Mauritius the Emperour from heauen and lest any should imagine Priests exempted he saith in the same place to the same Prince Sacerdotes meos tuae mâ—nui commisi and epist. lib. 2. epist. 103. Christ hath appointed Mauritius to be ruler not ouer souldiers onely but ouer Priests also Iustinian who fauoured the Church and of all other Emperors inlarged most the priuiledges of Church men inacted this law Let no Bishop be brought or presented against his will before the Captaine or ciuill Iudge vnlesse the Prince shall so command Our Sauiour Christ the best Interpreter of Gods law doth shew both by precept and practise that Clergy men owe subiection and loialty to the ciuill Magistrate so Bernard writes Howsoeuer you Bishops hold your selues free yet Christ alitèr iussit aliter gessit He taught otherwise Luke 20.25 speaking vnto Priests Giue to Caesar the things which are Caesars He wrought otherwise for being a Priest and a Prophet he submitted himselfe to the Roman Magistrate confessing the Presidents power to be from heauen His Apostles did tread in their Masters steps Acts 25. Paul appealed vnto Caesar and appeared before Caesar as his lawfull gouernour Saint Iude detested them for false Prophets who despised gouernment and spake ill of those that are in authority Saint Peter exhorted all men to submit themselues vnto Gods ordinance whether it be to the King as to the superior or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well I will not write Iliads after Homer nor dispute this point after those reuerend fathers of incomparable iudgement and industry Iewel Bilson Andrewes in dispari genere par laus Each of theÌ„ hath fought the battell of the Lord valiantly the first with a sword the two latter haue stabbed the Popes supremacie with a dagger euen to death Secondly Libertines Anabaptists are confounded by this vniuersalitie who thinke themselues free from all lawes In Germany they would haue framed a politike body like the body of Polyphemus without his eye or like the confused Chaos in old time when height and depth light and darknes were mingled together Our Apostle teacheth here that some must be subiect other soueraigne some low some high some rule some obey Popular equality is the greatest inequalitie void of all name nurture and nature of a common weale The ground on which Anabaptists haue framed their anarchie is Iames 2.1 My brethren haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus in respect of persons If no respect of persons no distinction if no distinction why should there be difference betweene bond and free Prince and people Answere is made that Saint Iames saith not Haue no respect of persons but Haue not the faith of Christ in respect of persons as he doth interpret himselfe in the verse following he speakes of grace not of place All men are fellowes in regard of the common faith and spirituall grace but all men are not fellowes in respect of authority and place for some be parents other children some masters other seruants some commoners other commanders Beasts and Diuels obserue order Rex vnus est apibus dux vnus in gregibus Among Bees there is one master among flockes of sheep one belwether The Cranes haue their Captaine Quem ordine literato sequuntur Albeit the Grashopper hath no king yet goe they forth all by bands In hell which is the kingdome of confusion there is distinction of persons and order otherwise Belzebub could not be chiefe of diuels The Libertines haue wrested also that text of Paul 1. Tim. 1.9 The law is not giuen vnto the iust or righteous man Ergo good men are exempted from obedience to lawes It is answered aptly that the iust man doth well not for feare of punishment as compelled by law but of grace and meere loue toward God and goodnesse Virtutis amore Iusto lex non est posita neque ad condemnationem neque ad coactionem Albeit there were no king nor law to command him he would be a king and a law to himselfe obeying higher powers of his owne accord with all his heart and soule Thus euery person as well Christian as heathen ecclesiasticall as laick must submit himselfe to superior powers Submit himselfe To be subiect is to suffer the Princes will to be done aut à nobis aut de nobis either of vs or on vs of vs when he commands for truth on vs when he commands against the truth either we must be patients or agents agents when he is good and godly patients when he is tyrannous and wicked Wee must vse not a sword but a buckler against a bad Prince Saint Paul heere doth not say let euery soule be subiect to Christian and vertuous gouernours but indefinitly to Potentates in that they bee Potentates as Saint Peter expresly not onely to the good and courteous but also to the froward If Peter and Paul inioined all men in their time to submit theÌ„selues vnto gouernours albeit they were worshippers of diuels and cruell persecuters of Christians how much more should we now respect and honour religious kings which are defenders of the faith and nursing fathers vnto the Church as Caesar Baronius hath well obserued against the bloody practises of turbulent statizing Iesuites I haue read and heard that the Iesuites are desirous to purge Saint Pauls Epistles especially this to the Romans as being