Lectures upon the four first chapters of the prophecy of Hosea Wherein the text…Lectures vpon the foure first chapters of the prophecie of Hosea Wherein the text…

But it is further urged that God commanded the Israelites, to spoil the Egyptians of their gold, silver, & jewels: and therefore seeing the commandment of God made that action lawful, which otherwise would have been theft in the people of Israel; therefore the like commandment might make this marriage of the Prophet lawful, which in it self was unhonest and unlawful. To which I answer that there is great dissimilitude in these two examples: for first God the sovereign Lord and chief owner of heaven and earth, and all that in them is, in his own right and by his sole authority, might take that which was his own from one, and give it to another. Secondly, this action was lawful by the law of nature and nations, that those who had long served them as bondmen, should have some reward for their labours; which because they tyrannically withheld, the Lord like a Sovereign monarch and just judge, righted the cause of the oppressed, and appointed unto them this wages for their tedious servitude. And therefore there being no such equity in this unhonest marriage; and seeing the Lord never by his sole authority commandeth things unlawful and dishonest, this example maketh nothing for their purpose.

But it is further vrged that God commanded the Israelites, to spoile the Egyptians of their gold, siluer, & iewels: and therefore seeing the commandement of God made that action lawfull, which otherwise would haue been theft in the people of Israel; therefore the like commandement might make this mariage of the Prophet lawfull, which in it selfe was vnhonest and vnlawfull. To which I answere that there is great dissimilitude in these two examples: for first God the soueraigne Lord and chiefe owner of heauen and earth, and all that in them is, in his own right and by his sole authority, might take that which was his owne frō one, and giue it to another. Secondly, this action was lawfull by the law of nature and nations, that those who had long serued them as bondmen, should haue some reward for their labours; which because they tyrannically withheld, the Lord like a Soueraigne monarch and iust iudge, righted the cause of the oppressed, and appointed vnto them this wages for their tedious seruitude. And therefore there being no such equitie in this vnhonest mariage; and seeing the Lord neuer by his sole authoritie commandeth things vnlawfull and dishonest, this example maketh nothing for their purpose.