by the cruel officiers of wicked Antiochus which had spoyled their TeÌ„pel rased their waules murthered their brethern and set vp idolatrie in so muche as all for the most parte applied them selues to their wicked parsuations that he with the residue shulde forsake the Lawes and sacrifices of their God to worshipp strange Goddes he made answere to the officer of Antiochus the kinge which would to God our Noble men had perfetly learned That thoghe all Nations apparteyning to kinge Antiochus shulde obeye him so that euery man would declyne from the Lawes of his countrie yet I saieth he my children and brethern wil stand in the conuenant of our fathers c. Which thing he performe din dede to the glorie of God to his owne saluation and comforte of his brethern and countrie for euer And euen at the self same tyme he slewe not onely a Iewe one of his owne brethern which came to sacrifice in his presence at the alter Modim according to the prescript of Antiochus but killed also the kiÌ„ges officer that coÌ„pelled him therto and afterwarde distroyed the altar aÌ„d folowed the Lawe of God with a zeale as did Phinees Matathias had then a litle power amongest his brethern but nothing to defende him self agaynst the kinge and also being charged with children and kinsfolk which semed to be all his power woulde nether pollute him self nor suffer theÌ„ to be polluted with wicked idolatrie nor couÌ„seles to be oppressed with tyrannie And yet we reade of no auctoritie or office he had to excuse him by but onelie this one thing which was comon to all other of his natioÌ„ the Lawes of their countrie and couenant of their fathers Which cause he thoght sufficieÌ„t to discharge his coÌ„science before God and to approue his doings For as muche as God had commanded him not onely to denie to do the commandement of the cruell tyrant Antiochus vnder whoÌ„ all Ierusalem then was by conqueste but manfully to professe him and his as open aduersaries to his Lawes and to resiste idolatrie by force in killing the idolatrer and the kinges seruant by whom he was compelled and in subuerting the altar where vpoÌ„ the idolatrous sacrifice shuld haue bene done Which was as you see manifeste resisting of the superior power being but maÌ„ to the intent he might shewe true obedience to his Lorde and God iÌ„n defending and maynteyning his Lawes which he calleth the couenant of their fathers yea and with the temporal sworde to the vttermost of his power TheÌ„ if Matathias herein did discharge his conscieÌ„ce before God and man in resisting by temporal power the kinge his commandements and officiers it is not onely the office of Apostles aÌ„d preachers to resist but the dewtie likewise of all others according to their estate and vocation But you will say perchance that this boke of the Macabees is not of sufficient auctoririe to persuade your consciences in the like case because it is not reputed to be amongest those bokes which are autentique and named Canonical Trueth it is but that thou which art in like and better estate because of thy power and auctoritie wherewith thou art as wel charged before God as kinge or Emperour mayst and shuldest with a safe conscience folowe this worthie example it is moste true and certayne For the facte of Mattathias dependeth not vpon the auctoritie of the boke wherin it is conteyned but vpon the worde of God whervpon it was grownded For hathe he done anie otherwise in his vocation then the Apostles did in theirs Did not they say that God is to be obeyed rather then man And so sayed Mattathias and muche more playner that thoghe all nations woulde obeye Antiochus yet he and so many as he coulde procure shulde obeye the true God and his Lawes And like as the Apostles according to their answer openlie and playnly in fight of the people did vse the spiritual sworde manfully fighting agaynst all rebellion of man in Goddes cause so did Mattathias vse the temporall sworde according to his power moued by the same reason agaynst idolatrie and oppression which is manifeste rebellion agaynst God Yea and if their were nether example nor Scripture to proue his facte yet would verie natural reason compel euery man to alowe the same as moste Godlie And that therin he did nothing but his duetie which thing was approued in the iudgement of that age and as a lawful facte and monument wryte and left to be red and practised of all posteritie the Lawe of nature so directing their iudgments But to put you out of all doute we will confirme it with an other testimonie most surely auctorised and the very same in effect of that renowmed and worthie Capitayne Iosua the sonne of Nun whome God him self had chosen to succede Moyses in the gouernement and leading of the people of Israel who after he had declared the benefites of God done vnto them from the tyme that he had chosen them to be his people namelie to Abraham whom he called from idolatrie to Isaac and Iacob and to the rest of the people their posteritie in deliuering them out of Egypt preseruinge them in the wildernesse and geuing to them his Lawes spake these wordes to the Elders aÌ„d all the multitude sayng Now therfore feare ye the Lord serue him vnfaynedlie and faithfullie take away the Goddes which your fathers worshipped beyonde the Riuer and in Egypte and serue the Lorde But yf you wil not serue the Lorde chose vnto you this day whom you will serue â–ª whither ye wil serue the Goddes beyonde the Riuer or the Gods of the Amorites in whose lande ye dwele As for me and my familie we will serue the Lorde answering as did Matathias And this spake he in his later dayes to admonishe them afore hande not to incline to idolatrie and to neglecte the Lawes of God which is the cause of all euill and gapp to all mischiff Which sayng of Iosua the true seruaÌ„t of God seemed so Godlie in the sight of all the people that all were compelled with a uehemencie of spirite to say God forbid that we shulde forsake the Lorde to serue strange Goddes For the Lorde our God him self broght vs out of Egypt and from the house of bondage What wilt thou more to proue this facte of Mattathias aÌ„d therbie thy duetie also whither thou be of the Seniors of the people or of the multitude Here is thy confession if thou be of God Yf all men would serue strange Godds yet will I and my familie serue the liuinge Lorde And agayne God forbid that we shulde leaue the obedience of our God by whome we are created redeâ—â—d and saued to serue strange Goddes And how caneste thou say that thou seruest God thy Lorde except thou vse all suche means as he hath geuen to thee in defence of his glorie beit counsel learning auctoritie power in bodie or in soule All muste serue the Lorde when he
