but after a sort not perfectly 121. b Knowledge of God certain before thinges come to passe 71. b Knowers of god who 66. b L LAbour muste bee ioyned wyth fayth 13. b LacedemoniaÌ„s forbad peregrinations 30 Laughing neuer vsed of Christe 63 Lasthenes a traitor 37 Law and gospell is the sum of the scripture 1 Law of God is made for man not for god 129 Law of rendring lyke for lyke 11. b 107 Law and custome how they differ 189. b Law is a dum Maiestrate 255. b Law of Numa Pompilius 158 Lawes against the Cananites not to be vnderstanded without al mitigation 36. b Lawes of frendship or other are to be broken when God commaundeth 101 Lay power how it is iudged of the Ecclesiasticall 262 League defyned 73. b League with a people far distant is little profitable 244 League old had promise of more theÌ„ temporall things 74. b Lechem signifieth breade or meate vniuersally 205 Lechery and instrumentes singing and dauncing 287. b Lefthanded how it commeth 81. b Legate of the Romains guile 86 Lent fast 278. b Lentes inuention 279 Lentes institution why 202. b Leo for the Masse 42 Letter opening punished by death 37 Leuites portion 18 Leuites onely may make sacrifices 123. b Liberty chiefest â–ª is to obey the commaundements of God 216. b Liberty christian is against Lente 279 Libertines error 211 Libertines and papists like 264. b Lictores 146 Lyfe is not to be preferred before truth 90 Lye defined 87. b Lye in name and not in dede when men thinke that they speake is true 88. b Lying is not in vsing figuratiue speaches 111 Lie when euil and when wurst 64 Lye in religion most greuous 88 Lies of papistes in the masse 50 Lying whether angels vse in fayning them to be men 209 Lying for humility forbidden 87. b Lyeng by the spirit of man and by the motion of god 89. b Lying to preserue the lyfe of oure neighbours 90 Lies officious or honest of saints 39 Lying taught by papistes 257. b Liturgia 41. b Logicians rule of difference in fynall causes 5 b Losse of goodes and liberty is the doing of God 70. b Lots dronkennes 163 Lots the fittest way for the people to chuse officers by 268. b Lots are a way to aske counsell at God 7. b Lots to deuyde nations 18 8 Loue or hatred of god is not known by prosperity or aduersitis 227 Loue and hatred of enemies 31 Lutherians vngentle 253 M MAchabets Assamonets 259 Madianites described 112 Madianites destroied 140 Magike and artes forbidden 283 Magistrate defyned 255 Magistrates lacke breedeth inconuenience 238. b Magistrate ill is better then none 245 Magistrates by whom they are ordeined 256 Magistrates names titles 255. b Magistrates and princes may bee called heds of their people 148. b Magistrate is the father of the couÌ„trey 216 Magistrate is Gods vicar and minister 149. b Magistrate is the keper of the law of God 266 Magistrates authority ouer ministers 258. b Magistrate is much to be made of for he is the keper of the first table aswel as the latter 240. b Magistrates bounde to serue god 54. b Magistrate godlye profiteth much 66. b Magistrate may not forgeue syns 13 Magistrates duety 144. b Magistrates duety and commoditye 66 Magistrates duety to see men vse their owne things well 219. b Magistrates duety when papistes stirre sedition for superstition taking away 125 Magistrates duety concerning prohibiting matrimony 21. b Magistrate how he ought to take away vngodlines 123. b Magistrate how farre he is to bee obeyed 264. b Magistrate ought neither sediciously to be risen against nor circumuented by guile 264. b Magistrates office folishly refused 147 Magistrates admonished 104. b 122. b Magistrate ought not of all other to be dronke 164 Magistrates inferior how far they are bounde to obey the superiour 55. b Magistrates inferiours duty 265 Maisters vniust defeÌ„dyng of their seruaunts 271 Making whether it signifieth sacrificing 205. b Manasses had ii sonnes 108 Mans nature how froward 92. b MaÌ„s imbecillity is manifold 125. b Mans ende to set forth the glory of God 23. b Maried folkes who 94. b Mariage of ministers 93. b Mariage after orders 95 Mariage betwene brothers children was neuer forbiddeÌ„ by gods law 19 Marying the wyfe of brother dead onely lawfull to the Iewes 21. b Mariage against the will of pareÌ„ts 213. 214 Mariage of maid against the wil of her parentes 284 Mariages secret condemned 27 Mary compared with Sampsens mother 201 Marcionites error 210 Markes body stolen by the Venetians 246 Marcians heresy 58. b Martyrdomes are lyke sacrifices 194. b Masse of Mishah 41 Masse cannot be called the supper of the Lord. 49. b Masses partes 42. b Masse in none of the auncient wryters 41. b Masse a sacrifice why 205. b Masse agreeth nothing wyth the institution of Christ 49. b Masses superstitions 2â—6 Masse haunting the badge of Papistes 53. b Massemongers serue not God but their belly 240 Matrimony defined 153. b. 204 Matrimony lawfull of iii. kyndes 284. b Matrimony lawfull or otherwyse in degrees 19. b. 214 Matrimony of bretherne and Sisters children 22 Matrimony of vnlike religion forbidden 77 Matrimony ought not to be coÌ„tracted in contrary religion 21. b Matrimony with consent of the parâ—ntes 212. b. 214 Matrimonies vse whether it pollute Lent 279. b Matrimoniall precepts are morall 20 Matrimonies abuse 213. b Matrimony worthy to bee broken 56. b Meates diuersity to fast with 278 Melancholike persons oft see dreames 135. b Melchâ—sedek who he was 37. b Melchisedech more plainly signifieth Christ then Leui. 261 Members why the scriptures attributeth them to God 121 Men in the scriptures of ii sortes 89. b MeÌ„ ar now weaker then of old 96 Men godly doubt at the beginning 96. b Mercy defyned 13. 142 Mercy most acceptable afore God 64 Mercy preposterous 101. b Mercy folish 13 Mercy of God the properties therof 181. b Mercy of God far greater then the mercy of men 81 Mercy shewing signifieth 155. b Merites handled 272 Merite is not found in the Scriptures 172. b Merites haue no consideracion in obteining promises of God 13. b Merites condemned by the papists themselues 273 Meriting what it signifieth in the fathers 273 Merites answered 251. b Metaphors 153. b Metaphor of mouth of the sworde 14. b Meteus Suffecius 281 Metonymia 169. b Michas offence in religion 246. Midwyues of the Hebrewes 89 Mindes diseases more greuous theÌ„ the bodies 247. b Minde is hurt with dronkennes 164 Milke induceth slepe 100. b Millane ouerthrown 170 Minchah the papistes abuse 206 Ministers called fathers 240 Ministers were plenty in the primatiue curche 94. b Ministers and magistrates difference 255. b Minister is a certayn mouth of the churche 207 Ministery is to be had in honour by the law of nature 239. b Ministers in that they are men ar subiect to ciuil power also their lands riches possessions 258. b Ministers of the church are not exempted
