16The second part of the Homily Against Disobedience and Willful Rebellion.

As in the first part of this treaty of obedience of subjects to their princes, and against disobedience and rebellion, I have alleged diverse sentences out of the Holy Scriptures for proof: so shall it be good for the better declaration and confirmation of the said wholesome doctrine, to allege one example or two out of the Holy Scriptures of the obedience of subjects, not only unto their good and gracious governors, but also unto their evil and unkind princes. As King Saul was not of the best, but rather of the worst sort of Princes, as being out of God's favor for his disobedience against God in sparing (in a wrong pity) the King Agag, whom Almighty God commanded to be slain, according to the justice of God against his sworn enemy: and although Saul of a devotion meant to sacrifice such things as he spared of the Amalachites to the honor and service of God: yet Saul was reproved for his wrong mercy and devotion, and was told that obedience would have more pleased him then such lenity, which sinful humanity (said holy Chrysostom) is more cruel before God, than any murder or shedding of blood when it is commanded of God. But yet how evil soever Saul the King was, and out of God's favor, yet was he obeyed of his subject David, the very best of all subjects, and most valiant in the service of his Prince and country in the wars, the most obedient and loving in peace, and always most true and faithful to his Sovereign and Lord, and furthest off from all manner of rebellion. For the which his most painful, true, and faithful service, King Saul yet rewarded him not only with great unkindness, but also sought his destruction and death by all means possible: so that David was fain to save his life, not by rebellion, or any resistance, but by flight and hiding himself from the Kings sight. Which notwithstanding, when king Saul upon a time came alone into the cave where David was, so that David might easily have slain him, yet would he neither hurt him himself, neither suffer any of his men to lay hands upon him. Another time also David entering by night with one Abisai a valiant and fierce man, into the tent where King Saul did lie a sleep, where also he might yet more easily have slain him, yet would he neither hurt him himself, nor suffer Abisai (who was willing and ready to slay King Saul) once to touch him. Thus did David deal with Saul his Prince, notwithstanding that King Saul continually sought his death and destruction. It shall not be amiss unto these deeds of David to add his words, and to show you what he spoke unto such as encouraged him to take his opportunity and advantage to

slay King Saul, as his mortal enemy, when he might. The Lord keep me, said David, from doing that thing, and from laying hands upon my

Lord, God's anointed. For who can lay his hand upon the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? As truly as the Lord lives, except that the Lord do smite him, or his days shall come to die, or that he go down to war, and be slain in battle: the Lord be merciful unto me, that I lay not my hand upon the Lords anointed.

17These be David's words spoken at sundry times to diverse his servants provoking him to slay King Saul, when opportunity served him there

unto. Neither is it to be omitted and left out, how when an Amalachite had slain King Saul, even at Saul's own bidding, and commandment

(for he would live no longer now, for that he had lost the field

against his enemies the Philistines) the said Amalachite making great haste to bring first word and news thereof unto David, as joyous unto him for the death of his mortal enemy, bringing withal the crown that was upon King Saul's head, and the bracelet that was about his arm, both as a proof of the truth of his news, and also as fit and pleasant presents unto David, being by God appointed to be King, Saul his successor in the kingdom: Yet was that faithful and godly David so far

from rejoicing at these news, that he rent his clothes, wept, and mourned, and fasted: and so far off from thanksgiving to the messenger, either for his deed in killing the King, though his deadly enemy, or for his message and news, or for his presents that he brought, that he said unto him, 'How happened it that thou wast not afraid to lay thy 'hands

'upon the Lords anointed, to slay him? 'Whereupon, immediately he commanded one of his servants to kill the messenger, 'and said, Thy blood be upon thine own head, for thine own mouth hath 'witnessed against thy self, in confessing that thou hast slain the Lords 'anointed.

