by their greeuous apostacy so the fault beeing so heighnous and offensiue to the people no maruell if Cyprian woulde not permit that they shoulde be receiued into the Church before the offended people their-selues were content And for this cause they had made before their requestes vnto the people that they might on their repentaunce be receiued And the people examined and Iudged their requests to be reasonable But because it lay not in them to admit them both they and other that had beene constant in their persecutions whom Cyprian calleth Martyrs wrot vnto him being their Bishop that hee at his returne vnto them woulde receiue them Which although Cyprian of himselfe were willing to doe yet hee maketh this his conclusion I pray them that they woulde patiently heare our Counsayle Let them expect our returne and when as by the mercy of God wee shall come vnto you calling together more of our fellowe-Bishops according to the Discipline of the Lorde and the presence of the blessed Martyrs we may examin the Letters and the requests And to the confessors I haue writteÌ„ Letters which I haue coÌ„manded to be read to you So that Cyprian writeth not to the people for them as though the people had had the cheefe authority or anie power heerein but contrariwise the people had written to him that whereas neither they nor the Martyrs among them nor yet the Preestes without him coulde receiue them hee hauing the cheefe power heereof woulde vouchsafe to doe it Whereupon hee writeth this Epistle to stay their desire heerein till it might be done more orderly at his comming to them This therefore being no ordinary matter wherein so many Bishops shoulde appeare to the more solemne receiuing of these so greeuous lapsed persons whereas diuerse of the Preestes or Elders of Carthage had already receyued these offenders and administred the Sacramentes vnto them Hee complayneth heereof saying I heare notwithstanding that certaine of the Elders neither mindfull of the Gospell neither thinking what the Martyrs haue written to vs neither keeping to the Bishop the honour of his sacerdotall preesthoode and of the Chaire haue begunne alreadie to communicate to them that are falne and to offer for them to witte the publike prayers and to giue them the sacrament of thankesgiuing When as they ought to haue come by order to these thinges Whereby it appeareth that these Elders were Ministers of the Worde and Sacraments and yet distinct from those which after he calleth Bishops that shoulde all be ioyned with him in the receiuing of these so great offenders As for that Aretius addeth of the seniors mentioned in Tertullian I aske no better witnesse than Aretius himselfe euen the leafe before what they were Where he saith after the example of S. Paul Excommunicating Alexander and Hymenaeus Postea vsi sunt illa pij Episcopi vt videre est apud Tertullianum Apolog. cap. 39. Afterwards the Godly Bishops vsed it to wit Excommunication as is to see in Tertullian c. Beza himselfe that referreth Christes wordes to a translation of the Synedrion from the Israelites to the Christian Church in his Confession Cap-5 De Ecclesia Artic. 43. saith Secondlie wee must knowe that this power resteth not vpon mans ordinaunce but vpon the expresse worde of God For this is part of the iurisdiction of the Keyes deliuered to the Apostles and to all true preestes or Elders in the person of the Apostles Which Paul himselfe exercised at Corinth in other places So that if these Presbyters preestes or Elders be not such as vse the keies deliuered to the Apostles and doe it not in the person of the Apostles as their Successors it is not the true Ecclesiasticall Excommunication by Beza his owne Confession But they bee not the Apostles successors if they be not teachers of the word ministers of the sacrameÌ„ts as Paul saith 1. Cor. 4.1 Let a man so esteem vs as Ministers of Christ Stewards of the Mysteries of God And therefore of good consequence it doth followe that the sentences of Excommunication made by such Seniors as are not teachers nor Ministers of the word and sacramentes is no lawfull Excommunication nor is the power of the keyes that Christe deliuered Gellius Snecanus de Disciplina ecclesiast 1. methodi parte fol. 437 saith Thirdly by the Institution and promise of Christe Math. 18. ver 18. VVhatsoeuer yee shall bind c. is as wel added to this Discipline as to the Ministery of the word Math. 16. ver 19. VVe may call it the binding and the loosing key of the kingdoÌ„ of heauen in respect that it is a part of the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment For by the Figure of the keye is signified the administration of the Church as appeareth by conferrence of places Esay 22. ver 22. I will giue or I will lay the keye of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulder And Math. 