this case Christe saith Neâ—oice and be glad For so persecuted they the Prophets whiche were beefore you Origen sheweth howe all that be like minded vnto Pharao crie out that men are seduced and led out of theri way if Moses and Aaron that is if the spéeche of the Preachers call vpon them to be diligent in the Lawe of God and to followe hys worde And Chrysostome telleth vs this is no newe thing Ne admiremur quod spiritualibus instantes multa patiamur aduersa c. Let vs not maruell if we abide many aduersities because we follow after and desire those thinges whiche are spirituall For as the théefe diggeth not nor layeth his waite at the place where straw and chaffe and feathers are layd but there where is golde and siluer so is the Diuell moste out of quiet with those whiche take in hande spirituall businesse These things saith our Sauior haue I saide vnto you that ye should not bee offended They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer â—â—â—leth you wil think that he doth God 〈◊〉 And these things will they doe vnto you bicause they haue not knowne he Father nor me But what are the effectes and force what successe take the Popes blessings his cursses he stirred vp the K. of France to plague his subiectes to that purpose he blessed him and his folowers they their Countrie were brought to greate miserie He blessed Philip King of Spaine he hath bin wonderfully troubled by the Moeres at home and liueth in continuall turmoyle with his subiectes in other his dominions abroade He blessed the states of Venice they are still disquieted by the Turke On the other side he hath accurssed England thankes be to God it was neuer better in worldly peace in health of bodie in abundance of corne and victuals He hath accursed the Princes and states of Germanie they were neuer stronger He blesseth his own side but it decayeth and withereth He cursseth the Gospel but it preuaileth prospereth The more he cursseth the more it prospereth This is the Lordes doing it is maruellous in our eyes So doeth God turne the Popes cursse into a blessing vnto vs. And so we maye well saye with Seneca Caelestis ir a quos premit miseros facit humana nullos The anger of God maketh those meÌ„ miserable vpon whom it lighteth but so doth not the wrath of man Quin etâ—iaÌ„ ipsam pret enso regni praedicti iure necnon omni quocunque dominio dignitate priuilegioque priuatam We also make it knowen that wee haue depriued hir from that right she pretended to haue in the Kingdome aforesaid and also from al and euerie hir auctoritie dignitie and priuiledge This is the other part of the Popes sentence In this his vaine fantasie and by this childish mockerie hée thinketh to depose Queene Elizabeth from hir kingdome O vaine man as though the coastes and ends of the world were in his hands or as if no prince in y â— world might rule without his sufferaÌ„ce So haue the proude Prelates of that Sée these manye yeares troubled the states of al Christendome therby béen cause of much slaughter sheding innocent bloude And so at this present he seeketh to disquiet Elizabeth Elizabeth I say our soueraigne and moste gratious Lady a Uirgin ful of wisedome vertue grace and compassion she is vnto vs as a comfortable water in a drie place as a refuge for the teÌ„pest and as the shadowe of a greate rocke in a wearie land The greatest blessing whiche God gyueth to any people is a godly Prince to rule ouer them The greatest miserie that can fall vppon a people is to haue a godly Prince taken from them For by a godly Prince he doth so rule the people as if God himselfe were with them in visible appearaunce The Prince walketh in the wayes of the Lorde the Nobles folowe the steppes of the Prince the people fashion them selues to the example of the Nobles The face of a godly Prince shineth as the Sunne beams and bringeth ioy and comfort to his subiectes When the Lord was displeased with the people of Israell he tooke Samuell from them gaue them Saul to be theyr King Saul did wickedly without Iustice without Mercie He deuoured the people like a Lion he ouerthrew the tabernacle and slewe the Priests Then was there no Reuelation None that did Prophecie or care for the name of the Lord. But when God tooke mercie vpon the people he gaue vnto them Dauid a man after his owne heart He deliuered hym from daunger and tooke him out of the Lions mouth He crowned him and did set a crowne of pure golde vpon hys head Dauid loued the people he taught them the wayes of God he put downe Idolatrie and destroyed the Groues he set vp a Tabernacle to the God of Iacob Under him the people had great prosperitie in their houses and abroad in their Uines in their Corne and in their Cattell in time of Peace and in tyme of Warre When it pleased God to send a blessing vpou vs he gaue vs his seruant Elizabeth to be our Queene and to be the instrument of his glory in the sight of all the worlde Who is so blind which séeth not who is so vnthankful that remembreth not what things God hath wroughte by hir who séeth not the glorious beames of the trueth who séeth not the wonderfull peace in which wee haue liued who séeth not the wise and safe guiding of the people one of those alone were a great blessing but al togither are such a blessing as our Fathers before vs neuer enioied so happily As touching religion let vs thinke of that time of ignoraunce wherein wée were before How miserable a case was it to sée suche deadlye dumbenesse in the Church of God to sée the people ledde away in the darke they knew not whether to sée the word of life taken away to sée the people fedde with fables to sée an Idol sette vppe in the place of God to sée Iesus Christe our Sauiour putte to silence In this case were we This we did sée we did féele this Out of this deadly dungeon GOD deliuered vs by the hand of our Queene By hir hée restored the trueth by hir he sente vs the light of his holy worde by hir he hathe reléeued the heartes of the people God himselfe hathe bene the worker hereof Elizabeth hath bene his instrument and the meane by whome he hath done thys worke And marke the tyme when shée attempted this Euen at the firste entrie into hir kingdome at whiche time the King of Spaine the King of Fraunce the Quéene of Scottes and many of the Nobles and the Bishoppes of thys Realme were against it She had larned First to seeke the kingdome of God she hadde learned to séeke hys glorie and not hir dwne shée had learned to saye as Dauid saide I wil not suffer mine eyes
