of God's Word, or of the Sacraments; the which thing the injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen, do most plainly testify: but that only prerogative, which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in Holy Scriptures by God himself; that is, that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God, whether they be ecclesiastical or temporal, and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers.

The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this realm of England.

The laws of the realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous of fences.

It is lawful for Christian men at the commandment of the magistrate, to wear weapons, and serve in the wars.

From the Homilies.

BOOK I.

HOMILY 6. Of Christian Love and Charity. HOMILY 9. An Exhortation against the Fer of Death. (passim.)

HOMILY 12. Against Strife and Contention.

BOOK II.

HOMILY 5. Against Gluttony and Drunken

ness.

HOMILY 19.

Against Idleness (passim.) HOMILY 21. Against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion.

CRANMER'S CATECHISM.

In the former sermon it hath been declared unto you, how you should understand the Fourth Precept, in the which you have learned how you must behave yourselves towards your fathers and mothers, and all common ministers in the public weal. Now followeth the Fifth Commandment: "Thou shalt not kill." Which teacheth us how we ought to order ourselves towards each of our neighbours, that we hurt them not, neither in their goods, nor in their life. For among all worldly goods and bodily gifts, there is none more precious than their health and life. Therefore, God, before all other damages and hurts, doth chiefly forbid this, that we kill not our neighbour. And this Commandment doth not only restrain our hands from killing with violence and force, but it forbiddeth also all anger, envy, wrath, hatred, and malice, that we be not man-killers, neither in heart, word, nor deed. For the law is spiritual (as St. Paul saith), and requireth of us

obedience, not only in outward work, but also in the affection of heart, and inward motions, and most secret senses of the same. And it is an high wisdom to look in the bottom of this Commandment, and rightly to understand the

same.

Therefore our Lord Jesus Christ did expound this Commandment his ownself, lest we should err and falsely understand it, as the Jews did. For the Jews thought, that as long as they had refrained their hands from killing and slaying, so long they had kept this Commandment. And although their heart had been full of hatred, envy, and malice, towards their neighbour, and with contumelious words or deeds had given occasion of manslaughter, yet this they counted for no sin, and their Scribes and Pharisees did so teach them. Therefore Christ, in the fifth of Matthew saith, "Verily I say unto you, except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said unto them of the old time, Thou shalt not kill. Whosoever killeth shall be worthy to be judged. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be worthy to be judged."

Here you see, good children, that Christ doth as earnestly forbid hatred, anger, and envy, as he doth bloody manslaughter. For he that is angry with his neighbour, killeth his neighbour in heart and will, and breaketh this Commandment of

God, "Thou shalt not kill." And mark well, good children, that he saith not, thy hand shall not kill, or thy sword, spear, or gun shall not slay. But he saith, "Thou shalt not kill;" that is to say, thou, which art made of body and soul, shalt neither kill with any of thy bodily members, neither yet with thy inward mind or will, neither with word nor deed.

But here peradventure, some will say, What think you, Sir, of traitors, common thieves, robbers, and murderers; ought not such to be killed? I answer, that they ought to be killed; but yet God saith, "Thou shalt not kill," thou shalt keep peace with all men. Who then shall kill such malefactors? "Leave punishment to me," saith God," and I will revenge." God himself will do execution upon such open transgressors of his Laws. And therefore here in this world God hath ordained under him kings, princes, and other magistrates, and hath given them their swords to this use, that they should be his deputies in killing such offenders. And when such common governors do their office in punishing open malefactors, then they do a true honour and service to God, and are his ministers, as St. Paul saith to the Romans. The magistrate is God's officer. And when the public minister doth kill an open transgressor, we ought to think that God killeth him, forasmuch as the officer doth the same by the commandment and ordinance of God. Wherefore, good children, although men do never so great wrong unto you,

yet ye in no wise must kill, neither in will, word, nor deed.

For there be divers ways to commit murder. The first is, when with any kind of weapon or violence we slay our neighbour, as thieves do by the highways. Also if we give any commandment or counsel, that our neighbour should be slain by others, or if we spread abroad any evil bruit or slander of any man, by occasion of which he is put to death. Furthermore, we kill when either with word or deed we may and do not deliver him whom other men intend to kill. And when we see our neighbour in peril of life, and do not help him, but suffer him to die for hunger, to be drowned, or burned. Besides this, we be man-killers, when we bear anger, hatred, and malice, against our neighbours, and when with great anger and fury we do rail on him, curse him, and wish vengeance to light upon him. For wheresoever anger, hatred, envy, and maliciousness reign, there is manslaughter, which, although it be not performed indeed with the hand and sword, yet it is done in heart, mind, and will. For as fire kindled with a little spark doth oftentimes great hurt and damage, and cannot easily be quenched, so when the sparks of anger, hatred, and envy, do set on fire men's hearts, they do oftentimes provoke more hurt than ever a man thought, and sometimes they stir to commit such offences, as in all his life he never thought upon, and for which afterward he sorroweth all the days of his life.