16. ver 19. cap. 18. verse 19. Hereupon we learn that this Discipline is not to be administred according to our priuate affections but according to the vse in the scripture prescribed of the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen For Christe ratifieth onely those thinges that are bounde and loosed with his keyes of the Ministerie of the Gospell VVe may amplifie the same more largelie by the figure of the keies and of their signification Math. 16. ver 19. Marke 16. ver 15. Preach yee the Gospel c. And Iohn 20. ver 21. c. FroÌ„ the example of Peter vnto the citizens of Ierusalem c. Whereby it is plaine that this key consisting in the Ministerie of the worde is coÌ„mitted to those only that are the Ministers of the same word This do his exaÌ„ples proue that he alleageth for proof why this gouernmeÌ„t of the presbytery is called spirituall Whereby saith he sinnes are punished not by bodily force but by the Ministery of the worde The testimonies which he adioyneth Rom. 12.1 Cor. 12.1 Tim. 4. 5. Was haue sufficiently considered that they enforce nothing for any other Elders that medled not in teaching and ministring the Worde The examples which hee alleageth to prooue that this Spirituall Discipline may be exercised without the offence of the politike Magistrate dâ—e all of them prooue that the Ministers of the Spirituall Discipline shoulde beâ— Ministers of the Worde First from the example saith he of the distinct function of Moses and Aaron and of all the Godly kings that neuer mingled themselues with the Sacerdotall offices Yea Moses respecting the ordinaunce of God by the counsell of Iethro his Father in Lawe ordeyned seuerally by themselues ciuill iudgements Exod. 18. ver 25. Describing in other places what were the proper offices and Iudgementes of the Preestes in spirituall causes distinct from bodily causes Deut. 17. ver 9. As also the Scripture 1. Paral. 9. ver 22. Ezech. 44. This two-folde order the godly King Iosaphat obserueth also distinctly who expressely 2. Chron. 19.
it or of the like vnto it but that the thing it selfe which they their selues woulde applie the wordes of Christe vnto were most different and cleane contrarie from the Seniors which vnder the name thereof they woulde erect nor their selues could pretend whatsoeuer they entend to haue the like erected which if they should they could not without the great alteration manifest danger of all Christian Princes estates and gouernments and of all their Lawes Policies and Common-weales what shall we then thiâ—â—e not so much of the great ouershooting of our Brethren as of the full stay â—nd resolution of our selues from all these deuices and casting thus about to séeke some ground and warrant for these Seniors And first for Christes wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tel the Church Héere he plainlie speaketh of the Church but of no Synedrion or Sanedrin nor anie of the auncient Fathers that I can finde dâ—â— so expound his wordes or gather any such meaning of them Chrysostome saith Tel the Church that is to say the Bishops and Presidents but of Sanedrim or Consistorie he maketh no mention Neither said he saith Chrysostome vnto the Bishop binde this man with bondes but if thou shalt binde him Hierome vpon these wordes But if he wil not heare the Church saith Hee giueth power vnto the Apostles that they which are condemned of such might knowe that the sentence of man is confirmed by the sentence of God Hilarie indéede maketh an allusion of this word the Church vnto the comming of Christe but not to anie Sanedrin or Senate but rather contrarie in ascribing the keyes to the Apostles Theophilact expoundeth it as dooth Chrysostome and as for the Churches excommunication he thinketh Christe speaketh not of it but onely saith If thou saith he being offended holdest him which hath done thee iniurie as a Publicane and Heathen hee shall bee so holden also in heauen but if thou losest him that is if thou forgiuest him it shall be also forgiuen him in heauen For not onely those thinges that the Priestes doo lose are losed but whatsoeuer we also being iniured shall either binde or lose the same shall be also bound or losed So that he applieth this either to the Priests action or to the priuate partie iniured The olde Glosse expoundeth it thus Tell the Church that is the whole Church that he may sustein the greater shame As for the late Writers Vatablus expoundeth these wordes Tell the Church that is the assemblie or publike Congregation or the multitude And so saith Aretius The third degree hath a prouocation to the whole Church that is vnto the assemblie of the faithfull whereof ye are members But the Church is the assemblie of the faithfull wherin the word of Christ and the Sacraments are rightlie administred This forme afterward the Apostles followed 1. Cor. 