gall of crueltie the poisoÌ„ of filthie fornicatioÌ„ flowing from head to foote the contempt of God and open defense of the Cake Idol by opeÌ„ proclamatioÌ„ to be red in the Churches in the stead of goddes scriptures Thus was there no reformation but a deformation in the tyme of that tyrant and lecherous moÌ„ster The bore I graÌ„te was busie wrooting aÌ„d digging in the earth aÌ„d all his pigges that folowed hym But they soght only for the pleasaÌ„t frutes that they winded with their longe snowtes And for their own bellies sake they wrooted vp many weeds but they turned the grouÌ„de so miÌ„gling good aÌ„d badd togither swete and so wre medecine aÌ„d poyson they made Isay such coÌ„fusioÌ„ of religioÌ„ and lawes that no good thing could grow but by great miracle vnder such Gardners And no meruail if it be rightly coÌ„sidered for this bore raged against God against Deuill against Christ and against Antichrist as the fome that he cast owt against Luther the racing furth of the name of the Pope and yet alowiÌ„g his laws aÌ„d his murther of many Christian souldiours and of many papistes do clearly aÌ„d euideÌ„tly testifie vnto vs. Especially the burniÌ„g of Barnes Ierome aÌ„d Garrat three faithful preachers of the trueth haÌ„giÌ„g the same day for maintainaÌ„ce of the Pope Powel Abel and Fetherstone doth clearly paynt his beastlynes that he cared for no maner of religioÌ„ This moÌ„strous bore for al this must nedes be called the head of the Churche in paine of treason displacing Christ our onlie head who oght alone to haue this title Wherefore in this pointe o England ye were no better then the Romishe Antichrist who by the same title maketh hym selfe a God sitteth in meÌ„nes coÌ„sciences baÌ„nysheth the worde of God as did your king HeÌ„rie whome ye so magnifie For in his best time nothing was hard but the kings booke aÌ„d the kings ê“cedings the kinges homelies in the Churches where goddes word should onely haue bene preached So made you your kiÌ„g a God beleuing nothiÌ„g but that the alowed But how he died I will not write for shame I will not name how he turned to his vomet I will not write your other wickednes of those times your murthers without measure adulteries and incestes of your kinge his Lordes aud coÌ„munes It greueth me to write those euils of my couÌ„trie saue onlie that I must nedes declare what frutes were fouÌ„de in the vineyarde after you promised to worke therin to moue you to repentance and to iustifie Godds iudgements how greuously so euer he shall plage you hereafter Wherefore I desire you to call to remeÌ„brance your best state vnder king Edward when all men with generall coÌ„sÌ„t promised to worke in the vineyarde and ye shall haue cause I doubte not to lameÌ„t your wickednes that so conteÌ„ned the voice of God for your owne lustes for your crueltie for your couetousnes that the name of God was by your vanities euill spoken of in other nations I will name no particulare thinges becaus I reuerence those tymes saue only the killing of both the kinges vncles and the prisonnement of Hoper for popishe garments God graunt you all repentant heartes for no order nor state did any part of his duetie in those dayes But to speak of the best whereof ye vse to boast your religion was but an English matyns patched furthe of the popes portesse many thinges were in your great booke supersticious aÌ„d foolishe all were driuen to a prescripte seruice lyke the papistes that they should thinke theyr dueties discharged if the noÌ„bre were said of psalmes and chapters Finally there could no discipline be broght into the Churche nor correction of maners I will touche no further abuses yet willing and desiering you to consider theÌ„ in your heartes that knowing your negligence ye may bring furth frutes of repentance For this I admonishe you o ye people of England wheresoeuer you be scattered or placed that onles ye do right spedely repent of your former negligence it is not the Spanyardes only that ye haue to feare as roddes of goddes wrath but all other nations France Turkie and Denmarke yea all creatures shall be armed against you for the contempt of those tymes when your heauenlie father so mercifullie called you To what contempt was goddes worde and the admonition of his prophetes comme in all estates before God did stryke somme men are not ignorant The preachers them selues for the most part could fynd no fault in religion but that the Churche was poore and lacked liuing Trueth it is that the abbay laÌ„des and other such reuenues as afore appertained to the papistical Churche were most wickedly and vngodly spent but yet many thinges would haue bene reformed before that the kitching had bene better ê“uided for to our prelates in England It was moste euideÌ„t that many of you vnder the cloke of religion serued your own bellies somme were so busie to heap benefice vpon benefice soÌ„me to labour in parlameÌ„t for purchesing of lands that the tyme was small which coulde be founde for the reformation of abuses and very litle which was spent vpon the feeding of your flockes I nede not now to examine particular crimes of preachers Only I say that the Ghospell was so lightly estemed that the most part of men thoght rather that God should bow and obey to theyr appetites then that they should be subiect to his holie commaundementes For the communes did continew in malice and rebellion in craft and subtiltie notwithstanding all lawes that could be deuised for reformation of abuses The merchants had their own soules to sell for gaines the gentlemen were becomme NeÌ„rods and Gyants and the nobilitie and couÌ„sile would suffer no rebukes of Gods messeÌ„gers thogh theyr offenses were neuer so manifest Let those that preached in the court the lent before king Edward deceased speak theyr conscience and accuse me if I lie yea let a writing written by that miserable man then duke of Northumberland to master Harlow for that time Byshoppe of Harford be broght to lighte and it shall testifie that he ashamed not to say that the libertie of the preachers tonges would cause the counsile and nobilitie to ryse vppe against them for they could not suffer so to be intreated These were the frutes euen in the tyme of haruest a litle before the winter came And of the tyme of Marie what should I write England is now so miserable that no penne can paynt it It ceaseth to be in the nomber of children because it openly dispiteth God the father It hath cast of the trueth knowen and confessed and foloweth lies and errours which once it detested It buyldeth the buylding which it once destroyed â–ª it raiseth vp the idols which once were there confounded it murthereth the sainctes it mainteineth Baals prophetes by the coÌ„maundement of Iesabel Such are the euil husbandes that now haunte the vineyard so that this is true that our Sauiour Christ saieth The Lord hym selfe hath
power of Antichrist And therefore my Lordes I can not cease in the name of Christ Iesus to require of you that the matter may coÌ„me in examination and that ye the estates of the realme by your auctoritie compell such as will be called bishoppes not only to desist from their cruell murthering of such as do studie to promote goddes glorie in detecting and disclosing the damnable impietie of that man of syn the Romane Antechrist but also that ye coÌ„pell them to answer to suche crimes as shall be laid to their charge for not righteously instructing the flock committed to their cares But here I know two thinges shalbe doubted The former whether that my appellation is lawfull and to be admitted seing that I am damned as an heritike and secondarely whether your honours be bound to defeÌ„d such as call for your support in that case seing that your bishoppes who in matters of religion claime all auctoritie to appertaine to them haue by their sentence allredy condemned me The one and the other I nothing doubt most clerely to proue Fyrst that my appellation is most Lawfull and iust and secondarely that your honours can not refuse to defend me thus calling for your aid but that in so doing ye declare your selues rebellious to God mentainers of murtherers and shedders of innocent blood How iust cause I haue by the ciuile law as for their canon it is accursed of God to appeale from their vniust sentence my purpose is not to make long discourse Onlie I will touche the poyntes which all men confesse to be iust causes of appellation Fyrst laufully could I not be sommoned by them being for that tyme absent from their iurisdiction charged with the preachiÌ„g of Christes EuaÌ„gill in a free citie not subiect to their tyrannie Secondarely to me was no intimation made of their sommondes but so secrete was their surmised malice that the copie of the sommondes being required was denyed Thirdlie to the realme of Scotland could I haue had no free nor sure accesse being before exiled froÌ„ the same by their vniust tyrannie And last to me they nether could nor can be competent and indifferent iudges for that before any sommondes were raised against me I had accused them by my lreÌ„s published to the quene dowagier and had intended against them all crimes offring my selfe with hasard of life to proue the same for the which they are not onlie