damages comming of dronkennes wee wyll deuide the euyls thereof by their subiectes for it hurteth the body vexeth also the mynde wasteth the goods and is hatefull to our neighbours As touching the body by dronkēnes come oftentimes sodaine deathes dissolucions of the members Apoplexia is when mans sēses are taken a way the disease called Apoplexia and sundry and miserable chaunces For the smoothe and plaine ground is vnto dronkardes a denne for they fall breake their legges their armes and sometimes their neckes and are burnt when they fall into the fyre The liuer is inflamed with to much drynke the head is pained the members are made weake and tremble the senses ar corrupted the natural heate is ouerwhelmed with ouermuche wyne the stomake which is ouer largely distended is sicke with crudity or rawnes and with intollerable paines the whole body is in a maner inflamed and the thirst is augmented Dronkardes lye groueling like blockes and so are beriued of their strength that neither head nor foote can do their office Wherfore it is written in the .23 Prouerb 33. chap. of the Prouerbs To whom is wo to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whom is sighing and to whom are woundes without cause Or to whom is the rednes of the eyes Euen to them that tary long at the wine and to thē that go and seeke largely to poure in wine Looke not vpon the wine when it is red and when it sheweth his coulour in the cup and goeth downe pleasantly in the ende thereof it wil bite like a Serpent and put out his sting lyke a Cockatrice Thine eyes shal looke vpon straunge thinges and thine hart shall speake leude thinges And thou shalt be as one that sleepeth in the middest of the sea and as he which sleepeth in the top of the mast of a shyp They haue striken me and it payned me not they haue brused me and I felt it not When I awake I wyll seeke it againe c. And behold with how many punishments God afflicteth drōkardes Esay in his .v. chapter agreeth with Salomon For he also saith Esay 5. wo vnto those which are mighty and strong to drinke wine And in the same v. chap. hee saith that dronkardes regarde not the woorke of the Lorde neither consider the woorke of his handes Moreouer to suche men is wo Ierome bicause as Ierome vpon that place writeth they are most vnhappye who being from morning to night occupied in dronkēnes glotony and sundry pleasures they vnderstande not the woorkes of the Lord in them and not considering wherfore they were created slepe out in a maner their whole life Wherfore Ioel cryed out vnto them Ioel. 1. awake vp ye dronkards weepe and howle all ye that drinke wine But dronkardes are not by these cryes stirred vp for they do not onely sleepe but seme to be in a maner buryed Wherefore Vergil aptly saith of a Citye Virgil. that it was buryed wyth sleepe and wyne But now let vs see how muche the soule or mynde is hurt with dronkennes How much the mynde is hurte with wyne Dronkardes are oftentimes striken with the spirite of amasednes and are turned in a maner into furiousnes they become like brute beastes so that there seemeth to remaine in them no vnderstanding It is a grieuous thing wythout doubt for a man to wounde himselfe or to depriue himselfe of any member but of his own free wyll to take away his minde from himselfe it is an euyll intollerable In Hosea the .4 chap. it is woorthely written that wyne and dronkennes take away the hart And in the .xix. of Ecclesiasticus it is written wyne and women make wise men to apostatate that is to depart from right institutions so that they are no more their own men for they are withdrawen from their office and vertue also fal from the right trade of life And in the same booke the 31. chap. it is written wine dronken with excesse engendreth bitternes of mind with braulinges and skeldinges Dronkennes encreaseth the courage of a foole tyl he offend but it diminisheth his strength In these woords ther is an elegant Antithesis namely that wine increaseth the courage spirits causeth greater audacitye but it diminisheth and weakeneth the strength Plato Wherefore Plato in his .vi. Dialogue de Iusto at the beginning A dronkard saith he hath a tirrannical hart for he would rule all men as he lust and not by any reason or lawe Dronkennes also bringeth obliuion of lawes and ryghte Wherefore Salomon saith in his Prouerbes that wine must not be geuen vnto kinges least peraduēture they drinke forget the law ordained change the iudgement of al the children of the poore Plato also writeth in his .3 booke de Repub. the dronkēnes may be suffred in any mā rather then in a Magistrate Plato For a dronkē man knoweth not the groūd wheron he is And if a Magistrate be dronk thē hath the keper nede of a keper This is moreouer to be added that ther is nothing kept secret wher drōkēnes raigneth Bicause it openeth not onely the secrete partes of the body but also of the minde And in drinking ar poured out woordes vnshamefast foolish vnapt Horace and wycked Wherefore Horace describing the effectes of dronkennes sayth What is it that dronkennes committeth not It discloseth thinges secrete it establisheth hope and thrusteth foorth the vnarmed man into the battaile It taketh away the burthen from careful mindes it teacheth artes Whō haue not full cups made eloquent and whom being in extreme pouertye haue they not made careles Plato And Plato in his first booke de Legibus toward the ende saith thus When a man drinketh wine at the first it maketh him cherefullyer afterward the more he drinketh the greater and better hope he is in and feeleth him selfe stronger Then as though he were wyse the man is fylled wyth that confidence liberty and audacity that without feare he both saith doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him The same Plato in his .vi. Dialogue de Legibus sayth He which is fylled wyth wine is stirred vp with a woodnes both of mynde and body and both draweth and is drawen euery where And a dronkard is as a man out of hys wyt Seneca Seneca in his third booke of Natural questions the .20 chap. saith that dronkennes tyl it be dryed vp is madnes and with ouermuch heauines is brought on sleepe And in his .60 Epistle to Lucillus toward the end One houres dronkennes recompenseth his long madnes with the wearynes of a long time And in the .84 Epistle Dronkennes draweth out al vice and kindleth it and detecteth it It putteth awaye all shamefastnes whose nature is to resist euyll endeuours Where to much power of wyne possesseth the minde whatsoeuer euyll lay hidden bursteth foorth Dronkennes maketh not vices but brinketh them to light In dronkennes he that is proude his pride encreaseth
sometimes to call vs hys fellowe workers Bonifacius goeth on the lay power ought to be iudged of the Ecclesiasticall but by what kind of iudgement Vndoubtedly by this that in the churche he set forth the anger of God against sinners that they be admonished and corrected by the holy scriptures But the bishops may expel kings and put them out of their kingdome wher is the permitted Frō whence haue they that what writings wil they bring for it The Pope ought to be iudged of the church But that is most intollerable that the Pope sayth that he can be iudged of no man And yet Iohn .23 was in the counsel of Constance put downe and not onely by god but also by men So these men plant and replant Canons and the same they allow and disalow as often as they think good Yea and Emperors haue sometimes thrust out and put down Popes as it is before said Paul to the Gal. sayth If an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospel let him be accursed If the Pope which may come to passe and hath alredy long since come to passe obtrude wicked opinions who shall pronounce him accursed It is the dewty of the magistrate to execut the sentence of the church agaynst the pope Shall he be vtterly iudged of no man The church vndoubtedly shal geue sentence vpon him and the magistrate for that he is the chiefest part of the church shal not onely iudge together with it but also shall execute the sentence Farther it longeth vnto the magistrate to prouide that the riches of the churche be not geuen vnto the enemies of godlines Wherefore if bishoppes become enemies of the churche a faythfull magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the church to be consumed by them The Canonists haue this oftentimes in theyr mouth That for the office sake is geuen the benefice When therfore they do not their office ought the magistrate to suffer them to enioy their benefices But let vs heare howe Bonifacius proueth that he can be iudged of no man Bycause he that is spiritual sayth he iudgeth all thinges but he himselfe is iudged of no man A godly and wel applied argument I promise you But let vs se what kind of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place He speaketh not vndoubtedly of the common kind of iudgement whereby men are either put to death or put oute of theyr roome He entreateth there onelye of the vnderstandinge of thinges deuine and which auaile vnto saluation These thinges I say properlye belong vnto the iudgement of the spiritual man but concerning common iudgementes and knowledge of ciuill causes Paule neuer thoughte of them in that place Which is easely perceaued by his wordes we haue not receiued saith he the sprite of this world but a sprite which is of God If thou wilt demaund for what vse the sprite is geuen vs He answereth that we should know those things that are geuen vs of God And bycause the sprite of this worlde cannot geue iudgemente of thinges deuine it is added The carnall man vnderstandeth not those things which ar of the sprite of god The spiritual man iudgeth al things What Doth he iudge also ciuill and common causes No vndoubtedlye but he iudgeth those thinges whiche pertayne vnto the saluation of men he himselfe is iudged of no man Without doubt both Peter and Paul were iudged by the ciuil power wherunto Paul appealed to be iudged there and yet were they both spirituall Peter Paule were iudged by the ciuil power But that place is thus to be vnderstanded He that is spirituall in that he is such a one cannot in thinges deuine and such as pertaine vnto saluation bee rightely iudged of any mā which is not endewed with the same sprite that he is The wicked and worldly ones count him oftentimes for a sedicious vnpure infamous fellow but only God and his sprite looketh vpon the hartes Note Lastly Bonifacius concludeth that there is one onely chiefe power which longeth vnto the pope least we should seme with the Maniches to make many beginninges We put this one onely beginninge and not many And he addeth That god in the beginning and not in the beginnings created the world We also abhorre from the Maniches and do put one onely beginning and pronounce one onely fountayne and ofspring of all powers namely god and his word without which can be no power either ciuil or Ecclesiasticall For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of god so we make but one beginning not two Farther if Bonifacius wil vrge these words of Genesis In the beginning god created c. there oughte to be in the world but one onely king For when Paul sayde One Lord one faith one baptisme he added not one Pope A Schisme of thre Popes At the length our Thraso commeth so farre that hee excludeth them from the hope of saluation which acknowledge not the Pope for the chief prince head of the church But when ther were two or three Popes al at one time which thing both happened and also endured the space of .60 yeares full it muste needes be that those were at that time Maniches and did put two beginnings which were of Bonifacius opinion Moreouer what thinke they of the Gretians of the Persiās and Christians which dwell in the East part for as much as they acknowledge not the Pope who yet neuerthelesse reade the scriptures beleue in our Lord Iesus Christ and both are also ar called christians Al them Bonifacius excludeth from the hope of saluation This is the ambicion and vnspeakeable tirannye of the Popes When we obiecte vnto the papistes these wordes of Paule let euery soule be subiect vnto the superior powers they aunswere that euery soul ought to be subiect vnto the superior power but yet to theyrs not to other mens power otherwise the frenchmen ought to be subiect vnto the Spaniardes the Spaniardes to the Germaines which thing for that it is absurd it is concluded that euery man ought to obey his own Magistrat But now the clergy acknowledge the bishops for theyr power and ought to be subiect vnto thē and the bishops acknowledge the Archbishoppes and Primates and they lastly acknowledge the Pope After this manner say they we obey the power and satisfye Paule What haue we to do with kings or ciuil magistrats But this is nothing els then most filthily to abuse the wordes of Paule The Papistes do rēt into two partes both the kingdomes and the people Doo they not see that they deuide the publike wealth into two bodies which oughte to be one body onely For when they deuide the kyngdome of the Clergye from the kingedome of the laitye they make in one kyngedome twoo peoples and doo sette ouer eyther people a Magystrate And thereby commeth to passe that the Clergy whiche are Frenchemen seeme not to be Frenchemen and the Germanes seeme not to be
Gospell For although God haue promised that the preaching of hys woord shal be fruitful through the benefite of his spirite yet must euerye man instruct him selfe in hys vocation according to his hability Neyther ought men to bragge out of season as phanatical men are accustomed to do God according to hys promyse wyl be with vs when we shal speake He hath promised in dede and wyll surely perfourme when tyme wyl not serue or that a man can not either thincke or meditate what to speake But if libertye be geuen and leasure graunted to fynde dispose and wysely to deuise those thinges which we should speake then can we not be excused but that we tempt God when as we neglect to do these thinges Yea rather let vs plucke all thinges vnto vs what so euer they be so farrefoorth as godlynes permitteth and occasion offereth it selfe to helpe our labour to obtayne those thinges which are already promised vs. Furthermore Princes publicke weales may make leagues somtimes this coniunction of Iudah wyth Simeon doth admonishe the readers that it is lawful in those warres which ar taken in hand iustly to make a league whereby Princes or publique weales maye be ioyned together to defende honest thynges The godly ought not to ioyne them selues wyth the vngodly as Iudah now ioyned fellowshyp wyth the Symeonites to fyght against the Chananites But thys must be taken heede of that such coniunction and league be ioyned together wythout fault neyther ought the godly to ioyne them selues in league wyth the vngodlye For the scripture reproueth Iosaphat who otherwyse was a godly kyng for making league wyth wycked Achab and other kynges are often tymes reprehended by the Prophetes for ioyning them selues in league eyther wyth the Egiptians or els wyth the Assirians But surelye this Simeon was of the same region that Iudah was and both their endeauours tended to thys ende religiously to fulfyl the wyll of God I knowe there be some whych by the example of Asa kyng of Iudah beyng well praysed defende suche leagues made wyth Infidels For he beyng greuouslye oppressed of Basa kyng of the ten Tribes as it is wrytten in the fyrst booke of the Kynges sent vnto Benadab kyng of Siria as appeareth in the .xvi. chapter a certayne somme of gold and syluer and he made a couenant wyth hym of that condicion that he shoulde inuade the kyng of Israel whereby he myght bee deliuered from hys oppression But they whych affirme those thynges should consider wyth them selues two thynges Fyrst that the kyngdome of the tenne Tribes had now fallen from God and from woorshypping of hym Wherfore if an vngodlye kyng was styrred vp agaynst it the same is not for all that to be conferred wyth those whych confessing them selues to be Christians do incense Tyrannes whych are of a straunge religion agaynst other Christians Besydes that thys deede of Asa kyng of Iudah is mencioned in the holy scriptures But we cannot fynde that it was allowed to be well done Yea if we looke vpon the latter booke of Chronicles the syxtene chapter we shall see that that kyng was most greuously rebuked of God by the Prophet for suche a wycked deede For it is thus wrytten At that tyme came Hanani the Sear to Asa kyng of Iudah and sayde vnto hym bycause thou haste trusted in the kyng of Siria and not rather put thy trust in the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoste of the kyng of Siria escaped out of thyne hande Had not the Ethiopes and they of Ludim an exceadyng strong hoste wyth many Chariotes and horsemen And yet bycause thou dyddest put thy trust in the Lorde he delyuered them into thyne hand For the Lorde and hys eyes beholde al the earth to strengthen them that are of perfect hart towarde hym But thou herein hast done foolyshly and therfore from hence foorth thou shalt haue warres c. For I shewed before that we myght without daunger discommende thys example whych they bryng of thys kyng when as God doth so sharpelye chasten hym by hys Prophet But we wyll entreate of thys more largely afterward 4 And Iudah went vp and the Lorde deliuered the Chananites and Pherezites into their handes and they smote them in Bezek to the number of ten thousand men The victorie whiche the two tribes obteyned ouer the Chananites is described and accordyng to the manner of the holy Scripture the same is set forth and comprehended in fewe wordes afterward the maner howe the thyng was done is more amplye expounded Now briefly is declared that they of Iudah obteyned the victorie and slew ten thousand of their enemies Why suche as are ouercome are sayde to be deliuered of God into the handes of their ouercommers And the Lord deliuered the Chananites The holy Scripture obserueth his olde order to say that they whiche are ouercome in battaile are deliuered into their enemies handes by God and speaketh thus to adminishe vs that victory is not the worke of our owne strength but of the goodnesse and counsel of God Wherfore souldiours and emperours whē they haue the vpper hand in battailes they must bridle them selues from boasting and gloryeng which Ieremy also faithfully geueth counsell to do For he sayth let not him that is mightye glory in his owne strength Nebuchadnezar kyng of the Babilonians folishely despising this was so vexed tossed with madnesse that he was almost chaūged into a dumbe beaste Wherefore the administration of the kyngdome was taken away from him he liued in great misery of long time who out of doubt had not fallen into so great misfortune if as it was mete he had confessed that what soeuer he had gotten was geuen him by the prouidence and coūsel of God But as Daniel mencioneth he being puffed vp with the noblenesse and dignitie of his actes most presumptuously and proudly bragged of them for he sayd that in the strength and might of hys owne arme he had established the kyngdome of Babilon In the bookes of the Ethnikes thou shalte very seldome or peraduēture neuer fynde any suche kynde of speache For men whiche are destitute of faith do not ascribe those good thinges vnto god which they thinke they haue attayned vnto by any labour or industrie Yea and they ascribed the chaunces of warre not to come by the fauour of God but by strength and pollicye and sometymes by fortune Wherfore Cicero in his boke of diuination affirmeth that the victory of the Decianes whiche they gotte by vowing of them selues to the people of Rome Cicero Howe Cicero interpreteth the vowing of the Decianes was an excellent and polliticque deuise of warre So farre is he from attributing it to the prouidence of the gods They knew sayth he that the strength force of the Romayne people was such that if they sawe their captaynes either to be in extreme daungers or els to be slayne or to be taken of their enemyes that they would by no meanes suffre
honesty and euer went about wicked actes For Zemah in Hebrue signifyeth mischiefe They were also named Rephaim Bycause they made men which met them to be after a sorte amased for that worde signifyeth sometimes the dead Lastly they were called Nefalim as oppressors bycause they assayled al men tyrannously of this worde Nafal which is to fall or subuerte Some thinke that they are sometimes called Geborim but bycause we vse to referre the worde to power and properly strong men are called Geborim therfore I woulde not put it among these When glaūtes began Augustine Furthermore if thou wilte demaunde when giauntes beganne to be if we may follow Augustine de ciuitate Dei the .xvi. boke and xxiii chapter We must say that they beganne before the floude And therfore we beleue him bycause he hath proued it by the testimonye of the holy Scriptures for it is written in the vi of Genesis that giauntes were at that time on the earth whose kind although it was kept after the floude yet as he beleueth they were not in so great number Whether Giauntes were begotten of mē Besides this it may be doubted concerning their procreation and parents for there are some whiche thinke that they were not begotten of men but that Aungels or deuils were their parentes And this sentence they say is confirmed by that which is written in the booke of Genesis The sonnes of God seing the daughters of men that they were fayre they tooke them to wiues and of them were borne most mightye men or giauntes Concerning this fall of the Angels many of the old writers agree that it was bicause they vsed company with women and among other is Lactantius in his second booke and xv Chapter For his opinion was as it is there written that God feared least Sathan to whom he had graunted the gouernement of the worlde shoulde vtterly haue destroyed mankinde Lactantius and therfore he gaue vnto it Angels for tutors by whose industrye care it mighte be defended But they being prouoked as well by the wilinesse of Sathan as also allured by the beauty of fayre women committed filthines with them Wherfore they were throwen downe from their dignitie and made souldiers of the deuill This was Lactantius opinion but yet he sayth not that Giauntes were borne of those copulations of Angels with women but earthly deuils which abide on the earth to our greate hurte Eusebius of Cesaria Eusebius of Cesaria in hys .v boke de preparatione euangelica doth nothing in a manner disagree from them For he also sayth that Angels which fell begat of women whom they filthilye loued those deuils which afterward troubled the world many wayes and to thē he referreth al these which the Poets and historiographers haue writtē to haue bene Gods haue eyther in Metre or in Prose made mention of their battailes discordes lustes and sundrye and grieuous tumultes Augustine But Augustine in his xv boke de ciuitate Dei xxiii Chap. thinketh that this opinion of these old men can not be gathered out of that place of Genesis Men of the stocke of Seth were called the sonnes of God For he sayth that those which are there called the sonnes of god were in very dede men namely cōming of the stock of Seth. For whē they worshipped god truely and sincerely and called vpō him holily and purely being adorned with his fauor grace they are called by the scriptures the sonnes of God What was the fal of the sonnes of God But whē at the length they began to burne in filthy lust with those women which came of the stocke of Cain and by that meanes fel into fellowship with the vngodly taking them to their wiues and cleauing also to superstitions and wicked worshippings they were chaunged from the sonnes of God not only into men but also into fleshe And thys will I say by the way Aquila Aquila translating these words out of Hebrue They wer not saith he the sōnes of God but the sonnes of Gods for thys cause so called as I suppose bycause their progenitors were holy men Simmachus but their children miserably fell from god and godlines by inordinate loue of women And Symmachus translateth it The sonnes of the mightye But nowe to Augustine againe he constantly affirmeth that there can be nothing gathered out of that place of Genesis concerning the carnall copulation of Angels with women but thinketh rather that farre contrary may be proued by the wordes of God written in the same place For whē the scripture had there sayd that there were Giaunts on the earth and that the sonnes of God as it is sayd were gone out of the right way and Giaunts were brought forth there is added And god sayd my spirite shal not abide in man for euer bicause he is flesh By this sentence he declareth that those which so sinned were called men and not only as they were by nature but also they were called flesh wherunto by their filthy luste they did to much cleaue But they which be of the contrary opinion do thinke that they do bring a strong witnesse of Enoch which was the vii from Adam of whom Iudas maketh mention in his canonicall Epistle Enochs booke Augustine For in the booke which is intituled to be Enochs booke it is writtē that giauntes had their of springs of Angels and not of mē But Augustine answereth vnto this and sayth that that booke is altogether Apocripha therefore such fables as are rehearsed in it are not to be beleued It is not to be doubted he sayth but that Enoch wrote some godly thinges when as Iudas the Apostle manifestly testifieth the same But it is not necessary that we should beleue that all thinges which are written in that Apocriphal booke shoulde be of hys writing Forasmuch as they haue no sure authoritie Neither although Iudas brought thence some one certaine sentence is it supposed that therfore he by his authoritie hath allowed the whole booke Vnlesse thou wilt saye that Paule allowed all the things which were written by Epimenides Aratus and Menander bicause he brought one or two verses out of thē Ierome Which thing Ierome in his exposition vpō the first chap. of the Epistle to Titus declareth to be a very absurde thing and worthily to be laughed at And now as concerning Enoch it semeth meruelous how he being but the vii from Adam could write of those things of the altercation betwene Michael and the deuil for the body of Moyses when as if there wer any such thing as there is no doubt but there wer they must nedes haue come to passe a thousand and almost .500 yeares after Vnlesse we wil say that those things wer reuealed at that time by some notable strength of prophecy Neyther is it to be forgotten that those whiche do thinke that giauntes had Angels to their parentes not men do therfore seme to suppose so The reason of