5.2 Cor. 2. But neither of those Epistles neither that matter was written to any chosen Consistorie but to the whole multitude Munsterus saith Dic Ecclesiae Let his frowardnesse be shewed to the Church And if he shal not heare the Church being warned of manie let him be holden of them as an Ethnicke and a a Publicane And whatsoeuer they shall so binde shall be holden bound in heauen that is whome they hauing so warned shall haue cast out of their companie they also shall bee holden cast out before the Father and againe whom they shall lose and receiue being penitent into their Companie that shal be ratified with the Father Of this power of binding and losing that is of thrusting out of the Church and receauing into the same we haue said somwhat before ca. 16. Where also he sayd But for that which followeth of the keies it hath this sense By the kingdome of heauen is vnderstood the Church of Christ and this is opened by the key of Gods word But the kingdom of heauen is opened to the beleeuers that is forgiuenes of sinnes and eternall life is promised by the word of God And this is to forgiue sinnes as contrariwise to them that beleeue not the key of heauen is shut by the word that is remission of sinnes is denounced So that all this excomm is referred to the denouncing of the Minister of the word and this execution of thrusting out to the Church And so saith Bucer But and if he shall contemne this let the frowardnesse of this man sinning and not willing to repent be shewed to the Church that hee may the third time be admonished of the whole companie among whom he is conuersant But Caluine expoundeth these words Tell the Church farre otherwise Quaeritur quid per nomen Ecclesia intelligat c. It is demanded saith he what he meaneth by the name of the Church For Paule commandeth it not of any chosen nuÌ„ber but of the whole assembly of the faithfull to excommunicate the incestuous Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. b. 6. And therefore it may probably seeme that the iudgement heere is referred to the whole people But because as yet there was no Church which had giuen her name to Christ nor any such manner appointed but the L. himselfe speaketh according to the vsuall and receaued custome there is no doubt but that he alludeth to the order of the olde Church Euen as also in other places he applieth his speach vnto the knowen custome When as he commaundeth the gift which we will offer to be left at the altare vntill we shall be reconciled with our offended brother Mat. 5. d. 23. There is no doubt but that out of the present and legall forme of the worship of God he woulde teach vs that wee can not orderly pray nor offer any thing vnto God so long as wee are at discorde with our bretheren So now therfore he looked vpon the accustomed discipline of the Iewes because it shoulde haue bene absurde to haue proposed the iudgement to the Church which as yet was no Church Furthermore where the power of excommunication appertained to the Iewes that were Seniors which sustained the person of the whole Church aptly dooth Christ say that those which sinned shoulde then at the length be publikely brought footh vnto the Church if proudly they contemne the priuate admonitions or that they elude them skoffingly We knowe that from the time the Iewes returned from their exile in Babylon the censure or controllment of manners and of doctrine was committed vnto a chosen Councill which they called sinhedrim in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Counsel Session or Assemblie of Senators or Iudges This gouernment was lawfull and approoued of GOD and this was a bridle to retaine in dooing their duetie the frowarde and such as woulde not bee taught If anie shall except that in the Age of Christe all thinges were corrupted and peruerted insomuch that nothing ought lesse to haue bene accounted the iudgement of the Church than that tyrannie the aunswere is easie although the manner were
shall binde vpon earth shall bee bounde in Heauen and whatsoeuer yee shall loose c. In this sentence Christ strengtheneth first the Iudgements of priuate men if the Church shall not haue a publike magistrate For when men are wont tobee stubborne it may come to passe that hee that fayleth in his cause before the Church of priuate men and is iudged an Ethnike and publicane may contemne this iudgement and thinke him-selfe neuertheles to be an inheritor of the kingdome of Heauen although hee bee cast out of the assembly of these as hee thinketh them vile or base persons But Christe strengtheneth their authority and affirmeth that their sentence is approued also in Heauen Furthermore hee strengthneth also in this saying the publike iudgementes of them that are in lawfull Magistracy that we may manifestly knowe that their Iudgementes are not of men but are the Iudgementes