Magistrates haue a good mynd to promote Religion to aduaunce common iustice to defende the lawes and to fauour honestie and yet notwithstanding they are troubled with their infirmities yea sometime with grieuous offences Howbeit the people ought not therefore to despise them thrust theÌ„ beside their dignitie Dauid had his infirmities albeit otherwise a very good Prince By his adulterie he indamaged much his people kingdome and for to make his trouble the more Absolon sinned grieuously went about to put hym beside his crowne and kingdome So likewise in other Princes there are no small number of vices which neuerthelesse neither moue nor ought to moue godly people to rebellious sedition so long as iustice is mainteined good lawes and publique peace defended We ought to pray earnestly and continually for the Magistrates welfare We must ayde him with our helpe counsell so oft as néed shal serue occasioÌ„ be giuen We must not deny him our riches or bodies to assist him with all The Saints did gather their substance in common to helpe the Magistrate so oft as publike safegard did so require The Israelites of all ages did alwayes fight for their Iudges for their Kinges other Magistrates so did all other people vpon good aduice taken and likewise on the other side did the Princes fight for the people I would therefore that those offices of godly naturalnes were of force and did flourish euen at this day in all kingdomes cities and coÌ„mon weales Let euery nation giue to his Magistrate that whiche by lawe or by custome or by necessitie it oweth him For Paule the Apostle sayth Giue to euery one that which ye owe tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whome custome feare to whome feare and honour to whome honour is due Rom. 13. Nowe for bycause the gardians or ouerséers of Orphans doe supply the roome of parents and execute the offices of deceassed parentes to the childreÌ„ that remain they do worthily deserue to haue the reward that is due to parents whether it be loue reuerence thankes or obedience The same also doe I iudge touching workmen and maisters of sciences who for the fatherly affection loue goodwill fayth and diligence shewed to their scholler or apprentice ought mutually of their schollers to be regarded as a maister to be reuerenced feared hearkened vnto as a louing father But in these vnhappaie daies of ours it is abhominable to sée the negligence of maisters in teaching their schollers and intollerable to beholde the péeuishe rudenesse of vntoward schollers Let maisters therefore learne here to shewe themselues to be fathers not being otherwise affected toward their schollers then toward their owne childreÌ„ Let them teache their apprentices their science or occupation and traine them vp in manners and all pointes of ciuilitie with the very same care and diligence that they vse in bringing vp their owne On the other side let youths learne to break their naturall ingraffed rudenesse and to bridle their youthful lustes let theÌ„ learne to be humble and subiect to kéep silence to reuerence to feare to loue and obey their maisters Let them always remember that their maisters are giuen them of God and therefore that God is despised in their contemned maisters Let them be diligent earnest and trustie in their worke Let them giue their masters cause to perceiue their earnest desire and readie good will that they beare to him their occupation and principles of their science Let euery one thinke vpon and diligently practise in déede the thing that their master teacheth by word of mouth Let theÌ„ not grudge to watch and take paynes Let not the masters be grieued so often as they be asked how to doe a thing to shewe it readily in euery point as it shoulde be done Vnthankfulnesse and lack of diligence in the scholer doth many times make the maister vnwilling and negligent to teache him Obserue this and in the rest feare God and haue an eye to sound religion When thou arte abroade come not in companie of blasphemous and ryotous tosspots behaue thy selfe honestly prouoke no man to anger â—espise no man speak yl by no maÌ„ desire peace quietnesse honour all men and striue to doe good to euery one When thou art at home helpe forwarde thy maisters commoditie do not indamage him nor his affaires if any man eyther hurt or doth go about to hinder him giue him warning of it betimes séeke to appease hide as much as thou canst all occasions of falling out and chidings what soeuer thou hearest at home doe not blabbe it abroade and make no tales at home of that that thou hearest abroade Be silent quiet chaste continent temperant trustie in déedes true in wordes and willing to do any honest and housholde businesse Beware of them by whome euill suspicions and offences may chaunce to arise Doe not ouer boldly dally with thy maisters wife or daughters nor yet with his maydens doe not stande familiarly talking with them in sight or secretly Imagine thou as it is in déede that thy maisters wife is thy mother his daughters thy sisters whome to defile it is a