Magistrate Kings and Princes therefore are not sent to abolish this power and order but where they find the same to nourish it yea and to see that it goe on and doe that which shall be for the glory of God and the good of the Church For wherreas Church officers might be resisted and disabled without the assistance of such a chiefe governour and whereas they might bee either negligent or otherwise in their office then beseemes them it is the goodnesse of God to send Christian Kings as chiefe fathers both for and over them that thereby all may goe well among such as professe the name of Christ in a Christian Church To which purpose the words of Saint Austin are not impertinent In hoc Reges Deo serviunt sicut eis divinitus praecipitur Aug. contra Câ—esconium lib. 3. c. 15. in quantum sunt Reges si in suo Regno bena jubeant mala prohibeant non solum quae pertinent ad humanam societatem verum etiam quae ad divinam religionem Meaning that Kings herein serve God as it is commanded them from above in that they be Kings if within their Kingdome they command good things and forbid evill not onely in things pertaining to humane fellowship or civill order but also in things pertaining to Gods Religion Now hee that does this must needs bee supreame Governour over all persons in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as civill within his owne dominions or else he cannot doe it But seeing God hath given him this power doth he not therefore call Councels to have Lawes and orders made and matters where need is to be setled for the good of his Church Yea and because this power of supremacie comes to him from aboue it cannot be in Man to take it from him Factibi et erunt tibi saith * Bâ—â—… Andr in his Sermon upon Numb 〈◊〉 1.2 one of whom we may learne to speake was that which God said to Moses and to him onely There was no Fac tibi said to Aaron And therefore the propriety or right of both Trumpets commanded to be made for the calling of Assemblies both in the Church and State must rest in Moses From whence it came to passe that ever after whosoever was in Moses his place must have the same right and power that Moses had Sometimes I confesse there was no such magistrate but no sooner did God send one againe then that this power was put in practise witnesse Nehemias after the captivity Neh. 7.64 1 Mac. 14 4â— Simon after the fury of Antiochus yea and witnesse also that famous Constantine whom God raysed up to overthrow the power of the persecuting Dragons and to reduce things to their former order Yet neverthelesse this power of correcting ordering calling and disposing of men in matters of the Church gives no authoritie to Kings or cheife Magistrates to make new Articles of faith to preach the Gospell administer the Sacraments denounce excommuication or exercise the function of the Priests in their Church-service For in these things Princes must forbeare to meddle and acknowledge Priests to bee their pastours submitting their greatnesse to be obedient to them in their directions yea even to the meanest of Gods Ministers sincerely declaring the will of God For though they may force the Priests where they find them negligent to doe their duties yet the duties themselves they cannot doe Defence of the Apolog part 6. cap. 9 Diviâ— 1. â— pa. 558. Whereto agreeth that of Bishop Iewell Christ saith he is evermore mindfull of his promise for when hee seeth his Church defaced and laid waste hee raiseth up faithfull Magistrates and godly Princes not to doe the Priests or Bishops duties but to force the priests and Bishops to doe their duties The duties themselves then must not be done but by the Priests and doing of them Princes must bee obedient to them not despising as hath beene said the meanest of Gods Ministers sincerely declaring the will of God For as Gods Ambassadours they beseech exhort admonish and reprove even them if need be as well as any other of Gods heritage Num c. 16 c. 17. Who can be ignorant that it was a Corah and his company which would have all the Congreation alike holy whereas it was Aarons rod among all the rods of the Tribes that flourished 1 Sam. 13. 2 Chron 26. Soâ—om lib. 7. cap. 4. Also who hath not heard that it was a Saul who dared to offer sacrifice in the stead of Samuel and Vzziah that invades the Priests office But it was the part of a good Theodosius to * So also did K. David to the â—â—ssage of the Prophet Nathan 2 Sam 1â— 13 〈◊〉 in â—â—ronol submit to the censure of an upright and holy Ambrose And yet neverthelesse the said Father granted that it was the right and power of Princes to summon Councels For about the yeare of our Lord 381. there was a Synod at Aquileia in which Saint Ambrose was president Who with the rest there assembled did fully testifie that by the appointment of the Emperour and power of his authoritie they held their Synod And hereupon it was that they gave notice to him of all their proceedings therein These are the first SECTION II. THE second follow and they are those whom the * So King Iames cals the Puritans in his Basilicon Doron lib. 1. pag. 41. Pests of the Church but not the scriptures or primitive times account abhominable I meane the reverend Hierarchie of renowned Bishops so much condemned by the fiery Zelots of our peevish Puritans whom nothing can please but their owne fancies They contend for parity and would have all be intitle as high as Aaron They would that all should be Governours rather then private Ministers