nothinge more Neyther do ye twyche ye saye the publyk ordinary lawes c. When ye do al that ye maye to destroye them Yf ye take awaye the iudicial and moral lawes as ye abolish them altogether For he that taketh awaye all lawes of God wherof all lawes and Magistrates be grounded taketh awaye the Magistrates and the ministers of the lawes But ye condempne ye saye this importunite in diuines whiche so sharpen and whet the ciuill lawes beyonde all necesâ—ite And then to correct your saying a iuste and plain writer with a good conscience neuer vâ—eth so many correccions ye say Yea verely beyonde their profession But is it not euery Christen manis profession so to loue the glory of God the healthe peace integrite and tranquilite of the Christen churches cities and realmes and so to promoue suche open iniuries and enormities to the rulers by exhortacions sermones and monicions that al suche putrefyed pestelent corrupt members destroyers and sâ—launderers of Christes congregacion may be cut of and punished according to Gods word Then he sayth It is the part and dutie of the professors of the worde to preache the forgeuenes in the Gospel and to inuite the people to repentaunce to lead the weake with the spirite of softenes and the hardnecked obstinat impenitent inflexible to leade them from their synnes and not from their lyues And is it not the parte of a preacher first to preache theÌ„ the law to shewe theÌ„ their synnes ere they preache them the Gospell of forgeuenes men muste knowe and acknowledge their synnes with repentaunce er they be forgeueÌ„ But what and youre Adulterers will neyther hear lawe nor Gospell nor any repentaunce preached but wilbe soner led from their lyues then from their synnes muste not those obstinate hardnecked Adulterers be kâ—t of with the swerde aud that by Goddes worde And wyl not you haue vs to preache and to teache this lawe of God Ioan and Christ began at the law to preache the Gospel Wherfore els do the Magistrates beare the swerde but therwiâ—h to correcte and cut of them whom Goddes worde can not refrayne from their open wikednes God first to represse oure affectes commaundeth vs not to lust ne to desyer or to haue anye concupiscence of any other thinge then oure owne Whiche barre yf it can not holde vs yet he setteth before vs another barre to brydle vs from the acte saying Thou shalt not commit adultery nor steall nor kyl c. And yf this barre wil not hold vs then hath he constituted the Magistrates wyth his lawes to punish the transgressors with death whiche is the last remedy to destroye the offender But yf we could kepe the first and most perfit lawe so neded we not the seconde nor the third But when God did foresee that nether the first nor the second barre coulde brydle such prefracte Adulterers and murtherers from the externe acte but that they woulde brydelles runne into the opeÌ„ dead vnto the great destruccion of the comen wealth and intolerable corrupcion of the Christen societe theÌ„ he added the thirde and last remedy both holsom profitable and necessary not so rigorose ne cruell as this man wryteth Yf it be lawful for the Magistrates to eâ—ecute death vpon them why is it not as lawful for the preacher to exhorte theÌ„ to their lawful office yf they neglecte it God commaundeth vs not to be angrye which natural sore and vice in vs to heal it and that it shoulde not breake forthe into the hurt of my neyghboure He commaundeth vs not to kyll whiche yoke yf we cast of and slaye the man then is there the thirde degre present euen the slayer to be slayne And this is the thirde part and last degre of the lawe so adioyued and annexed in the seconde that the one can not be abrogated without the other And therfore to be sure this man abrogateth the whole law for his Adulterers sake Yf ye suffer all adulterers and malefactors to syn tyll they be all slayn wyth the swerde of this new broched spirit EnglaÌ„d is lyke to sâ—arme ful of theues and Adulterers to For what and yf these synners wyl not be touched wyâ—h the very swerde of Goddes spirit â—ut so violently resist it that they will turne the poynt therof into the bellies of the true teacher Truly your spirit is al to weak to enter where Christes spirit taketh no place Christe commaundeth not to geue so holye thinges to dogges nor to cast perels before swyne But you wyll haue your incurable Adulterers not by feare of death to be brought to continencie but by the worde whiche they wyll neyther heare ne beleue but thrust it froÌ„ them The original vice and sore of adultery sayth he lyeth depe in our concupisceÌ„ce whiche must be first cured I praye you in whiche of all the moste perfitest iustified was the original concupiscence so cured that he nether lusted ne desired at any tyme contrary to gods wil your presupposicion is impossible wherof ye know what foloweth But and yf the fleshe be corrupt wyth concupiscence the seuerite and crueltie of the externe lawes shal do nothinge Yisse verely for whome the feare of god refrayneth not yet the feare of the lawe whiche is death holdeth