statutes and lawes will saye ◅e doo not willingli any thing against Goddes honour or the wealthe of our countrey or deceaue any that put their trust in vs. If any suche thing folowe it is by reason that we were ignoraunt Tell me If beseche thee if thou hadest hyred one to be thy shepehearde and thy shepe should vnder his hande by his ignoraunce myscarie or if thy horsekeper taking wages should through his necligence suffre thy horse to perishe woldest thou not compte him faulty and loke for amendes at his handes Should ignoraunce excuse him No thou woldest saye I hyred thee and thou tokest it vpon thee And so thou woldest not onely force hym to make satisfaction but also woldest thinke it iuste to haue hi◅ punished besydes to make himself no more cōnyng than the was not to deceaue any that put their trust in him Than thei are muche to blame that being put in trust in Courtes and parliamentes to make lawes and statutes to the aduauncement of Goddes glorie and conseruation of the liberties and common wealthe of their countrey neglecte their off◅ce and charge being appointed to be not only kepers of Goddes people not of hogges neither of horses and mules which haue no vnderstāding but of that deare stocke which Christ purchaced with the price of his hart blood but also as phisicianes and Surgeons to redresse reforme and heale if any thing be amysse And if a phisitian for lucre or other mennes pleasure wold take vpon him the healing of a sore diseased per sone and for lacke of knowlage or vpō other euil pur pose wold ministre thinges to hurt or kill the persone were he not worthy to be taken and punished as a bocher and a man murtherer But ye will saye we gaue credit to others and they deceaued vs. Thinke ye that this balde excuse will serue Is it not written that if the blynde leade the blynde bothe shall fall in to the pitte Did the plea that Eua made for offending in eating the forbidden apple whan she sayed the serpent had deceaued her excuse her Nothing lesse She was not only her self therfore punished with suche paynes as greater than deathe none could be deuised hut also all her posteritie Other perhappes of you will saie ye dare doo non otherwise If ye did ye should be taken for enemies of the gouernour runne in to indignation and so lose your bodies and goodes and vndoo your children O faynt heartes Thinke ye that your parentes had lefte you as ye be if they had ben so faynt harted Or thinke ye that this will serue your turne Was it ynough for Adam our first father whan he fell with bearing his wife companye in eating the forbidden apple to saye I durst not displease my wife or to saye as he sayed The woman whome thou gauest me gaue it me No it auailed not but he and all his posteritie were plagued for his disobedience as we and all that shall folowe vs doo well fele if we haue any feare of God before our eies Whan the brutishe commones of Israel were so importune vpon Aaron that he for feare was fayne to make them the golden calfe wherwith whan Moses sharpely charged him he excused him self sayeng alas Sir this sedicious and rageing brutishe people wold nedes haue me perforce to doo it God knoweth it was sore against my will did this excuse acquite him trowe you No surely If he had not repented he had ben as sure of hell fyre for his labour as they be which haue set vp or sayed the beastly popyshe masse at the furious enforcement of the brutishe commones or in pretense of obedience to the Quenes procedinges in Englande onles they spedily repent and renounce their wicked doing as Aaron did his Thus ye haue hearde not only wherof politike power groweth and of the true vse and duetie therof but also what wilbe layed to their charge that doo not their duetie in making of lawes Now see what is sayed by God to thexecutours of lawes See what ye doo Sayeth God for ye execute not the iudgement of man but of God and what so euer ye iudge it shall redounde to your selues Let the feare of God therfore be before your eies and doo all thinges with diligence For with the lorde our God ther is non iniquitie neither difference of persones nor yet hathe he pleasure in rewardes or bribes But of the ministers of lawes and gouernours of realmes and contreyes more shalbe sayed hereafter VVHETHER KINGES princes and other gouernours haue an obsolute power and authoritie ouer their subiectes Forasmuche as those that be the Rulers in the worlde and wolde be takē for Goddes that is the ministers and images of God here in earthe thexāples and myrrours of all godlynesse iustice equitie and other vertues clayme and exercice an absolute power which also they call a fulnesse of power or prerogatiue to doo what they lust and none maye gaynesaye them to dispense with the lawes as pleaseth them and frely and without correction or offence doo contrary to the lawe of nature and other Goddes lawes and the positiue lawes and customes of their countreyes or breake them and vse their subiectes as men doo their beastes and as lordes doo their villanes and bondemen getting their goodes from them by hoke and by crooke with Sic volo Sic iubeo and spending it to the destruction of their ◅ubiectes the miserie of this tyme requireth to examyne whether they doo it rightfully or wrōgfully that if it be right full the people maie the more willingly obeie and re ceaue the same if it be wrongful that than those that vse it maye the rather for the feare of God leaue it For no douht God will come and iudge the worlde with equitie and reuēge the cause of the oppressed Of the popes power who compteth himself one yea the chief of these kinde of Goddes yea aboue them all and felowe to the God of Goddes we minde not now to treate nother is it requisite For all men yea half wise women and babes can well iudge that his power is worthy to be laught at and were it not bolstred and propped vp with sweorde ād fagot it wolde as it will notwithstanding shortly ly in the myre for it is not buylt on the rocke but on the sande not planted by the father of heauen but by the deuil of hell as the frutes doo manyfestly declare But we will speake of the power of kynges and princes and suche like potentates rulers and gouernours of common wealthes Before ye haue hearde how for a great long tyme that is vntil after the general flood ther was no ciuile or politike power and how it was thā furst ordayned by God him self and for what purpose he ordayned it that is to comprehende all briefly to mayntene iustice for euery one doing his deutie to God and one to an other is but iustice Ye haue hearde also howe states bodies politike and common wealthes
ha ue autoritie to make lawes for the mayntenaunce of the policie so that they be not contrary to Goddes lawe and the lawes of nature which if ye note well the question before propouned whether kinges and princes haue an absolute power shall appeare not doubtfull or if any wolde affirme it that he shall not be hable to maintene it For first touching Goddes lawes by which name also the lawes of nature be comprehended kinges and princes are not ioyned makers herof with God so that therby of thē selues they might clayme any interest or autoritie to dissolue them or dispense with them by this Maxime or principal that he that maye knyt together maye lose asondre and he that maye make maye marre for before Magistrates were Goddes lawes were Neither can it be proued that by Goddes worde they haue any autoritie to dispense or breake them but that they be still commanded to doo right to ministre iustice and not to swarue neither on the right hande or on the lefte Than must it nedes folowe that this absolute autoritie which they vse must be mayntened by mannes reason or it must nedes be an vsurpaciō But what can reason saye If it be not laufull by no lawes no neither by honestie for any mannes seruaunt to altre his maisters a mortal mannes commaundement can reason saye it is laufull for any persone to altre Goddes cōmaundement or breake it That a mannes seruaunt maye be wiser than his maister that he maye be iuster than his maister that he maye see what is more profitable and necessarie to be done thā his maister cōmonly it happeneth and therfore he maye haue som apparēt cause to altre or breake his maisters cōmaun dement But to saye that any creature is or that any creature wolde seme in worde or dede to be more wise than God more iuste than God more prudent and circumspecte than God or knoweth what is better for the creature than the creatour him self as it must nedes be saied that he dothe that taketh vpon him to breake or dispence with Goddes will and commaundementes what an horrible blasphemie is it What luciferous presumpcion is it If we will not submit our selues to Goddes iudgement herein expressed by his worde as Christianes should let vs yet marke the sequele and therby gather Goddes iudgement as Ethnikes doo For whan we haue wrought our wittes out and deuised and done what we can we can not so exclude God but he will haue a saieng with vs. Goddes worde will and commaundement is that he that wilfully killeth a man shall also be killed by man that is the Magistrate But this lawe hathe not ben obserued and all wayes executed but kinges and princes