writeth Euen as welles the more they are drawen the better they are so vndoubtedly are the wordes of God for the more diligently they are handled and vsed the more plentiful fruit is by them receaued therfore I tooke in hand to interpretate this history And although I am not ignorant that you do so abound with the most learned woorkes of other men that ye neede not thys my commentary yet to that I answer that to riche men also are debtes payde and giftes are geuen vnto kinges who otherwise are more riche Who is more riche then God himselfe Vnto whoÌ„ neuertheles al the godly do both geue thankes also to their power referre thankes Wherefore I doo not offer vnto you thys slight gift bicause I thinke that ye haue neede thereof but that your benefites should not remayne with me longer then is meete as though they wer neglected Farther that we might be styl more and more bound together in amity For these duties are certayn common bondes wherwith men are pleasauntlye and profitably bound together betwene themselues I haue in deede bene long in your debt yea rather I shal alwayes be in your debt for I shal neuer be able to pay al that I owe vnto you wherfore I wil gladly be perpetually in your debt And wil with great pleasure alwayes behold keepe and preserue your benefits layd vp with me so that they shal neuer dye nor neuer at anye time slyp out of my mynde So fare you wel most worthy and noble men God the father of mercy encrease prosper and for euer blesse you together with your publike wealth Church and Schoole in al good thinges through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen At Tigure the .22 of December 1560. ¶ Places of the scripture which here and there a man shall finde in these CommeÌ„taries expounded or learnedly and wittely alledged wheras the first number signifieth the chapter the other the verse or verses of the same chapter as they be distinguished and set foorth in the Byble printed at Geneua the most expedite and ready way for speedy finding of the same GEnesis 1.1 In the begynning 262. b 6.2 The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire 15. b. and .285 33 18 Iaacob came safe to Sechem 159. 47 22 Onely the land of the priestes bought he not 264. Exodus 12.12 I wyll pas thorow the land of Egipt 128. b 20.13 15. .16 Non dices falsum testimonium 39. b Non furaberis NoÌ„ occides 39. b 20 16 Thou shalt not beare false wytnes c. 87. b. 22 16 .17 If a manne entyse a mayd that is not betrothed 284. b 33 11 Face to face Deuter. 5.9 Visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children c. 178. b. c. 181. b 7.1.2.5 When the Lorde shall geue the land into thy power 245 24.3 .4 The first shal not take agayne a wyfe repudiated after the second husbands death or diuorsment 250. 1. Kings 3.16 There came .ii. harlots vnto the king 233 4. Kings 5.18 Herein the Lorde be mercifull 50. b Ezra 7.24 No tole tribute or custome to be laid vpon the priestes 264 Psalme 2.11 Kynges serue the Lord. 54. b 15.4 He that sweareth to his hinderaÌ„ce chaÌ„geth not 85 b. 86 b 33.16 The kyng is not saued by the multitude 91. b 50.18 If thou sawest a thiefe 232 73.2 My feete were almoste moued 142. b. 14â— 170. b 78.49 Vexation by sending oute of euil angels 128. b 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of the Gods 267. b 91.1 He that dwelleth vnder the helpe 247 102.22 When the people shall be gathered together and kynges to serue the Lord. 266 111.10 Feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wysdome 246. b Prouerb 18.23 He that retaineth an aduoutrous woman is vngodly and a foole 249. b Esay 7.12 I wyll not aske nor tempt God 131. b 66.3 He that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if he slew a dog 206. b Ieremy 1 10 I haue appoynted thee ouer nacions and kyngdoms 262. 31.31 I wyll make a newe couenaunt 74. b Ezechil 17.13 King of Babel had taken an othe of Zedechias 85. b 18.20 The sun shall not beare the iniquity of the father 179. Daniel 4.24 Peccata tua elcemosynis redime 72. Hosea 1.2 Take thee a wyfe of fornications 233. b 6.6 I desyred mercy and not sacrifice 194. 8.4 They haue set vp a king but not by me 256. b Ecclesiasti 16.14 He wyll make place to al mercy 272. b Baruc. 6.3 When ye shal se gods of gold and syluer 51. Mathew 5.16 That they may se your good works glorifi 157 b 5. 18 If thy hande foote or eye offend thee cut it of 46. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar 206. b 6.1.2.5 To be sene of men 153. 6.22 The light of the body is the eye 153. 7.1 Iudge not that ye be not iudged 277. b 9.30 See that no man know it 10.37 He that loueth father and mother more theÌ„ me is not worthy of me 265. 12.20 A brused reede shall he not breake 134. 14.6 But wheÌ„ Herods birth day was kept the daughter of Herodias daunced 287. b 15.4 Honour thy father and mother 189. b 16.18 Vpon thys rocke I wyll build my church c. wyll geue the keyes 149. 17.20 Faith as much as a graine of musterd seede 130. 17.21 This kinde goeth not out but by prayer and fasting 276. 19.28 Ye shall sytte vpon twelue seates 175. 21.31 Publicans harlotes shall go before you into the kingdome of heauen 232. b 23.24 Strain at a gnat and swalow a camell 201. b 25.41 Go ye cursed into euerlasting fyre prepared for the deuyl and his angels 208. b 26.4.5 The syxt houre 166. Marke 10.4 Moses suffered to write a bil of diuorcement 233. b 15.25 The third houre 166. Luke 18.13.14 Publican prayed and departed iustified 207. b 22.38 Behold here are two swerdes 259. b 22.35 When I sent you wythout bag or scrip dyd ye at anye tyme want any thing 260. 24.39 Feele and see for a spirite hath not flesh 209. Iohn 6.15 They would come c to make him a king 147. 8.44 The deuil wheÌ„ he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own 167 9.31 God heareth no synners 78. and. 207. 18.11 Put vp thy sword into thy sheath 260. b 20.26 The dores being shut 211. b 21.15 c. Feede my lambes 149. Actes 7. â—0 An angel of the Lord in a flame 120. 10.25 Cornelius met Peter and fel down at his feete 69. b. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 41. b 21.25 Paul was purified 51. b. 15.29 That ye abstain froÌ„ things offred to Idols 229.233 b. Romains 3.8 Why do we not euil that good may come thereof 39. and. 253. 6.23 The wages of syn is death 272. b 9.3 I would wysh my selfe seperated from Christe for my brethren 253. b 11.29 Giftes and calling of God are without repentance 188. b 12.19 Vengeance is mine
