Appellation from the Cruel and Unjust Sentence Against Him

TO THE NOBILITIE AND ESTAtes of Scotland John Knoxe wisheth grace, mercy, and peace from God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ with the spirit of righteous judgment.

I T is not only the love of life temporal (right honorable) neither yet the fear of corporal death, that moveth me at this present to expone unto you the injuries done against me, and to crave of you, as of lawful powers by God appointed, redress of the same, but partly it proceedeth from that reverence which every man oweth to Godds eternal truth, and partly from a love which I bear to your salvation, and to the salvation of my brethren abused in that realm by such, as have no fear of God before their eyes. It hath pleased God of his infinite mercy, not only so to illuminate the eyes of my mind, and so to tuche my dull heart, that clearly I se, and by his grace vnfeanedly believe, that their is no other name given to men under the heaven, in which salvation consisteth, save the name of Jesus alone,

Who by that sacrifice which he did once offer upon the cross, hath sanctified forever those that shall enherite the kingdom promised: but also it hath pleased him of his superabundant grace, to make and appointe me most wretched of many thousands a witness, minister and preacher of the same doctrine: the some whereof I did not spare to communicate withe my brethren being with them in the realm of Scotland in the year 1556, because I know myself to be a steward and that accounts of the talēt committed to my charge shall be required by him who will admit no vain excuse which fearful men pretend. I did therefore (as God did minister) during the time I was conversant with them (God is record and witness) truly and syncerly according to the gift granted unto me, devide the word of salvation, teaching all men to hate Syn, which before God was and is so odious that none other sacrifice could satisfy his justice except the death of his only son, and to magnify the great mercies of our heuenlie Father, who did not spare the substance of his own glory but did give him to the world to suffer the ignominious and cruel death of the cross, by that means to reconcile his chosen children to him self: teaching further what is the duty of such as do believe them selves purged by such a price from their former filthiness. To wit, that they are bound to walk in the newness of life fighting against the lusts of the flesh and studyinge at all times to glorify God by such good works as he hath prepared his children to walk in.

In doctrine I did further affirm, so taught by my master Christ Jesus, that whosoever denieth him, yea or is ashamed of him before this wicked generation, him shall Christ Jesus deny, and of him shall he be ashame whē he shall appear in his majesty. And therefore I feared not to affirm that of necessity it is, that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all superstition, vain religion, and idolatry. Vain religion and idolatry I call, whatsoever is done in God's service or honor without the express commandment of his own word.

This doctrine did I believe to be so conformable to God's holy scriptures that I thoght, no creature could have been so impudent as to have damned any point or article of the same. Yet nevertheless me, as an heritike, and this doctrine as heriticall, have your falls bishops and ungodly clergy damned, pronouncing against me a sentence of death, in testification whereof they have burned a picture. From which falls and cruel sentence, and from all judgment of that wicked generation I make it known to your honors, that I appeal to a lawful and general counsel, to such I mean, as the most ancient laws and canones do approve to be holden, by such as whose manifest impiety is not to be reformed in the same: most humbly requiring of your honors, that, as God hath appointed you princes in that people, and by reason thereof requireth of your hands the defense of innocētes troubled in your dominion, in the mean time, and till the controversies, that this day be in religion, be laufully decided, ye receive me and such others, as most unjustly by those cruel beasts are persecuted, in your defense and protection.

Your honors are not ignorant that it is not I alone, who doth sustain this cause against the pestilent generation of Papists, but that the most part of Germany, the country of Heluetia, the king of Denmark, the nobility of Polonia, together with many other Cities and Churches refromed, appeall from the tyranny of that Antichrist, and most earnestly do call for a lawful and general coūsil, wherein may all controversies in religion be decided by the authority of God's most sacred word. And unto this same, as said is, do I appeal yet once again, requirīg of your honors to hold my simple and plain appellation of no less value nor effect, then if it had been made with greater circunstāce, solemnity, and ceremony, and that ye receive me calinge unto you, as to the powers of God ordained, in your protection and defense against the rage of tyrants, not to mentaine me in any iniquity, error, or falls opinion, but to let me have such equity, as God by his word, ancient laws, and determinations of most Godly counsils, grant to men accused or infamed.

The word of God will that no man shall die except he be found criminal and worthy of death for offense committed, of the which he must be manifestly convicted by two or three witnesses. Ancient laws do permit just defences to such as be accused (be their crimes never so horrible) and godly counsilles will that nether Bishop nor Person ecclesiastical whatsoever accused of any crime shall sit in judgment, consultation, or counsel, where the cause of such men, as do accuse them, is to be tried.

These things require I of your honors to be granted unto me: to wit, That the doctrine which our adversaries condemn for heresy may be tried by the simple and plain word of God, that just defenses be admitted to us that sustain the battle against this pestilent generation of Antichrist, and that they be removed from judgment in our cause, seeing that our accusation is not intended against any one particular persō, but against that hole kingdom which we doubt not to prove to be a power usurped against God, against his commandment and against the ordenance of Christ Jesus established in his Church by his chief Apostles: Yea we doubt not to prove the kingdom of the Pope to be the king dome and power of Antichrist. And therefore my Lord's I can not cease in the name of Christ Jesus to require of you that the matter may come in examination, and that ye the estates of the realm by your authority compel such as will be called bishops, not only to desist from their cruel murthering of such as do study to promote gods glory in detecting and disclosing the damnable impiety of that man of syn the Roman Antichrist, but also that ye compel them to answer to such crimes as shall be laid to their charge for not righteously instructing the flock committed to their cares.

But here I know two things shall be doubted. The former: whether that my appellation is lawful and to be admitted seeing that I am damned as an heritike: and secondarely whether your honors be bound to defend such as call for your support in that case, seeing that your bishops (who in matters of religion claim all authority to appertain to them) have by their sentence allredy condemned me.

The one and the other I nothing doubt most clearly to prove. Fyrst that my appellation is most Lawfull and just: and secondarely that your honors cannot refuse to defend me thus calling for your aid, but that in so doing ye declare your selves rebellious to God, mentainers of murderers and shedders of innocent blood.

How just cause I have by the civil law (as for their canon it is accursed of God) to appeal from their unjust sentence my purpose is not to make long discourse. Onlie I will touche the points which all men confess to be just causes of appellation. Fyrst laufully could I not be summoned by them being for that time absent from their jurisdiction, charged with the preaching of Christ's Evēgill in a free city not subject to their tyranny.

Secondarely to me was no intimation made of their sommondes, but so secrete was their surmised malice that the copy of the sommondes being required was denied.

Thirdly to the realm of Scotland could I have had no free nor sure access being before exiled frō the same by their unjust tyranny. And last to me they nether could nor can be competent and indifferent judges, for that, before any sommondes were raised against me, I had accused them by my lrēs published to the queen dowagier, and had intended against them all crimes, offering myself with hasard of life to prove the same, for the which they are not only unworthy of ecclesiastical authority, but also of any sufferance within a commune wealth professing Christ. This my accusatiō preceding their sonmōdes, neither by the law of God, neither yet by the law of man can they be to me competent judges till place be granted unto me openlie to prove my accusatiō intended against them, and they be compelled to make answer as criminalls. For I will plainly prove that not only bishops, but also Popes have been removed frō all authority and pronouncing of judgment till they have purged them selves of accusations laid against them. Yea further I will prove that bishops and Popes most justly have been deprived frō all honors and administration for smaller crimes then I have to charge the hole rabble of your bishops.

But because this is not my chief ground I will stand content for this present to show, that lawful it is to God's Prophets and to preachers of Christ Jesus to appeall frō the sentence and judgment of the visible church to the knolledge of the temporal Magistrate, who by God's law is bound to hear their causes, and to defend them from tyranny.

The Prophet Jeremiah was cōmmāded by God to stand in the court of the house of the Lord and to preach this sermon in effect. That Jerusalem should be distroyed and be exponed in opprobrie to all nations of the earth, and that also that famous temple of God should be made desolate like unto Sylo, because the preestes, the Prophets, and the people did not walk in the Law, which God had {pro}posed unto thē, neither would they obey the voices of the Prophets, whom God sent to call them to repentance.

For this sermon was Jeremiah apprehended and a sentence of death was pronounced against him and that by the preestes, by the Prophets, and by the people, which things being bruted in the ears of the Princes of Judah they passed up frō the kings house to the temple of the Lord, and sat down in judgment for further knowledge of the cause. But the preestes and Prophets continued in theyre cruel sentence, which before they had pronounced saying, This man is worthy of the death: for he hath prophesied against this city as your ears have hard. But Jeremiah so moved by the holy Ghost, began his defense against that their tyrannous sentence in these words. The Lord (saith he) hath sent me to prophetie against this house, and against this city all the words which you have hard. Now therefore make good your ways, and hear the voice of the Lord your God, and then shall he repent of the evil which he hath spoken against you. As for me behold I am in your hands (so doth he speak to the Princes) do to me as you think good and righteous. Neuertheles know you this most assuredly, that if ye murder or sley me, ye shall make yourselves, this city, and the inhabitants of the same criminal and gyltie of innocent blood. For of a truth the Lord hath sent me to speak in your ears all those words.

Then the princes and the people (saith the text) said, this man is not worthy of death, for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God. And so after some contention was the Prophet delivered frō that danger. This fact and history manefestly proveth whatsoever before I have affirmed. To wit, that it is Laufull for the servants of God to call for the help of the civil magistrate against the sentence of death if it be unjust, by whom soever it be {pro}nounced and also that the civil sword hath power to repress the fury of the priests and to absolve whom thei have condemned. For the prophet of God was damned by those who then only in earth were know̄ to be the visible church, to wit preestes & prophets who thē were in Ierusalē the successors of Aarō to whom was givē a charge to speak to the people in the name of God, and a precept givē to the people to hear the law frō their mouths, to the which if any should be rebellious or inobediēt he should die the death without mercy. These men I say thus auctorised by God, first did excommunicate Ierimie for that he did preach other wise then did the commune sort of prophets in Jerusalem, and last apprehended him, as you have hard, {pro}nouncing against him this sentence afore written frō the which nevertheless the prophet appealed, that is sought help and defense against the same and that most earnestly did he crave of the princes. For albeit he saith, I am in your hands do with me as ye think righteous, he doth not contemn nor neglect his life as though he regarded not, what should become of him, but ī those his words most vehementlie did he admonish the princes, and rulers of the people giving them to understand what God should require of thē. As he should say, You princes of Judah, and rulers of the people, to whom appertaineth in differentlie to judge betwixt party and party, to justify the just man and to condemn the malefactor, you have hard à sentence of death pronounced against me by those, whose lips ought to speak no decept, because they are sanctified and appointed by God him self to speak his law and to pronounce judgment with equity, but as they have left the living God, and have taught the people to follow vanity, so are they becōmed mortal enemies to all God's true servants, of whom I am one rebuking their iniquity, apostasy and defection from God which is the only cause they seek my life. But a thing most contrary to all equity, law and justice it is, that I a mā sent of God to call them, this people, and you again to the true service of God, from the which you are all declined, shall suffer the death because that my enemies do so pronounce sentence. I stand in your presence, whom God hath made princes, your power is above their tyranny, before you do I expone my cause I am in your hands and can not resist to suffer what ye think just. But lest that my lenity and patience should either make you negligent in the defense of me in my just cause appealīg to your judgment, either yet encorrage my enemies in seakinge my blood, this one thing I dar not consile: That if you murder me, (which thing ye do if ye defend me not) ye make not only my enemies gyltie of my blood, but also yourselves and this hole city. By these words I say, it is evident, that the prophet of God being damned to death by the preestes and by the prophets of the visible Church, did seek aid support and defense at the princes and temporal magistrates, threatening his blood to be required of theyre hands, if they by theyre authority did not defend him from the fury of his enemies: alleging also just causes of his appellation, and why he ought to have been defended: to wit, that he was sent of God to rebuke their vices and defection from God: that he taught no doctrine which God before had not pronounced in his Law: that he desired theyre conversion to God, continually calling upon them to walk in the ways which God had approved and therefore doth he boldly crave of the princes, as of God's lieutenātes to be defended from the blind rage & tyranny of the priests, notwithstanding that they claimed to themselves authority to judge in all matters of religion. And the same did he what time he was cast in prison and thereafter was brought to the presence of king Zedekiah, after I say that he had defended his innocētie, affirming that he neither had offended against the king, against his servants nor against the people, at last he made intercession to the king for his life, saying,

But now my lord the king take hede, I beseech thee let my prayer fall in to thy presence command me not to be carried again in to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.

And the text witnesseth that the king commanded the place of his imprysonment to be changed. Whereof it is evident, that the prophet did ofter then once seek help at the civil power and that first the princes, and thereafter the king did acknowledge, that it appertained to their office to deliver him from the iniust sentence, which was pronounced against him. if any think that Jeremiah did not appeall because he only declared the wrong done unto him, and did but crave defense according to his innocence let the same man understand, that none otherwise do I appeal from that falls and cruel sentence, which your Bishops have pronounced against me. Neither yet can there be any other just cause of appellation but innocency hurt, or suspected to be hurt, whether it be by ignorance of a judge, or by malice and corruption of those, who under the title of justice do exercise tyranny. if I were a thief, murderer, blasphemer, open adulterer, or any offender whom God's word commandeth to suffer for a crime committed, my appellation were vain and to be rejected: but I being innocent, yea the doctrine which your Bishops have condemned in me, being God's eternal verity, have no less liberty to crave your defense against that cruelty, then had the Prophet Jeremiah to seek the aid of the Princes and King of Judah. But this shall more plainly appear in the fact of saint Paul, who after that he was apprehended in Jerusalem, did first claim to the liberty of Roman citezēs for avoiding torment, what time that the captayn would have examined him by questions: there after in the coūcile, where no rightious judgment was to be hoped for, he affirmed that he was a Pharisee, and that he was accused of the resurrection of the dead, and last in the presence of Festus he appealed from all knowledge and judgment of the Priests at Jerusalem to the Emperor: of which last point, because it doth chefelie appertain to this my cause, I will somewhat speak.

After that Paul had diverse times been accused, as in the Acts of the apostles is manifest, at the last the chief Priests and theyre faction came to Cesarea with Festus the president, who presented to them Paul in judgment, whom they accused of horrible crimes: which nevertheless they could not prove, the Apostle defending that he had not offended neither agaīnst the Law, neither against the Temple, neither yet against the Emperor.

But Festus willing to gratify the Jews, said to Paul: Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things in my presence? But Paul said: I stand at the justice seat of the Emperor, where it behooveth me to be judged, I have done no injury to the Jews as thou better knowest. If I have done anything iniustly, or yet committed crime worthy of death, I refuse not to die. But if there be nothing of these things true, where of they accuse me, no man may give me to them: I appeall to Caesar.

It may appear at the first sight that Paul did great injury to Festus the judge, and to the hole order of the preesthode, who did hope greater equity in a cruel tyrant then in all that session and learned company. Which thing no dout Festus did understand, pronouncing these words: Hast thou appealed to Caesar? thou shalt go to Caesar. As he would say, I as a man willing to understand the truth before I {pro}noūce sētense, have required of thee to go to Jerusalem, where the learned of thine own nation may hear thy cause and discern in the same. The controversy standith in matters of religion. Thou art accused as an apostatat from the Law, as a violator of the temple, and transgressor of the traditions of theyre fathers: in which matters I am ignorant, and therefore desire information by those, that be learned in the same religion, whereof the question is. And yet doest thou refuse so many godly fathers to hear thy cause, and doestappeale to the Emperor: preferring him to all our judgments, of no purpose belike, but to delay time. Thus I say it might have appeared that Paul did not only injury to the judge and to the Priests, but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected: partly for that he did refuse the judgment of those that had moste knowledge (as all men supposed) of God's will and religion: and partly because he appealed to the Emperor, who then was at Rome far absent from Jerusalem, a man also ignorant of God and enemy to all virtue. But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies, and what things they had intended against him, even from the first day that he began freely to speak in the name of Christ, did not fear to appeal from them, and from the judge that would have gratified them. They had professed thē selves plain enemies to Christ Jesus and to his blessed Euangill, and had sought the death of Paul, yea even by factions and treasonable cōspiracie: and therefore by no means would he admit them either judges in his cause, either auditors of the same as Festus required: but grounding him self upon strong reasons, to wit, that he had not offended the Jews, neither yet the Law, but that he was innocent, and therefore that no judge ought to give him in the hands of his enemies: grounding I say his appellation upon these reasons, he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus, neither yet the brute of the ignorant multitude, but boldly did appeal from all cognition of them to the judgment of the Emperor, as said is. By these two examples I dout not but your honors do understand, that lawful it is to the servants of God oppressed by tyranny to seek remedy against the same, be it by appellation from their sentence, or by imploring the help of civil Magistrates. For what God hath approved in Jeremiah and Paul, he can condemn in none that likewise be e •• reated. I might allege some histories of the primative Church serving to the same purpose: as of Ambrose and Athanasius, of whom the one would not be judged but at Milan, where that is doctrine was hard of all his Church and received and approu • d by many: and the other would in no wise give place to those coūciles, where he knew that mē conspired against the truth of God should sit in judgment and cōsultatione. But because the Scriptures of God are my only foundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importance, I have thoght the two former testimonies sufficient, as well to prove my appellation reasonable and just, as to declare to your honors that with safe conscience ye cannot refuse to admit the same. If any think it arrogācie or foolishness in me to compare myself with Jeremiah and Paul, let the same man understand that as God is immutable, so is the verity of his glorious Euangill of equal dignity, whensoever it is impugned, be the members suffering never so weak. What I think touching mine own person, God shall reveal when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, and such as with whom I have been conversant, can partly witness, what arrogācie or pride they espy in me. But touching the doctrine and cause which that adulterous and pestilent generatiō of Antichrists servants (who will be called Bishops amongst you) have condened in me, I neither fear nor shame to confess and avow before man and Angel to be the eternal truth of the eternal God. And in that case I dout not to compare myself with any menbre in whom the truth hath been impugned sense the beginning. For as it was the truth which Jeremiah did preach in these words,

