Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 13 · Section 5
VVhether Guile be lawfull for the rooting out of Idolatrie and hereſie; In 2. King. 10, verſe 17.
23 Iehu by fraud minded to allure the worſhippers of Baal, The fact of Iehu.that he might bring them into the danger of death. He proclaimed among the people, that he would be a notable worſhipper of Baal; and that he would, with all ſpéed poſſible, offer a notable ſacrifice therevnto. Wherefore he commanded all the Baalites to come togither to the holie aſſemblie, to the end they might be readie with their ſeruice, about that ſumptuous ſacrifice. Some are in doubt, whether Iehu ſinned in lieng after that ſort. They that defend his cauſe ſaie, A ſeruiceable lie.that this kind of lie was an officious lie; and therefore not to be condemned. And an officious lie they define to be that, wherewith none are hurt, and ſome are holpen. But among other things, we muſt note, that this lie of Iehu, did not raſhlie eſcape from him; ſéeing in that iournie, it was conceiued in his mind, and fixed in his heart. And in my opinion, it cannot be called an officious lie, bicauſe it did hurt manie, by giuing an offenſe. For on the one part, the people thought that they had gotten a godlie and holie king; but on the other ſide, beholding his proclamation, they ſuſpected that he had deſtroied Achab and his familie; not for religion ſake, but for the deſire of the kingdome. Wherefore they iuſtlie condemned him of hypocriſie. Others defend the lie, which he vttered [in ſaieng] that it was amended through the good intent of the ſpeaker. But a good intent dooth not make a good action, when the nature thereof is euill; and that Euill things, Rom. 3, 8.(according to the doctrine of the apoſtle) ought not to be committed, that good things may come thereof. They procéed further, and ſaie, that it is inough, that God knoweth the heart of him that ſpeaketh. No, neither is that ſufficient; bicauſe it is not onelie néedfull that we approoue our ſelues vntounto GOD; but we muſt doo it euen to men alſo, ſo much as is poſſible; To the intent that they, Matth. 5, 16ſeeing our good works, may praiſe and glorifie the father.
Neither is that of anie great weight, when they ſaie, that this lie was to indure but a ſhort time; ſéeing it ſhould come to paſſe within a few daies, that the mind of him that ſpake it, ſhould be manifeſt: inſomuch as Iehu was about to ſlaie the Baalites, whereby the people ſhould knowe how great an enimie he was vntounto that kind of idolatrie. For theſe men be verie much deceiued, which imagine, that ſinnes muſt be meaſured by a ſpace of time; ſéeing in a verie moment, a horrible crime maie be committed. Neither is it to be doubted, but that the Baalites did for the time being, confirme themſelues in their peruerſe idolatrie, through that fact of Iehu. Further, they committed great ſinne, in preparing of themſelues to ſacrifice; & they were conſtreined therevnto by the authoritie of the king, who had called them togither by ſetting forth his edict, who alſo had commanded the kéeper of the veſtrie, to giuegive vntounto them the accuſtomed garments: which they hauing receiued, did violate the lawe of God. By which place it euidentlie appeareth, that they, in their ſacrifices, had garments, which were peculiar and differing from others that were vſuall and prophane. For the diuell indeuoreth in all the things he can, to imitate GOD; Exod. 28.who ordeined, that Aaron, in miniſtering before him, ſhould hauehave garments curiouſlie wrought. He commanded alſo, that his children; to wit, the meaner prieſts, ſhould weare certeine apparell, which he had appointed for them. 1. Kin. 10, 22So likewiſe did the Baalites prouide to be doone in their idolatrie.
24 Such kind of lieng and fraud was vſed in times paſt, when Auguſtine liued, to diſcouer the error of the Priſcillianiſts. Theſe wicked heretikes did priuilie corrupt manie, and in the meane time could ſcarſelie be called to place of iudgement, or there be condemned; bicauſe they diſſembled their hereſie, and being accuſed, they vtterlie deteſted and denied it by oth; notwithſtanding that in their mind they reteined ſtill a peſtiferous meaning; nor yet did they ceaſe to ſeduce & beguile. Whervpon, manie of the faithfull ſort taking it grieuouſlie, The guile of Iehu was vſed in the perſecution of the Priſcillianiſts.that they ſhould kéepe themſelues cloſe; they, to the intent they might drawe them out into the ſight of the world, and diſcouer them, would otherwhile hauehave acceſſe to ſome of them, and feigne, that they alſo were fauorers of the Priſcillianiſts. So then, they hearing this, ſhewed vntounto them their ſecrets. Auguſtine reprooued the Catholikes, and perſuaded them to abſteine from this kind of lieng; and for the ſame cauſe wrote an excellent booke intituled De mendacio to Conſentius. Againe, they that defend Iehu, 1. Kin. 18, 23obiect Elias vntounto vsus, who ſéemeth to hauehave prouoked the Baalites vponupon mount Carmel, to doo ſacrifice vntounto the idoll. But betwéene theſe things there is no ſmall difference: for Elias did not of himſelfe, and abſolutelie ſtirre them vp vntounto ſacrifice, but prouoked them for the accompliſhment of a miracle; namelie, to put in proofe, whether part ſhould cauſe fire to come from heauen. Further, the Baalites at that time were prepared for their dailie ſacrifices; yea, and they made oblations vntounto their god euerie daie, & after a ſort called vponupon him continuallie. But this happened not now among the Baalites; ſéeing they durſt not, for feare of the new king Iehu, doo ſacrifice to their idoll.
