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
we ought to kéepe them although that the end of them are hurtfull For we must not do euill to the end that there doe come no good but to do that which is right that which the Lord coÌ„maundeth If they are vnlawfull I doe meane contrarie vnto the religion and good maners although we ought not to kéepe them yet truely we ought not to breake them by an euill meanes But with all gentlenesse and patience to shewe what the faulte of theÌ„ is We doe reade in the holy scripture that the children of the Hebrewes did not obey the commaundement of king Nabuchodonosor constraining and commpelling his subiects to worshippe his image bicause that it was altogether contrarie to their religion but we doe not reade that they haue made any rebellion against the king or his subiects for to breake and infringe the edict of the king but that they haue modestlie and soberly declared the doing of their religion and the righteousnesse of their cause In like manner the bookes of the Machabees do teach vs that those seueÌ„ bretheren of the Machabees haue formeably in good order spokeÌ„ against the ordinaunce of king Antiochus compelling them to eate swines fleshe contrarie vnto the lawes and ordinaunces of their countrie but we do not sée that they haue threatned or that they did confederate theÌ„selues against the edict of the king It is most true that they are forbidden vppon the commaundement of their lawe As the booke of the actes of the Apostles doth teach vs that the hie Prieste did commaunde expresly the Apostles that they shoulde not declare remission of sinnes in the â—â—ne of Iesus Christ And notwithstanding the Apostles not regarding the edict and commaundement of the hie priest did as apperteineth to their vocation calling aunswering that it is better to obey God then men And in all that while we doe not reade that they haue made any violence or force for to withstande the edict of the hie priestes Furthermore the ecclesiasticall historie doeth teach vs that there was in the Citie of Nicomedia a certein man come of an auncient house and of great Aucthoritie who séeing that there were in all places edicts verie cruel published against the Christians being moued and constrained of an earnest faith did take the saide edicts and did teare them in péeces before the people As also we doe reade in like manner of one Artemenius a martyr of a woman named Publia who did breake a great nuÌ„ber of idolles and crying with a loude voyce the Emperour being present Their images are but siluer and gould euen the worke of mens handes But it is not written that those people haue shedde the bloude of the subiectes or robbed their goods for to breake such edictes although that they were cruell full of tyrannie and yet neuerthelesse a man may finde at this day so many wicked and rash people among the Christians which are not ashamed to violate the edictes of the Prince although that they are confirmable to all diuine and humaine ryght Thincking thereby to hinder and let the course of the religion Some myght héere replie that the same doth charge greatly those of the reformed religion Inasmuch as they doe put themselues by weapons against the force power of their enimie Vnto which I doe aunswere first that they haue done it by the authoritie of the prince Furthermore that there is great diuersitie to make a company of people and to take weapon without the lawe and authoritie of the magistrate for to breake the edictes of the king as our enimies haue done and to put themselues against the force and strength of an other for to defend the edyctes and authoritie of the king as those of the reformed religion haue done For in vpholding and maynteyning the edyct of the king they doe maintayne it in the authoritie puissance which the Lord hath giuen vnto him And by the same meanes they do kéepe his subiectes vnder the obedience of him in all gentlenesse and friendship On the contrarie in forcing the edicte of the prince they do dispise the prince and him which hath set him vpon his throne And besides they do giue an occasion vnto the people to giue themselues to all liscenciousnesse and vngodlinesse And consequently he whiche doth violate the lawe of his prince doth sinne many wayes First of all he sinneth against God thorowe whome the kings reigne and the princes make iust lawes the Lordes beare rule and all iudges of the earth execute iudgement Secondly he doth offende the Prince vnto whome he ought to yelde himselfe subiect as sainct Paule saith not onely for feare of vengeaunce but also bycause of conscience Finally he doth giue an occasion of greate slaunder vnto his neighbour thorowe an euill example inasmuche as he doth dispise the commaundement of his Prince And truely if any will aske me howe the common welth of Venice hath continued so long in his authoritie puissance greatnes at this day is more richer opulent then euer it was I will aunswere that the same was because that she did know howe to kéepe her people vnder the obedience of her lawes and statutes In like manner experience doth teach vs what is the force and puissance of the Cantons or Suisse for the pollicie whiche they obserue and kéepe in their common welthes It is to no purpose then the men do vaunce themselues to haue a Souereigne parliament in their citie and that they do magnifie themselues vnder colour of so many honourable and proude Senatours And that in the mean time Iustice doth soiourne in their paiâ—â—â—s and houses Also it is to no purpose that from day to day they doe publish and set forth so many newe statutes and that the poore subiects are oppressed spoiled and robbed euerie where in their personnes and their goods We do reade that the place to execute iustice among the Hebrewes was set at the gates of the cities where Sainct Hierome saith that the same was to the end that the labourer and poore man arriuing into the citie for to defend his right shoulde not be moued at the frequence of the citie and of so straunge a spectacle and beholding of the same Also that the Citizen should not goe farre for to séeke iustice or that he was afrayde to finde the iudgement seat which doth make me to say that it is a very straunge thing among the christians that not onely they are constrayned to make so many iourneis for to demaund iustice But also that they must pursue it with so great charges and expenses I doe remember a certeine king of Aegypt which ordeined sufficient and honest wages for his Iudges and magistrates saying that the Iudge ought neither to giue nor take Where a certeine christiaÌ„ author did exclaime and crye out O howe willingly I desire that the Princes of our time would followe that example who selling
