vs besides the saying of the Painim that through concord amitie little things become great the great doo perish It is most certeine true that the assuraunce of a kingdome consisteth not onely in an armie or number of people no more then-the force of a king in his royal scepter But in the amitie and obedience that his subiectes doe owe vnto him And verie well the historiographer saith when he did write that sport or pleasure is not durable wherein one is established and set in by swoord According to that another doth teach that those doe abuse themselues greatlie which doe thincke better to assure the realme by force then by amitie Euen so Theopompus béeing asked how a king may easelie kéepe a kingdome aunswered if he doe suffer his friendes to speake fréelie of laweful things And that he doe right and iustice vnto those which are wicked and euill For he which is much feared cannot choose but that he haue many enimies For as it is conteined in a common prouerbe men doe hate willingly those whom they doe feare and they doe desire gladlie the death of him whom they hate We must conclude that the most rediest meanes for to kéepe a realme is to kéepe the people vnder his obedience by gentlenesse and amitie According as Salomon doth write That mercie and faithfulnesse preserue the king and with louing kindnesse his seate is holden vp Furthermore I will not occupie my minde to search the examples of prophane histories All men doe knowe very well howe the kingdomes of Dauyd and Salomon his sonne haue prospered in respect of those of Pharao Saul and Nabuchodonosor As the Lord doth witnesse vnto vs of Saul that he hath giuen him in his wrath and in his displeasure will take him awaye agayne But as that is not mercy to desire one so great gentlenes bicause that mercy ought to gouerne hir selfe with all righteousnesse equitie and iustice Forasmuch as with true iudgement the king setteth vp the lande and the Lorde doth establish the seate of him which doth iudge the poore in vertue To conclude that the scepter of the kingdome of GOD is a right scepter To bee shorte as he which sitteth in the iudgement seate ought not to bee much enflamed and moued against these which are wicked or to weepe with the people that are gréeued or afflicted But to iudge with all vprightnesse without béeing affectioned through too much clemencie or rigorousnesse Also a vertuous and stout prince ought not indiscretly to repute for his friendes all those which do offer themselues sodeinly to his friendship But to consider diligently vnder what condition they do bear him fauoure That is the cause wherefore Isocrates Amonge other precepts that he did write vnto a Prince did commende vnto him three thinges aboue all others First that he would not repute for faithfull all those which do praise or allowe al that that he sayth or doth But those which doe rebuke him when he hath fayled Secondly that he would seperate those which doe flatter him by some kinde of deceipt from amonge them which doe honoure him by amitie Least that the condition of the wicked should be better then that of the good people Finally that he doe permitte and suffer the prudent and sage people to speake vnto him fréely to the ende that he may haue people which may aunswere to the purpose and satisfie him And truely that great orator of the Latines hath very well sayd that wée must first iudge before that we loue For that there are some men which doe loue a great deale better the body then the soule and doe not seeke but to fulfill their desire For the true friende as sayth Plutarch doth not followe all things but the thinges good and honest That is the cause wherfore a vertuous prince ought to be prudent euen to discerne and iudge of men to the ende not to beléeue too lightly all those which doe cal euill good and good euill which make darkenesse light and light darkenesse that make sower swéete swéete sower which doe sow pillowes vnder al arme holes and bolsters vnder the heades both of younge and olde to catch soules withall For as Quintus Curtius sayth That flattery is a pernitious thing and an ordinarie euill of kings by which their riches are sooner wasted then by the enimie I will content my selfe at this time with the example of Ieroboam who refusing to comfort his people according as hee was taught of the elders was the cause of the diuision and ruine of his kingdome And I will not make mencion of king Achab who for that he beléeued more the voice of the false prophets then the holesome admonitions and warnings of Micheah doth let all christian Princes vnderstand what it is to beléeue the counsaile of the good As often times it chaunceth bicause we receiued not the loue of the truth that we might be saued God shall send vs strong delusion for to beleeue lyes euen as Iob doth wryte that the Lorde chaungeth the heart of the princes and kings of the earth and disapointeth them So that they goe wandering out of the way and grope in the darke without ltght staggering to and fro lyke dronken men And Dauyd doth declare that the same Lord doth make the princes hatefull and doth let them wander out of the way in the wildernesse The which ought to serue for the christian princes chiefly for to kéepe their subiectes in their obedience rather by gentlenesse and amitie then by seueritie and cruelnesse The example is manifest of Denys the tyraunt of whom Cicero speaking off sayth that he was shutte into a merueilous prison fearing very much his subiectes for the crueltie that he vsed towardes them I will not rehearse the common saying of the Emperour Anthonius Pius that is to say that he loued rather to keepe one of his Citizens then to kil a thousand of his enimies I doe leaue willingly the sentence of Silla surnamed the happie which aboue all his prowesses did aduaunce him selfe of two thinges I doe meane of the amitie of Pius Metellus and for that hee did not destroye the Citie of Athens but did spare it As also Salust speking of the aūcient wals of the Citie of Rome doth write that the Romaines were become great puissant bicause they pardoned their enimies I wil ende this matter by the sentence of Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians warning oftētimes his souldiers not to wrong and hurt those that they dyd take as people vniust But to kéepe them and acknowledge them as men If then the Painims and heathen men haue vsed such gentlenesse and humanitie towardes their enimies shall the christian princes vse crueltie towardes their subiectes If that one ought to kéepe faith among the straungers as we doe reade of Marius Regulus who loued
