Out of ill maners spring good and wholsome lawes The chiefe and especiall pointes of the sayde articles are these that all Preachers there should yeelde their obedience to the Kings Maiesty that they should not pretend any Priuiledge in their allegeance that they should not meddle in matters of State that they should not publikely reuile his Maiesty that they should not draw the people from their due obedience to the King that when they are accused vpon their facts or speeches or for refusing to doo things c. they should not alledge the inspiration of the holy spirit nor serue themselues with colour of conscience but confesse their offences as men and to craue pardon as subiects c. It is great pitty that so worthy a Christian King should be driuen to require such a subscription in his owne kingdome especially of those men that should be lights to the rest and the chiefe examples of all duetifull obedience It is more to be pittied that for ought I can learne his Maiesty cannot as yet obtaine so much at their handes But most of all it is to be lamented that no man can gesse for ought I know how far this Gangrene will spread it selfe At the first they found but faults against the Bishops but after they ouerthrewe them The Anabaptists in Germany began with the Bishops and Clergy but they ended with the ciuill Magistrate Consider of Buchanans dealing whether he maketh not the like assault against Princes that his companions did against Bishops as in deriding their titles misliking their pompe and in glancing at their reuenues He tearmeth the honorable phrases of Maiesty Highnesse and Lordship solaecismos barbarismos aulicos that is vnlawfull corrupt kinds of speech which are vsed in Court and doo proceede as he sayth from flattery Hee gibeth at the state which Princes take vpon them when they shewe themselues to the people comparing them to Childrens puppets which are garishly attyred After also he insinuateth that a good Prince should appeare come abroad only defended with his innocencie non superbo spiculatorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caetu sericatisque nebulonibus stipatus not with a proud company of guarders and of pensioners and of silken knaues He would haue Kings to content themselues with lesse reuenues and seruice commending the Discipline of Laconia where it was strange to haue one man pull off an other mans sockes at his going to bedde and likewise the example of Pelagius that first discomfited the Saracens in Spaine in that he had his house not built after the fashion now a dayes with many stately roomes of honor but was contented with one place for himself his fire his friends and his cattell after the Irish fashion But to let passe these contempts and pointes of Anabaptisme one thing more is likewise to be considered in these Scottish reforming ministers which they haue sucked from their Mother-City Geneua They cannot be content to haue raysed vp sedition and troubles at home to haue slandred both far and nere the most Godly reformation of Religion which their King had made there and to erect you haue seene how in place thereof a meere counterfeit plot of a new Popish tyranny such a one as hath already quite ouerthrown the auncient estate of that Church wroght more mischiefe in that Country in thirty yeares then the Pope of Rome had done before as I thinke in fiue hundred But they presume also much further then becommeth them to cast some of their contentious and disloyall seedes into England Vulpecula cauda amissa reliquis vulpibus callidè persuasit vt similiter ipsae caudas refecarent ne sola turpis deformis in suo genere videretur The Fox hauing lost her tayle craftely persuaded the other Foxes that they would likewise cut off their tayles least she herselfe alone should seeme the foule and deformed beast of all that kinde And hence it commeth as I take it that to bring the flourishing estate of our Church in England into the same misery that theirs is brought into they rayle deuise and clap their handes to set vs here together by the eares Some of them say that our Church is still vnder the bondage of an Antichristian gouernement that our Bishops are a hurtfull relique of Romish confusion that they thrust with side and shoulder to make hauocke of the Church by a disguised persecution and that they do tyrannize aboue their brethren with violence and crueltie They vse these words of her excellent Maiesty Alacke good Princesse the true report of thinges commeth seldome to her eares And do very grossely insinuate nay indeed plainly affirme that there are in Court some crafty miscreants which doo abuse her Maiesty whom they resemble to Ioab Iesabell Haman and Gehasi They doo iustifie the proceedings of our disturbers here animating them to go forward as they haue begun doo tell them that both their causes vz. their owne in Scotland and of our factions in England are most nerely linked together and doo promise that they will not cease to commend their troubled