the holy oracles and wordes of god should get their credite by men which are otherwise lyers But these things they faine to the entēt that seyng they are manifestlye founde often tymes to haue decreed and ratified in the Sacraments doctrines farre otherwise than the holy scriptures will beare Whiche thing they would defend that they may do it bycause the Churche whiche doth bring authoritie and credite to the worde of God may alter things in the holy Scriptures as pleased it Wherfore we must resiste them by all meanes possible in this thyng which they take vpon them to do We may not suffre our selues to be brought to thys poynte to thincke that the Scriptures haue had their credite and authority by the Churche And yet do I not write these thynges as thoughe I woulde despise or contemne the dignitie of the Churche vnto the whiche There be three offices of the Churche touching the word of God The Churche as a witnesse kepeth the holy Bookes I do attribute thre offices and them moste excellent as touchyng the worde of GOD. The firste of them is that I do confesse that the Church as a witnesse hath kept the holy bokes But thereby it can not be proued that it is lawful for it to peruert or alter any thing in the holy bookes Experience teacheth vs that publique and priuate wrytinges are committed to scriueners whiche are commonly called notaryes to be layd vp and diligently kept of thē And yet there is none that is in his right wittes which wil say that he may alter any thing in them or wil beleue that their authoritie is of greater force than their willes were whiche desired to haue the same written The worde of God reuealed and written Neither shall it be here vnprofitable to obserue the difference betwene the worde of god as it was reuealed at the beginning to the Prophetes sainctes as it was afterwardes preached or written For we do easely acknowledge betwene these that there is onely difference of tyme and not of the authoritie or efficacie For we confesse that the worde vnwritten was more auncient than that which was afterward appointed to letters and we graunt that either cōferred together was geuen to the Churche but in suche sorte that the Churche as we haue sayd can not by any meanes wrest or chaunge it The office of the Churche is to publishe and preache the worde of God And this vndoubtedly is the second office of the Church to preach publish the wordes committed vnto it by God In which thing it is lyke a common crier who althoughe he do publishe the decrees of princes and magistrates yet he is not aboue the decrees or equal vnto them in authoritie But his whole office is faithfully to pronounce all thynges as he hath receaued them of the princes and magistrates And if he should otherwise do he should be counted altogether for a traytour Wherfore the ministers of the Churche ought to care and study for nothing so much as to be founde faithfull We acknowledge also the last office of the Churche to be The Churche discerneth the holy bokes frō counterfaite such as are Apochriphas that seyng it is endued with the spirite of God it must therfore discerne the sincere vncorrupted bookes of holy Scriptures from the counterfaite and Apocriphas whiche is not yet to be in authoritie aboue the worde as many do foolishely dreame For there are very many which can discerne the true propre writings of Plato and Aristotle from other falsely put to them yet in comparison of iudgement they are neither of greater lernyng nor yet of equall with Plato or Aristotle And euery one of vs cā easely know God from the deuill yet are we not to be coūted equal with God much lesse can we thinck that we do excel him So the Churche ought not bycause of this to preferre faith or authoritie thereof before the Scriptures Augustine But they say Augustine sayeth I would not beleue the Gospell except the authoritie of the Churche did moue me therunto But in that place is read to moue together for in very dede Faith is not poured in by the minister but by God it is the spirite of God which poureth faith into the hearers of his worde And bycause the ministers of the Churche are his instrumentes they are rather to be sayd to moue with than absolutely to moue The same Augustine writeth in his 28. booke and second chap. against Faustus that the Maniches ought so to beleue that the first chap. of Matthew was writtē by Matthew euen as they did beleue that the Epistle whiche they called Fundamentum was written by Maniche bycause vndoubtedly they were so kept by their elders from hande to hand deliuered vnto them This is it therfore that the Churche moueth withall to beleue the Gospell bycause faithfully it kepeth the holy scriptures preacheth them and discerneth them from straunge Scriptures The same father manifestly witnesseth in his 6. booke of his confessions the 4. and 5. chap. that God him selfe in very dede did geue authoritie to the holy scriptures Tertullianus Irenaeus But Tertullianus and Irenaeus hauing to do against heretikes did therfore send thē to the Apostolicall Churches bycause they did not admitte the whole scriptures Wherfore they would that they should take their iudgemēt of those Churches which were certainly knowen to be Apostolical For it was meete that those Churches should continuallye remayne both witnesses and also keapers of the holy scriptures and yet therfore they did not decree that the authoritie of the Churche should be preferred before the scriptures What is to be thought of a certayn rule of the Logiciens But the aduersaries say that they are led by the sentence whiche is cōmonly vsed among Logiciens Euery thyng is such a thyng by reason of an other VVherfore that other shal more be counted suche Wherfore they reason after this maner If by the Churche the Scripture hath hys authoritie it must nedes be that the Church much more hath that authoritie But they remēber not that this sentence put by the Logiciens taketh place onely in finall causes and is of no strength in efficient causes For althoughe our inferior worlde be made warme by the sunne and the starres yet doth it not thereby followe that they are farre more warmer And agayne when immoderate men by wyne are made droncke we can not therby conclude the wyne to be more dronken than they Yea the Logiciens teache this that this their sentence is then strong and of efficacy in efficient causes when such efficient causes are brought forth whiche are whole and perfect and not whiche are perciall and maymed whiche rule is not obserued of our aduersaries in this argument For the Churche is not the whole and perfect efficient cause of that faith and authoritie whiche the holy Scriptures haue with the faithfull For if it were
Glory to God on high which they wil haue to be the inuention of Telesphorus Then had they Collectes which are ascribed vnto Gelasius Moreouer certain lessons were rehearsed out of the holye scriptures either out of the old testament or els out of the Actes or Epistles of the Apostles The Epistle Whiche lessons being done there was to be rehearsed some part of the Euangelicall hystory But when the Readers had red vnto the church the fyrst lessons the deacon stoode vp in a high place or pulpit namely to be sene and to be vnderstande of al men The Gospel The graduale Halleluiah wher he distinctly pronounced that which was to be redde out of the Gospell But whylest hee went and ascended vp the stayres the people vsed to syng some verses of Psalmes which commonlye they called Graduales that is stayre songes They added also vnto them Halleluiah that is prayse the Lord as it were clapping of hands with a ioyous cry for the glad tidinges of the gospell This hebrewe woord Halleluiah semeth to be taken out of the Churche of Ierusalem whereof there is mencion made also in the Apocalipse and in the tytle of certayne Psalmes When the Deacon had red the Gospell the Byshop A Sermon or the Pastor of the Churche added thereunto an interpretation and exhortation wherin vices were reproued and deliberation taken of such as wer to be excommunicated Which thinges being thus finished The Papistes haue transposed the sendyng away of the people the Cathecumenites and others which woulde not communicatr were sent awaye But in our tyme bycause there are found very seldome any Cathecumenites and they whych do not communicate doo stande myngled with the rest yea almost none communicate except it be the Sacrificer alone The Papistes haue differred that Missio that is that sendyng awaye to the ende of their abhominations For then they vse to say with a loude voyce Ite Missa est That is Go your way Ite Missa est nowe is the departure But in the olde tyme those thinges being finished The Symbole of the fayth whyche wee haue rehearsed they which abode to be partakers of the holy Supper dyd sing the Simbole of the fayth that they might diligentlye instruct one an other in the principal heades of religion wherein they consented For in Symboles is comprehended the fumme of faith whiche comprehension or summe The Symbole is called the tradition of the Church Tertulian The counsel of Nice if a man wyll diligently reade the olde Fathers he shal finde to be called Traditio Ecclesiae that is the tradition of the Churche which is both taken out of the holy Scriptures and also necessarye to be beleued for saluation And sometimes Tertullian bringeth it agaynst the heretickes which denyed the holy Scriptures The Synode holden at Nicena made a full and perfecte Symbole but not the fyrste for as muche as there were certaine Symboles before as we may know euen of Tertullian hym selfe Then whyle they soong the Creede or Symbole such as were present offered of theyr goods suche thynges as they thought good Three vses of oblation The offering serued for three maner of vses for parte of it was spent on certayne moderate banquets whiche the Christians dyd at that tyme verye religiouslye celebrate among them selues and they were commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitable banquetes that is charitable banquets Part of that which remained was distributed vnto the poore And finally some of the bread wyne was layd vp for the vse of the holye Supper And that thys oblation of thinges was then added Offertory Collectes twoo thinges doo testefye Fyrst certayne verses which were soong by the people whilest the offering was in doing which was therfore called of theÌ„ Offertorium that is an offring The same is also knowen by those collectes which are redde in that part of the Masse Yea and Iustinus the most auncient Martyr hath made mencion of the same oblation in his Apologie or defence and Ciprian also and some of the old Fathers Sursum corda After these thinges when they came to administer the holye Supper they sayde Sursum corda that is Lyft vp your hartes as the Ethnickes vsed to cry in their holy thinges Hoc age Hoc age that is do this And surely the Christians said so verye aptlye and in conuenient time thereby to admonishe them selues to thinke at that time vpon no carnal nor earthly thing but wholy to lyft vp their myndes vnto heauen where Christ is to be sought and not in earth as thoughe he were included in the breade or wyne After that they gaue thankes when they sayd Gratias agimus tibi From whence is had the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proper words of the Supper The Lordes Prayer Sancâ—us Prefaces Canon We geue thankes O Lorde holye father almightye and euerlasting God through Christ our Lorde c. These thinges are moste auncient and are found very often in old ecclesiasticall wryters Yea and that mystery of the bodie and bloud of Christ was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is geuing of thankes bycause all the accomplishing thereof dependeth vp on thankes geuing And when the people had sayd Through our Lorde Christe he went to the proper woordes of the Supper Which being rehearsed there was said the Lordes praier But Xystus before the rehersall of it would haue the people to sing Sanctus Sanctus c. that is holy holy c. And that there might be better occasion geuen to come to that song certaine prefaces were put before And to those they peeced theyr Canon which one Scolasticus as Gregory mencioneth in his Register made whiche in deede the same Gregory alloweth not bycause he woulde put in thinges of hys owne and neglected the Lordes prayer The kysse of peace is sayd to be the inuention of Leo the seconde Kisse of peace Which seemeth not so to me for as muche as that maner was in the Churche euen in the tyme of the Apostels that Christians shoulde entertayne one another wyth the kysse of peace Yea and Paule in hys Epistles hath made mencion of that kynd of saluation Agnus dei And Iustine also the martyr in his second Apology hath mencioned of this kysse The song of Agnus dei that is the Lambe of God Distribution of the sacrament is said to haue beene brought in by one Innocentius And when all these thinges were finished they came to the distribution of the Sacrament Whych whilest it was in doing or when it was finished they song a song of thanks geuing Post coÌ„munion Praiers at the end which they called Post Communionem that is an after Communion And all these thinges beyng finished and ended the Minister sent away the people blessing them with a lucky blessing All these thinges althoughe they led awaye the Christian people from that fyrst simplicity of vsyng the Lordes Supper very manye
Repentaunce consisteth in twoo poyntes 61. b Repentaunce is not perfect in vs. 175. b Repentaunce is somtimes openlye to be renued 63. b Repentaunce and amendement is geuen of God 73 Repentaunce bringeth not alwaies the former good state again 65. b Repentaunce of God how 70 Repetition of periodes in the scripture 105 Repetitions in speeche are to purpose 109 Reprobate are forsaken of God before they forsake him 33 Reprobate why they be tempted 34 Reprouing lawful 37 Resisters of Gods vocation differ 1â—5 b Reubenites trade and country 108 Reuenging of a mans owne iniuries 31. b Reward handled 272 b Rewardes may lawfully be set for good deedes 23. b Rewardes may be respected in doing well 23. b Rhetorike profitable in war 36 Riddles in feastes 218. b Right of war 186 Rites and ceremonies neede not be al alyke euery where 54. b Riualty 143. b Riuer swellyng at the battayle of Sisara 109 Rochesters false argument 148. b Rocke in the scriptures signifieth oft a castle or fortres 273. b Rome builded when 3. b Romes dignity caused the Byshop thereof to bee preferred before other 148. b Romaynes in the primatiue church communicated euery day and yet were maryed 94 Romaines neuer had peace aboue xl yeares at once 83. b Romaynes compelled their Consull 91 Romaines punished their Citizens onely by banishment 146. b Romish prouerb 85. b Romulus in Ezechias time 3. b Rule firme of inuocation 129 Rule of our actions is the woorde of God 129 Ruth the doughter of Eglon. 83 S. SAbboth day to daunce in 287 Sabboth endureth from euening to euening 277. b Sacramentes of the Elders and ours were all one and differ in outward simboles signes 273 Sacramentes all one in both testamentes 74 Sacrament and Sacrifice may be both in one thing 64 b Sacrament sacrifice differ 63. b Sacramentes and miracles are after a sort lyke 129. b Sacramentes consist by the word of God 91. b Sacrifice handled 206. b Sacrifice defined 63. b Sacrifices of the Elders what they signified 194. b Sacrificing in other places besides the Tabernacle 205. b Sacrifices of the law what profit they had 273 Sacrifices kyllyng signified c. 6â— Sacrifices of Christians 207 Sacrifice hath twoo special properties 64. b Sacrificer is more acceptable vnto God then the Sacrifice 206. b Sacrificing belonged onelye to the Leuites 123. b Sacrifices for the dead 277 Sacrifice for quicke and dead 50 Sacrifices of Ethnikes agre more with Gods sacrifices then the Masse with the CoÌ„munion 50. b Sasconduit 86. b Saintes whether they beholde all thinges in the glas of the deuine essence 68. b Sayntes sometimes not to bee followed 4 Salomons syn 54 Salt sowing 170 Saluation is the gift of God 182 Salutacion of the Hebrues 114. b Samson had fayth 235. b Samson onely appointed a Iudge before his birth 200. b Samsons mother coÌ„pared to Mary the virgin 201 Samuel of the posteritye of Chore. 182 Sanctified in the wombe .. 103. b Sangar 91 Sapor king of the Persians 12. b Sassias monstruous lust 21 Satisfaction for synnes is not by death or martyrdom of men 195 Satisfaction is not in fasting 279 Scoffing punished 144. b Schoole maysters shoulde bee godlye 45. b Schoolemaister traitor 37. 