The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christe[n] rulers ought to governe, where in also (if thou marke diligently) thou shalt fynde eyes to perceave the crafty conveyance of all iugglers.

¶The obedience of Subiectes vn¦to kynges princes and rulers. The .xiij. Chapter of Paul Rom.

LEt every soule submit hī ••ylfe vnto the auctorite off the hyer powers. The¦re is no power but of God. The powers y^t be¦are ordeyned off God. Whosoever therfore resy¦steth y^e power resysteth y^e ordinaūce of God. They y^t resist / shall recea to thē silfe dānaciō. For ruelars are not to be feared for good workes but for evyll. Wilt th¦ou be without feare of y^e power? Do well thē & so shalt thou be praysed off the same. For he is y^e minister off god / for thy welth. But and yff thou do evyll / then feare. for he bea∣reth not a swearde for nought. For he is the

minister off God / to take vengeaunce on thē that do evill. Wherfore ye must nedes obey not for feare off vēgeaunce only: but also be¦cause of consciēce. Evē for this cause paye ye tribute. For they are goddes ministers / ser¦vynge for the same purpose.

Geve to every man therfore his duetie: Tribute to whom tribute belōgeth: Custom to whom custom is due: feare to whō feare belongeth: honoure to whō honoure pertay¦neth. Owe nothinge to eny mā: but to love one a nother. For he that loveth another / ful¦filleth the lawe. For these cōmaūdemētes: Thou shalt not cōmit advoutry: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steale: Thou shalt not beare falce witnes: Thou shalt not de¦syre: and so forth yf there be eny other cōma¦undemēt / are all cōprehēded in this saynge: Love thyne neghbour as thy silfe. Love hur¦teth not his neghbour: therfore is love the fulfillynge off the lawe.

AS a father over his childern ys both lorde ād iudge forbiddinge y^t one bro¦rher avenge him selfe on a nother / but (if ani cause of strife be betwene thē) will ha¦ve it brought vnto hī selfe or his assignes / to be iudged & correcte: so God forbiddeth all mē to avēge thē selves / ād taketh y^e auctorite and office of avēgīge vnto hī selfe sayenge: vēgeaūce is mine & I will rewarde: deuter. xxxij. which texte Paul alegeth Ro. xij. For

it is impossible y^t a mā shulde be a righteous an egall or an indifferēte iudge in his awne cause / lustes & appetites so blīde vs. Moa∣re over whē thou avēgest thy selfe / thou ma¦kest not peace / but sterest vp moare debate.

God therfore hath gevē lawes vnto all natiōs & in all lōdes hath put kīges / gover∣ners ād rulers in his awne stede / to rule the worlde thorow thē. And hath cōmaunded all causes to be brought before thē / as thou readest Exo. xxij. In al causes (sayth he) of iniury or wronge / whether it be oxe / asse / she¦pe or vesture / or any lost thīge which an ot∣her calengeth / let y^e cause of both parties be brought vnto y^e Gods whō y^e Gods cōdēne the same shall paie dowble vnto his neibou¦re.* 1.1 Marke / y^e iudges are called Gods in the scriptures because thei are in Gods rowme and execute y^e cōmaūdmētes of God. And in an other place of y^e sayd chapter Moses chargeth sayēge: se y^t thou rayle not on the Gods nether speake evill of y^e ruler of thy pe¦ople.

Who so ever therfore resisteth thē res∣isteth God (for they are in y^e rowme of god) & they y^t resiste shall receave their dānaciō.

Soch obedience vnto father & mother / master / husbāde / emperoure / kīge / lordes and rulers requireth God of all naciōs / yee of y^e very turkes ād infideles.* 1.2 The blessinge and rewarde of thē that kepe thē / is y^e life of this worlde as thou readest Leuiticū. xviij.

kepe my ordinaunces and lawes / which yf a man kepe he shall lyve therin. Which tex∣te Paul reherseth Roma. x. provinge therby that the righteousnes of the law is but wo∣rdly / and the rewarde therof is y^e life of this worlde.* 1.3 And the curse of thē that breaketh them / is the losse of this lyfe: as thou seist by the punishment appoynted for them.

And whosoever kepeth the lawe (whe¦ther it be for feare / for vayne glorie or pro∣fit) though no man rewarde him / yet shall God * 1.4 blesse him abundātly ād sende him wordly prosperite / as thou readest Deute∣ronomion. xxviij. What good blessinges ac¦companye y^e kepinge of the lawe / and as we se the turkes ferre exceade vs christen men in worldly prosperite for their iust kepinge of their temporall lawes. Lyke wise though no mā punishe the breakers of the lawe / yet shall God sende his curses apon them tyll they be vterly brought to nought as thou re¦adest most terrebly even in the said place.* 1.5

Nether maye y^e inferior person avēge him selfe apō y^e superior or violētly resiste him for what so ever wrōge it be. If he doo he is cō∣dēned in the dede doinge: in as moch as he taketh vpō hī y^t which belōheth to god only which saith vēgeaūee is myne ād I will re∣warde Deute. xxxij.* 1.6 And christe saith Math xxvi. all they y^t take y^e swerde shall perish wi∣th y^e swerde. Takest thou a swerde to avenge

thy selfe▪ so gevest thou not roume vnto god to avēge the but robbest him of his most hi•• honoure / in that thou wilt not let him be iu∣dge over the.

Iff any mā myght have avēged him selfe apon his superior / * 1.7 that mighte David most righteously have done apon kinge Saul which so wrōgfully persecuted David / evē for no other cause / thē y^• God had anoīted him kynge & promysed hī y^e kyngdome. Yet whē god had delyverd Saul in to y^e hādes of David / y^t he might have done what he wold with hī as thou seist in y^e first boke of kynges y^e .xxiiij. chapter / how Saul came in to the cave where David was. And David came to him secretly & cutte of a pece of his garment. And as sone as he had done it his hertsmote hī because he had done so moch vn¦to his lorde. And whē his mē corraged him to ••le hī he āswered / the lorde forbid it me / y^t I shulde laye myne hond on hī. Nether so∣ffered he his mē to hurte him / When Saul was gone out David folowed & shewed hī the pece of his garmēte & said: why belevist thou the wordes of mē y^t saye / David goe∣th aboute to doo the harme? perceave and se that ther is nether evell ner wickednesse in my hande and that I have not trespased agaynst the / & yet thou layest awayte for my life. God iudge betwene the & me & avenge me of y^e / but myne hāde be not apō y^e as / the

olde proverbe saith (said david) * 1.8 out of the weked shall wekednesse procede / but myne hāde be not apō the meanīge that God ever punisheth one weked by an other. And aga∣yne (said David) God be iudge / and iudge betwene the and me ād behold ād plete my cause / & geve me iudgemēte or right of the.

