Father speakinge frō the heauens This is my dearely beloued Sonne in whom I am delited heare him whose fidelitie also no lesse passed the faithfullnesse of Moyses then did his honor and dignitie being the Sonne of God and promysed Sauiour doing nothing at all nor teaching any thing which his heuenly Father had not appoynted him to do and to teache Wherfore as the Iewes had the Lawe of God and his commandementes for a sufficient discharge agaynst all contrarie commandementes of what auctoritie so euer they were being no farther bownde to any creature thē the self same Lawes of God approued euenso all such as beare the Name of Christ and woulde be taken for the people of God thoghe they be of the basest ād loweste state of subiectes are no farther bownd to any Prince or superior power nor to their commandementes then the cōmandement of the chief kinge ād Lorde doth approue ād permitte nor then their promesse agayne to him doth require Nether may it be a sufficiēt discharge for thee to alleadge ignorāce because thou art a subiecte and therfore hast nothing to do to inquire of the doinges or to examyne the commandementes of thy superiors or Rulers but wilt say with the multitude If they commāde well thou art obedient if otherwise thou art excused in doing as thou art cōmanded and they onely haue to answer to God by whō thou art thus charged Desceaue not thy self deare brother For aswell art thou charged by Gods worde to knowe what they commande thee and not to do it except it be lawfull as they are charged by their office to will nothīg of thee which Gods worde approueth not For as they in commanding ād doing euill shall not escape Gods heauy wrathe and iudgmētes no more shalt thou being made an instrument of their impietie and vngodlynesse Therfore to be ignorant in these thinges althogh thou be a subiecte is to contemne the commandement of God and to neglecte thine owne saluation for as muche as God hath charged thee beinge one of his people with the same Lawes the Ceremonies except wherwithe he charged his people Israel before and willith thee no lesse to knowe his preceptes and to obeye them then he willed the Isralites Of them he required to haue his Lawes wrytē vpon their dores and postes to instructe their children in the same to talke of them sitting at home and when they walked in the waye when they went to bed and whē they shuld rise But to thee besides all this God hath sent a more shining light our Sauiour Iesus Christe which euery man may clerely beholde excepte he be wilfully blynde with the stubberne Iewes He is the light that shinethe in darknesse and lightneth euery man that commeth in to this worlde He hathe taken away the shaddoues ād Ceremōies of the Lawe that thou mayst clerely beholde the will of his Father He hath vncouered Moyses face to the-intent thou mayst fully consider the secrets of God For these are the dayes wherof the Prophet Ioel spake when all shulde be Prophets and see visiōs And it shal come to passe in the latter dayes saith God that I wil powre furth my Spirite vpō all fleshe ād your sonnes ād daughters shall prophecie your younge men shall see visions and your auntients shall dreame dreames And moreouer vpon my seruauntes and handemaydes in those dayes will I powre my Spirite and they shall prophecie Which prophecie S. Peter affirmeth to be fulfilled in the kingdome of Christe where all thinges are as playne and euident to all sortes of men and women which professe Christe vnfaynedly as before his tyme they were to the Prophets them selues or to such as God appeared vnto in dreames or visions And therfore if ignorance of Gods Lawes coulde not excuse the Iewes before Christes commyng which were contynualy subiecte to the punishment of God for their transgressions thoghe many thinges were obscure as in shadowes and figures how muche lesse cā it excuse any mā now in so great lyght of the Gospel Seing then thou knowest thy self bownd to obeye thy Lorde God aboue all others because of the inestimable benefits thou hast receaued of him in Christe Iesus and because he requireth the same of thee and thou hast also promised no lesse to him in thy baptisme and profession and last of all in that thou canest not pretende ignorance in such knowledge ▪ and shyninge brightnesse nor yet escape Gods vengeance which he with out respecte of persones wil powre indifferently vpon all transgressors be they superior powers or inferior subiectes It is thy parte then beīg a subiecte to learne this lesson of the Apostles whē so euer thou shuldest be constrayned by commandement or force of tyrantes to do euill That God must be obeyed before man Which vnto thee will be as sufficiēt a defence and buckler in all assaultes and daungers as it is to all other sortes of men in auctoritie and office as was before declared Art thow then being a subiecte commaūded to worshipp stockes and stones which this day to our shame are erected agayne in Englande Beholde thou hast Gods commandement for thy defence Thou shalt commit no idolatrie nor make to thy self any grauen image c. Art thou charged to be at the idolatrous Masse wherin Christe thy Lorde is blasphemed Beholde he hath geuen thee an other charge that is to celebrate his Supper according as he left in example sayng Do you this that is which ye se me do ād not which the powers of the worlde or the pestilēt papistes commande Also do it saith Christe in remembrance of me and not of your frindes alyue or departed as teache the Papistes For none of thē died for you More ouer do it to shewe forth the deathe of Christe til his coming as witnesseth the Apostle and not to make a new sacrifice for synne as the Papists blasphemously both teache and preache Art thou commanded by men to dishonour the Sabbathe day in worshipping of Sainctes and abstayning vpon their dayes and euens from thy lawfull busines Beholde God thy Lorde chargeth thee no further then onely with his daye of reste saying See thou keepe holie the Sabbath of the Lorde thy God and not of Peter Paule Marie Iames or Iohn Art thou commāded to sweare in the name of Marie and all the Saincts in heauen which is the papistical othe Beholde the Lorde saithe Thow shalt onely sweare in the Name of thy Lorde and God Art thou commanded not onely to take the Name of the Lorde in vayne but also to forswere thy self moste shamefully agaynst Gods glorious Maiestie and the honor of our Sauiour Christe as all they haue done which lately haue sworne to acknowledge Antichriste the bloudy butcher of Rome to be their head and gouernour Beholde The Lorde will not suffer his house vnpunished that taketh his Name in vayne muche lesse such periured and forsworen wretches
them for his people Then who is so mad and impudēt to thinke that peace ād quietnesse can be amongest anie people or nation by obseruing the Lawes of wicked men rather then in reteyning the wholsome Lawes of God That mā which is not able to rule him selfe can better gouerne his subiectes and defende them than God may his people That the people shall rather enioye all blessinges of God in yelding to the wickednesse of the vngodlie Rulers then to see them straightlie punished for transgressions of the confortable Lawes of the almightie For after that God had once geuen his Lawes to his people he shewed them playnlie by Moyses that he required nothing els of them but to feare him and to walke in his wayes to loue him and serue him with all their harte and to keepe his preceptes and statutes which he cōmanded them that day And why bycause saithe Moyses he is the God of Gods the Lorde of Lordes the greate mightie and dreadful God whiche hath no respecte of persones nor taketh anie rewardes And this fructe shall you be suer of in keepinge his Lawes He wil be your prayse ād your God that is as in an other place the same Moyses writeth He will make you a wise people a mightie Nation praysed and cōmēded of all Natiōs which shall saye This is onlie a wise people and a people of vnderstandinge ād mightie For what people is so great whiche hath their God so friendly and familiar with them as the Lorde our God is in all thinges that we call to him for For whiles we obey his Lawes and suffer them in no case ād in no persone to be transgressed and left vnpunished to the vttermoste of our power we are assured that the blessinges which God after promised shal be powred vpō vs that is to be blessed at home and a brode in the frute of our wombe of our lande of our beastes and cattell And the Lorde will make our enemies which rise agaynst vs to fall before vs to entre in one waye agaynst vs and to flee by seuen wayes afore vs. And all the people of the earthe shall see that the Name of the Lorde is called vpon amongest vs and shall be afrayde of vs. Yt is then no newe doctrine which God so longe ago taught to the Israelites nor no rashe or perelous doctrine wherby they are onely made wise and moste strongly defended Nether yet dothe it minister occasion of rebellion without which there can be no godlie peace or quietnesse as your experience in Englande hath all readie as I suppose sufficiently taught you who haue felt rather hellike tormentes and shamefull confusion since ye permitted the wilde bores to caste downe the hedge of the Lordes vinyarde that is his Lawes and preceptes then anie maner of godly peace either in consciences or bodies which miserie shall haue no end before you reclayme with a vehement zele and loue your right title and possession of Gods Lawes which you haue moste vnthankfully geuen ouer and neglected Yf the true zele of Gods people had bene in you when poperie began to be preached in the place of the Gospell when the Masse was reduced in place of the Lordes supper and that by the ignorant Papists and malicious shauelyngs when Antichrist was restored to displace Christ coulde ye haue suffered this vnponished Or if you had punished it as you were then charged by Gods Lawes and mans durste they haue proceaded to such impietie If you had required the Magistrates to rule you in Gods feare and not in tyrannie and that you woulde reuerence them as Gods ministers so rulinge you otherwise not to acknowledg them but as his enimies and so to take them durst either that Iesabel so ragingly haue trodē Gods worde the Gospell of Christ our Sauiour as a polluted sowe vnder her feete either els so rashely destroyde her fathers and brothers Lawes before her Durste she without all shame so openly and vnfaythfully haue broken promisse to them whiche to their owne sorrow and all others this day were her chief promoters Assure your selfs no. If you had required all Massemongers and false Preachers to haue bene punished with deathe as is appoynted by Gods worde for such blasphemers and idolatrers and if they to whom it apperteyned had denyed your selues would haue seen it performed at all tymes and in all places then shuld you haue shewed that zele of God which was cōmended in Phinees destroyinge the adulterers and in the Israelites againste the Beniamités as before is noted Ye then had not the Pristes of Baal so swarmed abrode nor the seruātes of God haue bene in such abundāce murthered But great was our synnes before that this deserued and colde was our zele to Godwardes after that this shame haue suffred