office prerogatives or dignitie which himself as an Apostle had received of the Lord Christ Moreover seeing the Lords Apostles were the Lords governours set over the rest of the ecclesiasticall Governours of the Church how unfit were it to conceive that the Successour onely of an Apostle should be Governour over any Apostle But some are of opinion that the Apostle Iohn remained long after the death of the Apostle Peter if therfore the successor of Peter haue a Vicariate power to governe and rule over all Christs Sheepe then must he be this to the Apostle Iohn but what manner unsufferable ambition this favours of I leave to the judgement of all men Let us therefore rather beleeve that if the Apostle Peter appointed his successour then yet he conferred not upon him neyther all the guifts by which himself was an Apostle nor all the power Ministeriall nor dignity which as being an Apostle and one of the chiefe among the Apostles he held and injoyed in the Church of Christ but onely as Paul upon Timothie and Titus he conferred a portion of power and charge such as a Successour might be capable of To conclude seeing no Apostle could conferr upon an other man all the guifts offices and dignity which himself injoyed as an Apostle therefore the successor must be a Minister of a farr inferiour rank dignity and charge of Government in the Church then was the Apostle Peter himselfe Now then why should not such a Minister though he be successour to that Apostle subject himself to the supreame goverment of Gods Kinges so witnessed unto by holy scripture as before I have showen Thus having answered this objection let us proceed to an other The second Obiection SOme peradventure may obiect saying The Kingdome of heaven comming in among the Gentiles by Apostles and Bishops it were a subiecting the Kingdome of Heaven to the powers of this world if we maintayn not the supreme Government to remaine in Bishops and specially in the Apostle Peters successour If any should thus object then I answer the kingdome of heaven comprehending all power as the Lord sayd Math. 28.18 All power is given me in heaven and in earth the power Apostolicall and Episcopall must not be taken for the Kingdome of heaven as if the kingdom of heaven had in it none other powers then it But you see that I haue showen before that there are the powers of Kings in the earth which it pleased God to allow and confirm accepting gratiously also of them as for his Ministers Now though in God the fountaine of power all power is alike as water in a fountaine yet in distributing of that Power into Ministeriall Streames the Lord may ordeyne which parte to which shal be subordinate therefore seeing afore I haue showen that the Apostle Paul calls the Ministers of the sword The Higher Powers and seeing I haue before proved that these powers are allowed by God as for his Ministers and consequently are to exercise such dignity and office in the Church as Gods Kings exercised in the Church under the Lawe And lastly seeing all the scripture shewes that those Kings were over all the Church exercising a supreame government over all ecclesiasticall persons therefore I say it is no subjecting of the kingdome of heaven to the powers of this world to subject the Bishops of the Church to Gods Kings and Soveraigne States Bishops are Ministers of the kingdome of heaven but they are not all the Ministers therof for Kinges also are declared by the Gospell to be Ministers of the same seeing God hath declared himself to accept of them as for his Ministers therefore to subiect one kinde of officer of a kingdome to an other officer is not to subiect the kingdome to an other kingdome Bishops preach the word to these to subdue them to Christ but being subdued by the word ministred Bishops may not say The kingdomes of this world are ours and we will dispose of them but they must say as Rev. 11.15 The kingdomes of this world are our Lordes and his Christs and he shall reigne for evermore True it is that even the greatest Kinges are comprehended in that cōmandement Heb. 13.17 where it is sayd Obey them that haue the Oversight of you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules as they that must give accompts that they may doe it with ioy not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Therefore even the greatest Princes are subiected by Christian religiō unto spirituall Pastors in the things wherof they are Ministers but this may be without Bishops having the Supreme government For as a Lord of greatest authority in a kingdome must obey to every the meanest Constable of a kingdome within his precinct of charge in that wherein such Cōstable is indued with power authority from the King when yet this makes not such Lord to lose his superiority which in the kingdome he hath over such Constable so is it between a King and a Bishop God hath declared the Kings of the Gentiles for his Ministers therefore as Kinges were to Priestes under the Lawe so must they be to Bishops under the Gospell