Part 1

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A Treatise of the Cohabitacyon of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull.

Wherunto is added.

A Sermon made of the confessing of Christe and his gospell / and of the denyinge of the same.

Anno M.D.LV.

Apocal. 18.

Come awaye from her my poeple / that ye be not partakers of her synnes / that ye receyue not of her plagues.

In this furst treatise theys thinges ar contayned.

1. The question of Cohabitacion.

2. Christians maye not be present at popishe masses and supersticions.

3. The masse is a prophanacion of the lordes supper.

4. The dutie of princes is to mayntain pure Religion amonge ther subiectes / and what inferior Rulars must do when they be commaunded contrarie by their superiors.

5. A confutacion of the reasons which ar made to proue the Cohabitacion lawfull.

6. How the Iues ar to be handeled of christians.

7. The papistes ar heretikes.

Whether the dwellinge together and familiar conuersacion of the godly withe the godles / the faithfull withe the faythles / the professor of Christes gospell withe the papiste be lawfull or no.

[[Reasons prouing that it is lawfull.]]

The reasons bi whiche many do persuade them selues / and others also / that yt ys lawfull / for the faythfull to haue famylier conuersation / and to dwell together withe the vnfaythfull, are theise.

[[1]]

Christe Iesus dyd go vnto the feastes and dyners of publicans and synners / and was there accompanyed and famyliarlie conuersaunte with them. In lyke maner beinge bydden of the phariseis to dyners / he went.

[[2]] [[1. Cor. 7.]]

Also S. Paule dothe byd / that the faythful whiche is ioyned in mariage withe the vnbeleuer sholde not be separated / yf the vnbeleuer will dwell withe the faythfull.

[[3]] [[1. Cor. 10.]]

Againe he teacheth / if any of them whiche beleue not byd you to a feaste / and if ye will go / what soeuer ys sett before you / that eate / &c. In an other place he likwise sayethe:

[[1. Cor. 5.]]

I wrote vnto you in an epistle / that ye sholde not companie withe fornicatours. And I meant not at all of the fornicatours of this worlde / or of the couetous / or of extorsioners / or of the Idolatrors / for then muste ye neades haue gone owt of the worlde. But nowe I haue written unto you / that ye companye not together. If any that is called a brother / be a fornicatour / or couetous / or a worshipper of Images / or a rayler / or a drunkard / or an extorsioner / with him that ys suche / see that ye eate not.

[[4]] [[Genes. 12.]]

Abraham beinge called to go owt of Chaldee / ys commaunded to trauayle in those countries / in whiche the people were altogither vngodlye and wicked Idolatrours / that ys / in the lande of Canaan / and in Egypte.

[[5]] [[Genes. 13.]]

Lot refused to continewe in the housholde / and familiar companie of Abraham / and did chose to dwell amonge the Sodomytes.

[[6]] [[4. Reg. 5.]]

Naaman the Sirian / after that he was healed of his leprosie / dyd returne to his Idolatrous nation.

[[7]] [[Marc. 5.]]

Christ our Sauior dyd not reteyne with him all those whom he dyd heale / but commaunded some of them to returne vnto their own famyliars / countrymen / and kinsfolkes (which yet were wicked / and infidels) among whom they sholde publishe and declare / what the lorde hade done for them.

[[8]]

The Iues both by the ciuile and canon lawes ar not only permitted to lyue among the christians / but also to haue their synagoges: and tribute is taken of them.

[[9]]

Some heretiques haue libertie giuen them by ciuile lawes / to dwell amonge the faithfull: for the lawes do not apoynte them all to be punished by deathe. We reade that the Nouations hade their Churches and congregations / permitted in Constantinople / in the tyme of Constantine the greate / and Theodosius / whiche were moste godlie Emperours.

These are the reasons by whiche many do persuade them selues and others / that yt ys lawfull for the godlie and faythful / to dwell together and to haue familiar conuersation withe the wicked and vnfaythfull /

[[The disposition of the Tretise.]]

To proue that their persuasions are false and vntrulie gathered of thes places / I muste propounde certayn diuisions: whiche beinge done / I shall put forthe certayne propositions or sentences In the prouinge of which to be true / ye shall playnlye perceyue howe these places alledged / are abused of them to maynteyne their false opinion.

