haue made an account vnto his Maister and haue certified him of all thinges The execution likewise of him against whom a thing is examined by tormentes is differred that it may be knowen whether he stand to his opiniō For men being oftentimes ouercome with torments confesse those thinges which they neuer thought Likewise executiō is manie times differed so often as we are to inquire of other crimes or of thē that be priuie to thinges And these onelie so farre as I know may be the iust causes of differring punishment For if a man that is condemned in a prouince say that he hath somewhat which pertaineth to the safetie of a prince the Roman lawes decrée that he should not be heard because he séemeth onelie to séeke the delay of punishmentes Neuerthelesse if he haue anie thing that pertaineth to the prince he should haue shewed it before But now none of these matters cā serue for Ioab wherfore Dauid should not haue differred his punishment so long 20 Sometime punishment is forgiuen if a man shall offend vnder xxv yeares of age Why punishment is sometime forgiuen sometime increased Albeit an adulterer is not pardoned although he be vnder that age And besides this it must be considered whether a man haue sinned by deceite or by the prouocation of his minde or by wantonnesse or rashlie For in him that hath vsed deceite or laying in waite the punishment also is augmented But Ioab vsed both wicked deceite and hauing called Abner after a courteous and friendlie manner slue him euen before the publike place of iudgement and violated the publike faith Also punishmentes may be augmented as we haue it in the Digestes De poenis in the lawe Aut facta If a fault be committed by a multitude through sedition then verilie some one man is more gréeuouslie punished to the terror of others By this lenitie of Dauid some are after a sorte animated vnto detestable factes For afterward Théeues were so hardie as to kil Isbosethe at his owne house Ammon to deflower his owne sister 2. Sam. 4. 6. Absalon to slay his brother Ammon 2. Sa. 13. 14 2. Sam. 29. And Ioab himselfe to kill Amasa We cannot perceiue that Dauid behaued himselfe on this wise towardes others Dauid delt otherwise towards others 2. Sa. 1. 15. sith he commaunded that the Amalechite which by his owne confession furthered Saul vnto his death and afterward that the théeues which had slaine Isboseth 2. Sam. 4. 9. should foorthwith be slaine It may also be perceiued that he somewhat followed his owne priuate affection vnto Ioab 2. Sa. 20. 9. 2. Sa. 1. 15. for he was his owne sisters sonne But albeit he were not led with anie such affection yet he made a great shewe thereof For he that in the selfesame or in the like cause forgiueth one man and punisheth an other cannot séeme to be led with the loue of iustice Dauid in déede was a man of a gentle and méeke heart yet should he not haue polluted that worke of God and haue set a colour on the vessel which was bewtifull of it selfe For this was to communicate with other mens sinnes What shall we therefore say Dauid no doubt was holy and feared God yet so excellent a bodie was not without his blemishes Euen as there is no day so bewtifull and cléere but hath his night so was there neuer man so holy and perfect in euerie respect but was corrupted with some sinne Verilie we ought to follow and imitate the vertues of godlie men but not to dissemble their faultes A confutation of the reasons made on Dauids part 21 Now will I in fewe wordes confute those reasons which were brought on Dauids side at the beginning Ioab was mightie what then Assuredlie Dauid had God himselfe on his side Did he peraduenture thinke him to be weake Furthermore he had all the Israelites which so much attributed vnto Abner that out of all doubt they would haue ayded Dauid in the punishing of Ioab That which was brought as concerning the delay of punishmentes it is alreadie aunswered For I say not that he should straightway haue bin slaine He should haue bin taken cast into prison his cause was to be knowē lastlie punishment was to be executed But in that he differred the same euen to his death the delay was ouer great But at his death he gaue it in charge to his sonne Salomon Yea and Dauid himselfe aunswereth farre otherwise Let God iudge saith he Truelie this is not the part of a Magistrate to cast the iudgement of causes vppon God Punishmentes be like vnto medicines those are not to be vsed except when they may profit But if they had not profited Ioab yet might they haue profited others God differreth punishmentes therefore Dauid also dooth rightlie differre them But the dooinges of princes must not be compared with the dooinges of God For God is eternall and immortall but a prince may die And what if he die to morrowe Who shall then take punishment of the wicked But God if hée doe not take punishment to daie yet will he take it to morrowe or when he himselfe
which he should be punished with death Howbeit because there is alwayes some Cockle among the wheate of the Lord therefore is there néede of a Magistrate But if so be that the Church shall neuer be throughly purged to what ende belongeth that promise of turning Speares in Spades I aunswer It ought to be sufficient for vs if we haue in this life some beginning of felicitie For euen now also amongst men which be true Christians there is no néede of the sworde But that promise shall be fulfilled in all respects at the second comming of Christ And in this verie time howe manie of vs soeuer doe worship God truely do liue in such sort as warres are not stirred vp by vs. And that Christ was the Authour of this peace thereby it appeareth that when he was borne the Temple of Ianus was shut vp at Rome for he would haue that appeare to be a token of his comming Paul vnto the Ephesians saith that Our weapons be spirituall Ephe. 6. 13. To the 14. True it is in so much as we are Christians but because we not onelie are Christians but also men therfore neither Paul nor Christ would pluck away the sworde from the Magistrate Our wrestling is not against flesh bloud 2. Cor. 10. 