Commentaries, Dedication 2
❧To the noble and moſt vvoorthy men the Lordes, chiefe gouernours of the Schoole of Argentine, my good Lordes, for their godlynes and wiſdome much to be reuerenced, D. Peter Martir. Vermilius Florentine, Profeſſor of the holye Scriptures in the Schoole of Tigure, wiſheth health and felicitye from God, through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour.
WHen it pleaſed God (moſt woorthy and honorable mē) of his mere goodnes, and not for any my vertues or merites, to cal me to the obedience of his ſonne our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, to exerciſe my ſelfe in ſetting forth his Goſpel, in ſuch maner as hath pleaſed him, I thought it my duty, as much as lay in me, to execute my vocation and aſſigned burthen, not onelyonly in teaching, but alſo in minde, lyfe, and maners. For thus I reaſoned with my ſelfe: If vntounto al men, being iuſtified onelyonly by the mercy of the true God, through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour, not vndoubtedlye by woorkes, but freelye receauing forgeuenes of ſynnes, there remayneth no other thyng in the courſe of this ſhort lyfe, then that hauing obtayned the holy Ghoſt, and nature being ſomewhat relieued from his proper corruption, they ſhould by pure lyfe, and holy actions liuely expreſſe God hymſelfe their regenerator, and Chriſt their redeemer: the ſame thing without doubte is much more required of men of my profeſſion, whom the eccleſiaſticall ſpirit hath appointed to adminiſter liuely doctrine vntounto other men, that whyleſt they teach vprightly, by their euil deedes they deface not the waight, and al the authoritye of their doctrine, which thing if they do, they ſhal in the darknes of this worlde moſt brightly geue light vntounto other, and cauſe them to lift vp the eyes of theyr mindes vntounto God the chiefe fountayne, head, and beginning of al good things, and to honour him with prayſes and moſt vpright religion. Wherfore I gather, and that truly (as I am moſt fully perſwaded) that I my ſelf, and the reſt of the Miniſters of the doctrine of the ſonne of God, ought aboue al other to liue moſt iuſtly. But when I conſidered that the office of this vertue Iuſtice (whiche ſhyneth among mortall men like the bright ſtarre Lucifer) conſiſteth wholy in this, to render to eueryevery man that which is his, I deſired verely to performe the ſame not maymed, nor diminiſhed, nor ſhortened, but conſiſting of all his partes, ſo much as humane weakenes would ſuffer me. And among other excellent parts or kindes therof, a thankfull minde, and mindfull of a benefite receaued, is not to be numbred among the leaſt, whoſe property is not onelyonly to acknowledge benefites receaued, but alſo earneſtlye to bee deſirous to geue thankes for them. This thing when I weigh with my ſelfe (for I thinke on it oftentimes, I wyll not ſay continually) there cōmeth into my remembrāce very many & great benefites, which your publike welth, churche & ſchoole hauehave heretofore beſtowed vpō me. And aſſuredly, when I recken them, & more depely weigh them, they appere vntounto me ſo many & ſo great, that I am excedingly afrayd, leaſt I ſhould happen to depart out of this life vngrateful, which thing vndoutedly ſhould be more bitter vntounto me, thē death it ſelf. Ye, when I came out of Italy for religiō ſake, with moſt incredible humanity receaued me: ye gaue me the fredome of your moſt ample city: ye placed me in that Schoole, which ye not long before with great praiſe of wyſe & godly men had erected: ther ye appoynted me a Profeſſor of holy ſcriptures, wheras I liued a fellow with moſt learned and excellent men, more then fiue yeares. All which time ye mayntained me with a very liberal ſtipend. Ye, when I was called into England, decreed that I ſhould go thither, where certayne yeares I was teaching the Goſpel in the Vniuerſity of Oxford, namelye vntil ſuch time as Edward the ſixt of that name, that moſt woorthye King, and which can neuer be prayſed inough, was taken away by vntimely death, which brought vntounto all the godly, griefe, mourning, and ſundrye and hard vexacions. Ye exceding louingly receued me, when I returned thence to Argentine, & placed me in the ſame roume, wherin I was with you before. Alſo, when the moſt noble Senate of Tigure called me into the place of Pellicanus, which was ther a Profeſſor of