[[The furst Diuision]]

Firste / I muste deuide betwene the estates and sortes of men: Some sortes of men / are Magistrates and rulers: some other be subiectes and of the comen sorte of people.

[[The second Diuision]]

The second diuision shalbe of cohabitation or dwelling together / of which one kinde ye free / that ys / where men be not compelled to communicate withe wicked superstitions / vngodly rites and Idolatries.

An other kinde of cohabitation / or dwellinge together there is which ys not free / and that ys where men are compelled to communicate withe wicked supersticions / to be presente at Idolatries / and so to defyle them selues.

[[The thred diuision.]]

The thirde diuision shalbe of the godlie and faithfull men them selues / whiche are thus familiarlie conuersaunte withe the vnbeleuers. Either they are learned stronge and able to confesse the doctrine of truithe in religion / and to reproue and conuince the false: orels they ar vnlearned / weake / and vnable to stande in the confession of the truithe / and reprouinge of vntruthe.

These three diuisions shall suffice. Nowe will I put forthe certeyne sentencis and propositions.

The firste sentence and proposition / shalbe of those which in estate and condicyon are priuate men and subiectes: Of that cohabitation and dwellinge whiche ys free. And of those men which are learned and stronge: of all wich I make this proposition.

[[The furst proposition.]]

Priuate men and subiectes / which ar learned and stronge / dwellinge in that place where they be free and not compelled to communicate withe wicked supersticions / they maye be famyliarlie conuersaunte / dwell and liue together with the vnbeleuers This maye they do / but yet vnder certeyn conditions / and obseruinge certeyn rules.

[[1]] [[Rules to bekept.]]

Of which the firste ys this / that they do teache thos vnbeleuers with whom they do liue and are familiarlie conuersaunte / and do instructe them in the truithe / trulye teachinge them and earnestlie callinge them / vnto the knowledge of the truithe / and faythe in Christe. And this they muste not leaue of to do so longe as they be dwellinge and familiar with them. To the end also that they maye do this the better / yt ys not vnlawfull / but moste conuenient for them to shewe them selues frendlie / gentill / and louinge unto the vnbeleauers withe whom they are familiarlie conuersaunte / and dwellinge / So that theise maye perceyue that the faythfull do loue them: els ys yt to be feared that they shall do no good withe them. for that doctrine ys moste redylie receyued of the hearer / which commeth from him / of whom the hearer ys persuaded / that he ys hys frende / and that he louithe hym indeede.

[[2]]

The second thinge that the faythfull must take heede of / and Rule which they must obserue ys this: That they do lyue an holy lyfe / and that amonge the vnbeleauers their conuersacion be so godly / graue / comely / and agreing with their profession / that in no wise they do gyue any offence through the wickednes of their lyfe: for yf by their lyfe the vnfaythfull shuld be offendid / then shuld their mynistery be vnprofitable to the vnbeleuers / for that by their euell doings they shuld ouerthrowe what soeuer they labored to builde vpp in wordes.

[[3]]

The thred thinge that theise men must take heede of / and Rule which they must obserue is. That they do not communicate / with the vnfaythfull in their supersticions and idolatries / nor iet do so mutch as outwardly to seame to allowe them. Thys ys not to be doone in ony wise / no not in hope therby to wynne the vnbeleauer from hys supersticion / and Idolatrie:

[[Ro. 3]]

For this Rule of the holy ghoste doth euer remain certain / Euell things ar not to be doone / that goode maye comme therof. This vnchaungeable rule must not be broken.

