Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 104
On Tewsday the xix. of Nouember. 1555. The Ciiij Sermon, which is the third vponupon the seuenteenth Chapter.
8 If a thing be too hard for thee to iudge betweene bloud and bloud, between cause & cause, betweene wound & wound, & there be wordes of strife within thy gates: then shalt thou rise and get thee vp to the place which the Lorde thy God shall hauehave chosen:
9 And go to the Priests & Leuites, & to the Iudge which shalbe in those days, & aske; and they shall shewe thee the sentence of iudgement.
10 And according to the content of the sentence which shalbe declared vntounto thee by those of the place which the Lord shal hauehave chosen, so shalt thou doe: and thou shalt take heede to do according to all that they informe thee.
11 According to the sentence of the law which they teach thee, & according to the right which they tell thee, shalt thou do. Thou shalt not turne aside from the thing which they shewe thee, neither to the right hand nor to the left.
12 As for the man which through presumptuousnes will not obey the high priest which is there to minister before the Lorde thy God, or the Iudge: that man shall dye, and thou shalt put away euil from Israel,
13 That all the people may heare and be afraid, & do no more presumptuously.
HEre is the order shewed vsus how to end matters in lawe. Forasmuchas when men are at controuersie, we see they be so wilful & hardharted, yt by their good willes they woulde neuer come to any end: God declareth yt it was his wil there should bee some soueraigne court of iustice among his people, against the sentence wherof there shold lye no appeale. True it is yt all people are taught of nature to do so. For if it were lawfull to make continual appeales: mens frowardnes is such (as I said afore,) yt their controuersies would neuer come to any end. Therfore is it requisite yt there should be some certaine stay: & that is it which our Lord hath declared in this text. Againe, as touching worldly gouernement, this order is greatly auailable, forasmuch as the thing which nature followeth through ye whole world, is ratified by the mouth of God: & that is a thing which ought to be well marked. For sith wee see yt God hath humbled himself so much as to shewe vsus the order of ciuil gouernment; we must conclude yt he alloweth of it. For otherwise he would not medle with it: & it were a dishonoring of his maiestie. Do we then see yt our Lorde in his lawe hath treated of ye order which wee ought to obserue among our selues? Let vsus assure our selues thereby, that it is a thing which hee well liketh. Marke that for one point.
Againe, sith we see after what fashion he will hauehave vsus to behaue our selues, & hath set ye same down particularly: it is yet a greater confirmation. And as for Iudges which are set in authoritie & preheminence: let them vnderstand that their doings are an acceptable sacrifice to God, because he beareth record therof in his law, and yt the people also do conform thēselues so much the more willingly thereunto. Wherefore wee must vnderstand, yt the peruerting therof were a rebelling against God, & a despising of him. Thus we see now how needful a doctrine it is for vsus, & how greatly to our edifying, yt our lord hath declared, yt there should be one chiefe court of Iustice for men to rest vponupon, that they might not be in continual dout.
Neuerthelesse we must note yt our Lord would not admit appeales in all cases indifferently among his people. For he saith, If there happen any hard case, wherof the iudgement is doutfull, & not easie to be determined, because the Iudges (namely ye inferior Iudges of eueryevery citie) be graueled in it. Wherfore sets he down this? Because it had bin too great a toyle for the people to hauehave bin driuen to repayre to Ierusalem for eueryevery matter of sixpence, or I wote not what such like. Wee see (as I hauehave sayde afore) howe there are some vnsatiable men, and such as could alwayes be contented to sindge themselues so they may scald others. Nay ye shal see some so spitefull, yt though they should eate their owne fingers, yet they would go forewarde with their sutes in Law, and whē they had wasted away their own substance, they would euen hazard their liues also, to procure trouble to their aduersaries. Seeing then that it is manifest that such folk are caried away with rage, or at leastwise with desire of reuenge: it is good to bridle them. And that is the cause why God woulde not hauehave all cases to come to Ierusalem. For he had set a good order, namely that there shoulde be iustice in euerie Citie, yea and men of vnderstanding, to giuegive iudgement of such matters as were to come to triall before them. Prouided alwayes that the cause were not harde and doutfull.
