Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 1 · Excursus 1

Commentaries · Commentary on Judges · Chapter 1 · Excursus 1

¶Of Prodition or treaſon.

THis place admoniſheth vsus ſomewhat to intreate of Prodition or treaſon, and it is demaunded, whether it be at any tyme lawfull: or whether it be alwayes forbidden?Ierome Ierome de optimo genere interpretādi to Pammachius ſayth, that princes in dede do admitte treaſon, but they condēne the traytours,Antigonus. wherunto agreeth the ſayeng of Antigonus the kyng, whiche is, I louelove traytors ſo lōg as they are in betrayeng, but whē they hauehave betrayed I hate thē. Plutarch rehearſeth the ſame of Rhimotalcus kyng of the Thracians, Plutarche.who fell frō Anthony to Auguſtus, and after his victorye, boaſted of the ſame among his cuppes,Auguſtus. and that ſo inſolently and aboue meaſure, that Auguſtus turnyng hym to his frend, ſaid this ſentence of him, I allowe the treaſon, but I prayſe not the traytor. Which ſentence thoughe it ſemeth allowable and iuſt at the firſt ſight, yet ought it not to be counted either true or wiſe. For if wiſe men will allowe and prayſe any action, they muſt alſo prayſe and allowe the author therof. Neither doth any man that lawfully vntounto others, whiche he would not ſuffer hymſelfe. And there is no man whiche would be content to be betrayed hymſelfe or p. 37any of his.Laſthenes. Furthermore one Laſthenes when he had betrayed his countrey Olinthus to the Macedonians, & thought that for the ſame he ſhould hauehave ben highly honored of them, it happened farre otherwiſe vntounto him. For he was called of the ſouldiers a traytor eueryevery where through out the campe. Wherfore he grieuouſly complayned of the ſame matter to Phillip the king, who made him aunſwere.Philip of Macedonia. That his Macedonians were very rude & ruſticall people which knew not how to cal things by any other name, than by their owne & propre name. They call (ſayth he) a bote, a bote. This was as if he ſhuld hauehave anſwered, Seing y^u art ſuch a one, thou oughteſt not to be called by any other name.Aſconius Paedianus. Aſconius Paedianus in ſecundam verrinam ſayth, that to betray is worſe then to beſiege. For the enemyes (ſayth he) beſiege, & it ought not to be coūted a vyce in them. But they betray whiche would ſeme friendes, and ought to be ſuch in dede towardes vsus. And therfore when they departe from their office of friendſhip,Ierome. Theodoſius y^e Emperour. they ſynne farre more grieuouſly than do the other. Ierome alſo in the place before alledged De optimo genere interpretandi ad Pammachiū, ſheweth how Theodoſius the Emperor put to death Heſychius the conſull, bicauſe he opened the letters of the patriarche Gamaliel, neither was that any meruayle, bycauſe with the Romanes it was death, to open the ſecretes of any man, as it is writtē in y^e digeſtes De re militari, in the law Omne, & in the third law & in the Codice de cōmerciis & mercaturis And in the digeſtes. Ad legē Iuliani maieſtatis in the law 1. 2. 3. he y^e geueth ouer munitions committed to his charge, falleth into the daunger of treaſon.

The example alſo of Camillus is worthy to be noted,Camillus. who commaūded the ſcholemaiſter of the childrē of the Phaliſcians to be with ſtripes brought home of his diſciples into his countrey, bicauſe he would hauehave betrayed them.The Phiſition of Pirrhus. The Phiſitiō likewiſe of Pirrhus, which promiſed vntounto the Romanes that for their ſakes he would kill his kyng, was by them detected vntounto the king, that he might the diligētlier beware of him. Wherby peace followed betwene Pirrhus and the Romanes. Eſay in the xvi. chap: doth therfore vehemently rebuke the Moabites, bycauſe they had ſo cruelly intreated the Iſraelites when they were oppreſſed of their enemyes, and admoniſheth them, not to betray the Iewes flyeng vntounto thē in their tyme for ſuccor. And Paul writeth in the latter Epiſtle to Tymothe, that in the latter tymes there ſhould be men corrupted with moſt grieuous and miſchieuous dedes, among whiche he reckeneth traytors alſo. Biſides this the citizens are ſworne vntounto the Magiſtrates, to defend the citie or publicque wealth whē nede ſhall require. And thoughe they were not ſworne,The mēbers of al liuing thīgs do endāger thē ſelues for the nobler partes. yet the natural and common lawe requireth the ſame of them: whiche thing the members of all lyuing thinges do teſtifie, whiche do willingly and moſt readily endanger them ſelues for the bodye, and for the nobler partes therof, I meane the hed or harte. Whiche ſelfe thing the citizens are by the lawes of nature bound to do for their countrey, if it be in dāger. Wherfore if they ſhould betray it, they can not be excuſed, but that they ſinne moſt grieuouſly.

