extenuate and defende their cause they are like to suffer perpetuall hell tormentes yf they repent not in time albe it they here escape the Magistrats handes For these Adulterers whose cause he taketh to defende and we would proue them worthy to be punished accordinge to Goddes lawes synne neither of wekenes nor of fraiâ—tie nor yet agaynst their willes For they haue or els may haue their owne wyues and the women their owne housbaÌ„des But they are suche as be so maried to their owne lustes that they obeye them runninge hedlongs withoute anye resistence or feare of God and his preceptes into their owne fleshely desyers yea it taketh dayly suche rote and custome that as in other countries dronknes is rekened for a vertue so is adultery nowe comonly but a praysed laughter hathe done one the name of prayse and vertue amonge the wicked Also nowe this wicked excuse is nowe inuented That they are not ashamed to say after they haue ben longe maried hauinge many childreÌ„ by their wyues when their lustes moue them to another I was maryed yonge against mywill And euen nowe what reasons and busines begyn to aryse for diuorsements whether the vngilty part after the diuorsement may marye another or what shall the giltie or vngiltie do yf he or she cannot lyue sole what yf both be giltie And who broke wedlocke first whiche all these shameles vngodly contencious and wicked despicions were clerely ceassed yf accordinge to Gods lawes yet excuted in some christen churches or after the ciuiâ—e lawes made by emprours adultery were punished Then he say th Yf I might frely say my mynde in the fre church of the Christen I verely and constantly iudge it neither to be profytable nor necessary open Adulterers taken in adultery to be punished with death Lo here haue ye this manis corrupte iudgemente and his sinfull sentence Nowe yf the Magistrates iudge otherwyse as he here after qualifieth and quidifieth his sayinge according to goddes lawes so must there sentence and Goddes sentences to be neither profitable nor necessarye But God whiche is the euerlastinge wisedome constitutinge his comeÌ„ welth defended with so many good and iuste lawes to be by them preserued thought it bothe necessarye and profitable whose wyll is so immutable that euen the Gentiles were compelled by the lawe of nature to fâ—low the same iudgementes Example ye haue of Thaâ—ar And what plages did God caste vpon Pharao and his house for takinge Sarai from her housbande Abraham yet had not Pharao to do with her Pharao doing it of ignoraunce For when he kuewe her to be another mans wyfe he sent her to him agayne In suche reuerence had euen the very heathen holye wedlocke as the lawe of nature whiche they dirst not violate into a testimony against vs in this matter to rise agaynst vs in the daye of iudgement Agayne when Abimelech toke Abrahams wyfe did not God tell him he was but a dead man and yet had he not offended with her He threatened him death with al his and the king knew not she was his wife but toke her for his sister so fearful were the heathen kinges to violate matrimony what death they loked for yf they broke it And shal we Christians beinge vnder the Gospel Gods lawes grounded vpon the lawe of nature ether defende adultery or not moue the Magistrates to punish it Yf we se it not punished neither by excommunicacion nor by the swerde shal the Christen professors hold their tongues and pennes as would this writer haue vs to do Oh wiked silence A faythful dogge lyinge at his maisters dore wil barke bight to yf the thefe come nighe to breke in to robbe his mayster and shall a Christen professour and minister of Gods worde and of his lawes holde hys peace seinge God robbed of his glory his lawes commaundements brokeÌ„ his holy so auncient institucioÌ„ neuer yet altered now violated coÌ„temned trodeÌ„ vnder fote vnpunished yea and that amonge the Christianes This one thinge dare I constantly saye That except adultery be punished with deathe as God coÌ„maunded or els nowe with paynes as greuose as it shalbe the greatest sclaunder to the realme and to the Gospell so shall it be one of the iuste causes wherfore this realme shalbe plaged that greuously yea and the cause of the damnacion of many This did faithfull Iosephe well se and consyder when his Ladye and misteres quene of Egypt prouoked him therto and resisted it This did holy Iob wel ponder when he sayde Yf my hert hath but lustyd after another manis wyfe let myne owne be abused For I knowe that this iniquite requireth the sentence of death Nowe yf in the lawe of nature when as yet the punishment therof was not writen but in menis hertes this abhominable adultery was so detested and the paynes of death were executed and threateâ—ed theÌ„ muche greater paynes abyde them that nowe knowe the Lordes wil bothe in herte wryten and in expresse wordes and yet contempne it and breake it So that now we are neyther ignorant howe God abhorreth this wickednes what punishmeÌ„t he hath decreed for it There is no externe transgression of any of the commaundementes but accordinge to the grauite of the synne God euer of his iustice ordined and decreed in writinge the iuste forme in punishinge it whiche paynes are yet executed of them to whoÌ„ he hath geuen the swerde And what autorite hath this yonge orator or any maÌ„ more to abrogate the onlye punishment for adultery theÌ„ paynes for murther blasphemy theft or sinytinge of parentes Thus sayth the Lorde God and no man whose will and worde is euerlastinge heauen aud earthe soner to perish then one iote of his lawe to passeoâ—er Whoso committeth adultery with anye manis wife shall die to death bothe the man and the woman because he hathe broken wedlocke with his neighboures wise The same lawe is rehersed also in Deut .xx. Yf this man had poÌ„dered well the highe terrible maiestie and eternall will aud pour almightye of him that spake and decreed this iuste iudgemente he woulde not make so lighte a syde slidynge of adulterye ne take vpon him to defend their cause against Gods worde nor yet to excuse Adulterers and to abrogate the decre of God ne counsel Magistrates to do contrarye to Gods worde ne rebuke and condempâ—e the professours aud teachers of the word for doynge their office inioined theÌ„ of God exhortinge the rulers to punishe this eâ—ormite and comon pestilence and destruccion of comon wealthes Amonge the Heathen Leprianis Adulterers were caried bounde drawn thorowe the citie iâ— dayes and afterward as long as they lyued were despised shamed and forsaken of al honest persons Amonge the Locrenses Zaleucus forbode adultery vnder this payâ—e That the transgressor shoulde haue bothe his eyes put oute And when his owne sonne did offende he vode the iudges as iudges put oute one of
of a set maliciouse minde incensed of other agaynst me whyche haue standen against him in this cause before he wrote his boke adâ—ertisinge and counsellinge him to ceasse from his erroure whiche nothwithstandinge yet did he put forthe this boke openlyeâ— whose title he hathe changed but not the boke nothinge agreable to the newe title â—e to the things prefixed Then he asketh this question Yf Adulterers shoulde be punished accordinge to Gods lawe in Moses boke why did not Christ commaunde the opeÌ„ Adulteres to be stoned Here he declareth his minde playnely that adâ—lterers ought not to be punished because Christ remitted the Adulteres Howe soeuer this man wil nowe seke hunte for euasions to glose and pot oute his boke sayinge that he ment the vse of the lawe or of the malediccion therof to be abrogated yet as it is playne neyther the iust vse execucion nor the malediccion is abrogated and abolished froÌ„ the Adulterers but from the iustifyed by fayth in an innocent lyfe so do this and al his other argumentes tende into thys scope and ende that Adulterers oughte not to be punished nether by deathe nor by any other payne For this is his argument Christ punished not the Adulteres but absolued her and his example ought to be folowed of euery Christian ergo no man oughte to punishe Adulterers but let them go quiete absolued vnpunished But I answere this man in fewe wordes as I answered him thâ—n and also other which did set him vp to coÌ„uicte me in this argument and other yf they had coulde at that tyme. Because his father sent him then to saue synners and not to geue sentence of deathe as a iudge he came then himself to be iudged and to be killed and not to slaye in iudggement he woulde not then take vpon him the office of a seculare Magistrate but refused to diuyde the heretage and then when they woulde haue made him a kynge he came to constitute a spirituall kyngedome wherin he raygneth by his worde for euer This man shoulde haue considered who they were that brought the Adulteresse to him and for what entent not to haue Moses law iustely executed but to trap Christ. Wher he then taughte all iudges and accusers of other to be pure in them selues leste in accusinge and condempniâ—ge other they accuse and condempne them selues Also this learned man must learne that yf Christ had condempned her there standing alone without sufficieÌ„t wytnes he had broken his father lawe whyche he came to fulfill And then had the Phariseis and Scribes the thinge they hunted fore To this he bringeth in saint Paul excoÌ„municating the incestuose Corinth I answere lykewyse as I did then by mouthe Paule was no seculare Magistrate he was a priuate preacher hauing power to edifye and not to destroy with deathe him whome he knewe to repent and to be conuerted to the churche by suche delyueringe to Satan And therfore hauinge the ecclesiastik kayes and censure did he binde and lose him as Christ commaunded But howe formidable is and was that censure to that maÌ„ it appereth .ij. Corinth .vij. and I haue sayd it before Neyther was there then in that cyty anye seculare Christen Magistrate as ye se it .i. Cor .vi. to execute the lawe vpon suche offenders Neyther is it a good argument Christ nor Paule iudged none to deathe ergo Adulterers murtherers ought not to be punished with deathe Nether is it a iust argumeÌ„t Magistrates neglecte their office in iustely punishinge malefactors ergo theues murtherers and Adulterers maye synne vnpunished Then this man bringeth another argument to proue Adulterers not to be punished oute of the .vij. Chap. to the RO. thus Yf we be maryed to the new and secoÌ„d housbande Christ then are we out of boÌ„dage and crueltye of the former housbaÌ„d whiche is synne c. Yf he take putte his adulterers in the nomber of these newe maried to Christe or els the argument maketh nothing for his purpose so maketh he a godly mariage to marye his Adulterers to Christe takinge the members of an herlet to couple them to Christ. But it rather thus foloweth Adulterers haue forsaken Christ and haue maried theÌ„ selues to their flesh and to the deuyll and therfore shal God iustely destroye them For that they are vnder the curse