filthy and villanous offence Let euery yong man be neat not nastie gentle iust content with a meane dyet not licorishe lipped nor deintic toothed But why stay I hereabout so long Let euery yong man be persuaded and kéepe in memorie that his duetie is to kéepe him selfe chaste from filthy defilings to obey and not to rule to serue all men to learne alwayes to speake very little not to bragge of any thing ouer arrogantly not to aunswere tip for tap but to suffer much and winke thereat For the honouring of Ministers of the Churches which are the Pastors teachers and fathers of christian people many thinges are wont to be alledged by them who couet rather to reigne as Lordes than to serue as ministers in the Churche of Christe But we which are not of that aspiring mynde do acknowledge that they are giuen vs by the Lorde and that the Lorde by them doth speake to vs I speake here of those ministers which tell vs not an headlesse tale of their owne dreames but preache to vs the word of truth For of them the Lord in the Gospell sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Wherefore the ministerie is of the Lord and through it he worketh our saluation And therefore must we obey the ministers whiche do rightly execute their office and ministerie we must thinke well of them we must loue them and continually pray for them And since they so we to vs their heauenly things we must not donie them the reaping of our bodily and temporall things For the labourer is worthy of his reward And since the Romane president among the Iewes did not denie it but ayded the Apostle Paule against the pretended murther and open wrong of the Iewish nation a Christian Magistrate verily
whom God worketh the wealth of the people Hée that despiseth him that is sonte despiseth him that sendeth Hée that honoureth the deputie séemeth to giue more honour to him that appointed the deputie than to him that is the deputie Moreouer Salomon in the 16. of his Prouerbes saith Prophecie is in the lippes of the kinge therefore his heart shal not go wronge in iudgement And in the 8. of that Preacher I must keepe the kings commaundement because of the othe that I haue made to God for the same Againe Prouerbes 24. My sonne feare thou the Lord and the king and keepe no companie with them that slyde backe from the feare of them For their destruction shall rise soudeinly And Paule said Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God but they that resist shall receiue iudgemente to themselues Of this sorte I haue rehearsed certaine testimonies in the exposition of the fifte precept Secondarilie let subiectes pray for their Princes and magistrates that that Lord may giue them wisedome knowledge fortitude temperaunce iustice vpright seueritie clemencie and all other requisite vertues and that he wil vouchsafe to lead them in his wayes and to preserue them from all euill that wée may liue vnder them in this world in peace honestie This doth Paule require at the handes of subiectes in the seconde Chapiter of his first Epistle to Timothe and Ieremie in the tweÌ„tie ninth of his prophecie I haue in an other place recited their veâ—ie words therefore at this time I let them passe The mindes of many men are herein verie slowe and carelesse and that is the cause many times whiâ— they feele the thinges that willingly they would not and beare the burthens with griefe enough that other wise they should not and woorthilie too For if they would but doe their duetie willingly in praying for their magistrate earnestly their case vndoubtedly would bée farre better than it is But how feruent a desire they in the Primitiue Church had to pray for their magistrate we may gather euen by these wordes of TertulliaÌ„ in the 30. chapiter of his Apologie Wee pray alwayes saith hee for all Emperours desiring God to giue theÌ„ long life a sure reigne a safe house valiant armies faithfull counsellers honest subiectes a quiet worlde and whatsoeuer else a man or Emperour may desire Let the people also obey the good vpright lawes of their princes or magistrates yea let subiectes obey them holilie reuerently and with a deuout minde not obeying their lawes as the lawes of men but as the lawes of the ministers and deputies of God himselfe for Peter biddeth vs obey them for the Lord and Paule saith Wée must not obey them for anger onely but for conscience sake also that is we must not obey the magistrate onelie for feare least our conteÌ„pt and disobedience doe bréede our punishment but wée must obey him least we sinne against God himself and so our owne conscience do argue our wickednesse But in the fifte commaundement I proued by testimonies and examples out of the scriptures that wée oughte not to obey godlesse magistrates so oft as they commaund any wicked thing which is flatly contrarie to the word of god The Apostles and faithfull meÌ„ of the primitiue Church did choose rather to be shut vppe in prison to bée sent in exile to be spoiled of their substaunce to be caste to wilde beastes to be killed with the sword to be burnt