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
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
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
is so playne and easie to be vnderstanden that no ignoraunce cā or will excuse him that therin offendeth Against thoffendours of this lawe ther was no corporal punishement ordayned in this worlde til after the destruction of the worlde with the great floud For albeit Cayn and lamech had committed horrible murthers yet were they not corporally punished but had a protection of God that none should laufully hurte them But after the flood whan God sawe his gentilnesse and pacience could not worke his creatures to doo their dueties vnforced but iniquitie preuailed and mischief daily encreaced and one murthered and destroyed an other than was he constrayned to chaunge his lenitie into seueritie and to adde corporal paynes to those that wold not folowe but transgresse his ordinaunces And so he made this lawe which he declared to Noha He that Sheadeth the bloud of man his bloud Shal be Shead by man For man is made after the ymage of God By this ordināce and lawe he instituteth politike power and geueth authoritie to mē to make more lawes For he that geueth man autoritie ouer the body and life of man bicause he wolde haue man to lyue quietly with mā that all might serue him quietly in holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of their life it can not be denyed but he gaue him autoritie ouer goodes landes possessiones and all suche thinges as might bried controuersies and discordes and so hyndre and let that he might not be serued and glorified as he requireth This ordinaunce also teacheth makers of lawes how they should behaue thē selues in making lawes that is to set aparte all affectiones and to obserue an equalitie in paynes that they be not greater or lesse than the fault deserueth and that they punishe not thinnocent or smal offendour for malice and let the mightie and great thefe escape for affection And out of this ordinaunce groweth and is grounded thautoritie for Magistrates to execute lawes for lawes without execucion be no more profitable than belles without clappers But whether this authoritie to make lawes or the power to execute the same shal be and remayne in one person alone or in manie it is not expressed but lefte to the discreciō of the people to make so many and so fewe as they thinke necessarie for the mayntenaunce of the state wherupon in som places they haue ben content to obey suche lawes as were made by one as the Israelites were with those that Moyses ordayned the Lacedemones with those that Licurgus made the Athenes with those that Solon gaue them And in some places with suche as were made by certayn outchosen men as in Rome by the ten men And in some they receaued none but suche as all the multitude agreed Vnto Likewise in some countreyes they were cōtent to be gouerned and the lawes executed by one king or Iudge in some places by many of the best sorte in some places by the people of the lowest sorte and in some places also by the king nobilitie and the people all together And these diuerse kyndes of states or policies hade their distincte names as wher one ruled a Monarchie wher many of the best Aristocratie wher the multitude Democratie and wher all together that is a king the nobilitie and cōmones a mixte sta te which men by long continuance haue iudged to be the best sort of all For wher that mixte state was exerciced ther did the cōmon wealthe longest continue But yet euery kynde of these states tended to one ende that is to the mayntenaunce of iustice to the wealthe and benefite of the hole multitude and not of the superiour and gouernours alone And whan they sawe that the gouernours abused their autoritie they altred the state As among the Israelites for the iniquitie of the children of Samuel their iudge from Iudges to kinges among the Romaynes for the tyrannye and oppression that Tarquinius vsed ouer the people as the chief occasion and afterwarde for his sonnes lewdenesse as the outwarde occasion from kinges to Consules and so from Consules for their euil demeanour to Decem viri and Triumviri that is to ten rulers and three rulers and so from chaunge to chaunge tyll it came to the state Imperial yet alwayes preseruing and mayntening thautoritie albeit they altred and chaunged the kinde of gouernement For the Ethnikes themselues being ledde only by the lawe of nature and their owne reason sawe that without politike power and autoritie mankynde could not be preserued nor the worlde continued The riche wold oppresse the poore and the poore seke the destruction of the riche to haue that he hade the mightie wold destroye the weake and as Theodoretus sayeth the great fishe eate vp the small and the weake seke reuenge on the