state vnto God in their priuate and publike prayers They compare our hindring in England of the pretended Discipline vnto the hinderance which Gods enemies made vnto the building of Ierusalem They seeke vnder hand to steale away the harts of her Maiesties subiects especially of those that haue beene and still are seduced by our Consistorian Schismatikes by putting them in hope of one Darius that after a time shall giue full authority for the sayde building of Ierusalem Which manner of dealing there is no Darius liuing could take in good part if the like practises were vsed by others amongst his people GOD of his infinite mercy graunt vnto her Maiesty a long a prosperous and a happy raigne ouer vs and so knit the harts of all true English men vnto their Queene of Saba their Hester and their most royall Elizabeth that without the expectation of any Darius whosoeuer they may euer continue her most loyall faithfull and obedient subiects rather wishing in their soules that the world with her Maiesty should end their dayes together then once to take ioy by the least imagination of any future change Amen And thus much of the manner and wayes vsed by certaine Scottish Ministers for Reformation and Discipline Which pointes or Consistorian proceedinges I haue not touched as God knoweth with any minde or intent to dishonour the state of that Country Besides much may well be sayd I assure my selfe in excuse of such of the laity as ioyned in the premisses For I finde they were led with a very great zeale They had beene so long imprisoned in the darkenesse of Popery that when the Gospell appeared vnto them it so dazeled their eyes as that for very gladnesse they considered not well what they did so they might enioy it Their goods their lands their wiues
nourish the superstition of some men or giue ouer themselues to the preseruation of vanity Likewise festi dies sunt commodè abolendi holy daies as we tearme them must be abolished commode as they may handsomely Nowe if this booke had not beene meant to haue beene put in practise in these two pointes before it had come forth authorised by law they would haue said for the reasons alledged from henceforth let there be or it is ordered that there shall be no more preaching at burials nor holy dayes obserued or let them henceforth be abolished Moreouer reliquae liturgiae tota ratio in sacramentorum administratione ex vsu ecclesiae in nuptiarum benedictione consist it Cuius forma commodissima est quae ab ecclesiis vsurpatur quae disciplinam ex Dei verbo instaurârunt The rest of the liturgy doth consist in the administration of the Sacraâ—ents and as the vse of the Church is in blessing of mariages The forme whereof is most fit and commodious that is vsed by those Churches which haue erected the discipline according to the worde of God In the Parliament 27. of her Maiestie as I remember the brethren hauing made another booke tearmed at that time A booke of the forme of common prayers c. and contayning in it the effect of their whole pretended discipline the same booke was penned altogether statute and lawlike and their petition in the behalfe of it was vz. May it therefore please your maiesty c. that it may be enacted c. that the booke hereunto annexed c. intituled a booke of the forme of common prayers administration of Sacraments c. and euery thing therein contained may be from henceforth authorized put in vre practised throughout all your maiesties dominions See here when they hoped to haue attained their purposes by law and to haue had the same accordingly established they offered to the Parliament a booke of their own for the forme of common praiers c. and thought it as it seemeth altogether inconuenient to leaue euery minister to his owne choyse to vse what forme hee list other then such as were allowed in some Church which had receiued the Discipline for any such they liked-of indefinitly Whereby it to me it seemeth manifest that they neuer meant to haue required the enacting of that Chapter de reliquis liturgiae officijs but onely to set downe what course their bretheren should follow for the interim vntill they might take further order for a booke of their owne Lastly in all this whole booke of Discipline there is not once mention made of any authority or office in or ouer the Church belonging to the Christian ciuill Magistrate Hee hath not so much as either voyce or place in any of their Synodes as a member thereof except he be chosen to be an Elder He hath not any power assigned vnto him to call a Synode no though it bee a Nationall Synode nor so much as to appoint the particular times or places of their meetinges nor which is most strange so much as that his assent is to be required to any of their Canons But all these thinges are set downe in this booke as of right to appertaine vnto their Ministers and Elders For the tryall whereof I must needes referre you to the booke it selfe which is in many mens handes where you shall finde the brethren