Prince neither knowing whō wherin nor how farre haue in like maner as men disguised vpon a stage turned their nobilite to open shame amongest all nations whiche now beholde their follie and wōder ther at seinge they are made instrumētes of impietie and destroyers of their natiue countrie which firste were ordayned in Realmes to stande in defence of trewe religion lawes and welth of their nation and to be a shylde to their power agaynst their enimies in tyme of warre and a brydel at home to their Princes in tyme of peace neither to suffer them in this sorte to rage agaynst God and vtterlie to conteme the holsome lawes of the Realme to satisfie their filthie luste and vayne glorie nor so cruelie to murther and agaynst nature to deuoure the people of God their subiects whom they are charged by their office to succoure and defende and haue therfore a feareful compt to make for donige the contrarie The Iustices likewise in Townes and Cities as Maieres Shryffs Baylyfes Constables Iealers and all suche inferior officers folowing the same exsample of vnlawful obedience whose office and charge it is to minister iustice whithout respecte of persōs to defende the symple and innocēt and to punishe all transgressors and malefactors blasphemours of Goddes holie Name violent oppressers of innocentes as be the bloudthurstie papistes are nowe become ministers of iniustice and tyranny made tormentours of their owne naturall Countrye men most blouddie butchers of their brethren and mercilesse murtherers of the childrē of God and that in suche cruel sorte as neuer was hearde of before since the deathe of Christe where anie profession of his Name hathe bene In so muche that they are made a spectacle and gasinge-stock to all countries and nations amongest whom is anie feare of God or ciuile policie whiche woulde not haue beleued it to be possible if their eares and eyes were not this day sufficient wittnesses For to vnderstand that the papistes were cruell butchers and vnsatiable bloudsuckers had bene no newes at all they haue bene such from the beginninge But when they bothe heare and see those that professe the Gospel and woulde be counted Christes shepe turned for feare of displeasure or losinge of their office in to the nature of bloudthurstie woulues to execute agaynst God and their conscience the vngodlie commandements of the papistes to be at commandement not onlie to their vnlawful Quene but also to euery shauen Sir Iohn to imbrue their handes with them in innocent bloude this makethe all men to wonder and be astonished To conclude the residue of the comon people seing their superiours of all degrees ād estates by whom they shulde be gouerned with godlie lawes and to whom they ought obedience in the feare of God onelie thus couardly to forsake their obedience to God and vtterlie contemne the office wherwith he had charged them to satisfie the vnlawful commandements of their wilful Gouernesse thinke it in no case their parte to deny to her like obedience but with bodies and goodes at home ād abrode to fulfill and mayntayne her will ād tyranny not withstandinge their owne conscience doth condemne thē and the worde of God dothe playnelie testifie that it is euell and vngodlie which they are commanded to do Being deceaued by misunderstanding this place of Paule and such like It behoueth euery soule to be subiecte to superior powers because there is no power but of God For the powers that are be ordinances of God ād therfore he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God But how litle this and other like obiectiōs make for their purpose we shall God willinge vnderstande after that we haue better examined this present answere of Peter and Iohn who are not cōtrarie to Paul nor Paul to them rightly cōsidered ▪ For thoghe this answere was made of Peter ād Iohn in their owne cause to the Magiestrates ād Rulers of Ierusalem yet is it no lesse generall then the saynge of S. Paule and partayneth to al conditions of men as wel Magiestrates and Rulers as inferior persons and subiectes teaching them bothe their office moste rightlie the one what to commande and how to rule the other whom to obeye and wherin to be subiecte as in their places folowinge shall euidentlie appeare CHAP. IIII. The trueth of this answere was so sensible that the verie aduersaries coulde not withstand it ANd firste to returne to the answere we may be assured that it is certayne ād an vndouted true the that in all things and of all men ād in all places God is to be obeyed before mē In so muche as the Apostels were not afrayed to cōmite the iudgement therof vnto their extreame enemies whom they knewe right well would haue geuen contrarie sentence if their answere had not bene withe out all controuersie As thoghe