migh tie and so one seking the others destruction all at leynght shoulde be vndone and come to destruction And bicause this authoritie and power bothe to make lawes and execute lawes proceded from God the holy goost in scripture calleth them Goddes not for that they be naturally Godds or that they be transubstantiated in to Goddes for he sayeth they shall dye like men and in dede their workes declare them to be non other than men but for thautoritie and power which they receaue of God to be his ministers here in earthe in ruling and gouerning his people and that the people should the rather obeye them and haue them in honour and reuerence according to his ordinaunce And the wonderfull prouidence of God is herein to be wel noted and considered of all suche as loue and feare God that in all places and countreyes wher Goddes worde hathe ben receaued and embraced ther for the tyme the people folowed God no tirannye could entre but all the membres of the body sought the prosperitie and wealthe one of an other for Goddes worde taught them so to doo Thou shalt loue the lorde thy God sayeth it aboue all thinges and thy neighbour as thy selfe And what ye will that men doo vnto you doo you euen so vnto them The frutes of his worde is loue one of an other of what state or degree in this worlde so euer they be And the state of the policies and common wealthes haue ben disposed and ordained bi God that the headdes could not if they wolde oppresse the other membres For as among the Lacedemonians certain men called Ephori were ordayned so see that the kinges should not oppresse the people and among the Romaynes the Tribunes were ordayned to defende and mayntene the libertie of the people from the pride and iniurie of the nobles so in all Christian realmes and dominiones God ordayned meanes that the heads the prīces ād gouernours should not oppresse the poore people after their lustes ād make their wil les their lawes As in Germanye betwene thēperour ād the people a Counsail or diet in Fraūce and Englande parliamentes wherin ther mette and assembled of all sortes of people and nothing could be done without
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
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
christianes and bring them to the one and twentie Commissionares or to the bishoppes colehouse or whan he willed and commaunded them to destroye such as wold not denie Christ and folowe his procedinges worshipping idoles did they bring them to the fire ād stande about that they should not speake and to see that none should come nere thē to conforte and streinghten them in their faithe or whan they spake did they cleaue their headdes in pieces with their halbeardes or stoppe their mouthes with their billes No they confessed that in that themperour of heauen thalmi ghtie God and not thēperour of the earthe a wicked mā and a rebelle against God was their emperour ād Captaī ād therin they wolde not obeie Iuliā nor doo that he commaunded in that behalfe And this answer bothe S. Ambrose and S. Augustine yea ād the papistes although they thē selues doo not so propounde and set furthe for a christē doctrine ād a catholike exāple how christē ād good subiectes shoulde behaue thē selues towarde wicked prīces ād their wi cked cōmaundemētes that is in no wise to obeie thē but to leaue thē undone And as mē ought not to obeie their superiours that shall cōmaunde thē to doo any thīg agaīst Goddes worde or the lawes of nature so maie they not doo that they shall cōmaūde thē cōtrary to ciuile iustice or to the hurt of the hole state Nei ther will good prīces attēpt or goo about any suche thing for it is the next waie to bring thē out of their seates and to make thē of kinges no kinges How can that head liue ād cōtinewe wher the body is cōsumed ād dissolued And how cā that body be lustie wher the sinowes the lawes are broken and iustice the marie that should nourishe it vtterly wasted and decaied Antiochus the thrid king of Siria wrote thus to all the cities of his dominion that if he did cō maunde any thing that should be contrary to the lawes they should not passe theron but that rather they should thinke it was stollen or forged without his knowlage considering that the prince or gouernour is nothing elles but the minister of the lawes And this same saieng of this most noble king semed to be so iuste and reasonable that it is taken for a com mon principle how subiectes should knowe whan they should doo that they be commaunded and whan they ought not Likewise a bishop of Rome called Alexander the third wrote to an Archebishop to doo a thing which semed to the Archebishop to be vnreasonable and contrary to the lawes the pope perceauing that tharbishop was offended with his writing and wolde not doo that he required desired him not to be off◅nded