hurt is to be preferred before the greater bycause it hath the nature and reason of goodnes But in sinne there is no consideration of goodnes And vndoubtedly what soeuer is synne the same muste strayghtwaye be reiected let followe what will But Augustine excuseth after a sorte Lot and thys olde manne bycause they fell with a heauy and troubled mynde It oftentymes happeneth vnto wyse men with a troubled mynde to doo those thynges whiche afterwarde when they come to themselues they allowe not But this excuse doth not vtterly absolue these menne from sinne althoughe it somewhat release them But if a manne will say Paul preferred the lesser sinne before the greater when he sayde he woulde be accursed of Christ for hys brethreÌ„ rather then they should persiste in that blyndnes and stubbernnes wherein they were holden He whiche obiecteth this vnto vs must knowe that he doth not rightly vnderstand that place of Paul For the Apostle desired to redeme the saluation of the Iewes with his daunger not vndoubtedly with sinne but with hys losse or hurte namely to be accursed of Christe not certaynely to be made an Apostata or to cease to beleue in Christ but onely not to haue the fruition of the eternall and blessed lyfe Augustine Augustine also hath many thynges agaynst thys compensation of sinnes And amonge other thinges What sayeth he if a man require either of a mayden fornication or of a maryed woman adultery and threateneth to kill hymselfe vnles he obteyne hys request ought the pure and chaste women to fulfill his desire No vndoubtedly Neither thoughe he afterwarde slay hymselfe shall the chast women be counted guilty of his death They ought in deede to be sory for hym to deplore his acte but not to thinke they haue done euill bycause they graunted hym not vnlawfull thynges The same Augustine vpon the .146 Augustine Psalme writeth If a man deny dewe beneuolence vnto his wife bycause he would lyue chastly and the wyfe in the meane tyme fall into adultery he sinneth neither can his entent be allowed For sinne is not to be admitted in the wyfe for the exercising of continency God sayeth he doth not recompense suche a hurte with suche a gayne Wherfore the sentence of Leo the first Leo in the dist .46 chapter Non suo is to be allowed wherein he sayth that it is vncomely that any should bestow theyr faultes vpon other mens commodities Augustine in hys booke De mendacio to Consentius sayeth For the health of our neyghbours Augustine we must doo whatsoeuer may be doone And if it come to that point that we can not helpe them without sinne there remayneth nothyng els for vs to doo And he addeth that no manne must be brought into heauen by a lye The same Augustine in an other place sayeth If poore menne see a cruell and bitter riche manne and woulde steale any thynge from hym eyther to helpe themselues or other poore menne they doo not diminishe sinne but encrease it Gregory And Gregory Byshoppe of Rome in hys Epistle to Siagrius To committe the lesse sinne to the end to auoyde the greater is to offer Sacrifices vnto GOD of a wicked acte To Chrisostome and Ambrose as it is written in the .21 of the Prouerbes But in that Chrisostome and Ambrose doo for thys cause prayse Lot they are thus to bee vnderstande namely that they allowed hys charity and fayth towardes straungers and had a respecte vnto the horriblenes of the sinne whiche the Citezins were ready to committe not that they allowed their abandonyng of theyr women And thus muche as touchyng thys matter How much the horrible synne of the Sodomites is to be detested Augustine But in that the olde manne calleth it a villany and a detestable thyng whiche they went about to committe he sayeth most truely For seede was geuen vnto manne for procreations sake But these pestiferous menne abuse the gifte geuen them of GOD they resiste hys law and agaynste nature chaunge menne in that after a sorte they turne the male into the female Augustine to Pollentius Adultery sayeth he is more grieuous then whooredome and incest more heynous then adultery but that whiche is done agaynste nature is of all most wicked and detestable And he addeth In thynges whiche GOD hath graunted it is more tollerable immoderatly to transgresse then lyghtly to sinne in those thynges whiche by no meanes are graunted And in hys .3 booke of Confessions he sayeth that the fellowship of humane kynde is violated with GOD bycause nature whiche we haue of GOD is polluted This was the crye of the Sodomites and the Gomorhites which ascended into heaueÌ„ and the grieuousnes of their wickednes is moste manifest by their distruction For they were distroyed with fire and brimestone from heauen punishementes vndoubtedly agreable vnto so greate a heynous crime by the fire was noted their burnyng filthy luste and by brymestone theyr stynkyng and vnpure wicked crime Chrisostome Chrisostome writeth Bycause they followed not fertility but barennes therfore God made that so ill baren and infertyle whiche before was most fertile But he demaundeth Why god doth in theâ—e daâ—es deferre the punishement of Sodomites Why are not they whiche are in the same faulte in these dayes punished also after the same manner He aunswereth whome that punishement moueth not for them abydeth the vnquencheable fyre And they are not so punished in this lyfe bycause suche menne for the moste parte are conuersaunt amonge good menne and GOD promised Abraham that he was ready to forgeue Sodome if there mought haue bene founde there but onely tenne good menne Wherefore for as muche as Cityes at this daye are not altogether so corrupte as Sodome was then therefore GOD dealeth more remissedly with them It also oftentymes happeneth that althoughe these men are moste wicked yet they had good predecessors And GOD as he hath testified tarieth and differreth the punishement vnto the thyrde and fourth generation Farther we muste marke that thys vice wheresoeuer it rangeth it is not alone With it are ioyned cruelty inhumanity pryde robbery and oppressing of the poore And when it shall come to this point that menne cruelly withdrawe their dewtyes from their neyghbours GOD doth then on the other side withdrawe hys helpe and grace Wherefore they beyng left vnto themselues that is vnto their owne corrupte and viciate strengthes doo degenerate into beastes The Sodomitical sinne is to bee punished with death The lawe of GOD in Exodus and Deuteronomy made thys sinne death And Paul to the Romanes sheweth that thys is the punishement of Idolatrers And in an other place he numbreth abusers of nature with them whom he excludeth from the kyngdome of GOD. Amonge the olde Grecians thys wicked crime was punished with death and that by the lawe of Laius Bessarion Tertulian whereof Bessarion maketh mention agaynste Trapezuntius Tertullian de Monogamia writeth that among the Romanes there was
70. kinges he would also haue them vnder his table to gather their meat there He did it surely to the setting forth of his victories and also whē he should eate meate he would not onely refreshe his body with meate and drinke but he would also reioyce his haulty and proude minde after a certein horrible sort he thought to him selfe that he had the fruition of no vulgare pleasure when as in his dayly banckets he renued after a sorte by that terrible sight the victoryes which he had hitherto gotten Sapor King of the Persians We read of the like example of one Sapor king of the Persians who when he had taken in warre Valerian the Emperour of the Romaines and father of Galien he bounde him with an Iron chayne and drew him with him set his feete vpō his backe as oftē as he would get vp vpō his horse Tamerlanes also king of the Scythians Tamerlanes caried about with him a tyranne of the Turckes taken by him and inclosed in an Iron cage Tirannes are infected with boasting and cruelty By these and such like examples we se that the mindes of cruel tyrannes are wonderfully sicke of the diseases of vayne glory and cruelty And hereby we gather that to much cruelty doth greatly displease god and therof I thincke it came to passe that as wel by gods lawes as by mās I speake but of those whiche are counted iust honest certain punishmētes were prescribed for crimes according to the grieuousnesse of thē whereby iudges had the lesse libertie geuen them to exercise tyranny Punishmentes are rather to be diminished thā augmented Yea the lawyers added this rule that punishmentes should rather be diminished by iudges thā augmented whiche is for all that to be vnderstād as much as the nature of the faulte cōmoditie of the publicque wealth suffereth whiche I therfore speake bycause some times those cōditions which cōmonly they call circūstaunces make the crime so terrible and horrible that the iudges must nedes there augment the punishments whiche haue ben prescribed by the lawes that to the entēt to feare away others frō so grieuous mischieuous dedes so Dauid when Nathā the prophet declared vnto him an execrable horrible thing he decreed a more grieuous punishment against him that was guiltie than the law had ordeyned for common thieues stealers of cattel Three kyndes of death in the lawe of God I haue therfore made menciō of these bycause there were in the law thre kindes of death appointed for euil doers I meane hanging stoning burning vnto which some Hebrues adde the fourth namely the punishment of the sword but bycause there is no mencion made therof in the lawe as farre as I know I haue therfore left it out We read that Adonias Ioab Agab king of Amalech many other were thrust thorough with swordes But we finde it not prescribed by any lawe or precept that the guiltie should be put to death by the sword Seing I say the matter is so The Hebrues vsed an extraordinary punyshment in their tentes we se that the children of Israel vsed nowe in their tentes a certein extraordinary kinde of punishmēt against the king Adonibezek And I beleue they did it not wtout the instinction of god For god would punish the cruelty of this tyranne with an exquisite punishmēt which was neuerthelesse of rendring like for like which kinde of wicked doing to the entent we may the caselyer auoyde it shall not be grieuous vnto vs to speake somewhat of it From whence this word cruelty is deriued This word cruelty is deriued either of this latin word Cruor which signifieth bloud wherin cruel mē like wild beastes do delite either of Crudae earnes which signifieth rawe flesh which fierce barbarous people somtimes do eate may be defined to be a vicious habite wherby we are inclined to sharpe hard things aboue reason The definition of crueltye And somtimes it happeneth the cruelty is coūted for a pleasure with which wicked affectiō or habite how tyrānes haue sometimes ben infected it is manifestly to be sene by many exāples This holy history setteth now before our eyes this Adonibezek the euāgelicall history maketh mēciō of Herode The Ethnike poetes haue made report of the cruelty of Atreus Thyestes and the most horrible wicked act of Xerxes king of the Persians is set forth by Seneca in his third booke de ira .xvii. The cruelty of Xerxes chap. which Xerxes when a certain man named Pithius who had well deserued at hys handes came vnto him and desyred him to spare him one of his fyue sonnes which he had and he bad him as though he would graunt him his request to chose him whom he lysted to abide at home from battaile And he did as he was bidden But this most cruell tyranne commaunded that the yong man whom he had chosen should be drawen one syde of him one way and an other the other waye so that at the length he was torne a sunder of the whych one part hee commaunded to be fastened in one corner of the way by the which the souldiours shoulde go and the other in an other corner saying that after this sorte he purged his hoste But not long after he was with much dishonour ouercome and beaten of the Grecians and constrayned to flie through heapes and dead carcases of his own men Silla Silla banished an infinite nomber of Citizens of Rome but at the length he was most horribly eaten vp of Lyfe Euen after the lyke sort dyed that most cruel Herode as it is manifestly declared by Iosephus Vnto this most wicked vice clemēcy is directly cōtrary which as a wonderful vertue doth maruailously wel agree with princes is a singuler ornamēt of Christian men Augustine in his boke of .83 Augustine What clemencye is Certayn foolish mercy Quest in the Quest 31. defineth it thus It is an habite wherby men styrred vp to hatred agaynst any man are through goodnes kept backe This vertue is a meane betwene cruelty and foolish mercy I cal it foolish mercy by which our mynde is so moued wyth other mens miseries that it declineth from sound counsell and iust reason And we are ouercome with this affection for this cause by reason wee woulde neuer suffer such thinges wherwith we see others afflicted iustly and worthily and because we our selues abhorre from such thinges we therfore leaue of from punishing the guilty Mercy is a profitable affectiō Mercy in dede is an affection profitably planted in our hartes of God whereby we are styrred vp to helpe and defende others But we must take heede that by it we be not made so soft and effeminate wherby we should commit any thing against the commaundementes and wyl of God Preposterous mercy is condemned in holy letters The holy scriptures reprehend Achab king of Samaria bicause he
euery man shal be geuen a mayde or two that is the praye of the rascall souldiours shal be bondmen or bonde women be geuen But to our Sisera shal be geuen the most worthiest thinges garmentes I say of diuers colours and nedle worke Plini in his 8. booke the .48 chap writeth that the men in the old time vsed to dye their wolle and garmentes with such sundry and pleasaunt colours Plinius bicause they would imitate the most beautifull coloures of floures and herbes And the same writer attributeth vnto the Babilonians the inuention of diuers coloures in garmentes and euen as garmentes of siluer which were found out in Asia vnder Attalus the king were called Attalical so those garmentes whiche were by the Phrigians wroughte with the nedle beinge set out with golde and sundry coloures and pictures wer called Phrigionical And for that these workmanshippes wer in the old time had in estimation god would haue the holy tabernacle and the high priestes garmentes wrought with nedle worke And this is not to be passed ouer that by the ciuile lawes it was not lawefull for euerye man to weare such precious garmentes Wherfore it is sayd now in this song that garmentes of sundry coloures and such as were wrought with the nedle ar attributed only to the prince In the Code de vestibus oloberis lege Auratas It is prohibited vpon great punishmente that any other men shoulde were precious garmēts Lawes for apparell And it is no doubt but that in the old time there wer lawes for apparel which at this day lye vtterly voide These womē spake as they knew the maner then vsed for they were not ignorant of the custome in war wherby princely garmentes wer not distributed to priuate men but vnto captaynes and emperors Discipline of warre amonge the elders Farthermore we muste consider that the elders vsed greater discipline in their camps than at this day our men do For when a town or city was sacked euery man had not that which he by violence tooke al thinges wer brought vnto the king or Emperour and not vndoubtedly that he only should haue them but that he should part them according to the labor dignity and quality of the souldiors which manifestlye appeareth in the decrees 23. question the .5 chapter Dixerit aliquis They are the woordes of Ambrose in his booke of Abraham the Patriarche And the same thing is most playnly taught Dist the .1 chap. Ius militare This hebrew word Tsoari signifieth properly a necke or neckes in the plurall number but in this place by translation it signifieth a captayne or prince 31 So let al thine enemies perish O Lord But they that loue thee let them be as the Sunne when he riseth in his strength And the land had rest .40 yeares The thinges which are now mencioned the holy Ghost doth therfore speake them by Deborah to expresse with a great emphasis and signification that those thinges do happen vnto the vngodly which they be afeard of the things which they hope happen cleane contrarye Therefore the songe is nowe concluded with an elegant exclamacion and consisteth of thinges contrary So let all thine enemies perish O Lord as Sisera hath fallen This her Apostrophe or turning to God stirreth vs vp that we shuld with a singular affectiō embrace God the author of so great notable acts Deborah also in this speaking declareth that she setteth not forth her own cause for she sayth not let my enemyes perish but thine But they that loue thee let them continually encrease in al kind of good things as the sunne increaseth from his rising vntil it be none wherin he is most strong ether from the spring time to the highest of sommer She addeth not Let them that loue him be saued as the Antithesis or cōtrary position required For these two are contraries namely to be saued and to perish But let them be encreased saith she strengthened as the sunne increaseth from his rising vnto his strength By thys conclusion the vse of example is taught vnder the forme of a prayer Sisera is ouerthrowne but the people of Israel is encreased with a notable victory so therfore shall it come to passe and happē vnto vs. We shal be deliuered if we be godly they which do persecute vs for Christs cause shal perish Wherfore it is profitable by exāples to gather out rules of the gouernmēt of God which rules with frute let vs apply vnto our own things This performed Dauid as touching this selfe same historye in his psalme where he sayth do vnto them as vnto Middian as vnto Sisera Iabin at the riuer Kyson Wherfore the some of this hystory is to set before vs the seuerity of god toward his enemies again his clemēcy towards the godly And therfore it behoueth that the seuerity of his iudgements breath in vs a fear and that by fayth we take hold of his goodnes and clemency The syxt Chapter ANd the children of Israell did euill in the syghte of the Lorde and the Lorde deliuered them into the hands of Middian seuen yeres 2 Wherfore the hand of Middian preuailed against Israel frō the face of Middiā the children of Israel made them dennes in the mountaines and caues and stronge holdes 3 For when Israell had sowen Middian came vp and Amaleke and the sonnes of Kedem came vp agaynst them 4 And camped against them and destroyed the fruite of the earth euen till thou come to Haza neyther lefte they anye foode in Israell neither cattell nor oxen nor asses 5 For they went vp and theyr cattell and came with theyr tents as greshoppers in multitude so that they and theyr camels wer without number they came I say into the land to destroy it Deborah and Barac were deade by the authority of whiche princes the people of the Hebrewes were kepte in their dutye and religion But after theyr death they fell agayne vnto sinnes and especially vnto idolatry But yet they are not counted to haue turned so heynously from God as they did before for it is not written And they added to do euil Farther their punishment was not so long for they serued the Madianites onely seuen yeares Moreouer it is not sayde that God sold them as he did before but that he deliuered them I confesse that these coniectures are but small but yet not so small that they shoulde seeme vtterly to be despised Two thinges are principally entreated of in this hystorye The principall pointes of thys history The ordre of thinges to be spoken of the affliction of the Hebrewes and theyr deliuery by Gidion But bicause eche of these partes haue their causes therfore we must also entreate of them For euen as affliction springeth of sinne and deliuery beginneth of repentance so was it mete that first it should be declared that the Israelites had sinned before mention be made that they were deliuered vnto the Madianites and theyr repentaunce must
that they committed thys acte nowe when they came to make thys warre or els before when euery yeare they inuaded the lande of the Israelites in the tyme of haruest Of mount Thabor we haue before spoken when we entreated of the victory of Barak and Deborah It was not lawfull to saue these kyngs on lyue As the Lorde liueth if ye had saued their lyues Gideon mought haue saued these kynges lyues if they had not slayne hys brethren but bycause they had slayne them it was not lawfull For in the booke of Numbers there is a lawe wherein it is ordayned that the nexte of kynne muste not suffer the bloude of hym that is dead vnpunished not that a priuate man shoulde kyll a murtherer but he must be brought vnto the Iudge that there the cause beyng knoweÌ„ he myght be punished And therefore Gideon beyng a Magistrate ought by that lawe to punishe them Otherwyse he myght haue let them goo for as muche as they were not Chananites whom GOD had commaunded that they shoulde not spare Wherefore Gideon sweareth nothyng contrarye to the woorde of God And he sayde vnto Iether He commaundeth hys firste borne sonne beyng then a younge manne to slaye them but he feared neyther durste he drawe hys swoorde The two kynges disdayne would not be kylled with the hande of a chylde euen as Abimelech would be slayne of hys Armor bearer least he should seeme to be kylled of a woman Farther they easely sawe that they shoulde bee longe in payne or they were dead when as the chylde by reason of want of strength coulde not rid them out of theyr lyfe quickely Why Gideon willed his soÌ„ne to kil the kings And Gideon peraduenture dyd for thys cause commaunde hys sonne to doo thys thynge to inflame hys hearte euen from hys tendâ—r yeares agaynste the enemyes of the peopl of GOD as it is written of Hannibal who from a chylde vowed hymselfe agaynst the Romaynes Or elles he dyd it to learne hym from hys tender age to obey the lawe of God wherein was commaunded that the bloud of the next of kynne beyng shed should be reuenged But might not he haue committed that office vnto a hangeman why would he so vrge hys sonne To thys maye be aunswered two wayes Firste that in the olde tyme it was not vncomely to slay the guylty Farther The Hebrues had no hangemen that it is not sene that the Hebrues had hangemen And vndoubtedly that thys was no office amonge the Hebrues this testifieth bycause in the lawe it is written that a blasphemer beyng taken was so stoned to death that the hande of the wytnesses dyd throwe the firste stone agaynste hym neyther was the puttyng to death of any body committed to any peculiar hangeman And there are many examples whiche testifye that it was not ignominious to slaye the guilty Saul when he woulde haue the Priestes slayne called not hangemen to doo it but turned to the noble men whiche were with hym and commaunded them to inuade the Priestes who reuerensyng theyr ministery and dignitye durst not obey Onely Doeg the Edomite durst execute so greate a wycked acte who was not of least estimation with the kynge Samuell also with hys owne hande slewe kynge Agag the prysoner Ioab in lyke manner when he had cought holde of the horne of the altar was slayne of Banaia the chiefe Capitayne of the hoste Wherefore it seemeth that the Hebrues in that auncient tyme hadde no hangemen But as muche as maye be gathered by the Hystoryes of the Ethnikes Lictores were ministers appointed to execute corporall punishment Plutarche Lictores began at Rome vnder Romulus who as Plutarche wryteth in hys lyfe were called so eyther of ligando that is of byndyng or bycause the Grecians callem them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bycause they executed a publique office Romulus gaue them Roddes bounde together to cary and to them was an axe ioyned They had also cordes to bynde the Citezins withall that beyng bounde they myght eyther beate them with roddes or strike them with the axe But the men of more auncient tyme wanted thys office euery man executed it without any infamy as it was by the Magistrate commaunded hym And in verye dede that woorke of punishyng malefactors hath in it no dishonestye or vncomelynesse For if it be honest for a iudge or prince to geue sentence of death agaynst euyll doers why then shall it not be iuste and honest to execute the same sentence Yea and GOD hymselfe in punishyng vseth not onely euyll spirites but good spirites But thou wilte saye Why Lictores and hangemen are of the commoÌ„ people euill spoken of why are Lictores and hangemen commonly so euyll spoken of Firste bycause the common people are afrayde of them neither would any manne be punished for hys wicked actes hereby it commeth that the syght of the hangman driueth into them a certayn horror And that the people were so affected the maner of the publique wealth of Rome declareth where wheÌ„ ambicious men flattered the people more then was meete they sent away the hangeman out of the market place and iudgement house of Rome as euen the Oration of Cicero for Rabirius testifieth The Romaynes vsed not a hangeman for their Citezins The Citezins of Rome were not beaten with roddes nor put to death Theyr extremest punishement was banishement they were caried into ylandes at the length condemned to the working of Mettalles But the latter Romayne lawes whiche are in the digestes blotted out that exemption for in very dede it was vniust For a faulte worthy of death ought not to be wynked at althoughe a Citezin of Rome were the author of it And there were two principall lawes whereby the backe and head of the Citezins were prouided for Portia lex Sempronia the lawe I saye Portia and Sempronia whose power and defence neuerthelesse Paul as we rede in the Actes vsed and so escaped both roddes and bondes This is one cause why Lictores and hangmen are so hated The irregularity of the Canonistes An other cause hereof in the Papisticall opinion of irregularity whiche as the Canonistes wyll haue it is contracted of euery murther These men thinke that a man can not so iustly kyll any man that he may be promoted to the holye Ministerye when as yet the Inquisitours of the herecticall prauity as they terme it doo dayly cause an infinite number and those innocentes to be kylled The Popes Legates also in gouernyng of Cityes and Prouinces and makyng warres althoughe they be Cardinalles and Byshoppes doo styll continually cause bloud to be shed But in the meane tyme with greate hypocrisie they take hede that the sentence be geuen by a laye Iudge as they call hym and so they wrappe themselues out of that irregularity But the holy Scriptures do not so teache Moses sayde vnto the Leuites whiche with hym had kylled so many ye haue
the enemyes of the olde Testament snatche occasion to speake euill of GOD the creator of the world For they called hym both an euyll GOD and a cruell Suche were the Maniches Valentinians Marcionites and suche lyke pestilences When he delighteth saye they in the bloude of manne howe can he not but bee cruell Augustine aunswereth God reioyseth not in bloud So farre is it of that GOD reioyseth in the bloude of man that he reioyseth not euen in the bloude of beastes onely he suffred for a tyme that sacrifices of beastes shoulde be offred by lytle and lytle to instructe men But what the Sacrifices of the Elders signified whiche serued to theyr erudition in that place What the sacrifices of the Elders signified he declareth not but I will in fewe woordes shewe it First was set foorth in those Sacrifices that the rewarde of sinne is death And that dyd he after a sorte testifie whiche brought the Sacrifice namely that he had deserued to be kylled but by the goodnes of GOD hys death was transferred to the Sacrifice By thys meanes were the Elders instructed that they should eschewe synnes Farther those Sacrifices directed the myndes of menne vnto Christe and they were certayne visible sermons of hym and taught that Christ shoulde bee that Sacrifice whiche shoulde take awaye the sinnes of the worlde and vpon whom our death and damnation should be transferred God mought haue required humane sacrifices Wherefore GOD of hymselfe delyghted not in bloude but by thys schoolyng he instructed his people Yea if he had delyghted in Sacrifices he mought haue required them of the number of menne For what should haue letted hym or what iniury shoulde he haue doone vs if he woulde haue had Sacrifices of menne offred vnto hym For manne must needes sometymes dye Wherefore to preuent the tyme one yeare or two it woulde not haue bene so grieuous neither shoulde he haue doone vs any iniurye chiefly when we shoulde vnderstande that with hym we shoulde lyue for euer Vndoubtedly in thys thyng no manne coulde haue accused GOD as cruell But nowe seyng he hath remoued all those holy seruices he manifestly teacheth that he reioyseth not neither in the bloude of menne God woulde haue the firste borne of menne redemed and not sacrificed nor in the bloude of beastes Yea the firste borne of menne when they were bounde vnto hym he woulde not haue them Sacrificed but redemed with a price whiche he woulde not haue doone if he had taken any pleasure in bloude In Deuteromy the .12 chapter he sayeth The Nation whiche I wyl expell before thee doo Sacrifice theyr sonnes and daughters but see that thou do not so Certayne kyllynges of men are acceptable vnto God But Augustine demaundeth farther whether there be any slaughter of men whiche is acceptable vnto GOD Hee aunswereth that there is But what slaughter When menne sayeth he are kylled for ryghteousnes sake not that the death of Martyrs of it self pleaseth GOD but bicause faith towardes God piety is by that Martyrdomes are lyke sacrifices both declared and also kept And the death of Christ so pleased God that it redemed the whole worlde and the death of Christians whiche they suffer in Christes name may be called after a sorte a Sacrifice Wherefore Paul in the .2 to Timo. the last chapter writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I sacrifice c. in whiche saying he calleth his death an immolation And to the Phil. the .2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The martirdomes of men make not satisfaction for sins but if I offre in an oblation and seruice of our fayth And yet do not such sacrifices make satisfaction for sinnes for that doth the death of Christe onely But the death of Martirs are acceptable because the cause is thankefull Augustine was baptised of Ambrose and being wōderfully affectioned toward him he followeth his opinion as his Scholemayster asmuch as he may but somwhat more warely He cōpareth Iiphtah with Abraham but he putteth a difference whyche Ambrose noted not Abraham saythe he had the woorde of god to sacrifice his sonne so had not Iiphtah yea rather he had the law against him that he shoulde not sacrifice And in Abraham not the death pleased god but the faith Farther there is great difference for a man to do any thinge of himself and to haue a will to doo those thinges that are commaunded him And Augustine doth subtilly admonish Iiphtah vowed an human◠sacrifice as Augustine thinketh that Iiphtah vowed an humane sacrifice not deceaued but willinglye Whatsoeuer sayth he shall come out of my house I will offer it for a burnte offringe c. Doo we thinke that beastes woulde come forth to meete him returninge home Men vse to go and mete such as haue the victory and to reioyse Wherfore he vowed an humane sacrifice The scripture only maketh mencyon of this acte but praiseth it not as also it is there written that Iudas had to do with his daughter in law but it is not allowed So there can nothing be gathered by these wordes The rashenes of the father is punished in the death of the children why the acte of Iiphtah should be praysed Farther Augustine thinketh with Ierome that god woulde punish the rashenes of the vow in the father by the death of hys daughter But there are two places sayth he why I cannot reprehend Iiphtah Because in the Epistle to the Hebrewes he is numbred among the saints in this place it is written that the spirite of the Lord was vpon him But those holy men which are rekoned vnto the Hebrewes did they neuer sinne Vndoubtedly their sinnes also ar set forth in the holy scriptures Gideon who is in the number a little before his deth made an Ephod which was the destructiō both of himself of his house But as touchinge the other place The sprite of the Lorde came vpon hym But this nothing letteth but that afterward he might fall But Iiphtah thou wilte saye had the victory but Gidion after that acte nothing went well with him Yea rather sayth he Gideon did before after a sort tempt God yet he had the victory So much of Augustine But I would say otherwise For I agree not with Augustine to thinke that Gidion tēpted God Therfore I would aunswere after this maner Dauid cōmitted aduoutry straightway afterward obteined the victory toke the city Rabath-Ammon in whose siege he prepared that Vrias should be slayne Saule persecuted Dauid in the meane time there were brought him messengers from the Philistians He leauing Dauid went to war and obteined the victory Moses sinned at the waters of strife the people also hadde sinned many waies and yet they obteyned the victorye agaynste Sihon and Og moste myghtye Kynges Wherefore wee will graunte that Iiphtah was numbred amonge the Sayntes and yet he mighte sinne and althoughe he synned he obteyned the victorye And we wil graunt that
