the tēple a burning sweorde almost the space of a hole yeare In the time of cruel Nero ther was a Comete that continued sixe monethes After that folowed great sedicion and alteracion in thempire and the kingdome of the Iewes marke well was vtterly destroied Before the deathe of our countrey man Constantine the great who was the furst professour of the Gospell of Christ among all themperours and no doubt a special fauourour and promotour of it For he did not prohibite laie men to reade Goddes worde as som princes doo at this tyme but he caused examples of the Bible to be written at his owne charges and sent in to all countreyes ther was a great Comete and afterwarde folowed a wonderfull and cruel warre which who so deliteth in histories maie perceaue Before the dissension and deadly warres that was betwene the brethren of Lotarius themperour sonne of Lodouicus Piu◅ ▪ for the diuision of thinheritaunce whereby suche slaughter grewe in Fraunce that the Frenchemen were neuer after hable to recouer perfitly their force ther were many Cometes sene About the yeare of Christ M. I. ther was an horrible Comete sene and than folowed wonderfull famines and pestilence In the yeare MLXI. before thinuasion of Williā Conquer our in to England and the conquest of the same and in which Heralde king of England with twentie thousaunt true Englishemen in the defense of their countrey against the tiranne were slaine◅ther was sene a wonderfull Comete which euery man thought as in dede it folowed to be muche mischief and thalteracion of the state as herafter ye shall heare A litle before the great warres in Normandie wherof ye haue hearde before ther was sene in Normandie a great Comet and two full mones at one time shyning thone in the easte thother in the west In the yeare MCCXXI whilest the warres were in Asia betwene the christen men and the vnchristen wher vnto king Henry the thrid sent a power of Englishemen vnder therle of Chestre for the maintenaūce wherof the nobilitie furst graū ted the king the wardeship of their children as Polidore writeth before the Christen men lost the citie of Damiata and a great ouerthrowe of them was in Egipt many wonders were sene in diuerse places and also in Englande a very great Comete a wonderfull great earthequake all the wynter horrible thonders which in Englande seldome in Somer be hearde suche great raines and tempestes of windes that it ouerthrewe many houses and the sea drowned mani places which euery man saied betokened the hurt that folowed on christen men In the yeare MCCXLI a little before wales was brought to the subiection of the king of Englande ther appeared in England a terrible Comete by the space of xxx daies In the yeare M. D. XXXI ther was an horrible Comete And what folowed of it The Turke occupied a great parte of Vngarie the kig of Denmarke Christierne inuading his coūtrey with a great armie and so minding to recouer his kingdome was taken and his sonne And why should not ye of England t◅ike that these signes be only or at the least chiefly for you Compare your selues and your liues and doinges with the Iewes or the worst nacion if any can be worse ād see whether ye be not hable to matche them yea to ouermatche them and to droppe vie three for one In what nacion vnder the cope of heauen hathe God shewed greater tokens of his sauour and it so litle set by as in Englande What contempt of him his worde and ministers hathe bē ther What dissimulacion with God what hipocrisie What swearing and soreswearing What traiterye to their countreye What disobedience to the gouernours in good godly and necessary thinges What ready obedience to their rulers in wicked and euil thiges What vnnatural bitcherie vsed betwene the father and daughter brother and sister What abominable hooredome suffred vnpunished yea in many and the chiefest places the greatest hooremongers the impudentest ribauldes the peltingest bribers and the lewdest persones made Iustices of the peace and correctours of vice What railing and reuiling of the worthy pure preachers of Goddes gospell for only rebuking of vice What horrible murdres secret and open not only of priuate persones but also of the most honourable peeres and reuerende ministers of God What bochering and burning of true Englishe christianes yong and olde hole and lame seing and blynde man woman and childe without respecte of age sexe or astate What pillig and polling taking and snatching stealing and robbing not only among the meane sorte but among the greatest Wher is so great hatred and malice so litle loue and charitie as in Englande ▪ I should neuer make an ende if I should tell but that I haue my self sene and knowē muche lesse if I should declare all that other credible persones of their owne knowlage report to be most certain and true But to retourne to the mater Loke well England loke well whether this Comete past and eclipses to come touche the Art thou not all ready plaged with famin Yes and with suche a famin as thou neuer before