vnworthie of ecclesiasticall auctoritie but also of any sufferance within a commune welthe professing Christ. This my accusatioÌ„ preceding their soÌ„moÌ„des neither by the law of God neither yet by the law of man can they be to me competent iudges till place be graÌ„ted vnto me opeÌ„lie to proue my accusatioÌ„ intended against them and they be compelled to make answer as criminalls For I will plainelie proue that not onlie bishoppes but also Popes haue bene remoued froÌ„ all auctoritie and pronouncing of iudgement till they haue purged them selues of accusations layd against them Yea further I will proue that bishoppes and Popes most iustly haue bene depriued froÌ„ all honours and administration for smaller crimes then I haue to charge the hole rable of your bishoppes But because this is not my chefe grounde I wil stand coÌ„tent for this present to shew that lawfull it is to Goddes Prophetes and to preachers of Christ Iesus to appeall froÌ„ the sentence and iudgement of the visible churche to the knolledge of the temporall Magistrate who by Goddes law is bound to hear their causes and to defend them from tyrannie The Prophete Ieremie was coÌ„mmaÌ„ded by God to stand in the courte of the house of the Lord and to preach this sermon in effect That Ierusalem should be distroyed and be exponed in opprobrie to all nations of the earth and that also that famous teÌ„ple of God should be made desolate like vnto Sylo because the preestes the Prophetes and the people did not walk in the Law which God had ê“posed vnto theÌ„ neither wold they obey the voyces of the Prophetes whome God sent to call them to repentance For this sermon was Ieremie apprehended and a sentence of death was pronounced against hym and that by the preestes by the Prophetes and by the people which thinges being bruted in the eares of the Princes of Iuda they passed vp froÌ„ the kinges house to the teÌ„ple of the Lord and sat down in iudgement for further knowledge of the cause But the preestes and Prophetes continued in theyre cruell senteÌ„ce which before they had pronouÌ„ced saying This man is worthie of the death for he hath prophesied against this citie as your eares haue hard But Ieremy so moued by the holie Ghost began his defence against that their tyrannous sentence in these wordes The Lord saieth he hath sent me to prophetie against this house and against this citie all the wordes which you haue hard Now therefore make good your wayes aÌ„d hear the voyce of the Lord your God and then shall he repent of the euill whiche he hath spoken against you As for me behold I am in your handes so doth he speak to the Princes do to me as you think good and righteous Neuertheles know you this most assuredly that if ye murther or sley me ye shall make your selues this citie and the inhabitants of the same criminall and gyltie of innocent blood For of a trueth the Lord hath sent me to speak in your eares all those wordes Then the princes and the people saieth the text said this man is not worthie of death for he hath spoken to vs in the name of the Lord our God And so after somme coÌ„tention was the Prophete deliuered froÌ„ that daÌ„ger This fact and historie manefestly proueth whatsoeuer before I haue affirmed To wit that it is Laufull for the seruantes of God to call for the help of the ciuile magistrate agaiÌ„st the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death if it be vniust by whome soeuer it be ê“nounced aÌ„d also that the ciuile sword hath power to represse the furie of the preests and to absolue whome thei haue coÌ„deÌ„ned For the prophete of God was damned by those who then only in earthe were knoweÌ„ to be the visible churche to wit preestes prophetes who theÌ„ were in IerusaleÌ„ the successours of AaroÌ„ to whome was geueÌ„ a charge to speak to the people in the name of God aÌ„d a precept geueÌ„ to the people to heare the lawe froÌ„ their mouthes to the which if any should be rebellious or iÌ„obedieÌ„t he should die the death without mercie These men I say thus auctorised by God first did excoÌ„municat Ierimie for that he did preache other wise then did the coÌ„mune sort of prophetes in Ierusalem and last apprehended him as you haue hard ê“nouncing against hym this seÌ„teÌ„ce afore writen froÌ„ the which neuertheles the prophete appealed that is sought help and defence against the same and that most earnestly did he craue of the princes For albeit he
heare thy cause and decerne in the same The controuersie standith in matters of religion Thou art accused as an apostatat from the Law as a violator of the temple and transgressor of the traditioÌ„s of theyre fathers in which matters I am ignorant and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same religion wherof the question is And yet doest thou refuse so many godly fathers to hear thy cause and doestappeale to the Emperour preferring hym to all our iudgements of no purpose belike but to delay tyme. Thus I say it myght haue appeared that Paule did not only iniurie to the iudge and to the Preestes but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he did refuse the iudgement of those that had moste knowledge as all men supposed of Gods will and religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome farr absent from Ierusalem a man also ignoraÌ„t of God and ennemie to all vertue But the Apostle coÌ„sidering the nature of his ennemies and what thinges they had intended against hym euen from the fyrst day that he began freelie to speak in the name of Christ did not fear to appeale from them and from the iudge that would haue gratified them They had professed theÌ„ selues plain ennemies to Christ Iesus and to his blessed Euangill and had soght the death of Paule yea euen by factioÌ„s and treasonable coÌ„spiracie and therefore by no meanes would he admit them either iudges in his cause either auditours of the same as Festus required but grounding him selfe vpon strong reasons to wit that he had not offeÌ„ded the Iewes neither yet the Law but that he was innoceÌ„t and therefore that no iudge oght to geue hym in the haÌ„des of his ennemies grounding I say his appellation vpon these reasons he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus neither yet the brute of the ignoraÌ„t multitude but boldely did appeal from all cognition of them to the iudgement of the Emperour as said is By these two examples I dout not but your honours do vnderstand that lawfull it is to the seruantes of God oppressed by tyraÌ„nie to seke remedie against the same be it by appellation from theire senteÌ„ce or by imploring the helpe of ciuile Magistrates For what God hath approued in Ieremie and Paul he can condemne in none that likewise be eâ—â—reated I might alledge some histories of the primatiue Church seruing to the same purpose as of Ambrose and Athanasius of whom the one would not be iudged but at Millan where that is doctrine was hard of all his Church and receaued and approuâ—d by many and the other would in no wise geue place to those couÌ„ciles where he knew that meÌ„ conspired against the trueth of God should sit in iudgement and coÌ„sultatione But because the Scriptures of God are my only fundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importaÌ„ce I haue thoght the two former testimonies sufficient aswell to proue my appellation reasonable and iust as to declare to your honours that with safe conscience ye can not refuse to admit the same Yf any thinke it arrogaÌ„cie or foolishnes in me to compare my selfe with Ieremie and Paule let the same man vnderstaÌ„d that as God is immutable so is the veritie of his glorious Euangill of aequall dignitie whensoeuer it is impugned be the membres suffering neuer so weak What I think touching myne owne person God shall reueale when the secrets of all hartes shall be disclosed and such as with whome I haue bene conuersant can partly witnesse what arrogaÌ„cie or pryde they espie in me But touching the doctrine and cause which that adulterous aÌ„d pestilent generatioÌ„ of Antichrists seruaÌ„ts who wilbe called Byshoppes amongst you haue condened in me I neither fear nor shame to coÌ„fesse and auow before man and Angell to be the aeternall trueth of the aeternall God And in that case I dout not to coÌ„pare my selfe with any menbre in whome the trueth hath bene impugned seÌ„ce the begynnyng For as it was the trueth which Ieremie did preach in these wordes The Preestes haue not knowen me saieth the Lord but the pastors haue traiterously declined and fallen back from me The Prophetes haue prophesied in Baal and haue gone after those things which can not helpe My people haue left the fontaine of liuing waters and haue digged to them selues pits which can containe no water As it was a trueth that the pastors and watchmen in the daies of Isaie were becomed doÌ„me dogs blynd ignoraÌ„t proud and auaricious And finally as it was a trueth that the Princes and the Preestes were murtherers of Christ Iesus aÌ„d cruell persecutors of his Apostles so likewyse it is a trueth and that moste infallible that those that haue condemned me the hole rable of the papisticall clergie haue declyned from the true faith haue geuen eare to deceauable spirits and to doctrine of deuils are the sterres