an habitation not made with handes but eternall in heauen And herefore sigh we desiring to be clothed with our mansion which is from heauen And although that that hope bée sufficient for to assure the true christians and faithfull of the goodnesse promised in that Citie Ierusalem celestiall yet truely they ought to beléeue also that the Lord Iesus Christ by such meanes and afflictions did prouide a certaine better thing for his in this world to the ende that they be not swallowed vp with too great sorrowe or heauinesse In the same respect and consideration the Lorde did retire and draw away Lot his faithfull seruant from the citie of Sodome to the ende hée should not perish with the vnfaithfull And in like maner the Lorde made Abraham to goe out of his owne countrey for to assure him more and more of his holy promises blessings in a straunge countrey Insomuch that although that the faithfull are troubled on euery side yet they are not without shift they béeing in pouertie are not vtterly destitute or without somewhat béeing persecuted but not forsaken being cast down perish not Iacob shall be witnesse who flying by the commaundement of his father did laye him downe to sléepe vpon the earth in the middest of an open féelde and he dreamed and did sée a ladder vppon the earth whose toppe did reach vp to heauen and the Angelles of GOD went vp and downe vppon it yea and the Lorde stoode vppon it and saide the lande which thou sléepest vppon will I giue thée and thy séede For more greater witnesse I will rehearse Ioseph who béeing fledde into Aegypt for the persecution of his brethren is so kept of the Lorde that he is exalted yea aboue all others to the gouerning and ruling of all the countrey of Aegypt and made as a father norisher of the house of his father vnto this I will adde the example of the people of Israell who béeing strayed and scattered abroade in the wildernesse were fed with the celestial Manna and conducted and lead in the night by a piller of fire and by day in a Cloude Furthermore I will ioyne vnto this that good prophet of GOD Elias who flying into the wildernesse of Bersabe from the persecution of kinge Achab and his wife Iesabel did receiue daily the meates that were necessarie for him by the Angell of the Lorde I will conclude with that disciple of the Lorde who béeing banished in the Isle of Pathmos and depriued from all the commodities and pleasures of the worlde Is comforted of the Lorde by so many heauenly visions and creaping yet on the earth is made as a bourgesse and Citizen of Heauen The same doth sufficiently declare that we béeing depriued from our goodes are not therefore destitute of all mannes ayde and succour for as of late the Lorde did stirre vp those good patriarckes Abraham and Lot for to ayde and succour the néede of the poore trauailers and wayfaring men and did ordeine places of refuge vnto those which were not culpable of the faultes laide vnto their charge Or as we doe reade that the Lord by a diuine prouidence did moue and stirre vp the spirite of Rahab the harlot for to hide the spies of Israel sent into Iericho A widowe of Sareptha for to assist and ayde Elyas béeing in extreme oppression of hunger One Abdias for to hide an hundreth Prophets â—ead theÌ„ An Ethiopian béeing an Eunuch for to moue and intreate the king for the deliueraunce of the Prophet Ieremy beeing in prison A Daniell for to adnull and call backe againe the arest giuen against that chaste Susanna being accused of adulterie A Martha for to receiue Iesus Christ To conclude an Onesiphorus for to assist and helpe Sanct Paule in his chaynes and bandes euen so the Lorde in what part so euer that it be doth reserue alwaies certeine places of sure refuge for his to the ende that they may not be altogether desolate and comfortlesse And although that the people doe rise vp and doe murmure in vaine and the kinges of the earth doe aduaunce themselues and stande vp and the Princes do consulte together against the Lorde and against his sonne Christe yet truely our God doth suscitate stirre vp alwayes some Dauyd for to offer himselfe against a Goliath Some Gedeon for to withstand the pretence of the Madianites Some Ezechiah for to represse the wickednesse and blasphemies of a Sennacherib Some Iosophat for to repulse the forces strengthes embushments of the Ammonits Mohabits Assirians Some Iudith for to confute the audacitie boldnesse of an Holophernes To conclude to drawe as from the midst of the flame of fier a certeine number of his for to repaire and amend the ruines and decayed places of his temple As in the time of the subuersion and destruction of Ierusalem hée did raise and stirre vp Daniel Ezechiel Aggeus Zacharie Esdras It shal suffice me besides that which is before to rehearse two or iii. examples The first is of Pharao who thincking altogether to put out of the lande the memorie and posteritie of the Hebrewes coulde not doe so much by his trauailes but that Moyses was saued from the middest of the waters for to magnifie and praise the name of the Lorde and to encrease the posteritie of the Hebrewes The second is of the Quéene Athalia who hauing ruled the kingdome by force and violence caused to be slayne al those which of the linage and séede roial did then offer could not watch so narowly but that Ioas was stolen froÌ„ among the midst of theÌ„ that were slaine and afterwarde established king for to repaire builde vp the Temple and to ordeine diuine seruice The last is of Herode who purposing to kill all the childreÌ„ which were in Bethelem and in all the couÌ„trey round about as many as were two yéere olde and vnder to the ende to abolish the name of the true Messias our sauiour could not hinder nor let that Iesus Christ should not accoÌ„plish fulfill the course preordeined of God his father for the health and saluation of his And therefore it is sayd in Daniel that the great Prince Michaell which standeth on thy peoples side shall arise vp for there shall come a time of trouble in that time the people of God shall escape yea all those which are found written in the booke of life The which is figured vnto vs in Iosua where Iosua béeing come to the citie of Iericho did lift vp his eyes and looked and beholde there stoode a man before him with his swerde drawen in his hande And Iosua went vnto him and sayd vnto him art thou on our side or on our aduersaries And he aunswered nay but I am the Captaine of the hoast of the Lord am nowe come for to succour helpe it Beholde howe the Lord
A Prayer LOrde God heauenly father and altogether mightie which hast drawen away and saued thy faithfull seruants Lot and Daniel from the flaming fire Moyses from the middest of the waters one Ioas from amonge them that were slaine and hast reserued in the persecution of Achab and of Iesabel so many thousand men which haue not bowed their knées vnto Baal yea hast lefte alwayes vnto thy people some prophets and true ministers of thy law in the captiuitie of Babilon Giue vnto vs thy grace in this ciuill warre and persecution of our owne countrey men yea our domesticall seruantes to acknowledge that thy hande is not so shortned that it cannot saue or helpe neither is thine eare so stopped that it cannot heare But that our iniquites haue made the diuision betwéene thée and vs and that our sinnes haue hid thy face frō vs To the end that we staying on thy mercy may not be altogether desolate Giue O Lord such feare vnto our enimies that they may haue cause to inuocate and call vpon thy name in such sort that we all with one spirite and will may confesse that thou art the ayde of the humble and little ones the helper of the weake and féeble the protectour of them that are forsaken the sauiour of the abiectes yea thou art the Lord of hoastes which doest reserue alwaies for vs a fewe aliue to the ende that we shoulde not be made like vnto Sodome and like vnto Gomorra and not to fal in dispaire with the vnbeléeuing And therefore wée praye thée in the fauoure or for the loue of him which hath cried with a loude voice that the Foxes haue holes and the byrdes of the ayre haue neastes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head he I say which deliuered himselfe vnto death for to assure vs of our dwelling in the heauenly kingdome our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ THAT THE CHRISTIAN Religion cannot be tied or bound to any limittes and bounds Cap. 3. 