with fire and to be strangled than to obey any wicked commaundements That blessed martyr bishop Polycarpus answeared the Romane Proconsul and said Wee are taught to giue to Princes and to the powers that are of God such honour as is not contrarie to true religioÌ„ And S. Iohn Chrysostom said to Gaina It is not laweful for a godly Emperour to assaye any thinge contrarie to Gods commaundementes Lastlie lâ—t subiectes pay tribute to their magistrates yea let them if necessitie so require not sticke to bestow their bodies and liues for the preseruation of their magistrate and countrie as I haue alreadie taught you in the fifte commaundement The Lord in the Gospell doth simplie say Giue to God that which beloÌ„geth to God to Caesar that which belongeth to Caesar They therefore are worthilie blamed that pinch grudg at or defraude the magistrate of any part of his tribute Tares and tributes are due to the magistrates as the hire of his labour as it were the synewes of publique tranquillitie and coÌ„mon weale For who goeth to warrefare of his owne proper coste Euerie man lyueth by that labour wherin hee is occupied The Prince taketh paines in gouerning the common weal and preseruing it in peace hée neglecteth his owne priuate and household businesse whereby hée should liue and prouide thinges necessarie for himself and his familie by looking and attending on his countries affayres it were against reason therfore but that hée should be fedde and mainteyned vppon the publique treasure and cost of his country It is requisite also that kingdomes and coÌ„mon weales be sufficiently furnished with money and substaunce to helpe in distresse either of warre famine fire and other miseries or else to the setting vppe againe of men fallen into pouertie or putting away of greater calamities I say nothinge now touching the kéeping in reparation of common buildinges as the citie walles bulwarckes trenches ditches gates bridges highe wayes wells conduits iudgement halls and markette places with many more of the same sort There are also certeine common persons as sergeants watch meÌ„ and such like which are to be nourished and mainteyned of the coÌ„mon coste and treasurie And vnlesse that money be stil at hand and in readines there can no kingdome nor any common weale stand longe in assuraunce They therefore that grudge to paye tribute denie the hire of the magistrats labour and goe the next way to work to subuert the common weale and to bring it to nought The men that in the coÌ„mon weales affayres as some of custome be are negligent and carelesse sinne not against any one Lord but against the whole common weal and therefore thou maist sée that such slouthfull workemen are séeldome times inriched with the good blessinges of god But now here by the way all magistrates and Princes must be admonished to loue the people subiect to their charge and gouernmeÌ„t to beare with them bountifullie and not to nip them with immoderate exactions which is easille done if they themselues willâ— thriftâ—e and keepe themselues moderately from riottous gluttonie and ouer sumptuous pride Let a good Prince consider what a sinne it is to haue his Palace abound in riottousnes and surfettinge while his cities and townes are tormented and pined with famine and hunger Let magistrats consider that tributes and subsidies are not the priuate goods of them in authoritie but the publique substance of the whoale coÌ„mon weal. God hateth pilers and robbers God abhorreth immoderate exactioÌ„s God curseth polling tyrauntes but blesseth
euery one that which is due tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whome custome is due feare to whom feare and honour to whome honour doeth appertaine Owe nothing to any maÌ„ but this that ye loue one another Moreouer they also do abuse Christian libertie who when they haue not receiued the spirite of libertie and of the sonnes of God when they are not as yet deliuered from Satan nor iustified by Christ do notwithstanding promise libertie to all men and think that for the opinion which they haue conceiued of their libertie they maye do whatsoeuer it pleaseth them by that meanes gainsaying good lawes and seuere discipline with exclamations outcries that libertie by lawes is intrapped betrayed and trode vnder foote Against such and especially against the teachers of that vaine and pernicious libertie Sainct Peter taketh stomach and saith These are welles without water clowdes that are carried with a tempest to whome the myste of darknesse is reserued for euer For when they haue spoken the great swelling wordes of vanitie they entice through lustes in the voluptuousnesse of the fleash suche as were cleane escaped from them which are wrapped in errour while they promise them libertie wher as they them selues are the bondseruaunts of corruption for of whome a man is ouercome vnto the same is he brought in bondage And so foorth as followeth Nowe when men doe after that manner abuse libertie that licentious lust is not worthie to be called by y name of libertie Last