power of Antichrist And therefore my Lordes I can not cease in the name of Christ Iesus to require of you that the matter may coÌ„me in examination and that ye the estates of the realme by your auctoritie compell such as will be called bishoppes not only to desist from their cruell murthering of such as do studie to promote goddes glorie in detecting and disclosing the damnable impietie of that man of syn the Romane Antechrist but also that ye coÌ„pell them to answer to suche crimes as shall be laid to their charge for not righteously instructing the flock committed to their cares But here I know two thinges shalbe doubted The former whether that my appellation is lawfull and to be admitted seing that I am damned as an heritike and secondarely whether your honours be bound to defeÌ„d such as call for your support in that case seing that your bishoppes who in matters of religion claime all auctoritie to appertaine to them haue by their sentence allredy condemned me The one and the other I nothing doubt most clerely to proue Fyrst that my appellation is most Lawfull and iust and secondarely that your honours can not refuse to defend me thus calling for your aid but that in so doing ye declare your selues rebellious to God mentainers of murtherers and shedders of innocent blood How iust cause I haue by the ciuile law as for their canon it is accursed of God to appeale from their vniust sentence my purpose is not to make long discourse Onlie I will touche the poyntes which all men confesse to be iust causes of appellation Fyrst laufully could I not be sommoned by them being for that tyme absent from their iurisdiction charged with the preachiÌ„g of Christes EuaÌ„gill in a free citie not subiect to their tyrannie Secondarely to me was no intimation made of their sommondes but so secrete was their surmised malice that the copie of the sommondes being required was denyed Thirdlie to the realme of Scotland could I haue had no free nor sure accesse being before exiled froÌ„ the same by their vniust tyrannie And last to me they nether could nor can be competent and indifferent iudges for that before any sommondes were raised against me I had accused them by my lreÌ„s published to the quene dowagier and had intended against them all crimes offring my selfe with hasard of life to proue the same for the which they are not onlie vnworthie of ecclesiasticall auctoritie but also of any sufferance within a commune welthe professing Christ. This my accusatioÌ„ preceding their soÌ„moÌ„des neither by the law of God neither yet by the law of man can they be to me competent iudges till place be graÌ„ted vnto me opeÌ„lie to proue my accusatioÌ„ intended against them and they be compelled to make answer as criminalls For I will plainelie proue that not onlie bishoppes but also Popes haue bene remoued froÌ„ all auctoritie and pronouncing of iudgement till they haue purged them selues of accusations layd against them Yea further I will proue that bishoppes and Popes most iustly haue bene depriued froÌ„ all honours and administration for smaller crimes then I haue to charge the hole rable of your bishoppes But because this is not my chefe grounde I wil stand coÌ„tent for this present to shew that lawfull it is to Goddes Prophetes and to preachers of Christ Iesus to appeall froÌ„ the sentence and iudgement of the visible churche to the knolledge of the temporall Magistrate who by Goddes law is bound to hear their causes and to defend them from tyrannie The Prophete Ieremie was coÌ„mmaÌ„ded by God to stand in the courte of the house of the Lord and to preach this sermon in effect That Ierusalem should be distroyed and be exponed in opprobrie to all nations of the earth and that also that famous teÌ„ple of God should be made desolate like vnto Sylo because the preestes the Prophetes and the people did not walk in the Law which God had ê“posed vnto theÌ„ neither wold they obey the voyces of the Prophetes whome God sent to call them to repentance For this sermon was Ieremie apprehended and a sentence of death was pronounced against hym and that by the preestes by the Prophetes and by the people which thinges being bruted in the eares of the Princes of Iuda they passed vp froÌ„ the kinges house to the teÌ„ple of the Lord and sat down in iudgement for further knowledge of the cause But the preestes and Prophetes continued in theyre cruell senteÌ„ce which before they had pronouÌ„ced saying This man is worthie of the death for he hath prophesied against this citie as your eares haue hard But Ieremy so moued by the holie Ghost began his defence against that their tyrannous sentence in these wordes The Lord saieth he hath sent me to prophetie against this house and against this citie all the wordes which you haue hard Now therefore make good your wayes aÌ„d hear the voyce of the Lord your God and then shall he repent of the euill whiche he hath spoken against you As for me behold I am in your handes so doth he speak to the Princes do to me as you think good and righteous Neuertheles know you this most assuredly that if ye murther or sley me ye shall make your selues this citie and the inhabitants of the same criminall and gyltie of innocent blood For of a trueth the Lord hath sent me to speak in your eares all those wordes Then the princes and the people saieth the text said this man is not worthie of death for he hath spoken to vs in the name of the Lord our God And so after somme coÌ„tention was the Prophete deliuered froÌ„ that daÌ„ger This fact and historie manefestly proueth whatsoeuer before I haue affirmed To wit that it is Laufull for the seruantes of God to call for the help of the ciuile magistrate agaiÌ„st the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death if it be vniust by whome soeuer it be ê“nounced aÌ„d also that the ciuile sword hath power to represse the furie of the preests and to absolue whome thei haue coÌ„deÌ„ned For the prophete of God was damned by those who then only in earthe were knoweÌ„ to be the visible churche to wit preestes prophetes who theÌ„ were in IerusaleÌ„ the successours of AaroÌ„ to whome was geueÌ„ a charge to speak to the people in the name of God aÌ„d a precept geueÌ„ to the people to heare the lawe froÌ„ their mouthes to the which if any should be rebellious or iÌ„obedieÌ„t he should die the death without mercie These men I say thus auctorised by God first did excoÌ„municat Ierimie for that he did preache other wise then did the coÌ„mune sort of prophetes in Ierusalem and last apprehended him as you haue hard ê“nouncing against hym this seÌ„teÌ„ce afore writen froÌ„ the which neuertheles the prophete appealed that is sought help and defence against the same and that most earnestly did he craue of the princes For albeit he
