The summe of the holye scripture and ordinarye of the Christen teachyng, the true Christen faithe, by the whiche we be all iustified. And of the vertue of baptesme, after the teaching of the Gospell and of the Apostles, with an informacyon howe all estates shulde lyve accordynge to the Gospell.

¶Of two maner Regimentes / or governaunces / goostly and seculer or worl∣dly. Chaptre .xxvi. (Book 26)

FIrst we must diligently serche out the right and seculer power / swerde / and governement to thi∣tent that none doubt whether it be of the ordinaunce of God or not. The wordes wherby we knowe that the secu¦•••• power is īstitute of god be these of saint ••••aule vnto the Romayns where he saie∣th:* 1.1 Every soule shall be subiect vnto the highe powers / for there is no power but of god. Then he that resisteth the power / resisteth the ordinaunce of God. More••∣ver saint Peter saieth.* 1.2 Be ye subiectes to euery humayne creature / be it vnto the kin¦ge as vnto the sovereyne / be it vnto the

hede rulers / as by him sent for vēgeaunce vnto the offēders but for preyse to theym that be good. Moreover the right of the se¦culer power & of the ciuile iustice hath bin frō the begīnīg of the world. for whē Ca∣in had slayne his brother Abell / he feared moche that he shuld be kild ageyn. Like∣wise after the floude god cōfirmed it agein* 1.3 saying whosoever shede mānes bloud his bloude shalbe shed agein. The same ryght was cōfermed agein in the lawe of Moses where he sayde in Exode:* 1.4 whosoever stri¦ke a man willing to kill hīshall dye of deth And ageyn if any with dede advised iying in a wayte kill his neighboure thou shalt drawe him out of my house / and that he dye. And in the same lawe it was cōmaū∣ded to take awaye life for life / yie for yie / to the for to the / hand for hand waūde for wounde / & so of other. Likewise hath our savioure Christ in the gospell confirmed* 1.5 it saying to saint Petre in the gardeyn of Olivete: He that streketh with the swerd with the swerde shall perisshe. Then is it all certeyn & manifest that it is the will of god that there shulde be a swerd & iustice tēporall for the punycion of the evill & cō∣••••vaciō

of the good & for thēterteynīg of the publique peace christen & comune bro∣therly love. ¶Secūdly it semeth to be mo¦che cōtrary herūto / that whiche Christ sa∣ieth in the gospell in this maner: Ye haue herde whate hath byn sayed:* 1.6 In yie for an¦yie a toth for a toth: but I sey vnto you / ye shall not resist evill. But whosoever strike the on the right cheke tou••••e to him the other. And to him that will go to lawe with the by force & take awey thy core / gy¦ve to him also thy gowne: And he that will constreyne the to go a myle with him go with him twayne. And a litell after: Love your enemyes say well of thē that ••urse you do good to theym that persecu∣••e you with hatred / praye for theym that hurt you & persecute you. And over & be∣sides this there are yet many places in the holy scripture for be doing all maner of vē∣geaunce. As in saint Paule vnto the Ro∣mayns.* 1.7 Saint Petre in his first epistle / and in many other places. Wherfore it se∣••••eth that the swerd of iustice shuld be for bodē in the new testamēt emōg the christē.

Then thirdly for to vnderstond thys well we must fyrst knowe that the∣re

are: ••wo sortes of people in the worlde. The first belong vnto the kingdome of god. The other to the kingdome of the worlde. They that belong vnto the king∣dome of God be all true faythfull people in Iesus Christ and vnder him.

For Christ is king and lord in the king∣dome of God / As techeth vs the secunde Psalme / and also all the olde and newe te¦stamēt. He came also in to the worlde to be¦gyn and to lest vp the kingdome of god in the worlde. Therfore saide he to Pylate: My kingdome is not of this worlde.

