The Fourth Sermon Ill
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
Ill III.] temptations, and guide us in the way of constancy, peace, and righteousness.
And for an example, let every one set before his eyes the order that Christ our Saviour and master did use; who, a littlebefore the cross of his passion,betook himself to prayer.
For going up into the mount of Olives,he beseecheth his Father humbly, and prayeth to him ardently.
He is instant in prayer4, and liethupon him earnestly5; and yet so, that he submitteth allto his willand pleasure.
Let us also do the like,that we may have trialof our Father's present aid with the effectualcomfort of our minds, and that we for his goodness may give him praise for evermore.
Amen.
OF THE FIFTH AND SIXTH PRECEPTS OF THE SECOND TABLE, WHICH ARE IN ORDER THE NINTH AND TENTH OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS,
THAT IS, THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY
NEIGHBOUR
AND, THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY
NEIGHBOUR'S
HOUSE, "c.
THE FOURTH SERMON.
WE are now come to the expositionof the two lastprecepts of the ten commandments.
The ninth commandment The ninth is:"Do not speak falsewitness against thy neighbour."
By mem"8"' this precept is confirmed faith in covenants and contracts: it ruleth the tongue, and commendeth unto us verity,the fairest virtue of allother, and teacheth us to use modesty and sincerity both in word and deed.
Hitherto yet have we heard nothing in all God's commandments touching the tongue, but a littleonly in the third commandment.
But of the tongue The tongue, do arise the greatest commodities and discommoditiesof our life."For the tongue" (saithJames)"is a littlemember, and [James in. a boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little firekindleth. And the tongue is fire,even a world of wickedness.
So isthe tongue set among our members, that itdefileth the whole body, and setteth on firethe course of nature, and itis set on fireof hell.
All the nature of beasts,and of birds,and of serpents,and things of the sea, is meeked and "*prcces suas iterat,Lat.] [5patrem urget, Lat]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[SEIIJI
tamed of the nature of men1 : but the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil,full of deadly poison.
Therewith we bless our God and Father ; and therewith curse we men that are made after the similitudeof God.
Out of one mouth proceed both blessingand cursing." Therefore very well and necessarilyis the way set down in this ninth precept, how men should frame and order theirtongues.
Now summarily thisprecept doth command us to use our tongues well, that neither privately or publicly we do our neighbour harm, either in his life,good name, or riches,by word or writing,or otherwise by painting,neither by simulation nor dissimulation,nor yet so much as by a beck or a nod.
All things are forbidden that are against truth and sincerity. There isrequired at allour hands simplicity,plain speaking, and tellingof the truth.
Briefly,we are commanded every man to do his endeavour mutually to maintain plaindealingand verity. For in the twenty-third of Exodus
" Thou shaltnot have to do with a falsereport."
And in the nineteenth of Leviticus,"Ye shallnot steal,saith the Lord, nor lie,nor deal we read that the Lord did charge us, saying : falselyone with another."
And the apostleJames, afterhe had touched the evilsof the tongue (especially because out of " These things, [jame" iu. one mouth proceeded good and bad)doth add : my brethren, ought not to be so.
Doth a fountain at one hole send forth sweet water and bitteralso? Can the figtree, my brethren, bear oliveberries? either a vine,figs?
So can no fountain give both saltwater and freshalso." Verily,since God hath given to man a tongue, that by the means of it one man may know another's meaning, that it may bless or praise God, and do good to allmen2; itis altogetherrequisitethat it should be applied to the use that itwas made for3,that thereby a man out of a good heart might utter good talk,clearfrom deceitand hurt, from blasphemy and railings,and from filthy speaking.
But it is best for us by parts more nearly to siftthe special points of this precept or argument.
First of all,in this commandment it is forbidden every man in the court before a judgeto bear falsewitness.
Therefore allwitness- [!domatur et domita est,Lat.] [2etiam sibiipsi.Lat. omitted : and to one's selfalso.] [3ut imago respondeat archetype, is Bullinger'sLatin.]
THE NINTH AND TENTH
PRECEPTS,
"C.
IV.] bearing simply is not forbidden us, but falsewitnessingonly.
" Do not speak (saith he)falsewitness."
It is lawful,therefore, to bear true witness,especiallyifa magistratedemand it of thee.
And therefore the Hebrew phrase isvery significant, and saith,"Answer not falsewitness againstthy neighbour4."
Now he answereth, that is asked a question.