thing in dede the Magistrate doth not by himselfe but hee ought to haue a regarde that they may be in a redynes which should do them wel Wherefore either power extendeth most amply and comprehendeth al thinges but not after one and the selfe same maner And the rule of either of them is to bee taken out of the woord of God which is plaine to be in the Church Againe there are two subiections One is political and ciuil Two kinds of subiection whereunto all men are subiect who if they offend in any thing against the lawes let them at the iust Magistrates hand looke for imprysonment punishment by the pursse banishment death and outward paines But if they doo wel let them looke for honours rewardes dignities and prayse And after this maner the ciuil power is not subiect vnto the ministery of the woorde bicause by it it can not by these kindes of punishmentes be afflicted and constrained The other subiection is spiritual that is of faith and of obedience For strayghtway as sone as men heare of their duty out of the woord of God and that either this thing or that is to bee done or this or that thing to be auoyded they geue place beleue and obey Bycause they perceaue that that which is spoken is the woorde of God And these are the endes of eyther power A sentence of Valentiniā the Emperour And so is to be vnderstand that saying of Valentinian the Emperour out of the booke called Historia Tripartita which thing is had also in the distinction .63 chap. Valentinianus Chuse saith he suche a bishop vnto whom we which gouerne the Empire may sincerely submyt our heades and vse his admonicions as medicines c. By which wordes is vnderstand that it longeth vnto the Ecclesiastical power An error of the same Valentinian to admonish out of the woorde of God for saluacion Although the same Emperour afterward erred For when he had appointed Ambrose Pretor of the City of Millane the people did chuse him byshop Which thing when the Emperor knew A bishop ought not to haue a care onely ouer soules or onely ouer bodyes he gaue thankes vnto God therfore after this maner I had made hym ruler ouer the bodyes of men but thou wouldest haue him ruler ouer the soules c. Valentinian did not rightlye put a distinction betwene offices For why Ought bishops to haue a care onely ouer soules and not also ouer bodies What if they geue them selues to glotonye or dronkennes or liue licenciouslye touching outwarde thinges shall they not reproue these thinges Vndoubtedly they must reproue them Neither must princes haue a care onely ouer the bodies of men and neglect their soules For wee do not imagine that a prince is a neateherd or a swineherd to whom is committed onely the care of the belly flesh and skinne of his subiectes yea he must prouide that they may liue vertuously and godlily But what if Christian Princes when they are by the woorde of God admonished of publike and most grieuous synnes wil not heare neither amende that which they haue noughtely committed What I say shal the bishop do herein Ambrose excommunicated Theodosius the Emperor when he exercised so grieuous tiranny against the Thessalonians Innocentius also excommunicated Arcadius when he had exiled Iohn Chrisostome who admonished him freely and trulye as it is had in the dist 96. chap. Duo sunt in the dist 18. in the chap. Quoniam quidam And they are the wordes of the syxt Synode where it is decreed that ther should euery yeare be had two Sinodes And if princes would hinder them let them be excommunicated Eusebius But what do I make mencion of these latter thinges Let vs reade Eusebius in his .vi. booke and .xxxiiii. chap. where he saith that Philip the Emperor who liued in the tyme of Origene was the first Christian prince and when he would haue bene present together with the faithful on Easter euen and haue communicated with them in prayers the bishop bicause he was a wicked and noughty liuer reiected him among them that wer put to penance that he should make open confession before the Churche and acknowledge his synne otherwyse hee could by no meanes be admitted vnto the Communion This did the byshop at that tyme against the Emperour chiefe Monarche of the whole world Wherfore the ciuil power ought to be subiect vnto the woorde of God which is preached by the Ministers But againe the Ecclesiasticall power is subiect vnto the ciuil when the Ministers behaue themselues yll either in thinges humane or Ecclesiastical For these powers are after a sorte conuertible and sundry wayes are occupied about the selfe same thinges and mutually helpe one an other euē as Aristotle Theodectes calleth Rhethorike and Logike interchangeable artes Aristotle bicause either of them are occupied in the selfe same thinges after a sundry maner The Ecclesiastical power is subiect vnto the Magistrate not by a spiritual subiection but by a politike For as touching the Sacramentes and sermons it is not subiect vnto it bicause the Magistrate cannot bende the woord of God or the Sacramentes which the ministery vseth neither can he compel the pastors and Teachers of the Church to teach otherwise or in any other sorte to administer the Sacramentes then is prescribed by the woorde of God Howbeit ministers in that they are men and Citizens are without all doubte subiect vnto the Magistrate and also their lands riches and possessions So Christ payd tribute so also did the Apostles and the whole primatiue Churche when there were yet most holye men Their manners also are subiect vnto the censures and iudgementes of the Magistrates Farthermore we must adde that Ministers are subiect vnto the Magistrate not onely as touching those thinges which I haue rehearsed but also as I before signified cōcerning their function Bicause if they teache not right neither administer the Sacramentes orderly it is the office of the Magistrate to compel them to an order and to see that they teache not vnpurelye and that they myngle not fables Princes may put Ministers oute of their place if their be haue thē selues yll or that they abuse not the Sacramentes or delyuer them otherwise then the Lorde hath commaunded Also if they liue noughtelye and wickedly let them put them out of the holy ministerye This did Salomon who deiected Abiathar and substituted Sadok in his roume as it is written in the fyrst boke of Kinges the second chap. And in the new Testament Iustinian displaced Siluerius Vigilius which thing I doubt not but other princes did sometimes But how iustly I wil not presently declare this one thing I wil say that that thing was lawful for them in the causes now alledged But some man wil say that I speake now of the fact and not of the right Yea but I speake also of the right For the king ought to haue with him the law of God
his office For there are in courtes whiche flatter in the eares of princes disprayse prayse whom they lust complayne of the good as euill and commend the euil as good So according as they wil some ar preferred to prouinces and other some ar displaced A sentence of Diocletian Wherfore Diocletian sayde A good wise wary Emperor is oftētymes solde of his subiectes The prince is at home in his palace they that are familiar with him accuse defende before him whom they will Yea and among the Romanes the fathers which were called Conscripti that is appoynted were sometymes called Circumscripti that is deceaued or abused The course of Iustice is by many deceates hindred Neither skilleth it much whether it be done by violēce or by guile bycause both wayes the publique wealth is hurte and the institution of God contemned Neither is this to be passed ouer in this place whiche hath also ben often spoken of that the Magistrate is not to be obeyed if he commaūd any thing against the worde of God For when he so doth he is no Magistrate Bycause as Paul sayth he is the Minister of God to good Wherfore if he commaund thinges contrary vnto the worde of God he is not in that parte his Minister But thou wilt say Sometymes greuous molestous and harde thinges are cōmaunded whiche yet are not agaynst the worde of God What is to be done in those cases We must obey for we are commaunded to obeye our Lordes thoughe they be hard so that they commaunde nothyng agaynst the worde of GOD whiche thing if they do we must aunswere them with this sentence of Peter whiche sayth we must rather obey God then men Nabucad-Nezar would haue had his Image worshipped the faythfull Hebrues aunswered Thy image O kyng we will not worship Antiochus cōmaunded the Hebrew woman to eate swines fleshe but she chused to dye with together her seuē childrē rather then to cōmit any thing agaynst the lawe of God Also the Martin as well in the old tyme as also in our tyme suffred most extreme punishmentes and most cruell deathes for that they would not sinne agaynst the law of God Eusebius An example of Constātius an Emperor Eusebius Casariensis writeth that Constantius the father of Constantine fayned vpon a tyme that he would put out all the Christians whiche would abyde in theyr religion from their honours and offices But they whiche were in very dede godly of theyr own free will gaue ouer their dignity and chused rather to geue place vnto dignityes then to depart frō Christ But this turned to good vnto thē for the Emperour embraced thē and those which had denyed Christ for to keepe their dignityes he vtterly remoued from hymself saying that they also would not be faythful vnto him whiche had broken thier fayth vnto God Constantius afterwarde the sonne of Constantine Constantius the second an Arrian beyng an Arrian went aboute to drawe the faithfull Byshops into hys heresy but they chused rather to be banished Iulianus Apostata then to follow that wicked purpose of the Emperour Afterward Iulianus Apostata opened the temples of Idoles and labored to dryue the Christians to the Ethnike religion worshipping but such as wer in deede godly had greater loue and regarde to Religion of Christ then to their lyfe Achilles Yea and Achilles in Homere sayth I will obey the princes but yet when they commaund things honest and iust And these thynges pertayne not onely to subiectes but also to inferior Magistrates For what Of inferior powers if the superior prince commaunde the inferior Magistrates to receaue the Masse in their Cityes Vndoubtedly they ought not obey If a manne will saye It is the superior power therefore it muste bee obeyed I will aunswere In thynges ciuile and humane let them obeye as muche as they ought but nothyng agaynste GOD. We muste alwayes runne vnto that principle Euery thyng is suche a thyng by reason of an other wherefore that other shall more bee suche Therefore if we obeye the Magistrate for goddes sake muche more is GOD hymselfe to be obeyed Wherefore the inferior Magistrates ought not in suche thynges to haue a regarde what the superior power commaundeth but what God hymselfe hath commaunded But there are some whiche saye Whether the consent of the Churche is to be taryed for in reformyng of religion A Similitude that before we departe from the obedience of the Magistrates as touchyng Religion we must tary for the consent of the Churche They whiche say these thynges must marke that Christ neuer so commaunded Euery manne for hymselfe is wholy bounde vnto the lawe of GOD whether other consent or dissent If the good man of a house haue many seruauntes whome he commaundeth to doo hys woorke in the countrey but some of them when their master is absent wil be idle Paul taryed not for consent ought the rest therfore to be idle bycause some consent not to theyr common busines Did Paul when he was called to preache Christ tary for the consent of his other brethren No vndoubtedly but as he writteth vnto the Galathians when it pleased GOD to reuele vnto me hys sonne that I should preache hym amonge the Gentiles I dyd not strayghtwaye aske counsell of fleshe and bloude neyther went I vnto the Apostles whiche were before me but I went into Arabia Wherefore he taried not for the consent of other but straightwaye obeyed his vocation So also ought we to doo after that GOD hath opened vnto vs his truth Whē we must tary for consēt we muste not tary We muste in deede tary for the consent if the thynge bee doubtfull and darke But our cause is manifest and without all obscurenes whiche if we will omitte tyll consent be had the thyng it selfe is lost An acte of Tiberius and good occasions taken awaye Tiberius woulde haue brought Christe into the number of the goddes but he thought to haue the consent of the Senate but the Senate woulde not and by that meanes it came to passe that whylest the consent was taryed for Christ coulde not bee numbred amonge the goddes wher as Tiberius was able to haue brought it to passe by himself But I pray you let them tel vs For whose cōsent they will tary For the Byshops cōsent But they no doubt wil neuer consent for they are sworne enemyes vnto the truth But let vs returne vnto the inferior Magistrate of whom we spake before We must remember what God hath commaunded chyldren concernyng theyr parentes Honour thy father and thy mother By whiche woordes vndoubtedlye is also commaunded honour and obeysaunce towarde superior powers For they haue the place of parentes towarde the inferior Magistrates But let vs see what Christe hath pronounced as touchyng thys matter He whiche loueth father sayeth he or mother more then me is not woorthy of me The same thyng without doubte muste we thynke of the Magistrate whiche
punishmentes of rapters Now must we declare what punishments are ordeined for rapters In the Code de raptu virginum et viduarum in the law Vinca Iustinianus intreateth at large of that matter maketh the rapte of the persons which I haue before rehersed death so that also the companions and they which haue holpen the rapter are comprehended in the same punishment Neither was that thought to be sufficient but ther were inuented other punishments more grieuous then death For it is decreed that not onelye the Iudges Magistrates shal put him to death but also if the rapter be takeÌ„ in the wicked act doing by the parents brethren kinsfolkes tutor gouerner lord patrone or finally by him in whose power she is that is rapted they may kyl him that without any punishment It is also ordayned that they which are present with the rapter defend him in his filthye act maye also be slaine wythout any punishment to hym or them that killeth them Rapte is sometimes coÌ„mitted against a mans own spouse He addeth moreouer that rapte is somtime coÌ„mitted against a mans owne proper spouse as if one by violence take away her whoÌ„ he hath not yet maryed And if a man take away an other mans wife he doth not onely coÌ„mit adultery but also rapt If the rapter be not slaine in the very wicked act doing he ought afterward to be put to death by the Iudges or Magistrates that in such sort that though he appeale vnto a superior magistrate he shal not be heard And that thing saith Iustinian was ordained by the law called Lex Constantinia Power to appeale is taken away froÌ„ rapters Vndoubtedly it is grieuous not to be heard if thou appeale which thing is here decreed So great a matter dyd the ciuill lawes make of rapte In freemaid seruants bondmaid seruants the punishment is ended with death but if a frewoman be rapted the goods of the rapter those which be present with him â—o turne to her vse that is rapted Neither is it any thing worth for the rapter to geue away his goods or to bequeath them away by wil but they fal into the hands of her that is rapted that not onely for a time but also for euer so that she may either sell them or alienate them or geue them for a dowry One thing onely is excepted vnles she that is rapted doo marye the rapter the goods of the rapter are geuen her on that condicion that she should not mary hym And the reason of the law is added bycause in our publike wealth we suffer not that a man shoulde marye a wyfe after the maner of an enemy For Citizens are wont to mary their wyues and not to rapt them But what was done with them which although they wer not present at the rapt yet were a counsel therof or being wytting thereof vttered it not or afterward receaued the rapter into their house Iustinian decreed that they in deede shoulde not loose their goods but onelye be put to death But if a bondman or bondwoman were taken either in coÌ„mitting or ayding this crime they were commaunded to be burnt wyth fyre But what if a mayden wil by her own consent be rapte None of the punishment for al that saith Iustinian ought to be diminished it is vtterlye al one whither the woman wil or wil not And the reason is added bicause if the rapter woulde abstayne from the rapte it is not very likely that any woman wil offer her selfe of her owne accorde to be rapted Wherfore it semeth probable that she was won by flattery deceites Yea the Parents of the maiden if they consent to the rapte are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be banished These things Iustinian decreeth in the Code who yet afterward in the Authentikes where is entreated of womeÌ„ rapted which mary the rapters was coÌ„pelled to make the law new bicause ther wer which canelled that if she that was rapted did consent vnto matrimony she might posses the goods of the rapter For so they interpreted the first law that the goods of the rapter ought to come vnto her that was rapted if she maried him or if he in his wil made her his heire But we saith Iustinian ment no such thing for our lawes do not appoint rewardes for a wicked crime Farther neither can he make any wil for asmuch as he is now condemned to dye neither do our lawes suffer any such matrimony to be of force And if it be no matrimony how theÌ„ caÌ„ she posses the goods of the rapter in the name of a dowry wherfore he decreed that such matrimonies should not be ratefied What then shal become of the goods of the rapter If the maiden saith he haue parentes which haue not therunto consented those goods shall come vnto them But if they haue consented as it is alredy said they were banished without anye propritye of goods or landes which kinde of punishment was much more grieuous then playn exile But if the mayden had no Parentes or had those which consented the goods of the rapter were confiscate to the coÌ„mon treasory By these thinges appeareth that in those tymes rapte was counted a detestable crime Wherunto this thing also I wil adde if any daughter had maried against the wyll of her parents or otherwise behaued her self wantonly vnchastly it was lawfull for the parents to disinherite her as it is had in the Code De Inofficioso Testamento in the law si fileam This one thing is excepted If the father knew that the iust time of matrimony was past he would not place his daughter then hath he nothing to saye against hys doughter if she mary without his knowledge or against his wil yea rather he is compelled to geue her a dowry as it is had in the Code in the same place in the law Si post viginti quinque annos Wherby it appeareth that .25 yeares was the time of farthest proloÌ„gacion of matrimonye The same thing is had in the Digestes De ritu nuptiarum What if a woman rapt a maÌ„ in the law qui liberos Other lawyers determine the same thing if a woman rapte a man although they say that happeneth rarely Now is to be added the opinion of the Canonists The opinion of the Canonists what they bring out of the scriptures In the .36 q. 1. Gracian bringeth that definicion of rapte whiche we haue before confuted But this thing he addeth That in rapte is iniury done somtimes to the maiden not to the parants somtimes to the parents not to the mayden somtimes to both of them For if the maiden wil be rapt of her own free will there is no iniurye done vnto her but vnto her parents But if the parents geue the man power to rapte the daughter bicause she wil not consent to mary him then is no iniury done vnto theÌ„ but vnto the daughter But to both of them is
Repentaunce consisteth in twoo poyntes 61. b Repentaunce is not perfect in vs. 175. b Repentaunce is somtimes openlye to be renued 63. b Repentaunce and amendement is geuen of God 73 Repentaunce bringeth not alwaies the former good state again 65. b Repentaunce of God how 70 Repetition of periodes in the scripture 105 Repetitions in speeche are to purpose 109 Reprobate are forsaken of God before they forsake him 33 Reprobate why they be tempted 34 Reprouing lawful 37 Resisters of Gods vocation differ 1â—5 b Reubenites trade and country 108 Reuenging of a mans owne iniuries 31. b Reward handled 272 b Rewardes may lawfully be set for good deedes 23. b Rewardes may be respected in doing well 23. b Rhetorike profitable in war 36 Riddles in feastes 218. b Right of war 186 Rites and ceremonies neede not be al alyke euery where 54. b Riualty 143. b Riuer swellyng at the battayle of Sisara 109 Rochesters false argument 148. b Rocke in the scriptures signifieth oft a castle or fortres 273. b Rome builded when 3. b Romes dignity caused the Byshop thereof to bee preferred before other 148. b Romaynes in the primatiue church communicated euery day and yet were maryed 94 Romaines neuer had peace aboue xl yeares at once 83. b Romaynes compelled their Consull 91 Romaines punished their Citizens onely by banishment 146. b Romish prouerb 85. b Romulus in Ezechias time 3. b Rule firme of inuocation 129 Rule of our actions is the woorde of God 129 Ruth the doughter of Eglon. 83 S. SAbboth day to daunce in 287 Sabboth endureth from euening to euening 277. b Sacramentes of the Elders and ours were all one and differ in outward simboles signes 273 Sacramentes all one in both testamentes 74 Sacrament and Sacrifice may be both in one thing 64 b Sacrament sacrifice differ 63. b Sacramentes and miracles are after a sort lyke 129. b Sacramentes consist by the word of God 91. b Sacrifice handled 206. b Sacrifice defined 63. b Sacrifices of the Elders what they signified 194. b Sacrificing in other places besides the Tabernacle 205. b Sacrifices of the law what profit they had 273 Sacrifices kyllyng signified c. 6â— Sacrifices of Christians 207 Sacrifice hath twoo special properties 64. b Sacrificer is more acceptable vnto God then the Sacrifice 206. b Sacrificing belonged onelye to the Leuites 123. b Sacrifices for the dead 277 Sacrifice for quicke and dead 50 Sacrifices of Ethnikes agre more with Gods sacrifices then the Masse with the CoÌ„munion 50. b Sasconduit 86. b Saintes whether they beholde all thinges in the glas of the deuine essence 68. b Sayntes sometimes not to bee followed 4 Salomons syn 54 Salt sowing 170 Saluation is the gift of God 182 Salutacion of the Hebrues 114. b Samson had fayth 235. b Samson onely appointed a Iudge before his birth 200. b Samsons mother coÌ„pared to Mary the virgin 201 Samuel of the posteritye of Chore. 182 Sanctified in the wombe .. 103. b Sangar 91 Sapor king of the Persians 12. b Sassias monstruous lust 21 Satisfaction for synnes is not by death or martyrdom of men 195 Satisfaction is not in fasting 279 Scoffing punished 144. b Schoole maysters shoulde bee godlye 45. b Schoolemaister traitor 37. 39. b Schoolemens inconstancy 119 Schismes what 197. b Scots matrimony 20. b Scriptures came from God and their authority 5 scriptures whether Iewes haue corrupt 57. b Scriptures verity 226. b scriptures diuersly deuided 1 Scriptures is rather to be beleued then miracles 131 Scriptures terme thynges sometymes according as men vse commonly to speake 217. b Scriptures neuer attribute that to God whiche in a man is of it selfe vice or of his owne nature synne 142 Sechems situation 159 Sechemites synnes 157 Secrets reueiled by droÌ„keÌ„nes 164 secretes reueiling death 37 Secretes are not rashly to be communicated to a mans wife 221. b Secundum quid ad simpliciter 256. b Security handled 246. b Security laudable 247. b Securitye of the fleshe pernicious 244 Sedicion handled 197 Sedicions springeth oft of settyng forth of true piety 124. b sedicious persons who 197. b Seyng of God or angels 117 Seing of God by men 118 Senadrim 1. b Sences cannot know God 118 Sences when they may be receaued 209. b Sences are not deceaued in seyng of angels 210. b SeÌ„sible things distinguished 209 b Sepulchres of dead men watched 139. b Sequences and fained hyms 103. b Serapions act for Communion vnder one kinde 190 Sermon of a Prophet 113. c Sermon must be taken out of the scriptures 61 Serpents of the carkas of a man 218 Seruantes sometimes wyser then their maisters 250. b Seruitude 80 Seuen a number of fulnes 179 Seuerity of God toward hys enemies 112 Seuerity to much against the Beniamites 280 Seuerity in a mans own cause not commendable but in Gods necessary 31. b Shadowes of the old law are remoued but the things shadowed remayne 47. b Shaphat interpreted 1. b Shauing of heades 201. b Shepherdes vsed watches 139. b Shew of yll how far it is to bee auoyded 38. b Shipwrack cruellye dealt with in certayn regions 235. b Shratâ—tide 279. b Sibyllas verses 58 Sicarii 166 Sicera dronke 202 Sicles valew 238 Signe desired by Manoah 204. b Signe required by Gedeon 116 Signe may be required to strengthen our fayth 126 Signes haue the names of the properties of things oft times 62 Signes are called lyes why 127 b Silence enioyned to wemen in the church 93 Silla eaten of lice 13 Siloh was in mouÌ„t Ephraim 252 Simbole or Crede is called the tradâ—tion of the Church 43 Similitudes force in reasonyng 234 Sinnes in .4 degrees 179. b Sinne entred by man and not by God 167 Sinne seperateth vs from the familiarity of God 117. b Sinnes are not equall 53 Sinnes punished by sinnes 248. b Sinnes of committing and omyttyng 63 Sinnes former by latter sins punished 79 Sinne cured with sinne 168. b Sinnes cannot be auoyded by vs. 73 Sinne is not therfore excused bycause it is publike 254. b Sinnes haue their weighte by the law 53 Sinnes are yll and good in diuers respectes 166. b Sinne is syn bycause it is againste Gods woord 233. b Sinne no synne when God commaundes it 39 Sinne whether God be the cause thereof 78 Sinnes reward is death 194. b Sinnes cause is not to be layde to God 167 Sin how it depeÌ„deth of god 166. b Sinne punished with sinne 11 Sinne is not to be committed to auoyd synne 253 Sinne is euer to be auoyded let folow what wyll 253 Sinnes of the Israelites 40. b Sinners punished by God two maner of wayes 11 Sinners punished by the same thinges wherin they transgres 61 Sinners ar not excused by the working of God 79 Sinners ought to cal vpon God 78 Sinners whether God heare 207 Single life for Ministers 94 Singuler for plural 109. b Singing in the church 102. b Singing dauncing alike 286. b Sircius a Romain forbad mariage of Ministers 94 Sisera a
foure parts Of the diuision of the holy Scriptures and ascribe some bokes as wel of the old testament as of the new to lawes some to histories some to prophecies and other some agayne to wisdome But it is not meete so to deuyde the bookes of the holye scripture one from an other bicause that in the bokes of Exodus Leuiticus Numeri and Dâ—uteromie in which they appoint lawes to be conteined are founde almoste as many histories as lawes Besides that in the bokes which they assigne to prophetes lawes of liuing vprightlye are oftentimes written and clearely expounded Neither can we properly separate the bokes of Salomon other of the kynd which they wil haue proper to wisdome from lawes and prophecies For there are in them sentences here and there written which seruing for the instruction of life haue also wtout controuersy the nature of lawes Furthermore for the that in theÌ„ are very many secretes opened vnto the church by the inspiration of the spirite of god they poure vndoubtedly into the attentife hearers oracles of thinges to come It may easily he graunted that all these things which they make mentioÌ„ of are founde in the holy bookes I meane the precepts of liuing notable hystories prophecies of thinges to come and also moste wise sentences and sayinges but in such sort that in maner in euery booke they are set forth vnto vs dispersedly neither yet would I that these holy bookes should be deuided one from an other by these endes and limittes I would rather thinke as the learned sorte doe also iudge that whatsoeuer thinges are conteyned in the holy Scriptures should be referred vnto two principall heades the lawe I meane and the gospell There be two principal pointes whereunto al the whole scriptures are referred For euery where are declared vnto vs either the precepts of god of vpright liuing or wheÌ„ we are reproued to haue strayed froÌ„ theÌ„ by reasoÌ„ of weakenes or els of malice the gospel is layd forth before vs wherin by Christ that thing wherein we haue offended is pardoned and the strength and power of the holy ghost promised vs to reforme vs againe to the image of god whiche we had loste These two thinges maye we beholde in all the bookes of Moyses in the histories Prophetes and bookes appointed to wisdome and that not onely in the olde Testamente but also in the newe and they are not separated one from an other by bookes and leaues but by that maner which is now declared What thinges are entreated of in thys boke of Iudges And this is sufficient as touching the generall matter of the holy scriptures But nowe we must peculiarly speake of this booke that we may vnderstand what things they be which are entreated of in the same And to the ende we may the more plainly vnderstande this it is nedefull to call to memory those thinges which were spoken of in the former bookes In Genesis is set forth the creation of the worlde then howe of Abraham Isaac Iacob and his twelue childreÌ„ was engendred the people of god and how they wer brought into Egipt to driue away their famine Exodus teacheth the greate encrease and incredible multiplication of the Israelites the maner also and forme wherby they were of god by Moyses deliuered from bondage and set at liberty and how they wer excelleÌ„tly adorned with lawes iudgementes and ceremonies whiche thinges are also comprehended in the bookes of Leuiticus What is coÌ„tayned in the bookes which go before the iudges The booke of Numbers conteineth very many passages of the Hebrewes and diuerse placings and orderings of their tents in the desert places also certain vsages of those rules which were prescribed before of god in the lawes And lastly of al in Deuteronomy When Moyses should depart out of this life he like a most faithfull minister of god moste learned preacher repeteth vnto the people almost the whole lawe After whose death Iosua captain of the Hebrewes led the people beyond Iordane and possessed some parte of the promised land of Chanaan and deuided it as god had commauÌ„ded to his whole natioÌ„ by tribes WheÌ„ he was dead god gouerned the Hebrewes by certain excellent meÌ„ which were called Iudges of which Iudges this booke which we haue taken in hand to enterpreate hath his name and title Why thys is called the booke of the iudges But for the better vnderstanding of the title therof we muste know that this word Shaphat in the Iewes tongue signifieth somtime to execute the law and to iudge the causes betwene theÌ„ which are at controuersie which office yet is not proper to those Iudges of whiche we nowe entreate For there were Leuites appointed which sate and gaue iudgement at the gates of euery citye and aboue all iudgementes sate Senadrim which were an assembly of 70. elders Senadrim Furthermore the word signifieth to reuenge to set at libertie which these excellent meÌ„ performed whose noble acts ar declared in this volume They by their authoritie through their might and counsell deliuered the Israelites when they were oppressed of straungers and kept them in the obseruing of the law true worshipping of God And that their office may the better be perceiued we wyll briefly expound the face and estate of that publike weale God himselfe was the true and proper king of that nation Of the common wealth estate of the Iewes for he onely had the principal power there but not as he had ouer other nations but so that he by his becke oracle and certain commaundement gouerned the estate of the Israelites which he promised to do in the .18 chap. of Exodus Wheras he said that that people should be hys chiefe kingdome But bycause he would also vse the ministery of men he prouyded al thyngs necessary for the Hebrewes fyrst by Moyses and then by Iosua as long as they liued They exercised the office of princes or captaines which men being dead god would haue the best and most excellent men to haue the rule ouer theÌ„ for such men were picked out to be of the senate whose excellent conditions are set forth as well in Exodus as in Deuteronomy for the lawes of God would not suffer euery one to be called to that office That is wheÌ„ the best men are gouernours ouer the coÌ„moÌ„ weale If thou shalt therfore consider these men then shalt thou see the forme of that gouernment which is called Aristocratia But bicause that it was not lawfull to attempt great matters without the peoples consent we may therfore iustly thinke that it was also a common wealth which endured to the tyme of Saule and Dauid the first kings That estate therfore in respect of god was a kingdome but in respect of the Senate those chiefe men it was Aristocratia Bicause in electing of theÌ„ they had no regard to their riches but to their vertue and godlines for that the weightiest
