Chapter IV: Part 4

But some man will obiecte against me / and say / yf so be that the vnfaithfull be not yet persuaded / they shall then embrace truthe against theyr conscience / which thinge yf the prince compell them to do / then he compelleth them to synne. Here must we make a difference betwene the thinge that of it selfe is synne / and that which is so by chaunce / by some fortune / or some other thinge that happeneth / per accidens, as the Logicians do saye: for when the Magistrate / in the matter which now we haue in hand / dothe propounde vnto these his subiectes / the thing that is right / goode / iuste / and commaunded of God / prouidinge to haue them taughte therin / and they will not be taughte / yf then he enforceth them owtwardlye to vse none other order in religion then is commaunded of Godd / and to forsake all other / he doth that which is iuste and appertayninge to his office. But that synne is entermingled in this matter / truly it is not throughe the faulte of the prince / but it is of the vnbeleif of these men / of whiche the prince can not be iustly accused / when he hath diligently done his part / that they shold be well instructed. Morouer them which do obiecte this consider / that by the same reason that they accuse these princes we may accuse God: for he doth propounde his lawe / which is moste perfyte to be obserued of all men. Shuld men saye? we are weake / our nature is corrupte and infected / neither can we do these thinges as thou dost commaunde them / And why dost thou then enforce this lawe vpon vs? If we do contrarie to that which thou doest commaunde / verely we synne / and yf we go not about to do it we synne / we shall synne also yf we go aboute to do that which thou commaundest / for we want of perfection / neyther do we obey as we sholde do: wherfore do what we will / we shall not auoyde synne: vnto this the Lorde wolde aunswer. The thinges that I do propounde to be obserued of you are iuste and perfect / no man can accuse them of wickednes / But in that ye are weake and do fall / and faile in fulfilling of my lawe / the faulte muste not be layed vnto me / for it is of your own malice and corruption / and not through my faulte / for the which I maye not withdrawe my holy commaundements / Yet thus I haue prouided helpe for you / Beleue in my only dearly beloued sonne / and loke what so euer ye wante / wherin soeuer ye do fayle / and not fulfyll my commaundementes / it shall not be imputed / nor laid to your chardge vnto euerlasyinge deathe: yea your endeuoyrs and your doinges / although they be not fully perfect and absolute / yet will I accepte them well / they shall please me / and I will allowe them. Euen so shall the good prince and Magistrate saye: The thinges which are conteyned in Goddes worde / suche thinges as are comlye and do edifie / do I require of you / yf your mynde and conscience do go agaynst them / ye can not impute it vnto me / I haue laboured and done my parte that ye sholde not be ignoraunt / and miserablie perish in ignoraunce. I haue caused you to be sufficiently instructed / and nowe will I procede exhorting / admonishinge / and demaundinge of you obedience in these thinges: do you reade the holye scriptures / heare the teachers and pastours / and pray the Lorde to open the eyes of your harte and mynde. Thus in aunswering to this obiection I shew what a goode prince in this case may and must do. That thinge also is not to be passed ouer of which Augustyne maketh mencion / that he hymselfe was somtyme of this opinion / that nothing sholde be violentlye done agaynst heretiques / but that they shold only be taughte / But his mynde altered after that he was admonished by some wyse Bishoppes / howe certeyn cities / which somtyme were altogether corrupted with the errour of the Donatistes / were compelled by the violence of the lawes of good Emperours to receyue the catholike faith / and these at length were so syncerelie tourned vnto the truthe / that they dyd gyue to God moste hartye thanckes for that violent enforcement / sayinge that nowe thoughe they might safelye / yet by no meanes wolde they retorne any more to suche pernicious and hurtfull opinions. The prince therfore / after that he hath gyuen them sufficient instruction / yf he shall enforce these men vnto the embracing of such rites and ceremonies as are good and godlye indede / he shall do no hurte at all but muche good. I do meane that this sholde be practysed only vpon suche as be cityzens / and naturall borne subiectes / or suche as beinge straungers borne / do as denizens dwell in theyr domininions / and so by priuiledge haue the benefite of theyr countrithe: Otherwyse yf they be but straungiers which do passe through their countrithe / or such as do come either to bye or to sell marchaundize / there is no suche violence to be shewed towardes them. And yet this thing they must take heade of euen in them / that they do not seduce their people and subiectes which are of a good iudgement / that they do not infect them with vice and errour. The Israelites / as I thincke / ar in this pointe to be folowed. They did admitt no straunger to be as a Iue / or proselyte / neyther did they gyue vnto any the libertie of their countrith / except he did fyrst circumcise himself / admitt Moses lawe / did communicate / and became partaker with them in theyr Sacrifices / submitting himself to their discipline: Which thinge / seing it was well and diligently obserued of them / why shuld not our princes do euen the same? That they shuld suffer no Citezen / nor subiect / eyther naturall / or straunger born / but that they shuld compell and enforce hym / to receyue such religion / and obserue such rites and ceremonies / agreing with Godds worde / as they by common autoritie haue establyshed. Now will I speake of those princes and Rulers / which ar vnder these chief Rulers. Whome I do deuide into two sortes. Eyther they are such as haue Iurisdiction / poure / and auctoritie / which commeth to them by discent from theyr Auncetours / or els committed vnto them of Emperours / Kinges / and common welthes: Eyther els they haue no Iurisdiction nor Rule ouer others / neyther by discent from theyr auncetours / nor by commission from other higher princes / but only are taken and estemed as men of worshipp / for the auncientnes of their house and blud / or for their riches. This last sorte do not differ at all in a maner from priuate men / of whom I haue spoken before / for these are mere subiectes as they are. Therfor (I do suppose) that the former Rules / appointed vnto priuate men and subiectes are to be committed vnto them / to be obserued of them / in such maner as I haue before declared. But of this other sorte of Princes and Rulers / of which some by right of inheritaunce / some by vertue of office committed vnto them / are Rulars and gouernours of countrithes / cities and places. Of these I do saye and pronounce this / That in matters which do belong to Godd and true Religion / they ought to do no other things / but those / which I haue already shewed that the muste do / which are meere / absolute / and the hygher princes and Rulars. For it is not lawfull for them / no not at the commaundement of theyr hygher Princes and Lordes / to compell those subiectes ouer whom they haue rule / to recyue wicked Religion and supersticion / neyther to permitt the vnfaithfull in the places where they do beare Rule / to haue theyr vngodly Idolatries and supersticions. This must thei not do / no thoughe they were (I saye) therunto commaunded by theyr hygher princes and Lordes / of whom / and vnder whome / they haue theyr auctoritie. But yf thou wilt saye / that they must obey theyr hygher poures / I will graunt that / but (as the sayinge is) _vs[que] ad Aras_, that is vntill they do come to matters of Religion / and vntill they do commaunde in Religion thinges contrarie to Goddes worde and truthe. For when they shall commaunde that which is against Godd / and is hurtefull to the conscience of man / these magistrates must not obey them. For these vnder Rulars are called into a parte of the cure and charge of the goode gouernemente of the countrie / by the force of theyr dignitie and office:

They must not therfor putt those thinges in execution / whiche are agaynst Godd / and are hurtefull to theur countrye: Yea they ought both to persuade by reason / and to defende by poure the contrary.

The Lacedemonians / when they whiche hadd ouercomme them / did demaunde of them such thinges as were against the ciuile lawes and libertie of their citie / They answered / If ye do commaunde vs to do thinges which ar more weightie and greuous then death / we wyll rather dye then do them: Thus ought these vnder Rulars answer theyr higher Lordes / when they do commaunde them to do thinges which are to the defacing of Godds glorie and truth / and to the wounding and vnquieting of the consciences of the subiectes / whiche thinges are more weyghtie and greuous then death indeede. In Cyuile thinges they may gyue place to the vniust commaundementes and decrees of theyr hygher Lordes / but that ought they not to do in the cause of Godd / and pure Religion. The Machabees at such tyme as the Iues were vnder the rule of the Macedonians (Antiochus / Demetrius / and Alexander / I meane) which princes did leade the people awaye from the true worship of God / and from the seruice taught in hys worde / wolde not obeye them. But that house and tribe of the prestes called _Asmonei_, whiche in dignitie were nexte vnto the house and stocke of the Kinges / and bare the chief Rule nexte vnto it / les that the true worshippe of Godd commaunded and taught in the lawe / and which hadd bene retayned and vsed in theyr countrye / shulde be thus leafte and forsaken / they did Rebell against thos kinges as the hostorie doth witnes. But if this historie for the insufficiencie of the auctoritie of the bocke (which yet is a true historie / as Iosephus also doth witnes) will not suffice to proue this matier: Then let vs consider what Ioiada the bishopp did in the dayes of Athalia:

[[4. Reg. 11.]]

She hadd by violence obtayned the kingdomme / and so was she the supreame ordinarie poure: But yet he sturred vpp a commotion agaynst her / And he brought the Sonne of Asa / Kinge Ioas / I meane (who was saued by hym from her bluddy sworde) into the kingdome: For he knew that by Goddes worde the kingdome was gyuen to the house of Iuda / He perceyued also that she went about to haue all good Religion / and true godlynes / vtterly ouerthrowen. Therfor as she had vniustly shedd innocent bludd / euen so he most iustlye commaunded that she shuld be slayne.

[[4. Reg. 18.]]

Kinge Ezechias also / was in subiection to the King of the Assyrians / for Achaz his father hadd submitted hym selfe vnto hym / and did not only paye hym tribute / but also for his pleasure did chaunge Godds Religion: for when he wente to Damasco to meete this Kinge / he commaunded that an altar shuld be made at Hierusalem / after the patrone and fashion of that which he hadd seene at Damasco. This Kinge Achaz his sonne / godly Ezechias / perceyuinge that these thinges whiche his father hadd done / were repugnant and contrarye vnto Godds worde / hurtefull also to the consciences of his subiects / he (I say) did fall away from the Kinge of the Assyrians / which yet was now his superior and hygher poure. Indeede he soughte fyrst to pacifie hym with gyftes / which thing when he coulde not do / then to the vttermost of hys poure he dyd defende hym self / and his people agaynst hym. Neuertheles in this matter sedicion muste be auoyded so much as may be / and these princes must not vnder the colour and cloke of Religion / seeke theyr own gayne and honor: but here only let them resiste / that nothing be done contrary to Godds worde / and not for those thinges which are done to hinder theyr ambicion. Of this corrupt affection yf thei be cleare / and only for Religions sake do resiste the wicked proceadinges of theyr hygher princes and Lordes / let them not thincke that they do herin anye vnrighteousnes at all. But yf one will obiecte and saye: Thys maye not be / for all men are commaunded to obeye the hygher poures. I answer /

[[Rom. 13.]]

