commaundements extant in the lawe of God But there is another vocation priuate whereby euerie one of the faithful is appointed to his owne proper degrée Euery man in the Church hath some priuate function office state and function For there is none founde in the Church of Christ that is not placed in some particular calling To the first 1. Cor. 16. 15. 17 These things being now determined let vs confute their Argumentes First as touching Stephana and his fellowes wée therefore saie that they ordained themselues bicause they offered themselues to the holie ministerie of their owne accord and chose to themselues this kinde of life the which is both troublesome and laborious And this exposition doeth Chrysostome followe Neither doe we so vnderstande those things that be spoken as though they despised the laying on of handes and the custome of right due ordering Nor doe I doubt but that either Paul or Apollo did lawfullie ordaine these men and admitted them vnto the holie ministerie That which Peter saieth is true To the second 1. Pet. 2. 9. Exod. 19. 6 that we by Christ are made both a kingdome and priesthood And the same sentence we reade in Exodus vttered according to this sense vnto the Israelites that God of his bountifulnesse promoted the Nation of the Iewes vnto excellent honours that in their common weale they might haue kinglie honour and Priesthood In what maner we be all partakers of the kingdome and priesthood whereby their affaires both in Religion and ciuill state might be in good case The verie which thing Christ hath bestowed vpon vs Christians séeing we haue euen himselfe in the Church to be both King and Priest But hereof we must not conclude that eche one priuate man either then among the Hebrewes or nowe among vs might vse these functions at his owne pleasure but it sufficeth that euerie one be partaker of those functions bicause although these things be not exercised by all men yet doe they profite all men We might also vnderstand that we are all spirituallie both kings and Priests For they which be regenerated by Christ doe as Priests offer vnto God Praiers and giuing of thankes Almes mortification of the flesh and other sacrifices of this kinde They be also kings bicause they are not subiected vnto naughtie affections but doe raigne ouer them Wherefore this place nothing at all serueth the Anabaptistes Further we graunt To the third Iohn 20. 23. Mat. 16. 19. that the keies are giuen vnto the whole Church but yet least a confusion should happen it is méete that some should be chosen among all which should vse the keies the vse of which maie redound vnto all that beléeue in Christ To the fourth Rom. 12. 6. 1. Cor. 12. 4. Ephe. 4. 11. That there should be Rulers of the Church Paul hath admonished more than once and Christ hath not forbidden it who when he gaue commandement that we should not be called Maisters and Rabbi he repressed ambition Math. 23. 8 and would that none of vs should hunt after these things but he forbad not that wée should haue in honour and honorablie count them whom the Lord hath set ouer vs Nay rather Paul wrote vnto Timothie that he was appointed to be the Maister of the Gentils 18 As to brotherlie correction and housholders which instruct their familie and also of them which were restored vnto health by Christ and finallie of Martyrs which confessed Christ before the tribunall seats of the Iudges To the fifth sixth seueÌ„th and eight we thinke it must be answered all after one manner bicause these things pertaine vnto the generall vocation which consisteth in the commaundements of God For the Lord commaunded Math. 18. 15. Deut. 67. Titus 2. That we should correct our brother that parents should instruct their familie and that those which had receiued benefite should be of a thankefull minde vnto their benefactors and that they shoulde not suffer the benefites which they haue receiued of God to lie hidden but should publish them whereby the Author maie be the more glorified Moreouer we are commanded not onelie To beleeue Rom. 10. 10. but also to confesse with the mouth So as the Martyrs were bounde by duetie when they were examined by the Iudges to confesse Christ openlie otherwise they had denied him To the ninth Iud. 4. 4. Exod. 15. 20. 2. Kings 22. 14. As touching the holie women and other Prophets which exercised the ministerie without attending till they were called those wée saie had extraordinarie vocations the Church either béeing as yet not planted or else so fallen to decaie as it might not otherwise be repaired And as concerning Paul when he saith To the tenth 1. Cor. 14. 30. that hee that prophesieth ought to giue place if it shal be reueiled vnto an other We haue spoken at large before and nowe we brieflie answere that then the giftes of the holie Ghost flourished by myracle neither ought it to haue bin extinguished or hindered but rightlie ordered But now the matter is otherwise There is some one man which preacheth and he commeth instructed and prepared to teach Wherefore he must not rashlie be interrupted by others Howbeit if there shall be anie among the number of the faithfull to whom it maie séeme otherwise and that hath better perceiued the matter whereof the other intreated if we will conforme the Church vnto the decrée of the Apostle as much as our state wherein we haue no myracles wil suffer hée shal not bée despised in respect that he is a laie man or vnlearned but ought to be had in conuenient maner place and time Nor shall this bée to attribute vnto him the publike function of the ministerie To the eleâ—…th Furthermore that which they last of al affirme earnestly that to iudge is more than to speake is not true For there be fewe that can speake verie well of which talkers neuerthelesse there bée infinite that can iudge especiallie as touching the principall and generall pointes of Religion Againe wée affirme not that all which stand by can iudge aught of those things that be spoken when as notwithstanding they do al iudge Besides this the iudgement is not pronouÌ„ced according to the opinion of all but according to theÌ„ which determin most soundly In 1. Cor. 25. vers 9. The example of Paul must not teach vs to chose â—l men to be ministers in the Church 1. Tim. 3. 5 6. Rules in elections set downe vnto Timothie to be kept 19 But the election of Paul and such other ought not to moue vs but that in choosing the Ministers of the Church we must followe the doctrine of the same Apostle taught vs in the Epistle vnto Tymothie where he wil that those which bée nouices in religion shoulde not bée chosen but they which haue a good testimonie But it must be considered that the rules discribed vnto Timothie were giuen vnto men from
from it 3 155 b 156 a The lawe is not idle no not after it 2 300 a The order thereof in mans reason howe it behoueth to bee 1 16 b The promise concerning the same is not conditionall 3 136 b Howe often it is taken holde of 3 136 a Life and it are so ioyned that oftentimes one is taken for another 3 130 b Whether it may be separated from faith 3 131 ab 132 ab Whether it be ascribed to the sacramentes 3 157 b 158 a Howe diuerslie the fathers vnderstoode it 3 158 a Who they be that cast away the grace thereof 3 160 a Why the fathers attribute it to charitie onely 3 159 a Whether a man being iustified can doubt thereof 3 135 a The effects of charitie doe followe it 3 237 b Whether it be an effect of faith 3 136 b Whether it depend of attrition 3 214 b 215 ab In whome properly it consisteth 3 124 b 125 a It dependeth not of baptisme 4 136 b 137 a What faith bringeth it 3 57 b Predestination confirmeth the doctrine thereof 3 3 b Howe it is referred to Christes resurrection 2 610 a Wherein it séemeth to be declared 2 609 b It dependeth not of mans will 3 28 b Of two inwarde motions thereof 3 124 a One manner thereof in the time of the lawe and the Gospell 2 586 ab Why God woulde that it shoulde come by faith 3 96 a It is shewed by reason that it is of faith not of charitie 3 137 a Whether it bee giuen vs by the promise 3 145 b 146 a Whether in anie respect it depende vppon man 3 123 b 124 a Whether charitie do worke it 3 77 b Whether it be denied to bee only as touching the ceremonies of the lawe 3 103 ab 104 ab 105 ab Vnto whome Paul wrote the doctrine thereof 3 108 a Whether it be by workes 3 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 106. 107. Attributed by sâ—me both to workes morally good and superstitious 3 102 b Whether it may concurre with workes 3 156 b Howe it is graunted vnto workes 3 147a Goodly works a let or impediment thereunto 1 95 ab Of workes preparatorie thereunto and in whome they bée 2 264 b Howe it would follow that it shoulde come by workes 3 14 b What the Fathers say thereof giuen fréely 3 119 b 120 a.b By faith onelie was proper to the fathers in the law aswel as to vs. 2 584 a It doeth consist of grace not of workes 1 145 b The Pelagian heresie touching iustification without grace 3 107 a Howe Pighius vnderstandeth frée iustification 3 147 b Vnto what thinges hee ascribeth it 3 138 b Howe he prooueth that it is had of loue 3 138 b Smith denieth it by faith 3 147 b 148 a Aristotle vnderstoode not nor beléeued the iustificatioÌ„ through Christ mentioned in scriptures 1 132 ab The difference and order of diuine and humane or Ciuil iustification 2 303 a The iustification of the publicane was not in workes but in prayer 2 266 ab Proofes of Cornelius his iustification when hee prayed 2 260 a The causes and effectes thereof 2 259 ab The doctrine of iustification is the principall point of all godlines 3 93 b 94 a Ke. Keyes What the Keyes of the Church bée 4 108 a 297. 2 a 636 a 3 116 b Diuerslie interpreted 3 218 a Looke Church Ki. Kings Kinges be the heades of common weales 4 35 b Whether they may be deposed by a Bishoppe in a case of offence 4 232 ab Whether they or Bishoppes are superiour 4 22â—b 230 a Why they be consecrated â—y Bishoppes 4 623 b How God reigneth together with the good 4 35 a After what sort the bad must bee obeyed 4 3â— b In what manner we bee all Kings and Priestes 4 12 ab Kingdome terrestiall The Papistes make a diuision of a Kingdome into two partes 4 23â— b The Kingdome was not giuen to Saul by the same couenaunt that it was vnto Dauid and why 1 209 b Two causes why Saul was cast out and Dauid surrogated in his roume 2 209 b Of restoring the Kingdom of Dauid 1 608 b Of the Kingdome of the Iewes and Gods kingdome 3 161 b 162 a Why in olde time the Kingdome and priesthood were committed to one man 4 327 b Kingdomes Whether Empires and Kingdomes are of God 4 228 a Why God by his prouidence transferreth them from nation to nation 2 264a Vnto whome the distribution of them belongeth 4 305 a By what meanes God giueth them 4 306 a What is meant by the distribution of them by Lot 4 305b The cause of their alterations 4 227 b 228 a The Prophets may be a certeine occasion not a cause of the ouerthrowe of Kingdomes 4 237 ab Kingdome of Christ and God Prophesies of Christs Kingdom 2 596 b 597 ab 3 397 a Diuerse errours touching the same in this life 3 396 a Of the Millenaru 3 358 a Whether it shall haue an ende 2 607 a What is meant by his deliuering vp of the same to his father 2 607 a That when it shal be fulfilled the ministeries of Angels and labours of celestiall bodies shall cease and why they now moue 1 120a Who seeke the Kingdome of God 2 598 ab Kingdome of heauen What the Kingdome of heauen signifieth preached by Christ 3 203 b Vnder the name thereof the Church is vnderstood 3 392 a Kinred A definition of Kinred declaring what it is 2 453 a Within what degrees thereof marriage may not be made 447. 448. 449. 450. 451. 452. 453. ¶ Looke Marriage Kisse Of the Kisse of peace and the originall thereof 4 218 b Kn. Knowe How we may Knowe God by the workemanship of the worlde 1 16 a We may Knowe him thrée maner of wayes 1 16 a Two wayes naturally 1 10 b Knowledge physicall Wherein opinion and Knowledge do differ 2 296 a It is either reuealed or gotten by endeuour studie 2 300 b Of certeine affects which follow the Knowledge either of euill or good 2 411 a It breedeth vnquietnesse prooued 1 168 b Wherein the power thereof consisteth 3 137 a Whether the bodie be troublesome thereunto 3 316 b 317 a We are led to the Knowledge of causes by their effects 1 47 a The Knowledge of things commeth partly by causes and partly by effects 3 75 b How particular things ouercom a general Knowledge 3 70 b 71 a Of a Knowledge that may séeme both true and false 3 73 b Of the Knowledge of things to come and to whome the same is graunted 1 81 b Of the Knowledge which spirites haue 1 81 b The Knowledge of the principall end is profitable 1 9 a Our naturall knowledge corrupted 3 166 a Of certeine things which cannot bee gathered thereby 1 17 a The pride of Philosophers noted therein 1 2 a They hid that which they had of God 1 11 a How Philosophie and diuinitie do varie concerning
that he would giue those things when he is well pleased and mercifull but he is not well pleased vnlesse it be for Christ his sake for which cause there is no perfect benefit of GOD bestowed vpon vs that hath not his rooting in Christ One and the same league is of the old and new testament To conclude we must wholie affirme that one and the same couenant betwéene God and man is both of the old and new testament in the which God promised that he would be their God and they should be his people This couenant they in the old testament no lesse had than we in the new testament haue And Paule in the eleuenth chapter vnto the Romans verse 16 c describeth that couenant to be as a plant or trée whereof as well the Iewes as the Christians be branches and boughes And therfore he saith If some of the branches were broken off and thou being but a wild oliue tree wast graffed in their place and made partaker of the root and fat of the oliue tree c. Wherefore the trée is all one the stocke all one the plant all one that beareth vs and them But herein is the difference that we be branches graffed in whereas they are naturall Bréeflie what difference soeuer is betwéene ech testament that dooth euerie whit consist not in the substance of the couenant but in the accidents For the principall point of the old couenant was that the true God would be indéed our God Afterward there were other promises adioined namelie of the kingdome in the stocke of Dauid of the possession of the land of Chanaan of the outward priesthood also commandements touching ceremonies and iudgements But those leaues of ceremonies the flowers of the kingdome and the barke of the priesthood are now taken awaie by Christ who was expressed in them verse 7. as in the ninth chapter to the Hebrues it is diligentlie considered where it is declared that it was requisite for the high priest euerie yéere once to enter by bloud into the holiest place In the which custome the death of Christ was shadowed who by himselfe and not by the bloud of another entred into the true and proper holie places Ibidem 24. So as the apostle calleth all that stage of ceremonies and sacrifices the paterne of Christ bicause according as the time required they shaped out Christ to the Iewes After the same maner he speaketh in that epistle of the land of promise Ibidem 4 verse 3 c. This daie saith he if ye shall heare his voice harden not your harts as in the time of bitternesse in the daie of temptation in the wildernesse 28 Of this matter the old prophets After what maner the prophets applied their doctrine to Christ being not ignorant doo so intreat of things in their time as they applie the greatest part of their doctrine vnto Christ and therefore doo séeme somtimes to write more magnificallie than the things which they treat of do require And a man might easilie iudge that the euent of things In 1. Cor. 10 vers 3. otherwhiles answered not to their saiengs In the prophet Zacharie GOD promiseth Zach. 2 5. that he would be a firie wall vnto the citie of Ierusalem which thing neuer came to passe after the restitution of the temple But a little after the Iewes were so in a maner destroied by the Macedonians as they were scarselie euer in more lamentable case Psa 72 ver 9 10 11. In the 72. psalme is conteined this prophesie of the kingdome of Salomon All kings shall fall downe before him and all nations shall doo him seruice and in the name of him all people shal be blessed These things neuer happened vnto Salomon neither can they be anie other waie vnderstood but of Christ Also Esaie saith Esaie 2 4. 11 6. that So great should the peace bee that men would conuert speares into spades and that the wolfe and lambe should couch togither Which saiengs being referred vnto those times be altogither excessiue spéeches but they doo verie well and properlie agrée vnto Christ Wherefore none may iustlie complaine if these and such like things be wrested by vs vnto Christ séeing this is the iust and true interpretation of the scriptures Neither are these kind of oracles lesse agréeable vnto Christ than vnto those times of which they séemed to be written And least that anie man should thinke that onelie the apostles or euangelists dare make this exposition let him ponder that the Chaldaean interpretor did the verie same thing who sheweth that by the words of the prophetisse The horne of his Christ shall bee exalted is ment Messias The other Rabbins of the Hebrues also doo applie not onelie that place but also manie other vnto Messias especiallie those that were more ancient than the apostles and euangelists vnto whome it was sufficient to shew onelie a reason how that manie acts and saiengs in the old testament were referred vnto Christ thinking it néedelesse to go through with euerie thing Luke 1 69. Zacharie also the father of Iohn Baptist sufficientlie sawe and testified that this is the true and naturall exposition of the old testament when in his song he saith He hath raised vp an horne of saluation in the house of his seruant Dauid as he spake by the mouth of his holie prophets euen since the world began Now at the length saith he God stirred vp the horne so long looked for in the house of Dauid which he therefore saith bicause Christ deriued his petegrée from the familie of Dauid When the horne of Christ shall be exalted 1. Cor. 15 25. But when shall this horne be raised vp Certeinlie it is euen now alreadie lifted vp bicause Christ dooth presentlie also reigne at the right hand of his father But he shall then at the length be euidentlie magnificallie aduanced when hee shall iudge the whole world and shall deliuer the kingdome to God the father when as all things shal be put vnder his feete For as saith the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 10 13. All things are not yet subdued vnto him but they shall then be subdued In Gen. 27. verse 28. Why heauenlie good things are shadowed by temporall when as death the last enimie shal be destroied 29 Wherefore vnder temporall blessings was comprehended the summe of all felicitie that godlie men are to wait for by Christ and it is after that sort described bicause it must be expressed forsomuch as it is promised vnto vs. But there lacke words for that séeing it cannot be perceiued by mans vnderstanding there is no word properlie attributed to expresse the same Neither is the power of mans words such as it can be able to expresse those diuine and celestiall things Yet to the intent we might be stirred vp to desire the same the holie Ghost hath of his mercie prouided to haue it set foorth
wee admit the sentence of the Apostle to bée true adding neuerthelesse that the same is not generall in that it belongeth to things indifferent Albeit in those things which are of necessitie to be kept it cannot take place But and if those things which GOD hath commaunded maie sometimes in mans iudgement séeme to be euill it is not in our power to eschue that shewe of euill but we ought in any wise to doe that which is commaunded by God It was a shewe of euill for a man to be willing to kill his owne sonne to carie away goods foorth of Egypt by fraude to disobey Antiochus that commaunded to eate swines flesh and not to doe that which the Romane Caesars commaunded whereupon the Christians were euerie where accused of sedition but those things that we haue mentioned were so necessary to saluation as the shewe of euill was nothing there to bée passed of So likewise séeing that vnto the high priest by his office belonged the reformation of things fallen in decay there was no cause why he should staÌ„d in feare of this shew of euil He was not occupied in an indiffereÌ„t but in a necessarie matter Whereas it was afterward alleaged that hée might séeme to haue doone these things for his owne commoditie that vnder pretence of protectorship of the child he him selfe would beare rule vntill Ioas had come to full age is but vaine since that he ruled in déede the childs age as a good tutor but the kingdome was gouerned by the Counsell and iudgement of the Senate not by the iudgement of one high Priest And straightway the matter was discouered For he claimed not the kingdome for himselfe or for his owne house but for him to whom in right it belonged So then the Assamonites sinned verie much not in déede in that respect that they fought with strange nations for setting their religion and Countrie at libertie but because they did rather claime the kingdome to themselues than to the tribe of Iuda and familie of Dauid whereunto of right it belonged Wherefore the rest of the nobilitie being negligent the care of restoring the kingdome turned to the high Priest himself which if he tooke vpon him in respect of his office he is to be praised not reprooued 16 Besides there was obiected as touching the place because he séemed to open the Temple vnto slaughters and effusion of mans bloud which was not conuenient for the holinesse thereof the same being appointed for sacrifices Hereunto we answere that Athalia had the Tyrannicall gouernment in her handes they could not easilie goe to the vsuall place of assembly in Mispah where the people were woont to méete together at other times in the more daungerous cases as is manifest out of the Booke of Iudges and first Booke of Samuel Wherefore a place fit and frée from suspitions was chosen But and if that Iehoiada would haue dealt by open force ciuill warre might easilie haue bin stirred vp and the Citizens haue bent themselues one against another for Athalia also had her fauourers neither was she vtterly voide of Souldiers To this ende therefore that the king which laie hid in the Temple might the easilier bee brought foorth from thence and also be annointed by the Priests and be defended from violent assaultes by any munition of some close building there could not bee perceiued a more conuenient place than the Temple But as concerning slaughters and effusion of humaine bloud these things made not so great a matter as is woont to bee made of superstitious men God ordained in the lawe as it is in Deuteronomie that whosoeuer vnwittingly or vnwillingly had killed any man he might repaire to Cities of refuge But if a man had aduisedly and of set purpose committed murther him saieth God plucke thou away euen from mine Altar 1. kings 2. 3. 4. And when Ioab would not depart from thence Salomon commaunded that he should be slaine there neither did he feare to violate the Tabernacle of God 1. kings 1. 51. But thou wilt say he spared Adonias when for the same cause he fled thither I graunt but yet he did it not because he thought that if he were slaine there the Tabernacle should therefore be polluted but he did it either for that he had not vtterly cast awaie all hope of his amendment or else because he was not guiltie as Ioab was of two murthers and and those most vniust Therefore at such time as the Temple might be spared they did the same gladly but when the wicked could not elsewhere be suppressed they feared not to slaie them euen in the Temple when as the slaying of them shoulde be a certaine kinde of sacrifice not vngratefull to God In 2. kings 11. p. 280. Whether it be lawful for Ecclesiastical men to deale in martial affaires 17 Lastly it remaineth to sée whether it beséemed the high Priest Leuites to take armes vpon them yea and whether it bée méete for Ecclesiasticall men in generall to deale in martiall affaires after the example of Ioiada and his fellowes That this may be the better declared I thinke it best to shew the difference betwéene the state or condition of the olde testament and the newe As touching them in olde time I haue no doubt but that it was lawfull for them For the Leuiticall tribe was not altogether exempted from Ciuill gouernment nay rather to them were committed the iudgements not onelie of Ecclesiastical but also of Ciuill affaires Furthermore the administration of sacrifices and sacraments was not so greatlie frequented because the sacrifices were made onelie in one place that is in Salomons temple And whereas they were 24. as wel of the Leuites as priests they scarsely once or twise in the yeare or litle more ministred these holie things so as they had leasure both to exercise iudgements and ciuill affaires And this also may be declared by manie examples When the Israelites iournied through the wildernesse the Leuites also had their tents and went forward armed with others of their brethren Besides this Moses brought foorth the Leuites from one gate of the Campe vnto an other Exo. 32. 27. who with their naked swords slue the Idolaters which they met sparing neither brethren nor kinsmen nor aliance vnto whom at the length Moses said Ye haue consecrated your hands Banaias also the sonne of Ioâ—adâ— 3. kings 2. 35. 1. Sam. Cap. 1. c. notwithstanding he was a priest was made ruler ouer the host of Salomon Eâ—i was the high Priest who neuerthelesse had the principalitie ouer the people and iudged Israell manie yéeres Which thing also Samuel did being a Leuite who was present in the warres and slue Agag the King of Amalecke 1. kings 15. â—… The Assamonites likewise which were of the stocke of the Priesthood fought against the Macedonians were present at many battailes But why in times past both the principalitie and Priesthood were ioyned together Why in old
time the kingdome and priesthoode were cōmitted to one man this may be declared the cause namely that in those persons Christ was shadowed to whom was due both the true Priesthood and soueraine kingdome But after his comming vpon the earth we haue no other Priest but himselfe our onely mediatour and redéemer Vndoubtedly those ministers of the Church which are instituted by him The office of the ministers of Christ are appointed to preache the Gospell of the sonne of God and to administer the sacraments Wherefore it is méete that they shoulde abstaine themselues from outward principalitie and administration of ciuill affaires since they haue bin so instructed by Christ For he said vnto his Apostles Mat. 20. 25 The Princes of the nations haue dominion ouer them but it shall not be so among you And being required by a certaine man to commaunde his brother to diuide the heritage with him saide Luk. 12. 13. Who hath made mee a iudge ouer you shewing that it agréed not with his vocation while he remained vpon the earth to haue authoritie to diuide heritages And after the same maner ought ministers to iudge themselues to bée sent euen as he was sent from the father Ioh. 20. 21. Moreouer Paul informing his Timothie and instructing him as touching the holy ministerie saieth 2. Tim. 2. 4. No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life Where he vseth an argument of comparison to wit from the lesser to the greater Euen as if he should say If it be not lawful for them which are bounde by the othe of warfare to take vpon them other businesse or trades of life much lesse ought they which are bounde to the holie ministerie intermeddle themselues with other charges For their vocation requireth the whole man because they must not onely twise or thrise in the yéere execute their office but it is necessarie that as the Apostle hath warned they preache the Gospell and earnestly apply themselues to reading and doctrine both in season and out of season 2. Tim. 4. 2 18 Howbeit it must be vnderstood that Armes is not vtterlie taken away from the Ministers of the Church because so it may otherwhile befall as it shall be lawfull for them to exercise the same For if in a desert place anie of them should be set vppon by murtherers wherein they cannot implore the ayde and helpe of the Magistrate it should be lawfull for him to repell violence by violence to vse weapons if they should come to hand strokes by making as they terme it a blamelesse defence For he that is so inuaded is not in that place a priuate person but is armed by the Magistrate and by iust and publike receaued lawes For neither the lawes nor yet a iust Magistrate would that their Citizens should rashlie perish Wherefore in that case they giue leaue to vse weapons God also by his lawes would that if théeues came armed to anie house in the night season if they were killed by the owner of the house that fact was not punishable because they were iudged to haue come not onely to robbe but also to murther and God decréed no vniust thing Séeing therefore that the Ministers not onelie doe seruice to the Church but be also subiectes of a Citie and partes of the Commonweale they ought not to be depriued of the priuileges which other Cities inioy especiallie when as by the vse of them they are not reuoked from the holie Ministerie Also it may so happen that there shal be so great scarcitie of men in a Towne When ministers may doe the part of souldiers as without helpe of the Ministers the walles or gates might not be defended nor the enemie repulsed in that case they are not let nay rather they are bound and that iustlie to helpe their countrie being in danger But if such or the like necessitie doe not vrge I thinke it not the part of a godlie Magistrate to compell them vnto warrefare because they cannot with a safe conscience leaue their vocation neither can they execute the same together with the exercise of warre But yet I deny not but that it may be lawfull for a short time and when necessitie vrgeth That the ministers of the word ought to be in the camp to exhort the souldiers Neither yet doe I deny but that he may be in the Camps to preach vnto the souldiers yea rather I doe counsell that this be diligentlie doone for in the place there is most néed of the word of God aswel for reproouing of the euill actes which cōmonlie depend vpon warres as also to incourage the mindes of thē that fight Forsomuch as God himselfe made the lawe as it is in Deut. that the priestes should come foorth into the Campe for to put the souldiers in remembrance of the promises of God Deut. 20. 2. But yet notwithstanding these exceptions the Pope and Bishops of our times are not excused when they proclaime and make warres yea rather they set princes together at variance neither doe they thinke themselues to liue well and quietlie vnlesse that slaughter sworde and warre rage in euerie place Of the induring of Tyrannie by godlie men In Gen. 34 19 Tyrant hath the name of the Gréeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word Tyrant is taken both in good part and in bad which is to rule or haue soueraintie And that word sometimes we interpret in good part and sometimes in bad In good part in Virgill Some peace shall I haue which haue touched the Tyrantes hand But in the songes of Horace the 3. booke Acron expounding that particle Latè Tyranni saith that Tyrant signifieth a cruel man a mightie man and a Lorde And while it is drawen into the ill part it is thus defined That it is he which beareth rule against right honestie lawes This doubtlesse may be doone two manner of wayes either by inuading vniustlie or by ruling the dominion naughtilie Wherefore such a wicked prince must godly men suffer Godlie men must suffer the rule of Tyrants séeing they be priuate persons and haue no authoritie ouer him Neither is it their part seditiouslie to mooue warre against him Paul saith Rom. 13. 1. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for whatsoeuer powers there be they be ordained of God and they which resist power get vnto themselues damnation And let vs reason thus Those things which God will take away frō his by other meanes and instruments let vs beare it with no lesse patience if he take them away by Tyrantes And what godlie man will not abide diseases stormes and losses of which sort Iob suffered diuers Without doubt we must assure our selues that euen these thinges are no lesse doone by God through Tyrantes than by those other meanes 20 But he 〈◊〉 some man will say An obiection If this reason take place it shall neuer be lawfull for me by helpe
the Romane Antichrist which might haue letted is taken away And to speake of our students in Oxford we haue here many noble wittes and such as be exercised in no meane learnings many Colledges are builded which be well indued wherein meate drinke and things necessarie for scholers are prouided so that they want nothing to a happie state Al which commodities being neglected and contemned the house of God lyeth fallen downe flat Thirdly the Iewes were hindered from building of the Temple by the lets and threatenings of the Princes néere adioyning as we may gather out of the bookes of Esdras Nehemias The Thathanai the Tharpelai Stharbusanai others partly Samaritans partly Idumeans did perpetually resist them that builded 1. Esd 4. 5. and wrote against them to the king of Persians In like maner of Christ the feare of the Romanes was a hinderaunce that he could not be receiued of the Iewes for the high Priests feared least they and all that they had should perish if they receiued an other king besides Caesar And our people doe at this day say that the Gospell must not bee receiued because that Fraunce being so great a kingdome doeth resist it Spaine consenteth not vnto it Italie repugneth against it and will we alone be wiser than all Christendome besides But O my brethren if this were a good reason it shoulde haue behooued the Apostles to cease from preaching for the whole world spake against them The Ethnicks no doubt confessed God to be the Lorde of heauen but they committed Idolatrie with the Idols and Images receiued of their Fathers The Iewes contended that their fathers lawes were to be retained and would not suffer that the Lawes of Moses should be changed Since the Apostles were assured of the matter they contemned the iudgement of the world and it is not méete that Religion should be subiect to the slaunders of men and to haue her confirmation by the consent of mans reason Otherwise if this Argument were of any great force wée might bid Christ farewell since a great part of the world doe at this day resist him The Turkish vncleannesse at this day occupieth many regions infinite is the heape of the Iewes the Epicures Atheistes are without number therefore we which worship after a right maner are alwayes but a small weake companie Fourthly the Prophet remembreth our cause when the building of the Iewish Temple should he differred namely because euery mā regarded his owne houses decked them and seeled them as also because they were occupied in those thinges that were their owne proper but the house of GOD was neglected In like manner the Scribes and high Priests of the Iewes because they would haue their owne place and their owne honour saued reiected Christ who was nowe come After the selfe same manner doe ours thinke if the Gospel shall be published there will be a consideration had of discipline it shall not be lawfull for euerie man to doe what he list and they which shall be founde méete and apt for teaching shall be thrust foorth into labour vnto the flockes which be destitute of Masters and teachers shall their pastors be restored which are so farre off and haue béene so long from them some meane and measure would be appointed of pleasures delightes riches pryde pompe and idlenesse These thinges doe they ponder which are affected to their owne commodities and doe wholy giue themselues to pleasures Then doe they incline to their owne wit They say that the time of building is not yet come and when there can bee no other reason pretended they take holde of this which is dayly spoken eueriewhere that in very déede the séeking is not to restore Religion but that this is the onely indeuour of noble men to make a spoile of the Ecclesiasticall goods An ill cogitatiō doubtlesse an vngodly counsell and I would neuer say it were well doone that those things which were appoynted for maintenance of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie shoulde be conuerted to other vses Howbeit we must not thinke it a méete cause to flie from the vocation laide vppon vs because the Church goods and riches are diminished for it were great shame that godlinesse wherein standeth the chéefe stay of mans saluation should depend of the things of this world What else is this than to preferre riches before Christ and that wée will not receiue him vnlesse he come loaden with gold siluer If we were wise we shuld say with Iob The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away as it hath pleased the Lord euen so is it done The counsels of God beléeue me are great déepes vnsearchable perhaps he hateth these riches as goods ill gotten Mich. 1. 7. Micheas the Prophet saith They are of the hire of an harlot and to an harlots hire shall they be returned againe It hath béene thought that the Masse is of great moment to saluation and hence haue sprung so many Altars and béene made so many foundations It was beléeued a great while that by masses the soules of the deade are redéemed from the paines of Purgatorie for which cause they which would haue their parents or friends to be deliuered from the torments of Purgatorie did excéedinglie enrich the Church Wherefore since in oblations the Lord doth chiefely consider the will purpose and ende it displeased him that men shoulde be so deceaued as to thinke that whatsoeuer they themselues should offer vnto God were it lawfull or vnlawfull should be acceptable vnto him since in all our actions God hath a regarde how right and syncere a faith wée haue But yet I woulde not haue it to be thought that I speake this as though I maintained the spoile and auarice of some onely this I admonish and haue regarde vnto that our minds be not so offended by these spoyles that either we shoulde flie from the ministerie or doubt but that they be doone by the great wisedome of God He promised to his Apostles that there should neuer be anie want to them which labour in the Gospell Heauen and earth shall perish before any iot of the promises of God shal be left vnperformed What should we feare Christ hath opened vnto vs the barnes houses and treasuries of al rich men yea and of al the world For of him it is saide He that leaueth father or mother house or land for my sake and for the Gospell shall receiue a hundreth folde in this life and euerlasting felicitie in the worlde to come When the good man of the house thrusteth foorth laborers into his vineyeard he forsaketh them not but rewardeth them with a pennie a day and that so liberally as he withdraweth not the same from them that labour least which rewarde if thou interpret Eternall life I denie it not but I thinke it may be gathered He vouchsafeth heauenly rewardes to his seruaunts Neither will he take away from them that be of little faith the small helps of this
plainelie that the diuell cannot knowe mans cogitations For they call God The knower of harts and saie that He alone is the searcher of the harts reines Psal 7 11. And they adde that None knoweth the secrets of man 1. Cor. 2 11. but the spirit of man that is within him and that The spirit searcheth out euen the deepe mysteries of God Séeing onlie God and man can sée mans hart the diuell must néeds be excluded And Salomon in the second booke of Chronicles the sixt chap. in those solemne praiers verse 30. which he made after the finishing of the temple speaketh thus vnto God Thou onlie ô Lord knowest the thoughts of mans heart As if he had said No man no angels nor any other thing created And Ieremie Ierem. 17 9. Peruerse saith he and very deepe is the hart of man who is able to search the bottome thereof And of the person of God he addeth I am God which searcheth the heart and reines Further God will not worke togither with the diuell so that the diuell also should be able to sée the cogitations and minds of men And this is thought of some to be doone through the mercie of God For if he could looke into the secret counsels of our harts he would tempt vs much more vehementlie The author of the book De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis affirmeth for certeintie Augustine De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis that the diuell cannot knowe the thoughts of men And Ierom vpon the ninth chapter of Matthew expounding these words verse 4. And Iesus perceiuing their thoughts by this saith he it is euident inough that Christ is God séeing he can reach euen vnto the harts of men By signes therefore and outward tokens the diuell maie gesse what we cast in our minds but to what end and purpose and what we thinke he cannot for certeintie vnderstand And out of doubt if he were sure of the faith constancie of holie men he would neuer tempt them least he should be shamefullie reiected as it fell out in Iob. 19 Touching the knowledge which the diuell hath By what meanes the spirits can giue answers we haue spoken sufficientlie Now we must sée by what meanes he is able to declare those things which he foreséeth will com to passe there be diuers waies therof For he hath oracles fore-speakings dreams superstitions working by circles and pricks in the earth diuinations on the water necromancie lots soothsaiengs by birds beasts and a number such like And these things he sheweth vnto men for no other end but to obteine of them some offering seruice Which thing Seneca not vnderstanding in the fourth booke of his naturall questions iesteth at certeine things which séeme to serue for our purpose For he saith that Among the Cleons there was a custome that when they which were the obseruers of the comming of haile had perceiued by some cloud that haile was readie to fall vpon their vines they should diligentlie warne the people of the same now they fled neither to cloke nor couer but to sacrifice For they which were of some welth killed either a cocke or a white lambe those of the poorer sort which had neither cock nor lambe vsed violence on themselues with a very sharp pointed knife let themselues blood out of the thumb as though forsooth saith Seneca that sillie little bloud could rech vnto the clouds These are his words but as I saie he vnderstood not the ambition of euill spirits 20 Now we must consider of the power of spirits as touching those works Of the power and strength of spirits which séeme to be aboue nature Some iest at all this matter and thinke that nothing at all can be doone either by magicians or by spirits And of this mind is Plinie in the thirtie book of his naturall historie and the first chapter for he saith That art magike is vaine and vncerteine that It is found by most euident reasons that all art magike is vaine and hath neither any certeintie nor soundnes For he sheweth that Nero being a prince as he gaue himselfe to the studie of singing and ruling of chariots so he was desirous of art magike and that he wanted neither wit nor power nor instructor For that Tyridatis the king of Armenia receiued his kingdome from him and by his commandement brought verie learned magicians out of the east that Nero also as he was very diligent suffered himselfe to be instructed but that at the length all came to nothing And this also may be said of Iulian the apostata for after that he had begun to giue himselfe vnto magicians all things began to fall to ruine If these so great princes and as it were rulers of the world could bring nothing to passe what may we gesse of other men And yet the diuels must néeds haue obeied these two men most of all for they were the most malicious enimies of christian religion But howsoeuer it be there is no doubt but the diuels can doo manie things howbeit whie they would doo nothing for Nero and Iulians sake God onlie knoweth For he will not haue the diuell to doo more than he himselfe permitteth and willeth him to doo for the strength of spirits and their power of working dependeth no lesse vpon God than dooth their knowledge 21 But that magicians can doo much That magicians can doo manie things it is prooued by the scripture Exo. 22 18. Gen. 20 6. and 27 Deut. 18 10. it may be prooued out of Gods lawe For in the 42. chapter of Exodus the 20. of Leuiticus in the 18. of Deuteronomie it is commanded that The magicians soothsaiers and witches should be punished with extreamitie The same thing also is decréed by mans lawe For there is a caueat in the twelue tables that none should charme other mens fruits Whereof Plinie likewise maketh mention and so dooth Seneca in his booke of naturall questions But lawes are not made but of things that be and doo vsuallie come to passe In the code De maleficis mathematicis there be many lawes extant concerning this thing and especiallie the lawe of Constantius who without doubt was fellowe in the empire with Iulianus peraduenture his naughtines for it is certeine that Iulian attributed much to such follies was touched in those lawes wherin it is thus decréed If anie magician shall repaire to another mans house let him be burned he that brought him thither let him be banished into the ylands let them be striken with the sword let them be cast vnto the wild beasts they being such as will disturbe mankind In the decrées caus 26. quest 5. beginning Nihil aliud agitur among the Extrauagants there is a speciall title of sorcerers so manie lawes should neuer haue béene made vnlesse it had béene knowen for certeintie that magicians and witches are able to doo somewhat And Dauid in the 58. psalme verse 5.