vnto vs in the holy scriptures And it wer good to marke the difference which is found betwene the asking counsel of God in the old time and ours at this present Howe wee and the elders do diuersly aske coūsel of God They were very much carefull for the successe of thinges and they almost desyred alwayes to knowe when they tooke warres in hand or attempted anye other thyng whether they should speede wel or il in them And that was not hard for them to do for they had an oracle prepared of God for them for that purpose And God had promysed that he would answer them out of the mercy seate what soeuer they should demaunde or aske of him But we if we should aske counsel of the holye scriptures for the successe and end of our enterprises and purposes cōcerning earthly infelicities and misfortunes we should seeme and that not vnwoorthily to play the fooles For there is no place there at all which answereth anye thyng for our singular and priuate thinges But that onelye remayneth for vs to enquire for whether that which we begyn or go about be allowed to be iust holy and acceptable to God by the testimonies of the holy scriptures But why the Iewes had proper and certayne oracles geuen them for theyr matters and we haue nothing answered vs particularly Why we haue not oracles as the Iewes had I thynke there be no other cause but bycause vnto that people a certain assured publique wealth was due by the immutable coūsel of God which should endure to the time of Christ and therefore there were prepared for it certaine extraordinarye aydes aboue the power of nature whereby it should be kept and defended by God But vnto vs there is no such promise made of any certain seate or publique wealth seing that our church is dispersed throughout the whole world whereunto is no certaine seate or place promised and therefore it needed not that concernyng humaine thinges our publique wealthes should be particularly gouerned by certaine oracles answers for temporal thinges Besides this the volumes of the holy scriptures are more aboundaunt in our tyme than they were at that time with the Hebrewes when these thinges were done whych we nowe expounde They had but the law onelye we haue receaued nowe the bookes of the Prophetes and of wyse men vnto which are added also al the writinges of the new Testament And seing that those writinges are so manye so excellent it is no maruayle if we are not euery day enstructed of god by new oracles answers Neyther ought we to thinke bicause of that that God setteth lesse by vs than he dyd by the Hebrewes I wyl not speake howe hys spirite is geuen to vs thorow Christ more aboundantly and more openly than it was in the olde tyme to the Iewes Finally our publique weales dominions and kingdomes at endewed with many more artes which serue for peace and warre than the people of the Hebrewes were How we ought to behaue our selues in asking counsel of God Wherefore it is no maruel if we being heaped vp with so many other gyftes be destitute of singular oracles It shal be our part therefore aboue al thinges when we haue any affaires to take in hand diligently to consider the woord of God wherein is opened vnto vs hys commaundement or wyl afterward to embrace the same with a firme and stedfast fayth wherby we maye bee vehementlye kyndled to cal vpon our heauenlye father by the which we may be able to fulfyl that which he hath commaunded and to obtayn that which he hath promysed 3. And Iudah said vnto his brother Simeon Go vp with me into my lot that we may fight agaynst the Chananites and I wyl also go with thee into thy lot And Simeon went with hym The tribe of Iudah doth associate to it selfe the Simeonites to make warre against the Chananites which most euidentlye testifieth that the answer of God dyd not speake of any one singuler man but of the whole tribe of Iudah For neither Othoniel Why Simeon is taken into felowshyp wyth Iudah nor yet Caleb had any brother which was called Simeon and therefore there is no mencion made of them by Gods oracle but it comprehendeth the whole tribe of Iudah But the cause why Simeon is called of Iudah to be as a companion of hys warre and that they twoo ayded one an other is bycause the possession of the tribe of Simeon was mingled and scattered among the fieldes and countries belonging to the tribe of Iudah Neighbourhed therefore made them to defende and succour one the other And this coniunction of these two tribes is most manifestly gathered out of the .xv. chapter of the booke of Iosua It is not agaynst fayth to vse the ayde of men Let vs learne hereby that it is not agaynst the true fayth for vs to vse vsual aydes and mans strength when occasion serueth to obtayne the easelyer those thinges which God of his goodnes hath liberally promised vnto vs. God had promised vnto the tribe of Iudah that he would geue the land of Chanaan into their handes which althoughe they of Iudah faythfullye beleued yet were they not afeard to cal vnto them the Symeonites whych were their neighbours that they myght bee ayded of them in their fight For by that meanes they thought they should be the stronger to ouercome their enemies Christ hath no otherwyse confuted the deuyl which counselled hym to cast him selfe down hed long vnder the pretence of Gods promise wherin he sayd that he had now committed his health to the Angels whych sentence he put foorth out of the holye scriptures But the sonne of God answered that God must not be tempted but he must rather vse staires which were made for that purpose to serue to come downe by Moreouer al they are counted to tempt God which trusting to gods promises do neglect humane helpe which are already or maye be easelye prepared and gotten Dauid in the latter booke of Samuel setteth him selfe foorth vnto vs as an example who beyng wonderfullye adourned with the promises of God vsed for al that in the insurrection of Absalon not onely to flye away but also the diligence of Chusay the Arachite and of the Priestes Yea and Paul the Apostle as it is written in the Actes of the Apostels althoughe his onelye confidence was in Christ yet he appealed vnto Cesar made a discension betwene the Pharisies and Saduces and testified that he was a Citizen of Rome It is euident therfore by these manyfest examples that we must vse the helpe of nature and wysdome to obtayne those thinges which God hath promised to geue vs. Yong men are to be exhorted to good studies Wherefore the yong men of our tyme are diligently to be admonished to labour to attayne vnto languages good artes and sciences and that wyth great study Which they may when oportunity serueth vse in preaching and defending the
