Yea this course did Esra take in a like case by the counsell and commaundement of king Artaxarxes as we reade in the seauenth of that booke Vers. 25. And thou Ezra according to the wisedome of thy God which is in thee appoint Iudges euen all that knowe the lawes of thy God And if it were obiected but there aâ—e not a sufficient number of men which kâ—ow how to iudge instruct and order the people therefore he addeth and those that knowe not make them to know how they ought to doe these thinges So that by the good direction and counsell of those who are the chiefe worke-men in this planting of a Church men otherwise ignorant and vnexpert may become able to teach gouerne others Neyther ought this to seeme straunge vnto vs considering the weake and simple state of the people at the first is such as that although in some respect they had neede of most expert master-builders yet they may be helped and taught by those who doe themselues neede to be instructed And according to the meane estate both of the teachers and also of the people we must be content as no doubt the Lord in mercy doth accept it with a smale measure both of knowledg and also of obedience in the waies of God and if it here be obiected that which the Apostle forbiddeth Timothy to wit that none newly conuerted from paganisme should be a Bishop or elder we answere that if that be his meaning yet this commandement must giue place to the necessity of the Church yea many such may be knowen to be very sound in the faith so that we need not feare any apostasie in them And forasmuch as it may be well thought that these men cannot so soone be endued with such a measure of knowledge in the gouernment of the Church and in the teaching and ordering of the people but that they will be wanting in many things and oftentimes erre in administration it being of it selfe so hard and difficult as that euen they who haue all their life time laboured in this worke and beene teachers and gouernours in the Church shall find themselues in many respectes insufficient yea ignorant and vnexpert in many cases which do often fall out among the people therefore they by whose meanes and ministerie the Church was first founded euen as by most wise maister-builders must still haue an eye to the seuerall congregations and set those things in order which are amisse resolue the doubtes which are risen among them strengthen confirme and encourage both the people in their profession and obedience which they performe both to God and to his ministers which are set ouer them and especially they are to strâ—ngthen the teachers themselues least they faint vnder the waight of this most painfull and troublesome calling wherein they finde so many offences in the people so many infirmities and wantes in themselues yea so many lâ—ts and hinderances of their minisâ—ery laid by the malice of sathan and the meanes of wicked men Thus did the Apostle Paule exhort confirme and encourage the elders of the Church at Ephesus Act. 20. whose example is to be followed of all in this case who are endued with more excellent gifts of knowledge and wisdome in gouerning the Church of God then these are to whom in the want of men fully sufficient the congregations of the people are committed Sect. 9. To whom the enacting of ecclesiasticall lawes in a publick Church doth belong IT remaineth that we consider to whom it belongeth to make ecclesiasticall lawes in a publick Church In priuate Churches this ought to be done as hath bene said by the whole body of the Church consisting of the rulers and the people for these churches are as it wâ—re free cities exempted in regard of diuine matters from the iurisdiction of all superiour power saue only of Christ howsoeuer they be subiect to magistrates as touching ciuill obedience But it is farre otherwise in publick Churcâ—es the which comming into the common-wealth come within the dominion and iurisdiction of the ciuill magistrate not to spoile him of his power either in whole as when the ciuill state is ruled by any in the name of the Church or in part as when the Church taketh to her selfe full and supreame authority in the ordering of her own matters and so exempting hir selfe from the ciuill power doth restraine it from medling with all matters within that dominion But the Church becomming publick doth subiect her selfe to the said power as to a superiour or heâ—d and suffereth her selfe to be ordered by it in great part For euen as a man as long as he liueth in a desert place or keepeth himselfe within his owne house may liue according to his owne will but as soone as he ioyneth himselfe to a common-wealth and commeth into a publick place he must square his actions according to the commaundement of the magistrate so standeth the case with the Church The which is free as long as she is priuate but being publick is ouerruled by the ciuill power yea euen in making ecclesiasticall lawes this ciuill power hath place where by ecclesiasticall lawes we doe not meane those which prescribe the manner of the worshippe of God and the substance of Church-gouernment for these are appointed by God in the word and cannot be changed