of all they doe abuse Christian libertie whosoeuer do abuse thinges indifferent and haue no regarde of their weake brethren but do offende them vnaduisedly Wee must therefore in this case alwayes haue in minde this notable saying of Sainct Paule All things are lawful for mee but all thinges are not expedient all things are lawfull for mee but all things do not edifie Touching this matter there is more to bee séene in the fourteenth Chapter of S. Paules Epistle written to the Romanes And here by occasion yea rather being compelled by necessitie I will speake a little and so much as shall be requisite for the godly disposed to knowe touching offences ScandaluÌ„ which worde the Latines borrowe of the Gréekes doth signifiâ— a fallinge a tripping a stumbling blocke an offence a let or hinderance such as are stones in a streate that sticke vpp higher then the rest or ginnes that are of purpose subtily sett or hidde to snare the féete of them that passe ouer them For they which doe either light on or stumble at them doe fall or else are turned out the streight path Now this kinde of snare or stumbling blâ—ck is by a metaphore transferred to the estate of religion and manners of meÌ„ For he giueth an offence whosoeuer doth with ouerthwart foolishe or vnseasonable wordes or deedes either do or saye to another man any thinge whereby he taketh an occasioÌ„ to sinne Therefore Scandalum is an occasion giuen to sinne and doe wickedly and the verie impulsion or driuing to a fall or to wickednesse Other there are that do define Scandalum to be an offence ioyned with a contempt For an offence doth vsually drawe a contempt with it or as we may say also an offence doth rise vpon contempt To conclude therefore it is put for an iniurie offered by one man to another Nowe wee offende other men either by our woordes or else by our deedes The offence that is giuen by wordes is partely in euil foolish and vnseasonable doctrine and partely in our daily talke or communication The greatest offence is that which doth arise of wicked doctrine directly contrarie to the true doctrine of the holie Gospell The nexte to this is that offence which doeth arise of foolishe vnseasonable doctrine which though it be deriued out of the worde of God is notwithstandinge either vnaptly vttered or vnwisely applyed For the preacher may sinne either by too much sufferinge or lenitie or else by too much sharpnesse and ouerthwart wai wardnesse so that the hearers beeing offended do wholie drawe back from all the hearing of the Gospell And yet for all this the light of the Gospel must not bee hidden nor the trueth sliely winked at because men wil be offended but preachers must with all their diligence take heede that the woorde of God bee wisely set foorth and aptly dispensed What soeuer thinges are against the lawes of God those must moste constantly be accused and without feare moste diligently confuted howsoeuer the worlde and worldlinges do storme against the same Nowe they do by their daily talke cause their brethren to stumble whosoeuer let their toungues runne loose to talke they care not what and at their pleasure without aduise to babble they care not howe of which sorte are filthie spéech and ribaulorie but especially such blasphemous wordes as are vnreuerently vttered against God the holie Scriptures and articles of our faith For euil wordes corrupt good manners I do not here exclude the letters or writinges of men which doe vnaduisedly offend their brethren Lastly stumbling blockes of offence are laide before many men either by promises or else by threatenings so often I meane as by alluring inticements of many faire promises or else by terrible threates and torments they are turned from the right path of trueth into bywayes and errours For so did Pharao laye a stone of offence before king Zedechias by causing him to make a league with him by that meanes to truste more in the power of Aegypt than in the mightie hand of God. Tyrauntes doe often times giue weake Christians causes of offence while they by torments driue them to deny the name of their maister Christ Now the déedes whereby men are offended bee of two sortes that is to saye they be either lawfull and at our frée choice or else vnlawfull and vtterly forbidden vs But euen lawfull déedes are by abuse made vnlawfull For it is lawfull for the faithfull to eate what they luste For to the cleane all thinges are cleane But thy eatinge is made vnlawfull if thou doest eate with the offence of thy weake brother For he doeth not vnderstande that it is lawfull to eate indifferently euery kinde of thinge and thou knowest verie wel that if thou eatest hee will bee offended and yet notwithstanding thou doest eate and despise him assure thy selfe in so dooing thou giuest cause of offence and sinnest not a little against thy weake brother To this wee adde all vnseasonable vsing of frée things and indifferent But here ye must note that the doctours of the Churche doe diligently distinguish and make a difference betwixt weake brethren and stubborne persons The weakelinges are such as be vtterly ignorant in some points of religion and yet notwithstanding are tractable enough and feare the Lorde not erring of purpose with malicious ouerthwartnesse but touched with a certeine weakenesse of faith and religion suffering themselues neuerthelesse willingly to bee instructed Of such the Apostle saith