they would haue sayed After that we haue bene charged with this office to preache to all people and nations ād that by God him selffe to whom all powers are subiecte and all men are bownd to obeye whose iudgementes none can escape and whose wrathe no fleshe is able to abyde whiche with the breathe of his mouthe moueth the heauens and makethe the mightie mountaynes to shake and tremble and dryueth all powers be they neuer so stronge to dust ād powder We are contēted to make you iudges which charge vs to the contrarie whither this dreadful God may approue our doings in obeyēge you beīg men and his creatures yea earthe verie dust and asshes in comparison of his Maiestie Whither man of what auctoritie so euer he be is able to discharge vs in the presence of oure God if in holding our peace at your commandement we transgresse the expresse commandemēt of God That is not to preache Iesus Christ crucified who hathe chosē vs to the same ēd indued vs with knowledge reuealed vnto vs his secret counsels the mysterie of our redemption and armed vs with all giftes of the holie Gost necessarie for the accomplishement of so waightie an entreprise We nede not herein to vse many wordes or reasons nor to desier anie arbiters to define this matter be you your selues iudges Which kinde of speaking men commonlie vse when the matter is euident and out of doubte knowen to all men be they of neuer so slender iudgement and nede no further reasons or Scriptures to proue it The like kinde of reasoninge the Apostle vseth agaynst the Corinthians who permitted their wemē to praye bareheaded in the Congregation which he condemned as an vndecent custome not becommyng the Sayncts of God For amongest other reasons he likewise makethe them selues iudges in the matter sayeng Iudge ye amonge your selues whither it be cumlie for a womā to praye bareheaded in the Congregation Cōcludinge that verie nature dothe teache the contrarye In like maner this answere is so true and sensible that rather God is to be obeyed then man that there cā be none so
malitious or ignorante whom verie nature will not compel to confesse it if he had no further knowledge Nether had these men for all their great a doo lōge consultacion hie learninge and wisdome desierous also to take occasion agaynst the Apostels anie thinge to saye for the cōtrary But as Gods enemies are accustomed when their mouthes are stopt either with raylinges or threatnings to expresse their rage so did they with Peter Iohn dimitting them at the last with bitter wordes and menaces and they departed notwithstandinge from the Concile by the means of this answere conquerours CHAP. V. ¶ To obeye man in anie thinge agaynst God is Vnlawfull ind playne disobedience NOw for as muche as we are assured of the trueth ād certantie of their answere wherof none can iustlie doute let vs somewhat further consider what thinges are prīcipallie here in conteyned First we maye hereof iustlie conclude that to obeye man in anie thinge contrary to God or his precepts thoghe he be in hiest auctoritie or neuer so orderly called there vnto as these men wherof Luke speaketh were is no obedience at all but disobedience Secondlie that it is not a sufficient discharge for vs before God whē we denye to accōplyshe their vnlawful demādes and threatnings except we do the cōtrarie euery man in his vocation and office as occasion is offred and as his power will serue Whiche thīges playnlie vnderstāde as they shal geue a clere light in this controuersie so do I not doute by this present answere and facte of Peter and Iohn to proue moste manifestlie that althoghe we were destitute of other examples yet this might appeare sufficient As touchinge the firste that there is no obedience agaynst God which is not playne disobedience the Apostles say Iudge you whither it be right or iust in Godds sight to obeye you rather thē God which is as muche as thei would saye It is not iuste nor lawful Thē if it be not lawful and iust in Goddes sight who iudgeth things truelie ād as thei be in dede it must nedes folowe that all maner of obediēce agaynst God ād his worde is playne disobediēce and the workers therof likewise condemned as rebells Why Bycause it is vniust and vnlawfull before God And all true obedience is lawful which must not be measured by the will of mā but by the iuste Lawes and ordinances of the liuinge Lorde So that after God hathe once pronounced anie thinge that he would haue done either in his Lawe or otherwise there is no man that may or can dispence therwith seeme it of neuer so litle importance in the iudgement of men He that commandeth the contrarie is a rebell and he that obeyeth likewise Neither dothe this appertayne to the Apostles and ministers onlie in their office but is a