and faithfully discharged brings most glory unto God and the greatest honour to all Kings when it is more to be with Constantine a nursing father to Gods Church then it is to be with Alexander the sole Monarch of the known world I will first treat of their charge and care and the power that God hath given them to defend the faith and to preserve true religion And 1. 1. Care of Kings to preserve true Religion Aug. de utilitate credendi cap. 9. Religion faith a learned Divine without authority is no Religion for as Saint Augustine saith no true Religion can be received by any meanes without some weighty force of authority therefore if that Religion whereby thou hopest to be saved hath no authority to ground it selfe upon or if that authority whereby thy Religion is setled be mis-placed in him that hath no authority at all what hope of salvation remaining in that Religion canst thou conceive but it is concluded on all sides that the right authority of preserving true religion must reside in him and proceed from him by whose supreme power and government it is to be enacted and forced upon us To whom the charge of preserving religion is commited and therefore now the question is and it is very much questioned to whom the supreame government of our Religion ought rightly to be attributed 3 Opinions whereof I finde three severall resolutions 1. Papisticall which leaneth too much on the right hand 2. Anabaptisticall which bendeth twice as much on the left hand 3. Orthodoxall of the Protestants that ascribe the same to him on whom God himselfe hath conferred it Opinion 1 1. That the Church of Rome maketh the Pope solely to have the supreme government of our Christian Religion is most apparent out of all their writings Vnde saepè objiciunt dictum â—lâ—su ad Constantium Tibì Deus impertum commisit nobis quâ— sunt ecclesiastica concredidit Sed hâ—c intelligitur de executione officij non de gubernatione ecclesiae Sicut ibi manifestum est cum dicitur ne que fai est nobis in terris imperium tenere neque tibi thymiamatum soâ—rorum potestatem habere i e. in pradicatione Evangelij administratione Sacramentorum similibus and you may see what a large book our Countrey-man Stapleton wrote against Master Horne Bishop of Winchester to justifie the same And Sanders to disprove the right of Kings saith Fatemur personas Episcoporum qui in toto orbe fuerunt Romano Imperatori subjectas fuisse quoniam Rex praeest hominibus Christianis verùm non quia sunt Chrstiani sed quia sunt homines episcopis etiam ea ex parte rex praeesset So Master Harding saith that the office of a King in it selfe is all one every where not onely among the Christian Princes but also among the Heathen so that a Christian King hath no more to doe in deciding Church matters or medling with any point of Religion then a Heathen And so Fekenham and all the brood of Jesuites doe with all violence and virulencie labour to disprove the Princes authority and supremacy in Ecclesiasticall causes and the points of our Religion and to transferre the same wholly unto the Pope and his Cardinals Neither doe I wonder so much that the Pope having so universally gained and so long continued this power and retained this government from the right owners should imploy all his Hierarchie to maintaine that usurped authority which he held with so much advantage to his Episcopall See though with no small prejudice to the Church of Christ when the Emperours being busied with other affaires leaving this care of religion and government of the Church to the Pope the Pope to the Bishops the Bishops to their Suffragans and the Suffragans to the Monkes whose authority being little their knowledge lesse and their honesty least of all all things were ruled with greater corruption lesse truth then they ought to be so long as possibly he should be able to possesse it But at last when the light of the Gospell shined and Christian Princes had the leisure to looke and the heart to take hold upon their right the learned men opposing themselves against the Popes usurped jurisdiction have soundly proved the Soveraigne authority of Christian Kings in the government of the Church that not onely in other Kingdomes but also here in England this power was annexed by divers Lawes unto the interest of the Crowne and the lawfull right of the King and I am perswaded saith that Reverend Archbishop Bancroft had it not beene that new adversaries did arise Survey of Discip c. 22. p. 2â—1 and opposed themselves in this matter the Papists before this time had been utterly subdued for the Devill seeing himselfe so like to lose the field How the Devill raised instruments to hinder the reformation stirred up in the bosome of Reformation a flocke of violent and seditious men that pretending a great deale of hate to Popery have notwithstanding joyned themselves like Sampsons Foxes with the worst of Papists in the worst and most pernicious Doctrines that ever Papist taught to rob Kings of their sacred and divine right and to deprive the Church of Christ of the truth of all those points that doe most specially concerne her government and governours and though in the fury of their wilde â—eale they do no lesse maliciously then falsly cast upon the soundest Protestants the aspersion of Popery and Malignancie yet I hope to make it plaine unto my reader that themselves are the Papists indeed or worse then Papists both to the Church and State For 2. As the whole Colledge of Cardinals Of the Anabaptists and Puritans and all the Schooles Opinion 2 of the Jesuites doe most stiffely defend this usurped authority of the Pope which as I said may be with the lesse admiration because of the Princes concession and their owne long possession of it so on the other side there are sprung up of late a certaine generation of Vipers the brood of Anabaptists and Brownists that doe most violently strive not to detaine what they have unjustly obtained but a degree farre worse to pull the sword out of their Prince his hand and to place authority on them which have neither right to owne it Where the Pâ—ritans place the authority to maintaine religion 1. In the Presbyterie nor discretion to use it and that is either 1. A Consistory of Presbyters or 2. A Parliament of Lay men For 1. These new Adversaries of this Truth that would most impudently take away from Christian Princes the supreme and immediate authority under Christ in all Ecclesiasticall Callings and Causes will needs place the same in themselves and a Consistorian company of their own Faction a whole Volume would not contain their absurdities falsities and blasphemies that they have uttered about this point I will onely give you a taste of what some of the chiefe
of them have belebed forth against the Divine Truth of God's Word and the sacred Majesty of Kings Calvin in Amos cap. 7. Master Calvin a man otherwise of much worth and worthy to be honoured yet in this point transported with his own passion calleth those Blasphemers that did call King Henry the Eighth the Supreme Head of this Church of England Stapâ—â— cont â—â—dorn l 1. p. 22. and Stapleton saith that he handled the King himselfe with such villany and with so spitefull words as he never handled the Pope more spitefully and all for this Title of Supremacy in Church causes and in his 54. Epist to Myconius he termeth them prophane spirits and mad men that perswaded the Magistrates of Geneva not to deprive themselves of that authority which God had given them Viretus is more virulent for he resembleth them not to mad men as Calvin did but to white devils because they stand in defence of the Kings authority and he saith they are false Christians though they cover themselves with the cloak of the Gospell How Viretus would prove the temporall Pope as he calleth the King vvorse then the spirituall Pope affirming that the putting of all authority and power into the Civill Magistrates hands and making them Masters of the Church is nothing else but the changing of the Popedome from the Spirituall Pope into a Temporall Pope who as it is to be feared will prove worse and more tyrannous than the Spirituall Pope which he laboureth to confirme by these three reasons Reason 1 1. Because the Spiritual Pope had not the Sword in his own hand to punish men with death but was fain to crave the aid of the Secular power which the Temporal Pope needs not do 2. Because the old Spirituall Popes had some regard in their Reason 2 dealings of Councels Synods and ancient Canons but the new Secular Popes will do what they list without respect of any Ecclesiasticall Order be it right or wrong 3. Because the Romish Popes were most commonly very Reason 3 learned but it happeneth oftentimes that the Regall Popes have neither learning nor knowledge in divine matters and yet these shall be they that shall command Ministers and Preachers what they list and to make this assertion good he affirmeth that he saw in some places some Christian Princes under the title of Reformation to have in 10 or 20 yeares usurped more tyrannie over the Churches in their Dominions then ever the Pope and his adherents did in 600 yeares All which reasons are but meere fopperies Viretus his scandalous reasons answered blowne up by the blacke Devill to blast the beauty of this truth for we speake not of the abuse of any Prince to justifie the same against any one but of his right that cannot be the cause of any wrong and it cannot be denyed but an illiterate Prince may prove a singular advancer of all learning as Bishop Wickham was no great Scholler yet was he a most excellent instrument to produce abundance of famous Clerks in this Church and the King ruleth his Church by those Lawes which through his royall authority are made with the advice of his greatest Divines as hereafter I shall shew unto you yet these spurious and specious pretexts may serve like clouds to hide the light from the eyes of the simple So Cartwright also T. C. l. 2. p. 411 that was our English firebrand and his Disciples teach as Harding had done before that Kings and Princes doe hold their Kingdomes and Dominions under Christ as he is the Sonne of God onely before all worlds coequall with the father and not as he is Mediator and Governour of the Church and therefore the Christian Kings have no more to doe with the Church government then the Heathen Princes so Travers saith that the Heathen Princes being converted to the faith receive no more nor any further increase of their power whereby they may deale in Church causes then they had before so the whole packe of the Disciplinarians are all of the same minde and do hold that all Kings aswell Heathen as Christian receiving but one Commission and equall authority immediately from God have no more to doe with Church causes the one sort then the other And I am ashamed to set downe the rayling and the scurrilous speeches of Anthony Gilby against Hen. 8. Gilby in his admonition p. 69. Knox in his exhâ—ta iâ—n to the Nobility of Scotland fol. 77. and of Knox Whittingham and others against the truth of the Kings lawfull right and authority in all Ecclesiasticall causes For were it so as Cartwright Travers and the rest of that crew doe avouch that Kings by being Christians receive no more authority over Christ his Church then they had before * Which is most false yet this will appeare most evident to all understanding men that all Kings aswell the Heathens as the Christians are in the first place to see that their people do religiously observe the worship of that God which they adore and therefore much more should Christian Princes have a care to preserve the religion of Jesus Christ The Gentile Kings preservers of religion For it cannot be denyed but that all Kings ought to preserve their Kingdomes and all Kingdomes are preserved by the same meanes by which they were first established and they are established by obedience and good manners neither shall you finde any thing that can beget obedience and good manners but Lawes and Religion and Religion doth naturally beget obedience unto the Lawes therefore most of those Kings that gave Lawes were originally Priests Synes ep 126. Vide Amis part 2. pag. 14. Ad magnas râ—spubl utilitates retinetur religio in civitatibus Cicero de divin l. 2. and as Synesius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priest and a Prince was all one with them when the Kings to preserve their Lawes inviolable and to keepe their people in obedience that they might be happy became Priests and exercised the duties of Religion offering sacrifices unto their gods and discharging the other offices of the Priestly function as our factious Priests could willingly take upon them the offices of the King or if some of them were not Priests as all were not Law-makers yet all of them preserved Religion as the onely preservation of their Lawes and the happinesse of their Kingdomes which they saw could not continue without Religion But 2. In the Parliament 2. The wisedome of our grave Prelates and the learning of our religious Clergie having stopped the course of this violent streame and hindered the translation of this right of Kings unto their new-borne Presbyterie and late erected Synods There sprang up another generation out of the dregs of the former that because they would be sure to be bad enough out of their envy unto Kings and malice unto the Church that the one doth not advance their unworthinesse and the other doth not beare with their
deleret peccata mundi not to take away the rights of the Nations but to satisfie for the sinnes of the world the best Christian Emperours discharged the same duty The care of the good Emperours to preserve the true religion reformed the Church abolished Idolatry punished Heresie and maintained Piety especially Constantine and Theodosius that were most pious Princes and of much vertues and became as the Prophet foretold us Esay 49.23 nursing fathers unto Gods Church for though they are most religious and best in their religion that are religious for conscience sake yet there is a feare from the hand of the Magistrate that is able to restraine those men from many outward evils whom neither conscience nor religion could make honest therefore God committed the principall care of his Church to the Prince and principall Magistrate Who defended thâ—s truth And this is confirmed and throughly maintained by sundry notable men as Brentius against Asoto Bishop Horne against Fekenham Jewell against Harding and many other learned men that have written against such other Papists and Puritans Anabaptists and Brownists The Papists unawares confesse this truth that have taken upon them to impugne it yea many of the Papists themselves at unawares doe confesse as much for Osorius saith Omne regis officium in religionis sanctissimae rationem conferendum Osortus de relig p. 21. munus ejus est beare rempubl religione pietate all the office of a King is to be conferred or imployed for the regard and benefit of the most holy religion and his whole duty is to blesse or make happy the Common-wealth with religion and piety Quod enim est aliud reipublicae principi munus assignatum quà m ut rempubl florentem atque beatam faciat quod quidem nullo modo sine egregiâ pietatis religionis sanctitate perficitur For though we confesse with Ignatius that no man is equall to the Bishop in causes Ecclesiasticall no not the King himselfe that is in such things as belong to his office as Whitaker saith Whitak resp Camp p. 302. because he onely ought to see to holy things that is the instruction of the people the administration of the Sacraments the use of the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and the like matters of great weight and exceeding the Kings authority The Kings authority over Bishops yet Kings are above Bishops in wealth honour power government and majestie and though they may not doe any of the Episcopall duties yet they may and ought lawfully to admonish them of their duties and restraine them from evill 1. Chron. 28.13 2. Chron. 29. 1. Reg. 2.26 and command them diligently to execute their office and if they neglect the same they ought to reprove and punish them as we reade the good Kings of the Jewish Church and the godly Emperours * As Martian apud Binium l. 2. p. 178. Iustinian novil 10. tit 6. Theodos jun. Evagr. l. 1. c. 12. Basil in Concil Constant 8. act 1. Binius tom 3. p. 880. of the Christian Church have ever done and the Bishops themselves in sundry Councels have acknowledged the same power and authority to be due and of right belonging unto them as at Mentz anno 814. and anno 847. apud Binium tom 3. p. 462. 631. At Emerita in Portugall anno 705. Bin. tom 2. p. 1183. and therefore it is an ill consequent to say Princes have no authority to preach Ergo they have no authority to punish those that will not preach or that doe preach false Doctrine This truth is likewise apparent not onely by the testimony of Scripture and Fathers but also by the evidence of plaine reason because the prosperity of that Land which any King doth governe Reason confirmeth that Kings should take care of religion without a principall care of religion decayeth and degenerateth into Warres Dearthes Plagues and Pestilence and abundance of other miseries that are the lamentable effects and consequences of the neglect of religion and contempt of the Ministers of Gods Church which I beleeve is no small cause of these great troubles that we now suffer because our God Psal 35.27 that taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants cannot endure that either his service should be neglected or his servants abused CHAP. VII Sheweth the three things necessary for all Kings that would preserve true Religion how the King may attaine to the knowledge of things that pertaine to Religion by his Bishops and Chaplaines and the calling of Synods the unlawfulnesse of the new Synod the Kings power and authority to governe the Church and how both the old and new Disciplinarians and Sectaries rob the King of this power THerefore seeing this should be the greatest care that brings the greatest honour to a Christian Prince to promote the true religion it is requisite that we should consider those things that are most necessary to a Christian King for the religious performance of this duty And they are Three things necessary for a King to preserve the Church and true Religion 1. A will to performe it 2. An understanding to goe about it 3. A power to effect it And these three must be inseparable in the Prince that maintaineth true religion For 1. Our knowledge and our power without a willing minde doth want motion 2. Our will and power without knowledge shall never be able to move right And 3. Our will and knowledge without ability can never prevaile to produce any effect Therefore Kings and Princes ought to labour to be furnished with these three speciall graces The first is a good will to preserve the purity of Gods service 1. A willing minde to do it not onely in his House but also throughout all his Kingdome and this as all other graces are must be acquired by our faithfull prayers and that in a more speciall manner for Kings and Princes then for any other and it is wrought in them by outward instruction and the often predication of Gods Word and the inward inspiration of Gods Spirit The second is knowledge 2. Understanding to knâ—w what is to be reformed and what to be retained which is not much lesse necessary then the former because not to runne right is no better then not to runne at all and men were as good to doe nothing as to doe amisse and therefore true knowledge is most requisite for that King that will maintaine true religion and this should be not onely in generall and by others but as much as possible he can in particulars and of himselfe that himselfe might be assured what were fit to be reformed and what warranted to be maintained in Gods service for so Moses commandeth the chiefe Princes to be exercised in Gods Law day and night because this would be a speciall meanes to beatifie or make happy both the Church and Common-wealth The Kings neglect of religion and the Church is the
destruction of the Common-wealth As the neglect thereof brought ignorance unto the Church and ruine to the Romane Empire for as in Augustus time learning flourished and in Constantines time piety was much embraced because these Emperours were such themselves so when the Kings whose examples most men are apt to follow either busied with secular affaires or neglecting to understand the truth of things and the state of the Church do leave this care unto others then others imitating their neglect doe rule all things with great corruption and as little truth whereby errours and blindnesse will over-spread the Church and pride covetousnesse and ambition will replenish the Common-wealth and these vices like the tares that grow up in Gods field to suffocate the pure Wheat will at last choake up all vertue and piety both in Church and State Therefore to prevent this mischiefe the King on whom God hath laid the care of these things ought himselfe what he can to learne and find out the true state of things and because it is far unbefitting the honour and inconsistent with the charge of great Princes whose other affaires will not permit them to be alwayes poring at their bookes as if they were such critiques as intended to exceed all others in the theorick learning like Archimedes that was in his studie drawing forth his Mathematicall figures when the Citie was sackt and his enemies pulling down the house about his eares How Kings may attaine unto the knowledge of religion and understand the state of the Church and how to governe the same therefore it is wisedome in them to imitate the discreet examples of other wise Kings and religious Emperours in following the meanes that God hath left and using the power and authority that he hath given them to attaine unto more knowledge and to be better instructed in any religious matter then themselves could possibly attaine unto by their owne greatest studie and that is 1. To call able Clergy-men about them 1. As Alexander had his Aristotle ready to informe him in any Philosophicall doubt and Augustus his prime Orators Poëts and Historians to instruct him in all affaires so God hath granted this power unto his Kings to call those Bishops and command such Chaplaines to reside about them as shall be able to informe them in any truth of Divinity and so direct them in the best forme of government of Gods Church and these Chaplaines should be well approved both for their learning and their honesty for to be learned without honesty as many are is to be witty to doe evill which is most pernitious and doth often times make a private gaine by a publique losse or an advantage to themselves by the detriment of the Church and to be honest without knowledge How they should be qualified or to have knowledge without experience especially in such places of eminencie and for the affaires of importance may be as dangerous when their want of skill may counsell to doe matters of much hurt but when both are met together in one person that man is a fit Subject to doe good service both to God and the King and the King may be assured there cannot be a better furtherance to assist him for the well ordering of Gods Church then the grave advice directions of such instruments as it appeareth by that memorable example of King Ioas left to be remembred by all Kings who whilest the wise and religious Priest Jehoiada assisted and directed him had all things successefull and happy to his whole Kingdome but after Jehoiada's death 2. Reg. 12.1 the King destitute of such a Chaplaine to attend and such a Priest to counsell him all things came speedily to great ruine Therefore I dare boldly avouch it they are enemies unto Kings and the underminers of Gods Church and such instruments as I am not able to expresse their wickednesse that would exclude such Jehoiada's from the Kings counsell for was not Saul a wicked King and Ahab little better yet Saul would have Samuel to direct him though he followed not his direction and Ahab would aske counsell of Micaiah though he rejected the same to his owne destruction and King David 1. Reg. 22.16 though never so wise and so great a Prophet and Josias and Ezechias and all the rest of the good Kings had alwayes the Priests and the men of God to be their Counsellors and followed their directions especially in Church causes as the oracles of God Mar. 6.20 so wicked Herod disdained not to heare John the Baptist and to be reformed by him in many things and happy had he beene had he done it in all things And if you reade Eusebius which is called Pamphilus for the great love he bare to that his noble Patron and Socrates and the rest of the Ecclesiasticall Historians or the Histories of our owne Land you shall finde that the best Kings and greatest Emperours had the best Divines and the most reverend Bishops to be their chiefest Counsellors and to be imployed by them in their weightiest affaires How then hath the Devill now prevailed to exclude them from all Counsels and as much as in him lyeth from the sight of Princes when he makes it a suspicion of much evill if they do but talke together How hath he bewitched the Nobility to yeild to be deprived of their Chaplaines Is it not to keepe them that have not time to studie and to find out truth themselves still in the ignorance of things and to none other end then to overthrow the true religion and to bring Kings and Princes to confusion 2. When the King seeth cause 2. To call Synods to discusse and conclude the harder things God hath given him power and authority to call Synods and Councels and to assemble the best men the most moderate and most learned to determine of those things together which a fewer number could not so well or at least not so authoritatively conclude upon for so Constantine the Great called the great Councell of Nice to suppresse the Heresie of Arius Theodosius called the Councell of Ephesus in the case of Nestorius Valentinian and Martian called the Councell of Calcedon against Eutyches Justinian called the Councell of Constantinople against Severus that renewed the Heresie of Eutyches Constantine the Fifth called the sixth Synod against the Monothelites and so did many others in the like cases God having fully granted this right and authority unto them for their better information in any point of religion and the governement of the Church And therefore they that deny this power unto Kings or assume this authority unto themselves whether Popes or Parliament out of the Kings hand they may as well take his eyes out of his head because this is one of the best helpes that God hath left unto Kings to assist and direct them in the chiefest part of their royall government The unparallel'd presumption of the Faction to call a Synod without
requisite for us to know that God hath granted unto him among other rights Two speciall rights and prerogatives of the King for the government of the Church these two speciall prerogatives 1. That he may and ought to make Lawes Orders Canons and Decrees for the well governing of Gods Church 2. That he may when he seeth cause lawfully and justly grant tolerations and dispensations of his owne Lawes and Decrees as he pleaseth For 1. To make Lawes and Canons 1. Not onely Solomon and Jehosaphat gave commandement and prescribed unto the chiefe Priests and Levites what forme and order they should observe in their Ecclesiasticall causes and method of serving God but also Constantine Theodosius Justinian and all the Christian Emperours that were carefull of Gods service did the like and therefore when the Donatists alleadged that secular Princes had nothing to doe to meddle in matters of religion and in causes Ecclesiasticall S. Augustine in his second Epistle against Gaudentius saith Aug. l. 2. c. 26 I have already proved that it appertained to the Kings charge that the Ninivites should pacifie Gods wrath and therefore the Kings that are of Christ's Church do judge most truly that it belongeth to their charge to see that men rebell not without punishment against the same Idem ep 48. ep 50. and Bonifaâ— because God doth inspire it into the mindes of Kings that they should procure the Commandements of the Lord to be performed in all their Kingdomes for they are commanded to serve the Lord in feare and how doe they serve the Lord as Kings but in making Lawes for Christ as man he serveth him by living faithfully So they are called the Kings Ecclesiasticall Lawes but as King he serveth him in making Lawes that shall command just things and forbid the contrary which they could not doe if they were not Kings And by the example of the King of Ninive Darius Nebuchadnezzar and others which were but figures and prophesies that fore-shewed the power duty and service that Christian Kings should owe and performe in like sort to the furtherance of Christs religion in the time of the New Testament when all Kings shall fall downe and worship Christ Psal 72.11 and all Nations shall doe him service he proveth Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 92. that the Christian Kings and Princes should make Lawes and Decrees for the furtherance of Gods service Idem in l. de 12 abus grad grad 2. even as Nebuchadnezzar had done in his time And upon the words of the Apostle that the King beareth not the sword in vaine he proveth against Petilian that the power and authority of the Princes which the Apostle treateth of in that place is given unto them to make sharpe penall Lawes to further true religion and to suppresse all Heresies and Schismes And so accordingly we finde the good Emperours and Kings have ever done The good Emperours have made Lawes for the government of the Church for Constantine caused the idolatrous religions to be suppressed and the true knowledge of Christ to be preached and planted amongst his people and made many wholesome Lawes and godly Constitutions to restraine the sacrificing unto Idols and all other devillish and superstitious south-sayings and to cause the true service of God to be rightly administred in every place saith Eusebius Euseb in vita Const l. 2. 3. And in another place he saith that the same Constantine gave injunctions to the chiefe Ministers of the Churches that they should make speciall supplication to God for him and he injoyned all his Subjects that they should keepe holy certaine dayes dedicated to Christ and the Sabboth or Saturday which was then wont to be kept holy and as yet not abrogated by any Law among the Christians he gave a Law to the Ruler of every Nation that they should celebrate the Sunday Idem de vita Constant l. 1. 3. 4. c. 18. or the Lords day in like sort and so for the dayes that were dedicated to the memory of the Martyrs and other festivall times and all such things were done according to the ordinance of the Emperour Niceph. in prafation Eccles hist Nicephorus writing of the excellent vertues of Andronicus sonne to Immanuel Palaeologus and comparing him to Constantine the Great saith thou hast restored the Catholique Church being troubled with new opinions to the old State thou hast banished all unlawfull and impure doctrine thou hast established the truth and hast made Lawes and Constitutions for the same Sozomenus l. 3. c. 17. Sozomen speaking of Constantines sonnes saith the Princes also concurred to the increase of these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing their good affections to the Churches no lesse then their father did and honouring the Clergy their servants with singular promotions and immunities both confirming their fathers Lawes and making also new Lawes of their owne against such as went about to sacrifice and to worship Idols or by any other meanes fell to the Greekish or Heathenish superstitions Theodoret tells us that Valentinian at the Synod in Illirico did not onely confirme the true faith by his royall assent but made also many godly and sharpe Lawes as well for the maintenance of the truth of Christ his doctrine as also touching many other causes Ecclesiasticall Theodor. l. 4. c. 5 6 7. and as ratifying those things that were done by the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sent abroad to them that doubted thereof Distinct 79. 〈◊〉 dâ—â— Honorius at the request of Boniface the first made a Law whereby it might appeare what was to be done when two Popes were chosen at once by the indiscretion of the Electors Martianus also made a Statute to cut off and put away all manner of contention about the true faith and religion in the Councell of Calcedon The Emperour Justinus made a Law that the Churches of Heretiques should be consecrated to the Catholique religion saith Martinus Poenitentiarius And who knowes not of the many Lawes and Decrees that Iustinian made in Ecclesiasticall causes for the furtherance of the true religion for in the beginning of the Constitutions collected in the Code of Iustinian the first 13 titles are all filled with Lawes for to rule the Church where it forbiddeth the Bishops to reiterate baptisme L. 1. tit 5. L. 1. tit 7. Novel 123. c. 10. Novel 58. Novel 137 c. 6. to paint or grave on earth the Image of our Saviour And in the Novels the Emperour ordaineth Lawes of the creation and consecration of Bishops that Synods shall be annually held that the holy mysteries should not be celebrated in private houses that the Bishops should speake aloud when they celebrate the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist and that the holy Bible should be translated into the vulgar tongue and the like And not onely these and the rest of the godly Emperours that succeeded them but also
Ariamirus Wambanus Richaredus and divers other Kings of Spaine did in like manner And Charlemaine who approved not the decisions of the Greekish Synod wrote a booke against the same * Intituled A Treatise of Charlemaigne against the Greekish Synod touching Images whereby the King maintained himselfe in possession to make Lawes for the Church saith Iohannes Beda of which Lawes there are many in a booke called The capitulary Decrees of Charles the Great who as Pepin his predecessor had done in the Citie of Bourges so did he also assemble many Councels in divers places of his Kingdomes as at Mayens at Tours at Reines at Chaalons at Arles and the sixt most famous of all at Francfort where himselfe was present in person and condemned the errour of Felician and so other Kings of France and the Kings of our owne Kingdome of England both before and after the Conquest as Master Fox plentifully recordeth did make many Lawes and Constitutions for the government of Gods Church But as Dioclesian The saying of Dioclesian that was neither the best nor the happiest governour said most truly of the civill government that there was nothing harder then to rule well * That is to rule the Common-wealth so it is much harder to governe the Church of Christ therefore as there cannot be an argument of greater wisedome in a Prince nor any thing of greater safety and felicity to the Common-wealth then for him to make choice of a wise Councell to assist him in his most weighty affaires Tacitus Annal. lib. 12. saith Cornelius Tacitus So all religious Kings must do the like in the government of the Church and the making of their Lawes for that government for God out of his great mercy to them and no lesse desire to have his people religiously governed left such men to be their supporters their helpers and advicers in the performance of these duties and I pray you whom did Kings choose for this businesse but whom God had ordained for that purpose for you may observe that although those Christian Kings and Emperours made their Laws as having the supremacy and the chiefest care of Gods religion committed by God into their hands yet they did never make them that ever I could reade with the advice counsell or direction of any of their Peeres or Lay Subjects but as David had Nathan and Gad The good Kings and Emperours made their Lavves for the government of the Church onely by the advice of their Clergy Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel and the rest of the Jewish Kings and Heathens had their Prophets onely and Priests to direct them in all matters of religion so those Christian Kings and Princes tooke their Bishops and their Clergie onely to be their counsellors and directors in all Church causes as it appeareth out of all the fore-cited Authors and all the Histories that doe write thereof and Justinian published this Law that when any Ecclesiasticall cause or matter was moved his Lay officers should not intermeddle with it A good Law of Iustinian but should suffer the Bishops to end the same according to the Canons the words are Si Ecclesiasticum negotium sit nullam communionem habento civiles magistratus cum ea disceptatione Constit 123. sed religiosissimi Episcopi secundum sacros canones negotio finem imponunto For the good Emperours knew full well that the Lay Senate neither understood what to determine in the points of faith and the government of Christ's Church nor was ever willing to doe any great good or any speciall favour unto the Shepherds of Christ's flocke and the teachers of the true religion because the Sonne of God had fore-told it that the world should hate us John 15.19 that secular men and Lay Senators should commonly oppose crosse and shew all the spite they can unto the Clergy of whom our Saviour saith Matth. 10.16 Behold I send you forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as sheepe in the midst of wolves Whence this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great distance between their dispositions being observed it grew into a Proverb that Laici semper infesti sunt Clericis How the Laity love the Clergie And Doctor Meriton in a Sermon before King James observed this as one of the good favours the Clergie of England found from our Parliaments since the reformation when many men first began to be translated from the seat of the scornefull to sit in Moses chaire A very memorable act Anno 39. Eliz. cap. 4. and to prescribe Lawes for Christ his Spouse to make an Act that all wandering beggars after their correction by the Constable should be brought to the Minister of the Parish to have their names registred in a booke and the Constable used to give to the Minister 2d for his paines for every one so registred but if he refused or neglected to doe it the Statute saith he should be punished 5 for every one that should be so omitted where besides the honourable office I will not say to make the Minister of Christ a Bedle of the beggars but a Register of the vagrants you see the punishment of one neglect amounteth to the reward of thirty labours therefore all the Christian Emperours and the wisest Kings considering this great charge that God had laid upon them to make wholesome Lawes and Constitutions for the government of his Church and seeing the inclinations of the Laity would never permit any of these Lay Elders and the Citizens of the world to usurpe this authority to be the composers contrivers or assistants in concluding of any Ecclesiasticall Law That the Laity should have no interest in making Lawes for the Church untill the fences of Gods vineyard were pulled downe and the wilde Boare out of the forrest the audacious presumption of the unruly Commonalty ventured either to governe the Church or to subdue their Prince since which incroachment upon the rights of Kings it hath never succeeded well with the Church of Christ and I dare boldly say it fidenter quia fideliter and the more boldly because most truly the more authority they shall gaine herein the lesse glory shall Christ have from the service of his Church and therefore Be wise ô ye Kings And consider how any new Canons are to be made by our Statute 25. Hen. 8. Ob. Ob. But then it may be demanded if this be so that the Laity hath no right in making Lawes and Decrees for the government of Gods Church but that it belongs wholly unto the King to doe it with the advice of his Bishops and the rest of his Clergy then how came the Parliament to annull those Canons that were so made by the King and Clergy because they had no vote nor consent in confirming of them Sol. Sol. Truely I cannot answer to this Objection unlesse I should tell you what the Poet saith Dum furor in cursu currenti cede furori Difficiles aditus impetus omnis
for the least medling in these civill affaires doe not onely suffer their owne Preachers to straine at a gnat but also to swallow a Camell when M. Henderson Marshall Case and the rest of their new inspired Prophets shall sit as Presidents in all their Counsels and Committees of their chiefest affaires and consultations either about Warre or Peace or of any other civill cognizance how those things can be answered to deny that to us which they themselves do practice I cannot understand when as the light of nature tels us Quod tibi vis fieri mihi fac quod non mihi noli Sic potes in terris vivere jure poli * Vnde Baldus jubet ut quis in alios non aliter judicet quà m in se judicari vellet And therefore when as there is no politique Philosophy no imperiall constitution nor any humane invention that doth or can so strictly binde the consciences of men unto subjection and true obedience as the Doctrine of the Gospell and no man can perswade the people so much unto it as the Preachers of Gods word as it appeareth by this Rebellion perswaded by the false Preachers because the Principles of Philosophy and the Lawes of many nations do permit many things to be done against tyrants which the Religion of Christ and the true Bishops of Gods Church do flatly inhibit How requisite it is for Kings to delegate civill affaires unto their Clergie it is very requisite and necessary for all Christian Kings both for the glory of God their owne safety and the happinesse of the Common wealth to defend this their owne right and the right of the Clergie to call them into their Parliaments and Counsels and to demise certaine civill causes and affaires to the gravest Bishops and the wisest of the ministers and not to suffer those Rebellions Anabaptists and Brownists that have so disloyally laboured to pull off the Crowne from their Kings head to bury all the glory of the Church in the dust to bring the true Religion into a scorne and to deprive the King of the right which is so necessary for his safety and so usefull for the government of his people that is the service of his Clergie in all civill Courts and Councels And as it is the Kings right to call whom he pleaseth into his Parliaments and Councells That it is the Kings right to give titles of honour to whom he pleaseth and to delegate whom he will to discharge the office of a Civill or Ecclesiasticall magistrate or both wheresoever he appoints within his Realâ—â— and Dominions so it is primarily in his power and authority and his regall right to give titles of honour and dignity to those officers and magistrates whom he chooseth for though the Barbarians acknowledge no other distinction of Persons but of Master and Servants which was the first punishment for the first contempt of our Superiors Gen. 9.25 therefore their Kings do raigne and domineere over their Subjects as Masters do over their servants Saravia c. 28. p. 194. and the Fathers of families have the same authority over their Wives and Children as over their slaves and vassals and the Muscovites at this day do rule after this manner neither is the great Empire of the Turke much unlike this government and generally all the Easterne Kingdomes were ever of this kind and kept this rule over all the Nations whom they Conqâ—ered and many of them do still retain it to these very times Yet our Westerne Kings whom charity hath taught better and made them milder and especially the Kings of this Iland The mild government of our Kings which in the sweetnesse of government exceeded all other Kings as holding it their cheifest glory to have a free people subject unto them and thinking it more Honourable to command over a free then a servile nation have conferred upon their subjects many titles of great honour which the Learned Gentleman M. Selden hath most Learnedly treated of and therefore I might well be silent in this point and not to write Iliads after Homer if this title of Lord given by His Majesty unto our Bishops for none but he hath any right to give it did not require that I should say something thereof Of the title of Lord touching which you must observe that this name dominus is of divers significations and is derived à domo as Zanchius observeth where every man is a Lord of that house and possession which he holdeth and it hath relation also to a servant so that this name is ordinarily given among the Latinists to any man that is able to keep servants and so it must needs appeare how great is the malice I cannot lay the ignorance when every school-boy knowes it of those Sectaries that deny this title to be consistent with the calling of a Bishop which indeed cannot be denyed to any man of any ordinary esteeme But they will say that it signifieth also rule and authority and so as it is a title of rule and Dominion it is the invention of Antichrist the donation of the Devill and forbidden by our Saviour where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16.30 that is in effect be not you called gratious Lords or benefactors which is the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore these titles of honour are not fit for the Preachers of the Gospell to puffe them up with pride and to make them swell above their brethren It is answered That there is a double rule or dominion that if our Saviours words be rightly understood and his meaning not maliciously perverted neither the authority of the Bishops nor the title of their honour is forbidden for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a title of dominion so it is fit to be ascribed to them unto whom the Lord and author of all rule and dominion hath committed any rule or government over his People and our Saviour forbiddeth not the same because you may find that there is a double rule and dominion the one just and approved the other tyrannicall and disallowed and the tyrannicall rule or as S. Peter saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Peâ— 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the domineering authourity over Gods inheritance both Christ and his Apostles do forbid but the just rule and dominion they deny not because they must do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the son of man doth it so the manner of their rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Kings of the nations rule with tyranny he prohibiteth but as the servants of Christ ought to rule with charity not with austerity with humility and not with insolencie he denieth not and so he denyeth not the name of Lord as it is a title of honour and reverence given unto them by the King and ascribed by their people but he forbiddeth an ambitious aspiring to it and a proud carriage
in all other actions the end is the marke that is aymed at The end of every Law is chiefly to be respected and this end is no other then the publique good of any society for which the Law is made if the King which is the sole Law-maker so as I shewed in my Discovery of Mysteries seeth this publique good better procured by granting dispensations to some particular men doth he not performe thereby what the Law intendeth and no wayes breake the Law of common right as if a mans absence from his proper Cure should be more beneficiall to the whole Church then his residence upon his Charge could possibly be Reasons of dispensations as when his absence may be either for the recovery of his health or to discharge the Kings Embassage or to doe his best to confute Heretiques or to pacifie Schismes or to consult about the Church affaires or some other urgent cause that the Law never dreamt of when it was in making shall not the King whom the Lawes have intrusted with the examination of these things and to whom the principall care of religion and the charge of all the people is committed by God himselfe and the power of executing his owne Lawes have power to grant his dispensations for the same Certainly they that would perswade the world that all Lawes must have such force that all dispensations are transgressions of them as if generall rules should have no exceptions would manacle the Kings hands and binde his power in the chaines of their crooked wils that he should not be able to doe that good which God and right and Law it selfe do give him leave and their envy towards other mens grace How God doth diversly bestow his gifts is a great deale more then either the grace of humility or the love of truth in them for doth not God give five talents to some of his servants when he gives but one to some others Matth. 25.15 and did not Joseph make Benjamins messe five times so much as any of his brethrens and have not some Lords 6 or 8 Gen. 43.34 or 10 thousand pounds a yeare and some very good men in the Common-wealth and perhaps higher in Gods favour not ten pounds a yeare and shall not the King double the reward of them that deserve it in the Church of God or shall he be so curbed and manacled that he shall neither alter nor dispense with his owne Law though it be for the greater glory unto God and the greater benefit both to the Church and Common-wealth Besides who can deny but that some mens merits vertue paines and learning are more worthy of two Benefices then many others are of one and when in his younger time he is possessed of a small Benefice he may perchance afterwards when his yeares deserve better farre easier obtaine another little one to keepe with it then get what I dare assure you he would desire much rather * For who would not rather chuse one Living of a 100l a yeare then two of 50l a piece one Living of equall value to them both and shall the unlearned zeale of an envious minde so farre prejudice a worthy man that the Kings lawfull right shall be censured and his power questioned and clipped or traduced by this ignorant Zelot I will blesse my selfe from them and maintaine it before all the world that the Kings dispensations for Pluralities Non-residency and the like Priviledges not repugnant to common right are not against Law nor the giving or taking of them upon just causes against conscience but what the violence of this viperous brood proclaimeth an intolerable offence we dare warrant both with good reason and true Divinity to be no sinne no fault at all but an undoubted portion of the Kings right for the greater benefit both of the Church and State and the greater glory unto God himselfe And therefore most gracious King we humbly desire your Majestie The Authors Petition to His Majestie suffer not these children of Apollyon to pull this flower out of your royall Crowne to abridge you of your just right of granting dispensations for Pluralities and Non-residency which the Lawes of your Land doe yet allow you and which they labour to annull to darken the glory of Gods Church and to bring your Clergy by depriving them of their meanes and honour into contempt lest that when by one and one they have robbed you of all your rights they will fairely salute you as the Jewes did Christ Haile King of the Jewes when God knowes they hated him and stript him of all power I speake not of his Divinity either to governe them or to save himselfe 3. As the King hath right and power to grant his dispensations both of grace and of justice of grace when it is meerely of the Kings Princely favour as in legitimations and the like and of justice when the King findeth a just cause to grant it so likewise it is in the Kings power and right to remit any offence that is the mâ—lct or penalty and to absolve the offender from any or all the transgressions of his owne Lawes from the transgression of Gods Law neither King nor Pope nor Priest nor any other can formally remit the fault and absolve transgressors but as God is the Law-giver so God alone must be the forgiver of the offence Mar. 2.7 so the Jewes say who can forgive sins but God onely Yet as God which gives the Law can lawfully remit the sinne and forgive the breach of the Law so the King which makes these positive Lawes cannot be denyed this power As David pardoned Absolon and Solomon Abtathar to pardon when he seeth cause or is so pleased the offenders of his Lawes as you see they do many times grant their pardons for the most haynous faults and capitall crimes as treasons Christ biddeth that the tares should grow Matth. 13.30 And the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be heresies therefore there must be a toleration of divers Sects 1 Cor. 11.19 murders felonies and the like And if they may grant their pardons for the breach of the Law and remit the mulct imposed for the transgression thereof it is strange if they should not have right to dispense with whom they please when they see cause from the bond of the Law and therefore we are to discusse how farre the King in these Lawes of the Church may give exemptions and tolerations unto them whose consciences cannot submit themselves to the observation of the established Lawes for seeing all men are not of the same faith nor doe professe the same religion and it is the nature of all men to dislike that which themselves will not professe and if opportunity serve to root out that which they dislike it is requisite it should be shewed how farre a prudent and a pious Prince may grant a toleration the Law in terminis not forbidding it unto
as they determined and when they had thus locked the doore and stopped the way of all reliefe unto the distressed Protestants of that Kingdome they might sing Dimidium toti qui benè coepit habet For they had setled Scotland and they had now grasped Ireland and held it fast in Vulcans net and therefore now it might stay till they could reduce England to make a perfect worke in all the three Kingdomes to the same forme of governement both in Church and State as they projected for the other and because they would have some places of entrance into Ireland and hinder the Rebels to possesse the whole Kingdome How they blinded the people by their proceedings and also blind the eyes of the ignorant not to perceive their plot but to keepe them still in some hope of redresse they sent such a party over and the Scots must be the most considerable part as might keepe their owne designe on foot and yet yeild not an inch of any comfort to the spoyled and expelled Protestant for they left that party which they sent thither rather as a prey to their enemies as having neither cloathes meat nor money then inabled by these acoutrements to subdue the Rebels as it is better and more fully declared by the Letter of the State of Ireland to the House of Commons then I can relate unto you What the Author saw in Ireland And I being in Ireland seeing the deplorable state of that Kingdome the miserable distresse of the mangled sterved and naked Protestants the little children calling and crying for bread and none to give it them many worthy Ministers beging or dying for want in the streets and the poore bare-footed and hunger bitten Souldier lamenting his hard fortune to be transplanted out of Gods blessing into the warme sunne from plenty and prosperity to be left as the traveller betwixt Hierusalem and Hierico halfe dead betwixt mercilesse rebels and more unmercifull friends neither wholly to be destroyed nor yet to be relieved was much troubled and perplexed at these sad aspects and being intrusted by the Bishops my Brethren of that Kingdome to agitate the cause of the Church for our reliefe here in England and to that end having a Letter unto His Majestie and a Remonstrance of our distressed condition though with the great hazard of my life at Sea How used as soone as ever he came to hâ—â— house yet I arrived by Gods great blessing in England and before I had beene two dayes at home my house was surrounded with a Troope of Armed Souldies they entred in seized upon my person searched every roome and every corner with a candle not leaving the bed-straw whereon my children lay unsearched they tooke all my papers and all the money they found in my house even my servants money to the summe of 40 l and carryed all with me their poore Prisoner to Northhampton and now I thought it was but an ill exchange to escape the Sea and to fall into the fire to shun the Lion and to meet a Beare to eschew the Rebels in Ireland and to fall into the hands of Traytors in England and I knew not why but onely that I had often preached at Towcester where being requested by Master Lockwood to supply the place How a precise Churchwarden would have hindered a Bishop to preach the precise Church-wardens very peremptorily told me I should not doe it because I was a royalist and spake against the Parliament to whom I replyed that he had no such authority to hinder a Bishop to Preach and bade him look to mend his glasse-windowes that were all full of holes where the faces of the pictures were plucked out and in other Churches thereabouts that they should so honour and obey their King as God commandeth us for which refusall to be admonished I beleeve they are now and perhaps will be more hereafter sufficiently punished But the Committee there finding in me no cause worthy of death or of bonds Gods providence so mercifully watching over me that it stopped their eyes that they looked not on my Grand Rebellion which they had in their hands and would no doubt have utterly undone me had they but espied the Capitall title that I was dismissed and I confesse courteously used by Sir John Norwich Then afterwards when time served I repaired to His Majestie and having delivered my Letters I spake to Him and drew a Petition and I thinke I was the first that petitioned in this kinde I doe not repent it neither am I ashamed to confesse it and got some hands unto it as that worthy and noble Gentleman Colonell Oneale can beare witnesse the summe whereof was that the Parliament having betrayed the trust that was reposed in them wholly deserted our reliefe and giving us none other comfort then what I expressed in my Discovery of Mysteries c. 12. p. 24. his Majestie would be pleased to consider that we were his Loyall Subjects and that the care of us was committed by God to him not to his Parliament who had left us in a worse condition then the Rebels had made us and therefore as he justly required our faith and alleageance so we humbly be sought him that he would graciously vouchsafe unto us his princely care assistance some waies to relieve us otherwise then by leaving us still in their hands till we and our families in the languishing expectation of our redresse should finally and irrecoverably perish while these crafty Merchants thus bought and sold us and under the pretence of reformation used all their endeavours to bring both Kingdomes to destruction CHAP. XIX Sheweth how the Rebellious faction have transgressed all the ten Commandements of the Law and the new Commandement of the Gospell how they have committed the seven deadly sinnes and the foure crying sinnes and the three most destructive sins to the soule of man and how their Ordinances are made against all lawes 1. They adore and put their trust in that creature Ps 74. v. 4.7.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quis tibi in mentem dolorem imposuit ut haec perficias magni Dei ore relicto equity and conscience 22 THey have in no small measure transgressed all the commandements of God the ten commandements of the law and the new commandement of the Gospell for 1. The factious Rebels have other gods besides the God of Israel when they adore the creatures and ascribe the incommunirable attributes of the creator unto their Parliament by calling it omnipotent infallible invincible and most blessed Parliament as some of them have most blasphemously termed it for which blasphemies no doubt but as we by their Declarations and Ordinances know they are not infallible so God I feare me by their destruction will shew they are neither blessed nor invincible 2. They not onely make an idoll of their Parliament 21 How they have abused Gods house but are so farre from making to themselves any graven image
their Decree and appointed the penalty and whosoever rejected their order or refused their judgement they excommunicated him from all society and he was then deemed of all men as an ungodly and a most gracelesse person Thus did they that had but the twilight of corrupted nature to direct them judge those that were most conversant with the minde and will of the gods to be the fittest Counsellors and Judges of the actions of men and I feare these children of nature will rise in judgement to condemne many of them that professe themselves to be the sonnes of grace for comming so short of them in this point 2. The Jewes also which received the oracles of God 2. Among the Iewes were injoyned by God to yeild unto their Priests the dispensation both of divine and humane Lawes and the Lord enacted it by an irrevocable Law that the judgement of the High Priest should be observed as sacred and inviolable in all controversies and if any man refused to submit himselfe unto it Deut. 17. his death must make recompence for his contumacy And Iosephus saith Si judices nesciunt de rebus ad se delatis pronunciare integram causam in urbem sanctam mittent convenientes Pontifex Propheta Senatus quod visum sit pronuncient Ioseph contra App. lib 2. and in his second booke against Appian he saith Sacerdotes inspectores omnium judices controversiarum punitores damnatorum constituti sunt à Moyse the Priests were appointed by Moses to be the lookers into all things the Iudges of controversies and the punishers of the condemned And they were of that high esteeme among the Iewes that the royall bloud disdained not to match in marriages with the Priests as Iehojada married the daughter of King Iehoram 2. Chron. 22 11 and in the vacancie of Kings they had all the affaires of the Kingdom in their administration and when they became tributaries unto the Romans after Aristobulus the royall government was often annexed to the Priesthood and S. Paul argueth from hence 2. Cor. 3.7 8 9. that if the administration of death was glorious how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious for if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory or otherwise it were very strange that the Ministers of the Gospel should be deemed more base and contemptible because their calling is farre more glorious and excellent yea so excellent Esay 52.7 that to all good Christians the Prophet demandeth quà m speciosi pedes eorum Priests imployed in secular affaires And for the discharging of secular imployments we have not onely the example of the Priests and Prophets of the Old Testament 1. Among the Jewes Psal 99.6 but we have also the testimony and the practice of many godly Bishops and Fathers of the Church of Christ under the New Testament to justifie this truth For Priests Prophets among the Jewes exercised secular jurisdiction 1. Not onely Moses and Aaron that were both the Priests of the most high God and the chiefe Judges in all secular causes but also Joseph had his jurisdiction over the Egyptians Daniel had his Lieutenancie over the Babylonians and Nehemias was a great Courtier among the Persians and yet these secular imployments were no hinderance to them in the divine worship and service of God So Ely and Samuel both were both Iudges and Priests together and the most religious Princes David Solomon Iehosaphat and others used the Priests and Levites at their command in the civill government of their Dominions for when David caused all the Levites to be numbred from 30 yeares old and upward and that they were found to be 38 thousand he appointed 24 thousand of them to be over-seers of the workes for the house of the Lord and he ordained the other six thousand to be Iudges and Rulers in all Israel 2. Chron. 23.4 and so did Iehosaphat likewise * 2. Chron. 19.11 The place explained for though the last verse of the said chapter seemes to put a difference betwixt the Civill matters and the Ecclesiasticall affaires yet it is rightly answered by Saravia that this errour riseth from a misconceived opinion of their government as if it were the same with the government of some of our reformed Churches which was nothing lesse for if you compare this place with the 26. chap. of the 1. Chron. vers the 29 Sigonius legit super opera â—â—â—a ad regis officia pertinent l. 6. p. 315. 30 and 32. you may easily finde that the Kings service or the affaires of the King doth not signifie the civill matters or the politique affaires of the Kingdome over which Amarias here and Hashabia and his brethren there 1. Chron. 26.30 were appointed the chiefe Rulers 1. Sam. c. 8. but it signifieth those things which pertained to the Kings right betwixt him and his subjects as those things that were described by Samuel and were retained and perhaps augmented either by the consent of the people or the incroachment of the succeeding Kings as the speciall rights of the Kings over which Zebadias the sonne of Ismael was appointed by Iehosaphat to be the Ruler and the businesse of the Lord is fully set downe vers 10. to be not onely the Church affaires but all the affaires of the Kingdome betweene bloud and bloud Vers 10. betweene Law and Commandement Statutes and judgements over which the Priests and Levites were appointed the ordinary Judges and the Interpreters of the Law as well Civill as Ecclesiasticall for the Lord saith plainly Ezech 44.23 Vide locum Sigon ait circa judicium sanguinis ipse insistent that every question and controversie shall be determined according to the censure of the Priests which certainly he would never have so prescribed nor these holy men have thus executed them if these two functions had beene so averse and contrary the one to the other that they could never be exercised together by the same man 2. In the Primitive times under the Gospell Salmeron saith 2. In the Primitive Church Salmer tract 18. in parabol hominis divitis lo. 16. num 1. that in the time of S. Augustine as himselfe teacheth Episcopi litibus Christianorum vacare solebant the Bishops had so much leisure that they were wont to judge of the quarrels of Christians yet they did not so spend their time in judging their contentions that they neglected their Preaching and Episcopall function and now that they doe judge in civill causes consuetudine Ecclesiae introductum est ut peceata caverentur And Bellarmine saith Non pugnat cum verbo Dei Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 5. c. 9. ut unus homo sit Princeps Ecclesiasticus politicus simul it is not against the Word of God that the same man should be an Ecclesiasticall and a Secular Prince together when as the same man may
Church and State when their pretence was very good though the goodnesse of his Majestie in the tendernesse of his conscience was still loath to allow himselfe the liberty to dissolve it untill he had other juster and more cleare causes to pronounce it no Parliament as the abusing of his grant to the raising of an Army and the upholding of a Rebellion against their Soveraigne yet I believe he might safely have done it long agone without the least violation of Gods Law when their evill intentions were openly discovered by those Armies which they raised For I doubt not to affirme it with the Author of The sacred Prerogative of Christian Kings p. 144. if any good Prince or his royall Ancestors have beene cheated out of their sacred right by fraud or force he may at the fittest opportunity when God in his wise providence offereth the occasion resume it especially when the Subjects do abuse the Kings concessions to the dammage of Soveraignty so that it redounds also to the prejudice either of the Church or Common-wealth 3. When the King through feare 3. Grants gotten by force not to be observed not such as the Parliaments feare is who were afraid where no feare was and were frighted with dreames and causelesse jealousies but that feare which is reall and not little but such as may fall in fortem constantem virum doth passe any Law especially that is prejudiciall to the Church and injurious to many of his Subjects I say that when he shall be freed from that feare he is not onely freed from the obligation of that Law but he is also obliged to doe his uttermost endeavour to annull the same it is true that his feare may justly free him from all blame at the passing of it as the feare of the thiefe may cleare me from all fault in delivering my purse unto him because these are no voluntary acts and all acts are adjudged good or evill according to the disposition of the will the same being like the golden bridle that Minerva was said to put upon Pegasus to guide him and to turne him as she pleased The will must never consent to forced acts that are unlawfull His Majesties answer to the Petition of the Lords and Commons 16. Iuliâ— p. 8. but when his feare is past and God hath delivered him from the insurrection of wicked doers if his will gives consent to what before he did unwilling who can free the greatest Monarch from this fault Therefore His Majestie confessing which we that saw the whole proceedings of those tumultuous routs that affrighted all the good Protestants and the Loyall Subjects doe know that it could not be otherwise that he was driven out of London for feare of his life I conclude that the act of excluding the Bishops out of Parliament being past after his flight out of London can be no free nor just nor lawfull act and the King when he is more fully informed of many particulars about this act that is so preiudiciall to the Church of Christ and so injurious to all his servants the Clergy whose rights and priviledges the King promised and sware at His Coronation to maintaine Ob. cannot continue it in my judgement and be innocent Pag 31. But this is answered by the answerer to Doctor Ferne that he is no more bound to defend the rights of the Clergy by his oath then the rest of the lawes formerly enacted whereof any may be abrogated without perjury when they are desired to be annulled by the Kingdome Sol. His Majesties answer to the remonstrance or declaration of the Lords and Commons 26. of May. 1642. To which I say that as His Majestie confesseth there are two speciall questions demanded of the King at his Coronation 1 Sir Will you grant and keepe and by your oath confirme to the people of England the lawes and customes to them granted by the Kings of England your lawfull and religious predecessors And the King answereth I grant and promise to keepe them 2. After such questions as concerne all the commonalty of this Kingdome both Clergy and Laity as they are his Subjects one of the Bishops reads this admonition to the King before the people with a loud voice Our Lord and King we beseech you to pardon and to grant and to preserve unto us and to the Churches committed to our charge all Canonicall priviledges and due law and iustice and that you would protect and defend us as every good King in His Kingdome ought to be the protector and defendor of the Bishops and the Churches under their government And the King answereth With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my pardon and that I will preserve and maintaine to you and the Churches committed to your charge all Canonicall Priviledges and due law and justice and that I will be your protector and defender to my power by the assistance of God as every good King in His Kingdome in right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their Government Then the King laying his hand upon the booke saith The Kings oath at His Coronation two fold the things which I have before promised I shall performe and keepe so helpe mee God and the contents of this Booke Where I beseech all men to observe that here is a two fold promise and so a two fold oath 1. The one to all the Commonalty and people of England The frst part of the oath Populo Anglicano Vide D. p. 165. Clergy and Laity and so whatsoever he promiseth may by the consent of the parties to whom the right was transferred be remitted and altered by the representative body in Parliament quia volenti non fit injuria and the rule holds good quibus modis contrabitur contractus iisdem dissolvitur and therefore as any compact or contract is made good and binding so it may be made void and dissolved mutuo contrahentium assensu by the mutuall assent of both parties that is any compact where God hath not a speciall interest in the contract as he hath in the conjugall contract betwixt man and wife and the politicke covenant betwixt the King and His Subjects Contracts wherein God is interessed can not be dissolved without God which therefore cannot be dissolved by the consent of the parties untill God who hath the cheifest hand in the contract gives his assent to the dissolution and so when things are dedicated for the service of God or Priviledges granted for his honour neither donor nor receiver can alienate the gift or annull that Priviledge without the leave and consent of God that was the principall party in the concession as it appeareth in the example of Ananias and is confirmed by all Casuists 2. The other part of the oath is made to the Clergy in particular and so also with their consent The second part of â—he oath Clericis Ecclesiasticis D. p. 165. some things I confesse may perhaps