It is true indeede that the holy scriptures do commaunde / that euerye soule shulde obeye the hygher poures / but so farr as by Godds word it is lawfull to obey / and no further. For the holy scriptures do likewyse say / that the Rular is not any feare to them that doth good / but to them that do euell. Wherfor seying these princes / in this case by theyr endeuour and laboure / do promote that which is goode / they do well and not euell: and so ought they for this doinge to be without fear of the hygher poure / because that herin they do not resiste agaynst them / with that Resistaunce which is forbidden. Wilt thou (saith he) be without feare of the poure? do well then / and so shalt thou be praysed of the same: If these princes and rulars do defende godlynes and religion / they do good / then by the iudgement of Goddes worde they are without feare of the poure / and do deserue prayse of theyr hygher poures and lords. But yf thou do euell (saith Paule) then feare the poure / for he beareth not the sworde for nought / but is the minister of Godd to take vengeaunce on them which do euell. Thus doth this place arme the myndes and consciences of these inferior princes of whom I speake / that they shulde note feare theyr hygher poures / when for the defence of Goddes religion / they do resiste and not obeye theyr wicked commaundementes. Yf any will now thus saye agaynst me. He that hath the kinglye and supreame auctoritie / vnto whom by othe I do owe obedience / commaundeth these thinges / and therfore I must obey. I answer that thou arte not bound herin to keape any such othe or promis. For when he commaundeth those thinges whiche are agaynste God / he dothe not the office of Goddes minister / to him then therin thou dost owe neyther faith nor obedience. Agayne yf thou wilt aske / By what righte may these vnder rulars and inferiour magistrates / thus sett them selues agaynst the hygher princes / which haue the verye supreame right and poure to defende pure and godlye Religion / and the true faithe. I aunswere. That the electours of the Empire / and the Princes of Germanie / and the fre cityes / do it by the Imperiall poure and righte / whiche is committed vnto them: And that the Magistrates and Rulars whiche are in kingdoms / they do and darre do it / by the Kinglye poure and right lykewyse committed vnto them. For Emperours and Kinges / and such hygher poures / haue therfor chosen and taked these vnder Rulars and officers / as it were into a parte of theyr Rule / to be theyr helpers / in administringe and ordering theyr businesses and charge / to the ende that Iustice might florishe so muche the more. And euen so from the begynninge poure and Rule was gyuen vnto these / that they shulde rule the common wealthe / for that part therof / whiche was committed vnto them / iustlye / vprightlye / and godlye. Wherof the Emprour in the Code doth saye / that yf he shulde commaunde anye thinge agaynste righte / he wolde not that any suche decree of his shulde auayle in iudgementes. The very same thinge is to be sayde / where a kinge or suche which do retayne the supreame auctoritie / do commaunde or determyne anye thynge againste right. Not vnworthy is Traianus the Emperour therfore commended / who when he delyuered the sworde to a Rular in his Empire / sayde: If I do commaunde Iuste thinges / vse this for me / but yf I do require vniust things / vse it against me. But on the contrary part / Gregorie the great / Byshopp of Rome / can not in this behalfe be praysed / but dispraysed / and accused: Who seinge that the lawe whiche Mauritius the Emperour had made was vniuste / which was / That no man entangled with the matters of the common wealth / or which was appointed to the warrs / might be made a priest or a monck / he wrote to the Emperour / That after that he hadd seene hys lawe / he was wonderfullye afrayed and astonied / And therfor he desireth hym to diminshe somwhat of the rigour of the lawe or els to chaunge it altogether: But yet he added / That as touchinge hymself / after that he hath now done his office in admonishing hym / now for the obedience which he doth owe vnto him / he wolde publishe his lawe / as he hadd commaunded. Thys acte surely can not / but be reproued in this Busshopp. Agayn here thou wilt happily saye. What yf the hygher Prince wil not allowe me to do myne office / or doth reuoke this parte of myne office? Truly no man can take that from thyne office / which God hath commaunded the to do in it. No man can discharge the of that dutye / wherewith God chargeth the in thyne office / do thou the dutye that longeth to it. Many there are which do thincke / that when this dealinge and doinge of the inferior magistrate agaynste the hygher Rulars is thus straitly required / That Godds Religion is not to be promoted after this manier by them / but rather / that they do sufficientlye the thinge which belongeth vnto them / yf they do forsake theyr office / and gyue ouer their Rule and auctoritie. So do not I thincke / Thy dignitie and office is not so lightly to be gyuen ouer. Thou dost gyue ouer thyne office / because thou wilt not strayne thy self therin to promote the glorie of Godd: And this is to depart and fall from thy vocacion: which thou oughtest not to do / especially when thou dost playnly see / that thy roume and place / shalbe bestowed vpon those / which ar wicked and both do / and will oppresse the kingdom of God. These men must abyde therfor in theyr offices / so long as they be not putt out of them by the higher poures / and strongly must they defend the glorie of God in them.

