some to haue bene so desirous of dominion that for the obteining of the same they haue murthered the children of their owne sonnes Yea aÌ„d some haue killed with crueltie their owne husbandes and children But to me it is sufficient because this parte of nature is not my moste sure foundation to haue proued that men illuminated onlie by the light of nature haue seen and haue determined that it is a thing moste repugnant to nature that women rule and gouerne ouer men For those that will not permit a woman to haue power ouer her owne sonnes will not permit her I am assured to haue rule ouer a realme and those that will not suffer her to speake in defense of those that be accused nether that will admit her accusation intended against man will not approue her that she shal sit in iudgemeÌ„t crowned with the royall crowne vsurping authoritie in the middest of men But now to the second part of nature In the whiche I include the reueled will and perfect ordinance of God and against this parte of nature I say that it doth manifestlie repugne that any woman shal reigne or beare dominion ouer man For God first by the order of his creation and after by the curse and malediction pronounced against the woman by the reason of her rebellion hath pronounced the contrarie First I say that woman in her greatest perfection was made to serue and obey man not to rule and coÌ„mand him As saint Paule doth reason in these wordes Man is not of the woman but the womaÌ„ of the man And maÌ„ was not created for the cause of the woman but the woman for the cause of man and therfore oght the womaÌ„ to haue a power vpoÌ„ her head that is a couerture in signe of subiectioÌ„ Of whiche words it is plaine that the Apostle meaneth that woman in her greatest perfection shuld haue knowen that maÌ„ was Lord aboue her and therfore that she shulde neuer haue preteÌ„ded any kind of superioritie aboue him no more then do the angels aboue God the creator or aboue Christ Iesus their head So I say that in her greatest perfection woman was created to be subiect to man But after her fall and rebellion coÌ„mitted against God there was put vpon her a newe necessitie and she was made subiect to man by the irreuocable senteÌ„ce of God pronounced in these wordes I will greatlie multiplie thy sorowe and thy coÌ„ception With sorrowe shalt thou beare thy children and thy will shall be subiect to thy man and he shal beare dominion ouer the. Herebie may such as altogither be not blinded plainlie see that God by his sentence hath deiected all woman frome empire and dominion aboue man For two punishmentes are laid vpon her to witte a dolor anguishe and payn as oft as euer she shal be mother and a subiectioÌ„ of her selfe her appetites and will to her husband and to his will Frome the former parte of this malediction can nether arte nobilitie policie nor lawe made by man deliuer womankinde but who soeuer atteineth to that honour to be mother proueth in experience the effect aÌ„d streÌ„gth of goddes word But alas ignoraÌ„ce of God ambition and tyrannie haue studied to abolishe and destroy the secoÌ„d parte of Goddes punishment For women are lifted vp to be heades ouer realmes and to rule aboue men at their pleasure and appetites But horrible is the veÌ„geance which is prepared for the one aÌ„d for the other for the promoters and for the persones promoted except they spedelie repent For they shall be deiected from the glorie of the sonnes of God to the sclauerie of the deuill and to the tormeÌ„t that is prepared for all suche as do exalte them selues against God Against God caÌ„ nothing be more manifest then that a woman shall be exalted to reigne aboue man For the coÌ„trarie senteÌ„ce hath he pronounced in these wordes Thy will shall be subiect to thy husband and he shall beare dominion ouer the. As God shuld say forasmuch as thou hast abused thy former condition and because thy free will hath broght thy selfe and mankind in to the boÌ„dage of Satan I therfore will bring the in bondage to man For where before thy obedience shuld haue bene voluntarie no we it shall be by constreint and by necessitie and that because thou hast deceiued thy man thou shalt therfore be no longar maistresse ouer thine own appetites ouer thine owne will nor desires For in the there is nether reason nor discretion whiche be able to moderate thy affectioÌ„s and therfore they shall be subiect to the desire of thy maÌ„ He shall be Lord and gouernour not onlie ouer thy bodie but euen ouer thy appetites and will This sentence I say did God pronounce against Heua and her daughters as the rest of the Scriptures doth euideÌ„tlie witnesse So that no woman can euer presume to reigne aboue man but the same she must nedes do in despite of God and in contempt of his punishment and malediction I am not ignorant that the most part of men do vnderstand this malediction of the subiection of the wife to her husband and of the dominion which he beareth aboue her but the holie ghost geueth to vs an other interpretation of this place taking from all women all kinde of superioritie authoritie aÌ„d power ouer man speaking as foloweth by the mouth of saint Paule I suffer not a woman to teache nether yet to vsurpe authoritie aboue man Here he nameth women in generall excepting none affirming that she may vsurpe authoritie aboue no man And that he speaketh more plainlie in an other place in these wordes Let women kepe silence in the congregation for it is not permitted to them to speake but to be subiect as the lawe sayeth These two testimonies of the holy ghost be sufficient to proue what soeuer we haue affirmed before aÌ„d to represse the inordinate pride of women as also to correct the foolishnes of those that haue studied to exalt womeÌ„ in authoritie aboue man against God and against his sentence ê“nounced But that the same two places of the apostle may the better be vnderstand it is to be noted that in the latter which is writen in the first epistle to the Corinthes the 14 chapitre before the apostle had permitted that all persones shuld prophecie one after an other addinge this reason that all may learne and all may receiue consolation And left that any might haue iudged that amongest a rude multitude and the pluralitie of speakers manie thinges litle to purpose might haue bene affirmed or elles that some confusion might haue risen he addeth the spirites of the prophetes are subiect to the prophetes As he shuld say God shall alwayes raise vp some to whome the veritie shalbe reueled and vnto such ye shal geue place albeit they sit in the lowest seates And thus the apostle wold haue prophecying an exercise to be free to the