the estates doe destroy the Iudges and in the meane time it must néeds be that the Iudges doe liue by stelth and doe get againe through dishonest gaine that that they haue vnlawfully disboursed Furthermore I wil not muse or studie to marke and discouer the faultes of ours it is inough for me that euery one doe knowe that the puissance and greatnesse of the cities and common wealthes doe not lye and consist in an excessiue and madde number of magistrates â—endinge and seruing rather to the ruine and destructioÌ„ of the people then to the comforting of them No morâ— then the iustice and true rule to liue well to so many newe Edictes and statutes But to the wisdome of the magistrates and true vsage and exercise of the religion and iustice And I will not bee abashed if an Emperour of Rome called Licinius Cesar did call sometime a heape and companie of officers mothes and rattes As also one may daylie sée that they do despise so many waies the edictes and statutes of the Prince and of the superiors Bicause that the number of magistrates serueth nothing to the common wealth no more then so many edictes and statutes of the magistrates to the helping and comforting of the subiectes I will ende this matter by the prayer which king Salomon made aswell for his owne regarde as for the regard of all his people O Lord forasmuch as thou hast caused a younge Ladde to reigne ouer thy people giue vnto him a heart full of knowledge to iudge thy people and to knowe the good from the euill that he may walke in thy waies in truth and righteousnesse and kéepe thy statutes and commaundements Giue vnto him grace that he may duely and rightly rule his subiectes vnder the obedience of thy lawes and ordinaunces teaching them the way by the which they shall walke in the worke that they shall doe Finally O Lord cause that the same Prince doe prouide among the people vertuous men and fearing God men louing truth and hating couetousnesse and which doe iudge thy people at all seasons in all right equitie iustice In the fauour of him which iudgeth the poore with righteousnesse and with holynesse reformeth the simple of the worlde Our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen Prouerbes 29.14 The seate of the king that faithfully iudgeth the poore shall continue sure for euermore Prouerbes 28. Bicause of sinne the lande doth oft chaunge hir prince But through men of vnderstanding and wisedome a Realme endureth long A Prayer O Lord which by thy mightie and puissant hand hast made the world of nothing and which doest dispose all thinges with a meruailous order and counsell Which settest vp againe righteousnesse in the ballaunce and iudgement in the weights yea by whom the kings reigne and the Princes make iust lawes Direct so by thy grace the young age of our king vnder thy feare that he reigning ouer vs in all equitie and righteousnesse he doe mainteine his people in the kéeping of the lawes which do concerne the aduauncement of thy glorie and the libertie of thine O Lorde make him to vnderstand that as al puissance and power is from thée So the Prince is the minister of God for all mens wealth To the ende that the may employ bestowe the giftes which thou hast giuen vnto him to thy glorie to the aduauncement of the kingdome of thy sonne and to the comfort of his people Assist through thy fatherly goodnesse all those which are of his counsell That they may acknowledge that thy feare is the beginning of wisdome and that they doe not séeke onely their priuate commodities but also those of other mens or that they séeke not their owne but those of Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer Amen A BRIEFE DEMONSTRATION vnto those which doe make it no conscience to shed the innocent bloode vnder preteÌ„ce I know not of what foolish zeale Wherein is shewed by examples of the scripture how odious before God such cruelties are Cap. 11. Genes 9. a. ¶ He which sheddeth mannes blould shal haue his bloude shed by man againe For God made man after his owne likenesse 1. Samuel 15. g. ¶ Samuel said vnto king Agag as thy swoord hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse among other women SAlomon doth witnesse in his prouerbes that ther be sixe things which the Lord hateth and the seuenth he vtterly abhorreth A proud loke a dissembling tongue handes that shed innocent bloud an heart that goeth about with wicked immaginations féete that be swift in running to doe mischiefe a false witnes that bringeth vp lies and such one as soweth discord amonge bretheren That is the cause wherefore Dauyd prayed the Lord that he will not destroy his soule with the sinners nor his lyfe with the bloude thirstie Where that good Prophet speaking vnto GOD doth crie thou O God shalt cast them downe into the pitte of destruction For the bloud thirstie and deceiptfull man shal not liue out halfe their daies The Lord trieth the righteous but his heart hateth the wicked and him that loueth violence The which is sufficiently declared vnto vs by examples of the scripture yea who will begin from the creation of the world For froÌ„ the lawe of nature Cain killed his brother Abel for that cause the Lord said vnto Cain What hast thou done The voice of thy brothers bloud cried vnto me out of the earth And nowe cursed be thou as perteining to the earth for when thou tillest the ground she shall hence foorth not giue hir power vnto thée a vagabund and a runnagate shalt thou be vpon the earth In the lawe that is written Pharao king of Aegypt went about by all meanes to afflyct the people of GOD vntill that he caused to be killed al the men children of the Hebrewes But in a little while after all the first borne in the lande of Aegypt were killed Pharao and all the Aegiptians were drowned in the seas In the time of the Iudges Abimelech desiring to reigne ouer Israel caused to bée killed all the children of Gedeon except Ioatham insomuch that Abimelech was made king in Sichem But within a little while after this vengeaunce happened vnto him For Abimelech hauing besiged the Citie of Thebes and taken it and going to take a tower wherein the people were gotten together a woman did caste a peace of a milstone from the wall vppon his head and all to brake his brayne panne â–ª So as sayth the Scripture all the wickednesse of Abimelech which hée did vnto his father in sleying his thre score and ten bretheren God did bring vpon his head The Quéene Iezabel caused Naboth to bée killed for to haue his vineyard But the Scripture doth teach vs that the Lord spake against Iezabel saying that the dogges shal eate Iezabel vnder the walles of Iezrael the which came to passe For Iehu
