Common Places, Letter – Letters
TO THE MOST RENOWMED Princes Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England, France and Ireland, Grace and euerlaſting happineſſe from God the Father through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour.
THat the whole worlde (moſt renowmed Quéene) is a ſchoole or a certain place of warfare of the Almercifull and Almightie God, where he through ſundrie labourſome exerciſes, God exerciſeth the godlie with diuerſe afflictions.ſometimes by afflictions and ſometimes by diuerſe perils teacheth and inſtructeth them that be his: I ſuppoſe that of Godly men it is iudged moſt certaine and vndoubted. Yet for all this, the heauenly father doth not ſo deale, as he hath determined that thoſe whom he leaueth ſhal perpetually be troubled with afflictions, and bée preſſed with euerlaſting griefes, but ſometimes helpeth to ouercome euils, and at ſuch oportunitie as he hath determined with himſelfe, ſuffereth them to eſcape out of the flouds and whilepittes of daungers, to the intent he may declare that it is he that leadeth them to the gates of death and bringeth them backe againe, 1. Sam. 2. 6.while hee taketh care that in his adopted children may ſhine the image whom he naturally begate vntounto himſelfe before all eternitie. Rom. 8. 28.For the ſame our firſt begotten brother Ieſus Chriſt dyed firſt before hée ſhould be raiſed vp by his owne and his fathers power. Therefore it behooueth that we alſo which are appointed to be made like his image, ſhoulde firſt die before we riſe againe. After this ſort the Iſraelites were in a manner deade while they were preſſed vnderunder the moſt gréeuous tyrannie of Pharao in Egypt: but they being deliuered by Moſes and Aaron, were after a ſort plucked away from death. Moreouer they ſéemed againe to hauehave periſhed in the manifold daungers and ſundrie miſchances of the waſt wilderneſſe, who afterward reuiued by entering into the lande of Chanaan. To conclude, they being ledde into captiuitie, were thought vtterly conſumed: who neuertheleſſe returning after 70. yeares, floriſhed againe, and were then reſtored vntounto life. The verie which thing, O moſt mightie Quéene Elyzabeth, ſéeing God hath doone vntounto you, he hath not departed from that his olde manner of cuſtome, but hath rather confirmed the ſame, and made it more manifeſt. For while his workes are executed in the meaner and baſer ſort of men, they indéed appeare the leſſe. But on ye otherſide, when they be ſhewed in men & woemen of nobleſt and higheſt eſtate, then are they made in a manner famous in ye eye of al mē. Wherfore ſince you (moſt noble Quéene Elizabeth) are aduanced to the kingdome not in verie déede by a gentle, Quéene Elyzabeth.eaſie and pleaſāt way but for certain yeares now paſſed, you hauehave appeared to be ſcarſe a foote frō death: (For ſo great & déepe hauehave bin ye daungers as ye ſhip of your life was now welnéere loonke) you are preſerued by ye power of God, not by the helpe of man, & are promoted as we nowe ſée to the poſſeſſion of that famous kingdome. Wherefore by the merciemercy and goodneſſe of the ſonne of God, in whom only you did put your truſt, you are reuiued & by the good helpe of God do inioy the kingdome of your father and grandfather, and that to the ſafetie of the Church of Chriſt, and to the reſtitution of the common weale of England falling in decay. Therefore fitlie doth that ſaying ſounde in the mouthes of all Godlie men at this time which is moſt ioyfully pronounced in the Pſalme: Pſal. 118. 28.This is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes. The ſtone which the builders refuſed is become the head ſtone of the corner. I confeſſe indéede that theſe wordes appertaine vntounto Chriſt. But ſéeing Godly men are accounted for his members, I iudge they may be applied vntounto them alſo. For that the other members of the bodie are both garniſhed and hauehave profite by the ornaments and honour of the head, Ephe. 5. 