iectes. Who as we haue euer heretofore, so intend we with gods grace to continue in Christian obedience vnto the ende and (according to the holy worde of God) with all reuerent feare of god to do our bounden duety to al those superioure powers whom god hath appointed ouer vs, doing as sainct Paule saith: let euery soule be subiect to the superior powers. For there is no power but of god: but those powers that are, are ordained of God. Wherfore whosoeuer resisteth the power, the same resisteth god: and these that resist get themselues iudgement. These lessons (ryghte honourable maisters Commissioners) we haue learned of the holy word of god in our mother tong.

Fyrst, that the authoritie of a kyng, Queene, Lorde and other theyr officers vnder them, is no tirannicall vsurpation, but a iust, holy, lawfull and necessary estate for man to be gourned by. And that the same is of God, the fountayn & authour of righteousnes.

Secōdly, that to obey the same in all thynges not against god, is to obey god, and to resist thē is to resist God. Therfore as to obey god in hys ministers and magistrates bringeth life: so to resist god in them, bringeth punishment & death. The same lesson haue we learned of saint Peter, saying: be ye subiect to al humaine ordynaunces for the Lordes sake, whether it be to the kynge as to the most highest, or to the lieutenants sent from him to the punishment of euill doers, but to the prayse of suche as doe well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye shold stop the mouthes of foolish and ignoraunt men, as free, and not as hauing the liberty to be a cloke to malice, but as the seruauntes of God. Wherfore consideryng with our selues bothe that the Magistrates power is of God, and that for the Lordes sake we be bounde to christian obediēce vnto them, hauing now presentely a commaundement, as thoughe it were from the Queenes maiestye: with all humble obedience due to the regall power and authoritye ordained of God, (which we acknowledge to stande whole & perfectly in her grace) and with due reuerence vnto you her graces Commissioners, we humbly beseche you with patience and pity to receiue thys our aunswere, vnto that commandement geuen vnto vs.

Fyrst, right honourable Commissioners, we haue considered our selues to be not onely English men, but also Christians, and therfore boūd by the holy vowe, made to God in our baptism, to preferre gods honour in all thinges, & that al obedience (not onely of vs mortall men, but euē of the very angels and heauenly spirites) is due vnto Gods worde: insomuch that no obedience can be true and perfect, either before god or mā, that wholly and fully agreeth not with goddes worde. Then haue we weyed the commaundement concerning the restitution of the late abolished latin seruice, geuē vnto vs, to dissent and disagree from gods worde, and to commaunde manifest impietie, and ouerthrow of godlynesse and true religion, and to import a subuersion of the regall power of this our natiue coūtrey and Realme of Englande, with the bryngyng in of the Romish byshops supremacy, with al errors supersticions, and idolatrye, wastynge of oure goodes and bodies, destroying of oure soules, bryngyng with it nothing, but the seuere wrath of god, which we already fele, and feare least the

same shal be more hot kindled vpon vs. Wherfore we humbly protest, that we cannot be perswaded, that the same wicked commaundement should come from the Quenes maiesty, but rather from som other abusyng the Quenes goodnes and fauor, and studying to worke some feat agaynst the Quene, her Crown, and the realme to please with it the Romain Byshop, at whose handes the same thinketh hereafter to be aduaūced. As the Agagite Aman wrought most maliciously agaynst the noble king Ahasuerus: and as the Princes of Babell wrought agaynst the good kyng Darius: so thinke we the Queenes most gentle heart to be abused of some, who sekyng themselues and theyr own vainglory, procure suche commaundements as are agaynst the glory of god For we cannot haue so euyll an opinion in her maiesty, that she woulde subuerte the most godly and holy religion (so accordyngly to gods worde set forthe by the moste noble, vertuous, and innocent kyng, a very sayncte of god, our late most deare kyng Edward, her graces brother) except she wer wōderfully abused. who as hating reformation wyll rather the destruction of al others, then to acknowledge the errors, and to be, accordyng to gods worde, refourmed. For truely the religion, lately set forth by king Edward, is suche in our consciences, as euery Christian manne is bounde to confesse to be the truthe of god: and euery member of Chrystes church here in Englande must needes embrace the same in hart & confesse it with mouth and (if nede requyre) lose and forsake not onely house, lande, and possessions, riches, wyfe, chyldren, and frendes: but also, if god wil so cal thē, gladly to suffer all maner of persecution, and to lose theyr liues in the defense of goddes worde and truthe set out amongest vs. For our sauior Chryst requyreth the same of vs, saying: whosoeuer shalbe ashamed of me and my word before this aduouterous and sinnefull generation, the sonne of man wyll also be ashamed of hym, whā he shall come in the glory of his father with the holy aungels. And agayne sayeth he: whosoeuer wyll confesse me before men, I wil confesse him also before my father that is in heauē. And who soeuer wyll denye me before men, I wyll also deny hym before my father that is in heauen. And whosoeuer shall speake a woorde agaynst the sonne of man, it shall bee forgeuen hym: but whosoeuer shall rayle agaynst the holy ghost, it shall not be forgeuen hym. We humblye beseche the Quenes maiestye, and you her honourable Comnmissioners, bee not offended with vs for confessyng this truth of god, so strayghtly geuen vs in charge of Christ, neyther bryng vpon vs that great synne that shall neuer be forgeuē, that shall cause our sauiour Iesu Christ, in the great day of iudgement before his heauenly father and all his aungels, to denye vs, & to take take from vs the blessed price and raunsome of his bloudshed, wherwith we are redemed. For in that day neyther the Quenes highnes, nether you, nor any man shall be able to excuse vs nor to purchase a pardon of Christ for this horrible synne and blasphemy of castyng asyde and condemnyng his worde. We cannot agree nor consent vnto this so horrible a sinne: but we besech god for his mercy to geue vs and all men grace, most earnestly to flye from it, and rather (yf the wyll of god bee so) to suffer all extremitye and punishment in this world, then to incurre such