forget them now receiue counsels now reiect them what within a while we decréed we ouerthrowe what a little before pleased vs is now earnestlie refused These things Eustratius considering with himselfe and perceiuing the cause of alteration of all these things to be deriued from the bodie saith that Our soule when it is ioined with it is as if it should be let downe into a water troubled and most swiftlie running whose whirlepooles our mind is so far vnable to resist as it is rather most vehementlie drawne by them By which saieng we may perceiue the great infirmitie of mans mind wherewith he is so holden as he is not able to rule the violent course of worldlie alterations Aristotle indéed might haue named the variable and inconstant state as well of the bodie as of the mind but he set foorth that manifold diuersitie of things which is perpetuallie séene in outward things And that the thing which he said might be the more plaine he shewed an example verie well knowne euen vnto children which had hard the fables of the Poets namelie Priamus the most rich king of Asia who had abundance of posteritie as he that was father of fiftie children whereof seuentéene were borne to him of lawfull wiues he had great store of fréends he was famous in warfare But the more that fortune flattered him continuallie all his life long The miserable fall of Priamus the more did she at the end of his life take all things most miserablie from him Wherefore iustlie and for good cause doth Aristotle demand whether anie man is to be counted happie while he liueth And this may be called a question as touching the time for he had before inquired of the causes of blessednes and afterward he disputed of the matter the subiect or persons which should be capable thereof and now he searcheth out at what time a man may be blessed or so called Whether saith he shall this be attributed vnto him while he liueth or after his death The question hath two parts and Aristotle treateth of either part In the first place he dealeth with their opinion which would haue vs to expect vntill the time of death bicause that opinion is false neither doth he followe the same and he alwaies placeth the false things before the true that those being confuted that which is true may be the better confirmed The opinion séemes to be prooued by the authoritie of Solon who was both one of the seuen wise men of all Greece and also a famous lawmaker for he said That none is blessed or ought so to be called before his death This sentence was spoken by him vnto the king of the Lydians whose name was Croesus who outragiouslie boasting of his substance riches The speech that was betweene Cresus and Solon power of his kingdome pleasures and other good things which he enioied And dooest not thou saith he count me happie In speaking héereof he séemed to glorie ouer the philosophers who with their doctrines and sciences in some maner of sort were in néed whereas he hauing no philosophie séemed vnto himselfe to be full fraught with felicitie Solon hearing these words repressed with a wise answere the insolencie of the proud king No man saith he is happie before his death admonishing him in a frée philosophicall maner that by ill fortune all those things might be easilie taken from him in such wise that notwithstanding so great things he might be cast downe to extreame calamitie Wherein he was not deceiued for Croesus being ouercome by Cyrus he sawe all that euer he had quite ouerthrowne This sentence of this Philosopher did Ouid thus expresse Of euerie man we must expect the last and fatall day Nor anie person happie call till time of death we may Solons saieng examined 2 The saieng of Solon may be vnderstood two manner of waies The first sense is that it should be ment of the thing it selfe and should be signified that no man is blessed before death but that now at length after death men be called happie In this respect first this sentence is reprooued as absurd and most repugnant to the definition alledged of felicitie For if felicitie be an action and that a perfect action it ought not to be giuen to the dead who since they haue no longer being are able to doo nothing This is a speciall place to testifie that Aristotle thought the soule to be mortall for if it remaine safe after death assuredlie it can worke and that much more readilie than being ioined with the bodie Wherefore he should neither rightlie nor orderlie withdrawe action from it as he dooth when he bringeth foorth such a reason as cannot be firme vnlesse it shall be granted that they which depart doo nothing He séemeth to saie that this would be so absurd as the selfe-same men at one and the selfe-same time both doo and not doo If they shall be counted happie then they doo but if they be dead they doo not Neither is it conuenient that they which be not happie should be called happie I know indéed that some so defend Aristotle that he speaketh in this place of ciuill felicitie such as is not to be expected of vs in an other life But what felicitie soeuer it be whether ciuill or perfect and eternall it must néeds be an action Besides if he had iudged rightlie he might in one word haue signified the same by testifieng that there is an other felicitie to be looked for after this life of which he did not presentlie speake Againe when he sheweth a little after that thedead as yet are subiect vnto good and euill he turneth all his disputation to the good and euill things of this life Thus did not Plato speake in his last booke of the common-weale where he sheweth that then chéeflie doo remaine pure and happie actions for vs when we be called awaie from this life And in his booke of the immortalitie of the soule he appointeth philosophie to be a sound and sincere meditation of death namelie that we should alwaies séeke to remooue the mind frō the bodie the plucking awaie whereof from the senses we shall then at the last atteine when we shall be departed from hence But Aristotle so far as I know neuer spake one word of the blessednes thereof The other sense of Solon Aristotle sheweth for he saith If we shall saie that he which is dead is not blessed séeing now he hath no being and is dead then will some man in defense of Solon make exception to this that we saie This was not Solons meaning in his sentence For he will grant thus much that a man is happie in verie déed euen while he liueth here but that he ought not to be pronounced happie of vs til he be dead bicause then in very truth a man may safelie say it when he is now out of dangers euils There is a difference betwéene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
they becam idolaters but yet he left the kingdome whole vnto them But it was in the hand of God to punish Saule after what maner he would neither was the kingdome giuen to Saule by the same couenant that it was vnto Dauid For when Ieroboam did inuade Iuda with foure hundred thousand soldiers Abias the king of Iuda ascended vnto a hill made an oration vnto the ten tribes 2. Parali 13. Doo ye not knowe saith he that God gaue the kingdome vnto Dauid with a couenant of salt Salt dooth not putrifie nor suffereth corruption further it was vsed in sacrifices One thing therein signified that couenant made with Dauid neuer to be violated another thing that the same was confirmed in a maner by sacrifice and so now to become an holie thing He did not so promise the kingdome vnto Saule for if he had promised it it could not haue béene taken from him Wherefore although God had decréed these things as touching Saule and Dauid yet Saule sinned through originals in himselfe and of his owne accord But if thou haue a respect vnto the foreknowledge of God some necessitie indéed is in it but yet as they saie by supposition onelie for the fore-knowledge of God cannot be deceiued But yet God interrupteth not the course of things but suffereth that whatsoeuer is doone is doon naturallie and of his owne accord 6 But come we néerer He would haue established thy kingdome for euer How Bicause he would haue ordeined by an euerlasting decrée that his kingdome should haue abidden with his posteritie for euer and so this power shall stand in the decrée of God Ouer this so far as concerneth the nature of Saule God might haue established vnto him the kingdome for euer which we perceiue was doone in other kings whom God cast not out when they had sinned But there is another solution far more easie to saie that these things were spoken after the maner of men for men are woont to saie that some thing is doone or may be doone when it appéereth to be doone or séemeth that it may be doone For so Christ speaketh when he saith Reioise and be glad Matt. 5. 1◠bicause your names be written in heauen and yet in the meane time Iudas was there the seuentie disciples were there who afterward departed from Christ How then were their names written in heauen Bicause so they séemed to be and of those principles they had now a beginning So it is written in the Apocalypse Apoc. 3 18. Hold thy place least another receiue thy crowne How was that a crowne which might be forgon Bicause vnto men so it séemed to be and bicause they vsed those outward meanes whereby we come vnto the crowne For the crowne is either of predestination and that is certeine and cannot bée lost or else of inchoation or else bicause so it may séeme to be and that may be preuented Of the crowne which may séme to be thus Christ speaketh Matt. 25 29 From him that hath not shall be taken awaie euen that which he seemeth to haue He saith not That which he hath but onlie that which he seemeth to haue And of inchoation it is written to the Hebrues Hebr. 6 5. They which where once lightened and haue tasted the good word of God c those men as touching these meanes séeme to haue the crowne but if they fall awaie saith Paule they cannot be renewed Ibidem So the kingdome of Saule might haue béene established for euer bicause it had that beginning and those meanes by which a kingdome might haue béene reteined So Matthias was substitute in the place of Iudas Seth in the place of Abel the Gentils in the place of the Iewes So Iob saith in the 24. chapter Iob. 24 24. God shall consume manie and mightie nations and shall set others in their places So when the angels fell men succéeded in their place And in the prophet Ieremie Ierem. 18 8. the sense of this place is this If I shall pronounce euill as touching anie nation and that nation shall repent I also will repent me of all the euill which I was purposed to doo The promise made to Saule as touching the kingdome had a condition wherevnto when he stood not the kingdome by good right was taken from him Of Temptation In Gen. 22 at the end Looke In Iudg. ver 19. 7 The etymologie of the word commeth of the Hebrue word Nas which is A signe or token for Nasa which signifieth To tempt is then certeinlie doone when we would knowe anie thing by some certeine signe or token the Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Experience A definition of temptation Let vs define it Temptation is a thorough search for getting out the knowledge of an vnknowne thing The formall cause is action the end knowledge of manie things doubtles of mans owne selfe of weakenes or strength of Gods diuine goodnesse or wrath But knowledge is not the principall end bicause in godlie men the end is oftentimes that they may vanquish and be crowned or if they be fallen they being raised vp againe by the helpe of God may be humbled and become more diligent in the seruice and religion of God The matter wherein it is is our mind and it is conuersant about all vices the which as to their owne head are reduced to infidelitie The efficient cause thereof no doubt is the flesh the world and the diuell But the controuersie is as touching God whether it may be ascribed vnto him 8 This dooth Iames séeme to denie when he saith Iam. 1 13. that Euerie man is tempted by his owne proper concupiscence and the GOD is no tempter of euill things And Paule séemeth to consent thervnto at the leastwise that all temptations procéed not of God for he saith that he with temptations maketh a waie to get out But there be manie temptations wherein poore soules be catched neither is there anie waie for them to escape yea rather they perish in them Besides this we cannot perceiue by anie reason how it coms to passe that God can punish sinnes yet by tempting is become an author of them But all this notwithstanding we must leane surelie to the holie scriptures which euerie where ascribe temptation vnto God In the eight of Deuteronomie thou readest Deut. 8 2. that God tempted the children of Israel in the desert that he might knowe whether they would kéepe his commandements or no in which place thou hast the end of temptation In the psalme Dauid praieth that The Lord would tempt him Psal 26 2. Iob was tempted God deliuering him vnto sathan In the first of Samuel thou findest that the wicked spirit inuaded Saule 1. Sa. 18 10. and mooued him to depart from God And Dauid in the second of Samuel 2. Sam. 24 4 was stirred vp by sathan to number the people but in the 21. of Chronicles it
to haue no sinnes But we which say that they are altogither sins do teach that indéed they be not imputed vnto eternall death but yet that they be charged sometimes with certeine punishments to the intent it may be perceiued that they displease God But neither dooth that exposition of Augustine sufficientlie concurre with the meaning of Ezechiel for the prophet saith that It shall not so come to passe afterward that the children should saie that they suffer temporall punishments such as was exile and captiuitie for their parents sakes For the Lord saith The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of his father Wherefore it auaileth these men nothing at all when they saie that this is true concerning spirituall punishments and in eternall damnation for the prophet speaketh most plainelie of bodilie punishments of this life There was another interpretation of Augustine In Enchiridio ad Laurentium chapter 46. that this sentence was a prophesie concerning the benefit which Christ would bestowe vpon vs for séeing that by his death satisfaction is made euen for originall sinne the prophet saith Hereafter the sonne shall not beare the sinne of his father but of his owne And it séemeth that Augustine was led to this opinion bicause when as Ieremie in the 31. chapter dooth write in a maner the same thing there is straitwaie added a promise of the new testament Behold saith he the daies shall come that I will make a new couenant with the house of Iuda But it may séeme that this sense neither agréeth with the prophets meaning which we recited before Moreouer notwithstanding that Christ suffered at a certeine time By the vertue of Christs death children in the old testament were saued yet by the vertue and grace of his death the children also in the old testament were saued What néed was it therefore to saie Hereafter it shall not so be séeing vndoubtedlie it was not so before Besides this they also which be strangers vnto Christ doo beare their owne iniquitie neither doo they suffer punishment for the offenses of others but for their owne We say therefore that the sentence of the prophet is generallie true that all whether they be children or of ripe age as well of the old testament as of the new doo euerie one beare their owne iniquitie For all those which be borne haue sinne and corruption in themselues for which they should be punished so then this sentence confirmeth our opinion so far is it off that the same can be alledged against vs. But it maketh verie much against Pighius for he decréed that the children doo beare the sinnes of the parents when as otherwise he saith that they be cleane and are borne without sinne The Iewes vaunted that they were innocents that the torments which they abode were for their parents sakes for they sinned and not themselues But God saith that there should from thence foorth be no place for that prouerbe for he would declare by the prophet a plentifull illumination which should be of the holie spirit in the new testament for that his iudgements be not such as he will punish anie innocent person for the sinne of another And so he saith not that it should hencefoorth not be so as though it had béene so at anie time before but this he saith that it should not afterward happen for them to frequent such a prouerbe in their mouth when they had once knowledge of the truth 37 But the lawe séemeth to be against this exposition for therein God saith Exod. 20 5. that He will visit the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation These things appéere to haue but small concord both that God dooth auenge the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children and also that the children doo not beare the sinnes of their parents To satisfie this obiection first I will expound the words of the lawe for so we shall vnderstand that betwéene the prophet and the lawe there is no contrarietie Some there be which refer this sentence of the lawe vnto the mercie of God How God dooth punish the iniquities of parents in their children and some vnto his seueritie and iustice They which thinke that the mercie of God is cōmended by these words saie that God is so good and gratious as he will not straitwaie destroie man when he sinneth but he will rather expect his repentance And so sometimes when he spareth the father which offendeth yet he punisheth the sonne sometime when he forbeareth both the father and the sonne yet he punisheth the sonnes child and somtime he deferreth the punishment vnto the fourth generation Which we sée was doone in Iehu the king of Samaria 2. kin 15 12. An example in Iehu for whereas he had gréeuouslie sinned yet God did not béereaue his posteritie of the kingdome vntill the fourth generation was past Wherefore by these words séemeth to be declared the goodnes of God which so long restraineth his wrath neither dooth he immediatelie powre out the same But others there be which thinke that the goodnesse of God is declared séeing it is said that He will doo well vnto those that loue him vnto a thousand generations But contrariwise that his seueritie iustice may be knowne it is added that he will persecute sinnes not onelie against those which haue sinned Exod. 17 8. 1. Sam. 15 2. An example in the Amalekits but vpon their children and childrens children also euen vnto the fourth generation Which they suppose may be declared by examples for Amaleke did infest and vexe the children of Israel with manie euils while they wandered through the wildernesse and a long space after his posteritie was afflicted by the Israelites and so afflicted as at the last God commanded Saule to destroie them vtterlie euen vnto the last man Also Iehezi the seruant of Elizaeus Iehezi the seruant of Elizeus 2. Kin 4 27. bicause he had receiued monie in his maisters name of Naaman the Syrian both he himselfe was striken with a leprosie and all his posteritie euer after him Both of these two opinions be godlie and may be confirmed by examples yet the latter dooth rather séeme to agrée with the text But in what sort God dooth persecute the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation the lawe it selfe dooth sufficientlie declare for it is added Of them that hate me They that suffer for their fathers sinnes be also haters of God Two kinds of hating of God Whereby it appéereth that no other children shall beare the offenses of their forefathers but such as shall be like vnto them And it is to be noted that To hate God is two maner of waies taken either in act as they speake which is onelie proper to them of ripe age or else by an inclination and corruption alreadie conceiued by nature and this taketh place in infants 38 But some man will obiect If we vnderstand
Iehouah séeing they confessed him to be their guide out of the land of Aegypt Onlie this was their intent to worship him vnder some signe or visible forme and they chose that forme wherein they had séene the Aegyptians worship their GOD. So the Ethniks testified The manner of the Ethniks in their idolatrie that they worshipped one God the chéefe author of all things whom they fashioned to themselues in diuers and sundrie shapes For in Pallas they said was signified his wisdome in Mars his strength and power and in Iupiter his iustice and goodnesse Wherefore rites and ceremonies are not to be estéemed according to the counsell and will of men King 12 26. The purpose of Ieroboam No otherwise must we thinke to haue happened of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat for he professed that he would not leade the people from worshiping of the true God but bicause he stood in feare of his kingdome and sawe that it might soone come to passe that if his people should often go to the temple of Ierusalem they would fall from him returne to the familie of Dauid he said therefore What the Hebrues sought when they made themselues a golden calf that to worship the true God they néeded neither the temple of Ierusalem nor yet the arke of the couenant Forsomuch as the same God Iehouah as he was represented to the Iewes in the wodden arke and temple of Salomon in like maner might he be expressed in the signes of golden calues so as the worshiping which they should performe at Ierusalem they might commodiouslie celebrate to Iehouah in Bethel and Dan. No other thing therfore did this man but that he obtruded an outward worke which he inuented altogither without the word of GOD as if it had béene a worship of God but this word being wanting all that he did was méere superstition and idolatrie Tyrants therfore and princes when they compell men to corrupted customs although they professe they doo it vpon a good intent as they terme it and howsoeuer they pretend some certeine beginning of anciencie are not to be hard Ephe. 5 11. Paule in this maner admonisheth the Ephesians Haue no fellowship with their vnfruitfull woorks but reprooue them He called them their works for they could not be called the works of God in so much as they disagrée verie much from his word What we must doo when superstitions are obtruded vnto vs. 22 But what is then to be done when they are thrust vpon vs We ought to reproue them and with great libertie when néed requireth to reprehend them But that is dangerous saie they we shall loose our goods and dignities we shall be put to death I grant that But none of vs hath vpon this condition receiued christianitie that his life goods and dignities should remaine safe vnto himselfe Yea Christ hath by expresse words testified vnto euerie one of vs Except you renounce all that ye haue Act. 10 37. and 16 24. and take vp your crosse and followe me ye cannot be my disciples And vnlesse you loose your soules ye can not possesse them After this sort must we frame our selues The answer of Cyprian Cyprian as Augustine reporteth when he was led to execution the president being desirous that he might escape said vnto him Now I giue thée space to deliberat to choose which thou wilt whether thou wilt be thus miserablie executed or obeie and so be dismissed The man of God answered In a thing so holie deliberation hath no place They which are not affected with this mind but are ouer carefull least their life and goods should perish such doo easilie defile themselues with Masses vnpure superstitions and for the same cause suffer most gréeuous punishments First trulie their conscience dooth miserablie wrest them secondlie the light of the truth which before was kindled in their minds is by little and little extinguished Further they excéedinglie delight themselues oftentimes in that dissimulation so farre off are they from repentance thereof Yea and they go about to persuade the same vnto others and those which will not obeie their admonitions they begin to hate And lastlie as much as in them lieth they stirre vp against them the wrath forces and power of tyrants and worldlie potentates Such a most vnhappie end of manie of them my selfe haue séene 23 But while they dissemble on this sort thus they vse to defend themselues We doo not this saie they from the hart Outward actions be a certeine shew of confession we onelie behaue our selues so in bodie and outward gesture But whie consider they not that outward actions be a certeine shew of confession And as it is not lawfull for the toong to disagrée with the hart in profession of faith religion so whatsoeuer is outwardlie doone in diuine ceremonies ought to agrée with the same profession Adde thervnto this saieng of Paule Rom. 10 10 With the hart we beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation Mark 8 38. Christ also said Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me before men I will also be ashamed of him before my Father Furthermore I would haue these men to knowe that the same is no perfect and true faith which breaketh not out into actions agréeable vnto it Moreouer our Sauiour who most earnestlie sought the glorie of his Father after he had purged the temple of buiers and sellers said Iohn 2 17. The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp But these fellowes shew foorth no following of that godlinesse and faith which they crake that they haue inclosed vp in their hart Neither doo they remember that euen as the inward worshipping of GOD is found to be that whereby we rightlie and reuerentlie iudge of him so the outward worshipping of him is that wherein we honor him aright and as he hath prescribed Idolatrie is of two sorts And that idolatrie likewise is of two sorts for one is whereby in our hart we faine by euill opinion such a god as we list our selues an other is whereby we transferre the outward worship not onelie vnto creatures and idols but also we pollute the same with our owne lies and inuentions We retaine in our hart saie they the right opinion Grant it be so but yet the bodie is abandoned to idols and to the diuell But Paule sheweth that Your bodie is the member of Christ 1. Cor. 6 15. whie doo you then take it and giue it vnto an harlot But they affirme that Paule wrote that touching fornication I knowe that But the prophets in the meane time teach vs that idolatrie is the fowlest fornication of all other for Ieremie Ezechiel and other holie prophets Iere. 3 6. Ezec. 6 13. so inuesh against the Iewes and their church as they resemble the same to an harlot which vnder euerie gréene trée hath laid open hir selfe vnto idols and prophane worshippings Furthermore how vaine
abiding may couragiouslie defend the glorie of God But alas we sée verie manie dukes earles and princes which if the king or emperor would take from them their dominions they would not leaue a stone vnmooued to defend and kéepe their own There would they with all their force resist their higher powers for this cause and vnder this title that they would vniustlie depriue them of their owne But when the kingdome of God godlinesse and true religion are assailed by them and that these inferiour powers are required as ministers to prepare themselues to be present and helpe to the ouerthrow of these things they dare not speake or resist anie thing at all Wherby we can thinke nothing else but that they haue but small loue to the kingdome of Christ and true religion 45 Now remaineth An answer to the arguments put forth at the first that we answer vnto those arguments which were obiected at the beginning where it séemed to be prooued that conuersation togither with the infidels is lawfull Christ was alledged which kept companie with Pharisies sinners and Publicans Matt. 9 10. Howbeit he was not onelie constant and wise but was the head of all wise and constant persons and was in such sort able to profit euill men 1. Cor. 7 12 as their naughtinesse could nothing at all hurt him Wherefore they which are constant and learned may lawfullie as we haue taught be conuersant with infidels to the end they maie thereby further them to saluation Secondlie Paule was brought foorth who forbad that a faithfull husband or wife shuld not depart from an vnbeléeuing husband or wife so that he or she were content to dwell togither Vnto the second We also shewed that naturall and ciuill friendships especiallie such as are instituted by God should be kept still And yet must not that which the apostle hath there said be vnderstood absolutelie as it séemeth there to be spoken For if the vnfaithfull husband should entise his wife being a christian vnto vngodlinesse or would not cease to blaspheme Christ such a matrimonie ought not to continue Further there was rehearsed the sentence of the same apostle to the Corinthians namelie that all couetous persons 1. Cor. 5 10 droonkards and whooremongers are not to be auoided for then we should be gone out of the world but he said that those onlie were to be eschewed To the third which were accounted brethren And touching this purpose of Paule we must diligentlie note that he perceiued verie well that the necessities of life could not suffer that all those which beléeued not in Christ at that time should be shunned for the greatest part of men at the beginging were farre from Christ Neither could the infidels haue become better if our men had separated themselues altogither from them But according to the mind of the apostle the corrupt brethren would be striken with sorrowe and shame when they should perceiue themselues for their sinnes sake to be abandoned of those to whom before they had béene so familiar and déere that they were ioined to them as members of one bodie Besides when this discipline floorished the church was not ill spoken of for the offenses of brethren which would otherwise haue béene if they had winked at wicked acts Wherefore these saiengs are nothing at all against that case which we before determined To the fourth Gen. 12 1. And much lesse that which was alledged of Abraham how he iornied as a stranger among Ethniks and idolaters first bicause he did it by the calling of God Gen. 13 1. secondlie for that he was of so great staiednesse and wisedome so as he could be conuersant among the vngodlie without anie hurt to himselfe and with great fruit to them For whither so euer he went he carried about with him the religion and worship of God Gen. 13 12. Vnto the fift Of Lot We may answer the same also of Lot If he went vnto the fiue cities with a good mind namelie to teach the Sodomits godlinesse and the right waie he did well but if he went thither being mooued onelie with the commoditie of the place he did not well And assuredlie his going thither had but ill successe for he was led awaie captiue and Abraham was faine to redéeme him And when afterward those places were set on fire by the power of God he was compelled to remooue from thence whether he would or no. I néed not speake much at this time concerning Naaman the Syrian 2. King 6 18 Looke part 3. pla 11. art 9. Luke 8 38. for I haue before treated of him and will againe And I thinke it is manifest inough withall what was the cause whie some of them which were healed by Christ were sent home to their owne families namelie to the intent they should preach and faithfullie declare vnto them what had happened vnto them selues Of the Iewes Looke part 2. pla 16. art 31. 46 Now there remaineth to speake somewhat particularlie of Iewes and Heretikes for this kind of men are suffered almost in all cities prouinces and kingdomes and they dwell togither with Christians Why the Iewes should be suffered Augustine Augustine among others bringeth certeine reasons He De ciuitate Dei the fourth booke the 18. chapter as also vpon the 58. psalme and in other places writeth that Therefore they be suffered bicause they before other men had the promise of saluation neither are they past all hope séeing that some of them manie times although few in number doo returne vnto Christ Rom. 11 25. Blindnesse saith Paule vnto the Romans fell partlie vpon Israel as though he would saie Not vpon all And to this the same apostle addeth Ibid. 25 26. When the fulnes of the Gentiles is come in then all Israel shal be saued And least peraduenture thou shouldest thinke that these words are spoken allegoricallie Paul writeth them as a mysterie And to prooue his saieng he bringeth the prophesie of Esaie the prophet to wit Ibidem that The iniquitie shall be then taken awaie from Iacob Furthermore they be now called enimies vnto God for our sakes but friends in respect of their fathers The same Augustine in his questions vpon the gospell the second booke and 33. question if those be Augustines bookes when he interpreteth the parable of the prodigall sonne he saith Luk. 15 11. that That sonne doth betoken the Gentils For it is written that he departed into a far countrie bicause the Ethniks were so far departed from God as they worshipped idols publikelie and in open profession But the elder sonne vnder whom is shadowed the Hebrue people went not so farre off And although he were not within his fathers house which is the church yet neuerthelesse he abode in the field For the Iewes are occupied in the holie scriptures which they vnderstand not rightlie nor with such spirituall sense as the church of Christ dooth knowe them but
to vse this method that first we consider as touching the originall and beginning of images afterward of the vse of them whether it be lawfull last of all if they haue anie vse whether they ought to be suffered in temples and holie assemblies Looke In Rom. 1 23 after the words Who is blessed c. In 1. Cor. 8 4. As concerning the name among the Hebrues an image is called Temuna Tselem and as some will Teraphim of the Gréeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Latins Imagines signa that is Images and pictures Thus much of the words But as touching the thing we must vnderstand that the thing signified by the image is no absolute thing but must be placed in those things which haue relation to another For euerie image is the image of some thing euen as the likenes is called the likenesse of another thing And those things which be compared either in quantitie or qualitie haue relation one to another And the things which be compared togither in quantitie be either equall or greater or lesser and in qualitie they are reckoned like vnlike and diuerse Séeing therefore that an image is counted as I haue said among those things which haue relation one to another it is among the number of those which apperteine vnto qualitie for it expresseth the lineaments figures and colours and such other like of a liuing creature And therefore we may thus define the same The definition of an image An image is a certeine similitude whereby some thing is represented vnto vs which may be discerned with the eies And this I therefore saie bicause we may as well read as heare manie things alike which properlie be not called images The matter of images The matter of images is not all one for sometimes they be made of stone of wood metall plaister claie and such other like And sundrie artificers doo make them of that matter which they haue in hand the potter of claie the carpenter of timber the mason of stone the founders of metall brasse siluer and gold the painters also of their colours And we must not passe it ouer that idols also are images Tertullian wherof Tertullian wrote an elegant booke which he intituled De idololatria and he examining the word idoll deriued it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a likenesse image or forme whervpon commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be called a little forme The forme The forme of images is the view of a similitude wherein some thing is expressed so as it may be perceiued of the beholders The end whereto images are The end séemeth to be delight for Aristotle in his Rhetorikes among other things which bréed pleasure reckoneth imitation where an image séemeth to be a certeine emulation of God For God created all things wherfore men being vnable to create the things themselues doo imitate the production of God when they make images of those things which he himselfe hath brought forth in nature Images also are made for adorning sake for they beautifie the places where they be put Furthermore they haue inuented them to the intent they might not suffer the remembrance of them which be absent or dead or of things doone to be extinguished Also they haue béene deuised for honour sake for if a man had well deserued of the Common-weale images were erected to him So did Cicero counsell that there should be an image set vp vnto Seruius Sulpitius which died in his embassage And there haue béene some among them in old time which would not onlie haue others but also themselues to be worshipped with images Dan. 2 1. For Nabuchad-nezar king of the Chaldaeans cōmanded that within his owne kingdome himselfe should be honoured by an image of gold And among the princes of the Romanes Caius Caligula would be expressed by imags with this inscription being added Caius Caligula Caesar a god And such an image he indeuoured to bring into the temple of Ierusalem wherevpon there arose verie great troubles seditions and tumults in Iudaea The which thing Nero afterward would haue to be doone and for that cause the Hebrues reuolted from the people of Rome whereof appéereth that images were also translated to the seruice of God Neither did there want some which erected images to the affects or appetites wherewith they were corrupted The droonkards caried about the banners of Bacchus the lasciuious people of Venus the gréedie and couetous of Pluto the manquellers of Mars to prosecute euerie one it would be too long Let the reader search for this in Tertullian in his booke De idololatria But the honester sort of men did frame images of vertue and honour sometimes also they erected the images of the elders to the intent that men might be stirred vp to imitate their forefathers of which matter Salust wrote in the prolog of his historie of Iugurth 2 Séeing we haue said inough touching the end The efficient cause of images it remaineth that we examine the efficient cause of images Artificers indéed were authors of them and surelie cunning workemen Wherfore from them they receiued their estimation for the honour of images consisteth not of the matter séeing they may be made vnhandsomlie euen of gold Certeinlie all their honour is of the forme that in verie déed they may in perfect similitude finelie represent that thing which they betoken Iupiter Olympius obteined honor and estimation of Phydias and the picture of Alexander the great by Apelles euen as the well grauen pots of Alcimedontes and the instruments of Salomons house by Iramus that notable artificer To these things let vs ad 1. King 7 13 that our forefathers to bring the more estimation vnto their images fained them to haue fallen from heauen Wherefore the image of Pallas of old time was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie Fallen from Iupiter verse 34. Wherfore we read in the 19. of the Acts that the towne clarke of Ephesus said to the people Who knoweth not that ye be worshippers of the great goddesse Diana whose image came downe from heauen And it must not be omitted that séeing the ages in times past were verie rude the images at first were not orderlie perfectlie wrought as afterward they were The images in old time For of a long time men had vnwrought stones stocks and pillers in stéed of images Yea and in Rome at the first a speare was the ensigne of Mars afterward by little and little there succéeded more cunning artificers who so greatlie preuailed in the perfecting of art that as the poet wrote they drew liuelie countenances out of the marble stone Wherefore their images in old time were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Earthlie men bicause they séemed to be like vnto men Images were made so faire and beautifull that there were found which doted in loue towards them and as it were
mercie first The agreement and difference betweene mercie and Nemesis bicause that either of them both is an heauinesse secondlie for that each of them is stirred vp through an vnworthinesse of the thing Mercie bicause good men are gréeued and oppressed Nemesis bicause wicked men liue fortunatelie But héerein afterward they differ bicause Nemesis hath respect vnto prosperous fortune but mercie vnto sharpe fortune So that Nemesis is as it were a meane affect betwéene enuie and mercie for of either it séemeth to take somewhat of mercie it taketh vnworthinesse of enuie prosperitie which it hath a respect vnto And moreouer Aristotle Aristotle teacheth that none are affected with Nemesis for other mens vertues For if otherwise of vitious and corrupt men they become moderate strong and temperate men we disdaine it not bicause when they are adorned with vertues they are no longer counted wicked men But then at the last we are affected with Nemesis when vnto wicked men there come those good things wherwith we thinke that good men ought to be rewarded as are riches honors authoritie fauor and such like Neuerthelesse godlie men must deale prudentlie with this affect that when their minds are affected therewith bicause of the fortunate state of the vngodlie let vs haue a regard vnto God who is the true gouernor and distributor of all good things Wherefore if men should bestowe those outward good things vpon the vnworthie their vniustice might be iustlie reprooued Howbeit such a reprehension hath no place in GOD bicause he dooth all things most iustlie This when Dauid did not diligentlie consider he said My feet had well neere slipt Psal 73 2. As though he should haue said By reason of this Nemesis I had almost gréeuouslie fallen Wherfore we must sildome giue place to this affect least we séeme to reprehend the prouidence of GOD. 49 Mercie is an affect profitablie ingraffed in our minds by God In Iud. 1. 7. That mercie is a profitable affect whereby we are stirred vp to help and defend others But we must take héed that thereby we be not made so nice and effeminate as thorough the same we should commit anie thing against the cōmandements and will of God The holie scriptures reprehend Achab king of Samaria bicause he spared Benhadad king of Syria of whom he said 1. Kin. 20 42 If he be aliue he is my brother Also they condemne Saule by the mouth of the prophet Samuel 1. Sa. 15 29. bicause he saued Agag king of Amalech aliue And euen as it was said vnto another by the messenger of God Thy soule shall be for his soule so Saule being a little before placed by God in the kingdome was depriued thereof What shall we then doo Shall not sinnes be forgiuen Seneca in his second booke De clementia the sixt chapter Pardon saith he is a remission of punishment due whereby he is forgiuen which ought to haue béene punished And so he thinketh it is not a wise mans part to giue pardon bicause a wise man will neuer commit that which ought not to be doone or leaue anie thing vndoone which ought to be doone This reason of his séemeth to be good and effectuall enough yet least we should be deceiued thereby we must here make a profitable distinction of persons namelie of God of princes and of priuate men By whom punishments may be forgiuen and how far foorth No man ought to doubt but that God may forgiue whom he will since that he is not bound to anie other mans lawes Wherefore in forgiuing he is not said to remit that which ought to haue béene punished Besides this he hath not so forgiuen men their faults but that he hath punished them in his onelie begotten sonne Christ But we must otherwise thinke of the magistrate to whom it is not lawfull to forgiue the punishments of sinnes bicause he is commanded to giue iudgement according to the lawes to whom neuerthelesse it is commanded A measure for magistrats to punish by either to release or to aggrauate the punishments according to the weight or maner of the crimes So now when he that is guiltie is cureable and hath not gréeuouslie offended the magistrate is sometime content with an easier punishment and sometime he vseth a more sharpe reprehension or admonition and so he neuer leaueth sinnes vnpunished And euen he in punishing is not cruell naie he rather correcteth amendeth and healeth Which worke is both a iust and mercifull worke so farre is it off that it should be ascribed to seueritie or crueltie And this will I also adde by the waie which is written by the same Seneca that To haue manie executions is no lesse dishonourable to magistrates than manie funerals to Physicians But now concerning priuate men me thinketh it must be thus answered It is their dutie to forgiue iniuries doone to themselues Neither can Seneca his saieng take place in them namelie that a wise man will leaue nothing vndoone that ought to be doon bicause reuengement is forbidden them by the lawe of almightie God and they are commanded after a sort to punish such as sinne against them What reuenge priuate men must vse I meane in reproouing them And they are willed to be content with that punishment when those which haue offended them are amended and cured But contrariwise if they perceiue them to be stubborne they by the commandement of God ought to complaine to the church by whom at the last they are excluded vnlesse they will be obedient therevnto And when they are excluded out of the church they may also be accused to the magistrate wherein neuerthelesse there is not anie thing committed against clemencie for such is the mind and purpose of the accusers that by all meanes possible according to Gods commandement euill may be vtterlie taken awaie from among men Of Crueltie 50 And as concerning crueltie In Iud. 1. we may easilie gather by the punishment doone vnto Adonibezeck that too much crueltie displeaseth God and thereof I thinke it came to passe that as well by Gods lawes as mans lawes of those I meane which are accounted iust and honest there haue béene certeine punishments prescribed for crimes according to the gréeuousnesse of them to the intent that iudges might haue the lesse libertie to exercise crueltie Yea and lawiers haue added this rule that punishments should rather be diminished by iudges than augmented which neuerthelesse must be vnderstood so farre foorth as the nature of the fault and vtilitie of the Common-weale will suffer Which I therefore speake bicause otherwhile those conditions which commonlie they call circumstances doo make the crime so odious and horrible that the iudges must there of necessitie augment the punishment which hath béene prescribed by the lawes to the intent they may terrifie others frō so great detestable offenses And so Dauid 2. Sam. 12 5 when Nathan the prophet had set before him an execrable and horrible
