Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 9 · Section 11
Of a curſſe.
In Iudg. 1. verſe. 17. Looke in 1. Cor. 16. at the end.30 The Hebrues did not vtterlie ouerthrowe & deſtroie certeine eities, which they had taken into their hands; but did inhabit them. Howbeit, ſome they curſſed, & vtterlie rooted out. And their vow of the thing that was promiſed, was called Cherem, of the verbe Charam, which is, To waſt, To deſtroie, To kill, To deface, & To accurſſe. The Graecians called that word Cherem, foreign: and they alſo called foreign, as things conſecrate and put apart. And it may be, that they were ſo called, bicauſe they were hanged vp in temples, and were ſequeſtred from the vſe of men, and might not be remooued from off that place. Yea, men were ſometimes called by that word. Paule in verie déed vſed that word manie times: for he ſaith to the Galathians; Let him be accurſſed, Gal, 1. 8. Rom. 9, 3.whoſoeuer ſhall preach anie other Goſpell. And to the Romans, he wiſhed himſelfe to be *or ſeparated from Chriſt. 1. Co. 16, 22accurſſed for the brethren. And to the Corinthians the firſt epiſtle, he ſaith; He that loueth nor the Lord Ieſus, let him be accurſſed, Maranatha: where he taketh this word foreign, for this word Cherem, that is, A thing ſeparated and diſioined altogither from the companie and vſe of man: ſo as it was vnlawfull to touch it, or vſe it. A teſtimonie whereof we hauehave in the booke of Ioſua the ſixt chapter, as touching the citie of Ierico. Ioſu. 6. 17▪And it ſéemeth that it was ſo accurſſed, bicauſe it was after a ſort the firſt fruits of the cities which were taken. For, after that they were paſſed ouer Iordan, it was the firſt that was conquered of all the cities, and that by no helpe of man; for that the wals thereof fell downe of their owne accord, and by the will of GOD. Wherefore it was méet, that the ſpoiles thereof ſhould altogither be conſecrated vntounto God.
31 But it ſéemeth to be vtterlie ſtrange from the ſeruice of God, Whether the deſtruction of cities belong to the ſeruice of God.to deſtroie both cities and men: and theſe things hauehave rather a ſhew of crueltie, than of religion. I anſwer, that deſtructions indéed of their owne proper nature, apperteine neither to religion, nor to godlines: but ſo farre foorth as they be referred to the glorie of God. And this may happen two maner of waies; as when that deſtruction is counted for a certeine token of the ſeueritie and iuſtice of GOD, againſt thoſe people, whom he, for their wickedneſſe, would hauehave to be deſtroied: or elſe, as a certeine teſtimonie of Gods goodneſſe and merciemercy towards the Iſraelites, whom in that expedition he mercifullie helped. Wherefore, the ouerthrowing of the citie, houſes, men, and beaſts, did ſhew the iuſtice and ſeueritie of God: and the conſecration declared the goodneſſe, helpe, and merciemercy vttered to that people. Moreouer, God would by that meanes prooue the obedience of his people, in abſteining from the ſpoiles which were conſecrated to God. For we knowe, that ſoldiers, when they hauehave gotten the victorie, are hardlie reſtrained from the preie. But they which obeied not the curſſe, when if was publiſhed, were moſt gréeuouſlie puniſhed. Which the holie hiſtorie of Ioſua declareth to hauehave happened vntounto Achan, Ioſua. 7, 1.bicauſe he vſurped vntounto himſelfe ſome of the ſpoiles of Ierico. We knowe alſo, 1. Sa. 15, 11.that Saule was for this cauſe béereſt of his kingdome, in that he had reſerued Agag the king, and certeine oxen and fat cattell of the preie, which were alreadie bound by the vow of the curſſe.
32 But touching the forme and end of the curſſe, we hauehave ſpoken inough. The forme of the curſſeFor the forme is the deſtruction of cities, men, and beaſts: and the conſecration of gold, ſiluer, iron, braſſe, pearles, pretious ſtones, & coſtlie things, which were appointed onelie to the vſe of the tabernacle. The end thereof.But the end was, that they might be monuments of Gods goodneſſe and iuſtice; and alſo an exerciſe and triall of the Iſraelits. Now reſteth to ſpeake ſomewhat of the matter, and efficient cauſe thereof. The matter of the ſame.Certeinlie, the matter was, whatſoeuer was to be found aliue in thoſe cities: for all that ought to be killed. And the buildings, and other garniſhings of the citie to be cleane deſtroied: but as for the riches and ornaments, they (as it is ſaid) were conſecrated vntounto the worſhipping of God. But there was to be noted, that none were vowed vntounto ſo horrible a deſtruction, except ſuch as were alreadie declared and openlie vowed to be enimies of GOD. For it is not lawfull to kill innocents. Wherefore, they ſinned moſt gréeuouſlie, which ſo vowed Paules death, Acts. 25, 14.as they would neither eate nor drinke, till they had killed him. And at this daie, they behaue themſelues more than wickedlie, which confeſſe themſelues to hauehave made a vow, moſt cruellie to kill all the profeſſors of the Goſpell. Yea & Ieptha without doubt was deceiued, Iude. 11, 39. Ieptha.who bicauſe of this kind of vowing, thought that his daughter ought either to be ſlaine, or elſe forced to perpetuall virginitie.
