¶Mondayn. Thou abusest thy self, wherefore lay a side this thy foolish and scrupulous conscience, & desist from all care and pensiveness of mind, which consumeth thy body without any occasion or purpose. And know this, that the Magistrates have received authority over all things: they have in this world all manner of power and preeminence. Art thou ignorant of this saying: (Dimidium imperij cum Jove Cesar habet.) Jupiter and Cesar have the Empire divided between them. And because thou shalt not reject this, as the saying of a Paynim: see how the scripture confirmeth it.1 The heaven is the Lords, but as for the earth he hath given it unto the children of men. God hath no manner of care of these things that he hath committed ⟨image 13⟩unto the power of those that he hath or•e yned Monarchs and Governors of the world: to the end they may at their pleasure ordain the state of religion, as it shall seem unto •hem expedient for the better order and regiment of their subjects, and to them we must •beye in all things. Furthermore thou hast a wife and children, over whom by the appointment of God thou haste especial charge: by what conscience then I pray thee (seeing thou doest so often allege thy conscience) canst thou abandon and forsake them, in withdrawing thy help from them, when they have need of thee? Furthermore thou hast thy neighbours, with whom thou art bound to live in peace & tranquillity, as if thou wart but one body with them: With what conscience canst thou then refuse their honest request to remain and dwell with them, and do as they do? See how thou art circumvented and enclosed on every side. Above thee is the authority of the Magistrate, to whom thou knowest and confessest we ought to obey. Equal by thy side is thy wife, who is straitly commended unto thee of God. Underneath thee are thy children and family, who all as right requireth, call upon thee for thy help. If thou then do abandon and withdraw thy helping hand from them, hast thou not falsified thy faith, as often times thy preachers have taught thee? Near unto thee are thy neighbours, to whom thou oughtest to be firmly united, as one member with another. I omit here what thou owest of duty unto thy self: ⟨image 14⟩wherefore then without any occasion doest thou so much afflict and disquiet thy self in a matter so apparent, for a little foolish and scrupulous conscience sake?
¶Mondayn. Thou abusest thy self, wherfore laye a syde this thy foolishe and scrupelous conscience, & desiste from all care and pensyfnes of mynde, which consumeth thy body without any occasion or purpose. And know this, that the Maiestrates haue receyued auctorytie ouer all thinges: they haue in this worlde all maner of power and preeminence. Art thou ignoraunte of this saying: (Dimidium imperij cum Ioue Cesar habet.) Iupiter and Cesar haue the Empire deuyded betwene them. And because thou shalte not reiecte this, as the saying of a Panym: see how the scripture confyrmeth it.1 The heauen is the Lordes, but as for the earth he hath geuen it vnto the chyldren of men. God hath no maner of care of these thinges that he hath cō mitted ⟨image 13⟩vnto ye power of those that he hath or•e yned Monarches and Gouernours of the •orld: to thend they may at theyr pleasure or•eyne the state of religion, as it shal seme vnto •hem expedient for the better ordre and regi••ent of theyr subiectes, and to them we muste •beye in all thinges. Furthermore thou hast a wyfe and childrē, ouer whom by the appoyntmente of God thou haste especiall charge: by what conscience then I praye thee (seyng thou doest so often alledge thy consciēce) canst thou abandō and forsake them, in withdrawing thy helpe from them, whē they haue nede of thee? Furthermore thou hast thy neyghbours, with whom thou art bound to lyue in peace & tranquilite, as yf thou wart but one bodi with thē: With what conscience canst thou then refuse theyr honest request to remayn and dwel with them, and do as they do? See howe thou arte circūuented and inclosed on euery syde. Aboue thee is the auctorite of the Maiestrate, to whō thou knowest and cōfessest we ought to obey. Equal by thy syde is thy wyfe, who is straytly commended vnto thee of God. Vnderneth thee are thy chyldren and familie, who all as right requyreth, cal vpon thee for thy help. Yf thou then do abandon and withdraw thy helping hand from them, hast thou not falsifyed thy fayth, as often tymes thy preachers haue taught thee? Neare vnto thee are thy neyghbours, to whom thou oughtest to be fyrinelye vnited, as one membre with another. I omitte here what thou owest of duetye vnto thy self: ⟨image 14⟩wherfore then without any occasiō doest thou so much afflicte and disquyet thy self in a matter so apparant, for a lytle folyshe and scrupelous conscience sake?
- 1Psal. 115.
