Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 66
The xxiii. Sonday after trinitie Sonday The Gospell Math. xxii.
THen the Phariseis went out, and toke counsayle howe they might tangle him in his wordes. And they sente out vntounto him theyr Disciples with Herodes seruauntes, saying: Master, we knowe that thou art true, and teacheste the waye of God trulye, neyther carest thou for anye man, for thou regardest not the out warde appearaunce of men. Tell vsus therefore howe thinkest thou? Is it lawfull that tribute begeuen vntounto Ceasar, or not? But Iesus perceauynge theyr wyckednes sayde: Why tempte ye me ye hypocrites? Shewe me the tribute moneye. And they toke hym a penye. And he sayd vntounto them: Whose is this ymage and superscription? They sayde vntounto hym: Ceasars. Then said he vntounto them: Geue therefore vntounto Ceasar, the thyngs whiche are Ceasars, and vntounto God, those thynges whiche are Gods. When they hearde these wordes, they maruayled and left him, and went theyr way.
THE EXPOSITION.
THe cause of this gospel depēdeth hereof, that the Iewes in the law of Moses had such a promise:A conditional promese made to the Iewes If they kept the commandementes of God, they should hauehave a kyngdome and a kyng of their owne, & neuer be subiectes to any strāge gouernour. They trusted so much to this promise, that they thought they shold neuer loose their kyngdō. And although at yt presēt they serued a strāge ruler, yet they thought, yt they had not lost their right of ye possession of that their kingdome. And therfore they many times rebelled against ye Romains,The cause of rebellion amonge the Iewes. when they had neuer so litle occasion offered, to this end, that they might recouer again their kingdome and imperie, although many of them dyinge for ye matter, they neuer preuailed against the mightie Romains. And albeit wt al their iurisdictiōs, cōmotions, & rebelliōs they did so litle, yea rather nothīg, profit, yt al things at al times grewe to be worse & worse: yet for ye recouery of their right, which they thought to be right good & lawfull, thei left nothīg vnattēpted. This is a meruelous exāple of hypocrisie. The Iewes could both nobly & notably bragge & boste of ye promise yt was made vntounto them cō cerning the proprietie of their kingdom, & the cōtinual possession of the same, but they neuer remembred ye cō dition, which was, if they kept the cōmandements of God & walked in his wayes,We wold also hauehave heauen but we do nothing worthie of heauen yt they mighte obserue yt for ye promise sake. They wold hauehave the kyngdō made sure vntounto them, & yet the obedience, whiche they promised to god, they performed nothing at al. The kingdom, said they, is ours: it is promised to vsus, therfore wil we by no means suffer it to be takē away frō vsus: euen as stubborne & disobedient seruants alledge alwayes their couenaūtes & bargaines, whatsoeuer they do afterward. But they ought to know,Seruauntes. yt as ye maister is bounde to performe ye couenauntes and bargaine made wt his seruant: so is ye seruant first of all likewise bounde to worcke, & diligētly to do yt, which his vocatiō & callīg requireth, & what his masters will is yt he shold do. So was ye matter also with ye Iewes. They rebelled against god, & vtterly neglected this cōmādements, & yet wold they enioye their libertie. Therfore this was a waighty & earnest question amōge them, whether they ought of right to obeye the Emperour of Rome, which was a stranger, & none of the Iewes stocke, seyng they had so euident and plaine promise, yt they shold hauehave a kyng of theyr owne. And about this matter come they now to Christ,Why the phariseis and herodians came to christ that they may snarle him, and take him in a trappe (as they thought) what soeuer he answereth.
They ioyne vntounto thē Herodes seruāts, & demaūde, whether it be lawful to pay tribute vntounto Cesar, or not. For thus they were persuaded & surely thought, that if Christ answered: It is lawfull: he shoulde fal into the indignation of the people,Note the subtiltie of the aduersaries. and be counted to hauehave done a greate faulte, for asmuche as he spake that, which was contrary to the law of God. For the promise was, that this people should hauehave a kyng of their owne bloud, and that they should hauehave no strangers to reigne ouer them. Now on the contrarie side, if he should say, that it is not lawfull: then were there no waye with hym but present death. For the Romains would neuer suffer that. Christ therfore after theyr iudgement, muste nedes be taken in a trap and fal into present danger, whether he doth affirme or denie: so maliciously go they about to snarle Christ, and to cast him into danger.
