good and thou shalt receaue prayse of him for he is Gods minister for thy welfare but if thou do the thing that is euyll then be affrayde for he beareth not the sworde in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on them that do euyll Why then did not these men well whome the Bull bewayleth for so should they doubtlesse haue receyued both prayse reward at the Quéenes hand being a gracious and bountifull prince The Quéene hath done nothing in this behalf which God hath not commaūded to be done afore in his law yea and also which is not ordayned in the lawes of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius L. Quicunque C. concerning Bishops and clerkes as hath bene sayd heretofore Yet will I not here sing the prayses of those that are set vp in the places of them that be deposed by Gods grace do their seruice at this day to the Churches of England peaceably and healthfully Their owne vertue commendeth them sufficiently so as they haue no néed of my prayse ¶ That the Queene of England hath not chosen mens opinions for herself and hir realme to follow but Gods pure word hertofore sought out and receyued by King Edward the sixth nor yet sette foorth bookes of heresie or forced her realme to receiue them THe goodly Bull a Gods name proceedeth on still to lay together the rest of the articles of his accusation against the Quéenes Maiestie in these wordes She hath sayth he commaunded hir subiectes to obserue the wicked misteries and ordinaunces which she hir selfe hath taken vp and obserued according to Caluins setting forth Also she hath set out bookes to hir whole Realme contayning manifest heresie But the lying and slaunderous Bull shooteth wide al the féeld ouer Perchance the Romish sort measure al men by themselues and because they them selues hang wholy vpon men in so much as there be many thousandes to be found among them which both will be called haue a plesure to be called Benedictines of Benet Franciscanes of Frauncis and diuersly and sunderly after many others and will both séeme to séeme to liue and glorie to liue according to these mens ordinances rules or appointmentes therefore they imagine that we also woulde be called Lutherans of Luther Zuinglians of Zuinglius and Caluinistes of Caluine and that we hang wholy vpon these mens ordinaunces but it is not so Paule the Apostle of Christ hath forbidden any such thing to be done in the Church saying to the Corrinthians Euery of you sayth I hold of Apollo I of Cephas and I of christ Is Christ deuided was Paule crucifyed for you or were you baptized in Paules name And againe when one sayth I hold of Paule and an other I holde of Apollo are ye not fleshly Therefore the true Christians will be named but onely after christ As for the names of men be they neuer so excellent we acknowledge them not in this case neither do we regard or receyue theyr ordinances furtherfoorth then they agree in all poyntes with Gods woorde and when we receiue them we receiue thē not for their sakes but for Gods wordes sake And the Quéene of Englands Maiestie neuer receiued of Caluin or of any other excellent and well learned men any ordinaunces to follow nor neuer regarded them and yet by the way if any of them haue taught any thing out of Gods pure woord no godly man can take scorn of for the Quéene in that reformation of hirs had an eye onely to the liuely woord of God deliuered vnto vs by the holy scriptures and so she setled all matters of religion vppon the very woord of God and not vpon any men Dauid speaking of Gods woord sayth in the 119. Psalme Thy woord O Lord endureth for euer in heauen Thy woord is a lanterne to my féet and a light vnto my paths Lord thou art righteous and thy iudgement is rightfull Princes sit together and rayle vpon me because thy seruaunt talketh of thy statutes and because thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Princes haue persecuted me without cause but my hart standeth in awe of thy woord And Lord seing I stick to thy testimonies bring me not to shame c. That godly prince of blessed memorie and woorthy of immortall glorie King Edward the sixth folowing the examples of Iosias and Constantine the great two of the excellentest princes that euer were in the world began the reformation of the English church For like as Iosias calling a parlament or Couusell of his noble men Priestes and Commons did first cause the law of God to be read openly before them and then obediently refourmed hys whole realme woord for word according to the law that was read And like as Constantine summoned a generall counsell of the teachers and Ministers of the Churches through the whole worlde and sitting downe among them sayd The bookes of the Gospelles and the Apostles together with the oracles of the auncient Prophets do plainly entruct vs of Gods meaning and will and therefore laying aside all enemylike discord let vs take the exposition of our questions out of the sayinges of the Holie Ghost Euen so King Edward summoning a parlament at London of all the Nobilitie Bishoppes and notablest learned men through hys whole realme admitting also the famousest clarkes of other realmes being Gods seruauntes commaunded them to shew by the holy scriptures what was to be followed of him and his realme in so great diuersity of opinions And they executing faythfully the charge which the King had enioyned them did the same time with one consent and according to Gods woord agrée vpon certaine articles which the King did both receiue and publish without delay wyth this title set afore them Articles agréeed vpon by the Bishops and other learned men in the Parlament holden at London in the yeare of our Lord 1552. for the taking away of the diuersitie of opinions and the stablishing of consente in the true religion published by authoritie of the Kinges maiestie Therefore by the labour and endeuor of that godly prince King Edward the English Church was refourmed according to the rule and appointment of the holy scriptures After King Edwardes decease Quéene Marie repealing the same reformation abrogated it for a time And Queene Elizabeth hauing receiued it againe by Gods grace hath eftsoones set it vp in perfect estate And therefore nothing els hath she receiued and deliuered to be kept of hir whole Realme then that hir brother of blessed memorie King Edward héertofore most godlily and wisely thought méet to be receiued and beleued of himself and to be conueighed ouer to his subiectes out of the liuely woord of God as hath bene sayd already whereby it appeareth now most manifestly that the thinges are false and forged which the lying Bull hath bruted concerning wicked misteries with spightfull interlacing the name of Caluine receyued by the Quéenes Maiestie and enioyned to the Realme of England