the hole citie to mitigate the Lord so serued Darius geuing in the power of Daniel the idol to be broken and his ennemies to be cast to the lions so serued Nabucadnezer by a terrible law forbidding all that were in his realme to blaspheme God Herein therefore do kinges serue the Lord in so far as they are kings when they do those things to serue hym which none except kings be able to do He further procedeth and coÌ„cludeth that as when wicked kings do reign impietie can not be brideled by lawes but rather is tyrannie exercised vnder the title of the same so is it a thing without all reason that kinges professing the knolledge and honour of God should not regard nor care who did defend nor who did oppugne the Church of God in theyr dominions By these wordes of this auncieÌ„t and godlie writer your Honours may perceaue what I require of you to wit to represse the tyrannie of your Byshoppes and to defend the innocents professing the trueth He did require of the Emperour and kings of his daies professing Christ and manifestly concludeth that they can not serue Christ except that so they do Let not your Byshoppes thinke that Augustine speaketh for them because he nameth the Church Let them read and vnderstand that Augustine writeth for that Church which professeth the trueth and doth suffer persecution for the defeÌ„ce of the same which your byshoppes do not but rather with the Donatistes and Arrians do cruelly persecute all such as boldly speak Christes eternall veritie to manifest theyre impietie and abomination But thus much we haue of Augustine that it appertaineth to the obedience and seruice which kinges owe to God aswel now in the tyme of the Gospell as before vnder the Law to defende the afflicted for matters of religion and to represse the furie of the persecuters by the rigour and seueritie of godlie lawes For which cause no doubt doth Esaie the prophete say that kinges should be norishers to the Church of God that they should abbase their heades and louingly embrase the children of God And thus I say your Honours may euidently see that the same obedience doth God require of rulers and princes in the tyme of the Gospell that he required in the tyme of the Law Yf you do think that the reformation of religion and defence of the afflicted doth not appertaine to you because you are no kings but nobils aÌ„d estates of a real me in two thinges you are deceaued former in that you do not aduert that Dauid requireth aswell that the princes and iudges of the earth be learned and that they serue and fear God as that he requireth that the kings repent Yf you therefore be iudges and princes as no man can deny you to be then by the playn words of Dauid you are charged to be learned to serue and fear God which ye can not do if you despise the reformation of his religion And thys is your fyrst errour The secoÌ„d is that ye neither know your duetie which ye owe to God neither yet your auctoritie which of hym ye haue receaued yf ye for pleasure or fear of any earthlie man despise goddes true religion and conteÌ„ne your brethreÌ„ that in his name cal for your support Your dutie is to hear the voyce of the Eternal your God and unfainedly to studie to folow his preceptes who as is before said of especiall mercie hath promoted you to honours and dignitie His chefe and principall precept is that with reuerence ye receaue and embrace his onlie beloued sonne Iesus that ye promote to the vttermost of your powers his true religion aÌ„d that ye defend your brethren and subiectes whome he hath putt vnder your charge aÌ„d care Now if your king be a man ignoraÌ„t of God ennemie to his true religion blinded by superstition and a persecuter of Christes membres shall yee be excused if with silence yee passe ouer his iniquitie Be not deceaued my Lordes ye are placed in auctoritie for an other purpose then to flatter your king in his folie and blind rage to witt that as with your bodies strength riches and wisdome ye are bound to assist and defend him in all things which by your aduise he shall take in hand for Gods glorie and for the preseruation of his commune wealth and subiectes so by your grauities counsil and admonition yee are bound to correct and represse whatsoeuer ye know him to attempt expressedly repugning to Goddes word honour and glorie or what ye shall espie him to do be it by ignorance or be it by malice against his subiectes great or small Of which last part of your obedieÌ„ce yf ye defraud your king ye coÌ„mit against him no lesse treason then yf ye did extract froÌ„ him your due and ê“mised support what time by his ennemies iniustly he wer pursued But this part of their duetie I fear do a small nomber of the nobilitie of this age rightly consider neither yet will they vnderstand that for that purpose hath God ê“moted them For now the coÌ„mune song of al men is We must obey our kinges be they good or be they bad for God hath so coÌ„maunded But horrible shall the vengeance be that shalbe powred furth vpon such blasphemers of God his holie name and ordinaunce For it is no lesse blasphemie to say that God hath