The Priests have not known me (saith the Lord) but the pastors have traitorously declined and fallen back from me. The Prophets have prophesied in Baal, and have gone after those things, which cannot help. My people have left the fontaine of living waters, and have digged to them selves pits, which can contain no water:

As it was a truth that the pastors and watchmen in the days of Isaie were becomed dōme dogs blind, ignorant, proud and auaricious And finally as it was a truth, that the Princes and the Priests were murderers of Christ Jesus, and cruel persecutors of his Apostles: so likewise it is a truth (and that moste infallible) that those that have condemned me (the hole rabble of the papistical clergy) have declyned from the true faith, have given ear to deceauable spirits and to doctrine of devils, are the sterres fallen from the heaven to the earth, are fontaines without water: and finally are enemies to Christ Jesus, deniers of his virtue, and horrible blasphemours of his death and passiō. And further as that visible Church had no crime, where of justly they could accuse either the Prophets, either the Apostles, except their doctrine only: so have not such as seek my blood other crime to lay to my charge, except that I affirm, as always I offer to prove, that the religion, which now is maintained by fire and sword, is no less contrarious to the true religion taught and established by the Apostles, then is darkness to light, or the Devil to God: and also that such as now do claim the title and name of the Church ar no more the elect spouse of Christ Jesus, then was the Synagogue of the Jews the true Church of God what time it crucified Christ Ies{us}, damned his doctrine and persecuted his Apostles. And therefore seeing that my battle is against the proud and cruel hypocrites of this age, as that battaill of those most excellent instruments was against the falls Prophets and malignant Church of their ages: neither ought any man think it strange that I compare myself with them, with whom I sustain a common cause, neither ought you my Lord's judge yourselves less addetted and bound to me calling for your support, then did the Princes of Judah think thē selves bound to Jeremiah, whom for that time they deliue red notwithstanding the sentence of death {pro}noūced against him by the visible Church. And thus much for the right of my appellatiō, which in the bowels of Christ Jesus I require your honors not to esteem as a thing superfluous and vain, but that ye admit it, and also accept me in your {pro}tection and defense, that by you assured I may have access to my native coūtry, which I never offended to the end: that freely and openlie in the presence of the hole realm I may give my confession of all such pointes as this day be in controversy, and also that you by your authority which ye have of God, compel such, as of long time have blinded and deceived both yourselves and the people, to answer to such things as shall be laid to their charge. But lest that some dout remain, that I require more of you then you of conscience ar bound to grant, in few words I hope to prove my petitiō to be such, as without God's heavy displeasure ye cannot deny. My petition is, that ye, whom God hath appointed heads in your commune wealth, with single eye do study to promote the glory of God, to provide that your subjects be rightly instructed in his true religiō, that they be defended from all oppression and tyranny, that true teachers may be maintained, and such as blind and deceive the people, together also with all idle bellies which do rob and oppress the flock, may be removed and punished as God's Law prescribeth. And to the perfurmance of everyone of these, do your offices and Names. The honors and benefits, which ye receue, the Law of God universally given 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 to all men, and the examples of moste godly Princes bind and oblish you.

My purpose is not greatly to labor to prove, that your hole study ought to be to promote the glory of God, neither yet will I study to allege all reasons that justly may be brought to prove that ye are not exalted to reign above your brethrē as men without care and solicitude. For these be principals so grafted in nature, that very Ethnics have confessed the same. For seeing that God only hath placed you in his chair, hath appointed you to be his lieutenantes, and by his own seall hath marked you to be Magistrates, and to rule above your brethren, to whom nature nevertheless hath made you like in all points (for in conception, birth, life, and death ye differ nothing from the commune sort of men, but God only, as said is, hath promoted you, and of his especial favor hath given unto you this prerogative to be called God's:) how horrible ingratitude were it then, that you should be found unfaithful to him, that thus hath honored you? And further what a monster were it that you should be proved unmerciful to them, above whom ye are appointed to reign as fathers above theyre children? because I say that very Ethnics have granted, that the chief and first care of Prīces, and of such as be appointed to rule above others, ought to be to promote the glory and honor of their gods, and to maintain that religion, which they supposed to have been true. And that theyre second care was to maintain and defend the subjects committed to theyre charge in all aequitie and justice. I will not labor to show unto you what ought to be your study in maȳtainyng God's true honor: lest that in so doing I should seme to make you less careful over God's true religion, then were the Ethnics over their idolatry. But because other petitions may appere more hard and difficile to be granted, I purpose brefely, but yet freely, to speak what God by his word doth assure me to be true. To wit▪ first that in conscience you are bound to punysh malefactors, and to defend innocents imploringe your help: secondarely that God requireth of you to provide that your subjects be rightly instructed in his true religion, and that the same by you be reformed whensoever abuses do crepe in by malice of Satan and negligence of men: and last that ye are bound to remove from honor, and to punish with death (if the crime so require) such as deceive the people, or defraud them of that food of theyre souls, I mean God's lively word. The first and seconde are moste plain by the words of S. Paul thus speaking of lawful powers.

Let every soul (saith he) submit him self unto the higher powers. for there is no power but of god. The powers that be, are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to them selves damnation. For rulers ar not to be feared of those that do well, but of those that do evil. Wilt thou then be without fear of the power? do that which is good, and so shalt thou be praised of the same. For he is the minister of God for thy wealth. But if thou do that which is evil, fear. For he beareth not the sword for noght: for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on them that do evil.

As the Apostle in these words moste straytly commandeth obedience to be given to lawful powers, pronouncing God's wrath and vengeance against such as shall resist the ordonaunce of God, so doth he assign to the powers theyre offices, which to be take vengeance upon evil doers, to maintain the well doers, and so to ministre and rule in theyre office, that the subjects by them may have a benefit and be praised in well doing. Now if you be powers ordained by God (and that I hope all men will grant) then by the plain words of the Apostle is the sword given unto you by God for maintenance of the innocent, and for punishment of malefactors. But I and my brethren with me accused, do offer not only to prove our selves innocents in all things laid to our charge, but also we offer most evidently to prove your Bishops to be the very pestilence, who have infected all christianity. And therefore by the plain doctrine of the Apostle you ar bound to maintain us, and to punysh the other being evidently convict and proved criminal. Moreover the former words of the Apostle do teach, how far hie powers be bound to theyre subjects: to wit, that because they are God's ministers by him ordained for the profit and utility of others, moste diligently ought they to intend upon the same. For that cause assigneth the holy Ghost commanding subjects to obey, and to pay tribute: saying,

For this do you pay tribute and tole.

That is because they are God's ministers, bearing the sword for your utility. Wherof it is plain, that there is no honor without a charge annexed. And this one point I wish your wisdoms dipely to consider: that God hath not placed you above your brethren to reign as tyrants without respect of theyre profit and commodity. You hear the holy Ghost witness the contrary, affirming that all lawful powers be God's ministers ordened for the wealth, profit and saluatiō of their subjects, and not for theyre destructiō. Could it be said (I beseech you) that Magistrates, inclosing theyre subjects in a city without all victuals, or giving unto them no other victuals but such as were poisoned, did rule for the profit of their subiet • es? I trust that none would be so foolish as so to affirm: but that rather every discrete person would boldly affirm, that such as so did, were tyrants unworthy of all regiment. If we will not deny that, which Christ Jesus affirmeth to be a truth infallible, to wit, That the soul is greater and more precious, then is the body: then shall we easily espy how unworthy of authority be those, that this day debar theyre subjects from the hearing of God's word, and by fire and sword compel them to feed upon the very poison of theyre souls, the damnable doctrine of Antichrist. And therefore in this poīt I say, I cannot cease to admonish your honors diligently to take heed over your charge, which is greater then the most parte of men suppose. It is not enough that you abstain from violēte wrong, and oppression which ungodly men exercise against their subjects: but ye are further bound, to wit, that ye rule above them for theyre wealth. Which ye cannot do, if that ye either by negligence not providing true pastors, or yet by your maintenance of such as be ravening wolves, suffer theyre souls to starve and perish for lack of the true food, which is Christ's Euangill sincerely preached. It will not excuse you in his presence, who will require account of every talent committed to your charge, to say that ye supposed that the charge of the souls had been committed to your Bishops. No no, my Lord's, so ye cannot escape God's judgment. For if your Bishops be proved to be no Bishops, but deceauable thieves and ravening wolves (which I offer myself to prove by God's word, by law, and coūcils, yea by the judgment of all the godly learned frō the primative Church to this day) then shall your permission and defense of them be reputed before God a participation with their theft and murder. For thus accused the Prophet Isaiah the Princes of Jerusalem.

Thy princes, saith he, ar apostatats: that is obstinate refusers of God, and they ar companions of thieves.

This grievous accusation was laid against them, albeit that they ruled in that city which sometime was called holy, where then were the temple, rites and ordonances of God: because that not only they were wicked them selves, but chefely because they maintained wicked men their Priests and falls {pro}phetes in honors and authority if they did not escape this accusatiō of the holy Ghost ī that age, look ye neither to escape the accusation nor the judgment which is pronounced against the maȳtainers of whicked men: to with that the one and the other shall drink the cup of God's wrath and vengeance together. and lest ye should deceive yourselves, esteming your Bishops to be virtuous and godly, this do I affirm and offer myself to prove the same, that more wicked men, then be the hole rabble of your clergy, were never from the beginning universally known in any age, yea Sodom and Gomorrah may be justified in theyre respect. For they permitted just Lot, to dwell amongst them without any violence done to his body, which that pestilent generation of your shauensort doth not, but moste cruelly persecute by fire and sword the true members of Christ's body for no other cause, but for the true service and honoring of God. And therefore I fear not to affirm that, which God shall one day justify: That by your offices ye be bound, not only to repress their tyranny, but also to punish them, as thieves and murderers, as idolaters and blasphemers of God, and in their roumes ye are bound to place true preachers of Christ's Evēgile for the instruction, comfort, and salvation of your subjects, above whom else shall never the holy Ghost acknolledge, that you rule in justice for their profit. If ye pretend to possess the kingdom with Christ Jesus, ye may not take example neither by the ignorant multitude of Princes, neither by the ungodly and cruel rulers of the earth, of whom sonme pass theyre time in sloth, insolētie, and ryote without respect had to gods honor or to the saluatiō of theyre brethrē: and other moste cruelly oppress with proud Nīrod such as be subject to them. But your pattern and example must be the practice of those, whom God hath approved by the testimony of his word as after shall be declared.

Of the premisses it is evident that to lawful powers is given the sword for punishment of malefactors, for maintenance of innocents, and for the profit and utility of their subjects. Now let us consider, whether the reformation of religion fallen in decay, and punishment of false teachers do appertain to the civil Magistrate and nobility of any realm. I am not ignorant that Satan of old time for mentainance of his darkness hath obtained of the blind world two chief points. Former, he hath persuaded to Princes, rulers, and magistrates, that the feeding of Christ's flock appertaineth nothing to theyre charge, but that it is rejected upon the Bishops, and estate ecclesiastical: and secondarelie that the reformation of religion, be it never so corrupt and the punishment of such, as be sworn soldiers in theyre king dome, are exempted from all civil power and are reserved to them selves, and to theyre own cognition. But that no offender can justly be exempted from punishment, and that the ordering and reformation of religion with the instruction of subjects, doth especially appertain to the civil Magistrate, shall gods perfect ordenaunce, his plain word, and the facts and examples of those that of God are highly praised, moste evidently declare.

When God did establish his Law, statutes and ceremonies in the midst of Israel, he did not exempt the matters of religion from the power of Moses, but as he gave him charge over the civil polity, so he put in his mouth and in his hand: That is, he first revealed to him, and thereafter commanded to put in practice whatsoever was to be taught or done in matters of religiō. Nothing did God reveal particularely to Aaron, but altogether was he commanded to depend from the mouth of Moses: Yea nothing was he permitted to do to him self or to his children either in his or their inauguration and sanctification to the preesthode, but all was committed to the care of Moses, and therefore were these words so frequētly repeated to Moses,

Thou shalt separate Aaron and his sons from the midst of the people of Israel, that they may execute the office of the Preesthode, thou shalt make unto them garments, thou shalt annoynte them, thou shalt wash thē, thou shalt fill their hands with the sacrifice.

And so forth of every rite and ceremony, that was to be done unto thē, especial commandment was given unto Moses, that he should do it. Now if Aarō and his sons were so subject to Moses, that they did nothing but at his commandment, who dar be so bold as to affirm that the civil Magistrate hath nothing to do in matters of religiō? For seeing that thē God did so straytly require, that even those, who did bear the figure of Christ, should receive from the civil power as it were theyre sanctification, and entrance to their office, and seeing also that Moses was so far preferred to Aaron, that the one commanded and the other did obey, who dar esteem that the civil power is now becomed so profane in God's eyes, that it is sequestered from all intromission with the matters of religion. The holy ghost in diverse places declarethe the contrary.

For one of the chief precepts commanded to the king, when that he should be placed in his throne, was to write the example of the boke of the Lord's law, that it should be with him, that he might read in it all the days of his life, that he might learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of his law, and his statutes to do them. This precept requireth not only, that the king should him self fear God, keep his Law, and statutes, but that also he as the chief ruler, should provide that gods true religion should be kept inuiolated of the people and flock, which by God was committed to his charge. And this did not only David and Solomon perfectly understand, but also some godly kings in Judah after the apostasy and idolatry, that infected Israel by the means of Jeroboam, did practice theyre understanding and execute theyre power in some notable reformations. For Asa and Jehoshaphat kings in Judah, fynding the religion altogether corrupt, did apply theyre hearts (saith the holy ghost) to serve the Lord, and to walk in his ways: and thereafter doth witness that Asa removed from honors his mother, some say grādmother, because she had committed and labored to mentaine horrible idolatry. And Jehoshaphat did not only refuse strange gods him self, but also distroying the chief monuments of idolatry, did send forth the. Levites to instruct the people, whereof it is plain that the one and the other did understand such reformations to appertain to their duties. But the facts of Hezekiah, and of Josiah do more clearly prove the power and duty of the civil Magistrate in the reformation of religion. Before the reign of Hezekiah so corrupt was the religion that the doors of the house of the Lord were shut up, the lamps were extinguished, no sacrifice was orderly made, but in the first year of his reign the first month of the same, did the king open the doors of the temple, bring in the Priests and Levites and assembling them together did speak unto them as folloeth. Hear me o ice Levites and be sanctified now, and sanctify also the house of the Lord God of your fathers and carry forth from the sanctuary all filthiness (he meaneth all monuments and vessels of idolatry) for our fathers have transgressed and have committed wickedness in thee eyes of the eternal our God, they have left him and have turned theyre faces from the tabernacle of the Lord▪ and therefore is the wrath of the Lord cōmed upon Judah and Jerusalem. Behold our fathers have fallen by the sword, our sons, daughters and wifes are led in captivity, but now have I purposed in my heart to make a couenante with the Lord God of Israel, that he may turn the wrath of his fury from us. And therefore my sons (he swetely exhorteth) be not faint, for the Lord hath chosen you to stand in his presence and to serve him. Such as be not more then blind clearly may perceive that the king doth aknolledge, that it appertained to his charge to reform the religion, to appoint the Levites to theyre charges and to admonish thē of theyre duty and office, which thing he more evidently declareth, writing his lettres to all Israel, to Ephrtaim, an Manasseh, and sent the same by the hands of messengers having this tenor.

You sons of Israel return to the Lord God of Abraham Isaac, and Israel, and he shall return to the residue that resteth from the hands of Assur. Be not as your fathers and as your brethren were who have transgressed against the Lord God of theyre fathers, who hath made them desolate as you see. Hold not your heart therefore, but give your hand unto the Lord, return unto his sanctuary, serve him and he shall show mercy unto you, to your sons, and daughters that be in bondage, for he is pitiful and easy to be entreated.

Thus far did Hezekiah by lettres and messengers provoke the people, declined from God to repentance, not only in Judah, where he reigned lawful king, but also in Israel, subject then to another king. And albeit that by some wicked men his messengers were mocked, yet as they lacked not theyre just punishment (for within six years after Samaria was destroyed and Israel led captive by Salmanazar) so did not the zealous king Hezekiah desist to prosecute his duty in restoring the religion to God's perfect ordenance, removing all abominations.

The same is to be red of Josiah, who did not only restore the religion, but did further destroy all monuments of idolatry, which of long time had remained. For it is written of him, that after that the boke of the law was found, and that he had asked counsel at the prophetess Hulda, he sent and gathered all the elders of iuda and Jerusalem, and standing in the temple of the Lord he made a conuenant, that all the people frō the great to the small should walk after the Lord, should observe his law, statutes and testimonies with all theyre heart, and all theyre soul, and that they should ratify and confirm, whatsoever was written in the boke of God. He further commanded Helkias the hic priest, and the preestes of the inferior order, that they should carry forth of the temple of the Lord all the vessels, that were made to Baal, which he burnt and did carry their powder to Bethel. He did further destroy all monuments of idolatry, yea even those that had remained frō the days of Salomō. He did burn them, stamp them to powder, whereof one part he scattered in the broke Kidron and the other upon the sepulcres and graves of the idolaters, whose bones he did burn vpō the altars, where before they made sacrifice not only in Judah, but also in Bethel, where Jeroboam had erected his idolatry: yea he further proceeded, and did kill the preestes of the hie places, who were idolaters, and had deceived the people: he did kill them, I say, and did burn theyre bones upon theyre own altars, and so returned to Jerusalem. This reformatiō made Josiah, and for the same obtained this testimony of the holy Ghost, that neither before him neither after him was there any such king, who returned to God with his hole soul, and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses.

