A Treatise of the Cohabitation Of the Faithful with the Unfaithful | Page 2

/ 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