heardest of It is true ye had darthes in the time of kinges Henry and Edwarde but those were dearthes without nede only they were occasioned by the gredinesse and malice of naughtie men without scarcitie or lacke of thinges ād for lacke of diligēt ouerseing and good gouernement and not by the directe plage of God But these two yeares since kīg Edwardes deathe from the restitucion of your cursed popishe masse ye haue had scarcitie by the directe plage of God The earthe not brought furthe suche plaintie as it customably did before Wher before time the countrey fedde London London contrary wise was and is forced of her former prouision to fede the countreie Wher Dantis◅e ād other the northe east partes were the barnes and garners of corne for they had the prouision of corne for many yeares before hande ād nourished all the lowe partes of Germanie Denmarke Friselande holande Zelande Brabaunt Flanders Hispaine and many other now by reason of their bringing so muche to releue Englande onles a staie be made in time they them selues will perishe of famin Whan were euer thinges so deare in Englande as in this time of the popish masse ād other Idolatrie restored Who euer hearde or redde before that a pounde of beefe was at iiij d. A shepe xx s. A poūde of Candelles at iiij d. A poūde of Buttur at iiij d. ob A poūde of Chese at iiij d. two egges a penie a quarter of wheat lxiiij s. A quartre of malt at l. s. or aboue the people driuen of hongre to grinde accornes for bread meale and to drinke water in stede of ale And what Shall this famin awaie before his walkīg mate and felowe pestilence come No surely without your earnest spedy repentaunce and Goddes exceding miraculous mercie it is not possible for hitherto the one went neuer before but the other cam either arme in arme
the kyng and haue the greatest offices Thus were our countreymen the Britaynes remoued from their king straungers placed in all offices and holdes and at leynght the lande was ouerrunne and possessed of Straungers And the mane of Britayne put awaye and the realme called Englande The Danes after vnderstanding how fertile and pleyntifull England was sought meanes by litle and litle to place themselues in Englande and after a king of DeÌ„marke in his owne persone inuaded EnglaÌ„d in the Northe aÌ„d made woÌ„derfull cruell warres they spared none they burned and wasted Yorkeshire Northumberlande and all places so that the enhabitauntes were forced to sue for peace at the Danes han des Then built they the towne of Dancastre that is the Castle of the Danes and whiles they had peace sent for moo Danes and whan they thought their for ce and power bigge ynough they passed not vpon promyses and leagues that they had made but renued the warres killed burned aÌ„d spoiled in euery place til thei came to Excestre the people and realme was most miserably tormented and made tributarie to them Diuerse of the nobilitie of England vpon light yea no occasiones but only bicause they were thought not to fauour the Danes were taken their nose trilles most villanously slytted their handes cut of â–ª Ah good God who can remembre these thinges without weping Who that feareth thy wrathe lorde will not amâ—…de his life aÌ„d call to thee for mercie What naugh tie nobilitie were that that wolde oppresse the commo nes and afterward be vsed and oppressed them selues by straungers as their predecessours haue ben before tyme What deuillis he CoÌ„mones might that be called that wolde repyne or rebelle against the nobilitie and gentilmen and than to be ouerrunne them selues with priestes and forayners and to be pyned with suche miserie as ye heare that our auncettours were and all bicause the gentilmen and coÌ„mones agred not among them selues Who is a natural Englishe man that will not in tyme forsee and considre the miserie towarde his countreye and him selfe aÌ„d by all meanes seke to let it who is it that caÌ„ hope for quietnesse pea ce healthe pleyntie and such like giftes of God without Goddes fauour and mercie And how is it possible that God should vse mercie with them that beare inwarde hatred and grudge one to an other aÌ„d will vse no merci with others If ye forgeue other meÌ„ their offenses that thei coÌ„mitte agaiÌ„st you saieth Christ your heauenly father will forgeue thoffenses that ye haue coÌ„mitted against him But if ye doo not forgeue other meÌ„ their faultes neither will your father forgeue you your faultes No whilest ye saye the lordes praier aÌ„d be full of raÌ„cour malice hatred aÌ„d eÌ„uie towarde your neighbour ye coÌ„demne your selues and desire Goddes plages and vengeaunce to fall on your selues for ye meane veÌ„geauÌ„ce to your neighbours aÌ„d wishe all euill to fall on them And so it dothe fall on you as ye see by experieÌ„ce of the playes aÌ„d miseries that are aÌ„d shall come to you But from inwarde sedicion and ciuile discorde that briedeth so muche mischief let vs come to outwarde warres and inuasiones made by strauÌ„gers But ye will saye ye haue no