by any creature but we meane lawes made onely of the circumstances of Gods worshippe being things indifferent neither commanded forbidden nor expressed in the scripture There is an other kinde of lawes which also may be called ecclesiasticall for that they concerne the Church made to allowe commaund and authorise the publick building of it such were the edictes of Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes for the reedifying of the temple at Ierusalem likewise the lawes of the good kings of Iuda for the ouerthrowing of idolatrie and the publick establishing of the true worshippe of God These lawes are to be made by the sole authoritie of the ciuill ruler or at the least by that authority whereby ciuill lawes are made neither can there any question be made hereof For it is plaine that no man can make the building of a publick Church either peaceable or lawfull but they who haue the ruling of that place wherein it is to be built But as touching the giuer or maker of the other lawes there is great question for it seemeth to many very vnmeete that the ciuil power should enter so farre into the Church as to haue to doe with the making of the lawes whereby it is to be ordered Yea that it is without the compasse of the magistrates calling to meddle with these matters But it seemeth that we ought to be so farre from excluding the ciuill ruler from the making of these lawes which were in some sorte to take the scepter out of his hand forasmuch as where there is a Church publickly sette vp in any realme there the state of the Church and the common-wealth doe verie much depend of
although more enioyed then considered as also for that they may in part be gathered of that which hath beene spoken Sect. III. THus we haue by the generall doctrine of magistracie an entrance made to the speciall doctrine of the kingdome of Israell wherein we haue many seueral points to consider which for order and memorie sake may be reduced to two heades whereof the first containeth the state of this kingdom in respect of nâ—en or of the people of Israel the second the state of it in respect of God The first head hath the greatest part of the difference of this kingdome from the former gouernment of Iudges consisting especially in two thinges the speciall power which it had ouer the people and the speciall maiestie of it both which were exceeding great in this state yea so great that in these respectes the gouernment of the iudges may seeme not onely a meane but almost a priuate estate Hence it is that this kingdome of Israel is by Iacob prophecying of it Gen. 49.9 compared to a Lion the which doth in strength and especially in a maiesticall statelinesse so farre exceede all other beastes that it is vsually called the king of them If we desire to knowe howe it came to passe that there was so greate power and maiestie giuen to this kingdome we must haue recourse to the originall of it The causes of the setting vppe of this estate were two The first is that which may be saide to bee the cause of all thinges in the worlde to witte the eternall counsell and decree of God by the which it was before al ages appointed that the king of Israell shoulde be a type of Christ and his temporarie gouernment a type of the spirituall and eternall kingdome of Christ as is afterwarde to be declared Nowe that this kingdome might be a fitte and liuely type it was needfull that it shoulde be endued with a greate measure of power and maiestie that so it might the more liuely represente the infinite power and authoritie which the Messias was to haue ouer all creatures in heauen and in earth and likewise his vnspeakable and incomprehensible maiesty and glorie filling the heauen of heauens The second cause of the greate power and maiesty of this kingdome was the desire or rather the will of the people who did so earnestly yea so eagerly and importunately call for this stately gouernment that they would take no denyall nor heare any thing which coulde be alledged to be contrarie For that the people did alwaies desire this state we may see Deutro 17.14 where God foretelleth this that when they were once possessed of the lande they woulde haue a King and Iudg. 8.22 where they offer to make Gedeon king and more plainely Iudges 9. where they like Abimeleches opinion saying that it was better for them to haue one then many to raigne ouer them Neyther did they desire to haue one sette ouer them with the bare name and title of a kinge or with anie meane authoritie but that hee shoulde haue power and maiestie in the highest degree For howsoeuer it might seeme that this their desire was in some respecte incommodious to themselues for that the greater power they gaue to the king the lesse libertie they lefte to themselues and the greater that his pompe and maiestie was the more heauie tributes must be imposed on them for the maintayning of it yet they did so vehementlie desire to be like to other nations in a stately monarchie that they thought no price too greate for it thinking belike as it is commonlye saide that it was greater honour for them to make a mightie and a glorious Kinge then to be kings theÌ„selues