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
holy Priestes and Kynges beloued of God haue not done afore for we read of Ioiada the faithful Priest in the house of the Lord that he made a couenaunt betwixt the Lord the Kyng and the people verely euen by bynding them vnto God with an othe accordyng to the law and by separatyng them from all superstition and Idolatrie Of Esdras we read thus Esdras therfore arose and compelled by othe or sweare the Princes the Priestes and all Israell that they should deale accordyng to the word Of kyng Asa we read thus They made a couenaunt to séeke the Lord God of their fathers withall their hart and withall their soule and that whosoeuer sought not the Lord God of Israell should be put to death whether he were smal or great man or woman And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voyes and with showtyng and with soundyng of trumpets and shalmes The Scripture addeth And all the Iewes reioysed of that othe for they had sworne withall their hart and they sought God with a whole will and he was found of them and the Lord gaue them rest round about The same thynges are read of the holy kyngs Ezechias 2. Chron. 29. and of Iosias 4. of kynges 23. and 2. Chron. 34. chapters And therfore the Quéene of England hath done well in bindyng the Clergy and laitie by othe to the true Religion agaynst the false ¶ That Kynges and Magistrates ought to compell their subiectes vnto goodnesse and not suffer euery man to make his own choyse in folowing what seemeth best to him selfe THis also séemeth very vnreasonable to the Romish sort and peraduēture vnto others also that haue a mislikyng of this case that the Quéene hath laid penalties and punishmentes vpon such as disobey and hath executed the same vppon those that haue continued in obedience to the sea of Rome For some are of opinion that no man ought to be cōpelled to do good or vnto true Religion or vnto fayth but euery man ought to be left at his owne libertie to folow what soeuer séemeth best to himselfe his owne conscience that is to say that no man should be called to account of what Religiō he is nor examined at all no though he were a Papist but be let alone with his owne conscience And therfore that no man ought to be punished for breakyng the Religiō of the Gospell or for neglectyng good lawes which he himselfe estéemeth not to be good Truly as concernyng compulsion to well doyng or to faith and Religion the Donatistes heretikes taught in old tyme lyke as these afore mentioned and as the Anabaptistes do at this day that no mā ought to be compelled to faith or to goodnesse but euery man to be left to his owne conscience Agaynst those Donatistes S. Austen hath disputed aboundantly yea and that by the Scriptures and by euident reasons agréeing with the Scriptures In which respect I thinke his Record is to be beleued therfore I will now alledge certeine thinges out of him that make peculiarly for the present case In his 83. chapter of his second booke agaynst Petilian the same Petilian beyng a Donatist had sayd far from our thought be it that we should compell any man to our fayth Austen aunsweryng him sayth And shall we then procede to talke as heretikes do or shall we say that the Lord God planteth hipocrisie in his Scriptures when he driueth men to goodnesse by threatnynges and chastisementes Dauid sayth Lord it is good for me that thou hast brought me low And Ieremy sayth Lord thou hast chastised me and I am chastised as a wild bullocke But if no mā ought to be compelled vnto good why I pray you doth Salomon the wysest man that euer was will men so often to chastise their children He that spareth the rod hateth the child sayth he Thou truly strikest hym but by the rod thou sauest hys soule from death Dayly experience the nature of thinges proueth that affections are ouer vehement in men and if they be not remedyed and bridled euē they that might haue bene saued easly and by some light chastisement cast away themselues and others to When mē be out of their wittes they mislike compulsion and chastisement But when they come to themselues againe and sée playnly from how great mischieues they are deliuered by those that compelled thē they be glad that they were chastised to their weale and prayse the rigor which they misliked afore And therefore there are among the latter writers which beyng of S. Austens opinion haue written thus who douteth that the rightuousnesse which is compelled till it become willyng is more acceptable to God then vncompelled vnrightuousenesse which waxeth dayly worse and worse till at length it grow past recouerie ▪ Also the Magistrate bridleth and restreineth heretickes least they might procede to cast away themselues and others to And truly this is both good of itselfe and also the Magistrates dutie so to do Now if they do the thyng by compulsion which they do and seduce no man any more it is a good déede But if they perseuer in their stubbornesse and wilfull offendyng truly the Magistrate hath not offended at all neither is the sinne of these men layd to his charge But we will returne to the recordes of S. Austen The same Austen in his 48. Epistle to Vincent against the Donatistes concernyng the restreinyng of heretikes by force sayth I haue bene of opinion heretofore that no man is to be compelled to the vnitie of Christ but that we must deale with them by the word fight with