How Superior Powers Ought to be Obeyed of their Subjects, Preface
THE PREFACE.
AS there is nothīge to be cōpared to true obediē ce, in preſeruīge the cō mō welth of townes, cities, and kingdoms: or in maynteyninge true religiō,True obedience rendreth to God due honor & alſo to man as his office requireth. what great daunger it is, not to put differē ce betwene obedience and diſobedience. Chriſtiā peace & cōcorde (for therby eueryevery mā is inſtructed how to render vntounto God his due honour & glorie: & to man that, whiche his office requireth) Euē ſo is ther nothinge more hatefull to God, nether more hurtefull to mā, then ſo to be bewitched with Satans falſe illuſions, that they are not able to put difference betwyxte obedience & diſobedience: but as men without all iudgemēt and naturall ſenſe, take thone for thother, beinge in them ſelues playne contrarie, whiche is the onelie cauſe of all diſorder and lamentable confuſion, where with the whole worlde is bothe this daie, and hath bene alſo frō the beginning, moſt miſerably defaced and oppreſſed. For when vile man, repleniſhed with pride, vayne glorie, and groſſe ignorance, will meaſure obedience with the crowked lyne of his owne corrupte iudgement, and not with the infallible trueth of Goddes holie worde, he muſt nedes preferre his owne decrees, phantaſies, and ordināces, to the cōfortable Lawes and liuelie preceptes of God his creator. Then in place of iuſtice, he receaueth iniuſtice, for right wronge, for vertue vice, for lawe will, for louelove hatred, for trueth falſhod, for playne dealing diſſimulation,what plags come for diſobediēce. for religion ſuperſtition, for true worſhippe deteſtable idolatrie: and to be ſhorte, for God Sathan, for Chriſt Antichriſt, and with him ſuche plages of God, and diſorder amonge mē, as are this daye ſet before oure eyes to beholde in all places throughout the vniuerſal worlde, and hauehave bene likewiſe euen from the beginninge. When Adam was placed in paradiſe,Gen. 3. beinge a creature moſte perfecte, and abundinge in all wiſdome and heauenlie knowledge, and wolde at the perſuaſion of his wif meaſure obedience rather by his owne reaſon,Adam diſobeied God and was greuouſlie puniſhed. then by the worde & ſentence of God before pronounced: behold, he was not onelie ſpoyled of wiſdome & knowledge, becomminge a verie foole, in compariſon of that, whiche he was before: but alſo ſodaynlie deſtitute of all other ſinguler giftes, as of innocencie, and immortalitie, was confoūded at the voyce of the Lord, aſſhamed at his owne nakedneſſe, and felt the dredfull indignation and curſe of God, whiche he had procured, not onelie to him ſelf, but broght the ſame alſo vponupon all his poſteritie after him.All mākinde was iuſtly puniſhed for Adams diſobediēce When the whole worlde was ſo corrupted in their owne wayes in the dayes of faithfull Noha, no regarde was at all to the obedience of the liuinge Lorde, nor yet to the godlie admonitions of iuſt Noha:Gen. 6. but euerie man was ſo drowned in his owne luſtes,The worlde plaged in Nohas dayes for diſobediēce that the ſpace of an hundreth & twenty yeares was not ſufficiēt to moue them to repentance. And therfore could they not eſcape the ſtrange and horrible iudgement of God, whiche immediatlie after folowed moſte iuſtlie. And althogh in that wicked generation abonded all kinde of wickedneſſe, as well agaynſt God as man, in ſo muche as the earthe then might be compted a verie hell, yet from whence proceaded all this rebellion againſt Goddes mightie maieſtie, but onelie for that they meaſured all thinges after their owne corrupt reaſon,The cauſe of all diſobedience is, not to meaſure oure doings by Godds worde. Rom. 2. and not by his holie Lawes and preceptes? Whiche they had now receaued of their forefathers, hearde of Noah, yea, and had them ingrafted naturally in their hartes. The probation wherof might eaſilie be deduced from all ages euen to oure tyme by innumerable and euident examples, if it were nedefull in ſo playne a matter. For who is ſo blynde that maye not ſe how man ſheweth his rebellion,We must not meaſure our obedience after our oune phanteſies. neuer ſo muche, as when he woulde be moſte obedient in his owne ſight and iudgement? not meaſuringe the ſame by the ſtreght lyne and true toucheſtone, whiche is the Lawe and worde of God, but ſuffringe him ſelf to be led by his owne corrupte iudgemēt and affectiōs.
This turned the Wiſdome of the Gentiles into mere foliſhneſſe, inuētinge ſhamefull idolatrye for true worſhipp,Rom. 1. as witneſſethe the Apoſtle.
Mat. 15.This blynded the Ieues with hypocriſie and cloked holyneſſe, makinge the Lawe of the liuinge Lorde to geue place to their inuented traditions by man.Diſobedience is the puddle of all heriſies and error. Out of this ſtinkinge puddle of mans brayne hauehave iſſued forthe ſo great diuerſitie of opinions and daungerous heriſies, wherwith the Churche of God hathe bē at all tymes horriblye tormented. Finallie from hence hathe Antichriſte filled his peſtilente cupp of all ſortes of deadlie poyſon,Apo. 17. Antichriſte is the plage of God for mās diſobedience. where of he hathe made the whole earthe almoſt, and her kinges and Princes, not onelie to drinke: but to be moſt vilelie ouercome and dronken. In whoſe defence they hauehave armed them ſelues againſt the Lorde ād Chriſte his Son:Pſal. 2. whō notwithſtanding with impudent mouthes they profeſſe, where as in verie dede they perſecute him moſte cruellie in his Saincts by all means poſsible,The tyrāts are Antichriſtes tormentours and perſecute Chriſt fightinge, as men in a rage, vnderunder the banner of that filthie beaſt. And yet theſe men in the middle of their furie, without all obedience & ordre, ſubuertinge the Lawes of God and of nature, will be called notwithſtandinge the defenders of the faithe, mayntayners of true religiō, autours of peace, teachers of obedience, ād moſt diſcrete gouernours of common weales and policies. To the intent therfore that theſe diſguiſed perſonnes (whiche abuſe the whole worlde) may appeare in their owne liuely ſhape, and be knowen as they are in dede, I hauehave thoght it good,Thoccaſion wherefore this treatiſe was writ, and what proffit we may gather therof. hauinge occaſion by this worthie anſwere of Peter and Iohn, and beinge hereto of diuers godlie perſons prouoked, ſomewhat to wryte of true obedience: to wit, what God him ſelf requiereth of vsus, and what he commandethe to be geuen alſo to men. Wherby (God willinge) the diſguiſed clokes, and craftie pretences of obedience, vſed and practiſed by the vngodlie worldlings, ſhalbe diſcouered: who hauehave ſoght alwayes, and yet do ſeeke vnderunder the pleaſant name of obedience, onlie to mayntayne their ambition, pride and libertie: wherby we ſhall learne alſo how in tymes paſt we hauehave bene ſhamfullie abuſed in yelding to the willfull wil of man, in obeying his vngodlie commandements, and fearinge man more then God: and finallie how it behoueth vsus to repent oure former ignoraunce, and with diligence to redreſſe the ſame, hauinge more lighte and fuller knowledge.