whereupon they urge that of right there are no Diocesan but onely parochiall Bishops That the authoritie and jurisdiction and rights of a Bishop are no other then what belongeth to all Parsons and Vicars of parish Churches and consequently that every such Parson and Vicar is as good a Bishop as the best Neither doe some but thinke that the Church cannot or ought not to bee governed without a wise worshipfull company of Lay Elders which may annually be removed and returne at the years end to their trades and occupations againe But that these and the like are but idle fancies appeareth both in regard of Christs owne order or institution when he laid the foundation of his Church in regard of the Apostles owne times and also in regard of the Primitive times after them As for the first thus it was The Apostles did not ordaine the difference They onely proceeded as Christ had ordained For as there were chiefe and inferiour Priests in the times before Christ in like manner at the first preaching of the Gospell the foundation of the Church was so laid that all Priests were not in all things equall for the twelue Apostles were first called and sent
are Gods and children of the highest that thereby the dignity of him who swayes the Scepter and royall prerogative of a lawfull King may be made apparent to the purblind opposites of a crooked generation And verily all this the Queene of Sheba uttered to the very full for when she came from the South to heare the wisedome of Solomon Blessed saith shee bee the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne that thou mighrest bee King for the Lord thy God 2 Chron. 9.8 Howbeit as if climats altered truths these men wil granthim no prerogative but what they please Will he do they thinke who hath said ye are Gods and children of the highest be wel pleased to see the people limit the power of a King to their owne tedder or hath he set up Kings so high in place dignity as that their throns are said to be his and all this with an intent or purpose that the people should curb them surely no For as a King may do whatsoever hee pleaseth so none saith the scripture may say unto him what dost thou Eccles 8.3.4 Si quis é nobis O rex justitiae tramites transcendere voluerit ate corripi potest si vero tu accesseris quis te corripiet was that which Gregory of Tours said once to a King of France And so a Lawyer likewise of our owne kingdome a long while since Omnem esse sub Rege et ipsum sub nullo sed tantum sub Deo meaning that all are under their King and he under none but God alone Nor did the heathen but acknowledge it and therefore Horace hath expresly said Reges in ipsos imperium est Iovis that is Against Kings themselves there is no power but that of Iupiter Why then I say seeing the case stands thus doe these men grant him no prerogative but what they please Why do they limit his power to their ownetedder make him but the Bailiffe of the Common weale or why doe they not tremble to maintaine that it resteth in the peoples hands to set the crowne upon whose head they please yea that which is worse why doe they in some cases expose him to the violence of the multitude to kill correct or otherwise to punish as they list ò infandum facinus This last is more divelish then all the rest because Kings are Gods annointed ones and may not vel eo nomine even in that respect be touched with any virulent tongue nor invectives of a bitter penne much lesse with any violent or lessive hand for so the destroying Spider useth to give a touch to the painfull and laborious Bee But Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme is that which cries against such desperate wickednesse Bish Andr. Serm. upon those words of touch not mine annointed ones Nay saith one whose words are admirable There is a further matter yet for if we marke it well it is not Ne tangite but Nolite tangere Nolite that is have not so much as the will once to goe about it So that not onely tactus the touch is forbidden but voluntas tangendi the very will to doe it And therefore I am sure that in no case that which these factious braines dare be bold to vent may be done without treason to a lawfull soveraigne no though hee be a tyrant that reignes over them or an heathen for Religion This therefore is a true rule and worthy of observation that if it bee the hard hap of any people to be oppressed with the too heavie hands of their supreame Governours they must not doe as Alsted teacheth Alsted Syst Polit. 2. cap. 3. Buch. de jure regni Iobannes Sarisberienses de nugis curial lib. 8. cap. 20 that is take away the government from them which use it not well and set up others in their stead nor as Buchanan directeth kill them like wolues or beares nor pray for them in such fort as for theeues that is pray for them both and punish them both but let them alone They must bee untouched So that the people have no more to doe but this They must fly to the patronage of Gods mercy and with devoute prayer strive to turn away the whip wherewith they are scourged Peccata enim delinquentium sunt vires tyrannorum The sinnes of offenders are the strength of tyrants whereupon it is that the Lord doth not onely sometimes set up a wicked man to reigne over a nation but sometimes also useth the forraigne power of wicked Princes to scourge a sinfull people And if so then by no meanes may the people seeke a remedy by rebellion against those though wicked who are over them for civill obedience is due