I say thus authorized by God first did excommunicate Ieremy for that he did Preach otherwise then did the common sort of Prophets in Ierusalem And last apprehended him as you have heard pronouncing against him this sentence afore-written from the which neverthelesse the Prophet appealed that is Sought helpe and defence against the same and that most earnestly did he crave of the Princes For albeit he saith I am in your hands do with me as ye think righteous he doth not contemne or neglect his life as though he regarded not what should become of him but in those his words most vehemently did he admonish the Princes and Rulers of the people giving them to understand what God should require of them as if he should say Ye Princes of Iuda and Rulers of the people to whom appertaineth indifferently to judge betwixt party and party to justifie the just man and to condemne the malefactor you have heard a sentence of death pronounced against me by those whose lips ought not to speak deceit because they are sanctified and appointed by God himself to speak his Law and to pronounce judgement with equity but as they have left the living God and have taught the people vanity so are they become mortall enemies to all Gods true servants of whom I am one rebuking their iniquity apostasie and defection from God which is the onely cause they seek my life But a thing most contrary to all equity law and justice it is that I a man sent of God to call them his people and you again to the true service of God from the which you are all declined shall suffer the death because that my enemies do so pronounce sentence I stand in your presence whom God hath made Princes your power is above their Tyranny before you do I expose my cause I am in your hands and cannot resist to suffer what ye think just But lest that my lenity and patience should either make you negligent in the defence of me in my just cause appealing to your judgement either yet encourage my enemies in seeking my blood this one thing I dare not conceal That if you murther me which thing ye do if ye defend me not ye make not onely my enemies guilty of my blood but also your selves and this whole City By these words I say it is evident That the Prophet of God being condemned by the Priests and by the Prophets of the visible Church did seek ayd support and defence at the Princes and temporall Magistrates threatning his blood to be required at their hands if they by their Authority did not defend him from the fury of his enemies alleadging also just causes of his Appellation and why he ought to have been defended to wit That he was sent of God to rebuke their vices and defection from God That he taught no Doctrine which God before had not pronounced in his Law That he desired their conversion to God continually calling upon them to walke in the wayes which God had approved and therefore doth he boldly crave of the Princes as of Gods Lievtenants to be defended from the blinde rage and tyranny of the Priests notwithstanding that they claimed to themselves Authority to judge all matters of Religion And the same did he when he was cast in prison and thereafter was brought to the presence of King Zedechias After I say he had defended his innocency affirming That he neither had offended against the King against his servants nor against the people at last he made intercession to the King for his life saying But now my Lord the King take heed I beseech thee let my prayer fall into thy presence command me not to be carried again into the house of Jonathan the Scribe that I die not there And the Text witnesseth That the King commanded the place of his imprisonment to be changed Whereof it is evident That the Prophet did ofter then once seek help at the Civill power and that first the Princes and thereafter the King did acknowledge That it appertained to their Office to deliver him from the unjust sentence which was pronounced against him If any man think that Ieremy did not appeal because he onely declared the wrong done unto him and did but crave defence according to his innocency let the same man understand That none otherwise do I appeal from that false and cruell sentence which your Bishops pronounced against me Neither yet can there be any just cause of Appellation but innocency or suspition to be hurt whether it be by ignorance of a Judge or by malice and corruption of those who under the title of Justice do exercise Tyranny If I were a thief murtherer blasphemer open adulterer or any offender whom Gods Word commandeth to suffer for a crime committed my Appellation were vain and to be rejected But I being innocent yea the Doctrine which your Bishops have condemned in me being Gods Eternall Verity have no lesse liberty to crave your defence against that cruelty then had the Prophet Ieremy to seek ayd of the Princes and King of Iuda But this shall more plainly appear in the fact of Saint Paul who after that he was apprehended in Ierusalem did first claim the liberty of the Romane Citizens for avoyding torment when the Captain would have examined him by questions Thereafter in the Councell where no righteous judgement was to be hoped for he affirmed that he was a Pharisee and that he was accused of the Resurrection of the dead and last in the presence of Festus he appealed from all knowledge and judgement