as euery one was in the time of the Iudges wherein euery man did that which was good in his own eyes because they had no king to order them Iudg. 18.1.19.1 And yet we do not deny but that in ordaining so mighty maiestical an authority they thought it would be for their owne good howsoeuer it might seeme to derogate from their liberty and profitte and that the commodities would be moe and more waightie then the inconueniences of it wherein whether they did iudge right or no let others determine Sect. IIII. NOW we are to come to the particular declaration of these things First of the power of this kingdome and secondly of the maiestie of it The doctrine of the power hath in it these foure questions The first is whether the power of the king were whole or deuided The second whether it were generall ouer all persons and causes or restrained The third whether it were absolute or tied to lawes The last whether it were a milde or a peremptory power The power whereof we doe intreate is the full supreame and vniuersall authoritie for of any inferiour power we doe not speake of gouerning the people and of ordering all their publicke affaires the which before that this kingdome was set vp was not wholy in any one hand but deuided amongst many For it was partly in the handes of God partly in the handes of the iudge which was for the time partly in the handes of the elders or senat and partly in the handes of the bodie of the people For the first where we say that God had a part of this authoritie we doe not consider him simply as God for in that respect not a part only but the whole supreame power not of that country onely but of all the nations in the world yea of heauen and earth was and is in his handes but we consider him as he was after a speciall manner the king and ruler of this people so as he neuer was or will be to any other nation The actions of God which did proceede from this his regal authoritie were these First that he gaue to this people iudiciall lawes and constitutions which is part of the office not of God for then these iudiciall lawes should belong to the whole world seeing GOD is the God not of the Iewes only but also of the gentils But other nations are not tyed to these laws but only to the morall law and to these Iudicials so farre as they are morall to wit to the grounds and equitie of them but not to the lawes themselues The second thing which God did by vertue of this authoritie was the supreme administration of their battailes in cases of greate extremitie For as greate princes sende captaines to fight in their steade yet according to their direction and appointment so God did immediately either by his word or spirit stirre vp some man to fight the battailes of the people and did directe them in such actions And this Gedeon acknowledgeth Iudges 7.20 Where hee saith the sworde of the Lorde and of Gedeon In these respectes GOD was the kinge of this nation as Gedeon doth confesse Iudges 8.23 who so answereth the people going aboute to make him kinge that neyther hee nor anie of his posteritie shoulde
generall state of religion be permitted vnto him wee cannot exclude him from the making of lawes whereby the lawes of God are to be executed The humane lawes of this Church were very fewe because almost all the circumstances of the seruice of God were prescribed by the ceremoniall lawe yet there was alwaies necessary occasion of making some in the which worke the king had the chiefe stroke Thus did Dauid and Salomon make many ecclesiastical lawes which continued long after in the Church and are mentioned by Iosias saying 2. Chro. 35.4 Prepare your selues ye Leuites by your companies according to the writing of Dauid and the writing of Salomon yet these lawes were made by the aduise of others to wit eyther of the prophets as we may see 2. Chro. 33.15 or of the Church and people Thus did Ezechias hold a councel 2. Chro 30.2 wherin by the aduise of the whole Church the passeouer was held in the second month likewise verse 13 the whole assembly tooke counsell to keepe the feast other seauen daies so that although these ecclesiasticall constitutions were established by the sole authority of the king yet they were aduised by others that nothing should be done in the Church peremptorely by the absolute authority of the king or any other but rather by the counsel of others so with the good liking of al men Yea an errour cōmitted in the ordering of the church is more grieuous dangerous therfore was to be auoyded as by al other meanes so especially by taking the aduise of others in making lawes for this purpose Yet it did not belong to the king to take vppon him the office of the high priest as we may see in the example of Ozias 2. Chro. 26. or to meddle with the proper dueties of any other ecclesiasticall person or yet to change the ceremonial law but onely to order the publike state of religion to make by the aduise of others and to establishe by his own authority those lawes which serued for that purpose Sect. XI THere remaine two other properties of this regall power to wit that it was absolute and peremptorie the which we will propounde verie briefly