70. kinges he would also haue them vnder his table to gather their meat there He did it surely to the setting forth of his victories and also whē he should eate meate he would not onely refreshe his body with meate and drinke but he would also reioyce his haulty and proude minde after a certein horrible sort he thought to him selfe that he had the fruition of no vulgare pleasure when as in his dayly banckets he renued after a sorte by that terrible sight the victoryes which he had hitherto gotten Sapor King of the Persians We read of the like example of one Sapor king of the Persians who when he had taken in warre Valerian the Emperour of the Romaines and father of Galien he bounde him with an Iron chayne and drew him with him set his feete vpō his backe as oftē as he would get vp vpō his horse Tamerlanes also king of the Scythians Tamerlanes caried about with him a tyranne of the Turckes taken by him and inclosed in an Iron cage Tirannes are infected with boasting and cruelty By these and such like examples we se that the mindes of cruel tyrannes are wonderfully sicke of the diseases of vayne glory and cruelty And hereby we gather that to much cruelty doth greatly displease god and therof I thincke it came to passe that as wel by gods lawes as by mās I speake but of those whiche are counted iust honest certain punishmētes were prescribed for crimes according to the grieuousnesse of thē whereby iudges had the lesse libertie geuen them to exercise tyranny Punishmentes are rather to be diminished thā augmented Yea the lawyers added this rule that punishmentes should rather be diminished by iudges thā augmented whiche is for all that to be vnderstād as much as the nature of the faulte cōmoditie of the publicque wealth suffereth whiche I therfore speake bycause some times those cōditions which cōmonly they call circūstaunces make the crime so terrible and horrible that the iudges must nedes there augment the punishments whiche haue ben prescribed by the lawes that to the entēt to feare away others frō so grieuous mischieuous dedes so Dauid when Nathā the prophet declared vnto him an execrable horrible thing he decreed a more grieuous punishment against him that was guiltie than the law had ordeyned for common thieues stealers of cattel Three kyndes of death in the lawe of God I haue therfore made menciō of these bycause there were in the law thre kindes of death appointed for euil doers I meane hanging stoning burning vnto which some Hebrues adde the fourth namely the punishment of the sword but bycause there is no mencion made therof in the lawe as farre as I know I haue therfore left it out We read that Adonias Ioab Agab king of Amalech many other were thrust thorough with swordes But we finde it not prescribed by any lawe or precept that the guiltie should be put to death by the sword Seing I say the matter is so The Hebrues vsed an extraordinary punyshment in their tentes we se that the children of Israel vsed nowe in their tentes a certein extraordinary kinde of punishmēt against the king Adonibezek And I beleue they did it not wtout the instinction of god For god would punish the cruelty of this tyranne with an exquisite punishmēt which was neuerthelesse of rendring like for like which kinde of wicked doing to the entent we may the caselyer auoyde it shall not be grieuous vnto vs to speake somewhat of it From whence this word cruelty is deriued This word cruelty is deriued either of this latin word Cruor which signifieth bloud wherin cruel mē like wild beastes do delite either of Crudae earnes which signifieth rawe flesh which fierce barbarous people somtimes do eate may be defined to be a vicious habite wherby we are inclined to sharpe hard things aboue reason The definition of crueltye And somtimes it happeneth the cruelty is coūted for a pleasure with which wicked affectiō or habite how tyrānes haue sometimes ben infected it is manifestly to be sene by many exāples This holy history setteth now before our eyes this Adonibezek the euāgelicall history maketh mēciō of Herode The Ethnike poetes haue made report of the cruelty of Atreus Thyestes and the most horrible wicked act of Xerxes king of the Persians is set forth by Seneca in his third booke de ira .xvii. The cruelty of Xerxes chap. which Xerxes when a certain man named Pithius who had well deserued at hys handes came vnto him and desyred him to spare him one of his fyue sonnes which he had and he bad him as though he would graunt him his request to chose him whom he lysted to abide at home from battaile And he did as he was bidden But this most cruell tyranne commaunded that the yong man whom he had chosen should be drawen one syde of him one way and an other the other waye so that at the length he was torne a sunder of the whych one part hee commaunded to be fastened in one corner of the way by the which the souldiours shoulde go and the other in an other corner saying that after this sorte he purged his hoste But not long after he was with much dishonour ouercome and beaten of the Grecians and constrayned to flie through heapes and dead carcases of his own men Silla Silla banished an infinite nomber of Citizens of Rome but at the length he was most horribly eaten vp of Lyfe Euen after the lyke sort dyed that most cruel Herode as it is manifestly declared by Iosephus Vnto this most wicked vice clemēcy is directly cōtrary which as a wonderful vertue doth maruailously wel agree with princes is a singuler ornamēt of Christian men Augustine in his boke of .83 Augustine What clemencye is Certayn foolish mercy Quest in the Quest 31. defineth it thus It is an habite wherby men styrred vp to hatred agaynst any man are through goodnes kept backe This vertue is a meane betwene cruelty and foolish mercy I cal it foolish mercy by which our mynde is so moued wyth other mens miseries that it declineth from sound counsell and iust reason And we are ouercome with this affection for this cause by reason wee woulde neuer suffer such thinges wherwith we see others afflicted iustly and worthily and because we our selues abhorre from such thinges we therfore leaue of from punishing the guilty Mercy is a profitable affectiō Mercy in dede is an affection profitably planted in our hartes of God whereby we are styrred vp to helpe and defende others But we must take heede that by it we be not made so soft and effeminate wherby we should commit any thing against the commaundementes and wyl of God Preposterous mercy is condemned in holy letters The holy scriptures reprehend Achab king of Samaria bicause he