oght to be preferred and with out the which no Realme or nation may long cōtynewe in quietnesse for thē God keepeth not watche ouer thē Yf also he was betrayde of others and soght not to betraye any if he purposed Gods glorie and the defence of his countre If the iustnesse of the cause oght to trye his doīges ād not the effect that folowed or the preuētīge of tyme where vnto he after a sorte was inforsed thē oght no persone whither he be a Ruler or subiecte Counseller Noble publicke or priuate to be discouraged but rather incouraged by Wyats example The people to seeke and demande helpe of thē that are able and they to graūt thē succour willīgly seeking by all means possible to restore Christ agayne ād his kīgdome with whom you haue lost all godlye libertie ād quietnesse and to expell Antichrist and all his adherentes by whom you are broght in this miserable slauery and bōdage both of bodies and soules And thoghe it succede not the first or seconde tyme no more then did the entreprise of Wyat or of the Israelites yet when God shall see your zele and diligence to be applyed onely in seekinge to maynteyne his kingdome and the glorie therof he wil helpe no dowte at lenghe to confounde all his enimies as he did the thirde tyme confort the Israelits to the vtter destructiō of the adulterous Beniamits We must now looke for no reuelations from the heauens to teache vs our duety it being so playnely set before our eyes in his worde And if in this case considerately begone in the feare of God it shuld happen any of you to perishe consider you perishe but in the fleshe to lyue with God leauing in the meane tyme an example behinde you that you liued in his feare and soght his glorie according to your duetye CHAP. XV. What remedy or counsell is left to the poore and afflicted seruantes of God at what tyme they are destitute of all outwarde meās and supporte of mē TO the people of Israel whom God from amonge all nations chose to be his peculiar people he did not onely geue his Lawes ordinances and statutes but also instituted all kinde of officiers to see the same Lawes put in execution And besides this appoynted such as might be leaders and defenders of them in tyme of warre agaynst their enimes and such as shuld mayntayne their right at home in tyme of peace as were their iudges and princes appoynted ouer euery Tribe besides their kinge and chief gouernour to whome it was lawfull for the people ād for euery Tribe to resorte in tyme of daunger to aske counsele and desier helpe who were likewise bounde to heare their cause and support them whither it were by counselle or bodely trauell In like maner God hath no lesse mercifully delte with you in Englande not onely geuing vnto you his Lawes and holy worde with farre greater light and playner declaration of his will and pleasure then euer was published to the Israelits but also hath furnished you with all sortes of Magistrates officers and gouernors necessarie for the accomplishment or rather execution of the same To whom it oght to be no lesse lawfull for you to resorte for comforte in your necessitie then it was to the Israelites and they as muche bownd to heare you For this cause haue you Mayres Shiriffs and Aldermen in Cities Counstables ād Bayliffs in Townes knights ād Iustices in Shires and countries To these oght the people to haue concurse in necessitie who shuld be their refuge and ayde in all trouble and aduersitie But if all these be so shamfully corrupted and so myndles of their charge and office that nether the Citezens can be cōforted nor suckered by their Mayres Shiriffes and Alder men nether the poore Townesmen and Tennants by their Iustices and Landelordes but all geuen ouer as it were to Satan and to serue the lustes of their chief Rulers care not whether the poore people sinke or swyme so it be well with them thogh it be a thinge impossible that the people can be distroyed and they escape daūger or that their neyghbours house cā be consumed with fyer and theirs remayne vntouched Yf all I saye in whō the people shuld loke for comforte were all together declyned from God as in dede they apeare to be at this present tyme in England without all feare of his Maiestie or pitie vpon their brethern and also yf the least and weakest parte of the people in all places feared God and all outwarde means of helpe vtterly taken from them nether being able to fynde remedie amōgest them selues nether cā see how to be supported of others thē assure your selues deare brethern and seruants of God there can be no better counsell nor more comfortable or present remedie which you shall proue true if God graunte you his Spirite and grace to folowe it then in contynual and dayly inuocation of his Name to rest whollie and only vpon him make him your shilde buckeler and refuge who hath so promised to be to all them that are oppressed and depend vpon him to do nothing commanded agaynst God and your conscience preferring at all tymes as you haue learned before the will of God to the will punishments and tyranny