soueraigne medicine in Gods church is the punishment of the conscience not of goods nor of the body otherwise then by some shame reproch which waites vppon our separation from the Churche of God and so are S. Paules wordes of the destruction of the fleshe 1. Cor. 5. to be vnderstanded therefore they which haue purposed since the Popes excōmunication against her maiestie eyther to hurt her royall person or to depose her from her kingdome as they haue passed the listes and boūds of al excōmunication so their sinne is very grosse exāple very dangerous 3 The preaching of Gods word the sincere administration of the Sacraments are the essential markes of Christes Churche and where these markes are there vndoubtedly the true church is though there bee otherwise in that Church some blemishes IF the Church be the assemblie of the faithful Rom. 10. and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God it is a cleare case that the preaching of the worde belongeth to the essence of the visible Church We are taught in Gods booke Mat. 28. that the Sacraments instituted of Christ are the seales of Gods word therfore the Sacraments pertayne to the essence of the visible Church The Churches of Israel and Iuda were therefore Gods Churches because they had Gods law preached circumcision the passeouer which were their Sacramēts administred amongst thē Iosias 2. Chron. 34. 35. chap. that he might plāt Gods Church aright caused the booke of the lawe to be published and a passeouer to be proclaymed Nehem. 8. Ezra 7. Ezra after his returne from Babylon expoundeth Gods law to the Israelites restoreth the true vse of the Passeouer S. Luke setting down the estate of the Primitiue Churche in orient coloures Acts 2. saith that they continued in the Apostles doctrine which is the life of the Church and felowship that is in performing of Christiā dueties one to another breaking of bread that is in the administratiō of the holy supper prayers that is publike prayers in which consisteth the profession of our religiō This excellēt Church had the Apostles doctrine and the holye communion therefore it was the church of Christ If any saye that the Sacrament of baptisme is not here mentioned I aunsweare in a worde that Saynt Luke needed not to mention Baptisme seeyng he speaketh of such as were alreadie baptised 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Galat. 1. The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had great blemishes in them yet because they had Gods truth sacramēts among them they are accompted by S. Paule the Churches of God If the sound preaching of the worde and the administration of the sacramēts are the essentiall marks of Gods church then learned ministers are necessarie for they blow the Lords siluer trumpets Num. 10. put their handes to the framing of the siluer vessels of the temple If Godlie and learned ministers are necessarie and singuler ornaments in the Church of God then schooles of learning and Vniuersities wherein students are made fitte to serue Gods Church are especially to be regarded 1. Sam. 19. 2. King 2. 22. chap. Suche schooles of learning were at Nayoth in Samuels time at Iericho and Bethel in Elizeus time at Ierusalem in Iosias time Caluin in 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 32. at Corinth in S. Paules time and such are now with vs in Cambridge and Oxeforde If these be vpholden religion flourisheth and consequently Gods blessings increase in the land If these goe to wracke farewel religion and the good estate of the commō wealth But Vniuersities and schooles of learning must needes decay when the students are not prouided for imployed accordingly and preferred and imployed they cannot bee if either the Churches maintenance be pulled away or Church liuings be bought and sold for money or pensions 4 Godlie and learned Ministers must bee freely and bountifully prouided for BEware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vppon the earth Deut. chap. 12. ver 19. Almighty God commanded the Israelites to haue especiall care of the Leuite therefore they might not vse him like a drudge or send him a begging If the Leuite must be excellently vsed greater regarde must be had of the minister of the Gospell whose calling because it is greater then Iohn the Baptistes Mat. chap. 11. ver 11. is farre aboue the Leuites Gods Church is the piller ground of truth 1. Tim. cap. 3. ver 15. because by the ministery of the word Gods truth is preserued in the Church If the ministerye of the word preserues this precious iewel in the church as the priests did the fire vpon the altar in the time of the law thē they Leuit. chap. 6. which hinder Gods ministery doe robbe Gods Church of inestimable treasure hinder the ministery