39. b Schoolemens inconstancy 119 Schismes what 197. b Scots matrimony 20. b Scriptures came from God and their authority 5 scriptures whether Iewes haue corrupt 57. b Scriptures verity 226. b scriptures diuersly deuided 1 Scriptures is rather to be beleued then miracles 131 Scriptures terme thynges sometymes according as men vse commonly to speake 217. b Scriptures neuer attribute that to God whiche in a man is of it selfe vice or of his owne nature synne 142 Sechems situation 159 Sechemites synnes 157 Secrets reueiled by droÌ„keÌ„nes 164 secretes reueiling death 37 Secretes are not rashly to be communicated to a mans wife 221. b Secundum quid ad simpliciter 256. b Security handled 246. b Security laudable 247. b Securitye of the fleshe pernicious 244 Sedicion handled 197 Sedicions springeth oft of settyng forth of true piety 124. b sedicious persons who 197. b Seyng of God or angels 117 Seing of God by men 118 Senadrim 1. b Sences cannot know God 118 Sences when they may be receaued 209. b Sences are not deceaued in seyng of angels 210. b SeÌ„sible things distinguished 209 b Sepulchres of dead men watched 139. b Sequences and fained hyms 103. b Serapions act for Communion vnder one kinde 190 Sermon of a Prophet 113. c Sermon must be taken out of the scriptures 61 Serpents of the carkas of a man 218 Seruantes sometimes wyser then their maisters 250. b Seruitude 80 Seuen a number of fulnes 179 Seuerity of God toward hys enemies 112 Seuerity to much against the Beniamites 280 Seuerity in a mans own cause not commendable but in Gods necessary 31. b Shadowes of the old law are remoued but the things shadowed remayne 47. b Shaphat interpreted 1. b Shauing of heades 201. b Shepherdes vsed watches 139. b Shew of yll how far it is to bee auoyded 38. b Shipwrack cruellye dealt with in certayn regions 235. b Shratâ—tide 279. b Sibyllas verses 58 Sicarii 166 Sicera dronke 202 Sicles valew 238 Signe desired by Manoah 204. b Signe required by Gedeon 116 Signe may be required to strengthen our fayth 126 Signes haue the names of the properties of things oft times 62 Signes are called lyes why 127 b Silence enioyned to wemen in the church 93 Silla eaten of lice 13 Siloh was in mouÌ„t Ephraim 252 Simbole or Crede is called the tradâ—tion of the Church 43 Similitudes force in reasonyng 234 Sinnes in .4 degrees 179. b Sinne entred by man and not by God 167 Sinne seperateth vs from the familiarity of God 117. b Sinnes are not equall 53 Sinnes punished by sinnes 248. b Sinnes of committing and omyttyng 63 Sinnes former by latter sins punished 79 Sinne cured with sinne 168. b Sinnes cannot be auoyded by vs. 73 Sinne is not therfore excused bycause it is publike 254. b Sinnes haue their weighte by the law 53 Sinnes are yll and good in diuers respectes 166. b Sinne is syn bycause it is againste Gods woord 233. b Sinne no synne when God commaundes it 39 Sinne whether God be the cause thereof 78 Sinnes reward is death 194. b Sinnes cause is not to be layde to God 167 Sin how it depeÌ„deth of god 166. b Sinne punished with sinne 11 Sinne is not to be committed to auoyd synne 253 Sinne is euer to be auoyded let folow what wyll 253 Sinnes of the Israelites 40. b Sinners punished by God two maner of wayes 11 Sinners punished by the same thinges wherin they transgres 61 Sinners ar not excused by the working of God 79 Sinners ought to cal vpon God 78 Sinners whether God heare 207 Single life for Ministers 94 Singuler for plural 109. b Singing in the church 102. b Singing dauncing alike 286. b Sircius a Romain forbad mariage of Ministers 94 Sisera a
Howbeit I thincke it good this to be added that some iudge that prodition espiall do not much differ one from another and that it maye sometimes come to passe that one man may be both a betrayer a spye For if any Citizen be corrupted with money by the enemyes the same is both a betrayer of his countrey is also in the meane tyme a domesticall spye But this semeth not to be wisely spoken bycause the nature of these things as it appeareth by their definitions doth very much differ although sometimes they cleaue both in one mā so that the same man may be both a betrayer a spye Euen as musike Grammer differ much one frō an other yet it oftētimes happeneth the one mā is both a Grāmarian a Musitian Neuerthelesse the differēce which I haue before mencioned is for the most part obserued although not alwayes namely that espial cōmeth of enemies and prodition of them which be amongest vs whom we trust as friendes Whether prodition be at any tyme lawful Augustine But to the end we may the playnlyer know concerning prodition whether it be at any tyme lawful I thincke it best to cal to memory those wordes which Augustine writeth against the letters of Petilianus the second booke and 10. chap We may not sayth he heare the complaynts of such as suffre but seke out the mynde of them whiche are the doers This the man of God wrote agaynst the Donatistes whiche accused our men as betrayers persecutors And to them he answereth the Paul also deliuered vp some to Sathā whose saluatiō neuerthelesse semed to be committed to his charge but for all that bycause he did it of a good mynde namely to teache them not to blaspheme and that their spirit might be saued in the daye of the Lorde he could not be accused either of treason or els of deliueryng vp bycause as it is before sayd The complaintes of them whiche suffre are not to be heard What proditiō is good but we must seke out the mind of the doers Wherfore when warre or controuersy shall happen betwene any of which the one part is knowen to haue a iust good cause if the other part which defendeth the worser cause therfore doth vniustly wil by no meanes be brought to any good reasonable conditions surely good men whiche peraduenture are founde on the same syde ought in such sort to helpe to defend the other part as they may aduaunce iustice And if it be nede they ought to fall from the vniust to iust men Neither can their prodition be condēned iustly as ill although before they were neuer so much friendes very nighe vnto those which worke vniustly What cause the Israelites had against the Chananites Epiphanius Now must we speake somewhat of the Israelites cause agaynst the Chananites whiche may be considered of vs two manner of wayes namely either by common lawe and ordinary lawe of nature or elles by fayth and by the worde of GOD. Concerning the naturall or common lawe Epiphanius writeth that the lande of Palestine pertayned in very dede to the children of Sem by occasion whereof Melchisedek reygned there whiche was either Sem hym selfe or elles one of hys children But the Chananites whiche came of Cham passyng ouer the boundes of Egypte and Africa whiche were appoynted vnto them dyd caste out of Palestine the sonnes of Sem. And therefore the Hebrues whiche were the posteritie of Sem when they required to be restored to their Fathers landes semed to do it iustly and rightfully Wherefore as he sayeth GOD did both restore vnto the Israelites the countreys whiche belonged vnto their auncestors and also punished the Chananites for their wickednesse and this he did all with one and the selfe same worke Howbeit I can not easely agree to Epiphanius opinion for there was past prescription of very long time for at the least there were fyue hundreth yeares Wherefore it could not be sayde that the Chananites possessed that lande vniustly If we should go by this reason now in our tyme then should there be none in a manner counted a lawfull prince and iuste possessor when as their auncestor came to the possession of those prouinces and kingdomes by violence driuyng out botht the kings and the inhabitors that were in them before Wherfore the Israelites semed not to haue any iust causes by mans lawe by whiche they might make clayme vnto the land of Palestine as to their owne neither alledged they at any tyme any such reason And yet for al that they had good ryght therunto for as much as god testified as wel by words as by wonderfull workes that it was his wil that the Hebrues should haue the possession of those regions to whom as Dauid hath wel said both the earth and the fulnesse thereof belongeth Neither could the Chananites murmure agaynst the iudgement of God for as much as they were iustly cut of from their ryght for their sundry and manifold wicked Actes Wherfore none could in this cause iustly defend the Chananites if they wil cleaue to the true God and beleue his wordes Wherby it followeth that this Luzite which betrayed hys citizens dyd it either of faith as did Rahab in Iericho or els by some humane bargayne For the kepers or spyes sayd vnto him VVe will shewe thee mercy If he were stricken with feare howe could that as they say happen vnto a constant man for he was after a sorte a prisoner and was fallen into the handes of hys enemyes then was he brought to it by humane conuention and then did he fowly for it is not lawfull for any man to make any fylthy couenauntes agaynst hys countrey Neyther can he be excused bycause of feare It is not lawfull for any mā to make any fylthy couenātes against hys countrey for nothyng is to be done agaynste iustice and conscience althoughe what feare so euer he should be stryken with but if he were stirred vp vnto it by fayth and for that he sawe hys citezens obstinately to resiste the worde of God and his workes then he did well neither can hys treason be either disallowed or elles condemned For no lawes no vowes no couenaūtes or bondes thoughe they be neuer so strayte Feare must not cause vs to do any thyng against iustice can bynd any man to fight agaynst or to resiste the worde of God whiche worde all men must earnestly labour to haue done and fulfilled For this sentence abydeth and shall perpetually abyde That we must obey God more than men Neither can any man as Christe sayeth serue two maisters specially if they commaunde contrary thinges It is lawfull for the magistrate priuely to send inquisitors Moreouer the Magistrate is to be ayded in rooting out of vice and naughtynesse and to hym without doubte is lawfull priuely to send men to make enquiry and to deiecte wicked Actes that the offendors may be punished
to fall from the true GOD when as they confessed that he brought thē out of Egypt This was onely their entent to worship him vnder some signe or visible forme and they chose that forme wherby they had sene the Egiptians expresse their God by The maner of of the Ethnikes in their Idolatry So the Ethnikes testified that they worshipped one God as the chief author of all thinges which they fashioned vnto them selues by dyuers and manifold shapes For by Pallas they say was signified his wisedome by Mars his power and myght By Iupiter his iustice and goodnesse Wherfore rites and ceremonyes are not to be estemed by the counsell and will of men No otherwise must we thinke to haue happened of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat The counsel of Ieroboam For he would not as he pretended plucke away the people from worshipping of the true God but bycause he was affeard of his kingdome and sawe that it might easely happen that if his men should often go vnto the temple of Ierusalem they would fall from him and returne vnto the familie of Dauid He sayd therfore that to worship the true God they neded neither the tēple of Ierusalem nor yet the arke of the couenaunt For that God Iehouah as he was signified vnto the Iewes by the wodden arke and tēple of Salomō so also might he be expressed vnto the Israelites by signes of golden calues so that that worshipping which they should performe at Ierusalem they might commodiously celebrate vnto Iehouah in Bethel in Dan. This man therfore went about no other thing but made an outward worke whiche he obtruded as a worshipping of GOD and that vtterly without his worde whiche wanting all that was done was mere superstition and Idolatry Tyrannes therfore and princes when they compell men to polluted rites although they say they do them for a good intente as they terme it and how soeuer they pretend some certain beginning of aūciēty are not yet to be heard Paul doth in this maner admonish the Ephesians Communicate not with their vnfruiteful workes but reproue them He called them their workes bycause they could not be called the workes of God What is to be done when superstitions are obtruded vnto vs. for so much as they very much disagreed from his worde But what is then to be done whē they are obtruded vnto vs Surely we ought to reproue them and with great libertie when nede requireth reprehend them But that is dangerous say they we shall lose our goods and dignities we shal be put to death I graunt that but none of vs hath vpon this condition receaued the religion of Christ that hys lyfe goodes and dignities should remayne safe vnto hym selfe Yea Christ hath by expresse worde testified vnto euery one of vs. Excepte ye renounce all that ye haue and take vp your crosse and follow me ye can not be my disciples and vnlesse you lose your soules ye can not possesse them After this sorte must we frame our selues The aunswers of Ciprian Ciprian as Augustine declareth when he was led to execution the president beyng desirous that he might escape sayd vnto hym Now I geue thee space to deliberate to chose whiche thou wilte whether thou wilte thus miserably be slayne or obey and so let go free The man of God aunswered In a thing so holy deliberation hath no place They whiche are not affected with this mynd but are wonderfull carefull Their punishmentes which cōtaminate thē selues with superstitions lest their lyfe or goodes should perishe those men do easely pollute them selues with Masses and vnpure superstitions and for the same cause do suffre most grieuous punishementes First truely their conscience miserably afflicteth them Secondly the light of the truth whiche before was kindled in their myndes is by litle and litle extinguished Thirdly very oftentymes they exceadyngly delyte them selues in that dissimulation so farre of are they to repente them of it Yea and they go about to persuade the same vnto others and those whiche will not obeie admonitions they begyn to hate and lastly as muche as lyeth in them they stirre vp agaynst them the anger force and might of Tyrannes and worldly princes Such a most vnhappy end of many of them haue I my selfe sene And in this their dissimulation thus they vse to defend them selues Outward workes are certain shewes of confession we do not this saye they from our hearte we so behaue our selues onely in bodye and outwarde gesture But why do no they consider outwarde actions to be a certayne shewe of confession and euen as in the profession of fayth and Religion the tongue ought not to disagree from the hearte so also what soeuer is outwardly done in deuyne ceremonyes ought with the same profession to agree Adde also thereunto thys sayeng of Paul with the hearte we beleue vnto ryghteousnesse with the mouth is confession made to saluation It is no true fayth whiche bursteth not out into Acte Christe lykewyse sayde Who soeuer shal be ashamed of me before men I will also be ashamed of hym before my Father Furthermore I woulde haue those men to vnderstand that that is not pure and true fayth whiche bursteth not forth into actions agreable vnto it Moreouer our sauiour who most earnestly sought the glorye of hys Father when he had purged the Temple from Marchantes sayde The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp But these our men shewe forth no followyng of that godlynesse and fayth whiche they crake to be closed in their heart Neither do they remember An inwarde outwarde worshipping that euen as the inwarde worshyppyng of God is founde to be it whereby we iudge of him truely and honorably so also the outwarde worshyppyng is Idolatry is of two sortes whereby we worshyppe hym ryghtly and as he hath appointed And that Idolatrye lykewise is of two sortes for one is whereby we fayne vnto our selues in our hearte by euill doctrines such a GOD as we lyst our selues An other is whereby we transferre the outwarde worshyppyng not onely to creatures and Idoles but we vitiate the same also with our owne inuentions and lyes We retayne say they in our heart the right opinion Graunt it be so but ye abandone your bodyes to Idoles and to the deuill And Paul affirmeth that your body is the mēber of Christ why do ye then take it and geue it to an harlotte But Paul saye they wrote that of fornication I knowe that But the Prophetes in the meane tyme teache vs that Idolatrye is the greatest fornication of all For Ieremy Ezechiell Idolatrye is the greatest of all fornicatiōs and other holy Prophetes fo inueyghe against the Iewes and their Churche that they saye the same Churche is lyke vnto an harlotte whiche vnder euery greene tree hath abandoned her selfe to Idoles and prophane worshippynges Moreouer howe vayne the excuse of these men is the oracle of GOD playnely