and on the cōtrary as Priests were to Kings under the Lawe so may Bishops be to Kings under the Gospell The King under the Lawe left the Priestly power and ministration to the Priest was obedient in all things when yet he ceased not hereby to be governour over the Priests even so are Kinges to doe under the Gospell The King that must submit himself to heare the Gospell preached by the Bishop to receive of his hand Gods Sacraments to use him as Gods Priest to pray for him and other like yet is such a Minister for God over such Priest as that such Priest preaching false doctrine or ministring the sacraments otherwise then according to Gods institution or doing any thing otherwise then as Gods word in scripture prescribes in stead of obeying such Priest he is over him to take vengeance on him in Gods stead as for an evill doer So likewise the King that doing evill is subiected to the Priests proceeding against evill doers whether it be to discipline of humiliation or shaming to sequestration or excommunication is yet such a Minister for God over the Priest that the Priest doing this upon uniust cause or pressing unjust ends or effects of such discipline the King in stead of obeying must punish such Priest as for an evill doer The Pope is one of these wicked Priests for even for obedience to the true word of God and for ordering things according to its direction he useth the sword of the Church against men yea against Kings and not onely so but having excommunicated any he teacheth that subiects should not acknowledge nor obey their excommunicate Kings childrē their excommunicate Parents nor wives their excommunicate husbands and the like but with what peace of conscience shall a man break Gods word to doe according to this word of
fierce wrath of God by their doing things contrary to his sacred Minde The consideration wherof provoked me to the writing of this Treatise that so I also with others before me may helpe to satisfie the consciences of men in this great point of Christian Religion concerning the Supremacy and governement of Kings in the Church upon earth Thus having showen you the Aime Occasion and End of this writing I will proceed to prove this pointe by testimonyes of holy scripture that so as there is no safer direction for men what to beleeve herein then the directioÌ„ of Gods own word so men may rest satisfied in Conscience with that which truely is made manifest therefrom In the epistle to the Romanes chap. 13. verse 1 we thus read Let every soule be subiect to the Higher Powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeyned of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves iudgement For Princes are not to be feared for good workes but for evill wilt thou then be without feare of the power Doe well so shalt thou haue praise of the same for he is the Minister of God for thy wealth But if thou doe evill feare for he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth evill Wherefore ye must be subiect not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake for for this cause yee pay also Tribute for they are Gods ministers applying themselves for the same thinge In this portion of scripture given us as a declaration of the will of God concerning this matter I wish you to observe 1. To whom the Apostle giveth this charge concerning subjection 2. Of what kinde of powers he here speaketh Concerning the first of these we shall doe well to observe both the direction and also the close of this epistle for by them will appeare to whom the Apostle gives this charge concerning subiection The direction of the epistle hath chap. 1. verse 7. these words To all you that be at Rome beloved of God called to be Saincts c. The Close of the epistle is chap. 16.3 where wee finde a number saluted by name of whom we may well beleeve that some were of the Clergy and this the rather also because verse 7. the Apostle saith Salute Andronicus and Iunia my cosens and fellow prisoners whiâ—h are notable among the Apostles were in Christ before me for we may well thinke that they who were notable among the Apostles were of the Clergy yea of the chiefe among the Clergy Moreover seing this epistle was written in a tyme of good growth of the Christian Church for it was written after Paul had been a prisoner ch 16.7 should we think that the Church at Rome was not at this time provided of Clergy as other Churches then planted were To conclude seing the Apostle writeth to the Saints at Rome it argues he wrote to the Church at Rome therefore also the charge concerning subiection is given to All that were then in the Church at Rome Wherefore unlesse we will be disobedient to this charge of the Apostles or unless we wil preferr the now Bishop and Clergy of Rome to these who were notable even among the Apostles of the Lord we ought not to exempt the now Clergy of the Church of Rome froÌ„ yeilding submission to the Higher powers Thus having showen to whom this charge concerning subjection is given proceed we to consider