speake the Scriptures and thus experience testisieth of good and evill Princes What shall Subiects doe then shall they obey valiant stout wise and good Princes and condemne disobey and rebell against Children being their Princes or against undiscreet and evill Governours God forbid For first what a perilous thing were it to commit unto Subiects the Judgement which Prince is wise and godly and his government good and which is otherwise as though the foote must iudge of the head and enterprize very haynous and must needs breed rebellion For who else bee they that are most enclined to rebellion but such haughty Spirits from whom springeth such foule ruine of Realmes Is not rebellion the greatest of all mischeifes And who are most ready to the greatest mischeifes but the worst men rebels therefore the worst of all Subiects are most ready to rebellion as being the worst of all vices and furthest from the duty of a good Subiect as on the contrary part the best Subiects are most firme and constant in obedience as in the speciall and peculiar vertue of good Subiects what an unworthy matter were in then to make the naughtiest Subiects and most enclining to rebellion and all evill Judges over their Princes over their Government and over their Conunsellours to determine which of them bee good or tollerable and which bee evill and so intollerable that they must needs bee removed by rebels being ever ready as the naughriest Subiects soonest to rebell against the best Princes especially if they bee young in age women in sex or gentle and courteous in government as trusting by their wicked boldnesse easily to overthrow their weakenesse and gentlenesse or at least so to feare the minds of such Princes that they may have impunity of their mischeivous doings But whereas indeed a Rebell is worse then the worst Prince and rebellion worse than the worst government of the worst Prince that hitherto hath beene both Rebels are unmeete Ministers and rebellion an unfit and unwholesome medicine to reforme any small lacks in a Prince or to cure any little greifes in government such lewd remedies being farre worse then any other maladies and disorders that can bee in the body of a Common-wealth But whatsoever the Prince bee or his government it is evident that for the most part those Princes whom some Subjects doe thinke to bee very godly and under whose government they rejoyce to live some other Subjects doe take the same to bee evill and ungodly and doe wish for a change If therefore all Subjects that mislike of their Prince should rebell no Realme should ever bee without rebellion It were more meet that Rebels should heare the advice of wise men and give place unto their Judgement and follow the example of obedient Subjects as reason is that they whose understanding is blinded with so evill an affection should give place to them that bee of sound Judgement and that the worst should give place to the better And so might the Realmes continue in long obedience peace and quietnesse But what if the Prince bee undiscreet and evill indeed and it bee also evident to all mens eyes that hee is so I aske againe What if it bee long of the wickednesse of the Subjects that the Prince is undiscreet or evill shall the Subjects both by their wickednesse provoke God for their deserved punishment to give them an undiscreet or evill Prince and also rebell against him and withall against God who for the punishment of their sinnes did give them such a Prince will you heare the Scriptures concerning this point God Iob 34. 10. Hosea 13. saith the holy Scriptures maketh a wicked man to raigne for the sinnes of the people Againe God giveth a Prince in his anger meaning an evill one and taketh away a Prince in his displeasure meaning especially when hee taketh away a good Prince for the sinnes of the people as in our memory hee tooke away our good Iosiah King Edward in his young and good yeares for our wickednesse And contrary the Scriptures doe teach that God giveth wisedome unto Princes and maketh a wise and a good King to raigne over that people whom hee loveth 2 Sam. 2.9 and who loveth him And againe if the people obey God both they and their King shall prosper and bee safe Prov. 16. else both shall perish 1 King 12. as God saith by the mouth of Samuel Here you see that God placeth as well evill Princes as good and for what cause hee doth both If wee therefore will have a good Prince either to bee given us or to continue Now wee have such a one let us by our obedience to God and to our Prince move God thereunto if wee will have an evill Prince when God shall send such a one taken away and a good in his place let us take away our wickednesse which provoketh God to place such a one over us and God will either displace him or of an evill Prince make him a good Prince so that wee will first change our evill into good Prov. 21. For will you heare the Scriptures The heart of the Prince is in Gods hand which way so ever it pleaseth him hee turneth it Thus saith the Scriptures Wherefore let us turne from our sinnes unto the Lord with our hearts and hee will turne the heart of the Prince to quiet and wealth else for subiects to deserve to have an evill Prince through their sinnes and then to rebell against him were a double and a treble evill by provoking God more to plague them Nay let us either deserve to have a good