How Superior Powers Ought to be Obeyed of their Subjects, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
All men are bound to follow the like example, as wel as the Apoſtles and Daniel, of what eſtate and condition ſo euer they be.
HEre are all excuſes taken away from all men, that will be true Chriſtians, and hauehave the Apoſtles and Daniel for their inſtructers and teachers: whither they be Counſellers, Nobles, Peares,Engliſhemē will nether be Apoſtles Prophets nor good men. or inferior and ciuile officiers. But they will peraduēture excuſe them ſelues, as thogh God had no thing to do with thē, becauſe they be not Apoſtels, nor Prophets. Neuertheles they may be aſſured, they ſhall be as they euer hauehave bene, ſubiecte to his plages and puniſhments: and ſo will he hauehave a do with them, thogh they would hauehave noght to do with hym. Yf the temperall ſworde had bene committed to the Apoſtels, as wel as was the ſpirituall: if they had bene Pears of a realme, and knowen ſo wel their duetie towarde God and their contrye, as they did to Chriſt and his Churche, being Apoſtels, woulde they hauehave lyfted vp their ſworde agaynſt Goddes glorie, to the ſubuerſion of the trueth and their nation, at the commandement of their Prince and kinge? Or wolde they not rather hauehave anſwered: we are appoynted of God to ſet forthe his glorie, and to defend his people, and cannot therfore obeye you?How ſhould they iudge well of other mēs matteres, that cō demne thē ſelues in their owne If that woulde not ſerue, muſt they then hauehave ceaſed at their threatninges with death and diſpleaſure? Is that ſufficient to diſcharge them, if in not vſing their power to ſuppreſſe tyranny and idolatrie, they ſuffer the people of God to be deuoured? Iudge you your ſelues that beare this Name, whither God coulde approue their doinges.
Matathias that worthie Captayne of the Iewes,1. Mac. …. as it is wryten in the firſte boke of the Machabees, coulde not ſo lightly excuſe him ſelf when he was commanded by the cruel officiers of wicked Antiochus (which had ſpoyled their Tēpel, raſed their waules, murthered their brethern, and ſet vp idolatrie, in ſo muche as all for the moſt parte, applied them ſelues to their wicked parſuations) that he, with the reſidue ſhulde forſake the Lawes and ſacrifices of their God, to worſhipp ſtrange Goddes: he made anſwere,A notable anſwere for all true Chriſtians to practiſe. to the officer of Antiochus the kinge (which would to God our Noble men had perfetly learned) That thoghe all Nations apparteyning to kinge Antiochus ſhulde obeye him, ſo that eueryevery man would declyne from the Lawes of his countrie: yet I, (ſaieth he) my children, and brethern, wil ſtand in the conuenant of our fathers &c. Which thing he performe din dede to the glorie of God, to his owne ſaluation, and comforte of his brethern and countrie for euer.
And euen at the ſelf ſame tyme he ſlewe, not onelyonly a Iewe, one of his owne brethern, which came to ſacrifice in his preſence at the alter Modim, according to the preſcript of Antiochus: but killed alſo the kīges officer, that cō pelled him therto, and afterwarde diſtroyed the altar, ād folowed the Lawe of God with a zeale, as did Phinees. Matathias had then a litle power amongeſt his brethern, but nothing to defende him ſelf agaynſt the kinge, and alſo being charged with children and kinſfolk (which ſemed to be all his power) woulde nether pollute him ſelf, nor ſuffer thē to be polluted with wicked idolatrie, nor coūſeles, to be oppreſſed with tyrannie.Matathias was no publik perſone. And yet we reade of no auctoritie or office he had to excuſe him by: but onelie this one thing which was comon to all other of his natiō, the Lawes of their countrie, and couenant of their fathers. Which cauſe he thoght ſufficiēt to diſcharge his cōſcience before God, and to approue his doings. For as muche as God had commanded him not onelyonly to denie to do the commandement of the cruell tyrant Antiochus (vnderunder whō all Ieruſalem then was by conqueſte) but manfully to profeſſe him and his, as open aduerſaries to his Lawes and to reſiſte idolatrie by force,Loke wel vponupon this example al ye inhabitantes of Englande in killing the idolatrer and the kinges ſeruant (by whom he was compelled) and in ſubuerting the