warres with any forain prince It is true but shall ye haue none yes yes the tyme is not yet come all is not hatched that is vnder the henne Your winges must be dubbed your fethers must be pulled your coÌ„bes must be cut you must be cleane piked your substaunce shalbe gotten by littel and littell out of your handes by taxes and subsidies by beneuolences and loanes and so froÌ„ a litell to more and froÌ„ more to more and at leynght all the marchauntes goodes to be confiscate in Flaunders by an inquisitioÌ„ and others in England by an opeÌ„ excoÌ„municatioÌ„ And whan ye be ones cleane stripped of your stoare and thus weakened out of courage aÌ„d your harte in your hose as they saie than shall your king returne to his welbeloued wife England with great poÌ„pe aÌ„d power and shall coÌ„pell you in despight of your hartes to reÌ„ dre and deliuer her holly in to his handes Than shall the easter linges vpon hope to recouer their olde and greater priuileges aide him with meÌ„ money and ship pes as allready they haue offred and promised as diuerse credible lettres haue declared ThaÌ„ shall they in uade Englande and shalbe by shiploades if no worse happeÌ„ vnto you caried in to newe Spaine aÌ„d ther not lyue at libertie but bicause ye are a stubburne and vn faithfull generacioÌ„ ye shalbe tyed in chaynes forced to rowe in the galie to digge in the mynes aÌ„d to pike vp the golde in the hotte sande And so with soro we to your soppes your three maÌ„nes song shall be Alas and Weale awaye Than shall ye knowe the pride aÌ„d lorde lynesse of the Spanyardes though for a while til they maie get the ouer hande they crepe and crouche fede men with swete wordes Baso las manos and women with confettes swete wynes pleasaunt pfumes gaye apparail and suche like vayne to yes but whâ—…n they be ones alofte ther is no nacioÌ„ vnder the cope of Christ like theÌ„ in pride crueltie vnmercifulnesse nor so farre froÌ„ all humanitie as the Spanyardes be which thig the realme of Naples the Dukedome of Milane the citie of Siena many partes of Duchelande and the lande of Iulike Cleuelande and Geldre lande can to theyr coste right well testifie And maie it not be thought that the FreÌ„che kìg whaÌ„ he seeth oportunitie wil set in a fote makìg clayme to Englande in the right of the Quene of Scottes as heire to hing HeÌ„ry theight by his eldest syster And maie it not be suspected that the pope to doo the Frenche king a pleasure shall saye the Diuorce betwene king Henry and the dowager was by the canon lawes laufull and shall excommunicate the realme onles they reuoke thacte of parliament wherby the Dyuorce of late was iudged vnlaufull RemeÌ„bre remembre good countrey men and true English hartes the miserie that folowed in our poore countrey vpon the conquest made by thambicious William Duke of NormaÌ„die vpon how small a title he entred aÌ„d how tyraÌ„nously he vsed him self His only colour was a bequest or promise made to him by king Edward brother to Cauntus and Heraldus kinges of England whaÌ„ he was a banished man in Normandie if he should dye without issue as he did At his first en trie he had a great batail with the newe choseÌ„ king of EnglaÌ„d aÌ„d slewe hì aÌ„d tweÌ„tie thousauÌ„t of our couÌ„treye meÌ„ which put suche a feare in all men the Nobilitie the cleargie the LoÌ„doners aÌ„d others the coÌ„mons that it mâ—…de theÌ„sue for peace aÌ„d to geue pledges for their â—…delitie whom he sent in to Normandie At the first he made theÌ„ many fayre promises of peace quietnesse aÌ„d iustice wherwith the folishe foÌ„de people were sone begyleâ—… They thought they had
should not obeie them Now if wher the people haue geuen their autoritie to their gouernour to make suche lawes yet can he not breake or dispēse with the positiue lawes how muche lesse maie suche gouernours kinges and princes to whō the people haue not geuen their autoritie but they with the people ād the people with thē ma ke the lawes breake them or dispēse with them If this were tolerable thā were it in vaine to make solēne as semblies of the hole state long Parliamentes c yea I beseche the what certayntie should therbe in any thyng wher all should depende on ones will and affection But it wilbe saied that albeit kinges and princes can not make lawes but with the consent of the people yet maie they dispense with any positiue lawe by reason that of long tyme they haue vsed so to doo and prescribe so to doo for long custome maketh a lawe To this it maye be answered euil customes be they neuer so olde are not to be suffred but vtterly to be abolished and non maie prescribe to doo euil be he king or subiecte If the lawes appoint thee the time of thrittye or fourtie yeares to claime a sure and a perfit interesse of that thow enioiest yet if thow knowe that either thy self or those by Whom thow claimest came wrongfully by it thow art not in dede a perfit owner of it but art bounden to restore it Although the lawes of man doo excuse and defende thee frō outwarde trouble and punishemēt