of Princes sayng and answeringe to all maner of persones This hath God commanded this must we do That hath God forbiddē that will we not do yf you will robbe vs and spoyle vs for doinge the Lordes will to the Lorde must you make answere and not to vs for his goodes they are and not ours If ye will imprisone vs behold ye are oppressors If ye will hange vs or burne vs beholde ye are murtherers of them which feare the Lorde and are created to the Image of God for whose contempte ye shall be straytly punished And for our parte yf you take from vs this vile and corruptible lyffe we are assured the Lorde will geue it vs agayne with ioye and immortalitie both of bodie and soule Yf God geue you grace to make this or the like answere and strengh to contemne their tyrannie you may be certayne and sure to finde vnspeakable conforte and quietnes of conscience in the mydle of your danger and greatest rage of Satan And thus boldly confessinge Christ your Sauiour before men as by the example of thousandes of your bretheren before your faces God doth mercifully incourage you you may with all hope and patience wayte for the ioyfull confession of Christ agayne before his Father and Angells in heauen that you are his obediente and dearely beloued seruantes being also assured of this that if it be the will of God to haue you anie longer to remayne in this miserable worlde that then his prouidence is so carefull ouer you ād present with you that no man or power can take your liffe from you nether touche your bodie anie further then your Lorde and God will permit them Whiche nether shall
of innocēt bloud which the Lorde must nedes reuēge according to his promesse Yf thy innocēt brother which is broght to thee because he is the seruant of God be ready for Christes sake to offre vp his life in sacrifice what great thing is it for thee to offre vp thy vile liuing for the same cause of rightousnesse For as he in losinge his life hath assurance to finde it euerlastingly euen so mayst thou be assured in forgoing thy office because thou wilt be no tormentour of Goddes children agaynst thy duetie and conscience to haue the rewarde of rightousnesse at the hands of God who estemeth all thinges done to anie of these litle ones as done to him self and forbideth thee to touche them sayng Touche not myne anoynted ones Therfore as there is no power or punishment that shuld cause thee to do euil so is there no office or promotion which thou shuldest not willingly forgoe rather then in reteyninge it to be an instrument of iniurious oppression hauinge this rule of our Sauiour Christe alwayes before thine eyes What so euer ye would that men shulde do to you that do you to them also Neither is this ynough rather to suffer iniurie and losse then that thou wouldest be a worker of iniurie to others by any means but more ouer it is thy parte to be a withstander of euil and a supporter of the Godly to the vttermoste of thy power as thou hast partly harde all ready ād partly shalt heare now folowing For as God hath not created vs for our selues but to seke his honor and glorie and the profit of our neighbour especially of such as be of the housholde of faithe euen so are we īdetted to God to bestowe all those gyftes be they spiritual or corporal wherewith God hath blessed vs to the self same end stryuing agaynst all impediments helping defending comforting and deliuering to the vttermoste of our power all such as we are assured do feare God and stande in nede of our ayde and supporte Otherwise we shewe our selues to haue more compassion vpon brute beastes as our neighbours oxe asse or shepe which Gods Lawe dothe charge vs to helpe saue or drawe forthe of the diche althoghe it were the beaste of our enemie Are we then bound to do this to vnreasonable and brute beastes yea to any thing belonging to our neighbour and shall we be afrayde to do the like to him self what tyme he is in necessitie Yf his shepe or other of his cattel were readie to be deuoured in our presence of wolues or suche wilde beastes are we not bounde as wel in conscience as by the Lawe of God to driue the wilde beaste awaye and saue his cattel who can deny this to be our duetie Can we be excused then in suffringe the soules and bodies of the children of God our brethern to be moste pitifully distroyed of Gods enemies by false doctrine and cruel murthering and put not to our handes and power to deliuer them The verie Gentils with out God were taught so muche of nature that to do wronge to a nother is not onely iniurie but also they condemne him as an iniurious persone which can and will not withstande wrōge done to a nother Wo be to thee thē ô miserable Englande amonge other nations and peoples which hast a longe tyme delited in iniustice and cruel oppression Wo be vnto you moste vngodlye and careles counsellers Wo be to you Rulers and Magistrats from the hieste to the loweste for that you ruling with out the feare of God see your owne fleshe ād bloude the very lābes of God dayly to fall by flockes not in to the diche or pit but in to the vnsaciable mouthes of the wolueshe papistes not onely to be hurte and iniuried but cruelly to be deuoured both bodie and goodes and their poore wiues children and families destroyed ād go a begginge And yet neither the sorouful sobbes ād cōtinual teares of the lamētable mothers nor the pitiful crye of the spoyled infātes nor the extreame necessitie of their dispersed seruāts besides the shamefull betrayinge ād subuertiō of the whole Realme daylie approchinge can once moue your harde ād stonie hartes with pitie to defende their cause and delyuer them frō tyranny beinge promoted to your honours and offices to that end Can you escape the condemnation of the Lawe whiche prefer the preseruation of your beastes and cattell to the pretious lyues of your owne brethern the Image of the liuinge Lorde whom