altar, where vpō the idolatrous ſacrifice ſhuld hauehave bene done. Which was, as you ſee, manifeſte reſiſting of the ſuperior power, being but mā, to the intent he might ſhewe true obedience to his Lorde and God, īn defending and maynteyning his Lawes (which he calleth the couenant of their fathers) yea and with the temporal ſworde to the vttermoſt of his power. Thē if Matathias herein did diſcharge his conſciēce before God and man, in reſiſting by temporal power the kinge, his commandements and officiers: it is not onelyonly the office of Apoſtles ād preachers, to reſiſt, but the dewtie likewiſe of all others according to their eſtate and vocation. But you will ſay perchance, that this boke of the Macabees is not of ſufficient auctoririe to perſuade your conſciences in the like caſe, becauſe it is not reputed to be amongeſt thoſe bokes which are autentique, and named Canonical. Trueth it is, but that thou (which art in like and better eſtate, becauſe of thy power and auctoritie, wherewith thou art as wel charged before God as kinge or Emperour) mayſt and ſhuldeſt with a ſafe conſcience, folowe this worthie example, it is moſte true and certayne.Mattathias fact depēdethe not of the auctoritie of the hiſtory but of the worde of God. Mattathias doing ād the Apoſtels are both like. For the facte of Mattathias dependeth not vponupon the auctoritie of the boke, wherin it is conteyned: but vponupon the worde of God, whervpon it was grownded. For hathe he done anie otherwiſe in his vocation, then the Apoſtles did in theirs? Did not they ſay, that God is to be obeyed rather then man? And ſo ſayed Mattathias, and muche more playner: that thoghe all nations woulde obeye Antiochus: yet he, and ſo many as he coulde procure, ſhulde obeye the true God and his Lawes. And like as the Apoſtles, according to their anſwer, openlie and playnly in fight of the people did vſe the ſpiritual ſworde, manfully fighting agaynſt all rebellion of man in Goddes cauſe: ſo did Mattathias vſe the temporall ſworde according to his power, moued by the ſame reaſon agaynſt idolatrie and oppreſsion which is manifeſte rebellion agaynſt God. Yea and if their were nether example nor Scripture to proue his facte: yet would verie natural reaſon compel eueryevery man to alowe the ſame, as moſte Godlie. And that therin he did nothing but his duetie, which thing was approued in the iudgement of that age, and as a lawful facte and monument wryte and left to be red and practiſed of all poſteritie, the Lawe of nature ſo directing their iudgments.
But to put you out of all doute, we will confirme it with an other teſtimonie moſt ſurely auctoriſed, and the very ſame in effect,Ioſua made the like anſwere to the Iſraelites. Ioſue. 24. of that renowmed and worthie Capitayne Ioſua, the ſonne of Nun, whome God him ſelf had choſen to ſuccede Moyſes in the gouernement, and leading of the people of Iſrael: who after he had declared the benefites of God done vntounto them, from the tyme that he had choſen them to be his people, (namelie to Abraham whom he called from idolatrie, to Iſaac and Iacob, and to the reſt of the people, their poſteritie, in deliuering them out of Egypt, preſeruinge them in the wilderneſſe, and geuing to them his Lawes) ſpake theſe wordes to the Elders ād all the multitude, ſayng: Now therfore feare ye the Lord, ſerue him vnfaynedlie and faithfullie, take away the Goddes which your fathers worſhipped, beyonde the Riuer, and in Egypte, and ſerue the Lorde. But yf you wil not ſerue the Lorde, choſe vntounto you this day whom you will ſerue▪ whither ye wil ſerue the Goddes beyonde the Riuer, or the Gods of the Amorites in whoſe lande ye dwele. As for me and my familie, we will ſerue the Lorde: anſwering as did Matathias. And this ſpake he in his later dayes,The papiſts wil ſaye, becauſe he was olde that he doted. to admoniſhe them afore hande not to incline to idolatrie and to neglecte the Lawes of God, which is the cauſe of all euill, and gapp to all miſchiff. Which ſayng of Ioſua, the true ſeruāt of God, ſeemed ſo Godlie in the ſight of all the people, that all were compelled with a uehemencie of ſpirite to ſay: God forbid, that we ſhulde forſake the Lorde, to ſerue ſtrange Goddes. For the Lorde our God him ſelf, broght vsus out of Egypt and from the houſe of bondage.