Prince or let us patiently suffer and obey such as wee deserve And whether the Prince bee good or evill let us according to the counsell of the holy Scriptures pray for the Prince for his continuance and increase in goodnesse if hee bee good and for his amendment if hee bee evill Well you heare the Scriptures concerning this most necessary point 1 Tim. 2. I exhort therefore saith Saint Paul that above all things prayers supplications intercessions and giving of thankes bee had for all men for Kings and all that are in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life withall Godlinesse for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour c. This is Saint Pauls counsell And who I pray you was the Prince over the most part of the Christians when Gods holy Spirit by Saint Pauls penne gave them this lesson for sooth Caligula Claudius or Nero who were not onely no Christians but Pagans and also either foolish Rulers or most cruell Tyrants Will you yet heare the word of God to the Jewes when they were prisoners under Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon after hee had slaine their King Nobles Parents Children and Kinsfolkes burned their Countrey Cities yea Hierusalem it selfe and the holy Temple and had carried the residue remaining alive captives with him unto Babylon Will you heare yet what the
roaring of a Lyon and the very messenger of death and that the subject that provoketh him to displeasure sinneth against his owne soule with many other things concerning both the authority of Princes and the duty of Subjects but here let us rehearse two especiall places out of the new Testament which may stand in stead of all other The first out of Saint Pauls Epistle to the Romans and the 13. Chapter Rom. 13. where hee writeth thus unto all Subjects Let every soule bee subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that bee are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation For Princes are not to bee feared for good workes but for evill Wilt thou then bee without feare of the power Doe well so shalt thou have praise of the same for hee is the Minister of God for thy wealth but if thou doe evill feare for hee beareth not the sword for nought for hee is the Minister of God to take vengeance upon him that doth evill Wherefore yet must bee subject not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake for for this cause yee pay also tribute for they are Gods Ministers serving for the same purpose Give to every man therefore his due tribute to whom tribute belongeth Custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whom yee owe honour Thus farre are Saint Pauls words The second place is in Saint Peters Epistle and the second Chapter whose words are these Submit your selves unto all manner of ordinances of man for the Lords sake whether it bee unto the King as unto the cheife head either unto the ruler as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evill doers but for the cherishing of them that doe well For so is the will of God that with well doing yee may stop the mouths of ignorant and foolish men as free and not as having the liberty for a cloake of maliciousnesse but even as the servants of God Honour all men love brotherly fellowship feare God honour the King Servants obey your Masters with feare not onely if they bee good and courteous but also though they bee froward Thus farre out of Saint Peter By these two places of holy Scripture it is most evident that Kings Queenes and other Princes for hee speaketh of authority and power bee it in men or women are ordained of God and to bee honoured and obeyed of their subjects that such subjects as are disobedient or rebellious against their Princes disobey God and procure their owne damnation That the Government of Princes is a great blessing of God given for the Common-wealth especially for the good and Godly for the comforting and cherishing of whom God giveth and setteth up Princes And on the contrary part to the feare and for the punishment of the evill and wicked Finally that if servants ought to obey their Masters not onely being gentle but such as bee froward as well and much more ought subjects to bee obedient not onely to their good and courteous but also to their sharp and rigorous Princes It cometh therefore neither of chance and fortune as they termo it nor of the ambition of mortall men and women climbing up of their owne accord to Dominion that there bee Kings Queenes Princes and other Governours over men being their subjects but all Kings Queenes and other Governours are especially appointed by the ordinance of God And as God himselfe being of an infinite Maiesty Power Psal 1.6.16 and 45 6. c. and 47.2 and Wisedome ruleth and governeth all things in Heaven and Earth as the universall Monarch and onely King and Emperour over all as being onely able to take and beare charge of all Eccles 17. so hath hee constituted ordained and set earthly Princes over particular Kingdomes and Dominions in earth both for the avoyding of all confusion which else would bee in the World if it should bee without Governours and for the great quiet and benefite of earthly men their subiects and also that the Princes themselves in authority power wisedome providence and righteousnesse in government of people and Countries committed to their charge should resemble his heavenly governance as the Maiesty of heavenly things may be the basenesse of earthly things bee shadowed and resembled and for that similitude that is betweene the heavenly Monarchy PLACE = marg Matth. 