4 To the 15. That saying must be vnderstoode by comparison as must also manie other places of the scriptures in which things somewhat is denied not in all respects but onelie by a comparison Paul vnto the Corinthians saieth Christ sent not mee to Baptize What then When he baptized did he any thing besides his vocation No verilie neither was this his meaning but he meant that he was chiefely sent to teache the Gospell Euen so this wrestling with flesh and bloud is none at all if it bée compared with that spirituall blessing 20 Also Tertullian Tertullians iudgement touching was a verie auncient writer in his booke De Corona militis séemeth to make for the aduersaries He saith that it is not the part of Christians to make warre and this distinction he vseth If thou haue alreadie taken a souldiers oth when thou receiuest baptisme depart not from warfare but if thou shalt then be frée bynde not thy selfe This distinction is not good For if warre in his owne nature be euill what time soeuer thou gauest thy name thou must depart for an vniust couenant made must straightway be broken so soone as euer thou vnderstandest the same to be vniust Howbeit Tertullian intreateth not of euerie warfare but of that onelie wherein souldiers were driuen to Idolatrie to the seruices of the Gods to eate thinges dedicated vnto Idols and to weare crownes Vnto this kinde of warrefare Tertullian exhorteth that the Christians should not come But and if so be they were found in those at the time of Baptisme they should remaine in their state yet so as they should doe none of those things which we haue spoken of but rather that they should offer themselues vnto Martyrdome And vndoubtedlie manie souldiers became Martyrs for that cause And that which he saith that thou must not depart from the vocation of a souldier if Christ shal finde thée therein and that if thou be frée thou must not come thereunto may bee declared by an example Paul when he saith If a man haue a wife that is an Infidell which he married before he was a Christian and she will dwell together with him she must not be reiected but if he haue alreadie giuen his name vnto Christ he must not in anie wise marrie with an Infidell Tertullian altogether séemeth to exclude nothing else than voluntarie and mercenarie warrefare For otherwise to say that a Christian ought not to obay the Magistrat if he be called vnto warres is verie madnesse And in déede it ought not to be maruelled at if Tertullian erred in this thing for he was inclined to the Montanistes and iudged not rightlie as concerning flying away in time of persecution In 2. kings 19. 2. 21 And séeing the question concerneth the causes of warres and whether warres may iustlie or iniustlie be taken in hand some will make warre whether it be by right or by wrong othersome for turning of the same away will receaue euen most vnhonest and vniust conditions That all consideration of war must be referred vnto GOD. But Ezechias by his example and that in his owne selfe taught that all this deliberation must be reuoked to the iudgement of God forsomuch as all those thinges which happened vnto him in warre he referred vnto Esay as to a most holie interpretour of the iudgement of GOD. Then to let him vnderstand that the chiefe care of that matter was in him he sent euen them which standing face to face both sawe and heard Rabsacke that if Esay would demaund anie thing else they might declare it all vnto him Looke In 2. Sam 2. verse 4. Furthermore warre is not of the kinde of those thinges which are to be desired for their owne sakes For in such manner of thinges there is no measure to be put séeing ouermuch cannot be there where nothing is enough For no man at anie time either regarded vertue too much or two much loued God But those thinges which are prepared for the cause of other things especiallie if they haue great dāmage ioyned with them ought some way to be tempered by reason But warre is a cruell thing and as Cicero said the Latine word Bellum hath his name of Belluis that is cruell beastes For it is the propertie of cruell beastes so to rage with themselues and to teare one an other Neither can a warre be iustlie enough made vnlesse it be taken in hand for an other thing And that other thing is that safe peace may be kept Insomuch as peace is not ordained for warre sake but warre is taken in hand for peace sake And of this thing we may haue a similitude of our owne bodies A similitude For who would so liue as he should perpetuallie wrestle against diseases Wherefore warre is made for peace sake not that we should therein abuse leasure and giue our selues to lust but that we may sincerelie and quietlie woorship God And by this reason Plato reprooued the lawes which Minos and Lycurgus made because they prouided so manie thinges touching warrfare as though the principall point of the Commonweale cōsisted in making of warre For an actiue In 2. kings 25. verse 1. wise valiant maner of warfare cannot but mooue feare and bring great losse to the enimies Which thing Polibius shewing the cause teacheth Neither in déed is it to be thought that the maner of warfare importeth not much séeing onelie in the same we sée that those thinges which séemed vnpossible to be doone What a right maner of warring may bring to passe are easilie brought to passe and againe those thinges which séemed easie to be doone cannot be performed And according to the manner they that doe thinges
belongeth vnto the generall word of qualitie for it is an affect and propertie of the will but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an action And how qualitie and action doo differ in themselues all men knowe That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an action the same authour sheweth in defining of it He saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Two things being propounded to choose prefer the one before the other Further the same author where he speaketh of the will of the Lord saith that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is will agréeth vnto that which vndoubtedlie is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is selfe power not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is frée election For that requireth consultation which noteth a former ignorance and that cannot be ascribed vnto God Furthermore as we haue it in Aristotle the third booke of his Ethiks the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is occupied about the end but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about those things which belong vnto the end Besides this to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doo belong those things which can be doone of vs but the will is touching those things which cannot be doone of vs as when we wold one wrestler to