And in the .xxvi. Chapter of the same bo∣ke / when Saul persecuted David agayne. David came to Saul by night / as he slepte and all his men / and toke awaye his spere and a coppe of water from his hedde. Then said Abisai Davids servaunte / God hath delyvered the thine enemie in to thine han∣de this daye / lat me now therfore naile hī to the grounde with my spere and geve him but even one stripe and no moare. David forbad him sainge.* 1.9 kyll him not. For who (said he) shall laye handes on the lordes ā∣noynted and be not gyltye? The lorde liveth or by the lordes lyfe (said he) he dieth not excepte the lorde smyte him or that his da∣ye be come to dye or else goo to batayll and there perish.

Why did not David sle Saul / seinge he was so weked / not in persecutīge david on¦ly / but in disobeyenge Gods cōmaūdmētes ād in y^t he had slayne.* 1.10 lxxxv. of Gods pre∣stes wrongfully? Verely for it was not law∣full. For if he had done it / he must have sin∣ned agenste god.* 1.11 For God hath made the

kīge in every realme iudge over all / ād over him is there no iudge. He y^t iudgeth the kin¦ge iudgeth God & he that layeth hādes on the kīge layeth hāde on God / ād he that re∣sisteth the kinge resisteth God and dāneth Gods lawe and ordinaūce. If the subiectes sinne they must be broughte to y^e kīges iud∣gemēte. If the kinge sinne he must be reser∣ved vnto the iudgemēt / wrath and vēgeaū∣ce of God.* 1.12 And as it is to resiste the kinge / so is it to resiste his officer which is set or sent to execute the kinges cōmaundmēt.

And in the fyrst Chaptour of the seconde boke of kinges David cōmaunded the yo∣unge mā to be slayne / which broughte vnto him the croune ād bracelet of Saul ād said to please David with all / that he him selfe had slayne Saul. And in the fourth chap∣ter of the same boke david cōmaūded tho∣se .ij. to be slayne which brought vnto him the hed of Isboseth Sauls sōne / by whose meanes yet y^e hole kingdome returned vnto David accordīge vnto the promise of God.

And Luke / xiij. When they shewed Chri¦ste of the Galileans / whose bloude Pilate mīgled with their awn sacrifice: he āswered suppose ye that these Galileās were sinners above all other galileās / because they sofred soch punishmēte? I tel you naye: but excepte ye repēt ye shall like wise peresh. Thus was told Christ / no doute / of soch an entent as

they axed him Math. xxij. Whether it were lawfull to geve tribute vnto Cesar. For they thoughte that it was no sinne to resiste an hethen prince:* 1.13 as few of vs wolde thinke (if we were vnder the turke) that it were sinne to rise agenste him / and to ryd oure selves from vnder his dominion / so sore have ou∣re Bisshopes robbed vs of the true doctri∣ne of Christe. But Christe condemned their dedes and also the secret thoughtes of all other that consented there vnto sa∣yenge: excepte ye repēte ye shall like wise perishe. As who shuld saye / I knowe that ye are within in youre hertes soch as they were outwarde in their deades / and are vn∣der the same damnacion: excepte therfore ye repēt betymes / ye shall breake out at the last in to lyke deades / and lyke wise perishe / as it came afterwarde to passe.

Here by seist thou y^t y^e kinge is in this worl¦de without lawe & maye at his lust doo right or wronge and shall geve a comptes / but to God only.

A nother conclusion is this / that no per¦son nether anye degre maye be exempte frō this ordinaunce of God. Nether cā the pro¦fession of monkes and freres or anye thinge that the Pope or Bisshoppes cā laie for thē selves / excepte them from the swerde of the Emperoure or kinges / yf they breake the la¦wes. For it is writtē / let every soule submit∣te

him selfe vnto the auctorite of the hier po∣wers. Here is no man excepte / but all sou∣les must obeye. The hier powers are the tē∣porall kinges and princes vnto whom God hath gevē the swerde to puneshe who so ev∣er sinneth. * 1.14 God hath not geven thē swer¦des to puneshe one and to let a nother goo fre and to sinne vnpunesshed. Moare over with what face durst the spiritualte / which ought to be the light & an example of good lyvinge vnto all other / desire to sinne vnpu¦nesshed or to be excepted from tribute / tolle or custome / that they wolde not beare pay∣ne with ther brethern / vnto the mayntena∣unce of kinges and officers ordined of god to puneshe sinne?

There is no powere but of God (by power vnderstōde the auctorite of kinges and princes) The powers that be / are ordened of God. Whosoever therfore re¦sisteth power resisteth God: Yee though he be Pope / Bisshope / monke or frere. They that resiste shall receave vnto them sel∣ves damnacion. Why? For Gods worde is agaynst them which will have all men vn∣der the power of the temperall swerde.

For rulers are not to be feared for good workes but for evyll. Hereby seist thou y^t they y^t re∣siste y^e powers or seke to be exēpte frō their auctorite have evyll cōsciēces & seke libertie to sinne vnpunesshed & to be fre frō bearīge payne with ther bretherne.

Wilt thou be

without feare of the power? So doo well and thou shalt have laude of the same (that is to saye of the ruler) With good livynge ought the spirituallte to ridde thē selves frō feare of the tēporal swerde / & not with craft and with blindinge the kynges and brin∣ginge the vengeaunce of God apon thē ād in purchasinge licēce to sinne vnpunisshed.

¶ For he is the minister of God for thi we∣lth: to defende the from a thousande incon¦venientes / from theves / murderers and th∣em that wolde defile thy wife / thy doughter and take from the all that thou hast:* 1.15 yee life and all / yf thou did resiste.

Forthermoare though he be the greatist tyraūte in the worl¦de / yet is he vnto y^e a greate benefit of God and a thīge where fore thou oughtest to th∣anke God hyly. For it is better to have som¦what than to be cleane stripte out of all to∣geder: it is better to paye the tenthe than to loose all: it is better to suffer one tyraunte thē mani & to sofre wronge of one thē of eve¦ry mā. Ye and it is better to have a tyraunte vnto thy kīge thē a shadow / a passive kīge y^t doth nought hīselfe / but sofre other to doo with hī what they will / and to leade hī whi¦ther they lyst. For a tyraunte though he do wronge vnto the good / yet he punessheth the evill & maketh all mē obeye nether sofereth any man to polle but him selfe only. A kin∣ge that is soft as sylke ād effeminate / that

is to saye turned vnto the nature of a wo∣mā / what with his awne lustes / which are as y^e lōginge of a womā with childe / so y^t he cā not resiste thē / & what with y^e wyly tyrānye of thē y^t ever rule hī / shalbe moch moare gre¦vous vnto y^e realme thē a right tyraunte. Re¦ade y^e cronycles & thou shalt finde it ever so.* 1.16

But and if thou doo evyll / then feare. For he beareth not a swerde for noughte.