For euen as those things which be sodden haue a pleasant taste so haue rawe things an vnpleasantnesse ioined with them togither with a certeine taste that is horrible Those be sauage and cruell which doo torment without a cause as though they were delited with the torments of other men euen as beasts that knowe not goodnesse and honestie but haue onelie respect vnto swéetnesse and commoditie either for that the sight of bloud is delitefull or else bicause they will be fed with flesh Now since crueltie consisteth in this that therein is a going beyond the measure of right reason let vs sée whether Dauid and others haue passed the bounds of reason Certes they followed a mediocritie and those things which they did belonged vnto punishing iustice for those were woorthie of the greatest punishments Dauid followed reason but yet a diuine reason the which reason alone is called good God stirred him vp vnto these things not without a cause And it was necessarie for him since he was a grand capteine to followe that reason which God had shewed vnto him 53 That the Ammonites were most wicked men we may knowe it by manie causes First of all they against the lawe of nations shamed the ambassadors of Dauid in cutting short their beards and garments They gaue an ill iudgement of the most godlie king Dauid namelie that he had sent that ambassage with a feigned hart not to comfort the sonne of the king of the Ammonites which was dead but to destroie him Againe when the head citie was besieged and that they had slaine Vrias and other valiant men they also vaunted against God This did Nathan declare 2. Sa. 12 14. Bicause thou hast prouoked mine enimies saith he to speake euill of me the child which is borne of thee shall be slaine If God slue the child of Dauid bicause Dauid had giuen an occasion of blaspheming God how much more gréeuouslie were they to be punished which did this thing And further wheras they had doone iniuries vnto Dauid yet did they first mooue war against him And neither would they onelie hurt Dauid but they also solicited others of his subiects and tributaries to forsake him They disquieted all those regions of Syria and Mesopotamia and that which is most of all they burned their sonnes and daughters for their idoll sake which they worshipped And what maruell was it if they were throwne into the same fornaces The punishment of like for like wherein they threw their owne children This was a punishment of like for like And alwaies in those punishments which are not reprooued in the scriptures we must flie vnto this namelie that God gouerned those fathers Some to make these punishments the lesse saie that all were not so handled but the seigniors and princes onelie which were as the staie and succour of the people But Iosephus saith that they were all rid out of the waie And the scriptures also séeme to make it a generall punishment Howbeit I would thinke that some were excepted for in the 17. chapter of the second booke of Samuel we read 2. Sa. 17 37. that Sobi the sonne of king Nahas did helpe Dauid when he was driuen out of the kingdome by Absolom Wherevpon it is gathered that the one sonne of king Nahas was slaine and that the other was by Dauid made ruler of the countrie These things are not so much to be woondered at in him séeing he was a figure of the true Dauid which at the last daie shall saie vnto all men Go ye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Those punishments which God shall laie vpon the wicked in hell are not cruell They shall be as it were intollerable punishments but yet they procéed of a right punishing iustice He saith in the Gospell Matt. 25. 41. Bring ye vnto me all them which would not haue me reigne ouer them and slaie them in my sight Here let magistrates learne to haue a regard vnto right reason when the guiltie are deliuered to them to be punished It must not gréeue their mind to execute those punishments which are iust and commanded to be doone Of Enuie 54 Now come we to enuie In Iudg. 8 verse 1. the same did Cicero thinke should rather be called Inuidentia than Inuidia the which word Inuidentia we may in English call Enuieng or Enuiousnesse Wherein enuie and enuiousnes doo differ bicause among the Latinists those that are enuied are said to suffer enuie But enuieng belongeth to them which pine awaie with this kind of gréefe And therefore he thinketh that enuie or enuieng is so called bicause they which be enuious doo looke too narrowlie to other mens prosperitie Wherefore A definition of enuie enuie is a gréefe taken at the prosperitie of other men especiallie of them which haue béene of like degrée with vs. For a poore man enuieth not a king nor yet beggers noble men Enuie is of equals and such as be like vnto our selues And likenesse is considered in kindred riches beautie age wit dignitie and such like The cause of enuieng is not in respect that we be afraid of harme to come vnto vs by such men as we doo enuie for that were feare but that men of a certeine hatred and stomach cannot abide the prosperitie of others especiallie of their like and equals this worketh enuie Enuie is alwaies had in euill things and it is gréeuouslie reprehended in the holie scriptures bicause it is most plainelie repugnant vnto charitie it selfe For in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13 4. the 13. chapter the apostle said Charitie enuieth not For Paule in that place did not take this Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his proper signification But vnto the Galathians he hath more plainlie forbidden enuie Gal. 5 26. saieng Be not desirous of vaine glorie prouoking one another and enuieng one another In which place not onelie enuie is reprooued but also the mother thereof is shewed Looke In Gen. 26 24. and In 2. King 6 16. Iudg. 8 1. that is to wit the desire of glorie And this may we also note in the historie of the Iudges for the Ephraits enuied Gedeon bicause the glorie of so great a victorie séemed to haue come vnto him And this affect beareth rule in all those things wherein we desire to excell Neither yet dooth it forbeare vertues for he that is enuious would not haue his equals and such as be like vnto him to excell in anie ornament of vertue And the reason why enuie is conuersant among such as be alike is that although the prosperous fortune of our equals and them that be like vs dooth not plucke anie of our goods from vs nor maketh vs lesse than we be yet the enuious man dooth so conceiue of other mens goods as if by them his honour and dignitie his gaine and other ornaments should be diminished An enuious man is called a
alledged De frigidis maleficiatis Howbeit there be some which saie If he can find anie that will haue him to hir husband so he make knowne this imperfection hée may contract matrimonie with hir But what maner of marriage will that be when it is doone neither for procreation of children neither for auoiding of whooredome Vnto this they answer according to the saieng of Augustine which we read in the 27. cause question the first in the chapter Nuptâ—arum and it is written in the eight chapter De bono conâ—ugali In the old time marriage was an obedience of the lawe now it is for the redresse of our infirmitie and for the comfort of mankind But the place is ambiguous for the comfort of mankind may haue a respect vnto procreation of children sith thereby the parents conceiue no small pleasure wherin they delite themselues Howbeit at this daie they admit this kind of marriage and there be manie found which doo peaceablie liue togither They which intreat of these things haue considered that there is a great difference betwéene coldnesse and old age And they define that old age must neuer be driuen from marriage A lawe that forbad old age to marrie In ancient time was made the lawe called Papia or Papaea vnder Tiberius Caesar whereof Tranquillus in Claudio maketh mention and so dooth Lactantius whereby it was prouided that they which were past thrée score yéeres of age should not marrie wiues and that the women should not be married which did excéed the age of fiftie yéeres But these lawes were abolished by Iustinian as is to be found in the Code De nuptijs in the lawe Sancimus For this coldnesse is not in all persons alike Howbeit neither the lawes of emperours nor of bishops gaue libertie to them which were gelded men indéed to marrie Yet it behooueth that that coldnesse or diuelish practises which may dissolue matrimonie shuld be perpetuall For skilfull men doo sometime make a remedie for things which hurt but for a time Besides this it is necessarie Which be the verie impediments of matrimonie that the impediment be before the contracting of matrimonie for if they once become one flesh marriage is not vndoone Of this matter also wrote the Maister of the sentences in the fourth booke the 34. distinction 74 Now remaineth that we intreat particularlie of the matrimonie of Dauid And this will we first note that he was not mooued vnto that marriage of his owne accord neither of lust or of naughtie desire but by the aduise of his noble men and by the prudent counsell of physicians Neuerthelesse thou wilt saie that a naughtie aduise and a wicked must not be admitted This in verie déed is true but in this matter so far as may appéere neither lewdnes of mind nor naughtie desire can be prooued First old age nothing hindered but that the king might contract matrimonie who perhaps also was thought that as touching coldnesse he might be restored although not to the strength which he was woont to haue yet so as should be fit for his old bodie Certeinlie Abraham was restored when he was an hundred yéeres of age so that after the death of Sara he married another and by hir he did beget children Neither was there wanting naturall helps to Dauid wherewith the physicians thought they might restore him Moreouer if they declared vnto the damsell the old mans impediment and the same being knowen she gaue hir consent she susteined no iniurie It might be added that hir mind was persuaded by God that she should consent for the benefit of the whole kingdome Notwithstanding if she were mooued thereto by ambition the counsell had not béene good But to iudge rashlie of these points it standeth neither with our godlinesse nor yet with our authoritie Séeing these things might be doone of a sincere mind and by the will of GOD I thinke they ought rather to be taken in good part This dooth the historie teach that this damsell was not long with the king bicause within a while after he died howbeit his life which was verie necessarie for the Common-weale was prolonged for a while Yet thus much I will admonish that we néed not labour so much to excuse the fathers of blame who also ought not to be charged vnlesse the historie compell therevnto Neither will we passe it ouer that GOD vsed the occasion of this damsell to oppresse Adonias 1. King 2 17 and to establish the kingdome of Salomon The eleuenth Chapter Of Whoredome fornication adulterie and other noisome things which are contrarie to the seuenth commandement NOw I thinke it good to speake somwhat of whordome or fornication In Iud. 16 verse 4. For as there were manie in old time so now there are not a few which affirme that it is no sinne But I will prooue by the scriptures and by most certeine reasons that it is a gréeuous sinne They which extenuate this wicked crime doo ground vpon diuers arguments verse 20. First in the Acts of the apostls the 15. chapter when in those first times there arose a dissention among the Iewes and the Graecians it was by common assent decréed that the Ethniks should absteine from bloud from strangled from things offered vnto idols and from fornication Héere saie they whoredome is reckoned among those things which in their owne nature are not sinnes wherefore it appéereth that of it selfe it is not sinne For these things were then for a time decréed by the apostles that Christians might liue peaceablie together For No creature of God is euill as Paule vnto Timothie saith 1. Tim. 4 4. Furthermore they saie God would not command that which of it selfe is sinne but he bad Oseas the prophet to take vnto him an harlot Ose 2 1. and to beget children of fornication so that of it owne nature it séemeth not to be euill Moreouer euerie sinne is against charitie either against that charitie which we owe vnto God or else that which we owe vnto our neighbour But in whoredome or fornication there séemeth to be nothing committed against God for his honour and religion is not hurt neither also against our neighbour for there is no violence vsed against his wife neither is there anie wrongfull oppression committed Augustine Moreouer Augustine in his booke De bono coniugali writeth that as meate is vnto the bodie so is the bed for procreation But if a man eate and drinke a litle more than he ought he is not accused of sinne so likewise if a man doo straie a litle in the companie of women he is not to be iudged guiltie of sinne Lastlie those things which God hath forbidden as sinnes are so plaine and manifest that euen by the light of nature euerie one may vnderstand them to be sinnes but fornication in mans iudgement is not so accounted and manie thinke that it is no sinne Mitio in the Comedie in Terence saith Beléeue me it is no wicked
their parents they might imitate their sinnes or else reuenge their death the which in daughters is not to be feared But yet it must not therefore be concluded that there is a difference as touching the crimes Bréeflie I allow well inough that distinction of the Schoolmen that if the faith of matrimonie be considered the sinne is of like equalitie both in the adulterer and adulteresse If the state of the parties be considered the man sinneth more gréeuouslie but if we regard the harme that is doone vnto the familie it is to be laid to the womans charge And that man sinneth more gréeuouslie in respect of that which belongeth to his state and degrée it is manifest not onelie by this that he is of a greater iudgement but we may also perceiue it euen by the holie historie Nathan was not sent vnto Bethsabe but vnto Dauid Punishment of death for adulterie is not well intermitted 36 And thus much haue we said concerning the second question Now let vs come to the third namelie what we are to determine of these punishments intermitted Verelie if I should speake fréelie what I thinke it is not well ordered that the punishment of death is not in vse séeing the same agréeth with the woord of God and with diuine lawes which ought to be of great importance with vs. In Leuiticus and in Deuteronomie Leui. 20 10. Deut. 22 22 God ordeined that both the adulterer adulteresse should be slaine Secondlie I proue this by the verie order it selfe of the commandement of God Let vs laie before our eies the ten commandements As touching the worshipping of the true God it perteineth to the first commandement he that should doo otherwise was to suffer death Of taking the name of the Lord in vaine it is said If there be anie blasphemer let him die the death Of kéeping holie the sabboth daie we read that he which did gather stickes on the sabboth daie was commanded to be slaine Of the fift precept it is decréed that if any man were rebellious against his parents he should be brought to the iudges and slaine Of the sixt precept He that hath slaine an other man let him perish and let him be plucked euen from the altar Then followeth the precept of adulterie there the sword staieth his execution and procéedeth no further Vnto stealing and false-witnesse-bearing there is no punishment of death appointed Neither hath concupiscence any punishment of bloud belonging therevnto Séeing the order is on this wise I would know why the men of our time inuert the same But they saie that the Common-weale is more disturbed by théeues than by adulterers for we must haue a consideration vnto the commoditie of the Common-weale But I denie that théeues doo more disturbe the Common-weale If they robbe and slaie by the high waie in the night and lie in wait for mens liues I might easilie grant it but absolutelie of stealing I cannot say so Doubtles if our iudgement be right who had not rather loose somewhat of his goods and substance than that his wife should be dishonested Howbeit such a couetousnesse there is at this daie ingraffed in men that they make more accompt of their monie than of their wiues honestie Wherefore I saie that there is some iniurie doone vnto théeues in so much as they be hanged and adulterers who sinne more gréeuouslie are suffered to liue The fourth reason is that in suffering adulterers to liue they intricate vs with verie hard questions First there is brought in by the papists a diuorse from the marriage bed but not from the bond of matrimonie Moreouer there is disputation whether the innocent partie may contract matrimonie while the other partie liueth And there is a controuersie whether the adulteresse which suruiueth may marrie againe with an other Further they dispute of reconciliation betwéene adulterers and by this easie meanes cities are filled with vncleannesse and adulteries and men would after a sort be more pitifull than God himselfe 37 It is obiected The historie of the adulteresse in the 8. of Iohn ver 6. that Christ suffered not the adulterous woman to be stoned The eight of Iohn Wherby they gather that the Lord would not haue this to be doone in the state of the Gospell and therefore adulterers are to be spared in these daies They saie also that Ioseph being accused of this crime was not put to death To these two examples we must answer First I am not ignorant that the same storie in the eight chapter of Iohn hath béen reiected by some bicause it rather séemed to be put in of others than to be written by Iohn Ierom in his second booke against Pelagius writeth of this matter The same dooth Eusebius Caesariensis touch in his third booke who saith that he did thinke it to be taken out of the gospell of the Nazarits Augustine in his second booke De adulterinâ—s coniugijs ad Pollentium thinketh that It was the verie storie of Iohn in déed but deuised by cruell husbands to be wiped out to the intent that adulterous wiues might be put to death Héereby it commeth to passe that in some copies it is found and in some not How likelie a thing this is let other men iudge What so euer it be whether it be of Iohns writing or no the matter is not great for it conteineth nothing against the sentence which I haue proposed which thing I will somewhat more largelie declare Ye must thinke with your selues that the Pharisies did not bring the adulteresse vnto Christ as vnto a iudge or king for they neuer acknowledged him to be such a one Neither did Christ euer vsurpe such an office vnto himselfe Iohn 6. 15. he withdrue himselfe when they would haue made him a king neither would he diuide the heritage Luke 12 13 and he pronounced his kingdome not to be of this world Whie then doo they bring hir to him Iohn 18 36 Euen to laie a bait for him and as they saie to take him in a trip He was praised among the common sort for his clemencie he was loued of the people Then did these Pharisies deuise among themselues If he shall saie that she must be put to death this fauour of the people will fall from him as being one that would bring in againe the rigor of the lawe but if he saie that she must be let go he shall doo against the lawe of Moses yea of God himselfe But Christ verie well repelled their wilinesse He did neither of both which they hoped he would doo yet in the meane time he did his part verie woorthilie He was no ciuill magistrate but the minister of the church It was his office to preach the Gospell and repentance both which he did Wherefore he said to the Pharisies Hee that among you is free from sinne let him throwe the first stone at hir He said not Let hir not be put to death but Take héed what ye
expoundeth of those which vow vnto God certeine sharpe and hard things which serue to the subduing of the flesh change not that which they haue promised But the sentence me thinketh séemeth more plaine if it be largelie taken namelie of an oth that is hurtfull vnto vs which a good and godlie man will not breake or change Ierom. Ierom also vpon Ezechiel the 17. chapter is of this opinion For there the Lord saith that he was verie angrie with Zedechias verse 15. bicause he brake the oth which he had made with Nabuchadnezar king of Babylon For though the Iewes counted him as an enimie yet as Ierom declareth he was now a friend when he had by oth promised his faith vnto Zedechias Séeing it belongeth vnto friends one to be faithfull vnto another so as euill guile ought not there to haue béene vsed Augustine And Augustine in the 32. cause question the first the chapter Noli existimare writing vnto Bonifacius admonished him to kéepe faith euen with his enimie Ambrose Ambrose also in the 22. cause question the fourth the chapter Innocens dooth so aduise And the same sentence he hath in his booke De officijs where he bringeth the example of Iosua Iosua 9 4. towards the Gabaonites who notwithstanding that he ought to haue made the oth void and of no force yet by the consent of God he caused it to be kept and ratified Neither suffered he the Gabaonites to be slaine whom neuerthelesse he punished bicause of the guile which they vsed But if an oth be giuen for fulfilling of an vniust or vngodlie thing An oth giuen for an vniust cause must be cut off it must wholie be made frustrate bicause an oth ought not to be a bond of iniquitie Neither is it necessarie therevnto that anie man should come before a iudge to be absolued of this kind of oth Which I therefore speake bicause the Pope claimeth this right to himselfe namelie to release such kind of oths and as they commonlie saie to dispense with them As it appéereth in the 15. cause question the sixt where Nicholas absolueth the bishop of Triers The Pope cutteth off oths both lawfull and vnlawfull And his pride and arrogancie hath now at length brought his lawe and power to that passe that he not onelie breaketh vnlawfull oths but also abrogateth iust and lawfull oths when it séemeth good to himselfe So Pope Zacharie loosed the French men from their oth wherein they were bound vnto their king and he deposed the king from his kingdome and placed Pipin in his stéed But this is not to be maruelled at A prouerbe in the court of Rome séeing it is commonlie said at this daie in the Court of Rome that It is not méet for kings and great personages but for merchants to kéepe their oths 19 So then if there be an oth made guile must not be vsed vnlesse perhaps the one partie to whom the oth is made shall first depart from couenants and conditions for then the common saieng must take place He that breaketh faith let faith also be broken with him Wherefore Ierom to Nepotianus Ierom. commendeth the saieng of Domitius the Orator vnto Philip Séeing thou accountest not me for a Senator I also doo not take thée for a Consul But hereof we haue testimonies also in holie scriptures For Paule in the first to the Corinthians the seuenth chapter as touching faith giuen in matrimonie writeth that If an infidell depart verse 15. let him depart a brother or a sister is not in subiection vnto such but God hath called vs in peace And those things which are alledged of an oth I vnderstand them to be of like force in promises and couenants In which promises and couenants I affirme that iust and godlie men ought both to vse simple and plaine words A sophisticall act of the Thracians and also to liue with a good conscience The Thracians therfore are iustlie and woorthilie condemned who after truce had béene made to continue for the space of thirtie daies robbed spoiled by night excusing their act in that that their truce was made for the daie and not for the night Neither did the legat of the Romans plainlie A guile of the Romane legat against Antiochus but subtilie with Antiochus who hauing decréed that she one halfe of the ships should be giuen vnto the Romans and the other halfe vnto the king commanded them all in verie déed to be diuided and cut in sunder But he did it to the end the king might be vtterlie destitute of a nauie for the warres Therefore whatsoeuer a godlie man will promise he ought déeplie to weigh with him selfe before hand whether he be able to stand to his words and promises Ierom. Wherefore Ierom hath written vnto Celantia Whatsoeuer thou speakest thinke that thou hast sworne it 20 As touching the end of the question there remaine certeine doubts to be examined that the thing maie be the more manifest First if a man promise armor and succour to anie man for the space of thrée or foure yéeres and in the meane time hée becommeth a traitour to his countrie and maketh warre against it whether in this case he ought to performe his faith or else by euill guile to breake it I answer that neither in this case nor in the like is faith to be kept séeing as it is euident a mischéeuous act happeneth in the meane time which with a safe conscience we may not aid And in verie déed neither euill guile or periurie is here committed For he which hath sworne is not changed but he is changed An oth dissolueth not former bonds to whom the oth was made For oths can plucke away or diminish nothing of those bonds which went before Séeing then euerie man is bound to the word of God and to the preseruation of his countrie before he take any oth that which afterward is sworne must be vnderstood conditionallie that if the first bonds be kept vnuiolate The same also must take place in vowes that be vowed For although a man vow sole life yet forsomuch as he was before bound to the word of God wherein it is said that It is better to marrie 1. Cor. 7 9. than to burne and They which cannot keepe themselues chast let them marrie he dooth not take awaie the first bond for the vow which followeth Wherefore if he can not kéepe himselfe chast or if he burne he ought by the commandement of GOD to marrie Neither can any oth or vow that happeneth herein take awaie the power and force of the commandement of God Whether faith must be kept with Heretiks 21 Another doubt commeth to my remembrance touching those princes which haue giuen their publike faith and safe conduct vnto heretikes for their comming vnto Councelles or to conferences whether they ought to stand to their promises or else violating their oth to kéepe still the
among other things we must note that this lie of Iehu did not rashlie escape from him séeing in that iournie it was conceiued in his mind and fixed in his heart And in my opinion it cannot be called an officious lie bicause it did hurt manie by giuing an offense For on the one part the people thought that they had gotten a godlie and holie king but on the other side beholding his proclamation they suspected that he had destroied Achab and his familie not for religion sake but for the desire of the kingdome Wherefore they iustlie condemned him of hypocrisie Others defend the lie which he vttered in saieng that it was amended through the good intent of the speaker But a good intent dooth not make a good action when the nature thereof is euill and that Euill things Rom. 3 8. according to the doctrine of the apostle ought not to be committed that good things may come thereof They procéed further and saie that it is inough that God knoweth the heart of him that speaketh No neither is that sufficient bicause it is not onelie néedfull that we approoue our selues vnto GOD but we must doo it euen to men also so much as is possible To the intent that they Matth. 5 16 seeing our good works may praise and glorifie the father Neither is that of anie great weight when they saie that this lie was to indure but a short time séeing it should come to passe within a few daies that the mind of him that spake it should be manifest insomuch as Iehu was about to slaie the Baalites whereby the people should knowe how great an enimie he was vnto that kind of idolatrie For these men be verie much deceiued which imagine that sinnes must be measured by a space of time séeing in a verie moment a horrible crime maie be committed Neither is it to be doubted but that the Baalites did for the time being confirme themselues in their peruerse idolatrie through that fact of Iehu Further they committed great sinne in preparing of themselues to sacrifice they were constreined therevnto by the authoritie of the king who had called them togither by setting forth his edict who also had commanded the kéeper of the vestrie to giue vnto them the accustomed garments which they hauing receiued did violate the lawe of God By which place it euidentlie appeareth that they in their sacrifices had garments which were peculiar and differing from others that were vsuall and prophane For the diuell indeuoreth in all the things he can to imitate GOD Exod. 28. who ordeined that Aaron in ministering before him should haue garments curiouslie wrought He commanded also that his children to wit the meaner priests should weare certeine apparell which he had appointed for them 1. Kin. 10 22 So likewise did the Baalites prouide to be doone in their idolatrie 24 Such kind of lieng and fraud was vsed in times past when Augustine liued to discouer the error of the Priscillianists These wicked heretikes did priuilie corrupt manie and in the meane time could scarselie be called to place of iudgement or there be condemned bicause they dissembled their heresie and being accused they vtterlie detested and denied it by oth notwithstanding that in their mind they reteined still a pestiferous meaning nor yet did they cease to seduce beguile Whervpon manie of the faithfull sort taking it grieuouslie The guile of Iehu was vsed in the persecution of the Priscillianists that they should kéepe themselues close they to the intent they might drawe them out into the sight of the world and discouer them would otherwhile haue accesse to some of them and feigne that they also were fauorers of the Priscillianists So then they hearing this shewed vnto them their secrets Augustine reprooued the Catholikes and persuaded them to absteine from this kind of lieng and for the same cause wrote an excellent booke intituled De mendacio to Consentius Againe they that defend Iehu 1. Kin. 18 23 obiect Elias vnto vs who séemeth to haue prouoked the Baalites vpon mount Carmel to doo sacrifice vnto the idoll But betwéene these things there is no small difference for Elias did not of himselfe and absolutelie stirre them vp vnto sacrifice but prouoked them for the accomplishment of a miracle namelie to put in proofe whether part should cause fire to come from heauen Further the Baalites at that time were prepared for their dailie sacrifices yea and they made oblations vnto their god euerie daie after a sort called vpon him continuallie But this happened not now among the Baalites séeing they durst not for feare of the new king Iehu doo sacrifice to their idoll Wherfore they which professe the Gospell must not confirme themselues by these arguments and in the meane time pollute themselues in poperie by abiurations and wicked masses It sufficeth not to haue a sincere heart onelie but God dooth also require our outward actions for he being the creator of the whole man dooth also challenge the whole vnto himselfe Wherefore me thinketh we should confesse it to be verie good indéed that the Achabites and Baalites should be destroied but not that all the circumstances vsed therein should wholie be allowed Neither shuld we be verie carefull to discharge Iehu of sinne sith he was otherwise a worshipper of golden calues neither did he as the holie scriptures declare walke perfectlie in the lawe of the Lord. 2. Kin. 10 31 Indéed he was appointed to subuert the seruice of Baal but not to promote and dissemble the same Wherefore I cannot sée how this kind of lieng may be excused vnlesse perhaps it be said that he did not lie in respect of his owne mind and iudgement but by the motion of God which stirred him vp vnto such a lie euen as in like maner he willed the people to borowe costlie garments and gold and siluer vessels of the Aegyptians when as yet the Hebrues knew verie well that these things should not be lent but quite taken awaie from the owners but yet God commanded that so it should be as we read in Exodus Exod. 12 3. But of Iehu this cannot be affirmed Indéed the Baalites deserued thus to be seduced by fraud séeing they deceiued the people and that in a most weightie matter And they which had sollicited incensed kings and a quéene against the prophets men of God now they themselues also deserued to be circumuented by fraud and guile Howbeit Iehu in the meane time is not excused from pernicious lieng I am not ignorant that there is both good guile and ill guile Good guile and euill guile and that it is lawfull sometimes to vse good guile But this whereof we now intreat I affirme to be ill guile and therefore vnlawfull Indéed the lawe commanded that the idolaters should be slaine Deut. 13. 5. and 6. but it willed not that by this kind of lieng and legierdemaine it should be doone 25 Iehu
likenesse in qualitie This I leaue for other men to consider of Yet further they presse vs as if there might some worke of man be found that should please God throughlie séeing it is written in the second booke of the kings God pronounceth of Iehu when he had rooted out the familie of Achab 2. Kin. 10 35 Thou hast doone that which is right according to all that which I had in my heart To Abraham also it was said Bicause thou hast doon this thing I will acknowledge that thou louest me c. Of the example of Abraham Touching Abraham it might be lawfull to saie that which we haue before affirmed of them that be iustified namelie that his worke was ioined with the righteousnesse of Christ and was well taken and accepted by God séeing he alreadie beléeued in Christ and that was reputed to him vnto righteousnesse Wherefore God would adorne him with excellent promises But in déed concerning Iehu it is not so easie a thing to answer bicause to speake trulie he was not perfectlie good Neither doo I thinke that he was mooued by a iust zeale to extinguish the house of Achab and to destroie the worshippers of Baal For the sinceritie of faith can abide no idolatrie with it And there is no doubt of him but that he kept still the seruice of Ieroboam being one that worshipped the golden calues with Israel But euen as it was said vnto Achab that by reason of his outward submission and shew of repentance punishment should be mitigated euen so it is verie likelie that those things which were brought concerning Iehu were pronounced to the same purpose also For certeine things there be In what respect God by his owne testimonie commendeth the works of certeine men not good that God vouchsafeth to grant and by a certeine testimonie commendeth not as though they can be good in as much as they procéed of euill men but that the knitting togither of things which he himselfe hath ordeined as touching a ciuill and naturall coniunction might be preserued But if anie man shall vrge those words wherein it is said that Iehu did all things which God had in his heart we will saie that the same must be referred vnto the determination and decrée of God wherein he stedfastlie minded to destroie the house of Achab. Wherfore Iehu did that which was Gods will to be doone Euen as Nabuchad-nezar in destroieng the children of Israel fulfilled that which GOD had in his heart although he were prouoked to that destruction through crueltie and ambition Perhaps thou wilt saie I doo not weigh the words alone but I am speciallie mooued for that there was a reward giuen vnto Iehu as for a thing well doone Certeinlie I will bring an example not vnlike vnto this out of the prophet Ezechiel who in the 29. chapter writeth of Nabuchad-nezar The Lord saith Ezec. 29 19 He with his host hath serued me against the men of Tyre Wherefore I will giue him the land of Aegypt for a reward Neither is there anie doubt but that king fought against the people of Tyre through ambition and gréedie desire of enlarging his kingdome yet neuerthelesse God gaue him the gouernement of Aegypt which he had for his reward 15 The things which hitherto we haue reasoned of bicause they shall not séeme to lie scattered and diuided we will comprehend into foure principall points Whereof the first is that the precept of louing God with all the hart with all the soule and with all the strength is not kept so long as we liue here The second that we must not denie but that God can indue anie man with so much grace and strength as he may be able to fulfill the commandements For seeing he granteth the same vnto the saints in the world to come what should let him but that he may grant it vnto strangers in this life But yet he hath not doone this hitherto neither appeareth it that he will doo it So as we are to talke and determine of this matter according to common order and reason The third is that they which be borne anew may be affirmed to fulfill after some sort that commandement In the fourth is set out the waie to interpret the promises which we read to be sometimes made concerning this matter In the fift and last is declared that the first motions which prouoke a man to offend are sinnes VVhether we ought by rewards to be moued to the obedience of God In Iudg. 1. Good and honest actions are of themselues sufficientlie to be sought for 16 We must vnderstand that good and honest actions are of themselues sufficientlie to be sought for forsomuch as in this world nothing can happen more pleasant than to obeie God and by a good conscience to be ioined to him in liuing vprightlie according to his commandements Wherefore admit we should obteine no other thing yet a sufficient reward and gaine should be rendered vnto vs if we may haue a quiet peaceable conscience and be inwardlie filled with spirituall ioie But God such is his goodnesse would set foorth vnto vs gifts and rewards Whie God would set foorth rewards and gifts For he séeth the disposition and nature of man to be féeble and slowe to all things that be good holsome and honest therefore he would stirre vp the same by promising sundrie and manifold rewards Which kind of remedie we should not haue néeded if we had continued perfect and absolute as we were created Who I praie you néedeth with reward to be stirred vp to drinke when he is thirstie or to eate when he is hungrie Surelie no man Wherfore neither should there be anie néed by reward to stir vp men vnto righteousnesse if they hungered and thirsted for it as they ought to doo A mother vseth not to be intised with rewards to giue sucke to féed and to care for hir owne child Promises and threatnings are added in the lawe to the commandements that it perish not So as the promises of God are therfore necessarie vnto men bicause they by reason of sinne haue waxed cold from a vehement affection and zeale towards godlie and holie works We be altogither dull sluggish vnto the duties of godlinesse and righteousnesse wherefore God for his clemencie sake would vse the spurres of promises Which appéereth most manifestlie in the lawe where almost for euerie commandement are added both thretenings and also promises Séeing then holie men haue oftentimes doone this séeing also the lawe of God hath doone so and that the same is found in the new testament we may conclude without doubt that it is lawfull For then is that which we doo to be allowed when it agréeth with the example of GOD himselfe and with the rule of the scriptures or else with the excellent acts of holie men 17 But now must we sée whether he Whether it be lawfull to doo good for rewards sake which dooth good works and
