Against a Rank Papist, Part 2
¶ Here foloweth a brefe exposy…on vponupon the. xxx. chapter of Numeri, whych was the fyrst occasion of thys present varyaunce.
BIcause the. xxx. chapter of Numeri, wrasted, detorted, & depraued, by the vyolence of thys wycked captayne, was compelled agaynst hys good nature, to geue the first vuset agaynst the lordes verite in this battaile. Therfor now yt enemy ouerthrowne & the victory obtayned, by him which cōsumeth ye wicked one wt the mighty breath of his mouth. ii. Tes. ii. I wyll not only restore hym agayne to his place & office, but also cause him to discerne his frend frō his enemy, & to bestow his seruice where as it ought rightfully to be bestowed. And all this shall be done by a cōmētary added therunto, to y• ryght vnderstāding of the same chapter, that it may therby apeare to y• readers, nothing to per tain to y• vowes of Antichristes presthode. That chapter treateth only of vowes, whā they ought to hauehave bene kept, & whan they ought to hauehave bene omitted. He was boūd to pay thē in Moises law, that was vndre no yoke of bondage, neyther of marriage, chyldhode, nor other seruitude. The other sort payed them by lycens or allowaunce, of father or husbande. Seruauntes by like, were exēpted, for here they are not placed. Prestes had nothynge at all to do wyth them, but onlye to receyue the profytes of them towardes theyr lyuynges. The texte thus procedeth.
The text.
¶ Moyses told to the children of Israel, all thynges as the Lord had commaunded hym.
The exposycion.
☞ None other was Moyses, than a prynce or hygh magistrate, peculiarly chosen of God, to gouerne, to instructe, and to leade hys people the Hebrues, into ye lande of promes. By hym God wrought greate wonders in Egypte, in the sea, and in the wyldernesse, to establysh the fayth of that people. He apeared vntounto hym face to face, and gaue hym a lawe with his owne hand wrytten, whych he publyshed vntounto thē. He neyther fed them wyth the fables and inchauntmentes of Pharaos sorcerers, nor yet taught them the wytty speculacyons of the Egipcianes, though he dwelt amōg them, but he gaue them that pure doctrine whych came only from the mouth of god.
Thys is left for an example to the christen mynisters, not to teache mennys doctrines, sentēces, decrees, legendes, fables, nor lyes, but the syncere doctrine of fayth and Gospel of saluacion.
The texte.
¶ And Moyses spake vntounto the heades of the trybes of the chyldren of Israel, sayenge. Thys is the thing which the Lorde commaundeth.
The expocisyon.
☞ Bycause the excedynge greate nombre and multitude of the chyldren of Israel, were moche more than coulde by any possybylyte be satysfyed by the voyce of one man. Therfor he relygyously and soberly, called vntounto hym by the hygh authorite of God the inferiour magystrates of eueryevery seuerall trybe or kynred, gyuynge them out commyssions of that which god had commaūded, to se it wyth all reuerēce executed and obeyed in the feare of God. The lawe was at that present, concerning the perfourmaunce of vowes, what ordre shoulde be taken in them. In whome they shoulde take effect, and in whome none, to staye the variete of opynyons, whych els might hauehave growen amōge mē therupon.
The texte.
¶ If a man vowe a vowe vntounto the Lord, or sweare an othe and bynde hys sowle, he shall not go backe wyth hys worde, but shall fulfyll all that he hath promysed.
The exposicion.
Se here what the persone ought to hauehave bene, by Gods allowaunce, that shulde in those daies make a vowe or an othe to his honour. A man, the text sayth, no babe, no fole, no hare brayne or rashe bodye. These iii, thinges thē were loked for in hym that ded vowe or make an othe, a perfight age, a full dyscressiō, & a ripe deliberaciō. They therfor whych after all these due circumstaūces had vowed or sworne, stode bound in conscyence by thys lawe, tyll they had throughly perfourmed theyr othes & promises. Neyther was it lawfull for them to go backe, or to pretermit any part of them vndone.
