power to crosse the will of God And in these things mans power is declaratory and executory not soueraigne of it selfe In things indifferent there is a power to cōmand for circumstances of time place order and the like and there is a necessitie of obedience and that for conscience sake else man hath no power to command any thing of himselfe And yet it is the sinne of disobedience Non solùm malum sed vetitum facere not onely to do that which is euill but that also which is forbidden The 2. is forma debita a due forme an equal proportion of honors burdens according to the difference degrees of seueral Estates conditions and qualities as also a due order of proceeding in Law-making without tumult or confusion without malice spleene or reuenge The 3. is Efficiens debitam a due efficient or a sufficient power to whom the care of Law-making is delegated For as the sentence of him that is no Iudge is no sentence so the Law of him that is not authorized to decree Lawes is no Law The 4. is finis debitus a due end Publicke good and not priuate for as a Tyrant herein differeth from a King that the Tyrant intendeth his priuate good the King proposeth the publicke so euill Lawes ayme at priuate and bad ends and good Lawes propose the most publicke and best ends the increase of good Religion and safety of the Common wealth And these causes concurring the matter being lawfull or indifferent the forme due the efficient potent and the end publicke and good the Lawes of man must be obeyed not onely for wrath but for conscience which is the greatest Obligation on earth For Nemo humanam potestatem contemnit nisi qui priùs diuinam contempsit No man contemnes the power of man vnlesse he first haue contemned the power of God Thus we see All must obey Euill men for feare and good men for conscience Now Subiection in this Text is a transcendent and hath no proper place to be spoken of because it is to bee spoken of in euery place And therefore let vs consider two points The persons and the necessity of obedience The persons are two Subiects that must obey and Higher powers that must gouerne and command The necessitie will bring vs to the circuit and causes in which we must obey The subiects are set downe in the first verse with a note of vniuersality Omnis anima Let euery soule be subiect Not only heathen but Christians and Clearkes also they haue no exemption but by the grace and priuiledges of Princes Omnis anima quia ex animo Let euery soule bee subiect and subiect with the will and heart and inward affection of the soule as S. Paul often teacheth Non ad oculum but ex corde Not with eve-seruice but from the heart So that in Naturam totam peccat qui potestatibus resistit he sinnes against all Nature body and soule that resisteth the higher powers And qui dicit Omnem excludit nullam He that saith Euery soule exempteth no soule The soule of the Priest and Ecclesiasticall person as well as the soule of the Lay-man must be subiect to the higher powers For why S. Paul in this Epistle wrote as well to the Clearks Priests or Bishops of Rome if there were any then resident at Rome as to the people And our Sauiour when hee said Date quae sunt Caesaris Caesari Giue to Caesar the things that are Caesars spake as well to the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees as to the people Chrysostome saith vpon this place Siue Apostolus siue Euangelista siue Propheta siue quis quis tandem fueris Be thou an Apostle an Euangelist a Prophet or whosoeuer thou art thou owest this subiection His reason is Neque enim pietatem subuertit ista subiectio For this subiection doth not ouerthrow true godlinesse In which exposition concurre Theodoret Theophylact and Oecumenius vpon this place S. Gregory in an Epistle to the Emperor Mauritius in the person of Christ saith Sacerdotes meos manui tuae commisi I haue committed my Priestes to thy hand And in another Epistle he saith That God made him ruler not onely ouer Souldiers but also ouer Priests Dominari enim non solùm militibus sed etiam sacerdotibus concessit And S. Bernard long after writing ad Archiepiscopum Senouensem in France alledgeth this place Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers And addeth further Si omnis anima vestra quis vos excepit ab vniuersitate If euery soule be subiect then is your soule For who hath exempted you from this vniuersalitie And if a man suruey all ancient Histories hee shall finde that this exemption is much yonger then their times The Apostle S. Paul appealed to Caesar to his lawful