and grosse is our blynd dulnes whiche wil not yet see nor seeke to remedie it Neuerthelesse in all these enterprises you muste be certaine and sure of this one thinge that vnder the name of Religion and pretence to promote Gods glorie you seeke not either your priuate gaynes or promotiō as did all the carnall Gospelers and such as would be cōted the chief pillers and mainteyners of the same in tymes past amongest you And therfore vnder the cloke of Christ seekyng the worlde when Christ semed to haue the vpper hande are now returned to their oldemaister Antichriste to be his hired souldiars and to fight vnder his banner agaynst Christ and his seruantes by whom they were firste promoted Which treason God is prepared all redie to reuenge to pluck from them his fethers and to set furth to the whole worlde their shame and nakednesse For he is a iust God and hateth iniquitie and therfore will be no cloke to couer their falshode and couetousnesse Also ye must beware that priuate displeasure and worldly iniuries moue you not more to seeke reuengement of your aduersaries then the true zele and thirste of Gods worde the liuely foode of your soules For then do you seeke your selues and not God then take you his office out of his hande to whom ye oght to commit all your priuate displeasures and iniuries then can ye not loke to haue Gods right hande vpon your parte but rather may be assured to finde him your enimie and strongly armed against you To resiste euill therfore is your parte and to mayntayne Godlynesse but symply and vnfaynedly for the loue of vertue and hatred of vice yf you will be sure to prosper and auoyde Gods heauy displeasure who is the sercher of your hartes and secreats and will in tyme disclose them and make them knowen to all men But you perchaunce would graunt me all this that it is both lawfull and godly if the people wholie together woulde follow the example of zelous Phinees and the Israelites as before was mentioned and take punishment them selues vpon all blasphemers of God manifest betrayers of their countrie
a sufficieÌ„t excuse to indaÌ„ger thy soule God is the reuenger of inocentes bloude Psal 9. Mat. 16. To loose in the world is to gayne in the heavens Mat. 10. Psal 105 Mat. 7. withstand the euil aÌ„d supporte the Godly Gen. 2. 1. Cor. 10. Gala. 6. Our detts to God Defend helpe conforte and deliuer the godly oppressed and deleuer your owne soules Exod 23. Shall we helpe our neighbours beast and not him selfe Not to wiâ—thstande euill the very Gentils codeÌ„ned as iniurie wo to England and her vngodly Magistrates The woluâ—she papists your horrible plagues are at haÌ„de yf ye ameÌ„d not Ye haue your honours to defeÌ„de and helpe the godly yea aÌ„d all others from oppression and in iurie Esai 1. The Gentiles shall condemne you in the workes of the lawe Rom. 2. Luk. 10. Nomb. 33. Exod. 23. and. 34. Mat. 24. Englande shall not escape Repent shortly for Goddes heauy wrath is at hande Esai 29. The cause of all these miseries Write this vpon your dore postes aÌ„d in your wel decked chaÌ„bers For it will suerly come yf ye repeÌ„t not Ierre 50. The end of all offices The Spaniardes are godles Maries vnlauful gouernement Iob. 34. God forbiddeth women to raigne and nature abhorreth the same Marie a bastard Reade Hâ—lles Cronicle in the 24. of the reinge of kinge Henry 8. Oxforde Cambridge Orliance Paris Angiers Burges Bononie Padua Tholosa Leu. 10 Deu. 19 Eph. 2. Gala. 3. kinge Henry coÌ„mitted incest in begettinge Marie Deu. 23. The Gospâ—llâ—rs holpe her to the crown and she burneth theÌ„ M. Bucer Paulus Phagius maistris Martyr c. who is more blind then they that can and will not see Here vnto the lawes of the real me the will and prophecie of her father doth prouok theÌ„ Esa 3.4 29. Esai· 28. Licences purchased of infidels and lyinge in idolatrous places is thought good inough of carnall gospelers Their deaâ—â— proue what they be The onely means to escape miserie Psal 103. Folowe wyse counsel least ye and al your land perishe Restore goddes honour and escape Gods vengeance yf they knewe rightly how to obey and wherin theÌ„ shulde these thinges here mentioned come to passe Deu. 17. Gods boke teache the true obedience Deu. 4. Rom. 13. The firste obiection Answere The cause wherfore the Apostle was moued thus to write Anabaptists Libertins Denyars of tribute Mat. 22 Act. 5. we may resiste tyrantes and yet not Godes ordinance By the papistes gatheriÌ„g Satan oght not to be resisted Iob 12. Iam. 4 The proffe of this answere The papists argument is fully answered Obedience is coÌ„maunded to all men but yet vnder coÌ„dition The seconde obiectioÌ„ aÌ„d answere 1. Pet. 2 The thyrde obiection and answere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answere Of what maner of maisters Peter speaketh Act. 4. The true knot of obedience Ephe. 6. God is our chief Father Lorde and maister S Peter approueth not frowarde maisters Seruantes oppressed may seke lawfull remedy against their maisters How far wicked Princes may be obeyed The fourth obiection Mat. 26. Ioh. 18. Answere Ioh 18. Luk 12. Ioh. â— why Christ vsed not the dâ—fâ—nce of the temporal power Why Peter was forbyd to vse the sworde Act 1. Ioh â—â— Ephes â— Hebr 4. 2 Cor. 1â— The absurdite of this reason 1. Cor. 9. As the preachers are charged to vse the spiritual sworde so are the Magistrats bonde to set forthe Gods glorie poral sworde Rom. 5. Iohn 10. The firste obiection out of Ier. 29. Baruch 1. Answere The cause why Ieremie and Baruch thus couÌ„selled 1. Kinges 22. The state of the question Baruch 6 Dani. 3. why the Iewes were willed to pray for Nabuchadnezars longe life Wherfore the Iewes shulde be quiet in Babylon The miserable estat of EnglaÌ„d Nabuchadnezer is to be pâ—â—fâ—rred to your Iesabâ—l in the zâ—ale of God Nabuchadnâ—zers decree Daniel 3. Iesabel worshiâ—pâ—th Maozin aÌ„d causâ—th others to do the like The second obiection out of Ieremie 27. Answere Ieremie 5. wherfore Tyrantes are called Gods instrumentes The meaning of the Prophet Mans yoke is vnsupportable what obedience and seruice Ieremie requireth Mat. 19. Godes plagues oght to moue vs to repentance and not to harden vs in euill The thirde obiection 1. SaÌ„ 24 and .49 Answere The cause why Dauid was hated of Saule 1. Sa. 24 None oght to reuenge his owne priuate cause Rulers coÌ„temninge Gods lawes are as well subiect to the punishement of the same as priuat persoÌ„s 1. Sam. 22 Deu. 17. The obiections do cleare this doctrine and nothinge darken it The gouuernemeÌ„t of fooles more tolerable then of tyrants Deu. 17. Suche as onelye flatter the apptites of their prince The vaine excuse of the coÌ„muÌ„ people Ignorance can not excuse the people Two extremities to be auoyded To muche libertie is not to be permitted to the people The libertie of the people Deu. 17. Subiectes oght not to suffer theÌ„ selues to be made slaues 1 Sam 8 The descripâ—ion of a wicked kinge and tyrante Both Magistrates and coÌ„moÌ„s oght to obey Gods Lawes kinge Edwarde de sierous that God shuld haue had his due honour sowght the abolishment of all Sainctes dayes All dayes are the Lordes aÌ„d onelye appertayne vnto him Sainctes days with the seruice appointed vnto them oght by Gods worde to be abolished How harde a thing it is to alter euil customes The means to breake euil custome Mat. 13. what treasures God hath committed to the charge of his people In what reuerence we oght to haue Gods worde Mat. 15. Mala. 1. Ephe. 5. Iohn 12. Mat 15. Mat. 23. Nature teacheth to flee hurtful thinges God hath created all thinges for mans commodite Tobi. 3. Esai 3. A rule for all to obserue Mat. 6. Ps 1.7.17 Moyses charged hys with nothinge that God had not commanded Exod. 19. Deu. 4.20 Deut. 10 Godes people must be gouerned onely by Gods Lawes Exod. 19. The people promiss to God and Moses Deu. 18. All christians are no lesse bonde to obâ—y God and his Lawes then were the Israelits Mat. 4.17 The coÌ„maÌ„dement of Princes caÌ„not bynd vs contrary to Gods worde The vngodly opinion of the coÌ„moÌ„ people As wel the obeyer of wickednes as the commaÌ„der shal be punished Deu. 6.11 why the ChristiaÌ„s oght greater obedience to Gods worde theÌ„ did the Iewes Ioh 1. Exod 34. 2. Cor. 3. Ioâ—l 2. Esai â–ª 44. Act. 2. Act. 2. Both hie aÌ„d lowe must learn this lesson of the Apostels Idols for the true God Exod. 2â— Deu. 5. The abominable masse for the holy Supper of the Lords Mat. 26 CoÌ„parison betwixt the masse and the Lordes Supper 1. Cor. 11 How the Sabbath is abused To swear by Saincts is contrarie to Gods worde Deut. 6.10 Iosua 23. Esai 45. Leu. 20. The sume of Antichrists doctrine Vnlawful warres Oh lameÌ„table miserie Rebellion against the lawful gouernement of godly kinge Edwarde aÌ„d obedience to the vniuste vsurpation of wicked Marie Reu. 16. How fare mans iugdment differeth from Gods Worldely coÌ„modities preferred to spiritual benefites Mat 9. Baruch 4 Ieremiâ— 5. Deut. 28. A Godly and moste necessarie admonitioÌ„ The vaine excuses of the people Deu. 4.5 6. 1. Chro. 29. Exod. 17 Deut. 13. Ecclesi 35 Deut. 10. Leui. 19. Deut. 13. What zeale we oght to God in punishinge idolatrers As al persones oght to obey Godes Lawes so oght they to be punished if they transgresse them 1. king 14.21 Num. 25. Leui. 26. Deu 27.30 Iud. 19.20 The coÌ„moÌ„ people with out a Gouernour prepare theÌ„ selues to warre Iosua 22. The people assemble in Gods cause Rom. 13. God which made man knoweth best what Lawes are moste expedient for his preseruation Deut. 10. Deut. 4. Deut. 28. Let your owne conscieÌ„ces be Iudges in this behalfe The contempt of Gods worde is the dore to all licentious wickednes Num. 25. what rules are to be obserued in resisting the superior powers Psal 5. Deu 32. Ezech. 9. Rom 12. Psal 7. Iere. 17. A doute which trobleth the people The answere Num 13. 1 Sam. 14. Iudith 9. Iudges 6. Exod. 2.3 Iudg. 3. A suer signe that God heareth our prayers when he geuith vs a meane to deliuer vs. 1. Mach. 6 Sir Henry Isley The Duke of Suffolk The Lorde Thomas Graye what moued M. wy at to this enterprise How dangerous it is to iudge the cause by the successe Iud. 29 The condeÌ„nation of the Nobles in forsakinge Wyat. Gospellers fearinge man more then God are made instrumeÌ„ts of Satan whither wyat and those that died with him or the Counselers Nobles and other that yet lyue are traytours Souldiars goinge with their Captayns to vnlawfull warres and leuing their couÌ„try destitute are rebells to God and traytours to their country Gen. 9. Deut. 5. Leui. 24. The condeÌ„nation of London in forsakinge wyat Mat. 24. We oght to be coÌ„tented with Gods worde onely and loke for no newe reuelation The graces of God towardes Englande are most abundant if they would vse theÌ„ It is impossible for the people to peryshe and the Rulers to escape Tyrantes can go no farther then God permittith Mat. 10. None can lose their lyfe but by Godes appointement Shamfull shiftes Mat. 16. Of such you haue had sufficient profe before your eyes Iudas Spera Hales Morgen Mat. 27. wicked Day of Chichester was the cause of his desperation Mat. 10. The second and laste remedie Mat 10. The greate coÌ„fort that Englishe banishhed for Christe sake finde in other Countryes Mat. 10. Psal 84. Esa 2. Worldly respects which hinder vs froÌ„ God oght to be auoyded The graces of God towardes Englande are most abundant if they would vse theÌ„ 1. Kin. 19 The coÌ„clusion conteyninge the effect of the whole boke