them by disputation and ouercome them by reason least we might make them feyned Catholikes whom we knew to be open heretikes But this opinion of mine was vanquished not by the wordes that were spoken agaynst it but by the examples that were shewed agaynst it For first there was alledged against me myne owne Citie Hippone which beyng erst whole vpon Donates side was turned to the Catholik vnitie by feare of the Emperours lawes and now we sée it so detesteth the poyson of this your stoutnesse as a mā would thinke it had neuer bene in it And so were many mo which were rehearsed to me by name that I might perceiue by the matters themselues how that euen in this case also might well be vnderstode that which is written Giue a wiseman an occasion and he wil be the wiser And again Not euery one that spareth is a frend nor euery one that beateth an enemy Better are the woundes of a frend then the frendly kisses of an enemy It is better to loue with sharpnesse then to deceiue with gentlenesse He that tyeth vp a mad man and he that waketh a sluggard is trouble some to them both and yet he loueth them both Who can loue vs more then God doth and yet he ceaseth not as well to fray vs healthfully as also to teach vs pleasātly Thinke you that no
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
vsurpyng monstruously the place of supreme head And finally which hath presumed to dispose parsons of churches other Catholicke Priestes and to make constitutions in cases Ecclesiasticall deposing and oppressing the Catholike Byshops and aduauncing or restoryng wicked preachers and ministers of vngodlinesse to the roomes of those that be deposed c. This ye may sée is the fayre Helene for the winnyng of whom the Romish Byshops haue made warre in Christendome now these certeine hundred yeares agaynst all Christen Kinges and Princes This is the ground of all their grief verely this is the onely cause for which they haue turmoyled the whole world and cease not to turmoyle it euen at this day that is to wit in so great light of the Gospell which now shyneth bright and triumpheth through the whole world a most assured proofe of inuincible shamelesnesse and wilfulnesse For the Lord without any parable and most manifestly in the Gospell sayth to the pastors of Churches The kings of the Gentiles reigne ouer them but so shall not you Neuerthelesse the Byshop who will séeme to be the Prince of pastors despising or rather trampling that so manifest commaundement of the Lord vnder his féete is not ashamed to take vppon him all power as well in spirituall as temporall matters And what els is that but to wype away all shamefastnesse and openly and wickedly to rebell agaynst God and to outface him with saying to him but we will do so and not simply but also farre further yea and more to But I haue shewed euidently inough afore that all pastors of Churches are called and ordeined by Christ not to beare rule but to serue in all thinges Monstruously therfore doth the seruaunt of seruauntes which is excluded from all Lordship and appointed onely to do seruice vsurpe to him selfe the thyng that is peculiar onely to souereines whom God hath set in authoritie For if the thyng be sayd to be done monstruously which is done either agaynst nature or Gods expresse ordinaunce I pray you what can be deuised more monstruous than that he whom the Lord of all thinges of whom commeth all power and dominion hath cast downe as the basest seruaunt of all and put farre vnderneath the footestooles of all Lordes should not onely take vpon him the chayre of estate which God hath graunted onely to kynges but also moreouer deuise himselfe a throne which he will haue séeme to be exalted aboue the thrones of all kinges and mountyng vp into the same without remembraunce of his own base estate deuilishly vaunt himselfe to the whole world not now as a King or Emperour onely but also as chief Byshop that obteineth both the swordes and all power both in heauen and in earth Here is that dubbleshapped monster here here is séen that deadly and detestable that horrible also and wonderfull monster which is blased in the holy Scriptures by the title of the great whore which fitteth vppon many waters and vppon the scarlet colored beast full of names of blasphemie But for a kyng or a Quéene to be called a head as well in spirituall as temporall matters within their owne Realme it is no monstruousnesse at all bycause the Lord hath so ordeined it in Gods word Princes be called the heades of the people so the thing can not be sayd to be done mōstruously agaynst nature which is done according to Gods will word With Kyngs I ioyne Quéenes also and not without cause least the Pope perchaunce might surmyse that women are excluded from reignyng or that it is a monstruous thyng if a woman should reigne For we know that the thinges which the Apostle speaketh concernyng the obedience of wiues and the silence of women in the congregation of God are not to be wrested vnto reigning For it is certein that the Lords Apostles impeached not the successions in kyngdomes ne disordered not the accustomed maner of inherityng in kyngdomes Also we know that mention is made in the Bible of the noble Quéene of Saba to her great prayse for her much conference with Salomon Neither will I now say any thyng of Delbora that Iudged Israell of other Princely Ladyes Truly Esay not onely sayd And Kynges shal be