them from the externe acte For what feare the swerde borne of the Magistrates smyteth into malefactors hertes Paul expresseth with many terrible sentences and much more feare it bringeth when it is iustely withoute affeccions and respecte of persones ministred and truely executed yea and that when the inwarde lustes and concupiscence rage and is not mortified This spiritual sore meaninge the concupiscence sayth he muste be healed w t spirituall medicines that is with the worde of God Yf this be true so woulde ye haue no seclare Magistrates whiche thinge the Anabaptistes holde For what synne is there but it cometh oute of the concupiscence of the spiritual part of man which is his soule consenting to synne Wherof synne gendred and death folowinge the man is called fleshe and the synnes the workes of the fleshe Now call them carnal or spirituall sores as ye lyst Belyke ye call lechery a spiritual sore because the spiritualtie after they had forsaken their own wyues and vowed their chastite and consyderinge none so lyke to lyue in adulterye as them selues then they deuolued the iudgementes of this spirituall sore of adultery from the laite into their owne spirituall courtes that one lecherouse stalland might â—law eche others bake And now was lechery called nomore a carnall sore but a spiritual to be healed with a spiritual medicyne with what thyncke ye with the worde of God No for they knew it not They layd their own syge leaues therto that is their dayly darck confessions penances satisfaccions and misses and as they dayly synned so were they daye by day in healinge and neuer cured But he that was foule was euery daye the filthier as Ioan write â—hiâ— his Apo. Then this man argueth thus
extenuate and defende their cause they are like to suffer perpetuall hell tormentes yf they repent not in time albe it they here escape the Magistrats handes For these Adulterers whose cause he taketh to defende and we would proue them worthy to be punished accordinge to Goddes lawes synne neither of wekenes nor of fraiâ—tie nor yet agaynst their willes For they haue or els may haue their owne wyues and the women their owne housbaÌ„des But they are suche as be so maried to their owne lustes that they obeye them runninge hedlongs withoute anye resistence or feare of God and his preceptes into their owne fleshely desyers yea it taketh dayly suche rote and custome that as in other countries dronknes is rekened for a vertue so is adultery nowe comonly but a praysed laughter hathe done one the name of prayse and vertue amonge the wicked Also nowe this wicked excuse is nowe inuented That they are not ashamed to say after they haue ben longe maried hauinge many childreÌ„ by their wyues when their lustes moue them to another I was maryed yonge against mywill And euen nowe what reasons and busines begyn to aryse for diuorsements whether the vngilty part after the diuorsement may marye another or what shall the giltie or vngiltie do yf he or she cannot lyue sole what yf both be giltie And who broke wedlocke first whiche all these shameles vngodly contencious and wicked despicions were clerely ceassed yf accordinge to Gods lawes yet excuted in some christen churches or after the ciuiâ—e lawes made by emprours adultery were punished Then he say th Yf I might frely say my mynde in the fre church of the Christen I verely and constantly iudge it neither to be profytable nor necessary open Adulterers taken in adultery to be punished with death Lo here haue ye this manis corrupte iudgemente and his sinfull sentence Nowe yf the Magistrates iudge otherwyse as he here after qualifieth and quidifieth his sayinge according to goddes lawes so must there sentence and Goddes sentences to be neither profitable nor necessarye But God whiche is the euerlastinge wisedome constitutinge his comeÌ„ welth defended with so many good and iuste lawes to be by them preserued thought it bothe necessarye and profitable whose wyll is so immutable that euen the Gentiles were compelled by the lawe of nature to fâ—low the same iudgementes Example ye haue of Thaâ—ar And what plages did God caste vpon Pharao and his house for takinge Sarai from her housbande Abraham yet had not Pharao to do with her Pharao doing it of ignoraunce For when he kuewe her to be another mans wyfe he sent her to him agayne In suche reuerence had euen the very heathen holye wedlocke as the lawe of nature whiche they dirst not violate into a testimony against vs in this matter to rise agaynst vs in the daye of iudgement Agayne when Abimelech toke Abrahams wyfe did not God tell him he was but a dead man and yet had he not offended with her He threatened him death with al his and the king knew not she was his wife but toke her for his sister so fearful were the heathen kinges to violate matrimony what death they loked for yf they broke it And shal we Christians beinge vnder the Gospel Gods lawes grounded vpon the lawe of nature ether defende adultery or not moue the Magistrates to punish it Yf we se it not punished neither by excommunicacion nor