Of which histories it is evident that the reformation of religion in all points, together with the punishment of false teachers doth appertain to the power of the civil Magistrate. For what God required of them, his justice must require of others having the like charge and authority: what he did approve in them, he can not but approve in all others, who with like zeal and sincerity do interprise to purge the Lord's temple and sanctuary. what God required of them, it is before declared, to wit: that most diligently they should observe his Law, statutes and ceremonies. And how acceptable were theyre facts to God, doth he him self witness. For to some he gave most notable victories without the hand of man, and in theyre most desperate dangers did declare his especial favors towerdes them by signs supernatural: to other he so established the kingdom, that theyre enemies were compelled to stoop under theyre feet. And the names of all he hath regestred not only in the boke of life, but also in the blessed remembrance of all posterities sense theyre days, which also shall continue till the coming of the Lord Jesus, who shall reward with the crown of immortality not only thē, but also such, as unfeignedly study to do the will and to promote the glory of his heuenlie father in the midst of this corrupted generation. In consideration whereof ought you, my Lord's, all delay set apart, to provide for the reformation of religion in your dominions and bounds, which now is so corrupt that no part of Christ's institution remaineth in the original purity, and therefore of necessity it is, that speedily ye provide for reformatione or else ye declare yourselves, not only void of love to werdes your subjects, but also to live without care of your own salvation, yea without all fear and true reverence of God. Two things perchance may move you to esteem these histories before briuely tuched to appertain nothing to you. Fyrst because you are no Jews but Gentiles: and secondarely because you are no kings, but nobiles in your realm. But be not deceived. For neither of both can excuse you in gods presence from doing your duty, for it is a thing more then certain, that whatso ever God required of the civil Magistrate in Israel or Judah concerning the observation of true religion during the time of the Law, the same doth he require of lawful Magistrates professing Christ Jesus in the time of the Gospel, as the holy Ghost hath taught us by the mouth of David, saying Psal. 2.

Be learned you that judge the earth, kiss the son, lest that the Lord wax angry, and that ye perish from the way.

This admonition did not extend to the judges under the law only, but doth also include all such as be promoted to honors in the time of the Gospel, when Christ Jesus doth reign and feight in his spiritual kingdom, whose enemies in that psalm be first most sharply taxed, their fury expressed, and vanity mocked: & then are kings and judges, who think them selves free from all law and obedience, commanded to repent theyre former blind rage, and judges are charged to be learned: and last are all commanded to serve the eternal in fear, to rejoice before him in trembling, to kiss the son, that is, to give unto him most humble obedience, whereof it is evident that the rulers, Magistrates and judges now in Christ's kingdom are no less bound to obedience unto God, thē were those under the Law. And how is it possible that any shall be obedient, who despise his religion, in which standeth the chief glory, that man can give to God, and is a service, which God especially requireth of kings and rulers? Which thing saint Augustine plainly did note, writing to one Boniface a man of war, according to the same argument and purpose, which I labor to persuade your Honors. For after that he hath in that his epistle declared the difference betwixt the heresy of the Donatists and Arians, and hath somewhat spoken of their cruelty, he showeth the way how their fury should and ought to be repressed, and that it is lawful for the iniustly afflicted to seek support and defense at godly Magistrates. For thus he writeth:

Either must the verity be kept close, or else must their cruelty be susteaned.

But if the verity should be concealed, not only should none be saved nor delivered by suchsilēce, but also should many be lost through their decept. But if by preaching of the verity their fury should be provoked more to rage, and by that means yet some were delivered, and made strong, yet should fear hinder many weaklīgs to follow the verity, if their rage be not stayed. In these first words Augustine showeth three reasons, why the afflicted Church in those days called for the help of the Emperor and of godly Magistrates against the fury of the persecutors. The first,

The verity must be spoken or ells mankind shall perish in error.

The second, the verity being plainly spoken provoketh the adversaries to rage. And because that sonme did allege that rather we ought to suffer all injury, then to seek support by man, he addeth the third reason: to wit that many weakones be not able to suffer persecution and death for the truths sake, to whom not the less respect ought to be had, that they may be won from error and so be brought to grater strength.

O that the rulers of this age should ponder and wey the reasons of this godly writer, and prouid the remedy, which he requireth in these words foloīg, Now when the Church was thus afflicted if any think that rather they should have sustained all calamity, then that the help of God should have been asked by Christian Emperors, he doth not well aduert, that of such negligence no good cōptes or reason could be given. For where such, as would that no just laws should be made against theyre impiety, allege that the Apostles sought no such things of the kings of the earth, they do not consider that then the time was other then it is now, and that all things are done in their own time. What Emperor then believed in Christ, that should serve him in making laws for godliness against impiety?

whill yet that saying of the {pro}phet was cōplete, why hath nations raged, and people have imagined vanity? The kings of the earth have stand up, & princes have convented together against the Lord, and against his annointed. That which is after said in the same psalm, was not yet comme to pass. And now understand, o you kings, be learned you that judge the earth, serve the Lord▪ in fear, and rejoice to him with tremlinge. How do kings serve the Lord in fear? but in punishing and by a godly severity forbidding those things which are done against the commandment of the Lord. For otherwise doth he serve in so far as he is man, other wise in so far as he is king.

In so far as he is man, he serveth him by living faithfully, but because he is also king he serveth establishing laws, that command the things that be just, and that with a convenient rigor forbid things contrary. As Hezekiah served distroying the groves, the temples of idols and the places, which were builded against gods commandment. So served also Josiah doing the same: so served the king of Ninevites compelling the hole city to mitigate the Lord: so served Darius giving in the power of Daniel the idol to be broken, and his enemies to be cast to the lions: so served Nabucadnezer, by a terrible law forbidding all, that were in his realm, to blaspheme God. Herein therefore do kings serve the Lord in so far as they are kings, when they do those things to serve him, which none except kings be able to do. He further proceedeth and concludeth, that as, when wicked kings do reign, impiety cannot be bridled by laws, but rather is tyranny exercised under the title of the same, so is it a thing without all reason, that kings professing the knolledge and honor of God, should not regard nor care, who did defend, nor who did oppugn the Church of God in their dominions. By these words of this ancient and godly writer your Honors may perceive, what I require of you, to wit, to repress the tyranny of your Bishops, and to defend the innocents professing the truth. He did require of the Emperor and kings of his days professing Christ, and manifestly concludeth, that they cannot serve Christ, except that so they do. Let not your Bishops think that Augustine speaketh for them, because he nameth the Church. Let them read and understand, that Augustine writeth for that Church, which professeth the truth and doth suffer persecution for the defense of the same, which your bishops do not, but rather with the Donatists and Arians do cruelly persecute all such, as boldly speak Christ's eternal verity to manifest theyre impiety and abomination. But thus much we have of Augustine, that it appertaineth to the obedience and service, which kings owe to God as well now in the time of the Gospel, as before under the Law, to defend the afflicted for matters of religion, and to repress the fury of the persecutors by the rigor and severity of godly laws. For which cause no doubt doth Isaiah the prophet say, that kings should be norishers to the Church of God, that they should abbase their heads, and lovingly embrase the children of God. And thus I say your Honors may evidently see, that the same obedience doth God require of rulers and princes in the time of the Gospel, that he required in the time of the Law.

If you do think, that the reformation of religion and defense of the afflicted doth not appertain to you, because you are no kings, but nobils and estates of a real me, in two things you are deceived: former, in that you do not aduert, that David requireth as well, that the princes and judges of the earth be learned and that they serve and fear God, as that he requireth, that the kings repent. If you therefore be judges and princes, as no man can deny you to be, then by the plain words of David you are charged to be learned, to serve and fear God, which ye cannot do, if you despise the reformation of his religion. And this is your first error. The second is, that ye neither know your duty, which ye owe to God, neither yet your authority, which of him ye have received, if ye for pleasure or fear of any earthly man despise gods true religion, and contemn your brethrē, that in his name cal for your support. Your duty is to hear the voice of the Eternal your God, and unfeignedly to study to follow his precepts: who, as is before said, of especial mercy hath promoted you to honors and dignity. His chief and principal precept is, that with reverence ye receive and embrace his only beloved son Jesus: that ye promote to the uttermost of your powers his true religion: and that ye defend your brethren and subjects, whom he hath putt under your charge and care. Now if your king be a man ignorant of God, enemy to his true religion, blinded by superstition, and a persecutor of Christ's members, shall ye be excused, if with silence ye pass over his iniquity? Be not deceived my Lord's, ye are placed in authority for another purpose then to flatter your king in his folie and blind rage: to wit, that as with your bodies, strength, riches, and wisdom ye are bound to assist and defend him in all things, which by your advise he shall take in hand for God's glory and for the preservation of his commune wealth and subjects, so by your grauities, counsel and admonition ye are bound to correct and repress whatsoever ye know him to attempt expressedly repugning to God's word, honor, and glory, or what ye shall espy him to do, be it by ignorance or be it by malice, against his subjects great, or small. Of which last part of your obedience if ye defraud your king, ye commit against him no less treason, then if ye did extract frō him your due and {pro}mised support, what time by his enemies iniustly he wer pursued. But this part of their duty I fear do a small number of the nobility of this age rightly consider: neither yet will they understand, that for that purpose hath God {pro}moted them. For now the commune song of all men is, We must obey our kings be they good, or be they bad, for God hath so commanded. But horrible shall the vengeance be, that shall be poured forth upon such blasphemers of God his holy name, and ordinance. For it is no less blasphemy to say, that God hath commanded kings to be obeyed, when they command impiety, then to say, that God by his precept is auctour and mentainer of all iniquity. True it is, God hath commanded kings to be obeyed, but like true it is, that in things, which they commit against his glory, or when cruelly without cause they rage against their brethrē the members of Christ's body, he hath commanded no obedience, but rather he hath approved, yea and greatly rewarded such as have opponed them selves to theyre ungodly commandments and blind rage: as in the exampls of the three children, of Daniel, and Abdemelech it is evident. The three children would nether bow nor stoop before the golden image at the commandment of the great king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel did openlie pray, his windoes being open, against the established law of Darius and of his counsel: and Abdemelech feared not to enter in before the presence of Zedekiah and boldly to defend the cause and innocētie of Jeremiah the prophet, whom the king and his counsel had condemned to death. Everyone of these facts should this day be judged foolish by such, as will not understand what confession God doth require of his children, when his verity is oppugned, or his glory called in doubt: such men, I say, as prefer man to God, and things present to the heavenly inheritance, should have judged everyone of these facts stubborn inobedience, foolish presumption and singularity, or elles bold cōtrolinge of the king and his wise counsel. But how acceptable in God's presence was this resistance to the ungodly commandments and determinations of their king the end did witness. For the three children were delivered from the furnace of fire, and Daniel from the den of liōs to the confusion of their enemies, to the better instruction of the ignorant kings, and to the perpetual comfort of gods afflicted children. And Abdemelech in the day of the Lord's visitation, when the king and his counsel did drink the bitter cup of gods vengeance, did find his life for a pray, and did not fall in the edge of the sword, when many thousands did perish. And this was signified unto him by the prophet himself at the commandment of God before that Jerusalem was destroyed. The promise and cause were recited unto him in these words, I will bring my words upon this city unto evil and not unto good: but most assuredly I shall deliver thee because thou hast trusted in me, saith the Lord. The trust and hope, which Abdemelech had in God, made him bold to oppone him self, being but a man, to the king and to his hole coūsill, who had condemned to death the Prophet, whom his conscience did acknolledge to be innocent. For this did he speak in the presence of the king sitting in the port of Beniamī: My Lord the king, saith Abdemelech, these men do wickedly in all things, that they have done to Jeremiah the Prophet. Aduert and take hede my Lord's, that the men, who had condemned the Prophet, were the king, his princes, and counsill, and yet did one man accuse them all of iniquity, and did boldly speak in the defēse of hī of whose innocētie he was persuaded. And the same, I say, is the duty of every man in his vocation, but chefely of the nobility, which is joined with their kings to bridel and repress that folie and blind rage. Which thing if the nobility do not, neither yet labor to do, as they are traitors to their kings, so do they provoke the wrath of God against them selves and against the realm, in which they abuse the authority, which they have received of God to mentaine virtue and to repress vice. For hereof I would your Honors were most certainly persuaded, that God will neither excuse nobility nor people, but the nobility least of all, that obey and follow their kings in manifest iniquity, but with the same vengeance will God punish the Prince, people, and nobility conspiring together against him and his holy ordenances: as in the punishment taken upon Pharaoh, Israel, Judah and Babylon is evidently to be seen. For Pharaoh was not drowned alone, but his captayns, charetes, and great army drank the same cup with him. The kings of Israel, and Judah were not punished whitout cōpagny, but with them were murdered the counsilers, theyre Princes imprisoned and their people led captive. And why? because none was found so faithful to God, that he durst enterprise to resist nor against and the manifest impiety of their Princes. And therefore was God's wrath poured forth upon the one and the other. But the more ample discource of this argument I differ to better opportunity: only at this time I thoght expedient to admonysh you, that before God it shall not excuse you to allege, We are no kings and therefore neither can we reform religion, nor yet defend such as be persecuted. Consider my Lord's that ye are powers ordened by God (as before is declared) and therefore doth the reformation of religion, and the defense of such, as iniusty are oppressed, appertain to your charge and care, which thing shall the law of God, universally given to be kept of all men, most evidently declare: which is my last and most assured reason, why I say ye ought to remove from honors and to punish with death such as God hath condemned by his own mouth. After that Moses had declared what was true religiō, to wit, to honor God as he commanded, adding nothing to his word, neither yet diminishinge any thing from it, and after also that vehemently he had exhorted the same law to be observed, he denounceth the punishment against the trāsgressours in these words, If thy brother, son, doghter wife or neighbor, whom thou lovest as thine own life, solicitate thee secretly, saying, Let us go serve other gods, whom neither thou, nor thy fathers have known, consent not to him, hear him not, let not thine eye spare him, show him no indulgentie or favor, hide him not, but utterly kill him, let thy hand be the first upon him, that he may be slain, and after the hand of the hole people. Of these words of Moses are-two things, apperteanīg to our purpose, to be noted. Former, that such, as solicitate only to idolatry ought to be punished to death without favor or respect of person. For he that will not suffer mā to spare his sonne, his daughter, nor his wife, but straitly commandeth punishment to be taken upon the idolaters (have they never so nigh conjunction with us) will not wink at the idolatry of others, of what estate or condition so ever they be.

It is not unknown, that the prophets had revelations of God, which were not commune to the people, as Samuel had the revelation, that Eli and his posterity should be destroyed, that Saul should first be king and thereafter that he should be rejected, that David should reign for him. Micah understood by vision that Ahab should be killed in battle against the Sirians. Elias saw that dogs should eat Jezebel ī the fortres of Iesrael. Eliaesus did see hunger come upon Israel by the space of seven years. Jeremiah did foresee the destruction of Jerusalem and the time of their captivity, and so diverse other prophets had diverse revelations of God, which the people did not otherwise understand, but by their affirmatiō, and therefore in those days were the prophets named Seears, because that God did opē unto thē that, which was hid from the multitude. Now if any man might have claimed any privilege from the rigor of the Law, or might have justified his fact, it should have been the Prophet. For he might have alleged for him self his singular prerogative, that he had above other men to have gods will revealed unto him by visiō or by dream, or that God had declared particularely unto him, that his pleasure was to be honored ī that manner, in such a place, and by such means. But all such excuses doth God remove, cōmaūdīg that the Prophet, that shall solicitate the people to serve strange gods, shall die the death, notwithstanding that he allege for him self dream, vision, or revelation. Yea although he promise miracles, and also that such things as he promiseth come to pass, yet I say commandeth God, that no credit be given to him, but that he die the death, because he teacheth apostasy, and defection frō God. Hereof your Honors may easily espy, that none provoking the people to idolatry ought to be exempted from the punishment of death. For if neither that inseparable conjunction, which God him self hath sanctified betwixt man and wife, neither that unspeakable love grafted in nature, which is betwixt the father and the son, neither yet that reverence, which gods people ought to bear to the Prophets, can excuse any man to spare the offender or to conceal his offense, what excuse can man pretend, which God will accept? Euident it is that no estate, condition nor honor can exempt the idolatour from the hands of God, when he shall call him to accounts, or shall inflict punishment vpō him for his offense: how shall it then excuse the people, that they according to gods commandment punish not to death such, as shall solicitate or violently draw the people to idolatry? And this is the first, which I would your Honors should note of the former words. To wit, that no person is exēpted frō punishment, if he can be manifestly convicted to have provoked or led the people to idolatry: and this is most evidently declared in that solemned oath and cōuenante, which Asa made with the people to serve God and to mentaine his religiō, adding this penalty to the trāsgressours of it: To wit, that whosoever should not seek the Lord God of Israel, should be killed, were he great or were he small, were it man or were it woman. And of this oth was the Lord cōpleased, he was found of thē and gave thē rest on every parte, because they sought hī with their hole heart, and did swear to punish the offenders according to the precept of his Law without respect of persons. And this is it, which I say I would your Honors should note for the first, that no idolatour can be exempted frō punishment by gods Law. The seconde is, that the punishment of such crimes as are idolatry, blasphemy, and others, that tuche the majesty of God, doth not appertain to kings and chief rulers only, but also to the hole body of that people, and to every member of the same according to the vocatiō of every mā, and according to that possibility and occasion, which God doth minister to revenge the injury done against his glory, what time that impiety is manifestly known. And that doth Moses more plainly speak in these words,

If in any of thy cities, saith he, which the Lord thy God giveth unto the to dwell in them, thou shalt hear this brute, There are sonme men the sons of Belial passed forth from thee, and have solicited the citizens of their cities by these words, Let us go and serve strange gods, which you have not known, search and inquire diligently, and if it be true, that such abomination is done in the midst of thee, thou shalt utterly stryke the inhabitants of that city with the sword, thou shalt destroy it and whatsoever is within it, thou shalt gather the spoil of it in the midst of the marketplace, thou shalt burn that city with fire, and the spoil of it to the Lord thy God, that it may be a heap of stones forever, neither shall it be anymore builded. Let nothing of that execration cleave to thy hand, that the Lord may turn from the fury of his wrath, and be moved to werdes thee with inward affection.