And whosoever is of the trouth hereth my voice.* 1.8 And in saint Marke sayeth he that the tyme is fulfilled and the kingdo∣me of God shall approche.* 1.9 And in Saynt Mathewe sayeth he.* 1.10 Seche first the king∣dome of God. He calleth the Gospell a gos¦pell of the kingdome of god / bycause the Gospell teacheth / governeth and kepeth / the same kingdome. Then they that are stedfast in the faithe & in the love of god yf they obey vnto his cōmaūdemētes have nought to do with the swerd of iustice nor of the seculer power to make theym righ∣tuous. And yf all the worlde

were true and verey Christen (that is to sey) veri feithfull there nede no governou¦re king lord sworde nor iustice. For wher¦to shulde they sarve seyng that all true christē shulde haue the holy goost whiche governeth and teacheth theym to do no wronge / to love all the world / to suffre / and endure the evell and iniurye of all the worlde willingly and ioyfully / ye also the deth. And where as all persones are con∣tent willingly to suffre wrong and iniu∣rye. And where as there is none that doth wronge nor iniurye / but where as all per¦sones do ryght / there is no dyscord hatred envie nor other discencion. And there ne∣deth no ryght nor punycyon.

Wherfore it were īpossible that the swerd of iustice shuld haue ought to do emong the verey true christen / seyng they do mo∣che more of theym silves then eny man cā¦commaunde theym or then eny lawe or worldly doctrine can teche theym. As sayth saīt Paule vnto Timoth. vnto the ryghtuous there is no lawe sette / but vn∣to the vnryghtuous.* 1.11 And this is thus bi∣cause that the iugement and ryght of a ve∣rey true christen fordereth and avaunceth

more then all other ryghtes ād lawes: for it procedeth from the holy goost whiche possesseth and inhabiteth the hart of a ve∣rey christen. But the vnryghtuous do ryght to no man / therfore they haue nede of ryght and of lawes wherby they be tau¦ght and constreyned to do well. A good tree nedeth not that one teche hym to bry∣ng forth good frute for his nature gyveth it without ony reching. Likewise are all the verey true christen natured by the ho∣ly goost and saith that they do all thinges well and as it aperteyneth more then eny man can commaunde theym by all the cō∣maundementes in the worlde. And for theym silves haue they no nede nether of lawe nether of ryght.

But some man myght axe whye then hath god gyvē vnto men so many comma¦undementes / yn the olde and newe testa∣ment? I answerethe. Saint Paule seith as it is sayde byfore vnto the ryghtuous there is set no lawe: but to the vnright∣uous that is to sey to theym that are not yet true christē. And forbicause that none is true and verey christē or good of natu∣re / but be all synnars and evill: As wit¦nesseth

the prophete sayng: God hath lo∣ked from heven vppon the children of mē that he mought se if there be eny vnder∣stonding* 1.12 or seching god. All are fallen and are become abhominable there is none that doeth good no not one. Therfore god re∣freyneth the malice of the people by the la¦we that they dare not accomplisshe hit out¦wardly by worke and dede according to theyre evill will.

Mereover saint Paule gyveth vnto the lawe an other office / that is that it let¦neth vs to knowe oure synnes / by the whiche knowelege a man is made meke / and yeldeth hym silf to the faith / and vnto the mercy and grace of god as is bi∣fore seyde.

Fourthly all they that be not yet christen belong vnto the kingdome of the worlde and be vnder the lawe. In this nombre are all the evill christen whiche seke nou∣ght elles but all worldly pleasure and are called christen but they are not so.

Seyng then that there be so fewe good Christen and so many evill people god hath gyven vnto the same evill out of the Christen astate and out of his kingdome

an other regyment and governaunce / and hath put theym vnder the swerde that is to sey vnder the seculer power and cyvill ryght to thintent that they may not accō∣plisshe theyre malice when they wolde As a myschevous wylde best is tyed with chaynes and bondes that he may nether bite nor stryke after his nature albeit that he wolde saine accōplisshe hys evel nature whiche is not nedefull vnto a gentill tame best / for without the cheynes and without bondes he doth noue evill to no man.