But it were good before we go any farther, to define what proditiō is.What is to betraye. To betray ſemeth in Latine (as much as nedeth to this preſēt purpoſe) to ſignifie thre things, namely to bewraye, to deceaue & deliuer vp. Prodition therfore is an actiō, wherby by guile, bewrayeng or deliuering vp, our neighbours or their goods are hurt, and that eſpecially of thoſe, which ought rather to defend the ſame.

But there be many kindes of prodition. For they do betraye,Many kyndes of prodition. Auguſtine. which do by ſubtile guile detecte the faultes of their brethren Auguſtine. confirmeth this kynde of proditiō in his 2. queſtiō firſt, chap. Si peccauerit, where he ſayth reprehend thy brother ſecretly, of whoſe ſinne y^u haſt priuate knowledge: for if y^u ſhalt do it before al men, y^u ſhalt not then be a corrector of ſinne, but a betrayer. Alſo he which circumuēteth an other, & bringeth him into dāger, he betrayeth hym. Wherfore Ierome (as it is written 24. queſtion the 3. chap. Tranſferunt: Ierome.) ſayth that the ſame belongeth principally vntounto falſe Prophetes & euil Paſtors, which by their euill doctrine and examples deſtroye the ſhepe of Chriſt committed to their charge, whome they ought to defend. They are numbred amongeſt them, which deliuer caſtels and munitiōs vntounto their enemies. Wherof it is written at large, 22. queſtion the .5. chap. De forma. They are alſo counted betrayers, which do detecte & open ſecretes cōmitted vntounto thē, eſpecially ſuch as are of great waight, & bring in danger the life, eſtimation or goods of their brethren. And this kind is noted in the title.Chriſoſtome. De paenitentia, diſtinct. 6. chap. Sacerdotes. Finally Chriſoſtome vponupon Matthew the .25. homely, as is alledged in the decrees 11. queſtion the third, and chap. Nolite timere. Not onelyonly they are ſayde to betraye the truth, whiche in the place of it ſpeake a lye, but they alſo which do not frely profeſſe the ſame. Wherfore there are reckoned many wayes or kyndes of prodition. But we will not ſpeake of them all nowe preſently: but onelyonly will touche thoſe kyndes whiche make for our purpoſe.

One man ſome tymes is both a betrayer and a ſpye.Howbeit I thincke it good, this to be added, that ſome iudge that prodition & eſpiall do not much differ one from another, and that it maye ſometimes come to paſſe, that one man may be both a betrayer & a ſpye. For if any Citizen be corrupted with money by the enemyes, the ſame is both a betrayer of his countrey, & is alſo in the meane tyme a domeſticall ſpye. But this ſemeth not to be wiſely ſpoken, bycauſe the nature of theſe things (as it appeareth by their definitions) doth very much differ, although ſometimes they cleaue both in one mā, ſo y^t the ſame man, may be both a betrayer & a ſpye. Euen as muſike & Grammer differ much one frō an other, & yet it oftētimes happeneth y^e one mā is both a Grāmarian & a Muſitian. Neuertheleſſe y^e differēce (which I hauehave before mencioned) is for y^e moſt part obſerued, although not alwayes, namely y^t eſpial cōmeth of enemies, and prodition of them which be amongeſt vsus, whom we truſt as friendes.

