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
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
feared as Paul writeth leste he shoulde haue ben swalowed vp of desperacioÌ„ yf coâ—Ì„fort and prayer of y â— church had not preuented it and what a deathe had it bene to an hardnecked impenitent persone beyng in Satans hande refusinge all holsome counsels comfort and prayers not sufferinge the kayes of losinge to turne in his hert Suche there are amonge oure Adulterers For this was Paul accused of seuerite and cruelnes of the false prophetes Yf there be an open accustomed Adulterer a sclaunder and poyson to the congregacion why shal not the ecclesiastick ministers delyuer him into y â— seclare Magistrates handes to be punished with the swerde as they haue done with other offenders Christ byddeth vs to take suche impenitent and intractable persons as heathen and publicans and yet in so doing make we not oure selues Gods on the earthe nor set forth our owne honesty in promouinge their mischiefe to them that be bounde to punishe it as you saye The lawe is that yf I â—nowe aâ—ny suche opeÌ„ syâ—ners against God and the publique welthe and hold my tonge it is iudged that I consent therto and ought therfore to be punished a lyke For religion faith and loue mutual commaund vs to not suffer such vngodlines which els should grow into forther destruccion This maÌ„layth muche for him the examples of the apostles but he seeth not the seuerite of Peter endued with the holy Ghost smyâ—inge with so soden death Ananias and Sapphira for their dissemblinge hyppocrisy with the church which was done leste the softenes and toâ—â—che fauor by the apostles amonge offenders winking at open sinners shoulde growe into contempte of God and his worde as it is nowe come to the same by sufferynge adulterers vnpunished He seith not Paul punishing eliman with perpetual blindnes Then he bringeth in Dauid and Solomon with their greuouse offences vnder Moses lawe and yet non of the prophetes sayth he were so cruel vpon them as to punishe them but with Goddes worde And what els desyer we then that Adulterers might be punished accordinge to Goddes worde Nathan so punished Dauid in his reprehensioÌ„ that he caused him to geue the seâ—tence of deathe vpon him selfe for his adultery And what a punishement was it to ensuer him the swerde neuer to go from his house for slaying Vrias And for his adultery god to stere vp his own sons to abuse his wiues brother to defile his syster one brother to slay another and to lay Dauids synnes in the open sonne and his owne sonne to chase his father oute of his realme What plages deathes and helâ— paynes were inflict by the prophetes to Dauid his heauye complayntes in his psalmes declare Would god this good maÌ„ w t al the professors of the word woulde do Nathans parte in sharpe rebukinge adulterye this daye and not so to mitigate the synne that the punishmeÌ„t therfore of God were nowe abrogated as thoughe it were not now so greuouse a synne as it was in Moses tyme. Solom on his kingedome was diuided his seruaunt raigâ—inge after him What punishement came vpon Ieroboam by the monicion of the prophetes rebuking the kynge And yet sayth this man the prophetes shewed no seuerite to the kinges but al softenes and mercie And are not al these thinges writen for our doctrine and ensample so to do Howe vehemente and sharpe were the prophetes Elias Isai Hiâ—remy and the other in rebuking and condempâ—ing sinne Compare your defence of Adulterers to their sharpe sermons and they agre as Belial christ Where was youre Leuite when Eias slewe the prophetes of Baal and and when Ioiada Athaliam And what punishment casted Eliseus vpoÌ„ Gihafi and his seade for takinge giftes of Naaman Now yf Christ hath abolished the punishment for Adulterers and expressed and decreed an easier ye must shewe the place and then we must beleue you or els we must stand to the eternal will of God remitting you to the first original lawe and ordinaunce of God We shoulde consyder the circumstances of the synne howe greuouse it is who decreed the payne for it how ranckly it roteth spredeth and eucreaseth yea and y t emonge them that shoulde geue the best example and should se it punished And then shoulde it be sene to al godly rulers that the sore asketh a sharper corrasie then your boke sheweth or maketh For iudgementes punishmentes are moste necessary in the offices of the magistrates albe it they feme to some fonde pituose persous hard and cruel Neuertheles except suche cruell sharpnes be