ouercome another a ship to hold his right course These things are in our power to will but not to choose for the will of his owne accord and power would sometimes things vnpossible as not to die But election is occupied onelie about things that be possible wherefore they differ so as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extendeth more largelie séeing it not onelie agréeth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet is it not the generall word of them But if thou wilt saie that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is inferred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will grant it although the words doo not signifie one thing And I confesse that the thing it selfe is found in the holie scriptures although the word be not there extant euen as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the word it selfe is not in holie scriptures albeit that the thing it selfe is there concluded and prooued Séeing these words be not in verie déed all one I might rightlie saie that the one is not in the holie scriptures though the other be there found Neither haue I alone affirmed this Oecolampadius but Oecolampadius a man well learned and verie fréendlie to our church of Tigurie wrote this vpon the prophet Esaie Esai 1 19. when he intreateth of these words If ye be willing and doo harken vnto me c. For he saith This place the Pelagians and manie also of the fathers abuse for the affirming of frée will saieng If ye be willing and if ye be not willing Therefore our choise is frée And vnto this purpose they drawe a testimonie out of Ieremie the 21. Ierem. 21 8. chapter Behold I laie before you the waie of life and death So is it also in the 15. chapter of Ecclesiasticus Eccl. 15 18. Deu. 30 15 and in the 30. of Deuteronomie Vnto which we answer Trulie if the contention be about the name to saie that Voluntas that is will and Liberum arbitrium frée choise or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe power which name I haue not yet found in the scriptures is all one forsomuch as the churches maner is not to contend we permit them so to vse those names sith charitie is more pretious vnto vs than little words For who knoweth not that the willing sort both sin and doo well But if vnder the pretence hereof the glorie and mercie of God be derogated it is better to speake contrarie vnto men than to be made partakers of blasphemie c. And a little after Howbeit they are not as I haue said to be lamented for this cause as though they were kept in barbarous seruitude for GOD maketh good men to be partakers of his fréedome and They be trulie free when the spirit of GOD worketh in them who is more rightlie said to further than to take awaie the will whose woorthinesse the apostle commending saith Rom. 8 14. Whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For so much the better are our works as they more purelie procéed of God And in good things not the least thought or indeuour commeth else-where but from God And strait after Vnto God is the glorie vnto vs is onlie confusion due But shalt thou not most trulie saie that those be seruants who being destitute of the spirit of GOD which put to his hand that they should not fall are carried headlong by their owne fault whither soeuer their sensualitie leadeth them O miserable fréedome that we haue libertie to sin For God dooth leaue vs a power to sinne and such as by nature we can turne our selues from him And by and by after Why doo we boast of the fréedome of will whom the scripture reprooueth to be seruants of sinne In the 8. of Iohn verse 34. Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne And there a little after Wherefore euen he that saith If ye be willing he it is that stirreth the will in vs and worketh and whatsoeuer it is It is not of him that willeth Rom. 9 16. nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercie And a litle after For such are we in our owne nature after that Adam sinned as being left vnto our selues we wax slothfull and become deafe at the voice of the Lord we fall into sinne and whereas not to will is by it selfe a damnable thing we being destitute of the spirit of God are compelled and there also make GOD to be angrie whose word we contemne The demonstration of this sentence dooth also Ieremie teach in the 15. chapter Be ye conuerted I will turne c. Iere. 15 19. And a little after this did Augustine iudge saieng Giue what thou commandest and command what thou wilt c. By these words we gather that we are not to contend for the word and that Liberum arbitrium or frée choise may be granted so it be the same thing that will is so that there be not attributed vnto it a fréedome vnto spirituall things We also account will not to be frée except it be by grace otherwise that it is a bond will It is also assured which I haue set downe that these words Liberum arbitrium and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not found in the holie bookes 8 That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is had and taught among the philosophers I denied not but I said that they doo place in our mind the vnderstanding and will and perhaps the memorie Not that they there place Liberum arbitrium as a fourth or fift power of the mind but doo attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto the will But whether these two words Liberum and Arbitrium be Latin words I neuer called it
the Capernaits vnderstood that is to wit a visible bodie but an inuisible that is the sacramentall bread For they stroue for this kind of bread verse 51. And therefore Christ answereth The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Which is no other bread than that which was afterward giuen by Christ in his supper when he said This is my bodie nor yet anie other than hoong vpon the crosse But if it be flesh then is it no bread D. Martyr That bread The bread spoken of in the sixt of Iohn is metaphoricall which is spoken of in the sixt of Iohn and which you now make an argument of is truelie the flesh and bloud of Christ and is called bread by a metaphor the which is verie apt and plaine And the metaphor is this that Euen as bread dooth naturallie nourish and sustaine vs so the flesh of Christ being eaten spirituallie and by faith dooth sustaine vs both as touching the soule and bodie And when you argue In the supper Christ gaue this flesh which metaphoricallie is called bread Therfore must the