Diuinity, ye, although both to your great griefe and alſo to mine, did yet moſt louinglye let me go. The cauſe of my departure I wyll not nowe ſpeake of, bicauſe it is to all men knowen wel inough. Thus much onelyonly wil I ſay, that I do both vehemently deſyre, and alſo hope, that this ſtop or let may be taken away out of the field of the Lord. Theſe your benefits, which are of them ſelues ample and noble, I do nothing encreaſe nor amplify: But this one thing I teſtify, that they neuer ſlipped out of minde, neither is it poſſible but that they being layd vp in the bottom of my hart, ſhal there abide for euer. Howbeit, bicauſe the remembrance and thinking on the benefites which I hauehave receaued of you doth not ſatiſfy me, I hauehave alwayes deſired to make open vntounto al men my good will and gratefull hart towardes you, which hauehave bene ſo wonderfull beneficial towardes me, wherefore I hauehave very often times determined with my ſelfe, one tyme at the length to declare by ſome ſignification or monument my ſingular affection, and ardent louelove towardes your publike wealth, Church and Schoole. But for as muche as touchynge ryches of thys worlde, I hauehave nothing wherwithal to performe the ſame, leaſt. I ſhould dye fruſtrate of my ſo honeſt and vehement a deſire, being about now to ſet forth a Comentary vponupon the holy hiſtory of the Iudges: As I hauehave taught it in your Schoole, I hauehave determined to dedicate it to your name, where as otherwiſe I would hauehave offred vntounto you thinges much greater and better, if ſtrength & ability had anſwered vntounto my minde. Neither was I hereunto perſwaded onelyonly by the reaſon now alledged, namely by ſome maner of meanes to ſhew my good wyl towards you, and not to geue any man occaſion of ſuſpicion, that in chaunging my place I ſhould hauehave ſhaken of my endeuour and ſtudy towardes you: (which thing vndoubtedly is not ſo: For I hauehave not laid aſide theſe things, but they moſt firmly ſticke in my mind daily more & more.) But this alſo did driue me to do this, for that this boke was writtē in your city. And therfore I thought it meete, that in the poſſeſſion therof no man ſhould be preferred before you. Farther, this did not a lytle moue me, for that the argumēt of this hiſtory moſt aptly agreeth with you. For euen as God at ſundry times ſtirred vp Iudges vntounto the Hebrewes, to deliuer them when they were oppreſſed with the tiranny of their enemies: So wer you not amonge the laſt ſtirred vp by his goodnes and grace, to bring to lyght the Goſpell of the ſonne of God, when it was held captiue in darknes by the dominion and violence of hipocrites, and when the mindes of Chriſtiās as touchyng godlynes were eueryevery where in a maner baren and vnfruitfull. Here aſſuredlye I could make mencion of very many your actes both godly and honorable: but I ouerpaſſe them, for that you hauehave manye eloquent and notable publiſhers abroade of your doinges, which moſt aboundantly and elegantly hauehave ſet foorth your valiantnes of minde, your conſtancy in embracing and ſpreading abroade of the Goſpel of Chriſt, and your liberality in maintaining your notable, moſte learned and famous Schoole. Neyther vndoubtedly can the praiſes which they hauehave geuen you bee reproued of anye lye, for as muche as you hauehave with great ſeruentnes of fayth receaued the doctrine of the ſonne of God, and ye are made vntounto other a notable example of renuing of piety. And afterward when by reaſon of iniquity of times thinges which wer wel ordered, ſemed ſomwhat to ſlide and fall to decaye, ye hauing firme confidence of the ayde of God, verye godlys and wiſely tooke courage vntounto you, and euen now in this time ye ſtoutly and luckely did driue out the remnantes of the Amorrihites and Chananites out of the inheritance of the Lord, which pertayned to your lot. Which your act hath wyth al the godly, gotten you great grace, prayſe, glory, and fauour. Wherefore I, as which vehemently deſyre honor, fame and dignity vntounto the City of Argentine, do excedingly reioyce, for your moſt excellent and holy act. And I do deſyre god the father of mercy, that ye being inflamed and kindled with his ſpirit, may alwaies go forward to better thinges. For ſo long as we wander here on earth, as ſtraungers from our country which is in heauen, the Church is not fully perfect, neither