cause god would haue some men sometymes to be borne with so huge bodies It was done for this cause Augustine thincketh in his boke before alledged 23. chap. to leaue a testimony vnto vs that nether the beauty of the body neither the bignesse of stature nor strength of the flesh are to be accompted among the chief good thinges when as they are no lesse commune to the godly sometymes than they are to the vngodly They surely which are desirous of godlinesse will iudge that spirituall good thynges are farre to be preferred before them Forme and stature auayle nothing to saluation partely bycause they are an helpe vnto vs to saluation and partely bycause they make vs more noble in dede than others And that giauntes had no helpe by their huge stature to saluation he confirmeth it by that which Baruch the Prophet hath writtē in the .3 chap. There are giauntes from the beginning of the worlde famous men expert in warres those hath not the Lord chosen neither hath he geuē them the way of knowledge but they haue perished bycause they had not wisedome Giauntes toke not godly causes in hande to defende Also if a man shall read ouer the holy scriptures he shall neuer almost fynd that they tooke in hand any good or godly cause whiche they would defend and for the whiche they would fight yea he shall rather se that by their peruersenesse and pride they haue alwayes ben agaynst God So did Og king of Basan behaue hym selfe so also did Goliah and his brethren All these were most deadly enemies to the people whom God loued and had chosen from the rest to be peculiar to him selfe Giaūtes were ouercome in battaile of weake persons There is an other thing also besides whiche may much confirme our faith for the holy scriptures do alwayes declare how such mōstrous giaūtes were filthyly ouercome in battaile and that by feable men and very vnexpert in warlike affaires namely by Dauid being yet but a shepheard the people of Israel which were thē but yong beginners in matters of warre wherby the spirite of god doth admonishe vs to be of a constaunte and valiaunte corage when for godlinesse sake we must fight against such monsters We must haue no regarde there to our owne strength seing that the holy oracles do so often declare that it is god whiche deliuereth such beastes into their handes whom he defendeth Whiche thinges seing they are so this without doubt cometh to passe that we shoulde by no meanes be affeard of tyrannes whiche are almost alwayes agaynst God and trust to their owne great might when they defend vngodly partes and thincke that they can robbe and spoyle as they list them selues the flocke of Christ which is feable and weake seing the might of gods word power of his spirite will make vs mightie and inuincible agaynst them thoughe we be neuer so lowe and weake of nature Moreouer if we should follow humane reason beyng compared with thē we should easely seeme either wormes or grashoppers but being hedged fensed with the might of god we shall not only be superiours but also to speake as Paul speaketh to the Romaines we shal ouercome also For Christ will ayde vs who bindeth the strong armed man taketh away the most riche spoyles which he had gathered he hath luckly wrastled with the deuill and his members we by him shal haue good successe in our warres and shal obteyne a farre more noble victorye than that whiche the Poetes haue fayned that their gods obtayned of the Ciclops Titans Why Giaunts haue resisted God and other giauntes whiche were as they fable destroyed by the lightnings of Iupiter at Phlegra It is a playne token why gyaūtes in the old time mighty princes now of dayes do with the wise men of this world resist god surely bicause they cleaue trust to much to their own strength whereunto they ouermuch stickīg God accomplisheth his thinges by humble persons not by giauntes there is no mischief which they dare not enterprise there is nothing which they thincke is not lawful for thē to do But god vouchesafeth not by such men to accomplish those thinges whiche he hath decreed to bring to passe but to set forth his might power farre abroad he vseth rather to accomplish such things as he hath decreed to do by Dauid and any abiect persones Whether Og were the last of al the giaunts Of this thing I would thincke that I had spoken enoughe but that there is a certein place remayning to be expounded namely how it should be written in Deut. that there was no more of the giauntes remayning but only Og king of Basan I am not ignorante what R. Salomo fableth but his exposition is so childishe so worthy to be laughed at that I am ashamed to rehearse it I iudge therfore that it was not spokē absolutely simply that there were no more remayning but he as thoughe there were no more giauntes in all the worlde but he but it is meant that he onely was remayning in those places namely beyonde Iordane The Moabites also draue Giauntes out of their coastes Moreouer we must vnderstand that not onely the Israelites destroyed the giauntes out of those regions but also the Moabites as it is written in the second chap. of Deut. draue them out of their coastes which must also be thought to haue ben brought to passe by them thorough the fauour of God for it is in the same place written that god gaue vnto the Moabites those regions to inhabite Now will I returne to the wordes of the holy hystory And from thence they went to the mountaynes of Debir and the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher Why this citie is called the citie of Letters It is commonly translated the citie of letters and therfore would they haue this citie so called bycause the first letters wer found there or els bycause learning or good studies florished in that Citie as they do at this daye in vniuersities where good sciences are openly taught Some thincke that lawyers liued there whiche kept the recordes of iudgementes There be some also whiche write that there was a notable library there R. D. Kimhi affirmeth that Debir in the Persian language signifieth a letter but the worde Sephir in Hebrew signifieth not properly a letter or a figure but rather a litle boke or scrolle written vpon The Hebrues do make mencion that Othoniel did in this place expound certein rules of the lawe whiche before that tyme were almost blotted out and of that dede was the citie so afterwarde named but this cā scarse be probable bycause it seemeth that that citie had that name before the Israelites possessed it We must know moreouer that this citie also was taken when Iosua was a lyue whiche is shewed in his owne booke And that by no meanes can be fayned to be sayd there by preuenting or as
by the testimonies of his aduersaryes which is witnessed by our enemies And god hath wonderfully prouided for this kinde of testimonies for his church For we haue not only the bokes of the Hebrewes witnessing with vs but also Verses of the Sibillas which were borne in sundry countreyes Neither is it to be supposed that our elders fayned those Verses of themselues Verses of the Sibillas For in the time of Lactantius Eusebius of Cesaria Augustine which alledged those Verses the bokes of the Sibillas were rife in euery mans hand Wherfore if our elders should haue adioyned vnto them any counterfayte Verses the Ethnykes which were then many in number and were full of eloquence and deadly enemies to our religion would haue reproued them as vaine and liars What then remaineth but that god would wonderfully defend his church euen by the testimonies of our aduersaries Therfore the Iewes are now suffred among Christians partly for the promise sake which they haue that saluation should be geuē to their kinred partly bicause of the commodities which I haue now rehearsed out of Augustine Wherfore they are not only suffred but also thei haue Sinagoges wherin they openly read the bokes of the holy scriptures and also cal vpon the god of their fathers In which thing neuerthelesse the diligence of the Magistrates and bishops is much to be required who ought to prouide that they do there no other thing and by al meanes to beware that in their commō prayers exhortations and Sermons they curse not nor blaspheme Christ our God If the Magistrates and bishops haue not a care ouer these things they can not but be most iustly accused The Turkes ought not to haue any Sinagoges graūted them But it is not lawful to graunt vnto the Turkes any holy assemblies for that they haue not a peculiar promise of their saluation neither would they there read either the old Testament or the newe but only their most detestable boke called Alcoran Furthermore the Iewes muste be forbidden that they exercise not false bargayning and Vsurye among Christians The Iewes must be prohibited from false bargaining and vsurie therby to vexe and afflict the poore Christians before our face which can not be done but with great horror But our princes exacte of them a very great tribute and receaue at their handes a great pray by their handes by vsury and false bargayning So farre are they of from prohibityng them from these euill artes Furthermore which is more hurtfull they prouyde not to haue them taughte when as they oughte to compell them to come often to the holy Sermons of the Christians Princes ought to care that the Iewes may be taught otherwise whilest they are so neglected and vnloked vnto they waxe euery day worse and worse and more stubborne So that either very little fruite or ells almoste none at al can now be looked for by theyr dwelling among Christians It is also diligently to be sene vnto that they corrupte not our men in seducing them to their Iewishe religion The heresie of the Marranes By reason this thing hath bene neglected the heresie of the Marranes hath much increased and that chiefly in Spaine Moreouer it is mete that they may by some apparail or certain signe be knowen from Christians least a man vnawares should be as familiarly conuersaunt with thē as with Christians And as touching this kinde of infidelles these thynges are sufficiente What heresye is Now must we speake of heretikes The woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of thys verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to electe or choose For those kinde of men chose vnto thēselues some certaine opinions which are against the holy Scriptures and doe stubbornly defend the same The causes of heresye And the causes of this their choyse for the most part are either bicause they are ignoraunt of the holy Scriptures or els if they know them they dispise them and being driuen by some couetousnesse they applye thēselues to the inuention of some errors Wherfore Augustine in his booke de vtilitate credendi writeth Augustine An heretike is he which for the loue of gayne or rule eyther bringeth vp or els followeth new opinions The definition therfore of heresie is a choyse and stubborne defending of opinions The definition of heresye which are against the holy Scriptures either by reason of ignorance or els contempt of them to the end the easlier to obtaine their own pleasures and cōmodities The choyse and stubburne defending is in this definition in stead of the forme But the opinions disagreing with the holy scriptures serue for the matter Pride and couetousnesse make heresie And the obteining of dignities gayne and pleasures are appoynted as endes of thys so great a mischiefe By this definition it is manifeste inough as I thynke who be heretikes I minde not at this presente to speake of the kindes sortes of heresies I shall as I trust haue better occasiō a place more mete to speake therof This wil I say briefly as touching this questiō we must haue none otherwise to do with heretikes than with infidels and Iewes And I suppose that these things are sufficient as touching this question whiche hath bene hitherto discussed I woulde God so perfectly as with many woordes Wherfore I will returne vnto the historye The second Chapiter 1 ANd the Angel of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bochim and sayd I made you to go out of Egipte and haue brought you vnto the Lande whiche I sware vnto your Fathers And I sayde I wil not breake mine appoyntmente that I made with you TWo things haue hitherto bene set forth vnto vs. Fyrst the noble victories which the Israelits obteined as long as they obeyed the word of God Secondly the transgression wherby contrarye to the commaundementes of God they both saued and also made tributaries vnto themselues those nations whom they ought vtterly to haue destroyed But nowe is set forth vnto vs how God of his goodnesse by hys Legate reprehended the Israelites for the wicked acte whiche they had committed and that not without fruite For whē they heard the word of God they repented Fyrst the messenger of God maketh mencion of the benefites which god had bestowed on his people The principall poyntes of the Sermon Secondly he vpbraydeth thē of their wicked actes wherwith they being ingrate requited so great giftes Lastely are set forth the threatninges and punishementes wherewith God woulde punishe them excepte they repented But before we come to entreate of the oration of this legate it were good to declare what he was The Hebrew worde Melach It is doubtful what this Legate was and also the Greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are doubtfull and sometymes they signifie a nature without a body I meane spirites the ministres of God and other sometymes they signifie a messanger what soeuer he be There are examples of these in many
fell into any other sinne besides infidelity howbeit that incredulitye was afterwarde taken awaye by the spirite and grace of God when at the length he beleued the wordes of Deborah Men although they be godly do not straight way beleue and obeyed her and by fayth as it is written to the Hebrues he obtayned the victorye And how often that happeneth vnto men It is profitable for Captaynes to haue ministers of the worde in their Campes althoughe they be godly namely to doubt at the begynnyng by reason of the dregges of the olde Adam there is none whiche hath not experience of it in hymselfe Afterwarde when they are strengthened with the spirite there succedeth a great assurednes of faith And I do not deny that which the first interpretation sayeth namely that it is very expedient for Captaynes to haue Prophetes and Ministers of the worde of God with them in their warres For as muche as the lawe of God in Deut. so commaundeth and in the 2. booke of kynges it is written that Helizeus the Prophete was in the campe when the kyng of Israell the kyng of Iudah and the kyng of Edom went to fight agaynst the kyng of Moab Wherfore Christian princes when they take any iust warres in hande The presēce of Deborah was profitable in the Campe. do ryghtly and orderly if they haue Preachers and Ministers of the word of God with them in theyr expedition Farther an other commodity came by the presence of Deborah for thereby godly men vnderstoode that it was no rashe warre or taken in hand by humane reason but enterprised by the commaundement of God and Counsell of his Prophetesse But in that it is written that the glory should be taken from Barac and Sisera deliuered into the hande of a woman it may be expounded two manner of wayes either bycause this victory should not nowe be ascribed vnto Barac but to Deborah namely bicause she should haue the prayse to haue iudged Israel and to haue set them at liberty and Barac should not be counted amonge the number of the Iudges Or els bycause Barac should not kyll Sysera with his owne hande but Iahell the wife of the Kenite should do it as it shall afterwarde be declared And in dede this latter interpretacion semeth to me more naturall and propre Of these thynges whiche we haue nowe brought forth are some most worthy to be noted The first is that God might haue deliuered this people the Israelites without the helpe or hoste of ten thousand men whom yet he therefore chosed to teach vs that he dissaloweth not iust warrefarre Farther that humane helpes when they are present are not to be despised Moreouer he accordyng to his wisedome vsed the gathering together of these souldiers thereby to prouoke Sisera that he agayne might gathered an host and come and ouerthrow Barac And in that God sayth he will draw Sisera vnto mount Thabor The drawyng of God serueth both to good thinges and to euill he teacheth vs that his drawyng is of force not onely to good things but also to euill in respect that they are paynes and iust punishementes No man can doubte but that Sisera sinned in this bycause with a great violence he contented to oppresse the Israelites and that vniustly And yet GOD promised to drawe him to it Neuerthelesse we must marke The maner of the drawing of God is not a like as touchīg good thinges and enui that the maner of the drawing of GOD is not a like as touching good thyngs and euill bycause to good thynges we can not be drawen execept God do heale our vnderstandyng and geue vs a good mynd For by nature we are the children of wrath and vtterly corrupte but when we are induced to euill GOD nedeth not to instill any new malice in vs for as much as we alwayes of our selues haue it ready and prompte to do euill but onely the doyng of GOD directeth them to what ende he will and he so gouerneth them to make open his glory as he hath decreed After this sorte vndoubtedly was Pharao hardened and Sisera now drawen to destruction God drew both the men of Barac and also Sisera but by diuers meanes God also drewe those ten thousandmen after Barac for otherwise they would not haue followed him but this drawyng was after an other maner for here he vsed the speache of this man whiche he made to be of efficacy in the heartes of his souldiers but there to moue and prouoke Sisera he appointed both falling awaye of Barac and the host gathered by him This is also to be considered that by this place is proued Glorye maye lawfully be desyred that glory is a certayne good thing whiche iuste and good men may desire otherwise Barac to be punished for his incredulitie shuld not haue ben depriued of glory And glory is certayne noblenesse comming of thynges well done What glory is For those thynges whiche good men do very excellently of their own accord do brede a noble name or glory The matter end of glory Wherfore the matter wherin it cōsisteth are opinions talkes of iust wise mē But the end wherunto glory ought to be directed is the settyng forth of the name of God also an exāple which is set forth for our neighbours to follow And as the brightnes of the name of god the edifieng of others ar very excellēt good things so also is it manifest that the glory which serueth vnto thē is a good thyng Wherfore although glory for it selfe is not to be desired as the last ende yet for those thinges whiche we haue mencioned God can do many thynges whiche he will not do ought it not to be neglected Farther we must note that God can bryng certayne thynges to passe whiche yet he will not performe excepte thynges be done of vs. For he could as it appeareth by thys place haue geuen the glory of this victorye and health of Israell onely vnto Barac whiche he would not do bycause he refused to go alone to that expedicion Helizeus also as it is written in the 2. booke of kyngs when he was sore sicke and commaunded the kyng of Israel which stode by him to strike the earth with and arrowe and he did strike it onely three tymes the Prophete was grieuously angry with hym and sayde If thou haddest striken sixe or seuen tymes thou shouldest vtterly haue destroyed Syria But nowe thou shalte onely thrice vex◠and molest it This maketh agaynst those whiche thinke that the power of God differeth not from hys will as thoughe he can not do those thynges whiche he will not A destructiō of an absolut power of an ordinary power when as for all that Christ sayde that he could haue xi legions of aungels of hys Father to defende hym from the Iewes that they should not take hym GOD therefore could haue done that whiche he dyd not Wherfore
in the myndes of the vnderstanders than if they had ben perceaued by the outward senses Wherfore in expounding the Prophetes it is true that very oftentymes we stād in great doubt whether the thing were so done outwardly or rather so appeared to the Prophet to be done in mind And in certain of thē by reason of the circūstances of the matter we are compelled to graunt that it was onely a vision as Ierome testifieth of the breeches or hosen of Ieremy Ierome whiche at the commaundement of the Lord he put in a rocke by the riuer Euphrates and he suffred them to remayne there so long till they were rotten and then he was commaunded to take them and to put them on agayne And this vision happened whilest the city of Ierusalem was grieuously besieged by the Chaldeyans whē the Prophet could not go and come to the riuer Euphrates For at the same tyme when he would once haue gone to Anathoth where he was borne he was taken euē as he was going out of the gates and accused of treason In like manner the same Ierome affirmeth that that was onely done by a vision whiche is written in Ezechiell of the bread baked in the doung of an oxe and how it lay many dayes vpon one and the selfe same side To these may be added the eatyng of the booke and such like whiche either humane nature or circumstances of the matters and tymes suffred not so to be done as it is writtē And as touching the preaching expressing vnto the people that things which the Prophetes had in their myndes a thing sene by phantasy or imagination was all one and had as much efficacy as if it had outwardly bene sene But yet they fled not vnto the visions of the mynde when the thing it selfe might outwardly be done For seyng God can vse both wayes he hath sometymes taken this way and other sometymes that way as it hath pleased him and as he hath iudged mete and profitable for vs. But in all these things me thinketh the sentence of Ambrose is to be holden Ambrose The visions of Prophets wer not naturall which intreating of these images sayeth That they were such as will did chose and not such as nature hath formed whiche vndoubtedly maketh agaynst those whiche will haue prophesieng to be naturall as though by the power of the heauens or some certain instinct of nature or temperature of humors such images sights offred themselues to be sene of the outward senses of the Prophetes or to be knowen inwardly by imagination phantasy The will sayth Ambrose namely of god or of an aungell would those thinges and aboue other thinges chose them and not the power of nature formed them But there is an other doubt which in dede is not to be left vnspoken of Whether God at any tyme shewed himself or whether they were alwayes angels that appeared namely whether god himselfe at any tyme shewed himselfe vnder these images or formes Or whether onely aungels alwayes appeared which wrought spake with the Prophets sometimes in theyr own name other sometyme in the name of god Ther haue ben some which said the god himself neuer appeared but by angels in the name of god all those things were accōplished which are written to be either spoken or done in those visions And they contend that they haue certayne testimonies in the Scriptures which make with thē among which one is found in the Actes of the Apostles where Stephen expressedly calleth him an aungell whiche called to Moses out of the bushe when as for all that he is in Exodus named God Farther Paul to the Galathians testifieth that the lawe was geuen in the hande of a Mediator be the disposition of Aungels And no man doubteth but that in Exodus it is written that the law was geuen by god Wherfore they conclude that we must vnderstand that God appeared not by himselfe but by Aungels Howbeit forasmuch as the essence or diuine nature can not be taken away either from the holy ghost The holy ghost shewed himself in a Doue or from the sonne for either of them by nature is God how will they defend their opinion when as it is expressedly written in the gospell that the holy ghost descended vpon Christ in the forme of a Doue If they say that an aungell came and not the holy ghost they accuse the Scripture as a lyer but if they cōfesse that together with that Doue the holy ghost appeared what shall let but that god himselfe also appeared vnto the fathers vnder other figures and images They cā from this by no meanes escape except which I thinke they wil not do otherwise they should bring in a manifest heresy they will deny the holy ghost to be God And that which I haue aunswered of the holy ghost we may obiect the like of the sonne out of the wordes of Paul to Timothe the 3. The sonne of God appeared in humane flesh chap where he writeth Without controuersy it is a great mistery god is made manifest in the flesh iustified in the spirite c. For the whole Churche and right faith confesseth that the word was the true god whiche appeared vnder the fleshe of man Whiche if he did as vndoubtedly without conterfayting he did why may he not be said to haue done the same in the old Testament vnder sōdry formes and manifolde figures Without doubt that was much greater whiche he gaue vnto vs in the latter tyme. But he whiche hath geuen the greater thing we doubt not but that he also can geue that whiche is lesse Peraduenture they will say that that whiche was geuen in the latter tyme the holy Scriptures do set forth to the end we should beleue it but that whiche ye require to haue ben done in the old time is no where read It is the word or sonne of god by whom God spake vnto the fathers Prophetes Yea but if we diligently marke the Scriptures teach that also For the sonne of god is named by the Euangelist the worde or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche we must beleue was not by him done rashly but bycause it might be vnderstand that by him god spake when the scriptures testifie that he spake Wherfore as often as we read that the word of the Lord came vnto this mā or to that man I iudge that the same is so often to be attributed vnto the sonne of god Christ our Lord namely that god by him spake vnto the fathers and Prophetes Which least I should seme to speake in vayne I wil for this sentence bring forth two testimonies Iohn 1. The first is read in the first chap of Iohn No man hath sene god at any tyme straight way by the figure Occupatio is added The sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath reueled hym For a man might aske If no man haue sene god at any tyme who appeared then