schole maisters and then the more thou learnest the lesse occasiō shalt thou haue to repent Obedience is necessarie where God is glorified but if God be dishonored thy obedience is abominable in the sight of God be it neuer so beautiful in mans eyes Gods worde is our guyde to leade vs in our doings when it commandeth vs to obey God we must disobey man in the contrary for no man can serue two maisters and when our heauēly maister cōmandeth obedience to man it is euer to be vnderstand in the Lord. So that obedience to Gods Lawes by dissobeyīg mās wicked lawes is muche commendable but to disobey God for any duetie to mā is all to gether damnable as in the discourse of this booke thou shalt fully be asseured if God open thyn eyes to se the trueth ād moue thy heart to embrace it The Spirit of God which is the scholemaistre to leade vs into all trueth lighten your hartes gyue you myndes to vnderstande and courage to execute his holy wil to the setting forth of Christes kingdome the proffit of his Churche and confusion of Satans power and Antichrists Amen From Geneua this first of Ianuarie 1558. THE PREFACE AS there is nothīge to be cōpared to true obediēce in preseruīge the cōmō welth of townes cities and kingdoms or in maynteyninge true religiō Christiā peace cōcorde for therby euery mā is instructed how to render vnto God his due honour glorie to man that whiche his office requireth Euē so is ther nothinge more hatefull to God nether more hurtefull to mā then so to be bewitched with Satans false illusions that they are not able to put difference betwyxte obedience disobedience but as men without all iudgemēt and naturall sense take th one for thother beinge in them selues playne contrarie whiche is the onelie cause of all disorder and lamentable confusion where with the whole worlde is bothe this daie and hath bene also frō the beginning most miserably defaced and oppressed For when vile man replenished with pride vayne glorie and grosse ignorance will measure obedience with the crowked lyne of his owne corrupte iudgement and not with the infallible trueth of Goddes holie worde he must nedes preferre his owne decrees phantasies and ordināces to the cōfortable Lawes and liuelie preceptes of God his creator Then in place of iustice he receaueth iniustice for right wronge for vertue vice for lawe will for loue hatred for trueth falshod for playne dealing dissimulation for religion superstition for true worshippe detestable idolatrie and to be shorte for God Sathan for Christ Antichrist and with him suche plages of God and disorder amonge mē as are this daye set before oure eyes to beholde in all places throughout the vniuersal worlde and haue bene likewise euen from the beginninge When Adam was placed in paradise beinge a creature moste perfecte and abundinge in all wisdome and heauenlie knowledge and wolde at the persuasion of his wif measure obedience rather by his owne reason then by the worde sentence of God before pronounced behold he was not onelie spoyled of wisdome knowledge becomminge a verie foole in comparison of that whiche he was before but also sodaynlie destitute of all other singuler giftes as of innocencie and immortalitie was confoūded at the voyce of the Lord asshamed at his owne nakednesse and felt the dredfull indignation and curse of God whiche he had procured not onelie to him self but broght the same also vpon all his posteritie after him When the whole worlde was so corrupted in their owne wayes in the dayes of faithfull Noha no regarde was at all to the obedience of the liuinge Lorde nor yet to the godlie admonitions of iust Noha but euerie man was so drowned in his owne lustes that the space of an hundreth twenty yeares was not sufficiēt to moue them to repentance And therfore could they not escape the strange and horrible iudgement of God whiche immediatlie after folowed moste iustlie And althogh in that wicked generation abonded all kinde of wickednesse as well agaynst God as man in so muche as the earthe then might be compted a verie hell yet from whence proceaded all this rebellion against Goddes mightie maiestie but onelie for that they measured all thinges after their owne corrupt reason and not by his holie Lawes and preceptes Whiche they had now receaued of their forefathers hearde of Noah yea and had them ingrafted naturally in their hartes The probation wherof might easilie be deduced from all ages euen to oure tyme by innumerable and euident examples if it were nedefull in so playne a matter For who is so blynde that maye not se how man sheweth his rebellion neuer so muche as when he woulde be moste obedient in his owne sight and iudgement not measuringe the same by the streght lyne and true touchestone whiche is the Lawe and worde of God but suffringe him self to be led by his owne corrupte iudgemēt and affectiōs This turned the Wisdome of the Gentiles into mere folishnesse inuētinge shamefull idolatrye for true worshipp as witnessethe the Apostle This blynded the Ieues with hypocrisie and cloked holynesse makinge the Lawe of the liuinge Lorde to geue place to their inuented traditions by man Out of this stinkinge puddle of mans brayne haue issued forthe so great diuersitie of opinions and daungerous herisies wherwith the Churche of God hathe bē at all tymes horriblye tormented Finallie from hence hathe Antichriste filled his pestilente cupp of all sortes of deadlie poyson where of he hathe made the whole earthe almost and her kinges and Princes not onelie to drinke but to be most vilelie ouercome and dronken In whose defence they haue armed them selues against the Lorde ād Christe his Son whō notwithstanding with impudent mouthes they professe where as in verie dede they persecute him moste cruellie in his Saincts by all means possible fightinge as men in a rage vnder the banner of that filthie beast And yet these men in the middle of their furie without all obedience ordre subuertinge the Lawes of God and of nature will be called notwithstandinge the defenders of the faithe mayntayners of true religiō autours of peace teachers of obedience ād most discrete gouernours of common weales and policies To the intent therfore that these disguised personnes whiche abuse the whole worlde may appeare in their owne liuely shape and be knowen as they are in dede I haue thoght it good hauinge occasion by this worthie answere of Peter and Iohn and beinge hereto of diuers godlie persons prouoked somewhat to wryte of true obedience to wit what God him self requiereth of vs and what he commandethe to be geuen also to men Wherby God willinge the disguised clokes and craftie pretences of obedience vsed and practised by the vngodlie worldlings shal be discouered who haue soght alwayes and yet do seeke vnder the pleasant name of
Gospel and the lyuelie worde of God Yf it had bene made of pagās and heathens whiche knew not God by his worde it might better haue bene borne with all But amōgest them that beare the Name of Godds people with whō his Lawes shulde haue chief auctoritie this answere is not tollerable to make the constant and vndouted Lawe of God whiche oght to be the lyne of all ordinaunces to geue place to the vayne and vngodlie decrees of men as experience hath now taught you Moreouer in anoynting her as if she had bene a man was no lesse absurditie vsinge thervnto suche greasinges ād shālesse Ceremonies ād that in the face of all the people as thoghe Moyses lawe yet were in force and Christ our Sauiour not comē which hath put an end to all suche outwarde Ceremonies whose annoyntings were spirituall For as he was replenished with all graces of the holie Gost and that with out measure and aboue all his felows kings Priests and Prophetes so hathe he left no other annoyntinge to be vsed of his seruaunts but of the same sorte that is spirituall And yf Moyses with his Ceremonies were now in full auctoritie as he was before Christe Yet were it not lawful by him to anoynte anie woman to ani maner of office or dignitie seing that this Ceremonie was neuer appoynted to anie other but onelie to Priests kinges and Prophetes How durste you then be so bolde and impudent ô Papists for this was your entreprise to transgresse the order of God in the Lawe of Moyses by anoyntīge a womā And also to contemne the libertie of the Gospell in reducinge and bringing agayn the Iewishe Ceremonies from whiche by Christe we are delyuered But it is no maruell if you be all waies like your selues stubberne and rebellious enimies to God and contemners of Christe And therfore leauinge you to your selues we will retourne to Goddes appoynted limites in his Lawe for the lawfull election of kinges and Princes Ye haue hearde the two firste cautions or rules that is how he muste be of Godds appoyntment and not of mans ▪ And also from amongest your brethren and not of your sisters and why The thirde caution that God specifieth in this election is that he be none such as hath great nomber of horses meaning as trusteth in his owne power and preparation of all thinges for defence of him selfe ād to ouercome his enemies For vnder this name of horses he comprehendeth all ingeynes and furniture of warre suche a one as trusteth in them and makethe not God his arme and bockler with faitheful Dauid is not meete to be kinge of the Lordes people For by such means shulde they be broght to Egypte agayne to their olde miserie and slauerie if they delited in their horses from whence the Lorde woulde haue them kepte and not in anie case to returne As no doute he woulde haue had vs miserable Englishe men warelie to haue kepte vs in that libertie of Iesus Christe and our consciences wherin so mercifullie he had broght vs and not by placeinge an infidel woman ouer vs to returne to our olde vomite muche more viler thē the slauerie of Egypte I meane the seruitude of that Romishe Antichriste Other obseruations he geueth also not to seke manie wiues nor to heape vp muche golde but chiflie that he haue an example of Goddes Lawes prescribed vnto him to reade in them all the dayes of his life that he maye learne to feare the Lorde and to keepe his cōmandements and not to lifte him self vp aboue his brethren meaning he shulde rule with all holynesse and humblenesse as did Moyses and Dauid And therby dothe God promisse that his dayes and the dayes of his children shall be prolonged in the middle of Israell Of the whiche we may iustlie conclude that by the ordinance of God no other kinges or Rulers oght to be chosen to rule ouer vs but suche as will seeke his honor and glorie and will commaunde and do nothing contrarie to his Lawe Wherewith they are no lesse ye muche more charged then the common people because their charge is double that is not onelie to feare God them selues but to see that their people feare him also to whom they owe in that case all humble obedience and reuerence For they be as was sayed Goddes subiectes and Lieutenantes for whose cause they must be reuerenced doinge their duetie But if they will abuse his power liftinge them selues aboue God and aboue their brethern to drawe