If it were not thus (bicause that there be many m•• evill persones yn the worlde thē good / ād that the good do not resist evill) the one wolde devoure and put the other to destruction / yn suche facyon that none shulde be abill to kepe nether wife nor chil¦dren nether yet be abill to maynteyn hym silf. And by suche meane shulde the worl∣de yn contynuaunce become wast ād with out inhabitauntes. For this cause hath god ordyned these .ij. governemētes. The spirituall the whiche maketh christen and good persones by the holy gost vnder the king of that kingdome Iesus christ. And the seculer gouernaunce the whiche ••••o∣streyneth

the evell parsones to kepe out∣ward peace and to be tame ageynst theyre will.* 1.13 Thus teacheth vs saint Paule / to vnderstond the swerd and seculer instice saying the prynces / are not to be feared to theym that be good but vnto theym that be evill.

Nowe if eny man wold governe the world (that is to sey the evill) only after the gospell and cause to cease all worldly lawe and iustice saying that they are bap∣tised and christen to whome the swerde of iustice nedeth not. Unto theym may be answered. Hit is of a truth that the true christen haue no nede of ryght nor of the swerde for theyre iustifying. But do your dyligence to fulfill the worlde with true christen bifore that you governe theym christenly ād after the gospell whiche shal be verey hard for you to do. For the worl¦de is all gyven to synne and starcely can they abide good christen. They are not all christen that are baptised and called chri∣sten. Therfore it is not possible vnto the worlde to observe and kepe a comon chri∣sten governaunce / namely also yn the iud¦des of a grete comonte / for the evill are al∣weys

more yn nombre then the good feith¦full. For this cause to governe a cuntrey after the gospell without the swerde of iu¦stice is as though a man wolde put togy∣ther yn a stable / heries wolves lyons she¦pe and other lyke / and to suffre all these bestes to be conversaunt togyther the one with the other / howe long I pray you shuld they haue peace to gyther the one with the other? Ye howe long shuld the poore shepe lyve / we therfore must nedes haue here bothe these governementes.

The spirituall or eva••gelye all bicause it iustifieth ād bryngeth helth. The other bicause it entreteyneth and holdeth peace The one is not sufficient in the worlde without the other. For without the spiri¦tuall governement of Iesus christ can no¦ne be saved nor iustified bifore god by the worldly regyment. So may ye perceyve that the rule or governemēt of christ hath not lordship over all persones. For the true christē be alweys lesse yn nombre ād be yn the middes among the not christen / as a rose emong the thornes. Then where as the worldly governaunce reyneth e∣very where alone / there can be none other

thīg but ypocrysye. For without having the holy goost yn the hert can none be ma¦de ryghtuous nor saved. Lykewyse whe¦re the spirituall governaunce reyneth eve¦ry where alone / there is perversite vnbry¦deled ād vnbound redy for to accōplisshe all malice for the worlde cā not vnderstōd the spirituall governaunce bicause that it fyghteth onely by the swerde of the spry∣te / whiche is the worde of god. And vseth none other swerde. Nowe seest thou well whate the wordes of onre savioure christ meane (whiche we haue recyted bifore) w¦here he sayeth that the christē shall drawe nomā yn to iustice / and that they shall not resist evill. He speketh that onely of hys dere christē / the whiche alone take it ynto theyre hartes ād also do it alone for so are thy enolyned ād disposed by vertue of the holy gost workīg yn theyre hartes that they do harme to nomā but suffer willīglī evell & wrong of every mā. Then if all the worlde were suche christē all persones wolde kepe egally this peassible cōma••n demētes / & all thing wold they do accor∣dīg therūto. But nowe because thy be not christen the word of god entreth not ynto

theyre hertes / nor they do not according ther vnto and therfore they apperteyne vnto the other seculer governaunce wher by the not christen be constreyned to kepe peace outwardly / and to do none evill.

