dreames is hard vncerteine which are said to foretoken the euents of things to come are so doubtfull and vncerteine as it séemeth that nothing can be surelie determined by them Herevnto moreouer is to be added that séeing dreames as it hath béen declared may come not of one cause but of manie we shall easilie fall into error if among those manie causes we hold vs to anie one Wherefore we are to suspend our iudgment and not lightlie to diuine of anie thing vpon dreames séeing that they may more easilie be iudged of by the euents than the euents can be coniectured of by them Now then there remaineth onelie a certaine suspicion to be had by dreames and which also must be but verie slender Those two most famous poets I meane Homer and Virgil fained two sundrie gates of dreames the one of horne and the other of iuorie Gates of horne and iuorie the horne they attribute to true dreames but the iuorie to false dreames and as they saie there passed a greater number of dreames through the iuorie gate than through the horne gate Wherefore in iudging of naturall dreames let vs not passe the measure of suspicion neither let vs cleaue too much vnto visions For it is not the part of christian men to leane vnto perilous and vncerteine coniectures more than is méete For while they be ouer-earnest about these they omit things of more importance besides that the diuell dooth oftentimes intermeddle these things of purpose Looke In 1 King 3 verse 15. either to driue vs to doo that which is euill or to withdrawe vs from that which is good 7 But now let vs sée what we must determine concerning dreames put into vs either by God Of dreames sent by God or by the diuell or by the diuell Whensoeuer anie thing is foreséene in dreames by the helpe of God or his angels In diuining anie thing by visions or dreames two things are required two things are required The first is that certeine marks or images of the things which are shewed doo print some kind of forme in our phantasie or imagination Secondly that there be added iudgement whereby we may be able to knowe what these things doo import Touching the first we must vnderstand that these tokens and images are manie times cast into our senses by reason of those things which God maketh outwardlie to appéere as when Baltazar that succéeded Nabuchadnezar sawe the fingers of a hand writing vpon the wall as we reade in Daniel Dan. 5 5. And somtimes images and likenesses are described in the verie imagination or phantasie without anie externall sight and this happeneth two waies For either the forms or similitudes laid vp in the mind are called for backe againe by God to such vse as liketh him as when to Ieremie was shewed a séething pot turned toward the north or else new forms are shewed Ier. 1 13. which were neuer knowne before to the senses as if the forms and likenesses of colours should bée shewed to a man blind from his natiuitie And in this kind of diuination Images or formes instead of letters the images or forms are in stead of letters For euen as they be ordered and disposed so are the oracles diuerslie giuen like as by the diuers changing of letters our spéeches and sentences are manie waies varied Teachers which instruct schollers may by their paines and diligence in teaching print sundrie kinds of images in the minds of their hearers God otherwhile in dreames giueth not both forms and the vnderstanding of them to one and the same man Gen. 40 9. and 41 1. They which onelie haue the signes are not absolutelie called prophets Iohn 11 49. although it be not in their power to giue them iudgement and the verie right vnderstanding of things But God giueth both yet not alwaies indéed at once For into some he otherwhile instilleth onelie forms of things as he did vnto Pharao vnto his butler and to his baker and likewise to the king of Babylon all which had néede of an interpretour to expound their dreames as Ioseph and Daniel And verelie those to whom are shewed onelie the signes of things to come are not in verie déed accounted prophets forsomuch as they haue onelie a certeine degrée and entrance and as it were a step vnto prophesieng euen as Caiphas the high priest is not to be accounted for a prophet séeing hée vnderstood not what he spake 8 But why God would otherwhile open by dreames vnto kings and princes Why God would by dreams open things vnto princes things afterward to followe there are as I now remember two reasons The one bicause he had a regard vnto the people and nations which they gouerned For if the great derth which was approching had not béene signified vnto Pharao Aegypt had vtterlie perished with famine Secondlie it was the counsell of the Lord by the interpretation of these dreames to make those prophets and holie men knowne to the world which laie hidden before which thing the holie scriptures testifie came to passe in Ioseph And the Ethnike historiographers also write manie things of the dreames which princes sometimes haue had Some of the which Tertullian mentioneth in his booke De anima Tertullian as of Astiages dreme concerning his daughter Mandane likewise of Philip of Macedonia and of Iulius Octauius whom Marcus Cicero sawe in a dreame being but a child afterwards méeting with him knew him by that dreame and diuers such like things are recited by the same father 9 But these things being omitted Dreames sent by God let vs confirme by testimonie of the scripture which is easie to be doon that some dreames are sent by God Matthew testifieth Matth. 1 20. that Ioseph the husband of Marie was thrise warned by the angel Pilats wife also by a dreame vnderstood Matt. 27 19. and caused hir husband to be told that he should not condemne innocent Christ And in the 16. of the acts Acts. 16 9. a man of Macedonia appéered vnto Paule in a dreame Acts. 18 9. and mooued him to go into Macedonia And the Lord commanded the same Paule in a dreame that he should not depart from Corinth bicause he had an excéeding great number of people in that citie I could recite manie mo places both of the old and new testament but that the time will not permit Philo Iudaeus Philo Iudaeus as Ierom in his booke De viris illustribus testifieth wrote fiue bookes of dreames immitted by God Cyprian Cyprian also reporteth that in his time certeine things were shewed in sléepes which made to the edifieng of the congregation and it was not a little but rather a great deale of credit that he gaue vnto them But Augustine in his 12. De genesi ad litteram Augustine the third chapter saith there are thrée kinds of visions The first hée saith pertaineth to the outward senses Thrée
Matt. 5 45. who maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and vpon the euill and that we are his disciples who answered his apostles when they required fire from heauen to burne the Samaritans Luke 9 54 Ye knowe not of whose spirit ye be namelie his which came not to destroie but to saue his Luke 22 51 who healed them that railed vpon him his who restored vnto Malchus his eare Matt. 26. 50 who came with the other soldiers of the chéefe rulers to take Christ his which both saluted the traitor Iudas as a friend Luke 23 43 and receiued him with a kisse finallie his Luke 23 34 which forgaue the wicked théefe and promised him eternall felicitie which praied for them that crucified him Rom. 5 8. and which of his owne accord died for his enimies It shall nothing profit thée to recompense iniuries with iniuries and taunts with taunts Thou oughtest rather to commit the matter vnto God who will be a most iust iudge and by no perturbation can be led awaie from iustice 27 Furthermore thou shouldest héereby gather that it is not lawfull to speake ill of anie man nor yet to cursse anie man For if it be forbidden to doo these things against our enimies which otherwise might séeme tollerable in mans iudgement much lesse may we suffer our selues to doo it vnto others Chrysostome How manie waies our aduersaries misreports doo benefit vs. to the intent he might persuade vs to followe these words of Paule reckoneth vp the commodities which the curssings and persecutions of aduersaries commonlie bring to the godlie First saith he they verie well helpe vs to the obteinment of the kingdome of heauen for Christ saith Matt. 5. 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And he addeth Blessed are ye verse 11. when they reuile you and persecute you speaking all manner of euill and lieng against you for my sake Be glad and reioise for your reward is great in heauen c. Besides this they are an occasion or matter of most excellent vertues for as Paule teacheth Tribulation worketh patience patience experience and experience hope Rom. 5 3. But where is the patience of the saints where is their experience where is their hope if thou take awaie the wicked enterprises of our enimies against vs Moreouer the glorie of God can by no other meanes be highlie aduanced than if we valiantlie and couragiouslie behaue our selues in those things which are to be suffred for his name sake For it is no hard matter to cleaue vnto God so long as all things go prosperouslie and quietlie with vs and as we would desire But when all maner of aduersities happen and yet we constantlie abide in his obedience this doubtlesse commeth of a manlie and stout faith And therefore I thinke Iames said that Patience hath a perfect worke Iam. 1 4. Vnlesse peraduenture a man will thus vnderstand it that perfection is not in anie worke vnlesse we perseuere in the same For when we leaue off we accomplish not the worke and so without patience it is left vnperfect Adde moreouer that by this meanes chéeflie our enimies are terrified that they procéed not to persecute vs. For when they sée that we are not mooued by their iniuries they thinke that they loose their labour and therfore they take not so great pleasure of the reproches wherewith they haue exercised vs. But if they shall perceiue vs to be vexed and to take it in ill part they will thinke that their iniuries haue taken good successe and will be afterward more bold in their wicked indeuour By this we may sée Matth. 