of God According to that of Paule hee that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God And verily Christe in other places with the like sentences in Math. 16. and Iohn 20. chapter confirmeth the authority of the Ministery of preaching the Gospell But in this place hee confirmeth the iudgementes of priuate men or of Magistrates against the contemners that the same shoulde bee ratified before God in Heauen Heere lo is the ratifiing whereof our brethren speake but heereupon hee concludeth thus But all these things are to be vnderstoode of a right and lawfull iudgement and of that sentence which is giuen in the ministery of the church according to the Worde of the Gospell and in causes forinsecall according to the publique and ordinary Lawes For if the sentences of the Iudges or Ministers striue with these it is none before God howe greatly soeuer thou shalt be condemned before men So that here he concludeth with these two excommunications a ciuill and an Ecclesiasticall The ciuill eyther in these priuate mens small assemblies or in the publike Magistrate But the Ecclesiasticall to pertaine onely to the Minister and to be in the Ministery of the worde of God such as was mentioned before Math. 16. And afterward againe Iohn 20. And verily if we shall search the ground of this Eccl. Exc. what abuses soeuer be or haue beene or may be by the Ministers or by any other not Ministers committed therein which I take not vpon me to defende and may easily bee helped without the supply of this Seniory and good prouisions there are in that behalfe yet that the act of the proper Ecclesiasticall Excommunication shoulde be executed by such Ecclesiasticall gouernors as are not Ministers nor teachers of the Worde I can not yet see howe it may be sufficiently warranted or howe it may stand with the nature of this spirituall and Ecclesiasticall censure For if this power of binding and loosing be the same that is called the power of opening and shutting called also the power of the keyes then it cheefely consisteth in the Ministery of the Worde For what is the key but Gods Worde Yea if it bee the same that consisteth in remitting and retaining of sinnes towardes God what other power hath the Church thereof than by the prenouncing of Gods Worde So that our Brethren must eyther make these Seniors to bee Ministers of Gods Worde or else they must graunt that in this place Christe meaneth not such a Seniory of Gouerning Elders as are not Ministers of the Word But here saith Caluine Hic locus non omnino c. This place is not altogether like that place which is aboue written Chapter 16. c. 19. But it is to bee vnderstoode in part a little different But wee make them not so diuers that they haue not muche affinitie betweene themselues This first of all on both parts is alike that eyther of them is a generall sentence and the power of binding and loosing is always the same that is to witte by the word of God the same commaundement the same promise But they differ heerein that the former place is peculiarlie of the preaching which the Ministers of the word of God do exercise Here it pertayneth to the Discipline of excommunication which is permitted to the church There Christe woulde auouch the authority of the Doctrine Here hee constituted Discipline which is an appendant vnto doctrine There hee sayde that the preaching of the Gospell shoulde not be frustrate but that it shoulde bee a quickning or a killing sauour here he affirmeth that although the wicked doe scorne the iudgement of the church notwithstanding it shoulde not bee vayne This distinction is to be holden because there it is simply treated vpon the word preached here vpon the publike censures and Discipline Although I doe not altogether deny this difference in respect of the obiect matter wherin the subiect person hath diuers times on diuers occasions and diuers ends to deale yet since Caluine heere him-selfe maketh the power of binding and loosing the promise also and the commaundement to be all one and the same to consist all onely by the ministery of the word although the occasion or purpose of Christe in the former place Math. 16. be more for ratifying the Doctrine of the worde when it is taught or preached than for ratifying the publique censures and Discipline beeing onely the appendants to the Doctrin Yâ—t this letteth not but rather prooueth so much more that he to whome the execution of both or eyther of these actions being both of them powers of the worde and ministeriall pronouncings of the same word doth appertaine ought to be his selfe a Minister of the worde And thus doth Caluine himselfe afterwarde also confesse saying For neither doth Christe auouch authority of or vnto his church whereby he shoulde diminish his or his Fathers right but rather whereby hee may establish the maiesty of his Worde