naturall substance of bread be taken awaie I denie the conclusion For this sacrament besides that spirituall eating of the flesh of Christ which metaphoricallie in the sixt of Iohn he called bread addeth signes and an outward eating of the true bread that the same spirituall eating might be holpen and be the more effectuall For what letteth but that therein is promised the flesh of Christ to be giuen for the life of the world and yet that it was not simplie nakedlie giuen afterward but the signes of bread and wine ioined therewithall D. Chadse That which was giuen in the supper is the bread which Christ promised in the sixt chapter of Iohn but yet that bread was his flesh And least anie man should doubt what maner of bread it might be he addeth Which I will giue for the life of the world It was no bread substantiallie and no more was this substantiallie bread which was giuen in the supper D. Martyr That which was giuen in the supper was not onlie the bread which is spoken of in the sixt of Iohn as you in the antecedent vnderstand it but it had also as I haue said naturall bread ioined therewith for a signe and that sacramentall bread was the flesh of Christ to be giuen vnto death for our saluation And when you demand how the bread which was giuen was flesh I answer Not substantiallie but as they speake sacramentallie that is by signification And the sense of Iohn is that the flesh of Christ to be giuen vpon the crosse for our saluation is bread that is to saie spirituall meate whereby we are susteined through faith and that meate is offered vnto vs in the communion by the word of God and by the signes So as if he in the sixt of Iohn had ment a symbolicall or signifieng bread sith then he gaue it not he would haue said The bread which I will giue shall be my flesh but he saith in the present tense It is my flesh as if he should saie My flesh is bread metaphoricallie which flesh of mine I will giue euen vnto the crosse for the life of the world D. Chadse Christ in the sixt of Iohn said The bread Iohn 6 51. which I will giue is my flesh but in the supper he gaue that flesh which hoong vpon the crosse and therefore by testimonie of the scriptures he gaue his flesh reallie in the supper For that which then he promised he performed in the supper in giuing his bodie which he was to giue for the life of the world So then we grant that the signes were vsed in the supper but the substance of those signes we saie is the flesh of Christ by reason of the words alledged The bread which I will giue is my flesh Wherevpon it is euident that here is transubstantiation D. Martyr That in the supper he gaue his verie bodie I haue alwaies testified but yet he ioined thervnto the signes of bread and wine as I haue alreadie said and you now as I haue heard doo grant but in your argument you fall into equiuocation bicause you passe from metaphoricall bread vnto true and naturall bread For wheras Christ saith The bread By bread in the sixt of Iohn the Lord vnderstood not a signe of the sacrament but his owne flesh which I will giue c. by bread he meaneth not a signe that is to wit that he will giue naturall bread in the supper but he expresseth a metaphoricall name attributed to his flesh bicause he should be vnto vs in stéed of bread or like bread of whose propertie that we might be admonished and vnderstand that the flesh of Christ is bread allegoricallie he would in the supper giue vs naturall bread saieng This is my bodie Matt. 26 26. that is to saie My bodie which shall be giuen for you if it be eaten of you spirituallie and by faith it shall be in stéed of bread or like bread for the nourishing and susteining of you D. Chadse I speake of bread after the selfe-same maner that it is ment in the Gospell that the fift kind may be distinguished from the fourth which is I am the bread of life Wherefore the fift kind must be no allegoricall bread but that whereof the Lord said The bread which I will giue is my flesh Other bread then shall it not be but my flesh although vnder another forme least ye should be confounded And this he said to confirme them before hand least the apostles should contend among themselues about the eating of the Lords bodie Otherwise Christ should haue promised that which he did not performe and therfore saith he I will giue sith as yet the time was not come Neither is it for you to saie that the bodie or flesh of Christ should be as it were bread for the promise made by Christ is not after that maner but it conteineth flatlie that that bread which shuld be giuen is flesh And euen this dooth Cyrill confirme when he saith And doubt not whether this be true sith he manifestlie saith This is my bodie c but receiue the words of saluation in faith although thy sense doo not teach it thée D. Martyr Your argument is verie long which that I may satisfie I reduce it to two principall points namelie to the saieng of Christ in the sixt of Iohn and vnto the sentence of Cyrill As touching the sixt chapter of the euangelist I denie not but in that place is intreated of diuers kinds of bread but that they be well distinguished of you that I grant not neither doo I much care But yet that Christ spake of eating of himselfe and promised that he would giue himselfe to be eaten I allow of it For he said that he would giue bread which is his flesh that should be giuen for the life of
sacraments signified grace to be giuen and ours signifie the same alredie giuen the signification is alike in the one and in the other and our sacraments shall haue no more than those of the fathers And against that which you bring that the sacraments of the old fathers were more obscure I will prooue that they had a more euident signification for the bloud of the lambe offered did more plainelie represent the bodie of Christ than the bread and wine if bread and wine be there D. Martyr I will answer to euerie thing in order I affirme that which you obiect against me to wit that the sacraments of the old lawe signified grace that should be giuen and ours the same alredie giuen and exhibited that is to wit Christ alreadie incarnate and which hath suffred death And while I was in my reading among manie other things which I discoursed as touching this matter I remember that I also said this bicause I would not admit that the sacraments of anie of both either ours or theirs of old time of themselues doo giue grace For whatsoeuer grace we haue that doo we obteine