5 11 why the Lord said Blessed are ye when men reuile you persecute you and speake all maner of euill against you falselie for my sake reioise and be glad for your reward is great in heauen This commandement of Christ the apostles executed for they returned from the presence of the Councell reioising that they were counted woorthie to be reuiled for his names sake And Paule in the first to the Corinthians saith 1. Cor. 4 12 We are euill spoken of and we blesse In Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 But this persuasion Paule did not alwaies obserue for to the Galathians he saith I would to God they were cut off Gal. 5 12. which trouble you Psal 69 12. And Dauid saith Let their table be made a snare before them let their eies be made dim that they may not see and bow downe their backs alwaies All other bookes of the prophets are euerie-where full of cursses and imprecations wherewith they cursse the enimies of the people of God Whether it be lawfull alwaies to cursse enimies Here doubtlesse in my iudgement it must be said that we ought so to deale as Paule now admonisheth so long as we haue a respect vnto our owne iniuries and that wée walke the ordinarie waie and common course whereby we are bound by loue to wish well vnto our neighbours But if so be God open vnto vs his secret will and declare what shall without doubt come to passe concerning our enimies and those which persecute vs then if we sincerelie and truelie loue him we ought vndoubtedlie to staie our selues vpon his will and counsell Howbeit this caution is added first to be fullie assured whether those things which God hath opened vnto vs perteine onelie to a threatening or else wholie to declare his determinate and assured will For where we suspect that God onelie threateneth to bring vs to repentance we ought not to cease praieng euen for the wicked Exod. 32 11 Gen. 18. So did Moses when he made supplication to God for his nation so did Abraham for the Sodomites 1. Sa. 15 11. Iere. 10 24. so did Samuel for Saule and so did Ieremie for the people But when they be out of doubt that it is the certeine and fixed will of God they doo not onelie praie against the wicked by prophesieng as thinketh Augustine against Faustus in his 16. booke and 22. chapter where he thus writeth But cursses when they are vttered by the waie of prophesie procéed not of an ill desire of him that cursseth but of the foreknowing spirit of him that denounceth them but also from the hart God now consenting therevnto and wishing the same with it Dauid when as otherwise he was so mercifull to Semei to Absolom and to Saule and to other enimies yet sometimes he so cursseth and banneth the wicked as he driueth a horror into them that read them Christ also first bewailed the infelicitie of the citie of Ierusalem Luke 19 41 for that she knew not the time of hir visitation and he saith How often would I haue gathered togither thy children as a hen dooth hir chickens vnder hir wings and thou wouldest not Howbeit euen he knowing the assured and vnmooueable will of GOD
be only the ciuill head of the Church If thou require of Papistes they will neuer graunt that their Pope is onelie the ciuill head of the Church Nay rather they will haue them to be called spirituall fathers So as they haue two heads of one and the same kinde For they will neuer suffer themselues to bée inclosed within these boundes For they dispence against the word of God they forbid marriages they applie the merites of Christ and of the saintes they ordaine new Sacraments they sel Pardons This pertaineth not to a ciuill head Wherefore let them graunt that their Church hath two heads and that it is a monster But I will deale frankelie Admit the Pope be a ciuill head That if the Pope be a ciuil head yet the Church is double headed yet doe yée fal into the selfe same errour For seeing the Magistrate also is a ciuill head ye shall bée constrained to confesse that in the Church there be two ciuill heads both of one order and that so your Church is a monster But these men as they be importunate dreame of two heads First that the Pope is the ciuill head of his ministers and so is one head of the Church Whether the Pope be be ciuill head of his ministers Rom. 13. 1 For they will haue ministers to be exempted from the power of the ciuill Magistrate But this is a vaine conceite For Paul commaundeth that euerie soule should be subiect vnto the Ciuill power he exempteth none Yea and Chrysostome saith that neither the Apostles nor Euangelistes ought to be excepted Peter also exhorteth ministers that they should obey the ciuill power Wherefore in vaine doe they babble and ridiculouslie doe they adioyne two heads vnto their ministers Whether the magistrate may beare rule ouer preachers Ministers subiect two maner of wayes What then wilt thou saie Shall the Magistrate beare rule ouer ministers and Preachers I aunswere that the word of God and the Sacraments are subiect to no potentate But ministers are subiect two manner of waies both in respect of manners and of their function For if either they liue wickedlie or doe not their duetie they may be both reiected by the Magistrate and depriued Look part 4. pâ— 13. Act 7 6 But these men still dreame of one ciuill power that is Ecclesiasticall and of an other that is profane The one of the which they attribute vnto the Pope and the other vnto the Magistrate but all in vaine For as much as pertaineth vnto Ecclesiasticall power the ciuill Magistrate is sufficient For he as saith Aristotle in his Politikes must prouide that all men doe their duetie both lawiers Phisitians husband men Apothecaries among whom we may also recken ministers and Preachers What néede haue we here to multiplie heades Salomon Dauid Iosias being ciuill Magistrats yet did they not thinke religion to be without the compasse of their charge Constantine Theodosius and Iustinian thought vppon nothing more than to set in order the true church of God So then there was no néed that these men should raise vp a newe head vnto themselues in the Church and especiallie for the setting vp of tyrannie For the Church hath Elders who must prouide in what order all things ought to be doone and that all things be in order the Magistrate ought to prouide What the church must doe if the magistrate be vngodlie But what if the Magistrate be wicked Yet there is a Church there be Elders there be Bishops by these it must be decréed and appointed what ought to be doone in Religion And this perhaps is it Howe the king of England is called the head of his own church why the king of England would be called head of his own Church next vnto Christ For he thought that that power which the Pope vsurped to himselfe was his and in his owne kingdome pertained to him selfe The title indéed was vnwonted and displeased manie godlie men Howbeit if we consider the thing it selfe he meant nothing else but that which we haue now said 7 But they obiect that after the Pope Whether the Pope being nowe made head ought to be remoued 1. Sam. 8. 7. once became a Monarch and that we sée that christ is not therby excluded he must not rashlie be remoued For so the Israelites although they had made themselues a king without the commaundement of God he béeing once appointed they did not afterward reuolt froÌ„ him I aunswere The reason is not alike For the Israelites in creating their king had the voyce of God which thing if these men can shewe of their Pope we will confesse that the reason on both partes is alike But they cannot do it naie rather they haue the contrarie out of the holie Scriptures Wherefore we conclude first that it is not agréeable for the Church to haue a double head Secondlie that although it might be agréeable yet that one mortall man cannot rule and regard the whole world for that doth farre excéed mans strength Whether ciuill Prince that hath more prouinces than he can out-see be to be suffered But thou wilt saie If this reason be of force euen a ciuill Monarch ought not to be suffered who hath more Prouinces than he is able to take the charge of Wherefore if a king be not able to prouide for all that be his shal we reuolt from him as ye haue doone from the Pope I aunswere that these Empires larglie extended cannot be without fault For séeing the kings cannot deale in all things themselues they coÌ„mit their Prouinces vnto vnsatiable and gréedy cormorants by whom the people is miserablie drawen drie and suckt out And in auncient times when things were better seuerall cities had seuerall kings We read that Nynus first made ware vppon the nations adioining and amplified his borders So we read of so manie kinges that were in the land of Canaan being no verie great Region Indéede it is an ill thing to haue so large a dominion yet must not the people for that cause reuolt from their kings Howbeit if they wil commaund anie thing against God they must in no wise be heard Christ came not to chaunge the order of common weales For my kingdome saith he is not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. Neither did Paul at anie time perswade that there should be anie defection from Nero. So as we haue the word of God that we should obey the Magistrat whosoeeuer he be but we haue no word to obey the Pope If there be one head of the Church whether the â—…nt ought to bee at Rome 8 But admit that there maie be some one head of the Church why should he rather be at Rome than else where Because Peter saie they sat in Rome First that doth not sufficientlie appeare For by some it is denied But be it he was at Rome he was also at Antioch and Ierusalem Whie then should not the Bishops of these Cities bée
least forsooth it should be troden vnder féet or spet vpon But Petrus Crinitus saith that he sawe that lawe written absolutelie whereby is commanded that the image of Christ should not be made of anie matter But that he cannot be counterfeited as touching his humane nature there are no firme reasons brought 11 The angels as touching their substance and nature séeing they be spirits cannot be expressed yet is it lawfull sometimes to picture them in such wise as they haue shewed themselues vnto men for they be not as God is infinite but are bounded and limited Neither dooth the commandement of God forbid this vnlesse their pictures were made to the intent they should be religiouslie and deuoutlie worshipped That men may be pictured Also men may be pictured and counterfeited séeing the same is not repugnant either to the thing either to art or else to the commandement of God So is it lawfull also to forme and picture foorth the crosse of the Lord The image of the crosse of Christ trées fruits and other sensible or visible bodies for the arts of painting and counterfeiting be the verie gifts of God wherefore they must serue to some vse And by this I gather that they be the gifts of God bicause he indued the builders of Moses tabernacle with his spirit Bezeleel I meane and Aholiba Exod. 31 2 and 6. Neither is it lawfull to saie that God dooth inspire euill things with his spirit and such things as be against his lawe Moreouer the power it selfe of imitating séeing it is naturall vnto man verelie he had the same of God and not of himselfe And it followeth of right that some vse shuld be therof bicause God hath bestowed no gifts vpon his creatures especiallie vpon men which should not be lawfull for them sometime to vse Neither dooth he take awaie the vse of those gifts bicause manie doo abuse them and this is easilie confirmed by manie similitudes The power of procreation is giuen vnto men although