do they which discourage the learned ministers by powling thē of the churches prouision But if Dauid sending his seruaunts to comfort the king of Amon after his fathers death 2. Sam. 10. tooke in great dudgen the shauing of his seruantes beardes cutting of their garmēts will almighty God take it in good part that his seruants whom he hath furnished with excellent gifts for the cōfort of his church are polled shauē of their maintenance stripped as it were into their shirts and handled as dishcloutes Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost Who plāteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit therof Or who feedeth a flocke eateth not of the milke of the flocke 5. Cor. chap. 9. ver 7. If they whom S. Paule mentions in this verse are prouided for either of the common charge as the souldier or by the fruit of the vine as the husbandman or by the mylke of the flocke as the shepheard It is most equall that learned ministers should haue large allowance of the churches charge for their warfare vineplanting sheepfeeding doeth as farre passe the others as the precious diamond doth the peeble stone We beseech you brethrē that you know that is haue regard of thē which labor amōg you that ye haue them in singuler loue for their works sake c. 1. The. cap. 5 ver 12 13. If learned ministers must be especially fauoured they may not bee kept from their owne if they must be singulerly loued for their works sake they may not be trodē vpō as the mire in the streets nor spoiled by graceles mē of the churches maintenāce But churchpollers loue churchmē as Philippides did his father when hee cudgeled him Aug. epist 168. and as a rufler in Augustines time did his mother whom hee vsed in like sort most vnnaturally Balthasar the king of Babylon in the middest of a great feast called for the golden vessels which were brought from the temple of Ierusalem they were brought vnto him by his seruauntes The king his princes his wiues his concubines did drinke wine
to a Corne field and to a flock of sheepe though the vine be spoyled it is the Lordes vyne though the field haue weeds in it it is the Lords field though the flocke runne astray it is the flocke of Christ and therefore not to bee forsaken for the abuses of it we must rather pray for skilfull ministers to reare vp and to dresse his vine to labour to weede his ground to gather in to feed his flocke Augustine reproueth Emeritus the Donatist because hee departed from the Church Epist 64. Wee may not detest the oyle presses Aug. epi. 137. because of the foame of the oyle nor forsake Gods Church Cyp. lib. 3. Epist 3. because we see tares in the Church it is our partes to be carefull that we may be wheate Wee may not leaue the Lordes floore because of the chaffe Aug. Epist 46. nor breake the Lords nettes because of the euill fishes nor forsake the Lordes flocke because of the goates nor depart from the Lords house because of the vessels of dishonour nor for the iniquity of the badde leaue the vnity of the good They which made the Idol he meaneth the golden Calfe were slayne with the sword which is an vsuall death Aug. epist 162 Epist 172. Exod. 32. Num. 16. but they which would make a schisme died strangely for the chiefest of thē were deuoured by the opening of the earth and the multitude which consented to them was consumed with fire We may suspect our selues to be infected with great pride Aug. epist 209 whē for the sonnes of iniquity we forsake the pastures of vnity Christ hath commaunded vs to assēble together hath reserued to himselfe the separation of the good and bad For it belongeth to him to separate which is free from errour The Nouatians Donatists Anabaptistes c. doe leaue the Church of God because all staynes blemishes are not remoued out of the Church As we may not forsake Gods church though there bee euill men or blemishes in it so is it euery mans duety within the compasse of his calling to reforme euil men and to remoue blemishes 6 There is but one onely true Church THe Churche is Christes body and spouse Ephe chap. 5. Cant. 6. Christes body and spouse is but one My doue is one S. Paule saith of the whole Church Galat. 