2. TIM 2. b. The worde of God is not bounde IF it be written that the king being sette vpon the seate of his kingdome shal write the Law and shall reade therin al the daies of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and for to kéepe all the woordes of his lawe and his ordinaunces for to doe them and the same LORD doth promise vnto his Church that kings shal be her noursing Fathers and Quéenes shal be her norishing mothers It is certeine that as righteousnesse and truth are the estabishing of the throne or feate of the Lord so doth he preserue and keepe the kinges and doth mainteine their scepter by godlinesse and trueth I doe saie further if the Egiptians haue in such recommendation and praise the practise of their religion aboue all things as saith Plato that they will not create and make a king except that he were promoted and consecrated a priest yea greatly occupied or exercised in the dooings of the priestes And the Persians will not alowe or admitte for their prince but him which hath the knowledge of the science and discipline of the magiciens which doth conteine the true vse of their religiō Insomuch as vnto the young Princes of the countrey were ordeined foure schole maisters of whō the first did teach them the magicke of Orcastrus the sonne of Oroniasus which did conteine the dooings of the religion Truely we ought not to doubt but that the estate duetie of a christian Prince is first of al to establish mainteine the dooing of the religion and to acknowledge that he is the minister of God for the health of al men to the ende that the goods which the Lord hath giuē vnto him he should kéepe part of thē distribute part of thē that he do manifest delare him self by works as Aristotle doth write vnto Alexander that the kingdome is giuen vnto him to the end to doo wel vnto man kinde To the end also that vnder his obedience the good may be defended from iniuries and oppressions of the wicked leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie loking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Forasmuch then as it is nothing to professe to knowe God and with the déedes to denie him to haue a similitude of godly liuing but haue denied the power thereof that is not also much to mainteine a religion for certeine and true and in the meane time do depriue themselues from the exercise of the same for as the woorks do declare our faith so the exercise of the religion doth assure vs that we be no more as children wauering and caried with euery winde of doctrine but that we following trueth with loue we may growe and increase altogether in him which is the head that is to say Iesus Christ To conclude that the Lorde would be knowen chiefly in the assembly of the true christians as Dauyd sayth I will praise thée in the great congregation and performe my vowes in the sight of all them that feare thée and in another place he sayth Sing vnto the Lorde a newe songe let the congregation of the Sainctes prayse him and in an other place he sayth giue thanckes O Israel vnto God the LORD in the congregations from the grounde of the heart And Iesus Chryst hath promised his that where there shall bée two or thrée gathered together in his name that he will be in the midst of them Furthermore if the Prophet Dauid hath written that the woorde of God is a lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes Iesus Christ would not that that lyght shoulde bée hid vnder a bushell but that it be set vpon a candlesticke that it may gyue light vnto all them that are in the house Therefore he woulde that our lyght should so shine before men that they may sée our good workes and glorifie our heauenly father which is in heauen Otherwise he that would limit and bind the dooing and exercise of the true christian religion in a certeine place as did of late certeine of the Iewes at the temple of Ierusalem and the other at the Mountaine of Garizen that should be to giue occasion of sclaunder not onely vnto the Christians estraungers and others but also vnto the auncient enymies of our Relygion to blame the name of the LORD For as the LORD hath no regarde vnto the appearaunce of men But in all people hée that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him So his worde ought not to be limitted in certeine places or persons inasmuch as by his word wée haue knowledge of him for vnto the end he hath sent vs by his welbeloued disciple saying search the scriptures for in them ye thincke ye haue
hée doth giue power and strength vnto his in the vertue and power of his woord to roote out breake off destroy and make wast to build vp and plant as he promised in Ieremy and afterward confirmed by the mouth of his sonne sending his Apostles through out the whole world Then let all those bée confounded and put to shame which doe thincke to abolish the true christian religion by force of armes or with a great companie of people or by threateninges For as an auncient author hath very wel written that it is no religion to constraine the religiō the which men ought to receiue with a willing heart our religion cannot be forced and constrayned by force of armes but by woordes As for vs bicause that the Gospell hath bene preached throughout the whole worlde amonge the horrible persecutions of the martyres and that the bloode of them hath bene the séede of the Church yea that the Church is come to her perfection and greatnesse by those persecutions and hath ben crowned by the punishments and witnesses of the true faythfull christians we do make it no doubt to mainteine and defende our religion by the same meanes by the which she hath bene established I doe meane by patience and gentlenesse in such sort that although that our enimies doe yet murmure yet we are assured that the gates of hell shall not ouercome vs forasmuch as the church is the house of God the pyller and ground of truth We doe beléeue also that the persecutions which we do suffer doe not serue for any other thing then to witnesse the tyrannie and crueltie of our enimies and to assure more and more the veritie of our doctrine in our constantnesse and patience Euen as the persecution of Lot did figure none other thing but the vtter subuersion of the Citie of Sodome The affliction of the Israelites did declare and teach none other thing but the wast and destruction of the people of Aegypt to be nigh at hand To conclude the blood of the prophets did demonstrate declare the vengeaunce of God vpon that citie of Ierusalem so goodly and excelent According to that which is saide in Iesus the sonne of Siraach that bicause of vnrighteous dealing wrong blasphemies and diuers deceites a realme shal be translated from one people to an other And sainct Paule doth shewe and declare that the thinges which haue happened vnto him are tourned to the great furthering of the Gospell So that his bands in Christ were famous through out all the iudgement hall and in al other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord were boldened through his bands and dare more franckly speake the word I do speake vnto those which doe thincke to abolysh the true christian religion