27.Paul the Apoſtle of Chriſt doth aboundantly teſtifie, which in verie déede muſt be ſpecially vnderſtood of thoſe members which are ſo eminent in the Lords bodie as it pleaſed God that your maieſtie ſhould at length excellently appeare among his people. Now this is ſo great a benefite of God, as it cannot be ſhut vp in you onelyonly, but through your own ſelfe is deriued vntounto a great number of the faithfull. For ſo manie as either are borne ſubiects in the kingdome, or wiſh well thereunto and which ſéeke nothing elſe but the glorie of Chriſt, all theſe ſéeme to themſelues to be raiſed together with you from death. Amongſt whom becauſe I neither am nor wilbe the laſt, euen as I perceiued my ſelfe by theſe welcome newes to be made excéeding and marueilous ioyfull, ſo I thought it méete, that firſt of all we ſhould giuegive thanks vntounto our moſt mighty and mercifull God, ſecondly that we ſhoulde reioyce on the behalfe of your maieſtie, and alſo of the Church and Realme of England. Wherfore let vsus praiſe God and the father of our Lorde Ieſu Chriſt which hath viſited his people being almoſt deade, and hath opened the way which a long time was ſhut vp from preaching of the Goſpel of the ſonne of God. Beholde nowe againe is the horne of ſaluation lifted vp in the kingdome of Englande, whereby the choſen of God by the inuincible power of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, are deliuered out of the hand of their enemies, and doe moſt ſyncerelie woorſhip the bleſſed GOD, according to the preſcript rule of the holie Scriptures. Glorie be nowe to GOD on high, Peace in the Church, and the good will of God towardes the people of England, that by the guide and good gouernement of this godlie Quéene, her ſubiects being adorned with righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, may walke alwaies and innocentlie before him, and that hee will ſo lighten them from aboue, as they which through the night that went before were againe fallen into darkeneſſe, and into the ſhadowe welnéere of death, now the daies of peace being ſprung vp, may walke their waies ſafelie without any offence. And that this may be done moſt mightie Quéene, it is in your hand next vntounto God. Neither doe I doubt but for your auncient faith ſake, your godlineſſe and fauour of God, which hath protected, defended and gouerned you from your childehood vntounto this daie, you wil giuegive the due honour vntounto God and to his worde. God kéepe from your ſyncere and religious heart the blemiſh of an vngratefull minde, which though in eueryevery ſort of man it be moſt fowle, in you which by the benefite of Chriſt are in this place, it would be altogether intollerable. Howbeit I am whollie perſwaded that your Maieſtie is both of a readie minde and will to reſtore the Euangelicall Religion. And albeit that you are ſufficientlie prepared and learned of your ſelfe this to doe, and that you hauehave no want of the holie counſels & godlie exhortations of others, which daily ſound in your eares: Yet hauehave I alſo thought good for the verie great bounden duety yt I owe vntounto your Maieſtie, with no leſſe breuitie than modeſtie to put you in minde of ſome things which principallie belong hereunto. Which thinges I humblie beſéeche you, may bee no otherwiſe taken of you than I hauehave written them. For that which I ſpeake with a ſyncere faith, I would alſo to be taken in good part. I knowe how tender be ye eares of the Princes of this world: Howbeit as touching yours I hauehave a verie great hope, ſince you are of Chriſt, not of this world. Wherefore ſetting aſide the reaſons of the Ethnickes, I will leade you a while to the ſingular and notable example of Dauid. For he, while he liued, was both famous in princelie power, and greatlie renowmed in excellent holineſſe. The example of Dauid in reſtoring the Religion of God.Wherefore if I be deſirous to hauehave you become ſuch a one as he was, I deſire nothing contrary either to your