3

And now to put an end to the first blast, seeing that by the order of nature, by the malediction and curse pronounced against woman, by the mouth of Saint Paul the interpreter of God’s sentence, by the example of that commonwealth in which God by his Word planted order and policy, and finally by the judgment of the most godly writers, God hath dejected woman from rule, dominion, empire, and authority above man; moreover, seeing that neither the example of Deborah, nor the law made for the daughters of Zelophehad, nor yet the foolish consent of an ignorant multitude, be able to justify that which God so plainly hath condemned: let all men take heed what quarrel and cause from henceforth they do defend.

If God raise up any noble heart to claim the liberty of his country and to suppress the monstrous empire of women, let all such as shall presume to defend them in the same most certainly know that in so doing they lift their hand against God, and that one day they shall find his power to fight against their foolishness.

Let not the faithful, godly, and valiant hearts of Christ’s soldiers be utterly discouraged, neither yet let the tyrants rejoice, albeit for a time they triumph against such as study to repress their tyranny and to remove them from unjust authority. For the causes [God] alone [knows], why he suffereth the soldiers to fail in battle whom nevertheless he commandeth to fight, as sometimes did Israel fighting against Benjamin. The cause of the Israelites was most just, for it was to punish that horrible abomination of those sons of Belial abusing the Levite’s wife, whom the Benjamites did defend (Judges 20); and they had God’s precept to assure them of well doing. For he did not only command them to fight, but also appointed Judah to be their leader and captain, and yet fell they twice in plain battle against those most wicked adulterers.

The secret cause of this, I say, is known to God alone. But by his evident scriptures we may assuredly gather that by such means doth his wisdom sometimes beat down the pride of the flesh (for the Israelites at the first trusted in their multitude, power and strength) and sometimes by such overthrows he will punish the offenses of his own children and bring them to the unfeigned knowledge of the same before he will give them victory against the manifest scorners, whom he hath appointed nevertheless to uttermost perdition: as the end of that battle did witness. For although with great murder the children of Israel did twice fall before the Benjamites; yet after they had wept before the Lord, after they had fasted and made sacrifice in sign of their unfeigned repentance, they so prevailed against that proud tribe of Benjamin that after twenty-five thousand strong men of war were killed in battle they destroyed man, woman, child and beast, as well in the fields as in the cities, which all were burned with fire, so that only of that whole tribe remained six hundred men, who fled to the wilderness, where they remained four months, and so were saved. The same God who did execute this grievous punishment even by the hands of those whom he suffered twice to be overcome in battle doth this day retain his power and justice.

Cursed Jezebel of England, with the pestilent and detestable generation of papists, make no little brag and boast that they have triumphed not only against Wyatt,^[1] but also against all such as have enterprised anything against them or their proceedings. But let her and them consider that yet they have not prevailed against God: his throne is more high than the length of their horns be able to reach.

And let them further consider that in the beginning of their bloody reign the harvest of their iniquity was not come to full maturity and ripeness. No, it was so green, so secret I mean, so covered, and so hid with hypocrisy, that some men (even the servants of God) thought it not impossible but that wolves might be changed into lambs, and also that the viper might remove her natural venom. But God, who doth reveal in his time appointed the secrets of hearts, and that will have his judgments justified even by the very wicked, hath now given open testimony of her and their beastly cruelty.

For man and woman, learned and unlearned, nobles and men of baser sort, aged fathers and tender damsels, and finally the bones of the dead, as well women as men have tasted of their tyranny, so that now not only the blood of father Latimer, of the mild man of God the bishop of Canterbury, of learned and discreet Ridley, of innocent Lady Jane Dudley, and many godly and worthy preachers that cannot be forgotten, such as fire hath consumed and the sword of tyranny most unjustly hath shed, doth call for vengeance in the ears of the Lord God of hosts: but also the sobs and tears of the poor oppressed; the groanings of the angels, the watchmen of the Lord; yea, and every earthly creature abused by their tyranny do continually cry and call for the hasty execution of the same.

I fear not to say that the day of vengeance, which shall apprehend that horrible monster Jezebel of England and such as maintain her monstrous cruelty, is already appointed in the counsel of the eternal; and I verily believe that it is so nigh that she shall not reign so long in tyranny as hitherto she hath done, when God shall declare himself to be her enemy, when he shall pour forth contempt upon her according to her cruelty, and shall kindle the hearts of such as sometimes did favor her with deadly hatred against her, that they may execute his judgments.

And therefore let such as assist her take heed what they do. For assuredly her empire and reign is a wall without foundation: I mean the same of the authority of all women. It hath been underpropped this blind time that is past with the foolishness of people; and with the wicked laws of ignorant and tyrannous princes. But the fire of God’s word is already laid to those rotten props (I include the Pope’s law with the rest) and presently they burn, albeit we espy not the flame: when they are consumed, (as shortly they will be, for stubble and dry timber cannot long endure the fire) that rotten wall, the usurped and unjust empire of women, shall fall by itself in despite of all man, to the destruction of so many as shall labor to uphold it.

And therefore let all man be advertised, for the trumpet hath once blown.

Praise God, ye that fear him.