thy foster-fathers but also added And Quéenes shal be their nurces they shall bow downe themselues before thée c. Esay 49. ¶ How it is no monstruousnesse for the Queene of England and consequently for all ciuill Magistrates to determine in cases Ecclesiasticall or to vndertake and beare the charge of Church matters as to depose euill Byshops and to set vp better in their roomes NOw then it is out of dout that the sayd most vertuous Quéene is supreme head or souerein Lady in that her Realme ordeined of God himselfe and set ouer the puissant Realme of Englād except it be false which the Lords Apostle and chosen vessel Paule hath sayd Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers For there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of god Therfore who soeuer resisteth power resisteth Gods ordinaūce And they that resist shall purchase dānation to themselues Seyng now that all men know these thinges to be most true it foloweth there withal not onely that the Quéene of Englād is Quéene by Gods ordinaūce but also that the byshop that resisteth her setteth himselfe naughtely agaynst her prouoketh Gods greuous iudgemēt agaynst himselfe But forasmuch as the Pope thinkes it a monstruousnesse that a king or a Quéene or any ciuil Magistrate in a cōmō weale should determine of Ecclesiasticall cases put down naughtie Priestes or Bishops aduaunce set vp better in their steddes and take vpon him to beare the charge not onely of temporall affaires but also of spirituall or Ecclesiasticall matters Lo I will proue and shew by euident and inuincible argumentes and examples of holy kynges howbeit briefly that the same thinges are parcell of their dewtie and therfore that the Magistrate doth then by Gods law and accordyng to the commaundement of the euerlastyng God and that the Bishop of Rome snatcheth them to him selfe and to his rable tyrannically and wickedly agaynst God playeth the Antichrist in pluckyng them from those to whom God hath giuen them That God in any wise would and that he hath ordeined from the beginnyng that Kynges in their kyngdomes and Magistrates in their common weales ought to take vpon them the care euen of Religion and to looke faithfully vnto it and to order it diligently accordyng to the rule of Gods woord this is the greatest proofe that God in hys law doth straitly commaund a copie of the law to be deliuered to the Prince of his people therby to dispose all his affaires And in the same law he commaundeth the Magistrate to make examination of doctrines and to restrayne yea and to smyte such as withdraw mē from God and such as teach stubbornly agaynst the law These thinges are to
be read in Deut. 13. and 17. and in other places of the booke of the law Besides this Moses whom God had made the onely lawfull and chief Magistrate of hys people ordeyned not onely iudges but also Priestes and by Gods word appointed euery of them his office yea euen vnto Aaron the high Priest and chosen of god It would be to long to recken vp these thinges particularly Likewise also Iosue that most deuout Capteine of Gods people geueth charge to all estates yea euen vnto the Priestes to what euery of them shall do For he ruled not onely ciuill or warlike affaires but Church matters also both by himselfe and by others Howbeit he restreined all thinges general and particular not at his owne pleasure but to Gods holy law So did Dauid order the Priestes and the Churchmatters also In conueying and settling the Arke of the Lord wherein is séene the ordering of the whole Religion he consulted with his Princes and afterward made all the people priuie to it and lastly also sent to the Priests and Leuites appointyng them as well as others what they should do Let the first booke of Chronicles be read in which he also sorteth the Priestes into degrées and appointeth euery man his office by Gods commaundement for the which thyng he deserued right great and perpetuall commendation in the Church In the 2. booke of the Chronicles and the viii chapter we read that Salomon according to the ordinaūce of Dauid his father appointed the degrées of Priestes in their ministrations and the Leuites in their degrées to wash and to do seruice before the Priestes c. And byanby there foloweth For so had Dauid the man of God commaunded Neither did they omit or go beyond any part of the kynges commaundement as well the Priestes as the Leuites The same Salomon deposed Abiathar the hygh Priest and set vp Zadoch in his sted And many other such thyngs as these did that wise king Salomon the beloued of God with Gods well likyng his owne glorie The same thinges did the rest of the kings of Iuda Dauides holy ofspryng that folowed after hym For Asa put the Priestes out of office that were defiled with idolatry set in others that were more godly Iosaphat callyng the Priestes together giueth them their charge and ioyning certein of the noblemen with them sendeth them through his Realme to preach Gods law And he not onely disposeth the Courbarres of iudges but also ordereth the offices of Priestes King Ezechias than who there was not a better since Dauid except Iosias onely repayred the temple of the Lord like as kyng Ioas also had done afore him who likewise had the Priestes at commaundement and sommoned a Counsell of the Priestes where he made an excellent Oration to them like a good diuine He delt with them as one hauing full power and