some doo shamefullie abuse the same vnto lusts So the sight is granted which they doo peruerselie vse who for lust sake doo behold women which be none of their owne And so it might be said of the rest Againe we knowe that Salomon would haue images to be made for his roiall throne 1. Kin. 10 19 which should haue the forms of yoong lions neither was he for that matter reprehended by anie prophet Wherefore in a prophane thing it is lawfull to haue pictures and grauen images I am not ignorant that the ancient fathers and speciallie Clement and Tertullian detested the acts of painters and image-makers But I vnderstand this in respect that these workmen did professe Christ and yet they made images pictures which might easilie be worshipped and peraduenture they diuided them among the idolaters thinking it sufficient to their owne saluation if they themselues did not worship them The opinion of the Turke touching images But the Turks be of the opinion that there should be no images made at all wherevpon in their coines they onlie haue letters which be written in the Arabian toong and vpon their tapestrie they also vse to weaue certeine knots The vse of images may be good for the kéeping of things in memorie for the garnishing of houses especiallie of kings and noble personages and also to serue for some honest pleasure wherewith men sometime may both delite and recreate themselues Howbeit in such light commodities there are oftentimes manie faults for false images are sundrie times thrust in in stéed of true As if so be a nation or people be described to be ouercome by their enimies which neuerthelesse was the vanquisher that must néeds be reprooued séeing it dooth iniurie vnto others Also if one be pictured to haue doone some heinous act which in verie déed he did not Neither must they be borne with which doo paint false miracles whereby idolatrie may win credit And doubtlesse in our time there haue not wanted such as haue indeuoured to paint the miracles of Christs infancie which things are no where found written and séeme to be altogither fabulous So some likewise doo paint out in manie places Christopher and George rather monstruouslie than trulie We must therfore take héed least men be perniciouslie seduced by false images I haue added perniciouslie bicause the Gentaures other things of like sort may for garnishing sake be expressed without anie harme vnto them which are beholders Others attempt to paint out vertues which haue no bodies Images of vertues but doo belong vnto the mind which is a spirit Also they painted or fashioned them like to virgins and matrones and therein I thinke is no deceipt whereby the beholders can be deceiued Howbeit this séemeth the safest waie of all other that if things should be painted the profitable and holie histories should chéeflie be painted whereby the beholders may receiue some edifieng Further we must beware of lauishing out of monie for there be some which in procuring of pictures and images are starke mad These costs must not be preferred before the necessities of the poore How greatlie herein it hath béene offended A superstitious vse of images the temples from our forefathers which be yet extant doo euidentlie declare Besides this we must take verie diligent héed that there be no filthie things painted Against shamefull picturings for we are otherwise of our owne vilenesse and corruption of nature sufficientlie kindled vnto lust If it be trulie said 1. Co. 15 33 that Euill speaking corrupteth good maners no lesse doo filthie images corrupt the beholders Tertullian writeth Tertullian in his apologetico that the Ethniks painted the image of Christ with asses eares in despite of our Sauiour Christ Wherfore such an image ought to be accounted blasphemous Lastlie from them must be remooued all religious worship the which that it be not giuen them it must be alwaies prouided that they be not placed in the churches 12 Séeing therefore it is now declared what things it is lawfull to picture after this we must diligentlie examine whether it may be lawfull to vse anie adoration or worshipping in images In the disputation whereof we will first recite what our aduersaries haue thought What a holie worshipping is what kind of worship shall be spoken of Holie worshipping the Gréekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latins Pietas Looke In Rom. 1. vpon these words Whom I serue that is Godlinesse which neuerthelesse is extended both vnto the parents and vnto the countrie But we now talke onlie of religious worshipping inquire whether the same may be attributed vnto images Diuine worship or honor is expressed of the Hebrue in two words A distinction of diuine worship of the verbe Iare which is To feare and Auad which is To serue And vndoubtedlie vnder the name of feare is comprehended all religion which is placed in the mind By Auad is declared an
oftentimes made woorse And besides that also such superfluitie might serue to reléeue other poore folks also 9 Neither saith he Giuing or bestowing In giuing of almes is a certeine communicating Esaie 2 3. Iohn 4 22. but Communicating bicause in almes giuing there is a certeine communicating For if we speake of the poore which were at Ierusalem the Gentiles had receiued at their hands spirituall things For the word of the Lord came out of Sion and the lawe of God out of Ierusalem and saluation from the Hebrues Séeing out of that nation were appointed preachers of the Gospell to preach vnto the whole world Therefore Paule in the second to the Corinths the eight chapter saith That your abundance maie releeue their want and that on the other side verse 23. their abundance may releue your want But if we speake of other poore folkes euen when we helpe them with our almes there redoundeth vnto vs no small commoditie or profit For Christ warned as we read in Luke Luke 16 â— Make you freends of vnrighteous mammon that when you faile they maie receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles But what if the poore be euill and they also excluded from the kingdome of heauen These things are to be vnderstood not of the men but of the works But by this meanes also followeth another absurditie That by the vertue of our works we should obteine the kingdome of God I answer As we denie that works are the causes of eternall life so likewise we denie not that God rewardeth the good works of the faithfull A reward of almes deeds Rom. 2 6. which are now regenerate by Christ since we know that He will iudge euerie man according to his works For he will saie I was hungrie Matt. 25 35 and ye fed me I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye harboured me The kingdome of God is giuen for election and for she promises sake which the saints receiue by faith But bicause those things are hidden from mans eies therefore are good works brought foorth which are the proper and manifest effects both of our faith and Gods election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Giuing our selues saith he to hospitalitie This is not spoken without a great emphasis To follow hospitalitie is more than to keep hospitalitie Gen. 18 2. Looke in Iud. 9 11. for it is a greater matter to pursue hospitalitie than onelie to be hospitall For Abraham expected not till strangers came home to him to desire to be receiued and to desire lodging but going of his owne accord out of his tent he looked round about to sée if he could espie anie stranger whom he might receiue into his house And if he sawe anie he ran vnto him and praied him not to passe by his house If I haue found fauour saith he in your eies I beseech you turne in vnto your seruant Gen. 19 2. And the same diligence and mind was in Lot and well nigh in all the fathers Paule in these words chargeth vs not with anie vile and vndecent works but with verie honorable and excellent works Hospitality becommeth a noble man For there was neuer anie noble man or notable prince but that he was desirous to doo good vnto others and was carefull ouer strangers Titus Vespasian when he called to remembrance at night that he had doone no good turne vnto anie man would with heauines saie Fréends we haue lost this daie And Christ saith that The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them and they which haue power ouer them are called gratious in Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ethniks also saie that GOD hath a care ouer strangers and therfore they worshipped Iupiter Xenius who had a care regard of strangers This propertie of GOD Homer describeth in the second booke of his Odysses And Virgil verie aptlie saith Iupiter was a keeper of hospitalitie Iupiter hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur that is For men saie that thou O Iupiter giuest right vnto strangers And the naturall affection toward citizens commonlie stirreth euerie man that if he méet a stranger and one that is néedie he will to his power helpe him and prouide harbour for him Euen so in like manner if peraduenture the saints which as touching the eternall countrie are our citizens doo come vnto vs we ought to helpe them and gentlie to interteine them 10 But bicause that Iahel séemed to haue violated the lawes and couenant of hospitalitie it is a doubt In Iudg. 4 verse 22. Whether Iâ—hel did right in violating the laws of hospitalitie whether we should condemne hir or quit hir Howbeit bicause all controuersie dependeth not a little of the circumstances of the persons we will therefore set hir before our eies and consider with our selues what manner of men the Kenites in the fourth of Iudges were They assuredlie in bloud were ioined with the Israelits Who the Kenits were for they were the posteritie of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses Moreouer they perfectlie agréed with the Hebrues in the exercise of godlinesse and in the lawe of God Neither was their faith idle but effectuall and working for they leauing their countrie followed the Israelits through the desert and God which was their guide through the wildernesse Wherfore at the length when the lands were distributed they obteined inheritance togither with them in the land of Chanaan For these causes if Iahel went about to set the Iewes at libertie she did but hir duetie neither did she take vpon hir anie other mans office On the other part let vs consider of Sisara Who Sisara was He was an oppressor of the people of God and now slaine by the power of God and vtterlie confounded neither appeared there in him anie token of repentance but he would rather hide himselfe to the intent that he escaping this so present a danger might againe gather a new host against the Israelites In déed after a sort he was in league with Heber the Kenite yet as it is to be thought with no sincere hart but onlie to plucke him away from the rest of the Iewes whereby he might haue the fewer enimies and not be compelled to fight with so manie enimies at one time or else to get of him a great tribute or some other commoditie which he looked for Furthermore in this his misfortune he calleth vpon no God he desireth not the helpe of other mens praiers but onelie séeketh lurking places where he might hide himselfe till such time as the rage and heate of the conquerors were somwhat slaked and onelie trusted vnto the helpes and aliance made with men By these things it easilie appeareth that Iahel did hir dutie and Sisara deserued to be slaine 11 But as touching the lawes of hospitalitie The lawes of hospitalitie ought ordinarilie to be kept iuiolated Gen. 19 8. we also iudge that they by themselues and of their