hole churche that euerie one shuld communicate with the coÌ„gregation what God had reueled to them prouidinge that it were orderlie done But frome this generall priuiledge he secludeth all woman sayinge let women kepe silence in the congregation And why I pray you was it because that the apostle thoght no womaÌ„ to haue any knowledge no he geueth an other reason saying let her be subiect as the lawe saith In which wordes is first to be noted that the apostle calleth this former sentence pronounced against womaÌ„ a lawe that is the immutable decree of God who by his owne voice hath subiected her to one meÌ„bre of the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ that is to her husbaÌ„d wherupon the holie ghost concludeth that she may neuer rule nor bear empire aboue man For she that is made subiect to one may neuer be preferred to many and that the holie ghoste doth manifestlie expresse saying I suffer not that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue man he sayth not I will not that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue her husband but he nameth man in generall taking frome her all power and authoritie to speake to reason to interprete or to teache but principallie to rule or to iudge in the assemblie of men So that woman by the lawe of God and by the interpretation of the holy ghost is vtterly forbidden to occupie the place of God in the offices afore said which he hath assigned to man whome he hath appointed and ordeined his lieutenant in earth secluding frome that honor aÌ„d dignitie all woman as this short argument shall euidentlie declare The apostle taketh power frome all woman to speake in the assemblie Ergo he permitteth no woman to rule aboue man The former parte is euideÌ„t wherupon doth the couclusion of necessitie folowe For he that taketh from womaÌ„ the least parte of authoritie dominion or rule will not permit vnto her that whiche is greatest But greater it is to reigne aboue realmes and nations to publish and to make lawes and to coÌ„mande men of all estates and finallie to appoint iudges and ministers then to speake in the coÌ„gregation For her iudgemeÌ„t sentence or opinioÌ„ proposed in the coÌ„gregation may be iudged by all may be corrected by the learned and reformed by the godlie But womaÌ„ being promoted in souereine authoritie her la wes must be obeyed her opinion folowed and her tyraÌ„nie mainteined supposing that it be expreslie against God and the prophet of the common welth as to manifest experience doth this day witnesse And therfore yet againe I repete that whiche before I haue affirmed to witt that a woman promoted to sit in the seate of God that is to teache to iudge or to reigne aboue man is a monstre in nature contumelie to God and a thing most repugnaÌ„t to his will aÌ„d ordinaÌ„ce For he hath depriued them as before is proued of speakinge in the congregation and hath expreslie forbidden them to vsurpe any kinde of authoritie aboue man Howe then will he suffer them to reigne aÌ„d haue empire aboue realmes and nations He will neuer I say approue it because it is a thing most repugnant to his perfect ordinance as after shalbe declared and as the former scriptures haue plainlie geuen testimonie To the whiche to adde anything were superfluous were it not that the worlde is almost nowe comen to that blindnes that what soeuer pleaseth not the princes and the multitude the same is reiected as doctrine newelie forged and is condemned for heresie I haue therfore thoght good to recite the mindes of some auncient writers in the same mater to the end that suche as altogither be not blinded by the deuil may consider and vnderstand this my iudgement to be no newe interpretation of Goddes scriptures but to be the vniforme consent of the most parte of godlie writers since the time of the apostles Tertullian in his boke of womens apparell after that he hath she wed many causes why gorgious apparell is abominable and odiouse in a woman addeth these wordes speaking as it were to euery womaÌ„ by name Dost thou not knowe saith he that thou art Heua the sentence of God liueth and is effectuall against this kind and in this worlde of necessity it is that the punishement also liue Thou art the porte and gate of the deuil Thou art the first traÌ„sgressor of goddes law thou diddest persuade aÌ„d easely deceiue him whome the deuil durst not assault For thy merit that is for thy death it beho ued the soÌ„ne of god to suffre the death aÌ„d doth it yet abide in thy mind to decke the aboue thy skin coates By these aÌ„d many other graue senteÌ„ces and quicke interrogations did this godlie writer labour to bring euerie woman in contemplation of her selfe to the end that euerie one depelie weying what sentence God had ê“nounced against the hole race aÌ„d doughters of Heua might not onely learne daily to humble and subiect them selues in the presence of God but also that they shulde auoide aÌ„d abhorre what soeuer thing might exalte them or puffe them vp in pride or that might be occasion that they shuld forget the curse and