commaunded kinges to be obeyed when they coÌ„maund impietie then to say that God by his precept is auctour aÌ„d mentainer of all iniquitie True it is God hath coÌ„maunded kinges to be obeyed but like true it is that in things which they coÌ„mit against his glorie or when cruelly without cause they rage agaiÌ„st theire brethreÌ„ the members of Christes body he hath coÌ„maunded no obedieÌ„ce but rather he hath approued yea and greatlie rewarded such as haue opponed them selues to theyre vngodly commaundementes and blind rage as in the exampls of the three children of Daniel and Abdemelech it is euident The three children wold nether bowe nor stoupe before the golden image at the coÌ„maundement of the great king Nabuchadnezar Daniel did opeÌ„ly pray his windoes being open against the established law of Darius and of his counsil and Abdemelech feared not to enter in before the presence of Zedechias aÌ„d boldly to defeÌ„d the cause aÌ„d innoceÌ„tie of Ieremie the prophet whome the king and his counsil had coÌ„demned to deth Euerie one of these factes should this day be iudged foolishe by such as will not vnderstaÌ„d what coÌ„fession God doth require of his children when his veritie is oppugned or his glorie called in doubt suche men I say as prefer man to God and thinges present to the heauenlie inheritaunce should haue iudged euerie one of these factes stubburn inobedience foolishe presumption and singularitie or elles bold coÌ„trolinge of the king and his wise counsil But how acceptable in Gods presence was this resistance to the vngodlie commaundementes and determinations of theyr king the eÌ„d did witnes For
heare thy cause and decerne in the same The controuersie standith in matters of religion Thou art accused as an apostatat from the Law as a violator of the temple and transgressor of the traditioÌ„s of theyre fathers in which matters I am ignorant and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same religion wherof the question is And yet doest thou refuse so many godly fathers to hear thy cause and doestappeale to the Emperour preferring hym to all our iudgements of no purpose belike but to delay tyme. Thus I say it myght haue appeared that Paule did not only iniurie to the iudge and to the Preestes but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he did refuse the iudgement of those that had moste knowledge as all men supposed of Gods will and religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome farr absent from Ierusalem a man also ignoraÌ„t of God and ennemie to all vertue But the Apostle coÌ„sidering the nature of his ennemies and what thinges they had intended against hym euen from the fyrst day that he began freelie to speak in the name of Christ did not fear to appeale from them and from the iudge that would haue gratified them They had professed theÌ„ selues plain ennemies to Christ Iesus and to his blessed Euangill and had soght the death of Paule yea euen by factioÌ„s and treasonable coÌ„spiracie and therefore by no meanes would he admit them either iudges in his cause either auditours of the same as Festus required but grounding him selfe vpon strong reasons to wit that he had not offeÌ„ded the Iewes neither yet the Law but that he was innoceÌ„t and therefore that no iudge oght to geue hym in the haÌ„des of his ennemies grounding I say his appellation vpon these reasons he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus neither yet the brute of the ignoraÌ„t multitude but boldely did appeal from all cognition of them to the iudgement of the Emperour as said is By these two examples I dout not but your honours do vnderstand that lawfull it is to the seruantes of God oppressed by tyraÌ„nie to seke remedie against the same be it by appellation from theire senteÌ„ce or by imploring the helpe of ciuile Magistrates For what God hath approued in Ieremie and Paul he can condemne in none that likewise be eâ—â—reated I might alledge some histories of the primatiue Church seruing to the same purpose as of Ambrose and Athanasius of whom the one would not be iudged but at Millan where that is doctrine was hard of all his Church and receaued and approuâ—d by many and the other would in no wise geue place to those couÌ„ciles where he knew that meÌ„ conspired against the trueth of God should sit in iudgement and coÌ„sultatione But because the Scriptures of God are my only fundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importaÌ„ce I haue thoght the two former testimonies sufficient aswell to proue my appellation reasonable and iust as to declare to your honours that with safe conscience ye can not refuse to admit the same Yf any thinke it arrogaÌ„cie or foolishnes in me to compare my selfe with Ieremie and Paule let the same man vnderstaÌ„d that as God is immutable so is the veritie of his glorious Euangill of aequall dignitie whensoeuer it is impugned be the membres suffering neuer so weak What I think touching myne owne person God shall reueale when the secrets of all hartes shall be disclosed and such as with whome I haue bene conuersant can partly witnesse what arrogaÌ„cie or pryde they espie in me But touching the doctrine and cause which that adulterous aÌ„d pestilent generatioÌ„ of Antichrists seruaÌ„ts who wilbe called Byshoppes amongst you haue condened in me I neither fear nor shame to coÌ„fesse and auow before man and Angell to be the aeternall trueth of the aeternall God And in that case I dout not to coÌ„pare my selfe with any menbre in whome the trueth hath bene impugned seÌ„ce the begynnyng For as it was the trueth which Ieremie did preach in these wordes The Preestes haue not knowen me saieth the Lord but the pastors haue traiterously declined and fallen back from me The Prophetes haue prophesied in Baal and haue gone after those things which can not helpe My people haue left the fontaine of liuing waters and haue digged to them selues pits which can containe no water