that he would giue those things when he is well pleased and mercifull but he is not well pleased vnlesse it be for Christ his sake for which cause there is no perfect benefit of GOD bestowed vpon vs that hath not his rooting in Christ One and the same league is of the old and new testament To conclude we must wholie affirme that one and the same couenant betwéene God and man is both of the old and new testament in the which God promised that he would be their God and they should be his people This couenant they in the old testament no lesse had than we in the new testament haue And Paule in the eleuenth chapter vnto the Romans verse 16 c describeth that couenant to be as a plant or trée whereof as well the Iewes as the Christians be branches and boughes And therfore he saith If some of the branches were broken off and thou being but a wild oliue tree wast graffed in their place and made partaker of the root and fat of the oliue tree c. Wherefore the trée is all one the stocke all one the plant all one that beareth vs and them But herein is the difference that we be branches graffed in whereas they are naturall Bréeflie what difference soeuer is betwéene ech testament that dooth euerie whit consist not in the substance of the couenant but in the accidents For the principall point of the old couenant was that the true God would be indéed our God Afterward there were other promises adioined namelie of the kingdome in the stocke of Dauid of the possession of the land of Chanaan of the outward priesthood also commandements touching ceremonies and iudgements But those leaues of ceremonies the flowers of the kingdome and the barke of the priesthood are now taken awaie by Christ who was expressed in them verse 7. as in the ninth chapter to the Hebrues it is diligentlie considered where it is declared that it was requisite for the high priest euerie yéere once to enter by bloud into the holiest place In the which custome the death of Christ was shadowed who by himselfe and not by the bloud of another entred into the true and proper holie places Ibidem 24. So as the apostle calleth all that stage of ceremonies and sacrifices the paterne of Christ bicause according as the time required they shaped out Christ to the Iewes After the same maner he speaketh in that epistle of the land of promise Ibidem 4 verse 3 c. This daie saith he if ye shall heare his voice harden not your harts as in the time of bitternesse in the daie of temptation in the wildernesse 28 Of this matter the old prophets After what maner the prophets applied their doctrine to Christ being not ignorant doo so intreat of things in their time as they applie the greatest part of their doctrine vnto Christ and therefore doo séeme somtimes to write more magnificallie than the things which they treat of do require And a man might easilie iudge that the euent of things In 1. Cor. 10 vers 3. otherwhiles answered not to their saiengs In the prophet Zacharie GOD promiseth Zach. 2 5. that he would be a firie wall vnto the citie of Ierusalem which thing neuer came to passe after the restitution of the temple But a little after the Iewes were so in a maner destroied by the Macedonians as they were scarselie euer in more lamentable case Psa 72 ver 9 10 11. In the 72. psalme is conteined this prophesie of the kingdome of Salomon All kings shall fall downe before him and all nations shall doo him seruice and in the name of him all people shal be blessed These things neuer happened vnto Salomon neither can they be anie other waie vnderstood but of Christ Also Esaie saith Esaie 2 4. 11 6. that So great should the peace bee that men would conuert speares into spades and that the wolfe and lambe should couch togither Which saiengs being referred vnto those times be altogither excessiue spéeches but they doo verie well and properlie agrée vnto Christ Wherefore none may iustlie complaine if these and such like things be wrested by vs vnto Christ séeing this is the iust and true interpretation of the scriptures Neither are these kind of oracles lesse agréeable vnto Christ than vnto those times of which they séemed to be written And least that anie man should thinke that onelie the apostles or euangelists dare make this exposition let him ponder that the Chaldaean interpretor did the verie same thing who sheweth that by the words of the prophetisse The horne of his Christ shall bee exalted is ment Messias The other Rabbins of the Hebrues also doo applie not onelie that place but also manie other vnto Messias especiallie those that were more ancient than the apostles and euangelists vnto whome it was sufficient to shew onelie a reason how that manie acts and saiengs in the old testament were referred vnto Christ thinking it néedelesse to go through with euerie thing Luke 1 69. Zacharie also the father of Iohn Baptist sufficientlie sawe and testified that this is the true and naturall exposition of the old testament when in his song he saith He hath raised vp an horne of saluation in the house of his seruant Dauid as he spake by the mouth of his holie prophets euen since the world began Now at the length saith he God stirred vp the horne so long looked for in the house of Dauid which he therefore saith bicause Christ deriued his petegrée from the familie of Dauid When the horne of Christ shall be exalted 1. Cor. 15 25. But when shall this horne be raised vp Certeinlie it is euen now alreadie lifted vp bicause Christ dooth presentlie also reigne at the right hand of his father But he shall then at the length be euidentlie magnificallie aduanced when hee shall iudge the whole world and shall deliuer the kingdome to God the father when as all things shal be put vnder his feete For as saith the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 10 13. All things are not yet subdued vnto him but they shall then be subdued In Gen. 27. verse 28. Why heauenlie good things are shadowed by temporall when as death the last enimie shal be destroied 29 Wherefore vnder temporall blessings was comprehended the summe of all felicitie that godlie men are to wait for by Christ and it is after that sort described bicause it must be expressed forsomuch as it is promised vnto vs. But there lacke words for that séeing it cannot be perceiued by mans vnderstanding there is no word properlie attributed to expresse the same Neither is the power of mans words such as it can be able to expresse those diuine and celestiall things Yet to the intent we might be stirred vp to desire the same the holie Ghost hath of his mercie prouided to haue it set foorth
of sinnes it cannot be denyed but that they are of God For they haue a respect of Iustice For so doth God oftentimes for the sinnes of the people raise vp an vngodlie Prince But although he be vngodlie he must be obeyed After what sort wicked kings must be obeyed howbeit so farre forth as Religion shall permit And if he shall command vngodlie things he must not be heard Neither is it lawfull with silence to dissemble anie thing that the King doeth peruerslie and vngodlie We ought to warne counsell reprooue chasten and amend him for so did the Prophetes Also for defence of the common weale we must obey without exception Therefore Cicero Cato Pompeius and others must not be blamed who tooke warres in hand against Caesar But when he had once attained to the Empire no priuate man ought to haue takē armes against him Therefore when Augustus Caesar had heard railing wordes to be spoken against Marcus Cato being nowe dead because he dealt tyrannouslie against Iulius answered that Cato was a good Citizen in that he would not haue the present state of the common weale to be changed So that God raigneth together with kings whether they be good or euill Kings be the heads of the common weale Psal 18. 44. And kings maie be called the heads of the Common weale For so Dauid writeth of himselfe Thou hast set mee to be the head of the Nations Yet are they not properlie but Metaphoricallie called heads For euen as from the head is deriued all the sense and motion into the bodie so the senses by good lawes and motions by edictes and commandements are deriued from the prince vnto the people And this strength excéedeth not the naturall power 2 Now as touching the other question none may after this maner be called the head of the Church No mortall man may be called the head of the Church for heere the consideration is farre otherwise than in a common weale For the Church is a celestial diuine and spirituall bodie Sense can be giuen vnto hir by no mortall man For those things which pertaine to the sense of the Church be of such sort as neither eare hath heard Esa 64. 4. 2. Cor. 2. 9. nor eye hath séene neither haue they ascended into the heart of man for all quickening of the Church procéedeth from the holie Ghost So as they which will raise vp vnto vs a newe head of the Church are not wel aduised what they saie For regeneration and remission of sinnes doe flowe from the spirite of Christ and not from man Onely Christ is head of the Church Ephe. 4. 15 Also the Scriptures doe sufficientlie testifie that Christ alone is giuen to be head of the Church Paul vnto the Ephesians saith Christ is the head of the Church by whom all the members by order of assistance make increase of the bodie And vnto the Colossians Col. 2. 19. speaking of hypocrites They hould not saith he the head whereby all the bodie is knit together by synowes ioyntes And againe vnto the Ephesians Let vs therefore growe vp in him which is the head Ephe. 4. 