So then let vsus marke, how it was Gods wil that the controuersies should bee ended with speede, without troubling of the parties too much. And seeing that his intent was such, wee ought to frame our selues thereto as much as is possible for vsus. And therefore if men intend to stablish a good order of gouernement, and such as God alloweth: let them followe this rule, that quarels be not mainteyned betweene man and man; but that if there be any controuersie they may soone be set at one againe, so as the sute in Law be not prolonged, nor men posted ouer from one to another; but that things may bee so ordered, as the parties may not be suffered to followe still their owne inordinate wils. True it is that this vice cannot be so corrected, but that some remnant of it will abide still. Yet notwithstanding wee must goe as neere the marke as we possibly can, seeing that our Lord directeth vsus therunto.
Againe, if a man intend to prouide for the pacifying of quarels among men, so as might may not ouercome right: yee see that ordinary Iustice cannot be forborne. For inasmuchas God had chosen the people of Israel; it is certain that he prouided the best meane that could be deuised for the mainteyning of them in peace and concord. And in verie deede they were all of one linage, descended of the race of Abraham: and therefore inasmuch as there was such a brotherhoode among them; it ought to hauehave beene the easier to hauehave continued them in quietnes. On the other side they seeing themselues separated from the rest of the world, and being there gathered together into one bodie in the name of God: ought to hauehave born one wt another in reuerence of that holy bond. Yet notwithstanding for their further preseruation, God ordeyned this meane that there should be Iudges in eueryevery Citie. Then let vsus conclude, that as long as men liue here beneath; they cannot forbeare Magistrates, by reason of their infirmities. Truth it is that eueryevery man ought to carie the Lawe in his heart, and eueryevery man ought to doe al men right of their owne accord: but we be blind and our affections cary vsus away; and besides that, wee subdue not our vnderstanding, neither do we holde our lusts captiues as we ought to doe. Therefore we hauehave neede of a bridle for them. And that is my meaning, in saying yt wee ought to louelove the state of ciuil gouernement, and to reuerence it; namely because it is a necessarie mean to maintain mankind in this world, and wtout it al things would go to horrible confusion, inso much yt wee should not only become as Dogs & Cats; but also be worse than wilde beasts. Greately therefore ought we to bewaile our state, seeing yt (as I hauehave shewed afore) wee which beare the Image of God cannot vse our freedome to behaue our selues according to reason and equitie. Yet notwithstanding, seeing we be so sore corrupted, we must vnderstand yt Gods remedying of our diseases after that fashion, is a point of his singular goodnes towards vsus. But howsoeuer ye case stand, if we wil eschewe yt men scratch not out one anothers eies, ne eat not vp one another: let vsus follow ye rule which our lord sheweth vsus here, namely yt there be Iustice in eueryevery Citie & in eueryevery other place, and yt such as beare ye sword do watch so as no man oppresse another, no man work any outrage or iniurie, nor no man presume further than is lawfull. Marke that for one point.
Now let vsus come to that which is set downe here concerning Appeals. If there rise any difficult & doutful case, betweene cause and cause, wound and wounde, or bloud and bloud. As if he should say, if there bee any cause either criminall or ciuile whereof there riseth doubt, and men cannot decide it by giuing definitiue sentence on it: let thē resort to the high courte. We see then that Appeales are ordeined as wel for matters of life & death, as for matters of trespasse. And now let vsus see whither God woulde hauehave men to appeale. To Ierusalem. True it is that he doth not as yet name the place, because it was not appointed out at yt time. But he sayth, Thou shalt go vp. And Moseses speaking after that manner, was after a sort in way of prophesie, because the cituation of Ierusalem was higher than all the rest of Iurie. But vntill the Ark was set there, it behooued them to resort to the place where that was. Againe, here is no speaking of the king. For the time was not yet come that God would set vp a kingdome among that people: yt was to be stablished in the person of Dauid. Yet notwithstanding there were alwaies Iudges, accordingly as wee see how Iosua succeeded Moses, and consequently the rest of the Iudges vntounto Samuel, at which time ye people would needes change their state. Therefore vntounto Samuels time, there was this order among them, that God raised vp certaine Iudges in Israel, which represented ye state of a king vntil the kingdom was stablished. That is ye thing which Moses meant in this sentence, when he saide, yt men should resort to the Iudge which should be at that time in Israel.