But what followed? how handled Christ ye matter? verely euen so,There is no wisdome no forcast no coū cell that can preuaile against the lord saythe Salomon. yt he cut his aduersaries throtes wyth their owne sworde. Shewe me, saith he, the tribute money. And when they shewed hym the coyne accordinge to his request, he demaunded of them, whose image and superscription that was? The Phariseyes thinckyng that their deuice should nothing be hindred by their answer,Pro. 21. said: It is Cesars. Christ hath nowe that he desired, and therfore streightwayes he answereth them to the question: If ye, saith he, saye, that this is the image and superscription of Cesar, then according to your confession geue Cesar his owne, and that whiche is due vntounto him. For why should ye not geue that to Cesar, whiche ye your selfe saye, that it is his. This could none otherwise be vnderstāded, but yt they cōfessed, that they had receaued Cesar to be their Lord, ruler, and gouernour. Therfore it was no harde matter for Christ, euē by their owne wordes to tourne the whole matter vponupon their owne heades, that he shold not take that awaye from Cesar, that was Cesars in dede, euen by the confession of them, that put forth the question. And this is the cause of this gospel, a moste wise and prudent stratageme, or a politique subtilitie or subtile policie of warre, wherby he casteth his aduersaries into that snare, which they had prepared for him. Their desier was to snarle him in his answer. For they thought, that Christ durste neither affirme nor denie the matter. Christ prouoketh thē again to answere, and when they hauehave answered, they are snarled in their owne snares, taken in their owne trappes, and perceaue right wel, that their deuise was naught and plaine folyshnes, yea and most pernicious to them selfes.
In this historie two thinges are dilgently to be cō sidered, noted, & marked.Twoo thinges are to be learned of this historie. First in this example of the Iewes, let vsus learne our peruersitie and frowardnes. We gladly complaine, when we are oppressed, and alwayes thincke that we hauehave wrong done vsus. And it is true, if we consider the state of the worlde, we are many times iniured and wronged. And afterwarde we thincke, that we hauehave a iuste and sufficient cause to set forth our right, and to accuse the violence & iniquitie of other, so that there is no end of complaining, as here the Iewes cōplained of ye Romains for vsurping their kingdom. For what iuste cause had the Romains against the Iewes? Therfore by this cōparison they were certain,In all miseries our sinns agaynste God are to be considered. that they had the best and greatest right, and the most iust title to the kyngdome. But yet there was a fault in the Iewes. For although thy neyghbour doth the wrong, yet must thou cōsider the matter more depely, and thincke on this maner: what if I hauehave moste greuously offended the Lorde my god, and hauehave longe before this deserued, that he shold take awaye from me not only this my ritght, but also my very body and lyfe. This one thyng must we learne. For this semed very greuous to the Iewes, to be subiectes to an heathē Emperour. They thought thus with thē selues: We are the people of God. The heathen know nothing of god. They are defiled with Idolatrie, with adulterie, whoredome, dronckennes, & all other kynde of wickednes: why then shoulde we serue them, & knowledge them to be our lordes and rulers. But they that feared god, & prayed vntounto god for their deliueraunce, trusted litle or nothing at al to their right & title, neither did they bragge of yt matter. For they perceaued right well that they had deserued that plague, if it had ben much greater. For as cōcernyng ye doctrine yt was publiquely & cōmonly taught, it was very corrupte & vnpure,The miserable face of the comon weale of the Iewes as ye Euangelical historie testifieth, the common wealth was not iustly & vprightly gouerned. As for couetousnes, vsurie, pride, drōckēnes, bancketing, fleshely pleasure, & suche other vices, they were cōmonly vsed, yea & that frely and without punishment, as it is also among vsus at this present daye. Among ye Iewes there was nothing almost in good order, whether we respecte duties towards god or mā What shold god now do? Shold he dissēble & wincke at such & so great contempte both of himselfe and of his word, & in the meane while defende these naughty packes with their right & title, when they to set forth his honour would do nothing at all, nor amende any thing that was amisse? Uerely God had here a iuste cause, that forasmuch as they did cast awaye so beastly the right of God, he also should suffer the right of this people to decay and come to naught.
