be obedient vnto the higher power in a kingdome and monarchie where one is appointed to rule all the subiects of the same realme are bounde to obey the King appointed by God of what condition state or degree soeuer they bee as the king himselfe is bounde to bee obedient vnto the lawe and vnto God where as the laws be not contrary to the lawe of God and the lawe of nature And here is no exception to bee made No man in a kingdome is or oughte to bee priuiledged or exempt from the obedience of the king which is the higher power And the ecclesiasticall lawes that doe exempt and priuiledge any spirituall as they be called or temporall person from this generall rule Euery man be obedient to the higher power is damnable and hereticall manifestly condemned by the word of God For Christe and his Apostles payde tribute Mat. 17.22 Rom. 13. and other duties vnso the Higher powers of the earth And the powers that heere S. Paule speaketh of be not onely Kings emperors but also such as be appointed to any publique office and common regiment eyther for a King where as is a Kingdome or in the place of a King where as the state of the common wealth is no monarchie but a rule and dominion commended to many To all these S. Paule commandeth obedience honor reuerence and loue to be borne And this is specially to be noted in S Paule that he sayth simply and plainely we should obey the higher powers to confute argue and reprehend those that cloak and excuse their inobedience cyther for the age of the rulers or els for conditions and maners of the rulers And that age dischargeth no man for inobedience the worde of God declareth how that hee was present to helpe yong kings 2. Chro. 〈◊〉 and to defend them in their vnder age as it is to bee seene by king Iosâ—as Also God punisheth young Kinges as often as they walke not after his worde as it is to bee seene by Iehoiacim 1. Chro. 36. that was crowned in the eight yeare of his age and within three monethes and Tenne dayes for the Synnes he committed before God he was taken prisoner by Nabuchadnezer Euen so was Manasses beeing of 12. yeares of age Neither doth the maners and condition of the Magistrates excuse our inobedience thogh they be naught For Paule biddeth vs looke vppon the power and ancthoritie of the higher powers and not vpon their maners 1. Pet. 2. * And S. Peter commaundeth the seruauntes to obey their Masters though they be euil So Ioseph obeid Pharaoh and Christ our sauiour Pilate S. Paule the emperours of Rome Caligula and Nero. And when S. Paule commaundeth vs to be obedient he meaneth not onely we shoulde speake reuerently and honorably of the higher power or make curtesie vnto him but to obey the lawes set foorth by the powers except they commaund thinges against gods laws Act. 5. then must * we obey more God then men and yet not to striue and fight with the Magistrates but suffer patiently death rather then to offend God or els our obedience is no thing but hipocrisie and dissimulation Who wold accept his own childs making of curtesie when all his facts be contrary to his commaundement What master woulde bee content or thinke his seruaunt did his duety in putting of his Cap and in his doing contemneth all his maisters lawes and commaundements The lawes of a Magistrate be of two conditions and sorts eyther they concerne God or man If they concerne or appertaine to God either they be according to the word of God or contrary to the word of God If they be according to the word of God of necessity and bondage vpon paine of damnation they must be obeyed If they be repugnant to the word of God they shoulde not be obeyed Yet rather shoulde a man suffer death then to defend him selfe by force and violent resisting of the superiour powers as Christe his Apostles and the Prophets did If the lawes concerne and appertaine vnto man and vnto things Ciuill they must simply without exception be obeyed except they repugne and be contrary to the law of nature Exod. 1. As Pharaohs lawes and commaundementes was to the Midwiues that they shoulde haue killed all the men children that the women of Isralites brought foorth Seeing Sainte Paul commandeth vs to giue obedience vnto the higher powers howe muche be these men worthy hell fire that resist them both with hand hart and tong Exod. 22. In the book of Exodus the people is commanded not too speake euil of the higher powers read that place learn to detest abhor those runagats that euery iâ— tauern and taphouse spew oute their blasphemous and traiterous talks Exod. 23.22 against the magistrates when they shold rather look vpoÌ„ their own faâ—â—ts studie to amend them And also pray God to do thesame in the Magistrats that it might please him of his greate mercye to amende and redresse all thinges that be amisse After that S. Paul hath generally coÌ„mmanded al men to be obedient to the higher powers he sheweth the causes wherefore they should be obeyed The text For there is no power saith he but of God The powers that bee are ordeyned of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth power resisteth the ordinances of God BEcause that naturally there is in euerye man a certaine desire of libertye and to liue withoute subiection and all maner of lawes except suche as please him selfe Sainte