The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women

p. 2THE KINGDOME APPERTEINETH TO OVR God.

VVonder it is, that amongest so many pregnant wittes as the Ile of greate Britanny hath ꝓduced, so many godlie and zelous preachers as England did somtime norishe, and amongest so many learned and men of graue iudgement, as this day by Iesabel are exiled, none is found so stowte of courage, so faithfull to God, nor louing to their natiue countrie, that they dare admonishe the inhabitantes of that Ile how abominable before God, is the Empire or Rule of a wicked woman, yea of a traiteresse and bastard. And what may a people or nation left destitute of a lawfull head, do by the authoritie of Goddes worde in electing and appointing common rulers and magistrates. That Ile (alas) for the contempt and horrible abuse of Goddes mercies offred, and for the shamefull reuolting to Satan frome Christ Iesus, and frome his Gospell ones professed, doth iustlie merite to be left in the handes of their own counsel, and so to come to cō fusion and bondage of strangiers. But yet I feare that this vniuersall negligēce of such as somtimes were estemed watchemen, [Negligence of watchemen.] shall rather aggrauate our former ingratitude, then excuse this our vniuersall and vngodlie silence, in so weightie a mater. We se our countrie set furthe for a pray to foreine nations, we heare the blood of our brethren, the mēbres of Christ Iesus most cruellie to be shed, and the monstruous empire of a cruell woman (the secrete counsel of God excepted) we knowe to be the onlie occasion of all these miseries: and yet with silence we passe the time as thogh the mater did nothinge appertein to vs. But the cōtrarie examples of the auncient prophetes moue me [The diligēce of the olde prophetes of God.] to doubte of this our fact. For Israel did vniuersalie decline frome God by embrasing idolatrie vnder Ieroboam. p. 3In whiche they did continue [1.Reg.12] euen vnto the destruction of their common welthe. And Iuda withe Ierusalem did followe the vile superstition and open iniquitie of Samaria. But [Ezech.16.] yet ceased not the prophetes of God to admonishe the one and the other: Yea euen after that God had poured furthe his plagues vpon them. For Ieremie [Ierem. 29] did write to the captiues in Babylon, and did correct their errors, plainlie instructing them, who did remaine in the middest of that idolatrouse nation. Ezechiel [Ezech. 7,8,9.] frome the middest of his brethren prisoners in Chaldea, did write his vision to those that were in Ierusalem, and sharplie rebukinge their vices, assured them that they shuld not escape the vengeance of God [God alway had his people amongest the wicked, who neuer lacked their prophetes and teachers.] by reason of their abominations committed.

p. 3The same prophetes for comfort of the afflicted and chosen saintes of God, who did lie hyd amongest the reprobate of that age (as cōmonlie doth the corne amongest the chasse) did prophecie and before speake the changes [Isaie 13. Ierem. 46 Ezech. 36] of kingdomes, the punishmentes of tyrannes, and the vengeance whiche God wold execute vpon the oppressors of his people. The same did Daniel and the rest of the prophetes euerie one in their season. By whose examples and by the plaine precept, which is geuen to Ezechiel, commanding him that he [Examples what teachers oght to do in this time.] shall say to the wicked: Thou shalt die the death. We in this our miserable age are bounde to admonishe the world ād the tyrānes therof, of their sodeine destruction, to assure them, and to crie vnto them, whether they list to heare or [Ezech.2. Apoca. 6.] not. That the blood of the saintes, which by them is shed, cōtinuallie crieth and craueth vengeance in the presence of the Lorde of hostes. And further it is our dutie to open the truthe reueled vnto vs, vnto the ignorant and blind world, vnlest that to our owne cō demnation we list to wrap vp and hyde the talent committed to our charge. I am assured that God hath reueled to some in this our age, that it is more p. 4then a mōstre in nature, that a woman shall reigne ād haue empire aboue man. And yet with vs all, there is suche silence, as if God there with were nothing offended. The naturall man, ennemy to God shall fynd, I knowe, many causes why no suche doctrine oght to be published in these our dangerous dayes. [Thre chef reasons, that do stay man from speaking the truthe.] First, for that it may seme to tend to sedition: secondarilie, it shal be dangerous not onlie to the writer or publisher, but also to all such as shall reade the writinges, or fauor this truth spoken: and last it shall not amend the chief offenders, partlie because it shall neuer come to their eares, and partlie because they will not be admonished in such cases.

p. 4I answer, yf any of these be a sufficient reason that a truth knowen shalbe cōceled, then were the auncient prophetes of God very fooles, who did not better prouide for their owne quietnes, then to hasard their liues for rebuking of vices, and for the opening of such crimes, as were not knowen to the world. And Christ Iesus did iniurie to his Apostles, commāding them to preache repentance and remission of synnes in his name to euerie realme and nation. And Paule did not vnderstand his owne libertie, when he cried, wo be to [1.Cor.9.] me, if I preache not the Euangile. Yf feare, I say, of persecution, of sclander, or of any inconuenience before named might haue excused, ād discharged the seruantes of God, from plainlie rebuking [Mat.26. Act.18, 21.] the sinnes of the world, iuste cause had euerie one of them to haue ceased frome their office. …