For the Iewes had not their kingdome on this cō dition, that it should stand for euer.The right is claymede, the condicion is forgotten. For god gaue thē that kingdom vnderunder a certain cōdition, whiche was that they should performe, that, which he commanded them to do. On this maner was his promise: If they were righteous and obedient, and kepte his commandementes. But they would hauehave this promise wythout any condition, although they on their behalfe shewed no obediēce at all. A good kynde of people, which would hauehave all things, & do nothing, yea they shoulde hauehave remembred this rule: do thy dutie, & so shalt thou receaue what is due vntounto thee. If an husbandeman of the countreye plaiteh the vnthrifte and riotously spendeth awaie that he hath, so that he payeth not his rent at the time appointed: is he iniuried & wronged, if he be put awaye from his farme, & that farme hired forth to an other, which is better then he,Note and practise. and wil kepe his couenaūtes better? Therfore must we also learne to moderat our complaining, and not onelyonly consider our right, and what vnright our neyghbour doth vsus, but also what gods right is, and howe vnrightly we hauehave dealte with hym, and so paciently and humbly lyftynge vp our heartes & handes vntounto god, mekely & reuerently say: I hauehave not deserued, that this mā shold do me this iniurie & wrong. Notwithstāding I must let him go, & loke vpō my selfe, & cōsider how ye matter goeth betwene god & me. Oh, there finde I a great & lōge register, which declareth vntounto me, yt I am ten times worse, & yt I hauehave ten times, yea ten thousand times more offēded god, thē my neighbour hath offēded me. Therfore wil I paciētly beare this litle displeasure yt my neyghbour hath done against me, lest God seing my fearce & cruel minde against my neighbour reuēge also and punishe that wickednes, whiche I hauehave committed against him. O Lord, forgeue me, handle me not according to my deserte: and I will also gladly forgeue, whatsoeuer is done againste me.
For it were againste all right, that we shoulde so greatly vrge & force our right, which hauehave so vnrightly dealt with God concerning his right. He that can preserue, kepe, and defende his right, life, and goods by lawfull meanes, doth wel. But he that can not this do, let him not outragiously complaine, but quieting himselfe, let him with a contented minde saye: That should be my righte, and they that thus wronge me, do very vniustly: Notwithstanding I franckly and freely confesse, that before God I hauehave deserued farre more greuous thinges. And by this meanes we shall not be lyke the Iewes, which thorow their own wickednes were the cause of all their miseries and plagues, and yet thought to enioye their right and libertie, although they had cast out God among them from his right longe afore: euen as euill subiectes shoulde require of their maiestrate helpe and defence againste their enemies, and yet would be free from paying tribute, toll, rent, subsidie, and such other paymentes that are due from them to the maiestrate.Maiestrates. But God aforeseing this, hath geuen the maiestrate a swearde, that he shoulde compel the vnwilling and disobedient. The cōmon people also would gladly hauehave Pastours and preachers among them,Preachers. and yet do they defraude their ministers most vniustly of their tythes and other dueties,The wickednes of the common people against their Pastours. which they ought of conscience to paye. And forasmuche as the spirituall Pastour hath no power to compell them, that refuse to paye their duties: the miserable caytiues poll, and pill, bribe and steale, defraude and conuey from the good pastour, which continually both in prayer and exhortation watcheth like a faithfull sheppeheard for the saluatiō of their soules, all that euer they can, & thincke it well gotten good,Math. 10. Luc. 10. …. Cor. 9. although they hauehave gotten it neuer so wickedly and vniustly. I sweare▪ say they, by Iesus Christ: It is wel gottē, that is gotten of a Priest. The godly maiestrates in this behalfe ought to maintaine the right of the Pastours, and seuerely to punishe such rebelles as walke inordinatly, and wil not paye their duties.Deut. 2…. The worckeman is worthy of his rewarde, sayth our Sauiour Christ. The blessed Apostle writeth who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste? Who planteth a vineyarde, & eateth not of ye fruite therof? Or who fedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the mylke of the flocke? saye I these thinges after the maner of men? Saith not the lawe the same also? For it is written in the lawe of Moyses. Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the oxe, that treadeth out the corne? Doth not God take thought for oxen? Saith he it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt is this written, yt he which eareth, should eare in hope, & that he which thresseth in hope, should be partaker of his hope. If we sowe vntounto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thinge, if we reape your bodely thynges? &c. Do ye not know, howe that they, which minister about holy thinges, lyue of ye scripture? They which wayte of the temple, are pertakers of the temple. Euen so also did the Lord ordaine, that they whiche preache the gospell shoulde lyue of the gospell. Againe he saith: Let him that is taught in the word,Math. 10. Luc. 10. Galat. 9. 1. timoth. 5. Deut. 25. minister vntounto him, yt teacheth him, in all good thinges. Be not deceaued: God is not mocked. Also in an other place: The elders that rule well, are worthy of double honour most specially they which laboure in the word and teaching. For the scripture sayth: Thou shalte not mosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne.Luc. 10. And the labourer is worthie of his rewarde.