you are bounde to loue as your selues Shall not the Gentils whiche lyue besides the Lawe stand in iudgment agaynste you whiche professe the Lawe when they are more preste to defende their people from iniuries then you yours Your owne offices auctoritie and power shall in that daye put you to silence and confounde you Was there euer the like contempt of Gods worde in Capernaum The like idolatrie amonge the heathen Or like tyranny and cruell murthering at Ierusalem And yet to Capernaum Christ hathe threatned that it shall be easier for Tyre and Sidon in the last day then for it The Gentiles he commanded to be distroyed as his extreame enimies And as for Ierusalem that worthie Citie of the Lorde escaped not his seuere iudgement not leauinge one stone vpon another as oure Sauiour himself afore prophecied ād as their miserable state and dispertion this daye doth testifie Will God then spare Englande alone and punishe all other nations for lesse impietie Can he of his iustice spare you counsellers you Nobles and inferior officers Whiche spare not to spoyle oppresse accuse condemne and murther the people of God to deface his glory and to distroye the whole Englishe Natiō from the earthe so moche as in you lieth Repent repent you miserable mē for your synnes be at the highest your cupp of iniquitie is full and the houre of your heuy visitation is come when it will be to late for you to flee from the great wrath of Gods indignation whiche shortlye is like to be powred vpon you Then shall you well perceaue that there is no saluation but vnder Gods protection no comforte with out Christe no obedience agaynst God no power that can dispence with the charge of the Almightie and his commandements especiallie when all your counsels agaynst him and his poore seruants shall fall vpon your owne heades your wisedome turned to follie your noblenesse to vilenesse your rule and dominion taken from you and you made slaues to others your fayre howses and gorgeous buildinges destroyed your great possessions geuen to your enimies your wiues to be rauished your mayds deflowred and children murthered with out mercy your pride and hie lokes abated your welthe turned to miserie your delicate faare and costlie aparell to extreame hunger and beggerye your ioye and pastance to weepinge and continuall sorrowe and in the end shamefull deathe as you haue
be augmented for your playne confession nor yet diminished for keepinge of silence For nothing cometh to the seruants of God by hap or chaūce whose heares of their heads are numbred Wherof yf you be so assured as you oght to be there can be nothing that shuld make you to shrinke from the Lorde If they do cast you in prisō with Ioseph the Lorde will delyuer you yf they cast you to wilde beasts and lyons as they did Daniel you shall be preserued yf in to the sea with Ionas ye shall not be drowned or in to the durtie dongeon with Ieremie you shall be delyuered either in to the fyrye furnace withe Sidrach Misach and Abednago yet shall you not be consumed Contrarie wise yf it be his good pleasure that you shall glorifie his holie Name in your death what great thing haue you loste Changing death for liffe misery for felicitie contynuall vexation and trouble for perpetuall rest and quietnesse chosinge rather to dye with shame of the worlde being the seruantes of God then to lyue amongest men in honor being the seruantes of Satan and condemned of God Otherwise if you geue place to the wickednesse of men to escape their malice and bodily dangers you shewe your selues therin to feare man more then the mightie and dreadfull God him that hath but power of your bodie and that at Gods appoyntement then God him self who hath power after he hath destroyed the body to cast both bodies and soules in to hell fyre there to remayne euerlastingly in tormentes vnspeakable And moreouer that which you loke to obtayne by these shamefull shiefts you shall besure to lose with gryef and trouble of Conscience For this saying of our Maister being true and certayne That they which seeke to saue their liffe meanynge by anie worldly reason or policie shall lose it what shall be their gaynes at lengh when by dissimulation and yelding to popishe blasphemie they dishonor the Maiestie of God to inioye this shorte miserable and mortall lyffe to be caste from the fauour of God ād companie of his heauenly Angells to inioye for a shorte tyme their goodes and possessions amonge their fleshly and carnall friends when as their conscience within shall be deeply wounded withe hellike tormentes when goddes curse and indignation hangeth contynually ouer the heades of such ready to be powred downe vpon them when they shall finde no comforte but vtter dispayer with Iudas which for this worldly riches as he did haue solde their Maister sekinge either to hange them selues with Iudas to murther them selues with Frances Spera to drowne them selues with Iustice Hales either els to fall in to a raginge madnesse with Iustice Morgen What comforte had Iudas then by his mony receaued for betraynge his Maister Was he not shortly after compelled to cast it from him with this pitifull voyce I haue synned in betraying innocēt bloud Coulde anie of these forenamed persons after they had commytted the like treason to our Sauiour Iesus Christ finde anie more comforte in their friendes from whom they were so loth to departe Or anie more pleasure in their possessions or assurance in their treasures Beholde they had all moste miserable lyues for the tyme and shamefull endes Then deare brethern in Christ what other rewarde can anie of you loke for commytting the like offences Haue you anie more assurance of Gods mercies then they had Woulde not Christ spare his owne Apostle Iudas and yet will pardon you Did not iudge Hales appearingly professe the Gospell a longe space and was greatly commended for a godly