of what kinde of powers the Apostle here speaketh The kinde of power which the Apostle here speaketh of is noted and declared unto us by two things first by bearing the sword secondly By receiving tribute but in those times Bishops bare not the sword nor received Tribute but Kings and independant Civill powers onely did this therefore the powers wherof the Apostle here speaketh were not Bishops of the Church but Kinges or independant Civill powers To conclude then seing the Apostle writing to the Church coÌ„mands all in the same to be subject to the Higher Powers and seing by those Higher powers he meanes those who bare the sworde and received Tribute that is the Emperour Kings and other Civill powers therefore the powers ecclesiasticall at that time at Rome were subjected to the Emperour and to them that bare the sword and received Tribute that is Kinges and Soveraigne Princes It is therefore the manifest will of God that the powers of Christian Churches should be subject to Kinges and Soveraigne Civill States as to the Higher powers by the Ordinance of God for this Rule of the Apostle here set downe must be taken for a Rule unto all Christian Churches and not as serving for the Church of Rome onely and onely for that present tyme. If it be objected that by this Rule I subject the Sonne of God also to Kings and Princes I answere seing the Lord paid tribute Math. 17.24 and seing the Apostle makes the paying of Tribute an argument of subjection Rom. 13.6 therefore there was one part of our Lords Humiliation that he was made as inferiour to Angels Heb. 2.7 so subject to Kinges and Princes Thus having written of these two things proceede we now to consider further 1. The Supremacy of Kinges 2. Some particulars of their Office here mentioned by the Apostle The Supremacy is noted unto us by the Apostles styling them The Higher Powers for they are called here Higher Powers in respect of the Churches powers and ministrations to which the Apostle wrote I conclude therefore that seing the Apostle writing to a Christian Church coÌ„mands subjection to some as to Higher powers therefore of the two powers that of the Church I meane and that of Princes the power of Princes is the Higher by the Ordinance of God And this is answerable to the Custome of Scripture which speaking of the two Powers of Kings and Priests preferreth that of Kings to that of Priests saying Rev. 5.10 Kinges and Priests not Priestes and Kings Both are powers of great excellence but in the matter of preferring powers to powers ministrations to ministrations it is fit we follow the Teaching of God rather then the vaine word of a puffed up Bishop Lastly seing the Apostle saith let every soule be subiect to the Higher Powers this plainly proves the Supremacy to be in those powers for subjection to any as to the Higher argues Supremacy in the Higher though every subjection proves not a Supremacie in him to whom an other is subjected for even Kinges are subjected to be obedient to Priestes when yet they obey not them as Higher then themselves Thus having written of the Supremacy proceed we to such particulars of the Kings Office as are here mentioned The particulars here mentioned are two first That they are appointed for the wealth of them that doe well secondly That they are to take vengeance on him that doth evill Now then if
they be Gods Ministers to punish him that doth evill how is any evill doer exempted from this Ministers sword and if none then no Bishop doing evill but is subjected by God to be struck by the sworde of these Higher powers as Gods Ministers to take vengeance on him for doing evil Moreover what is well doing but the observation of Gods commandement or ordinance and what is evill doing but the violation of the same therefore in asmuch as this Minister is to punish evill his punishment must stretch unto evill of all kindes aswell euills of the Church as evills of the Common wealth for the Commandements or Ordinances of God stretch to both If therefore any Teachers teach wholesome doctrine according to the will of God reveiled this is to doe well and such are to be cherished and defended by this Minister of the sworde but doe any teach false doctrines contrary to the teaching of Gods will revealed this is to doe evill and such Teachers are to be punished by this Minister as evill doers Againe doe any ecclesiasticall Officers doe the duetyes ordeyned by God to their offices this is well doing and such Officers are to be cherished and rewarded by this Minister but doe any neglect the proper duties of their Ministration giving themselves to doe other things rather and leaving them to be done by others this is evill doing in such Officers and they are to be punished by this Minister Lastly doe any Christians of what sort or condition soever beleeve according to the instruction of Gods word and live in their lives and conversations accordingly this is well doing and such are to be cherished and defended by this Minister but doe any refuse to Beleeve