but that if ther were cause why he thought he should not do that he required he wolde aduertise him and he therwith wolde be satisfied This is a popes saiēg which who is so hardy dardie to denie to be of lesse autoritie than a lawe yea not felowe but aboue Goddes worde Wher vpon this is a general rule that the pope is not to be obeied but in laufull and honest thinges And so by good Argument from the more to the lesse that princes being but foote stooles and stirrop holders to popes commaunding their subiectes that is not godly not iuste not laufull or hurtefull to their countrey ought not to be obeied but with standen For the subiectes ought not against nature to further their owne destructiō but to seke their owne saluacion not to maintene euil but to suppresse euil for not only the doers but also the consentours to euil shalbe punished saie bothe Goddes and mannes lawes And men ought to haue more respecte to their countrey than to their prince to the common wealthe than to any one persone For the countrey and common wealthe is a degree aboue the king Next vnto God men ought to loue their countrey and the hole common wealthe before any membre of it as kinges and princes be they neuer so great are but membres and common wealthes mai stande well ynough and floris he albeit ther be no kinges but contrary wise without a common wealthe ther can be no king Common wealthes and realmes may liue whan the head is cut of and may put on a newe head that is make them a newe gouernour whan they see their olde head seke to muche his owne will and not the wealthe of the hole body for the which he was only ordained And by that iustice and lawe that lately hathe ben excuted in Englande if it maie be called iustice and lawe it should appeare that the ministers of ciuile power doo somtimes commaunde that that the subiectes ought not to doo Whan the innocent Lady Iane contrary to her will yea by force with teares dropping downe her chekes suffred her self to be called Quene of England◅ yet ye see bicause she consented to that which was not by ciuile iustice laufull she ād her husbande for company suffred the paines of Traitours bothe headles buried in one pitte Whan the blessed mā of God Thomas Cranmer Archebishop of Cantorbury did what he might to resiste to subscribe to King Edwardes will wherby his two sisters the ladies Mary and Elizabeth should haue ben wrongfully disherited yet bicause he afterwarde to contēt the kinges minde and commaundement yea in dede to saue the innocent king from the uiolēce of most wicked traiterous tirannes did subscribe vnto it against his will was it not laied vnto him by the wicked Iudge Morgā whom God not long after plaged with taking awaie his wittes that was a foole before that he ought not to doo any thing unlaufull bi commaundemēt of any power And so he an innocent piked out among a great nombre of very euil doers to satisfie the lawe was condemned as a traitour before he suffred as a martir Were not the ymages ād Roodeloftes in Englande destroied by autoritie of ciuile power And dothe not Boner the Archbocher of londō for all that force them that obeied the authoritie bicause he saieth it was not lauful to make thē vp agaī at their owne charges But Boner thou that allow est nothing to be well done by what so euer autoritie it be done except it be laufull nor nothing to be laufull that is not agreing to thy Canon lawes I haue to saie to thee ▪ Stāde stil a while whilest I rubbe the. Tell me plainly and face not out a lie as thou arte wont speake not one thing and thinke an other as thy nature is ones in thy life tell the truthe and shame thy maister the deuil If thou were the sonne of the earthe by thy fathers side and of an erraunt hoore by the mother and so a bastarde hy what autoritie saiest thou thy masse whan thy lawes suffre no bastardes to be priestes without dispensacion how comest thou to be a bishop whan thy lawes saie thou maiest be no priest How be thy iudgementes laufull whan thou by thy Canones maiest be no
punished as a traitour for that by necessitie and extremitie of force he reÌ„dred vp Boloigne to king HeÌ„ry theight and did not die in the defense of it But thou wilt saie he did it without commaundement of his mâ—…ister and these shall doo it by coÌ„maundement of their maistres But what if the commaundement be not laufull doest thou not saie thy self it is not to be obeied Thou saiest to others that non maie do that is not laufull for any commaundement But thou wilt saie it is the Quenes owne and she maye laufully doo with her owne what she lusteth What if it be denyed to be her owne But thou wilt saie she hathe the crowne by enheritaunce and maie dispose of the realme and euery parte of the Realme as pleaseth her But I answer that albeit she haue it bi enheritaunce yet she hathe it