man amongest the Godly And yet after by the importunate perswations of the pestilent papistes denyinge his Maister sustayned this horrible iudgment that he and such like might be a perpetuall example for you and all men to feare the like or worse punishemente You see therfore how there is no truste but in God no comfort but in Christ no assurance but in his promisse by whose obedience onely you shall auoyde all danger And whatsoeuer you lose in this world and suffer for his Name it shall be here recompenced with double according to his promisse and in the worlde to come with liffe euerlastinge which is to finde your liffe when ye are willinge to lay it downe at his commandement I am not ignorant how vnnaturall a thinge it is and contrarie to the fleshe willingly to sustayne suche cruell deathe as the aduersaries haue appoynted to all the children of God myndinge constantly to stand by their profession which to the spirite notwithstanding is easie and ioyful For thogh the fleshe be frayle the spirite is prompte and redy Wherof praysed be the name of God you haue had notable experience in many of your brethern very martyrs of Christe who with ioye paciētly and tryumphinghe haue suffed and drunke with thurste of that bitter cupp which nature so muche abhorreth wonderfully strēgthned no dowte by the secreat inspiration of Gods holy Spirite So that there oght to be none amōgest you so feeble weake or timorous whom the wonderfull examples of Godes present power and singuler fauour in those persons shulde not incourage bolden and fortifie to shewe the like cōstancie in the same cause and profession Neuertheles great cause we haue thankfully to consider the inspeakable mercy of God in Christe which hath farther respecte to our infirmitie that when we haue not that boldenesse of spirite to stande to the death as we see others yet geuing so muche to our weaknesse he hathe prouided a present remedie that beīg persecuted in one place we haue libertie to flee in to a nother where we cannot be in our owne coūtrie with a safe consciēce except we would make opon profession of our religion which is euery mans duetie and so be broght to offre vp our liues in sacrifice to God in testimonie that we are his he hathe mollyfied and prepared the hartes of stranges to receue vs with all pitie and gladnesse where you may be also not onely delyuered from the feare of death and the papisticall tyrannie practised without all measure in that coūtrie but with great freedome of cōscience heare the worde of God contynually preached and the Sacraments of our Sauiour Christ purely and duely ministred without all dregges of poperie or supersticion of mans inuention to the intent you being with others refresshed for a space and more strongly fortified may be also with others more willing and ready to laye downe your lyues at Gods appoyntment For that is the chiefest grace of God and greatest perfection to fight euen to the bloude vnder Christes banner and with him to geue our liues But if you will thus flee welbeloued in the Lord you must not chose vnto your selues places according as you phantasie as many of vs which haue left our countrie haue donne some dwelling in papisticall places amongest the enimies of God in the myddle of impietie in France as in
Paris Orliance and Rone and some in Italy as in Rome Vaenice and Padua Which persons in fleeing from their Quene runne to the Pope fearing the daunger of their bodies seeke where they may poyson their soules thinking by this means to be lesse suspected of Iesabell shew them selues afrayd and ashamed of the Gospel which in tymes paste they haue stowtly professed And lest they shuld be thoght fauorers of Christe haue purposly ridden by the Churches and Congregations of his seruauntes their bretherne nether mynded to comforte others there nor to be comforted them selues Wherin they haue shewed the coldenesse of their zele towarde religion and geuen no small occasion of slander to the worde of God which they seemed to professe For beinge returned againe into their Countrie they either become Idolaters with the papistes to please the Quene and kepe their possessions or els dissemblers with the rest of counterfete christians but to their owne condemnation at length except the Lorde graunt vnto them speedie repentance For who so are ashamed of Christ and his Gospel thus denying him before mē them hath he promised to deny and be a shamed of before his Father and Angells in heauen This maner of fleeinge then is vngodly and as you heare daungerous and therfore not lawfull for you therin to folow theire example Nether is it ynoughe to keepe you out of the dominions of Antichriste ād to place your selues in corners where you maye be quiete and at ease and not burthened withe the chardges of the poore thinking it sufficient if you haue a litle exercise in your houses in reading a chapiter or two of the Scriptures and then wil be counted zelous persons and great gospellers No brethern and sisters this is not the way to showe your selues manfull souldiars of Christ except you resorte where his banner is displayed and his standarde sett vppe where the assemble of your brethern is and his worde openly preached and Sacramentes faithfully ministred For otherwise what may a man iudge but that such either disdayne the compagnie of their poore brethern whome they oght by all means to helpe and comfort according to that power that God hath geuen them for that ende onely and not for their owne ease or els that they haue not that zele to the house of God the assemble of his seruantes and to the spirituall gyftes ād graces which God hath promised to powre vpon the diligent hearers of his worde as was in Dauid which desiered being a kinge rather to be a dore-keeper in the house of God then to dwel in the tentes of the vngodlye lamentyng nothinge so muche the