But if ye maiestrate be negligent, & will not loke to this matter, as he ought, & as he is boūd by his office, so yt by this meanes ye vngodly parishioners are encouraged to go forth in their wickednes, & to wthold frō ye pastours yt is their due: is it to be thought yt those vngracious people shal escape vnpunished? Nay verely. What shalbe ye end thē? verely if ye pastour be not able to folow his right,God wyll reuenge the cause of the spiritual pastours. god wtout doubt both is able & also wil do it. He wil sēde to those caterpillers, plagues, & pestilēces, to destroy both mā & beast. He wil sēde theues to robbe & spoile those cormorāts goods, he wil sēde also tempestes to destroy those things yt are necessary for their liuing as their corne,Be holde the Parishioners and beware. their wine, their herbes, …heir fruites, &c. Yea he will sende those vnrighteous persons short & fewe dayes vponupon the earth, & geue their goods, which they vniustly gotte, to other, which shall as wastefully spend thē, as they warely & niggardlye kept them. Nowe what then hauehave these leude people gottē by this their deceipt to their pastours, in defrauding thē of their duties? verely ye anger of god, a wicked cōscience, a giltie minde, losse of their goods, corne, & cattel, short life, & an vtter dissipation of all that they hauehave, as I may speake nothing more greuously. Whē men are thus iustly plagued for their sinnes, thoughe they cōplaine, yet shal they receaue this answere. Why, ye hauehave no nede to cōplaine. There hath nothīg chaū ced vntounto you, whiche ye hauehave not worthely deserued, loke vpō your couetousnes, pride, gluttony, drūckēnes whoredō, adulterie, enuye, malice, cōtempt of ye worde, disobedience to the maiestrats, dishonour to their Pastours, carnall securitie, carelesse life, &c. hauehave all these your euils deserued no plagues? It is ye great mercy of god, that ye & all yours are not cōsumed with fire and brimstone frō heauen, as Sodome & Gomor was. Your sinnes are ye occasion, that ye are thus afflicted.Gene. 9. So doth Christ in this place admonish ye Iewes also, yt seing they hauehave lost their kingdō, & be now brought into the power of ye Romains, they shold not so greatly cōplaine of loosing their right, but rather consyder their sinnes, which are ye occasion of all their plagues, miseries, & punishments, which they nowe worthely suffer: again, seing yt they hauehave not performed yt vntounto god, which they ought him, yt god is no more boūde to performe yt he promised thē. But this could ye Iewes by no meanes be persuaded, yt they were dispossessed of their kyngdome for their synnes sake, & that therfore they ought to take it paciētly & quietly. They obiected alwayes their right & title, & yt they had greatly wrong done vntounto thē. But all this profited nothing at all, seing ye God was otherwise determined for the punishemēt, of their sins, yea & yt worthely & not without desert. Therfore he sendeth the Emperour of Rome vntounto them, which cōpelleth them to obey, will they, nil they, For the kyngdom was not otherwise promised to the Iewes, then vnderunder a cōdition, yt is to say, if they serued god according to his word, lyued vprightly, did no mā wrōg, &c. If they did not this, it was told them plainly, that they shold loose their kingdom, & they become subiectes to a strāger.Oure synnes are the occasion of all our …. And thus must we also thincke in all our miseries, calamities, and wofull chaunces. Our sinnes are the occasion of them all.
The Turke is a more fearce and cruell enemie to the Christen religion, then any Prince in the worlde, although neuer so sauage and barbarous, and daylye getteth victories of vsus Christen men, so that by this meanes his empire is maruelouslye enlarged, and he become a most mightie and stronge Prince. Nowe in the consideration of this matter, where shall we beginne, of the Turke, or rather of our selues? verely of our selues. We thorow our sinnes hauehave geuen hym entraunce into the Christen borders: we hauehave weakened our selues, and fortified him. We hauehave geuen him prosperous successe in his warres, & many noble & notable victories against our selues. Our sinnes against God, and our wickednes one against an other, hath brought this thing to passe, so that whatsoeuer we suffer at the Turckes hande, we suffer it worthely & according to our desertes.
