How superior powers oght to be obeyd of their subiects and wherin they may lawfully by Gods Worde be disobeyed and resisted. Wherin also is declared the cause of all this present miserie in England, and the onely way to remedy the same. By Christopher Goodman.

THE PREFACE.

AS there is nothīge to be cōpared to true obediē∣ce, in preseruīge the cō∣mō welth of townes, ci∣ties, and kingdoms: or in maynteyninge true reli∣giō,* 1.1 Christiā peace & cōcorde (for ther∣by euery mā is instructed how to render vnto God his due honour & glorie: & to man that, whiche his office requi∣reth) Euē so is ther nothinge more ha∣tefull to God, nether more hurtefull to mā, then so to be bewitched with Sa∣tans false illusions, that they are not able to put difference betwyxte obe∣dience & disobedience: but as men without all iudgemēt and naturall sen∣se, take thone for thother, beinge in them selues playne contrarie, whiche is the onelie cause of all disorder and la∣mentable confusion, where with the whole worlde is bothe this daie, and hath bene also frō the beginning, most miserably defaced and oppressed. For when vile man, replenished with pri∣de, vayne glorie, and grosse ignorance, will measure obedience with the crow∣ked lyne of his owne corrupte iudge∣ment,

and not with the infallible trueth of Goddes holie worde, he must nedes preferre his owne decrees, phantasies, and ordināces, to the cōfortable Lawes and liuelie preceptes of God his creator. Then in place of iustice, he receaueth iniustice, for right wronge, for vertue vice, for lawe will, for loue hatred, for trueth falshod, for playne dealing dissi∣mulation,* 1.2 for religion superstition, for true worshippe detestable idolatrie: and to be shorte, for God Sathan, for Christ Antichrist, and with him suche plages of God, and disorder amonge mē, as are this daye set before oure eyes to beholde in all places throughout the vniuersal worlde, and haue bene like∣wise euen from the beginninge. When Adam was placed in paradise,* 1.3 beinge a creature moste perfecte, and abundinge in all wisdome and heauenlie knowled∣ge, and wolde at the persuasion of his wif measure obedience rather by his o∣wne reason,* 1.4 then by the worde & sen∣tence of God before pronounced: be∣hold, he was not onelie spoyled of wis∣dome & knowledge, becomminge a ve∣rie foole, in comparison of that, whiche

he was before: but also sodaynlie de∣stitute of all other singuler giftes, as of innocencie, and immortalitie, was con∣foūded at the voyce of the Lord, assha∣med at his owne nakednesse, and felt the dredfull indignation and curse of God, whiche he had procured, not one∣lie to him self, but broght the same also vpon all his posteritie after him.* 1.5 When the whole worlde was so corrupted in their owne wayes in the dayes of faith∣full Noha, no regarde was at all to the obedience of the liuinge Lorde, nor yet to the godlie admonitions of iust Noha:* 1.6 but euerie man was so drowned in his owne lustes,* 1.7 that the space of an hun∣dreth & twenty yeares was not sufficiēt to moue them to repentance. And ther∣fore could they not escape the strange and horrible iudgement of God, whiche immediatlie after folowed moste iustlie. And althogh in that wicked generation abonded all kinde of wickednesse, as well agaynst God as man, in so muche as the earthe then might be compted a verie hell, yet from whence proceaded all this rebellion against Goddes migh∣tie maiestie, but onelie for that they

measured all thinges after their owne corrupt reason,* 1.8 and not by his holie La∣wes and preceptes? Whiche they had now receaued of their forefathers, hear∣de of Noah, yea, and had them ingraf∣ted naturally in their hartes. The pro∣bation wherof might easilie be deduced from all ages euen to oure tyme by in∣numerable and euident examples, if it were nedefull in so playne a matter. For who is so blynde that maye not se how man sheweth his rebellion,* 1.9 neuer so muche, as when he woulde be moste obedient in his owne sight and iudge∣ment? not measuringe the same by the streght lyne and true touchestone, whiche is the Lawe and worde of God, but suffringe him self to be led by his owne corrupte iudgemēt and affectiōs.

