: See the Acts the third's days. hold the crown and kingdom of England of the bishop of Rome and his successors, as the vassals of the said bishops of Rome for ever: in token whereof, the kings of England should also pay a yearly tribute to the said bishop of Rome, as his vassals and liege-men? Would Englishmen have brought their sovereign lord and natural country into this thraldom and subjection to a false foreign usurper, had they known and had any understanding in God's word at all? Out of the which most lamentable case, and miserable tyranny, raveny, and spoil of the most greedy Romish wolves ensuing hereupon, the kings and realm of England could not rid themselves by the space of many years after of Parliament the bishop of Rome by his ministers conti- in king Edward nually not only spoiling the realm and kings of England of infinite treasure, but also with the same money hiring and maintaining foreign enemies against the realm and kings of England, to keep them in such his subjection, that they should not refuse to pay whatsoever those unsatiable wolves did greedily gape for, and suffer whatsoever those most cruel tyrants would lay upon them. Would Englishmen have suffered this? Would they by rebellion have caused this, trow you, and all for the bishop of Rome's causeless curse, had they in those days known and understood, that God doth curse the blessings, and bless the cursings of such wicked usurping bishops and tyrants (Malachi ii. 2)? appeared afterward in king Henry the eight's days, and king Edward the sixth, and in our gracious sovereign's days that now is [Elizabeth], where neither the pope's curses, nor God's manifold blessings, are wanting. But in king John's time, the bishop of Rome understanding the brute blindness, ignorance of God's word, and superstition of Englishmen, and how much they were inclined to worship the Babylonical beast of Rome, and to fear all his threatenings and causeless curses, he abused them thus, and by their rebellion brought this noble realm and kings of England under his most cruel tyranny, and to be a spoil of his most vile and unsatiable covetousness and raveny, for a long and a great deal too long a time. And, to join unto the reports of histories matters of later memory, could the bishop of Rome have raised the late rebellions in the north and west countries in the times of As it king Henry and king Edward (our gracious sovereign's father and brother), but by abusing of the ignorant people? Or is it not most evident that the bishop of Rome hath of late attempted by his Irish patriarchs and bishops, sent from Rome with his bulls (whereof some were apprehended) to break down the bars and hedges of the public peace in Ireland, only upon confidence easily to abuse the ignorance of the wild Irishmen? Or who seeth not that upon like confidence, yet more lately he hath likewise procured the breach of the public peace in England (with the long and blessed continuance whereof he is sore grieved) by the ministry of his disguised chaplains, creeping in laymen's apparel into the houses, and whispering in the ears of certain northern borderers, being men most ignorant of their duty to God and to their prince of all people of the realm, whom therefore, as most meet and ready to execute his intended purpose, he hath by the said ignorant mass-priests, as blind guides leading the blind, brought those silly blind subjects into the deep ditch of horrible rebellion, damnable to themselves, and very dangerous to the state of the realm, had not God of his mercy miraculously calmed that raging tempest, not only without any shipwreck of the commonwealth, but almost without any shedding of Christian and English blood at all. And it is yet much more to be lamented, that not only common people, but some other youthful or unskilful princes also, suffer themselves to be abused by the bishop of Rome, his cardinals and bishops, to [the] oppressing of Christian men their faithful subjects, either themselves, or else by procuring the force and strength of Christian men, to be conveyed out of one country, to oppress true Christians in another country, and by these means open an entry unto Moors and infidels into the possession of Christian realms and countries; other Christian princes in the mean time, by the bishop of Rome's procuring also, being so occupied in civil wars, or troubled with rebellions, that they have neither leisure nor ability to confer their common forces to the defence of their fellowChristians, against such invasions of the common enemies of Christendom, the infidels and miscreants. Would to God we might only read and hear out of the histories of old, and not also see and feel these new and present oppressions of Christians, rebellions of subjects, effusion of Christian blood, destruction of Christian men, decay and ruin of Christendom, increase of paganism, most lamentable and pitiful to behold, being procured in these our days, as well as in times past, by the bishop of Rome and his ministers, abusing the ignorance of God's word yet remaining in some Christian princes and people. By which sour and bitter fruits of ignorance, all men ought to be moved to give ear and credit to God's word, shewing as most truly, so most plainly, how great a mischief ignorance is; and again how great and how good a gift of God knowledge in God's word is. And to begin with the Romish clergy, who though they do brag now, as did sometime the Jewish clergy, that they cannot lack knowledge (Jer. xviii. 