The Papistes also go forth to defende their Idolatries and supersticions,The papistes and most cruelly persecute and put to death the true professours of gods trueth. We wold gladly hauehave their Idolatrie and tyranny taken awaye, that we might hauehave the gospell of our Sauiour Christ quietly and freely preached and taught among vsus. But why then do not we, yt know the gospell and professe the same with our lyppes, repent vsus of our former wicked life, and so lyue, as it becometh them that professe Christ? Howe can God otherwise do, then suffer suche Idolatrous tyrantes & tirannical Idolaters to lyue and raigne among vsus, to persecute, and plague vsus, to beprickes and thornes in our eyes, seing that with our mouth we professe that we know God,Tit. 1. but with our workes we vtterly deny hym, as the Apostle saith? Thus muche hauehave I spoken concerning the first part of our gospell.
In the seconde parte we learne,Ciuile regiment is approued of god. that there is a difference betwene the kyngdome of the world and the kyngdome of Christe, and that Christe in thys oure Gospell dothe not condemne the ciuile regimente, but rather confirmeth the same, with all the thinges that pertaine vntounto it, as landes, possessions, tribute, families, and whatsoeuer other thynge maketh vntounto the confyrmation and ornamente of the politique state. For where as Christe sayeth: Geue those thynges to Cesar, that are due to Cesar, it is as much as though he should saye: If thou be a subiect, or one of eyther the hygher or lower degree, be content with thy state, and trouble not the politique order with thy importunitie and lewde behauioure. Hee that hathe an householde, lette hym faythfully looke to hys housholde.Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. Lette the subiectes obey the rulers as officers appoynted of GOD for the punyshement of wicked doers, but for the prayse and safegarde of theym that doo well. Lette the chyldren be obedient to their parentes. Christe reproueth not, neyther doothe he condemne any of these ordinaunces, or degrees of persons. For they are necessarie vntounto a politike kyngedome, whyche God canne not want. All thys tendeth to thys ende, that a Christian manne should not exempt hym selfe frome the politique kyngedome, as the Monkes dyd, whyche thought thus, that if they should lyue after the common sorte of men, they shold hardely be saued. But Christ teacheth the contrary, because that no manne shoulde thynke, that he wyth hys doctrine and Gospelle, taketh awaye any Ciuile ordinaunce and politique regiment. Therefore abyde in thy state. Continue in thy vocation and callynge. Geue to Cesar, that is due to Cesar: And geue to god that, whiche belongeth to God: that is to say: Beleue in Iesus Christe, heare his Gospell, and embrace the same: Lyue in ye feare of God: Be obedient to his cō mandementes: Be charitable, louyng, mercyful, gentyll▪ paciente. &c If thou geue thys to God, he requireth no more. As concernyng thynges belongynge to thy body, to thy householde, to thy state or condition of lyfe, lette all these thynges bee subiecte to Cesar: A Christian may serue God and Cesar together. But the truthe is, the Iewes woulde neyther hauehave geuen to God that was due to God, nor to Cesar, that belonged vntounto Cesar.
And here muste we diligently note, that as GOD geueth to Cesar his imperie and regimente perfecte, whole, and sounde. (For before God, or in thy Faith, it bryngeth no impediment,The temporall Magistrate maye not trouble the kyngdome of Christe. whatsoeuer thy office or vocation bee: thou mayest also, if thou wylte, with that thy outwarde office, exercise trewe godlynesse.) so likewyse Cesar ought not to trouble the kyngdom of God, nor violentlye to compelle menne, that they should not geue that to God, whyche is due to god. What we doo owe to God, it was declared before, namely to heare his worde gladly, and accordyng vntounto that, to order oure lyfe, and to doo nothyng contrary vntounto it. We canne doo no more to God here in this worlde. Neyther oughte Cesar, nor any magistrate, to bee an impedimente to theyr subiectes in thys seruice of GOD. For if the Magistrate wold presume to doo it: the subiectes oughte not to obeye hym,Rulers commandyng agenst god, are no… to be obeyed. yea, they ought rather to suffer all extremities thenne to doo any thynge agaynste God, and theyr conscience. Therefore this is a moste horrible synne, whenne the Magistrate is so importune in requyryng obedience, that he wyll forbydde that obedience whyche is due vntounto God. As whenne they forbydde the trewe doctrine of the Gospell to bee taughte in theyr countreys, and punyshe theyr subiectes, whenne they receaue the Sacrament of the body and blood of CHRIST vnderunder bothe kyndes, accordynge to Christes institution: Agayne, whenne they enforce and by compulsion dryue men vntounto Idolatrie, worshippyng of images, goynge on pylgremage, inuocation of Sainctes, byenge of the Popes pardons, Masses for soules departed, and suche other abhominations. In these and such lyke they excede and passe the boundes of theyr power,Note well. and hynder that obedience, whiche is dewe vntounto God. For that doth God require of vsus aboue all thynges. And lette vsus obeye hym in all poyntes. Therfore when the Magistrates sette them selues agaynst God and the trewe woorshyppyng of hym, the subiectes ought to know, that in thys behalfe they owe noo obedience to theyr rulers, neyther are they to be obeyed. For it is written, We muste obeye God more then menne.Act. 5. And Christ commaundeth here not onelyonly to geue to Cesar, that is dewe to Cesar, but also to geue to God that is due to God.
