How Superior Powers Ought to be Obeyed of their Subjects, Title page – Prefatory letter
HOW SVPERIOR POWERS OGHT TO BE OBEYD OF THEIR ſubiects: and Wherin they may lawfully by Gods Worde be diſobeyed and reſiſted. Wherin alſo is declared the cauſe of all this preſent miſerie in England, and the onelyonly way to remedy the ſame.
BY CHRISTOPHER GOODMAN.
¶The Lord hath broght vponupon them a nation from a farre contrey, an impudent nation and of a strange langage.
Baruch 4. Deut. 28.
Printed at Geneua by Iohn Criſpin. M.D.LVIII.
VVILLIAM VVHITINGHAM TO ALL THEM that louelove to knoWe the trueth and foloWe it: Grace and peace.
IGnorance the mother of error and profeſſed ennemie to Gods Trueth, hath two daughters by whoſe flatteries and ſubtile practiſes ſhe blyndeth mens eyes, obſcureth the Trueth, and withdraweth vsus from the way of knollage: Cuſtome, and Negligence. Wherof the firſt ſo bewitcheth vsus, that althogh we wallowe and walter in darcke blyndenes, yet as it were by dreaming we ſeme to walke in the bright ſunne ſhyning: ſo that Cuſtome and compagnie may farre ſoner drawe vsus to perdition, then Trueth and reaſon bring vsus to the vnderſtanding of our error. The other being a domeſtical ſeruante and wel acquaynted with our maners, by crafty flatterie doth ouercome vsus. For the fleſhe is prowde and ſwelleth againſt God, ſhe glorieth in her owne wiſdome, ſhe loueth her owne conſel, ſhe deliteth in her owne imaginatiō and policie: and albeit we knowe that ſlothful Negligence is an impediment and blocke in our nature to ſtoppe vsus from Trueth: yet willingly we gyue place to her flattering perſuaſions, and ſuffre her to trayne vsus to wilful deſtruction. So that betwixt Cuſtome and Negligence we rather holde with damnable Ignorance, and wiſſhe to be plonged in abominable errors, then by diligent ſtudy and ſerching of the Trueth learne to knowe our duetie to God, ād what he requireth of vsus to do towardes our neighbour. Then if we wolde auoyde theſe euils, we muſt louelove and embrace the cōtrary vertues: and if Cuſtome be wicked and withholde vsus from God, we muſt ſpedely reiect her and cleaue vntounto God: and if Negligence hauehave noſeled vsus in the denne of Ignorance, we muſt purchaſe by diligence to proffit in the ſchole of knollage. For the acheuing wherof (whē M. Chriſtopher Goodman one of our miniſters, according to the courſe of the text, expounded bothe faithfully and cōfortably this place of the Actes of the Apoſtles,Act. 4. d. Iudge whether it be iuste before God to obey you rather then God) certeyne learned and godly men moſte inſtantly, and at ſondry tymes required hī to dilate more at large that his Sermon, and to ſuffre it to be printed, that not onelyonly we here preſent, but our bretherne in England and other places might be perſuaded in the trueth of that doctrine concerninge obedience to the magiſtrat, and ſo glorifie God with vsus. Whiche requeſt he admitted not eaſely, til at lēgth wel wayinge how many periſhed in their ignorance for lack of meanes to attaine to the knollage of the trueth: and alſo conferringe his articles and chief propoſitions with the beſt learned in theſe partes (who approued them) he cōſented to enlarge the ſaid Sermō and ſo to print it, as a token of his duetie and good affection towarde the Churche of God: and then if it were thoght good to the iudgement of the godly, to tranſlate the ſame into other lāgages that the proffit ther of might be more vniuerſal. Ther is no doute but many ouercome with olde Cuſtome, or yelding to negligēt Slothfulnes wil ether diſpraiſe this proffitable worke, or neglect it. For euel Cuſtome deliting in Ignorance wil ſtraight way flie to her wonted argumēt: What is this newe doctrine?Mar. 1 c. Act. 17. c and whē ce is it? Negligence on the other part crieth maliciouſly: We hauehave bookes ynough: what nede we yet to be ſet to ſchole? Thus Satan with double ſubteltie deludeth the worlde, keping his euer ſo faſt tyed in the bandes of blynde Ignorance, that they can nether ſtirre hand nor fote: they are blynde and can not ſe what is good: and thogh it be offered, yet are