As it was a trueth that the pastors and watchmen in the daies of Isaie were becomed doÌ„me dogs blynd ignoraÌ„t proud and auaricious And finally as it was a trueth that the Princes and the Preestes were murtherers of Christ Iesus aÌ„d cruell persecutors of his Apostles so likewyse it is a trueth and that moste infallible that those that haue condemned me the hole rable of the papisticall clergie haue declyned from the true faith haue geuen eare to deceauable spirits and to doctrine of deuils are the sterres fallen from the heauen to the earth are fontaines without water and finally are ennemies to Christ Iesus deniers of his vertue and horrible blasphemours of his death and passioÌ„ And further as that visible Churche had no crime where of iustly they could accuse either the Prophetes either the Apostles except theyr doctrine only so haue not such as seke my blood other crime to lay to my charge except that I affirm as alwais I offer to proue that the religion which now is maintained by fier and sword is no lesse contrarious to the true religion taught and established by the Apostles then is darknes to light or the Deuill to God and also that such as now do claime the title and name of the Churche ar no more the elect spouse of Christ Iesus then was the Synagoge of the Iewes the true Church of God what tyme it crucified Christ Iesê° damned his doctrine and persecuted his Apostles And therefore seing that my battail is against the proude and cruell hypocrites of this age as that battaill of those most excellent instrumentes was against the fals Prophetes and malignant Church of theyr ages neither ought any man think it strange that I coÌ„pare my self with them with whome I sustaine a coÌ„mon cause neither ought you my Lordes iudge your selues lesse addetted and bound to me calling for your support then did the Princes of Iuda think theÌ„ selues bouÌ„de to Ieremie whome for that tyme they deliue red notwithstaÌ„ding the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death ê“nouÌ„ced against him by the visible Church And thus much for the right of my appellatioÌ„ which in the bowelles of Christ Iesus I requier your honours not to esteme as a thing superfluous aÌ„d vaine but that ye admitt it aÌ„d also accept me in your ê“tection aÌ„d defence that by you assured I may haue accesse to my natiue couÌ„trie which I neuer offeÌ„ded to the end that freely and opeÌ„ly in the preseÌ„ce of the hole realme I may geue my confession of all such pointes
gall of crueltie the poisoÌ„ of filthie fornicatioÌ„ flowing from head to foote the contempt of God and open defense of the Cake Idol by opeÌ„ proclamatioÌ„ to be red in the Churches in the stead of goddes scriptures Thus was there no reformation but a deformation in the tyme of that tyrant and lecherous moÌ„ster The bore I graÌ„te was busie wrooting aÌ„d digging in the earth aÌ„d all his pigges that folowed hym But they soght only for the pleasaÌ„t frutes that they winded with their longe snowtes And for their own bellies sake they wrooted vp many weeds but they turned the grouÌ„de so miÌ„gling good aÌ„d badd togither swete and so wre medecine aÌ„d poyson they made Isay such coÌ„fusioÌ„ of religioÌ„ and lawes that no good thing could grow but by great miracle vnder such Gardners And no meruail if it be rightly coÌ„sidered for this bore raged against God against Deuill against Christ and against Antichrist as the fome that he cast owt against Luther the racing furth of the name of the Pope and yet alowiÌ„g his laws aÌ„d his murther of many Christian souldiours and of many papistes do clearly aÌ„d euideÌ„tly testifie vnto vs. Especially the burniÌ„g of Barnes Ierome aÌ„d Garrat three faithful preachers of the trueth haÌ„giÌ„g the same day for maintainaÌ„ce of the Pope Powel Abel and Fetherstone doth clearly paynt his beastlynes that he cared for no maner of religioÌ„ This moÌ„strous bore for al this must nedes be called the head of the Churche in paine of treason displacing Christ our onlie head who oght alone to haue this title Wherefore in this pointe o England ye were no better then the Romishe Antichrist who by the same title maketh hym selfe a God sitteth in meÌ„nes coÌ„sciences baÌ„nysheth the worde of God as did your king HeÌ„rie whome ye so magnifie For in his best time nothing was hard but the kings booke aÌ„d the kings ê“cedings the kinges homelies in the Churches where goddes word should onely haue bene preached So made you your kiÌ„g a God beleuing nothiÌ„g but that the alowed But how he died I will not write for shame I will not name how he turned to his vomet I will not write your other wickednes of those times your murthers without measure adulteries and incestes of your kinge his Lordes aud coÌ„munes It greueth me to write those euils of my couÌ„trie saue onlie that I must nedes declare what frutes were fouÌ„de in the vineyarde after you promised to worke therin to moue you to repentance and to iustifie Godds iudgements how greuously so euer he shall plage you hereafter Wherefore I desire you to call to remeÌ„brance your best state vnder king Edward when all men with generall coÌ„sÌ„t promised to worke in the vineyarde and ye shall haue cause I doubte not to lameÌ„t your wickednes that so conteÌ„ned the voice of God for your owne lustes for your crueltie for your couetousnes that the name of God was by your vanities euill spoken of in other nations I will name no particulare thinges becaus I reuerence those tymes saue only the killing of both the kinges vncles and the prisonnement of Hoper for popishe garments God graunt you all repentant heartes for no order nor state did any part of his duetie in those dayes But to speak of the best whereof ye vse to boast your religion was but an English matyns patched furthe of the popes portesse many thinges were in your great booke supersticious aÌ„d foolishe all were driuen to a prescripte seruice lyke the papistes that they