malediction of God And what I pray you is more able to cause woman to forget her owne condition then if she be lifted vp in authoritie aboue man It is a thing verie difficile to a man be he neuer so coÌ„stant promoted to honors not to be tickled some what with pride for the winde of vaine glorie doth easelie carie vp the drie dust of the earth But as for woman it is no more possible that she being set aloft in authoritie aboue man shall resist the motions of pride then it is able to the weake reed or to the turning wethercocke not to bowe or turne at the vehemencie of the vnconstant wind And therfore the same writer expreslie forbiddeth all woman to intremedle with the office of man For thus he writeth in his book de virginibus velandis It is not permitted to a woman to speake in the coÌ„gregation nether to teache nether to baptise nether to vendicate to her selfe any office of man The same he speaketh yet more plainly in the preface of his sixte boke writen against Marcion where he recounting certein monstruous thinges whiche were to be sene at the sea called Euxinum amongest the rest he reciteth this as a greate monstre in nature that women in those partes were not tamed nor embased by coÌ„sideration of their own sex and kind but that all shame laide a parte they made expenses vpon weapons and learned the feates of warre hauinge more pleasure to fight then to mary and be subiect to man Thus farre of Tertullian whose wordes be so plain that they nede no explanation For he that taketh from her all office apperteining to man will not suffre her to reigne aboue man and he that iudgeth it a monstre in nature that a woman shall exercise weapons must iudge it to be a monstre of
THE FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST THE MONSTRVOVS regiment of women Veritas temporis filia M. D. LVIII THE KINGDOME APPERTEINETH TO OVR God VVonder it is that amongest so many pregnant wittes as the Ile of greate Britanny hath ê“duced so many godlie and zelous preachers as England did somtime norishe and amongest so many learned and men of graue iudgement as this day by Iesabel are exiled none is found so stowte of courage so faithfull to God nor louing to their natiue countrie that they dare admonishe the inhabitantes of that Ile how abominable before God is the Empire or Rule of a wicked woman yea of a traiteresse and bastard And what may a people or nation left destitute of a lawfull head do by the authoritie of Goddes worde in electing and appointing common rulers and magistrates That Ile alas for the contempt and horrible abuse of Goddes mercies offred and for the shamefull reuolting to Satan frome Christ Iesus and frome his Gospell ones professed doth iustlie merite to be left in the handes of their own counsel and so to come to coÌ„fusion and bondage of strangiers But yet I feare that this vniuersall negligeÌ„ce of such as somtimes were estemed watchemen shall rather aggrauate our former ingratitude then excuse this our vniuersall and vngodlie silence in so weightie a mater We se our countrie set furthe for a pray to foreine nations we heare the blood of our brethren the meÌ„bres of Christ Iesus most cruellie to be shed and the monstruous empire of a cruell woman the secrete counsel of God excepted we knowe to be the onlie occasion of all these miseries and yet with silence we passe the time as thogh the mater did nothinge appertein to vs. But the coÌ„trarie examples of the auncient prophetes moue me to doubte of this our fact For Israel did vniuersalie decline frome God by embrasing idolatrie vnder Ieroboam In whiche they did continue euen vnto the destruction of their common welthe And Iuda withe Ierusalem did followe the vile superstition and open iniquitie of Samaria But yet ceased not the prophetes of God to admonishe the one and the other Yea euen after that God had poured furthe his plagues vpon them For Ieremie did write to the captiues in Babylon and did correct their errors plainlie instructing them who did remaine in the middest of that idolatrouse nation Ezechiel frome the middest of his brethren prisoners in Chaldea did write his vision to those that were in Ierusalem and sharplie rebukinge their vices assured them that they shuld not escape the vengeance of God by reason of their abominations committed The same prophetes for comfort of the afflicted and chosen saintes of God who did lie hyd amongest the reprobate of that age as coÌ„monlie doth the corne amongest the chasse did prophecie and before speake the changes of kingdomes the punishmentes of tyrannes and the vengeance whiche God wold execute vpon the oppressors of his people The same did Daniel and the rest of the prophetes euerie one in their season By whose examples and by the plaine precept which is geuen to Ezechiel commanding him that he shall say to the wicked Thou shalt die the death We in this our miserable age are bounde to admonishe the world aÌ„d the tyraÌ„nes therof of their sodeine destruction to assure them and to crie vnto them whether they list to heare or not That the blood of the saintes which by them is shed coÌ„tinuallie crieth and craueth vengeance in the presence of the Lorde of hostes And further it is our dutie to open the truthe reueled vnto vs vnto the ignorant and blind world vnlest that to our owne coÌ„demnation we list to wrap vp and hyde the talent committed to our charge I am assured that God hath reueled to some in this our age that it is more then a moÌ„stre in nature that a woman shall reigne aÌ„d haue empire aboue man And yet with vs all there is suche silence as if God there with were nothing offended The naturall man ennemy to God shall fynd I knowe many causes why no suche doctrine oght to be published in these our dangerous dayes First for that it may seme to tend to sedition secondarilie it shal be dangerous not onlie to the writer