by faith and not as you feigne and saie for the works sake that is wrought Neither doo we for this cause make sacraments to be the more contemptible forsomuch as we determine that they while they be rightlie receiued doo helpe confirme increase faith whereby alone we be iustified For the holie Ghost as it vseth the words of God and the scriptures as it were instruments to change to saue vs so like wise dooth it vse the sacraments Now you sée how I haue vnderstood that the sacraments of the lawe signified grace to be giuen how ours signifie the same alreadie giuen Wherevnto you may adde that faith is more holpen by our sacraments than by those of the old fathers partlie bicause the words are plainlier expressed and that our excellent matter which is the redemption by Christ is more euidentlie set foorth in these And séeing faith is gotten by the word the more manifest that the word is the more ernestlie is faith stirred vp the more doth it apprehend the thing signified partlie bicause I easilie agrée that a more plentifull spirit is granted by our sacraments than was giuen by the sacraments of the old fathers And that remaineth as a sure ground which before I spake of that the thing to be doone being compared to that which is alreadie doone may be called both a shadowe and a figure Againe whereas you vrge that the lambe staieng of beasts for sacrifice more manifestlie represented Christ and his death I answer that the perspicuitie and plainnesse of the sacraments must chéeflie be regarded in the words Bicause if you compare the words with the elements the words be the life of them and to the old fathers were not giuen so expresse and plaine spéeches of Christ and his death as at this daie is vsed in our sacraments It is said This is my bodie Matt. 26 26 which shall be giuen for you And againe This is my bloud which shall be shed for you vnto the remission of sinnes And what can there be more plainlie and euidentlie spoken D. Chadse Where the faith is of more abundance there is the sacrament more excellent But the faith of Abraham was greater than ours is Therefore he held a more excellent sacrament and so should it follow that the sacraments of the old fathers were better than ours D. Martyr The first proposition which you take vpon you to prooue is not altogither true neither is it of necessitie that where faith is more abundant there the sacrament should be more excellent séeing Abraham both beléeued and was iustified before he had the sacrament of circumcision For there may be faith yea and it ought to be had before the receiuing of the sacraments We indéed haue granted that the same is holpen and confirmed by those sacraments but not that it should be giuen onelie by them If you had said that those sacraments whereby the faith is more confirmed and increased in the beléeuers ought to be estéemed the more excellent you should haue said true but yet that which you adde as touching Abraham would not be to the purpose vnlesse you had shewed that he obteined his faith by the sacrament which is not true And againe whereas you said that Abraham had a greater faith than ours is that should not be well affirmed bicause to conclude that which you went about you shuld haue prooued that Abraham had a greater faith than is had in the new testament and then should you take for a proofe a thing that were doubtfull For how doo you knowe but that Paule Peter manie of the apostles and martyrs had as much faith as Abraham Wherefore both the Maior and Minor proposition of your argument dooth admit exceptions and you imbrace more in the conclusion than can be found in the whole antecedent Here the Kings Maiesties Commissioners made an end of the disputations when they had heard eleuen of the clocke strike And M. D. Richard Cox Commissioner and Chancellour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford made this oration as followeth YE Students of the Vniuersitie of Oxford we haue bestowed foure halfe daies in examining of two questions namelie of transubstantiation and of reall presence of the bodie of Christ in the sacrament Greatlie did this disputation delight vs. And I would to God that the time would haue giuen vs leaue to heare all those things which might haue beene said in this matter That which wee wished came to passe to wit that the disputation was quiet The hearers I hope as they be now quiet so they will be desirous to learne the truth They which were the disputers on eitherside haue most diligentlie performed their part and must not be defrauded of their due commendation Men of our nation and of Oxford besides that they haue performed that which their conscience persuaded them they haue brought no small honour vnto this Vniuersitie for that in so great a cause they haue not shrunke but that they would openlie testifie according to the measure of their learning and gift imparted to them by the benefit of God both of what mind they werein these controuersies and by what reasons and authorities they were driuen herevnto Verie learnedlie doubtlesse did they performe the charge committed vnto them Howbeit the other learned men which in so great matters haue held their peace haue I know not how by their silence procured to themselues the blemish of deniall But Peter who is worthilie called Peter for his assured stedfastnes Martyr and worthilie called Martyr for the innumerable testimonies which he manie times vttereth of the truth ought to haue great thanks at this time both of vs and of all the godlie first bicause hee hath taken exceeding great paines in susteining the burthen of the disputations For if Hercules was not to deale against twaine what say we of Peter alone
