LOng time haue we seene our France thus tormented & afflicted with wars , miseries and calamities , vnder colour of religion , and yet euen to this day , do we behold how it doth daily waste and decay more and more , which causeth mee to thincke , that vnlesse God doe speedely set to his hand , we shall in short time behold the destruction and dissipation of the most florishing Realme in Christendome , at the appetite of certaine perticuler parsons , who vppon a desire and vnsatiable thirst to raigne , doe seeke no other but the losse , or rather vsurpation thereof , as seeming to them that God is blind , and seeth not the torments which they inflict vppon his people , in banishing some , and defrauding them of their goods , and in putting other some most cruelly to death . They might surely thincke , that if the Religion which they tearme new , were not good , it would soone waste , and be in a moment swalowed vp , but that contrariwise , if it be according to God and Christ Iesus , al the weapons and power of the world are not able to destroy it , no not so much as any whit to diminish the same , and therefore they ought rather to followe the counsayle of the Pharisaicall Doctor of the Iewish law Gamaliel , who being in the Counsaile house when they sought to put the Apostles to death , said , that if their Religion were of Man , the remembrance thereof would soone perish , but if it were of God , they should neuer be able to destroy it . How many bloody battailes haue we seen ? Howe much Innocent blood shed , not onely in our France , but euen throughout all Christian-dome for this onely point , and yet doe we see this holy doctrine florish and augment all ouer the worlde . Besides it was neuer seene , neither in the time of the holy Patriarkes or Primitiue Church that Religion was decided , confirmed or disputed vpon by force of Armes , but onely by the Sworde of godlinesse , & the pure word of God conteined in the Bible . Howe many errors did spring vp in the Primitiue Church , and yet there needed no other weapon then the holy scripture , neither did we euer know false doctrine but the same immediatly vanished through the power of Christ Iesus . Wee may therefore easely presume , that the aucthors of these ciuill warres , couering themselues vnder the vizerd of religion , doe seeke no other but the vtter ruine of this Realme , wherof they were to make their profite and commoditie . Wee know , that before the decease of the late Lord Duke of Anieow and Alencon the Kinges onely brother there was nothing spoken of , But they will now say that the Crowne belongeth to them , then should they greatly deceiue themselues , for in liewe of benefiting the Realme , they consume all the substaunce thereof in the charges of the Warre . If any man aske who bee these goodly aucthors of these present ciuill Warres , I will answere that it is the house of Guize , which saith that in cace it shoulde so come to passe , that the King should dye without issue , the Crowne can not belong to the King of Nauarre , because he is a Hereticke : But truely any man endued with the feare of GOD , which will iudge vprightly , may well know that Popish Religion is meere error , besides that in the Primitiue Church the sheepeheards and Bishops liued not in so greate pride and superfluitie as doe the Popes : for since that Christian Emperors , Kings and Princes permitted them libertie to rule , they haue not onely abandoned the true Church of Christ Iesus , but also haue embrased falshoode in stead of trueth , and liued ouer losely and dissolutely . Neither is it the office of a Bishop to seeke the dominion of a whole climate of the earth , but rather onely to instruct his flocke according to the holy scriptures , and the true doctrine of Iesus Christ . Let vs consider whether Saint Peter ( whose successer the Pope chalengeth himselfe to be ) or the other Apostles sought to rule Monarkes . No , no , but contrariwise Christ himself said , that no man could serue God and Mammon . But let vs returne to our purpose , for I am not to meddle in matters which so many learned Parsons haue debated vpon , in presenting to the view and palpably feeling of the Popish errors , neither is it the marke that I leuell at , who doe pretend only to shew vnto you what iust occasions we haue to take armes for our necessary defence . For it is extreeme crueltie and meere tyranny to banish the poore , and vsurpe their goods , as in these doyes they doe in our France . I doe therefore most humbly beseeche all true louers of the Gospell , and such as desire the preseruation of this crowne , not to suffer , for want of taking armes , and succouring of vs , so florishing a Realme , as ours to be lost : for all men may see , and it is most euident , that the aucthors of this warre doe seeke the onely decay thereof . Haue wee not seene all Germany , England , Scotland , and the most part of Europe troubled for this onely cause of Religion ? and yet nowe wee find , that at this day they doe enioy most blessed peace through such agreements and order as on either part haue beene taken . These men cannot excuse themselues of seeking the vtter destruction of this countrie : for we haue had so many Peaces and Agreementes in time past , that now it is a most manifest matter , that the onely point of Religion is no cause of present troubles , but rather an enuious desire to vsurpe . They minister cause neuer to repose confidence in whatsoeuer promesse or peace , which properly be tearmed a Childrens pastime , who may say and vnsay , and all with one breath , what soeuer they ●…st . How many holy and iust edicts haue we had , and especially the Edict of Ianuary made in the yere of grace . 