generall argument for all sortes estates and degrees of men for as muche as God hathe like auctoritie of all and all owe vnto him first and principall obedience and secondly vnto men for him and in him onlie except they wil be enimies to God and deny him to be their Lorde For so muche it is in effecte when we preferre men to God obedience to man before the obedience to God It is not the auctoritie of the Prince or the feare of his punishmēt that cā excuse in his presence who cōmādeth his people generalie high and lowe riche and poore man ād womā to heare his voyce and to obserue his statutes Nether to declyne vpon the right hand nor vpon the lefte nether to adde anie thinge therto or to take anie thinge from it but to do that onlie whiche the liuinge Lorde commādeth And if we be the shepe of the Lordes foulde it is not sufficiēt for vs to heare the voyce of our pastor ād to folowe him except we also deny to heare muche more to folowe anie other that is which calleth not with the voyce of the true pastor And as there ought to be no creature of like auctoritie amongest vs as our soueraygne Lorde and God whose creatures we be and the workemanship of his owne hādes euen so there is none like to him in dignitie or may be cōpared to him in power none like to him in riches or so able to rewarde his subiectes beinge Lorde of heauē and earthe disposer of all things present and to come distributer not onlie of all corporall and earthlie blessings to those that feare and serue him but also powreth vpon them all spirituall and heauenlie graces in great aboundance Moreouer as by his auctoritie power dignitie riches and liberalitie he maye of right demande of vs obedience so must we persuade our selues in not rēdring the same to him willinglie that none cā deliuer vs from his horrible punishementes and destruction whiche he threatneth vpon all such as wilfully trangresse his holie preceptes ād declyne from his Lawes Nether wil he regarde by what means or by whose cōmandement we transgresse his lawes For that can be no excuse for vs thoghe he be Kinge Quene or Emperour that commandeth or threatneth vs. For what is kinge Quene or Emperour compared to God Is the punishement of earthe ashes of vile man whose breath is in his nostrilles more to be feared then the plages of God who hath power both of body and soule to destroye thē euerlastingly Was it any earthly power that broght the waters vpon the vniuersall worlde and drowned all mankinde for synne viii persons excepted Did man destroye Sodome and Gomorrhe with fier and brymstone Came the plages of Egypt the drowninge of Pharao the ouertrow of the Cananites the subuersion of Ierusalem by the power of man If these be the workes of man and not of God feare man and not God but if there be none of these euells which cometh vpon anie Citie or contrie wherof the Lorde is not the worker beware that the feare of mans punishment cause thee not to fall in to the handes of this mightie reuēger whiche is an horrible thinge as the Apostle writeth Princes therfore and all powers vpon thee arth are not to be compared vnto God whose Lieutenants onlie they shuld be and are no longer then he wil in whose handes their hartes are to moue and turne at his pleasure And for that cause it is their duetie to seke all means possible wherbie the glorie of God might be aduanced by whom they are them selues so highlie exalted aboue their brethern and in no cause to minister occasion of rebellion agaynst his mightie Maiestie but rather to be examples to others ouer whom they are constitute of all Godlie liffe and lawfull obedience In consideration wherof God him selfe appoyntīg his people to haue a kinge which when they shulde come in to the lande of promesse for that was the first promotion that God ordeyned amongest his people which yet came not to suche pride to desire an Emperour did with great circumspection as well appoynt
demaundeth it And when demaundeth God these thinges of vs if not then chieflie whē Satā begynneth to rage the worde of God despiced his Name blasphemed his Churche scattered his children miserably oppressed imprisoned famished and murthered Either now must the counsele of the Coūseller the learning of the learned the auctoritie of the honorable the power of the Nobles the bodies of the subiectes serue the Lorde or neuer For now will the Lorde trye who are his people in separating the chaffe frō the corne those that loue the Lorde vnfaynedlie ād wil serue him in dede from the halting dissemblers ād hypocrites who thīking therby to escape present daūgers runne headlonge to their owne destructiō thiking therby to escape the feareful voyce of the Lorde fall in to the pit And if they come foorthe of the pit they are taken in the net and cannot