by the bloode of the faithfull as some which are so madde and senselesse willing to quench the fire doe put into it oyle For the Lord is come to sende fire on the earth And what desireth he more but that it be kindled If he himselfe hath embraced it in the heartes of the faithful who shall quench it Finally who shall seperate them from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguish or persecution either hunger either nakednesse either perill either swoord God forbid for in the same they are more thē vanquished by him which hath loued them Wherefore those are to much deceiued which doe thinck by some meanes whatsoeuer it bée to put out and quench in vs that lyght knowledg of Christ and celestiall veritie and doe not consider that sure loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hell her coales are of fire and a very flame of the Lord so that many waters are not able to quench loue neither may the streames drowne it Héere some will saye vnto me that the dooing of the religion ought to mainteine it selfe not by force of armes but by patience and méekenesse who haue moued and stirred vp those of the reformed religion to put themselues with force armes against the tyrannie of their enimies I doe aunswere that as it was lawefull by the olde lawe for the people of God to take weapons against the Philistians Moabites Madianites and other nations contrarie vnto the people of the Iewes then for that they were forced and constrained of them in their religion personnes or goodes Also it hath not bene lesse lawfull vnto those of the reformed religion hauing expresse commaundement of the king to kéepe defend by weapons that which hath bene concluded and determined so holily by the priuie counsayle for the dooing of the religion and the ecclesiasticall pollicie Inasmuch as all was confirmable and agreeing to gods lawe and expresse commaundement of the king who dyd aduowe them to doe the same by many letters and writings Euen as Dauid did take the weapons against Goliath forcing and troubling the people of God. And Gedeon did rise vp against the Madianites for to deliuer his people Iudith against Holophernes willing altogether to destroy and exterminate the Iewes Furthermore if the warre bée lawefull as it appeareth that the LORD did alowe so many warres of the Israelites And our LORD Iesus Christ dyd not despise the estate of the souldiers and of the Centurian In the Gospell chiefly and principally in two thinges weapons may be lawefull As king Alphonsus doth very well declare that is to say for the lawe and for the flocke I doe meane for the religion and the tuition of his person and of hys subiectes and for that the consciences the bodyes and the goodes haue bene forced and compelled euery where and that there was no more redyer helpe for to remedy that disease then to take weapons Not without cause then wée following the expresse commaundement of the king the aduise of the best reformed Churches together wyth the counsell of the most learned straungers of the realme haue taken the weapons for to withstand such iniuries and violences pretending none other thinge but the honoure of GOD the aduauncement of his kingdome and the health of his with the preseruation of the scepter of our king Which if the Painim or Heathen man hath wrytten that men ought to take weapons to the ende that without wrong they maye liue in peace In such sorte that the intente of those whyche doe carie them is none other thing but to séeke peace Who shall bée so shamelesse or madde that dare say that it is euill done to haue vpholden and mainteined by weapons the assaultes and force of our enimies for to liue in rest both of our goodes and of our consciences Furthermore if those children of the Machabeans are praised to haue constantly suffred death for to mainteine the lawes of their countrey shal it be compted vnto vs dishonoure shame to haue bestowed our life and our goodes for to mainteine the lawefull christian lawes of the king Without the
which as the bodie without the soule a common wealth can not long endure and continue as béeing destitute of her partes and her sinewes yea without them the kingdomes are none other thing but the very harbour of théeues runnagates and robbâ—rs As it is written of Lycurgus that he could finde no greater meanes to make the Citie of Sparta to florish then to accustome the inhabitauntes thereof to obey lawes Finally it is welknowen that in quietnesse and hope our strength doth lye stayinge our strengthes haue patiently attended euen vntil the bloode of the true christians shed out euery where and in the best townes of the realme doth commaund vs to repulse and stand against such cruelties forces and tiraÌ„nies and we haue not taken that vpon vs for any ambition desire of glorie priuate profite or desire of vengeaunce But for the zeale of the Lordes house of the which those godly persons Moses Hely Iehu Mattathias and Iesus Christ our sauiour béeing godly moued could not suffer that of the Lordes house they should make a house of marchandise and a denne of théeues On the other side al men do know that our enimies haue taken those weapons of their own proper priuate authoritie willing to force and constraine against their owne consciences the diuine and humaine lawes to defile the name of the Lord and to oppresse the iust To conclude what other thing hath moued them to inuade striue against vs but a desire to hurt a gréedinesse and ardency of vengeaunce a courage and desire against vs and an vnreconciled hatred and enmitie an vnlawfull affection to speake against the edictes and statutes of the king a desire to reigne and beare rule things most damnable in matters of warre as sainct Augustine doth write Whereby our enimies doe sufficiently declare their slaunderous and wicked faith When they doe accuse vs to bée rebelles against the kinge our naturall and soueraigne Prynce and of that onely pointe they themselues doe vncouer and shewe sufficiently a rebellion which haue dispised the Edictes and statutes of the king they doe exercise still dayly their cruelties and tyrannies towardes the faithfull Which thing if the great men especially those which are in degrée dignitie of a maiestrate and gouernoure doe vaunce and bragge themselues to bée so obedient and faythfull seruauntes of the king howe doe they dissemble and cloke such cruelties without prouiding by the rigoure of iustice and seueritie of their lawes And wherefore doe they beare the word If it be not to take vengeaunce on them that doe euill If they do saye that they can not resist the force and strength of a people so furious and madde I would demaunde of them willingly who hath moued them to put weapon in the handes of a people so foolysh and rash except it bée to giue them libertie to doe all kinde of euill Or wherefore doe they nowe make any doubt to forsake the weapons especially in thys time so quiet and full of tranquilitie but for bicause that their consciences doth accuse them of so many murthers and robberies For it is an heauie thing when a man 's own conscience beareth recorde of hys wickednesse condemneth himselfe And why a vexed wounded conscience taketh ouer cruell thinges in hande Fearefulnesse is nothing els but a declaring that man séeketh helpe and defence to aunswere for himselfe If they doe replye that some of our owne countrey men haue had sithens