15 namelie Christ So that euerie sense and mouing of the Church floweth from Christ alone not from anie mortall man But thou wilt obiect An obiection that Princes vndoubtedly cannot ingender ciuill vertues in the mindes of their people Wherefore the reason on both partes is a like The consideration of the Church and cōmon weale is diuerse Yes verilie they can for that doth not excéede the power of nature For vertue springeth of frequented Actions So when as princes by lawes and edictes driue their subiects vnto actions they also driue them vnto vertues But the spirit of God and regeneration is not attained by manie actions but onelie by the blessings of God For these gifts of God flowe vnto the Church by ioyntes and synowes that is by preachers and ministers For their part is to teache the people to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate offenders and to reconcile the penitent For albeit that Christ is the onelie head of the Church yet doth he vse the ministerie of these men Whether in the Church may be an outward head that should gouerne the ministers The order instituted by Christ must not be changed Aristocratia 3 But thou wilt saie that although the inward senses and mouings of the Church be of Christ yet there maie be an outwarde head to rule ministers and to kéepe them all in their duetie There maie not be neither vndoubtedlie is it lawfull to change the order appointed by God For God would that in the Church there should be a gouernment of the best men that Bishops shoulde take the charge of all these things should choose Ministers yet so as the voyces of the people should not be excluded That Byshops are to choose ministers But euen as the Israelites cast awaie the gouernment of God that they might make themselues a king euen so they that would haue the Pope to be the Head of the Church haue cast awaie Christ the true head of the Church Paul vnto the Ephesians saieth Eph. 4 11. that Christ Gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors some Teachers for edifying of the Church neither addeth he that he set one ouer al these persons Who commāded these men to alter this order Further when Matthias was to be substituted in the place of Iudas Acts. 1. 15. Acts. 6. 3. and when Deacons should be created the matter was referred not vnto the Pope but vnto the people Besides this That the Pope cannot be the vniuersall Byshop if the Pope were head of the Church he should be the bishop of bishops or the vniuersal bishop which thing no reason would beare But least that the Papists should thinke that there is smal weight in my words let them heare Gregorie the cheife of all Popes Arguments of Pope Gregorie touching this matter Hée in the fourth book of the register in the Epistles vnto Mauricius the Emperour vnto Constantia the Empresse vnto the Patriarch of Ierusalem Alexandria Antioch and vnto Iohn of Constantinople writeth at large of this matter I will comprise his arguments in as fewe words as I can There cannot saith he bée one head of the whole Church For if paraduenture that head should fall into anie heresie it would of necessitie bée that the whole Church should be corrupted And that the same head maie bée corrupted Nestorius and Macedonius may be a tryall who sometimes gouerned the Church of Constantinople The one of these affirmed distinct persons to be in Christ the other denied the holie Ghost to be God Furthermore if there might bée one onelie head of the Church he saith it would of necessitie be that the authoritie of all other Bishops should be deriued vnto him But that would be absurde Therefore Cyprian saith that there is one Bishopricke whereof
but by their owne lustes They regarded their owne affections and not the lawe of God Further they inuaded kingdomes being stirred vp by their owne lustes and driuen by their owne ambition not as they which felt the calling of GOD vnto a kingdome Neither did they take authoritie vppon them with a will to obay God but to satisfie their owne ambition Ier. 27. 6. This was not to reigne by God But that they were not promoted to the kingdome by the will of God that is contrarie welneare to the whole scripture For God called Nabuchad-nezar his seruant because he would vse his labour to afflict the Israelites whereas notwithstanding it might haue bin said that he reigned not by God because he fought against the Iewes for his owne pleasure sake and not of a zeale to fulfill the will of God So that the saying of Osea the Prophet is nothing against vs but that we may beléeue that the Magistrate is of God and that we ought to obay him Paul saith Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. The same is written to Titus Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 1. Tim. 2. 2. And in the first Epistle of Peter the 2. Chapter And Paul to Timothie addeth That we should praie for them But the Papistes and they which will be called Ecclesiasticall men will not giue eare hereunto That the ministers of the Church are not exempted from the ordinarie power Rom. 13. 1. Ib. ver 2. Looke the 3. Chapter of this booke Act. 6. Chrysost For they cry that they are exempted from publike and ordinarie powers whereas yet the Apostle vsed no exception when he said Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Againe He which resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Yea and Chysostome also vppon that place saith that the Apostles Prophets Euangelistes and Moonkes are comprehended vnder that Lawe And Chrysostome wrote these thinges of Ecclesiasticall persons whenas neuerthelesse he himselfe was Byshop of Constantinople and we had then Christian Emperours 7 But it is a worlde to heare the arguments which these false ecclesiastical mē vse In the Extrauagants De Maioritate Obedientia in the Chapter Vnam Sanctam Bonifacius the eight whom they write to haue entred in as a Fox raigned like a Lyon and dyed like a dog saith that there be two swordes in the Church And least he should séeme to speake it rashlie he citeth these wordes out of the 22. Verse 35. Chapter of Luke When I sent you without bagge or scrippe did ye at anie time want anie thing They saide vnto him No. Christ added But now I saie vnto you let euerie man take his scrippe and wallet and he which hath none let him sell his coate and buye a sworde They saide vnto him behold heere are two swordes Christ answered it is sufficient The trifeling which the false ecclesiasticall men make about their double sword Looke before pl. 3. Art 6. Boniface saith Two swordes are sufficient for the Church namelie the spirituall sword and the temporall Wherefore they which saie that Peter had not an outward sword doe séeme not to vnderstand the wordes of Christ wherein he saide vnto Peter Put vp thy sworde into thy sheath Thy sword saith he and not an other mans For he had a sworde of his owne although he were bidden to put it vp But there must néedes bée some order kept in these swords séeing what powers so euer bee they bee ordained by God And there would be a great confusion if two swords being in the Church the one should not be gouerned by the other So then the Temporall sworde ought to bée gouerned by the spirituall And to make this Argument more plaine The Church saith he hath two swordes but it vseth not them after one and the selfesame manner For it exerciseth the spirituall sworde but the temporall sworde ought to be drawen onelie at the becke sufferance of the Church This is so obscure that it may in a manner séeme to be a riddle Howbeit this is his meaning The Emperors sword subiected to the Pope that the sworde of the Emperour ought to be drawen onelie at the will and pleasure of the Pope That when he commandeth he must strike and by sufferance that is he must goe foreward in striking so long as he listeth and will suffer it These things therefore must be in order and the order is that the temporall sworde be reduced vnto God by the spirituall For as saith that Dionysius The supposed Dionysius Areopagita who is thought to be the Areopagite wheras he is another All inferiour things are referred to the chéefest but yet by a meane Wherefore saith he the temporall sworde must be drawen at the Popes becke that so it may be referred vnto God Thus we sée it to be doone at this day For so often as the most holie father doth hold vp his finger to make war against the Lutherans he wil haue the Emperor foorthwith to obay And if any prince will not with competent submission obay him straight way legates are sent vp downe that all other Kinges and Princes should bend themselues to his becke and to vex and withstande him that will not obaie him 8 Boniface addeth moreouer The Pope preferreth himselfe aboue all Kings and Princes that he himselfe is aboue all Kings and Princes For principallitie is to be estéemed according to the dignitie of the things which be exercised by it We saith he exercise spiritual things and they temporall their sword therefore is inferior to ours and they vnto vs. He addeth also an other reason They pay vnto vs tenthes but tenthes are paide by the inferior vnto the superior wherefore séeing kings and Princes pay tenthes they testifie that their lands and reuenewes belong to the Church and that they are subiect vnto it Besides this he which blesseth is greater thā he which is blessed but Byshops consecrate annoint Kings The Glosse addeth that of Kings onely the right shoulder is annointed but Byshops haue their heads annointed Kings are annointed with Oyle but Byshops with Chresme So then wée must néedes confesse that Kings are inferiour to Byshops Furthermore Kings receiue their crowne and scepter of Byshops For who saith he inuested Saul 1. Sam. 10. 1. 1. Sam. 16. 1. 2. kings 9. 1. Reasons why the Pope will not be iudged or gouerned of any man Mat. 16. 19 Ier. 1. 10. and who Dauid but Samuel Who annointed Iehu but a Prophet sent by Helizeus The thing also which is exercised by Byshops is greater than that whereabout Kings are occupied For Christ saide vnto Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth shal be bound in heauen This power is greater than all humane power And God saide vnto Ieremie I will set thee ouer nations and kingdomes that thou maist roote out destroy scatter and plant therefore wee are greater than all the power of Kings