even to such as these And so long as they command nothing which is certainly knowne to be contrary to the word of God it is the duty of their loyall subjects to performe obedience to their precepts not out of constraint but willingly freely and ex animo for though it be indeed most certaine that in things which are directly contrarie to the Law of God and such as carry in them a plain and manifest impietie there is no question to be made but it is better to obey God than man Act. 4.19 yet neverthelesse when the matter is either not so at all or onely seemeth so in misapplying or mis-vnderstanding the word of God then the subject is bound to obey not for feare of wrath alone but for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 And now for further inlargement of this truth who hath not heard of Saul how like a * 1 Sam. 22.18.23 and chap. 24.12 tyrant he hunted David as a Partridge and how hee gave command to Doeg to runne with violence upon the Priests and slay them Howbeit neither did the Priests either by themselves or others raise head against him Nor yet would David lay violent hands upon him no not in the cave when there was as fit an opportunity as could be offered for without any conflict hee might have changed a publike warre into a private slaughter and have ended those troubles which by the meanes of this Kings cruelty were fallen upon him shall we say that he was a Coward and therefore did it not He was no coward sure witnesse the Lyon and the Beare and that great Goliah subdued by him There was nothing then that hindred him but the unlawfulnesse of the act 'T was this and only this which kept his hand from the sword and that from the blood of Saul For oh victorie saith one in the behalfe of David thou dost in vain provoke and invite me with thy triumphs I would willingly conquer mine enmie but I must rather keepe the Commandements of my God I will not saith he lay my hands upon the Lords annointed And so saith Optatus he repressed his hand together with his sword and whilst he feared the oyle he saved his enemy of which
and strict hand of justice to bridle their peevish frenzie For if all things were according to the filth of their fancies who are the heads of this faction or the chiefe sticklers in it there should be neither Ecclesiasticall nor temporal superioritie And looke how the old cocks crow the yong will soone learne the little spawne and nibling frie will scarce degenerate For although before they be well grounded in this rebellious way they may be somewhat better minded than their Captaines yet by degrees they are like enough to grow up into bigger fishes and so the more busie to stop the cleere current of a Kings Prerogative and to trouble the faire waters of Church governement But for matters of the Church I forbeare to shew their malice till anone In the meane time wondring that nothing but a Parity which breeds an Anarchy can please their distastfull palates I would to God that they were of another minde for I am sorrie to see that they should digest nothing but what agrees to their factious humors This argues either a foule or weake stomacke when wholesome food is disrespected Or if you will beleeue them in their outward shewes or owne pretences they are a queasie kind of people But what need is there of words when deedes are manifest Let them but abate their high minded wills and they may soone informe their weakenesse otherwise they must be curbed as with bit and bridle least in their head-strong courses they fall at last upon their Soveraigne For before that any of their grounds shall bee impugned as our late King Iames of blessed memory hath well observed let King See the preface to his Basilicon Doron and his Premonit to all Christian Monarchs Pag. 45. people Law and all be trodden under foote Meaning that they care for neither but thinke it their greatest honour to contend with Kings and perturbe whole Kingdomes calling those mischiefes by the name of holy warres and therefore preferre them farre before true loyalty and obedience which as they wickedly tearme it is in it selfe an vngodly peace These then are those serpents which have a desire to sting but a power greater then their owne prevailes against them their wishes would be actions were it not that like curst Cowes they finde themselues hindred in nothing more then in their short hornes But shall a King be our father and shall we cease to honour him Shal God put the sword into his hand and shall wee bee so seditious or disobedient as to wrest it into our owne Or shall a King take care over us that what wee have we may possesse it in peace fit every man under his owne Vine and Fig-tree and shall we have no care at all to be loving and liberall unto him but be as blockish and churlish as was that foolish Nabal notwithstanding David secured his goods and cattell 1 Sam. 25.7.10 The beauty of a crowne to him that weares it not seemes perhaps as if it were all of gold and precious stones but to him that weares it I doe beleeve it sits not seldome like a crowne of thornes by reason of those many cares which pricke and vexe the head To which purpose I may recite a storie of a certaine King mentioned by Valerius Maximus who when the Diadem or Crowne was brought unto unto him before he would set it upon his head held it long in his hand considering and looking seriously upon it and at the last burst forth into these or the like words and said O nobilem magis quam foelicem ornatum