Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 9 · Section 3
Of the fact of Elias, and that a peruerſe imitating of him muſt be auoided.
In 2. kin. 1.3 The king was verie angrie againſt Elias; partlie bicauſe he hindered his ambaſſage, and partlie bicauſe he threatned him with extremities, that is, with death. And it is likelie to be true, that he was prouoked by his mother Iezabel. Wherefore he ſent a capteine ouer fiftie with his ſoldiers, that ſhould take him, and bring him vntounto him, that at length he might put him to death. Howbeit the ſingular goodnes of God did not onelie defend Elias, but alſo tooke moſt heauie reuenge vponupon his enimies, and that iuſtlie no doubt: for it is not méet that a prophet, being the miniſter of the word of God, ſhould be violated by a ſoldier or garder of the king. God is preſent, and oftentimes ſuffereth not theſe things to be doone. alſo although he ſometime giuegive leaue that his miniſters be afflicted by the wicked, yet this he dooth not as being weakened by their power, as who would ſaie he were ſo féeble that he can not reuenge; but he hath other ends, whervnto he directeth the afflictions of the godlie. Wherefore to diſquiet prophets, commeth not of the power of man, but of the patience of God; who aſſuredlie is able to deliuer them, ſéeing his power is no whit leſſened. But he vſeth their aduerſities for the performance of his counſels: and therefore Chriſt ſaid; Mat. 16, 53.Could not I aske my father, and he would giuegive me twelue legions of angels, that I ſhould not be deliuered to the Iewes? The ſame Chriſt alſo, when he ſhould hauehave béene apprehended, aſked of the companie; For whom they ſought? and when he had ſaid: Iohn. 18, 4.I am he, immediatlie they fell backward. And manie times did the Scribes, Phariſies, and princes ſend ſoldiers to apprehend him, while he preached, who could not laie hands vponupon him, but returning againe, ſaid; Iohn. 7, 46.that There was neuer man ſpake like this man. Wherefore they, which preach the word of God, hauehave hereby a moſt ſwéet conſolation, conſidering themſelues to hauehave GOD to be their defender; than whom, nothing can be found more ſtrong, nor more mightie.
4 But now let vsus conſider, what God did reſpect in burning of the capteins ouer the fifties, and their ſoldiers. Certeinlie, he would ſhew himſelfe to be a reuenger of the propheſie being contemned, and of the holie miniſterie that was deſpiſed. In old time he reuenged the Moſaicall prieſthood, bicauſe it was ſcorned by the ſeditious. 1. Sam. 5, 6.Alſo he reuenged the arke of the couenant, bicauſe it was vnworthilie handled both by the Philiſtines, and alſo by the Bethſamites. Furthermore, he reſtored to libertie the temple in the time of Nicanor and Heliodorus. 2. Macha. 3. verſe. 25. 1. Mac. 7, 43Theſe things did he therefore not permit to be vnreuenged, bicauſe they ſhould be inſtruments of godlineſſe. But a great deale more dooth propheſie, and the holie miniſterie belong therevnto. We ought not then to maruell, if he were ſo angrie for the defenſe of his word, and of his prophet: for he dooth not eaſtlie ſuffer his ordinances to be contemned: ſith he that repugneth them, repugneth God himſelfe. And that ſhould no leſſe be ſpoken, touching the holie miniſterie, than touching the ciuill magiſtrate; He that heareth you (ſaith the Lord) heareth me, Luk. 10, 16.and he that deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth mine owne ſelfe. But theſe offices are ioined togither, and ſo ordeined by God, as he being not hurt, they can not be deſpiſed. Wherefore iuſtlie doth God reuenge both propheſie, & the holie miniſterie, when they be contemned and ouertroden by the wicked. Howbeit, this is ſometime doone vponupon the ſudden, and euen while the contempt is; as it happened in thoſe bands of fifties, and as it came to paſſe in Ieroboam, 3. kin. 13, 4.when his hand dried vp, which he had ſtretched out againſt the man of God in Bethel. Suddenlie alſo were Chore, Dathan, and Abiram ſoonke, who made a commotion againſt Moſes, bicauſe of the high prieſthood of Aaron. Num. 16, 2.But ſometime the puniſhment is deferred for a certeine ſpace; as in Achab, who long time afflicted the prophets, and yet was not ſtraitwaie killed. Alſo Chriſt indured cruell iniuries all his life long: he was beaten, and finallie was crucified like an euill dooer. Neither did the puniſhment fall vponupon the murtherers and rebels, till after certeine yéeres. Theſe things dooth GOD diuerſlie, according as the counſels of his prouidence doo permit.
In 2 King. 1, verſe. 9.5 There remaineth to ſée, wherefore it was admitted to Elias, that he ſhould deſtroie with fire from heauen, thoſe princes and their ſoldiers: and yet it was denied to the apoſtles, Luke. 9, 54.which in like maner deſired, that the ſame might be lawfull for them againſt the Samaritans, Looke In 2 Kings. 2, 23.who moſt cruellie excluded Chriſt from harbouring among them, when he iournied from Galilie to Ieruſalem: for Iames and Iohn deſired this of Chriſt. Some ſaie, that hereof commeth the difference, that the ſpirits of the lawe, and of the Goſpell, be verie contrarie. For the propertie of the lawe is to condemne, puniſh, and ſlea; but the propertie of the Goſpell is to forgiue, preſerue, and quicken. So that Elias was to kill them, which did openlie violate the lawe of God: but the dutie of the apoſtles was to helpe and to heale men, and not to deſtroie them. Wherefore the Lord added; Ye knowe not of what ſpirit ye be. I doo not thinke, that theſe words are ſo to be vnderſtood, as though Elias was ſo much addicted to the lawe, that he had nothing common with the Goſpell; for he himſelfe was ſometime a helpe to men. For in a verie great dearth he fed the widowe of Sarepta, 1. Kin. 17, 16togither with hir ſonne and familie; yea, and when hir ſonne was dead, he reſtored him vntounto life againe: and heauen being opened, hée gaue raine moſt plentifullie.
