and yet not slaine and not what are the meanes which the lorde hathe appointed for a whole and wholesome constitution off the bodie of the churche And iff excommunication or the one forme off gouernement were not necessarie for the churche because the churche which wanteth them maie be the churche by the same reason a man maie saye that the holie sacrament of the supper of the lord is not necessarie for the churche seing that in that companie where the worde of god is onelie preached and receiued there is the churche off god And hereof also the practise is to be sene in some places where the magistrate according to the churches the preaching off the word off god for certeine occasisions will not accorde the ministring off the supper Last off all M. Beza shewing the true markes of the churche addeth to the two former the discipline framed accordinge to the word con 5. 7. so that whatsoeuer necessitie commeth vnto the worde and Sacraments in that they are notes the same commeth also to the discipline by M. Bezaes Iudgement Where he quarrelleth with me as thowghe I had concluded off particulars onelie beside that he owght to know that man maie conclude a particular either affirmatiuely or negatiuely in any figure not onelie off particulars but off singulars he must vnderstand that a particular instance ouerthroweth him which opposeth matter of ceremonies and gouernemēt vnto matters off faithe and saluation generally and withowt exception His accusation against me for callinge the holie Sacramentes ceremonies considering that kind off speache is receiued amongest the diuines and I had no further occasion to speake off them then to shew they were ceremonies is vtterlie vnworthie any answere To the third Diuision pag. 81. The Answerer broileth thinges togither off the infinite mercie off god and of repentance in a moment of his vnsearchable iudgementes hauing neither heade nor fote in his talke And althowghe he would seme to saie somewhat against me yet in deede he confirmeth that which I haue set downe For when he saithe that the doctrine of free will being damnable of it selffe dothe not preiudice the mercie off god iff he meane that the merrie off God embraceth him that being infected with that error dothe by no especiall repentaunce call it backe as that which is vnknowen vnto him then he fullie agreethe with me Iff he meane that vppon speciall repentance and chaunge off minde in that pointe he obteine mercie he speaketh truelie but to no purpose off that matter whiche we haue in hande Therfore to bringe some light vnto those thinges which the A. withe his disorder darkeneth it is to be vnderstanded that first off all euerie transgression off the law be it neuer so litle off it selffe and in the owne nature is dānable Secondlie it is to be obserued that no synne vnto those whiche are throwghe faithe grafted into the bodie of Christ can bringe damnation as also withowt faithe I speake off those whiche haue vnderstanding there is none which bringeth not certaine deathe the mercie off god althoughe neuer so infinite being shut vp against all vnbeleuers Which I therfore add because the D. speaketh so confusedlie off the infinitenes off Gods mercie In the third place it must be seene what faultes vtterlie destroye the faith which is in Christ For it is cleere that those that doo not pull vp the rootes and rase the foundations of faithe can by no meanes shut the kingdome of heauen against those which are infected with them althowg he they do neuer come to the knowledge off them Wherin I thinke that no man off any Iudgement will denie that errors not in the hearers onelie but also in the teachers maye be suche as do not destroye the foundation And this thing maie be easelie shewed by diuerse places off scripture where this distinction off errors which destroie the foundations and which do not which hold the heade and which do not which are deadly and which are not may be easely gathered It remaineth onelie to see whether the erorr off fre will be amongest them whiche do not rase the foundations as I haue alledged or no. And when as one which mainteineth fre will maie holde the fre remission off sinnes in the grace off god and likewise holde that that grace is shewed vnto him for Christes sake these being the growndes off our saluation it must needes folowe that fre will dothe not rase the foundations For there is no necessitie that he who saithe that the spirite off God by the new birthe hathe giuen him power to die to synne and to liue vnto righteousnes should also affirme that it is giuen him off merite In the opinion that S. Peter had of his owne strenght and habilitie to die for Christ entangled as it may seeme with ignorance off this pointe off Religion touching the bondage off mans will he ceased not therfore to haue a true and iustifyinge faith in the sonne off God wherunto our sauiour Christ himselfe had giuen testimonie And if their were not sufficient holde in this example off Peter against the A yet in the greke doctors and some also off the latin as in Ierome especially which did not by one acte or two as Peter but by argumentes and open sayinges declare there liking of fre will this is manifest for dare the. A. saie of all thē that they beleued not the fre remission off syn̄es For Iesus Christes sake or helde not the foundation of religion all that time that they taught in the churche