of the Priests at Ierusalem to the Emperour Of which last Point because it doth chiefly appertain to this my cause I will somewhat speak After that Paul had divers times been accused as in the Acts of the Apostles is manifest at the last the chief Priests and their faction came to Cesarea with Festus the President who presented uuto them Paul in Judgement whom they accused of horrible crimes which neverthelesse they could not prove the Apostle maintaining That he had offended neither against the Law neither against the Temple neither yet against the Emperour But Festus willing to gratifie the Iews said to Paul Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things in my presence But Paul said I stand at the Iustice Seat of the Emperour where it behoveth me to be judged I have done no wrong to the Iews as thou better knowest If I have done any thing unjustly or yet committed crime worthy of death I refuse not to die But if there be nothing of these things true whereof they accuse me no man may give me to them I appeal to Caesar. It may appear at the first sight That Paul did great injury to Festus the Judge and to the whole Order of the Priesthood who did hope greater equity in a cruell tyrant then in all that Session and learned company which thing no
doubt Festus did understand pronouncing these words Hast thou appealed to Caesar Thou shalt go to Caesar. As if he would say I as a man willing to understand the truth before I pronounce sentence have required of thee to go to Ierusalem where the learned of thine own Nation may hear thy Cause and discern in the same The controversie standeth in matters of Religion thou art accused as an apostate from the Law as a violator of the Temple and a transgressor of the Traditions of their Fathers in which matters I am ignorant and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same Religion whereof the question is and yet dost thou refuse so many godly Fathers to hear thy cause and dost appeal to the Emperor preferring him to all our judgments of no purpose belike but to delay time Thus I say it might have appeared that Paul did not onely injury to the Judge and to the Priests but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he did refuse the judgement of those that had most knowledge as all men supposed of Gods Will and Religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome far absent from Ierusalem a man ignorant of God and enemy to all vertue But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies and what things they had intended against him even from the first day he began freely to speak in the Name of Christ did not fear to appeal from them and from the Judge that would have gratified them They had professed themselves plain enemies to Christ Jesus and to his blessed Evangell and sought the death of Paul yea even by factions and treasonable conspiracy and therefore by no means would he admit them either as Judges in his cause or auditors of the same as Festus required But grounding himself upon strong reasons to wit That he had not offended the Jews neither against the Law but that he was innocent therefore that no Judge ought to give him into the hands of his enemies grounding I say his Appellation upon these reasons he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus neither yet the brute of the ignorant multitude but boldly did appeal from all cognoscance of them to the judgement of the Emperour as said is By these two examples I doubt not but your Honours do understand That it is lawfull to the servants of God oppressed by tyrannts to seek remedy against the same be it by appellation from their sentence or by imploring the help of Civill Magistrates For what God hath approved in Ieremy and Paul he can condemne in none that are so dealt withall I might alleadge some History of the primitive Church serving to the same purpose as of Ambrose and Athanasius of whom the one would not be judged but at Millan where that his Doctrine was heard of all his Church and received and approved by many And the other would in no wise give place to those Councells where he knew that men conspiring against the Truth of God should sit in Judgement and Consultation But because the Scriptures of God are my onely foundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importance I have thought the two former testimonies sufficient as well to approve my Appellation reasonable and just as to declare to your Honours That with safe conscience ye cannot refuse to admit the same If any think it arrogancy or foolishnesse in me to compare my self with Ieremy and Paul let the same man understand That as God is immutable so is the Verity of his glorious Evangell of equall dignity whensoever it is impugned be the members suffering never so weak What I think touching mine owne person God will reveal when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed and such as with whom I have been conversant can witnesse what arrogancy or pride they espie in me But touching the Doctrine and cause which that adulterous and pestilent Generation of Antichrists servants who will be called Bishops amongst you have condemned me I neither fear nor shame to confesse and avow before man and Angel to be the Eternall Truth of the Eternall God And in that case I doubt not to compare my self with