saued Furthermore let vs learne hereby euery man for his owne parte to beare continuall hatred to the wicked affections of the fleshe For we ought neuer to come into fauour again with them We must make no league with wicked affections or to make peace or a league with theÌ„ for so much as God hath appoynted that we should continually make warre agaynst his enemyes What is the office of Princes against heretikes Papistes Finally let Christian Princes be taughte howe they ought to behaue them selues agaynst Papistes and heretikes namely diligently to persecute correcte and amende the errours in them and at the length to compell them to returne into the right waye otherwise in permittyng them to take deeper roote and to lyue at will and idlely they noryshe thornes for them selues and do willyngly drawe vnto them blockes to stumble at 4 And when the Aungell of the Lorde spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israell the people lifted vp their voyce wept 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim and offred Sacrifices there vnto the Lorde The fruite of the sermon whiche was preached is by certayn outward sygnes expressed vnto vs whiche were in a manner apt witnesses of repentaunce and of a conuerted mynde Thre apt witnesses of repeÌ„taunce Thre thynges therfore are mencioned First when the people had heard this sermon they lifted vp their voyce wherby as it is to be beleued they confessed their synnes and implored the mercy of God Secondly it is added that teares were ioyned with the voyces and lastly that they offred Sacrifices vnto God What they said when they lifted vp their voyce the scripture doth not expresse but I haue expounded what is most likely that they sayd and therfore I will stande no longer about that thyng but I will somewhat tary in those thinges whiche the history hath mencioned of what thynges they are namely as touchyng teares and Sacrifices Wherein we must knowe that true and lawfull repentaunce consisteth chiefly of two principall poyntes Two principal pointes of repeÌ„tauÌ„ce which do spryng out of fayth namely of a sorowe conceaued for the wicked Actes committed and of a sure confidence to obtayne pardon by Christe Neither ought we to be ignoraunte that these two thynges do burgen out of fayth as out of their propre and naturall roote And fayth when it bryngeth forth suche fruites is occupyed about two thynges First it assenteth vnto the lawe of GOD and to the threatnynges there set forth and confesseth them to be true whereby we beyng assured of the will of GOD whiche we vnderstande to be by our synnes violated and nothyng doubtyng of the threatnynges adioyned we can not but be grieuously sory Secondly fayth embraseth the promise of forgeuenesse of punishementes by Christ And whilest it is occupyed about these two thynges so many outwarde signes also do follow Two outward signes followe true repeÌ„tauÌ„ce For of sorow come syghinges teares which haue adioyned vnto theÌ„ confessioÌ„ of the sinnes committed whiche is sometymes expressed sometymes close And where there is conceaued an assuraunce of forgeuenesse there followe Sacrifices And bycause fayth is the mother of these thynges and it is conceaued by the worde of GOD therefore the historye declareth that the Israelites did at the length weepe and do Sacrifice after that they had heard the sermon The worde of god stirreth vp repentaunce For as Paule sayeth fayth commeth of hearyng and hearyng by the worde of GOD. Wherefore weepyng and sighing followed fayth by whiche weepyng the sorowe then conceaued in the hearte manifestlye appeared whiche affection of the mynde it is manifest to haue come by reason of the euill whiche then did oppresse them What is the grief sorowe of repentaunce and that euill was the anger of GOD wherewith they felte them selues to be oppressed and whereunto they knewe by the sermon preached that they were guilty Neither is this to be passed ouer that the weepyng of those repenting people was no common or easye weepyng for so much as of the efficacy and aboundance thereof the place was called Bochim Which worde signifieth in the Hebrew tongue men weepyng The Ethnikes do not allowe teares The teares whiche the Ethnike wyse men do either reproue or contempne as comming from a softe and womanlyke hearte God when they burst forth of true repentaunce doth exceadingly allowe them and counteth them as most acceptable Seneca writeth in hys 64. Epistle to Lucillus Seneca that sometymes we may let teares come from vs but we must not weepe He would not therefore haue weepyng to haue the rayne howbeit somewhat he permitted it bycause by the violence of nature they are expressed and they burste forth euen of them whiche will not and do restrayne them as the same authour testifieth in hys â—00 Epistle But we ought not to coÌ„sider what they would but what is allowed of our heauenly Father God accepteth the teares of such as are repentaunt And he wonderfull louyngly accepteth a contrite and humble hearte and the teares of suche as are repentaunt Then it is sayde that they offer Sacrifices whiche were certain tokens of fayth conceaued of the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christe For whilest the Sacrifices were a kyllyng it was set forth that synne in a sorte was transferred into them What the killyng of sacrifices signified For the Sacrifice bare the punishement whiche the transgressour ought to haue had Neither is it to be doubted but that those Sacrifices whilest they were sacrificed dyd shadowe the death of Christ Wherefore those ceremonyes did testifye that the Elders did constantlye beleue that by the oblation and death of Christ all their synnes were taken awaye and already forgeuen them Neither vndoubtedly can true repentaunce be founde wantyng suche a fayth Take awaye fayth repentance is desperation For take awaye thys fayth and it may rather be called desperation than repentaunce Furthermore in these Sacrifices were thankes geuen vnto God whiche would so by Christ be reconciled vnto men Some man will say what shall we do therefore when we repente we may in dede haue teares as witnesses of our inwarde sorrowe but there remayne no Sacrifices in our tyme That whiche the old fathers did by the bloud of beastes the same do we in the supper of the Lord. whereby we should testifye the fayth of the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christe To this I aunswere That whiche they did then by the bloud of beastes and death of cattell we do also nowe in celebratyng the Supper of the Lorde For there we kepe in memorye the death of Christe by outwarde signes as he hym selfe hath instituted and thereof it came that the olde Fathers did so often call the administration of that Sacramente a sacrifice Not bycause as the Papistes falsely beleue the Sacrifice offreth Christe vnto God the father Why the Papistes called the supper of the Lord a
which when they geue any precepte do straight way ioyne therunto a promise When children are commaunded to obey their parentes length of life is straight waye promised Deborah also declareth that she exercised the office of a Prophet amōg the people when as she Prophecieth what shall become of Sisera and foretelleth a notable victorye whiche God had decreed vnto Barac Mount Thabor Mount Thabor is called Ithabyrius whiche is here mencioned of the Ethnike writers is called Ithabirius It is nighe vnto the Assirians Nepthalites and Sabulonites There the Lorde Iesus Christ our Sauiour was transfigured before three of his Disciples as it is declared in the history of the Gospell This mount hath by it the riuer Kyson The riuer Kison whiche by the destruction of the Baalites is made notable for there Helias the Prophete slewe the Priestes of Baal Drawe and take with thee ten thousand men This semeth to be a new kynde of speache but vnto the thing whiche is in hande it is moste propre For this Hebrew worde Maschach is not in this place to drawe by violence to but as all the Rabbines almost do interpretate with presuasion to leade that is with faire and pleasaunt wordes to allure them For without doubt it was a great and perillous worke wherunto they wer called for as much as they lyued vnder a Tyraunt their souldiers could not by publique authority be mustered or gathered together but must of necessitie by faire meanes be allured to conspire against a Tyraunt By this place we are taught that good and eloquent speaches are very profytable in warrelyke affaires Rethoricke is profitable in warlike affaires and that the arte of Rethorike by the lawe of God is not forbidden but may in hys place profitably serue for holy men Farther this is not to be left vnspoken of that those two tribes namely Nepthalim and Zabulon were not warrelike tribes but the weakest of all the tribes among the Israelites The tribes of Nepthalim Zabulon were of lesse estimation thā the other tribes And yet God commaundeth to chose out souldiers out of them wherby we learne that it is a lyke to hym to vse either weake souldiers or stronge warriers agaynst his enemies Some man peraduenture will doubte by what argumentes or reasons Barac could be persuaded to beleue the wordes of Deborah To whome we aunswere that he weyghed with hymselfe that those thinges whiche Deborah promised did very well agree with the wordes and promises of God For he as he had threatened that the Israelites when they sinned should by his commaundement and will be afflicted by outwarde nations so agayne had he promised that he would deliuer them out of the handes of their enemyes if they faythfully repented them of their wickednes committed and faythfully from the heart called vpon him He promised that he would fight for them neither should their weaknes or fewenesse in nomber be a let The wordes of Deborah were agreable with the holy Scriptures but that they shuld get the victory ouer their enemies Wherfore for as much as Deborah prophecied that those things should come to passe whiche the Lord had promised vnto the people of the Hebrues it was conuenient that Barac should receaue those wordes for true and faythfull Farther the authoritie of the speaker helped thereunto For Deborah was by God constituted in the ministery not vndoubtedly by an ordinary prerogatiue but by a certayn singular and principall prerogatiue And if we should looke vppon the Etimology of her name Deborah signifieth a bee we shall thinke that her orations were verye sweete For Deborah with the Hebrues is a bee which beast we know is a diligent artificer in makyng of hony And yet all these thinges had not ben sufficiēt to make Barac to beleue her vnles the power of the holy Ghost had persuaded in his mynde those things which were commaunded For fayth is onely the worke of the holy Ghost whiche he can worke in the heartes of men without any outward instrument but he hath decreed for the most part to vse them I meane the worde and the ministery not as though he were bound vnto them but to shew vnto vs how much we ought to make of these two instrumentes Neither do I thinke that it is to be doubted but that this holy woman was both by miracles and also by prophesieng of things to come declared to be the Minister of the true God and the most healthfull Iudge of the Israelites We therefore ought hereby to learne that we must altogether heare the Ministers of God when they set forth vnto vs his wordes promises and also threatninges out of the holy scriptures neither is there any authority in the worlde whiche ought to be preferred before the ministery of the Church and word of God They were heard thynges whiche Deborah commaunded Wherfore iustly ought Barac to beleue the thinges whiche Deborah commaunded althoughe they semed both greuous and heard For she commaunded hym to moue sedition and tumulte to rebell agaynst his prince a priuate man to gather an hoste and that a litle one agaynst a most mighty king Whether Barak were without faith And Barac sayde vnto her If thou wilte goo with me I wyll go In this place it semeth might be demaunded whether Barac were doubtful and beleued not at the beginning as he ought to haue done the wordes of Deborah And that semeth to some absurde when as in the Epistle to the Hebrues the 11. chap Barac is reckened with Sampson Gedeon Iephthe and others which by fayth ouercame kyngdomes And therefore it semeth that his fayth beyng praysed by the testimony of God ought not by our iudgement to be empared Wherfore they affirme that he would haue Deborah to go with him not bycause he beleued not the promise of God but that he myght haue a Prophetesse ready and ac hande whose Counsell he might vse in orderyng his warre in pitching hys Campes and other chaunces whiche are wonte to happen in warres And I am not ignoraunt Augustine that Augustine readeth it after this manner Bycause I can not tell in what day the Lorde will prosper his aungell with me c. As thoughe he should haue sayd I wyll therefore haue thee with me bycause thou beyng endewed with the spirite of Prophesy whiche hath not happened vnto me shalte easly knowe in what daye the aungell of the Lorde will luckely fyght for vs. But I do thinke that Barac did somewhat doubt for Deborah Prophecied in the name of God that bycause of thys aunswere he should be punished And more ouer sayeth she thy glory shal be taken awaye from thee and the Lord will sel Sysara into the hand of a woman Iosephus And as Iosephus testifyeth she spake these wordes beyng somewhat moued And a Prophetesse woulde not haue ben angry neither would GOD haue diminished the glorye of Barac without a faulte And it appeareth not that he
fell into any other sinne besides infidelity howbeit that incredulitye was afterwarde taken awaye by the spirite and grace of God when at the length he beleued the wordes of Deborah Men although they be godly do not straight way beleue and obeyed her and by fayth as it is written to the Hebrues he obtayned the victorye And how often that happeneth vnto men It is profitable for Captaynes to haue ministers of the worde in their Campes althoughe they be godly namely to doubt at the begynnyng by reason of the dregges of the olde Adam there is none whiche hath not experience of it in hymselfe Afterwarde when they are strengthened with the spirite there succedeth a great assurednes of faith And I do not deny that which the first interpretation sayeth namely that it is very expedient for Captaynes to haue Prophetes and Ministers of the worde of God with them in their warres For as muche as the lawe of God in Deut. so commaundeth and in the 2. booke of kynges it is written that Helizeus the Prophete was in the campe when the kyng of Israell the kyng of Iudah and the kyng of Edom went to fight agaynst the kyng of Moab Wherfore Christian princes when they take any iust warres in hande The presēce of Deborah was profitable in the Campe. do ryghtly and orderly if they haue Preachers and Ministers of the word of God with them in theyr expedition Farther an other commodity came by the presence of Deborah for thereby godly men vnderstoode that it was no rashe warre or taken in hand by humane reason but enterprised by the commaundement of God and Counsell of his Prophetesse But in that it is written that the glory should be taken from Barac and Sisera deliuered into the hande of a woman it may be expounded two manner of wayes either bycause this victory should not nowe be ascribed vnto Barac but to Deborah namely bicause she should haue the prayse to haue iudged Israel and to haue set them at liberty and Barac should not be counted amonge the number of the Iudges Or els bycause Barac should not kyll Sysera with his owne hande but Iahell the wife of the Kenite should do it as it shall afterwarde be declared And in dede this latter interpretacion semeth to me more naturall and propre Of these thynges whiche we haue nowe brought forth are some most worthy to be noted The first is that God might haue deliuered this people the Israelites without the helpe or hoste of ten thousand men whom yet he therefore chosed to teach vs that he dissaloweth not iust warrefarre Farther that humane helpes when they are present are not to be despised Moreouer he accordyng to his wisedome vsed the gathering together of these souldiers thereby to