escape saithe the Lorde There is no waye but one to turne agayne vnto the Lorde who hathe woūded vs and he will heale vs he hathe striken vs for our synnes and he will bynde vs vp agayn ād within two dayes will he restore vs to lyffe ād the thirde day rayse vs vp and we shal come before his face saithe the Prophet And by what other means can we turne vnto the Lorde to be healed of our woundes to be restored to lyffe agayne to be lifted vp and broght before his presence but by vnfayned repentance euerie man of what estate or condition soeuer he be Considering with teares how shamefullie he hathe fallen from God and by what means and to call for grace and strength to turne back by the self same means and wayes to obey God in walking the contrarie And to Folowe the counsell of the Apostle that as before we haue geuen our members to serue vnclennes and iniquitie so now after true repentance make them to serue rightousnes and holynesse Wher before we serued men and not God now to serue God and not man but in God Where as we abused all the gyftes of God to mayntayne idolatrie and tyranny now to vse the same to the restoring of Gods glorie and preseruation of his humble and afflicted children where as before we haue troughe contempt of his graces especiallie the worde and Gospel of our Sauiour Iesus Christe broght vpon vs shame and confusion now by reuerent receauing of them agayne and framing our liues thervnto we may remoue these plagues ād finde fauore ād grace in the sight of our God who for this cause hathe striken vs and by all maner of means callethe vs backe from our wickednesse readier to receaue vs then we to desier him CHAP. VIII The conclusion of these two parts with a farther declaration of the same that it is both Lawful and necessarie some tymes to disobeye and also to resiste Vngodly magistrats and wherin VVherfore deare brethern in the Lorde to returne to our pourpose you may well vnderstāde of these thīgs which haue bene hitherto mentioned not only the cause of all our miserie in England this day to haue bene for that we nether taught knewe nor vsed true obedience but also what obediēce God requireth of all mē ād what he cōdemnethe for disobedience Obedience is to heare God rather then man and to resiste man rather then God as by the answere and doinges of the Apostles and examples of others ye haue bene instructed Whereī you may see how litle the commandments threatnynges power auctoritie or punishments of anie kinge Prince or Emperour oght to preuayle with vs agaynst the commandement of God where with we are charged Can we then pretende ignoraunce any more Beholde verie nature doth teache all men which be not destitute of their comō sense ād reason that God oght rather to be obeyed then man in so muche as the Apostles therin feared not the iudgment of their enimies Shall auctoritie of man or power of Princes bleare our eyes anie lōger seing there is none so ignorant whose consciēce doth not beare him witnesse that God is moste worthie of all honor and onely to be feared for his power who made the heauens and the earthe and man ruler therof by whose power and wisdome as all thinges were created so by his wonderful prouidence are all thinges preserued and gouerned Shall the threatnings of man or punishment of Princes moue vs to leaue vndone that which he commandeth ād our vocation requireth Shulde we honour thē for their offices and great titles because they are called kīges Princes or Emperours This muste we do so longe as they will be subiectes to God and promoters of his glorie of whome they haue their auctoritie as the examples of the Godlie Patriarkes and Prophets of Christe him self and his Apostles and of all martyrs in all ages vntil this day do witness Which with their bloude haue sealed vp this doctrine for an vndouted veritie that there is no obedience agaynst God which in his iudgment is not manifeste rebellion Doest thou then vnfaynedly beleue in God and haste geuen thy self to serue him and after art commanded of thy Prince or Ruler what name so euer he beare to committ idolatrie in worshippīg a piece of bread for thy Sauiour as do the Papistes which is open blasphemie agaynst the Sonne of God Arte thou willed to be present at the idole seruice which the Apostle S. Paul forbiddeth or ells to make or erect images in Churches or tēples to heare Masses to trot on pilgremage to purchesse pardōs to cōfesse the Popes auctoritie to esteme Gods worde for heresie ▪ Art thou charged to be a tormentour of the Saincts of God to lay holde vpō thē as did the Scribes ād Pharisies the chief Bishopp and Priests whith their officiers vpon Christe and his Apostles to bringe them before the Concile to caste then in prison to flatter them to reuile thē opēly