Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

unless these writers expected and intended every man to be his own Croxall and moralize forth the inference, "We see by this story that when a man is a very wicked man, it is a good thing to go and kill him." There are too many such passages; and one, though somewhat out of place, may be here given as a specimen. As to Caligula ;

"Many other noble actes by his absolute power he wrought: and at leynght he commaunded that his ymage should be set vp in the temple at Ierusalem, and ther worshipped: as not vnlike Saint Gardiners (for he hathe done no smal thinges) shalbe shortly by Anticipacion in England. But what was thende of Caligulaes absolute power? whan he had reigned three yeares and ten monethes, his owne householde seruauntes conspired against hym, and the general of his owne Armie slewe him."-Ponet, Sig. B vii. b.

I must add another from Goodman, which regards the general subject, because there is something about it which to those who would be likely to receive and be influenced by it at the time, might appear argumentative and scriptural, and my object (I trust I have shown it by the length of these extracts) is not to catch at a hasty expression, or make any man an offender for a word, but to show what was the doctrine quietly and carefully taught by those who were accredited as teachers by their party.

"The like commandement is also geuen in the 17. and 18. Chap. of the same boke [Deuteronomy] charging all the people of God in generall, to see idolatrie punished without mercie, and that in all persones. Wherefore we may moste certaynely conclude, that if the Rulers and Magistrates in this case, woulde not execute the Lawes of God where with they are so straightly charged, that then the people are not discharged, excepte they put it in execution to take the euil from amongest them, to whom it also belongeth.

"Next, that no persone is exempted by any Lawe of God from this punishment, be he kinge, Quene or Emperour, that is, either openly or priuely knowne to be an idolatrer be he neuer so neare or deare vnto vs, he must dye the death. For God hath not placed them aboue others to transgresse his Lawes as they liste, but to be subiecte vnto them as well as others, ouer whom they gouerne.

"And if they be subiecte vnto his Lawes, they muste be subiect to the punishment also, when they be fownd disobedient transgressors: yea, so muche the more as their example is more daungerous. For looke what wickednesse reigneth in the Magistrates, the subiectes comonly take incouragement therby to imitate the same, as we see in the examples of Iereboam, Achab and wicked Manasses, who being suffred in the beginninge to commit idolatrie, and to erecte idoles, made the same likewise lawful to all their subiectes. For the same cause God commanded Moyses to hange vp all the capitaynes and heads of the people, for that by their example

G

they made the people idolatrers also: he had no respect to their auctocitie, because they were Rulers, but so muche the rather woulde he haue them so sharplie punished, that is, hanged agaynst the sunne without mercy: which iudgement, thoghe it was done at Gods commandment firste, and after at Moyses, yet were the people executors of the same, and all did vnderstand that it was iuste: and not for that tyme onely, but to be a perpetuall example for euer, and a sure admonition of their duetie in the like defection from God, to hange vp such Rulers as shulde drawe them from him.

"And thoghe it appeare at the firste sight a great disordre, that the people shulde take vnto them the punishment of transgression, yet when the Magistrates and other officers cease to do their duetie, they are as it were, without officers, yea, worse then if they had none at all and then God geueth the sworde in to the peoples hande, and he him selfe is become immedialty their head (Yf they will seeke the accomplishment of his Lawes) and hath promised to defend them and blesse them."-Goodman, p. 183.

Perhaps I have given the reader sufficient materials for judging how the doctrine of loyalty and rebellion in general was treated by puritan writers; and we may proceed to what more particularly concerns Queen Mary personally, and her government in particular.

ESSAY VII.

PURITAN POLITICS. No. III.

RESPECTING QUEEN MARY IN PARTICULAR.

KNOX-GOODMAN- -TRAHERON- -PONET-]
-BECON.

JOHN KNOX and Christopher Goodman, as has been already stated, are the two great authorities with regard to puritan politics during the reign of Queen Mary. They laid down the law very plainly; and I am not aware that, while that unhappy monarch lived, any one of the exiled party offered one word in contradiction, qualification, or explanation of the fierce regicidal libels of those two writers.