vpon affection haue dispensed and broken it graunting life and libertie to traitours robbers murtherours c. But what hathe folowed of it Haue they whose offences haue ben so pardoned after ward shewed them selues penitent to God and thankfully profitable to the common wealthe No God and the commonwealthe haue hade no greater enemies They haue added murther to murther mischief to mischief and of priuate malefactours haue become publike and of men killers they haue at leinght growen to be destroiers of their countrey yea and many tymes of them that saued them from hanging and other iust paines of the lawe And no maruail for God dothe not oneli punishe the principalles and autors of suche mischief but also those that be accessaries and mayntenours of it and plageth iniquitie with iniquitie Ye maie likewise see what frutes haue folowed wher popes haue dispensed that mariages might be made contrarie to Goddes lawes We shall not nede to rehearse any thende will declare all But let vs leaue to reason that wherein nothing can be saied for it And let vs come to that wherein somewhat maye be saied that is whether kinges and princes maye doo thinges contrary to the positiue lawes of their countrey As for example It is a lawe positiue that a meane kinde of apparail or a meane kynde of diet should be vsed in a common wealthe to thintent that men leauing thexcesse thereof wherof many occasiones bothe to destroie nature and to offende God folowe they might conuerte that they before euil spent to the relief of the pouertie or defense of their countrey For answer to this question this diuision ought to be made that ther be two kyndes of kinges princes and gouernours The one who alone maye make positiue lawes bicause the hole state and body of their countrey haue geuē and resigned to them their authoritie so to doo which neuertheles is rather to be compted a tiranne than a king as Dionisius Philippus and Alexander were who saued whom they wold ād spilt whom they lusted And thother be suche vnto whom the people haue not geuen suche autoritie but kepe it them selues as we haue before sayed cōcerning the mixte state True it is that in maters indifferent that is that of them selues be neither good nor euil hurtfull or profitable but for a decent ordre Kinges and Princes to whom the people haue geuen their autoritie maie make suche lawes and dispense with them But in maters not indifferent but godly and profitably ordayned for the common wealthe ther can they not for all their autoritie breake thē or dispense with them For Princes are ordained to doo good not to doo euil to take awaie euil not to increace it to geue example of well doing not to be procurers of euil to procure the wealthe and benefite of their subiectes and not to worke their hurt or vndoing And in thempire wher by the ciuile lawes themperours claime that the people gaue them their autoritie to make lawes albeit they haue ben willing and ofte attēpted to execute their autoritie which som Pikethākes to please them saie they haue by the lawes yet haue they ben forced of them selues to leaue of their enterprise But such as be indifferent expounders of the lawes be of that minde that we before haue declared and therfore make this a general conclusion and as it were a rule that thēperour willing any thing to be done ther is no more to be done than the lawes permit to be done For saie they neither pope Emperour nor king may doo any thing to the hurt of his people without their cōsent King Antigonus Chauncelour saieng vnto him that all thinges were honest ād laufull to kinges ye saie true quod the king but to suche kinges as be beastes barbarous ād without humanitie but to true ād good Princes nothing is honest but that is honest in dede and nothing is iuste but that is iuste in dede Anthiochus the thrid king of Asia considering that as he was aboue the people so the lawes were aboue him wrote general lettres to all the cities of his countrey that if they shoulde perceaue that he by any lettres should require any thing contrary to the lawes they should thinke that suche lettres were obteined without his cōsent and therfore they
he will execute most seuere iudgement Mercie is graunted unto the simple but they that be in autoritie shalbe sore punished For God which is lorde ouer all shall except no mannes person neither shall he regarde any mannes greatnes for he hathe made the small and greatand careth for all alike but the mightie shall haue the sorer punishement To you therfore O princes doo I speake that ye maye learne wisdome and not offende These saienges nede no particular examples to con firme them but loke on all gouernours and rulers named in the hole Bible or in any other historie and among all ye shall finde that non hathe escaped Goddes punishement but alwayes their iniquitie hathe ben plaged in them selues or their posteritie The cause and maner of king Saules punishemeÌ„t and extinguishing of his posteritie is more commonly knowne than nedeth any rehearsall Roboam bicause he wold reigne as a tyranne and not be subiecte to lawe nor counsail hade ten tribes of his kingdome taken froÌ„ him and geuen to Ieroboam who also forasmuche as he contented not him selfe to be sub iecte to Goddes written worde and lawe but fell to his owne Idolatrous inuenciones and caused his subiectes to folowe his procedinges was so stripped from the enheritaunce of his crowne that his sede was vtterly rooted out The ende of Achab and Iesabel is well ynough vnderstanden And kyng Ioram for his stout stryuing against Goddes lawes and the ordre of his countrey was so sore striken of the lorde with horrible diseases that at leynght his guttes for extreme anguishe flewe out of his bely But wherto bring I out particular examples of Goddes plagues and punishementes vpon kinges and princes that wold not be subiecte to Goddes lawes and the lawes of nature seing the hole body of the Bible and writers of prophane histories be full of them Therfore seing no king or gouernour is exempted from the lawes hande and power of God but that he ought to feare and tremble at it we maye procede to the other part of the question that is whether kinges princes and other gouernours ought to be obedient and subiecte to the positiue lawes of their countrey To discusse this question the right waye and meane is as in all other thinges to resorte to the fountaynes and rootes and not to depende on the ryuers and braunches For as if men should admyt that the churche of Rome were the catholike churche and the pope the head of it and Goddes onely vicare in earthe and not seke further how he cometh by that autoritie than could noman saie but that all his doinges were they neuer so wicked should seme iust so if men should buylde vpon thauthoritie that kinges and princes vsurpe ouer their subiectes and not seke from whens they haue theyr autoritie nor whether that which they vse be iuste ther could be nothing produced to let their cruell tyrannye But for asmuche as we see from whence all politike power and autoritie cometh that is from God and why it was ordained that is to mayntene iustice we ought if we will iudge rightly by Goddes worde examine to trie this mater Saint Paule treating who should doo obedience and to whom obedience should be done saieth Let euery soule be subiecte to the powers that rule for ther is no power but of God Ther are that wolde haue this worde Soule taken for man not as he consisteth of soule and body bothe together but onely of the fleshe and that so by the wor de 〈◊〉 should be vnderstanden onely a worldly man that is a laye man or temporall man as we terme it and not a spiritual man and a minister of the churche Wher vpon Antichrist the bishop of Ro me seking for subiectes to be vnder his kingdom hathe takeÌ„ for his subiectes the cleargie with tagge and ragge that to them belongeth and hathe made lawes that they should be his subiectes obedient to him and not to the politike power and autoritie wher vnto he leaueth for subiectes onely the temporaltie But in scripture this worde Soule is taken for euery kinde of maÌ„ as may appeare whaÌ„ it saieth that all the soules that is man and womaÌ„ that were in the arke with Noe were eight And that all the soules of the house of Iacob which cam in to Egipt were lxx In which nombres it can not be denyed but that ther were as holy and as spirituall persones as any are or were in the kingdome of the bishop of Rome And Chrisostome a priest expounding this texte Let euery soule be subiecte to the higher powers sayeth yea if thow be an apostle an euangelist a prophet or what so euer thow art for this subiection destroieth not religion So that it can not be denyed but by this worde Soule is comprehended euery persone and none excepted Now touching this worde Power some wold haue it interpreted for all those persones that execute iustice be he kaiser king mayre Sherif constable borseholder or neuer so lowe and some wolde haue it to be interpreted only of kinges aÌ„d chiefest officers But it is here to be taken for the ministerie and autoritie that all officers of iustice doo execute and so it maie appeare by Chri stes owne wordes wher he saieth The kinges of the naciones