Also it was his will that the high Priest with his fellow Priests the Leuites, should hauehave authoritie to giuegive sentence of Iudgement. And why? He addeth; Because they could giuegive sentence according to the Lawe of God. And finally, vponupon that sentence of theirs hee will hauehave men to rest: and that if any man disobeyed it, he should be punished with death, that by that meane pride might be corrected in Israel. Now wee see what God intended to commaund concerning Appeales. There were Iudges in eueryevery Citie: but yet there was one aboue them all as in the degree of a Prince. Not that it went by inheritaunce: but looke whomsoeuer God raysed vp by his holy spirite, him it behooued to gouerne the people. And wee see it came so to passe afterwarde. As oft as the people fel away from God, it was to their owne confusion: and as soone as he had pitie vppon them againe, hee raysed them vp Iudges newe againe,Iudges 2.17 18. as the holy hystories doe shewe vsus. There were in deede some interruptions at such time as the people were worthy to be punished, insomuch yt all went to hauocke, they were giuen ouer vntounto bondage and to the tyranny of the Infidels which were their enemies: but as soone as God vouchsafed to gather them home againe, there was a newe Iudge set vp againe.
And herein we see yet better, that it is a token of Gods presence, when we hauehave order of iustice among vsus, so as there are men to gouerne vsus which walke in the feare of God, and execute their charge faithfully: it is as much as if God came downe to vsus & sh…wed vsus his face. Contrariwise, when the order of gouernment is peruerted, it is as though God turned his backe to vsus. If the magistrates be corrupted, & peruert al right & equitie, or if tyrants get dominion ouer vsus: let vsus vnderstand that God forsaketh vsus, and withdraweth himselfe from vsus, & is mynded to make vsus feele his absence by such signe of his wrath: and that then wee hauehave good cause to mourne. But if wee see the lawes florish, & there be men that feare God, to make them to be executed, it is all one as if God made his face to shine vponupon vsus, and declared his louelove towardes vsus, and that hee is minded to maintaine vsus vnderunder his protection. And it serueth to make vsus to louelove the state of worldly gouernement the better, seeing it is such a token of the goodnesse of our God, and of his fatherly louelove towardes vsus.
But as I sayde afore, the high priest and the trybe of Leuy were appointed to bee Iudges in all harde cases. It may seeme strange at the first sight, howe it commeth to passe that GOD woulde hauehave the priesthood to entermeddle in ciuil gouernement: for they be two things farre differing. Wee knowe that when Aaron was ordeyned to bee the high priest. Moses had the gouernement of the people. Nowe the Priesthood went by inheritance,Exo. 28.1.43 Deut. 31.7. Iosua. 1.2. and so did not ye temporall gouernement. In so much that Moses left his own children as priuate persons in their owne houses without any publike authoritie, & Ioshua who was not of any kinne or aliance vntounto him, was his successour. The same order continued afterwarde, in so much that God raised vp whome hee thought good, nowe one of one trybe, and nowe another of another. Notwithstanding, it behooued the Priestes to hold them selues contented with the spirituall gouernement of the Church, and they ought not to take vppon them the ciuil gouernement. Why then doth God here set them in highest degree to iudge? Vndoutedly, it was to ordeyne a Councell for him that was to bee the chiefe Iudge, and to holde the people in the better awe, as if it had beene sayde that all Appeales should come before God. For (as I hauehave declared afore) men can very hardly bee brought to giuegive their consentes, to obey a sentence that is against them. Therefore, to the ende that no man shoulde take leaue to stande in contention, God sayeth there shalbee a soueraigne Iudge, at leastwise to beare sway in Counsell of hard cases, and such as are giuen in fourme of iudgement. And to the intent that thinges may bee iudged according to my lawe, the high priest and the order of the Leuites shalbee present there. Nowe wee knowe that they were expounders of Gods lawe. For with that condition was the priesthood giuen vntounto them, namely that they shoulde bee Gods Angels and messengers as the Prophet Malachie speaketh of them.Mal. 2.7. And therefore when men asked counsell at their mouthes, it was not to hauehave som doting dreame of mans deuice, but to hauehave the certeine vnderstanding of Gods lawe. That then was the cause why the chiefe authoritie of iudgement was committed to the order of the priestes with the Iudge whome God had set vp.