with an othe lawe and condicion to kepe and mayn tene it not to departe with it or diminishe it If she ha ue no more right to the Realme than her father hade and her father as muche as euer ani king of Englande what neded he to require the consent of the Nobilitie and commons by parliament to geue the Crowne to his daughter or any other But thou will saie it was more than neded for without consent of the parliameÌ„t he might doo with the Realme aÌ„d eueripte therof what it pleased him Take hede what thou sayest If that be true that king Henry might do with it without coÌ„sent of the parliament how is the Ladi mari Quene Why might not King Edwarde his some a prince borne in laufull matrimonie and right heire to the Crowne bequeathe the Crowne wher he wolde and as he did Take hede what thou doest If the king and Quene geue thee a thousauÌ„t perdones yet shalt thou be foun de a ranke Traitour to the Realme of Englande For albeit the king or Quene of a reaâ—…me haue the Crowne neuer 〈◊〉 iustly yet maye they not dispose of the Crowne or realme as it pleaseth them They haue the Crowne to minister iustice but the Realme being a bodi of free men and not of bondemen he nor she can not geue or sell them as slaues and bondemen No they can not geue or sell awaye the holdes and fortes as Calese and Barwike or suche like without the consent of the Commones for it was purchaced with their blood aÌ„d moneie Yea aÌ„d thine owne popes lawes wherby thou measurest all thiÌ„ges to be laufull or not laufull saie that if a kiÌ„g or gouernour of any realme goo about to diminishe the regalities aÌ„d rightes of his crowne he ought to be deposed Thus did Pope Honorius the thrid coÌ„maunde tharchebishop of Collossa aÌ„d his suffraganes to depriue a kiÌ„g of Vngarie which weÌ„t about to waste sell aÌ„d geue awaye the Regalities aÌ„d rightes of his crowne oâ—…les in tyme he ceassed aÌ„d called backe that he hade done It is so plaine thou canst not denie it But I see Boner I haue chafed thee to muche thi chekes blushe aÌ„d swell for very aÌ„gre M. D. Cheadsei M. D. PeÌ„dletoÌ„ M. Cosins or soÌ„ of you Chaplaines get my lorde a cup of secke to coÌ„ fort his spirites My lorde aÌ„d I agree almost like belles we iarre soÌ„what but not muche his lordship meaneth that meÌ„ ought to be alwaies but not at all tymes honest But I saie thei must be honest alwaies aÌ„d at al tymes His lordeship wolde fayne haue a placarde or prouiso for hiÌ„ aÌ„d his that they might soÌ„times that is froÌ„ the begiÌ„niÌ„g to theÌ„de of the weke plaie their partes But Isaie albeit his lordship haue suche a priuilege yet maie no honest maÌ„ at any tyme doo that is not honest iuste aÌ„d laufull bi kaisers kiÌ„ges Quenes no neither his coÌ„maundement For if those thinges which only in mennes opiniones seme to be vnlaufull maye by no autoritie be done and those that doo theÌ„ be no lesse to be punisshed than if they had done them without autoritie how muche lesse maye suche thinges by any commaundement be committed that are in dede vnlaufull but shalbe punished according to the desertes by what so euer power or autoritie they be executed Men therfore ought to take hede that by going about to come out of the smoke they fall not in to the fire and by pleasing of men they runne not in to the displeasure of God If mennes ordinaunces and lawes or the gouernours autoritie and commaundement were a sufficient discharge for men to doo what so euer were prescribed or coÌ„maunded vnto theÌ„ tell me I beseche thee why did Esaias the Prop het suffre rather to be sawed in pieces than to folowe the procedinges of Manasses why did Daniel not folowe king Darius and his counsailles commaundement forbearing to worship the true God but was content to be cast to the lyones why did not the three children Sadrach Mesach and Abednego obeye Nabuchadnesar in worshipping the golden idole aÌ„d so auoide the hotte burniÌ„g fornace why did Eleazarus submitte him self to deathe and not dissemble why did he not eate his owne meat aÌ„d absteyne froÌ„ porke fleshe that the king coÌ„maunded the Iewes to eat coÌ„trary to the lawes aÌ„d saye that he hade eateÌ„ it as his olde trustye freÌ„des of the court couÌ„sailed hiÌ„ whi did he not sue for a bul or perdoÌ„ of Antiochus that he might vse his owne religioÌ„ as our En glishe haltiÌ„g gospellers doo of the pope coÌ„fessing his autoriti which is the thiÌ„g that he oÌ„ly passeth vpoÌ„ aÌ„d â—…areth not how many soules be ledde to the deuil why did not the seuen brethreÌ„ and their mother obeie the kinges commaundement and saue their lyues and goodes as thauncient Catharistes and newe puri stes doo saieng all thinges be pure to the pure and no Idolatrie nor filthynesse can infecte him that is pure and cleane Or why did they not saie as the Priscianistes and Papistes did in