18.23 and 22.12 and earthly Kingdomes well governed our Saviour CHRIST in sundry parables saith that the Kingdome of Heaven is resembled unto a man a King Psal 10.16 and 45. and 47.2 c. and as the name of a King is very often given and attributed unto God in the holy Scriptures so doth God himselfe sometime vouchsafe to communicate his name with earthly Princes terming them Gods Matth. 22.13 and 25.34 doublesse for that similitude of government which they have or should have not unlike unto God their King Psal 82.6 unto which similitude of heavenly government the neerer and neerer that an earthly Prince doth come in his regiment the greater blessing of Gods mercy is hee unto that Countrey and people over whom hee raigneth And the further and further that an earthly Prince doth swarve from the example of heavenly government the greater plague is hee of Gods wrath and punishment by Gods iustice unto that Countrey and people over whom God for their sinnes have placed such a Prince and Governour For it is indeed evident both by Scriptures and by dayly experience that the maintenance of all vertue and Godlinesse and consequently of the wealth and prosperity of a Kingdome and people doth stand and rest more in a wise and good Prince on the one part then in great multitudes of other men being subiects and on the contrary part the overthrow of all vertue and godlinesse and consequently the decay and utter ruine of a Realme and people doth grow and come more by an undiscreet and evill Governour then by many thousands of other men being subiects Thus saith the holy Scripture Eccles 10.16 Prov. 16. and 29. Eccles 10. Isay 2. Well is thee O thou Land saith the Preacher whose King is come of Nobles and whose Princes eat in due season for necessity and not for lust Againe a wise and righteous King maketh his Realme and people wealthy And a good mercifull and gracious Prince is a shadow in heat as a defence in stormes as deaw as sweet showers as fresh water springs in great drought Againe the Scriptures of undiscreet and evill Princes speake thus Eccles 10.16 Woe bee to thee O thou Land whose King is but a Child and whose Princes are early at their Bankquets Againe when the wicked doe raigne then men goe to ruine And againe Prov. 28. and 29. a foolish Prince destroyeth the people and a covetous King undoeth his Subjects Thus
Almighty God commanded to be slaine according to the Iustice of God against his sworne enemy and although Saul of a devotion meant to sacrifice such things as he spared of the Amalekites to the honour and service of God yet Saul was reproved for his wrong mercy and devotion and was told that obedience would more have pleased him then such lenity which sinnefull humanity saith holy Chrysostome is more cruell before God then any murther or shedding of bloud when it is commanded of God But yet how evill soever Saul the King was and out of Gods favour yet was he obeyed of his subject David the very best of all subjects and the most valiant in the service of his Prince and Countrey in the warres the most obedient and loving in peace and alwayes most true and faithfull to his Soveraigne and Lord and farthest off from all manner of rebellion For which his most painefull true and faithfull service King Saul yet rewarded him not onely with great unkindnesse but also sought his destruction and death by all meanes possible so that David was faine to save his life not by rebellion nor any resistance but by slight and hiding himselfe from the Kings sight Which notwithstanding when King Saul upon a time came alone into the Cave where David was so that David might easily have slaine him yet would he neither hurt him himselfe neither suffer any of his men to lay hands upon him Another time also David entring by night with one Abisai a valiant and feirce man into the Tent where King Saul did lie asleepe where also he might yet more easily have slain him yet would he neither hurt him himselfe nor suffer Abisai who was willing and ready to slay King Saul once to touch him Thus did David deale with Saul his Prince notwithstanding that King Saul continually sought his death and destruction It shall not be amisse unto these deeds of David to adde his words and to shew you what he spake unto such as encouraged him to take his opportunity 1 King 24.7 and advantage to slay King Saul as his mortall enemy when he might The Lord keepe mee saith David from doing that thing 1 King 26.9 and from laying hands upon my Lord Gods annointed For who can lay his hand upon the Lords aunointed and be guiltlesse As truly as the Lord liveth except that the Lord doe smite him or his day shall come to dye or that he goe downe to the warre and be slaine in battell the Lord bee mercifull unto mee that I lay not my hand upon the Lords annointed These be Davids words spoken at sundry times to divers of his servants provoking him to slay King Saul when opportunity served him thereunto Neither is it to bee omitted and left out how when an Amalekite had slaine King Saul even at Sauls owne bidding and commandement 1 King 24. for he would live no longer now for that hee had lost the field against his enemies