the Apostles He saith Christe hathe giuen charge ouer his Church to Peter alone But Ciprian saith Parem tribuit Apostolis omnibus auctoritatem hoc vtique erant caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis The Lord gaue vnto his Apostles like power the reste of the Apostles were euen the same that Peter was endewed with like felowship both of honour and of power And Hierome saith Ex aequo super omnes Apostolos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur The strength of the Church is foūded equally vpon al the Apostles He addeth further Petrique successori Romano pontifici And to the Bishoppe of Rome Peters Successour This is another vntruth and the cause of al this stir this is it wherefore Peter is set so farre before his fellowes The Pope maketh Peter a rocke the other Apostles small péeplestones to be builte vpon him Peter a Shéepheard y e other Apostles shéep Peter a Schoolemaister the other Apostles his schollers Peter a Giant the other Apostles little Babes And al thys he doth to enfeoff the Pope with that fulnesse of power whervnto he entitleth Peter To proofe whereof M. Harding sayth Nowe wee are not bounde to obey Peter and Paule but him that sitteth in their Chaire This is their Doctrine thus they teache so boldly dare they sette out their blasphemies against God The whole Churche saieth Pope Pius is committed to the Pope alone by the commaundement and worde of God What Apostle or Euangelist euer wrote so where didde Christe at anye time speake of the Pope or of Peters successour or of the Byshoppe of Rome What auntient Counsell what olde Doctor what Father Augustine Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Basil euer saide that the whole Church was committed to the Pope alone It is not fitte the Pope should draw his owne Charter If no Euangelist nor Apostle no auntient Doctor nor olde Councel wil come in and beare him witnes it is not likely he hath giuen true euidence Yet he saith moreouer In plenitudine potestatis tradidit Christe hath giuen this commission in fulnesse of power This is a fifth vntruth It is wonderfull to sée howe muche they make of this fulnesse of power Abbot Panormitane telleth vs Plenitudo potestatis omnem superat legem positiuam sufficit quod in Papa sit pro ratione voluntas The fulnesse of power passeth all positiue lawe and it is sufficient in the Pope that will stande in steade of reason Durande doth tell vs al Bishoppes are deriued from the Pope as members from the head and all they receiue of hys fulnesse there was a Councell holden at Laterane in Rome vnder Leo the tenth where one Stephanus Patracensis gaue foorth these words In the Pope is al maner of power aboue all powers as well in Heauen as in earth They tell vs that whatsoeuer he doe no man maye presume to saye Domine cur it a facis Sir why doe you so To make an ende of their tales and vaine ambitious claime an other of hys flatterers beareth the world in hand Potest Papa quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest The Pope in a manner may do al things that God may do Nay not so onely saith an other Papa facit quicquid libet etiam illicita est plusquam Deus The Pope dothe whatsoeuer he listeth yea althoughe it be vnlawful and is more than God They saye Hee maketh right wrong and wrong to bee righte at his pleasure Hee maye commaunde Aungels Archaungels Cherubin and Seraphin This is the fulnesse of power whereof they dreame Who would thus presume but that mā of Sin and childe of Perdition let them shew where euer Peter had like fulnesse of power If he neuer hadde it with what face can they require it Ciprian tolde vs Christe gaue like auctoritie to al the Apostles The auctoritie of Peter was suche as the auctoritie of Iohn and of Iames and no otherwise Al the Apostles were the light of the world al were Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secretes of God they al had the same auctoritie and fulnesse which Peter had Extra quam Ecclesiam Roman nulla est salus Without whiche the Churche of Rome there is no saluation That is who liue not vnder the obedience of the Churche of Rome can not be saued No man can be saued without hir Buls and Pardons The Churche of Rome is the Arke of Noah whosoeuer is without it is drowned Subesse Romano Pontifici saith Pope Boniface omni humanae creaturae declaramus dicimus definimus pronuntiamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis Wee declare saye determine and pronounce that it is of the necesitie of saluation for euerie mortall creature to be subiecte to the Bishoppe of Rome If the case were so harde as it is made by hys wordes then it woulde goe amisse with al those Nations and Kingdomes and people whyche beléeue in Christe in Aethiopia India Arabia Africa Asia Graecia Moscouia of whiche some are greater than all Christendome They are not subiecte to the Pope they yéelde no obedience to the Church of Rome Are they al