49The fifth part of the Homily against Disobedience and Willful Rebellion.

Whereas after both doctrine and examples of due obedience of subjects to their Princes, I declared lastly unto you what an abominable sin against God and man rebellion is, and what horrible plagues, punishments, and deaths, with death everlasting, finally doeth hang over the heads of all rebels: it shall not be either impertinent, or unprofitable now to declare who they be, whom the devil, the first author and founder of rebellion, doeth chiefly use to the stirring up of subjects to rebel against their lawful Princes: that knowing them, you may flee them, and their damnable suggestions, avoid all rebellion, and to escape the horrible plagues, and dreadful death, and damnation eternal finally due to all rebels.

50Though many causes of rebellion may be reckoned, and almost as many as there be vices in men and women, as hath been before noted: yet in this place I will only touch the principal and most usual causes as specially ambition and ignorance. By ambition, I mean the unlawful and restless desire in men, to be of higher estate then God hath given or appointed unto them. By ignorance, I mean no unskilfulness in arts or sciences, but the lack of knowledge of God's blessed will declared in his holy word, which teaches both extremely to abhor all rebellion, as being the root of all mischief, and specially to delight in obedience, as the beginning and foundation of all goodness, as hath been also before specified. And as these are the two chief causes of rebellion: so are there specially two sorts of men in whom these vices do reign, by whom the devil, the author of all evil, doeth chiefly stir up all disobedience and rebellion.

51The restless ambitious having once determined by one means or other to achieve to their intended purpose, when they cannot by lawful and peaceable means climb so high as they do desire, they attempt the same by force and violence: wherein when they cannot prevail against the ordinary authority and power of lawful Princes and governors themselves alone, they do seek the aid and help of the ignorant multitude, abusing them to their wicked purpose. Wherefore seeing a few ambitious and malicious are the authors and heads, and multitudes of ignorant men are the ministers and furtherers of rebellion, the chief point of this part shall be as well to notify to the simple and ignorant men who they be, that have been and be usual authors of rebellion, that they may know them: and also to admonish them to beware of the subtle suggestions of such restless ambitious persons, and so to flee them: that rebellions (though attempted by a few ambitious) through the lack of maintenance by any multitudes, may speedily and easily without any great labor, danger or damage be repressed and clearly extinguished.

52It is well known as well by all histories, as by daily experience, that none have either more ambitiously aspired above Emperors, Kings and Princes: nor have more perniciously moved the ignorant people to rebellion against their Princes, then certain persons which falsely challenge to themselves to be only counted and called spiritual. I must therefore here yet once again briefly put you (good people) in remembrance out of God's holy word, how our Savior Jesus Christ, and his holy Apostles, the heads and chief of all true spiritual and ecclesiastical men, behaved themselves towards the Princes and rulers of their time, though not the best governors that ever were, that you be not ignorant whether they be the true disciples and followers of Christ and his Apostles, and so true spiritual men, that either by ambition do so highly aspire, or do most maliciously teach, or most perniciously do execute rebellion against their lawful Princes, being the worst of all

carnal works, and mischievous deeds.

53The Holy Scriptures do teach most expressly, that our Savior Christ

himself, and his Apostles Saint Paul, Saint Peter, with others, were unto the magistrates and higher powers, which ruled at their being

upon the earth, both obedient themselves, and did also diligently and earnestly exhort all other Christians to the like obedience unto their Princes

and Governors: whereby it is evident that men of the clergy,

and ecclesiastical ministers, as their successors ought both themselves

specially, and before other, to be obedient unto their Princes, and also

to exhort all others unto the same. Our Savior Christ likewise teaching by his doctrine that his Kingdom was not of this world,

did by his example in fleeing from those that would have made him king, confirm the same: expressly also forbidding his Apostles, and by them

the whole Clergy, all princely dominion over people and nations,

and he and his holy Apostles likewise, namely Peter and Paul, did forbid unto all ecclesiastical ministers, dominion over the Church of

Christ. And indeed whiles the ecclesiastical ministers continued in Christ's Church in that order that is in Christ's word prescribed unto

them, and in Christian kingdoms kept themselves obedient to their own Princes, as the Holy Scripture doeth teach them: both was Christs

Church more clear from ambitious emulations and contentions, and

the state of Christian kingdoms, less subject unto tumults and rebellions. But after that ambition and desire of dominion entered once into

ecclesiastical ministers, whose greatnesses after the doctrine and example

of our Savior, should chiefly stand in humbling themselves: and

that the Bishop of Rome being by the order of God's word none other then the Bishop of that one See and Diocese, and never yet well able to govern the same, did by intolerable ambition challenge, not only to be the head of all the Church dispersed throughout the world, but also to be Lord of all Kingdoms of the world, as is expressly set forth

in the book of his own canon laws, most contrary to the doctrine and example of our Savior Christ, whose vicar, and of his Apostles, namely Peter, whose successor he pretended to be: after his ambition entered, and this challenge once made by the Bishop of Rome, he became at once the spoiler and destroyer both of the Church, which is the kingdom of our Savior Christ, and of the Christian Empire, and all Christian kingdoms, as an universal tyrant over all.