ascribe that to themselues which in the greatest darkenes of Popery all the BB s. in the Land for ought I doo remember durst neuer challenge Which is a proofe sufficient that either they meant by cunning to haue depriued her Maiesty by her owne consent of all her regall authority in these and such like causes of the Church as not of right belonging vnto her which they will not acknowledge or otherwise that they had agreed without her consent to take this authority vnto themselues which if they had any conscience they would not stick to confesse that being assuredly their currant doctrine as in some other place it shall hereafter more fully appeare But it may be said that these are onely collections Well let them be as they are Indeede there is no cause why I should stand vpon collections hauing yet in store most euident demonstrations CHAP. XI Further proofe for their practise of their Discipline out of the articles they subscribed THere hath beene often mention made of the articles whereunto the brethren subscribed for their allowance and practise of the sayd booke of Discipline and they are worde for worde as here I doo set them downe according to the deposition of those that subscribed vnto them and as they are to bee shewed vnder Maister Wights hand We the brethren assembled together in the name of God hauing heard and examined by the word of God according to our best abilitie and iudgement in it a draught of discipline essential and necessary for all times and Synodicall gathered out of the Synodes and vse of the Churches haue thought good to testifie concerning it as followeth We acknowledge and confesse the same agreeable to Gods most holy word so farre as we are able to iudge or discerne of it excepting some fewe pointes which wee haue sent to our Reuerend brethren of this assembly for their further resolution We affirme it to be the same which wee desire to be established in this Church by daily praier to God which we promise as God shall offer oportunity and giue vs to discerne it so expedient by humble suit vnto her Maiesties honour able Councell and the Parliament and by all other lawfull and conuenient meanes to further and aduance so farre as the lawes and peace and the present estate of our Church will suffer it and not enforce to the contrary We promise to guide our selues and to be guided by it and according to it For more especiall declaration of some points more important and necessarie we promise vniformely to follow such order when we preach the word of God as in the booke by vs is set downe in the Chapters of the office of Ministers of the word of preaching or sermons of Sacraments of Baptisme and of the Lords supper Further also wee promise to followe the order set downe in the Chapters of the meetings as farre as it concerneth the Ministers of the worde For which purpose we promise to meete euery sixe weekes together in Classicall conferences with such of the brethren here assembled as for their neighbourhood may fit vs best and such other as by their aduise we shall be desired to ioyne with vs. The like wee promise for Prouinciall meetinges euery halfe yeare from our conferences to sende vnto them as is set downe in the Chapter concerning the Prouinces and the conferences belonging vnto them beeing deuided according to the order following Likewise also that we will attend the generall assembly euerie yeare and at all Parliaments and as often as by order it shall be thought good to be assembled Hitherto
the Church there is nothing but sores and blisters yea the griefe is euen deadly at the heart They must needes be not onely traytors to God and his word but also enemies vnto her Maiestie and the land that defend the established gouernement of the Church to be lawfull CHAP. V. Some of their vndutifull and consistorian speeches concerning her Maiesty c. THe Bishoppes haue long deceaued and seduced her Maiestie and her people Doo you thinke our Church gouernement to bee good and lawfull because her Maiesty and the state who maintaine the reformed religion alloweth the same why the Lord doth not allow it In effect that her Maiesty and state in maintaining the established gouernement and reiecting theirs doo mayme and deforme the body of Christ and so doo bid God to battell against them Ministers ought not to obey the Prince when he prescribeth ceremonies and a fashion of apparell By the same authority that the Queene commandeth the apparell now appointed to the Ministers she may commaund any piece of Popery so she name it pollicie Achaz of pollicie brought such an altar into Ierusalem as he did see at Damascus where he had ouercome the Idolaters and their Idols But cursed was his policie and so are all they that retaine any thing of their old Idolatrie he addeth for example the candlestickes vppon the Queenes altar kneeling at the communion c. Of necessitie all Christian magistrates are bound to receiue this gouernement by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons and to abolish all other Church gouernement Either her Maiestie knoweth not what they desire being abused by the Bishops or else shee is negligent of her dutie and vnthankefull to God Her Maiestie is cunninglie resembled to Ieroboam Ahab Iehoram Ahaz Gedeon Nadab Saule Iehu Asa and Iehosaphat in those points whereby they offended God and she is threatned by their examples in that hauing begon so well she doth not proceede to set vp Christes gouernment throughly A question being asked as the register reporteth by the Bishop of London Anno. 1567. vz. haue we not a godly Prince speake is shee euill There are three answers made by three seuerall men The first what a question is that the fruites do shew The second No. But the seruants of God are persecuted vnder her The thirde Why this question the Prophet answereth in the Psalmes how can they haue vnder standing that worke iniquitie spoiling my people and that extoll vanitie To this obiection that it is Dotanisme to challenge such authoritie ouer Princes meaning the authority which the Eldership challengeth answere is made vz It is flatterie to suffer Princes to do what they list To this position That princes should bee excepted from Ecclesiasticall Discipline and namely from excommunication they answere thus That excommunication should not be exercised against Princes I vtterlie mislike To affirme that It is but a meere mockerie of the Lord and to offer himselfe meaning the now L. Archbishop of Canterbury as a bawd to al maner of sinnes in Princes To insinuate that others being subiect to this correction onelie Princes should be exempted I feare commeth from a worse cause then from simple error CHAP. VI. Some of their rayling speaches against the high court of Parliament and all others generally that do maintaine the present gouernment of the Church of England FOr not admitting the platforme set downe in the first admonition c. Anno. 14. of her Maiestie and suffering the parties that offered it to be punished Thus they write The state sheweth it selfe not vpright alledge the Parliament what it will al honest men shall finde lacke of equitie all good consciences shall condemne that Court. It shalbe easier for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement then for such a Court. There is no other thing to be looked for then some speedie vengeance to light vpon the whole land prouide aswell as the politicke Machiauels of England thinke they can though God do his worst Likewise of the Parliament the 29. of her Maiestie for their tollerating the Bishops c. in stead of their newe gouernment it is said That they shalbe in danger of the terrible masse of Gods wrath both in this life and in the life to come and that if they did not then abrogate the gouernment by Bishops well they might hope for the fauor and intertainement of Moses that is the curse of the law but the fauour and louing countenance of Iesus Christ they should not see nor euer enioy Againe of the same Parliament it is likewise af firmed that if the reformation desired were not graunted they should betray God betray the truth and betray the whole kingdome They should declare themselues to be an assembly wherein the Lordes cause could not be heard an assembly wherein the felicity of miserable men could not be respected an assembly that wittingly called for the iudgements of God vpon the whole land an assembly wherein trueth religion and pietie could beare no sway There shalbe not be a man of their seede that shall prosper be a Parliament-man or beare rule in England any more Furthermore a prophesie is passed but from that spirit I trust that tooke vpon him to be spiritus mendax in ore prophetarum that if they preuailed not in the said Parliament according to their supplication then the Nauie of the Spaniards should come againe and fight against this land and waste it with fire and sworde that God shal send a terror into the harts of our valiantest and stoutest men that one enemie shall chase a thousand of vs that although we had smit the whole hoast so as there remayned none but wounded men amongst them yet shal euerie man rise vp in his tent and ouerrunne this land Lastly this they write generally of al that do withstād their desires Those kingdomes and states who defend anie Church gouernement saue this of Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons are in danger of vtter destruction None euer defended this Hierarchy of Bishops to be lawfull but Papistes and such as were infected with Popish errors No man can open his mouth against Presbiteries but with a shamelesse face and seared conscience The enemies hereof after the manner of the wicked mentioned in Iob do say vnto the almighty depart from vs because we desire not the knowledge of thy waies yea and in their practise they say who is the almighty that we should serue him This shallbe the portion of as many as to the end oppose themselues against the cause of reformation now laboured for the heauen shall declare his wickednesse and the earth shall rise vp against him the encrease of his house shall goe away it shall flow away in the day of his wrath his eyes shal see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the Almighty They are no better to bee thought of then