And as concernynge the thynges that were vowed, they might not be of thinges impossyble, but of thynges which were in mās power. Neither myht they be of any thynge whych was to Gods dyshonoure, or agaynst his cōmaūdemēt. For the bond of y• promyse, stode only in thynges agreable to Gods word, lawe, decre, pleasure, cōmaundemēt, & honour. Wicked vowes were in no case to be obserued, but to be brokē, reiected, & abhorred, as thinges not of faith but of errour & blasphemy. As are now the vowes of monkes and of prestes, professynge theyr owne inuencious.
The texte.
¶ If a damsell vowe vntounto the Lord, & bynde her selfe beynge in her fathers house & vnmarryed. If her father heare the vowe & bonde, which she hath made vponupon her sowle, and holde hys peace the…to. Thē all her vowes and bondes, whych she hath made vponupon her sowle, shall stande good. But if her father forbid her the same day that he heareth it, none of her vowes nor bondes whych she hath made vponupon her sowle, shall be of value, and the Lord shall forgiue her, bycause her father forbad her.
The exposicion.
All thys was spoken for maydens, remaynynge in the howses of theyr fathers tyll the tyme of theyr marryages. What so euer these had promised, either by vow… or by othe, the perfourmaunce therof laye in the only arbytryment of the father. For in hys power it was, by the set ordynaūce of God, at hys dyscressyon to allowe it or dyanulle it, were it neuer so stronglye made. No grounde can our papistes take of thys parcell, for theyr superstycyouse vowes, though they had lefte theyr christianite, and were become professed Iewes in dede. For it is only for maydens beyng vndre cure of theyr parentes, and towardes marryage.
Theyr vowes are nothynge lyke these, for they are without Gods authorite, will, word, lawe, institucion, & ordre, of thinges vnprofitable, repugnaunt to nature, & vnpossyble to be obserued. They had also annexed vntounto them, perpetuall transgressyon afore God, though not alwayes afore mē, theyr knottes beynge indyssoluble, & their snares irremedyable. These vowes were after the ordinaunce of God, perteyninge only to suche thynges as were offered in the temple, and had an ende as the offeringes were done, beynge also dyspensable at the fathers discression, as here apeareth.
The texte.
¶ If she had an husbande whan she vowed or pronounced ought out of her lyppes, wherwith she boūde her sowle, and her husbande hearde it and helde hys peace therat, the same day he heard it. Thē her vowes & her bondes, wherwyth she bounde her sowle, shall stand. But if her husband forbad her, the same daye he heard it, than hath he made her vowe whych she had vponupon her, of none effect, and that also whych she pronoū ced with her lippes, wherwith she boūd her sowle. And y• Lord shall forgeue her.
The exposycion.
☞ A woman beynge a mannys wyfe, or a mayde made handefast or sure to a mā in the howse of her father, myght well make a vowe of offerynge to the Lord, but she myght not perfourme it wythout the consent of her husbande, beynge ones hys wyfe afore God. It was alwayes in hys power, at the firste apearaunce or knowledge therof, to hauehave said yea or naye vntounto it, or vtterly to hauehave made it voyde and of none effecte, thoughe it had bene neuer so strongely made afore. Thys declareth the man, not only to be the head of the womā, but also to hauehave a power or dominiō ouer her. Howe thys lawe hath bene abused of our papystes, I thynke fewe men of dyscression are aliue, but knoweth. What trē tals, sowle grotes, and other leuse endes hath gone abroad by mēs wyues, for Scala celies, fiue woūde masses, alterclothes, ymages, candels, and other practysed pageauntes of the slowe belly prestes, theyr husbandes not ware therof, it is to farre aboue nombre to be declared. In their sacrifyces and temple toies, they are contented to apeare all one wyth the supersticiouse Iewes. But in refusall of those womens offeringes which wanted theyr husbandes consent, they neuer woulde be Iewes nor yet honest men. Where as it is sayd in the ende here, y• God shall forgyue her, which thus breaketh her vowe. It is referred to Christ, by whō only commeth the remissiō of all synne, that our heauenly father forgiueth.
The texte.
¶ The vowe of a widowe, and of her that is deuorced, and all that they hauehave bounde theyr sowles wyth, shall stand.
The exposicion.