dignitie or godlines. He when hee ſhould be appointed to the gouernement of the kingdome in Iſrael, before he could attaine to the ſame, ſuffered euen as you hauehave doone moſt gréeuous troubles, but when he was come therunto, he thought nothing ought to be doone before he had reſtored Religion nowe ruined: whereof the principal point and ſumme in that age herein conſiſted, that the arke of the couenaunt being the principall token of God, might bée reduced vntounto the former eſtimation, which by the negligence of King Saul laie without regard had thereunto in the priuate houſe of one Aminadab in Gibea. 1. Sam. 2. 6.This the godlie king could not ſuffer, wherefore he determined to conueigh the ſame vntounto the Kinges Court. Howbeit in that wherein hee indeuoured to deale godlie, the Prieſtes did not rightlie exerciſe their office. Wherefore the godlie King in a maner deſpayred of that he looked for. Howbeit he within a while after gathering his wittes together, both draue them to doe their office rightlie, and he himſelfe alſo with incredible ioie, and with ſingular gladneſſe of the people, moſt happilie brought home the arke of the mightie God into Sion. Euen this ſame worke (moſt noble Quéene Elizabeth) is together with your kingdome, committed to your truſt. For it behooueth that you reſtore againe into his place the holie Goſpell of Chriſt, which through iniurie of the times and importunitie of the aduerſaries, hath lien ſome yéeres paſt neglected, I will not ſay trodden vnderunder foote. This if you ſhal performe, all things ſhall happen proſper ouſlie vntounto you, no leſſe than they did vntounto moſt godlie King Dauid. For if it be ſaide vntounto euerie Chriſtian man, that he ſhoulde firſt ſéeke the kingdome of God, then other thinges ſhould eaſilie be ſupplied, Matt. 6. 33.ſhal we not thinke that the ſame is commaunded vntounto kings? Certes, if it be commanded all men to worſhip God moſt ſincerely, kings are not exempted from that precept: nay rather the greater eſtate they beare amongſt men, the more are they bounde to that lawe of God. Howbeit there is no néede to admoniſh your maieſtie in many words, whom the heauenly father hath inſpired with a principall ſpirite as he did Dauid. A danger in the Church as concerning Paſtors.But this daunger is like to happen, namely leaſt thoſe which at this day be called Prieſts, ſhould erre in the worke of reſtoring the Church: euen as it came then to paſſe not without great trouble when the Lord ſmote Oza. 2. Sam. 6. 7.For the Arke of the Lord ſhoulde not hauehave béene carried in a carte, but borne vponupon the ſhoulders of the Prieſts, euen as the law of God had preſcribed. Wherefore we muſt now take ſpeciall care and héede leſt ſuch thinges doe happen: that while the gouernours of the Church either be deceiued by error, or indeuor to ſhun labours and iuſt diſcipline, they goe about to beare the Arke of ye Goſpel, not by the word of God, and example of a more pure life: but vponupon the Carts of vnprofitable ceremonies, and foule labours of hyred ſeruants. This if you ſhall conſider (moſt noble Quéene) that it came ſo to paſſe, you ſhall not as Dauid was, be mooued more than is requiſite, neither will yee intermit the worke begun as he for a time did, but will doe the ſame out of hande, as we reade that he a while after did: 1. Par. 23. & afterwardHe corrected the error of the Prieſtes, he diſpoſed the Leuites into certaine orders, & commaunded all things to be doone by the ſtrickt rule of the lawe. Theſe be the things which all Godly men (moſt bleſſed Quéene) do expect of you. Hitherunto the kings of the earth (which is very greatly to be lamented) agrée together and withſtande God and his annointed. Pſal. 2. 