them to idolatrie and to oppresse them and their contrie then are they nomore to be obeyed in any commandements tending to that ende but to be cōtemned as vile Sergeantes in comparison of the high Iudge and Magistrate who oght to do nothing but as he is commaunded to do by the Iudge ād superior power according to the lawe Other wise if he lift him selfe aboue the chief Iudge lokyng to be honored and obeyed more then he who would not abhorre suche a Sergeant ād not onelie to withstande his cōmandement but to accuse him as a rebellious traytor and banishe him from a mongest them And yet here is but rebellion agaynst man who is but mortall What oght we thē to do vnto that kinge or Prince that lifteth him selfe vp agaynst the Maiestie of God who is immortal to whome belongeth all power dominion and honor Is he anie more in comparison of God then the Sergeant in respecte of the Iudge Shall the Sergeant be punished as a traytor and this man honored as a kinge which doth no parte of the office therunto belonginge Or rather is not his crime and treason greater and deseruith so muche more as God is more excellent compared to anie worldlie power then is anie kinge or Prince compared to the moste vileste Sergeant Moreouer whence hathe he this honor Of him selfe Is anie man naturallie borne a kinge Or hathe he it of God And if of God wherto but to vse it with God ād not agaynste him Seing then it is not iuste in Goddes sight to obeye man rather then God neither that their is anie dispensacion of man that cā dispēce with his holie cōmandements neither the auctoritie of Prince nor feare of punishment can excuse vs. Seing also that kinges are institute to rule in Goddes feare and Lawes as subiectes and Sergeants to God and not agaynste his Lawes and aboue him it muste nedes followe as we firste sayed that all obedience geuen to suche wicked Princes agaynste God is playne rebellion in his iudgemente And in that case to obeye God and disobeye man is true obedience how so euer the worlde iudgeth For as none will condemne Peter and Iohn of disobedience because they woulde not herein obeye their ordynarie Magistrates nomore will anie which haue right iudgement condemne the like resistance in others which alike is lawfull to all Or ells shulde the Israelites be excused by cause they obeyed their wicked kinge Ieroboam in
for feare of anie power And in oure miserable Countrie where Antichrist this day is againe for oure synnes exalted if commandemēts of tyrantes shuld haue taken place in all men as it did with many hirelinge preachers some moste shamefullie denying their Maister Christe taking vpon them the marke of the beaste ministring poyson for foode to their flocke some in makinge a spoyle and praye of their flocke and as cowardes takeyng them to their feete leauing the poore lambes of God with out all comforte to be deuoured of the wilde rauenous beastes ▪ some also in playng on both partes with the halting Israelites thinke to serue God and Baal if in all others I saie as in these the vngodlie decrees of men shulde haue taken place how coulde we haue had these worthie examples of so many hundreth martyrs who haue glorified Christe moste constantlie in offringe vp their liues as a moste swete sauour to the Lorde And that of all sortes of men and women young and olde riche and poore learned and vnlearned all being herein persuaded not able perchaunce to do anie more for the comfort of others in so generall a defection from God haue chosē rather with the losse of this corporall lyfe to obeye God then otherwise to lyue in welthe and obeye man For the which the Name of God be praysed for euer who styrre vp our hartes by their examples and prepare vs with the grace of his holie Spirite to the like constancie and obedience Besides this we learne by the cōmandements of God that so oft as he forbiddeth any thing which he wolde not to be done in the self same he commandeth vs the contrarie as for example Thow shalt not murther Steale Commit adultrie or Beare false wittnes It is not ynough to abstaine frome these thinges neither is God therin fullie obeyed except we do the contrarie so oft as occasion is ministred that is to saue preserue and defende as well the goodes as the persones of our brethren and neghbours And this is a certayne and general rule not onely in these examples here named but in all other preceptes whither they be of the Ten commandments or anie other besides conteyned in the Scriptures that what so euer God forbiddeth anie man in the same he is charged to do the contrarie according to his power thogh all the worlde would stande agaynst him In confirmation wherof let vs onelie consider the notable example of the Godlie Prophet Daniel who when he was commanded in the name of kinge Darius by whome he had bene promoted to great honor and of all other was in best fauor and hiest reputation with him to aske nothing of his God or anie other for the space of thirtie dayes but onely of Darius his kinge according to the decree made at the requeste of his vngodlie counsel purposlie agaynst Daniel would not obeye the commandement being not ignorant that it was a publike decree which all he onely excepte obeyed And also how death and that moste terrible to be cast among the hungry lyons was appoynted for a punishment to the transgressors But Daniel not contented to do as he was commanded did as he was accustomed the contrary ▪ not once but thrise euery day transgressinge the kinges commādement prayinge to the liuinge Lorde his God And to the intent it might be knowen abrode to al men that he contemned this vngodly commandement he set open his windowes more then custome to the ītēt that all whiche wolde might beholde his doing so glad was he to be knowen to serue the true and mightie God Here wolde our worldly wise men no dout condemne Daniel of rashnes and follye in doing more then was expedient What nede he thus to prouoke the indignation of a Prince who had power with a worde of his mouth to distroye him Yf he wolde not aske anie thinge in the Name of Darius as others did yet might he haue abstayned from praying to God for that space Was thirtie dayes so great a matter that he might not abstayne from praying to God to gratifie therby his Prince to whome he was so muche bounde And if he wolde nedes praye to God could he not haue done it preuely and secretly What nede he to set open his window in the sight of al men This was an open contempte of the kinges Maiestie this was a greater offence then the facte it self Thus wolde the politike ād worldlinges reason as our carnall Gospellers do daylie to mayntayne their shameles halting vpon both partes to cloke their owne impietie and to intice others to do the like But faythful Daniel had learned an other lesson and of a more faithfull scholemaister euen the verie same that instructed here the Apostles the Spirite of God the auctor of wisedome and trueth that he oght not onelie to contemne the kinges vnlawfull commandement but to do the plaine contrarie Nether thoght he it sufficient to do this secretly except openly he shewed to all the worlde whose seruante he was and what God he honored Otherwise how colde he haue declared to the people that he loued his God with all his harte soule and power as was commanded CHAP. VII All men are bound to follow the like example as wel as the Apostles and Daniel of what estate and condition so euer they be HEre are all excuses taken away from all men that will be true Christians and haue the Apostles and Daniel for their instructers and teachers whither they be Counsellers Nobles Peares or inferior and ciuile officiers But they will peraduēture excuse them selues as thogh God had no thing to do with thē because they be not Apostels nor Prophets Neuertheles they may be assured they shall be as they euer haue bene subiecte to his plages and punishments and so will he haue a do with them thogh they would haue noght to do with hym Yf the temperall sworde had bene committed to the Apostels as wel as was the spirituall if they had bene Pears of a realme and knowen so wel their duetie towarde God and their contrye as they did to Christ and his Churche being Apostels woulde they haue lyfted vp their sworde agaynst Goddes glorie to the subuersion of the trueth and their nation at the commandement of their Prince and kinge Or wolde they not rather haue answered we are appoynted of God to set forthe his glorie and to defend his people and cannot therfore obeye you If that woulde not serue must they then haue ceased at their threatninges with death and displeasure Is that sufficient to discharge them if in not vsing their power to suppresse tyranny and idolatrie they suffer the people of God to be deuoured Iudge you your selues that beare this Name whither God coulde approue their doinges Matathias that worthie Captayne of the Iewes as it is wryten in the firste boke of the Machabees coulde not so lightly excuse him self when he was commanded
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
demaundeth it And when demaundeth God these thinges of vs if not then chieflie whē Satā begynneth to rage the worde of God despiced his Name blasphemed his Churche scattered his children miserably oppressed imprisoned famished and murthered Either now must the counsele of the Coūseller the learning of the learned the auctoritie of the honorable the power of the Nobles the bodies of the subiectes serue the Lorde or neuer For now will the Lorde trye who are his people in separating the chaffe frō the corne those that loue the Lorde vnfaynedlie ād wil serue him in dede from the halting dissemblers ād hypocrites who thīking therby to escape present daūgers runne headlonge to their owne destructiō thiking therby to escape the feareful voyce of the Lorde fall in to the pit And if they come foorthe of the pit they are taken in the net and cannot escape saithe the Lorde There is no waye but one to turne agayne vnto the Lorde who hathe woūded vs and he will heale vs he hathe striken vs for our synnes and he will bynde vs vp agayn ād within two dayes will he restore vs to lyffe ād the thirde day rayse vs vp and we shal come before his face saithe the Prophet And by what other means can we turne vnto the Lorde to be healed of our woundes to be restored to lyffe agayne to be lifted vp and broght before his presence but by vnfayned repentance euerie man of what estate or condition soeuer he be Considering with teares how shamefullie he hathe fallen from God and by what means and to call for grace and strength to turne back by the self same means and wayes to obey God in walking the contrarie And to Folowe the counsell of the Apostle that as before we haue geuen our members to serue vnclennes and iniquitie so now after true repentance make them to serue rightousnes and holynesse Wher before we serued men and not God now to serue God and not man but in God Where as we abused all the gyftes of God to mayntayne idolatrie and tyranny now to vse the same to the restoring of Gods glorie and preseruation of his humble and afflicted children where as before we haue troughe contempt of his graces especiallie the worde and Gospel of our Sauiour Iesus Christe broght vpon vs shame and confusion now by reuerent receauing of