of late yeres the Translators and the Prynters of Christes testament and as the Byble is handled nowe in some churches in Englande and namely in westminster I marke also that Dauid in thys psalme wherof I haue made mēcion sayeth .viii. tymes that he was and wolde be in time to come exercised in the lawe of God Yf he were a true man and no lyar thoughe he had sayd it but ones we ought to beleue hym Yf we do beleue hym ye maye se that Dauid the good kynge whyche was so muche exercised in the scripture vnderstandeth the cōmaundement of reading and studyeng the scripture to perteyne to the kynges and gouerners them selues and to their owne persones and not onely vnto their seruauntes and clergye Kynge Salomon as well borne and as noble a man as any is thys daie in Europa and as wyse a man and as wel learned as any coūseller in Englande or els where and therfore knewe the meanyng of the cōmaundement of the scripture to be reade of princes thought not scorne to syt in iudgement in hys owne persone and because he knewe that it was hys office to gyue iudgement vnto his people and that he could not do that of fire well excepte he had great learning and knowlege whē as almightye God offered vnto hym to gyue hym frelye what so euer he dyd axe answered God after thys maner folowyng Thou haste shewed great mercy to Dauid my father and hast ordened me kynge in hys place Nowe Lorde God let thy worde be done which thou promysed vnto my father Dauid For thou haste made me a kynge ouer a great nombre of thy people whyche is as vntellable as the duste of the earth Gyue my wysedome and vnderstandyng that I may go in and out before thy people for what man is able to iudge worthely suche a great nombre as is of thys people God answered fayd vnto hym Because thys hathe more pleased thy herte and haste not axed ryches and substance and honour nether the lyues of them that hate the nether lōge lyfe Thou hast axed wysedome knowlege that thou maist iuge my people ouer the which I made the a kynge wysedome and knowlege ar geuē vnto the I wil gyue the ryches substance honour also Dauid this noble gentleans father in .119 psal desyreth God .xiiii. times to teache him his witnesses his cōmaundemēts but wherfore I pray you that God shulde teach him to saye the .x. cōmaundemēts or to read them onely in diuers tonges Nay for he could say them by herte wel enough But for thys ende sayd he so oft teache me thy cōmaundements that it myghe please God to gyue hym the true vnderstandynge of the scripture that he myght order hys lyfe accordynge vnto hys commaundementes Where vpon seynge that Dauid so wyse a man and so wel learned desyred almightye God so earnestlye and so ofte to teache hym the vnderstandynge of the scripture and exercised hym so muche in it it foloweth that as the true vnderstandynge of Goddes worde is necessary for a prince so it can not be had without prayer great payne labour and exercise Then when as God commaundeth Kynges and Iudges to be learned and learnynge can not be had with out great studye and laboure it appereth very playne that the chief labor that a noble gentlemā shulde be occupied in al the dayes of his life is the studye of scripture and suche other wrytyng as help to the vnderstandyng of the scripture and to the declaracion of the same Lucius the fyrst christian kynge of our lande who sent to Rome for Baptisers preachers and receaued the baptisme of Christ wyth all his after that he had receaued the christian fayth caused many bookes of latin to be translated into hys owne naturall tonge he also parted and bestowed the day and night after this maner he spent eyght houres in studye and in prayer .viii. houres in hearynge of causes and eyght houres in slepynge and in suche necessary thynges as were necessary for his bodye Picus the noble erle of Mirādula sayd a very notable sayeng whyche I wolde al erles noble men shuld marke and beare awaye and it is thys Learnyng is vnto a Yomā mā in the stede of syluer to a gentlemā in the stede of golde and to erles princes in the stede of precius stones Now my lordes and maisters whether is it more mete that we shall folowe the counsell and examples of al wyse philosophers and moste noble kynges that were vnder the lawe of nature and the commaundemēt of holy scripture and the example of all holy and noble kinges vnder the law of Moses and also the saynges and doynges of the best kynges that were vnder the lawe of the Gospel whych thought it necessary for kynges and noble men to be learned euen their owne selues or to folowe the counsel of a sorte of vnnaturall and vnlearned curtely crowes whiche saye that a kynge or a noble mā nede not to be learned but that it is sufficient for him yf that his chauncelers or chaplaines other officers belōging to him be learned for him As farre as I can perceyue ye that are noble men and gentlemen and nowe speciallye ye that are of the Quenes coūsell and are lordes of the parlament had neuer more nede of learnyng then ye nowe at thys present tyme haue For the religion whiche hath ben brought in agayne of late by the myght of goddes worde and hath bene receyued thorowout al thys realme sauyng of a fewe obstinate Papistes hath bē brought to thys perfection that it is now at not onely wyth great labour ieopardye but wyth the deathes of many an honeste and learned man is nowe taken for heresye and false doctrine And yet there is no smale nōbre of them that wyll aduenture bothe lyfe goodes that it is the true religion that was exercised in kyng Edwardes dayes and that it whyche begynneth nowe thorowe out Englande to take place agayne and was alowed in the tyme of the late kynges kynge Henry the .vii. the viii war ryght