And in bearing of witness, he that speaketh must have a regard of God alone and simple truth ; he must lay aside allevilaffections, hatred, fear, or all part-taking; he must hide nothing, nor dissemble in his speech : he must not devise any thing of his own making, nor corrupt the meaning of his words that spake ; as those falsewitnesses did in the Gospel, when before " I willdestroythis temple, and in three [Matt.xxvi. days build it again ;" for they corrupted the meaning of Christ.
And the Lord in the law doth say, the judgesthey said, " Thou shalt not fExod.xxiu.
1 2.] take up a falsereport, neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
Thou shalt not followa multitude to do evil,neither shalt thou speak in a matter ofjustice according to the greater number, for to pervert judgment."He therefore,that beareth falsewitness, committeth sin against God and his neighbour.
For firstof all,he stainethhimself with sacrilegeand perjury, and so by tellinga liein the name of God he doth despiteto God himself.
Moreover, he doth to his neighbour so much hurt, as he taketh damage by the judge'sentence either in body, goods, or loss of life. For it is manifest that the judge, being moved with thy false witness, did punish the accused party in body, goods, or lifeitself : which he would not have done, had he not been drawn thereunto by thy falsewitnessing.
And therefore a very good and justlaw isthat,which JMoses hath uttered in these words :
" If a false witness be iDeut. xix. found among you, then shallye do unto him as he had thought wickedly to have done to his brother : and thou shaltput evil away from the midst of thee : that the rest may hear and fear,and dare after that do no more such wickedness among you.
Thou shalt have no compassion on him ; but lifefor life,eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot."
To this belongeth the saying of Salomon in the ProfProv. \\. IG, " God hateth a falsewitness."
And *""] verbs, where he crieth, [4rrayrrj^?.
Ainsworth translates,Thou shalt not answer.]
[BULLTNGER,
n.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
" A false witness shall not scape unpunished."
We THist.sus. again, have an example in the two falsewitnessesthat rose against the chaste1 and honest Susanna.
False and In this law are condemned also all false and wrongful *usat"M.*c' accusations,and unjustjudgments bought for money at the mouth of unrighteous judges.And as those deeds are worthily forbidden, so likewise are they misliked that set their tongue to sale; I mean, such merchants as for a morsel of bread will easilybe hired either to bless or curse the innocent.
Of which sort of cursing,spiteful,and soothing tongues thou mayest find a great number in every degree and state, both of rich and poor, of spiritualand of lay people.
Furthermore, we have here commended unto us the inviolablekeeping of bargains,covenants, and contracts ; and, on the other side,are we especiallycharged not to use either guile,or deceit,or craft,or any kind of cozening.
Of which I have spoken where I treatedof theft.
A lie,and the But now the especialthing that is forbidden the faithful kinds of lies.
** i " i i " i herein is to tella lie,that is, to speak an untruth, either upon purpose therewith to hurt his neighbour, or upon any vain and light occasion, or otherwise upon some evil affection.
For among men many kinds and sundry sorts of liesare reckoned up.
St Augustine, in his fourteenth chapter ad Consentium de Mendacio, maketh mention of eightlands of lies2.
I among many willname a few only.
There is a jesting lie; as when I say that I lie,or other men know that I do lie,by which lieof mine they take some profit,or (asI should rather say)some pastime or pleasure.
To liein that sort, although it be no great and heinous sin,is yet a sign of very great lightness; which the apostle misliketh in the faithful,as it Ephes. v. may appear in the fifthchapter of his epistleto the Ephesians.
And yet I think not that devised fables,parables,and feigned narrations are hereby forbidden: which, as they are in the scriptureeverywhere used in matters of most importance, so have they also a very good grace, being of themselves very necessary, and profitablefor the readers. Notwithstanding
St Augustine willnot have jesting mirth3 in the number of lies.
[lpudicissimam foeminarum, Lat.] [2August. Opp. Par. 1531. Tom. iv. fol.5. col. 1.] [3Exceptis jocis, qua? nunquara sunt putata mendacia.
August.
Tom. iv. fol.2.]
THE NINTH AND TENTH
PRECEPTS,
"C.
IV.] There is, moreover, an officiouslie; that is, when I fitten4or tellan untruth, for duty's sake, to the end that by my lie I may keep my neighbour harmless from the evil or mischief that hangeth over his head.
Of this sort there are many examples in the holy scriptures.
The midwives of Egypt did save the Hebrews' children alive,whom Pharao [Exod.i.
