Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 9 · Excursus 3
Of a fable and Apology.
What a fable is. Auguſtine.AN Apologye they ſaye is a kinde of fable. And they define a fable to bee a narration of a falſe thing, fayned for cōmodities ſake, or oblectation. Or as Auguſtine ſayth in his .2. booke and .11. chapt. de Soliloquiis, a fable is a lye made for delectation: althoughe properlye it cannot be called a lye. For the falſenes is ſtrayghtway found out, and ſpecially in Apologies. For in them are brought in inſenſible or vnreaſonable creatures, talking one to an other, and entreating of matters very weighty. And as ſone as the hearer perceaueth yt, ſtraightway he vnderſtandeth that the thing is fayned, and not ſo done in dede. And vndoubtedly certaine thinges in fables are very likely,Certain fables are likelye and ſome are not. and ſome are moſt farre diſtante frō probability. For it is very likely, that ſometyme there aroſe a cōtention betwen Aiax and Vliſſes, for the armor of Achilles, which was iudged at the length vntounto Vliſſes, and that Aiax therfore toke ſuch a diſpleaſure, that becomminge madde he ſlewe himſelfe. But contrarywiſe it is altogether improbable that a woman was turned into a plant or into a ſtone.An Apology. Wherfore an Apology may be counted a fable which is not likely.
The kindes of a fable. What fables are to be repudiated, & what to be admitted. Filthy fables are to be repudiated.The kinds of a fable are, Comedies, Tragedies, Satires, and Narrations of Lirike and Heroike Poetes, & alſo Apologies. But which of theſe fayned things are lawfull, and which are vnlawfull, thus may be diſcerned. They which hauehave fylthineſſe & ſcurility, that is, mirth ioyned together with filthines, ought not to be admitted. But thoſe which are written honeſtlye and ſhamefaſtlye, ſo that they refreſh the mind with ſome pleaſure, and ar alſo profitable to ſetforth good maners, are not be deſpiſed. That fylthy ones are to be repudiated, the Apoſtles confyrmeth by two teſtimonyes. To the Corrinthians in the firſt Epiſtle he writeth: Euill communications corrupt good manners. And to the Epheſians the. v chapter it is written, let whoredome and all vncleannes and couetouſneſſe not reigne in you, as it becommeth ſayntes: then is added foreign, and foreign, and whyche are not comelye. By theſe woordes he reproueth all thoſe cōmunications whych are contaminated with filthines & ſcurilitye.Plato. The ſame thing ſaw Plato in his thirde boke de Repub. wher he excludeth Poetes which ſpake of gods, as though they ſhould ſpeake of men. Bycauſe they in ſo writing, do both vnworthely intreate of the nature of god, which is beſt and moſt high, & alſo they excuſe the ſinnes of common men, when as they teſtifye that both the gods and alſo noble mē committed the ſame ſins, which thing aſſuredly we may ſee in the cōmodye Enuchus of Terence, where Cherea a wycked yonge man (beholding a wanton table in the harlotes houſe,Terence wherein was painted Iupiter perſynge vntounto Danae by a ſhowre) began to hauehave a pleaſure in himſelf, bicauſe he beyng a vile man did thoſe thinges, whych he knew by that table the chief God in the olde time committed. I did it (ſayth he) and I dyd it with a good wil.Cicero. Cicero alſo: Homere (ſayeth he) fayned theſe, and tranſferred humayne things vntounto the gods: I had rather they had tranſferred thinges diuine vntounto vsus.