Papistrye and false learnynge of men onely able to be defended by longe tyme the falsly pretended auctoritie of Christes Churche whych wyl brynge in and set forth none other doctrine then suche as her husbande Christ hathe cōmaūded alowed Thys cōtencion is about no smale matter it is aboute goddes seruice and about the true doctrine religion and worshippyng of God The saluacion and dānacion of many a thousand hangs vpon these matters therfore seyng that God hath made you gouerners vnder the Quene iudges in these matters ye had nede to loke wel vpon the worde of God that ye gyue not sentence against goddes truthe to the destruccion of your owne soules and many thousandes mo The one parte bryngeth forth scripture and the wrytten worde of God and the other parte bryngeth forth lōge customes fathers and the authorite of the Romyshe churche whyche hathe erred
the .xix. Chapter of the fornamed boke wēt out vnto the people he sat not playeng at dice and cardes nor dalyeng wyth his maides at home in his chāber nether wente he out only to hūtynge or to se Bearbaytinges but he wente out vnto hys people from Barsabe vnto mount Ephraim and there he cōmaūded them not to pay vntollerable sūmes of money neither to returne vnto the lernynge that they their fathers were brought vp in from their tender yeres and as their fathers foūd taught exercised But he called them agayn vnto the Lorde God of their fathers And he ordeyned iuges of the lande in euery walled cytie thorow out al Iuda Thys good kynge this good noble and gentleman thought that it was hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to sende out preachers to preache the true worde of God and he dysdayned not to go abrode in visitacion hys owne selfe to call hys people agayne vnto the true God from the whyche they had departed and fallen awaye 2. par 29 and. 30 Ezechias the noble kynge whome the spirite of god so greatly cōmendeth rekened it to be one of the principal partes of his kynglye office to destroye all ydolatrye to purge the churche of God and to set for the wyth all diligence the true worde of God And yf thys good and vertuous gentlemā take it to be one of the principall partes of hys office to destroye false religion and to set forthe the ryght and true religion all that are ryghte gentle men and not ydoles and ymages of gentlemen wyll also reken it the principal parte of their office as far as their cōmission wyll serue them to destroye and to put downe ydolatrye and to set out to maynteyne the true religion of God and the ministers of the same All ye then that are ryght gentlemen hear what the holy scripture reporteth of thys noble gentleman Ezechias was .xxv. yeare olde when he entred into the kyngdome of Iuda he dyd it that was pleasaunt in the syght of God In the very fyrst yeare and first moneth of hys reygne he opened the dores of the Lordes house and he repayred them And he brought Leuites and sacrificers and he set them together in the Gast streate And he sayd vnto thē Heare me o Leuites and be you made holy make cleane the house of the Lorde God of youre fathers and take awaye al vnclennes out of the holy sanctuary He brake downe the hygh places burned the ymages and cut downe the groues and brake the brasen serpēt whych Moses made because the chyldren of Israel offered frankincense vnto it Ezechias also wrote epistles vnto al Israel and Iuda to Ephraim and Manasses that they shulde come vnto the house of the Lorde in Hierusalem and to kepe the solēne feast of the Passeouer there Certeyne spedy messengers were sent forthe into al Israel and Iuda wyth the kynges letters at the commaundement of the kynge and his nobilite proclamyng the contentes therof accordyng vnto the kynges cōmaūdement The summe of his letters was thys O ye chyldren of Israel returne vnto the Lorde God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel and he wyll returne vnto the remnauntes whych haue escaped out of the handes of the Assirians Be not ye lyke vnto youre fathers and brethren whyche ran awaye from the Lorde God of their fathers whyche therfore brought them vnto destruccion as ye se Gyue your handes vnto the Lorde and come vnto his sanctuary whych he hath hallowed for euer Serue the Lorde God of your fathers and the wrath of hys great indignacion shal be turned awaye from you c. Thus dyd the good kynge Ezechias thynke that it was the chief parte of his vocacion to destroye ydolatrye and to set forth the true religion The noble and vertuous gentleman kyng Iosias who as the holye worde of God beareth wytnesse dyd it that was ryghte in syght of the Lord and walked in the wayes of hys father Dauid and nether bowed to the ryght hande nor lefte hande toke it to be the moste principall parte of hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to set forthe and to promote the true religion and worde of God And therfore when as he was but a boye of xvi yeres of age As the .xxxiii. Chapter of the second boke of Paralipomenō wytnesseth began to seke the God of his father Dauid and in the twelft yeare of hys reygne that is when he was but twentye yeare olde for he began to reygne whē he was but .viii. yeare olde he clensed Iuda Hierusalem from the hygh places and groues from caste ymages and graued ymages And they destroyed before hym the aulters of Baal and they destroyed the ymages that was set aboue He cut also downe the grauen ymages and the groues and brake them in peces he scattered and strowed the peces vpon the graues of them that had wont to offer And burnt all the sacrificing preestes bones vpon the alters of the ydolles he made cleane Iuda and Hierusalem But also in the cyties of Manasses Ephraim Simeō vnto Nepthalim