immediately vppon Christe his death and ascension For after the same manner that I haue hetherto declared vnto you euen from the beginning of the world did all the holy Patriarchs Prophets and electe people of GOD beléeue and ground their faith Although I denie not but that the mysterie of the Trinitie was more cléerely expounded to the world by Christe yet is it euident by some vndoubted testimonies whiche I will adde anon that the mysterie of the Trinitie was very well knowen vnto the Patriarchs the Prophets but first by the way I will admonishe you that the holy Patriarchs and prophets of GOD did hold themselues content with the bare reuelation and woord of GOD not raysinge curious questions about the Vnitie and Trinitie of God. They did clearely vnderstand that there is one God the father of all the onely sauiour and authour of all goodnesse and that without or beside him there is none other God at all And they againe did euidently sée that the Sonne of GOD that promised séed hath all thinges common with the father for they did most plainely heare that hée is called the Sauiour and is the redéemer from whome all good thinges do procéede and are bestowed vppon the faithfull whereby nowe it was easte for them to gather that the father and the sonne are one God althoughe they differ in properties For in so much as they were assuredly certeine that the damnable doctrine of the pluralitie of Gods did spring from the diuel they did not worship many but one God whome notwithstanding they did beléeue to consist of a Trinitie of persons For Moses the vndoubted seruant of God in the very first verse of his first booke sayeth In the beginning Creauit dij God created heauen and earth Hee ioyneth héere a Verbe of the singular number to a Noune of the plurall number not to make incongruitie of speach but to note the mysterie of the Trinitie For the sense is as if hée should haue said That GOD which doeth consiste of thrée persons created heauen and earth For a litle after God consulting with him selfe about the making of man doeth say Let vs make man in our Image Loe héere he sayth Let vs make and not Let me make or I wil make And againe hee sayeth In our Image and not In my Image But least any man should thinke that this consultation was had with the Angels let him heare what God him selfe doeth say in Esaye I the Lord sayeth he make all thinges and stretch out the heauens alone of my selfe that is of mine owne power without any help or fellowe with mée and set the earth fast Therefore the Father consulted with the Sonne by whome also hee created the world And againe least any man should thincke as the Iewes obiecte that these things were after the order and custome of men spoken of God in the plurall number for honours sake and worshipp thou mayest heare what followeth in the end of the third Chapter Behold this man is become as one of vs in knowing good and euill Now heere by Enallage hee putteth these wordes Is become for Shall become or Shall happen so that his meaning is as if he should haue said Behold the same shall happen to Adam that shall come to one of vs that is to the Sonne to witt that hee should haue triall of good and euill that is that hee should féele sundrie fortunes namely sickenesse calamities and death and as the prouerb is should féele both swéete and sowre For that is the lot or condition of man But the Sonne being incarnate for vs not the Father nor the holy Ghost was found in shape as a man and had triall of sundrie fortunes of death whiche was foretold to Adam as it is manifest for consolations sake and not in the way of mockage For as the good Lord did with a garment strengthen the body of oure first parent against the vnseasonablenesse of the ayre when for his sinne he purposed to banishe him out of Paradise so did he comfort and chéere vpp his sorrowfull minde with a full example of the sonnes incarnation and suffering And when he had so armed him in body and soule he casteth him out of the Garden of felicitie into a carefull and miserable exile There are in euery place many examples of this matter like vnto this For Abraham sawe thrée but with them thrée he talked as with one and worshipped one And The Lord rayned vppon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone fire from the Lord out of heauen and ouerthrew those cities But least any man should interprete it and say The Lord rayned from the Lord that is from heauen he himselfe doth presently ad From heauen For as the father created all thinges by the Sonne so doth he by him preserue al things and doth euē still by him worke all things Nexte after Moses the notablest Prophete Dauid in his Psalmes doeth say