according to wholesome doctrine or to live in life and conversation according to Gods Commandements this is evill doing and such are to be punished by this Minister as for evill doers Thus having briefly shewed the thinges most evident in this Scripture I proceede to a yet further opening of this Scripture unto you You see here that Princes whose office properly it is to beare the sworde and to receive Tribute are declared by the Apostle to be Gods Ministers for so the Apostle saith He is the Minister of God for thy wealth and againe He is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doeth evill Now Princes bearing the sword and receiving Tribute are Kings or independant powers or States whom God not any Bishop nor the Church ordereth to this independancy or Soueraignety in power for so the Apostle would haue us to understand when he saith there is no power but of God therfore whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves judgement And it is the Apostles strong argument that because Princes are allowed of by God as for his Ministers therefore of conscience towards God not for feare of wrath onely we must be subject Now then seing God gratiously accepted of the Kings among the Gentiles as for his Ministers what ministration is approved of in their hands by the Lord but the Kingly For God accepting of them as Kings and not as private Persons onely he declares himself hereby to approve of their exercising upon earth the Kingly Ministration for he that accepts them as for Ministers allowes in them a ministration and what ministration allowes he in Kings but the kingly Therefore it is a point of Christian faith necessary to salvation to beleeve of the Soueraigne Kinges and Princes which the Gospel found among the Gentiles that God accepted of them as for his Kings to serve him in the kingly Ministration It was commanded to the Church under the Lawe Deut. 17.14 that if it would set a King over it it should not then take liberty to its selfe to set this or that person over its selfe but should waite upon God to set him over it whom the Lord should chuse for so we read there in these wordes when thou shalt come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee and shalt possesse it and dwell therein if thou say I will set a King over me like as all the Nations that are about me Then thou shalt make him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse It is no small matter therefore to the Church of God to yeild its selfe to any as for its King for if it waite not upon Gods election it surely transgresseth grievously against God Therefore the Christian Church also as it was not hand over head at its pleasure to set Kinges over its selfe so it was to acknowledge and obey the Kings and Princes already reigning over the Nations whereinto it stretched as for kinges already provided for it by the ordering and Ordinance of the Lord. This approving therefore of the kinges and Princes which the Gospell found reigning over the Nations of the Gentiles serves as Gods election or choise made by him of who the Church should take and acknowledge as for her kinges and Princes set Over her by Gods providence They then arose and fell on subverting another now the army now the City now the Nations now the Emperors chusing who should Rule over the Nations here and there and yet for all this Gods disposing hand was busy ordering such to Soveraignety as he would haue to manage the power of the sworde here and there and the Church was subjected to receive and acknowledge those whom God permitted to atteyne to Soveraignety in this Nation or in that Princes therefore may by diverse Meanes attayne to Soveraignety and the Nations may here and there change from one to another as occasion shall be given but the Church as the Church must not set over its self a kinge or kinges but must waite upon God acknowledging them that attayne to the Soueraignety of power here or there But now Gods approving of the Kinges which the Gospell found reigning over the Nations of the Gentiles as for his Ministers what followes but that he approves in them an exercising the kingly Ministration And what can be more truely the kingly Ministration then that which Gods Kings before time allowed by God exercised in the Church under the Lawe for where there is no new description of the Ministration there the same Ministration before approved of by God in his Kinges serveth for an example of the kingly Ministration Wherefore seing God accepts of Kinges as Kinges for his Ministers it necessarily followes that those Kings exercise such Ministration as with Gods approbation Gods Kinges before tyme exercised I conclude therefore that the Kings or Soueraigne States or Powers among the Gentiles were now declared by Gods Apostle to haue right to exercise such Ministration as Gods Kinges exercised with Gods approbation under the Lawe And you see that as under the Lawe Kings had the Supremacy and were Gods Ministers for the wealth of them that did well and for the punishment of evill doers so the
