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A32977
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Certain sermons or homilies appointed to be read in churches in the time of Queen Elizabeth of famous memory and now reprinted for the use of private families, in two parts.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing C4091I; ESTC R1759
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454,358
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660
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take all their Commandments for Gods For as they would not suffer the Holy Scriptures or Church Service to be used or had in any other Language than the Latin so were very few even of the most simple People taught the Lords Prayer the Articles of the Faith and the Ten Commandments otherwise than in Latin which they understood not by which universal ignorance all Men were ready to believe whatsoever they said and to do whatsoever they commanded For to imitate the Apostles phrase if the Emperors Subjects had known out of Gods word their Duty to their Prince they would not have suffered the Bishop of Rome to persuade them to forsake their Sovereign Lord the Emperor against their Oath and Fidelity and to Rebel against him only for that he cast Images unto the which Idolatry was committed out of the Churches which the Bishop of Rome bare them in hand to be Heresie If they had known of Gods Word but as much as the Ten Commandments they should have found that the Bishop of Rome was not only a Traitor to the Emperor his Liege Lord but to God also and an horrible Blasphemer of his Majesty in calling his holy Word and Commandment Heresie and that which the Bishop of Rome took for a just cause to rebel against his lawful Prince they might have known to be a doubling and trebling of his most heinous wickedness heaped with horrible Impiety and Blasphemy But lest the poor People should know too much he would not let them have as much of Gods Word as the Ten Commandments wholly and perfectly Henry 4. Gregor 7. Anno Dom 167. Paschal 2. Anno 19â— withdrawing from them the second Commandment that bewrayeth his Impiety by a subtil Sacriledge Had the Emperors Subjects likewise known and been of any understanding in Gods Word would they at other times have rebelled against their Sovereign Lord and by their Rebellion have holpen to depose him only for that the Bishop of Rome did bear them in hand that it was Symony and Heresie too for the Emperor to give any Ecclesiastical Dignities or promotion to his learned Chaplains or other of his learned Clergy which all Christian Emperors before him had done without controlement would they I say for that the Bishop of Rome bare them so in hand have rebelled by the space of more than forty Years together against him with so much shedding of Christian Blood and murder of so many thousands of Christians and finally have deposed their Sovereign Lord had they known and had in Gods Word any understanding at all specially had they known that they did all this to pluck from their Sovereign Lord and his Successors for ever that ancient Right of the Empire to give it unto the Romish Clergy and to the Bishop of Rome that he might for the Confirmation of one Arch-Bishop and for the Romish Rag which he calleth a Pall scarce worth Twelve pence receive many thousand Crowns of Gold and of other Bishops likewise great Sums of Mony for their Bulls which is Symony indeed Would I say Christian Men and Subjects by Rebellion have spent so much Christian Blood and have deposed their natural most noble and most valiant Prince to bring the matter finally to this pass had they known what they did or had any understanding in Gods Word at all And as these ambitious Usurpers the Bishops of Rome have over-flowed all Italy and Germany with streams of Christian Blood shed by the Rebellions of ignorant Subjects against their natural Lords and Emperors whom they have stirred thereunto by such false pretences so is there no Country in Christendom which by their like means and false pretences hath not been over-sprinkled with the Blood of Subjects by Rebellion against their natural Sovereigns stirred up by the same Bishops of Rome And to use one Example of our own Country the Bishop of Rome did pick a Quarrel to King John of England â—ing John about the Election of Stephen Langton to the Bishoprick of Canterbury wherein the King had ancient Right being used by his Progenitors all Christian Kings of England before him the Bishops of Rome having no Right but had begun then to usurp upon the Kings of England and all other Christian Kings as they had before done against their Sovereign Lords the Emperors proceeding even by the same ways and means and likewise cursing King John and discharging his Subjects of their Oath of Fidelity unto their Sovereign Lord. Now had English-men at that time known their Duty to their Prince set forth in Gods Word would a great many of Nobles and other English-men natural Subjects for this Foreign and unnatural Usurper Innocent III. his vain curse of the King and for his feigned discharging of them of their Oath and Fidelity to their natural Lord upon so slender or no ground at all have rebelled against their Sovereign Lord the King Would English Subjects have taken part against the King of England and against English-men Philip French King with the French King and French-men being incensed against this Realm by the Bishop of Rome Would they have sent for and received the Dolphin of France with a great Army of French-men into the Realm of England Lewis Dolphin of France Would they have sworn Fidelity to the Dolphin of France breaking their Oath of Fidelity to their natural Lord the King of England and have stood under the Dolphins Banner displayed against the King of England Would they have expelled their Sovereign Lord the King of England out of London the chief City of England and out of the greatest part of England upon the South-side of the Trent even unto Lincoln and out of Lincoln it