iniuries done vnto him by his sonne Absolon which were not small as that he was depryued from the comfortable exercices in the Tabernacle of the Lorde which then was in Sion Nether dothe there appeare in such persons that greedie desier wherof Esai maketh mention whiche oght to be in the professers of the Gospell who neuer woulde cease or reste till they shuld clime vp to the Lordes Hill meaninge the Churche of Christe sayng one to a nother Let vs ascende vp to the Hill of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teache vs his wayes and we shall walke in his foote steppes For the Lawe shall come forthe of Sion and the worde of the Lorde from Ierusalem Whiche zele the Prophet dothe not mētion in vayne but to shew what a thurst and ernest desier shuld be in the true Christians and how the same apeareth in seekinge and resortinge to those places where it is set forthe in greateste abundance and perfection as was after Christes ascention in Ierusalem And as that zele shewed them to be of Christe by the like must we be iudged Christians also that if we flee for Christe the places where vnto we flee may beare witnes for what cause we are fledde Nether is yt a sufficient excuse which many aleadge that they beleue to be saued by Christe that they haue sufficient knowledge of their duety and the reste they can supplie by their owne diligence Whose faithe is not so muche I dare saye but they haue neede to defier with the Apostles Lorde increase our faithe And if they will so confesse why do they forsake the chiefest means that God hathe ordeyned which is the open Congregations of his people where his worde the fountayne of faith is moste purely preached and where the Godly examples of others maye be a sharper spurre to prick them forward And as for the knowledge and diligence of such may be no buckler to defend their doinges For yf they haue those gyftes wherof they boste where may they bestowe them better then in the Churche of God Except they will saye they are borne to them selues and haue the gyftes of God which he would haue comon to others applyed to their owne priuate fantasie which is to lappe them vp in a clowte and not to put them forth to the vantage of the owner as did the vnprofitable seruant and as all they do to whome God hath geuen either learninge coūsel or worldly substāce which eithet for the strēght of Cities pleasantnesse of ayre trafficke or marchādise or for anie other worldely respect or politie do absente thē selues frō the Congregatiō and companie of their poore brethern where Christ hathe aduaunced his standarde and blowen his troumpet as is afore sayed Yf God then geue you not strength-at the firste to stand in his profession to the death nor that you cannot be quiete in conscience abiding in your coūtrie you see how his mercy hath geuen you libertie to flee and what places he hath appoynted for you to flee vnto that is were ye may do good to your selues and others where ye may be free from superstition and idolatrie where your faithe may be increased rather then diminished and your selues strengthned confirmed and more strongly armed But if you in taryinge will nether stande manfully to Christe your Maister but betraye him with the Papistes in doinge as they do nor yet with thankes vse this remedie that God hath graūted to oure infirmitie to resorte to his Churches godly īstituted what answere shall you be able to make to his Maiestie when he shall call for accoumpt of your doinges How shall you auoyde his wrathfull indignation now redie to be powred vpon his enimies Assure your selffe they shal be taken in there synne ād you also as God doth fynde you Yf in the tentes of his enimies doinge as they do vnder theire standerde to be stryken with them and also to peryshe For in takinge part with theire impietie you must be partakers of theire cupp likewise Nether is this anie newe or hard doctrine that may excede your capacitie but may rather be termed your a. b. c. first principles where in none oght to be ignorant That is if we wylbe Christs scholers we most learne to beare his crosse to folowe him not to cast it
Art thou commanded to persecute thy parentes and frendes charged not to succour them in their necessitie because they professe the doctrine of saluation Art thow forbidden lawfull mariage because thou art a minister of Gods worde and permitted to lyue in all kinde of filthie vnclennesse as do the Sodomiticall Priestes Mōkes Freers Nōnes Cardinales Deanes Archdeacons and all other other orders of Satan beholde such dothe the Lorde God as most abominable of all other cōmāde to be put to death To be shorte when they contrarie to their othe and profession commande thee to receue Antichriste the beastlie Bishoppe of Rome with all his filthie dregges of damnation to burne the worde of God and the faithfull interpreters and professers of the same to forgo the comfortable preaching of the Gospel and reading of the Scriptures to persecute Christe in his mēbers to ayde the enimies with thy goods and bodie agaynst the deare childrē of God to fight in other countries with out any iuste cause or occasion and to suffer thy wiffe children kinsfolkes and countryemen to be moste cruelly spoyled oppressed and murthered for want of thy defence at home as they most shamfully haue done of late which at the cōmandement of that cruell tyrāt prepared them selues to fight agaynst the Frēche kinge and their owne brethern the Skottes whiles the Spaniards put them selues in a redinesse to entre the Realme and make a generall spoyle and pray of all These thinges and many such like are playnly forbidden you by the manifest worde of God and therfore to do them for feare or pleasure of anie Prince or power is playne disobedience and rebellion agaynst the Almightie And contrarie wise to answere in this case and to do as the Apostles haue taught that