God permitteth this his distribution to be troubled, and the realmes of
auncient nations to be possessed of strangiers, I delay at this time to
intreate. Onlie this I haue recited to geue the worlde to vnderstand, that
the reigne, empire, and authoritie of women[143], hath no grounde within
Goddes scriptures. Yea that realmes or prouinces possessed by their
mariage, is nothinge but vniust conquest. For so litle doth the lawe made
for the doughters of Zalphead helpe the cause of your quenes, that
vtterlie it fighteth against them, both damning their authoritie and fact.
But now to the thirde objection.

[Sidenote 144: Answer to the third obiection.]
[Sidenote 145: women may and oght to be deposed from authoritie.]

The consent, say they, of realmes and lawes pronounced and admitted in
this behalfe, long consuetude and custorne, together with felicitie of
some women in their empires haue established their authoritie[144]. To
whome, I answer, that nether may the tyrannie of princes, nether the
foolishnes of people, nether wicked lawes made against God, nether yet the
felicitie that in this earthe may herof insue, make that thing laufull,
whiche he by his word hath manifestlie condemned. For if the approbation
of princes and people, lawes made by men, or the consent of realmes, may
establishe any thing against God and his word, then shuld idolatrie be
preferred to the true religion. For mo realmes and nations, mo lawes and
decrees published by Emperours with common consent of their counsels, haue
established the one, then haue approued the other. And yet I thinke that
no man of sounde iudgement, will therfore iustifie and defend idolatrie.
No more oght any man to mainteine this odious empire of women, althogh
that it were approued of all men by their lawes. For the same God that in
plain wordes forbiddeth idolatrie, doth also forbidde the authoritie of
women ouer man. As the wordes of saint Paule before rehearsed do plainly