2.From whoſe ſocietie euen as your maieſtie is a ſtraunger, ſo muſt you heare what is ſaide vntounto you and to the reſt of kings: Ib. ver. 10.Vnderſtande nowe O yee kings, be learned O yee that iudge the earth, ſerue the Lord in feare. But you will ſay: ſhewe mée what religious worſhip that ſhalbe which is required towards God? Verilie no other but with Godly ſeueritie to prohibit and correct eſpecially in worſhipping of him thoſe things which be committed againſt the law of God. For it is neceſſarie that a king ſerue God two manner of wayes, firſt in reſpect that he is a man, by faithfull beléeuing and liuing: then in that he is a king which gouerneth the people, by eſtabliſhing in force conuenient, ſuch lawes as commaunde iuſt and Godly thinges, and forbid the contrarie. This did Ezechias when he deſtroyed the groues, ydoll temples, 2. kings. 18. 4. The example of godly Kings.and thoſe high places which were erected againſt the commaundement of God, although that ſomtimes they did not ſacrifice amiſſe in them. The ſelfeſame thing did godly Ioſias bring to paſſe with great diligence, 2. kings. 23. verſe. 4.zeale and incredible godlineſſe. Ionas. 3. 7.This did the king of the Niniuites not foreſlowe to doe, which compelled the whole citie to pacifie the wrath of God. This did Darius performe vntounto the true God as it is written in Daniel. Dan. 6. 26.This alſo did Nabucadnezer fulfill when by a moſt ſeuere lawe he bridled the tongues of them that dwelt in his kingdome from blaſpheming the liuing God. Dan. 3. 95.I might eaſily ſhewe of verie manie Kings and mightie Emperours after Chriſt that did the ſame: I meane Conſtantine, Theodoſius, Charles the Great and many others. But becauſe I wil not goe either from the memorie of our times or from your own moſt honourable progenie, this did your moſt noble brother Edwarde king of England endeuour to his power and more than his age would giuegive leaue, whoſe reigne our ſinnes and intollerable ingratitude ſuffered not any longer to be continued: OnelyOnly God woulde ſhewe vntounto the worlde the ſingular vertues and paſſing Godlineſſe of that ympe, ſecondlie that hée might ſomewhat chaſten vsus according as our ill deſertes required, hee the ſooner called him out of the earth vntounto him. Howbeit the caſe goeth wel, becauſe he after a certaine fatherly correction vſed, hath taken pitie vponupon vsus, ſéeing he hath at this time placed you his deareſt ſiſter in his roume, who maie perfourme many moe things than he could, and ſhall the more fully anſwere the opinion conceiued of you, in that you are the elder, and therefore ſhall gouerne the kingdome not by the will of others, but by your owne iudgement. Wherefore you hauehave (moſt gracious Quéene) moſt liuelie examples of the auncient and alſo of the latter kings, and finallie of your moſt déere brother, in whoſe ſteps if you be willing religiouſly to walke, (and willing thereunto you ought to be) you ſhall obtaine many & ſingular great cōmodities. Firſt you ſhall doe an acceptable thing vntounto God, by ioining your ſelfe vntounto his word: you ſhall reſtore the Church of Chriſt which is almoſt vtterly decaied: you ſhal ſatiſfy the godlier ſorte of your owne nation: By your noble example you ſhal ſhew to foreine princes a ſounde and ſincere patterne of gouernment. And I beſéech you neuer hearken vntounto them, which faigne that the regard of the reformation of religion belongeth not vntounto Princes. That the …a…e of Religion belongeth vntounto …ings.For the good kings whome I before remembred did not ſo iudge. The holy Scriptures doe not ſo inſtruct vsus, neither did the verie Ethnickes and Philoſophers themſelues ſo iudge. Is it the office of a godlie Magiſtrate to defende onelyonly one, and that the latter table of the lawe diuine? Shall the Prince take vppon him the care of all other buſineſſe, that they bee doone rightlie and without fraude, and ſhall caſt awaie the reſpect of Religion onelie? God forbid. If Biſhops and Miniſters of Churches ſhall not doe their duetie, if in handling of doctrine and adminiſtring of the Sacraments they forſake the iuſt rules of the holy Scriptures: who but a godlie Prince ſhall reuoke them into the right way? Let not your Maieſtie expect, (as things nowe be) that thoſe men are ſtirred vp to theſe things of themſelues: vnleſſe they be mooued thereunto by princely authoritie, they will not repaire the ruine of the Temple of God. Ioas a king of the Iewes, 2. kings. 