drowned because they bée not within that Arke are they al damned because they know not their good maner to the Bishop of Rome the kingdomes of England Scotlande Denmarke and Sweden the Dukes of Saxonie Brunswicke Wittenberge the Palsegraue of Rheine the Lantgraue of Hessia the Earles and Noble men throughe the whole Countrey of Germanie the infinite number of their people and subiectes many hundred thousandes in Spaine Italie Fraunce Hungarie and in the kingdome of Pole are wythout that Churche and liue not vnder the obedience thereof are they all therefore damned God forbidde the mercie of the Lorde is aboue al hys workes in euerie place who so euer calleth on the name of the Lorde shal bée saued who soeuer trusteth in the Lorde shal not be confounded You may wel recken this for the sixth vntrueth all whyche sixe are made in the compasse of sixe lines Nos nullum laborem intermittimus Wee take paynes we spare no trauell we forsake no labour Alas good man I hadde thought he would haue sayde I was often in perilles of waters in perilles among the Gentiles in perilles in the Sea in wearinesse and painfulnesse in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in colde in nakednesse I hadde thought he woulde haue saide from lerusalem and rounde aboute to Illyricum I haue caused to abounde the Gospell of Christe I haue preached in season and out of season I haue done the work of an Euangelist I haue fought a good fight haue finished my course I made my selfe seruaunte to all menne that I mighte winne the more I am made al things to all menne that I mighte saue some and this doe I for the Gospelles sake He kéepeth him selfe safe ynoughe from these paines and trauelles Yet
and in Germanie Will these men be more holye than so manye Bishoppes and Sainctes and Martirs and Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles whyche by theyr example haue approued and commended vnto vs thys diuine ordinaunce Let euery man consider the strength of his owne dessell for whiche he shall render account before God in that Consistorie where we shall be iudged not by the lawes of Rome but by the lawes of God our owne conscience accusing or excusing vs. Paule sayth If they can not abstaine let them marry it is better to marry than to burne The name of Uirginitie is commendable but euery thing is not as it sheweth I protest before the liuing GOD which is the Iudge of the quicke and the dead that no filthinesse vnder the Sunne is comparable to forced Uirginitie I condemne not but rather highly commende single life No doubt there are many true Uirgins holy in body and holy in spirite but yet al are not Uirgins which liue vnmarried as Hierome séemeth to note Eliguntur mariti in sacerdotium non nego c. Such as are married are chosen into the Priestehode I deny not For Virgins are not to bee so muche accompted of as Priestes And againe But why say you in giuing of priestly orders is one whiche is a Virgin oftentimes refused and another whiche is married admitted It may bee because his doings are not agreeable to his Virginitie or bicause he is thoght to be a Virgin yet is not or bicause his virginity is infamous So much saith Hierome for reasō why married mē were preferred to orders of the Church before others whiche carried the shewe of Virginitie Now to conclude this we say our lawes after the counsell of the Apostle finding so many examples in al ages of the godly which were married and the notable inconueniences which grewe by forced chastitie haue giuen libertie that those who haue not the gifte of Chastitie to auoide Fornication may marry But no law made among vs hath forbiddē Virginitie or Single life This is the thyrtéenth vntruth And so haue you in these fewe words the number whiche I spake of euen fiue vntruths in litle more than fiue words First that we haue no Sacrifice This is not true For we haue the Sacrifice of the death and bloud of Christ a Sacrifice which lasteth for euer Againe that we haue no Prayers This is vntrue For we call vppon the name of the Lorde We glorifie God euen the Father of our Lore Iesus Christe God grant all the Churches in Christendome may do the like Againe that we haue no Fasting This is vntrue Our doctrine requireth fasting our lawes command it we commend it Againe They make no difference of Meates This is vntrue For we haue not putte downe one Fish day and we haue appointed 50. more than our forefathers kept Againe Single life is abolished This is vntrue for a Minister may liue single if he wil there is no law to the cōtrary God graunt our liues may be single and simple and pleasing him else we are like painted graues faire and holy without but within ful of stincking carren Nowe let vs procéede You haue heard 13. vntruths and maye we thinke that he which hath vttered so much falshode will stay there Eadem occupato regno supremi Ecclesiae capitis locum in omni Anglia eiusque praecipuam authoritatem atque iurisdictionem monstrosè sibi vsurpans regnum ipsum rursum in miserū exitiū reuocauit She the Quenes Maiestie inuaded the kingdome and by vsurping monstrously the place of the supreame heade of the Churche in all Englande and the chiefe aucthoritie and iurisdiction of the same hathe againe broughte the saide Realme into miserable destruction You must kéepe reconing for here to the 13. vntruths he giueth thrée others more wicked and slaunderous than the rest Hathe Queene Elizabeth inuaded the Realme O vaine man Is it beséeming for Christs Uicar to speake so vntruely What sendeth he such tales vnto vs who know the trueth and can reproue him Did hir Maiestie inuade this realme Came she by force and violence to hir Crowne No childe so simple but he may controll him herein