Plain it is that Moses speaketh nor giveth not charge to kings rulers and judges only, but he commaūdeath the hole body of the people, yea and every member of the same according to their possibility: and who darbe so impudent as to deny this to be most reasonable and just?

For seeing that God had delivered the hole body from bondage, and to the hole multitude had given his law, and to the twelve tribes had he so distributed the inheritance of the land of Canaan, that no family could complain, that it was neglected. Was not the hole and every member addetted to confess and acknolledge the benefits of God? yea had it not been the part of every man to have studied to keep the possession, which he had received? which thing God did plainly {pro}noūce they should not do, except that in their hearts they did sanctify the lord God, that they embrased, and inviolably kept his religiō established: and finally except they did cut out iniquity from amongst them, declaring them selves earnest enemies to those abominations, which God declared him self so vehemently to hate, that first he commanded the hole inhabitants of that countree to be distroyed and all monuments of their idolatry to be broken down, and thereafter he also streatly commaūdeath, that a city declininge to idolatry should fall in the edge of the sword, and that the hole spoil of the same, should be burned, no portiō of it reserved. To the carnal man this may appear a rigorous and severe judgment, yea it may rather seme to be pronounced in a rage, then in wisdom. For what city was ever yet, in which to man's judgment were not to be found many innocent persons, as infants, children, and some simple and ignorant souls, who neither did nor could consent to such impiety? And yet we find no exception, but all are appointed to the cruel death. And as concerning the city and the spoil of the same, man's reason cannot think, but that it might have been better bestowed, then to be consumed with fire, and so to profit no man. But in such cases will God that all creatures stoop, cover their faces, and desist from reasoning, when commandment is given to execute his judgment. Albeit I could adduce diverse causes of such severity, yet will I search none other then the holy Ghost hath assigned. Fyrst, that all Israel hearing the judgment should fear to commit the like abomination: and secondarely, that the Lord might turn from the fury of his anger, might be moved towerds the people with inward affection, be merciful unto them, and multiply them according to his oth made unto their fathers. Which reasons as they are sufficient in gods children to correct the murmuring of the grudging flesh, so ought they to provoke every man, as before I have said, to declare him self enemy to that, which so highly provoketh the wrath of God against the hole people. For where Moses saith,

Let the city be burned, and let no part of the spoil cleave to thy hand, that the Lord may return from the fury of his wrath, &c.

He plainly doth signify, that by the defection and idolatry of a few gods wrath is kyndled against the hole, which is never quenched till such punishment be taken upon the offenders: that what soever served them in their idolatry, be brought to destruction, because that it is execrable and accursed before God. And therefore he will not, that it be reserved for any use of his people. I am not ignorant that this law was not put in execution as God commanded. But what did thereof insue and follow histories declare: to wit, plage after plage till Israel, and Judah were led in captivity, as the books of kings do witness. The consideration whereof maketh me more bold to affirm, that it is the duty of every man, that list to escape the plage and punishment of God, to declare him self enemy to idolatry not only in heart, hating the same, but also in external gesture, declaring that he lamenteth, if he can do no more, for such abominations. Which thing was shown to the {pro}phete Ezekiel, what time he gave him to understand, why he would destroy Judah with Israel, and that he would remove his glory from the temple and place, that he had chosen, and so powerfurth his wrath and indignation upon the city, that was full of blood and apostasy, which became so impudent, that it durst be bold to say, the Lord hath left the earth, and seeth not. At this time, I say, the Lord revealed in vision to his prophet, who they were, that should find favor in that miserable destruction. To wit, those that did murne and lament for all the abominations done in the city, in whose foreheads did God command to print and seal Tau, to the end that the destroyer, who was commanded to stryke the rest without mercy, should not hurt them, in whom that sign was found. Of these premisses I suppose it be evident, that the punishment of idolatry doth not appertain to kings only, but also to the hole people, yea to every member of the same according to his possibility. For that is a thing most assured, that no man can murne, lament, and bewail for those things, which he will not remove to the uttermost of his power. If this be required of the hole people, and of every man in his vocation, what shall be required of you, my Lord's, whom God hath raised up to be Princes and rulers above your brethren, whose hands he hath armed with the sword of his justice? yea whom he hath appointed to be as bridels to repress the rage and insolency of your kings, whensoever they pretend manifestly to transgress gods blessed ordenance? If any think that this my affirmation, tuchinge the punishment of idolaters, be contrary to the practice of the Apostles, who fynding the Gentiles in idolatry did call them to repentance, requiring no such punishment, lett the same man understand, that the Gentiles, before the preaching of Christ, lived, as the Apostle speaketh, without God in the world, drowned in idolatry, according to the blindness and ignorance, in which then they were holden as a profane natiō, whom God had never openlie avowed to be his people, had never received ī his household, neither given unto them laws to be kept in religion nor polity: and therefore did not his holy Ghost, calling them to repentance, require of them any corporal punishment according to the rigor of the law, unto the which they were never subjects, as they that were strangers from the commune wealth of Israel. But if any think, that, after that the Gentiles were called from their vain conversation, and by embrasing Christ Jesus were received ī the number of Abraham's children, and so made one people with the Jews believing, if ani think, I say, that then they were not bound to the same obedience, which God required of his people Israel, what time he confirmed his league and conuenante with them, the same man appeareth to make Christ inferior to Moses, and contrarious to the law of his heavenly father. For if the contempt or transgression of Moses law was worthy of death, what should we judge the contempt of Christ's ordenance to be? (I mean after they be once received.) And if Christ be not commed to dissolve, but to fulfill the law of his heavenly Father, shall the liberty of his Gospel be an occasion, that the especial glory of his Father be trodden under foot and regarded of no man? God forbid. The especial glory of God is, that such, as profess them to be his people, should hearken to his voice, and amongst all the voices of God revealed to the world, tuching punishment of vices, is none more evident neither more severe, then is that, which is pronounced against idolatry, the teachers and mentainers of the same. And therefore I fear not to affirm, that the Gentiles (I mean every city, realm, province, or nation amongst the Gentiles, embrasing Christ Jesus and his true religiō) be bound to the same league and cōuenant, that God made with his people Israel, what time he promised to root owt the nations before them in these words.

Beware that thou make any cōuenante with the inhabitants of the land, to the which thou comest, leste perchāce that this comme in ruin, that is, be destruction to the: but thou shalt destroy their altars, break their idols and cut down their groves. Fear no strange gods, worship them not, neither yet make you sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who in his great power, and owtstretched arm hath brought you owt of the land of Egypt, shall you fear, him shall you honor, him shall you worship, to him shall you make sacrifice, his statutes, judgments, Laws, and commandments you shall keep and observe. This is the conuenante, which I have made with you, saith the Eternal, forget it not, neither yet fear ye other gods: but fear you the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you frō the hands of all your enemies.

To this same Law, I say, and cōuenante are the Gentiles no less bound, then sometime were the Jews, whensoever God doth illuminate the eyes of any multitude, province, people or city, and putteth the sword in their own hand to remove such enormities from amongst them, as before God they know to be abominable. Then, I say, are they no less bound to purge their dominions,▪ cities and countries from idolatry, then were the Israelites, what time they received the possession of the land of Canaan. And moreover I say, if any go about to erect and set up idolatry or to teach defection from God, after that the verity hath been received and approved, that thē not only the Magistrates, to whom the sword is cōmittet, but also the people are bound by that oth, which they have made to God, to revenge to the uttermost of their power the injury done against his Majesty. In universal defections, and in a general revolt, such as was in Israel after Jeroboam, there is a diverse consideration. For then because the hole people were together conspired against God, there could none be found, that would execute the punishment, which God had commanded, till God raised up Jehu, whom he had appointed for that purpose. And the same is to be considered in all other general defections, such as this day be in the papistry, where all are blinded, and all are declined from God and that of long continuance, so that no ordinary justice cā be executed, but the punishment must be reserved to God and unto such means, as he shall appoint. But I do speak of such a nonebre, as after they have received gods perfect religiō, do boldly profess the same, notwithstādīg that sonme or the most part fall back: (as of late days was ī England) unto such a nonebre, I say, it is Laufull to punish the idolaters with death, if by any means God give them the power. For so did Joshua and Israel determine to have done against the childrē of Rubē, Gad and Manasseh for their suspected apostasy and defectiō from God. And the hole tribes did in very deed execute that sharp judgment against the tribe of Bēiamin for a less offense then for idolatry. And the same ought to be done wheresoerver Christ Jesus and his Evēgill is so received ī any realm, {pro}uince, or city, that the Magistrates and people have solemnly avowed and promised to defend the same, as under king Edward of late days was done in England. In such places, I say, it is not only lawful to punish to the death such, as labor to subvert the true religiō, but the magistrates and people are bound so to do, unless they will provoke the wrath of God against thē selves. And therefore I fear not to affirm, that it had been the duty of the nobility, judges, rulers, and people of England not only to have resisted and againstanded Marie that Jezebel, whom they call their queen, but also to have punished her to the death with all the sort of her idolatrous Priests, together with all such, as should have assisted her, what time that she and they openly began to suppress Christ's Euangil, to shedd the blood of the saīcts of God, ad to erect that most devilish idolatry, the papistical abominations, and his usurped tyranny, which ones most justly by commune oth was banished from that realm. But because I cā not at this present discuss this argument, as it appertaineth, I am compelled to omit it to better opportunity, and so returning to your Honors, I say, that if ye confess yourselves baptized in the Lord Jesus, of necessity ye must confess, that the care of his religion doth appertain to your charge. And if ye know that in your hands God hath put the sword for the causes above expressed, thē cā ye not deny, but that the punishment of obstinate and malepert idolaters (such as all your bishops be) doth appertain to your office, if after admonition they cōtinew obstinate. I am not ignorant, what be the vain defēses of your proud prelates. They claim first a prerogative and privilege, that they are exempted, and that by consent of Councils and Emperors from all jurisdiction of the temporality. And secōdarely, when they are convicted of manifest impieties, abuses, and enormities as well in their manners as in religion, neither fear, nor shame they to affirm, that things so longe established cannot suddenly be reformed, although they be corrupted, but with process of time they promise to take order. But in few words I answer, that no privilege, granted against the ordenance and statutes of God, is to be observed although all Councils and men in the earth have appointed the same. But against gods ordenance it is, that idolaters, murtherours, falls teachers, and blasphemers shall be exēpted from punishment, as before is declared, and therefore in vain it is, that they claim for privilege, when that God saith: The murderer shalt thou riue from my alter, that he may die the death. And as to the order and reformatiō, which they promise, that is to be looked or hoped for, when Satan, whose children and slaves they are, can change his nature. This answer I doubt not shall suffice the sober and godly reader. But yet to the end that they may further see their own confusion, and that your Honors may better understand, what ye ought to do in so manifest a corruption and defectiō from God, I ask of them selves, what assurance they have for this their immunity, exemption, or privilege? who is the auctour of it? and what fruit it hath produced? And first I say that of God they have no assurance, neither yet can he be proved to be auctour of any such privilege. But the contrary is easy to be seen. For God in establishing his orders in Israel did so subject Aaron (in his preesthode being the figure of Christ) to Moses, that he feared not to call him in judgment, and to constrain him to give accounts of his wicked deed in consenting to idolatry, as the history doth plainly witness. For thus it is written,

Then Moses toke the calf, which they had made, and burned it with fire, and did grind it to powder, and scattering it in the water, gave it to drink to the children of Israel▪ declaring herebie the vanity of their idol and the abomination of the same, and thereafter Moses said to Aaron, what hath this people done to the, that thou shouldest bring upon it so great a syn?

Thus, I say, doth Moses call and accuse Aaron of the destruction of the hole people, and yet he perfectly understood, that God had appointed him to be the high Preest, that he should bear upon his shoulders and vpō his breast the names of the 12. tribes of Israel, for whom he was appointed to make sacrifice, prayers, and supplications. He knew his dignity was so great, that only he might entre within the most holy place: but neither could his office nor dignity exempt him from judgment, when he had offended. If any object, Aaron at that time was not anointed and therefore was he subject to Moses, I have answered, that Moses, being taught by the mouth of God, did perfectly understand, to what dignity Aarō was appointed, and yet he feared not to call him in judgment, and to compel him to make answer for his wicked fact. But if this answer doth not suffice, yet shall the holy Ghost witness further in the matter. Salomō removed from honor Abiathar being the high preeste, and commanded him to cease from all function, and to live as a private man. Now if the unction did exempt the priest from Jurisdiction of the civil Magistrate, Solomon did offend, and injured Abiathar. For he was anointed, and had carried the ark before David. But God doth not reprove the fact of Solomon, neither yet doth Abiathar claim any prerogative by the reason of his office, but rather doth the holy Ghost approve the fact of Solomon, saying,

Salomō ejected forth Abiathar, that he should not be the Preest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be perfurmed, which he spake upon the house of Eli.

And Abiathar did think that he obtained great favor, in that he did escape the present death, which by his conspiracy he had deserved. If any yet reason, that Abiathar was no otherwise subject to the judgment of the king, but as he was appointed to be the executor of that sentence, which God before had pronounced, as I will not greatly deny that reason, so require I that every man consider, that the same God, who pronounced sentence against Eli, and his house, hath pronounced also, that idolaters, hooremongers, murderers, and blasphemers shall neither have portion in the kingdom of God, neither ought to be permitted to bear any rule in his Church and congregation. Now if the unction and office saved not Abiathar, because that gods sentence must needs be perfurmed, can any privilege granted by man be a buckler to malefactors, that they shall not be subject to the punishments pronounced by God? I think no man will be so foolish as so to affirm. For a thing more then evident it is, that the hole preesthode in the time of the Law was bound to give obedience to the civil powers. And if any member of the same was found criminal, the same was subject to the punishment of the sword, which God had put in the hand of the Magistrate. And this ordenance of his father did not Christ disannul, but rather did cōfirm the same, commanding tribute to be paid for him self and for Peter. Who perfectly knowing the mind of his master, thus writeth in his epistle,

Submit yourselves to all manner ordenance of man, (he excepteth such as be expressly repugnyng to gods commandment) for the Lord's sake, whether it be to king as to the chief head, or unto rulers as unto them, that are sent by him for punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them, that do well.

The same doth the apostle saint Paul most plainly command in these words,

Let every soul be subject to the superior powers.

Which places make evident that neither Christ neither his Apostles hath given any assurance of this immunity and privilege, which men of Church (as they will be termed) do this day claim. Yea it was a thing unknown to the primitive Church many years after the days of the Apostles. For Chrysostom, who served in the Church at Constantinople four hundredth years after Christ's ascension, and after that corruptiō was greatly increased, doth yet thus write upon the forsayd words of the Apostle,

This precept, saith he, doth not appertain to such as be called seculars only, but evē to those, that be Priests and religious men.

And after he addeth: Whether thou be Apostle, Evangelist, Prophet, or whosoever thou be, thou canst not be exempted from this subjection.

Hereof it is plain that Chrysostom did not understand that God had exēpted any person from obedience and subiectiō of the civil power, neither yet that he was auctour of such exemptiō and privilege, as Papists do this day claim. And the same was the judgment and uniform doctrine of the primative Church many years after Christ. Your Honors do wonder, I doubt not, frō what fōtaine then did this their immunity, as they term it, and singular privilege sprīg. I shall shortly tuch that, which is evident in their own law and histories. When the Bishops of Rome, the very Antichrists had partly by fraud, and partly by violence usurped the superiority of some places in Italy, and most iniustly had spoiled the Emperors of their rētes and possessions, and had also murdered some of their officers, as histories do witness, the began Pope after Pope to practice and devise, how they should be exempted from judgment of Princes and from the equity of laws, and in this point they were most vigilant, till at length iniquity did so prevail in their hands, according as Daniel had before prophesied of them, that this sentence was pronounced,

Neither by the Emperor, neither by the clergy, neither yet by the people shall the judge be judged. God will, saith Symmachus, that the causes of others be determined by men, but without all question he hath reserved the Bishop of this seat, understanding Rome, to his own judgment.

And here of diverse Popes, and expositors of their laws would seme to give reasons. For saith Agatho,

All the precepts of the apostolic seat are assured, as by the voice of God himself.

The auctour of the gloss vpō their canon affirmeth, that if all the world should pronounce sentence against the Pope, yet should his sentence prevail. For saith he,

The Pope hath a heavenlie will, and therefore he may change the nature of things, he may apply the substance of one thing to another, and of nothing he may make somewhat, and that sentence, which was nothing (that is) by his mind falls and injust, he may make somewhat that is true and just. For, saith he, in all things, that please him, his will is for reason. Neither is there any man, that may ask of him, why doest thou so. For he may dispens above the Law, and of injustice he may make justice. For he hath the fullness of all power.