A CONFVTATION Of the Popes Bull which was published more then two yeres agoe against Elizabeth the most gracious Quéene of England Fraunce and Ireland and against the noble Realme of England together with a defence of the sayd true Christian Queene and of the whole Realme of England By Henry Bullinger the Elder AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate AN. 1572. ¶ Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Decennium ¶ To the right honourable and his singular good Lord Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester Baron of Denbigh Knight of the honourable order of the Garter one of the Queenes Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell c. Arthur Golding wisheth health prosperitie and abundaunce of Gods grace WHat mischiefe hath of late yeares bene attempted against this Realme and how great a flame hath bene kindled against the walles of the Church through the great Treasons that haue bene practised to confound the whole state by reason of the Popes most pestilent Bull your Lordship right well knoweth yea and it is euen yet still so apparant or rather present in all mens eyes as there is no wise man but he trembleth at the dreadfull remembraunce nor simple godly minded man but he wondreth at the marueilous disappointing of the daungers which were sundry times ready to haue ouerwhelmed vs euen in one moment had not God reached out his mercifull hand from heauen in the open face of the world to defend vs For it can not be denied but that therby open defiance hath bene made to faythfulnesse and allegeance honestie and vertue were shamefully defaced Religion and Iustice were openly assaulted neiborod and charitie were trecherously despised God and godlinesse were wickedly impugned our most vertuous and renoumed Princes Maiestie was traiterously impeached her rightfull preheminence diuersly assailed her vnblameable doinges causelesse diffamed her gracious clemencie scornfully abused her noble person priuily pricked at the welfare of the whole Realme daungerously hazarded and the state thereof either intitled to inward Competitors or profered as a pray to forreine enemies Is it not a straunge case that a Romishe Bull or to speake more rightly a childishe bable should be able to worke such inconueniences euen where the Gospell shineth most lightsomely And yet we see that not onely some of the rude and witlesse sort but also many of the greater sort which thought them selues no small fooles ne were in deede no young babes were contented to become such Calues as to runne out of Gods blissing into the warme Sunne and to turne their weapons into their owne bowells at the bellowing of an outlandishe Bull which notwithstanding was but a Leaden Bull a paper Bull a painted Bull and had neither breath mouing nor voyce of it own till the Calues them selues had breathed into it But righteous art thou O Lord God and rightfull are thy iudgemētes They digged a pit for others are fallen into it them selues They layd a snare for thine elected and their own feete be snarled in it Yea thou hast turned their purposed mischief vpon their owne heades Let the Papistes still feele and let all the world still see how it is thou onely that fightest for vs O Lord God of Hostes. Now albeit that the brunt of that abhominable Bull were bent directly at our most gracious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth at her Maiesties Realme and faythfull subiectes yet notwithstāding forasmuch as the matter doth implyingly concerne the whole state of Christes Church which the Romishe Antichrist laboureth to draw away frō the obedience loue of her true husband Christ to the adulterous imbracing of Sathan Henry Bullinger the Elder that godly painfull minister of Christes Gospell in the Church of Zurike being by nation a mere straūger but by Christen Religion a deare brother vnto vs hath as it appeareth by his owne Epistle written this present confutation therof in Latin at the request or motion of certeine of our right reuerend godly Bishops By meanes wherof the case which otherwise had bene more peculiar to our selues is now become cōmon to all the true worshippers of christ For such is the nature bond of holy Religiō that whatsoeuer happeneth to any seuerall mēber of Christes Church the feeling therof disperseth it self into the whole body so as they ioy together sorow together also lay all their forces together to withstand their cōmon enemy to put him to flight by the power of the word of the spirite wherwith they be led gouerned Therfore to the end that such as haue any where ben bewitched by the sorceries of the Romish Circe and her Idolatrous hypocrites may returne to their right wits ceasse to be deceaued and that the simple ignorant may not be seduced by such fond toyes heerafter He learnedly pithely breefly confuteth the vnhonest and shamefull slaunders of that rayling and reprochfull libell defendeth the innocencie of our most vertuous souereigne Lady maintaineth the Religion now stablished by publike authoritie of this Realme disproueth the false