3. that we are all one in Christ Iesus For amongest the faithful there is one body and one spirite one hope one Lorde Ephe. 4. one faith one Baptisme one God Therfore all the particuler Churches which consent in true religion must be accompted but one onely Church There are many beames in the sun and yet the light thereof is but one there are many braunces in a tree and yet but one body of the same tree many riuers doe passe from one fountayne yet the fountayne is but one so is there no more but one only Church saith Cypr. dispersed farre and wyde De simpl prelat as appeareth by the particular Churches The vnity of the Churche consisteth not in a bodily dwelling together for that cannot be nor in the same outwarde Ceremonies wherein the particuler Churches doe often differ and maye vse their liberty to edification but in an assured consent of doctrine and faith 1. Cor. 10. The Israelites Churche and ours is one and the selfe same Church touching the substance for their Church and ours haue the same sacraments Aug. Epi. 157 the same faith and the same saluation in by one comfortable Messias The difference of times is no reason why the Churches before vnder and after the lawe shoulde not bee one Church Math. 20. The vineyard in the gospel was one the selfe same vineyard albeit at diuers times diuers were admitted into it I confesse the Iewes Gentiles were two before they were vnited in Christ but after they were vnited they are compared to one body whereof Christ is the head Ephes 2. and to one buylding wherof Christ is the foundation corner stone Iohn 10. to one flocke wherof the same Iesus Christ is the shepheard 7 The estate of the Churche in the time of grace is much better then the estate of the Churche either before or vnder the lawe THe earth shal be ful of the knowledge of the Lorde as the waters that couer the Sea Isai chap. 11. verse 9. The prophet Esay speaketh of churches which should be assembled in the time of the gospel It is true that the Israelites were not destitute of knowledge But wee haue greater measure of knowledge thē they had for of Christes fulnesse we haue receiued euen grace for grace Ioh. cha 1. ver 16. And it shal be in the last dayes sayeth God I will powre out of my spirite vppon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie c. Acts chap. 2. ver 17. Gods spirite is more plentiful in Christs time then before For it is manifest by this place that as a greater nūber are partakers of Gods singuler graces in Christes time then either before or vnder the law so they haue larger allowance greater measure of Gods inestimable treasures No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father hee hath declared him Iohn chap. 1. verse 18. The Euangelist Iohn sayeth that Christ was in Gods bosome that is to saye of Gods secrete counsell that wee may be well assured that almightie God doth in the Gospel open as it were his heart vnto vs. Christ was promised to the Israelites but is geuen to vs. The Israelites sawe Christ a farre off we haue him amongest vs. The estate of the Israelites may be cōpared to the breake of the day the estate of the Christians to the broade day light their estate to the sowing of the corne ours to the haruest and reaping of the corne I confesse that the Israelites had the same light that wee haue and the same corne that we haue though not in like measure For touchinge the substance of doctrine the Gospel hath added nothing to the law because nothing is set downe in the Gospel whiche is not conteined in the lawe 8 They are not alwaies the Church whiche vaunte themselues to bee the Church THE Assyrian Rabsaketh 2. King cha 18. laying siege to Ierusalem vseth the name of the Lorde agaynst the people of the Lorde Zedechias the false Prophet in his speech to Micheas boasted of Gods spirite 1. King 22. but he was voyd of Gods spirit The Iewes had oftē in their mouthes the temple of the Lord the tēple of the Lord Ier. 7. but they polluted the temple of the Lord. Iohn 8. They gaue out many times that Abraham was their father but they did not the works of Abraham Rom. 9. Al they are not Israel which are of Israel Marcion the Heretike reiected the Gospell Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 11.
¶ A Godlie Treatise of the Church Written by Robert Some The Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued Act. 2. ver 47. You shall finde in the ende of this booke a Treatise against Oppression LONDINI Impensis Geor. Bishop 1582. ¶ To the right Honourable Sir Francis Walsingham knight principal Secretarie to her excellent Maiestie and one of her highnesse priuie Counsell Robert Some wisheth increase of Gods giftes by Iesus Christ IT pleased your Honour to fauour me both at and since my wayting on my Lord and maister the Earle of Leycester in the Courte I doe not forget your goodnes to me and I thanke God very heartily for your Honourable both care of and affection to Gods Churche and religion It is very cleere that many are as friendlye to Gods trueth and Church as the East winde is to the fruites of the earth I neede not remember particulers for there are so greate store and as it were swarmes of such that if almighty GOD did not bridle them as hee did Sanballat the Arrabians and the Ammonites in Nehemias time and rayse vp excellent personages for the rearing