prouoke Sisera that he agayne might gathered an host and come and ouerthrow Barac And in that God sayth he will draw Sisera vnto mount Thabor The drawyng of God serueth both to good thinges and to euill he teacheth vs that his drawyng is of force not onely to good things but also to euill in respect that they are paynes and iust punishementes No man can doubte but that Sisera sinned in this bycause with a great violence he contented to oppresse the Israelites and that vniustly And yet GOD promised to drawe him to it Neuerthelesse we must marke The maner of the drawing of God is not a like as touchīg good thinges and enui that the maner of the drawing of GOD is not a like as touching good thyngs and euill bycause to good thynges we can not be drawen execept God do heale our vnderstandyng and geue vs a good mynd For by nature we are the children of wrath and vtterly corrupte but when we are induced to euill GOD nedeth not to instill any new malice in vs for as much as we alwayes of our selues haue it ready and prompte to do euill but onely the doyng of GOD directeth them to what ende he will and he so gouerneth them to make open his glory as he hath decreed After this sorte vndoubtedly was Pharao hardened and Sisera now drawen to destruction God drew both the men of Barac and also Sisera but by diuers meanes God also drewe those ten thousandmen after Barac for otherwise they would not haue followed him but this drawyng was after an other maner for here he vsed the speache of this man whiche he made to be of efficacy in the heartes of his souldiers but there to moue and prouoke Sisera he appointed both falling awaye of Barac and the host gathered by him This is also to be considered that by this place is proued Glorye maye lawfully be desyred that glory is a certayne good thing whiche iuste and good men may desire otherwise Barac to be punished for his incredulitie shuld not haue ben depriued of glory And glory is certayne noblenesse comming of thynges well done What glory is For those thynges whiche good men do very excellently of their own accord do brede a noble name or glory The matter end of glory Wherfore the matter wherin it cōsisteth are opinions talkes of iust wise mē But the end wherunto glory ought to be directed is the settyng forth of the name of God also an exāple which is set forth for our neighbours to follow And as the brightnes of the name of god the edifieng of others ar very excellēt good things so also is it manifest that the glory which serueth vnto thē is a good thyng Wherfore although glory for it selfe is not to be desired as the last ende yet for those thinges whiche we haue mencioned God can do many thynges whiche he will not do ought it not to be neglected Farther we must note that God can bryng certayne thynges to passe whiche yet he will not performe excepte thynges be done of vs. For he could as it appeareth by thys place haue geuen the glory of this victorye and health of Israell onely vnto Barac whiche he would not do bycause he refused to go alone to that expedicion Helizeus also as it is written in the 2. booke of kyngs when he was sore sicke and commaunded the kyng of Israel which stode by him to strike the earth with and arrowe and he did strike it onely three tymes the Prophete was grieuously angry with hym and sayde If thou haddest striken sixe or seuen tymes thou shouldest vtterly haue destroyed Syria But nowe thou shalte onely thrice vex◠and molest it This maketh agaynst those whiche thinke that the power of God differeth not from hys will as thoughe he can not do those thynges whiche he will not A destructiō of an absolut power of an ordinary power when as for all that Christ sayde that he could haue xi legions of aungels of hys Father to defende hym from the Iewes that they should not take hym GOD therefore could haue done that whiche he dyd not Wherfore
they seme not to thinke euill whiche referre thinges to an absolute power and not to an ordinary or definite power But how it is sayde that Sisera should be solde into the hande of a woman we shal not nede nowe by many wordes to declare and for as much as we haue before hearde this selfe same worde and howe ryghtly it agreeth with God is there expounded This onely will I adde that he was nowe solde of GOD to him to whome before God had solde the Israelites and it is sayd that he shal be solde into the hande of a woman whiche should haue power and myght to kyll him for he was killed by Iael as a litle afterward shal be declared 10 And Barac gathered together Zebulon and Nepthalim in Kedes and he went vpon his feete with ten thousand men Deborah also went vp with him 11 Nowe Heber the Kenite whiche was of the children of Hobab the Father in lawe of Moses was departed from Cain and pitched hys tente euen to Elon in Zaananuin whiche is in Kedes 12 And they shewed Sisera that Barac the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to mount Thabor 13 And Sisera gathered together all hys chariots euen nine hundreth chariots of yron and all the people that were with hym from Harozeth of the gentles vnto the riuer Kisyn It is before shewed by what meanes Barac gathered his men together namely by an oration of much likelyhood and of muche efficacy whiche was of so great strength with these tribes The counsels of men are so efficacy as the predestinacion of God hath or deyned that there came of them ten thousand men vnto him neither would God as it appeareth by the wordes of Deborah haue any more Hereby we see that the Counsels and wordes of men are so farreforth fruitfull as the predestination or will of GOD hath before appoynted Wherefore Luke in the Actes of the Apostles feared not to write And they beleued as many as were ordeyned to euerlastyng lyfe Some translate this Hebrew worde Bergeliu footemen and others after hym But as for that matter we wyll not muche contend bycause if they followed the feete of Barac it is a token that they also were footemen neyther were the Israelites wonte to be of any great force on horsebacke for as they were by GOD forbidden to kepe any greate number of Horses And when they should go vp the mounte thoughe they had ben horsemen they could not haue ben so apte in those places Farther this also maketh with it for strayght way is vsed the same kynde of speach when Sisera lept out of his chariot would haue fled away on foote But therof we will speake in his place Deborah also went vp with hym It was before sayde that she went with Barac vnto Kades but bycause he should lede hys host from Kades to the mount it is properly sayd that she nowe also went vp together with the Souldiers that were collected And there was no small fayth both in the Captaynes and also in the Souldiers whiche durste take suche enterprises in hande beyng so weake and fewe in number But fayth seeth those thynges which appeare not to the eyes of the body Helizeus the Prophete once prayed that the eyes of the lad whiche was with hym myght be opened to see the wonderfull number of aungels whiche very valiantly fought for hym agaynst hys enemyes And therfore as many of vs as do beleue in Christ when we are in daungers ought by constant fayth to take holde of that helpe whiche God hath prepared for vs althoughe with our eyes we see it not The thynges whiche are nowe by a Parenthesis declared of the Kenite are therefore in the history by anticipation set forth that those thynges maye the easiyer be vnderstand which afterward shal be spoken of Sisara that was killed by Iahell This Heber the husband of Iahell was of the posteritie of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses of whome we haue aboundantly spoken before Why the family of Iethro were called Kenites But of this place we learne why they were called Kenites For Cain was the name of their famely but thys Heber dwelled a parte from hys kynsemen neither remayned he any longer amonge them For the rest as it is wrytten in the 1. chap of thys booke departed from the Citie of Iericho followed Othoniell and lyued in the desert together with the children of Israell Why Heber departed from his kinsfolkes But Heber of whome it is nowe written went to the borders of Zabulon and Nepthalim and pitched his tente nere to Cedes But what was the cause of hys departure from hys brethren it is not presently wrytten But we knowe that Loth and Abraham by reason of the aboundance of cattell and want of Pastor departed one from an other and seyng the same myght easly happen vnto the Kenites it is not vnlykely but that they were vpon the lyke occasion separated Thys worde Tseenim if we maye beleue the Chaldey Paraprhast signifieth ditches full of water The Rechabites were Kenites with whiche that place peraduenture abounded It is no meruayle that the family whiche that place peraduenture abounded It is no meruayle that the family of the Kenites dwelled in tentes for so muche as the Rechabites whiche came of them had no where any fyrme abydyng places and that was wont to be the manner almost of all shepeheardes to followe Pastors that be plentyfull in what place so euer they be And thys worde Acilun signifieth sometymes an oke and sometymes a playnefielde The Chaldey Paraphrast turneth it a playnefielde but it myght be that there was some notable oke or groue of okes in it It was shewed vnto Sisera onely howe Barac had gathered together an host and tolde hym that Deborah the Prophetesse of God was there bycause that all men had a respecte vnto them at whiche was the Captayne of the hoste And though a woman were theyr firste counseller of this enterprise yet there is nothyng shewed hym of her for the thynges whiche are done by women are wont for the moste parte to be referred vnto men Neither had the Ethnikes peraduenture any regarde to the gyfte of Prophesye wherewith Deborah was endewed What number of Souldiers Sisera had it is not in thys place expressed onely there is mention made of nyne hundreth Chariottes of yron Iosephus But Iosephus testifyeth as we haue before sayde that the Chananites had 300000. footemen 10000. horsemen and lastly 3000. Charlottes And in that the historye now maketh mencion onely of 900. Augustine it is to be vnderstande of hooked and yron chariots which interpretaciō Augustine in his questiōs on this place followeth Farther Iosephus addeth that this Sisera by the commaundement of Iabin hys kyng directed this host vnto mount Thabor or Ithabyrius 14 Thē Deborah said vnto Barac vp for this is the day wherin the Lord hath deliuered Sisera into thine hand Is not the Lord gone out before
speake for for that he is most simple The knowledge of God by fayth he is farre otherwise good iust wise thā men either are or are called But besides this naturall knowledge of god this knowledge also offreth it selfe vnto vs which consisteth of faith is by the worde of god reueled vnto vs. But faith is not of vs as to the Ephesians it is sayd but it is the gifte of God for Christ also saith No man can come vnto me except my father drawe him Faith therfore aboundantly gathereth out of the holy scriptures the knowledge of god as much as sufficeth to saluation or as much as this our lyfe is able to receaue Howbeit as Paul testifieth this knowledge also is imperfect For now we know hym by a glasse in a shadow but partly althoughe in this knowledge we profyte whilest we liue here yet can we not atteyn to the knowledge of the essence of god I know that Augustine thought as touching Paul Moses the sometyme The opinion of Augustine of Paul and Moses in minde whilest they were here they saw the substaunce of God but I can not easely agree vnto it forasmuch as I iudge that those places of Iohn of the lawe of Paul which I before alledged are most euidēt Vnto which this may also be added which is written in the 6. chap. of Iohn Not that any man hath sene the father he which is of god he seeth the father And this is not to be passed ouer the that which is here spoken of the father is true also of the sonne as touchyng his deuine nature Bycause as I haue aboue declared both out of Chrisostome and out of Augustine the nature as wel of the Sonne as of the Father is inuisible And it skilleth not if thou say as Augustine sayth that they sawe the nature and substaunce of God not vsing the outwarde senses but in a certayne traunse or rauishing or beyng alienated from the vse of this lyfe These thinges are not gathered out of the Scriptures yea contrarily we haue heard that Moses was denyed the sight of the face of God Wherfore by the knowledge of fayth we both knowe God and his good will towarde vs as much as is sufficient to our true and perfect saluation But among all those thinges wherby out of the holy sciptures we know god In Christ god is sayd to be made visible there is none more excellent than Christ himselfe Wherefore Paul hath iustly sayd without controuersye it is a great mistery God is made manifest in the fleshe c. The Lord also sayth Philip he whiche seeth me seeth also the father Paul also said that he knew nothing els but Iesus Christ and him crucified And vndoubtedly in Christ God may be sayd to be made visible bycause he was ioyned together with man in the same selfe person Wherfore they whiche sawe Christ might say that they had sene God And he which by faith beholdeth and acknowledgeth him doth see far much more than if he should behold the burnyng bushe of Moses Wherfore to the Collos it is written that in him are put all the treasures of the wisdome knowledge of god And Iohn doth healthfully admonishe vs in his Epistle the 3. chap. as he which hath a hope to see God as he is let him prepare himselfe therunto by purging himself as he is pure cleane Thus much of the Question now let vs returne vnto the history 23 And the Lord sayd vnto him Peace be vnto thee be not afeard thou shalt not dye 24 And Gideon built there an alter vnto the Lorde and called it Iehouah Shalum euen vnto this day It is yet in Ophrath the pertayneth to the Abiezerite Whē these things were spokē vnto Gideō by the history it appeareth not but I thinke it was the next night after the things already rehearsed wherfore he was cōmaūded to build there an alter where the meates which was setforth were cōsumed with fire namely vpon the rocke wherof is menciō made a litle before Why God appeared vnto Gideon the second tyme. Gideō was vexed with feare supposing the bycause he had sen god he should die Wherfore god cōforted him that he being voyde of the feare might the chearefullier prepare him selfe vnto those thinges which wer cōmaūded him That feare wōderfully letted his faith For how could he beleue that he should set the Israelites at liberty which euery houre suspected death to be at hād Wherfore god in cōforting him remoued away the feare that he might persecute the worke which lōged especially vnto faith Thou shalt not die saith he Peace be vnto the. In the hebrew phrase peace signifieth trāquility good successe as the cōmon people say prosperous fortune This word Shalū is deriued of the verbe Shalā which is to performe to finish to accōplish The latin word Pax also which is peace agreeth with the hebrew significatiō For if we may beleue Augustine Pax that is peace is a trāquility of ordre And then we recken al things to be peaceable whē they are right quietly disposed And Gideon built there an altar These wordes are spoken by the figure Prolepsis for he was in the night admonished of the Lord to builde this altare for the holy scripture vseth to set forth a thing summarily then to declare the thing as it was done Wherfore god came vnto Gideon in his sheape comforted him that he should not feare least he should dye cōmaunded him to buyld an alter to take a bulloke to do sacrifice to cut downe the prophane groue and to ouerthrow the alter of Baal Why the Elders vsed alters which was had in estimation The elders vsed alters not only to sasacrifice vpon but that they might be monumentes of some notable benefite geuen by god We read that Moses did so when the Israelites vnder the Lord obteyned the victory against Amalek After the exāple of Gideō euery one that is iustified by faith hauing peace toward god by Christ being assured of eternall life ought in his hart to graue such a litle Christe is our peace Christ is my Peace which thīg Paul also hath taught when he wrote to the Ephes He is our Peace which made both one 25 And the same night The Lord said vnto him Take thy fathers yong bullok the other bullok of vii yeares old destroy the altar of Baal that thy father hath cut downe the groue that is by it 26 And build an altar vnto the Lord thy god vpon the top of this rocke in a playne place take the second bulloke offer a burnt offring with the wood of the groue whiche thou shalt cut downe That which before was in a sūme spokē is now particularly expressed Some thinke the two bullokes are here mēcioned of which the one is called the secōd other by order of natiuity or as they stoode in order at the racke mangor