in al partes abſolute: For alwayes ſomthing is therein wanting, eſpecially ſeing we are fallen into the yron age of the latter time. For was there not in the goldē world of the Church many diſcords, troubles, and maners not agreable vntounto a Chriſtian life? And ſhal not that part of the world which is chriſtened, be now ſycke of the ſame diſcōmodities and vices, when for age it nowe doteth? Let vsus looke vponupon the Church of the Hebrues, which at that tyme was the peculiar people of God, ſeperated from al nacions. Vndoubtedlye we ſhall there finde ſundry courſes and alteracions of thinges. Some times they ſlipped out of the rightway. Sometimes they repented and lamented and amended the ſynnes wherin they had fallen. But whileſt they lay in their ſinnes and wickednes, they were by God corrected with greuous afflictions, and moſt ſharp puniſhments. But returning vntounto him, they faithfully implored his ayde: which when they had obtayned, they agayne preuailed againſt their enemies. In them (except we be vtterly blinde) we ſee the image of the goodnes of God towardes the ſayntes, and his ſeuerity vponupon the wicked painted, and liuely expreſſed as it were in a table that is moſt rightly poliſhed. Bleſſed is God, which defendeth his in moſt great daungers and calamities, and faythfully keepeth his ſafe and found: which commeth of his goodnes, neither ſuffereth he them wholye to fall from piety, or vtterly to be conſumed with miſeries and aduerſities. And we, if we note theſe thinges in thys holye hiſtorye, ſhall not maruayle that the people of God were often times toſſed, and euen in maner oppreſſed with ſo many and greuous chaunces: for whether we behold the godly, or whether we behold the vngodly, we ſhall perceaue that al theſe thinges were done with great fruit, and moſt wyſe conſideracion. For vntounto thoſe, whom God the heauenlye father hath euen from without beginning choſen vntounto him by Ieſus Chriſte, and our of an innumerable number of mortall men adopted to be his children, aduerſities did to this end happen, that euen as gold and ſyluer are by the power of fire purged, ſo their mindes ſhould proue more pure by aduerſities. For by them as by lyuelye flames, the louelove of our ſelfe, and of frayle and tranſitorye thinges is burnt vp. But the ſtudies of piety and innocency are wonderfully kindled and inflamed. But of the vngodly, whom the diuine prouidence hath moſt iuſtly decreed to puniſh with eternal death, the conſideracion is farre otherwiſe. For aduerſities do not burne away their ſpots and vices, but rather encreaſe and augment them, by the augmentaciō of which aduerſities the impiety of their minds alſo increaſeth, euen as we ſee that with one and the ſelfe ſame fyre claye waxeth hard, and wax melteth away.
Wherefore the reading of the golden hiſtory of the Iudges is moſt profitable, ſo that there want not fayth in reading of them, and prayers be without ceaſing added, whereby we may pray vntounto God not fayntly, but feruently, to make his woordes of efficacy in vsus by the holy Ghoſt. For thoſe holye narracions are as it were certaine nouriſhments or ſtayes, whereby our confidence towardes the promiſes of God is wonderfully confirmed, and our minde is erected to a moſt firme hope of obtayning of them. For whyleſt we diligentlye conſider the wonderful notable actes which God did for the health and ſafety of the nacion of the Hebrues, it is vncredible to be ſpoken, how our hartes are ſtyrred vp to woorſhip and honour him ſincerely and religiouſly. Farther, in thoſe heroicall actes the incredible power and wyſdome of the prouidence of God doth eueryevery where aboundantly and brightly ſhine forth, which receaued with no leſſe pleaſure thē fruite. For by thoſe thinges which are declared (except we wyll wyllynglye be blinde) may eaſely be vnderſtand, that whatſoeuer was done, or ſucceded luckely or vnluckely, at home or on warfare, the ſame is to be attributed either to the iuſtice, or els to the mercy of the eternal God. We are alſo moſt plainlye taught, that God neglecteth not thinges humane. But that he hath a conſideracion and regard ouer the godly and the vngodly, and of them to the one he giueth ioy and pleaſure, but the other he at the laſt moſte greuouſlye puniſheth. Farther, thys thing is chiefly to be marked, that Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God