Paule is not content generally to exhort and commaund all men to obedience of the higher powers but giueth many greate and waighty causes wherefore men shoulde bee obedient and in subiection vnto them The first is because the office of a Magistrate is the ordinaunce of God and seeing all the ordinaunces and powers of God are to be obeyed necessarely it followeth that with out al tergiuersation hipocrisie and collusion the Magistrate must be obeyed except we will say in some respectes God is is not to bee obeyed And of this reason of Saint Paule wee muste uote Firste the dignitie and honour of a publique person that his office and place is the ordinance and appointment of God And therefore the Magistrats be called Gods in the holy scripture Exod. 22. Psal 82. For no man can come to the office of a Magistrate but by the permission and sufferance of God Many times some persons come vnto the place of a ruler by false and preposserous meanes as those doe that for a priuate lucre or priuate hatred to other put vp them selues and pull downe those that God hath appointed But such vngodly comming to honour God suffereth and appointeth for the sinnes of the people such euill and dissembling hiporrites to raigne But let the King and Magistrate be as wicked as can be deuised thoght yet is his office and place the ordinance and appointment of God and therefore to be obeyed And as it is the
that commeth by land or trade of Marchandise and in this point faith must bee kept to all men according to the lawes appoynted by the higher power Feare is due vnto God the King to parentes and to all other of whome we be holpe in body or Soule and so is honour due likewise Therefore sayth the lawe feare God honour the King honour Father and Mother c. 1. Pet. 2. Exod. 20. Arise to a hoare hed Saint Paul breketh his disputation of duetyes and will tary no longer in the enumeration and numbring of the partes and particulars of duetyes but prefereth altogether so charitie in this wise The Text. Owe nothing to any man but to loue one the other AS though he had sayde what needeth it to write much of dueties contractes of buyinge lendings and such other lyke thinges Let charitie be the rule of all these thinges vnto the which if the subiect submit himself he will vse his higher power none otherwise than he wold be vsed himself if he were an higher power the higher power the subiect none otherwyse then though hee were a subiect him selfe what so euer thing agreeth with charitie is good What so euer agreeth not with Charitie is euill But many men can not tell what charitie is And therefore it is no marnaile thogh al their doings be against charitie Charitie is a feruent desire earnest study to do wel vnto al men yea euen with the hurt of him that doeth it if necessity so requireth as S Paule teacheth And S Ihon saith christ gaue his lyfe for vs and we ought to giue ours for our brothers The effects properties Phil. 2. and conditions of this charity S Paule sheweth and saith Charitie suffereth 1. Ioh. 3. wil not do euill for euill looketh not her owne profit charity will not conspire nor worke traiterously but pray for them that persecute her Thus S Paule declareth that we be debttours to keepe peace and quietnesse among our neighbours and to do al meÌ„ good as long as we liue Faith maketh vs frée before God in Christ Iesu charitie maketh vs seruants to our neighbours for the loue of Christ S. Paule proueth by examples that charitie shoulde be the rule of all our doinges with these words that follow The Text. For hee that loueth another fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultrie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaundement they are all comprehended in this saying loue thy neighbour as thy selfe A Wonderful commendation of charitie that who so obserueth her fulfilleth the whole law meaning the law that appertayneth for the duety and offices to be done betwéene man and man And not that any man can satisfie the law before God sauing only Christ no nor all partes towardes man for no man loueth his neighbour so feruently as the law of God requireth Yet S Paule saith we fulfil the law when we giue our selues earnestly holy as much as lieth in vs to work the law And then our lack imperfectioÌ„ shal be profited and accounted ful and sufficient for Christes sake he addeth yet an other coÌ„mendation of charitie The Text. Loue hurteth not his neighbour THat is to say he that hath a Christian loue can not hurt his neighbour By this rule men may know whither they haue charity or not for in case we deminish the goods of our neighbors whether they be of his bodye or his soule or els of his possessions honour place or dignitie Or if we increse not these goods towards all meÌ„ if we may there is no charity in vs. Or els if we diminish not their euils and troubles as we may eyther if we doe the euils in any sort by our selues or by other we haue no charitie in vs. By this rule we may now know whether we loue our brothers or not and duly examining our selues we shall sée how farre we be from charitie and that it is an easie thing to speake and talke of charitie and a very harde matter to practise and lead our liues according to charitie For if we had as much charitie as we professe