Now when I on this maner do entreate of these thinges / I do not make or shewe an easye waye to sturre vp sedicions. But this onlye I do seke / and care for /

[[Matt. 22.]]

That those thinges which do belonge vnto Godd / shuld be gyuen vnto Godd: and those thinges which are belonging vnto Cesar / shulde be gyuen vnto Cesar. If the worldly substaunce and ritches of men were required and asked by the hygher poures / I wold councell to gyue them. But in those thinges which do belonge vnto the worshipp of Godd / I say / that thei must not yealde to the wicked requestes of theyr hygher Rulars and lordes: here is no place to be gyuen to them / but in our owne ciuile matters we must yealde / yf to yealde in them be not agaynst Goddes lawe.

[[3. Reg 21.]]

In which case Naboth is to be excused / which wolde not graunte hys vyneyard to the Kinge: He dyd it not of couetousnes / or of to great a desyre which he dyd beare to the thinges of the world / but because he dyd knowe that in gyuing awaye of his vineyarde so / Goddes lawe shulde be broken / by which he hadd appointed / that the feeldes and possessions amonge the people of Israell /

[[Num. 33.]]

shuld remayn in theyr tribes and kindreds / as they were iustly distributed at the beginning. This lawe of God wolde Kinge Achab haue broken / and therto required he the consent of Naboth / which he with a good and a safe conscience could not do / and therfor wold not. But halas / sorow it is to behold / how that there are many Dukes / Earles / and such princes / from whome yf an Emperour or a Kinge wold take their dominions / landes / lordshipps and inheritaunce / they wold leaue nothing vndone / yea they wold do all that they could do / to defend their own / and do resiste their vnrighteous doinge: But when the kingdom of God is assaulted by tyrauntes, and the gospell and bequest of the bludd of Christe taken violently and wretchedly away from them / and from the children of Godd which are committed to theyr tuition and defence / they will do nothing at all. Yea when they are required of theyr hygher poures / as ministers of theyr furie / to destroye and ouerthrow the gospell / then they neyther sturre nor speake anye thing at all / but do as they are bidden. In theyr own cause they can fight / and rebell / but in Goddes cause / they are as it were no princes nor Rulers. Wherby we can not thincke any other thing of them / then this / That they do not at the hart esteme the gospell of Christe.

[[A confutation of the places alledged.]]

Nowe this is remayning / that I sholde answer vnto those reasons which were put forthe at the begynning to proue that the dwelling together of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull is lawfull / and confute them. Firste / the example of Christ is set against vs / which dyd eate and drinke familiarlye with scribes / pharisees / publicanes / and synners. We muste remembre that Christe was not only stronge / but the chiefe heade of all them shich be stronge. He coulde so profyte them which were euell / that theyr euill shuld not hurte him / and therfore might vse familiaritie with the wicked. Euen so there is no cause to the contrarie / but that they whiche be learned and constante in the truthe / suche as can profit the vnfaithfull by their conuersation and familiar being with them / and not be hurt by it them selues (as we haue admonished before) may be conuersaunt with the vnbeleauers and wicked.

The seconde place is /

[[1. Cor. 7.]]

Paule wolde not that the faithfull maried vnto an vnbeleuer sholde departe / yf the vnbeleuer will dwell together with the other. This I do also acknowledge / as befor I haue said: for vnto them / al necessary businesses / especially those which are ordeyned of God / are to be done. And yet in that place which is here alledged / Paule is not so to be vnderstanded without exception / as these men do iudge: for yf the vnbeleuing maried parson / shold continually moue the faithfull to Idolatrie / or sholde not cease to blaspheme Christ / and prouoke the other to commit like blasphemie / so long as thei did liue together / this ioynt life in mariadge were not to be continued: for this were not to dwell together / but to conspire together against Christ: Paule therfor speaketh of suche cohabitacion as is laufull without suche soliciting or mouinge to euell and blasphemye.

An other sentence of Paule is broughte which he writeth to the Corinthians /

[[1. Cor. 5.]]

where he teacheth that all couetous parsons / euill speakers / dronckardes / whoremungars / and such lyke are not to be auoided / for then sholde they haue gone out of the worlde.

But he wold / that we sholde kepe our selues from them / which being called brethren / are infected with these vices. As concerninge this place / we must consider the mynde and purpose of Paule. Firste he dyd perceyue that for the necessitie of lyfe it coulde not be that the faithfull shulde auoyde the companie of all which at that tyme were vnbeleuers / for the greater part of men at that ceason was without Christ / and they beinge auoided of our men / coulde not therby haue bene made the better / But into them which before were bretheren / bothe sorowe and shame was dryuen / when they dyd see that they wer now shonned of the godlye / to whome as they were before righte deare / so with them they were familiar. And by this meanes the church was not euill reported / neither for clokinge of euill among themselues / nor for to seuere separatinge themselues from them which were not yet conuerted: seing that they lyued with the vnbeleuers / partly for the necessitie of lyfe / partlye to turne them to the gospell of Christ: wherfore this sentence doth make nothing at all agaynst those thinges which we haue alreadye spoken.