of god ād helde that opinion And if he graunt that they had faithe then I conclude that euen then when they helde fre will they helde the foundations which is not so in the example off beleuinge that the masse is a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade whiche he vnskilfullie comparethe withe this error off free will consideringe that that ouer throweth and turnethe vppside downe the materiall cause off our saluation which is the sacrifice off the sonne off god that he once for euer in his owne person offred for the sinnes off the worlde And therfore that error can not be in any in whom there is faithe I brought three reasons off comparison to proue that the worde off god is a rule to square out whatsoeuer thinge is to be doone in the orderinge off the church and the A. in callinge them bare wordes hathe made a quicke dispatche off them sauinge that his marginall note dothe kepe the wonte off vntrue surmisinge which vpon that I compare the gouernement with chaines and bracelets saithe that I account yt more pretiouse then the doctrine As iff the apparell which clothethe the nakednes were not alwayes more necessarie ād sometime also more preciouse then those iewels And if I had not this defence yet if I had fallen vppon an aduersary which had not bene disposed to trifle the lawe off comparisons which exacteth not likelihood in all thinges but onely in that where in
abrogated For if a man will make the curse a part of all the morall lawe wher yt is rather a necessary adioinct vnto the breache of the lawe then a part therof yet notwithstanding that part off the morall lawe which standeth in commaunding and forbidding remaineth vnshaken and as concerning abrogation vntowched off our Sa. Christ Secondly it foloweth hereuppon that those iudiciall lawes off Moses which are merely politik and withowt all mixture off Ceremonies must remaine as those which hinder not the atonement off the Iewes and Gentils with God or off one off them with an other Beside that it being manifest that our Sa Christ came not to dissolue any Good gouernement off commen wealthe he can least off all be thowght to haue comme to dissolue that which him selffe had established And off this point the Ans hath twoo contrary sentences one off Musculus which saith that the iudiciall lavve is abrogated the other off Beza which is the same with that which I haue brought reasons off that is to say that the iudiciall lavve being giuen vnto the Ievves is not yet abrogated so that iff they had any estate off common vvealthe in the Land off Canaan they should be constreined to vse that forme off gouernemēt vvhich vvas gyuē vnto them of Moses Nowe albeit those lawes gyuen vnto the Iewes for that land doo not binde the Gentils in other landes for somuche as the diuersitie off the disposition of the people and state off that country gaue occasion off some lawes there which would not haue bene in other places and peoples yet forsomuche as there ys in those lawes a constant and euerlasting equitie whereuppon they were grounded and the same perfecter and farther from error then the forge off mans reason vvhich is euen in this behalffe shrewdly vvounded is able to deuise yt followeth that euē in making politike lawes for the common wealth Christian Magistraites owght to propound vnto them selues those lawes and in light of their equitie by a iust proportion off circunstances off person place c. frame them Furthermore that this equitie off the Iudiciall lawe remaineth not as a counsaile vvhich men may followe yf they list and leaue at their pleasure but as a lawe vvhereunto they be bound what better proofe can we haue then the Apostle Which after he had alledged diuers similitudes fetched off the common vse off men to proue that a Minister off the Gospell ought to be mainteined off the churches chardge vnto the aduersarie which might except that those were but humane reasons he alledgeth as the eternall lawe off God one off the Iudiciall lawes off Moses which was that a man should not mousell the mouthe of the oxe vvhich tredeth ovvt the corne Where it is manifest that he doubteth not to binde the cōscience off the Corinthes vnto the equitie off that lawe which was Iudiciall Likewise of the finding off the priestes in the seruice off the altar commaunded in the lawe he concludeth that those which preache the gospell should liue off it And this maintenance off the preistes albeit in the maner off prouision yt was ceremoniall yet as it was a reward of their seruice due by men as the punishementes also iff they had failed in their duties was mere iudiciall Whereuppon it is brought to passe that in those iudicialls to all the circumstances whereoff we are not bound we are notwithstanding bound to the equitie Yt remaineth to shewe that there are certein Iudiciall lawes which can not be chaunged as that a blasphemer contemptuous and stubborne Idolater c. ought to be put to death The doctrine which leueth this at libertie when they can alledge no cause off this loosenes but the comming off our Sauiour Christ and his passion faulteth many wayes And first yt is a childishe error to thincke that our Sauiour Christe came downe to exempt men from corporall death which the lawe casteth vppon euill doers when as he came not to deliuer from death which is the parting off the bodie from the soule but from that which is the separation bothe