that the Israelits did oftentimes offend And god chastened them as his children with iust punishments But when they turned and cried vnto him he had compassion of them and deliuered them by iudges out of their miseries This remayneth also for vs to declare that for as much as Christ is called the end and perfection of all the holy bokes how these actes also of the iudges may and ought to be referred vnto him and how they prophecie him vnto vs as the other holy bookes do To answer to this I will take that which Origen writeth in his first Homely vpon thys boke Al the workes of god by themselues are great After what sort the holy histories do coÌ„teine teach Christ but when they are conferred together some of them may be called small and other some greate If god his leadyng of the children of Israel out of Egipte and throughe the wildernesse should be beholden by themselues they are surely great woorkes but if they be afterward conferred with this that God loued the world so that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for it then shall this be a great worke and the others small But bicause in the greater things the lesse are comprehended for that they are partes of theÌ„ as the number of two is contayned in thre and thre in foure So these pryuate deliueries of the people which happened vnder the Iudges for as much as they are comprehended in that principall redemption which is geuen vnto maÌ„kynd by Christ it must nedes be that they shuld expresse vnto vs the same for that they were certain assured partes and figuratiue shadowes and had the same authour namely Christ him selfe For he which before deliuered the Hebrues by iudges did afterward redeme al men by him self And euen as the miseries of thys lyfe the spoyling I say of goods banishments wouÌ„des torments are very greuous to the flesh wheÌ„ they are pondred by themselues so when they are conferred with the anger of god euerlasting death into that which we incurre by reason of our sinnes they may most rightly be estemed small thinges for that these are most greuous Wherfore when we consider how the Iewes were deliuered froÌ„ outward miseries Let vs call to remembraunce those most great euils froÌ„ which Christ of his singular goodnes hath deliuered vs. And when as the children of Israell do oftentimes escape by iudges out of their afflictioÌ„s they do as it were point with their finger Christ vnto vs raised vp from the dead they shew vnto vs also the last resurrectioÌ„ of the saints wherin they shal be altogether deliuered from al afflictioÌ„s infirmities Wherfore as wel this booke as also other holy histories do with much profit admonish the readers of Christ and his members And bicause I think I haue spoken enough already of the matter and subiect of this boke I wil now go to declare the forme of the writing therof What kind of writing is obserued in this boke The definition of an history It consisteth altogether of an historical kind of writing as may easily appeare to al the readers An historye is as Quintilianus writeth in the second boke 4. chap of hys Institutions a setting forth of a thing done From which Augustine differeth not much who writeth on the second chap of Gen vpon the letter An history is wheÌ„ a thing done either by god or by maÌ„ is set forth in this diffinitioÌ„ he coÌ„preheÌ„deth as wel prophane histories as holy But our boke doth chiefly for the most part set forth those things which wer done by god But bicause al setting forth of thiÌ„gs done are not of one kind wheÌ„ as som ar called chronicles other some named histories we must se in which of these two this our declaration must be placed that can we not wel do except we seperate these the one from the other Cicero in his 2. boke de Oratore touching these writeth after this sort The difference betwene an history and a chronicle The gretians at the first wrote eueÌ„ as our Cato Pictor Piso did for an history was nothiÌ„g els but a collecting together of things done yerely which thiÌ„gs that thei might the better be kept in memory the chief bishop froÌ„ the beginning of matters of Rome euen to Publius Mutius the chief bishop wrote al things that wer done euery yere brought theÌ„ into a commoÌ„ place set theÌ„ out on a table in his house that the people also might frely haue knowledge of theÌ„ they be they which are now called the great yerely Chronicles This forme of writing many haue followed which haue without any deckings or ornameÌ„ts left behind them onely the monumeÌ„ts of tymes men places and of things done Therfore as Pherceydes Hellanicus Acusilaus very many other we amoÌ„gst the greciaÌ„s so is our Cato Pictor Piso who cared not for the eloqueÌ„t kind of writing while that meÌ„ might vnderstaÌ„d what they spake they counted shortnesse to be the onely prayse of speaking c. He addeth afterward The nature of things desireth the order of tymes it requyreth also the description of countreyes bicause in weighty matters and worthy of memory first counsels are loked for then the acts afterward the endes And as touching counsels is signified what the author alloweth And in things done is declared not only what is done or spokeÌ„ but also how c. By these things we may gather what is the nature of yerely chronicles and also what of an history and me thinketh that these our narrations are rather to be counted histories thaÌ„ yerely chronicles for bicause not only things done are set forth The narratioÌ„s of this booke are histories not yerely chronicles The opinion of Aulus Geilius as touching yerely chronicles and an History but also the causes counsels and maners are declared Also orations admonitions and reprouings are sometimes added not without some ornamentes All which thinges pertayn rather to an history thaÌ„ to bare yerely chronicles But now that we haue heard Cicero his opinioÌ„ let vs also heare what Aulê° Gelliê° writeth in the .5 chap. of his 5. boke which writeth this Some do thinke that an history differeth froÌ„ a chronicle in this that wheÌ„ both of theÌ„ are a declaratioÌ„ of things done yet an history is properly of those things at the doings wherof he that wrote theÌ„ hath bene preseÌ„t c. He folowed not this distinctioÌ„ not wtout cause which neuerthelesse Seruiê° GraÌ„maticê° embrased Isidorus in his first boke of Etymologies folowed hiÌ„ which is maruel bicause he is not only against Cicero which saith that an history is a gathering together of thinges done yerely but also against Vergil whose verse in the first of the Eneydos is And now haue we laysure to heare the yerely chronicles of our labours Where he declareth that yerely Chronicles pertayne also vnto things at the doyngs wherof we our selues were present But nowe
battail bycause they went to warrefare without oracle as it is written in the vii of Iosua It is also written in the same boke in the ix chap. that the Gabaonites were receaued into league without the oracle of god and it is also writtē in the boke of Numbers that the Israelites were slayne by the Amorrhites when they fought cōtrary to gods will This peoples iudgement therfore is worthy to be praysed for it is excellently well done in most weighty affaires to aske counsell of God first of all And that must be done conueniently and holyly otherwise it profiteth not For the Israelites whē they should make warre agaynst the tribe of Beniamin although they asked coūsell of God yet were they twice put to flight slayne cowardly tourned their backes to their enemies bycause they behaued not them selues well in asking counsell of god Wherfore they asked counsell of God And it is to be beleued that the Hebrues after the death of Iosua considered this with them selues that their hong a great matter in those first warres whiche should be enterprised after the death of Iosua bycause if they happened to be ouercome of those nations in one battaill or two then would those nations thincke with them selues that the good lucke of the Israelites were chaunged with the death of their captayne By whiche opinion they would easely haue ben boldened and their affaires should haue had better successe dayly But on the contrary if it happened that the Israelites gotte the vpper hand in the first battailles they sawe that the power and audacitie of the nations woulde euery daye diminishe and beyng made feable and faynter they should the easelyer be ouercome God was also asked counsell of in the tyme of Iosua They did not therfore without cause aske coūsell of God in so great a matter which also to do the cōmaundement of the law did vrge them which is writtē in the boke of Numbers Neither must it be now thought that they so required the oracle as though they did not the same whē Iosua was lyuing for they required also answers of God verye often when he was a lyue but after his death it is said that they enquired for this thing chiefly principally namely which tribe should go vp to battail before all the other in al their causes And thys is the signification of the hebrew word Lanu that is for vs. And this woord to go vp is mencioned bycause they saw that they should fyrst vanquishe the hyly places Against Chanaan This is somtimes a general name What the people of Canaā were containeth al these nations which God had decreed to destroy out of Palestine whereby all the lande was afterward called Channan And sometimes it signifieth particularly some one nation of that people And that lay chiefly about Tyre Sidon Which the Euangelical history proueth when it calleth the woman a Chananite which offered her self to the sonne of God when he was goyng to Tyre Sidon And of that nation peraduenture bicause it was mightier than the other were the rest called Chananites And I wyl not ouerskip this by the way that the people which is singularly called Chanaan when they wer driuen out of their coastes by the Israelites they departed to Aphrica where they remayned safe euen to the time of Augustine Augustine So that the father writeth in his booke of the exposition whych hee begon vpon the epistle to the Romaines thus Our rusticals beyng demaunded what they wer they answered in the Affrick tong Chananites And theyr language is very nye to the Hebrewe tong The Africans ar Chananites as the same Augustine writeth in hys booke of questions vpon the Iudges the .16 question For by Baal in the Affrick tong they seme to say Lord whereby by Baal Samen is vnderstoode as thoughe they would say Lord of heauen bicause these tonges differ not much one from an other Hierome also agreeth therw t Hierome writing vpon Esay the prophet when he enterpreteth these woords Behold a virgin shal conceaue in the Affrick tong saith he which is said to haue had his ofspring of the Hebrues Virgil. A virgin is properly called Almah Also Virgil when he called Dido an Aphrician a Sidonian the inhabitants of Carthage Tirianes hath most manifestly confirmed that Dido her people came of the Chananites Wherfore it is no maruel if they almost kept in remembraunce the Chananishe tong But these thinges I haue spoken by the way But now Chanaan signifieth no one special nation but is a cōmon word for al those nations which the Israelites should ouerthrow For the tribe of Iudah which is said to haue gone vp first of al to the war For what thing the Israelites asked councell of God had in his lot the Iebusites not the Chananites Moreouer I admonishe the Reader that the Hebrues asked not counsel of God for their Captaine neither desired they to know what man should be made chief ruler ouer the Israelites going to battail against the Chananites but which tribe should begin the battel first Othoniel the first Iudge should be of the tribe of Iudah But we entreate not of him now presently And bycause it is said that the children of Israel asked counsell of the Lorde Howe many waies that elders asked councell of God some wil aske after what sort the Iewes accustomed to aske anye thing of hym at that time It may be answered that ther wer three accustomed ordinarye waies which are rehersed in the .28 chap. of the first booke of Samuel namely by dreames by Vrim Thūmim lastly by prophets whē ther wer any to be had therfore Saul complained in the booke that God had answered hym by none of these waies when he would haue asked counsel of hym of the successe of the most daungerous battail I finde also other waies in the scriptures of asking coūsell of god but they wer extraordinary waies One is by reuelacion of angels or of god him self expressing him selfe vnder some forme An other way was when som holy men by the mouing of god did appoint to themselues certayn tokens of thinges to come which did signify before whether they happened this waye or that what should be looked for So Abraham hys seruaunt decreed with hymself that she should be his Lordes wife which only amongest many maydens comming to the well offred drinke of her owne mynde to hym and to his Camels Ionathas also the sonne of Saule had then the victory promysed him when the Philistianes shoulde say Come vp hither to vs and contrarilye if they shoulde byd him tary till they came downe thither I haue called these extraordinarye wayes bycause they were not commonly vsed neyther are they often red in the Scriptures Lottes also are of this kinde There is mention made of them in the fyrst booke of Samuel when Saule should be declared King all the tribes standing there
was in their power The lawes made by god against the Chananites myght be mitigated to promise mercy and safety vnto this man And as touchyng the commaundement of God they thought gods lawes not to be so rigorous but they might be mitigated with some equitie as they remembred was done with the Gabaonites who were neuer the lesse Heuites or Hemorrites Thou wilt say peraduenture They were so saued that they were brought into bondage Bondage is a ciuille death And necessitie of bondage is a certain kynde of ciuile death wherfore in that the life of the body was graunted them the commaundement of the Lord seemeth not to be violated for they were killed after a sorte The question is not dissolued by this reason For God prescribed by law that the Chananites should be put to death he referred not that to a ciuile death but to a naturall death for otherwise Saul might haue excused him selfe bycause he killed not Agag the king of Amalek with an outwarde death For he might haue sayd that he had alreadye kylled hym ciuilly But bycause we are fallen into talke of the Gabaonites Of the Gabaonites I thincke it good to say thus much of them God ratified the othe performed to the Gabaonites First that God did ratifye that othe whiche the Israelites performed vnto them for as muche as he ayded the host of the Hebrues in deliueryng their citie from the other Chananites But if so be that they had violated the curse whiche was set forth of God he would not then haue done it For bycause of the sinne of Achan who had by stealth saued somwhat of that whiche was cursed in Iericho he did not helpe his people but suffred them fowly to be slayne when they fought against the citie Hay Besides this it is writtē in the latter booke of Samuel that God plagued the Israelites thre yeares continually with most grieuous famine bycause the Gabaonites were contrary to the othe slayne of Saul miserably dispersed Wherfore according to their request they had seauen of Sauls posteritie deliuered them to be hanged These are most certayne signes that God ratified the couenaunt which was made with the Gabaonites althoughe the Hebrues did grieuously sinne bycause they asked not counsell of God Augustine sayth vpon the x. chap. of the Iudges Augustine when he interpreteth that place where it is written that God promised Iosua that he would be with him in the defence of the citie Gabaon For he sayd be not affeard for I will deliuer them namely the Chananites whiche besieged that citie into thine handes if this league sayth he nowe made with the Gabaonites had displeased God then would he haue commaunded Iosua not to take in hand that expedition but rather to haue broken the couenaunt made with that nation But contrarily he encouraged hym and of his owne accord not called vpon promised to aide him in the fight as it may appeare by the history But why he did allow the league so made Why God allowed the league made with the Gabaonites there may be two reasons geuen for it One which is there mentioned bycause they had bounde it with an othe And if the Israelites shuld haue violated that their neighbours would haue coūted them as irreligious and vngodly and their God should haue ben mocked and contemned Wherfore lest the name of God and the fame of the Israelites should haue ben euill spoken of it was ratified althoughe it was vnwysely and without prayse perfourmed The other cause is The Gabaonites were turned to the true God bycause the Gabaonites did now beleue in the true God and were redy to embrase his religion and worshipping Whiche may easely be gathered by two argumētes For they sayd as it is written in the ix chap. of the booke of Iosua that they came in the name of the Lord beyng therfore moued therunto bycause they had heard what thynges God had done for that peoples sake both in Egypt and also in the deserte and lykewise about Iordane This is a tokē that they now beleued the God of the Israelites Moreouer the same appeareth in that they were appoynted by the Hebrues to cary and to prepare wood and also to draw water for the sacrifices whiche were done vnto the true God Therfore they were made labourers and seruauntes of the tabernacle and of the tribe of Leui wherof they were called Nathinites Nathinites And that the lawes whiche were made of God agaynst the seauen nations which inhabited the land of Chanaan were by this equitie to be interpreted and mitigated that if they returned to the true God would make peace with the Iewes they should not be destroyed it manifestly appeareth by that whiche is written in the xi chap of the booke of Iosua namely howe those nations were therfore destroyed bycause none of them the Gabaonites only excepted made peace with the Israelites For God to the end he would extinguish them had hardened their hartes and therfore they most obstinatly fought agaynst the Israelites Why god hardned the hartes of the Chananites But the cause why God so hardned their harts was bycause their sinnes were ful Wherfore they beleued not as did the Gabaonites neither adioyned they thē selues vnto the Israelites And for that cause they continually resistyng them fought so vnluckely that at length they were cleane destroyed But if so be that they had made peace with the Iewes and not despised their godlynesse and religion they should haue had the same geuen them whiche the Gabaonites had But in that they did not so their former sinnes were the hinderaunce therof for God for those sinnes tooke away his spirite and grace from their hartes that at the last they might suffer most iust punishment for their wickednesse This is the equitie and mitigations of those lawes against the Chananites Why the Gabaonites were brought into bondage But there ariseth a doubt why the punishement of bondage was imposed to the Gabaonites if they nowe became so good and faithfull Whereunto is aunswered that they therfore fell into bondage bycause they vsed fraude and guile For God would for this cause haue them so punished lest he should seme to allowe disceate and euill artes Whether the Luzite repēted Ierome Now resteth to enquire what this betrayer of Luz did whether he beleued and embrased the true worshippyng of God Out of the holy scriptures we can gather nothing of this thing Peraduenture it may seme to some that he abode still in his vngodlynesse bycause he went awaye from thence neither abode he with the Iewes But this is but a weake reason For Iethro also departed from Moyses whō he came to se in the desert although as I thincke he left his sonne with Moyses Neither would Christ haue all those continually with him whom he healed and whiche beleued in him yea he sayd to one of thē who would haue dwelled with hym returne to thine owne
euery where detest lyes And we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded as Peter saith to speake as it wer the wordes of god And these wordes are pure neither must we grauÌ„t that there is any lye fouÌ„d in theÌ„ as Augustine hath very wel writteÌ„ vnto Ierome What is to be aunswered coÌ„cernyng the lyes of the sainctes And thoughe we read that the sainctes did somtimes lye yet we must either not excuse theÌ„ seing they were meÌ„ or els we must thinke that it was done by the wil of god For then the actioÌ„ which of his own nature appeareth to be vicious ceasseth 〈◊〉 to be sinne when it is manifest that god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded the same And after this sorte AbrahaÌ„ is excused in that he would haue killed his sonne The Israelites also are defended whiche when they departed tooke away with them those things which they had borowed of the EgyptiaÌ„s These cautioÌ„s at this preseÌ„t offer theÌ„ selues vnto me He answereth to the reasons put in the be-beginning wherby may be adorned this kind of proditioÌ„ which may be allowed or defended whiche otherwise is a thing to be cursed detested as it is manifest that the prodition of Iudah was Neither caÌ„ the reasons which I haue alledged in the begynning any thing hinder but that some prodition may be approued We declared first by the authoritie of Ierome To the first Antigonus augustus Philip of Macedonia the traitors haue ben accustomed to be euil spokeÌ„ of I answere that therfore that happened bicause proditioÌ„s for the most part lacke these cautioÌ„s before declared For they which are traytors haue not for the most part a respect to that whiche is iust honest neither are they sure of the will of god neither haue they any sure proofe that the cause is right which they follow but are only brought to betray for hatred for their own coÌ„modity for feare wicked affectes And they might also ofteÌ„times haue defeÌ„ded iustice by other wayes meanes Besides this they are not afeard therin to make lyes to coÌ„mit manifest sinnes Furthermore I repete that agayn which I sayd before that it was euill said of theÌ„ in pronouÌ„cing that they loued that treasoÌ„ hated the traitors seing either semeth either equally to be allowed or els equally to be coÌ„deÌ„ned And to be brief the testimonies which wer brought caÌ„ only take place in naughty daÌ„nable treasoÌ„s And to such as coÌ„sider of theÌ„ selues that they would not theÌ„ selues nor theirs to be betrayed therfore wil not that any kind of prodition should be couÌ„ted good we must answere as S. Augustine sayth That the complayntes of such as suffer are not to be heard but we must seke out the mynd of the doers Secondly we declared by the oppinion of Appianus To the second that prodition was farre worser than besiegyng bycause thys namely besiegyng is done by ennemyes but the other by friendes We wyll easely graunte to that for if a naughtye and vniuste prodition be conferred also with an vniuste besiegyng As some besieging is iust so also is some prodition good than shall prodition be iudged farre worser for as muche as it commeth from friendes of whom we looke neither to be hurt nor yet to receaue any damage But euen as some besiegyng is found iust what inconuenience shall it be then or not agreeyng with the truth if some prodition also be found iust The coÌ„parison therfore of Appianus is so to be vnderstaÌ„d that either of the things compared together be euill For as the GraÌ„marians say the comparatiue degree alwayes râ—quireth the positiue degree wherin the comparison is made And in that Theodosius the Emperor as Ierome testifieth did put to death a betrayer it is no meruayle when as the Romane lawes so ordayned in the digestes in the Codice as it is before shewed they determine so of the prodition wherby places of muÌ„nitioÌ„ are deliuered vp to the enemies Euill proditioÌ„ is to be couÌ„ted amonge moste grieuous crimes likewise for treason And assuredly that prodition which is euill ought to be couÌ„ted for a most grieuous crime For if therby come any losse of name or fame then is it against the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god which coÌ„maundeth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse But if it bring losse of good and possessions then is the coÌ„maundement broken which is ordained against theft Finally if it be the cause of losse of body life it violateth the precept wherin god hath coÌ„maunded Thou shalt not kill And there is no doubt but that of proditions such murthers oftentimes happen for the inhabiters of cities which are betrayed are wont to be slayne of their enemies Naughty proditions are iustly punyshed with death Wherfore when that warre is vniust the wicked betrayer is guilty of the murther whiche therof followeth And therfore if lawes or princes haue ordayned death for this wicked crime I thincke it is not vniustly done but the letteth not but that there may be good proditions founde Who doubteth but that thieues should be hanged when as neuerthelesse it â—s lawfull in iuste warre to take spoyles from the enemies To the thirde The Romanes as it was afterward declared toke veÌ„geauÌ„ce of the scholemaster of the children of the PhalisciaÌ„s they detected vnto Pirrhus his phisitioÌ„ which would haue betrayed him These things are true in dede but I may easly aunswere that the Romanes had here a regard to two things First that these namely the scholemaster the PhisitiaÌ„ had not in that which they did a regarde to iustice but were only stirred vp therunto by couetousnesse or hatred Wherfore they semed to haue deserued not a reward but a punishmeÌ„t Furthermore that Romanes had a woÌ„derful great desire of glory which they called valiaÌ„tnesse of mind And being stirred vp with that they thought that victory in a maner vnworthy whiche they got not by force but after this sort which semed to be very cowardly And it is possible that they thought to wynne those agaynst whom they warred and rather by benefites or at the lest way no lesse by benefites than by force To the fourth The Edomites â—nd Moabites did vniustly betraye the Iewes Isai as it was sayd admonished the Moabites in the name of God that they should not betray them whiche did flye vnto them bycause they semed to do that of enuie and malice and not that they were desirous to set forward the will of God For God had not commauÌ„ded the Moabites to afflicte the Israelites Wherfore when the Hebrues were betrayed of the Moabites or of the Edomites that could not be done but of crueltie for as much as the lawes of neighbourhed kynred were violated And that Paul spake vnto Timothe of a wicked prodition it is more manifest than I shall nede now to declare To the fyft Lastly were obiected othes lawes of nature wherw t citizens are bound to defend their countrey Of which
to dwell from the people of God Dauid therof is witnesse who sighed when he was by reason of the vniust violence of Saul constrayned to lyue in deserte places And it appeareth in the Psalmes how grieuously he complayned and lamented that he was forced to dwell among straungers such as were farre frō god Daniel his fellowes mought haue had the fruition of the kinges table and of most delicate meates and yet they abiected those commodities pleasures lest they should defyle thē selues with the delicate meates of the Ethnikes and with the vncleane bankettes of the vnbeleuers Moses also as it is written in the xi to the Hebrues whē he mought haue ben counted the sonne of the daughter of Pharao and therby haue attayned to great honor he contemned all this and went vnto his brethren which were oppressed with miserable seruitude in making bricke and tyles They whiche followe not these examples do manifestly declare that they haue small mynde of the glorye of God and that they will not redeme the same with their own losse or binderāce thoughe it wer neuer so smal or littel Do we sayth Paul to the Corrnth 1. prouoke God Are we stronger than he Wherfore they whiche are weake and vnlearned It is not lawfull to dwell with infidelles when we are compelled to cōmunicate with theyr vngodly rites whilest they take vpon them to dwell among infidels they do without doubt tempte god and in a maner prouoke him as thoughe they would be strōger thā he I could gather a great many more reasons for this sentēce but these whiche I haue brought shal be sufficient at this tyme. Now let vs come to those whiche do so dwell among infidels that they are compelled to be present at their vnlawfull rites whether those be learned or vnlearned whether they be strong or weake what they be in this case it maketh no matter For I comprehend them altogether I say that none of them such an habitation or coniunction is to be suffred but either they must flye from thence or rather suffre death than to commit Idolatry Paul sayd as I haue before declared Flye from Idolatry The lawe and Prophetes the olde and new Testament are full of ordinaunces commaundementes lawes admonitions rebukes wherby straunge worshipping is forbidden Daniel 3. Daniels fellowes chose rather to be cast into the fornace than they would worship the ymage set vp by a moste mighty king Machabea the mother with her children would rather dye Machab. 7. than she would against the lawes of God eate swynes fleshe I could reckon an infinite numbre of Martyrs which most cōstantly suffred death rather than they would forsake theyr godlynesse which they had professed hauing this sayeng alwayes before their eyes feare not them whiche can kill the body c. Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians affirmeth the same bycause we are the temple of God the members of Christ and partakers of the table of the Lord which table can haue nothyng common with the table of deuils All these thinges are to be applied vnto our tymes when in the tyme of Papistrie godly men if they dwell with the vngodly are compelled to be at their Masses and most filthy seruices whiche of all thinges is not lawful vnto them But some take these probations by me now alledged to be vnderstand of sacrifices done to Idoles and not of the superstitions whiche are now vsed in the tyme of Papistry An outwarde worke can not be counted for the worshipping of God excepte it be grounded by hys worde But they ought to remember that no outward worke is to be had for the true worshipping of God vnlesse it be appoynted by the worde of God whiche if it be not it can be nothing els but an inuention of man For we can not without faith worship God and fayth can haue no place where the word of God is withdrawen Wherfore in humane actions how goodly in shewe so euer they be vnlesse god by his word do allow them they can be no worshipping of him Surely if we would honor men we are wont chiefly to marke A similitude in what things those men do delite in and when we haue found that out we thinke we haue bestowed our labour well when we haue shewed vnto them those thinges wherin they were wont to reioyce and delyte Why then do we not after the same sorte with God to serue him with that kynd of worshipping whiche he hath allowed by his oracles Let vs heare him in Esay how that in the oblations sacrifices incenses and offringes which were brought into the temple without faith he was rather weryed than reioysed in them He abhorreth and detesteth these kyndes of sacrifices as the Prophetes haue taught vs. Yf these thinges are spoken of those sacrifices whiche they by the word of God vsed that for that cause only bycause they were offred without faith what thinke we is to be iudged of the inuētions of men fayned worshippinges which beyng voyde of the word of God cā not be done with faith There is no true god which delighteth in fayned worshyppynges we may verely say that they pertayne vnto Idolatry And that may be manifestly gathered hereby bycause there is no true God whiche wil be worshipped with these thinges Wherfore it followeth that the vngodly whilest they adioyne such rites vnto their holy seruices they do not worship the true God but him whom they haue fayned with them selues to delyte in these thinges And for as much as in the whole nature of thinges there is no such they worship the Idole of their owne mynde and therfore iustly and worthely they may be called Idolaters But they say that those thinges which are sayd done in the Masse We must haue no regarde to the begynning of Ceremonies but whether they agre with the worde of God had their beginning by the institution of Christ althoughe they were afterward vitiated thoroughe mens defaulte That helpeth them nothing for as much as in these thinges we may not haue a regarde or consideration to their begynning but to their nature and forme And we must diligētly marke whether they agree with the worde of God The brasen Serpent by the commaundement of God had his beginning it was also endewed with miracles The brasē Serpent for the Israelites were by looking vpon it deliuered from their venemous byting The same Serpent neuerthelesse when the Iewes worshipped him and offered incense vnto it the godly men detested it So that the most holy king Ezechias brake him in pieces therwithall vtterly put away the worshipping therof We must not therfore haue a regard to the originall of a thing What the Hebrues meante whē they made thē selues the golden calfe but we must looke how it is vsed whether it agree with the first institution The Hebrues when they compelled Aaron to make them a calfe to worship had not that mynde