of euery man for his gaine and Paule a preacher of the worde of God sustayning the place and persons of the Consistoriall brethren Where by the way see againe the account they make of all that do maintaine the present state of the Church they are but ambitious worldlings Papistes liuers by vnlawfull trades and men pleasers But themselues are Apostles In this Dialogue Paule is set forth as a man desirous vppon the Innekeepers motion to heare some good newes from Scotland who meeting with the Bishop hee vseth him according to the Consistorian humor that is most proudly most spitefully and most slaunderously He condemneth both the calling of Bishops as Antichristian and censureth al their proceedings as wicked Popish vnlawfull and cruell He affirmeth that all the good that hath beene done for the present flourishing estate of the Gospell in England hath beene brought to passe by those men whom the Bishops despise and by that course which they were euer ennemies vnto He saith that very many of all degrees are fully perswaded in the matters of reformation and that he is perswaded this will come of it vz. that he shall see the gouernement of the Church by the rules of their discipline set vp before it be long The Bishop is supposed to haue beene sent out of England into Scotland for the suppressing of the Presbiteries there and so is made vpon his returne homewarde to be the reporter of the Scottish affaires and withall to signifie his great feare least he and the rest of the Bishops in England should bee serued shortly as the Bishops had lately beene in Scotland namely at Edenburgh and Sainct Andrewes c. Ah saith the pretended Bishop my hoste The Puritanes in Scotland haue got-vp their discipline and vtterly ouerthrown all the soueraignty of Bishops by which they preuailed so mightily that we feared our fal in England shortlie to ensue Whereupon I was sent together with this my frend Tertullus who came out of Fraunce into England to goe and seeke the subuersion of their great assemblies and the rest of their iurisdiction wherein I preuailed a while but now it is worse then euer it was And it came so to passe because the whole land cried for Discipline againe and the Noble men so stifly did stand to it and lastly the Ministers that came home from England dealt so boldly with the king that I was vtterly cast out without all hope euer to doe any good there againe and now I make homeward in hast least I loose all there also Here you haue the brethrens approbation of the aforsaide attempt in Scotland whereby it is apparaunt that if they shal be able to bring the people to such a kind of clamor and the nobility to such a manner of stifnes they can be wel content for their partes to haue her maiestie vsed as the Scottish king was for it is according to their Geneua Diuinity Tertullus the Papist he is made the Bishops only Councellour in the whole course of the gouernment of our Church by whose aduise the author of the Dialogue saith that the Bishops do beare with the Popish recusants and that so many waies are sought to suppresse the Puritanes This Tertullus together with the Host and the Vsurer do relate to the Bishop those occurrents in Englande which had fallen out and hapned in his absence And vppon the occasion of this question asked by the Bishop vz. haue not the Bishops yet suppressed the Puritans neither with countenance nor by authority Tertullus maketh this aunswere Suppressed no my Lord a friend of mine writte vnto me that one of their preachers saide in the Pulpit he was perswaded that there were a 100000. of them in England and that the number of them increased dayly in euery place of all estates degrees Is it not time for the Magistrates to looke about them They do take it in scorne to bee thought so weake as that they could bee suppressed Bee it they flatter themselues therein yet their desire is apparant that if they be suffered and shall euer be able they will bring it to that passe And if this be not a necessary consequent of the premisses my iudgement faileth me But to proceede CHAP. II. Of their doctrine for making a reformation themselues and how the people must be thrust into that action ABout foure yeares since it should seeme that some of the brethren were of opinion that they had dealt long inough in the practise of their Discipline after such a secret manner and that then they were bound in dutie to proceede to the publike exercise of it notwithstanding any daunger that might therby ensue For thus one of them writeth Our zeale to Gods glorie our loue to his Church the due planting of the same in this horheaded age should be so warme and stirring in vs as not to care what aduenture we giue and what censures we