vsurped supremacie of the Romane Prelates sheweth the right vse of the keyes which Christ hath cōmitted to his Church bewrayeth the weaknes of the Romish Iupiters thūdercracks and discouereth the horrible crueltie and outrage of the Popes in maintaining their wrongfull vnmeasurable power And heerwithall his desire is that the same his doing may turne to the profit cōmoditie of as many as may be For the accōplishment wherof that our nation in whose behalfe it was chiefly writtē may the more largely plenteously enioy the benefit wherof the first cause hath sprong frō thēselues I haue turned the sayd boke into our own mother toung a worke right necessary profitable for all such as mind to keep them selues true seruauntes to God faithfull subiectes to their prince or can finde in their hartes to loke vpō the light of the truth to their own benefite incomparable comfort For doubtlesse if there be any whom the present experience of our owne times can not moue they shall see it euidently proued by this booke that the fruite which the crediting or receauing of Popishe Buls such other pedlary trash of Rome yeeldeth is nothing els but horrible murther Rebellion slaughter Treason all maner of diuelish mischieuous wickednesse matched with most extreme calamitie hartgreef misery and in the end vnlesse Gods wrath be pacified by timely repentance accōpanied with vneschewable losse both of body of soule Wherfore as well in consideration of the premisses as also presuming vpon the apparant signes of your Lordships former fauour great good will towardes me but specially forasmuch as you are of that most honourable nūber vpon whose wisedome foresight trustinesse pollicie stoutnes God hath ordained the securitie of our most gracious soueraigne Lady of her Maiesties Realme subiectes which more is of his owne Religion and holy word to rest depend I haue takē boldnes to
many as shal hereafter by Peters example confesse me to be Christ the sonne of the liuing God and by this true fayth settle themselues vpon me the onely foundation all them will I take and acknowledge for my household that is to say for my church And this that is to say Christ the Rocke shall be the only foundation of Gods church in earth and all they shall be members and citizens of this holy church euen as many as beleue as Peter did and settle themselues vpon this foundation of soule health by the same fayth And this is it that the Lord ment by saying And vpon this Rocke will I builde my Church And least any man may doubt of this simple and true exposition of the Lordes wordes considering how diuers wrest them and draw them some one way and some another Behold I will by other places of scripture also confirme and enlighten this exposition aboue recited Surely the scripture doth euery where agréeably witnesse that by fayth onely in Christ we be iustified grafted into Christ and made members of Christ and his church which is the communion of all saintes that is to say of the faythfull resting vpon Christ and that no creature no not euē Peter himselfe much lesse the bishop of Rome cā be the Rocke the head the foundatiō of the Catholike church And least any mā may thinke this thyng hard and varying from the truth forasmuch as it is directly against the decrées of the Romish church Loe I in this case bring in the cleare and vndoubted recordes of the holy Ghost himselfe speaking by the prophetes and Apostles Dauid in the 18. psalme cryeth out saying Who is God besides the Lord and who is the Rocke besides our God And God himselfe in Esay sayth Behold I lay a corner stone in Sion a chosen one a precious one he that beleueth in him and resteth vppon him shall not be ashamed Moreouer also the Apostle Paule sayeth The Rocke was Christ. And agayne Other foundation can none be layde then is layd already which is Iesus Christ. Which thing he expoūdeth yet more fully in his Epistle to the Ephesians Whervnto in all pointes agréeth the witnesse of S. Peter who sheweth out of Dauid that Iesus is that stone or Rocke wherupon it behoueth them to be builded by fayth which will become the house of God or be made pertakers of the churche of christ Which thinges being vndoubtedly so These wordes of the Lord Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church must of necessitie be vnderstoode of Christ alone as who reigneth from heauen in his saintes as the head doth in the members and from whom as the liuely head they be watered with the spirite and sucke lyfe out of hym and through him do liue a lyfe beséeming hym And to be a head as it is most manifestly gathered by the doctrine of the Apostles is to be a Lord and Sauiour and to inspire life into the members that be subiect to the head Neither may the head at any time be from the body without the destruction of the body Seing then that Christ is the onely head of the Church it behoueth him to be alwayes with his Church By reason wherof she hath no néed of any deputie or vicegerent vpon earth For a deputie or vicegerent is the deputie or vicegerent of him that is absent But Christ is euermore present with his Church For he sayth in the Gospell I will be with you euen to the vttermost end of the world will neuer leaue you comfortlesse Our religion therfore willeth vs and the vniforme doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles willeth vs to expound these thinges not of Peter or of the Bishop of Rome but of Christ only Therfore if ye méete with any interpreters be they olde or new that interprete the foresayd wordes of our Lord to be ment of Peter and the Pope the authoritie of the Prophets and Apostles yea and of this selfsame Peter too ought to beare more sway with you than the authoritie of any men els whatsoeuer they be in the world For Christ abideth euerlastingly the foundation of his Church and as for Peter and the rest of the Apostles and the ministers that haue come in their roomes they remaine as workmaisters of