asketh not counsaile at his God whether it be concerning the dead or the lyuing If any man want light let him looke vpon the lawe and the testimonie whether they speake not after this meaning Notwithstanding then that our enimies doe glorifie and boast themselues in the outwarde appearaunce of their ceremonies and sacrifices crying with the Iewes that there is no nation or people so great that hath ordinaunces and lawes so righteous as al this lawe which they set before the people Although saye I that they doe boast themselues of their Temples and sumptuous presentes and goodly endowmentes and that they do exclayme so many times dayly This is the Temple of the Lorde despisinge the Christian and reformed Church for the poorenesse basenesse and littlenesse of the same They are not ignoraunt that Iesus Christ hath not ben as a stone to stumble at and as a rocke to fall vpon a snare a net to both the houses of Israell and shal be the fall resurrection of many in Israel and for a signe whiche shal be spoken against Insomuch that Saint Paul doth witnesse that Iesus Christ crucified is an occasion of falling vnto the Iewes and vnto the Grekes of foolishnesse and his doctrine a swéete sauour of life vnto those which were saued and of death vnto those which do perishe What is the cause that their reasons doe serue to no purpose for to abolish or change the veritie of our religion grounded vppon the word of the Lorde but rather for to condempne the malice of those whiche do abuse it as the hoggs do of the good pearles and the doggs of the childrens breade which if they doe consider well what their Romish Church is they shall finde it in nothing differing from a policie or gouernement altogether prophane and worldly hauing it subiect not vnto the worde but to their opinion and priuate will a thing asmuch contrarie vnto the Christian doctrine as Iesus Christ doth teach vs that the Lordes of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them And they that are great exercise power ouer them but it shall not be so among them That is the cause why we do not sée any other thing to reigne in the Romish Church then an excessiue ambition and inordinate desire to encrease augment their greatnes as saint Hierome doth testifie of his time that the Churche beeing augmented increased in temporall ryches was also weakened diminished in christian vertues in suche sorte that hee durst well call the Church of his time a sinke and puddle in respect and regarde that it had and did beare vnto the Churche of of Iesus Christ and of his Apostles For the Christian Church is not bound vnto titles nor vnto dignities But to the word and to the true vsage of the Sacraments ordeined of the Lord nor limitted vnto a certeine place as of late the Iewes did referre the doings of their religion vnto the Temple of Salomon the benedictions blessings of the Lord to the mount Garizim but in all people he that feareth him worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him and his welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe is in the middes of two or thrée gathered together in his name What shall I say more the greatnesse of the Christian church doth not consist in the number of persons for as Iesus Christ saith many are called but fewe are chosen And as Esdras doth witnesse the most highest made this world for many but the world to come for fewe As when thou askest the earth it shall say vnto thée that it giueth much moulde whereof earthen vessels are made but little of it that gold commeth off euen so is it with the worke of this worlde There be many created but few shal be preserued Insomuch that the Lord doth make sometime his Church like vnto a wilde and barraine vyne in the whiche one can finde but a fewe grapes yea vnto a budde in the which one can finde but one grape And he saith doe not destroye it for it is blessednesse And therefore the Lorde called his number the little flocke and doth tell vs that straite is the gate and narrowe is the way which leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it I do say moreouer that we ought not to applie or referre the christian church vnto mans commoditie and felicitie For in the lawe of nature we do sée an Abel the figure of the true christians put to death and killed by his brother a Noe despised of his owne sonne Iacob the other prophets banished and constrained to flie that people of Israel so much praysed or estéemed of God compelled by Pharao vnto a great and miserable seruitude and bondage A little while after did wander stray abrode by the wildernesses The king and his people taken captiue in Babilon the Prophets constrained to hide themselues for the crueltie and tirannie of the kings In the Christian lawe the first Herolde and Ambassadour of Iesus Christe and of his gospell Iohn Baptist put to death by king Herod Iesus Christ from his birth or assoone as he was borne fledde into Aegypt The Apostles counted as shéepe to be slaine and after the Apostles I do meane from the time of the Romaine Emperours a verie bucherie and slaughter of Christians For all the same we haue none occasion to be offended or to be angrie with our selues seing the peace of the wicked and vngodly or to withdraw vs from the Christian Church for the aduersities of the same for euen as in the time of the vniuersal floude Noe and all his family were preserued from the waters and the Arke coulde not be forced with the windes and tempests or as the people of Israel erring and wandering in the wildernesse and vnknowen places were conducted and guided by the Lorde in the night by a piller of fire and by day in a piller of a cloude Finally as that ship wherin the Apostles were being tossed vppe and downe in the sea did séeme to manasse the Apostles of drowning if it had not béene that Iesus Christ at his comming caused the windes to cease and the sea to be calme Euen so this heauenly Arke I do meane the Christian Church or congregation being builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets that corner stone which is Iesus Christ yea him which hath promised vnto his that he wil aide and helpe them euen vnto the end of the world forasmuch as he doth fortifie him in his afflictions that nowe of late the Arke of Noe did lifte vp it selfe aboue the waters stormes and tempests Wherefore it should be in vaine for to no purpose for vs here to alledge the magnificence and greatnesse of the Romishe Church for that is as if one shoulde leane vppon a stafe of a broken reade that is to say vpon mans force and strength Or for vs to