dareth do thing but so much as God himselfe wyll somtime permit him as we reade was done of Iob. God sometime suffreth the sayntes to be greuously afflicted of Sathan to the ende his grace towardes them may most manifestly be declared Whither the plagues of the Egiptians wer done by good Aungels or by euyll But when Augustine expoundeth these wordes of the Psalme namelye the sending out of euyll Angels he doubteth whither the plagues of the Egiptians were done by a good Angel or by the Deuyl And at the length he sheweth that the plague and destruction of the first begotten maye be ascribed vnto the ministery of the Deuyl but the other plagues are to be attributed vnto good angels that the sentence both of the booke of Exodus and of the Psalme may stand fast Howbeit as touching that plage of the firste begotten in Exodus it is written vnder the name of God I wil this night passe through Egipt and wil smite c By these woordes that destruction semeth to be ascribed eyther vnto god or to a good Angel and not vnto the Deuil But that moueth me not much bycause although it were done by the ministery of the Deuil yet maye it be ascribed vnto the Lorde For Iob when by the woorke of the Deuil he was bereft bothe of goodes and children said neuerthelesse The Lorde hath geuen and the Lorde hath taken away and that sayd he was done by the Lorde which was done by the Deuil But some obiect If we assigne these things vnto the Deuil then shal he seme to haue fought against himself For the Sorcerers by the help of deuils withstoode Moses when they did the same thinges that he dyd And if plagues were by euyl Angels sent against the Egiptians and the Sorcerers went about to withstand them then Sathan semed to resist Sathan Neither could the Sorcerers haue trulye sayde that they fayled and testified that it was the fynger of God whych wrought But these reasons in my iudgement are not strong bycause the thinges done by the Sorcerers were done by the power of Sathan which is vnto him naturall For by it he is able to applye the seedes of thynges and woorking causes to his matter prepared and to woorke wonders as touching the sight of man But those thinges wherewith God afflicted the Egiptians were by his most mighty power wrought by the instrument of the Deuyll Wherefore it is no maruail if the Sorcerers failed and felt the most excellent power of the finger of God The place of Exodus and of the Psalme is conciliated Howbeit the booke of wysdome the .xviii. chap. semeth vtterly to ascribe these plagues vnto God wher he saith while al thinges wer stil and when the night was in the middest of her course thy almighty word c. And in the .xvii. chap. it is written that the Egiptians being among those plagues especially when they were oppressed with darknes wer with horrible vexations of minde and sights very terrible so vexed as though most doleful spirites had perpetuallye bene before their eyes and about their phantasy which vndoubtedly might be done by the sending of euyl Angels as the Psalme doth mencion Their hart also was hardened and their mindes were dayly made much more obstinate againste the Israelites And that semeth to haue pertained to the sending downe of euil angels Wherfore these two places may easely be made to agree in ascribing the plagues which ar mencioned in Exodus to good Angels and the terrible sights and hardning of the hartes to the sending of euyl Angels vpon them of whych the Psalme now alledged maketh mencion The power to work miracles maketh not mē better or woorser But forasmuch as God as it is declared for the woorking of miracles vseth both euil good angels men the godly men ought not therfore to be greued bicause oftentimes he geueth not vnto them this faculty For they are not for the cause of any worse condition then are they to whom God graunteth to woorke miracles For the Lord said vnto his Disciples when they returned from theyr embassadge Reioyce not in this bicause spirites are subiect vnto you reioyce ye rather for this bycause your names are wrytten in heauen There are some which are so desirous of such thinges that to obteine signes they are not afraid to vse euen the help of the deuill and vnder this pretence they excuse themselues To worke signes we must not vse the help of the deuill bycause god himself to worke signes vseth Sathan in following of whome they do well so farre ar they of that they can be cōdemned guilty of any crime They say also that Paul deliuered some to the deuill to be vexed and therfore they also may vse his ministerye But what manner of men are they whiche wil affirme that it is lawfull for them to do asmuche as is lawfull vnto god God is the author of all creatures wherfore it is no marueile if he vse them all But vnto vs it is by the law of god prescribed that we should not do it It is not lawfull to imitate God in all thinges And the immitation of god is so farforth commended vnto vs as by his law it is commaunded vs and no otherwise For he reuengeth his owne iniuries And who will saye that priuate men may do the same God adioyned vnto his owne burnt offring the bullocke appointed for Baal as we haue haue now hard with the wood also dedicated vnto the same idole Shall euerye one of vs therefore eate thinges dedicated vnto idoles The rule of our actiōs is the word of God Wherfore we ought not to be drawen to imitate him but so muche as the lawe suffreth That lawe hath he made not for himself but for men that they should frame theyr life after it Wherfore it was to him lawful to require of Abraham the immolation of his sonne which thing none of vs can require of our frend Paule and other Apostles had euill sprites subiect vnto them and by them it was sometimes lawfull vnto them to punish the guilty for theyr saluation Wherefore those to whome such a gift is not graunted ought to abstayne from excercising the same Wherefore the vse of the power of euil spirites is of two sortes wherof one is with authority and that belongeth chiefelye vnto god also to the Apostles and to the sayntes of the primitiue church The other by compact obedience which is vtterly forbidden mē For what participatiō cā ther be of the light with darknesse of god with Belial And for that cause the sorcerers which beleue thē can not be excused yet they ar by the law condēned guilty of superstition idolatry And it is not to be thought but that god vpō very iust causes and to vs most profitable hath forbidden these things to be done Why God forbad men to vse the helpe of the deuil to worke myracles For he prouideth that we should not
to some is geuē the word of wisedome to other the word of knowledge to some the power to heale and to other some fayth in the same spirite c. That fayth can not in thys place be vnderstand wherby we are iustified For it is not rekened among giftes which ar priuately distributed to some but is commō to all true Christians Now as I think it appeareth by what meanes they whiche are not iustified by theyr prayers doo sometimes obtayne miracles namely bycause they ar not destitute of euery kind of faith But now we haue sufficiently spoken of this fyrst question Whither it be lawfull for godly men to desire miracles Now must we see whither it be lawfull for godlye menne to desire miracles These reasōs they vse to alledg which seme to be against it First because god in that thing should be tempted and that doth the law of god vtterly forbid Yea our sauiour wyth this aunswere reproued the deuill Thou shalte not tempt the Lord thy God And the Hebrewes ar reprehended for this by name bicause thei tempted god in the wildernes The son of god also when the Pharesies sayde mayster we will see a signe of thee sayd This froward and adultrous nation seketh a sign and a sign shall not be geuen them c. And Achab otherwyse a wicked king pretended a shew of righteousnes saying that he would not tēpt God and therefore he detracted to desyre a sygne Vnto the question I answere That after a sort it is lawful to desire signes and the same also after a sorte is vnlawfull The first parte of the sentence is thus proued When holy men desire as touching any vnaccustomed vocation to be made more assured of the wil of God are afrayd least peraduenture they should be deceaued for as concerning it they haue nothing for certayn in the holy scriptures and we must not lightly beleue men and angels in those thinges for euil angels vse sometimes to be trāsformed into angels of light when I say they are troubled with such doubt the will is ready yea desirous to obey the commaūdement of the Lord if than they desire to be confirmed by some signe these godly men cā not be accused of tempting of god or of rashnes For who soeuer in those cases desireth those thinges whiche god vseth to offer he departeth not from the right way No man is ignoraunt but that to Achab was offred a signe that he might be cōfirmed of the promises offred him by Esay Wherfore to desire those thinges whiche god sometymes geueth and frely offreth ought not to be prohibited as vnlawfull The thing wanteth no examples Moses when he had nede of the helpe of god oftentymes in the desert obteyned miracles for the people of god And to confirme the doctrine of truth both Helias and Helizeus desired of god that life might be restored vnto the children of their hostes And to the same end Christ sayd But that ye should know that the sonne of man hath power to forgeue sinnes he turned to the man sicke of the palsey and sayd For what causes godly men may desire miracles Take vp thy bed rise and walke Wherfore miracles are desired of holy men and that iustly either that they may be made the more assured of their vocation or to helpe a great and vrgent necessity or els to beare witnesse vnto sound doctrine And alwayes when they desire miracles to these endes Cautions in desiring of miracles let them desire the same not of any creatures but of god onely and in asking them let them vse a meane for they declare that they will or desire nothyng but that whiche is agreable vnto the will of god Nowe on the contrary parte let vs consider after what maner miracles are vnworthely and vniustly desired First there are some When it is not lawfull to desire miracles whiche therfore desire miracles bicause they are not wel persuaded of the power goodnesse and prouidence of god neither seeke they any thing els but to haue a trial of those things Neither are they contente with the doctrine of the holy scriptures which manifestly and amply teache all these thinges Wherefore iustly are they to be reproued for asmuch as they be ready rather to beleue miracles than the worde of god Wherfore Abraham aunswered vnto that riche man whiche was tormented in flames of fire whē he desired that Lazarus might be sent vnto his brethren that they also should not be thrust downe into the same punishementes They haue Moses and the Prophetes By which wordes is manifestly declared that we must rather beleue the holy scriptures thā miracles There ar other also which for this cause desire miracles that they may liue more pleasauntly as touching the flesh and to satisfie their wicked lustes Of which faulte the Hebrues are accused bycause in the deserte when very great aboundance of Manna was ministred vnto them they desired fleshe that they might lyue the more pleasauntly in that wildernesse Lastly some desire miracles for this entent to satisfie theyr vayne curiosity For as Plinius hath sayd the nature of mā is most gredy of new things Plinius Wherfore they seme to desire miracles as playes and passetymes to sporte thē selues withal In that maner looked Herode for miracles of Christ for when he was brought vnto him he desired to fede and delite his curiosity with miracles Nowe I suppose it is manifest how it is forbidden to desire signes and howe it is lawfull sometymes to desire them Now must we dissolue these thinges An answere to obiections What it is to tempt god which semed to be agaynst those thinges that we haue spoken They which by the waye and maner already described do desire miracles do not without doubt tempt God forasmuch as that is nothing els than of an vnbeleuing minde and of rashnesse to desire a triall of hys will and power whiche vice certainely is in the holy Scriptures iustly and worthily reproued Wherfore the Lord Iesus Christ did not without iust cause reproue the deuil when he would haue led him to haue throwen himself hedlong from the temple whereby he myght be made the more assured of the beneuolence of God towardes him when that by arte there was a playne way to discende by The same sonne of god also did not vnworthily reprehend the Iewes as a frowarde and adulterous generation vnto whom he therfore denied a signe bycause they had already sene very many yet they spoke euill of them al and mocked Christ in such sorte that they desired not euery kinde of miracle but one from heauen as thoughe they would not also deride signes from heauen vndoubtedly theyr purpose tended to no other end but to alienate the people from the Lord although he had wrought wonderfull miracles And as touching Achaz the wicked king I shall not nede to stande long about him for he fayned that when he was called of the Prophet he
prepared and those iust helpes Let vs remember that in humane actions there ar two notable daungers One is of rashenesse Two verye great daūgers in humane actions when we will not vse meanes and helpes set before vs. With which euill the Anabaptistes are greuously infected for they will vse no weapons and they abhorre from the offices of Magistrates The other daunger is least we attribute to much vnto humane and naturall aydes whiche they do that trust to much in their workes Of these two daungers the one Gideon by himselfe auoydeth in collecting a sufficient great army for in his enterprise he would not neglect an ordinary ayde of souldiers And God prouideth that he should not fall into the other daunger for from the multitude of those souldiers he withdrew the greatest parte Why God remoued so many from the hoste of Gideon And why he did it this reason he bringeth bycause men do gladly vsurpe glory vnto thēselues neither will they graunt any of it euen vnto God as it is mete they should Therfore he sayth that his will is that euen as the victory should be geuen by hym so also it should euidently appeare to be graunted by hym Euen then also when by many souldiers we ouercome god geueth the victory Euen then also when many souldiers get the vpper hande God geueth the victory but that is not so manifest as when with a litle host we ouercome our enemyes God also fedeth vs euen then when all thinges are aboundant and good cheape but that is not so well perceaued as when a great multitude is refreshed with foure or fiue loaues And vndoubtedlye it is the power of God when the gospel is defended and spread abrode by men very well learned and princes most stout But it is not then so euident as when it is sowed by idiotes power men and that with great fruite incredible felicitie Wherfore Paul sayd Brethren see to your vocation not many noble men not many mighty men not many wise men are called but god hath chosen the foolish weake and contēned things of the world bycause he would not haue the Crosse of Christ and the power therof abrogated but manifestly to appeare that euen as Ieremy commaunded the strong man should not glory in his strength nor the riche man in his riches neither the wise man in his wisedome God doth very wel agree with the Prophet where he sayth to Gideon Least Israel boast against me Who soeuer is proude bycause of the prosperity whiche he hath obteyned the same man boasteth against god and his doing is all one as if he should chuse vnto himselfe an other god God commaundeth a decree to be proclaymed that they whiche were feareful should returne home No new thing is commaūded for asmuch as that precept is found in Deut. the 20. That which is here commaunded it is also cōmaunded in Deut. chap where preceptes of warlyke affaires are very well set forth First the Israelites are commaunded not to be afeard when they see the weapons horses chariotes and multitude of their enemyes bycause the Lord standeth on their side Then it is ordayned that the Priest should come forth amongest them with a sermon confirming the hartes of the souldiers that they are the people of god and therfore ought not they to feare their enemies Farther it is commaunded that they should be dismissed which in that yeare had built an house which had planted a vineard and whiche had maried a wife First least if they should fal in the battaile they should dye without tasting the fruite of their owne labours Secondly as I suppose bycause such men haue a great affection vnto those thinges whiche they haue lately obteyned and therfore they do litle good in the campes The cause of their feare whiche wer dismissed when as their minde is at home Lastly that is also ordayned whiche the Lord nowe commaundeth that as many as are not of a valiant courage but feareful should returne home least by their feare they should daūt the courages of others For oftentymes it happeneth that by the feare of a fewe which begyn to geue place vnto their enemyes the rest of the camp which otherwise are strong and valiant do turne themselues to flight Great is the number of those whiche God refused when as 22000. departed But yet bycause God will haue men to acknowledge those things to be iust which he doth therfore he maketh it euident that al they which departed were iustly dismissed namely bycause they were fearefull R. Leui ben◠Gerischon And R. Leui Gerischon affirmeth that they were also euill men for as muche as their feare proceded not of a sound and perfect conscience They feared peraduenture that the vengance and wrath of God towardes them was now at hand The profession also of Christian religion requireth strength In professiō of Christian religion we haue nede of greate strength and that no common strength And therefore the Lord sayd that we must imitate hym whiche would build a towre For first he counteth with himselfe the charges least afterward not beyng able to finishe the worke whiche he began he be compelled to leaue it vnfinished Also we must followe a kyng goyng on warfarre whiche diligently weygheth with himselfe with howe many thousand souldiers he may mete his enemyes Neither is he mete for the kyngdome of heauen whiche strayght waye pluketh his hande from the ploughe And howe great a strength we haue nede in professing of Christ the wordes of Paul do manifestly declare wherein he sayth All they whiche will lyue godlyly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution The same thyng also testifieth he saying Our battayle is not agaynst fleshe and bloud but agaynst wicked spirites whiche dwell in the ayre Wherefore we are not called vnto idlenesse but to a most sharpe battayle and therefore we haue nede of stoute and valiaunt courages What the bowyng of the knees signifieth Neither is it sufficient for good souldiers to cast awaye feare out of theyr myndes vnlesse also they be prompt and industrious Wherefore the seconde tyme they are brought vnto the water where yet the sluggishe are separated which will not drinke but bowing themselues on their knees Those are they whiche pamper themselues they can abyde no sorowe and they are quickly ouercome There were onely 300. whiche dranke with reaching their hande vnto their mouth they alone were ioyned vnto Gideon Here may we se how god with drew frō Gideon his captayne humanes aydes not vndoubtedly to betray him but therby to geue him a more noble victory Wherfore when helpes of nature are taken away then must strēgth of fayth remayne wherewith we muste no lesse followe our vocation then if they were present Whiche thynge very many doo not whiche strayght waye as soone as they see themselues destitute of humane helpes they byd al pure doctrine farewell when as for all that they ought to remember that the
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
without an heade in it And when we speake of the head of the Churche we must keepe our selues in the Metaphore and as it should be absurde and monstrous for one man to haue two natural heades so shal it be iudged as portentous for the Churche to haue two Metaphorical that is spiritual heads We must alwaies wheÌ„ we entreate of any thing persist in the same order and kinde which thing if wee doo not obserue we shal easily be deceaued by equiuocation But let vs returne to the Pope Of the keyes foundation of the Churche who least he shoulde seme to be destitute of testimonies of the holy scriptures taketh two places out of them Whereof the one is Vpon this rocke I wil builde my Churche and wyll gyue the keyes c. But that place pertaineth to al those which confesse the verity of faith for Peter when the Lord demaunded what the Apostles beleued of him aunswered in the name of them al that he was the sonne of the liuing God Wherefore that which Christ speaketh vnto him pertaineth to all them whych together wyth him beleue and professe the same selfe thing For the keyes are geuen vnto the Church And in Iohn the Lord after his resurrection gaue them vnto all them at the last also when he should ascend vp into heauen he sent them all alike to preache throughout the world And as touching the fouÌ„dation the Church hath no other foundation but Christ For Paul vnto the Corinth sayde No man can lay any other foundation then that which is already layde How the Apostles are called foundations of the Church which is Christ Iesus And if at any time the Apostles be called foundacions of the churche that is to be vnderstand bicause they in the first time of the Churche cleaued vnto the foundation as the first and greater stones not bicause the Churche leaned vnto them as to the principal foundation The other place which they bring out of the scriptures is Not onely to Peter was the coÌ„maundement geuen to feede the flocke of Christ bicause Christ saith vnto Peter feede my Lambes But they are excedingly deceaued for it was not the office of Peter onely but also of the other Apostles to feede the flocke of the Lord. But it was so sayd peculiarly vnto Peter bicause he had denyed the Lord thrise and therefore he might haue seemed to haue fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles vnles he had of Christ bene restored by certaine woordes And that not onely he but also other ought to feede the shepe of Christ his own woordes testify which be writeth in his Epistle wher he admonisheth other Ministers to feede the flocke of the Lorde But graunt that the Lorde gaue vnto Peter anye principal thing what hath the bishop of Rome common with him Let hym declare his spirite and as Peter hath labored for the Church let hym also labour which thing if he performe then wil we acknowledge him not as an vniuersal bishop but as a good Minister of Christ The spirite of Christ is not bouÌ„d to chairs He sayth that hee hath the chaire that Peter had What seate I pray you speaketh he of The holy ghost is not bounde to seates But graunt that it were so Antioche had Peter sitting in it before Rome had For that church he planted and long whyle gouerned But they say that he was slayne at Rome But the Iewes crucified Christ himselfe at Ierusalem which is a thing of greater waight Wherfore if we should follow this argument the bishop of Ierusalem should be preferred aboue all other Yea and Peter as it is written to the Galathians was not the Apostle of the Gentiles but of circumcision as it was agreed betwene Paul Iames Iohn and Barnabas Neither do we euer reade that Peter prescribed the other Apostles any thyng or that they depended of him Yea Paul most manifestly testifieth that he receaued nothing of Peter Farther it is certaine that Peter was slain vnder Nero Iohn liued euen to the time of Traiane And they say that Cletus Linus and Clemens succeded Peter at Rome What then shal we thinke that Iohn the Apostle was subiect vnto Clemens And of necessity he should be so if the Byshop of Rome be the vniuersal head or general bishop But who wil say that this may be suffred Moreouer An Epistle of Clemens lyes may be confuted with lyes Our aduersaries bring the Epistle of Clemens which is a fained Epistle as a thing certaine We wyl gratefy theÌ„ in this thing Clemens Iacobo â—ratri domini Epis copo EpiscoruÌ„ regnanti Ecclesiam que esi Hierosolymis omnes que suÌ„t vbique Dei prouidentia and we wyll now graunt that to be true which is false Let them marke his superscription which is written after thys maner Clemens to Iames the brother of the Lord by the prouidence of God the bishop of bishops gouernour of the Church which is at Ierusalem and of al the Churches euery where What wyl they say here The bishop of Rome ascribeth his title vnto the Byshop of Ierusalem and attributeth this vniuersall charge of all Churches vnto him and not to himselfe This argument maketh verye muche agaynste those which haue vnto the Churches obtruded this Epistle for true ratefied it But that can nothing hurt vs which is takeÌ„ out of that epistle against our doctrine For we know that it is a fayned thing as that which was neuer alledged by any of the fathers And in it the same Clemens affirmeth that he hym selfe wrote the litle booke called Itenarium Perri which booke as it is said in the Decrees is counted among the Apocripha bookes But of this thing I haue spoken sufficient these thinges haue I rehearsed onely that we might vnderstand howe much Gideon is to be preferred before the Antechristes of Rome Whither the gouernment of God bee excluded by humane Magistrates Here is put forth an other question whether the rule and gouernmeÌ„t of God be therfore excluded bicause the Magistrate of a publike wealth or of Aristocratia or of a kingdome is geuen vnto a man The cause of the doubt is bicause when it was sayd vnto Gideon Thou shalt raygne ouer vs he answered I wyl not raygne ouer you but the Lord shal raign ouer you It is not hard to dissolue this question proposed forasmuch as the administration wherwith God gouerneth publike wealthes hindreth not the Magistrate which is his Vicar Minister And assuredly God raigned together with Dauid and Iosias and the Israelites at that tyme had a certaine Magistrate and one of their own with whom also God himselfe also gouerned Wherfore the wordes of Gideon do not teach this that God cannot raigne there where as is a lawfull king But this thyng onelye he regarded that the present state of thinges whiche was instituted by God When God is sayd to gouerne pub wealthes ought not to be altred