fallen from the heauen to the earth are fontaines without water and finally are ennemies to Christ Iesus deniers of his vertue and horrible blasphemours of his death and passioÌ„ And further as that visible Churche had no crime where of iustly they could accuse either the Prophetes either the Apostles except theyr doctrine only so haue not such as seke my blood other crime to lay to my charge except that I affirm as alwais I offer to proue that the religion which now is maintained by fier and sword is no lesse contrarious to the true religion taught and established by the Apostles then is darknes to light or the Deuill to God and also that such as now do claime the title and name of the Churche ar no more the elect spouse of Christ Iesus then was the Synagoge of the Iewes the true Church of God what tyme it crucified Christ Iesê° damned his doctrine and persecuted his Apostles And therefore seing that my battail is against the proude and cruell hypocrites of this age as that battaill of those most excellent instrumentes was against the fals Prophetes and malignant Church of theyr ages neither ought any man think it strange that I coÌ„pare my self with them with whome I sustaine a coÌ„mon cause neither ought you my Lordes iudge your selues lesse addetted and bound to me calling for your support then did the Princes of Iuda think theÌ„ selues bouÌ„de to Ieremie whome for that tyme they deliue red notwithstaÌ„ding the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death ê“nouÌ„ced against him by the visible Church And thus much for the right of my appellatioÌ„ which in the bowelles of Christ Iesus I requier your honours not to esteme as a thing superfluous aÌ„d vaine but that ye admitt it aÌ„d also accept me in your ê“tection aÌ„d defence that by you assured I may haue accesse to my natiue couÌ„trie which I neuer offeÌ„ded to the end that freely and opeÌ„ly in the preseÌ„ce of the hole realme I may geue my confession of all such pointes
preferred to Aaron that the one commaunded and the other did obey who dar esteme that the ciuile power is now becomed so prophane in Gods eyes that it is sequestred from all intromission with the matters of religion The holie ghost in diuers places declarethe the contrarie For one of the chefe praecepts commaunded to the king when that he should be placed in his throne was to write the example of the boke of the Lordes law that it should be with hym that he might read in it all the daies of his life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God and to kepe all the wordes of his law and his statutes to do them This praecept requireth not onlye that the king should hym selfe fear God kepe his Law and statutes but that also he as the chefe ruler should prouide that goddes true religion should be kept inuiolated of the people and flock which by God was committed to his charge And this did not onlie Dauid and Salomon perfectly vnderstād but also somme godlie kinges in Iuda after the apostasie and idolatrie that infected Israel by the meanes of Ieroboam did practise theyre vnderstanding and execute theyre power in somme notable reformations For Asa and Iosaphat kinges in Iuda fynding the religion altogither corrupt did applie theyre hearts saieth the holie ghost to serue the Lord and to walk in his waies and thereafter doth witnes that Asa remoued from honours his mother somme say grādmother because shee had committed and laboured to mentaine horrible idolatrie And Iosaphat did not only refuse strange goddes hym selfe but also distroying the chefe monuments of idolatrie did send furth the. Leuites to instruct the people whereof it is playne that the one and the other did vnderstand suche reformations to appertaine to theire dueties But the factes of Ezechias and of Iosias do more clerely proue the power and duetie of the ciuile Magistrate in the reformation of religion Before the reign of Ezechias so corrupt was the religion that the dores of the house of the Lord were shut vpp the lampes were extinguished no sacrifice was orderly made but in the first yeare of his reigne the first moneth of the same did the king open the dores of the temple bring in the Preestes and Leuites and assembling them togither did speak vnto them as folloeth Hear me o yce Leuites and be sanctified now and sanctifie also the house of the Lord God of your fathers and carie furth from the sanctuarie all filthynes he meaneth all monumēts and vesselles of idolatrie for our fathers haue transgressed and haue committed wickednes in thee eyes of the eternall our God they haue left hym and haue turned theyre faces from the tabernacle of the Lord ▪ and therefore is the wrath of the Lord cōmed vpon Iuda and Ierusalem Behold our fathers haue fallen by the sworde our sonnes daughters ād wifes are led in captiuitie but now haue I purposed in my heart to make a couenante with the Lord God of Israel that he may turne the wrath of his furie from vs. And therefore my sonnes he swetely exhorteth be not faint for the Lord hath chosen you to stand in his presence and to serue hym Such as be not more then blynd clerely may perceaue that the king dothe aknolledge that it appertained to his charge to reforme the religion to appoint the Leuites to theyre charges and to admonish thē of theyre duetie and office which thing he more euidently declareth writing his lettres to all Israel to Ephrtaim an Manasses and sent the same by the handes of messingers hauing this tenour You sonnes of Israel return to the Lord God of Abraham Isaac ād Israel and he shall return to the residue that resteth from the handes of Assur Be not as your fathers and as your brethren were who haue trāsgressed against the Lord God of theyre fathers who hath made them desolate as you see Holde not your heart therefore but giue your hand vnto the Lord return vnto his sanctuarie serue hym and he shall shew mercie vnto you to your sonnes and doughters that be in bondage for he is pitifull and easie to be intreated Thus far did Ezechias by lettres and messingers prouoke the people declined from God to repentance not only in Iuda where he reigned laufull king but also in Israel subiect then to an other king And albeit that by somme wicked men his messingers were mocked yet as they lacked not theyre iust punishmēt for within sixe yeares after Samaria was destroyed and Israel led captiue by Salmanazar so did not the zelous king Ezechias desist to prosecute his duetie in restoring the religion to Gods perfecte ordenance remouing all abominations The same is to be red of Iosias who did not only restore the religion but did further distroy all monumentes of idolatrie which of lōg tyme had remained For it is written of him that after that the boke of the law was found and that he had asked counsil at the prophetesse Hulda he sente ād gathered all the elders of iuda and Ierusalem and standing in the temple of the Lord he made a conuenant that all the people frō the great to the small should walk after the Lord should obserue his law statutes and testimonies with all theyre heart and all theyre soule and that they should ratifie and confirme what soeuer was written in the boke of God He further cōmaunded Helkias the hic preest and the preestes of the inferiour order that they should carie furth of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made to Baal which he burnt and did carie theire pouder to Bethel He did further distroy all monuments of idolatrie yea euen those that had remained frō the dayes of Salomō He did burn them stampe them to powder whereof one part he scattered in the broke Kidron and the other vpon the sepulcres and graues of the idolaters whose bones he did burn vpō the altars where before they made sacrifice not only in Iuda but also in Bethel where Ieroboam had erected his idolatrie yea he further proceded and did kyll the preestes of the hie places who were idolaters and had deceaued the people he did kyll them I say and did burn theyre bones vpon theyre owne altars and so returned to Ierusalem This reformatiō made Iosias and for the same obtained this testimonie of the holie Ghost that neither before hym neither after hym was there any suche kīg who returned to God with his hole soule and with all his strengthe according to all the law of Moses Of which histories it is euident that the reformation of religion in all points togither with the punishement of false teachers doth appertaine to the power of the ciuile Magistrate For what God required of them his iustice must require of others hauing the like charge and auctoritie what he did approue in them he can not but approue in all others who with like zeale and