on Gideon the spirit I say of strength as the Chaldey Paraphrast interpreteth God had before appointed Gideon for a sauiour of the Hebrues now when he should go forth vnto the battail he suffreth him not to go vnarmed but endueth him with his spirit The Metaphore of putting on is deriued of garmentes which are put vpon the bodye The spirite of the Lorde therfore is inwardlye hidden in the outwarde man and so woorketh by him as though he had put him on And this is a phrase of speche very muche vsed in the scripture and especially in this booke This did the Angel signify shoulde come to passe when he said vnto Gideon Go in this strength and deliuer the Iewes frō the Madianites Now is it brought to passe that Gideon is endued wyth the spirite of strength For this was that power and myght of God wherewith in the old time he deliuered the fathers He blew a trumpet and Abiezer followed him which in dede was marueilous forasmuch as they were so angry for the ouerthrowing of Baal But their myndes were by the inspiration of God chaunged For when they saw that the Idole did to him no hurt they began to haue a good opinion of him The whole tribe of Manasses followed him also Zebulō Aser Naphthali Gideon alone was called but yet he would not fight with hys enemies alone For faith refuseth not humane helpe which iustlye may be had for godly men are not by fayth styrred vp to tempt God 36 And Gideon sayde vnto God If thou wylt saue Israel by my hande as thou haste sayde 37 Behold I wyl put a fleese of wool in the threshyng place if the dew come vpon the fleese onely it be dry vpon al the earth thē shal I be sure that by my hand thou wilt saue Israel as thou hast sayd 38 And it was so for he rose vp earlye on the morrowe and thrust the fleese together and wrynged the dewe out of the fleese and fylled the vyole with the water 39 Againe Gideon sayde vnto God Be not angry wyth me and I wyll speake onely once more Let me proue onely once I praye thee wyth the fleese Let it I pray thee he dry vpon the fleese onely and let the dewe be vpon all the ground 40 And God dyd so the same night for it was drye vpon the fleese onely and there was dewe on all the grounde Mans imbecillity is diuers and manyfold wherby it cōmeth to passe that in the promises of God we wauer and doubt Gideon was called by so playne and manifest woordes that there was no occasion of doubting left He had no cōmon signe when the sacrifice was consumed with fire he is nowe furnished wyth an host yet he now also wauereth needeth a new confirmation We vse not so to do when we beleue men for if there de but a bare promise or a hand writing made we are content But God must continually beate in into vs those things which he promiseth and seale them with miracles and Sacramentes and yet euen then also we geue litle credit vnto them And though we should endaūger our selues for accomplishing of our own lustes or prosecuting our own affairs there are we stoute there are we bolde and nothing afeard when as otherwise few there are found which in God his cause or for his words sake wil put them selues in daunger In which thing neuerthelesse we ought to be most stoute for God wyl not leaue vs destitute of his ayde He addeth the spurres of promises the confirmation of miracles and to those which cease of he threateneth verye grieuous punishmentes Whence our distrust cōmeth And this pestilence springeth of no other thing but bycause we trust to our owne sense and reason more then is conuenient And against thys euyl there is no remedy so present as frō them to prouoke our selues to fayth and constancy in God Whither Gideon in requiring these signes be to be condēned R. Leui ben Gerson thinketh that Gideon when he required these signes did partly distrust and partly beleue whose opinion if it be receaued then Gideon is guilty of infidelity And I iudge that we must not labour much vtterlye to acquite him of al faultes To the Hebrues his faith in dede is commended but me thinketh that we must not deny but that it was wauering before it was by diuers meanes confirmed And vndoubtedly it is a great matter to confirme the harte of man in the woord of God Although I am not ignorant that they which defend Gideon do say that he doubted not but that he was called of god to set at liberty the Israelites But in requiring these signes he onelye asked counsell of God whither he should then obtaine the victorye againste the Madianites when now he had collected and host And that in the old time with the captaines of the Israelites was a common custome For Saul and Dauid although they wer by God chosen kinges namely to saue the people neither did they therof any thing doubt yet did they often times aske counsel of God whither they should ascend to any place whither their enemies should be deliuered into their handes or contrary whither they should fall before their enemies or bee deliuered into theyr handes So peraduenture it might be sayd that this captain for that he had not with him the Arke of the Lord or a Prophet whom he might aske counsel of as touching the successe of the battail by those signes did aske counsel of the Lord. Augustine in his .63 Augustine Ambrose question vpon Genesis in this maner excuseth Gideon and affirmeth that he by these petitions tempted not God but asked counsel as touching the successe And as cōcerning this thing as he is wont he agreeth with Ambrose who in his first booke de spiritu sancto and .i. chap. affirmeth that Gideon doubted not And the Rabbines of the Hebrues think that these signes wer geuen vnto Gideon by the ministery of some prophet but what he was neyther the scripture declareth neither can they tell And there are some of them whiche suppose that al this thing was done in a vision But of these things what nede we any more to argue Forasmuch as there is nothing whiche letteth but that Gideon might in very dede both demaund and haue experience of these things Howbeit the thing teacheth that al these things happened in the summer time for that there is mencion made of dew I easily assent vnto Augustine which saith that Gideon tempted not God Augustine We maye require a signe to strengthen our fayth bicause I am perswaded that by such signes he woulde haue his fayth confirmed which otherwise was wauering It is synne in deede to doubt in faythe but to strengthen the same it is lawful in time to require a signe For in the Gospell the man cryed Lord I beleue but helpe thou my incredulitye Yea and Gideon also in the selfe same thing had before tryal
woorke by it selfe and other sometimes eyther by Aungels or by men and that in such maner as wee shall afterwarde declare Augustine Farther I wyll adde that Augustine writeth in the place before alledged against the Epistle of the Maniches the .xxvi. chap. Miracles woulde not mooue except they were wonderfull and they would not be wonderful if they shoulde be accustomed thinges As therefore they say that by admiration sprang Philosophy whych Plato thought to be the Raynebowe and for that cause calleth the daughter of Thaumans so may we beleue that faith Faithe cometh not of miracles but is by them confirmed which cōmeth of the worde of God although it do not vtterly spring of miracles yet by them it may be confirmed And therefore Augustine in his .xii. booke of Confessions the .xxi. chap. saith Ignorance is the mother of wondring at signes this is an entraunce vnto faith to the sonnes of Adam which haue forgotten thee By this sentence he teacheth that men which haue forget God haue by the admiration of miracles an entrance or cōming vnto faith And without doubt it is so The wyll of God is hidden from vs but he as he is good openeth the same to holy Prophets Apostles which that they may profitably declare vnto men he geueth vnto them the gift of his holy woord But bicause he knoweth that mortal men are contrary against his word he hath graūted the power of working of miracles that those thinges might the easilier be beleued which he would haue his messenger profitably to speake That cōfirmation of faith cōmeth by miracles Marke testifieth who toward the end of his Gospel saith And they went forth preaching euerye where the Lord working with them confirming the word with signes which followed And how apt this kinde of confirmation is hereby it is manifest The promises of God do of no other thing depend then of his wyll power And the signes which we now intreate of do testify the power of God forasmuch as they by al meanes ouercome nature and set forth the truth of his wil for by the inuocation of his name by his grace spirit they are wrought Augustine Wherefore Augustine in the place now alledged against the Epistle of Manicheus writeth that miracles do bring authority vnto the woord of God For he when he did these miracles semed to haue geuen an earnest peny of his promises Neither ar these wordes to be passed ouer which the same Augustine hath vpon Iohn in the .24 Miracles consist not in the greatnes of woorkes treatise That miracles consist not in the greatnes of workes for otherwise it is a greater woorke to gouerne this vniuersal composition of the world then vnto a blinde man to restore light which he is destitute of These thynges declared there remayneth that by apt distinctions we destribute miracles into his partes Some of them are to be wondred at An other distinction of myracles by reason of the thing it selfe which is done for that it is so vnaccustomed and great that in the nature of thinges we cannot finde the lyke of it Suche was the staying of the Sunne in the time of Iosua and the turning of that shadowe in the tyme of Ezechias the conception and byrth of the Virgin the foode of Manna in the deserte and suche lyke But there are some which ar miracles not for the nature and greatnes of the thing but bycause of the maner and waye whiche was vsed in bringing them to passe as was the cloude and rayne of Helias the budding of floures and fruites in the rod of Aaron the thunders of Samuel the turnynge of water into wyne and suche lyke For suche thinges are done by nature but they were then myracles bycause of the maner whereby they were wrought that is not by naturall causes but at the commaundement and wyll of Sayntes There is an other deuision of myracles An other deuision of miracles bycause some of them doo onelye mooue admiration as lyghtenynges and thundrynges in mount Sina the turning of the shadowe of the Sunne in the tyme of Ezechias the transfiguration of the Lorde in the Mount There are other which besides the admiration doo bring a present commoditye vnto men as when by the rodde dryncke was geuen out of the Rocke Manna from heauen and when by the Lord and the Apostles sycke folkes were healed And sometimes they bring punishment and hurt vnto the guiltye For by the woordes of Peter perished Ananias and Saphira Elimas the Sorcerer was made blynde by Paule and some were by hym delyuered vnto Sathan to be vexed By this also are miracles deuided An other partitiō of miracles bicause some of them are obtained by praiers For so did Elias and Elizeus namelye by praying restore their deade to lyfe Moses also praying for Pharao draue away Frogs and other plages And other some are wrought by commaundement and authority Iosua commaunded the Sunne to stay his course The Lord Iesus commaunded the windes and Peter said vnto the lame man In the name of Iesus Christ rise walke Ther ar also other which are done neither by praiers nor by commaundement but of theyr own wyll and accord the saintes them selues doing some other thing Euen as when the shadow of Peter as he walked healed those that were sycke and the napkin of Paul healed also folkes diseased Augustine An other diuision of myracles Lastly Augustine as it is written in his .83 booke of questions question 79. deuideth miracles that some are done by publik iustice that is by the stable and firme will of God which in the world is counted as a publike lawe By it God would that his ministers that is Apostles and Prophetes shoulde in preaching woorke miracles And there are other some which by the signes of this iustice are wrought as when the vngodly in the name of God or of Iesus Christ do work any miracle which is not geuen but by the honour and reuerence which thei vse towardes the name of God not that God or nature or any thinges created desire to gratefy them As when a man stealeth away a publike seale or handwriting he may wrest many thinges either from the men of the countrey or from the Citizens which are not geuen vnto him but vnto the seale which they know doth belong to the Magistrate and Prince So he which followed not Christe did yet in his name cast out deuils Thirdly are those miracles reckoned which by some certaine priuate bargaine are wrought wherby the Sorcerers do binde them selues vnto the Deuyl and the deuil likewise to them But those at done neither by publike iustice nor yet by the signes therof but come onelye of a certayne priuate conuention Howbeit wee must knowe that miracles of the second and third sort are not firme neither do they assuredly happen For asmuch as we reade in the .xix. chap. of the Actes of the Apostles that the sonnes of
be deceaued and that by those meanes we shoulde not be throwne hedlonge into destruction For therto at the length commeth the fellowshippes with Sathan For the deuil is a lier the father of lyes and he is also a murtherer euen from the beginning as Christ hath taught Wherfore let this be a firm sentēce which the scholemen also in the 2. boke of Sentences Disti 8 among them Thomas especially so that not only the old fathers haue ratified that if there be any thing to be desired which is aboue the faculty of mā the same ought to be desired onely of God which thing they which do not they fall into Apostacy from faith The inconstancy of certayn fathers and especially of scholemen worshipping creatures insteede of god I would to god both the olde fathers and the schole men would haue abidden constant in it who afterwarde forgettinge themselues I cannot tell how consented to the inuocations of sayntes beynge nowe deade and haue instituted exorcistes or cuniurers to the bodyes reliques of saints which being adorned with no peculier gift of miracles do with most seuere threatninges and very imperiously adiure deuils desiringe of the sayntes whych are now dead to driue out euill sprites out of those that be possessed But those spirytes if sometymes they gooe oute as they are bidden they doo not that agaynste etheyr wyll but they dyssemble obedience therewith to establyshe idolatrye And it is no lesse pleasaunte to them to possesse soules then to vere bodies Augustine in his x. booke de ciuitate dei the .xi. Augustine chapt telleth that Porphyrius wrote vnto Anebuntes that certayne sorcerers were so accustomed with threatninges to feare deuils that they said That if they would not do those things which they wer cōmaunded to do they would break down heauen earth and so presse and punish them Who seeth not here the subtelties of the deuil which faineth that he feareth such folish and ridiculous cuniuratiōs as they call them But of this we haue spoken very largely I thinke it good nowe to returne to examine the laste parte of our difinicion wherin it was sayd that miracles are therfore done to establish fayth And that seemeth to be very much against this particle that we ought not lightly to geue credite vnto miracles forasmuch as they may shew occasion of erring And ther hence is deriued no sure kind of argument but an argument very daungerous And that is proued by manye places First the Lorde sayth in the .24 chapter of Math. that the false prophetes in the latter time shall by sygnes so deceiue men that if it were possible euen the very electe should be deceiued which selfe same sentence Paul to the Thessal more amply prosecuted By the boke of Exodus also we learne that we may not beleue signes For the sorcerers of Pharao did for a little space worke the same signes which Moses did In Deutr. also it is commaūded that we must not beleue a prophet although he worke signes if he moue vs to idolatry Wherfore seing miracles may be wrought aswel for the defending of false doctrine Augustine as for true they ought not to be counted