it is geuen it is freely geuen Moreouer we dayly heape sinnes vpō sinnes wherfore god in withdrawing it is not to be accused of iniustice For he cōpelleth no man to do euill but euery man willingly sinneth wherfore the cause of sinne is not to be layd in him The cause of is not to be sayd in God For seyng he procreateth not in vs wicked desires he ought not to beare the blame if wicked actions doo spring out of a corrupt roote of wicked affections yea the goodnes of God is rather to be acknowledged whiche is present and so gouerneth the wicked affections that they can not burst forth nor be hurtefull and troublesome to any but when he hath appointed to chasten some and to call them backe to repētaunce or to punishe them Neither ought we to thinke that after the sinne of the first man Whence ou◠frowardnesse springeth God created a wicked lust and euill affection to corrupte all our whole kynde It was not so done but nature when it departed from God fell by it selfe from lyght to darkenes from the right way to vice and from integrity to corruptiō And how good so euer it was before it nowe degenerated into euill Wherefore let this be holden for certayn that sinne entred into the world by men and not by God as Paul testifieth to the Romanes And in that Christ saith Synne entred into the world by man not by God that the deuill when he lieth speaketh of his owne it is not to be vnderstand onely of himself but also of his members whiche when they lye or do euill worke not by the worde of God neither are they moued by the inspiration of the good spirite And they excedingly reioyce and haue great pleasure in those thinges whiche they do so farre is it of that they should be compelled by any violence Moreouer we must note Of permission that when either the Scriptures or fathers doo seme to affirme God to be the cause of sinne this worde permission is not then so to be added as thoughe he onely suffred men to synne and by hys prouidence or gouernement wrought nothing as concerning sinnes In dede he letteth thē not thoughe he can but vseth them and sheweth in them his myght and not onely his pacience Augustine whiche thing Augustine vnderstood right well and in disputing agaynste Iulianus he confuteth that sentence wherin it is sayd that God suffreth sinne only according vnto pacience and proueth that his might is also therunto to be added by the wordes of Paul who wrote vnto the Romaynes If God by much pacience hath suffred vessels of wrath prepared for destruction to shewe forth his anger to make knowē his might And vndoubtedly there are many things in the holy scriptures which can not alwayes be dissolued by the worde of permission or pacience For the heart of the kyng is sayd to be in the hād of the Lord so that he inclineth it whether soeuer it pleaseth him And Iob testefieth that it was so done as god would But as touching the sinne of the first man when yet nature was not viciated and corrupted Of the sinne of the first man we graunt that the cause therof came from the wil of Adam and suggestion of the deuil and we say that God permitted it bycause when he might haue withstanded and letted it he would not do it but decreed to vse that sinne to declare his iustice and goodnes ¶ Whether we can resiste the grace of God or no. BVt now ariseth an other doubt as touching our nature as it is now fallen corrupt whether it can resiste the grace of God his spirite beyng present or no There ar sundry degrees of grace of God I thinke we must cōsider that there are as it wer sundry degrees of the helpe or grace of God for his might aboūdance is sometymes so great that he wholy boweth the will of man doth not onely Counsel but also persuade And when it so commeth to passe we can not departe from the right waye but we are of Gods side and obey his sentence Wherfore it was sayd vnto Paul It is hard for thee to kycke agaynst the prycke There is no violēce or coaction inferred to mans will And yet must we not thinke that when it is so done there is any violence or coaction brought vnto the will of man for it is by a pleasaunt mouyng and conuersion altered and that willing but yet so willing that the will therof cōmeth of God for it is it which willeth but God by a stronge and most mighty persuasion maketh it to will But somtymes that power of God and spirit is more remisse which yet if we wil put therunto our endeuor apply our will we should not resiste yea we should obey his admonishmentes and inspirations and when that we do it not we are therfore sayd to resiste him and oftentymes fall And yet this is not to be vnderstand as touching the first regeneration but as concerning those whiche are regenerated whiche are now endewed with grace and spirite For the will of the vngodly is so corrupt and vitiate that except it be renewed it can not geue place vnto the inspirations of God and admonishynges of the holy ghost it in the first immutatiō of mās conuersion it onely suffreth and before the renewyng it continually as much as in it is resisteth the spirite of God But the first parentes whilest they were perfect if with the helpe of grace beyng somewhat remisse they had adioyned theyr endeuor they might haue perfectly obeyed the commaundementes of God But we although we be renewed seyng grace is more remisse remitting nothing of our endeuor we shall not be able constantly and perfectly to obey the commaundementes of God but yet we may be able to containe our selues within the boundes or limites of an obediēce begon whiche thyng bycause we do not therfore oftentymes we sinne and greuously fall Why the grace of god worketh not alyke alwayes in vs. But why God geueth not his grace alwayes to his electe after one sorte and one increase but sometymes he worketh in them more strongly and sometymes more remissedly two reasons may be assigned First least we should thinke the grace of God to be naturall strengthes which remayne alwayes after one sorte Wherfore god would most iustly alter the degree efficacy of his helpe wherby we myght vnderstand that it is gouerned by hys wil not as we lust Moreouer it oftentimes happeneth that our negligence slouthfulnes deserueth this variety Lastly let vs conclude the matter that if we wil speake properly it is not to be sayd that God either willeth or bringeth forth sinne in that it is sinne for what soeuer God willeth whatsoeuer he doth it is good But sinne in that it is sinne is euil Wherfore god neither willeth nor doeth it in that it is sinne yea he detesteth prohibiteth
the sōne of God who hath geuen himself for me Hereof springeth that confidence which Paul had when he said Who shall lay accusation against the elect of god It is god which iustifieth c. Wherefore if god accuseth vs not neither will our hart accuse vs when we beholde Christe For we haue now confidence towardes god and we shall obtaine And whilest wee are conuerted vnto Christ not onely accusation and sinne is abolished but repentance also is augmented as we now see is done in the Hebrues 15 And the children of Israel aunswered vnto the Lorde we haue synned doo vnto vs whatsoeuer is good in thyne eyes onelye wee pray thee delyuer vs thys day 16 Then they put awaye their straunge Gods from among them and serued the Lorde and hys soule was grieued for the miserye of Israel 17 Then the chyldren of Ammon gathered together and pytched in Gilead and the children of Israel assembled them selues and pitched in Mizpa 18 And the people and Princes of Gilead sayde euerye one to hys neyghbour whosoeuer wil begyn the battayle against the chyldren of Ammon shal be Captaine ouer al the inhabitantes of Gilead The repentaunce of the Hebrues profited god aunswered very sharpelye The propertye of true repentaunce I wyl not heare you But they crye againe Doo what seemeth good in thine eyes that is what soeuer pleaseth thee This vndoubtedly is to repent when we are not onelye repentaunt for the synnes which wee haue committed but also wee willingly suffer what soeuer pleaseth god A notable example is set foorth vnto vs in that they put away their straunge gods and woorshipped the true god It is not sufficient to take awaye euyll thynges excepte in the place of euyll thinges we substitute thinges that are good Many haue taken awaye Masses idolatries and superstitions and yet haue not woorshipped god trulye bicause he is not woorshipped by woordes but by true fayth good woorkes But ther are very fewe which embrace these thinges And hys soule was grieued Contraction ampliation of the mynde Thys Hebrew woorde Tiktsad signifieth to drawe together When we reioyce and are merye the spirites in vs are made more ample but when wee are sorye the spirites are contracted vnto the hart So it is said that God contracted hys soule Affections are improperlye attributed vnto God and was after a sorte sory for the miseries of his people This kinde of speeche is not proper of God but improper For God is not sory neither is he touched with affections Wherefore it is a speeche after the condition of men For often times those thinges are ascribed vnto god whych are noted to be in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And often tymes thinges which happen vnto men are ascribed vnto God For men are fyrst grieued for the miserye of an other before they haue compassion of them Therfore bicause God doth that which men do that ar grieued that is bicause he helpeth it is said he his grieued which thinges happeneth in men that helpe those that are in misery Such a kinde of speche is ther in the booke of Numbers the .21 R. Moses Maimon chap. The soule of the people was faint bicause of the iourney for that wildernes grieued the people But R. Moses Maimon sayth that this woorde Catsad signifieth not onely a minde but also a wil which being before ready to reuenge did now after a sort withdraw it self Howbeit the first interpretacion seemeth to hang wel together The Ammonites on euery side grieuously oppressed al Israel but bicause Gilead was a notable City and wel fensed they determined therfore first of al to conquer it But the children of Israel pitched in Mispa so far from thence that they could not easelye succour those that were besieged Wherfore the Gileadites in so great a daunger thought they had nede of a captaine for the administration of thinges for the state consisting onely of the people there could be nothing well done vnles some one man were made ruler ouer them Euen after the same maner as the Romanes were wont in great daūgers to create a Dictator Wherfore the Giliadites saw that they needed a Captaine but who that should be they could not easely prouide VVho so euer say they wyl begyn the battayle agaynst the Chyldren of Israel let hym be our heade Peraduenture they had desired a captaine of the Lord and receaued an answer that by this token they should know who should be receaued as their captaine namely he which first shoulde begyn the battaile against the enemies Such signes God somtimes vsed without any voice or outward oracle as whan he promised the seruant of Abraham that she should be Isaacs wife which should geue drinke vnto the Camels It maye also be that the Citizens decreed so among themselues that the chiefe man of the city being stirred vp with the desire of the rewarde might the more couragiouslye and cherefully fight against their enemies In this maner Chaleb when hee besieged Hebron encouraged the mindes of his soldiours Whosoeuer said he cōquereth Hebron I wil geue him Achsa my daughter to wife With which promise Othoniel being moued cōquered the City was made the sonne in law of Chaleb So in these hard times when things wer in great daunger it was necessary to vse such coūsel But what if he which first would haue begon the battaile against the aduersaries had bene a naughty and wicked man What I say shoulde then haue bene done What also if he had bene vnmeete to gouerne the publike wealth although he had had warlike strength This obiection maketh me rather to allow the first sentence that is that the signe was offered of God and therfore they were sure that he would not geue them an euill captaine Although as touching the question we may thus answer All ciuil promises are so farforth to be kept as they may be performed by honest wayes right meanes that is so much as conscience and the woord of God wil suffer ¶ The .xi. Chapter 1 ANd Iiphtah the Galaadite was a mightye man the sonne of an harlot and Gilead begat Iiphtah 2 And Gileads wyfe bare hym sonnes whiche when they wer come to age thrust out Iiphtah and said vnto hym thou shalt not inherite in our fathers house For thou art the sonne of a straunge woman HEre is set foorth vnto vs Iiphtah a man abiect and obscure not as touching his Tribe for he was of the Tribe of Manasses but as touching his mother for he was the sonne of an harlot Wherefore his brethren thrust him out as a bastard The name of his father was Gilead who seemeth to haue bene so called by the name of the mounte and citye And that man had not onely this bastard to sonne but also he had other which wer legitimate children Wherfore though Iiphtah had a noble man to his father yet that nothing profited him bycause he was a bastard and not borne in lawful
regenerate and of the gift of regeneration whiche should be geuen by Christ But men that are regenerate shal be iudged euery maÌ„ according to his own desertes and not accordyng to other mens synnes And so the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father but the soule whiche hath sinned it shall dye But before regeneration originall sinne infecteth and destroyeth all posterityes This distinction of Augustine I disalow not but I doubt whether it be sufficiently applyed vnto the meaning of Ezechiel and Ieremy Ezechiel and Ieremy wrote both the selfe same wordes in sundry places Both those Prophetes wrote these selfe same wordes The fathers haue eateÌ„ sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge when as yet the one was in Iewry and the other caried away into Babilone Whiche is a manifest argument that they spake both with one and the selfe same spirite But Augustine sayeth that the exposition of Ezechiel is to be sought for in the .31 chap. of Ieremy For there after the same wordes it is added Beholde the dayes will come and I will make a new couenaunt c. Wherfore that place is wholy to be applied vnto regeneration and therfore by these wordes of Ieremy the wordes of Ezechiel are to be interpreted of those that are regenerate In this manner that father thynketh this question is fully aunswered But when I more attentyuely doo weighe the chap. of Ezechiel I thinke that he speaketh of the punishmentes and afflictions of this lyfe For why complayned the people saying that the fathers had eaten sower grapes and the childreÌ„s teeth were set on edge Did they complaine of the payne of hell No vndoubtedly but bicause they were led away captiue into Babilone and lyued in seruitude They complayne that God semeth to deale to hardly with them bycause for as much as their fathers were idolaters yet they which had not sinned were punished For those punishementes the people lamented wherfore it was necessary that the Prophet should aunswere them of the same punishementes The soule of the father is myne and the soule of the sonne is myne The soule whiche hath sinned it shal dye These wordes therfore haue a respect vnto the punishmentes of this lyfe Although I do not deny but that it may also be transferred vnto spirituall punishmeÌ„tes Argumentum a minori ad maius but not vnles it be by an argumeÌ„t from the les to the great And that after this maner God doth not for an other mans sinne punishe with paynes which dure but for a tyme those whiche are vtterly innocent therfore much les will he punishe them with spirituall and eternall punishmentes Ierome Ierome when he interpreteth this place of Ezechiel hath the solution which Augustine also afterward followed as in his place we shall declare But the interpretations do vary bycause it is a thing obscure and the difficulty hereof ryseth bycause it can not be denyed but that God doth vexe some for other mens sakes For although C ham vncouered the filthines of his father yet the curse was transferred to Chanaan his sonne And when the Sodomites had grieuously sinned the children were also burnt together with the fathers And when Dauid had committed aduoutry God caused that the sonne whiche was borne of the aduoutry to dye Wherfore in a thing so obscure Ierome bringeth his owne interpretation but he declareth also other mens iudgementes as touchyng this question An Allegorical exposition of some First he sayth that there were very many which did vnderstand this place of the lawe That God will visite the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation allegorically of euery singular soule or man For there are in vs certayn naturall passions Foure degrees of sinnes impulsions and violences to euil or as other say first motions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then followeth deliberation when a man determineth with himselfe to do euill Thirdly is performed that whiche was determined Fourthly followeth boastyng of the wicked acte when he reioyseth and hath a pleasure in his sinnes So in a maner are numbred foure generatioÌ„s but God is so gentle that in the first and second generation that is in the first motions and in deliberation he sayth nothing and winketh at it but the third and fourth that is the perpetrating boasting he punisheth when a man both doth euill and gloryeth in his sinnes and will not repent Wherefore they say that God reuengeth vpoÌ„ the bowes and not vpon the rootes For maÌ„ as they thinke if he neither do euill nor boast of his euil may be saued althoughe otherwise he both lusteth and deliberateth to commit euill And in that maner they interprete Paul vnto Timothe when he sayth that the woman shal be saued by procreation of children so that they abyde in the fayth c. that is The soule shal be saued if it worke that which is good althoughe it haue euill motions and cogitations This interpretation do not I allowe first bycause it is Allegoricall The impulsioÌ„s and first motions of the minde are sinnes when as God especially in the law speaketh simply and manifestly moreouer bycause if the wordes of God should be applied vnto allegoryes they should be made vtterly vncertayne lastly bycause that whiche is sayd is not true For these impulsions and first motions are sinnes bycause both they are agaynst the law of God and also they are condemned of Christ when he sayth in the Gospell He whiche seeth a woman and lusteth after her hath committed fornication already in hys harte And he whiche is angry with his brother is worthy of iudgement For God doth not so regarde the â—ctes but that he much more hath a respect vnto the mynde Moses at the waters of contention sinned grieuously and yet if we diligently weighe that hystory we shall finde nothing that he committed euill outwardly But God saw the incredulity of his heart and tooke great vengeance of hym Wherfore those motions and deliberations of the minde are not onely sinnes but also are grieuously punished of God Wherfore let vs leaue this interpretation whiche Ierome also bringeth not as his owne But now to make the matter playne as touchyng punishmentes of this lyfe As touchyng punishementes which dure but for a tyme that no man suffreth whiche he hath not deserued no man can say he suffreth that which he deserueth not bicause no man is pure no not the childe that is but a day old there is none whiche hath not deserued eueÌ„ death why then should men say Our fathers haue eaten sowre grapes c. wheÌ„ as euery man shall beare his owne burthen either as touching this lyfe or as touchyng eternall lyfe But God doth not alwayes send these euils which dure but for a time as paynes and punishmentes God doth not alwayes send those euilles which dure but for a tyme as punishements but hath very oftentymes a respect vnto others endes as
no suche thing of that matter but this by expresse woordes they commaunde not to kyll the sonne for the father But for goods they ordayne nothyng But our aduersaryes haue transferred thys ciuill lawe of treason vnto Heretikes For they doo not onely punishe the father whiche is an Heretike but also they depryue hys children of all his goods howe iustly I will not nowe tell Of these thinges I haue made mention the more largely bycause Iiphtah was thrust out of hys fathers inheritaunce and thereby seemed to beare the iniquity of hys father Nowe wyll I returne vnto the Hystory 3 Then Iiphtah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the lande of Tob and there gathered idle fellowes vnto Iiphtah and went out with hym 4 And in processe of tyme the chyldren of Ammon made warre with Israell 5 And when the Ammonites began to fyght with Israell the Elders of Gilead went to set Iiphtah out of the land of Tob. 6 And they sayd vnto Iiphtah Come and be our captayne that we may fight with the children of Ammon 7 Iiphtah answered the Elders of Gilead did not ye hate me and expell me out of my fathers house and why then come ye nowe vnto me when ye are vexed 8 And the Elders of Gilead sayde vnto Iiphtah Therefore we turne agayne vnto thee now that thou mayst go with vs and fight agaynst the children of Ammon and be our head ouer all the inhabitantes of Gilead 9 Then answered Iiphtah vnto the Elders of Gilead If ye bring me home agayne to fight against the chyldren of Ammon and if the Lord deliuer them before me shall I be your head 10 And the Elders of Gilead sayd vnto Iiphtah The Lord heare betwene vs if we do not according to thy woord 11 Then Iiphtah went with the Elders of Gilead and the people made him head and captayne ouer them And Iiphtah spake al his woordes before the Lord in Mizpah The land whereunto Iiphtah fled was called Tob Why the landâ— was called Tob. namely of the name of the possessor therof otherwise Tob signifieth good But here it is the proper name of the Lord of that land Idle men That is vaine This woord signifieth poore men and such as were oppressed for debte So also there came vnto Dauid when he fledde from Saule men that were in debt and heauy of harte And they went out with him Namely to warre agaynste the enemyes of the people of God and they liued of the spoyle For Iiphtah beyng a man banished and dryuen oute of hys countrey hadde nothynge wherewyth to maynetaine souldiers And the children of Ammon foughte We haue tolde that the Ammonites made warre agaynste the Israelites whiche is vnderstande to haue beene after Iiphtah departed from his fathers house and when he shoulde goe into the land of Tob he moued warre agaynste those Ammonites and oute of theyr borders tooke praies and booties Therefore when the Gileadites wer oppressed they came vnto Iiphtah to bringe him home agayne and by hys conducte to defende the city from theyr enemyes They desire to haue him to be theyr head bycause when they wer grieuously oppressed of theyr enemies they iudged it expedient that there shoulde be one to gouerne their thinges And firste they had decreed among themselues as we haue heard that he shoulde be theyr captayne which fyrst shoulde fyghte againste theyr enemyes but whither they did that by theyr owne iudgemente and ciuill reason or by the oracle of God the historye mencioneth not But the act or coÌ„dicion which the Gileadites ordeined was fulfilled by Iiphtah for he with a few souldiours assayled his enemies Therefore they seyng that they were bound to stand to theyr couenant came vnto Iiphtah and chose him captayne bicause he fyrste of all beganne the battayle agaynste the Ammonites This is worthy to be marked that the Gileadites call not Iiphtah kinge Iiphtah aâ—oliâ—ted captayne not kinge but only captayne or ruler Wherfore they are not to be accused as the Sechemites were For they did chuse Abimelech kinge but these men constitute Iiphtah captaine to fight against theyr enemies now for the presente time and also hereafter when oportunity should serue And vndoubtedly they do wel and wisely in choosing Iiphtah for he was a man expert and valiant in warres But god had with himself before in secret decreed that he shoulde be iudge ouer all Israell whiche manifestlye appeareth by those woordes whiche we shall afterward heare And the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iiphtah Farther we must consider that Iiphtah therfore fled bicause his bretherne had thrust him out of his fathers inheritance neither left they him any thing to defend his life with all wherfore he had rather fly and liue in exile then to liue with ignominye in his country This vndoubtedly came of a noble stoute courage that he woulde not liue there where he continuallye hearde his byrth vpbraided vnto him and where al men counted him for a bastard Therfore he got him to an other place and exercised the arte of warrefare It is also possible that that matter came in controuersy and the Iudges to gratify the legitimate bretherne did not onely iudge that he should be depriued of his fathers goods The law commaunded not to banish bastardes but also be thruste oute of the citye and seemeth to me verye probable For when the Gileadits came vnto hym and of theyr owne accorde offred vnto hym the pryncipalytye he aunsweared Did not ye expell mee oute of the citye These woordes declare that Iiphtah was handled more seuerelye then the lawe commaunded For the law commaunded not to banishe bastardes The Gileadites aunsweare that they did so in dede but as before they coulde expel him so also nowe it was in theyr power to call him home againe and make him ruler But nowe sayth Iiphtah you call me agayne when ye are in miserye As thoughe he woulde haue saide otherwise yee woulde not haue called me againe It is so saye they and therfore we come vnto thee that thou maist fight against our enemies bicause we are afflicted But in that it is written we are turned againe we muste not so vnderstande it as though they had before bene with Iiphtah but to turne again is in this place to be referred vnto the mind as though it should haue bene sayd we haue chaunged our counsel purpose Then Iiphtah like a wise maÌ„ would not be satisfied with these words but required the couenants of the principality to be coÌ„firmed If I sayth he shal put my selfe in daunger and god shal geue vnto me the victory shall I be your hed He did not streyght way geue credite to theyr firste woordes bicause he feared least they would not kepe promise which had before doone him such hurt nether worketh he these things priuely with them but in a place most famous What place Mizpa was namely in Mizpa There in the olde time the kinges of Chanaan assembled against