to hane we should satisfie al the law as S. Paule saith The text Therefore is loue the fulfilling of the law MEaning by the lawe the secoâ—â— table of the ten Commaundements in the which is contayned the duetye and office of euerye man to all maner of persons of what condition soeuer they be As for the law of the first table which contayneth the religion of God feare faith loue prayer obedience patience right vse of Sacramentes with such other as appertayneth onely vnto God and be the fountayne and originall of all good workes For here his argument and state is to tell what men shoulde doe to men and in the first table is declared what man should doe to God fully and sufficiently these two former partes sufficiently declared by Saint Paul he followeth with the third part of the chapter which contayneth an exhortation vnto innocencie and honesty of life The Text. Because we know the season how that it is time we should awake now out of sleepe HItherto S. Paule hath taught how christiaÌ„ men should behaue theÌ„ selues not only towards the publik person the King and Magistrate whom they be bound to honor obey but also towards priuate persons that beare no office whoÌ„ they be bound to loue And that the same obedience to the higher power and loue towards al men may the better preserue continue hee addeth now an exhortation to honest liuing and Godly conuersation which he taketh metaphorically or by similitude of the time saying it is meete we should liue honestly now for it is time meaning by the time the season and time wherin the grace of God in Christ Iesu is preached and opened to the world the which shoulde not giue vs occasion of wickednes and sin but rather wake vs out of our sléepe and to reare vs out of sinne Here mark what the Apostle calleth sleepe and what to rise and wake out of sleepe Sleepe is a stupor and deadnes of the minde that resteth and is a sléepe in euil and mischiefe and careth not for the law nor wil of God but wil follow religion of wil phantasies idolatrie superstition ignoraunce and al vngodly conuersatioÌ„ without al fear feeling or remorse of Gods displeasure In this sleepe resteth al idolaters obstinate dronken couetous enuious sedicious traiterous adulterous sclaÌ„derous proud and negligent persons that feele not nor repent not though they be sunke downe euen to bottom and very dregs of these euils FroÌ„ this sléepe the gospel of Christ prouoketh exeitateth stirreth if obstinacy haue not endured and made hard our harts And would haue vs to correct amend our self and idolatrical iudgement in religion from our wils to honesty and obedience and to a new life that we
strength treason sedition commotion assemblance and gathering togeather of such as he is him selfe against Gods lawes Gods ordinances Magistrates and superiour powers take away and vsurpe euery mans goods he careth not how Not remembring the iudgment and terrible damnation of God for his so doing and that it is his bounden duty to suffer and beare such needes and necessities as God layeth vppon vs for our sinnes And that vpon paine of hell fire no man shoulde reuenge his ovvne wronges but commend him selfe to God who can and vvill heare the prayers of the poore in their troubles and needes And that they should offer their supplications to the kinges maiestie and to such other as be appointed for the redresse of such oppression and wronges and not to take weapons armour and force against God and his ordinances In case the Kings maiestie and the rest apointed to see poore mens causes redressed will not hearken to their clamour doubtlesse the ire and vengeance of God will punish them and so much the rather if the people quietly and obediently commend their causes vnto him the which it they do not they perish eternally For there is no traitour nor seditious man can be saued but obedieÌ„t and quiet men shall inherite the kingdome of heauen and such as suffer wrong and not such as do wrong or intend to reuenge by strength their owne wrongs Therefore to keepe the people of this Diocesse from the displeasure of God and their King and my selfe from euerlasting damnation I require you most diligently to teach them this chapter euery weeke one part of it the Saterday at euensong the other the Sunday at the morning prayer and the third part the Sonday at euensong Thus fare ye all wel and God giue vs grace al well to discharge our offices commended vnto vs. Yours with all my heart Brother and fellow-preacher Iohn Gloucester To the Christian Reader _â—He office duty of a christian man is contained in two parts The firste that be vse himselfe aright and reuerently with God The seconde that hee vse him comely and honestly with man In the Epistle to the Romans from the beginning S. Paul hath fully and sufficiently declared the duty and office of man towards God towardes the end he declareth how we may honestly do our duties towards men Both these offices must diligently be knowne and exercised And because a ciuil outward life seeme it neuer so honest is meere and very hipocrisie and can not please God except the mind and soule inwardly bee well affected towards him I thinke it conuenient briefly to declare wherein S Paul in this epistle doth put the religion of the heart of man towardes God