rule ouer â–ª theÌ„ aÌ„d those that ex ercice thautoritie or power be called gracious Benefactours or well doers For as all meÌ„ and womeÌ„ that seme to lyue together in the ho ly ordinaunce of Matrimonie be not maÌ„ and wife for it maie be that the man hathe an other wife liuing or the wife other an husbande or that they came not together â–ª for the loue of God only and to auoide sinne but for sensualitie and to get riches and so thordinaunce it self is one thing and the persones that is the maÌ„ aÌ„d womon an other eueÌ„ so is the politike power or autoritie beiÌ„g thordinauÌ„ce aÌ„d â–ª good gifte of God one thiÌ„g aÌ„d the ê‘sone that executeth the same be he kiÌ„ng or kaiser an other thing The ordinauÌ„ce being godly the maÌ„ may be euil aÌ„d not of God nor come therto by God as the Prophet Osee saieth They haue made them a king and not through me a prince and not through my counsail and will Neither is that power and authoritie which kinges princes and other ministres of iustice exercice only called a power but also thauthoritie that paren tes haue ouer their children and maisters ouer their seruauntes is also called a power and neither be the parentes nor maisters the power it self but they be inistres and executours of the power being geuen vnto them by God Which also S. Paule in an other place plainly sheweth saieng to Titus Warne them to be subiecte to the principalities aÌ„d powers Which some interprete princes and powers to make a distinctioÌ„ betwene the minister and the Ministerie And it foloweth to obey thofficers so that alwaies the difference maie be perceaued So than if by this worde Soule is
ment euery person spiritual and temporal man and woman and by this worde power thautoritie that kinges and princes execute than can not kinges and princes but be conteined vnder this general worde Soule as well as others And they being but executours of Goddes lawes and mennes iust ordinaunces be also not exempted from them but be bounden to be subiecte and obe dient vnto them For good and iuste lawes of man be Goddes power and ordinaunces and they are but ministers of the lawes aÌ„d not the lawes self And if they were exeÌ„pt from the lawes and so it were laufull for them to doo what them lusteth their autoritie beiÌ„g of God it might be saied that God allowed their tyraÌ„nie robbery of their subiectes killiÌ„g theÌ„ without lawe aÌ„d so God thautor of euil which were a great blasphemie IustiniaÌ„ theÌ„perour well coÌ„sidered whan he ma de this saieng to be put into the body of the lawes It is a worthy saieng saieth he for the Maiestie of him that is iÌ„ autoritie to coÌ„fesse that the priÌ„ce is subiectâ—… to the lawes thauthoritie of the priÌ„ce do the so muche depende on thautoritie of the lawes And certainly it is more honour than the honour of the empire to submitte the principalitie vnto the lawes For in dede lawes be made that the wilfull self will of men should not rule but that they should haue a line to leade them as they might not goo out of the waie of iustice and that if any wolde saie they did them wrong they might alledge the lawe for their waraunt and autoritie It is also a principle of all lawes grounded on the lawe of nature that euery man should vse himself and be obedient to that lawe that he will others be bounden vnto For otherwise he taketh awaye that equalitie for ther is no difference betwene the head and foote concerning the vse and benefite of the lawes wherby common wealthes be maintened and kept vp What equalitie I beseche you should ther be wher the subiecte should doo to his ruler all the ruler wolde and the ruler to the subiecte that the ruler lusted The good emperour Traianus whom for his iust behaueour the Senate of Rome toke to be a God being in possession of his office and minding to shewe that he was not ordained to be a tiranne but to see the people well gouerned and that albeit he was the minister of the lawes yet was he subiecte to the lawes toke a sweorde and gaue it to the Captain of the horsemen and saied Take this sweorde use it for me against mine enemies in iust causes and if I my self doo not iustly use it than use it against me Zaleuchus the ruler and maker of lawes to the locres whan he made this lawe that an aduouterour should be punished with the losse of bothe his eies and his sonne hade offended the same albeit the people made great intercession that his paines might be pardoned him he wold not consent vnto it but pul ling out one of his sonnes eies to fulfill and kepe the lawe he suffred one of his owne eies also to be pulled out But thow wilt saie What haue we to doo with Ethnikes Why should we be ordred by Ethnikes doinges I answer that whan Ethnikes doo by nature that thow art bounden also to doo not only by nature but by the lawes of God and man such Ethnikes shall ryse in the vniuersal iudgement to accuse the and worke thy condemnacion The bishop of Romes lawes which albeit he vse not in him self yet will he haue them practiced in others saye thus It is requisite and iust that a prince obeie his owne lawes For than maie he loke that others shall kepe his lawes whan he him self hathe them in honour Iustice will that princes be obedient aud bounden to their owne lawes and that they can not in their owne doinges condemne those lawes which they prescribe unto others Thauthoritie of their sayeng is iust and indifferent if that thei suffre not them selues to doo that they prohibite unto their people This saieth the bishop of Romes lawe And vpon this principle after in the great general counsail of Lateran Which pope Innocent the thirde helde it may seme it was ordained and decreed as they saie that whan kinges and princes that knowlaged no superiour should fall out among them selues or should misuse their power and autoritie ouer their subiecttes that than the matier should be hearde aÌ„d corrected by the bishop of Rome But here it maie be asked who did this iustice on kinges and princes before that time sith it was but than coÌ„mitted to the bishop of Rome To that at this time we shall not nede to answer for that we doo not seke preseÌ„tly to knowe who should be iudge but onely to declare and proue that kinges and princes ought bothe by Goddes lawe the lawe of nature mannes lawes and good reason to be obedient and subiecte to the positiue lawes of their countrey and maie not breake â–ª them and that they be not exempt from them nor maie dispense with them onles the makers of the lawes geue them expresse autoritie so to doo Who shalbe the kinges iudges hereafter thow shalt heare IN WHAT THINGES AND how farre subiectes are bounden to obeie their princes and gouernours AS THE BODY OF MAN IS KNIT and kept together in due proporcioÌ„ by the sinewes so is euery coÌ„muÌ„ wealthe kept aÌ„d maìtened in good ordre by Obedience But as if the sinowes be to muche racked aÌ„d stretched out or to muched shrinked together it briedeth wonderfull paines and deformitie in maÌ„nes body so if ObedieÌ„ce be to muche or to litell in a common wealthe it causeth muche euil and disordre For to muche maketh the gouernours to for get their vocacion and to usurpe vpon their subiectes to litel briedeth a licencious libertie and maketh the people to forget their duetie And so bothe waies the common wealthe groweth out of ordre and at leinght cometh to hauocke and vttre destruction Some ther be that will haue to littel obedience as the Anabaptistes For they bicause they heare of a christian libertie wolde haue all politike power taken awaye and so in dede no obedience Others as thenglishe papistes racke and stretche out obedience to muche and wil nedes haue ciuile power obeied in all thinges and that what so euer it commaundeth without respecte it ought and must be done But bothe of them be in great errours For thanabaptistes mistake christian libertie thinking that men maye liue without sinne and forget the fall of man wherby he was brought in to suche miserie that he is no more hable to rule himself by him self than one beast is hable to rule an other and that therfore God ordained ciuile power his ministre to rule him and to call him backe whan so euer he should passe the limites of his duetie and wold that an obedience should be geuen vnto him And the papistes neither considre the degrees of powers nor ouer what
