extern and ciuil to the vtter vndoing of the realm that they wer glad to grow to agrement and suffer her son to haue his right and the vsurper had not only neuer a good day so loÌ„g as he reigned but also by the iust iudgement of God first was imprisoned and next lost his soÌ„ne Eustachiê° in whoÌ„ was all his glory thinking he shuld haue reigned after him what shuld we say God hath not onli shewed his displesure and wrath against such as haue sought vnder this pretence to defeat true heirs but also hath in this our realme raised vp greate houses by their menes as the house of York by Philippa aÌ„d Anna which by mariage brought the title into the house of the Morty mares And King Henry the .7 and all that line Poly. colde not claim but by the woman which was daughter to Henry the .6 and mother to Richard Duke of Richmond Charles the .8 refused Maximilians daughter to whoÌ„ he was betrothed aÌ„d maried the heir of Britain called Anna despoused to Maximilian but seduced by certen noble womeÌ„ bribed of the french King aÌ„d by that mariage became Lord of the couÌ„try against the wils of al the nobles For they thought it better to marrye one whiche might be their seueral Lord then to ioign Britaine with such a realm as shuld drown the name of it and bring them as they be to slauery Amias was defended by a womaÌ„ against tharmy of MaximiliaÌ„ Arnoldus it had ben els lost as al the french men confessed her name was Catherina licia A maid defeÌ„ded Orliance A vvomaÌ„ noble and happye in vvarres in armor against the duke of Burgundie and the English army and after with the same her army led the yoÌ„g king Charls the .7 to Rome aÌ„d ther crowned him Before this maids time the English euer prospered and the french wer eueÌ„ at the last cast geuing vp the goste but she brought them into that condicioÌ„ that afterwarde they grewe and we appaired The firste healpe of the french a vvoman Helena the Quene of the Adiabenits ruled so wisely and godli that after her deth the Iewes erected a monumeÌ„t for her remembrance at the gates of Ierusalem She ministred to the nede of the pore liberally in the greate dearth that than was in Iury. Euseb li. 2. cap. 10. Thus thou seest good Reader that if this man take nature so generallye as it may stretche to all conntries all tymes and al coÌ„mon welthes and then saye it is against nature for a woman to rule That is againste the generall confente and order engrafte by nature in al peoples and mennes mindes that then it is mooste vntrue For I haue proued that neither the Iewes nor the GeÌ„tils nor yet the christiaÌ„s had that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that coÌ„moÌ„ opinioÌ„ plaÌ„ted bi nature in their harts that it stode not with good order of nature that one of that sex shuld rule But shortly I reasoÌ„ thus with him whatsoeuer is natural the same is vniuersal But that womeÌ„ shuld not rule is not vniuersall Ergo it is not naturall If to rule in women be vnnaturall then not to rule is naturall But not to rule is not vniuersall Ergo it is not natural That it is not vniuersal we haue proued by a great number of histories which testify that wemen in al ages and all countries haue gouerned Again what so euer is naturall hath in the mind of maÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that there is a God all menne haue it in their mindes ingrafted by nature that al societies must be ruled and ordered by magistrates and lawes that murder is wicked and against nature c. which be common opinions in the table of mannes minde written by the finger of God with the pen of nature but of this that only men must rule and not women when it pleaseth God there is no such principle vniuersal in mens mindes For you see that a number of countries decree the contrary wherefore it can not be said that it fighteth with nature But you will reply vpon me thus peraduenture Nature hathe made her a subiect Ergo she can not rule I deny your argument for nature hath made the childe and the seruaÌ„t subiects And yet they may rule as Fabius soÌ„ne and the Kinges seruaunt may be my master wherefor you must vnderstand the argument thus that if nature haue made her a subiect in that state she is a subiect and in respect of them to whome she is subiect she can not be their ruler As a thilde in the dutie of a childe towarde his father is his fathers subiect And a seruaunt in respecte of his master and the duty of a seruaunt can not be his masters heade But in respect of Ciuil pollicie the sonne bearing office may be in that functioÌ„ his fathers head and the kings seruaunt an other mans maister Gen. 39. as Ioseph was in the house of Putiphar So the woman being eyther as a childe to hir father or a seruaunt to hir maister or a wyfe to her husband respecting these persones can not be head ouer them in those offices that is in the