he destroyed al suche thynges And when he had broken downe the alters the groues and had broken the grauen ymages into peces and had pulled downe al the temples of false goddes in Israel he returned to Hierusalem And in the .xviii. yeare of his reigne when as he was but .xxvi. yeare olde when as the lande was clenged and the temple made clene he sent certayne of his seruauntes to repaire the house of the Lorde his God 2. par 34. And whyles they were aboute that busines Helkias the hyghe sacrificer or preest founde the boke of the lawe whyche was geuen by the hande of Moses in the house of the Lorde and he gaue it vnto Sapha the secretary and the secretary brought it vnto the Kinge and red it before them After that the kynge had hearde the wordes of the lawe he rent hys clothes and commaunded Helkia and diuers other sayeng go your wayes praye vnto the Lorde for me and for the remnant of Israel and Iuda for all the wordes of thys boke that is founde For the hyghe displeasure and angre of almyghtye God hath ben poured vpon vs for not kepynge all the wordes that are contayned in the boke that is founde Then what blynde madnes is it to cōmende gouerners and rulers whyche saye that God hath poured hys vengeaunce vpon vs because we haue not kepte vnwritten tradicions of man I muste nowe my lordes and maisters are you a question as it becommeth the Phisicion to do wyth his patientes and it is thys Yf it had not belōged vnto the kynge and had not bene hys office to se the worde of God set forth that al the people myght read it heare it What nedeth he to haue rent hys clothes what should he haue neded to desyre the hygh preest or sacrificer with other to praye for hym and to sende to a prophetise to
saintes in purgatory in the iustificacion of workes in the nombre of the Sacramentes in the ceremonies of the Church or in defendyng of the real presence of Christes body in the Sacrament or in what other articles he erred in Because he dyd not tel in what pointes he erred in it may chaunce that he is fallē into the same errores againe as we se certaine of hys secte which had forsworne in the two last kynges dayes diuers errores and had subscribed to the cōtrary and nowe afreshe are fallen into the same errores agayne Yf that master Gardiner alowe his doctrine styl of kyng Henries mariage let hym set forth the same doctrine in Englyshe at large because the cōmō people may learne some holsome doctrine of it euen as he or at the leste some of his haue handeled maister Barlowe which wrote a noughtye and a false lyeng boke compelled by feare to do so But yf he wyll not set out hys booke in Englyshe both because he knoweth in hys conscience that it is a false boke and an heretical boke and therfore wyll not knowlege it now to be his boke because he was compelled by feare to wryte against the open truthe he or at the leste some of hys popyshe prentises is very vncharitable vniust vnto maister Barlowe whych hādeleth hym otherwyse then he wolde or wyll be handeled hym selfe Yf that men wemen that are so maryed vnto certein men that they wyl not examin theyr doctrine but take it to be the veri truthe what so euer they saye wold stande to the iudgement of the holy scripture I shulde easely condemne them for theyr so doynge and proue that they dyd playne contrary vnto the mynde of the holy ghost But because they care not for scripture I wyll let them alone and talke a lytle with you my lordes and masters that are indifferent men and haue not sworen to holde wyth the wordes of any one scole maister Saint Iohn in the .iiii. chapter sayeth 1. Io. 4. Ne cui vis spiritui credatis sed probate spiritus an ex Deosint Beleue not euery spirite but trye the spirites whether they be of God or no but they beleue all spirits that holde wyth the messe purgatory holy water holy bread inuocation of saintes and such lyke ordinaunces of man and trye not whether they be of God or no and yf they wolde trye the spretes shuld they not trye them wyth the worde of God Haue they knowlege in the worde of God they confesse they haue none at all but they saye that it is enoughe for them to trye all doctrine wyth theyr fathers fayth and other of theyr olde ancetores with the authorite of the catholyke churche What yf some of theyr forfathers or els of theyr mothers wythin these fewe hundreth yeares were heathen men or heathē wemē shall it be mete for them to iudge all doctrines by theyr fathers fayth Whych of theyr fathers or mothers was not a Papist Shall men iudge ryghtly matters of religion by the fayth of papistes What yf theyr fathers haue erred shall we be compelled to folowe theyr fathers errors that were great pytie What yf some of theyr fathers bylded Abbayes to fynde a sorte of ydle monkes in and founded chantre prestes to synge for soules in purgatory What yf some of theyr fathers put downe abbayes and chantres howe shall they iudge here who dyd better and whome they and we ought to folowe Yf some of theyr fathers helde thys opinion that it was lawfull to put awaye theyr lawfull wyues to cleue to hores as some of them can not denye but that theyr fathers haue both so beleued and also so done Was thys a good beleue I thynke that they theyr selues will saye that the beleue was nought Shall it be then mete to examine al doctrines wyth theyr fathers fayth and theyr ancetores beleue Yf any of the ydle and vnscripture learned traditioners for so muste we call them because we maye call no man now a Papist do holde that it is not requyred that a Kynge or a Quene or any ruler shulde be well learned in the scripture because all matters and controuersies of religion oughte to be tryed by the authoritie of the catholyke churche meanynge