them agayne and framing our liues thervnto we may remoue these plagues ād finde fauore ād grace in the sight of our God who for this cause hathe striken vs and by all maner of means callethe vs backe from our wickednesse readier to receaue vs then we to desier him CHAP. VIII The conclusion of these two parts with a farther declaration of the same that it is both Lawful and necessarie some tymes to disobeye and also to resiste Vngodly magistrats and wherin VVherfore deare brethern in the Lorde to returne to our pourpose you may well vnderstāde of these thīgs which haue bene hitherto mentioned not only the cause of all our miserie in England this day to haue bene for that we nether taught knewe nor vsed true obedience but also what obediēce God requireth of all mē ād what he cōdemnethe for disobedience Obedience is to heare God rather then man and to resiste man rather then God as by the answere and doinges of the Apostles and examples of others ye haue bene instructed Whereī you may see how litle the commandments threatnynges power auctoritie or punishments of anie kinge Prince or Emperour oght to preuayle with vs agaynst the commandement of God where with we are charged Can we then pretende ignoraunce any more Beholde verie nature doth teache all men which be not destitute of their comō sense ād reason that God oght rather to be obeyed then man in so muche as the Apostles therin feared not the iudgment of their enimies Shall auctoritie of man or power of Princes bleare our eyes anie lōger seing there is none so ignorant whose consciēce doth not beare him witnesse that God is moste worthie of all honor and onely to be feared for his power who made the heauens and the earthe and man ruler therof by whose power and wisdome as all thinges were created so by his wonderful prouidence are all thinges preserued and gouerned Shall the threatnings of man or punishment of Princes moue vs to leaue vndone that which he commandeth ād our vocation requireth Shulde we honour thē for their offices and great titles because they are called kīges Princes or Emperours This muste we do so longe as they will be subiectes to God and promoters of his glorie of whome they haue their auctoritie as the examples of the Godlie Patriarkes and Prophets of Christe him self and his Apostles and of all martyrs in all ages vntil this day do witness Which with their bloude haue sealed vp this doctrine for an vndouted veritie that there is no obedience agaynst God which in his iudgment is not manifeste rebellion Doest thou then vnfaynedly beleue in God and haste geuen thy self to serue him and after art commanded of thy Prince or Ruler what name so euer he beare to committ idolatrie in worshippīg a piece of bread for thy Sauiour as do the Papistes which is open blasphemie agaynst the Sonne of God Arte thou willed to be present at the idole seruice which the Apostle S. Paul forbiddeth or ells to make or erect images in Churches or tēples to heare Masses to trot on pilgremage to purchesse pardōs to cōfesse the Popes auctoritie to esteme Gods worde for heresie ▪ Art thou charged to be a tormentour of the Saincts of God to lay holde vpō thē as did the Scribes ād Pharisies the chief Bishopp and Priests whith their officiers vpon Christe and his Apostles to bringe them before the Concile to caste then in prison to flatter them to reuile thē opēly to famishe them secreatly and hange them in their gayles to racke them to bringe them to the galows to the stake and cōsumyng fier to see execution done vpon then as vpon theues murtherers villains whoremongers adulterours traytors idolaters blasphemers when inwardlye thy conscience cryeth vnto thee Take heede ād beware what thou doest to these men for they are the verie seruantes of God as Pilate was admonished by his wiffe Art thou I saye cōmanded to do anie of these thīges and fearest God Beholde here art thou taught what answere it behoueth thee to make and that by the Apostles of Christe which is Iudge you whither it be lawfull in Godds sight to obey you rather then God And agayne God must be obeyed before man If thou wilt alleadge the daunger of losinge thy lyuing and office wherby thou and thy familie are founde consider it is a greater matter to lose thy soule and to bring the cursse of God vpon thy whole housholde to whome it were farre better to begg in the feare of God thē to be gyltie
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
deserued And why Bycause you haue chosen to obeye man rather then Gâ—â— and sought rather to mayntayne 〈◊〉 owne pride and dignitie then his honor and glory And therfore beholde ô prowde man I am come to thee saithe the Lorde of hostes because thy daye is come and the tyme when i will visite thee For the prowde shall fall and be distroyed and there shall be noman to lift him vp I will kindle a fire in his Cities that shall consume all thinges aboute them c. And iustly maye the Lorde do all this to you seinge he gaue you not this dignitie makinge you CouÌ„sellers Noble men Rulers Iustices Mayers Shireffs Bayliffs Counstables or Gaylers to exalt your selues agaynst his Maiestie and to fight agaynst Christe and his members but to humble your selues in his presence to promote his glorie and to defende all those whom he committed to your charge How commeth it then to passe that ye haue thus betrayde him and his people in banishinge his truthe to receaue falsehod and haue changed Religion in to superstition true honoringe of God in to blasphemous idolatrie and now to finishe your procedinges are readye to to sell your subiects for slaues to the prowde Spaniards a people with out God That wicked woman whom you vntruely make your Quene hath saye ye so coÌ„manded O vayne miserable men To what vilenesse are you broght and yet as men blynd see not Because you would not haue God to raigne ouer you and his worde to be a light vnto your footestepps beholde he hath not geuen an hypocrite onely to raigne ouer you as he promised but an Idolatresse also not a man accordinge to his appoyntment but a woman whiche his Lawe forbiddeth and nature abhorreth whose reigne was neuer counted lawfull by the worde of God but an expresse signe of Gods wrathe and notable plague for the synnes of the people As was the raygne of cruell Iesabel and vngodlie Athalia especiall instrumentes of Satan and whipps to his people of Israel This you see not blynded with ignorance yea whiche is more shame where as the worde of God freethe you from the obedience of anie Prince be he neuer so mightie wise or politike commanding anye thinge whiche God forbiddeth and herein geuethe you auctoritie to withstand the same as you haue harde Yet are you willingly become as it were bondemen to the lustes of a most impotent and vnbrydled woman a woman begotten in adultrie a bastard by birthe contrarie to the worde of God aÌ„d your owne lawes And therfore coÌ„demned as a bastarde by the iudgement of all Vniuersities in EnglaÌ„de France and Italie as well of the Ciuilians as Diuines For now are we freede from that Ieweshe yoke to rayse vp seede to our brethern departing with out issue by the comyng of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who hathe destroyed the walle and distaÌ„ce betwixt the Iewes and Gentiles and hathe no more respecte to anie Tribes for conseruation wherof this was permitted but all are made one in him with out distinction which acknowledge him vnfaynedlie to be the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the worlde For in Christe Iesus there is nether Iewe nor Gentile Grecian or Barbarous bonde nor free c. And therfore it muste nedes followe that kinge Henrie the eight in marying with his brothers wife did vtterly contemne the free grace of our Sauiour Iesus Christe which longe before had deliuered vs from the seruitude of that lawe and also committed adulterous incest contrary to the worde of God when he begate this vngodlie serpent Marie the chief instrument of all this present miserie in Englande And if any would saie it was of a zele to fulfyll the lawe which then was abrogated he must confesse also that the kinge did not marie of carnall luste but to rayse vp seede to his brother when the contrarie is well knowne to all men Let no man therfore be offended that I call her by her propre name a bastarde and vnlawfully begotton seing the worde of God which caÌ„not lye dothe geue wittnesse vpon my parte And moreouer that suche as are bastardes shulde be depriued of all honor in so muche as by the Lawe of Moyses they were prohibited to haue entrance in to the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ or assembly of the Lorde to the tenth generation Consider theÌ„ your vngodlie proceadinges in defrawding your coÌ„trie of a lawfull kinge and preferringe a bastarde to the lawful begotten dawghter and exaltinge her whiche is and will be a comon plague aÌ„d euersion of altogether for as muche as she is a traytor to God promis breaker to her dearest frindes who helpinge her to their power to her vnlawfull reigne were promised to inioye that religion which was preached vnder kinge Edwarde which not withstanding in a shorte space after she moste falsely ouerthrewe and abolished So that now both by Gods Lawes and maÌ„s she oght to be punished with death as an opeÌ„ idolatres in the sight of God aÌ„d a cruel murtherer of his SaiÌ„ts before meÌ„ aÌ„d merciles traytoresse to her owne natiue couÌ„trie For Gods worde she abhorreth Antichriste hathe she restored her fathers Lawes contemned her promesse brokeÌ„ and her brother Godly kinge Edwarde as an heretique condemned â–ª not thinkinge it ynoughe to expresse her tyranny vpon theÌ„ that liued except she shewed crueltie or rather a raging madnesse on the bodies of Gods seruaÌ„ts loÌ„ge before buried drawiÌ„g theÌ„ forth of their graues to burne theÌ„ as heretikes And in fine vtterly abhorring the Englishe nation hath ioyned her self to adulterous Philip the Spanishe kinge to whome she hathe and dothe continually labor to betray the whole kingdome And yet ye cannot or will not see it nether yet for all this be stirred vp to bridell her affections and withstand her vngodly doinges to promote the glorie of God and to preserue your brethren and your selues but thinking to reteyne your promotions by flattery do hastelie drawe Gods vengeance vpon your selues and others For do you thinke that Philip will be crowned kinge of Englande and reteyne in honor Englishe counsellers Will he credite them withe the gouernement of his estate who haue betrayed their owne Shall his nobilitie be Spaniardes with out your landes and possessions And shall they possesse your promotioÌ„s and lyuinges and your heads vpoÌ„ your shulders Come they to make a spoyle of the whole Realme and leaue you aÌ„d yours vntouched Where is your great wisdome become Your subtile counsels and policies where of you bragge so muche to whome these thinges be hid that euerie childe espieth If Esai the Prophet had not forespoken these secret iudgments of God in blynding the eyes of the prowde contemners I coulde not cease to wonder at your grosse ignorance as now I consider with greife of harte the miserie which is like shortly to come vpon you in full measure for this calamitie alreadie powred vpon others through your procurements and studies