12. 8.when he perceiued that the Préeſtes perfourmed not this, took vntounto him the charge to amend the decaied buildings of ye Temple. Go forward therfore O holie …ebora of our times. Ioine vntounto you ſome godlie Barac. Iud. 4. 6. The manlie courage of godlie women.The Iſraelites which are diuers waies oppreſſed, deliuer you to the ſincere and pure libertie of the Goſpell. Bée not afraide, for God is not woont to leaue theſe enterpriſes deſtitute of his fauour. Him you ſhall hauehave with you: that you, Ib. ver. 21.like valiaunt Iahel may ſtrike the head of Iabin with the hammer of your power, and faſten it to the ground from whence it came, whereby he may ceaſe to be troubleſome vntounto your good nation. We hauehave verie great hope, that you ſhall bee the ſame Heſter which ſhall driue Haman vntounto hanging, Heſter. 7.which thirſteth for the ſlaughter and blood of the people of God. Let theſe holie women be an incouragement vntounto your Maieſtie: and ſuffer not your ſelfe to faint for this cauſe that you are not borne a man but a woman. 1. Cor. 1. 28For where doth the power of God rather diſcouer it ſelfe than it dooth in weakenes? Neither he vſed the ſtrong things of the world to ſpread the kingdom of Chriſt: but by weake and baſe men he ſubdued to the Goſpell the wiſedome of man, and the loftie reaſons of the fleſh. And in that warre which Xerxes waged againſt the Gretians (if wée ſhall regard the Ethnicke affaires) the men of Perſia were ſlaine, and gaue them ſelues to ſhameful flight, when in the meane time Artemiſia the moſt renowmed Quéene, with a manly minde fought moſt ſtoute battailes. Which thing being vnderſtoode, Xerxes ſaide that the men in that battaile were women, & that the women had ſhewed themſelues to be moſt valiant men. Alſo Zenobia defended the Empire of Rome much more valiantly than did Galienus. Albeit thankes be to God, there is nothing ſauing woman kinde that can iuſtly bee noted in your Maieſtie either woman like or weake. But leaſt I ſhould be thought to ſpeake to pleaſe your eares, I am minded to paſſe ouer the incomparable learning, the knowledge of tongues, the clemencie, virginitie, wiſedome, and aboue all other the godlineſſe and other vertues wherewith you being adorned by the benefite of God are not onelie called but are in verie déede moſt famous. Wherefore girde your ſelfe with a good courage vntounto that holy worke which all good people doe expect of you, feare nothing at all the deceites of the diuell, the impediments of wicked perſons, nor yet the weakeneſſe of woman kind. God ſhall put awaie all theſe thinges with one breath of his mouth. In the meane time verilie it ſhall be my part and ſuch as I am to deſire of God in our daily deuoute praiers that he will firſt graunt vntounto your Maieſtie that you may throughly perceiue all that good is by your own wit and vnderſtanding, ſecondly that wholſome and profitable counſels may by others be ſuggeſted vntounto you; further that you may receiue thoſe things that ſhall be rightly ſhewed you: and finally that in whatſoeuer you ſhal vndertake, God will graunt you fortunate and happie ſucceſſe. Theſe praiers doe I dailie make vntounto God for you moſt gratious Ladie, and doe promiſe that while I liue I will neuer ceaſe from theſe prayers. Prou. 21. 1.But the heauenly Father which hath the heartes of Kings in his owne hand, by whom Kings doe raigne, Prou. 8. 15.and who at his owne pleaſure tranſferreth Empires to whom he will, Dan. 2. 21.euen he by his ſpirit direct your Maieſtie, together with the Church and nation of England, and by his comfortable grace long continue the ſame in ſafetie.
At Tigure 22. of December, 1558. Your Maieſties moſt humble Oratour, Peter Martyr.