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A00278 VVhether it be a mortall sinne to transgresse ciuil lawes which be the commaundementes of ciuill magistrates. The iudgement of Philip Melancton in his epitome of morall philosophie. The resolution of D. Hen. Bullinger, and D. Rod. Gualter, of D. Martin Bucer, and D. Peter Martyr, concernyng thapparrel of ministers, and other indifferent thinges. Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560. aut; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575. aut; Gwalther, Rudolf, 1519-1586. aut; Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551. aut; Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575. Briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration. aut 1570 (1570) STC 10391.5; ESTC S119567 38,613 108

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twise within these fewe yeres Firste in the yere of our Lorde 1504. beyng violently assaulted more then a moneth together by a valiaunt armie of the Switzers After that of late in the yere of our Lorde 1525. whan the vplandishe people had stirred vp an horrible commotion and had moued sedition generallye throughout all Germanie at what tyme my countreymē remayned in their allegeances towardes their princes And wheras the rebels had assembled out of the landes of Spira Whitenberg on both sides of the towne to spoile th● marchaundize whiche were then to be carried from Franckford into Sweuia becaus● that these rebelles had made the passage daungerous these marchaundizes were left with vs and committed to the fidelitie v●liantnes of our countreymē In this daunge● the fayth courage of my countreymen dy● most manifestly appeare for both those fur●ous rebelles were repelled by force of arme● from the towne those goodes committe● to their custodie were to their great commendation defended agaynst all violence Feare and Honor parteyneth to th● mynde Feare signifieth obedience from the hear● Honor signifieth not onely extern● reuerence but also a reuerence in the consc●ence And here is a difference betwixt Chr●stian men and wicked men For wicked me● do onely feare the ciuill punishmentes an● this feare is soone slypped out of euyll men● heartes but Christian men do truely fear● the magistrate because they feare God an● for that they knowe hym to reuenge all contempt agaynst the magistrate Wycked ●en shewe outwardlye the signes of reue●ence but inwardlye they thynke very yll ●f the magistrates as the Philosophers do ●estifye in their bookes holdyng by disputa●ion that the publique state of gouernement ●s but mere tyrannye But the Christian men do truely geue honor to the magistrate ●nd herein standeth honour to attribute to ●hem power liberalitie wysedome and iu●tice And wheras Christian men be perswa●ed that all power is ordeyned of God and ●hat it is maintayned from God aboue they ●cknowledge that power and thinke that ●hey be bounde to geue place and submit ●hemselues therunto And they also acknow●edge that bounteousnesse because they see ●hat mankinde hath hygh corporal benefites ●y the magistrate that is to say peace de●ēce of their owne life of their wiues of their ●hyldren and quietnesse to seeke for their ly●yng to learne religion and other good sci●nces These be those great benefites such as ●o greater cā be expressed in worldly causes ●or these christian men geue thākes to god ●ecause that he graunteth these thinges by ●he magistrate And agayne of their partie they shewe thankfulnesse towarde the magistrates And whereas they be perswaded that this power is ruled from God aboue that these benefites be geuen from thence they pray to God for the magistrate that he woulde vouchsafe to gouerne him to conserue the publique peace for they know that not onely wicked men but also the deuyll himselfe lay in waight against princes and that without ceasing they practise the destruction of all mankinde Therefore this is the chiefe honor whiche the onely christian man attributeth to the magistrate that is to say Thankes geuing to our God and prayer for the magistrate As Hieremie geueth speciall precept in this cause that the Iewes in their exile would pray for the kyng of Babilon all his whole kingdome And Paul biddeth that we shoulde pray for the magistrate And verily there is no greater or vehementer exercise of fayth amongst so many publique perils than prayer for publique peace And it is our part to vnderstand those peryls and to iudge them to parteyne to our selfe Furthermore the christians attribut● to the magistrates wysedome and iustice that is they do not preferre their priuate iudgementes before the lawes and decrees of the magistrate but obey them Thei quarrell not with them they do not disanull the lawes and this honor is most necessarie to the pulique peace not to vse cauillation agaynst the lawes nor enuiously to interpret thē Moreouer hereto it belōgeth to couer to excuse and to