the three children were deliuered from the fornace of fyer and Daniel from the den of liōs to the confusion of their ennemies to the better instruction of the ignorant kinges and to the perpetuall comfort of goddes afflicted children And Abdemelech in the day of the Lordes visitation when the kinge and his counsil did drink the bitter cupp of goddes vengeance did fynde his life for a praye and did not fall in the edge of the sword when manie thousandes did perishe And this was signified vnto him by the prophet him self at the cōmaundemēt of God before that Ierusalem was destroyed The promesse and cause were recited vnto him in these wordes I will bring my wordes vpon this citie vnto euill and not vnto good but most assuredly I shal deliuer thee because thou hast trusted in me sayeth the Lord. The trust ād hope which Abdemelech had in God made him bold to oppone him selfe being but a man to the king and to his hole coūsill who had cōdemned to death the Prophet whome his cōscience did acknolledge to be innocent For this did he speak in the presence of the king sitting in the port of Beniamī My Lord the kinge saith Abdemelech these men do wickedly in all thinges that they haue done to Ieremie the Prophet Aduert and take hede my Lordes that the men who had condemned the Prophet were the king his prīces and counsill and yet did one man accuse them all of iniquitie ād did boldly speak in the defēse of hī of whose innocētie he was persuaded And the same I say is the duetie of euery man in his vocation but chefely of the nobilitie which is ioyned with theyr kinges to bridel and represse that folie and blind rage Which thing if the nobilitie do not neither yet labour to do as they are traitours to their kings so do they prouoke the wrath of God agaīst them selues and against the realme in which they abuse the auctoritie which they haue receaued of God to mentaine vertue and to represse vice For hereof I would your Honours were most certainly persuaded that God will neither excuse nobilitie nor people but the nobilitie least of al that obey ād folow theyr kinges in manifest iniquitie but with the same vengeāce will God punishe the Prince people and nobilitie conspiring togither against him and his holie ordenances as in the punishment taken vpon Pharao Israel Iuda and Babylon is euidently to be sene For Pharao was not drowned alone but his captayns charetes and greate armie drank the same cup with him The kinges of Israel and Iuda were not punished whitout cōpagny but with them were murthered the counsilers theyre Princes imprisoned and theire people ledd captiue And why because none was found so faithful to God that he durst enterprise to resist nor against and the manifest impietie of theyr Princes And therefore was Gods wrath powred furth vpon the one and the other But the more ample discource of this argument I differ to better opportunitie onely at this tyme I thoght expediēt to admonysh you that before God it shall not excuse you to alledge We are no kinges and therefore neither can we reforme religion nor yet defend such as be persecuted Consider my Lordes that yee are powers ordened by God as before is declared ād therefore doth the reformation of religion and the defense of such as iniusty are oppressed appertaine to your charge and care which thinge shall the law of God vniuersally geuen to be kept of all men most euidently declare which is my last and most assured reason why I say yee oght to remoue from honours and to punish with death such as God hath condemned by his owne mouth After that Moses had declared what was true religiō to wit to honor God as he commaunded adding nothing to his worde neither yet diminishinge any thīg from it and after also that vehemently he had exhorted the same law to be obserued he denounceth the punishment against the trāsgressours in these wordes Yf thy brother sonne doghter wife or neghbour whome thou louest as thyne own life solicitate thee secretly saying Let vs go serue other goddes whome neither thou nor thy fathers haue knowen consent not to hym hear hym not let not thyne eye spare hym shew hym no indulgentie or fauour hide him not but vtterly kill hym let thy hād be the first vpon hym that he may be slaine and after the hāde of the hole people Of these wordes of Moses are-two things apperteanīg to our purpose to be noted Former that such as solicitate only to idolatrie oght to be punished to death without fauour or respect of person For he that will not suffer mā to spare his sōne his daughter nor his wife but straitly commaundeth punishmēt to be taken vpon the idolatours haue they neuer so nie cōiunction with vs will not wink at the idolatrie of others of what estate or condition so euer they be It is not vnknowen that the prophetes had reuelations of God which were not commune to the people as Samuel had the reuelation that Eli and his posteritie should be destroyed that Saul should first be king and thereafter that he should be reiected that Dauid should reign for him Micheas vnderstode by vision that Achab should be killed in battaile against the Sirians Elias saw that dogges should eat Iesabel ī the fortres of Iesrael Eliaesus did see hunger come vpon Israel by the space of seuen yeares Ieremie did foresee the destruction of Ierusalem and the tyme of their captiuitie and so diuerse other prophetes had diuerse reuelations of God which the people did not otherwise vnderstād but by their affirmatiō and therefore in those dayes were the prophetes named Seears because that God did opē vnto thē that which was hid from the multitude Now if anie man might haue claimed anie priuiledge from the rigour of the Law or might haue iustified his fact it should haue bene the Prophete For he might haue alledged for hym selfe his singular prerogatiue that he had aboue other men to haue goddes will reuealed vnto hym by visiō or by dream or that God had declared particularely vnto hym that his pleasure was to be honoured ī that maner in such a place ād by such meanes But all such excuses doth God remoue cōmaūdīg that the Prophete that shall solicitate the people to serue strange goddes shall die the death notwithstanding that he alledge for hym selfe dream vision or reuelation Yea althogh he promisse miracles and also that such thinges as he promiseth come to passe yet I say commaundeth God that no credit be geuen to hym but that he die the death because he teacheth apostasie ād defection frō God Hereof your Honours may easely espie that none prouoking the people to idolatrie oght to be exempted from the punishmēt of death For if neither that inseparable cōiunction which God hym selfe hath sanctified betwixt man and wife neither that vnspeakable
loue grafted in nature which is betwixt the father and the sonne neither yet that reuerence which goddes people oght to bear to the Prophetes can excuse anie man to spare the offendour or to conceale his offense what excuse can man pretend which God will accept Euident it is that no estate condition nor honour can exempt the idolatour from the handes of God when he shal call him to accomptes or shall inflict punishment vpoÌ„ him for his offence how shall it then excuse the people that they according to goddes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t punish not to death such as shal solicitate or violeÌ„tly draw the people to idolatrie And this is the fyrst which I would your Honours should note of the former wordes To witt that no person is exeÌ„pted froÌ„ punishmeÌ„t if he can be manifestly coÌ„uicted to haue prouoked or led the people to idolatrie aÌ„d this is most euidently declared in that solemned othe and coÌ„uenante which Asa made with the people to serue God aÌ„d to meÌ„taine his religioÌ„ adding this penaltie to the traÌ„sgressours of it To wit that whosoeuer should not seke the Lord God of Israel should be kylled were he greate or were he small were it man or were it woman And of this oth was the Lorde coÌ„pleased he was fouÌ„d of theÌ„ aÌ„d gaue theÌ„ rest on euerie parte because they soght hiÌ„ with their hole heart aÌ„d did swear to punishe the offeÌ„ders according to the precept of his Law without respect of persons And this is it which I say I would your Honours should note for the fyrst that no idolatour can be exempted froÌ„ punishement by goddes Law The seconde is that the punishment of such crimes as are idolatrie blasphemie aÌ„d others that tuche the maiestie of God dothe not appertaine to kinges and chefe rulers only but also to the hole bodie of that people and to euerie membre of the same accordiÌ„g to the vocatioÌ„ of euerie maÌ„ and according to that possibilitie and occasion which God doth minister to reuenge the iniurie done against his glorie what time that impietie is manifestly knowen And that doth Moses more plainely speak in these wordes Yf in anie of thy cities saieth he which the Lord thy God geueth vnto the to dwell in them thou shalt hear this brute There are soÌ„me men the sonnes of Belial passed furthe from thee aÌ„d haue solicited the citizens of theyr cities by these wordes Let vs go aÌ„d serue strange goddes which you haue not knowen search and inquire diligently and if it be true that such abomination is done in the middest of thee thou shalt vtterly stryke the inhabitants of that citie with the sworde thou shalt destroy it and whatsoeuer is within it thou shalt gather the spoile of it in the middest of the marketplace thou shalt burne that citie with fier and the spoile of it to the Lord thy God that it may be a heap of stones for euer neither shall it be any more buylded Let nothing of that execration cleaue to thy hand that the Lord may turne from the furie of his wrath aÌ„d be moued to werdes thee with inward affection Plaine it is that Moses speaketh nor geueth not charge