For he is the minister of God / to take ven∣geaunce on them that doo evyll. Yff the of∣fice of princes geven them of God be to ta∣ke vēgeaunce of evill doers:

thā by this texte and Gods worde / are all princes * 1.17dāned / even as many as geve libertie or licence vn∣to the spiritualtie to sinne vnpunesshed / ād not only to sinne vnpunesshed them selves: but also to open sentuaries / privileged pla∣ces / churchyerdes / saynt Iohns holde:* 1.18 yee and if they come to shorte vnto all these / yet to settforth a neckeverse to save all maner tre¦aspasers frō the feare of y^e swerde of y^e vēgea¦unce of God put in the hōdes of princes to take vengeaunce on all soch.* 1.19

GOd requireth the law to be kepte of all men let them kepe it for what soe∣ver purpose they will. Will they not kepe y^e lawe:* 1.20 so vouchsafeth he not that they enioye this temperall life. Now are there. thre natures of men / one all to gether beest∣ly which / in no wise receave the lawe in

their hertes / but rise agenst princes & rulers when so ever they are able to make their par¦tie good. Thes are signified by thē that wor¦sheped the golden calfe. For Moyses brake the tables of the lawe yer he came at them.

The seconde are not so beestly / but recea¦ve the lawe / and vnto thē the lawe cometh: but they loke not Moyses in y^e face. For his coūtenaūce is to bright for thē / that is / they vnderstonde not y^t the lawe is spirituall ād requireth the herte. They loke on the pleasu¦re / profit and promocion that foloweth the kepinge of the lawe / and in respecte of the rewarde kepe they the lawe outwardly with workes / but not in the herte. For if they mi∣ght obteyne lyke honoure / glorie / promociō and dignite and also avoyde all incōvenien¦tes / yf they broke the lawe / so wolde they al¦so breake the lawe & folowe their lustes.

The thred are spirituall and loke Moy¦ses in the open face & are (as Paul saith the seconde to the Romains) a lawe vnto them selves and have the lawe writtē in their her¦tes by the spirite of God. Thes neade ne∣ther of kinge ner officers to drive thē / nether that any mā profer thē any rewarde for to ke¦pe the lawe. For they do it naturally.

The first worke for feare of the swerde only. The seconde for rewarde. The thred worke for love frely. They loke on the excedī∣ge mercy / love and kindes which God hath

shewed them in Christe and therfore love againe and worke frely. Heven they take of the fre gift of God thorow Christes deservī¦ges / and hope without all maner doutinge that God accordinge to his promise / * 1.21 will in this worlde also defende them and doo all thinge for thē of his goodnes and for Chri¦stes sake and not for any goodnes that is in them. They cōsente vnto the lawe that it is holy and iust and that all men ought to doo what soever God commaūdeth for no other cause / * 1.22 but because God commaundeth it. And their great sorow is / because that there is no strength in their membres to doo that which their herte lusteth to do and is a thurst to do.

Thes of the last sworte kepe y^e lawe of the∣ir awne accorde and that in the herte / and ha¦ve professed perpetuall warre agaynste the lustes and appetites of the fleshe / tyll they be vtterly subdued: yet not thorow their awne strength / but knowynge and knowlegynge their wekenes crye ever for strength to God which hath promysed assistence vnto all that call vpon him. These folow God and are led of his sprite. The other two are led of lu∣stes and appetites.

Lustes and appetites are divers and ma∣ny and that in one mā:* 1.23 ye and one luste con∣trarie to a nother and the greatest lust cari∣eth a mā all to gether awaye with him. We

are also chaunged frō one lust vnto a nother Otherwise are we desposed when we are chil¦dern / otherwise whē we are youngmē and o∣ther wise when we are olde / otherwise over evē & other wise in the morninge: ye somty∣mes altered .vj. tymes in an howre. How for¦tuneth all this?* 1.24 Because y^t the will of mā fo∣loweth the witte & is subiecte vnto the witte and as the witte erreth so doith the will / ād as the witte is in captivite / so is the will / nether is it possible that y^e will shuld be fre where the witte is in bondage.

That thou maist perceave ād feale the thī∣ge in thine herte and not be a vayne sophi∣ster disputinge aboute wordes with out per∣ceavinge / marke this. The rote of al evill the greatest damnaciō and most terrible wrath and vengeaunce of God that we are in / is naturall blindnes. We are all out of the ri∣ght waye / every man his wayes: One iud∣geth this best / a nother that to be best. Now is * 1.25 worldlye witte no thinge else but craft and sotilte to obteyne that which we iudge falsly to be best. As I erre in my witte / so erre I in my will.* 1.26 When I iudge that to be evyll / which in dede is good / then hate I that which is good. And when I suppo∣se that good which is evill in dede / then lo∣ve I evill. As yf I be perswaded and bor∣ne in hande that my most frende is myne enemye then hate I my best frende: and yf

I be brought in belefe that my most enimie is my frende / Then love I my most enimie Now when we saye / every man hath his fre will / to doo what him lusteth I saye verely that men doo what they lust. Not with stondynge to folow lustes is not fre••dome / but captivite and bondage. If God open any mans wittes to make hym feale in his herte / that lustes and appetites are damnable / and geve hī power to hate and resiste them / then is he fre even with the fre∣dome where with Christ maketh fre / ād ha∣th power to doo the will of God.* 1.27

Thou maist hereby perceave that all that is done in the world (before the spirite of God come and geveth vs light) is dam∣nable sinne / and the moare glorious the moare damnable:* 1.28 so that that which y^e wor∣lde counteth most glorious is moare dam∣nable in the sighte of God / then that whi∣ch the whore / the thefe and the mortherer doo. With blinde reasons of worldly wisdo¦me maist thou chaūge the myndes of youth and make them geve them selves to what thou wilt eyther for feare / for prayse or for profit:* 1.29 and yet doist but chaunge them from one vice to a nother. As the persuasions of her frendes made lucrece chast. Lucrece beleved yf she were a good huswife and ch∣ast / that she shulde be most glorious / & that all the world wolde geve her honoure / and

prayse her. She soughte her awne glory in her chastite and not Gods. When she had lost her chastite / then counted she her selfe most abhominable in the sighte of all men / ād for very payne & thought which she had / not that she had displeased god / but that she had lost her honoure / slew her selfe. Loke how great her payne and sorow was for the losse of her chastite / so greate was her glorie and reioysinge there in / and so moch despi¦ced she them that were other wise / and pi∣tied them not. Which pride god moare ab∣horreth thē the whordome of any whore. Of like pride are all the morall vertues of Ari∣stotell / Plato and Socrates / and all y^e doc∣trine of the philosophers the very Gods of our scole men.