Moche lesse maketh that for them which they do bringe in /

[[Gene. 12.]]

that Abraham did becomme a straungier among the heathen and Idolatours: first that which Abraham dyd / euen by the callinge and commaundmente of God he dyd it. Againe he was of suche knowledge and constancie in the truithe that he coulde be conuersaunte whith the vnbeleauers with out hurtinge of him selfe / and wyth moche profyting of them. For he caryed aboute with him the name of god and his holy and true worship / whither so euer he went. And the very same thing / maie we answer of Lot.

[[5]]
[[Gene. 13.]]

For if Lot went to Sodome / with a Good mynde to teache them true faithe and godlie life / he owght not to be accused therfore / for it was well done / yea it was the prouidence of God towards the Sodomyts / that they mighte be better taughte / and ernestly caled vnto repentance. So dothe God admonishe before he destroieth. So Abraham was sent amonge the Cananites. On this sorte to go amonge the wicked / and vnbeleuers is lawfull and laudable. But if Lot went to Sodom only because the pleasaunte commodytie of the place pleased him / he dyd not wel. Neither indede dyd his going thither happen luckelie / for he was led awaye captiue / so that he was in nede to be rescued again by Abraham.

[[Gene. 14.]]

And likewise when God burned the Cytie / he was compelled euen against his will to forsake it.

Of Naaman I shall not nede to speake nowe /

[[6]]

for of him I haue spoken inough before.

[[7]]

I suppose lykewise that the cause is open and plaine inoughe / wherfore manye of them which were healed of Christe were sent from him to their own countrie / and kindred / to publishe and declare and amonge them / what hade happened vnto them. This nowe remayneth / that I sholde peculiarlie speake of the Iues / and heretikes. For these too kindes of men do in all places this daye liue amonge / and do dwell togither wyth the Christians.

[[Of the Iues]]

As concerninge the Iues / there be certayn reasons why they are to be borne withall and suffered. Of which Augustine / amonge others / doth make mencion in many places. Furste / they aboue all other sortes and nations of men hadde the promise made vnto them. Neither are they all yet vtterly to be despayred of / for the roote remaynethe into the which they maye be ingrafted agayne / and nowe and then some of them / thoughe not many in Nombre / do come vnto Christe. Paule saithe to the Romains /

[[Rom. 11.]]

that partly blindnes is happened is Israel / as if he wolde saie / not vpon all / not for euer. And afterwarde he saieth / when the fulnes of the gentyles ys comme / then all Israell shalbe saued: vnto that ende therfore the lorde saueth / and preseruith them vnto this daye. And that thou sholdest not thincke that this place is to be vnderstanded allegorically of the spirituall Israel / Paule teacheth it as a mysterie / and dothe recite the prophecie of Esaie /

[[Esa. 59.]]

in which it is sayd: That then all the iniquite of Iacob shal be taken awaie. Besids this they are called ennemies / but yet beloued for the fathers.

[[Quest. Euang. lib. 2. quest. 33.]]

And Augustine expoundinge the historie of the prodigall sonne / saieth / that he dothe represent the gentiles /

[[Luc 15.]]

for as he went into a farre countrie / so the gentyles dyd departe so farre frome God / that they worshipped Idolls as by a publike order and custome commenlye receyued: But the elder sonne / by whom the people of the Iues is signified / went not farre awaie / but was in the felde / not in his fathers house verylie / which is the church / but in the fielde / for the Iues are occupied / and conuersaunte aboute the letter of the scriptures / they vnderstande them whith an earthly and fleshy mynde: And therfore it is sayde / that he was in the felde: At the begynning he wente not into the house / but at the last he shall entre / and be called also:

[[Lib. de fide rerum inuisib. cap. 6.]]

And alwaies Augustine bringith this sentence to persuade men to suffer the Iues / which is writen in the 58. psal.

[[Psal. 59]]

as he nombred the Psalmes. Sley them not / lest my poeple do forget / but scater them abroade. &c. The sonne of God praieth the father / that the Iues mighte not be vtterlie slayne and destroyed but scatered abroad throughe the worlde. Other countries and nacyons / being subdued of the Romaynes receyued their lawes and rytes / and so became Romains / but the Iues although that they also were ouercomme of the Romaines / yet were they neuer made Romains / neither in ordinaunces / lawes / nor religion. They do kepe their own lawe (so farre as they can) euen vnto this daye: They wander aboute dispersed and scattered abrode / neither do they forget the lawe of Godd / the haue it / not to obserue it indeede / but only they do reade yt / and they do also reteyne certeyn signes / as Circumcision and other ordinaunces / by which they are knowen from others. But they offer no sacrifices / for to sacrifice was lawfull only at Hierusalem. And thus it semeth that the lorde hathe sett vppon them a signe / as he dyd vppon Cain / which slewe his brother Abell.