Octauia in to an Ilan de he byndeth her in chaines and causeth her to be let blood in all partes and fearing least feare wolde dryue the blood to the harte and so she lyue longer than he wolde he setteth her in a bayne of hotte water that her blood might the soner come out But what becometh of his deare dearling Puppie he dalieth a while with his Puppie and at leynght his hotte loue being turned in to displeasur he spurneth her being with Childe on the belye and so she dieth To late he repented but yet ceassed not his crueltie He killed his maister Seneca he persecuted the churche of Christ most miserably and so thinking that he might doo what him lusted and that all was well done were it neuer so euil done he neuer lefte of his crueltie til the people finding occasion and oportunitie to vttre their dissembled hatred slewe him But what thinke you who were to be blamed for these cruell actes He for doing theÌ„ or others for flat tring hiÌ„ or the Senate aÌ„d people of Rome in suffring him Surely ther is none of them to be excused but all to be blamed and chiefly those that might haue bridled him and did not He is a good citez in that dothe non euil saieth a noble wiseman but he is a better that letteth others that they shall not doo hurt nor vniustice to others The blood of innocentes shalbe demaunded not only at the handes of the sheaders of blood but also of those that make or consent to wicked lawes to condemne innocentes or suffre their head to kill them contrary to iust lawes â–ª or to spoile them of that they iustly enioie by the ordre of the lawe Now sithe kinges princes and gouernours of common wealthes haue not nor can iustly clayme any absolute autoritie but that thende of their autoritie is determined and certain to maintene iustice to defende the innocent to punishe the euil And that so many euilles and mischiefes maie folowe wher such absolute and in dede tiraÌ„nical power is vsurped let vs praie that they maie knowe their duetie and discharge theÌ„ selues to God and to the worlde or elles that those which haue the autoritie to refourme them maie know and doo their duetie that the people finding and acknowlageing the benefite of good rulers maie thaÌ„ke God for them and labour euery one to doo their duetie and that seing the head is not spared but euillesin it punished they maie the more willingly absteine froÌ„ tyraÌ„nie and other euil doinges and do their dueties and so all glorifie God VVHETHER KINGES princes and other politike Gouernours be subiecte to Goddes lawes and the positiue lawes of theyr countreyes HE that noteth the procedinges of princes and gouernours in these our daies how ambicious they are to vsurpe others Dominiones and how necli geÌ„t they be to see their owne well gouerned might thiÌ„ke hat they beleue that either ther is no God or that he hathe not care ouer the thiÌ„ges of the worlde or that they thinke themselues exempt frome Goddes lawes and power But the Wonderfull ouerthrowe of their deuises whan they thinke themselues most sure and certain is so manifest that it is not possible to denye but that bothe ther is a God and that he hathe care ouer the thinges of the worlde And his worde is so playne that non can gaynsaye but that they be subiecte and ought to be obedient to Goddes lawes and Worde For the hole decalog and euery part therof is aswell written to kinges princes and other publike persones as to priuate persones A king maye no more committe Idolatrie than a priuat man he mayâ—… not take the name of God in vayne he maye not breake the Sabbat no more than any priuate man It is not laufull for him to disobeye his pareÌ„tes to killany persone contrary to the lawes to be an hooremoÌ„ger to steale to lye and beare false witnesse to desire and couet any mannes house wife seruaunt mayde oxe asse or any thing that is an others more than any other priuate man No he is bounden and charged vnder greater paines to kepe them than any other bicause he is bothe a priuate man in respecte of his owne persone and a publike in respecte of his office which maâ—…e appeare in a great meigny of places whe roâ—… parte I will recite The holy gost by the mouthe of a king and prophet saieth And now ye kinges â—…nderstande be ye learned that iudge the earthe Serue the Lorde in feare and reioi ce with trembling Kisse the sonne that is receaue with honour least the Lorde be angrie and ye lose the waye whan his wrathe shall in a moment be kyndled And in an other place thus The Lorde vpon thy right haÌ„de shal Smyte and breake in pieces eueÌ„ kinges in the daye of his wrathe Esaias also the prophet saieth The Lorde shal comme to iudgemeÌ„t against the princes and elders of the people Likewise saieth the Prophet Micheas speaking to all princes and gouernours vnder the heades of the house of Iacob and the leaders of the house of â—…srael He are ye princes and gouernours saieth Micheas Should ye not kno we what were laufull and right But ye hate the good and loue the euil ye plucke of meÌ„nes skynnes and the fleshe from their bones ye cheoppe them in pieces as it were in to a Caldron and as fleshe in to a potte Now the tyme shall come that whaÌ„ ye call vnto the lorde he shall not heare you but hyde his â—…ace from you by cause that through your owne ymaginationes ye haue dealt so wickedly And again he saieth O heare ye rulers and gouernours ye that abhorre the thing that is lauful and wraste asyde the thing that is straight ye that builde vp Sion with blood your magestie and tirannie with doing Wrong For so maie Sion and Ierusalem be well expounded O you iudges ye geue sentence for giftes O ye priestes ye teache for lucre O ye ê“phetes ye prophecie for money yet Will they be takeÌ„ as those that holde vpoÌ„ God and saie â–ª Is not the lorde amoÌ„g vs How can than any mysfortune happen to vs But Sion that is your cities for your sakes shalbe plowed like a fielde and IerusaleÌ„ that is your palaces shall become an heape of stones and the hill of the teÌ„ple that is your Monasteries frieries and chauntries shall be come an high woodde The holy goost also by the mouthe of king Salomon sayeth Heare O ye kinges and vnderstande O learne ye that be iudges of the eÌ„des of the earthe Geue eare ye that rule the multitudes and delyte in muche people For the power is geueÌ„ unto you of the lorde aÌ„d the streinght from the highest who shall trye your wor kes and searche out your ymaginaciones how that ye being officers of his kingdom haue not kept the lawe of righteousnesse nor Walked after his will Horribly and that sone shall be appeare vnto you for vpoÌ„ the most high
they be they are cruell and euill and ought not to be obeyed We haue this special commaundement from God the highest power ofte repeted by the holy goost Forbeare to doo euil and doo that is good S. Paule the true teacher of obediēce teacheth that ciuile power and princes be not ordayned to be a ter rour to those that doo wel but to those that doo euil ād will not that mē should do what so euer the power commaundeth but sayeth wilt thou not feare the power doo that is good and thou shalt haue praise of it for it is the minister of God ordained for thy benefite and not to thy destruction But if thou doo that is euil than feare for it carieth not the sweorde in vayne for it is the minister of God a reuenger and execucionar to punishe him that shal doo euil And therfore it is orday ned that euil might be taken awaye Men must be sub iecte not only for feare of punishement but also for conscience sake For not to obeye the power that defendeth the good and vertuous and punisheth the euil and wicked is deadly synne And the self same also S. Petreteacheth Wherfore the marke that all men ought to shoote at is to doo good and in no wise to doo euil whoso euer commaundeth it If the ministers of the ciuile power commaunde thee to honour and glorifie God as God wilbe honoured to defende with thy persone and goodes thy countreye against thenemies to doo suche thinges as be for the wealthe and benefite of thy countreye thou art bounden to doo it for it is good and God will haue thee to doo it And if thou doo it not thou synnest against God and iustly deseruest the punishement not only of the power but of euerlasting damnacion But if the ministers of the ciuile power commaunde thee to dishonour God to committe idolatrie to kill an innocent to fight against thy countrey to geue or lende that thou hast to suche as mynde the subuersion and destruction of thy countrey or to mayntene them in their Wickednesse tkou oughtest not to doo it but to leaue it vndone for it is euil and God the supreme ād highest power will not that thou shouldest doo it Thapostles in tyme of persecution did not onely geue vs an example so to doo whan the worldly powers wolde haue had them to folowe their procedinges but also lefte vs a lessō so to doo God must be obeied saye they rather than men And this lesson euen from the begynning before it was written was by the holy goost printed in mānes heart Whan Pharao the ty ranne commaunded the mydwyues of the Egipcianes to kill all the male children that should be borne of the Israelites wyues thinke ye he did only commaunde them No without doubt Ye maye be sure he commaunded not only vpō threatned paynes but also pro mised them largely and perchaunce as largely as those doo that being desirous of chidren procure the mydwyues to saye they be with childe whan their bely is puffed vp with the dropsie or molle ād hauing bleared the cōmon peoples eies with processioning Te deum singing and bonefire banketting vse all cere monies and cryeng out whilest an other birdes egge is layed in the nest But these good mydwiues fearing God the high power who hadde commaunded them not to kill wolde not obeye this tyranne Pharaoes commaundement but lefte it vndone Whan the Ioilye quene Iesabel commaunded that the prophetes of God should be destroyed that noen should be lefte to speake against her idoles but that all men should folowe her procedinges did Abdias the chief officer to the king her husbande saye your grace dothe very well to