superior The Martyrs and Confessors and godly Bishoppes neuer pleaded this exemption against their persecutors vntill the Bishop of Rome like the Iuy that growing by the wall eateth out the wall so he growing by the Roman Empire had eaten out the Empire and then hee did exempt himselfe and his Cleargie from the higher powers ordayned of God For so they are higher and indeed highest Powers next vnder GOD that is the next thing to be considered in the persons Powers they are and therefore gouerners for potestas is regiminis the power is the power of gouerning And ciuill powers they are which then were Gentiles and Infidels though now Christians and that appeareth by two circumstances they beare the sword and they receiue tribute Neither of which belongs to the Priests office And they be higher powers the word is with a comparatiue preposition the same that S. Peter hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regi tanquam excellenti to the King as to the superior merito fortasse inferiori but dignitate authoritate superiori inferiour peraduenture to some in graces and vertues but in dignitie and authoritie superior to all for all men are vnder them and therfore they are superior to al mortal men carying that sword quo omnes corrigendi with which all men are to be corrected And therefore the style of Supremacie or Supreme gouernour is waranted out of the letter of this Text. And Kings and Emperours as they haue their calling immediat from GOD so they admitt no superior on earth but God to whom onely they must make their accompt And so much Tertullian acknowledged Colimus imperatorem vt hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem We Christians honour our Emperour as the second man after God and minor to none but to God Super Imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit Imperatorem saith Optatus The Emperour admits no superiour but that GOD that made the Emperour And in that place hee accuseth Donatus that hee esteemed himselfe as GOD and not a man Dum se Donatus super Imperatorem extollit dum se
boldnesse of such Bishops and others shall be brought in order by the sword or execution of Gods minister that is my selfe And the sixt Toletan Councell speaking of Chintillanus the king saith Nefas est in dubium deducere eius potestatem cui omnium gubernatio superno constat delegata iudicio It is an hainous offence to call his power into question to whom it is apparant that the gouernement of all is delegated by the diuine Decree To reduce these things to certaine heads The first worke of this supremacy is reformatio Ecclesiae The reformation of the Church by abolishing Idolatrie superstition and heresie and placing of true Religion practised by Constantine and all the godly Emperours his successors A matter so euident both in the Law the Gospel that it needeth no proofe And they which withstand and cry downe the Supremacie of Kings were the men that first told Kings that they had a supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall and ought to reforme the Church and make way for Gods owne kingdome and Christs owne Scepter which when they had effected by the Ciuill sword and grew potent and strong and able to stand of themselues Then these Equiuocating companions began to deale plainely and to tell Kings that they had nothing to do in causes Ecclesiastical As those that when they haue beat the child burne or cast away the rod as who vsing temporall Authority as a ladder to clime vp to the height of their ambition fling it away and breake it in pieces as if they that reformed for them might not also reforme them and bring them into Order The second worke of this Supremacie is Conuocatio Synodorum the calling of Councels and Synods as the foure first generall Councels were called by foure Emperors The Nicene Councell against Arrius by Constantine The Councell of Constantinople against Macedonius by Theodosius the elder The Councel of Ephesus against Nestorius by Theodosius the yonger The Councell of Chalcedon against Eutiches by Martian I might adde the Councell of Sardis by Constans and Constantius many more for many hundred yeeres after Christ But I note rather the weake allegation of Cardinall Bellarmine That all these Councels and many more were called by Emperours but authoritate Papae by the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome or the Presbyterie if there were any such thing then in being as if in those times Emperours had bene vassals to the Bishops of Rome whereas Leo magnus made supplication to Theodosius the yonger supplicationi nostrae dignetur annuere that the Emperor would call a Councell in Italy But the Emperour called it at Ephesus And the Bishops of Italy could not come in time and Eutiches hersie was there countenanced by the meanes of Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria Then Leo made a second supplication and alledged the sighes and teares of all the Clergie for to obtaine a Councell in Italy He sollicited the Princesse Pulcheria to further his supplication to the Emperour He wrote to the Nobles Cleargie and people of Constantinople to make like supplication to the Emperour yet he could not obtaine it in the time of Theodosius When Martian succeeded by the fauour of Pulcheria a Councell was granted not in Italy but at Chalcedon Then Leo made a fresh suite That the Emperour would command the Bishops of the Councell that the faith of the Nicene Councell might stand in full force vnaltered which the Emperour did at his request And the Emperours Oration to that purpose is extant Now if supplication intercession of friendes sighes and teares of Priests be the authority of the Pope then the Pope vsed his authoritie and commaunded the Emperour to call Councels But in the subscription you shall see his authoritie Because saith Leo I must by all meanes obey your sacred and Religious will I haue set downe my consent in writing to those Constitutions Here you see it is plaine Councels were called by Emperours at the Popes supplication and entreatie And therefore when Ruffinus alleadged the Canon of a Councell against S. Hierome his answere was Doce quis eum Imperator iusserit conuocari shew what Emperour commanded this Councell to be called I will therefore ende this point with Socrates words Who giuing a reason why in his Church-story he made so often mention of Emperours saith Propterea quod ex illo tempore quo Constantini esse coeperunt negotia Ecclesiae ex eorum nutu pendere visa sunt atque adeo maxima concilia de eorum sententia conuocata fuerunt adhuc conuocantur Since Emperours became like Constantine fathers of the Church the causes of the Church haue depended vpon their will And therefore the greatest Councels haue bene and yet are called by their authoritie The third worke is promulgatio legum the promulgation of Church Lawes and Edicts commanding or forbidding things expedient or hurtful for the Churches gouernment whereof the Church stories are full Constantine made many Lawes concerning Confessors and Martyrs Christians and Heathen Eusebius mentioneth two Lawes one that abolished idolatrie images sacrifices and diuinations an other concerning building enlarging of Churches at the Emperors charge Theodosius made a Lawe against the Arrians the maner of it is worth the repeating Amphilochus Bishop of Iconium had beene a long suter in vaine at last hee vsed this stratageme hee came into the Court and saluted the Emperour but would not salute the Emperours sonne Arcadius newly created Caesar Theodosius thinking hee had not seene his sonne shewed him his sonne and bid him salute and kisse him Amphilochus answered It is enough to honour the father Theodosius interpreting it as a contempt of his sonne grew very angrie whereupon Amphilochus discouering himselfe said Art thou offended O Emperour that I reuerence not thy sonne and thinkest thou that God is not offended with the Arrians the blasphemers of his sonne The Emperour ouercome with these words Legemscribit made a Lawe presently forbidding the assemblies of the Arrians I should tire my selfe and your patience if I should enter particulars onely I must referre you to the titles of the Ciuil law De summa Trinitate fide Catholicâ de sacrosanctis Ecclesijs de Episcopis clericis de haereticis c. which were promulgated by Iustinian Theodosius Valentinian Honorius Arcadius and other godly and Religious Emperours There is a Collection of Ecclesiasticall Lawes made by Charles the Emperour Lodouicke and Lotharius gathered by Ansegisus Anno 827. Of Charles his Lawes there be 168. And of the Lawes of Lewes and Lotharius 157. In the Preface the Emperour Charles professeth Quapropter nostros missos ad vos direximus qui ex nostri nominis Authoritate vnà vobiscum corrigerent quae corrigenda essent Therefore we haue directed our Commissioners vnto you Heere you see Kings high Commissioners and visitors are ancient that shall ioyne with you to redresse those things which neede reformation
according to our Canonicall Constitutions in our name and by virtue of our Authoritie And these Lawes were of that force in those dayes that when Mauritius the Emperour that made a Law that Nemo publicis administrationibus implicatus ad Ecclesiasticum officium perueniret That no man intangled with publique charge should bee aduanced to an Ecclesiasticall office S. Gregory approued this part of the Law because many vnder this colour did mutare seculum not relinquere And further the Law forbade any Souldier to enter a Monastery till his warrefare was expired S. Gregory though hee wished not any to flie the warres or not pay their debts vnder the name of a Cloister yet because hee saw it hindered many from the warrefare and seruice of God wrote an humble Letter to Mauritius and another to Theodorus the Emperours Physician to intreat the reuocation of this Law inuented by Iulian in a very submisse Stile Ego quidem iussioni vestrae subiectus I your seruant and subiect to your command haue sent this Lawe to many parts of the world and now I write my opinion to your Maiestie Vtrobique ergo quod debui exolui qui Imperatori obedientiam praebui pro Deo quod sensi non tacui In both I haue done my duety I haue perfourmed my obedience to the Emperor and I haue not concealed what I thought fit for Gods cause And S. August sayth of this power of Lawes Hoc iubent Imperatores quod Christus iubet quia cùm bonum iubent nemo iubet nisi per eos Christus When Emperours command that which is good it is Christ and no man else that commandeth by them The fourth worke of this Supremacie is receiuing of Appeales and giuing Decisions Restitutions and Depriuations and other punishments of Bishops for causes Ecclesiasticall Wherein although Constantine at the first in modestie and a desire to suppresse the calumniations of Bishops and being not yet so fully instructed in Christian faith tooke the papers and Articles of the Bishops and burnt them in the Nicene Councill yet being better instructed and seeing the necessitie of his Authoritie in these causes he iudged Cecilianus cause himselfe Donatus procured Cecilianus to be condemned by 70. African Bishops for certaine crimes obiected against him As also that hee was ordered by one Foelix who as it was pretended had burnt the Scriptures And in a tumult they set vp another Bishop of Carthage against him then they appealed to Constantine and desired him to assigne them Iudges Constantine by his Commission extant in Eusebius delegated and authorized Meltiades Bishop of Rome Marcus a Clergie man of Rome yet no Bishop and Rheticius Maternus and Marinus three French Bishops to heare the cause who gaue sentence for Cecilianus Vpon a second Appeale Constantine made a second Delegacy to Chrestus bishop of Syracuse certaine Bishops of France met at Arle who likewise gaue sentence with Cecilianus Vpon the third Appeale Constantine appointed Elianus a Ciuill Magistrate to examine Foelix who acquited Foelix also Then the Emperour called both parts before him and gaue finall sentence for Cecilianus and made a seuere Law against the Donatists by which Lawe many Donatists were brought home to the Catholique Church In which passage I pray you obserue 1. That Meltiades not as supreme Iudge of all Controuersies but as delegated by Constantine did iudge of Cecilianus cause And S. Augustin defendeth him from vsurpation vpon the 70. African Bishops because the Emperor so appointed it Next the Bishops of France did iudge the same cause after Meltiades without any wrong to the Sea of Rome no man in that age found fault with it And thirdly it is apparant that Constantine was superiour to Meltiades and both made him his Delegat and iudge of his sentence and iudgement which S. Augustine calleth vltimum iudicium the last iudgment vltra quod causa pertransire non potest and that the cause had gone as farre as it could goe And whereas the Donatists pleaded that a Bishop should not be purged iudicio Proconsulari by the Proconsuls iudgment S. Augustine answeres The Bishops sought it not but the Emperour enioyned it Ad cuius curam de qua rationem Deo redditurus erat res illa maximè pertinebat To whose charge of which he must make accompt to God this matter did chiefely appertaine There was a conference held by the appointment of the Emperour Honorius the Iudge designed by the Emperour was one Marcellinus to whom Augustine after writ his Bookes De Ciuitate Dei at which S. Augustine was present and others who disputed against Petilianus Emeritus and Gaudentius and other Donatists which was gathered by Marcellus And S. Augustine hath