the Lorde by rebellion did thinke also by their policie to escape Gods appoynted punishmeÌ„t No no woulde Ieremie say it is to late and ye are to weake to fight againste the Lorde whose worke this is When ye were Lordes within your selues and had full libertie to honor your Lorde God accordiÌ„ge to the Lawes whiche he gaue vnto you and whereby ye were assured to lyue without feare of all natioÌ„s you wolde not And therfore shall you serue a strange kinge strange lawes and a straÌ„ge nation til you be wel corrected aÌ„d humbled till you haue felt by experience what an inestimable coÌ„fort it is to haue the liuinge Lorde to be your kinge aÌ„d gouernour And therfor woulde IereÌ„ say Serue Nabuchadnezer Seinge theÌ„ this is the appoynted plague of God for disobeyinge him and his Lawes to serue strange kinges and to be captiues â–ª you are hereby warned aÌ„d taught rather to turne with all spede to the liuinge Lorde and to set vp his true religioÌ„ againe that he may defend you theÌ„ in proceadinge in your blasphemye for the coÌ„mandement and feare of any creature to hasten Gods wrath and Iudgements The Israelites because they woulde not receaue the oft admonitioÌ„s of Gods Pâ—ophetes to feare the Lord cooulde not afterwarde escape his plagues nor the feare of men no more shal you ô inhabiters of EnglaÌ„de without speedie repeÌ„tance escape the Spaynishe plague of adoulterous Philippe whom the Lorde will make his sworde and maul to beate downe your townes and Cities aÌ„d to deuoure the people therof For seinge you haue with the Israelites forsakeÌ„ the swete aÌ„d plesant yoke of God and Christe his Sonne you shal indure the importable yoke of this cruell and beastly nation But what shall we obey then say you Yes verely but against your wills in captiuite and thraldom as did the Israelites in Egypt and Babylon to serue them with your bodyes and goodes Seinge ye woulde departe with nothinge to serue our Maister and Sauiour Christ thinke you to escape this by obeyinge your wicked Rulers By what other means haue you fallen into the handes of your enemies but by this kinde of obedience onely Whiche as you haue harde sufficiently proued is in Gods sight plaine disobedience and rebellion But you will say Ieremie willed the Iewes to serue Nabuchadnezer which was a wicked Prince and then with out the feare of God and therfore are we bownd to serue our Quene thoghe she be an vngodly idolatres Ieremie speaketh but of bodely seruice and such as subiectes owe to their superiours in Ciuile ordinaunces and outwarde doinges and not to defile their consciences in committing euill For in suche thiÌ„ges both God and his Prophetes and the examples of all the godly do forbid all obedieÌ„ce They were made subiectes to the kinge of Babylon to serue him with their bodies and goodes as were his owne people and also to paye tribute to him as did strangers which he had likewise subdued The which thing was for their punishment And therfore of duetie they must patientlie beare them TheÌ„ in fewe wordes I answere that althoghe it be moste lawfull with patience to beare the punishment of the Lorde for our synne and not to repine or rebell agaynst it yet is it our parte neuerthelesse and bownden duety to defende and mayntayne the cause of God with all our might and to whithstand all maner of aduersaries euen to the losse of our goods and liues being euer assured of this promesse of our Sauiour and Maister That he that loseth his liffe for his sake shall finde it and he that loseth father or mother frindes or goodes in his cause shall be rewarded an hundreth folde in this worlde and in the worlde to come with liffe euerlasting It is not then wisedome to repine at the rodde when it is layde vpon vs to beate vs but to returne backe to our mercifull Father with vnfayned repentance calling for mercy before hande whiles he doth but menace vs. And therfore the threatning or counselle of Ieremie is but an admonition for vs to obeye God in true religion whan we haue tyme that therby we may escape the like plagues aÌ„d no defeÌ„ce at all for our vngodlie behauiour in yelding to the deuilishe decrees of anie vngodly Magistrates what names or titles soeuer they beare For this answere of the Apostles must euer more preuaile God must be obeyed rather then man And there is no obedience in euil that can please the almightie Laste of all we haue to consider the sainge and doinge of the worthie seruante of God the kinge and Prophet Dauid who woulde not lift vp his hand againste kinge Saule notwithstanding he sought to haue murthered Dauid saiÌ„ge God forbid that I shoulde touche the anoynted of the Lorde and why Because he is the anoynted of the Lorde If it be not lawfull theÌ„ to touche the kinge because he is the Lordes anoynted it is likewise vnlawfull to disobey or resiste for that he is the Lords anoynted To whiche I answere that to consider the bare wordes it woulde seeme true as they say but wayiÌ„ge the cause the matter is easie to answere The occasion wherfore Saul hated Dauid was for that he knewe he should succeade him in his kingdome As Saule him selfe doth confesse in the same Chapter saynge I knowe of a suertie that thou shalt reigne and that the kingdom of Israell shal be establisshed in thy hande Swere to me therfore by the Lorde that thou wilte not cut of my seed after me nor destroye my name frome my fathers howse This beinge theÌ„ Dauids owne priuate cause it was not lawfull for him in that case to seke his owne reuengemeÌ„t especially in murtheringe violently his anoynted kinge and the anoynted of the Lorde For it is not written of Saule that he was an idolatrer or constrayned his people to worshippe strange Godes nor yet was aboute to sel theÌ„ to the enemies of God the Philistines against whom he foghte manfully and many tymes Nether that he was an open oppressor and coÌ„temner of the Lawes of God as are this day all the rulers in miserable England And therfore Dauid beinge but a priuate man coulde haue done no violence to his kinge without Godes especial inspiratioÌ„ except in reueÌ„ginge his priuat cause he had vsurped Gods office and soght to haue established him self in his kingdome not taryiÌ„ge the Lords appoiÌ„tmeÌ„t But where as the kinges or Rulers are become altogether blasphemers of God and oppressors and murtherers of their subiectes then oght they to be accoÌ„pted no more for kinges or lawfull Magistrats but as priuate meÌ„ and to be examined accused condemned and punished by the Lawe of God wherunto they are and oght to be subiect and being conuicted and punished by that Lawe it is not maÌ„s but Gods doing who as he dothe appoynte such Magistrates ouer his people by his Lawe so doth he condemne aswel them
creatures to be led and drawen where so euer their Princes commandementes haue called either to arme them selues agaynst Christ their Sauiour in ouerthrowing the truthe of his Gospel to bringe in Antichriste and papistrie or els to fyght agaynst their owne brethern the seruātes of God to robbe them expel them out of their one howses possessions and countrie to torment them and cruelly put them to death as thoghe the cōmandement of the Prince coulde make that lawfull which God forbiddeth as detestable as thoghe they being made instruments to their Princes in executing vngodly tyrannie shulde not be partakers likewise with thē of Gods vengeāce in the daye of his dreadfull visitatiō whē nether their ignorāce can excuse them nether cōmandement of kinge or Prince defende thē but they workinge wickednesse with their Rulers shall drinke of the same cup with them also To the intent I saie that they shulde be no more so blynded nor runne headlonge as they do to their owne destruction I haue thoght good moreouer and besides that which hitherto hathe bene spoken in general wherof notwithstanding they might also gather what belongeth to them in their condicion and estate to snewe vnto them more especially what may be demanded of comon people by Gods worde and what the people also may lawfully deny to do by the same worde of God Which as it oght to be permitted and preached to all men in general so shulde it be the comon and onely rule wherby to frame and ordre all mens liues and doinges And to auoyde all incomodities that are accustomed to happen in all comon welthes as wel vpon the Magistrats parte as of the people there are two extremities wherof bothe muste be warned The first is that the Magistrates permit not to their subiectes ouermuche libertie least therby they fall in to contempte and subiection of their people wherof folowethe for the moste parte all kynde of dissolutnesse ād carnall libertie subuertiō of all good Lawes and ordres alteracion of common welthes and policies contempt of God and man and to be shorte all thinges turned to disorder and confusion The seconde apparteyneth on the other parte to the people which oght not to suffer all power and libertie to be taken from them and therby to become brute beastes with out iudgmente and reason thinking all thinges lawfull which their Rulers do with out exceptiō commāde them be they neuer so farre from reason or godlynesse as thoghe they were not reasonable creatures but brute beastes as thoghe there were no difference betwixt bonde slaues and free subiectes and as thoghe they had no portiō or right at all in the coūtrie where they inhabite but as they were altogether created of God to serue their kinges and gouernors like slaues and not their kings gouernors appoynted of God to preserue his people wher of they are but a portion and members albeit they occupie the cheif roume ād office not to bringe the rest of the members in cōtempte and bondage but to comforte them defende them and norishe them as members of the same bodie And as the people may be assured by Gods worde that this libertie apparteyneth to them which becommeth members of one bodie and brethern because the Lorde God him self from whom kinges haue their auctoritie and power calleth their subiectes and people their brethern charging them in no case to lift them selues aboue them but as brethern to rule in all humblenesse and loue ouer them euenso the people if they suffer this right to be taken from them which God of his singuler fauour hath graunted then are they an occasiō that their kīges and Rulers are turned to tyrantes and cruel oppressors according as Samuel promised the people of Israel shulde come vpon them insomuche as they had refused his gouernement who ruled ouer them in all iustice and humblenesse and in such sorte as no man coulde charge him with any crime And therfore the Scriptures pronounce that they reiected not Samuel but God him self ī whose feare he ruled This saith Samuel shal be the Lawe of the kīge which shall rule ouer you Your childrē shall he take to serue in his chariot and to be his horse men and they shall runne before his chariot and he shall constitute also Captayns of a thousand and of fiue hundreth and others to till his grownde and to gather his harueste to make weapons for warre and harnesse for his chariots Moreouer he shall take your daughters to make his anoyntmēts to serue his kitchin and to be his clothiers besides this he shall take your fyeldes and your vineyardes your