office of a father a maister or a husband But in the office of a ruler and a magistrate she may be this maÌ„s wyfe that is his subiect and his head that is his magistrate So that this argument by destinction is nothing for it is a Fallax called ignoratio elenchi as resolue it and you shal see the faulte VVho so euer is one mans subiect can not be another mans ruler or the same mans ruler in an other respect But awyfe is hir husbandes subiect ergo she can bee none other maÌ„shead nor his in an other respect This is false for the contradictorie is true That a wyfe may be this mans wyfe and that mans maistres and this mans subiect in the dutie of matrimony and the same maÌ„s head in thauct horite of office Thus we se that al reasons well set out are lyke a wel kempt buss he wher neuer a here lyeth amysse so longe as he hath a hous to couer him But when he cummeth into the wynde it is sone ruffled Or lyke a paynted madams face whiche so longe as no maÌ„ bloweth vpon it nor sweat ryseth in it is gay glistring but any of these meanes make the wrinkles sone to appere So a false argumeÌ„t decked with fayre wordes semeth good but turne it naked and you shall sone see the botches The seconde Argument is this that the scripture forbiddeth that a woman should rule The secoÌ„d ArgumeÌ„t and therfore it is not tollerable the prouses be out of tholde testament Gen. 2. Esai 3. First that after the false of Adam through the womans intrcement it was enioyned hir and hir posterite as a penauÌ„ce to be at the beck and coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of the maÌ„ 2 That Esai pronouceth as a curse that the rulers for the peoples vnrulines shal be
children and women 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 2. 3. that S. Paule forbiddeth theÌ„ to speake in the congregacioÌ„ Before that I answer particulerly I must saye this to them all in general that the scripture medleth with no ciuill pollicie further then to teach obedieÌ„ce And therfor what so euer is brought out of the scripture coÌ„cerning any kynd of regimeÌ„t is without the booke pulled into the game place by the eares to wrastle whether it will or no. For Christ faith Luc. 12. Quis mo constituit inter vos iudicem VVho hath made me be betwixt you a iudge as though he shuld saye myne office is not to determyne matters of pollicie of succession and enheritaunce for that belongeth to the ciuill magistrates If he had thought that it had bene within the compasse of his function why and with what conscience refused he to set theÌ„ at one whiche were at stryfe and to put that out of doubte which was in sute If he ought to do it and wold not he lacked charite and did not his dutie if it beloÌ„ged not to him how belonged it to any of his Apostles disciples or successors Had not he as large coÌ„missioÌ„ as he gaue or could he gyue that he had not But he knowing his office as the prophet Esaie had forspoken of him to be to preache the Gospel to heale the broken c. would do nothing without warraunt therfore being axed if he were a kyng he aunswered simply by a playne negatiue Regnum meum c. Math. 27. Marc 15. Ioh. 18. my kingdom is not of this world If his kingdom were not here neither the ordring of pollicies was his for remouing from his functioÌ„ the whole he must nedes remoue the part pollicie is a part of a worldly kingdome yea when they woulde haue taken him vp to make him a kyng Ioh. 16. as one that refused that belonged not to him he conueyed himselfe from among theÌ„ If teÌ„peral iurisdictioÌ„ beloÌ„ged to him why refused he his calling If it did not where had Paul Peter or any other any authorite to medle with that he refused Seing he said Sicut misit me viueÌ„s pater Ioh. 22. ita et ego mit to vos He gaue them no more scope then he had him selfe wherfore it is not like that Paul or any other would vsurpe a further authorite then he had receiued of his father or they of him and therfore Paul sheweth howe farre he wil be folowed Saying Imitatores mei essote sicut ego Christi Followe me and herken to me in those thynges that I followe and herken to my maister in he teacheth in effect this part of pollicie whiche he hadde learned of his Lorde Date Caesari quae sunt Caesaris Mar. 12. Math. 22. obey the magistrates and those that be in authorite not only for feare but for conscience he ly miteth no magistrates Rom. 13. he altereth no polycie he medleth neither with Democraties Aristocraties nor monarchies nor pscribeth whe ther old or yong riche or poore lerned or vnlerned maÌ„ or womaÌ„ shuld reigne But as he findeth theÌ„ so he leueth theÌ„ empaireth none altereth none disturbeth none knowing as Christ sayd Math. 20. Luc. 23. Principes gentiuÌ„ domina buÌ„tur eis vos auÌ„t noÌ„ sic It falleth not into a disciples an apostles or churche mans office to meddle with suche matters thei