For euen as before hee woulde not confusedly establish euery Doctrine whatsoeuer but that which proceeded out of his mouth chap. 16. c. 19 So neither sayth he in this place that euery Iudgement whatsoeuer shall be stable and ratified but that wherein he himselfe is president or gouerneth Neyther that onely by the spirite but also by the Worde Whereupon it followeth that men bring no preiudice vnto or hinder not God while they pronounce nothing but out of his mouth and stoode onely to execute faithfully that which he hath commanded For although Christe bee the onely iudge of the worlde yet would hee haue in the meane season ministers to be the publishers of his Worde and then he woulde haue his iudgement to be of his Church set foorth So that commeth to passe that it derogateth nothing from him that the ministery of men commeth betweene but that he onely looseth and bindeth And hâ—ere Marlorate coâ—texteth out of Bucer Hereupon it appereth how proposterously or rather how naughtily some gather out of this place that the Church can doe any thing but cheefely can make lawes of religion which whosâ— despiseth shall
except that before he had by repentance purged him-selfe of those manifolde faultes that were reported of him It is sayde therefore that hee gladly receiued that which was appoynted to them by the Proestos or Bishoppe approouing that hee had a godly feare and a Fayth of Religion moste full of workes The like wee reade of the moste Noble Emperour Theodosius in the Ecclesiasticall Historie of Theodoretus Lib. 5. Cap. 17 Where hauing declared in the former Chapter howe Theodosius had in his fury caused his Souldiers to make a Massacre of 7000. people in the City of Thessalonica for the reuenge of an insurrection there made wherein some of the Emperours Iustices were stoned to death hee sheweth how the Emperour afterwarde beeing come to Millaine when hee woulde haue entred into the Churche after his wonted manner Ambrose forbad him laying the heighnousnesse of his fault before him and willing him to depart and submit him-selfe to this bonde of Excommunication that hee inflicted on him With these wordes sayth Theodoretus the Emperour being moued who being brought vp in the holy doctrine knewe what were the offices of the Sacerdotall preestes what were the offices of the Emperours hee returned with sighes and teares into the Court c. For the which fact although perhappes somewhat more rough than needed vnto so penitent a Prince not onely Ambrose but also Theodosius is of all writers highly commended Generally whatsoeuer Heretikes or other malefactors in any of the generall or prouinciall Councilles bee condemned by the Censure of Excommunication it was done by such Bishops Preestes or Elders as were Ministers of the Worde of God Neither doe any of the Fathers ascribe the denuntiation of this spirituall Censure in the proper sence thereof to any other than to a Bishop or to a minister of the Worde We haue seene in Cyprian howe although hee promised that hee would doe nothing in receiuing those that were fallen from the fayth into the lapse of Idolatry and so became abstenti that is Excommunicated to bee admitted on their repentaunce to the communion and peace of the church without the consent of his College of Elders which as withall wee haue founde were all ministers of the Word and Sacraments Which Iunius him-selfe in his Booke called Ecclesiasticus Capitulo 3 treating on these Seniors confesseth to be Corpus Collegium sacerdotum A body or corporation and College of Sacerdotall Preestes Yea in that case although hee promiseth not to receyue them without the consent also of the Deacons and of the people yet the action of Excommunication and absoluing of them hee still maketh it proper tohim selfe being the Bishop and to such onely as were ministers of the Worde Hierome vpon that saying of Christe to Peter Math. 16 I will giue thee the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen and whatsoeuer c. This place sayth hee the Bishops and the Preestes not vnderstanding take vpon them some-what of the Pharisées pride to thinke that eyther they may condemne the innocent or loose the offenders When as with God not the sentence of the sacerdotall Preestes but the life of the guilty is sought out Wee reade in Leuiticus of the Lepers where they are bidden to shewe them selues to the Preestes And if they haue the Leprie then of the sacerdotall Preestes they are made vncleane Not that the sacerdotall preestes make them Lepers and vncleane but that they haue the knowledge of him that is a Leper and of him that is not a Leper And that they may discerne who is cleane or who is vncleane In such sorte therefore as the sacerdotall Preeste maketh the Leper clean or vncleane so here also eyther the Bishop and the preeste or Elder bindeth or looseth not