In lyke maner is it for the most parte of oure most holy religion. For they of lyke ima¦ginacion doo thinges which they of Bedlē maye se / that they are but madnes. They loke on the miracles which God did by the sayntes to move the vnbelevinge vnto the fayth and to confirme the trouth of his pro∣myses in Christe / whereby all that beleve are made sayntes:* 1.30 as thou seist in the last chaptoure of Marke. They preached (saith he) every where / the lorde workinge with them and confirminge their preachinge wi∣th miracles that folowed. And in the fou∣rth of the actes) the disciples praid that

God wolde stretche forth his handes to do miracles and wonders in the name of Iesus And Paul .j. Corinth. xiiij. saith / that the miracle of speakinge with divers tonges is but a signe for vnbelevers and not for them that beleve. Thes miracles turne they vn∣to a nother purpose sayenge in * 1.31 their blin∣de hertes. Se what myracles God hath sh∣owed for this saynte / he must be verely gre∣at with God. And attonse turne them sel∣ves from Gods worde and put their trust and confidence in the saynt and his meri∣tes and make an advocate or rather a God of the saynt / and of their blinde imaginaci∣on make a testamente or bonde betwene the saynt and them / the testamente of Christes bloude cleane forgoten.* 1.32 They loke on the sa∣yntes garmentes and lives or rather lyes wihch men lye on the sayntes: and this wise imagion in their hertes sayenge: the saynt for weringe soch a garmente and for soch deades is become so glorious in heven. Yf I doo lyke wise / so shall I be also. They se not the fayth and trust which the sayntes had in Christe / nether the worde of God which the sayntes preached / nether the en∣tente of the sayntes / how that y^e sayntes did soch thīges to tame their bodies & to be an ensample to y^e worlde / & to teach that soch thinges are to be despiced which the worlde ••oost wondreth at and magnifieth. They

se not also that some lādes are so whot that a man can nether drinke wine ner eate fleshe ther in: nether consider they the complexiō of the sayntes / ād a thousande like thinges se they not. So when they have kylled there bodies and brought them in that case / that scace with any restauratyve they can recover their health agayne yet had they lever die thē to eate fleshe. Why? for they thinke / I have now this .xx.xxx. or .xl. yeres eatē no fleshe and have obteyned I doute not by this ty∣me as hie a rowme as the best of thē: shuld I now loose that? nay I had lever die: and as lucrecia had lever have ben slayne yf he had not ben to stronge for her then to have lost her glorie / even so had these. They ascri∣be heven vnto their imaginacions and mad invencions / and receave it not of the libe∣ralite of God / by the merites and deservin∣ges of Chirst.* 1.33

He now that is renewed in Christe / ke∣peth the lawe without any law written or compulsion of any ruler or officer / save by the ledynge of the sprite only: but the * 1.34 na∣turall man is entised and moved to kepe the lawe carnally / with carnall reasons and worldly persuasions / as for glorie / honoure riches and dignite. But the last remedie of all when all other fayle / is * 1.35 feare. Beate o∣ne & the rest wyll absteyne for feare: as Moy¦ses ever putteth in remembraunce sayenge:

kyll / stone / burne. So shall thou put evill from the / and all Israell shall heare and fe∣are and shall no moare do so. Yf feare hel∣pe not / then will God that they be taken out of this life.

Kynges were ordened then / as I before said / and they swerde put in their handes to take vengeaunce of evill doers / that other myght feare / ād were not ordeyned to fight one agenst a nother or to rise agenste the Emperioure to defende the false auctorite of the Pope that very Antechriste / * 1.36 Biss∣hoppes they only can minister the tempe∣rall swerde / their office the preachinge of Gods worde layde a parte / which the will nother doo ner sofre anye man to doo / but sley with the temperall swerd (which they have goten out of the hande of all Princes) them that wolde. The preachinge of Gods worde is hatefull and contrarie vnto them: Why? For it is impossible to preach Chri∣ste excepte thou preach agenst Antychriste / that is to saye / them which with their false doctrine & violēce of swerde enforce to quē¦che y^e true doctrine of Christe. And as thou canst heale no disease / excepte thou begyn¦ne at the rote: even so canst thou preach agenst / no mischeve excepte thou begynne / at the Bisshopes. * 1.37 Kynges they a∣re but shadowes / vayn names and thin∣ges ydle / havynge no thinge to doo in the

worlde / but when our holy father neadeth their helpe.

* 1.38The Pope contrarie vnto all conscience and agenst all the doctrine of Christe / which saith my kyngdome is not of this worlde. Iohn. xviij. hath vsurped the righte of y^e em¦peroure. And by polycy of y^e * 1.39 Bishopes of al many and with corruptynge the electours or chosers of the Emperoure with money / brī∣geth to passe that soch a one is ever chosen Emperoure that is not able to make his par¦tie good with the Pope. To stoppe the Em¦peroure that he come not at Rome / he brin¦geth the frēch kinge vp to * 1.40 Milane / and on the oder side bringeth he the venecians. Yf the venecians come to nye / the * 1.41 bisshopes of Fraunce must bringe in the French kynge And the Socheners ar called and send for to come ād socre. And for their laboure he geveth to some a rose / to a nother a * 1.42 cappe of mayntenaūce. One is called * 1.43 most chri¦sten kinge a nother * 1.44 defender of the fayth / a nother the eldest * 1.45 sonne of the most holy seate. He blaseth also the armes of other & putteth in the holy crosse / the croune of thorne or the nayles and so forth. Yff the frē¦che kynge goo to hie / and crepe vppe other to Bononye or Naples: then must oure englysh * 1.46 bisshops bringe in oure Kynge. The craft of y^e bisshopes is to entitle one Kynge with an others realme. He is called Kinge of Dē¦marke

/ and of Englonde / he kinge of Eng∣londe and of Fraunce.* 1.47 Then to blinde y^e lor∣des and the comens / the kinge must calen∣ge his righte. Then must the lande be taxed and every man paye / and the treasure borne out of the realme and the londe beggerde. How many a thousand mens lives hath it cost? And how many an hondred thousan∣de poundes hath it caried out of the realme in oure remembraunce?? * 1.48 Besides how ab¦hominable an example of gatheringe was there? soch verily as never tyraunte sens the world began did / ye soch as was never befo¦re herde or thought on nether amōge Iewes saresens / turkes or hethen sens God crea∣ted the sonne to shine: that a beest shulde breake vp in to the temple of God / that is to saye / in to the herte and consciences of men and compell them to swere every mā what he was worthe / to lende that shulde never be payd agayne. How many thousandes forsware them selfes? How many thousā∣des set them selves above there abilite / pa∣rtly for feare lest they shuld be forsworne ād partly to save there credence? When the Po¦pe hath his purpose / then is peace made / no man woteth how / and oure most enimie is oure most frende.

¶Now because the Emperoure is able to obteyne his right: french / englessh / vene¦cians and all must apon him. * O greate

whore of babylon / how abuseth she the p••••inces of the worlde / how dronke hath sh•• made them with her wine?* 1.49 How shame∣full licences doth she geve them / to vse ny∣chromancie to hold whores / to devorse thē selves to breake the fayth and promises that one maketh with an other: that the confes∣sours shall delyver vnto the kynge the Con∣fession of whom he will / and dispenceth with thē even of the very lawe of God / wh∣ich Christ him selfe can not doo.* 1.50

Agenst the popis false power.