But before wee goe any further, let vsus note that vnderunder pretence of this text, the Pope lifted vp his hornes, and vsurped such tyranny as wee hauehave seene him vse in the Church of God. For thus doeth hee reason. Seeing that the chiefe authoritie of iudgement was giuen to the Priestes, it is to bee concluded that there ought to bee one head ouer all the Church. Againe, for as much as the sentence of the high priest was to bee helde without any gainsaying, the thinges that are determined by the Apostolike sea (as they terme it) ought likewise to be held without gainsaying, and it is a deadly and vnpardonable sinne, to incounter any thing that the Pope shall hauehave pronounced. But here wee hauehave two thinges to consider, which are of sufficiencie to resolue all such and so childish argumentes. For first, the gouerning of the whole worlde by one man, and the gouerning of some one countrey or prouince by one man, are not both one. God hath made here a ciuil lawe for the countrey of Iewrie. And wee knowe that at that time there was but one Temple,Deut. 12.…. & 16, 2. & that it was not lawfull for them to worship God or to offer sacrifice vntounto him, in eueryevery citie. If a man had buylded any altar, it had beene abhominable, and that citie must hauehave beene razed. And Gods doing hereof, was but to hold ye people in one right vnitie of faith. Thē like as there was but one temple in the land of Iewry: so was there but one high priest. But must this be extē ded to the whole world? No, not so. There needeth many mo: for what one mortal man nowadayes is able to weeld so great a charge? Againe, it were meete that there should one temple bee builded in the mids of the worlde, yt men might come rūning to it a foure or fiue thousād leagues off to worship God. And do ye not see what an absurditie that were? Therfore it were too grosse a fondnesse to cōclude thus; There was but one temple & one high priest in al Iewrie, ergo there ought to be ye like throughout the whole worlde. For then ought there also some litle nooke to be made, where men might so assemble togither, as they should not neede to go past foure or fiue dayes iourneyes from home: but we see that that were vnpossible, and moreouer it were contrarie to nature. Marke that for one poynt.
And secondly let vsus marke,1. Tim. 3.16, & Hebr. … that the Leuitical Priesthood is come to an end & quite put down, by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ into ye world. Moreouer the high priest was a figure & shadow of our Lord Iesus Christ, and therefore it were an abolishing or putting away of the trueth, if men shoulde hauehave a high priest to bee the vniuersall head of the Church, as the Pope woulde make men beleeue. It is saide that there was one high priest, one chiefe Iudge, yea, & one king in Israel. Now if a man wil conclude hereupō, that there ought to be one highpriest through the whole world; there must also be but one chiefe king: & so should all common weales be cast downe, & the order which as now is distinctly set among kingdoms, dukedomes, & free cities, should be but a confusion accursed of God. And in what taking were wee then? Nay, wee must go to the chiefe point of all, which is that thereby our Lorde Iesus Christ shoulde be robbed of his right.Matt. 28.18 Phil. ….9. Hebr. 1.8.13. For now that he is come, the kingdome is stablished euerlastingly in his person, & he is set ouer all the Empires and kingdomes of the worlde. Also he hath taken vponupon him the euerlasting priesthood, ouer all order & gouernement of the Church. Not that there shoulde not as now be any mo Bishops & sheepheards, as the scripture speaketh of them: but yt Iesus Christ be the only head, & the residue but as inferior members, and that the body be gouerned in such wise, as all things may be subiect to him of whome it is saide; This is my welbeloued sonne,Mat. 17.5. Heare ye him. And so wee see that ye Pope is a traytour that robbeth Iesus Christ of his soueraigntie, by making of himself highpriest ouer the Church of God.