If widowes which were fre by y• death of theyr husbandes, eyther yet other women whych were released from the yoke of marryage by libels of diuorcemēt, had had at any tyme than vowed, theyr consciences were bounde to the perfourmaunce of theyr vowes, like as they had promysed afore. And these vowes were only for offeringes & for humylyacions of the sprete, and not for chastyte of body. For therunto were they bounde by other statutes both of the lawes of nature and of Moyses.
The texte.
¶ A wyfe, if she vowed in her husbandes howse, or bound her sowle with an othe, and her husbande heard it, and helde hys peace and forbad her not, thā all her vowes and bondes wherewyth she bounde her sowle, shall stande. But if her husbande dysanulled them the same day, than nothynge that proceded out of her lippes in vowes and bondes wherwyth she bounde her sowle, shall stande. For her husband hath losed thē, and the Lorde shall forgyue her.
The exposicion,
Women marryed out of theyr fathers howses, and dwellynge vndre tuycion or gouernaunce of theyr husbandes, myghte vowe at theyr pleasures, if they minded so to do. But in no wyse myght they actually perfourme theyr vowes in effect, wythout the full graunte and agrement of their hus bandes. No, though they had bound those vowes wyth double othe, yet myght they not holde without theyr consent. Notwithstandynge the sylence of the man, was accepted in the lawe for a full graunte of the matter, if he hearde it wyth hys eares and made none answer to it at the same presēt. And all thys was only for frewyll offerynges to the Lorde. I can not thinke, that this lawe was euer plesaunte to our cloynynge papystes, monkes, massing prestes, canons, chanons, and friers. For they had all theyr packynges and proulynges, whā the good men were out and abrode. The stories are to many, to be rehearced at this tyme. The breache of these vowes by contrary commaundement of the man, was al so released by the deathe of Christ, whych was the vnyuersalll and whole pacifycacion of the fathers wrath for synne.
The texte.
¶ All vowes and othes, that binde to humble the sowle, as of abstynence and fastynge, maye her husbande estably she or breake. But if her husband holde his peace from one daye to an other, thā he establysheth all her vowes and bondes which she had vponupon her, bicause he held his peace the same day he hearde them.
The exposycion.
☞ Uowes concernyng the sowles humylyacion (as here appeareth) were promyses of fastynge, prayer, and abstynēce, as they were vsed in Moyses lawe. Mennys wyues myghte vowe these vowes also, at certen tymes for the chastysement of theyr bodyes, hauynge theyr husbandes consent, els not. But how ded popysh prestes abuse thys rule of God, whan they kept theyr marte of confessions? They neuer sought the consent of their husbandes, whan they appoynted mens wiues, by penaunce as they called it, either to fast or yet to praye. The husbandes myght be of coū sell in nothynge that they ded, though god had a thousande tymes commaunded it. For theyr holy father Antichrist, was in theyr lewde opynion, a lawe maker farre aboue God. They can fatche theyr vowes from hens, but thys godly ordre of obedience of the wyfe to her husbande coulde they neuer fynde, but vtterly subdued it in theyr most deuylysh confessions. If any euer made these vowes vnlawfull, it were they whych after thys naughty sort most wyckedly abused them, in thus vsurpinge an authorite ouer mēs wyues aboue theyr husbandes, agaynst Gods manyfest word here, exalting thēselues therin aboue god.
The texte.
¶ And if he afterward breake them, he shall beare her synne hym selfe.
The exposicyon.
☞ So stode this vowe in the wife, that if the man hearde it pronounced, and sayd nothynge theragainst, she stode bounde in cōscience afore God, both to folowe it and perfourme it. But if he dyssembled ye hearynge therof, and afterwardes vponupon light dyspleasure forbad her the fulfyllynge of it. Than if it had bene broken, it was hys inyquite and not hers. The woman stode clere, and he from thensfourth was bound to the perfourmaunce of it, so strongly as though he had vowed in hys owne person. And thys commeth of consent by a dyssymulacion and forgetfulnesse. Se therfor what it is to dissemble in thinges of Gods ordynaunce.
The texte.