to famishe them secreatly and hange them in their gayles to racke them to bringe them to the galows to the stake and cōsumyng fier to see execution done vpon then as vpon theues murtherers villains whoremongers adulterours traytors idolaters blasphemers when inwardlye thy conscience cryeth vnto thee Take heede ād beware what thou doest to these men for they are the verie seruantes of God as Pilate was admonished by his wiffe Art thou I saye cōmanded to do anie of these thīges and fearest God Beholde here art thou taught what answere it behoueth thee to make and that by the Apostles of Christe which is Iudge you whither it be lawfull in Godds sight to obey you rather then God And agayne God must be obeyed before man If thou wilt alleadge the daunger of losinge thy lyuing and office wherby thou and thy familie are founde consider it is a greater matter to lose thy soule and to bring the cursse of God vpon thy whole housholde to whome it were farre better to begg in the feare of God thē to be gyltie
godlie Rulers and such as rule according to their office For to seruantes he writeth on this wise Seruantes obeye your Maisters with all feare not onely if they be good and curteous but also thogh they be frowarde for so the greke worde dothe signifie a cōbrous frowarde or a persone harde to please and selfe willy Wherof they will conclude that Peter commandeth obedience to all kinde of persones good and bad what so euer they commande must be done and why because he so chargeth seruants to obey their maisters Neuertheles this is to be obserued in reading the wordes of Peter as also in all the holy Scriptures that we must so take them as they agree with him self and not agaynst him For the Spirit of God changeth not his meaning but what he saithe once he saythe for euer Saint Peter here seemeth to preuent the obiection which seruantes desierous of libertie might haue obiected being willed to obey their Maisters as thoghe he would saye I am not ignorant that there are many Maisters troblesome frowarde and importune ouer you which are not so gentle and curteous towardes you as becomethe them well that is their faut and infirmitie which you must for Christes sake whom you professe patiently sustayne and beare For thogh your Maisters be roughe or frowarde he saith not wicked and vngodly that is no cause why ye shuld not faithfully serue them for the tyme of your seruitude so longe as they will nothing of you but that which is good and godlie Then the mynde of S. Peter is that the shreudnesse or frowardnes of Maisters is no lawful or iust occasion why the seruantes shulde be disobediēt And as this is the verie meaning of the Apostle in that place so is it not like that he would write contrarie to him self when he sayed God oght rather to be obeyed then man Nether can he be iudged contrary to the Apostle Paul who bindeth vp all lawful obediēce whith this knot In the Lorde speaking vnto childrē ād exhortyng thē to obeye their fathers mothers But how In the Lorde saith he And why For that is iust Then if Paule charge not children with further obedience to their parentes then in the Lorde to whom principallie they are by Gods commandement and nature bounde will Peter bynde seruantes to their Maisters anie further thē in the Lorde And if it be iuste obedience onlie which is in the Lorde can ther be any lawful obediēce agaynst him either of childrē towardes ther parētes seruātes towardes their Maisters or subiectes towardes their Rulers or Magistrates No God is the first and principal Father Maister ād Lorde to whō firste obedience muste be geuen as he doth demāde and to others in him and for him onely as we were taught at the beginning And that S. Peter had onely respecte to the rough condicions of Maisters and not to their vnlawful commandement agaynst God and their conscience which they are bownde to do for no mans pleasure the wordes do playnelie witnesse For this is thākes worthye saithe he if a man for conscience towardes God indure grief suffring wongfully For what prayse is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patientlye c. Then ye see the meanyng of S. Peter is not to make vs subiecte to anie euill or vngodlie commādementes but to persuade all seruantes not to cast of their duetie during the tyme of their seruitude notwithstāding they be roughlie dealt with all of their Maisters which thing is not spoken here of S. Peter to incourage or mayntayne frowarde Masters in their frowardnes nor yet to forbid the seruantes which feare God to seke after lawful remedie at the hādes of superior powers who for that cause are ordeyned to see iustice administred to all sortes of mē as well to seruantes as others but that they shulde not thīke the sharpnesse of their Maisters