ridde the worlde of thē for those that worship the true liuing God cannot be but traitours to my souerayne lorde and maistre the king your husbande and to your grace and it is these heretikes that bewitche and coniure you that your grace cannot be delyuered of your childe nor slepe quietly in your bedde let me alone I will finde the meanes to despeche them all only haue your grace a good opinion of me and thinke I am your owne No. Abdias a man fearing God and knowing this commaundement to be a wicked womans will did cleane contrary to her commaundement and hidde and preserued an hundred of the prophetes vnder the earthe i◅ caues Whan the wicked king Saul commaunded his howne householde wayters and familiar seruaun tes to kill the priest Ahimelech and his children for hatred to Dauid did those his owne nerest wayting seruauntes s◅attre him forewarde and saye your Maiestie shall neuer be in sauetie and quiet so long as this traitour and his prating children that are alwayes in their sermones and bokes meddling of the kinges maters be suffred to lyue we wilbe your true obedient seruauntes we will beleue as the king beleueth we will doo as the king biddeth vs according to our most bounden duetie of allegeaunce we shall sone ease your highnesse of this grief other of your graces chaplaynes be more mete for that rowme than this hipocrite traitour No. they vsed no suche court crueltie but considering God to be the supreme power and seing Ahimelech by his answeres and his householde to be giltles of suche mater in forme and intent as by Doeges accusation Saul charged him with all they refused to kill any of them or ones tolaye violent handes vpon them but playnly and vtterly being yet the kinges true seruauntes and subiectes denyed to obeye the kinges vnlaufull commaundement And whan the same hipocrite Saul commaunded his seruauntes or souldiours to kill noble Ionathas his sonne who for necessitie hade taken a litel honie to recouer his streinght contrary to the king his fathers commaundement did they saie let vs kill him as we be willed so shall some of vs be made the kinges lieutenaunt we shalbe an ynche nerer to the succession we shall haue his landes possessiones goodes and offices parted amōg vs let vs not sticke to doo it Whan he is despe ched out of the worlde he can make no reuenge for dead men doo no harme No no cleane cōtrary They knewe that innocent Abels bloud did crie to the lorde Vengeaunce uengeaunce uengeaunce And that albeit Cain hade a marke that no man might laufully kill him in this life yet hangeth he now as good writers saie in chaines in hell And thefore they wolde not obeie the wicked and cruel tirannes commaundement but knowing that God will not haue innocentes blood shead but innocentes against tyrannes defended they toke vpon them the defense of the good sonne against the tyrannicall hipocrite and vnnatural father Iulian themperour albeit he were an Apostata from Christ and a great persecutour of Christes churche yet hade he vnder him souldiours that professed Christ. Whan he commaunded them to set forewarde to fight for the defense of the common wealthe they obeied him and did it willingly but did they before they were commaūded seke for the
receaued and executed among reasonable creatures And this lawe of nature to depose and punishe wicked gouernours hathe not bē only receaued ād exerciced in politike maters but also in the churche For the canonistes the popes ow ne championes grounding them selues upon this lawe of nature saye that popes who maye be in dede by their saieng the lieutenauntes of the deuil albeit they call thē selues the uicares of God maie be depryued by the body of the churche And so at one clappe in the coūsail holdē at Cōstaūce in Germanie in the yeare of our lorde 1415. were three popes popped out of their places Gregory Iohn ād Benet ād the fourthe called Martin the fifthe chosen Afterwarde in the Coūsail of Basil was Pope Eugenius serued with that sawce For the unluckinesse of the coūtrey the rest of Popes haue sith refused that any general counsail should be kept in Germany fearing least they all hauing deserued as muche as the other foure deposed should haue the like punishemēt And thus they cōfirme their doin ges If saye they the Pope hade not a superiour he might beig suffred in his euil brig the churche to de structiō And therfore if he cā not otherwise be brought to amende him self it is laufull to use the lawe of nature that is to remoue him from his office for he is no bishop or pope that abuseth his Popedome and bishopriche An euil prelate ād unreformable semeth not to be ordayned by the will of God saie the Canonistes alledgeing the wordes of S. Ierome upo◅ the sayēg of the prophet Osee that a prince or iudge is not alwayes ordayned by God And he bringeth for example king Saul against whom God sayed Seing the people haue made them selues a king and not a ruler by me and not by my counsail ād yet God hade chosen Saul But yet bycause he was not chosen according to the will of God but according to the mynde and desartes of the synfull people God denyed him to be ordayned by his will or coūsail The Canonistes also saie that albeit the Popedome be by the lawe of God as it is not in dede sayeth the truthe yet that this man or that Paule or Iulie is pope it cometh by the acte of man For the Cardinales representing the uniuersal churche chose him And therfore if he be not according to the will of God and for the wealthe of the uniuersal churche that is if he be not one that seketh Goddes glorie ād the wealthe of christes churche he maye be iustly depryued bycause they erred in chosing him And God semeth not to be agaīst the put ting out of suche an euil persone but to fauour and further it For he sayed If the salt be unsauerie it is good for no use but to be cast out and troden under foote of all mē And agaī If thi right eie be a let unto thee pul it out ād cast it frō thee For it is better that one mēbre perish thā that the hole bodi should be cast in to hell And agaī saie the Canonistes the popes lawers in rehearceīg Christes words If our eie foote ▪ or hāde offēde vs let it be takē frō the rest of the bodi for it is better to lacke mēbres ī this woorld thā that thei should cari the rest of the body in to hell By salt eie foote and hande is vnderstanden the headdes and rulers and not the other mēbres and subiectes And not only the headdes and rulers in the churche but also in all policies and common wealthes Now if it be laufull for the body of the churche to depose and punishe a Pope being the chief priest anointed not on the arme or sholder as kinges be but on the head and handes to declare an higher autoritie than kinges haue nor crowned with a simple crowne as Emperours ād kinges be but with a triple crowne to shewe his Regalitie and power aboue all others how muche more by the like argumentes reasones and autoritie maie Emperours kinges princes and other gouernours abusing their office be deposed and remoued out of their places and offices bi the body or state of the Realme or common wealthe By this lawe and argumentes of the Canonistes and example of depriuacion of a Pope are all clokes wherwith Popes bishoppes priestes kaisers and kin ges vse to defende their iniquitie vtterly taken awaie Saie they We are anointed ye maie not touche vs We are only subiecte to God and eueri man to vs. God will haue vs O most wiked popes bishoppes priestes cruell and euil princes reigne to plage you people for your iniquitie But here ye see the body of euery state maie If it will yea and ought to redresse and correcte the vices and headdes of their gouernours And forasmuche as ye haue allready sene wherof politike power and gouernement groweth and thende wherunto it was ordained and seing it is before manifestly and sufficiētly proued that kinges and princes haue not an absolute power ouer their subiectes that they are and ought to be subiecte to the lawe of God and the holsome positiue lawes of their coūtrey and that they maie not laufully take or vse their subiectes goods at their pleasure the reasones argumentes and lawe that serue for the deposing ād displaceīg of an euil gouernour will doo as muche for the proofe that it is laufull to kill a tiranne if they maie be indifferently hearde As God hathe ordained Magistrates to heare and determine priuate mennes matiers and to punishe their vices so also will he that the magistrates doinges be called to accompt and reckoning and their vices corrected and punished by the body of the hole cōgregacion or common wealthe As it is manifest by the memorie of the auncient office of the highe Constable of Englande vnto whose autoritie it perteined ont only to summone the king personally before the parliament or other courtes of iudgement to answer and receaue according to iustice but also vpon iuste occasion to committe him vnto warde Kinges Princes and gouernours haue their autoritie of the people as all lawes vsages and policies doo declare and testifie For in some places and countreies they haue more and greater autoritie in some places lesse And in some the people haue not geuen this autoritie to any other but reteine and exercice it themselues And is any man so vnreasonable to denie that the hole maie doo as muche as they haue permitted one membre to doo or those that haue appointed an office vpon trust haue not autoritie vpon iuste occasion as the abuse of it to take awaie that they gaue All lawes doo agree that men maie reuoke their proxies and lettres of Attournaie whan it pleaseth them muche more whan they see their proctours and attournaies abuse it But now to proue the later parte of this question affirmatiuely that it is laufull to kill a tirāne ther is no man can denie but that the Ethnikes albeit they had not the right and perfite true knowlage
