glasses, in whiche he will, that we shulde behold the ordre, which he hath
apointed and established in nature: the one is, the naturall bodie of
man: the other is the politik or ciuile body of that common welth, in
which God by his own word hath apointed an ordre. In the natural body of
man God hath apointed an ordre, that the head shail occupie the vppermost
place. And the head hath he ioyned with the bodie, that frome it, doth
life and motion flowe to the rest of the membres. In it hath he placed the
eye to see, the eare to hear, and the tonge to speake, which offices are
apointed to none other membre of the bodie. The rest of the membres, haue
euery one their own place and office apointed: but none may haue nether
the place nor office of the heade. For who wolde not iudge that bodie to
be a monstre, where there was no head eminent aboue the rest, but that the
eyes were in the handes, the tonge and mouth beneth in the belie, and the
eares in the feet. Men, I say, shulde not onlie pronounce this bodie to be
a monstre: but assuredlie they might conclude that such a bodie coulde
not long indure. And no lesse monstruous is the bodie of that common
welth[68], where a woman beareth empire. For ether doth it lack a laufull
heade (as in very dede it doth) or els there is an idol[69] exalted in the
place of the true head. An idol I call that, which hath the forme and
apparance, but lacketh the vertue and strength, which the name and
proportion do resemble and promise. As images haue face, nose, eyes,
mouth, handes and feet painted, but the vse of the same, can not the craft
and art of man geue them: as the holy ghost by the mouth of Dauid
teacheth vs, saying[70]: they haue eyes, but they see not, mouth, but they
speake not, nose, but they smell not, handes and feet, but they nether
touche nor haue power to go. And suche, I say, is euerie realme and
nation, where a woman beareth dominion. For in despite of God (he of his
iust iudgement, so geuing them ouer in to a reprobat minde) may a realme,
I confesse, exalt vp a woman to that monstriferous honor, to be estemed as
head[71]. But impossible it is to man and angel, to geue vnto her the