or publisher but also to all such as shall reade the writinges or fauor this truth spoken and last it shall not amend the chief offenders partlie because it shall neuer come to their eares and partlie because they will not be admonished in such cases I answer yf any of these be a sufficient reason that a truth knowen shalbe coÌ„celed then were the auncient prophetes of God very fooles who did not better prouide for their owne quietnes then to hasard their liues for rebuking of vices and for the opening of such crimes as were not knowen to the world And Christ Iesus did iniurie to his Apostles commaÌ„ding them to preache repentance and remission of synnes in his name to euerie realme and nation And Paule did not vnderstand his owne libertie when he cried wo be to me if I preache not the Euangile Yf feare I say of persecution of sclander or of any inconuenience before named might haue excused aÌ„d discharged the seruantes of God from plainlie rebuking the sinnes of the world iuste cause had euerie one of them to haue ceased frome their office For sodeinlie their doctrine was accused by termes of sedition of newe learning and of treason persecution and vehement trouble did shortlie come vpon the professours with the preachers kinges princes and worldlie rulers did conspire against God and against his anoynted Christ Iesus But what Did any of these moue the prophetes and Apostles to faynt in their vocation no. But by the resistance whiche the deuill made to them by his suppostes were they the more inflamed to publishe the truthe reueled vnto them and to witnesse with their blood that greuous condemnation and Goddes heuie vengeance shuld folowe the proude contempt of graces offred The fidelitie bold courage and coÌ„stancie of those that are passed before vs oght to ê“uoke vs to folowe their footsteppes onles we loke for an other kingdome then Christ hath ê“mised to such as perseuere in ê“fession of his name to the end Yf any think that the empire of women is not of such importance that for the suppressing of the same any maÌ„ is bounde to hasarde his life I answer that to suppresse it is in the haÌ„d of god alone But to vtter the impietie and abomination of the same I say it is the dutie of euerie true messager of God to whome the truth is reueled in that behalfe For the especiall dutie of Goddes messagers is to preache repentaÌ„ce to admonishe the offenders of their offenses and to say to the wicked thou shalt die the death except thou repent This I trust will no man denie to be the propre office of all Goddes messagers to
iustice In the probation of this proposition I will not be so curious as to gather what soeuer may amplifie set furth or decore the same but I am purposed euen as I haue spoken my conscience in most plaine aÌ„d fewe wordes so to staÌ„d content with a simple proofe of euerie membre bringing in for my witnesse Goddes ordinance in nature his plaine will reueled in his worde and the mindes of such as be moste auncient amongest godlie writers And first where that I affirme the empire of a woman to be a thing repugnaÌ„t to nature I meane not onlie that God by the order of his creatioÌ„ hath spoiled woman of authoritie aÌ„d dominioÌ„ but also that man hath seen proued and ê“nounced iust causes why that it so shuld be MaÌ„ I say in many other cases blind doth in this behalfe see verie clearlie For the causes be so manifest that they can not be hid For who can denie but it repugneth to nature that the blind shal be appointed to leade and coÌ„duct such as do see That the weake the sicke and impotent persones shall norishe and kepe the hole and strong and finallie that the foolishe madde aÌ„d phrenetike shal gouerne the discrete aÌ„d giue counsel to such as be sober of mind And such be al women coÌ„pared vnto man in bearing of authoritie For their sight in ciuile regiment is but blindnes their strength weaknes their counsel foolishenes and iudgement phrenesie if it be rightlie considered I except such as God by singular priuiledge and for certain causes knowen onlie to him selfe hath exempted from the coÌ„mon ranke of womeÌ„ and do speake of women as nature and experience do this day declare them Nature I say doth paynt them furthe to be weake fraile impacieÌ„t feble and foolishe and experience hath declared them to be vnconstant variable cruell and lacking the spirit of counsel and regimeÌ„t And these notable faultes haue men in all ages espied in that kinde for the whiche not onlie they haue remoued women from rule and authoritie but also some haue thoght that men subiect to the counsel or empire of their wyues were vnworthie of all publike office For thus writeth Aristotle in the seconde of his Politikes what difference shal we put saith he whether that women beare authoritie or the husbandes that obey the empire of their wyues be appointed to be magistrates For what insueth the one must nedes folowe the other to witte iniustice confusion and disorder The same author further reasoneth that the policie or regiment of the LacedemoniaÌ„s who other wayes amongest the Grecians were moste excellent was not worthie to be reputed nor accompted amongest the nombre of common welthes that were well gouerned because the magistrates and rulers of the same were to muche geuen to please and obey their wyues What wolde this writer I pray you haue said to that realme or natioÌ„ where a woman sitteth crowned in parliament amongest the middest of men Oh fearefull and terrible are thy iudgementes o Lord whiche thus hast abased man for his iniquitie I am assuredlie persuaded that if any of those men which illuminated onelie by the light of nature did see and pronounce causes sufficient why women oght not to beare rule nor authoritie shuld this day liue aÌ„d see a woman sitting in iudgement or riding frome parliament in the middest of men hauing the royall