And many other most blasphemous sētēces did they pronounce everyone after other, which for shortnessake I omit, till at the end they obtained this most horrible decrie: that albeit in life and conversation they were so wicked, and detestable, that not only they condemned them selves, but that also they drew to hell and perdition many thousands with them, yet that none should presume to reprehēd or rebuke thē. This being established for the head (albeit not without some contradiction, for some Emperors did require due obedience of them, as gods word commanded, and ancient Bishops had given before to Emperors, and to their laws, but Satan so prevailed in his suete before the blind world, that the former sentences were confirmed, which power being granted to the head) then began provision to be made for the rest of the members in all realms and contries, where they made residence. The fruit whereof we see to be this, that none of that pestilent generation (I mean the vermin of the Papistical order) will be subject to any civil Magistrate, how enormious that ever his crime be, but will be reserved to their own ordenarie, as they term it. And what fruits have hereof ensued, be the world never so blind, it cannot but witness. For how their head that Roman Antichrist hath been occupied ever sense the graūting of such privileges, histories do witness, and of late the most part of Europa subject to the plage of God, to fire and sword, by his procurement hath felt and this day doth fele. The pride, ambition, envy, excess, fraud, spoil, oppression, murder, filthy life, and incest, that is used and mentained amongst that rabble of Priests, freers, monks, channons, bishops and Cardinals, cannot be expressed. I fear not to affirm, neither doubt I to prove, that the papistical Church is further degenerate from the puretie of Christ's doctrine, from the footesteppes of the Apostles and from the manners of the primative Church, thē was the Church of the Jews from gods holy statutes, what time it did crucify Christ Jesus the only Messias, and most cruelly persecute his Apostles. And yet will our Papists claim their privileges and ancient liberties, which if you grant unto thē, my Lord's, ye shall assuredly drink the cup of gods vengeance with them, and shall be reputed before his presence compagnions of thieves and mentainers of murderers, as is before declared. For their immunity and privilege, whereof so greatly they bost, is nothing else, but as if thieves, murderers or briggandes should conspire amongst them selves, that they would never answer in judgment before any lawful Magistrate, to the end that their theft and murder should not be punished, even such I say is their wicked privilege, which neither they have of God the father, neither of Christ Jesus, who hath revealed his fathers will to the world, neither yet of the Apostles nor primative Church, as before is declared. But it is a thing conspired amongst them selves, to the end that their iniquity, detestable life, and tyranny shall neither be repressed nor reformed. And if they object, that godly Emperors did grant and confirm the same, I answer that the godliness of no man is, or can be of sufficient authority to justify a foolish and ungodly fact, such I mean, as God hath not allowed by his word. For Abraham was a godly man, but the denial of his wife was such a fact, as no godly man ought to imitate. The same might I show of David, Hezekiah and Josiah, unto whom I think no man of judgment will prefer any Emperor sense Christ, in holiness and wisdom, and yet are not all their facts, no even such, as they appeared to have done for good causes, to be approved nor followed. And therefore, I say, as error and ignorance remain all ways with the most perfect man in this life, so must their works be examined by another rule, thē by their own holiness, if they shall be approved. But if this answer doth not suffice, then will I answer more shortly, that no godly Emperor sense Christ's ascensiō hath granted any such privilege to any such Church or person, as they (the hole generatiō of Papists) be at this day. I am not ignorant, that sonme Emperors of a certain zeal and for sonme considerations granted liberties to the true Church afflicted for their mentainance against tyrants, but what serveth this for the defense of their tyranny? If the law must be understanded according to the mind of the lawgeuer, then must they first prove thē selves Christ's true and afflicted Church, before they can claim any privilege to appertain to them. For only to that Church were the privileges granted. It will not be their glorious titles, neither yet the longe possession of the name, that can prevail in this so weghtie a cause. For all those had the Church of Jerusalem, which did crucify Christ, and did condemn his doctrine. We offer to prove by their fruits and tyranny, by the Prophets, and plain scriptures of God, what trees and generation they be, to wit unfruitful and rotten, apt for nothing, but to be cut and cast in hell fire, yea that they are the very kingdom of Antichrist, of whom we are commanded to beware. And therefore, my Lord's, to return to you, seeing that God hath armed your hands with the sword of justice, seeing that his Law most streatly commandeth idolaters and falls prophets to be punisshed with death, and that you be placed above your subjects to reign as fathers over their children: and further seeing that not only I, but with me many thousand famous, godly and learned persons, accuse your Bishops and the hole rabble of the Papistical clergy of idolatry, of murder and of blasphemy against God committed: it appertaineth to your Honors to be vigilant and careful in so weghtie a matter? The question is not of earthly substance, but of the glory of God, and of the salvation of yourselves, and of your brethren subject to your charge, in which if you after this plain admonitiō be negligent, there resteth no excuse by reason of ignorance. For in the name of God I require of you, that the cause of religiō may be tried in your presence by the plain and simple word of God: that your Bishops be compelled to desist from their tyranny: that they be compelled to make answer for the neglecting of their office, for the substance of the poor, which unjustly they usurp and prodigally they do spend, but principally for the falls and deceauable doctrine, which is taught and defended by their falls prophets, flattering freers, and other such venomous locusts. Which thing if with single eyes ye do (preferring gods glory and the salvation of your brethren to all wordly commodity) then shall the same God, who solemnly doth pronounce to honor those, that do honor him, power his benedictions plentifully upon you, he shall be your buckler, protection and captain, and shall repress by his strength and wisdom, whatsoever Satan by his suppostes shall imagine against you. I am not ignorant, that great troubles shall ensue your enterprise. For Satan will not be expelled from the possession of his usurped kingdom without resistance. But if you, as is said, preferring gods glory to your own lives, vnfeanedly seek and study to obey his blessed will, then shall your deliverance be such, as evidently it shall be known, that the angels of the eternal do watch, make war, and feght for those, that vnfeynedly fear the Lord. But if you refuse this my most reasonable and just petition, what defense that ever you appear to have before men, then shall God (whom in me you contemn) refuse you. He shall pourefurthe contempt upon you, and upon your posterity after you. The spirit of boldness and wisdom shall be taken from you, your enemies shall reign, and you shall die in bondage, yea God shall cut down the unfruitful trees, when they do appear most beautifully to flourish, and shall so burn the root, that after of you shall neither twig, nor branch again spring to glory. Hereof I need not to adduce unto you examples from the former ages, and ancient histories. For your brethren the nobility of England are a mirror and glass, in the which ye may behold gods just punishment. For as they have refused him, and his Evēgil, which ones in mouth they did profess, so hath he refused them, and hath taken from them the spirit of wisdom, boldenes, and of counsel. They see and fele their own misery, and yet they have no grace to avoid it. They hate the bondage of strangers, the pride of preestes, and the mōstriferous empire of a wicked womā, and yet are they compelled to bow their necks to the yock of the Devil, to obey whatsoever the proud Spaniards, and wicked Jezebel list to command, and finally to stand like slaves with capp in hand till the servants of Satan the shaven sort call them to counsel. This fruit do they reap and gather of their former rebellion, and unfaithfulness towards God. They are left cōfused in their own counsils. He, whom in his menbres for the pleasure of a wicked woman they have exiled, persecuted and blasphemed, doth now laugh them to skorn, suffereth thē to be pyned in bondage of most wicked men, and finally shall adjudge thē to the fire everlasting, except that speedily, and openlie they reap̄t their horrible treasō, which against God, against his son Christ Jesus, and against the liberty of their own native realm they have committed. The same plages shall fall upon you, be you assured, if ye refuse the defense of his servants, that call for your support. My words are sharp, but consider, my Lord's, that they are not mine, but that they are the threatnynges of the omnipotent, who assuredly will perfurme the voices of his Prophets, how that ever carnal men despise his admonitions. The sword of God's wrath is already draw̄, which of necessity must needs stryke, when grace offered is obstinately refused. You have been long in bondage of the Devil, blindness, error and idolatry, prevailing against the simple truth of God in that your realm, in which God hath made you princes and rulers. But now doth God of his great mercy call you to repentance, before he power forth the uttermost of his vengeance: he crieth to your ears, that your religiō is nothing but idolatry. he accuseth you of the blood of his saints, which hath been shed by your permission, assistance, and powers. For the tyranny of those raging beasts should have no force, if by your strength they were not mentained. Of those horrible crimes doth now God accuse you, not of purpose to condemn you, but mercifully to absolve, and pardō you, as sometime he did those, whom Peter accused to have killed the son of God, so that ye be not of mind nor purpose to justify your former iniquity.

Iniquity I call not only the crimes and offenses, which have been and yet remain in your manners and lives, but that also, which appeareth before men most holy, with hassard of my life I offer to prove abomination before God: that is, your hole religion to be so corrupt and vain, that no true seruante of God can communicate with it, because that in so doing he should manifestly deny Christ Jesus and his eternal verity. I know that your bishops accompanied with the swarm of the papistical vermin shall cry, A damned heretic ought not to be hard. But remember, my Lord's, what in the beginning I have protested, vpō which groūnd I continually stand, to wit, that I am no heretic nor deceauable teacher, but the seruante of Christ Jesus, a preacher of his infallible verity, innocent in all that they can lay to my charge concerning my doctrine, and that therefore by them, being enemies to Christ, I am iniustly damned. From which cruel sentence I have appealed and do appeal, as before mention is made: in the mean time most humbly requiring your Honors to take me in your protection, to be auditors of my just defēses, graūting unto me the same liberty, which Ahab a wicked king and Israel at that time a blinded people, granted to Helias in the like case. That is, that your bishops, and the hole rabble of your clergy may be called before you and before that people, whom they have deceived: that I be not condemned by multitude, by custom, by authority or law diuised by man, but that God him self may be judge betwixt me and my adversaries. Let God, I say, speak by his law, by his prophets, by Christ Jesus or by his Apostles, and so let him pronounce, what religion he approveth, and then be my enemies never so many, and appear they never so strong and so learned, no more do I fear victory, then did Helias, being but one man against the multitude of Baales preestes. And if they think to have advantage by theyre councils and doctors, this I further offer, to admit the one and the other, as witnesses in all matters debateable, three things (which justly cannot be denied) being granted unto me. First, that the most ancient Councils nighest to the primitive Church, in which the learned and godly fathers did examine all matters by gods word, may be holden of most authority. Secondarely, that no determination of Councils nor man be admitted against the plain verity of gods word, nor against the determination of those four chief Councils, whose authority hath been and is holden by them equal with the authority of the four Evangelists. And last, that to no doctor be given greater authority, then Augustine requireth to be given to his writings: to wit, if he plainly prove not his affirmation by God's infallible word, that then his sentence be rejected and imputed to the error of a mā. These things granted and admitted, I shall no more refuse the testimonies of Councils and doctors, then shall my adversaries. But and if they will justify those Councils, which mentaine their pride, and usurped authority, and will reject those, which plainly have condemned all such tyranny, negligence, and wicked life, as bishops now do use: and if further they will snatche a doubtful sentence of a doctor, and refuse his mind, when he speaketh plainly, then will I say, that all man is a liar, that credit ought not to be given to an unconstant witness, and that no Coūcils ought to prevail, nor be admitted against the sentence, which God hath pronounced. And thus, my Lord's, in few words to conclude I have offered unto you a trial of mie innocence: I have declared unto you, what God requireth of you, being placed above his people, as rulers and princes: I have offered unto you, and to the inhabitātes of the realm, the verity of Christ Jesus, and with the hasard of my life I presently offer to prove the religion, which amongst you is mentained by fire and sword, to be falls, damnable and diabolical. Which things if ye refuse, defending tyrants in their tyranny, then dar I not flatter, but as it was commanded to Ezekiel boldly to proclaim, so must I cry to you, that you shall perish in your iniquity, that the Lord Jesus shall refuse so many of you, as maliciously withstand his eternal verity, and in the day of his apparition, when all flesh shall appear before him, that he shall repel you from his compagnie and shall command you to the fire, which never shall be quenched, and then neither shall the multitude be able to resist, neither yet the counsils of man be able to prevail against that sentence, which he shall pronounce.

God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ by the power of his holy spirit so rule and dispose your hearts, that with simplicity ye may consider the things, that be offered, and that ye may take such order in the same, as God in you may be glorified, and Christ's flock by you may be edified and comforted to the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose omnipotent spirit rule your hearts in his true fear to the end.

TO HIS BELOVED BRETHREN THE communaltie of Scotland John Knoxe wisheth grace, mercy and peace with the spirit of righteous judgment.

V Vhat I have required of the Queen Regēt, estates and nobility as of the chife heads (for this present) of the realm, I cannot cease to require of you dearli beloved Brethrē, which be the cōmunaltie and body of the same. To wit, that it (notwithstanding that falls and cruel sentence, which your disgised bishops have pronounced against me) would please you to be so favorable unto me, as to be indifferent auditors of my just purgation. Which to do if God earnestly move your hearts, as I nothing doubt, but that your enterprise shall redounde to the praise of his holy name, so am I assured, that ye and your posterity shall by that means receive most singular comfort, edificatiō, and profit. For when ye shall hear the matter debated, ye shall easily perceive and understand, upon what ground and foundation is built that religion, which amongst you is this day defended by fire and sword. As for my own conscience I am most assuredly persuaded, that, whatsoever is used in the papistical Church is all together repugning to Christ's blessed ordinance, and is nothing but mortal venem, of which whosoever drinketh, I am assuredly persuaded, that therewith he drīketh death and damnation, except by true conversion unto God he be purged from the same. But because that long silence of gods word hath begotten ignorance almost in all sortes of men, and ignorance, joined with long custom, hath confirmed superstition in the hearts of many, I therefore in the name of the Lord Jesus desire audience as well of you the communaltie, my Brethrē, as of the estates and nobility of the realm, that in public preaching I may have place amongst you at large to utter my mind in all matters of controversy this day in religion. And further I desire, that ye cōcurring with your nobility would compel your bishops and clergy to cease their tyranny, and also that, for the better assurance and instruction of your conscience, ye would compel your said bishops and falls teachers to answer by the scriptures of God to such objections and crimes, as shall be laid against their vain religion, falls doctrine, wicked life, and sclanderous conversation. Here I know, that it shall be objected, that I require of you a thing most unreasonable. To wit, that ye should call your religion in doubt, which hath been approved and established by so long continuance, and by the consent of so many men before you. But I shortly answer, that neither is the long process of time, neither yet the multitude of men a sufficient approbation, which God will alow for our religiō. For as some of the most aunncient writers do witness, neither can long process of time justify an error, neither can the multitude of such, as follow it, chaūg the nature of the same. But if it was an error in the beginning, so is it in the end, and the longer that it be followed, and the mo that do receive it, it is the more pestilent, and more to be avoided. For if antiquity or multitude of mē could justify any religion, then was the idolatry of the Gentiles, and now is the abomination of the Turks good religiō. For antiquity approved the one, and a multitude hath received and doth defend the other. But otherwise to answer, godly men may wonder, from what fontaine such a sentence doth flow, that no man ought to try his faith and religion by gods word, but that he safely may believe and follow everything, which antiquity and a multitude have approved. The spirit of God doth otherwise teach us. For the wisdone of God Christ Jesus him self remitted his adversaries to Moses, and the scriptures, to try by them, whether his doctrine was of God or not. The Apostles Paul and Peter command men to try the religion, which they profess, by gods plain scriptures, and do praise men for so doing. S. John straytly commandeth, that we believe not every spirit, but willeth us to try the spirits, whether they be of God or not. Now seeing that these evident testimonies of the holy Ghoste will us to try our faith and religion by the plain word of God, wonder it is, that the papists will not be content, that their religion and doctrine comme under the trial of the same. If this sentence of Christ be true (as it is most true, seeing it springeth from the verity itself) who so evil doeth, hateth the light, neither will he come to the light lest that his evil works be manifested and rebuked, then do our papists by their own sentence condemn them selves and their religion. For in so far as they refuse examination and trial, they declare, that they know some fault, which the light will utter: which is a cause of their fear▪ and why they claim to that privilege, that no man dispute of their religion. The verity and truth, being of the nature of fine purified gold, doth not fear the trial of the furnace, but the stuble and chaf of man's inventions (such is their religion) may not abide the flame of the fire. True it is, that Mahomet pronounced this sentence, that no man should in pain of death dispute or reason of the ground of his religion. Which law to this day by the art of Satā is yet observed amongst the Turks to their mortal blindness and horrible blasphemyng of Christ Jesus, and of his true religion. And from Mahomet (or rather from Satan father of all lies) hath the Pope and his rabble learned this former lesson. To wit, that their religion should not be disputed upon, but what the fathers have believed, that ought and must the childrē approve. And in so diuising Satan lacked not his foresight. For no one thing hath more established the kingdom of that Roman Antichrist, then this most wicked decrie. To wit, that no man was permitted to reason of his power, or to call his laws in doubt. This thing is most assured, that whensoever the papistical religion shall comme to examination, it shall be found to have no other ground, then hath the religion of Mahomet. To wit man's invention, devise and dreams overshadowed with some color of gods word. And therefore Brethren seeing that the religion is, as the stomach to the body, which, if it be corrupted, doth infect the hole members, it is necessary that the same be examined, and if it be found replenished with pestilent humors (I mean with the fantasies of men) then of necessity it is, that those be purged, else shall your bodies and souls perish forever. For of this I would ye were most certaīlie persuaded, that a corrupt religion defileth the hole life of man, appear it never so holy. Neither would I that ye should esteem the reformation and care of religion less to appertaī to you, because ye are no kings, rulers, judges, nobils, nor in authority. Beloved Brethren, ye are gods creatures, created and formed to his own image and similitude, for whose redemption was shed the most precious blood of the only beloved son of God, to whom he hath commanded his Gospel and gladtidinges to be preached, and for whom he hath prepared the heavenly inheritance, so that ye will not obstinately refuse, and disdainefully contemn the means, which he hath appointed to obtain the same: to wit, his blessed Euangile, which now he offereth unto you, to the end that ye may be saved. For the Gospel and gladtidinges of the kingdom truly preached is the power of God to the salvation of every beleuer, which to credit and receive you the communaltie are no less addetted, then be your rulers and princes. For albeit God hath put and ordened distinction and difference betwixt the king and subjects, betwixt the rulers and the commune people in the regiment and administration of civil policies, yet in the hope of the life to comme he hath made all equal. For as in Christ Jesus the Jew hath no greater prerogative, then hath the Gentile, the man, then hath the woman, the learned, then the unlearned, the Lord, then the seruante, but all are one in him, so is there but one way and means to attain to the participation of his benefits and spiritual graces, which is a lively faith wurking by charity. And therefore I say that it doth no less appertain to you, beloved Brethren, to be assured that your faith and religion be grounded and established upon the true and undoubted word of God, then to your princes, or rulers. For as your bodies cannot escape corporal death, if with your princes ye eat or drink deadly poison (althoghe it be by ignorance or negligence) so shall ye not escape the death everlasting, if with them ye profess a corrupt religion. Yea except in heart ye believe, and with mouth ye confess the Lord Jesus to be the only Saluiour of the world (which ye cannot do, except ye embrace his Euangile offered) ye cannot escape death and damnatiō. For as the just liveth by his own faith, so doth the unfaithful perish by his infidelity. And as true faith is engendered, norished, and mentained in the hearts of gods elect by Christ's Evēgile truly preached, so is infidelity and unbelief fostered by concealing and repressing the same. And thus if ye loke for the life everlasting, ye must try if ye stand in faith, and if ye would be assured of a true and lively faith, ye must needs have Christ Jesus truly preached unto you. And this is the cause (dear Brethren) that so oft I repeat, and so constantly I affirm, that to you it doth no less appertain, then to your king or princes▪ to provide that Christ Jesus be truly preached amongst you, seeing that without his true knolledge can neither of you both attain to salvation. And this is the point, wherein, I say, all man is a equal,

That as all be descended from Adam, by whose syn and inobedience did death enter into the world, so it behooved all, that shall obtain life, to be engrafted in one, that is, in the Lord Jesus, who being the just servant, doth by his knolledge justify many: to wit, all that vnfeanedly believe in him.