and punishement of the lawe iudiciall .i. Tim .i. Tell vs are your Adulterers vnder the lawe that is maryed to synne not yet knowne to them by the lawe or vnder grace that is in Goddes fauour iustified Before ye said the whole vniuersall lawe was abrogated and so to be no lawe lefte to punishe them wherfore they must be now after you as ye here woulde proue it vnder grace vnder a godly grace haue ye put them euen vnder a lawles lycenciouse libertye to synne vnpunished maryed to Christ saye you God is highly beholdeÌ„ to suche a mariage maker and so are all Adulterers so to couple them to Christe their spouse Yf they be not vnder y e law so is theyr olde housbande the lawe and synne knowne by it deade from them they delyuered from this their former olde wyfe maryed to Christ whyche yf it be so theÌ„ are they no more Adulterers Paul sayth with many expresse wordes that he whose former wyfe is thus dead and he losed by her deathe maryed to Christ the newe man is suche one as is dead from synne regeuered into Christes death by a newe byrthe buryed and rysen with Christ into a new lyfe whose olde man is by repentaunce perpetual mortificacion crucified with Christ absolued from synne in whome no synne reygneth â—e dwelleth To these men thorowe fayth and loue and innocency of lyuing is the cruell exaccion execracion malediccion and dampnacion of the lawe abrogated and not to your Adulterers For they do that as the lawe commaundeth not for feare of the lawe but of a redy courage and of a faythfull hert and mynde for they are maried to Christ in deade But Adultrrers are maried to synne and therfore are they vnder the lawe to be punished therby Where ye se your own text returned into your own confusion For ye knowe not what it is to be vnder the lawe ne what is the law in this place â—e who be vnder it nor howe we are delyuered from it and maried to Christ nor howe many kindes of liberty there are neyther vnderstande ye Pauls mynde in these .vi. vij and .viij. Chapter to the Rom. And yet ye take in hand to treat of the difference betwixt the lawe and the Gospell shewinge nothinge lesse in youre boke openinge a perelouse dore to Adulterers to sinne vnpunished putting them not vnder the law Who is so ignorant in the scriptures that knoweth not Moses lawes to be geuen but for a time and but to the Iewes Euen your selfe so ignorant which knoweth not the onely ceremonial lawes to be geuen but for a time to theÌ„ And the lawes Iudiciall and moral whiche contayne in them
Goddes worshippe oure fayth and loue to be the perpetual will of God geuen to al nacioÌ„s And that the transgression of the same lawes must be punished according to the grauite of the synne Shew vs where Christ tempered or minished in any wordes of his the punishment for blasyhemers false prophetes for murtherers and Adulterers and woulde the Magistrates to not punishe them with death bringe forth your scriptures For we know that he hath geuen the rulers the swerde and that not in vayne The law of God abrogateth not the lawes of nature but confirmeth theÌ„ but the lawe of nature punished adultery with deathe as it is before shewed or els why is the punishment of adulterye more abrogated then the punishemente for theft aâ—d murther are they not all a lyke preceptes Thou shalt not kill nor â—tele nor committe adultery Adulterye was thought once of God to be as greuouse a sinne as was blasyhemy false doctryne witchcraft enchauntings sinitinge and killinge of father and mother and therfore was punished a lyke And is adultery now no synne or a lesse sinne then it was in Moses tyme Then he sayth What is more true and iâ—steâ— then the lawe of God whiche procedeth of it self righteousâ—es And though god punished it sharpely yet may it not be sayde he did it vniustly Yf Goddes lawe procedeth out of righteousnes and his righteousnes endureth for euer why then wyl ye abrogate hys euerlastinge rightwyse wyl and lawe to punishe adultery will ye exalt your selfe aboue God and his righteousâ—es Sinne is now as odiole to God as euer it was and with greuoser plages are they worthy to be punished whiche knowe no we his wyl wil not obey it Suerly all the rethryke ye haue can not defende youre Adulterers from the iuste punishment w t deathe but to folis and to men corrupte with the same filthy scabbe perchaunce your boke may seme somwhat plausible and pleasaunt In some places ye wonlâ— seme to haue them punished but not w t death and in some vnpunished for that ye set them not vnder the lawe and the lawe to be abrogated and the sinne to be healed by Gods worde with softenes and leâ—ite and mercifully to be forgeuen because they are after you vnder grace maried to Christ. So that your colours of corrected contradicions and contrary correccions fyght greately emonge theÌ„ selues yf the state of your cause scope of youre argumentes be diligently obserued Then thus ye saye Christ abolisheth not the former lawes as vniuste but with leâ—ite he tempereth the seuerite and rigore of them so that now they be put in vse not to dampne by strength to rule and not to byâ—de to pryke and not to kyll Christians It is no poynt of a wryter to entitle and propoune one thiâ—ge and to deduce his arguments into another contrary ende Althoughe the lawe condempâ—e not iust ChristiaÌ„s yet canne ye not delyuer your Adulterers from the condempnacion se ueryte rigore bonde and pryke to kyll them proue by Goddes worde that the punishment decreed in Moses lawe for Adulterers is abrogaâ—ed and stand not in streâ—gth proue that Gods lawes are cruell rigorose to sharpe for tâ—â— synne coÌ„mitted Proue where by his worde they should be tempered with leâ—ite and pity vpon anye obstinate accustomed Adulterer theâ—e or murtherer Ye saye that nowe those lawes be put in vse not to dampâ—e to rule and not to bynde c. But what and yf Goddes lawe can neyther rule nor bynde nor with prickynge nor kyllinge bringe and pluck men from their open adultery theft and murther What wyll ye then do with youre softe leuite and pity to youre adulterose Christians as ye call them Here ye argue coÌ„trary to your institucioÌ„ of the vse of the lawe concerninge iuste men and Christians for whom the lawe iudiciall is not ordined as Paul sayth as thoughe the lawe had the sawe vse strength and effect vpon iust and vniust wysely Then he bringeth in the example of the brason serpent coÌ„pared to Christ which the price payd for synne shoulde put y e law out of strength effect for malefactors saying No nother wyse the serpeÌ„ts styng taken away the serpent abydeth may hisse but to stinge he can not Lo the lawe may hisse at his Adulterers that is geue them a flap with a foxtaile and hurte them not He woulde the iuste lawes of God to lese their strengthe by Christes cominge whiche came to fulfyll them and not to breake them that they shoulde not condempne Adulterers wherof Paul sayth the letter that is the lawe slayth But he sayth the lawe now ruleth whome Euen them that will not be ruled and not to bynde them to their owne wiues What a regimeÌ„t and bond of the lawe this man dremeth I can not tel Paul sayth out of Osee That nether the stinge of death whiche is synne nor the strength and power of the sin which is the lawe shal not be taken away tyll Christ hath put al his enimies vnder his fete and delyuered vp his kingedome to his father But be lyke this man imagineth suche an holy churche in this world as shalbe after domes daye when all rightwisnes onlye shal dwell upon the earthe .ij. Pet .iij. But ye shall knowe when Christ came he payd the price for al penitent synners and true beleuers y t receyued the benefite of their redempcioÌ„ and not for comon Adulterers that will not receyue Christ and his lawes For Christ is no gift to them that wil not receyue him Christes bloude is no suche a gift to them that thrust it from them by infidelite trede it vnder their fete contempne so rich a redempcion Of which sorte are they that thincke adultery to be no synne ne punishe worthy but withoute all feare of God and man persiste in their filthy lyuinge Christ expowned that similitude of the brason serpent far otherwyse then this man wresteth it for Adulterers He applyed it to y e beleuers in him sayinge As Moses exalted the serpent in the wyldernes so must the sonne of man be lifted vp on the crosse that al that beleue in him peryshe not he sayth not that Adulterers whose lyfe sheweth them not to beleue in Christ perish not nor yet to not be deliuered froÌ„ y t iuste punishment of the lawe For they that loked not vp to the serpeÌ„t Christ by fayth hanginge vpon the crosse dyed of the serpents stinginge Neyther is the stinge of the lawe plukt out of them that loked not vp to the brasen serpent And therfore ye are but a peruerter of Christes wordes Then in alledginge Austen ye condempne your selfe For he speketh there playnely of the heauye multitude burden of ceremoniall lawes and not of the iudicial and moral lawes And theÌ„ to vse youre colour of correccion or rather contradiccion ye saye Here I wyll not play the patrone of carnal lycence to cause men to synne vnpunished which wil not repent When ye contende to proue and defende
that woulde so earnestly haue adultery punished their owne filthines and Adulteries Or yf he shoulde wyth Moses cruell extremite stone them to death as many as he knoweth gyltie of this synne beginninge at these men that woulde so fayn haue adultery punished I meruel yf they shoulde be a lyue Yf this be not a blasphemy to call and attribute cruel extremite to oure God of all goodnes mercy and clemency there was neuer blasphemy Is God chaÌ„ged from a mercifull father to a cruell lawe geuer to so vniust a iudge that he willeth nowe not the same synne to be punished with lyke paines brynge forthe his wordes of the change ro abrogacion of the paynes of Adultery yf ye can or els let his lawe stande ferme and fast iuste in it self for euer as the holy Ghost teacheth vs in his Psalmes and God also in his bokes of his lawes iudgementes and preceptes But is this a good argumeÌ„t for the defence of your Adulterers God to come and wryte other menis secrete faultes in their foreheades God is not so cruell as ye woulde haue him or els he might shame by such waies as perfit a man as ye are your selfe But here may men see the burning charite of such meÌ„ y â— so set forth Gods â—enite to destroy his iustice iust iudgementsâ— wher is that charite which should couer y e multitude of sinnes M. Latemer in the kinges daies that dead is did openly before him and his nobles vihemeâ—tly continually imieye in his sermons agaynste adultery did see it so spred that he perswaded exhorted him his counsell to punish it according to Gods lawe or by the swerd The bishop of 〈◊〉 Dauids that nowe is of lare in his sermons diuerse other godly and learned preachers exhorted the sinne to be punished right greuosly And the learned preachers in Germany consent all that