and those Prophets which because of the crueltie of Achab and Iezabell hid them selues in the dennes the holy scriptures doe plainly testifie Christ and the godlie feared death But euen Christ himselfe which was verie man would not be voide of this feare A vaine thing is it that some men say that not Christ but the Church in Christ feared death For if we confesse as the thing verilie is that he suffered for vs death the crosse and other humane gréefes and that not onely his death but that the horror also of death was saluation vnto vs albeit I stedfastlie beléeue and of all men it ought to be beleeued that all things which Christ did for our sakes were doone iustlie holily and honestlie if I say Mat. 14. 13 26. 37. he verilie feared death for our sake as of the Euangelistes it is taught we ought not to say that that feare is in his owne nature to bee blamed otherwise it cannot be incident vnto Christ Neither herein did our Lorde any thing against the will of the Father since both it was the Fathers will that he not onely shoulde suffer death but also that he should feare the same as also for that he in fearing of death by a naturall instinct and considering the will and decrée of the Father submitted vnto him this feare of his satisfying that precept which commaundeth that God shoulde bee loued with all the soule Deut. 6. 5. and with all the strength There is no doubt but that feare is an affection of the minde and a worke of God which is then directed vnto the worship of him when it is submitted vnto his will and commaundement Howbeit some man may say that this feare although it were not blameable in Christ yet in men it is faultie That feare by it selfe is no sinne I answere that this feare being considered by it selfe and in his owne nature is not euill nor doeth God require of vs that wee shoulde be altogether without affection séeing he hath ingendred these affections in vs and that we shoulde not chaunge the natures of obiectes that is to say to make that pleasant which in his owne nature is dreadfull and terrible or to make that swéete which is sharpe and bitter but he requireth that we should not by anie meanes suffer our selues for these thinges to be withdrawne from his will which is iust and holy Yea and such is the wil of God that if sinne eternall damnation and death with all that belonges thereunto which are the calamities of this life should be set before our eyes we should feare all these thinges and those should vnderstand no otherwise than by nature they are since that there is ingraffed in our mindes a feare of euill thinges If neuerthelesse we shall consider of this feare as it procéedeth from vs being vtterlie corrupted and infected it is sinne in déede and so ought to be called because none of vs hath feared so much in such sort and to such an end as he ought to feare But yet this is not peculiar and proper to the feare of death séeing there is also in it faith hope and loue For no man although he be holy dooth hope beléeue and loue as he ought to doe nor as the lawe requireth In Christ therefore feare was not sinne but in vs it is sinne not of his owne nature but by the faultinesse which it draweth from our corrupt vessel wherethrough it passeth euen as it happeneth vnto an excellent wine powred into an vncleane vessell But some man wil say againe If the case should so stand how should Christ haue desired death Luk. 22. 15. saying I haue earnestlie desired to eate this passouer with you And the Apostle Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be loosed to be with Christ And againe To die is vnto me an aduantage How could S. Andrewe being brought foorth to the place of execution if it be true which is reported of him haue said with a chéerefull minde All haile precious crosse take vp vnto thee the disciple séeing thou hast first sustained the Maister For it is manifest that all these either were without affections Howe the godlie desire the death which they feare or else iudged that to be good which was euill I aunswere that death as it hath bin said is not by it selfe good and therefore so farre foorth as it is so receiued by vs it alwayes bringeth a feare Howbeit it oftentimes happeneth that our cogitation standeth not still in death but looking further it séeth that in dying we make an end of sinning we passe vnto eternal life we further the building of the Church we giue a testimonie vnto the trueth of the Gospell as euerie Christian dooth earnestlie desire So then while we behold such and so manie good thinges the minde triumpheth for ioy and feare which death naturallie causeth dooth giue place and is so ouerwhelmed by that great ioy and is not then so felt as when we behold death it selfe by it selfe alone Oftentimes also God powreth into the mindes of his Martyrs so great fauour and spirite as feare which otherwise in his owne nature would be gréeuous vnto thē is so mortified inféebled as it hindereth nothing at all This doctrine vnlesse I be deceaued is easie manifest and plaine and therefore it easilie assoileth the questions put foorth Wherefore the first part or member of our foresaid distinction is now declared that is to wit that a man dooth not therefore sinne in fearing of death because he feareth that which is not to be feared for death by it selfe is dreadfull cruell and hard and the blessed God hath giuen to our mindes the affect of feare that the same being stirred vp to such kinde of obiectes we may be prest and readie to put away euils from vs so farre foorth as is lawfull by the word of God The second faultinesse of feare Now let vs come to the other part of our diuision namelie to sinne which standeth in the feare of death when a man feareth not to that end nor in such wise as behooueth It is a feare blamewoorthie as touching the end if we being onelie carefull of our owne safetie be vtterlie carelesse of the glorie of God and his word For who séeth not that it is most shamefull to measure the chiefest end by our owne vtilitie to haue regard vnto our owne benefite and not that which is Iesus Christes This end rather is to be appointed that our heart stricken with a terror of death should beware of sinne which was the cause of death that it should shunne the wrath offence of God that it should boldlie pray to the goodnesse of God for deliuerance Finally that it should despise this world that inwrappeth vs in so manie dangers But to conclude in fewe wordes Within what bounds feare must be restrained this ought chieflie to be the end of this feare that we submit the same vnto the will of God