by the swerde shal the Christen professors hold their tongues and pennes as would this writer haue vs to do Oh wiked silence A faythful dogge lyinge at his maisters dore wil barke bight to yf the thefe come nighe to breke in to robbe his mayster and shall a Christen professour and minister of Gods worde and of his lawes holde hys peace seinge God robbed of his glory his lawes commaundements brokeÌ„ his holy so auncient institucioÌ„ neuer yet altered now violated coÌ„temned trodeÌ„ vnder fote vnpunished yea and that amonge the Christianes This one thinge dare I constantly saye That except adultery be punished with deathe as God coÌ„maunded or els nowe with paynes as greuose as it shalbe the greatest sclaunder to the realme and to the Gospell so shall it be one of the iuste causes wherfore this realme shalbe plaged that greuously yea and the cause of the damnacion of many This did faithfull Iosephe well se and consyder when his Ladye and misteres quene of Egypt prouoked him therto and resisted it This did holy Iob wel ponder when he sayde Yf my hert hath but lustyd after another manis wyfe let myne owne be abused For I knowe that this iniquite requireth the sentence of death Nowe yf in the lawe of nature when as yet the punishment therof was not writen but in menis hertes this abhominable adultery was so detested and the paynes of death were executed and threateâ—ed theÌ„ muche greater paynes abyde them that nowe knowe the Lordes wil bothe in herte wryten and in expresse wordes and yet contempne it and breake it So that now we are neyther ignorant howe God abhorreth this wickednes what punishmeÌ„t he hath decreed for it There is no externe transgression of any of the commaundementes but accordinge to the grauite of the synne God euer of his iustice ordined and decreed in writinge the iuste forme in punishinge it whiche paynes are yet executed of them to whoÌ„ he hath geuen the swerde And what autorite hath this yonge orator or any maÌ„ more to abrogate the onlye punishment for adultery theÌ„ paynes for murther blasphemy theft or sinytinge of parentes Thus sayth the Lorde God and no man whose will and worde is euerlastinge heauen aud earthe soner to perish then one iote of his lawe to passeoâ—er Whoso committeth adultery with anye manis wife shall die to death bothe the man and the woman because he hathe broken wedlocke with his neighboures wise The same lawe is rehersed also in Deut .xx. Yf this man had poÌ„dered well the highe terrible maiestie and eternall will aud pour almightye of him that spake and decreed this iuste iudgemente he woulde not make so lighte a syde slidynge of adulterye ne take vpon him to defend their cause against Gods worde nor yet to excuse Adulterers and to abrogate the decre of God ne counsel Magistrates to do contrarye to Gods worde ne rebuke and condempâ—e the professours aud teachers of the word for doynge their office inioined theÌ„ of God exhortinge the rulers to punishe this eâ—ormite and comon pestilence and destruccion of comon wealthes Amonge the Heathen Leprianis Adulterers were caried bounde drawn thorowe the citie iâ— dayes and afterward as long as they lyued were despised shamed and forsaken of al honest persons Amonge the Locrenses Zaleucus forbode adultery vnder this payâ—e That the transgressor shoulde haue bothe his eyes put oute And when his owne sonne did offende he vode the iudges as iudges put oute one of
his eyes And y e other eye did him selfe put oute as a father Iu the noble Germans before they receyued the christen faith the punishement of an Adulteres stode in the power of her housband whiche might at the lest thrust her only in her smocke out of his house and beate her naked with roddes before all the cyty as Cornelius Tacitus writeth Opilius Macrinius emprour of Rome vsed to punishe Adulterers w t fyre throwing them bothe bownd together into the fier where after there was a comon lawe called lex Iulia whiche decreed Adulterers to be punished with the swerde whiche lawe stode in strengthe in S. Hieroms tyme whiche mencioneth aud alloweth it And the same lawe de stupris and adultery did the christen emprours receiue And of Iustiniane is it confirmed â—ecreed lib iixi titu .xviij. de publicis Iudicâ—s In the lawes of Bamburgh y e same imperiall lawe is executed and confirmed of the Emprour Charlis .v. anno M. CCCCC.XXX and M. CCCCC.XXXII at Auspurg and Regensburch Now yf the offence were considered but euen as the Heathen iudged in the lawe of nature as yet the ciuile lawe esteme it howe detestable a crime it is and how perniciose to the comon weal settinge al affeccions euill customs and the negligence of rulers a side And would waye what plages hange ouer the reaulme where it is permitted vnpunished what and howe greuouse offence it is in Gods sight al christen men woulde desyer it to be punished aud therto exhorte al rulers as in tymes past For verely adultery is the destruccion and the great dishonor of Gods fyrste ordinaunce A daÌ„pnable wickednes procedinge froÌ„ the deuil oute of idlenes and excesse