If the magistrate can not abide this, but for thine obediēce sake toward god & his word, doth cruelly entreat thee, yea taketh thy life from thee: be content, suffer his tirany paciently, & cōmit thy cause to God: and let this cōfort thee,Subiectes maye not rebell agenste theyr Rulers be they neuer so wycked. yt although the magistrat hath power ouer vsus, yet hath he not power alone, but god also, euen the Lord that dwelleth in heuen, which is greater then either king or Cesar, & therfore more to be obeyd thā any magistrate vnderunder ye heuēs. And if it so be, yt one of their commaundementes muste bee neglected and sette aside: the commaundement of Cesar oughte to geue place to the cōmaundement of God. For if thou wilt not obeye God,God is more to be obeyed, then man. but shewe thy selfe a flatterer to the Magistrate, God is so myghtie a Lorde, that he will punyshe that disobedience, that thou doest vntounto him, wyth hell fyre and euerlastynge dampnation. Who knowyng this, wyll wyttingly cast himselfe into such myserye, and not rather wyshe onelyonly one Cesar, but also all Cesars, yea the whole worlde to be agaynst hym, thenne he shoulde disobeye the Lorde hys God, and thoroughe that disobedience to purchase to hym selfe eternall deathe? Bee the magistrates neuer so madde,Math. 10. they can do no more but punyshe the body, as oure Sauiour CHRIST sayeth: Bee not afrayde of theym that kylle the bodye: As for the sowle they canne not kylle: But feare hym rather, whyche is able to destroye bothe body and soule in hell fyre.
Cesar what it signifieth in thys our gospell.But we shall here marke, that vnderunder this one word Cesar, not onelyonly the persone of Cesar is to be vnderstanded, but also eueryevery ciuile Magistrate, temporall ruler, worldly gouernour, officer. &c. Geue (sayeth Christ) to Cesar, that is dewe to Cesar, and to God, that is due to God. Nowe consyder also the rewardes. If thou obeye God, and folowe his commandemente, the rewarde of thys obedyence shall be euerlastynge and immortall, that is to saye, heauen and eternall lyfe. But yf thou obeye the temporall magistrate agaynste God, the rewarde that thou shalte receaue,Apoc. 20. shall bee but shorte and transitorye, and after that thou shalte suffer the peynes of euerlastynge damnation in that moste horrible lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone. Such as lyue vnderunder tyrants ought to consyder this, that they may certainly knowe, that God requireth of all men his obedience, whych also oughte vnfaynedly to bee shewed, come lyfe, come deathe, mangre the tyrantes beardes. GOD doothe not forbydde, but that thou mayste geue to Cesar, that belongethe vntounto Cesar: yet so, that that whiche is due vntounto hym, be not omitted nor lefte vndone. And that not withoute a cause. For of Cesar we hauehave no more, but meate, drynke, cloth, defence, peace, and whatsoeuer is requisite vntounto thys present lyfe. But of God we hauehave all these thynges, body, soule, and at the last euerlastyng lyfe. Why then should we sette lesse by God, of whome we hauehave all good and heauenly thynges, then by men? God forbydde, that we shoulde growe vntounto suche madnesse so to doo, and so to offende the Lorde our God. The magistrate ought to looke better vntounto his office,Note well. then to compell his subiectes so to doo. If CHRIST hadde thus sayde: Geue to Cesar all that he desyreth, or all that thou haste: he myght lawfully hauehave requyred it of his subiectes: and if they would not hauehave geuen it hym wyllyngly: he myghte iustely hauehave taken it awaye frome theym. But oure Sauioure Christ in thys place saythe thus: Geue those thynges to Cesar, whyche are dewe vntounto Cesar.What is Cesars. That is to saye, It is certayne and determyned what is hys, and therewyth he ought to bee contente. Ciuile obedience, outwarde honour, tribute, toll, and suche lyke worldly thyngs are due vntounto hym. All this geue him. This oughte to suffice hym. If he wyl require more, and chalenge that whyche belongethe vntounto GOD, then know ye, that in this behalfe ye owe him nothing at all. No man vnderunder paine of euerlasting damnation ought to geue that to the temporall magistrate, which is due to God alone. For as Cesar can not