executed all men are lyke to fele more harde and crueller plages It is no crueltie which at the commanndent of the Lorde is executed for the preseruacyon of comon wealthes and publique â—raâ—â—uillite He maketh a greate difference betwixt the olde and newe testameut and yet knoweth not what a testament is and sayth that in the old testament the grace of the Gospell was not shewed to the worlde Yf he taketh the worlde for all men good and bad so is it not yet reueled to it For to them that shut vp their eyes blindened of the God of this worlde and stop their eares at the preachinge therof it is yet houered But in the olde testament to Adam Abel Enoch and Helias c. and to al the chosen faythfull the Gospel of Christ to come was shewed For they were al vnder the grace of the Gospell and not vnder the lawe For the olde newe couenant in Christe was all one in substaunce to them and vs and differ not but in certayne accidentay added ceremonies rites and respectes of the time and persones For the Hebrew Greke worde whiche is comonly translated into Testamentum signifieth properly foedus a couenaunte or bargin made and â—â—â—â—iten testified with certayne instrumentes promises and condicions write and sealled which couenant is al one in substance to them and vs as it appereth Gene .xvij. Nomeruel though this man erreth so muche in the nocables testameÌ„tum lex For I herde him once saye It is but a friuole curiose thinge in readinge of the scriptures to expoune and declare the â—ermes But al learned writers wyl saye that the termes or wordes not known what they properly signifie the sentences shal neuer be truly vnderstanden Then he sayth The people of Christ is a mystike diuine flok c. and therfore must be fed w t Gods worde c. All this we knowe as wel as you and that ye ought not to fede them with such false doctrine as to say and wryte That the Professors and Disciples of Christ ought not to iustigate and exhorte the Magistrates to punishe adultery w t deathe And that it is to cruell a punishment ordeâ—ed of God for theÌ„ in his law and therfore to be nowe abrogated But whether your Adulterers whose cause ye defende beinge impemteut inâ—urated and not receyuers of the worde determining rather to lyue with whores then with their owne wyues be of Christes flok and be
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 because in many men adultery caÌ„ not be healed ne Adulterers brought to repentaunce ne corrected with the word therfore yet it may not be punished with death but permitted But ye shoulde haue argued thus Because they contempne the medicyne of the worde and persist in their wickednes therfore ought they to be punished with the swerde And here he bringeth in the wordes of Christ directely agayâ—ste him selfe rendinge oute a pese of the parable that semeth for him but the effecte and scope therof is playne agaynst him whiche he leaueth out for feare and peruerteth the text sayinge The Lorde forbiddeth the roten tree to be cut donne But the texte is The Lorde not fynding frute in the tre commaundeth it to be cut doune Neuertheles at the desyer of the keper of the viâ—eyarde prayinge him to suffer it to be dunged at the rote this one yeare and then yf it brought notfrute to be cut doune by bothe their consentes And in another place Christ not finding frute in the fyg tre accursed it and it withered deade neuer more to bryng forth frute And what then thyncke ye is hys sentence vpon them that with no mouicions no teachinge no dunginge wylbe fruteful but wyl despyse his labor and brynge forthe euyl frutes seynge he commaunded the fruteles trees to be cut doun here ye se how he peruerteth Christes wordes sayinge Chiste forbiddeth whiche he playnely commaundeth TheÌ„ he maketh this wyse argument Hole men haue no nede of a phisicion but they that are sicke ergo Adulterers ought not to be punished with death but must be healed with Goddes worde Suche an argument may he make for al theues and murtherers and so noman to suffer but be healed with Goddes word which is not els but to abolish the ciuile lawes and al Magistrates Suche a licenciouse common weale dreame the Anabaptistes this day But and yf the sick despyse the holsome medicyne beynge a purryfyed member then Ihon Baptiste and Christ commaunde suche trees to be cut doune and cast into the fyer But here this man calleth suche obstinate hardnecked incurable Adulterers but weake brethren and but sickly persons Asking what phisicion ministreth his diligence to the sycke man to slaye hym whose cure he