beste orchardes of oliues and geue to his seruaunts and of your corne and vines shall he take the tenthes and geue them to his Eunuches and seruauntes your seruauntes also and maydes and the chif of your youthe and your asses shall he take to do his worke And of your cattell shall he take the tenth and you shall become his seruauntes and you shall crye out that day in the sight of your kinge whom you haue chosen and the Lorde God will not heare you that day and why Bycause they had rather haue a kinge and Ruler of their owne appoyntment then of the Lordes Wherfore to auoyde the daungers vpon both partes it is more then necessarie that bothe be subiecte to that Rule and with all diligent care labour to reteyne it wherby both maye learne their duetie and be constrayned iustly to execute the same For when the comon people and subiectes haue so large libertie by the negligence of their Rulers that customes and vnlawful vsages shall be preferred to Gods Lawes and statutes and that to maynteyne the same customes they care nothing if all other good Lawes either of God or man do perishe how is it possible without daungerous tumultes and rebellion to brynge them to any good ordre and reformation except there be some comon and approued Lawe which verie nature and the feare of God will teach them to reuerence and obeye As for example amongs other customes which mayntayne idlenes and serue the greedy appetite of the bellie which all men are loth to forgo how harde a thinge were it to bryng them frome their Sanctes dayes The abolishment wherof godly king Edwarde in his tyme coulde not bryng to passe So great was the nomber of Papistes in the Perlament house which maīteyned those superstitiouse dayes some bearīg the name of mē ād some of womē ascrybīg that to the creatures of God which apperteyneth to him alone for as muche as euery day is the Lordes worke and oght to serue to his honour onely They haue nowe in tyme of papistrie dayes of Peter and Paule Marie and Iohn withe the reste of the Apostles they haue Georges daye and katherines Dunstans day the coniurer and Loye the smithe with innumerable others which maynteyne the idlenesse of them and of their seruaunts contrarie to the ordinaunce of God
appoynting six dayes for their trauell and the seuenth daye onely to reste and that to the honoring of our Lorde God Also by what means may the people be drawen from the dayes of riote and bancketing which they terme frindly feasting and goodfelloweshipp as from Whitsontides dronkennes and surfet Midsōmers shewes and vanities Christmas riote and bawdry Shroftetwesdayes glottony and Lents superstitious obseruations excepte by some Lawe of greater importance the rude people be otherwise perswaded And what other Lawes are there able to bringe this to passe besides the Lawes of God Wherin if they be not instructed it is impossible for any auctoritie or power to withholde them with out great daunger and tumultes from such kinde of disordres and vnlawfull customes Therfore if thou be a Ruler and couete to haue the people obedient to thee in Gods feare this muste be thy first and principall studie to procure that they may truely know God by the playne and diligent preaching of his worde wherī if they be well instructed there is no custome so longe continued no idlenesse so longe vsed no supersticion so deeply rooted which they will not gladly and peaceably for go at thy commandement yea there is nothing which is euill that they can for shame stande in nor any good and lawfull demande that they will deny thee By these means onely shalt thou obtayne honour maintayne thy right winne the hartes of thy people and haue them all obedient And as the Magistrates by this means are sure to finde obedience and escape all rebellion tumultes and disordres amonges their subiectes euenso is there no other rule for the subiectes to escape the idolatrie tyrannie and oppression of their superiors then in reteyning as their chief possession the self same Lawe and worde of God Permitting rather all thinges wordlie to be taken from them as landes goodes house cōtrie father mother wiffe children yea liffe it self then to be depriued by any means of that heauenly treasure and precious perle for the which they must sell althinges Wherof to be fullie perswaded it is necessary to vnderstande what maner of people you are Yf you be the people of God and vnfayned Christians then muste ye also knowe that the Lawe of God and Christe your Sauiour doth appertayne vnto you wherin as without shame ād condemnation ye may not be ignorāt euenso no power commandment or threatninges shulde cause you to departe from it wherin onely standethe that comforte and saluation which no creature can restore agayne vnto you The heathen which knewe not God a right but were idolatrers yet made their religiō to haue the highest place in their comon welthes as Aristotle writeth in his Politiques In the name wherof they might demande any thinge of their kinges and Rulers and they durst not denye them and might also with out offence deny all thinges which their Rulers demaunded contrarie to their religion In so muche as this prouerbe was comon amongest all Vsque ad Aras meaning that agaynst their religion as they were perswaded they were bownde to no persone father mother frende or gouernour their loue ād obedience towardes thē coulde stretch no further then to the Altars that is so farre as with obseruing their religion they might lawfullye performe Yf the Gentills then had their religion in such honour and reuerence that agaynst it thoghe in dede it was meere superstition and idolatrie they woulde acknowledge no obedience in what estimation shulde Gods worde and the religion of our Sauiour Iesus Christe be amongest vs that professe his Name and are assured of his doctrine to be the vndouted trueth and power of God to saluacion of all beleuers Yf the heathen kinges and Magistrates coulde cōpell their subiectes no farther then the Alters shall any auctoritie or power compell vs farther then God and his anoynted our chief kinge Lorde ād Maister Let it be counted shame to vs that the ignorant Gentils shuld be founde more carefull and zelous in defending their superstition and manifeste idolatrie then we are in mayntayning the true worship of God and his heauenly wisedome Yf we were Turkes Sarasins Iewes or papistes which either knewe not God a right or els denied his Sonne Iesus it were no great maruell if we were led after the lustes of our vngodly Princes For as our Maister teacheth When the blynde leadeth the blynde bothe fall in to the diche But if we will be taken for the people of God and his sonnes by adoption in Christ Iesus then it behoueth vs likewise to geue obediēce principally to our Lorde and Maister to our mightie God and moste louinge Father as Malachi the Prophet exhorteth The sonne reuerenceth the father and the seruaūt the maister yf I be your Father saith the Lorde where is the honor that you geue me Yf I be your Lorde and Maister where is my feare Notinge vnto vs how it is in vayne to call him Father or Lorde so long as we geue him not that honour and reuerence which he demandeth Also if we will not be taken for blynde and ignorante persones then must we shewe forth this light by walking as becomethe the childrē of light as the Apostle requirethe indifferently of all Gods children with out exceptiō or excuse either of guide or Ruler For the blyndnesse of our guide whither he be of the Cleargie or Laytie may be no excuse to vs if in folowing him we fall and perishe it is our owne faute and we must beare our owne iudgment For Christe hereof admonisheth vs Let thē a lone saithe he for they are blind guides and leaders of the blynd And agayne accordinge to their workes see ye do not Yf thou hauynge sight had appoynted to thee a blynde guide wouldeste thou folowe him into a daungerouse pit or deepe water wherin both might perishe because he was thy guide Then truely mightest thou be iudged of all men worse then either oxe or asse or any other vnreasonable beaste whiche will not be driuē in such places as to their outwarde sēses appeare daūgerous Nature onely teacheth all creatures this to flie frome those daungers that shulde hurte them and to desier all thinges that do them good And when God hath made this comon to all beastes ād inferior creatures paynefully to seeke their preseruation hathe he denied the same to man whome aboue all others he will haue preserued For whose preseruation chieflie he hath not onely created all thīges and prescribed his Lawes and commandements to prohibet murther and euery other thinge tendinge to his destruction but also to shewe the abundance of his mercies spared not his dearelye belouid Sonne but gaue him to the cruell death of the Crosse that man might haue full saluation not onely here in this world but euerlastingly in the worlde to come Wherfore if he tender vs so muche as to seeke by all meās possible our liffe and preseruation then must it likewise
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
and cruell murtherers of their brethern seing the Lawes of God and publycke peace can be by no other means restored But when the people them selues agree not when they are deuided amongest them selues and the greatest parte of them perchance papistes and will be maynteyners of such vngodly proceadings as are now broght in to Englande how is it possible that by the weaker parte Gods glory shulde be restored To this I answere that as I know the restoringe of Gods worde and comfortable doctrine of our Sauiour Christe to be the onely worke of God and of no man thoghe he forsake not man as a meane external and also am not ignorant that he regardeth not the multitude and strenghe of man to accomplishe his purpose who hath bene accustomed to geue the victorie to a few in nomber and weake in strengh that the glorie might be his so will I not counselle you rashely to cast your selues in to danger but patiently and ernestly to call to the lyuing Lorde for mercy and acknowledging your synnes for which this plague is powred vpon you to desier him to shewe some signe of conforte who hath promised to heare your groninges and to beholde your affliction as he did the groninges and oppression of his people in Egypt when they were broght to full repentance ād fealing of their synnes so that he came downe from heauen ād appeared to Moyses and sent him to be their Capitayne whom they once had forsaken as you haue done Christe And as he also sent Othoniel to deliuer his people whē they cryed vnto him in that captiuitie that they were in vnder the idolatrous kynge of Mesopotamia for the space of eight yeres Nether is this ynough to call vpon God for helpe except ye vtterly forsake the wicked doctrine and doinges of the papistes ād seeke also to the vttermost of your power for remedie in folowing the example of the people of God as it is writen whiche did not onely serue God and call to him for helpe at what tyme they were destitute of their worthie Capitayne Iudas Machabeus but also soght it and demanded it where it was like to be founde And assemblinge them selues together came to Ionathan his brother desiering him to be their guide and Capitayne to helpe them in their miserie and to defende