vp of his Churche nowe as hee did Ezra Nehemias Zorobabel and Iehoshua after the captiuitie of Babylon Gods Church shoulde goe to wracke and Religion shoulde bee handeled like a ward But Gods Church is aliue thankes bee to GOD howsoeuer wicked men doe make it eyther a faire marke to shoote at or a dead carcase to feede vppon and will outliue and outcountenance all enimies whatsoeuer Almightie God to that ende hath blessed this noble Land in our time with an excellente Prince of our owne nation as he did the Iewes with Zorobabel after the captiuitie and with manye notable personages vnder her Highnesse as hee did the Israelites with Eliachim vnder Ezechias the king of Iuda Amongest whiche excellent personages because your Honours place is greate in respect of the trust whiche is committed to you and that GOD hath moued you to fauour mee I doe present vnto you these my Treatises of the Churche and against Oppression as a sure argument of my duetifull mynde My meaning is not to set downe the seuerall poyntes of this Booke it were a needelesse labour and you haue it in your handes to reade at your good pleasure and leasure Thus with my heartie prayer to Almightye GOD for the increase of his good giftes in your Honour I take my leaue in most humble manner At Queenes colledge in Cambridge the first of Nouember 1582. Your Honours to commaund Robert Some To the Reader IF my Treatise of the Sacramentes founde grace with you as I heare it hath I presume these of the Church and against Oppression shall for they haue more variety in them by reading this booke you shall finde it so I haue not as yet written any thing of the Scripture and Confession but hereafter I will according to my promise by the grace of God to whose merciful protection I commend both you and my selfe Robert Some Jf any either haue or doe spoile the Church or Churchmen of their maintenance I referre them to this which immediatly followes and to the fourth Proposition in my Treatise of the Church and to my whole Treatise against Oppression Mich. 2. Iere. 5 IT is a grosse sin to grind the faces of others and to spoile them of that they haue Gods iudgementes against Oppressiō doe sufficiently proue this But to robbe the church and Churchmen is a fowler sinne and will haue greater vengeaunce from almightie God Is there any calling vnder heauen that pleaseth God more and doth greater seruice in a Christian kingdome then the noble estate of the ministerie Are they not the Lordes Embassadours Malach. 2. Mat. 5. 1. Cor. 4. Ephe. 4. 2. King 2. the salte of the earth the light of the worlde the dispensers of Gods mysteries the buylders of Gods Church and the charriot horsemē as Elizeus said of Elias of a Christian kingdome If they be so that by their sound preaching Luke 10. Sathan falles downe from heauen like lightning the walles of Ierusalem are built vp is it not most equal that they shoulde not bee robbed of the churches maintenāce which belongeth of dutie vnto thē Is is not a certaine truth in the eyes of all men that many in vplandish incorporate townes doe open their purses very willingly boūtifully for mē of their place for the maintenāce of godly preachers doth not almightie God besides the heauenly cōfort he giues thē repay those good mē with increase of earthly cōmodities Doth almighty God like of this Christian dealing do godly men both iustly greatly cōmend it and wil not gracelesse Cormorants be ashamed which in steed of helping the Lords plough forward hāg it vpō the hedge by making foule hauock of the churches maintenāce If these which either haue or doe feed vpō the church as the eagle doth vpō the carrion did see the goodly companie of students in Cambridge and Oxeforde or coulde consider what sharpe wittes and excellēt learning vertues almightie GOD hath geuen to many of them or woulde bee moued with the sight of those holy assēblies wherin Gods trueth is soundly taught and his people singularly comforted would they not condēne their vile course and be heartily sory for their monstrous dealings If this I haue already remēbred will not mollifie and bend their hearts then let them cast their eyes vpon many Churches in this noble lande which eyther want the preaching of the word or if they haue it they haue it strawberie wise that is once a yeere let them I say looke vpon the wofull estate of those places and if they be not hewen out of Okes and haue heartes of flint it will breake them in pieces If answeare be made that a sufficient number of preachers cannot be had to furnish the whole lande I graunt they say somewhat but sure I am that if very fit men in the vniuersities abroade were heartened and employed accordingly many should not be drowned in ignorance and poperie as they are and many treacheries against the religion and Prince would more easilie appeare and the number of skilfull ministers which are very precious iewels in a Christian kingdom would increase accordingly For who are there that haue spent their time profitably at their books are excellētly furnished for the building of Gods Church that would either hyde their talentes in a napkin Mat. 25. or burie them in the earth yea rather that are not with all their heartes desirous to blowe the Lords siluer Trumpets Num. 10. Ezech. 33. to be watchmen ouer Gods citie and feders of his flocke and what hope is there that these worthy men shall be employed when the Churches maintenance is not giuen vnto them accordingly but rather pulled from them most shamefully yea what meane men are there that will to their great charge maintayne their
peece of their study not to benefite the Church which is euery mans duetie but to spoyle the Church of that maintenance which belongs of duety to learned Teachers If the good estate of the ministery be the strength of the land what do they deserue which wil very hardly allow it any good place in the lande If it bee the life of the Lande what friends are they to the Lande which for vyle bribes and cursed pensions preferre corrupt menne whiche for want of sound learning are vnfitte to teache and for want of Godly wisedome are vnfitte to gouerne It may be truely sayd that since the raygne of our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth manye Studentes in Cambridge and Oxeforde are come to excellent proofe If their learning soundnesse in Religion and other vertues bee regarded they are singuler if their wits they are I am sure equal at the least to other mens what seruice they are able to do would easily appeare to Gods glory the great good of the lande if they were employed according to their giftes I meane not siluer and golden gifts which are the best Logicke and surest Rhetoricke to perswade corrupt menne but Gods notable graces and gifts for the which Pharao preferred Ioseph in Egipt Gen. 41. Dan. 6. Darius preferred Daniell in Babilon Is it not a straunge case that in Trinitye and Saint Iohns Colledges in Cambridge whiche are two of the greatest Colledges wee haue not one fellowshippe falles voyde sometimes in a yeere and more Doeth not this speake yea rather cry very lowde that there is little hope of places for younger students that fitte men are not prouided for Possid in vita August 10. cap. 24. A noble man of Hippo in Afrike which liued at Carthage gaue a possession of his owne accorde to the Churche of Hippo where Augustine was Byshop he sealed his deede of gift sent it to Augustine for the Churches behoofe onelie he reserued for his life time the vse and profit but not the proprietie of that possession Augustine receiued the writinges and commended the giuer After a few yeeres this noble man desired his deed of gift againe but sent fiue poundes for the poores reliefe Augustine seeing the noble mans inconstancie was mightely grieued yet without delay deliuered the writinges but refused his almes and by letters tooke him vp roundly for his hypocrisie and exhorted him to earnest repentance c. If Augustine dealt sharply with the noble man of Hippo for calling backe his owne deede of gift how would he shake those cormorants if hee were nowe aliue whiche spoyle the Church of other mens deeds of gift If Augustine refused 5. pounds sent by this noble man of Hippo for the benefit of the poore what accompt would he make of their almes whiche poll the Church and Churchmen would he put it into the poore mans boxe It is certayne he woulde not least he shoulde bee guiltie of giuing countenance to gracelesse men and of giuing Gods religion a grieuous blowe Gods enimies Aug. lib. 8. Confes cap. 5. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 12. when they woulde ouerthrow religion gaue streight charge that the Christians should not be trained vp in learning so did Iulian the Emperour If I should say that they whiche either poll the Church liuings or for money preferre corrupt men are of Iulians stampe it might seeme a hard speech but it is neither so hard nor strange as their dealinges are For is it possible for schooles to thriue if the vniuersities decay And can the Vniuersities prosper when the learned studentes are not furnished with maintenaunce The Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxeford are the frie of the ministerie and the seede of religion in England If the good studentes which are worthy of preferment be not prouided for what place shall the younger students haue How shall they grow in studie when for want of conuenient encouragement in the Vniuersity they are fayne to leaue their studies before they be rype and so become pettye schoolemaisters or seruing men or vntimely ministers yea to speake more plainly who sees not if he bee not starke blynd that the want of encouragement for ours the bountifull prouision by the Popish sort for theirs is as a great bel to cal many to their seminaryes at Rome in Italy at Rhemes in France And who is there if he set not Gods feare before his eyes that is not easily moued to preferre wealth before want good maintenance before beggery I confesse their fault is great Exod. 16. which preferre the fleshpots of Egypt before the Lords Manna in the wildernesse Gen. 25. as the Israelites did and which sell their birthright for pottage as Esau did But woe to those Cormorāts whose Churchpolling and brybery is the great hurt of the Church and the spoyle and vndoyng of many a goodly witte But that I may somewhat comfort such studentes as are almost discouraged may it please them to call to mynd two Christian lessons first that Dauid and Moses which were excellent personages chose the one Psal 84. rather to be a doore keeper in the Lordes house then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse the other rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God Heb. 11. then to be called the sonne of the king of Egypts daughter Secondly that our life is more woorth then meate and our bodies then rayment Math. 6. that the foules of the ayre are fed that Lilies of the field are by almighty God more beautifully cloathed then Salomon in all his glory was therefore he will haue great care of godly studentes in such sort and time as shall make most for his greate glorye and their singuler comfort Bonus Dominus qui non tribuit saepe quod volumus vt quod malimus attribuat Aug. Epist 54. 5 Wee may not forsake Gods Churche though there be euill men or blemishes in it THE Apostle giueth streight charge not to forsake the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues Heb. chap. 10. ver 25. as the manner of some is Because forsaking of the Churche was a disease in that time the Apostle giueth them a medicine for it Esay 1. The Church of Ierusalem was greatly out of temper in Esaias time so it was in our Sauiour Christes religion was fowlly stayned and there was great corruption in their manners Notwithstāding the Prophets did neither erecte for themselues eyther new churches or new altars but offered vp prayers in the temple of Ierusalem which they would not haue done if it had byn lawful to haue departed from that Church 1. Cor. 3.5.6 12.15 cap. In the Church of Corinth contention was ryfe the incestuous man was tolerated the article of the resurrectiō was shrewdly shaken and Gods giftes were made to serue the ambition of men not the profie of the Church yet Paule willeth not anye man to departe from that Church Almighty GOD resembleth his Church to a vine
the chief corner stone that is the foundation of the Church Vpon this rocke I will builde my Church Mat. chap. 16. verse 18. Aug. lib. 1. retract cap. 12 By this word rocke Christ vnderstandeth himselfe whō Peter cōfessed The Apostle Peter cannot be the foundation of the Church for Peter was mortall and the foundation of Gods Church must be immortall 29 What the Catholike Church is The catholike Church is the number of all Gods elect which haue been from the beginning of the world and are nowe presently in the worlde and shal be vntill the ende of the world 30 The Catholik Church is not visible AL the elect whether they be in earth or in heauen do belōg to the Catholike Church But all these cānot be seen of vs. Christ when he vttered these woordes vpō this rock I will build my Church did meane that Church Mat. 16. which should be vnto the end of the world but that church is not visible If the Catholike Church were now visible it were vnproperly said in the creed I beleeue the Catholike Church for inuisible thinges are beleeued and not those which are seene They therefore which say that the Catholike Churche is visible eyther beleeue not that whiche they confesse in the Creede or speake otherwise then they beleeue whiche is a grosse absurditie I confesse that the particuler churches of Corinth Ephesus Thessalonica were visible in Paules time not onely because they of whome these Churches consisted were visible but because of the order and externall forme of those Churches which order and externall forme are the cause why the Churches are visible 1. King 19. The seuen thousand of whome Almightie God spake to Elias albeit they were visible in that they were men yet they were not in the visible Church otherwise Elias had seen them A fewe of Gods elect are called the Church but yet the inuisible Church not because 2. Tim. cha 2 verse 19. we do not see the elect but