haue their princes guides and gouernours the churche men be no suche 2. Tim. 2. For Nemo militans deo implicat se mundanis negotijs It is inough for them to wayte vpon one office Priestes of fice is ouer the soule to attende as soule priestes not erraunt bay lifes Thus farre to the whole in generall nowe to eche reason in special where it is said Et ad virum erit conuersio vel desiderium tuum I myght aunswer it with the common interpretacion whiche is Though both in conceauing and brynging forth thy child thou shalt feele throwes and exceding paÌ„gues yet shalt thou not be hable to withdrawe the from thy husbande but shalt gyue occasion to haue more The payne of the former shall not make the to auoy de the next This is no euill interpretacion for it aunswereth in the maner of the payne the qualite of the offence As who should saye thou hast intyced thy husband to turne to thy folly I shal therfore make the to turne to him to thine owne smarte This place thus interpreted maketh no more for this matter then Gloria in exelsis doth proue that S. Peter say de masse But by cause some reiect this interpretacioÌ„ and we seke not to cauil but to fynd the truth therfor I wil admyt the other that it maketh for the wiues obedience toward hir husbande that she must hange vpon him as vpon hir guide followe his wyll as the wyser obey his commaundement as hir superior and to be short to knowe him for hir head and hir selfe for his subiect VVhat Graunt you this that is inough yea I must nedes do so for the truthe els and myne owne conscience would reproue me How than answere you forsothe as I did before that she muste do all this and more but vsque ad aras So far forthe as he comaundeth like a husband like a christian and like her head But if he passe his commission as if he commaunde that is vngodlye then she may answer him as S. Aug. doth the ruler Da veniam imperator Tu minaris carcerem sed deus gehennam Aug. habetur 11 q. 4. cap. ita corporis qui resistit Thou wilt haue me obey thy will for fear of thy prison and sword but I must obey goddes will for feare of his eternal fire and damnacion if her husband will commaund her in the publike weale she beinge the magistrate and not he she may say to him as the coÌ„sul said to Fabiê° siste lictor Limidec 3 Law make my husbaÌ„d to obey for heare he is not my hed but my subiect yea if he breake any lawe if it were capitall she myghte strike with the sword A vvomaÌ„ maye rule as a magistrate and yet obey as a vvife and yet be a wife good inough for the dutye that she oweth to him is not omitted in that she obserueth that she oweth to the commoÌ„ weale wherein he is as a member conteyned But if for her wedlocke dutie to him she will neglecte the common vvealth Then is she a louing wife to him and an euel head to the countrey The ii reson The .ii. reason out of Esay maketh as muche as for debarringe of yonge Princes rule as Ioas Iosias and our swiet kinge Edwarde as his sister Marye helde as it dothe againste women for they be ioigned together but in dede it maketh againste neither Esay the Hebrues Demosth For Esaye beinge worthelye called the Demosth of the Hebrues vseth suche goodly figures of speaking as all the scripture hathe not beside
cruelly but rather fatherly then lordly For by suche a one coulde come no great harme but verye muche good As for example if your Quene shoulde haue founde oute some Germaine or some suche other whose Gouernmente is not rygorous as in deede theirs is not theyr hartes not ambytious the same Religion good bryngynge vppe a manne of actiuitie whose auncetoures haue bene religious lyncked wyth manye Prynces eyther by Consanguinitie Affinitie or sure Societie and league of whome there coulde be no doubte of conueying the treasure to any other nacion or bringing in of hys owne countrye men to oppresse the Subiectes as vndoubtedly the Spanyardes and Frenche woulde Suche a one I saye if God appoynted I see not why the name of a straunger shuld be odiouse it is religion and likenes of maners that ioigne men together Such as be of the same faithe be no straūgers or at the least shoulde so couple them that agreing therin we shuld not much stick in the rest In the kingdom of heauen is nother Iew nor gentile man nor woman A stranger if he be a goodman is as deare in the fight of God as he that is born in the middest of Edenbrough This I speake not because I shute at any one for that were not onlye malapartnes but madnesse But to answer mi obiection whiche is that tealmes be vndone by the matchinge of Quenes with straungers Mūsterus in Tab. Scicilia as the histories report was quietly and happely gouerned so longe as the Duke of Sueuia marrying the heir had it in quiet possession But after a Pope of Rome as the duke passed thorowe Italie to set order in Scicilie had bi conspiracy murdred him it fel euery