Whether prodition be at any tyme lawful. Auguſtine.But to the end we may the playnlyer know, concerning prodition, whether it be at any tyme lawful? I thincke it beſt to cal to memory thoſe wordes which Auguſtine writeth againſt the letters of Petilianus y^e ſecond booke and 10. chap: We may not (ſayth he) heare the complaynts of ſuch as ſuffre, but ſeke out the mynde of them whiche are the doers. This the man of God wrote agaynſt the Donatiſtes, whiche accuſed our men, as betrayers & perſecutors. And to them he anſwereth y^e Paul alſo deliuered vp ſome to Sathā, whoſe ſaluatiō neuertheleſſe ſemed to be committed to his charge: but for all that, bycauſe he did it of a good mynde, namely to teache them not to blaſpheme, and that their ſpirit might be ſaued in the daye of the Lorde, he could not be accuſed either of treaſon, or els of deliueryng vp, bycauſe (as it is before ſayd). The complaintes of them whiche ſuffre are not to be heard,What proditiō is good. but we muſt ſeke out the mind of the doers. Wherfore when warre or controuerſy ſhall happen betwene any, of which the one part is knowen to hauehave a iuſt & good cauſe, if the other part which defendeth the worſer cauſe, & therfore doth vniuſtly, wil by no meanes be brought to any good & reaſonable conditions, ſurely good men whiche peraduenture are founde on the ſame ſyde, ought in ſuch ſort to helpe & to defend the other part as they may aduaunce iuſtice. And if it be nede, they ought to fall from the vniuſt to iuſt men. Neither can their prodition be condēned iuſtly as ill, although before they were neuer ſo much friendes & very nighe vntounto thoſe, which worke vniuſtly.