also happeneth in prescriptioÌ„ when a maÌ„ is cast out of his possessioÌ„ or the matter is called into law the matter is in plead the prescription is broken Also the allowyng of the contradictory iudgement ought to be had that is that when one part alledgeth the custome and an other part denyeth it if it be pronouÌ„ced on the custome side that doth confirme it But all these thynges as I haue before sayde must be reuoked vnto the rule of the woorde of God A custome that is burdenous to the Church is not to be suffred Augustine Now this onely is to be added whiche is had Extra de Consuet chap. 1. that a custome can not be suffred if it be burdenous to the Church Augustine also coÌ„playned that in his tyme were so many new ceremonyes rites brought in that the Church was greuously burdened and the state of Christians at the tyme was nothing at all more tollerable then in the old tyme the state of the Iewes was That also we laye agaynst our aduersaryes that the Churche should not be burdened This is their owne lawe Why do they not acknowledge their owne wordes These things haue I therfore mencioned that we might vnderstand how firme an argument Iiphtah vsed of Prescription namely that the Israelites possessed that land .300 yeares whiche is much more firme and of greater force then if they had possessed it but .30 or .40 yeares Now let vs go to the other part of the chap. wherin Iyphtahs victory agaynst the Ammonites is described 29 Then the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iiphtah and he passed ouer to Gilead to Manasseh he passed ouer also Mizpa Gilead from Mizpa Gilead he went to the children of Ammon 30 And Iiphtah vowed a vowe vnto the Lorde and sayd If thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into myne hand 31 Then that thing that commeth out of the dores of my house to meete me when I returne in peace from the children of Ammon shall be the Lordes or I will offer it for a burnt offring 32 And so Iiphtah went vnto the children of Ammon to fight agaynst them and the Lord deliuered them into his handes 33 And he smote them from Aroer euen till thou come to Minnith twenty Cityes and eueÌ„ to Abel a very great region of vineyardes Thus the children of Ammon were humbled before the chyldren of Israell Two Mizpas Mizpa Gilead is an other City differyng from that Mizpa whiche lay in the tribe of Iudah The spirite of the Lord which is sayd to haue come vpon Iiphtah was the spirite of strength For there are sundry gifts of the spirite as of Wisedome of Vnderstandyng of Counsell c. Among which also is reckened the spirite of strength Wherfore the Lord gaue vnto Iiphtah this spirite that is all warlike might as well of the minde as of the body that he might valiantly execute that warre But we knowe that those giftes whiche in schooles are called gratuita that is free giftes Fre gifts iustify not do not iustifie for they happen as well to the euill as to the good But the spirit of god is three maner of wayes in men First in that he is god for so he is infinite is euery where SecoÌ„dly he is in men by fre gifts namely of miracles The holy ghost is thrâ—â— maner of wayes in meÌ„ wisedome strength c. And these two wayes he is as wel in the euill as in the good But the third way he is men by sanctification and renouation And this dwellyng of the spirite of God is to be wished for of all the godly God had before ordeyned Iiphtah to he head ouer al the people of Israell but that was vnknowen vnto the people And the Gileadites when they made Iiphtah theyr captayne thought nothyng of a Iudge whiche should gouerne all Israell Here God sheweth his iudgement when he inspired hym with the gift of strength that all men might vnderstand that God had chosen him to be captayne Neither yet do I thus say that Iiphtah had the spirite of strength as thoughe he had not also the spirit of sanctification for as much as he might haue both But being moued with this spirite of strength he went out with a great courage and finished the thing valiantly Captaines wâ—r wont to vowe But before he went to handstrokes he vowed a vow vnto god as the History declareth It was the maner of Captaines that when they should make any great warre they vowed something to God so that they got the victory In Leui we rede ofteÌ„tymes that the Romayne Captaynes vowed riche spoiles prayes temples and such like either vnto Iupiter or vnto Apollo or to other Gods So the people of god as it is written in the boke of Numbers when king Adar inuaded them they vowed to make his land Cherem Nowe also Iiphtah voweth but his vowe is confused and defineth no certayne thing VVhat soeuer saith he shall come forth that shal be the Lordes and shal be sacrificed There are some expositors whiche thinke this letter Vau otherwise a copulatiue to make in thys place a disiunction as thoughe he should haue sayd Either it shal be sacrified vnto the Lord if it be of that kynd that it may be sacrificed or if it be not yet it shal be the Lordes that is it shal be dedicated vnto the Lord. And in deede D. Kimhi is of that opinion Kimhi The like manner of speakyng is there in these wordes If a man strike father and mother he shall dye the death for there also Vau is a disiunctiue And the meanyng is If a man strike either father or mother c. Herein what I thinke I do not declare I will afterward intreate more largely of this matter It is not gathered by these wordes Iiphtah vowed not by the inspiration of the holy ghost the Iiphtah made this vowe by the inspiration of the holy ghost The spirite in deede moued hym valiantly to atchieue the enterprise yet we rede not that it moued hym to make a vowe The Latine translation hath That whiche shall first come forth but the worde first is not in the Hebrew but must nedes be vnderstand otherwise he had bound all thinges that should come forth of his house But as I haue said it is an ambigous confused vowe For what if such a thyng should haue met him as myght neither haue ben sacrificed nor dedicated to the Lorde What if a dogge had met Iiphtah at his returne as it is a louing beast and oftentymes meeteth his Lord returnyng home But it is an vncleane beast neither may it be sacrificed nor redemed with any price It is wonderfull that so great a Captayne was so ignoraÌ„t of the law of God that he vowed not more distinctly It may be sayd that the Israelites had so longe tyme worshipped Baal vnder the Ammonites and other nations that they had forgotten the worshipping of the
not such that the maydē should be bounds to be killed but that she should lyue dedicated to God and should continually geue her selfe to the worshipping of god And euen as a field or house vowed with this vowe Cherem could not be reuoked vnto the first owner so say they thys maydē being once dedicated vnto the Lord could not returne to her old estate Dauid Kimhi in defēding this sētence bringeth these reasōs First he weigheth the wordes of Iiphtah what soeuer cōmeth out of my house shal be the Lordes I will offer it for a burnt offring This letter Vau being a cōiunction copulatiue as we haue before said he thinketh to make a propositiō disiūctiue as if it should haue ben sayd If it be such a thing as may be sacrificed it shal be sacrificed but if otherwise it shal be the Lords it shal be dedicated vnto him Farther he sayth that the maydē desired space to bewayle her virginity neither is it written to bewayle her soule or life Wherfore it seemeth that she bewayled this onely that she should wāt a husbād childrē But if she should haue ben offred vp she ought chiefly to haue lamēted for her life Lastly saith he that the very wordes of the history declare this thing For it is not sayd the Iiphtah sacrificed her but did accordyng to hys vowe If he had killed her it should haue ben writtē And he offred her a burnt offring to the Lord. Of the same opiniō is R. L. ben Gerson he addeth R.L. ben Gerson that it is written in the texte And she knew no man As though hereby might be vnderstād what kind of sacrifice that was And he thinketh the Iiphtah builded a house for her where she should liue a lone he permitted her fellowe virgines once in a yeare to go and se her and bewayle her virginity together with her And afterwarde he addeth that a man so dedicated ought not to lyue without a wyfe bycause the man is not subiect vnto the wyfe Samuel although he were dedicated vnto the Lord by the decree of hys mother yet had he wyfe and children But a woman beyng so dedicated coulde not marry bycause it was necessary that she shoulde serue her husbande and if he remoued any whether she should go together with hym And therefore it is written that Iiphtah dyd vnto her accordyng vnto hys vowe and she knewe no man The same sentence Lyranus embraceth Lyra. and there are of the newe wryters whiche are of greate learnyng whiche doo followe this interpretation But Lyranus pondereth these wordes And the spirite of the Lorde came vpon hym and he sayth That that spirite would not haue suffred Iiphtah to committe this murther Farther he wryteth that there were two monethes space geuen so that he mought aske counsell of the Priests But it is not very likely that he asked not then Counsell of so weighty a matter or that they tolde hym not that he myght haue redemed hys vowe Neither is it probable that thys Iiphtah constituted any thyng rashely when as the Epistle to the Hebrues calleth hym holy If thou wilt saye He did vnto her as he had vowed but he had vowed a Sacrifice and to offer what soeuer mette hym they wyll aunswere He vowed in deede but vpon this condition so that it were lawfull But when his daughter met him either he learned or els he vnderstood that it was not lawfull Wherfore if he had killed her he had not accōplished his vowe but should haue contaminated hymselfe But on the contrary part it seemeth wonderfull that he was so abashed and rente hys garmentes if the mayden shoulde not haue bene offred vp Farther what shoulde the virgines haue lamented her For if she shoulde not haue bene slayne there seemed no iuste cause of mournyng Moreouer if her virginitye shoulde haue bene offred vnto GOD it shoulde haue bene geuen wyth a wyllynge mynde and not wyth an vnwyllyng mynde What is chiefly regarded in vowes and in rendryng vowes thys thyng was chiefely regarded to render them wyllyngly and with a chierefull mynde Besides these thynges Iiphtah had no example in the scriptures that it was lawfull for the father to binde his daughter by a vow to kepe her virginity but God contraryly promiseth aboundaunce of children vnto the obseruers of the law in Deuteronomy the .7 and Exodus the .23 Wherfore that which God promised in the place of a great benefite the same could not be hyndred by a vowe Farthermore the arguments of the Rabines are cold and weake as afterward shal be more aboundantly declared Paul in his .1 Epistle to the Corinthians the .7 chapter writeth If the father shall determine firmely in his hart hauing power ouer his owne will to keepe his virgine vnmaried he doth well c. Why writeth he hauing power ouer his owne will If the mayden her selfe will the father may kepe her vnmaried so that she consent But Iiphtah knew nothing of the will of his daughter whē he vowed wherfore he ought not to thinke his vow to be ratified when his daughter met him And if this kynd of vowe was not firme in the new testamēt it was of much les value in the olde Testament where the vowe of virginity was not knowen But of this thing I haue spoken more in my litle booke of Vowes There were other whiche thought that Iiphtah did in very dede offer the mayden which in these tymes ought not to seme so new and vnaccustomed a thing For God required of Abraham to offer his sonne and such a vow was thought of many to be most acceptable vnto God and that opinion also did spread abrode among the Ethnikes wherfore this sentence is often spoken Thou hast asswaged the windes with bloud with the virgin slayne There are workes of Poetes whiche make mencion of Pollixena Iphigenia also Historyes of the Curtians and Decians And vndoubtedly with this exposition agreeth the Chaldey Paraphrast which among the Hebrues is in a maner in the same estimation and authority that the holy scriptures are in That Paraphrast sayth that the mayden was immolated reproueth Iiphtah bycause he asked not counsell of the hyghe priest And the same thing do al the auncient Rabines thinke which also reprehēd the highe priest bicause he of his own accord went not vnto Iiphtah Iosephus also is of their opinion Iosephus Chrisostome Ierome Chrisostome also writeth many thinges of this matter but altogether farre from the History he followeth allegories so that in a maner no certaynty can be gathered out of him But Ierome writeth agaynst himselfe In his Epistle to Iulianus he sayth that Iiphtah was numbred among the sayntes bycause he offred his daughter But in his .1 boke agaynst Iouinianus he writeth after the minde of the Hebrues that bycause he made an euil vowe by the dispensatiō of god he felt his error in the death of his daughter For there mought haue
the sprite of the lord came vpon him but we haue alredy interpreted that it was the spirite of strength And although the sprite of the Lord was vpon him yet is it not of necessitye that he did all thinges by that spirite For we also which are Christians haue the sprite of Christ when as yet none of vs is renewed in all partes yea rather we all very oftentimes sinne Augustine addeth moreouer that although the fathers sometimes sinned yet if nothinge letteth but that god maye vse theyr sinnes to signifye those thinges whych myght instructe the people For god is so good that euer of sinnes he picketh out laudable commodities and maketh them alligorically to declare what semeth profitable vnto hym As in that Iudas played the whoremonger with his doughter in law it signified that god would couple vnto himself the church which before was an harlot so also maye it be that by this acte of Iiphtah he signified that god so loued mankinde that he would geue his onely begotten sonne vnto the death for it for he did not in vaine and without any cause suffer such a thing to be don by the fathers Although they greuously sinned yet god could vse their actions to the instruction of his people They were amased at the sacrifices of beasts neither did they as it was mete lift vp the eies of their minds vnto christ Wherfore god would by this meanes stirre vp the sluggish that they should be enduced by the humayne sacrifice of Iiphtahs daughter to thinke vpon Christ For he should geue his lyfe and be made a sacrifice for mankinde Farthermore Augustine toucheth a reason whereby he defendeth the acte of Iiphtah It may be said saith he that he was moued by the sprite of god to make a vow and led by the same spirite to performe it Wherfore he is the more worthy of prayse so far is it of the he shoulde be reproued But the cannot be gathered by the wordes of the history But that whych some saye as we haue before touched he wepte tare his garments and was excedingly sorye therefore he was not moued by the sprite of God God so requireth obedience that he withdraweth not affections this I saye doth not muche moue me For god so requireth of vs the duties of piety that yet he withdraweth not frō our minds humayne affections Christ himself when he should willingly go to dye for our sakes sayd for all that my soule is heauye euen to the death He prayed also father if it be possible let his cup go from me But Augustine intendeth to declare how Iiphtah might be defended which I also would gladly do if I had any part of the history to helpe me But that which followeth in Augustine is spoken to imitate Ambrose The error of Augustine For he writeth The error of Iiphtah hath some praise of faith which thinge as I haue before shewed can not be receaued For if it were an error then can it not be ascribed vnto the mocion of the holye ghoste Farther if it were sinne what praise of fayth can there be in it Because he feared not to render that which he had promised What if the vowe were not lawfull Can fayth be there praysed Moreouer he saith He declined not from the iudgemēt of God and he hoped that he would haue prohibited him frō killing of his daughter He would rather vtterly performe the will of god then contemne it These thinges were well spoken if he had bene assured of the wil of God But he was not assured of it yea rather god had otherwise prohibited it in his lawe Wherefore if it were an error it ought not to be praysed But if the spirit moued him then was there in it no error That which he afterward addeth is moste true and maketh on my syde Firste he sheweth that it was prohibited that a man shoulde kill his childrē both by the example of Abraham and by the law Farther why the maidens wept he bringeth the same reason that I brought namely both that the fathers should beware not to bynd themselues with such a vow and that so great an obedience of this mayden should not be put in obliuion These thinges wee haue out of Augustine by which woordes appeareth that he thoughte that this virgin was in very dede immolated and not compelled by the vowe of chastitye to liue alone Which sentence I my selfe also do altogether allow They which think otherwise haue not passing two or three authors but I haue many which are on my side and especially the auncient Rabbines whyche liued at that time wherin the Chaldey Paraphraste and the writinge of the Thalmut was made Reasons which confirme the interpretation For the Chaldey Paraph. affirmeth that the mayden was slayne Iosephus Ambrosius and Augustin are of the same opinion And we haue reasons not to be contemned First bicause there was no law in the old time that maydens should vow chastity yea rather it was a curse if a womā had died without children and baren Yea and god promised vnto the hebrewes if you obserue my law there shal be no barren woman among you Neyther is it very lykelye that holy men would by theyr vow hinder this promise Farther in all the scriptures reueled by god there remayneth no example of such a thinge Also by this interpretacion we should seeme after a sort to confirme monasticall vowes which ar playnly against the holy scriptures For Paule admonisheth that he which cannot containe should mary a wyfe I wil not speak how Iiphtah taried not for the consēt of the mayden before he vowed without whiche as I haue before shewed the vowe of Virginity could not be ratified I haue opened my mouth sayth he vnto the Lord and I cannot go backe Wherefore he vowed not the Virginitye of the mayden when as he asked not counsell of her To this also serueth the weeping of the Virgins and therewithall the weepinge of the mayden herselfe For she desired that shee mighte with her fellowes bewaile her Virginitye But if it were a vow why should she haue lamented it We vse to bewayle our sinnes not our vowes But the cause that moued the Rabbines Kimhi Ben Gerson was this because they wil eyther allowe or excuse the acte of Iiphtah But wee must not labor for that not that we would willinglye vncouer the defaultes of the fathers but because we see that thinges whiche are not well doone are not to be excused Moreouer also this doth not a litttle moue me bicause the Iewes at this day haue not this vowe of Virginity among them Wherefore al these reasons lead me to think that the daughter of Iiphtah was in very dede immolated But if it be demaunded whyther he sinned or no in doing this The question aunswered two wayes it may be aunswered two manner of wayes Firste bycause as he was a man so moughte hee seme as very many of the elders fel. Secōdly it may
said that he did this by the impulsion of the holy ghost not as though god would haue other men to imitate this act but that men might by it vnderstand that Christ should dye for their saluation It is indifferent for euery man to chose eyther of these aunsweres But I thinke rather he fell Nowe resteth to confute the argumentes of the Rabbines In that they say the mayden was not killed of her father but only punished with ciuil death namely that she should liue a part from the followship of men with out a husband and children it is not wel sayd bicause it can not be proued by the holy scriptures that there was any such kind of vow in the old time I know that there were Nazarites whiche abstained from wyne and stronge drinke and all drinke which would make one dronke but they abstained not from matrimony Samuel and Sampson beyng either of them a Nazarite had wiues and Samuel had children as the holy history declareth But departinges from the companye of men are not altogether to be disalowed so that of them come some fruite vnto the church Christ departed .40 dayes and fasted How departings from the company of men are allowed or disalowed but afterward he returned to instruct the people Iohn Baptiste went a parte but yet for certayne dayes baptised and preached So some of the fathers went sometime a part wher they gaue themselues both to prayers and godly meditations wherby they might returne the better instructed to preach But I can in no case allow the perpetuitye of solitarye life for wee are not borne to oure selues but to other also But that in the olde time there were some whiche were Nazarites for euer that was not don by the institution of man but by the commaundement of God which thing is written to haue happened to Sampson and Iohn Baptist Otherwise Nazarites vowed but onely for a time Wherfore that which the Rabbines clayme is false for there was no ciuill death by the law whereby men or women were for euer depriued of matrimonye Kimhi sayth that this letter Vau maketh somtimes a proposition disiunctiue I graunt that the same is found in certayne places of the scripture But it is not a fyrme argument if we shall say It is thus founde in some places therfore it is so also in this place But rather for the most part Vau maketh not a disiunctiue proposition but a copulatiue And vndoubtedly here it is brought in by exposicion It shal be the Lords sayth hee After what manner For I will offer it for a burnt offringe Farther they reason The mayden desyred space of time wherin to bewayle her virginity neither saith she her soule or life This argument hath a shew but no strength For if death be to be lamented vndoubtedlye then is it muche more to be lamented when it hath a bitter condicion annexed wyth it The mayden was sure to dye at some certaine time but that seemed vnto her very hard that she should dye without childrē Therfore that condicion is expressed which made the cause more miserable He sayth moreouer It is not writen that Iiphtah offred her for a burnte offringe but onelye that he dyd accordynge to hys vow I aunswere That there is sufficientelye sayde when it is sayde that he did according to his vow And it is often sene that in narrations the sharpest thinges are not expressed And althoughe the woordes be not all one yet is it sufficient if they be equall Leui Ben Gerson reasoneth of this that it is written and shee knewe no man Therfore sayth he she liued but maried not But this reason hath no force For this sentence is an exposition of the wordes that go before For why did the virgins bewayle her Because she was vnmaried and was not coupled to anye manne But Liranus sayth The sprite of the Lorde came vpon Iiphtah wherefore he vowed not his daughter for a burnt offring This reason Augustine as we haue hearde aunsweareth That spirite vndoubtedlye was the sprite of strength and warrelike knowledge Neither can al that Iiphtah afterward did be said to haue come from the same spiryte Moreouer sayth Liranus ther was twoo monethes space betwene wherin he asked counsel of the priestes and thei gaue him counsell to saue his daughter a Virgin Yea but the auncient Iewes affirme that he was so stubburne that he woulde not aske counsell of the priestes And for that cause he is reproued by the Chaldey Paraphrast Neither is it any newe thinge that men somtimes sinne because they thinke not that they haue nede of counsel and that is wont most of al to happen vnto princes For they haue a high mind and proude stomackes wherfore they think that they haue counsell inough But he is numbred among the sayntes To this Augustine aunsweareth also that other were also numbred amonge the Sayntes whiche yet greuouslye sinned Lastly he saith If he had sacrificed his doughter he should not haue fulfilled but contaminated his vow I graunt that Neither is it any maruaile that he erred seyng he was a man and might fall Now shoulde remayne to declare what I thinke of vowes in vniuersall but bycause of that matter I haue written aboundauntly in an other place namely in my Apology against Smith therefore I remitte the reader to reade ouer that booke ¶ The .xii. Chapter 1 ANd the men of Ephraim gathered themselues together and passed ouer Northward and sayd vnto Iiphtah Why haste thou passed ouer to fyghte agaynste the children of Ammon and haste not called vs to goe with the We will therfore burne thee and thyne house with fyre 2 And Iiphtah sayde vnto them I and my people were at greate strife with the children of Ammon and when I called you ye deliuered me not out of theyr handes 3 So when I sawe ye delyuered mee not I put my lyfe in myne handes and went vpon the children of Ammon And the Lord hath deliuered them into myne hande But why are ye come vpon me thys day to fight agaynst me 4 Then Iiphtah gathered all the men of Gilead and foughte agaynst Ephraim And the men of Gilead smote Ephraim bycause they sayd Ye Gileadites are abiectes among the Ephramites and among the Manassites 5 And the Gileadites tooke the passages of Iordan before the Ephramites And when the Ephramites that were escaped sayd Let me passe the men of Gilead sayd vnto him Art thou an Ephramite If he sayde Nay 6 Then sayde they vnto hym Say now Schiboleth but he sayde Siboleth for he coulde not so pronounce Then they tooke him and slewe hym at the passages of Iordan and there fell at that tyme of the Ephramites twoo and fourty thousand HEre is a sedicion set foorth vnto vs The Ephraits wer veri proud the cause whereof was the pride of the Ephramites whyche was so great that they thought there was nothyng which was not due vnto them Euen the lyke did they vnder Gideon as
