ye passed nothing on it but as the Iewes being downed in sinne mocked scorned and murthred the prophetes of God which long before prophecied vnto them their captiuities and vtter destruction so ye laughed and iested at your preachers wordes nothing regarding the threattes of God but contēnyng thē yea increaceīg in your wickednesse ādnowat leyn ght murthering most cruelly the ministers of God And seing wordes of warnyng toke no place with you God for his louing mercie hathe warned you also by monstrous maruailes on the earthe and horrible wonders in thelement to put you beside all maner of excuses What wonderfull monstres haue ther now lately ben borne in Englande What celestial signes most horrible A childe borne besides Oxforde in the yeare M. D. LII with two heades and two partes of two euil shaped bodyes ioyned in one A childe borne at Couentree in the yeare M. D. LV without armes or legges A childe borne at Fulhā by Londō euen now this yeare with a great head euil shaped the armes with bagges hanging out at the Elbowes and heles and fete lame A childe newe borne at Lōdō furthewith speaking as a prophet and mes sager of God An horrible Comete this year besides diuerse eclipses whiche folowe But what were these only bare signes No certaynly they doo and must signifie the great wrathe and indignacion of God Not long after the passion of our saueour Christ whan the Britaines our cōtreymen went about to re couer their libertie and to be despeched of the most cruel seruitude and miserie which the Romaines kept thē in wherein no Britayn was certayn of wife childrē goodes no not of their liues all thigs were so in bōd◅ ge of the cruel Romaynes pleasur ther were of our coūtreymē slayne at one tyme three score ād ten thousaūt mē ād at an other tyme thrittie thousaūt Before which slaughters ther were many wōders sene in Eng lād Thimage of the Idole which the Romaines hade in their tēple called Victorie was turned backe as though she gaue place to thenenies The sea was like blood ymages of mēnes bodyes founde on the sea syde And womē were out of their wittes ād cried destructiō at hāde destructiō at hāde so that the Britaynes were in great hope ād the Romaynes in great feare Before Britayn now called Englād came in to the full power of the Danes kīg Edmūde the sōne of Ethelberte beīg slayne ther were diuerse straūge thinges wherby all men gessed that an alteration of the Realme was towarde but chiefly they gessed the great calamitie by the sodain swelling of the sea without any euidēt cause which so brake in to the lande that it destroyed many townes and people Before that great slaughter of Englishe men and Normādes which was by reason of the warres that were in Normandie betwene king Hēri the furst king of Englāde and Robert Duke of Normandie his brother at which tyme Normandie was ioyned to Englande the ryuer of Trent did not runne one hole daye together but was so emptie that men passed ouer on fote and at that tyme a sowe brought furthe a monstre with the face of a man and a henne a foure foted monstre So that by that that is past ye maye the boldlier diuine of that that is to come The childe by Oxforde what did it betoken but that our one swete head king Edwarde should be taken awaye as he was in dede and that ther should be in his place two headdes diuerse gouernours and a towarde diuision of the people but not all together which so manyfestly folowed that no man can denye it or two people should be knytte together but not in god proporcion nor agrement The childe of Couentrie without the principal membres to helpe and defende the bodye must nedes signifie that the natural body that is the people of Englande shalbe helpeles ready to be troden vnder the fote of euery creature and non to releue or succour it The childe of Fulham what can it signifie but that the natural body of England shalbe weake the chief membres tharmes and legges which is the nobilitie so clogged with chaynes of golde and bagges of money that the hande shall not be hable to drawe out the sweorde nor the heles to spurre the horse to helpe and defende the body that is the commones And as the head of it is the greatest part and greater than it ought to be with to muche superfluitie of that it should not haue wherfore it must pull from the other membres to confort it and lacke of that good proporcion it ought to haue so shall the gouernours and headdes of Englande sucke out the wealth and substaunce of the people the politike body and kepe it bare so that it shall not be hable to helpe it self yet shall the head neuer come to that nature requireth What is to be gathered of the yōg chil de I doo not saie it is true bicause the father was forced onles he wold haue lost his life to r◅cant it but might it not be true Is ther not as muche to be saied for it as for the popes trāsubstāciacion Dothe not Eusebius Pamphili a man of as good credite as Thomas Aquinas Scotus Gratianus and suche other the inuētours and mainteners of transubstanciacion