[[4]]

The fourth and last thing that theise men must take heede of / and Rule which they must obserue is this. That they haue not ther familiar conuersacion with the vnbeleuers for their own cause / as for their pleasure and recreacion / or for their gayn and profite / but only in respect of wynnynge them to the gospell of christe. Neither ys this conuersacion and companie / contynually to be hadd and kept with the vngodly and vnbeleuers / but so long as ther is goode hoope of wynninge / and conuerting them to the gospell of christe. For yf the vnbeleauers shall shew themselues so obstinate in their euell / that they giue iuste cause to despaire of ther amendement / then ar they vtterly to be forsaken / and no conuersacion or companie is to be hadd with them / farther then the necessitie of lyfe enforcith either partie. As yff the vnbeleauers shuld be in such extreme necessitie / that they could not be releaued but at the hand of the faythfull: or yf theise shuld be in that necessitie / that they could not otherwise obtain thinges necessarie but of the vnfaithfull. Also in byinge and selling thinges necessarie for the lyfe / as garmentes / victuals / and such like: Agayn in such thinges as cyuile estates / and condicions do require / as of princes and Rulars to demaunde lawfull defence / and to obey them in thinges lawfvll: to fathers / maried folke / masters / and such lyke / to do thos duties which ar appointed in godds worde. In theise thinges to vse the vnbeleauers / or to minister vnto them / ys not vnlawfull.

Thus and in thys manier / yt ys lawfull for a priuate man / which is lerned / and constant in godds truithe / being in that place wher no man ys compelled to be partaker of wicked supersticions / to dwell together / and vse familiar conuersacion with the vnbeleuers and vnfaythfull / as theise named Rules and condicions / do appoint and suffer. And so haue ye this proposicion declared and opened / The same ys confirmed / by the example of Christ our Sauiour. He dyd resorte to the dyners / and feastes / where scribes and pharisees / publicanes and synners were / to thys ende onlie / euen to teache them and to winne them vnto the Gospell. So saieth hierom.

[[Hiero in Matt. cap. 9.]]

The lorde dyd go vnto the feastes of synners / that he mighte haue occasion to teache them and that he mighte gyue spirituall meates to them which dyd bydde hym: and after speaking how christe went ofte to feastes / Theare ys (saithe he) no other thinge reported / but what he dyd / and what he taughte there. That bothe the humblenes of the lorde in goinge to synners / and the power of hys doctrine in conuertinge the penitents / mighte be declared.

After the same maner / the prophetes in the olde tyme were conuersaunte with the Idolatrous people. So were the Apostles famyliarlie conuersaunte with the vnbeleuinge Iues / and went also emongest other vnbeleuing nations and men.

[[Act. 17.]]

S. Paule when he came to Athens / dyd not thinke skorne so famyliarlie to behaue him selfe that he went in to the temples of their Idolls / and verye curiouslie searched the corners of the same / he dyd viewe their altars / the titles and inscriptions of ther altars / so that he founde owte that title / _Ignoto Deo_ which was an altar dedicated vnto the vnknowen God / wherof he dyd take occacion to make that same hys sermon in which he preached Christe vnto them euen as yt were owt of their own bokes.

And thus / I thinke / that this our proposition / (which of yt owne selfe ys plaine and euident ynoughe) ys sufficientlie proued. Namelie thys / that a priuate man / learned / and constaunte in the truithe / beinge in that place where no man ys compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / maye be familiarlie conuersante with the vnbeleuers / so longe as in hys conuersation he doth obserue and kepe / the conditions before mencioned.

[[Conuersation vuith men excommunicate.]]

Here I thinke good to adde / as yt were by the waye of admonicion / that kepinge these rules and conditions / yt ys lawfull for the godlie to be conuersaunte with them which be excommunicate / euen to call them in to the waye of godlynes / and not to communicate with them in any euill or synne.

[[The secund proposition.]]

Nowe will I put forthe an other proposition or sentence / whiche shalbe of those persons whych be of a priuate estate and are subiectes / of that cohabitacion which ys fre wher no man is compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / and of suche men as be vnlearned in the knowledge of gods truithe / weake in faythe / and therfor vnable to make a christian confession of truithe. Thys collection agreeth with that which I gathered before / of which I made my former proposition / sauinge that wheras there / with the priuate estate and free dwellinge

[[Ignoraunnce in men is intollerable.]]