commaūded them in these wordes Giue eare Clense ye Cary away c. The Priestes also rebelled not stubbornly agaynst their Prince after the maner of our prelates saying vnto him thou puttest thy siccle into an other mans corne for it is no part of thy charge to commaunde the Priestes But they submitted themselues redely to their Prince and obeyed his holy hestes in all thinges It is declared at large in the holy Scriptures that Iosias did set order in the whole Religion accordyng to the rule of Gods law commaund the Priestes puttyng some of them out of their office placing other in their roomes I will rehearse no mo examples for makyng my readers wéery But vpon all these I conclude that Kynges Princes among Gods people had souereintie and authoritie by Gods ordinaunce ouer the Priestes ouer the hyghest Byshop and ouer the whole Clergie and disposed not onely ciuill but also Ecclesiasticall matters accordyng to Gods law both rightfully and also with singular commēdation And yet in the meane while the Princes meddled not with the sacrificing which God had committed to the Priestes For that was not lawfull for them without punishment as it appeared by kyng Azarias otherwise named Osias who was striken with leprosie for presumyng wilfully to burne incense vpon the brasen altar contrarie to Gods ordinaunce For it is one thing to sacrifice and to execute the offices that belong peculiarly to the Priestes and an other thyng to dispose the Priesthode and discipline of the Church in conuenient order and to kéepe them when they be ordered For God hath sorted these offices asunder and will not haue them confoūded And what man except it be some giddybraynd and froward Anabaptist will say that Christen Princes haue lesse authoritie and power in the Churches of Christenfolke than the Iewish kynges had in the Synagoges Can ye say that the authoritie of these is diminished by Christ our Lord or by his Apostles Most certein it is that it is not diminished by christ For the Prophetes and among them specially Dauid in the 2. Psalme and Esay in his 49. chapter in other places haue foretold that kings should come into the Church of Christ that they should not onely lead their liues there after the maner of other Christen men but also more ouer continue there still in gouernyng defending aduauncing Church affaires as kinges still executyng kyngly power Which point S. Austin handleth excellently garnishyng and enlightenyng it with many sentences agaynst the Donatistes which denyed the Magistrate to haue any power at all to deale in matters of the Church Furthermore it is certein that Christes Apostles remoued not the faithfull Magistrate from the administration of Ecclesiasticall matters therby to make Christen kynges of lesse power than the kynges of the Iewes had For they say expresly that Princes are Gods ministers yea and ordeined to plant the thing that is good and to plucke vp the thing that is euill But who is so ouerlodē with the flesh that he will restreine these things to the flesh onely and to outward affaires and not also extend them to mens soules and to spirituall matters Considering how it is agréed vpon among all men of a right opinion that a Magistrate ought to looke chiefly vnto such thinges as belong to the maintenaunce of the publike welfare of the common weale or of the happy state of their Realmes But it is out of all dout that the diligent care of faith and Religion make to the increase and preseruation of the happie state and welfare of kyngdomes and common weales and therfore no man but he that is an enemy to the happy state of Gods people can deny that the regard of Religion also perteineth to Princes or Magistrates And that so much the lesse bicause we learne plainly by readyng the stories of the kinges of Iuda and Israel that those kyngdomes were and are most happie wherin the Princes do faithfully administer matters of Religion and that those be most vnhappie wherin the kynges either neglect
Emperors own sisters sonne and crowned him at Mens Notwithstanding the townesmen kéeping themselues true to the Emperor were very sore gréeued at the treason that was wrought against him wherefore arming themselues in hast and rushing into the church they slew as many as they met of Rafes partakers and set the church on a swim with blood Afterward they flew also to the palace and set fire vpon it and they folowed the matter so whottely that the King and the Bishop of Mens had much a do to escape and saue them selues by flight Anon after there ensued so great a broyle through all Germanie that no pen is able to expresse worthely the sorowfulnes of these times They that kept themselues true to the Emperour were by the Hildebrandines Gregorians or papistes called heretikes schismatikes symoniakes traytors Nicholaites and fornicaters that is to wit because the priestes tooke wiues which thing the pope forbad them to do Yea truely all places were filled and ouerfilled with iniuries raylinges murthers burninges vprores betrayinges rauishings and all maner of horrible and vnspeakable wickednes Furthermore religion was brought into vtter contempt almost with all men Of all which things the stories of these times beare witnes most aboundantly And this was the fruit of the fulnes of that popish power wherby he deposeth kings transposeth kingdomes and dischargeth subiectes of theyr fayth and obedience They that kept