17"19
commanded to be slain at their birth ; and, being accused before the king for breaking the law, they did by an officious and a very witty lieexcuse themselves,and pretend a certain speediness of travail in the Hebrews' wives, more than the Egyptian women had.
Rahab doth with a very strange tale[Jo*, u. deceive the citizens5of Jericho, and by her liepreserve the spies of the people of God.
And Michol, David's wife,with ri sam. x a lie did save her husband's life,and sent away her father Saul's servants without their purpose, for which the king had sent them.
And Jonathan feignethmany a thing at his father'sn sam. x table,for the good-will that he bare to David, whom by honest shiftsand godly deceits he did rid from the bloody hand of his cruel father Saul.
The holy widow Judith also by lying and dissembling doth enter the tent of captain Holophernes ; and by cutting off his head doth set her afflicted country-folksat libertyagain.
Now it hath been a question among the divines of the primitivechurch, whether they, whose examples I have here alleged,did sin in lying or no.
Origen, and they that followed him, did permit a wise and godly man to lie,if so be it were for the welfare of them for whom the liewas made6.
Neither was St Hierome without suspicionof Origen'sopinion: for upon the epistleof Paul to the Galatians he writ, that Peter and Paul, to serve the time, did use a kind of simulation7.
But St Augustine, admonishing Hierome of that [4fingo,Lat.
" to fltton,to form lies or fictions.
Nares.] [5civibus suis,Lat. her citizens.] [6Ex quo perspicuum est, quod nisi ita mentiti fuerimus, ut magnum nobis ex hoc aliquod quscratur bonum, judicandisimus quasi inimici ejus,qui ait : Ego sum veritas.
Ilsec Origenes scripsit,negare non possumus... .docetque magistris mentiendum.
Hieron. Apol. adv.
Rufin. Lib. i. Tom iv. col. 369. Par. 1706.] [7 Restitit(Paulus)secundum faciem publicam Petro et ceteris; ut hypocrisis observandse legis .
. correptionis hypocrisi emendaretur.
Utilem vero simulationem, et assumendam in tempore, Jehu regis Israel nos doccat exemplum, "c.
Hieron. Comment, in. Ep. ad Gal. cap. n.
Opp. Tom. iv. col.243.] 8"2
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
matter, denieth flatlythat we ought once to suspect that a lie is allowed in the sacred scriptures.
On the other side again,St Hierome tellethAugustine, that the best interpreters of the ancient church are fulland wholly of his mind.
There are, to and fro, very learned and large epistleswritten on both sides,which are extant now, and to be seen amongst us ; and therefore I need not stick hereupon any longer1.
The same Augustine, in the fifteenthchapter of his book that he "
He which wrote ad Consentium contra Mendacium, saith: saith that some lies are righteous, is to be thought to say nothing else but that some sins are righteous, and so, consequently, that some unrighteousness is righteous : than which what can be spoken more absurd ?
For whereupon is sin,but because it is contrary to righteousness ?
But those things that are done against the law of God cannot be righteous.
Now it is said to God, Thy law is truth ; and therefore that which is against the truth cannot be righteous.
But who doubteth but that every lie is against the truth ?
Therefore no lie can possibly be righteous2."
And so forth as folioweth.
Now on the other side,very notable learned men have thought, that Augustine was somewhat too stubbornly set against lying.
And therefore some there are, which, going as it were betwixt both, do say, that they (whose examples I alleged even now) were not altogether without all sin; and yet they suppose, that theirfaultin those lies was a very small sin.
I would wish those, which will allow themselves to lieofficiously,to take heed to themselves, lest,by followingtheir own affectionsmore than enough, they do at last take that for an officiouslie which is indeed a perniciouslie.
[lJerome's Epistle on this subjectis Ep.
74. Opp.
Tom. rv. col.
618-626.
Augustine's letters are given in the same place, and in August.
Opp.
Ep. vni. ix. xi.
Tom. n. fol. 8, 9. Par. 1531.] [2Nihil autem judicandusest dicere, qui dicit aliqua justa esse mendacia, nisi aliqua justaessc peccata, ac per hoc aliqua justaesse quse injustasunt.
Quo quid absurdius dici potest?
Unde enim est peccatum nisi quia justitirc contrarium est ?
. Ea vero quse contra legem Dei fiunt,justaesse non possunt.
Dictum est autem Deo, Lex tua veritas : ac per hoc, quod est contra veritatem justum esse non potest.