this building which build not vpon them selues being mē but vpon this onely and euerlasting foundation according as the Apostle teacheth plainly in the third chapt of the first Epistle to the Corinth And let this be our brazen wall Neither fighteth it against this that in the Apocalips the Citie of God is sayd to haue twelue foundations and the names of the twelue Apostles written in them For sayth Paule there can none other foundation be layd then is layd already notwithstanding forasmuch as in the laying of this foundation that is to say in the preaching of Christ the Apostles were Gods workfellowes bestowed their trauell faythfully theraboutes therfore that Citie is sayd to haue twelue foundations For otherwise the Apostle in his 2. chapt to the Ephesians sayth You are fellow citizens wyth the sainctes and Gods houshold meyny builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets whereof the corner stone is Christ Iesus him selfe in whom the whole buildyng beyng semented together groweth to a temple in the Lorde vpon whō you also are builded to be a dwellyng place for God through hys spirite And what man that hath his right wits will after these thinges séeke for manifester Wherfore let all of vs beware of that rotten and tottering foūdation which the Court of Rome striueth to set vnder vs. We will yet héerunto adde the wordes of our Lorde that follow after least any thing of this place may remain vndiscussed And the gates of hell sayth Christ shall not preuayle agaynst it By which wordes is declared the power and victoriousnesse of Christ and of his Church of fayth The gates of hell are all kinde of powers that are against it yea euen the power of Sathan which of all other is the strongest and noysomnest to the faythfull And therfore it is sayd that no force be it neuer so mighty whether it be of Sathan him selfe or of the world or of any other aduersary power vnder heauen or in hell shall preuaile against Christ the Rocke and the Church that is builded vpon the rocke which howsoeuer it be tempted and persecuted must notwithstanding at length ouercome in Christ through fayth For the Lord him selfe hath sayd The prince of this world is already condemned and cast out And againe Be of good cheere I haue ouercome the world And Iohn the Apostle All that is borue of God sayth he ouercommeth the world and the victory that ouercommeth the world is this euen your fayth Also who is he that ouercommeth the world but he whych beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God So I say this place is opened plainly inough by laying together
or peruert the matters of the Church and bryng thinges into the Church which Gods word hath not allowed and fill all thinges with mens traditions Furthermore we haue notable examples of those Emperours and Princes which accordyng to the Prophesies came into Christes Church and renownced their heathenishnesse and shewed themselues faithfull fosterfathers ouerséers and defenders of the Church Among the first in account is Constantine who for his noble actes and manifold vertewes was surnamed the great This man closed vp the temples of idols and abolished all heathenish sacrifisings In Nice a citie of Bithynia he called a Counsell the greatest of all Counsels and of most authoritie And there he rebuked the Byshops sharply and layd his commaundement vpon them set order in the matters of the Church Eusebius in the life of Cōstantine is not afrayd to terme this Prince a Byshop bycause he did most diligently looke to the matters of the Church If any man require the authors wordes thus they be Cōstantine sayth he imployed his care vpon the Church of god And bycause many were at oddes among themselues in diuers places he beyng ordeined a common Byshop by God sommoned a Dyet of Gods Ministers Neither disdained he to be at it himself to sit amōg them to become a felow of theirs to dispose to all of them the thynges that made for the peace of god Thus much sayth he Behold here is a Councell called not by the Pope but by the Emperour Wherupon when one Ruffinus obiected a certein Councell agaynst Ierome he aunswered saying shew thou me what Emperour commaunded it to be assembled Moreouer the strife of the Byshops had burst further out if this Emperour had not bridled them and brought them to order This Prince by his intermedlyng in matters of Religion of the Church dyd within a while not onely salue them but also greatly further them Which thing the Emperours Valentine Gratian and Theodosius did in likewise as it appeareth in the beginnyng of Iustinians Code And the Emperour Theodosius in Nouellis tit 2 concerning Iewes Samaritanes c. confesseth to Florentius that the searchyng out of Religion is the chief charge and greatest care that belonges to the Maiestie of an Emperour Also the Emperours Leo and Anthemius in L. omnes C. concernyng Byshops and Clerkes haue set downe by name that Ciuill Magistrates were and ought to be iudges of the Byshops And before the reigne of these Archadius and Honorius in L. Quicunque C. concernyng Byshops and Clerkes denounce a Byshop that breakes the common peace to be vnworthy the name of a Bishop and depose him from his Bishoprike and finally will that he shal be banished The Emperour Iustinian about the yeare of our Lord 550 made many lawes openly settyng order in matters of the Church appointyng Byshops Clerkes what they should do And in Nouellis Constit. 