Neither is this their dispersion amonge all the nacions of the worlde vnprofitable for vs. They are braunches broken of / and we are grafted in their place / which thinge whilest we do beholde / we must acknowledg the iustice of God towards them / and his grace towards vs: And we muste take hede / that we be not lykwise cutt of through vnbelefe / for the which they were broken awaie. Ther is another commoditie besydes this that commith of this their dispersion which is / that they do kepe our bokes / the holy byble I do meane. These they do carye aboute with them / they reade them / and thoughe they beleue not / because they are blinded / yet do they confesse that these wrytinges are true. And so though they be our enemies in their mynde / yet the bokes which they haue and do reuerence / are our witnesses. wherfore I can not maruayle ynoughe at those men which do persequute and hate the tonge of the Hebrewes / and the Hebrewe bibels / and do burne them / when as Augustine in his boke / _De doctrina Christiana_, dothe bidde /

[[Lib. 2. ca. 11.]]

that we sholde go to the truithe of the Hebrue tonge / if we do doubte in any place of our translations. The selfe same thinge dothe Hierome teache in manye places. But they saie that these bokes are corrupted of the Iues. Heare I thinke good to answer with Hierome. Either saithe he they dyd this before the comminge of Christe / and the preachinge of the Apostles / or after: if before / it is maruell that when Christ / the Apostles / and Paule / dyd reproue moste shanfull faultes in the Iues / that they wolde haue kepte in silence so greate and haynous a sacriledge as this: surelie if it hade bene so / they wolde haue reproued yt. But if it was done after Christes ascension / they wolde then chieflie haue corrupted those places which do make mencion of Christ / and those which Christe / and his Apostiles did alledge. But those remayne safe and vncorrupte / the same sense and meaninge of them is in their bible in which they were recyted of Christe / and his Apostles (for aboute the wordes they were not so curious) wherfore it is not lyke / that they haue corrupted any other places at all in the holy bokes of the scripture. Yea if a man dothe iustly beholde them / he shall see that they haue many moo testimonies and sentences for vs / more plaine / I saye / then our commen translation hathe / as in the .2. Psal. kisse the sonne / where ours hathe / laie holde of knowledg. In like maner the whole .53. of Esaie / which dothe moste plainlie prophecie of Christ / remaynith vncorrupt. The bokes therfore are not corrupted. Yea they coulde not haue corrupted those bokes thoughe they wolde / but it shuld be easyly espied: for ther be of them many moste awncient in wryten hande / which haue bene kepte moste diligentlie of Christians. But let vs retourne to the profyt that Augustine speaketh of. Many mighte thinke / that those thinges which are spoken of the olde people were vayne and fayned / and likwise those thinges which we do tell owte of the prophettes / excepte they dyd see the Iues themselues yet liuinge / and remayninge / with their bokes / which do beare witnesse to the thinges that we do speake: wherfore though the Iues be blinded in mynde / and in harte are our enemyes / yet euen them and their bokes we haue moste plaine witnesses of out faithe. Aske then of the prophettes whom Christ dothe alledge / they graunte them to be true. Aske them of the vnderstandinge of them / in yt they are ignoraunte / because they are blinded. And amonge all other witnessinges / that witnesse which is gyuen of a mans enemie is of greatest weight / and makith most for him: Of suche witnesses truly the lorde hathe prouided good stoore for his churche. For we haue not only the bokes of the Hebrues to make for vs / but also the verses or rydles of the Sibylles / which were of an heathen poeple. It is not to be thought / that our elders fayned thos verses: for Sibylles bokes were euen commune / in all mens hands / in the tyme of Eusebius the bishoppe of Cesarea / of Lactantius / and of Augustine. All which do vse / and alledg them. But if they hade alledged false and counterfett verses / the heathen men which then excelled in knowledge / and were very many also in numbre / they wolde haue reproued theym as vayn men and lyars. If then men wyll gyue this vnto the verses of the Sibylles that they be vncorrupte / moche more is it to be giuen to the bokes of the Hebrues. Thus hath it pleased the lorde to defende and arme his churche / yea euen with the testimonies of his aduersaires. Wherfor let the Iues be suffred amonge the Christians / both for the promis which they haue of the saluacion to comme to their stocke / and also for the commodities which they do carie with them / such as I haue rehearsed. And for this cause / they be not only by lawes suffered / but also they haue their Synagoges graunted vnto them: As in the Nouellis Constitutionibus of Iustinian / and in the Decrees / it doth appere: But this is permitted vnder such condicion that they shuld not haue moo Synagoges then they hadd before / nor greater: Yet maye they repaire them that fall into decaye: This was graunted to them / bicause that in their congregacions / ther is no impiete / nor wickednes committed: They do but reade only the bookes of the holy scripture / and do publiquely praye. In which thinge yet the Magistrates and Bushopps / do euell / which do not diligently serche / take heede / and prouide / that they do nothinge els in their congregations indeede / then that I haue spoken of: for they shuld by al meanes take heede / that in their publique and common prayers / exhortations and readinges they do not speake euell of Christe our lorde and Godd. Which thynge seing they do not / both the Magistrates and the Bushopps are in greate fault. Vnto Turcks this ought not to be graunted / that they shuld gather them selues together in congregations to do their Godd seruice / bicause that in the same they reade neither the old Testament / nor the newe / but only their own blasphemus and filthie Alcorane. Morouer the Iues shuld be forbidden the practise of their exchaunges / and their vsuries. For not without mutch dishonesti and shame / do they afflicte many poore Christians therwith. But Christian Princes and Rulars do take tributes / and gret taxes for these gaynes of vsurie and shamefull couetusnes of the Iues / so farr ar they from forbidding them these wicked practises. Agayne Christian princes do not prouide to haue the Iues which do dwell vnder their dominions taught in Goddes truithe: which indeede is an euill negligence in them: for truly they ought to compell the Iues to comme vnto the godly sermons of the Christians / and that often tymes. Els if they be left in this point neglected / they do waxe dayly wors and wors / and lytill yea no hope at all is ther to be hadd of their conuercion. Theise princes are likewise bownd to take heade that the Iues do not corrupt the Christians / which ar vnder their Rule / that they do not seduce them and bringe them into Iuishnes. Neither shuld the weaker sort of Christians haue ony familiaritie with them / but only such Christians as be learned / and constant in the truithe. And that for such causes / as I haue alledged before. Last of all it is meete and conuenient / that they shuld be known from the Christians by their araye / or som suche outwarde signe / les ony man at vnwares shuld be conuersaunt with them / as though they wer Christians. And thus mutch of the Iues shall suffice. Now will I entreate of Heretikes.