quem si quis penitus cognascat quam multis sâ—licitudinibus et periculis et miserijs sit refertus ne humi quidem iacentem tollere vellet That is Oh more noble then happie crowne which if any one did but throughly know with how many troubles and dangers and miseries it is attended he would not doe so much as stoope to take it from the ground although he saw it lie before him And the reason seemes to bee plaine for he that hath many thousands of people under his governement must provide that his care be the cause of their safetie his labour their rest and his troubled thoughts the quiet of their minds it being with him and his as with the starres and planets by whose light and motion the world thrives in all the parts both of times and seasons soiles and climates For as the course of nature would suffer detriment if the Heavens should leave their motions So a Prince cannot be void of care without the great dammage of his people whose studie is no lesse to maintaine them in peace then to defend them both in and from the warres These be then in part those pricking thornes which they have for a counterpoyse of their brightnes and royal dignities yea these and such like are the common calamities that accompany Scepters Crownes and Diademes whereof a meane estate never findeth any taste To which adde the cost as well as care and can yee not then conclude that he who keeps our tillage must have tribute out of our Lands he that keepes the Sea must have custome from those who traffique in and out from thence And if the walls of such a kingdome want repairing or the channells want scouring the subiects must set to their willing hands to build them up and make them cleane from the perturbation of infesters theeues and robbers Which as it concerneth us is no more but this We have under God no other walls but Ships nor Scavengers for the seas but such Royall forces And next looke that as by how much the beauty of succession shall more and more appeare in the welcome Stemmes and royall branches of a Kings increase by so much there is the more need of taxe or subsidie For Kings and Princes must not live like Peasants Neither may Peasants live like Princes And yet contrarie to all order and decorum each peasent among us begins to be a kind of Prince For do we not see how the toes of the inferiour sort tread upon the heels of the Court there cannot bee a Midianitish Camel but he must shine with Gold for Labourers strive to be as good as their Masters Farmers despise yeomen yeomen would bee gentlemen Artizans in our very countrie townes and villages would bee Citizens Gentlemen and Citizens though of ordinarie ranke doe not alwayes delight to keepe within the compasse of their tedder But saith our Saviour Luke 7. â—â— They that weare sofe rayment bee in Kings courts In Kings courts and not in rude hovils and country farms No not in Citizens or Tradesmens shops or other houses of the inferiour sort unlesse an orderly proportion bee well observed For these thus disordered promise scarcenesse in the greatest plenty and dearenesse in a land of Promise And therefore they do ill to complaine of deare times when they themselves are without doubt in this vaine way maine helpes although notsole causes to make them
such And herein there is one thing more which I grieve to utter that hospitalitie charity and means of doing good should in a manner be quite dead and gone And why is that but by reason that all is too little to maintaine this their apish pride these their foolish fashions with other as vaine and idle spendings for by how much we are the more in wast unto our selves by so much we are the lesse to God the King the poore and honest neighbourly societie Whereas on the contrary if every one would be orderly contained within their owne bounds and unthrifts wast lesse by unwarrantable courses I dare be bold to say that many sorts of men might have where with all the better to shew their zeale to the Church and state wherein they live might be hospitable charitable yea and might entertaine many friends and acquaintance with that which to the entertaining of a Prince or Prince his Ambassadour is scarce so much as the Widdowes two mites cast into the treasury Beside all which with much more that are the charges of a watchfull Prince there be times also of more then ordinary necessity and then a King may not spare out of his royall prerogative to raise an Army or presse of men from among his subjects and have a stricter hand over mens persons children and goods then at other times The testimony of which truth is in the first booke of Samuel the 8. chapter at the 11. ◠Sam. 8.11 verse and so on to the end of the 17. verse where the words be these This shall be the manner or right of the King that shal reigne over you Hee shall take your sonnes and appoint them for himselfe for his charets and to be his horsemen and some to runne before his charet Hee shall appoint some to be captaines over thousands and captaines over fifties and some to make him weapons for the warre He shall take your daughters your fields the tenth of your seed your Men-servants and Maid-servants together with the best of your yong-men and Asses And at the 17. verse The tenth of your sheepe and ye also shall be his servants But to this perhaps it may be objected Object that the drift or intent of the foresaid speech was to deterre the people from having a King and not to shew the rights or the Royalties of a King Whereto I answer