123. he commaūdeth the Presidentes of Prouinces that if the Byshops forslow to kéepe conuocations then they should do it and execute the lawes and mainteyne the ordinaunces of the Church Furthermore Charles the great kyng of Fraunce and Emperour and his sonne Lewis the milde published many Ecclesiasticall lawes concernyng the holy doctrine the ministration of the sacramentes and the Ministers them selues Abbot Ansegisus compyled their lawes into foure bookes But it would be too tedious to rehearse and of these lawes therby to shew and proue that which is otherwise sufficiently proued already namely that the charge of Religion and of Church matters perteineth also to Kynges and Quéenes and that it is no monstruousenesse at all though the ciuill Magistrate determine of matters of Religion vnles those so many so mightie and so holy Kynges Princes and Emperours whose examples I haue hitherto alledged were all monsters But no such thyng can sinck in godly mens mindes who doutlesse do rather beleue that Pope of Rome the author of this rayling Bull is a monster both most hideous and most vgly as hath ben sayd also héertofore Which thinges beyng vndoutedly so the vertuous Quéene of England hath done nothing amisse but rather she hath done her dewtie and deserued eternall prayse for succoryng the persecuted and forwéeryed state of the English Church and for takyng vpon her the case of Religion which she hath vertuously disposed hetherto accordyng as she began at the first deposing from their estate and office the bishops that were sworne to the pope which preached the pope and papistry and not Christ our Lorde and his pure Gospell and preferring to their roomes men sworne to Christ our Lorde and to the Quéenes Maiestie which preache Christes Gospell sincerelye through the whole Realme without any corruption of popery The slaunderous Bull rayling vppon these Ministers of Christ lawfully ordeyned by the Quéene termeth them in way of disdaine and reproch lewd preachers and ministers of wickednes But it is well for them for Christ our Lord sayth Blessed are ye when men reuile you and speak all euill against you béelying you for my sake Furthermore the Apostle was not ashamed to name him self a publisher or preacher of the Gospell neyther are they lewde preachers which according to Paules saying deuyde the woord of truth rightly and honestly and endeuour to shew themselues allowable woorkmen afore God neyther are they ministers of wickednesse that do theyr seruice vnto Christ and his Church with all faythfulnesse and singular dilligence I will not say at this present how cruell those bishops whom the Quéenes Maiestie hath deposed frō their estate cast in prison were when they had the law in their owne handes agaynst the faythfull professors of Christ nor how stubbornely they sticked to idolatry and to the Romane Idoll vnto whome they had bound themselues by othe defending most pestilent and manifesterrors and continewing malicious and vnappeasable enemies of the truth of the Gospell in so much as the Quéenes Maiestie neither could vse their seruice nor ought to wink at their rebelliō traiterousnes lewd meaning if she meant to aduaūce maintain the peace of hir realme the welfare of hir people the procéeding of the Gospell Therefore if these men pyned away for sorrow and dyed miserably in prison that is nothing to the Quéenes Maiestie for they may wite it vppon theyr owne vniust stubbernesse ioyned with maliciousnes they may wite it vpon their owne most wilfull rebelliousnesse and in generall vpon their owne wickednes And as for those that be punished or put to death for their owne offences the righteous Lord God geueth sentence vpon them in his owne law saying Their bloud be vpon their owne heades Most excellent and true also is the sentence of S. Iohn Chrisostome No man is hurt but by himself Furthermore Paule in expresse wordes to the Romanes saith Princes are not a terror to them that do well but to them that do euil but wilt thou not feare power thē do the thing that is
man ought to be compelled to rightuousnesse when you read that the householder sayd to his seruauntes whomsoeuer ye finde make them to come in or when you read that he which was first Saule and afterward Paule was with great violence and compulsion enforced by Christ to know the truth and to hold it whether he would or no The same Austen agayne in his v. Epistle to Earle Boniface sayth where is the fréedome of beleuyng or not beleuyng which these men are wont to blase abroad saying whom hath Christ enforced whom hath Christ compelled Behold they haue the Apostle Paule in him they may sée Christ first compelling and afterward teachyng first beating and afterward comforting And it is a wonder to sée how he that came in vnto the Gospell by compulsion of bodily punishment hath labored more in the Gospell then all they did that were called in by the onely word and that his perfect charitie hath driuen feare out of doores whom greatest feare compelled to charitie Why then should not the Church compel the vnthriftie children to returne if the vnthriftie children haue compelled others to perish Agayne in the same Epistle the same Austen sayth whereas they that would not haue any iust lawes ordeined agaynst their wicked heresies auouch that the Apostles demaunded no such thinges of the kinges of the earth they consider not that the state of that tyme was other then it is now and that all thynges are to be done in their times For what Emperour beleued in Christ at those dayes that he might haue done him seruice by making lawes in defence of godlinesse agaynst vngodlinesse when as yet this prophesie was in fulfilling why did the Gentyles rage and why did the people imagine vayne thinges The kinges of the earth stode vp and the princes assembled together against the Lord against his christ For as yet the world was not come to that point which is spokē of anone after in the same Psalme And now ye kinges bethinke your selues be learned ye that iudge the earth do seruice vnto him in feare and reioyse with trembling How then do kynges serue God in feare but by godly seueritie of prohibiting punishing the thinges that are done agaynst the cōmaundementes of the Lord for he serueth in one sort as he is a mā in another sort also as he is a king In that he is a mā he serueth him by liuing faithfully in that he is also a king hée serueth by stablishing with conuenient rigour