the Edictes and statutes of the kinge the weapons readie in their handes I doe aunswere that that was not to abuse it to thinges vnlawfull or to let or hinder the office of a magistrate as our aduersaryes doe dayly shedding of their owne head and aucthoritie the innocent bloode and doe put them by force and violence to the punishment of the seditious and rebels But to the contrarie that by that meanes the ordinaunces and statutes of the king which should be kept and the good defended from iniuries oppressions of the wicked leding a quiet peaceable life in al godlines and honestie Finally to the end that wée should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and notable appearing of the glorie of the mightie God which is of our sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer Amen Psalme 33. c. The Lord bringeth the counsell of the heathen to naught and maketh the deuises of the people to be of none effect But the counsaile of the Lord shall endure for euer and the thoughtes of his heart from generation to generation Esaie 8. b. Go together ye people and gather you harken too ye all of farre countries Muster you and gather you Take your counsaile together Yet must your counsaile come to naught Goe in hand with all yet shall it not prosper except that God be with vs. A Prayer O Lord which art wonderfull in counsell and excellent in all thy woorkes tourne thee againe I pray thée looke down from heauen and beholde and visite thy â—â—ne and the place of the vineyarde that thy right hâ—â—de hath planted and the braunch that â—hou madest so strong for thy selfe Beholde the wéeping and crying of that poore Rachel and of those which are killed and put to death for thy name Shew foorth thy puissaunce and might amonge the middest of that mad and furious people breake their counsell by the force and strength of thy right hand as thou diddest break the enterprises of these which would builde the tower of Babel as I say thou hast abated the pride of Pharao pursuing and following after thy people To conclude of one Nabuchodonosor which dyd rise vp against thee that euery one should know that the worke which thou hast begun in vs in this meane exercise of reliligion is not a worke or counsell of men which may incontinent come to naught but a worke which thou hast prepared for thy glorie for to endure for euer Ouerthorow the apointments and deceipts of those which of a set purpose doe goe about and enforce themselues by all meanes to hinder the frée passage of thy word as thou hast broken the counsaile of Achitophel and brought to naught the bolde and vnshamelesse pride and ambition of Haman conspyring the death of Mardocheus and of the Iewes Cause that the enimies of the truth séeing thy wonderfull woorkes may acknowledge howe precious the death of the righteous are in thy sight yea may confesse with heart and mouth that the blood of them is the true séede increasinge of the kingdome of thy sonne And that they may worshippe him as the first borne amonge the dead and prince of the kinges of the earth our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom bée glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISMENT wherein is declared that the true Christians ought to auoid parcialities contentions and to keepe the vnitie of the spirit through the band of
rather to retourne vnto the punishment then to breake the faith that hée promised vnto his enimie As also the auncient histories doe witnesse vnto vs that the othe of Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians was holden so certeine and sure that his enimies haue so assured it as the same fayth and amitie that they doe beare the one to the other By what excuse can a christian prince excuse himselfe to breake the fayth that he hath promised vnto his subiectes what shall I say if the Machebeans are praysed to haue giuen their liues for to mainteine and kéepe the lawes of the countrey Shal the christians bée blamed and counted to bée rebelles to haue repulsed the force and strength of those which haue euen heere violated al diuine and humaine lawes To conclude if the ciuile lawe hath saide that it is the interest of a Prince to haue of his subiectes riches and goodes who can thinck that the Christian Prince will destroy the best part of his subiectes for to fill the ambition and vnmesurable couetuousnesse of some of his realme The histories of the Romaynes doe teach vs that Marcus Marcellus did bewayle bitterly the ruine and destruction that was to come vppon the Citie of Syracusia And as Sainct Augustine sayth before the same Citie hée did first shedde foorth his teares and weepings then his victories and prowesses And shal the christians take pleasure to see to be shed as water the innocent blood in the middest of the most famous cities of this realme shall they pill and spoile the goodes and substance of so many good people The Grecian saith Plato will not destroie Greece forasmuch as they are Grecians nor burne their houses nor will take from them their landes and possessions And the Christians wil beat downe race the beste Cities of Fraunce will take away the goods of the Frenchmen doe take pleasure to see the rich and famous Cities of the realme to come to decay and to be destroyed If the examples of the painims can not moue vs yet at the least wise let vs remember the humanitie and gentlenesse of the Hebrewes who did not suffer that one shoulde destroye by fire or swoord the landes or that one shoulde spoile those wich were fallen downe or slaine in battaile or that one should not do any wrong vnto those which wer taken prisoners chiefly vnto women For as Cicero saith of the nature of man the which we ought principally to follow crueltie is greatly an enimie there is no difference saith the same author whether that man be chaunged and turned into a brute beast or whether that vnder the figure of a man he hath a brutish cruelnesse Inasmuch thē as our Lord Iesus Christ doth teach vs that blessed are the méeke for they shall inherite the earth On the otherside the Lorde doth threaten the princes of Iacob and the dukes of the house of Israel that he will make Syon to be ploughed like a fielde and Hierusalem shal be an heape of stones and the hill of the Lordes house shal be turned into an hie woode for the tyrannie of the princes and abuse of the false priestes and prophets By good right we doe exhorte the christian Princes to all gentlenesse and humanitie towardes their subiectes To the end that they may be mainteined in their puissaunce authoritie and greatnesse And moreouer we do warne admonish them not to beléeue too lightlie euerie lying spirite fearing that they be not depriued of that blessed temple that heauenlie Hierusalem Furthermore we doe beséech them to acknowledge howe pernitious and noysible vnto a realme are so many flatterers false bretheren and hypocrites which doe honour them not for to teach them or aduaunce them to some thing but for to drawe them from profite according as Plato doth declare that the flatterer is a daungerous beast and hurtfull vnto mankinde and is like vnto a wicked spirite féeding and alluring the simple and foolish people vnder the colour of pleasaunt meate full of pleasure And in an other place the same authour doth write that the flatterer doth followe the good after the nature of the inchaunter and poysoner yea that hée is