off bodie and soule from the gratious presence off the lord And iff it were so that our Sa. Christe had borne in his owne bodie this ciuill punishement off publike offenders yt must folowe thereupon not which the Doctor Phansieth that it is in the libertie off the Magistrate to put them to death but that he must will hee nill he yff they repent kepe them aliue For if our Sa. Christe hath answered that iustice off God in his lawe whereby he hath commaunded that suche malefactors should be put to death yt should be great iniustice to require that againe in the life off the offender So that ether our Sa. Christe hath answered that iustice off God which he requireth in his lawe concerning the death of suche offenders and then yt can not be asked againe in the bodie of the offender or els he hath not answered yt and then yt remaineth of necessitie to be answered in the life off the offender Againe this opinion ys iniurious vnto the death and whole appearing off the sonne of God in fleshe For where he appepeared for this cause that he might destroy sinne which is the worck off the Deuill the Answerer in his imagination of choise which he leueth to the Magistrate towching the putting of suche horrible offēders to death doth at vnawares as muche as in him lieth make our Sa. Christe build againe that kingdome of sinne which he hath destroyed For when bothe in common reason and by the manifest word off God before alledged the Lord giueth this blessing vnto the punishement of suche greiuous offenders by death that others not onely which see but also which heare off them haue the bridell off feare put vppon them whereby they are withholden from the like crimes yt must nedes followe that whosoeuer maketh our Sauiour Christ autor of this loosenes in punishing suche offenders maketh him forthwith to lose the bridell whereby others are staied from throwing them selues downe the hill off wickednes which was before committed And what is if this be not to make our sauiour Christe a troubler off common wealthes Moreouer if our Sa. Christe by his comming loosed thes cyuill punishementes and pourchased this grace off his Father for blasphemers c. that if they could finde fauour in the eies off the Magistrate they might escape the handes off death which the lawe off God adiudged them vnto howe cometh it to passe that the Apostels to whom the Lord committed the publishing off all that pardon which he obteined for vs did neuer make mention off the slacking of these punishements Yf our Sa. Christe had obteined this libertye yt was worthye the preachyng And therfore onles the A. can shew something owt off the vvrytinges off the Apostels to vvarrant this sanctuarye vvhich he would so faine build to the support off blasphemers murtherers c. yt followeth that the Apostles by his
because contemners are not Idolaters This is his ordinary faulte that he can not vnderstande that iff an Idolater owght to die miche more a contemner of the worde For contempte althowghe yt be not in an action which doothe vtterly ouerturne the seruice of God as Idolatrie but in one which staineth or cracketh yt onely as is the breache off the Sabbothe is yet shewed to be so displeasante vnto the lorde and so detestable that that which off yt selfe was not deadly onely by this circumstance of contempte was punished with presente deathe which may appeare in him that gathered stickes on the Sabothe daye The breache off the sabothe daie was not simplie punishable by deathe as Idolatrie was myche les so small a breache by the gathering off a fewe stickes yet because yt was doone as the scripture saithe in a highe hande that is to saie proudly and contemptuouslie the lorde commaunded that he shoulde be put to deathe and setteth that downe for a generalle lawe How myche more then shall he which despisethe the worde off God which is the rule off the whole bodie off the seruice off God and off that trew reste From our owne workes and from sinne whereoff that bodelye reste was a figure be punished withe deathe And iff because the lawe doothe not saie in thus many wordes that a contemner shall die yt be not lawfull to conclude that he owght to be put to deathe what wil the answerer saie vnto the writer vnto the hebrues which saithe that he that despisethe the lawe off Moses vnder two or three witnesses was put to deathe withowt mercie For by those wordes yt appearethe not onely that a contemner of the lawe off Moses owght by the lawe to die which is that which I sett downe but also that the writer vpon thâ—â— and suche like places as I haue here alledged gathered that whiche is no where in the lawe found in the same wordes wherin he vttereth that sentence Touching the place off Deutronomy which he saithe is onely vnderstaÌ„ded off false witnesse yt is apparaÌ„t that althowghe yt folowe immediatly the lawe off puttinge a false witnesse to deathe yet it is a generall sentence and hathe regarde vnto all the crimes which are capitall for iff false witnesses be put to deathe and Idolaters or contemners remaine how is the lande purged off the euills whiche drawe the wrathe off God vpon yt or how is a terror stricken into the reste wherby they may be kepte from the infection off that synne And if no punishement but deathe be hable to giue a sounde full enoughe to stricke a sufficiente terror of the synne off false witnes in suche a case how myche more ys yt