Was not Quene Marie hir Sister Was not King Edwarde hir Brother Was not King Henrie hir naturall Father and King Henrie the 7. hir Grandfather Is shée not the right inheritour of both the houses queorke and Lancaster Hath shée not both the Roses that is bothe the Titles to the kingdome enclosed in one Did not the whole body of the Counsell take their Oath to hir xxxv yeres agoe Was not the Crown due to hir by inheritance and by succession and by the laws of this Realme Did not hir Father warrante it to hir by Wil as to his daughter Did not Queene Marie by expresse wordes leaue it to hir as to hir Sister Did not the whole Noblitie of the Realme confirme it Did not Queene Maries Byshops knéele downe before hir and acknowledge hir to be their naturall and lawfull Queene Did not you Did not all the Commons of this Realme willingly of your selues make Bonfiers ring your Belles and clap your handes for ioy Did not the children and little Babes crie out in your stréetes God saue Queeene Elizabeth Howe then dareth the Pope a wilfull Frier a wilfull and vnlearned Frier how dareth he say that Queene Elizabeth is no lawfull Queene but didde inuade this Realme with force and violence O good and gratious Ladie what Host had she what Capitaine what Souldiours what weapon was worne what Sworde drawne what Speare bente what Banner displayed what Trumpet sounded Shée entred to hir right peaceably hath raigned in greate peace saue that Pope Pius hath practised hir trouble by certaine rebels and traitors But God doth mercifully peserue hir to the confusion of hir enimies to the comforte of hir subiectes and the adnauncement of his glorie Yong men and Maydens Olde men and children may sée and saye Pope Pius is a forger a reporter of vntruth hathe no regarde what he saith or doth that he is paste al shame and hath no seare of God Againe Supremi capitis locum vsurpans Taking vpō hir the place of the supreme head This is vntrue Here laye a chase If the Pope goe forwarde he wil winne the game Where is shée euer called the supreme head Peruse the actes of Parliament the Recordes the Rolles and the Writs of Chauncerie or Exchequer which passe in hir Graces name where is she euer called the supreame heade of the Church No no brethren she refuseth it she woulde not haue it nor bée so called Why then doth Christes Uicar blaze and spreade abroade so grosse vntruth why shoulde he say Queene Eliz. maketh hir selfe the head of the Church Nay yet more Monstrose praecipuam eius auctoritatem atque iurisdictionē vsurpans Taking vpon hir monstrously the chiefe authoritie and iurisdiction of the same Here I might well say O monstrum hominis
of his diuelish practises to worke rebellion treasons among vs we may well thinke hee dealeth the like with other places when he draweth them to serue his turne Hunc vnum super omnes gentes principem constituit qui euellat destruat c. He hath appointed him onely Peter and his Successour the Byshop of Rome Prince ouer all nations to plucke vp and to destroy to roote out and throw downe to build plant No doubt this cōmissiō is large There can be no greater authority giuen in matters of the world But this authority hath no man God kéepeth it to himselfe By me Kings raigne and Princes decree iustice They beare my name they drawe my sword they are my Ministers to take vengeance on him that doth euill their hearts are in my hands I turne them whether soeuer it pleaseth me I take the praiers supplications and intercession for Kinges and for all that are in authoritie that men may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honestie Daniel telleth King Nabuchodonosor that the most high beareth rule ouer the kingdomes of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will Wherefore doth hée not giue this glorie vnto God Wherefore saith he I will goe vp and be like vnto the highest I wil exalt my selfe and shew my selfe that I am God I haue saith he a déede of gifte The wordes set downe by the Prophet Hieremie are my warrant to place and depose whom I will And he doth not onely say thus but as if it were too small and base a title to set the name of God or of our Sauiour Christ before the wordes of his priuiledge he kéepeth his feete from y e ground and raiseth alofte and ietteth in the ayre aboue as though he were one of the spirituall wickednesses which are in the hie places and saith Regnans in excelsis cui data est omnis in caelo in terra potestas c. Hee that ruleth in the heights to whom al power is giuen both in heauen in earth c. Let him not deceiue you with vaine wordes You shall witnesse against him that hée taketh the name of the Lorde his God in vaine For if any worde in that péece of Scripture be spoken either of Prince or remouing of Princes if y e whole sense of those words cary any greater authoritie to the Pope than to the Bishop of any other place or to the simplest Minister in the world let me be no more credited Marke therefore sée howe boldly and fondly Pope Pius séeketh to mocke the worlde First he sayth Deus constituit me vnum Principem super gentes God hath appoynted me alone to be Prince ouer the nations Here is a shamelesse falsifying of Gods words The Prophet saith I haue set thee ouer the nations The Pope thrusteth in thrée words more Me alone and Prince that so he and none but he may reuel and rule in all places Reade the place of the Prophet if you haue your bookes The wordes are I set thee ouer the nations They say nothing neither of the Pope nor of Peters Successour nor of one alone nor of Prince All these the Pope hath péeced of his owne deuise But Salomon warneth him Put nothing to his words least he reproue thee and thou be founde a lyar Also S. Iohn