¶ These are the ordynaunces, which the Lorde cōmaunded Moises, bitwene the man and his wyfe, and betwene the father and hys daughter, being a damsell in her fathers howse.
The exposicion.
Of the whole chaptre, is thys clause an epyloge or brefe conclusion, repetynge in fewe wurdes the substaunce of all that is therin treated. God is here declared to be the authour of these lawes, and hys hyghe magistrate Moises the publisher of them, concernyng vowes within the housholdes of the chyldren of Israel. The father had power to dyssolue the vowe of his daughter, and the husbande to make the promyse of his wyfe that waye of none effect, were they neuer so strongely made. Why than maye not Gods wurde, whych is that eternall power of hys, wherwyth he made all, gouerneth all, and at the latter daye shall iudge all, do the same in hys greate howsholde here, or congregaciō milytaūt? I knowe thys to be an earnest restraynte therof, to al thē yt hath vnsesonabli vowed in Antichristes churche, pronounced both by the prophetes and Apostles, Gene. xix. Esay. xlvii. Zacha. ii. Hiere. li. ii. Corin. vi. it. Apoca. xviii. Come awaye from her my people, least ye be partakers of her syns, & to receiue of her plages. This voyce wold both be heard, beleued, obeyed, & folowed.
The conclusyon.
NOw may ye se (gentle readers) how folyshe, fantastycall, and beastly our papystes are which take thys, xxx. chaptre of Numeri, for a myghty staye and most stronge buttrasse of vpholdynge the fantasyed vowes of theyr monkeryes and massynge presthode. Ye maye well perceyue, that it is nomore to that purpose, thā is Chariuge crosse, to vphold Lyncolne mynster. Uowes in thys chaptre, are of Moyses commyssyon vndre shaddowe of the lawe, and not of Christes commyssyon vndre lyght of the Gospell.
The makynge and perfourmaunce of thē, pertayned to priuate how sholdes and not to the temple, to the commen people and nothinge at all to the prestes. Married men and yonge men towardes marryage, marryed women and maydens towardes marryage, wydowes and dyuorced women, were only of power by thys lawe, to promyse them. They were not perpetuall, but for a small tyme, they were of thynges possyble and in mannys power, and easely they myght be broken and dyspensed wyth in the wyfe and the daughter. Neuer had the prestes any thing a do with the perfourmaunce or makynge of them, but onelyonly to receyue them in offeringes, to the mayntenaunce of theyr lyuynges. For they had none other possessyons els amōg the other trybes, but these voluntary oblacions, fyrst frutes, and the tythes. What wyll our folysh papystes hauehave of thē thā, whā they are so farre from their purpose?
Mannys reason (I suppose) and y• true fear of God, by the rule of his holy word, shuld gouerne our whole man, both within and wythout, in body and in sowle, as the father doth hys daughter, and as the good husbande doth his wyfe, concerning affeccions of thinges temporall and mocions towardes religyon. No man ought to vowe, or to promyse any payment to god, vnlesse he be able of hys owne substaunce to do it, and hauehave it in possessyon ready at all tymes to be payed, as the Hebrues had. For it is els but a mockinge of God. Nothynge can we offer of our selues to God, that is in any poynte correspondynge to hys gyftes. All the goodnesse we hauehave, is farre to lytle for that we already owe him for our creacion and redempcyon. What wyll we than paye hym besydes our dewty, whych are not able to do that? Our yl dedes are not fytte to be vowed vntounto him, and yet we hauehave none other of our owne. As God is wholy ours in Christ without vowe, so are we hys wholly agayne without vowe. He doth no great act thā, which offereth himselfe in bondage by vowe. To a godly man are vowes nothynge necessary, for he serueth God in lyberte of sprete. Uowes only procede from the carnal mā, whych knoweth none other wayes of pleasynge God, but hys owne ydel inuēciōs. The father of mercy and God of cō solacion, delyuer hys church from thys wycked blyndenes, and reduce it againe into the way of right knowledge. So be it.
¶ Thus endeth the brefe exposicion vponupon the. xxx. chaptre of Numeri wyhch was the fyrst occasyon of thys present varyaunce. Anno do. M. D. L.