Agamemnon.Agamemnon alſo is to be condemned, who (as Cicero in his booke of Offices reporteth) vowed vntounto Diana the faireſt thing that ſhould be borne in his kingdome: The efficient cauſe of the curſie.which fooliſh vow to performe, he ſacrificed his daughter Iphigenia. But the efficient cauſe of the vow Cherem, ſometimes is God: as it is written in the ſeuenth & tenth chapters of Deuteronomie. Deut. 7, 16.For there it is commanded, that places dedicated to idols, altars, images, groues and monuments, ſhould vtterlie be deſtroied: and that was a perpetuall curſſe in the land of Chanaan, and to be alwaies obſerued. Ioſua. 6, 17.Sometimes the prince made ſuch a vow, as we read of Ioſua: and ſometimes the people, Num. 21, 2.as we find in the 21. chapter of Numbers. The prophet alſo ſometime did this: and thus did Samuel charge Saule, 1. Sam. 15, 3that he ſhould deſtroie all things which belonged to the Amalechits. The name of this citie, whereof there is mention in the firſt of Iudges, was afterward called Horma; whereas before it was not ſo called. And it was ſo called, of the word Cherem: for ſuch a name were they woont to giuegive the places that were deſtroied, by reaſon of a vow or curſſe. In the booke of Numbers, a certeine portion, which the Iſraelits kept by force, was (by reaſon of ſuch a vow) called Horma.Num. 12.
33 But it would ſéeme to be a queſtion, whether theſe deſtructions were againſt charitie? I ſaie, they were not: for ſuch enimies were choſen to be vtterlie deſtroied of the Iewes, by the iudgement of God, and not at the pleaſure of men. And as concerning the louelove or hatred of enimies, we muſt vnderſtand, Auguſtine.that Auguſtine hath written toward the end of the former booke of the ſermon of the Lord vponupon the mount, that he dooth aſcend a certeine ſtep of righteouſneſſe, which loueth his neighbour, although he as yet hate his enimie. But he ſhall then performe goodwill and goodneſſe, according to the commandement of him (which came to fulfill the lawe and not to breake it) when he ſhall extend the ſame euen to the louelove of his enimie. For the other degrée, although it be ſomewhat, yet is it ſo ſmall, that it may be common alſo with Publicans. Neither is that, which is ſaid in the lawe; Thou ſhalt hate thine enimie, Matt. 5, 43.to be taken as a commandement vntounto the iuſt, but as a permiſſion vntounto the weake. Thus much writeth he. To whom if I ſhall ſaie as the truth is, I doo not agrée, but am certeinlie perſuaded, that to hate our enimies is not permitted by God; no not in them which be vnperfect: for it is an euerlaſting precept, that we ſhould louelove our neighbour as our ſelues. And he is our neighbour, Who is our neighbour.vponupon whom we light by anie occaſion: as Chriſt declared in the parable of the Iewes and of the Samaritane. Luke. 10, 30Thoſe vndoutedlie were compared as enimies one to another: wherfore the condition of enimitie, when it happeneth, cannot let, but that ſuch as are enimies one to another, be neighbours notwithſtanding. Moreouer, forſomuch as we ſée, Pſal. 109.that Dauid and other prophets did oftentimes curſſe their enimies: by what meanes can we call them weake, to whom God gaue libertie to hate their enimies? For they were holie men, and verie perfect.