should thinke theyr dueties discharged if the noÌ„bre were said of psalmes and chapters Finally there could no discipline be broght into the Churche nor correction of maners I will touche no further abuses yet willing and desiering you to consider theÌ„ in your heartes that knowing your negligence ye may bring furth frutes of repentance For this I admonishe you o ye people of England wheresoeuer you be scattered or placed that onles ye do right spedely repent of your former negligence it is not the Spanyardes only that ye haue to feare as roddes of goddes wrath but all other nations France Turkie and Denmarke yea all creatures shall be armed against you for the contempt of those tymes when your heauenlie father so mercifullie called you To what contempt was goddes worde and the admonition of his prophetes comme in all estates before God did stryke somme men are not ignorant The preachers them selues for the most part could fynd no fault in religion but that the Churche was poore and lacked liuing Trueth it is that the abbay laÌ„des and other such reuenues as afore appertained to the papistical Churche were most wickedly and vngodly spent but yet many thinges would haue bene reformed before that the kitching had bene better ê“uided for to our prelates in England It was moste euideÌ„t that many of you vnder the cloke of religion serued your own bellies somme were so busie to heap benefice vpon benefice soÌ„me to labour in parlameÌ„t for purchesing of lands that the tyme was small which coulde be founde for the reformation of abuses and very litle which was spent vpon the feeding of your flockes I nede not now to examine particular crimes of preachers Only I say that the Ghospell was so lightly estemed that the most part of men thoght rather that God should bow and obey to theyr appetites then that they should be subiect to his holie commaundementes For the communes did continew in malice and rebellion in craft and subtiltie notwithstanding all lawes that could be deuised for reformation of abuses The merchants had their own soules to sell for gaines the gentlemen were becomme NeÌ„rods and Gyants and the nobilitie and couÌ„sile would suffer no rebukes of Gods messeÌ„gers thogh theyr offenses were neuer so manifest Let those that preached in the court the lent before king Edward deceased speak theyr conscience and accuse me if I lie yea let a writing written by that miserable man then duke of Northumberland to master Harlow for that time Byshoppe of Harford be broght to lighte and it shall testifie that he ashamed not to say that the libertie of the preachers tonges would cause the counsile and nobilitie to ryse vppe against them for they could not suffer so to be intreated These were the frutes euen in the tyme of haruest a litle before the winter came And of the tyme of Marie what should I write England is now so miserable that no penne can paynt it It ceaseth to be in the nomber of children because it openly dispiteth God the father It hath cast of the trueth knowen and confessed and foloweth lies and errours which once it detested It buyldeth the buylding which it once destroyed â–ª it raiseth vp the idols which once were there confounded it murthereth the sainctes it mainteineth Baals prophetes by the coÌ„maundement of Iesabel Such are the euil husbandes that now haunte the vineyard so that this is true that our Sauiour Christ saieth The Lord hym selfe hath
saieth I am in your handes do with me as ye think righteous he doth not contemne nor neglect his life as thoghe he regarded not what should become of hym but iÌ„ those his wordes most vehementlie did he admonishe the princes and rulers of the people geuing them to vnderstaÌ„d what God should require of theÌ„ As he should say You princes of Iuda and rulers of the people to whom appertaineth in differentlie to iudge betwixt partie and partie to iustifie the iust man and to coÌ„demne the malefactour you haue hard à sentence of death pronounced against me by those whose lippes oght to speak no decept because they are sanctified and appointed by God hym selfe to speake his law and to pronounce iudgement with equitie but as they haue left the liuing God and haue taught the people to follow vanitie so are they becoÌ„med mortall ennemies to all Gods true seruantes of whom I am one rebuking theire iniquitie apostasie and defection from God which is the onlie cause they seke my life But a thing most contrarie to all equitie law aÌ„d iustice it is that I a maÌ„ sent of God to call them this people and you againe to the true seruice of God from the which you are all declined shall suffer the death because that my ennemies do so pronounce sentence I staÌ„d in your preseÌ„ce whome God hath made princes your power is aboue their tyrannie before you do I expone my cause I am in your handes aud can not resist to suffer what ye think iust But lest that my lenitie and patieÌ„ce should either make you negligent in the defence of me in my iust cause appealiÌ„g to your iudgemeÌ„t either yet encorrage my ennemies in seakinge my blood this one thinge I dar not consile That if you murther me which thing ye do if ye defeÌ„d me not ye make not only my ennemies gyltie of my blood but also your selues and this hole citie By these wordes I say it is euident that the prophete of God beiÌ„g daÌ„ned to death by the preestes aÌ„d by the prophetes of the visible Churche did seke aid support and defence at the princes and temporall magistrates threatnyng his blood to be required of theyre handes if they by theyre auctorite did not defend hym from the furie of his ennemies alledging also iust causes of his appellation and why he oght to haue bene defended to wit that he was sent of God to rebuke theire vices and defection from God that he taught no doctrine which God before had not pronounced in his Law that he desired theyre conuersion to God continuallie calling vpon them to walk in the wayes which