soeuer there be the same as I haue said is wholie as touching the manner of reproouing This the Ministers of the Church doe by the word and Princes by outward punishmentes But our false Ecclesiastickes wil be princes and reigne and yet Christ would be no king And when he was sought for to the end he should be made a king he vtterlie refused it Iohn 6. 15. yea rather he plainlie confessed that his kingdome is not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. He said also vnto the Apostles Mat. 20 25. Princes of the nations doe beare rule ouer them but ye shall not so doe Peter also whose successors these men professe themselues to be 1. Pet. 5. ver 3. warneth Ministers that they should not exercise dominion ouer the Cleargie But these men will haue prisons souldiers and swordes and stirre vp warres as they list themselues 13 Perhaps they will obiect vnto vs the Assamonites out of the olde Testament Of the Assamonites or Machabées who for a certaintie were both kings and Priests and confounded both the powers That Historie indéede is written in the bookes of the Machabites Machab. But we must sée whether they did it rightlie or else wickedlie and ambiciously Doubtlesse I thinke they did it not orderly for God by his word had many times adiudged the Kingdome to be giuen vnto the Tribe of Iuda euen vnto the time of Messias Gen. 44. 10 Psal 89 39 Numb 18. 20. And contrarilie he commaunded the Leuites that they should possesse no landes and much lesse to occupie a kingdome among their brethren But if a man had rather say that they did this by a certaine secret reuelation and hidden iudgement of God he shal not further the cause of these men séeing that which is doone after this manner must not be drawen to an example For I thinke rather that they offende in so doing Certainlie they did wel when they deliuered their country from tyrannie but that being performed they ought not to haue taken the kingdome vpon them and God declared plainely that the same Act of theirs displeased him For as we gather out of Iosephus that house afterward was neuer voyde of troubles They further obiect vnto vs Acts. 5. ver 5. 9. Acts. 13. 11 that Peter slue Ananias and Saphira and that Paule strake Elimas the sorcerer with blindnesse This is true in déede but they did these things by the word of God By what instrumēts the Apostles vsed sometime outward punishmēts not by violence not by the sworde neither by helpe of an executioner Let these men doe the same things by the worde and we will regard them Why doe they not heare Paul vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 2. 4. Let no man going on Gods warfare wrap himselfe in cares of this life If they will goe on warfare for God why doe they in such sort hinder themselues with worldly businesse Haue they so much leasure from their owne affaires as they can haue a care ouer other mens Let them answere plainely woulde they at this day abide that any king should attempt to teache the Gospell or administer the Sacramentes They would not suffer it Neither did God himselfe also suffer it 2 Par. 26. ver 16. But he strake Ozeas with Leprosie when he woulde haue burnt incense vnto God Why then doe they inuade the boundes of other men These functions ought to be separated Why these functions ought to be seuerall because either of them requireth a whole man apart by himselfe yea rather there hath scarcely bin found any one man at any time which coulde rightly execute either of them so hard is the executiō of them both Howbeit both of them doe one helpe another for the politick Prince giueth iudgement and the Ecclesiasticall in déede doth not giue iudgement but he teacheth how iudgement ought to be giuen Haue not respect saieth he of persons in iudgement Deut. 1. 16. Afflict not the poore and straunger receiue no bribes and so forth So on the other side the ciuill Magistrate preacheth not neither administreth the sacraments But vnlesse these things be rightly ordered In the ciuill Magistrate and Minister of the Church is to be considered both the person the office he ought to punish the Ministers And to be briefe there are two things to bee considered of vs in this comparison In the Ciuill Magistrate is to bee considered both the power and also the man which beareth exerciseth the power He in respect that he is a Christian man is subiect to the word of God and in respect that he beareth authoritie and gouerneth hée ought also to be subiect vnto the same worde of God séeing out of the same he ought to séeke rules to gouerne and beare rule In the Minister of the Church also is to be considered both the ministerie it selfe also the person which executeth it As touching the person the minister is subiect vnto the Ciuil power For both he is a Citizen and he also payeth tribute as other men doe is vnder the correction of manners But as concerning the Ministerie he is also subiect some waie vnto the Magistrate For if either he teach or administer the sacraments against the word of God he must be reprehended by the Ciuil Magistrate And yet must he not seeke for rules reasons of his function at the same Magistrates hand but out of the word of God By this distinctiō we may easily vnderstand the differences and agréement of either power 14 Nowe resteth that we come to that Thraso Boniface to confute his Arguments To the arguments of Boniface First out of that saying which the Apostles answered Behold here are two swordes and Christ added It is sufficient he gathereth that the Church hath two powers and both of them committed vnto him To this I answere that it is possible that sometimes there may be two swordes in the Church but they haue not alwayes bin therein neither perhaps shall euer hereafter be What outward sword had the Church in the time of Christ and of the Apostles and Martyrs But yet now they will say it hath I graunt because Kings and Emperours are Christians which in olde time were Ethnickes The Church also hath husbandrie trade of marchandize the art of building and other such like For they which exercise these things are members of the Church but that commeth to passe as the Schoolemen speake accidentally sith there may be a Church though it had none of these things Howe the Church may be said to haue two swords So now because there are princes in the Church it is saide to haue an outward sword But because princes in our time are a part of the Church it doeth not therefore follow that the sword of Princes is the sword of Ministers euen as although there be in the Church husbandrie and the trade of marchandize and also the Art of building it cannot thereby be
Howbeit in many places they are not called Tythes but stipendes or wages And doubtlesse they be rather rewardes which are due to the labours of Ministers than Tythes 19 And as concerning the Argument propounded we must vnderstand Stipends are paid aswell to superiors as inferiors that such rewardes and stipendes are thinges indifferent for they are sometimes paide vnto inferiours and sometimes to superiours For tributes which are giuen vnto kinges and princes are their stipendes which we giue vnto them partlie to nourish and sustaine them and partelie to confesse that we are subiect vnto them and lastly that they may haue wherewithall to defend both vs and the Common weale And sometime inferiours also doe receaue stipendes For princes pay them vnto souldiers and yet can we not therefore say that the souldiers are greater than kinges and princes Notwithstanding I would not be thought that I speake these thinges to diminish the dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie but that it may be vnderstood that these mens Argumentes are verie trifling The church which payeth a stipend vnto the minister is greater than he Neither doubt I to affirme that the Church it selfe which payeth the stipend vnto the Minister is greater than the Minister So that if we speake of Tythes as they are at this day giuen vnto Ministers it followeth not that they should be greater which pay them Why kings be consecrated by Byshops in the Church But in that kinges and Emperours are consecrated and annointed of Byshops and in that they receaue the crowne and sword of them it nothing helpeth their cause For if we speake of the ciuill power To Princes the power is giuen by God not by Byshops that is not giuen by the Byshop but by God But this is there doone to the intent that after the king or Emperour is chosen of God in such manner as is agreable prayers should be made for him in the assemblie of the Church that God may confirme and strengthē his heart that he may increase godlinesse in him and powre into him the feare of his name prosper his counsels and so make happie his actions that they may prooue profitable vnto the Church and vnto the publike weale And the Byshop while these thinges are in doing is the mouth of the Church and goeth before it in expressing the prayer And this annointing was deriued of an old ceremonie and custome of the Iewes And that the king receaueth not his power of the Byshop but of God euen their owne decrées doe testifie In the distinct 96. in the Chapt. Si Imperator Gelasius saith that the Emperour hath the priuiledges of his power at the hand of God What dooth Boniface then arrogantlie callenge to himselfe Euen that which belongeth vnto GOD onelie For as Paul saith Rom. 13. 2. All power is of God In the Code De Iure veteri enucleando Lawe the first Iustinian Iustinian declareth that his power was giuen him by the Maiestie of God And the glosse in the Extrauagāts De maioritate obedientia in the Chapter Vnam sanctam towardes the end saith that power is giuen vnto kinges by GOD onelie and that therefore they doe in deede receaue the crowne of the Byshop and the sword from the Altar Pope Boniface by his owne argument is inferior to Byshop Hostiensis 20 But let vs more néerelie examine the Argument of Boniface I saith he giue power vnto Emperors Therefore I am greater than Emperors Let this most blessed Thraso aunswere me Who consecrated him when he was chosen Pope Truelie the bishop Hostiensis Let vs therefore conclude that the bishop Hostiensis is greater than the Pope And if that followe not then is also the Argument of Boniface weake because as I haue shewed it is layd vppon a rotten foundation For it is not the byshops that giue power vnto kinges Many Emperors haue not béene consecrated by the Pope Moreouer haue there not bin manie Emperors which were neuer consecrated by byshops and yet notwithstanding were Emperors no whit the lesse Neither were the old Gretian Emperors so annointed It is therefore a new inuention But what if I prooue that the cheefe byshop was sometime consecrated by the ciuill Magistrate Vndoubtedlie Moses consecrated Aaron though neuerthelesse as hath bin said Moses was a ciuill prince Exo. 40. 10 So that Boniface laboreth in vaine about his consecration because he gathereth nothing thereby He boasted moreouer of the kaies We saith he haue the power of bynding and loosing But the power of the kayes consisteth herein Wherin the power of the keies consisteth that ye should preach the word of God truelie For he which beléeueth the Gospel is losed and he which beléeueth not is bound But when ye neither preach nor teach neither can ye binde nor lose And farther this subiection which we haue graūted is spirituall namelie of faith and of obedience and not ciuill and with dominion Afterward was Ieremie obiected vnto whom the Lord said Ier. 1. 10. I haue appointed thee ouer nations and kingdomes c. First I demaund here what kinges Ieremie directed or from whom he tooke away their Empire and what new kinges he ordained There can be none shewed Therefore what doe these wordes signifie I set thee ouer nations and kingdomes Nothing else than that by the spirit of prophesie and word of God he should foretell what kingdomes God would ouerthrowe because of sinne and what new ones he would institute The Prophets be no efficient cause of the ouerthrowing of kingdomes Why doe not the Popes so exercise their power Let them set before kinges and princes of the earth the threatninges of God and let them in this manner be ouer nations and kingdomes Could Ieremie be called the cause of the ouerthrow of kingdomes He was not properlie the efficient cause but onelie a certaine occasion For when he had admonished the king of Iuda and he beléeued him not the prophet by his preaching was some occasion that he should be condemned ouerthrowen So Paul saith 2. Cor. 2. 15 To some we are a sauour of life vnto life and to other the sauour of death vnto death When as yet the Apostle properlie killed no man but his preaching after a sort brought death vnto those which would not beléeue It is God therefore that pulleth downe and ouerthroweth planteth and scattereth neither disdayneth he sometimes to call vs his fellow woorkers 21 Boniface goeth on The laie power ought to be iudged by the Ecclesiasticall But by what kinde of iudgement Verilie by this that in the Church is set foorth the wrath of God against sinners and that they be admonished corrected by the holy scriptures Neuerthelesse that Byshops may expell kinges and put them out of their kingdomes where is that permitted From whence haue they it What charters will they bring for it Againe that is most intollerable which he saith namely that the Pope can be iudged of no