more pernitious then is the the thefe and homicide Bicause that he doth not steale away the money or the life onely but also as a sacrileger an halowed thing that is to say the iudgement of reason vnder the colour of good Wherefore O ye kings of the people and you O Christian princes which delite in royall seates and scepters loue that benignitie and gentlenesse that ye may reigne for euermore Remember that souereigne prince which hath not béene an outcrier nor an hie minded person nor which hath not broken the brused réede and the smoking flaxe he hath not quenched whiche hath not I say iudged according to the outward appearaunce of the eyes neither reproueth a matter at the first hearing but with righteousnesse hath he iudged the poore and with holinesse he reformeth the simple of the worlde our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen ECCLESIASTICVS 6. c. 16. A faithfull friend is a medicine of life and they that feare the Lorde shall finde him A prayer O Lorde whiche hast the kinges hearte in thine hande like as the riuers of waters and maist turne it whether so euer thou wilt Whiche hast power vppon all the kingdomes of men and settest ouer them whome thou listest vouchesafe so to bende the hearte of our king that hée reigning ouer vs in all veritie and righteousnesse may sometime witnesse with thy faithfull seruauntes Samuel and Nehemias that he hath not gréeued nor molested thy people And as thou hast established him vnto a Christian kingdome he may be also a follower of that king which is the souereigne ouer all whome thou hast ordeined ouer thy holy hill of Syon of whome I say his seate endureth for euer and the scepter of his kingdome is a right scepter to the end that by that meanes he may followe righteousnesse flie from all iniquitie to conclude that he be of an entier and perfect heart towards thée and humble and gentle towardes his subiectes after the example of the same Lorde who for to accomplish and fulfill thy will did humble himselfe euen vnto the death of the Crosse Our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be Glorie for euer Amen THAT IT IS THE HONOR and renowne of a Prince and his subiectes to cause the lawes and politicke ordinaunces of his countrie to be kept inuiolated Cap. 10. ROMAINES 13. a. ¶ The king is the minister of God for all mennes welth FOrasmuch then as the lawes doe teach vs two things that is to say to commaunde and to obey vnto the commandement and that the Lorde doth witnesse that to obey is better thē offering and to giue héede is better then the fatte of Rammes because that rebelliousnesse
caused Iezabel to be throwne downe out of a windowe and Iezabel was eaten vp with dogges according to the woord of Hely At the same time Athaliah the mother of Ochoziah séeing that hir son was dead rose vp and slew al the séede of the kingdome except Ioas the sonne of Ochoziah whom Iehosaba the daughter of king Iehoram did steale from amonge the middest of the kinges sonnes that were slaine and hid him from Athaliah that he was not slayne But within a little while after Athaliah is caried out of the Temple when she was come to the gate where the kings horses went out they killed her there Iehoram did rise against the kingdome of his father and when he was setled he slew all his other brethren with the swoord and diuers of the Lordes of Israell there too For which cause the Lord did smite him with an incurable disease in his bowelles And in processe of time euen aboute the ende of two yeares his guttes fell out by reason of his sickenesse and so he dyed of euill diseases Iehoas after the death Iehoida did forsake the Lord and caused Zachariah the Prophet to be killed in the court of the house of the Lord And when the yeare was out the hoast of the Syrians came against him and they came to Iuda and Hierusalem and destroyed all the Lordes of the people from among the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the king of Damasco And when they were departed from him though they left him in great diseases yet his owne seruauntes conspired against him for the bloude of the children of Iehoiada the priest and slewe him in his bedde and so he dyed Manasseh shed much innocent bloud so much that he filled Hierusalem from the one side vnto the other But afterwardes he was taken by the Assirians and ledde captiue to Bablilon I wil not here forget Herod who hauing vexed certeine of the congregation and killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword by and by after he was smitten of the Lord and béeing eaten of wormes gaue vp the Ghost Furthermore if we will know wherefore the childreÌ„ of Israel were led captiue to BabiloÌ„ in the time of Zedekiah Iehoachin The scripture doth aunswere that the Lord God sent to them by his messengers sending them betimes for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God despised their wordes and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord so rose against his people that it was past remedie And so he brought vpon them the kinge of Caldey and slewe their younge men with the swoorde in the holy Temple and neyther spared young man nor maide neither olde man neither so much as him that stowped for age but gaue all into his hande The Prophet Ieremy doth giue the same reason of the later destruction of Hierusalem which was in the time of Titus and Vespasian when hee sayth neither the kings of the earth nor all the inhabitors of the wolrd woulde haue beléeued that the enimie and aduersarie should haue come in at the gates of the Citie of Hierusalem Which neuerthelesse is come to passe for the sinnes of hir Prophets and for the wickednesse of hir priestes that haue shedde innocentes bloulde wythin hir To that same fault the sonne of Syrach did attribute the destruction not of a Citie and of a coÌ„mon wealth onely Teaching that the kingdome bicause of vnrighteous dealing wrong blasphemies and diuers deceipts shal be translated from one people to an other So our Lord Iesus Christ doth crie so often against the Scribes and Pharises for the bloode of the righteous saying Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the Prophtes and stonest them which are sent to thée How often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth hir chickens vnder hir wings but ye wold not Beholdy our habitatioÌ„ shal be left vnto you desolate These are the same matters which that first Deacon of the church did direct vnto them when he saith O ye people stifnecked of vncircumcised hearts eares Ye haue alwaies resisted the holy ghost As your fathers did so doe ye Which of the prophets haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue slaine them which shewed before of the comming of the iust whom ye haue nowe betrayed and murthered What shall I say more the time will not serue mée if I would speake of Nero Domitian Caligula and other Emperours of Rome Who hauing exercised in their life more cruelties theÌ„ Barbarous or Scithian Also in their death haue bene cruellie entreated of their owne subiectes For the like cause it was forbidden the children of Israel not to eate the bloude for the life of all flesh is in the bloud For that same cause I say Dauid was not suffred to build the Lordes house bicause saith the Scripture that he had shed much bloude and made great battailes although that he had no warres but against the enimies of God of