fled over sea to
write a "Sharp Tractate of political power" in which he discussed the
question "whether it be lawful to depose an evil governor and kill a
tyrant."

[Sidenote: Knox and Goodman.]

But with the actual outbreak of persecution and the death of Cranmer all
restraint was thrown aside. In his "First Blast of the Trumpet against
the Monstrous Regiment of Women" Knox denounced Mary as a Jezebel, a
traitress, and a bastard. He declared the rule of women to be against
the law of Nature and of God. The duty, whether of the estates or people
of the realm, was "first to remove from honour and authority that
monster in nature; secondarily, if any presume to defend that impiety,
they ought not to fear first to pronounce, then after to execute against
them the sentence of death." To keep the oath of allegiance was "nothing
but plain rebellion against God." "The day of vengeance," burst out the
writer, "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 her enemy." Another exile, Goodman,
enquired "how superior powers ought to be obeyed of their subjects; and
wherein they may lawfully by God's word be disobeyed and resisted." His
book was a direct summons to rebellion. "By giving authority to an
idolatrous woman" Goodman wrote to his English fellow-subjects, "ye
have banished Christ and his Gospel. Then in taking the same authority
from her you shall restore Christ and his word, and shall do well. In
obeying her you have disobeyed God; then in disobeying her you shall
please God." "Though it should appear at the first sight," he urged, "a
great disorder that the people should take unto them the punishment of
transgressions, yet when the magistrates and other officers cease to do
their duties they are as it were without officers, yea, worse than if
they had none at all, and then God giveth the sword into the people's
hand." And what the people were to do with the sword Poinet had already
put very clearly. It was the "ungodly serpent Mary" who was "the chief
instrument of all this present misery in England." "Now both by God's
laws and man's," concluded the bishop, "she ought to be punished with
death, as an open idolatress in the sight of God, and a cruel murderer
of His