vsed it is onelie knowen by the motion of the spirit which sometime mooueth to one kinde of confession and sometime to an other according to that which both the places times conditions of persons strēgth requires Moreouer it must be vnderstoode that Paul in this place speaketh particularlie of the minister of the Church For first hee saide 2. Tim. 1. 6. Stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee by laying on of hands Wherunto he straight waie ioyneth those wordes which are nowe obiected For God hath not giuen vnto vs the spirite of feare c. By these wordes doubtlesse he woulde teach nothing else but that offices of ministers which be weightie ful of labors dangers striking a great terror into carnal affections should be valiantlie vndertaken For the spirite that God hath giuen vnto them which are nowe promoted to the ministerie is properlie the spirite of fortitude of loue and of temperance For erudition good manners and other good qualities are required in a man before he be chosen into the ministerie séeing he that is destitute of such kinde of qualities is not woorthie to be chosen But that spirite by whose guide euerie function is doone with a couragious minde with much loue and with singular modesty to the edifying of the Church the Christian people desire of God and doe then obtaine it when the minister is alreadie chosen and inuested into the ministerie by imposition of hands How farre foorth flying may be lawfull vnto Pastors Ioh. 10. 12. Therefore if we speake as Paul did particularly of this kind of men the aunswere maie be easilie made For I maie saie as Christ also saide that they bée heirlinges not pastors which forsake their flocke vnlesse they haue manie Pastors let onelie one of them hazarde himselfe sith in this case when the Church maie be without him it shall be lawfull for him to flie awaie For so I thinke Paul fled awaie out of the citie of Damascus Acts. 9. 30. not leauing that Church without Pastors But yet this must be considered that he perhappes be not such a notable man in the Church as the defence of the trueth and safetie of the Church séeme to depende chéefelie of him and that it is verie likely that after his departure al things wil be full of trouble For if thinges be in that state he must tarie still and must as becommeth a good Pastor laie downe his life for his shéepe Besides further Augustine teacheth in his 180. Epistle vnto Honoratus that if the Church be furnished with manie ministers it standeth with the profite thereof that when persequutions bee at hande a part of them shoulde hide themselues least they shoulde altogether in one moment be taken awaie For if a first sort shall be taken away they which lie hidden maie succéede in the place of others And for this verie cause haue I thought that Abdias the Prophete in the time of Achab and Iezabell 1. kings 18 13. hid manie Prophetes in dennes that if those first had béene slaine there shoulde yet haue remained other Prophetes by whose helpe the people in due time might haue béene reléeued This place therefore of Paul wee haue expounded two manner of waies First that flying awaie as it was described by vs is a worke of fortitude secondlie that the author speaketh particularlie of the Pastors and Ministers It is obiected moreouer that they which flie awaie they flie for the feare of death which thing is repugnant to the scriptures For wee are commaunded not to bee anie thing afraide of them which kill the bodie Vnto whome I aunswere as before it was expounded Mat. 10. 28 that the feare of death kéeping it selfe within iust bondes is not of it selfe faultie especiallie if he that feareth doe not onelie feare death but haue most respect vnto this that is to wit least when he is not yet come into the handes of the Magistrate nor is stirred vp by the spirite to tarie and to indure tormentes or death it selfe hauing in the meane time an occasion offered of departing he shoulde denie the trueth and should fal away from the faith once receiued which otherwise might happen vnto him He which after this manner feareth death and directeth this feare of his to the glorie of God as the diuine law in all thinges commaundeth such a one doeth not violate the law of God nor yet doth sinne If a man saie our aduersaries bee weake in faith hee must not streight waie séeke for remedie by flying awaie but must runne vnto prayers euen as Christ taught and must praie that hee yeeld not vnto temptations Touching this we haue a commaundement which if wee will follow we shall be heard but as concerning flying away we are not instructed by anie place of the Scriptures They which obiect these thinges doe euermore suppose a repealing of that commaundement which is extant in Matthew but we shewe Mat. 10. 13. that they doe erre neither doe themselues prooue that which they say by anie effectual reason But if it be lawfull without reason to alleadge what a man will I also maie say that the precept of not fearing them which kill the bodie is abrogated because it was deliuered to the Apostles in their first Embacie and written in the selfe same 10. Chap. of Matthew Wherefore both the precepts remaine firme but we must take héede that they bée not wronglie vnderstoode So then hee that flyeth awaie according to the rules prescribed is fauoured not onelie of the Scriptures but also of manie of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the Martyrs yea and of Christ our Sauiour who though he fled not away through feare of sinning yet neuerthelesse he fled that by his example hee might teach what is lawefull for vs so long as our houre is not yet come which must then be vnderstoode to be come when the spirite doeth inwardlie stirre vs vp and prouoke vs to tarie or that necessitie otherwise requireth that is to wit if we be alreadie in the power of the magistrate if we be tyed by anie vocation that we maie not depart euen as a little before it was saide of Pastors As concerning prayers those we doe not reiect but we verie much allowe and therefore wee warned before that they which intended to scape through flying awaie must commende themselues by most earnest prayers vnto God that they in no wise maie erre But if powring out their praiers the spirite doe still sollicite them to flie and doeth not minister more strength and boldnesse they ought to vse that remedie which the goodnes of God doeth offer except they will tempt God And so in the holie scriptures we reade that Dauid him selfe fledde from the face of his sonne Absalon The flight of Dauid 2. Sa. 15. 16. in which flight hée sung that excellent Psame which by order is the thirde in the booke of Psalmes Wherefore hee fled and gaue place to the furie of