they inſenſible and can not fele it. The trueth of Gods worde is to them moſte odious: but mans dreames and deuils doctrines are in greate eſtimatiō and reuerence. Their falſe prophets and papiſtical prieſts hauehave ſo charmed them, that Ignorance is holden for knollage, error for trueth, ſuperſtition for religion, diſobedience for obedience, the Maſſe for the Lordes Supper, Purgatorie for Chriſts blood, workes for faith, Belial for God, and as S. Paul ſaieth,2. Cor. 11. d If they bring you into ſlauerie, ye endure it: if they deuoure you, ye ſuffre it: if they ſpoile you of your goods, ye are content: if they preferre them ſelues and thruſt you downe, ye forbeare it: if they ſmite you on the face, yet ye can ſuſteine it. And thus the children of Satan had rather rot in their barbarous ignorance, then by ſubmitting thē ſelues to the mercies of God, aſpire to the perfect vnderſtanding of his heauenly will reueiled vntounto vsus by his worde. But thou the ſonne of God, ſhewe thy duetie and louelove towarde thy merciful Father, endeuour to knowe his wil, declare thy affection towardes his Scriptures, be zealous of his glorie, reuerence his miniſters, and receaue thankfully his graces geuen to his Churche by them. Proue diligently and trie by the touchſtone who ſpeake the wordes of God in pure ſimplicitie as in Gods preſēce,2. Cor. 2. d. and who cehoppe and change the ſame, making marchandiſe therof to traffique according to mans pleaſure. Nether do we deſire onelyonly that you ſhulde be perſuaded in this trueth becauſe we our ſelues ſo beleue: but we exhort you,Iob. 4. f. that as the Samaritās dyd not onelyonly beleue in our Sauiour Chriſt becauſe of the womās report which broght the newes, but foraſmuche as they them ſelues heard him, and knewe that Chriſt was the Sauiour of the worlde: ſo whē you ſhal wel examine theſe things by the rule of Gods worde, you wolde not ſo much by our report as by your owne iudgement and knowlage credit the trueth. Remēbring that the worthy people of Beroe were cōmēded by the holy Goſt,Act. 17. c. becauſe they tryed by Gods worde whether the miniſters preachīg agreed with the ſame or no. Seing then by theſe examples we are bonde to ſeke the wil of God manifeſted vntounto vsus in his Scriptures, what excuſe ſhal we alledge for our pretenſed ignorance? Beholde here▪ thou heareſt the Eternal ſpeaking by his miniſter, in whoſe mouthe he hath put his worde, and whoſe lippes muſt kepe the Lawe ād the vnderſtāding therof, as wryteth the Prophet Malachie.Chap. 2. a Beware therfore that thou neglect not him that brīgeth the worde of God, but quickely gyue eare ād obey. For if thou deſireſt to knowe thy duetie to thy Prince, and his charge likewiſe ouer thee, read this book and thou ſhalt wel vnderſtāde both: If thou wiſhe for Chriſtiā libertie, come and ſe how it may eaſely be had: If thou woldeſt louelove God aboue man, here thou ſhalt knowe how to obey God rather then mā. Let the Apoſtles of Chriſt here be thy ſchole maiſters, and then the more thou learneſt: the leſſe occaſiō ſhalt thou hauehave to repent. Obedience is neceſſarie where God is glorified, but if God be diſhonored thy obedience is abominable in the ſight of God, be it neuer ſo beautiful in mans eyes. Gods worde is our guyde to leade vsus in our doings: when it commandeth vsus to obey God, we muſt diſobey man in the contrary: for no man can ſerue two maiſters: and when our heauēly maiſter cōmandeth obedience to man, it is euer to be vnderſtand, in the Lord. So that obedience to Gods Lawes by diſſobeyīg mās wicked lawes is muche commendable, but to diſobey God for any duetie to mā is all to gether damnable: as in the diſcourſe of this booke thou ſhalt fully be aſſeured, if God open thyn eyes to ſe the trueth, ād moue thy heart to embrace it. The Spirit of God, which is the ſcholemaiſtre to leade vsus into all trueth, lighten your hartes, gyue you myndes to vnderſtande, and courage to execute his holy wil, to the ſetting forth of Chriſtes kingdome, the proffit of his Churche and confuſion of Satans power and Antichriſts. Amen. From Geneua this firſt of Ianuarie. 1558.