herein more Lutheran then Catholicke This text of all othâ—r Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit is so much against their humor and honour that it is neither read in their Missale nor expounded in their Postils How Pope Boniface 8. and other Papists haue wronged this Scripture both in their precepts and practices is seene of all Christian people felt of all Protestant Princes Higher powers Not highest onely for we must obey the subordinate magistrate so well as the supreame So that this proposition hath three large extensions euery soule in euery thing must submit himselfe to euery superiour Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings vnderstand yee that are Iuâ—ges of the earth how the Church of Rome doth lessen all this extent Clergy men are exempted Ergo not euery soule Causes ecclesiasticall are excepted Ergo not in euery thing The Pope may depose what higher powers he list Ergo not to euery superiour but only to those whom his Holinesse doth not curse Thus some Princes only may command some men onely in some matters onely whereas Paul here Let euery soule submit himselfe to the authority of the higher powers c. For there is no power The reason is threefold drawne from the threefold good Ab honesto which Paul shewes à bonitate ordinantis there is no power but of God ordinationis the powers are ordained or ordered vtili for to resist is euill
tombes as Christ aptly Sepulchra quasi semipulchra exteriùs nitida interius foetida Before God but not before men as the male-content and vndiscreet professor by whose euill example the name of God is often blasphemed Neither before God nor men as the shamelesse ruffins and Atheists of the world whose glory is their shame delighting in doing euill and boasting of iniquitie reputing dishonestie no dishonour but the top of their gallantrie So Saint Augustine writes of himself before he was a saint Vbi non suberat quô admisso aequarer perditis fingebam me fecisse quod non feceram ne viderer abiector quô eram innocentior Both before God and men as Elizabeth and Zaâ—harie who were iust before God and vnreproueable before men so must euery Christian abstaine so farre as hee can from all appearance of euill yet this honest care of our cariage must not be to please men but only to praise God As S. Peter interprets S. Paul Haue your conuersation honest that they which speaâ—e euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation Let your light saith Christ shine before men not onely that they may see your good workes but also that seeing they may glorifie your father which is in heauen Vt hoc ipsum quod homo per bona opera placet hominibus non ibi finem constituat vt hominibus placeat sed referat hoc ad â—audem Dei propterea placeat hominibus vt in illô glorificetur Deus As wee may not conceale from our enemie wisedome and knowledge which are good so much lesse render euill Recompence to no man euill for euill A Magistrate may punish a malefactor and so pro malo câ—lpae render malum poenâ—e But this is not to recompence euill for euill but good for euill because corrections are directions as well to the seer as sufferer the flesh is destroyed that the spirit may be saued A Magistrate then may render euill for euill but a priuate man out of a priuate grudge may not auenge himselfe but rather giue place to wrath The which may be construed of our owne wrath The which may be construed of aduersaries anger The which may be construed of Gods iudgement Of our owne wrath as Ambrose Resiste irae â—i potes cede si non potes An hastie cholerick man is like one that dwels in a thatched house who being rich in the morne through sudden fire is a begger ere night It is extreme folly to doe any thing in furie but wisedome to giue place and space to wrath It was an excellent decree of Theodosius enacted by the counsell of S. Ambrose that execution after a seuere sentence should be deferred thirtie daies vt ira decocta durior emendari possit sententia that all heate of contention allaied if need require the seueritie of the censure might bee qualified and moderated Secondly this may bee construed of our aduersaries anger for as thunder and gunnes hurt not any thing which yeelds vnto their fury but only that which is hard and stiffe so the raging and roring of our foes are best quelled by patience Turne to the brauling curre and he will be more fierce but ride on neglecting him and he will soone be quiet You may turne the prouerbe Veterem iniuriam feres do vitas nouam Thirdly this may bee construed of Gods iudgement and that most fitly for to God onely vengeance belongs and he will auenge our cause The malitious man in reuiling thee doth treasure vp wrath against the day of wraâ—h and therefore giue place to Gods wrath Cast all your care on him â—or he â—â—reth for you Yâ—a but may we not coâ—plaine to the Magistrate for redresse of iniurie yes surâ—ly for he iâ— Gods lieutenant on earth and therefore the vulgâ—r Latine vâ—smâ—tipsâ—s dâ—fendeâ—tes is inâ—uâ—ficient as our Diuines haue well obserued and the Rhemistâ— haue well mâ—nded it râ—ading as we doe reuenge or 〈◊〉 not â—our sâ—lueâ— For we may be so wise as serpents in defending our sâ—lues howsoeuer so innocent as doueâ— in