crowne vpon her head the sworde and sceptre borne before her in signe that the administration of iustice was in her power I am assuredlie persuaded I say that suche a sight shulde so astonishe them that they shuld iudge the hole worlde to be transfformed in to Amazones and that suche a metamorphosis and change was made of all the men of that countrie as poetes do feyn was made of the companyons of Vlisses or at least that albeit the owtwarde form of men remained yet shuld they iudge that their hartes were changed frome the wisdome vnderstanding and courage of men to the foolishe fondnes aÌ„d cowardise of women Yea they further shuld pronounce that where women reigne or be in authoritie that there must nedes vanitie be preferred to vertue ambition and pride to temperaÌ„cie and modestie and finallie that auarice the mother of all mischefe must nedes deuour equitie and iustice But lest that we shall seme to be of this opinion alone let vs heare what others haue seen and decreed in this mater In the rules of the lawe thus it is written Women are remoued frome all ciuile and publike office so that they nether may be iudges nether may they occupie the place of the magistrate nether yet may they be speakers for others The same is repeted in the third and in the sextenth bokes of the digestes Where certein persones are forbidden Ne pro aliis postulent that is that they be no speakers nor aduocates for others And among the rest are women forbidden and this cause is added that they do not against shamefastnes intermedle them selues with the causes of others nether yet that women prefume to vse the offices due to men The lawe in the same place doth further declare that a naturall shamfastnes oght to be in womankind whiche most certeinlie she loseth when soeuer she taketh vpon her the office and estate of maÌ„ As in Calphurnia was euidentlie declared who hauing liceÌ„ce to speake before the senate at leÌ„gth became so impudent and importune that by her babling she troubled the hole Assemblie And so gaue occasion that this lawe was established In the first boke of the digestes it is pronounced that the condition of the woman in many cases is worse then of the man As in iurisdictioÌ„ saith the lawe in receiuing of cure and tuition in adoption in publike accusation in delation in all popular action and in motherlie power which she hath not vpon her owne sonnes The lawe further will not permit that the woman geue any thing to her husband because it is against the nature of her kinde being the inferiour meÌ„bre to presume to geue any thing to her head The lawe doth more ouer pronounce womankinde to be most auaricious which is a vice into lerable in those that shulde rule or minister iustice And Aristotle as before is touched doth plainly affirme that whersoeuer womeÌ„ beare dominioÌ„ there must nedes the people be disordred liuinge and abounding in all inteÌ„perancie geuen to pride excesse and vanitie And finallie in the end that they must nedes come to confusion and ruine Wold to god the exaÌ„ples were not so manifest to the further declaration of the imperfections of women of their naturall weaknes and inordinat appetites I might adduce histories prouing some women to haue died for sodein ioy some for vnpaciencie to haue murthered them selues some to haue burned with such inordinat lust that for the quenching of the same they haue betrayed to straÌ„giers their countrie aÌ„d citie and
monstres that a woman shalbe exalted aboue a hole realme and natioÌ„ Of the same minde is Origen and diuers others Yea euen till the dayes of Augustine whose sentences I omit to to auoide prolixitie Augustine in his 22. boke writen against Faustus proueth that a woman oght to serue her husbaÌ„d as vnto God affirming that in no thing hath woman equall power with man sauing that nether of both haue power ouer their owne bodies By whiche he wold plainlie coÌ„clude that woman oght neuer to pretend nor thirst for that power aÌ„d authoritie which is due to maÌ„ For so he doth explane him selfe in an other place affirming that woman oght to be repressed and brideled be times if she aspire to any dominion alledging that dangerous and perillous it is to suffre her to procede althogh it be in temporall and corporall thinges And therto he addeth these wordes God seeth not for a time nether is there any newe thinge in his sight and knowledge meaninge therby that what God hath sene in one woman as concerning dominion and bearing of authoritie the same he seeth in all And what he hath forbidden to one the same he also forbiddeth to all And this most euideÌ„tlie yet in an other place he writeth mouing this question howe can womaÌ„ be the image of God seing saith he she is subiect to man and hath none authoritie nether to teache nether to be witnesse nether to iudge muche lesse to rule or beare empire These be the verie wordes of Augustine of which it is euident that this godlie writer doth not onelie agree withe Tertullian before recited but also with the former sentence of the lawe whiche taketh frome woman not onelie all authoritie amongest men but also euerie office apperteining to man To the question howe she can be the image of God he answereth as foloweth WomaÌ„ saith he coÌ„pared to other creatures is the image of God for she beareth dominion ouer them but coÌ„pared vnto man she may not be called the image of God for she beareth not rule and lordship ouer maÌ„ but oght to obey him c. And howe that woman oght to obey man he speaketh yet more clearlie in these words the womaÌ„ shalbe subiect to man as vnto Christ. For womaÌ„ saith he hath not her example frome the bodie and from the fleshe that so she shalbe subiect to man as the fleshe is vnto the spirite Because that the flesh in the weaknes and mortalitie of this life lusteth and striueth against the spirit aÌ„d therfore wold not the