therby the common consent of almoste al the byshoppes prelates and vniuersities in all the west parte of Europa and the determinacions of generall counselles I answere yf we shulde folowe the iugement of thys catholyke church then shulde we boldly pronoūce that the mariage betwene kyng Henry the eyght and his fyrst wife Quene Katherine was not lawfull For the moste principall parte of the catholyke churche of our tyme as it is taken that is the moste parte most notable vniuersities of thys part of the world and the moste part of learned men and all the Byshoppes of the churche of Englande sauynge one condemned the mariage betwene kynge Henry the eyght and lady Katherine thys Quenes mother I haue enowe to beare me wytnes that it is true that I saye Cuthbert Steuen Sāpson besyde Cuthbert nowe byshop of Durram Steuen byshop of Wynchester Samson nowe byshop of Couentre But yf these forsayd Vniuersities and byshoppes of Englande had ben corrupted for money as scolares are poore and sometyme graunt it that ought not to be graūted for mony namely suche where as that Pope beareth rule and these .iii. fornamed byshoppes as some other lawyers do as they be had sold theyr tonges and handwrytynges for mony and promotion and for theyr princes fauour Yet the olde Canones and generall counselles are not so to be suspected of corrupcion as paraduenture some of these forsaid byshoppes be heare therfore what the olde Canones and counselles iudge of thys matter Thys that I wyll allege is wrytten in the seconde parte of the decrees the .xxvii. cause seconde questiō Cap. Si quis disponsauerit sibi aliquam praeueniente mortis articulo eam cognoscere non potuerit frater eius non potest eam ducere in vxorem That is yf any man be handfaste or betrouthed vnto a woman and he beynge preuēted wyth death could not haue carnall copulaciō wyth her hys brother maye not mary her Gregory the bysshop of Rome also speaketh thus of thys matter in the same place as he is alleged Nulli christiano licet de sua consanguinitate vel quā cognatu suus habuit in matrimonium assumere It is not lawfull for any christen man to mary any of hys owne kyn or her that hys kynsman hath had The same Gregory sayeth also these wordes in the same place Si quir vxorem desponsauerit c. Yf any mā betrouthe or be handfast vnto a wyfe or gyue earnest vnto her and he beyng taken awaye by death before so can not mary her none of thys mānes kyn may take her afterwardes to wyfe Iulianus also byshoppe of Rome as he is alleged in the same place hath the same sentence and
him learne better to ken a lorde or els he sayd he wolde whyp hym naked And as they were talkynge sodenlye came rydyng towarde them the sheryffe of Murra all in veluet hauynge a cappe all full of golden agglettes The fool stepped forth to mete him and as soone as he came nere vnto hym he sayd gued day my lord and ye be not a mule Some man wyll saye that the saynge or doynge of a foole is but of smale strēgth to ouer throwe the opinion of many wyttye yonge men whyche describe a lorde or a gentle man onely by costlye apparel To whome I answere Saepe etiam stultus fuit opportuna loquutus That is a fool oft tymes hath spokē thynges to good purpose or in season Dyd not Balaams Asse speake wysely at a certayne tyme Well yf any man be greued that hys opiniō shulde be confuted wyth the sayeng and doynge of a fool let hym chuse one of these two whether he wyll the is whether the fool in thys hys doynge dyd wysely or foolyshly Yf he answer that he played the wysemās parte in takynge and halsyng the mules for lordes then muste he also do so and call al brute beastes mules that are trapped wyth veluet trimmed wyth golde lordes gyue that name whych belōgeth vnto honorable men vnto brute mules Yf he played the ryght foole then is he a foole that taketh and greteth hym for a lorde whych not by learnynge and knowlege but onely by costlye apparel differeth from an other mā Well thus dyd the poore Scottishe foole were it not pytie that manye wyse Englyshe men as they are taken shulde take and gret mules for lordes gentlemē Is it not possible that one mule may at this day cary an other Master Latemer thought so when syr Martin mydas rode to heare master Myles preache sayd when the sermō was done that hys mule was as wel absolued as he And as for buyldyng of costlye houses and trimmynge of them wyth costly hangynges and fayre waynscot manye marchauntes vse to do those thynges better thē many gētlemen do and yet for all that are no gentlemē Therfore these thinges are nether proper offices nor workes of gentlemē nether the seueral tokens whereby a gentleman may be knowē frō an other cōmon mā Then seyng these are nother offices nor workes nor markes belōgyng properly vnto a gentleman I must seke out what is his proper office what tokens he hathe and ought to haue whereby he maye be knowen from the cōmon people The propre office and worke of a ryght noble man is to set forth and defende the true religion of almyghty God to defende the innocentes to ponishe the euel doers and to shewe iustice and iudgement vnto all men that are vnder hys gouerment That the settynge forthe of Goddes worde the mayntenance of the same the destroyeng of al false doctrines contrary vnto it belōgeth vnto a noble man both general commaundemētes and proper examples in the holy Bible do playnly beare wytnes Almyghtye God geueth these commaundementes folowyng vnto all hys people and namely vnto the nobilite and iuges which are the chefe workers of these cōmaundemētes and all suche lyke as pertayne vnto iugement and ponyshynge of horrible trespasses although the cōmons be bounde in executyng of them Deute 7. to ayde them and helpe