Alſo the apoſtles of Ieſus Chriſt were not ſo addicted vntounto goodnes, as that they neuer hurt anie: Acts. 5, 5. Acts. 13, 11.for Peter by his word deſtroied Ananias and Saphyra, Paule made blind Elimas the ſorcerer, and deliuered verie manie vntounto ſatan to be tormented according to the fleſh. Howbeit, I grant that the ſpirit of clemencie and gentleneſſe flouriſhed more in the apoſtles of Chriſt, than in the ancient prophets: and againe, that the ſpirit of ſeueritie and reuenge was more vttered in Elias and his fellowes, than in the euangelicall diſciples. And I thinke good to adde, that the apoſtles were therefore warned of the Lord; bicauſe they were mooued againſt the Samaritans by an humane anger, and not by a diuine perſuaſion, to wiſh euill vntounto them. But it is verie likelie, that they were vrged to aſke that thing, through the ſite of the place: bicauſe in the ſame place Elias procured fire from heauen vntounto thoſe princes. For king Ahaziahu was in Samaria, when he commanded that Elias ſhould be brought vntounto him. Wherefore there was a certeine fond zeale in the apoſtles, wherewith they indeuoured to imitate Elias. Nor in the meane time did they make anie difference betwéene the nature of their vocations. For thereto was Elias called, that he ſhould execute the iudgements of Gods ſeueritie: neither did he ſo ſharpelie behaue himſelfe, of his owne accord, but by the warning of God, and of his angel. Indéed in outward ſhew he might ſéeme to be a manqueller: yet muſt he not ſo be reputed, ſéeing he was onelie the miniſter of God.
And ſo we muſt beware, that we doo not by anie example of our forefathers, aſſure our ſelues of thoſe things, which we earneſtlie and extraordinarilie deſire. Thus vndoubtedlie did the ſillie woman of Samaria, Iohn. 4, 20.who reaſoning with Chriſt at the well ſide, laboured to prooue, that God ſhould be worſhipped in that mountaine, bicauſe Iacob had worſhipped him there. Indéed he did that, which was lawfull for him to doo in that age, wherein he liued: but afterward, when the lawe was giuen, the worſhipping was to be doone at the tabernacle, and after that, in the temple of Salomon. Neither muſt the examples of the forefathers, doone againſt the lawe of God, be taken as rules to imitate and followe. The which if we ſhall doo, we ſhall not be counted as followers of the fathers, but as mockers of them. Wherefore, when we will take vnaccuſtomed things in hand, againſt the ordinarie commandement of God; it is not enough to alledge an example of the forefathers: but we muſt deſcend into our ſelues, in examining by what ſpirit we be led; leaſt vnderunder a certeine glorious pretence, we followe the wiſedome and affection of the fleſh. For this cauſe Ieſus ſaid to his apoſtles; Ye knowe not of whoſe ſpirit ye be: Ye purpoſe with your ſelues to followe Elias, but ye be not led with his ſpirit.
6 Two waies we ſée there is offenſe committed in this age of ours. Warres of chriſtians againſt the Turks.The chriſtian princes hauehave diuers times taken in hand wars againſt the Turks, pretending a iuſt cauſe, for that they thought méet to recouer thoſe lands, which the barbarous nations and wicked tyrants had taken awaie from the chriſtians. Bu… whether they were ſtirred vp by a good ſpirit, it is verie doubtfull. Peraduenture they were mooued by a gréedie deſire of bearing rule, or for worldlie glorie ſake, or elſe by other inuentions of mans wiſedome; and therefore had ſeldome anie good ſucceſſe. Againe, there hauehave béene ſome, Fighting for the Goſpell.which indeuoured by armes and humane power, to ſpread abroad the Goſpell and propagation of churches. Theſe perhaps did not well trie, with what ſpirit they did it. This is it, whereof Chriſt warned his apoſtles, that they ſhould deſcend into themſelues, and examine with what ſpirit they were led; namelie, Luke. 9, 55.whether they could be like vntounto Elias. And when they had deſired of their maiſter, that it might be lawfull for them, by his leaue, to vndertake and doo it, he denied that requeſt; bicauſe he was not ſent, to the end he ſhould afflict or deſtroie men, but rather to helpe them; and that therefore he would not paſſe the limits of his vocation. Whereby he alſo warned them, that they ſhould not raſhlie indeuour, to arrogate ſuch things vntounto themſelues.
But that Chriſt was not ſent to puniſh, and take reuenge of wicked déeds; his life and acts doo teſtifie. For he was a ſuccour vntounto all men, and he helped them that were in miſerie, ſo often as occaſion was offered. And when he was with moſt bitter taunts reuiled, he did not reuile againe. And being faſtened to the croſſe, he praied moſt patientlie for his enimies. Wherefore the places, which at the firſt ſight ſéemed to varie, are reconciled. And we be all warned, that when we are to take in hand anie thing againſt order & cuſtome, we muſt firſt diſcerne with what ſpirit and inſtigation we be mooued. Neither let vsus be of the mind, to imitate Helias in reuenging; vnleſſe we vnderſtand for a certeintie, that we be led with the ſpirit of Helias. Yet is not therefore the power, which the magiſtrate hath, of iuſt reuenging, taken from him: for he hath lawes preſcribed vntounto him by GOD, which he ought to followe. But thoſe things, which we hauehave ſpoken, belong vntounto priuate perſons.