1561. vnder King Charles the ninth , which was both good and lawfully made , to the benefite as well of the one as other religion . Was not the same sufficient , whereby wee might enioy an assured peace , as doe other the bordring realmes our neighbours ? But what ? It was of ouer great importance to the enemies of peace . What shal I say more ? haue we not since that had many other edicts ? & by the last , was not the French Nation assured to enioye a blessed peace , though to the great preiudice of our reformed religion , and very beneficiall to the contrary , as wanting more then halfe the libertie of that of Ianuary , which notwithstanding , the wicked could not continue in that Peace . This sufficiently sheweth their peruerse and mischieuous mindes , as also that they haue no other desire , but to destroy or vsurpe this Crowne of the Flowerdeluce : But what neede I so largely describe a matter which all the world knoweth better then my selfe ? Wot wee not that this house of Guize and their associates , are the chiefe Captaines and Conductors of all this alteration ? See wee not that they seeke to deliuer and abandon , as it were in praye , this poore kingdome , to the Spanish nation ? Moreouer , haue we not already found howe they haue endeuoured , and still doe goe about to bring all Christiandome into confusion . And howe ? In Scotlande haue they not sought to drowne the Realme in troubles and Ciuill warres , so as we haue seene the Nobilitie and Commons so sore bent one against another , that no peace could bee obtained without most grieuous and horrible bloodshed ? Yea , had it not bene by meanes of the most sacred of GOD , the Queenes Maiestie of England , the troubles had yet continued , and al through the Guizes . Vndoubtedly we can not thincke but that after so many mischiefes God will powre out his iust iudgement vpon that Family , notwithstanding many tymes we see the perturbers of publicke peace and ennemies to the trueth prosper more then the good , neither are we to meruaile , when we see the wicked exalted before our faces , for God will sometimes vse such instruments to trie the pacience of his elect . Nowe haue I sufficiently shewed you the iust causes that wee haue to defend our selues , there resteth no more but to open vnto you the end whereto I doe pretend , which is , to desire all true louers of the Gospell not to suffer the tyrannizing of the faithfull flock of Iesus Christ , who saith that his shal be knowen by the brotherly loue that they shall beare one to another : but what amitie is it to see his brother or neighbour dye truelly before his eyes ? vndoubtedly if wee would consider what charitie and brotherly loue to our neighbour is , we should feele our consciences wonderfully oppressed . I we see a thiefe or robber take a pooremans purse in the wood , and doe not our endeuours to deliuor him from the said oppression , shall not we be guiltie of the trespasse ? If I demaund of you who is the better or who is most worthy punishment , the thiefe or the receiuer ▪ you wil answere they are alike guiltie the one one as the other : who then is the better , he that committeth the tyranny , or he that being by goeth not about to let it : In this case you will say , he is not guiltie of the deede because hee furdereth it not , neither helpeth to doe it , whereto , I may well reply , that no more doth the receiuer steale , and yet is he not free from punishment , for if there were no receiuer , there would be no thiefe : euen so if euery one would endeuour to withstand the perturbers of common peace , we should not haue so many cruell warres and tyrannyes , as at this day are in force : Wee may therefore well thinke , that those that looke vpon the executing of such tyrannies , and doe not oppose them selues against them , are in as great or rather greater fault then those that commit them : A man disposed to doe euill , if he finde any l●t , will not goe forward therein , and so shal not his offence be so heynous in the sight of men , as if he had done it , notwithstanding I will not quite excuse him , or say that hee ought to be exempt of punishment , sith God saith that will is reputed for the deede : but he that seeth the wickednesse committed , and to his power letteth it not , is worthy double punishment , for both him selfe offendeth , and his winking is cause that the other proceedeth in his bad purpose , which hee would not haue done if hee had bene letted : Hee therefore is guiltie both of his owne fault & that others also , and so such persons can not eschue the iust vengeance of God either in this worlde , or in the worlde to come , vnlesse his great mercie deliuer them . For God saith , loue God aboue all things , and thy neighbour as thy selfe : if then we loue our neighbour as our selfe , wee can not before our faces see hym oppressed with tyranny , but we must needes afford him some helpe and comfort , and therefore we are herein guiltie both to God and our neighbor : But was there euer greater tyranny practized then the same that the Guizards do now vse in France ? They be theeues , murderers and perturbers of publicke peace . For can there be any greater thieuery , then to banish an infinite number of poore peoplee , and to vsurpe their goods , Landes , Lordships and enheritances ? But nowe we see some that are willing to withstand them , but doe feare to be ouer weake : Let vs not feare my frends , but consider