As to Goodman, I hope that the reader has been enabled by the preceding paper to form some opinion of his doctrine on the subject of loyalty, and obedience to authority, in general. That doctrine was applied with ferocious zeal to

the particular case of the Sovereign of England and her subjects, by Knox, who insisted principally on three points;First, that Queen Mary was a woman, and as such a creature under the curse of God. Secondly, that she was illegitimate, and therefore an usurper. Thirdly, that waiving the question of her sex and birth, and supposing for the sake of argument that she had come fairly to the throne, yet she had shown herself to be a tyrant, and ought to be crushed like a viper. These points cannot always be kept separate in discussion; but they will show themselves plainly enough in passages which will be laid before the reader.

Knox, indeed, comes to the point at once by beginning his "Blast" with these words :

"Wonder it is, that amongest so many pregnant wittes as the Ile of greate Brittany hath produced, so many godlie and zelous preachers as England did sometime norishe, and amongest so many learned and men of graue iudgement, as this day by IESABEL are exiled, none is found so stowte of courage, so faithfull to God, nor louing to their natiue countrie, that they dare admonishe the inhabitantes of that Ile how abominable before God, is the Empire or Rule of a wicked woman, yea of a traiteresse and bastard; and what may a people or nation left destitute of a lawfull head, do by the authoritie of Goddes worde in electing and appointing common rulers and magistrates. That Ile (alas) for the contempt and horrible abuse of Goddes mercies offred, and for the shamefull reuolting to Satan frome Christ Iesus, and frome his Gospell ones professed, doth iustlie merite to be left in the handes of their own counsel, and so to come to confusion and bondage of strangiers.

"But yet I feare that this vniuersal negligence of such as sometimes were esteemed watchemen, shall rather aggrauate our former ingratitude, than excuse this our vniuersall and vngodlie silence, in so weightie a mater. We se our countrie set furthe for a pray to foreine nations; we heare the blood of our brethren, the membres of Christ Iesus, most cruellie to be shed; and the monstruous empire of a cruell woman (the secrete counsel of God excepted) we knowe to be the onlie occasion of all these miseries: and yet with silence we passe the time as thogh the mater did nothinge appertein to vs. But the contrarie examples of the auncient prophetes moue me to doubte of this our fact. For Israel did vniuersalie decline frome God by embrasing idolatrie vnder Ieroboam. In whiche they did continue euen vnto the destruction of their common welthe. And Iuda withe Ierusalem did followe the vile superstition and open iniquitie of Samaria. But yet ceased not the prophetes of God to admonishe the one and the other. Yea, euen after that God had poured furthe his plagues vpon them. For Ieremie did write to the captiues in Babylon, and did correct their errors, plainlie instructing them, who did remaine in the middest of that idolatrouse nation. Ezechiel frome the middest of his brethren prisoners in Chaldea, did write

his vision to those that were in Ierusalem, and sharplie rebukinge their vices, assured them that they shuld not escape the vengeance of God by reason of their abominations committed.

"The same prophetes for comfort of the afflicted and chosen saintes of God, who did lie hyd amongest the reprobate of that age (as commonlie doth the corne amongest the chaffe) did prophecie, and before speake, the changes of kingdomes, the punishmentes of tyrannes, and the vengeance whiche God wold execute vpon the oppressors of his people. The same did Daniel and the rest of the prophetes euerie one in their season. By whose examples and by the plaine precept, which is geuen to Ezechiel, commanding him that he shall say to the wicked, 'Thou shalt die the death,' we in this our miserable age are bounde to admonishe the world and the tyrannes therof, of their sodeine destruction; to assure them, and to crie vnto them, whether they list to heare or not, that the blood of the saintes, which by them is shed, continuallie crieth and craueth vengeance in the presence of the Lorde of hostes.

"And further, it is our dutie to open the truthe reueled vnto vs, vnto the ignorant and blind world, vnlest that to our owne condemnation we list to wrap vp and hyde the talent committed to our charge. I am assured that God hath reueled to some in this our age, that it is more then a monstre in nature, that a woman shall reigne and haue empire aboue man. And yet with vs all, there is suche silence, as if God there with were nothing offended. The naturall man, ennemy to God shall fynd, I knowe, many causes why no suche doctrine oght to be published in these our dangerous dayes. First, for that it may seme to tend to sedition: secondarilie it shal be dangerous not onlie to the writer or publisher, but also to all such as shall reade the writinges, or fauor this truth spoken: and last it shall not amend the chief offenders, partlie because it shall neuer come to their eares, and partlie because they will not be admonished in such

cases.