is not ſecluded from thys holy hiſtory. For for as much as he is the end of the law, and ſūme of the holy ſcripture, as much as this booke pertaineth vntounto the law, and is a part of the holy ſcripture, ſo much doth it ſhew and moſt euidently preach Chriſt vntounto the Readers. For the actes of noble captaines are here rehearſed, which (as it is written vntounto the Hebrues) through fayth wan kingdomes, wrought righteouſnes, and obtayned the promiſe. But that fayth which is natural and ſound includeth Chriſt him ſelfe, vntounto whom ſingularly and in a maner onelyonly it hath a regard. For by him the promiſes of God are made of efficacye. Wherfore whileſt we behold the wonderful actes of the Iudges, we ought to hauehave before our eyes the excellent fayth which brightly ſhined in them, & together with it the cōmon deliuerer of humane kinde, namely the ſonne of God Chriſt Ieſus, whom they beheld as their Captaine and Emperour. And that not vnwoorthely, for he by them wrought, and by them did ſet the people at liberty, in admoniſhing them by the voyces of Angels, and oracles of Prophetes, in confirming them in daungers, and at the laſt not vnconſtantlye but moſt faythfullye performing thoſe thinges which he had before moſt liberally promiſed. Laſtlye, when we heare that the Hebrues, which were the members of the ſame Chriſt, were ſometime oppreſſed and ſlayne of their enemies. Let vsus in them acknowledge the death and tormētes of our head. And in their victories and triumphes. Let vsus behold his reſurrection, kingdome and glory. For God hath framed vntounto vsus winges of his ſpirite and woord: but if through our own default we become fleſhy and heauy, we ſhal not be caryed vp into heauen, but together with beaſtes bee drawen downewarde.
I hauehave hetherto ſpoken of the hiſtory, how commodious and profitable it is to all the worſhippers of god, and how aptly it pertayneth vntounto you (moſt excellent rulers.) Wherfore it ſhould ſeme that I ſhould now ſomwhat ſpeake of the interpretacion, which I hauehave added. But therof I wyll ſpeake nothing: for I feele that thoſe thinges which come out of my ſtudy and labour, are ſo ſciender and ſmall, that I thinke them not worthy of commendacion.
There is one thing onelyonly which I dare boldly affirme, that I by this my doctrine, howſoeuer it be, my wyl was to be a helpe to the faythful of Chriſt. Neyther do I deny, but that there wer other much better learned then I am, which with great prayſe and fruit exerciſed themſelues in this ſelfe ſame courſe of ſtudy: howbeit, bicauſe I excedingly allow the ſentence of Baſilius (who in his .18. Epiſtle writeth: Euen as welles, the more they are drawen, the better they are, ſo vndoubtedly are the wordes of God: for the more diligently they are handled and vſed, the more plentiful fruit is by them receaued) therfore I tooke in hand to interpretate this hiſtory. And although I am not ignorant, that you do ſo abound with the moſt learned woorkes of other men, that ye neede not thys my commentary: yet to that I anſwer, that to riche men alſo are debtes payde, and giftes are geuen vntounto kinges, who otherwiſe are more riche. Who is more riche then God himſelfe? VntoUnto whō neuertheles al the godly do both geue thankes, & alſo to their power referre thankes. Wherefore I doo not offer vntounto you thys ſlight gift, bicauſe I thinke that ye hauehave neede thereof, but that your benefites ſhould not remayne with me longer then is meete, as though they wer neglected. Farther, that we might be ſtyl more and more bound together in amity. For theſe duties are certayn common bondes, wherwith men are pleaſauntlye and profitably bound together betwene themſelues. I hauehave in deede bene long in your debt, yea rather I ſhal alwayes be in your debt (for I ſhal neuer be able to pay al that I owe vntounto you) wherfore I wil gladly be perpetually in your debt. And wil with great pleaſure alwayes behold, keepe and preſerue your benefits layd vp with me, ſo that they ſhal neuer dye, nor neuer at anye time ſlyp out of my mynde. So fare you wel (moſt worthy and noble men.) God the father of mercy encreaſe, proſper, and for euer bleſſe you together with your publike wealth, Church and Schoole, in al good thinges, through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour. Amen.
At Tigure the .22. of December. 1560.