God had approued and therefore doth he boldlie craue of the princes as of Goddes lieutenaÌ„tes to be defended from the blynd rage tyrannie of the preests notwithstanding that they claimed to themselues auctoritie to iudge in all matters of religion And the same did he what tyme he was cast in pryson and thereafter was brought to the preseÌ„ce of king Zedechias after I say that he had defended his innoceÌ„tie affirmyng that he neither had offended against the king against his seruantes nor against the people at last he made intercession to the king for his life saying But now my lord the king take hede I beseche thee let my prayer fall in to thy presence commaund me not to be caried againe in to the house of Ionathan the scribe that I dye not there And the text witnesseth that the king commaunded the place of his imprysonment to be chaunged Whereof it is euident that the prophet did ofter then once seke help at the ciuile power and that fyrst the princes and thereafter the king did acknowledge that it appertained to their office to deliuer him from the iniust sentence which was pronounced against him yf any thinke that Ieremie did not appeall becaus he onely declared the wronge done vnto him and did but craue defence according to his innocencie let the same man vnderstand that none otherwise do I appeale from that fals and cruell sentence which your Byshoppes haue pronounced against me Neither yet can there be any other iust cause of appellation but innoceÌ„cie hurt or suspected to be hurt whether it be by ignorance of a iudge or by malice and corruption of those who vnder the title of iustice do exercise tyraÌ„nie if I were a thefe murtherer blasphemer open adulterer or any offender whome Gods worde commaundeth to suffer for a crime committed my appellation were vaine and to be reiected but I being innoceÌ„t yea the doctrine which your Byshoppes haue condemned in me being Gods eternall veritie haue no lesse libertie to craue your defence against that crueltie then had the Prophet Ieremie to seke the ayde of the Princes and King of Iuda But this shall more plainly appear in the facte of sainct Paule who after that he was apprehended in Ierusalem did fyrst claime to the libertie of Romayne citezeÌ„s for auoiding tormeÌ„t what tyme that the captayn would haue examined hym by questions there after in the couÌ„cile where no rightious iudgement was to be hoped for he affirmed that he was a Pharisie and that he was accused of the resurrection of the dead and last in the presence of Festus he appealed from all knowledge and iudgement of the Preestes at Ierusalem to the Emperour of which last point because it doth chefelie appertaine to this my cause I will somwhat speak After that Paule had diuerse tymes bene accused as in the Actes of the apostles is manifest at the last the chefe Preestes and theyre faction came to Cesarea with Festus the presideÌ„t who presented to them Paule in iudgement whome they accused of horrible crimes which neuertheles they could not proue the Apostle defending that he had not offended neither agaiÌ„nst the Law neither against the Temple neither yet against the Emperour But Festus willing to gratifie the Iewes said to Paule Wilt thou go vp to Ierusalem aÌ„d there be iudged of these thinges in my presence But Paule said I stand at the iustice seat of the Emperour where it behoueth me to be iudged I haue done no iniurie to the Iewes as thou better knowest Yf I haue done any thing iniustly or yet committed crime worthie of death I refuse not to die But if there be nothing of these thinges true where of they accuse me no man may geue me to them I appeall to Cesar. It may appear at the first sight that Paule did great iniurie to Festus the iudge and to the hole order of the preesthode who did hope greater equitie in a cruell tyrant then in all that session and learned companie Which thinge no dout Festus did vnderstaÌ„d pronouncing these wordes Hast thou appealed to Cesar thou shalt go to Cesar. As he would say I as a man willing to vnderstaÌ„d the truth before I ê“nouÌ„ce seÌ„tence haue required of thee to go to Ierusalem where the learned of thyne owne nation may
all fainted I except euer such as gaue witnesse with theyr blood or theyr flying that such impietie displeased them all kept silence by the which all approued iniquitie and ioyned haÌ„ds with the tyraÌ„tes and so were all arrayed and set as it had bene in one battayle against the omnipotent and against his sonne Christ Iesus For whosoeuer gathereth not with Christ in the day of his haruest is iudged to scatter And therefore of one veÌ„geaÌ„ce teÌ„poral were they all partakers Which thiÌ„g as before I haue touched oght to moue you to the depe coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of your duties in these last and most perilous tymes The iniquitie of your Byshoppes is more then manifest theyr filthie liues infect the aier the innoceÌ„t blood which they shed crieth veÌ„geaÌ„ce in the eares of our God the idolatrie and abominatioÌ„ which opeÌ„ly they coÌ„mit aÌ„d without punishmeÌ„t maiÌ„taine doth corrupt aÌ„d defyle the hole laÌ„d and none amongest you doth vnfainedly studie for any redresse of such enormities Wil God in this behalf hold you as innocentes Be not deceaued dear Brethren God hath punished not only the proude tyrantes filthie persoÌ„s and cruel murtherers but also such as with them did draw the yoke of iniquitie was it by flattering theyr offenses obeying theyr iniust coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes or in wynking at theyr manifest iniquitie All such I say hath God once punished with the chefe offeÌ„ders Be ye assured Brethren that as he is immutable of nature so will he not pardon in you that which so seuerely he hath punished in others and now the lesse because he hath plainely admonished you of the daungers to come and hath offred you his mercie before he pourefurth his wrath and