a superiour power These seeme after thys manner to be deuided some to haue iurisdiction eyther proper or by heritage or els committed vnto them by Emperours Kynges and publique wealthes Or els they are wythout iurisdiction and are counted noble onely for nobilitye of bloude or for ryches heaped together And assuredly for so much as those latter sortes differ nothing almost from priuate menne in myne opinion wee muste so iudge of them as before I haue taught of priuate men But the first which are Rulers of Prouinces Cities and places eyther by inheritaunce or by office committed vnto them they ought not otherwyse to doo in the thyng whereof we now entreate than wee haue before prescribed for those which are mere and full Magistrates For by the commaundement of the superiour Princes it is not lawfull for them to compell the Subiectes whom they gouerne vnto vngodly religion neyther to permyt the same to those Infidels whych inhabite in their dominions But if thou wilt say we must obey the hygher power I graunt that but vsque ad aras that is An answeare of the Lacedemonians as farre as religion suffereth When they whych ouercame the Lacedemonians commaunded suche thynges as were against their lawes and institutions they sayde We woulde rather dye yea than ye shoulde commaunde vs thinges harder than death Wherefore suche kynde of Magistrates must in all other thynges be subiect to the superiour power but in those thynges whyche are agaynste the woorde of God they muste not in anye sorte followe theyr affection An example of the Machabites The Machabites when the Iewes then lyued vnder the Macedonians Antiochus Demetrius and Alexander who wythdrewe the Iewes from the true woorshypping of God would not be obedient vnto them And when that that house of priesthoode was chiefest next to the kynges house least the syncere and auncient religion should be destroyed it fell from these kynges The bookes of the Machabits conteyne not so do argumēts wherby the doctrin of the faithful cā be proued Neyther in alledging these thynges count I not the bookes of the Machabites to be suche from whence I woulde iudge any strong argumentes of doctrine maye be taken but that I counte that storye true as a storye whyche is not onelye contayned in theese bookes but also hathe beene wrytten of other authours An example of Ezechias I wyll adde also the acte of Ezechias the kyng who as it is wrytten in the seconde booke of Kynges the .xviii. Chapter was bounde to the kyng of the Assirians For as it is mencioned in the same booke the .xvi. chapter Achas had yelded hym selfe vnto the kyng of the Assirians to whom hee dydde not onelye paye tribute but to please him with all he chaunged the woorshyppyng of the true God For he goyng to Damascus to meete the kyng commaunded an aultar to bee made at Ierusalem accordyng to the example whiche hee had there seene and followed the religion and woorshyppynge of the Sirians But Ezechias his Sonne beyng verye godlye perceauing that those thinges which his Father had done were against the woord of God vtterly fel from the king of the Assirians who then ruled ouer him as a superiour power But first he assayed to pacifye him with giftes and money but when he saw that woulde take no place We must beware as muche as is possible of sedicions he defended both his people and him selfe against him with al his power We must take heede neuerthelesse that in those thinges wee beware of seditions as much as may be and we must most diligentlye prouide that suche Magistrates vnder pretence of religion seeke not their own These thinges if they obserue and resist their superiour Magistrates onely for godlynesse sake let them not suspect that they commit anye vniust thyng Moreouer the holy Scriptures commaunde that euery soule shoulde bee subiect to the higher powers But that must be vnderstande as muche as shall be lawfull by the woord of God For in the same scriptures it is written That a Magistrate is a feare not to good woorkers but to euyll Wherefore if the inferiours doo not set forward euell workes but good they do not then resiste theyr powers Wilt thou not feare the power sayth the apostle do good and for that thou shalt be praysed Wherfore if they defend godlynes they shall deserue rather prayse than blame But if thou do euyll feare the power for he beareth not the sweard in vayne for he is the minister of God and a reuenger to anger against him which doth euyll Al these sentences do confirme the courages of the inferiour powers that they should be nothing afearde of the superiour power when they in defending of religion obey it not But thou wilt say by what lawe doo inferiour Princes resist either the Emperour or Kynges or elles publique wealthes when as they defend the syncere religion and true faith I aunswer by the law of the Emperour or by the lawe of the King or by the law of the publique wealth For they are chosen of Emperours Kinges and publique wealthes as helpers to rule whereby Iustice may more and more florishe And therfore were they ordeyned according to the office committed vnto them rightly iustly and godly to gouerne the publyke wealthe Wherefore they doo according to their duty when in cause of religion they resist the higher power Neither can that superiour power iustly complain if in that case the inferiour power fal from it The Emperour testifieth in the Code Iustinian that his mynde is not that any of hys decrees shoulde take place in iudgementes agaynste right but that they ought to bee made voyde and of no force if that peraduenture they bee knowen to declyne from Iustice Wherefore Traian is not vnworthily commended A goodly sentēce of Traian whych when he delyuered the sweard and the gyrdle vnto the Lieuetenant of the Pretorshyppe sayd If I rule iustlye vse it on my syde but if I rule vniustlye vse it agaynst me Gregory a Byshoppe of Rome can not bee excused An errour of Gregory Bishop of Rome whyche knowing that the lawe made by Mauritius was vniust for he had decreed that no manne beyng occupyed wyth busynes of the publique wealthe or appoynted for warrefare should be made a Clarke or a Monke wrote in deede to the Emperour that when hee had seene hys lawe he was wonderfullye affrayde and therefore desyred hym eyther to remytte somewhat of the rigour thereof or els vtterlye to alter it Howe beit he added that he woulde nowe that hee hadde done hys dutye in admonishing hym bycause of that obedience and seruice whych he oughte vnto hym publyshe the lawe at Rome as he was commaunded Vndoubtedlye thys act of Gregory cannot but be reproued bycause he ought not to haue obeied the superiour power in that thing whych he iudged to be vniuste or wycked When we do after this sorte write of these thinges we do nothing at all
saued Furthermore let vs learne hereby euery man for his owne parte to beare continuall hatred to the wicked affections of the fleshe For we ought neuer to come into fauour again with them We must make no league with wicked affections or to make peace or a league with theÌ„ for so much as God hath appoynted that we should continually make warre agaynst his enemyes What is the office of Princes against heretikes Papistes Finally let Christian Princes be taughte howe they ought to behaue them selues agaynst Papistes and heretikes namely diligently to persecute correcte and amende the errours in them and at the length to compell them to returne into the right waye otherwise in permittyng them to take deeper roote and to lyue at will and idlely they noryshe thornes for them selues and do willyngly drawe vnto them blockes to stumble at 4 And when the Aungell of the Lorde spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israell the people lifted vp their voyce wept 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim and offred Sacrifices there vnto the Lorde The fruite of the sermon whiche was preached is by certayn outward sygnes expressed vnto vs whiche were in a manner apt witnesses of repentaunce and of a conuerted mynde Thre apt witnesses of repeÌ„taunce Thre thynges therfore are mencioned First when the people had heard this sermon they lifted vp their voyce wherby as it is to be beleued they confessed their synnes and implored the mercy of God Secondly it is added that teares were ioyned with the voyces and lastly that they offred Sacrifices vnto God What they said when they lifted vp their voyce the scripture doth not expresse but I haue expounded what is most likely that they sayd and therfore I will stande no longer about that thyng but I will somewhat tary in those thinges whiche the history hath mencioned of what thynges they are namely as touchyng teares and Sacrifices Wherein we must knowe that true and lawfull repentaunce consisteth chiefly of two principall poyntes Two principal pointes of repeÌ„tauÌ„ce which do spryng out of fayth namely of a sorowe conceaued for the wicked Actes committed and of a sure confidence to obtayne pardon by Christe Neither ought we to be ignoraunte that these two thynges do burgen out of fayth as out of their propre and naturall roote And fayth when it bryngeth forth suche fruites is occupyed about two thynges First it assenteth vnto the lawe of GOD and to the threatnynges there set forth and confesseth them to be true whereby we beyng assured of the will of GOD whiche we vnderstande to be by our synnes violated and nothyng doubtyng of the threatnynges adioyned we can not but be grieuously sory Secondly fayth embraseth the promise of forgeuenesse of punishementes by Christ And whilest it is occupyed about these two thynges so many outwarde signes also do follow Two outward signes followe true repeÌ„tauÌ„ce For of sorow come syghinges teares which haue adioyned vnto theÌ„ confessioÌ„ of the sinnes committed whiche is sometymes expressed sometymes close And where there is conceaued an assuraunce of forgeuenesse there followe Sacrifices And bycause fayth is the mother of these thynges and it is conceaued by the worde of GOD therefore the historye declareth that the Israelites did at the length weepe and do Sacrifice after that they had heard the sermon The worde of god stirreth vp repentaunce For as Paule sayeth fayth commeth of hearyng and hearyng by the worde of GOD. Wherefore weepyng and sighing followed fayth by whiche weepyng the sorowe then conceaued in the hearte manifestlye appeared whiche affection of the mynde it is manifest to haue come by reason of the euill whiche then did oppresse them What is the grief sorowe of repentaunce and that euill was the anger of GOD wherewith they felte them selues to be oppressed and whereunto they knewe by the sermon preached that they were guilty Neither is this to be passed ouer that the weepyng of those repenting people was no common or easye weepyng for so much as of the efficacy and aboundance thereof the place was called Bochim Which worde signifieth in the Hebrew tongue men weepyng The Ethnikes do not allowe teares The teares whiche the Ethnike wyse men do either reproue or contempne as comming from a softe and womanlyke hearte God when they burst forth of true repentaunce doth exceadingly allowe them and counteth them as most acceptable Seneca writeth in hys 64. Epistle to Lucillus Seneca that sometymes we may let teares come from vs but we must not weepe He would not therefore haue weepyng to haue the rayne howbeit somewhat he permitted it bycause by the violence of nature they are expressed and they burste forth euen of them whiche will not and do restrayne them as the same authour testifieth in hys â—00 Epistle But we ought not to coÌ„sider what they would but what is allowed of our heauenly Father God accepteth the teares of such as are repentaunt And he wonderfull louyngly accepteth a contrite and humble hearte and the teares of suche as are repentaunt Then it is sayde that they offer Sacrifices whiche were certain tokens of fayth conceaued of the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christe For whilest the Sacrifices were a kyllyng it was set forth that synne in a sorte was transferred into them What the killyng of sacrifices signified For the Sacrifice bare the punishement whiche the transgressour ought to haue had Neither is it to be doubted but that those Sacrifices whilest they were sacrificed dyd shadowe the death of Christ Wherefore those ceremonyes did testifye that the Elders did constantlye beleue that by the oblation and death of Christ all their synnes were taken awaye and already forgeuen them Neither vndoubtedly can true repentaunce be founde wantyng suche a fayth Take awaye fayth repentance is desperation For take awaye thys fayth and it may rather be called desperation than repentaunce Furthermore in these Sacrifices were thankes geuen vnto God whiche would so by Christ be reconciled vnto men Some man will say what shall we do therefore when we repente we may in dede haue teares as witnesses of our inwarde sorrowe but there remayne no Sacrifices in our tyme That whiche the old fathers did by the bloud of beastes the same do we in the supper of the Lord. whereby we should testifye the fayth of the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christe To this I aunswere That whiche they did then by the bloud of beastes and death of cattell we do also nowe in celebratyng the Supper of the Lorde For there we kepe in memorye the death of Christe by outwarde signes as he hym selfe hath instituted and thereof it came that the olde Fathers did so often call the administration of that Sacramente a sacrifice Not bycause as the Papistes falsely beleue the Sacrifice offreth Christe vnto God the father Why the Papistes called the supper of the Lord a
sacrifice but bycause the memorye of hym beyng once offred is called to remembraunce Moreouer we must take heede that we persuade not our selues that God is pacified either by teares or by Sacrifices or by the receauyng of the Sacramentes whiche are but outwarde thynges God is not pacified by outward thynges of them selues For by one onely Sacrifice by the death I saye of Christ God is made mercifull vnto vs the fruite of whose death euery man applyeth vnto hym selfe by fayth And of that fayth we haue those outward thynges as witnesses and sygnes Wherfore if at any tyme we shall heare either the Fathers or the Scriptures them selues to saye that by teares synnes are wyped awaye or that by Sacrifices or Sacramentes GOD is made mercyfull vnto men so ought we to vnderstande their speaches that we referre the Sacrifices and Sacramentes both to Christ hym selfe The properties of thinges are oftentimes attributed to the signes of the same thīgs and also to faith in him for so much as all those are signes of him Neyther let vs thinke that this is a newe or an vnaccustomed thing that the properties operations and efficacy of thynges shoulde be transferred to the signes whiche by the institution of God do note and signife vnto vs the same thinges But these thinges left a syde let vs speake somewhat particularlye both of teares and syghing and also of Sacrifice ¶ Of Teares TEares are counted as certayne thynges added and ioyned to repentaunce Teares are adioyned both to repentaunce also to prayers and also to prayers For not onely the repentaunte when they with a grieuous sorowe deteste their synnes do vse to weepe but also as many as do earnestly and vehemently contend to obteyne any thyng Howbeit the tokens of true repentaunce are not alwayes measured by teares Weepyng is not alwayes a tokē of true repentaunce Teares do not alwayes declare that the praiers are of efficacy 2. Sam. 12. For we reade both in the booke of Genesis and also in the Epistle to the Hebrues that Esau also wepte Teares also do not alwayes declare that the prayers are of efficacye to obteyne that whiche is desired For Dauid after hys aduoutry fasted and wepte whilest he earnestly prayed that lyfe might be spared vnto hys sonne whiche was borne vnto hym by Bethsabe whiche thyng neuerthelesse he could not obteyne but that teares in those examples had no good successe there were diuerse causes thereof For Esau as we shall strayght waye declare mourned not of fayth And Dauid obtayned not that whiche he desired bycause GOD had ordayned to geue him that whiche was much better and more noble than that whiche he required In dede the sonne whiche was conceaued by aduoutry remayned not a lyue But of the same mother he afterwarde had Salomon who succeded the Father in a peaceable and moste ample kyngdome after his death yea and he beyng yet lyuyng But contrarywyse let vs marke howe in Peter teares were tokens of very true repentaunce And also in that woman whiche as the Euangelistes declare with her teares washed the feete of the Lorde And as touchyng prayers Ezechias was hearde when with weepyng he prayed and the death which was threatned hym was differred to an other tyme. Iosias also was hearde who prayed vnto GOD with many teares The 126. Psalme speaketh thus of the fruite of prayer whiche hath sighyng and teares adioyned with it They wente and wepte castyng their sedes but doubtelesse they shall come with ioye shall bryng with thē their sheaues And they which sowe in teares shall reape in ioye It is also written in the 7. Psalme The Lorde hath hearde the voyce of my weepyng And in the 56. Psalme The teares of the Sainctes are in a manner put before GOD in a bottle or potte and faythfully sealed in hys booke Dauid also in hys 95 Psalme stirreth vs vp by these wordes Let vs weepe before the Lorde whiche made vs c. But muche more are we instigated vnto it by the example of Christe who as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrues with a loude crye and with teares prayed for vs. Paul also in the 20. of the Actes sayeth that he had longe serued the Lorde with an humble hearte and with teares What teares ar not allowed of God Neuerthelesse God alloweth not those teares whiche are by a certayne naturall nation powred out without any affection of the mynde as it commonly happeneth vnto those whose eyes are striken with any stroke or to those whiche runne either on foote or on horsebacke and whiche with ouer muche drinke become dronke for these are naturall accidences neither pertayne they any thyng to godlynesse But affections after which teares do followe are these heauynesse of the mynde After what affections teares do followe whiche other call sorrowe also gladnesse and that by contrary reasons For of sorowe spryngeth cold whereby as the whole bodye is constrayned together so also are the humors of the hed whereby it commeth to passe that weapyng by violence bursteth forth But contrarywyse in gladnesse the pypes pores wayes about the eyes are loosed wherby there is made a waye open vnto teares And vndoubtedly of those two affections we haue a testimony in the booke of Esdras For there it is written that when the temple was built the people wept but not all for one cause Parte of thē very sory that the new buylding differed muche in dignitie and ornamentes from the fyrst But contrarywise other reioysed that the house of GOD whiche had layen so longe prostrate was raysed vp agayne And it is manifest in the holy hystorye that Ioseph when he sawe hys brother Beniamin whome he loued wepte for ouer muche ioye Anger hath sorrowe and pleasure mingled together Furthermore there are other affections mixed of sorrowe and ioye whiche make vs to weepe as is a vehement anger whiche hath by reason of contempt sorowe myngled with it and also some ioye and pleasure whilest it goeth aboute reuengement as thoughe it were present Mercy also shaketh out teares for that we are troubled and are sory for other mens euils and are desirous to profite the afflicted For a vehement desire also casteth out teares Wherfore the men of God when in prayeng they earnestly desire to obtayne any thing easely burst forth into teares But what the matter of suche an humour is The Phisicall matter of teares we leaue to the consideration of naturall Philosophers for they do not well agree among them selues as touching it Some thincke that they do come by reason of the gaule beyng troubled vnto which opinion agreeth the first booke de mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae Augustine the x. chap whiche booke is entituled to be Augustines wryting Other suppose them to be a certayne kynde of sweate whiche Plutarche affirmeth Plutarche but some do thinke that euen as from mylke is seperated whay so also a watrish humour is separated
differeth from a Sacrament The difference betwene a sacrifice and a Sacrament whiche is also a voluntarye and religious worke and also instituted by God that by it the promises and good giftes of God should be sealed and exhibited bycause ther we offer nothing vnto God but he offereth signes and amplifieth his giftes vnto vs when as those thinges which are offred ar receaued with a sound saith The definition of a Sacrifice But that the thing may be made more plain let vs in a summe gather the definition of a sacrifice And that is thus A sacrifice is a voluntary and religious action instituted of God to offer vnto him our thinges vnto his glory and that thereby we may with a strayghter bond be coupled vnto hym in holy societye To this definitiō of sacrifices must be added a participation A deuision of sacrifices Certein sacrifices ar propitiatory others ar of thankes geuyng By the first kinde God is made mercifull vnto vs by the power iuste merite therof Sacrifice propitiatory is onely one But of this sorte we haue but onely one for as much as onely by the death of Christ the eternall father is reconciled vnto vs and by the merite of this one only oblation the sinnes of the elect are forgeuen But in the other kinde of sacrifice we geue thankes vnto God we celebrate his name and to our power we obey his will Agayne A sacrifice hath an outwarde part and an inward part wee must know that this kinde of sacrifice consisteth of two partes whereof the one is an inward part namely whereby we freely and without compulsion referre vnto God our own wil and our selues wholy and all that wee haue receaued and we make them subiect vnto him and consecrate them vnto his name The other is an outward part wherby by some gift and that visible and sensible we do as it were by some token and signe testify what we haue in our hart and we offer vnto him somwhat of those things which he himself hath geuen vnto vs. So they in the old time offered first fruites tenthes and sacrifices In whych thinges they dyd not onelye shadowe Christ The outwarde sacrifice with out the inwarde pleaseth not god the most acceptable sacrifice vnto God but they testified also what loue they them selues bare vnto God By these thinges it appeareth that the outward oblation or sacrifice is nothing acceptable vnto God except it haue the inward part annexed with it which maye testefy it to be in vs in very dede for bicause they which do make any such oblation do most filthyly lye vnto God For to testifye that which is not so pertayneth to deceite and seing that a lye is vituperable in all thinges euery wher much more pernicious detestable is it if it be vsed before God Why the sacrifices of the Iewes wer some tymes vnacceptable vnto God Hereof it came that god often times said by his Prophets that the sacrifices of the Iewes wer not acceptable vnto him and chiefely for this cause namely bicause they dissembled to honour him with lyps and outward signes when as they wer farre from him in hart He requireth therfore the inward part by it selfe but as for the outward part he hath no otherwise commaunded but so that it be offered with the inward part ioyned together with it otherwise if it be naked alone it is both vnacceptable and also highly displeaseth him If thou wilt aske what be those outward works The outwarde sacrifices of the Hebrews wherby we may testify the inward sacrifice I could rehearse a great many the killing of beastes the oblations of first fruites and tenthes which the fathers had whilest they were vnder the law To them are added outward wordes wherin we geue thankes vnto god we celebrate his praises and we make our praiers To these must be added duties of charity toward our neighbours Outward kind of sacrifices cōmon to vs to the fathers mortification of the affections of the fleshe and obedience vnto the commaundementes of god All these latter kinde of sacrifices are as well common vnto vs as to the fathers These thinges we geue vnto god to beare witnes of our faith and obeysaunce towarde hym And seing that it is not to be doubted of those first which wer offred in the time of the law but that they were in their time sacrifices least there should be anye ambiguitye had of the other which wee mencioned in the latter place whether they ought to be counted in the place of sacrifices we wil confirme it by testimonies of the scriptures It is written in the .50 psalme Offer vnto god the sacrifice of praise And in the .51 psalme A sacrifice vnto god is a troubled and a broken hart c. In the .12 to the Romanes I desire you for the mercy of god that ye would set foorth your bodies a liuely sacrifice holy c. Micheas saith in the .vi. chap. I will tell thee O man what god requireth of thee Doo iudgement loue mercy walke reuerently and modestly before God Isay also and the rest of the Prophetes haue in many places confirmed this sentence Neither is it to be passed ouer An order or certayne degres amonge outward sacrifices that among these outward thinges which are offered as sacrifices vnto god there are certaine degrees and an order appoynted For god himselfe testifieth that he farre aboue the other preferreth mercye and charity toward our neighbours Wherefore in Mathew the .9 is thys place brought out of the Prophet Hosea I will mercy and not sacrifice Moreouer it is written in the .1 of Samuel Obedience is better than sacrifices These words teache vs that among outward oblations the kylling of beastes and tenthes and fruites in the old time held the last place But the principall part was geuen to the obedience which was shewed vnto the woord of God to charity towarde our brethren to thankes geuing and to praiers The end of sacrifices Neither is the end of sacrifices lightly to be passed ouer but with diligence to be cōsidered especially as Augustine hath expressed it namely that we might with an holy fellowship cleaue vnto God For without it our workes thoughe they be neuer so excellent Why the death of Christ so much pleased God can be no sacrifices Yea and the death it self of Christ which was the chiefe and onely sacrifice pleased god for this cause especially bicause Christ to no other end offred himselfe but to fulfill the will of his father and to obey him as it was meete But to these thinges which I haue sayd I will adde an other thing which Augustine writeth in his Epistle ad Deo gratias the 3. Augustine Two thinges ar required in euery secrifice question Namely that in euery sacrifice god requireth twoo certaine thinges First that our oblations be made vnto the true god from which intent for as