that the main drift was indeed to deterre them Answ But as there cannot be an effect without a cause so that the thing intended might be effected he sheweth how farre the power and right of a King once set over them might extend it selfe I say might For it no where appeareth that Saul put in practise all these things here mentioned And therefore should it in the second place be objected that Samuel deterres them not by shewing the lawfull power of a King but by declaring the customes of a Tyrant it must be granted that Saul was to be such a one as is there described or else in my judgement they are wide from the matter Saul I grant was tyrannous enough in his cruelties against David and bloodie practises against the Priests formerly mentioned But if in case of necessity he had beene forced to doe what this scripture declareth I doubt not but he might have done it without the imputation of injustice or of any tyrannous usurpation For be it granted that if the extreamity of this were ordinarily urged by a King or put in practise upon every triviall slight occasion or without just cause it were not better then tyrannie as wee are taught in Deut. 17.20 yet on the contrarie for a King to exercise such or the like authoritie over his Subjects when any imminent danger or knowne necessity shall compell him to it is no tyrannie but the toppe and high branch of his regall power and royall prerogative For if not in such cases then in what is it that A King may doe whatsoever he pleaseth where his word is there is power Ecelos 8.3.4 and who may say unto him what dost thou And be it granted that this be not done out of tyrannie but necessity it serues not onely for safetie but for tryall also of a subjects inclination or affection towards his Prince Yea and thus also may be said even when we speake more generally not onely of this but of all the foresaid occasions comparing one time and businesse with another Neither do I finde that there is or can be any time wherein the head ought not to bee strengthened For by suffering the head to bee weake how can the body prosper Or if the Kings treasury be not like a spring how can the waters of safetie be conveyed into the Cisternes of his subjects And therefore to bee as some are so much be witched to what wee have that we had rather loose all then part with some argues as well folly as malignity For as the Moone and starres would fall infinitely short of that bright lustre which now they have if the Sunne were stripped of his abundant shining So take from a King his Royall prerogative with the Consistorians and their peevish adherents stint him to the modicums of the churlish Nabalists and let him be as if hee were a King and no King and then his very people will in a short space find that as from his flourishing comes their happinesse So from his want comes their miserie But here perhaps will some man object Object out of Deut. 17.17 That a King may not gather unto himselfe much silver and gold and therefore it is in vaine to urge that he should have a full treasury To which I answer Answ that this text toucheth none but those who are tyrannous cruell griping oppressing Princes who ayme at nothing more then at their owne private profit no whit regarding the safety and welfare of their subjects whom God hath committed to their care trust But as for others whose care and employments are such as I have alredy mētioned it meddles not with them for they may not onely have tribute paid them Subjectionis testificandae gratia in token of subjection but also that they may be inabled to undergoe with cheerefulnesse the costs and charges appertaining to the manifold and unknowne affaires of the common-weale together with the education of their off-spring which in hereditarie Kingdomes cannot but be acknowledged among loyall subjects as the welcome Stemmes and hopefull branches for the future times For these are indeed those royall spirits of life which can put full measures of wished joy into a peoples heart for where the case stands thus though the Sunne may set no night appeares but the day is still kept in brightnesse by the happie arising of another Sunne In a word therfore to looke yet once againe unto our selues our land hath beene and still is a treasury and a storehouse for Gods blessings but God grant that among our other sinnes our disobedience ryot pride and
have thought it religion to countenance the Clergie When therfore that famous * K. Iames in his Basilicon Doron lib. 2. pag. 38. King of blessed memory was about to speake severally of those 3. estates into which the subjects of England are divided he begins after this manner First saith he that I prejudge not the Church of her ancient priviledges reason would she should have the first place for orders sake in this catalogue the grouÌ„d of which priviledge I do beleeve came first from among Gods people of old with whom the highest Priest was second in the Kingdome And albeit every one who is a Priest or man of God among us be not a Prelate nor may looke to be of as high dignities as Aaron Nathan or Zadoc nor to have the like honours and employments that Archbishops and Bishops have yet know that we are all the men of God being lawfully called et pro Christo legatione fungimur and Ambassadours of Christ 2 Cor 5.20 And therefore besides what hath beene else this I may say Let a man so account of us even in geuerall as of the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and