his people These things doe sufficiently declare vnto the Kinges and Princes of the earth how odious before God all effusion of bloud and crueltie is According as Salomon doth teach vs that mercy and faythfulnesse preserue the king and with louing kindnesse his seate is holden vp And Iesus Christ doth witnesse that blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the earth What néede is it to serch the places of the auncient fathers inasmuch as the examples of our time doe giue vnto vs certeine witnesse of the vengeaunce of God against those Who according to their ambition and priuate affection had shed euery where the bloud of the iust which although the Lorde doe suffer many at this time to reigne yet let vs praise his goodnesse and let vs acknowledge that his mercy and long taryinge shall bringe them to repentance Let vs also feare on the other side that through their stubburnnesse and heart that cannot repent they heape vnto themselues the wrath of GOD agaynst the daye of vengeance when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God. Euen as Iesus Christ did menace somtime the Sâ—â—â—bes and â—harises saying Fulfill ye the measure of yâ—â— fathers that vpon you maye come all the righteous bloud that was shedde vppon the earth from the bloode of righteous Abel vnto the bloude of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slew betwéene the temple and the Alter To no purpose some do couer and cloke themselues with the zeale of Phinees which did take a speare in his hand and did thrust through Zambry and Cosby bicause they committed fornication together Alledging the frée will of Hely which killed all the priestes of Baal Furthermore they doe propounde vnto vs the ardent affection of Iehu which caused the lxx sonnes of Achab to be slayne Also they doe shew foorth the zeale feruentnesse of Mathathiah which killed
of Israel cried vnto the Lord. And the Lord stirred vp a sauer and saued them one Othoniel the sonne of Kenes Calebs younger brother and the lande had rest fortie years And Othoniel being dead the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord the Lord deliuered them into the hands of Egloh king of Moab whom they serued by the space of xviij years And then they cried vnto the Lorde And the LORD stirred them vp a sauer Ahud the sonne of Gera. Incontinently after the children of Israel began again to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord wheÌ„ Ahud was dead And the Lord sold them into the hands of Iabin king of Canaan whose captaine of warre was Sisara At which time Debora a prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel who exhorted Barack the sonne of Abinoam to deliuer the people but the Lorde at the prayer of Debora trounsed Sisara and all his charyottes and all his heaste with the edge of the sword before Barack insomuch that Sisara lighted downe of his chariot and fled a foote And of all the hoast of Sisara there was not a man left And sodeinly the children of Israel did begin againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lorde And the Lord deliuered them into the hands of the Madianites by the space of seauen years The Lord had pitie on them and ordeinâ—d Gedeon for a deliuerer of the people 〈◊〉 that tyme there the Madianites were discomfited of a meruailous fashion The same people began againe to committe wickednesse in the sight of the lord And the Lord deliuered them into the hands of the Philstians fortie years but the Lorde hauing compassion of them ordeyned Samson for their deliuerer Saul in the beginning of his kingdome did prosper greatly against his enemies forasmuch as he obeyed the Lord the voice of Samuel But Saul hauing transgressed the commaundement of the Lord who commaunded him to slay all the Amalekites both man and woman infant and suckling and Oxe shéepe Camell and Asse Bicause that he reserued the spoyle is forsaken of the Lorde and his kingdome geuen vnto an other in which place is declared that rebelliousnesse is as the sinne of witchcrafte and stubbernnesse is wickednesse and idolatrie yea to obey is better then offering Dauid bicause that he made alliaunce with the Lorde did profite in going and increasing and the Lord of hoastes was with him insomuch that he wonne many victories that is to say against the Philistians Idumeans Sirians Assone as he had defiled Bethsabe and caused hir husband to bée slaine contemned and despised the word of the lord The Lord said vnto him behold I will stirre vp euill against thée euen of thine owne house and will take thy wiues before thine eyes and giue them vnto thy neighboure which shall sléepe with them in the sight of the sonne And although that the Lord had put away his sinne after his repentaunce notwithstanding bicause in doing this déede he hath giuen the enemies of the Lord a cause to rayle it was sayd vnto him that the childe that was borne of Bethsabe shall dye surely After that time king Dauid being touched wyth greate pride did number his people and the Lord being angry with him did offer him by the prophet Gad to choose of thrée plagues one that is to say famine warre or pestilence And Dauyd choosinge rather to fall into the handes of the Lorde then into the handes of men The Lorde sente a pestilence in Israel And there dyed of the people betwéene Dan and Bersabe lxx thousand men Salomon as long as he serued the Lord prospered wonderfully In the time of his olde age his hearte was tourned after straunge gods the LORD stirred vp aduersaries that is to say Hadad Razon and also Ieroboam Roboam as soone as his kingdome was stablished and made strong forsoke the law of the LORD and all Israel with him wherefore the fith yeare of king Roboam Sesac the king of Aegypt came vp againste Hierusalem bicause he had transgressed against the Lorde And they toke the strong cytyes that were in Iuda and came to Hierusalem Then came Semeiah the prophet to Roboam and to the Lordes of Iuda that were gathered to Hierusalem for feare of Sesac and sayd vnto them Thus saith the LORDE ye haue left mée therefore will I leaue you also in the hands of Sesac Wherevpon the Lords of Israel and the king humbled themselues said the Lord is righteous And when the Lord saw that they submitted themselues the word of the Lorde came to Semiah saying Forasmuch as they humble themselus I wil not destroy them but I wil deliuer them somewhat Ieroboam and the children of Israel were discomfited by Abiah and the children of Iuda fortified bicause they leaned vnto the Lord GOD of their fathers And Ieroboam recouered no streÌ„gth again in the dayes of Abiah And at the last the Lorde plaged him that he dyed Asa the sonne of Abiah reigned in his stéede in whose days the land was in quiet tenne yeares And Asa did that was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his god And Zarah a blacke Morian made warre against him And Asa cryed vnto the Lorde and the LORDE smote the blacke Mores before Asa and Iuda that they fledde Then Azariah the sonne of Obed which had the spiryte of GOD in him went out againste Asa and sayde to him heare me Asa and all Iuda and Beniamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seeke him he will be founde of you but and if ye shall forsake him he will forsake you Then Asa and his made a couenant to seeke the Lorde God of their fathers with all their heartes and all their soules so that all that sought not the Lord God of Israel should die for it whether he were small or great man or woman And they sware vnto the Lorde with a loude voice and shooting and with trumpets and hornes And the Lord gaue them rest round about them on euery side Iehosaphat his sonne reigned in his steede and was mightier then Israel And the LORDE was with Iehosaphat bicause hee walked in the olde waies of his father Dauid and sought not Baals But sought the Lord God of his father and walked in his commaundements and not after the dooing of Israel Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdome in his hand all Iuda brought him presents so that he became excéeding riche and glorious and prospered and grew vp on hie The Moabites and the children of Ammon came against Iehosaphat in battell and Iehosaphat bowed himselfe with his face to the Citie and all Iuda and the inhabiters â—f Hierusalem fell before the Lord to bowe â—hemselues vnto the Lorde And as Iehosaphat rose early in the morning to get him â—ut vnto the wildernesse of Thekna he said vnto them heare me Iuda and ye inhabiters of