the angel therewithall flewe away as though he caried vp the sacrifice with him into heauē An other argument is He would not haue taught vs so many and such thyngs if we should perishe He came vnto vs once or twise and instructed vs of thynges whiche we should doo Wherfore be of good comforte we shall not dye ¶ Of Sacrifice The offerer is more acceptable vnto God then the Sacrifice VNdoubtedly the womans argumentes are good out of whiche may some thynges be gathered whiche are not vnprofitable And firste that God more accepteth hym that offreth then he doth the Sacrifice yea the oblations please not hym but for the offerers sake This sentence Irenaeus proueth by the scriptures in his fourth booke and .34 chapter For God had a regarde vnto Abel and to his giftes but vnto Cain and his giftes he looked not bycause of the disposition of them that offred For looke what manner of will he that offreth hath towardes God the lyke will hath God to the oblation Christ also sayth If thou bryng thy gifte vnto the aulter and remembrest that thy brother hath somwhat agaynst thee go and reconcile thee first vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gifte As thoughe he should say If whylest thou art euill and enemy vnto god thou doest offer thyne oblation shall not be acceptable vnto God Wherfore Irenaeus concludeth Irenaeus that they are not sacrifices whiche sanctify but the conscience of him that offreth And he addeth a reason bycause God nedeth not our Sacrifice Among men the euill may oftentymes be absolued bycause men are sometimes couetous and nedy and are easely wonne with money But if it happen the Iudge to be both iuste and good he will reiecte the money neither wyl he suffer his equity after that manner to be blotted So God bycause he can not be wonne by flattery obserueth the mindes of men and not the Sacrifices In Esay the .66 chapter he sayth He that sacrificeth a shepe is as if he slewe a dog not that god hateth sacrifices in vniuersal but bycause he alloweth not the oblations of euill men I haue the largelier spoken thinges bicause the papistes boast that in masses they offer Christ vnto God the father which thinge if it should be graūted then must god the father more esteme a noughty sacrificer then he doth his sonne But this woman reasoneth most wittely God hath receaued our sacrifice therfore he is not angry neyther wil he destroy vs. We count the sacrifices of christians to be a contryte heart prayers The sacrifices of Christians geuinge of thankes almes mortifienge the affections of the fleshe and suche like These are lefte vnto vs after the abrogation of the carnall sacrifices that wee shoulde offer them as the fruites of our faythe and testimonies of a thankefull minde But as touching the pacifieng of God Christe offred himselfe once vpon the crosse neither is there any nede that any man should offer him againe For by an oblation he accōplished al thinges Now remayneth that we embrace his sacrifice with fayth and we shall haue God mercifull vnto vs who of his goodnes will by Christ accept those sacrifices which we haue now made mencion of But Augustine contra literas Parmeniani in his .2 booke and .8 chapter seemeth at the fyrst sight to make agaynst vs. Augustine For the Donatistes woulde not communicate with the other Christians because they counted them defiled and vnpure and they cited a place out of Iohn Wee knowe that God heareth not sinners Your men sayd they haue betrayed the holye bookes haue burnte incense vnto Idoles haue denied god how then wil god heare them Augustine aunswereth that it may be that an euill minister although he be not hearde for his owne cause yet when he prayeth for the people he maye be hearde And he confirmeth his sentēce by the example of Balaam for he being a most wicked man prayed vnto god and was heard But if a man diligentlye examine these thinges he shall finde that Augustine is not against vs although at the first sight he semeth a little to presse vs. When he had sayde that the euill ministers also are heard The publike prayers of the minister are the prayers of the Church hee strayghteway addeth that that is not done for their wickednes sake but bicause of the fayth and deuotion of the people whereby wee gather that althoughe the minister be the guide in woordes yet are they not his prayers but the prayers of the Churche For there muste bee one certayne manne whiche maye conceaue the prayers for the reste leaste in the multitude shoulde rise a confusion or tumulte if euerye manne shoulde by his owne woordes poure out prayers aloude in the Church Wherfore the minister is a certayn mouth of the church The Myniste◠is the mouth of the church Therefore if he bee euill it is not he which is heard but the faythfull people which speake by his woordes This thinge taughte Augustine when he writeth that an euill minister is hearde not for his wickednes but for the fayth and deuotion of the people Hereby are we admonished that whilest we are presente at publike prayers wee muste take verye diligente heede and determine that those prayers whyche are recited are ours How it is sayd that Balaam was heard But Balaam by a certayne forme of prayer prophesied and therefore his woordes are called a blessinge bycause he prophesied happye thinges vnto the people of god And hee was not moued vnto these prayers of his owne will but by the sprite of god Wherfore hee was not hearde but the holye ghoste was the true authour of hys woordes That whiche is alledged out of Iohn God heareth not sinners Augustine sayth that that was not the saying of Christ Whyther God heareth sinners but of the blind mā which was no◠yet fully illustrate Wherefore he affirmeth that sentence not to be true in vniuersal For as they define the prayers of peruerse ministers ar somtimes hard because they are of the church But as touching the oblation of Christ I do not think that the papists wil graunt that the whole church offreth it whē as they wil haue that to be peculiar to the massemongers And though they should graunte that yet is not the whole Churche greater or more acceptable vnto god then Christ bicause he is not acceptable vnto god for the churches sake but the church is acceptable vnto god for Christes sake But to returne to the saying of Iohn that God heareth not sinners addinge a profitable distinction we maye thus expound it A distinction of sinners There are some sinners whiche fall of weakenes or sinne of ignorance which yet afterward acknowledge themselues are sory and repent faythfully But there are other which sinne without conscience want fayth neyther are they led with anye repentance The fyrste sorte bicause they haue fayth are heard the other forasmuch as they want
fayth do in vayne poure out theyr prayers What manner of one the publicane was when he prayed But if a man will obiecte the Publicane who being a sinner prayed vnto god and departed iustified I aunswere that that publicane was in suche sorte a sinner that yet when he prayed he was not without fayth yea rather he prayed with fayth otherwise god would not haue heard his prayers And vndoubtedly Iames doth right wel admonishe vs when he sayth Pray hauing faith In sum that sentence is firme and perfecte wherin it is sayde whatsoeuer is offred vnto God for a sacrifice the same is acceptable vnto him if faythe and iustification of him that offreth go before A verye subtile cauilacion Some do cauile of the fyrst acte of fayth whereby we begynne fyrst to assente vnto god and they doubt whither it be acceptable vnto god or no. Vndoubtedly before it he is an enemy which now beginneth to beleue Then say they if that fyrst consente be acceptable vnto God then accepteth he the gifte of an enemye But if it be not acceptable then it iustifieth not To this I aunswer two wayes Fyrst that men are not iustified of the worthinesse of the acte of fayth but of the firme promise of god which faith embraceth Farther when any man first assenteth and beleueth then is he first made of an enemy a friende and although before he was an enemy yet so sone as he beleueth he is made a friend and ceaseth to be an enemy Plato But that which we haue before concluded that he which offreth is more acceptable vnto God then the gift the Ethnikes also sawe For Plato in Alcibiade maketh mencion that the Athenienses vpon a time made war againste the Lacedemonians and when they were ouercome they sente messengers vnto Iupiter Ammon by whom they sayd that they marueiled for what cause where as they hadde offred so greate giftes vnto the Godes and theyr enemies on the contrary side sacrificed sparingly and sclenderly and yet had they the victorye ouer them Ammon aunswered that the gods more estemed the prayers of the Lacedemonians then the moste fatte sacrifices of the Athenienses For when they burnt Oxen vnto theyr Gods in the meane time they thought nothinge of theyr soules So in Homere Iupiter speaketh that the Gods are not moued with the smoke and smel of sacrifices when as they hated Priamus and the Troyanes Wherfore the Ethnikes vnderstoode that which the Papists at this day see not which thynke that theyr blinde sacrificer though he be neuer so vnpure and vngodly doth yet with his hands offer vp Christ vnto god the father Now let vs see the other argument of this woman God would neuer haue shewed vs these thinges if he woulde haue killed vs Forasmuche as hee is not wont to make hys enemies of his coūcel Thus the wife of Manoah comforteth her fearefull husband But this argument seemeth somewhat obscure when as Balaam althoughe he were vngodlye was not ignorante of the Councelles of GOD. Chryste also sayth Manye shall saye vnto mee in that daye haue wee not Prophesyed in thy name To these thynges I aunsweare that GOD didde not onelye foretell vnto them thynges that should come to passe for the deliuerye of the people but also of the childe whiche they should receaue and of his education Wherefore seying he vsed them as fellowe workemen it was a certayne argument that god had not appointed strayghteway to kyll them Neyther speaketh she here of eternall life but of this earthlye and corruptible life And the childe grew and his name was called Samson Hereby we know that Zorah was the name of the place where Samsons fathers was borne Samson This Hebrew word Shemesch signifieth the sunne being therefore so called as though he wer of the sunne but for what cause he was so called it is not known I meruaile that Iosephus interpreteth Sampson for stronge or mightye Iosephus vndoubtedly such an Etimology agreeth not with the Hebrew word But he oftentims goeth from the historye And in this place also he sayth that the woman prayed when as that is not founde in the text God blessed Samson That is bestowed and heaped benefites vpon hym The sprite of God That is the sprite of strength and mighte began to strengthen him In the host of Dan. The history speketh thus by reason of those times The tribe of Dan had not yet obteined possession in the land of promes but they wer in tents and fought against theyr enemyes R.D. Kimhi R.D. Kimhi sayth that they did thē besiege the city of Lais. Wherefore he being a younge man was together with thē in the hoste The Hebrew worde is Paam and it signifieth to be moued to be striken at certayne tymes not perpetually but by courses He being a yonge man was moued and waxed hote to fyght the more vehemently against his enemies And his impulsions bycause they were of God therefore are they ascribed vnto the spyrite But bicause wee are alreadye come vnto the ende of thys chapter before we enter into the next there are certayne thinges whych are to be marked Fyrst hereby we gather a most sure argumēt with how singuler a care god gouerneth his church For although the Iewes had greuously sinned yet had god a regard to theyr health sendeth thē a captain which should deliuer them foretelleth what things should come to pas least they should seme to haue happened by chaunce Farther he woulde haue the childe to be a Nazarite Outward thynges are not to be neglected and to haue his heare to grow and to abstaine from wine and stronge drinke Wherefore we are taught that these outward thinges are not vtterly vaine but may be applied vnto the glory of god Men are wont sometimes to say when they are admonished of outward thinges What doth god regard these thinges In dede we know also that in those thinges is no holinesse to be put Howebeit we muste take heede that both in liuinge and in apparell and in going also in all gesture and in habite we behaue our selues comely both before God and also before the churche not superstitiously but holily that our modesty may aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and his holy Gospel Farthermore let vs here consider that the wife helpeth the husband with her councell For although by the ordinarye lawe it is not lawfull for women to preach and teache in an assembly yet are they not so destitute of the gratious gifts of God but that they may instruct theyr husbands with good counsels ¶ Of the visions of Aungels THe nexte thinge is that I somewhat intreate of the visions of Aungels For as we haue now heard an Aungel appeared vnto Manoah and oftentimes in other places as the scriptures declare aungels haue bene sene of men But it may be demaunded howe they appeared whither with any bodye or els onely in phantasye And if it were with a bodye whither it were with theyr
The summe of the opinion of Tertulian but in the substaunce of men I could rehearse mo thinges out of Tertulian but these seeme sufficient for this present purpose In summe he thinketh that Aungels haue bodies but yet straunge bodies and not their own For their proper bodies as he thinketh pertaine vnto the spirituall kinde Secondlye he sayth that those straunge bodies which they take are created either of nothing or els of some matter which shall seme good vnto God Thirdly he affirmeth that they were true perfect and humane bodies and not vayne or fayned but of a true flesh and not of a flesh onely appearing so that of men they might be both touched and handled to the end he might both remoue dissimulation from God and also confirme the veritye of humane flesh in Christ Wherby is concluded that the humane senses wer not deceaued concerning these thinges as the Papistes contende that the senses are deceaued concerning the bread and wyne of the Eucharist But Origene in hys booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is cited of Ierome agaynste Iohn byshop of Ierusalem thought farre otherwise Origene For wher we say that the visions of Aungels may be imagined three maner of wayes namely either in fantasye or in body but not humane or lastly in a true and humane body he taketh a certaine meane and sayth that the bodies of Aungels wherein they offer them selues to be sene are neyther perfect nor humane nor also fantasticall but onelye bodyes and that he applyeth to them that ryse agayne For in the resurrection sayth he we shall haue bodies but yet onely bodies not bones not synewes not fleshe And in deede there is some difference betwene a bodye and fleshe Al flesh is a body but not euery body is flesh for all fleshe is a body but not euery body is flesh Suche a difference touched Paule to the Collossians saying Being reconciled in the body of hys fleshe And in the seconde chapter In the spoyling of the body of the flesh of synne And in the Symbole also we say that we beleue in the resurrection of the fleshe and not of the bodye Origene sayde that he sawe twoo extreme errours One was of them which sayde there is no resurrection suche as were the Valentinians and Marcionites suche also was Alexander who as Paule testifieth taught that the resurrection was already done and suche also as at this day the Libertines are sayde to be who babble I cannot tell what of that matter both vngodlâ—ly and vnlearnedly An other errour is of those which thinke that the perfecte and true bodyes shall ryse agayne with fleshe synewes and bones whych thing as hee saythe is not possible bycause fleshe and bloode shall not possesse the kyngdome of heauen But Origene ought to haue considered what followeth afterward in Paul For he addeth Neyther shall corruption possesse incorruption Wherefore hys sentence is that the corruptible body cannot possesse the kingdome of God But Origene to retayne that hys meaning confessed that the bodyes shoulde ryse in deede but not thycke and with bones but spirituall as Paule hath sayde The body shall ryse spirituall But Origene in those woordes marketh not that Paule calleth it a spiritual bodye not bicause it shoulde vtterlye bee chaunged into a spirite but bycause it should haue spiritual condicions namely incorruption and most cleare brightnes But bycause he perceaued that the body of Christ which after his resurrection he offered vnto hys Disciples to be touched and to be felt was against hys doctrine therefore he sayth Let not the bodye of Christe deceaue you bycause it had manye synguler priuiledges whiche are not graunted vnto other bodyes Farther that by this dispensacion he might prooue that he verelye was rysen he would after hys resurrection haue a true bodye not that other bodies in the resurrection shoulde be lyke But he shewed the nature of his spirituall body in Emaus when he vanished awaye from the sight of hys Disciples And an other tyme when he entred to his Disciples the doores being shut Ierome thus opposeth himselfe agaynst these thynges Ierome If Christe sayth he after hys resurrection dyd eate in verye deede then had he also a true bodye but if not how prooued he by a false thyng the truth of hys body But in that he vanished awaye from the syght of the Disciples that was not by the nature of the body but by the deuine power For in Nazareth when the people woulde haue stoned him he wythdrewe himselfe from their eyes And that whiche might bee done of a Cuniurer shall we thynke that the Sonne of God cannot doo For Apollonius Thianaeus Apollonius Thianaeus when hee was brought into the Counsell before Domitian foorthwyth vanished awaye And that that thyng in Christe was not by the nature of the bodye but by the power of GOD it is declared by that whyche wente before in the same Hystorye For when hee was in the way wyth hys Disciples their eyes wer holden that they coulde not know hym But in that Origene sayth that the body of Christ was spirituall bicause he entred in Now the body of christ entred the dores being shut the doores being shut Ierome aunswereth that the creature gaue place vnto the Creator c. Wherefore the bodye of Christe pearsed not throughe the myddest of the boordes and postes so that twoo bodies were together in one and the selfe same place but herein happened the miracle bicause the very boordes of the doore gaue way vnto the body of Christ The bodye of Christ weÌ„t not out of the sepulchre it beyng shut Leo. Farther that which some obiect that the body of Christ went out of the Sepulchre it being shut that also is not of necessitye to be beleued but wee maye thinke that the stone was roled away before he went foorth And least a man shoulde thynke that I fayne those thynges lette hym reade the .lxxxiii. Epistle of Leo ad Episcopos Palaesthinos The fleshe sayth he of Christ whych went out of the Sepulchre the stone being roled away The bodyes of angels wherin they appeared were true and humane c. Nowe to returne to the purpose bycause I haue sayde that the bodyes of Aungels may be thought to haue bene eyther fantasticall or spirituall or els perfect and in verye deede humane the twoo first partes are reiected then resteth that the bodies of Aungels wherein they appeare are true and humane Whiche thing I affirme onelye to bee true for as muche as Aungels were so sene The visions of Prophets wer somtime imaginatiue that they wrastled wyth men and offered their feete to be washed Neyther doo I iudge that it is lawfull there to saye that the humane senses were deceaued when as the thinges were outwardlye done But I doo not denye but that there somtimes happened imaginatiue appearinges vnto the prophetes when as they sayd that they sawe God or the Cherubin or
vndoubtedlye is an easye interpretacion Leui ben Gerson For that is not sufficient whych Leui ben Gerson bringeth that those young men committed aduoutry with the mayden and by that abuse vnderstoode the ryddle of Samson For if this thing had happened Samson woulde not haue retayned her in matrimony When they had absolued the riddle nothing remained but that Samson should pay vnto them the wager And that price would he pay vnto the Philistines of the goods and riches of other Philistines The miserable woman feared that if she had not shewed vnto the young men the secrete of her husband she should with all her famely haue bene burnt But by thys meanes she did in very deede get vnto her selfe burning For as wee shall heare when Samson had inferred grieuous euyls vnto the Philistianes they not suffring the iniuries assembled a power and burnt the house of hys wyues father So the mayden fell into the pyt which she had made And hys wrath was kyndled namelye against his wyfe But why did Samson require secretnes of her which he himself could not keepe He ought to haue kept scilence and not haue reuealed vnto her the secrete if he woulde haue had hys secretes kept close Farther as touching the murther of the Philistians yf we thynke of Samson as of some priuate man hee can by no meanes be excused For it is lawfull for no priuate manne to spoyle and kyll others to paye hys owne debtes wythall But bycause as the hystorye teacheth he was stirred vp to doo this by the impulsion of the holy ghost therfore ought he not to be accused For it is written And when the spirite of the Lord came vpon hym he went downe to Ascalon c. Therefore we wil not reproue Samson but yet we wil not draw his act into an example But this let vs imitate to suffer our selues to be the instrumentes of the spirite of God let vs with a valiaunt and bold minde follow him being our guide For although Samson should fyght at one time against .xxx. men yet bicause he was driuen by the spirite of God hee was nothing afearde He tooke away the spoyles Celiphoth that is their vppermost chaungeable garmentes which he had taken away from them which he had slaine But ther is mencion made that he payd onely Celiphoth neither is there any thing spoken of the linnen sheetes which yet ought by the bargain to be payde The Hebrues thinke that here is vsed the figure Synechdoche that by part is vnderstād the whole Dauid Kimhi saith he would not pay the whole bicause they came to the knowledge of the riddle by euil artes but yet that they should not altogether complaine of his faith he gaue them part There ariseth a doubt bicause Samson was a Nazarite by his profession it was not lawful for him to drinke wine nor to cut his heare How it was lawful for Sāson to handle dead Carkases being a Nazarite nor to touche any dead corps But he must nedes touch their bodies whom when he had slaine he stripped out of their clothes Ther are diuers sundry answers brought Some say he was a Nazarite but not as touching this third condicion For the Angell onelye admonished his Parentes that he shoulde drinke no wyne nor pole hys head but commaunded nothing for touching of dead bodies But other say that he did in deede kil the Philistians but yet he stripped of their garmēts while they were yet breathing and on lyue And there are some which thinke that hee caused that one or twoo of them which wer left a lyue should strippe the other and should go free for their labour But these seeme mere faininges The difficultye may be dispatched by one woord a Nazarite was bound by religion not of hys owne accorde to touche dead bodies But this man was moued by the spirite of God neither did he these thinges of his own wyl Wherefore the commaundement of the religion of a Nazarite ought in this steede to geue place vnto the holy ghost I am not ignorant how men doo easely maruaile that the holye ghost would mingle it selfe with playes and trifles of yong men For that can scarcely seeme to be agreable vnto the maiesty of God Let humane reason meruayle at these thinges as much as it list The prouidēce of God vseth things though they bee neuer so lyght yet is it nothing contrary vnto the maiestye of God if it mingle it self with thinges neuer so light For hereby the prouidēce of God appeareth more bright when men vnderstande that it also conuerteth thinges most base and most light vnto the glory of the name of God For for a man with apt and meete instruments to bring any thing to passe it is no great matter but with thinges vnapt and deformed to fabricate any excellent thyng this seemeth to pertaine to a cunning woorkeman These thinges seme in deede to be light but what is more light then dreames whiche yet God vseth to the glory of his name as the history of Pharao and Nabuchad-Nezar doo manifestly declare But what doo I speake of Kinges God would by dreames exalt Ioseph being a prisoner and poore man vnto a kingdome So woulde he haue the inheritaunce of Esau turned vnto Iacob in a maner by a play And by fraud the blessing was wrested by Iacob from Isaac couering his handes necke with Goates skyns Yea and also the spirit of God mingleth it self somtimes with the plaies and verses of Poetes when as they how soeuer they seeme to play do yet sometimes write true profitable and graue thinges And that those thinges are of God no man ought to doubt Let this be had for certaine that all thynges doo obey vnto God dreames playes light thinges graue thinges and noble He is the ruler and gouernour of al thinges wherefore no man ought to bee offended when hee heareth these thinges God seemeth more and more to increase the strength of Samson for before being vnarmed he fought with a Lyon which assuredly was a great thing But this is much greater to fight at one time wyth xxx men God would so exercise him that he should geue ouer him selfe wholye to the counsell of the spirite Samsō ought not so lyghtlye to haue gon frō hys wyfe Samson being angrye with his wife bicause she had vttered the riddle vnto the young men departed from her which his fact ought not to bee allowed For he oughte not so lightlye to haue seperate himselfe from his wife It was his part to correcte her and if neede had beene to chasten her Neyther had thys departure good successe For when he was gone the father gaue his daughter vnto an other husband namely to the fellow of Samson and paranimphe whyche had ioyned himselfe a companion vnto him in the mariage The mayden sawe she had grieuously offended her husband wherfore she fearing his fiercenes desireth her father to prouide her an other husband For it