them Ouerthrowe sayeth almyghtye God the aultares of the heathen breake in peces their ymages and cut downe their groues Deuteronomi vii It is also wrytten Deuterono Deute 18. xviii Yf there by any prophete made frowarde wyth arrogancye that wyll speake those thynges in my name whych I commaunded hym not to speake or wyll speake in the name of other goddes he shal be slayne Who shall se these lawes executed but the nobles and gentlemen Thē belongeth it vnto them to destroye all false and conterfet religion and to destroye all false teachers preachers and to mayntayne the true learnynge of almyghtye God and the preachers of the same We reade in the bokes of the Kynges and Paralipomenon that all the moste excellent and best kynges soone after that they began to reigne dyd mainteyne goddes true religion in puttyng downe of Groues chappels churches wherin false religiō was mayntayned and dyd set forth the true religion and maynteyned the preachers of the same We reade in the same bokes that some of the Kynges besyde that they destroyed ydoles and their tempels dyd also both reade the scripture in the Temple their owne selues and sent out many preachers to preache the true worde of God whiche had bene before their dayes in the tyme of their fathers hyd and vnknowen vnto the folke of God 3. Reg. 15. Asa as it is wrytten in the .xv. chapter of the thirde boke of the kynges whyche dyd it that was ryght in the syght of the Lorde as hys father Dauid dyd before hym toke awaye the effeminate out of the lande and scoured quyte away al the fylth of the ydolles which his fathers had made He remoued also his mother Maachan that she should not be the cheffe in the sacrifice of Priapus and in that place that she had hallowed He also ouerthrewe her denne and brake the moste fylthy ydole burnte it besyde the broke Cedron Thys dyd the good Kynge Asa and he dyd it that was ryghte in the syghte of god But though these thinges had ben good of them selues yet yf they had not perteyned vnto his office or had perteined vnto an other vocacion then to hys God wolde haue ponyshed hym for enteryng into an other mannes office as he ponyshed the Kynge Ozias wyth a perpetual Lepry for entryng into the office of the Sacrificers when he offered vp frankencense vpon the frākencense altare ◠par 26. But the scripture maketh no mention of any ponishment of God that came vpō Asa for puttyng downe of ydoles But it sayeth expresselye that Asa dyd it that was right in the syght of God Therfore it was hys office to put downe ydolles temples and to destroye ydolatrye And it that is said of Asa muste haue place also in other good Kynges whiche did such like thinges vnto these that Asa dyd Iosaphat as the .xvii. Chapter of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon beareth wytnes 2. par 17. was a ryght good man and the Lord was wyth hym Thys Iosaphat after that hys herte had taken boldnes for the wayes of the Lorde toke also out of Iuda the high places and the groues And in the thyrde yeare of hys reygne he sente out of hys princes and ruelers Benail Abdia zacharias Nathanael and Micheas to teache in the cyties of Iuda and wyth them Leuites Semia Nathonia and zabadia wyth other wyth them Belisima and Ioram sacrificers or preestes And they hauynge the boke of the lawe of the Lorde taught the people of Iuda and they wente about into euery cytie of Iuda and taught the people The same Iosaphat as it is written in
knowe the wyl of God in that matter I thynke then ye wyl answere that because he had reigned .xviii. yeres and had not loked for the holye scripture in al that tyme nether set it out in hys tyme he thought hym selfe gylty and not to haue done it that belōged vnto his office Iosias an honest man and a true man said that God was angry wyth hym because the boke of the Lawe was not sought for and set forth by hym as it was hys office to haue done Yf that be true all Kynges and gouerners as wel as he are boūde to seke for the scripture and to set it forthe or els the wrathe of God shall come vpon them Iosias repented him very sore that the boke was so longe hyd and that he had not sought for it and yf he had not done so as the scripture doth preuely teache vs he shulde haue ben greuously ponished for that the boke was so longe hyd Wherfore it is the office of all kynges and gouerners to seke for the worde of God and to se that it be brought forth into the lyght that al men maye reade it and learne of it what they are bounde to do vnto their Lorde God and to their supperiors here in earth to their neyghbores Then they that other wyl haue the same boke with other of lyke authoritie to be layd vp that no mā shall reade them or wyll not suffre them to be reade in a tonge that the people can vnderstande haue an other spirite then Iosias had Iosias whome all good kynges and gouerners oughte to folowe was so earnest in the settynge out of the holye scripture that he called vnto the temple al the elders of Iuda 2. par 34. and al the people of Hierusalem from the lowest vnto the hyghest and in the presence of thē al hered his owne selfe the boke of the lawe not one pece of it alone as the texte sayeth all the wordes of it Yf that thys had not ben hys office to set forthe the scripture God wolde haue ponished him for goynge beyonde hys office as he ponished Ozias But God ponished hym not but alowed hym in doyng so Therfore to set forthe the worde of God was hys office not more then his office nor besyde his office nor against hys office And it that was hys office was and is the office of all other kynges gouerners Thē it is the office or one principal parte of the office of euery kinge gouerner and noble mā to se that ydolatrye