daye more and more to decay So that it stādeth not so much in the chusing of a straunger as what he is that you chuse He is one of our brethren if he be a faithfull Christian it is maners faith and behauior and not nacyons that make men strangers one to an other A mā in his own country at home if he be not of the houshold of faith is a straunger And contrary wise wher there is one faith one baptisine and one Christ ther is narrower fraternite then if they came out of one wombe But to conclude we must commit all this to God Subiectes mai vvish but not vvringe Quenes to mariage who hath the hartes of rulers in his handes as the flouds of waters and wil so dispose them as shal be most to their peax to the realmes good and hys honor let vs not meddle with bridelinge of Quenes in mariage this way or that wai we are none of those to whome it shal be saide who shal geue this womā Now thus thou seest good reader that al this wynde shaketh no corne that this bolde blustering blaste though it puffeth and bloweth neuer so muche Yet can it not moue or ones stirre the suer grouded rock of verite And though it be the propertie of Northrē blastes to coole and freese yet in the hartes of good christians faithfull subiectes and true Engly shmen well warmed with natuall loue and defended with the walles of wysdome obedience and dutie it can do nothing It may peraduenture make a sewe weake redes to wagge whiche wil styrre at euery litle puffe of wynde But the stronge and harde Ookes sure roted in loialtie and growen to a iust perfection in the discipline of dutie will neuer stirre a leafe for it considering that this blaste is sent out of Aeolus at the request of dame disobediēce to hindre good Aeneas say ling to the porte and hauen of quietnes and loyaltie Though thou warte not disposed of thy selfe either for opinion of thauthor or for the noueltie of the matter to stande to thy tackle against this storm yet I doubt not but now by me rather put in mynde of that thou knowest then taught that thou wart ignorant in thou wilt sone contēpne this gale of wynd A recapitulacion and take it to be nothinge but as it is named verye wynde indede Thou seest it euy dently proued that it standeth well inoughe with nature and all good order with iustice and equitie with lawe and reason with Gods and mans ordinaunce with custome and antiquitie that a woman leafte by hir progenitors true heire of a realme hauing the consent of hir people the stablishment of lawe auncient custome and Gods callyng to confyrme the same may vndoubttedly succede her auncettors lawfullye reignyng in lawful succession both to enheritance and regiment Thou seest no scripture is agaynste it truelye vnderst ande but rather both in example and practise and also in expresse word and meaninge altogether with it Thou seest no lawe wherto we be bounde to debarre this sexe of this right but in euerye wyse to graunte it them as it shal come to their course And that the rule beyng ioyned to thinheritaunce can no more be plucked from it sauynge iustice inviolated then thy soule from thy body and thou yet alyue Thou seest last of all that thinconueniences that be feared be rather bugges to feare babes then matter to moue men and specially christen mē which loke not so much to tharme of mā as to the helpe of God for their safetie which trust not in horsse and harnes glayues and gunnes and such other worldly meanes but in inuocation and faith and in the mightie arme of God Psal 147. VVho delighteth no more in the legges of a goodly made man then in the lamenes of a creeple Nor in the rugged lookes of a desperate warry our then in the mylde countenaunce of a wyse VVomā VVherfore the matter standyng so that whosoeuer rule man or chyld male or female God must be our shilde fortresse and bulwarke Let vs do our dutie bi trusting him Vve must cast our care vpon God and he wyl do his by helpyng vs and so much the rather because that now it is more like the glory shal be his if the victorie be ours Then if we had some great Goliah some lustie champion to take the matter in hād For the next way is to make him shrink from vs to put ether our whole trust in any other or so to parte the prayse with him that his maiestie shal haue one pece our pollicie another Vve may not part vvith god How oft crieth he to the Israelites Nay go to now cal vpon your gods to helpe you let me se what thei can do for you Runne to your leaguefellowe the Egiptian and kynge of Assiria in whom you haue put your trust Let them shyld you agaynst those euyls that shal come vpon you VVherfore let vs say with Dauid Hii in curribus Hii in equis nos autem in nomine domini inuocabimus Trust who wyl in their stout kinges Psal 19. we call vpon our God to help our good Quene Now thou art perswaded thou true Engly she heart that thou maist and oughtest to take esteme