saued Furthermore let vs learne hereby euery man for his owne parte to beare continuall hatred to the wicked affections of the fleshe For we ought neuer to come into fauour again with them We must make no league with wicked affections or to make peace or a league with theÌ„ for so much as God hath appoynted that we should continually make warre agaynst his enemyes What is the office of Princes against heretikes Papistes Finally let Christian Princes be taughte howe they ought to behaue them selues agaynst Papistes and heretikes namely diligently to persecute correcte and amende the errours in them and at the length to compell them to returne into the right waye otherwise in permittyng them to take deeper roote and to lyue at will and idlely they noryshe thornes for them selues and do willyngly drawe vnto them blockes to stumble at 4 And when the Aungell of the Lorde spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israell the people lifted vp their voyce wept 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim and offred Sacrifices there vnto the Lorde The fruite of the sermon whiche was preached is by certayn outward sygnes expressed vnto vs whiche were in a manner apt witnesses of repentaunce and of a conuerted mynde Thre apt witnesses of repeÌ„taunce Thre thynges therfore are mencioned First when the people had heard this sermon they lifted vp their voyce wherby as it is to be beleued they confessed their synnes and implored the mercy of God Secondly it is added that teares were ioyned with the voyces and lastly that they offred Sacrifices vnto God What they said when they lifted vp their voyce the scripture doth not expresse but I haue expounded what is most likely that they sayd and therfore I will stande no longer about that thyng but I will somewhat tary in those thinges whiche the history hath mencioned of what thynges they are namely as touchyng teares and Sacrifices Wherein we must knowe that true and lawfull repentaunce consisteth chiefly of two principall poyntes Two principal pointes of repeÌ„tauÌ„ce which do spryng out of fayth namely of a sorowe conceaued for the wicked Actes committed and of a sure confidence to obtayne pardon by Christe Neither ought we to be ignoraunte that these two thynges do burgen out of fayth as out of their propre and naturall roote And fayth when it bryngeth forth suche fruites is occupyed about two thynges First it assenteth vnto the lawe of GOD and to the threatnynges there set forth and confesseth them to be true whereby we beyng assured of the will of GOD whiche we vnderstande to be by our synnes violated and nothyng doubtyng of the threatnynges adioyned we can not but be grieuously sory Secondly fayth embraseth the promise of forgeuenesse of punishementes by Christ And whilest it is occupyed about these two thynges so many outwarde signes also do follow Two outward signes followe true repeÌ„tauÌ„ce For of sorow come syghinges teares which haue adioyned vnto theÌ„ confessioÌ„ of the sinnes committed whiche is sometymes expressed sometymes close And where there is conceaued an assuraunce of forgeuenesse there followe Sacrifices And bycause fayth is the mother of these thynges and it is conceaued by the worde of GOD therefore the historye declareth that the Israelites did at the length weepe and do Sacrifice after that they had heard the sermon The worde of god stirreth vp repentaunce For as Paule sayeth fayth commeth of hearyng and hearyng by the worde of GOD. Wherefore weepyng and sighing followed fayth by whiche weepyng the sorowe then conceaued in the hearte manifestlye appeared whiche affection of the mynde it is manifest to haue come by reason of the euill whiche then did oppresse them What is the grief sorowe of repentaunce and that euill was the anger of GOD wherewith they felte them selues to be oppressed and whereunto they knewe by the sermon preached that they were guilty Neither is this to be passed ouer that the weepyng of those repenting people was no common or easye weepyng for so much as of the efficacy and aboundance thereof the place was called Bochim Which worde signifieth in the Hebrew tongue men weepyng The Ethnikes do not allowe teares The teares whiche the Ethnike wyse men do either reproue or contempne as comming from a softe and womanlyke hearte God when they burst forth of true repentaunce doth exceadingly allowe them and counteth them as most acceptable Seneca writeth in hys 64. Epistle to Lucillus Seneca that sometymes we may let teares come from vs but we must not weepe He would not therefore haue weepyng to haue the rayne howbeit somewhat he permitted it bycause by the violence of nature they are expressed and they burste forth euen of them whiche will not and do restrayne them as the same authour testifieth in hys â—00 Epistle But we ought not to coÌ„sider what they would but what is allowed of our heauenly Father God accepteth the teares of such as are repentaunt And he wonderfull louyngly accepteth a contrite and humble hearte and the teares of suche as are repentaunt Then it is sayde that they offer Sacrifices whiche were certain tokens of fayth conceaued of the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christe For whilest the Sacrifices were a kyllyng it was set forth that synne in a sorte was transferred into them What the killyng of sacrifices signified For the Sacrifice bare the punishement whiche the transgressour ought to haue had Neither is it to be doubted but that those Sacrifices whilest they were sacrificed dyd shadowe the death of Christ Wherefore those ceremonyes did testifye that the Elders did constantlye beleue that by the oblation and death of Christ all their synnes were taken awaye and already forgeuen them Neither vndoubtedly can true repentaunce be founde wantyng suche a fayth Take awaye fayth repentance is desperation For take awaye thys fayth and it may rather be called desperation than repentaunce Furthermore in these Sacrifices were thankes geuen vnto God whiche would so by Christ be reconciled vnto men Some man will say what shall we do therefore when we repente we may in dede haue teares as witnesses of our inwarde sorrowe but there remayne no Sacrifices in our tyme That whiche the old fathers did by the bloud of beastes the same do we in the supper of the Lord. whereby we should testifye the fayth of the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christe To this I aunswere That whiche they did then by the bloud of beastes and death of cattell we do also nowe in celebratyng the Supper of the Lorde For there we kepe in memorye the death of Christe by outwarde signes as he hym selfe hath instituted and thereof it came that the olde Fathers did so often call the administration of that Sacramente a sacrifice Not bycause as the Papistes falsely beleue the Sacrifice offreth Christe vnto God the father Why the Papistes called the supper of the Lord a