mete to confirm faith Yea and Augustine in his 10. boke de ciuitate dei the .16 chapt writeth If aūgels require sacrifices to be offred vnto them and worke signes and contrarywise if other shall testify that we must sacrifice onely vnto God and yet working no miracles we must beleue them and not the other The same Augustine contra Faustum de Manichaeis sayth Miracles ar not sufficient to cōfirm faith Signes ye worke none wherby we should beleue you yea and although ye shoulde woorke them yet shoulde wee not beleue you Wherfore we must know that miracles in very deede are not sufficient to confyrme fayth for it is before all thinges nedefull to iudge of that doctrine whiche is brought and that by the testimony of the holy scriptures wherewith if it do agree we must beleue it euen without signes But if miracles be added the beleuers are still the more established and they whiche yet haue not beleued are made at the least more attentife and the way to beleue is opened vnto them Miracles and sacramentes ar after a sort like Miracles also ar after a sort like vnto sacraments for both of them ar added as certayne seales vnto promises And euen as miracles profite not vnlesse firste there be a respect had vnto the doctrine so also the Sacramentes bring no commodity but much hurt vnlesse they be receaued with a pure fayth Both of them serue to confyrme faythe but neither of them are sufficient by themselues For they are blessed and to be praysed in dede which beleue without the helpe of miracles Our Lord sayth Blessed ar they which haue not sene and haue beleued And yet for all that the confyrmation of signes is not to be contemned Why the lorde sometimes forbad that his miracles should be published Paraduenture thou wilt say Seing they are so profitable to confyrme fayth why did the Lorde in Math. the .9 and .11 and in manye other places forbidde that they shoulde be published There were many causes thereof he woulde firste haue his doctrine preached and afterward miracles shoulde followe But if he had permitted certayne whome he healed strayghtwaye to haue published abroade that which he had done then should not doctrine haue bene ioyned with that spreading abroade of the miracle forasmuch as they were not yet instructed in godlynes He did it also least he shoulde seeme to be infected with-vayne desyre of worldly glory Therefore he would by hys own example withdraw vs from the same Farther none knew better then himself what they wer whome he healed And he woulde not suffer euerye one to publishe and preache his miracles Wherfore he prohibited diuers that they should not do it Moreouer he saw that by the vayne and naked preachinge of miracles it woulde come to passe that the light and fickle vulgare people shoulde not be led vnto the sincere fayth but rather to appoynte vnto him worldly honours which he coueted not And this to be true the .6 chap. of Iohn declareth where it is written that the people bicause they receaued breade of him woulde haue made him a kinge Lastly he would not stirre vp agaynst himself the enuy and woodnes of the high Priestes Scribes and Pharesies more then oportunity of time woulde suffer Wherfore in Luke the .9 chap. when in hys transfiguracion he had shewed vnto his Apostles a shew of his glory he cōmaunded thē that they should not at that time publishe abrode that which they had seene The same thinge also he commaunded when demaunding what men sayd of himself he had wroong from Peter the true confession wherin he affirmed that he was the sonne of God he commaunded I say that they should not tel vnto other that Iesus was the Messias For they wer not then
so confirmed that if they had spread such things abroad they could in disputing haue confirmed the same by apt testimonies Wherfore he thought meete that they shoulde tary till they were more fully instructed He would not haue the truth vtterly to be vnspoken of but yet to the openinge of the same he chose a time conuenieÌ„t Wherfore it is not therby rightly gathered that myracles are of no force to confirme fayth bycause Christ sometimes forbad that they should be published forasmuch as that commaundement of the Lorde belonged onely for the taking of better occasions and not perpetually to keepe silence Lastlye there is an other thinge Whiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 goeth bâ—â—â—â— racâ—s or 〈◊〉 meâ—h after whiche seemeth to be agaynste that article of the definicion For it seemeth that faythe cannot be confyrmed by miracles when as they require it and wil haue it to goe before them For in Math. the 13. chapter it is written that Christe bicause of the incredulitye of his owne citizens wroughte in a manner no miracles And Marke addeth that he could not Wherfore it shuld seme that it is rather to be said that miracles ar constituted and stablished by fayth when as if it be not present as the Euangelistes say miracles can not be done I aunswere that they which by prayers will obtayn miracles must after an accustomed iust maner be endewed with faith for vayne are those prayers counted which leane not vnto fayth But if a miracle be geuen there is nothing letteth but that fayth whiche is begon maye by it be stirred vp confyrmed Farther this is for assured that god is not letted but that he can also geue miracles vnto the vnbeleuers God sometime geueth miracles vnto the vnbeleuers yea he hath oftentimes geueÌ„ miracles vnto them Vndoubtedly Pharao and the Egiptians were infidels And who knoweth not but that there were vnto them very many miracles wrought by Moses Christ likewise did then shew the miracle of his resurrection when all men in a manner dispayred of his doctrine and truth Wherfore nothing letteth but that faith may by miracles be confirmed And for that cause as we haue said they which contend by prayers to obteyne signes do labour in vayn except they beleue Bicause prayers without fayth are of no value wyth God which Christ hath manifestly taught in Math. the .17 For when his disciples could not heale the lunatike child when the cause thereof was demaunded he sayd that it came of theyr incredulity whose aunswere openly declareth Against the coniurations wich are made al the sepulchres or graues of the deade what we muste iudge of those cuniurers which at the sepulchers of saincts and at reliques go about to expell deuels All thinges are there faynedly done Deade men are without faythe called vpon and the deuill playeth to gether with idolatrers and faineth that he beleueth to the end that pernicious worshippynges may be retayned whiche is hereby manifest bycause those Exorcistes are both men moste vnpure and also they do all things there without fayth Origene vpon the .17 Origene chapt of Mathew hath very wel written agaynst this abuse If at any time sayth he we must be by these holpeÌ„ we must not speak with the spirite eyther in adiuring hym or commaunding hym as though he hearde vs but onelye let vs perseuere in geuinge our selues to prayers and fastinges These words spake he euen then when the inuocation of the dead and worshipping of reliques were not vsed in the church What would he at thys day say if he should se the madnes of our times But to return vnto the hed of the doubt I iudge that fayth goeth before miracles as touching those whych by prayers obtayne them but not as concerning those whych stand by and haue not yet beleued the preaching which they haue heard Wyth what faith euill men are endewed by whome god worketh miracles But let vs see by what meanes miracles may sometimes be done by wicked men For some shall say in the latter time Lord haue not we cast out deuils in thy name haue not we prophesied c Vnto whome shal be aunswered Verelye I say vnto you I know you not They vndoubtedly in working miracles as it seemeth credible added prayers when as for all that they wanted fayth neyther were they iustified neyther pertayned they to the kingdome of God Wherefore that seemeth not to be firme that prayers poured out without faith are not herd But we must note the ill men which by prayers obteined miracles wer not vtterly wtout fayth Three kyndes of fayth For there ar three kinds of faith fouÌ„d For there is a faith whych consisteth of humayne opinion and perswasion wherby those thinges which ar written in the holy scriptures ar beleued to be no lesse true then the histories of Liui Suetonius those things which ar now written of the new Ilandes This kinde of fayth as touching many thinges is common to the Turks the Iewes Ther is an other faith wherby we being stirred vp by the heauenly inspiration do liuely with efficacy cleaue to the promise of the mercy of God By this faith certaynelye is attayned iustification Lastlye the thirde fayth is called the fayth of miracles whereby we are neither chaunged nor made the better euen by a heare forasmuch as it is the mouinge of the spirite of God wherewith men are stirred vp to desire miracles Myracles are not alwayes wrought at the prayers of wicked men vtterly beleuing that it is the wil of God that they should be done and that which is required should haue successe Wherfore whilest they leane vnto this fayth sometimes they obteyne that whiche they desire whiche I therefore speake bycause not alwayes they doo so neither are they alwaies illustrate with that inspiration Chrisostome If so be that thou wilt demauÌ„d how this kind of fayth can be proued let Chrisostome aunswere which vpon the .17 chapter of Mathew maketh mencion of it There Christ sayd If you haue fayth as much as is a grain of mustard sede you shall say vnto this mountayne throw thy self into the sea and it shall do it In expounding these wordes this father sayth bycause at this day these thinges ar not done in the church shal we therfore say that ChristiaÌ„s are destitute of faith God forbid that we should iudge so euil of the people of God The fayth which iustifieth is present but that which is called the fayth of miracles hath now ceased This kind of faith also is shewed by the words of the apostle in the .i. epistle to the Corrinthians wher he sayth Although I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaynes and haue not charitye I am nothinge Neyther let that trouble vs in that he sayth Al. For that distribution is to be drawn vnto the faith of miracles But that is more manifestly perceaued by the same epistle wher the Apostle maketh mencioÌ„ of fre gratious gifts saying
did very faithfully beleue as thoughe he neded no miracle whē as for all that he was altogether vnbeleuing whiche the 2. booke of kinges manifestly declareth for he sent vnto Tiglathphalasar the king of the Assirians to deliuer him from the siege so farre was he of from putting confidence in the Lord. And when God was not ignoraunt of his discease he offred vnto hym the remedy of a miracle and gaue him his choise whiche for all that he of hypocrisie refused Obedience is the principall fruite of faith If Achaz had in very dede beleue god he would not haue refused to obey for asmuch as obedience is reckened among the principall fruites of faith Let vs I pray you with this wicked kyng conferre his most holy sonne Ezechias For he did not so but to the end he myght be made the more assured of recouering health he very modestly required a signe vnto whō when Esay the Prophet graūted his desire willīg him to chuse whether he would haue the shadow of the sunne to be remoued forward or turned backward he tooke his choise neither did he frowardly like his father wtstād the miracle offred him by god But wicked Achaz added hipocrisie vnto infidelitie For he considering that miracles are for two causes refused either for that a man beleueth fully in god neither hath nede of the ayde of miracles or els for that he vtterly contemneth god and passeth no thing at al of his aide he would hide the latter disease wherof he was sicke namely the cōtēpt of god he dissēbled vertue wherof he was cleane voyde namely a singular faith as though he durst not tempt God But for asmuch as God most perfectly knoweth the hart and the raynes he reproued hym by the Prophete according to his deserte What other thing is it to refuse a miracle offred of God thā to repell the succor of the spirituall infirmitie As he that is hunger storuen is to be accused if the refuse bread so was he to be reproued which reiected a medicine offred hym by god whē as he knoweth what euery one of vs nedeth far better than we our selues can see This is nowe sufficient as touching these things whiche at the begynning of the question semed altogether to forbidde the askyng of miracles I know in dede there are some whiche thinke that miracles are vtterly not to be desired Augustine but onely not to be refused when God offreth them And they thinke that Augustine maketh with them whom in his 4. booke de Consensu Euangelist and in his questiōs super Genesin Questiō 63 semeth to affirme thys thing But if thou wilt obiect that very many godly holy men did it and especially our Gideon they answere that they were moued by the spirite of God to desire miracles and therfore it was all one as if God had frely offred signes vnto thē and they of obedience shoulde haue receaued the miracles whiche were offered But these things ought nothing to trouble vs bycause Augustine in the places alledged doth not absolutly and simply prohibet to desire miracles except they be desired to tempte god withall or vpon some noughty occasion Yea in the 63. question vpon Genesis he sayth When this is not rightly done it pertayneth to the tempting of god Let vs heare him rather in his 10. boke of Cōfessions the 35. chap. where he sayeth In religion also is temptyng of god when signes and miracles are desired to take a triall Whiche thyng I also a litle before haue willed to be taken hede of And I will easely graunt that the Sainctes required not miracles by the instinct of the fleshe or prouokyng of humane reason other wise their prayers had ben voyde and of none effect for that as Paul testifieth it behoueth that the spirite do with vnspeakable groning pray for vs. But I thinke I haue now sufficiently spoken of the questions proposed ¶ The vii Chapter 1 THen Ierubbal who is Gideon rose vp early and al the people that were with him and pitched beside the well of Harod so that the host of the Madianites was on the north side of thē in the valley by the hil of Moreh 2 And the Lord sayd vnto Gideō The people that are with thee are to many for me to geue the Madianites into theyr handes least Israell make theyr vaunt agaynst me and say myne owne hand hath saued me 3 Now therfore proclayme in the eares of the people and say Who is timerous and fearefull Let him returne and departe early from mount Gilead And there returned of the people 22000. so 10000. remayned 4 And the Lord sayd vnto Gideon The people are yet too many Bring them vnto the water and I will try them for thee there For of whom I say vnto thee This man shall go with thee the same shall go with thee and of whomsoeuer I say vnto thee This man shall not go with thee the same shall not go 5 So he brought the people to the water And the Lorde sayd vnto Gideō As many as lappe the water with theyr tongue as a dogge lappeth them put by themselues euery one that shall bowe down hys knees to drinke put a part 6 And the number of them that lapped by putting their handes to their mouth were 300. mē but all the rest of the people kneled downe vpon their knees to drinke water 7 And the Lord sayd vnto Gideon By these 300. men that lapped will I saue you and delyuer the Madianites into thine hand and let all the other people go euery man to his place 8 So the people tooke vitayles in theyr handes and theyr trompettes and he sent all the rest of the Israelites euery man vnto hys tente and retayned the 300. men And the host of Madian was beneath him in the valley As much as we can gather by the history the host of Gideon consisted of 32000. souldiers whiche nomber although it may seme great yet in comparison of the enemies it was but small For they had 13500. men in campe but of the 32000. souldiers of Gideons god chose onely 300 by whom he would geue the victory vnto the Israelites This is a very smal number that of euery thousand he toke only .x. But so god wrought For there ar few good said he If in Sodome there had ben onely x. men iust the whole Citie had ben saued The number of good men thoughe it be small yet it is of such force that God for their sakes spareth the rest Wherfore most true are the oracles wherin it is sayd Many are called but few are chosen and the remnauntes onely shal be saued But although God allowed not so great a number yet the acte of Gideon is not to be condemned which gathered it vnto himself for he vsed that prudence which was not cōtrary to the worde of god yea if he had not collected an host he might haue semed to tempt god as he which had refused helpes