telleth him If any man shall adde vnto these thinges GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this Booke Whose wordes or what euidence will hée not corrupt which dareth in such presumption to handle the worde of GOD deceitfullye and without shame sende it foorth so into the worlde As for Hieremie the Prophete vnto whom God spake the wordes which the Pope sendeth vs will Pius say that hée was a Prince and had auctoritie ouer nations and kingdomes will hee saye that Hieremie depriued Princes and thrust them from their royall seates Hieremie did no such thing But al contrarie he suffered persecution not onely of the Princes but of the wicked people Pashur smote him and put him in the stockes Hee was in derision dayly euery one mocked him Hée hearde the rayling of many and feare came on him on euery side All his familiars laye in waite for him y e so they might preuaile against him and execute their vengeance vpon him Hee moneth his case before God saying howe is it that I came forth of the wombe to see labour and sorowe that my dayes should be consumed with shame And in the sixe and twentith Chapter all the people were gathered against Hieremie in the house of y ◠Lord then the Priestes and the Prophets and all the people tooke him and saide thou shalt die the death Was al this done vnto him by rebellion as against their Prince was it because he had vsed him selfe proudely or cruelly in matters of temporal gouernement was it not rather because he stoode in the Courte of the Lords house where the Lorde had sent him to Prophecie and saide to all the people the wordes of the Lorde of Hostes. Was it not because hee prophecied in the name of the Lorde Woulde Pope Pius be thus set ouer nations add kingdomes would he bée smitten and put into the stockes rayled at woulde he haue his dayes consumed in shame woulde he be let downe with cords into the dungeon where was no water but mire and so sticke fast in the mire woulde he haue his friendes mone his case to the King and tell what euill hath bene done to him in that they haue cast him into the dungeon say he dyeth for hunger in the place where hée is would he I say thus be set ouer nations and kingdomes or wil he say that Hieremie suffering these reproches of the Rulers and the Priests and the people did enioy an earthly peace and possesse a worldly kingdome or will hee say that God mocked his Prophet whē he saide vnto him This day I set thee ouer nations The words therefore must néeds haue an other meaning and what that meaning is who is better able to declare than Hieremie him selfe The Lord stretched out his hād touched my mouth and the Lorde saide vnto me beholde I haue put my words in thy mouth I haue ordained thee to be a Prophet vnto the nations Thou shalt go to all that I shall sende thee and what soeuer I command thee thou shalt speake Be not afraide of their faces For I this daye haue made thee a defensed Citie and an iron piller and walles of brasse against the whole lande against the Kinges of Iuda and against the Princes thereof against the Priestes thereof and against the people of the lande For they shall fight against thee but shall not preuaile against thee For I am with thee sayeth the Lorde Such auctoritie had he ouer the nations to be their Prophet to speake what the Lorde commaunded to reproue them without feare In like auctoritie
to slepe nor mine eye liddes to slumber vntill I finde out a place for the Lorde an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob she had learned to saye If God bee on oure side who can bee againste vs So was hir gratious hearte consumed with the zeale of Gods house O who can conceiue the ioy and comfort of the people it was so great as no manne can declare They helde vp their hands to God they hadde not words to giue him they could not speake for ioye They reioiced as a Birde doth at the daye spring as Ionas reioiced when he came out of y â— Whales bellie as Daniel reioiced when he was brought safe out of the Lions denne as the children of Israel reioiced when they came out of Aegipt as the three children reioiced wheÌ„ they came forth of the burning fornace so did we reioice and said This is the daye which the Lorde hathe made lette vs reioice and bee gladde in it I néede not speake of the continuall peace which God hathe giuen vs all the time of hir gouernement He that knoweth not the price of peace and howe to esteeme it let him behold the kingdomes which border next vppon vs howe pitifully they be afflicted Let hym beholde Spaine Fraunce Denmarke Flaunders and Scotlande and consider what they haue suffred these few yeares past what houses haue bene ouerthrown what Cities haue béene burnt what bloud hath bene shed how many women haue lost their husbands how many mothers haue lost their children and how many children haue béene made fatherlesse But God euen our God gaue vs Queene Elizabeth and with hir gaue vs Peace and so long a Peace as Englande hath seldome séene before What should I speak of hir wisedom in gouernement Let vs looke vppon the state as it was before what hunger was in this lande many of our brethren dyed for lacke of foode What cruel executions were then in London there were few stréetes where was not set vp a galous or a gibbet In Oxford 52. were executed at one Sessions What diseases fell vpon vs the grauest and wisest and richest men were takeÌ„ away Calais was loste A stranger and forraine people had the rule ouer vs. Al thinges wente againste vs because God was not wyth vs. But God restored by his seruaunt our Queene those ioies againe which wée lacked He hath giuen vs ciuill peace among our selues and peace with forrain nations He hath giueÌ„ vs health