old foes to the Gospel, attempt in times past to
accuse all Christians of sedition and treason, before that either prince
or people were able to know who those Christians were, what they
professed, what they believed, or what was their meaning. But now,
sithence our very enemies do see, and cannot deny, but we ever in all our
words and writings have diligently put the people in mind of their duty,
to obey their princes and magistrates, yea, though they be wicked (for
this doth very trial and experience sufficiently teach, and all men's
eyes, whosoever and wheresoever they be, do well enough see and witness
for us), it was a foul part of them to charge us with these things; yea,
seeing they could find no new and late faults, therefore to seek to
procure us envy only with stale and out worn lies.

We give our Lord God thanks, whose only cause this is, there hath yet at
no time been any such example in all the realms, dominions, and
commonweals, which have received the Gospel. For we have overthrown no
kingdom, we have decayed no man's power or right, we have disordered no
commonwealth. There continue in their own accustomed state and ancient
dignity, the kings of our country of England, the kings of Denmark, the
kings of Sweden, the dukes of Saxony, the counts palatine, the marquesses
of Brandenburg, the landgraves of Hesse, the commonwealth of the
Helvetians and Rhaetians, and the free cities, as Argentine, Basil,
Frankfort, Ulm, Augusta, and Nuremberg; do all, I say, abide in the same
authority and estate wherein they have been heretofore, or rather in a
much better, for that by means of the Gospel they have their people more
obedient unto them. Let them go, I pray you, into those places where at
this present through God's goodness the Gospel is taught. Where is there
more majesty? Where is there less arrogancy and tyranny? Where be the
prince more honoured? Where is the people less unruly? Where hath there
at any time the commonwealth or the Church been in more quiet? Perhaps
ye will say, from the first beginning of this doctrine the common sort
everywhere began to rage and to rise throughout Germany. Allow it were
so, yet Martin Luther, the publisher and setter forward of this doctrine,
did write marvellous vehemently and sharply against them, and reclaimed
them, home to peace and obedience.

But whereas it is wont sometime to be objected by persons wanting skill
touching the Helvetians' change of state, a