This worde Haeresis, is deriued of the Greke worde / +hairein+, which signifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For heretikes do chose out / vnto themselues sum doctrine which is contrarye to the holy scriptures / and do obstinatly defend the same. Vnto this euell they are brought / either bicause they do not know the holy scripture / either bicause that though they do knowe them yet they do contemne and despise them either els bicause they do applye themselues to get sum honor or riches by this meane. Wherfor Augustine saith.

[[Lib. de vtilit. creden.]]

He is an heretike which either enuentith / or folowith fals and new opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to gett himself glorie and autorite. But of Heresie I will make this definicion.

[[Vvhat heresie is.]]

Heresie / is a choise and obstinate defence / of certeyn doctrynes which are contrary vntto Godds worde / springinge / either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holy scriptures / to gett therby aduauntag / or honors. There are foure kyndes of causes in this definicion. The formall cause is / chosinge and defending of picked doctrynes. The materiall parte or cause is picked doctryns contrary to Godds worde. For he that beleauith no doctryne at all / is godles / and not an Heretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresie is / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and lust or couetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtayne honors / and riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse which folowith the preachinge of the gospell / and as Paule saith /

[[Phil. 3.]]

Theyr belly / is their god. Augustine hath also this diuision.

[[Quest. in Matth. quest. 11.]]

Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise then they saie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which for diuersitie in opinion do diuide and separat the church / for +schizein+, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere / and continue in that schisme.

[[Lib. 2. contra Cresco. cap. 7.]]

But in an other place he saith. That Heresie / doth differ from schisme. For a Schisme / is a stryfe which risith vppon diuersitie of sentences. Neither can a dyuiding or a schisme be / onles they which do make it do thinke and holde contrarie thinges. But Heresie is / an inueterat schisme.

[[1. Cor. 11.]]

Saint Paule obseruith no such diuersitie / for he vsith theise too wordes for one thinge. Nowe that ye se what Heresie is / consider well wether that the papistes be heretikes / or no? They themselues do stoutly saye that they be none. Yea and sum other ther are / which dare affirme / that the papistes do differ from vs only in certayn abuses of ceremonies / and not in the doctrine of faith. But how farr theise men do err from the truithe / it shall forthwithe appeare. For I will playnly proue / that the papists are Heretikes / and do mayntayne Heresie againste certayn principall doctrines of our faithe.

[[1]]
[[The Papistes are heretiques.]]

Furst in the Article of Iustification / the papistes do picke out vnto themselues this doctrine: That a man is not iustified by faithe only / but by goode worcks also. which doctrine is contrary to the holy scriptures. Paule teachith thus.

[[Rom. 3.]]

We holde that a man is Iustified by faithe / without the deedes of the Lawe. Agayn he saith.

[[Gal. 2.]]

We do knowe that a man is not Iustified by the deedes of the lawe / but by the faithe of Iesu Christe. And Peter / whom Paule did then withstond / did not speake agaynst this doctrine. Of the Iues / also he writith thus.

[[Rom. 10.]]

For being ignorant of Gods righteousnes / and goinge about to establishe their own righteousnes / they were not obedient to the righteousnes of God. In which place he settith theise two righteousnesses / the one / against the other / the righteousnes of faith / against the righteousnes of worckes / so that the one excludith the other. The same thinge he doth where speaking of Iustification he saith.

[[Rom. 11.]]

If it be of grace / then is it not of worcks / if it be of worcks / then is it no more grace. To the Philippians he playnly saith /

[[Phil. 3.]]

that the worcks which are wrought before Regeneracion / can not iustifie / for he doth counte them to be but losse and dunge / which truly he wold not haue done / if they hadd such poure and vertue / that they could iustifie. This is most playne / that men before regeneracion are euell / and then must this sentence of Christes stonde true.

[[Mat. 7.]]

An euell tree can not bringe forth goode fruite. For how can it be / that they wich are deade as concerning righteousne / can of them selues go ony thinge forward vnto their new birhte:

[[Ephes. 2.]]

And we all wer such / euen deade throughe synne / and the children of wrathe. The Epistle writon to the Hebrues doth witnes /

[[Hebre. 11.]]

That without faith it is impossible to please God: And to the Romayns Paule saith.

[[Rom. 14.]]

That what soeuer is not of faith is Synne. This is the doctrine of the scripture concerning this matier. The papistes (as I sayde) so teache cleane contrarie doctrine / and do obstinatly defend it / notwithstonding that they be admonished of their error by the holy scriptures / by the aunciente fathers / as Hierom / Augustin / and others / by the godly Councels / as Africanum / Mileuitanum / Arausicanum / And now also being admonished therof by vs / yet will they not leaue their errour: Wherfor by the former definition of Heresie / they are proued heretikes.