of body and store of victuals discharge of debts and auoyding of strangers he hath gyuen vs mercie in iustice abandoning all crueltie We are nowe with God and al things go well with vs. They talke much of an vnbloudy Sacrifice It is not theirs to offer it Queene Elizabeth shall offer it vp vnto God euen hir vnbloudie handes and vnbloudie sworde an vnbloudie people and an vnbloudie gouernement This is an vnbloudie Sacrifice Thys Sacrifice is acceptable vnto God I say not that it is not lawfull for hir to putte to death God saith Thine eye shall not pitie the wicked nor shewe mercie but thou shalt kill him that all Israell maye heare and feare and do no more anye suche wickednesse as this among you Shée muste doe it if she woulde not yet hir laws would sée offendors punished But I speake it to shew the gratious goodnes of hir mercifull nature Oh how gratiously didde hir Maiestie commend vs hir subiects to the carefull and wise gouernement of hir Counsell and Iudges when she spake thus vnto them Haue care ouer my people You haue my place Doe you that whiche I ought to doe They are my people Euerie man oppresseth them and spoileth them without mercie They can not reuenge their quarrel nor help theÌ„selues See vnto them see vnto them for they are my charge I charge you euen as God hath charged me I care not for my selfe my life is not deare to me my care is for my people I praye God who soeuer succeede me bee as careful as I am They whiche might knowe what cares I beare woulde not thinke I tooke anye greate ioye in wearing the Crowne These eares heard when hir Maiestie spake such words I trust they wil work suche affection in your heartes whiche heare them reported as they did in me when I heard them spoken She loueth hir Subiectes and they reuerence hir She is carefull for them and they are true to hir God continue his blessing towards hir and ouer shadowe hir wyth his mercifull hande For she is the comfort and Diamond of al Christendome This is she againste whome Pope Pius rageth and stormeth and hath sente hys cursse sentence of depriuation against hir If he had bene acquainted with oure happye estate vnder hir he mighte wyth better grace haue said to hir Because thy God loueth England to establish it for euer therefore hath he made thee Queene ouer them to execute Iudgement and Iustice. He might with more and better aduisement haue saide How shal I curse where the Lorde hathe not curssed Or how shall I detest where the Lorde hath not detested He is not so wise as Balaam which would not for a house full of gold passe the commaundement of the Lorde to doe eyther good or badde of hys owne minde Praecipimus interdicimus vniuersis singulis proceribus subditis populis alijs praedictis ne illi eiusuÌ„e monitis mandatis legibus audeant obedire qui secus egerint â—os simili anathematis sententia innodamus Wee charge and forbid al and euerie the Nobles and Subiects and people and others aforesaide that they be not so hardie as to obey hir or hir wil or commandementes vppon paine of like accursse vppon them Woulde you take thys man to be the Uicar of Christe He séemeth rather to be some Maister of misrule whyche so dischargeth all manner of Subiectes from all manner obedience For what order will he leaue vs when wée maye not doe those things whyche we doe vnder hir obedience by charge of hir will or commaundementes or lawes His wordes speake verye broade I commaunde vnder paine of damnation that no seruaunt obey his Maister no wife obey hir husbande no childe obey his Parentes and that no Subiecte obey hys Prince I commaunde and forbidde that you dare not obey hir c. But what if you shewe him of oure lawes whyche Queene Elizabeth hath made and established against Burglarie and robbing by the high way and anye other kinde of theft againste murther adulterie and all fâ—lthinesse as kéeping of Concubines and Courteghians like to the vse of his City at Rome kepe them not saith the Pope vnder paine of my cursse Againe sir by hir lawes we are required to resort to our seuerall Churches there to heare the worde of God to giue thankes vnto him and to pourâ— out our prayers before him c. hée yet sayeth obey them not What shal we do then for lawes of common peace and of holding our possessions
exercise himselfe daye and night The Lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lorde is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple This is the rule of our faith without this our faith is but a fantasie and no faith for faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God Therefore Christe saith Search the Scriptures they are they that testifie of me There shall ye finde testimonie of my doctrine there shal ye know what is the wil of my heauenlye Father and there shall you receiue the comforte for euerlasting life Againe He that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life If a man keepe my word he shal know the truth hee shall neuer see death Therefore Baruch saith O Israel wee are blessed for the things that are acceptable vnto God are declared vnto vs. This is thy blessednesse herein hath God shewed his fauour vnto thée he hathe reuealed the secreats of hys will vnto thée and hath put his worde in thy mouth He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israell hee hathe not dealte so with euerie nation neyther haue they knowen hys Iudgementes Therefore the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs to pray vnto God for the knowledge of his worde Shewe mee thy wayes O Lord and teache me thy pathes Take not thy holie spirite from mee and incline my hearte vnto thy testimonies Giue mee vnderstanding that I maye learne thy commaundementes