and oute of the fleshe contrary to the spirit of God a shameful vnfaithfulnes a voluntarye peace breakinge a shameles periurye Wedlocke was firste of all ordined of God a natural copulacioÌ„ neuer yet altered And the maried persons smite a perpetuall coneâ—aunt neuer to diuide their bodies ioiâ—ed of God into one flesh God and all the congregacion with the aungels called into recorde They promise faith trueth with handes mouthes the one to the other Now yf it be so smal an offence as of frailte of nature of weakenes agaynst manis wil but a litle spot a slidinge amisse as this man extenuateth and initigateth the crime to dissemble with God aungels and men to trede vnder foâ—e trueth and faith to forswere before God and so holy a company to cal them all into witnes of a false promise then might he haue so iustelye stretched forthe his penne to haue paynâ—ed the defence of Adulterers and made so many arguments for their vnpunishment in so counselling the Magistrates why doeth he not as vehemeÌ„tly dissuade the punishement of murther aud theft To stele manis goodes is worthy death And what is more dere to man then his wyfe euen his owne body Salomon waying theft aâ—d aduoutry together proueth aduoutry to be much more greuose offence Yf it be so it ought more sharpely to be punished then theft Also besides many greuose inconueâ—ences this happeneth That the right ayers oftentimes be defrauded of their heretage for euer I passouer the murthers poissouinge batails and treasons with other infinite destruccions that haue comen of adultery and yet dayly ensueth But yet the ecclesiastick teachers he woulde haue theÌ„ by no zele nor title to moue the rulers to execute iustice and Gods lawe vpon adulterers For so to do he calleth it suche crueltie as becometh no preacher Yf the Magistrates neglecte their office in punishinge open malefactors is it crueltie anger the preachers to excite and to exhorte them with Gods word to do their dutie Wherfore els did God commaund the Leuites to take the boke of the lawe and reade it continually to y e kinges And that in dontful iudgemeÌ„tes they should call the priestes to shewe theÌ„ what they shoulde do according to God his worde commaundinge the kinges to iudge as the priestes should teache them oute of Gods lawe What els are al the sermons and comminacions of the prophetes with the parell of their lyues kindlinge and stering the kinges and rulers vnto the punishementes and coreccions of the transgressors of Gods lawes They were commaunded to crye and ceasse not to tell them their syâ—nes in neglecting iustice and Gods iudgemeÌ„tes yea and where the cause was vrgent necessite requiringe the defence of the religion their selues resisted punished and auenged it with deathe doinge y e office of the seclare Magistrates Moses was a man both holy and the myldest of all men the Leuites were the ministers of the worde And yet Moses called them together moued with no lytle zele to auenge Gods glorye so that they went from tent to tent from dore to dore and with bloudy handes slewe their brethren and kinsfolcke to the nomber of 3000. Moses him selfe killed the Egipcion for sinitinge one of his brethren Agayne what blody murther made Moses and Pinhas the Leâ—ite vpon Adulterers â—hen Pinhas smote bothe the persons thorow with his dagger as they laye and yet were these ecclesiastik doctors as this man calleth vs. Moses being a spirituall preacher and prophete prouoked the iudges of Israell sayinge Let euery one slay their men that thus haue coÌ„mitted adultery wih Baal Peor And yet saith this writer both ignorantly vngodly to proue malefactors not to suffer That the Lord in the olde testament willeth not the deathe of synners knowing not of what death God there speketh Neyther wyl we ne any christeÌ„ Magistrate the perpetuall death of daÌ„pnacion of any sinner but woulde him to amende and be conuerted but yet do not this wyshe and wyll take awaye the iust iudgementes of God and punishement of anye murtherer thefe or Adulterer God there speaketh of the deathe of the soule and not of the body Neyther willeth God by the text of Ezechiel his iudicial lawes to be abrogated as this man meaneth or els wherfore alledgeth he this texte agaynste the professors of the worde that they should not iustigate the Magistrates to punish Adulterers TheÌ„ he maketh this reason It is not reade saith he that Christe or any of his apostles bode or coÌ„maunded any adulterer to be punished with death ergo So is it not read that Christ commaunded the two theues to be hanged y t dyed with him and yet did they instely suffer for their offences according tu Gods lawes Christ not sayinge agaynst it By this sayd reason a negatiuis this man would haue noman for his crime to suffer deathe For where is it reade that Christ bode this particlare thefe or that murtherer by name to suffer death But tell me I praye you sayd not Christ I am not come to breake the lawe but to fulfill it Christ consequently approued and confirmed the iudicial lawes saing Whoso killeth is bounde gilty the iudgment Whiche he declared sayinge who so smiteth with the swerde shal die