What cauſe y^e Iſraelites had againſt y^e Chananites. Epiphanius:Now muſt we ſpeake ſomewhat of the Iſraelites cauſe agaynſt the Chananites whiche may be conſidered of vsus two manner of wayes, namely either by common lawe and ordinary lawe of nature, or elles by fayth, and by the worde of GOD. Concerning the naturall or common lawe Epiphanius writeth that the lande of Paleſtine pertayned in very dede to the children of Sem, by occaſion whereof Melchiſedek reygned there, whiche was either Sem hym ſelfe, or elles one of hys children. But the Chananites whiche came of Cham, paſſyng ouer the boundes of Egypte and Africa, whiche were appoynted vntounto them, dyd caſte out of Paleſtine the ſonnes of Sem. And therefore the Hebrues, whiche were the poſteritie of Sem, when they required to be reſtored to their Fathers p. 38landes, ſemed to do it iuſtly, and rightfully. Wherefore (as he ſayeth) GOD did both reſtore vntounto the Iſraelites the countreys whiche belonged vntounto their aunceſtors, and alſo puniſhed the Chananites for their wickedneſſe, and this he did all with one and the ſelfe ſame worke. Howbeit I can not eaſely agree to Epiphanius opinion, for there was paſt preſcription of very long time, for at the leaſt there were fyue hundreth yeares. Wherefore it could not be ſayde that the Chananites poſſeſſed that lande vniuſtly. If we ſhould go by this reaſon now in our tyme, then ſhould there be none in a manner counted a lawfull prince and iuſte poſſeſſor, when as their aunceſtor came to the poſſeſſion of thoſe prouinces and kingdomes by violence, driuyng out botht the kings and the inhabitors that were in them before. Wherfore the Iſraelites ſemed not to hauehave any iuſt cauſes by mans lawe, by whiche they might make clayme vntounto the land of Paleſtine as to their owne, neither alledged they at any tyme any ſuch reaſon. And yet for al that they had good ryght therunto for as much as god teſtified as wel by words as by wonderfull workes, that it was his wil that the Hebrues ſhould hauehave the poſſeſſion of thoſe regions, to whom (as Dauid hath wel ſaid) both the earth and the fulneſſe thereof belongeth. Neither could the Chananites murmure agaynſt the iudgement of God, for as much as they were iuſtly cut of from their ryght, for their ſundry and manifold wicked Actes. Wherfore none could in this cauſe iuſtly defend the Chananites if they wil cleaue to the true God, and beleue his wordes. Wherby it followeth that this Luzite which betrayed hys citizens dyd it either of faith, as did Rahab in Iericho, or els by ſome humane bargayne. For the kepers or ſpyes ſayd vntounto him, VVe will ſhewe thee mercy. If he were ſtricken with feare, howe could that (as they ſay) happen vntounto a conſtant man (for he was after a ſorte a priſoner, and was fallen into the handes of hys enemyes) then was he brought to it by humane conuention, and then did he fowly, for it is not lawfull for any man, to make any fylthy couenauntes agaynſt hys countrey. Neyther can he be excuſed bycauſe of feare,It is not lawfull for any mā to make any fylthy couenā tes againſt hys countrey. for nothyng is to be done agaynſte iuſtice and conſcience, althoughe what feare ſo euer he ſhould be ſtryken with, but if he were ſtirred vp vntounto it by fayth, and for that he ſawe hys citezens obſtinately to reſiſte the worde of God and his workes, then he did well, neither can hys treaſon be either diſallowed or elles condemned. For no lawes, no vowes, no couenaūtes or bondes, thoughe they be neuer ſo ſtrayte,Feare muſt not cauſe vsus to do any thyng againſt iuſtice. can bynd any man to fight agaynſt or to reſiſte the worde of God: whiche worde all men muſt earneſtly labour to hauehave done and fulfilled. For this ſentence abydeth and ſhall perpetually abyde: That we muſt obey God more than men. Neither can any man (as Chriſte ſayeth) ſerue two maiſters, ſpecially if they commaunde contrary thinges.It is lawfull for the magiſtrate priuely to ſend inquiſitors. Moreouer the Magiſtrate is to be ayded in rooting out of vice and naughtyneſſe, and to hym without doubte is lawfull priuely to ſend men, to make enquiry, and to deiecte wicked Actes, that the offendors may be puniſhed, and (as God hath commaunded) that euill maye be taken awaye from the worlde. Yea and it is alſo lawfull for hym to offer rewardes to men confederated together for ſome ill purpoſe,It is lawfull for them to offer rewardes to conſpirators to open theyr conſpiracye. Auguſtine to allure them to open and detecte the conſpiracye, bycauſe that aſſuredly pertayneth to treaſon. Howbeit hereſy is neuer either to be diſſembled, or to be prayſed, or any wicked Acte to be committed that lawfull kynde of treaſon ſhoulde hauehave good ſucceſſe. Wherefore Auguſtine in hys latter booke of Retractions teſtifieth, that he wrote hys booke de Mendatio chiefly for thys cauſe, bycauſe ſome, to the ende they woulde detecte the Priſcillianiſtes, fayned them ſelues to be followers of the ſame hereſye, for that the ſame Priſcillianiſtes when they were accuſed,Of the Priſcillianiſtes. affirmed with greate ſtouteneſſe, that they were farre from any ſuche doctrine. But for all that afterwarde they diſcloſed them ſelues vntounto thoſe, whome (beyng deceaued by theyr diſſimulation) they thought they myght well hauehave truſted. But Auguſtine in the ſame booke De mendatio, teacheth that by this diſſimulation of the Catholickes, very many euils & daungers chaunced. For there they commende Priſcillianus, they vniuſtly praiſe his boke which is entituled Libra, they allowed the hereſy, pronouncing many things which could not be ſpoken without blaſphemie. Moreouer y^t which they did was dangerous: for if they whiche after this ſort diſſēbling were of any authoritie or eſtimation, the heretikes might by their commendation be confirmed in their opinion, & thoſe ſpecially with whom they did ſo diſſemble. For thoſe peraduenture were Priſcillianiſtes before (althoughe not very firme & conſtant) which after they heard their hereſy to be prayſed of a graue man, did then ſticke more & more in their error. Furthermore in thus diſſembling, and beyng conuerſaunte with the Priſcillianiſtes, the diſſembler alſo might eaſely fall into danger, that he him ſelfe at length might become of a Catholicke, a Priſcillianiſte. And finally the heretikes them ſelues by the diſſimulation of our men, might eaſely gather, that they did very well, in hyding, diſſemblyng and denyeng their doynges. But that betrayeng is ſometymes lawfull in a iuſt cauſe, and ſuch a cauſe as is without the dangers aboue mencioned, not onelyonly the reaſons whiche we hauehave before alledged do declare, but we may alſo proue it by very many examples written here and there in the ſcriptures.The Gabaonites. Rahab. The Gabaonites betrayed the reſt of the Chananites, when they fell from them to the Hebrues. Rahab alſo betrayed her publicque wealth or kyng, in receauyng, hydyng, and ſendyng awaye them whiche were deadly enemyes vntounto it: who is ſayed neuertheleſſe in the Epiſtle to the Hebrues to hauehave done thoſe things by faith.Iahel. Iahel alſo the wife of Aher the Kenite betrayed Siſara, for ſhe by a meruelous craft ſlewe him whom ſhe had called into her and cloſely hidden: as it ſhalbe afterward declared in his place in this hyſtory of the Iudges.Ionathas. Yea and Ionathas the ſonne of Saul betrayed vntounto Dauid the wil and counſels of his father, as it is written in the firſt booke of Samuel. Huſay the Arachite.Beſides all theſe Huſay the Arachite betrayed Abſolon the ſonne of Dauid, when he withſtandyng the counſell of Achitophel did thruſt in his owne counſell whiche was farre worſe, and ſhewed all things vntounto Dauid. I might bring in a great many more examples. But I thinke theſe are ſufficient for the ware reader.