be destroyed and that the true worde of God whych is conteyned in the holy scripture be set forthe preached and knowen of al the people that are vnder their gouerment All ye that are vnder the dignitie of a kynge maye not saye that this onlye belongeth vnto kynges and not vnto you for thys belongeth not onlye vnto kynges but also to all that saye sanctificetur nomen tuum hallowed be thy name For al they that wolde haue goddes name hallowed must helpe to destroye suche religion as is against the honour of God and to maynteyne set forthe as muche as lyeth in them the true religion of God Yf that euery priuate man be thus bounde to do as farre forth as hys vocacion and callyng dothe suffer hym muche more are ye my lordes and maisters bounde which receyue and haue your landes and lyuelot chieflye for thys purpose of your Lorde God and are part of the kynges bodye that is to wette hys eyes eares and armes wythout the whyche he is not able alone in the common wealthe to do hys office dutie I thynke that he were a very arrogant kynge that wolde thinke hymselfe better learned and wyser thē the noble seruaūt of God Duke Moses was and yet he as hys father in lawe tolde hym trulye thought hym selfe not able to gouerne hys people alone and therfore he chosed out gouerners and iuges ouer thousandes and some ouer hundrethes and some ouer fyftie and other some ouer ten So when as no kinge is able to do al thinges alone that pertayne vnto hys office euery kinge muste haue noble men vnder hym to helpe hym to do hys office that belongeth vnto hym and to be partakers wyth the kyng in labour and office as they are partakers with hym in honour and lyuelod aboue the cōmon people To whome is it sayd I praye you Vos dij estis Ye are goddes is it sayd onely to kynges or is it also sayd vnto you Yf it be sayd also vnto you then yf you wyll take vnto you suche an honourable name wyth Kynges as to be called goddes that is Iuges and rulers here in goddes stede you must be content to take parte of the office that belongeth vnto that name Therfore ye muste also with the kinge destroye ydolatrie set out goddes true religiō as the noble gentlemē that were vnder kynge Ezechias dyd What other thynges belonge vnto the office of a noble man and specially of a kinge besydes the mainteining of the true religion and the preachers of the same the wordes of Samuel partly tell vs after thys maner Beholde the Lorde hath annointed the vpon thy heritage to be a prince and thou shalt delyuer hys people from the hādes of their enemyes that are rounde about them But there are other places clearer and playner then thys whych declare more plainly the office of a kinge and a noble man 2. par 9. The ix Chapter of the secōde boke of Paralipomenō teacheth vs that it belongeth vnto a kynge and a gouerner to exercise iustice and iugement In the second boke of the kynges and in the .viii. Chap where as Dauid was praised for doynge of hys dutie it is rehersed of hym that he dyd iugement iustice vnto all hys people Esay in the fyrst chapter of his prophesie rebukynge the princes for leuynge of their office and dutie and exortyng them agayne to do their office speaketh these wordes vnto them Audite verbum Domini principes Sodomorum c. Querite ìudicium subuenite oppresso c. That is to say ye princes of Sodom Esay i. heare the wordes of the Lord. Seke iugement helpe hym that is oppressed let the fatherlesse chylde haue iugement defende the wydowe And in the same chapter where as he reproueth them againe for not doyng of their duties sayth thus vnto Hierusalem Principes tui infideles c. Thy princes are vnfaythfull theues felowes they loue al rewardes folow after bribes they gyue no iugemēt vnto the fatherles chyldren and the poore wydowes matter can not cōe in to you where as you are Moses also in the .xviii. of Exodus ordened certayne princes and gentlemen Exod. 18. chused them out of the strongest of the people and he appointed them this office that they shulde iudge the people vnder hym at al tymes and not in the terme tyme alone as it is nowe the maner in Englande Yf any man requyre
and felyng and to the heade of a mannes bodye besyde all these reason and vnderstādyng Then as so many wittes or senses are nedefully requyred in the head that hath the rule but of one body how much wyt learnyng and knowlege is to be requyred in that heade that hath the rule of an hundreth bodyes Is there not muche more wyt knowlege requyred in the heade that hath the gouernement rule of .x. thousande bodye Where are nowe the fals flatterers and the enuius learned men that wolde haue none learned but themselues that saye that a Kynge or a Quene or any other prince whych hath committed vnto his cure and charge two hundreth thousande mēnes bodyes nede not to haue any more wyt learnynge knowlege then a mā that hath but one bodye to gouerne who wyll be angry wyth the hele yf it heare not who wyll be displeased wyth the kne because it can not se who wyll be myscontent with the thygh yf it can not smel who wyl chyde wyth the breste because it can not taist But yf any of these want in the head then is all the hole bodye hurte therby Be the heade neuer so faire and well fauoured to loke to yf it haue not suche wyt as is requyred in it not only men wyl mocke it and call it blockheade but euen the brute fox wyll saye vnto it as farre as Esop maye be beleued O pulchrumsme cerebro caput O what fayre a braynles head arte thou Though the heade of the cōmon welthe be neuer so wel trimmed and appointed wyth golde and precious stones yf he haue no more wyte thē a poore foole of the coūtre hath what wyll al that costly apparel helpe the cōmō wealth doth costlye apparell and