the Philistines the said Amalekite making great hast to bring first word and newes thereof unto David as joyous unto him for the death of his mortall enemy bringing withall the Crowne that was upon King Sauls head and the bracelet that was about his arme both as a proofe of the truth of his newes and also as fit and pleasant presents unto David 2 King 1.12 being by God appointed to be King Saul his Successour in the Kingdome Yet was that faithfull and godly David so farre from rejoycing at these newes that he rent his cloathes wept mourned and fasted and so far off from thankes giving to the messenger either for his deed in killing the King though his deadly enemy 2 King 1.4 or for his message and newes or for his presents that hee brought that hee said unto him How happened it that thou wast not afraid to lay hands upon the Lords annoynted to kill him whereupon immediately he commanded one of his servants to kill the messenger and said Thy bloud be upon thine owne head for thine own mouth hath witnessed against thy selfe in confessing that thou hast slaine the Lords annoynted This example dearely beloved is notable and the circumstances thereof are well to bee considered for the better instruction of all subjects in their bounden duty of obedience and perpetuall fearing of them from attempting of any rebellion or hurt against their Prince On the one part David was not onely a good and true subject but also such a subject as both in peace and war had served 1 King 8.18 and saved his Princes honour and life and delivered his Countrey and Countreymen from great danger of Infidels forraigne and most cruell enemies horribly invading the King and his Countrey for which David was in singular favour withall the people so that hee might have had great numbers of them at his commandement 1 King 16. if he would have attempted any thing Besides this David was no common or absolute subject but heir apparent to the Crowne and Kingdome by God appointed to raigne after Saul which as it encreased the favour of the people that knew it towards David so did it make Davids cause and case much differing from the case of common and absolute subjects And which is most of all David was highly and singularly in the favour of God 2 King 15.11 On the contrary part King Saul was out of Gods favour for that cause which is before rehearsed he as it were Gods enemy 1 King 18.10 and therefore like in warre and peace to be hurtfull and pernicious unto the Common-wealth and that was knowne to many of his subjects for that he was openly rebuked of Samuel for his disobedience unto God which might make the people lesse to esteeme him King Saul was also unto David a mortall and deadly enemy 1 King 15. and 22. and 26. though without Davids deserving who by his faithfull painefull profitable yea most necessary service had well deserved as of his Countrey so of his Prince But King Saul far otherwise the more was his unkindnesse hatred and cruelty towards such a good subject both odious and detestable Yet would David neither himselfe slay nor hurt such an enemy for that he was his Prince and Lord nor would suster any other to kill hurt or lay hand upon him when hee might have beene slaine without any stirre tumult or danger of any mans life Now let David answer to such demands The Demand as men desirous of rebellion doe use to make Shall not we especially being so good men as we are rise and rebell against a Prince hated of God and Gods enemy and therefore not like to prosper either in warre or peace but to bee hurtfull and pernicious to the Common-wealth The Answer No saith good and godly David Gods and such a Kings faithfull subject and so convicting such subjects as attempt any rebellion against such a King The Demand to bee neither good subjects nor
sometime the most flowrishing part of Christiandâ—me into the hands of the Turkes The lamentable deminishing decay and ruine of Christian religion the dreadfull encrease of Paganisme and power of the Infidells and miscroants and all by the practise and procurement of the Bishop of Rome chiefely as in the Histories and Chronicles written by the Bishop of Romes owne favourers and friends is to be seene and as well knowne unto all such as are acquainted with the said Histories The ambituous intents and most subtill drifts of the Bishops of Rome in these their practises appeared evidently by their bold attempts in spoyling and robbing the Emperours of their Townes Cities Dominions and Kingdomes in Italy Lombardie and Cisily of ancient right belonging unto the Empire and by joyning of them unto their Bishopricke of Rome or else giving them unto strangers to hold them of the Church and Bishop of Rome as in Capito and as of the chiefe Lords thereof in which tenure they hold the most part thereof even at this day by these ambitious and indeede trayterous meanes and spoyling of their Soveraigne Lords the Bishops of Rome of Priests and none other by right then the Bishops of one City and Diocesse are by false usurpation become great Lord of many Dominions mighty Princes yea or Emperours rather as claiming to have divers Princes and Kings to be their vassalls leigemen and subjects as in the same Histories written by their owne Familiars and Courtiers is to be seene And indeede since the time that the Bishops of Rome by ambition treason and usurpation archieved and