nation of the Iewes and had certeine things annexed I meane the possession of the land of Chanaan the kingdome of the Iewes and the priesthood of Aaron and also the promise of Messias according to the birth of the flesh and the ministerie of his owne person Moreouer it had verie manie signes of ceremonies and sacrifices verie méet for that age In it also were mysteries of saluation and promises of eternall life although farre more obscure than they were afterward taught vnto vs. And on the other side in the new league there be properties in a maner contrarie For it perteineth not to anie one certeine nation but to all nations how farre so euer the world be extended neither is there anie peculiar ciuill administration ioined thereto Furthermore there are but a verie few ceremonies outward signes and they verie plaine and simple annexed vnto it And to conclude all things are conteined more openlie plainlie and manifestlie in the new testament than they are in the old By these qualities dooth the new league and the old differ one from another One and the same thing and substance is of the old and new league howbeit the thing it selfe and the substance abideth one and the same For as Iehouah would then be the God of the Hebrues so hath he now decréed to be the God of the christians And that also which they in those daies promised namelie that they would beléeue in the true God and obeie and worship him as he hath prescribed we also ought to performe Christ commeth betwéene both parties as a mediatour and forgiuenesse of sinnes yea and eternall life also is promised by him Also the morall lawes remaine the verie same now which they were then 3 Paule in the eleuenth chapter to the Romans hath verie well declared verse 16 that the league of the fathers in old time and ours is all one when he compareth the church with the trée which hath Christ as it were the root Then he addeth that from such a trée certeine branches were cut off namelie the Hebrues which beléeued not we which are Gentiles were planted in their place that is to saie we were chosen into the same league wherein they were comprehended The same trée he affirmeth to remaine into which some are graffed by faith and from the which other some bicause of their incredulitie be cut off Wherefore ech league conteineth both the lawe and the Gospell And there be in either of the testaments The selfe-same sacraments in both testaments 1. Cor. 10 1 the selfe-same sacraments as it is declared in the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter for The fathers were all vnder the cloud and were baptised in the sea and did eate the same spirituall meate and dranke of the spirituall rocke following them and the rocke was Christ Furthermore we grant that as touching outward signes there is some difference betwéene their sacraments and ours which neuerthelesse as concerning the things signified by the sacraments is found to be nothing at all Otherwise the argument of Paule might not haue persuaded the Corinthians to be subiect vnto the same punishments that the Hebrues were For they might haue said that they had farre better sacraments than had the Hebrues that therefore they should not so much néed to feare lest they should suffer the like forsomuch as the excellencie of the sacraments might put off those misfortunes from which the Hebrues could not be deliuered by the sacraments of the lawe So as the apostle tooke awaie this shift from them and maketh our sacraments and theirs equall and alike as touching the things themselues He writeth also to the Romans verse 2 the first chapter concerning the Gospell that It was in the old time promised by the prophets in the holie scriptures verse 21. And in the third chapter he speaketh on this wise But now is the righteousnesse of God made manifest being testified by the lawe and the prophets 4 Neither maist thou saie vnto me that these things were indéed promised in the holie scriptures of the old testament but not that they should be perfourmed vnto the men that liued in those daies For the apostle dooth verie well shew the meaning of this place verse 19. when he saith that Euerie lawe dooth speake to those men which liue vnder it And it is not to be doubted but that the fathers were iustified after the same sort that we are now at this present For euen they were no lesse iustified by faith onelie in Christ Gen. 15 6. than we be Wherefore it is written in the booke of Genesis of Abraham that he beleeued and the same was counted vnto him for righteousnesse Iohn also testified that Christ said of Abraham Iohn 8 26. verse 8. that He had seene his daie and reioised The epistle vnto the Hebrues the 13. chapter affirmeth that Christ was yesterdaie and to daie and remaineth for euer Wherfore euen as we are said now to be saued not by works but by the méere mercie of GOD through faith in Christ so was it with the fathers at that time for they were iustified by no merits but onelie by faith in Christ Furthermore what obedience so euer the fathers had toward the commandements of GOD and also faith in the promises those things were not deriued from their owne strength and power but euen as it also happeneth vnto vs they came vnto them by the grace of God and Christ verse 31. verse 8. 5 It is true indéed that Ieremie in the 31. chapter writeth as it is also alledged in the eight chapter to the Hebrues that There must be an other league made in the name of God not as it was made in the old time with the fathers And among other things he saith that God would giue his lawes in the hearts and inward parts of men so that none should need anie more to teach his neighbour bicause all from the least to the greatest should haue the knowledge of God And further it is said in the person of GOD I will be mercifull vnto their sinnes and will no more remember their iniquities c. As touching those words both of Ieremie and also of the epistle to the Hebreues we must vnderstand that they proue not that there is anie difference betwéene the testaments as touching the substance and the thing it selfe but touching the properties and qualities as we haue before said Neither must we thinke that the old fathers who in obeieng the commandements of GOD and in right faith worshipped him purelie could performe those things of their owne strength or naturall power For vnlesse they had had the lawes promises of God written in their hearts minds by the holie Ghost and also a will by the grace of God readie to obeie his commandements they had neuer bin able to performe such things They wanted not therefore the light of God which shined before their eies to make
the sunne entereth in at our windowes but when it hapneth that the sunne is to be named togither with the beame we call not the beame by the name of the sunne but saie it is the beame of the sunne But the first reason is more firme 14 As concerning the kingdome of Christ it séemeth to bring no small difficultie In. 1. Cor. 15 verse 24. when as be the holie scriptures there is often mention made of the eternall kingdome of Christ which if it shall haue an end as the words of Paule in the 15. chapter of the first to the Corinthians séeme to signifie some contrarietie will appéere to be stirred vp Gabriel said vnto Marie God shall giue vnto him the seate of his father Dauid Luk. 1 32. he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and there shall be no end of his kingdome And Daniel when he prophesied couertlie of the Monarchies Deut. 2 44. he was not silent as touching the kingdome of Christ but he prophesied that that should be a kingdome of all worlds and for euer This knot did Ambrose vndoo that we must not beléeue Ambrose that the sonne will so deliuer vp this kingdome vnto the father as he shall cease to reigne but bicause he will then declare vnto all persons that he dooth not reigne by himselfe but that all his strengths and actions be of the father from whome is all paternitie both in heauen in earth And after this sort he shall openlie glorifie him What is meant by deliuering the kingdome to the father Ambrose To reigne is taken two maner of waies Which thing shall be to deliuer the kingdome vnto God to the father that is not to vse the same vnto himselfe onelie Augustine wheresoeuer he intreateth of this place consenteth vnto Ambrose But we may expound it otherwise and as I thinke with a méete exposition by these waies that followe as to saie that to reigne is sometime taken as it were to excell to be aboue others and to hold the highest place And in this signification Christ shall reigne perpetuallie But if we saie that to reigne is in such sort as to exercise the office of a king to fight to defend to ouercome and other such like Christ shall not alwaies reigne For when we shall be perfect and absolute there will be no néed of these helpes of Christ When he came into the world he preached he taught he died for our saluation now also he maketh intercession for vs vnto the father he defendeth vs from euilles that hang ouer our heads neither dooth he at anie time cease from the office and actions of a mediator but in the end when all things be pacified he shall resigne these offices to his father when as there is no longer place for them Euen as when a most mightie king sendeth his onelie sonne into some prouince of his kingdome A similitude that is disquieted with seditions tumults and rebellions and his sonne going foreward with empire and with a strong host when he hath set at quiet and hath reduced the rebelles into subiection he returneth a conquerour vnto his father triumpheth and deliuereth vnto him the prouince subdued and vseth the empire of warre and legions no longer The maner of the Romans So was it vsed at Rome when the enimies were subdued the Dictator renounced his authoritie being become a priuate person returned to his accustomed businesse But betwéene such like things and this that we haue now in hand this is the difference that the sonne of GOD will not so renounce himselfe as he can be depriued of his honour but bicause as I haue said in the latter daie he shall rest from the office of reigning and shall be said to deliuer vnto God the father the kingdome being in peace and tranquillitie and the enimies subdued 15 Touching the death and resurrection of the Lord the apostle writeth In 1. Cor. 15. verse 3. that he taught the Corinthians first of all For these two be the two principall and chéefe points of our religion vnto which without controuersie all the rest be referred Further he saith that He taught them euen as he had receiued of God and of Christ Iesus our Lord Gala. 1 12. Acts. 9 10. as he testifieth vnto the Galathians and as we read in the Acts. He would not haue vs to sticke vnto the authoritie of man but he calleth vs backe vnto the authoritie of God whose ordinance they resist which command vs to beléeue onlie those things which the Romane church beléeueth These men doo giue place neither vnto God nor yet vnto the scriptures they account the Pope to be one aboue all But the apostle not onelie confesseth that he receiued those things which he taught but he also twise mentioned the scriptures when as he writeth that Christ died according to them that he rose againe according to them And séeing by the scriptures he meaneth the old testament we easilie gather thereby for what cause or to what purpose we ought to read the same to wit that we may confirme the new testament by sundrie and manifold testimonies We ought also to consider with our selues What we must call to mind in thinking of the death of Christ when we heare that Christ died for our sinnes how outragious and cruell our sinne is séeing it behoued the sonne of GOD to be therefore deliuered vnto the death of the crosse Neither let anie man tell me that GOD might haue redéemed the world by some other meanes and that it was not altogither necessarie for the saluation of man that the sonne of GOD should be fastened vnto the crosse For if we once determine that God is a most wise and iust considerer of things we will acknowledge that he choosing this meanes of our saluation did excéedinglie detest the nature of sinne when he decréed to giue his owne sonne vnto death and that vnto a shamefull death to the end he might rid his elect from sinne Neither will we iudge it to be doone without cause It is onelie sinne wherby we resist God if we remember that sinne is the onelie thing wherby we resist GOD. There is nothing in the world or in the nature of things except it be sinne that resisteth the will of God which propertie spreadeth so far as it dooth not onelie comprehend those sinnes which the schoolemen call actuall sinnes but also originall sinne and the first motions of the mind That originall sinne is against God hereby it is shewed in that he made man vnto his owne image in righteousnesse How originall sinne is against God in holinesse and in truth Now against this institution we are borne the children of wrath and strangers from God and are wholie giuen to lieng and vngodlinesse Wherefore originall sinne dooth altogither contend against the ordinance of God These things therefore haue we now alledged to the intent we may acknowledge the
purgatorie doo not well if they obtrude the same vnto the church to be beléeued in which church as things to be beléeued nothing must be taught but that which certeinlie and vndoubtedlie may be proued by the scriptures 23 Now there remaineth A confutation of the arguments which make for purgatorie To the first 1. Mac. 12. 6. that we confute the arguments which were set foorth at the begining First was obiected a place out of the 2. booke of Machabeis which can be no hindrance to the truth bicause those bookes be none of the canonicall scriptures But these men saie that although the Hebrues haue not those bookes yet that our church hath receiued them How the bookes of the Machabeis haue beene receiued of the church Cyprian I grant that the church hath receiued them but as Cyprian testified in the exposition of the Créed to the intent they should be read in the church but not that our faith should thereby be confirmed In the which place the blessed martyr reckoned vp the canonicall bookes and added These be the bookes out of which the fathers would haue the grounds of our faith to consist And Ierom Ierom. when he citeth the bookes of the Machabeis is woont to adde If anie man will beléeue them or receiue them Augustine also Augustine against the second epistle of Gaudentius saith that They were receiued but not equallie with the bookes of the lawe the prophets and the psalmes yet he saith that they be not vnprofitable so they be read and heard discréetelie Discréetelie I saie They must be read discreetlie that we maie iudge wherein they either consent or disagrée with the scriptures Also Melito bishop of Sardine Melito Sardinensis in the recitall which he maketh of the canonicall bookes vnto Eusebius reckoneth not these bookes among them Epiphanius also ouerskipped them Epiphanius Razias 2. Ma. 14. 41. Vnto these things adde that in those bookes is the historie of one Razias who killed himselfe bicause he would not come into the hands of his enimies there both the man his acts are cōmended whose example in the time of Augustine the Circumcellions did abuse when as they did violentlie murther themselues Augustine wherefore Augustine against the Donatists laboured much to defend the booke but how much he profited let other men iudge To conclude at the end of these bookes it is read If I haue written well 2. Ma. 15 39 The writer of these bookes in the end of the booke excuseth himselfe verse 11. To the second that was my desire but if I haue spoken slenderlie and barelie I haue doone that I could Which words are not beséeming where the holie Ghost is author 24 Secondlie there was brought Zacharie the ninth chapter But by the lake wherein no water was Ierom expressedlie vnderstandeth hell where there is no mercie the which being prepared for vs worthilie are we redéemed from thence by Christ Also the place is expounded by some to be that receptacle or roome wherein the soules of the fathers were before Christ ascended into heauen from whence by the benefit of him they were deliuered and caried into heauen yea Ierom. and Ierom affirmeth that in the same lake the riotous rich man was in torments Whereby it appéereth that their exposition of purgatorie faileth Also the sentence of Ecclesiastes wherein it is said Eccl. 4 14. To the third Out of bonds and prisonments some are otherwhile aduanced vnto kingdomes serueth nothing vnto this purpose séeing in that place there is onelie a discourse of the dailie alteration of things And Gregorie the bishop of Pontus Gregorie of Laodicea who was of Laodicea saith as Ierom citeth Euen as a king who is both a foole and an old man may be easilie cast out of his kingdome so on the other side a yong man although he be poore so he be wise may be aduanced from a lowe state vnto a kingdome Origin Victorinus But Origin and Victorinus turne it to an allegorie and saie that An old king and To be cast out betokeneth vnto vs the diuell who otherwise is called the prince of this world and they vnderstand the yong man to be Christ who so soone as he came vnto his father receiued full power whereas before he was greatlie vexed in the world as in a prison That which is in the Psalmes Psal 66 12. To the fourth We haue passed through fire and water c. Augustine expounded concerning the temptations of this world so as aduersities are described by the fire and prosperities by the waters at which temptations while the godlie doo not shrinke they are led vnto the heauenlie refreshings 25 But now let vs sée what they haue obiected out of the new testament Matt. 12 31 To the fift That which is written in the gospell of not forgiuing of sinne against the holie Ghost neither in this world nor yet in the world to come prooueth not that there be anie sinnes which be forgiuen in an other life Among the Logicians two negatiue propositions are not woont to conclude an affirmatiue wherfore Not to be forgiuen in this world and Not to be forgiuen in an other world doo not affirme a forgiuenesse of sinnes to be after this life And it plainelie appéereth that those things were spoken of Christ by exaggeration or amplifieng that thereby the greatnes of that sinne might be the more euident Mark 3 29. And when as Marke writeth the same thing he saith It shall neuer be forgiuen making no mention either of this world or of the world to come Matt. 5 25. To the sixt As touching him that would not agrée with his aduersarie while he is in the way and therefore is commanded to be deliuered vnto the officer by whom he may be cast into prison so as he shall not come foorth from thence vntill he haue paid the vttermost farthing Augustine dooth plainlie vnderstand the same Augustine touching hell fire and he will haue the particle vntill to be vnderstood in the same signification wherein it is said Matt. 1 25. And he knew not hir vntill she had brought foorth hir first begotten sonne Ierom. And Ierom interpreted this place to concerne the kéeping of concord among the faithfull while they shall liue héere which he prooueth both by that which went before and which followeth It was said before Matt 5 23. If thou offer thy gift at the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath anie thing against thee leaue there thy gift c. Further after these things it is written Loue your enimies Ibidem verse 44. He also maketh mention of an allegoricall interpretation wherein by an Aduersarie some haue vnderstood the spirit it selfe which exposition notwithstanding séemeth absurd vnto him that the spirit should deliuer vs vnto the iudge Neither did he let to speake that there are some which by an Aduersarie vnderstood the
there thou art at rest in the bosome of Abraham if anie such place be now extant The bosome of Abraham Where he séemeth to doubt whether the bosome of Abraham be yet remaining after the ascension of Christ And in the same oration he saith that it is the saieng of the wise that The soules of the godlie when they be loosed from the bodie are brought vnto the sight of God The verie which thing did Cyrillus write Cyrillus in the ninth booke vpon the gospell of Iohn the 36. chapter where he saith that The soules of them that be dead dwell not vpon the earth neither yet are thrust foorth to torments as are the soules of sinners but doo escape into the hands of the heauenlie father the beginning being made by Christ Howbeit the more ancient fathers thought that the soules of the godlie should be detained in the bosome of Abraham vntill the blessed resurrection as we haue alreadie declared out of Irenaeus 11 Hilarius likewise was of the same mind Hilarius whose iudgement I will declare in few words not alonelie as touching this opinion but also of the infernall place First vpon the second psalme he affirmeth that The spirits of the wicked after death doo not wander vpon the earth but that they come either to paine or reward immediatlie after And this he prooueth by the historie of Lazarus and the rich man Luk. 16 23. bicause he was alreadie tormented in the fire while his brethren yet liued vnto whom he desired that Lazarus might be sent Further he maketh mention of the place of rewards the which he calleth The bosome of Abraham and also of the place of punishments the which he affirmeth to be in the earth inclining to the place in the Apocalypse where it is written Apoc. 5 3. that None might open the booke of them which be in heauen or which be vpon the earth and which be within the earth Whereby he noted that euen the places which be within the earth haue their inhabitants That also might be brought which is written to the Philippians Phil. 2 10. that In the name of Iesu euerie knee must bow of things I saie in heauen of things vpon the earth and of things vnder the earth Moreouer the same author vpon the 120. psalme God kéepeth the spirits of the godlie in the bosome of Abraham euen from the time of departing out of their bodies vntill the time that the kingdome of heauen be come Tertullian And Tertullian as touching either point séemeth not to haue disagréed For against Marcion in the fourth booke 274. page writeth that he dooth thinke that the infernall places are one thing and the bosome of Abraham another bicause the bosome of Abraham is higher than the infernall place Which he confirmeth by this that the rich man is said to haue lifted vp his eies in his torments Luke 16 23 when he sawe Abraham and Lazarus Whereby it appéereth that Augustine borrowed his argument out of Tertullian Furthermore in the 275. page he writeth of the bosome of Abraham The same I saie is a region although not heauenlie yet higher than the infernall place And he addeth that the same shall be giuen for a place of solace for the soules of the iust vntill the resurrection Afterward he defineth the bosome of Abraham that it is a temporall place to receiue the soules of the faithfull wherein is described the image of that which is to come Which as I suppose he therefore speaketh bicause the perfect and absolute blessednes which shall happen in our countrie after the the resurrection is there begun But in his booke De anima page 685. he saith that The infernall place and the bosome of Abraham are vnderneath the earth So as he séemeth not to agrée well with himselfe vnlesse a man will saie that his booke De anima togither with other bookes last found out are none of his works albeit they may séeme in the stile to imitate him Finallie he concludeth that The kingdome of heauen shall be opened togither with the finishing of the world that is to saie The entrance into heauen shall not be opened vntill the world be at an end By these things it appéereth that the most ancient fathers did not iudge that the soules of the godlie doo ascend vnto heauen till the resurrection be past and that the latter writers beléeued that after departing from the bodie the blessed soules doo immediatelie atteine vnto God Verelie the scriptures which are set foorth by the spirit of God incline vnto the latter writers Phil. 1 23. For Paule said I desire to be loosed from hence and to be with Christ The Lord said vnto the théefe Luke 23 43. This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise Vnto which purpose there might also be other diuine testimonies heaped togither Yet neuerthelesse The error of pope Iohn the twentie Iohn the twentieth Bishop of Rome followed the opinion of the elder fathers and thought that the soules of the blessed doo not behold the presence of God vntill the last daie of resurrection and he was so obstinate in his opinion as he would not change the same vntill he was compelled The Diuines of Paris For the Diuines of Paris vsing the helpe of Philip the king surnamed Pulcher made him to recant For this king withdrew himselfe with his whole kingdome from his obedience wherevpon the Pope recanted perhaps not from his hart Recantation of a pope Gerson but through feare least his popedome should be pulled from him Wherefore he openlie recanted and that not without sound of trumpet as Gerson testified in his sermon of the passeouer But the bosome of Abraham I meane the seats of the blessed soules and the infernall place of the wicked spirits come to the knowledge euen of the poets For they described Orcus or hell to be that wherein the wicked are tormented And they also made mention of féelds of pleasure wherein they placed the soules of iust men who should delight themselues therein with songs with doctrines and with philosophicall contemplations 12 Now it séemeth also good to examine what opinion the Hebrues be of In the holie scriptures there be manie names of infernall places whereof I will recite some that be the more notable Hebrue names of the infernall place verse 11. It is called in the Hebrue Scheol of the verbe Schaal which is To seeke or To aske bicause hell séemeth euermore to craue and neuer to be satisfied In the 16. psalme it is written Thou shalt not leaue my soule Lischeol In hell It is also called Abaddon which is Perdition In the eightie eight psalme we read Psal 88 11. Who shall declare thy mercie and thy faith or thy truth Baabaddon that is to saie In perdition Further it is named Beer Schachath of the which we read in the 55. psalme verse 24. Thou hast made them to go downe into the
séeing we shal be one people and shall haue one and the self-same countrie But vnto such as shal be importunate to demand what toong that shal be which the saints shall then vse I grant fréelie that I knowe it not Whereas notwithstanding I remember there be some who affirme that the Hebrue toong shall then be in vse but vpon what certeintie they affirme it let themselues take héed Of the change of all things In Rom. 8. 15 These things being declared the place it selfe séemeth to require that I should speake somewhat of the change of things that shal be in the end of the world Of the change of things at the end of world First I thinke it good to rehearse those things which the Maister of the sentences writeth as touching this matter in the fourth booke distinct 48. When the Lord shall come to iudge the sunne and moone shal be darkned not saith he bicause the light shal be taken from them but through the presence of a more plentifull light For Christ the most splendent sunne shal be present therefore the starres of heauen shal be darkened as are candles at the rising of the sunne The vertues of heauen shal be mooued which may be vnderstood as touching the powers or as some speake of the influences whereby the celestiall bodies gouerne inferiour things which then shall forsake their right and accustomed order Or else by these vertues we may vnderstand the angels which by a continuall turning turne about the spheares of the heauens Perhaps they shall then either cease from the accustomed worke or else they shall execute it after some new maner Matt. 24 29. Luke 21 25. Ioel. 2 31. After he had gathered these things out of Matthew and Luke he addeth out of Ioel that there shall be eclipses of the sunne and of the moone The sunne saith he shal be darkened and the moone shal be turned into bloud before that great and horrible daie of the Lord come And out of the 65. chapter of Esaie Behold I create a new heauen verse 17. and a new earth And straitwaie Esai 30. 26. The moone shall shine as the sunne and the light of the sun shal be seuen fold that is of seuen daies And out of the Apocalypse Acts. 21 1. There shal be a new heauen and a new earth Albeit no mention is there made of amplifieng the light either of the sunne or of the moone Ierom interpreteth that place that such shal be the light of the sunne as it was in those first seuen daies wherin the world was created For by the sinne of our first parents the light saith he both of the sunne and of the moone was diminished Which saieng some of the Schoolemen vnderstand not as touching the verie substance of the light but that as well the world as men receiue lesse fruit of those lights after the fall than they had before Howbeit all these things are obscure and vncerteine Wherevnto I ad that some of the Rabbines thinke these to be figuratiue spéeches for that in the starres there shall be no change but they saie that vnto men being in heauinesse and bewailing the vnhappie state of their things shall come so small fruit by the light of the sunne and moone as vnto them these starres may séeme to be darkened and altogither out of sight But contrarise when they beginne to be in happier state and to liue according to their owne harts desire then at the last the light of the sunne and of the moone shall séeme to be doubled vnto them and to be lighter by manie degrées than it séemed before Which exposition as I denie not so I confesse that at the end of the world shal be a great change of these things Wherefore I grant both to be true either that in this life there happen things oftentimes so sorowfull as the daies which otherwise be most cleare séeme most darke vnto vs and also that when all things shall haue an end the state of creatures shal be disturbed Yea also it happeneth that sometimes while we liue héere those lights of heauen are remooued from their naturall order as we read that it came to passe Iosua 10 12 Mat. 15 33. when Iosua fought and when Christ suffered 16 Ierom in the interpretation of that place addeth that the sunne shall then receiue the reward of his labour to wit such great augmentations of his light Zach. 14 7. Zacharie also testifieth that Then there shall be one perpetuall daie for that the light shall be so great as there shall be no difference betwéene daie and night If these things be true we may perceiue in what state the glorious bodies of the saints shall be after the resurrection Mat. 13 43. of whom Christ said The iust shall shine like the sunne They shall then haue a light seuen fold greater than this sunne which we now inioie Neither is it anie maruell saith Chrysostome if the creatures at that time shall be beautified with so great light A similitude For kings on that day wherin they will haue their sonnes to be established vnto the kingdome are woont to prouide not only that they may be set forth with excellent apparell and solemne shew but also that their seruants may be verie comlie and orderlie apparelled Wherfore when Christ shall then sit manifestlie in his throne and the iust which be the sonnes of God shall come into the kingdome and inheritance of their father God will bring to passe that all creatures shall be beautified with woonderfull ornaments and excellent brightnesse Esai 60. 19. Albeit Esaie saith that It shall come to passe that the sunne and moone shall giue no more light but that the Lord himselfe shal be an euerlasting light By which words he meaneth not that those starres shall perish but onelie that their light shall not be necessarie vnto the saints for those things peraduenture shall no more rise and go downe as they doo now But if thou aske of him what vse they shall haue after the iudgement he plainelie confesseth that he knoweth not for that he in this matter is destitute of the scriptures All these things in a maner we haue out of the Maister of the sentences 17 Now as I thinke there be foure things for me to examine First what vse we shall haue of the creatures when we shal be adorned with that glorie Secondlie whether their laboures shall continue Afterward whether the nature and substance of creatures shal be preserued and what manner of substance the same shall be Lastlie whether all the parts of the world or onelie some shall be repaired As concerning the first they which would diligentlie search out what commoditie shall come vnto the saints in the other life by the creatures renewed haue taught vs that while we liue héere we are by them holpen two maner of waies For first the nature of the bodie and the life Two
to the Corinthians For if a man intrude himself and vsurpe Ecclesiasticall offices hée is not appointed by GOD but he appointeth himselfe to bée both Pastor and teacher Furthermore the Apostles haue lefte vnto vs a forme and example Matthias was chosen The 5 reason Paul and Barnabas by the commaundement of the holie Ghost were put apart to bee sent vnto the Gentiles Acts. 1. 23. Acts. 13. 2. And when they had trauelled ouer diuers Cities and Regions as we be taught in the Actes that they ordeined Elders in the Churches The 6. reason And also we reade of Aaron in the Epistle to the Hebrewes that hée did not intrude himselfe but was called by GOD whom others also should imitate At length the Church would fall to ruine and be ouercharged with expenses The 7. reason For such is the ambition and temeritie of men as an innumerable sort would take the ministerie vppon them The 8. reason And whereas by the lawe of God sustenance is due vnto them that labour in the word it were not possible to haue sufficiencie for all that should labour And whereas all thinges according to the commaundement of the Apostle ought to bée doone in order these men would mingle and confound all thinges which is the onelie indeuour of the Diuell who misliketh not anie thing so much especiallie in diuine things as a right and wel ordered institution 1. Cor. 15. 16. Arguments of them which confound orders vocations in the Church The 1. reason The 2. reason 1. Pet. 2. 9. The 3. reason Ioh. 10. 23. Mat. 16. 19. The 4 reason Matt. 23. 8 The 5. reason Matt. 18. 5. 15 But let vs sée now what reasons they bring for themselues First of all is that place which we haue cited Secondlie they alledge out of the first Epistle of Peter namelie that we are now a kingdome and priesthoode to set foorth the vertues of God Furthermore they saie that the keies are not giueÌ„ vnto one or to an other but vnto the whole Church and so each one maie vse them Besides they laie blame vnto vs as though we obserue not the commandement of Christ in preferring pastors to the gouernment of the Church because Christ for bad that wée should be called masters chief rulers or Rabbi And it appeareth plainlie enough that brotherlie correction belongeth vnto al men which is not doone without the administration of the word of God The 6. reason Tit. 2. Deut. 6. 7. Moreouer Parents and householders are bound to instruct their Children and householde seruauntes in the feare of the Lord which is nothing else but to preach and publish the Gospell Nor doth it make anie matter whether this bée doone within the walles of a priuate house The 7. reason or else openlie abroade For the Apostles did not alwaies preach in the stréetes Act. 20. 20 but they did it also in priuate houses The lame the blind and léepors obteined health of Christ The 8. reason they went their waies publishing his name without expecting to bée appointed by order Also women haue otherwhile exercised the holie ministerie of preaching The 9. reason and yet were they not instructed before Mark 1. 45. Matt. 28. 7. Mar. 16. 10 Iohn 4. 29. And Magdalen declared the resurrection of Christ vnto the Apostles And the woman of Samaria preached him vnto her Citizens The Daughters of Philip were Prophetisses Exo. â—5 20. And in the old Testament Debora Marie the sister of Moses and Anna the mother of Samuel openlie sang thankes vnto God 1. Sam. 2. 1. Martyrs being called vnto the Tribunall seate openlie confessed Christ and set him foorth with all the power they had The 10. reason 1. Cor. 14. 29. Ouer this Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians saide that two or three should Prophesie so as if it were reueiled to anie one that stoode by he that spake should holde his peace and giue place to the other Where it appeareth that it sufficeth to receiue a reuelation to exercise the office of preaching The 11. reason 2. Cor. 14. 29. And finallie Paul woulde That while anie doeth prophesie the standers by shoulde iudge vnto whom séeing iudgement is attributed there séemeth also power to bée giuen that they them selues in like maner maie preach séeing to iudge is more than to speake 16 For answere vnto these things The consideration is diuerse of the Church not yet placed when it is planted first consider we that it is one thing when a Church is not yet setled and another when the same is now ordained and planted For when it is not as yet builded and that men be ignorant of Christian religion whosoeuer by chaunce and fortune shall be there which knowe Christ they are bound to set him forth and to winne men vnto him Neither must ordaining be expected when as it cannot be had For then he which is heard and doeth preach Christ hath of his election the secret voyces of them which doe come and consent Nor is hee vncalled of God séeing he is bound by commandement to doe that which he doeth so that as we haue said he well vnderstand Christ and his religion Which must be vnderstoode If he can in no wise attaine vnto them which should ordaine him For if he maie haue accesse vnto anie which maie ordaine him after the vsuall maner by laying on of handes he ought not to neglect that ordinance But where the Church is now instituted bicause all things by the admonition of the holy Ghost must be done in order therefore expresse and manifest voices of election and laying on of handes are required for the auoiding of disorder and confusion of things Besides these we affirme that there is a certaine ordinarie function Function extraordinary and ordinary and a certaine function extraordinarie Elias Elizeus Esaie Ieremie and those kinde of Prophetes were extraordinarilie sent of God They neither were of the stocke of Leui nor yet Priestes wherefore they should neuer haue bin put into the ministerie by the high Priestes neuerthelesse they were sent from God when all things were corrupted and marred and might not be restored by the ordinarie Ministers And of these vocations God was sometimes author by him selfe as it came to passe in Moses and in manie of the Prophets Exod 3. 20. 1. Kings 19 19. sometimes they were called by man as Elizeus was annointed by Elias And we at this present deale not otherwise than by ordinarie function of the ministerie For those things that be done extraordinarilie by God we are to woonder at them but not alwaies to followe them For there be lawes prescribed vnto vs which we ought to obey Lastly we would haue it testified and and confirmed that there is a certaine generall vocation which is common vnto all A generall vocation and a priuate vocation and hath place in all those things whereof there be
be only the ciuill head of the Church If thou require of Papistes they will neuer graunt that their Pope is onelie the ciuill head of the Church Nay rather they will haue them to be called spirituall fathers So as they haue two heads of one and the same kinde For they will neuer suffer themselues to bée inclosed within these boundes For they dispence against the word of God they forbid marriages they applie the merites of Christ and of the saintes they ordaine new Sacraments they sel Pardons This pertaineth not to a ciuill head Wherefore let them graunt that their Church hath two heads and that it is a monster But I will deale frankelie Admit the Pope be a ciuill head That if the Pope be a ciuil head yet the Church is double headed yet doe yée fal into the selfe same errour For seeing the Magistrate also is a ciuill head ye shall bée constrained to confesse that in the Church there be two ciuill heads both of one order and that so your Church is a monster But these men as they be importunate dreame of two heads First that the Pope is the ciuill head of his ministers and so is one head of the Church Whether the Pope be be ciuill head of his ministers Rom. 13. 1 For they will haue ministers to be exempted from the power of the ciuill Magistrate But this is a vaine conceite For Paul commaundeth that euerie soule should be subiect vnto the Ciuill power he exempteth none Yea and Chrysostome saith that neither the Apostles nor Euangelistes ought to be excepted Peter also exhorteth ministers that they should obey the ciuill power Wherefore in vaine doe they babble and ridiculouslie doe they adioyne two heads vnto their ministers Whether the magistrate may beare rule ouer preachers Ministers subiect two maner of wayes What then wilt thou saie Shall the Magistrate beare rule ouer ministers and Preachers I aunswere that the word of God and the Sacraments are subiect to no potentate But ministers are subiect two manner of waies both in respect of manners and of their function For if either they liue wickedlie or doe not their duetie they may be both reiected by the Magistrate and depriued Look part 4. pâ— 13. Act 7 6 But these men still dreame of one ciuill power that is Ecclesiasticall and of an other that is profane The one of the which they attribute vnto the Pope and the other vnto the Magistrate but all in vaine For as much as pertaineth vnto Ecclesiasticall power the ciuill Magistrate is sufficient For he as saith Aristotle in his Politikes must prouide that all men doe their duetie both lawiers Phisitians husband men Apothecaries among whom we may also recken ministers and Preachers What néede haue we here to multiplie heades Salomon Dauid Iosias being ciuill Magistrats yet did they not thinke religion to be without the compasse of their charge Constantine Theodosius and Iustinian thought vppon nothing more than to set in order the true church of God So then there was no néed that these men should raise vp a newe head vnto themselues in the Church and especiallie for the setting vp of tyrannie For the Church hath Elders who must prouide in what order all things ought to be doone and that all things be in order the Magistrate ought to prouide What the church must doe if the magistrate be vngodlie But what if the Magistrate be wicked Yet there is a Church there be Elders there be Bishops by these it must be decréed and appointed what ought to be doone in Religion And this perhaps is it Howe the king of England is called the head of his own church why the king of England would be called head of his own Church next vnto Christ For he thought that that power which the Pope vsurped to himselfe was his and in his owne kingdome pertained to him selfe The title indéed was vnwonted and displeased manie godlie men Howbeit if we consider the thing it selfe he meant nothing else but that which we haue now said 7 But they obiect that after the Pope Whether the Pope being nowe made head ought to be remoued 1. Sam. 8. 7. once became a Monarch and that we sée that christ is not therby excluded he must not rashlie be remoued For so the Israelites although they had made themselues a king without the commaundement of God he béeing once appointed they did not afterward reuolt froÌ„ him I aunswere The reason is not alike For the Israelites in creating their king had the voyce of God which thing if these men can shewe of their Pope we will confesse that the reason on both partes is alike But they cannot do it naie rather they haue the contrarie out of the holie Scriptures Wherefore we conclude first that it is not agréeable for the Church to haue a double head Secondlie that although it might be agréeable yet that one mortall man cannot rule and regard the whole world for that doth farre excéed mans strength Whether ciuill Prince that hath more prouinces than he can out-see be to be suffered But thou wilt saie If this reason be of force euen a ciuill Monarch ought not to be suffered who hath more Prouinces than he is able to take the charge of Wherefore if a king be not able to prouide for all that be his shal we reuolt from him as ye haue doone from the Pope I aunswere that these Empires larglie extended cannot be without fault For séeing the kings cannot deale in all things themselues they coÌ„mit their Prouinces vnto vnsatiable and gréedy cormorants by whom the people is miserablie drawen drie and suckt out And in auncient times when things were better seuerall cities had seuerall kings We read that Nynus first made ware vppon the nations adioining and amplified his borders So we read of so manie kinges that were in the land of Canaan being no verie great Region Indéede it is an ill thing to haue so large a dominion yet must not the people for that cause reuolt from their kings Howbeit if they wil commaund anie thing against God they must in no wise be heard Christ came not to chaunge the order of common weales For my kingdome saith he is not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. Neither did Paul at anie time perswade that there should be anie defection from Nero. So as we haue the word of God that we should obey the Magistrat whosoeeuer he be but we haue no word to obey the Pope If there be one head of the Church whether the â—…nt ought to bee at Rome 8 But admit that there maie be some one head of the Church why should he rather be at Rome than else where Because Peter saie they sat in Rome First that doth not sufficientlie appeare For by some it is denied But be it he was at Rome he was also at Antioch and Ierusalem Whie then should not the Bishops of these Cities bée