of God were endued with the knowlage of the lawe of nature For it is no priuate lawe to a fewe or certain people but common to all not written in bokes but graffed in the heartes of men not made by man but ordained of God which we haue not learned receaued or redde but haue taken sucked and drawne it out of nature wherunto we are not taught but made not instructed but seasoned and ◅s S. Paule saieth mannes conscience bearing witnesse of it This lawe testifieth to euery mannes conscience that it is naturall to cutte awaie an incurable membre which beīg suffred wolde destroie the hole body Kinges Princes and other gouernours albeit they are the headdes of a politike body yet they are not the hole body And though they be the chief membres yet they are but membres nother are the people ordained for them but they are ordained for the people Vpō this lawe of nature ād to cōserue the hole body the Ethnikes not knowīg that the soule is īmortall nor that ther shalbe a Resurrection of the body and soule to iudgement but thought the soule perished with the body and that ther was no difference betwene a brute beast and mannes life thought it reasonable and made it laufull by their positiue lawe for eue ry man to kill a tiranne And to encourage men to entreprise to kill a tiranne they estemed the dede to be worthy so great rewarde that they thought him worthy perdone that killed a tiranne though he had killed his owne naturall father before And besides this whan they sawe that tirannes vsed to haue their bodies defended with great garisones and gardes of forain people or kept them selues in strong holdes and secret chambres so as none without great hasarde and peril might come vere them they propouned great rewardes to him that should destroie a tiranne Nother thought they rewardes or giftes to be a sufficient recompence for so vertuous an acte but they vsed also to make the ymage of him that killed a tiranne in brasse and to set it vp in the most solemne place of the citie for a perpetual memorie of the acte the commendacion of the doer and thencouragement of others to doo the like They dedicated to hi◅ praise and honour songes and verses and wolde haue them taken of men as Goddes worthy immortalitie Wherof came the name of Nobilitie or how were those that be called heroical or noble personages diui ded from others and had in suche honour and reuerence seing all men came of one man and one womans was it for their lustie hawking and hunting for their nimble diceing and cōning carding for their fine singing and daunceing for their open bragging and swearing for their false fliering and flattering for their subtil piking and stealing for their cruel polling and pilling for their merciles man murthering for their vnnatural destroieng of their natural coun trey men and traiterous betraieng of their countrey No no ther was no suche thing The respecte only of their vertue ād loue to their coūtrey brought them therto Bicause they reuenged and deliuered the oppressed people out of the handes of their gouernours who abused their autoritie ād wickedly cruel ly and tirannously ruled ouer them the people of a grate and thākefull minde gaue them that estimacio◅ and honour Of this kinde of nobilitie was Hercules Theseus and suche like Good kinges gouernours and states in time past tooke it to be the greatest honour that could be not to take cities and Realmes to their owne vse wha◅ they were called to aide and releue thoppressed as princes doo now a daies but to rescue and deliuer the people and countreies from the tirānie of the gouernours and to restore them to their libertie So did the Romanes the Lacedemonianes out of the tirannie of Onabis and all Grece from the bondage that Phi lippus Demetrius sonne king of Macedonia hade them in So did the noble mē of the people of God also come to their highe estimacion and honour as Gedeō Barac Iepthe and Samson who for the deliuerie of his contrey from the power of the idolatrous cruell Philistines pulled vpon him self present deathe So that this principle that euil ād euil doers ought to be punished and rotten membres to be cut awaie was no peculiar lawe of the Ethnikes but it procedeth of nature and therfore common to all men as it is plaine by the Chronicles and experience of all ages and purposely exemplified for our sure staie and learning as wel in the boke of Iudges as in many other histories of holy scriptures according to the expresse worde and commaundement applied to this sense and meaning which saieth Let euil be taken out of the middes of the congregacion that the rest which heare of it maie be afraied and not entreprise to doo the like And Christ pronounceth that euery tree which bringeth not furthe good frute shalbe cut downe and cast in to the fire muche more the euil tree that brīgeth furthe euil frute And albeit some doo holde that the maner and meane to punishe euil ād euil doers is not all one amōg Christianes which be in dede that they professe ī worde ād Ethnikes which thīke it lauful for euery priuate mā without respecte of ordre ād time to punishe euil yet the lawes of many christiane regiones doo permitte that priuate mē maie kil malefactours yea though they were magistrates in some cases as whā◅ gouernour shall soda◅ly with his sworde rēne vpō an innocēt or goo about to shoote him through with a gōne or if he should be foūde in bedde with a mānes wife or goo about to defloure ād rauishe a mā nes daughther muche more if goo about to betraie ād make awaie his coūtrey to foraīers c. Neuertheles forasmuche as all thīges ◅ euery christē cōmō wealthe ought to be done decētly ād accordīg to ordre ād cha ritie I thīke it cā not be maītened by Goddes worde that any priuate mā maie kill except wher execuciō of iuste pūishemēt vpō tirānes idolaters ād traiterous gouernours is either by the hole state vtterly neglected or the prīce with the nobilitie ād coūsail cōspir◅ the subuersiō or alteraciō of their cōtrey ād people any priuate man haue som special inwardecōmaundement or surely proued mocion of God as Moses had to kill the Egipciā Phinees the Lecherours and Ahud king Eglon with suche like or be otherwise commaūded or permitted by common autoritie vpon iuste occasion and common necessitie to kill But now perchaunce thou wilt demaunde why christen mē neuer made expresse positiue lawe of the kinde of punishement of tirannes Might it not be answered as Solō did excusing that he had not made a lawe for suche as killed their parentes that no man wolde suspecte that so vnnatural a facte should be thought muche lesse committed or that those that should be the ministers yea the ymages of God here in earthe charged bothe by God and man to see the people defended
am not yet lorde of one This worme without faile was the deuil who not contented that kinges the ministers of God should serue God in their vocation to haue them the soner fall from God and ser ue him putteth them in hope they shalbe lordes of all the worlde if they will take him for their chief lorde and soueraigne But bicause he seeth the inconstauncie of kinges that they no loÌ„ger abyde by their othes and promises than they maie therby haue profit gayne and their desire he dothe not furthewith put them in possession but to trye their fidelitie he sheweth them bi what meanes they shall come to it putting to their good will helpe and industrie He doubteth not but if he maye bring them ones in to the puddle ouer the shoen they will through thicke aÌ„d thine whatsoe â—…er cometh of it to come to that thei loked for These waies of the Deuil pâ—…de out of his schole of practices and they be in a generalitie two that is opeÌ„ force and secret subtiltie the one wherof that is force and manhood hauing ofte tried and most tymes it hathe not succeded after their minde they haue not so muche put in vse but haue rather trusted on thother that is subtiltie aÌ„d crafte wherby they worke a great deale more mischief than by open force and streinght of men and with lesse peril of them selues For whan they goo about it by force the deuil their maister is not hable to warraunt them the successe For all victorie and good successe cometh of God who whan he seeth the people against whom the deuil and his kinges worke fall to repentaunce for their sinnes he ouerthroweth his and their enemies with a fillip as he did prowde Olofernes aÌ„d SeÌ„nacherib the one being slaine by the good and faithfull woman to God and her countrey Iudith all his power being an hundred and twentie thousaunt fotemen and twelue thousauÌ„t archers on horsebacke