mitigate the ouersightes of the lawes of the magistrates This courteous interpretation as it is necessarie in our priuate cōuersation so much more is it necessarie in publike societie towards the magistrate as it is written Loue beareth al things and loue is the bonde of perfection to preuent all dissolutions of the common wealth Agayne Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Againe Obei your magistrates though they be rigorous Rude and vnskilfull men are diligētly to be admonished in this that they quarrel not nor chaunge the lawes and publique institutions Father Noe dyd curse his sonne Cham for that he vncouered hym and scorned hym and euen so let them be assured whiche depraue the lawes they which malitiously make the worst of the magistrates ouersightes that they be cursed o● God and shal be punished for this offence for that they geue not due honor to the lawes and magistrates and this slaunderous reprehension of lawes ought the rather to be eschewed because it bringeth foorth horribl● commotions in the common wealth As Xenophon prudently sayth Al innouatiōs in the cōmon wealth to be very daungerous And Plato saith As a man ought not to vse any violence to his father beyng in dotage so lykewyse should there no extremitie be shewed to the coūtrey in their weakenes For it is impossible that great alterations in common wealthes shoulde be ended without manslaughter Howbeit when the magistrate doth commaunde that we shoulde our selues do any thyng agaynst the precept of God obedienc● is not to be geuen but in this case the rule is to be folowed VVe ought to obey god more than men To the reuerende fathers in Christe D. Rob. Horne Bishop of VVinchester D. Ed. Grindal Bishop of London D. Ioh. Parcuste B. of Norwiche his honorable Lordes and most deare brethren in Englande RYght reuerende honorable Lordes and dearely beloued brethren the Lorde Iesus blesse you and preserue you from all euyll We send● you here our opinion concerning matters of apparrell written to our worshipfull frende maister N. and maister M. those godly and learned men And for that cause we sende it vnto you that you might vnderstande we deale not with our brethren priuily without your knowledge who are the principall and cheefe ministers and that so muche as in vs lyeth we seeke the vnitie and concorde of your congregations in all respectes And we heartely beseeche almightie God to haue a speciall regarde of your estate and to continue you in one consent an● vnitie We earnestly exhort you ryght honorable and deare brethren to be carefull fo● those faythfull ministers and learned men for they haue commōly their affections Fo● which cause the apostle warneth vs that on● helpe to beare anothers burthen You ma● by your aucthoritie do very muche with th● most noble Lady your Queene bryng it the●fore to passe with her Maiestie that our goo● brethren may be reconciled
desolation may arise And in the other part of offence how much euyll is it that the quietnes of th● Church common weale is troubled ▪ In this corporal lyfe we haue neede of ceremonies for order sake or for decency whic● for man is most semely For if this order b● disanull●d infinite cōfusion doth folowe Fo● where there is no aucthoritie of teachers no certayne tymes to teache no certayne teachers no certayne forme of doctrine in such confusion neyther can the Gospell be preserued neyther the Churche instructed Finally as order consent of publike ordinances doth ioyne mē in felowship together so cōfusion of order doth separate mēs minds breadeth horrible tumultes endles warre Let vs then thinke that in breache of traditions the example commonly and easyly spreadeth abroade amongst others Let vs consyder what euil is in an example Wherfore lest we burthen our consciences with daunger lest we hurt others let vs obserue with greater care the publique ordinaunces whatsoeuer It is tyrannical to regarde more what delighteth our selues then what may do good to others for we are not borne vnto our selues but our lyfe parteyneth vnto others especially vnto the Churche that is to the glorie of Christ to the conseruation of the ministerie and the retayning of discipline for the people These two things whiche are the greatest the Churche desyreth cheefly to defende Herein let vs shewe our obedience our diligence and endeuour for the common quietnesse and health of vs all Plato sayth we must loue our coūtrey mor● then our mother because our countrey is a certayne heauenly thyng But the Churche ought to be our true countrey and this truely is heauenly for it is the Temple of God and the congregation of the members of Christe Wherefore this we must loue and wyllyngly obey it and yeelde much vnto th● profit tranquilitie therof Paul calleth traditions beggerly elements which although they be beggerlye that is small thynges transitorie not eternal they are no worshippyng they are no ryghteousnes yet they are