is to obeye God rather then man is the onely waye to discharge your cōsciences to do your dueties and to please God no more to be made by ignorance the instrumentes of his sworen enimies what title so euer they beare to subuerte Gods glorie oppresse your brethern and distroye your countrie but repenting your former ignorance and impietie to be made instrumentes of the contrarie to the vttermost of your power least you be taken in your synne and preuented with the bitter cup of Gods indignatiō alreadie prepared for the workers of iniquitie and all such as are ayeders and partakers with them when nether power can defend the superiors nor their commandmentes excuse the subiectes CHAP. XIII The redinesse of the people to defende idolatrie superstition and earthly commodities and their slouthfulnesse in maynteyning the cōtrarie How they are charged to see the Lawes of God kept and the transgression of the same punished if their rulers do neglecte them And that they may lawfully punish their Magistrates as priuate persones transgressing the Lordes precepts BVt what remedie saye you we being but subiectes with out power ād wisedome cannot helpe it The more pyttie deare Countriemen that you haue so stoutly or rather stubbernely shewed your willes and power in the dayes of Godly kynge Edwarde the VI. your late Prince and gouernour and the zelous seruant of God who soght to rule you in Gods feare ād vnder whom you had the confortable worde of God ād were deliuered from the Romishe Antichrist and from all superstition for the most parte hauing your Realme free from strangers and quiete from all enimies enioying your goods and freinds in peace with out all force imprisōning reuilīg banishing or murthering It is to be lamented I saye that then receauing all these blessinges of God by the means of so worthie a Prince ye were able to conspire rise and rebell with the daunger of bodies goods and soules agaynst your godlie and lawfull kinge and that chiefly to defende the deuilishe Masse and all the puddels of poperie with the Caterpillers and rable of all vncleane spirites as Cardinalls Bishopps Priestes Monkes Freers Nonnes c. And now in these matters wherin consisteth the glorie of God the preseruation of your owne liues and defence of your countrie you are without all will power and helpe To restore Antichrist agayne whom on s God had banished to all your comfortes you were not ashamed to terme it obedience and to counte your selues therin no rebells but lawfull resisters but to defende Christe and his confortable Gospell which then you had in possession that are you persuaded to be open rebellion To arme your selues agaynst your superiors to defend your cōmons and earthly commodities with holden from you by the greedy desier of new vpstarte gentlemen how willing and redie haue you shewed your selues But to holde and reteyne your spiritual possession not promised onely but geuen in to your handes you are moste slowe without all hope and courage Shall not this be to your iuste condemnation When God calleth you to a rekening what cā you haue to answere Are ye any better then the Gergezites which desiered Christe to departe from them because they loste their hogges and swyne yea ye are worse then they were by muche because ye haue professed Christe ād receaued him and his doctrine and with him vnspeakable benefytes and treasors And yet notwithstanding haue not onely desiered him to departe from amongest you as they did but layde violent handes vpon him persecuting him with sword banishmēt fire and cruell death as thogh he had bene your mortal enimy O ingratitude intolerable Christe your mercifull Lorde who destroyed nothinge of yours but preserued and increased euen your swine hogges all other beastes ād cattell in great abūdance you haue despiced and vtterly denied to haue Antichriste to be your Lorde ād gouernour ād with hī all filthie swine wilde beares wolues bores tygers and lyons to deuoure destroye ād ouerthrowe all thinges not your fieldes ād pastures onely but villages Townes Cities and Castels yea your selues your wyues and children and what so euer you counte moste precious Wel the day of the Lorde will come when you shal fele what it is to fight for your Masse and to betraye the Gospell to rise and rebell agaynste your lawfull Prīce ād to obeye ād defende a bastarde and opē enimie to God an vtter destruction of the whole realme to murther and banishe your naturall countriemē ād louing brethern to honor ād receaue strangers Gods expresse aduersaries a cruell people a prowde nation a people of a farre and of a strange langage whose tōgue ye shall not vnderstāde an impudēt natiō ād hard harted people with out all pitie and mercie which nether will be moued with the lamētable voyce of the mothers nor shewe anie compassion for the pittifull crye of their sucklinges and infantes And whi because ye haue chosē to obeye vile man yea a raginge and mad◠womā rather then the almightie and mercifull God Repent repent ô ye people of England for your destruction is at hande Forsake with spede the vnlawfull obediēce of fleshe and bloude