them in Moses who beyng before shepheardes horsekepers when they came to beare rule did by the power of the spirite of GOD worke maruelous thinges and proued noble men For GOD as the scripture now speaketh raysed them vp And not cōtent with this but he fully persuaded them and with inwarde feelyng made them assured that they were now elected by God to deliuer the Israelites and to set them at libertie And without doubt vnlesse they had ben fully persuaded of this it had not ben lawfull for them to haue fought agaynst their Lordes or to rebelle for so much as it is not the office of priuate men to fight with his enemies Wherfore Cato An example of Cato whose ciuile iustice is meruelously commended gaue his sonne charge that when he was dismissed from warre and no more bounde by an othe of warre he should not fight against the enemyes of the publicque wealth Knowyng this right well that it is lawful for no man to drawe weapon against any excepte it be by publicque authoritie I haue now expounded what this meaneth that God raysed vp Iugdes Now let vs see for what cause God did the same Bicause sayeth the historye he repented God is not reconciled vnto vs by the outward workes whiche we do What is the receaued exposition of these kindes of speache we haue before declared But now we must marke what this meaneth whiche followeth At their sorowinges We may not thincke that God was reconciled or made fauorable vnto them by the strength and dignitye of the worke For that do men obteyne onely by fayth in our mediatour Iesus Christ to whiche fayth in these and such lyke kynde of speaches we must continually haue a respect vnto therby to loke vpon the roote from whence the fruites of true repentaunce and also sighinges and teares are deriued Neither do we for all that denye God rewardeth good workes but that good workes springyng from faith are so acceptable vnto GOD that he rewardeth them with excellent giftes as well outward as also spirituall whiche commeth of his goodnesse So sayd Daniel vnto the kyng of Babilon By almes redeme thy sinnes That is dryue awaye the paynes and punishementes wherewith otherwise thou shalt be punished But if thou shalt demaunde what is to be thought Of morall workes done without faith of those ciuill and morall good workes whiche are done without fayth I aunswere that for so much as they procede from a viciate and corrupt nature they are therfore sinnes And for that cause they deserue dampnation and hell fyre Howbeit God to the end that the ordre and iust disposition of thinges in the worlde might be kept and to defend assemblyes of humane kinde fellowshippes and publicque wealthes causeth that such actions haue many rewardes not for the worthynes and dignitie of those actiōs but by reason of a certain connexion wherwith god would these thinges to be knitte together Wherfore it commeth to passe that when as hypocrites do worke outward workes sometymes goodly to the shew therby they obtayne notable prayse And they whiche are rulers as longe as they honestly behaue them selues in doyng iustice either in warlike affaires or elles in honest conuersation as the Romanes in the olde tyme did may obteyne a moste large Empyre For so would god haue discipline kept the world and publicque wealthes preserued God did therfore repēt at the sorrowyngs of the Israelites bycause thorough the faith from whence sorrowinges and groninges proceded he was made mercifull and fauorable vnto them But peraduenture some man will doubte whether god when he repented God doth not so repente that he is chaunged were in any poynt chaunged All the godly confesse in a maner with one mouth that god can by no meanes be chaunged for as much as that is a certaine signe both of imperfection and also of inconstancy But this variety which here happeneth is not to be ascribed vnto god but vnto vs. Of this thing I haue spokē som what before but this semeth to be added at this presente If a man will say that god without controuersy ceassed to fauour the Chananites agaynst the Israelites whom he had before so strengthened that he would haue them to oppresse the Iewes and agayne afterward to helpe the Hebrues whom before he semed that hys will was to haue them oppressed by the Chananites No man can deny but that these thinges haue variety How can we therfore defend the will of god frō chaunging Variety is the effectes not in God I answere that by the 28. chap of Ieremy it manifestly appeareth the there is a diuersitie in the effectes when as for all the god in very dede continually retayneth the selfe same will For it is thus written there in his name When as I shall speake agaynst a kyngdome or nation to destroye roote out and ouer throwe it if they shall repente I will also repente And contrarywise when as I shal speake good of a kingdome or nation to builde and to plant and that nation or kingdome shall do euill in my sight I will then also repente me of the good that I had decreed to bestowe on them These wordes declare that god in these kindes of threatninges and promises is therfore not chaunged bycause he speaketh not absolutely simply but vpon condition But the accomplishing or makyng voyde of the conditions is to be considered toward vs. And therfore the chaunge is not to be attributed vnto him but vnto vs. But if thou shalt aske me whether god doth before know and decree what shall come to passe as touching these conditions I will graunt that he doth For he euen from without begynnyng doth not only know of thyngs that shal come to passe but also hath decreed what shall be But bycause the hid priuitye of his will as touching these thinges is not opened vnto vs in the holy Scriptures therfore ought we to follow that rule whiche as we haue declared is pronounced by Ieremy This rule did the Niniuites and also Ezechias the kyng consider and beholde beyng not yet set forth God when he threateneth things whyche come not passe lyeth not For although destruction was threatned them in the name of god yet for al that by repentaunce and prayers they escaped it Neither is there any cause why we should suspect that god doth lye in any thyng when he so threatneth or promiseth any thinges whiche afterwarde come not to passe For as touching Ezechias he could no way escape death if we should looke vpon the natural causes whiche are commonly called the second causes Wherfore the sentēce beyng pronounced accordyng to those causes he coulde not be accused of a lye And the Niniuites if god had done vnto them as their sinnes deserued they should vtterly haue perished And god commaunded Ionas to preache according to their merites Furthermore a lye can not be so takē in an oration which hath a supposition or
plaine this question at the length is called againe to the will For who soeuer can let and prohibite any thing that is euil and doth it not it is manyfest that after a sort he is willing therunto Besides that he permitteth it not against his wyll God doth not idlelye beholde those thinges whych are done o◠men but worketh together with them Esay 5. but willinglye Wherefore a wyll without doubt is contayned in that permission But now must we shew that God when sinnes are committed doth not ydely looke on yea he woorketh somwhat there For Esay in the .v. chap. saythe that God would geue a token and with his hissing cal a nation from the vtmost partes of the earth which should ouerthrow the kingdome of the Hebrues as their synnes had deserued By which it manifestly appeareth that God stirreth vp Tyrannes and outward nations to these vniust warres Esay 10. Also in the .x. chap. the same Prophet pronounceth that king to be wicked which in that expedition was in the hand of God as a saw a staffe and an axe There is no man ignoraunt but that al these thinges do so woorke and moue that they be first moued Yea and that proud king is therfore reprehended bicause he so exalted himselfe as though he wer God who had by him brought such and so great thinges to passe Gen 45. Ioseph also in the booke of Genesis said vnto his brethren which had by a wicked cōspiracy sold him It was not you but god that sent me into Egipt In the first booke of the kinges also 1. kinges 22. and the .xxii. chap Sathan who was readye to deceaue Achab was commaunded by God to do it to preuaile Which words declare that God himselfe commaundeth and also stirreth vp to deceaue Further it is written in the Prouerbes the .xxi. chap. Prouerbes 21. The hart of the king is in the hand of God he shal incline it whether soeuer he wyl The scripture saith also of Pharao Exodus 9.10.11 Rom. 9. kinges seme free from humayne lawes but God boweth them whether he wyll which place Paul alledgeth that his hart was hardened by God Neither maketh this anye thing against it Pharao was hardened both of god of hym self if thou shalt say that it is written in the .viii. chap. of Exodus that Pharao hardened himselfe for as muche as bothe sayinges are true For God doth no violence to the wyll of man seing that nothing is more contrarye vnto it than to make it to doo any thing vnwillingly or by compulsion Howbeit it is chaunged and bowed of God so softly and pleasantly that it willinglye without violence inclineth to whatsoeuer pleaseth God Augustine And it often times happeneth as Augustine in diuers places hath taught that God punisheth former sinnes by latter synnes And the holye scriptures before Augustines time testified the same especiallye Paule in his Epistle to the Roma the first chap. Wherfore God hath in his hand the affections of our hart which he loseth or restraineth as shal seeme good to his most wise prouidence turneth them whithersoeuer it shal please him And so great is his power God worketh more as touching sinnes than is expressed by the worde permission 2. Thess 2. that we must beleue that he worketh much more than may be expressed by the woord of permission For Paul feared not thus to write vnto the Thessalonians bycause they haue not receaued the loue of the truth therfore shal God send on them an error so that they shal beleue lyes al they shal be iudged which haue not beleued the truth but allowed vnrighteousnes These wordes manifestly testifye that God did cast error vpon them to punish their former sinne namelye vpon those which despised the truth offered them Dauid also semeth to tend to this when in the .2 booke of Samuel the .16 chap. he said of Simeck Suffer him 2. Sam 16. for God hath cōmaunded him to curse me Also in the same booke the .12 chap. God by Nathan the Prophet saith of Dauid which had grieuously fallen 2. Sam 12. behold I wyll stirre vp euil against thee wil take thy wiues geue them vnto thy neighbour who shal sleepe with them this diddest thou secretly but I wil do this thing openly in the eyes of the Sunne and of all Israel If the matter be so thou wilt say they which sinne shall easily be excused The sinnes of men are not excused by the working of god for they may sone say that they wer by God moued stirred vp to sin Not so For mē ar not so deliuered by God vnto sins as though they wer them selues pure innocent For they which ar so stirred vp to naughtines haue worthily deserued the same And the same men are not driuen against their wil but they wonderfully delite themselues in those transgressions and sinnes Wherefore their excuse is foolishe or rather none But this semeth to be agaynst the things before said Whither God do together both hate wil sinnes bicause in the Psalmes it is wrytten that God is such a one as willeth no iniquity and hateth synnes And vndoubtedly he is so in dede For vnles he hated sinnes why should he punish them for thinges that are allowed are not wont to be punished Farther he hath most seuerely prohibited them by his lawes But as touching this A distinction of the wyll of God thus must we decree of the wil of god that it is in nature and very dede one whych yet may be deuided for diuers and sundry respectes For as it is set foorth in the scriptures the law he condemneth sinnes he prohibiteth them and threatneth most grieuous punishments vnto them Howbeit bicause he directeth the same sinnes whithersoeuer he wil vseth them to his counsels and decrees neyther when he may letteth them it is therfore sayd that after a sort he wylleth them Neither is it meete to deny that such sundry respectes are in the wyl of god For god would before al beginninges haue his sonne sacrificed vnto him for a most swete sacrifice who yet himself said in the law Thou shalt not kil thou shalt not shed innocent bloud God also forbad that any shoulde be deceaued who for all that would haue Achab to be deceaued of Sathan Christ was killed by the will of God as we haue a lyttle before mencioned And least any man should doubt that Christ was put to death by the wyl of God we may se in the actes of the Apostles that it is most manifestly said that the Iewes did those things which God by his counsel had before ordained What then Shal we say that god is the cause of synne Not so God if we speake properli is not the cause of sinne for if we wil speake properly and that it may the more manifestly appeare we must marke that one selfe acte as it is deriued from
to our great consolation We rede in Ieremye the .xlix. Chapiter that the people of God dranke of the cup of the Lord which semed not so muche to deserue it Wherfore the Edomites ought much more to loke to be one day punished with punishmentes appointed for them In Ezechiel also the .ix. Chap. god exhorteth nations against the Hebrues to kil and spare none but fyrst they should begyn at his sanctuary Peter also in his .i. Epistle the .4 chap. The time is saith he that iudgement must begin at the house of God But why he sayth that nowe is the tyme I thinke this is the cause bicause he sawe that all those thinges which the Prophetes had forespoken of the chastising of the people of Israell before other nations should chieflye of al take place among the Christians For those thinges which happened vnto the Iewes in a figure or shadowe do chiefly belong vnto vs. Wherefore Christ being made manifeste his fayth being spred abroade throughout the worlde Peter thought that it shoulde be very soone accomplished that iudgement should beginne at the Christians whiche are the house of God Furthermore there are in the fellowship of the people of god alwaies some holy men still founde which when sharpe affliction cōmeth are proued as golde in fyer are made more bright which the heauenly father will chieflye and spedely to be done The electe also which haue fallen being admonished by chastisementes and aduersities do vse to returne againe into the right way And that the same may come to passe God who loueth them excedingly doth of his louing care prouide But such as are vncureable his wil is that they should quickly be broken least they might longer than is mete hurt and with their contagiousnesse destroy other These vndoubtedly are the causes why God doth sooner correcte his own than straungers It is not to be attributed to hatred but to most feruent loue For the deuine oracles declare vnder the person of God Whom I loue I correct and chastise Also a good housholder not regarding straungers beginneth seuere discipline at his own when they sinne The Israelites serued the Kyng of Moab .xviii. yeares Thys with out doubt was a long tyme of bondage And not without desert bicause the Hebrewes had augmented their sinne either in that they cōmitted thinges more greuous or els bycause when they were reprehended and deliuered they fel agayne to their old wickednesse This latter seruitude was twice so long as was that wherein they serued the king of Mesopotamia 15 And the children of Israell cryed vnto the Lorde and the Lord stirred them vp a Sauioure Ehud the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini a man hauing an impedimente in hys ryght hande and by hym the children of Israell sente a presente vnto Eglon the Kyng of Moab The kindnesse and mercy of God is farre greater than the kindnesse and mercy of men For if any through their own default fal into any miseryes The kindnesse of God is farre greater thā the mercye of men men for the moste parte haue no compassion on them Which manifestly appeareth in the Romane lawes in the Digestes de deposito vel contra In the lawe bona fides it is ordayned that a pledge shoulde not bee restored but shoulde bee geuen to the treasorye when he whiche owed the pledge doth so offende that he deserueth banishemente bycause that he suffred it thorough hys owne default and therefore is it meete that he shoulde bee punyshed with pouertye A woman also if she committe aduoutrye dyd not only loose her dowery but also she cā clayme none of her husbands goods bicause through her own default she falleth into that misery which is also written in Decretalibus title de consuetudine chap. Ex parte But god is so merciful and long suffring that he saith in Ieremy I will do that which none of you wil do No husband would receaue againe a wife which he hath repudiated especially for adultery sake But I so that thou wilte returne will take thee againe although thou hast most filthilye played the harlot with thy louers This goodnesse of god ought we also to follow not only to haue cōpassion on those It is not lawful by violence to deliuer those which ar alredy fallen into the power of the Magistrate which wtout their own fault are thrust into miseries but of those also which for their faults are chastised Wherefore we ought to be gentle towardes them but yet so farre as good lawes wil suffer which I therfore adde lest hereupon any should thinke that such as are condemned to death or are captiues for wicked actes whiche they haue committed might be deliuered against the wil of the Magistrates Christ commaunded that we should forgeue the repentant sinner not once nor seuen tymes but seuenty times seuen times this doth he himself toward his people thei fal in dede oftentimes and most filthily sinne and yet when they retourne the heauenly Father both receaueth and also deliuereth them He raysed them vp a Iudge Ehud the sonne of Gera. The cōmon translation hath Aioth Why the Latin Greke translation haue corrupted propre names But that is meruaile for both in the Greeke and also the Latin translation very many propre names are corrupted As Isaac Ezechiell Ezechias Nabuchodonosor c for both those Nations abhorring from hard kinde of speaking haue leuifyed and mitigated the Hebrue woordes after the forme of their own speche And this man of whom we entreate came as the holy history declareth of the tribe of Beniamin For the familye of Iemini whereof he was borne belonged vnto the tribe of Beniamin Hauing an impediment in hys ryght hand The common Latine edition hath turned it Ambidextrum that is one which vseth both handes a like which interpretation the Hebrewe phrase suffreth not whiche is thus Ater iad lamino Why some are lefthanded that is shut or taken in his right hande And in the Latin also we saye claudum quasi clausum that is lame And there are two causes alledged why some are lefthanded For eyther it commeth of custome from their childhode or ells by some impediment in the right part But I would thinke that the custome of vsing the left hand from a childe commeth of some impediment bycause peraduenture some pores of the body are shut or stopped by which the spirites whiche are instrumentes of mouing can not easlye haue their course to the sinowes and to the brawnes of the right hand Otherwise children should of their own accord be prone to vse the right hand for as much as in creatures by order of nature the right part is much stronger thā the left Neither do Iat this present speake of those which do of purpose practise to vse the left hand that therby whē nede requireth they may haue both handes ready For that serueth little to oure matter for the history by expresse wordes declareth that this Ehud had an impedimente
of Gideon That must needes be cutte of which was done neither coulde the author of so greate an enterprise be hidden This is true but he iudged that in the mean time this daūger was to be auoyded lest in the day time in the acte doing he should be taken For he should haue bene letted both by his fathers houshold and also by the men of the citye from executing the commaundementes of God and peraduenture in accomplishinge the worke shoulde haue beene slaine The name Baall agreeth very well with the true God Thys Baal as in an other I haue declared had his beginninge of Bel the father of Minus But as touchinge the name we must know that by it an excellent propriety of God is expressed For Baal in hebrew signifieth a Lord a maister a husbdā al which things in very dede agree with God For he is Lorde of all thinges and the teacher of all true wisedome the onely husband of the churche Wherefore these men erred not in iudging the proprieties of God Neyther erred the Grecians whē they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For by that title they declared that God is the author of lyfe The Romaynes also called God Iubiter as though they should say Iubiter father Wherfore these words are for god most worthy and it may be that the old mē which so spake had a respect vnto the true god the chief of all But that was vtterly vngodly and detestable which afterward was committed namely to ascribe these proprieties as well to starres as to men and also to brute beastes and idoles wherby all thinges were filled with idolatry Farthermore the Hebrewes although God had taught thē his name by which he would haue them call vpon him and praye vnto him yet they forsoke it vsed the names holy seruices inuented by the Ethnikes neglecting the rites commended vnto the both by the law and also by their elders they receaued prophane ceremonies Wherfore they had an altare dedicated vnto an idole a groue about it and certayn yeares they fed and fatted some certayn bullockes for the sacrifice And at the length they became not the worshippers of the true god but the true worshyppers of Baal in all thinges Gideon in the night ouerthroweth the altar cutteth down the groue buildeth an altar vnto the Lord as he was cōmaunded offred a burnt offring Al these things wer testimonies of his fayth whereby he confessed and that frō the hart that he detested idolatry and perfectly beleued in the only lord the god of the Hebrewes and sacrificed vnto him Some thynges are here mencioned which were not done by an vniuersall law but by a certayne prerogatiue and priuelege Gideon being of the tribe of Manasses sacrificeth when as sacrificing belonged only vnto the Leuites This if he had done of his own brayne he shoulde not haue wanted blame Secondly a priuate man ouerthroweth the aultare and cutteth downe the groue in whiche thinge he tooke vpon him the office of a magistrate But in these things we must haue a regard to the word of god by which he was peculiarly stirred vp to do these things Wherfore they which to these works ar not in like manner called ought to kepe thēselues vnder the common law But as I haue in an other place admonished idolatry is of all men to be taken away but yet of euery man according to his state condition Let magistrates by outward violence ministers by the word and priuate men by abstayning and gainsaying take away vngodlynes 28 And when the men of city rose rose earely in the morning they saw the altar of Baall destroyed the groue that was by it was cutte down and the second bullocke offred vpon the altar that was made 29 And they said one to an other who hath done this thing whē they enquired and asked they sayd Gideon the sonne of Ioas hath done this thinge 30 Then sayd the men of the city vnto Ioas Bring out thy sonne that he may dye because he hath destroyed the aultar of Baal and hath also cut downe the groue that was by it 31 Ioas aunsweared vnto all those that stoode by will ye pleade Baals cause Or will ye saue him He that will pleade for him let him dye ere the morninge If he be god let him pleade for himself against him that hath cast downe his altar 32 And he called him in that day Ierubbaal saying Let Baal pleade with him bicause he hath broken down his altar They most grieuously prosecute the matter against him which had inuiolated the sacred thinges of Baal and yet they suffred the worshipping of the true god to lye neglected and despised It is the maner of humane wisedome with earnest labour to defend theyr owne inuentions and obstinately to resiste those thinges which god hath commaunded They will kill Gideon as a sacrileger and moste pernicious heretike they behaue themselfes sediciously against the Magistrate they shew forth no lawes but in a certayne blinde fury they iudge the crime cōmitted to be vtterlye worthye of death when as they themselues rather should haue bene condēned worthy of death bicause they had violated the worshipping not of an idole but of the true God What he was the shewed that Gideō did these thinges the history expresseth not God suffreth not such thinges to be hidden therfore he had means and ways in a maner infinite whereby he would make them open But to know what were the tokens of the thyngs done it is no skil to vs but let vs diligently marke the impotency of idolatrers Idolatrers can not abide to haue vngodlye worshippinges taken away They cannot by any meanes abide to haue wicked worshippinges taken away The Hebrewes sayd vnto Ieremy that they would vtterly worshippe the queene of heauen that is the moone and other starres The Ephesians being as it were in a rage cried without meane or reason Great is Diana of the Ephesians The Romaines whilest Italy was wasted by the Gothes Vandales and Lombardes neyther cried nor desired any other thing but that the alters and temples of idoles might be restored That said they was the hed of euils bicause the holy seruices of country were abolished The like example do we no see in these men they neither wil nor can not abide that Gideon shuld escape whō they saw had cut down theyr idolatry Now is Gideon counted a seditious fellow which hath committed such thinges as we at this day of the gretest part of christendome ar accused of sedicion which haue disturbed false worshippinges now being receaued And we graunt indede that seditions ar to be auoided as much as may be bicause ciuile peace is a good thinge which wise and quiet mindes ought to desire Obedience to the word of god is to be preferred before euil◠peace But contraryly the truth is not to be suppressed nether must we sin against the worshipping of God and it is much better to defēd
be praysed namely bycause althoughe meate wanted and he was despysed of the Hebrues yet he desisted not from that vocation wherein he was constituted by GOD. But nowe both prynces and ministers of the Churche will not abyde in theyr office vnlesse thynges necessary for theyr lyuyng be moste aboundantly ministred vnto them He threateneth thornes and briars vnto the princes of Succoth For that Citie whiche the Ethnikes call Trogloditis had a desert in the circuite therof Why he threaâ—neth thornes briars Penuel wherin grewe many thornes and briars Penuel is of Strabo called the face of God in which place Iacob wrasteled with the aungell and sayd at the last I haue sene the Lorde face to face and my soule hath escaped safe The menne of Penuel in mockyng Gideon imitated them of Succoth and bycause they puttyng theyr confidence in the Tower whiche they had did so scoffe at Gideon therefore he threatened to ouerthrowe it after hys victorye But howe thys Capitayne of GOD got meate it is not written and peraduenture GOD so strengthned him and hys hoste that without meate he perfectly obtayned the victorye whiche he had begon He fyndeth hys enemyes lyuing in securitye it was nyght when he passed ouer Iordane and they had but euen nowe escaped out of the borders of the Israelites and they thought the Gideon would be in quiet at the least for that nyght These were the causes that they so securely rested themselues There were fifttene thousand souldiers together as certayne small remnauntes for at the begynnyng there came one hundreth and twenty thousand fighting men which stoode in the brunte and bore weapons Whereby we may easely gather what a greate number there were of boyes scullions and vnprofitable men whiche vse to followe hostes When the two kynges were taken Gideon returned when the Sunne was eleuated that is after his rysing by whiche kynde of speakyng we manifestly know that this warre as it was begon in the night tyme so also was it finished by nyght 14 And he tooke a seruaunte of the men of Succoth and enquired of him and he wrote to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders therof euen seuentye and seuen men 15 And he came vnto the men of Succoth and said Behold Zebah and Zalmonah by whom ye vpbrayded me saying Are the hands of Zebah and zalmonah now in thy hande that thou desirest that we should geue bread vnto thy weary men 16 Then he tooke the Elders of the City and thornes of the desert and briars and brake with them the men of Succoth 17 Also he brake downe the Tower of Penuel and slewe the men of the City Gideon required of this fellowe beyng either a younge man or a seruaunte to describe vnto hym the names of the princes or Senators of Succoth He trusteth not his memory but will haue their names written and studieth for this thing onely not to commit any thing by anger with a furious minde And therfore with mature deliberation he would punish onely the guilty and not destroy the vnguilty together with the guilty He sawe that onely the heades of the City resisted him wherfore he determined to punishe them alone Theodosius A fall of Theodosius an Emperor otherwise most worthy of prayse fell grieuously bycause in the City of Thessalonia for the kyllynge of one Souldier whiche bare rule vnder him he commaunded a great number of Citezins to be slayn without any choise wherby both the guilty and the innocent were killed Wherefore he was corrected by the authoritye of Ambrosius beynge Byshoppe The Emperor corrected of the Bishop and compelled to publique repentaunce and by the commaundement of the same man of GOD he made a lawe whiche is yet in the Code that the sentence of death beyng pronounced agaynste any man should be stayed the space of thirty dayes before he should be put to execution But nowe a dayes it oftentymes commeth to passe that some publique wealth is moste grieuously oppressed if two thre or foure Citezins thereof haue offended all priuileges liberty and other ornamentes are in a moment taken awaye Why he saued the kinges of Madian on lyue Farther we muste consider that Gideon did rashely saue one lyue Zebah and Zalmonah whome he had taken for he woulde shewe them vnto the menne of Succoth and Citizens Penuel that GOD had deliuered them vnto hym He vexed the princes both with thornes and briars as he threatened that by theyr euill they myght learne howe muche and what they had offended Thornes are vnlucky plaÌ„ts Iodeach is in thys place not onely to instruct but as I suppose it signifieth in Lattin animaduertere whiche is to punishe Thornes are counted euen of the Ethnikes among vnluckly plantes and therfore it is no meruayle if they be occupied in punishementes But whether he slew them or onely chastised them by the wordes of the Hystory it appeareth not But of Penuel it is manifest ynough both that the tower was ouerthroweÌ„ and the Citezins slayne bycause either they scoffed more wantonly than the menne of Succoth did or els trustyng to the fense of the place they resisted Gideon wherefore when they came to the battayle they were slayne or els let vs graunt that they of Succoth also perished with thornes and briars 18 Then said he vnto Zebah and Zalmonah What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Thabor and they aunswered As thou art so were they euery one was like the children of a kyng 19 And he sayde they were my brethren euen my mothers children As the Lorde lyueth if ye had saued theyr lyues I would not slaye you 20 Then he sayde vnto Iether his firste borne sonne Vp and slaye them But the boye drew not hys sworde for he feared bycause he was yet a childe 21 And Zebah and Zalmonah sayde Rise thou and fall vpon vs for as the man is so is his strength And Gideon arose and slewe Zebah and zalmonah and tooke awaye the ornamentes that were on the camels neckes Nowe is set forth the punishement of these two kynges of Madian whiche Gideon had therefore saued on lyue to shewe them vnto those Israelites whom he had determined to punishe when he had obtayned the victory Firste he asketh them what manner of men they were whom they slewe in mount Thabor They aunswered that they were like hym and so comely and beautiful that they myght appeare to be the chyldren of a kyng And that maye also be vnderstande of one of them when as it is sayde Echad we maye also vnderstande it of euery one of them There are some also which thynke that those that were slayne were in semblance and beauty lykened vnto the children of Gideon Gideon was exceding beaufull whome therefore they called a kynge bycause they sawe hym beare dominion in the hoste Hereby is gathered that Gideon was excedyng beautifull But when hys brethreÌ„ were kylled we can not finde by the holy History But it myght be