fearing the paine of sinne the vengeauÌ„ce of our heauenly father For the Lord doth giue vnto euery one accoring to his works that is to say vnto those which with patience to do well seâ—ke praise honoure and mortalitie eternall life But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the trueth and followe iniquitie shal be rendred indignation wrath tribulation and anguish vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill Forasmuch as the seruaunt that knewe his masters wil and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes Others obey the commaundementes of the Lorde bicause of the gaine profit And in that they resemble the hired seruaunts which serue their master but for the hire or reward Of those Dauid speaketh off when he said the iudgements of the Lord are true righteous altogether more to be desired are they then golde yea then much fine golde swéeter also then the honie and the honie combe Moreouer by them is thy seruaunt taught and in kéeping of them there is great rewarde For the eie hath not séene and the eare hath not heard neither haue entred into any mans minde the things that God hath prepared for them the loue him Finally some loue the Lord obey him through beneuolence and christian amitie béeing stirred forwarde of a vertuous loue the which moueth them to loue him who hath giuen vnto them the lawe which hath the wordes of eternall life let vs acknowledge him in whoÌ„ we liue moue and haue our béeing and doe loue him as the true children doe loue their fathers For as saith the same Lorde by his Prophet the sonne doth honour his father a seruaunt his master if I be then a father where is mine honour if I be the Lorde where am I feared where we conclude that in these two things chiefly one may know those which do loue God that is to say when they beare a singuler affection to the holy worde of the Lord and that they do kéepe the commaundementes conteined in that worde As to the first Dauyd saith my delight shall be in thy statutes and I will not forget thy wordes O what loue haue I to thy lawe all the day long is my studie in it O how swéete are thy wordes vnto my throt yea swéeter then honie vnto my mouth He that is of GOD sayth Iesus Christ heareth Gods wordes As touching the second saith the same Lorde if any man doth loue me he doth kéepe my word That is the cause wherefore it is written in the lawe Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God And these words which I commaund thée this day shal be in thine heart and thou shalt recite them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand And they shal be papers of remeÌ„braunce betwéen thine eies and shalt write them vppon the postes of thine house vpon thy Gates Euen so the LORD commaunded Iosua that he kéepe and doe according to all the lawe which Moses his seruaunt commaunded him that he do not turne there â—rom neither to the right hande nor to the lefte that he may haue vnderstanding in all he taketh in hande let not the booke of this lawe depart out of his mouth but that he studie therein day and night that he may be circumspect to doe according to all that is written therein Yea the law would expresly that when the king is set vppon the seate of his kingdome he shall write him out this second lawe in a booke taking a copie of the priestes the Leuites And it shal be with him and he shall reade therein all dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God for to kéepe all the words of this lawe and these ordinaunces for to doe them â–ª In that same Dauid delighted when he sung I haue as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all manner of riches I will exercise my selfe in thy commaundementes and haue respect vnto thy foote pathes my delight shal be in thy statutes I will not forget thy wordes I will speake of thy testimonies euen before kings and will not be ashamed my delight shal be in thy commaundementes whiche I loue And they must not here excuse themselues vpon the difficultnes hardnesse of the commaundements For as saith Saint Iohn his coÌ„maundements are not gréeuous That is the cause wherefore Sainct Paul saide as Moses Say not in thine heart who shall ascende into heauen either who shall descende into the déepe that is nothing els but to fetch vp Christ from death But what saith the scripture The word is nie thée euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This worde is the worde of faith which we preach For if thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord shalt beléeue with thine heart that GOD raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe Here some men wil say vnto me and howe can the commaundements of the Lord be easie forsomuch as the Lord commaundeth to enter in at the straite gate shewing to his people that wide is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destruction Where we wil briefly conclude that if they haue regarde onely to the calamities of those which suffer for the name of Iesus Christ truely the way is rude gréeuous For the lawe is certeine which saith that we must enter into the kingdome of heauen thorowe many oppressions griefes Euen as the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe saide to some of his disciples the Christ ought to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie But if they haue regarde to the frée wil of those which suffer persecution all things are easie and gentle vnto them and in all those thinges they are more then conquerours through him that loued them Euen so the Apostles departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Iesus Christ And verie well hath Saincte Augustine declared that all thinges are easie and gentle to charitie to the which onely the charge of the Lord is light easie Some other will say here that if to loue God be to kéepe his commauÌ„demeÌ„ts The philosophers hauing not the law writteÌ„ doing neuertheles naturally the things which are of the law haue loued god for they haue obserued the law natural which wil that whatsoeuer ye would the men should do vnto you euen so do ye vnto theÌ„ for this is the law the prophets To this purpose we may recite the senteÌ„ce of Socrates when he said I do not knowe whether the Lorde will allowe our workes although it be that we haue taken paine to please him