18This example dearly beloved is notable, and the circumstances thereof are well to be considered, for the better instruction of all subjects in their bounden duty of obedience, and perpetual fearing of them from attempting of any rebellion, or hurt against their Prince. On the one part, David was not only a good and true subject, but also such a subject, as both in peace and war had served and saved his Princes honor and life, and delivered his country and countrymen from great danger of infidels, foreign and most cruel

enemies, horribly invading the King, and his country: for the which David was in a singular favor with all the people, so that he might have had great numbers of them at his commandment, if he would have attempted any thing. Besides this, David was no common or absolute

subject but heir apparent to the crown and kingdom, by God

appointed to reign after Saul: which as it increased the favor of the people that knew it, towards David, so did it make David's cause and case much differing from the case of common and absolute subjects. And which is

most of all, David was highly and singularly in the favor of God: on the contrary part, king Saul was out of God's favor, (for that cause which is before rehearsed) and he as it were God's enemy, and

therefore like in war and peace to be hurtful and pernicious unto the common wealth, and that was known to many of his subjects, for that he

was openly rebuked of Samuel for his disobedience unto GOD, which might make the people the less to esteem him. King Saul was also unto

David a mortal and deadly enemy, though without David's deserving, who by his faithful, painful, profitable, yea most necessary service, had well deserved, as of his country, so of his Prince, but King Saul fare otherwise: the more was his unkindness, hatred, and cruelty towards such a good subject, both odious and detestable. Yet would David neither himself slay nor hurt such an enemy, for that he was his Prince and Lord, now would suffer any other to kill, hurt, or lay hand upon him, when he might have been slain without any stir, tumult, or danger of any man's life. Now let David answer to such demands, as men

desirous of rebellion, do use to make. Shall not we, especially being so good men as we are, rise and rebel against a Prince, hated of God, and God's enemy, and therefore like not to prosper either in war or peace, but to be hurtful and pernicious to the common wealth? No said

good and godly David, God's and such a King's faithful subject: and so convicting such subjects as attempt any rebellion against such a king, to be neither good subjects nor good men. But say they, shall we not

rise and rebel against so unkind a Prince, nothing considering or regarding our true, faithful, and painful service, or the safeguard of our posterity? No says good David, whom no such unkindness could cause to

forsake his due obedience to his Sovereign. Shall we not, say they, rise and rebel against our known, mortal, and deadly enemy, that seeks our lives? No says godly David, who had learned the lesson that our

savior afterward plainly taught, that we should do no hurt to our fellow subjects, though they hate us, and be our enemies: much less unto our prince, though he were our enemy. Shall we not assemble an army

of such good fellows as we are, and by hazarding of our lives, and the lives of such as shall withstand us, and withal hazarding the whole estate of our country, remove so naughty a Prince? No said godly

David, for I, when I might without assembling force, or number of men, without tumult or hazard of any man's life, or shedding of any drop of blood, have delivered my self and my country of an evil Prince, yet would I not do it. Are not they (say some) lusty and courageous

captains, valiant men of stomach, and good men's bodies, that do venture by force to kill and depose their King, being a naughty Prince, and their mortal enemy? They may be as lusty and courageous as they list,

yet said godly David, they can be no good nor godly men that so do: for I not only have rebuked, but also commanded him to be slain as a wicked man, which slew King Saul mine enemy, though he being weary of his life for the loss of the victory against his enemies, desired that man to slay him. What shall we then do to an evil, to an unkind Prince, an

enemy to us, hated of GOD, hurtful to the common wealth, &c. Lay no violent hand upon him, said good David, but let him live until God appoint and work his end, either by natural death, or in war by lawful enemies, not by traitorous subjects.

19Thus would godly David make answer: And St. Paul as you heard before, will we also to pray for such a Prince. If King David would make these answers, as by his deeds and words recorded in the Holy Scriptures, indeed he did make unto all such demands concerning rebelling against evil princes, unkind princes, cruel princes, princes that be to their good subjects mortal enemies, princes that are out of God's favor, and so hurtful, or like to be hurtful to the common wealth: what