themselues faythfull to the Emperor were fayne to thrust their Bishops out of their cities as ranke traytors to the Emperor And the preachers in many partes of Germanie maintayning the Emperors part enueighed very sore against the Bishop affirming him to be Antichrist and Rome to be Babilon wherof whoso desireth more let him read the fifth booke of the Germane historie of Iohn Auentine in the leaf 426. Neuertheles when Rafe the popes king was after many vnfortunate battelles dispatched out of the way left vnhappy Germanie might take breath againe or the Emperor haue neuer so little rest the byshop by hys pollicies brought to passe that the Saxons set vp Herman prince of Loraine in Lucelbrough to be their king against the Emperor But thys man also by the vengeance of God was slayne and a great sort with him in the assault of a certaine castle by a stone that a silie woman cast downe from the wall after the same maner that Abimelech the sonne of Gedeon was slayne and so he came to a miserable ende But all this coulde not staunche the Byshoppes vnappeasable hatred and outrageons crueltye agaynste the Emperour for he set vp a third aduersary and Antiking against the good Emperor that is to wite Egbert the Marques of Saxony who also a fiue yeares after was beset by the Emperors gard in a mil besides Brunswike and there miserably slayne Thys most wicked and cruell monke Gregory lefte of his schollers after him whome he had so noozeled in his mischeuous deuises and horrible artes that when they were placed in the byshops sea they were neuer a whit méeker toward the Emperor then he was Among these are reckoned Urbane the second whome not without cause the Cardinall Benno termeth Makebrooyle and Paschall the second Both of them were Monkes of Benets disorder both of them most deadly enemies to the emperor bearing the benemous rancor of Hildebrand in theyr brest and executing the same in their horrible déedes for Urban stirres vp the Emperors sonne Conrade Liuetenant of Italy vnnaturally against his father And Paschall armeth hys other sonne Henry the fifth a stout prince vngraciously against his most noble father also The tragedie is most cruell and horrible which these two sonnes played by the egging and incensing of the pope D. Robert Barnes in the life of Paschall and many other Storywriters set out the same at large The Emperor growing very aged and being at length tyred with vnmeasurable toyles and most bloudy battelles for they write that this Emperour was driuen by the leudnes of the popes to fight thrée score and two pitched battelles wherein he went beyond both Marcus Marcellus and also Iulius Cesar of whom Marcellus fought thirtie times and Cesar two and fiftie times in like manner as he thought to haue fallen to composition of peace and was iorneying towardes Mens to the generall Dyet of the Empyre he was trayterously apprehended in hys way contrary to assurance geuen and most shamefully and cruelly bereft of his crowne and robes of estate at Ingelhen by the Byshops of Mens Colon and Wormes It is a lamentable story the which is diligently described by Albert Krantz in the xxx chapter of hys fifth booke of the Saxon affayres At length when the good Emperor being pyned wyth sorow had yéelded vp his soule vnto God at Liege and was buryed in a certayne Abbye there the pope and hys faction would not admit the bishop and clergie people of Liege to the communion till they had digged vp the Emperoures body agayne and bestowed it in an vnhallowed place These blissed fathers burned in so vnreconcileable hatred that they could not be satisfyed with theyr most cruell and continuall troubling of him while he was a liue vnlesse that like a sort of Hienes they also wreaked theyr téene w outragious woodnes euen vpon the holy corse of him being dead These truely are the most woorthy fruites of that vnmeasurable power of the romish Bishops I will not rehearce here what Calixt the second an other scholler of Hildebrandes which came out of the kenell of Cluniak wrought against Henry the fift with whom he would not come in fauour againe till he had graunted the Bishop of Rome the right of inuesting bishops in Germanie which thing had hetherto belonged to the Emperoures Then at length he absolued the Emperor from the bond of excommunication wherein they had wrapped the sonne as well â—â— not without cause do call pope Nocent The hatred that thys man bare toward Philip was whotter then euer was the hatred of Uatinius And that was chiefly for two causes both for that he was of the house of the Dukes of Sweueland which had alwayes set it selfe and as yet dyd still set it self agaynst the tyranny of the Bishops of Rome and also because he had geuen and assured to hys nephew Frederike the second hys brothers sonne the kingdome of Sicill which was the lawfull dowry of his mother Quene Constance descended to hir by right of inheritaunce froÌ„ hir father wherunto the pope also made claime The Bishop therfore sought by all meanes to inforce the Princes of the Empyre to admit Barchtold prince of Zaring for Emperour But when thys deuice of pope Innocentes tooke not place the holy father fell into such a rage that he burst foorth into these wordes Eyther the byshop shall plucke the crowne from Philippes head or els Philip shall plucke the byshops mytre from the byshops head And byanby dealing with the Princes of Germanie for