needefull that there be as brymme and as audible a punishement against Idolaters and contemners of the worde to the ingendring of that feare in others wherby the reste maye be kepte in the feare and trewe worship off the lorde The place off the Chronicles is not answered for yt is more generall then the A. taketh yt and is an exposition off the lawe For where the lawe saithe that he that seruethe straunge Gods shall die this place saithe that he shall die vvhich seekethe not the lorde wher in are comprehended not onely Idolaters but Atheistes and mockers and contemners off God which is that which I had to proue As for that he asketh off the perpetuite off thes lawes yt is afterwarde spoken off In the ende he findeth faulte that I saying there are other punishementes for suche as neglecte the worde of God according to the faulte doo nether tell what they are nor where they be to be founde I thowght that the mowthe of his vnderstanding had not bene so narrowe but yt coulde easely comprehende that if contempte be by the vvorde off God to be punished by deathe that the neglecte off yt owght not to escape the ciuile punishement either in bodie or Godes c. Why I did not recken them vpp I assigned sufficiente cause in that the varying according to the quantitie off the faulte more or les coulde not be sett downe And iff he will see in generall what punishement the lawe of God aloweth of in such cases he may reade in Esra Where beside the punishement off deathe againste the transgressors off the lawe there be also appointed banishement losse of Good or imprisonement as the qualitie off the faute required And if he saye that that vvas doone by the authoritie not off the lawe of God but of a heathen prince the answer is easie that yt is very like that the commission given to Esra and authorised by the kinge vvas drawne by Esra vvhich vvas a cunninge scribe in the lawe of god At the lefte yt is manifeste that he bothe accepted that and amongeste other thinges gaue God thanckes for yt which he wolde neuer haue doone oneles â—t had bene a Good interpetation off the lawe in that behalffe considering that euen the ciuill and politike lawes Wherby the Iewes were theÌ„ and in Iurie especially gouerned â–ª ought to be no other then those which the lorde had prescribed in the lawe And thus let yt be Iudged what Good cause I had to aske vvhat vvas become off the A. iudgement vvhen he set dovvne that there is no Discipline appointed â—n the worde off God for those which shall contemne the worde off god and common praiers Diuision 7. pag. 91. THe answerer saide that there was not one worde in the scripture off pulpites or off sytting at the communion in a worde I shewed that ther was And where he saithe the pulpit was placed in open streete That vvas because off their dwelling in tentes the feaste vvheroff they celebrated For otherwise yt appeareth that suche a highe place in the temple owte off the vvhich the voice off him vvhich spake might be hearde vvas ordinary The reason off calling the doctrine of Moses the chaire of Moses by a metonumie off the subiecte For the adiuncte I will leue to the reader to iudge of for my iudgement off them I saide that they are not lightly to be chaunged and he dispurethe against me as if I had saide that yt were not lawfull to chaunge thes vppon any occasion And beside this disputing againste his owne phansie and not against my vvordes he hathe violently broken into the question off reading and interpreting the vvorde off God vvithowt any the leste occasion giuen therof and hathe also shamefully corrupted the place off Nehemias as shall be seene in the proper place 8. Diuision pag. 92. Here he accusethe me of falsifying his wordes whiche haue charged him vvith saying that yt ys an indifferent thinge to preache the worde of God in churches or howses priuately or publikely wherin he still vttereth his forheade harder then any steele For thes being his owne wordes that the scripture speaketh not a worde of preaching or baptizing openly or priuately at home or in the church doothe he not saye
his maner off speache in saying that all Moses is abrogated be hard yet I would first aske hym what aduantage he can take here for the abrogation off the Iudiciall which is not the same against the Morall Then let it be obserued howe far against the meaning of the autor the Ans hath wrong this sentence and howe he is but a snatcher at sillabels and a tearer of lerned mennes wordes from their meaning The meaning off Musculus was that these lawes abrogated as they were giuē by Moses remaine notwithstāding as they cōteined a perpetual equitie For in the same title off lawes he writeth thus There are saith he vvhich thinck that Christe did abrogate the punishement prescribed by the lavve against adulterers vvhen he saide nether doo I condemne the goo and sinne no more These be gaie fellovves they thinke not of this that our Sa. Christe came into the vvorld not to iudge or punishe but to saue sinners and yet in the meane season not to take avvay the punishementes of the lavve gyuen of God his father by Moses VVhereupon he sayde not symply I condemne the not or thovv oughtest not to be condemned off any c. And so sheweth howe if she had bene condemned according to the sentence off the lawe that the Lord would not haue saide against yt The like trust he hath vsed in alledging off M. Caluin Which