Auguſtine in his .2. booke of Confeſſions the .15. and 16. chap. complaineth and ſoroweth, that he being a child and younge man, learned profitable words.Auguſtine. But yet in thinges vayne. I would to god (ſayth he) I had beene inſtructed in profitable writings: I hard Iupiter thūdring and therwithall cōmitting adoultry. The mindes and affections of men ar prone inough vntounto vices: wherfore it is wickedlye done, that children and younge men ſhould in that age be by vyle and filthye fables ſtirred vp vntounto ſins. Apologies are profitable, whych conſiſting both of honeſt wordes, and good arguments, do rightly inſtruct that firſt age.Eſope. Eſope the aunciente writer happely excerciſed hymſelfe in this kinde, althoughe there are ſome which referre his Apologies vntounto Heſiodus, who was aūcienter thē Eſope. But this our Apology (wherof we now entreat) was written long before Eſope and Heſiodus tyme. For the time of the iudges, and namelye of Gidion, was an hundreth yeares and more, before the war of Troy. There is an other Apology alſo in the .2. boke of kinges the .14. chap. where Amaſias obteyning the victory of the Edomites, prouoked the king of Iſrael to make war with him. VntoUnto whom the king Ioas aunſwered thus: The thiſtle of Labanon ſent vntounto the Cedre that is of Libanon, and ſayd: Geue thy daughter to my ſon to wife. And ye wyld beaſt went out of Libanon and trode downe the thiſtle. By which Apology he ſhewed that he was ſo much greter, thē Amaſia the king of Iuda, as the Cedre excelleth the thyſtle, and admoniſhed him that he ſhould after that ſort be troden down & oppreſſed of his hoſt, as was the thiſtle by wilde beaſtes.
Theſe things hauehave I therfore rehearſed, leſt the Greke and Ethnike writers ſhould be thought to be the firſt inuenters of theſe profitable fayninges.The vſe of Apologies. Al men agre in this, that the vſe of Apologies are then to be had, when we hauehave to do wt rude perſons. For they vnderſtand neither perfect Sillogiſmes, or vnperfect, neyther are they able to perceaue inductions, ſo that of perticulars they cangagather vniuerſals. And they paſſe not vponupon the exāples of noble men, for that they themſelues are abiect and baſe. Wherfore when ſuch wayes of doctrine can not take place, there remayneth nothing but fayned narrations, where beyng allured by the ne…mes of the thing, they geue much heede to the thinges which are ſpoken, and ſometimes at the length are perſwaded. They are good alſo to help memory: for things … are ſo new & pleaſaūt, do very muſt delight: & thinges that are ſo ſweete, are not ſo eaſely forgotten. Farther, men will eaſlier ſuffer themſelues to be reproued by Apologies, then by open wordes: for the playne truth engendreth hatred. But beyng couered wt Apologies and darke ſpeeches it may be ſuffred. At the beginning the hearers know not wherto the thing tēdeth: therfore for yt they knowe not what wilbe ſpoken, they tary out the end, & are at the laſt peraduenture perſwaded. Chriſte finiſhed the whole parable of the vine: and at the end the Phareſeis and Scribes vnderſtode that it was ſpoken againſt thē. So alſo among ye Romayns Menenius Agrippa by an Apology wōne the people, which wer departed, to adioine thēſelues agayn to ye Patritiās. For theſe cauſes ar Parables, dreames & viſiōs of Prophets very much vſed in ye holy ſcriptures.
The fable of Eſope of the frogges which deſired a kinge, differeth not muche from this Apology which we ar now in hand with: for to thē after the beame or poſt which they diſpiſed, was geuen a dragō, which by litle & litle eat thē vp al.
And I wil begyn at ye declaration of the fable wherin it is ſaid: If ye hauehave done rightly and orderly, reioyſe with Abimelech, and Abimelech with you. But if not, let a fire come out from him, & conſume you. The oliue tree, vine tree, & fyg tree is the famelye of Gideon: and the trees which deſire a king are the Sechemites. And as among trees there are ſome noble and ſome abiect: ſo alſo amonge men there ar ſome noble and excellent, and ſome vnnoble and of no reputacion. The bramble brier ſignifieth Abimelech. Of the brāble or briar. Plini.Plini in his 24. booke and .14. chapt. writeth of this kind of thorn. And as touching this matter, theſe are the properties therof: it is a plant vile and abiect, as was Abimelech, who was a baſtard and borne of a hand mayd, ſo that he was not to be compared with his brethern. And as he without any vtility gouerned the Iſraelites, ſo is the brāble wont to bringforth no frute. The bramble alſo pricketh, euen as Abimelech very muche hurted the Iſraelites. Moreouer ſome write that the bowes of brambles are ſometimes ſo vehemently ſhaken and moued with the winde, that out of them is fire kindled, wherewith not only they thēſelues burn, but ye whole wood wherin they grow is burnte: which thinge Iotham nowe foretelleth to come to paſſe of Abimelech. Wherfore the properties do wonderfully well agree.