thinke Gideon was a holy man That they cannot deny forasmuch as the Epistle to the Hebrues the xi chapter notably testifieth him so to be I wyll demaunde of them also whyther Aaron were a holy man They wil not deny it I suppose when as hee was of God appointed to be the highe Priest and the fellowe of Moses in woorking of miracles And yet for all that either of them when they instituted a woorshipping without the woord of God are greuously accused by the holye Scriptures Let them therefore cease to obtrude vnto vs the Saintes but when we require the woord of God if they wil that we should beleue them let them bring foorth the holy scriptures We know that rites and worshippinges instituted euen by God himselfe are not acceptable vnto him when they are done without fayth as Esay Ieremy and Dauid most manifestly teache howe muche lesse wyll hee receaue those thinges which are inuented of men whiche for that they are not grounded on his woord doo vtterly want fayth ¶ Of a good Intent BVt bycause there is something alledged of a good Intent whereby some go about to excuse Gideon I thinke it good briefelye to touche those thynges which are necessary as concerning it As touching the signification of the woorde Intent signifieth a motion of the mynde whereby by some meane we tende vnto an ende as if a man shoulde study by geuing of gifts or by seruices to attain vnto any honor For the nature of thinges is in such sort that many thinges are so connexed together betwene themselues that by the one is made a steppe vnto the other For by medecines drinkes we attaine vnto health by studies reading teachers vnto wisdome Wherfore an intent is an action of the wil for it is his office to moue and stirre vp the mynde And forasmuch as the wyl doth not perceaue the thinges that he desireth before that it hath the knowledge thereof it moueth not nor forceth the minde before knowledge which raygneth in the power of intelligence or vnderstanding It perceaueth both the end and those things which serue to the end and ministreth them vnto the wyl Therfore Intent stirreth vp to the end as to a terme The definition of an intent by those thinges which vnto it are directed Let this be his definition A wyl tending vnto the ende by some meanes Wyl which is his generall woord is an act of the power that wylleth The differrence is taken of the obiect namely of the ende and these thinges which are ordeined vnto it as nowe as touching Gideon his intent was a motion of his wyll to keepe the memory of the victory geuen him by the Ephod which he had made In will therefore he comprehended at once both the end and the meane There is bothe a good intent an euyll An Intent in deuided into a good intent and an euyll And to a good intent this is chiefely required that the ende be a thing iust and good which yet is not sufficient For if a man should steale to geue almes he vndoubtedlye shoulde set before his eyes a good thing but bycause the meane is euyll therefore the intent can not be called good But if the ende bee both vnlawfull and euyll then shall the intent also be euyll Wherefore that the intent be good both the ende and the meane must be honest and good thinges Howbeit certayne thinges are by theyr nature so euyll that we can neuer vse them rightly As theft periury adulterye An euill intent of two kyndes and suche lyke Wherefore the Apostles rule must alwayes be firme that wee must neuer doo euyll thinges whereby good thynges maye followe Therefore an euyll intent is two maner of wayes that is eyther by the naughtynesse of the ende Twoo thinges are required in a good intent or els of the meanes But the intent can neuer bee good except bothe ende and meane be good Thus farre the Philosophers and schoole Deuines agree wyth vs. Nowe must we see wherein they differ from vs. The Philosophers doo thinke that the righteousnes of the ende and meanes dependeth of humane reason or naturall vnderstanding as though it were sufficient to put a difference betwene iust thinges and vniust but that we denye and requyre fully fayth and the woorde of God Augustine as sure rules whych thyng Augustine testifieth in many places and especiallye vpon the .xxxi. Psalme where he sayth Doo not count thy woorkes good before faythe whyche are nothyng els then as me thynketh great strengthes and a most swyft course out of the waye and he which so maketh haste runneth headlong to destruction Wherefore a good intent maketh a good action Faith directeth the intent but fayth directeth the intent Wherefore we must take heede when we purpose any woorke that our hart haue a regarde vnto fayth whereby it may direct his endeuours The schoole Deuines wyll easelye graunt that fayth gouerneth the intent and maketh it good But we differ from them for three causes Fyrst bicause we affirme that faith dependeth onely of the woorde of God but they wyll haue it to leane vnto Fathers and Counsels Faith must not cleaue vnto fathers coūsels and that in no case maye be graunted vnto them forasmuche as fayth must bee constant and vtterlye without errour whych twoo thynges are not founde in the Fathers and Counsels bicause they speake thinges one contrary to an other Fathers very often stryue wyth Fathers and Counsels are against Counsels and those Fathers are rare yea in a maner none whych haue not sometyme erred and that in thinges most waightye and very many Counsels haue neede of amendement Doth not the scripture by expresse woordes testify that all men are lyers The other thing wherein wee can not assent vnto the Schoolemen is bycause by a good intent they affirme that our woorkes are made meritorious yea and that of eternall lyfe Which thing how farre of it is from the truth the nature of merite may teache vs whereof I mynde not nowe to speake The thyrde thing wherein we differ from the Schoolemen is bycause they wyl haue the worke to be made good by an habitual good entent as they speke The habitual entent of the Scholemen That is to saye done without any good mocion of the hart They fayn that our actions do please god as prayers reading of Psalmes and geuing of Almes although in act we thinke nothing of God they suppose that thys habitual entent which they place in him is sufficient inough So that if thou shouldst demaūd of him whych doth these thyngs why he doth so he may be redy to aunswer that he doth it to the glory of god especially whē in doing of it he hath not a cōtrary mind or repugnant will But this can we not graunt vnto them for asmuch as in this negligence wherby when we work we think not of god nor of his glory the commaundement of
god is violated which commaundeth vs to loue god withall the hart withall the soule and withall the strengthes Wherfore we rather counsell that this maye bee knowleged a synne then to be counted a good woorke But bicause they perceiued that theyr sayinges haue some absurdity they added so that in the beginninge of that woorke we thinke somewhat of god and his glory and so that that which is purposed be directed vnto hym But no man doubteth but that the begynning of all those thinges whiche we do oughte to be good but afterward if fayth follow not those thinges whyche we haue well begonne and if when we are working we haue not a respect vnto god and his glory we shall runne hedlonge into sinne which may not be dissembled Farther if we should worke as we ought to do and as the law requireth yet should we as Christ sayth be still vnprofitable seruants so far is it of that we can clayme vnto our selues any merites Wherfore so long as we desist from thinkinge vpon the honor and glory of God we fall neyther are such falles to be dissembled but rather to pray that they may be turned froÌ„ vs forasmuch as of their own nature they are sinnes Fayth is not sufficient in hâ—bite but we must beleue also in acte although vnto the beleuers for Christes sake they are not imputed vnto death Wherfore let there be added to our workes a good entent But yet such an entente as is adorned with faythe and let vs performe the same not in habite but in acte Wherfore the Lord sayth in the Gospell of Mathew the .6 chap The lyght of the body is the eye And if thyne eye be symple the whole body shal be lyght But if the light which is in thee be darknes Augustine how gret shal the darknes theÌ„ be These things Augustine in his questions of the Gospels the .2 boke .15 questioÌ„ and agaynst Iulianus in the .4 boke 20. chap. iudgeth to be vnderstaÌ„ded of a good intent And in like maner writeth he in his .10 Tome the .2 Sermon where he entreateth vpon this place we must not do righteousnes before men to be seene of them The intent saith he is alwayes to be applied vnto the glory of God but the wyll to haue it knowen vnto men is to be auoyded but so much as shall seme to pertayne to the honour of God And to that tendeth that whych Christ speaketh A good tree cannot bringe forth euel frutes neither an euil tre good for as much as the tree signifieth the entent Wherfore this act of Gideon done of a good intent if those thinges be true whyche we haue sayde cannot be excused when as fayth gouerned it not 28 Thus was Madian brought low before the children of Israell so that they lift vp theyr heds no more and the lande had quietnes .40 yeares in the dayes of Gideon 29 Then Ierubbaall the son of Ioas went and dwelt in his owne house 30 And Gideon had 70. sonnes which came out of his thigh for he had many wyues 31 And his Concubine that was in Sechem bare him a sonne also whose name he called Abimelech When we heare that the earth had quietnes we maye note two metaphores The first Metaphore is whereby the land is taken for them that dwell vpon it The other is whereby silence is put for peace for that in peace the cryes of souldiers the noyse of weapons the blast of trumpets and the running to and fro of horsemen and fotemen are not harde Augustine in this place doubteth howe it could be Augustine that God suffred superstition and idolatrye so longe vnpunished And he bringeth two answeres therfore First that GideoÌ„ did indede streyghtwayes as sone as the warre was finished Why the punishmente was differed 40. yeares gather a masse of golde but he made not the Ephod by and by but longe after namely towarde the end of his life or that the Ephod was made as sone as the victory was accoÌ„plished but the people fell not to idolatrye till aboute the latter tyme of his life An other cause he addeth because in that superstition the name of God was kept neyther was the worshipping of Baal and other gods of the Gentles admitted for that as long as Gideon liued the Hebrewes came not to that mischief therfore god delt not so sharply agaynste them And it was no small benefite to geue them peace for .40 yeares of which thing seying I haue spoken before in the former iudges I shal not nede now to repeate the same agayne Ierubbaal wente and dwelte in his house He coueted not a perpetuall rule as did Cesar who after v. yeares did agayn couet to continew vnto himself the prouince of France other v. yeres But Gideon when he had obteined peace ceased from warres and dismissing his host led his life at home in his owne house in a manner like a priuate man Suche are vprighte mindes whiche indeede wante ambicion In his commeÌ„taries vpon the 1. of Samuell the 25. chap. He had .70 children for he had many wiues Of hauinge many wiues I will not nowe speake muche bycause it is to be entreated of in an other place this is sufficient to be sayd at this present that god in the old lawe permitted the same after a sort vnto the fathers VVhich came out of his thigh This is therefore written least peraduenture we should suspecte that of those .70 children some were adopted Besides the 70. whiche he had of his wiues whiche were many he had Abimeleche by hys concubyne ¶ Of Matrimony and hauing of Concubines THe place doth now admonish me somwhat to speak of hauing of coÌ„cubines wherof is often mencion made in the histories of the old testament But fyrst must we define Matrimony that therout we may gather the vse of concubines for vnlesse the nature of it be manifest Of Matrimonye Marrimonium coniungium nuptie connubium The definition of matrimony we can not se how that hauing of a concubine differeth from it Matrimony mariages wedding and wedlocke sygnify al one thing And Matrimony as it is had in the .i. boke Inst Iustin wheÌ„ meÌ„cion is made of the power of the father and in the degestes de ritu nuptiarum is defined to be a coniunction of man and womaÌ„ an inseperable conuersation of life and a communication of gods law and mans law But this diffinicion muste be perfected by the holy scriptures Wherfore we must adde that this coniunctioÌ„ of man and woman was instituted by god for the bringing forth of children for the taking away of whoredome that therby humayne life might haue helpes and commodityes In this difinicion vndoubtedlye the coniunction of man and woman holdeth place in the matter The inseperable conuersation of life pertaineth vnto the forme for with this purpose and will man and wife muste marye together For though by adultery that copulation be taken away yet when the
wife came and tolde her husband saying A man of God came vnto me and the looke of hym was lyke the looke of an Aungell of God very terrible and I asked hym not whence he was neither tolde he me his name 7 And he sayde vnto me Beholde thou shalt conceaue and beare a sonne Now therfore thou shalt drinke no wine nor stronge drinke neyther eate any vncleane thyng for the chylde shal be a Nazarite to God from his birth to the day of his death 8 Then Manoah prayed vnto the Lord and sayd I praye thee my Lord let the man of God whom thou senttest come agayne vnto vs and teache vs what we shall do vnto the childe when he is borne 9 And God hearde the voyce of Manoah For the Aungell of the Lorde came agayne vnto the wife as she sat in the fielde but Manoah her husbande was not with her 10 And the wife made hast and ranne and shewed her husbande saying vnto hym Beholde the man hath appeared vnto me that came vnto me to daye 11 And Manoah arose and went after hys wyfe and came to the man and sayd vnto him Art thou the manne that spakest vnto the woman And he sayd Yea. 12 Then Manoah sayd Nowe let thy saying come to passe But what shal be the iudgement of the childe and his worke 13 The aungell of the Lord aunswered vnto Manoah The womaÌ„ must beware of all that I sayd vnto her 14 She may eate of nothyng that commeth of the wine vine tree that is she shall drinke no wine nor stronge drinke nor eate any vncleane thing let her obserue all that I haue commaunded her The woman thought that it had bene some godly man whom she had sene or a Prophete for she knew not that it was the aungell of God His looke saith she was terrible The Hebrewe worde is ambiguous for it may be turned both terrible and wonderfull And vndoubtedly the thinges whiche are wonderful especially deuine things doo strike into men a feare She faythfully sheweth vnto her husband these thinges and doth the dewty of a good wife What matrimony is For Matrimony is an vnseperable society hauyng the communion both of thynges deuine humane And this matter pertayned partly to thinges deuine bycause it was shewed in the name of God and partly vnto humane thynges bycause it was a matter as touchyng the receauyng and education of a child She sayth she asked him not whence he was bycause in such visions men are so amased that they are attentiue onely vnto the thynges which are spoken neither haue they any leasure to enquire of more thinges So the mother of the Lord when the Aungell saluted her asked hym not what his name was or from whence he came Gideon also when he receaued the oracle of the Aungell for the delyuering of the people was altogether so astonished that he was nothyng inquisitiue what his name was But the woman speaketh these thynges by anticipation for she thought that her husbande woulde heare and inquire of hym the truth Althoughe Iosephus in hys booke de Antiquitatibus as I haue before admonished sayeth that when he hearde the wordes of his wife he somewhat suspected her of euill Ambrose Howit Ambrose in hys .70 Epistle where he very diligently entreateth of this Hystory denieth that to be very lykely For if sayeth he he had ben gelious God would not haue sent an aungell vnto hym But