â—ffending other Hee that commits his cause to the Magistrate giues place to diuine iudgement for all superiour powers are Gods ordinance but whosoeuer auengeth his owne quarell steps into the Princes chaire of estate yea Gods owne seate dethroning both and so disturbes heauen and earth Here then is no place for duell a fault as it is vsed in England the Low Countries especiâ—llâ— France for euâ—ry punctilio of honor falsely so called against not only the rules of reason and religion as Bernard notably Quis hic tà m stupendus error quis furor hic tà m non ferendus nullis stipenâ—ijs militare niâ—i aut mortis aut criminis Nam occisor lethâ—â—â—ter peccat occisus aeternâ—liâ—er perit but euen â—gainst the first principles of that art As a Christian may warre in loue so a Christian must iarre in loue so contend with his aduersarie before the lawfull Iudge that the partie cast in the sâ—ite may bee bettered if not in his money yet in his manners and Satan onely conquerâ—d Vt qui vincitur 〈◊〉 incat vâ—nus taâ—tummoâ—o vincatur diâ—bolus Otherwise when wee sue for our rigâ—t out of rancor and malice we commit not our case to God and his deputie the Pâ—ince but make them both our deâ—uties our instruments of reuenge the which is such an horrible crime that Paul calles it a mâ—sterie of iniquitie 2. Thess. 2.7 I say this secret exalting of our selues aboue all that is called God vsing Soueraignes as seruants in our priuate quarels is to play the diuell and the Pope We may not then dissemblingly but simply giue place to wrath An hard saying and therefore Paul doth sweeten it with a louing tearme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dearely beloued as if hee should speake thus It is my loue that I write so much against malice not for your hurt but for your eternall good If you will not beleeue me beleeue God himselfe who saiâ—h in his holy word Vengeance is mine I will repay sâ—ith the Lord. God doth reuâ—nge the quarell of his children vpon the wicked in this and in the world to come In this life so the children who mocked his Prophet Eâ—â—â—â—â— were rent in peeces with beares 2. King 2. So when Hierusalem had killed the Prophets and stoned such as preached vnto her Almightie God was wâ—oth and sent foorth his warriers and destroyed those murtherers and burnt vp their citie Matth. 22.7 Three shamelesse ruffins accused Narcissâ—s a reuerend and holie Bishop of a most hainous crime confirming their accusation with imprecation the first wished if it were not so that he were burnt the second that he might dye of the iandise the third that he might lose his eyes And afterward in processe
together immoderate diet begets chambering chambering wantonnes wantonnes strife strife enuying thus sinne doth first couple then increase This text ought to be regarded of vs the more because it was the very place to which Augustine that renowned Doctour by a voyce from heauen was directed at his first conuersion as himselfe witnesseth Lib. 8. confess cap. 12. Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ. As we must put off the old man so put on the new man and that is done two waies either by putting on his merits or by putting on his maners Our Sauiour Christ in his life but in his death especially wrought for vs a garment of saluation and a long white robe of righteousnes now the spirituall hand of faith must apprehend and fit this wedding apparell on vs in such sort that all our vnrighteousnes may be forgiuen and all our sinne couered Secondly we must put on the maners and excellent vertues of Christ in whom was no worke of darknes but all armour of light so the phrase is vsed Iob 29.14 I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was a robe and a crowne This apparell is the true Perpetuan neuer the worse but the better for wearing The Gospel MATTH 21.1 And when they drew nigh vnto Hierusalem c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and ending wherefore the Church allotting a seuerall scripture for euery seueral Sunday thoroughout the whole yeare begins and ends with the comming of Christ for the conclusion of the last Gospell appointed for the last Sunday is Of a truth this is the same Prophet that should come into the world and the first sentence in the first Gospell for the first Sunday Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Wherein the Church imitated the method of Gods owne Spirit for as the first prophesie mentioâ—ed in the old Testament is The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and the first historie deliuered in the new Testament is The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ so the first Gospell on the first Dominical according to the Churches account is Aduentual a scripture describing Christ and his kingdome fitting the text vnto the time teaching vs hereby two things especially first what maner of person the Messias is who doth come secondly what maner of persons we should be now he is come In the former part obserue two points a Preface All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophet verse 4. Prophesie taken out of Zacha. 9.9 Tell the daughter of Sion c. All this was done that it might be fulfilled An vsuall phrase with our Euangelist as cap. 1.22 cap. 8.17 cap. 27. 