such lawes as commaund rightfull thinges and forbid the contrarie So serued Ezechias by beating downe the groues and temples of the Idols and the high places that had bene builded agaynst Gods commaundement So serued Iosias by doing the like thinges So serued the king of Niniuie by compelling the whole Citie to pacifie Gods displeasure So serued Darius by breaking the Idoll and giuing it into the power of Daniell and by casting his enemies in to the Lyons So serued Nabuchodonosor by making a terrible law to all that were vnder his dominion from blaspheming God by a terrible law Kinges therfore in asmuch as they are kinges do then serue God when they do that thing to serue God withall which they could not do if they were not kinges Considering then that kinges serued not the Lord in the time of the Apostles but as yet imagined vaine thinges against God and against his annointed that the sayinges of the Prophetes might be fulfilled truly vngodlinesse could not thē be prohibited but rather it was executed by lawes For the state of those tymes was so far out of order that euen the Iewes slew them that preached Christ thinking themselues to do God high seruice according as Christ had prophesied afore the Genttles raged against the Christians and yet the strength of Martyrs ouercome them all But after the thing began to be fulfilled which is written All the kinges of the earth shall worship him All natiōs shall serue him what is he that is in his right wits that will say vnto kinges Take you no care in your kyngdome who defēdeth or assaulteth the Church of your Lord it makes no matter to you who be chast who be vnchast in your Realme For seing that God hath giuen vnto mā frée choise why should aduoutrie be punished by lawes apostasie be let slip Is it a lighter matter for the soule to breake her faith plighted vnto God thē for a womā to breake her troth plighted vnto mā Or if the thinges that be cōmitted through ignoraūce not through contēpt of religiō be to be punished more gently are they therfore to be neglected In déede it is better who doutes that mē should be brought by gentlenesse to serue God then to be compelled to it by feare of punishment and smart But bycause they that be gētly allured be the better it foloweth not that those which are otherwise should be neglected For it hath done many men good which thing is euident by experience to be first compelled by feare or smart that they might afterward be taught or accomplish the thing in worke which they had learned already by word Thus much haue I hetherto rehearsed out of the bookes of Austen which I suppose do satisfie such as are not giuen to contention in this case Furthermore that euery man should not haue leaue to chuse at his own pleasure and to folow what likes him best in the case of faith and Religion it is forbidden long ago in Gods law accordyng as is read to this effect ye shall not do euery one of you what seemeth right in his owne eyes Marke and heare all that I cōmaund thée that thou mayest fare well and the children after thée when thou doest the thing that is good and acceptable in the sight of thy god Therfore looke what I commaund thée that onely do thou vnto the Lord neither put thou any thing to it nor take thou any thing away Nay truly it is the welspring and originall of all mischief errour heresie schisme dissention and troubles if it were frée for euery man to folow the fancies of his owne head and the imaginations and deuises of his owne hart Which thing is proued by the stories of all ages and by the experience of our time also And ye shall read often in the Prophetes depart ye or turne ye from your owne wayes and you haue chosen in your wayes the thinges that displease me Also walke ye in my wayes and it shall be for your weale And what els is the Popish Religiō but a way deuised set vp by the will and pleasure of man cōtrarie to the rule of Gods word From the which God willeth the Magistrate to turne away his seruaunts and to bring them backe agayne into the way of the lord Dauid the king and Prophet pleased the high God singularly in this respect though in many things he defiled him selfe shamefully that he
neither presented the good intent of his hart or the likinges of his owne will for seruices vnto God nor stifly vrged them vpon other men to be kept but persisted simply and vncorruptly in the way of the Lord according as he himselfe sheweth in the 119. Psalme But king Saul put him selfe quite out of Gods fauour bycause he ouerslipped the commaundement of God and folowed the thing which the good intent of his owne hart counselled him vnto For he had reserued for sacrifice the thyng which God had commaunded him not to reserue for sacrifice but vtterly to destroy and put away Wherupon the Prophet Samuell sayd vnto Saul Doth the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice so much as in obeying his voyce Behold to obey is better then to do sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rammes For disobedience is as the sinne of Soothsaying or witchcraft and stubbornesse is as the wickednesse of Idolatrie And for asmuch as thou hast despised or reiected the word of the Lord he hath reiected thée also that thou shalt not be kyng They that be wise haue in these short wordes what to thinke of the thynges that mē chuse to folow at their owne pleasure in cases of religion namely that they be neuer a whit better then very witchcraft and Idolatry which of all wickednesses are most heynous afore god And I pray you to what purpose is the obedience inioyned vs which we owe not to the Pope and to Popery but to God and the magistrate to their lawes to be short wherfore are we commaunded to eschew Idolatrie and all straūge Religions if euery one of vs may chuse and do what we list But these thinges are now more apparant thē that they néede to be set out with any mo wordes ¶ That Kinges and Magistrates doe lawfully punish yea