out his hands preferred Ephraim which was the yonger before Manasses whiche otherwyse was the first borne Wherfore it is no maruail if they now tooke it hainouslye that they of Manasses caryed away the victory without their conduct Is not the gleanyng of grapes of Ephraim Gideon aunswereth verye wittely and by gentle woordes asswaged the spirites of the Ephraites By the name of spirite I vnderstand violence which proceded of arrogancy and hautynes of mynde as we reade in the Gospel Blessed are the poore in spirite Hereby it appeareth that a gentle answer breaketh anger That which sprang of enuy he so semeth to haue taken it as though they had bene styrred vp by a certain honest emulation and desired that they also might be authors of the libertye of the Israelites They which be enuious are wont to be sory for this bicause they want some good thing which they see other haue alreadye obtayned Gideon sheweth them that the matter is not so as they thinke for when as the greater part of this victory redounded vnto them VVhat haue I done sayth he that may be compared wyth your acte I beganne the warre in deede but ye haue slayne Horeb and Zeeb which was the principallest thing in this battayle The gleaning of your grapes are better then my wynepresse For the two Princes whom ye haue both taken and killed are of much more price then the rest of the multitude which I haue vanquished And if a regard should be had vnto the Tribe or family the least part of the tribe of Ephraim is better and stronger then all the power and ability of the Abiezerites Gideon telleth them not that he was peculiarly chosen of God vnto this office for that woulde more haue prouoked them to anger Wherfore he thought to geue place to the desyre of glory wherwyth they burned and to their enuiousnes And yet in the mean time he lieth not for asmuch as the tribe of Ephraim was most strong Neither could Gideon by himselfe or by his own power performe those thinges which they did althoughe by the fauour and helpe of God he dyd greater thinges ¶ Of the affections of enuy and emulation BVt I thinke it good somewhat to speake of the affections namely of Enuye Emulation such like Affections as it is wel knowen pertain vnto the general word of quality ar contayned in that forme which is cōmonly called Passio passibilis qualitas And amongst those ther are two more grosse very cōmon Foure principall affections whych followe knowledge Delectation I say Sorow Their chief place is in the synowes which are dispersed in a maner throughout the whole body Vnto which when either agreable things to nature or things contrary ar applied then either we haue a delectatiō or els a grief Farther ther ar other affectiōs which folow knowlege by whiche as their nature is the heart altereth hys mocion by mouing the pulse either vpwarde or downeward accordyng as knowledge doth receaued good or euil that either present or els nye at hand For when we fele that good is present the heart therewith is ioconde and is affected pleasauntly Laetici◠And this affectiō is called Gladnesse But if we perceaue that the good is not present but not far from vs yea at hand and very nyghe to be obteyned Spes then are we stirred vp by hope to attayne it and the heart is in like sorte pleasauntly moued But when we see that euill is present the heart flieth awaye with a heauy mocion Dolor vel Aegritudo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is contracted it abhorred it and is vexed and this affection is wont to be called both payne and grief in Greeke it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called as the Stoikes thinke as thoughe it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is consumption for euen as the body of him that is sicke wasteth away by sickenesse so the mynde semeth in a maner to weare away with sorow There is also an other knowledge of euill not now beyng present but whiche already is at hand The heart flyeth from that also Metus The foure affections whiche haue their begynnyng of Grief payne Misericordia Nemesis Inuidia and by hys mouyng very manifestly declineth from it and such an affection is called Feare Of those foure principall affections these are now to be entreated of whiche haue their begynnyng of Heuynesse or Grief And they also are reckened to be foure Mercy Nemesis Enuy and Emulation of whiche Aristotle in his Rethorikes hath written many goodly thinges But before we entreate particularly of them one thing is to be enquired of Whether Affections are to be counted good or euill The Stoikes affirme that they are euill and they haue vniuersally condemned affections Aemulatio Whether affections be good or euill The Stoikes this reason leadyng them thereunto bycause by them the mynde iudgement and sound Counsell is troubled For they so distract and shake the mynde or reason that it can not at pleasure and quietly haue the contēplatiō of thinges naturall and diuine neither orderly and rightly determine of things to be done Farther bicause by their wayght they oftentymes driue men to perpetrate filthy and vniust things yea and they hurte the body also when they are very vehement These in a maner are the reasons of the Stoikes The Peripatecians teache muche otherwise that is that those things are not true which the Stoikes affirme The Peripatecians but when affections are not chastised kept vnder by reason then are they suffred immoderatly to runne at randon For euē the affections if they be kept in with certain bondes are both good and profitable as beyng the matter of vertues and whiche are by nature appoynted for their whetstones For anger bringeth no small helpe vnto strength and mercy is set vnder the vertue of clemency And in the same maner it may be sayd of many other But this sentence wherin the Philosophers do so disagre What the holy scriptures affirme of affectiōs must be decided by the iudgement of the holy scriptures They write the man both as touching soule and as touching body was created of God And they adde that all things were good what soeuer God created Wherfore for asmuch as he planted affections in man but not euill and corrupt as now we haue them but right and sound which should obey and serue reason they must of necessity be good Farther the lawe of God doth euery where commend vnto vs mercy and preacheth repentaunce whiche can not consiste without payne and grief of the minde Dauid also writeth and Paul repeteth it be ye angry but sinne not Yea and whiche more is affections are ascribed euen vnto God as Anger Mercy Grief Repentance c. which things althoughe they are not properly spokē of him yet this must we marke that in the holy scriptures that is neuer attributed vnto God whiche in a