blame the poorenesse and littlenesse of our church forasmuch as it is staied vpon the worde of the Lorde which abideth for euer But we must rather accuse the malice of those which do rise vp against vs for to destroy and ruinate that principall foundation whiche is Iesus Christ in whom all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom we also are built together made the habitation of God by the spirite for as we ought not to blame Moses nor to attribute vnto his doctrine that the people of God did not multiplie and increase but vnto king Pharao which did force them vnto an extréeme and miserable seruitude and bondage euen vnto the killing of the first borne of the people neither vnto the prophet Helyas that in his time the true Prophets were no more at commaundement but rather vnto king Achab and Iesabel his wife whiche did followe and chase them vnto death No more also then we ought to blame Sainct Iohn Baptist the messenger or forerunner of the sonne of God or the Apostles of Iesus Christe because that so many people did put themselues against the Christian lawe But to accuse the ambition of the Romaine Emperours together with the priuie hatred of the Scribes and Pharises willing to deface in the earth the memorie of Christ In like manner we ought not to condempne the true Christian religion or to stay vs or tarrie vppon the default of those which do professe it but to acknowledge the rage furie of the enimies of the crosse of Christ and in the meane season to beare patiently the manners of our domesticalls teaching them with gentlenesse prouing if God at any time will giue them grace that being conuerted they may know the trueth And because that the haruest is great but the labourers are fewe let vs on our parte pray vnto the Lord of the haruest to send foorth labourers into his haruest and that for so many hired and vnprofitable shepherds he do send good shepherds into his folde looking for or beholding the cōming of the true shepherde of our soules our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glory for euer Amen 1. CORINT 1. d. VVhen the world by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of God it pleased god by folish preaching to saue them that beleeue A prayer O Lorde whiche hast spoken by thy Prophet I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent yea which hast chosen the foolish things of this world for to confounde the wise and the weake and féeble things for to confounde the strong and the vile and despised and those which are not for to abolish those which are to the end that no flesh doe glorifie himselfe before thée Poure out thy vengeaunce vpon those which are of a corrupt iudgement rebuke as concerning the faith Who as Iannes and Iambres withstode Moses also of a purpose doe resist the trueth of thy gospel and do count the worde of the crosse folishnesse Breake a sunder and confounde the enterprises and counsailes of all those which do eleuate themselues against thy holy Mounteine as thou hast destroyed the strength and force of all the kings and monarkes of the worlde by that little stone cut out of the rocke without any handes and hast abated the pride of the mightie through the humilitie of thy sonne to the end that all the worlde may knowe that thy kingdome is not of this worlde and that the felicitie of thine doth not lie in this present life but in the kingdome of the blessed Finally that the Christian Church is not an assemblie of proude and imperious Magistrates but of those which do humble themselues vnder thy obedience and do put themselues vnder the yoke of thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde And yet Lord that bicause of vs thy name is blamed not among the Christians onely but also among the straungers in so much that our sinnes demerites do giue occasion vnto our enimies of slaunder and to vs of confusion and rebuke Neuerthelesse O Lord in asmuch as thorough the incredulitie of some of ours thy lawe is no lesse veritable and true as it is written That thou mightest be iustified in thy sayings and ouercome when thou art iudged Remember not O Lord for thy fatherly goodnesse our offences and haue not in minde the wickednes of those which do polute and blame thy name but beholde the face of him which was holden and taken to be of the companie of the malefactours and hath protested before thy maiestie that the rebukes of them which rebuked thée were fallen vpō him our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ THAT NONE CAN HINder or stoppe the course of the religion by fire and sword threatnings and bonds Cap. 6. 2. CORINT 13. c. ¶ VVe can do nothing against the trueth but for the trueth IF the Scripture doth teach vs in diuers places that the Gospel is none other thing but a message of peace according as Esaie saith that beautifull are the féete of him that bringeth the message from the mounteine proclaimeth peace that bringeth the good tidings precheth health saith vnto Syon thy God is the king if say I the same prophet speaking of the vocation and calling of the Gentiles and message of the gospel doth write in the persone of the Lorde that he will let peace into her like a water floud and the might of the heathen like a flowing streame and that in that same time men shall breake their swords and spears to make sythes sickles sawes thereof From that time forth shall not one people lifte vp weapon against another neither shal they learne to fight from thenceforth according to that we do reade that at the fist or new comming of the sonne of God that there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers lauding God and saying glorie be to God in the hie heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will. As it is most euident that Iesus Christ our sauiour was borne vnder Cesar Augustus reigne a kingdome full of tranquilitie and peace truely the Ambassadour and herauld of one such message ought to obserue and kéepe a great méekenesse and gentlenesse in his charge profession For it is most certeine that Moses and Iesus Christ in that haue had a singuler prerogatiue aboue all other of Moses the scripture saith that he was a verie méeke man aboue all the men of the earth what Iesus Christ was he himselfe doth manifest and declare it when he cried with a loude voice come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am méeke and lowely in heart In somuch that the Prophet speaking of his méekenesse saith he shall not be an outcrier nor
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