displeasure vpoÌ„ the inobedieÌ„t God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is father of glorie and God of all consolation geue you the spirit of wisdome and open vnto you the knolledge of hym self by the meanes of his dear sonne by the which ye may attaine to the esperance and hope that after the trubles of this traÌ„sitorious life ye may be partakers of the riches of that glorious inheritance which is prepared for such as refuse them selues and feght vnder the baÌ„ner of Christ Iesus in the day of this his battaile that in depe consideration of the same ye may learn to prefer the inuisible and eternal ioyes to the vaine pleasures that are present God further graunt you his holie spirit righteously to consider what I in his name haue required of your nobilitie and of you the subiects and moue you all togither so to answer that my petition be not a testimonie of your iust condemnation when the Lord Iesus shal appear to reuenge the blood of his sainctes and the contempt of his most holie worde Amen Sleap not in syn for vengeance is prepared against all inobedieÌ„t Flie from Babylon if ye will not be partakers of her plages Be witnesse to my appellation Grace be with you From Geneua The 14. of Iuly 1558. Your brother to commaunde in godlines IOHN KNOXE AN ADMONITION TO ENGLAND AND Scotland to call them to repentance written by Antoni Gilby VVhere as many haue writteÌ„ many profitable admonitioÌ„s to you twaine O England and ScotlaÌ„d both makinge one Iland most happie if you could know your own happines somme against the regimeÌ„t of womeÌ„ wherewith ye are bothe plaged somme against vnlauful obedieÌ„ce and the admitting of strangers to be your kinges somme declaring the vile nature of the Spaniards whome thou o EnglaÌ„d to thy destructioÌ„ mainteinest somme the pryde of the Frenchmen whome thou o Scotland to thy ruine receauest and many hundrethes with penne with tonge with worde with writing with ieopardie and losse of landes goods and lyues haue admonished you bothe twaine of that caÌ„kred poyson of papistrie that ye foster and pamper to your own perdition and vtter destruction of soules and bodies of your selues aÌ„d yours for now and euer I thoght it my duetie seing your destructioÌ„ to mans iudgemeÌ„t to draw so neare how much or litle so euer they haue preuailed yet once againe to admonishe you both to giue testimonie to that trueth which my brethren haue writteÌ„ aÌ„d specially to stirre your hearts to repentance or at the least to offre my selfe a witnesse against you for the iustice of God and his righteous iudgementes which doubtles if your hearts be hardned against you both are at hand to be vttered Thus by our writiÌ„gs whome it pleaseth God to styrre vp of your nations all men that now liue and that shall comme after vs shall haue cause also to praise the mercie of God that so oft admonisheth before he do stryke and to coÌ„sider his iust punyshment when he shall pourefurth his vengeance Giue eare therefore betymes O Britanie for of that name both reioyseth whiles the Lord calleth exhorteth aÌ„d admonisheth that is the acceptable tyme when he will be founde Yf ye refuse the tyme offred ye can not haue it afterward thogh with teares as did Esau ye do seme to seke it Yet once againe in goddes behalfe I do offre you the verie meanes which if God of his mercies graunte you grace to folow I doubt nothing but that of al your ennemies spedely ye shallbe deliuered Ye reioyce at this word I am sure if ye haue ani hope of the perfourmaÌ„ce TheÌ„ harkeÌ„ to the matter which I do write vnto you not furth of mennes dreames nor fables not furth of prophane histories painted with mannes wisdome vaine eloquence or subtile reasons but furth of the infallible trueth of goddes worde and by such plaine demonstrations as shall be able to conuince euerie one of your owne consciences be he neuer so obstinate I will aske no further iudges Is not this goddes curse and threatninge amongest many other pronounced against the sinfull land and disobedient people That strangers should deuoure the frute of thy laÌ„d that the stranger should clyme aboue the and thou should comme downe and be his inferiour he shall be the head and thou the taile The Lord shall bring vpon the a people farr of whose tongue thou canste not vnderstand thy strong wales wherin thou trusted shall be destroied c. And doth not Esaie reckeÌ„ this also as the extremitie of all plages for the wickednes of the people to haue womeÌ„ raised vp to rule ouer you But what saieth the same ê“phete in the begynnyng of his prophesie for a remedie against these and all other euilles Your handes are full of blood saieth he O you princes of Sodom and you people of Gomorrha but washe you make you cleane take away your wicked thoghts furth of my sight Cease to do euil learn to do well seke iudgemeÌ„t help the oppressed c. Then will I turn my hand to the and trie owt all thy drosse and take away thy tynne aÌ„d I will restore thy iudges as afore tyme and counsilours as of old And Moses said before in the place alledged That if thou wilt heare the voice