35. It doth insinuate the sweet harmonie betweene the Prophets and Apostles as Numenius said Plato was nothing els but Moyses translated out of Hebrew into Greeke and Ascham that Virgil is nothing els but Homer turned out of Greeke into Latine and as the Nouelists affirme that our Communion Booke is nothing els but the Romane Missall and Portuis thrust out of Latine into English and as Diuines haue censured Cyprian to be nothing els but Tertullian in a more familiar and elegant stile so the new Testament is nothing els as it were but an exposition of the old That difference which Zeno put betweene Logicke and Rhetorick Diuines vsually make betweene the Law and the Gospell the Law like the fist shut the Gospell like the hand open Euangelium reuelata Lex Lex occultum Euangelium The Gospell a reuealed Law the Law a hidden Gospell This harmonicall concent may serue to confound our aduersaries and to comfort our selues It doth abundantly confute obstinate Iewes who expect another Messias to come conceiting as yet all things not to be done in the Gospell which was said of him in the Law so that whereas the great question of the world is Who is that Christ and the great question of the Church Who is that Antichrist the Iewish Rabbins are ignorant in both Secondly this harmonie conuinceth all suâ—h Hereticks as hold two sundry disagreeing Gods to be the authors of the two Testaments one of the Law another of the Gospell It affordeth also comfort first in generall it may perswade the conscience that the Bible is the booke of God For if Prolomee was astonished at the 72. Interpreters because being placed in sundry roomes and neuâ—r conferring nor seeing one another did notwithstandiâ—g write the same not only for sense of matter but in sound of words vpon the selfe-same text as Iustin Martyr and Augustine report then how should we be moued with the most admirable diuine concoâ—dance betweene the Prophets and Apostles who writing the word of God in diuers places at diuers times vpon diuers occasions do notwithstanding agree so generally that they seeme not diuers pen-men but rather inâ—â—â—ed only diuers pens of one and the same writer In more particular it may strengthen our faith in the gracious promises of Almighty God he speakes the word and it is done commands and it is effected Heauen and earth shall passe but not one iot of his word shal perish he promised by Zachary that the Messias of the world should come and he tels vs here by Matâ—hew that he is come All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Thus much of the Prâ—face generally now to fist the words seuerally Thaâ— is taken here non causaliter sed consecutiuè not for an efficient cause but rather for a consequence and euent Christ did not thus â—ide into Hierusalem because Zachary foretold it but Zachary foretold it because Christ would thus ride Christ being the complement of the Prophets and end of the Law yet the word That insinuates as Chrysostome notes the finall cause why Christ did thus ride namely to certifie the Iewes how that himselfe only was that King of whom their prophet Zachâ—ry did thus speake that none but he was the King of the Iewes and Messias of the world Fulfilled A prophesie may be said to be fulfilled foure wayes especially 1. When the selfe-same thing comes to passe which was literally deliuered in the prophesie So S. Math. cap. 1.22 saith Esayes prophesie Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. was fulfilled in Mary who brought forth a Sonne c. 2. When the thing allegorically signified is fulfilled as Exod. 12 46. it is said of the Paschall Lambe Yee shall not breake a bone thereof yet S. Iohn cap. 19.36 affirmes this to be fulfilled in Christ The souldiers brake not his legs that the scripture should be fulfilled Not a bone of him shall be broken 3. When as neither the thing literally nor allegorically ment but some other like is done so Christ Math. 15. tels the peâ—â—le in his time that the words of Esay This people draweth neere vnto
malum culpae whosoeuer resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God poenae they that resist shall receiue to themselues damnation submit our selues is good because the Magistrate is the minister of God for our good for the good of peace protection iustice religion the like For this cause we pay tribute quia ministri Dei sunt in hoc ipsum seruientes iucundo wee must obey for conscience the which vnto the disobedient is a perpetuall hell but vnto such as obey Gods ordinance is a continuall feast No power but of God An argument from the Author of authority all higher powers are from the highest power vnto whom all creatures must be subiect It happeneth often that potens the ruler is not of God Ipsi regnauerunt non per me They haue set vp Kings but not by me they haue made Princes and I knew it not And the maner of getting kingdomes is not alwaies of God Alexander 6. obtained the Popedome by giuing himselfe to the diuell Phocas by sedition got his Empire Richard 3. came to the crowne of England by butchering his Nephewes and other of the blood Royall yet the power it selfe is euer from God By me Kings reigne Thou couldest haue no power saith Christ to Pilate except it were