lawfully require it: so dothe God streightly forbyd the subiects to geue that to Cesar, which he vniustly asketh. Therfore this is a greate impietie and wyckednesse, that certayne Popyshe Princes, but chiefly Byshoppes, whyche in deede are nothynge ells th…n Princes and worldly potentates, are so proude and stately toward their subiectes. For they are not content with this obedience that they hauehave bothe the bodies and goodes of their subiectes,O tiranny. not onelyonly to serue theyr necessities, but also their pleasures, excepte they also require this, that the subiectes do beleue and serue GOD as it pleaseth them, not onelyonly not agreable, but also contrary to the worde of God. The true religion of God they forbid. They wyl not suffer their subiects to resort vntounto such places, where the woorde of God is truely taughte. They forbyd bothe the bokes of holy Scripture, and also all other good and godly woorkes, that their subiectes shold not rede them, and so come vntounto the knowledge of their saluation. They hyre blasphemous preachers to sette forthe and mainteyne the olde abhominations of Antichriste, at whose mouthes not one worde can be heard, that may comfort the conscience of the weaklyngs, or edifie in true knowledge such as be ignorant: yea and that is most horrible, these sycophantes do nothyng els, thenne in all theyr sermons blaspheme the Gospell, and moste spitefully rayle on the professoures of the same. And they thynke, they hauehave done theyr duetie notablye well, yf they maynteyne the sacrifice of the Masse, the Inuocation of Sainctes, Pylgremages, Purgatorie, pardons, the Monasticall lyfe, the syngle lyfe of Priestes, the receiuyng of the Sacrament vnderunder one kinde,The doctrine of the papistes. the Popes primacie. &c. and confirme a false perswasyon of the remission of synnes, for confession, contrition, satisfaction, penaunce, wyll woorkes. &c. But they exercise theyr tyrannye chiefly,The receauynge of the Sacramente vnderunder bothe kyndes. when theyr subiectes receyue the holy misteries of Christes body and bloode vnderunder bothe kyndes, when notwithstandyng it is most euident and playne, that so is the institution of Christe, and the primatiue churche and the holy Fathers vsed the same order many hundred yeares after Christes Ascension.Math. 16. 1. Cor. ….
And notwithstandyng this popyshe and wicked order, they will hauehave to be obserued of their subiects, yea and that vnderunder the pretence of the obedience that is due vntounto the magistrate. As though it were here thus commanded: Geue all thynges to Cesar, and to God nothyng. For in matters of religion to obeye Cesar, and not the word of God, is to set Cesar aboue God, to robbe God of all thynges, and to geue to Cesar all thynges. But so ought we not to do.Sedicion agaynste the Magistrate neuer escapeth vnpunyshed. God dothe not onelyonly graunt to Cesar the obedience of his subiectes, but he also stablysheth the same with his commandement, and defendeth the same so earnestly, that no sedition agaynst the magistrate dyd euer escape vnpunyshed, as examples bothe diuine and prophane doo euidently declare. But in the meane while God also requireth his obedience. He willeth body and goodes to be subiect to Cesar: only this he requireth, that the hearte and conscience be kept for God, that he by his worde and by his holy spirite maye gouerne there alone. But whenne GOD may not thus doo, for as muche as Cesar contrarye to ryghte, chalengeth also that is none of his, euen to bee Lorde of the conscience, and that menne should hauehave no other opinion of religion, then it pleaseth hym, and not as God appointeth in hys worde: the ende of this violence, tyranny, and wyckednes can not be good. For God by no meanes canne abyde, that hys kyngdome shoulde bee destroyed, or that his worshyppynge and seruice, which he hath commaunded in hys worde, shoulde be abolyshed. That magistrate, whyche taketh vppon hym so to doo muste nedes come to confusion, as the exaumples of moste myghty kynges and princes, do testifye. So soone as they chalenged altogether to them selues, and left nothyng for God: God defended and recouerd his owne right, and as for the tyrantes, the brought them to nought shame and confusion.