tyme past and as the marchauntes Hill and Petresonne with their double tongued traine aÌ„d dissembling secte at this present saie that it is laufull and no sinne to saye one thing and meane another to lye with the lyppes so they haue the truthe in the heart to denye God in wordes and workes so they ceÌ„fesse him in thought aÌ„d mynde to daunce with the deuil all daye and lodge with Christ at night why did Paule suffre so many imprisonmeÌ„tes so muche beating scourgeing and tormenting And why at leinght did he not saue his life and folowe Kaiser Neroes commaundement why did not the Prophetes thapostles and so many thousauntes of martirs folowe the wicked tirannes commaundemeÌ„tes and procedinges but resisted them and with their blood testiâ—…ied that they allowed theÌ„ not But all these holy meÌ„nes doiÌ„ges in confessiÌ„g aÌ„d obeieÌ„g the highest power God aÌ„d not thinferiour powers in wicked aÌ„d euil thiÌ„ges are coÌ„meÌ„ded aÌ„d lefte bi the holy gooste to vs in holischrift to folowe aÌ„d doo the like If meÌ„nes lawes aÌ„d coÌ„maundementes were a sufficient warauÌ„t to meÌ„
to doo what so eueris cōmaūded thē tell me I praie thee to what purpose is suffrig of persecu ciō so ofte repeted so earnestly taught so highly com mended in scripture Christ saieth He that taketh not up his crosse and foloweth me is not mete for me And again blessed be those that suffre persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Bles sed are ye whan men shall curse you and persecute you and speake all euil against you lieng for my sake be glad and reioice for your rewarde is pleintifull in heauen So did they persecute the prophetes that were before you And thapostle saieth All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffre persecution And so in a great nombre of places of scriptures By suche persecution can not be ment the iniuries that priuate man dothe to priuate man for God hathe ordained a meane that is the magistrate to redresse them But by persecution is ment the Iniuries and tirannie that the Magistrates and gouernours exercice ouer Goddes people For they not contented to let a christian man haue iustice in ciuile thinges aga inst a papist nor an honest man against suche a one as fauoureth their procedinges doo thē selues spoile the christianes and honest of their goodes and not onely spoile them but by all maner of force uiolence and s◅ares seke their life and blood not onely in their owne countrey but wher they haue non autoritie bicause they will not obeie their commaundements and folowe their wicked procedinges God will haue his tried by persecucion that the worlde maie see who loue the chief power more than the inferiour powers his commaundementes more than mennes fonde procedinges the soule more than the fleshe the sure and euerlasting enheritaunce of heauen more than the vncertain and temporal possessiones of this worlde Yea he hathe non other waie to let the difference appeare to mennes eies betwene his seruauntes and princes Parasites than only by persecucion Papistes Turkes Iewes gentiles can dissemble they can seme to fast to praie◅ to geue alniose to builde monasteries and chauntries and to doo notwarde workes gaie to the eie bicause they wold be accompted holy of men but to refuse to doo that is euil for iustice sake to be slaundred spoken euil of whipped scourged spoiled of their goodes killed of the worldly princes and tirannes rather than they wolde disobeie God and forsake Christ this can neither papistes nor Turkes Iewes nor gentiles nor non other doo but onely thelectes of God And yet God dothe not so seuerely require of his people that they should streight offre them selues to the princes slaughterhouse their neckes to the halter their headdes to the blocke their blood to make princes puddinges their entrailles to make tripes their quartres to be boiled or rosted but he hathe lefte them a special rule and cōmaundement wherby to guide themselues that is in all thinges to seke furst the kingdome of God If he that is persecuted fele in his cōsciēce that he maie doo God greater seruice and glorie by suffring than by fleing he ought rather to suffre a thousaunt deathes than to flee one foote But if his conscience witnesse with him that he maie doo God greater glorie by flieng than by tarieng he ought not to tempt God with tarieng but is bounden by cōmaundement to departe If they persecute you in one citie saieth Christ flye in to an other And he did not only teache it but did it him self for saking Iewrie ād goīg into Galile whā he hearde Iohn Baptist was laied bi the heles bicause the time was not yet come wherin he was appointed to glorifie God And bicause God wolde haue a refuge place and sanctuarie for his whan suche tirannie and persecucion should be exerciced he wolde neuer suffre the power and