and then we shall the better descende vnto such dueties and offices as appertaineth to all maner of persons as well publique as priuate First S. Paule perceiueth that the grace and promises of God cannot be knowne of man vntil such time as he be brought to acknowledge and displeasure of his sinnes The Phisition Phisicke be vnprofitable vnto such as know not that they be sicke as Christ sayd Math. 9. I came not to cal the iâ—st but sinners to repentaunce Therefore we must know the wound of our soules and the sickenesse of sinne before we can get any profit by the grace of God We must confesse that all men and women except Christ are borne the children of yre and of Gods displeasure and that we beare about in vs synne that alwayes repugneth the spirit wherby we are acertayned that we be always subiect vnto synn as S. Rom. 11. Paul sayth be concludeth al men vnder synne because he might haue mercy vpon al. Seing we are all synners and the rewarde of synne Rom. 6. Ephe. 2. S. Paules conclusion where be sayth we are borne all the children of Gods displeasure is true How then may we be deliuered from this great yre and displeasure 1. Ioh. 4. Rom. 5. By the mercye of God the father towards vs that first loued vs or we loued him whiles we were yet his enemies But what is that wherewith all we may be annexed and reconciled vnto God by his mercy when there is no good thing in 〈◊〉 but all filthy sinful It is Iesus Christ the son of God most dere beloued in whom the father is conteÌ„ted by whoÌ„ he is recoÌ„ ciled vnto al sinners that repent beleue his promises Mat. 3.17 Ephe. 12. Col. 1.2 Rom. 8. Phil. 2. for the merites sheding of Christs bloud his dere beloued sonne After that we see and perceiue so great a mercy pitty of our heauenly father that wold not fauour nor spare his only sonne to dye for our redempio but gaue him to the most cruel vile death of the crosse forvs how should not we trust to so merciful a father in al our troubles aduersityes whether they be of body or soul Why should we not cal onely vpon so merciful a God Mat 11. If we do thus amend our liues beleeue his promises and study a better lyfe Luk. â— we shall not onelie be saued by his mercy but also glad to serue him and walke before him in innocency purenes of life also obediently quietly in the world giue reuerence and loue to all persons accordingly to whom honor honor to whom loue loue to whom iustice iustce to whom mercy mercy Vnto this christian â—uietnes reuerence loue and feare doth at the scripture exhort vs cheefly this present 13. chap. to the Ro. For the vnderstanding wherof the better I note at the beginning a certaine diuersitie and difference of persons There be and euer hath bene some publique persons and some priuate persons Publique persons be those that beare any office rule re giment or dominion in a common wealth as a king with all his iustices Maiors Sheriffes Baliffes Constables and other Priuate persons be such as be subiectes vnder these officers These two persons must be diuersly vsed the duety that is due vnto the one is not due vnto the other in ciuill respectes And seeing we must liue with both these persons and states apointed to be in the world by almighty God S. Paul in this Chapiter is very diligent to teach instruct vs how we should liue accordingly in truth and honesty towards them both The diuision of the Chapter Partes 1 VVhy the superiour powers should be obeyed Partes 2 How we be debters of loue to the publique person and Magistrate and to the priuate person that is a subiect indifferently Partes 3 Containeth an exhortation to innocencie and honestie of life that the truth being once knowne and receiued euery man should abstaine and kepe him selfe from filthinesse and vncleane life The first part concerning the obedience of the Magistrates The Text. Let euery soul submit himselfe vnto the aucthority of the higher powers SAint Paul pronounceth generally that euery soule that is to saye euerye man shoulde
higher power Lu. c. 10. contemneth and disobeyeth God And so sayth Christ who so contemneth such as I appoint and send contemneth me And the same saide God vnto Moses They haue not cast of thee but mee Also the magistrate there is warned to take heede he doe nothing but as the minister of God to rule and gouerne after his word Deu 17. â— Cor. 4. For this God requireth of him that he be a faithfull minister And whensoeuer hee begin to waxe lofty hauty arrogant and proude let him remember S. Pauls wordes that he is but a minister And where as S. Paul saith the magistrate is ordeined for the wealth of the people he must take heede of the end wher vnto he is appointed be in need as God wold him to be a wealth and saluation of the people to defend iust causes and to condemne such as be vniust to remoue false and supersticious religion and to plant true and godly religion to maintaine such as profite the Churche and flocke of Christ and to remoue such as hinder and deceiue them S. Paule now prosecutetd his matter and sheweth who should feare the higher powers with these wordes The Text. If thou do euill then feare for he beareth not a sworde for nought but hee is the minister of God to take punishment of them that do euill EUen as S. Paul saith here that the cause of