an excellent sentēce of this thyng Salust The good man and the euill doo both a lyke desire vnto themselues glorye honor and rule this man the true waye but the other bycause he wanteth good artes contendeth to attayne it by guiles and disceates Thirdely we must beware that a man desire not more honor then his merites and vertues require or extort dignity and honors when as rather he is worthy of vituperation For this should be both absurde and also want all maner of iustice Abimelech tooke not heede of the thynges whiche I haue rehearsed Abimelech is ambicious but incurred them all For he set before hym the kyngly power or rather tyranny as the laste ende for to it directed he all hys actes and cogitations also he contended vnto it by disceates and guiles and not by the good waye and iust meanes Yea he seemeth rather to graunte vnto a sentence of Euripidis A sentence of Eripidis That ryght it selfe is to be violated for dominions sake And for as much as he wanted merites he rather extorted honor whiche is geuen as a testimony of vertues then got it vnto hymselfe by iuste meanes He deceaueth hys Citizens with no obscure kynde of bryberye for he flatteryngly requireth of them the kyngdome bycause he woulde bestowe vppon them greate and moste ample benefites for as muche as he was theyr kynseman The Ethnike lawes condēne inordinate ambicion The lawes also of the Ethnikes doo condemne suche inordinate ambition For as muche as in the lawe Iuliā de ambitu it is decreed that he whyche by bryberye obtayned honours shoulde be condemned both by paying of money that is a hundreth crownes and therewith all made infamous He deceaueth hys brethren by a false accusation as we haue shewed Abimelech falsely accuseth his brethren cōmitteth treason and goeth farther and committeth treason agaynste the people of the Hebrues For he attempted to alter yea rather to euerte the state of that publique wealth In the digestes ad I. Iuliam Maiestatis he is sayde to committe that cryme whiche dyd any thyng agaynste the people of Rome or agaynste the safety thereof And who seeth not that Abimelech very diligently conspired agaynste the libertye of the Hebrues He infringeth this lawe also whosoeuer hath with hym men armed with swoordes and weapons and kepeth possession of some certayne places whiche thyng the history affirmeth that Abimelech dyd Abimelech is guilty of robbyng the cōmō threafore For he gathered together souldiers and came into Ophrath inuaded his fathers house Wherfore he committeth treason which as Vlpianus testifieth is next vnto sacrilege Abimelech also is guilty of robbyng the common treasure when as he abused the money whether it were publique or holy to hys owne priuate vse ¶ Of murther of parentes or kinsfolkes called Paricidium LAstly whiche was moste heynous of all Parricidium he polluteth hymselfe with the murther of hys brethren of whiche wicked cryme there are many thynges wrytten in the ciuile lawes ad I. Corneliam de Parricidiis And as farre as I can gather out of the lawes Hystoryes in the old tyme the name of that crime was geuen vnto those whiche murthered their parentes grandfathers great grandfathers c. vnto those also which murthered their sonnes neuewes and sonnes in the .iiii. degree c. But afterward Pompeius extended the signification therof farther they were called Parricidae whiche slew their brethren sonne in lawes daughter in lawes father in lawes or mothers in lawes and suche other A lawe of Numa Pompilius Althoughe there was an olde lawe and geuen by Numa Pompilius He that wittingly bringeth a man to death let him be taken for a parricide And also Augustine in his 3. Augustine booke de Ciuitate dei the 6. chap. counted Romulus guilty of Parricidium bycause he slew hys brother And there he derideth the Ethnikes which affirmed that theyr gods suffred Troy to be destroyed bycause they would take vengeaunce of the adultery of Paris But howe sayeth he were they fauorable vnto Rome when as the builder thereof committed strayght waye at the beginnyng parricidium But the same Augustine in his booke de Patientia which yet is supposed to be none of his in the 13. chap. appointeth a certayne latitude or degrees betwene Paricides for as he sayth he sinneth more haynously which kylleth his parentes or children then he whiche murthereth his brethren And he whiche sleaeth his brethren offendeth more then he whiche destroyeth those whiche are farther of a kynne And the wicked cryme of sleayng parentes or grandfathers semed to be so horrible that at Rome for the space of 600. yeares from the building of the City it was not committed Romulus in his lawes made no mencion of Paricidium An aunswere of Solon Yea and Romulus making no mencion of it in his lawes and beyng demaunded why he left it out aunswered that he could not be persuaded that any suche thyng can happen vnto men Solon also beyng asked why he lykewise by hys lawes restrayned not parricidium aunswere that he by occasion of his lawes would not admonishe men of so horrible a wicked cryme and stirre them vp vnto it after a sorte by hys admonishyng For it oftentimes happeneth that they whiche prohibite certayne vices prouoke men to fall into them whiche very often will doo those thynges whiche they are forbidden The punishement of Parricides But as for the murther of brethren and kynsfolkes it was a thing vsed euen from the begynnyng as all historyes do testifie And the punishement of paricides whiche slewe theyr parentes or children was by lawes as it is had ad legem Corneliam de parricidis that they should be sowed in Culeo that is in a lether sacke with them were put an Ape a Cocke a Viper thē they were cast into the deepe of the sea or into the next riuer But they which slewe of their kinsfolkes or cousins were punished with the sworde onely These punishementes if they were at any tyme by the Magistrates neglected or winked at God himself punished as the history of Samuell declareth of Absalon whych slew his brother and most cruelly inuaded his father He striketh also with furiousnes madnes those men whiche commit such horrible wicked actes as both the Poetes also the historiographers write of Nero Orestes For either of thē whē he had slaine his mother was mad And it is a cōmō saying that they which cōmit so great a wicked acte Cicero cā not be quiet in mynde Wherfore Cicero in his Oration for Roscius saith the certaine yong mē of Terracinēsis which were accused for killing their father wer by this meanes absolued bycause they wer foūd in the morning sleping for the iudges could not beleue that they could slepe which had cōmitted so detestable an acte Domitianus also whiche slew his brother Titus was killed by the vengāce of God And in like
and punisheth it by his lawes And if at any tyme it be sayd in the Scriptures that he either willeth or worketh sinne in men that must be referred vnto other considerations whiche I haue declared both in an other place and also now here And this is sufficient as touching this question And God sent an euil spirit By an euil spirit I vnderstād either the deuill What is vnderstād vp an euil spirite or wicked affections or cruelty stirred vp to reuenge iniuryes but the end was to take vengeaunce for the bloud of the sonnes of Ierubbaal The men of Sechem layd wayte agaynst hym The cause of the lying in wayt There may be three causes of their lying in wayte First bycause they would slay him as he passed by And an other was bicause they would not haue his souldiers to go to and fro The third was to shake of their yoke and to declare that they were free This was as much as to say as they now nothing passed vpon his kyngly power It was tolde Abimelech A short sentence cut of wherby yet we vnderstand that Abimelech passed not that way for feare of fallyng into their snares 26 Then came Gaal the sonne of Ebed his brethren they went to Sechem and the men of Sechem put their confidence in him 27 Therfore they wēt out into the field gathered in their grapes trodde them made mery And they went into the house of their God and did eate and drinke and cursed Abimelech 28 And Gaal the sonne of Ebed sayd Who is Abimelech who is Sechē that we shuld serue him Is he not the sonne of Ierubbaal and Zebul is his hed officer Serue rather the men of Hamor the father of Sechem But why shall we serue hym 29 And who will geue this people into myne hand and I wil take awaye Abimelech And he sayde vnto Abimelech increase thyne army and come out Here cōmeth an occasion of the euils one Gaal by chaunce trauailed that way the Sechemites hired him to be their ruler and captayne and therefore puttyng their confidence in him they go out into theyr vineardes gather the grapes and treade them with great security What this Gaal was it appeareth not by the Scriptures R. Salomon thinketh he was an Ethnike R. Salomon The Sechemites were so afeard of Abimelech that they durst not gather their grapes wherfore they hired this man First now they go forth into the fielde whiche thyng before they durst not doo they make great ioye and mirthe For in the olde tyme also as it semeth they vsed as they do now a dayes The wātōnes vsed at the gatheryng in of grapes great wantōnes and liberty in the gathering in of the grapes of whiche custome sprange the Comedyes and Tragedies with the Grecians And when Bacchus returned a conquerer out of India the people led daunces in honor of him at the wynepresses Yea and the Chaldey paraphrast maketh mention of daunces in this place They went into the temple It was also the manner among the Ethnikes to geue thankes vnto God of their first fruites But these men go into the temple of God and rate drinke singe and curse their kyng and whom before they had annoynted hym now they rayle vpon and teare with reproches And that in the temple wherin before they had taken counsel for to make Abimelech their ruler Such are the iudgementes of God The place might haue admonished them for out of it they gaue him money but forgettyng all thynges they curse him Although the scripture expressedly declareth not whether this tēple were that selfe same where out they tooke the money in the beginning VVho is Abimelech In the feastes of their wine gathering they mocke theyr kyng and that he beyng absent and aboue the rest Gaal much more greuously scorneth hym Let vs marke the peruersenes of mans nature if any sinne be by chaunce committed it addeth not a iust remedy but healeth mischief with mischief cureth sinne with sinne They should haue called vpon the Lord haue repented but these do far otherwise they se that they haue done noughtly yet they go farther to reproches This is the manner of the frowardnes of man yea and Dauid when he had committed aduoutry did not strayghtway repent as he should haue done but slewe Vrias Iudas whē he had betrayed Christ would not repent but went and hanged himselfe and so was author of hys owne death So in a maner when we haue sinned we go to worser sinnes They ought not in deede to haue chosen Abimelech but when he had once gotten the dominion of things they should not so haue cursed him Before the victory they sing a song of victory There is nothyng more foolishe then to contemne an enemy for an enemy is not to be contemned vnles he be ouercome But this Gaal goeth childishely to worke He exhorteth and prayseth the Sechemites bycause they had shaked of their yoke And he composeth his oration of thynges compared together A cōparatis He compareth Abimelech with Hamor the prince of that Citye whom the sonnes of Iacob slewe by guile VVho is Sechem Sechem in this place is not the name of the City but of the chief man namely the sonne of Hamor VVho is Abimelech He is the sonne of Ierubbaal He hath in vs neyther right nor iurisdiction Let hym goo and bragge amonge his owne Sechem was in the olde tyme Lorde of this Citye hym we ought to haue obeyed But we slewe hym howe then can we obeye this man This comparison is nowe manifest youghe But to increase the contempt more Zebul sayeth he is the seruaunt of Abimelech knowen well ynough vnto vs whome he hath made ruler ouer hys Citye Therefore we shall haue two Lordes And we whiche woulde not obey the Lord of Sechem shall we nowe obeye a seruaunt It is an vnworthy thyng The sēse of the oratiō of Gaal Wherefore this semeth to be the sense of hys oration If we shoulde haue serued we should rather haue serued Sechem But we haue not serued him therfore neither will we serue this Abimelech Serue the sonnes of Hamor As though he should haue sayd serue them rather whiche were the auncient Lordes of this Citye and if we haue not serued them why should we serue Abimelech c. And who wyll geue thys people into my hande The other parte of the oration contayneth an exhortation wherein he exhorteth them to make hym ruler ouer the people VVho will geue This forme of speakyng expresseth an affection of one that wisheth I sayth he if I were your ruler would easely take away Abimelech All the Sechemites were not of one opinion Hereby it appeareth that al the Sechemites were not of one opinion ▪ There were many which thē also wer on Abimeleches side Wherfore I would to God sayth he that all you were of one mynd I would thē easely take away the tyranne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
to their good Moreouer he wyll haue thē to expresse in themselues their first begottē brother Iesus Christ whiche suffred in hymselfe other mens synnes For this also is a certayne portion of the Crosse of Christ althoughe they are not so innocent as Christ was neither serueth their crosse any thing to redeme sinnes Daniel in his captiuity after this manner confessed hys sinnes We haue sinned sayth he and done vniustly c. He sayd not They haue sinned but we And Esaye sayeth All our righteousnes are as a cloth stayned with floures of a woman There is in deede in holy menne a certayne ryghteousnes but not such a righteousnes as they can boast of before the iudgement seate of God Wherfore if they suffer any thing they haue no iust cause to complayne But thou wilt saye Why is it sayd that God in thē punisheth the sinnes of other mē when as they also sinne We should say rather that he punisheth their sinnes and not the synnes of their parentes I answere Bycause when god hath much and longe tyme wayted that their father should repent and it nothing profited and in the meane tyme it is come vnto the third and fourth generation at the length he poureth out his anger vpon the children whiche therefore are sayd to suffer for their fathers bicause vnles the malice of their fathers had gone before their affliction might haue ben deferred till farther time But now bycause they haue fallen into the third and fourth generation the consideration of the iustice of god wil not suffer the punishement to be deferred any longer And althoughe they themselues also haue deserued those euils yet bycause they are so corrected in the third and fourth generation they owe that dewty vnto their parentes And so God feareth the parētes that they should temper themselues from wicked actes and thoughe they will not for gods sake or for their own yet at the least for theyr posterities sake It also maketh the children afrayde to imitate the sinnes of their fathers least the punishmēt due vnto their fathers be required of thē Neither is it vniust that the children suffer somthing for their fathers sake for by their fathers they receaue inheritances and are aboue other honored and exalted For god did not onely make fortunate Dauid but also for his sake fauored his posterity For the kyngdome perseuered in his famely the space of .400 yeares But as touching eternall life As touchyng eternall life the childrē are not punished for the sinnes of the fathers neither shall the father be punished for the sinnes of the children nor the children for the sinnes of the fathers Howbeit children obteine many spirituall giftes by good fathers For Paul in his .1 Epist to the Cor. the .7 chap. sayth Otherwise your children should be vncleane but now they are holy Wherfore the children haue of holy parentes some holynes and some spirituall gift as that place teacheth And on the contrary part Childrē obtein some spirituall giftes for their parentes sake by euil parentes many such good giftes are hindred neither are they heard of God beyng euill and not repentaunt when they desire spirituall giftes for their children Yet by the prouidence of God it oftentymes commeth to passe Euil parentes doo sometymes hinder theyr children of god spiritual gifts that of good parentes are borne noughty children and of euill good as Ezechias a good kyng had to his father Achaza a wicked kyng And contrarywise the same Ezechias beyng a very godly prince begat Manasses a very vngodly and cruell kyng The same also myght I saye of Iosias Thys therefore commeth so to passe least wickednes shoulde increase without measure Why good childrē ar borne of euil parētes euill of good if of euill parentes shoulde continually bee borne euill children God putteth to hys hande and maketh the sonne borne of an euill father a member of Christe And therewith all he sheweth that his goodnes can not be hindered by the parentes thoughe they be neuer so wicked Farthermore euill children are borne of good parentes that grace should be the better knowen And that the goodnes of the childrē should not be attributed vnto nature whiche they haue drawen of their parentes For god will haue it knowen to be his gifte that we are saued This one thyng onely is to bee added vnto the foresayde question It is not lawfull for men to punishe the sinnes of the parentes in the children That it is in dede lawfull for god as it is sayde to punishe in the children the synnes of the fathers but that is vtterly vnlawfull for men to doo For in Deut. the .24 chap. it is commaunded That the fathers should not be punished for the children nor the children for the parentes Whiche is to be vnderstande so that the father consent not vnto the sonne or the sonne vnto the father Wherefore Achan if he had bene called vnto tryall and to the iudgement seate he should be the ordinary lawe haue peryshed alone and not hys chyldren with hym But GOD hath thys hys proper law who would haue it otherwyse done although sometymes he obserueth thys also For in the booke of Numbers the 26. chap. When Core conspired agaynste Moses he was destroyed but hys chyldren were not together with hym extinguished Samuel came of the posterity of Core yea rather they were kepte for the holy ministerye and of their posteritye was Samuel borne Amasias the kynge was praysed who slewe the murtherers whiche killed his father and slewe not their children for he had a regard vnto the law of God The cause of this prohibition Augustine bringeth Augustine God sayth he may punishe the sonne for the father bycause although he afflicte hym in this worlde yet he can saue hym in the worlde to come And this can not man doo Farther god seeth that the children are not innocentes but man seeth not that Although the ciuill lawes are herein a great deale more seuere and do punishe the children for the fathers sake as it is in the digestes In treason the children are punished for the fathers and in the Code ad I. Iuliam maiestatis yet they put not the sonne to death for the father but depriue hym of all hys fathers goods dignityes and honours Howbeit they lefte some parte for the doughters whiche parte was called Falcidia to mary them withall Otherwise the ciuile lawes agree with the lawe of god For in the Code de paenis in the lawe Sancimus it is commaunded that the punishement be not transferred vnto other either to kinsfolkes by affinity or to kinsfolkes by bloud but onely to be layd vpon the author of the crime And yet as wel this law as the other before were ordeyned both of the self same Emperours Archadius and Honorius But the cause why it was so seuerely decreed agaynst treason seemeth to be this to feare men away from this kynde of wicked crime Yet the lawes of god decree
the sprite of the lord came vpon him but we haue alredy interpreted that it was the spirite of strength And although the sprite of the Lord was vpon him yet is it not of necessitye that he did all thinges by that spirite For we also which are Christians haue the sprite of Christ when as yet none of vs is renewed in all partes yea rather we all very oftentimes sinne Augustine addeth moreouer that although the fathers sometimes sinned yet if nothinge letteth but that god maye vse theyr sinnes to signifye those thinges whych myght instructe the people For god is so good that euer of sinnes he picketh out laudable commodities and maketh them alligorically to declare what semeth profitable vnto hym As in that Iudas played the whoremonger with his doughter in law it signified that god would couple vnto himself the church which before was an harlot so also maye it be that by this acte of Iiphtah he signified that god so loued mankinde that he would geue his onely begotten sonne vnto the death for it for he did not in vaine and without any cause suffer such a thing to be don by the fathers Although they greuously sinned yet god could vse their actions to the instruction of his people They were amased at the sacrifices of beasts neither did they as it was mete lift vp the eies of their minds vnto christ Wherfore god would by this meanes stirre vp the sluggish that they should be enduced by the humayne sacrifice of Iiphtahs daughter to thinke vpon Christ For he should geue his lyfe and be made a sacrifice for mankinde Farthermore Augustine toucheth a reason whereby he defendeth the acte of Iiphtah It may be said saith he that he was moued by the sprite of god to make a vow and led by the same spirite to performe it Wherfore he is the more worthy of prayse so far is it of the he shoulde be reproued But the cannot be gathered by the wordes of the history But that whych some saye as we haue before touched he wepte tare his garments and was excedingly sorye therefore he was not moued by the sprite of God God so requireth obedience that he withdraweth not affections this I saye doth not muche moue me For god so requireth of vs the duties of piety that yet he withdraweth not frō our minds humayne affections Christ himself when he should willingly go to dye for our sakes sayd for all that my soule is heauye euen to the death He prayed also father if it be possible let his cup go from me But Augustine intendeth to declare how Iiphtah might be defended which I also would gladly do if I had any part of the history to helpe me But that which followeth in Augustine is spoken to imitate Ambrose The error of Augustine For he writeth The error of Iiphtah hath some praise of faith which thinge as I haue before shewed can not be receaued For if it were an error then can it not be ascribed vnto the mocion of the holye ghoste Farther if it were sinne what praise of fayth can there be in it Because he feared not to render that which he had promised What if the vowe were not lawfull Can fayth be there praysed Moreouer he saith He declined not from the iudgemēt of God and he hoped that he would haue prohibited him frō killing of his daughter He would rather vtterly performe the will of god then contemne it These thinges were well spoken if he had bene assured of the wil of God But he was not assured of it yea rather god had otherwise prohibited it in his lawe Wherefore if it were an error it ought not to be praysed But if the spirit moued him then was there in it no error That which he afterward addeth is moste true and maketh on my syde Firste he sheweth that it was prohibited that a man shoulde kill his childrē both by the example of Abraham and by the law Farther why the maidens wept he bringeth the same reason that I brought namely both that the fathers should beware not to bynd themselues with such a vow and that so great an obedience of this mayden should not be put in obliuion These thinges wee haue out of Augustine by which woordes appeareth that he thoughte that this virgin was in very dede immolated and not compelled by the vowe of chastitye to liue alone Which sentence I my selfe also do altogether allow They which think otherwise haue not passing two or three authors but I haue many which are on my side and especially the auncient Rabbines whyche liued at that time wherin the Chaldey Paraphraste and the writinge of the Thalmut was made Reasons which confirme the interpretation For the Chaldey Paraph. affirmeth that the mayden was slayne Iosephus Ambrosius and Augustin are of the same opinion And we haue reasons not to be contemned First bicause there was no law in the old time that maydens should vow chastity yea rather it was a curse if a womā had died without children and baren Yea and god promised vnto the hebrewes if you obserue my law there shal be no barren woman among you Neyther is it very lykelye that holy men would by theyr vow hinder this promise Farther in all the scriptures reueled by god there remayneth no example of such a thinge Also by this interpretacion we should seeme after a sort to confirme monasticall vowes which ar playnly against the holy scriptures For Paule admonisheth that he which cannot containe should mary a wyfe I wil not speak how Iiphtah taried not for the consēt of the mayden before he vowed without whiche as I haue before shewed the vowe of Virginity could not be ratified I haue opened my mouth sayth he vnto the Lord and I cannot go backe Wherefore he vowed not the Virginitye of the mayden when as he asked not counsell of her To this also serueth the weeping of the Virgins and therewithall the weepinge of the mayden herselfe For she desired that shee mighte with her fellowes bewaile her Virginitye But if it were a vow why should she haue lamented it We vse to bewayle our sinnes not our vowes But the cause that moued the Rabbines Kimhi Ben Gerson was this because they wil eyther allowe or excuse the acte of Iiphtah But wee must not labor for that not that we would willinglye vncouer the defaultes of the fathers but because we see that thinges whiche are not well doone are not to be excused Moreouer also this doth not a litttle moue me bicause the Iewes at this day haue not this vowe of Virginity among them Wherefore al these reasons lead me to think that the daughter of Iiphtah was in very dede immolated But if it be demaunded whyther he sinned or no in doing this The question aunswered two wayes it may be aunswered two manner of wayes Firste bycause as he was a man so moughte hee seme as very many of the elders fel. Secōdly it may
is not credible as Ambrose saith that these thinges were done wtout the good wil of the maiden Ambrose But diuorsement should not be made so rashly and for so light a cause Christe hath made one cause onely of diuorcement namely aduoutry Paul addeth the difference of religion although he wyll not haue the faithfull to depart if the vnbeleuing party wil dwel together Neither permitted he second mariages bicause man and wife agree not in religion but bicause the one wil not abide wyth the other Ther was here no cause of iust diuorcement In Samsons cause there is neither of these There was no aduoutrye neyther did the mayden say she would not dwell with her husband neither did Samson repudiate his wife although he then departed from her For afterwarde he returned vnto her as we shal heare And although he so departed that the wyfe knewe not where he was become yet ought she not straight way to marye an other For the ciuill lawes when any suche thing happeneth doo appoynt her to tary fyue yeares as it is had in the Digestes De diuortiis in the law Vxor. And in the Authentikes De Nuptiis in the Paragraphe Sed etiam The Canon lawes in the Decretals would haue amended these thinges and decreed that it should not bee lawfull to marye againe before some certaine woorde were broughte of the death of the first husbande or wyfe But with what godlynes and wysdome they did that I wyll not at this tyme declare It is certaine that in this place was iniustice done for the wife to mary an other being not ignoraunt that her husbande was yet on lyue But the Father excuseth the act saying I thought thou haddest hated my daughter But why should he haue suffered hymselfe to be perswaded after this sorte It was conuenient that he shoulde before haue knowen Samsons mynde Iosephus and taryed for a booke of deuorcement Although I see that Iosephus is of this opinion that hee thinketh Samson dyd repudiate his wyfe But that is not very lykely when as he afterwarde descended to take his wife againe vnto him Neyther should the Philistians iustly haue burned that maÌ„ with his famely Ambrose Yea and Ambrose also denyeth that there was any deuorcement This is in a maner the fruite of those that are ioyned together in an vnequall mariage We reade the lyke thing in the fyrst booke of Samuel the .xxv. chapter Dauid had maryed Michol the daughter of Saul and when Dauid fled her Father gaue her vnto an other husbande when as the first husbande had not yet repudiated her but afterwarde Dauid demaunded her agayne In the meane tyme let vs that are Christians determine thys with our selues that it is not lawfull to dissolue matrimonies for lyghte causes Paule saythe If the wooman depart let her remayne vnmaryed or let her be reconciled vnto her husbande Chrisostome Which assuredlye hee ment not of aduoutry for he woulde not amende the woordes of Christ but as Chrisostome sayth he vnderstoode these thynges of lyghter offences for as muche as of them some reconsiliacion may be hoped for whych is vtterly cut of if she be maryed to an other ¶ The .xv. Chapter 1 BVt within a while after in the time of wheate haruest Samson visited his wife with a Kyd saying I wil go vnto my wife into her chamber but her father would not suffer him to go in 2 And her father sayde I had thought that thou haddest hated her therefore gaue I her to thy companion Is not her younger syster fayrer then shee Take her I praye thee in steede of the other 3 And Samson sayd vnto hym Nowe am I more blameles then the Philistines and therfore wil I doo them displeasure THis was the simplicity of those times that the husbande shoulde bring vnto his wyfe a Kyd. It was a gyft of reconcilement to pacify hys wyfe withall In saying I haue sayd That is I did fyrmly and constantly thinke That doubting of woordes with the Hebrues addeth a vehemency which selfe thing we maye see in that which followeth In hating thou diddest hate her that is thou diddest exceedingly hate her The father in lawe seemeth to lay the fault in the Sonne in lawe For it is as muche as he shoulde haue sayde Thou wast the cause that I gaue her vnto an other Is not her yonger syster fayrer then shee He feared Samson bycause he was of a strong and mighty body least he shoulde rage and kyll and slaye the Philistines therefore he offereth him his other daughter to asswage his anger He offereth her but yet against the law of God by which it was not lawfull to mary twoo Systers as it is manifest in the eightene and twentye of Leuiticus Wherefore the father offereth vnto Samson mariage but yet an incestious mariage Neither was it by the Romaine lawes lawfull to marye two systers It is not lawful to maâ—y two Sisters although the first were dead and vndoubtedly for a iust cause For for as muche as man and wife are one fleshe thereby commeth that the kynsfolkes of the one are ioyned in the same degree with the other Wherefore the syster of my wyfe must be counted for my sister Let the Pope therefore take heede what he doth when he so easely geueth licence in this kinde of mariages But this is nothing to him which thinketh that all thinges are lawfull vnto hym But it maye be that the Philistians obserued not these degrees in matrimonies For when Moses gaue the law before brought Ye shal not doo saith he as the nacions do which the Lord your God shall subdue vnto you For therefore hath the earthe syued them out before your face Samson receiued not the condicion offred hym Of you saith he is sproong the iniury my cause is the better and more iust if it should come to iudgement Wherfore he hath cause to be reuenged of the Philistians And assuredly it was written before of God And he sought occasion We must not thinke of Samson as of a priuate man Here the Reader is agayne to be admonished not to thinke of Samson as of a priuate man For it is not lawful for anye priuate man after this maner to prosecute hys owne iniuries He must rather go vnto the Magistrate But Samson was nowe constituted of God as a Magistrate First hee taketh vengeaunce of the goods of the Philistians and that after a wonderfull maner 4 And Samson went tooke .xxx. Foxes and tooke firebrandes and turned them tayle to tayle and put a fyrebrande in the middest betwene two tayles 5 And when hee hadde set the brandes on fyre hee sent them oute into the standyng corne of the Philistians and burnt vp bothe the reekes and the standing corne with the vineyardes and oliues 6 Then the Philistians sayd who hath done this And they aunswered Samson the sonne in law of the Thimnite bicause he had taken awaye hys wyfe and geuen her to hys