gorgious houses great welfare help the cōmō welth nothyng at all The heade in a mās bodye gyueth felyng and mouynge vnto all the reste of the hole bodye that is sensible Yf the heade be wytlesse and wythout sense howe can it gyue vnto the body it that it hath not it selfe The byshop of Rome of late yeares taunted very properly suche a painted wytles heade as ther are to many in England after this maner A byshop of Germany a Duke by his byrth and a goodly mā of person came to Rome to shewe hymself to his father the Pope the Pope spake latyn to hym and Italien but he coulde speake nothynge at all but Duyche Therfore when the Duche byshop was gon forth the Pope answered one that asked hym howe he lyked the Duche byshop after thys maner par la corpe de sancto Francisco e la bella bestia that is by saint Frances bodye he is a trime fayre or proper beast What thynke you wyll wyse men thinke although they dare not saye so muche when they se a lustye rutterken wyth a hauke on his hād and dogges folowyng hym a golden cheyne dobbel about his necke with a cappe al ful of egglates and a bushe of fethers in it as great as a capones tayle whiche can scantlye wryt his owne name and sauynge the shape hathe nothyng elles of a man Wyll they not thynke of hym as the foxe spake of the paynted head and it that the Pope spake of the forsayd byshop yes I warrant you for all hys bragges hys swearyng and staring and proude lokes A certain Italien beyng demaunded the question who was a gentleman answered thus in latyn meanynge of an vnlearned and wytlesse gentlemā Est vna bestia sedens super bestiam portans bestiam super manum habens bestias se sequentes insequens bestias That is a wytles and an vnlearned gentleman is a beast syttynge vpon a beste bearyng a beste vpon hys hāde hauing bestes folowyng hym and he folowing bestes also It is therfore agaīst nature that he that is a best in wyt and learnyng shulde be the head of resonable men in a common welth or that the head of the cōmon welth shulde be a beste that is a mā wyth out al wyt and learnyng differinge nothyng from a very beste sauyng in forme and lyknes The noble philosophers also thought it mete that a kynge shulde be learned and therfore sayd Plato as I remember Happy is that cōmon wealth wheras ether philosophers are kynges or kinges play the philosophers Vigetius in his first boke de re militari in the first chapter requyreth learnynge of rulers and gouerners in these wordes It becōmeth no man to knowe better thynges and mo thynges then a prince whose learnyng maye be profytable to all hys subiectes Therfore prynces oughte to gyue them selues vnto the studye of wysedome Scipio the greater when as he had any leysure from warre and from cyuil busynes gaue himselfe as Plutarch writeth vnto hys boke and sayd that when he was ydle after that maner he dyd then the greatest worke and labor Iulius Cesar one of the noblest gouerners that euer was or euer shall be thought learnynge so necessarye for a gentleman and namely for an hyghe maiestrate that whyles he was a warfaire he had hys spere in the one hande and hys booke in the other Kynge Alexander the conquerour as noble a mā as well borne as any noble man of thys our tyme is thought it so greatly belonge vnto a gentle man to excel in learning and knowlege that when as he had herde tel that his maister Aristotell had set out his bokes of natural philosophie wrote vnto hym after this maner folowyng Where as thou haste set forthe abrode the bokes of Natural philosophie thou hast not done wel for in what other thynge shall we be able to excell other men in yf they be made common to all men whych we haue learned of the for it is my desyre to excell all other men rather in learning and knowlege then in nombre of hostes and great ryches thys far Alexander whyche I wolde haue you marke wel Mithridates the kynge of Pontus and Bethinia because he knew hymselfe to be the head of al his subiectes and that it was hys dutie to gyue iudgemēt in hys owne person in very many maters toke suche payne to learne to do hys dutie that he learned .xxii. dyuers tonges euē as many nacions as he was kynge ouer and answered euery man parfytly in hys owne tonge The same was so wel learned in philosohhy phisick that he made of hys owne wytre a souerayne remedye against poysone and many greuous diseases of a mans body called after hys name vnto thys daye Mithridatium Alfonsus the noble kynge of Arragon sayd that an vnlearned kynge was lyke vnto a crowned asse and where as there was a Kynge of Spayne which said that it was not semyng that a noble man shulde be learned he sayd that his sayng was the voice of an oxe not of a kynge Yf that a noble man regarde not the workes of nature nether any good reason neyther any authoritie of Man let hym heare what almyghtye God sayeth by the mouthe of
his seruauÌ„t Dauid in the second psalme Et nunc reges intelligâ—te erudimini iudices ierre Bet you vnderstandynge o ye kynges and be you lerned o ye that iuge the earthe Here haue al kynges a playne coÌ„maundement to seke seke for learnynge and to be learned and not onely they but al other whych by theyr callyng are ordened of God to iuge hys people or to gyue sentence betwene one man and an other Almyghty God in the .xvii. Deute 17. of Deuteronomi geueth an expressed and a plaine coÌ„maundement vnto kynges that they shulde diligently study the scripture the wordes of God are these After that the kynge sytteth in hys seate of dignite or hys kyngdome he shal wryt out for him selfe the Deuterono of this lawe in a volume and he shall take the copy of the offerers or preestes of the trybe of Leui and he shall haue it wyth hym and shal read it al the dayes