feare to an euill man is that the Magistrate beareth a sword Euen so doth he declare that it is not inough for the Magistrate to beare a sword but to vse execute the sword as the sinnes of the people require to punish and kil them if the law so find them gyltie and for feare of the vse of the sword which is not in vaine they should keepe euill doers in obedience and feare and so much the more because hee is the minister of God and his punishment is the very hand and will of God when he punisheth euill doers And it is not he that killeth but God whose place he occupieth beeing a Magistrate and higher power For God commandeth him to punish Exod. 23.22 Liuit 19.20 Deu. 19. and not to fauour such euill and naughty persons It is very diuilishnes to accuse the Magistrates of euill doinges when they punish or put to death euil doers seing in their thie doing they be none other but Gods Ministers And where as the scripture forbiddeth punishement and reuenging it meaneth that no priuate man shoulde reuenge his owne cause nor fight at his pleasure but rather suffer wronges if the law will not redresse it And if the iudge and Magistrate in a cause of the law for lucre feare loue friendship or any other respect kill any man that is not worthy by the law to die the iudg and Magistrate is a very murtherer And so he is if hee saue any man that the lawe condemneth For hee is as saint Paule saith a Minister of God who neuer saueth one and condemneth the other in like causes Saint Paule when he hath sufficiently deelared the dignitie and honour of the higher power gathereth by two necessary causes more that the Magistrate is to be obeyed with these wordes The Text. Wherefore yee must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience THe one cause wherfore we must obey is the feare of paine punishment the which the Magistrate must minister by the commaandement of God vnto all such as disobey and contemne the ordinance of God The other is conscience for although the magistrat do not sée nor know how thou doest disobey breake the order of God or els if thou couldest by power and strength ouercome the magistrates yet thy conscience is bound to obey that for many causes First because the magistrate is the ordinaunce of God then because disobedience breaking of Gods law troubleth the publique comon peace giueth other stomack incouraging to disobey Al these euils followeth disobedience the which of conscieÌ„ce we are bound to eschew auoid Ther be some so indurates past grace the think themselues not bound to obey this order and higher power appointed commanded of God but doubtles those shal perish with their captains as Aâ—chiâ—â—phel did with his Absolon If the higher power commaund any thing contrary vnto Gods word they shoulde not be obeied Notwithstanding there shoulde be such modestie sobernesse vsed as should be without all violence force and rebellion As Peter and Iohn vsed saying God is more to be obeyed then man And so in saying of truth they continued in the truth without mouing of sedition and suffred death for the truth as Fabian and Ciprian holy martyrs and recordes of God suffered in Affrica vnder Decius the Emperor of Rome How we are bound in conscience to obey them S. Paul declareth further saying The Text. And euen for this cause pay yee tribute for they are Gods ministers appoynted to the same purpose IF we were not bound in conscience to obey them we should not need to pay tribute vnto them but seeing we ought to pay tribute Taxes and subsidies we know they doe defend vs against al force violence and wronges of our ennemies Therfore tribute is a note and knowledge of our obedience which we must pay willingly 〈◊〉 gladly of duety as Christ sayth giue vnto God the which is Gods and to the emperor that which is the emperors S. Paule sheweth the cause why tribute ought to be payed vnto the higher powers because saith he they be ordeyned of God to preserue and defend the common wealth in peace and quietnes to punish the euil and to defend the good And without the magistrates helpe this can not be done as yee may read in the booke of the Iudges how the people fel into al mischiefe when they wanted a lawful Magistrate and superiour power and euery man did as it séemed best in his owne eyes And in the Prophet Esay Esay 3. the Lord threatneth the wicked Hierusalem because there was none in it worthy to beare rule EueÌ„ as subiectes be bound to obey this higher power so must the higher power alway take heed that vertue good men be coÌ„mended and euil men with sin and disobedience punished Now followeth the second part of the Chapter The text Giue to euery man therfore his duety tribute to whom tribute belongeth Custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whom honour pertayneth WHen S. Paule hath sufficiently told vs our dueties to the higher power he descendeth from that particularity and one sort of persons to a generallitie how we should do our duties to al maner of persons First generally he saith we shoulde giue euerie man his due Then numbreth he certaine kinds and particulers of duties Tribute we owe to kings and Magistrats that must we faithfully pay or els the with holders commit theft therfore Christ payed tribute Custome is the reuenewes or profites