For this cause hath not Iesus christ ••or¦ne the swerde nor ordined it yn hys spiri∣tuall kingdome / for he is king over all the true christen / ad governeth without swer¦de and without ony outward lawe onely by the holy goost working inwardly yn the hert of man. And albeit that god hath orde••ned the seculer swerde for the corre∣ction of the evill / yet he hath not vsed it / for i•• belongeth not vnto hys kingdome / yn the whiche kingdome there are none but suche as be good ād iust. And for this cause mought not david bilde the tempel of god bicause he had shed moche blode ād vsed the swerde / not that he had done e∣vill or vnryghtuousnesse / but bicause he myght not yn this thing be a figure of* 1.14 Christ whiche shuld haue a kingdome pea¦sible and without swerde. But god com∣maunded to solomon whiche had a peasi∣ble kingdome to bilde the temple / for Sa∣lomon is as moche to saye as peasible by

the whiche kingdome of the verey Salo∣mon Iesu christ mought be figured and signified Moreover yn all the edificatiō of the temple of god was never herd stro∣ke of Iron / nor of hamer / nor of Axe / nor* 1.15 of none other lyke thing as it is writen yn the therd boke of kinges yn the .vi. chap∣tre. All these thinges here sigrufied that Iesus Christ shulde haue yn his kingdo∣me a people willing to serve hym without constreynt without commaundementes without swerde.* 1.16 This was also bifore prophesied by Esaie saying: They shall not hurt and shall not sle yn all my holy mountaigne. As••o yn his secunde chapitre They shall tourne theyre swordes ynto cultres and theyre speres ynto sythes.

The one shall not lyst vp a swerde ageīst the other and they shalbe no more exercy∣sed yn thē warre. These wordes here and other lyke be not sayed of al persones that bere the name of Iesus christ but oneli of theym that bere bothe the name and the spryte of christ / that is to sey of all true chri¦stē the whiche willingly do ryght the one to the other.

Nowe myght one demaunde: Seyng

that the true christen haue no nede of the s••rde nor of the seculer ryght for theyre owne ryghtuousnesse / then why teacheth saynt Paule that every ••dule shalbe sub∣iect vnto the hyghe powers:* 1.17 And lyke∣wyse saint Peter that the christen shall be* 1.18 subiectes vnto enery humayne creature I answere the that I haue taught bifore that the christē amōg theym 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & they emong the other haue nought to do with the swerde nor with the lawe for that is to theym nether nedefull nor profitable. Alweys for bicause that the true christēly veth not vppon the erth for hys owne proufit but for the profit of hys neygh∣bour. He doth by the nature of the holy goost that wherof hys neybour hath nede And bicause that the swerde ys a thing verey necessary for all the worlde / for to kepe peace and concorde / for to punysshe the offenders and to refrayne theyre mali¦ce. Therfore the verey christen yeldeth hym silf willingly vnder the governaun∣ce of the swerde & tēporall iustice / he pay∣eth tailles he honoureth the puyssaūce and worldly hyghnesse / he serveth he helpeth he doth all that ever he maye to thintent

that the same puissaunce may prosper be kept yn honour & feared. Albeyt that the same puissa••̄ce to hym is nether nedefull nor profitable. And forbicause he thinketh alweys whate thing is prou••••••able vnto hys neyghbour / that both he / As techeth saint Paule vnto the Corinthiens.* 1.19 Su∣che a service is the worke of a christē and bryngeth alweys grete proufit ynto the worlde. And if he shulde not do so he we∣re no christē / but shulde synne ageynst the rule of charite / for he shuld gyve evill en∣sample vnto other that they shuld not ho¦noure the temporall puissaunce but shulde dispyse it: Albeit that it shuld be alweys to theym verey necessary and profitable wherby shulde come grete dispy••ing of the gospell. For suche dispysing of the tē∣porall puissaunce bryngeth dissention and maketh sen••uall parsones profitable vn∣to nothing:

The gospell maketh all true christē serv•• ••ntes to all the worlde by the rule of cha∣ryte the whiche alweys yn theym silves & by theym silves be yn true lybertie & ha¦••e nede of nothing beyng suffised of theyr lorde / and king Iesu Christ and of hys

governaunce yn theym.* 1.20 So lykewyse dyd Iesu christ paye the trybute wherun¦to he was not bounde at tall to th••tet that he shulde not dispyse the puissaunce / and that he wolde not gyve theym occasion to be offended / but gave theym exēple of obe¦dience. As he hym silf teached yn .v. chap∣ter of saynt Mathewe.* 1.21 Where he seyeth that the christen shall not resist evill nor sue any man at the law••. He forbid∣deth not to be subiect and to serve theym that haue the swerde and seculer ••uissaun¦te. But the lesse nede that thou hast vnto it for thy silf the more shall thou conferme thy silf therunto. Thou shalt serve the¦ryn theym whiche haue yet nede and are not so stedfast yn theyre feith as thou art ād that onely by charite supporting theym yn theyre ynfirmyte as Christ hath sup∣ported vs / and hath made hym silf confor¦mable vnto vs. For albeyt that by the stedfastnesse of thy fayth and love that thou hast vnto god thou hast no nede that eny man shuld punysshe thyne enemye bi¦cause that thou wilt suffer wrong willing¦ly for the love of Christ. Thy neyboure hath alweys nede bicause he is yet feble

and therfore thou shalt helpe hym / to him tent that he may haue peace and that hys enemye may be refrayned and let that he hurt hym not: whiche can not be so done if the temporall power be not had yn ho∣nour and feare. Oure saviour Christ-say∣eth not thou shalt not serve or shalt not be subiect vnto the temporall puissaunce / but he sayeth. Thou shalt not resist evill. As thought he wolde saye: Maynteyne thy life so that thou be pacyent that thou ha∣ue no nede of the lawe of ryght nor of the temporall puissaunce for to revenge the. But cōtrary wyse be profitable vnto the weke / and feble multitude yn serving theym and helping theym by obeying the temporall puissaunce. I wold that thou sholdest be so worthy and nobill to haue no nede of the seculer ryght / but that that ryght shulde haue nede of the to helpe to maynteyn hyt.

Thus to vse the seculer puissaunce shul¦de be a grete worke of charite wherby a parsone is gyven hoelly to the service of hys neygbour / and seketh not to defende hys owne life honour or goodes / but se∣keth meanes onely to be proufitable vnto

hys neyghbour. As wryteth Saint Pau¦le vnto the Corinthiens saying. Charyte seketh not that is hys owne / & this shalt thou not do of entent to rendre evill for e∣vill / but onely by charite for the cōservati¦on & defence of the comon christen cōcorde & vnto the proufit of thy neyboure not to revenge thi silf.* 1.22 For touching / vnto thy silf thou abidest vppon the gospell. Thou holdest & governest after the worde of Ie¦sus christ that is thy king. So that thou wilt willingly tourne the other cheke vere the blowe pacyently & let thy mantell go with thy cote / if it touche but onely thyne owne busynesse. Thus may it well sto••d to gyther that thou be indifferently subiect vnto both kyngdomes (that is) of god ād of the world: vnto the one ynwardly and vnto the other outwardly / So that thou dost suffer evill and wrong / and doest al∣weys punysshe & reprove evell & wrong. Thou dost not resist the evill / ād yet thou doest alweys resist it for yn the one thou considerest thy silf ād thyne owne welth. And yn the other thy neyghbour and hys welth. Touching vnto the and vnto thy welth / thou holdest thy silf and governest

thy silf a••ter the gospell / thou suffrest in∣iurye and lyke a true christen doest not re∣sist the evill. Touching thy neyghbour / & hys welth / thou holdest & governest thy silf after the ordre of love & doest resist the m••••rye whiche is done vnto hym / whiche the gospell doth not forbydde but rather commaundeth it.

Many holy parsones haue vsed the sw∣••d after this maner syns the begynnyng of the worlde. As it is wryten of Abrahā howe he delyvered loth the son of hys bro¦ther* 1.23 and s••ewe .iiij. kinges ād yet was A∣braham alweys an holy man. Also the holy prophete Samuell slewe / likewyse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 k••••g Agag. Lykewise Helias sle∣we the false prophetes of the Idoll Ba∣••••.* 1.24 In lyke maner dyd Moses / Iosue / the children of Israell / Sampson / David and many other holy kinges vse the swer¦de as appereth yn the old testament yn many places / Some man myght no∣we saye.* 1.25 The olde testament is nowe ended and hath no more place / wherfo∣re we can no more gyve suche ensam∣••les nor set theym forth vnto the Chri∣••ten. I answer the that is not trewe.