to kinges rulers and iudges only but he commauÌ„deth the hole bodie of the people yea and euerie membre of the same according to their possibilitie and who darbe so impudent as to denie this to be most reasonable and iust For seing that God had delyuered the hole bodie from bondage and to the hole multitude had geuen his law and to the twelue tribes had he so distributed the inheritance of the land of Canaan that no familie could complaine that it was neglected Was not the hole aÌ„d euerie membre addetted to coÌ„fesse aÌ„d acknolledge the benefites of God yea had it not bene the part of euerie man to haue studied to kepe the possession which he had receaued which thiÌ„g God did plainely ê“nouÌ„ce they should not do except that in their heartes they did sanctifie the lord God that they embrased and inuiolably kept his religioÌ„ established and finally except they did cutt oute iniquitie from amongest them declaring them selues earnest ennemies to those abominations which God declared hym selfe so vehemently to hate that fyrst he commaunded the hole inhabitants of that countree to be distroyed and all monuments of their idolatrie to be broken doune and thereafter he also streatly commauÌ„deth that a citie declininge to idolatrie should fall in the edge of the sworde aÌ„d that the hole spoile of the same should be burned no portioÌ„ of it reserued To the carnal man this may appeare a rigorous and seuere iudgement yea it may rather seme to be pronounced in a rage then in wisdome For what citie was euer yet in which to mannes iudgement were not to be found manie innocent persons as infants children and somme simple and ignoraÌ„t soules who neither did nor could consent to such impietie And yet we fynd no exception but all are appointed to the cruel death And as concernyng the citie and the spoile of the same mannes reason can not think but that it might haue bene better bestowed then to be consumed with fier and so to profitt no man But in such cases will God that all creatures stoupe couer their faces and desist from reasonyng when commaundement is geuen to execute his iudgement Albeit I could adduce diuerse causes of such seueritie yet will I search none other then the holie Ghost hath assigned Fyrst that all Israel hearing the iudgement should fear to commit the like abomination and secondarely that the Lord might turn from the furie of his anger might be moued towerds the people with inward affection be mercifull vnto them and multiplie them according to his oth made vnto theire fathers Which reasons as they are sufficient in goddes children to correct the murmuring of the grudging fleshe so oght they to prouoke euerie man as before I haue said to declare hym selfe ennemie to that which so highly prouoketh the wrath of God against the hole people For where Moses saieth Let the citie be burned and let no part of the spoile cleaue to thy hand that the Lord may return from the furie of his wrath c. He plainely doth signifie that by the defection and idolatrie of a few goddes wrath is kyndled against the hole which is neuer quenched till such punishement be taken vpon the offenders that what soeuer serued them in their idolatrie be broght to destruction because that it is execrable and accursed before God And therefore he will not that it be reserued for anie vse of his people I am not ignorant that this law was not put in execution as God commaunded But what did thereof insue and folow histories declare to witt plage after plage till Israel and Iuda were led in captiuitie as the bokes of kings do witnesse The consideration whereof maketh me more bold to affirm that it is the duetie of euerie man that list to
EnglaÌ„d vnto such a noÌ„bre I say it is Laufull to punish the idolatours with death if by anie meanes God geue them the power For so did Iosua and Israel determine to haue done against the childreÌ„ of RubeÌ„ Gad aÌ„d Manasses for their suspected apostasie aÌ„d defectioÌ„ from God And the hole tribes did in verie dede execute that sharpe iudgemeÌ„t agaiÌ„st the tribe of BeÌ„iamin for a lesse offeÌ„ce then for idolatrie And the same oght to be done whersoeuer Christ Iesus aÌ„d his EuaÌ„gill is so receaued iÌ„ any realme ê“uince or citie that the Magistrates aÌ„d people haue solemnely auowed aÌ„d promised to defeÌ„d the same as vnder king Edward of late dayes was done in EnglaÌ„d In such places I say it is not only lawful to punish to the death such as labour to subuert the true religioÌ„ but the magistrates aÌ„d people are bouÌ„d so to do onles they wil prouoke the wrath of God agaiÌ„st theÌ„ selues And therfor I fear not to affirm that it had bene the duetie of the nobilitie iudges rulers aÌ„d people of EnglaÌ„d not only to haue resisted and againstanded Marie that Iesabel whome they call their quene but also to haue punished her to the death with all the sort of her idolatrous Preestes together with all such as should haue assisted her what tyme that shee and they openly began to suppresse Christes Euangil to shedd the blood of the saiÌ„cts of God ad to erect that most diuellish idolatrie the papistical abominatioÌ„s aÌ„d his vsurped tyrannie which ones most iustly by coÌ„mune oth was banished from that realme But becaus I caÌ„ not at this present discusse this argument as it appertaineth I am coÌ„pelled to omitt it to better opportunitie and so returning to your Honours I say that if ye confesse your selues baptised in the Lord Iesus of necessitie ye must confesse that the care of his religion doth appertaine to your charge And if ye know that in your haÌ„des God hath put the sworde for the causes aboue expressed theÌ„ caÌ„ ye not denie but that the punishement of obstinate and malepert idolatours such as all your bishoppes be doth appertaine to your office yf after admonition they coÌ„tinew obstinat I am not ignoraÌ„t what be the vaine defeÌ„ses of your proude prelates They claime first a prerogatiue and priuiledge that they are exempted and that by consent of Councils and Emperours from all iurisdiction of the temporaltie And secoÌ„darely when they are coÌ„uicted of manifest impieties abuses and enormities aswell in their maners as in religion neither fear nor shame they to affirme that thinges so longe established can not suddenly be reformed althogh they be corrupted but with processe of tyme they promisse to take order But in few wordes I answer that no priuiledge graunted against the ordenance and statutes of God is to be obserued althogh all Councils and men in the earth haue appointed the same But against goddes ordenance it is that idolatours murtherours fals teachers and blasphemers shall be exeÌ„pted from punishement as before is declared and therefore in vaine it is that they claym for priuiledge when that God sayeth The murtherer shalt thou riue from my alter that he may die the death And as to the order and reformatioÌ„ which they promisse that is to be loked or hoped for when Satan whose children and slaues they are can chaÌ„ge his nature This answer I doubt not shall suffice the sober aÌ„d godlie reader But yet to the end that they may further see their own confusion and that your Honours may better vnderstaÌ„d what ye oght to do in so manifest a corruption and defectioÌ„ from God I aske of them selues what assurance they haue for this their immunitie exemption or priuiledge who is the auctour of it and what frute it hath produced And fyrst I say that of God they haue no assurance neither yet can he be proued to be auctour of anie suche priuiledge But the contrarie is easie to be seen For God in establishing his orders in Israel did so subiect Aaron in his preesthode being the figure of Christ to Moses that he feared not to call him in iudgement and to constrain hym to giue accomptes of his wicked dede in consenting to idolatrie as the historie doth plainely witnesse For thus it is written Then Moses toke the calf which they had made and burned it with fier and did grind it to powder and scattering it in the water gaue it to drink to the children of Israel â–ª declaring herebie the vanitie of their idol and the abomination of the same and thereafter Moses said to Aaron what hath this people done to the that thou shouldest bring vpon it so great a syn Thus I say doth Moses call and accuse Aaron of the destruction of the hole people and yet he perfectly vnderstode that God had appointed hym to be the high Preest that he should bear vpon his shoulders aÌ„d vpoÌ„ his breast the names of the 12. tribes of Israel for whome he was appointed to make sacrifice praiers aÌ„d supplications He knew his dignitie was so great that only he might entre within the most holie place but neither could his office nor dignitie exempt hym from iudgemeÌ„t when he had offended Yf any obiect Aaron at that tyme was not anointed aÌ„d therefore was he subiect to Moses I haue answered that Moses being taught by the mouth of God did perfectly vnderstaÌ„d to what dignitie AaroÌ„ was appointed and yet he feared not to call hym in iudgement and to coÌ„pell hym to make answer for his wicked fact But if this answer doth not suffice yet shall the holie Ghost witnesse further in the matter SalomoÌ„ remoued from honour Abiathar being the high preeste and coÌ„maunded him to cease from all function and to liue as a priuate man Now if the vnction did exempt the preest from Iurisdiction of the ciuile Magistrate Salomon did offend and iniured Abiathar For he was anoynted and had caried the ark before Dauid But God doth not reproue the fact of Salomon neither yet doth Abiathar claime anie prerogatiue by the reason of his office but rather doth the holie Ghost approue the fact of Salomon sayinge SalomoÌ„ eiected furth Abiathar that he should not be the Preest of the Lord that the word of the Lord might be perfurmed which he spake vpon the house of Eli. And Abiathar did think that he obtained great fauour in that he did escape the present death which by his conspiracie he had deserued Yf anie yet reason that Abiathar was no otherwise subiect to the iudgement of the king but as he was appointed to be the executour of that sentence which God before had pronounced as I will not greatly denie that reason so require I that euerie man consider that the same God who pronounced sentence against Eli and his house hath pronounced also that idolaters hooremongers murtherers and blasphemers shall neither haue portion in the kingdome of God neither oght to be