write that a lambe contrary to nature and possibilitie did in plaine wordes before declare the nature and disposicion of Bochorus king of Egipt They that write the cronicles of the Romaines saie that a dogge a serpent and oxen did speake But scripture plainly saieth that Baalams asse a creature vnreasonable without possibilitie to speake did saie to his maister why beatest thou me And Iohn the baptist contrary to the common course of nature lept and reioiced in his mothers wombe whan Christes mother being with childe came to see Elizabeth his mother If men that beleued not the miracles which the gogle ◅ied Roode of Boxley the Idole of walsinghā the bawde of willesdō which euery foole might see to be deceates and open illusions were condemned and burned for heretikes how should they be taken that doo not beleue the manifest workes of God The horible Comete and blasing starre that was sene this yeare greater in Englande than elles wher what elles dothe it betoken but the great displeasure of God and therfore famin pestilēce warres sediciō deathe of princes inuasion of forain naciones destruction of som or many cities and countreies and the alteracion and chaungeing of the state and gouernement For if it be laufull for man to diuine of Goddes wonderfull workes and by the like thinges past coniecture those that be to come why should we not affirme that these plages will folowe Before the great warres made by Xerses against the Grecianes and the ouerthrowing of the hole state of Grece ther was a blasing starre sene of the shape of an hor◅e and an eclipse of the sunne Before the last and vtter destruction of the citie of Ierusalem ther was sene hanging in thelement ouer
Octauia in to an Ilan de he byndeth her in chaines and causeth her to be let blood in all partes and fearing least feare wolde dryue the blood to the harte and so she lyue longer than he wolde he setteth her in a bayne of hotte water that her blood might the soner come out But what becometh of his deare dearling Puppie he dalieth a while with his Puppie and at leynght his hotte loue being turned in to displeasur he spurneth her being with Childe on the belye and so she dieth To late he repented but yet ceassed not his crueltie He killed his maister Seneca he persecuted the churche of Christ most miserably and so thinking that he might doo what him lusted and that all was well done were it neuer so euil done he neuer lefte of his crueltie til the people finding occasion and oportunitie to vttre their dissembled hatred slewe him But what thinke you who were to be blamed for these cruell actes He for doing theÌ„ or others for flat tring hiÌ„ or the Senate aÌ„d people of Rome in suffring him Surely ther is none of them to be excused but all to be blamed and chiefly those that might haue bridled him and did not He is a good citez in that dothe non euil saieth a noble wiseman but he is a better that letteth others that they shall not doo hurt nor vniustice to others The blood of innocentes shalbe demaunded not only at the handes of the sheaders of blood but also of those that make or consent to wicked lawes to condemne innocentes or suffre their head to kill them contrary to iust lawes â–ª or to spoile them of that they iustly enioie by the ordre of the lawe Now sithe kinges princes and gouernours of common wealthes haue not nor can iustly clayme any absolute autoritie but that thende of their autoritie is determined and certain to maintene iustice to defende the innocent to punishe the euil And that so many euilles and mischiefes maie folowe wher such absolute and in dede tiraÌ„nical power is vsurped let vs praie that they maie knowe their duetie and discharge theÌ„ selues to God and to the worlde or elles that those which haue the autoritie to refourme them maie know and doo their duetie that the people finding and acknowlageing the benefite of good rulers maie thaÌ„ke God for them and labour euery one to doo their duetie and that seing the head is not spared but euillesin it punished they maie the more willingly absteine froÌ„ tyraÌ„nie and other euil doinges and do their dueties and so all glorifie God VVHETHER KINGES princes and other politike Gouernours be subiecte to Goddes lawes and the positiue lawes of theyr countreyes HE that noteth the procedinges of princes and gouernours in these our daies how ambicious they are to vsurpe others Dominiones and how necli geÌ„t they be to see their owne well gouerned might thiÌ„ke hat they beleue that either ther is no God or that he hathe not care ouer the thiÌ„ges of the worlde or that they thinke themselues exempt frome Goddes lawes and power But the Wonderfull ouerthrowe of their deuises whan they thinke themselues most sure and certain is so manifest that it is not possible to denye but that bothe ther is a God and that he hathe care ouer the thinges of the worlde And his worde is so playne that non can gaynsaye but that they be subiecte and ought to be obedient to Goddes lawes and Worde For the hole