said that we must not cast awaie hope of them that be onliue But whereas he saith that no man must be punished with a curse it agréeth not with the sayings of other fathers Councels which cursed Arrius Manicheus and manie Heretikes Further it séemeth to agrée but little with the holie Scriptures séeing it is said vnto the Galathians Gal. 1. 8. If an angell from heauen shal preach anie other Gospel than we haue doone let him be accursed In the Synode of Nice there séeme also some degreées to be appointed in the Church In the Synode of Nice Hearers In the first place were herers bicause they were suffered to be present at the holy preaching Wherfore none were vtterlie driuen awaie vnles there were some open derider contemner There were also men that prostrated themselues Men prostrated who desired pardon of the ministers of the Church for their sinnes committed There be also suppliants reckened Suppliāts who not withstanding they were driuen from the sacraments yet when the faithfull prayed they were suffered to be present vnto which degrée it séemeth that the abstinents did pertaine Finallie they are reckened which communicated in the Sacramentes with the whole Church Excommunicants Among these degrées it was accompted the smallest to be driuen from the Eucharist for a time more gréeuous to be put apart from the companie of them that prayed but most gréeuous of all to be remooued from them that laie prostrate But as touching the Councell of Nice manie thought that these articles were counterfeit and that they are not to be reckened for the lawfull decrées of that Synode séeing they are almost no where obserued yet out of Cyprian we manifestlie gather To men fallen into Idolatrie no peace giuen but at the houre of death that there were some degrées vnto them which were falen into Idolatrie as he saith there was giuen no peace by the Church vnlesse it were about the houre of death but vnto adulterers it was graunted after a long repentance Adulterers Libellates what they were But vnto the Libellatistes for so were they called which for monie redéemed themselues in the time of persecution pardon was somewhat easilier granted So as out of the Fathers are easilie gathered these degrées which neuerthelesse cannot be prooued by the holie scriptures Who shold vse the sentence of excommunication 8 Now are we to intreate who they be which ought to exercise excommunication Separation from God and from the members of Christ the which as wee said happeneth through infidelitie and other sins cannot be laid vppon vs by anie creature wée separate our selues from God Esa 59. 2. Wherfore Esaie saide Sinnes haue made a separation betweene me and you Rom. 8. 35. 39. And Paul saide that he certainlie knewe that no creature could pluck him awaie from that loue wherwith God Christ loueth theirs But Excōmunication which is a token of this inward * Apostasie is a falling away from him that we professe Apostasie in déede not a certaine and necessarie token yet a great one and greatlie to be feared must be inflicted by the Church of Christ Excommunication is no certaine token of the separation from God And therefore I haue said that it is no certaine and necessarie token of the separation from God and the members of Christ because it maie sometime be that a good and innocent man maie be excommunicated by the corrupt iudgement of the rulers in the Church as we haue knowen it to bée doone more than once in the councels and among the Fathers which were otherwise accounted holie Wherefore by excommunication we are not properlie said to be separated from God but are shewed and discerned to be separated A similitude as in the old law a priest when he iudged anie Leaper did not infect him with leprosie but pronounced him to be alreadie infected Mat. 16. 18 Neither is it against this sense that the Church is said to bind loose because this iudgement when it concurreth with the word of God Howe God worketh together with the iudgement of the Church is not in vaine And séeing God worketh together with them the separation which had alreadie happened to the poore wretch is become more gréeuous But now this onelie we say that in excommunication it perpetuallie happeneth that Apostasie and falling awaie from God goeth before the same and so God worketh together with this iudgement of the Church when according to the rule of the holie scriptures it decréeth that he maie send scourges and vncleane spirites for to vex them that be excommunicate Ambrose We read of Ambrose that the Scribe of Stellico when as he had excommunicated him beganne to be gréeuouslie vexed with an ill spirite And these thinges doth God to the intent he maie declare that he confirmeth that in heauen which in earth shall be iustlie bound 9 But that we maie rightlie vnderstand who ought to be excommunicate it is néedefull to discusse in what sort the societie of the Church is It is not simple What maner of societie the Church is of but it is cōpounded of one alone of manie good gouernours and of the gouernment of the people For from it must be remooued pernitious kindes of common weales I meane Tyrannie the gouernment of a few How it is a monarchie Act. 20. 28. and the Lordshippe of corrupt people If thou respect Christ it shall be called a Monarchie For he is our king who with his owne blood hath purchased the Church vnto himselfe He is now gone into heauen yet doeth he gouerne this kingdome of his indéed not with visible presence but by the spirit and word of the holie scriptures How it is an Aristocracie 1. Co. 12. 28 Ephe. 4. 11. And there be in the Church which doe execute the office for him Bishops Elders Doctors and others bearing rule in respect of whom it maie iustlie bee called a gouernment of manie For they which are preferred to the gouernment of Churches onlie because of the excellent gifts of God as touching doctrine and purenesse of life must be promoted vnto these degrées These offices are not committed vnto them according to the estimation of riches and reuenewes not for fauour bewtie or nobilitie sake but in respect of merites and vertues but if it be otherwise it is doone against the rule But because in the Church there be matters of verie great weight importance How it is a Democracy referred vnto the people Acts. 1. 15. Acts. 6. 2. as it appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles therefore it hath a consideration of politike gouernment But of the most weight are accounted excommunication absolution choosing of ministers and such like so as it is concluded No man can be excommunicated without the consent of the Church The Romane common weale that no man can be excommunicated without the consent of the Church On this
not in that it is spoken but it that it is beléeued But in Infants which by reason of age cannot yet beléeue The word clenseth not because it is spoken bu◠because it is beléeued The holie Ghost worketh in the steade of faith Tit. 3. 5. the holie Ghost worketh in their heartes in the stead of Faith The effusion also of the holie Ghost is promised in baptisme as it is expresselie writen in the Epistle to Titus Who hath saued vs by the fountaine of regeneration and renewing of the holie Ghost which he hath plentifully powred vpon vs. 3 Neither are these two things in such manner offered vnto vs in Baptisme The things offered in Baptisme are also had euen before Baptisme Rom. 4. 11. Act. 10. 44. as though we in no wise might haue them before baptisme For it cannot be denied but that they which bee of full age if they beléeue are iustified euen before they be baptised For so Abraham beleeued and was iustified and after that hee receiued the seale of Circumcision And Cornelius the Centurion when hee had heard Peter and beléeued was not onelie iustified but also visiblie receiued the holie Ghost Neither would we baptise Infants but that we suppose that they alreadie pertaine vnto the Church and vnto Christ And yet are not such baptised in vaine For we must obaie the commandement of GOD which if anie man should contemne though hee boast neuer so much of his faith yet should he sufficientlie declare that hee neither beléeued nor is iustified nor yet hath receiued remission of sinnes Furthermore although they beléeue In Baptisme the gifts which are had before are increased yet when these promises are againe offered that by the appointment of the Lorde and they through faith and instinct of the holie Ghost doe effectuallie take holde of them the benefites of God cannot but be increased in them And why the holie Ghost is powred into the heartes of them that be regenerate this is the reason Why the holy Ghost is powred into the heart when we be regenerate Eze. 36. 26. By Baptisme we are visiblie grafted into Christ and his Church 1. Co. 12. 13 Because they must be made men againe and their stonie heart as the Pophete saith must be turned into a heart of flesh which is not possible to bee doone by mans reason And that we are by the visible sacrament grafted into Christ into the Church is first declared out of Paul For Paul saith that they which are baptised are grafted into Christ And in the first to the Corinthians the 12. Chapter By one spirit saith he all we are baptised into one bodie And that this bodie is the Church he teacheth at large in the same Chapter We added in the definition by a visible Sacrament because so soone as we be iustified we are verilie in minde and in spirite grafted both into Christ and into the Church But because that is vnknowen vnto men it is afterward knowen when we are entered by the outward sacrament By Baptisme the right of eternall life is sealed 4 Also the right way vnto eternall life is sealed vnto vs by baptisme So soone as we be iustified we haue it giuen vnto vs and it pertaineth vnto vs by right not of desert but of the liberall gift of God and by baptisme it is sealed A similitude As the giftes of kings so soone as euer they be graunted vnto vs doe without doubt pertaine vnto vs but afterwarde are sealed that the will of the king if it be néedfull maie be testified vnto others Neither is this part to wit The right vnto eternall life Not all which be not baptised doe perish so to be vnderstoode as though they ought to be excluded out of the kingdome of heauen which were not baptised For if they beléeued and that there was no let in them that they were not baptised there is no doubt of their saluation For Christ saith Iohn 11. 25. He that beleeueth in mee hath life euerlasting And in an other place although he saie that he which beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued Mar. 16. 16 yet straight waie he added He which beleeueth not shal be condemned A faithful man may be saued without Baptisme By which words he gaue vs to vnderstande that baptisme is not of such necessitie but that a faithfull man maie be saued without it so that there happen therein no contempt nor disobedience The Schoolemen also confesse that besides the baptisme of water the godlie are sometimes baptised with martyrdome and with the inspiration of the holie Ghost Death called baptisme Mat. 20. 22 so much as suffireth vnto saluation Christ also called death it selfe Baptisme when he said that he should bee baptised with an other baptisme and foretold that the Apostles should be baptised with the holie Ghost not manie dayes after his ascension into heauen Acts. 1. 6. Repentāce must be ioyned with Baptisme Lastlie we againe in baptisme professe death toward sinne and also a newe life Which profession sheweth nothing else but that vnto this Sacrament is ioyned repentance Mat. 3. 2. 28. 20. which both Iohn and Christ taught when they spake of Baptisme And the fathers waen they passed ouer the sea escaped into liberty Exod. 14. but Pharao with his host was drowned in the waters wherby was signified that by baptisme we ought so to be renewed as there we should forsake our sinnes and issue out with a newe purpose to holinesse of life All these things ought we when we are baptised often to consider out of the testimonies of the Scriptures and continuallie admonish our selues thereof For although this sacrament be but onelie once giuen We must continuallie carie our Baptisme in remembrance yet ought it neuer in our whole life be forgotten For euen as it behooued the Iewes euermore to remēber that they were circumcised so also we ought cōtinually to cal to mind our baptisme 5 But it is woonderfull how some dare affirme Baptisme of children is no new thing in the Church Cyprian Looke In. 1. Cor. 1. 16. and in the Booke De Votis pag 73. 〈◊〉 foorth at Basil that the Baptisme of Infantes is a newe institution in the Church For Cyprian a verie auncient writer maketh mention of it and aunswereth that it is not of necessitie that we should tarie till the eight daie for the baptising of them For that the trueth of the Gospell hath deliuered vs from obseruing the number of daies and that therefore they may well be baptised what daie soeuer the Church shall be assembled together Origen also writing vppon the Epistle to the Romanes and vppon Leuiticus sufficientlie declareth that Infantes were in his time accustomed to be baptised And since that these men were not long after the Apostles times and that they make not mention of it as a thing inuented by them or in their time it sufficiently appeareth
the new byrth Iohn 3. 4. c. Iohn 4. 11. No lesse did that woman of Samaria erre as concerning that water which Christ promised her And the Hebrewes erred when Christ said vnto them Iohn 8. 5 6. That Abraham sawe his day and reioyced Wherefore let them not alwayes say vnto vs that this scripture This is my bodie is plaine for we will aunswere them it is playne as touching the signification of the wordes But the sense of them is not plaine as in the lyke sentences it dooth appeare Christ is the Rock 1. Cor. 10. 4 Iohn 1. 29. 1. Co. 10. 27 1. Co. 10. 7 Christ is the Lambe Ye be the bodie of Christ We that be many are one bread All these be the words of God and we may pronounce of them that they be plaine that they be manifest yet for all that none of them inferre Transubstantiation 33 Wherefore there is no cause why perspicuitie should be so much pretended A first declaration of the proposition This is my body It behooueth by other places and circumstances of the scripture to regard well what is héere meant Wherefore wee will expound this proposition in scanning of it more déepely God meant to drawe man vnto him by ample promises because he woulde blesse him and make him happie and because we haue vnbeléeuing hearts he woulde haue manie benefites to appeare towardes mankinde whereby he might allure the same vnto him Wherefore he not onely gaue vs fréely all creatures but also in the time of the floud deliuered mankind which otherwise had yll deserued from the destruction of the waters He declared himselfe verie mercifull vnto Abraham also he gaue good successe vnto the stocke of Isaac and to his séede Iacob that it should be increased in Egypt And when they were there oppressed he deliuered them he gaue them a verie happie land and he exalted them to the dignitie of a kingdome and Priesthood but yet they were alwaies vnbeléeuing men and smally perswaded themselues of the good will of God towards them Wherefore because of their infidelitie hée cast them into diuerse captiuities and afterward he deliuered them Finally that there should be no place left to doubt of his goodnesse he bestowed the chiefest of all benefites vppon vs namely his owne sonne indued with mans flesh that he should die vpon the Crosse for our saluation Which benefite was such Rom. 8. 31. that as Paule saide vnto the Romans howe could it be but that he gaue all things together with him And least it should be forgotten he would haue it renued in the memorie by the sacrament of the Eucharist that we should reuolue in our minde by faith that Christ by him was deliuered vnto death for vs and that in beléeuing we should eate his flesh and drinke his bloud Which that it might the more effectually be doone the tokens both of bread wine were added which might mooue vs more earnestly than bare wordes could doe Mat. 26. 26 Iohn 6. 35. He compareth the proposition This is my bodie with that in the 6. of Iohn I am the bread of life 34 Therefore when he saieth This is my bodie he meant no otherwise than he promised in the 6. of Iohn I am the bread of life He spake of himselfe as touching the bodie and flesh deliuered vnto death or rather to be deliuered as by his words it is manifest Neither would he any other thing but that these things shoulde be vnto vs breade and meate whereby our mindes shoulde be confirmed and cherished and by the minde the bodie and finally the whole man Wherfore in the Supper Christ did nothing else but that he transposed the proposition and as before he had said that his bodie and flesh is bread so nowe on the otherside he saieth in shewing bread that the verie same is his bodie and while he pronounced This is my bodie it was euen as if he had said My bodie being receiued by faith shall be vnto you in the stead of bread or as it were bread wherby you shall bee spiritually fed Wherefore let the sense be I giue vnto you bread to eate and in the meane time I set forth vnto you my bodie which shall be fastened vnto the Crosse that with a faithful memorie and attentiue minde ye may eate it spiritually with your selues and as ye with the bodie eate bread so with the minde ye may féede vpon my flesh What is more easie plaine than this interpretation And that doeth more better agrée with the promise which the Lord maketh vnto vs in the 6. Chapter of Iohn But and if any man will contende that that first saying of Christ I am the liuely bread is taken for the diuine nature as Chrysostome séemeth to take it first we say that this doeth not well agrée because Christ had ordered his spéech concerning the eating of his bodie in the stead of earthly bread he offered to the Capernaites his flesh to bée eaten which thing by the course of his spéech doeth plainely appeare although he say that the bread came downe from heauen because oftentimes that which is of the Godhead is also communicated with the humanitie But if this exposition of Chrysostome be of so great force with them let that also preuaile with them when he saieth afterwarde that the saying of Christ Verse 5◠The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the lyfe of the world doeth belong vnto the Eucharist Neither hath he alone affirmed this but the rest of the Interpretors doe also consent vnto him Therefore when as the Lord saith there that The bread is his flesh he nowe testifieth the same in the supper for the bread being shewed he said This is my bodie He pronounceth both in the one place and the other that his bodie or his flesh is breade namely of the soule and of our regenerated substance which bread is spiritually eaten And so there shal be no conuersion of the proposition but it shall be vnderstoode after the selfe same manner both in the one place and in the other What figure is admitted in this proposition This is my bodie But if thou vnderstand the whole together to wit the bread and the thing offered by the bread that is the bodie of Christ we admit the figure Synecdoche for it is spoken of the whole or of the one part which is vnderstoode of the other But if thou referre the saying vnto bread which both signifieth and offereth vnto vs the bodie of Christ to be eaten it shall be the figure of Denomination to wit when the name of the thing signified is attributed vnto the signe In this interpretation also all thinges are easie absurdities are shamed and one place of the scripture is not contrarie to the other scriptures 35 They said if place be thus giuen vnto figures the Heretickes will peruert all things Vnlesse we vse figures we cannot
ouerthrowe heretikes I on the other part say that vnlesse wee vse figures as it appeareth in those things which we haue cited a little before the Heretickes haue the ouer hand For they also will vrge the proper sense that sense I meane which straightwaie offereth it selfe Onely this remaineth to shewe that such a phrase and figuratiue spéeche is verie often in the holy scriptures Such figuratiue speeches as this are most familiar in the scriptures Luke 8. 11. and this will easilie be doone Wee reade that The seede is the word of God The rocke was Christ Albeit I knowe some doe cauill 1. Cor. 10. 4 and woulde no figure to be héere also because Paul tended his spéeche vnto the spirituall rocke which they say is Christ verilie and not figuratiuelie Howbeit Augustine and Origen bee on our side who plainely say that the same outward Rocke signified Christ But least we might séeme to shift off that which is obiected wée say that if they will vnderstand The spirituall Rocke let them also in this place vnderstand spirituall and allegoricall bread and as touching the same wee shall truely and without figure confesse it to be Christ Moreouer the Lord said I haue chosen you twelue and one of you is a Diuell Iohn 6. 70. yet was not Iudas therefore transubstantiated into a diuell Of Circumcision it is written My Couenant shall be in your flesh Ioh. 17. 13. whereas the Circumcision is not the couenant but onely a signe of the Couenant Verse 20. In the 33. Chapter of Genesis it is shewed that Iacob builded an Aultar which he called the mightie God of Israel Exo. 17. 15. And Moses in Exodus after the victorie against Amaleck called the Aultar which he builded Iehouahnesi Ier. 23. 6. God my banner and Ieremie maketh mention of a Citie that was called Iehouah Zidkenu God our righteousnesse because these shoulde bee Monuments of those things which they expressed in names Iohn 5. 35. Of Iohn Baptist it is written that he was a burning and a shining Candle also Mat. 17. 12 he is Helias if ye will receiue him Christ saieth of himselfe Iohn 15. 1. I am the vine and ye bee the branches Iohn 10. 7. 1. Pet. 2. 6. I am the doore Of himselfe also it is written that Hee is a stone set for a ruine and resurrection Deu. 12. 23. In Deuteronomie The bloud is the life Whereas it is that wherewith the life is preserued and signified Gen. 37. 37 Of Ioseph his brother Iudas saide Let him not be slaine he is our flesh By which phrase of spéech was signified the naturall coniunction of kindred 1. Co. 10. 17 Paul saieth That manie be one bread which we must vnderstand figuratiuelie And Christ breathed vpon his Disciples and saide Ioh. 20. 22. Receiue ye the holie Ghost Yet is not the breathing transubstantiated into the holie Ghost In Genesis Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall not abide in man because he is flesh And in Iohn The word became flesh Iohn 1. 14. wherein is the figure Synecdoche for the whole man is vnderstoode vnder the name of flesh And the Lorde vppon the Crosse saide Woman behold thy sonne Ioh. 19. 26. and to the Disciple Behold thy mother yet were they not transubstantiated they remained the same that they were before but there was appointed a new order a new relation and respect to be had betwéene them Of Christ it is said That he is our peace Ephe. 2. 14. whereas he is onlie the cause of our peace Againe Iohn 6. 62. My words be spirit and life whereas they only signified or brought these things vnto the beléeuers Iohn 1. 29. Iohn said of Christ Behold the lamb of God yet was not his nature changed into the nature of a Lambe 36 We reade euerie where in the holie scriptures Psal 19. 10. Psal 105. 5. 118. v. 13 that the wordes of the Lorde are iudgement trueth righteousnesse whereas these things be therein onely signified and expressed And this similitude doeth excellently well agrée with the sacraments which are said to be visible wordes Wee haue in the Apocalips I am Alpha and Omega that is Apoc. 1. ◠the beginning and ende of all things And Paul saieth of his Gospell which he preached It is the power of God to saluation vnto euerie one that beleeueth Rom. 1. 16 whereas it is onelie the instrument whereby the power of God declareth it selfe vnto men that shall be saued And as touching the Gospell of the crosse he saieth 1. Cor. 1. 21. That vnto the vngodly it is foolishnesse that is it signifieth a foolish thing vnto that kinde of men But he addeth Ibid. 24. That vnto the godlie it is the power and wisedome of God because it representeth these things vnto them And as touching the lawe it is said Deu. 30. 15 that He set before the Hebrewes life death blessing and cursing that is by signification of the lawe by the promises threatenings which were expressed in the same In the Booke of Genesis the vij Gen. 41. 26 kine and the vij eares of corne are saide to bee the vij yeares 1. Kings 11. 31. and this was as touching the signification Ahia the Prophet of Silo gaue vnto Ieroboam ten péeces of his torne mantell said that he gaue him the kingdome of the x. Tribes Ver. 10. In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the xj Chapter Paul wrote that the woman ought to haue on her head power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a couer whereby the power of the husband is signified And in the second Epistle to the Corinthians it is written 2. Cor. 5. 21 That God made Christ to bee sinne namely as touching the similitude and representation of the flesh Leuit. 7. v. 2. 7. 37. Osee 4. 8. Yea and the sacrifice which was offered for sinnes is called sinne And the Priests were saide to eate the sinnes of the people that is the sacrifices which were offered for the sinnes of the people In Ezechiel it is written Eze. 36. 25 I will poure vpon you pure water and by water he signifieth the holy Ghost The verie which thing we reade of Christ when he saieth Iohn 4. 14. He that shall drinke of this water and the rest that followeth where the Euangelist calleth to minde that he spake of the spirit which they were to receiue Exo. 12. 27. Of the Lambe we read that it was called the Passeouer although some indeuour to denie it But in the Hebrewe it is Zebah pesah hu The sacrifice is the Passouer By sacrifice cannot otherwise be vnderstoode but eyther the beast slaine for sacrifice or else the same action of offering the slaine beast Euen so we haue the bodie of Christ expressed both in the bread and in the wine and in the action aswell of eating as of
which are not Magistrates such be the Ministers of Churches which neuerthelesse are kéepers of the word of God and of his law but not onely as touching outward discipline The difference betwéene the office of a magistrate and a Minister Because it is the office of ministers through the word of God to pearse euē to the inwarde motions of the minde because the holy Ghost ioyneth his power both to the right preaching of his word and also to the sacraments which are ministred in the Church But the Magistrate onely exerciseth outward discipline and punishment vpon transgressors The minister in the name of God bindeth the guiltie and vnpenitent and in his name excludeth them from the kingdome of heauen as long as they shall so remaine The Magistrate punisheth with outwarde punishments and when néede requireth vseth the sword Both of them nourish the godly but diuersly The Magistrate aduaunceth them with honors riches and dignities The minister comforteth them with the promises of God with the sacraments The end of a Magistrate Wherefore the Magistrate is appointed to the end that the lawes should be diligently kept the guiltie punished and the good holpen and fostered And certainely the lawe is a dumb Magistrate and againe the Magistrate is a liuing and speaking law Rom. 13. 3. and is also the Minister of God as Paul saieth to their praise which doe well and on the otherside he beareth the sworde against the wicked as a iudge and reuenger of God Looke In 1. Sam. 8. 6. Neither tend these things to any other ende than to the safetie of men 2 Howbeit the forme of Magistrates is not of one sort but manifolde as Monarchia The forme of a Magistrate is manifold the gouernment of one Aristocrasia the rule of many good men and Politia politike gouernment Or else Tyrannis where one rules for his owne commoditie Oligarchia where a fewe be in authoritie and Democratia when the people beare the sway The descriptions and natures of which formes Plato Aristotle and other Philosophers haue elegantly described Of all these manners of gouernment the best is to be desired And all men to whom it pertaineth ought to prouide that a good or tollerable estate degenerate not into an euill one But if it happen at any time that Tyrantes or wicked princes obtaine the gouernance that must bee suffered as much as the worde of God giueth leaue The Iewes were by violence oppressed of the Babylonians Ier. 27. 11. 29. 7. An example of the Iewes for obeying of the Magistrate whom neuerthelesse GOD admonished that they should obey to pray for the King although he were a Tyrant and possessed the kingdom of the Hebrewes most wrongfully Caesar also helde Iewrie by Tyrannie and yet Christ said Giue that which is Caesars vnto Caesar Mat. 22. 21. and the things that are of God vnto God The Apostles also haue taught that we must obey princes and pray for them Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Nero was a most shamefull beast to whom notwithstanding the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans sheweth that obedience ought to be giuen Rom. 13. 5. not onely for feare but also for conscience sake Phocas attained to the Empire of Rome by euill practizes and most cruelly slew Mauritius his prince and also his children whom neuerthelesse the Romans acknowledged for their Emperour and Gregorie the first read vnto the people his commandements and writings But and if thou shalt demaunde what forme of a publike weale the Iewes had it may easily be knowen At the beginning they had Aristocrasia where the best sort ruled For God approoued the counsell of Iethro Exo. 18. 14 which was that there should be chosen out wise men and couragious and such as feared God which shoulde gouerne the publike weale as it is written in Exodus and Deuteronomie Deut 1. 9. Numb 11. 16. Yea and God himselfe with his spirit did so inspire these 70. men whom he had commaunded to bée chosen as helpers of Moses in the gouernment as they also prophesied On this wise were the Israelites gouerned although afterward they were ruled by a king That Princes are called pastors 3 But this must not be omitted that princes in the holy scriptures are not onely called Deacons or Ministers of God but also Pastors Ezech. 34. Of whom Ezechiel complaineth for manie causes for that they cruellie and peruerslie fed the people of God Homer Homer also calleth his Agamemnō the pastor of the people For they ought not to beare rule as théeues or hirelinges to fléece and to oppresse but to kéepe nourish and féede lyke Pastors They are also called Fathers Magistrates are called Fathers wherefore the Senators among the Romans were called Patres conscripti that is appointed Fathers Neither was there a greater or more auncient honour in the Commonweale than to be called The father of the Countrie Yea also a Magistrate by the lawe of God is cōprehended vnder this commaundemēt Honour thy father and thy mother Exo. 20. 12 Princes then owe vnto their subiectes a fatherly loue and they ought alwayes to remember that they are not rulers ouer beastes but ouer men and that themselues also are men who yet should be farre better and more excellent than those whome they gouerne otherwise they are not fit to gouerne them For we make not a shéepe the chiefe ruler ouer shéepe but the Belwether and then the shepheard And euen as a shepheard excelleth the shéepe so ought they to whome the office of a Magistrate is committed to excell the people Nowe must wée consider by whome Magistrates are ordained That is sometime doone by the consent of the Senate By whom Magistrates are appointed sometime by the voyces of the people or by the will of the souldiers or else by succession of inheritance Howbeit these are but instrumentes God is the first appointer of Magistrates But the proper cause of Magistrates is God himselfe which may be prooued by manie reasons First there is by God kindled a certaine light in the hearts of men whereby they vnderstand that they cannot liue together without a guide and from thence sprung the office of a Magistrate Deu. 17. 12 The lawe of God also commaundeth to obay Magistrates And before the lawe giuen by Moses as it is written in Genesis Gen. 9. 6. God ordayned that he which sheddeth mans bloud his bloud also should be shed not rashlie in déede or by euery man for that were verie absurd We may then gather by those wordes that a Magistrate was plainelie instituted by God that he should punish manquellers Paul also writeth that Rom. 13. 1. all powers whatsoeuer they be are ordained of God And Christ aunswered vnto Pilate Ioh. 19. 11. Thou shouldest haue no power against me except it had bin giuen thee from aboue By these testimonies and reasons it is prooued that
but by their owne lustes They regarded their owne affections and not the lawe of God Further they inuaded kingdomes being stirred vp by their owne lustes and driuen by their owne ambition not as they which felt the calling of GOD vnto a kingdome Neither did they take authoritie vppon them with a will to obay God but to satisfie their owne ambition Ier. 27. 6. This was not to reigne by God But that they were not promoted to the kingdome by the will of God that is contrarie welneare to the whole scripture For God called Nabuchad-nezar his seruant because he would vse his labour to afflict the Israelites whereas notwithstanding it might haue bin said that he reigned not by God because he fought against the Iewes for his owne pleasure sake and not of a zeale to fulfill the will of God So that the saying of Osea the Prophet is nothing against vs but that we may beléeue that the Magistrate is of God and that we ought to obay him Paul saith Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. The same is written to Titus Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 1. Tim. 2. 2. And in the first Epistle of Peter the 2. Chapter And Paul to Timothie addeth That we should praie for them But the Papistes and they which will be called Ecclesiasticall men will not giue eare hereunto That the ministers of the Church are not exempted from the ordinarie power Rom. 13. 1. Ib. ver 2. Looke the 3. Chapter of this booke Act. 6. Chrysost For they cry that they are exempted from publike and ordinarie powers whereas yet the Apostle vsed no exception when he said Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Againe He which resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Yea and Chysostome also vppon that place saith that the Apostles Prophets Euangelistes and Moonkes are comprehended vnder that Lawe And Chrysostome wrote these thinges of Ecclesiasticall persons whenas neuerthelesse he himselfe was Byshop of Constantinople and we had then Christian Emperours 7 But it is a worlde to heare the arguments which these false ecclesiastical mē vse In the Extrauagants De Maioritate Obedientia in the Chapter Vnam Sanctam Bonifacius the eight whom they write to haue entred in as a Fox raigned like a Lyon and dyed like a dog saith that there be two swordes in the Church And least he should séeme to speake it rashlie he citeth these wordes out of the 22. Verse 35. Chapter of Luke When I sent you without bagge or scrippe did ye at anie time want anie thing They saide vnto him No. Christ added But now I saie vnto you let euerie man take his scrippe and wallet and he which hath none let him sell his coate and buye a sworde They saide vnto him behold heere are two swordes Christ answered it is sufficient The trifeling which the false ecclesiasticall men make about their double sword Looke before pl. 3. Art 6. Boniface saith Two swordes are sufficient for the Church namelie the spirituall sword and the temporall Wherefore they which saie that Peter had not an outward sword doe séeme not to vnderstand the wordes of Christ wherein he saide vnto Peter Put vp thy sworde into thy sheath Thy sword saith he and not an other mans For he had a sworde of his owne although he were bidden to put it vp But there must néedes bée some order kept in these swords séeing what powers so euer bee they bee ordained by God And there would be a great confusion if two swords being in the Church the one should not be gouerned by the other So then the Temporall sworde ought to bée gouerned by the spirituall And to make this Argument more plaine The Church saith he hath two swordes but it vseth not them after one and the selfesame manner For it exerciseth the spirituall sworde but the temporall sworde ought to be drawen onelie at the becke sufferance of the Church This is so obscure that it may in a manner séeme to be a riddle Howbeit this is his meaning The Emperors sword subiected to the Pope that the sworde of the Emperour ought to be drawen onelie at the will and pleasure of the Pope That when he commandeth he must strike and by sufferance that is he must goe foreward in striking so long as he listeth and will suffer it These things therefore must be in order and the order is that the temporall sworde be reduced vnto God by the spirituall For as saith that Dionysius The supposed Dionysius Areopagita who is thought to be the Areopagite wheras he is another All inferiour things are referred to the chéefest but yet by a meane Wherefore saith he the temporall sworde must be drawen at the Popes becke that so it may be referred vnto God Thus we sée it to be doone at this day For so often as the most holie father doth hold vp his finger to make war against the Lutherans he wil haue the Emperor foorthwith to obay And if any prince will not with competent submission obay him straight way legates are sent vp downe that all other Kinges and Princes should bend themselues to his becke and to vex and withstande him that will not obaie him 8 Boniface addeth moreouer The Pope preferreth himselfe aboue all Kings and Princes that he himselfe is aboue all Kings and Princes For principallitie is to be estéemed according to the dignitie of the things which be exercised by it We saith he exercise spiritual things and they temporall their sword therefore is inferior to ours and they vnto vs. He addeth also an other reason They pay vnto vs tenthes but tenthes are paide by the inferior vnto the superior wherefore séeing kings and Princes pay tenthes they testifie that their lands and reuenewes belong to the Church and that they are subiect vnto it Besides this he which blesseth is greater thā he which is blessed but Byshops consecrate annoint Kings The Glosse addeth that of Kings onely the right shoulder is annointed but Byshops haue their heads annointed Kings are annointed with Oyle but Byshops with Chresme So then wée must néedes confesse that Kings are inferiour to Byshops Furthermore Kings receiue their crowne and scepter of Byshops For who saith he inuested Saul 1. Sam. 10. 1. 1. Sam. 16. 1. 2. kings 9. 1. Reasons why the Pope will not be iudged or gouerned of any man Mat. 16. 19 Ier. 1. 10. and who Dauid but Samuel Who annointed Iehu but a Prophet sent by Helizeus The thing also which is exercised by Byshops is greater than that whereabout Kings are occupied For Christ saide vnto Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth shal be bound in heauen This power is greater than all humane power And God saide vnto Ieremie I will set thee ouer nations and kingdomes that thou maist roote out destroy scatter and plant therefore wee are greater than all the power of Kings