holie ghost geue example of subiection to the womaÌ„ of any suche thing c. This senteÌ„ce of Augustine oght to be noted of all women for in it he plainlie affirmeth that woman oght to be subject to man that she neuer oght more to desire preeminence aboue him then that she oght to desire aboue Christe Iesus With Augustine agreeth in euerie point S. Ambrose who thus writeth in his Hexaemeron Adam was deceiued by Heua and not Heua by Adam and therfore iust it is that woman receiue and acknowledge him for gouernor whom she called to sinne lest that again she slide and fall by womanlie facilitie And writing vpon the epistle to the Ephesians he saith let women be subiect to their owne husbandes as vnto the Lorde for the man is heade to the woman and Christ is heade to the coÌ„gregation and he is the sauiour of the bodie but the congregation is subiect to Christ euen so oght womeÌ„ to be to their husbaÌ„des in all thin ges He procedeth further saying women are commanded to be subiect to men by the lawe of nature because that man is the author or beginner of the woman for as Christ is the head of the churche so is man of the woman From Christ the church toke beginning and therfore it is subiect vnto him euen so did woman take beginning from man that she shuld be subiect Thus we heare the agreing of these two writers to be such that a man might iudge the one to haue stolen the wordes and sentences from the other And yet plain it is that duringe the time of their writinge the one was farre distant frome the other But the holie ghost who is the spirite of concorde and vnitie did so illuminate their hartes and directe their tonges and pennes that as they did conceiue ceiue aÌ„d vnderstaÌ„d one truth so did they pronounce and vtter the same leauing a testimonie of their knowledge and concorde to vs their posteritie If any thinke that all these former senteÌ„ces be spoken onelie of the subiection of the maryed womaÌ„ to her husband as before I haue proued the coÌ„trarie by the plain wordes aÌ„d reasoning of S. Paule so shal I shortlie do the same by other testimonies of the forsaid writers The same Ambrose writing vpon the second chapitre of the first epistle to Timothie after he hath spoken much of the simple arraymeÌ„t of women he addeth these wordes woman oght not onelie to haue simple arraymeÌ„t but all authoritie is to be denied vnto her for she must be in subiection to man of whome she hath taken her originall aswell in habit as in seruice And after a fewe wordes he saith because that death did entre in to the world by her there is no boldenes that oght to be permitted vnto her but she oght to be in humilitie Hereof it is plain that frome all woman be she maried or vnmaried is all authoritie taken to execute any office that apperteineth to man Yea plain it is that all woman is commanded to serue to be in humilitie and subiection Whiche thing yet speaketh the same writer more plainlie in these wordes It is not permitted to womeÌ„ to speake but to be in silence as the lawe saith What saith the lawe Vnto thy husband shall thy conuersion be and he shall beare dominion ouer the. This is a speciall lawe saith Ambrose whose sentence lest it shulde be violated infirmed or made weake women are commanded to be in silence Here he includeth all women And yet he ê“cedeth further in the same place saying It is shame for them to presume to speake of the lawe in the house of the Lord who hath commaÌ„ded them to be subiect to their men But moste plainly speaketh he writing vpoÌ„ the 16. chapitre of the epistle of S. Paule to the Romaines vpon these wordes Salute Rufus and his mother For this cause saith Ambrose did the apostle place Rufus before his mother for the election of the administration of the grace of God in the whiche a woman hath no place For he was chosen and promoted by the Lorde to take care ouer his busines that is ouer the churche to the whiche office could not his mother be appointed albeit she was a woman so holie that the apostle called her his mother Hereof it is plaine that the administration of the grace of God is denied to all woman By the administration of
to witnesse that in earth she hath a head that is mā Trewe it is Chrysostome woman is couered in both the saide realmes but it is not with the signe of subiection but it is with the signe of superioritie to witt with the royal crowne To that he answereth in these wordes what if mā neglect his honor he his no lesse to be mocked saith Chrysostome then if a king shulde depose himself of his diademe or crowne and royal estat and cloth him self in the habit of a sclaue What I pray you shulde this godlie father haue saide if he had sene all the men of a realme or nation fall downe before a woman If he had sene the crowne sceptre and sworde whiche are ensignes of the royall dignitie geuen to her and a woman curfed of God and made subiecte to man placed in the throne of iustice to sit as Goddes lieutenant What I say in this behalfe shuld any hart vnfeined lie fearing God haue iudged of suche men I am assured that not onlie shulde they haue bene iudged foolishe but also enraged and sclaues to Satan manifestlie fighting against God and his apointed ordre The more that I cōsider the subuersion of Goddes ordre which he hath placed generallie in all liuinge thinges the more I do wondre at the blindnes of man who doth not cōsider him self in this case so degenerate that the brute beastes are to be preferred vnto him in this behalfe For nature hath in all beastes printed a certein marke of dominiō in the male ād a certeine subiection in the female whiche they kepe inurolate For no man euer sawe the lion make obediēce and stoupe before the lionesse nether yet can it be proued that the hinde taketh the conducting of the heard amongest the hartes And yet alas mā who by the mouth of God hath dominiō apointed