and also put to death such as breake the true religiō and disobey holy lawes And so this discourse is shet vp ANd although the sayd latter Article of our aduersaries namely that no mā ought to be punished for breaking of the Religion of the Gospell or for neglecting of such good lawes as they themselues estéeme not for good may easly be iudged by the premisses which we haue alledged out of Austē yet notwithstanding least any thing may remaine doutfull and vndiscussed I will by short and euident Argumentes proue that the Magistrate may lawfully punish yea and put to death such as breake the true Religion and set themselues agaynst holy lawes The Manichées and Donatistes in tyme past as hath bene sayd afore were of opinion that no man was to be punished or put to death for his Religion But the holy Scripture commaundeth the Magistrate expresly that he should not spare false Prophetes but rather it willeth all such as rebell against God against his lawes and against the holy iudges to be put to death without any mercy The places are most manifest in the Scriptures and well knowen to all men Read in Deut. chap. 13. and 17. In Exode is rehearsed this law He that offereth sacrifice to any God sauing onely the God of Israell let him be rooted out And least any mā perchaūce may say that these be but Iudiciall lawes and therefore perteine nothing vnto us Paule expresly sayth The law is not made for the rightuous but for the despisers of the law and for such as know no subiection for vngodly men and sinners for wicked men and Idolaters c. Surely the blasphemer is in Leuiticus ouerwhelmed stoned to death In the booke of nōbers he that gathered stickes is put to death for breaking the Saboth for contempt of Religion Also there be certein thousandes of them slayne which had set vp the golden calfe and worshipped it Helias the great Prophet of God slew certeine hundredes of the false Prophetes in the brooke Kyson at the notable sacrificing vpon Mount Carmel Heliseus at the Lordes commaundemēt annoynted Iehu kyng to roote out the house of Achab and therwith to sacrifice all the Priests of Baal together Ioiada the holy Priest of God slew the Quéene Athalia with the sword for her wickednesse And kyng Iosias the deare beloued of God executed sore Iustice vppon the bones of the false Prophetes in burnyng them to shew vpon them being dead what they had deserued when they were aliue S. Austen in hys treatise vpon the xj of Iohn disputing against the Donatistes sheweth out of the scripture by the example of Nabuchodonozor that Christen princes did iustly punish the Donatistes which made light accompt of Christ and hys doctrine Among other thinges If King Nabuchodonozor sayth he gaue glorie vnto God for deliuering the thrée children out of the fyre yea and so great glory that he sentfoorth proclamations of it ouer all his dominion how should not these our Christian Kinges be moued which behold not thrée children deliuered out of a flame but themselues deliuered from hell fyre when they sée Christ by whome they be deliuered to be blowne vp in Christians and when they heare it sayd to a Christen man say thou art no Christian. Such thinges will they do yet such thinges will they not suffer for sée what maner of thinges they do what things they suffer They kyll soules and are punished in bodye They make eternall deathes and find fault that they suffer temporall deathes Thus much sayth he In the new Testament we haue most euident examples of Christes chiefe Apostles Peter and Paule of whom the one did cast downe Ananias and Zaphira for their lying and for their counterfeiting of religion and the other made Elimas blind as it had bene by putting out his eyes because he peruerted the right wayes of the lord Neyther makes it any great matter whether a man be slaine with a sword or a cudgel or a stone or a potsherd or with a woord Killing is killing by what meane or with what instrumēt so euer it be done And God wrought by hys Apostles who in denouncing Gods iudgement against wicked persons killed them or punished them in their bodies by the woord The same thing doth God by the sentence sworde of the magistrate For it is Gods vengeance committed to the magistrate to be executed or layed vpō offenders therfore it is he that punisheth putteth to death by the magistrate And truely Kinges and magistrates haue therefore receyued the sword at Gods hand yea euen in the church that they may maintaine publike quietnesse and punish al such as trouble the peace But experience witnesseth that the publike quietnes is disturbed by fals teachers wherupon it followeth that they may or rather ought to be punished by the purse in their body or with losse of life according to the desert of the trespasse or offence Moreouer it is certaine that the Magistrate hath receiued power to strike blasphemers whoremungers murtherers rebelles and
was made in the bowels of Germanie commonly called the Protestauntes warre witnesseth For he sent an armye of Italians priuily into Germanie and set the Germanes together by the eares among themselues Which thyng the storywriters setforth at large As for the outrages of Paule the fourth they be better knowen by reason of his horrible actes yet fresh in remembrauÌ„ce then that they néede to be set forth in many wordes But all this whole declaration tendeth chiefly to this end partly that such as haue not yet learned to know the Romish Bishops and therefore do reuerence and honour them still may learne to know them euen by their abhominable sayinges and doynges bearing in minde this faithfull forewarnyng of the Lordes Ye shall know them by their frutes and therfore should also so iudge of them as their sayinges and doynges teach folke to iudge of them wherwithall be interlaced by the way here and there some iudgements of certein godly and wise men in former ages concernyng the Bishops of Rome and partly that all Realmes and all common