MAthew. xxvi. Christe saith vnto Pe∣ter / put vp thy swerd in to his shethe. For all y^t laye hande vpon y^e swerde / shall peresh with y^e swerde / y^t is / whosoever without the cōmaundment of the temperall officer to whō God hath geven the swerde leyeth hande on the swerde to take vengea∣unce / the same deserveth deeth in the deade doinge.* 1.51 God did not put Peter only vnder the temperall swerde / but also Christe him selfe. As it appereh in the fourth Chapter to the Galathiens. And Christe saith Math. iij. Thus becometh it vs to fullfill all right∣wesnes / that is to saye / all ordinaunces of God. Yf the hed be then vnder the temperall swerde / how cā the mēbres be excepted? Yf P••ter sinned in defendinge Christ agenste the temperall sw••rde (whose auctorite and ministres the Bisshopes then abused agen∣ste

Christ as ours doo now) * 1.52 who can ex∣cuse oure prelates of sinne which will obe∣ye no man / nether kinge nor Emperoure? Ye who can excuse from sinne / ether the kin∣ges that geve / ether the Bisshopes that re∣ceave soch exempcions contrarie to Gods ordinaunces and Christes doctrine?

And Math. xvij. both Christe and also Peter paye tribute / where the meaninge of Christes question vnto Peter is: yf princes take tribute of straungres only and not of their childern / then verily ought I to be fre which am the sonne of God / whose serva∣untes and ministres they are and of whom they have their auctorite. Yet because they nether knewe that nether Christe came to vse that auctorite / but to be oure servaunte and to beare oure burthen and to obeye all ordinaunces / both in right and wronge for oure sakes and to teach vs: therfore said he to saynt Peter. Paye for the and me lest we offende them. Moareover though that Christe and Peter (because they were pore) might have escaped / yet wold he not for feare of offendinge other and hurtinge their consciences. For he might well have geven occasion vnto the tribute gatherers to have iudged amisse bothe of him and his doctrine: ye & y^e Iewes might happely have byn offended thereby and have thought that it had not be lawfull / for them to have

paid tribute vnto hethen princes and ydo∣laters / seinge that he so greate a prophet pa∣yde not: Ye and what other thynge causeth the laye so litle to regarde there princes / as that they se them both dispised ād disobey∣ed of the spiritualte?* 1.53 But oure prelates wh∣ich care for none offendinge of consciences and lesse for Gods ordinaunces / will paye nought: but when princes must fighte in ou¦re most holy fathers quarell and agenst christe. Then are they the first. There also is none so pore that then hath not somewhat to geve.

* 1.54Marke here how past all shame oure sco¦le doctours are (as Rochester is in his ser∣mon agenst Marten Luther) which of th∣is texte of Mathew dispute that Peter be∣cause he payd tribute / is gretter then the o∣ther Apostles / and hath moare auctorite and power then they / and was heed vnto them all / contrary vnto so many cleare tex∣tes / where Christe rebuketh them sayenge: that is an hethenesh thinge that one shuld clyme above a nother or desyre to be greater To be greate in the kyngdome of heven is to be a servaunte / and he that most humbleth him selfe and becometh a servaunt vnto other (after the ensample of Christe I meane and his Apostles and not of the Pope and his Apostles oure Cardinales and Bissho¦pes) the same is greatest in that kyngdome.

Yf Peter in payenge tribute became grea∣test / how cometh it / that they will paye no∣ne at all? But to paie tribute is a signe of sub¦iection veryly / and the cause why Christ pa∣yed was because he had an howsholde / and for the same cause payed Peter also. For he had an house / a shippe and nettes / as thou readest in the Gospel. But let vs goo to Paul agayne.

Wherfore ye must neades obeye / not for feare of vengeaunce only: but also because of consciēce.

That is though thou be so mi∣ghty (as now many yeres oure Pope ād pre¦lates every where are) that thou neadest not to obeye the temperall swerde for feare of vē¦geaūce: yet must thou obeye because of con¦science. First because of thine * 1.55 awne con∣science. For though thou be able to resiste / yet shalt thou never have a good conscien∣ce / as longe as Gods worde / lawe and or∣dinaunce are agenste the.* 1.56 Secondarily for thy neibours conscience. For though thorow crafte and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or pri••elege to be fre from all maner duites / yet oughtest thou ne¦ther to sue or seke for any soch thinge / ne∣ther yet admit or accepte / if it were profered * 1.57 lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge and rebelle / in that he seeth the goo emp••••e and he him selfe moare lade / thy parte also layde on his shulders. Seist thou

not if a man favoure one sonne moare then a nother / or one servaunte moare then a no∣ther / how all the rest grudge / and how love / peace and vnyte is broken? What christenly love is in the to thy neyboure warde / * 1.58 when thou cāst fynde in thyne herte to goo vp and doune emptie by him all daye longe and se hī over charged / yee to faull vnder hys bur∣then / and yet wilt not once set to thine han¦de to helpe him? What good conscience can there be amonge oure spiritualte to gather so greate treasure to gether and with ypocresie of their false lerninge to robbe almost every man of house and landes / and yet not ther with contente but with all craft and wile∣nes to purchease so greate lyberties and ex¦empcions from all maner bearinge with their bretherne / sekinge in Christe no thinge but lucre? I passe over with sylēce how they teach princes in every lande to lade new ex¦accions and tyrānye on their subiectes mo¦are and moare dayly nether for what * 1.59 pur¦pose they do it saye I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iuggelinge and bringe their falshed to light and leye a medecine to them / to make their scabbes breake out. Never the lesse this I saye / y^t they have rob¦bed all realmes / not of Gods worde only: but also of all wealth and prosperite / and have driven peace out of all londes & with¦draune them selves from all obedience to

princes and have separated them selves fr∣om the laye men / countinge them viler then dogges / & have set vp that greate ydole the whore of Babilō Antychrist of Rome wh∣om they call Pope and have conspired ag∣enst all commune wealthes and have ma∣de them a severall kyngedome / wherein it is lawfull vnpuneshed to worke all abho∣minacion. In every paresh have they spies and in every greate mans house and in every taverne and Alehouse. And thorow * 1.60 con∣fessions know they all secretes / so that no man maye open his mouth to rebuke what so ever they doo / but that he shalbe shortly made an herytike.* 1.61 In all councels is one of them / yee the most parte and chefe rulars of the councels are of them: But of there co¦uncell is no man.

Even for this cause paye ye tribute' that is to wete / for consciences sake / to thy neyboure / and for the cause that folo∣weth.

For they are Gods ministers servin¦ge for the same purpose. Because God will so have it / we must obeye.

We do not loke (if we have Christes spirite in vs) what is good profitable / glorious & honourable for vs / ne¦ther on oure awne will / but on Gods will only.

Geve to everi mā therfore his dutie: tri¦bute to whom tribute belongeth: custome to whō custome is due: feare to whō feare belō¦geth: honoure to whō honoure perteyneth.

That thou mightest feale the workinge of the spirite of God in the and lest the bewtie of the deade shuld deceave the and make the thinke that the lawe of God which is spiri∣tuall were content and fulfilled with the outwarde and bodyly deade it foloweth.

Owe no thinge to any man: but to love one an other.* 1.62 For he that loveth a nother fulfil∣leth the lawe. For thes cōmaūdmētes: thou shalt not cōmitte advlterye / thou shalt not kyll / thou shalt not stele / thou shalt not bea¦re false witnese / thou shalt not desyre / and so forth if ther be any other cōmaundemēte are all comprehended or contayned in this sayenge:* 1.63 love thy neyboure: therfore is love the fulfillinge of the lawe.