Of this equality, and that God requireth no less of the subject, be he never so poor, then of the prince and riche man in matters of religion, he hath given an evident declaration in the law of Moses. For when the tabernacle was buy lded, erected, and set in order, God did provide, how it, and the things appertaining to the same, should be sustained, so that they should not fall in decay. And this provision (albeit heavē and earth obey his empire) would he not take from the secrete and hid treasures, which lie dispersed ī the veins of the earth, neither yet would he take it frō the riche and potent of his people, but he did command, that every man of the sons of Israel (were he rich or were he poor) that came in compt from twenty years and upward, should yearly pay half a sicle for an oblation to the Lord in the remembrance of their redemption, and for an expiation or cleansing to their souls, which money God commanded should be bestowed upon the ornaments and necessaries of the tabernacle of testimony. He furthermore added a precept, that the riche should give no more for that use, and in that behalf, then should the poor, neither yet that the poor should give any less, then should the riche in that consideration. This law to man's reason and judgment may appear very unreasonable. For some riche man might have given a thousand shekels with less hurt of his substance, then sonme poor man might have paid the half sicle. And yet God maketh all equal, and will that the one shall pay no more then the other, neither yet the poor any less then the riche. This law I say may appear very unequal. But if the cause, which God addeth, be observed, we shall find in the same the great mercy and inestimable wisdom of God to appear, which cause is expressed in these words,

This money received from the children of Israel thou shalt give in the service of the tabernacle, that it may be to the children of Israel for a remembrance before the Lord, that he may be merciful to your souls.

This cause, I say, doth evidently declare, that as the hole multitude was delivered from the bondage of Egypt by the mighty power of God alone, so was every menbre of the same without respect of person sanctified by his grace, the riche in that behalf nothing preferred to the poorest. For by no merit, nor worthiness of mā was he moved to chose, and to establish his habitation and dwellinge amongst them. But their felicity, prerogative and honor, which they had above all other nations, proceeded only frō the fontaine of his eternal goodness, who loved thē freely, as that he freely had chosen them to be his preestlie kingdom and holy people from all nations of the earth. Thus to honor them, that he would dwell in the midst of them, he neither was moved (I say) by the wisdom of the wise, by the riches of the potent, neither yet by the virtue and holiness of any estate amongst them, but of mere goodness did he love them, and with his presence did he honor that hole people, and therefore to paint owt the same his commune love to the hole multitude, and to cut of occasions of contention, and doubts of conscience, he would receive no more from the riche, then from the poor, for the maintenance of that his tabernacle, by the which was represented his presence, and habitation amongst them. If the riche had been preferred to the poor, then as the one should have been puffed up with pride, as that he had been more acceptable to God by reason of his greater gift, so should the conscience of the other have been troubled and wounded, thinking that his poverty was an impediment, that he could not stand in so perfect favor with God, as did the other, because he was not able to give so much, as did the rich, to the mentenance of his tabernacle. But he, who of mercy (as said is) did chose his habitation amongst them, and also that best knoweth, what lieth within man, did provide the remedy for the one, and for the other, making them equal in that behalf, who in other things were most unequal. If the poor should have found him self grieved by reason of that tax, and that as much was imposed upon him, as upon the riche, yet had he no small cause of joy, that God him self would please to compare him, and to make him equal in the mentenāce of his tabernacle to the most riche and potent in Israel. If this equality was commanded by God for mentenāce of that transitory tabernacle, which was but a shadoe of a better to come, is not the same required of us, who now hath the verity, which is Christ Jesus? who being clad with our nature is made Immanuel, that is, God with us.

Whose natural body albeit it be received in the heavens, where he must abide till all be complete, that is forespoken by the Prophets, yet hath he promised to be present with us to the end of the world.

And for that purpose, and for the more assurance of his promise he hath erected amongst us here in earth the signs of his own presence with us, his spiritual tabernacle, the true preaching of his word, and right administration of his sacraments. To the mentenance whereof is no less bound the subject, then the prince, the poor, then the riche. For as the price, which was givē for man's redemption, is one, so requireth God of all, that shall be partakers of the benefits of the same, a like duty, which is a plain confession, that by Christ Jesus alone we have received, whatsoever was lost in Adam. Of the prince doth God require, that he refuse him self, and that he follow Christ Jesus: of the subject he requireth the same. Of the kings and judges it is required, that they kiss the son, that is, give honor, subjection, and obedience to him. And from such reverence doth not God exempt the subject, that shall be saved. And this is that aequalitie, which is betwixt the kings and subjects, the most riche or noble, and betwixt the poorest, and men of lowest estate: to wit, that as the one is oblished to believe in heart, and with mouth to confess the Lord Jesus to be the only savior of the world, so also is the other. Neither is there any of gods childrē (who hath attained to the years of discretion) so poor, but that he hath thus much to bestow upon the ornaments, and maintenance of their spiritual tabernacle, when necessity requireth: neither yet is there any so riche, of whose hand God requireth anymore. For albeit that David gathered great substance for the building of the temple: that Solomon with earnest diligence and incredible expenses erected and finished the same: that Hezekiah and Josiah purged the religion, which before was corrupted, yet to them was God no further dettour in that respect, then he was to the most simple of the faithful posterity of faithful Abraham. For their diligence, zeal, and works gave rather testimony and confession before men, what honor they did bear to God, what love to his word, and reverence to his religiō, then that any work proceading from them did either establish, or yet increase gods favor towards thē, who freely did love thē in Christ his son before the foundation of the world was laid. So that these forenamed by their notable works gave testimony of their unfeigned faith, and the same doth the poorest, that vnfeanedly and openly professeth Christ Jesus, that doth embrase his gladtydinges offered, that doth abhor superstition, and fly from idolatry. The poorest; I say, and most simple, that this day in earth in the days of this cruel persecution fermely believeth in Christ, and boldly doth confess him before this wicked generation, is no less acceptable before God, neither is judged in his presence to have done any less in promoting Christ his cause, then is the king, that by the sword and power, which he hath received of God, wrooteth owt idolatry, and so advanceth Christ's glory. But to return to our former purpose, it is no less required, I say, of the subject to beleu • in Christ, and to profess his true religion, then of the prince and king. And therefore I affirm, that in gods presence it shall not excuse you to allege, that ye were no chief rulers, and therefore that the care and reformation of religion did not appertain unto you.

Ye dear Brethren (as before is said) are the creatures of God created to his own image and similitude: to whom it is commanded to hear the voice of your heavenly Father, to embrase his son Christ Jesus, to fly from all doctrine and religion, which he hath not approved by his own will revealed to us in his moste blessed word. To which precepts and charges if ye be found inobedient, ye shall perish in your iniquity as rebels and stubborn servants, that have no pleasure to obey the good will of their sovereign Lord, who most lovingly doth call for your obedience. And therefore, Brethren, in this behalf it is your part to be careful and diligent. For the question is not of things temporal, which allthoghe they be endaungered, yet by diligence and process of time may after be redressed, but it is of the damnation of your bodies and souls and of the loss of the life everlasting, which once lost can never be recovered.

And therefore, I say, that it behooveth you to be careful and diligent in this so weghtie a matter, lest that ye, contemnyng this occasion, which God now offereth, find not the like, althoghe that after with gronyng and sobbes ye lāguyshe for the same. And that ye be not ignorant of what occasion I mean, in few words I shall express it.

Not only I, but with me also diverse other godly and learned men do offer unto you our labors faithfully to instruct you in the ways of the Eternal our God, and in the sincerity of Christ's Euangil, which this day by the pestilent generatiō of Antichrist (I mean by the pope, and by his most ungodly clergy) are almost hyd from the eyes of men. We offer to ieopard our lives for the salvation of your souls, and by manifest scriptures to prove that religion, which amongst you is mentained by fire and sword, to be vain, falls and diabolical. We require nothing of you, but that patiently ye will hear our doctrine, which is not ours, but is the doctrine of salvation revealed to the world by the only son of God: and that ye will examine our reasons, by the which we offer to prove the papistical religion to be abominable before God. And last we require, that by your power the tyranny of those cruel beasts (I mean of priests and freers) may be bridled till we have uttered our minds in all matters this day debateable in religion. If these things in the fear of God ye grant to me, and unto others, that vnfeanedly for your salvation, and for gods glory require the same, I am assured, that of God ye shall be blessed, whatsoever Satan shall devise against you. But and if ye contemn or refuse God, who thus lovingly offereth unto you salvation and life, ye shall neither escape plages temporal, which shortly shall apprehend you, neither yet the torment prepared for the devil, and for his angels, except by spedie repentance ye return to the Lord, whom now ye refuse, if that ye refuse the messengers of his word.

But yet I think ye doubt, what ye ought, and may do in this so weghtie a matter. In few words I will declare my conscience in the one and in the other. Ye ought to prefer the glory of God, the promoting of Christ his Euangil, and the salvation of your souls to all things, that be in earth: and ye, althoghe ye be but subjects, may lawfully require of your superiors, be it of your king, be it of your lords, rulers and powers, that they provide for you true preachers, and that they expel such, as under the names of pastors devour and destroy the flock, not feeding the same as Christ Jesus hath commanded. And if in this point your superior be negligent, or yet pretend to maitaine tyrants in their tyranny, most justly ye may provide true teachers for yourselves, be it in your cities, towns or villages: them ye may maitaine and defend against all, that shall persecute them, and by that means shall labor to defraud you of that most comfortable food of your souls, Christ's Euangil truly preached. Ye may moreover withhold the fruits, and profetts, which your falls Bishops and clergy most iniustly receive of you, unto such time as they be compelled faithfully to do their charge and duties, which is to preach unto you Christ Jesus truly, ryghtly to minister his sacraments according to his own institution, and so to watch for the salvation of your souls, as is commanded by Christ Jesus him self and by his apostles Paul, and Peter. If God shall move your hearts in his true fear to begin to practice these things, and to demand and crave the same of your superiors, which most lawfully ye may do, thē I doubt not, but of his great mercy, and free grace he shall illuminate the eyes of your minds, that his undoubted verity shall be a lantern to your feet to guide and lead you in all the ways, which his godly wisdom doth approve. He shall make your enemies tremble before your faces, he shall establish his blessed Evēgil amongst you to the salvation and perpetual comfort of yourselves, and of your posterity after you. But and if (as God forbid) the love of friends, the fear of your princes, and the wisdom of the world draw you back from God, and from his sonne Christ Jesus, be ye certainly persuaded, that ye shall drink the cup of his vengeance, so many I mean as shall contemn and despise this loving calling of your heavenly father. It will not excuse you (dear Brethren) in the presence of God, neither yet will it avail you in the day of his visitation, to say, We were but simple subjects, we could not redress the faults and crimes of our rulers, Bishops, and clergy: we called for reformation, and wished for the same, but Lord's brethrē were Bishops, their sons were abbottes, and the friends of great men had the possession of the Church, and so were we compelled to give obedience to all, that they demanded. These vain excuses, I say, will nothing avail you in the presence of God, who requireth no less of the subjects, then of the rulers, that they decline from evil, and that they do good, that they abstain from idolatry, superstition, blasphemy, murder and other such horrible crimes, which his law forbiddeth, and yet nottheles are openly committed and maliciously defended in that miserable realm. And if ye think that ye are innocent because ye are not the chief auctours of such iniquity, ye are utterly deceived.

For God doth not only punish the chief offenders, but with them doth he damn the consenters to iniquity: and all are judged to consent, that knowing impiety committed give no testimony, that the same displeaseth them. To speak this matter more plain, as your princes and rulers are criminal with your Bishops of all idolatry committed, and of all the innocent blood, that is shed for the testimony of Christ's truth, and that because they maintain them in their tyranny, so are you (I mean so many of you, as give no plain confession to the contrary) criminal and gyltie with your princes and rulers of the same crimes, because ye assist and maintain your princes in their blind rage, and give no declaration, that their tyranny displeaseth you. This doctrine I know is strange to the blind world, but the verity of it hath been declared in all notable punishments from the beginning. When the original world perished by water, whē Sodom and Gomorrhah were consumed by fire, and finally when Jerusalem was horribly destroyed, doth any man think, that all were a like wicked before the world? Euidēt it is, that they were not, if they shall be judged according to their external facts. For some were young, and old not be oppressors, neiher yet could defile them selves with unnatural and beastly lusts: sonme were pitiful and gentle of nature, and did not thrist for the blood of Christ, nor of his Apostles. But did any escape the plages and vengeance, which did apprehend the multitude? Let the scriptures witness and the histories be considered▪ which plainly do testify, that by the waters all flesh in earth at that time did perish, (Noah and his family reserved) that none escaped in Sodom and in the other cities adiacent, except Lot and his two daughters. And evident it is, that in that famous city Jerusalem in that last and horrible destruction of the same none escaped gods vengeance, except so many as before were dispersed. And what is the cause of this severity, seeing that all were not a like offenders? Let flesh cease to dispute with God; and let all man by these examples learn betymes to fly and avoid the society and compagnie of the proud contemners of God, if that they list not to be partakers of their plages. The cause is evident: if we can be subject without grudging to gods judgments, which in them selves are most holy and just. For in the original world none was found, that either did resist tyranny and oppression, that universally was used, either yet that earnestly reprehended the same. In Sodom was none found, that did against and that furious and beastly multitude, that did compass about and besiege the house of Lot. None would believe Lot, that the city should be destroyed. And finally in Jerusalem was none found, that studied to repress the tyranny of the Priests, who were conjured against Christ and his Euangil, but all fainted, (I except ever such, as gave witness with their blood, or their flying, that such impiety displeased them) all kept silence, by the which all approved iniquity, and joined hands with the tyrātes, and so were all arrayed and set, as it had been in one battle against the omnipotent, and against his son Christ Jesus. For whosoever gathereth not with Christ in the day of his harvest, is judged to scatter. And therefore of one vēgeāce temporal were they all partakers. Which thing as before I have touched, ought to move you to the depe cōsideratiō of your duties in these last and most perilous times. The iniquity of your Bishops is more then manifest: their filthy lives infect the aier, the innocent blood, which they shed, crieth vēgeāce in the ears of our God: the idolatry and abominatiō, which openlie they commit, and without punishment maȳtaine, doth corrupt and defile the hole land: and none amongst you doth unfeignedly study for any redress of such enormities. Will God in this behalf hold you as innocents? Be not deceived dear Brethren. God hath punished not only the proud tyrants, filthy persons, and cruel murderers, but also such, as with them did draw the yoke of iniquity, was it by flattering their offenses, obeying their iniust commandments, or in wynking at their manifest iniquity. All such, I say, hath God once punished with the chief offenders. Be ye assured, Brethren, that as he is immutable of nature, so will he not pardon in you that, which so severely he hath punished in others, and now the less, because he hath plainly admonished you of the dangers to come, and hath offered you his mercy before he pourefurth his wrath and displeasure vpō the inobediēt. God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is father of glory, and God of all consolation, give you the spirit of wisdom, and open unto you the knolledge of him self by the means of his dear son, by the which ye may attain to the esperance and hope, that after the trubles of this trāsitorious life ye may be partakers of the riches of that glorious inheritance, which is prepared for such, as refuse them selves, and feght under the bāner of Christ Jesus in the day of this his battle: that in depe consideration of the same ye may learn to prefer the invisible and eternal joys to the vain pleasures, that are present. God further grant you his holy spirit, righteously to consider, what I in his name have required of your nobility, and of you the subjects, and move you all together so to answer, that my petition be not a testimony of your just condemnation, when the Lord Jesus shall appear to revenge the blood of his saints, and the contempt of his most holy word. Amen.

Sleap not in syn, for vengeance is prepared against all inobediēt. Fly from Babylon, if ye will not be partakers of her plages.

AN ADMONITION TO ENGLAND AND Scotland to call them to repentance, written by Antoni Gilby.