Prophetes with the sayinges of Dauid or of this holy sainct of God Iohn the Baptist but with our sauiour Christs two most swete parables of the two sonnes and of the tilme to whome he set his vineyard I will labour to set before your eyes your rebellion hypocrisie and crueltie if so I caÌ„ bring any of you to repentance Our sauiour Christe putteth furth this parable A certaine man had two sonnes aÌ„d he came to the first and said soÌ„ne go aÌ„d worke to day in my vineyard Who answered I will not but afterward repeÌ„ted and went Then came he to the second and said likewise and he answered I will syr but went not Wherein a wonderful comforte first is to be coÌ„sidered how the Lord our God maker of heaueÌ„ aÌ„d earth doth huÌ„ble him selfe not only to be called a maÌ„ a husbaÌ„d man a housholder aÌ„d such like but he abaseth hiÌ„selfe of mercie to vs vile earth and asshes that his sonne becometh maÌ„ to make mankynd glorious in his sight to make all those that do not refuse his grace offred of the slaues of Satan his sonnes by adoption You are his sonnes you are his vineyard you are as dear vnto hym as the apple of his eye as Moses speaketh if you can beleue it he sweareth that you shall be his inheritaÌ„ce and he will be yours if ye will only receiue his grace and beleue hym when he sweareth Will ye call his trueth into doubt his glorie into shame by your misbelefe Better it were that all creatures should perish heauen man and angels then that God should not haue credit or that his glorie in the least iote should be diminished He hath called you by his worde now many a tyme to worke in his vineyard I aske what you haue answered your conscience can witnesse and all the world seeth it SoÌ„me of you haue said plaine lyke rebellious childreÌ„ that ye would not do it that ye would not worke in your fathers vineyarde Shall I applie this part to Scotland I may right well do it and also to a greate parte in England But Scotland in dede called most plainely and euidently through the mercies of God both by their own faithfull countrie men and also by earnest trauail of our English nation to comme to the Lords vineyard in the tyme of king Edward hath to the domage of both coÌ„tinually refused as the coÌ„science of many this day beareth witnesse That tyme as ye know the vineyarde in EnglaÌ„d by the children of God was not all togither neglected and theÌ„ most earnestly were ye O Brethren of Scotland required to ioyne haÌ„des with vs iÌ„ the Lords worke but Satan alas would not suffer it His old fostred malice and Antichrist his sonne could not abyde that Christ should grow so strong by ioynynge that ile togither in perfect religioÌ„ whome God hath so many waies coupled aÌ„d streÌ„gthended by his worke in nature the papistes practised all theyr fyne craftes in England Scotland and in France that the Ghospellers should not with so strong walles be defensed lest this one iland should becoÌ„me a safe sanctuarie as it began to be to all the persecuted in all places They moue sturdie stomackes they dispens with periuries they worke by theyr craftie coÌ„fessions they raise vp warre in the end whereby ye deare Brethren of Scotland were sore plaged Of all these traiterouse sleghtes ye can not be ignorant For yet it is not passed the memorie of man that your king made promisse to haue mett king HeÌ„rie the eght att Yorke â–ª whose purpose albeit in other things I do not alow him in that case was most godlie and praise worthie For it was to make an end of that vngodlie warre and cruell murther which loÌ„ge had coÌ„tinued betwixt the two realms Your king I say made promisse to mete him the breche whereof as it was the occasion of much trouble so is it euidently knowen that your Cardinal and his clergie laboured and procured the same For it is not vnknowen to somme amongest you how many thousand crownes the churchmen did promisse for maintenance of the warre which king Henrie did denouÌ„ce by the reason of that breche Superfluous it were to me to recite all the causes mouing your pestilent preestes to solicitat your king to that infidelitie But this is moste euident that they feared nothing but the fall of their glorie and the trouble of their kingdome which then in England beganne to be shaken by suppressing of the abbaies This moued your preestes ernestly to labour that your kinge should falsly breake his promisse But what affliction ye sustained by that and other their practises your selues can witnesse For your borderrs were destroyed your nobilitie for the most parte were takeÌ„ prisoners and your king for sorowe sodenly died But these your miseries did nothing moue your preestes to repentance but rather did inflame them against God and against the ê“pfit of their natiue realme For when againe after the death of your kiÌ„ge your freÌ„dship and fauours were soght first by king HeÌ„rie and after his death by king Edward his sonne aÌ„d by him who theÌ„ was chosen Protectour how craftely I say did theÌ„ your preestes vndermine all ye are not ignoraÌ„t When your Gouernoure with the consent of the most part of the nobilitie had soleÌ„nely sworne iÌ„ the abbay of Haliroode house syr Raphe Sadler theÌ„ being embassadour for EnglaÌ„d to perfurm the mariage coÌ„tracted betwixt king Edward and your yonge quene and faithfully to stand to euerie point coÌ„cluded and agreed 〈◊〉 perfurmaÌ„ce of that vnioÌ„ when seales were interchanged and the embassadour dimissed what sturr tumult and sedition raised your Cardinal in that your realme it is not vnknowen To witt how that by his craft and malice the realme was deuided the Gouernour compelled to seke his fauour to violate his oth and so to becomme iÌ„famous for euer And finally by the pride of the papistes was that leage broken But what did thereof ensue Edinburgh Leith DuÌ„die yea the most part of the realme did fele Your shippes were stayed your gooddes were lost your chefe townes were burned and at the end the beautie of your real me did fall in the edge of the sworde the hand of God manifestly feghting against you because against your solemne oth ye did feght against them who soght your fauours by that godlie coÌ„iunction which before was promised But still proceaded your ennemies the clergie and theire adhereÌ„tes in theyr purposed malice WoÌ„der not that I terme them your ennemies For albeit they be your countrie men yet because they seke nothing more then the maiÌ„tainaÌ„ce of their owne kiÌ„gdome which is the power of darckns aÌ„d the king dome of Antichrist they are becomme coÌ„iured ennemies to euerie citie nation or man that labour to comme to the knolledge of the trueth That pestilent generation I say did not cease till they obteined their purpose by deliueringe your yonge quene to the handes of the French king assuredly