54And whereas before that challenge made, there was great amity and love amongst the Christians of all countries, hereupon began emulation, and much hatred between the Bishop of Rome and his clergy and friends on the one part, and the Grecian clergy and Christians of the East on the other part, for that they refused to acknowledge any such supreme authority of the Bishop of Rome over them: the Bishop of Rome for this cause amongst other, not only naming them, and taking them for schismatics, but also never ceasing to persecute them, and the Emperors who had their See and continuance in Greece, by stirring of the subjects to rebellion against their Sovereign Lords, and by raising deadly hatred and most cruel wars between them and other Christian Princes. And when the Bishops of Rome had translated the title of the Emperor, and as much as in them did lie, the empire itself from their Lord the Emperor of Greece, and of Rome also by right unto the Christian Princes of the West, they became in short space no better unto the West Emperors, then they were before unto the Emperors of Greece: for the usual discharging of subjects from their oath of fidelity made unto the Emperors of the West their Sovereign Lords, by the Bishops of Rome: the unnatural stirring up of the subjects unto rebellion against their Princes, yea of the son against the father, by the Bishop of Rome: the most cruel and bloody wars raised amongst Christian Princes of all kingdoms: the horrible murder of infinite thousands of Christian men being slain by Christians: and which ensued thereupon, the pitiful loss, of so many goodly cities, countries, dominions, and kingdoms, sometime possessed by Christians in Asia, Africa, Europe: the miserable fall of the Empire and Church of Greece, sometime the most flourishing part of Christendom, into the hands of the Turks: the lamentable diminishing, decay, and ruin of Christian religion: the dreadful increase of paganism, and power of the infidels and miscreants, and all by the practise and procurement of the Bishop of Rome chiefly, is in the histories and chronicles written by the Bishop of Rome's own favorers and friends to be seen, and as well known unto all such as are acquainted with the said histories. The ambitious intent and most subtle drifts of the Bishops of Rome in these their practises, appeared evidently by their bold attempt in spoiling and robbing the Emperors, of their towns, cities, dominions, and kingdoms, in Italy, Lombardy, and Sicily, of ancient right belonging unto the Empire, and by joining of them unto their Bishopric of Rome, or else giving them unto strangers, to hold them of the Church and Bishop of Rome as in-capite, and as of the chief Lords thereof, in which tenure they hold the most part thereof, even at this day. But these ambitious and indeed traitorous means and spoiling of their Sovereign Lords, the Bishops of Rome, of Priests, and none other by right then the Bishops of one city and Dioceses, are by false usurpation become great Lords of many dominions, mighty Princes, yea or Emperors rather, as claiming to have diverse Princes and Kings to their vassals, liege men, and subjects: as in the same histories written by their own familiars and courtiers is to be seen. And indeed since the time that the Bishops of Rome by ambition, treason, and usurpation achieved and attained to this height and greatness, they behaved themselves more like Princes, Kings, and Emperors in all things, then remained like Princes, Bishops, and ecclesiastical, or (as they would bee called) spiritual persons, in any one thing at all. For after this rate they have handled other Kings and Princes of other realms throughout Christendom, as well as their Sovereign Lords the Emperors, usually discharging their subjects of their oath of fidelity, and so stirring them up to rebellion against their natural Princes, whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified unto you.

55Wherefore let all good subjects, knowing these the special instruments, and ministers of the devil, to the stirring up of all rebellions, avoid and flee them, and the pestilent suggestions of such foreign usurpers, and their adherents, and embrace all obedience to God, and their natural Princes and Sovereigns, that they may enjoy God's blessings, and their Princes favor, all peace, quietness, security in this world, and finally attain through Christ our Savior, life everlasting in the world to come: which God the Father for the same our Savior Jesus Christ his sake grant unto us all, to whom with the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end, Amen.

56Thus have you heard the fifth part of this Homily, now good people let us pray.

57The prayer as in that time it was published.

58O Most mighty God, the Lord of hosts, the Governor of all creatures, the only giver of all victories, and who alone art able to strengthen the weak against the mighty, and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine enemies with the countenance of a few of thy servants calling upon thy Name, and trusting in them: defend, O Lord, thy servant and our Governor under the, our Queen Elizabeth, and all thy people committed to her charge: O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common enemies as well to the truth of thy eternal Word, as to their own natural Prince and country, and manifestly to this crown and realm of England which thou hast of thy divine providence assigned in these our days to the government of thy servant, our Sovereign and gracious Queen, O most merciful Father, (if it be thy holy will) make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this realm of England, or to oppress the crown of the same, and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, that we and they may jointly glorify thy mercy. Lighten we beseech the their ignorant hearts, to embrace the truth of thy word, or else so abate their cruelty (O most mighty Lord) that this our Christian realm with others that confess thy Holy Gospel, may obtain by thine aid and strength, surety from all enemies, without shedding of Christian blood, whereby all they which be oppressed with their tyranny, may be relieved, and they which be in fear of their cruelty, may be comforted: and finally that all Christian realms, and specially this realm of England, may by thy defense and protection continue in the truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect peace, quietness, and security: and that we for these thy mercy, jointly altogether with one consonant heart and voice, may thankfully render to the all laud and praise, that we knit in one godly concord and unity amongst our selves, may continually magnify thy glorious Name, who with thy son our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, art one Eternal, Almighty, and most merciful God: to whom be all laud and praise world without end. Amen.