Quis autem dubitet contra veritatem esse mendacium omne ?
Nullum ergo justumesse potest mendacium.
August.
Opp. ad Consent.
Tom. iv. fol. n. col. 2. Par. 1531.]
THE NINTH AND TENTH
PRECEPTS,
"C.
JV.] For the last and worst kind of lieis a perniciouslie: and that proceedeth of a corrupt mind, and tendeth to the damage of thy neighbour, which hath deserved no hurt at thy hand.
This kind of lieis everywhere cried out upon throughout the scriptures: and the fault thereof increaseth according to the quantity of the mischief that itdoth.
For divines and ecclesiasticalpreachers do lie of all other most perniciously,while with lies and corrupt doctrine they kill the souls of men, and make the bodies and goods of silly seduced people both subject to the curse of God and in danger of a thousand perilsmore.
And hereunto belongeth hypocrisy also,which the Lord Jesus doth in the gospel wonderfully taunt and bait exceedingly.
Now hypocrisy doth shew itself,not only and so much in crafty and deceitful words, as also,and far more, in the whole conversation of our lives; as when we make semblance, or else dissemble such things as are not, by that means lying to God and beguiling our neighbour.
Furthermore, in thislaw are forbiddentale-bearings,privy slanders, backbitings, close whisperings, and all suspicions which rise by such occasions.
Despiteful quips therefore,carrying of and heads that are ready to speak evilof all men, are plainly tongue m*condemned.
For some there are which are without honesty, ^*lj|nJte not sticking to slander all estates and conditions,both high ously" and low, private and public,and people of allages : and for that purpose do they cast abroad infamous libels,they stick up written pasquils,and set out pictures to defame men withal.
And to themselves they seem very eloquent, while with bitterwords they check, and find faultwith, allsorts of Pasquii is,as men: yea, they account the malapert prattlingof their unimage inan bridled tongues to be a commendation of uncontrolledlibertyupmike "
* people are and free licenceof speaking.
But they sin very grievously,"onwt,!"i which take delight in cursed speaking; that is,which carry l0^^^ .
. about a tongue full of bitterness,curses, and deceit: even as [nl^hlteT they also are not without sin,that love alife3 to hear enBUHI!^ venomed speech and hurtful talking. wruingTby T"
1'H* It /"
"1P name "' iJut we make a ditterence, and do except irom wrongful that image, quarrels such accusations as are justly made and openly shewed, either by writing or word of mouth; and such kind J""t accusationa.
[3a-lifc,as my life,exceedingly.
Nares* Glossary in voc.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[SERM.
of cliidingsand chastenings also as preachers use in sacred sermons : for they, which do in that sort chastiseand pursue wicked vices and errors, do purpose nothing else but the glory of God and safeguard of men's souls,which they desire to advance by allthe means they can, not seeking to utter their spite or wreak the malice of their naughty affections.
But we may gather by many arguments, that it is a heinous crime falselyto slander and wickedly to backbite our
Backbiting is brethren and neighbours.
For there is scarcely any thing pernicious.
S "" i i i "
" t i TIT that doth so much disgrace us as backbiting doth.
We are made to the similitudeand likenessof God, that we may be the sons of God ; but falseaccusationsdo make us, of the sons of God, to be the sons of the devil. Now we allabhor and utterly detest the name of the devil: but ifthou art a wrongful slanderer, then art thou the very same that thou dost so detest: for the devil taketh his name of wrongful accusing,and is 1.
Moreover, in the book of Proverbs, God calleda slanderer is said to hate backbitersand wrongful slanderers.
And in " The thought of a fool the twenty-fourth chapter we read : issin,and a slandererishated of men."
For a good name (as the same Salomon witnesseth) is a precious treasure.
When rprov. xxii. as therefore the fame and good name of a man is put in hazard by the falsereports and slanders of a wicked tongue, the chiefestjewelthat a man hath isput in jeopardy ; so that in very deed a slanderer doth seem to sin more deeply than a thief,unless a man make more account of his transitory riches than of his name and good report : and therefore it is strange at this day, that a thieffor stealingis never pardoned, and backbiters for slanders are never once touched2.
I would to God that magistrates would once rightly weigh the sundry circumstances of sundry matters, and punish every faultwith penaltiesagreeable to the offence,and revenge the greater crimes with great and sharper punishments.