But here are twoo queſtions offred vntounto the readers. The fyrſt is, bycauſe it is ſaid that the trees wente to the Oliue tree, vine tree, figge tree, and bramble, to create them a king, when as the Sechemites went not vntounto Abimelech, and vntounto the ſonnes of Gideon, but rather Abimelech wente vntounto them. The other is, wee do not here reade that the ſonnes of Gideon refuſed the kingdome offred vntounto them, or aunſwered thoſe thinges which the trees ſayd, when they were called to raygne.
The latter queſtion I thinke may be diſſolued two wayes, ſayinge, that the ſonnes of Gideon in dede anſwered not ſo: but they would hauehave anſwered ſo, if they had beene demaunded. Wherefore Iotham knowyng ſo rightwell al their mindes and wyll, ſeemeth not to ſpeake ſo muche from the purpoſe. Or els we may ſay, that Gideon hymſelf aunſwered for his ſonnes, when he ſaid: I wil not reygne ouer you, God himſelf ſhall raygne ouer you, And that we maye vnderſtand, what the three noble trees ment by theyr aunſweres, this is to be called agayne to remembrance, that the kingdome was offred vntounto Gideon, not onelye for himſelfe, but alſo for his ſonne, and ſonnes ſonne. Wherefore he refuſed the kingdome for three. And hereof it commeth (as the Rabbines ſuppoſe) that ther are three kindes of trees brought in.
But as touchinge the firſt queſtion, the Sechemites and Iſraelites came not vntounto Abimelech, to make him theyr kinge, but yet the holy ghoſte ſo ſpeaketh by Iotham, bicauſe he is he that knoweth ye harts, & knew that that people laboured with this deſire to hauehave at the length a king. For they had manifeſtly declared it before, whē they offred ye kingdome vntounto Gideon, & afterwarde more manifeſtlye they ſhewed it in the time of Samuel, when they altogether deſired to hauehave a king geuen them, as other nacions had.
What manner of argument is gathered out of this Apologye. Argumentum a comparatis A maiore ad minus. Maior.Out of this Apology is drawen an argument of thinges compared together. For the ſonnes of Ierubbaal are compared with Abimelech, as farre nobler then he, euen as the olyue tree, vine tree, and fyg tree do farre excell the bramble and brier. And the reaſon is from the greater vntounto the leſſer by negation, as though it ſhould hauehave bene ſayd: If euen they would not raigne, and iudged that it was not lawful for them, which were moſt excellent, endewed with vertues & faculties, apte and mete for to raygne: much leſſe is it lawful for him to reigne which wanteth vertues, and is vnapte for a kingdome. But they which were noble, & might hauehave raygned,Minor. would not, neyther did they thinke that it was lawfull for them. Wherfore Abimelech neyther could, neyther oughte, to hauehave bene by you appoynted kinge. The firſt propoſition is manifeſt ynough by the rule of things compared: and the ſecond moſt manifeſtly appeareth by the Apology. We maye by the like argument reaſon of the Eccleſiaſticall ſtate.
For if the fathers which were endued with a great ſpirite,The argument is ap…ed vn… the Paſtors of the Church. notable in wonderfull vertues, and excellent doctrine, woulde not execute the office of a Pope or Monarchy in the Church, or take vponupon them principality ouer all Biſhops and Churches: that is much les to be graunted vntounto their poſterity, which are much inferiour vntounto them, yea not to be compared with them. But they woulde not: wherfore neither is it meete that thoſe ſhoulde. The firſt propoſition appeareth (as we hauehave already ſaid) by the rule of thinges compared: but the minor is proued both by Ciprian, and alſo by the Counſell of Carthage, lykewyſe by Auguſtine, Leo, and Gregory.