18); yet doth God by his holy prophets both charge them with ignorance, and threaten them also, for that they have repelled the knowledge of God's word and law from themselves and from his people, that he will repel them, that they shall be no more his priests (Ezek. vii. 26; Hosea iv. 6). God likewise chargeth princes as well as priests, that they should endeavour themselves to get understanding and knowledge in his word, threatening his heavy wrath and destruction unto them, if they fail thereof (Psal. ii. 10). And the Wise man saith to all men universally, princes, priests, and people, Where is no knowledge, there is no good nor health to the soul (Prov. xix. 2.); and that "all men be vain, in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy word" (Wisd. xiii.; Prov. xvii. 24; Ephes. iv. 18); that they who walk in darkness wot not whither they go (John xii. 35); and that the people that will not learn shall fall into great mischiefs, as did the people of Israel, who, for their ignorance in God's word, were first led into captivity (Isa. v. 13), and when by ignorance afterward they would not know the time of their visitation, but crucified Christ our Saviour (Luke xix. 44; xxiii. 34), persecuted his holy apostles (Acts, many places), and were so ignorant and blind, that when they did most wickedly and cruelly, they thought they did God good and acceptable service (John xvi. 2), as do many by ignorance think even at this day: finally, through their ignorance and blindness, their country, towns, cities, Jerusalem itself, and the holy temple of God, were all most horribly destroyed, the most chiefest part of their people slain, and the rest led into most miserable captivity (Isa. xxvii. 10, 11; Hos. iv. 6; Baruch iii.). For he that made them had no pity upon them, neither would spare them, and all for their ignorance. And the Holy Scriptures do teach, that the people that will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, to learn and to understand with their hearts, cannot be converted and saved (Isa. vi. 9, et seq.; Matt. xiii. 14, 15; John xii. 40). And the wicked themselves, being damned in hell, shall confess ignorance in God's word to have brought them thereunto, saying, "We have erred from the way of the truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen unto us; we have wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and perdition, and have walked [in] cumbrous and crooked ways; but the way of the Lord have we not known" (Wisd. v.). And as well our Saviour himself, as his apostle St. Paul (Matt. xiii. 19; 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4), doth teach that the ignorance of God's word cometh of the devil, is the cause of all error and misjudging (as falleth out with ignorant subjects, who can rather espy a little mote in the eye of the prince, or a counsellor, than a great beam in their own) (Matt. vii. 3-5), and universally it is the cause of all evil, and finally of eternal damnation; God's judgment being severe towards those, who, when the light of Christ's gospel is come into the world, do delight more in darkness of ignorance, than in the light of knowledge in God's word (John iii. 19). For all are commanded to read or hear, to search and study the Holy Scriptures, and are promised understanding to be given them from God, if they so do (Matt. xi. 15; xiii. 9, 43; Luke viii. 8; John v. 39; Psalm i.; Matt. vii. 7; Luke xi. 9; xvi. 30, 31): all are charged not to believe either any dead man, nor if an angel should speak from heaven, much less if the pope do speak from Rome, against or contrary to the word of God, from the which we may not decline, neither to the right hand nor to the left (Gal. i. 8; Deut. v. 32). In God's word princes must learn how to obey God, and to govern men: in God's word subjects must learn obedience both to God and their princes (Deut. xvii. 14, 15, &c.; Rom. xiii. 1, &c.; 1 Pet. ii. 13, &c.). Old men and young, rich and poor, all men and women, all estates, sexes, and ages, are taught their several duties in the word of God. For the word of God is bright, giving light unto all men's eyes, the shining lamp directing_all men's paths and steps (Psal. xix. 8; cxix. 105). Let us therefore awake from the sleep and darkness of ignorance, and open our eyes that we may see the light: let us rise from the works of darkness, that we may escape eternal darkness, the due reward thereof; and let us walk in the light of God's word, whilst we have light, as becometh the children of light; so directing the steps of our lives in that way which leadeth to light and life everlasting, that we may finally obtain and enjoy the same (Ephes. v. 14; 1 Thess. v. 4, 5; John xii. 35, 36): which God the Father of lights (James i. 17), who dwelleth in light incomprehensible and inaccessible (1 Tim. vi. 16), grant unto us, through the Light of the world (John iii. 19; [viii. 12]), our Saviour Jesus Christ: unto whom, with the Holy Ghost, one most glorious God, be all honour, praise, and thanksgiving, for ever and ever. Amen. Thus have you heard the sixth part of this homily. Now, good people, let us pray. THE PRAYER (as before). A THANKSGIVING FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE LAST REBELLION. O HEAVENLY and most merciful Father, the defender of those that put their trust in thee, the sure fortress of all them that flee to thee for succour; who of thy most just judgments for our disobedience and rebellion against thy holy word, and for our sinful and wicked living, nothing answering to our holy profession, whereby we have given an occasion that thy holy name hath been blasphemed amongst the ignorant, hast of late both sore abashed the whole realm and people of England, with the terror and danger of rebellion, thereby to awake us out of our dead sleep of careless security; and hast yet, by the miseries. following the same rebellion, more sharply punished part of our countrymen and Christian brethren, who have |