aduersarie we haue the deuill For our striuing is not against flesh and bloud but against spirituall naughtines in celestial things Wee haue force and strength from Christ Phil. 4. 13. I am able to doe all thinges in Christ which comforteth me that the victorie in the ende may be certaine 2. Tim. 1. 12. 2. Tim. 4. 7 For I know whom I haue beleued and that he is able to saue that which I haue committed vnto him I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the faith I haue finished my course Ro. 16. 20. A crowne of righteousnesse is laide vp for me And God will subdue Sathan vnder our feete The twentith Chapter Of Nobilitie of Bondage of Occupying marchandise and ingrosing of wares ARistotle in his seconde booke of Rhetorickes writeth of Nobilitie In Rom. 9. verse 4. Wherein Nobilitie consisteth that the same consisteth héerein that a mā haue excellent and famous Auncestors For although that oftentimes euen in these our dayes are found mē which atchieue notable interprises of no lesse excellencie than are those mentioned of the forefathers yet are those auncient actes of greater estimation by reason of their antiquitie For there is a difference betwéene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A difference betwéene gentlemen and well borne men For they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are borne of noble parents but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are those which retaine still the vertue of their Ancestours and doe not degenerate from them A similitude We sée that in the families of noble men the selfesame thing in a manner happeneth which happeneth in corne which is accustomed some yéeres to bring foorth more plentifully and some yéeres more barrainly And sometime it chaunceth that after a fewe barraine yéeres followe other fertill yéeres So the families of noble men sometime bring foorth manie excellent men as it were a verie plentifull haruest sometime as it were an vnfruitfull soyle they lie barren and idle And againe afterward they after a sort reuiue vnto the vertue of their Ancestors And how this degenerating commeth the same Aristotle after this manner declareth It commeth to passe oftentimes saith he that the children or posteritie of wise wittie men become fierce and cruel as it is written of the posterities of Alcibiades And on the other side of méeke louing and gentle Parents are borne childrē cowardish sluggish and blockish which we read to haue happned in the families of Symon and Socrates The selfe same things may we beholde in the children of Israel They had Patriarkes as Princes of their stocke being men indued with great vertues and singular nobilitie Of their posteritie sprang foorth oftentimes excellent men which posteritie although sometimes it séemed to lie still without any notable issue yet GOD alwayes betwéene whiles stirred vp in it some either Iudges or Kings or Prophets or Priests which excelled in life wisedome and godlinesse Moreouer the same Aristotle in his first Booke of Rhetorickes writeth that the true nobilitie or felicitie of any nation herein chiefely consisteth True nobilitie requireth to haue vertue ioyned with the prosperitie of fortune that together with prosperous successe it haue vertue ioyned which two thinges God gaue aboundantly vnto the Hebrewes He addeth moreouer that the people is called noble which is not mingled with the mixture and confusion of other nations For which consideration the Athenians boasted that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of one and the selfe same soyle The Hebrewes had their stocke pure and vnmixed 2 But there can be shewed of no nation which had a stocke so pure and vnmixt as had the Hebrewes For Abraham was the head of their stocke whose Nephew Iacob had 12. children of whō came the 12. tribes Further euerie tribe had their certaine families Landes Cities and Regions which they inhabited To be short as writeth Eusebius De preparatione Euangelica there was no common wealth neither of the Lacedemonians nor Athenians which two séemed of all other to bee most excellent which had their stocke so certaine or their tribes so certainly deriued from one Prince and progenitour For to nobilitie is required that the people should liue in their owne lawes But no nation at any time had their lawes so proper as had the nation of the Hebrewes No Nation had Lawes so proper to them as the Hebrewes had For lawes were giuen them particularly from GOD which infinitelie excelled the lawes of all other nations And they liued vnder their owne lawes so long as they obeyed the Lord. For he then defended them from all misfortunes But by reason of their sinnes they were sometimes led awaie captiue by outward nations But these captiues were not perpetuall sith after that they had bin punished for their wickednes they were restored to their olde places againe Moreouer antiquitie commendeth and setteth forth the nobilite of a people The cōmon wealth of the Iewes was most auncient For there can be nothing of Antiquitie founde in the histories of the Ethnickes but that the same followed long time after that the common wealth of the Iewes was establishd Before the warre of Troy The wares of Troy in the time of Iephthe whatsoeuer is set forth by Ethnicke writers is fabulous And that warre was then made when Iephthe was now Iudge ouer the commonwealth of the Iewes Also it furthereth no small deale vnto nobilitie to haue had excellent men of that stocke And there was neuer either more or more excellent men than among the Iewes I will not speake of the great multitude of children and the goodnesse in children which woonderfully flourished among the Iewes 3 I know there be some which despise this nobilitie deriued from Ancestors Arguments against nobilitie For they say that oftentimes of horses are borne Mules And they make mentiō of Iphicrates which béeing a notable Emperour and hearing one contumelouslie and insolentlie obiecting vnto him that he was the sonne of a shoomaker made this aunswere Iphicrates answere concerning the basenes of his parent age My stocke beginneth in me but thine endeth in thée And he which vpbraideth vnto a man either fortune or want of nobilitie doth euen like him which beateth the garments but toucheth not the bodie For euen as garments are without the bodie so nobilitie and fortune are without vs are accounted among outward good things Cicero although hée were a man newe start vp yet hée made no great account of his nobilitie They which giue themselues to hunting prepare the best dogges they can get for hunting and not whelpes though they come of neuer so good a kinde Two similitudes And for battell strong and warrelike horses are sought for and not the coults of good horses Whereto serueth pedigrees or whereto is it good Friend Ponticus to be deriud from long descent of bloud Or what shall it auaile to thee to recken in a roe
he brake the heart of Achab so as he had no aunswere to make wherefore he gaue place to the Prophet But the Romanistes at this day are not content with such a reason because they make their owne inuentions equal vnto the scriptures or else account them greater How the word of troubling is vsed in the Scriptures Iosua 7. 25. Now resteth it to sée whether the Scriptures vse the worde of Troubling in such sort as I haue set it foorth In the booke of Iosua it is said that Achan troubled the people because against the commaundement of God he had conueighed of the thinges accursed which thing gréeuouslie displeased Also Iacob said to Simeon and Leui You troubled me Gen. 34. 29 for against right and equitie and promise made you slue the Sichemites the third day after their circumcision But much more plainelie dooth it appeare out of Paul to the Galathians the first Chapter where he saith Gal. 1. 6. I maruell of you that ye so soone departed from Christ to an other Gospell which is not an other Gospell but that there be some which trouble you He meant that the false Apostles troubled the Christians in respect that they ledde them away from the Gospell 11 But for somuch as the Magistrate is a liuelie lawe and that he representeth God That those which striue against the magistrate are Seditious they which rise vp against him are iustlie said to be seditious séeing they asmuch as in them lyeth doe take away the execution of lawes and the Image of God Wherefore the Magistrate must be reuerenced How farre foorth he must be obeyed Neither must we be against him so long as he ruleth according to the word of God or by honest ciuill decrées or else while he command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is things indifferent although they may otherwhile séeme to be gréeuous paineful 1. Pet. 2. 18. For Peter saith that we must obay our Maisters though they be froward Matt. 5. 41. And thither may be drawen the wordes of Christ wherein he said If anie man shall constraine thee to goe one mile goe with him twaine And if a man will take away thy Cote giue him also thy Cloke But if the Magistrate wil commaund vngodlie things and those thinges which be repugnant to the word of God he is not to be heard neither must he be obeyed Acts. 4. 