their manifold actions both in restoring true Doctrine and ordering the Priests and Levites to their severall offices as also in ordering the divine service and other like plentifully declare What therefore God hath commanded or ordayned whether for matter of faith necessarie to salvation to be beleeved or for matter of Ecclesiasticall government or the like that is the King to see done as well by Priests as People and to punish the negligent for euil doers aswel Priests as others Thus having written of the first things proceed we to the second That Gods word is given to the King as to a Iudge and not as to one who must doe after the judgement of the Priest onely may appeare Psal 82.1 where we thus reade He iudgeth among Gods How long will ye iudge uniustly and accept the persons of the wicked Doe right to the poore and fatherlesse doe iustice to the poore and needie save them from the hands of the wicked Here you see that Princes of whom our Lord testifies as before I have shewen that they are called Gods are also Iudges therefore the word given to them is given to them as Iudges And whereby then should they be directed in their iudging if not by the word given by God unto them The Pope of Rome would have them to reward the good punish evill doers after he and his Cleargy hath judged them good or evill but they are not to bee directed by an others judgment seeing God hath made them Iudges and given them his word to direct their iudgement As therefore their office stretcheth to reforme Doctrine to order Ecclesiasticall Officers to see to their executing their offices according to Gods ordinance to order the Divine worship and to cause people to live as Gods word commandeth for all this did the good Kings in the Church under the Law so they are to Iudge also in all these things what is to be done what not what well what evilly done If any will say that now I sow the seeds of grievous tribulation to Gods Church seeing I make Kings or Princes who are apt to maintain every conceipt of theirs by the sword Iudges of Doctrine Ecclesiasticall offices ordering Divine Service and of Manners then I answer If the Apostle taught this Doctrine of them implied in his declaring that God accepted them for his ministers even whilst as yet they were Infidels would not be directed by the word of God should we deny Kings this power and office when they are Christians Therfore let us in these dayes as the Apostle in those acknowledge unto Princes their Right and Power yea though they execute not their Ministery rightly but persecute rather the Saints and Church of God for it becommeth Christians to acknowledge their right yea when they doe not according to right but are rather enemies as yet and persecuters Let us feare even then to doe evill because if even then they punish us for evill their punishment is Gods seeing they are the Ministers of God But if wee suffer for well doing they being negligent to read the word or to judge us by it let us take to us the comfort of the Apostle Peter where 1. Pet. 2-20 he sayth If when ye doe well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God This gracious consolation against the afflictions layd vpon us by misguided or mis-judging Princes should bee our refuge as it was the refuge of Gods Saints in those times of the Apostles Yet here I think fit to put men in minde that wherein Gods word preserved doth not speak for us there we who suffer beare our owne burthen and hurt for wee ought to preferre the judgement of Gods Iudges before ours though we preferre justly Gods word it selfe to their erring in the use made of it For Gods word which is plaine or indeed truely collected let us suffer if our Kings erring will persecute us for our faith and ordering of things according thereto but let us not suffer for maintenance of our owne judgment onely opposed to the iudgement of Gods Minister True it is that Kings and Princes may and in fact have erred and this also in things wherein they think themselves free to doe with their owne what they will therfore Princes may doe well in such things to admit of wholesome counsell rather then to goe on in doing evill through error Some Princes thinking themselves free to Honour Priests as they will have in way of honour to them left all iudging of Doctrines of faith and all ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters to them onely not daring to bee themselves Iudges in these things but such honouring is not acceptable to God seeing themselves neglect the office of Iudging which God hath intrusted to them as well as to Priests Others have in way of Honour freed the Cleargie from being subiect to be judged and punished by themselues unlesse by the Pope or other chiefe among the Cleargie they bee given up to the secular power but this kind of honouring also is evill inasmuch as Princes exercise not that power and authoritie to judge and punish the Cleargie for evill doing as Gods Kings in the Church