me thinketh Ambroses reason is not firme For Manoah might otherwise be a good man although he were touched with suspition Very good men also haue oftentymes some suspition of such things For euen Ioseph the husband of Mary whoÌ„ the holy Scripture testifieth that he was a iust man somewhat sinisterly suspected hys Spouse to whom yet the Aungell appeared Wherefore I rather beleue that Manoah was eyther altogether without gelousy or elles not very muche gelous For he accused her not abroade her repudiated her not neither vsed he the publique remedy of the lawe For then was in force that lawe whiche was geuen by GOD that if a manne suspected his wife of aduoutry he should bryng her to the doore of the tabernacle where the Priest should searche out the honesty of the woman by solemne waters and by a bitter curse The cause of the lawe of gelousy For God would that maryed folkes should lyue together with a mery quiet and not suspitious mynde But Manoah dyd not onely not vse these remedyes but also he by no meanes rebuked his wyfe But strayghtwaye prayed vnto the Lorde that that man of God would returne the seconde tyme wherby he myght vnderstand how the child should be brought vp Neither dyd he tempt god by hys prayers In deede no man ought to desire a signe that he may beleue the articles of fayth For those thynges whiche are contayned in them are already before sufficiently proued and confirmed by the worde of God and by miracles But if there happen any newe and singular reuelation bycause there may bee deceates and guiles of deuilles who transforme themselues yea euen into the aungelles of lyght if we require a signe of the Lorde or instruction we sinne not That a baren woman shoulde beare or that a childe shoulde set the people at liberty it was a certayne singular thyng Wherefore Manoah prayeth for nothyng curiously and therefore GOD hearde hym He afterwarde demaunded the name of the aungel but bycause he demaunded it curiously he was not hearde The aungell came agayne vnto the woman the selfe same daye as all interpreters doo agree And vndoubtedly it might be that first he came in the mornyng and the second tyme either at noone or about the sunne set Manoah asked VVhether he were the manne whiche spake with hys wife whiche thing wheÌ„ he affirmed vnto hym he sayde Let thy sayinge come to passe It maye be an oration of one that wisheth as if he shoulde haue sayde I woulde to GOD it myght come to passe Or it may by supposition as if it shoulde haue bene sayd If it come to passe as thou haste sayde VVhat then shal be the iudgement of the child When he saith iudgement he asketh not Counsel of Astronomers which aunswere by the starres what shall come to passe of a childe He onely demaundeth what GOD had decreed of the childe Neither ought the decree of GOD wherof he inquireth to be referred vnto the merites of the child but onely vnto the mercye of GOD. For Mischpat is very well turned a decree for a decree is of mercye and not of merite The Aungell repeateth vnto hym all those thynges whiche he had before commaunded the woman to take heede of She maye not eate sayeth he of any thynge that commeth of the wyne grape Certaine wine â—rees beare not wine These woordes declare that there are also other kyndes of vynes out of whiche is not gathered wyne But when the Aungell sayeth Neyther shall she drynke wine nor stronge drinke hys aunswere
fayth do in vayne poure out theyr prayers What manner of one the publicane was when he prayed But if a man will obiecte the Publicane who being a sinner prayed vnto god and departed iustified I aunswere that that publicane was in suche sorte a sinner that yet when he prayed he was not without fayth yea rather he prayed with fayth otherwise god would not haue heard his prayers And vndoubtedly Iames doth right wel admonishe vs when he sayth Pray hauing faith In sum that sentence is firme and perfecte wherin it is sayde whatsoeuer is offred vnto God for a sacrifice the same is acceptable vnto him if faythe and iustification of him that offreth go before A verye subtile cauilacion Some do cauile of the fyrst acte of fayth whereby we begynne fyrst to assente vnto god and they doubt whither it be acceptable vnto god or no. Vndoubtedly before it he is an enemy which now beginneth to beleue Then say they if that fyrst consente be acceptable vnto God then accepteth he the gifte of an enemye But if it be not acceptable then it iustifieth not To this I aunswer two wayes Fyrst that men are not iustified of the worthinesse of the acte of fayth but of the firme promise of god which faith embraceth Farther when any man first assenteth and beleueth then is he first made of an enemy a friende and although before he was an enemy yet so sone as he beleueth he is made a friend and ceaseth to be an enemy Plato But that which we haue before concluded that he which offreth is more acceptable vnto God then the gift the Ethnikes also sawe For Plato in Alcibiade maketh mencion that the Athenienses vpon a time made war againste the Lacedemonians and when they were ouercome they sente messengers vnto Iupiter Ammon by whom they sayd that they marueiled for what cause where as they hadde offred so greate giftes vnto the Godes and theyr enemies on the contrary side sacrificed sparingly and sclenderly and yet had they the victorye ouer them Ammon aunswered that the gods more estemed the prayers of the Lacedemonians then the moste fatte sacrifices of the Athenienses For when they burnt Oxen vnto theyr Gods in the meane time they thought nothinge of theyr soules So in Homere Iupiter speaketh that the Gods are not moued with the smoke and smel of sacrifices when as they hated Priamus and the Troyanes Wherfore the Ethnikes vnderstoode that which the Papists at this day see not which thynke that theyr blinde sacrificer though he be neuer so vnpure and vngodly doth yet with his hands offer vp Christ vnto god the father Now let vs see the other argument of this woman God would neuer haue shewed vs these thinges if he woulde haue killed vs Forasmuche as hee is not wont to make hys enemies of his coūcel Thus the wife of Manoah comforteth her fearefull husband But this argument seemeth somewhat obscure when as Balaam althoughe he were vngodlye was not ignorante of the Councelles of GOD. Chryste also sayth Manye shall saye vnto mee in that daye haue wee not Prophesyed in thy name To these thynges I aunsweare that GOD didde not onelye foretell vnto them thynges that should come to passe for the deliuerye of the people but also of the childe whiche they should receaue and of his education Wherefore seying he vsed them as fellowe workemen it was a certayne argument that god had not appointed strayghteway to kyll them Neyther speaketh she here of eternall life but of this earthlye and corruptible life And the childe grew and his name was called Samson Hereby we know that Zorah was the name of the place where Samsons fathers was borne Samson This Hebrew word Shemesch signifieth the sunne being therefore so called as though he wer of the sunne but for what cause he was so called it is not known I meruaile that Iosephus interpreteth Sampson for stronge or mightye Iosephus vndoubtedly such an Etimology agreeth not with the Hebrew word But he oftentims goeth from the historye And in this place also he sayth that the woman prayed when as that is not founde in the text God blessed Samson That is bestowed and heaped benefites vpon hym The sprite of God That is the sprite of strength and mighte began to strengthen him In the host of Dan. The history speketh thus by reason of those times The tribe of Dan had not yet obteined possession in the land of promes but they wer in tents and fought against theyr enemyes R.D. Kimhi R.D. Kimhi sayth that they did thē besiege the city of Lais. Wherefore he being a younge man was together with thē in the hoste The Hebrew worde is Paam and it signifieth to be moued to be striken at certayne tymes not perpetually but by courses He being a yonge man was moued and waxed hote to fyght the more vehemently against his enemies And his impulsions bycause they were of God therefore are they ascribed vnto the spyrite But bicause wee are alreadye come vnto the ende of thys chapter before we enter into the next there are certayne thinges whych are to be marked Fyrst hereby we gather a most sure argumēt with how singuler a care god gouerneth his church For although the Iewes had greuously sinned yet had god a regard to theyr health sendeth thē a captain which should deliuer them foretelleth what things should come to pas least they should seme to haue happened by chaunce Farther he woulde haue the childe to be a Nazarite Outward thynges are not to be neglected and to haue his heare to grow and to abstaine from wine and stronge drinke Wherefore we are taught that these outward thinges are not vtterly vaine but may be applied vnto the glory of god Men are wont sometimes to say when they are admonished of outward thinges What doth god regard these thinges In dede we know also that in those thinges is no holinesse to be put Howebeit we muste take heede that both in liuinge and in apparell and in going also in all gesture and in habite we behaue our selues comely both before God and also before the churche not superstitiously but holily that our modesty may aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and his holy Gospel Farthermore let vs here consider that the wife helpeth the husband with her councell For although by the ordinarye lawe it is not lawfull for women to preach and teache in an assembly yet are they not so destitute of the gratious gifts of God but that they may instruct theyr husbands with good counsels ¶ Of the visions of Aungels THe nexte thinge is that I somewhat intreate of the visions of Aungels For as we haue now heard an Aungel appeared vnto Manoah and oftentimes in other places as the scriptures declare aungels haue bene sene of men But it may be demaunded howe they appeared whither with any bodye or els onely in phantasye And if it were with a bodye whither it were with theyr
asking counsell of the Lord pertayneth vnto vs. Why the Leuite aunswered in the name of Iehouah And in this Hystorye let vs consider as I haue before sayde that the Leuite aunswereth in the name of Iehouah that is of the Lord bycause he would signifie that he knewe well ynough that the Idole was nothyng I sayeth he aunswere in the name of the Lorde This sentence which R. Selemoh followeth seemeth plausible But to me it seemeth not so For I thinke that the younge man dyd it to get authoritye to his Religion For whiche cause he is the more grieuously to be accused for that he contaminated the name of GOD in applyeng it vnto an Idole He aunswereth your waye is in the sight of the Lorde that is God himselfe will go out before you and direct your iorney all thinges shall go well and prosperous with you when as God is with you and directeth you And so did it succede in very deede For they luckely spyed out all thynges the euent came to pas as they desired Wherfore it may well here be demaunded why God so prospered these euill workes Before I aunswere to thys question Our workes do not therfore please God bycause they haue good successe this I thinke good to put in by the waye that we ought not to take it for a sure token that our doynges do please GOD bycause sometymes they haue a prosperous successe otherwyse if we should measure thynges by the euent and successe we should allowe the wicked and most euil doers for as much as fortunate and prosperous thinges doo happen vnto them We should also prayse deuiners sorcerers southsayers and coniurers bicause they haue sometimes foretolde thinges that are true It is sometymes permitted vnto the deuill to deuine by them Let suche foretellynges be referred vnto the .13 chapter of Deuteronomye where it is thus written If a Prophet ryse vp among you or a dreamer of dreames and shall geue thee a signe or wonder and that whiche he hath foretolde thee come to passe Thou shalt not harkē vnto his voyce If he entise thee to Idolatry let hym be killed sayth he neither let hym be spared The Lord proueth his by the miracles of the vngodly Afterward is added a reason why God dealeth after this maner which thyng was at the begynnyng demaunded bycause sayth he the Lord proueth you whether ye loue him or not And therwith agreeth Paul in his .2 Epistle to the Thes the .2 chap. wher he entreateth of Antechrist His comming saith he shal be by the working of Sathan with power signes liyeng wonders withall deceatefulnes in those whiche perish bycause they receaued not the loue of the truth to that end they might be saued And therfore God shall send thē the efficacy of illusion that they should beleue lyes that all they should be iudged whiche haue not beleued the truth Wherfore althoughe we do see signes yet must we not straightwaye geue fayth vnto those by whom they are wrought but must diligently examine whether they attempt to teache any thyng contrary to the worde of God In the Papistical Masses marchādise of reliques were oftentymes wrought great miracles yet ought we not to beleue such superstitiōs to fall frō Christ the true worshipping of god How miracles profite for saluation God suffreth this kind of miracles to be wrought that ingrate men those which haue forgotten their God should be deceaued be taken as it were by these nettes that the godly should become the more vigilāt better Neither ar these things spokē to despise al miracles For they which are done in a true cause for sound doctrine are certaine praises of god trumpets of the truth But cōtrarily they which vnder the pretēce of miracles do with drawe men from the worshipping of GOD we ought to counte them cursed thoughe they worke neuer so great miracles 7 Then the fyue men went and came to Lais and sawe the people whiche were in it dwelling carelesly after the manner of the Sydonians quiet and sure And for that there was no mā in the land whiche made them ashamed in any thyng nor whiche by the inheritance receaued the kingdome and for that they were farre from the Sidonians neither had they any busines with other men 8 So they came agayne vnto theyr brethren in Zora and Esthoall and their brethren sayd What haue ye done 9 And they sayd Arise that we may go vp vnto them For we haue sene the lande and beholde it is very good and do ye sit stil Be not slouthfull to go to enter and possesse the land 10 When ye shall enter ye shal enter into a careles people farther the coūtrey is large in roome for god hath geuen it into your hāds a place whiche wanteth nothing that groweth in the earth 11 Thē there departed thēce of the family of the Danites frō Zorah frō Eshtaol sixe hundreth mē appoynted with instrumētes of warre 12 And they went vp pitched in Kiriah iearim in Iudah Wherfore they called that place Mahaneh dan vnto this day and it is behind Kiriah-iearim 13 And they went thence vnto mount Ephraim and came to the house of Michah 14 Then answered the fiue men that went to spye out the countrey of Laish and sayd vnto their brethren Knowe ye not that there are in these houses an Ephod and Theraphim and a grauen and molten Image Now therfore consider what ye haue to do 15 And they turned thetherward and came to the house of the yong man the Leuite whiche was in the house of Michah and saluted hym peaceably 16 And the sixe hundreth men appoynted with their weapons of warre whiche were of the children of Dan stoode by the enteryng of the gate 17 Then the fiue men that went to spye out the lande went in thether and tooke the grauen Image and the Ephod and the Theraphim and the molten Image and the Priest stoode in the entrynge of the gate with the sixe hundreth men that were appoynted with weapons of warre 18 And the other went into Michahs house and fet the grauen Image the Ephod and the Theraphim the molten Image Then sayd the Priest vnto them What do ye 19 And they aunswered him holde thy peace laye thyne hande vpon thy mouth and come with vs to be our father and Priest Whether is it better thou shouldest be a Priest vnto the house of one mā or that thou shouldest be a Priest vnto a tribe to a familye in Israel 20 And the Priestes hearte was glad and he tooke the Ephod and the Theraphim and the grauen Image and went in the middest of the people 21 And they turned and departed and put the children and the cattell and the substaunce before them The City of Lais is in the booke of Iosuah called Lesem And they saw the people dwelling in security This worde people is in this place ioyned with an adiectiue