A Treatise of the Cohabitation Of the Faithful with the Unfaithful Part 1

A Treatise of the Cohabitation Of the Faithful with the Unfaithful.

by Peter Martyr and Henry Bullinger.

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. Christis maye not be present at popishe ma.s.ses and supersticions.

3. The ma.s.se is a prophanaci 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 G.o.dly withe the G.o.dles / 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 cpanie 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 vnG.o.dlye 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 th? to returne vnto their own famyliars / countrym? / 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 d 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 Consttinople / in the tyme of Constantine the greate / d Theodosius / whiche were moste G.o.dlie Emperours.

These are the reasons by whiche many do persuade them selues and others / that yt ys lawfull for the G.o.dlie 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.