By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth So heere thou hearest that there is one Lord in whome is the woord and the spirite both distinguished but not separated For the Lord made the heauens but by the Word the whole furniture of heauen doth stand by the Breath of the mouth of the lord The same Dauid sayeth The Lord sayd to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole Note that in an other place the same Dauid doth flatly saye that beside the Lord there is none other And yet héere againe he doeth as plainely saye The Lord said to my Lord meaning the father who had placed the sonne whiche was Dauids Lord at his right hand in heauē Out of Esaie may be gathered very many testimonies But the notablest of all the rest is that whiche Matthewe the Apostle citeth in these words Behold my sonne whome I haue chosen my beloued in whome my soule is pleased I will put my spirite vpon him c. With this agréeth that whiche Luke citeth saying The spirite of the Lord vppon me because hee hath annoynted mee to preache the Gospell to the poore hath hee sent mee c. In these testimonies heere thou hast the father the sonne and the holy Ghost A fewe out of many For I do not couet to turne ouer the whole scriptures of the old testament So then this faith wherewith wée doe beléeue in God the father y sonne and the holy Ghoste we haue receiued of God himselfe being deliuered vnto vs by the Prophetes Patriarchs but most euidently of all declared by the sonne of God him selfe oure Lord Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles wherevppon nowe we doe easilie gather wherfore it is that all the sincere bishops or ministers of the Churches together with the whole Church of Christe haue euer since the Apostles time with so firme a cōsent mainteyned and had this faith in honour It were
or apostolique men to reigne like vnto the Princes of this world Hée instituted ministers of the church who should serue the Churche She sitteth at the table the ministers sett that food before her which they receiue of the Lord and rightly diuide the woord of the lord Did not Christe him selfe refuse a Crowne vppon earth and did not hee that is Lord of all minister doth not he him selfe disallowe that any minister shoulde séeke any prerogatiue no not in respect of eldership He that is greatest among you saith he let him be as the yonger He therefore commaundeth an equalitie amongst them all And therefore S. Ierome iudgeth rightly saying that by the custome of man and not by the authoritie of God som one of the elders shuld be placed ouer the rest and called a Byshop wheras of olde time an elder or minister and a Byshop were of equall honour power and dignitie And it is to be obserued that S. Ierome speaketh not of the Romish Monarchie but of euerie bishop placed in euerie citie aboue the rest of the ministers Whiche thing I bring not out to that end we shoulde stay vppon the authoritie of man but to that ende I might shewe that euen by the witnesse of man it may be proued that that maioritie as they call it hath not the original from the Sonne of GOD and from Gods worde but out of mans braine and that therefore both Christe remaineth the onely head of his Churche and the bishop of Rome is nothing lesse than the head of the Church militant And ther withall we cleaue most stedfastly to the sacred and holie Gospell and to the vndoubted doctrine of the Apostles which doctrine taketh away all pride of Supremacie and commendeth vnto vs a faithfull ministerie and the equall authoritie and humblenesse of the ministers The Apostle againe witnessing and saying Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God. Herevnto belongeth almoste the whole tenth chapter of Iohn wherein the Lorde named him selfe the true and also the onely shephearde of the vniuersall Church The only shepefolde of this shephearde is the catholique Churche gathered together by the word out of the Iewes and Gentiles And shéepe of this folde are all the faithfull people in the world hearing and giuing them selues ouer wholy to be gouerned by this chiefe shepheard Christe who albeit he also communicate this name of Pastour or shephearde vnto the ministers appointed to the ministerie of the churche yet notwitstanding he reteyneth vnto him selfe the charge of the chiefe shephearde and also the chiefe power and dignitie Men that are Pastours of churches are all ministers and are all equall Christe our Lord is the vniuersall pastour and chiefe and Lord of Pastours The more worthy diligence and trust is in the Pastors the more worthy it maketh them Therefore when the Lorde saide vnto Peter Feede my sheepe he committed not vnto Peter any Empire eyther ouer the world or ouer the church but a ministerie to the behalfe of his redéemed Teach saith he and gouerne with my word my sheepe my sheepe I say whome I haue redeemed with my bloude For Paule saith Take heede vnto your selues and to the whole flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud The bishop of Rome therefore is deceiued who by the Lordes words