And by the way, if it be alledged that it is requisite there should be some meane to end quarels and controuersies that might rise for religion: the answere is, that so there be an order set, there needeth not any one man to be set ouer al the rest; but they may assemble together wt one cōmon accord, as we see hath bin done in times past. True it is that the men of olde time had a certeine order in the Church for the great Prouinces, namely that there were certaine Patriarkes: but as for to hauehave any one head ouer the whole Church, that was neuer agreed vppon, so long as there was any purenes of the Gospel or any tolerable gouernement. But as soone as all things were confounded after a barbarous or rather brutish maner; then did the Pope lift vp his hornes. In deed he stroue long time against the bishop of Constantinople. But howsoeuer ye case stood, it fell out anon after that all thinges were corrupted & confounded, & men wist not any more what the gouernment of the church ment. So then let vsus marke, yt if it be said, that like as it is requisite there should be some stay for the pacifying of ciuil quarels, and for the determining of criminal …, so it is good reason that there should be so…hiefe court of prerogatiue, for the appeasing …rife & contention in doctrine: yet it followeth not that one man only ought to hauehave supremacie ouer the whole world: for (as I hauehave shewed afore) that is quite contrarie to nature. What remaineth then? That men assemble togither, & that Iesus Christ beare the chiefe sway among them.
But we must wey well the things that are contained heere. It is said that ye Priest must iudge according to the law of God. Wherein it is shewed that our Lorde layeth not the brydle loose on the necke, eyther of all the priestes together, or of the Iudge which was in those dayes in state of a king: but that al of them ought to be subiect to the law; and that (as I said afore) God meant to reserue the soueraigne authoritie to himselfe, so as men should receiue definitiue sentence as at his mouth, & that the persons which were to giuegive the sentence, should be but as instrumentes of his holy spirite, & expounders of his lawe. Therefore let vsus marke wel, that God ment not here that men should do any thing on their own heads, but that his lawe should beare the sway, specially in Ierusalem rather than in any other place. But now let vsus see what the Pope doeth, & what all the bastardly Councels hauehave done whereunto he would tye vsus. There is nothing amongest them but to say: that the holy Ghost gouerned them; for as for the holy scripture they did let that alone. In deede they gaue it the honorable title of Gods word: but when they ment to determine what they thought good, was it according to that which God hath declared? No: but they tooke another rule; which is, that the Church cannot erre because it is gouerned by ye holy Ghost: & that as touching the holy scripture, it leadeth vsus into perfection, but we must mount vp yet higher: for if we hauehave not the reuelations of the holy Ghost, it is nothing: If a man holde himselfe to that which is conteined in the holy scripture, it is but an vnperfect thing with them; but as for that which is determined by ye Church, that must be held inuiolable, and no man must in any wise gainsay it. Againe, the holy scripture (say they) is a nose of wax, which a man may wryth eueryevery way, & there is no certeintie in it: but whē the church hath once pronounced a thing, there is no more dout in it. After ye maner went all the rable of them to worke, so as they hauehave troden ye holy scripture vnderunder foote. Although they grant in words that it proceeded from God: yet hauehave they taken it to be but as an apsie, and as a cōmō doctrine: affirming that the Reuelations which hauehave beene giuen vntounto them, are much higher doctrine. These blasphemies they hauehave not been ashamed to vtter, & their bookes are ful of them. Insomuch that they say that the holy scripture is a pliable thing (as I hauehave declared afore); so as if wee should sticke to that which is conteyned there, our fayth shold neuer be certein. And therupon eueryevery man folowes his owne fancye, Seeing they were come to such extremitie, a mā may wel perceiue yt the holy scripture bare no sway amōg thē. But on ye cōtrarie part it is said, yt the highpriest must be a Iudge, not