For God truly doth require of and charge every one of us, to do our best in maintaining truth, for the defence of our neighbour's good name, and preservationof his earthly substance.
[*Ata/SoXos, " spcciatim ita dicitur qui est ad calumniandum proclivis,calumniator.
1 Tim. iii.11 ; Tit. ii.3 ; 2 Tim. iii.3.
Schleusneri Lex. in voc.] [2aut minimum.
Lat. omitted: or as gently as possiblymay be.]
THE NINTH AND TENTH
PRECEPTS,
"C.
IV.] In this law also it seemeth that flatteryis forbidden,Flattery, which, as the proverb doth truly say, maketh a foolmad, and causeth him that is mad to be incurably mad.
And therefore Salomon saith,that a flattereris worthy to be cursed of all men.
"They (saith he)which say to the wicked, thou art just, [PTOV.xxiv.
shallbe cursed of the people,and hated of the tribes."
And in another place: "The words of a tale-bearer be as though [Pmv.xxvi. they were simple3,and yet they pierce to the inward parts of the heart.
When he speaketh softly,believe him not: for there are seven mischiefsin his heart."
And thereforeinEcclesiastesitisvery wellsaid: "It is better to hear the rebuke [Eccies.vn. of a wise man than the song of a fool,"that is,of a flatterer.
And yet, although flatterybe so great an evil,itis notwithstanding favoured of allmen ; so that as an infectingplague it is crept into4the church5, into princes'palaces,into judges' courts, and every private house.
For, like an alluringmermaid, it hath a song that doth delight our flesh. For we, like fools,are blindedwith self-love,and do not mark that flatteries and allurements do breed our destruction.
Ezechiel blameth greatly all flatteringpreachers, and saith: "Woe unto them ^^'un that say unto the people, Peace, peace, when there is no peace; which daub with untempered morter, which sew enticing pillows under every elbow, and put alluring kerchiefs upon every head6, to hunt after and catch souls."
Of such kind of teachers, that delight more in liesand flatterythan in sincereverity,the apostle Paul saith:"The time shall come [2Tim.
\v. that they shall not abide to hear sound doctrine; but they, whose ears do itch,shallget them teachers according to their lusts,and shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned intofables7." And David, praying against thisplague, as the thing that is most perniciousto all kings and princes in authority,doth say : "The righteous shallsmite me friendly8: but the precious balms of the wicked shall not anoint my head9."
And again, "Lord, deliverme from lying lipsand [PS.cxx.
2.] [3Bullinger follows the Vulgate.] [4adde et occuparit, Lat. nay, has gained possession of,omitted.] [5Sacram in temple cathedram, Lat.] [aqui consuunt blandos pulvillos sub omni axilla aut cubito, et cervicalia blanda sub omni capite,Lat.] [7unto, 1577, ad fabulas, Lat.] [8et increpabit me, Lat. omitted : and shall reprove me.] [9 oleum autem peccatoris non impinguabit caput meum, Lat. after the Vulgate, Psal. cxli.5.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
The tenth " deceitfultongue."
Thus much have I hithertosaid for the me^t"ofGod. expositionof the ninth commandment.
Now followeth the tenth and lastcommandment, which, word for word, is expressed thus:
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour'shouse, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, Deutv. nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that isthy neighbour's." Which words the Lord in the fifthof Deuteronomy doth lay down in this manner and order:
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife,thou shalt not covet thy neighbour'shouse, nor his field, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." Neither isthere any differenceor contrarietyin the thing itself,although in Exodus, "Thy neighbour'shouse," and in Deuteronomy, "Thy neighbour's wife," be set firstin order.
Now this maketh1 somewhat againstthem that divide this last precept into two commandments, which is indeed but one, as itmay be partly gathered by this order thus inverted in the setting of it down in two sundry places. coveting. jn thisprecept coveting is especiallyforbidden; I mean, evil longing and corrupt desiring.
For coveting is a word indifferentlyused, as well in the better as the worse signification.
For David affirmeth that he did long after God and PS. cxix. his law: "I have wished for(saith he),O Lord, thy salvation."
And, "I have longed afterthy commandments."
Psal.cxix.We must here, therefore,be able with discretionto judgebetwixt that good affection,which God did firstcreate in man ; and that other motion, the root of evil,that groweth in our nature by the descent of corruption from our firstfather Adam.
There was in Adam before his fall a certain good appetite with pleasure and delight.
He was not so hungry, that hunger did pain hisempty bowels (whichisindeed a plague forsin), but he did eat with a certainsweet and delectable appetite.