stewards of the mysteries of God For to esteeme otherwise of us is to have an evill eye at that calling which the Lord hath honoured and to vilifie those persons whom he hath magnified would that they should be in high account because they are placed in an holy function which must at all times put a difference between them and other men Nor is it but observed till we meete with those who curse their Father and doe not blesse their Mother But enough of this till by and by Wee shall have it again at another turning till when I leave it and come now to the proofe of such things pertinent to all and every of the Fathers in this body as must be first handled Wherfore to proceed orderly let the scriptures and constant practise of the Church built thereupon First testifie that Churchmen have the name of Fathers Secondly that they bee not all of one equall ranke but of differing degrees And last of all that there is reverence and honour due to them as in the following Chapters Sections and Divisions shall be further shewed CHAPTER I. That the name or title of Father is pertinent to Churchmen THis truth I shall first prove out of the words of Saint Paul who witnesseth to the Corinthians that he had begotten them in Christ Iesus through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4.15 And so though he were no carnall yet a spirituall Father to them Where note that because he makes the word to be the means of their begetting it must needs follow that every other Minister who converteth soules is a spirituall Father because he by the word doth also beget children unto Christ In like manner hee also speaketh to the people of Galatia My little children of whom I travell in birth Gal 4.19 1 Tim. 5.1 till Christ bee formed in you And againe Rebuke not an Elder but exhâ—rt him as a Father which albeit he there meanes it of such in speciall as are Fathers for their age yet it prooveth the title of Father to be due to all who beare the name of Elders whether in Church or Common-weale For when he speaks afterwards of such into whose hands in respect of discipline the governement of the Church is committed 1 Tim. 5.17 hee calleth them by the name of Elders Seniores officij and would that if they rule well they should have double honour especially if they labour in the word and doctrine as well as in governement This is also proved out of the words of Saint Iohn For to those whom he writeth in his first epistle he speaketh as a Father using these words often My little children And at the fourth verse of his third Epistle I have saith hee no greater joy then to heare that my children walke in love And in his old age as St. Ierome tels the story being carried to the Church in the armes of his schollers and lifted into the Pulpit and not able to speake many words he used onely this sweet saying Filioli diligite alterutrum Little children or my sons love one another Neither was it but that in the times of the Law the Prophets also and Priests were called Fathers Oh my Father my Father the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof So said Elisha to Elias 2 Kin. 2.12 So said King Ioash also to Elisha 2 Kin. 13.14 Yea and thus saith the Scripture likewise of the Priests as we read in the 2 Chron. 29.11 CHAP. II. SECTION I. BUt from hence I come to their rankes or orders And in the first place stands the King or cheife Magistrate whom Esay calleth a Nursing Father of the Church Esa 49.23 2 Sam. 5.1 and by the tenne tribes was acknowledged to be their Pastour And so indeed he was although in a differing manner from the Pastourship of Priests And yet not so farre differing neither as that hee bee * See Bishop Iewell against Hard defence of Apol part 6 chap. 15. divis 1. p. 612 mere laicus for then hee must bee tyed altogether to the State and meddle nothing with the Church in matters Ecclesiasticall how negligently wrongfully or disorderly soever he see things to be carried But being the keeper of both Tables he must have an eye to the Church as well as to the State not onely ordering that the Church be obeyed but that Bishops and other Priests doe their office as well as they who belong to the affaires of the Common wealth Yea in a word he is to mairtaine Gods worship K. Iames in his Apol. for the oath of allegiance pag. 108. printed Anno 1609. as well as the peoples welfare for thus as that second Salomon hath recorded doe godly and Christian Kings within their owne dominions sit to governe their Church as well as the rest of their people assisting the spirituall pover with the temporall sword making no new Articles of Faith but commanding obedience to be given to what the word of God approveth suffering no Sects and Schismes but reforming corruptions and also ordering that a decorum be observed in every thing that thereby the inward dulnes of the heart may bee the better awaked to a more reverent respect both towards God and his holy worship for if the outward beauty of Churches stirreth up devotion then much more the decent and comely manner of the service there Both doe well and well is it when both can bee found to goe together Now if any should suppose that this power of a King takes away the power of Bishops I answer that they are much deceived For this is not to annihilate or take away the jurisdiction or power of Bishops but to nurse cherish and oversee it For the Christian Church had Episcopall power granted as afterwards shall be shewed before ever there was any Christian