God although openlye and by ciuill reason bycause of the seruile condicion of the woman shee was not acknowledged peraduenture for a wyfe Farther herein they differ bicause the Iewes had handmaydens to theyr Concubynes the same was not lawfull for the Romaynes if we followe that lawe that shee should be a Concubine which may be made a wife Whē as the Romayne lawes counted not that for matrimony which was contracted with a handmaydē But this ciuill law was not in Ieromes tyme retayned in the Romayn Empire Ierome eyther because the Ecclesiastical canons had mitigated it or els for some other cause For in hys Epistle to Oceanus he speaketh of certayne whyche had theyr handmaydens in steede of wiues for this cause not callinge them by the name of wyues to auoide burthens and charges who yet if they became rich made theyr handmaydens wiues After what maner the decrees permit Concubines But we must know moreouer that where Concubines seeme to be allowed and permitted in the decrees the same is to be vnderstand of those which are in very deede wiues although by the Romayn lawes and ciuily they were counted for Concubines bicause that woman was not solemply maried although there was a mutuall consent betwene them of matrimony This which I haue brought is had in the distinction .34 chapter Isqui Christiano Whereof the first is the decree of the councell of Toletanus the other is the testimony of Isidorus in his booke de distantia noui veteris Testamenti But when in the decrees there is mēcion made of Cōcubines which ar not in very dede wiues they are vniuersally prohibited And that is when eyther party will not alway dwel together neyther acknowledge one an other as man and wife Why the son of Gideon was called Abimelech And this shal be sufficiēt at this time as touching these things Let vs now returne vnto Gidion who had by his Cōcubine a son named Abimelech The Etimology of the name is My father the king Peraduēture the cōcubine of Gideon was arrogāt proud which coūted Gideon for a king and therefore called her sonne by this name and kindled in him the flames of bearing rule that he might right sone play the tirant and claim vnto himself a kingdome as dew vnto his father 32 So Gideon the sonne of Ioas died in a good age and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioas his father in Ophra Abiezer 33 But when Gideon was dead the children of Israell turned away and went a whoryng after Baalim and made Baal-berith their God 34 And the children of Israell remembred not the Lord their God whiche had deliuered them out of the handes of all their enemyes on euery side 35 Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal Gideon according to all the good thinges whiche he had done in Israel There is often mencion made in the holy scripture of a good age What a good age is And in the 15. chap. of Genesis it is promised vnto Abraham as a certaine excellent good thing And it semeth to shewe two things first a iust space of lyfe so that death should not come vntimely and strike as yet in tender age Farthermore it signifieth prosperity of life and a profitable end Wherfore it is required therunto that the minde be sound the body not broken with diseases no want of riches the famely countrey and dignity abiding firme this is iudged a good age But what shal we reckē of eternal life I thinke Gideon obteyned it also Whether Gideō was at the last saued or no for as much as in the Epistle to the Hebrues the .11 chap. he is numbred with those fathers which liued adorned with faith Thou wilt say peraduenture that his faith was not iustifieng and perfect but onely of that kinde of faith which sufficed to worke miracles But I do not thinke that the Apostle when he made mencion of Gideon and of the other fathers wrote of that faith For the faith whiche there he speaketh of he defined in the begynning that it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as they say the substaunce of things to be hoped for a certaynty of the which is not sene And in composing the Cataloge of the mē which where adorned with this faith he maketh mēcion of Abraham whō he testifieth to haue ben iustified by faith Wherby is gathered that the faith whiche is there attributed vnto the saintes is the true and perfect faith by whiche the godly are counted iust before God But they say he fell into superstitions I graunt that but he might be renewed by repentaunce whiche is the effect of true faith and at the last attayne eternall lyfe But thou wilt say what repentaunce was this when he ouerthrewe not the Ephod whiche he set vp neither reuoked the people from superstition Vndoubtedly there is neuer any repentaunce counted fruitefull vnlesse that be amended which was done amisse To this I aunswere it might be as Augustine saith that this superstition began toward the latter end of his life which thing being repentaunt he had decreed to take away if he had liued But being preuēted by death he was not able to performe it And was buried They made no prayers or supplications to deliuer his spirite from the paynes of Purgatory And we read not in any place of the old testamēt that for the same cause there were either sacrifices or oblations made And when Gideon was dead the Israelites went a whoryng and worshipped Baal Wherby we may learne how ingrate men are towards God He had adorned them with so many benefites yet their good prince being dead which kept them in their duty they fel straightway frō the true worshipping of him Wherfore it hereby manifestly appeareth how diligētly we must pray for good princes a godly Magistrate for then is vnderstand with how great a commodity they were geuen vnto the people when now at the length the anger of God waxing fierce they are taken awaye For that there were many Baalim What Bahal-berith was The Iupiter of couenaunt in this place is perticular mention made of Baal-berith whiche a man may call Iouē foederis or Iouē foederatum Hym made they a God ouer them and worshipped him for the Lord. The summe of the worshipping of him semeth to be this that they referred al the good things which they had as receaued of him they beleued that he turned away frō them those euils which they were not troubled with By reason of which faith they counted him for their God worshipped his outward image And forgat the Lord their god We can not worship straūge gods but straight way we must cast away the true God He is one and therfore he refuseth to be worshipped with more Wherfore it remayneth that they do not worship the true GOD but theyr owne inuentions as many as doo with the true God ioyne other whiche are idoles for