/ I coupled men that were learned and stronge to confesse the truithe / heare I do adde in the place of them / men vnlearned / vnable / and to weake to confesse the truithe. But herin thincke not that I do alowe suche ignoraunce and vnablenes in men. Suche ignoraunce in men is sharply to be reproued / for ther is none so veri an idiote / so simple and vnlearned amonge Christianes / but he ys bounde in conscience to be able to rendre an accompte of hys faythe / and also to be somwhat able to teache and instructe others / yea and to saye somwhat for the truthe / in all the principall poyntes of the christian faythe / which he may do yf he be but meanlie instructed in the Catechisme. But bicause / partlie throughe the peruersnes of the ministers which do not their office to instructe men / partlie throughe the negligence of men which do not their dutie in seekinge to be instructed / suche ignoraunce there is / I admytt therfore into this my collection those ignoraunte / vnable / and weake men. And so I make this proposition. Those men which are of a priuate estate and condition / dwellinge or beinge in a place where they be not compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions. And are them selues vnlearned and vnable to confesse and defende the truithe / maye not vse famyliar conuersation with the vnbeleuers.

These men ar not in that condition that the learned be / of whom I dyd speake before / for they cannot teache the vnbeleuers / yea they be not able to defende the gospell of christe from the blasphemie of the vnbeleuers / neither can they deliuer them selues from suche false snares as the vnbeleauers shall laye for them: Wherfor they must not haue familiar conuersacion with them / through which they shall thus throwe themselues into perill / and ieoperdie: Except that they can assure themselues of such strenghth / that they shall not yealde vnto the wickednes of the vnbeleuers. Otherwise / if they shall happen to dwell togither in one place with the vnfaithfull: Lett them take goode heede that they do lyue an holy lyfe amonge them: And for the rest / let them so far as the necessitie of lyfe / and ciuile businesses and affaires shall suffer them / vtterly abstayn from the companie of the vnbeleauers.

[[A question.]]

But heere risith a question: Whether that such a weake and vnlearned man / maye learn ony of the liberall artes / or philosophie / of such a master as is an vnbeleauer.

Vnto which I answer: that forbicause to lern such artes of an vnfaithfull master is not of such necessitie as can not be auoided / therfor the man that ys weake in faithe must not lern them of hym. Yt is a very daungerus thinge / to vse them which ar vnbeleauers as Masters and teachers: for often tymes in the myndes of the hearers ther arisith a gret admiracion and estimacion of the teacher / and it maye easilye com to pas at the lenghthe / that they shall thincke and Iudge that theise teachers ar not deceyued in Religion / bicause they be of an exacte and perfect knowledge in these liberall sciences / and philosophie. This (I saye) may happen of it that men ar wont to attribute mutch vnto their teachers. Yea that it may be so / I will proue by the contrarie. Origen by teaching the Mathematicalls / and such sciences / did bring many men to the knowledge of christe. For furst he dyd begyn to reade among them such sciences with which they wer delighted / In which he being expert / dyd shew vnto his hearers suche connynge / that he dyd forthewith gett amonge them great estimacion / and so the more easili drawe them vnto the doctrine of christe. Augustine likewise cam to Millaine / to heere Ambrose / bicause he was counted an excellent Rhetorician. And so whilst he desirusly herd hym / at the lenghth by hearinge he was tourned form the sect of the Manichees / vnto the true catholiques. As therfor by lerning of these sciences of godly teachers / the vnbeleauers haue beene conuerted vnto the faithe of christe / euen so / yea mutch more easilie it maye comme to pas / that they which ar weake and vnlearned / may vnder vnbeleauinge masters / be drawn from christe to vngodlynes.

Wherefor seing that this can not be doone without great perill and daunger / that such a weakling shuld vse an vnfaithfull Master / I thincke that he shuld abstayn alltogether from suche.

Sum do heere obiect and saye / that S. Paul to the Corinthians doth appoint no such Rule condicion not exception / as I haue spoken of / vnto the weake and vnlearned: but he playnly saith.

[[1 Cor. 10.]]

If ony of them which beleaue not / do bidd you to a feaste / and yf ye will go / whatsoeuer ys sett before you that eate / &c. In which wordes he teachith / that it is lefte vnto our own will as a fre thinge to go / or not to go. I answer / that ye must marcke well thos wordes of Paule / (and yf ye will go.)

[[Hovv theise vvordes, and if ye vvill go, ar to be vnderstonded.]]