answer think you, would he make to those that demand, whether they (being naughty and unkind subjects) may not, to the great hazard of the life of many thousands, and the utter danger of the state of the common wealth, and whole realm, assemble a sort of rebels, either to depose, to put in fear, or to destroy their natural and loving princes, enemy to none, good to all, even to them the worst of all other, the maintainer of perpetual peace, quietness, and security, most beneficial to the common wealth, most necessary for the safeguard of the whole realm? What answer would David make to their demand, whether they may not attempt cruelly and unnaturally to destroy so peaceable and merciful a Prince, what I say would David, so reverently speaking of Saul, and so patiently suffering so evil a king, what would he answer and say to such demands? What would he say, nay what would he do to such high attempters, whoso said and did as you before have heard, unto him that slew the king his master, though a most wicked prince? If he punished with death as a wicked doer, such a man: with what reproaches of words would he revile such, yea with what torments of most shameful deaths would he destroy such hell hounds rather then evil men, such rebels I mean, as I last spoke of? For if they who do disobey an evil and unkind prince, be most unlike unto David that good subject: what be they, who do rebel against a most natural and loving prince? And if David being so good a subject, that he obeyed so evil a king, was worthy of a subject to be made a king himself: What be they, which are so evil subjects that they will rebel against their gracious prince, worthy of? Surely no mortal man can express with words, nor conceive in mind the horrible and most dreadful damnation that such be worthy of: who disdaining to be the quiet and happy subjects of their good prince, are most worthy to be the miserable captives and vile slaves of that infernal tyrant Satan, with him to suffer eternal slavery and torments. This one example of the good subject David out of the Old Testament may suffice, and for the notableness of it serve for all.

In the New Testament the excellent example of the blessed Virgin Mary the mother of our Savior Christ, doeth at the first offer itself. When proclamation or commandment was sent into Jury from Augustus, the Emperor of Rome, that the people there should repair unto their own cities and dwelling places, there to be taxed: neither did the blessed Virgin, though both highly in God's favor, and also being of the royal blood of the ancient natural Kings of Jury, disdain to obey the commandment of an heathen and foreign prince, when God had placed such a one over them: Neither did she allege for an excuse, that she was great with child, and most near her time of deliverance: Neither grudged she at the length and tedious journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, from whence and whither she must go to be taxed: neither repined she at the sharpness of the dead time of winter, being the latter end of December, an unfit time to travail in, specially a long journey for a woman being in her case: but all excuses set apart, she obeyed, and came to the appointed place, whereat her coming she

found such great resort and throng of people, that finding no place in any inn, she was fain after her long painful and tedious journey, to take up her lodging in a stable, where also she was delivered of her blessed child: and this also declares how near her time she took that journey. This obedience of this most noble, and most virtuous lady, to a foreign and pagan Prince, doeth well teach us (who in comparison of her are most base and vile) what ready obedience we do owe to our natural and gracious Sovereign. Howbeit, in this case the obedience of the whole Jewish nation (being otherwise a stubborn people) unto the commandment of the same foreign heathen

Prince, doeth prove, that such Christians as do not most readily obey their natural gracious Sovereign, are far worse than the stubborn Jews, whom we yet account as the worst of all people. But no example ought to be of more force with us Christians, then the example of

Christ our Master and Savior, who though he were the son of

God, yet did always behave himself most reverently to such men as were in authority in the world in his time, and he not rebelliously

behaved himself, but openly did teach the Jews to pay tribute unto the Roman Emperor, though a foreign and a pagan Prince, yea

himself with his Apostles paid tribute unto him: and finally, being brought

before Pontius Pilate, a stranger born, and an heathen man, being lord

president of Jury, he acknowledged his authority and power to be

given him from God, and obeyed patiently the sentence of most painful and shameful death, which the said judge pronounced and gave

most unjustly against him, without any grudge, murmuring, or evil word once giving.

20There be many and diverse other examples of the obedience to Princes, even such as be evil, in the New Testament, to the utter confusion of disobedient and rebellious people, but this one may be an eternal example, which the son of GOD, and so the Lord of all, Jesus Christ hath given to us his Christians and servants, and such as may serve for all, to teach us to obey Princes, though strangers, wicked, and wrongful, when God for our sins shall place such over us. Whereby it follows unavoidably, that such as do disobey or rebel against their own natural gracious sovereigns, howsoever they call themselves, or be named of others, yet are they indeed no true Christians, but worse than Jews, worse than Heathens, and such as shall never enjoy the Kingdom of heaven, which Christ by his obedience purchased for true Christians, being obedient to him the King of all Kings, and to their Prince whom he hath placed over them: the which kingdom the peculiar place of all such obedient subjects, I beseech God our heavenly Father, for the same our Savior Jesus Christ's sake to grant unto us, to whom with the holy Ghost be all laud, honor, and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

21Thus have you heard the second part of this Homily, now good people let us pray.

22The prayer as in that time it was published.

23O Most mighty God, the Lord of hosts, the Governor of all creatures, the only giver of all victories, 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 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 them 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.