any member in whom the Truth hath been impugned since the beginning For as it was the Truth which Ieremy did Preach in these words The Priests have not known me saith the Lord but the Pastors have treacherously declined and fallen back from me The Prophets have Prophesied in Baal and have gone after those thingâ— which cannot helpe My people have left the fountain of living Water and have digged to themselves pits which can contain no water As it was a truth That the Pastors and Watch-men in the dayes of Isaiah were become dumb dogs blinde ignorant proud and avaricious And finally as it was a truth That the Princes and the Priests were murtherers of Christ Jesus and cruell persecutors of his Apostles so likewise it is a truth and that most infallible That those who have condemned me the whole rabble of the Papisticall Clergie have declined from the true Faith have given ear to deceivable spirits and to doctrine of devils are the stars fallen from the heaven to the earth are fountains without water and finally are enemies to Christ Jesus denyers of his vertue and horrible blasphemers of his death and passion And further As that visible Church had no crime whereof justly they could accuse either Prophets or the Apostles except their Doctrine onely so have not such as seek my blood other crime to lay to my charge except That I affirm as alwayes I offer to prove That the Religion which now is maintained by fire and sword is no lesse contrarious to the true Religion taught and established by the Apostles then is darknesse to light or the devill to God And also That such as now do claim the title and name of Church are no more the elect Spouse of Christ Jesus then was the Synagogue of the Jews the true Church of God when it crucified Christ Jesus condemned his Doctrine and persecuted his Apostles And therefore seeing that my Battell is against the proud and cruell hypocrites of this age as that Battell of those most excellent instruments was against the false Prophets and malignant Church of their ages Neither ought any man to thinke it strange that I compare my self with them with whom I sustain a common cause Neither ought your Lordships judge your selves lesse addebted and bound to me calling for your support then did the Princes of Iuda think themselves bound to Ieremy whom for that time they delivered notwithstanding the sentence of death pronounced against him by the visible Church And thus much for the right of my Appellation which in the bowells of Christ Jesus I require your Honours not to esteem as a thing superfluous and vain but that ye admit it and also accept me in your
will be so foolish as so to affirm for a thing more then evident it is That the whole Priesthood in the time of the Law was bound to give obedience to the Civill Powers and if any member of the same was found criminall the same was subject to the punishment of the Sword which God had put into the hand of the Magistrate And this Ordinance of his Father did not Christ disannull but rather did confirm the same commanding Tribute to be paid for himself and for Peter who perfectly knowing the minde of his Master writeth thus in his Epistle Submit your selves to all manner of Ordinance of man he excepteth such as be expressely repugning to Gods Commandment for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as to the chief Head or unto Rulers as unto them that are sent by him for punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well The same doth the Apostle Saint Paul most plainly command in these words Let every soul be subject to the Superiour Powers Which places make evident That neither Christ neither his Apostles hath given any assurance of this immunity and priviledge which men of Church as they will be termed do this day claim Yea it was a thing unknown to the Primitive Church many yeers after the dayes of the Apostles For Chrysostome who served in the Church at Constantinople four hundreth yeers after Christs Ascension and after that corruption was greatly increased doth yet thus write upon the foresaid words of the Apostle This precept saith he doth not appertain to such as be called seculars onely but even to those that be Priests and religious men And after he addeth Whether thou be Apostle Evangelist Prophet or whosoever thou be thou canst not be excepted from this subjection Hereof it is plain Chrysostome did not understand that God had exempted any person from obedience and subjection of the Civill Power neither yet that he was Authour of such exemption and priviledge as Papists do this day claim And the same was the judgement and uniforme Doctrine of the Primitive Church for many yeers after Christ. Your Honours do wonder I doubt not from what Fountain then did this their immunitie as they term it and singular priviledge spring I shall shortly touch that which is evident in their owne Law and Histories When the Bishops of Rome the very Antichrists had partly by fraud and partly by violence usurped the superiortie of some places in Italy and most unjustly had spoiled the Emperours of their Rents and possessions and had also murthered some of their Officers as Histories do witnesse then began Pope after Pope to practise and devise how they should be exempted from the judgment of Princes and from the equity of Laws and in this point they