Farthermore, by this act we gather, what euyll commeth by chaunging the ſtate of a publike wealth, eſpecially when it was allowed by the woord of God, as was the Ariſtocratia of the Hebrues. Neither was there any cauſe, why they ſhould chaunge that forme of the publike wealth:The Churche oughte not to hauehave altred the forme of the gouernmēt therof for God hym ſelfe gouerned them, gaue them .70. Elders, and raiſed them vp Iudges in perillous tymes. In like maner ther was no cauſe why the Church ſhould chaunge the forme of her gouernment. Neither can they which brought in the Papacy alledge any thing which the Hebrues could not hauehave ſaid to defēd their peticion for hauing a king. For as theſe men faine for themſelues, that the Church ſhoulde be rightlier gouerned by one, namely the Biſhop of Rome, then by many Biſhops, of whyche eueryevery one fully ſhould hauehave care, as touching his owne portion: So myght the Iewes hauehave alledged, that their kingdome ſhoulde be farre better gouerned by one, then by many. And they might hauehave ſpoken that with muche more likelyhood, when as the land of Chanaan extendeth not ſo farre as the Church, & very many thinges as touching ciuil matters maye be better executed by a Kyng that is abſent, then the Church which extendeth moſt largely, can be gouerned of a Paſtor that dwelleth in Regions moſt farre.
Fire commeth out of Abimilech, Tirannes oppreſſe and gouerne not.bicauſe oppreſſion taketh his beginning of Tirannes. So ſayd Samuel vntounto the Hebrues, that the king would make theyr children Carters, their daughters handmaidens, and compel them both to eare and tyll their ground, and take awaye from them their beſt Oliue gardens and vyneyardes. Neither was that which Samuel rehearſed, the right of a king and appointed of God, but that, which as the Prophet ſaw, kings would afterward vſurpe. Otherwiſe the law of a king is contained in Deut. the .xvii. chap. From the Pope, as it is here ſaid, there is come foorth a fyre, whiche hath waſted and corrupted all Churches.
But it is meete to conſider what the profitable and fruitful trees anſwered when they were required to take vponupon them a kingdome.Holy men wyl not be promoted aboue other men. They ſaide they were content with their own good thinges: and therefore they would neither receaue a kingdome, or ſuffer anye alteration of their ſtate. After the ſame maner euen holy and godly men doo. Ambroſius very much and long time reſiſted, bycauſe he would not be created biſhop of Millane. Auguſtine alſo many wayes laboured to be no Elder or Biſhop. And among the Ethnikes Numa Pompilius long time & much deferred, before he would take vponupon him ye kingdom of Rome. Diocletianus, although before he gouerned very tirānically & very cruelly, yet after yt, he reſigned it, & being deſired to take vponupon him the Empire again, he vtterly refuſed it. Saul alſo (to turne to the holy hiſtory) hid him ſelf among the ſtuffe & burthens, when he ſhould be publikely conſecrated. But now a daies, bicauſe we hauehave thornes and brambles eueryevery where, al men with a wonderful ambicion deſire to be created Biſhops or Popes, and by their tumult and importunity, all Chriſtendome is in a maner ſhaken. Wherfore it is the part of good men to be content with their vocation, and not raſhly to demit themſelues vntounto that vocation which is againſt ye word of God: eſpecially when in that vocatiō, wher in they are placed of God, they may be both beloued of him, & alſo profitable vntounto mē: as the Oliue tre, vine tree, & fig tree in this Apology teſtify of thē ſelues.
But how anſwered the Oliue tree, that his fruit is much made of, not onelyonly of men, but alſo of God? That is therefore ſo ſaid, bicauſe God in his tabernacle would hauehave lightes burning,Oblation. which wer maintained with the pureſt oyle. Farthermore, Minacha, whither it wer of meale, or of graynes, of fruite, or of fine cakes, it was cōmaūded to be ouerſprinkled with oyle. Moreouer, Prieſts, Prophets & Kinges, wer annoynted with oyle. Alſo with oyle wer made many plaſters, ſalues, cered clothes, and diuers and manifold medicines. And in many other countries, for want of aboundaunce of butter, meates are ſeaſoned wyth oyle. And in the Pſalme .104. it is ſaid, that it is good to beautify the face. Therfore it is not abſurdlye ſayde, that both God and man make much of this liquor. But in that it is ſaid, that wyne maketh God mery, it ought not ſo to be vnderſtand, as though God either drinketh, or hath neede of wyne, to make him mery: but bicauſe in ſacrifices pouringes out of wine were had. And as the Rabbines declare: the Leuites in the oblation of ſacrifices, did then begin to ſing with the voice, trumpets, and harpes, when the wyne was poured out.