weales which will not wittingly and willingly perishe and specially thou noble Realme of England should hereafter not onely make no account of the Popes Bulles tyrannously deposing kinges wrongfully transposing kingdomes and wickedly assoyling subiectes of their dew faithfulnesse and obedience but also cast them away and tread them vnder foote as they be worthy Ye haue heard how great calamities the Popes haue oftentymes wrought to kyngdomes and nations by such maner of Bulles And he is a wise man that can learne to beware by other mens harmes Therfore if ye be wise and loue to liue at ease kéepe your promise that ye haue made and obey the Princes whom God hath set ouer you maynteyne peace and eschew warres as well inward or Ciuill as outward or foreine And that God may voutsafe to performe these thyngs vnto you pray ye faithfully and diligeÌ„tly vnto him perseuer ye stedfast in true godlynesse and in the Gospell of the sonne of God and cast ye away all the Popish toyes superstitions and Idols all together The Prince of peace voutsafe to graunt you these thynges who at hys commyng into this worlde brought tydinges of peace to the world and at his goyng out of the world left his peace to those that be his euen our Lord Iesus Christ graunt you them to whom be glorie for euermore world without end Amen ¶ FINIS What the Popes beare men in hand concerning their infinite power An obiection The answere To feede Shepeheards Pastors or Feeders Foode Sheepe 1. Pet. 5. Harken to this ye Romish Monarkes Act. 20. What the sheepe or flocke be Teachers Doctrine The maner of the Bishop of Romes feeding Zach. 11. Luk. 22. 1. Iohn 5. The fayth of the Church of Rome neuer fayled Comparison betwene Peters fayth and the Romish fayth Christes bidding of his disciples buy theÌ„ swordes Matth. 26. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn 6. 1. Pet. 2. Esay 28. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 3. Ephes. 2. 1. Petr. 2. Iohn 12. Iohn 16. 1. Iohn 5. Luke 11. Math. 23. Esay 22. Luke 4. Ioan. 20. Marke 16. Luke 24. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 5. Math. 28. Exod. 4. Luke 12. Iohn 6. Matth. 22. Math. 17 Luke 22. Rom. 13. Gal. 2. 1. Pet. 5. Act. 8. 2. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 4. Exod. 23. Queene Mary Queene Elizabeth The giuyng of interteinement and refuge to banished foliâ—s â–ª The barbarousenesse and crueltie of the Romish Byshops Esay 16. The striuyng of the bishops of Rome for the supremacie What monstruousenesse is Apoc. 17. That Quenes although they be women doe reigne lawfully Rom. 13. That the care of Religion belongeth to the ciuill Magistrate Moses Iosue Dauid Salomon The kynges of Iuda Iosaphat Ezechias Ioas. Iosias God made difference of functions and will not haue them confounded Kynges of the new TestameÌ„t haue no lesse authoritie then had the kynges of the old Testament ChristiaÌ„ Princes and defenders of the Church Constantine the great Iustinian Charles the great The Queene of England hath not done amisse in taking vpon her the care of religion in deposing the popish bishops Math. 6. 2. Tim. 1. 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 13. True Christians entitle not theÌ„selues after any men 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 3. The maiestie of Gods worde What order K. Edward the vi folowed in reforming the church of England â–ª What our souereigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth hath setfoorth to her whole Realme to be folowed The Queenes Maiestie hath setfoorth no bookes of heresy to hir realme The abolishing of the sacrifice of the masse Heb. 9.10 Rom. 3. 1. Iohn 2. The masse corrupteth the Lordes supper Read Austen against the epistle of Parmenian lib. 2. cap. 8. Act. 14. 1. Cor. 11. Lib. Epist. 2. Epist. 3. Not prayer but the abuse of prayer is abolished Fastyng Choyse of meates Coloss. 2. 〈◊〉 1. Single lyfe Cunturia 8. folio 665. Heb. 13. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 9. 1. Tim. 3. Titus 1. 1. Tim. 4. Catholikes rites and Ceremonies The Catholik Church The Catholik fayth and doctrine Catholikes Orthodoxi Cacodoxi Whether the Romish sorte be Catholikes or no. The Queene doth iustly forbyd her subiectes to acknowledge the Church of Rome Iere. 23. Act. 2. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Iohn 5. Apoc. 18. The Queene hath lawfully compelled her subiectes to for sweare the Pope and the Papacie 2. Reg. 11. 1. Esd. 10. 2. Chron. 15. Heretikes sayd that no man is to be compelled vnto fayth Psal. 119. Iere. 31. Augustine him selfe also was sometyme of opinion that no man was to be compelled Prouerb 9. Prouerb 27. The Lord him selfe compelled men to the faith Why the Apostles called not for the Magistrates helpe for the stablishyng of ReligioÌ„ Psal. â— How kynges serue God in feare How in what sence AusteÌ„ giueth a man free choyse or will read in hys booke of chastisemeÌ„t grace chap. 1. In hys boke of the spirit the letter to Marcellus chap. 30. in hys booke of Merites remissioÌ„ of sinnes Lib. 2 cap 8. against the second Epistle of Pelagius Lib. 4. Cap. 6. Euery man must not be suffered to folow what seemeth best to hymself in Religion 1. Samuel 15. God commauÌ„deth false Prophetes to be put to death 1. Tim. 1. Leuit. 24. Num. 19. Exod. 32. 3. Kynges 18 4. Kynges 9. 4. Kynges 11 4. Kinges 23 S. Austens opinion concerning this matter Dan. 3. Act. 5. Act. 13. Rom. 12.13 Why the sword is geuen to the Magistrate Lawes of christen princes concerning religioÌ„ * of Idolatry Measure to be vsed in punishing Here is concluded the answer to the articles of accusation The generall conclusion 2. Petr. 2. Who is an hereticke The curse of the Tarpeian Iupiter is not to be feared Iohn 16. The Queene is not cut of from the vnitie of Christes body Dan. 2. Iob. 12. 1. Samuel 9.10.12.15 1. Sam. 16. 1. Kynges 11 1. Kynges 14 1. Kynges 15 16. 2. Kinges 9.10 God vsed the