vnder our neckes and vse his admonitions as it were medicines c. By which wordes is vnderstood that it belongeth to the Ecclesiasticall power to admonish out of the word of God for saluation Albeit the same Emperor or afterward erred The error of the saide Valentiniā For when he had appointed Ambrose Pretor of the Citie of Millaine the people did choose him to be Byshop which when the Emperor knew he gaue thankes vnto God after this manner I had appointed him ruler ouer the bodies of men but thou wouldest haue him ruler ouer the soules c. Valentinian did not rightlie put a difference betwéene offices Byshops ought to haue a care not of the soule onely nor of the bodie onelie why so Ought Byshops to haue a care onelie ouer soules and not ouer bodies also What if they giue themselues vnto Gluttonie or drunckennesse or liue licentiouslie touching outward behauiour Must they not reprooue these things Yes truelie must they neither must Princes haue onelie a care ouer the bodies of men and neglect their soules For we doe not imagine that a Prince is a Neteheard or Swineheard to whom is committed a care onelie of the flesh bellie and skinne of his subiectes yea rather he must prouide that they may liue vertuouslie and godlie But what if Christian princes when they are by the word of God admonished of publike and most grieuous sinnes will not heare neither amend that which they haue naughtilie committed What I say shall the Byshop do in this case Ambrose excommunicated Theodosius the Emperour when he exercised so grieuous tyrannie against the Thessalonians Innocentius also excommunicated Archadius whē he had exiled Iohn Chrysostome which fréelie and truelie admonished him as we haue it in the distinct 96. Chapt. Duo sunt and in the distinct 18. in the Chapt. Quoniam quidem And they be the words of the 6. Synode where it is decréed that euerie yéere there should be had two Synodes And if that princes would hinder them let them be excommunicated 11. But what doe I make mention of these latter thinges Eusebius Let vs reade Eusebius in the 6. booke the 34. Chapter where he saith that Philip the Emperour who liued in the time of Origen was the first Christian prince and that he would haue bin present together with the faithfull on Easter Euen haue communicated with them in prayers but the bishop because he was a wicked and naughtie liuer reiected him among them that were put to penance that he should make open confession before the Church and confesse his sinnes otherwise he could by no meanes be admitted vnto the Communion This did the Byshop of that time against the Emperour and chiefe Monarch of the whole world Wherefore the ciuill power ought to be subiect to the word of God which is preached by the Ministers But in lyke manner the Ecclesiasticall power is subiect vnto the ciuill when the Ministers behaue themselues ill either in things humane or things Ecclesiasticall For these powers are after a sort interchangeable and sundrie wayes are occupied about the selfesame things and mutuallie helpe one another euen as Aristotle vnto Theodectes calleth Rhetoricke and Logick interchangeable artes Aristotle because either of them are occupied in the selfesame thinges after a sundrie manner The Ecclesiasticall power is subiect vnto the Magistrate not by a spirituall subiection but by a politicke For as touching the Sacramentes and Sermons it is not subiect vnto it because the Magistrate may not alter the word of God or the Sacramentes which the Minister vseth Neither can he compel the Pastors and teachers of the Church to teach otherwise or in any other sort to administer the Sacraments than is prescribed by the word of God Howbeit Ministers in that they be men and Citizens are without all doubt subiect together with their landes riches and possessions vnto the Magistrate So Christ payed tribute Mat. 17. 27 so also did the Apostles and the whole primatiue Church there being most holy men Their manners also are subiect vnto the Censures and iudgements of the Magistrates 12 We say moreouer that Ministers are subiect vnto the Magistrate not onelie as touching those things which I haue rehearsed but also as I before signified concerning their function Because if they teach not right neither administer the Sacramentes orderly it is the office of the Magistrate to compell them to an order and to sée that they teach not corruptlie and that they mingle not fables nor yet abuse the Sacramentes or deliuer them otherwise than the Lord hath commaunded Princes may put the ministers out of their places if they behaue not themselues well Verse 26. Also if they liue naughtilie and wickedlie they shall put them foorth of the holy Ministerie This did Salomon who deposed Abiathar and put Sadock in his place as it is written in the first booke of kings the 2. Chapter And in the new Testament Iustinian displaced Siluerius and Vigilius And this I doubt not but was doone sometime by other princes But how iustlie I will not presentlie declare This one thing I will say that it was lawfull in the causes now alleaged But some man wil say that I speake now of the fact and not of the right yea but I speake also of the right For the king ought to haue with him the lawe of God written because he is ordained a kéeper not onelie of the first table but also of the latter So then he which offendeth in any of them both ranne in daunger of his power But although a king may remoue an vnprofitable and hurtfull Byshop yet cannot a Byshop on the other side depose a king if he haue offended Matt. 14. 4. Prelates of the Church haue no authoritie to depose Kings and Princes Luk. 13. 32. Iohn in déede reprooued Herod but he displaced him not of his kingdome Ambrose and Innocentius excommunicated Emperours but they procéeded no further Yea and Christ called Herod a Woolfe but he tooke not away his kingdome from him and he payed tribute vnto Tiberius a most wicked prince Mat. 17. 27 Neither was he at any time author to any man to shake off his yoke Wherefore let Popes take héede by what right they remooue at their owne pleasure kings and Emperours out of their places This did neither anie of the Prophets nor the Apostles nor yet Christ The popes boast that they haue great power but if the same be anie it consisteth wholie in the word of God Let them teach preach and admonish if they will exercise their power otherwise the ciuill and temporall power which they so much boast of is farre from the Ecclesiasticall Ministers Brieflie as there is found no king nor Emperour so great that is not subiect to the word of God which is preached by the Ministers so on the other side is there no Byshop which hauing offended but ought to be reprooued by the ciuill Magistrate What difference
soeuer there be the same as I haue said is wholie as touching the manner of reproouing This the Ministers of the Church doe by the word and Princes by outward punishmentes But our false Ecclesiastickes wil be princes and reigne and yet Christ would be no king And when he was sought for to the end he should be made a king he vtterlie refused it Iohn 6. 15. yea rather he plainlie confessed that his kingdome is not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. He said also vnto the Apostles Mat. 20 25. Princes of the nations doe beare rule ouer them but ye shall not so doe Peter also whose successors these men professe themselues to be 1. Pet. 5. ver 3. warneth Ministers that they should not exercise dominion ouer the Cleargie But these men will haue prisons souldiers and swordes and stirre vp warres as they list themselues 13 Perhaps they will obiect vnto vs the Assamonites out of the olde Testament Of the Assamonites or Machabées who for a certaintie were both kings and Priests and confounded both the powers That Historie indéede is written in the bookes of the Machabites Machab. But we must sée whether they did it rightlie or else wickedlie and ambiciously Doubtlesse I thinke they did it not orderly for God by his word had many times adiudged the Kingdome to be giuen vnto the Tribe of Iuda euen vnto the time of Messias Gen. 44. 10 Psal 89 39 Numb 18. 20. And contrarilie he commaunded the Leuites that they should possesse no landes and much lesse to occupie a kingdome among their brethren But if a man had rather say that they did this by a certaine secret reuelation and hidden iudgement of God he shal not further the cause of these men séeing that which is doone after this manner must not be drawen to an example For I thinke rather that they offende in so doing Certainlie they did wel when they deliuered their country from tyrannie but that being performed they ought not to haue taken the kingdome vpon them and God declared plainely that the same Act of theirs displeased him For as we gather out of Iosephus that house afterward was neuer voyde of troubles They further obiect vnto vs Acts. 5. ver 5. 9. Acts. 13. 11 that Peter slue Ananias and Saphira and that Paule strake Elimas the sorcerer with blindnesse This is true in déede but they did these things by the word of God By what instrumēts the Apostles vsed sometime outward punishmēts not by violence not by the sworde neither by helpe of an executioner Let these men doe the same things by the worde and we will regard them Why doe they not heare Paul vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 2. 4. Let no man going on Gods warfare wrap himselfe in cares of this life If they will goe on warfare for God why doe they in such sort hinder themselues with worldly businesse Haue they so much leasure from their owne affaires as they can haue a care ouer other mens Let them answere plainely woulde they at this day abide that any king should attempt to teache the Gospell or administer the Sacramentes They would not suffer it Neither did God himselfe also suffer it 2 Par. 26. ver 16. But he strake Ozeas with Leprosie when he woulde haue burnt incense vnto God Why then doe they inuade the boundes of other men These functions ought to be separated Why these functions ought to be seuerall because either of them requireth a whole man apart by himselfe yea rather there hath scarcely bin found any one man at any time which coulde rightly execute either of them so hard is the executiō of them both Howbeit both of them doe one helpe another for the politick Prince giueth iudgement and the Ecclesiasticall in déede doth not giue iudgement but he teacheth how iudgement ought to be giuen Haue not respect saieth he of persons in iudgement Deut. 1. 16. Afflict not the poore and straunger receiue no bribes and so forth So on the other side the ciuill Magistrate preacheth not neither administreth the sacraments But vnlesse these things be rightly ordered In the ciuill Magistrate and Minister of the Church is to be considered both the person the office he ought to punish the Ministers And to be briefe there are two things to bee considered of vs in this comparison In the Ciuill Magistrate is to bee considered both the power and also the man which beareth exerciseth the power He in respect that he is a Christian man is subiect to the word of God and in respect that he beareth authoritie and gouerneth hée ought also to be subiect vnto the same worde of God séeing out of the same he ought to séeke rules to gouerne and beare rule In the Minister of the Church also is to be considered both the ministerie it selfe also the person which executeth it As touching the person the minister is subiect vnto the Ciuil power For both he is a Citizen and he also payeth tribute as other men doe is vnder the correction of manners But as concerning the Ministerie he is also subiect some waie vnto the Magistrate For if either he teach or administer the sacraments against the word of God he must be reprehended by the Ciuil Magistrate And yet must he not seeke for rules reasons of his function at the same Magistrates hand but out of the word of God By this distinctiō we may easily vnderstand the differences and agréement of either power 14 Nowe resteth that we come to that Thraso Boniface to confute his Arguments To the arguments of Boniface First out of that saying which the Apostles answered Behold here are two swordes and Christ added It is sufficient he gathereth that the Church hath two powers and both of them committed vnto him To this I answere that it is possible that sometimes there may be two swordes in the Church but they haue not alwayes bin therein neither perhaps shall euer hereafter be What outward sword had the Church in the time of Christ and of the Apostles and Martyrs But yet now they will say it hath I graunt because Kings and Emperours are Christians which in olde time were Ethnickes The Church also hath husbandrie trade of marchandize the art of building and other such like For they which exercise these things are members of the Church but that commeth to passe as the Schoolemen speake accidentally sith there may be a Church though it had none of these things Howe the Church may be said to haue two swords So now because there are princes in the Church it is saide to haue an outward sword But because princes in our time are a part of the Church it doeth not therefore follow that the sword of Princes is the sword of Ministers euen as although there be in the Church husbandrie and the trade of marchandize and also the Art of building it cannot thereby be
Howbeit in many places they are not called Tythes but stipendes or wages And doubtlesse they be rather rewardes which are due to the labours of Ministers than Tythes 19 And as concerning the Argument propounded we must vnderstand Stipends are paid aswell to superiors as inferiors that such rewardes and stipendes are thinges indifferent for they are sometimes paide vnto inferiours and sometimes to superiours For tributes which are giuen vnto kinges and princes are their stipendes which we giue vnto them partlie to nourish and sustaine them and partelie to confesse that we are subiect vnto them and lastly that they may haue wherewithall to defend both vs and the Common weale And sometime inferiours also doe receaue stipendes For princes pay them vnto souldiers and yet can we not therefore say that the souldiers are greater than kinges and princes Notwithstanding I would not be thought that I speake these thinges to diminish the dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie but that it may be vnderstood that these mens Argumentes are verie trifling The church which payeth a stipend vnto the minister is greater than he Neither doubt I to affirme that the Church it selfe which payeth the stipend vnto the Minister is greater than the Minister So that if we speake of Tythes as they are at this day giuen vnto Ministers it followeth not that they should be greater which pay them Why kings be consecrated by Byshops in the Church But in that kinges and Emperours are consecrated and annointed of Byshops and in that they receaue the crowne and sword of them it nothing helpeth their cause For if we speake of the ciuill power To Princes the power is giuen by God not by Byshops that is not giuen by the Byshop but by God But this is there doone to the intent that after the king or Emperour is chosen of God in such manner as is agreable prayers should be made for him in the assemblie of the Church that God may confirme and strengthē his heart that he may increase godlinesse in him and powre into him the feare of his name prosper his counsels and so make happie his actions that they may prooue profitable vnto the Church and vnto the publike weale And the Byshop while these thinges are in doing is the mouth of the Church and goeth before it in expressing the prayer And this annointing was deriued of an old ceremonie and custome of the Iewes And that the king receaueth not his power of the Byshop but of God euen their owne decrées doe testifie In the distinct 96. in the Chapt. Si Imperator Gelasius saith that the Emperour hath the priuiledges of his power at the hand of God What dooth Boniface then arrogantlie callenge to himselfe Euen that which belongeth vnto GOD onelie For as Paul saith Rom. 13. 2. All power is of God In the Code De Iure veteri enucleando Lawe the first Iustinian Iustinian declareth that his power was giuen him by the Maiestie of God And the glosse in the Extrauagāts De maioritate obedientia in the Chapter Vnam sanctam towardes the end saith that power is giuen vnto kinges by GOD onelie and that therefore they doe in deede receaue the crowne of the Byshop and the sword from the Altar Pope Boniface by his owne argument is inferior to Byshop Hostiensis 20 But let vs more néerelie examine the Argument of Boniface I saith he giue power vnto Emperors Therefore I am greater than Emperors Let this most blessed Thraso aunswere me Who consecrated him when he was chosen Pope Truelie the bishop Hostiensis Let vs therefore conclude that the bishop Hostiensis is greater than the Pope And if that followe not then is also the Argument of Boniface weake because as I haue shewed it is layd vppon a rotten foundation For it is not the byshops that giue power vnto kinges Many Emperors haue not béene consecrated by the Pope Moreouer haue there not bin manie Emperors which were neuer consecrated by byshops and yet notwithstanding were Emperors no whit the lesse Neither were the old Gretian Emperors so annointed It is therefore a new inuention But what if I prooue that the cheefe byshop was sometime consecrated by the ciuill Magistrate Vndoubtedlie Moses consecrated Aaron though neuerthelesse as hath bin said Moses was a ciuill prince Exo. 40. 10 So that Boniface laboreth in vaine about his consecration because he gathereth nothing thereby He boasted moreouer of the kaies We saith he haue the power of bynding and loosing But the power of the kayes consisteth herein Wherin the power of the keies consisteth that ye should preach the word of God truelie For he which beléeueth the Gospel is losed and he which beléeueth not is bound But when ye neither preach nor teach neither can ye binde nor lose And farther this subiection which we haue graūted is spirituall namelie of faith and of obedience and not ciuill and with dominion Afterward was Ieremie obiected vnto whom the Lord said Ier. 1. 10. I haue appointed thee ouer nations and kingdomes c. First I demaund here what kinges Ieremie directed or from whom he tooke away their Empire and what new kinges he ordained There can be none shewed Therefore what doe these wordes signifie I set thee ouer nations and kingdomes Nothing else than that by the spirit of prophesie and word of God he should foretell what kingdomes God would ouerthrowe because of sinne and what new ones he would institute The Prophets be no efficient cause of the ouerthrowing of kingdomes Why doe not the Popes so exercise their power Let them set before kinges and princes of the earth the threatninges of God and let them in this manner be ouer nations and kingdomes Could Ieremie be called the cause of the ouerthrow of kingdomes He was not properlie the efficient cause but onelie a certaine occasion For when he had admonished the king of Iuda and he beléeued him not the prophet by his preaching was some occasion that he should be condemned ouerthrowen So Paul saith 2. Cor. 2. 15 To some we are a sauour of life vnto life and to other the sauour of death vnto death When as yet the Apostle properlie killed no man but his preaching after a sort brought death vnto those which would not beléeue It is God therefore that pulleth downe and ouerthroweth planteth and scattereth neither disdayneth he sometimes to call vs his fellow woorkers 21 Boniface goeth on The laie power ought to be iudged by the Ecclesiasticall But by what kinde of iudgement Verilie by this that in the Church is set foorth the wrath of God against sinners and that they be admonished corrected by the holy scriptures Neuerthelesse that Byshops may expell kinges and put them out of their kingdomes where is that permitted From whence haue they it What charters will they bring for it Againe that is most intollerable which he saith namely that the Pope can be iudged of no
man The Pope ought to be iudged of the Church And yet Iohn the 23 was in the Councell of Constance deposed and not onely by God but also by men Thus doe these men make and repeate Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they thinke good Yea and Emperours haue sometimes thrust out and put downe Popes as it is before said Gal. 1. 8. Paul to the Galathians saith If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospell let him be accursed If the Pope which may be and in times past hath bin obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed Shall he in no wise be iudged of anie man The Church no doubt shall giue sentence vppon him The Magistrate is the principall part of the Church the Magistrate for that he is the principal part of the Church shall not onelie iudge together therewith but shall also execute the sentence He may execute the sentence of the Church against the Pope He must ouersée the Bishops in their reuenewes Further it belongeth to the Magistrate to prouide that the goods of the Church be not giuen to the enemies of godlynesse So as if Byshops become enemies of the Church a faithfull Magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the Church to be wasted by them The Canonistes haue this oftentimes in their mouth that for the office sake is giuen the benefit Therefore when they doe not their office ought the Magistrate to suffer them to inioy their benefices But let vs heare how Boniface prooueth that he can be iudged of no man Because ◠Cor. 2. 15 He that is spirituall saith he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A goodlie and well applyed Argument I promise you But let vs sée what kinde of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place Verilie he speaketh not of the common kinde of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put out of their roome he intreateth there onelie of the vnderstanding of things diuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say belong properlie vnto the iudgement of the spirituall man But as touching iudgement seate and knowledge of ciuill lawes Paul neuer thought of them in that place which is easilie perceaued by his words Ib. ver 12. We receaue saith he not the spirit of this world but the spirit which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the spirit is giuen vs He aunswereth To the end we should know those thinges that are giuen vs of God And because the spirit of this world cannot giue iudgement of thinges that be diuine Verse 14. it is added The naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges What Dooth he iudge also ciuill and publike causes Peter and Paul were iudged by the Ciuill power Acts. 25. 10 No not so but he iudgeth those thinges which belong to the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Assuredlie both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuill power vnto which Paul appealed that he might be iudged there and yet were they spiritual But that place must thus be vnderstood He that is spirituall in that he is such as one cannot in things diuine and such as pertaine to saluation be rightlie iudged of any man which is not indued with the same spirit that he is of The wicked sort and worldlinges account him oftentimes for a seditious vnpure and infamous fellowe But onelie God and his spirit looketh vppon the heartes Lastlie Boniface concludeth that there is one chiefe power onelie and that belongeth to the Pope least we should with the Manichees séeme to make many beginninges Gen. 1. 1. And he addeth that God in the beginning and not in the beginninges created the world Note We affirme one beginning not many We also detest the Manichees and affirme that there is one onelie beginning and pronounce one onelie fountaine and ofspring of all powers namelie God and his word without which there can be no power either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of God and so we make but one beginning and not two Further if Boniface will vrge these wordes in Genesis In the beginning God created c. there ought to be but one onelie king in the world For when Paul said One Lord one Faith Ephe. 4. 5. one Baptisme he added not One Pope 22 At the length our Thraso commeth so farre as he excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chiefe head and Prince of the Church A schisme of Popes But when there were two or thrée Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also indured for the full space of 60. yeares Two or three Popes 60. yéeres together it must néedes be that those which at that time were of Boniface his opinion should confesse themselues then to be Manichees and to haue established two beginnings Againe what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persians and Christians which dwell in the East part séeing they acknowledge not the Pope who neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beléeue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are and also are called Christians All those Boniface excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambition and vnspeakeable tyrannie of the Popes When we obiect vnto the Papists these words of Paul Let euerie soule submit it selfe to the higher powers they aunswere Rom. 13. 1. That euerie soule ought to be subiect vnto the higher power but yet to their own not to other mens power otherwise it were néede that Frenchemen should be subiect to the Spaniards and the Spaniards to the Germanes which because it is absurd it is concluded that euerie man ought to obey his owne Magistrate But nowe the Clergie acknowledge the Bishops for their head and that they should bée subiect vnto them And the Bishops acknowledge the Archbyshops and Primates and they lastlie the Pope After this maner say they we obeie the Pope and satisfie Paul What haue we to doe with Kings and the ciuill Magistrate Howbeit this is nothing else than shamefullie to abuse the wordes of the Apostle The Papists made a diuision of a kingdome into two parts Doe they not sée that they diuide the publike weale into two bodies which ought to be but one bodie onelie For when they diuide the kingdome of the Cleargie from the kingdome of the Laitie they make in one kingdome two peoples and set ouer eyther people his Magistrate and thereby it commeth to passe that the Clergie which be Frenchemen séeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germans séeme not to be Germans and this maketh not coniunction but diuision Besides this of what power I beséeche you speaketh Paul Verilie not of Bishops or Archbishops but of that power which beareth the sword He doth not without a
heresie for that the same Priscillianistes when they were accused affirmed with great stoutnesse that they were farre from anie such doctrine But afterward neuerthelesse they disclosed themselues vnto these men by whose dissimulation they were deceiued whome they thought they might haue trusted Howbeit Augustine in the same booke De mendacio teacheth that by this dissimulation of the Catholickes there happened verie manie euils and dangers For there they commended Priscillian Of the Priscillianists they vniustlie praised his booke which is intituled Libra they allowed the heresie pronouncing manie thinges which could not be spoken without blasphemie Moreouer that which they did was daungerous For if they which after this sort dissembling were of anie authoritie or estimation the heretickes might by their commendation be confirmed in their opinion and especiallie those with whome they did so dissemble For those peraduenture were Priscillianistes before although not verie firme and constant which after they heard their heresie to be praysed of a graue man did then stick more and more in their error Furthermore in thus dissembling and being conuersant with the Priscillianists the dissembler also might easilie fall into danger so as he himselfe at the length might of a Catholick become a Priscillianist And finallie the heretickes themselues by the dissimulation of our men might easilie gather that they did verie well in hiding dissembling and denying their dooinges But that betraying is sometimes lawfull in a iust cause and such a cause as is without the dangers aboue mentioned not onelie the reasons which we haue before alledged doe declare but we may also prooue it by verie manie examples written here and there in the Scriptures The Gabionites Iosua 9. 3. Rahab Iosua 2. 4. The Gabionites betrayed the rest of the Chananites when they fell from them to the Hebrewes Rahab also betrayed her publike wealth and king in receauing hiding and sending away them which were deadlie enemies vnto it who neuerthelesse is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11. 21 to haue doone those thinges by faith And Iahell the wife of Aber the Kenite betrayed Sisara Iud. 4. 18. Iahell for she by a maruelous craft slue him whome she had called into her and closely hidden as it is declared in his place in the historie of Iudges Ionathas 1. Sam. 20. verse 35. Yea and Ionathas the sonne of Saul betrayed vnto Dauid the purpose and counsell of his father as it is written in the first booke of Samuel Husay the Arachite 2. Sa. 16. 21. Besides these Husay the Arachite betraied Absolon the son of Dauid when he resisting the counsell of Achitophell obtruded his owne Counsell which was farre worse shewed al things vnto Dauid I might bring in a great many of examples more but these I thinke to bee sufficient vnto the wise Reader The eighteenth Chapter Whether Captiues ought to be kept or put to death BVt whether Captiues should be slaine In 2. kings 6. ver 22. or saued it cannot be determined in one sentence For otherwhile they which haue saued them are blamed and elsewhere some are called backe from slaying them Zach. 1. 15. And God reprooueth the crueltie of the Babylonians against the Israelites Furthermore Achab because he spared Benhadab heard of the Prophet Thy life shall goe for his life 1. kings 20. 42. 1. Sa. 15. 23. and thy people for his people And Saul was defeated of his kingdome because he spared the king of the Amalechites That enemies must sometime be killed and sometime spared 2. kings 1. 9. 15. Wherefore sometimes we must spare them and sometimes they must be put to death Which thing may wel be knowen in one and the selfe same Elias who hauing slaine the first two bandes of fiftie with fire from heauen saued the thirde which no doubt happened according to their diuerse affection For the two first fifties were altogether wicked men contemners of the word of God and of the Prophets But the other declared by prayers and humble spéeche whereby they approoued themselues vnto the Prophet that some godlinesse and faith did sticke in their mind 1. kings 18. 40. Also he thought it not méete to spare the Prophets of Baal because they were men wholy giuen to vngodlinesse neither woulde they yéelde when they were openly ouercome nay rather they were alwaies prepared and readie to amplifie and defende most shamefull Idolatrie wherefore it is néedefull to weigh the offences For we account none to be our enemies for any other cause but that they haue offended and must be kept vnder subiection But amōg other things By what things a fault is eyther aggrauated or lightened which lighten or aggrauate the fault are knowledge and ignorance And that the fault is no small deale lightened by not knowing of the thing it is certaine because séeing it hindereth the will they which sinne in such wise séeme not to haue sinned willingly but rather against their will But we must vnderstand that ignorance is of two sortes One is said to be of the fact and another of the law That which is of the fact doeth all wholie take awaie the nature of sinne As if a man meaning to kill a wilde beast slayeth his owne father being hidden among the shrubbes bushes where he was not accustomed to bee at another time Neuerthelesse the ignorance of the law doeth not generally excuse for euerie man is bounde to knowe the lawes especiallie the common lawes and lawes of nature and it behooueth the faithfull men of God to vnderstand the principall points of the holy lawes But if he that sinneth by this ignorance and he that committeth those things which he knoweth to be against right and lawes be compared together this latter is worthie of the more grieuous punishment Wherefore Christ saith Luk. 12. 47. A seruant knowing the will of his Maister doing it not shall haue double punishment And there is much difference betwéene him which willingly and of his owne proper naughtinesse rashlie runneth into grieuous crimes and another which is not stirred vp of his owne accord but by another man and especiallie by him which hath him at commaundement As were those souldiers which are spoken of in the Bookes of Kings 2. kings 6. 14. For the king of Syria sent them to apprehend the man of God Further they went to Samaria not by their owne will but being after a sort led by the hand of God For they went not of their owne minde vnto the Citie being populous which they might not resist Besides this also they came thither without any harme dooing For they spoyled not the fieldes nor fortresses nor Townes but followed the Prophet the right waie What nations were prescribed by God Deut. 7. 1. 2 Also it must bee vnderstoode that certaine nations were giuen ouer of God and others were not God so gaue ouer the Chananites as he would haue them to be vtterly
Elizaeus that it might not happen vnto her children partlie because Mothers couet to haue euils though they be easie to be turned away from their children and partlie because that clemencie of God expressed by the lawes was not perfectlie kept by cruell Masters For which transgression Ier. 34. 12. Ieremie did earnestlie rebuke king Zedechias because perhappes he feared least that children being alienated should by Creditors be driuen vnto Idolatrie which then had inuaded the x. Tribes Of Traficke or occupying of Marchandise and ingrossing of vvares called Monopolium 10 Whereas the holy Historie speaketh of the Traficke of Salomon In 1. kings 10. The traficke of Salomon that Narration hath two thinges woorthie to be obserued First that it may be declared how Salomon had such store of horses séeing Palestine bréedeth not manie of those beastes In déeds it hath manie Asses and also manie Moyles and Camels but verie fewe horses Wherefore it is declared that Salomon easilie prepared himselfe horses out of Egypt Further it is shewed that riches came vnto Salomon not onelie by Nauigation but also by way of Marchandise out of Egypt The matter was on this wise In Egypt there is an increase of a great number of horses and those fierce and couragious which not onelie doe suffice that Nation but also other Nations adioyning doe fetch from thence Which was not permitted of them to be doone fréelie For Pharao would haue a certaine tribute thereby So as there was a certaine appointed custome giuen for the carying away of euerie horse euen as at this day we sée in some kingdomes And forsomuch as Pharao was the father in lawe of Salomon this prerogatiue of his he gaue vnto him Namelie that strangers should not carrie horses out of Egypt The licence that Salomon had touching the carying of horses out of Aegypt but by the leaue of Salomon and by paying the custome which he himselfe had appointed Wherefore it was easie enough for him to haue plentie of horses in his owne kingdome Moreouer through that custome there came verie much vnto his Treasure And he exacted the custome by a certaine companie of his owne Marchantes whom he had appointed vnto this office 11 Howbeit this kinde of gaine séemeth not onelie to be vile but also incommodious and hurtfull vnto Nations and prouinces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it hath respect vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is then doone whē as a certaine kinde of thinges are committed to some one man alone to be sould Ingrossing of wares are forbidden by the Romane lawes Ingrossing of wares forbidden As it is in the Code De Monopolijs in the lawe Vnica By which verie strait lawe Zeno the Emperour decréed that they which vsed ingrossing of wares should be dispoyled of all their goods And he added that euen the letters of the Emperours should not be heard if they should séeme to giue anie man licence to ingrosse or get all into their handes And vndoubtedlie they that ingrosse all into their owne handes sell not thinges according to their value and woorthinesse but set a prise vppon them at their owne pleasure But how this kinde of Traficke serueth to gaine and getting of wealth Aristotle sheweth in his first booke of Politickes the 7. Chapter bringing the example of Thales Milesius The notable act of Thales Milesius Against him was pouerty vpbraided Namelie that whereas he was more studious in Philosophie than the rest he also séemed to be in more necessitie than others Wherefore he being minded to defend Philosophie from the reproch of ill men séeing he foreknewe by Astrologie that the yeare following there would be a great plentie of Oyle before that winter should passe away that is before the Oliue trées should haue flowers hyred all the storehouses the wine presses and oyle milles And whenas there followed a great fruitfulnesse of the fruite of Oliues in Chios and Miletum none could haue anie storehouse or instrumentes for Oyle vnlesse it were permitted them by Thales These thinges when he set foorth to hyre he somewhat raysed the price whereby he gate an abundance of monie and gaue foolish men to vnderstand that it will be an easie matter for a wise man if so he thinke fit to gather vnto him great store of monie The selfe same fact dooth Cicero rehearse in his first booke De Diuinatione but somewhat after an other sort than did Aristotle For he writeth not that the storehouses of Oyle were hiered but that the Oyle it selfe was bought This dooth Plinie shewe in his 18. booke the 28. Chapter but he ascribeth it not to Thales but to Democritus And he saith that he did not foresée a great plentie of Oyle but a verie great scarcitie and bought for himselfe all the Oyle which should be growing in the countrie The same Aristotle brought an example of him which bought vp all the Iron at Siracusa And when the Marchantes were come to the Faires he somewhat aduauncing the price gate verie much gaines This did Dion the Tyrant take in very ill part and therefore draue him out of the Citie For he supposed that the ingrossing by priuate men was not profitable to his exchequier Strabo in the fourth booke of his Geographie saith that the Taurisci which at this day we call Taurinati being a people towardes the Alpes in the borders of Italie had in times past excellent Gold mines And when in the digging of Golde they were holpen by other Italians who afterward transported into diuers partes of Italie that which they receaued for their wages thereof it came to passe that in the space of two moneths Gold in Italie was sould a third part better cheape than it had bin before Wherefore the Taurisci ordayned an ingrossing in their own handes by meanes whereof it should be lawfull for themselues onelie to sell their Gold And there are accustomed to be made ingrossinges of Sault and of Alum and of manie other thinges which belong as well to meate as to drinke And this as Aristotle teacheth in the place now alleaged haue the Commonweales and princes of Cities attempted when they haue néede of monie And this sometime did Charles the 5. The lowe Countries of Flanders Holland c. within our age in the lowe countries And likewise the king of Portingall as touching spices 12 But to returne to Salomon He cannot be accused of filthie and hurtfull gaine For he vsed not this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of what sort soeuer it were within his kingdome so that he did no harme to his Citizens But thou wilt say that by vsing of this trafficke in Egypt he did hurt the Egyptians No not one whit For he prescribed not any thing to the Egyptians for it was lawefull for them to buy of whom they would that for the vsuall price Also it hindered no strong nations at all Because the Noble men and Princes which were neare neighbours or else marchantes might not otherwise
elect the superiour power and by certaine lawes doe gouerne the CommoÌ„weale as at this day we sée doone by the Electors of the Empire And perhaps the same is doone in other kingdomes To these vndoubtedly if the Prince perfourme not his couenaunts and promises it is lawfull to constraine and bring him into order and by force to compell him to perfourme the conditions and couenaunts which he had promised and that by warre when it cannot otherwise be doone By this meanes the Romanes sometime compelled the Consul whom they themselues had created to goe foorth of his office The Danes in our time did depose their king and held him long in prison Polidore Virgil. Polidorus Virgilius writeth that English men sometimes compelled their Kings to render account of the monie which they had misspent Neither are wée ignorant that Tarquinius the proud was by the Romanes for his ouer much crueltie and arrogancie throwen out of his Kingdome Of Brutus Cassius I will not speake of Brutus and Cassius which slue Caesar But whether they did it iustlie or otherwise most graue men vary in their opinions And I in examining their enterprise by the rule of the Scriptures doe not allowe it For they gaue not vnto him the gouernement or Empire of Rome but he vsurped the same himselfe by violence and power And God as testifieth Daniel translateth Empires and kingdoms Dan. 2. 37. Though also it be lawfull to resist Tirantes which assaile a Kingdome yet when they haue obtained the same and doe beare rule When tyrants haue obtained kingdoms priuate men must not seeke to put them down it séemeth not to belong vnto priuate men to put them downe Wherefore séeing that the Kingdome of the Iewes was such a Kingdome as in it all men depended of the King For they were not chosen by noble men but the posteritie of that familie which God had appointed did gouerne by succession Deu. 17. 15. 1. Sam. 8. 11 Therefore in the lawes of Deuteronomie and in the 1. booke of Samuell wherein is ordained the right of Princes there is no libertie graunted vnto any man to disturbe them Yea and sometimes it hath happened that some of them were killed yet wée neuer reade that God allowed the murdering of them nay rather he punished the murtherers When God at any time would displace the Kings of Iuda he did it by the Babylonians Assyrians and Aegyptians but not by the Iewes 2. king 9. 1. He onelie armed Iehu against his Lord which as it was peculiar so must we not take example by it He destroyed Saule also by the handes of the Philistians and not by Dauid 1. Sam. 31. 2 And I am not ignoraunt howe manie things of this matter are decréed in the Code and in the Digests Ad legem Iuliam Maiestatis But endeuoring to be bréefe I doe of purpose passe them ouer And although I knowe right well that the Ethnickes in the olde time appointed rewards for such as killed Tyrants yet I haue aunswered that godlinesse and the holie Scriptures allowe not the same Assuredlie if it bée lawfull for the people to cast out of a Kingdome those that vniustlie beare Rule there shall neuer bée anie Princes or Kinges in safetie For although they liue iustlie and godlie yet doe they not satisfie the people VVhether Jehoiada did right in putting Athalia from the kingdome 14 But there be many reasons In 2. kings â—1 at the beginning whereby it may be shewed that Iehoiada did well and rightly conspire against Athalia First he was not altogether a priuate man but was the high Priest in the common weale vnto whom belonged to iudge not onely Ecclesiasticall and sacred but also ciuill causes For the Iewes had no other Bookes of lawe but the holy Byble Further there conspired with him the Leuites and Priests and also the Princes of families and the most noble men of the kingdom and the captaines of the souldiers By which kinde of men it was méete that the Common weale or kingdome of Iuda shoulde be deliuered from that womans Tyrannie Moreouer than this were the promises of God which he had made vnto the familie of Dauid which promises it was the high Priests part to defende Also the lawe of Deuteronomie was to be obserued namely that the kingdome shoulde not fall vnto straungers Besides Iehoiada was ioyned in affinitie with the kings familie forsomuch as he had to wife the sister of Achazias departed Wherefore it was his part to prouide that a confused order shoulde be rid out of the kingdome of Iuda But perhaps some man will reprooue this indeuour of Iehoiada First because he did not rightly and orderly in dispossessing of that person which was alreadie in office Méete in déede it is for good men to trauell and indeuour to their power that the state of thinges present should not be changed but when it is changed and that some one hath gotten the soueraintie and is entered into the gouernment it is not lawfull to cast him out Furthermore although that some conspiracie maie otherwhile be good yet it séemeth in his owne nature to haue the shewe of euill wherefore men ought iustly to flie the same especially Priests whose part it is with all diligence to kéepe innocencie Besides this Iehoiada might on this behalfe séeme to séeke his own For séeing the childe was verie young he after a sort did intrude himselfe to be gouernour in his stéede Moreouer it might seeme that God was displeased therewith which in this respect may be prooued 2. Chron. 24. 21. in that Ioas wheÌ„ Iehoiada was dead killed his sonne as though God would reuenge the sinne of his father Adde herewithall that this was doone by the Leuites and Priestes by force and armes which the holie ministerie ought to eschue Furthermore because he set forth the holy place to be violated with slaughter and bloud which is thought to be contrarie to all godlinesse To all these things we will aunswere in order 15 To the first reason thus we answere that indéede it is not the part of a priuate man to put out of place a Magistrate already constituted or a Prince which is in possessioÌ„ of a kingdome But we denie that Iehoiada was a priuate person séeing in the common weale he was the next person to the king iudged and sometime exercised both the sacred and ciuill affaires and was the kéeper of the lawes Deu. 17. 15. And in Deuteronomie there is a lawe for instituting of the king which now by Athalia was violated and the promises made vnto Dauid and his posteritie were hindered by Athalia Besides this it happened that she not onelie was a stranger but an Idolatres and that incurable wherfore she was worthie to be deposed by the primates and péeres of the kingdome And whereas in the second place it was said that not onelie euill must be taken héede of but also the shewe of euill