destroied by a fewe And the others armie being an hundred foure score and fiue thousaunt personnes was destroied by the angel of God without the worke of man and he forced to flie and at his returne home was killed of his owne two sonnes But the other meanes that is subtiltie and crafte which the world calleth policie they more practice and therin daily do so procede that within short time many of them haue beÌ„ doctours And they haue a priciple of this arte which is that to come by a kingdome to com by that they desire they maye breake all mennes lawes all othes all promises yea the lawes of God and honestie This arte of subtiltie of princes otherwise called policie consisteth chiefly in this for a maÌ„ to appeare outwardly that he is not inwardly to saye one thing with the mouthe and thinke an other in the hart to smyle vpon him whose throte he wolde gladly see cutte and so pretende to the eie all amitie beneuolence and loue wher they beare greatest hatred enuye aÌ„d malice till conuenient tyme maie be had with least daungier to execute their conceaued mischief And bicause they be not hable alone to doo their feates loke wher they can vnderstande of any of their nature them they reteyne to them geue they great chaynes of golde fede them with great pensions aÌ„d fees promised And yet they be not ignoraunt that such vile men as will for money betraye their owne countreye and serue their wicked purposes are like vnto common souldiours and launce knightes who serue him that geueth a peny more and will whan they maie haue greater bribes of an other sone buye and sell their present maister For how is it possible for any man to thinke that he whom he hathe corrupted with rewardes to serue his purpose â–ª will or can be faithfull to hi that is a strauÌ„ger that so well knoweth what they be and findeth them false to their natiue countrey in the defense wherof all he nest men be bounden and be content to bestowe their life their blood their goodes and what so euer they haue Doo not princes vse traitours as men vse Coloquintes Turbith Elleborum and such like poisones that is to serue their purpose whan they haue nede of them and after can not abyde their sight no not their sauour but cast them out on the dong hill Yes doubtles it is most certain Whan one had betrayed in to Cesars handes certain townes what saied Cesar I loue treason sayeth he but traitours I doo abhorre So saied also king Antigonus I loue trai tours sayeth he whilest they betraye but whan they haue betrayed and serued my purpose I vtterly hate and abhorre them Aurelianus themperour hauing long besieged the citie of Tiana in Asia and being without hope to get it by force practiced with one Heracleo a great riche man aÌ„d citezin of the citie than being in the citie to betraye the citie to him This Heracleo fearing least if the citie should be wonne by force he should also lose his riches and hoping of great gayne by this bargayn consented to themperour and did that he required Themperour assone as he came into the citie caused this traitour Heracleo to be killed albeit he had done alone that for themperour that all themperours power was not habie to obteyne for thèperour bicause he could not abyde his sight that had betraied his countrey the deâ—…e was so horrible and against nature Yet bicause he wold not seme to haue done it for desire of his riches he gaue them to his children whom he preserued And writing to his frende the mater as it was done sheweth that he could not loue nor abyde Traitours nor that he could kepe promise with suche as should not be faithfull and louing to their countrey It is written of one called Cacanus king in BaiÌ„erland in Germanie that he inuaded a countrey som tyme called Carnia now called Frioly in Italie and other places belonging to the Venecianes with a great power and at the furst meting of him and thenemies he ouercame and killed one Gisulfus a Lombarde Duke of that countrey After that he besieged a citie wherin Romilda the Dukes wife was She desiring to see this king what maner man he was neded not to haue his ymage pourtred vnto her but loked ouer the walles aduisedly vpon him Whan she sawe he was a goodly aÌ„d faire persone she was by and by in loue with him She whisheth that she might fele him entre in to her owne holde Meat nor drin ke could do her good she could not sleape she sobbeth she howleth she souÌ„deth she teareth her heare and is more thaÌ„ halfe madde for lacke of her lust To be shorte contrary to all honestie and womanly shamefastenesse she woeth him to be her husbande and hauing no regarde of the loue that eueri honest creature ought to beare to his coun trey she promiseth to geue him citie countrey iewelles goodes and what so euer she could polle of her subiectes and make for him so that he wolde marie her
the tēple a burning sweorde almost the space of a hole yeare In the time of cruel Nero ther was a Comete that continued sixe monethes After that folowed great sedicion and alteracion in thempire and the kingdome of the Iewes marke well was vtterly destroied Before the deathe of our countrey man Constantine the great who was the furst professour of the Gospell of Christ among all themperours and no doubt a special fauourour and promotour of it For he did not prohibite laie men to reade Goddes worde as som princes doo at this tyme but he caused examples of the Bible to be written at his owne charges and sent in to all countreyes ther was a great Comete and afterwarde folowed a wonderfull and cruel warre which who so deliteth in histories maie perceaue Before the dissension and deadly warres that was betwene the brethren of Lotarius themperour sonne of Lodouicus Piu◅ ▪ for the diuision of thinheritaunce whereby suche slaughter grewe in Fraunce that the Frenchemen were neuer after hable to recouer perfitly their force ther were many Cometes sene About the yeare of Christ M. I. ther was an horrible Comete sene and than folowed wonderfull famines and pestilence In the yeare MLXI. before thinuasion of Williā Conquer our in to England and the conquest of the same and in which Heralde king of England with twentie thousaunt true Englishemen in the defense of their countrey against the tiranne were slaine◅ther was sene a wonderfull Comete which euery man thought as in dede it folowed to be muche mischief and thalteracion of the state as herafter ye shall heare A litle before the great warres in Normandie wherof ye haue hearde before ther was sene in Normandie a great Comet and two full mones at one time shyning thone in the easte thother in the west In the yeare MCCXXI whilest the warres were in Asia betwene the christen men and the vnchristen wher vnto king Henry the thrid sent a power of Englishemen vnder therle of Chestre for the maintenaūce wherof the nobilitie furst graū ted the king the wardeship of their children as Polidore writeth before the Christen men lost the citie of Damiata and a great ouerthrowe of them was in Egipt many wonders were sene in diuerse places and also in Englande a very great Comete a wonderfull great earthequake all the wynter horrible thonders which in Englande seldome in Somer be hearde suche great raines and tempestes of windes that it ouerthrewe many houses and the sea drowned mani places which euery man saied betokened the hurt that folowed on christen men In the yeare MCCXLI a little before wales was brought to the subiection of the king of Englande ther appeared in England a terrible Comete by the space of xxx daies In the yeare M. D. XXXI ther was an horrible Comete And what folowed of it The Turke occupied a great parte of Vngarie the kig of Denmarke Christierne inuading his coūtrey with a great armie and so minding to recouer his kingdome was taken and his sonne And why should not ye of England t◅ike that these signes be only or at the least chiefly for you Compare your selues and your liues and doinges with the Iewes or the worst nacion if any can be worse ād see whether ye be not hable to matche them yea to ouermatche them and to droppe vie three for one In what nacion vnder the cope of heauen hathe God shewed greater tokens of his sauour and it so litle set by as in Englande What contempt of him his worde and ministers hathe bē ther What dissimulacion with God what hipocrisie What swearing and soreswearing What traiterye to their countreye What disobedience to the gouernours in good godly and necessary thinges What ready obedience to their rulers in wicked and euil thiges What vnnatural bitcherie vsed betwene the father and daughter brother and sister What abominable hooredome suffred vnpunished yea in many and the chiefest places the greatest hooremongers the impudentest ribauldes the peltingest bribers and the lewdest persones made Iustices of the peace and correctours of vice What railing and reuiling of the worthy pure preachers of Goddes gospell for only rebuking of vice What horrible murdres secret and open not only of priuate persones but also of the most honourable peeres and reuerende ministers of God What bochering and burning of true Englishe christianes yong and olde hole and lame seing and blynde man woman and childe without respecte of age sexe or astate What