it ought to be punished with death as well as murther or theft And yet woulde this patrone and defender of adultery haue such men for their good zele to chast matrimony and for their desper of the iuste execucion of Goddes lawes openly shamed and his open Adulterers to synne vnpunished I my self in priuate communicacion wheÌ„ the question hath bene asked me consideringe the bolde shameles continuall frequence of the sinne without al feare and shame of God maÌ„ haue sayd my mind contrary to this man whishing the Magistrates to make it death accordinge to Gods coÌ„maundement wherof this maÌ„ answerd that lawe to be geueÌ„ to the Iewes not to vs that the iudgementes ceremonials iudicials al as he here writeth ar abrogated Whereof I perceiued afterwarde y â— this man was kindled to write this his boke partely against my senteÌ„ce twitcheth me therin albe it not by name But here I tell him agayne but nameles That yf he knoweth anye suche cryme whiche he woulde haue it wryten in my foreheade let him wryte it in his nexte answere and so accuse me iustelye yf he canne And I shalbe ready at al tymes to come forthe vnto myue answere before anye iudge But wherfore woulde he not haue the same done to his Adulterers defamed by their owne fylthye actes Yf the Magistrates be negligente and ceasse from their office shoulde not the publyke ministers of the worde exhorte and warne them of their dutye They are commaunded to cry not to cease to tell euery state their offences But litle regardeth this man the terrible comminacion of God sayinge Yf I say to the wicked Thou shalt dye And thou preacher premonishest him not telling him it that he may be turned from his synne Surely he shal perish in his synne but his blode wyl I requyre at thy hand This wryter so wisely vnderstandeth the scriptures that where so euer he findeth that we be commaunded to forgeue our brethren aud felow seruaunts their priuate mutual quotidian faultes these textes he wresteth to the open crimes coÌ„mitted against y â— hole comonaltie church and woulde haue them so forgeuen that the ciuil iustice shoulde lese her strength We are bound verely to forgeue our detterstoward our selues but the comon dette requyred by the law they worthy to pay it for their open murther or adultery I being a priuate man can not dispense with it or els wherfore are lawes and magistrates ordined Yf my forgeuenes should deliuer the thefe from the galhose He would not the publik ministers of y â— word to preach that adultery theft murther be synnes worthy to be punished with death The kynges were commaunded that the Leuites aud Priestes shoulde read to them the lawe that therby as by the iust rule they shoulde iudge and geue sentence whiche al is wryten for theirs and oure doctryne or els let vs cancel al the old testament then what doctryne is there left of the lawes blotted oute of the boke of God and of menis mindes As wold â—ow a certayne sect lately sprongen vp which are so perfit to theÌ„ selues in their lyuing that they can not syn after they be regenerated once iustifyed for they are immediatly taught I can not tell of what spirit so that they nede nether boke wryten ne externe worde preachers nor Magistrates seclare Bryng forth any oâ—e place wher christ or aâ—y of his apostles coÌ„maunded Adulterers to be sâ—ayne â—or els did consente to their deathe Brynge you forth any one worde for the abrogacion for the stoning or punishmeÌ„t with death of the Adulterers or where Christ commaunded the prechers to not excite the Magistrates to their office or where we shoulde not consent to the iust execucion of Goddes iust lawes Peter in his sermon sharpely rebuketh the Iewes for quiting and askinge the delyueraunce of a murtherer crucifyinge the autor of lyfe Christ and his apostles alledged euery where Moses law and the fearful exaÌ„ples of deth therin to confirm their doctryne and sayd that it was ordined to punishe malefactors ergo they consented to the deathe of them that offend it And Christ beynge God man did consent to the lawes which he made and to the execucion of the same and coÌ„maunded the kinges to se his iustice iudgementes aâ—d equite ministred And where they were corrupted by the Phariseis He delyueringe theÌ„ from their false gloses so constantly confirmed the punishment for the vtterwarde acte that euen for their anger and obprobriose wordes to their brethren he pronounced them worthy iudgement He tolde the Iewes seking occasyons to kil him that Moses did accuse condeÌ„pne them He told Peter sinitinge of the bishoppes seruauntes right eare whiche bishops seruants neyther the bishops them selues sence hard a ryght but sâ—nistrely Goddes wordeâ— biddinge him to put vp his swerd That who so smyteth with the swerde should perysh with the swerd ergo Christe his apostles consented to the iust punishment with death of the malefactors But what law was it that Christ came to fulfil not to break it
And what law was it that Paule affirmed to be ordined for Adulterers and murtherers slayers of parentes c It must nedes be the lawes of Moses which was death He coÌ„sented to this lawe iudicial of Moses y â— he gaue the swerde to the Magistrates to be executed vpon these adulterers and malefactors Then sayth he of him selfe Scio quid dictat lex Mosaica c. That is It is I that knowth the mynd of Moses lawe but as for these cruel vnlerned I knowe the contempte lurkinge in the pronowne Isti litle vnderstande they or perceyue y e office of Moses litle know they the mistery of the wil of god which coÌ„stituted Mosesâ— y e â—eder of our church It is this lerned man alone that knowth the mistery of Goddes wil Lo a merue â—oule high knowledg a profound straÌ„g spirit vsurpethe this man to hym selfe I neuer hearde ne red of anye learned man neyther olde nor newe of this opinion Yf we had not Moses the leader vsher vnto Christ we should neuer come to him Who cometh to Christe but he firste by Moses lawe of the preceptes knoweth his synnes confesseth theÌ„ aud repeÌ„teth The office of Moses was with the lawe to lede Goddes people to that degree where Iosua taketh them at his hande to brynge them into the promised lande whiche figured the gospel What nacion saith God is there so great that hath iudgementes and lawes so ryghteouse as are the lawes and iudgementes whiche I set before the this daye Yf Goddes lawes and iudgementes which bothe be thus ioyned together thorowt the repeticion of the whole law be thus righteouse as no nacion els can make or vse dare anye Christen man abrogate change or abolishe yea or neglecte these iudgementes of God Yf any man dare do it he must geue vs in their places iudgementes beter more necessary and profitable but what are they that geue vs none at al Verely suche persones as woulde constitute a lawles licenciouse libertie to synne vnpunished God neuer abrogated any law but he placed a beter and perfiter in her stede as for circumcision he gaue vs baptisme for the passouer lambe the eatinge of his laste souper wherin his deathe is remembred with immortall thankes Now yf the punishmeÌ„t for Adulterers be abrogated let this man shew vs what other stronger payn Christ hath set in stede therof to represse the synne The spiritualtie did geue vs in sted of it a thrise goying in shirt about the church yarde before the procession to be displed at the foure corners thereof But yf the iudicialles be al abrogated by God so may there no man vse ne exercise them a yen or els we might vse circumcision offer vp beastes ayen God commaundeth bothe priuate and publik iudgementes to be instituted accordinge to his word not after this or any maÌ„s fantasy He would haue his iudgemeÌ„tes writeÌ„ in our herts to feare vs froÌ„ y â— traÌ„sgressioÌ„ of his preceptes which teacheth vs not to be so light things as to be ether forgoten or neglected or to be called as this man calleth them exotica that is strange as neuer to be hearde ne rede ne vsed of vs. He is not conteâ—tâ— That we shoulde make Moses the ledder of our churche As though Moses churche ours were not both one churche of God ledde and taught of one the same spirit broughte into the same waye that sayde I am the waye veryte and lyfe And as thoughe ihey and we had not bothe one couenant and the same commaundemeÌ„tes What thing in the very substance of our fayth was geuen theÌ„ by Moses the prophetes but the same is geuen vs He taught theÌ„ one God for al sufficieâ—t Him onely to be worshipped in spirite in faythe and innocency of lyuinge and to be one righteous making one redempcion thorow Christ the only very Priest â—rewe sacrifice him to be bothe God and man to be hoped for of God the resurreccion of oure bodyes and sonles to be immortall And what man is there nowe to be led vnder the gospel and grace of Christ bâ—t the same must haue Moses firste his leader as the scolemayster to bryng him vp takinge him forthe from vnder the lawe vnto an hygher lesson euen vnto Christ. Then he sayth For what els is Moses theÌ„ propheticall shadowe of Christ Whether he taketh Moses here for his persone or for his lawe yet was he not Christes shadowe But the ceremoniall sacrifices were the figures and shadows of Christe to come For Christe came to fulfill the lawe which non els could do And in the office of teachinge and declaring Gods wil it is thus writen A prophet out of the middes of thy nacioÌ„ eueÌ„ out of thy brethren lyke vnto me sayth Moses shall thy Lorde God stere vp whome see that ye heare It was Iosua which in name office figured Christe And Moses shadowed the lawe in thys accion office of leading For as Moses dyed in the desert coulde not bring the people into the promysed lande so could not the law bringe vs to perfeccion to our promised heretage But as Iosua after his death brought the people into that rest so did Christ bring his faithfull into y â— eternal rest Thou shalt therfore know christen reader that there are now a certayn sprited sorte of sectes of which som vnderstaÌ„d by the letters al things writeÌ„ in the olde testament which men admit nothing in their reasoninges but that as is contayned in the new testameÌ„t For that they say the letter slayeth Another sort grauâ—t admitte both the testameÌ„ts But by the letter they vnderstande the playne litterall sence and sentences And y â— spirit they cal what so euer their owne affectes or mynde corrupt with any euill opinion or sect moue them to vtter and to teache it With these men the spirite is what soeuer their selues fayne and imagine yea they dare saye the spirite to be their owne moost impudent erroneouse corrupcion wrestinge of the plain scripturs And yf thou preasse vpon these spirites with any neuer so playne place of scripture whiche confoundeth and coÌ„uinceth their errours so that they haue not to answer Then they fle to this shift The lawe of Moses is but the cruell letter that slayth it is abrogated it is but a shadow It is the spirit that quickeneth This mater must therfore be vnderstaÌ„deÌ„ spiritually For what els are al that Moses wrote but y â— letter shadows say they aud figures yea that euen the ten commaundementes are but shadowes of a spirituall lawe Of what spirite thinke ye speke and wryte these sprites Verely of the sprite of phrenesy and hypocrysye For this sect abrogateth and passeth not vpon carnal adultery nor theft c. But al vpon spiritual adultery theft and spiritual murther And wil haue al spiritual punishment for them Whose spiritual paines are so subtile that they hurt not a carnal body And