willing But this wrong turning he thinketh ought not to be suffered as he teacheth in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence the 22. chapter but more largelie in the first booke to Simplicianus in the second question where he writeth after this maner Those words also if thou diligentlie marke Therefore it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercie the apostle shall not séeme onelie for this cause to haue spoken this bicause we may by the helpe of God atteine to that which we would but also in that sense wherein he saith in an other place Woorke yee your owne saluation with trembling and feare for it is God which worketh in vs both to will and to worke according to his good pleasure Where he sufficientlie sheweth that euen that same good will it selfe is doone in vs by the worke of God For if therefore onelie it be said It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercie bicause the will of man alone sufficeth not vnto vs to liue iustlie and rightlie vnlesse we be holpen by the mercie of GOD it may also be said after this maner Therefore it is not in GOD that hath mercie but in man that willeth bicause the mercie of God is not alone sufficient vnlesse the consent of our will be added Yet this is manifest that we will in vaine vnlesse God take mercie of vs. But I know not how this can be that God taketh mercie in vaine vnles that we be willing for if God take mercie we also be willing sith vnto the same mercie belongeth our willingnesse Phil. 2 13. And it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to worke according to his good will For if we demand whether a good will be the gift of God it were a woonder if anie man dare denie it c. And in the same question to Simplicianus he writeth the same thing But if this calling be so effectuall a worker of a good will as euerie one being called dooth follow it how shall this be true Matt. 10 16. Manie are called but few are chosen Which if it be true and that he which is called dooth not consequentlie obeie his calling and that to obeie is put in his will it may rightlie also be said Therefore it is not in GOD that hath mercie but in man that willeth and runneth bicause the mercie of the caller sufficeth not except an obedience doe followe But perhaps they which being called after this maner doo not consent yet being called after another manner may consent so as that saieng also is true Manie are called but few are chosen So that although manie be called after one maner yet bicause all are not affected after one sort they onelie can followe their calling which are found fit for to take the same And this may be no lesse true Therefore it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie who in such sort called as was fit for them which followed their calling And to others doubtlesse the calling came but bicause it was such as thereby they could not be mooued to become apt to take the same they might indéed be said to be called but not to be chosen But this is not now likewise true Therfore it is not in God that sheweth mercie but it is in man that willeth and runneth bicause the effect of the mercie of GOD cannot be in the power of man if he in vaine take mercie man being vnwilling Forsomuch as if he would also take mercie of them he might in such sort call them as should be conuenient for them that both they might be moued and vnderstand and followe Wherfore it is true that Manie be called but few be chosen For those chosen were called fitlie to the purpose but they which were not fit nor were tempered togither for their calling were not chosen bicause they followed not although they were called Againe it is true that It is neither in him that willeth nor in 〈◊〉 that runneth but in God that hath mercie 〈◊〉 cause that although he call manie yet he taketh mercie of them onelie whom he so calleth as is fit for them to be called that they may followe But it is false if anie man saie Therefore It is not in God that taketh mercie but in man that willeth and runneth bicause God taketh not mercie vpon anie in vaine And of whom he hath mercie he so calleth as he knoweth it is agréeable to him that he should not refuse the caller Here will some saie Whie was not Esau so called as he would obeie For we sée that men are some one waie some another waie moued to beléeue those things which are shewed or signified As for example sake Luke 2 25. Simeon beléeued in our Lord Iesus Christ being yet a yoong infant knowing him by the spirit reuealing vnto him Nathaniel at one sentence that he heard of him Iohn 1 48. Before that Philip called thee when thou wast vnder the tree I sawe thee answered Master thou art the sonne of God thou art the King of Israel Which thing a good while after bicause Peter confessed Matt. 16 18. he deserued to heare that he was blessed and that to him should be giuen the keies of the kingdome of heauen At the miracle doone in Câ—na of Galile Iohn 2 11. which Iohn the euangelist mentioneth to be the beginning of the signes which Iesus did when he turned water into wine his disciples beléeued in him Christ by speaking stirred vp manie vnto faith Manie beléeued not no not when the dead were raised vp The disciples being terrified with the death and crosse of Christ staggered and yet the théefe then beléeued when he sawe him not his better in works but his equall in the fellowship of the crosse One also of the number of the disciples after his resurrection gaue credit not so much to the liuelie members as he did to the gréene wounds Manie of that number of whom he was crucified which séeing him doo miracles had contemned him yet beléeued the disciples which preached him and did such things in his name Wherefore since that one man is mooued after one sort vnto faith but another man after another sort and that oftentimes one and the selfe same thing spoken after one maner dooth mooue and spoken after another maner dooth not mooue and another man it may mooue who dare saie that GOD wanted the maner of calling whereby Esau also might applie his mind and ioine his will vnto the faith wherin Iacob was iustified But and if there can likewise be so great an obstinacie of the will as the turning awaie of the mind should be hardened against all the waies of calling it is demanded also whether that same hardnesse it selfe be of the punishment of God For when as God forsaketh man by not calling in such wise how can he be
new maner proposition 9 Holinesse first belongeth vnto God then vnto all those which be appointed to his seruice proposition 10 In this standeth the holinesse of creatures that they be remooued from a prophane vse and are appointed to a holie vse proposition 11 Baptismes were before the lawe in the lawe and vnder the Gospell and all as touching their substance had one efficacie proposition 12 It is not true that the ceremonies of the old fathers were onelie outward exercises wherein there was no remission of sinnes proposition 13 Curiositie dooth therefore much hinder faith bicause faith is of things which are not séene proposition 14 When God requireth of the Israelites that they should absteine from their wiues vntill the third daie he dooth not therefore condemne the fellowship of marriage that it should be sinne if a man vse the same lawfullie Probable proposition 1 IT were good in a Common-weale that all citizens should haue their rulers of tens of hundreds and such like officers which might take speciall care of them proposition 2 To beléeue God and to beléeue in God is all one proposition 3 The washing of garments was a signe of obteining of righteousnes and newnes of life Propositions out of the xix chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 GOd is said to haue béene séene of the Hebrue people vpon mount Sina by a participation of his properties whereas they perceiued nothing but the outward tokens wherewithall he was compassed proposition 2 Good works in the holie scriptures are trulie and properlie otherwhile attributed to vs and otherwhile to God proposition 3 Frée will which in Gréeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is power of the will wherby we desire or refuse anie thing according to the iudgement of reason proposition 4 Those things which are manifestlie and euidentlie good when they be offered vnto the will they are necessarilie chosen proposition 5 The good things which be after a sort vncerteine and euident are shunned and desired according as it hath knowne that thing proposition 6 Necessitie is not properlie set against the fréedome of will but violence and compulsion proposition 7 A man not regenerate cannot choose true and sound good things which are pleasing vnto God proposition 8 As touching morall and ciuill actions those which be not regenerate may choose manie good things albeit they neuer in a maner choose or execute them without error proposition 9 They which be borne anew in Christ haue frée will restored vnto them as touching both kinds of good things proposition 10 In the regenerate the execution of deliberated actions is not perfectlie and fullie restored proposition 11 Those which be not regenerate as touching true good things albeit they cannot desire them yet can they not be said not to doo fréelie about them proposition 12 The fréedome of the will is not hindered although the children of God are said to be led by his spirit or else in this respect that the diuell worketh effectuallie in the children of disobedience Probable proposition 1 WHen the lawe should be published there went before the same verie terrible signes that by the report thereof mens minds might be shewed to be beaten downe and that the Maiestie of God which published the same might be declared proposition 2 The lightenings thunder earthquakes and found of trumpet vpon mount Sina were doone by the worke of angels proposition 3 The signes which went before the Gospell were mild and gentle that the comfort might be signified which thereby should come vnto mortall men proposition 4 Those things which were doone in the publishing of the lawe ought to be compared with the solemne sending of the holie Ghost vpon the apostles for in both places God was openlie declared the king of his people proposition 5 God gaue the lawe without the land of promise in the desert that the Israelites entering into the kingdome of Chanaan might detest the lawes of the Gentils being now a good while inured with the lawes of God Propositions out of the xx chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 GOd cannot be defined but in the place of the definition of him we vse certeine notions to know him by gathered as well out of the holie scriptures as from the creatures proposition 2 When God offereth himselfe to be knowne of vs vnder certein tokens none is more excellent than this wherein we apprehend him to be the father of our Lord Iesus Christ by whome he hath redéemed and saued vs. proposition 3 The substance of the first commandement is that we account the true GOD for our Lord whereof it straitwaie followeth that vnto him is due our faith hope loue feare and obedience proposition 4 We must behold in the first precept not onelie the commandement it selfe but the promise of the Gospell ioined therewith proposition 5 Although that all vse of images be not forbidden the godlie yet those which are lieng offensiue and vsed to represent God must not be suffered no more also must those which be filthie proposition 6 These two saiengs are not disagréeing in themselues namelie that the child beareth not the iniquitie of the father and that God visiteth sinnes vnto the third and fourth generation proposition 7 For the holinesse of the forefathers God dooth blesse the posteritie proposition 8 8 Whatsoeuer is ordeined for a seruice of God against his word belongeth to idolatrie which Tertullian pronounced not amisse to be all maner of worship or seruice giuen to anie idoll proposition 9 Outward images are not alwaies required to the committing of idolatrie proposition 10 All heretiks are worthilie reckoned among idolaters proposition 11 In euerie idolatrie the diuell is worshipped proposition 12 Artificers which labour to make images which they know shall be appointed to the vse of idolatrie doo most gréeuouslie sinne proposition 13 In the third commandement not onelie periurie and vaine oths are forbidden but also euerie kind of contempt of the name of God proposition 14 In a well ordered Common-weale the crime of blasphemie against GOD ought to be punished with death proposition 15 In the third commandement not onelie it is commanded that we should not prophane the name of God but contrariwise that we should sanctifie the same proposition 16 Euen as it is lawfull for the faithfull to vse oths in time and place so are not cursses alwaies forbidden them proposition 17 The Magistrate must take care that oths be kept inuiolate as well for the honor of the name of God as for that they be the bonds of humane societie Probable proposition 1 IMages should not be placed in temples proposition 2 In that men take pleasure of imitation it commeth hereof that they are made according to the image of God proposition 3 In the primitiue church before the Gospell was publikelie receiued the professours of prophane authours taught with great danger of the hearers but at this daie it is not so Propositions out of the xx chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1
that righteousnesse is set before vs by the word of God it is also manifested and signified by the Sacramentes which he visible wordes of God Therewithall comes faith which is the gift of God and by it we doe apprehend the righteousnesse that is shewed Wherefore Christ sent his Apostles saying Mar. 16. 15 Preach ye the Gospell to all creatures and he added He that beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued In Esai the 53. Chapter is said Verse 11. that with his knowledge he shall iustifie manie This is the life eternall Iohn 17. 3. that they may know thee the onelie God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ Col. 2. 14. The death of the Crosse is a new kinde of sacrifice and therefore a new altar He fastened to his crosse the handwriting of ordinances that was against vs and he triumphed ouer his enemies This is the triumphant chariot of Christ The crosse was the cuppe wherein the bloud of Christ was hanged vp It was giuen a price for the whole worlde and vnlesse it had bin better than the whole world it had not redéemed the world Here it should behooue vs to runne through all the gréefes which the Lord suffered vppon the Crosse for vs but that is vnpossible For euen as wise painters doe shewe vnto the world more than they paint so dooth there here remaine more to be considered of than can be spoken euen of those that should haue an iron voyce an hundreth tongues and an hundreth mouthes But yet wil I distribute the griefes of Christ into certaine principall partes otherwise as mercies did abound so it should be necessarie that miseries should abound but vnlesse that mercies had conquered the miseries we should still haue bin in miserie The first calamitie is to lose estimation The théefe was preferred abooue Christ Mat. 27. 26. Barrabas was dismissed Christ was accounted among the wicked An other calamitie As touching bodilie deliuerance he was left destitute of Gods helpe Ibid. 46. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Augustine vnto Honoratus maketh a difference betwéene the new and old Testament In the new Testament the holie men doe not receaue redemption that they may haue a better resurrection therefore are they left in death that they may haue eternall life But in the olde Testament they were in ieopardie as touching their goods as touching the life of their bodie but they were deliuered a hundreth fould was restored them there were Iudges giuen for the deliuerie of them c. Not that there were some in the olde time which were not left in death as Abel Nabaoth Esay c. they had the portion of the new Testament and manie also in the new Testament are sometime deliuered But Augustine speaketh as in the most part and of the publike state and of the promises And therefore Christ the head of the new Testament was forsaken and truelie cryed My God thou hast forsaken me And that the contrarie may be knowen it is said in the 22. psalme The fathers cryed and were deliuered Verse 5. they cryed and were not confounded Ibid. 6. But I am a worme and no man and the wordes of my faultes are farre from my saluation The third griefe was suffered at the handes of ill ministers Namelie of the Iewes of Iudas and of the priestes and also for many euil and vngratefull persons vnto whome that death should bring no commoditie The fourth He was forsaken of his owne Moses when he sawe his rodde turned into a Serpent fled from it Exod. 4. 3. Christ deliuered manie from sundrie diseases None stepped forth amongest his persecutors and said Abstaine ye from this man for he is holie this or that hath he doone for me The fifth calamitie They which remained and were present to behold increased his temptation they mocked him they thought him to be vniust and with whome God was angrie Iob. 4. 6. So did Eliphas the Themanite thinke of Iob that he was an enemie of God Iohn 9. 3. So the Apostles thought of him that was borne blinde So the inhabitantes of Melitum iudged of Paul because of the viper Acts. 28. 3. But an extreme temptation was that when they said He trusted in God Mat. 27. 43. let him deliuer him let him saue him if he will haue him They doubted whether God loued him and predestinated him We say O Christ deliuer vs from this temptation at our death but when it cōmeth let vs hold our peace let vs imitate Christ say vnto the father Into thy handes I commend my spirit Also let vs imitate the théefe that had so great a faith who when all men denied him confessed him Luk. 23. 42. Remēber me when thou commest into thy kingdome He aunswered him This daie shalt thou be with me in Paradise O good Iesu thou wert fastened to the crosse and yet thou wilt bring this man vnto heauen Howe with what kay wilt thou open vndoubtedly great was the faith of this theefe which hoped in so miserable a Christ Let others woonder at the darkenesse of the Sunne at the shaking of the earth at the renting of the Rockes c. This doe I maruell at that the théefes heart could be in such wise inflamed with so great a faith Peter denied him vppon the earth this man confessed him vppon the crosse He had not séene the miracles of Christ Christ had not saide vnto him I will make thee a fisher of men Mark 1. 17. I will make thee sit vppon the twelft throne and yet hee not onelie beléeued but he also confessed he opened his sinne and had a care of the saluation of his neighbour There is no king that assoone as he commeth into his kingdome taketh a théefe to be his companion Christ did this and did not defile Paradise but rather made it more honourable because it had such a Lorde that could straightwaie so purifie théeues and harlots as they should be méete for the kingdome of heauen The sixt affliction of Christ was that his bodie was on euerie side tormented Esa 53. 6. Psal 69. 2. 15. God in verie déede did cause to fall vppon him all our iniquities and punishmentes In the Hebrewe it is said Hiphghibat These be waters which Dauid saide did passe through euen vnto the soule a most déep mire wherin there was no steddy groūd Howbeit if we will fruitfully beholde these things euerie one of vs wil say My pride fasteneth the thornes to christs head my couetousnes be his nailes my leawdnes openeth his hart as a launce the vniuersal corruption of all my sins doth disquiet all his whole bodie When we beholde all these thinges I beséech you let vs with the eies of faith looke into the most sacred brest of the Lorde and we shall sée the incredible flame of charitie and inestimable fire of his loue whereby the whole world might be kindled if it were acknowledged
they bee afraide of themselues least if they should once laie it awaie they shall not be able to resume it againe Whereuppon Dionysius the Tyrant trusted no man he issued not out of his Castle without his garde But those which be borne kings doe sometimes liue like priuate men neither doe they séeme to haue their kingdome taken from them so did Christ and so ought we to doe to giue place willingly vnto our neighbours and to humble our selues euen as Christ gaue place For wee shal be exalted and that greatly exalted For the passions of this life are not worthie of the glorie to come which shall be reuealed in vs. Rom. 8. 18. And If we shall suffer together with him 2. Tim. 2. verse 12. Luk. 24. 26. Ephe. 2. 6. Ephe. 1. 20. 22. we shall also raigne together with him It behooued him to suffer and so to enter into his glorie and so doeth it behooue vs. For he hath quickened vs together with him and made vs sit in the heauenly places He exalted him that he might sit at his right hand and he put all things vnder his féete Séeing he cast him downe vnder all mortall men he aduaunced him aboue all creatures from the Crosse vnto the throne of his diuinitie This exaltation must be vnderstoode according to his humanitie for his diuine nature was neuer diminished Onely in respect of mans iudgement it may be saide to be exalted for it did not declare it selfe Ephe. 1. 21. He gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name that is to wit dignitie power and degree Vnto the Ephesians it it written Aboue euerie name that is named in this worlde or in the worlde to come Christ is made the head of the Church that in the name of Iesus euerie knee shoulde bow A place taken out of Esaie and cited in the 14. Chapter to the Romanes Esa 46. 23. Ro. 14. 11. The Lorde liueth to mee shall euerie knee bow There is meant Adoration and that such as is due vnto God not vnto a name or syllables as fooles dooe which hearing the name of Iesus doe vncouer their head and thinke nothing of the thing it selfe So doe they also behaue themselues towards the outward elements of the sacrament giue little héede vnto the thing signified Knéeling is an outward signification of the inward worshipping Whether is this adoration giuen to the humanitie or to the diuinitie Vnto whole Christ the natures are not separated Neither when we honour a king doe wee bid him put off his purple robe albeit that the reason of worshipping him is taken from his diuinitie But Paul vnto the Romanes séemeth to say that it will come to passe in the day of iudgement that euery knée shall bowe True it is but nowe that honour is begun then it shall be perfect when all his enemies shall be put vnder his footestoole Hereby also appeareth the diuinitie of Christ since adoration is attributed vnto him Some babble certaine things of Purgatory because the knées of things that are belowe shall bowe But what shall be doone in the time of iudgement when they shall bee no longer in Purgatorie Shall the honour of Christ then cease Iames. 2. 19 Doe not the Diuels beléeue and tremble and while Christ was in the worlde they did confesse and worship and desired him that he woulde not torment them Were there not many of the dead raised vp by the Apostles and other holy men in the name of Christ and hell obeyed the name of the Lord Also the diuels at this day cannot tempt any more than Christ willeth and suffereth Doe they not perceiue the figuratiue kinde of spéeche Angels haue no knées The meaning is that he shall be the Lorde of all and shall be worshipped of all and in euerie place Euerie tongue shall confesse him to be Christ and that vnto the praise and glorie of God This triumph laide before our eyes is in Christ that we may vnderstande wee shall be partakers of him if we will humble our selues with him Let no man therefore be ashamed to be humbled and suffer afflictions If we be not mortified with Christ we shall die euerlastingly with the Diuell Better therefore it is to suffer with Christ for what are these sufferings in comparison of hell What are they in comparison of vnquenchable fire what are they to the worme that dieth not what are they to the gnashing of téeth and what to the vttermost darkenesse Without doubt it is better nowe to suffer easily than to indure those extremities Againe compare these things with the eternall glory Is not that so great as wee ought for the same to leade all the time of this life in torment and vexation Verilie as vnto the Corinthians it is saide 2. Cor. 4. 17 This momentanie and easie affliction shall procure vnto vs a great weight of glorie But I am wide if I require sufferings that should be like vnto the passions of Christ since we cā not despise money since we cannot choose but make much thereof as though it shoulde neuer perish as if we our selues shoulde neuer die We cannot be content with things that be necessarie vnlesse we maintaine multitudes of seruaunts we recken it nothing vnlesse all be of silke and siluer all is nothing worth Vndoubtedly this is not the crosse of Christ Christ sheweth that ye should goe one waie but ye goe another Vnlesse ye take this key how shall heauen be opened vnto you If thy Crosse séeme to be heauie and grieuous take thou the wood which was throwen into the waters of Marath I meane the death of Christ and thereby thy afflictions will bee seasoned The Crosse of Christ maketh all things fauourie so it be takē vp by faith By it are our sinnes forgiuen vs our concupiscence is broken and is not imputed vnto vs the Diuill is vanquished we be deliuered from the lawe from death and condemnation By it is the wall broken which made diuision betwéene vs and the Iewes we be reconciled vnto the heauenly things thereby God shewed what account he made of vs and on the other side there is kindled in vs a loue towardes him By it is the iustice of God satisfied God who otherwise is angrie for our sinnes is well pleased with vs righteousnesse being fréely giuen vs. By it are shewed all examples of liuing well Christ hath drawen all things vnto him He is remembred in all the Sacraments and is comprehended by faith By it is hell conquered Wherefore let vs not disdaine to vndergoe the Crosse with Christ otherwise we are crucified for sinne Thereby we are broken in péeces vnder the wrath of God and damnation except wee be with Christ but we féele not our Crosse of sinne vntill the lawe be brought thereunto There doe wée perceiue our wickednesse By this we being stirred vp doe come vnto Christ and doe offer our selues with a willing minde to suffer those things which he would haue
There be vsed no vehement affections neither is there any thing doone earnestly or from the heart but all things are rather doone of a certaine ceremonie and custome Let no man make excuse that these things belong onely vnto Bishops and vnto pastors Col. 3. 16. séeing vnto the Colossians Paul admonisheth euerie man as well that the word of God should dwell in vs plentifullie as also that our spéech shoulde alwayes be gratious and powdered with salt Col. 4. 6. that wée may know how to answere euerie man And Peter woulde haue vs to be readie to giue a reason of that hope which is in vs. 1. Pet. 3. 15. But forasmuch as I perceiue the time is past I will make an end and bende my selfe vnto prayer as vnto a most sure hauen to craue the aid and assistance of Gods helpe And as holy Moses when he had nowe ruled the people of God the space of 40. yeares on this wise prayed Deut. â—2 2. A Prayer That my doctrine may droppe as doth the raine and my speech flowe as doth the deaw So I good Lord most earnestly desire of thée that those thinges which I shall teach thy children may not be any stormes of errours but desired and fruitfull raines of the trueth and that my interpretations may be no waters that shoulde wast the Church and ouerthrow coÌ„sciences but a deawie consolation a profitable edification of soules And I beséech thée also that thou wilt hearken and graunt vnto my prayer that all those which be héere present may heare the holie séede of thy word not as the high way nor as the thornes nor as the stonie ground but as the good lande and fielde prepared by thy spirite they may out of the scriptures which shall bee committed to the furrowes of their hearts bring foorth fruite thirtie sixtie and an hundreth fold An Oration concerning the studie of diuinitie made to the Vniuersitie of Strasborough after his returne out of England THose debters ye diuines which meane good faith are greatly troubled with sorrow and care of minde when they sée themselues hindered by any occasion that they be not able to pay those thinges which they knowe they doe owe neither doeth this happen vnto them without great reason For mortall men haue nothing that they may in right preferre before a stedfast faithfulnesse Whereupon Paul that notable Apostle of Christ the heart of the worlde and most famous publisher of the doctrine of the Gospell when among other nations he knew himself debter also vnto the Romanes Rom. 1. 10. besought God with continuall desires and most instant prayers that he might once at the length come vnto them that euen out of their riche fielde he might carie into the heauenly barne a large haruest and abundance of fruite And because that noble mindes desiring excellent things doe not satisfie themselues vnlesse they ioyne with their desires no lesse indeuours therefore he testifieth that he did often attempt to come vnto them but that he was hindered by Sathan Which hinderaunce as I am perswaded did with great griefe disquiet his most godly minde For with an incredible desire he wished faithfully to doe those things which in preaching of Christ he euer and fréely confessed to be his duetie to doe vnto the wise and vnwise vnto the Gretians and barbarous Wherefore séeing this affection doeth beare so great stroke in honest mindes and in godly men if ye shall thinke me all the while that I haue bin absent from hence to haue bin forgetfull of the duetie which these many yéeres by bond I owe to the schoole or Church of Strasborough ye bereaue me of an honest heart and godly minde But beleeue me the case did not so stand but euen as Homers Vlisses when he was in the Orchardes of Alcinous in the caues of Calipso among the songes of the Syrens in the inchauntements of Circe and violence of the great Giants of Sicill neuer laide aside the swéete remembrance of his owne Countrie Ithaca though it were but rude and as the Israelites so many of them as were godly did during the space of fortie yéeres in the desert continually with themselues thinke of the lande promised them by God so your Martyr did neuer at any time forget this Schoole or by any occasion of this absence ceased to bee carefull of his chiefe and speciall calling and of this perpetuall remembraunce and good will I not onely haue God to be my witnesse and searcher of my heart whom I pray and beséeche for his seuere iustice sake not to leaue me vnpunished if I doe lie but also many notable and woorthie men in Englande doe well knowe howe earnestly I sued to the King that as he had called me from hence so he would send mée hither againe Which neuerthelesse I might not obtaine For that King being verie much giuen vnto godlinesse King Edward the 6. was desirous to cal thither out of Germanie many men of my vocation rather than to suffer me to depart whom he had alreadie with him Wherefore hauing on this wise a repulse I was constrained whether I would or no to be absent from hence And vnlesse ye your selues consider of it by your selues I cannot expresse howe grieuously I tooke it to depart from my place which I had so long inioyed and how sorrowfull I was when I perceiued that I was cut off from al hope of my returne Yet did I comfort my selfe because I thought you were not ignoraunt what the manner of the worshippe of God is For God must not be worshipped after our will but according to his owne pleasure Neither doe those thinges which wée haue purposed to our selues to be doone please him but what his prouidence day by day appointeth to euerie man either to be taken in hand or to be indured Without doubt it séemed pleasant vnto me and most delectable to returne to Strasborough but GOD in whose power I was and now am commanded another thing to be determined And maruell not if I say that he commaunded for ye are not ignoraunt that in all those thinges that are not repugnant vnto the Scriptures of God Rom. 13. c. we must obey Princes euen as we doe God and most auncient is that common saying Osee 6. 7. that Obedience is farre to be preferred before sacrifice And besides this the fruite of the worke which GOD through my ministerie wrought in that most noble kingdome was a let of my comming Howbeit contrarie to the expectation of all men was King Edward of Englande the bright light of Christian kingdomes the verie nurse of godlynesse and a stoute defender of the Gospell of Christ by cruell and lamentable death taken away The light was turned into darkenesse impietie succéeded pitie and most cruell Woolues inuaded the newe and late restored Churche good men are wickedly oppressed from whose perils and misfortunes howe I by the prouidence of God haue bin deliuered I cannot
taken of you than I haue written them For that which I speake with a syncere faith I would also to be taken in good part I knowe how tender be the eares of the Princes of this world Howbeit as touching yours I haue a verie great hope since you are of Christ not of this world Wherefore setting aside the reasons of the Ethnickes I will leade you a while to the singular and notable example of Dauid For he while he liued was both famous in princelie power and greatlie renowmed in excellent holinesse The example of Dauid in restoring the Religion of God Wherefore if I be desirous to haue you become such a one as he was I desire nothing contrary either to your dignitie or godlines He when hee should be appointed to the gouernement of the kingdome in Israel before he could attaine to the same suffered euen as you haue doone most gréeuous troubles but when he was come therunto he thought nothing ought to be doone before he had restored Religion nowe ruined whereof the principal point and summe in that age herein consisted that the arke of the couenaunt being the principall token of God might bée reduced vnto the former estimation which by the negligence of King Saul laie without regard had thereunto in the priuate house of one Aminadab in Gibea 1. Sam. 2. 6. This the godlie king could not suffer wherefore he determined to conueigh the same vnto the Kinges Court. Howbeit in that wherein hee indeuoured to deale godlie the Priestes did not rightlie exercise their office Wherefore the godlie King in a maner despayred of that he looked for Howbeit he within a while after gathering his wittes together both draue them to doe their office rightlie and he himselfe also with incredible ioie and with singular gladnesse of the people most happilie brought home the arke of the mightie God into Sion Euen this same worke most noble Quéene Elizabeth is together with your kingdome committed to your trust For it behooueth that you restore againe into his place the holie Gospell of Christ which through iniurie of the times and importunitie of the aduersaries hath lien some yéeres past neglected I will not say trodden vnder foote This if you shal performe all things shall happen prosper ouslie vnto you no lesse than they did vnto most godlie King Dauid For if it be saide vnto euerie Christian man that he shoulde first séeke the kingdome of God then other thinges should easilie be supplied Matt. 6. 33. shal we not thinke that the same is commaunded vnto kings Certes if it be commanded all men to worship God most sincerely kings are not exempted from that precept nay rather the greater estate they beare amongst men the more are they bounde to that lawe of God Howbeit there is no néede to admonish your maiestie in many words whom the heauenly father hath inspired with a principall spirite as he did Dauid A danger in the Church as concerning Pastors But this daunger is like to happen namely least those which at this day be called Priests should erre in the worke of restoring the Church euen as it came then to passe not without great trouble when the Lord smote Oza 2. Sam. 6. 7. For the Arke of the Lord shoulde not haue béene carried in a carte but borne vpon the shoulders of the Priests euen as the law of God had prescribed Wherefore we must now take speciall care and héede lest such thinges doe happen that while the gouernours of the Church either be deceiued by error or indeuor to shun labours and iust discipline they goe about to beare the Arke of the Gospel not by the word of God and example of a more pure life but vpon the Carts of vnprofitable ceremonies and foule labours of hyred seruants This if you shall consider most noble Quéene that it came so to passe you shall not as Dauid was be mooued more than is requisite neither will yee intermit the worke begun as he for a time did but will doe the same out of hande as we reade that he a while after did 1. Par. 23. afterward He corrected the error of the Priestes he disposed the Leuites into certaine orders commaunded all things to be doone by the strickt rule of the lawe These be the things which all Godly men most blessed Quéene do expect of you Hitherunto the kings of the earth which is very greatly to be lamented agrée together and withstande God and his annointed Psal 2. 2. From whose societie euen as your maiestie is a straunger so must you heare what is saide vnto you and to the rest of kings Ib. ver 10. Vnderstande nowe O yee kings be learned O yee that iudge the earth serue the Lord in feare But you will say shewe mée what religious worship that shal be which is required towards God Verilie no other but with Godly seueritie to prohibit and correct especially in worshipping of him those things which be committed against the law of God For it is necessarie that a king serue God two manner of wayes first in respect that he is a man by faithfull beléeuing and liuing then in that he is a king which gouerneth the people by establishing in force conuenient such lawes as commaunde iust and Godly thinges and forbid the contrarie This did Ezechias when he destroyed the groues ydoll temples 2. kings 18. 4. The example of godly Kings and those high places which were erected against the commaundement of God although that somtimes they did not sacrifice amisse in them The selfe-same thing did godly Iosias bring to passe with great diligence 2. kings 23. verse 4. zeale and incredible godlinesse Ionas 3. 7. This did the king of the Niniuites not foreslowe to doe which compelled the whole citie to pacifie the wrath of God This did Darius performe vnto the true God as it is written in Daniel Dan. 6. 26. This also did Nabucadnezer fulfill when by a most seuere lawe he bridled the tongues of them that dwelt in his kingdome from blaspheming the liuing God Dan. 3. 95. I might easily shewe of verie manie Kings and mightie Emperours after Christ that did the same I meane Constantine Theodosius Charles the Great and many others But because I wil not goe either from the memorie of our times or from your own most honourable progenie this did your most noble brother Edwarde king of England endeuour to his power and more than his age would giue leaue whose reigne our sinnes and intollerable ingratitude suffered not any longer to be continued Onely God woulde shewe vnto the worlde the singular vertues and passing Godlinesse of that ympe secondlie that hée might somewhat chasten vs according as our ill desertes required hee the sooner called him out of the earth vnto him Howbeit the case goeth wel because he after a certaine fatherly correction vsed hath taken pitie vpon vs séeing he hath at this time placed you