What wilt thou more to proue this facte of Mattathias, ād therbie thy duetie alſo, whither thou be of the Seniors of the people, or of the multitude? Here is thy confeſsion, if thou be of God. Yf all men would ſerue ſtrange Godds,Forget not this yf ye feare God and louelove your liues. yet will I and my familie ſerue the liuinge Lorde. And agayne, God forbid that we ſhulde leaue the obedience of our God, by whome we are created, rede…d and ſaued, to ſerue ſtrange Goddes. And how caneſte thou ſay that thou ſerueſt God thy Lorde, except thou vſe all ſuche means as he hath geuen to thee in defence of his glorie, beit counſel, learning, auctoritie, power in bodie or in ſoule? All muſte ſerue the Lorde, when he demaundeth it. And when demaundeth God theſe thinges of vsus, if not then chieflie, whē Satā begynneth to rage, the worde of God deſpiced, his Name blaſphemed, his Churche ſcattered, his children miſerably oppreſſed, impriſoned, famiſhed and murthered? Either now muſt the counſele of the Coūſeller, the learning of the learned,Other now ſerue the Lorde or neuer. Luk. 3. the auctoritie of the honorable, the power of the Nobles, the bodies of the ſubiectes ſerue the Lorde, or neuer. For now will the Lorde trye who are his people in ſeparating the chaffe frō the corne, thoſe that louelove the Lorde vnfaynedlie, ād wil ſerue him in dede from the halting diſſemblers ād hypocrites, who thīking therby to eſcape preſent daūgers, runne headlonge to their owne deſtructiō, thiking therby to eſcape the feareful voyce of the Lorde, fall in to the pit. And if they come foorthe of the pit,Eſai 24. Iere. 48 Hoſa…. 6 they are taken in the net, and cannot eſcape ſaithe the Lorde.
There is no waye but one, to turne agayne vntounto the Lorde, who hathe woū ded vsus,Repent o countriemen your vnlawfull obedience, ād now at laſt turne to your Lord God and he will heale vsus: he hathe ſtriken vsus, for our ſynnes, and he will bynde vsus vp agayn, ād within two dayes will he reſtore vsus to lyffe, ād the thirde day rayſe vsus vp, and we ſhal come before his face ſaithe the Prophet. And by what other means can we turne vntounto the Lorde to be healed of our woundes, to be reſtored to lyffe agayne, to be lifted vp and broght before his preſence: but by vnfayned repentance, euerie man of what eſtate, or condition ſoeuer he be? Conſidering with teares how ſhamefullie he hathe fallen from God, and by what means, and to call for grace and ſtrength to turne back by the ſelf ſame means and wayes,Rom. 6. to obey God in walking the contrarie. And to Folowe the counſell of the Apoſtle, that as before we hauehave geuen our members to ſerue vnclennes and iniquitie: ſo now (after true repentance) make them to ſerue rightouſnes and holyneſſe. Wher before we ſerued men and not God, now to ſerue God and not man, but in God: Where as we abuſed all the gyftes of God to mayntayne idolatrie and tyranny, now to vſe the ſame to the reſtoring of Gods glorie, and preſeruation of his humble and afflicted children:God grant this for Chriſtes ſake, to ſinke in your myndes. where as before we hauehave troughe contempt of his graces, eſpeciallie the worde and Goſpel of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſte broght vponupon vsus ſhame and confuſion, now by reuerent receauing of them agayne, and framing our liues thervnto, we may remoue theſe plagues, ād finde fauore ād grace in the ſight of our God, who for this cauſe hathe ſtriken vsus, and by all maner of means callethe vsus backe from our wickedneſſe, readier to receaue vsus, then we to deſier him.