one smal fault fearing to lose their prebendes dignities and prerogatiues and in the meane time doe make it no conscience to bée founde dailie with conspiracies and threatnings for to put an whole realme in a pray for to shed as water the innocent blood O time O manners the prince doth vnderstande it the Senate doth sée it And yet neuerthelesse such good Lords do liue what sayde I liue yea doe sitte in counsell which if they are so curious to marke the dooinges of their fathers for to serue them in their owne dooinges They will remember verie well the saying of Sainct Ambrose béeing printed and set in their Canons that is to say that the true munitions of Gods ministers are wéepings teares Insomuch that thys good author doth crye so often that béeing forced and constrayned he may sigh and wéepe otherwise he cannot resist In such sort that he did not determine to take for his weapons against the iniuries of the men of Gotia but his wéepings and his teares I wyll not héere referre the dooing of Moses Hely and Iehu vnto our time and of an especiall and perticuler acte to make a generall rule among the christian princes for to arme and moue them vnto some kynde of cruelnesse against so many false priests I doe accorde with them that they doe kéepe the zeale of them and leaue the déede such as it is So that according to the example of Iesus Christ king of kinges and Lorde of Lordes they doe cast out of the christian Church so many marchaunts and hyred priestes and doe not suffer that of Gods house they doe make it a market or a denne of théeues For euen as Ely was grieuously punished for hiding and coueringe the sinnes of his children Also it is to bee feared that the lyke doe not chaunce and happen vnto those which are establyshed by the LORDE for to mainteine and keepe the estate of the religion and in the meane time doe suffer freely and vnpunished the sinnes of the pastors and teachers of the people and it is to be feared but that the Lord will send in the ende that which is spoken of in Ezechiell that is to say calamitie vpon calamitie crie vpon crie that the lawe of the priest doe not perish and the counsaile of the elders As the same Lorde did menace and threaten his people in an other place of the Prophet saying that hée wyll forbid the heauen to giue them any dew and the earth to giue them increase And will call for a drouth vppon the earth both vpon the land and vppon the mountaines vppon euery thing that the ground bringeth vpon men and vpon cattel yea and vpon al handie labour Bicause saith he that his house lyeth so wast that euery man runneth to his owne house The Lord shewing and declaring the fault and ingratitude of those which for to vnderstand the affaires and dooings of this worlde doe negligentlie passe their duetie in that which apperteineth vnto the affaires of the religion They cannot abide that any thing should bee attempted either in déede or worde against their personnes or goodes And they do not thinke it straunge to crucifie Iesus Christ for to saue a théefe and a seditious Barrabas or for to cut off the head of Iohn Baptist for to gratifie and please the desire of others Haue not haue not then O ye christian princes regarde to the brightnesse and magnificence of the Romish Church And beléeue not lightlie all lying spirites But proue the spirites whether they are of God or not for many false prophetes are gone out into the world and way not the dooing of the religion to the opinion of the common people But to the word of God according to the which the Lord would bée serued and honoured and not according to the mindes of men Forasmuch thē as such professors of the truth do goe in shéepes clothing and inwardlie are rauening wolues Also doe shew outwardly in their temples some appearaunce of religion as of late the Aegyptians did yet in the meane time vnder coloure of deuotion doe worshippe the creatures and workes of their handes And forasmuch as the Lord hy his prophet doth call you Noursses of his church chase driue away from his shéepefolde so many vnprofitable and hired shéepheardes And in their place send workemen approued workemen that néede not to be ashamed which doe deuide the word of truth iustly Cause that those which doe professe to teach doe put from them foolish and vnlearned questions that they doe nothing in declining to one side To conclude that they doe not giue heede to ieerish fables and genealogies nor to the commaundements of men for to turne them from the truth but that they doe handle the woorde purely as by God before God by Christ not through enuie contention or discorde But purely as those which are constituted for the defence of the gospell In that dooing as saith Sainct Paule of the true ministers of the church you shall saue your selues and those that doe here the word Amen 2. Paralip 29. a. Ezechias caused the Leuites and priestes to come and assembled thē together into the East streete And sayd vnto them here me ye Leuites purifie your selues halow the house of the Lord God of your fathers and bring out the filthinesse out of the holy place A Prayer O Lord in whom are the riches and honours and which reignest ouer all in whose hande are power and strength and greatnesse empire vnto all things which prouest the heartes and hast pleasure in plainnesse disposest the thoughts of the hearts of the people Giue thy iudgments and thy iustice vnto the king whom thou hast established ouer vs to the ende that he may iustly commaunde thy people to kéepe thy lawe Prepare so our heartes that wée liuing vnder his obedience in all sanctitie and righteousnesse may worship thée also with one will in spirite and trueth not dooing that that séemeth good in our owne eyes but that which is agreable vnto thee and that which thou commaundest vs To the ende that by that meanes all the world may know that the same that thou hast of late forespoken or prophesied of thy church be verified in vs that is to say the kings shal be the nursing fathers of thy people queenes shal be their noursing mothers for to norish and féede them of spirituall meat of which thy welbeloued sonne said that his meat was to doe the will of him the sent him our Lord Iesus Christ To whom be glory for euer ¶ THAT IT IS THE RENOWNE of a Christian prince to be beloued of his Subiectes Cap. 9. Siraac in his Ecclesiast 6. c. ¶ A faithfull friende is a strong defence FOrasmuch then as euerie kingdome deuided within it selfe shall bée desolate And euery house deuided within it selfe shall fall one vpon an other And experience doth teach
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