were most vigilant till at length iniquity did so prevaile in their hands according as Daniel had before prophesied of them that this sentence was pronouned Neither by the Emperour neither by the Clergie neither yet by the people shall the Iudge be judged God will saith Symmachus that the causes of others be determined by men but without all question he hath reserved the Bishop of this Seat understanding Rome to his own judgement And hereof diverse Popes and Expositours of their Laws would seeme to give reasons for saith Agatho All the Precepts of the Apostolike Seat are assured as by the voyce of God himself The Author of the glosse upon this Canon affirmeth That if all the world would pronounce sentence against the Pope yet should his sentence prevail For saith he the Pope hath a Heavenly will and therefore he may change the nature of things he may apply the substance of one thing to another and of nothing he may make somewhat and that sentence which was nothing that is by his minde false and unjust he may make somewhat that is true and just for saith he in all things that please him his will is for reason neither is there any man that may aske of him Why doest thou so for he may dispence above Law and of injustice he may make justice for he hath the fulnesse of all power And many other blasphemous sentences did they pronounce every one after other which for shortnesse sake I omit till at the end they obtained this most horrible Decree That albeit in life and conversation they were so wicked and detestable that not onely they condemned themselves but that also they drew to Hell and perdition many thousands with them yet that none should presume to reprehend or rebuke them This being established for the Head albeit not without some contradiction for some Emperours did require due obedience of them as Gods Word commanded and ancient Bishops had given before to Emperours and to their Laws but Sathan so prevailed in his suite before the blinde world that the former sentences were confirmed which power being granted to the Head then began provision to be made for the rest of the members in all Realms and Countries where they made residence the residence whereof we see to be this that none of that pestilent generation I mean the vermine of the Papisticall Order will be subject to any Civill Magistrate how enormous soever his crime be but will be reserved to their own Ordinary as they terme it And what fruits have hereof ensued be the word never so blinde it cannot but witnesse for how their Head that Romane Antichrist hath beene occupied ever since the granting of such priviledges Histories do witnesse and of late the most part of Europa subject to the plague of God to fire and sword by his procurement hath felt and this day doth feel The pride ambition envie excesse fraud spoil oppression murther filthie life and incest that is used and maintained amongst that rabble of Priests Friers Monks Cannons Bishops and Cardinals cannot be expressed I fear not to affirm neither doubt I to prove that the Papisticall Church is further degenerate from the puritie of Christs Doctrine from the footsteps of the Apostles and from the manners of the primitive Church then was the Church of the Iews from Gods holy Statutes what time it did crucifie Christ Jesus the onely Messias and most cruelly persecute his Apostles And yet will our Papists claim their priviledges and ancient Liberties which if you grant unto them my Lords ye shall assuredly drink the cup of Gods vengeance with them and shall be reputed before his presence companions of Theeves and maintainers of Murtherers as is before declared for their immunity and priviledge whereof so greatly they boast is nothing else but as if Theeves Murtherers or Briggands should conspire amongst themselves that they would never answer in judgement before any lawfull Magistrate to the end that their theft and murther should not be punished even such I say is their wicked priviledge which neither they have of God the Father neither of Christ
pestilent Generation of Antichrist And that they be removed from judgement in our Cause seeing that our accusation is not intended against any one particular person but against that whole kingdom which we doubt not to prove to be a power usurped against God against his Commandment and against the Ordinance of Christ Jesus established in his Church by his chief Apostles Yea we doubt not to prove the kingdom of the Pope to be the kingdom and power of Antichrist And therefore my Lords I cannot cease in the Name of Christ Jesus to require of you That the matter may come to examination and that ye the States of the Realme by your Authority compell such as will be called Bishops not onely to desist from their cruell murthering of such as do study to promote Gods glory in detecting and disclosing the damnable impiety of that Man of Sin the Romane Antichrist but also that ye compell them to answer to such crimes as shall be laid to their charge for not righteously instructing the Flock committed to their cares But here I know two things shall be doubted The former Whether that my Appellation is lawfull and to be admitted seeing that I am condemned as an heretick And secondly Whether your Honours are bound to defend such as call for your support in that case seeing that your