A contrarye to a certayne manis Consultacion That Adulterers ought to be punyshed wyth deathe Wyth the solucions of his argumentes for the contrarye Made by George Ioye Whoso committeth adultery wyth another mans wyfe let them bothe dye the death Leui .xx. Deu .xxij. For thus shalt thou quenche thys wickednes out of the comon wealth of thys realme AFter that a certayne lytle boke was putte forthe in latyn to sustayne the publyque iudgement of them that know the tongue entytled The counsel geuyng that adultereâ—s should or ought noâ— to be punyshed I was desyred to wryte a contrarye consultacion That Adulterers ought to be punyshed and that in Englyshe that all men myght knowe howe parellous was the tytle of the latyne boke and howe vngodly the autor therof had peruerted and wrested the holy scryptures to make theÌ„ seme to serue his detestable errour But not loÌ„g after this latyn writer recanted altered the tytle of hys boke permittyng al his false argumeÌ„tes weake reasons and his vayne probacyons for hys parte to staÌ„d styll nether recaÌ„ted ne remoued Which monstrose boke hauynge yet so manye false argumentes nothynge now correspondynge the newe tytle when it was reade I was the more importunelye of manye desyred to confute it and to put forthe mâ— boke in Englyshe All be it some there were whiche semed to be offended that I answered not in latyne whyche ought rather to haue bene offended wyth so false and vnlearned a boke to be put forth of any of their famylie also to haue estiewed the dedicacioÌ„ therof that afterward as he was compelled to recant the tytle so is he not able to defende hys boke ne to iustyfie hys argumentes made for Adulterers not to be punyshed And of what learnynge and iudgement and howe affected were they thyncke ye whyche perusyng the boke before it was printed praysed it so hyghly Oh wycked flatery Howe swete is thys euyll The professours of Gods word and the dyscypels of Christe thys wryter woulde not to moue to counsell nor to excyte the magystrates to punysh adultery Where I aske this man by the way whether god almighty be not euer one and the same God whose wyl as it is immutable constant and ferme so are his iust iudgementes and commaundementes constante perpetuall and iâ—uariable as the Psalme .xviij. .cxviij. and hys .v. boke of Moses expressely declareth Agayn whether adultery be not as earnestly forboden to vs at it was and is to the Iewes And whether adultery be not now as great and as detestable a synne before God and al godly men as it was then Is not adultery nowe as greate a corrupcyon iniurye sclaunder and hurte to Christes churche and to all comoÌ„ wealthes as it was in tymes pastâ— And to be short Whether it raigneth not growe rote sprede and take place euery where as rankly vnshamefacedly and as comonly nowe as euer it dyd syth there is no punyshement ministred for it neither of the ecclesiastick nor secular sorte Forasmuch theÌ„ as al this is trueth let neither the seclare magistrates winke at this offence let no maÌ„ defend the cryme nor the professours of Gods worde ceasse to speâ—e ne to wryte excitinge and exhortynge all estates to their aboundeÌ„ dutyes and offices enioyned them of God puttinge the worde into their mouthes and swerde into their handes least for oure neglygence and winkinge at so greuouse offence God as he hathe done in tymes past punyshe bothe the realmes and the heade rulers wyth all the whole subiectes therof WheÌ„ therfore chaunced vpon this boke so entytled That Adulteres should not be punished and perceyuinge the title to be directely against Gods worde against all good â—iuill ordinaunces naturall and writen lawes me thought it was an vngodlye and an euilll counsell whiche is euer worst of all to the counseller him selfe And therfore â—beinge the iust desyers of many I addressed me to geue a contrary counsell For neuer was there any time ne nacion more corrupte with this crime of adultery then suche as vnder the color of the Gospell where no punishement is ordined ruâ—ne into the licenciouse liberty of the flesh chaste matrimony contempned Insomuche that as we may coniecture by the scriptures it proâ—ostiketh the world to drawe faste to an ende and prouoketh the hasty wrath of God sodenly to destroye all and to come to iudgement And therfore I se it to be more godly counsel to punish iustely this great cryme so wyde spred into so greate hurt aud corrupcuion of the churches and comon wealthe Right heauye maye euery Christen hert be to se synne and wickednes take suche strength and courage in a Christen realme that any man vnder any pretence of holines and charite shoulde stande forthe to defende the cause of so notable sinners vnpunished To whome this patrone of Adulterers geueth his sinfull counsell I can not tell he is so sliper a serpent of so variable colors of contradicions correccions I woulde saye nowe counsellinge the preachers and then dissuadinge the Discipels of Christe and â—naue aduertisinge the Magistrates nowe to haue them punished and then to haue them not punishedâ— nowe with the worde and then with the swearde To geue this counsell to auye priuate man or preacher he spendeth his penne in vayne For no priuate persone vsurpeth the office of a publique Magistrate in punishinge this open cryme wyth deathe And yet I herde of a man in this realme whiche takinge the man with his wyfe slewe him Whome the lawe coulde not punishe for so doinge And Pinhas the sonne of Eleazar the Prieste 〈◊〉 the Israelite and the Madianite woman bothe thorowe with his speare as they laye And God allowed it for a iust dede that pacifyed his wrath So hainously hateth God the synne Yf thys wryter be so malepert as to geue his counsel to the kinges maiestie and to his counsell he condempneth hym selfe two maner wyse by hys owne wordes ones he taketh the autotorite oute of their handes to punyshe them wyth deathe callynge it the cruell seueryte of Moses lawe nowe abrogated and maye no more be put in vre Another is thys He sayth That yf the tranquyllite of the comon wealth requireth deathe for the offence and the magistrates make the lawe he sayth not agaynst it But yet he constantly affyrmeth it that law to be neither profitable nor necessarye Wherof it foloweth him to consent to a lawe neyther necessarye nor profytable But I argewe thus What so euer lawe perteyneth to the publique tranquillite of Christes church and conseruacion of the comon wealth the same is bothe profitable aud necessarye But Goddes sawe is to punyshe adultery with deathe for the tranquillite and comon wealth of his church wherfore hys lawe is bothe necessarye and profytable But here this man wyl deny the minor and saye that lawe was geuen but to the Iewes and is nowe abrogated But hys sayinge is false for this lawe of punishement wyth death is the
lawe of nature whereof the ten preceptes are grounded and can not be abrogated Neyther is there any lawe abrogated whyche beareth in it selfe the honoure of God the loue to oure neighbour but to punish adultery wyth death pertayneth to Goddes honoure in hys worde to be obeyed and obserued for the loue of oure neyghboures whiche els shoulde suffer intollerabler iniuries then to haue all hys goodes taken from hym wherfore it ought to be more punished then theft Is not a mans wyfe or husbande or doughter or seruaunt morderer to them then their temporal goods as horse kowe c God is the God of the Gentiles and tendereth the preseruacyon tranquilite of our comon wealth and churche as greatlye as he dyd the Iewes Wherfore the lawes of hys honoure of oure sayth and mutuall loue must be geuen to us as well as to them To take awaye and to cut of putryfyed and corrupte membres from the whole body lest they poyson and destroye the body is the lawe of loue to the whole body to be preserued wherfore euery lawe that beareth this loue in it selfe is the euerlasting wil of god made by the same spirit which is one the same of both y â— testamentes must nedes stand ferme inuiolable according to his owne sayinge by his Prophet Lorde thy iudgemeÌ„tes are egall ferme fast and iust And all thy iudgemeÌ„tes shal endure for euer Wherfore it is playne that they are not abrogated as this yong and newe orator woulde perswade Saint Paul beholding the morals iudicials of God affirmeth coÌ„stantly them to be both perfit profitable .ij. Timo .iij. bothe to teache to reproue vice to correcte synne to instruct maÌ„ Now for asmuch as the iudgments of God be so profitable so perfit so necessarye what man dare be so bolde ether to abrogat to alter to minish or to swade y â— Magistrates not to execute theÌ„â— so far of shuld they be to write to affirme them to be neither profitable nor necessary but to be cruell blody banished froÌ„ the Christen comon wealthes Maister Bullyngerus a man of an excellent knowledge highly learned a man of a pure iudgmeÌ„t in his boke of y e holy state of wedlocke also in his .x. sermoÌ„ of his ij decadis coÌ„stantly affirmeth The punishmeÌ„t of dath for adultery neither to be abrogated nor chaunged no not of the geÌ„tiles as witnesseth lex Iulia Romanoâ—uÌ„ And shal we Christianes be more liceÌ„ciose to synne then the HeatheÌ„ Into oure shame condeÌ„pnaciun is this wrytten The grauite of y â— sinne God euer expressed by the iudgment punishmeÌ„t annexed What iudgement God coÌ„maundeth to be done vpoÌ„ adulterers his eternal wil word yet declareth But they y â— would ether abrogate or take away the punishment yea or minish it declare theÌ„ selues ether to make adultery no syn at al or vslesse to esteme it then the Heathen or els not so great a sinne now as it was in the time of Moses But the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God is euer one y â— same the trangressioÌ„ offence is agaynst the same God that yet abhorreth iniquite Now sith the offence is the same and the sore al one why should it not haue the same punishmeÌ„t the same remedy to cure it to expell it out of y â— comeÌ„ weale of Christes church or wherfore shoulde maÌ„ dispense with or abrogate more the punishement of adultery then the punishemeÌ„tes of theft and murtherâ— Nor long ago It was thought iustely to be punished wyth the swerde and so put in execucion of some persons and why is it not styll executed Is it thought worthye in women and not in â—en God is not acceptor of persons Yf thys wryter therfore beynge put a