yet cā they not quiet the cōsciēce but whā thy cōscience remēbreth that thow enioiest that is not thyne it will byte the that thow haste done wrong it will accuse the before the iudgement seat of God and condemnethe And if princes and gouernours wolde shew thēselues half so wise as they wolde men shoulde take them to be and by thexample of others learne What mischief might happen to them selues they wolde not if they might clayme muche lesse execute any suche absolute authoritie No neither wold their Counsailours if they loued them maintene them in it nor yet the subiectes if they did but considre their owne sauetie and felicitie in this life wolde not if they might suffre their Prince to doo what him lusted For thone purchace to them selues a perpetuall vncer◅aintie bothe of life and goodes and thother procureth the hatred of all which albeit it be coloured and dissembled for a season yet dothe it at leynght burst out and worketh the reuenge with extremitie Ther lacke no examples to verifie this It was dryven in to the head of temperour C. Caligula that he was subiecte to no power that he was aboue all lawes and that he might laufully doo what him lu sted This lesson was so swete to the fleshe that it was no soner moued than desired no soner taught than learned no soner hearde than practiced First by like that thempire should not goo out of his owne race he coupleth not with one but with all his susters like bitche and dogge He killeth his brother Tiberius and all his chiefest frendes he murdereth many of the Senatours of Rome He delited to haue honest men to be garshed scotched and cut in the faces and so to make him pleasure to haue them cast to rauenous beastes to be torne and deuoured in his sight or to be sawed asondre in the middes It was a pleasunt pastyme for him to see the parentes stande by lamenting and weping whiles their children were tormented and killed He vsed to complayne and lament that no common calamitie and notable miseries happened in his time He reioyced muche whan newes were brought him of the slaughters of hole armies of men great hongre pestilence townes burnyng and openynges of the earthe wherin many people were swalowed vp But the daye he sawe any of these him self he neded neither meat nor drinke he was so iocunde and merye And being glutted with the pastime of euery mannes deathe by him self to procure a newe appetite he deuised an other if he could haue brought it to passe But whan he could not haue it done the memorie therof was so swete that he ofte desired that is that all the he addes of the people of Rome stode on one mannes necke that he might with ones was he cut it of Many other noble actes by his absolute power he wrought and at leynght he commaunded that his ymage should be set vp in the temple at Ierusalem and ther worshipped as not vnlike Saīt Gardiners for he hathe done no smal thīges shalbe shortly by Anti cipaciō in Englād But what was thende of Caligulaes absolute power whā he had reigned three yeares and ten monethes his owne householde seruaūtes conspired against hym and the general of his own◅ Armie slewe him Nero thēperour was of nature very modest gen til and mercifull and the first fiue yeares of this reigne he behaued him self very vertuously After other counsaillours and maisters than Seneca crept into his fauour who tolde him that he might doo what him lusted He was sone persuaded therunto And to shewe som profe that he had well caried awaye their aduise he killed his mother Agrippina This cruel acte did so moue his wicked conscience that he durst not come abroade in the Senate but kept him self secrete in his priuie chābre For he feared the hatred of the people and knewe not what was best for hī to doo He lacked no flattering Counsailours Ther were pleintie that sought their owne profit and gayne and the satisfieng of their lustes more than their princes honour and sauetie and the cōmon wealthe of their coūtreie Saie they Sir whi should ye be thus amased with the deathe of this womā She was of all people abhorred ād hated the people wōderfully reioyce in your doīg and cōmēde you aboue the moone for so noble an acte They desire that ye will returne in to the citie that they maie with triumphe expresse how muche their ioie and gladnesse is and how they loue you for so noble a feate These craftie knaues seing how they might blinde their maisters eies cōmaunded in themperours behalf that all the people should come out of Rome to mete themperour The Senate in their best apparail cometh out alle other ordres likewise after their degrees folowe and finally man Woman and childe Themperour whan he sawe them thought all was done from the botome of their heart The Senate shewed suche outwarde honour the commones so great loue eueri body pretended so great ioye and gladnesse And thinke ye ther were not about him that said Dothe not your Maiestie well finde all our saienges true maye ye not credite vs in that we coun sail and aduise you What folowed Themperour embrewed with the blood of his mother and his vnnatural acte commended by his wicked Counsailours ceasseth not from his crueltie but earnestly goeth forwarde He putteth awaie his wife Octauia bicause she semed to be baren He marieth his harlot called Puppie He sendeth his wife