to be a cause sufficiēt to free them from doing their duetie vpō the othér parte In like case may we conclude of Princes ād Magistrats thogh they be rough and frowarde yea thoghe before God they are wicked vngodlie and reprobate persons as was Saule yet so longe as their wikednesse brasteth not out manifestly agaynst God ād his Lawes but outwardly will see them obserued and kept of others punishing the transgressors and defending the innocent so longe are we bounde to render vnto such obedience as to euill and roughe Maisters because we may not take Gods office in hande to iudge of the harte any farther then their outwarde deedes do geue manifest testimony Otherwise if without feare they transgresse Gods Lawes them selues and cōmande others to do the like then haue they lost that honor and obedience which otherwise their subiectes did owe vnto them and oght no more to be taken for Magistrates but punished as priuate trāsgressors as after I haue promised to proue Here vnto they adde the saying of our Sauiour Iesus Christe to Peter which bad him put vp his sworde after he had strickē the seruāt of the high Priest and cut of his eare not mynding by the sworde to make resistance Wherevpon they gather that althogh it be lawful in doctrine and preaching for the seruants of God to withstād and reproue the enimies as Christ him self and his Apostles did yet it is not permitted to do the same by anie outwarde or bodely force For thē as Christ answered he might haue obtayend of his Father 12. Legions of Angels for his defence To this we shall sone answere if we consider who spake this to whom and for what cause it was spokē Which circumstances well waied geue a great light to all like facts and sayinges First we must diligently consider the office of our Sauiour Iesus Christe which as it was in all poyntes spirituall aswell concerning his kingdome which he himself affirmeth not to be of this worlde as his Priesthod and Prophecie euen so for his owne parte coulde he vse no temporal force or power for the accompleshment of the same because he denieth that he either came to raigne in this worlde or ells to be a iudge therin as he answered the man which would haue had him to comande his brother to deuide the landes bewixt them sayng Man who made me a iudge or deuider ouer you And being demanded to geue iudgment agaynst the woman taken in adultrie he woulde not take that office vpon him but sayd vnto the woman when her accusers were gone Nether do I condemne thee go thy waye and synne no more Thus as concerning Christes owne persone who had all thinges and powers both in heauen and in earth at his comandement it is euident that he woulde vse no temporal power agaynst his enimies for that he was not therwith charged Which exāple taketh not waye the office or duetie of such as are charged with the tēporall sworde to vse it in defence chieflye of
oght to be preferred and with out the which no Realme or nation may long cōtynewe in quietnesse for thē God keepeth not watche ouer thē Yf also he was betrayde of others and soght not to betraye any if he purposed Gods glorie and the defence of his countre If the iustnesse of the cause oght to trye his doīges ād not the effect that folowed or the preuētīge of tyme where vnto he after a sorte was inforsed thē oght no persone whither he be a Ruler or subiecte Counseller Noble publicke or priuate to be discouraged but rather incouraged by Wyats example The people to seeke and demande helpe of thē that are able and they to graūt thē succour willīgly seeking by all means possible to restore Christ agayne ād his kīgdome with whom you haue lost all godlye libertie ād quietnesse and to expell Antichrist and all his adherentes by whom you are broght in this miserable slauery and bōdage both of bodies and soules And thoghe it succede not the first or seconde tyme no more then did the entreprise of Wyat or of the Israelites yet when God shall see your zele and diligence to be applyed onely in seekinge to maynteyne his kingdome and the glorie therof he wil helpe no dowte at lenghe to confounde all his enimies as he did the thirde tyme confort the Israelits to the vtter destructiō of the adulterous Beniamits We must now looke for no reuelations from the heauens to teache vs our duety it being so playnely set before our eyes in his worde And if in this case considerately begone in the feare of God it shuld happen any of you to perishe consider you perishe but in the fleshe to lyue with God leauing in the meane tyme an example behinde you that you liued in his feare and soght his glorie according to your duetye CHAP. XV. What remedy or counsell is left to the poore and afflicted seruantes of God at what tyme they are destitute of all outwarde meās and