Certein cautions are to be added to lawfull prodition. The firſt caution.Now reſteth only to declare certain cautions or prouiſoes, wherewith lawfull treaſon is to be decked and adorned, and not to be condemned. The firſt is, that he which betrayeth be by a certain faith aſſured that the cauſe is iuſt which he aduaunceth: whiche can not be done, excepte that he hauehave ſure proofe of the goodneſſe therof by the word of God. Neither do I at this preſent argue, whether the ſame word be reuealed vntounto him in harte,The ſecōd caution. or whether it be opened vntounto him in the holy ſcriptures. Then muſt he take hede, that being now well aſſured of the righteouſneſſe and honeſty, wherunto he is inclined, he be only prouoked therunto with the louelove therof, and not with the hope of rewarde or gayne, or for feare of any miſfortune, whiche he deſireth to eſcape, or to ſatiſfy his hatred and enemities deceaued.The third caution. For ſo ſhould he ſeke his owne, and not iuſtice, neither the obedience of hys fayth, and of the will of God. Furthermore it is very neceſſary that a man be not dryuen to that but then when all other kynde of remedyes wante. For Rahab ſo did: for except ſhe had then ſo kept the Hebrew ſpyes, they had bene by mans reaſon vndone, neither was there then any other waye to ſaue them. And certainly it oftentymes chaunceth, that all other ways & meanes being tryed, the worſe parte will not be brought to ſoberneſſe, ſo that there is no other remedy, but onelyonly by prodition. And I would therefore hauehave theſe cautions diligently obſerued, bycauſe that men are to muche prone to proditions, and that ſuch as are both filthy and wicked. Wherfore we muſt take hede that by the exāple of good men they flatter not thē ſelues as though they were innocent.The fourth caution. Moreouer Paul hath admoniſhed vsus not only to auoyde that which is euill it ſelfe, but alſo y^e ſhew therof. Howbeit we muſt vnderſtand this doctrine of his in ſuch ſort as we may accompliſhe it. For it is lawfull ſometymes to cōmitte a p. 39thing whiche is euill to ſee to, but not euill in very dede: whileſt yet there is hope that the thing may be ſtraight way made playn, ſo that y^e which at the firſt ſight ſemed euill, may manifeſtly be knowen to be good. So the Apoſtle hym ſelfe circumciſed Timothe, and ſhaued his hed, whiche of them ſelues and in very dede were not euil, although they ſemed to hauehave had a certayn ſhewe of euill vntounto certayn of the Ethnickes which were cōuerted, & wer not yet wel ſtrēgthned.The fifth caution. Finally periury or lyeng are not to be mingled w^t thoſe proditions whiche may be allowable. For as much as it is manifeſt by the Apoſtolical rule, y^e euils are not to be cōmitted, wherby good things may follow. I know there be ſome which go about to defēd thoſe kynd of lyes which are called officious or honeſt.Honeſt and officious lyes are not to be allowed. Auguſtine. But Auguſtine doth not allow that. Whoſe reaſons they which are deſirous to know, let thē read his boke Ad Conſentiū. I aſſuredly agree vntounto his opinion. For though there were no other reaſon, yet me thincketh this were ſufficient, bycauſe the lyer bringeth himſelf out of credite, wherby nothing y^t he afterward ſpeaketh cā ſcarcely be beleued, for they which heare it wil ſuſpect it alwaies as a lye. And beſides this y^t ſcripture doth eueryevery where deteſt lyes. And we are cō maūded (as Peter ſaith) to ſpeake as it wer the wordes of god. And theſe wordes are pure, neither muſt we graūt y^t there is any lye foūd in thē, as Auguſtine hath very wel writtē vntounto Ierome. What is to be aunſwered cō cernyng y^e lyes of the ſainctes.And thoughe we read y^t the ſainctes did ſomtimes lye, yet we muſt either not excuſe thē, ſeing they were mē, or els we muſt thinke y^t it was done by the wil of god. For then y^e actiō, which of his own nature, appeareth to be vicious, ceaſſeth … to be ſinne, when it is manifeſt y^t god hath cō maūded the ſame. And after this ſorte Abrahā is excuſed, in that he would hauehave killed his ſonne. The Iſraelites alſo are defended, whiche when they departed, tooke away with them, thoſe things which they had borowed of the Egyptiās.