open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe And Lighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death that I maye discerne betwéene safetie and daunger that I may knowe truth to be the truth and error to be error Thus I haue declared parte of that profite which groweth to vs by the word of God but it doeth not onelye directe our iudgement in the triall of truth but dothe also graffe in vs a boldenesse and constancie in the defence of the truth Salomon saieth A foole chaungeth as the Moone He is alwayes vnstable and inconstant he knoweth not neither what to do nor what to beleue he is somtimes ful sometimes emptie turneth and changeth as the Moone He buildeth and layeth his foundation vppon the sande therfore his house falleth to the ground He halteth on both sides somtimes worshippeth God and sometimes worshippeth Baal he is neither hotte nor colde he ebbeth and floweth like the waues of the sea he doubteth and staggereth resteth in nothing He knoweth not the truth he knoweth not that the scripturs are the word of God so he wandereth in the darke and knoweth not the way in which he walketh He hath no féeling no hart no vnderstāding He is vnfaithful towards God and kepeth no faith towards man he is wauering in all hys wayes And why because he knoweth not the wil of God nor hath the light of his word to guide his féete But a wise man is one and stedfast as the sunne He buildeth his house vppon a rocke and that rocke is Iesus Christe the sonne of God Therefore his house is neuer shaken downe Be the storme or tempest neuer so rough yet it shall stand faste like Mount Sion because his truste is in the name of the Lord. He knoweth that his name is written in the Booke of Life he knoweth that he belongeth to the Lords Shéepefolde and that no man can take him away out of the Lordes hand In this boldenesse Dauid sayeth Thoughe I shoulde walke thorough the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou arte wyth mee thy rodde and thy staffe they comforte mee And againe the Lord is my light and my saluation whome shall I feare And againe Except thy lawes had bene my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction when Ezechias heard y ◠proud message of Sennacherib sent to him his people by Rahshaketh that they should not obey Ezech. nor trust to him when he said The Lord wil deliuer you and let not thy GOD deceiue thee in whom thou trustest hee wente vp into the house of the Lord and prayed vnto the Lorde to saue hym and hys people out of their handes that al the kingdomes of the earth might know that hee is GOD alone Euen so the Apostle Whether wee liue or die wee are the Lordes And in this boldenesse our sauiour Christe setled himselfe to beare their reproches and to carry his Crosse Father if thou wilte take away this cup frō me neuerthelesse not my wil but thine bee done Thus they that are taught by the word of God to put their trust in the Lorde and are thereby rooted and setled in him can not be remoued by any practise of Sathan but stand fast and continue for euer Which shal more plainely appeare if we looke backe into the times of persecution and beholde the boldenesse of constancie of the Sainctes of God They were brought before Magistrates caste into prisōs spoiled of their goods cruelly murthered Some were hanged vppon gibbets some run through with swords some torn with wild horses some drowned in the water and some burnt in the fire They were hated of all men for the name of Christ. They were despised as the filth of the worlde and dung of the earth Yet continued they faithfull and constant They armed their heartes with the comforte of Gods worde therby wer they able to resist in the euil day They were faithfull vntil death therefore GOD gaue them a Crowne of glorie When they were called before Kings and Princes and others of auctoritie and commaunded to forsake the trueth they had learned and the comfort which they tooke in the truth they aunswered in this manner O my gratious Lorde I would faine do your commandement I am your subiect I haue done faithfull seruice with my body with my goods but I cannot serue you against God He is King of Kings Lord of Lords He is my Lord before whom I stande I haue put my life in his handes He hathe forbidden me to doe this thing whiche you commaunde I cannot therefore doe it Iudge vprightly whether it be méete to obey you rather than God My liuing my wife my children and my life are deare vnto me I am a man like others and haue mine affections Yet neither liuing nor wife nor children nor my life is so deare vnto me as the glorie of God I am but a pore worme yet am I the worke of his handes God hathe putte his worde in my mouth I may not deny it I may not beare false witnesse against the Lord. My life is not deare vnto me in respect of the trueth I knowe if I shoulde deny him to saue my life I shoulde lose it and if I lose my life for his sake I shall finde it That which your auctoritie shal lay vpon me is not done without his will All the haires of my head are