but doe rather despise him he looseth his labour séeing through such a contempt he is made blinde But if he be indued with the feare of God he will assent vnto him that rightlie admonisheth Howbeit both parts of the argumēt are easilie refelled He that feareth not God and when the punishment of eternal death is set before him procéedeth in contemning of him procureth vnto himselfe a more gréeuous iudgement harder condemnation But he that is indued with the feare of God will by applying of more vehement spurs hasten with a swifter course vnto the trueth Wherefore such doctrine as this hath no fruite and draweth much losse with it Those things in effect iudge we of the whole cause Now wil we come to examine particularlie the parts and members thereof which we are faine to doe in fewe words and briefelie séeing we haue other businesse in hande which although we woulde we may not intermit This first of all we cannot choose but maruell at that the Anabaptists are affirmed to haue a true mediatour although they beléeue that his flesh was brought from heauen Whether the Anabaptists doe acknowledge the true mediator not taken of the virgin Vndoubtedlie a mediator he cannot be vnlesse he both be and be comprehended by faith according as God hath ordained him and reuealed him in his promises But he decreed that he shoulde haue flesh of men and this he testified by euident and plaine wordes in the holie scriptures So as they which attribute vnto him a heauenly flesh haue not the mediatour promised by God but him whom they haue inuented to themselues and imagined of their owne braine It is obiected that those men doe not sée nor perceiue that such a mediator is set foorth and promised by God as ought to haue taken flesh of Marie What they can sée or what they cannot sée it maketh little or nothing to the matter This doubtlesse are they driuen to beléeue that in the holie Oracles it is left vnto vs for a most certaintie we doe not affirme that they doe sée these things But this be we assured of that not to sée nor professe those things but with full mouth to denie them remooueth them from saluation A iudgemēt as touching the Iewes As touching the Iewes of our times which crie out that they cannot finde by the holie scriptures that Messias is yet come but say that they do beléeue in him as did the Patriarches Prophets and as their forefathers beléeued what will Hadrian iudge Will he saie that they be not out of the kingdome of heauen Let him saie what he will we will saie with Iohn that they be antichrists which say that Christ is not come in the flesh 1. Iohn 4. 3. A blindnesse in those thinges which the scripture teacheth concerning the mediatour remooueth not damnation from the vnfaithfull That blindnesse is laide vpon vs as a iust punishment of former sinnes which when it transgesseth the lawe and bounds of faith it taketh not eternall damnation away They that denie the consequent denie also the Antecedent but rather procureth the same Neither is it truely sayde that it comes oftentimes to passe that they which denie the consequent doe not denie the antecedent for they in déede doe denie this although in words they séeme so much to graunt it For the ouerthrowing of the consequent is so repugnant to the antecedent as they can not stande together But thou wilt say that vnawares they take away the antecedent of Christes humanitie I graunt it but ignorance as touching naturall prophane thinges is counted but a light matter but in articles of the faith it bringeth the extremest and chiefest losse And it is not nowe called ignorance but incredulitie Matt. 1. 25. Luke 2. 7. But that Christ was borne of the virgine Marie no man of sounde religion doubteth but that the same doth belong to the chiefe pointes of faith And for man to be borne of a mother is not onelie to passe through the wombe of her and this euen children themselues doe knowe Further we confesse that he was not onlie borne of a virgin but that hee was also conceiued of her And who I beséech you will say that those things which passe through the wombe are conceiued Howbeit we are not nowe about to bring foorth testimonies of the scriptures whereby the Anabaptists may bee conuinced that it may be shewed to them that the flesh of Christ was receiued of his mother but to the intent wee may prooue that they which denie this which truelie belongeth to a mediatour doe vtterlie take awaie the mediatour himselfe although by mouth and wordes they professe that they beléeue and confesse him A similitude If in anie kingdome a man should teach that we should not for anie cause obey a king and yet neuerthelesse would confesse him to be lawefull king and that he holdeth the same kingdome by right of inheritance hee should as I thinke be punished by death neither should it anie thing auaile him to crie that he séeth not the dependencie or connection betwéene the consequent and the antecedent But they which were wise or had anie knowledge at all of politike gouernement would say vnto him either thou séest or séest not this knitting together by denying this that is the consequēt thou ouerthrowest also the antecedent Neither are the papistes deliuered from the curse and euerlasting destruction in this respect that they thinke themselues to preach no other gospell than that which the Apostles taught and they themselues moreouer denie that they doe sée a iust and effectuall coniunction betwéene their doctrine and that which is accursed Yet for all that these thinges must not in such sort be vnderstoode as though we do not thinke that they sinne more gréeuouslie who reiect and oppresse the trueth which they verie well knowe than they of whome consequentes are denied and antecedentes by wordes and false opinion affirmed but in vaine since these may not consist with the contraries of the consequent These men in déede doe sinne somewhat lesse yet so gréeuouslie notwithstanding as vnlesse they at the length repent them That the Anabaptists haue no true mediator they shal perish eternally séeing they haue no true mediatour but such a one as they themselues haue forged Neither doth Hadrians similitude belong anie thing vnto this matter Whether the Anabaptists doe beléeue in Christ Mat. 26. 27 The Hebrewes saieth hee of a false opinion doe thinke that our Lorde Iesus was nothing else but a méere man and that a seditious and naughtie man Wherefore they being deceiued by this errour did naile him to the crosse which iniurie of theirs although it procéeded of a false opinion yet did it breake out against verie Christ not against a fained Christ So the Anabaptistes when they beléeue and call vpon Christ which suffered for vs which rose againe and by whome sinnes are fréely forgiuen although they thinke that he
thankes for your so gentle and louing intertayning of Iulius Truelie hee declareth manie thinges of your coutesie which in verie déede are not onelie beléeued of mee but those thinges which of your goodnesse you haue doone vnto him I make account of them to be done vnto my selfe And I beséech God that he wil long preserue you in health amongst vs. Fare well right reuerende Prelate I beséech you loue mee still as you do My Wife heartilie saluteth you and both of vs together sende you louing salutations From Tigure the 23. daie of August 1561. To Maister Iohn Caluin 50. ALbeit right excellent man Our Beza will in his owne person shewe you all things which are here doone with vs in that matter for the which he came yet did I thinke good not to let him passe from hence without my letters whereby I might partlie salute you and parlie also signifie of howe ready and willing a minde I am to obaie the desires of the Frenchchurches Trulie I will neuer refuse anie labours nor anie perils in so notable a cause God which is the fountayne original of all good things vouchsafe to prosper our enterprise In the meane time assure you your selfe of me in all thinges which are in my power to do Fare well my good friende God long preserue you in safetie and blesse your godlie labours From Zuricke the 13. of Iulie 1561. I pray you salute my Lorde Marques To Maister Iohn Caluin 51. THe Kinges Ambassadour a very noble man hath found the meanes that the French Kinges safeconducte is brought hither which whē I had read I iudged it to be strong sufficient enough Bullinger shewed the same to both the Consuls who aunswered that they thought the matter was nowe delt in good earnest but they thinke not that as yet anie thing is to be determined of the iourney vntil of this matter somwhat be written out of France which also I perceiued to be your iudgement by those things which you wrote vnto me But as touching me I continue in the same minde and will which I protested here to our louing brother Beza and which I signified vnto you by my last letters I chaunge not my mind but I promise that in this matter I will by the grace of God doe whatsoeuer lieth in mee and I will protract no time so soone as euer I shall be dismissed I giue you most heartie thankes for the bookes I haue not yet read them because of my businesse Howbeit I doubt not but that they smell of the store-house of your goodnesse and learning The letters which you verie prouidentlie wrote vnto the king both we haue reade and doe also verie well like of them And doubt you not but we will take great héede that neither they be spread abroad nor yet that they goe farre from me Bullinger and the other fellowe ministers salute you God long preserue you my good friende in health and richlie blesse your labours From Zuricke the 13. of August 1561. To Henrie Bullinger 52. SInce the letters which I sent from Newburge the 30. Peter Martyrs iourney into Fraunce day of August I coulde not hitherto write any thing partly because I was in continuall iourney and partly because there was no store of cariers But nowe when I was come to Paris whole and safe together with my companie the 9. day of September I thought nothing better than to finde meanes that you might vnderstande of these things First that the verie same day wherein wee departed from Newburge about noone we came to the Ambassador who intertained mée with so great courtesie fauour and loue as nothing coulde bee more and all the whole iourney had no lesse care of mée than if I had bin his brother or sonne and when my horse was pricked in the foote with a naile so as he became lame he gaue mée a strong and lustie ambling horse of his owne which I vsed commodiouslie till I came hither What will you say He omitted no partes which can bee looked for of a most friendly man Wherefore I thinke my selfe verie much bounde vnto him and especiallie because I perceiued that he greatly fauoureth you and our Common weale and verie much loueth the Church We seldome departed from the table during all the iourney but that there was honourable and louing mention made of you This morning wee are one seuered from another for a while For he withdrewe himselfe to his owne house out of the towne To morowe or the day following he wil méete with mée at the Court which is at S. Germans As for mée I entered into the Citie bountifully louingly and friendly intertained by the kings Treasurer in his owne house For among other faithfull men he is an earnest fauourer of the Gospell Our friend Pradella went before and certifyed the Princes in the Court of my comming who he saieth are verie glad thereof I meane the Quéene Mother the king of Nauarre the Prince of Condie and the Admirall They did all salute mee verie friendly by him and I am appointed by them that I shoulde rest at Paris all this after noone vntill night To morowe at seuen of the clocke in the morning I shall goe to the Court whither that I might bee caried the more easilie the Prince of Condie hath sent mée his Mulet which goeth very easilie He sent also vnto mee to welcome mée both his Phisitian and his Secretarie This day they haue begun the conference and they say that we must first dispute of the Authoritie of the worde of God Beza conferred once with the Cardinall of Loraine who although he be stoutely against our opinion yet did he by expresse wordes forsake Transubstantiation The conference must be had in the Frenche tongue because both the King and the Quéene and the Princes will be present and heare it Wherefore I shall not speake among them but shall counsell assist and suggest such things so my associates as shall bee thought good I shall deale as they say with the Quéene who is saide to perswade her selfe of manie thinges touching mée The plague beginneth to bee somewhat busie in the Citie but the rumor of the euill is greater than is the hurt The Cardinall of Ferrara is not yet entered into the Citie All the faithfull request of the King that they may haue frée licence graunted them to méete at their holy assemblies This as yet they haue not obtained which nowe they hope they shall obtaine albeit that in diuers partes of the kingdome they haue Churches alreadie These things haue I written to daie To morowe I will tell you more and more certaine newes when I shall haue bin at the Court. The next day after I came to the Court namely vnto S. Germans where of our brethren the Coloquutors I was very friendlie and brotherlie receiued The conference of Poyssi The conference is had at Poyssi which place is from hence a litle Frenche mile where the Bishops also doe
because in sundrie Countries of Fraunce the faithful possesse the Temples to the intent that they may there méete publikelie hauing not obtained the Kings licence And this hath grieuouslie displeased the Quéene and the great noble men The Cardinals and the Bishops craue restitution While I write these things the Princes are nowe in Counsell to decrée of this matter what shall be thought méete But because in the number of the Counsellors there be certaine Cardinals also and some Bishops our sort haue put vp a supplication to the Quéene beséeching that in this deliberation they may be suffered to haue no voice against equitie and right which are professed our sworne enemies But howe much wee shall obtaine I knowe not If by a decrée the people bee commaunded to restore the Temples both seditions and slaughters are to bee feared A day or two since at Paris some houses of the faithfull being merchant men were robbed Wee haue not yet séene all the Canons which the byshops haue framed and neuerthelesse either after dinner or to morrow iudgement shal be giuen of them by the kings counsell Vndoubtedly the Cardinall of Ferrara being the legate hath put all out of quiet but yet as we trust he is not more mighty than Christ They say that the Quéene mother and the king of Nauarre are marueilouslie terrefied by king Philip from all chaunge of Ecclesiasticall matters Wherefore we put all our trust in God but in mightie men either little or nothing You will say whie doe you not crie out against it whie doe you not speake to the Quéene We haue no accesse to her but when she calleth But now shée doth not sende for vs. It remaineth that wée deale by supplications But she promised that shee would in any wise prouide that in time conuenient I should be brought home safe and sounde As touching the confession of Augusta I pray you disquiet not your selfe for the Ecclesiasticall men will not receiue it séeing they will haue nothing at all changed of their matters Also our Churches will not admit the same since they are minded to follow their french confession In like manner our Colloquutors will none of it Caluin likewise doth specially disswade that it should not be doone Wherefore I sée no daunger to come thereof Onelie we are to feare sharpe and gréeuous edictes against our men least the same shoulde hinder the procéeding of the Gospel and least for that cause there shoulde happen seditions and slaughters Nowe haue you vnderstoode how the state of things are the which cannot bée driuē off any long time shortly they wil haue an ende The Erle of Bedford wrote verie louingly vnto me out of England requested me that since I am néere hand I woulde returne home by England Which I would not promise him because I desire to be at home so soone as I can Yesterday we changed our lodging for the Cardinall Chatillian returned vnto the court since he is not to tarrie any longer at Possi for the assemblie of the Prelats is dissolued he went againe to his owne house wherein we abode Wherefore by the commaundement of the Quéene we were sent to the lodging of the Dutchesse of Ferrara because she knewe as she testified that such guests shoulde not be vnwelcome to that princesse Farewell my great friende and most louing brother in Christ I pray you for our mutual loue sake that you will diligentlie excuse me to our fellow ministers if I do not write particularlie to euerie one of them For those letters that I send vnto you I account as common vnto them From the court at S. Germans the 17. of October 1561. To Lodouick Lauater 57. MOst deare friend Lauater I receiued your letter together also with the letters of Master Bullinger which vndoubtedly were verie acceptable As touching our affaires I wrote at large the other day vnto master Bullinger Wherefore to repeate them now againe vnto you I thinke it not néedefull For I know that he doeth familiarlie and fréelie communicate vnto you those things which be written of mée But these things were doone after I had sent my letters vnto him The xvii day of this moneth in the euening there was a decrée made by the kings counsell that the faithful should surrender vp the temples which they helde because they durst attempt it without expecting leaue from the king In the meane time our men are put in hope that they shall haue leaue graunted to assemble publikely and also that certaine places shal be assigned vnto them But whether it shall be so I knowe not For the power of the Church men is incredible This day the Cardinall of Loraine and the Duke of Guyse departed from the Court and the assemblie of the Prelates which was helde at Poyssi is dissolued Wherefore the Cardinals and Bishops doe also depart from hence But before they would goe their way they condemned the confession of the Churches of Fraunce As for the conference which was begun is vtterlie broken off For that the Prelats would not haue the same continued auoiding the companie and sight of vs. And for our part since we haue nothing to doe héere we desire leaue to depart which as yet we haue not obtained As touching my selfe I long verie much to be with you Tydings is nowe brought that they of Orleans haue rendered vp their Churches But they of Blease haue not yet obayed Our Iulius together with Stukius doe heartilie salute you And I beséech you that you will in my name most diligentlie salute all my fellowe ministers From the Court at S. Germans the 19. of October To M. Henry Bullinger 58. FOure dayes since most louing Gossip and right reuerend syr I wrote largelie ynough as concerning our affaires After that making answere vnto the letters of Lauater I added those things that happened two or thrée dayes after which I doubt not but that he woulde reade them vnto you Wherefore I will nowe write those things which followed afterwarde First at Paris there is published an edict whereby is prohibited armour and hurling of stones And these names Papists and Hugonites for so they terme the Gospellers are forbidden It is also forbidden that one should not raile of another for Religion and that none shoulde be so hardie to breake into houses as they were woont to doe when our men made any assemblies The Churches of Aquitane haue restored their temples and places are appointed for them vnto which it is lawfull for the faithfull to assemble The Cardinals and Bishops haue dissolued their Synode Wée haue not as yet séene their Canons They haue bound themselues to paie to the king for the space of tenne yeare sixtéene hundreth thousand Francks as the report goeth to ease the kingdome of debt The conference being broken off nothing to be doone heere we sue for leaue to depart It is not yet obtained but within a while it wil be graunted The counsellours séeme that they will appoint certaine
right worthie Sir from Paris the day before the Calendes of Nouember and in 22. daies I came safe and sounde to Zuricke being verie surelie and faithfullie conducted by two leaders of souldiers whom they commonlie call captaines who are godlie and valiant men Vnto whom was no smal honour doone by the Consuls Senate and ministers of the Church and certaine men were appointed to attende vppon them on the way as farre as Berna Wherefore they maie shewe vnto their Princes as I doubt not but they wil how honourably they haue bin intertained of vs. Moreouer the Quéene mother and the king of Nauarre haue written hither most courteous letters and so haue the princes the Admirall and the Condie which letters were verie well accepted The Lorde perhappes will vouchsafe that the mindes of the men of this Citie shall well and firmelie be knit to the kingdome of France especiallie if there happen to come a iust consent in religion We when wee were all for sundrie causes gladde beholde heauie newes are brought out of France First that King Philip hath written thither verie threatening letters wherein hee not required but in a manner commaunded that the authoritie of the Pope might be kept safe and sounde in France and as they say he protested in expresse wordes that hee woulde bee an open enemie vnto all those which would otherwise will and decrée And it is added moreouer that a commandement is giuen out to the Bishoppes in the kings name that they shoulde returne againe to Poyssi and there confute the confession of the French Churches But this doe we not easilie beléeue vnlesse we be certified thereof by Beza that famous and learned man God defende his owne worke and establish those foundations which séeme not to bee vnfortunatelie laide Certeinlie it woulde be a deceite yea and that a verie manifest deceite one side being dismissed to call our aduersaries againe and to condemne them that be absent But God wil sée these things I was desirous in my returne to haue séene you But since the winter was nowe come I feared least if I returned home by a greater iourney I shoulde bee ouertaken with raine or foule wether that also was the cause why I did not fall into the traine of the Marquesse of Retheling the prince Longauil when I was earnestlie desired being at Blandine I woulde not agrée therevnto because I perceiued that the iourney was to be differred certain daies Herewithall I considered that it shoulde make but small if wee were asunder in bodie sith we haue our minds and iudgements most néerelie ioyned together and this doeth the most stedfast concorde declare which wee so many of vs as were appointed in Fraunce kept while we liued together in one house and at one table whose peaceable and perfect fellowship I shall neuer forget Wherefore holde me excused I beséech you if I returned home by a more readie way I would pray you neuerthelesse in the meane time to salute in my name euerie one of your Collegues especiallie that learned man Merlin our welbeloued brother Professor of the Hebrewe tongue Fare well most excellent man and deere brother in the Lorde GOD most mercifully blesse your Godlie labours Also salute I beséech you the Italian Pastor and my Lorde Marques From Zuricke the 25. of Nouember 1561. To a certaine Friend being an eloquent and famous man as concerning the cause of the Eucharist 62. TO write briefelie and plainelie of a matter weightie and in a maner obscured through the contentions of men you your selfe right woorthy man who are an excellent maister of speaking and in writing most skilfull doe verie well know howe verie hardly and difficultlie it can be doone Therefore I ceasse not to maruell what was the cause why in your last letters you doubted not to require this of mee who both in speaking and writing am in a maner able to doe nothing Yet because you requested mée and I for the honour I beare vnto you haue vndertaken to perfourme it I determined to discharge my selfe of my promise by the first faithfull messenger Which thing also I will doe with the better courage because I knowe that I write not vnto one that is ignoraunt of the controuersie For so farre as I sée you altogether dwell in the cause of the Eucharist so farre is it off that you can be called a straunger therein Wherefore since this is my opinion of you I will so knit vp the chiefest pointes as I may shew that I rather meant to note them than to expounde them Take you it in good part and if I shall not fulfill your will you shall not accuse my minde which is most readilie inclined towardes you but your owne selfe which haue requested it I ouerpasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Commutation of the bread and wine because the aduersaries professe that they no lesse flie from that than wee doe Neither also doe I thinke it néedefull to dispute whether the wordes of the Lorde wherein he saide that the breade is his bodie and the wine his bloud ought to be accounted proper or else figuratiue and tropicall For in verie déede they against whom we dispute being after a sort returned to a sound iudgement doe now confesse that they acknowledge a figure to be in those wordes but yet doe so confesse it as they ioyne the bodie and bloud truelie properlie and in déede vnto the bread and wine and put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit the comming together of the two natures vnto that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Communication of the Pope And they decrée that the flesh and the bloud of Christ are not onelie in heauen but are also present in the holie Bread and Wine of the Supper Neither doe they feare to affirme The feined deuise of vbiquitie that the Lordes bodie although it be humane is at one time in manie places together Yea and they procéede so farre as they pronounce it to be euerie where aswell as the diuine nature Further they attribute vnto that bodie a presence which occupieth no place But I doe say that the humane nature of Christ was euermore comprehended within some certaine place which place he so occupied that he was not any where else at the same time The Euangelical historie sheweth that he was sometime in Galile Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 2. 13. Luke 7. 40 Iohn 12. 1. sometime in Ierusalem sometime in the house of Simon and another time in Bethania Whereby it appeareth that some certaine place was giuen to the bodie of Christ And that he was not together in any other place he manifestlie shewed when he witnesseth that Christ saide Iohn 11. 15 that Lazarus was dead and that he reioyced because hée was not there By the verie which wordes he so declareth himselfe to haue bin in that iourney as he was no where else Also the Angels saide vnto the women when they sought for the Lordes bodie in the Sepulchre Matt. 28.
be imparted both vppon the present and the absent 2 521 b Obseruations in distributing thereof 2 562 a 520 b 519a A reward giuen by God for the same 2 521 b Giue Almes and all things shall be cleane vnto thee expounded 3 223 ab 3 116 a An olde errour touching the attainment of eternall life thereby answered 2 520 ab Men vsing mercie haue thereby no fruit at all before they haue faith saieth Chrysostome 2 262 b Of Cornelius his Almes good workes and whether he were regenerate when he did them or no. 2 259 ab In what case our Almes may be directed by lots 1 60 a 2 519 a Almightinesse Gods Almightinesse described 3 336 ab 2 613 a Altar An Altar is referred to an outward sacrifice 4 225 b Of what thing it is a testification to whom it must be erected 2 308 b Altars Whether the Christians haue Altars among them 4 225 b 226 a Two sortes of them in the time of the lawe 4 225 a Not to be erected vnto images 2 352 a Alteration Of Alteration in God and in what respects 1 109b 110 a 168 a 207 a Whereto the Alteration of kings and kingdomes is to bee referred 4 227 b 228 a ¶ Looke Change Alterations Alterations of the state of a happie man noted by Aristotle 1 165 ab The life of man full thereof reade the place it is notable 1 158 a Am. Ambition Against Ambition and what cantons and punishments haue béene prouided by many iust lawes against that vice 1 144 b The deuill deceiued thereby and how 1 83 a Among the Apostles 2 505 a Of Iohn and Nabuchadnezzar 2 572b Ithamar and Eleazar in striuing for the priesthood 4 247 b A sentence of Salust touching the same and of Abimelech 2 382 a Of the Romanists 4 71 a Of Alexander the Great 1 53 b Of the ministerie 4 24 ab In the Romane commonwealth also in the Church and restraints for the same 1 144 b 145 a Rewarded with shame read the place 3 321 ab The lawes of Ethniks condemned it and how it was punished 2 382 a A definition thereof 2 381 b Vnto the committing of what villanies men are driuen thereby 2 382 a Amen From whence the worde Amen is deriued 3 93 a It maketh a great affirmation 2 601 a An. Anathema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth malediction or cursse 4 87 a Why the citie of Iericho was made Anathema 2 403 a The forme ende and matter thereof 2 403 b 404 a By what Anathema God proued and tryed his people 2 403 b Of Anathema vsed in the olde testament and in the newe ¶ Looke Crosse 2 403 ab Angell The Angell that spake to Moses in the bush was the Sonne of God 1 28 a Angels Why wings are attributed vnto Angels and also youth 1 112 a Sundrie orders and iurisdictions of them 3 391 b 392 a They turne about the celestiall spheres 3 393 b Their nature or as the schoolemen say their substance is vncorrupt and immortall 2 249 b How they shal be deliuered from the bondage of corruption 2 249 b Their labour is sometimes disappointed of that ende whereunto it was a meane 2 249 b How they may be vnderstood to be subiect vnto vanitie 2 249 b They shall not be rid of all kindes of affections 2 249 a The Sadduces error supposing them to bee a bare seruice of no substance seuered from matter 1 112 a They are not subiect to vanitie or corruption 2 248 a The benefite or Christ appertaineth also vnto them 2 250 a Tertullian attributeth a body not onely vnto them but also to God himselfe 1 113 a Rabbi Selomoh saieth that their names are seâ—…eâ— and that they know not their owne names 1 111 b They were turned into the shape of a man and caried a verie trueth of a substantiall bodie 1 114 b Whether it bee it for them to take vpon them the similitude of men 1 113 b Whether they may take verie bodies vppon them and those naturall which were bodies before c. 1 114 a Of the fall of them that were conuersant with women and diuersely men haue thought of them 1 128 b 129 a How and in what sense they are called messengers or segates 1 118 b The diuerse opinions of Philosophers fathers and schoolemen touching them 1 112 ab Augustine attributeth bodies vnto them Read how 1 113a Note the doctrine of the Rabbines concerning them and their names 1 111 b 112 a As well euill as good are Gods ministers to punish sinne 1 120. 121 a Of them and spirits that be aboue mentioned by Paul in the Ephesians 1 120 a Gouernours of kingdomes and gardians of men 1 120 a God doth punish by the good ones as for example 1 65b We shall enioy the fellowship of them in heauen but not vse their ministerie 1 119 b Sent to punish sinne and by what name they are called 1 120 b Of certaine names mentioned by Paul wherby both good euill are ment 1 120 a To be ignorant of their state wil bring no great daunger vnto vs. 1 118 b Whether they do offer vp our praiers vnto God as the scripture saith 1 118 b Howe the Rabbins conclude that godlie men are better than they 1 119 a They may vse the bodies of men and beastes and speake in them prooued 1 114 a Augustine doubteth whether God hath benefited men by myracles done by euill ones 1 65 b The cause why good ones are not deceiued in their predictions 1 82b 83 b They be in the number of seconde causes by whom God worketh his will 1 173 ab When first mention was made of them and where 1 111 b Augustine doubteth whether the Aegyptians plagues were brought in by good ones or by the diuell 1 65 b and what is concluded 66 a Of their appearings whether with a bodie or onely in a phantasie 1 112 a Origens opinion that their bodies wherein they be visible are neither perfect bodies nor humane nor phantasticall and yet bodies neuerthelesse 1 116 a Whether we shal be indued with greater glorie than they as the scriptures seeme to affirme 1 119 ab They haue no bodies though diuerse things incident to the bodies haue bin in them 1 113b They take their names of those things which they doe prooued 1 111 b Godlie and vngodlie men are vexed by euill ones after a sundrie fashion 1 65 b Of thrée wayes whereby it may séeme that they haue appeared 1 114 b Whether they cloathed with bodies did eate and drink indéede 1 118 a The bodies wherein they appeared were true humane bodies 1 117 ab They ministred when God gaue the Lawe and howe 1 28 a Being mens Ministers they are more excellent than men 1 5 b 6 a Of what things they are ignorant 2 571 b They may be represented by Images and how 2 335 b Neither they nor men admitted worship to be doone them much lesse
which cause Basilius Magnus Gregorie the Diuine and Iohn Chrysostome were by the Churches of those times brought to take bishopprickes vpon them because they were more desirous of a solitarie life than becommeth true Christian men to be as they which be not borne to themselues but vnto other men and to the fellowship of the saints and most of all to the spreading farre and wide of the true worship of God We all holde fast the purposes of our owne wil neither do we gladly rest in other mens iudgements and aduises In the seconde place are they to be reckoned which for this cause stande against them which call them for that they thinke that their labor shal be superfluous since in that matter whereunto they are called to worke manie doe verie much labour If say they there were néede of labours our studie and indeuour should not be wanting whereby it comes to passe that those arts are contemned by the more excellent sort of men wherein they shall perceiue verie many to exercise themselues Lastly they when they be required to take vpon them some excellent function therefore they will not because they féele not themselues able thereunto They say that they must chuse such a matter as they are able to performe and that great regard be had that we faint not vnder our burthen be it neuer so honorable For the more excellent it shal be the more notable also shal bee our fall vnder it For this cause in verie déede Exod. 3. 11. c. Ierem. 1. â— did Moses withdrawe himselfe for a while from this calling of God And Ieremie prayed that there might be a consideration had of his age Those Godly men did consider both howe weake the strength of man was and of howe great charge was the seruice set before them and therefore they did not straightwayes obey when GOD commaunded These thinges my brethren are not recyted of mée at this present without great cause For whereas I haue without denying auoyding delaying or any stay at all taken vpon me this weightie place to interpret the scriptures I woulde not bee thought that I haue doone this boldly or vnaduisedly I might in verie déede haue easily béene called from so holy a ministerie as this ought to be accounted if any of those reasons which yée haue nowe heard coulde haue drawne my minde from it but because none of them by the grace of Gods spirit taketh any place in me therefore yée sée me to haue come hither with so readie glad ioyful and willing a minde Which that I may perswade you by a profitable and verie liuely argument I wil examine the causes now alledged by me after the same order that I began And I will not onely shewe that no cause coulde iustly terrifie me from my purpose but that notwithstanding euerie one of those causes my will was marueilously inflamed héereunto But hearken I beséech ye that I may no lesse faithfully than I haue promised performe those thinges which I haue spoken As touching that which was alledged first whereby men shoulde be terrified from taking vppon them the function whereunto they are called is this namely if that which is commaunded be vnwoonted and vnlooked for But to me cannot the exercise of handling the word of God in this age be new vnaccustomed and vnlooked for For euen from my youth when I yet liued in Italie Martyrs timelie entering into the studie of Diuinitie this one thing I minded to follow aboue all artes and ordinances of men euen chiefly to learne and teach the holy scriptures neither had I other successe than I purposed For euen I my selfe in verie déede as the mist darknesse obscurenesse and night of Poperie deceiueth manie erred for a time but yet did I not cease in that blinde dungeon as the time would then suffer both to learne and teach the holy scriptures But afterwarde when the heauenly father by the benefite of Christ had compassion vppon me I began to sée through a cloude and as trées walking the trueth of the Gospel neither coulde I kéepe silent that which as yet I vnderstoode but after a grosse manner I communicated it vnto others and the light was increased the measure and meanes being increased I taught more openly and the matter was brought to such a passe as I might not nowe liue in Italie without extreme daunger Wherefore deare brethren I went into Germanie that from whence I had by letters tasted the first principles of the reformed truth I might there receiue abundantlie a more fruitfull and perfect doctrine I desired also in person to behold certaine restored Churches least I should imagine of the reformation of the church as of the commonweale of Plato which may indéede be vnderstoode but hath his being in no place Which then indéede I earnestly sought first at Tigure To Tigure I say I began to take my way God not without most happie successe directing my iourney which I had taken in hand For when I was come hither I perceiued that Godly and syncere diuinity was héere taught and that the Church was reformed with pure and Apostolicall ordinances Wherefore if then meanes had bin offered whereby I might haue defended my banishment I had most willingly receiued the same And not a little did this bountifull curtesie increase this my minde and desire nowe stirred vp in me For those two dayes wherein I tarried héere with those that belonged vnto me I was so delighted with the Godly learned and swéete communication which I had with Doctor Bullinger Bibliander Gwalther and Pellican of happie memorie and of others whom I cannot nowe rehearse by name that I thought them most happie which might liue with such men and I reioysed with my selfe for my present banishment by meanes wherof I was brought by Almightie God to that comfort and consolation and to the knowledge and spéech of such excellent men that beléeue me I could neuer afterward forget this Church those two dayes and that intertainement What shall I say more I was taken from hence against my will and when at that time there happened no occasion of tarrying it behooued me to make an other determinatioÌ„ although not more acceptable yet more necessarie Afterward I was called to Strasbrough where after the death of that worthy Capitol Bucer at Strasborough I succéeded in the diuinitie lecture receiued no smal courtesie of the Senate of that most noble Citie of the ministers of the Church especiallie of Bucer a man of godlie memorie and of the professors of the schoole which curtesie vnlesse I would be most vngrateful I ought heartilie to commende and faithfullie to confesse Mâ—rcyâ— sent 〈◊〉 England Sixe yeares therefore in a manner continuallie I liued there interpreting the holie scripture and longer had I tarried had I not béene sent both by the magistrate by the Church into England whither I was called aswell by the king as by the Archbishoppe Primate of that
kingdome Verilie I tooke vppon me a weightie charge For both it behooued me to teach diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Oxforde and I was often times called to the conuocations holden at Londō for causes ecclesiastical Where what labors I indured what daungers I passed in defending the right opinion of the Eucharist which also ye of the Citie of Zurick as principall and in a manner onelie Patrons haue alwaies most constantlie defended I had rather yee hearde it of others than of my selfe They which were there at that time knowe that I was sundrie times in great daunger of my life And when we were now come to the purpose we wished for and that that doctrine which is both true and holie tooke place and that we now looked for peace and quietnesse woe is mee then died Edwarde that most godlie king King Edward the 6. than which youth I thinke the sunne neuer sawe a learneder for his age a godlier and a wiser A sister of his succéeded him vtterlie vnlike vnto him in minde and will an enimie to the profession of the Gospell the Popes subiect hauing lesse regarde to the honour and dignitie of her owne people than the dominion and commoditie of the Spaniardes There as ye knowe were all the excellent ordinances of the king departed ouerthrowen and the good men either banished or flame And whereas I my selfe escaped so deadlie a calamitie for a while I thought it a dreame till hauing passed the sea with great daungers I was come into the lowe countries Many a time haue I had experience of the most mercifull care of God towards me but neuer I perceiued it so manifest plaine and expreslie as then After that miserable destruction I came to Strasborough because I was frée of that Citie and was called home by the magistrate a yeare before I returned with a minde ioyfull in heauie affaires that I might after my vsuall manner professe diuinitie in that schoole To the Senate the professors my olde acquaintance I am sure my returne was most welcome but not to all the ministers I speake of them which are readie euerie daie not to prooue but most impudentlie to vtter that the cakes small péeces of breade are the bodie of Christ indéede Neuerthelesse against their will and priuie practises speaking faire to my face I am restored to my old place function A controuersie at Strasborough touching the Eucharist And whereas at that time the controuersie about the sacrament was whot and nowe also is disputed with great contention not without the speciall care of God who woulde not haue so good a cause lie hidden vilie in the darkenesse the Magistrate of Strasborough who doeth all the euill he can to kéepe outwarde peace woulde giue this caution in receauing of me that I shoulde not stirre vp this contention in the schoole but shoulde together with the fellow ministers maintaine peace I aunswere that I had béene alwaies a liuer in peace yet such as was honest and that therefore I woulde not breake the bond thereof so that this might be left frée that when a place to be treated of in teaching did require it I might friendly and quietly shew that opinion which I thought to be the truer without taunts bitter inuectiue of words But yet I admonished that if they woulde haue peace to be preserued thy shoulde prouide that they also which were of the contrarie part shoulde abstaine from contention and speake modestlie and brieflie of that matter otherwise it might not bee with a safe conscience that I shoulde leaue the trueth vndefended Lastlie I added this also that by this kinde of argument I would not haue it to be accounted that anie of those thinges which I had written before concerning this matter shoulde be chaunged diminished or cancelled with these conditions we departed and peace was kept on both sides But within a while after when the Saxons and our men wrote sharpelie one against an other those my companions aduersaries also brake out and although they mooued nothing in disputation yet did they in the pulpit to the people most bitterlie condemne my opinion howbeit because these thinges were doone in the Germane tongue and not in the schooles I was not so greatly mooued because I sawe it plainelie appeared to wise and learned men that our aduersaries had but small confidence in their cause since they durst not handle the same openlie in the schooles or dispute thereof But since they could not be ignorant hereof there was a boy suborned who vppon a paper read a declamation made by an other or rather by others which was a verie bitter inuectiue against the Sacramentaries With great gréefe and sorrowe did good and godlie men heare it For what else was this than to haue sounded vp a trumpet So then when peace was openlie broken I also thought it not méete altogether to holde my peace At what time as it séemed good vnto God I receiued letters both from you my brethren and from this most honorable senate whereby I was called hither Which when I perceiued to be the working of God as vnlooked for so verie conuenient I thought it fit to accomplish the same But with how great labour and difficultie I obtained licence of that honorable Senate to depart I thought not now méet to declare seing I suppose none of you can be ignorāt of it But least I should be accused of an inconstant departing I vtterlie promised there to abide if I might haue frée leaue to teach dispute write fréely my opinion since the aduersaries themselues did so publikelie and that it is not indifferent that while it was lawful for them to speake I shoulde be constrained to holde my peace and that the matter was nowe brought to such a passe as manie woulde accuse me of inconstancie as though I had lightlie changed my opinion or else of vngodlinesse for that I woulde suffer true doctrine in my sight and hearing to be cruellie rent in sunder by holding my peace The delaie was long but because that politike reasons are of great force with them that gouerne common weales at the length leaue was giuen mee to depart although the Magistrate testified before me that he did this with an vnwilling minde Wherefore ye Diuines the libertie which I coulde not there procure I haue by your benefit obtained Wherefore first of all I giue thankes vnto God secondlie vnto you and to the honourable Senate of this citie And me thinkes that I account that daie wherein I came hither euen as my byrth daie But ye will saie to what purpose are these thinges so farre fet and repeated For two causes my good friendes First because so manie of my remoouinges shoulde not be attributed to lightnesse but rather to a choice of my minde and stedfastnesse of my will For I chose no solitarie life as though I would haue my studies to profite my selfe Neither doe I allowe that great desire of solitarinesse