supporte of mē TO the people of Israel whom God from amonge all nations chose to be his peculiar people he did not onely geue his Lawes ordinances and statutes but also instituted all kinde of officiers to see the same Lawes put in execution And besides this appoynted such as might be leaders and defenders of them in tyme of warre agaynst their enimes and such as shuld mayntayne their right at home in tyme of peace as were their iudges and princes appoynted ouer euery Tribe besides their kinge and chief gouernour to whome it was lawfull for the people ād for euery Tribe to resorte in tyme of daunger to aske counsele and desier helpe who were likewise bounde to heare their cause and support them whither it were by counselle or bodely trauell In like maner God hath no lesse mercifully delte with you in Englande not onely geuing vnto you his Lawes and holy worde with farre greater light and playner declaration of his will and pleasure then euer was published to the Israelits but also hath furnished you with all sortes of Magistrates officers and gouernors necessarie for the accomplishment or rather execution of the same To whom it oght to be no lesse lawfull for you to resorte for comforte in your necessitie then it was to the Israelites and they as muche bownd to heare you For this cause haue you Mayres Shiriffs and Aldermen in Cities Counstables ād Bayliffs in Townes knights ād Iustices in Shires and countries To these oght the people to haue concurse in necessitie who shuld be their refuge and ayde in all trouble and aduersitie But if all these be so shamfully corrupted and so myndles of their charge and office that nether the Citezens can be cōforted nor suckered by their Mayres Shiriffes and Alder men nether the poore Townesmen and Tennants by their Iustices and Landelordes but all geuen ouer as it were to Satan and to serue the lustes of their chief Rulers care not whether the poore people sinke or swyme so it be well with them thogh it be a thinge impossible that the people can be distroyed and they escape daūger or that their neyghbours house cā be consumed with fyer and theirs remayne vntouched Yf all I saye in whō the people shuld loke for comforte were all together declyned from God as in dede they apeare to be at this present tyme in England without all feare of his Maiestie or pitie vpon their brethern and also yf the least and weakest parte of the people in all places feared God and all outwarde means of helpe vtterly taken from them nether being able to fynde remedie amōgest them selues nether cā see how to be supported of others thē assure your selues deare brethern and seruants of God there can be no better counsell nor more comfortable or present remedie which you shall proue true if God graunte you his Spirite and grace to folowe it then in contynual and dayly inuocation of his Name to rest whollie and only vpon him make him your shilde buckeler and refuge who hath so promised to be to all them that are oppressed and depend vpon him to do nothing commanded agaynst God and your conscience preferring at all tymes as you haue learned before the will of God to the will punishments and tyranny of Princes sayng and answeringe to all maner of persones This hath God commanded this must we do That hath God forbiddē that will we not do yf you will robbe vs and spoyle vs for doinge the Lordes will to the Lorde must you make answere and not to vs for his goodes they are and not ours If ye will imprisone vs behold ye are oppressors If ye will hange vs or burne vs beholde ye are murtherers of them which feare the Lorde and are created to the Image of God for whose contempte ye shall be straytly punished And for our parte yf you take from vs this vile and corruptible lyffe we are assured the Lorde will geue it vs agayne with ioye and immortalitie both of bodie and soule Yf God geue you grace to make this or the like answere and strengh to contemne their tyrannie you may be certayne and sure to finde vnspeakable conforte and quietnes of conscience in the mydle of your danger and greatest rage of Satan And thus boldly confessinge Christ your Sauiour before men as by the example of thousandes of your bretheren before your faces God doth mercifully incourage you you may with all hope and patience wayte for the ioyfull confession of Christ agayne before his Father and Angells in heauen that you are his obediente and dearely beloued seruantes being also assured of this that if it be the will of God to haue you anie longer to remayne in this miserable worlde that then his prouidence is so carefull ouer you ād present with you that no man or power can take your liffe from you nether touche your bodie anie further then your Lorde and God will permit them Whiche nether shall