ambicious tirannes to make one perfite Monarchie of all but whan they hade done their best to bring all together and the string hade bē almost in the nicke of the bowe as the prouerbe is it hathe sodainly slipt and not only destroied the doer but it hathe fallen in to a great meany moo shiuers than euer it was before Thus God dalieth and plaieth with his puppettes the princelinges of this worlde wherfore sence we be Goddes people and seruauntes and he our lorde and the highest power and the princes of the worlde be but his ministres and inferiour powers ordained to doo good and not euil we ought to seke chiefly to doo Goddes cōmaundementes before all mennes to please God rather than men For the princes doo they the worst they can can but take from men their goodes and liues but God can take from vs bothe goodes and bodie and cast bothe body and soule in to hell And yet should not they be hable to worke their will in this worlde nor execute their malice if men wolde behaue them selues towarde their lorde and maister God as they ought For as be can so wolde he sone despeche the worlde of tirānes But bicause many be opē enemies of God and many dissemblers with God God sendeth ād suffreth euil gouernours and will sende worse to plage the people for their iniquitie and to trie the faithe of his electe from whom not one heare of the head can be taken without Goddes wil. And therfore seking alwaies to do that is good they should alwayes eschue to doo that is euil and committe thende to God But admitte ther be a great nombre that haue dronken of the hoore of Babilons cuppe and thinke that ther is neither heauen nor hell and that Goddes worde is but friers maters and that therfore like Sardanapalus they should seke to eat and drinke and serue their lustes and nothing elles yet were this no sure waie for them to doo that they wolde if they should obeie their princes in what so euer they commaunded The nature of wicked Princes is muche like to the molde warpes which if they be suffred to haue their snowtes in the grounde and be not furthewith letted will sodainly haue in all the body or to the weselles that conueith in his hole body wher he hathe ones goten in his head So they if they be obeied in any euil thing be it neuer so litell wilbe obeied in all at leinght What letteth but that they maie not only sende for mennes goodes but for their headdes also as the Turke dothe to his best Bassa and all his subiectes whan it pleaseth him Why maie not they sende for their subiectes children cause them to be killed baked and geue it to their parentes in steade of other meat and for a seconde course bring in to them the heades fete and handes as king Astiages did to Harpagus All the papir of England wold not serue to set our the mischiefes that might folowe whā princes euil commaundements should be obeied and fulfilled But men that be wise maie bi a litell considre the hole Seing therfore that God will not princes commaundementes
from iniuries shauld so muche abuse their office and autoritie as to conuerte the sweorde to the destruction of them whose championes and defendours they ought to be Yea rather of all to saie which is most certain the simple people deceaued by great othes and begiled with faire promises suffred their gouernours to vsurpe suche autoritie and power ouer them and so long winked and bare with their iniquitie that they were not hable to take it from them But I beseche thee what nedeth to make one general lawe to punishe bi one name a great many offen ses whan the lawe is all ready made for the punishement of eueri one of them particularly If a prince robbe and spoile his subiectes it is thefte and as a thefe ought to be punished If he kill and murther them contrary or without the lawes of his countreye it is murther and as a murtherour he ought to be punished If he committe aduoutrie he is an aduouterour and ought to be punished with the same paynes that others be If he violently rauishe mennes wyues daughthers or maydens the lawes that are made against ra uishers ought to be executed on him If he goo about to betraie his countrey and to bring the people vnder a foreyn power he is a traytour and as a traitour he ought to suffre And those that be iudges in cōmō Wealthes ought vpon complaynt to summone and cite them to answer to their crymes and so to procede as they doo with others For the prophet speaking vnto those that haue the rule in cōmon wealthes and that be iudges and other ministers of iustice saieth ministre iustice to the poore and orphan pronounce the miserable and poore to be innocent if he be innocent take the poore and deliuer the nedy out of the handes of the wicked Whan ye sitte to iudge ye shal not haue respecte of persones whether they be riche or poore great or smal feare no man for ye execut◅ the