christianes and bring them to the one and twentie Commissionares or to the bishoppes colehouse or whan he willed and commaunded them to destroye such as wold not denie Christ and folowe his procedinges worshipping idoles did they bring them to the fire ād stande about that they should not speake and to see that none should come nere thē to conforte and streinghten them in their faithe or whan they spake did they cleaue their headdes in pieces with their halbeardes or stoppe their mouthes with their billes No they confessed that in that themperour of heauen thalmi ghtie God and not thēperour of the earthe a wicked mā and a rebelle against God was their emperour ād Captaī ād therin they wolde not obeie Iuliā nor doo that he commaunded in that behalfe And this answer bothe S. Ambrose and S. Augustine yea ād the papistes although they thē selues doo not so propounde and set furthe for a christē doctrine ād a catholike exāple how christē ād good subiectes shoulde behaue thē selues towarde wicked prīces ād their wi cked cōmaundemētes that is in no wise to obeie thē but to leaue thē undone And as mē ought not to obeie their superiours that shall cōmaunde thē to doo any thīg agaīst Goddes worde or the lawes of nature so maie they not doo that they shall cōmaūde thē cōtrary to ciuile iustice or to the hurt of the hole state Nei ther will good prīces attēpt or goo about any suche thing for it is the next waie to bring thē out of their seates and to make thē of kinges no kinges How can that head liue ād cōtinewe wher the body is cōsumed ād dissolued And how cā that body be lustie wher the sinowes the lawes are broken and iustice the marie that should nourishe it vtterly wasted and decaied Antiochus the thrid king of Siria wrote thus to all the cities of his dominion that if he did cō maunde any thing that should be contrary to the lawes they should not passe theron but that rather they should thinke it was stollen or forged without his knowlage considering that the prince or gouernour is nothing elles but the minister of the lawes And this same saieng of this most noble king semed to be so iuste and reasonable that it is taken for a com mon principle how subiectes should knowe whan they should doo that they be commaunded and whan they ought not Likewise a bishop of Rome called Alexander the third wrote to an Archebishop to doo a thing which semed to the Archebishop to be vnreasonable and contrary to the lawes the pope perceauing that tharbishop was offended with his writing and wolde not doo that he required desired him not to be off◅nded but that if ther were cause why he thought he should not do that he required he wolde aduertise him and he therwith wolde be satisfied This is a popes saiēg which who is so hardy dardie to denie to be of lesse autoritie than a lawe yea not felowe but aboue Goddes worde Wher vpon this is a general rule that the pope is not to be obeied but in laufull and honest thinges And so by good Argument from the more to the lesse that princes being but foote stooles and stirrop holders to popes commaunding their subiectes that is not godly not iuste not laufull or hurtefull to their countrey ought not to be obeied but with standen For the subiectes ought not against nature to further their owne destructiō but to seke their owne saluacion not to maintene euil but to suppresse euil for not only the doers but also the consentours to euil shalbe punished saie bothe Goddes and mannes lawes And men ought to haue more respecte to their countrey than to their prince to the common wealthe than to any one persone For the countrey and common wealthe is a degree aboue the king Next vnto God men ought to loue their countrey and the hole common wealthe before any membre of it as kinges and princes be they neuer so great are but membres and common wealthes mai stande well ynough and floris he albeit ther be no kinges but contrary wise without a common wealthe ther can be no king Common wealthes and realmes may liue whan the head is cut of and may put on a newe head that is make them a newe gouernour whan they see their olde head seke to muche his owne will and not the wealthe of the hole body for the which he was only ordained And by that iustice and lawe that lately hathe ben excuted in Englande if it maie be called iustice and lawe it should appeare that the ministers of ciuile power doo somtimes commaunde that that the subiectes ought not to doo Whan the innocent Lady Iane contrary to her will yea by force with teares dropping downe her chekes suffred her self to be called Quene of England◅ yet ye see bicause she consented to that which was not by ciuile iustice laufull she ād her husbande for company suffred the paines