V Vhere as many have writ̄ many profitable admonitions to you twain, (O England and Scotland, both making one Island most happy, if you could know your own happiness) some against the regiment of womē, wherewith ye are both plagued, some against vnlauful obedience, and the admitting of strangers to be your kings, some declaring the vile nature of the Spaniards, whom thou, o England, to thy destructiō mainteinest, some the pride of the Frenchmen, whom thou, o Scotland, to thy ruin receauest: and many hundreds with pen, with tongue, with word, with writing, with jeopardy and loss of lands, goods, and lives, have admonished you both twain of that cankred poison of papistry, that ye foster and pamper to your own perdition, and utter destruction of souls and bodies, of yourselves and yours for now and ever. I thoght it my duty (seeing your destructiō to man's judgment to draw so near) how much or little so ever they have prevailed, yet once again to admonish you both, to give testimony to that truth, which my brethren have writ̄, and specially to stir your hearts to repentance, or at the least to offer my self a witness against you: for the justice of God and his righteous judgments, which doubtless (if your hearts be hardened) against you both are at hand to be uttered. Thus by our writīgs, whom it pleaseth God to stir up of your nations, all men, that now live, and that shall comme after us, shall have cause also to praise the mercy of God, that so oft admonisheth before he do stryke, and to consider his just punyshment, when he shall pourefurth his vengeance. Give ear therefore betymes, O Britanie (for of that name both rejoiceth) whiles the Lord calleth, exhorteth, and admonisheth, that is the acceptable time, when he will be found. If ye refuse the time offered, ye cannot have it afterward though with tears (as did Esau) ye do seme to seek it. Yet once again in gods behalf I do offer you the very means, which if God of his mercies grant you grace to follow, I doubt nothing but that of all your enemies speedily ye shall be delivered. Ye rejoice at this word, I am sure, if ye have ani hope of the perfourmāce. Thē hark̄ to the matter, which I do write unto you not forth of men's dreams nor fables, not forth of profane histories painted with man's wisdom, vain eloquence, or subtle reasons, but forth of the infallible truth of gods word, and by such plain demonstrations, as shall be able to convince everyone of your own consciences, be he never so obstinate. I will ask no further judges. Is not this gods curse, and threatening amongst many other pronounced against the sinful land and disobedient people?

That strangers should devour the fruit of thy land, that the stranger should clyme above the, and thou should comme down and be his inferior, he shall be the head and thou the tail. The Lord shall bring upon the a people far of, whose tongue thou canst not understand, thy strong wales, wherein thou trusted, shall be destroyed &c.

And doth not Isaiah reck̄ this also as the extremity of all plages for the wickedness of the people to have womē raised up to rule over you? But what saith the same {pro}phete in the beginning of his prophesy for a remedy against these and all other evils?

Your hands are full of blood, saith he, O you princes of Sodom, and you people of Gomorrhah, but wash you, make you clean, take away your wicked thoughts forth of my sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, help the oppressed &c. Then will I turn my hand to the, and try owt all thy dross, and take away thy tynne, and I will restore thy judges, as afore time, and counsilours, as of old.

And Moses said before in the place alleged.

That if thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments, thou shalt be blessed in the town, and blessed in the feelde. The Lord shall cause thine enemies, that rise up against the, to fall before the. &c. Lo the way in few words, O Britanie, to win gods favor, and therefore to overcome thine enemies. But to prynt this more deeply into your hearts, o ye princes and people of that Island, whom God hath begōne to punish, seek I warn you no shifting holes to excuse your faults, no political practices to resist gods vengeance. And first I speak to you (ô Rulers and Princes of both the realms) reap̄t your treason, and bewail your unthankfulness. For by no other means can you escape gods judgments. You stomach I know to be called traitors, but what shall it avail to spare the name, where the facts are more then evident. You hath God erected amongst your brethrē, to the end that by your wisdom and godly regiment your subjects should be kept as well from domestical oppression, as from bondage and slavery of strangers. But ye alas declininge from God are made the instruments to betray and sell the liberty of those, for whom ye ought to have spent your lives. For your consent and assistance is the cause, that strangers now oppress and devour the poor within your realms: who shortly, if God call you not to reap̄tance, shall recompense you, as ye have deserved. For the cup, which your brethren do now drink, shall be put in your hands, and you shall drink the dregs of yt to your destruction. And wonder it is if ye be becōme so foolish and so blind, that ye think your selves able long to continue, and to be safe, when your brethren round about you shall perish: that you can pack your matters well enough with the princes, that ye can make you strong with marriages, with flateries, and other fond practices, or that with your multitude or strength ye can escape the days of vengeance, or that you can hide yourselves in holes or corners. Nay though you should hyde you in the hells, God can draw you thence, if you had the egles wings to fly beyōde the east seas, you cannot avoid gods presence. Submitt yourselves therefore unto him, which holdeth your breath in your nostrils, who with one blast of his mouth cā destroy all his enemies. Embrase his sonne Christ, lest ye perish, and for your obstinacy against him and his word repent betymes, as we all do admonish. Repent for your cruelty against his servants and the contempt of his word so plainly offered, as it was never sense the beginning of the world. Repent we cry repent. For repentance is the only way of your redress and deliverance. Did God ever longe spare any people, whom he hath taught by his Prophets, without some evident repentance? or useth any father to pardon his child, whom he hath begun to chastise, without some token of repentance? Consider how the Lord hath entreated Israel and Judah his own people: how oft they trespassed, and how he gave them ower into the hand of their enemies. But whensoever they repented and turned again to God vnfeanedly, he sent them judges and deliuerers, kings and Saviors. This way then of repentance and vnfeaned turning to God by obedience is the only way before God accepted and allowed. Therefore was Noah sent to the old world to bring this doctrine of repentance, and all the old prophets, as Elias, Elisaeus, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Malachias, and he, who excelled all the prophets, John Baptist. Any of whose stiles, and sharp rebukes of sinners if I should now use, it would be thoght full strange and hardly would be suffered: yet were any of their lessons, wherebie they called to repentance, most mete for our time and age, and nothing disagreinge from this my present purpose. For the same spirit still striveth against the malice of our times, though in diverse instruments and sundry sortes and fashions. Noah pronounceth, that within an hundredth and twenty years all flesh should be destroyed. We have many Nohaes, that so crieth in our times, yet no mā reap̄teth. All the time, that Noah was preparing for the ark to avoid gods vengeance, the multitude derided this holy prophet, as the multitude of you two realms doth at this day deride all them, that by obedience to gods word seek the means appointed to avoid gods judgments. Then the people would not repent, but as they should live forever, they married, they banketed, they built, they planted, deriding gods mess̄ger. Do not you the like? I appeal to your own consciences. You marie, but not in God, but to betray your countries, you bāket and build with the blood of the poor.

The Lord calleth to fasting (saith the prophet Isaiah) to mortify thē selves, and to kill their lusts, but they kill sheep and bullocks. Jeremiah crieth for tears and lamentation, they laughe and mock. Malachi crieth to the people of his time, Turn unto me and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts, and they proudly answer, wherein shall we return? Are ye not such? Do not ye ask wherein shall we return, when ye will not know your sins? when ye cannot confess, nor acknolledge your faults, though ye go a hooringe in every street, town and village with your idols? though the blood of the oppressed cry everywhere against you for vengeance? So that seeing no token of repentance I cannot cry unto you with John the Baptist, Qye generatiō of vipers who hath taught you to fly from the wrath to comme?

O that I might see so good tokens, that ye would fear gods wrath and vengeance. But this must I say to you both to your confusion, and shame, that ye are such vipers and serpentes, until I see better tokens. You do what ye can to destroy your parents, you cast of God your heavenly father, ye will not fear him calling you to repentance, you destroy and banishe your spiritual fathers, which once had begotten you as spiritual children by the word of truth, you consume your countree, which hath given you corporal life, you stīge with tongues and tales all, that would draw you from your wickedness. Finally man, womā, and child are either venemed with your poisons or stingged with your tales. In you are fulfilled the words of David.

Their throat is an open sepulcher, with their toūges they have deceived, the poison of aspis is under their lips, their mouths are full of curse and bitterness, their fete are swift to shedd blood, destruction and wretchedness are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known, the fear of God is not before there eyes, &c.

I do know your tendre ears, you can not be grated with such sharp sentences of condemnation, that thus prick you to the hearts: howbeit thus it behooveth, that ye be taught to judge yourselves, that in the end ye be not damned with the wicked world. But I will wound you no more with the words of the Prophets, with the sayings of David, or of this holy saint of God John the Baptist, but with our savior Christ's two most sweet parables of the two sons and of the tilme, to whom he set his vineyard, I will labor to set before your eyes your rebellion, hypocrisy, and cruelty, if so I cā bring any of you to repentance. Our savior Christ putteth forth this parable,

A certain man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said sonne go and work today in my vineyard. Who answered, I will not, but afterward reap̄ted and went. Then came he to the second, and said likewise, and he answered, I will syr, but went not.

Wherein a wonderful comfort first is to be considered, how the Lord our God maker of heavē and earth doth humble him self not only to be called a mā, a husband man, a householder, and such like, but he abaseth himselfe of mercy to us vile earth and asshes, that his son becometh mā to make mankynd glorious in his sight, to make all those, that do not refuse his grace offered, of the slaves of Satan his sons by adoption. You are his sons, you are his vineyard, you are as dear unto him, as the apple of his eye, as Moses speaketh, if you can believe it: he sweareth that you shall be his inheritance, and he will be yours, if ye will only receive his grace and believe him, when he sweareth. Will ye call his truth into doubt? his glory into shame by your misbelefe? Better it were, that all creatures should perish, heaven, man and angels, then that God should not have credit, or that his glory in the least jot should be diminished. He hath called you by his word now many a time to work in his vineyard, I ask what you have answered: your conscience can witness and all the world seeth it. Sōme of you have said plain like rebellious childrē, that ye would not do it, that ye would not work in your fathers vineyard. Shall I apply this part to Scotland? I may right well do it, and also to a great parte in England. But Scotland in deed called most plainly and evidently through the mercies of God both by their own faithful countrymen, and also by earnest travail of our English nation to comme to the Lord's vineyard in the time of king Edward, hath to the domage of both continually refused, as the conscience of many this day beareth witness. That time, as ye know, the vineyard in England by the children of God was not all together neglected, and thē most earnestly were ye (O Brethren of Scotland) required to join hands with us ī the Lord's work, but Satan alas would not suffer it. His old fostred malice, and Antichrist his son could not abide, that Christ should grow so strong by ioynynge that ile together in perfect religiō, whom God hath so many ways coupled and strēgthended by his work in nature: the papists practiced all their fine crafts in England, Scotland, and in France, that the Ghospellers should not with so strong walls be defensed, lest this one iland should becōme a safe sanctuary, as it began to be, to all the persecuted in all places. They move sturdy stomachs, they dispens with perjuries, they work by their crafty confessions, they raise up war in the end, whereby ye (dear Brethren of Scotland) were sore plagued. Of all these traiterouse sleghtes ye cannot be ignorant. For yet it is not passed the memory of man, that your king made promise to have met king Hērie the eght att York▪ whose purpose (albeit in other things I do not alow him) in that case was most godly and praise worthy. For it was to make an end of that ungodly war, and cruel murder, which long had continued betwixt the two realms. Your king, I say, made promise to mete him: the breche whereof as it was the occasion of much trouble, so is it evidently known, that your Cardinal, and his clergy labored and procured the same. For it is not unknown to some amongst you, how many thousand crowns the churchmen did promise for maintenance of the war, which king Henry did denoūce by the reason of that breche. Superfluous it were to me, to recite all the causes moving your pestilent preestes to solicitat your king to that infidelity. But this is moste evident, that they feared nothing, but the fall of their glory, and the trouble of their kingdom, which then in England began to be shaken by suppressing of the abbaies. This moved your preestes earnestly to labor, that your king should falsely break his promise. But what affliction ye sustained by that and other their practices, yourselves can witness. For your borderrs were destroyed, your nobility for the most parte were takē prisoners, and your king for sorrow suddenly died. But these your miseries did nothing move your preestes to repentance, but rather did inflame them against God, and against the {pro}pfit of their native realm. For when again after the death of your king, your friendship and favors were sought, first by king Hērie, and after his death by king Edward his son, and by him, who thē was chosen Protectour, how craftily, I say, did thē your preestes undermine all, ye are not ignorant. When your Gouernoure with the consent of the most part of the nobility had solēnely sworn ī the abbay of Haliroode house, syr Raphe Sadler thē being embassadour for England to perfurm the marriage cōtracted betwixt king Edward and your young queen, and faithfully to stand to every point concluded and agreed 〈◊〉 perfurmāce of that vniō, when seals were interchanged, and the embassadour dimissed, what sturr, tumult, and sedition raised your Cardinal in that your realm, it is not unknown. To wit, how that by his craft and malice the realm was divided, the Governor compelled to seek his favor, to violate his oth, and so to becomme infamous forever. And finally by the pride of the papists was that league broken. But what did thereof ensue? Edinburgh, Leith, Dūdie, yea the most part of the realm did fele. Your ships were stayed, your gooddes were lost, your chief towns were burned, and at the end the beauty of your real me did fall in the edge of the sword, the hand of God manifestly feghting against you, because against your solemn oth ye did feght against them, who sought your favors by that godly conjunction, which before was promised. But still proceaded your enemies the clergy, and their adherētes in their purposed malice. Woēder not that I term them your enemies. For albeit they be your countrymen, yet because they seek nothing more, then the maȳtaināce of their own kingdom, which is the power of darckns, and the king dome of Antichrist, they are becomme cōiured enemies to every city, nation or man, that labor to comme to the knolledge of the truth. That pestilent generation, I say, did not cease, till they obtained their purpose, by deliueringe your young queen to the hands of the French king, assuredly mindinge by that means to cut for ever the knot of the friendship, that might have ensued betwixt England and Scotland by that godly conjunction. What the papists feared is manifest. For then Christ Jesus being more purely preached in England, then at any time before, would shortly have suppressed their pride and vain glory: and therefore they raged, that he should not reign above them also. But what is like to apprehend you, for because ye did not betymes withstand their most wicked coūsils, wise men do consider. How heavy and unpleasant shall the burden and yock of a Frenchman be to your shoulders and necks, God grant that experience do not teach you. But to return to my former purpose, by all those means rehearsed, by his mess̄gers, by the blood of his saints shed amongst you, by favors and friendship, by war and the sword, yea by famine, and pestilence, and all other meās, hath God your merciful father called you to labor in his vineyard, but to this day, alas, we hear not of your humble obedience, but still ye say with stubborn faces, we will not labor, we will not be bound to such thralldom, to abide the burdens of the vineyard. Ye think perchāce I am to sharp, and that I accuse you more then you deserve. For amongst you many do know the will of your father, and many make profession of his Ghospel, but consider, Brethrē, that it is not enoug he to know the commandment, and to {pro}fesse the same in mouthe, but it is necessary, that ye refuse yourselves, your own pleasures, appetites, and your own wisdom, if ye shall be judged faithful laborers in the Lord's vineyard, and that ye bear the burdens togiter with your brethren, and suffer heat, and sweat, before ye taste the fruits with them. God will not stand content, that ye loke over the hedge, and behold the labors of your brethrē, but he requireth, that ye put your hands also to your labors, that ye travail continually to pluck up all unprofitable wedes, albeit in so doing the thorns prick you to the hard bones: that ye assist your brethrē in their labors, though it be with the icopardie of your life's, the loss of your substance, and displeasure of the hole earth. Except that thus ye be minded to labor, the Lord of the vineyard will not acknolledge you for his faith full servants. And because this matter is of weight and great importance, I will speak sonwhat more plainly for your instruction. It is bruted (to the great comfort of all godly, that hear it) that some of you (dear Brethren of Scotland) do desire Christ Jesus to be faithfully preached amongst you, which thing if frō the heart you desire and with godly wisdom and stowt courrage follow your purpose and enterprise, ye shall be blessed of the Lord forever. But in the beginning ye must beware that ye follow not the example of your brethrē of England, in whose hands albeit the work of the Lord appeared to prosper for a time, yet because the eye was not single, we see to our grief the over throw of the same. They began to plant Christ Jesus in the hearts of the people, and to bānish that Romish Antichrist, they did drive owt the fylthie swine frō their dens and holes (I mean the monks and other such papistical vermin from their cloisters and abbayes). This was a good be ginning, but alas in the one and the other there was great fault. For the banishīg of that Romish Antichrist was rather by the fear of the laws pronounced against him by acts of parlamēt, thē by the lively preaching of Christ Jesus, and by the discouerīg of his abominations. And the suppressiō of the abbaies did rather smell of avarice, thē of true religiō. Those venomous locusts, which before were hold̄ within their cloisters, were then set abroad to destroy all good and grene herbs. For superstitious freers, ignorant monks, and idle abots were made archbishoppes, bishops, persons, vicars, and such as ought to feed the souls of men▪ who thus set at liberty did continually wrootup the Lord's vineyard. And one crafty Gardener, whose name was Stephen, having wolflik conditions, did maȳtaī many a wolf, did sow wicked seed in the gardē, and cherished many weeds to deface the vineyard. And his maid Marie, who after was his mastres, now married to Philip, wātīg no will to wickedness whē she was at the weakest norsto make to do evil, when she gatt the mastrie did cherish many weeds. Those two I say have so broken the hedges of the same vineyard, (God so punishing the sins of those, that ought to have made better provision for the same) that the husbandmen are hanged up, the diggars, dressours, and planters are banished, prisoned and burned. Such havoc is made, that all wild beasts have power to pollute the sanctuary of the Lord. O heavens behold her cruelty, o earth cry for vengeance, o seas, and desert mountains witnesses of her wickedness, break forth against this monster of England. But whether do I run by the bitterness of my grefe? I must needs leave the o Scotland, after that I have advertised the of this, that thou follow not the example, as I have said, of England: but in the bowels of Christ Jesus I exhort the, that if thou pretēdest any reformatiō in religion, which is the chief labor of the vineyard, that thou do it at the first with a single eye, and all simplicity, that from year to year thou be not compelled to change, as was England, but let thy reformation be full and plain, according to gods holy will and word without addition. Let all the plātes, which thy heavenly father hath not planted, be rooted owt at once, let not avarice blind the, neither yet wordlie wisdom discourage thy heart, let none bear the name of a teacher, that is known to be a fosterer of superstitiō, or any kind of wickedness. And thou so doing shalt move God of his great mercy to send unto the faithful work men in abundance, to bless the work, that thou pretēdest in the vineyard, and to preserve the to the glory of his own name, and to thy everlasting comfort. Thus must thou Scotland repent thy former inobedience, if that thou wilt be approved of the Lord. And now do I return to the (O England) I do liken the to the secōde son in the parable which answered his father with flattering words, saying,