and against the libertie of their owne natiue realme they haue cōmitted The same plages shall fall vpon you be you assured if ye refuse the defence of his seruantes that call for your support My words are sharpe but cōsider my Lords that they are not mine but that they are the threatnynges of the omnipotent who assuredly will perfurme the voices of his Prophetes how that euer carnall men despise his admonitions The sworde of Goddes wrath is alredie drawē which of necessitie must nedes stryke when grace offred is obstinatly refused You haue bene long in bondage of the Deuil blyndnes errour and idolatrie preuailing against the simple trueth of God in that your realme in which God hath made you princes and rulers But now doth God of his great mercie call you to repentance before he power furth the vttermost of his vengeance he crieth to your eares that your religiō is nothing but idolatrie he accuseth you of the blood of his saincts which hath bene shed by your permission assistance and powers For the tyrannie of those raging beastes should haue no force if by your strength they were not mentained Of those horrible crimes doth now God accuse you not of purpose to condemne you but mercifully to absolue and pardō you as somtyme he did those whom Peter accused to haue killed the sonne of God so that ye be not of mind nor purpose to iustifie your former iniquitie Iniquitie I call not only the crimes and offenses which haue bene and yet remaine in your maners and liues but that also which appeareth before men most holie with hassard of my life I offre to proue abomination before God that is your hole religion to be so corrupt and vaine that no true seruante of God can communicate with it because that in so doing he should manifestly denie Christ Iesus and his eternal veritie I know that your byshoppes accompained with the swarme of the papistical vermine shal crie A damned heretik oght not to be hard But remembre my Lords what in the beginning I haue protested vpō which groūnd I cōtinually stād to witt that I am no heretike nor deceauable teacher but the seruante of Christ Iesus a preacher of his īfallible veritie innocent in all that they can lay to my charge cōcerning my doctrine and that therefore by them being ennemies to Christ I am iniustly damned From which cruell sentence I haue appealed and do appeal as before mention is made in the mean tyme most hūbly requiring your Honours to take me in your protection to be auditours of my iust defēses graūting vnto me the same libertie which Achab a wicked king and Israel at that tyme a blynded people grāted to Helias in the like case That is that your byshoppes and the hole rabble of your clergie may be called before you and before that people whome they haue deceaued that I be not condemned by multitude by custome by auctoritie or law diuised by man but that God hym self may be iudge betwixt me and my aduersaries Let God I say speak by his law by his prophetes by Christ Iesus or by his Apostles and so let hym pronounce what religion he approueth and then be my ennemies neuer so manie and appeare they neuer so stronge and so learned no more do I feare victorie then did Helias being but one man against the multitude of Baales preestes And if they think to haue aduantage by theyre councils and doctours this I further offer to admitt the one and the other as witnesses in all matters debateable three thinges which iustly can not be denied being granted vnto me First that the most auncient Councils nighest to the primitiue Church in which the learned and godlie fathers did examine all matters by goddes word may be holden of most auctoritie Secondarely that no determination of Councils nor man be admitted against the plaine veritie of goddes word nor against the determination of those foure chefe Councils whose auctoritie hath bene and is holden by them equal with the auctoritie of the foure Euangelistes And last that to no doctour be geuen greater auctoritie then Augustine requireth to be geuen to his writinges to witt if he plainely proue not his affirmation by Gods infallible worde that then his sentence be reiected and imputed to the errour of a mā These thinges graunted and admitted I shall no more refuse the testimonies of Councils and doctours then shall my aduersaries But and if they will iustifie those Councils which mentaine theyr pride ād vsurped auctoritie and will reiect those which plainly haue condemned all such tyrannie negligence and wicked life as byshoppes now do vse and if further they will snatche a doubtfull sentence of a doctour and refuse his mynd when he speaketh plainly then will I say that all man is a lyer that credit oght not to be geuen to an vnconstant witnes and that no Coūcils oght to preuaile nor be admitted against the sentence which God hath pronounced And thus my Lordes in few wordes to cōclude I haue offred vnto you a triall of mie innocencie I haue declared vnto you what God requireth of you being placed aboue his people as rulers and princes I haue offred vnto you and to the inhabitātes of the realme the veritie of Christ Iesus and with the hasard of my life I presently offer to proue the religion which amongest you is mentained by fier and sworde to be fals dānable and diabolicall Which thinges if ye refuse defending tyrantes in their tyrānie then dar I not flatter but as it was commaunded to Ezechiel boldly to proclaime so must I crie to you that you shall perishe in your iniquitie that the Lord Iesus shall refuse so manie of you as maliciously withstand his eternall veritie and in the day of his apparition when all flesh shall appear before hym that he shall repell you from his compagnie and shall commaund you to the fier whiche neuer shalbe quēched and then neither shall the multitude be able to resist neither yet the counsils of man be able to preuaile against that sentence which he shall pronounce God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his holie spirit so rule and dispose your hearts that with simplicitie ye may cōsider the thinges that be offred ād that ye may take such order in the same as God in you may be glorified and Christes flock by you may be edified and comforted to the praise ād glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ whose omnipotent spirit rule your hearts in his true feare to the end Amen TO HIS BELOVED BRETHREN THE communaltie of Scotland Iohn Knoxe wisheth grace mercie and peace with the spirit of righteous iudgement VVhat I haue required of the Quene Regēt estates ād nobilitie as of the chife heades for this present of the realme I can not cease to require of you dearli beloued Brethrē which be the cōmunaltie and bodie of