iudgement of God sayeth the holy goost by the mouthe of Moses Iudge not after the outwarde appe araunce of men but iudge rightly sayeth Christ. God him self gaue thexample of punishement of euil gouernours For whan the children of Israel hade committed Idolatrie he commaunded moses to take the Princes of the people and to hang them up against the Sunne that his wrathe and furie might be tur ned from Israel Whan that doughtie dame Quene Athalia the woman tyranne seing after her sonne Ahaziahu was dead that she was childles and past hope to haue any childrē ha◅e killed all the kynges progenye sauing Ioas whom Iehosaba Iorams daughter hid and get with his nource out of the waye purposing to reigne therby in securitie and to transpose the right of the erowne to straungers or som other fauourer of her cruel procedinges at her pleasur by the helpe and subtilti of her traiterous Counsaillours and so went on in all abominacion and crueltie without comptrolling a great space Did her subiectes suffre her in her wickednesse still vnpunished though she was the vndoubted Quene and chief gouernour of the lande No no. But as sone as Ioas was a littell nourced vp and crept somwhat out of the shell being a childe of seuen yeares olde the nobilitie and commones feling by experience what miserie it was to lyue vnder the gouernement of a mischieuous woman not only garded Ioas with mē and all decent regal ceremonies vnto the house of God by thaduise and appoyntement of Ieoiada the high priest and ther crouned himsolemnely but also whan Athalia the Quenes highnesse cam in mar uailing what adoo that was and perceauing the mater rent her clothes howling and crieng as the maner of madde women is specially in the hotte seasones of the yeare they layed handes on her for all her crieng Treason treason and whan they hade caried her out of the house of God they slewe her And so was the realme ridde of a tyranne the right enheritour possessed in his regal astate the people made a newe bāde with God to serue him syncerely accordig to his worde and banished all idolatrie and false reli gion which the Quene had set vp and vsed and the common wealthe florished a freshe in her former peace and libertie The prophet Elias being no ciuile magistrate ca◅ sed the kyng and Quenes highenesse chaplaynes Baals priestes to be killed before Achabs face bicause they were idolaters and taught and mayntened false religion though scarce so false and idolatrous as the popes masse and religion is And whan the Quenes maie stie dame Iesabel that the deuil saw Iehu cō to her p◅ lace cried and reuiled h◅ as a traitour Iehu not passing vpō her wordes though she was his soueraigne ladi ād maistres cried alowde who is on my side who As though he hade saied if ther be any among you that setteth more by Goddes true religiō and their natural countrei than by that idolatro◅s witche the Quene cast her out at the wyndow And so two or three of her priuie Chambre threwe her out to him bursting her necke and bones against the walles And as sone as Iehu hade trodē her vnder his fete dogges as ye hearde before eat vp her fleshe ād slossed vp her blood Ioram was knowne the king and right enheritour of the crowne of Israel And yet whan he sawe Iehu and his cōpanie come towarde him he asked him whether he came in peace Iehu saied what peace should ther be as long as the horedomes of thy mother Iesabel and her witchecraftes be so great And so for his idolatrous tyrannie and euil gouernement Iehu slewe him And many moo suche examples in scriptures we haue which as the reste of the Bible is be lefte for the instruction of all christen common wealthes in like case as we want not also the like experiēce and examples euen in these our dayes Bicause the remembraunce of the horrible destruction of the euil gouernours and alteracion of the common wealthe in Schwuzerlande and certain other places in high Almayne now in our tyme is not very pleasaunt I will purposely passe it ouer albeit the mater is so freshe and grene yet still in all mennes sightes that it is spoken of vnyuersally through the worlde And was not Petrus Aloysius Pope Paule the thriddes sonne and duke of Placenza iustly slayne now lately of his owne people bicause of the euil gouernement and ◅rannye he vsed among them And wher this iustice is not executed but the prin ce and the people playe together and one wynketh and beareth with the others faultes ther can not be bust a most corrupte vngodly ād vicious state which albeit it prospre for a season yet no doubt at leynght they maye be sure that vnto thē shall come that came to Sodome Gomorra Ierusalem ād such other that were vtterly destroyed And on the other side wher the nobilitie and people loke diligently and earnestly upon their autorities and doo see the same executed on their headdes