only in matters concerning the spiritual gouernment of the church, but also in ciuil cases; & that he must follow ye law though the case concern but the temporal iurisdiction. If it be so; what is to be done whē they hauehave to deale with ye law of God? Whē the case concerneth the saluation of mens souls, religion, & faith, which are things yt passe all the whole world: Shal men therein forsake the holy Scriptures? Shall men in those cases ouerrule matters at their own pleasure, as if they woulde say, This seemes good to mee, this hath ye holy Ghost reuealed vntounto mee? See yee not how God is shamefully mocked in this behalf? So then, let vsus mark wel, first that our lord ment not to giuegive infinit power either to the Priests or to ye Iudges, but yt he hath sent & referred them backe to his law, yt they might iudge according to ye same. In deede here a man might reply; that eueryevery man might say; It is not according to Gods lawe, vnlesse the exposition yt is giuen thereof be to their own liking. And truely the heretikes are so wilful, yt they wil neuer be conuicted. Although the holy scripture be alledged vntounto them, & that the texts be set downe neuer so cleare & infallible; yet wil they not ceasse to contend stil, euen whē their own consciences condemn them, as saith S. Paul.Tit. 3.11. Al this is true yet must not they which are in autoritie abuse it, as though it were lawful for them to say; This is ye law, let it be followed. Neuerthelesse, the Pope & al his clergie hauehave left ye holy scripture: & what should we do then but repaire to this rule; yt seeing God woulde hauehave the temporal iurisdictiō to be gouerned by his word, there is much more reason yt the Church should not be otherwise gouerned than by ye holy scripture. Wheresoeuer temporal Iudges are, they be lawmakers, neither hauehave they libertie to make new lawes for the spirituall gouernement of the Church. To be short, men must hold their peace, all mouthes must be stopped, men must content themselues with that which is set down by Moses, by the Prophets, & by the Apostles, & thereupon must men rest altogether. Seeing it is so yt God hath not authorised men to bee lawmakers as in respect of the spirituall gouernement of the church: let vsus conclude yt it is not lawfull for vsus to turne away from the law & from ye holy scripture: but yt we must hold vsus to it. And so yee see what we hauehave to marke vponupon this text, where it is said, yt the Priests & the Iudge for ye time being shall iudge according to the law of God.
And in very deede I hauehave declared a litle alreadie, that we ought to receiue Iesus Christ, as wel for our Iudge as for our highpriest. For Iesus Christ hath a double office: in somuch yt besides that he is our chiefe prophet of whom we ought to hold al our doctrine & to fetch all trueth:Esa. 7.14. Hebr. 1.2.8. & 2.17. he is also our soueraigne king, & highpriest. Howbeit forasmuch as they represented his person, being as it were his shadowes & figures: it behoued thē to follow this law. As now there are no mo such shadowes & figures (as I saide heretofore) because the sonne of God is come into the worlde, ye old priesthood is passed away, & the old kingdome is abolished. Therfore let vsus be contented to hauehave an inferior order, yt is to wit, that ciuil gouernement be so maintained as Gods law do alwayes beare chiefe stroke, & as all men in the mean while hauehave a regard what is lawful for thē. When kings, & princes, & magistrates are to make lawes, let them vnderstand that if they make them of their own head, it is a marring & confounding of all things. For God saith, it is by me that magistrates discerne what is good and expedient.Prou. 8.15.16. Therfore let them call vponupon the spirit of God, that he may giuegive them wisdom & discretion to make good & conuenient lawes. And let them that sit in the seat of Iustice, referre thē selues to God, and seeke to bee ruled by his holy spirite. Let them that hauehave the spirituall iurisdiction knowe, that it is not lawfull for them to meddle any further than with the preaching of Gods worde, and to speake as out of his mouth, and to deliuer the doctrine faithfully which is contained in the law and ye Gospel, let them holde themselues within those boundes, and take no further vppon them. Thus yee see in effect howe wee ought to put this doctrine in vre.