of Traitours bothe headles buried in one pitte Whan the blessed mā of God Thomas Cranmer Archebishop of Cantorbury did what he might to resiste to subscribe to King Edwardes will wherby his two sisters the ladies Mary and Elizabeth should haue ben wrongfully disherited yet bicause he afterwarde to contēt the kinges minde and commaundement yea in dede to saue the innocent king from the uiolēce of most wicked traiterous tirannes did subscribe vnto it against his will was it not laied vnto him by the wicked Iudge Morgā whom God not long after plaged with taking awaie his wittes that was a foole before that he ought not to doo any thing unlaufull bi commaundemēt of any power And so he an innocent piked out among a great nombre of very euil doers to satisfie the lawe was condemned as a traitour before he suffred as a martir Were not the ymages ād Roodeloftes in Englande destroied by autoritie of ciuile power And dothe not Boner the Archbocher of londō for all that force them that obeied the authoritie bicause he saieth it was not lauful to make thē vp agaī at their owne charges But Boner thou that allow est nothing to be well done by what so euer autoritie it be done except it be laufull nor nothing to be laufull that is not agreing to thy Canon lawes I haue to saie to thee ▪ Stāde stil a while whilest I rubbe the. Tell me plainly and face not out a lie as thou arte wont speake not one thing and thinke an other as thy nature is ones in thy life tell the truthe and shame thy maister the deuil If thou were the sonne of the earthe by thy fathers side and of an erraunt hoore by the mother and so a bastarde hy what autoritie saiest thou thy masse whan thy lawes suffre no bastardes to be priestes without dispensacion how comest thou to be a bishop whan thy lawes saie thou maiest be no priest How be thy iudgementes laufull whan thou by thy Canones maiest be no
punished as a traitour for that by necessitie and extremitie of force he reÌ„dred vp Boloigne to king HeÌ„ry theight and did not die in the defense of it But thou wilt saie he did it without commaundement of his mâ—…ister and these shall doo it by coÌ„maundement of their maistres But what if the commaundement be not laufull doest thou not saie thy self it is not to be obeied Thou saiest to others that non maie do that is not laufull for any commaundement But thou wilt saie it is the Quenes owne and she maye laufully doo with her owne what she lusteth What if it be denyed to be her owne But thou wilt saie she hathe the crowne by enheritaunce and maie dispose of the realme and euery parte of the Realme as pleaseth her But I answer that albeit she haue it bi enheritaunce yet she hathe it with an othe lawe and condicion to kepe and mayn tene it not to departe with it or diminishe it If she ha ue no more right to the Realme than her father hade and her father as muche as euer ani king of Englande what neded he to require the consent of the Nobilitie and commons by parliament to geue the Crowne to his daughter or any other But thou will saie it was more than neded for without consent of the parliameÌ„t he might doo with the Realme aÌ„d eueripte therof what it pleased him Take hede what thou sayest If that be true that king Henry might do with it without coÌ„sent of the parliament how is the Ladi mari Quene Why might not King Edwarde his some a prince borne in laufull matrimonie and right heire to the Crowne bequeathe the Crowne wher he wolde and as he did Take hede what thou doest If the king and Quene geue thee a thousauÌ„t perdones yet shalt thou be foun de a ranke Traitour to the Realme of Englande For albeit the king or Quene of a reaâ—…me haue the Crowne neuer 〈◊〉 iustly yet maye they not dispose of the Crowne or realme as it pleaseth them They haue the Crowne to minister iustice but the Realme being a bodi of free men and not of bondemen he nor she can not geue or sell them as slaues and bondemen No they can not geue or sell awaye the holdes and fortes as Calese and Barwike or suche like without the consent of the Commones for it was purchaced with their blood aÌ„d moneie Yea aÌ„d thine owne popes lawes wherby thou measurest all thiÌ„ges to be laufull or not laufull saie that if a kiÌ„g or gouernour of any realme goo about to diminishe the regalities aÌ„d rightes of his crowne he ought to be deposed Thus did Pope Honorius the thrid coÌ„maunde tharchebishop of Collossa aÌ„d his suffraganes to depriue a kiÌ„g of Vngarie which weÌ„t about to waste sell aÌ„d geue awaye the Regalities aÌ„d rightes of his crowne oâ—…les in tyme he ceassed aÌ„d called backe that he hade done It is so plaine thou canst not denie it But I see Boner I haue chafed thee to muche thi chekes blushe aÌ„d swell for very aÌ„gre M. D. Cheadsei M. D. PeÌ„dletoÌ„ M. Cosins or soÌ„ of you Chaplaines get my lorde a cup of secke to coÌ„ fort his spirites My lorde aÌ„d I agree almost like belles we iarre soÌ„what but not muche his lordship meaneth that meÌ„ ought to be alwaies but not at all tymes