the same To wit that it notwithstanding that fals and cruel sentence which your disgised byshoppes haue pronounced against me would please you to be so fauorable vnto me as to be indifferēt auditours of my iust purgation Which to do if God earnestly moue your heartes as I nothīg doubt but that your entreprise shall redounde to the praise of his holie name so am I assured that ye and your posteritie shall by that meanes receaue most singular comfort edificatiō ād profit For when ye shall heare the matter debated ye shall easelie perceaue and vnderstand vpon what grounde ād foundation is builded that religion which amongest you is this day defended by fier and sword As for my own conscience I am most assuredly persuaded that what soeuer is vsed in the papistical Churche is al togither repugning to Christes blessed ordināce and is nothing but mortal venem of which whosoeuer drinketh I am assuredly persuaded that therewith he drīketh death and damnation except by true conuersion vnto God he be purged from the same But because that long silence of goddes worde hath begotten ignorance almost in al sortes of men and ignorance ioyned with long custome hath cōfirmed superstition in the heartes of many I therefore in the name of the Lord Iesus desire audience aswell of you the communaltie my Brethrē as of the estates and nobilitie of the realme that in publike preaching I may haue place amongest you at large to vtter my mind in all matters of cōtrouersie this day in religion And further I desire that ye cōcurring with your nobilitie would compell your byshoppes and clergie to cease their tyrannie and also that for the better assurance and instruction of your consciēce ye would compell your said bishoppes and fals teachers to answer by the scriptures of God to such obiectiōs ād crimes as shalbe laid against their vaine religion fals doctrine wicked life and sclanderous conuersation Here I know that it shalbe obiected that I require of you a thing most vnreasonable To witt that ye should call your religion in doubt which hath bene approued and established by so long continuance and by the consent of so manie men before you But I shortly answer that neither is the lōg processe of tyme neither yet the multitude of men a sufficiēt approbation which God will alow for our religiō For as somme of the most aunncient writers do witnesse neither can long processe of tyme iustifie an errour neither can the multitude of such as folow it chaūg the nature of the same But if it was an errour in the begynnyng so is it in the end and the longer that it be folowed and the mo that do receaue it it is the more pestilent and more to be auoided For if antiquitie or multitude of mē could iustifie any religion then was the idolatrie of the Gentiles and now is the abomination of the Turkes good religiō For antiquitie approued the one and a multitude hath receaued and doth defende the other But otherwise to answer godlie men may wonder from what fontaine such a sentēce doth flow that no man oght to trie his faith and religion by goddes worde but that he safely may beleue and folow euerie thing which antiquitie and a multitude haue approued The spirit of God doth otherwise teach vs. For the wisdone of God Christ Iesus hym selfe remitted his aduersaries to Moses and the scriptures to trie by them whether his doctrine was of God or not The Apostles Paule and Peter commaunde men to trie the religion which they professe by goddes plaine scriptures and do praise men for so doing S. Iohn straytly commaundeth that we beleue not euerie spirit but willeth vs to trie the spirits whether they be of God or not Now seyng that these euident testimonies of the holie Ghoste will vs to trie our faith and religion by the plaine worde of God wonder it is that the papistes will not be content that theyr religion and doctrine comme vnder the triall of the same If this sentēce of Christ be true as it is most true seing it springeth from the veritie it self who so euill doeth hateth the light neither will he cōme to the light lest that his euill workes be manifested and rebuked then do our papistes by their own sentence condemne them selues and theyr religion For in so far as they refuse examination and trial they declare that they know somme fault which the light will vtter which is a cause of theyr feare ▪ ād why they claime to that priuiledge that no man dispute of theyr religion The veritie and trueth being of the nature of fyne purified gold doth not fear the trial of the fornace but the stuble and chaf of mannes inuentions such is theyr religion may not abyde the flame of the fier True it is that Mahomet pronounced this sentence that no man should in paine of death dispute or reason of the grounde of his religion Which law to this day by the art of Satā is yet obserued amōgest the Turkes to theyr mortal blindnes and horrible blasphemyng of Christ Iesus and of his true religion And from Mahomet or rather from Satan father of all lies hath the Pope and his rabble learned this former lesson To witt that theyr religion should not be disputed vpon but what the fathers haue beleued that oght and must the childrē approue And in so diuising Satan lacked not his foresight For no one thing hath more established the kingdome of that Romane Antichrist then this most wicked decrie To witt that no man was permitted to reason of his power or to call his lawes in doubt This thing is most assured that whensoeuer the papisticall religion shall comme to examination it shalbe founde to haue no other grounde then hath the religion of Mahomet To witt mannes inuention deuise and dreames ouershadowed with somme colour of goddes worde And therefore Brethren seing that the religion is as the stomake to the bodie which if it be corrupted doth infect the hole membres it is necessarie that the same be examined and if it be founde replenished with pestilent humors I mean with the fantasies of men then of necessitie it is that those be purged els shal your bodies and soules perishe for euer For of this I would ye were most certaīly persuaded that a corrupt religion defileth the hole life of man appear it neuer so holie Neither would I that ye should esteme the reformation and care of religion lesse to appertaī to you because ye are no kinges rulers iudges nobils nor in auctoritie Beloued Brethren ye are goddes creatures created and formed to his own image and similitude for whose redemption was shed the most pretious blood of the onlie beloued sonne of God to whome he hath commaunded his Ghospell and gladtidinges to be preached ād for whome he hath prepared the heauenlie inheritance so that ye will not obstinately refuse
and disdainefully cōtemne the meanes which he hath appointed to obtaine the same to witt his blessed Euangile which now he offereth vnto you to the end that ye may be saued For the Ghospell and gladtidinges of the kīgdome truelie preached is the power of God to the saluation of euerie beleuer which to credit and receaue you the communaltie are no lesse addetted then be your rulers and princes For albeit God hath put and ordened distinction ād differēce betwixt the king and subiectes betwixt the rulers and the commune people in the regiment and administration of ciuile policies yet in the hope of the life to comme he hath made all equall For as in Christ Iesus the Iew hath no greater prerogatiue then hath the Gentile the man then hath the woman the learned then the vnlearned the Lord then the seruante but all are one in him so is there but one way and meanes to attaine to the participation of his benefites and spirituall graces which is a liuelie faith wurking by charitie And therefore I say that it doth no lesse appertaine to you beloued Brethren to be assured that your faith and religion be grounded and established vpon the true and vndoubted worde of God then to your princes or rulers For as your bodies can not escape corporal death if with your princes ye eat or drink deadlie poison althoghe it be by ignorance or negligence so shall ye not escape the death euerlasting if with them ye professe a corrupt religion Yea except in heart ye beleue and with mouth ye confesse the Lord Iesus to be the onlie Saluiour of the world which ye can not do except ye embrace his Euangile offered ye can not escape death and damnatiō For as the iust liueth by his own faith so doth the vnfaithfull perishe by his infidelitie And as true faith is engendred norished and mentained in the heartes of goddes elect by Christes Euāgile truelie preached so is infidelitie and vnbelefe fostered by concealing and repressing the same And thus if ye loke for the life euerlasting ye must trie if ye stand in faith and if ye would be assured of a true ād liuelie faith ye must nedes haue Christ Iesus truely preached vnto you And this is the cause dear Brethren that so oft I repeat and so constantly I affirm that to you it doth no lesse appertaine then to your kinge or princes ▪ to prouide that Christ Iesus be truely preached amongest you seing that without his true knolledge can neither of you both attaine to saluation And this is the poynt wherein I say al man is a equal That as all be descended from Adam by whose syn and inobedience did death enter into the world so it behoued all that shall obtaine life to be ingrafted in one that is in the Lord Iesus who being the iust seruant doth by his knolledge iustifie many to wit all that vnfeanedly beleue in hym Of this equalitie and that God requireth no lesse of the subiect be he neuer so poore then of the prince and riche man in matters of religion he hath geuen an euident declaration in the law of Moses For when the tabernacle was buy lded erected and set in order God did prouide how it and the thinges appertaining to the same should be sustained so that they should not fall in decay And this prouision albeit heauē ād earth obey his empire would he not take from the secrete and hid treasures which lie dispersed ī the vaines of the earthe neither yet would he take it frō the riche and potent of his people but he did commaund that euerie man of the sonnes of Israel were he rich or were he poore that came in compt from twentie yeares and vpward should yearely pay half a sicle for an oblation to the Lorde in the remembrance of their redemption and for an expiation or clensing to their soules which money God cōmaunded should be bestowed vpon the ornamentes and necessaries of the tabernacle of testimonie He furthermore added a precept that the riche should giue no more for that vse and in that behalf then should the poore neither