A Treatise of the Cohabitation Of the Faithful with the Unfaithful Part 8

[[1. Cor. 5.]]

where he teacheth that all couetous parsons / euill speakers / dronckardes / wh.o.r.emugars / 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 fr th? / 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 th? which before were bretheren / bothe sorowe and shame was dryuen / when they dyd see that they wer now shonned of the G.o.dlye / 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 amg the heath? and Idolatours: first that which Abraham dyd / euen by the callinge and commaundmente of G.o.d he dyd it. Againe he was of suche knowledge and constcie in the truithe that he coulde be conuersaute whith the vnbeleauers with out hurtinge of him selfe / and wyth moche profyting of th?. For he caryed aboute with him the name of G.o.d d his holy d true wors.h.i.+p / whither so euer he w?t. 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 th? true faithe and G.o.dlie life / he owght not to be accused therfore / for it was well done / yea it was the prouidence of G.o.d towards the Sodomyts / that they mighte be better taughte / and ernestly caled vnto rep?tance. So dothe G.o.d admonishe before he destroieth. So Abraham was sent amonge the Cananites. On this sorte to go amge the wicked / and vnbeleuers is lawfull and laudable. But if Lot went to Sod 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 G.o.d 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 spok? inough before.

[[7]]

I suppose lykewise that the cause is op? and plaine inoughe / wherfore manye of them which were healed of Christe were sent fr him to their own coutrie / and kindred / to publishe and declare and amge th? / what hade happened vnto th?. This nowe remayneth / that I sholde peculiarlie speake of the Iues / and heretikes. For these too kindes of m? 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 th? 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 / th? 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 / d 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. Eug. 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 G.o.d / that they wors.h.i.+pped Idolls as by a publike order and custome cmenlye receyued: But the elder sonne / by wh 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 cuersaunte aboute the letter of the scriptures / they vnderstde them whith an earthly and fleshy mynde: And therfore it is sayde / that he was in the felde: At the begynning he w?te not into the house / but at the last he shall entre / and be called also:

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

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

[[Psal. 59]]

as he nbred the Psalmes. Sley them not / lest my poeple do forget / but scater th? abroade. &c. The sonne of G.o.d praieth the father / that the Iues mighte not be vtterlie slayne and destroyed but scatered abroad throughe the worlde. Other countries and nacys / 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 Romais / neither i ordinauces / lawes / nor religi. They do kepe their own lawe (so farre as they c) eu?

vnto this daye: They wander aboute dispersed and scattered abrode / neither do they forget the lawe of G.o.dd / the haue it / not to obserue it indeede / but only they do reade yt / d they do also reteyne certeyn signes / as Circucisi and other ordinauces / by which they are know? from others. But they offer no sacrifices / for to sacrifice was lawfull only at Hierusal?.

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 brok? of / and we are grafted in their place / which thinge whilest we do beholde / we must acknowledg the iustice of G.o.d 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 cmoditie besydes this that commith of this their dispersi 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 cfesse that these wrytinges are true. And so though they be our enemies in their mynde / yet the bokes which they haue and do reuer?ce / are our witnesses. wherfore I c not maruayle ynoughe at those m? which do persequute and hate the tonge of the Hebrewes / and the Hebrewe bibels / and do burne them / wh? 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 shfull 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 asc?si / they wolde th? chieflie haue corrupted those places which do make m?ci of Christ / and those which Christe / and his Apostiles did alledge. But those remayne safe and vncorrupte / the same sense and meaninge of th? 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 m dothe iustly beholde th? / he shall see that they haue many moo testimonies and sentences for vs / more plaine / I saye / then our cmen translati 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 spok? 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 th?selues 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 th? of the prophettes whom Christ dothe alledge / they graunte them to be true. Aske them of the vnderstandinge of th? / in yt they are ignoraunte / because they are blinded. And amonge all other witnessinges / that witnesse which is gyuen of a ms 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 heath?

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 m? 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 eu? with the testimonies of his aduersaires. Wherfor let the Iues be suffred amonge the Christians / both for the promis which they haue of the saluaci to comme to their stocke / and also for the commodities which they do carie with them / such as I haue rehea.r.s.ed. And for this cause / they be not only by lawes suffered / but also they haue their Synagoges graunted vnto them: As in the Nouellis Const.i.tutionibus 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 grauted to them / bicause that in their cgregacions / 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 dilig?tly 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 cmon prayers / exhortations and readinges they do not speake euell of Christe our lorde and G.o.dd. 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 G.o.dd 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 exchauges / 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 G.o.ddes truithe: which indeede is an euill neglig?ce in them: for truly they ought to compell the Iues to comme vnto the G.o.dly 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 Christis / 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 conueni?t / 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 / a??e??, which signifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For heretikes do chose out / vnto th?selues 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 th?selues to get sum honor or riches by this meane.

Wherfor Augustine saith.

[[Lib. de vtilit. cred?.]]

He is an heretike which either enuent.i.th / or folowith fals and new opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to gett himself glorie d 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 G.o.dds worde / springinge / either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holy scriptures / to gett therby aduautag / 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 G.o.dds worde. For he that beleauith no doctryne at all / is G.o.dles / and not an Heretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresie is / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and l.u.s.t or couetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtayne honors / d riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse which folowith the preachinge of the gospell / d as Paule saith /

[[Phil. 3.]]

Theyr belly / is their G.o.d. Augustine hath also this diuisi.

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

Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise th? they saie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which for diuersitie in opini do diuide and separat the church / for s???e??, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere / and ctinue in that schisme.

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