with the swerde And what law was it wherof Paul saith It is not ordined for the iust man but for the vniust as for rebellers to the Magistrates to parents for murtherers for adulterers c Yf the payne and lawe made for adultery were abrogated Paul woulde not haue confirmed it as he did with those wordes yet lefte in his pistle neyther woulde he haue so threatened and feared the Corinthes sayinge Se that ye defyle not your selues wyth adultery as certayne men did for the whiche in one day there were slayne an huÌ„dreth and twenty thousand Christes Leâ—ite of whiche ye speke so muche was such That for anger for an obprobriose worde he pronounced them worthy iudgement and to come before the counsel wherfore he abrogated not the iudiciall lawes but stablished them For he that so narowly interpreted his lawe to not kyll that for beinge angry with his brothren or for an obprobriose worde pronounceth him worthy counsel iudgement and hel fyer thincke ye that the same law geuer doth abrogate or mitigate the punishment for the other most greâ—ouse transgressions of y e greater preceptes Then argueth he thus out of the example of Christ sayinge Christe expresseth his mercye and forgeuenes both by examples and doctrine and redempcioÌ„ wherfor ther ought non of his disciples to put any malefactor to deathe but likewise to forgeue and to folowe his stepes Here belyke this man taketh not the seculare Christen Magistrates for Christes Disciples or els he woulde not them to put malefactors to deathe But let them be only the priestes his Disciples Who made this law that priestes should saue theues murtherers and Adulterers and that they should conuaye them from the galowes and that I shoulde not say the trueth before a iuge yea and take an oth to yf he aske it of me Who caused so many strong theues to be saued by their bokes and sanctuaries to nourishe wilfull theft and murther was it not the bishop of Romes lawe But I will set an example of Christes softenes leâ—ite againste this man so full of fonde pyte and merciles mercye where Christ toke cordes makinge them into sharp whipps wherwith in great anger violence he scourged oute suche fonde pituose marchants out of the temple whiche toke vpon theÌ„ so boldely withoute all feare of God to bringe into his churche suche licenciouse lybertie and false doctryne therby redeâ—inge and byinge by flatery the fauoure of Adulterers and theues when therby Christ takinge vpon him selfe the person of a prophete and bishop and not of a kinge ne Magistrate taught the professours of his worde and his disciples to correcte the arrogant audacite of erroneouse teachers and writers to blame and to chasten them sharpely as it were with whippes of which Christes facte it may be well gathered what may his successours do to suche abusers of his worde â—nd deceyuers of his churche with false doctrine In dede there ought no ecclesiastik Magistrate take the office of the seclare rulers vpon him in putting the malefactor to death But whether one man may haue both the regiments in his haÌ„d I thinke this man will not say agaynst it And then is it true that the professour of the worde and Disciple of Christ may execute Gods worcke and his office as the scripture calleth it and suche kinges are called Goddes for that they sitte in Gods place ministringe Gods worcke Christ him selfe was and is bothe prieste and kiâ—ge preacher and iudge whyche firste shewed him selfe to come to teache and to saue eare he woulde come to iudge and to condempne But yet in his firste coming he abrogated not his own ciuill lawes and iudgementes which he eueÌ„ then confirmed and his apostles did also wryte them to be obeyed and fered whiche commaunded to be kept moste diligently and al meÌ„ to institute al their publik and priuate iudgementes accordinge to his word It is playne that this yonge wryter knoweth not what it is to be vnder the lawe and vnder the Gospell and who they be that are vnder ether of them For al that crye Lord Lord are not vnder the Gospel I graunte to him that the lawes to punish adulterers and theâ—es c. are abrogated and not ordened for chast lyuers true men and innocent persons liuinge vnder the obedience of the Gospell But to these open indurate Adulterers whose cause he defendeth the lawes ciuile and iudicials stande in their strength and ought to be executed vpon them This doctryne will we teach whatsoeuer this man obiecteth and wil tel the publik rulers that they do the workes and iudgementes iustice of God whylis like experte and godly wyâ—e sourgens they cut of from the body of the city or comon weal suche corrupt and contagiose membres as are Adulterers Althoughe this man sayth constaintly He healeth vnhappely that killeihe the sycke But a wyse sourgen will yf the corrupt member be incurable or shoulde poyson and kil the whole body cut of that member and caste it into the fyer as Christe teacheth vs of the eye haÌ„d and fote that hurte the whole body Then he woulde not