Theſe cautiōs at this preſēt offer thē ſelues vntounto me,He anſwereth to the reaſons put in the be-beginning. wherby may be adorned this kind of proditiō, which may be allowed or defended, whiche otherwiſe is a thing to be curſed & deteſted, as it is manifeſt y^t the prodition of Iudah was. Neither cā the reaſons which I hauehave alledged in y^e begynning, any thing hinder but y^t ſome prodition may be approued. We declared firſt by y^e authoritie of Ierome, To the firſt.Antigonus, auguſtus, & Philip of Macedonia y^e traitors hauehave ben accuſtomed to be euil ſpokē of. I anſwere y^t therfore y^t happened, bicauſe proditiōs for y^e moſt part lacke theſe cautiōs before declared. For they which are traytors hauehave not for the moſt part a reſpect to y^t whiche is iuſt & honeſt, neither are they ſure of y^e will of god, neither hauehave they any ſure proofe y^t the cauſe is right which they follow, but are only brought to betray for hatred, & for their own cōmodity, & for feare & wicked affectes. And they might alſo oftētimes hauehave defēded iuſtice by other wayes & meanes. Beſides this they are not afeard therin to make lyes, & to cōmit manifeſt ſinnes. Furthermore I repete y^t agayn which I ſayd before, y^t it was euill ſaid of thē in pronoūcing y^t they loued y^t treaſō, & hated y^e traitors: ſeing either ſemeth either equally to be allowed, or els equally to be cōdēned. And to be brief, y^e teſtimonies which wer brought cā only take place in naughty & dānable treaſōs. And to ſuch as cōſider of thē ſelues, y^t they would not thē ſelues nor theirs to be betrayed, & therfore wil not y^t any kind of prodition ſhould be coūted good, we muſt anſwere as S. Auguſtine ſayth. That the complayntes of ſuch as ſuffer are not to be heard, but we muſt ſeke out the mynd of the doers.