those that are eyther innocent or offenders but according to his office when hee shall haue hearde the diuersities of the sinnes he knoweth who is to bee bound or who is to be loosed Saint Augustine being complained vnto that Auxilius being a young Bishop had made such a rash Excommunication as Hierome here spake of writeth vnto him in this manner Augustine to his moste dearely beloued Lorde and worshipfull or reuerend brother and fellow sacerdotall Preeste Auxilius Our renowned Sonne Classicianus hath greeuously by Letters complayned vnto mee that he hath susteined of your holinesse the iniury of accursing Declaring that he came to the church accompanied with the appearaunce of a fewe persons conuenient for his power and dealt with you that you shoulde not against his health or safety fauour them who by periuring themselues on the Gospell sought ayde for violating of their fayth euen in the house of fayth Whome notwithstanding considering what ill they had done he saith that they were not taken thence by violence but went out of their owne accorde And heereupon your honour is so offended with him that by the making of your Ecclesiasticall actes hee with all his house is striken with the sentence of the Curse Which Letters I hauing read beeing not a little mooued with thoughtes tossing me with great vexation of heart I coulde not hide it from your louingnesse that if you haue your opinion of this matter tried out by sure reasons or testimonies of the Scriptures you woulde vouchsafe also to teach vs how the childe may rightly be accursed for the Fathers sinne or the wife for the Husbandes or the seruaunt for the Lordes or anie in the house also not yet borne if it shoulde be borne in the same time that the whole house is bound with the curse so that it coulde not in the daunger of death be helped by the washing of regeneration For this is not a corporall punishment wherewith we reade that some dispisers of God were slayne together with all theirs which were not partakers of the same vngodlinesse Then in-deede to the terror of the liuing the mortall bodies were slayne which at sometime veâ—ily should haue died But the spirituall punishment whereby that iâ— done which is written VVhatsoeuer thinges thou shalt binde in earth shall bee bound also in Heauen bindeth the soules Of whome it is written The soule of the Father is mine and the soule of the Sonne is mine The soule that shall sinne the same shall dye You haue peraduenture hearde that some sacerdotall preestes of greate name haue accursed some body with their house But if perhaps they were demaunded they might bee found not able to render a reason of the same As for me If any body should demaund of me whether it were well done I finde not what I shold answere him I neuer durst do this thing when I haue bin mooued most greeuously about the wicked deedes of some moste cruelly committed against the Church But if the Lord haue reuealed to you how it may iustly be done I despise neuer a whit your yong age rudimeÌ„ts or but yong beginnings of the Eccl. honor Beholde I am at hand I an old man of my yong
their gouernment in many actions not so commendable in some vicious yea beyond the bouÌ„ds of the sexe feminine yet hindereth not this but that their gouernmeÌ„t authority if they vsurped if not nor abused the same might notwithstanding be good lawful in theÌ„ But Danaeus setting theÌ„ aside turns to the gouernmeÌ„t of Gods people saith But in the people of God we haue no such kind of thing whether the Iewes or the Israelites kingdome be looked vpon For that which may be alleaged of Athalia 2. of Kings 11. is easilie washed awaie For that gouernment of Athalia was an vsurpation and an vniust inuasion of the kingdome not a kingdome or lawfull power to the which the people willinglie woulde assent as it appeared afterwarde Wherefore shee was iustlie by Ioiada the chieefe sacrificer ouerturned and thrust out of the roiall throne and slaine also for that she vsurped the kingdome In saying we haue no such kind of thing in Gods people whether we looke on the kingdome of the Iewes or of the Israelites Danaeus doth too straightlie abridge the examples of womens gouernment ouer Gods people to limit the same onelie to the times and stories of the Kings For they were Gods people as well before and after as then euen vntil they were cut off and the Gentiles ingrafted in their place And gouernment was as necessarie for them they had gouernours also called Iudges for the greatest part of that time and for the most part of those their gouernors till toward the end of that their policie they were better gouernors farre than many of their Kings were So that if Danaeus would haue throughly looked vpon their whole estate so long as they remained Gods people hee should forthwith haue beholden Debora such a gouernor in