He doth not grant vnto euery mans will thys libertie / and fredom / but vnto a goode and a right will he gyuith libertie to go. For yf a man wold go thether to drincke droncken / glotonusly to fill the belly / or to gyue the tongue to filthie and vncomly talke / without doubt that man shuld syn / euen for the wickednes of hys will / and for hys corrupt entent and purpose. Euen so / yf a man dowbted hys own strenghth / and dyd certaynly perceyue that he could not profite them that shuld be there / and yet wold go thether / vndowbtedly with a safe conscience and with a goode will he could not take that thing in hande / for he can not direct hys doing to the glorie of godd / as he ys commaunded to do. Wherefor though Paul expressely doth not adde that rule / yt folowith not therfor / that yt is not to be added: yea that yt ys to be added I will proue by other places of the Scripture. And to thend that we do not herin depart from Paul / the same thing / and doctrine of will /

[[1. Cor. 7.]]

he teachith in the .7. chapter of the same epistle: wher he entreating of gyuyng or not gyuinge a virgine to mariage saithe / That he doth well which keapith his virgin / and that purposith it surely in his harte / (addinge this condicion) hauing no neade / but that he poure ouer his own will: for if he shuld do otherwise then his daughter either wolde / or then her necessitie required / then shuld he neither will / nor do well. Thus to do a goode worcke / or to make an acte prefect / yt sufficithe not to take heede that it be not euell of nature / or repugnant vnto gods worde / but vnto this ys also required / that we do go about the same with an vpright and perfect mynde and will. S. Paul / therfor / doth not simply permitt this going / but with certayn circumstances. Which ar / to go with a goode will to enstruct the vnfaythfull: Agayn to go with an assured purpose / not to be, and taste of such strenghthe / that he shall not be ouerthrown. And thus this proposicion remaynith true / that the man whiche ys weak and vnlearned / must separate himself from the company and famyliar conuersacion of the vnbeleauers / so mutch as cyuile and naturall businesses and affaires will suffer / and as the necessitie of lyfe shall require (as I saide before). Lykewise all houshold duties and offices appointed in gods worde must be obserued / els shall he offend / for as Paule saithe:

[[1. Timo. 5.]]

He that prouidith not for hys / and especially for them of hys own howshold / the same hath denied the faithe / and ys wors then an Infidell. And to proue farther / that this vnlearned and weake man must abstayn from the familiar companie of the vnbeleauers / yea thoughe they be most deere vnto hym / that Rule doth serue / which Christe our Sauiour gyuithe sayinge.

[[Matt. 5. 18.]]

If thy hande or fote offend the / and hinder the / cut yt of / and cast it from the / &c. If thyn eye offend the / plucke yt out / and caste yt from the. We ar not commaunded in this place / to cut of the outward membres of our bodie / as Origen (yf it be true that sum do report of hyme) dyd vntruly thincke / but as the sownd interpretours do write / thos frends and thinges / which ar most nighe and deere vnto vs / Theise ar they which must be cut of plucked out / and cast awaye from our familiaritie and companie / when they do plucke / and separate vs / from the true waye of saluacion / or be such a hinderaunce vnto vs as puttinge impedimentes and lettes in our waye / do hynder vs from walking in gods lawe. Chrisostom entreating this matier / writithe.

[[In Ioan. hom. 15.]]

If the membre which ys misioined vnto the bodie must be cut of / ar not then euell frends mutch nore to be cut of? And agayn / he saith / If we do cut of that membre which ys rotten / and incurable from the bodie / for feare les yt shuld corrupt the other partes therof / (which we do not bicause we do neglect it / for who yet did euer hate his own fleshe, but to saue the rest) how mutch more is this to be done to them which ar euell ioyned vnto us? Which yet we must not do as thoughe we did despise them / but to prouide that our helthe and saluacion be not brought in daunger by them, after that we do see that we can not profite them at all. To this also belongith the lawe which christe did giue:

[[Matth. 18.]]

That he which will not heere the brethern admonishing him / And doth contemne the voice of the churche when it reprouith / and correctith hym: he is then to be estemed and taken as an ethnicke / and a publicane.

[[1. Cor. 5.]]