to him ouer woman doth not onlie to his own shame stoupevnder the obediēce of women but also in despit of God ād of his apointed ordre reioyseth and mainteineth that monstruouse authoritie as a thing lauful and iust The insolentioy the bonefiers and bāketing which were in lōdon and els where in Englād when that cursed Iesabell was proclaimed qwene did witnesse to my hart that mē were becomen more then enraged For els howe coulde they so haue reioysed at their owne confusion and certein destruction For what mā was there of so base iudgemēt supposing that he had any light of God who did not see the erecting of that monstre to be the ouerthrowe of true religion and the assured destruction of England and of the auncient liberties therof And yet neuer the lesse all men so triumphed as if God had deliuered them frome all calamitie But iust and rightuouse terrible and fearfull are thy iudgementes o Lorde For as some times thou diddest so punishe men for vnthankfulnes that man ashamed not to commit villanie withe man and that because that knowinge the to be God they glorified the not as God euen so haste thou moste iustlie nowe punished the proude rebellion and horrible ingratitude of the realmes of England and Scotland For when thou diddest offre thy selfe moste mercifullie to them both offering the meanes by the whiche they might haue bene ioyned to gether for euer in godly concorde then was the one proud ād cruel and the other vnconstant and fikle of promise But yet alas did miserable England further rebell against the. For albeit thou diddest not cease to heape benefit vpon benefit during the reigne of an innocent and tendre king yet no man did acknowledge thy potent hand and meruelouse working The stoute courage of capitaines the witte ād policie of coūselers the learning of bishoppes did robbe the of thy glorie and honor For what then was heard as concerning religion but the kinges procedinges the kinges procedinges must be obeyed It is enacted by parliament therefore it is treason to speake in the cōtrarie But this was not the end of this miserable tragedie For thou diddest yet procede to offre thy fauors sending thy prophetes and messagers to call for reformation of life in all estates For euen frome the highest to the lowest all were declined frome the yea euē those that shuld haue bene the lanterns to others some I am affured did qwake and tremble and frome the botome of their hartes thirsted amendment and for the same purpose did earnestly call for discipline But then brust furth the venome which before lurked then might they not conteine their despiteful voices but with open mouthes did crie we will not haue suche a one to reigne ouer vs. Then I say was euerie man so stoute that he wolde not be broght in bōdage no not to the ô Lord but with disdein did the multitude cast frome them the amiable yoke of Christ Iesus No mā wolde suffre his finne to be rebuked no man wolde haue his life called to triall And thus did they refuse the ô Lorde and thy sonne Christ Iesus to be their pastor protector and prince And therefore hast thou geuē them ouer in to a reprobat minde Thou hast takē from them the spirit of boldnes of wisdome ād of rightuous iudgemēt They see their owne destruction and yet they haue no grace to auoide it Yea they are becomen so blinde that knowing the pit they headlong cast them selues in to the same as the nobilitie of England do this day fighting in the defense of their mortall ennemie the spaniard Finallie they are so destitute of vnderstanding and iudgement that althogh they knowe that there is a libertie and fredome the whiche their predecessors haue inioyed yet are they cōpelled to bowe their neckes vnder the yoke of Satan and of his proude ministres pestilent papistes and proude spaniardes And yet cā they not cōsider that where a womā reigneth and papistes beare authoritie that there must nedes Satan be prefident of the counsel Thus hast thou ô Lorde in thy hote displeasure reuenged the contempt of thy graces offred But ô Lord if thou shalt reteine wrath to the end what fleshe is able to susteine We haue sinned ô Lord ād are not worthy to be releued But worthy art thou ô Lorde to be a true God and worthy is thy sonne Christ Iesus to haue his Euangil and glorie aduanced whiche both are troden vnder foot in this cruell murther and persecution whiche the builders of Babylon cōmit in their furie haue raised against thy children for the establishing of their kingdome Let the sobbes therfore of thy prisoners ô Lord passe vp to thine eares consider their affliction and let the eyes of thy mercie looke downe vpon the blood of such as die for testimonie of thy eternal veritie and let not thine ennemies mocke thy iudgement for euer To the ō Lorde I turne my wretched and wicked hart to the alone I direct my complaint and grones for in that Ile to thy faintes there is left no comforte Albeit I haue
studie to represse her inordinate pride and tyrannie to the vttermost of their power The same is the dutie of the nobilitie and estates by whose blindnes a woman is promoted First in so farre as they haue moste haynouslie offended against God placing in authoritie suche as God by his worde hath remoued frome the same vnfeinedly they oght to call for mercie and being admonished of their error and damnable fact in signe and token of true repentance with common consent they oght to retreate that which vnaduisedlie and by ignoraÌ„ce they haue pronounced and oght without further delay to remoue from authority all such persones as by vsurpation violence or tyrannie do possesse the same For so did Israel and Iuda after they had reuolted from Dauid and Iuda alone in the dayes of Athalia For after that she by murthering her sonnes children had obteined the empire ouer the land and had most vnhappelie reigned in Iuda six years Iehoiada the high