spoken vnto Peter thinketh that full power is giuen vnto him ouer all in the church Let the Apostle Peter him selfe be heard talking with his fellow â—lders and as it were opening those wordes of the Lorde spoken vnto him The elders that are among you sayth he I beseeche which am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glorie that shall be reuealed Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mynde Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Peter speaketh not of any Empire and Lordship yea by expresse words he forbiddes Lordly dignitie For euen as he is appointed of the Lorde a minister and an elder not a Prince and a Pope so also he appointed no Princes in the Churche but ministers and Elders who with the word of Christe should féede Christes flock that willingly and lawfully al wicked deuises at once set apart Hereto belongeth the whole 34. chapter of Ezechiel whiche a little before we alledged But had not the heart béene hardened and the eyes blinded of the byshop of Rome and his they shoulde long agoe haue séene that they coulde in no parte nor by no meanes haue béene numbered amongest the shepeheardes of the Churche and disciples of Peter They woulde at least haue marked that sentence of their owne Gregorie whiche sentence he reciteth vnto Maurice the Emperour almost in these words I affirme boldly that who so euer hee bee that calleth him selfe the vniuersall Prieste is a forerunner of Antichriste And anon after But for as muche as the trueth it selfe sayes Euerie one that exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lowe thereby I knowe that euerie puffing vppe is so muche the sooner broken how muche the greater it is swollen These are his sayings Last of all the estate of Christ and the Churche is shadowed out by the similitude of marriage betwéene the husbande and the wife For Christ is called the husbande of the Church and the Churche is called the spouse of Christe Sainte Iohn sayth to his disciples Ye your selues are my witnesses that I sayde I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him Hee that hath the bride is the bridegrome but the friende of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him reioyceth greatly bycause of the bridegromes voyce This my ioye therefore is fulfilled Hee must increase but I must decrease And in the Prophetes this Allegorie is very common In a certeine place is feigned a damsell despised and polluted to lye in her filthinesse and a certeine noble man commeth by who plucking her out of the myre and making her cleane from her filthinesse and also sumptuously apparelling her chose her vnto his wife And albeit this Allegorie declareth that heauenly benefite whiche GOD shewed vnto his people being in bondage in Egypt by the wonderfull deliuerance and adopting them into his peculiar people who notwithstanding séeth not that all mankynde from his first originall is defiled with sinne and wickednesse and sticketh fast in the myre of hell who knoweth not that the sonne of GOD came downe from heauen and washed all mankynde in his bloude and hauing purged her hath ioyned to him selfe a glorious Churche hauing neyther spot nor wrinckle nor any suche thing Surely by marriage is made a mutuall participation in common betweene those that are contracted of all
of Christ Iesu haue nothing to doe with the decrées of mans inuentions and that they are not bound to obserue mens traditions because they are dead to traditions with Christ that is to say they are by Christ Iesu redéemed and set frée from traditions whiche traditions did in Christe his deathe finishe and come to an ende while hee did make vs his owne and sett vs at libertie Then also hée doth by imitation counterfaite the woordes of them whiche make those decrées saye Oh touch not Taste not Handle not These thrée preceptes stretch very farre and comprehende manye petit decrées All which hee doeth unmediately confute with these probable argumentes First because they appoinct the worshippe of GOD to be in thinges that perish in the vse thereof But the kingdome of God is neither meate nor drincke but doth consiste in spirituall thinges And that whiche entereth in by the mouth doeth not defile the man Secondarilie béecause they are not made of God the authour of all goodnesse but haue their beginning of mans inuentions But in vaine doe they worshippe mée sayeth the Lord in the Gospell teaching doctrines the preceptes of men Neither doeth the holy Apostle saincte Paul wincke at and slylie passe ouer because hée will not aunsweare to the thinges whiche doe most commende these traditions First of all they are commended for the shewe and appearaunce of wisedome that is in them For they séeme to haue béene not without great wisedome ordeined of wise menne in that they doe so fittlie serue to euerye person time and place The earnest defenders of mens traditions crie out and saye Oure auncestours weee no fooles their lawes are full of wisedome But Ieremie cryeth out on the other side saying They haue reiected the woord of GOD