attained to this height and greatnesse they behaved themselves more like Princes Kings and Emperours in all things then remained like Priests Bishops and Ecclesiasticall or as they would be called spirituall persons in any one thing at all For after this rate they have handled other Kings and Princes of other Realmes throughout Christendome as well as their Soveraigne Lords the Emperours usually discharging their subjects of their oath of fidelitie and so stirring them up to Rebellion against their naturall Prince whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified unto you Wherefore let all good subjects knowing these the speciall instruments and ministers of the devill to the stirring up of all rebellions avoyd and flee them and the pestilent sugestions of such forraigne usurpers and their adherents and embrace all obedience to God and their naturall Princes and Soveraignes that they may enjoy Gods blessing and their Princes favour all peace quietnesse and security in this World and finally attaine through CHRIST our Saviour life everlasting in the World to come Which God the Father for the same our Saviour IESUS CHRIST his sake grant unto us all to whom with the holy Ghost bee all honour and glory World without end Amen The sixth SERMON NOw whereas the injuries oppressions raveny and tyranny of the Bishops of Rome usurping as well against their naturall Lords the Emperours as against all other Christian Kings and Kingdomes and their continuall stirring of subjects unto rebellions against their Soveraigne Lords whereof I have partly admonished you before were intollerable and it may seeme more than marvaile that any subjects would after such sort hold with unnaturall forraigne usurpers against their owne Soveraigne Lords and naturall Countrey It remaineth that I doe declare the meanes whereby they compassed these matters and so conclude this whole Treaty of due obedience and against disobedience and wilfull Rebellion You shall understand that by ignorance of Gods word wherein they kept all men specially the common people they wrought and brought to passe all these things making them beleeve that all that they said was true all that they did was good and godly and that to hold with them in all things against Father Mother Prince Countrey and all men was most meritorious And indeed what mischiefe will not blind ignorance lead simple men unto By ignorance the Jewish Clergy induced the common people to aske the delivery of Barrabas the seditious murtherer and to sue for the cruell crucifying of our Saviour CHRST for that he rebuked the ambition superstition and other vices of the High Priests and Clergy For as our Saviour CHRIST testified that those who crucified him wist not what they did so doth the holy Apostle Saint Paul say If they had knowne if they had not beene ignorant they would never have crucified the Lord of glory but they knew not what they did Our Saviour CHRIST himselfe also foreshewed that it should come to passe by ignorance that those who should persecute and murther his true Apostles and Disciples should thinke they did God acceptable sacrifice and good service as it al o is verified even at this day And in this ignorance have the Bishops of Rome kept the people of God specially the common sort by no meanes so much as by withdrawing of the word of God from them and by keeping it under the vaile of an unknowne strange tongue For as it served the ambitious humour of the Bishops of Rome to compell all Nations to use the naturall language of the City of Rome where they were Bishops which shewed a certaine acknowledging of subjection unto them so yet served it much more their crafty purpose thereby to keepe all people so blind that they not knowing what they prayed what they beleeved what they were commanded by God might take all their commandements for Gods For as they would not suffer the holy Scriptures of Church-service to bee used or had in any other language then the Latine so were very few eyen of the most simple people taught the Lords prayer the articles of the faith and the tenne Commandements otherwise then in Latine which they understood not by which universall ignorance all men were ready to beleeve whatsoever they said and to doe whatsoever they commanded For to imitate the Apostles phrase If the Emperours subâ—ects had knowne out of Gods word their duty to their Prince they would not have suffered the Bishop of Rome to perswade them to forsake their Soveraigne Lord the Emperour against their oath of fidelity and to rebell against him onely for that hee cast Images unto the which Idolatry was committed out of the Churches which the Bishop of Rome bare them in band to bee heresie If they had knowne of Gods word but as much as the tenne Commandements they should have found that the Bishop of Rome was not onely a Traytour to the Emperour his liege Lord but to God also and an horrible blasphemer of his Majesty in calling his Holy word and Commandement heresie and that which the Bishop of Româ— tooke for a just cause to rebell against his lawfull Prince they might have knowne to bee a doubling and trebling of his most haynous wickednesse heaped with horrible impiety and blasphemy But lest the poore people should know too much hee would not let them have as much of Gods word as the tenne Commandements wholy and perfectly withdrawing