That any father pastore or preacher should be iudges to minister iuste iudgementes and to punish open intractable synners But I woulde as teacheth vs Goddes worde that all seculare iudges rulers kinges and Magistrates were fathers pastors and Gods preachers and vnderstode y â— scriptures as wel as did Dauid and Salomon the other good iudges and kinges whose example we haue in the Bible to whome of eleccion and vocacion it was enioyned of God fatherly to teache to fede and to gouerne his people The cause why trwe indgement is peruerted and iustice and equite is not truely ministred is The iudges and rulers are not fathers but tyrants ignoraÌ„â— of God and his lawes they are not true feders as it becometh them with Gods word but poysonners with menis tradicions To some men verely the ecclesiastik censure of excommunicacion was some tymes as geeuouse as death They were of their fathers openly excluded w t no litle shame from al the Christen societe in tyme of y â— Lordes souper of prayer and other benefites as wel vnworthy to ate to dryncke or accompany Christen men casten out by the power of the holy Ghost vnto Satan This autorite formidable censurs the kayes to bynd and to retayne synâ—ers is geuen of God to y â— ministers of the worde whiche woulde God it were so iustely vsed nowe as it was in Paules tyme sence But nowe sithe this holsome remedye is not executed but abrogated per noÌ„ viÌ„um nor yet y â— seclare swerde once drawne out againste this horrible crime of adultery Shal we not excite them both to their dutye But in what an heauye state are impenitent synâ—ers geuen vp to Satan into their destruccion of the fleshe seinge that penitent incestuose of Paul suffred such paynes and his sorow so great that it was tube
of a set maliciouse minde incensed of other agaynst me whyche haue standen against him in this cause before he wrote his boke adâ—ertisinge and counsellinge him to ceasse from his erroure whiche nothwithstandinge yet did he put forthe this boke openlyeâ— whose title he hathe changed but not the boke nothinge agreable to the newe title â—e to the things prefixed Then he asketh this question Yf Adulterers shoulde be punished accordinge to Gods lawe in Moses boke why did not Christ commaunde the opeÌ„ Adulteres to be stoned Here he declareth his minde playnely that adâ—lterers ought not to be punished because Christ remitted the Adulteres Howe soeuer this man wil nowe seke hunte for euasions to glose and pot oute his boke sayinge that he ment the vse of the lawe or of the malediccion therof to be abrogated yet as it is playne neyther the iust vse execucion nor the malediccion is abrogated and abolished froÌ„ the Adulterers but from the iustifyed by fayth in an innocent lyfe so do this and al his other argumentes tende into thys scope and ende that Adulterers oughte not to be punished nether by deathe nor by any other payne For this is his argument Christ punished not the Adulteres but absolued her and his example ought to be folowed of euery Christian ergo no man oughte to punishe Adulterers but let them go quiete absolued vnpunished But I answere this man in fewe wordes as I answered him thâ—n and also other which did set him vp to coÌ„uicte me in this argument and other yf they had coulde at that tyme. Because his father sent him then to saue synners and not to geue sentence of deathe as a iudge he came then himself to be iudged and to be killed and not to slaye in iudggement he woulde not then take vpon him the office of a seculare Magistrate but refused to diuyde the heretage and then when they woulde haue made him a kynge he came to constitute a spirituall kyngedome wherin he raygneth by his worde for euer This man shoulde haue considered who they were that brought the Adulteresse to him and for what entent not to haue Moses law iustely executed but to trap Christ. Wher he then taughte all iudges and accusers of other to be pure in them selues leste in accusinge and condempniâ—ge other they accuse and condempne them selues Also this learned man must learne that yf Christ had condempned her there standing alone without sufficieÌ„t wytnes he had broken his father lawe whyche he came to fulfill And then had the Phariseis and Scribes the thinge they hunted fore To this he bringeth in saint Paul excoÌ„municating the incestuose Corinth I answere lykewyse as I did then by mouthe Paule was no seculare Magistrate he was a priuate preacher hauing power to edifye and not to destroy with deathe him whome he knewe to repent and to be conuerted to the churche by suche delyueringe to Satan And therfore hauinge the ecclesiastik kayes and censure did he binde and lose him as Christ commaunded But howe formidable is and was that censure to that maÌ„ it appereth .ij. Corinth .vij. and I haue sayd it before Neyther was there then in that cyty anye seculare Christen Magistrate as ye se it .i. Cor .vi. to execute the lawe vpon suche offenders Neyther is it a good argument Christ nor Paule iudged none to deathe ergo Adulterers murtherers ought not to be punished