Theodore Beza on staying or fleeing during the plague and the Sixth commandment

[Seeking_Thy_Kingdom]

“And although that in so great varietie of Circumstances, Rules for every singular thing cannot be set down; yet is it no hard matter to give certain General Precepts agreeable unto the Word of God, by the which, as by a certain Rule, singular Cases may afterwards (as they say) be tried; Let them therefore which think to tarry, know, that it is the Commandment of God, Thou shalt not Kill, and that therefore neither their own, nor the Lives of any belonging or depending on them, are rashly to be put in danger of deadly Infection. Let them on the other side, which think to Go away, know, that no man ought to have so great regard either of himself, or of his Family, that he forget what one oweth unto his Countrie, and Fellow Citizens. To be brief, what he oweth unto another, whether they be bound by the common bond of Humanitie and Societie, of by any other kinde of Friendship; for Love seeketh not the things which are her own: Wherefore, I confess, that I cannot see by what reason at all any man is forbid to depart, which either by reason of Age, or of Sickness, past hope of Recovery, cannot help others; and if they tarry, they may therefore seem onely to be stayed, that they may die, to the great losse of the Common-wealth; for as their Crueltie can never enough be blamed, which thrust them out of their Cities, especially if they be of the poor sort; so both the pious natures of Parents in time providing for the preservation and life of theirs, without prejudice or hurt to any man, seemeth unto me to be greatly commended; And also the providence of the Magistrates is much to be praysed, where their care shall be extended (without dammage to the Common-welfare) to see that those weak ones, as seed-plots of Citizens, be well looked unto.”


Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605., 2007,
A learned treatise of the plague wherein the two questions, whether the plague be infectious or no, and , whether and how farr it may be shunned of Christians by going aside, are resolved / written in Latine by the famous Theodore Beza Vezelian., Oxford Text Archive,
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12024/A27641.

 

[Seeking_Thy_Kingdom]

From the same source:

“First of all I think it is to be proivded, That every man do summon himself unto the judgment seat of God, unto the Plague as the coming of news of the wrath of God, condemning himself, that he may be acquitted by him, and that withall he weigh with himself, that he is called to stand forth and plead his own Cause, and that this Rod cannot be avoided by change of place, but of manners; and that if he must die, that this is decreed for the good of them which die, forasmuch as they are blessed which die in the Lord.”

 

[Contra_Mundum]

What a beautiful, balanced piece. Neither condemn them who depart, as if they only cared to save their own skin, and could not have the 6C in mind; provided they leaving do not forget their communal duties besides. Nor regard them that stay as if they only ran at death.

Note, TB also reproves them that by force "thrust out" the poorest and weakest, who have no means to sustain them in the countryside; and praises the same who attend those needy. Love thy neighbor, indeed.

The quote on the Judgment of God is also apt, and timeless. And it also makes me consider the difference in times as well. I doubt that in those days, threat of ruin wrought by financial interests was as severe as now; now, on the pretext of preserving life (6C love) so dear, some seem to aim at theft (8C destruction) so grand it can scarcely be comprehended.

 

[Pergamum]

Great quote!

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Excellent. Just checked the source and I see that it comes with the correct pagination.

 

[Seeking_Thy_Kingdom]

TIL that Beza survived the plague?

“But how others are affected and disposed in the craving of the presence of their Friends I know not, when as my self being visited with the Plague, and that divers of my Friends offered unto me all kinde of Courtesie, I suffered none to come unto me, lest I might have been thought to have provided for my self with the loss of my Friends.”

 

[Regi Addictissimus]

Great find. Can I add this to my thread with links from (mostly) Puritans?

 

[Seeking_Thy_Kingdom]

Great find. Can I add this to my thread with links from (mostly) Puritans?

Of course!

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Here is a blog post from the same source (thanks to @Seeking_Thy_Kingdom for pointing me to this discourse): Theodore Beza on avoiding extremes in a pandemic.