XXXIII.

AN HOMILY

AGAINST

HOMILY As God, the Creator and Lord of all things, appointed his Angels and heavenly creatures in all obedience to serve and to honour his Majesty; so was it his will that man, his chief creature upon the earth, should live under the obedience of his Creator and Lord. And for that cause, God, as soon as he had created man, gave unto him a certain precept and law, which he-being yet in the state of innocency, and remaining in Paradise-should observe as a pledge and token of his due and bounden obedience; with denunciation of death, if he did transgress and break the said law and commandment. And, as God would have man to be his obedient subject, so did he make all earthly creatures subject unto man; who kept their due obedience unto man, so long as man remained in his obedience unto God: in the which obedience if man had continued still, there had been no poverty, no diseases, no sickness, no death, nor other miseries, wherewith

mankind is now infinitely and most miserably afflict- HOMILY ed and oppressed. So here appeareth the original xxxIII. kingdom of God over Angels and man, and universally over all things; and of man over earthly creatures, which God had made subject unto him; and withal the felicity and blessed state, which Angels, man, and all creatures had remained in, had they continued in due obedience unto God their King. For, as long as in this first kingdom the subjects continued in due obedience to God their King, so long did God embrace all his subjects with his love, favour, and grace, which to enjoy is perfect felicity: whereby it is evident, that obedience is the principal virtue of all virtues, and indeed the very root of all virtues, and the cause of all felicity. But, as all felicity and blessedness should have continued with the continuance of obedience; so, with the breach of obedience, and breaking in of rebellion, all vices and miseries did withal break in, and overwhelm the world. The first author of which rebellion-the root of all vices, and mother of all mischiefs-was Lucifer; Matt. iv. 9. first God's most excellent creature, and most John viii. 44. bounden subject; who, by rebelling against the 2 Pet. ii. 4. Majesty of God, of the brightest and most glorious Rev. xii. 7. Angel, is become the blackest and most foul fiend and devil; and from the height of heaven is fallen into the pit and bottom of hell.

Matt.xxv. 41.

Jude-6.

&c.

Here you may see the first author and founder of rebellion, and the reward thereof: here you may Gen. iii. 1, see the grand captain and father of rebels; who, Wisd. ii. 24. persuading the following of his rebellion against God their Creator and Lord, unto our first parents Adam and Eve, brought them in high displeasure with God; wrought their exile and banishment out Gen. iii. 8, 9, of Parade, a place of all pleasure and goodness, 17, 23, 24. into this wretched earth and vale of all misery; procured unto them sorrows of their minds, mischiefs, sickness, diseases, death of their bodies; and -which is far more horrible than all worldly and bodily mischiefs-he had wrought thereby their eternal and everlasting death and damnation, had

&c.

XXXIII.

HOMILY not God by the obedience of his Son Jesus Christ repaired that, which man by disobedience and rebellion had destroyed, and so of his mercy had pardoned and forgiven him: of which all and singular the premises the Holy Scriptures do bear record in `sundry places.

Rom. v.

12, 19, &c.

Thus do you see, that neither Heaven nor Paradise could suffer any rebellion in them, neither be places for any rebels to remain in. Thus became rebellion, as you see, both the first and the greatest, and the very root of all other sins, and the first and principal cause both of all worldly and bodily mizeries, sorrows, diseases, sicknesses, and deaths, and, which is infinitely worse than all these, as is said, the very cause of death and damnation eternal also. After this breach of obedience to God, and rebellion against his Majesty, all mischiefs and miseries breaking in therewith, and overflowing the world, lest all things should come unto confusion and utter Gen. iii. 17. ruin, God forthwith, by laws given unto mankind, repaired again the rule and order of obedience thus by rebellion overthrown; and, besides the obedience due unto his Majesty, he not only ordained that, in families and households, the wife should be obeGen. iii. 16. dient unto her husband, the children unto their parents, the servants unto their masters; but also, when mankind increased, and spread itself more largely over the world, he, by his holy word, did constitute and ordain in cities and countries several and special Governors and Rulers, unto whom the residue of his people should be obedient. As in reading of the Holy Scriptures we shall find in very many and almost infinite places, as well of the Old Testament as of the New, that Kings and Princes, as well the evil as the good, do reign by God's ordinance, and that subjects are bounden to obey them; that God doth give Princes wisdom, great power, and authority; that God defendeth them against their enemies, and destroyeth their enemies horribly; that the anger and displeasure of the Prince is as the roaring of a lion, and the very messenger of death, and the subject, that provoketh