things in the Scriptures are harde I deny it not It is very expedient that somewhat shoulde be couered to make vs more diligent in reading more desirous to vnderstand more feruent in prayer more willing to aske the iudgement of others and to presume the lesse of our owne iudgement Gregorie sayth Magnae vtilitatis est ipsa obscuritas eloquiorum Dei. Facit enim c. The hardenesse whiche is in the worde of God is verie profitable For it causeth a man to take that profite by paines which hee coulde not take with negligence If the vnderstanding were open and manifest it woulde be litle set by Cyrillus saith Omnia plana recta sunt illis qui cognitionem inuenerunt fatuis verò etiam facilimaâ— ob secura videntur All thinges are plaine and straight to them that haue founde knowledge but to such as are fooles the most easiest places seeme harde And againe Eaequae perspicua sunt difficilia sunt haereticis Quomodo enim in maleuolam animam intrabit sapâ—entia Those thinges which are plaine are harde vnto Heretiques For howe can wisedome enter into a wicked heart It is true which S. Peter hath saide some thinges are hard to be vnderstande But it is also true that they which peruert them vnto their own destruction are vnlearned and vnstable that is they to whom they are hard haue not their eyes opened that they may sée the light of the worde or they be wicked and turne the truth of God into lies and abuse the Scriptures to their owne damnation The Howlet séeth not by the brightnesse of the Sunne not because the Sunne beames are dark but for that his eyes are weak and cannot abide so cleare light it is therfore but a pretence and a colour for their ignorance and a meanes to deceiue the people more boldly with their errours when they charge the worde of God wyth darkenesse and hardnesse For how many hundred places are there which be as cleare as noone day God saith I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue none other gods before me Thou shalt make thee no graueÌ„ image neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue neither that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the waters vnder the earth thou shalt neither bow downe to them neither serue them Againe he saith that is cursed that is made with hands both it and he that made it hee because he made it and it because it was called God being a corruptible thing And againe Cursed be al they that worship carued images and delight in vaine Gods This is the word of God What darkenesse is in any of these sayings God saith If thou lend mony to my people to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an Vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with vsurie Againe If a man hath not giuen forth vpon vsurie neither hath taken any encrease c. hee shall surely liue but hee that hath giuen forth vpoÌ„ vsurie or hath taken encrease shall he liue He shal not liue And the wages of sinne is death And the soule that sinneth it shall die And againe This yee knowe that no whoremongers neither vncleane person nor couetous person which is an Idolater hath any inheritaÌ„ce in the kingdome of Christ of God Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the childreÌ„ of disobedience These are the words of God and what darkenesse is in them Saint Paul saith If it be possible as much as in you lieth haue peace with all men Abhorre that which is euill and cleaue to that which is good auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath Againe Let euerie soule bee subiect to the higher powers there is no power but of God He is the Minister of God for thy wealth but if thou doe euill feare for he beareth not the sworde for naught These bée the wordes of God what darkenesse is in them Saint Iohn saith Christ is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world And the bloud of Iesus Christ his son clenseth vs from al sinnes Saint Peter saith His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that wee being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse Christe saith Aske and it shall bee giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you And againe Come vnto me all ye that are weake and laden and I will ease you The Prophet saith Whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shall bee saued These bée the words of God What darkenesse is in them What eye so simple but he may sée them The wayes of the Lorde are straight and his wordes plaine euen vnto the simple Câ—rysoft saieth Omnia clara plana sunt in scriptures diuinis quaecunque necessaria sunt manifest a sunt All things are cleare and plaine in the holy Scriptures Whatsoeuer things there is necessarie for vs is also manifest Some thinges are couered as men couer pretious stones and precious garmentes They are couered and yet we sée them Wée sée them and yet they are couered Yet all thinges that are necessarie are plaine and open Clemens saith Nullis caelatum est verbum lux est communis omnibus illucescit hominibus nullus est in verbo Cymmerius The worde of God is hid from no man It is a light common vnto all men there is no darkenesse in Gods worde Marke it is a common light and shineth to all men It is as bright and beautifull as the Sunne there is no dungeon or darknesse in it So sayth Irenaeus Scripturae in aperto sunt sine ambiguitate similitâ—r ab omnibus audiri possunt The Scriptures are plaine without doubtfulnesse and may be heard indifferently of all men All men may heare them euen all sortes of men without exception Where be they then which say it is not lawfull for the people to haue the worde of God and that the Scriptures are not méete for their reading they are breade they are drinke they nourish vnto euerlasting life great crueltie it is to sterue Gods people to death Are they vnfit to haue the Scriptures because they bée poore Christ sayth The poore receiue the gladde tidings of the Gospell And Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen They want riches and worldly glorie but God giueth his feare and grace to them as well as to the rich Are they vnfit to reade the Scriptures because they are not bred vp in other learning S. Paul saith I esteemed not to know any thing among you but Iesus Christ and him crucifyed The Prophet Dauid saith Blessed is the man ô Lord whom thou teachest in thy lawe And Christ saith Thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding