be magistrate whose care is day and night to haue an eye that the flock of the Lord be not scattered indaungered nor vtterly destroyed And thus haue I hetherto told you what kinde of men they ought to bée to whom the charge is to be committed ouer the Lords people Last of all touching the maner of consecrating magistrates sondrie citties and countries haue sondrie customes Let euery countrie fréelie reteine their owne vsual order I for my part thinke best of that maner of consecrating wherein sumptuous pompe is little or none but what reason and decencie séeme to allow The best and most profitable way is in coÌ„secrating them that are once chosen to vse a certaine moderate ceremonie and that too in the face of al the people that euerie one may know who they bee that are the fathers of the people to whom they owe honour whom they ought to obey and for whose health and welfare they ought to pray The people of God had a certaine prescribed ceremonie which wée read that they vsed in consecrating their kings and magistrates and it is certeine that it was profitablie and for good causes first inuented and then commaunded by God himselfe The rest that is yet behind to bee spoken touching the magistrate I meane to deferre vntill tomorrow And now to end with thanckisgeuing let vs praise the lord c. ¶ Of the office of the Magistrate whether the care of religion apperteine to him or no and whether hee may make lawes and ordinaunces in cases of Religion ¶ The seuenth Sermon THE first and greatest thing that chieflie ought to be in a magistrate is easilie perceiued by the declaration of his office and duetie In my yesterdayes sermon I shewed you what the magistrate is how many kindes of magistrates there are of whom the magistrate had his beginning for what causes hée was ordeined the maner and order how to choose péeres and what kinde of men should be called to be magistrates To this let vs now adde what the office and duetie â—â— a magistrate properlie is The whole office of a magistrate séemeth to consist in these 3. points To Order to Iudge and to Punish Of euerie one wherof I meane to speake seuerallie in order as they lye The ordinaunce of the magistrate is a decrée made by him for mainteyning of religion honestie iustice publique peace and it consisteth on ij points in ordering rightly matters of religion and making good lawes for the preseruation of honestie iustice common peace But before I come to the determining and ordering of religion I will brieflie and in few words handle their question which demaunde whether the care of religion do apperteine to the magistrate as part of his office or no For I see many that are of opinion that the care and ordering of religion doth belong to Bishops alone and that kings princes senatours ought not to medle therewith But the catholique veritie teacheth that the care of religion doth especiallie belong to the magistrate and that it is not in his power onely but his office duetie also to dispose and aduaunce religion For among them of old their kinges were priestes I meane maisters and ouerséers of religion Melchisedech that holie wise Prince of the Chananitish people who bare the type or figure of Christe our Lord is wenderfullie commended in the holie Scriptures Now hée was both king and priest together Moreouer in the booke of Numbers to Iosue newlie ordeined and lately consecrated are the lawes belonging to religion giuen vp deliuered The kings of Iuda also and the electe people of God haue for the wel ordering of religion as I will by examples anon declare vnto you obteyned verie great praise and againe as many as were slacke in looking to religion are noted with the mark of perpetuall reproch Who is ignoraunt the the magistrates especiall care ought to bée to kéepe the common weale in safegard prosperitie which vndoubtedlie he cannot do vnlesse he prouide to haue the word of God preached to his people and cause them to be taught the true worship of God by that meanes making himself as it were the minister of true religion In Leuiticus and Deuteronomie the Lord doth largelie set downe the good prepared for men that are religious and zealous in déede reckoneth vppe on the other side the euil appointed for the contemners of true religion But the good magistrate is commaunded to reteine and kéepe prosperitie among his people and to repel al kinde of aduersitie Let vs heare also what the wise man Salomon saith in his Prouerbes Godlines and trueth preserue the king and in godlines his seate is holden vp When the iust are multiplied the people reioyce and when the wicked ruleth the people lamenteth The king by iudgemeÌ„t stablisheth his dominioÌ„ but a tyrant ouerthroweth it When the wicked increase iniquitie is multiplied the iust shall see their decay Where the word of God is not preached the people decay but happie is hee that keepeth the lawe Whereby we gather that they which would not haue the care of religion to apperteine to princes doe séeke and bring in the confusion of al things the dissolution of princes and their people lastlie the neglecting oppression of the poore Furthermore the Lord commaundeth the magistrate to make triall of doctrines and to kill those that do stubbornelie teach against the scriptures draw the people from the true god The place is to be séene in the 13 of Deut. God also forbad the magistrate to plant groaues or erect images as is to be séene in the 17. of Deut. And by those particularities he did insinuate things general forbiding to ordeine to nourish set forth superstitioÌ„ or idolatrie wherfore he commaunded to aduauÌ„ce true religion so consequently it foloweth that the care of religion belongeth to the magistrate What may be thought of that moreouer that the most excellent princes and friends of God amoÌ„g Gods people did challeng to themselues the care of religioÌ„ as belonging to themselues in so much that they exercised toke the charge therof eueÌ„ as if they had béene ministers of the holie things Iosue in the mount Hebal caused an altar to be builded and fulfilled all the worship of God as it was commaunded of God by the mouth of Moses Dauid in bringing in and bestowing the arke of God in his place in ordâ—â—â—ng the worship of God was so diligent that it is wonder to tel So likewise was Salomon Dauids sonne Neither doe I thinke that any man knoweth not how much Abia Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias laboured in the reformation of religion which in their times was corrupted and vtterlie defaced The verie heathen kings and princes are praised because when they knew the trueth they gaue out edicts for the confirmation of true religion against blasphemous mouthes Nabuchodonosor the Chaldean the most mightie Monarch of all the world than who I
doubt whether any more greate and mightie did reigne in the world publisheth a decrée that hée should be torne in péeces his house made a iakes whosoeuer spake reprochfullie against the true God which made both heauen and earth The place is extant in the third Chapiter of Daniels prophecie Darius Medus the sonne of Assuerus king Cyrus his vncle saith I haue decreed that all men in the whole dominion of my kingdome doe feare the God ofDaniel as is to be séene in the sixte of Daniel Cyrus king of Persia looseth the Iewes from bondage and giueth them in charge to repaire the temple and restore their holie rites againe Darius Persa the sonne of Hystaspes saith I haue decreed for euerie man which chauÌ„geth any thing of my determination touching the reparation of the temple and the restoring of the worship of god that a beame be takeÌ„ out of his house set vp and he hanged theron and his house to be made a iakes The verie same Darius again who was also called Artaxerxes saith Whosoeuer will not doe the lawe of thy God Esdras and the law of the king let iudgemeÌ„t straight way passe vpon him either to death or to vtter rooting out or to confiscation of his goods or imprisonment All this we find in the booke of Esdras The men which are persuaded that the care and ordering of religion doth belong to bishopps alone do make an obiection and say that these examples which I haue alledged do nothing apperteine to vs which are Christians because they are examples of the Iewish people To whom mine aunsweare is The men of this opinion ought to proue that the Lord Iesus his Apostles did translate the care of religion from the magistrate vnto bishops alone which they shal neuer be able to doe But wée on the other side will briefly shew that these auncient princes of Gods people Iosue Dauid and the rest were Christians verilie in deede and that therefore the examples which are deriued from them applied to Christian princes both are and ought to bée of force and effect among vs at this day I wil in the end adde also the prophecie of the Prophet Esai wherby it may appere that euen now also kings haue in the Church at this day the same office that those ancient kings had in that Congregation which they call the Iewish Church There is no doubt but that they ought to be accoÌ„pted true Christians which being annoynted with the spirite of Christ do belieue in Christ and are in the Sacramentes made partakers of Christ For Christ if ye interprete the verie word is as much to say as annointed Christians therefore according to the Etymologie of their name are annoynted That annointing according to the Apostles interpretation is the spirite of God or the gift of the holie ghoste But S. Peter testifieth that the spirit of Christ was in the kinges Prophets And Paul affirmeth flatly that wee haue the verie same spirite of faith that they of old had And doth moreouer communicate our Sacraments with them where hee saith that they were baptised vnder the cloud and that they all dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them which rock was Christe Since then the case is so the examples truly which are deriued froÌ„ the words and woorkes of those auncient kinges for the confirmation of faith and charitie both are and ought to be of force with vs And yet I know that euerie thing doth not consequently folow vppon the gathering of examples But here wée haue for the making good of our argument an euident prophecie of Esai who foretelleth that kinges princes after the times of Christ and the reuealing of the Gospell should haue a diligent care of the Church should by that meanes become the féeders and nourices of the faithfull Now it is euident what it is to feede to nourish for it is al one as if he shold haue said that they sâ—ould be the fathers mothers of the Church But hée could not haue said that rightly if the care of religion did not belong to Princes but to Bishops alone The words of Esaie are these Behold I wil stretch out my hand vnto the Gentiles and set vp my token to the people they shal bring thee thy sonnes in their lappes and thy daughters on their shoulders And kinges shal be thy nourcing fathers Queenes thy nurcing mothers they shal fal before thee with their faces flatte vppon the earth and licke vp the duste of thy feete c. Shal not wée say that all this is fullie performed in some Christian princes Among whom the first was the holie Emperour CoÌ„stantine who by calling a generall counsell did determine to establish true sincere doctrine in the Church of Christe with a settled purpose vtterly to roote out all false and hereticall phantasies and opinions And when the bishopps did not go rightly to worke by the true rule and touchstone of the Gospel and of charitie hée blamed them vpbrayding them with tyrannicall crueltie and declaring therwithal what peace the Lord had grauÌ„ted by his meanes to the Churches Adding moreouer that it were a detestable thing if the bishopps forgetting to thancke God for his gift of peace should goe on amonge themselues to baite one an other with mutuall reproches taunting libells thereby giuing occasion of delight and laughter to wicked idolatrers when as of dutie they ought rather to handle and treat of matters of religion For sayth hée the bookes of the Euangelistes Apostles and Oracles of the auncient Prophetes are they which must instruct vs to the vnderstanding of Gods holie lawe Let vs expell therefore this quarelling strife and thincke vppon the questions proposed to resolue them by the woordes of Scripture inspired from aboue After him againe the holie Emperours Gratian Valentinian Theodosius make a decrée and giue out the edicte in these verie woords Wée wil and coÌ„maund all people that are subiecte to our gratious Empire to be of that religion which the verie religion taught conueighed from Peter till now doth declare that the holie Apostle Peter did teach to the Romanes And so forward By this derely beloued ye perceiue how kings and Princes amonge the people of the new Testament haue béen the foster fathers and nourices of the Church being persuaded that the care of religion did first of all and especially belong to themselues The second obiection that they make is the leprosie of Osias king of Iuda which hée gatt by challenging to himselfe the office of the Priest while hée presumed to burne incense on the incense altar They obiect the Lords commaundement who badd Iosue stand before Eleazar the Prieste and gaue the king in charge to receiue the booke of the law at the Leuites haÌ„ds But our disputation tendeth not to that confounding of the offices and duties of the magistrate and ministers of the Church as that wée would
pageants I do not alledge all this as Canonical Scriptures but as proofes to declare that Princes in the primatiue church had power officiall authoritie and a vsuall custome graunted by God as Esai did prophecie and deriued from the examples of auncient kinges to commaund bishops and to determine of Religion in the Church of Christ As for them which obiect the churches priuilege let them knowe that it is not permitted to any prince nor any mortal man to graunt priuileges contrarie to the expresse cōmaundemēts and verie truth of gods word S. Paul affirmed that he had power giuen him to edifie but not to destroy I am the briefer because I wil not stād to proue that they are vnworthie of indifferent priuileges which are not such as priestes and Christ his ministers should be but are souldiers rather and wicked knaues full of all kind of mischiefe Amonge other thinges in the Canon Lawe Distinct 40 wée finde this written See to your selues bretherne how ye sitte vppon the seate for the seat maketh not the priest but the priest the seate the place sanctifieth not the man but the man the place Euerie priest is not a holie man but euery holie man is a priest Hée that sitteth wel vpon the seate receiueth the honour of the seate but he that sitteth ill vppon the seate doth iniurie vnto the seate Therfore an euil priest getteth blame by his priest hoode and not any dignitie And thus much thus farre touching this matter Since now that I haue declared vnto you déerely beloued that the care of religion doth belong to the magistrate too and not to the bishopps alone that the magistrate may make lawes also in cases of religion it is requisite that I inquire what kinde of lawes those are that the magistrates may make in matters of religion There is no cause whie the king or magistrate should suppose that power is giuen to him to make newe lawes touching God the worship of God or his holie mysteries or to appoint a new kind of true iustice and goodnesse For as euery magistrate is ordeyned of God and is Gods minister so must hée be ruled by God and be obedient to Gods holie word and commaundement hauing euermore an eye vnto that and depending stil vppon that alone The scripture which is y word of God doth abundauntly enough set downe al that which is proper to true religion yea the Lord doth flatly forbidde to adde too or take any thing from his holy word The magistrate therefore maketh no newe lawes touching God and the honour to be giuen to God but doth religiously receiue and kéepe doth put in vre and publish those auncient lawes in that kingdome which God hath allotted him vnto For hereunto apperteineth the giuing of the booke of Gods law vnto the kinges of Israell that they might learn therby the way to do the things which they of duetie ought to sée done To Iosue the Lord doth say See that thou doest obserue doe according to all the law that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee Thou shalt not tourne from it either to the righte hand or to the left Neither shall the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouth but occupie thy minde therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt do wiselie Deuout and holie Princes therefore did doe their faithfull diligent indeuour to cause the word of God to be preached to the people to reteine and preserue among the people the lawes ceremonies and statutes of god yea they did their best to spread it to al men as farre as they could and as place and time required to applie it holilie to the states persons on the other side they were not slack to banish driue away false doctrine prophane worshipings of God blasphemies of his name but settled themselues vtterlie to ouerthrow and roote it out for euer In this sort I say godly magistrates did make and ordeine deuoute lawes for the maintenaunce of religion In this sort they bore a godlie and deuout care for matters of religion The cities which the Leuites had to possesse were of old their scholes of Israel Now Iosue did appoint those cities for studies sake and the cause of godlines King Ezechias was no lesse carefull for the sure paiment and reuenue of the ministers stipēds than hee was for the restoring and renuing of euerie office For honour and aduauncemēt maketh learning to flourish when néede and necessitie is driuen to séeke out sondrie shiftes beggarie setteth religion to sale much more the inuented lyes of mens owne mouthes Iosaphat sendeth Senatours and other officers with the priestes and teachers through al his kingdome For his desire was by all meanes possible to haue Gods word preached with authoritie and a certaine maiestie and being preached to haue it defended and put in vre to the bringing forth of good workes King Iosias doth together with idolatrie and prophane worshippinges of God destroy the false priestes that were to be found setting vppe in their stéeds the true teachers of Gods word and restoring againe sincere religion euen as also king Ioas hauing rebuked the Leuites did repaire the decayed buildings of the holie temple I am not able to runne through all the Scriptures and rehearce al the examples in them expressed let the Godly Prince or magistrate learne by these fewe what and how hée ought to determine touching lawes for religion On the other side Ahia the Silonite saith to Ieroboam Thus saith the Lord Thou shalt reigne according to all that thy soule desireth and shalt be king ouer Israel And if thou hearken vnto all that I commaunde thee and wilt walke in my wayes and doe that is right in my sight that thou keepe my statutes and my commaundements as Dauid my seruaunt did then will I be with thee build thee a sure house But the wretch despised those large promises and reiecting Gods word his temple at Ierusalem and his lawfull worship refusing also the Leuites hée made him priestes of the dregges and rascall sort of people hée built himself new temples which hée decked nay rather disgraced with images and idolls ordeyning and offering sacrifices not taught in Gods woord by that meanes inuenting a certain new kind of worshipping god and a new maner of religion And although his desire was to séeme to be willing to worshippe God yet is he by God condemned for a wicked man Hearken I pray the sentence of the Lord which hee denounceth against him Thou hast done euil saith Ahia as the Lord had taught him aboue all that were before thee For thou hast gone and made the other Gods and moultē images to prouoke mee and hast cast mee behinde thy backe Therefore I will bring euill vppon the house of Ieroboam and wil roote out from Ieroboam euen him that pisseth against the wall
words of my gainsayers but with the examples of those which shewed the contrarie For first mine owne citie Hippone was obiected against mee which wheÌ„ as sometime it held wholie with Donatus was by the feare of the imperiall lawes conuerted to the Catholique vnitie and at this day we see it so greatly to detest the naughtinesse of your herâ—ticall stomaches that it is thought verilie that your heresie was neuer within it And many more places by name were reckoned vppe vnto mee that by the effect of the thing it selfe I might confesse that in such a case as this that may be rightly vnderstoode where it is written Giue a wise man occasion and he wil be the wiser And againe not euerie one that spareth is a friend nor euerie one that striketh is an enimie Better are the stripes of a friend than the voluntarie kisses of an enimie It is better to loue with seueritie than to deceiue with lenitie Hee that byndeth a phrensie man and waketh him that is sick of the lethargie doth trouble them both yet hee loueth them both Who can loue vs more than God himselfe doth and yet as he teacheth vs mildely so hee ceaseth not to terrifie vs to our health Thinckest thou that no man ought to bee compelled to righteousnesse when thou readest that the goodmaÌ„ of the house said to his seruauntes Whomsoeuer yee finde compell them to come in When thou readest that hee that was first called Saul and afterward Paule was constrayned by the violent force of Christe which compelled him to know and keepe fast the trueth of the Gospell And the same Augustine againe In Epist ad Bonifacium comitem 59. saith Where is that now that they were wont to crie and say that it is at euerie ones free choice to belieue or not to belieue Whom did Christ constreine whom did hee compell Loe here they haue the Apostle Paul for an example let them confesse in him that Christ first compelled him than taught him first struck him and afterward comforted him And it is wonderfull how he which by the punishment of his bodie was compelled to the Gospel did after his entring in labour more in the Gospell than all they that were called by word alone and whom the greater feare compelled to charitie his charitie once perfect did caste out al feare Whie then should not the Church therfore compell her lost children to returne since the lost children haue compelled other to their destruction Againe in the same epistle the same Augustine saith Wheras some which would not haue vpright lawes ordeined against their vngodlines do say that the Apostles did neuer require any such thinges of the kinges of the earth they doe not consider that that was an other time not like to this that all thinges are done in their due time and season For what Emperour did at that time belieue in Christe to serue him by making lawes in defeÌ„ce of religion against vngodlines WheÌ„ as yet that Prophecie was in fulfilling Whie did the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The kinges of the earth stoode vppe and the rulers toke counsell against God and against his Christ For as yet that was not begunne which followeth in the Psalme where it is said And now vnderstand ye kinges and be ye learned ye that iudge the earth serue him in feare and reioyce in trembling But how doe kinges serue God in feare but by forbidding punishing with deuout seueritie those thinges which are done against Gods commaundements For in that hee is a man hee serueth him one way but in that he is a king he serueth him an other way Because in that hee is a man hee serueth him by liuing faithfullie but in that hee is a kinge hee serueth him by establishing conuenient lawes to coÌ„maund that which is iust and to forbid the contrarie As Ezechias serued him by destroying the groaues and temples of idols and those highe places that were erected against the Lords commaundement As Iosias serued him by doing the like As the king of Niniuie serued him by compelling the whoale citie to please and appease the anger of the lord As Darius serued him by geuinge the idole into Daniells power to bee broken in peeces and by casting his enimies in amonge the Lyons As Nabuch odonosor serued him by a terrible proclamation which forbadde all men within his Dominion to blaspheme the true and verie god In this therefore should kinges serue God in that that they are kinges by doinge those things which none can doe but kinges Wherefore when as in the Apostles times the kings did not as yet serue the Lord but imagined a vaine thinge against the Lord and against his Christe that the Prophets sayings might bee fulfilled there could not as then I say any lawes bee made to forbid vngodlines but counsell be rather taken to put vngodlines in practise For so the course of times did turne that both the Iewes should kil the Preachers of Christe thinckinge that thereby they did God good seruice that the Gentiles also should freat and rage against the Christians and make the Martyrs constancie ouercome the flames of fyre But afterward when that beganne to be fulfilled which is written And all the kinges of the earth shall worshippe him all nations shall serue him what maÌ„ that were wel in his wittes would say to kinges Tush take yee no care how or by whom the Church of your Lord is defended or defaced within your kingdom let it not trouble you to marke who will be honest who dishonest within your Dominion For since God hath giuen man free will whie should adulterie bee punished and sacrilege left vntouched Is it a lighter matter for the Soule to breake promise with God than a woman with a man Or forbecause those thinges which are not committed by contempte but by ignoraunce of religion are to bee more mildely punished are they therefore to be vtterly neglected It is better who doubteth for men to bee brought to the worshipping of God by teaching rather than for to be compelled to it by feare or griefe of punishmente But because these are the better they which are not such are not therefore to bee neglected For it hath profited many men as wee see by experience first to haue beene compelled with feare and griefe that afterwarde they might either bee taughte or followe that in deede which they had learned in woordes Hetherto I haue rehearsed the words of S. Augustines aunswere to the obiections of them which are of opinion that by no lawe disobedient rebells seduced people and deceiuers ought to be punished in cases of religion I sée my hope doth faile mée wherin I thought that I could haue béene able in this Sermon to haue made an ende of all that I had to say touchinge the magistrate But I perceiue that héere I must staye vnlesse I shoulde goe on déerely beloued and bée too tedious vnto you all I meane to
tribes Such are at this day those arrogant and seditious rebells as trouble common weales and kingdomes as of old Absalom was in Israell and Seba the sonne of Bochri of whom mention is made in the second booke of Samuell Hereunto appertoyne the warres that are taken in hand for the defence of true religioÌ„ against idolatrers and enimies of the true and Catholique faith They erre that are of opinion that no warres may bee made in defence of religion The Lord in déede blamed Peter for strikinge with the sword because he was an Apostle but therby notwithstanding hée badde not the magistrate to be negligent in looking to religion neither forbad he him to defend and mainteyne the purenesse of faith For if it bée lawfull for the magistrate to defend with the sword the thinges of accompt of which sorte are libertie wealth chastitie and his subiects bodies whie should he not defend and reuenge the thinges of greater accompt and those which are of greatest weight But there is nothing of more and greater weight than sincere true religion is There is moreouer a manifest and flat commaundement of God touching this matter to be séene in Deuteronomium For the Lord commaundeth that euerie citie within the iurisdiction of euerie magistrate which departeth froÌ„ God and the worshippe of God should be set on with warriours and vtterlie raced if it reuolted not froÌ„ idolatrie betimes The place is extant in the 13. of Deut. But if the magistrate be coÌ„maunded to punish Apostataes by warre then is it lawful for him by warr to defend the Church in daunger to be drawne by anye barbarous Prince from true religion vnto false idolatrie Iosue would by warre haue suppressed the Rubenits with their confederates for building an altar against Gods commaundemente Iudas Machabeus fought for the people of God against the people souldiers of king Autiochus who purposed to tread downe the Iewish religion which at that time was the true worship of God and perforce to make all men receiue and professe his heathenish superstition Likewise also Paul coÌ„mended greatly those Iewish capitaynes or Iudges which by faith withstoode and turnd away forreine enimies inuasions And Paule himselfe did warre in Cyprus against Elymas the false prophet and stroake him with blindnes he addeth the reason why hée stroak him blinde which he fetcheth froÌ„ the kéeping of religion and saith Ceassest thou not to peruert the right wayes of the Lord c. Act. 13. For the same Paul againe 40. meÌ„ do lye in waite supposinge if hee were once made away that a good parte of the preachinge of the Gospell would then come to an ende and that thereby the Iewishe religion which notwithstaÌ„ding was vtterly false should haue béene set vp and mainteyned for truth But Paul was not negligeÌ„t to remedie this case neither turned hée the other chéeke to haue that stricken too but earnestlie and humblie requireth deliuerie and defence which hee requested not of a Christian magistrate when as yet there was none but of a Romane Centurion neither did hée once gainsay him when hee sawe that hée choase out 400. footemen and 70. horsemen whom hée placed in order of battell ray to conduct him safely from Hierusalâ—m to Antipatridis and by that meanes was Paule the vessell of election preserued by an armed band of Italian souldiers Of the Armenians whom Mariminus the Emperour did tyrannously oppresse Eusebius in the 9. booke and S. cap of his ecclesiasticall historie saith The people of Armenia hauing beene long time both profitable and frends to the people of Rome being at length compelled by Maximinus Caesar to chaung the vse of Christian religion whereunto the whoale nation was most holilie bent into the worship of idolls and to honour diuels in steede of God of frieÌ„ds became enimies and of fellowes aduersaries and preparing by force of armes to defende them selues against his wicked edictes doe of their owne accord make warre vppon him and put him often to much trouble and busynes Thus saith hee It is lawful therefore for the magistrate to defend 〈◊〉 people and suâ—iectâ—s aâ—â—inst idolaâ—â—ra and by 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 to this there is an other cause why the magistrate may take warre in hand For either some barbarous enimie inuadeth the people coÌ„mitted to thy charge tearing and spoyling them most cruellie like a wolfe in a flocke of shéepe when as notwithstaÌ„ding thou diddest not first prouoake him thereunto by iniurie but also after his causelesse beginning thou hast offered equal conditions of peace to be made In such a case as this the magistrate is coÌ„maunded to stand forth like a Lyon and to defende his subiectes against the open wronge of mercilesse â—utthroates So did Moses when hée fought against Arad Sehon and Og kinges of the Amorites So did Iosaphat when hée foughte against the Ammonites and inhabitauntes of mount Sâ—ir So did Dauid when he withstoode the warre made on him by the Syrians Or else the magistrate doth ayde his confederates for the magistrate may make league with the nations about him so that thereby nothinge be done against the word of God when by tyrauntes they be wrongfully oppressed For so did Iosue deliuer the Cabaonites froÌ„ the siege of their enimies and Saule the men of Iabes Galaad fighting for them against Nahas a Prince full of tyrannie In such cases as these magistrats and Princes do lawfully make warre and their souldiers and subiects doe rightlie obey them yea they doe with greate glorie die a happie death that die in so iuste a quarell as for the defence of religioÌ„ of the lawes of God of his countrie wife and children They therefore that enter into warrfare to susteine the troublesome toile of batteile must not set their minds vppon gaine or pleasure wherin they looke when perill is paste to lye â—â—ill and wallowe but iustice publique peace defence of trueth and innocencie must be the mark for them all to shoote at to the intent when the wicked are vaÌ„quished the victorie obteined and the enimies put to flight slaine out of hand or brought to better order that then religion may flourish iudgement iustice may be exercised the Church vpheld the ceremonies rites ordinances and discipline thereof mainteyned studie and learning cherished the poore prouided for widowes and children defended and cared for the all sortes may liue in quiet peace that old men in reuerence maydens in chastitie and matrones in honestie may serue God prayse God and worship God without feare or daunger This was the marke whereto our fathers Abraham Moses Iosue Dauid and other valiaunt men of famous memorie did directe the eyes of their bodies and mindes vppon this onelie their heartes were settled so often as they warred and wente to batteile against vngodly tyrauntes in defence of the Church and coÌ„mon weale To whom and to all other valiaunte and godlie souldiers eternal praise is duelie giueÌ„ of all the Church and faithful saintes But to fearefull and cowardly
the strict kéeping of Moses lawe This rule must alwayes be kept obserued Sainct Peter doth simply commaunde and saye Submitt your selues to all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishement of euil doers but for the laude of them do well And yet the same Apostle affirmeth that we ought rather to obey God than men so often as men do publish lawes against true religion iustice and equitie concerning which I spake in the exposition of the commoÌ„ place of the magistrate And so thus much I thought good to saye touching the abrogatioÌ„ of the Iudiciall lawes Now if euery one of you do throughly ponder with him selfe the things y I haue hithereto saide touching the lawe of God the partes of the lawe the vse or effect the fulfilling and abrogating of the same it will be a thing of no difficultie to determin what euery one ought to think concerning that point or title of this treatise wherof I promised in the beginning of this sermon that I woulde speake somewhat towarde the ende to witte that the testament of the olde and new church is all one and that there is but one way of true saluation to all that eyther are or haue bene saued in this worlde and also wherein the newe testament dothe differ from the olde For since I haue alredie shewed that all the pointes of the lawe haue a respect and a kinde of Relation vnto Christ and that hee was in the lawe preached to the fathers to be the onely Sauiour in whome alone they were to be saued who is it which cannot perceiue that they had none other but the verie same manner and way to be saued which we at this day doe enioy by Christ Iesus And yet that this may appeare more euident I wil not stick to bestowe some paines to make this matter more manifest vnto you with as plaine a demonstration as possible may be although a playner cannot likely be than that which I haue alredie shewed you Verily there is no difference of the people of the testament of the church or of the manner of saluation betwixt them among whom there is found to be one and the same doctrin the same faith the same spirite the same hope the same inheritance the same expectation the same inuocation and the same sacraments If therefore I shal be able to proue that all these thinges were indifferently common to them of the olde church as wel vnto vs then haue I obteined that which I shott at to wite that in respect of the substance there neither was nor is any more than one testament that the olde fathers are one and the same people that we are liuing in the same church and communion and saued not in any other but in Christe alone the sonne of God in whome also wee looke for saluation That they and wee haue all one and the same doctrine I proue thus Our doctrine is the doctrine of the gospel But that the fathers were not without the sanâ—e doctrine it is euident by Sainct Paule who testifieth saying God verily promised the Gospel of God afore by his prophets in the holie Scriptures of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleash and hath been declared to bee the sonne of God with power by the spirite c. What could be saide more plainly The Gospell which is at this day preathed was of olde promised by the prophets in the holie scriptures to wite that the sonne of God should come into the worlde to saue all faithfull beleuers This Gospell also teacheth that the faithful are not iustified by the works of the lawe but freely by grace through faith in Christe Sainct Paule saith By the deedes of the law there shal no fleash be iustified in his sight For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of god declared without the law being witnessed by the testimonie of the lawe and the prophets the righteousnesse of God coÌ„meth by the faith of Christ Iesus vnto all and vpoÌ„ all them that beleeue With Paule S. Peter also doth fully agrée where in the Synod helde at Hierusalem he saith Neither we nor our fathers were able to beare the yoke of the lawe but do beleeue euen as they to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Christ Iesus And so consequently in all other substanciall and material poynctes there is no difference in doctrine betwixt vs and them To procéede nowe they whose doctrine is al one must of necessitie haue all one faith For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of god What doeth that argue that Abraham the rest of the holie fathers are set before our eyes as examples of faith for vs to followe wee sée that it is so in the holie Gospel of the Lord the sacred writings of the Apostles But who would giue vs such forreine examples to imitate as doe not concerne the thing for which they are giuen Paule in many places but especially in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes sheweth that faith must bée imputed to vs for righteousnesse as we reade that it was imputed vnto Abraham nowe that faith of his was not another but the vâ—rie same faith with ours which restâ—th vppon the promise of God and the blessed séede For he calleth Abraham the father not of these onely which are borne of the circumcision but of those also which walke in the stâ—ppes of the faith which was in Abraham before hee was circumcised Besides that also the confirmation of the Christian rule I meane the Apostles Creede or articles of our beleefe is fetched out of the Scriptures of the fathers of the olde testament which is vndoubtedly a moste manifeste argument that their faith and ours is the verie same faith They did beléeue in the Messiah that was then to come and wee beléeue y he is alreadie come and do more fully perceiue neerely see all that which was spoken of before in the prophets as I will anon declare when I come to shewe the difference betwixte the two testaments That all one and the same spirite did gouerne our forefathers and the people of the newe couenaunt who can doubt considering that the spirit of God is one alone and that Sainct Peter doth in expresse wordes testifie that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophets And Sainct Paule also saith Since we haue the same spirite of faith according to that which is written I beleeued and therefore I spake and we beleeue and therefore do we speake Therefore although the same apostle doth in another place saye that the faithfull haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but the spirite of adoptioÌ„ whereby they crie Abba father Yet doth he not denie but that the faithful fathers had the same spirite that wée
excommunication the secular power hath nowe by the space of 30. yeares and more beene called on and persecution hath beene euery where raysed vpp against guiltlesse Christians not for committing heynous crimes and defending naughtinesse but for inueighing against mischiefes and mischiefous men and for requiring the reformation of the Church and yet euen at this day most cruell edicts are out and crueltie is exercised euery day more more against them that confesse the name of Christ yea such is their impudencie brasen-faced boldnesse they dissemble not that the counsell if any must be celebrated shall be called for the rooting out of heresies yea they doe openly professe that the counsell once held at Trent was to this end assembled Nowe since these things more clearely than the sunne are perceiued to be most true thou shalt most holy kinge doe wisely and religiously if without looking for the determination of a generall counsell thou shalt proceed to reforme the Churches in thy kingdome according to the rule of the bookes of both testaments which we do rightly beleeue being written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost to be the very word of God. But nowe that it is lawfull for euery Christian Church much more for euery notable Christian kingdome without the aduise of the Church of Rome and the members therof in matters of religion depraued by them wholie to make are formation according to the rule of Gods most holy word it is therby manifest because Christians are the congregation the Church or subiects of their king Christ to whome they owe by all meanes most absolute and perfect obedience Now the Lord gaue his Church a charge of reformation he commended vnto it the sound doctrine of the Gospell together with the lawfull vse of his holy Sacraments he also condemned all false doctrine that I meane that is contrarie to the Gospell he damned the abuse and prophanation of the Sacraments and deliuered to vs the true worship of God proscribed the false therefore Christians obeying the Lawes commaundements of their Prince do vtterly remoue or take away all superstition and do restore establish and preserue the true religion according to the manner that Christ their Prince appointed them He verilie is a foole or a mad man which sayeth that the Church of Christ hath none authoritie to correcte such errours vicces and abuses as do daily creepe into it And yet the Romish tyrannie hath so bewitched the eyes of many men that they thincke that they cannot lawfully doe any thinge but what it pleaseth Rome to giue them leaue to doe The Ecclesiasticall histories make mention of prouinciall Synods held in sondrie prouinces wherein there were handled matters of faith and the reformation of the Churches and yet no mention once made of the bishop of Rome What may be thought of that moreouer that in certeine Synodes not heretical but orthodoxasticall and Catholique thou mayest finde some that were excommunicated for appealing from their owne Churches vnto the Church of Rome Sainct Cyprian writing to Cornelius the bishop of Rome doth say Since that it is ordeined by vs all that it is iust and right that euery mans cause should be heard there where the crime is committed that to euery seueral pastour is appointed a portion of the flocke which euery one must gouerne make accompt of his doings before the Lord it is expedient verilie that those ouer whome we haue the charge should not gad to and fro by that meanes with their subtile and deceiptfull petulancie to make the concord of bishops to be at iarre but to pleade their causes there where they maye haue their accusers present and witnesses of their crime committed But letting passe the testimonies of men we do now come to the testimonies in the booke of god The most holy king Iosias most godly Prince may alone in this case teach you what to do and how to do with the warrant authoritie of God himselfe He by the diligent reading of the holy booke of God and by the contemplation of things present and the manner of worshipping God that then was vsed did vnderstand that his auncestours did greatly very farre erre from the plaine and simple truth for which cause he calleth together the princes and other estates of his kingdome together with all the priestes to hold and celebrate a counsell with them In that counsell he standeth not long disputing whether the examples of the elders ought rather to be followed or Gods commuandement simplie receiued whether he ought rather to beleeue the Church or the Scripture and whether all the iudgement of religion ought to be referred to the high priest For laying abroade the booke of the Lawe he submitteth both himselfe and all his vnto the Sacred Scripture Out of the booke of the Lawe both he him selfe doth learne biddeth all his to learne what thinge it is that pleaseth God namely that which was commuanded and learned in the reading of the Lawe of god And presently hee gaue charge that all men should doe and execute that not hauing any regard to the auncient custome or to the Church that was at that time he made all subiecte to the word of god Which deede of his is so commended that next after Dauid hee is preferred before all the kinges of Iuda and Israel Nowe your royall Maiestie cannot followe any better or safer counsell than this cōsidering that it proceedeth from God and that it is most fit for the cause which is euen nowe in hand The disputation is of the Reformation of Religion and the true fayth of Christ You know that that doth spring from heauen namely that it is taught by the word of God and powred into our hartes by the holy Ghost For Paul sayth Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ Therefore as true fayth is not grounded vppon the word of man so is it not taught or planted by the same For in an other place the same Apostle sayth My preaching was not in the enticing words of mans wisedome but in the shewing of the spirite and of power that your faith might not be in the wisedome of man but in the power of God. Not without good cause therefore doe we refuse the traditions of men and turne onely to the doctrine of the word of the Lord without which it is assuredly certeine that there is no doctrine nor any foundation of true fayth Neither are they worthie to be heard who thincke that the Canonicall Scriptures are not plaine enough full enoughe or sufficient enough to minister a perfect platforme of reformation They blaspheme the spirite of God imputing vnto it obscurenesse imperfection which faultes no prophane writer can well abide to heare off Sainct Paule in defence of the trueth sayth All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that
he was conceiued by the holy ghost and borne of the virgin he tooke vpon him flesh and soule and sense that is he tooke on him very man neither lost he what he was but began to be what he was not so yet that in respect of his owne properties he is perfect God and in respect of ours he is verie man For he which was God is borne man and he which is borne man doth woorke myracles as God and he that woorketh myracles as God doeth die as a man and hee that dieth as man doeth rise againe as god Who in the same flesh wherein he was borne and suffered and died and roase againe did ascende to the father and sitteth at his right hande in the glorie which he alwayes had and yet stil hath By whose death and bloud we beleeue that we are clensed and that at the latter day we shall be raised vp againe by him in this flesh wherein we now liue And we hope that we shall obteine a reward for our good deedes or else the paine of euerlastinge punishment for our sinnes Reade this beleeue this holde this submit thy soule to this faith and thou shalt obteine life and a rewarde at Christ his hande S. Peter Bishop of Alexandria taught and beleeued the verie same with the blessed Athanasius and Damasus as it may be gathered out of the 37. chapter of the 7. booke and the 14. chapter of the 8. booke of the Tripartite historie The Jmperiall decree for the Catholique faith taken out of the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 7. THE noble Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius to the people of the citie of Constantinople We will all people whom the royall authoritie of our clemencie doth rule to be of that religion which the religion brought in by Peter him selfe doeth at this time declare that S. Peter the Apostle did teach to the Romanes and which it is euident that byshop Damasus and Peter the byshop of Alexandria a man of Apostolicall holinesse do followe that is that according to the discipline of the Apostles and doctrine of the Euangelistes in the equalitie of the maiestie and in the holy Trinitie we beleeue that there is but one godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste Those which keepe this lawe we commaunde to haue the name of catholique Christians But for the other whom we iudge to be madde out of their wits we wil that they susteining the infamie of hereticall doctrine be punished firste by Gods vengeaunce and after that by punishment according to the motion of our mindes which we by the will of God shall thinke best of Giuen the thirde of the Calendes of March at Thessalonica Gratian the fifte Valentinian andTheodosius Aug. Coss FINIS THE FIRST TABLE CONTEYning the arguments and summe of euery Sermon as they follow one an other in euerie Decade throughout the body of the whole booke The first number is referred to the Sermon the second to the Page where it beginneth The first Tome and first the summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the first Decade 1 OF the worde of God the cause of it and howe and by whome it was reuealed to the world Page 1. 2 Of the worde of God to whome and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse 14 3 Of the sense and right exposition of the worde of God by what manner of meanes it may be expounded 23 4 Of true fayth from whēce it commeth that it is an assured beliefe of the mynde whose only stay is vpon GOD and his worde 30 5 That there is one onely true fayth and what the vertue thereof is 40 6 That the faythfull are iustified by fayth without the law and workes 44 7 Of the first articles of the Christian faith conscined in the Apostles Creede 55 8 Of the latter Articles of the Christian faith conteyned in the Apostles Creede 67 9 Of the latter Articles of the Christian fayth conteyned in the Apostles Creede 77 10 Of the loue of God and our neighbour 91 ¶ The summe or contents of the tenne Sermons of the second Decade 1 OF lawes and first of the lawes of Nature then of the lawes of men 100 2 Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first table 109 3 Of the third precept of the tenne commaundements and of Swearing 126 4 Of the fourthe precept of the first table that is of the order and keeping of the Sabboth day 136 5 Of the first precept of the second table which is in order the fift of the tenne commaundementes touching the honour due to parents 144 6 Of the seconde precept of the second table which is in order the sixte of the tenne Commaundements Thou shalt not kill And of the magistrate 163 7 Of the office of the Magistrate whether the care of religion apperteineth to him or no whether he may make lawes and ordinaunces in cases of religion 177 8 Of iudgement and the office of the Iudge That Christians are not forbidē to iudge Of reuengement and punishment Whether it be lawfull for a magistrate to kill the guiltie Wherefore when howe what the magistrate muste punishe Whether he may punish offenders in religion or no. 191 9 Of warre whether it bee lawful for a magistrate to make warre What the scripture teacheth touching warr Whether a Christian man may beare the office of a magistrate And of the dutie of subiectes 207 10 Of the thirde precept of the second table which is in order the seuenth of the ten Commaundements Thou shalt not commit adulterie Of wedlock Against al intemperancie Of Continencie 222 The second Tome and firste the summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the thirde Decade 1 OF the fourth precept of the second table whiche is in order the eighth of the ten commandements Thou shalt not steale Of the owing and possessing of proper goodes and of the right and lawfull getting of the same Against sundry kinds of theft 259 2 Of the lawfull vse of earthly goods that is how we may rightly possesse and lawfully spende the wealth that is rightly and iustly gotten Of restitution almes deeds 279 3 Of the patient bearing and abiding of sundrie calamities miseries and also of the hope and manifold consolation of the faithfull 270 4 Of the fift sixt preceptes of the second table which are in order the ninth and tenth of the tenne Commaundements that is Thou shalt not speake false witnesse against thy neighbour And Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house c. 318 5 Of the Ceremonial lawes of GOD but especially of the Priesthoode time and place appointed for the Ceremonies 327 6 Of the Sacraments of the Iewes of their sundry sorts of sacrifices and certeine other things perteyning to their Ceremoniall lawe 354 7 Of the Iudicial lawes of God. 387 8 Of
orderly procéeded in euery point and taught euery thing so euidently and plainely that there is nothing whiche ye doe not very well perceiue and vnderstand Let vs now prayse the Lord and thanke him for his goodnes for shewing vs his ways and let vs praye that we walking rightly in them may at the last come to his eternall ioyes Amen Of the thirde precept of the tenne Commaundementes and of Swearing ¶ The thirde Sermon THE thirde Commandement of the first Table is thus worde for worde Thou shalte not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine Bycause the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh the name of the Lorde his GOD in vaine In the seconde Commaundement the Lord did set down the worship that he would not haue that he misliked of and did flatly forbid to wit a worldly earthly and carnall kinde of honour a base and vile kinde of worship a seruice that is directly contrarie to the spirite nature and maiestie of God that is to think that God will in shape resemble a man or any other creature made of earth or corruptible stuffe or matter and then againe to worship him vnder those shapes and figures with corruptible thinges that were first ordeined and created for the vse and behoofe of men and not of god For God is an eternall spirite which goeth all ouer and preserueth euery thing whom all the most excellent creatures of the whole world if they were ioyned together in one are not able to resemble nor yet to represent the least iote of excellencie in the liuing god God is so farre from lacking any corruptible thinges that he him selfe supplyeth the want of all our necessities It is a mere follie therefore to set vp a percher a taper or a smoakie torch before the maker and giuer of light It is a very toy to offer flesh of beasts to that eternall spirite who in the Psalmes sayth All the beasts of the woods are mine and the cattel in a thousand hilles I know all birdes vpon the mountaines and in my power are all the beastes of the fielde if I be hungrie I neede not to tell thee since the world is myne and all that is therein Now therfore in this thirde Commaundement the Lorde doth very exquisitely although very briefly declare the manner hâ—w he will be worshipped that is in holy reuerencing of his holy name The names wherby god is called are God Gods Maiestie Gods truth Gods power Gods iustice Now the charge of this commaundement is not to abuse the name of God and not to vse it in light and trifling matters but to speake to thinke and iudge honourably reuerently holily and purely of God and godly things But the pithe and effect almost of the whole lyeth herein that he sayth the name of the Lord thy god to wit which is thy chief goodnesse felicitie thy creator thy redéemer thy tender father Now note that the Lorde doth not barely forbid to vse his name but he chargeth not to vse it lightly or in vaine that is beyond necessarie vse or our behoofe and beside the honour and glory of god Let vs sée therefore howe we ought to sanctifie the Lordes name and howe we maye deuoutly vse the name of God and last of all so worship him as he him selfe hath appointed vs to do Firste of all we haue to thinke of God as of the chiefe felicitie and infinite treasure of all good thinges who loueth vs excéedingly with a fatherly affection alwayes wishing and by all means desiring to haue vs men saued and to come to the perfect knowledge of the very truth whose iudgements are true and iust whose workes for their excellencie are wonderfull and whose words are most true and truth it selfe Then must this holy name of God continually be called vpoÌ„ in praiers néede and requestes By that alone we must looke to obtaine whatsoeuer is néedful for our bodies or souls We must neuer cease to giue thanks to that for all the good benefites that we do or shall receiue For what good soeuer men haue and inioy that haue they not from else where than from God the fountaine and giuer of all This glory must euer be giueÌ„ to god If we be nipped with any aduersitie let vs not by an by murmur againste Gods good pleasure and his secrete iudgements but rather suffering and submitting ourselues vnder his mightie and fatherly hande let vs say with the Prophet Dauid It is good for me Lorde that thou haste chastened me Let not vs appoint God what he shal doe but wholy alwayes submit our selues to his good will and holie pleasure Let vs in al things giue God the glory in praysing openly and plainely professing his name and doctrine before Kings and Princes yea and in sight of all the world so often as occasion shall be giuen and the glory of God shal séeme to require Let vs not be ashamed of God our father of his truth and true religion Let vs not be ashamed of Christ our redéemer nor yet of his crosse But let vs be ashamed of errours idolatrie of the world and vanitie of lyes and iniquitie Let vs holily reuerently and deuoutly both speake and thinke of God his workes and his word Let the law of God be holy to vs let his Gospell be reuerend in our eies let the doctrin of the Patriarches Prophetes and Apostles be estéemed of vs as that which came from God him selfe Let vs not take the name of the Lord our God into our mouthes vnlesse it be in a matter of weight Let vs not blaspheme curse nor lye in the name of the Lorde Let vs not vse nay rather abuse the name or worde of God in coniuring iuggling or sorcerie For in these thinges the name of God is most of all abused Let vs precisely and holily kéepe the othe whiche we haue made by the name of the liuing and eternall god Let vs in al things tell truth and lye not that when this world that will not sée shall be inforced to see so great a reuerence and deuotion in vs to the name of our God it may be compelled thereby to glorifie our father which is in heauen And this verily is the godly vsing of the Lordes name and the religion wherin our God is very well pleased Nowe note by the way that there are sundry wayes whereby we abuse the name of God and first of all we abuse it as often as our harts are with out all reuerence to God him selfe when we do vnreuerently filthily wickedly and blasphemously speake of God of his iudgements of his word and of his lawes when we doe with scoffing allusions apply Gods wordes to light matters and trifles by that meanes turning and drawing the Scriptures into a prophane and vnhonest meaning Moreouer we do disgrace that name of the Lord our God wheÌ„ we call not vpon his name but turne our selues rather to I knowe
not what sort of Gods to mans skill and succour to things forbidden to Idols and coniurers which we fall a doing then especially when being wrapped in miserie and calamities eyther for our sinnes or else bycause God will trie vs we doe presently beginne to murntur againste God and to accuse his iudgementes hardly absteining from open blasphemie in grudging to beare the things that for our desertes we do worthily suffer Here vnto belongeth the abuse of beastly knaues whiche doe not sticke to vse the holy name of God in obteining their filthy lustes whiche they call loue and also the naughtinesse of them that therby seeke to finde and recouer the thinges that are lost or else are stolne from them We doe vnhallowe the name of the Lord our God when we giue not to him all honour and glory We shall peraduenture do some good déede there is perhaps in vs somthing worthy to be praysed if we therfore shall challenge the praise thereof to our selues or at the leaste shall pare out a péece of that glory for our owne share and giue the rest to God not referring it al and whole to God the authour of all then doe we therein defile the name of God which ought alone to be praysed for euer and euer Furthermore if we denie the Lorde or blushe at and be ashamed of his holy Gospell bycause of this wicked world and the naughtie men therein if also we doe spot our selues with a filthy and vncleane life which is to the slander of Gods name and the offence of our neighbour then doe we take the Lordes name in vaine yea we abuse it to his dishonour and reproche We do abuse the name of the Lorde if we take a solemne othe in a trifle or matter of no effect or if we do not kéepe performe the othe that we haue sworne In our dayly talke very often and almoste about godlesse matters we minde are wont to call and take to witnesse the dreadfull name of God hauing learned it of an yll continuaunce and custome or else being stirred vp by some euill motion of oure naughtie mynd we haue an innumerable sort of déep and terrible othes as wounds bloud crosse and Passion of the Lorde heauen earth Sacramentes euery Saint in heauen and all the deuilles of hell Beside all this we abuse the name of God also sundry and dyuers wayes in telling of lyes The preacher or teacher of the Churche lyeth whē he cryeth Thus sayth the Lord whereas the Lorde in déede sayth nothing so He maketh the name of God a cloake and a colour to hide his deceit and doth beguile poore simple soules The Magistrate cryeth out All power is of God and so vnder the pretence of Gods name doth his subiects iniurie in playing the tyraunt and not the Magistrate The common people deceiue one another vnder the name of the Lorde in contractes and bargayning And the sturdie roge vnworthy of almes will not sticke to stande and make Gods name an idle occupation for to get a pennie But who can reckon vp all the thinges wherein Gods name is fouly abused we must all therfore haue an eye that we defile not the name of God but rather blesse it and holily worship it For it followeth in the wordes of the Lorde what punishment abideth for them that so disgrace his name Bycause sayth he the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh his name in vaine And although this commination of the Lord is very horrible in déede and of it selfe effectuall inough to make the godly sort afrayde to pollute the name of God yet neuerthelesse I will adde one example or twaine of them whome the Lorde hath punished for defiling his name Dauid cryeth out and sayth The vnrighteous shall not stand in thy sight O Lord thou hatest them that worke iniquitie thou shalt destroy all them that speake lies But how much more likely is it that the Lord will destroy all them that speake blasphemie and abuse his holy name Saule verily bycause he called not vpon the Lorde in his extreme necessitie but asked counsell of the Pythonisse was compelled to kill him selfe with his owne hande after he had séene his people downe right slaine by the Phylistines his enimies and his sonnes lye deade in the middes of the people Ananias lyeth to the holy Ghoste and defileth the name of the Lorde and falling downe soudainly dead to the ground downe he goeth with shame inoughe to the deuill of hell Sanherib blasphemeth the name of the eternal God before the walles of Ierusalem but anon after he is for his labour bereaft of his puissant armie and in his owne Gods temple is shot through by his owne sonnes Iehoiachim and Zedechias both Kings of Iuda and blasphemers of Gods name are taken captiues slayne by Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon Achab Iesebel and the Priestes of Baal are vtterly wypte out by king Iehu bycause they vnder the colour of god and godlinesse blasphemed the name of God and persecuted the true religion In the. 24. of Leuiticus he that blasphemed the name of god was ouerwhelmed with stones to death And therefore the Emperour Iustiman In Nouellis cōstitu 77. writing to the citizens of Constantinople sayth Moreouer bycause besides vnspeakable lustes some men lash out cursings and othes of God thereby prouoking him to anger we therfore exhort thē to abstaine from cursings and othes by his haire and head and such other wordes like vnto these For if reproches done vnto men are not left vnreuenged muche more is he worthy to be punished that stirreth God to anger with his villanie And for such offences as these doe so many dearthes erthquakes plagues come vnto mē We therefore admonish them to abstaine from those crimes for who soeuer after this admonition of oures shal be found faultie therin they shal first shewe thē selues vnworthy to be beloued of men after that to suffer such punishment as the lawe shall appoint For we haue giuē in charge to the right honourable the Lieftenant of our royall citie to apprehend the guiltie and to punish them extremely leaste peraduenture at length for such sinners contempt and such haynous offences not only this citie but also the whole common weale be iustly destroyed by Gods iust vengeance Thus much writeth he Now by this we may gather that not the least part of our calamities at these dayes doe happen vnto vs bycause of our detestable cursings and horrible blasphemies which verie fewe magistrates or none almost at al do go about to redresse or punishe as they should doe The name of the liuing God is blasphemed with passing déepe and horrible othes of all sorts of all kindes and all ages so that I thinke verily that from the beginning of the world ther neuer was suche a blasphemous people as are in this cursed age of oures And therefore are we vexed with vnspeakable and endlesse calamities For God is true can
not lye which sayth that they shall not scape fcotfrée that take his name in vaine The mē of our time do not only take it in vain but doe of malice also blasphemously defile it I woulde to God the Magistrates would more sincerely set forth the worship of God among the people or else if this may not be obteined at their handes yet then at leaste that they woulde be no worse nor godlesse then Caiphas who when he heard as he thought blasphemie againste the name of God did rent his cloathes and crie that the blasphemer was worthy to dye For surely vnlesse our Christian Magistrates doe become more sharpe and seuere against blaspheming villaines I doe not sée but that they must néedes be a great deale worse then the wicked knaue Caiphas Vndoubtedly the Lord is true as euery one of you must seuerally thinke within your selues and he verily will punish in all men the defiling of his name but much more the malicious blaspheming of the same This very matter and place doe nowe require that I also speake somewhat here of taking an othe or swearing whiche is done by calling and taking to witnesse of Gods name Nowe in the handling of this matter many things are to be thought of and considered For first of al I sée that some there are which doubt whether it be be lawfull to take an othe or no bycause in Matthew the Lord hath said Ye haue heard what was sayd of old Thou shalt not forsweare thee selfe but shalt perfourme thine othes vnto the Lord but I say vnto you sweare not at all c. But the Lords minde in Matthewe was not to take cleane away the true and auncient law but to interprete it and to bring it to a saunder sense bycause it was before corrupted and marred by diuers forged counterfaite gloses of the Pharises For the people being taught by them had euermore an eye to kéep their mouthes from periurie but touching superfluous vnprofitable and néedlesse othes they had no care at all not thinking that it was amisse to sweare by Heauen and by Earth wherefore the Lorde expounding his fathers lawe sayth That all othes generally are forbidden to wit those wherein the name of the Lorde is taken in vaine and whereby we sweare when there is no néede at all In the meane while he neyther condemned nor yet tooke cleane away the solemne and lawfull othe Now there is great difference betwixt a solemne oth and our daily othes which are nothing els but déepe swearings not only néedelesse but also hurtfull But a solemne oth is both profitable néedfull The lawe of God and wordes of Christ do not forbid things profitable and néedfull and therfore they condemne not a solemne and lawfull othe Yea in the lawe too is permitted a solemne othe where there is forbiodē alone the vnprofitable vsing of the Lordes name And Christ our lord came not to break the lawe but to fulfill the lawe And therefore he in Saint Matthewe did not condemne an othe vnlesse a man shoulde goe about to proue that the Sonne taught a doctrine cleane contrarie to the doctrine of his heauenly father which is a blasphemie against the father and the sonne not to be suffered Moreouer God him selfe also sweareth which vndoutedly he would not do if an othe coulde not be taken without any sinne For after a long exposition of the lawe he saith Be ye holy for I am holy be ye perfect euen as your heauenly father is perfect We reade also that the holiest men of both the Testamentes by calling and taking to witnesse the name of God in matters of weight did sweare and that they sware without any sinne An othe therfore in the lawe of Christ is not forbidden and it is lawfull for a Christian man both to exact and also to take an othe I rather verily do not sée howe that man is worthy to be called a Christian which being lawfully required to sweare wil séeme to refuse it But of this I haue more fully disputed in another place against the Anabaptistes Secondarily we haue to cōsider for what causes we ought to swere In many cōmon weals it is an vsual and receiued custome to take an othe vpon euery light occasion and for that cause we sée that an othe is lightly set by and very little estéemed For what is this but to take the name of God in vaine Let Magistrates therfore learne and knowe that an othe ought not to be required but in earnest affaires as when it standeth for the glory of God for the safetie of our neighbour and for the publique weale We must marke therefore when and why the people of God haue sworne in the scriptures Abraham sware when he made that league confederacie with Abimelech The people of God doth very often sweare vnder their kings in making a couenant with God for the keeping of true religion They of olde time did cleare themselues of heinous suspicions by taking of an othe In Exodus we reade If any man shall giue to his neighbour a beast to kepe and it shall dye or be stoalne awaye no man seeing it then shal an othe by the Lorde goe betwixt them twaine that he hath not layd his hand on his neighbors thing which 〈…〉 owner of the thing shal take the other shall not restore it For Paule in the 6. to the Hebrues sayth Men verily sweare by the greater and an othe for confirmation is to them an end of all strife To this end therefore let Magistrates apply the vse of an othe and let them haue an especiall regard in giuing an othe to do it reuerently let the peeres of the people keepe inuiolably that which they sweare and let them take héed that they do not rashly require an othe of light headed fellowes let thē not compare any thing or thinke any thing to be equall to an othe but let them reuerently and last of all haue their recourse to that as to the vtmost remedie to finde out the truth and therewithall let them vse sharpe punishment against periured persons But woe to the peoples princes if through their wicked negligēce an othe be not estéemed For he without doubt will punishe them sharply for it who sayth By cause I will not suffer him to goe vnpunished that taketh the Lordes name in vaine Thirdly I will tell you what an othe is and what it is to swears An othe is the calling or taking to witnesse of Gods name to confirme the truth of that we say There is difference betwixt an othe and that déepe kynde of swearing whereby God is blasphemed torne in péeces There is difference too betwirt an othe and those bitter speaches where with we vse to curse and ban our neighbours They are not worthy doubtlesse to be called othes But for bycause this word Iuramentum is ouer largely vsed for any hynde of othe as well in the worse as better part therefore
punishment of sinne and wickednesse which the Lord hath appointed to be executed as hée himselfe sayth I will giue them children to bee their kings and infants shall rule them because their toÌ„gue and hart hath bene against the Lord. Likewyse the Lord stirred vp the cruell kinges of Assyria and Babylon against his Citie and owne peculiar people whose liuing was not agréeable to their profession But now how and after what sort subiects ought to be affected toward such hard cruel and tyrannical Princes wée learne partly by the example of Dauid and partly by the doctrine of Ieremie and the Apostles Dauid was not ignorant what kind of man Saul was a wicked mercilesse fellowe yet notwithstanding he fledd to escape his hands and when he had occasion giuen him once or twice to kill him he slue him not but spared the tyraunt and reuerenced him as though hee had béene his father Ieremias prayed for Ioachim Zedechias wicked kinges both and obeyed them vntill they came to matters flatly contrary to Gods religion For where I spake touching the honour due to parents there did I by the scriptures proue that wée ought not to obey the wicked commaundements of godlesse magistrates Because it is not permitted to magistrates to ordeine or appoint any thing contrary to Gods lawe or the lawe of Nature Now the Actes of the Apostles teach vs in what sort the Apostles did behaue themselues in dealing with tyrannical magistrates Let them therfore that are vexed with tyrantes and oppressed with wicked magistrates take this aduice to follow in that perplexitie First let them call to remembraunce and consider what and how great their sinnes of idolatrie and vncleannesse are which haue alreadie deserued the reuenging anger of their iealous God and then let them thinck that God wil not withdraw his scourge vnlesse hée sée that they redresse their corrupt maners and euill religion So then first they must goe about and bring to passe a full reformation of matters in religion perfect amendment of maners amisse Then must they pray continually that God will vouchsafe to pul and draw his oppressed people out of the myre of mischiefe wherein they sticke fast For that counsell did the Lord himselfe in the 18. after Luke giue to those that are oppressed promising therewithall assured ayde and present delyuerie But what how the oppressed must pray there are examples extant in the 9. of Daniel and in the 18. Chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles Let them also whose minds are vexed call to remembrance the sayings of Peter and Paule the chiefe of the Apostles The Lord saith Peter knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation as he deliuered Lot. Paul saith God is faithfull wil not suffer his to be tempted aboue their strength yea hee will turne their temptatioÌ„s vnto the best Let them cal to mind the captiuitie of Israel wherin Gods people were deteined at Babylon by the space of 70. yeares and therewithal let them thincke vppon the goodly comfort of the captiues which Esaie hath expressed from his 40. chapiter vnto his 49. Let vs persuade our selues that God is good merciful and omnipotent so that hée can when he will at ease deliuer vs Hee hath many wayes and meanes to set vs at libertie Let vs haue a regard onely that our impenitent filthie and wicked life do not pronoke the Lord to augment and prolong the tyrauntes crueltie The Lord is able vppon the sodeyne to chaung the harts of Princes for the hearts of kings are in the hands of the Lord as the riuers of water to tourne them which way hee will and to make them which haue béene hitherto most cruellie set against vs to bee our friends and fauourable to vs and them which haue heretofore most blouddilie persecuted the true religion to imbrace the same most ardently and with a burning zeale to promote it so farre as they may Wée haue euident examples hereof in the bookes of the kings of Esdras and Nehemias and in the volume of Daniels Prophecie Nabuchodonosor whose purpose was to toast with fire and vtterly to destroy the martyres of God for true religion was immediately after compelled to praise God because hée sawe the martyres preserued and hée himself doth by Edictes giuen out publickly proclaime and set forth the onely true God and his true religion Darius the sonne of Assuerus suffereth Daniel to be cast into the Lyons denne but straightway hée draweth him cut againe and shutteth vp Daniels enimies in the same dâ—nne to be torne in péeces by the famished beastes Cyrus the puissaunt king of Persia aduaunceth true religion Darius sonne of Hystaspes whose surname was Artaxerxes did by all meanes possible ayde and set forward the godly intent of Gods people in building vp againe their citie temple Let vs not doubt therfore of Gods ayde helping hand For God sometime doth vtterly destroy and sometime he chasteneth vntoward tyraunts with some horrible and sodeine disease as it is euident that it happened to Antiochus Herod the great to his nephue Herod Agrippa to Maxentius also and other enimies of God and tyraunts ouer men Sometime hée stirreth vp noble capitaines and valiaunt men to displace tyraunts set Gods people at libertie as wee sée many examples thereof in the bookes of Iudges kings But least any man doe fall to abuse those examples let him consider their calling by god Which calling if hée haue not or else do preuent hée is so farre froÌ„ doing good in killing the tyraunt that it is to be feared least hée doe make the euill double so much as it was before Thus much hetherto Now I returne to that which by my digression remayneth yet vnspoken of Here I haue to speake somewhat touching the election of magistrates and first to whom the choice and ordering of the magistrate doth belong Secondarilie whom and what kind of men it is best to choose to be magistrates and lastly the maner and order of consecrating those which once are chosen Touching the election of magistrats to whom that office shold béelong no one certaine rule can be prescribed For in som places that whole communaltie doth choose their péeres In other places the Péeres do choose the magistrates And in other places Princes come to it by succession and birth In discussing which of these orders shold be the best it were but follie to make much adoe For to euery kingdome euerie citie is worthilie left their countrie facion vnlesse it be altogether too too corrupt not to be borne withall But where Princes come to it by birth there earnest prayer must bée made to the Lord that hee wil graunt them to be good Now for the good election of magistrates the Lord himselfe declareth whom and what kind of men hée will haue to be choseÌ„ in these verie words Looke ouer all the people consider them diligently and choose from amonge them men of courage such
haue the king to preach to baptize and to minister the Lords supper or the priest on the other side to sit in the iudgment seate and giue iudgement against a murderer or by pronouncing senteÌ„ce to take vppe matters in strife The Church of Christ hath and reteyneth seuerall and distinguished offices and God is the God of order and not of coÌ„fusion Hereunto tendeth our discourse by demonstration to proue to all men that the magistrate of duetie ought to haue care of religion either in ruine to restore it or in soundnesse to preserue it and still to see that it procéede according to the rule of the woord of the lord For to that end was the law of God giuen into the kinges hands by the priestes that hee should not be ignoraunt of Gods will touching matters Ecclesiasticall and politicall by which lawe hée had to gouerne the whole estate of all his realme Iosue the Capitaine of Gods people is set before Eleazar in deede but yet hee hath authoritie to commaunde the priestes and being a politique gouernour is ioyned as it were in one bodie with the ecclesiasticall ministers The politique magistrate is commaunded to giue eare to the ecclesiastical ruler and the ecclesiastical minister must obey the politique gouernour in all thinges which the law commauÌ„deth So then the magistrate is not made subiect by God to the priestes as to Lords but as to the ministers of the Lord the subiection duetie which they owe is to the lord himself and to his law to which the priestes themselues also ought to be obedient as well as the Princes If the lipps of the priest erre from the truth and speake not the word of God there is no cause why any of the common sort much lesse the Prince should either hearken vnto or in one title reuerence the priest The lippes of the priest sayth Malachie keepe knowledge they seeke the Lawe at his mouth because he is the messinger of the lord of hoastes To refuse to hear such priestes is to repell God himself Such priestes as these the godly princes of Israell did alwayes ayde and assist false priestes they did disgrade those which neglected their offices they rebuked sharpelie and made decrees for the executing and right administring of euerie office Of Salomon wee read that hée put Abiathar beside the priesthoode of the Lord that hee might fulfil the word of the Lord which he spake of Heli in Silo and made Zadok priest in Abiathars stéede In the second booke of Chronicles it is said And Salomon set the sorts of priestes to their offices as Dauid his father had ordered them and the Leuites in their watches for to praise minister before the priestes day by day as their course did require In the same booke againe Ioiada the priest doth in déede annointe Ioas king but neuerthelesse the king doth cal the priest giue him a coÌ„maundement to gather money to repaire the temple Moreouer that religious and excellent Prince Ezechias called the priestes and Leuites and said vnto them Bee ye sanctified and sanctifie ye the house of the Lord our God and suffer no vncleannesse to remaine in the sanctuarie My sonnes be not slacke now because the Lord hath chosen you to minister vnto him selfe Hée did also appoint singars in the house of the Lord and those that should play on musicall instruments in the Lords temple Furthermore king Ezechias ordeyned sondrie companies of priestes and Leuites according to their sondrie offices euerie one according to his owne ministerie What may be sayd of that too that euen hee did diuide to the priestes their portions and stipends throughout the priesthoode The same king gaue charge to all the people to â—éepe holie that feast of Passeouer writing to them all such letters as priestes are wont to write to put them in mind of religion and hartie repentaunce And after all this there is added And the king wrought that which was good right and iust before the Lord his God. When Princes therefore doe order religion according to the woord of God they do the thing that pleaseth the lord This and the like is spoken againe by the godly Prince Iosias Who therefore will hereafter say that the care of religion belongeth vnto bishops alone The Christian Emperours following the example of the auncient kings as of their fathers did with greate care prouide for the state of true religion in the Church of Christe Arcadius Honorius did determine that so often as matters of religion were called in question the bishopps should be sommoned to assemble a counsell And before them againe the Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius established a lawe wherin they declared to the world what faith and religion they would haue all men to receiue and reteine to witte the faith and doctrine of S. Peter In which edicte also they proclaimed all them to be heretiques which thought or taught y contrarie allowing them alone to be called catholiques which did perseuere in S. Peters faith By this we gather that the proper office of y priests is to determine of religion by proofes out of the woord of God that the princes dutie is to aâ—de the priestes in aduauncement and defence of true religioÌ„ But if it happen at any time that the priests be slack in doing their duetie then is it the princes office by compulsion to inforce the priestes to liue orderlie according to their profession and to determine in religion according to the woord of god The Emperour Iustinian in Nouellis CoÌ„stitut 3. writing to Epiphanius Archbishop of Constantinople saith Wee haue most reuerend Patriarch assigned to your holinesse the disposition of all things that are honest seemelie and agreeable to the rule of the holie scriptures touching the apointing ordering of sacred bishops reuereÌ„d clearkes And in the 7. Constitution hée saith Wee giue charge and commauÌ„demeÌ„t that no bishop haue liceÌ„ce to sell or make away any immoueables whether it be in houses or landes belonging to the Churches Againe in the 57. Constitution hée forbiddeth to celebrate the holie mysteries in priuate houses Hée addeth the penaltie and saith For the houses wherein it is done shal be confiscate and sold for money which shal be brought into the Emperours Exchequer In the 67 Constitution hée chargeth all bishops not to be absent from their Churches but if they be absent he willeth that they should receiue no commoditie or stipend of the prouinciall stuards but that their reuenue should be imployed on y Churches necessities In the 123. constitution the lieuetenauntes of euerie prouince are commaunded to assemble a counsell for the vse and defence of ecclesiasticall lawes if the bishops bee slacke to looke thereunto And immediatlie after hee saith Wee do vtterly forbid all bishoppes prelates and cleaâ—kes of what degree soeuer to play at tables to keepe companie with diceplayers to bee lookers on vpon gamesters or to runne to gaze vppon May games or
and him that is in prisoÌ„n and forsaken in Israel and will take away the remnaunte of the house of Ieroboam as one carieth away dunge till all be gone And al these thinges were fulfilled according to the saying of the Lord as the Scripture witnesseth in these words WheÌ„ Baasa was king he smote all the house of Ieroboam and left nothing that breathed of that that was Ieroboams But the very same king being nothing the better or wiser by an others mishap miserable example of his predecessour sticketh not to continue to teach the people to publish and defend the straung and forreine religion contrarie to the woord of God which Ieroboam had begunne But what followed thereuppon Forsothe the Lord by the preaching of Hanani the Prophete doth say vnto him Forasmuch as I exalted the out of the dust and made thee prince ouer my people Israell and thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam and hast made my people Israell to sinne to anger mee with their sinnes behold I will roote out the posteritie of Baasa and the posteritie of his house and will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam Which was perfourmed as the scripture saith by Simâ—â— capitaine of the hoaste of Israel For he destroyed king Hela the sonne of Baasa when he was drunken and all his posteritie Amri succeeded in the kingdome who was the father of Achab that mischesous cutthroate whom the Syrians siue in fighting a battaile Aâ—ter him reigned his sonnes Ochosias and Ioram But when they left the religion taught in the woord of God to follow the new tradition of king Ieroboam and had thereunto added the worshipping of the shamefull idole Baal they were vtterly at last destroyed by the meanes of Iehu a very iust although a rigorous prince The ofspring of Amri reigned about the space of 40. yeares not without the sheading of much innocent bloud but it was at last destroyed when that measure of iniquitie was fulfilled was vtterly plucked vp at the rootes by the iust iudgment of Almightie god Let al Princes and magistrates therfore learne by these wonderfull and terrible examples to take héede to themselues how they deuise any new religioÌ„ or alter the lawful auncient maner of worshipping which God himselfe hath ordeined alreadie Our faithfull Lord is our good God who hath fullie simplie and absolutely set downe in his word his true religion lawfull kind of worshippe which hee hath taught all mâ—n to kéepe alone for euermore Let all men therefore cleaue fast vnto it and let them die in defence thereof that meane to liue eternallie They are punished from aboue whosoeuer doe adde too or take away any thing from the religion and kind of worshippe first ordeined and appointed of god Marcke this ye great men and Princes of authoritie For the kéeping or not héeping of true religion is the roote from whence aboundant fruite of felicitie or else vtter vnhappinesse doth spring and bud out Hee therefore that hath eares to heare let him heare Let no man suffer himselfe to bee seduced and caried away with any coloured intent how gooâ—ly to the eye secuer it bee which is in deede a meere vanitie and detestable iniquitie To God obedience is much more acceptable than sacrifices are Neither doe the decrees of the highest néede any whit at al our fond additions Here followeth now the second part of the magistrates ordinaunce which consisteth in making good lawes for the preseruation of honestie iustice and publique peace Which is likewise accomplished in good and vpright lawes But some there are who think it meere tyrannie to lay lawes on frée mens backs as it were a yoake vppon necks not vsed to labour supposing that euerie one ought rather to be left to his owne wil and discretion The Apostle in dede did say The lawe is not giuen for the iust but for the vniust But the cause whie the lawe is not giuen to the iust is because hée is iust For the iust worketh iustice and doth of his owne accord the thing which the lawe exacteth of euerie mortall man Wherefore the lawe is not troublesome to the iuste man because it is agréeable to the mind and thoughts of vpright liuers who doe imbrace it with all their hearts But the vniust desireth nothing more than to liue as hée iusteth hée is not conformable in any point to the lawe and therefore must hée by the lawe be kept vnder and brideled from marring himselfe and hurting other So then since to good men the lawes are no troublesome burden but an acceptable pleasure which are also necessarie for the vniuste as ordeined for the brideling of lawlesse and vnrulie people it followeth consequently that they are good and profitable for all men and not to bee reiected of any man What may bee said of that moreouer that God himselfe who did foresée the disposition of vs men what wee would bee and hath still fauoured the true libertie which hée desired alwayes to haue preserued amonge his people as one that euer meant them good and neuer did ordeine the thing that should tourne to their hinderaunce or discommoditie that God himselfe I say was their lawegiuer and hath not suffered any age at any time to liue as people without all lawe Yea too those common weales haue beene happie alwayes that haue admitted lawes and submitted themselues to be gouerned by lawes When as contrarilie those kingdomes haue of all other beene most miserable and torne in peeces by ciuil dissentions forreigne enimies which hauing banished vpright lawes did striue to mainteine their owne kind of fréedome their vncomptrolled dealing and licentious libertie that is their beastly luste and vnciuil rudenesse Good lawes therefore are for the health and preseruation of the people and necessarie for the peace and safegard of common weales and kingdomes Wherefore it is a wonder to see the follie of â—ome Christians since the verie Heathens haue giuen so honest report of lawes and lawegiuers They tooke their lawegiuers for Gods confessing therby that good lawes are the gift of god But the gift of God cannot be superfluous and vnprofitable Plutarch called lawes the life of cities Demosthenes did expressely confesse that lawes are the giftes of god Cicero named lawes the bondes of the citie because without lawes it is loosed dispersed the foundation of libertie and the wellspring of iustice and perfect honestie For lawes vndoubtedly are the strongest sinewes of the coÌ„mon weale life of the magistrates so that neither the magistrates can without the lawes conueniently liue and rule the weale publique nor the lawes without the magistrates shew forth their strength and liuely force The magistrate therefore is the liuing lawe and the lawe is the dumbe magistrate By executing and applying the lawe the lawe is made to liue and speake Which those Princes do not consider that are wont to say Wir sind das racht wée are the right wée are the lawe For they suppose
to take hede of a fault For earnest admonitions are earnestlie commended to men in authoritie to vse to their subiects when they begin to worke any broile Moreouer godly and wise magistrates haue many times pardoned vnwitting offenders whom they saw readie to repent vppon geuing of warning The Lord in the Gospel biddeth vs admonish a sinner then if hée repent to pardon his fault but if hée reiect a faire warning once giuen him then to punish him so much the sharper And Iosue before he made open warre to be proclaymed vppon the children of Ruben did first by embassage commaunde them to digge downe the altar which they seemed to haue made coÌ„trarie to the law of the lord The Emperour Iustinian also grauÌ„ted pardon to them which repented and turned to a sounder opinion Constitut 109. Moreouer Iosias did not vtterly kill al them that were wrapped in errour and idolatrie but those especiallie that were incurable and would not recante the magistrate therfore must wiselie moderate the matter and be verie circumspecte in punishinge offenders I cannot héere wincke at and sâ—ylie passe ouer the obiections that some men make against that which hetherto I haue said touching punishment to witte That the Apostle Paule hath not commaunded to kill or punishe an heretique after the first and second admonition but to auoyd him Againe That faith is the gift of God which cannot be giuen or ingraffed in any man by rigour of the sword Also That no man is to be compelled Hée that constreineth may make an hypocrite but a deuoute and ealous man hée cannot make And lastly That the Apostles required no ayd of kings either to mainteine or set out the religion of Christe or else to punishe blasphemous railers and enimies of Gods word To all this I aunswere thus Paule when hée writte his Epistle to Titus did write to an Apostle in that Epistle therefore hée instructeth an Apostle how to behaue himselfe according to his duetie towarde an heretique paste all recouerie If he had written to Sergius Paulus or any liefetenaunt hée would vndoubtedly haue taught him his office For the same Paule standing before Sergius Paulus then Prince of Cyprus did by his déeds declare vnto him the duetie of a magistrate For first hée did not onely most sharpelie rebuke the false Prophet Elymas then forsake his companie eschue shunne him as the Apostle Iohn did Cerinthus but strake him also with bodilie blindnes I graunt and confesse that faith is Gods gifte in the hearte of manne which GOD alone doth search and knowe but men are iudged by their woordes and déedes Admitte therefore that the erronious opinion of the minde may not bée punished yet notwithstanding wicked and infectiue profession and doctrine must in no wise bée suffered Verilie no man doth in this world punishe prophane and wicked thoughtes of the minde but if those thoughtes breake foorth into blasphemous woords then are those blaspheming tongues to bée punished of good Princes and yet by this I saye not that godlynesse lyeth in the magistrate to giue and bestow Iustice is the verie gifte of GOD which none but God doth giue to men But whoe is so foolish as to gather thereuppon that vniuste men robbers murderers and witches are not to bée punished because the magistrate by punishment cannot bestowe righteousnesse vppon vnrighteous people Wée must therefore make a difference betwixte faith as it is the gifte of God in the heart of man and as it is the outwarde profession vttered and declared before the face of men For while false faith doth lurke and lye hidde within the heart and infecteth none but the vnbeléeuer so longe the vnbeléeuing infidel cannot bée punished but if this false and forged faith that so laye hidde doe once breake foorth to blasphemie to the open tearing of God and the infecting of his neighbours then must that blasphemer and seducer bée by and by pluckt vnder and kept from créeping to further annoyaunce Not to suppresse such a fellowe as this is to put a sword in a madde mans hand to kill vnwise and weakelie men Faith is the gift of God but where he bestoweth faith hée vseth meanes to giue it by those meanes hée wil not haue vs to neglecte An householder knoweth that faith is the gift of God and yet notwithstanding hée instructeth his children in the word of truth hée chargeth them to goe to Church to pray for faith and to learne it at the preachers mouth A good father would thinke much yea he would not thinke well of it if his sonne should say Father I pray you teach mée not sende mée not so much to Church and beate mée not if I be not there For faith is the gift of God which whipping cannot bring mée too Then what man can quietlie abide to heare that faith is the gift of God and that therefore no man ought for faith that is for the corruption of faith and open blasphemie to suffer any punishment And yet Petilian in the 83. chapiter of S. Augustines 2. booke Contra Petiliani literas crieth out saith God forbid and farre bee it from our conscience to compel any man to our religion Shall wée therefore goe on to speake the woords of heretiques or to say that the Lord God in the Scriptures hath planted hypocrisie where with threates punishment hée hath driuen men to goodnesse Dauid saith It is good for me Lord that thou hast chastised mee And Ieremie saith Thou hast chastised mee O Lord and I am chastised like an vntamed heffar But if no man ought to bee compelled to goodnesse to what intent doth Salomon the wisest of al men so many times commaunde to chastise children Hee that spareth the rodde hateth the child Saith hée Thou in deede doest strike him but with the rodde thou deliuerest his soule from death Dailie experience and the disposition of men doe plainly teach that in men there are most vehement affections which vnlesse they bée remedied and brideled betimes do both destroy them in whom they bée and other men too who at that first might easilie with light punishment haue béene preserued Men in their madnesse despise compulsion and chastising punishment but when they come to themselues againe and sée from how great euills they are deliuered by those that coÌ„pelled them then they reioyce that to their health they were chastised praise the compulsion which before they despised Let vs heare what Augustine doth thinke and teach hereof whose experience in this matter was verie much In his 48. epist. ad Vincentium contra Donatistas de vi coercendis haereticis hée writeth thus My opinion sometime was that no man ought by force to be compelled to the vnitie of Christ that we ought to deale by words fight in disputations and ouercome with reason least peraduenture wee should haue those to counterfaite themselues to bee catholiques whom wee knew to bee open heretiques But this opinion of mine was not confuted with the
whom God worketh the wealth of the people Hée that despiseth him that is sonte despiseth him that sendeth Hée that honoureth the deputie séemeth to giue more honour to him that appointed the deputie than to him that is the deputie Moreouer Salomon in the 16. of his Prouerbes saith Prophecie is in the lippes of the kinge therefore his heart shal not go wronge in iudgement And in the 8. of that Preacher I must keepe the kings commaundement because of the othe that I haue made to God for the same Againe Prouerbes 24. My sonne feare thou the Lord and the king and keepe no companie with them that slyde backe from the feare of them For their destruction shall rise soudeinly And Paule said Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God but they that resist shall receiue iudgemente to themselues Of this sorte I haue rehearsed certaine testimonies in the exposition of the fifte precept Secondarilie let subiectes pray for their Princes and magistrates that that Lord may giue them wisedome knowledge fortitude temperaunce iustice vpright seueritie clemencie and all other requisite vertues and that he wil vouchsafe to lead them in his wayes and to preserue them from all euill that wée may liue vnder them in this world in peace honestie This doth Paule require at the handes of subiectes in the seconde Chapiter of his first Epistle to Timothe and Ieremie in the tweÌ„tie ninth of his prophecie I haue in an other place recited their veâ—ie words therefore at this time I let them passe The mindes of many men are herein verie slowe and carelesse and that is the cause many times whiâ— they feele the thinges that willingly they would not and beare the burthens with griefe enough that other wise they should not and woorthilie too For if they would but doe their duetie willingly in praying for their magistrate earnestly their case vndoubtedly would bée farre better than it is But how feruent a desire they in the Primitiue Church had to pray for their magistrate we may gather euen by these wordes of TertulliaÌ„ in the 30. chapiter of his Apologie Wee pray alwayes saith hee for all Emperours desiring God to giue theÌ„ long life a sure reigne a safe house valiant armies faithfull counsellers honest subiectes a quiet worlde and whatsoeuer else a man or Emperour may desire Let the people also obey the good vpright lawes of their princes or magistrates yea let subiectes obey them holilie reuerently and with a deuout minde not obeying their lawes as the lawes of men but as the lawes of the ministers and deputies of God himselfe for Peter biddeth vs obey them for the Lord and Paule saith Wée must not obey them for anger onely but for conscience sake also that is we must not obey the magistrate onelie for feare least our conteÌ„pt and disobedience doe bréede our punishment but wée must obey him least we sinne against God himself and so our owne conscience do argue our wickednesse But in the fifte commaundement I proued by testimonies and examples out of the scriptures that wée oughte not to obey godlesse magistrates so oft as they commaund any wicked thing which is flatly contrarie to the word of god The Apostles and faithfull meÌ„ of the primitiue Church did choose rather to be shut vppe in prison to bée sent in exile to be spoiled of their substaunce to be caste to wilde beastes to be killed with the sword to be burnt with fire and to be strangled than to obey any wicked commaundements That blessed martyr bishop Polycarpus answeared the Romane Proconsul and said Wee are taught to giue to Princes and to the powers that are of God such honour as is not contrarie to true religioÌ„ And S. Iohn Chrysostom said to Gaina It is not laweful for a godly Emperour to assaye any thinge contrarie to Gods commaundementes Lastlie lâ—t subiectes pay tribute to their magistrates yea let them if necessitie so require not sticke to bestow their bodies and liues for the preseruation of their magistrate and countrie as I haue alreadie taught you in the fifte commaundement The Lord in the Gospell doth simplie say Giue to God that which beloÌ„geth to God to Caesar that which belongeth to Caesar They therefore are worthilie blamed that pinch grudg at or defraude the magistrate of any part of his tribute Tares and tributes are due to the magistrates as the hire of his labour as it were the synewes of publique tranquillitie and coÌ„mon weale For who goeth to warrefare of his owne proper coste Euerie man lyueth by that labour wherin hee is occupied The Prince taketh paines in gouerning the common weal and preseruing it in peace hée neglecteth his owne priuate and household businesse whereby hée should liue and prouide thinges necessarie for himself and his familie by looking and attending on his countries affayres it were against reason therfore but that hée should be fedde and mainteyned vppon the publique treasure and cost of his country It is requisite also that kingdomes and coÌ„mon weales be sufficiently furnished with money and substaunce to helpe in distresse either of warre famine fire and other miseries or else to the setting vppe againe of men fallen into pouertie or putting away of greater calamities I say nothinge now touching the kéeping in reparation of common buildinges as the citie walles bulwarckes trenches ditches gates bridges highe wayes wells conduits iudgement halls and markette places with many more of the same sort There are also certeine common persons as sergeants watch meÌ„ and such like which are to be nourished and mainteyned of the coÌ„mon coste and treasurie And vnlesse that money be stil at hand and in readines there can no kingdome nor any common weale stand longe in assuraunce They therefore that grudge to paye tribute denie the hire of the magistrats labour and goe the next way to work to subuert the common weale and to bring it to nought The men that in the coÌ„mon weales affayres as some of custome be are negligent and carelesse sinne not against any one Lord but against the whole common weal and therefore thou maist sée that such slouthfull workemen are séeldome times inriched with the good blessinges of god But now here by the way all magistrates and Princes must be admonished to loue the people subiect to their charge and gouernmeÌ„t to beare with them bountifullie and not to nip them with immoderate exactions which is easille done if they themselues willâ— thriftâ—e and keepe themselues moderately from riottous gluttonie and ouer sumptuous pride Let a good Prince consider what a sinne it is to haue his Palace abound in riottousnes and surfettinge while his cities and townes are tormented and pined with famine and hunger Let magistrats consider that tributes and subsidies are not the priuate goods of them in authoritie but the publique substance of the whoale coÌ„mon weal. God hateth pilers and robbers God abhorreth immoderate exactioÌ„s God curseth polling tyrauntes but blesseth
being vtterly forsaken of the Lord he heareth Samuel say to his face Thou hast refused and cast off the word of the Lord therefore hath God also cast thee away that thou shalt not be king of Israell I will not here stand ouer largely to declare the miseries and calamities wherein he was wrapped from that time forward For as he himselfe was horriblie haunted and vexed with the euill spirite so did he not ceasse to vexe and torment his people and kingdome vntill hee had brought them all into extreeme daunger where hee and some of his were slaine put to the worste by the heathen their enimyes leauing nothing behind him but a perpetuall shame and endlesse ignominie Next after Saule doth Dauid succeede in the seate and kingdome who without all controuersie was the most happiest of all other kinges and Princes But what stoare he did set by the word of the Lord it is euident to bee seene by many notable actes of his and especially in that Alphabeticall Psalme which in order and number is the hundreth and nintenth For therin he setteth forth the praise of Gods word the whoalsom vertue wherof he doth at large wonderfully expound in teaching what great desire zeale we ought to haue thereto For he was scholed had learned before by priuate mishaps and shameful deeds lastly by the vnhappie seditioÌ„ of his graceles sonne Absalom what an euill it is to decline froÌ„ the word of the lord SolomoÌ„ the sonne of Dauid the wisest most coÌ„mended king of all the world did so long enioy prosperitie praise at the mouth of the Lord as he did not neglect with reuerence to obey his word But when once he had transgressed the Lords commaundement streight way the Lord did say vnto him For as much as this is done of thee and that thou hast not kept mine ordinaunces and my statutes which I commaunded thee I will rent thy kingdome from thee and will giue it to thy seruaunt And nowe marke that according to that saying immediately after Solomons death the kingdome was rent into two partes and that 10. Tribes followed Ieroboam the seruaunt of Solomon Two tribes claue still to Roboam Solomons sonne Hee for neglecting the word of the Lord following after straunge Gods is ouerwhelmed with an infinite number of wofull miseries For the Scripture testifieth that the Aegyptians came vpp against Hierusalem and did destroy the Citie Palace and temple of the lord Abia the sonne of Roboam ouercame the host of Israell and bare away a triumphant victorie when hee had wounded and slaine fiue hundred thousand men of the 10. Tribes of Israell And of this so great a victorie no other cause is mencioned but because hee beleeued the word of the lord Next after Abia did his sonne Asa a renowmed and most puissaunt king reigne in his steede of whom the holy Scripture testifieth that hee abolished all superstition and did restoare sincere religion according to the word of God whereby hee obteyned a most flourishing kingdome in peace and quietnesse by the space of fourtie yeares Againe of Iosaphat Asa his sonne wee read The Lord was with Iosaphat because he walked in the former wayes of his father Dauid sought not Baalim but sought the God of his father and walked in his commaundement And therefore for his princelike wealth and famous victories he was renowmed through all the world But to his sonne Ioram who forsooke the word of God Helias the Prophete said Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iosaphat thy father and in the wayes of king Asa but hast walked the wayes of the kings of Israell behold with a great plague wil the Lord smite thy folke thy children thy wiues and all thy goods And thou shalt suffer great paine euen a disease of the bowells vntill thy guttes fall out And whatsoeuer the Lord threatened to bring vppon him by the mouth of the Prophet that did the vnhappie king feele with vnspeakeable tormentes to his great reproche being made an example of wretchâ—dnesse miserie which doth light on all the pates of them that do forsake the word of god Neither was the happ of Ochosias sonne to king Ioram and Athalia in any point better For at the commaundement of Iehu hee was stabbed in and slaine wretchedly bâ—câ—usâ— hee chose rather to followe the lawes and rites of the kinges of Israell than the verie true lawes of the Lord his god Moreouer Ioas a child yet but seuen yeares old being by the labour fayth and diligence of the faithfull priest Ioiada restoared to and settled in the place of his father who was slaine before him reigned after the wicked Athalia was put to death most happilie and in a prosperous state so longe as Ioiada the priest did line But when the high priest was once departed out of this world vnto the Lord the king being immediately seduced by the malice and wilinesse of his wicked counsellours left off to follow the word of the lord And as hee ceassed to followe the lord so did felicitie and glorie forsake to followe him For the Syrians comming on with a verie small power of armed men doe destroy and put to flight an insinite hoast of Iewish people they put to the sword all Ioas his counsellours and make a spoile of all his kingdome And Ioas for reiecting the Lord deserued with excessiue griefe first to behold this miserie than to 〈◊〉 away with a long consuming sicknesse and lastly vppon his bedd to haue his throate cruellte cutt of his owne houshold scruaunts Amasias the sonne of Ioas is renoâ—med for a â—amous victorie which he obteyned vppon the Idumitâ—s for no other cause but for obeying the word of the lord But afterward when hee began to rebell against God and his Prophets he is in battaile vanquished by Ioas king of Israell by whom when be was spoyled and compelled to see the ouerthrowe of a great part of the walles of Hierusalem he was himselfe at the last by conspiratours entrâ—pped and miserablie murdered Next after him succeeded his sonne Osias who also as well as his father enioyed a singular felicitie and most happie life so longe as he gainsayed not the mouth of God but when hee would vsurpe and take vppon him that office which God had properly appointed to the Leuits alone directly opposing himselfe against the word of the Lord he was striken with a leprosie and for his vncleannesse was compelled seuerallie to dwell â—loofe in banishmeÌ„t from the companie of men euen vntil his last and dying day Iothan also the sonne of Osias is reported to haue beene wealthie and victorious in his warres the cause of this felicitie the Scripture dâ—th briefly add and say Iothan became mightie because he directed his wayes before the Lord his God. But contrarily Achaz the some of Iothan as hee was of all the Iewishe kinges almost the wickeddest so was hee in his life
the most vnfortunate For in so much as hee forsâ—â—ke the lawe of the Lord his God the Lord deliuered both him and his people first into the hands of the king of Syrians and afterward into the hands of the Israelites who in one day â—lew one hundred and twentie thousand Iewes and tooke captine away with them two hundreth thousand women and children So Achaz himselfe and all that were his by feeling had proofe of all kinde of calamities beeing made an example to terrifie all other that doe gaiâ—â—say the woorde of god The good and godly king Ezechias succeeded his vngodly father in the seate and kingdome Of him wee haue this testimonie in the holie Scripture Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid did Hee put away the high places and brake the images and cut downe the groaues and all to brake the brasen Serpent which Moses had made For vnto those dayes the children of Israell burnt sacrifice to it Hee trusted in the Lord God of Israell For hee claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commaundements which the Lord commaunded Moses And now let vs heare what followed vppon this obedience and faith of his The Scripture goeth forward and sayth And the Lord was with him so that hee prospered in all thinges that hee tooke in hand While hee did reigne the most auncient and puissant Monarchie of the Assyrians was broken and diminished For when Senachâ—rib king of Assyria besieged the citie of Ierusalem the Angell of the Lord in one night â—lue in the Assyrian campe one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand souldiours And the king of Babylon also did verie honourably by his ambassadours send prince like giftes vnto Ezechias desiring earnestly his amitie and friendshipp For the glorie of that most godly king was blowen abroade and knowen in all the world Againe when his sonne Manasses a verie wicked man did not treade the pathe and expresse the deedes of his most holy father but being made king in the twelfth yeare of his age did of purpose crosse the word of God and brought in againe all the superstition which his father had abolished hee was taken captiue and carried away to Babylon and although by the goodnesse and mercie of God hee was restoared to his seate againe yet when he died hee left a maymed and a trouble some kingdome vnto his sonne Ammon who also for his rebellion against the word of God as a most vnfortunate man reigned but two yeares onely and was at the last wretchedly slaine by his owne houshold seruaunts In place of his murdered father was his sonne Iosias settled in the kingdome being when hee was crowned a child but eight yeares old Of all the kinges of Iuda he was the floure and especiall crowne Hee reigned quietly and in all pointes most happilie by the space of one and thirtie yeares Now the Scripture which cannot lye doth paint out to our eyes the fayth and obedience which hee did deuoutly shewe to the woord of God for which that felicitie did accompanie his kingdome Hee was nothing moued with the admonitions of his father Ammons counsellours But so soone as hee had heard the woords of the lawe read out of the booke which Helkia the high priest found in the temple at Hierusalem hee streight way committed himselfe whoaly to God and his woorde Neither stayed hee to looke for the mindes and reformations of other kinges and kingdomes but quickly forecasting the best for his people hee beganne to reforme the corrupted religion which hee did especially in the eightenth yeare of his age And in that reformation hee had a regard alwayes to followe the meaning of the holie scripture alone and not to giue eare to the deedes of his predecessours to the prescribed order of longe continuaunce noâ— to the common voyces of the greatest multitude For he assembled his people together before whome hee layde open the booke of Gods lawâ— and appointed all thinges to be ordered according to the rule of his written word And therevppon it commeth which wee finde written that hee spared not the auncient temples longe accustomed rites which Solomon and Ieroboam had erected and ordeyned against the word of god To be short this king Iosias pulled downe and ouerthrew whatsoeuer was set vpp in the Church or kingdome of Iuda against the woorde of god And least peraduenture any one should cauill and say that hee was ouer hardie and too roughe in his dealinges the Scripture giueth this testimonie of him and sayth Like vnto him was there no king before him which turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and all his might according to all the lawe of Moses neither after him arose there any such as hee Whereas wee read therefore that this so commended and most fortunate king was ouercome and slaine in a foughten battaile that death of his is to be compted part of his felicitie not of his miserie For the Lord himselfe said to Iosias I will gather thee vnto thy fathers and in peace shalte thou bee buried that thine eyes may not see all the euill which I will bring vppon this place For there is no greater argument that the people and verie princes of the kingdome vnder that most holie king were meere hypocrites and idolaters than for beecause next immediately after his death both his sonnes and Peeres reiecting the word of God did bring in againe all superstition and blasphemous wickednesse Whereuppon wee reade that for the whoale 22. yeares wherein the kinges of Iudâ— did reigne after the death of Iosias there was no peace or quietnesse in Hierusalem but perpetuall seditions and most bloudie murders Next after Iosias reigned his sonne Ioachas but within three monethes after he was taken bound and ledd captiue away into the land of Aegypt After the leading away of Ioachas his brother Ioachim ware the crowne whom in the eleuenth yeare of his reigne being bound in chaynes was slaine by Nabuchodonosor and lastly as Ieremie saith was buried in the sepulcre of an Asse In Ioachims steede was his sonne Iechonias set vpp but about three monethes after hee with his Princes and substaunce was taken captiue and ledd away to Babylon After him the kingdome was giuen to Zedechias the sonne of Iosias but because hee would not obey the word of God preached by the Prophete Ieremie he looseth both his life and kingdome in the eleuenth yere of his reigne In whose time also the temple is set on fire Hierusalem is sacked and the people slaine for the most part or led away captiue Thus much hetherto touching the kinges of Iuda For in Zedechias both the kingdome and maiestie or dignitie thereof did fayle and make an ende To these if wee add the endes and destinies of the kinges of Israell we shal againe be compelled to confesse that all felicitie of kinges and kingdomes doe
consist in hearing and following the word of God and that contrarily calamities and miseries doe rise by the coÌ„tempt and neglecting of the same For Ieroboam the first king of the seperated Israelites letting passe the word of God did ordeyne new rites to worship the Lord by and erected new temples but by so doing hee ouerthrew himselfe his house and all his kingdome After him doth Baasa succeede both in the kingdome idolatrous religion which was the cause why he his were vtterly destroyed Then followeth Amri the father of Achab who for augmenting idolatrous impietie is horriblie slaine with all his family so that not one of his escaped the reuenging sword of Gods anger ielousie And for because Iehu was faithfull valliant in killing those tyraunts in dispatching Baals priestes rooting out of idolatrous superstition the Lord doth promise say vnto him Because thou hast zealously done that which thou hast done according to all that is right in my sight therefore shall thy children vnto the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel And wee read verily that his sonnes and nephues were notable Princes which succeded in the kingdome euen Ioachas Ioas Ieroboam the second of that name and Zacharias The other kinges as Sellum Manahe Pekaiah Peka and Osee had their kingdome altogether like to the kingdome of the sonne of Iosâ—as to wit in a seditious troublesome a most miserable taking For they despised the mouth of the lord Therfore were they vtterly cutt off and for the most part either slaine or carried away captiue by their enimies the Assyrians From the diuision of tbe people into two seuerall kingdomes after the death of Solomon there were in number 19 kinges of Israell and 18. of Iuda The kings of Israell altogether reigned about 272. yeares and they of Iuda about 393. Now by the space of so many yeares in the most renowmed peculiar people of God which was as it were a glasse set before the eyes of all nations to view and behold themselues in there might the truest causes of felicitie calamities of all kings kingdoms in the whoale world be so liuely represented and perfectly paynted that there should bee no neede to fetch from else where a more plaine and euident demonstration of the same And yet for al that wee are not without other forreigne examples wherby to proue it For the Pharaoes of Aegypt were the destruction both to themselues and also to their kingdome by their stubborne rebellion against Gods word Againe Darius Priscus and the great Nabuchodonosor enioyed no small felicitie because they despised not the counsells of Daniel Balthazar king of Babylon a despightfull contemner of God and his word is in one night destroyed with all his power Babylon the most auncient and famous citie of the world is taken set on fyre sacked and ouerthrowne and the kingdom translated to the Medes and Persians Neither were the kinges of Persia vnfortunate at all I meane Cyrus and Darius otherwise called Artaxerxes because they fauoured the word of God and did promoate his people and true religion But on the other side wee read that Antiochus syrnamed Epiphanes was most vnfortunate who as it were making warre with God himselfe did most wickedly burne and make away the bookes of holy Scripture Furthermore wee haue as great stoare of examples also euen out of those Histories which followed immediately the time of Christ his ascension For so many Romane Emperours kinges and Princes as persecuted the preaching of the Gospell and Church of our Lord Iesus Christ aduaunced idolatrie and superstitious blasphemie so many I say did die a foule and shamefull death Of this are Eusebius and Orosius renowmed Historiographers assured witnesses Againe S. Augustine lib. 5. de Ciuit. Dei affirmeth that incredible victories verie great glorie and most absolute felicitie hath beene giuen by God vnto those kinges which haue in faith sincerely embraced Christe their Lord and vtterly subuerted idolatrie and superstitious blasphemie It is euident therefore that felicitie commeth by good will and obedience to the word of God that all kings and kingdoms shal be vnhappie which forsake the word of God and turne themselues to mens inuentions And this I haue I trust declared hetherto so plainly that the hearers may seeme not onely to vnderstand but also to see before their eyes and as it were to feele with their hands the pith and materiall substaunce of this whole treatise But wherunto doth all this tend That your Royall maiestie forsooth may vndoubttingly know be assuredly persuaded that true felicitie is gotten and reteyned by faithfull studie in the word of God to witt if you submit your selfe altogether and your whoale kingdome to Christe the chiefe and highest Prince if throughout your whoale realme you dispose and order religion and all matters of iustice according to the rule of Gods holy word if you decline not one haires breadth from that rule but studie to aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and goe on as hetherto you haue happily begon to subuert tread vnder foote the vsurped power of that tyrannicall Antichrist Not that your maiestie needeth any whit at all mine admonitions or instructions For you haue vndoubtedly that heauenly teachâ—r in your minde I meane the holie Ghoste which inspireth you with the verie true doctrine of sincere and pure religion Your Maiestie hath the sacred Bible the holiest booke of all bookes wherein as in a perfect rule the whoale matter of pâ—etie our true saluation is absolutely conteyned and plainly set downe Your Maiestie hath noble men and many Counsellours belonging to your kingdome faithfull valliaunt and skilfull heads both in the lawe of God and men who for their wisedome loue that they beare to the sincere truâ—th are greatly commended amonge forreigne nations And for that cause all the faithfull doe thinke and call your maiestie most happie But that happie king Ezechias although hee did especially vse the helpe of those excellent men Esâ—â— and Micheas did not yet despise faithfull admonishers euen amonge the 〈◊〉 sort of Leuites neither thought they that in admonishing the king theâ— lâ—st and 〈…〉 labour in vaine I therefore hauing good affiaunce in your 〈◊〉 good aâ—d godlâ—disposition do verily hope that this short discourse of mine touching the true causes of the felicitie and calamities of kinges and kingdoms shall haue a proâ—iting place with you Euen I which 12. yeares since did dedicate vnto your father of famous memorie Henrie viij a booke touching the authoritie of the holie Scripture and the institution and function of Bishopps against the Pontificall chuffes of the Romishe superstition and tyrannie and now by experience know that that labour of mine brought forth no small fruite within the realme of England am now so bold againe as to dedicate these my Sermons vnto your Royall maiestie In these Sermons I handle not the least and lowest points or places of Christian religion the
most filthie life and wicked manners of the priestes of the Romishe Church I will at this time saye nothing For alreadie it appeareth I doubt not to them that are not wilfully blinde that that sea of Rome hath not the outward markes of the true Church of God ioyned with the pure word of God and sound preaching of the Gospell It wanteth I say a heauenly ministerie and lawefull ministers of the Church and also the wholsome vse of the Lords Supper and therefore it is not the true Churche of God from whiche no man may depart without béeing guiltie of scisme By this meanes some man wil say Christ shal haue no Church left him in the earth For they that be the gouernours of the Church if they erre and corrupt and forsake the word of God what hope I pray you remayneth of the Church Or where the markes of the Churche appeare not where I pray you is the Church I aunswere that almightie God in such calamities of the Church in the which the gouernours fall away from the word true worship of God and doe imbrace and bring in newe lawes and newe ordinances into the Churche the true outward markes of the Church being for a time either darckened or worne out of vse doth yet notwithstanding reserue vnto himselfe a Churche in the earth whiche Church also he furnisheth and repaireth with true teachers whome he sendeth into the same albeit they be not acknowledged for true ministers and teachers of Gods Church by those who will séeme to be the true and the ordinarie gouernours of the Church but are rather cōdemned as seditious disturbers of the Churche and execrable heretiques By examples taken out of the Scriptures the matter will be made more manifest In the time of Achas king of Iuda Vrias the high priest wincking at it and the princes of the land and priestes not resisting the king shutt vpp the temple of the Lord and toke awaye the holy altar whiche thing the Scripture expressely witnesseth and therefore both the ministerie of the word and the lawefull or ordinarie ministration of the Sacraments ceassed but yet notwithstāding there was a holy Churche in the kingdome of Iuda in the which as I may saye extraordinarilie no man doubteth the prophete Esaie with certeine other did preach Vnder Manasses the nephue of king Achas true doctrine and administration of the sacraments was banished except onely circumcision and that falling awaye continued vntill the Churche was refourmed by that most Godly king Iosias and yet in the meane season prophets were sent God had his Church in Iuda albeit the most part of the people with their gouernours did both followe and defende the wickednesse and defection of Manasses In the kingdome of Israel king Ieroboam thrust out of their offices the teachers and preachers of the lawe of the Lord and of the sounde trueth and in stéede of them gaue vnto the people prophane and vnlearned priestes and rulers And moreouer built newe temples yea those were cathedrall churches and sett vpp newe idols or calues a newe religion new altars and newe feastes and by this meanes abrogated the true religion of GOD to that end that there might no outward marks at all of the Church of God appeare in Israel and yet there is no doubt but God had a notable Church in Israel for the preseruation and repairing whereof from time to time God sent his Prophets albeit they were not acknowledged to be the true Prophets of God at the hands of the false church and of the false prophets Vnder Ieroboam the second of that name Amos the Prophete a shéepeheard or neateherd of Tecoa taught and preached the true word of God but he heard at the hāds of Amasias the high priest of the kingdome Get thee quicklie hence and goe into the land of Iuda and prophecie or preach there But prophecie no more at Bethel for it is the kings chappel and it is the kings court Furthermore when Achab passed all the kings before him in wickednesse and added moreouer to the vngodlines and falling away of Ieroboam y abhominable religion of Baal and had filled all the kingdome of Israel with superstitions idolatries enchauntments and sacrileges yea and moreouer persecuted the pure word of God in his prophets most cruely there was yet founde in Israel a most famous church of god Helias that great and most excellent prophet of God because of that horrible falling awaye from God and loathsomnesse of that most miserable people in whom there appeared no one token of the true Church of God flying into the wildernesse hid himselfe in cornērs and béeing asked of the Lord what hee did there he aunsweared I haue beene verie iealous for the Lord God of hostes for that the childrē of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunt cast downe thine altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I onely am lefte they seeke my life to take it away But streight wayes hee is sent backe into the land of Israel from whence he was fled and heard moreouer these words I haue left vnto my selfe seuen thousand mē in Israel who haue neither bowed their knees to Baal neither kissed him Behold this mightie prophet thought that only he himselfe had béene left of all the number of the faithful in Israel but he heard the God had reserued seuen thousand holy mē who had not bowed their knées that is to say had neuer serued Baal so much as with outward reuerēce But who knoweth not that the prophete vnderstood by the number of seuen an excéeding great number of the true seruants of God who vndoubtedly were circūcised not into the couenaunt of Baal but into the couenaunt of the eternall God The same men lacked not faith and therefore they were not without doctrine though the same were not so common neither séemed vnto the Baalits to be either ordinary or catholique But vndoubtedly they wanted the vse of the sacrifices for seeing they were not lawfully offered they would not be partakers of those that were vnlawful but in the meane season they were not destitute of the things which were signified by the outward signes or sacraments being partakers throughe faith of all the gifts of God. After the selfe same sort since the bishop of Rome after the maner of king Ieroboam hauing forsaken the sound preaching of the Gospell and hauing corrupted the first and simple institution of the Lords supper depraued and wrested to his owne profite other commaundements of God and placed himselfe in the throne or temple of God or in the church of God bragging that he is a God in earth surely the church of God oppressed with grieuous tyrānie could very hardly hetherto bee discerned by outward marks For in stéed of the sincere preaching of the Gospell a certeine kinde of doctrine mixed corrupted with mens decrées was set forth and in stéed of the Lords supper Popish masse was