honest But I saie thei must be honest alwaies aÌ„d at al tymes His lordeship wolde fayne haue a placarde or prouiso for hiÌ„ aÌ„d his that they might soÌ„times that is froÌ„ the begiÌ„niÌ„g to theÌ„de of the weke plaie their partes But Isaie albeit his lordship haue suche a priuilege yet maie no honest maÌ„ at any tyme doo that is not honest iuste aÌ„d laufull bi kaisers kiÌ„ges Quenes no neither his coÌ„maundement For if those thinges which only in mennes opiniones seme to be vnlaufull maye by no autoritie be done and those that doo theÌ„ be no lesse to be punisshed than if they had done them without autoritie how muche lesse maye suche thinges by any commaundement be committed that are in dede vnlaufull but shalbe punished according to the desertes by what so euer power or autoritie they be executed Men therfore ought to take hede that by going about to come out of the smoke they fall not in to the fire and by pleasing of men they runne not in to the displeasure of God If mennes ordinaunces and lawes or the gouernours autoritie and commaundement were a sufficient discharge for men to doo what so euer were prescribed or coÌ„maunded vnto theÌ„ tell me I beseche thee why did Esaias the Prop het suffre rather to be sawed in pieces than to folowe the procedinges of Manasses why did Daniel not folowe king Darius and his counsailles commaundement forbearing to worship the true God but was content to be cast to the lyones why did not the three children Sadrach Mesach and Abednego obeye Nabuchadnesar in worshipping the golden idole aÌ„d so auoide the hotte burniÌ„g fornace why did Eleazarus submitte him self to deathe and not dissemble why did he not eate his owne meat aÌ„d absteyne froÌ„ porke fleshe that the king coÌ„maunded the Iewes to eat coÌ„trary to the lawes aÌ„d saye that he hade eateÌ„ it as his olde trustye freÌ„des of the court couÌ„sailed hiÌ„ whi did he not sue for a bul or perdoÌ„ of Antiochus that he might vse his owne religioÌ„ as our En glishe haltiÌ„g gospellers doo of the pope coÌ„fessing his autoriti which is the thiÌ„g that he oÌ„ly passeth vpoÌ„ aÌ„d â—…areth not how many soules be ledde to the deuil why did not the seuen brethreÌ„ and their mother obeie the kinges commaundement and saue their lyues and goodes as thauncient Catharistes and newe puri stes doo saieng all thinges be pure to the pure and no Idolatrie nor filthynesse can infecte him that is pure and cleane Or why did they not saie as the Priscianistes and Papistes did in tyme past and as the marchauntes Hill and Petresonne with their double tongued traine aÌ„d dissembling secte at this present saie that it is laufull and no sinne to saye one thing and meane another to lye with the lyppes so they haue the truthe in the heart to denye God in wordes and workes so they ceÌ„fesse him in thought aÌ„d mynde to daunce with the deuil all daye and lodge with Christ at night why did Paule suffre so many imprisonmeÌ„tes so muche beating scourgeing and tormenting And why at leinght did he not saue his life and folowe Kaiser Neroes commaundement why did not the Prophetes thapostles and so many thousauntes of martirs folowe the wicked tirannes commaundemeÌ„tes and procedinges but resisted them and with their blood testiâ—…ied that they allowed theÌ„ not But all these holy meÌ„nes doiÌ„ges in confessiÌ„g aÌ„d obeieÌ„g the highest power God aÌ„d not thinferiour powers in wicked aÌ„d euil thiÌ„ges are coÌ„meÌ„ded aÌ„d lefte bi the holy gooste to vs in holischrift to folowe aÌ„d doo the like If meÌ„nes lawes aÌ„d coÌ„maundementes were a sufficient warauÌ„t to meÌ„
of the Israelites God shewed by an euident terrour to all gouernours that he did not allowe suche right as the prophet sayed the king wolde vse ouer his subiectes For whan king Achab wolde haue bought of his subiecte Naboth his vineyorde which he neded not to haue done if the subiectes goods be the kīges ād he refused to sel it as he might doo for by Goddes lawe he had a propretie therin from which without his will and consent he could not be forced to departe the king fretted so muche bicause he could not haue his will that he fell sicke in his bedde ād wolde not eate His wife Dame Iesabel a woman full of malice and mischief as that kynde is very ◅pte and prone to those vertues and within shorte space doo so therin excell as fewe men can in long tyme matche them taketh the matier in hande What sayeth she be you a mete man to be a king ouer Israel that will suffre suche dishonour at your slaues handes one that bi your auncient prerogatiue which hathe continued thes hundred and three score yeares yea from the first king of Israel ye maye vse in body and goodes as pleaseth you Phy for shame pull your courage to you arise eat your meat be mery I waraūt you the vineorde Out goeth a Cōmission in the kinges name to certain Cōmissionares where Naboth dwelt suche as the Quenes grace was sure fauoured her procedinges Those she requireth to cause Naboth to be endyted and con demned for an