Neither dooth that ſéeme to make much to the purpoſe, which the ſame Auguſtine ſaith; Auguſtine.namelie, that The ſaiengs of theſe holie men were no vowes and deſires, but rather forſpeakings, and propheſies of them, who liuing vnderunder the old teſtament, did oftentimes propheſie the euent of things to come. For the apoſtles are alſo found in the new teſtament, not onelie to hauehave ſpoken words of curſſings (as Paule, when he ſaith; I would to God they were cut off that trouble you! Gal. 5, 12.) but alſo to hauehave impoſed moſt gréeuous puniſhments. For ſo much as it is written in the Acts of the apoſtles, that the ſame Paule depriued Elimas the magician of his ſight; Acts. 13, 11, Act. 5, 5. & 9and Peter ſlue Ananias and Saphyra. Wherfore it were better to ſaie, that theſe great men did not ſuch things of hatred granted to them againſt vnperfect men; but forced therevnto by ſome other maner of meanes. Note a diſtinction.And ſo me thinketh we muſt make this diſtinction: that they ſometimes had to doo for their owne cauſes, and ſometimes for Gods cauſe. When they had to doo for their own matters, they ſeaſoned all their dooings with all modeſtie and gentleneſſe: as we ſée Dauid did, who ſundrie times ſpared Saule his deadlie enimie. 1. Sam. 26, 9Moſes alſo, and other holie men, did verie oftentimes ſuſteine gréeuous things, both conſtantlie and valiantlie: but when Gods buſines was to be handled, they behaued themſelues ſeuerelie and noblie. But this if they had doone, while they tendered their owne matters, they might hauehave ſéemed to wreſt the ſword out of the hand of God, and of the magiſtrate: as they doo, which reuenge their owne iniuries.
What we muſt ſpeciallie take heed of in dooing the buſineſſe of God.33 This alſo is to be added, that men appointed to take in hand, and to defend Gods cauſe, though they may then doo things ſharpelie and ſeuerelie; ought notwithſtanding preciſelie and diligentlie to beware, leaſt vnderunder that pretence, they followe their owne affections. The apoſtles when they deſired Chriſt to ſend fire from heauen vponupon the Samaritans (as they knew had béene doone in the old time, Luke. 9, 54.at the petition of Elias) were rebuked of the Lord; bicauſe they knew not of whoſe ſpirit they were: which without doubt was a moſt fit anſwer. For they, whom God ſendeth to execute theſe offices, ought not now to be counted priuate or méere men, but ſuch as were prepared and inſtructed by him to ſupplie his roome vponupon the earth. Whether it be lawfull to curſſe tyrants, and to praie againſt them. Auguſtine.But whether is it lawfull for priuate men to praie againſt vngodlie and cruell tyrants, by whom the true worſhipping of God is hindered, and to curſſe them? Auguſtine anſwereth, that it is alwaies lawfull for godlie men to praie againſt the kingdome of ſinne; and that may be taken awaie, when the vngodlie forſake their wickednes: for whoſe vnfeined repentance we muſt alwaies praie vntounto God. But if they ſéeme paſt all hope, it is lawfull to praie, that their ſinnes may once at the length come to an end; namelie, that they, being taken awaie, might ceaſe both to hinder the worſhipping of God, and alſo to trouble the ſaints. For it is not conuenient, that their ſin ſhould range abroad vnpuniſhed; ſith when it is left vnpuniſhed, it is méere vniuſtice: but when the puniſhment of God is ioined to it, then it hath in it ſelfe leſſe deformitie.
Auguſtine.Wherefore, by the ſame Auguſtine, God is verie well called, not a cruell puniſher, but a iuſt corrector. Moreouer, ſéeing that holie men be verie familiar with God, and therefore, ſo ſoone as by anie heauenlie reuelation they be certified of his will, they hauing an earneſt louelove vntounto him, cannot but allow his iudgment: yea, they faithfullie praie, that the ſame may be accompliſhed. Howbeit, inſomuch as they be men, they be both ſorrie, and alſo take it gréeuouſlie, to hauehave their neighbours ſo vexed. For which cauſe Samuel moorned for Saule, 1. Sa. 15, 11.although he were not ignorant, that he was reiected of God. Ieremie alſo wept for the captiuitie, Ierem. 9, 1.which was at hand. And Chriſt wept for the citie of Ieruſalem, that ſhould be deſtroied. For they, Luke. 19, 41which be men indéed, cannot chooſe but be ſorie for their neighbours, and for their owne fleſh, when it is afflicted. God requireth not of vsus a Stoicall lacke of compaſſion.Neither dooth God require of vsus a Stoicall lacke of compaſſion. But of this matter, if the reader deſire to ſée more, let him peruſe my Commentaries vponupon the Corinths. And as concerning this preſent matter, I ſaie, that the people of Iſrael, in deſtroieng or curſſing of theſe nations, followed not their owne hatred; but the inſtinction of God. For they were his lientenants, and might be called his workemen; ſéeing they deſtroied thoſe, whom God himſelfe had declared to be his enimies, and commanded, that they ſhould be deſtroied by them.