pillig and polling taking and snatching stealing and robbing not only among the meane sorte but among the greatest Wher is so great hatred and malice so litle loue and charitie as in Englande ▪ I should neuer make an ende if I should tell but that I haue my self sene and knowē muche lesse if I should declare all that other credible persones of their owne knowlage report to be most certain and true But to retourne to the mater Loke well England loke well whether this Comete past and eclipses to come touche the Art thou not all ready plaged with famin Yes and with suche a famin as thou neuer before heardest of It is true ye had darthes in the time of kinges Henry and Edwarde but those were dearthes without nede only they were occasioned by the gredinesse and malice of naughtie men without scarcitie or lacke of thinges ād for lacke of diligēt ouerseing and good gouernement and not by the directe plage of God But these two yeares since kīg Edwardes deathe from the restitucion of your cursed popishe masse ye haue had scarcitie by the directe plage of God The earthe not brought furthe suche plaintie as it customably did before Wher before time the countrey fedde London London contrary wise was and is forced of her former prouision to fede the countreie Wher Dantis◅e ād other the northe east partes were the barnes and garners of corne for they had the prouision of corne for many yeares before hande ād nourished all the lowe partes of Germanie Denmarke Friselande holande Zelande Brabaunt Flanders Hispaine and many other now by reason of their bringing so muche to releue Englande onles a staie be made in time they them selues will perishe of famin Whan were euer thinges so deare in Englande as in this time of the popish masse ād other Idolatrie restored Who euer hearde or redde before that a pounde of beefe was at iiij d. A shepe xx s. A poūde of Candelles at iiij d. A poūde of Buttur at iiij d. ob A poūde of Chese at iiij d. two egges a penie a quarter of wheat lxiiij s. A quartre of malt at l. s. or aboue the people driuen of hongre to grinde accornes for bread meale and to drinke water in stede of ale And what Shall this famin awaie before his walkīg mate and felowe pestilence come No surely without your earnest spedy repentaunce and Goddes exceding miraculous mercie it is not possible for hitherto the one went neuer before but the other cam either arme in arme
the kyng and haue the greatest offices Thus were our countreymen the Britaynes remoued from their king straungers placed in all offices and holdes and at leynght the lande was ouerrunne and possessed of Straungers And the mane of Britayne put awaye and the realme called Englande The Danes after vnderstanding how fertile and pleyntifull England was sought meanes by litle and litle to place themselues in Englande and after a king of DeÌ„marke in his owne persone inuaded EnglaÌ„d in the Northe aÌ„d made woÌ„derfull cruell warres they spared none they burned and wasted Yorkeshire Northumberlande and all places so that the enhabitauntes were forced to sue for peace at the Danes han des Then built they the towne of Dancastre that is the Castle of the Danes and whiles they had peace sent for moo Danes and whan they thought their for ce and power bigge ynough they passed not vpon promyses and leagues that they had made but renued the warres killed burned aÌ„d spoiled in euery place til thei came to Excestre the people and realme was most miserably tormented and made tributarie to them Diuerse of the nobilitie of England vpon light yea no occasiones but only bicause they were thought not to fauour the Danes were taken their nose trilles most villanously slytted their handes cut of â–ª Ah good God who can remembre these thinges without weping Who that feareth thy wrathe lorde will not amâ—…de his life aÌ„d call to thee for mercie What naugh tie nobilitie were that that wolde oppresse the commo nes and afterward be vsed and oppressed them selues by straungers as their predecessours haue ben before tyme What deuillis he CoÌ„mones might that be called that wolde repyne or rebelle against the nobilitie and gentilmen and than to be ouerrunne them selues with priestes and forayners and to be pyned with suche miserie as ye heare that our auncettours were and all bicause the gentilmen and coÌ„mones agred not among them selues Who is a natural Englishe man that will not in tyme forsee and considre the miserie towarde his countreye and him selfe aÌ„d by all meanes seke to let it who is it that caÌ„ hope for quietnesse pea ce healthe pleyntie and such like giftes of God without Goddes fauour and mercie And how is it possible that God should vse mercie with them that beare inwarde hatred and grudge one to an other aÌ„d will vse no merci with others If ye forgeue other meÌ„ their offenses that thei coÌ„mitte agaiÌ„st you saieth Christ your heauenly father will forgeue thoffenses that ye haue coÌ„mitted against him But if ye doo not forgeue other meÌ„ their faultes neither will your father forgeue you your faultes No whilest ye saye the lordes praier aÌ„d be full of raÌ„cour malice hatred aÌ„d eÌ„uie towarde your neighbour ye coÌ„demne your selues and desire Goddes plages and vengeaunce to fall on your selues for ye meane veÌ„geauÌ„ce to your neighbours aÌ„d wishe all euill to fall on them And so it dothe fall on you as ye see by experieÌ„ce of the playes aÌ„d miseries that are aÌ„d shall come to you But from inwarde sedicion and ciuile discorde that briedeth so muche mischief let vs come to outwarde warres and inuasiones made by strauÌ„gers But ye will saye ye haue no warres with any forain prince It is true but shall ye haue none yes yes the tyme is not yet come all is not hatched that is vnder the henne Your winges must be dubbed your fethers must be pulled your coÌ„bes must be cut you must be cleane piked your substaunce shalbe gotten by littel and littell out of your handes by taxes and subsidies by beneuolences and loanes and so froÌ„ a litell to more and froÌ„ more to more and at leynght all the marchauntes goodes to be confiscate in Flaunders by an inquisitioÌ„ and others in England by an opeÌ„ excoÌ„municatioÌ„ And whan ye be ones cleane stripped of your stoare and thus weakened out of courage aÌ„d your harte in your hose as they saie than shall your king returne to his welbeloued wife England with great poÌ„pe aÌ„d power and shall coÌ„pell you in despight of your hartes to reÌ„ dre and deliuer her holly in to his handes Than shall the easter linges vpon hope to recouer their olde and greater priuileges aide him with meÌ„ money and ship pes as allready they haue offred and promised as diuerse credible lettres haue declared ThaÌ„ shall they in uade Englande and shalbe by shiploades if no worse happeÌ„ vnto you caried in to newe Spaine aÌ„d ther not lyue at libertie but bicause ye are a stubburne and vn faithfull generacioÌ„ ye shalbe tyed in chaynes forced to rowe in the galie to digge in the mynes aÌ„d to pike vp the golde in the hotte sande And so with soro we to your soppes your three maÌ„nes song shall be Alas and Weale awaye Than shall ye knowe the pride aÌ„d lorde lynesse of the Spanyardes though for a while til they maie get the ouer hande they crepe and crouche fede men with swete wordes Baso las manos and women with confettes swete wynes pleasaunt pfumes gaye apparail and suche like vayne to yes but whâ—…n they be ones alofte ther is no nacioÌ„ vnder the cope of Christ like theÌ„ in pride crueltie vnmercifulnesse nor so farre froÌ„ all humanitie as the Spanyardes be which thig the realme of Naples the Dukedome of Milane the citie of Siena many partes of Duchelande and the lande of Iulike Cleuelande and Geldre lande can to theyr coste right well testifie And maie it not be thought that the FreÌ„che kìg whaÌ„ he seeth oportunitie wil set in a fote makìg clayme to Englande in the right of the Quene of Scottes as heire to hing HeÌ„ry theight by his eldest syster And maie it not be suspected that the pope to doo the Frenche king a pleasure shall saye the Diuorce betwene king Henry and the dowager was by the canon lawes laufull and shall excommunicate the realme onles they reuoke thacte of parliament wherby the Dyuorce of late was iudged vnlaufull RemeÌ„bre remembre good countrey men and true English hartes the miserie that folowed in our poore countrey vpon the conquest made by thambicious William Duke of NormaÌ„die vpon how small a title he entred aÌ„d how tyraÌ„nously he vsed him self His only colour was a bequest or promise made to him by king Edward brother to Cauntus and Heraldus kinges of England whaÌ„ he was a banished man in Normandie if he should dye without issue as he did At his first en trie he had a great batail with the newe choseÌ„ king of EnglaÌ„d aÌ„d slewe hì aÌ„d tweÌ„tie thousauÌ„t of our couÌ„treye meÌ„ which put suche a feare in all men the Nobilitie the cleargie the LoÌ„doners aÌ„d others the coÌ„mons that it mâ—…de theÌ„sue for peace aÌ„d to geue pledges for their â—…delitie whom he sent in to Normandie At the first he made theÌ„ many fayre promises of peace quietnesse aÌ„d iustice wherwith the folishe foÌ„de people were sone begyleâ—… They thought they had