Here hast thou sufficiēt agenst all the sophistres werke ho∣ly & iustifiars in the worlde / which so mag∣nifie their dedes. The lawe is spirituall ād requireth the herte / ād is never fulfilled wi∣th y^e deade in the sight of God. With y^e de∣ade * 1.64 thou fulfillest the lawe before the wo∣rlde and lyvest thereby / that is / thou enio∣yest this present lyfe ād avoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the deeth and puneshment which the lawe thretneth to them that bre∣ake it. But before God thou kepest the lawe yf thou love ōly. Now what shal make vs lo¦ve?* 1.65 Verely that shall fayth doo. Yf thou be∣holde how moch God loveth them Christe and from what vengeaunce he hath delyver¦de

the for his fake and of what kingdome he hath made the heyre / then shalt thou se cau¦se ynough to love thy very enemie without respecte of rewarde / ether in this life or in the life to come / but because that God will so have it and Christe hath deserved it: Yee thou shuldest feale in thine herte that all thy deades to come / are abundantly recompen∣sed allready in Christe.

Thou wilt saye haply / if love fulfill the la∣we / thē it Iustifieth. I saye that that where with a man fulfilleth the lawe / declareth hym iustified but that which geveth hī whe¦re with to fulfill the lawe / iustifieth hym. By iustifienge vnderstonde the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the favoure of God.* 1.66 Now sa∣yeth the texte Roma. x. the ende of the lawe or the cause wherfore the lawe was made is Christe to iustifie all that beleve. That is / the lawe is gevē to vtter sinne / to kill y^e cōscien∣ces / to dāne oure deades / to bringe to repē∣taūce & to dryve vnto Christe:* 1.67 in whom god hath promised his favoure and forgevenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and cōsente to the law y^t it is good.* 1.68 Yf thou beleve the pro∣mises thē doth Gods truth iustifie the / y^t is forgeueth the ād receaveth the to favoure for Christes sake. In a suertie wher of and to certifie thine herte / he sealeth the with the sprite. Ephe. j. and .iiij. And .ij. Corinth. v. saith Paul. Which gave vs hys sprite in

ernest. How the sprite is geven vs thorow Christe / reade the eght chapter of the pistle to the Romayns and Gala. iij. and .ij. Co∣rinth. iij. Neverthelesse the sprite * 1.69 and his frutes where with the herte is purified / as fayth / hope / love / pacience / longe soferinge and obedience / coude never be sene without outwarde experience. For yf thou were not brought sometime in to combraūce / whēce God only coulde delyver the / thou shuldest never se thy fayth yee excepte thou foughtest sometyme agēst desperaciō / hell / deeth sin¦ne and powers of this worlde for thy fay∣thes sake thou shuldest never know true fa∣yth frō a dreame. Excepte thy brother now and then offended the / thou coudest not kno¦we whether thy love were Godly. For a tur∣ke is not angre / tyll he be hurte & offended but if thou love hī that doeth the evyll / thē is thy love of God / lyke wise if thy rulers were all waye kinde / thou shuldest not kno∣we whether thyne obedience were pure or no but and if thou canst paciently obeye evill rulers in all thinge that is not to y^e disho∣noure of God ād whē thou hurtest not thy neybours / thē arte thou sure / that Gods spi¦rite worketh in the and that thy fayth is no dreame nor any fals imaginacion.

Therfore counceleth Paul Roma. xij. recompense to no man evyll: And on you∣re parte have peace with all men. Derely

beloved avenge not youre selves: but geve rowme vnto y^e wrath of God. For it is writ∣ten vengeaunce is mine and I will rewar∣de / saith the lorde.* 1.70 Therfore yf thy enimie hongre feade him: Yf he thurst / geve hym drinke. For in so doynge thou shalt heape coles of fyre on his heed (that is thou shalt kendle love in him) Be not overcome of evill (that is let not a nother mans wekednesse make the weked also). But overcome evyll with good / that is / with softenesse kyndne∣sse and all pacience winne him: evē as God with kyndnesse wonne the.

THe lawe was geven in thunder lygh∣teninge / fyre / smoke and the voyce of a trumpet ād terreble sighte. Exodi. xx.* 1.71 So that the people quoke for feare and stode a ferre of sayenge to Moyses. Speake thou to vs ād we will heare: let not the lorde spe∣ake vnto vs / lest we dye. No eare (yf it be a waked and vnderstondeth the meanynge) is able to abide the voice of the lawe: ex∣cepte the promises of mercy be by. That thunder excepte the rayne of mercy be io∣yned with it / destroyeth all ād byldeth not The lawe is a witnesse agenste vs ād testifi∣eth that God abhorreth the sinnes / that is in vs and vs for oure synnes sake.* 1.72

In lyke maner when God gave y^e people of Israell a kynge it thundred and rayned

that the people feared so sore y^t they cryed to Samuel for to praye for them / that they shuld not dye .j. Regum .xij. As the lawe is a terreble thinge: even so is the kynge. For he is ordened to take vengeaunce and hath a swerde in his hande ād not pecockes fee∣ders. Feare him therfore ād loke on him as thou woldest loke on a sharpe swerde that hanged over thy heed by an herre.* 1.73

Heedes and governers are ordened off God and are even the gyft of God / whether thei be good or bad. And what so ever is do¦ne vnto vs by thē / that doeth God / be it go∣od or bad. Yf they be evill * 1.74 whi are y^e evill? verely for oure wekednesse sake are the evyll. Because that when they were good we wol¦de not receave that goodnesse of the hande of God and be thankefull / submittinge oure selves vnto his lawes ād ordinaunces / but abvsed the goodnesse of God vnto oure sen¦suall ād beestly lustes. Therfore doeth God make hys scorge of them and turne them vn¦to wilde beestes cōtrary to y^e nature of their names and offices / even in to lyons / bea∣res / foxes and vncleyne swyne / to avēge hī selfe of oure vnnaturall & blinde vnkindnes and of oure rebellious disobedience.

In the .Cvj. psalme thou readest / he de∣stroyed the ryvers ād dried vp the springes of water and turned the frutefull lāde in to barenesse / for the wekednesse of the inhabi∣ters

therein. Whē y^e childer of Israell had forgoten God in Egipte / God moved the hertes of the Egipciēs to hate thē & to sub∣due thē with craft & wilynes. Psalme. Ciiij. and deuteronomion .iij. Moyses reherseth sayenge: God was angre with me for youre sakes: so y^t the wrath of God fell on Moy∣ses for the wekednesse of the people. And in the seconde Chapter of the seconde boke off kynges God was angry with the people ād moved David to numbre them when Ioab and the other lordes wondred why he wol∣de have thē nūbred and because they feared lest some evyll shulde folowe / disuaded the kinge: yet it holpe▪ not. God so hardened his herte in his purpose / to have an occa∣sion to sley the weked people.* 1.75