And it is said expresly, That men shall stand to the sentence which is giuen by the Iudges and Priests: and that the party which disobeyeth it, shal dy the death because of his pryde. Hereupon the Pope would needs grounde, that it is not lawefull in any wise to stand against the things that hauehave bin determined by the Councels. What? Beholde, the Pope hath sit as cheefe of the Councel, and the Byshops and prelates hauehave consented thereunto, and shall a man come and set himselfe against it, and say yt it was il decreed. O that were an intolerable crime in deed, God wilnot hauehave such pride to be borne withall in his people. This (as I hauehave sayd afore) may easily be ouerthrowen, as thus: that forasmuch as this text treateth of matters of lawe, it treateth not of doctrine. For God hath deliuered his lawe, and hath said that men must not turne aside neither to the right hand nor to ye left. In so much that whē Moses gaue instructions vntounto Iosua,Deut. 31.1… Iosu…. 2.7. he said to him, thou shalt follow whatsoeuer is conteined in ye law, & not swarue aside one way nor other. Behold, Iosua is ordeined to be the cheefe Iudge, to hold the people in good order, he is their head, and represēteth our Lord Iesus Christ: yet for al yt, he saith not to him, Thou shalt doe whatsoeuer thy mind giueth thee to do, & whatsoeuer is good & right to thine own seeming: but thou shalt do as ye meanest of all the people, submitting thy selfe to the doctrine which is giuen thee for the guiding of the Church. So then, as touching Gods seruice, and religion, wee see howe the lawe hath euer borne the swaye, and it behoued all men to hauehave their ears open and redie to receiue whatsoeuer is set forth there, and that no man might presume to stand against it, or to ouerrule it, for making of the people to murmure. Now therfore forasmuch as here is no speech concerning any other things than of matter in lawe, how they ought to be ended, and of the pacifying of quarels which else would be endlesse betweene man and man; the solution is very easie: namely that if a man stande against a definitiue sentence, his meaning is to peruert all order, and he is an enemie to mankinde, and woorse than a theefe. He that robbeth or murthereth, shalbee punished, and yet his breaking of the lawe, is but in some one point: but as for him that breaketh ye ciuil order, he openeth the gap to theft, to murther, and to all confusion: his meaning is that there should bee no more modestie nor humanitie among men. Therefore ought hee to bee taken as an enemie to all goodnes; and (according to Saint Paules saying) they that would set such disorder among men,Rom. 13.2. set not themselues against creatures, but do make warre against the liuing GOD, because all soueraignetie is of him. Nowe then, it is not to bee marueiled that it should be sayde, that the partie which disobeyed the sentence of the prerogatiue court, should be cut off from among the Israelites.
And by this sentence wee be put in minde of that which hath beene spoken before: namely yt our Lord maketh so great account of the earthly policie, that he will hauehave it mainteined yea euen with mens liues. Precious is mans bloude vntounto him; for men are shaped after his image: but yet doeth he not so much beare with a man, but that he will hauehave him stoned, & put to death, if he be disobedient to ciuill order. Therefore we can not by any comparison iudge how precious and holy a thing in Gods sight the authority is which he hath giuen to Iudges & Magistrates. For if any man step vp against it, he shall die for it. And why? Is a mans life no more worth than so? (for so will some men alleadge.) Yes: and make ye nothing of the image of God which shineth foorth much more in Magistrates, because God hath printed his marke in them? Againe, what is the life of one man in comparison of the liues of a hundred thousand? For the whole nation perisheth without remedy, where this order is not helde, that there be Magistrates, and that men yeelde obedience vntounto them. For the men that can not finde in their heartes to bee gouerned, woulde become deuils, if there were no order of gouernement, that they might be helde in awe by their superiours: all would go to hauocke. So then it is not without cause yt God hath ordeined yt the party should dy which is disobedient to the order of Law. And therefore so much ye more ought we to yeelde to yt which is tolde vsus here, & to humble ourselues in that behalfe, and to bowdowne our neckes willingly & obediently to such as hold the sword of Iustice. For in so doing, we offer vntounto God such sacrifice as is acceptable to him, & he receiueth it as we see in this text. And if we disobey the men whō he hath set in yt degree; we be his enemies and make warre against him, (as I sayd afore) and wee shall hauehave too mightie an aduersarie for vsus to ouercome.