them agaynst the enimies of God their whole nation being then moste cruelly oppressed on euery side and the moste parte of them in vile slauery seruinge the strāge Gods of the heathen Thē Ionathā pityinge their estate and his owne did not deny their requeste but willingly toke in hande that dangerous enterprise beīge assured that the cause was lawfull to maintaine to his power Gods glorie ād to succour his afflicted natiō as his brother Iudas had done before him And doinge the same with a simple eye accordinge as he was boūde God prospered his doinge and he had good successe Therfore yf they did well in demādinge succour and he discharged his conscience in graunting their request why is it not also lawfull for you to seeke helpe of thē that be able ād willing and for them likewise to graūte helpe to whom God hath lente it for that vse especially But I know your answere experience saye you hath taught vs the contrary For if God had bene pleased herein with Syr Thomas Wyat that valiant Capitayne taking in hande the like enterprise it shulde vndoutedly haue had better successe But he being a man and of God of great estimation amongest all goodmen was notwithstandinge apprehended condemned and at the last althogh he was promised his pardon as a traytor beheaded And besides him Sir Henry Isley knight with many godely men for the same facte hanged and murthered The like also ye will affir me of that Noble man Henry Lorde Graye Marques Dorset ād Duke of Suffolke who onely for the zeale that he had to promote Gods glorie and the libertie of his countrie prepared him self with that power he coulde make to the ayde of the sayed Wyat accordinge to his promisse But beinge deceaued or rather betrayed by such as he trusted vnto was in the ende also apprehended and with his brother the Lorde Thomas Gray a Gentleman of great courage and towardnesse likewise beheaded Althogh I minde not to stand long in the praise of these worthye mēs factes who moste cowardly were of many betrayed which since perchance haue felt some parte of worse misery yet so muche must I nedes confesse in their behalf that none but papistes or traytors can iustly accuse them of treason or disobedience Of whō to be misdained or slandered is in the eyes of the godly no small cōmendation ād prayse For to passe ouer with silēce the duke of Sulffolke whose noble parētage and ernest loue that he bare to the promoting of Christes Gospell and the welth of his coūtrie is to all Englishe men sufficiently knowne what I beseche you moued Wyat that worthy knight to rise Was it his pouertie Beholde he was a famous Gētleman of great landes and possessions stowt and liberall in the seruice of his Prince faithefull to his countrie and mercifull to the poore Soght he ambitiously honour Which of his enemies coulde herewith iustly charge him Did he this bicause he was of a troublesome ād busy nature which coulde not be vnder lawfull gouernement His great wisedome modestie ād gentle behauiour at all tymes ād to all persons did well declare the contrary euer more being founde a faythfull Capitayne to his Prīce in the fielde ād an obediēt subiecte at home What thē moued him to this dangerous entreprise Verely the zeale of Gods trueth and the pitie that he had to his Countrie for the miseries he sawe to approche by the vsurped power of vngodly Iesabell and her merciles papistes the sowldiars of Antichriste Yf it be treasō to defend the Gospel and his Countrie frome cruel strangers and enemies thē was Wyat a traytor ād rebell but if this was his duetye and all others that professed Christe amōgest you then are all such traytours as did deceaue him and such as toke not his parte also whē tyme ād occasiō by him was iustly offered And thogh his enterprise had not such sucesse as we would haue wisshed yet was it no worse then our cowardnesse and vnworthinesse deserued Whiche nether oght of anie therfore to be condemned nether shulde be anie discouragemēt to others in the like For some tymes we see the verie seruantes of God to haue euill successe in their doinges according to mās iudgement and yet God is well pleased therwith As the example of the Israelites wherof we made mention before dothe moste manifestlie approue at what tyme they armed them selues agaynst the Beniamites and that at the commandement of God and yet were twise disconcfyted losing the first tyme 22. thousand men and the next day folowing 18. thowsand bothe tymes consulting with the Lorde and folowing his
measure oure doings by Godds worde Rom. 2. We must not measure our obedience after our oune phantesies Rom. 1. Mat. 15. Disobedience is the puddle of all herisies and error Apo. 17. Antichriste is the plage of God for maÌ„s disobedience Psal 2. The tyraÌ„ts are Antichristes tormentours and persecute Christ Thoccasion wherefore this treatise was writ and what proffit we may gather therof The circuÌ„stance of the answere wayed Act. 4. The magistrats coÌ„mande the Apostles not to preach Christe The papists succead the Iewes in malice aÌ„d persecutioÌ„ Papists are the generation of Vipers Iohn 8. The Gospell increaseth when it is persecuted Rom. 1. We must rather feare Goddes iudgemeÌ„ts then mans threatnyngs Christe aÌ„d his word are inuinsible Mat. 23. Great occasions of repentance offered to the Iewes An horrible falling awaye froÌ„ God Rom. 3. and 9. The Ieweshe churche errethe The papistes churche erreth The Iew ishe chmrche was firste The locusts which came out of the bottoÌ„les pit The papistes are more wicked then Iewes The papistes denye Christ as well as the Iewes do The papistes are more blasphemous then the Iewes The papistes coÌ„fesse Christ but in effect deny him 1. Tim. 2 The papistes coÌ„fesse Christe to be here in the world in the forme of brad a dead God not able to do anye thinge The boxy mowly wormy musty rotten and corrupted Christe The papistes vnder the name of Christians worke treason agaynst Christ Hebr. 10.1 Ioh. 2. The infinit slaughter of martyrs in Englande We must not yelde in Gods cause when man threatneth Luk. 24. act 1. Relenting of the ministers moste dangerous we maye safely folowe the example of the Apostels aproued by the holy Gost. A dangerous doctrine 1. Cor. 3 Man can not dispeÌ„ce with that which God commandeth False brethern which betray God and his trueth in yelding to the papists No minister oght to flie and forsake his flocke except he be persecuted onely and not his flocke Psal 14. They which please man rather then obey God we must obey the preachers onely wheÌ„ they bring Gods worde The papistes laughe in their sleues when they see their wicked proceadinges promoted by vnlawfull obedience A moncke Cardinal Pole To obey is good but whome wherin aÌ„d howe farre ought to be coÌ„sidered The iustices other vnder officers Officers aÌ„d Iudges degenerat The papistes naturally thurst for bloud Fals Gospelers slaues vnto papistes The coÌ„mon people Men that do against their conscience and Godes worde Rom. 13. The enemies of God caÌ„ not denye this answere to be treue Psal 104. Preachers must preach Christe in season and out of season 1. Cor. 11. They shuld not so haue escaped if they had bene befor our cruell Counselors Pharisies and Hypocrits of Englande what things are to be considered Obedience against God is disobedience what God once willith in his Law to be done or not to be done that caÌ„ no man dispence with be it neuer so smal in the sight of man Deu. 4. Ioh. 10. Deu. 28 and .30 No coÌ„mandement shall excuse vs in the daye of vengeance Esai 2. Gen. 7 Gen. 14. Exod. 3 4.5.6.14 Amos 3. Heb. 13. Pro. 21. what maner of man the Lorde woulde haue chosen kinge Deut. 17. Gods Lawes must diligentlie be folowed in election of kinges aÌ„d Rulers and not mans phaÌ„tasie The firste note and obseruatioÌ„ in chosinge of a kynge Ezechi 20 Two notes to knowe whether a kinge be chosen of God or no None oght to be chosen a kinge or Ruler but such as wil maintaine and promote Godes Lawes The secoÌ„d note why kinges ar chosen froÌ„ amongest their brethern The gouernement of women is against nature and Gods ordinance Gen. 3. 1. Cor. 14 1. Tim. 2. women by ciuell police are excluded froÌ„e all offices in a comon welth Winchester proueth her a bastard in his boke de Vera obedientia and BoÌ„ner also in the preface of the same boke kyng Edward the VI. They haue now plentie of both sortes The title of the Crowne belongeth onely by Gods worde to the heyres males You re owne Lawes dothe not prefer abastard to her that is lauful begotten â–ª Heb. 1. Psal 45. Leuit. 8. 1. Sam. 15. 1 Reg. 19 The thirde rule to be obserued in electing of kinges Psal 52. What other notes God geueth to chose by As the kings charge is greater so is he more bonde to God to performe the same If it be heynous to disobey maÌ„ much more God the Lorde of al thinges Kinges oght to rule in Gods feare with him aÌ„d not againste him To obey a wicked Prince in his wickednes is plaine disobedience to God 1. king 1. 1. Sam. 22 Mat. 2. They will make all these blaÌ„les the papistes are â—o impudeÌ„t rather theÌ„ they will seme to offende Mat. 27. Exod. 20. Psalm 9. Gen. 4. The commandemeÌ„t of the Prince shall not excuse thee in euill doyng It is not inoughe not to do the wiked commaundement of a kynge but also to do the contrarie Act. 5. Act. 5. Matth. 5. Al the apostels to gether shewed the like constancie No power can preuail against the faithfull Mar 28. Rom. 8· 1. Cor. 4. Ephe. 3. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 4. Ephe. 6. Heb. 4. Christ disobeyed wicked magistrates and so saued vs but we obey vniust magistrates and destroy our selues 1. kin 18. 2. Cor. 6. Obedience to death When God forbiddeth one thinge he commaÌ„deth the contrarie Dani. 6. Daniel was no Englishe courtier for he coulde not flatter Note this al ye Gentelmen aÌ„d Nobles of Inglande Daniel burned with the zeal of Gods glory and wolde not hide it The couÌ„sel of the wordlye dissemblers Carnal Gospelers are halters oÌ„ both sides Ioh. 16. Daniel was not so wyse as our glauering Gospellers EnglishemeÌ„ will nether be Apostles Prophets nor good men How should they iudge well of other meÌ„s matteres that coÌ„demne theÌ„ selues in their owne 1. Mac. â— A notable answere for all true Christians to practise Matathias was no publik persone Loke wel vpon this example al ye inhabitantes of Englande Mattathias fact depeÌ„dethe not of the auctoritie of the history but of the worde of God Mattathias doing aÌ„d the Apostels are both like Iosua made the like answere to the Israelites Iosue 24. The papists wil saye because he was olde that he doted Forget not this yf ye feare God and loue your liues Other now serue the Lorde or neuer Luk. 3. Esai 24. Iere. 48 Hosaâ— 6 Repent o countriemen your vnlawfull obedience aÌ„d now at last turne to your Lord God Rom. 6. God grant this for Christes sake to sinke in your myndes Obedience Ignorance can not excuse you much lesse when the trueth is so plainlye taught We must not yelde to autoritie and power Threaninges oght not to fear vs. This doctrine of obedieÌ„ce is dayly sealed with the bloude of Sainctes 1. Cor. 10 The Shirefs â—ealers and other inferior officers condemned Mat 27. Euery maÌ„s answere to vnlawfull dissobedience Losse of lininges is not