For faint Paule wryteth yu hys first epi¦stle vnto the Chrinthiens. Oure fathers haue all eten one spirituall mete / and haue all dronke one spirituall drynke:* 1.26 They drōke of the spirituall stone that folowed theym / truely the stone was christe. That is to sey they had the same spryte ād feith yn christ that we haue for they beleved then that christ was for to come to redeme theyme / as we beleve nowe that he is co∣me and hath redemed vs. Aud so were they christen as well as we. Wherfore seyng that they thus vsed alweys the tē∣porall swerde from the begynnyng of the worlde vnto the comyng of christ for to depresse the outwarde malice of thoffen∣ders / likewise may also the christen do vn¦to the ende of the worlde. For the tyme and outward chaunge make no differen∣ce emong the christen. The olde testament is not so cessed that we nede yn no maner wise to kepe it / or that he doth evill that observeth every part therof. But it is so ceased that yn some thinges and some ty∣mes it is indifferēt / and yn some thinges and some tyme it is of necessite to do it or to leve it.

Hit is not nowe nedefull to kepe it yn all poyntes eny more vnder payne of dampna¦cion as it was then. But we must kepe it onely there where brotherly love requy∣reth it / As when saint Paule circumsised his dis••iple Timothe whiche was not ne¦defull vnto hym for hys helth / but he dyd it to satisfie the mynde of the feble ād we¦ke Iues whiche thought that he myght not be saved without that he were circū∣sised after the lawe of Moyses to thintēt that by that meane he myght drawe the more of theym to the christen faith. The olde testament as concernyng the comma∣undementes gyven vnto Moyses is not yet ceased nor shal not cease vnto the ende of the worlde. Hit is of necessite. that ar∣te thou bounde to observe and kepe vn∣der payne of dampnacyon as they were yn that tyme. As concernyng vnto they∣re ceremonyes they are clerely ceased yn Christ / so that if thou woldest circum••••se they silf at this day & forbeare suche mea∣tes as were defended vnto the Iues to e••¦te and to do other ceremonyes not having trust to deserve eny thing therby / it is to the indifferent yn so doyng thou hast not

••ffended. But yf thou shalt come yn the company of Iewes or of other parsones whiche reken that they can not be saved oneles they shulde kepe suche ceremony∣es whome thou woldest fayne wynne to the christen faith and hast hope and lyke∣lyod yn the same there art thou bounde by brotherly love whiche hurteth nomā but servith euery man to kepe theyre ceremo∣nye with theym and to do as they do till suche tyme as they may be better taught to knowe that all theyre helthe dependith vppon the faith and trust of Iesus christ and vppon hys merytes and deservinges and not yn these blynde ceremonies. For charite regardeth not whether the thing be newe or olde that thou doest but onely the vtilite and profit of thy neigh¦bour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ro. ••.
• * 1.2

  1. Pe. ••
• * 1.3

  Gene. 9
• * 1.4

  Exo. 2••
• * 1.5

  Mat. 25
• * 1.6

  Mat. 5
• * 1.7

  Ro. 1•• 1. Pe. ••. and. 3.
• * 1.8

  Iohn. 18
• * 1.9

  Mar. 1.
• * 1.10

  Mat. 16.
• * 1.11

  1. Tim. ••.
• * 1.12

  Psat. ••3. Rom. 3.
• * 1.13

  Rom.
• * 1.14

  Ephe. 5.
• * 1.15

  king. 6.
• * 1.16

  Esa. 1••
• * 1.17

  Rom .13.
• * 1.18

  1. Pe. 2
• * 1.19

  1. Cor .10.
• * 1.20

  Mat. 17.
• * 1.21

  Math. 5.
• * 1.22

  1. Cor. 14
• * 1.23

  Gene. 14.
• * 1.24

  1. king. 15
• * 1.25

  3 king. 18
• * 1.26

  1. Cor. 01.