Job xxxiv.

30, and xxxvi.

7.

Eccles. yili.

2. aud x. 16, 17, 20.

Psal. xviii.

50. xx. 6. and xxi. 1.

Prov. viii. 15

him to displeasure, sinneth against his own soul: HOMILY with many other things, concerning both the autho-_XXXIII. rity of Princes and the duties of subjects.

Rom. xiii. 1.

&c.

But here let us rehearse two special places out of the New Testament, which may stand in stead of all other. The first out of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans and the thirteenth chapter, where he writeth thus unto all subjects: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers; for there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For Princes are not to be feared for good works, but for evil. Wilt thou then be without fear of the power? Do well, so shalt thou have praise of the same; for he is the minister of God for thy wealth. But if thou do evil, fear; for he beareth not the sword for nought, for he is the minister of God, to take vengeance upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must be subject, not because of wrath only, but also for conscience sake: for for this cause ye pay also tribute, for they are God's ministers, serving for the same purpose. Give to every man, therefore, his due; tribute to whom tribute belongeth; custom to whom custom is due; fear to whom fear belongeth; honour to whom ye owe honour. Thus far are. St. Paul's words. The second place is in St. Peter's First Epistle, and the second chapter, whose words are these. Submit yourselves unto all manner of 1 Pet. ii, 13, ordinances of man for the Lord's sake; whether it &c. be unto the King, as unto the chief head; either unto rulers, as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil-doers, but for the cherishing of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may stop the mouths of ignorant and foolish men: as free, and not as having the liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but even as the servants of God. Honour all men, love brotherly fellowship, fear God, honour the King. Servants, obey your masters with fear, not only if they be good and courteous, but also

HOMILY though they be froward.
XXXIII. Peter.

Thus far out of St.

By these two places of the Holy Scriptures, it is most evident that Kings, Queens, and other Princes -for he speaketh of authority and power, be it in men or women-are ordained of God; are to be obeyed and honoured of their subjects; that such subjects as are disobedient or rebellious against their Princes, disobey God, and procure their own damnation ; that the government of Princes is a great blessing of God, given for the common wealth, specially of the good and godly-for the comfort and cherishing of whom, God giveth and setteth up Princes-and, on the contrary part, to the fear and for the punishment of the evil and wicked. Finally, that if servants ought to obey their masters, not only being gentle, but such as be froward; as well, and much more, ought subjects to be obedient, not only to their good and courteous, but also to their sharp and rigorous, Princes.

It cometh therefore neither of chance and fortune, as they term it, nor of the ambition of mortal men and women, climbing up of their own accord to dominion, that there be Kings, Queens, Princes, and other Governors over men being their subjects; but all Kings, Queens, and other Governors are specially appointed by the ordinance of God. And as God himself, being of an infinite majesty, power, and wisdom, ruleth and governeth all things in heaven and earth, as the universal Monarch and only King and Emperor over all, as being only able to take and bear the charge of all; so hath he constituted, ordained, and set earthly Princes over particular kingdoms and dominions in earth, both for the avoiding of all confusion-which else would be in the world, if it should be without governors— and for the great quiet and benefit of earthly men their subjects; and also- that the Princes themselves in authority, power, wisdom, providence, and righteousness, in government of people and countries committed to their charge, should resemble his heavenly governance, as the majesty of heavenly