maner as that state was ordained vnder God ouer his people though not such hereditarie Monarkes to raigne ouer them as the Gentiles round about them had for that was the state of the gouernmeÌ„t that the people desired 1. Sam. 8 yet was she vnder God the chiefe and supreame Magistrate so is called their Iudge as were the other Iudges that were men which sufficientlie answereth to our purpose For if a woman may be a Iudge sit in iudgement administer iustice be vnder God the chiefest in those iudicial actions which are the chiefest points of a Monarks office What theÌ„ letteth but that a womaÌ„ also may be a Queene or Monark And by so much more râ—ason as a Monarke King or Queene are not so necessarilie bound to execute in their owne persons by themselues all those Iudiciall actions that a Iudge is bound to do But now set aside a while this example of Debora although there had ben in that estate while the kingdomes of the Iewes and the Israelites did continue not one Queene that had the chiefe gouernment or any publike administration of the coÌ„mon weale ouer the people of God Were this a good consequence that for defect of such an exaÌ„ple either he or any may conclude a rule thereon that therefore it was not lawfull for a woman at any time al that while to haue had anie chiefe or publike gouernmeÌ„t of Gods people Or rather Why might we not better holde our selues contented with this reason That there was no woman gouernor all that while because that either God so prouided as in the kingdome of the Iewes there wanted neuer an heire male all that space and therefore there was no occasion of the womans supreame gouernment which is no debarre to their right therunto if that the issue male had failed Or els that god rooted clean out diuerse of their kings whole posteritie male and female raised vp others as he did in the kingdome of the Israelites so destroying the house of Ieroboam by Baasa that he left none aliue 1. Reg. 15. ver 29. And this punishment of rooting out his house God also threatned to Baasa 1. Reg. 16 ver 3. 4. and performed it by Zimri ver 11. 12. and the like hee did to the house of Omri that slew Zimri by the hand of Iehu destroying Ioram his mother Iesabel all the issue of Ahab saue onelie this wicked Athalia whom Iehoram Iehosophats sonne the king of Iuda had maried Yea not onelie the issue of diuerse kings of Israel were thus destroied for their wickednesse but also the kings of Iuda were slaine partlie by Iehu 2. Reg. 10. ver 13. who afterward also slue Ochozias and partlie by the Philistines and Arabians 2. Chron. 21. verse 16. and 17. and Chap. 22. verse 1. but chieflie and most vnnaturallie all that remained by this bloudie tyger Athalia saue that Ioas Ochosias sonne an infant one yeere olde was hidden by his aunt Iosaba the wife of Ioiada the high Priest So that ther was none of them which was then knowen to remaine aliue excepte this Iosaba the high Priests wife and sister to Ochozias to whome in that line the inheritance of the crowne could immediatlie deuolue Which Iosaba being not capable therof because of hir mariage with the high priest which though it were lawfull yet sith these offices of the Prince and of the priest were diuided she lost therefore by her mariage had shee béene by nature the neerest yea the onely heire her title of inheritance to the kingdome So that if there had remained anie male or female which female had béen knowen and had not ben maried to another Tribe or familie all Athalias crueltie had not serued her turne but the partie male or female had beene straight waies inheritour to the kingdome For Athalia her selfe had thereto no right in the world at all but was as Danaeus saith a meere vsurper besides her vnnaturall tyrannie in murthering her owne sonnes children to establish vnto her self the kingdome Unto the which although she had no title she being not onelie of another Tribe but extract from another kingdome the daughter of Iesabel which was daughter to the king of Sidon yet notwithstanding hauing ben before both the Queene and the Queene mother and in both estates hauing also borne the chiefest swaie as well in the impotencie of her husbande Iehoram who laie sicke a long while and euen rotted aboue the ground by Gods iust punishment of him 2. Chron. 21. verse 15.18 19. and in her sonnes daies also hauing borne all the stroke as appeareth â— Chron. 22. verse 3. 4. the king following her and her kindreds counsell shee hauing thus continued all the gouernmeÌ„t at her own wicked Idolatrous dispositioÌ„ it was the easier both for her to make awaie all the right heires and to establish her selfe in the kingdome Now although this especiallie proue that shee had no right yet withall this proues the stronger that a woman that had right had not bene cleane cut off sith she that had so little and vsed