And he speaketh purposely of pride. For it is vnpossible that a man shoulde be so stubborne as to withstande the publike magistrate, & to ouerthrowe the order of the common weale, if he be not caried away with pride & diuelish ouerweening. So then, will we amend this rebelliousnes against the Iudges and Magistrates? Let eueryevery of vsus frame himselfe to a good lowelinesse. For if we be not puffed vp with pride, it is certaine that all men will keepe on his course, and thinges will be quiet among vsus. What is the cause then that order is peruerted? It is for that men can not finde in their hearts to yeelde so farre vntounto reasō as to say, let ye Lawes ouerrule vsus. And cōsequently let such as are appointed for Magistrates looke that they mainteine their state, & do their indeuour to beate downe such pride; and let all men submit themselues meekely to the order which God hath appointed. And Moses hath noted this thing, of purpose to shew that Gods vsing of such seueritie & rigor against ye disobediēt, is not without cause. For in yt case, we must not simply looke vponupon their disobedience; but proceed yet higher, namely yt they be led with anouerweening of thē selues, yt they be ful of pride & spitefulnes, and yt if there were any meekenes in thē, it would be discerned by their submitting of thēselues to ye hand of God. But forasmuch as they be ful of pride & intollerable statelinesse, so as they wil not stoope either to God or man, but reiect al yt euer is: it is not to be wondred at, though God cōmand such persons to be put to death.
And he sayth expresly; thou shalt rid away euill frō Israel. For (as was touched yesterday) when wickednes is suffred, it is a marring of al thinges & a generall infection …olloweth vponupon it. At the first, the greatnesse of the mischiefe is not perceiued that commeth of the pardoning of a sinne. Well, it passeth for once. Yea, it seemeth but for once. But it turneth to the infecting of all afterwarde, because that by yt meanes the euill was fostered still, and men stept not to the redressing of it in time: & so God is faine to punish our negligence. Now then let vsus marke well, yt for this cause Moses warneth vsus heere, yt if we suffer naughtines to settle, it will marre & infect all yt is, before it can be redressed: and that it is too late to go about it, when men hauehave tarried till the infectiō hath gotten the vpper hande.
Also he speaketh of the example saying, that others hearing thereof shalbe afraide and by that meane, pride shalbe corrected. First of all we see hereby, ye pride is an odious vice before God, seeing he vseth so violent remedy yt he will hauehave the party to answer it with his life. And secondly let vsus mark also, yt the punishmentes which we ought to execute belong to example. And yt is the cause why it is sayd, yt they which spare an offender in leauing his fault vnpunished, shalbe gilty of ye vndoing of the whole nation: for by yt meanes, the residue do fall to leaudnes as well as he. And when folke see a wicked deede cōmitted, & the party is not punished for it; eueryevery man taketh libertie to do ye like. Therfore let vsus take warning by these examples, yt we may be able to apply thē to our instruction: & when we see thē punished which aduance thēselues; let vt learne thereby to walke in meeknes. And although it were better for euerie man to learn by himself, thā by beholding ye punishmēts of other folks: Yet notwtstanding it is a great grace of God, whē he teacheth vsus by other mens harmes. Let vsus mark moreouer, yt if we cō tinue without amendment when we see ye punishments yt are executed by the authority of God; I say if we continue without amendment: our sinne increaseth so much the more. God warneth vsus by a great many of instructions, yea & of chastisements also which he executeth; and wee make none account of them: nowe is it any wonder if in the ende wee see our Lorde sende so great and excessiue disorders, that wee wote not where to become? Then let vsus learne to profite in this schoole, as oft of GOD lifteth vp his hande to punish the wicked: and let vsus vnderstande that he teacheth vsus by their example: wherfore let vsus stoope, & let eueryevery of vsus yeelde to obey him with true meekenesse.
Now let vsus fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to make vsus feele them more and more, so as we may all of vsus seeke to frame our life according to the rightnesse which hee sheweth vsus, and not looke to be drawen thereto by compulsion of the earthly sworde, but rather that the sworde of Gods worde may hauehave such power in our heartes, as it may make vsus to sacrifice ourselues vntounto GOD, killing all our fleshly lustes, and renewing vsus to such a kinde of life, as our whole desire may bee to hauehave God reigne ouer vsus, and that we may be wholly reformed, according to his holy will: and that therewithall we may followe the orderly policie and spirituall gouernement of his Church; and that all the things which he hath ordeined for our benefite, may be so mainteined & obserued, as both great and small may submit thēselues therunto. That it may please him to graunt this grace, not onelyonly to vsus, but also to al people & nations of the earth: Reducing all poore ignoraunt people out of the bondage of errours and darkenesse wherein they are holden: That so he he may bring thē to the knoweledge of his trueth: And that for this purpose it would please him to raise vp true & faithfull ministers of his worde, &c.