abide c. The Iesuites Seminaries their diabolicall boldnes will couer our faces with shame c. And after also in the same letter We cānot be discharged of great disloyalty to our cōming Christ except we proceed with practise and so to further the Lords cause by suffering forasmuch as that dutifull suffering for so honorable a matter is as sure a signe of subiection as obeying the time so vrging that bounden duetie It is verily more then time to Register the names of the fittest and hottest brethren round about our seuerall dwellings whereby to put Maister Snecanus godly counsell in execution vz. Si quis obijciat c. If any man obiect that the setting vp and the lawfull practise of the discipline in the Church is hindred by the ciuill magistrate let the magistrate bee freely and modestlie admonished of his duety If he esteeme to be accounted either a godly or a Christian magistrate without doubt hee will admitte wholesome counsailes But if he do not yet let him bee more exactlie instructed that he may serue God in feare and bend his authority to the defence of the church and of Gods glory Marry if by this way there happen no good successe then let the ministers of the Church execute their office according to the appointment of Christ. For they must rather obay God then men In this last point we haue dolefully failed which now or neuer standeth vs in hand to prosecute with all celerity without lingring and staying so long for Parliaments This aduise of Paines was thought by the brethren as I gesse to be somewhat too rash For of likelihoode they could not finde at that time so sufficient a number of such hotte brethren as might serue their turne Whereupon as I suppose out commeth the decrees of the Warwick-shire Classes that for the increasing of the said number euery minister as occasion serued should teach the Discipline vnto the people as wel as the other partes of the Gospel And for the moderating of Paines too hastie aduise it was thus
effected by the deposing of the king of Scots grandmother from her ciuil gouernment of that land And peraduenture a part of the said Knox his exhortation to England written from Geneua the twelfth of Ianuary 1559. as soone as he hearde of her maiesties possession of the royall Crown of this Realme would haue beene iustified where he saith that no power nor liberty ought to be permitted to any state degree or authority whatsoeuer they bee to liue without the yoke of Discipline c and that if Prince King or Emperour would enterprise to change or disanull the same he ought to be reputed an ennemie to God and therefore vnworthy to raigne aboue his people And thus you see how al these treasons if they had happened with what Consistorian zeale they might haue been defended afterward by the Disciplinarian doctrine which hath beene sent abroade into this Iland from Geneua and meetely well practised already in some partes thereof by men of that stampe Whereupon I do collect the premises considered by Cartwrights other the ministers intelligence with Copingers desperate purposes that they cared not what mischiefs had ensued so they themselues might haue beene safe For as it is most euident by the threatning speeches before mentioned there is nothing more laboured for amongst that sect then to thrust their many thousandes or some of them into some mutiny or bloudy attempt Their hope was that vpon any such occasion their chiefe fauourers would not cease to solicit her maiesty for feare of further trouble to graunt their desires or at the least to take some other course for theyr contentment then hitherto in their opinions there hath beene taken They knew that whatsoeuer either could or should fal out vnder the preteÌ„ce of seeking for Christs kingdome and for the extirpation of the present gouernment of our Church tearmed by them to bee so abhominable Antichristian if it had good successe for their deuised platformes yet the said Consistorian examples with their Allobrogicall new learning would haue borne it out sufficiently and maintained it I pray God deliuer EnglaÌ„d from these and such like points of Discipline For mine own part I would not haue vrged matters in this sort were it not that I thinke in my conscience it is more then high time that her maiesties faithfull subiectes should learne to know these practises and withall to beware of such sectaries as vnder their many both godly and goodly pretences do thus seditiously endeuour to disturbe the land And the rather also I did it because I see there are diuerse that will needes hood-winke themselues and stop their eares with the Serpent in the Psalme of purpose because they would gladly haue these things smoothered vp For hereby it will be apparant to our posterity that if any such mischiefes which God forbid shal happen hereafter they were sufficiently warned that both should and might in good time haue preuented them and withall it would then be found true which Liuie saith vrgentibus rempublicam fatis Dei hominum salutares admonitiones spernuntur When the Lorde for the sinnes of the people is purposed to punish any Countrey he blindeth the eyes of the wise so as they shall either neglect or not perceiue those ordinary meanes for the safety thereof which very simple men or babes in a manner did easily foresee Which iudgement I pray God turne far away and long from this and all other true Christian lands and kingdomes Amen FINIS Exod. 22. 