Wherfore, they which profeſſe the Goſpell, muſt not confirme themſelues by theſe arguments; and in the meane time pollute themſelues in poperie, by abiurations and wicked maſſes. It ſufficeth not to hauehave a ſincere heart onelie, but God dooth alſo require our outward actions: for he, being the creator of the whole man, dooth alſo challenge the whole vntounto himſelfe. Wherefore (me thinketh) we ſhould confeſſe it to be verie good indéed, that the Achabites and Baalites ſhould be deſtroied; but not that all the circumſtances vſed therein ſhould wholie be allowed. Neither ſhuld we be verie carefull to diſcharge Iehu of ſinne; ſith he was otherwiſe a worſhipper of golden calues: neither did he (as the holie ſcriptures declare) walke perfectlie in the lawe of the Lord. 2. Kin. 10, 31Indéed he was appointed to ſubuert the ſeruice of Baal, but not to promote and diſſemble the ſame. Wherefore, I cannot ſée, how this kind of lieng may be excuſed; vnleſſe perhaps it be ſaid, that he did not lie in reſpect of his owne mind and iudgement, but by the motion of God, which ſtirred him vp vntounto ſuch a lie; euen as in like maner he willed the people to borowe coſtlie garments, and gold and ſiluer veſſels of the Aegyptians; when as yet the Hebrues knew verie well, that theſe things ſhould not be lent, but quite taken awaie from the owners: but yet God commanded, that ſo it ſhould be; as we read in Exodus. Exod. 12, 3.But of Iehu this cannot be affirmed. Indéed the Baalites deſerued thus to be ſeduced by fraud, ſéeing they deceiued the people, and that in a moſt weightie matter. And they, which had ſollicited & incenſed kings and a quéene againſt the prophets, & men of God; now they themſelues alſo deſerued to be circumuented by fraud and guile. Howbeit, Iehu in the meane time is not excuſed from pernicious lieng. I am not ignorant, that there is both good guile, and ill guile, Good guile and euill guile.and that it is lawfull ſometimes to vſe good guile. But this, whereof we now intreat, I affirme to be ill guile; and therefore vnlawfull. Indéed the lawe commanded, that the idolaters ſhould be ſlaine; Deut. 13. 5. and 6.but it willed not, that by this kind of lieng and legierdemaine it ſhould be doone.
25 Iehu ſetteth foorth his ſeruice of Baal by a compariſon. Achab ſéemed in that religion to be moſt ſuperſtitious; but it is ſaid, that in compariſon of Iehu, he worſhipped Baal but a litle. This is euen as if he ſhould ſaie; Thoſe things were but ſport and plaie, in compariſon of thoſe ſame, which I am minded to giuegive. The holie ſcriptures teſtifie, that he did theſe things fraudulentlie; Why Iehu pretended an honour and ſeruice vntounto Baal.to the intent he might gather all the Baalites into one, and ſlaie them all togither; bicauſe he might not otherwiſe hauehave brought his purpoſe to pas. For verie manie of the Baalites, hauing intelligence of the ſlaughter of Achab and Ochozias, and alſo the children of Achab, and kindred of Ochozias, fled awaie for feare, and hid themſelues in ſecret places. Wherefore, Iehu feigned theſe things, and made proclamation that he did maruellouſlie fauour the Baalites. Moreouer, he perhaps feared, leaſt if he ſhould deale violentlie and openlie, a ſedition might be raiſed among the people, to take in hand new matters. But the Baalites, being inuited by ſuch faire and curteous indeuours, came in, and of their owne accord caſt themſelues headlong into the danger of death; whereas otherwiſe they were both ſubtill and craftie. But after this maner God dooth infatuate ſuch men, and taketh them tarde in their owne wilineſſe. Euen as we alſo perceiue, that it came to paſſe in Pharao; Exo. 14, 23.who wilfullie, and of his owne accord entring into the red ſea, was drowned, and all his whole hoſt with him.
The fact of Conſtantius Ceſar.This kind of guile and lieng, in times paſt Conſtantius, the father of Conſtantine the great vſed; who, hauing imbraced Chriſt, ſet foorth an edict, which was far contrarie vntounto his will, as though he would not ſuffer anie chriſtian to liue in his Court. So as he commanded by his edict, that they, which would profeſſe chriſtian religion, ſhould ſurrender the offices, which they had receiued, and ſhould be diſcharged from the wars. They, which ſincerelie imbraced Chriſt, deſpiſed courtlie dignities, and departed from the Emperours traine: on the other ſide, they, which onelie bare the name of chriſtians; bicauſe they would kéepe their former place and degrée, departed from Chriſt. But the matter fell out otherwiſe: for the Emperour called home thoſe that went their waie, and commanded, that they ſhould enioie their former offices and commodities; and he put awaie thoſe from him, which had forſaken Chriſt. And he vſed this reaſon; If they were not faithfull to that power, that is Chriſt, whom they worſhipped; neither will they be faithfull to me: nor yet faithfullie labour and indeuour for the defenſe of me and mine empire. But Iulian, whom they call the Apoſtata, who reuolted from Chriſt, made an other maner of lie. A lie of Iulian the Apoſtata.For (as Ammianus Marcellinus reporteth) when he led his armie againſt Conſtantius his brother by the fathers ſide, fearing leaſt he ſhould offend his ſoldiers, of whom the moſt part were Chriſtians, feigned himſelfe to worſhip Chriſt alſo; when as he was alreadie reuolted from him. Wherefore, vponupon a ſolemne feaſt daie of Epiphanie, he entered into the temple, togither with the Chriſtians. And there be verie manie diſſimulations, as touching religion, to be found out in the hiſtories.