priest called together the capitaines and chief rulers of the people and shewing to them the kinges soÌ„ne Ioas did binde them by an othe to depose that wicked womaÌ„ and to promote the king to his royall seat whiche they faithfullie did killinge at his coÌ„mandement not onlie that cruell and mischeuous womaÌ„ but also the people did destroie the teÌ„ple of Baal break his altars and images and kill Mathan Baales high priest before his altars The same is the dutie as well of the estates as of the people that hath bene blinded First they oght to remoue frome honor and authoritie that monstre in nature so call I a woman cled in the habit of man yea a woman against nature reigning aboue man Secondarilie if any presume to defende that impietie they oght not to feare first to ê“nounce and then after to execute against theÌ„ the senteÌ„ce of deathe If any man be affraid to violat the oth of obedieÌ„ce which they haue made to suche moÌ„stres let them be most assuredly persuaded that as the beginning of their othes proceding from ignorance was sinne so is the obstinate purpose to kepe the same nothinge but plaine rebellioÌ„ against God But of this mater in the second blast God willing we shall speake more at large And nowe to put an end to the first blast seing that by the ordre of nature by the malediction and curse pronounced against woman by the mouth of S. Paule the interpreter of Goddes sentence by the example of that common welth in whiche God by his word planted ordre and policie and finallie by the iudgement of the most godlie writers God hath deiected woman frome rule dominion empire and authoritie aboue man Moreouer seing that nether the example of Debora nether the lawe made for the doughters of Zalphead nether yet the foolishe consent of an ignorant multitude be able to iustifie that whiche God so plainlie hath codemned let all men take hede what quarell and cause frome hence further they do defend If God raise vp any noble harte to vendicat the libertie of his countrie and to suppresse the monstruous empire of women let all suche as shal presume to defend them in the same moste certeinlie knowe that in so doing they lift their haÌ„d against God and that one day they shall finde his power to fight against their foolishnes Let not the faithfull godlie and valiant hartes of Christes souldiours be vtterlie discouraged nether yet let the tyrannes reioise albeit for a time they triumphe against such as studie to represse their tyrannie and to remoue them from vniust authoritie For the causes alone why he suffereth the souldiours to fail in batel whome neuerthelesse he commandeth to fight as somtimes did Israel fighting against Beniamin The cause of the Israelites was most iust for it was to punishe that horrible abominatioÌ„ of those sonnes of Belial abusing the leuites wife whome the Beniamites did defeÌ„d And they had Goddes precept to assure them of well doing For he did not onelie commaÌ„de them to fight but also apointed Iuda to be their leader and capitain aÌ„d yet fell they twise in plain batel against those most wicked adulterers The secret cause of this I say is knoweÌ„ to God alone But by his euideÌ„t scriptures we may assuredly gather that by such means doth his wisdome soÌ„times beat downe the pride of the flesh for the Israelites at the firste trusted in their multitude power aÌ„d streÌ„gth and somtimes by such ouerthrowes he will punish the offenses of his owne childreÌ„ and bring them to the vnfeined knowledge of the same before he will geue them victorie against the manifest coÌ„teÌ„ners whom he hath apoiÌ„ted neuerthelesse to vttermost perdition as the end of that batel did witnesse For althogh with greate murther the children of Israel did twise fall before the BeÌ„iamites yet after they had wept before the Lorde after they had fasted aÌ„d made sacrifice in signe of their vnfeined repentance they so preuailed against that proude tribe of Beniamin that after 25. thousande strong men of warre were killed in batel they destroyed man womaÌ„ childe and beaste as well in the fieldes as in the cities whiche all were burned with fier so that onelie of that hole tribe remained fix hundreth men who fled to the wildernes where they remained foure monethes and so were saued The same God who did execute this greuous punishmeÌ„t eueÌ„ by the haÌ„des of those whom he suffred twise to be ouercomen in batel doth this day retein his power aÌ„d iustice Cursed Iesabel of EnglaÌ„d with the pestilent aÌ„d detestable generatioÌ„ of papistes make no litle bragge and boast that they haue triumphed not only against Wyet but also against all such as haue entreprised any thing against theÌ„ or their procedinges But let her and them consider that yet they haue not preuailed against god his throne is more high then that the leÌ„gth of their hornes be able to reache And let them further coÌ„sider that in the beginning of this their bloodie reigne the haruest of their iniquitie was not comen to full maturitie and ripenes No it was so grene so secret I meane so couered and so hid with hypocrisie that some men euen the seruantes of God thoght it not impossible but that wolues might be chaÌ„ged in to laÌ„bes aÌ„d also that the vipere might remoue her natural venom But God who doth reuele in his time apointed the secretes of hartes and that will haue his iudgemeÌ„tes iustified euen by the verie wicked hath now geuen open testimonie of her and their beastlie crueltie For man and womaÌ„ learned and vnlearned nobles aÌ„d men of baser sorte aged fathers and tendre damiselles and finailie the bones of the dead aswell womeÌ„ as meÌ„ haue tasted of their tyraÌ„nie so that now not onlie the blood of father Latimer of the milde man of God the bishop of CaÌ„torburie of learned and discrete Ridley of innocent ladie Iane dudley and many godly and worthie preachers that can