ād learne to geue honor ī tyme to the liuīg Lorde that he maye staye his hāde ād drawe to him agayne his stretched out arme that you may fynde mercie and that the bothom of your cupp be not turned vpwarde Alas saye you what is this we heare Be not the people of them selues as she epe without a pastor If the Magistrates and other officiers cōtemne their duetie in defending Gods glorie and the Lawes cōmitted to their charge lieth it in our power to remedie it Shall we that are subiectes take the sworde in our hādes It is in dede as you say a great discouraging to the people whē they are not stirred vp to godlynesse by the good exāple of all sortes of Superiors Magistrates ād officers in the faithefull executīg of their office ād so muche more whē they are not defended by them in their right and title as wel concerning religion as the freedome of their naturall coūtrie but moste of all when they which shuld be ther guydes ād Capitayns are become instrumētes to inforce them to wicked impietie Neuertheles all this can be no excuse for you seing that euil doinges of others whether they be Lordes Dukes Barōs knights or any inferior officers may not excuse you in euil And thoghe you had no man of power vpon your parte yet it is a sufficient assurance for you to haue the warrāt of Godds worde vpon your side and God him self to be your Capitayne who willeth not onely the Magistrates ād officers to roote out euil from amongest them beit idolatrie blasphemie or open iniurie but the whole multitude are therwith charged also to whō a portiō of the sworde of iustice is cōmitted to execute the iudgementes which the Magistrates lawfully commande And therfore if the Magistrates would whollye despice and betraye the iustice and Lawes of God you which are subiectes with them shall be condemned except you mayntayne and defend the same Lawes agaynst them ād all others to the vttermoste of your powers that is with all your strēgth with all your harte and with all your soule for this hath God required of you ād this haue you promised vnto him not vnder cōdition if the Rulers will but without all exceptiōs to do what so euer your Lorde and God shall commande you As touching idolatrie it is worthie to be considered what Moyses wrytethe or rather the Spirite of God by hī how the Lorde in that place chargeth the whole people to stone to death without mercy the false Prophet or dreamer when anie shulde rise vp amongest thē yea thoghe the thinges came to passe which he before spake if that therby he soght to perswade thē or drawe thē to idolatrie And also howe he suffred such amōgest his people to try ād proue thē whether they woulde loue him with all their harte and with all their soule meanīg as euery mā may well perceaue that if they shulde yelde for all their signes ād wonders to idolatrie ād not punishe such false Prophetes and dreamers as God had raysed vp that thē they loued him not yea that they had playnly forsaken and denied him for that he commanded expreslye that euerie such Prophet shuld be put to death and therfore chargeth to take the euill frō amongest them Which commandemēt as it is not geuen onely to the Rulers and Gouernours thoghe I confesse it chieflie apperteyneth to their office to see it executed for which cause they are made Rulers but also is comon to all the people who are likewise bownde to the obseruation of the same euenso is the punishment appoynted of God belonging to all maner of persons without exception being found transgressors For the Lorde is a iust punisher with whom there is no respecte of persons who willeth his people to be like him in their iudgemētes In iudgemēte saithe the Lorde comitte no vnrighteousnes nether respect the face of the poore nether be you afrayde at the cōtenaūce of the mightie but iudge vprightly to your neghbour Moreouer that euery persone both high and lowe is charged of God with this Lawe and none freede from the punishmēt it is euidēt in the same Chapter folowing Where God doth not permit somuche as priuie whispering in thy eare tending to idolatrie vnpunished no not of thy dearest frende or kinsmā sayng Yf thine owne naturall brother sonne daughter or the wyffe of thine owne bosome or thy neghboure whom thou loueste as thine owne liffe secreatly prouoke thee to idolatrie to serue strāge Gods either farre or neare geue not place to him nether heare him nether let thine eye haue pitie vpō hī nether shalt thou pardō him or hide him but shalt vtterly sley hī thy hande shall first be vpon such a one to kill him and then the handes of all the people c. The like commandement is also geuen in the 17. and 18. Chap. of the same boke charging all the people of God in generall to see idolatrie punished without mercie and that in all persones Wherfore we may moste certaynely conclude that if the Rulers and Magistrates in this case woulde not execute the Lawes of God where with they are so straightly charged that then the people are not discharged excepte they put it in execution to take the euil from amongest them to whom it also belongeth Next that no persone is exempted by any Lawe of God from this punishment be he kinge Quene or Emperour that is either openly or priuely knowne to be an idolatrer be he neuer so neare or deare vnto vs he must dye the death For God hath not placed them aboue others to transgresse his Lawes as they liste but to be subiecte vnto them as well as others ouer whom they gouerne And if they be subiecte vnto his Lawes they muste be subiect to the punishment also when they be fownd disobedient transgressors yea so muche the more as their example is more daungerous For looke what wickednesse reigneth in the Magistrates the subiectes comonly take incouragement therby to imitate the same as we see in the examples of Ieroboam Achab and wicked Manasses who being suffred in the beginninge to commit idolatrie and to erecte idoles made the same likewise laufull to all their subiectes For the same cause God commāded Moyses to hāge vp all the capitaynes and heads of the people for that by their example they made the people idolatrers also he had no respect to their auctoritie because they were Rulers but so muche the rather woulde he haue them so sharplie punished that is hanged agaynst the sunne without mercy which iudgement thoghe it was done at Gods commandment firste and after at Moyses yet were the people executors of the same and all did vnderstand that it was iuste and not for that tyme onely but to be a perpetuall example for euer ād a sure admonition of their duetie in the like defectiō from God to hāge vp such Rulers as shulde drawe them