onely lodged in her house But the Philistines whē they heard of it did secretly enuirō the city in the night season for they would make no noyse for waking of Samson beyng on sleepe for they durst not set vpon hym in the darke for that they knew him to be most strong They taried till it was day neither doubted they that he could escape being so on euery side enclosed and besieged Liranus thinketh Lyrauus that the Philistines drew not Samson out of his lodging bycause peraduēture in that region it was a law that men should be safe in their lodgyngs But I meruayle that Ambrose sayth that the Philistines besieged the house where Samson was Ambrose when as in the Hebrew we manifestly rede that they besieged the City Samson came and tooke the doores caried them away with him So he despised his enemies neither was there any that durst withstand hym Neither yet must we thinke that that was the strength of a man Things are to be iudged by the worde of God and not by the successe but of the spirit of God But we must not therfore affirme that God fauored whooredome bycause in iudging of thinges we must not haue a regard to the successe Dauid also filthily cōmitted aduoutry and at the same tyme wherin he grieuously sinned he conquered Rabbah the City of the Ammonites Salomon had fellowship with idolatrous women and yet all thinges in a maner went with hym as he would desire Wherfore as touchyng actions we must not iudge of them by ententes Wherfore in Ecclesiastes it is rightly sayd that the selfe same thinges happē vnto the euill that do happen vnto the good therfore of thē the loue or hatred of God toward vs is not knowen Neither by the euentes may we iudge who is godly or who is vngodly We must iudge by the worde of God The things that agree with it are good the thinges that disagree are vngodly But in that God doth not strayghtway take vengeance he therefore doth it to call vs backe to repentaunce Wherfore it is our part to see that we heape not vnto our selues anger in the day of anger as Paul sayth vnto the Romaines Samson escaped the daunger caried away the gates of the City vnto a montayne that they might be a wonder and that the Philistines might see how great strength there was in the God of Israel yea that the Iewes also might beholde so notable an acte of God For that montayne was in the middest betwene Gaza Hebron whiche the Hebrues inhabited By that spectacle it came to passe that the courages of the Philistines were daunted but the Hebrues wer boldned We may not as I haue often admonished thinke of Samson as of a priuate man for he was a Magistrate appointed by God and not by men For if he had ben a priuate man his actes could not be allowed for it is wicked to violate the walles gates of Cities Which thing was also prohibited by the Romaine lawes In the digestes de rerum diuisione in the lawe sanctum and in the law sacrum it is had that some thinges are sacred some thinges religious and some thinges holy Thinges sacred as the alters and temples of the gods Religious as the sepulchers of the dead holy as those things which are by lawes defended from the iniuryes of men as gates walles In the same title also it is red Gates walls of cities are by the lawes coūted as holy These thynges are holy which are neither sacred nor prophane but confirmed and defended by lawes that they should not be violated As if a man should do this thing or that thing he should suffer this or that In the same title in the law Si quis the violating of the walles is made death Wherfore Remus was put to death Why Remus was killed of Romulus bycause he went ouer the walles of his brother Which selfe same thing is decreed of prisons as it is written in the title de Effractoribus in the law .1 And in the title de custodia Exhibitione in the lawe in cos Prisons ar not to be violated Howbeit if the doore were but slenderly shut and any manne had fled he was more lightely punished but yet in suche sorte that he shoulde be counted for a condemned person althoughe otherwyse he were innocent Socrates when he was in prison mought haue escaped he would not An example of Socrates least he should seme to haue violated the lawes It was obiected vnto hym Thou art wrongfully held in prison But he aunswered we must not by iniury put away iniury bycause to do iniury is alwayes euill He also tooke an argument of an exāple For wise men ought not to open this window vnto other Which other would easely imitate if they should flye out of prisō Farther if all mā should by thēselues remedy iniuryes breakes prisons what manner of publique wealth would there be at the length Moreouer hereby we should seme to feare death more then is mete But we must not so be afeard of death to violate lawes and rightes Lastly we must not doubt but that good men fall into the handes of tyrannes by the will of God Wherfore they ought not by an vniust way to deliuer themselues thereout Neither ought any man to obiect vnto vs Peter for he fled not but was by an angell brought foorth by the will and commaundement of God Let vs rather see what Paul and Silas did in pryson they would not flye when they might It is not lawfull for bounde seruauntes to flye from their masters It is not lawfull also for bondeseruants to fly from their masters And vndoubtedly Paul sent home agayn Onesimus vnto Philemon What if the bondeseruant feared fornication or murther at his masters hand It was lawfull for him to flye vnto sanctuary or to the image of the prince there was he holpen by the lawes and the vniust Lord was compelled to sell his bondseruāt But a Citizen for as much as he is free Free men may chaunge theyr abydynges for iust causes neither is held in prison bycause by the lawes he may dwell where he will for him it is lawfull to chaunge his abyding go whether he please But that whiche Samson did must not be followed neither drawen into an example For he as we haue often sayde was appoynted a Magistrate by God and was most certayne of his vocation 4 And afterwarde he loued a woman by the brooke Sorek whose name was Delila 5 And the Lordes of the Philistines came vp vnto her and said vnto her Deceaue him and see wherin his great strength lyeth and by what meanes we may preuayle agaynste hym that when we haue bound him we may afflicte him And we will euery one of vs geue thee a thousand one hundreth peces of Siluer 6 And Delila sayd to Samson tell me I praye thee wherein thy greate strength
lyue by It is sayeth Paul in this lyfe but in the blessed resurrection GOD shall destroye both the meate and the belly Wherefore thou muste not so muche esteme them that for theyr cause thou shouldest offende thy brother It is not vniuersally commaunded to absteyne from all meate but from that onely wherby thy weake brother is offended But as touchyng fornications sayeth he whiche ye contemne the reason is farre otherwyse Your body is not geuen for fornication but for the Lorde And this is not to bee passed ouer that Paul with greate prudence sayeth not not for procreation but not for fornication For the body is geuen also for procreations sake Men are went oftentymes to excuse their faultes and to laye them vpon nature The nature of the body sayeth he is to bee geuen vnto the Lord. Wherfore of it is to be taken the rule of life and not of euil examples The nature of relatiues This is the nature of relatiues not onely of suche as in that thyng that they are are referred vnto other but also of those whiche are by any meanes referred vnto an other thynge as the head vnto the body and agayne the body to the head For when we see the head we straightwaye require the body and agayne when we see the body we require the head Suche relatiues as the Logitians saye are called secundum dici The Lorde is the head of the body of the Churche and it is the body of that head Wherfore Paul both wisely and pithely disputeth when he sayth The body is not made to thys end and to pollute it selfe with lustes but to bee correspondent vnto the head and to bee conformable vnto it And he addeth GOD whiche hath raysed vp Christe shall rayse vs vp also by his powre The firste argument was taken from relatiues The seconde is drawen of GOD. For if he wyll rayse vp our bodyes as he hath raysed vp Christe why doo we then defile them with ignominy He goeth on and sayeth doo ye not knowe that your bodyes are the members of Christe Shall I then take the member of Christe and make it the member of an harlot Vndoubtedly a sore conclusion whiche he concludeth Shall I take sayeth he the member of Christe As thoughe he shoulde haue sayde No without doubt for this were to teare the body of Christe And it is a thynge moste cruell to plucke awaye the members from a lyuely body and to ioyne them vnto a rotten or dead body But the strength of the reason consisteth herein Christe can not commit fornication wherefore if thou wilte commit fornication thou must firste be plucked from Christe Here is shewed that fornication is not onelye a sinne but also a deadly and moste grieuous synne whiche plucketh vs awaye from Christe Afterwarde he addeth He whiche coupleth hymselfe vnto an harlot is made one body For they shal be two in one fleshe And He whiche is ioyned with God is one spirite This place is most full of consolation for as much as it declareth that we are most nigh ioyned vnto Christ from whom we must nedes be first plucked away before we be made the members of an harlot He whiche cleaueth vnto an harlot is made one body For they shal be two in one fleshe The Apostle seemeth at the first sight to abuse the wordes of Genesis For he transferreth thē to whooredome whiche are spoken of matrimony For these wordes were spokē first of Adam and Eue bycause the fleshe of Eue was before in the flesh of Adam from whom God tooke a ribbe and made therof a woman which he agayne adioyned vnto Adam to be with hym one flesh But in very deede the Apostle abuseth not this sentence for as much as whooredome is a certayne corruption of matrimony for one thing is common to them both namely the coniunction of the fleshe For bodyes are communicated as well here as there Wherfore Paul had a respect vnto that whiche is common to them both when as yet thys difference is there betwene them that in whooredome the coniunction is agaynst the lawe of God and therfore fornicators must be plucked a sonder otherwise there is lefte no hope of saluation for them But in matrimony the coniunction is made by GOD and therfore it is made an indissoluble knot Wherefore seyng that the coniunction is in either all one and the selfe same Paul hath ryghtly applyed that sentence to whooredome He whiche cleaueth vnto God is one spirite These woordes serue muche vnto this present matter For if we be with God in spirite we muste with earnest labor flye from those thinges whiche he hath prohibited Wherfore aptly the Apostle hath added flye whooredome He sayth moreouer Euery sinne that a mā committeth is without the body but he whiche committeth whooredome sinneth agaynste hys owne body If the argumentes whiche I haue before brought do not moue you yet at the least haue a respecte vnto your owne body whiche ye seeme in committyng of fornication to hate and contemne But it maye be demaunded howe other sinnes are without the body but by fornication we sinne agaynst our owne body For we doubte not but that he whiche is very angry noorisheth and augmenteth choler whereby the body is not a litle hurte Sickenes also doth very muche weaken the body wherefore Salomon sayeth A sad spirite dryeth vp the bones Dronkennes also and glotony doo hynder health and doo in a manner vtterly destroye the body yea and enuious persons seeme also to sinne agaynst theyr owne bodyes For thou shalt see them dryed withered and in a manner kylled with leannes Howe can it be then that other sinnes are without the body Some saye that fornicators doo sinne agaynst their owne body bycause very oftentymes by hauyng fellowshyp with harlots they are infected with the pockes with leprosie But let other say what they will I rather thinke that the Apostle had a respect vnto those thynges which went before For he had sayd that the fornicator is made one body with the harlot he seemeth to sinne grieuously against the dignity of his body A Similitude which maketh it all one with the most vyle filthy body of an harlot For if a kyng or prince should mary a wife of a base and obscure stocke it would be said that he had contaminated his kinred I know that there are some which thinke that these wordes are spoken Hiperbollically bycause there are found other sinnes also whiche do hurt the body but this hurteth it most grieuously and most of all The same Paul doth still go on and sayth do ye not know that your bodyes are the tēple of the holy Ghost And assuredly he which destroyeth the tēple of God God wil destroy him As though he should haue sayd ye haue not your bodies of your selues but of god God hath made them his temple and the holy ghost dwelleth in them Ye are not your owne Wherefore ye doo not a litle violate
of Dan sought theÌ„ an inheritauÌ„ce to dwell in for vnto that tyme their inheritauÌ„ce had not fallen vnto them among the tribes of Israel 2 Therfore the childreÌ„ of Dan sent of their famely fyue men out of their coastes valiaunt men out of Zora and Eshtaol to vew the land and diligently to searche it out they sayd vnto them Go searche out the land Then they came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micha and lodged there 3 And when they were nyghe the house of Micha they knewe the voyce of the younge man the Leuite and they turned in there and sayd vnto hym who brought thee hyther What makest thou here and what hast thou to doo here 4 And he aunswered them Thus and thus doth Micha vnto me and hath hyred me to be his Priest 5 And they sayd vnto him Aske counsell I praye thee of God that we may know whither he will prosper the way wherby we walke 6 And the Priest sayd vnto them Go in peace Your waye whereby ye walke is before the Lord. In that it is sayd there was no kyng in Israell is signified that it is not to bee meruayled The Danites were left destitute of their brethren that Religion and the Publique wealth was then troubled There was no Magistrate which shuld iustly haue punished these sinnes By this place is vnderstand that the Danites wer left destitute of their brethreÌ„ when they should get their possession whiche thinge vndoubtedly should not haue bene done for they ought euery tribe one to haue helped an other in getting their inheritauÌ„ce For so had Moses Iosuah prescribed them before but the Israelites forgettyng theyr brethren studyed euery man by himselfe for his owne commodity and profite The vtility of a Magistrate Hereof sprang Idolatry and the takyng away of other mens goods bycause there was neither kynge nor Magistrate to restrayne these euilles Hereby we maye knowe howe muche a Magistrate is to be made of Who if he bee good then keepeth in he good order both the publique wealth the worshyppyng of god For he is the keeper as wel of the first table as also the latter Neither hath he a care onely for the bodyes of his Citezins but also for their soules And howe ill soeuer the Magistrate be yet to defende the common society of men he many wayes profiteth the publique wealth But now al things were decayed bycause the publique wealth was destitute both of a king also of a Magistrate They were not depriued of this good thyng by the institution of God but by theyr owne sinne whereby they were deliuered into the power of the Philistines An obiectioÌ„ touching the primitiue Churche But thou wilt say did not Christian men so in the primitiue Churche For they had not their Magistrates but were most cruelly vexed of tyrannes That is true in deede but in the meane tyme they had very excellent Ministers of the Churche and therewith all most aboundaunt and greate benefites of the holy ghost And when the Apostles wrought wonderfull miracles there seemed to be the les want of a Christian Magistrate Paul by a great power of the holy Ghost made blind Elimas the sorcerer Heresies increase vnles the Magistrate represse them Peter slewe Ananias and Saphira They deliuered vnto SathaÌ„ such as were past correction Howbeit in the meane tyme increased many heresies bycause there was no Magistrate to keepe them downe euen as now in Israel when they wanted their princes Idolatry crept in Afterward wer geuen vnto the Church both Christian princes Magistrates and therewithall there ceased such giftes of the holy Ghost bycause they seemed not so necessary when Christian Schooles Christian Phisitions and Christian Iudges happened vnto the Churche ¶ Of the head of the Churche THis place the Papistes obiect vnto vs An obiection of the Papistes thinke that it maketh very much to establish their tyraÌ„ny Se say they hereof sproÌ„g so many sectes heresies amoÌ„g you bycause ye haue not an Ecclesiastical Magistrate for that ye haue fallen froÌ„ the onely head of the Church Wherfore that the state of the Churche may be the quieter there must be one head therof in earth But we neither wil nor may suffer this bycause it is manifestly repugnant vnto the word of God We acknowledge one head of the Church that is Christ from whom we fele that both lyfe spirite floweth and spreddeth abrode into all the rest of the body But they say there must also be an other head of the Church For Christ say they is the head as touching the soule and iustification But there must be an other head also concernyng the retayning of outward rites and ceremonies for the wedyng out of heresies to vnite Churches together To this we say that it is sufficient that euery Church haue his minister or Byshop who may dispense the word of God and the Sacramentes retayne discipline as much as may be But that there should be some one man to gouerne all the rest neither is it necessary neither ought it to be suffred bycause as I haue sayd the head is from whence lyfe and spirite is deriued into all the body And such a head is Christ onely God woulde haue in the Churche not one Minister onely but many And we must marke the institution of GOD who would haue many Ministers in the Churche For so is it written vnto the Ephesians Christ hath ascended into heauen and hath led captiuity captiue and geuen gyftes vnto men And that we should vnderstande howe he hath geuen them it is added Some he hath gâ—uen Apostles some he hath geuen Prophetes some Euangelistes some Pastors and teachers for the renewyng of the saintes into the worke of administration for the edification of the body of Christ wherfore to builde the body of Christ God wil haue many and sundry gyftes of the spirite and Ministeryes retayned in the Churche Let these men euery one execute his office let them conferre together if there happen any controuersy and if neede be let them assemble together to Synodes But that euery controuersy should be referred vnto the Byshoppe of Rome and that all men shoulde obey the Pope onely it is intollerable and vtterly Tyrannicall Neither doo the Popes contayn themselues Popes do also chauÌ„ge the institutions of God to excercise power onely in outwarde thinges but also they chaunge the institutions of God and rules of religion Which thyng we haue now had experieÌ„ce of to the great hurt of the Church It is a very good saying whiche the Apostle hath vnto the Romanes in the .12 chap. Euen as in one body we haue many meÌ„bers but all meÌ„bers haue not one the selfe same office so we being many are one body in Christ euery one the members of others hauing sundry giftes according vnto the grace geueÌ„ vnto vs. And the same things in a maner are written in the .1 to the
in the booke of Iosua do seme altogether to pertaine to this place Farther al the Hebrue Interpreters doo agree that it was the same city Let vs therefore rather say that when as in the booke of Iosua there is described the distribution of the land and that it cōmeth vnto this city that which was done long time after is there added by an interpretacion to expound after what sort the Danites shoulde in successe of tyme obtaine that city And that particle was added not of any meane man but either of Samuel or els of Ezra or of some other Prophet And this is not to corrupt or to confound the scriptures but to put in something that is not from the purpose whereby the whole matter may be the better vnderstand so that it be done by the holy ghost And I could bring foorth a great many examples whyche are found to be spoken in the scriptures by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or anticipacion But those thinges ought to be sufficient which are red in the beginning of this booke ¶ Of Security BVt bicause there is mencion made of security I wyl speake somwhat largely of it in this place how it is to be praysed or dispraysed Security semeth to be a contempt of Gods iustice whereby synnes are punished If we speake of that that can neuer be but vicious But there is founde an other also which vndoubtedly is to be allowed and is laudable Hope is a mean betwene security desperaciō But to make the thing more plaine let vs consider three thinges Security Hope and Desperacion Hope is euer the meane whiche ought alwaies to bee commended Security is excesse but Desperacion is want For as in puttyng away the mercy of God we are made desperate so in contemning his iustice we become secure Wherfore we maye conclude that Security is a certaine immoderate hope Wherof security springeth And it springeth hereof either bicause we attribute to muche to our owne strength and wisdome as though by our selues we thinke that wee are able to obtaine any thing or els though we thinke that it lieth in the mercy of God yet we suppose that he for our worthynes ought to accomplish it So do they which promise themselues remission of synnes or eternal felicity although they do no repentaunce but lyue vnpurely and wickedlye Or els it springeth hereof for that we doo not beleue that there is in God any execution of iustice And thys Security wherof we entreate The feare of God is contrarye to desperacion Bernhardus is not onely contrary vnto Desperacion but also vnto the feare of God For Desperacion springeth of to much feare of the iustice of God against synnes but Securitye thinketh of nothing at all of that iustice Wherfore Bernardus hath rightly sayd Euen as the feare of God is the begynning of wysdome so is security the ground of al impietye and the begynning of foolishnes For the feare of the Lord as the scriptures testifye of it pertayneth chefely vnto piety and religion Wherefore in the Actes the .x. chap. Cornelius is called a man religious and fearing God Wherfore iustly hath security impiety ioyned with it as it springeth of an euil beginning so also bringeth it forth euil noughty fruites as sluggishnes luskishnes slothfulnes Therfore they which trust vnto thēselues neither seke for helpe at gods hand nor yet for ayd of men These people of Lais lyued securelye What Negligence is althoughe they were ioyned in no league or fellowshyp with their next neighbours They were also infected wyth Negligence which is nothing els then a priuacion of that endeuour whych we ought to apply for the gouerning of thinges By it the wyll is weakened and the chearefulnes of the body is diminished This kinde of security hath alwaies a daunger ioyned wyth it For those thinges are not driuen away whych maye be hurtfull For how can that be done when as they are secure or careles thinking rightly neyther of theyr owne strengthes nor yet of the mercy of God yea they are vtterly vnknowen vnto them selues For if they knewe them selues they woulde not lyue so securely Augustine Augustine vpon the foure score and nynetene Psalme wryteth Where as is most security there is most daunger And he addeth that a Shyppe when it is brought into the Hauen thou thynckest it is in safety But by the same waye that the Shyppe entreth in the wynde also entreth in and oftentymes tosseth it and breaketh it vpon a rocke Where then can there be securitye Adam fell in Paradise Iudas in the fellowshyp of Christ Cain in the household of Noe manye in the Lawe and manye also in the Gospell Where then shall wee lyue securely Vndoubtedly no where Therefore Ecclesiasticus doth right wel admonish vs Sonne stand in the feare of the Lord and prepare thy soule to temptacion The Israelites sawe the Egiptians drowned in the red sea Was it then meete for them to lyue in security No surelye Yea within a whyle after they were tempted in the wyldernes Christ was baptised of Iohn was he therefore made secure No. For he was strayghtway tempted of the Deuyll Wherefore we ought then to be most of all carefull when we are receaued into the fauour of God for then the Dyuel doth most of all watche for our destruction and seeketh to make vs to fall And therefore there is no place for securitye But are we so made of God that we can in no place be secure What Securitye is good and laudable Not so vndoubtedly For there is an other good and laudable Securitye whyche as Augustine sayth consisteth in the promises of God and is taken holde of by fayth Thys engendreth not luskishnes or sluggishnes but chearefulnes and diligēce Of it Dauid hath very well soong in hys foure score and eleuen Psalme Hee which dwelleth in the helpe of the most highest shall abide in the protection of the God of heauen Where as it is wrytten in the lattine Adiutorio that is in the helpe the Hebrue woord signifieth a couer or secrete place whiche no man taketh hold of but he which hath faith in the promises of God By that buckler we are defended with that shadowe we are couered agaynst all hurt this is the Security of faith and of the spirite which cleaueth vnto the woord of God Securitye of the fleshe And therefore it cannot be but commended But the other Securitye is of the fleshe and therefore it is execrable and detestable Against it are set foorth most manyfest commaundementes of Christ namely that we should alwayes pray knock seeke and watch for the daye of the Lorde wyl come lyke a theefe If the good man of the house knewe what tyme the theefe woulde come he would vndoubtedlye watche neither would he suffer hys house to be inuaded We oughte alwayes to praye and watche bycause although the spirite be ready yet the fleshe is weake Paul admonisheth vs