Evyll rulers thē are a signe y^t God is an¦gry & wroth with vs. Ys it not a greate wr∣ath & vēgeaūce y^t the father & mother shulde hate there childerne / evē their flesh ād their bloud? or y^t an husbāde shulde be vnkīde vn¦to his wife or a master vnto y^e servaunte y^t wayteth on h••s profite / or y^t lordes & kīges shulde be tiraūtes vnto their subiectes & te¦naūtes which paye thē tribute / tolle / custo¦me & rēte / laborīge & toylīge to fynde thē in honoure & to maītene thē in their estate? ys not this a fearfull iudgemēte of God ād a cruell wrath y^t the very prelates and sheper∣des of oure soules which were wōte to fede

Christes flocke with Christes doctrine and to walke before them in lyvinge there after / and to geve their lyves for them / to their ensample and edifienge / and to strength the¦ir weake faythes / are now so sore chaūged that if they smell that one of their flocke (as they now call them and no lenger Ch∣ristes) do but once longe or desyre for the true knowleage of Christe / they will sley hī / burninge hī with fyre most cruelly? * 1.76 Wh∣at is the cause of this / and that they also teach false doctrine confirminge it with ly¦es? veryly it is the hande of God to aven∣ge the wekednes of them that have no lo∣ve ner lust vnto the trueth of God / when it is preached: but reioyse in vnryghteousnes. As thou maist se in the seconde pistle of Paul to the Tessolonians. Where he spea∣keth of y^e commynge of Antychriste. Who¦se comynge shalbe (saith he) by the workyn¦ge of Satan with all miracles signes and wonders which are but lyes / and in all de¦ceavable vnreghteousnes amonge thē that perish / because they receaved not any love to the trueth to have bē saved. * 1.77 Therfore shall God sende them stronge delusion / to bele∣ve lyes. Marke how God to avenge his trouth / sendeth to the vnthāckfull false doc¦trine & false miracles to cōfirme thē and to hardē y^e hertes in y^e false waye / y^t afterwar∣de it shall not be possible for thē to admitte

the trouth. As thou seist in Exodi. vij. and viij. how God sofered false myracles to be shewed in the sight of Pharao to hardē his herte / that he shulde not beleve the trou••h / form as moch as his sorcerars turned the∣ir roddes in to serpentes and turned water in to bloude and made frogges by their in∣chauntmēt / so thought he that Moyses did all his myracles by the same craft and not by the power of God / And abode therfore in vnbelefe and pereshed in resistinge God·

Lett vs receave all thinges of God whe∣ther it be good or badde:* 1.78 lett vs humble ou∣re selves vnder his myghtie hande and sub¦mitte oure selves vnto his nurtoure and cha∣stisinge & not withdrawe oure selves frō his correcciō (reade Hebr. xij. For thy consorte) and lat vs not take the stafe by the ende or ••eke to avēge oure selves on his rodde wh∣ich is the evill rulers.* 1.79 The childe as lōge as he seketh to avēge hī selfe apō y^e rodde hath ā evill herte. For he thīketh not y^t the correcciō is righte or y^t he hath deserved it / nether re∣penteth / but reioyseth in his wekednes. And so longe shall he never be without a rodde: ye so longe shall the rodde be made sher∣per and sharper. Yf he knowleage his faute and take the correccion mekely and evē kysse the rodde and amende him selfe with the lerninge and nurtoure of his father ād mo∣ther thē is the rodde take awaye ād brunte

So if we resiste evill rulers sekinge to sett oure selves at libertie / we shall no doute brī¦ge oure selves in to moare cruell bondage and wrappe oure selves in moch moare mi¦sery and wrechednes. For if y^e heddes over∣come / thē laye they moare weyghte on the∣ir backes ād make their yoeke sorer & tye thē shorter. If they over come their evyll rulers thē make they waye for a moare cruell naciō or for some tyraūte of their awne naciō wh∣ich hath no righte vnto the croune. If we sub¦mitte oure selves vnto y^e chastysinge of god & mekely knowleage oure sinnes for which we are scorged / and kysse the rodde / ād amē¦de oure livinge: thē will God take the rod∣de awaye / that is / he will geve the rulers a bettter herte. Or yf they cōtinue their malice ād persecute you for well doinge ād because ye put youre trust in God / thē will God de∣lyver you out of their tyranny for his trou∣thes sake. It is the same god now that was in the olde tyme and delyvered the fathers ād the prophetes / the apostles ād other holy sayntes.* 1.80 And what so ever he sware to thē he hath sworne to vs. And as he delyvered them out of all temptaciō cōbraunce and ad¦versite / because they cōsented ād submitted them selves vnto his will and trusted in his goodnes and trueth: evē so will he do vs if we do lyke wise.

Whē so ever the childern of Israel fell frō

y^e waye which God cōmaūded thē to walke in he gave them vp vnder one tyraunte or a nother. As sone as they came to the know∣leage of them selves and repented cryenge for mercy ād leninge vnto the trouth of his promyses he sende one to delyver them / as the histories of the byble make mencion.

A Christen mā in respecte of God is but a passive thinge / a thinge that sofereth ōly ād doeth nought / as the sycke in respecte of the surgen or phisiciō doth but suffer only.* 1.81 The surgē launceth and cutteth out the deed flesh shercheth the woundes / thrusteth in tentes / sereth / burneth / soweth or sticheth and le∣yeth to corsies to drawe out the corrupcion / and last of all leyeth to helinge playsters and maketh whole. The phisicion lyke wise geveth ••urgacions ād drinkes to dryve out the disease and then with restauratives brī¦geth helth.* 1.82 Now if the sicke resiste the raser the sherchinge yeron ād so forth / doeth he not resiste his awne helth ād is cause of his awne deeth. So lyke wise is it of vs / yf we resiste evill rulers which are the * 1.83 rodde ād scorge where with God chastiseth vs / the instrumētes where with God shercheth ou¦re woūdes and bitter drinckes to dryve out the sinne and to make it appere / and corsies to drawe out by the rotes y^e core of the poxe of the soule that freteth inwarde.* 1.84 A Christen man therfore receaveth all thinge of y^e hā∣de

of God both good and bad / both swete and sowre / both welth and wo. Yf any per∣son do me good / whether it be father mo∣ther ād so forth / that receave I of God ād to God geve thankes. For he gave where with / & gave a cōmaundemente / ād moved his herte so to doo. Adversite also receave I of the honde of God as an wholsome me¦dicine / though it be some what bitter. Tēp∣tacion * 1.85 and adversite doo both kyll sinne and also vtter it. For though a christen man knowith every thinge how to lyve: yet is the flesh so weake / that he can never take vp his crosse him selfe to kyll ād mortifie the flesh. He must have a nother to ley it on his bac∣ke. In many also sinne lyeth hidde within and festerth and rotteth inwarde and is not sene: so that they thinke how they are good and perfecte and kepe the 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ As the yo∣unge man. Mathe. xix. said he had obser∣ved all of a chylde and yet lyed falsly in his herte / as y^e texte folowinge well declareth. When all is at peace and no man trobleth vs / we thinke that we are paciente and love oure neybours as oure selves: but let oure neyboure hurte vs in worde or deade ād thē finde we it other wise. Then fume we ād ra∣ge and sett vp the bristels and bend oure sel¦ves to take vengeaunce. Yf we loved with godly love for Christes kyndnes sake / we shulde desire no vengeaunce / but pitie him

and desyre God to forgeve and amend him knowinge well that no flesh can doo other wise then sinne / excepte that God preserve him. Thou wilt saye what good doeth soch persecuciō and tyrāny vnto the righteous? Fyrst it maketh them feale the workinge of Gods sprite in them and that their fayth is vnfayned.* 1.86 Secōdaryly I saye that no man is so greate a synner / yf he repent and bele∣ve / but that he is righteous in Christe and in the promises: yet yf thou loke on the flesh and vnto the lawe there is no man so per∣fect that is not founde a synner. Ner any man so pure / that hath not some what to be yet purged. This shall suffice at this tyme as cocernynge obedience.