pryuate persone so vsurpeth not to him selfe onely the autorite to geue counsel and to persuade adulterers not to be punyshed but be content to permytte to another the same libertye to wryte and to counsel I woulde geue the contrary counsell euen Adulterers to be punyshed iustelye by Gods worde For often and sharpelye God commaundeth wyth terrible commynacions the rulers to minister iustice and iudgement punyshynge the enormities of those open crymes whyche as they defyle and corrupt the Chrysten comon wealthes so by no holsome exhortacyon ientle monicion ne preaching of the worde may they els be repressed â—xtincted Wherfore els hath God ordined ouer euery church and reaulme 〈◊〉 prynces and magyltrates puttinge the swerde sceptâ—e in their handes but to punyshe accordynge to hys worde aud commaundement suche grenouse distuerbers sclaunderers and destroiers of the commone wealthes For whoÌ„ the worde can not refrayne God hath ordyned the â—werde to represse The sacred integryte therfore of thys Christes holy church y â— inuiolable honour of holye matrymony ordined of God the preseruacyoÌ„ of y e priuate publique peace al honesty godlye zeale to vertue to the saluacyon of oure soules and to Gods glorye shoulde constrayne euery Christen hert to counsell to exhorte and to excyte all christen magistrates to cut of thys contagyose kanker of adultery from amonge vs leste in further crepynge as it dayly corrupteth the whole body of this noble realme so shal it els be at last so incurable that as Titus Linius of the Romans complayned Neyther the vyce nor yet the â—uste remedy wylbe suffered prouokinge the heauye wrathe of God to be powred forth vpon vs as the moste terryble exâ—mples and storyes wrytteÌ„ for oure waâ—â—ynge threaten vs teaching vs also how detestable a synne it is before God and man which God so abhorred that with as greuouse a death he as strayghtly coÌ„maundeth it to be punished as any other blasphemy coÌ„mitted agaynst hys owne maiestye or for kyllynge father and mother Yf the Christen Magistrates therfore wyl turne from them selues from their regions the present wrath of God imminent as did Pinhas and Moses from the comon weall of Israel by slaying the Adulterers in their dayes let theÌ„ restore promoue spedely and stablishe purely the Christian religion placed in her owne old honour and integrite not mixed wyth any humane prophane tradiâ—ions all papistry cleane swept oute of oure churches and iustely punishe open obstinate incurable synners leste for these two impedimentes the Gospel denyed vs as they shalbe sharpe thornes in oure eyes and speares in oure sydes so shall God for sufferynge suche open whordom aud adultery vnpunished deale with vs as he dealt for the same synnes with the commonaltie of his peculiare people first by Nohas floud then by Nebuchadnezar and at laste by Titus themprour And euen therfore to punishe comon aâ—d impenitent Adulterers with the swearde do I counsell by Gods worde borne by the iudgemeÌ„t and counsell of all the Godlye learned writers that nowe write in latyne aud in other tonges Thys added Yf the wyckednes be haunted withoute al fear of God and shame of men so comonly openlye and
desperatelye accustomed that otherwyse it wyll not be repressed Supposed alwayes that the Christen Magistrates and Godlye preachers therto consent lenite ioyned with charite called into their counsell But what charite Not that fonde charite whiche so preposterously pitieth an opeÌ„ indurat Adulterer aud the eâ—rand accustomed strong thefe that neither for their obstinat incorrigible crimes nor for any comoÌ„zele to christeÌ„ brothreÌ„ would haue y e magistrates execâ—t their iust office inioined of god nor gods y â— realmes iust lawes executed But as she laboreth by suche blynde piete to deliuer the stronge thefe from the gayelhouse euen so by lyke sinistre charitie coupled with as lewed â—eniâ—e couselleth she fleshelye Adulterers to lyue in their whordome vnpunished maintayning this syn the originall of al wickednes into the destruccion of the comon wealthe and greate damnacion of many all shameles audacite added to their depe roted iniquite But that charytie and lenite would I haue called into counsel for thys iust punyshement whiche is so cleare eyed that she can se what thyng she may do by Gods word and when she may obtayne her purpose aud also knoweth how much she oweth to the fraylte of the weake corrigible at a tyme ouercomen by some greate temptacyon Aud howe muche she oweth to the desperate indurate synâ—ers whiche hauynge or els may haue their owne yet lyke insaciable beastes all feare of God despysed prouoke them selues aud other vnto thys detestable fylthynes Thys charyte therfore I say do we enbrace whyche seketh the glory of God the kepinge of chaste wedlocke yea rather the publique wealthe aâ—d peace of many men aud women to be kept pure froÌ„ this vyce then the lyfe of a fewe in coÌ„pâ—rison pestilent incorrigible persons whyche iustly deserue to dye by Gods lawes Some thinck it is to hard and to cruell a lawe to punyshe Adulterers wyth deathe But these persons bliudened wyth the custome of the synne so longe vnpunished ether are they gyltye themselues or els al feare set a part consider they not the terrible maiestie of him that said Thou shalt not coÌ„mit adultery Wherfore yf I had not sene this greuouse offence so frequented with oute al punishement shame and feare of God and this wryter so farre to haue erred in wrestinge the scriptures to mayntaine this wickednes contrary to some men in priuate commonicacion and also in opeÌ„ sermons exhortinge the magistrates iustely to punishâ— adultery I would haue winked at his fonde zele and blynde charite Albe it his blynde loue to him selfe in pleasinge him selfe hath openly for a shewe of his latyne tongue and greke set forthe his boke more to exercise his stile theÌ„ to geue vs any godly doctrine which boke sith it is put forthe to sustayne the publique iudgement I can not but saye my mynde for the defeâ—ce of the trueth and confutacyon of lyes For I iudge eeuery professor and minister of the word to be the same to the churche as is the goode Magistrat and citesen to the citye whiche as they will suffer nothinge to growe that maye destroye the cite and comon welth euen so should the professor suffer no vyce ne false doctrine nor synner vnpunished in the churche wherby the congregacion is corrupted and greuously sclaundered and turned from the feare of God who be feared praysed for euer Amen But let vs hear what this writer saith Into the reproche and rebukes of them whoÌ„ he iudgeth not to approue his boke and title therof he sayth thus But I meruel at this vngodlines shall I cal it or rather a loue to them selues whyche are wont so greately to abhorre theÌ„ that are slyden into vices as though their selues were Goddes vpon the earth or vtterly clere from the same spots Lo. Adultery is with this man but a litle spotte a moot a litle sliding amisse in this maÌ„s eye For what synne els is it y t he in his boke defendeth who ther els â—end al his arguments then into this ende that Adulterers shoulde not be punished accordinge to his his first title an argumentes of the whole boke Beholde also how spyghtfully he depraueth good men for abhorringe adultery and would haue it iustely punished Neyther is therre now almost any man their maners are so corrupte but he will tell forth other menis offences to shewe them selues therby the more pure and honest Here may ye se of what spirite the man is caried into the rebukes an fole hardy iudgement reprehending and deprauing other godlye ministers whiche in pulpits dampne and abhorre these open obstinate Adulterers exhortinge the Magistrates to punishe it by Gods lawes As yf they shoulde preache against this horrible vice shewing with Paul What an offeÌ„ce it is to take the meÌ„bres of christ and make theÌ„ the membres of an whore to violate holy wedlocke to pollute the temple of God to dishonour his high maiestye to sclaunder his holy churche to separat that as God ioyneth to poyson the whole comon wealth exhortinge the rulers to punishe the crime These men for so preachinge he calleth them scornfully Goddes of the earth iudgeth them to set forth their owne honesty and goodnes by sclaunderyng other meÌ„ and tellynge forthe their synnes No sir we sclaunder them not ne tell we forthe their synnes They are their owne open filthy dedes whiche ye defende that disclose them Yf ye knowe any of vs that are agaynst your boke giltie and would kouer our synne with rebukinge aduoutry in open pulpits or writinge or exhortinge rulers to punishe it be you our accuser to make your mater the beter ye once exhorted a maÌ„ to not flater but sâ—arpely to rebuke vice And now I perceiue ye did it to haue the same office your selfe well remembringe the comyk That the trueth getteth hatered and obsequye frendes ye shal by this boke aud this defence get ye many Adulterers to frende and to stande one youre syde But this hatered this so bitter iâ—diguâ—cioÌ„ in priuate professors not only against the vices but against the men I can not tell whether it becometh men Shoulde we not hate those open synners and their offences whiche God so abhorreth and al godly men that euen the persones we are commaunded to estiewe to neither drincke ne eate with them nor to haue any conuersacion with them Then he sayth Namely them whiche synne of nature and not of will Here it would be asked this great learned oratore whether his Adulterers syn not of wyl but against their willes only of nature There is no actual syn but it is vnluntary Adultery is actuall wherfore it is a voluntary synne This were els in dede a good defence for hys Adulterers to saye their synne is so natuaall that it is against their willes and so not worthy punishment At last to mitigate their synne he sayth Yf one committe a litle greuoser syn of weakeues howe do these men take on Suerly yf Adulterers had no beter patrone then this poete to