fall not downe if not deade yet like those that are deade Furthermore when yée be partakers of the communion once euerie yeare or oftner with what minde with what heart vpon what purpose doe yee corrupt doe yée confounde doe yée rent in sunder the order of this noble sacrament instituted by Christ Hebr. 6. 4. Séeing yée haue tasted the gift of God and haue knowen the trueth and yet will euen with your owne hands handle the greatest hypocrisie iniuries and blasphemies contained in those diuelish rites and seruices verilie I am euen besides my selfe so often as I consider that yee burst not for sorrowe when yee come together to doe those thinges Therefore since your state is so vnhappie and miserable what is a let vnto you héerein Natiue countrie house farme kinsfolke riches the pleasures of this world Wherefore you estéeme these things more than you doe God himselfe these things are your God since in comparison of these you despise any other thing by which meanes doubtlesse you discouer the idolatrie of your heart If it seeme to be a harde matter to forsake patrimonie heritages and possessions what will yée doe when yée shall die then shall yée be constrained will yée nill yée to forsake them If yée continue in dealing wickedly how can you euer truelie say that yée are heartilie sorie for this abiuration Take away the euill from among you then will we beléeue that yée haue repented Christ to the intent hée might wholie certifie vs of his incomparaloue towards vs forsooke his owne glorie laide aside his kingdome became a straunger and poore man for vs despised not infamie and a contumelious death Oh howe ill shall we answere him who for him or rather for our owne saluation refuse to suffer so smal a thing I should be ouer long if besides the example of Christ I woulde alledge the examples of the Apostles and of all the other Saints which liue and reigne with him Wherefore setting them aside I will speake of your brethren who least they should commit such things forsooke their countrie prouoking you to the imitation of them These are made of flesh as well as you of the same countrie of the same condition They also had rather as touching the desire of the flesh tary in their coūtry be recreated with their cities and houshold pleasures be conuersant with their friends and inioy their fathers possessions Howbeit Christ by his grace did more mooue them than did the worlde They vanquished themselues they followed Christ to the intent they might haue a quiet conscience that they might not be plucked away from God finallie that they might giue a cleare testimonie vnto the Gospel Wherefore there is no cause why you should say that this cannot be doone since it was not onelie vsed of the faithfull in times past but nowe also fullie perfected of your brethren I exhort you therefore that yée wil giue eare vnto this calling and that ye wil not feigne deafenesse weigh with your selues that the whips are made readie and that the daunger is at hand that yee shall shortlie euen against your willes forsake those thinges which of your owne accorde faith vertue and guide of the spirite you shoulde forsake Hitherto haue I desired you but nowe I desire and will desire Christ that according to his owne counsel which is full of compassion he will open your hearts he will incourage your will and will giue strength vnto your spirit that you will chéerefully take in hande the one or other of the two remedies set foorth which in this case are the fruites of a sounde repentaunce If yee shall despise both which God forbid although there come no other calamitie vnto you thereby yet shall this miserie followe you ye shall be depriued of the light of the trueth ye shall euerie day goe further backe from the heauenly father your heart shall so greatly bee hardened as ye shall bee destitute of your minde and vnderstanding And what other beginning of eternall damnation is there if this be not Turne awaie I beséeche thée my Lorde Iesus Christ this horrible misfortune from these deare brethren from thy brused members and from these miserable strayed shéepe Thou which hast first created them afterwarde fashioned them anewe fed them with heauenly foode thy worde I meane and thy flesh quickened them with thy spirit and endued them with most precious giftes succour them with thy mightie and stretched out arme wherewith thou in times past brought the Hebrewes out of Egypt Exo. 14. 21. Acts. 12. 8. Acts. 28 44 Gen. 12. 1. the thrée companions out of the burning furnace Peter out of prison Paule from shipwracke Abraham out of his owne lande and kindred Despise not I beséeche thée thine inheritaunce giue eare for thy holy names sake deliuer them from sinne raise them vp from perdition leade them vnto thy faithful flocke that they may there acknowledge their brethren and may in like manner of them bee receiued instructed and confirmed with spirituall peace with the gladnesse of charitie and syncere loue that they may find an assured peace and rest to their owne consciences to the intent that all of them ioyned in a good and holie fellowship they with vs and wee with them may come vnto thée when it shall bee thy good pleasure to inioy thine euerlasting giftes To Peter Sturmius 48. RIght reuerend sir forasmuch as I am not ignorant that wise and learned men doe verie well allowe that sentence of Cicero which he wrote vnto Curio namely that it is the part of a franke heart to desire to bee excéedingly beholding to him to whom he is alreadie much beholding therefore coueting to haue a liberall heart and hating the contrarie I desire also to bée excéedingly beholding vnto you since I haue bin much beholding before not onely to you but also vnto your most deare beloued brother Iames a famous and singular patron of godlinesse and learning And therefore being desirous to satisfie I hope my honest desire I craue somewhat boldly of you that you will not refuse to inlarge my debt vnto you by a certaine newe benefite The which is that with such authoritie as you haue you will vouchsafe to protect Doctor Zanchus so far foorth as trueth and iustice will permit otherwise I shoulde be verie impudent if I woulde require any thing especially of you which any maner of waie is against these vertues And in this respect doe I desire this because manie young men of Zuricke which for learnings sake haue liued for a time in Strasborough haue returned hither a fewe dayes since of whom I vnderstand that this man whom I haue alwayes accounted both godlie and verie well learned and these xxv yéeres at the least haue helde for the most deare friend is nowe so greatly pressed with slaunders and accusations as he standeth in ieopardie of all his good estimation For it is reported that his function of teaching is either nowe taken vtterly from