As he should say, You princes of Judah, and rulers of the people, to whom appertaineth in differently to judge betwixt party and party, to justify the just man and to condemn the malefactor, you have hard à sentence of death pronounced against me by those, whose lips ought to speak no deceit, because they are sanctified and appointed by God him self to speak his law and to pronounce judgement with equity,1 but as they have left the living God,2 and have taught the people to follow vanity,3 so are they become mortal enemies to all Gods true servants, of whom I am one rebuking their iniquity, apostasy and defection from God which is the only cause they seek my life. But a thing most contrary to all equity, law and justice it is, that I a man sent of God to call them, this people, and you again to the true service of God, from the which you are all declined, shall suffer the death because that my enemies do so pronounce sentence. I stand in your presence, whom God hath made princes, your power is above their tyranny, before you do I expone ⟨p. 8⟩my cause I am in your hands and can not resist to suffer what ye think just. But lest that my lenity and patience should either make you negligent in the defence of me in my just cause appealing to your judgement, either yet encourage my enemies in seeking my blood, this one thing I dare not conceal: That if you murder me, (which thing ye do if ye defend me not) ye make not only my enemies guilty of my blood, but also your selves and this hole city. By these words I say, it is evident, that the prophet of God being damned to death by the priests and by the prophets of the visible Church, did seek aid support and defence at the princes and temporal magistrates, threatening his blood to be required of their hands, if they by their authority did not defend him from the fury of his enemies: alleging also just causes of his appellation, and why he ought to have been defended: to wit, that he was sent of God to rebuke their vices and defection from God:4 that he taught no doctrine which God before had not pronounced in his Law:
As he should say, You princes of Iuda, and rulers of the people, to whom appertaineth in differentlie to iudge betwixt partie and partie, to iustifie the iust man and to cōdemne the malefactour, you haue hard à sentence of death pronounced against me by those, whose lippes oght to speak no decept, because they are sanctified and appointed by God hym selfe to speake his law and to pronounce iudgement with equitie,1 but as they haue left the liuing God,2 and haue taught the people to follow vanitie,3 so are they becōmed mortall ennemies to all Gods true seruantes, of whom I am one rebuking theire iniquitie, apostasie and defection from God which is the onlie cause they seke my life. But a thing most contrarie to all equitie, law ād iustice it is, that I a mā sent of God to call them, this people, and you againe to the true seruice of God, from the which you are all declined, shall suffer the death because that my ennemies do so pronounce sentence. I stād in your presēce, whome God hath made princes, your power is aboue their tyrannie, before you do I expone ⟨p. 8⟩my cause I am in your handes aud can not resist to suffer what ye think iust. But lest that my lenitie and patiēce should either make you negligent in the defence of me in my iust cause appealīg to your iudgemēt, either yet encorrage my ennemies in seakinge my blood, this one thinge I dar not consile: That if you murther me, (which thing ye do if ye defēd me not) ye make not only my ennemies gyltie of my blood, but also your selues and this hole citie. By these wordes I say, it is euident, that the prophete of God beīg dāned to death by the preestes ād by the prophetes of the visible Churche, did seke aid support and defence at the princes and temporall magistrates, threatnyng his blood to be required of theyre handes, if they by theyre auctorite did not defend hym from the furie of his ennemies: alledging also iust causes of his appellation, and why he oght to haue bene defended: to wit, that he was sent of God to rebuke theire vices and defection from God:4 that he taught no doctrine which God before had not pronounced in his Law:
- 1Deut. 17.
- 2Jerem. 1.Ierem. 1.
- 3Deu. 1. 10
- 4The causes of his appellation and why he ought to have been defended.The causes of his appellation and why he oght to haue bene defended.