albeit he saie that there be certen Iudicialls to the precise obseruation whereoff the magistrate is not bound which I did likewise set downe yet that he esteemed certen Iudicialls vnchangeable and those especially which I haue alledged it may appeare in that he calleth it the Popishe diuinitie that the sentence off our Sau. Christe in the eight off Iohn brought any grace to adulterers as towching the ciuill punishemēt And in an other place he saithe that yt is the common right or lavve of all natiōs that adulterers should be put to death which he affirmmeh also of murtherers in the place set downe by the D. and that yt is a sortishe imitation off our Sauiour and proceding from a grosse ignorance Vnder colour off the place in S. Iohn s. to release the punishement of adulterers prescribed in the lawe And in an other place speaking off the false Prophet which tourning away the people from God is commanded to be put to death he saithe that lavve is euerlasting apperteining as well vnto vs nowe as vnto the Iewes in times past and pincheth them which say otherwise As for M. Beza which is here brought yt is knowne that euen in the same booke owt of which these testimonies be cited off the Ans he proueth that heretikes owght by vertue off the lawe off God gyuen by Moses to be put to death Whereby appeareth that all these will haue certen Iudicialls off moses and those especially that giue sentence off death against the crimes which I setdowne to be still in as full force as euer they were Vnto whom I could adde Peter Martyr which hath a longe dispute off the necessarie obseruation off the punishement off the lawe against adulterers And as for Hemingius considering that he agreeth that so much remaineth off necessitie as perteineth to the lawes of nature he maketh nothing against me which both haue shewed and further am readie to shewe that all those crimes are off that kinde which by the lawe off nature ought to receiue the reward of death Howe for so much as the 8. Diuision off the 2. cha in the 3. Tract perteineth vnto this matter I will here set downe the answer off yt 8. Diuiston pa. 149. Here is to encounter withe Zacharie the Prophet Cyrill and suche a corrupte sentence off Cyrill as doothe at once bothe ouerthrowe vnder the lawe the iustice of God againste synne in the worlde to comme and vnder the Gospell all manner off corporall punishementes in this worlde to be executed by men vppon those whiche hauinge done euill repente them For yt dothe not onelye affirme but yt goethe a bowte to proue that the synne whiche was vnder the lawe punished by corporal deathe coulde not be punished off the lorde by eternall deathe which as it is a wicked error the rewarde off synne beinge not onely deathe off the body but off the sowle also so the two pillers wheroff yt standethe are as detestable For the firste whiche is that they haue suffred punishemente fo their synnes and receiued the revvarde off their vvickednes so that for that faulte vvhiche they so suffer for there can be no reuengement aftervvarde hange ouer their sovvles yt is no les despiteful to the iustice of god and iniurious to the deathe of Christe then the popishe doctrine of supererogatiō For if an adulterer by suffrīg deathe for his crime hathe āswered the iustice of god so that the lorde for that faulte can not take aduenge mente of his sowle when a man suffrethe withowte cause and for righteousnes sake howe owghte he not beside his owne purgacion for synne purchase somewhat for him that lackethe As for the other reason yt is moste false For the lorde punishe the one synne by other synnes by deathe in this worlde and by deathe in the worlde to come yt is also a false grounde off the Pelagian heretike wherwithe he woulde proue that our original corruption is no synne whiche can deserue the wrathe off god And as the former parte fighte the for the Papistes and for the Pelagians so this other standethe for the Anabaptistes men whom the aswerer pretendethe to haue war withe but to whom in deede he ministrethe weapons suche as they be to fighte againste the trewthe For yf this be not Anabaptisticall that there is no bodily punishemente laide vpon publike offenders vnder the gospell and that whatsoeuer offence he committe if he shewe tokens off repentance he maye be deliuered from bodylie punishemente I knowe not what is Anabaptisme For what murtherer is there what traitor c. whiche althoughe he be neuer so vnrepentante and obstinate in his synne hauinge hearde tell off the answerers gracious pardon will not enforce himselfe to shewe all tokens off repentance whiche if he doo the eie off mens iudgemente beinge not hable to perce further then to thes owtwarde signes they muste haue him for repentante althowghe he remaine the same whiche before And if there be one suche sentence in all either the admonition or my replie so iniurious to the office off the magistrate so pernicious vnto all manner of common welthes as this is wee refuse not that I maye also promise for the Admonitors to be taken as enemies vnto the magistrate and as ouerturners off common welthes For this is the sworde whiche S. Paule put in the magistrates hande to be drawne not of pleasure but off dewtie not againste the vnrepentante onelye but againste the vnrighteousnes off those whiche shall publikly offende whatsoeuer either striken cleane owte of his hande or els if ante