taketh in hande And here I aske him agayne what Phisicion is to solishe that taketh an incurable sore in hande or will heale that sorâ— otherwyse or with any other medicyne then Gods worde prescribeth him with what medicyne commaundeth God the Magistrates to heale murther adultery theft and suche lyke pestilences to the comon wealthe Al this manis argumeÌ„tes brought for Adulterers tende into the fauoure of suche that gladly receyue holsom counsel beinge obedient to the word wheÌ„ they are monished of the preachers do feare God amende their lyues And make nothinge for Adulterers to be not punished of the Magistrates He bringeth in manye exaÌ„ples of mercy shewed of Christ to the faythful penitent confessinge their synnes which all make nothing for opeÌ„ obstinat malefactors Nether do those examples take awaye the ciuil iustice nor the swerde from the magistrates to be executed vpon Adulterers but that the thefe and murtherer and Adulterer must neuerthelesse suffer death although he repented him an hundred tymes w t him that was hanged by Christ. And muche iuste execucion was done of theÌ„ in Christes dayes sences albeit the gilty condempned persone died a repentant iust maÌ„ before God whose death Christe nor his apostles letted not as the priestes do now with bokes and sanctuaries And as for the roytose sonne whoÌ„ this man bringeth in for the defence of Adulterers He confessed hys synne w t greate repetaunce to his father or he receiued him He spent but his own good in excesse of meates and drynckes And was no open hurt to the comon weal as are theues Adulterers c. he hurted only him selfe And therfore this example is but racked wrested for his purposeâ— I caÌ„ not meruel ynough at the forgetfulnes of this maÌ„ to see himselfe swarue so far froÌ„ the stacion on his cause to proue y â— thing with scriptures nothing pertayning to y â— title of his boke When Peter asked Christ how oft he should forgeue he expressed his brother y â— by weakenes sinneth dayly priuately one offending another not suche as sin incorrigibly against the hole coÌ„gregacion customably which for his obstinacy deserueth not y â— name of a christeÌ„ brother But yf I forgeue my brother steling my horse or oxe yet shal â—ot my forgeuenes deliuer him froÌ„ the ciuil iugemeÌ„t froÌ„ the galows yet bringeth this man Peters seueÌ„ seueÌ„ty forgeuenes of his brother for y â— vnpunishmeÌ„t of adulterers He wold galdly be felow to christ in so rich often forgeuenes of adulterers litle remeÌ„bring what god saith to al iuges of y e iâ—dicial lawes that wheÌ„ any maÌ„ breake his lawes thou shal punish him and not haue mercy on him Let not thyue eye spare him but cut and rote him out of the comon weale that other may take eâ—sample be afrayde to traÌ„sgresse gods laws He loketh so much of gods mercy that he forgetteth his iustice iudgementes whiche sayde That whoso offend but one of his litle ones that beleue in him It is expedient a mill stone be hanged about his â—ecke and be drowned in the depest of the sea What paynes of death then woulde Christe to be executed vpon him that offende the whole churche and especially that man whose wyfe is kept in adultery Then he sayth That forebecause Christe bode Peter suffer the darnel to grow with the wheat therfore he woulde Adulterers and all suche criminose synners to be permitted vnpunished among the Christen societe Who seeth not the fonde ignoraunce shall I call it or the manifest wickednes of this man Christ neuer sayde this to Peter But the housholder to his seruaunts expressing no particlare persone but this is nt y â— mater The kocle or darnel is ther hersies false doctrine sown by the deuil which christ would not haue pluckt vp where perel is therwith to be pluckte vp also the good corne For yf paul had ben pluckt vp a pharisei he had neuer haue ben the apostle preacher of Christ. Wherfore Christe willeth not in my wise these kocles or darnel of heretiques and not of Adulterers and theues c to be permitted but heretiques wher their vproting is turned into the destruccion or hurt of the good and of the whole churche It behoueth sayth Paule hersies to be amonge you that they whiche be proued be knowne amonge you But and yf suche men yf they shoulde continewe would be the subuersion of many good men and of the whole church they must rather be smiten doune with the swerde and sithe of iustice nowe loke Adulterers corrupt not holy matrimony other menis wyues doughters c. What and Christ shoulde now come agayne and wryte in the foreheades of these men