under the Law did Others againe by way of honour to Priests have imployed them so in civill Courts of Iustice as that they have not yea have not been able thenceforth to performe the true duties of the Bishops office but haue left the same to the performance of others substituted under them but this kinde of honouring also is evill inasmuch as Gods Ministers of his word who should be diligent Preachers of the same content themselves to busie themselves in civill judgements and to preach the word once in a Lent time onely or upon some solemne time onely Others againe as for a greater honour to Bishops have made them Ministers of the Sword but God having appointed Kings for the ministration of the Sword the other Ministers must not be ministers thereof for God having put a difference between Ordinance and Ordinance Office and Office Power and power appointing one to one Minister the other to another Minister what is it but a confusion and an inversion of the ordinance of God to make one Minister Minister of both It hath been an evill collection made by some that what Gods Priests under the Law did that the Ministers of the Gospell may doe even as Kings under the Gospell may doe what Gods Kings under the Law did for the Ordinance of God concerning the Ministers under the gospell permits us not to make such collection concerning Priests and their imployment and actions In all these things Princes have erred and easily may againe erre to the great hurt of the Church of God and inversion of his holy Ordinances therfore if they suffer wholsome advice counsel in such things they shall the better please God by a true ministration of their office Surely whatsoever Princes doe to Bishops or Priests which necessarily occasions their not
the Apostle Paul purposely provides that none should conceive him to have received his Doctrine of Man or by Man And as for building upon the Apostle Peters allowance or approbation of his Doctrine it were verily absurd that the Apostle Paul should build or ground himselfe for his Doctrine upon Peters allowance thereof or the authoritie of such allowance when he received his Doctrine from the Lord himselfe for it were truely absurd to seeke an Apostles allowance and to build upon the authoritie of such allowance for that received immediately from the Lord of the Apostles So likewise the Churches who received the doctrine of the Apostle Paule inasmuch as they beleeved that he received it not of Peter but of Christ how sought they eyther or how built they upon the authority of the Apostle Peters approbation There was indeed an approbation Gal. 2.7 but not a building upon such approbation seing the Apostle had a higher warrant and authority for his doctrine Lastly seeing it is very apparant Mark 3.14 that our Lord himself chose the Apostles and authorised thē to the Apostolicall Ministrations seeing the Apostle Paul Gal. 1.1 sayth Paul an Apostle not of Men neyther by Man but by Iesus Christ therefore who received not their Ministration from Peter how should they receive from him the Doctrine wherof they were Apostolicall Ministers I conclude therefore that all the Apostles were not fed with doctrine by Peter consequently that Apostle was not to feed all the Lords sheepe with matter of doctrine And as for feeding them with Government by exercising a supreame Rule over them this also appeares to be a false collectiō frō this Scripture inasmuch as we finde that our Lord expressly forbadd unto his Apostles any one of them to rule over the rest For Mark 10.42 our Lord sayd thus unto the Apostles ye know that they which delight to beare rule among the Gentiles have Domination ouer them and they that be great a-among them exercise authority over them But it shall not be so among you By which scripture appeareth manifestly that how ever every one of the Apostles was to governe and exercise authority over others yet none of them was to governe or exercise Authoritie over the rest of the company of the Apostles It must needes therefore be a false and very pernicious interpretation or collection to affirme that the Apostle Peter was made Governour to exercise authority over all Christs sheepe for then he was to governe and exercise authority over the rest of the Apostles which thing the Lord expressly forbadd Now if the generality hold not in the Apostles how can it hold in all Christs sheepe for ever If Peter exercised not such universall government and authority over all Christs Sheepe why under the pretence of this speech of the Lords should he govern and exercise authority over all Kings And indeed if a man having already diverse Sheepherds say to one of them feede my Sheep should that one Shepherd gather hereupō that now he hath the charge of All his Masters sheepe Why should he not rather understand this of some portion of sheepe onely which his Master would surely allot out to his particular charge for he might well think with himself that where many shepherds are already appointed there all the sheepe