This turned the Wisdome of the Gentiles into mere folishnesse, inuētin∣ge shamefull idolatrye for true wor∣shipp,* 1.10 as witnessethe the Apostle.

* 1.11This blynded the Ieues with hy∣pocrisie and cloked holynesse, makinge the Lawe of the liuinge Lorde to geue place to their inuented traditions by man.* 1.12 Out of this stinkinge puddle of

mans brayne haue issued forthe so gre∣at diuersitie of opinions and daunge∣rous herisies, wherwith the Churche of God hathe bē at all tymes horriblye tormented. Finallie from hence hathe Antichriste filled his pestilente cupp of all sortes of deadlie poyson,* 1.13 where of he hathe made the whole earthe almost, and her kinges and Princes, not onelie to drinke: but to be most vilelie ouer∣come and dronken. In whose defence they haue armed them selues against the Lorde ād Christe his Son:* 1.14 whō not∣withstanding with impudent mouthes they professe, where as in verie dede they persecute him moste cruellie in his Saincts by all means possible,* 1.15 fightin∣ge, as men in a rage, vnder the banner of that filthie beast. And yet these men in the middle of their furie, without all obedience & ordre, subuertinge the La∣wes of God and of nature, will be cal∣led notwithstandinge the defenders of the faithe, mayntayners of true religiō, autours of peace, teachers of obedien∣ce, ād most discrete gouernours of com∣mon weales and policies. To the intent therfore that these disguised personnes

(whiche abuse the whole worlde) may appeare in their owne liuely shape, and be knowen as they are in dede, I haue thoght it good,* 1.16 hauinge occasion by this worthie answere of Peter and Io∣hn, and beinge hereto of diuers godlie persons prouoked, somewhat to wryte of true obedience: to wit, what God him self requiereth of vs, and what he commandethe to be geuen also to men. Wherby (God willinge) the disguised clokes, and craftie pretences of obe∣dience, vsed and practised by the vngod¦lie worldlings, shalbe discouered: who haue soght alwayes, and yet do seeke vnder the pleasant name of obedien∣ce, onlie to mayntayne their ambition, pride and libertie: wherby we shall le∣arne also how in tymes past we haue bene shamfullie abused in yelding to the willfull wil of man, in obeying his vngodlie commandements, and fearin∣ge man more then God: and finallie how it behoueth vs to repent oure for∣mer ignoraunce, and with diligence to redresse the same, hauinge more lighte and fuller knowledge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  True obe∣dience ren¦dreth to God due ho¦nor & also to man as his office requireth. what gre∣at daunger it is, not to put differē¦ce betwene obedience and disobe∣dience.
• * 1.2

  what plags come for di¦sobediēce.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 3.
• * 1.4

  Adam diso¦beied God and was greuouslie punished.
• * 1.5

  All mākin¦de was iust¦ly punished for Adams disobediēce
• * 1.6

  Gen. 6.
• * 1.7

  The worl∣de plaged in Nohas dayes for disobediēce
• * 1.8

  The cause of all diso∣bedience is, not to measure ou¦re doings by Godds worde. Rom. 2.
• * 1.9

  We must not measu∣re our obe∣dience af∣ter our ou∣ne phante∣sies.
• * 1.10

  Rom. 1.
• * 1.11

  Mat. 15.
• * 1.12

  Disobe∣dience is the puddle of all herisies and error.
• * 1.13

  Apo. 17. Antichriste is the pla∣ge of God for mās dis¦obedience.
• * 1.14

  Psal. 2.
• * 1.15

  The tyrāts are Anti∣christes tor¦mentours and perse∣cute Christ
• * 1.16

  Thoccasion wherefore this treati¦se was writ, and what prof¦fit we may gather therof.