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
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 * ⎠*
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
Apostle calls the Kings and Princes among the Gentiles The Higher powers and declares them for Gods Ministers for the wealth of them that doe well and punishment of evill doers the likenes therefore in these particulars argues Gods approving that they should be like his former Kings in their Ministration As therefore the church under the Lawe tooke example for her King frō the Kinges of the Gentile Nations so God approving of the Kinges among the Gentiles they are to take example for their Ministration from that which with Gods approbation Kinges did in the Church under the Lawe This I press the more because the Pope of Rome admits easely of Kings as of hang men to punish the Clergy of the Church for evill doing when he shall give up such Clergy to be executed or punished by the sworde but at no hand will admit that they should exercise such Ministration as Gods Kinges with Gods approbation exercised in and over the Church under the Law This is one of his delusions this one of his presumptions against the ordinances of God and of Christ and by this he worketh to the Christian world not a little mischiefe But now unless the Christian Nations will make the Pope of Rome their Apostle they ought to beleeve concerning this matter according to the revelation of the will of God by the Apostle Paul neither shall they be guiltlesse before God if they beleeve the Popes word the same being diverse from the word of Gods true Apostle To conclude seing God approves of Kinges as Kings for his Ministers they are boūd as they will answere it to God to exercise such kingly Ministration as with Gods allowance his Kings before time exercised for seing Christian Religion allowes not of all things done by Kings among the Gentile Nations whilst they were Infidells it must needs be that the Kings of the Gentiles are not to doe all that which they as Infidels did but such things as with Gods allowance his Kings before time did so faire forth as Christian Religion permits This I add here because of the abolishing of Sacrifices for sinnes which under the lawe were offred by Kinges as also because that under Gentilisme Kinges were both Kinges and Preists whereas Gods Ordinance under the Christianity as under the Lawe permits not this But now having proved that God accepts of the Kings of the Gentiles as Kings for his Ministers having showen you they are to take example for the same frō Gods Kings in the Church under the Law I think fit in the next place to put you in minde of two speciall things 1. That under the Lawe the worde of God was given to the King 2. That it was given to him as to a Iudge That the worde of God was given to the King may appeare by the testimony of our blessed Saviour who Ioh. 10.35 saith If he called them Gods unto whom the word of God was given c. for though Priests are comprised under the Name of these Gods yet Kinges are not excluded seing none can deny Kings to be Princes And here I would haue you to note that this manner speaking of our Lord argues a kinde of trust as if God intrusted the keeping of his word unto Kings and Priests for when it is sayd that the word is given to them it implies that God trusteth them with his word But to this scripture we may add another Deut. 17.18 where the charge of God to the Kinge is given in these wordes saying And when he shall sit upon the throne of his Kingdome then shall he write him this Lawe repeated in a book by the Preists of the Levites And it shal be with him and he shall reade therein all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and to keepe all the words of this Lawe and these Ordinances for to doe them That his heart be not lifted up aboue his brethren and that he turne not from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left Here observe first That not what the Priest will deliver for Lawe but the Lawe its selfe This Lawe he hath right yea and charge also from God to take Secondly that this Lawe is given to him as to a King therefore as to to a Minister and not as to a private Person therefore also it is not given him for his private direction onely what to beleeve and doe for his owne salvation but it is given him for a direction of his Ministration for what is given to an Officer as an officer is given for a direction what to doe in his office Therefore Kings haue a charge of Gods word aswell as Priests and they are to be directed by it in their Ministration so that they may not content themselves to say I doe this and this in my Office by the teaching of the Priests but they must reade and meditate in the word its selfe of God by it to be instructed what to doe There is difference to be put betweene the Minister revealing primarily the word of God and the Minister of the word already reveiled of the first the greatest Kinges are subjected to receive the word as they deliver it but the word once so delivered the King is to take it and to reade and meditate in it and is not bounde to take onely the interpretation or word of him who is but the Minister of the word already reveiled Therefore also the King is interposed betweene God and the Minister of the worde already reveiled as having right to take the word its selfe reveiled and not whatsoever the Minister of the worde already reveiled will deliver as for that word Would God that Christian Princes did duely consider this gratious goodness and mervailous favour of God towards them for if they duly considered this it would much provoke them to reade themselves the revealed word of God and not to leave this to the reading of Priests onely How will they answer it to God if being Kings as by Gods ordination they neglect this charge given by God to his Kings Ah the evils which the false word of an evill Priest hath brought upon them through their neglecting themselves to read the word of God in Scripture But now as I have before proved that Gods accepting of the Kings of the Gentiles as kings for his Ministers serves both as for Gods gracious election made of them and also as for a warrant that they should serve God in the kings ministration approved of by God in the hands of his kings under the law so it may now appeare unto them that the charge of God given to his kings in the Church under the Law serves also for a charge unto them And seeing this charge is given to the kinge as kinge it proves that his charge is that he see all the ordinances of God observed by all for this use of this charge made the good kings in the Church under the law as