is as the sinne of witches and stubburnnesse is wickednesse and idolatrie It is most true that more greater goodnesse cannot happen vnto kingdomes common wealthes and cities well dispensed and gouerned then to make them to obey the lawes Inasmuch chiefely as they doe teach none other thing but the obedience due vnto the superiours As Xenophon doth witnesse that Lycurgus could finde no better meanes to make the citie of Sparta to florishe then to accustome the inhabiters of the same to obey vnto the lawes As more amplie Cicero doth declare that the spirite and the counsaile and the sentence of the coÌ„mon welth doe consist in the lawes and as the bodie without the soule so the common welth without the lawe cannot stand the which ought to be vnderstanded not onely for the regarde of the subiectes but also of the Magistrates princes and other superious and verie well Cyrus the king of the Persians did declare vnto his sonne that he must be â—elie iust and a greate obseruator and kéeper of the lawes As also the lawes of the Emperour do witnesse that it is a kingly voice and worthie for a vertuous and he royeoll prince to confesse him selfe to be subiect bound vnto the lawe That is the cause wherefore the Egyptians did adiure their Iudges and Magistrates to iudge nothing vniustly and wrongfully although that they had expresse coÌ„maundement Euen so Anthonius the third of the name did signifie sometime by letters vnto his officers that when he did coÌ„maund any thing coÌ„trarie vnto the lawes that they should not obey him And verie wel the ciuil law hath prouided in that matter which would that the Magistrate should not execute so sodeinly the will of a prince who being moued with anger or with some vnlawfull desire of vengeance should commaund a thing contrarie or repugnaunt vnto the lawe But as Solon did complaine in his time that the lawes were like vnto the spiders webbes the which doe suppresse easely take the little beastes but are broken destroyed by the great beastes Do demonstrate declare that the simple people of a base poore conditioÌ„ were constrained to obey that laws that the ritch puissaÌ„t of this world do transgresse them with all licence without punishment Also it is to be feared that not onely the like shall happen in our time what say I the like but also that the lawes be not violated of the poore of the ritch And it doth greue me verie much to confesse plainly that there are so many Magistrates in the realme of Fraunce that they do beare so little obedience vnto the princes lawes I do no lesse meruaile that there are so fewe Magistrates in other countries and great obedience of the subiectes So many lawiers there are I say in this Realme and yet neuerthelesse they doe regarde neither the lawe nor yet the right of the subiectes On the contrarie parte among other nations a fewe people which doe professe the lawe and yet neuerthelesse Iustice duely administred and executed insomuch that it séemed as saith Cicero a in certeine oration that we doe not holde any thing of that which is of right and of true Iustice but that we doe vse onely the shadows and images of things in the meane time we doe knowe verie well to recite with the same Orator that there is nothing that we ought better to kéepe and reteine in a citie then the ciuill righte without the whiche saith that authour that no man should be master of his owne or he should not knowe which is his owne or which is an other mannes and there is nothing which may be ruled or gouerned among men with right equalitie and iustice But some will demaunde of me where is the faulte I will aunswere with Plato the lawes although they are good are deade without the Magistrates But that the Magistrates without the lawes are liuely lawes and because that the Magistrates of this realme haue more regard to their priuate profit then vnto the commoÌ„ welth and doe traficke in administring their estates as they haue bought them to haue them the lawes do abide as deade and buried because that no man can bée founde that doth obserue and kéepe them The Iewes Turkes and other barbarous and rude nations doe kéepe their edictes and statutes and shall the Christians despise the lawefull ordinaunces of their prince The Christians wil obserue and kéepe diligently the which is established in their fauour shall they not be careful to kéepe and mainteine the edictes and statutes which do concerne the common welth If they doe take it vpon them although it be litle vpon their persons or landes they doe complaine by and by alledging the custome of the countrie and the ordinaunce of the prince if it be not of force or effect they haue the reason And in the meane season shall they not haue care and respect to mainteine the right of the innocent afflicted of the people of God Things truely which doth make me to say that there is verie little loue or charitie among the Christians For loue seketh not her owne things but the commodities of other That little Daniel did returne in iudgement for to saue the innocie of that chast Susanna and did put him selfe for her notwithstanding the credite and aucthoritie of the iudges And shall the Christian princes sée before their eyes the iust to be oppressed and shall holde their peace That worthie king Salomon did sit in iudgement for to doe right béetwéene two harlots and shall the christian princes sée in all places the bloud of their subiectes vniustly shedde yea in dispising and contemning of their edictes statutes and will suffer it patiently if the voice of the bloude of Abel hath cried vengeaunce after the Lord shal the bloud of so many christians so vngently intreated and killed holde their peace if Iesus Christ did rebuke the Scribes and Pharises for the bloud of the prophet Zacharie which was killed betwéene the temple the aulter shall not the lord iudge auenge the bloude of so many good christians shed in the middes of his seconde temple and christian Church for the word of Iesus Christ and for the witnesse of his name Finally if it be written that the homicide or murtherer shall die the death howe shall those scape vnpunished which are an occasion of infinite murthers thinking thereby to pull downe and suppresse all diuine and humaine lawes against their owne consciences for to get vnto themselues fame and renowne and to deface the memorie of the true faithful christians I wil vse no long discourse I do beléeue that they will confesse vnto me willingly that the edicts and statutes of a Prince are either laweful or vnlawful if theâ— are lawful as we ought to presume of the edicts and statutes made with good deliberation aduice of counsaile truely