therefore what wisedome can bee in them An other cause why traditions are commended is the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a chosen kinde of worshippe which wée of our owne braynes haue chosen and taken to oure selues to serue and do God worship with all For men do gladly and willingly receiue the traditions of men because they are agréeable to their inclination Yea Christ in the holie Gospell sayth If ye had beene of the world the world would haue loued her owne Nowe for because I haue chosen you out of the worlde the world doth hate you And againe hée saith That whiche men set great store by is abhominable vnto God. Moreouer mens traditions are commended for humilitie which is vnderstoode in two manners or respectes For first that is said to be humilitie if any man doe readily obey and easilie yéeld to that which is vrged obtruded and thrust vpon him by men of countenaunce and authoritie Secondarilie the lawes of men do séeme to exercise humblenesse and kéepe men in humilitie But such obedience and humilitie may rather bée called sacrilege because it is not ruled and directed by the woord of God as the thinge whereby alone it should be tempered and squared but doth transferre and conueighe ouer the honour of GOD from God to men Last of all mens traditions are commended for the neglectinge of the fleshe For Oh that discipline and chasticemente of the fleashe séemeth to them a goodlye thinge by whiche the wantonnesse of the flesh is somewhat brideled and tamed Finallie the Apostle addeth Not in any honour to the satistyinge of the fleshe that is to say Whiche thinges although they haue a shewe of religion and holinesse haue notwithstanding in verie déede no honour at all considering that those externall things are ordeined of GOD for the ease and reléefe of menns necessities Yea Paul doth flatly finde fault with those decrées because they giue the bodie no honour for the satisfying of the same that is according to the measure of the bodies necessitie For a moderate care and looking to the bodie is not only permitted but also commanded least wée perhapps by too muche lacke and neerenesse do marre the bodie and make it vnapt to doe good woorkes Neither is the care of the flesh in any place forbidden vnlesse it tend to lustes and sensualitie Wherfore the Apostle saith Cherish not the flesh vnto concupiscence Therefore God hath graunted to man for his necessitie the vse of meate drincke sléepe cloathing reste alloweable pleasures and other thinges necessarie In the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians Saincte Paule saith When the fullnesse of the time was come God sent his sonne borne of a womā and made vnder the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe that wee mighte receiue by adoption the right or inheritaunce of children Nowe because ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Wherfore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God thoroughe Christ And immediatly after againe Stand faste in the libertie wherewith Christe hath deliuered vs and bee not againe wrapped in the yoke of bondage In the second to the Hebrues hée saith Christe was made partaker of fleshe and bloud with vs to the ende that throughe death he might expell him that had Lordship ouer death that is the diuell and that hee might deliuer them which through feare of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage Thus I hope these testimonies of Scripture suffice for our purpose These thinges being wel weighed and throughly considered will plainely teache what kinde of libertie they haue whiche are made frée by Christ and what their propertie and inclination is to witt most religious and altogether giuen to holy thinges that is to say in all points addicted to the spirite without whiche there is no libertie and by which al the sonnes of God are alwayes gouerned The Lords frée men doe most diligently beware that they doe vnaduisedly offend no man by their libertie nor vainely abuse their purchased fréedome For they haue continuallie before their minds and eyes the weightie sayings of the holie Apostles of their Lord Christe Iesu Sainct Peter in the second Chapter of his first Epistle saith As free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of God. And Paule hath Brethren ye haue beene called vnto libertie onely let not libertie be an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one an other For I when I am free haue made mee selfe seruaunte to all that I maye winne the more They therefore do specially abuse Christiā libertie who seeking after carnall things vnder the colour and pretence of the spirite and of libertie doe make their bragges that they by the preachinge of the Gospell are set free from all bodily debtes dueties and therefore they do denye to their maisters creditours magistrates and princes the dutie that they owe them by that meanes reuolting and rebelling againste them These fellowes are seditious stirrers and not the reuerencers of the Euangelical doctrin Paule crieth Giue to