Sermon Concerning Magistrates, Title page – Dedication
A treatiſe or Sermon of Henry Bullynger, much fruitfull and neceſſarye for this tyme, concernynge magiſtrates and obedience of ſubiectes. Alſo concernyng the affayres of warre, and what ſcryptures make menſion thereof. whether chriſten powers may war againſt their ennemies. And whither it be laufull for a chriſtyan to beare the office of a magiſtrate, and of the duety of ſouldiers with many other holſom inſtructions for captaynes & ſouldiers both. Made in the yere of our lorde. M.D. xlix I.F.
Let euerye ſubiect ſubmyt hym ſelfe vntounto the aucthoritie of the hygher powers. For ther is no power but of god. The powers that be, are ordeyned of god. Ro. xii. a Sapi. vi. a i. Pet. ii. b.
My ſonne feare thou the Lorde and the Kynge, and kepe no company with ye ſlaunderers for their deſtruccion ſhal come ſodenly. prouerb .xxiiii. And, prouerb, xx.
The Kynge oughte to be feared as the roaring of a Lyon, whoſo prouoketh hym vntounto anger, offendeth agaynſt his owne ſoule. pro. xx. a .xxiiii. c.
¶ To the moſt excellent Prince Edward ye .vi. by the grace of God Kyng of England, Fraūce and Itlande, defendoure of the fayth, and in earthe of the churche of englande and Irelande immediatly vnderunder God ſuppreme head, your graces humble ſubiect and dayly orator Gwalter Lyn wyſſheth aboundaunce of al grace, and godlynes, with a long and proſperous raygne.
COnſideringe (moſt myghty Prynce), what greate benifites I hauehave receyued of this your maieſties realme of Englande which hath ſo mani yeares nouriſhed and ſuccoured my poore lyfe hytherto. I thought my ſelf no leſſe bound of very duty but to ſhew ſome office of recompenſation therefore. Againe conſideringe ye feruent proceadynge of your maieſtie in ſettynge forth the worde of god, & alſo ye towardnes of moſte your ſubiectes which as a rype harueſt do lacke but workemen, to ſet them forwarde, I thoughte I coulde gratyfy in no other thynge more both youre moſte graciouſe entente & the deſyre of this youre realm, which now I take for myne owne natiue coū tre, than to ſerch out ſome neceſſary doctryne, whiche coulde do all my countrye men good. VponUpon the whiche conſideracion here I brought out of latine into englyſh a worke of Bullenger moſt fruytfull & expedient for all tymes namely for this tyme moſte neceſſary, concernynge the ordre of a common wealth the inſtitution of magiſtrates, the vſe of ye ſworde the obediēce of ſubiectes, the miniſtratiō of warres, the inſtruction of ſouldiours. Whyche thinges I think to be ſo neceſſary for theſe daies, that nothīg can come in more meite time or place. And as this worke of this excellent auther ſemyth to me moſt excellently handeled full of moſt notable hiſtores, and excellent doctrine, ſo I coulde fynde no other ſo meite to dedicate it vntounto, as to your excellēt maieſty to whom not only I dedicate this worke and labor of myne, but body life and goodes to your gracious pleaſure, wyth my contynuall prayer alſo to almyghty God longe to proſpere your floriſhing ſtate to his glori and fortherāce of his welbeloued church. Amen.
Your true and obedient ſubiect Gwalter Lynne.