BE cause that God excludeth no degre from his mercye. But who soever re∣penteth and beleveth his promises (of what soever degre he be of) the same shalbe partaker of his grace: therfore as I have described the obedience of them that are vn¦der power & rule / even so will •• I with gods helpe (as my dutie is) decla∣re how the rulers which God shall vouchsafe to call vn∣to the knowleage of the trouth ou∣ght to ru∣le.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iudges are called Gods.
• * 1.2

  Blessynge
• * 1.3

  Curse
• * 1.4

  God rewar∣deth all obedi¦ence: though noman else doo.
• * 1.5

  God avēgeth all disobediē¦ce though no man else doo.
• * 1.6

  Uengeaunce is Gods
• * 1.7

  David
• * 1.8

  God destroy∣eth one we∣ked by a no∣ther.
• * 1.9

  God provi∣deth a mea∣nes to take the evell out of the waeye whē they ha∣ve fulfilled th¦ere wekednes
• * 1.10

  Why David slewe not Sa¦ul.
• * 1.11

  The kinge is in the rowme of god in this world.
• * 1.12

  The kinge must be reser¦ved vnto the vengeaunce of God.
• * 1.13

  It is not la∣wfull for•• christen sub∣iecte to resiste his prince th∣ough he be an hethen man.
• * 1.14

  The kinge hath no po∣wer but to his dānacion to prev••lea∣ge the spiri¦tualty to syn¦ne vnpunys∣hed
• * 1.15

  A kynge is a greate bene∣fite though he be never so evell.
• * 1.16

  Prīces are ordyned to punish evell doers.
• * 1.17

  The dānaciō of princes.
• * 1.18

  Sentuaries.
• * 1.19

  Neckevers.
• * 1.20

  Thre natu∣res.
• * 1.21

  Heven co∣meth by chri¦ste
• * 1.22

  A christē mā seketh no mo¦are but gods will
• * 1.23

  Lustes
• * 1.24

  Frewill.
• * 1.25

  Worldly wit¦te.
• * 1.26

  The will is bond and led.
• * 1.27

  Fredome.
• * 1.28

  All is synne that sprēgeth not of the spi¦rite of god ād all that is not done in the li¦ghte of gods worde.
• * 1.29

  Soo doo our spiritual¦te in all there workes.
• * 1.30

  True mira∣cles are wro∣ught to cofir∣me the prea∣chinge ād not the Godheed of the prea∣cher:
• * 1.31

  Oure ypocri∣tes are blinde
• * 1.32

  The religi∣ous loke apon the out syde only.
• * 1.33

  The spiritu∣all man.
• * 1.34

  The natural man.
• * 1.35

  Feare is the last remedy.
• * 1.36

  Kinges defe∣nde the false auctorite of the pope the∣re office pu∣nishīge of sin¦ne layde ap∣arte.

  Bisshoppes ministre the kynges dutie there awne leyd aparte: ye they perse¦cute there aw¦ne office.
• * 1.37

  Kynges doo but wayet on the popes ple¦asure.
• * 1.38

  The iugulīg of the pope.
• * 1.39

  Bisshopes of almany
• * 1.40

  Mylane
• * 1.41

  Bisshopes of fraunce
• * 1.42

  A cappe of mayntenaun¦ce.
• * 1.43

  Most christē kinge.
• * 1.44

  Defender of the popis fai∣th·
• * 1.45

  The eldest sonne of the holy seate Blasynge of armes
• * 1.46

  The english bisshopes:
• * 1.47

  The falshed of the bissho∣pes
• * 1.48

  O a cruell ād an abhomina¦ble ensample of tirāny Iud¦ge them by there deades saith christe.
• * 1.49

  The whore of babylon.
• * 1.50

  Confession.
• * 1.51

  Not pe∣ter only but crist also was vnder the tē∣perall swer∣de.
• * 1.52

  The kynges sinne in gevī¦ge exēpcions and the prela¦tes in receavī¦ge them.
• * 1.53

  Whē the spiri¦tualte payeth tribute
• * 1.54

  Shamelesse iugulars.
• * 1.55

  They make no cōsciēce at any evell doī¦ge.
• * 1.56

  They care for there ney¦bours as the wolfe doeth for the shepe.
• * 1.57

  The evell en¦sample of the spiritualte ca¦useth the laye to beleve that they are not bound to obe¦ye.
• * 1.58

  There is no christen love in t••em.
• * 1.59

  What purpo∣se? even to fla¦ter the prīces that they ma¦ye abyse the∣re auctoryte to slee who so ever beleve∣th in Christe and to mayn¦tene the Po∣pe.
• * 1.60

  Confession.
• * 1.61

  Prelates know all mēs secretes ād no man theirs.
• * 1.62

  Love fulfil∣leth the law before god ād not the out¦warde dede.
• * 1.63

  Agenst wor¦kemen.
• * 1.64

  The dede ful¦filleth the la∣•••• before the worlde.
• * 1.65

  Faith make∣th a mā love.
• * 1.66

  Iustifiynge.
• * 1.67

  The office or dutie of the law.
• * 1.68

  The belevī∣ge of Gods promises iusti¦fieth.
• * 1.69

  The spirite ād the īward vertues are knowē by the outward dede
• * 1.70

  Overcome thyne enimy with well do∣ynge.
• * 1.71

  The law▪
• * 1.72

  The kynge:
• * 1.73

  Rulars are Gods gyfte.
• * 1.74

  Why the ru∣lers are evell
• * 1.75

  Evell rulers are a signe that God is āgre with vs
• * 1.76

  Why the pre∣lates are so weked.
• * 1.77

  The cause of false mira∣cles is: that we have no lust vnto the truth••.
• * 1.78

  The righte waye to come of bondage.
• * 1.79

  ☜
• * 1.80

  God is al wa¦ye one all wa¦ye true a wa¦ys mercifull and excludeth noman from his promises.
• * 1.81

  A christē mā doeth but so∣fre only.
• * 1.82

  ☜
• * 1.83

  Euell rula••s are wholeso••medicines
• * 1.84

  A christen mā receavith
• * 1.85

  How profita¦ble adversite is.
• * 1.86

  The greatest synner is righ¦teous in ••••se and the pro∣mises. And the perfectest and holyest is a synner ī the lawe and the flesh.