Secondly we declared by the oppinion of Appianus, To the ſecond.that prodition was farre worſer than beſiegyng, bycauſe thys namely beſiegyng is done by ennemyes, but the other by friendes. We wyll eaſely graunte to that: for if a naughtye and vniuſte prodition be conferred alſo with an vniuſte beſiegyng,As ſome beſieging is iuſt, ſo alſo is ſome prodition good than ſhall prodition be iudged farre worſer, for as muche as it commeth from friendes, of whom we looke neither to be hurt, nor yet to receaue any damage. But euen as ſome beſiegyng is found iuſt, what inconuenience ſhall it be then, or not agreeyng with the truth, if ſome prodition alſo be found iuſt? The cōpariſon therfore of Appianus, is ſo to be vnderſtād, that either of the things compared together be euill. For as the Grāmarians ſay, the comparatiue degree alwayes r…quireth the poſitiue degree, wherin the compariſon is made. And in that Theodoſius the Emperor (as Ierome teſtifieth) did put to death a betrayer, it is no meruayle, when as the Romane lawes ſo ordayned in the digeſtes, & in the Codice as it is before ſhewed & they determine ſo of y^e prodition, wherby places of mūnitiō are deliuered vp to the enemies,Euill proditiō is to be coūted amonge moſte grieuous crimes. & likewiſe for treaſon. And aſſuredly that prodition which is euill, ought to be coūted for a moſt grieuous crime. For if therby come any loſſe of name or fame, then is it againſt the cōmaūdement of god, which cō maundeth. Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe. But if it bring loſſe of good and poſſeſſions, then is y^e cōmaundement broken which is ordained againſt theft. Finally if it be y^e cauſe of loſſe of body & life, it violateth y^e precept, wherin god hath cōmaunded, Thou ſhalt not kill. And there is no doubt, but y^t of proditions ſuch murthers oftentimes happen: for the inhabiters of cities which are betrayed, are wont to be ſlayne of their enemies.Naughty proditions are iuſtly punyſhed with death. Wherfore when y^t warre is vniuſt, the wicked betrayer is guilty of the murther whiche therof followeth. And therfore if lawes or princes hauehave ordayned death for this wicked crime, I thincke it is not vniuſtly done: but y^e letteth not, but that there may be good proditions founde. Who doubteth but that thieues ſhould be hanged, when as neuertheleſſe it …s lawfull in iuſte warre to take ſpoyles from the enemies.

To the thirde.The Romanes (as it was afterward declared) toke vēgeaūce of y^e ſcholemaſter of the children of the Phaliſciās, & they detected vntounto Pirrhus his phiſitiō which would hauehave betrayed him. Theſe things are true in dede, but I may eaſly aunſwere y^t the Romanes had here a regard to two things. Firſt y^t theſe (namely the ſcholemaſter & the Phiſitiā) had not in y^t which they did, a regarde to iuſtice, but were only ſtirred vp therunto by couetouſneſſe or hatred. Wherfore they ſemed to hauehave deſerued not a reward but a puniſhmēt. Furthermore y^t Romanes had a wōderful great deſire of glory, which they called valiātneſſe of mind. And being ſtirred vp with y^t, they thought y^t victory in a maner vnworthy, whiche they got not by force, but after this ſort, which ſemed to be very cowardly. And it is poſſible, that they thought to wynne thoſe agaynſt whom they warred, and rather by benefites, or at the leſt way no leſſe by benefites than by force.

To the fourth. The Edomites …nd Moabites did vniuſtly betraye the Iewes.Iſai (as it was ſayd) admoniſhed y^e Moabites in y^e name of God, y^t they ſhould not betray them whiche did flye vntounto them, bycauſe they ſemed to do that of enuie and malice, and not that they were deſirous to ſet forward the will of God. For God had not commaūded the Moabites to afflicte the Iſraelites. Wherfore when the Hebrues were betrayed of the Moabites or of the Edomites, that could not be done but of crueltie, for as much as the lawes of neighbourhed & kynred were violated. And that Paul ſpake vntounto Timothe of a wicked prodition, it is more manifeſt, than I ſhall nede now to declare.

To the fyft.Laſtly were obiected othes & lawes of nature wherw^t citizens are bound to defend their countrey. Of which I anſwere, y^t all theſe are ſo farre forth to be obſerued, as long as the othes and promiſes be not agaynſt the worde of god and good lawes. Which thing if it be afterward knowē, thē are they of no force, yea they are thē vtterly voyde. To theſe I adde, y^t it manifeſtly appeareth by y^e cautions now alledged, y^t we muſt neither for ſweare nor lye, wherby a laudable & good proditiō ſhould ſuccede. Wherfore they which ſweare vntounto their magiſtrates,The prodition of the Counſel holden at Conſtantia. & promiſe to defēd the citie, cā not be excuſed, when their minde is to betraye & to deceaue. This hauehave the Antichriſts done in y^e counſel holden at Conſtantia. For y^t they might thē eaſſier allure thither Iohn Huſſe, & Ierome of Praga, they promiſed him ſafety by publique fayth. And therefore they can not defend their prodition (admitte it were nothyng els) as iuſt and honeſt. But they were without doubt treacherers and wicked betrayers in ſwearyng & promyſing that by their letters whiche they would not performe.