other Prophet to vse meates not vsed of men And neuerthelesse all that was not done without a greate secrete and misterie and neuerthelesse a man would neuer haue beléeued nor thought that a virgin shoulde beare a childe nor Elizabeth to conceaue in hir olde age To be short he commaunded king Hezekiah to make the sunne to goe backewarde contrarie from his ordinarie course And yet the thinges are happened after the will of the LORD Also after our outward sences we doe distrust our selues often times of strengthes in that that the Lord commaundeth vs although that the things which are vnpossible with men are possible with God which worketh in vs both the wil and also the déede as saith the Apostle euen of his frée beneuolence Furthermore we must not mesure the commaundement of the Lorde after the commaundement of men for often times men being moued with anger doe commaunde vnlawfull vnhonest things as did the Emperour Theodosius whiche caused to be slaine a great number of people in the citie of Thessalonia in the time of Ambrosius Bishop of of Millan And for that cause the Emperour Theodosius was excluded from the companie of the faithfull afterwarde the same Emperour acknowledging his offence caused a lawe to be proclaimed which was that the Iudges shoulde not execute so soone the commaundement of a prince conteining to great seueritie and cruelnesse That same reason moued the consultes not to admit a libell of Refus vnder the title of Refus giuen of anger that is to say except it do appeare that it was ordeined with a good deliberation aduisement The others being moued or stirred forwarde with some kinde of ambition or couetousnesse do commaunde often times thinges contrarie vnto the trueth and also vnto good maners as Pharao which commaunded all his people that they shoulde cast into the riuer all the men children of the Hebrewes saue the maide children aliue A Herod which caused to be slaine all the male children that were in Bethlehem in all the coastes thereof as many as were two yeare olde and vnder A king Ahab which caused Naboth to be slaine for to haue his vineyarde Finally some being puffed vp with a disordinate desire of vengeaunce or rather at the request of others haue no regarde to that that they doe commaunde as Ahab which caused Micheah the Prophet to be put in prison because be tolde him the trueth A king Ioas which caused Zachariah the prophet to be stoned to death A Herod who commaunded the heade of Sainct Iohn baptist to be cut off at the request of his wife of his daughter A Annanias the hie priest which commaunded them that stode by saint Paul to smite him on the mouth But with the Lord it is altogether otherwise for there is no vnrighteousnesse in the Lord our god nor regarding of persons nor taking of rewards I wil say yet moreouer men do coÌ„maund often times that which is not in their power yea that they which haue the tharge giuen them knowe not howe to execute it as those men which would build the Towre of Babel And therein they resembled the Diuell For as the Diuell tooke Iesus vnto an excéeding hie mountaine shewed him all the kingdomes of the worlde promising to giue them vnto him if he would fall downe and worship him although hée had nothing of all that in his power to giue so there are some which many times do promise thinges which are not in their power to giue Forasmuch then as all thinges are in the handes of the Lord also it is he that worketh in vs both the will and the déede euen of his frée beneuolence And neuerthelesse although the commaundementes of the LORD are easie and are none other thing then righteousnesse and truth On the other side that the commaundements of men are full of deceipt guile and hipocrisie forasmuch as man of himselfe is but vanitie yet truely often times through the traditions of men and mens commaundementes we doe leaue and forsake the holy precepts and admonitions of the Lorde euen as the children of Israel did despise the Manna of GOD. And in the meane time desired the flesh of Aegipt the which Iesus Christ rebuked the Scribes and Pharises when he saide wherefore do ye transgresse the commaundements of God through your traditions Euen so haue not the Apostles done vnto whom although that it was forbidden theÌ„ by menasces and threatenings that in no wise they should speake or teach in the name of Iesus yet truely they answered in the presence of all Iudge ye whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then god For we cannot but speak those things which we haue séene and heard As much sayd the Philosopher Socrates a little before he died speaking vnto the Athenians O ye people of Athens saith that good Philosopher I loue you very much but I loue rather to obey God then you Those are the wordes of those children of the Hebrewes being compelled to worship the Idol which the king Nabuchodonosor had made protesting and declaring in the presence of the king that they will not serue the gods of the Gentiles will not worship the Image which the king hath made The which also in like manner one of those seauen Machebeans being neere vnto death doth witnesse and crying with a loude voice vnto those which persecuted him what séekest thou and what requirest thou of vs I wil not obey the kings commaundement but I will obey the commaundement of the lawe which was giuen vnto our fathers by Moses Héere some will saye vnto me that I am young weake of body and spirite and not able to suffer so many tormentes and afflictions which are ordeined for those which wil not obey the comaundementes of men I doe aunswere that euen so were those children of the Hebrewes And those seuen Machebeans and that notwithstanding they suffered death with a good courage bicause of the hope trust that they had in god The other will excuse hir selfe saying I am a woman and weake of nature Furthermore if I doe nowe dye I shoulde leaue so many small children which dailie will bewaile my decease So was the mother of those little Machebeans neuerthelesse it was she the most stirred them forward to kéepe the commaundement of the Lord and moreouer she exhorted them to be patient Others ther are which considering the greatnesse of their familie wil mourmure against God and as the Painims wil blame our reâ—igion To conclude will saue the earth for to lose the heauen To those kinde of people I would gladly demaund whether they are worthier theÌ„ Dauyd which was a king and a Prophet yea of the stocke from whoÌ„ Iesus Christ the sonne of God is come And notwithstanding that he was afflicted on euery side yea of his owne sonne yet truely