decalog and euery part therof is aswell written to kinges princes and other publike persones as to priuate persones A king maye no more committe Idolatrie than a priuat man he mayâ—… not take the name of God in vayne he maye not breake the Sabbat no more than any priuate man It is not laufull for him to disobeye his pareÌ„tes to killany persone contrary to the lawes to be an hooremoÌ„ger to steale to lye and beare false witnesse to desire and couet any mannes house wife seruaunt mayde oxe asse or any thing that is an others more than any other priuate man No he is bounden and charged vnder greater paines to kepe them than any other bicause he is bothe a priuate man in respecte of his owne persone and a publike in respecte of his office which maâ—…e appeare in a great meigny of places whe roâ—… parte I will recite The holy gost by the mouthe of a king and prophet saieth And now ye kinges â—…nderstande be ye learned that iudge the earthe Serue the Lorde in feare and reioi ce with trembling Kisse the sonne that is receaue with honour least the Lorde be angrie and ye lose the waye whan his wrathe shall in a moment be kyndled And in an other place thus The Lorde vpon thy right haÌ„de shal Smyte and breake in pieces eueÌ„ kinges in the daye of his wrathe Esaias also the prophet saieth The Lorde shal comme to iudgemeÌ„t against the princes and elders of the people Likewise saieth the Prophet Micheas speaking to all princes and gouernours vnder the heades of the house of Iacob and the leaders of the house of â—…srael He are ye princes and gouernours saieth Micheas Should ye not kno we what were laufull and right But ye hate the good and loue the euil ye plucke of meÌ„nes skynnes and the fleshe from their bones ye cheoppe them in pieces as it were in to a Caldron and as fleshe in to a potte Now the tyme shall come that whaÌ„ ye call vnto the lorde he shall not heare you but hyde his â—…ace from you by cause that through your owne ymaginationes ye haue dealt so wickedly And again he saieth O heare ye rulers and gouernours ye that abhorre the thing that is lauful and wraste asyde the thing that is straight ye that builde vp Sion with blood your magestie and tirannie with doing Wrong For so maie Sion and Ierusalem be well expounded O you iudges ye geue sentence for giftes O ye priestes ye teache for lucre O ye ê“phetes ye prophecie for money yet Will they be takeÌ„ as those that holde vpoÌ„ God and saie â–ª Is not the lorde amoÌ„g vs How can than any mysfortune happen to vs But Sion that is your cities for your sakes shalbe plowed like a fielde and IerusaleÌ„ that is your palaces shall become an heape of stones and the hill of the teÌ„ple that is your Monasteries frieries and chauntries shall be come an high woodde The holy goost also by the mouthe of king Salomon sayeth Heare O ye kinges and vnderstande O learne ye that be iudges of the eÌ„des of the earthe Geue eare ye that rule the multitudes and delyte in muche people For the power is geueÌ„ unto you of the lorde aÌ„d the streinght from the highest who shall trye your wor kes and searche out your ymaginaciones how that ye being officers of his kingdom haue not kept the lawe of righteousnesse nor Walked after his will Horribly and that sone shall be appeare vnto you for vpoÌ„ the most high
gouernour and kill a tyranne AS ther is no better nor happier cōmon wealthe nor no greater blessing of God thā wher one ru leth if he be a good iuste and godly mā so is ther nō worse nor non more miserable nor greater plague of God thā wher one ruleth that is euil vniuste and vngodly ▪ A good man knowing that he or those by whō he claymeth was to suche office called for his vertue to see the hole state well gouerned and the people defended frō iniuries neclecteth vtterly his owne pleasure and profit and bestoweth all his studie and labour to see his office well discharged And as a good phisician earnestly seketh the healthe of his pacient and a Shipmaister the wealthe and sauegarde of those he hathe in his ship so dothe a good gouernour seke the wealthe of those he ruleth And therfore the people feling the benefit comyng by good gouernours vsed in tyme past to call such good gouernours fathers ād gaue thē no lesse honour thā childrē owe to their parentes An euil persone comyng to the gouernemēt of any state either by vsurpaciō or by electiō or by successiō vtterly neglectig the cause why kinges princes ād other gouernours in cōmō wealthes be made that is the wealthe of the people seketh onli or chiefly his owne profit ād pleasure And as a sowe comyng in to a faire gardin roteth vp all the faire and swet flowres and holsome simples leauing nothing behinde but her owne filthye dirte so dothe an euil gouernour subuerte the lawes and ordres or maketh them to be wrenched or racked to serue his affectiones that they can no longer doo their office He spoyleth the people of their goodes either by open violence making his ministers to take it from them without payment therfore or