elementes that is ordinaunces whiche this corporal lyfe can not wante because of discipline and good orders sake Wherfore thos● ordinaunces are not to be disanulled but Paules counsaile must be consydered who although he cal them beggerly yet he calleth them elementes so taketh away the prayse of ryghteousnesse shewing styl that there be ordinaunces which haue their profite Great is the for●e of discipline there is no sweeter harmonye then good order in a common wealth Therfore these are called elementes ▪ that is ordinaunces whiche preserue tha● harmonie Philip Melancton vppon the .xiii. Chapter of Paules Epistle to the Romanes LET euerye soule be subiect vnto the hygher powers for there is no power but of god The powers that be are ordained of god VVhosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God thei that resist shall receaue to them selues damnation For rulers are not fearefull to good workes but to the euyl VVylt thou not feare the power do well thou shalt haue prayse of the same for he is the minister of God for thy wealth But if thou do euil feare for he beareth not the sworde in vayne for he is the minister of God reuenger of wrath on him that doth euyll VVherefore ye must needes be subiecte not onely for feare of punishement but also because of conscience c. In the ende of this precept standeth th● cōclusion the proposition repeated againe That of necessitie we muste obey And that certaynely for conscience sake no● onely for the penaltie This addition or exaggeration muste b● diligently consydered He that is taken of a theefe yf he can auoyde hym escapeth without offence But contrary yf any man could cast from him such charges as the magistrat● commaundeth yet he cannot reiect them without sinne without the magistrate agreeth thereto for that we be necessarily● bounde to the magistrates and also for conscience Some teachers haue holden in disputation that the preceptes of the magistrate● do not bynde to mortall sinne because ● mere man cannot inflicte a payne eternall But the errour of these men is playnly confuted by the testimonie of saint Paul whic● sayth VVe must be subiect not onely for penaltie but also for conscience that is lest our conscience shoulde be defiled with mortall sinne Ergo it is mortall sinne to breake the statutes of the magistrate for that God hath made vs subiect to magistrates and he layeth his punishment vpon suche as contemne the magistrate because therein also the aucthoritie of God is contemned And here may it appeare that in the Gospell the aucthoritie of the magistrate is more confirmed and defended than in any other doctrine for no other doctrine so earnestly byndeth men to obedience For the Gospell doth commaunde obedience not onely for corporall or temporall paynes but also to escape the wrath of God an eternall payne and there is no bonde greater than this bonde of conscience Therefore Emperor Iulian and suche other dyd great wrong to the Gospell when they wrote that the doctrine of the Gospell dissolueth pollicie And for this cause pay you tribute for thei are Gods ministers seruing for the same purpose Gyue to euery man therefore his duetie Tribute to whom tribute is due Custome to whom custome Feare to whom feare Honor to whom honor belongeth Before he spake generally of obedience nowe he addeth the speciall kyndes thereof in commaundyng to yeelde three thinges to wit tribute feare and honor Tribute comprehendeth all externall burdens whiche b● due as impositions customes diligence marshall exercise such lyke seruices eyther of body or of goodes For why the common wealth can not be defended vnlesse the princes receaue ayde of the laboure and charge of the subiectes Therefore in this place Paul affirmeth tribute custome to be due in saying that therfore you do pay tribute for herein the ministers of God namely for their ministerie which is the preseruatiō of the common wealth be occupied but this preseruation asketh the helpe both of souldiers and other seruitours not onely in warre but also in peace Although considering indifferently we finde that euery magistrate continually do warre whylest he punisheth runne gates theeues and pickers And for so muc● as such people as these can not be suppressed without the helpe of souldiers and citizens By duetie we are bound to the maintenance of suche assistaunce to make contribution whē the greatnes of the daunger doth so require to minister our further helpe to the magistrate in that behalfe And as officers sent to apprehēd runagates are bound faithfully to do the same so souldiers in time of warre their cities being beseeged are bound faithfully to defend the holdes committed to their charge to the vttermost that they may In this kind of duetie deserueth great commendations my countrie Bruta situate aboue Spires in the territorie of the prince Palatine For it was defended by the citizens with loyall sayth great constancie