with deathe Nether is it a iust argumeÌ„t Magistrates neglecte their office in iustely punishinge malefactors ergo theues murtherers and Adulterers maye synne vnpunished Then this man bringeth another argument to proue Adulterers not to be punished oute of the .vij. Chap. to the RO. thus Yf we be maryed to the new and secoÌ„d housbande Christ then are we out of boÌ„dage and crueltye of the former housbaÌ„d whiche is synne c. Yf he take putte his adulterers in the nomber of these newe maried to Christe or els the argument maketh nothing for his purpose so maketh he a godly mariage to marye his Adulterers to Christe takinge the members of an herlet to couple them to Christ. But it rather thus foloweth Adulterers haue forsaken Christ and haue maried theÌ„ selues to their flesh and to the deuyll and therfore shal God iustely destroye them For that they are vnder the curse and punishement of the lawe iudiciall .i. Tim .i. Tell vs are your Adulterers vnder the lawe that is maryed to synne not yet knowne to them by the lawe or vnder grace that is in Goddes fauour iustified Before ye said the whole vniuersall lawe was abrogated and so to be no lawe lefte to punishe them wherfore they must be now after you as ye here woulde proue it vnder grace vnder a godly grace haue ye put them euen vnder a lawles lycenciouse libertye to synne vnpunished maryed to Christ saye you God is highly beholdeÌ„ to suche a mariage maker and so are all Adulterers so to couple them to Christe their spouse Yf they be not vnder y e law so is theyr olde housbande the lawe and synne knowne by it deade from them they delyuered from this their former olde wyfe maryed to Christ whyche yf it be so theÌ„ are they no more Adulterers Paul sayth with many expresse wordes that he whose former wyfe is thus dead and he losed by her deathe maryed to Christ the newe man is suche one as is dead from synne regeuered into Christes death by a newe byrthe buryed and rysen with Christ into a new lyfe whose olde man is by repentaunce perpetual mortificacion crucified with Christ absolued from synne in whome no synne reygneth â—e dwelleth To these men thorowe fayth and loue and innocency of lyuing is the cruell exaccion execracion malediccion and dampnacion of the lawe abrogated and not to your Adulterers For they do that as the lawe commaundeth not for feare of the lawe but of a redy courage and of a faythfull hert and mynde for they are maried to Christ in deade But Adultrrers are maried to synne and therfore are they vnder the lawe to be punished therby Where ye se your own text returned into your own confusion For ye knowe not what it is to be vnder the lawe ne what is the law in this place â—e who be vnder it nor howe we are delyuered from it and maried to Christ nor howe many kindes of liberty there are neyther vnderstande ye Pauls mynde in these .vi. vij and .viij. Chapter to the Rom. And yet ye take in hand to treat of the difference betwixt the lawe and the Gospell shewinge nothinge lesse in youre boke openinge a perelouse dore to Adulterers to sinne vnpunished putting them not vnder the law Who is so ignorant in the scriptures that knoweth not Moses lawes to be geuen but for a time and but to the Iewes Euen your selfe so ignorant which knoweth not the onely ceremonial lawes to be geuen but for a time to theÌ„ And the lawes Iudiciall and moral whiche contayne in them
That because in many men adultery caÌ„ not be healed ne Adulterers brought to repentaunce ne corrected with the word therfore yet it may not be punished with death but permitted But ye shoulde haue argued thus Because they contempne the medicyne of the worde and persist in their wickednes therfore ought they to be punished with the swerde And here he bringeth in the wordes of Christ directely agayâ—ste him selfe rendinge oute a pese of the parable that semeth for him but the effecte and scope therof is playne agaynst him whiche he leaueth out for feare and peruerteth the text sayinge The Lorde forbiddeth the roten tree to be cut donne But the texte is The Lorde not fynding frute in the tre commaundeth it to be cut doune Neuertheles at the desyer of the keper of the viâ—eyarde prayinge him to suffer it to be dunged at the rote this one yeare and then yf it brought notfrute to be cut doune by bothe their consentes And in another place Christ not finding frute in the fyg tre accursed it and it withered deade neuer more to bryng forth frute And what then thyncke ye is hys sentence vpon them that with no mouicions no teachinge no dunginge wylbe fruteful but wyl despyse his labor and brynge forthe euyl frutes seynge he commaunded the fruteles trees to be cut doun here ye se how he peruerteth Christes wordes sayinge Chiste forbiddeth whiche he playnely commaundeth TheÌ„ he maketh this wyse argument Hole men haue no nede of a phisicion but they that are sicke ergo Adulterers ought not to be punished with death but must be healed with Goddes worde Suche an argument may he make for al theues and murtherers and so noman to suffer but be healed with Goddes