The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

And the Text witnesseth, That the King commanded the place of his imprisonment to be changed. Whereof it is evident, That the Prophet did oftener then once seek help at the Civill power; and that first the Princes, and thereafter the King did acknowledge, That it appertained to their Office to deliver him from the unjust sentence which was pronounced against him. If any man think that Jeremiah did not appeal, because he only declared the wrong done unto him, and did but crave defence according to his innocency, let the same man understand, That none otherwise do I appeal from that false and cruel sentence which your Bishops pronounced against me;¹ Neither yet can there be any just cause of Appellation, but innocency, or suspicion to be hurt, whether it be by ignorance of a Judge, or by malice and corruption of those, who under the title of Justice, do exercise Tyranny. If I were a thief, murderer, blasphemer, open adulterer, or any offender whom Gods Word commandeth to suffer for a crime committed, my Appellation were vain, and to ⟨p. 7⟩be rejected: But I being innocent, yea, the Doctrine which your Bishops have condemned in me being Gods Eternal Verity, have no less liberty to crave your defence against that cruelty, then had the Prophet Jeremiah to seek aid of the Princes and King of Judah. But this shall more plainly appear in the fact of Saint Paul, who after that he was apprehended in Jerusalem, ²did first claim the liberty of the Roman Citizens, for avoiding torment, when the Captain would have examined him by questions: Thereafter in the Council, where no righteous judgement was to be hoped for, he affirmed that he was a Pharisee, and that he was accused of the Resurrection of the dead, and last, in the presence of Festus, he appealed from all knowledge and judgement of the Priests at Jerusalem, to the Emperor: Of which last Point, because it doth chiefly appertain to this my cause, I will somewhat speak.

And the Text witnesseth, That the King commanded the place of his imprisonment to be changed. Whereof it is evident, That the Prophet did ofter then once seek help at the Civill power; and that first the Princes, and thereafter the King did acknowledge, That it appertained to their Office to deliver him from the unjust sentence which was pronounced against him. If any man think that Ieremy did not appeal, because he onely declared the wrong done unto him, and did but crave defence according to his innocency, let the same man understand, That none otherwise do I appeal from that false and cruell sentence which your Bishops pronounced against me;