his eyes And y e other eye did him selfe put oute as a father Iu the noble Germans before they receyued the christen faith the punishement of an Adulteres stode in the power of her housband whiche might at the lest thrust her only in her smocke out of his house and beate her naked with roddes before all the cyty as Cornelius Tacitus writeth Opilius Macrinius emprour of Rome vsed to punishe Adulterers w t fyre throwing them bothe bownd together into the fier where after there was a comon lawe called lex Iulia whiche decreed Adulterers to be punished with the swerde whiche lawe stode in strengthe in S. Hieroms tyme whiche mencioneth aud alloweth it And the same lawe de stupris and adultery did the christen emprours receiue And of Iustiniane is it confirmed â—ecreed lib iixi titu .xviij. de publicis Iudicâ—s In the lawes of Bamburgh y e same imperiall lawe is executed and confirmed of the Emprour Charlis .v. anno M. CCCCC.XXX and M. CCCCC.XXXII at Auspurg and Regensburch Now yf the offence were considered but euen as the Heathen iudged in the lawe of nature as yet the ciuile lawe esteme it howe detestable a crime it is and how perniciose to the comon weal settinge al affeccions euill customs and the negligence of rulers a side And would waye what plages hange ouer the reaulme where it is permitted vnpunished what and howe greuouse offence it is in Gods sight al christen men woulde desyer it to be punished aud therto exhorte al rulers as in tymes past For verely adultery is the destruccion and the great dishonor of Gods fyrste ordinaunce A daÌ„pnable wickednes procedinge froÌ„ the deuil oute of idlenes and excesse and oute of the fleshe contrary to the spirit of God a shameful vnfaithfulnes a voluntarye peace breakinge a shameles periurye Wedlocke was firste of all ordined of God a natural copulacioÌ„ neuer yet altered And the maried persons smite a perpetuall coneâ—aunt neuer to diuide their bodies ioiâ—ed of God into one flesh God and all the congregacion with the aungels called into recorde They promise faith trueth with handes mouthes the one to the other Now yf it be so smal an offence as of frailte of nature of weakenes agaynst manis wil but a litle spot a slidinge amisse as this man extenuateth and initigateth the crime to dissemble with God aungels and men to trede vnder foâ—e trueth and faith to forswere before God and so holy a company to cal them all into witnes of a false promise then might he haue so iustelye stretched forthe his penne to haue paynâ—ed the defence of Adulterers and made so many arguments for their vnpunishment in so counselling the Magistrates why doeth he not as vehemeÌ„tly dissuade the punishement of murther aud theft To stele manis goodes is worthy death And what is more dere to man then his wyfe euen his owne body Salomon waying theft aâ—d aduoutry together proueth aduoutry to be much more greuose offence Yf it be so it ought more sharpely to be punished then theft Also besides many greuose inconueâ—ences this happeneth That the right ayers oftentimes be defrauded of their heretage for euer I passouer the murthers poissouinge batails and treasons with other infinite destruccions that haue comen of adultery and yet dayly ensueth But yet the ecclesiastick teachers he woulde haue theÌ„ by no zele nor title to moue the rulers to execute iustice and Gods lawe vpon adulterers For so to do he calleth it suche crueltie as becometh no preacher Yf the Magistrates neglecte their office in punishinge open malefactors is it crueltie anger the preachers to excite and to exhorte them with Gods word to do their dutie Wherfore els did God commaund the Leuites to take the boke of the lawe and reade it continually to y e kinges And that in dontful iudgemeÌ„tes they should call the priestes to shewe theÌ„ what they shoulde do according to God his worde commaundinge the kinges to iudge as the priestes should teache them oute of Gods lawe What els are al the sermons and comminacions of the prophetes with the parell of their lyues kindlinge and stering the kinges and rulers vnto the punishementes and coreccions of the transgressors of Gods lawes They were commaunded to crye and ceasse not to tell them their syâ—nes in neglecting iustice and Gods iudgemeÌ„tes yea and where the cause was vrgent necessite requiringe the defence of the religion their selues resisted punished and auenged it with deathe doinge y e office of the seclare Magistrates Moses was a man both holy and the myldest of all men the Leuites were the ministers of the worde And yet Moses called them together moued with no lytle zele to auenge Gods glorye so that they went from tent to tent from dore to dore and with bloudy handes slewe their brethren and kinsfolcke to the nomber of 3000. Moses him selfe killed the Egipcion for sinitinge one of his brethren Agayne what blody murther made Moses and Pinhas the Leâ—ite vpon Adulterers â—hen Pinhas smote bothe the persons thorow with his dagger as they laye and yet were these ecclesiastik doctors as this man calleth vs. Moses being a spirituall preacher and prophete prouoked the iudges of Israell sayinge Let euery one slay their men that thus haue coÌ„mitted adultery wih Baal Peor And yet saith this writer both ignorantly vngodly to proue malefactors not to suffer That the Lord in the olde testament willeth not the deathe of synners knowing not of what death God there speketh Neyther wyl we ne any christeÌ„ Magistrate the perpetuall death of daÌ„pnacion of any sinner but woulde him to amende and be conuerted but yet do not this wyshe and wyll take awaye the iust iudgementes of God and punishement of anye murtherer thefe or Adulterer God there speaketh of the deathe of the soule and not of the body Neyther willeth God by the text of Ezechiel his iudicial lawes to be abrogated as this man meaneth or els wherfore alledgeth he this texte agaynste the professors of the worde that they should not iustigate the Magistrates to punish Adulterers TheÌ„ he maketh this reason It is not reade saith he that Christe or any of his apostles bode or coÌ„maunded any adulterer to be punished with death ergo So is it not read that Christ commaunded the two theues to be hanged y t dyed with him and yet did they instely suffer for their offences according tu Gods lawes Christ not sayinge agaynst it By this sayd reason a negatiuis this man would haue noman for his crime to suffer deathe For where is it reade that Christ bode this particlare thefe or that murtherer by name to suffer death But tell me I praye you sayd not Christ I am not come to breake the lawe but to fulfill it Christ consequently approued and confirmed the iudicial lawes saing Whoso killeth is bounde gilty the iudgment Whiche he declared sayinge who so smiteth with the swerde shal die
with the swerde And what law was it wherof Paul saith It is not ordined for the iust man but for the vniust as for rebellers to the Magistrates to parents for murtherers for adulterers c Yf the payne and lawe made for adultery were abrogated Paul woulde not haue confirmed it as he did with those wordes yet lefte in his pistle neyther woulde he haue so threatened and feared the Corinthes sayinge Se that ye defyle not your selues wyth adultery as certayne men did for the whiche in one day there were slayne an huÌ„dreth and twenty thousand Christes Leâ—ite of whiche ye speke so muche was such That for anger for an obprobriose worde he pronounced them worthy iudgement and to come before the counsel wherfore he abrogated not the iudiciall lawes but stablished them For he that so narowly interpreted his lawe to not kyll that for beinge angry with his brothren or for an obprobriose worde pronounceth him worthy counsel iudgement and hel fyer thincke ye that the same law geuer doth abrogate or mitigate the punishment for the other most greâ—ouse transgressions of y e greater preceptes Then argueth he thus out of the example of Christ sayinge Christe expresseth his mercye and forgeuenes both by examples and doctrine and redempcioÌ„ wherfor ther ought non of his disciples to put any malefactor to deathe but likewise to forgeue and to folowe his stepes Here belyke this man taketh not the seculare Christen Magistrates for Christes Disciples or els he woulde not them to put malefactors to deathe But let them be only the priestes his Disciples Who made this law that priestes should saue theues murtherers and Adulterers and that they should conuaye them from the galowes and that I shoulde not say the trueth before a iuge yea and take an oth to yf he aske it of me Who caused so many strong theues to be saued by their bokes and sanctuaries to nourishe wilfull theft and murther was it not the bishop of Romes lawe But I will set an example of Christes softenes leâ—ite againste this man so full of fonde pyte and merciles mercye where Christ toke cordes makinge them into sharp whipps wherwith in great anger violence he scourged oute suche fonde pituose marchants out of the temple whiche toke vpon theÌ„ so boldely withoute all feare of God to bringe into his churche suche licenciouse lybertie and false doctryne therby redeâ—inge and byinge by flatery the fauoure of Adulterers and theues when therby Christ takinge vpon him selfe the person of a prophete and bishop and not of a kinge ne Magistrate taught the professours of his worde and his disciples to correcte the arrogant audacite of erroneouse teachers and writers to blame and to chasten them sharpely as it were with whippes of which Christes facte it may be well gathered what may his successours do to suche abusers of his worde â—nd deceyuers of his churche with false doctrine In dede there ought no ecclesiastik Magistrate take the office of the seclare rulers vpon him in putting the malefactor to death But whether one man may haue both the regiments in his haÌ„d I thinke this man will not say agaynst it And then is it true that the professour of the worde and Disciple of Christ may execute Gods worcke and his office as the scripture calleth it and suche kinges are called Goddes for that they sitte in Gods place ministringe Gods worcke Christ him selfe was and is bothe prieste and kiâ—ge preacher and iudge whyche firste shewed him selfe to come to teache and to saue eare he woulde come to iudge and to condempne But yet in his firste coming he abrogated not his own ciuill lawes and iudgementes which he eueÌ„ then confirmed and his apostles did also wryte them to be obeyed and fered whiche commaunded to be kept moste diligently and al meÌ„ to institute al their publik and priuate iudgementes accordinge to his word It is playne that this yonge wryter knoweth not what it is to be vnder the lawe and vnder the Gospell and who they be that are vnder ether of them For al that crye Lord Lord are not vnder the Gospel I graunte to him that the lawes to punish adulterers and theâ—es c. are abrogated and not ordened for chast lyuers true men and innocent persons liuinge vnder the obedience of the Gospell But to these open indurate Adulterers whose cause he defendeth the lawes ciuile and iudicials stande in their strength and ought to be executed vpon them This doctryne will we teach whatsoeuer this man obiecteth and wil tel the publik rulers that they do the workes and iudgementes iustice of God whylis like experte and godly wyâ—e sourgens they cut of from the body of the city or comon weal suche corrupt and contagiose membres as are Adulterers Althoughe this man sayth constaintly He healeth vnhappely that killeihe the sycke But a wyse sourgen will yf the corrupt member be incurable or shoulde poyson and kil the whole body cut of that member and caste it into the fyer as Christe teacheth vs of the eye haÌ„d and fote that hurte the whole body Then he woulde not That any father pastore or preacher should be iudges to minister iuste iudgementes and to punish open intractable synners But I woulde as teacheth vs Goddes worde that all seculare iudges rulers kinges and Magistrates were fathers pastors and Gods preachers and vnderstode y â— scriptures as wel as did Dauid and Salomon the other good iudges and kinges whose example we haue in the Bible to whome of eleccion and vocacion it was enioyned of God fatherly to teache to fede and to gouerne his people The cause why trwe indgement is peruerted and iustice and equite is not truely ministred is The iudges and rulers are not fathers but tyrants ignoraÌ„â— of God and his lawes they are not true feders as it becometh them with Gods word but poysonners with menis tradicions To some men verely the ecclesiastik censure of excommunicacion was some tymes as geeuouse as death They were of their fathers openly excluded w t no litle shame from al the Christen societe in tyme of y â— Lordes souper of prayer and other benefites as wel vnworthy to ate to dryncke or accompany Christen men casten out by the power of the holy Ghost vnto Satan This autorite formidable censurs the kayes to bynd and to retayne synâ—ers is geuen of God to y â— ministers of the worde whiche woulde God it were so iustely vsed nowe as it was in Paules tyme sence But nowe sithe this holsome remedye is not executed but abrogated per noÌ„ viÌ„um nor yet y â— seclare swerde once drawne out againste this horrible crime of adultery Shal we not excite them both to their dutye But in what an heauye state are impenitent synâ—ers geuen vp to Satan into their destruccion of the fleshe seinge that penitent incestuose of Paul suffred such paynes and his sorow so great that it was tube