giuen thee from aboue The powers that be are ordained of God Insinuating that the Magistrate is not from God after any common manner as all things are but after a more speciall fashion ordained The Lord is the God of order and order is the good of euery creature with whom it is better not to be then to be out of order Whosoeuer therfore resisteth If there be no power but of God and nothing done by God but in order he that resisteth authoritie resisteth Gods ordinance So the Lord himselfe said to Samuel They haue not cast thee away but they hauâ—â—ast me away that I should not reigne ouer them And hee might haue said of Princes as hee doth of Preachers He that despiseth you despiseth me For hee said of both Ego dixi dij estis As God is a great king so a king is as it were a little God He therefore that resisteth the Prince resisteth him that sent him almightie God the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1. Tim. 6.15 There are two binders of the conscience 1. Proper Gods law 2. Improper mans law Gods holy word hath absolute and soueraigne power to binde the conscience for God is Lord of conscience creating it and gouerning it and only knowing it The lawes of men improperly binde conscience not by their owne vertue but by the power of Gods law which here and elsewhere commands obedience to princes He therefore that willingly with a disloyall minde breakes any wholesome lawes of men is guiltie of sinne before God Non enim habendae sunt pro traditionibus humanis quandoquidem fundatae sunt in generali mandato liquidam habent approbationem quasi ex ore Christi So S. Augustine notably Hoc iubent imperatores quod iubet Christus quia cum bonum iubent per illos non iubet nisi Christus They that resist shall receiue to themselues damnation It may be construed either of temporall punishment or eternall iudgement Of temporall for the wrath of a King is like the roring of a lion he that prouoketh him vnto anger sinneth against his owne soule By the lawes of England a traitor conuicted and attainted hath his iudgement to be drawne from his prison to the place of execution as being vnworthie to tread any more vpon mother earth and that backward with his head downward for that hee hath been retrograde to naturall courses after hanged vp by the necke betweene heauen and earth as deemed vnworthie of both his priuie parts are cut off as being vnprofitably begotten and vnfit to leaue any generation after him his bowels and intrals burned which inwardly had conceiued and concealed such horrible treason then his head cut off which imagined the mischiefe last of all his whole bodie quartred and made a prey for the birds of the ayre as one said of a Romish treacherous Iesuite Sic benè pascit aues qui male pauit oues How Rebels haue ruinated vtterly themselues and their families all histories are full of tragicall examples acquirunt sibi damnationem as it is in the vulgar they doe not only receiue but pull vpon themselues heauie iudgements Againe this may be construed of eternall damnation as is manifest in Chore Dathan and the rest of that conspiracie who went downe quicke to hell If murther be fitly termed a crying sinne then treason may well bee called a roring sinne For as he that robs a scholer is said to rob many so the traitor that murthers a Prince kils many sometime the whole State the which assuredly cries aloud to the Lord in such sort that it awaketh him and often calles him to speedie iudgement He is the minister of God for thy wealth If hee be a good Prince causa est he is the cause of thy good temporall and eternall if an euill Prince he is an oâ—casion of thine eternall good by thy temporall euill Si bonus nutritor est tuus si malus tentator tuus est If a good king he is thy nurse receiue thy nourishment with obedience if euill he is thy tempter receiue thy triall with patience So there is no resistance either thou must obey good gouernours willingly or endure bad tyrants patiently Magistrates are Gods ministers ergo subordinate to God If then higher Powers enioyne things against him who is higher then the highest It is better to obey God then men Hic saith Augustine contemne potestatem timendo potestatem In that thou fearest Gods power feare not mans power as Iulians souldiers would not worship Idols at his command yet when he led them against an enemie they obeyed most readily Distinguebant dominuÌ„ temporaleÌ„ à domino aeterno tameÌ„ subditi erant propter dominum aeternum As al power is from God so for God and therefore when the Prince commands against truth it is our dutie to be patient and not agent For this cause pay ye tribute Subsidies are the Kings stipend or pay for he is the minister of God and great seruant of the State So S. Paul expressely Seruing for the same purpose not to take his owne ease but to wake when other sleepe taking such care that al men else may liue without care Magnaseruitus est magna fortuna nam ipsi Caesaricui omnia licent propter hoc ipsum multa non licent Erasmus wittily Miserosesse principes si intelligant sua mala miseriores si non intelligant A Prince must be like Iob eyes to the blinde and feete to the lame Be ye wise therefore ye Kings Intelligâ—te Reges Intelligere est intus legere they must