p. 40But now we muſt returne to the hiſtory.Howe the Luzite might be ſuffered of the Iſraelits to go in ſafety. It is not certain (as it is ſayd) whether this Luzite had faith, or whether he wer an infidel. If he had faith, his prodition is to be commended, otherwiſe it is to be diſcommended. But if he beleued not, neither cleaued vntounto the true God, why did the Iſraelites let hym go? Forſooth bicauſe he of his own wil went into baniſhment. Neither ſeemed this to be againſt the counſel of God. For God woulde therefore hauehave thoſe people cut of, leaſt they dwelling together with the Hebrues ſhould hauehave geuen them an occaſion of falling and offence. Wherefore when they departed, and choſe wylful baniſhment, that came to paſſe, which God would hauehave to be done. But thou wilt ſay: By this meanes might al thoſe nations hauehave bene ſent away,Why the Chana…it s departed not, & giuegive place to the Iſraelites. neither ought they to hauehave ben ſlain as god had cōmaūded. What might hauehave ben done I nede not to anſwer, for as much as that is demaunded which coulde not be done. For ſo manye and ſo great were the ſinnes of thoſe nations, that they vtterly deſerued death. Wherfore god taking away his ſpirite from them, dyd ſo harden their hartes, that they endeuoured not them ſelues to depart, but rather to reſiſt the Iſraelites as much as in them lay. They made many battailes therfore, in which as god had ordained, and as they had deſerued, they came to vtter deſtruction, although a very few of them were ſaued in departing, or els in embracing the true religion.

And they ſmote the cyty wyth the edge of the ſwoorde. This is not to be aſcribed to cruelty, but rather to obedience and religion towarde the true god: for ſo was it his wil to be done, and ſo had he commaunded.

But they let the man and his houſhold go free. Howe they coulde diſcerne this mans family from the reſt it is not writtē. But it is moſt lykely that either he entred with the Iſraelites into the city, or els he ſhewed vntounto them his houſe, by ſome token, wherby they might leaue it ſafe and vntouched according to their purpoſe. Rahab certainly in Iericho hong a purple corde in the window of her houſe, to auoid the miſery and ſacking of the ſouldiours.

And the man went into the land of the Hithites, Kimhi wryteth that theſe Hithites were none of thoſe ſeauen nations, which were commaunded to be deſtroyed in the land of Chanaan. But he declareth not what theſe Hithites wer. And theſe are the names of thoſe nations, which ſhould hauehave bene deſtroyed of the Iſraelites. The Chananites, the Iebuſites, Hemorrhites, Gergeſites, Phereſites, Hithites, and Hiuites. Theſe are the nations which god commaunded to be weeded out of the land promiſed vntounto the Iſraelites. But this is to bee noted by the way, that there is a difference betwene theſe woordes Kethim and Chethim, for that which is written by Kaph ſignifieth, as they interprete, the Italians, or ſuch as dwel in Ilandes, or the Macedonians: and that woorde is found in Eſay, Ieremy, and in the booke of Num: where the prophecies of Balaam are mentioned. But that woord which is written with this letter Cheth, ſignifieth either one of the ſeauen nations of the country of the Chananites, or els thoſe to whom it is ſayd that this Luzite went.

And he built a City, and called the name of it Luz. The maner of baniſhed mē in buildyng or adourning of citi…s.So men that wer driuen out of their countrey wer wont to do, that being moued with the louelove of their country, to cal the places which they did build, either by the name of their country which they left, or els to builde them as neare as they coulde in forme like the other. So it is ſaid that Aeneas dyd in Italy buyld Troy, & the city of the Piſites was in the ſame country built by the Graecians. Like wiſe the Iſraelites leauing the land of Paleſtine, decked vp a city graunted vntounto them in Egipt, like vntounto Ieruſalem, building a temple there, ordaining alſo Prieſtes and ſacrifices, as they had before in Ieruſalem. In which doing they ſynned moſt haynouſly, although neuertheleſſe they were moued thereunto by the louelove of theyr countrye whych they had forſaken.

VntoUnto thys day. The tyme of Samuel is by thoſe woordes noted, who is thought to be the writer of this hiſtory. And by this ſentence the Hebrues do gather, that that City and the name therof, endured to the time of Samuel.