shall not be committed to one onely Verily that Apostles excellencie even among the very Apostles themselves was such such will be acknowledged by all good Christians for ever that it needs not to be helped with unsound and false interpretations of and collections from holy scripture Thus having discovered the false use made of the latter of the two scriptures proceede we to the first scripture As for the first scripture from whence some would collect that all doctrine must be received from Peter and all power or offices or at least wise must be authorised by the authority of his allowance or approbation that so they may be built upon the Rock which Christ hath given to be a Rock whereon he will build his Church this collectiō appeares to be a false use of this scripture in asmuch as the rest of the Apostles received not their doctrine nor Power of Apostleship from the Apostle Peter but from Christ himselfe but what they received from the Lord himself it were absurd to seeke to build it upon the Authority of Peters allowance or approbation The Apostle Paul as I haue before noted speaking of the power of his Apostleship saith Paul an Apostle not of men neyther by man but by Iesus Christ why sayd he this but to teach us that we ought not to beleeve that he was such by vertue of the allowance or approbation of any man whatsoever And whilst the Apostolicall power was neither received from Peter nor built nor grounded upon the Authority of his permission approbation or allowance why should this be required of Kings and Princes These scriptures therefore what ever they intend yet this which Papists collect may not be Beleeved to be the thing which they intend for you see that that which is collected from them by Papists is directly cōtrary to a most plaine commandement of our Lord to his Apostles and to the testimony of the Apostle Paul Thus having by testimony of severall scriptures confuted these collectiōs made by some from these scriptures I think it sufficient to oppose both against tradition and also against the greatest Fathers or Bishops this testimony of holy scripture by which is proved that the rest of the Apostles were not fed by the Apostle Peter in matter of doctrine and that he was not to exercise authority or rule over them But if the scripture thus witness that the Apostle Peter himself might not lawfully claime this supreme governmēt or rule over the rest of the Apostles nor consequently over all Christs Sheep how much lesse lawfully then may his Successor claime this For as no Apostle could make an other man an Apostle so no successor could be made an Apostle by the Apostle Peter and not being so much as an Apostle how should he claime the chiefest singularity of the Apostle Peter And that no Apostle could make an Apostle I gather from the Apostle Paul who Gal. 1.1 saith Paul an Apostle not of Men neyther by Man but by Iesus Christ for this argues that an Apostle should not be of Men neyther by Man but by Iesus Christ I conclude therefrom that no Successor could be in all things like the Apostle to whom he succeedeth and much less then in those things by which if by any thing the Apostle Peter was preferred unto the rest of the Apostles If the successor haue conferred upon him all the guifts and prerogatives of an Apostle what is he then but an Apostle But such gifts and prerogatives as by which Apostles were Apostles could not be giuen by men but by Christ onely therefore the Apostle Peter neyther might nor could conferre upon his Successor all the power
the Popes Excommunication indeed changeth condition in the Excommunicate but not in this measure nor to this effect for then we must not doe as the scripture commands in obeying the King Honouring our parents and yeelding one to another due benevolence And truly of all the wicked Priests that ever were in the Church the Pope of Rome is the wickedest changing Gods Ordinance and the effects of Ecclesiasticall Discipline so that it is a wonder that he is suffred sure I am Gods Kings shall answer for it to God if they as Gods Ministers take not vengeance for God upon him for this Thus having answered this Objection also I will now conclude this Treatise with an exhortation to subjects An Exhortation to Subiests SEeing God reveiling his will by his Apostle declares himself to accept gratiously of the Kings and Princes already among the Gentiles as Kings and Princes already provided for the Church among the Gentiles and confirmed as ordeined by him And seeing Kings being so accepted of confirmed are to take example for their regall dignity and Government frō the approved of dignity and government of Gods Kings in the Church under the Lawe therefore it behoveth all men to yeild them due subjection obeying thē willingly as Gods Ministers in all things wherein wee finde Gods Kings under the Lawe obeyed with the Lords approbation As under the Lawe therefore Kings were over the Priests exercising Authority over them both in setting them to their due Offices if they neglected them and also in punishing them for evill doing 1. Chron. 