for what we fight . Wee fight for our peace , our country , our liues , and the restitution of our goods : for the deliuery of our brethren , for the obteining of peace and quietnesse , and to be briefe , for al most iust and lawfull causes : Contrariwise our ennemies fight onely for the maintenance of their tyrannies and ransoming of the poore people , yea onely of a gready desire to raigne and vsurpe . If we would consider al these things , we should conceine a greater courage to defend our selues , then the others haue to assaile , besides that we see our great capteine Iesus Christ , who taketh our cause in hand , as being most iust and righteous . Let vs not quaile though we see our ennemies to bee three times moe then our selues : For if they fortefie themselues it is onely for feare of vs , as also the force of man is nothing in respect of the power of God , who nameth him selfe the God of Armes and battailes : who graunteth victorie to whom he please , who also wil reueale his might in vs in breaking the greatest Army that may be leuied through euen one smale handfull of men : Let vs couragionsly goe to the Combat , and stedfastly beleene that our good God and Lord Iesus Christ will grasse vs the victorie , so as we craue it at his-hands in faith : for of him we obteine whatsoeuer we faithfully doe craue : But first let vs also see that our army consist not of wicked parsons , but let euery one enter into his owne conscience , for God neither is called , neither wil be leader of peruerse and wicked people , so no doubt we shall obteine a perfect and full victory : Let vs so march as the boulder may be an example of vertue to the rest . Again I beseech all Kinges , Princes and Lordes , both strangers and others , that haue any meanes to succour vs , or that doe beare any goodwill or fauour to France , not to suffer so florishing a realme to be lost for want thereof , at the appetite of a famely which seeketh no other but the vsurping of the same vnder shadow of religion , so shall yee accomplish the workes of charitie , and fulfill the Commaundement of GOD , which is , loue thy neighbour as thy selfe . And in as much as we all are brethren and neighbours , let vs one helpe another in our necessitie , for so shal the noble hearts and vertuous parsons be knowen . I knowe some may reply and say , that forreine Kings and Princes are not to enterprize vpon the Dominions of other Princes their neighbours , for sometimes vnder such a cloke of Godlinesse they do extend their owne limites with the losse of their neighbours , and therefore it is not their parts to set foote into other mens Lordships : For answere I would faine aske them whether we doe not all agree that there is one onely vniuersall Church whereof Iesus Christ is the head and the members are so vnited and confoyned that the least of them can not bee greeued but the rest must feele some smart , according as we see that the holy Scripture doth testifie . See wee not many times the whole body perish through some wound , not onely in the Arme or Thigh , but also some times through some smale inconuenience happened to the litle finger ? Marke the Serpent or any other venemous beast , when it stingeth any body , it seeketh not the head or any other principall member of the body , but onely or for the most part , the foot , and yet ye see the parson so hurt dye of such a stinging . And what ? would you make any accompt of such a Phisition as hath respect onely to some one part of his patient ? no , no , he must looke vpon & visite al the whole body , euen from the foot to the head , to see whether any other me●●●●… bee infected . Euen so doe wee compare the Church to this body which hath diuers members , some in one place , some in another ▪ Now as this Church is only and vniuersall , so is it not committed to the chardge of one onely King , but generally to all christian Princes , and perticulerly to euery one , because it were danngerous to leaue the custodie to one onely , and yet the vnitie thereof is such , as can by no meanes bee seperated , notwitstanding it be vniuersally dispersed ouer the whole fate of the earth . The Church of England and the Church of Fraunce are not two Churches , but all are members of one . God hath committed it wholy to euery one perticulerly , and all the partes thereof to all in generall , to the end not onely to preserue it whole and sound , but also more and more to encrease it , so that if one prince careth but for part of the Church , as of that of Germany or Scotland , and the whiles contemneth and abandoneth an other part that is oppressed , and it lieth in him to succour , he hath abandoned the Church , for Christ Iesus hath but one only Spouse dispersed throughout the whole world , whom euery prince ought so to defend and keepe , that she may not be any where defiled , if possibly hee may , neither is it to any purpose to excuse himselfe by such vsurpation as a Prince might take hould of in an others country : for who so is led by a wil procéeding from the spirit of Iesus Christ , can not vnder such a false title expell his neighbour out of his patrimony : as being a matter farre repugnant to Gods commaundement , which is , that hee shall not couet any thing that is his neighbours . Such superfluous allegations are not therefore to be feared , for whatsoeuer is guided by the holy ghost , can yeld nothing but what proceedeth from the same : and sith the holy ghost proceedeth from the wholy perfect goodnesse , namely God , who is conteined in the three parsons , the Father , the sonne , and