28. 1. King 24. 1. Xing 26. Eccle. 20. Paule to the Rom. 13. Tertul. in Apologetico Tertul. in Apologet August con lit Petil. lib. 2 cap. 48. Chrisost. de verb. Esa. vidi dominum Mir. lib. 2. adu Iouinianum Numb 16 2 Sam. 16 Iude 2. Pet. 2 Annotat. Rhemish vppon the 23. of the Actes of the Apostles A Letter of P. A. Knewstubbe Gibson to Ed. Cop. Dauison against R. B. Pag. 29. Pag. 29. Pag. 20. * Refor no enemie B. 2 Cal. to Sadolet Ioach. Camerarius Phil. Mela. Georg. Maior de vita eius Whittingham in his Preface to Goodmans booke Knox. Knox in his hist. of the church of Scotland pag 213 a Knox pag. 213. ibid. b Knox p. 217 c Knox p. 218 d Knox p. 234 e Knox p. 256 f Knox p. 258. g Knox. pa. 2â— h Hollindshed pag 366. Knox 262 i Knox. p. 263 k Thynne pag. 366. Buchanan l Knox p. 265 m Knox p. 268 n Knox p. 272 o Knox p. 274 p Knox p. 27â— q Knox p. 276 r Knox p. 283 s Knox p. 288 t Knox pag. 298. 299. Thynne 367 u Knox p. 300 x Knox p. 306 y Knox p. 308 z Knox p. 308 a Knox p. 317. b Knox p. 330 c Knox p. 333. * Knox p. 362 d Knox p. 364 e Knox p. 372 f Knox p. 378 g Knox p. 468 h Knox p. 500 i Knox p. 50â— k Knox p. 216 Knox appel fol. 28. l Knox app 25 m Knox to the Comminalty s. 49. 50 n ibid. fol. 47 o ibid. fol. 55 p ibid. fol. 55 q Knox histo pag. 343. r Knox appel fol. 33. s Knox appel fo 28. 30 c. t Knox appel fol. 30 u Knox appel fol 35. Historie of the Church of Scotl. pa. 187. * Knox histor pag. 372. a knox to England and Scot. fol. 77. b knox ibid folio 78. c Buch. de iure regni page 61. d Ibid pag 13. e ibid pag. 25 f ibid pag. 58. g ibid pag. 40. h ibid pag 62. i ibid pag. 70 k ibid pag. 70 l Buc. de iur egni pag. 49. m Knox appe fol. 26. n Buch. de iure regni pag. 53. o Ibid. pag. 57 p ibid. pag. 57 q ibid. pag. 57 r ibid pag. 50 s ibid p. 50. 55 t Ibid. pag. 56 Note this Diuinity u ibi p. 56. 57 t Knox hist. pag. 502. u Knox hist pag. 468. * Knox hist. pag. â—03 Ibidem y In the conclusion of their booke of Discipline a Knox histo pag. 504. b Declaration B. 1. 2. c Knox histo pag. 523. d ibid. pa. 527 e ibid. pa 531. f ibid. pa. 334 g Knox Iust. 534. * Declaration B. 2. h ibid B. 2. i ibid. B. 2. k Epistola 79. l Declaration B. 3. m Declaration B. 1. n Act of Parliament ca. 4. o Ibid. cap. 2. p Decl A. 3. q Decl. B. 3. r Decl. B. 3. Declaration 1582. Act of Parliament 1584. cap. 7. Declara 1582 Act of Parl. 1584. cap. 7. Declar. 1582 Act of Parl. 1584. cap. 7. u Act of Parl. cap. 2. * ibid. cap. 20 y ibid. cap. 3. z ibid cap. 4. a ibid cap. 7. b ibid. cap. 8. c ibid. cap. 8. d cap. 1. of that Parliament c. e Declar. A. 2. f Thinnes addition to Hollinshed pa. 446. D. A. g Archbishop of Saint Androwes Letter and of other Preachers h M. Hutchinsons Letter and as he is readie to be deposed i Thinnes addition
and their children nay their liues in respect therof were not greatly deare vnto them Moreouer it is manifest how long they were exercised with great feare and many perplexities what entertainement and continuance the Gospell should finde amongst them In which case euery man may easily coniecture how easie a matter it was for them to be miscaried by their teachers Preachers perswading them that by Gods commandement they were bound to vndertake that course withall not omitting great threates of excommunication damnation if they refused so to doo They found their sayd Ministers doctrine very good and sound in the chiefe points of saluation and who would then haue suspected them in matters of lesse importance So as whatsoeuer was done amisse by them as touching their proceedings mentioned I doo wholly in a manner ascribe it to their Ministers of the Geneua learning Vnto whom also it ought of right to be imputed that I or any other either haue or hereafter shall haue any occasion at all so much as once to make mention of the least thing that might be any waies offensiue to the meanest of that natiō For what had I or any other priuate man in England to doo with their matters otherwise then to haue prayed for them had their sayd Ministers but onely taken vppon them to haue iustified their sayde proceedinges by their owne Lawes customes and priuiledges and could haue contented themselues to haue gone no further Marry nowe that the chiefest of them for the excusing of themselues and that they might shew whose schollers they are haue presumed to publish and that in print such strange seditious doctrine as doth tend to the like disturbance and indeede to the vtter ouerthrow of the freest and most absolute Monarchies that are or can be in Christendome not omitting