written the seueral dayes Collations Marcellinus gaue sentence against the Donatists and it was confirmed by the Emperour Honorius all which is extant Theodosius called a Councell of all sorts Nactarius and Agilius made the confession of Consubstantialitie Demophilus deliuered vp the Arrian faith Eunomius the Eunomian faith Eleusius the Macedonian faith Tum solus separatus precatur Deum saith Socrates Then the Emperor alone separate from all company made his prayers to GOD to direct him in the Trueth and then he read the seuerall faiths and condemned and rent all the rest that rent and diuided the Trinitie and commended and approued that faith of the Consubstantialitie of the Father of the Sonne I must here omit infinite other matters of facts and punishments and many obiections and conclude with a question that Theodosius proposed to these seuerall sorts assembled which he did by the counsaile of Sisinius What accompt saith Theodosius make you of the Doctors and Histories of the Church that are vnpartiall and liued before these questions were moued If it be answered as then it was Habemus tanquam magistros We esteeme them as our fathers and masters the cause is cleare they giue witnesse on our side If they reiect them it is a matter of great deliberation whether a man would be of such a Church whereof neuer any man was before themselues In which case it seemeth more then reasonable That in a reformation wee should conforme our selues Ad regulam Antiquorum to the rule of the Ancient Scriptures Apostles and fathers Chrysostome Nazianzen Basill Ambrose Hierome Augustine Gregory the like rather then after the New cut of those who haue not aboue the life of a man on their backs sixtie or seuentie yeeres And surely the rule of Charitie is That since all the Question is of the Churches Regiment not so much who should feede and rule the Church for so must both Prince and Priest but who should rule gouerne most we should euery one lay downe all contentious humors and ioyne hand and heart to feed and gouern Gods inheritance and striue rather in deeds then words who shall most carefully doe that duty which God hath laid vpon him necessitate praecepti by this triple necessitie of his precept That so we may be all partakers of the end peace and tranquillitie and religion in this life and life euerlasting in the kingdome of heauen which God graunt Amen Osea 8.4 1. Cor. 14.33 Numb 16.32 Bern. de Domo Interiori ca. 28 Ephes 6.6 Coloss 3.22 Matth. 22.21 Chrysost in Rom. 13. hom 23. Gregorius Epist 1.2 cap. 100. 103. Bernard Epist. 420. Act. 25.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.13 Tertull. ad Scapul Optatus contra Parm. lib. 3. â— Chrysost ad pop Antioch hom 2. Act. 4.19 August in psael 142. August De verbis Dom. sec Matth. hom 6. Dan. 3.6 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Cor. 9.16 Exod. 20.12 Arist. polit lib. 3 cap. 10 11. Nouel Constit 6 August Epist 50. Dan. 3.29 〈◊〉 6 26. 〈◊〉 2 6. Gen. 9.25 Deut. 17.18 19 20. Exod 32.21 Numb 15.31 a Iosue 5.2 b Iosue 8.30 c Iosue 8.32 34. d Iosue 7.24.25 e Iosue 24.23 25. 1. Paral. 16. 1. paral 23. 1. paral 24. 1. paral 25. 1. paral 26. 1. paral 27. 1. Reg 6. 1. Reg. 8. 1. Reg. 2 3â— 2. Paral 14.4 c. 2 Paral. 15 8.12 13 14 15. 2. paral 15.16 2. Paral 17.6 7. 2. Paral. 19.4 â— Paral. 19.8 2. Para. 29.3 4. ver 5. 2. Paral. 29.30 2 Paral. 30.1 6 12. 2 Paral. 31.2 2. Paral 31.1 4 Reg. 14.4 2. Paral. 33.3 15. 2. Paral. 34.3 4 29 30 31 32 33. 2. Paral. 35.1 2 3 10 18. Optatus contra Parm. lib. 3. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.29 Matt. 22.21 1 Pet. 2.23 Iude 8. 1. Tim. 2.2 Psal 2.11 August contra Crescon lib. 3. cap. 51. Isai 49.23 2. Paral. 26.16 Marc. 16.15 August Epist 50. Eusebius de vita Constan lib. 1. cap. 37. 〈◊〉 lib. 1 â—â— 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. 1. Bellar. de Concil l. 1. cap. 13. Leo Epist. 9. Epist 24. Epist 26. Epist 23. Epist 43. Oratio Marriani in Concil Calc Epist 59. Hierom. in Apologia contra Ruffinum Socrates lib. 5. in praemio Eusebius de vita Constantini lib. 2. cap. 20. cap. 21. cap. 24. cap. 44. Theodoret. li. 5. cap. 15. 〈◊〉 Franciae per Ansegisum 〈◊〉 Gregorius Epist lib. 1. cap. 100. 101. Ego dignus pietatis vestrae famulus August Epist 166. Vide Optatum lib. 1. Aug. Epist 162. 166. Eusebius li. 10. cap. 5. Eusebius li. 10. cap. 5. August Epist 162. August contrae Parm. lib. 1. cap. 6. August Epist. 166. Extat haec collatio apud Optum Socrates lib. 5 â—ap 10. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 10.