first fruites of al their thinges Tēthes at this day ar no more ceremonies but rather rewards and stipendes But our men do in these dayes receiue tenthes But by what law Not vndoubtedly by the ceremoniall law but by the morall lawe Forasmuche as it is mete that the Mynister shoulde bee nooryshed of the people For the laborer is woorthye of hys rewarde and hee whyche serueth the Gospel it is meete that he liue of it Wherfore whither stipéds be payd vnto ministers out of lands or out of houses either in ready mony or in tenths it skilleth not so that they be not maintained filthily but honestly Indede these rewardes in some places doo retayn the olde name of tenthes But in many places they ar not called tenthes but stipendes or wages And assuredly they are in very deede rather rewards whiche are dew vnto the labours of the ministers then tenthes Stipendes are paid both to superiors and also to inferiors And as touching this foresayd argument we must vnderstand that such rewardes and stipendes are thinges indifferent bicause they are sometimes payd vnto inferiors and sometimes to superiors For tributes which are geuen vnto kinges and princes are theyr stipendes which we geue vnto them partly to norish and susteine them and partly to confesse that we are subiecte vnto them and lastly the they may haue wherwithal to defēd the publike welth and vs. And somtimes inferiors also do receaue stipendes For princes pay them vnto souldiers and yet cannot we therefore saye that the souldiours are greater then Kynges and Prynces And notwythstandynge I woulde not haue anye thynke that I speake these thinges to dimynyshe the dygnitye of the Ecclesiasticall ministerye but that men myghte vnderstande that theyr argumentes are very trifling The church which payeth the stipēd vnto the minister is greater then he Why in the church kinges are consecrated Power is geuē vnto princes of god and not of bishops Neither doubt I to affirme that the church it self whiche payeth the stipend vnto the minister is greater then the minister Wherfore if we speake of tenthes as they are at this day geuen vnto ministers they are no cause that they should be greater then those that pay them But in that kinges and Emperors are consecrated and annointed of byshops and in that they receiue the crowne and sword of them it nothinge helpeth their cause For if we speake of the ciuill power that is not geuen of the bishop but of God But this thing is ther done that after the king or Emperor is chosen of god in such manner as is agreable prayers should be made for him in the assembly of the church that god may confirm and strengthen his hart that he may encrease piety in him and instil in him a feare of his name prosper his counsels and so make fortunate his actions that they may proue profitable vnto the church and vnto the publike welth And the bishop whilest these thinges are in doing is the mouth of the church goeth before it in expressing the prayer And this function was deriued of an olde ceremony and custome of the Iewes And the the king receaueth not his power of the bishop but of God euen their owne decrees also do testifye In the dist 96. chap. Si Imperatur Gelasius saith that the Emperor hath the priueleges of his power at gods hand Why then doth Bonifacius arrogātly claim it vnto himself namely that which longeth to God onely For as Paule sayth All power is of god In the Code de Iure veteri enucleando in the lawe firste Iustiniane Iustinian declareth that his power was geuen him of the deuine maiesty And the Glose in Extrauag de maioritate obediencia in the chapter vnam sanctam toward the end saith that power is geuen vnto kings of God onely and that therfore they do indede receiue the crowne of the byshop and the sword from the aulter But let vs more narowly examine Bonifacius argumēt I sayth he do geue power vnto Emperors Therfore I am greater then Emperors Let this most blessed Thraso aunswere me who consecrated him when hee was chosen Pope Vndoubtedly the bishop Hostiensis Let vs conclude therfore that the bishop Hostiensis is greater then the Pope And if that follow not thē is the argument also of Bonifacius of no force bicause as I haue now shewed it cleaueth vnto a broken foundation For they are not bishops which geue power vnto kinges Farther All emperors were not consecrated of the Pope wer there not many Emperors whiche were neuer consecrated of bishops and yet were neuertheles for al that Emperors Neither were the old Grecian Emperors so annointed Wherfore that is a new inuētiō But what if I proue that the head bishop was somtimes consecrated of the ciuill magistrat Vndoubtedly Moses cōsecrated Aaron whē as yet as it is sayd Moses was a ciuil prince Wherfore Bonifacius laboreth in vayne about his consecration bicause he canne gather nothing thereby He boasted moreouer of the kayes Wherin the kayes of the church consyst We sayth he haue the power of binding and losing But the power of the kayes consisteth herein that ye should preach the word of god truly For he which beleueth the gospel is losed he which beleueth not is bound But when ye neither preach nor teach neither can ye binde nor lose And farther this subiection which we haue graunted is spiritual namely of fayth and of obedience and not ciuill and with dominion Afterward was Ieremy obiected vnto whom the Lord sayde I haue appointed thee ouer nacions and kingdoms c. First here I demaund what kings Ieremy deiected or whom he abrogated of theyr Empire and what new kinges he instituted They can shew of none What therefore signify these woordes I set thee ouer nacions and kingedomes Vndoubtedly nothing els then that by the sprite of prophecy word of god he should foretell what kingdomes god would ouerthrow for sinnes and what new ones he would institute Why doe not the Popes so excercise theyr power Let them sette before kinges and princes of the earth the threatninges of god Prophetes are not the efficiēt causes of the ouerthrow of kingdomes Ministers and prophetes are an occasion but not a iust cause of ruines and let them be in this manner ouer nacions and kingdomes Could Ieremy be called the cause of the ouerthrowe of kingdomes He was not properly the efficient cause but onely a certayn occasion For when he had admonished the king of Iudah and he beleued him not the prophet by his preachinge was some occasion that he shoulde be condemned and ouerthrowne So Paule sayth To some we are the sauor of life to life and to other the sauor of death to death When as yet the Apostle properlye killed no man but his preaching after a sorte broughte death vnto those whiche would not beleue It is god therefore that seperateth ouerthroweth scattereth planteth Neither disdaineth he
lye styll aboundyng in wealth and riches Neyther is it to bee suffred that they shoulde lyue at ease and other in payne Yet the Pope in his Decretalles de Immunitate Ecclesiae in the chapter Non minus where the woordes of the Counsell holden at Lateranum are cited And in the chapter aduersus Consules will haue the Ecclesiasticall men vtterly exempted And Bonifacius the .8 in hys .6 de Immunitate Ecclesiarum in the chapter Clericis laicos permitteth them not to pay any thyng Yea and he excommucateth the prince which taketh tribute of a Minister of the Churche and also the Minister hymself which payeth it This law as to cruel Benedictus the .11 after a sort mitigateth in Extrauag de Immunitate Eccles in the chap. Quod olim yet he permitteth not the prince to do any thyng without askyng counsel of the Byshop of Rome For he in deede doth not excoÌ„municate those princes which do receaue tribute of Ecclesiasticall men but onely those that exacte it of them For he permitteth not that princes should exacte any thyng by their owne right whiche thing yet sometymes he permitteth namely in an extreme necessity as in daunger of religion and lyfe so that firste there be had the consent of the Byshop and clergy and afterwarde also the agreement of the Pope So longe therefore hath he decreed that they must tary So these men do exempt themselues froÌ„ the obedience and tributes of princes and kyngs which as I haue before sayd out of Vlpiane are the establishementes and sinewes of the publique wealth A sayinge of Diocletian When I thinke vpon these thinges I call to remembraunce a profitable saying of Diocletian of whoÌ„ when a Philosopher desired an immunite This request sayd he disagreeth with thy profession Thou professest sayd he that thou wilt ouercome thy affections but thou shewest that thou art ouercome of auarice So these men professe themselues to be spirituall But in a spirituall maÌ„ is nothing more required theÌ„ charity whiche counselleth vs not to lyue franchised and securely when other are oppressed with cares and burtheÌ„s Thomas Aquinas bringeth a place of Genesis to shewe that Priestes are exempted from tributes Thomas Aquinas not in deede by the law of GOD but by a lawe made by princes and yet neuertheles agreing with the law of nature For Pharao kyng of Egypt prouided that the Priests should not paye the fift parte of their fruites for tribute when as yet so muche was exacted of all the other Egyptians Wherfore he concludeth that Priestes are exempted This place is diligently to be considred First let vs note that the Priests of the Egyptians had theyr dayly lyuing out of the threasory of the kyng They had meate and drinke and money geuen them to lyue by Afterward it came to passe that when the hunger waxed great all the Egyptians solde their landes vnto the kyng therwith to buy corne to driue away the hunger But wheÌ„ that famine was past the kyng rendred the landes vnto the olde possessors but yet vpon this condition that euery yeare they should paye him the fift parte but of the landes of the Priestes there was no fift part payd And no meruayle bycause they sold not their landes vnto the king when they were kept of the common cost Yet it is to bee thought that they payd so muche tribute of their landes as they were wont to pay before the famine Neither vndoubtedly can any other thyng be gathered out of that place but that Priestes ought to be noorished of the common cost but in that they payed not the fift part that happened for an other cause as we haue nowe declared They bring forth also the .8 chapter of Esdras where Artaxerxes prouided that when he had layd a tribute vpon the Iewes there should be nothing leuied of the Leuites in the name of a tribute But this is not to be meruayled at seyng the Leuites had no landes to pay tribute of For vnto them pertayned onely oblations first fruites and tenthes For whiche cause they were released of tributes Also Iulius Cesar de bello Gallico sayth The Druites payd no tributes Plini that the Druites whiche were Priestes in Gallia payd no tributes But Plini in his .16 booke and .44 chapter writeth that the Druites had no landes And yet are not these thinges spoken to this end that I should thinke that it is not lawfull for the Magistrate to deale somewhat more gently with them and somewhat to beare with theÌ„ It is honest that the â—agistrate deale somwhat more gently with Ministers Bycause they must alwayes apply themselues to holy thinges and study for nothyng els Wherby it coÌ„meth to passe that they can not increase their substaunce yea rather very oftentymes they suffer great losse neither haue they their stipendes but duryng theyr lyfe This thyng onely I dissalowe that they clayme vnto theÌ„selues immunity both real and personall they vtterly refuse both ordinary and extraordinary charges and that by tyranny or against the worde of God and for that the Pope will not suffer princes to exacte tributes of Byshops and Ecclesiasticall men when they will themselues and bycause they will not geue them if they be required The word of God hath otherwise commaunded when it sayth let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher power And therfore sayeth he ye pay tributes None is excepted neither would Christ himselfe be exempted Chrisostome Chrisostome vpon that place of Paul It may sayth he seeme greuous vnto Christians for that they beyng the children of God and appoynted for the kyngdome of heauen are subiect vnto princes of this world But he aunswereth Whilest we are in this lyfe our dignity is hidden For it appeareth not what we shal be Wherfore whilest we lyue here let it not be grieuous vnto vs to rise vp to the Magistrate to geue them the way and to honour them These thynges are full of comelynes and are decently done of the saintes Nowe that we are regenerate by the worde and the spirite it might seeme that we neede no Magistrate Wherefore the Iewes bycause they were the people of God tooke it very grieuously that sometyme the Babilonians raigned ouer them sometymes the Persians sometymes the Grecians sometymes the Romanes Anabaptistes Libertines and other nations whiche knewe not God The Anabaptistes also and Libertines cry that it is a thyng vnworthy for a Christian to suffer a Magistrate ouer hym The Clergy of the Pope also haue shaked of this yoke from themselues But the Apostles which foresawe that this thing would come to passe did very often inculcate that the Ciuile power should be obeyed whiche precept is two wayes transgressed one way is when men say they will not obey the Magistrate Sinne committed two maner of wayes agaynst the Magistrate and sediciously make warre agaynst hym The other way is wheÌ„ they circumuent hym by subtility and guile that he can not execute
therof as we do Wherfore Paule sayth trulye vnto the Corrinthians All did eate of one and the self same spirituall meate and all dronke of one and the selfe same spirituall drinke And they dronke of the spirituall rocke following them And that rocke was Christ Wherefore the elders had theyr misteries and sacraments whereby they also embrased Christ And vndoubtedly as touching the thing they had the same that we haue the difference was onely in the Simboles But Augustine noteth in theÌ„ certaine other differences Augustine Differences betwene the Sacramentes of the elders and ours which here to rehearse shal not be vnprofitable Firste they hadde manye sacramentes and wee but few the Simboles of our sacraments are water bread and wine they had oxen calues shepe gotes doues turtle doues bread wine oyle such other like Farther the condicion of our sacramentes is diuerse from the equality of theirs for theyrs were more greuous but oures are by Christe made both easier and also lighter Moreouer those simboles that were geuen vnto them were conteined in one country onely but ours ar common to the whole world Farther in them Christ was setforth as he which should come but to vs as he which is now alredye come But as touchinge saluation there is no difference For the same saluation and the same Christ was offred vnto them which is settefoorth vnto vs. This is also to be added that our Sacraments are more manifest and excellent for asmuch as they haue more manyfest woordes of Christ and his redemption which make fayth more ful And therfore the sprite is now had more aboundaÌ„tly then it was in that time if we speake of the coÌ„mon state of men For I speake not of persons singularely neither do I thinke that Abraham had lesse faith and sprite then christian men now haue But now let vs returne vnto the history The hebrewes when they were afflicted fled vnto God by Christ who was set before them in their sacrifices and was there apprehended by fayth Therehence was all the vtility of their sacrifices to the offring or receiuinge wherof it was not lawfull to come rashly otherwise they should haue beene to their hurt and should haue kindled the wrath of God against them which thinge Paul hath very well admonished vs of saying He whiche eateth or drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh vnto himself damnation What the purifications of the Elders signified Wherefore in the law there were many purifications sprinkelings and washinges before they came vnto the holy seruices And these men now repent and throwe themselues downe vnto the ground wepinge before the Lorde for they were touched with the bitternes and greuousnes of their sinnes When god had heard the prayers of the Israelites and had promised to deliuer the Beniamites into theyr handes he ministred also vnto them secrete and sound counsels namely that they shoulde in a conuenient place lay an embushmeÌ„t and making as though they would flee draw away their enemies from the cities that afterwarde they mighte oppresse them both before and behinde They had among them contrary counsels The counsels of the Bâ—niamits and of the Israelites are diuerse The like poletike deuise in the boke of Iosuah The Beniamites sayd They flee let vs follow them and oppresse them as they are fleing The Israelites contrarily said Let vs geue place vnto the Beniamites hat they may follow vs more insolently and securely For we will stoppe them of their returne into the city We reade of the like pollicy of warre in the booke of Iosua when the city of Hais was assalted It is now writteÌ„ that god himself smote them For it is said And god made Beniamin to fall before the Israelits least the victory should seme to be attributed either vnto the strengthes of the Israelites or to theyr pollitique deuyse The whole suÌ„me of those which were slayn were .25 thousand The order of this history might seme somewhat trobulesome which yet if it be apart coÌ„sidered perticulerly shal be the better vnderstanded For at the first conf ict were slaine of the Beniamites 18000. then when they fled into the desert .5000 lastly when they fled to Gibea .2000 all whyche summes added together doo make the full nomber of .25000 The city ascended vp to heauen Here is the figure Hiperbole whereby is signified either that the smoke of the citye ascended vp into heauen or that els all the riches thereof which were now on fire and turned into smoke ascended vp into heauen The Beniamites being in extreme daunger loke backe vnto the city as though there they should haue found succor and ayde They recule but they fall into the handes of the Embushments and are slaine From thence they get themselues and flee vnto the woods but in the flight they are miserably killed A few whych escaped in those ouerthrowes got them to the rock Rimmon as in to a high castel and wel fensed both by nature and situation And ther a few wer saued as is afterwarde declared Whereby we gather that no mighte or power can help vs when god wil strike Whatsoeuer can be deuised or inuented of vs it nothing profiteth agaynst the Lord. In the hebrew tongue a place of fence is called a rocke So great and so populous a tribe as soone as euer god would perished in a manner wholy Ther remained only .600 men whiche got themselues into the castle of RimmoÌ„ It is called a rock bycause in the holy scritures places of fence are so called for that they are in a manner situate vpon stony rockes and high places But why the .600 men were left on lyue there is shewed a cause Why the .600 men wer saued namely least any one whole tribe should want in Israell God would not for theyr deserts but for his names sake haue a certayn few remaining that the pub wealth of the Israelites should be preserued And those same he left not whole but in a manner mained for they had no wiues neyther were there anye wemen lefte of that whole tribe for them to marry therfore they wer compelled to desire wiues of the other tribes Wherfore the tribe of Beniamin The tribe of Beniamin that remained consisted also of other tribes Whither it was lawful for the Israelites to kill the children although otherwise it remained but smal yet howsoeuer it was halfe the part therof coÌ„sisted of other tribes For the Israelites had slayne al their wyues and children and cattayle This seuerity of the Israelites was great or rather it may seme to be cruelty and also against the law of God wherin it was forbidden that the childreÌ„ should be slaine for the sinnes of the parents But it is very likely which thing the Hebrewe interpreters also affirme that the Israelites when they fasted and prayed before the lord vowed Cherim that is the vow of a curse wherby it was not lawefull to reserue any thing which thing they vsed to do in battaile
which when they geue any precepte do straight way ioyne therunto a promise When children are commaunded to obey their parentes length of life is straight waye promised Deborah also declareth that she exercised the office of a Prophet amōg the people when as she Prophecieth what shall become of Sisera and foretelleth a notable victorye whiche God had decreed vnto Barac Mount Thabor Mount Thabor is called Ithabyrius whiche is here mencioned of the Ethnike writers is called Ithabirius It is nighe vnto the Assirians Nepthalites and Sabulonites There the Lorde Iesus Christ our Sauiour was transfigured before three of his Disciples as it is declared in the history of the Gospell This mount hath by it the riuer Kyson The riuer Kison whiche by the destruction of the Baalites is made notable for there Helias the Prophete slewe the Priestes of Baal Drawe and take with thee ten thousand men This semeth to be a new kynde of speache but vnto the thing whiche is in hande it is moste propre For this Hebrew worde Maschach is not in this place to drawe by violence to but as all the Rabbines almost do interpretate with presuasion to leade that is with faire and pleasaunt wordes to allure them For without doubt it was a great and perillous worke wherunto they wer called for as much as they lyued vnder a Tyraunt their souldiers could not by publique authority be mustered or gathered together but must of necessitie by faire meanes be allured to conspire against a Tyraunt By this place we are taught that good and eloquent speaches are very profytable in warrelyke affaires Rethoricke is profitable in warlike affaires and that the arte of Rethorike by the lawe of God is not forbidden but may in hys place profitably serue for holy men Farther this is not to be left vnspoken of that those two tribes namely Nepthalim and Zabulon were not warrelike tribes but the weakest of all the tribes among the Israelites The tribes of Nepthalim Zabulon were of lesse estimation thā the other tribes And yet God commaundeth to chose out souldiers out of them wherby we learne that it is a lyke to hym to vse either weake souldiers or stronge warriers agaynst his enemies Some man peraduenture will doubte by what argumentes or reasons Barac could be persuaded to beleue the wordes of Deborah To whome we aunswere that he weyghed with hymselfe that those thinges whiche Deborah promised did very well agree with the wordes and promises of God For he as he had threatened that the Israelites when they sinned should by his commaundement and will be afflicted by outwarde nations so agayne had he promised that he would deliuer them out of the handes of their enemyes if they faythfully repented them of their wickednes committed and faythfully from the heart called vpon him He promised that he would fight for them neither should their weaknes or fewenesse in nomber be a let The wordes of Deborah were agreable with the holy Scriptures but that they shuld get the victory ouer their enemies Wherfore for as much as Deborah prophecied that those things should come to passe whiche the Lord had promised vnto the people of the Hebrues it was conuenient that Barac should receaue those wordes for true and faythfull Farther the authoritie of the speaker helped thereunto For Deborah was by God constituted in the ministery not vndoubtedly by an ordinary prerogatiue but by a certayn singular and principall prerogatiue And if we should looke vppon the Etimology of her name Deborah signifieth a bee we shall thinke that her orations were verye sweete For Deborah with the Hebrues is a bee which beast we know is a diligent artificer in makyng of hony And yet all these thinges had not ben sufficiēt to make Barac to beleue her vnles the power of the holy Ghost had persuaded in his mynde those things which were commaunded For fayth is onely the worke of the holy Ghost whiche he can worke in the heartes of men without any outward instrument but he hath decreed for the most part to vse them I meane the worde and the ministery not as though he were bound vnto them but to shew vnto vs how much we ought to make of these two instrumentes Neither do I thinke that it is to be doubted but that this holy woman was both by miracles and also by prophesieng of things to come declared to be the Minister of the true God and the most healthfull Iudge of the Israelites We therefore ought hereby to learne that we must altogether heare the Ministers of God when they set forth vnto vs his wordes promises and also threatninges out of the holy scriptures neither is there any authority in the worlde whiche ought to be preferred before the ministery of the Church and word of God They were heard thynges whiche Deborah commaunded Wherfore iustly ought Barac to beleue the thinges whiche Deborah commaunded althoughe they semed both greuous and heard For she commaunded hym to moue sedition and tumulte to rebell agaynst his prince a priuate man to gather an hoste and that a litle one agaynst a most mighty king Whether Barak were without faith And Barac sayde vnto her If thou wilte goo with me I wyll go In this place it semeth might be demaunded whether Barac were doubtful and beleued not at the beginning as he ought to haue done the wordes of Deborah And that semeth to some absurde when as in the Epistle to the Hebrues the 11. chap Barac is reckened with Sampson Gedeon Iephthe and others which by fayth ouercame kyngdomes And therefore it semeth that his fayth beyng praysed by the testimony of God ought not by our iudgement to be empared Wherfore they affirme that he would haue Deborah to go with him not bycause he beleued not the promise of God but that he myght haue a Prophetesse ready and ac hande whose Counsell he might vse in orderyng his warre in pitching hys Campes and other chaunces whiche are wonte to happen in warres And I am not ignoraunt Augustine that Augustine readeth it after this manner Bycause I can not tell in what day the Lorde will prosper his aungell with me c. As thoughe he should haue sayd I wyll therefore haue thee with me bycause thou beyng endewed with the spirite of Prophesy whiche hath not happened vnto me shalte easly knowe in what daye the aungell of the Lorde will luckely fyght for vs. But I do thinke that Barac did somewhat doubt for Deborah Prophecied in the name of God that bycause of thys aunswere he should be punished And more ouer sayeth she thy glory shal be taken awaye from thee and the Lord will sel Sysara into the hand of a woman Iosephus And as Iosephus testifyeth she spake these wordes beyng somewhat moued And a Prophetesse woulde not haue ben angry neither would GOD haue diminished the glorye of Barac without a faulte And it appeareth not that he