whō By the Philistines at whose handes she looked for fauour 8 So he smote them hyp and thygh wyth a great plague Then he went downe and dwelt in the top of the rocke Etan What hyp vpon thigh or hyp together with thigh signifieth it is obscure therfore ther are sundry interpretacions brought The Chaldey Paraphrast expoūdeth it to be horsmen footemē so that thigh signifieth horsmē bicause they syt on the horse with the thigh bowed and the hyp signifieth footemen Peraduenture at that time it was a kinde of prouerb wel knowen of those men Dauid Kimhi bringeth an other reason namely that Samson Kimhi both slew the Philistians and also did put them to flight who also as they fled did fall as thoughe by thys kynde of speeche might be described the behauiour of them that fel whereby the hyp is bowed vnto the thigh Farther this hebrue woorde Iarach signifieth also a shoulder and the meaning may be that Samson smote them from the shoulder to the thigh The rocke Etan is the proper name of a place 9 Then the Philistians came vp and pitched in Iudah and were spreade abroade in Lechi 10 And the men of Iudah sayd why are ye come vp vnto vs And they aunswered to bynde Samson are we come vp and to doo to hym as he hath done to vs. 11 Then three thousand men of Iudah went downe to the top of the rocke Etan said to Samson knowest thou not that the Philistians ar rulers ouer vs wherfore then hast thou done thus vnto vs And he aunswered them as they dyd vnto mee so haue I done vnto them 12 Againe they sayd vnto him We are come to bynde thee and to delyuer thee into the hand of the Philistians And Samson said vnto them sweare vnto me that ye wil not fall vpon me your selues 13 And they answered hym saying No but we wil binde thee delyuer thee vnto their hand but we wil not kyl thee And they bound him with two new cordes and brought hym from the rocke 14 When he came to Lechi the Philistians shouted agaynst hym and the spirite of the Lord came vpon hym and the cordes that wer vpon hys armes became as flaxe that is burnt wyth fyre for the bandes loosed from hys handes 15 And he found a new iawbone of an Asse put foorth hys hand and caught it and slewe a thousande men therewyth 16 Then Samson sayd with the iawe of an Asse are heapes vpon heapes with the iaw of an Asse haue I slayne a thousand men 17 And when he had left speakyng he cast awaye the iawbone out of hys hande and called that place Ramath-Lechi Thys place is called Lechi by the figure prolepsis bycause Lechi in Hebrue is a iawbone and therefore the place is so named bycause Samson slewe there a number of hys enemyes wyth the iawbone of an Asse But that was not then done when Samson came thither at the fyrste The Philistians to auenge theyr iniuryes pytched agaynst Iudah for thyther Samson fled But the men of Iudah desyre the Philistians not to be angrye and demaunde of them why they led an armye agaynst them As though they should haue sayd we haue not fallen from you and we haue payed you our tributes If Samson dyd anye thyng agaynste you The leaugue of the Woulues with the shepe Demosthenes it was not done by our counsell And they were pacified and sayde Delyuer hym then and we wyl depart Vndoubtedly an vniust and craftye Counsell for in suche sorte would the Woulues make a league wyth the Sheepe on that condicion I say that they shoulde delyuer theyr Dogges as Demosthenes sayd vnto the people of Athens touchyng theyr Oratours But why dyd not the Philistians them selues take Samson Ambrose Ambrose aunswereth bicause they durst not And the men of Iudah were so cowardishe that they refused not to doo it There came vnto Samson three thousande men to take hym and they laye for a pretence the authoritye of the Philistians VVylt thou say they haue vs afflicted for thy sake The lyke speeche had the Hebrues in tyme past agaynst Moses for when the people was oppressed of Pharao Thou sayd they haste made our smel to stinke in the syght of Pharao Samson vpbraydeth not vnto them their sluggyshnesse and desperatnesse when as hee myght iustly haue sayde vnto them Are ye not ashamed to betray hym that hath delyuered you He handleth hys owne countrey men friendlye and telleth them peaceably why he dyd so They sayde he did me iniury first and the same would I auenge This is the law of rendring like for like and it is a common rule of all lawes But sweare vnto me Lextalionis that you will not fall vpon me your selues Why requireth he this othe that they shoulde not kill him Bycause he was godlye towardes his countrey neither woulde he shed the blood of his citizens which vndoubtedly must nedes haue bene done if the matter had come to handystrokes The Philistians mighthy a certain outward shew seme iuster then Sāson For when they had burnt Samsons father in law and his wife and all his famely yet Samson not being content with that auengement slew very manye of them and they though they had so manye hurtes yet they desire onely the death of Samson Wherefore they may seme more iust but it is but in an outward shew onely The entente of the Philistiās as we haue sayd For they would first take away Samson the heade who being taken away they myght easely do what they woulde against the people of Israel And Samson would rather be deliuered vnto his enemies then that his country shuld for his sake come in daūger so great a loue had he towards his people yea rather chiefly a firme and constant fayth towardes God For puttinge his hope in the mercy of God he doubted not to commit himself vnto his enemies and he woulde defende the Iewes not onely by weapons and strength but also wyth his greate daunger And when he was bound they made him to ascende This is so sayde because that rough rock which Samson possessed was lower then the mountaines which the Philistians helde Wherefore wee reade before that Samson discended to the rocke and that the Iewes descended vnto him When the Philistians showted against him for ioy the spirit of the lordcame vpon Sāson so that he brake his cords as easelye as if they had beene flare burnte with fire And he toke the iaw bone of an asse being new or grene This Hebrewe woorde Teriah signifieth grene or new it is so called either bicause it was newelye drawen out of the asse or els bicause it was rotten For rotten thinges the Hebrewes call grene Wherfore raw sores and wounds ful of matter or corruption ar called of thē grene Teriah These words And Samson said with the iaw of an Asse and then it is added in Hebrew Chamor Chamerithim are very obscure and haue
onely lodged in her house But the Philistines whē they heard of it did secretly enuirō the city in the night season for they would make no noyse for waking of Samson beyng on sleepe for they durst not set vpon hym in the darke for that they knew him to be most strong They taried till it was day neither doubted they that he could escape being so on euery side enclosed and besieged Liranus thinketh Lyrauus that the Philistines drew not Samson out of his lodging bycause peraduēture in that region it was a law that men should be safe in their lodgyngs But I meruayle that Ambrose sayth that the Philistines besieged the house where Samson was Ambrose when as in the Hebrew we manifestly rede that they besieged the City Samson came and tooke the doores caried them away with him So he despised his enemies neither was there any that durst withstand hym Neither yet must we thinke that that was the strength of a man Things are to be iudged by the worde of God and not by the successe but of the spirit of God But we must not therfore affirme that God fauored whooredome bycause in iudging of thinges we must not haue a regard to the successe Dauid also filthily cōmitted aduoutry and at the same tyme wherin he grieuously sinned he conquered Rabbah the City of the Ammonites Salomon had fellowship with idolatrous women and yet all thinges in a maner went with hym as he would desire Wherfore as touchyng actions we must not iudge of them by ententes Wherfore in Ecclesiastes it is rightly sayd that the selfe same thinges happē vnto the euill that do happen vnto the good therfore of thē the loue or hatred of God toward vs is not knowen Neither by the euentes may we iudge who is godly or who is vngodly We must iudge by the worde of God The things that agree with it are good the thinges that disagree are vngodly But in that God doth not strayghtway take vengeance he therefore doth it to call vs backe to repentaunce Wherfore it is our part to see that we heape not vnto our selues anger in the day of anger as Paul sayth vnto the Romaines Samson escaped the daunger caried away the gates of the City vnto a montayne that they might be a wonder and that the Philistines might see how great strength there was in the God of Israel yea that the Iewes also might beholde so notable an acte of God For that montayne was in the middest betwene Gaza Hebron whiche the Hebrues inhabited By that spectacle it came to passe that the courages of the Philistines were daunted but the Hebrues wer boldned We may not as I haue often admonished thinke of Samson as of a priuate man for he was a Magistrate appointed by God and not by men For if he had ben a priuate man his actes could not be allowed for it is wicked to violate the walles gates of Cities Which thing was also prohibited by the Romaine lawes In the digestes de rerum diuisione in the lawe sanctum and in the law sacrum it is had that some thinges are sacred some thinges religious and some thinges holy Thinges sacred as the alters and temples of the gods Religious as the sepulchers of the dead holy as those things which are by lawes defended from the iniuryes of men as gates walles In the same title also it is red Gates walls of cities are by the lawes coūted as holy These thynges are holy which are neither sacred nor prophane but confirmed and defended by lawes that they should not be violated As if a man should do this thing or that thing he should suffer this or that In the same title in the law Si quis the violating of the walles is made death Wherfore Remus was put to death Why Remus was killed of Romulus bycause he went ouer the walles of his brother Which selfe same thing is decreed of prisons as it is written in the title de Effractoribus in the law .1 And in the title de custodia Exhibitione in the lawe in cos Prisons ar not to be violated Howbeit if the doore were but slenderly shut and any manne had fled he was more lightely punished but yet in suche sorte that he shoulde be counted for a condemned person althoughe otherwyse he were innocent Socrates when he was in prison mought haue escaped he would not An example of Socrates least he should seme to haue violated the lawes It was obiected vnto hym Thou art wrongfully held in prison But he aunswered we must not by iniury put away iniury bycause to do iniury is alwayes euill He also tooke an argument of an exāple For wise men ought not to open this window vnto other Which other would easely imitate if they should flye out of prisō Farther if all mā should by thēselues remedy iniuryes breakes prisons what manner of publique wealth would there be at the length Moreouer hereby we should seme to feare death more then is mete But we must not so be afeard of death to violate lawes and rightes Lastly we must not doubt but that good men fall into the handes of tyrannes by the will of God Wherfore they ought not by an vniust way to deliuer themselues thereout Neither ought any man to obiect vnto vs Peter for he fled not but was by an angell brought foorth by the will and commaundement of God Let vs rather see what Paul and Silas did in pryson they would not flye when they might It is not lawfull for bounde seruauntes to flye from their masters It is not lawfull also for bondeseruants to fly from their masters And vndoubtedly Paul sent home agayn Onesimus vnto Philemon What if the bondeseruant feared fornication or murther at his masters hand It was lawfull for him to flye vnto sanctuary or to the image of the prince there was he holpen by the lawes and the vniust Lord was compelled to sell his bondseruāt But a Citizen for as much as he is free Free men may chaunge theyr abydynges for iust causes neither is held in prison bycause by the lawes he may dwell where he will for him it is lawfull to chaunge his abyding go whether he please But that whiche Samson did must not be followed neither drawen into an example For he as we haue often sayde was appoynted a Magistrate by God and was most certayne of his vocation 4 And afterwarde he loued a woman by the brooke Sorek whose name was Delila 5 And the Lordes of the Philistines came vp vnto her and said vnto her Deceaue him and see wherin his great strength lyeth and by what meanes we may preuayle agaynste hym that when we haue bound him we may afflicte him And we will euery one of vs geue thee a thousand one hundreth peces of Siluer 6 And Delila sayd to Samson tell me I praye thee wherein thy greate strength
The custom of God in punishing A similitude Thus God vseth to doo first to punish his owne before he afflict straungers Phisitions also when a man hath taken poyson haue thys as their chiefe care to driue away the poyson from the hart from the lyuer and other principal partes of the body then they apply medicines vnto the other mēbers of the body So also the good man of the house firste enstructeth and chastiseth his chyldren and afterwarde he enstructeth other Wherfore Paul wryteth of a Bishop If he cannot wel gouerne his owne family how shall hee gouerne the church of God Wherfore it is no maruayle if god chastised Samson fyrst afterward grieuously afflicted the Philistines But in that it is writtē that his heare was growen againe we must not beleue that hys strength lay in hys heare for it was a gift of god geuen him freely The vowe of the Nazarites being violated was renewed but yet God required that for that gift he should be a Nazarite vnto which it belonged to let the heare growe and not to cut it with a rasor But if a man had transgressed he did not therfore straight way cease to be a Nazarite but ought to let his heare grow and be clensed and so begyn againe his institucion which he tooke in hand Wherefore Samson repented that he had violated his vow and returned to the rule of a Nazarite and when his heare was growen and he restored both vnto god and to his olde state and strength being assured of the helpe of god he tooke vengeaunce of hys enemyes In the meane time the Philistines ascribe their victory against Samson vnto their god Dagon What Dagon was But what this god was it is not very wel knowen Howbeit as farre as may be iudged by the Etimology of the woorde it was some god of the sea For Dag in hebrew signifieth a fyshe And that both the Grecians and the Latines worshipped gods of the sea Gods of the sea it is certayne For they had Neptune Leucothea and Triton Aboue the belly as they say it had the forme of a man downward it ended in the forme of a fyshe Suche a god woorshipped the Philistines And vndoubtedly the old Ethnikes synned grieuously therin in that they woulde rather serue the creature as Paul sayth then the creator and chaunged the glory of the immortal God and transferred it not onely into the similitude fashioned like a mortal man but also into the images of birdes fourefooted beastes What maner of thinges the Gods of heretikes are and Serpentes or creeping thinges Neither did they onely woorship those things which ar in nature but also they fained vnto thē selues Monsters which appeare no where Such gods in a maner do heretikes woorship For they doo set before them selues some shape and head of God when they confesse that they heleue in God the creator of heauen earth But when farther they adde their own thoughtes and fansies they make the inferiour part to ende in a fishe Of this Dagon there is manifest mencion made in the first booke of Samuel The Philistines extolled their Dagon bycause he had deliuered their ennemye into their handes whiche was nothing els then to blaspheme the name of the true God For they attributed his woorkes vnto an idole Neither considered they that Samson was therfore taken bicause he had sinned against God Wherfore our synnes are a cause why God is blasphemed for when by reason of them we are destitute of the helpe of God our enemies whiche get the victorye againste vs doo ascribe the same both vnto their owne strengthes and to their supersticions So happened it in the conqueryng of Constantinople Horrible examples of blasphemies where the Turkes when they had gotten the city caried about in derision the image of Christ clothed with the apparel of the Turkes throughout al the host and throughout all the wayes of the City And not many yeares ago when the Emperour Charles the fift lost a great nauy and many souldiours at Argery I remember I hearde some soldiours say that Christ our sauiour was now become a Mahomitan or Moore How holy men called vpō 〈◊〉 in tribulacions neither considered they that they them selues wer become farre woorse then the Mahomites So the name of God is mocked for our synnes Wherefore holy men were wont not without a cause thus to pray and to implore mercye that the name of God should not be euil spoken of among the Gentiles So delt Moses with God when he was angry with the people for making the golden Calfe The Prophets also sayd Be mercyful vnto vs Lord for thine own sake and for thine names sake least the nacions say wher is their God Let vs in the meane time when we heare or reade these thinges thus thincke with our selues Seing God hath for synne so grieuouslye afflicted Samson so great a man sanctified from his mothers wombe and appointed to deliuer Israel what shall become of vs if we synne So Paul to the Corrinthians in his first Epistle setteth foorth vnto vs the examples of the Israelites to consider whom God sundry wayes chastised And to the Romanes he sayth If he hath not spared the natural braunches take heede that he spare not thee Marke the goodnes and seuerity of God his seuerity on those which haue fallen and his goodnes in thee if thou abide in goodnes otherwise thou also shalt be cut of Wherefore by these cogitacions we may take fruite by the punishment of other For this vse are examples set foorth vnto the Churche What is the fruit of holy histories that we in readyng them shoulde become better Paule sayde what soeuer thinges are before wrytten are written for our learning that wee throughe pacience and consolacion of the scriptures shoulde haue hope Wherefore when we reade that holye men were so corrected we ought to tremble least we also fall into the lyke anger of God If we doo not take suche fruite by reading of the holy scriptures we then reade them in vayne The Philistines geue thankes vnto Dagon their God for the victorye So were they delyuered vp into a reprobate sense to geue thankes for those thinges for whych they ought most of all to haue bene sory For how obtayned they Samson By the artes of an harlot and by most fylthye deceate After sacrifices followeth a verye sumptuous banquet For in those holye seruices of Idoles was set foorth a certaine communion that the people in that feast shoulde reioyce together wyth a certaine common ioy So also in the olde Testament the Israelites in theyr peace offeringes feasted and reioyced together before the Lord. Neyther is it vnlykely but that the Fathers also before the law had suche holy seruices and solemnities To what ende the Supper of the Lorde was instituted Christ also our Sauiour instituted a Communion and holye Supper that wee shoulde there celebrate hys name and healthfull death But
very often For if she fal often into adultry she ought not to be receaued The Glose in the same place obiecteth vnto it self christ who whē he was demaūded how oftē we shuld forgeue our brother whē he offendeth against vs answered not onely seuē times but seuenty seuē times To this he sayth that the words of the Cannō are to be vnderstād that when the adulteresse so oftentimes falleth the church shall not entreate for her reconciliacion partelye bycause there shoulde be opened a wyndowe to wyckednes When the churche ought to entreate for those that fall and partly bycause she might thinke that penaunce is but fayned and dessembled There is also added an other aunswere that that is spoken for a terrour least men should more freely and carelesly commit sinne Hereby is gathered that the church oughte to entreate for the reconciliation of the repentant that they may be reconciled Wherfore an adultresse either sheweth signes of repentaunce or els sheweth not If she shew signes the church oughte to entreate for her that there may be a reconciliation made But if she shewe none the churche shall not entreate for her otherwise it should seme to maintain sinnes Now must we aunswere vnto the arguments which semed to be agaynst reconciliation Aunsweres vnto the reasons on the contrary part The counsell of Orleance The cause why the law of Moses prohibited the returne of a wyfe repudiated vnto her first husbande As touching the ciuill lawes they are to be corrected by the word of God Ierome and Chrisostome do speake of such an adultresse whiche repenteth not which selfe same thing is manifestly vnderstand by the counsel of Orleance For that it is there had He whiche retaineth an adultresse is partaker of the crime but if she repent let her be receaued But why the lawe of Moses suffred not that a wife repudiated should not after the death of her latter husbande returne vnto her first the cause may easely be assigned For if he had permitted that then diuorsements would easely haue bene had in hope somtimes to recouer agayne theyr wife God would that she that was repudiated shoulde returne no more to the ende that shee shoulde not easelye bee repudiated There mighte also bee conspiracies made agaynste the latter husbande whereby the wyfe myghte when hee were dyspatched awaye returne agayne vnto her firste husbande Wherefore the lawe of God was moste iuste whiche pertayned not vnto adultrous women which by the commaūdement of God ought to be stoned By these thinges now it is manifest that it is lawfull for the husband to return into fauor with his wife being an adulteresse so that she repent who yet ought to accuse his wife of adultry if it be a publike crime or if she perseuer in her wickednes or els if she bring forth any children by adultry least the lawful heires should be defrauded for vnlesse she be accused the husbande cannot depriue the son borne in adultry but that he shall inherite Farther let the church entreate and work with him that he would receaue againe the woman being repentāt Wherfore our Leuite ought not to be reproued bicause he receaued again into fauor his wife being an adultresse so that she repented her of her adultery But now will I return to the interpretation 11 When they were nere to Iebus the day was sore spent and the seruant said vnto his master come I pray thee and let vs turn into this city of the Iebusites and lodge al night there 12 And his maister aunswered him we wil not turne into the city of straungers that are not of the children of Israel but we will go forth to Gibaah 13 And he said vnto his seruant Come and let vs draw nere to one of these places that we may lodge in Gibaah or in Ramah 14 So they wente forwarde vpon their waye and the sunne wente downe vpon them nere to Gibaah which is in Beniamin 15 Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibaah and when he came he sate him down in a strete of the city for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging 16 And behold there came an old man from his worke out of the field at euen and the man was of mounte Ephraim but dwelte in Gibbaah and the men of the place wer the children of Iemini 17 And when he had lift vp his eyes he saw a wayfaringe man in the streetes of the city then this old man sayd whether goest thou and whence camest thou 18 And he aunswered him we came from Beth-lehem Iudah vnto the side of mounte Ephraim from thence am I and I wente to Beth-lehem Iudah and go now to the house of the Lorde and no man receaueth me into his house 19 Although we haue straw and prouender for our Asses and also breade and wyne for me and thine handmayd and for the boy that is wyth thy seruant we lacke nothing 20 And the old man said peace be with thee al thy penury be vpon me onely abide not in the strete al night Ierusalem was therfore called Iebus bicause the Iebusites in the old time inhabited it The seruant counselled his master to take iodgynge before the Sunne should set But he would not VVe will not turne in sayth he neither to this city nor to that neither to any other city of straungers which ar Gentiles But it may seme merueilous how Ierusalem is called straunge from the Israelites when as in the beginning of this booke there is mencion made that the Hebrewes toke it named it Ierusalem How it is sayd that Ierusalē was at this time a city of straungers They which sayd that this history is to be referred vnto the fyrst times of the Iudges namely that it was done before Othoniell beganne to iudge from the death I say of Iosua to the gouernment of Othoniell seeme to be ledde by this argument In that space of time they say these thinges happened These mens coniecture hath in dede som shew of truth But it is not very firm For wee muste knowe that the Iewes often times behaued themselues ill in fallinge from the worshippinge of the true God Wherefore he left them destitute of his ayde wherof they being beriued they were again ouercome of those whome before they had ouercome whereby it came to passe that the Iebusites recouered agayne theyr city and dwelled in it Wherfore those thinges which are written in the beginninge of this booke are not agaynst those which are nowe declared For the Iebusites hauing recouered theyr city inhabited it as they did before and it was called after the old name The wise counsell of the seruaunt The seruant did geue his maister wise counsell if a man should loke vpon that the euent For it is daungerous to trauayle by night especially for a man that is a straunger and vnarmed as this Leuite was which had with him onely his wife and his seruant Neyther is
a lawe called Lex Scantinia Lex Scātinia whiche was of the same shapenes For he would signify that the Byshoppe of Vthinensis was contaminated with thys kynde of wickednes He feared not sayeth he the lawe called Lex Scantinia In the Code ad l. Iuliam de Adulteriis stupris in the lawe Cum vir nubit Constantius Augustus cōmaundeth the lawes to arise and the lawes to be armed with the auengyng sworde that such as are infamed by this crime should be subiect to most cruell punishementes Iustinian also in his Authentikes in the title vt no Luxurientur contra naturam maketh thys crime death and addeth that for such a detestable crime Cityes are ouerthrowen and plagued with pestilēces hunger and earthquakes He mought also haue added ciuile warres whiche as this Hystory testifyeth doo fellowe and those moste cruell Extra de excessibus prelatorum in the chapter Clerici it is ordeyned that they whiche are taken in thys crime shoulde be put out of theyr place and dignity And the lay men also should be excommunicated But it is to be knowen that euen GOD bendeth hymselfe to vengeaunce ☜ and sendeth fury and madnes vpon suche persons where the Magistrate neglecteth his dewty and suffreth wicked menne to go vnpunished Therefore in Genesis it is written that the aungelles smote the Sodomites with blyndnes so that they could not finde the house We muste also note that the Gabaonites came in a manner all of them vpon a heape vnto the doore that it myght appeare that they all conspired into thys so detestable a crime But there ariseth a doubt whether sinne may by any meanes be excused for this cause Sinne is not excused therefore bycause it is publique bycause it was common and almost all men were infected with it No vndoubtedly yea rather it was so muche the more wicked and heynous as it was committed of many and that without punishement For they dyd not onely conceaue and committe wickednes but also publishe and set it forth openly and without shame ranne together to accomplishe it Wherefore it is rightly written that the sinnes of the Sodomites cried and ascēded vp into heauen Esay also writeth They haue published abrode their sinne like Sodoma And where we see that done we must thinke that it is a certayne token that that publique wealth shall in shorte tyme perishe For menne when they are touched with some shamefastnes althoughe they sinne yet remayneth there some hope of amendement and repentaunce But when in a manner they openly professe wicked actes and write bokes of them and wil haue theyr wicked crimes to be publique there is nothyng elles to be looked for but the vengeaunce of God With thys wicked vyce the Prelates and Papisticall Sacrificers in these dayes are chiefely infected and also the Antechristes of Rome vnto whom matrimony is very odious Let vs also consider the goodnes of God whiche stirreth vp this olde man to admonishe and reproue them and to bryng them agayne into the ryght waye They were menne polluted and contaminated and vtterly vnwoorthy of so great a benefite But there are neuer men so euill but that GOD doth by some meanes admonishe them of their synnes The olde man dyd his dewty but they contemne and deride him He brought foorth hys concubine Who Not the olde manne but the Leuite who deliuered his wife for feare least he should hymselfe haue fallen into their power But why did not the olde manne delyuer his daughter also Paraduenture bycause those Citezins cared not for her beawty who yet counted the wife of the Leuite to be very fayre and beautifull They so afflicted her all the nyght that in the mornyng she dyed Theyr wicked crime turned at the length into murther In this place the hande and vengeaunce of GOD sheweth forth it selfe This woman hauyng before committed adultery and not for it iustly punished The adulteresse as she sinned so is she punished at the length dyeth euen in adultery and suffreth the lawe of the lyke But whether she repented at last or no there is nothyng written of that matter We onely see the outwarde thynges it is GOD whiche searcheth the heartes But if she dyd repent and that with fayth then escaped she eternall punishementes Yet GOD will haue discipline established in publique wealthes and the malefactors punished who if they repent then are they fatherly chastisynges and not punishementes Neither is it lawfull for the Magistrate to neglecte his office althoughe they repent for if they doo cease to punishe God as it is before sayd will by hymselfe reuenge Wherfore that whiche is written to the Hebrues Whoremongers and adulterers GOD will iudge may be vnderstand two manner of wayes bycause God sometymes punisheth by himselfe and sometymes by the Magistrate The Leuite layd his concubine beyng dead vpon the Asse went home and deuided her body into twelue partes whereof he sent into euery tribe a parte But it may be demaūded Howe the Leuite distributed the pieces how he sent twelue parts into euery tribe when as they wer 13. number Some thinke it was bycause he sent nothing vnto the tribe of Leui for that the Leuites dwelled dispersedly among the other tribes Other suppose that he would send nothing vnto the tribe of Beniamin bycause he thought that they would be no equall reuengers for as muche as the Gabaonites pertayned vnto them But this sentence seemeth not probable bycause it was the sinne onely of one City therefore it pertayned not vnto the whole tribe vnles peraduenture we will say that he supposed that the Beniamites were of such mindes that they woulde not know and take vengeance of the offences of theyr owne bretherne Neither was he deceaued in his opiniō For so happened it in very dede Other say that he sent two partes to the tribe of Manasses bycause the Manassites dwelled part beyond Iordane and part on this side therfore they say that in this hys distribution were omitted two tribes Beniamin and Leui for the causes before alledged The entent of the Leuite was What was the entent of the Leuite that no tribe should excuse themselues by ignorance He was compelled so to do bicause ther was then no Magistrate in Israel neyther any certayn place of iudgement where he might plead his cause Wherfore he stirreth vp al the people to take away euil amōg thē And it semeth that he more profited by this meanes then he shoulde haue done if he had vsed letters or spech For those things do very much moue which are set forth before the eies And yet in so doing he sought not reuengemēt either by a wicked or by an vnlawful meanes forasmuch as he did not tumultuously call souldiers together neyther raised vp sedicions or inuaded the city which did him the iniurye He broughte the cause before them to whom it pertained to knowe it He complained not to Ammorhites or Iebusites but to his owne people Wherfore he ordreth his