2.26 so if Kings in the Christian Church doe likewise Christiā people ought to acknowledge that the King is by Gods ordinance thus to doe Againe if Christian Kings take care of doctrine also seeing to it that Bishops and Teachers teach according to Gods word or if they order the divine service according to the wil of God reveiled in his word and in a word if they see the Ordinance of God observed aswell in ecclesiasticall as civill affaires punishing also aswell the Cleargy as others offēding we ought to acknowledge that the King is by Gods ordinance such a Minister as hath right to use this Ministration in the Church of God within his owne dominions Let not men being led away of that Romish delusion by which Kings are debarred from exercising in the Church the dignity Office of Gods Kings in the Church under the Law disobey their Princes in their using their authority in these things seing in all these things the Scriptures witness that Gods Kings under the Law exercised their authority but rather let men with comfort of conscience acknowledge this Supreame dignity and office in Kings that so they be not found resisters of the Ordinance of God If any say should we not make conscience of things as our Teachers teach us then I answer That if you by evill Teachers be led to doe evill in disobeying the lawfull things done by your Kings it will not serve for defence of the evill to say your Teachers taught you so for by what meanes soever you doe evil the King is Gods Minister to punish you for evill doing You must beware therefore of false Teachers that you be not lead by them as their Disciples into errour Act. 20.30 And you haue a charge giuen you by the Apostle 2 Thes 2. 15 that you be not moved by any from that which in Scripture is received from the Apostles Remember how the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 4.15 exhorts you saying Let none of you suffer as an evill doer But are you not evill doers if you deny your Kings such Dignity and Office as God by his word hath conferred upon them If therefore your King see to the Reforming of Religion according to the instruction of Gods word and see the word to be purely preached and the sacraments rightly administred unto you are not you evill doers and resisters of Gods Ordinance if you will not come to the word so administred nor partake of the Sacramēts rightly ordered What would you thinke of those in Iudah and Israell who when Hezekiah or Iosiah or Iehoshaphat restored pure religion by the instruction of the Lawe preserved in scripture or tooke away offensive things or ordered the Preists and Levites to their due ministratiō or the like would not then be obedient in such Reformation were they notevill doers think you were they not worthy to be punished by the King for evill doers As you therefore would not fall into the like error and danger so ought you to obey unto the Reformation of doctrine and of the Church confirmed by Gods Minister the King so long as by the word of God you cannot prove any thing taught or done to be against the reveiled will of God Think not to plead your conscience seeing that your conscience ought to admit of Information and there hath now long time of information passed wherein you ought to haue beene instructed by the Truth Neither thinke that the sword must of duty stay till the worde haue prevailed to convert you for the Minister of the sword must punish you for evill doing and is not bound save in shewing mercy for a tyme to stay his hand till you obey the word and convert from your errour One Minister cannot warrant you against an other the Priest against the King nor the King against the Priest because God hath subiected you to obey unto both of these therefore nothing but the true word of God its selfe will serve to be alleaged for your disobeying of eyther If therefore you neglect your selfe to reade or heare read unto you the worde of God in scripture by which Meanes also you might come to know it Or if you when your Bishop or Priest declares plainely the word of God out of the Scripture unto you you then will follow an other Priest who shewes you not plainly the word of God for that which hee teacheth you so following his word be it right or wrong not caring to know the worde of God then goe you a wrong course and as neglecters of the word of God are ready for that judgement 2 Thes 2.10 of being giuen up to a strong delusion that you should beleeve lies And truly a very strong delusion hath the Popes pretended Supreame Vicarship been leading thousands into errour and producing in some very pernicious effects But now seeing I haue showen you by the word of God that such Generall and Supreame Vicarship is contrary to the express teaching of the word of God in holy Scripture make conscience henceforth to hearken to the word of God and to be guided by it in your faith that so obeying the Truth you may be saved with the children of Truth * ⎠*