promising and neuer payeng or craftily vnder the name of loanes beneuolences contribuciones and suche like gaye paynted wordes or for feare he geteth out of their possession that they haue and neuer restoreth it And whan he hathe it consumeth it not to the benefite and profit of the common wealthe but on hoores hooremongers dyceing carding banketting vniust warres and such like euilles and mischieues wherin he dely teth He spoileth and taketh awaye from them their armour and harnesse that they shall not be hable to vse any force to defende their right And not contented to haue brought thē in to such miserie to be sure of his sta te seketh and taketh all occasiones to despeche them of their lyues If a man kepe his house and meddle in nothing than shall it be sayed that he fretteth at the state If he come abrode and speake to any other further with it is taken for a iuste conspicacie If he saye nothing and shewe a mery countenaunce it i◅ a token that he despiceth the gouernement If he loke sorowfully than he lamenteth the state of his countreye how many so euer be for any cause committed to prison are not only asked but be racked also to shewe whether he be pryuie of their doinges If he de parte bicause he wold lyue quietly than is he proclaimed on open enemye To be shorte ther is no doing no gesture no behaueour no place can preserue or defende innocency against suche a gouernours crueltie but as an huntour maketh wilde beastes his praie and vseth toiles nettes snares trappes dogges firret tes mynyng and digging the grounde gōnes bowes speares and all other instrumentes engynes deuises subtilties ād meanes Wherby he maie come by his praye so dothe a wicked gouernour make the people his game and praye and vseth all kindes of subtilties deceates craftes policies force violence crueltie and suche like deuillishe wayes to spoyle and destroye the people that be cōmitted to his charge And whan he is not hable without most manifest crueltie to doo by him self that he desireth than fayneth he vniust causes to cast them in to prison wher like as the bearewardes mosell the beares and tye them to the stakes whyles they be baited and killed of mastyues and curres so he kepeth them in chaines whilest the bishoppes and other his tormentours and heretical inquisitours doo teare and deuoure them Fynally he saieth and denyeth he promiseth and breaketh promyse he sweareth and ◅orsweareth and nother passeth on God nor the deuil as the commyng sayeng is so he maye bring to passe that be desireth Suche an euil gouernour proprely men call a Tiranne Now forasmuche as ther is no expresse positiue lawe for punishement of a Tyranne among christen men the question is whether it be laufull to kill suche a monstre and cruell beast couered with the shape of a man And first for the better and more playne profe of this mater the manifolde and continuall examples that haue ben from tyme to tyme of the deposing of kinges and killing of tyrānes doo most certainly con firme it to be most true iust and cōsonaunt to Goddes iudgement The historie of kinges in the olde testament is full of it And as Carnal Phoole truly citeth England lacketh not the practice and experience of the same For they depriued king Edwarde the seconde bicause without lawe he killed his subiectes spoiled them of their goodes and wasted the treasure of the Realme And upon what iust causes Richard the the secōde was thrust out and Hēry the fourth put in his place I referre it to their owne iudgement Denmarke also now in our dayes did nobly the like act◅ whan they depriued Christierne the tiranne and committed him to perpetual prison Zacharias the pope that inuented first the lampes in the churche deposed Chilperichus king of Fraunce bicause he was sayed to be a lecherous persone and an unprofitable gouernour of the realme and forced him to be a monke and made Pipine father of Charles king of Fraunce Pope Honorious as ye hearde before commaunded that the king of Vngarie should be depriued bicause he diminished the rightes of the Crowne onles he repented and vndid all that he had done A certayn king of Portugale was very negligēt in his office he cōsumed ād wasted awaye the trea sure of his Realme he oppressed his subiectes ād misu sed thē Wherfore Pope inocēt the fourth made the kī ges brother therle of Bolone coadiutour to the king ād gaue hī the hole charge of the Realme discharged the people of their othe to the king and commaūded them to be obedient to the kinges brother in all thinges as king But the Popes learned counsail saied that he ought to haue bē vtterly deposed of the Crow ne These doinges of Popes I rehearse not as though their usurped autoritie were to be allowed but for that ye maye see that it is no newe thing to depose euil kinges ād gouernours ād that those that haue the iust autoritie maie and ought for the like causes doo as they did For albeit thautoritie of the pope be not laufull yet is the reason that moued them so to doo honest and iust and mete to be