An other doctryne also they do hold which is this. That the worcks which men do after regeneracion / are meritorius of their own worthines vnto euerlasting lyfe / And that they do fulfill the lawe of God. Yea they be not content to saye this only / but they adde. That men can do more goode worcks then the lawe of Godd requirirth. For (saye they) to lyue a syngle lyfe / to preache the gospell frely / men are not commaunded by ony expres commaundement of Godd. This they do teache / and obstinatly defend. But we do lern out of the holy scriptures / that

[[Rom. 8.]]

The afflictions of this lyfe / are not worthie of the glorie / which shalbe shewed vppon vs. He speakith heare of the best kind of worcks / euen of sufferinge martyrdom. Besides this eiche man dothe fele him selfe bounde betwene / and giltie of the breaking of theis two comaundementes.

[[Deut. 5.]]

Thou shalt loue the lorde thy God whith all thy harte / with all thy soule / and with all they mighte: lykewise of the same other commaundemente.

[[Exod. 20.]]

Thou shalte not luste / Ther is none among mortall men / that dyd euer fulfill those commaundementes. For the prophet saythe:

[[Esa. 64.]]

that our rightuousnesses / are as the clothe stayned withe the floures of a woman. And Christe wolde haue vs all / yea euen the blessed virgin / and the Apostles themselues to praye /

[[Mat. 6.]]

forgyue vs our trespasses.

[[Iacob. 3.]]

Iames addeth / in many thinges we all do synne.

[[Ioan. 1.]]

Iohn saythe. And if we saie we haue no synne / we do deceyue our selues.

[[2]]

This do we learne in the holie scripture / of our continuall synnynge: they teache not then that we can do any thing more then we sholde. But here the papistes do seke startinge hooles / and saie that they which liue a sole life / they which do preach the gospell frelie / do more then the law commaundeth / as I sayde: But this is not true / for they which haue the powre to liue a sole and chaste lyfe / and do know that in this kinde of lyfe they shall more paynfully and profitably labor in the preachinge of the gospell of Christe then otherwise. They are bownde to take it on them and to lyue in it. For if they do yt not / it is certeyne that they loue not God with all their harte / bycause they sholde then leaue vndone somewhat that they mighte do / to the glorie of his name / and wolde not. Like is to be saide of them / which mighte preache the gospell frelye / and do se that it shalbe for the increase of the kingdom of Godd / and do it not. Wherfore seinge the papistes do bothe thincke and teache otherwise in this matier then the holie scripture dothe teache / and do defend their errour with an obstinate mynde they are heretikes.

[[3]]

They do chose vnto them selues also an other doctrine / which is / that they which be regenerat / muste alwaies doubte of their saluation. But Christ / the Apostles / and the whole scripture / do teache cleane contrarie /

[[Ioan. 6.]]

he that beleuithe in me (saith Christe) hathe euerlasting life. If he hath it / howe can he doubte of yt then?

[[Act. 10.]]

And it is writen in the Actes. To him giue all the Prophetes witnesse / that all they which beleue throughe his name / shall receyue remission of synnes.

[[Rom. 8.]]

And to the Romains / whom he hath called / them also be iustified / whom he iustified / them he also glorified: But here the papistes haue this shifte / A man muste not doubte of Gods promises (they saye) but he muste doubte of the infirmitie of his fleshe / that he can not do those thinges which are to be done / to obtayne the promises of Godd.

[[Rom. 4.]]

Butt we be admonished by Abrahams example / that we sholde not in beholding of our imbecyllitie / fainte in faith / nor fall from beleauinge certainly the truithe of the promises: he considered not the barren wombe of Sara / nor his own old and effoebled bodie / he stackered not at the promise of God through vnbelefe / but became stronge in faithe / and dyd giue glory vnto God / knowinge that he was sufficientlie able to performe those thinges which he promised. &c.

[[Rom. 4.]]

Therfor by faithe is the enheritaunce gyuen that it might come of grace / that the promise mighte be certaine and sure: for if the certayntie of saluacion did hange on our merytes and worthines of our worckes / it should alwaies stumble / and be in daungier of ouerthrowe. Thus the papistes do spoile men of healthfull hope / and make men doubt / if not despaire / which is not to be done: for that nature of hope maie not be inuerted which Paule teacheth

[[Rom. 5.]]

to be suche / that it dothe not make a man ashamed: if then we do certaynlye hope and loke for life euerlastinge / we shall not be deceyued: and seing it is the holye ghoste that bearithe witnes vnto our spret /

[[Rom. 8.]]

that we are the children of Godd / surly his witnes we may not reiect / without committing gret offence.

[[Exod. 20.]]

I am sayth Godd / The lorde thy Godd / this will he haue them that be his to beleaue:

[[Roma. 5.]]

And whosoeuer beleauith this / hath the quiet peace of a iustified conscience / and knowith hymself to be in safetie / for Godd is his iustifier / and who shall condenne hym / whom Godd doth iustifie.

[[Roma. 8.]]

Against al theise manifest testimonies of the holy scriptures / theise men do teache their contrary doctrine / and do obstinatly defend it / wherfor they are heretiques.