Therefore this is woorthy here to be remembred, that Christe hath appoynted certayne lymittes, beyonde the whyche Cesars power ought not to go, namely, that he rule in hys courte, and that he meddle not wyth Gods kyngdome. Geue to Cesar saieth he, the thynges that belonge to Cesar. As though he shoulde say: That whyche is Gods, and not Cesars, looke ye geue it not to Cesar, leste ye fall away from me, and obeye Cesar to muche, whyche peraduenture wyll rewarde you for a tyme: but notwithstandynge whosoeuer shall thus disobeye me, eyther for feare, or for fauoure, eyther for rewarde or otherwise he shall surely suffer the paynes of hell fyre. Lette Cesar therefore bee contente wyth hys owne: or yf hee wyll not so doo, neuer geue thou that to hym, whiche is none of his. For there muste bee a difference kept betwene these two kyngdomes, that there bee made no confusyon, that GOD maye hauehave hys,A christen magistrate ought to kepe a measure in his exactions. and Cesar lykewyse that whyche is, although in corporall matters also Cesar ought to keepe a meane, and to excede in nothyng. For there is a difference betwene a laufull magistrate and a cruell tyraunt. A tyrant violently plucketh vntounto hym all that he can gette. Hee measurethe hys ryghte by hys power and pleasure.
But a Godly and lawfull magistrate knowethe, that hee is appoynted of GOD for the healthe and preseruation of hys subiectes, and not to oppresse and to destroye them, whyche Christe also declarethe by thys, in that he maketh a difference betwene euerye priuate mannes goodes and possessions, and betwene that whyche is dewe to Cesar, or to the Magistrate. The temporall ruler therefore doothe not hys office, whenne thorough hys pollynge and pyllyng, he dryueth hys subiectes vntounto slauerye and beggery. Shepe are to be shorne, and not to be all rent and torne. The magistrate muste so take tribute and toll of his subiectes, that he leaueth vntounto them sufficient, wherwith they may defende them selues, exercise theyr occupations, and norishe bothe themselues, and suche as appertayn vntounto them. When any other great peryll and daunger is at hand, there to maynteyn the publike peace, and to defende the countrey, all thyngs ar to be don of the subiects. All that euer they are able to do eyther in body or in goodes, they ought to do it at the magistrates commandement.For the defene of theyr contreye all men oughte to bestowe bothe lyues and goodes. But in all other matters, ye magistrate ought not to forget righteous moderatiō & tēperat rule, yt he oppresse not his subiects with vnrighteous and vnlaufull exactions, but be content wyth that whyche is sufficiente, and that is all redy appropriated to his office and callyng. Otherwyse the Magistrates are vnrighteous and wicked, and take away that whiche is not theyr owne, and they doo geue GOD a greate cause to bee angrye with theym, and surely he wylle reuenge it, by one meane or other, by seditions, conspiracies, insurrections, inuasions of foreyne ennemies, or by some other waye, as he saythe by the Psalmographe: For the oppression of the poore, and for the pitifull complaynte of the nedye, I wyll nowe ryse vppe (saieth the Lorde.
Thus muche hauehave we spoken of this Gospelle. GOD geue oure magistrates and vsus grace, that wee together maye geue that vntounto God, whyche is due vntounto hym: agayne, that we, whyche are subiectes maye geue wyllyngely and gladly that to our rulers, whyche is dewe vntounto theym, and that they therwyth may be content. So shall we in this world leade an honeste and godly lyfe wyth all peace and tranquillitie,Psalme. 12. and in the worlde to comme thoroughe Faythe in CHRISTE, obteyne euerlastynge Saluation.
Whyce thyng the Lorde our God graunt vsus, thorough Iesus Christe hys sonne and our alone sauior: To whome wyth God the Father, and God the holy Ghoste, be all honour, glory, and prayse both now and euer. Amen.