Rome toke for a iust cause to rebell agaynst his lawfull prince they myght haue knowen to be a doubling and tripling of his most heynous wickednes heaped with horrible impietie and blasphemie But lest the poore people shoulde knowe to muche he woulde not let them haue as muche of Gods worde as the ten commaundementes wholye and perfectly withdrawyng from them the commaundement that bewrayeth his impietie by a subtill sacrilege Had the Emperours subiectes likewyse knowen and ben of anye vnderstandyng in Gods worde woulde they at other times haue rebelled agaynst their Soueraigne Lorde and by their rebellion haue holpen to depose hym onlye for that the byshop of Rome dyd beare them in hande that it was symonie and heresye to for the Emperour to geue any ecclesiasticall dignities or promotions to his learned Chaplaines or other of his learned cleargie which all Christian Emperours before hym had done without controulement woulde they I say for that the Byshop of Rome bare them so in hande haue rebelled by the space of more then fourtie yeres together agaynst hym with so much shedding of Christian blood and murther of so many thousandes of Christians and finallie haue deposed their Soueraigne Lorde had they knowen and had in Gods worde anye vnderstandyng at all Specially had they knowen that they dyd al this to plucke from their Soueraigne Lorde and his successours for euer theyr auncient right of the Empyre to geue it vnto the Romishe Cleargie and to the Byshop of Rome that he myght for the confirmation of one Archbyshop and for a Romishe ragge whiche he calleth a Paul scarse worth twelue pence receaue many thousande crownes of golde and of other Byshoppes likewyse great summes of money for their bulles whiche is symonie in deede would I say Christian men and subiectes by rebellion haue spent so muche Christian blood and haue deposed their natural most noble and most valiaunt prince to bring the matter finally to this passe had they knowen what they dyd or had any vnderstandyng in Gods word at all And as these ambitious vsurpers the byshops of Rome haue ouerflowed all Italie and Germanie with streames of Christian blood shed by the rebellions of ignoraunt subiectes agayng their naturall lordes the Emperous whom they haue stirred there vnto by such false pretences so is there no countrey in Christendome whiche by theyr lyke meanes and false pretences hath not ben oursprinkled with the blood of subiectes by rebellion agaynst their naturall Soueraignes styrred vp by the same Byshops of Rome And to vse one example of our owne countrey The Byshop of Rome dyd pike a quarell to kyng John of Englande about the election of Steuen Langton to the Byshoprike of Canterburie wherein the kyng had auncient ryght being vsed by his progenitours all Christian Kynges of Englande before hym the Byshops of Rome hauing no ryght but had begun then to vsurpe vpon the kinges of Englande and al other Christian kynges as they had before done agaynst theyr Soueraigne Lordes the Emperours proceeding euen by the same wayes meanes and lyke wyse cursing kyng John discharging his subiectes of their oth of fidelitie vnto theyr soueraigne lord Now had Englishmen at that time knowen their duetie to their prince set foorth in gods word woulde a great many of the nobles other Englishmen naturall subiectes for this forraigne vnnaturall vsurper his vaine curse of the kyng for his fained discharging of them of their othe of fidelitie to their naturall Lorde vpon so sclender or no grounde at all haue rebelled agaynst their soueraigne lord the king Woulde Englishe subiectes haue taken part agaynst the king of Englande against Englishmen with the Frenche king and Frenchmen beyng incensed against this Realme by the Bishop of Rome Would they haue sent for and receaued the Dolphin of Fraunce with a great armie of Frenchmen into the Realme of Englande Would they haue sworne fidelitie to the Dolphin of Fraunce breaking their othe of fidelitie to their naturall Lord the king of Englande and haue stande vnder the Dolphins banner displaied agaynst the kyng of Englande woulde they haue expelled their soueraigne lord the king of England out of London the cheefe citie of Englande and out of the greatest part of England vppon the South-side of Trent euen vnto Lincolne and out of Lincolne it selfe also and haue deliuered the possession thereof vnto the Dolphin of Fraunce whereof he kept the possession a great whyle Would they being Englishmen haue procured so great shedding of English blood other infinite mischeefes miseries vnto England their naturall countrey as dyd folow those cruell warres trayterous rebellion the fruites of the Byshop of Romes blessings would they haue driuen their natural soueraigne lorde the kyng of Englande to suche extremitie that he was inforced to submit hym