content to be fed with y â— worde wheÌ„ they perseâ—ute the word and saye It were beter for a priest to haue aâ— C. whores then one his owne wyfe of this let al men be iudges Then he taketh his course into manis heady rashe iudgementes as touchinge the punishmentes of indurate desperate Adulterers with deathe callinge it rash and heady sayinge we haue no aperte scriptures to punishe them Lo here is it playne he would haue theÌ„ synne vnpunished beinge ignorant of y e scriptures whiche commanndeth them to be stonned to deathe Where is it manifest that he belyeth the scriptures Gods lawes whyche Christ came to coÌ„firme bothe wyth mouth and miracles And Paul affirmeth the Magistrates therfore to beare the swearde to execute the lawes ordined for Adulterers And then to declare his highe conninge he sayth I knowe with how great cruelty adultery was punished by Moses in the old lawe â—o this man is not ashamed ne afraydé to call the iust pacient merciful Lorde his lawes cruell Beware leste ye be so serued of the same iudge as was that vuprofitable seruaunt which for so esteininge his mayster was worthely bouÌ„d hande and fote aud cast into extreme darâ—knes God is no chaungelinge his wyll word and iudgements stand ferme and fast for euer But wherfore do we cal it olde but because there is now comen a newer lawe to the whiche the former must geue place This newe lawe to the which Goddes lawe must geue place ye must vnderstaÌ„d it to be this newe counsellers newe law where with Adulterers must be newely punished that is to say to haue thre flappes with a fox tayle for breakinge holye wedlocke orels it is as yet no lawe at al. For it is yet but vnder his consultacion which yf it be deathe it shalbe by this man nether profitable nor necessary ergo it is an naughty and wicked lawe Thus ye se his fonde presumpcion to make Gods lawe to geue place to hys newe lawe whiche is yet to be made so that in the meane ceason they may coÌ„mit adultery frely vnpunished But yf the olde lawe concerninge the punishement for breakinge Goddes commaundementes had bene abrogated as this wryter falsely sayth Christ woulde neuer haue so oft alledged it agaynst the Pharisais for the defence and confirmacion of his doctrine and dedes He tolde them constantly That God commaunded it that whoso curseth father or mother shoulde die Yf this had bene abrogated by Christes coming christ would not haue alledged it for his purpose Wherfore that same iudiciall lawe stode in strength after his coming as the other lyke lawes iudicial do as honor thy father and mother But this man sayth It was sayde to the Iewes and not to vs whiche yf it were true so were we not bounde to honor parents ne Magiâ—trates neyther to kepe wedlocke Or els sayth he yf nothinge be changed wherfore are there two testaments wherfore hath not the former continued stil yf there be nothing in it which must be abrogated and abolished This man should haue learned of Paul what thinges and lawes be abrogated and whiche partes yet stande in effecte and wherfore they were abrogated as he writeth Hebr .vij. That is euen for their weakenes inutilite and imperfeccion there declared at length But the morall and iudicial lawes did bere in them no imperfeccion no weakenes nor inutilite but the honor of God and conseruacion of his comon weal by loue mutual wherfore they are not abrogated as this man blasphemeth Yf he had considered the circumstance and processe of Paul in y t place where wythout any respecte to y e context he snacked oute this autorite he shoulde haue sene Paule to haue treated the olde tabernacle compared to the new not made with handes the old sacrifices of beastes with their blod compared to the later and leaste sacrifice of Christes body and blode vpon the altare of the crosse Aarons pristheit to Christes the vtterwarde abiucyons and iustificacions of the fleshe with the newe washinges and purging with Christes blode iustificacion by faythe onlye And at laste concluded thâ—se old shadowes of y â— true good thinges then to come to be antiquated vanished and abrogated and nothinge lesse then Goddes iudgementes and his â—orall preceptes to be abrogated as this writer woulde proue them for the licenciouse libertie of these libertyue Adulterers The iudicial lawes aâ—d the ten preceptes contayning in them faithe and loue must stande for euer For fayth and loue are the seâ—ews blode mary and lyfe of all these perpetual lawes And wherin these senews are conteyned that lawe must nedis stand Beareth it not greate loue to our neyghbours and to the comon weal to haue open robbers murtherers and rauishers of menswiues doughters c. punished Christ beyng the correccion and ful perfeccion of the lawe corrected not ne abrogated any lawe of Mâ—ses but for the weakenes inutilite c. Nowe shew vs What weakenes inutilite and imperfeccion was there in the stoninge to deathe of Adulterers ye wil say it was to cruel But herken what Christ sayth Beware least at my goodnes and iustice thou takest an occasion to be euill and leaste as thou iudgest me suche oâ—e thou findest we Agayue Christ corrected not ne abrogated any lawe but he constituted a better and more perfiter in stede therof as it is to se in the ceremoniall rites sacrifices Now vs shew what beter per fiter lawe hath he constituted for Adulterers to be punished therby then was is yet wryten in his testameÌ„t It is great shame that any learned man shoulde see suche a blasphemose boke to go forthe in this Christen realme whiche professeth the worde of God He knoweth not that testamentum signifieth the couenaunte whiche God of his mercie and goodnes to our fathers and vs hath smiten and that there was no nother couenaÌ„t of our saluacion iustificacion by fayth and redempcion made with vs then was made with Adam Nohe Abraham c. They had Christ in figures and shadowes promised them lokinge for him in hope as we haue him in present fayth past So that in substaunce the olde and newe couenant is al one As the two Cherâ—bims standinge vpon the propiciatory lokinge two contrary wayes face to face did beholde the only one and the same propiciatory signifiynge Christ. So did they do we beholde one Christ and sauioure Oure faces and fayth turned backward to Christ past aâ—d to them beholdinge Christ to come There is as muche difference in this thinge as in the same bargayne made at sondrye tymes with lyke wages and lyke condicion bothe on the maysters and seruaunts behalf So that the name of newe and olde testamente springeth not oute of the substance of the couenaunt but are of certayne accidentary added consideracions whiche were putte for certayn sondry ceasoâ—s places persons and diuersiâ—e of nacions to be at last changed Without whiche addicioÌ„s the substaunce of the couâ—nant it selfe
nothinge more Neyther do ye twyche ye saye the publyk ordinary lawes c. When ye do al that ye maye to destroye them Yf ye take awaye the iudicial and moral lawes as ye abolish them altogether For he that taketh awaye all lawes of God wherof all lawes and Magistrates be grounded taketh awaye the Magistrates and the ministers of the lawes But ye condempne ye saye this importunite in diuines whiche so sharpen and whet the ciuill lawes beyonde all necesâ—ite And then to correct your saying a iuste and plain writer with a good conscience neuer vâ—eth so many correccions ye say Yea verely beyonde their profession But is it not euery Christen manis profession so to loue the glory of God the healthe peace integrite and tranquilite of the Christen churches cities and realmes and so to promoue suche open iniuries and enormities to the rulers by exhortacions sermones and monicions that al suche putrefyed pestelent corrupt members destroyers and sâ—launderers of Christes congregacion may be cut of and punished according to Gods word Then he sayth It is the part and dutie of the professors of the worde to preache the forgeuenes in the Gospel and to inuite the people to repentaunce to lead the weake with the spirite of softenes and the hardnecked obstinat impenitent inflexible to leade them from their synnes and not from their lyues And is it not the parte of a preacher first to preache theÌ„ the law to shewe theÌ„ their synnes ere they preache them the Gospell of forgeuenes men muste knowe and acknowledge their synnes with repentaunce er they be forgeueÌ„ But what and youre Adulterers will neyther hear lawe nor Gospell nor any repentaunce preached but wilbe soner led from their lyues then from their synnes muste not those obstinate hardnecked Adulterers be kâ—t of with the swerde aud that by Goddes worde And wyl not you haue vs to preache and to teache this lawe of God Ioan and Christ began at the law to preache the Gospel Wherfore els do the Magistrates beare the swerde but therwiâ—h to correcte and cut of them whom Goddes worde can not refrayne from their open wikednes God first to represse oure affectes commaundeth vs not to lust ne to desyer or to haue anye concupiscence of any other thinge then oure owne Whiche barre yf it can not holde vs yet he setteth before vs another barre to brydle vs from the acte saying Thou shalt not commit adultery nor steall nor kyl c. And yf this barre wil not hold vs then hath he constituted the Magistrates wyth his lawes to punish the transgressors with death whiche is