19. For we must obey God rather than men If he commaund to woorship Images to corrupt and deforme the Sacramentes or commaund dishonest customes or will aduenture to set foorth new Articles of faith we must not obey him Neither by so dooing can the crime of sedition or troubling be laid against vs. And not onelie we must not obey but we must also gainesay and repugne vngodlinesse as much as in vs lyeth Matt. 23. 1. Matt. 3. 7. 14. 4. after the example of Christ of Iohn Baptist and of all the Prophets and Apostles and to thinke that those men were troublers is a wicked part Exod. 7. 6. c. Moses and Aaron were against Pharao in laying before him the word of God and certainelie by him they were called seditious whenas yet they were nothing lesse Esa 6. 4. 1. king 15. 11. 2. kings 18. 3. 2. kings 21. 1. c. Neither were Iosias Ezechias and Asah seditious princes when they ouerthrewe the Images Idols and superstitions which their Auncestors had erected and held in estimation The high priestes and Scribes and also the Romane princes would haue had the Apostles to be altogether silent and not to haue preached the name of Christ which they would not doe And Abraham would not woorship the fire as it was woorshipped in his countrie Dan. 2. 18. Daniel and his fellowes saide to Nabuchad-nezar Wée will not woorship thy Image Yet are they not therefore by the iudgement of the godlie accounted seditious Wherefore let the Magistrate be obeyed and had in honour when he coÌ„mandeth things according to the word of GOD when he ruleth by iust decrées or commaundeth things indifferent But it is demaunded Whether Elias in calling the king a troubler violated that Law Thou shalt not speake euill of the Prince whether Elias in calling the king a troubler went against that precept wherby GOD commanded that no man should speake euill of the Prince of his owne nation We aunswere that commaundement is violated when that is doone rashlie or for his owne aduantage or else when the authoritie it selfe is contemned which thing Elias himselfe did not Onelie he accused his sinne so farre foorth as belonged to his owne function Luk 13. 32. And Christ called Herod a Foxe And as touching them which would haue killed him Iohn 8. 44. he said That they were Children of the Diuill Sometimes it furthereth verie much to the glorie of God and also vnto the Church that the sinnes of Magistrates should be reprooued and that is doone without sedition or troubling But hereof we haue spoken sufficientlie VVhether it be lavvfull for subiectes to rise against their Prince 12 Let vs diuide subiectes In Iudg. â— about the end so as some of them may be mere priuate men and others in such sort inferiour as the superiour power in a manner dependeth of them As among the Lacedemonians were their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and at Rome the Tribunes of the people Those which onely are subiect and counted altogether priuate ought not to arise against their Princes and Lordes and displace them of their dignitie or degrée Ephe. 6. 5. Col. 3. 21. 1. Pet. 2. 18. The two Apostles Peter and Paul haue commaunded the same namely that seruaunts shoulde obey their Lordes how rigorous and hard soeuer they be Moreouer Rom. â—3 1. the sworde as it is written to the Romans is onely giuen to the powers And they which resist the power are saide to resist the ordinaunce of God Iere. 27. 29. 2. kings 24 20. God woulde that the Iewes shoulde obey Nabuchad-nezar and was angrie with Zedechias the king because he reuolted from him Yea and Ieremie by the commaundement of God Ier. 29. 7. admonished and exhorted the people to pray for the health of the king of Babylon 1. Sam. 24. â— Dauid also would not stretch foorth his hand against the annointed of the Lorde when he might haue doone it without any difficultie and to his great commoditie The godly souldiers of Iulianus the Apostata obeyed the same Iulianus in fighting and pitching their Campes neither did they at any time notwithstanding they were armed drawe weapon against that most cruell Tyrant Phocas when he had slaine Mauritius possessed the Empyre by great violence and iniustice and wrote vnto Gregorie at Rome who obeyed him as his Prince and gaue vnto him great reuerence 13 But there be others in the Common weale which in place and dignitie are inferiour vnto Princes and yet in verie déede doe
his dearest sister in his roume who maie perfourme many moe things than he could and shall the more fully answere the opinion conceiued of you in that you are the elder and therefore shall gouerne the kingdome not by the will of others but by your owne iudgement Wherefore you haue most gracious Quéene most liuelie examples of the auncient and also of the latter kings and finallie of your most déere brother in whose steps if you be willing religiously to walke and willing thereunto you ought to be you shall obtaine many singular great coÌ„modities First you shall doe an acceptable thing vnto God by ioining your selfe vnto his word you shall restore the Church of Christ which is almost vtterly decaied you shal satisfy the godlier sorte of your owne nation By your noble example you shal shew to foreine princes a sounde and sincere patterne of gouernment And I beséech you neuer hearken vnto them which faigne that the regard of the reformation of religion belongeth not vnto Princes That the â—aâ—e of Religion belongeth vnto â—ings For the good kings whome I before remembred did not so iudge The holy Scriptures doe not so instruct vs neither did the verie Ethnickes and Philosophers themselues so iudge Is it the office of a godlie Magistrate to defende onely one and that the latter table of the lawe diuine Shall the Prince take vppon him the care of all other businesse that they bee doone rightlie and without fraude and shall cast awaie the respect of Religion onelie God forbid If Bishops and Ministers of Churches shall not doe their duetie if in handling of doctrine and administring of the Sacraments they forsake the iust rules of the holy Scriptures who but a godlie Prince shall reuoke them into the right way Let not your Maiestie expect as things nowe be that those men are stirred vp to these things of themselues vnlesse they be mooued thereunto by princely authoritie they will not repaire the ruine of the Temple of God Ioas a king of the Iewes 2. kings 12. 8. when he perceiued that the Préestes perfourmed not this took vnto him the charge to amend the decaied buildings of the Temple Go forward therfore O holie â—ebora of our times Ioine vnto you some godlie Barac Iud. 4. 6. The manlie courage of godlie women The Israelites which are diuers waies oppressed deliuer you to the sincere and pure libertie of the Gospell Bée not afraide for God is not woont to leaue these enterprises destitute of his fauour Him you shall haue with you that you Ib. ver 21. like valiaunt Iahel may strike the head of Iabin with the hammer of your power and fasten it to the ground from whence it came whereby he may cease to be troublesome vnto your good nation We haue verie great hope that you shall bee the same Hester which shall driue Haman vnto hanging Hester 7. which thirsteth for the slaughter and blood of the people of God Let these holie women be an incouragement vnto your Maiestie and suffer not your selfe to faint for this cause that you are not borne a man but a woman 1. Cor. 1. 28 For where doth the power of God rather discouer it selfe than it dooth in weakenes Neither he vsed the strong things of the world to spread the kingdom of Christ but by weake and base men he subdued to the Gospell the wisedome of man and the loftie reasons of the flesh And in that warre which Xerxes waged against the Gretians if wée shall regard the Ethnicke affaires the men of Persia were slaine and gaue them selues to shameful flight when in the meane time Artemisia the most renowmed Quéene with a manly minde fought most stoute battailes Which thing being vnderstoode Xerxes saide that the men in that battaile were women that the women had shewed themselues to be most valiant men Also Zenobia defended the Empire of Rome much more valiantly than did Galienus Albeit thankes be to God there is nothing sauing woman kinde that can iustly bee noted in your Maiestie either woman like or weake But least I should be thought to speake to please your eares I am minded to passe ouer the incomparable learning the knowledge of tongues the clemencie virginitie wisedome and aboue all other the godlinesse and other vertues wherewith you being adorned by the benefite of God are not onelie called but are in verie déede most famous Wherefore girde your selfe with a good courage vnto that holy worke which all good people doe expect of you feare nothing at all the deceites of the diuell the impediments of wicked persons nor yet the weakenesse of woman kind God shall put awaie all these thinges with one breath of his mouth In the meane time verilie it shall be my part and such as I am to desire of God in our daily deuoute praiers that he will first graunt vnto your Maiestie that you may throughly perceiue all that good is by your own wit and vnderstanding secondly that wholsome and profitable counsels may by others be suggested vnto you further that you may receiue those things that shall be rightly shewed you and finally that in whatsoeuer you shal vndertake God will graunt you fortunate and happie successe These praiers doe I dailie make vnto God for you most gratious Ladie and doe promise that while I liue I will neuer cease from these prayers Prou. 21. 1. But the heauenly Father which hath the heartes of Kings in his owne hand by whom Kings doe raigne Prou. 8. 15. and who at his owne pleasure transferreth Empires to whom he will Dan. 2. 21. euen he by his spirit direct your Maiestie together with the Church and nation of England and by his comfortable grace long continue the same in safetie At Tigure 22. of December 1558. Your Maiesties most humble Oratour Peter Martyr Here followe certaine Theologicall Epistles of D. P. Martyr vnto diuers States and priuate Persons To all the faithfull of the Church of Luca Sainctes by calling grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Peter Martyrs separating himselfe from Papistrie IF I should vse long silence in this flying awaie no doubt but it woulde be vnprofitable vngratefull vnto you and it woulde ill become me so to do Wherefore hauing the spirite of God as I hope I haue I minded to talke with you by these letters since I cannot speake with you face to face I taried at Basill vntill the 16. Calendes of Nouember Although I were welcome and receiued of all men yet I founde no fit state of life for my studies because the Citie had no néede of teachers Therefore since I was not able to beare out pouertie and scarsenesse without some honest labour and that my minde gaue me not to take anie other trade in hande than mine owne namelie the expounding of the worde of God I remained in a doubt expecting what the Lorde would haue to be doone with me