selfe vnto that forraigne false vsurper the Byshoppe of Rome who compelled hym to surrender vp the crowne of Englande into the handes of his Legate who in token of possession kept it in his handes diuers dayes and then deliuered it agayne to king John vpon that condition that the kyng and his successours kinges of Englande shoulde holde the crowne and kyngdome of Englande of the Byshop of Rome and his successours as the vassalles of the sayde Byshops of Rome for euer in token whereof the kynges of Englande shoulde also paye an yerely tribute to the sayde Byshop of Rome as his vassals and liege men woulde Englishemen haue brought their Soueraigne lorde and naturall countrey into this thraldome and subiection to a false forraigne vsurper had they knowen and had any vnderstandyng in Gods worde at all Out of the which most lamentable case moste miserable tyrannye rauenye and spoyle of the most greedy Romishe wolues ensuing here vppon the kinges and realme of Englande coulde not rid them selues by the space of many yeares after the Bishop of Rome by his ministers continually not only spoling the realme and kyngs of England of infinite treasure but also with the same monye hyring and maynteyning forraigne enemies agaynst the realme and kinges of England to kepe them in such his subiection that they should not refuse to paye whatsoeuer those vnsaciable wolues did greedely gape for and suffer whatsoeuer those moste cruell tyrants would lay vpon them Would Englishmen haue suffered this would they by rebellion haue caused this trowe you and all for the Byshop of Romes causelesse curse had they in those dayes knowen and vnderstanded that God doth curse the blessings and blesse the cursinges of suche wicked vsurping bishops and tyrantes as it appeared afterward in kyng Henrye the eyght his dayes and kyng Edwarde the sixt in our gratious Soueraignes dayes that nowe is where neyther the Popes curses nor Gods manifolde blessinges are wanting But in kyng Johns tyme the Byshop of Rome vnderstandyng the brute blyndnes ignorance of Gods worde and superstition of Englishmen how much they were enclined to worship the
prayer to GOD for so gratious a Soueraigne but also them selues take armour wickedly assemble companies and bandes of rebels to breake the publique peace so long continued and to make not warre but rebellion to endaunger the person of suche a gratious Soueraigne to hazarde the estate of theyr countrey for whose defence they should be redye to spend their liues and beyng Englishemen to robbe spoyle destroy and burne in Englande Englishemen to kyll and murther theyr owne neyghbours and kinsfolke theyr owne countreymen to do all euill and mischeefe yea and more to then forraigne enemies woulde or coulde do What shall we say of these men who vse them selues thus rebelliously agaynst theyr gratious Soueraigne Who yf GOD for their wickednesse had geuen them an heathen tyrant to raigne ouer them were by Gods word bound to obey him and to pray for him What maye be spoken of them so farre doth their vnkindnes vnnaturalnesse wickednesse mischeuousnesse in their doynges passe and excel any thing and all thinges that can be expressed or vttered by wordes Onlye let vs wishe vnto all suche moste speedie repentaunce and with so greeuous sorowe of heart as such so horrible sinnes against the maiestie of God do require who in most extreme vnthankfulnesse do ryse not only agaynst theyr gratious prince agaynst theyr naturall countrey but agaynst all theyr countreymen women and chyldren against them selues theyr wiues children and kinsfolkes and by so wicked an example agaynst all Christendome and agaynst whole mankynde of all maner of people throughout the wide worlde suche repentaunce I say suche sorowe of heart GOD graunt vnto all suche whosoeuer ryse of priuate and malitious purpose as is meete for suche mischeeues attempted and wrought by them And vnto vs and all other subiectes God of his mercie graunt that we may be moste vnlyke to all such and most like to good naturall louyng and obedient subiectes nay that we maye be suche in deede not onlye shewyng all obedience ourselues but as manye of vs as be able to the vttermost of our power habilitie and vnderstandyng to staye and represse all rebels and rebellions agaynst God our gratious prince and naturall countrey at euery occasion that is offered vnto vs And that which we all are able to do vnlesse we do it we shal be most wicked and most worthie to feele in the ende suche extreme plagues as GOD hath euer powred vppon rebels Let vs all make continuall prayers vnto almyghtie God euen from the bottome of our heartes that he wyll geue his grace power and strength vnto our gratious Queene Elizabeth to vanquishe and subdue all aswell rebelles at home as forraigne enemies that all domesticall rebellions beyng