He was delightedwith the pleasures of Paradise.
He did with a certainholy desireboth love and long afterthe woman, which God had brought and placed before him.
And thisgood appetite or desireproceeded from God himself,who made both Adam and allhis affectionsgood at the first.Yea, and at thisday also there are in men certainnatural affectionsand desires,as, to eat, to drink,to sleep,and such like,belonging to the preserva- [!Facit autcm.
Lat.
But thismaketh.
Sec Vol. i. p. 213.]
THE NINTH AND TENTH
PRECEPTS,
"C.
IV.] tion2 of man's life,which of themselves are not to be accounted among the number of sins,unless by corruption of original vice they pass the bounds for which they are ordained.
But in this treatiseupon the tenth commandment desire isused in the worser part, and is taken for the concupiscence or coveting of evilthings.
This concupiscence, being translated from Adam into us all,is the fruitof our corrupt nature, or offspring of original sin, whose seat is in the heart of man; and is the fountain and head-spring of allsin and wickedness that is to be found in mortal men.
For the Lord in the gospel doth expresslysay: "Whatsoever entereth in by the mouth [1^)h;xv goeth intothe belly,and iscast out into the draught: but the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart ; and those defilethe man.
For out of the heart do come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,whoredoms, theft,falsewitnessbearings,despitefulspeaking : these be they that do defilethe man."
And the apostleJames, speaking altogetheras plainlyin [Jamesi.is " Let no man, when he istempted, say that he is tempted of God : for every one is tempted while he another place,doth say : is drawn away, and enticed with the bait of his own concupiscence.
Then when lust hath conceived,it bringeth forth sin; and sin,when itis finished,bringeth forth death."
Concupiscence, therefore,is a motion or affectionof the mind, which of our corrupt nature doth lust against God and his law, and stirreth us up to wickedness, although the consent, or deed itself,doth not presently follow upon our conceit.
For if the deed do follow the lust,then doth the sin increase by steps and degrees.
For3 first we must consider the very blotting out, or corrupting, of the image of God in us, original sin,and that disease that lieth hid in our members, which is by us called evil affections. Secondarily, we must consider that it increaseth by our delightand pleasure therein.
Thirdly, it is augmented, if we consent4 and seek after counsel to commit the crime.
And, lastly,if the consent break forth to the deed-doing, then is itgreater and greater, according to the qualities of accidents or circumstances.
Now allthese are reckoned in the number of sins, [2ad conservationem ac propagationcm, Lat., to the preservation and propagation.] [3In peccato eniin, Lat. omitted : for in the case of sin.] [4Indesequitur fere consensus, Lat.
Thence follows usually consent.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[SERM.
though by degrees the one of them is greater than the other: touching which I will,by God's sufferance, speak somewhat more largely,when I come to the treatiseof sin. Wherefore that evil and unlawful affection,which isof our natural corruption and liethhid in our nature, but bewrayeth itselfin our hearts against the pureness of God's law and majesty, is that very sin,which is in this law condemned.
For, although there be some which think that such motions, diseases,blemishes, and affectionsof the mind are no sins,yet God, by forbidding them in thislaw, doth flatlycondemn them.
But ifany man doubt of this exposition,let him hear the words " I knew not sin,but by the law : for I had not known lust,except the law had said,Thou shalt [Rom. vii. of the apostle,who saith: not lust. Without the law sin was dead : I once lived without law ; but when the commandment came, sin revived,and " The affectionof the flesh is [Rom. \ia.
I yras dead."
And again, death, but the affectionof the Spiritis lifeand peace : because the affectionof the flesh is enmity against God
; for it is not obedient to the law of God, neither can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
The affection of concupiscence therefore doth condemn us ; or, as I should rather say, we are worthily condemned by the just judgmentof God for our concupiscence1, which doth every hour and moment bewray itselfin the thoughts of our hearts.
There are (Iconfess) sundry fantasiesand many thoughts in the minds of men, which, while they tend not to the offence of God or our neighbour, nor do contain any uncleanness or self-love, are not to be counted in the number of sins: as I did immediately after the beginning declare unto you.
J!n"ri"fsin ^" hitherto,verily,God hath forbidden the grosser sins which man doth daily commit against him ; and now at last he cometh to the concupiscence and corrupt nature of man, the well-springof all evil, which in this precept he goeth about to stop up and cause to sleep: or, as I should rather say, to detect to the eyes of allmen the infirmityand weakness of mankind.