there is no true God whiche wil be worshipped that way Or els this is the sense of it that the Israelites did wonderfully fal from the true God bycause they did not onely worship Baal but they so worshipped him that they vtterly forgot the god of their fathers and grandfathers altogether abiected the worshipping of hym Which thing they vsed not alwayes to do for many tymes they so allowed outward gods that yet in the meane tyme they retayned some part of the olde worshipping Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Gideon That happened vnto theÌ„ which must nedes come to passe When we departe from the true God the offices of charity are neglected for he whiche is euill agaynst God can not be good to men An example of ConstaÌ„tius the Emperor This vnderstoode the Emperor Constantius the father of Constantine who thought that they would not be faithfull vnto him whiche for to kepe still their dignity departed from the worshipping of Christ Gideon in dede deserued so to be punished but they ought not so to haue dealt against hym especially seing they behaued not themselues so for the reuenging of religion To shewe mercy is a phrase much vsed of the Hebrues and it is read in many places in the holy Scriptures neither signifieth it any thing els then to do good and to be of a gentle louing and ready minde to helpe those whiche haue nede And that whiche is nowe spoken by a certayne anticipation comprehendeth the narration whiche we shall heare in the chap. following of the calamity and destruction of the house of Gideon In the meane tyme let vs consider the nature of the worlde it is wonderfully infected with the vice of ingratitude we see in a maner no notable or excellent gifte bestowed vpon any man whiche by the children of this worlde is not recompensed with great ingratitude We must not besiste froÌ„ wel doyng bycause of ingratitude And yet for this occasion we must not suffer our selues to be withdraweÌ„ from doyng good least when as other are euill we imitate them in departing from our office Let vs go forward to do good vnto our neighbours and brethren who if they be thankful let vs chiefly reioyse for theÌ„ Why God permitteth ingratitude in the worlde and afterward for our selues But if they be otherwise let vs turne our selues vnto God himselfe for whose cause we do rightly decreing with our selues that we must not haue a regard what the sinnes of meÌ„ deserue but what God requireth of vs or what is decent for vs remembryng the God very often permitteth the vice of ingratitude in the worlde wherby our mindes may be the more erected vnto him for whose cause all our thinges are to be instituted and let vs so direct vnto him those things which we do that we require nothing of this world to be reÌ„dred vnto vs as a reward Farther wheÌ„ we see that meÌ„ do for the most part after this maner reward those with great euils whiche haue done them much good we may cal to remeÌ„braunce the life to come where shal be rendred vnto euery man according to his workes Whiche thing if we had not a coÌ„fidence that it shall one day come to passe we should vtterly take away the prouidence of God ¶ The .ix. Chapter 1 THen Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Sechem vnto his mothers brethren and spake vnto them and to all the famely of the house of his mothers father saying 2 Say I pray you in the audieÌ„ce of all the men of Sechem whether is better for you that all the sonnes of Ierubbaal whiche are 70. persons either that one man reigne ouer you Remember that I am your bone and your fleshe 3 Then his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of al the men of Sechem all these wordes and their hartes were moued to follow Abimelech for sayd they He is our brother 4 And they gaue him .70 peces of siluer out of the house of Baal berith wherewith Abimelech hired vayne and light fellowes whiche followed him 5 And he went vnto his fathers house in Ophra and slew his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal seuenty persons vpon one stone Yet Iothan the yongest sonne of Ierubbaal was lefte for he hid himselfe 6 And all the men of Sechem gathered together with al the house of Millowe and came and made Abimelech king by the playne of the image whiche was in Sechem The destruction of the house of Gideon is declared the detestable vsurpation of tyranny Abimelech went as I suppose from his fathers house for he vnderstoode that he could not there easely go about that whiche in his minde he purposed He was minded to bring into Israell the power of a king and being otherwise a priuate man went about to alter the state of the publique wealth Which thing was vtterly vnlawfull For that forme of gouernement whiche the Hebrues then vsed was instituted allowed by God euen as it is written in Exodus and Deuteronomy Wherby is also gathered that if at any time the people would haue a king he ought to be created whom the Lord appointed Farther if they should haue appointed a kyng by humane reason so great a dignity pertayned not vnto him whiche was borne of a concubine It semeth that it should rather haue bene geuen vnto the other sonnes of Gideon and to the first begotten before the rest It is good to marke by what guile he worketh He accuseth his brethren Abimelech accuseth his brethren vniustly as though they affected the kingdome VVhether saith he is it better that I or they reigne As though he would say one of these two thinges must nedes come to passe and except I obteyne the kyngdome they will clayme it vnto themselues which was vtterly false For they weÌ„t about no such matter yea it is rather to be thought but they followed their fathers steppes who when the kingdome was offred him refused it Therfore it is very likely that they as legitimate children would follow the example of their father He goeth to those men chiefly whom he hoped would soone be wonne to come vnto him namely vnto the kinsfolkes of his mothers He vseth glorious reasoÌ„s First he declareth that the rule of one alone is better theÌ„ the dominon of many And that is most easy to persuade humane reason Wherfore Homere sayth It is not good the many raigne let there be one Lord. Homerus Aristotle Whether a kingdome be better then â—ristocratia or no. Which verse Aristotle bringeth in his Metaphisikes Whiche thing in dede might be grauÌ„ted as touching the institution perfection of the nature of man For in a kingdome occasions in deliberatyng are not ouerpassed and corrupted and the execution of things decreed is not delayed and slacked as we see often happeneth where many beare rule But in this corruption of nature it semeth to be otherwise for as much as in it hangeth a daunger