suppressed and pacified and all outwarde inuasions repulled and abandoned we may not onlye be sure and long continue in all obedience vnto our gratious Soueraigne and in that peaceable and quiet lyfe which hytherto we haue led vnder her Maiestie with all securitie but also that both our gratious Queene Elizabeth and we her subiectes may altogether in al obedience vnto God the kyng of all kynges and vnto his holy lawes leade our liues so in this worlde in all vertue and godlinesse that in the worlde to come we maye enioy his euerlastyng kyngdome whiche I beseche God to graunt aswel to our gratious Soueraigne as vnto vs all for his sonne our sauiour Jesus Christes sake to whom with the father and the holye ghost one God and kyng immortall be all glory prayse and thankes geuing worlde without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the first part of this Homilee nowe good people let vs pray ¶ The prayer O Most mightie God the Lorde of hoastes the gouernour of all creatures the onlye geuer of all victories who alone art able to strengthen the weake agaynst the myghtie and to vanquishe infinite multitudes of thyne enemies with the countenaunce of a fewe of thy seruauntes calling vppon thy name and trusting in thee Defend O Lorde thy seruaunt and our gouernour vnder thee our Queene Elizabeth and all thy people committed to her charge O Lorde withstande the crueltie of all those whiche be common enemies aswell to the trueth of thy eternall worde as to their owne naturall Prince and countrye and manifestlye to this crowne and Realme of Englande whiche thou haste of thy diuine prouidence assigned in these our dayes to the gouernment of thy seruaunt our Soueraigne and gratious Queene O moste mercifull father if it be thy holye will make soft and tender the stony heartes of al those that exalte themselues agaynst thy trueth and seeke eyther to trouble the quyet of this realme of England or to oppresse the crowne of the same and conuert them to the knowledge of thy sonne the onely sauiour of the world Jesus Christ that we and they maye ioyntlye glorifie thy mercies Lyghten we besech thee their ignoraunt hearts to imbrace the trueth of thy worde or els so abate their crueltie O most mightie Lorde that this our Christian region with others that confesse thy holy Gospell maye obteine by thine aide and strength suretie from all enemies without shedding of christian blood wherby al they which be oppressed with their tyranny may be releeued and they which be in feare of their crueltie maye be comforted finally that all christian realmes and specially this realme of England may by thy defence and protection continue in the trueth of the Gospel and enioy perfect peace quietnes and securitie and that we for these thy mercies ioyntly altogether with one consonant hart and voice may thankfully render to thee al laud and praise that we knit in one godlye concorde and vnitie amongst our selues may continuallye magnifie thy glorious name who with thy sonne our sauiour Jesus Christ and the holy ghost art one eternall almyghtye and moste mercifull God To whom be all laude and prayse worlde without ende Amen ¶ The second parte of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wilfull Rebellion AS in the fyrste parte of this treatie of obedience of subiectes to their Princes against disobedience and rebellion I haue alleaged diuers sentences out of the holye scriptures for proofe so shal it be good for the better declaration and confirmation of the sayd holsome doctrine to alleage one example or two out of the same holy scriptures of the obedience of subiects not onelye vnto their good and gratious gouernours but also vnto their euill and vnkynd princes As king Saul was not of the beste but rather of the worst sort of Princes as beyng out of Gods fauour for his disobedience agaynst God in sparyng in a wrong pitie the kyng Agag whom almyghtye God commaunded to be stayne accordyng to the iustice of God against his sworne enemie and although Saule of a deuotion ment to sacrifice such thinges as he spared of the Amalechites to the honor and seruice of God yet Saul was reproued for his wrong mercy and deuotiō and was tolde that obedience woulde haue more pleased him