of hys lyfe that he may learne to feare hys lorde God and to kepe hys wordes and ceremonies The same commaundement was geuen vnto the noble gentleman Iosue the Iudge and gouerner of the chyldren of Israel in these wordes Take a good harte vnto the and be very stoute that thou may kepe and fulfyl al the lawe whyche my seruaunt Moses hath coÌ„maunded the to kepe Thou shalt not turne from it nether to the right hande nether to the left haÌ„de that thou maye vnderstand al thinges that thou doest Let not the volume of thys boke go awaye froÌ„ thy mouth but thou shalt be occupyed in it daye and nyght that thou maye kepe and do all thynges wrytten in it It is a meruelous thynge to se how that noble men wemen are so busy to kepe those thinges that the deuel the worlde the fleshe haue founde out and coÌ„maunded howe slacke and slowe they are to do it the God hath commaunded so earnestlye The deuel deuysed dycyng and cardyng and wantoÌ„ daunsyng the worlde wyth the deuell hath founde out to costly proude lyght and temptyng apparel the fleshe with the deuel hath founde out waÌ„ton balades and bokes of loue and lechery whether are there mo gentlemeÌ„ in Englande that folowe the counsel of theyr Lorde God which byddeth them studye the scripture be exercised therin or of them that folowe the counsel of the aforenamed enemyes both to God and man Wyl ye not nowe my lordes and maysters take those phisicianes for murtherers of your soules whych forbyd you to eate of almyghty goddes triacle that is to reade hys worde whych he hath so earnestly coÌ„mauÌ„ded for the sauing both of your bodyes and soules Are they worthy to be of a kynges counsel or of a quenes counsell that haue burned thys booke whyche God inioyneth you to reade and haue ponysh the readers thereof as heretikes yf they be of the same iudgement styll Nowe let vs se whether that the coÌ„maundement of God concernyng that princes should be learned and the scripture to be red of al kynges and rulers was so vnderstande of holy men euen as it standeth that is that they should studye and reade the scripture in their owne persones or they muste learne the scripture and reade it and knowe it onely by their chaplaynes other suche like officers as the moste part of princes and noble men expound that commaundement of God now a dayes All blessed and happy and holy meÌ„ reade the scripture and are exercised in it nyght and daye their owne selues in their owne persons Then they that wyll not reade the scripture nether nyght nor day in their owne persones nether ar exercised in it are cursed vnhappye and wycked be they neuer so ryche noble so holye in the syght of the blynde worlde Dauid in the fyrst psalme describing a blyssed happy and godly man proueth it that I sayd now to be true Blessed is the man sayeth Dauid whose wyl is in the law of the Lorde and in hys lawe is exercysed in his mynde thinketh vpon it both day nyght And the cursed man or the wycked man sytteth in the seat of scorners that is to say wyll nether be vertuously occupied in goddes worde them selues nor wyl suffer other to read it but mock the readers of it as they do nowe a dayes that for a spytfull mocke call the readers of Goddes lawe gospellers sometyme heretikes mock them that ether in open preachyng or in preuie admonition tell them of their fautes and exhorte them to godlynes and vertuous lyuynge Dauid in the .119 Psal 119. psalme beareth also wytnes that the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of almyghty God concernyng the scripture to be reade and studyed of kynges iudges and noble men ought to be vnderstande that they shulde reade it and be exercised in it in their owne persones they that talke not wyth them selues of the scripture and are not exercised therin their owne selues are not blessed happy and godly but cursed vnhappy and vngodly for he sayeth Beati qui scrutantur testimonia eius in mandatis tuis exercebor considerabo vias tuas in iustificationibus tuis meditabor non obliuiscar sermones tuos Seruus tuus exercebatur in iustificationibus tuis nam testimonia tua meditatio mea est consilium meum iustificationes tuae Ne auferas de ore meo verbum veritatis vsquequaque ConfundaÌ„tur superbi quia iniuste iniquitatem fecerunt in me ego autem exercebor in mandatis tuis Tribulatio angustia inuenerunt me mandata tua meditatio mea est concupiui salutare tuum lex tua meditatio mea est Yf it be true that the noble men whych serche and seke for the commaundementes of God and studye the lawe of God and are exercysed therin are good and blessed men theÌ„ are they euel cursed and vnhappy men whyche searche not for the commaundementes of God nether studye the scripture nether exercise them selues there in The reason is good for all the good kynges wherof is mencioÌ„ made in the scripture were diligent setters forth and readers of the scripture and the wicked vngodlye kynges cared not for it reade the bokes of the kynges and the bokes of the cronicles and you shall fynde thys that I saye ryghte true 4. Reg. 22. In the .xxii. of of the .iiii. of the kynges ye maye se in the historye of Iosias howe that al hys forfathers that were euel kynges cared not for the scripture but let it lye many yeres buryed hyd so that they were not exercysed therin accordyng to the expressed commaundement of God Yf ye require one priuate exaÌ„ple of one man Iere. 36. reade the .36 of Hieremie the prophete and there shall ye fynde how that the wycked kyng Ioachim cut in peces the worde of God and burnt it in the fyre and sought after and persecuted Hieremie the authour of the boke and Baruch the writer of it as certaine geÌ„tlemen bothe of the laite and also of the clergie haue intreated