the holy ghost , who proceedeth from the two , we must needes beleeue , that who so is guided by God , can doe nothing contrarie to his will . I say therefore , and it is most certaine , that God willeth Christian Princes to take armes in defence of his afflicted people which are of the Church , examples whereof we find in sundry places of the holy scripture . We see that in the time of Ezechias King of Iuda , the kingdome of Israel had long continued in subiection to the Assirians , therfore if onely the Church of Iuda , and not the vniuersall Church had bene committed to the charge of Ezechias , also , that if in the preseruation of the Church , he ought to haue kept like measure as in the deuision of the lande , no doubt Ezechias would haue conteined him selfe within his owne bonds , when the Assirians ruled ouer the rest , but hee sent Postes throughout all Israel to summon them to the obseruation of the Passeouer . Doe wee not reade also of good K. Iosias , that he put out Idolatrie , not onely forth of his realme , but also out of the kingdom of Israel , & that iustly ? for when the kingdom of Christ is in question , there is neither bounds nor limites that shoulde staye the zeale of Christian Princes . These examples of such and so good princes might stand for a Lawe , but let vs also looke what God himself pronounceth by the mouthes of his holy Prophets against those that make no accompt of his Church : besides wee doe roade , that the Gadites , Rubenites , and the halfe tribe of Manasses , required Moyses to alot them their portion on this side of Iordan , which Moyses did graunt to condicionally , that they should not onely helpe their other brethren the Israelites to conquere the Land of Canaan , but also should marche formost & make the auantgarde . Haue we not testimonies enowe to proue the duetie of Princes to succour the Church ? surely if we would alledge all other the examples that might bee found in the word of God , wee might haue enough to make a very large volume , but because I meane to write onely a short declaration , I would make no further mention therof , as also this is enough , and therefore wee want onely goodwill . Alas , I feare God wil one day reprooue vs of vnprofitablenesse in this world . And what ? you Kings and Princes doe you not feare that God will aske accompt of you for your gouernments ? & wherfore it is that he hath made you his ministers and preseruers of his Spouse ? Is this the oath that you make at your admissions , when you take the sword into your hand , and looke both East , West , South and North , as if you would inferre , that there shall be no corner in the world , but you will indeuour therein to mainteine and encrease this Spouse ? This Church of Christ is it comprehended within your dominions , and is it not vniuersall ouer the whole face of the earth ? No , no , wee can haue no lawfull excuse , & truely I doubt the reproche of the Prophetesse Debora against the Rubenites , will fall vpon vs as also the iudgement : for we professe our selues to bee Christians , and yet charitie dwelleth not in vs , when we suffer our brethren , who also are members of Christes Church , to be thus tyrannized . I beseech you let vs eschue the iust iudgement of God that is readie to fall vpon our heades : let vs giue ouer all excuses , for we haue none sufficient . Let vs leaue all amities for the Church of Christ Iesus , for it is he onely that can saue vs : let vs immitate the good Princes Iosias and Ezechias , also that vertuous Prince Constantine , who with open Warre assailed Licinius euen in his own countrie , because he prosecuted the Christians : But as saith the comon prouerbe , It booteth not to preach to him that careth not for wel doing , neither is it to any purpose for me to alledge examples , sith they will not be followed : We tearme our selues Christians , and knowe the duetie of Christians , and yet doe not the workes of Christians . Christ Iesus teacheth vs that he is more worthy of punishment that knoweth his masters will and doth it not , then he that not knowing it doth it not . Hauing therefore attained to my principall purpose , which is , to desire all Christian . Kings and Princes , that doe professe the pure doctrine to Christ Iesus to graunt succour to his people in France afflicted by tyrants and meere bloudsuckers , who drawe forth mans bloud to glut therewith a forrain famely : and hauing shewed as well by Gods word , as by good & holy testimonies taken out of the same , how by all law , as wel of God as man they be bound to doe the same , I haue no more to doe , but to require the Readers to reade and consider of this discourse with reason , and throwly to way the matters therein contained without any passion , and to iudge according to equitie : so shall they perceiue that it proceedeth not of my selfe , but of God , and therefore not to haue any respect to my age or calling : for any man knowing me , may well iudge , that of my selfe I am vtterly vncapable of such a deede . Take it therefore as proceeding from God , who for the most p●rt reuealeth him selfe to the ignorant and doultes , and hydeth himselfe from the wise of the worlde . Consider Saint Peter , who was a simple Fisherman , also the rest of the Apostles , who were but of meane calling . For likewise God hath vsed me in this worke , whome I doe beseech to open the heartes of Kinges and Princes , and to deliuer them from blindnesse which stoppeth their sights , and to make them partakers of his cleare light which is the knowledge of his will . So be it .