accusation well and lawfully neyther by accusing doth he violate the law By accusinge the law is not violated but holpen yea rather he is an help vnto it as on the coÌ„trary side they which hold their peace and vtter not wicked acts ar against the lawes For eueÌ„ as of our selues we ought not to wish any mans death so must we not suffer the lawes to be openly and vilanously violated with out punishmeÌ„t This ciuil war is not to be imputed vnto the Leuite Wherefore let the bishops in the old time looke howe godly they did when they made intercession vnto magistrates for wicked men and for such as wer appointed to dy If thou wilt say ther straight way followed most ciuil warre whiche thing seemeth may be imputed vnto the Leuite But it is not so it ought rather to be ascribed vnto the Beniamits which would not punyshe so greate a wicked cryme In this history Iosephus somewhat varieth from the holy scriptures Iosephus Firste he denieth that this woman was an adultresse and that she therefore departed from her husband She was sayth he very beawtifull and when her husbande loued her excedingly and complained that she loued not him agayn she as one not able to abide his brawlinges fled vnto her parents But the holy scriptures do manifestly teache that she had played the harlot In which sentence al the interpreters agree together Farther he denieth that the Gabaonites thoughte this namely to abuse the Leuit he sayth that they being allured by the beawty of the wife desired onely to haue to do with her But that also is plainly against the holy scriptures wherin it is by expresse words written Bring forth the man that we may know him Farther he denieth that the Leuit deliuered his wife vnto them but the Gabaonites saith he toke her by violence At the last also he addeth this which I thinke also is very likely that the Leuite when he sent the peces of the body did sende messengers also to declare what was done otherwise he shoulde not much haue profited if he had sent but the peeces onely These euils did therefore happen bicause there was no magistrate or prince to iudge the Israelites In the papistical church ther is no magistrat The same thinge also happeneth when there is a magistrat or prince which doth not his office And bicause the ecclesiastical men haue at this day shaken of the yoke of the politicall Magistrate there is therefore no magistrate amonge them Whereby the Christian publike welth suffreth great discommodities ¶ Of a Magistrate THis place admonisheth me to entreat of a magistrate whome I iudge may thus be described namely to be a person elected by the institution of God to kepe the lawes as touching outward discipline in punishing traÌ„sgressors with punishment of the body and to noorish and defend the good There are vndoubtedly many persons elected by the institution of God which are not Magistrates as the ministers of churches whiche yet are keepers of the worde of God of his law but not as touching outwarde discipline onely Bycause it is the office of ministers by the word of God to pearce eueÌ„ to the inward mocioÌ„s of minds for the holyghost adioyneth his power both to the right preachinges of his word also to the sacraments which are distributed in the church But the magistrat onely exerciseth outward discipline punishment vpon transgressors The minister bindeth the guilty vnpenitent in the name of god and in his name excludeth them from the kingdome of heauen as long as they so remain The magistrate punisheth withoutward punishmentes when nede requireth vseth the sword Ether of them nourisheth the godly but after a diuerse manner the magistrate encreaseth them with riches honors and dignities the minister comforteth them with the promises of god and with the Sacramentes Wherefore the magistrate is instituted The end of a magistrate to the end that the lawes should be most diligeÌ„tly kept the guilty punished the good holpen noorished And vndoubtedly the law is a dumme magistrate againe the magistrate is a liuing and speaking law and so also is the minister of god as Paule sayth to theyr prayse which do well and contrarily he beareth the sword against the wicked as gods reuenger iudge neyther tende these thinges to any other end then to the health of men But the forme of magistrates is not one onely but manye as Monarchia Aristocratia Many formes of magistrates Policia or Tirannis Oligarchia Democratia The discriptioÌ„s and natures of which forms Plato Aristotle and other Philosophers haue elegantly taught Of all those formes the best is to be desired and all men to whome it pertayneth ought to prouide that a good or tollerable estate degenerate not into an euill one But if it happen that Tirans or wicked princes obteine the gouernment of thinges An example of the Iewes that is to be suffred asmuch as is by the word of god lawfull The Iewes were by violence oppressed of the Babilonians whome yet god admonished that they should obey to pray for the king although he were a tiran possessed the kingdome of the Hebrewes most wrongfully Cesar also held Iewry by tiranny and yet Christ sayd Geue that whiche is Cesars vnto Cesars the thinges that are of god vnto god The Apostles also haue taught that we must obey princes pray for theÌ„ Nero was a most vnpure beast whoÌ„ yet the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romains declared that he ought to be obeyed not onely for fear but also for coÌ„science sake Phocas possessed the empire of Rome by euil arts most cruelly slew Mauricius his prince also his children whom yet the Romaines acknowledged as theyr Emperor Gregory the .i. red vnto the people his coÌ„maundements writings If thou wilt demauÌ„d what form of a publike wealth that Iewes had it may easly be known by those things which we haue in an other place spokeÌ„ They had at the beginning this forme Aristocratia for god allowed the counsell of Iethro which was that ther should be choseÌ„ out wise meÌ„ strong such as fered god which should gouerne the publike welth as it is writteÌ„ in Exodus Deut. Yea god himself did so with his sprite inspire these .70 men whoÌ„ he had coÌ„maunded to be choseÌ„ as helpers of Moses that they also prophesied So were the Israelite gouerned although afterward they were gouerned by the power of a king Princes ar called Pastoâ—â— But this is not to be omitted the princes in the holy scriptures ar not only called DeacoÌ„s or ministers of god but also pastors of whoÌ„ Ezechiel coÌ„plaineth for many causes for that they cruellye peruerslye fed the people of God Homere also calleth Agamemnon the feder of the people For they ought not to beare rule as thieues or hired meÌ„ to flese to oppresse but to kepe
Why was Socrates condemned at Athens The Ethnike princes had a regard vnto religion I do not now demaunde how holyly or iustly for as all men in a manner beleue Anitus and Melitus lyed agaynst hym this I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned but onely for religion as thoughe he taught newe gods and led away the youth from the olde and receaued worshyppyng of the gods and he was by a prophane Magistrate condēned Socrates was for religiō sake condemned of a prophane Magistrate Wherfore the Athenienses thought that the obseruance and care of religion pertayned vnto their Magistrate The law of God commaunded that the blasphemer should be put to death not I thinke by euery priuate mā or by the Priestes but by the Magistrates The Ethnike Emperors also in those first tymes did for no other cause rage agaynst the Christians but bycause they thought that matters of religion pertayned vnto their iudgement seat And assuredly as touching this opinion they wer not deceaued for none as Chrisostome sayth either Apostle or Prophet reproued the people Chrisostome either Iewes or Ethnikes bycause they had a care ouer Religion but they were deceaued in the knowledge of Religion bycause they defended theyr owne religion as true and condemned the Christian religion as vngodly and blasphemous Constantine and Theodosius are praysed and very many other holy princes bycause they tooke awaye Idoles and either closed vp or elles ouerthrew theyr Temples But they dyd not these thynges but for that they thought that the charge of Religion pertayned vnto them otherwise they should haue bene busy fellowes and should haue put theyr sicle into an other mannes haruest The Donatistes tooke thys in very ill parte and grieuously complayned thereof in Augustines tyme bycause the Catholique Byshoppes required ayde of the Ciuile Magistrate agaynst them Augustine But Augustine confuteth them with the selfe same argumentes whiche I haue a litle before rehearsed and addeth this moreouer Why did ye accuse Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage before Constātine if it be wicked for the Emperor to determine concerning Religion Farther there is gathered by those thynges whiche the same father wrote agaynst Petilianus and agaynst Parmenianus and also in many other his Epistles howe that the Donatistes accused Cecilianus as it is sayde before Constantine the Emperour who first sent the cause to Melchiades Bishop of Rome And when by hym they were ouercome they appealed agayne vnto the Emperor neyther reiected he their appealation from him but committed the matter vnto the Bishop of Orleance by whom they were agayne condemned Neither rested they so Constātine decideth a matter of religion but again appealed vnto the Emperor who heard thē decided their cause condemned them and by hys sentence absolued Cecilianus Where are they now which so often and so impudētly cry that there is no appealyng from the Pope and that the causes of Religion pertayne not vnto the ciuile Magistrate To whom in the olde tyme pertayned the ryght of callyng generall counsels Pertayned it not vnto the Emperors Counsels were called by Emperors As for the counsell of Nice the counsell of Constātinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedonia Emperors called them Leo. 1. of that name prayed the Emperor to cal a counsell in Italy bycause he suspected the Gretians of the error of Eutiches yet could he not obteyne it and the Byshops were called together to Chalcedonia where at the Emperor also was present as was Constantine at the counsell of Nice Neither doo I thinke that they were there present to sitte idle and to do nothing but rather to put forth vnto the Bishops what they should doo and to vrge them to define rightly Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished the fathers to determine all thinges by the scriptures of the Euangelistes Apostles Prophetes and Canonicall scriptures Iustinian also in the Code Iustinian Augustine wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Byshoppes and Priestes and other such lyke Yea and Augustine hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same manner to punish Idolatrers heretikes as he punisheth adulterers for as much as they cōmitte whoredome against God in mynd which is much more heynous then to committe whoredome in body And looke by what lawe murtherers are put to death by the same also Idolatrers and heretikes ought to be punished for that by them are killed not the bodies but the soules although the common people be stirred vp onely agaynst homicides bycause they see the bloud of the bodyes killed but see not the death of the soules Vndoubtedly it is profitable for the Magistrate to take vpon hym this care and by his authority to compell menne to come to holy sermons and to heare the worde of God for by that meanes it commeth to passe that by often hearyng those thyngs begyn to please whiche before displeased As Hystoryes teach that God hath oftentymes with most noble victoryes illustrate godly prynces God hath prospered princes whiche had a care vnto Religion which haue had a care vnto these thinges Farther it can not be denied but that it is the dewty of the Magistrates to defend those Cities and publique wealthes ouer whiche they are gouerners and to prouide that no hurt happen vnto them wherfore for asmuch as Idolatry is the cause of captiuity pestilence famine ouerthrowing of publique wealthes shal it not pertaine vnto the Magistrate to represse it and to kepe the true sound religion Lastly Paul teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline in the feare of God but a good Magistrate is a father of the countrey wherfore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiectes be instructed as common children But kynges and princes whiche say that these thynges pertayne not vnto thē do in the meane tyme let geue and sell Bishoprikes Abbacies and benefices to whō they thinke good neither thinke they that to be none of their office onely religion they thinke they haue nothyng to doo with and they neglect to prouide that they whom they exalte to most ample dignityes should execute theyr office rightly Wherfore this thyng onely remayneth for them euen that GOD hymselfe at the length will looke vpon these thynges and with most grieuous punishement take vengeaunce of their negligence These thynges haue I spokē the more at large by occasion of our Hystory which maketh mention twise or thrise that euilles happened in Israel bycause they had not a kyng or lawfull Magistrate ¶ The .xx. Chapter 1 THen all the children of Israell went out and the congregation was gathered together as one man from Dan euen to Beerseba and from the lande of Gilead vnto the Lord in Mizpa 2 And the corners of all the people and all the tribes of Israell assembled in the Churche of the people of God foure hundreth thousand footemen that drew sword 3 And the children of Beniamin heard that the childrē of Israell wer gone vp vnto
then be But both we our selues and al ours doinges I say sayinges thoughtes and counsels are due vnto god Wherfore our merites do vtterly perish Moreouer those workes whereby wee should merite ought to be of our selues which cannot be affirmed for as muche as it is god which worketh in vs both to wil to perform that not as we wil but according to his good wil. Augustine Wherfore Augustine was accustomed very wel to say that God which crowneth his giftes in vs. And in his .100 Epistle ad Sixtū Presbiterum Paul saith he when he had sayd The rewarde of synne is death dyd not straightway adde contrarily The rewarde of righteousnes is euerlasting lyfe But Grace sayth he is eternal life for that is not rendred to our merites but is geuen freely He might in deede haue wrytten after the same manner if he woulde For the holye Scripture sometimes so speaketh But for that he was a defender of grace hee woulde not geue occasion vnto his enemyes to impugne it Farther our woorkes how holye so euer they appeare are neuerthelesse vnpure and imperfect Wherefore they are woorthye rather of punishment then that they should deserue any good And wythout doubt they should be punished were not the redempcion and iustification whyche wee haue by Christ our Lorde There ought also to be some anallogy or proporcion betwene merites and rewardes whereof there is none betwene our workes and eternall lyfe For as Paul saith The sufferinges of this time are not woorthy of the glory to come which shal be reuealed in vs. This is to be added that in the holye scriptures is no where found the name of merite Some in deede are wont to bring the .xvi. chap. of Ecclesiasticus and there they say it is written All mercy shal make place vnto euery one according to the merites of his workes But they which obiect this thing let him looke vpon the Greeke text wherin it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in latine Deus omni misericordiae faciet locum quisque iuxta opera sua inueniet Which in englyshe signifieth God wil make place vnto al mercy and euery man shall finde according vnto hys woorkes But in these woordes there is no mencion made of merite onely this is wrytten that whose woorkes are good they shall be in good case but yet their woorkes are not sayde to bee merites or causes of rewarde I wyll not speake howe that booke is not in the Canon bycause Paule and the Gospels vse the same forme of speaking But of that whyche is wrytten vnto the Hebrewes by suche Sacrifices God is well pleased I haue before spoken nowe wyth one woorde onely will I briefly touche the thing This woorde of deseruing is not founde in the Greeke In Greeke is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whyche woorde is onely signified that the good woorkes of the faythfull are gratefull and acceptable vnto God Of the woorde reward But as touching this woorde rewarde which some bicause they do not well vnderstand it do take for merite we must deuide it two maner of wayes For that is sometymes called a rewarde whiche is geuen freelye but yet is promysed by adding of some worke wherby men should be styrred vp to doo well So eternal life may be called a reward not that we deserue the same by our woorkes but bicause by a certain order appointed of God it followeth our good workes But somtimes a reward is that which is due vnto good dedes Whither eternal lyfe may be called a reward is rendred vnto them of duty After this maner eternal life cannot be called the reward of our workes Wherfore Paul to the Romanes saith Abraham beleued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes But vnto him which woorketh reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherefore eternal lyfe for as muche as it is not of ryght dewe cannot be a reward if the woorde be taken in that signification But when they thus reason there is a reward geuen ergo there is a merite The argument is not firme A genere ad species bicause in affirming we may not discend from the general woorde to the species Neyther doth he rightly conclude whych sayth It is a liuing creature ergo it is a man This generall word reward hath two species therfore this argument is not firme if we saye It is a reward Ergo it is plaine that it must be geuen of dewty This saying also of Ieremy is to be added Cursed be euery one that putteth his hope in man and calleth flesh his strength But all our thinges whatsoeuer they be are not without flesh Wherfore it is not lawful for vs to put confidence in them Ierome And Ierome writing vpon that place hath very well brought in manye thinges whereby may be vnderstanded that in our workes there is no regard of merite Yea and the Papists also themselues which ar the patrones of merites are sometimes compelled to confesse that our merites are nothing at all For on the 2. Sonday in the Aduēt thus they pray Be pacefied O god with the prayers of our humility and wher helpe of merites do want succor vs with the aydes of of thy mercy The fathers whē in theyr writings they oftentimes inculcate this word of meriting do by it signify nothinge els then to get to obteine and to atteine to And as manye of them as haue written purelye the same haue detested the consideration of merites whereof the papistes so much bost Wherfore the Israelites were not heard thoroughe the merite of their teares or prayers but bycause by fayth in Christ to come they obteyned forgeuenes of sins and so by his merite onely they returned into fauor againe with god They offred sacrifice What profite the sacrifices of the law had Although I haue before largely spoken of the sacrifices in the olde time yet I thinke it good here also briefly to touch what profite was of them in the old law When men are vexed with calamityes they beginne to think vpon theyr sin they loke vpon the law wher whē they behold the wrath of god kindled for sinne they are in hart deiected in which perturbatiō there remaineth no remedy but to get them vnto Christ which is the summe and end of all sacrifices Him did the fathers which wer godly embrase by faith but in the sacrifices as often as the sacrifice was slaine so often the death of Christe was after a sorte set before the eyes of those that stoode by by whose death the synnes of the world should be taken away The sacramēts of the olders ours at al one but differ in outward Simboles signes Wherfore they had after this manner a communion amonge themselues in Christ which by sundry notes and signes dayly signified to the people in the old time wherhēce they by fayth receaued vnto their saluacion both his death and the fruite
iniury done when the mayden is led away from her parents against her wil aginst their wil Consilium An reliauense in the same place he bryngeth the counsel of Orleance in the chap. de raptoribus where also he confesseth that rapte was wont to be punished with death But it is added that if the rapter come vnto the Church the punishment of death is escaped What shal there then be done If the mayden sayth he consented vnto the rapter first she shall be taken from him be restored to her parents but yet being excused that is a caution receaued that she be not slayne or disinherited But if she consented not she is by her selfe sufficientlye purged but the rapter shal be compelled to publike penaunce as it is had in the .36 q. 2. chap. Raptores But what if he wil not do penance He shal be excōmunicated Cōcilium Chal cedonense Cabilonense according to the counsel of Chalcedonia Cabilonum But if he do penance he shall be punished by the pursse And herein they say that they follow the word of God which is written in Deut. 22. chap. If a man defile a mayden he shal geue vnto her parents .50 sycles and shal take her to wife And so he condemneth the rapter to pay a certain sum of mony vnto the parent of the mayden The which sum if he wil not pay or haue not wherwithal to pay he is driuen to serue the father of the maiden for certaine yeres which the Gloser contracteth to fyue vpon this condicion that in the meane time he may redeme himselfe if he wyll It is also added If they consent together the matrimony is firme so that the father agree therunto And that these matrimonies may be firm betwene the rapter her that is rapted it also appereth by the decretals de Raptoribus et incendiariis Conciliū Mel dense in the chap. cum causa in the chap. following Which thing without dout is against the ciuill lawes the Canōs that are of the better sort But the coūsel of Meldenū hath far otherwise decreed For first it hath ordained that the rapter she that is rapted should do publike penāce afterward it permitteth matrimony but yet not betwene themselues but wyth other And it is added that if the husband or wife of either of them die he which hath cōmitted the rapte or consented vnto the Rapter cannot contract new matrimony except the bishop release him Farther it is ordained that by no meanes any such matrimony shuld be firme no though the Parentes consent therunto Yea and the same Gracian confesseth Consilium Aquisgrauense that the same thing was decreed in the Counsel which was had at Aquisgranum Yet afterward both he himselfe otherwise defineth also the decretals of the Popes What then make they of those Counsels They answer that those Counsels ment this that it should not be lawful to contract matrimony in that case vnles open penance be fyrste done and the consent of the Parentes had Ierome And to proue that sentence Gracian in the .36 q. 2. chap. Tria citeth Ierome who semeth to acknowledge three lawful kindes of matrimony One when a mayden is geuen in matrimony to a husband by her Parentes or Tutors An other if a mayden bee oppressed of a man her father afterward consent to geue her him in matrimony The third is if the father cōsent not to such mariages but geue her vnto an other mā These three matrimonies he saith are lawful in the holy scriptures But in the .27 q. 2. chap. Additur is by the testimonye of Ierome an other kynde of lawfull matrimonye added namely when a widow which is not vnder the power of the Parentes marieth in the Lord. Hereby Gracian gathereth that Ierome acknowledgeth matrimonye betwene the Rapter her that is rapted But I perceaue that in the .22 chap. of Exodus is nothing intreated of rapte onelye mencion is made of fornication and not of rapte For it is said If he shal by flatteries allure her to lye with him then hath he libertye geuen him that he may take her to his wife hauing the consent of the Parentes But if a man had rapted a mayden or man chylde then he was iudged by the lawe called Lex Plagii which is written in Deutronomy testifieth that he shoulde be punished with death whosoeuer stealeth a womā or mā in Israel Wherfore ther is nothing writtē in the holy scripture as far as I se as touching the establishing racefieng of such a matrimony But here some man wil obiect that Iacob his sonnes consented that Sechem one of the sonnes of Demor Of the rapte of Dina. should haue in matrimony Dina Iacobs daughter whō Sechem had rapted so that his subiectes would suffer thēselues to be circumcised I graūt this but it was done before the law of Moses was geuen Neither do we rede that the Patriarches had anye woorde of God concerning this thing Neither can it be denyed that before the law was published very many thinges wer cōmitted against it Iacob of whō we now intreate had the same time .2 sisters in matrimony Amrā had to wyse his Aunt of whom he had Moses Aaron Maria which matrimonies after the law was geuen wer not lawful Wherfore the example now brought proueth nothing But if hope of matrimony should be geuen vnto Rapeters there shoulde be opened a wide window for furious yong men to vse raptes For they wyll make no doubt to rapte if they may hope to mary her whom they haue rapted But all occasions of euyll are to be taken out of the publike wealth and the Church Farther forasmuche as Parentes are highly to be honored if matrimonies should against their wils he contracted betwene the Rapter and her that is rapted they should suffer great cōtumely This thing also semeth to be added that Lucius the Pope writeth to the bishop of Burgenū as it is had Extra de Raproribus et Incendiariis in the chap. Cum causa that he decreeth that if a mayden saye that before she was rapted there were woordes passed betwene them of mariage it cānot be called properly rapte What shal then be done May she agaynst her Parents wil mary the Rapter Innocentius the .3 in the chap. following decreeth If a maiden be rapted against her wil and afterward consent to mary the Rapter that mariage is also firme yea although it be agaynst the wil of her Parentes And he addeth that this is done in the honor of matrimony when as in deede it apertlye pertayneth to the reproche therof if a man do more deepely weigh the whole matter In the 27. q. 2. chap. Raptor it is had If a mayden that is rapted bee betrothed vnto an other by the woords of the future tence she must be restored vnto him so that he wil receaueher But if he wil not it is free for the maiden which
after Sathan Yea these virgins of whom we nowe entreate when they wandred thorough the vyneyardes and gaue themselues idely vnto dauncinges were taken vp by the Beniamites Some man wil say that the brethren of Dina oppressed the Hemorhites by guile It is true in deede but when they were reproued of their Father they sayde Ought they to haue done Niblah that is a foolishe and wycked thing in Israel And that Dina was rapte not wyllingly but against her wyl hereby appeareth bycause it is written that Sichem after he had oppressed her spake vnto her hart which signifieth nothing els then that he woulde by flatterye haue comforted her The Beniamites did not properlye commyt rapte Vniuckiendes of raptes But it maye seeme marueilous that these Beniamites were not punished for their rapte but we must consider that they dyd not properlye commit rapte bycause they led away the maydens not onely by their owne counsell but also by the wyl of the Elders Otherwise true and proper rapte hath alwayes had an vnlucky ende Io Argus was led awaye of the Phenicians Europa of the men of Creta Medea of Iason Helena of Paris all whych raptes styrred vp discordes and warres and also the ouerthrowinges of publike wealthes and kingdomes Also the women of Saba being of curiositye desirous to bee present at open spectacles Titus Liuius Augustine were rapted by the Romanes Whereof followed suche warres that both nacions were almost destroyed as Titus Liuius and Augustine De ciuitate dei wryte Wherefore forasmuch as God wil not haue such wicked actes vnpunished it is meete that from hence foorth we auoyde suche matrimonies I am not of that sentence to deny that those matrimonies which hitherto haue ben contracted after that maner are matrimonies For it is not my mynde to bring in a confusion of thinges But these two things I affirme first that in contracting there is sinne especially if it be done against the wil of the Parentes Farther that those lawes wherby suche matrimonies are permitted are to be corrected that hereafter it be not lawful to doo the like For we see that the order whyche God hath set is peruerted when Parentes are neglected by whose counsels matrimonies should be contracted And by this meanes yong mē at encouraged to raptes whē as they hope that they may mary the wiues whō they shal rapte Farther that which I speake is agreable with the lawes of God with the law of nature with the ciuil lawes Wherfore let the Canonistes Schoolemen take hede how they iudge the contrary Now resteth somwhat to speake of daunces ¶ Of Daunses CHorea that is a daunse is formed as Plato sayth of this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche signifieth ioye bycause it is a certayn testification of ioy Seruius And Seruius when he interpreteth this verse of Vergil Omnis quam chorus socii comitantur ouantes that is whō all the daunse and fellowes followed with mirth saith that chorus is the singyng and daunsing of such as be of like age But whēce daūces had their beginning there at sōdry opiniōs Of the offryng of Daunses Some thinke that men when they beheld the sondry motiōs of the wādring and fixed starres sound out daunsing wherby the variety of motions might be represented Other thinke that daunses came rather of religion bycause among the old Ethnikes there were in a maner no holy seruices wherein was not leapyng or daunsing For they led their daunses from the leaft part of the alter to the right wherby to resemble the motion of the heauen from the East vnto the West afterward they returned frō the right to the leaft to expresse the course of the wādryng starres Whiche thyng peraduenture Vergil signified when he sayd Virgil. Instaurantque choros mixtique altarla circum that is and they beyng mixed together renewed theyr daunses compassing about the alters Yea the Priestes of Mars whiche were daunsers Salii the priestes of Mars were had in great honour among the Romanes And there are some also which referre the beginning of daūsing to Hiero a tyran of Sicilia For he they say to establish his tyranny forbad the people to speake one to an other The deuise of Hiero. Wherfore men in Sicilia began to expresse their meaninges and thoughtes by beckes and gestures of the body and the thing turned afterwarde into an vse and custome But whatsoeuer this thyng was daunsinges in the olde tyme were not agaynst Religion althoughe afterwarde they were applied to publique mirth There was also an other kind of daunsing wherby young mē wer exercised to warlike affaires For they wer cōmaunded to make gestures to leape hauyng vpon thē their armor the afterward they might be the more prompt to fight whē neede for the publique wealth should require Saltatio Pyrrhica This kind of daunsing was called saltacio Pyrrhica bycause it was exercised in armor it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of this daūsing is mētion in the ciuile lawes namely in the digestes de paenis in the law ad dānū And sometymes yong men whē they had offēded wer not straightway put to death but were condēned either to hunte vpon a stage or els to daunse in armor And they wer called Pirrhicarii Also there was an other kind of daūsing Wanton daunsyng which was instituted onely for pleasure wantōnes sake that was called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But of those daūses which by gestures of the body expressed the senses of the minde writeth Lucianus in hys booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucianus Athenaeus so doth Atheneus In which kynd at the length it came to the point that when at Rome Demetrius Cynicus derided the daunse called Mimica saltacio callyng it a thyng vaine nothing worth a noble daūcer which thē was had in honor at Rome desired him that he would once onely beholde hym daunsing afterward to iudge speake his fansy whatsoeuer he would He came vnto the stage the daunser called saltator Mimicus begā by gestures to resēble the cōmon fable of Mars takē in adultery with Venus In which thing he so expressed the sunne whiche declared the fact Vulcanus knittyng his nets Venus ouercome with shame Mars humbly destring pardon A saying of Demetrius Cynicus that Demetrius being astonished cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I heare O mā the things that thou doest I do not onely see thē for by these thy handes thou seemeth to me to speake About the same tyme by chaūce came to Rome the king of Pontus whē he had sene this daūser played his gestures on the stage being afterward biddē of Nero to aske what thīg he most desired to haue geuē him he desired to haue the Mimus Nero meruailed forasmuch as he mought haue asked other thinges of much greater price asked him the