heretike and a traitour and so to cause him to be stoned to deathe Her will is furthewith satisfied matier ynough against Naboth prisoner at the Barre bicause she wold so haue it no man might be admitted nor durst speake the truthe in the prisoners cause least they had ben clapped fast and trussed vp also for speaking against the king and Quene no queste durst quite him for fear of kissing the flete no lawes no equitie no iustice might defende the poore innocent So the vineiorde is the kinges by the ordre of lawe Those newes be caried in post to Iesable she sheweth them to her husbande wherwith he as sone as he hearde them was recouered and goeth to take possession of the vineiorde But what foloweth this crueltie ād tirānie Are not bothe the kinges Maiestie and the Quenes highnesse within while after killed ād their blood licked vp of dogges according as the Prophet declared to hi in the vineyorde whā he toke possession of it and all his house so destroied that ther was not lefte therof so muche as a dogge to pisse against the wall Thus ye maie see thende of lustie lordes and ladies that will haue their lustes a lawe and their will to be folowed and obeied of their subiectes as a right in dede The true right and prerogatiue of a king was written in a particular boke by the Prophete Samuel and laied vp by the Arke which boke among many other was loste yet who so lusteth to knowe it maie see it set out by God ī the boke of Deu teronomie After that God had prescribed who shold be their king that is no aliene or straunger but one of their owne brethren for naturally straungers doo not fauour straungers And a straunge prince seketh by all meanes to destroy the natural inborne that he maie with quietnesse and suretie enioie and vse that he cometh euil by and so leaue it to his succession than is set furthe the right and prerogatiue of a king thus Whā your king is made he shall not kepe many horses nor putting his trust in his horsemen he shall not bring the people again into Egipte He shall not haue many wiues least they altre his minde frō God nother yet great treasure of siluer ād golde But whā he is set in his throne he shall cause a copie of these lawes and statutes to be written out of thoriginal remaining with the Leuites and the same he shall haue with hī all the daies of his life that he maie learne to feare the lorde his God ād to kepe not to breake all the wordes and ceremonies that be cōmaunded in the lawe and also to fulfill thē in his doinges And he shal not be prowde and hault ouer his brethren neither shall he swarue from the lawe towarde the right hande or lifte hande that he and his children maie long reigne ouer Israel But besides this lawe appoīted for all kinges he that wilbe accompted a christian king or gouernour must remembre that he is a christian man and that bi being made a king he is not exempt from the lawes and duetie of a christen mā which eueri one professeth in Baptisme but as he is called and exalted aboue the rest of his brethren so should he be an example to them of good lyuing and vertue in obseruīg the lawe which saieth aswell to kinges as to beggers Thou shalt not steale thou shalt not couet any thing that is thy neighbours and so it stablisheth and confirmeth that euery one maie iustly kepe that is his owne and none maie take it from him by ani meane against his will be it king or kaiser And by the doinges of Samuel who albeit he were not a king in name yet hade he being the lieutenaunt and viceroie to God the chief king as great autoritie as any king in the earthe it maie appeare that all thinges of the subiectes be not the kinges owne propre For if they had ben his owne what neded Samuel at the surrendre of his office to offre to make an accompt And to whom I praie you To any bribing Auditour No he offred to make it to God and to the king that succeded him Beholde saieth the I haue done all that ye desired me I haue made you a king to rule you My children yet shall be with you But I am olde and hore headed that is I cā not long cōti nue I haue bē amōg you frō a child to this daie Lo I ā ready to make mine accōpte before God and your kīg for all thīges that cā be laied to me by any of you whose bullocke haue i takē whose asse haue I hade to whom haue I done any uiolence or wrong whom haue I oppressed of whom haue I taken any bribes to maintene him in his wickednesse to winke at his faultes or to stoppe iustice let him come furthe and I will make satisfaction And none of them could saie blacke was his eie No saieth Samuel I take God and your king to witnesse agaīst you I am so nette that ye shall not finde one iote in my fingres but I am hable to laie ynough against you wicked people c. O Samuel Samuel what king or prince can saie to the as thou diddest to the Israelites They loke not to make an accompt no they haue counsail of craftie Alcibiades how they maie make non accompt But they can not escape it they shall mete with an other maner of auditour than any of Mousire