John Ponet

John Ponet (c. 1514–1556) was an English bishop, theologian, and Reformation-era writer whose life was shaped by the religious upheavals of sixteenth-century England and a passionate commitment to the reformed faith. Educated at Cambridge and later appointed Bishop of Rochester and then Bishop of Winchester during the reign of Edward VI, Ponet was a close associate of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and contributed to the theological work of the English Reformation. His most notable writings include A Short Treatise of Politic Power (1556), one of the earliest English works to argue that political authority is limited by divine law and that rulers may be resisted when they act tyrannically. After the accession of the Catholic Queen Mary I, Ponet fled into exile, where he continued writing in defence of the Protestant cause until his death. Though less widely remembered today than some of his contemporaries, Ponet’s works provide an important witness to the struggles of the Reformation period, particularly the relationship between Christian conscience, civil authority, and the calling to remain faithful to God above earthly powers.