self also and have delivered the possession thereof unto the Dolphin of France whereof he kept the possession a great while Would they being English men have procured so great shedding of English-blood and other infinite mischiefs and miseries unto England their natural Country as did follow those cruel Wars and traiterous Rebellion the fruits of the Bishop of Romes blessings Would they have driven their natural Sovereign Lord the King of England to such extremity that he was inforced to submit himself unto that Foreign false Usurper the Bishop of Rome who compelled him to surrender up the Crown of England into the hands of his Legat who in token of possession kept it in his hands divers days and then delivered it again to King John upon that condition that the King and his Successors Kings of England should hold the Crown and Kingdom of England of the Bishop of Rome and his Successors as the Vassals of the said Bishop of Rome for ever in token whereof the Kings of England should also pay a yearly Tribute to the said Bishop of Rome as his Vassals and Liege-men Would English-men have brought their Sovereign Lord and Natural Country into this thraldom and subjection to a false Foreign Usurper had they known and had any understanding in Gods
even at this day But these ambitious and indeed traitorous means and spoiling of their Sovereign Lords the Bishops of Rome of Priests and none other by right than the Bishops of one City and Diocess are by false usurpation become great Lords of many Dominions mighty Princes yea or Emperors rather as claiming to have divers Princes and Kings to their Vassals Liegemen and Subjects as in the same Histories written by their own Familiars and Courtiers is to be seen And indeed since the time that the Bishops of Rome by Ambition Treason and Usurpation atchieved and attained to this height and greatness they behaved themselves more like Princes Kings and Emperors in all things than remained like Priests Bishops and Ecclesiastical or as they would be called Spiritual persons in any one thing at all For after this rate they have handled other Kings and Princes of other Realms throughout Christendom as well as their Sovereign Lords the Emperors usually discharging their Subjects of their Oath of Fidelity and so stirring them up to Rebellion against their natural Princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified unto you Wherefore let all good Subjects knowing these the special Instruments and Ministers of the Devil to the stirring up of all Rebellions avoid and flee them and the pestilent suggestions of such Foreign Usurpers and their Adherents and embrace all obedience to God and their natural Princes and Sovereigns that they may enjoy Gods blessings and their Princes favor all Peace Quietness Security in this World and finally attain through Christ our Saviour life everlasting in the World to come which God the Father for the same our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake grant unto us all To whom with the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory World without end Amen Thus have you heard the Fifth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us Pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which he Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Sixth and last Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion NOw whereas the Injuries Oppressions Raveny and Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome Usurping as well against their natural Lords the Emperors as against all other Christian Kings and Kingdoms and their continual stirring of Subjects unto Rebellions against their Sovereign Lords whereof I have partly admonished you before were intolerable and it may seem more than marvel that any Subjects would after such sort hold with unnatural Foreign Usurpers against their own Sovereign Lords and natural Country It remaineth that I do declare the Mean whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole â—reaty of due Obedience and against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion You shall understand Of the ignorance of simple people the later Part that by ignorance of Gods Word wherein they kept all Men specially the Common People they wrought and brought to pass all these things making them believe that all that they said was true all that they did was good and godly and that to hold with them in all things against Father Mother Prince Country and all Men was most meritorious And indeed what mischief will not blind ignorance lead simple Men unto By ignorance the Jewish Clergy induced the common People to ask the delivery of Barabbas the seditious murderer and to sue for the cruel Crucifying of our Saviour Christ for that he rebuked the Ambition Superstition and other Vices of the High Priests and Clergy For as our Saviour Christ testifieth that those who Crucified him wist not what they did so doth the Holy Apostle St. Paul say If they had known if they had not been ignorant they would never have Crucified the Lord of Glory but they knew not what they did Our Saviour Christ himself also foreshew that it should come to pass by ignorance that those who should persecute and murder his true Apostles and Disciples should think they did God acceptable Sacrifice and good Service as it is also verified even at this day And in this ignorance have the Bishops of Rome kept the People of God specially the common sort by no means so much as by withdrawing the Word of God from them and by keeping it under the vail of an unknown strange tongue For as it served the ambitious humor of the Bishops of Rome to compel all Nations to use the natural Language of the City of Rome where they were Bishops which shewed a certain acknowledging of subjection unto them so yet served it much more their crafty purpose thereby to keep all People so blind Si cognovissent Gregorius 2 3. Anno Dom. 726. c. In the second Commandment that they not knowing what they prayed what they believed what they were commanded by God might