yet that the poore should giue any lesse then should the riche in that consideration This law to mannes reason and iudgement may appear verie vnreasonable For somme riche man might haue geuen a thousand sicles with lesse hurt of his substāce then sōme poore man might haue payed the half sicle And yet God maketh all equall and will that the one shall pay no more then the other neither yet the poore any lesse then the riche This law I say may appeare verie vnequall But if the cause which God addeth be obserued we shall fynde in the same the great mercie and inestimable wisdome of God to appear which cause is expressed in these wordes This money receaued from the children of Israel thou shalt geue in the seruice of the tabernacle that it may be to the children of Israel for a remembrance before the Lord that he may be mercifull to your soules This cause I say doth euidently declare that as the hole multitude was deliuered from the bondage of Egypt by the mightie power of God alone so was euerie mēbre of the same without respect of person sāctified by his grace the riche in that behalf nothing preferred to the poorest For by no merit nor worthynes of mā was he moued to chose ād to establishe his habitation and dwellinge amongest them But their felicitie prerogatiue ād honour which they had aboue all other natiōs proceded only frō the fontaine of his eternal goodnes who loued thē freely as that he freely had chosen them to be his preestlie kingdome ād holie people from all natiōs of the earth Thus to honour them that he would dwell in the middest of them he neither was moued I say by the wisdome of the wise by the riches of the potent neither yet by the vertue and holynes of any estate amongest them but of mere goodnes did he loue them and with his presence did he honour that hole people ād therefore to paynt owt the same his cōmune loue to the hole multitude and to cutt of occasions of contention and doubtes of conscience he would receaue no more from the riche then from the poore for the maintenāce of that his tabernacle by the which was represented his presence and habitation amongest them Yf the riche had bene preferred to the poore then as the one should haue bene puffed vp with pride as that he had bene more acceptable to God by reason of his greater gift so should the cōscience of the other haue bene troubled and woūded thinking that his pouertie was an impedimēt that he could not stand in so perfecte fauour with God as did the other because he was not able to geue somuch as did the rich to the mentenance of his tabernacle But he who of mercie as said is did
chose his habitation amongest them and also that best knoweth what lieth within man did prouide the remedie for the one and for the other making them equal in that behalfe who in other thinges were most vnequal Yf the poore should haue founde hym selfe greued by reason of that taxe and that asmuch was imposed vpon hym as vpon the riche yet had he no small cause of ioy that God him selfe would please to cōpare hym and to make hym equal in the mentenāce of his tabernacle to the most riche and potent in Israel Yf this equalitie was commaunded by God for mentenāce of that transitorie tabernacle which was but a shadoe of a better to cōme is not the same required of vs who now hath the veritie which is Christ Iesus who being clad with our nature is made Immanuel that is God with vs. Whose natural bodie albeit it be receaued in the heauens where he must abyde till all be complete that is forespoken by the Prophetes yet hath he promised to be presēt with vs to the ēd of the world And for that purpose and for the more assurance of his promisse he hath erected amongest vs here in earthe the signes of his owne presence with vs his spiritual tabernacle the true preaching of his worde and right administration of his sacramentes To the mentenance whereof is no lesse bounde the subiect then the prince the poore then the riche For as the price which was geuē for mannes redēption is one so requireth God of all that shalbe partakers of the benefites of the same a like duetie which is a plaine confession that by Christ Iesus alone we haue receaued what soeuer was lost in Adam Of the prince doth God require that he refuse hym selfe and that he folow Christ Iesus of the subiect he requireth the same Of the kinges and iudges it is required that they kysse the sonne that is giue honour subiection and obedience to hym And from such reuerēce doth not God exempt the subiect that shalbe saued And this is that aequalitie which is betwixt the kinges and subiectes the most riche or noble and betwixt the poorest and men of lowest estate to wit that as the one is oblished to beleue in heart and with mouth to cōfesse the Lord Iesus to be the onlie sauiour of the world so also is the other Neither is there anie of goddes childrē who hath attained to the yeares of discretion so poore but that he hath thus much to bestow vpon the ornamentes and maintenance of their spiritual tabernacle when necessitie requireth neither yet is there anie so riche of whose hande God requireth any more For albeit that Dauid gathered greate substāce for the buylding of the temple that Salomon with earnest diligence and incredible expenses erected and finished the same that Ezechias and Iosias purged the religion which before was corrupted yet to them was God no further dettour in that respect then he was to the most simple of the faithfull posteritie of faithfull Abraham For theyr diligence zeal and workes gaue rather testimonie and confession before men what honour they did bear to God what loue to his worde and reuerēce to his religiō then that any worke proceading from them did either establishe or yet encrease goddes fauoure towardes thē who freely did loue thē in Christ his sonne before the foundation of the world was laied So that these forenamed by theyr notable workes gaue testimonie of theyr vnfained faith and the same doth the poorest that vnfeanedly and openly professeth Christ Iesus that doth embrase his gladtydinges offred that doth abhorre superstition and flie from idolatrie The poorest I say and most simple that this day in earth in the daies of this cruel persecution fermely beleueth in Christ and boldly doth confesse hym before this wicked generation is no lesse acceptable before God neither is iudged in his presence to haue done any lesse in promoting Christ his cause then is the king that by the sworde and power which he hath receaued of God wrooteth owt idolatrie and so aduanceth Christes glorie But to return to our former purpose it is no lesse required I say of the subiect to beleu◠in Christ and to professe his true religion then of the prince and king And therefore I affirme that in goddes presence it shall not excuse you to alledge that ye were no chefe rulers and therefore that the care and reformation of religion did not appertaine vnto you Ye dear Brethren as before is said are the creatures of God created to his owne image and similitude to whome it is commaunded to hear the voyce of your heauenlie Father to embrase his sonne Christ Iesus to flie from all doctrine and religion which he hath not approued by his own will reuealed to vs in his moste blessed worde To which preceptes and charges if ye be founde inobedient ye shall perish in your iniquitie as rebelles and stubborn seruantes that haue no pleasure to obey the good will of their soueraigne Lord who most louingly doth call for your obedience And therefore Brethren in this behalf it is your part to be carefull and diligent For the question is not of thinges temporall which allthoghe they be endaungered yet by diligēce and processe of tyme may after be redressed but it is of the dānation of your bodies and soules and of the losse of the life euerlasting which once lost can neuer be recouered And therefore I say that it behoueth you to be careful and diligēt in this so weghtie a matter lest that ye contemnyng this occasion which God now offereth fynd not the like althoghe that after with gronyng and sobbes ye lāguyshe for the same And that ye be not ignorant of what occasion I mean in few words I shall expresse it Not only I but with me also diuers other godlie and learned men do offer vnto you our labours faithfully to instruct you in the waies of the Eternal our God and in the synceritie of Christes Euangil which this day by the pestilent generatiō of Antichrist I mean by the pope and by his most vngodlie clergie are almost hyd from the eies of men We offer to ieopard our liues for the saluation of your soules and by manifest scriptures to proue that religion which amongest you is mentained by fier and sworde to be vaine fals ād diabolical We require nothing of you but that paciently ye will heare our doctrine which is not oures but is the doctrine of saluation reuealed to the world by the onlie sonne of God ād that ye will examine our reasons by the which we offer to proue the papistical religion to be abominable before God And last we require that by your power the tyrannie of those cruel beastes I mean of preests and freers may be brideled till we haue vttered our mindes in all matters this day debateable in religion Yf these thinges in the fear of God ye