word which is not els but to abolish the ciuile lawes and al Magistrates Suche a licenciouse common weale dreame the Anabaptistes this day But and yf the sick despyse the holsome medicyne beynge a purryfyed member then Ihon Baptiste and Christ commaunde suche trees to be cut doune and cast into the fyer But here this man calleth suche obstinate hardnecked incurable Adulterers but weake brethren and but sickly persons Asking what phisicion ministreth his diligence to the sycke man to slaye hym whose cure he taketh in hande And here I aske him agayne what Phisicion is to solishe that taketh an incurable sore in hande or will heale that sorâ— otherwyse or with any other medicyne then Gods worde prescribeth him with what medicyne commaundeth God the Magistrates to heale murther adultery theft and suche lyke pestilences to the comon wealthe Al this manis argumeÌ„tes brought for Adulterers tende into the fauoure of suche that gladly receyue holsom counsel beinge obedient to the word wheÌ„ they are monished of the preachers do feare God amende their lyues And make nothinge for Adulterers to be not punished of the Magistrates He bringeth in manye exaÌ„ples of mercy shewed of Christ to the faythful penitent confessinge their synnes which all make nothing for opeÌ„ obstinat malefactors Nether do those examples take awaye the ciuil iustice nor the swerde from the magistrates to be executed vpon Adulterers but that the thefe and murtherer and Adulterer must neuerthelesse suffer death although he repented him an hundred tymes w t him that was hanged by Christ. And muche iuste execucion was done of theÌ„ in Christes dayes sences albeit the gilty condempned persone died a repentant iust maÌ„ before God whose death Christe nor his apostles letted not as the priestes do now with bokes and sanctuaries And as for the roytose sonne whoÌ„ this man bringeth in for the defence of Adulterers He confessed hys synne w t greate repetaunce to his father or he receiued him He spent but his own good in excesse of meates and drynckes And was no open hurt to the comon weal as are theues Adulterers c. he hurted only him selfe And therfore this example is but racked wrested for his purposeâ— I caÌ„ not meruel ynough at the forgetfulnes of this maÌ„ to see himselfe swarue so far froÌ„ the stacion on his cause to proue y â— thing with scriptures nothing pertayning to y â— title of his boke When Peter asked Christ how oft he should forgeue he expressed his brother y â— by weakenes sinneth dayly priuately one offending another not suche as sin incorrigibly against the hole coÌ„gregacion customably which for his obstinacy deserueth not y â— name of a christeÌ„ brother But yf I forgeue my brother steling my horse or oxe yet shal â—ot my forgeuenes deliuer him froÌ„ the ciuil iugemeÌ„t froÌ„ the galows yet bringeth this man Peters seueÌ„ seueÌ„ty forgeuenes of his brother for y â— vnpunishmeÌ„t of adulterers He wold galdly be felow to christ in so rich often forgeuenes of adulterers litle remeÌ„bring what god saith to al iuges of y e iâ—dicial lawes that wheÌ„ any maÌ„ breake his lawes thou shal punish him and not haue mercy on him Let not thyue eye spare him but cut and rote him out of the comon weale that other may take eâ—sample be afrayde to traÌ„sgresse gods laws He loketh so much of gods mercy that he forgetteth his iustice iudgementes whiche sayde That whoso offend but one of his litle ones that beleue in him It is expedient a mill stone be hanged about his â—ecke and be drowned in the depest of the sea What paynes of death then woulde Christe to be executed vpon him that offende the whole churche and especially that man whose wyfe is kept in adultery Then he sayth That forebecause Christe bode Peter suffer the darnel to grow with the wheat therfore he woulde Adulterers and all suche criminose synners to be permitted vnpunished among the Christen societe Who seeth not the fonde ignoraunce shall I call it or the manifest wickednes of this man Christ neuer sayde this to Peter But the housholder to his seruaunts expressing no particlare persone but this is nt y â— mater The kocle or darnel is ther hersies false doctrine sown by the deuil which christ would not haue pluckt vp where perel is therwith to be pluckte vp also the good corne For yf paul had ben pluckt vp a pharisei he had neuer haue ben the apostle preacher of Christ. Wherfore Christe willeth not in my wise these kocles or darnel of heretiques and not of Adulterers and theues c to be permitted but heretiques wher their vproting is turned into the destruccion or hurt of the good and of the whole churche It behoueth sayth Paule hersies to be amonge you that they whiche be proued be knowne amonge you But and yf suche men yf they shoulde continewe would be the subuersion of many good men and of the whole church they must rather be smiten doune with the swerde and sithe of iustice nowe loke Adulterers corrupt not holy matrimony other menis wyues doughters c. What and Christ shoulde now come agayne and wryte in the foreheades of these men