Bishops who in matters of Religion claim all Authority to appertain to them have by their sentence already condemned me The one and the other I nothing doubt most cleerly to prove First That my Appellation is most lawfull and just And secondly That your Honours cannot refuse to defend me thus calling for your ayd for in refusing ye declare your selves rebellious to God maintainers of murtherers and shedders of innocent blood How just cause I have by the Civill Law as for their Canon it is accursed of God to appeal from their unjust sentence my purpose is not to make long discourse Onely I will touch the points which all men confesse to be the just causes of Appellation first Lawfully could I not be summoned by them being for that time absent from their Jurisdiction charged with the Preaching of Christs Evangell in a free City not subject to their Tyranny Secondly To me was no intimation made of their summons but so secret was their surmised malice that the Copie of summons being required was denyed Thirdly To the Realme of Scotland could I have had no free nor sure accesse being before compelled to quit the same by their unjust Tyranny And lastly To me they neither could nor can be competent and indifferent Judges for that before any summons were raised against me I had accused them by Letters published to the Queen Dowager and had intended against them all crimes offering my self with hazard of life to prove the same for the which they are not onely unworthy of Ecclesiasticall Authority but also of any sufferance within a Common-wealth professing Christ. This my accusation preceding their summons neither by the Law of God neither yet by the law of man can they be to me competent Judges till place be granted unto me openly to prove my accusation intended against them and they be compelled to make answer as criminalls For I will plainly prove That not onely Bishops but also Popes have been removed from all Authority and pronouncing of judgment till they have purged themselves of accusations laid against them Yea further I will prove That Bishops and Popes have most justly been deprived from all Honours and administration for smaller crimes then I have to charge the whole rabble of your Bishops But because this is not my chief ground I will stand content for this present to shew That it is lawfull to Gods Prophets and to Preachers of Christ Jesus to appeal from the sentence and judgement of the visible Church to the knowledge of the Temporall Magistrate who by Gods Law is bound to hear their causes and to defend them from Tyranny The Prophet Ieremy was commanded by God to stand in the court of the House of the Lord and to preach this Sermon in effect That Ierusalem should be destroyed and be exposed in opprobrie to all Nations of the earth And that also that famous Temple of God should be made desolate like unto Sylo because the Priests the Prophets and the people did not walk in the Law which God hath proposed unto them neither would they obey the voyces of the Prophets whom God sent to call them to repentance For this Sermon was Ieremy apprehended and a sentence of death pronounced against him and that by the Priests by the Prophets and by the People which things being bruted in the ears of the Princes of Iuda they passed up from the Kings House to the Temple of the Lord and sate downe in Judgement for further knowledge of the cause But the Priests and Prophets continued in their cruell sentence which before they had pronounced saying This man is worthy of death for he hath prophesied against this City as your ears have heard But Ieremy so moved by the holy Ghost began his defence against that their tyrannous sentence in these words The Lord saith he hath sent me to prophesie against this House and against this City all the words which you have read Now therefore make good your wayes and hear the voyce of the Lord your God and then shall he repent of the evil which he hath spoken against you And as for me behold I am in your hands so doth he speak to the Princes do to me as you think good and right Neverthelesse know you this most assuredly That if ye murther or slay me ye shall make your selves this City and the inhabitants of the same criminall and guilty of innocent blood for of a truth the Lord hath sent me to speak in your ears all these words Then the Princes and the people saith the Text said This man is not worthy of death for he hath spoken to us in the Name of the Lord our God And so after some contention was the Prophet delivered from that danger This fact and history manifestly proveth whatsoever before I have affirmed to wit That it is lawfull for the servants of God to call for the help of the Civill Magistrate against the sentence of death if it be unjust by whomsoever it is pronounced And also that the Civill Sword hath power to represse the fury of the Priests and to absolve whom they have condemned For the Prophet of God was condemned by those who then onely in earth were known to be the visible Church to wit the Priests and Prophets who were in Ierusalem the successors of Aaron to whom was given a charge to speak to the people in the Name of God and a Precept given to the people to hear the Law from their mouthes to the which if any should be rebellious or inobedient he should die the death without mercy These men