For sense the time, that I had any remembrance, our heavenlie father of his great mercies hath not ceased to call the in to his vineyard, and to these late days thou hast said always, that thou wouldest enter and be obedient. In the time of king Henry the eght, when by Tyndale, Frith, Bylnay, and other his faithful servants God called England to dress his vineyard, many promised full fair, whom I could name. But what fruit followed? nothing but bitter grapes, yea breeres and brambles, the wormwood of avarice, the gall of cruelty, the poisō of filthy fornicatiō, flowing from head to foot, the contempt of God and open defense of the Cake Idol by opē proclamatiō to be red in the Churches in the stead of gods scriptures. Thus was there no reformation, but a deformation in the time of that tyrant and lecherous mōster. The bore I grāte was busy wrooting and digging in the earth, and all his pigges, that followed him. But they sought only for the pleasant fruits, that they winded with their longe snowtes. And for their own bellies sake they wrooted up many weeds, but they turned the ground so, mīgling good and badd together, sweet and so wre, medicine, and poison, they made, Isaiah, such cōfusiō of religiō and laws, that no good thing could grow, but by great miracle, under such Gardners. And no meruail, if it be rightly considered: for this bore raged against God, against Devil, against Christ and against Antichrist, as the foam that he cast owt against Luther, the racing forth of the name of the Pope, and yet alowīg his laws, and his murder of many Christian soldiers, and of many papists, do clearly and evidently testify unto us. Especially the burnīg of Barns, Jerome, and Garrat three faithful preachers of the truth, & hāgīg the same day for maintaināce of the Pope Powel, Abel, and Fetherstone, doth clearly paint his beastlynes, that he cared for no manner of religiō. This monstrous bore for all this must needs be called the head of the Church in pain of treason, displacing Christ our only head, who ought alone to have this title. Wherefore in this pointe (o England) ye were no better then the Romish Antichrist, who by the same title maketh him self a God, sitteth in mennes consciences, bānysheth the word of God, as did your king Hērie, whom ye so magnify. For in his best time nothing was hard, but the kings book, and the kings {pro}cedings, the kings homelies in the Churches, where gods word should only have been preached. So made you your king a God believing nothing, but that the allowed. But how he died, I will not write for shame. I will not name how he turned to his vomet. I will not write your other wickedness of those times, your murders without measure, adulteries and incestes of your king, his Lord's, and cōmunes. It greueth me to write those evils of my coūtry, save only that I must needs declare, what fruits were found in the vineyard after you promised to work therein, to move you to repentance, and to justify Godds judgments, how grievously so ever he shall plage you hereafter. Wherefore I desire you to call to remembrance your best state under king Edward, when all men with general cōs̄t promised to work in the vineyard, and ye shall have cause I doubt not to lament your wickedness, that so contemned the voice of God for your own lusts, for your cruelty, for your covetousness, that the name of God was by your vanities evil spoken of in other nations. I will name no particular things, because I reverence those times, save only the killing of both the kings uncles, and the prisonnement of Hoper for popish garments.

God grant you all repentant hearts, for no order nor state did any part of his duty in those days. But to speak of the best, whereof ye use to boast, your religion was but an English matyns, patched forth of the popes portesse, many things were in your great book superstitious and foolish, all were driven to a prescripte service like the papists, that they should think their duties discharged, if the nonebre were said of psalms and chapters. Finally there could no discipline be brought into the Church, nor correction of manners. I will touche no further abuses, yet willing and desiering you to consider thē in your hearts, that knowing your negligence ye may bring forth fruits of repentance. For this I admonish you (o ye people of England) wheresoever you be scattered or placed, that unless ye do right speedily repent of your former negligence, it is not the Spaniards only, that ye have to fear, as rods of gods wrath, but all other nations, France, Turkey, and Denmark, yea all creatures shall be armed against you for the contempt of those times, when your heavenly father so mercifullie called you. To what contempt was gods word and the admonition of his prophets comme in all estates, before God did stryke, some men are not ignorant. The preachers them selves for the most part could find no fault in religion, but that the Church was poor and lacked living. Truth it is, that the abbay lands and other such revenues, as afore appertained to the papistical Church, were most wickedly and ungodly spent, but yet many things would have been reformed, before that the kitching had been better {pro}uided for to our prelates in England. It was moste evident, that many of you under the cloke of religion served your own bellies: some were so busy to heap benefice upon benefice, sonme to labor in parlamēt for purchesing of lands, that the time was small, which could be found for the reformation of abuses, and very little, which was spent upon the feeding of your flocks. I need not now to examine particular crimes of preachers. Only I say, that the Gospel was so lightly esteemed, that the most part of men thoght rather, that God should bow and obey to their appetites, then that they should be subject to his holy commandments. For the communes did continue in malice, and rebellion, in craft and subtlety, notwithstanding all laws, that could be devised for reformation of abuses. The merchants had their own souls to sell for gains, the gentlemen were becomme Nērods and Giants, and the nobility and coūsile would suffer no rebukes of God's mess̄gers though their offenses were never so manifest. Let those, that preached in the court, the lent before king Edward deceased, speak their conscience, and accuse me, if I lie, yea let a writing written by that miserable man, then duke of Northumberland to master Harlow for that time Byshoppe of Harford, be brought to light, and it shall testify, that he ashamed not to say, that the liberty of the preachers tongues would cause the counsile and nobility to rise up against them: for they could not suffer so to be entreated. These were the fruits even in the time of harvest a little before the winter came. And of the time of Marie what should I write? England is now so miserable, that no pen can paint it. It ceaseth to be in the number of children, because it openly dispiteth God the father. It hath cast of the truth known and confessed, and followeth lies and errors, which once it detested. It buyldeth the building, which it once destroyed▪ it raiseth up the idols, which once were there confounded: it murdereth the saints, it maintaineth Baals prophets by the commandment of Jezebel. Such are the evil husbands, that now haunte the vineyard, so that this is true, that our Savior Christ, saith:

The Lord him self hath planted a fair vineyard, he hedged it round about, and builded a toure, &c. And when the time of the fruit drew nere, he sent his servants to the tilmen to receive the fruits thereof, but they caught his servants, they bett one, they killed another, and stoned others. Again he sent other servants mo, and they served them like wise.

What need any exposition to apply this unto England? All is fulfilled, that is spoken in that parable, unless they do wait for the son him self, for to comme, that they may handle him likewise, as they have done his servants. But all is one, saith our Savior Christ.

That, which ye do to one of these little ons, the same ye do to me, be it good or bad. Why doest thou persecute me, saith Christ to Saul, when he was, as he now is, at the right hand of God his father in the heavens. Therefore they persecute, they banishe, they burn Christ the son of God in his members. The judgment therefore now remaineth, which the wicked then gave against them selves,

That the Lord of the vineyard will cruelly destroy those evil persons, and will let forth his vineyard unto other husbands.

And the confirmation of the same by the sentence of the chief judge, that

The kingdom of God shall be taken from such, and given to a people, that shall bring forth the fruits thereof.

The which judgment is begun in England, and shortly alas will be fully executed and finished without right spedie repentance. Somme hope is in Scotland, which hath not shown forth any such cruelty, and hath not contemned the known treasures: but like wanton children have contemned the commandment of their father, partly of frailty, partly of ignorance. But England the seruante, that knew the will of his Lord and master, which was once lightened with most clear beams, which hath tasted of the swetenes of the word of God, and of the joys of the world to comme, which hath abjured Antichrist, and all idolatry, which hath boasted to profess Christ with great boldness before all the world, must be beaten with many stripes, it cannot be avoided.

But to be short this only remaineth for both these nations, that they repent and return into the vineyard with the first son. For neither shall ignorance excuse any land or nation, as is plain in the first to the Romans, neither can any people be received without the fruits of repentance, as John the Baptist proclaimeth.

The fruits of repentance I call not only to know your sins, and to lament them, but to amend your lives, and to make streght the Lord's paths by resisting Satan and sin, and obeying God in doing the works of righteousness, and executing gods precepts, and judgments, so longe amongst you contemned.

For even now is the axe put to the root of the tree, so that every tree, that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewē down, and cast into the fire. The Lord hath now his fan in his hand, and will purge his flour, and gather the wheat into his garner, but will burn the chaff with vnquēchable fire.

Repent therefore, whiles ye have time, before ye be fanned, hewē down and fired. When I do behold both your two realms, I see the fan, I see the axe. But this I am suer is the beginning of your ruin, that ye do mary with strangers, and give your power to foreign nations, such as fear not God, but are open idolaters, blasphemers, persecutors of the saints of God, that careth neither for heaven nor hell, God nor devil, so that they may wynne lands, towns and countries. God shall hew you down by thē therefore, as he hath done other nations by like means and causes, and they shall fan you forth of your own husks and homes, to make you vagaboundes and beggars, and after possess your lands and goods, as God threatened by Moses, as was before alleged. Trust not to thy strength afterward, when thy enemy is settled, if thou have no strength to resist his begynnynges, no more thē thou canst overcome a canker, that hath overrun many members. That God would not have you to trust to your force of men, towns, or castels, there is enough examples, that you both have felt to your grefe. And I cannot write without murnyng. For how little auayled the multitude, and stowt courrage of you (dear Brethrē of Scotland) att Musselburgh, or Pinkefield, the carcases alas of many thousands, who that day fell in the edge of the sword, may teach you. And how vain be all strengths, (be they judged never so strong, or inexpugnable) lett Calais lately taken admonish you.

But I do leave such examples to your considerations to teache you to call to the living Lord, who offereth him self, as a merciful father unto you, still calling you to repentance by words, by writings, and most gentle corrections, if ye will not be hard hearted.

Yet here have we to lament the miserable state of mankind, which is so seduced by the subtle serpent, that he cannot know his misery, when he is admonished, nor perceive his perdition, when it draweth so nere. When the servants of God set forth his truth, they are charged to trouble realms, and countries, as was Elias: when they warn men not to join hands with wicked kings and princes, they are counted traitors, as was Isaiah and Jeremiah. Such is man's malice. But if there be a God, that is first of all to be sought, and without whom nothing can be profitable unto us, but without him all things are unhappy and accursed: if the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof must first be sought, and then all things shall be ministered: if our heavenly king must before man be obeyed, then all such doctrine, as calleth us from man to God, is easy to be perceived, and ought not to be resisted. Wherefore I do admonish and exhort you both in the name of the living God, that how so ever you have hitherto shown yourselves the servants of men to bear and to flatter with the world, that now ye learn in gods cause to despise the faces of men, to bend yourselves against this wicked world, neither regarding the visars of honors, vain titles nor dignities any further, then they seek God his only glory. For his glory will he not suffer to be contemned for any cause. No he will pour contempt on those princes, that strive against his truth: but those, that glorify him, will he glorify. And what king dome, realm or nation so ever it be, that will not seek to sanctify his name, they shall in the day of gods grievous visitation, which is now at hand, be utterly confounded, their strength shall be straw, their honors shall be shame, and all their idolatrous preestes, in whose lies they delight, together with their idols, with whom they are bewitched, shall be stubble and brimstone to burn together, whē the wrath of the Lord of hosts shall set them on fire. The preestes shall not save their gods, nor the gods their worshippers, but both alike accursed shall thē perish forever. And though our merciful father hath longe suffered heretofore in the time of ignorance, yet now in the ende of the world he calleth all people so plainly by his word to repentance, that he must needs take spedie vengeance, if his calling be contemned: especially because the day cannot longe be delayed, wherein he hath determined to judge all people and nations of the whole world, and to put an end to wickedness.

Wherefore to conclude, behold, your only remedy remaineth to repent your time of ignorance, of stubburnnes, of cruelty, of idolatry, wherein ye have so long continued. And now with all diligence to seek for knolledge of the word of God, and openlie to profess the Gospel, which is the power of God, whereof ye ought not to be ashamed. Cease at the last from your old stubburnnes, wherbie ye have deserved vengeance, and labor in the vineyard with all mekenes, that ye may receive mercy and grace: cease from your cruelty against Christ's members, and learn to suffer for Christ's sake, if ye will be true Christians: banishe all idolatry and popish superstition from amongst you, else can ye have no parte in Christ's kingdom, no more then Christ can be partaker with Antichrist. Pray to the Lord of hosts and armies to give you the courrage, strength, and means. The Lord's arm is not shortened now, no more then of old. Be strong therefore in the Lord for the defense of the truth, though all the world rise against itt. Now when the battle is fierce against the living God for dead idols, (even for the vile wafercake, the most vain idol, that ever was) against the Ghospel of Christ for the inventions of Antichrist, against Christ's menbres for Popish ceremonies, can any of you, that will be compted gods children, still halt of both hands? If that cake baked in iron tongues, not able to abide a blast of wind, be the aeternal God, follow it: but if he only be God, that hath created the heavens, abhor such vile idols, that have no force to save thē selves: if Christ's Ghospel and doctrine be sufficient to salvation, and by receiving of it ye are called Christians, away with all Antichrists inventions brought into your Romish churches: if you hope to have any parte with Christ, cherish his menbres and maintain thē against their enemies the papists, and the bishop of Rome the very Antichrist. What strength, what force, what power, what coūsil so ever ye have of God, bend all to this ende and purpose, as ye will make answer to your heavenly king for the talent received. If you have no regard of those prīcipal pointes, which only, or chiefly should be before your eyes, go to with your foreign marriages, join France to Scotland, and Spain to England, if it be possible, yet shall ye all be confounded. The Lord shall plage you one with another, until you be consumed, your strength, wherein ye trust, shall be shakē to naught, your courrage shall be cowardice, your wisdom shall be folie, and the Lord of hosts by your ruin and destructiō will be renowned and praised, and his just judgments through owt the earth shall be honored and feared. Where of the contrary if you will maintain God's truth in the earth, he will receive you as his children into the heavens, if you confess his Christ before this wicked generation, Christ shall confess you before his father in the heavens, in the presence of his angels. But if you persiste stubburnly to banishe gods word, and his son Christ in his members forth of your earthly kingdoms, how cā ye loke for any parte in his heavenlie king dome? much more if ye continue to murder his messīgers, what cā ye loke for emōgst your selves, but that ye should dignity one ī another's belly to be your own murderers? So that if ye will still remain after all these admonitions in your murders and idolatries, be suer, that in this world ye shall have enoghe of your idolatries, and you shall be filled with bloody murders and in the end ye shall be judged without the gates of the heuenlie Jerusalem amongst the dogs, enchaunters, hooremōgers and murderers and idolaters with all those, that loveth lies. But he, that overcometh all these, shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, saith the Lord, and he shall be my son. Whereas the fearful in gods cause, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, hooremongers, sorcerers and idolaters shall have their parte in the lake, that burneth with fire and brimstone.

Lo here is the choice of life and death, of misery and wealth offered unto you by gods mercies, and the means how yow may win gods favor opened, wherebie only ye may prevail against your enemies. God graūte you hearts to answer as the people did to Joshua offering the like choice. God forbid (say they) that we should forsake God, we will serve the Lord our God and obey his voice, for he his our God.

And we your banished brethren by the power of God to provoke you forward, will thus pronounce with Joshua.

That we and our families will serve the Lord God, though all nations run to Idols, though all people do persecute us. We know that Satan hath but a short time to rage, and that Christ our captain right speedily will crown his soldiers, to whom, as he is the eternal God with his father, be all honor and glory forever and ever. So be it.

JOHN KNOXE TO THE READER.

B Ecause many are offended at the first blast of the trompett, in which I affirm, that to promote a woman to bear rule, or empire above any realm, nation or city, is repugnant to nature, contumely to God, and a thing moste contrariouse to his revealed and approved ordenāce: and because also, that some hath pomised (as I understand) a confutation of the same, I have delayed the second blast, till such time as their reasons appere, by the which I either may be reformed in opinion, or else shall have further occasion more simply and plainly to utter my judgment. Yet in the mean time for the discharge of my conscience, and for avoiding suspitiō, which might be engendered by reason of my silence, I could not cease to notify these subsequent propositions, which by God's grace I purpose to entreat in the second blast promised.

1 It is not birth only nor propin quitie of blood, that maketh a king lawfully to reign above a people professing Christ Jesus, and his eternal verity, but in his election must the ordenance, which God hath established, in the election of inferior judges be observed.

2 No manifest idolater nor notoriouse transgressor of gods holy precepts ought to be promoted to any public regiment, honor or dignity in any realm, province or city, that hath subjected the self to Christ Jesus and to his blessed Evēgil.

3 Neither can oath nor promise bind any such people to obey and maintain tyrants against God and against his truth known.

4 But if either rashly they have promoted any manifest wicked person, or yet ignorantly have chosen such a one, as after declareth hī self unworthy of regiment above the people of God (and such be all idolaters and cruel persecutors) moste iustely may the same men depose and punish hī, that vnaduysedly before they did nominate, appoint and elect.

PSALM OF DAVID XCIIII, turned in to metre, by W. Kethe.