The common places of the most famous and renowmed diuine Doctor Peter Martyr diuided into foure principall parts: with a large addition of manie theologicall and necessarie discourses, some neuer extant before. Translated and partlie gathered by Anthonie Marten, one of the sewers of hir Maiesties most honourable chamber.

VVhether it be lavvfull for subiectes to rise against their Prince.

12 Let vs diuide subiectes, * 1.1 so as some of them may be mere priuate men, and others in such sort inferiour, as y^e superiour power in a manner dependeth of them: As among the Lacedemonians were their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and at Rome the Tribunes of the people. Those which onely are subiect and counted altoge∣ther priuate, ought not to arise against their Princes and Lordes, and displace them of their dignitie or degrée. * 1.2 The two Apostles Peter and Paul haue commaunded the same: namely, that seruaunts shoulde obey their Lordes how rigorous and hard soeuer they be. Moreouer, * 1.3 the sworde (as it is written to the Romans,) is onely giuen to the powers. And they which resist the power, are saide to resist the ordinaunce of God. * 1.4 God woulde that the Iewes shoulde obey Nabuchad-ne∣zar, and was angrie with Zedechias the king because he reuolted from him. Yea and Ieremie by the commaundement of God, * 1.5 ad∣monished and exhorted the people to pray for the health of the king of Babylon. * 1.6 Dauid al∣so would not stretch foorth his hand against the annointed of the Lorde, when he might haue doone it without any difficultie, and to his great commoditie. The godly souldiers of Iulianus the Apostata obeyed y^e same Iulia∣nus in fighting and pitching their Campes: neither did they at any time (notwithstan∣ding they were armed) drawe weapon a∣gainst that most cruell Tyrant. Phocas when he had slaine Mauritius, possessed the Empyre by great violence and iniustice, and wrote vnto Gregorie at Rome, who obeyed him, as his Prince, and gaue vnto him great reuerence.

13 But there be others in the Common weale, which in place and dignitie are infe∣riour vnto Princes, and yet in verie déede doe elect the superiour power, and by cer∣taine lawes doe gouerne the Commōweale: as at this day we sée doone by the Electors of the Empire: And perhaps the same is doone in other kingdomes. To these vndoubtedly if the Prince perfourme not his couenaunts and promises, it is lawfull to constraine and bring him into order, and by force to compell him to perfourme the conditions and coue∣naunts which he had promised, and that by warre when it cannot otherwise be doone. By this meanes the Romanes sometime compelled the Consul, whom they them∣selues

had created, to goe foorth of his office. The Danes in our time did depose their king, and held him long in prison. * 1.7 Polidorus Vir∣gilius writeth that English men sometimes compelled their Kings to render account of the monie which they had misspent. Neither are wée ignorant that Tarquinius the proud, was by the Romanes for his ouer much crueltie and arrogancie throwen out of his Kingdome. * 1.8 I will not speake of Brutus and Cassius which slue Caesar. But whether they did it iustlie or otherwise, most graue men vary in their opinions. And I in examining their enterprise by the rule of the Scrip∣tures, doe not allowe it. For they gaue not vnto him the gouernement or Empire of Rome, but he vsurped the same himselfe by violence and power. And God as testifieth Daniel translateth Empires and kingdoms. * 1.9 Though also it be lawfull to resist Tirantes which assaile a Kingdome, yet when they haue obtained the same and doe beare rule, * 1.10 it séemeth not to belong vnto priuate men to put them downe. Wherefore séeing that the Kingdome of the Iewes was such a Kingdome as in it all men depended of the King, (For they were not chosen by noble men, but the posteritie of that familie which God had appointed, did gouerne by successi∣on: * 1.11 ) Therefore in the lawes of Deuterono∣mie, and in the 1. booke of Samuell wherein is ordained the right of Princes, there is no libertie graunted vnto any man to disturbe them. Yea and sometimes it hath happe∣ned that some of them were killed, yet wée neuer reade that God allowed the murde∣ring of them: nay rather he punished the murtherers. When God at any time would displace the Kings of Iuda, he did it by the Babylonians, Assyrians and Aegyptians, but not by the Iewes. * 1.12 He onelie armed Iehu against his Lord: which as it was peculiar, so must we not take example by it. He de∣stroyed Saule also by the handes of the Phi∣listians and not by Dauid. * 1.13 And I am not ignoraunt howe manie things of this mat∣ter are decréed in the Code and in the Di∣gests Ad legem Iuliam Maiestatis: But en∣deuoring to be bréefe I doe of purpose passe them ouer. And although I knowe right well that the Ethnickes in the olde time ap∣pointed rewards for such as killed Tyrants: yet I haue aunswered, that godlinesse and the holie Scriptures allowe not the same. Assuredlie, if it bée lawfull for the people to cast out of a Kingdome those that vn∣iustlie beare Rule, there shall neuer bée anie Princes or Kinges in safetie. For al∣though they liue iustlie and godlie, yet doe they not satisfie the people.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In Iudg. ••. about the end.
• * 1.2

  Ephe. 6. 5. Col. 3. 21. 1. Pet. 2. 18.
• * 1.3

  Rom. ••3. 1.
• * 1.4

  Iere. 27. & 29. 2. kings. 24 20.
• * 1.5

  Ier. 29. 7.
• * 1.6

  1. Sam. 24.••
• * 1.7

  Polidore Virgil.
• * 1.8

  Of Brutus & Cassius.
• * 1.9

  Dan. 2. 37.
• * 1.10

  When ty∣rants haue obtained kingdoms, priuate men must not seeke to put them down.
• * 1.11

  Deu. 17. 15. 1. Sam. 8. 11
• * 1.12

  2. king. 9. 1.
• * 1.13

  1. Sam. 31. 2