For what ishe that hath not some whiles feltconcupiscence? yea, what ishe, that is not every hour and moment pricked with the sting of fleshlyconcupiscence?
What man isthere, I pray you, that is not diseased with the [!in nobis latentcm atque, Lat., omitted : which lurketh in us, and.]
THE NINTH AND TENTH
PRECEPTS,
"C.
IV.] natural sickness common to us all, and spotted with the blemish of originalguiltiness?
Being therefore convinced of sin before the Lord, we are not able to excuse our fault,nor escape the sentence of the judgethat doth condemn all flesh.
For the justLord doth expresslycondemn our natural corruption and wicked inclination,which is a continualturning from God, and rebellionagainst the sinceritywhich he requireth at our hands.
For they are calledhappy that are clean in heart, because they shall see God.
They therefore, whose hearts are wrapped in lusts,diseased with concupiscence, and spotted with the poison of originalguilt,shall not see God.
But such are all we that are the sons of Adam.
And therefore this law doth convince us all of sin,infirmity,natural corruption,and of damnation which folioweth upon the neck of our corruption.
Moreover, God in his law doth not only require the outwhat pureward cleanness of the body, but the inward pureness also of^uireth the mind, the soul, and all our affections; and giveth charge that all, whatsoever we think, determine, go about, or do, should tend to the health and profitof our neighbour.
This commandment thereforemay be referred to allthe other that went before.
For the Lord himself expounding this comMatth. v.
" Thou shaltnot commit murder," addeth :
" Whosoever mandment, is angry with his brother shall be in danger of judgment,"
"c.
Matt, v; and again, in expounding this precept, " Thou shalt not commit adultery,"he addeth ; " Whosoever looketh on another man's wife to lustafter her, he hath committed adultery already with her in his heart."
And here he doth exactly rehearse the things which we what it\"
" that we must do covet, and, m longing after which, we are wont to sm. not covet.
Now our covetousness consisteth in the desire eitherof things or persons.
The things that we covet are either immoveable or moveable : as we Germans do usually say, Die guteren sind etliche ligende, etlichefarende*.
The immoveable things are houses, farms, lands, vineyards, woods, meadows, pastures, fishpools,and such like. Things moveable are money, cattle, honour3, office,and dignities.The persons are wife,children, man-servants and maid-servants.
These and such like,which our neighbour hath in possession,none of us ought to covet [2Helvetice, Lat., in our Swiss phrase.] [3honores, Lat. honours.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
to his hurt or hinderance : or if any man happen to covet them, yet let him not consent to the concupiscence,nor take delight therein; let him not seek to obtain the thing that he so desireth,nor sufferhis ill-conceivedpurpose to break out to the deed-doing,in taking from his neighbour his things or persons : for God requireth at the hands of those that worship him such kind of righteousnessas isaltogethersound and absolutely perfect,not in the outward deed alone, but also in the inward mind and settled purpose of the heart.
[Matt.v. 20.]Whereupon the Lord in the gospel saith:"Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God."
But touching the manner how God's commandments are fulfilled, and that faith isthe absolute righteousness,I will hereafter in another sermon tellyou, as I have already said somewhat in the sermon that I made upon true faith.
Hitherto intwelve sermons I have run through and declared the ten precepts of the moral law, in which I told you that the form of virtue is laidbefore our eyes, thereby to frame our manners accordingto the willof God.
God himselfhath divided allthe branches of his moral law into two tables. The first doth shew the duty of us men to our Creator, and teacheth how to worship aright our God and governor.
The second table, in six whole precepts, doth declare what, and how much, every man is bound to owe to his neighbour, and how we may all live both quietly,well, and civillyone with another.
It commandeth us to honour our parents, and allthose which God hath ordained insteadof our parents.
It forbiddeth murder, or doing injury to any man in hislifeand body.
It forbiddethwhoredom, adultery,and wicked lusts,commending wedlock, cleanness,and a continent life1. It forbiddeth lies,false witness-bearings,and evil2 desires; and biddeth us to love our neighbours with all our hearts, being ready at alltimes with all our power to do them good.
To God, our Lord and most prudent lawgiver,be all praise and thanks for ever and ever.
Amen.
[iProhibet furta, doles, imposturas, Lat. omitted : it forbiddeth thefts,cheatings, and impositions.] [2et noxias, Lat. omitted : and hurtful.]