withall to solicite and incourage our pretended reformers in England to proceed as they haue begun in following their steps contrary I am sure both to the word of God and to all the lawes and customes of this Realme I am in very good hope that there is no man of any sound iudgement who will be offended with mee in that to disclose and thereby to preuent such mischiefes as might otherwise ensue with vs I haue beene bolde to lay downe but yet out of their printed bookes some of the proceedinges of the sayde Ministers of Scotland which at this time our owne Preachers in England of the Disciplinarian consort as nowe it followeth to bee shewed doo take vppon them to imitate and haue already proceeded further in them then some of their fauorers will acknowledge or I thinke doo as yet suspect The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF DISCIPLINARY GROVNDES and Practises CHAP. I. The doctrine of certaine English Ministers which they learned at Geneua and published of purpose to haue procured the like course for reformation in England to that which was in Scotland AS you haue hearde in the first Booke howe M. Knox beeing at Geneua in Q. Maries time laboured and afterward proceeded to reforme Religion in Scotland by force and armes so did sundry English men that then liued there in like sort according to the Geneua resolution in that point endeuour as much as lay in them to haue kindled the like stirres at that time here in England To which especiall ende they did write hither sundry letters and bookes wholy of this argument vz. that the then Councellors the Noble men inferiour Magistrates and rather then faile the very people were bound before God to ouerthrowe the superstition and Idolatrie that was then in the Land and to reforme Religion whether the Queene would or no yea though it were by putting her to death Out of two of these English bookes I haue collected these seditious and consistoriall propositions following All men councellors noble men inferior magistrates and people are bound and charged to see the lawes of God kept and to suppresse and resist Idolatrie by force If the magistrates shall refuse to put massemongers and false preachers to death the people in seeing it performed doo shewe that zeale of God which was commended in Phinees destroying the adulterers and in the Israelites against the Beniamites To teach that it was not lawfull in any case to resist the superior powers but rather to submit our selues to punishment is a dangerous doctrine taught by some by the permission of God for our sinnes It is not sufficient for subiects not to obey wicked commandements of their Princes but to withstand them also in dooing the contrarie euerie man in his vocation and office Shieriffes Iaylors and other inferior officers ought not onely not to cast the saintes of God in prison hauing commandement thereunto by the Prince for feare of loosing their offices but to withstand euill to support them and to deliuer them to the vttermost of their power If we see a sheepe in daunger to be deuoured of a wolfe wee are bounde to deliuer it euen so to our power wee are bound to put to our hands to deliuer the children of God when wee see them pitiouslie in danger by Gods enemies It is the office of Councellors to bridle the affections of Princes and gouernors Noblemen were first ordained to bridle Princes Noblemen haue their honour of the people to reuenge the iniuries of their Kings and not for their lustie hawking nimble dicing carding singing and dauncing open bragging swearing false flearing and flattering subtle picking and stealing cruell polling and pilling c. The authoritie which Princes haue is giuen them from the people Kings princes and gouernours haue their authoritie of the people and vpon occasion the people may take it away again as men may reuoke their proxies and letters of Atturney Subiects do promise obedience that the Magistrate might help them which if he doo not they are discharged of their obedience If Magistrates without feare transgresse Gods laws themselues and command others to doo the like then haue they lost that honour and obedience which otherwise their subiectes did owe vnto them and ought no more to be taken for Magistrates but be examined accused condemned and punished as priuate transgressors Iudges ought by the lawe of God to summon Princes before them for their crimes and to proceed against them as against all other offenders Euill Princes ought by the lawe of God to bee deposed and inferior magistrates ought chieflie to doo it Examples allowed of Kings deposed Edward 2 Richard 2. Christierne of Denmarke c. It is lawfull to kill wicked kings and tyrants and both by Gods lawe and mans lawe Queene Mary ought to haue beene put to death as being a tyrant a monster a cruell beast c. Examples The subiects did kill the Queenes highnesse Athalia Iehu killed the Queenes maiestie Iesabell Elias beeing no magistrate killed the Queenes maiesties chaplaines Baals