because wee do not descerne with our eyes who are Gods elect for GOD alone knoweth who be his FINIS ⧠A godly and shorte Treatise against the foule and grosse sinne of oppression Written by Robert Some Oppession maketh a wise man madde Ecclesiastes chap. 7. verse 9. To the Reader IT hath pleased an Englishe Papiste to giue out in print that the Church of Rome doth both teach and require actuall restitution and that our Church doth neither His speech of vs is verie slaunderous my treatise against oppression is argumentes inough to confute him If they of Rome teach and require actuall restitution it is no woorke of supererogatiō they do no more but their duties If wee shoulde faile in this cleare point we deserue great condemnation at almightie Gods hands I confesse that a man is good and therefore iustified in Gods sight before he doth good workes but with all I set downe this that good works doe followe him that is truely iustified and that such as haue oppressed or iniuried any man shal not be pardoned at Gods handes vnlesse they make actuall restitution if they bee able to doe it If any require proofe of this I refer him to this Treatise of mine against oppression A table of such pointes as are contayned in this Treatise 1 What oppression is 2 It is not lawefull for any man to oppresse another 3 They which haue done wrong vnto or oppressed any must make actuall restitution 4 It is the dutie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the handes of the oppressour 5 The Magistrate looseth nothing by deliuering the oppressed 6 Oppressours shall bee grieuously punished 7 Oppressours haue no religion in them A godly Treatise against the foule and grosse sinne of oppression Question VVHat is Oppression Answere It is vniust deailng vsed of the mightier either by violence colour of lawe or any other cunning dealing against such as are not able to withstande them The ground of this definition is conteined in these places of scripture Micheas chap. 2. verse 1.2 1. Thes chap. 4. vers 6. It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another Giue vs this day our dayly bread Mat. chap. 6. verse 11. Euery christian desires God to giue dayly bread that is all thinges necessarie for this life both to him selfe and to others therefore no christian is priuiledged to spoile another of his necessarie food If one of vs must pray for the good of another one of vs may not pray vpon an other Eccle. chap. 34 verse 23. Hee that taketh away his neighbours liuing is a murtherer Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours house his fielde c. Deut. 5.21 If wee may not desire his house or land then we may not spoile him of his house or land Mich. chap. 2.1.2 or inclose that ground wherby the poore either by right are or by right ought to be relieued If thou meete thine enemies oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt bring him to him againe If thou see thy enemies Asse lying vnder his burden wilte thou cease to helpe him thou shalt helpe him vp with it againe Exod. 23.4.5 Almightie God commaundeth vs to deale wel with our enemies Asse therefore we may not by vndoing our neighbour or spoyling him of any part of his lande or goods make him an Asse and send him a begging Hee that oppresseth the poore reproueth him that made him c. Pro. chap. 14. ver 31. It is a grosse sin to reproue the maiestie of God therefore it is a grosse sinne to oppresse the poore It was one of the sinnes of Sodom not to reache out the hande to the poore Ezech. 16.49 If it be a great sin not to releeue the poore it is a very grosse sinne to spoyle the poore The bread of the needefull Eccle. 34.22 is the life of the poore he that defraudeth him thereof is a murtherer There is a writte in England which beareth this name Ne iniustè vexes that is to say vexe not any man vniustly This is a godly lawe and is deriued frō the lawe of God which forbiddeth and condemneth oppression There are certaine beggers which of purpose keepe their legges sore to gette money by it If they are iustly misliked which gaine by their owne sore legges what deserue they to be thought of whiche gaine by other mens sore legs When thou sellest ought to thy neighbour or buiest at thy neighbours hande yee shall not oppresse one another Leuit. 25. ver 14. This is the will of God that no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter 1. Thes 4.6 Therefore men of trade may not gaine by litle measures false weights and false speeches othes nor any mightie men may gaine by cunning dealing by colour of lawe or by vsing any violence whatsoeuer 3 They which haue done wrong vnto or oppressed any must make actuall restitution GOd saith thus vnto Moses speake vnto the children of Israel when a man or woman