TO take the sword do the signify to take the sword not given of the laws and magistrates, that is to be seditious and not to obey to the present magistrates, & not only examples proponed in holy letters, but also the histories of all times do witness that from above be retracted in this life to pains for the most part homicides, thieves, perjured persons unjust judges seditious, and tyrants, I speak this because God requireth that with the fear of pains, ⟨image 14⟩men should be coerced, & this fear 1doth nourish reverence to laws & maketh in our minds a virtue, & maketh it accustomed to obedience, gods law doth not deceive, which saith honour thy father & mother if y• wilt be long living upon the earth. This sentence of the dictes of magistrates 2ought wisely to be understood as who saith of those edicts ye con maundth not to do against gods commandments, it is therefore profitable both to discipline & to y• tranquillity of the commonweal, so to a custom our minds that also in small thin ges we make much of the authority of laws, further also we must know that we do not live to our selves but to the commonweal, we ought therefore take heed & beware that our exam ples do not hurt in cummin, y• same 3very thing doth plato speak right ⟨image 14⟩gravely of, in the first delegibus, he to be y• best & chiefest citizen that taketh the chief glory to be in the city, not triumphs, not any victories, but to overcome other by diligence in obeying the laws. A civil magistrate be divine authority hath authority 4to make honest & profitable laws for those things that to & for the defence of corporally, & civill society, do pertain, as of judgements, of pains, of faults, of contracts, of successions, & of like things. As Solomon saith by me kings doth reign & do make lawful things. The second reason, ye laws civil be bonds of cummin society, wherefore 5in violating of them alway charity is hu•t, harmed or broken, because that every man ought to confer there obedience, there tributes, there workings to the defence of common tranquillity.
TO take the sworde do the sygnyfy to take ye sworde not geuyn of the lawes and magestrates, that is to be sedicius and not to obey to the present magestrates, & not only examples proponed in holyleters, but also thystores of altymes do wytnes that frō aboue be retarcted ī this lyfe to peynys for the most part homycides, thefes, periured persons vniust iudges sedycius, and tyrannes, I speke this because God rerequireth that with the fere of peynes, ⟨image 14⟩mē shuld be coercid, & this fere 1doth norishe reuerence to lawes & maketh in our mindes a vertue, & makith it accustomed to obediēce, gods law doth not deceiue, which saith honor thy father & mother if y• wilt be long liuing vpō ye earth. This sētence of the dictes of magestratꝭ 2ought wiseli to be vnderstōd as who sayth of those edictes ye cō maūdth not to do against gods cō maūdemētes, it is therfore profytable both to discipline & to y• tranquilite of ye cōmēwele, so to a custome our myndes yt also in smal thī ges we make moch of ye auctorite of lawes, furdre also we must knowe that we do not liue to our selfes but to ye cōmēwele, we ought therfore take hede & beware yt our exā ples do not hurt in cōmyn, y• same 3very thing doth plato speke ryght ⟨image 14⟩grauely of, in ye first delegibꝰ, he to be y• best & chifest citesen yt taketh the chife glori to be in the citie, not trifiphes, not any victories, but to ouercome other by deligēce in obeyng the lawes. A ciuil magestrate be deuine au•torite hath auctorite 4to make honest & profitable lawes for those thynges that to & for the defēce of corporally•e, & ciuill societe, do pertaine, as of iudgementꝭ, of paynes, of fautes, of cōtractes, of sucessions, & of lyke thinges. As Salamō saith by me kinges doth reigne & do make laufull thinges. The second reasō, ye lawes ciuil be bōdes of cōmyn societe, wherfore 5
- 1Fere of pains.Fere of paynes.
- 2Edicts of Magistrates.Edictes of Magestrates.
- 3The best citesme.
- 4A civill Magistrate.A ciuill Magestrate.
- 5Commen traquillite.Cōmen traquillite.