Babilonicall beast of Rome and to feare all his threatnings and causelesse curses he abused them thus by their rebellion brought this noble realme and kings of England vnder his most cruell tyrannie and to be a spoyle of his most vyle and vnsaciable couetousnes and rauenye for a long and a great deale to long a tyme And to ioyne vnto the reportes of Histories matters of latter memorie coulde the Byshop of Rome haue raysed the late rebellions in the North and Weste countries in the tymes of Kyng Henry and Kyng Edwarde our gratious Soueraignes father and brother but by abusing of the ignoraunt people Or is it not most euident that the Byshop of Rome hath of late attempted by his Irish Patriarkes and Bishops sent from Rome with his bulles whereof some were apprehended to breake downe the barres and hedges of the publibue peace in Ireland onely vpon confidence easyly to abuse the ignoraunce of the wilde Irish men Or who seeth not that vppon lyke confidence yet more latelye he hath lykewyse procured the breache of the publique peace in Englande with the long and blessed continuaunce wherof he is sore greeued by the ministery of his disguised Chaplaines creeping in lay mens apparell into the houses and whispering in the eares of certaine Northen borderers being men most ignorant of their duetie to God and their prince of all people of the Realme whom therefore as most meet and redy to execute his intended purpose he hath by the said ignorant masse priestes as blynd guides leading the blynd brought those seely blynde subiectes into the deepe ditche of horrible rebellion damnable to them selues and very daungerous to the state of the Realme had not GOD of his mercye miraculouslye calmed that ragyng tempest not onely without any ship wracke of the common wealth but almost without any shedding of christian and Englishe blood at al. And it is yet muche more to be lamented that not onely cōmon people by some other youthful or vnskilful Princes also suffer them selues to be abused by the byshop of Rome his Cardinalles bishops to oppressing of christian men their faithfull subiectes either them selues or els by procuring the force and strength of christian men to be conueyed out of one country to oppresse true Christians in another countrye and by these meanes open an entrie vnto Moores and Infidels into the possession of christian Realmes and countries other Christian Princes in the meane tyme by the Byshop of Romes procuring also beyng so occupyed in cinill warres or troubled with rebellions that they haue neyther leasure nor habilitie to conferre their common forces to the defence of their felow christians agaynste suche inuasions of the common enemies of Christendome the infidels and miscreantes Woulde to God we myght only reade and heare out of histories of the olde and not also see and feele these newe and present oppressions of Christians rebellions of subiectes effusion of christian blood destruction of christian men decay ruine of Christendom increase of paganitie most lamentable pitifull to beholde being procured in these our dayes aswell as in tymes past by the bishop of Rome and his ministers abusing the ignoraunce of Gods word yet remayning in some Chirstian Princes and people By which so wre and bitter fruites of ignorance all men ought to be moued to geue eare and credite to Gods worde she wing as most truly so most playnly how great a mischiefe ignoraunce is and agayne how great and how good a gyft of God knowledge in Gods worde is And to begin with the romish Cleargie who though they do brag nowe as did sometyme the Jewishe Clergie that they can not lacke knowledge yet doth God by his holy prophets both charge them with ignorance and threaten them also for that they haue repelled the knowledge of Gods word law from them selues from his people that he wil repel them that they shal be no more his priests God like wise chargeth princes aswel as priestes that they should indeuour them selues to get vnderstanding knowledge in his worde threatning his heauy wrath destruction vnto them yf they fayle thereof And the wyse man sayeth to all men vniuersally Princes Priestes and people where is no knowledge there is no good nor health to the soule and that almen be vaine in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy worde That they who walke in darkenes wot not whyther they go and that the people that will not learne shall fall into great mischeefes as did the people of Israel who for their ignoraunce in Gods worde were firste led into captiuitie and when by ignoraunce afterward they would not know the tyme of their visitation but crucified Christ our sauiour persecuted his holye Apostles and were so ignoraunt and blynde that when they did most wickedlye and cruellye they thought they did God good and acceptable seruice as do manye by ignoraunce thynke euen at this daye finally through theyr ignorance and blyndnes their country townes cities Hierusalem it selfe and the holye temple of God were all moste horiblye destroyed the moste cheefest parte of theyr people slayne and the reste led into moste miserable captiuitie For he that made them had no pitie vppon them neyther would spare them and al for their ignoraunce And the holye scriptures do teache that the people that wyll not see with theyr eyes nor heare with theyr eares to learne and to vnderstande with their heartes can not be conuerted and saued And