the last remedy to destroye the offender But yf we could kepe the first and most perfit lawe so neded we not the seconde nor the third But when God did foresee that nether the first nor the second barre coulde brydle such prefracte Adulterers and murtherers from the externe acte but that they woulde brydelles runne into the opeÌ„ dead vnto the great destruccion of the comen wealth and intolerable corrupcion of the Christen societe theÌ„ he added the thirde and last remedy both holsom profitable and necessary not so rigorose ne cruell as this man wryteth Yf it be lawful for the Magistrates to eâ—ecute death vpon them why is it not as lawful for the preacher to exhorte theÌ„ to their lawful office yf they neglecte it God commaundeth vs not to be angrye which natural sore and vice in vs to heal it and that it shoulde not breake forthe into the hurt of my neyghboure He commaundeth vs not to kyll whiche yoke yf we cast of and slaye the man then is there the thirde degre present euen the slayer to be slayne And this is the thirde part and last degre of the lawe so adioyued and annexed in the seconde that the one can not be abrogated without the other And therfore to be sure this man abrogateth the whole law for his Adulterers sake Yf ye suffer all adulterers and malefactors to syn tyll they be all slayn wyth the swerde of this new broched spirit EnglaÌ„d is lyke to sâ—arme ful of theues and Adulterers to For what and yf these synners wyl not be touched wyâ—h the very swerde of Goddes spirit â—ut so violently resist it that they will turne the poynt therof into the bellies of the true teacher Truly your spirit is al to weak to enter where Christes spirit taketh no place Christe commaundeth not to geue so holye thinges to dogges nor to cast perels before swyne But you wyll haue your incurable Adulterers not by feare of death to be brought to continencie but by the worde whiche they wyll neyther heare ne beleue but thrust it froÌ„ them The original vice and sore of adultery sayth he lyeth depe in our concupisceÌ„ce whiche must be first cured I praye you in whiche of all the moste perfitest iustified was the original concupiscence so cured that he nether lusted ne desired at any tyme contrary to gods wil your presupposicion is impossible wherof ye know what foloweth But and yf the fleshe be corrupt wyth concupiscence the seuerite and crueltie of the externe lawes shal do nothinge Yisse verely for whome the feare of god refrayneth not yet the feare of the lawe whiche is death holdeth them from the externe acte For what feare the swerde borne of the Magistrates smyteth into malefactors hertes Paul expresseth with many terrible sentences and much more feare it bringeth when it is iustely withoute affeccions and respecte of persones ministred and truely executed yea and that when the inwarde lustes and concupiscence rage and is not mortified This spiritual sore meaninge the concupiscence sayth he muste be healed w t spirituall medicines that is with the worde of God Yf this be true so woulde ye haue no seclare Magistrates whiche thinge the Anabaptistes holde For what synne is there but it cometh oute of the concupiscence of the spiritual part of man which is his soule consenting to synne Wherof synne gendred and death folowinge the man is called fleshe and the synnes the workes of the fleshe Now call them carnal or spirituall sores as ye lyst Belyke ye call lechery a spiritual sore because the spiritualtie after they had forsaken their own wyues and vowed their chastite and consyderinge none so lyke to lyue in adulterye as them selues then they deuolued the iudgementes of this spirituall sore of adultery from the laite into their owne spirituall courtes that one lecherouse stalland might â—law eche others bake And now was lechery called nomore a carnall sore but a spiritual to be healed with a spiritual medicyne with what thyncke ye with the worde of God No for they knew it not They layd their own syge leaues therto that is their dayly darck confessions penances satisfaccions and misses and as they dayly synned so were they daye by day in healinge and neuer cured But he that was foule was euery daye the filthier as Ioan write â—hiâ— his Apo. Then this man argueth thus
therfore do they fondely and peruersely whiche in this our corrupt and peruerse worlde teache libertie before they haue learned them selues and are taught what thing is faith For sithe the nature of man naturallye be prone to slyde from labor to luste it will folowe the libertie of the fleshe and headlongs fall into al voluptuousnes mischief wrapped in the mier of errours and al filthines And why verely they want the bridles of feare fayth and loue of God and of our neighboures Wherfore yf writers were wyse now a dayes before they teache men to be fre Christians from Moses lawes they should incuâ—ke the feare of God into their hertes the fear of the punishmeÌ„t decreed of god for synne and the obedience to faith and to the law which thinge Erasmus consideringe ful diligently dyd wryte thus most wysely eloquently and godly sayinge Moses lawe because for very feare of payne and punishement it helde men in their dutie and office refrayninge theÌ„ from their lustes it is seruyle Moses face is couered whiche couer or veyle was a token of bondage But where as the spirit of our Lorde Iesu whych bringeth to suche secrete prickes that meÌ„ wil vnboden gladly lyue pure and innocently There there is the verye lybertye No man is compelled to beleue But who so truly beleueth the same will willinglye and redilye estiewe all vnclennes and embrace Godly purite and will euen of feruente loue accompleshe more of the lawe willingly then coulde be extorted of the Iewes for the very feare of punishement But returne to this man sayinge thus What els were the ten commanâ—dementes of God then a certayn figure of Christ and of the spiritual lawe Here is fyne figurynge Paul calleth the lawe of the preceptes all spirituall Ro. vij euen the eternall spiritual wyll of God requiringe our spiritual affectes hertesâ— and not oure externe dedis onely For the lawe is contâ—ary to oure carnall affectes sayinge Thou shalt not luste The dedes of the law are the frutes of y e spirit I woulde knowe what thing was fygured by this precept It is I that am the Lorde thy God Thou shalt haue no strang gods in mi sight I know but one of the ten preceptes to be a figure of the verye true reste and Sabbothe from sin and from oure owne willes as Isaie expowneth it For the law and Christ haue contrary operacions as haue Moses the Gospel wherfore one can not be the figure of the other The lawe workethe wrathe The Gospel Christ reconcile vs to God That law maketh syn to encrease Christ remitteth it The lawe accuseth and dampneth Christ wyth hys Gospell delyuereth and saueth And yet sayth this manâ— That al Moses dedes al his wrytings yea and all his lyfe were not els but a mystik figuratyue ymage and similitude of Christ to come Belyke this man is vniuersally sene in al the scriptures namelye in al Moses lawes gestes non except that he dar so vniuersally compare them with Christe making the one holly y e figur of the other when the one is in working effecte contrary to the other as is the lawe to the gospel the letter to the spirite and death to lyfe But and yf he would admit thys diuisioÌ„ of Moses his lawes into ceremonials iudicials and morals taking Moses for his ceremonial sacrifices prist he it tabernacle c. Then had Moses ben the shadowe of Christe as Paule treateth it in the pistle to the Hebr. or els is his saying false For this his saying so absolutlye abrogateth the ten preceptes The figures are al abrogated at the presence of the bodye so shadowed which is Christ. Moses was a minister not a mayster of the churche and yet prince of all the Prophetes Yf a mayster be a coÌ„maunder a teacher and a ruler then was Moses a mayster and chefe gouerner of the church of Israell which church was taught ruled by the same spirit of fayth and religion in Christ to come as is ours in Christ past He coÌ„manded the same preceptes which are now coÌ„manded to vs by Christ his apostles And yf he taketh a master for y â— heade of the churche so was Moses the mayster therof And then he sayth Because the disciples of christ saw non example of Christ to put Adulterers to deathe therfore Christes disciples maye put no man to deathe Are not al christen kinges magistrates applying theÌ„ selues to be taught of christ and folowinge his doctryne christes disciples and why theu may it not stande with Christes disciples to minister in Christes comon weale and execute Christes lawes Then woulde he proue the whole tables of the ten commaundemeÌ„tes to be abrogated And why Because sayth he Christ brake the Iewishe ceremoniall of the Sabboth daye Shoulde we not kepe the other commandementes as to haue on strang goddes To make vs no image c. because christ abrogated the ceremuniall shadowe and sower barke of the Iewes Sabboth It appereth here what learninge this man hath as to erre in so playn a place of the scriptures He should haue learned of Isaye whiche is the very Sabboth Foâ— the prophetes are the expowners of the lawe There is it declared what is oure perpetuall Sabboth and reste from oure owne affectes and will from â—he confidence in our own worckes and to suffer God to worcke his will in vs. And how the externe obseruance of the Sabothe taught them is the spiritual reste he shoulde haue learned into what respectes the Sabboth is ceremoniall wher it is morall And wherfore Christ beinge the body present woulde cause vs and them to ceasse any lenger to beholde the shadow and to loke vpoÌ„ the body being the Lorde of the Sabboth For the ceremonial part therof was the scole master vnto the spirituall obseruance thereof Then he bringeth in the text Gal. vi coÌ„foundinge the priuate mutual dayly offences of brethren preuented with synne done of weakenes of man with the open obstinat impenitent adultery and sayth That because Paul biddeth them that are more spirituall and perfit to heale suche weake brethren that of fraylte be preuented vnwarres of their fleshe or temptore aud so fall into some fault Therfore we may not exhorte and moue the Magistrates to take away open acocustomed obstinat hore moÌ„gers whiche sclaunder and poyson both the churches of Christ and the whole comon weal. No syr These your punishementes to suche Adulterers as ye defende ar to smal for them And I dout not but some good magistrates are spirituall and yet wil they punishe open indurate Adulterers with a sharper weapen then spiritâ— lenitatis or els the realme shoulde sone swarmeful of malefactors incurably Then he bryngeth in the example of the Samaritans and of Christes Disciples whiche woulde haue had fyer to haue fallen doune vpon them for which Christ rebuked them But the offences were not a lyke The Samaritans of ignorance not knowing Christe to be Messias denyed