[ocr errors]

How he pursued the subject thus broadly opened will appear from the following extracts;

"Yf any think that the empire of women, is not of such importance, that for the suppressing of the same, any man is bounde to hazarde his life, I answer, that to suppresse it, is in the hand of god alone. But to vtter the impiety and abomination of the same, I say, it is the dutie of euerie true messager of God, to whome the truth is reueled in that behalfe. For the especiall dutie of Goddes messagers is to preache repentance, to admonishe the offenders of their offenses, and to say to the wicked, 'thou shalt die the death,' except thou repent. This, I trust, will no man denie to be the propre office of all Goddes messagers, to preache (as I have said) repentance and remission of synnes. But nether of both can be done, except the conscience of the offenders be accused and conuicted of transgression. For howe shall any man repent not knowing wherein he hath offended? And where no repentance is founde, there can be no entrie to grace. And therfore I say, that of necessitie it is that this monstriferouse empire of women (which amongest all enor

mities, that this day do abound vpon the face of the hole earth, is most detestable and damnable) be openlie reueled and plainlie declared to the world, to the end that some may repent and be saued. And thus farre to the first sorte."-Knox, Pref. p. 5.

"To promote a woman to beare rule, superioritie, dominion or empire aboue any realme, nation, or citie, is repugnant to nature, contumelie to God, a thing most contrarious to his reuelled will and approued ordinance, and finallie it is the subuersion of good order, of all equitie and iustice."—Knox, p. 9.

"But now to the second part of nature: In the whiche I include the reueled will and perfect ordinance of God, and against this parte of nature, I say, that it doth manifestlie repugne that any woman shal reigne or beare dominion ouer man. For God first by the order of his creation, and after by the curse and malediction pronounced against the woman, by reason of her rebellion, hath pronounced the contrarie.

First, I say that women in her greatest perfection, was made to serue and obey man, not to rule and command him: As saint Paule doth reason in these wordes: Man is not of the woman but the woman of the man. And man was not created for the cause of the woman, but the woman for the cause of man, and therfore oght the woman to haue a power vpon her head (that is a couerture in signe of subiection). Of whiche words it is plaine that the Apostle meaneth, that woman in her greatest perfection shuld haue knowen, that man was Lord aboue her: and therfore that she shulde neuer haue pretended any kind of superioritie aboue him, no more then do the angels aboue God the creater, or aboue Christ Jesus their head. So, I say, that in her greatest perfection woman was created to be subiect to man.

“But after her fall and rebellion committed against God, there was put vpon her a newe necessitie, and she was made subiect to man by the irreuocable sentence of God, pronounced in these wordes: I will greatlie multiplie thy sorowe and thy conception. With sorow shalt thou beare thy children, and thy will shall be subiect to thy man: and he shal beare dominion ouer the. Herebie may such as altogither be not blinded plainlie see, that God, by his sentence, hath deiected all woman from empire and dominion aboue man. For two punishmentes are laid vpon her, to witte, a dolor, anguishe and payn, as oft as euer she shal be mother: and a subiection of her selfe, her appetites and will, to her husband, and to his will. Frome the former part of this malediction can nether arte, nobilitie, policie, nor lawe made by man, deliuer womankinde, but who soeuer atteineth to that honour to be mother, proueth in experience the effect and strength of goddes word. But (alas) ignorance of God, ambition, and tyrannie haue studied to abolishe and destroy the second parte of Goddes punishment. For women are lifted vp to be heades ouer realmes, and to rule aboue men at their pleasure and appetites. But horrible is the vengeance, which is prepared for the one and for the other, for the promoters, and for the persones promoted, except they speedilie repent. For they shall be deiected from the glorie of the sonnes of God, to the sclauerie of the deuill, and to the tor

« AnteriorContinuar »