the wicked them selues beyng damned in hell shal confesse ignorance in Gods word to haue brought them therunto saiyng We haue erred from the way of the trueth and the lyght of ryghteousnesse hath not shyned vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstandyng hath not risen vnto vs we haue weeried our selues in the way of wickednesse and perdition haue walked cumberous and crooked wayes but the way of the Lord haue we not knowen And aswel our sauiour him selfe as his apostle s. Paul do teach that the ignorance of Gods word commeth of the deuill is the cause of all errour and misiudging as falleth out with ignoraunt subiectes who can rather espye a little mote in the eye of the Prince or a coūceller then a great beame in their own vniuersally it is the cause of all euil finally of eternal damnation Gods iudgement beyng seuere towardes those who when the light of Christes Gospell is come into the world do delyght more in darkenes of ignorance then in the lyght of knowledge in Gods worde For al are cōmaunded to reade or heare to fearche and studie the holy scriptures and are promised vnderstanding to be geuen them from God if they so do all are charged not to beleue eyther any dead man nor if an Angell shoulde speake from heauen muche lesse if the Pope do speake from Rome agaynst or contrarye to the worde of GOD from the whiche we may not declyne neyther
4. b. 6. Psal. 2. Psal. 2. Prouerb 19 Sapience 13. Prouerb 17. Ephes. 4. Iohn 12. Esai 5. c. 13. Luk. 19. g. 44. 23. c. 34. Actes multis locis Iohn 16. a. 2. Esai 27. Osee. 4. Baruch 3. Esai 6. c. 9. Math. 13. b. 14. 15. Ioh. 12. f. 40. Sapience 5. Mat. 13. c. 19. 2. Cor. 4. 8. 3. 4. Mat. 7. Iohn 3. Mat. 11. b. 15 13. a. 9 f. 43. Luk. 8. a. 8. Ioh. 5. f. 39. Psalm 1. Mat. 7. b. 7 Luk. 11. b. 9 Luk. 16. g. 30. 31. Gal. 1. b. 8. Deut. 5. d. 32. Deut. 17. c. 14. 15. c. Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. Psal. 118. Psal. 18. 118. Eph. 5. c. 14 1. Thes. 5. a 4. 5. Ioh. 12. e. 35. 36. Iacob 1. c. 17. i. Tim. 6. d 16. Iohn 3. ¶ A thankes geuing for the suppression of the last rebellion OHeauenly and moste merciful father the defendour of those that put their trust in thee the sure fortresse of al them that flee to thee for succour who of thy moste iust iudgements for our disobedience and rebellion agaynst thy holy word and for our sinful wicked liuing nothing answering to our holy profession wherby we haue geuen an occasion that thy holy name hath ben blasphemed amongst the ignorāt hast of late both sore abashed the whole Realme and people of England with the terrour daunger of rebellion thereby to awake vs out of our dead sleepe of careles securitie and haste yet by the miseries following the same rebellion more sharply punished parte of our countreymen and Christian brethren who haue more neerely felt the same and most dreadfully hast scourged some of the seditious persons with terrible executions iustly inflicted for their disobedience to thee and to thy seruaunt their Soueraine to the example of vs all and to the warnyng correction and amendement of thy seruauntes of thyne accustomed goodnesse turnyng alwayes the wickednesse of euyll men to the profite of them that feare thee who in thy iudgementes remembryng thy mercye hast by thy assistaunce geuen the victorye to thy seruaunte our Queene her true Nobilitie an faythfull subiectes with so litle or rather no effusion of Christian bloode as also myght iustly haue ensued to the exceeding comfort of all sorowful Christian hearts and that of thy fatherly pitie and merciful goodnes only and euen for thine owne names sake without any our desert at all VVherfore we render vnto thee most humble heartie thanks for these thy great mercies shewed vnto vs who had deserued sharper punishment most humblye beseching thee to graunt vnto all vs that confesse thy holy name professe the true and perfect religion of thy holy Gospel thy heauenly grace to shew our selues in our liuing according to our profession that we truely knowing thee in thy blessed worde may obediently walke in thy holy commaundements that we being warned by this thy fatherly correction do prouoke thy iust wrath agaynst vs no more but may enioye the continuaunce of thy great mercies toward vs thy right hand as in this so in all other inuasions rebellions daungers continuallye sauing and defending our Churche our Realme our Queene and people of England that al our posterities ensuing confessing thy holy name professing thy holy Gospel and leading an holy lyfe may perpetually prayse and magnify thee with thy onely sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour the holy ghost to whom be allaud praise glory and Empire for euer and euer Amen ¶ Imprinted at London in Poules Churchyarde by Richarde Jugge and Iohn Cawood Printers to the Queenes Maiestie