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
sinceritie the which is ioyned to an obedience due to the pure worde of the LORD Such hath bene and is yet at this day the custome and manner of those which doe tourne all things into the euil euen as did of late the Iewes who seeing that Iesus Christ healed him which was possessed with a Diuell sayd that he driueth the Diuels no otherwise out but through Beelzebub the prince of the Diuels And then as he magnified and declared his mercy in the conuersion of sinners murmured and sayde within themselues that he was the friende of publicans sinners and harlots yea they cryed with a loude voice beholde a glutton and drincker of wine a friende vnto publicans and sinners To be short when hée declared the kingdome of GOD his father and that hée did miracles his owne rebuked him and sayd that hée was madde and besides himselfe The which also was afterwardes obiected against Sainct Paul by Festus then bicause he declared the Christ shoulde suffer and that he shoulde bée the first that should rise from the dead and should shewe light vnto the people and to the Gentiles And as he thus aunswered for himselfe Festus sayde with a loude voyce Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning doth make thée madde Héerein wée sufficiently declare what we be I meane but of small charitie when the thinges the which ought to moue vs to pitie and compassion doe incitate and pricke vs forwarde to a more greater crueltie and in humanitie The which I will more at large declare by a familier example One can not denie that the right of burying among the christians but that it is a worke verie charitable and pitifull for the which Tobiah is greatly praysed in the holy scripture and in whose fauour the Iabanites were greatly agréeable vnto king Dauyd for the burying of the bodie of Saul Insomuch that the olde lawe would not suffer the the bodies of those which were put to death by authoritie shoulde abide any long time hanging vppon the gybet But it would that they should be incontinently taken downe and buried And neuerthelesse a man shall finde at this daye among the christians so much vnkindnesse and vngentlenesse that they are not content to haue put to death their neighboures without the leaue of the Magistrate and authoritie of the Iustice But they exercise towardes their bodies of cruelties more then Barbarous or Sithian the which of late the kingly Prophet Dauyd lamented of his people when he sayd the dead bodies of thy seruauntes haue they giuen vnto the foules of the ayre to be deuoured and the flesh of thy Sainctes vnto the beastes of the lande Their bloud haue they shed like water on euery side of Hierusalem there was no man to burie theÌ„ Furthermore I would willingly demauÌ„d if it be not a work of pitie or loue to burie a dead bodie What crueltie is that to rage on a dead bodie if he bée cast into the fire as sayth Sainct Augustine which hath not giuen meate vnto the néedie where shall he be sent which shall steale the breade of the poore if hée which hath not clothed the poore be put into eternall punishment where shall he be placed which shall spoile the poore of his raiment if hée be dampned with the diuell who harboured not the wayfaring man and the trauailer where shall hée become which hath pilled and deuoured the house of the trauayler Finally if hee ought to perish which hath not visited them that are in prison what shall one doe with him which hath wrongfully imprisoned them Beholde my brethren saith that good man what hope can they haue which doe euill when they are dampned and cast into euerlasting fire which doe no good What shal I say in this matter woe be vnto mée If I do not speake it if an hâ—athen Poet named Ampedocles hath written that all things were established and kept by amitie As also an other Historigrapher hath taught that through concorde and amitie little thinges become great And greate thinges through discorde and enmitie do come to decay and perish According to the same which our Lorde Iesus Christ doth witnesse the euery kingdome deuided against it selfe is desolate and a house deuided against it selfe falleth Insomuch by this marke the LORD doth knowe his true desciples forasmuch as they haue â–ª peace and loue one to an other how much is the charitie or loue of the true Christians to be praysed by the which not onely humaine thinges are kept but all thinges are reconciled to GOD through Iesus Christ The which hath moued Salomon to saye that loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hel Hir coales are of fire and a verie flame of the lord And although that that loue be agréeable vnto God and men yet truely such are the debates and diuisions amonge the christians insomuch that it should séeme that we are come to the time of which the Prophet Micheas speaketh off saying There is not a godly man vppon the earth there is not one righteous amonge men They laboure all to shedde bloode and euery man hunteth his brother to death yet they say they doe well when they doe euill As the Prince will so saith the Iudge that hée may doe him a pleasure againe The great man speaketh what his heart desireth and the hearers allowe him The best of them is but as a thistle the most righteous of them is but as a brier in the hedge And doe giue none eare vnto the voyce of him which sayth that if wee bite and deuoure one an other Let vs take héede that we be not consumed one of another Wherfore forasmuch as it is so that this commaundement is so much commended off in the holy Scripture as Iesus Christ himselfe doth call it a newe commaundement sometime also he calleth it his commaundement And the Apostle Sainct Paul doth call it the bonde of perfection saying let vs forbeare one an other and forgiue one an other if any man haue a quarell to an other Euen as Christ hath forgiuen vs euen so doe wée And aboue all these thinges put on loue which is the bonde of perfectnesse and the peace of GOD rule in our heartes to the which peace wée are called in one bodie of our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer and euer So bée it 1. Iohn 4. c. 16. ¶ God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him and this commaundement haue wee of God that he which loueth God should loue his brother also Beloued let vs loue the one the other for loue commeth of god euerie one that loueth is borne of GOD and knoweth god He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Psalme 41. d. ¶ Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble A Prayer O Lord which hast sayde by the