For the first we doe not meane that this power was so loosed from lawes that the king might doe what him listed for he was tied to some lawes as namely first to the keeping of the morall law yea vpon paine of forfaiting and loosing his kingdome if he did wickedly transgresse the same and if at anie time he did commaund contrarie to this lawe he was not to be obeyed 1. King 18.13 1. Sam. 22.17 and secondly the fundamentall lawes of the kingdome the state whereof it was not in his power to alter Yea also he was tied to the ceremoniall lawe containing the outward manner of the worshippe of God But he was loosed first from the Iudiciall lawe of God and secondly from all possitiue lawes made by men By the Iudiciall lawes are vsually ment all those lawes of Moses which belong vnto the practise of the second table and of such dueties as we owe to our neighbour And it is as it were an addition to the seconde Table as the ceremoniall lawe is to the first But heere wee meane more specially onely so many of them as did belong to the publike administration of the common-wealth which may properly be called politicall iudiciall or forensicall concerning the manner of administring iustice and iudgement as namely in what order iudgement ought to beginne and proceede what punishmente ought to be inflicted for euerie seuerall offence and also howe they shoulde behaue themselues in battaile in all which the Iudges Elders and people had a prescript forme which they did follow and were bound by the commaundement of God so to doe But the kinges were freed from these lawes so that if they did execute iustice and iudgement it was free for them to doe it in what forme manner they thought best as for example the iudiciall lawe required that when any had committed any hainous trespasse there shoulde be two or three witnesses solemnely produced and that they shoulde beginne the execution and first throwe stones at the offendour But the kinges namely Saule Dauid and Salomon did put diuerse to death without obseruation of any of these circumstances Neyther heerein did they sinne against God and his lawe because they were freed from it Yea it belonged to the king to make these positiue lawes of the circumstances of executing iudgement and therefore to be a iudge a lawgiuer a kinge and a defender from forraine enemies are all ioyned together Isa. 23.22 the Lord is our iudge our law-giuer our kinge and he shall saue vs. Yea the power of this kingdome was such in this behalfe that the kinge might of himselfe without calling any to consultation make publishe establishe and execute lawes and edictes whereof there are manie examples yet it was more vsuall yea and conuenient in regard both of king and people that the aduise of the priests prophets rulers and elders of the people shoulde be taken Lastly this power of this kingdome herein differeth from the power of the Iudges Elders and of the people in that it was not so gentle and milde but after a sort a fierce and peremptorie power as may easelie be gathered by that which hath beene spoken of it for where there is a greate generall and absolute power wholly in any one hand it must needs be of this nature Hence it was that the people stood in farre greater awe of this authority then of any other insomuch that the lawes edictes and commaundementes of the kinges were like vnto the roaring of a Lyon whereat all the beastes in the forrest doe tremble and quake for feare Yea their whole behauiour was much more reuerent to the kinges then to their other rulers So we read Iudg. 8.1 and 12. that whenas Gedeon and Iephta had gotten notable victories of the enemie the Ephramites came vpon them very presumptuously to quarrell with them because for sooth they had not taken them with thē to the battaile but they did not vse to aske their kings any such questions or to require any reason of their doings but did readelie come when they called goe when they sent and do whatsoeuer thing was inioined by them Yea we may wel thinke that the cause why Rehoboam gaue the people such a strange answere was not for that he ment to increase their tributes for there was no cause why he shoulde so doe the temple and the kinges pallaces being builte and the king being furnished with all thinges requisite eyther for maiesty at home or strength abroade for the which purpose those gret tributes were imposed but rather because he and his young counsell were highly offended and inflamed with anger against the people for that they did offer to make him a conditionall king who should not raigne but vpon those conditions which they propounded To take one example of
many and so to conclude this point and specially the first edict which the first king made and that by the immediate motion of the spirit of God because this is most for the purpose of the matter in hand We read 1. Sam. 11.17 that whenas Saule was to call the people together to battaile he gaue foorth such a peremptorie commaundement as neuer any of the Iudges or Elders did For taking a couple of oxen and deuiding them into peeces he sent them to all partes of the land with this message that whosoeuer did not follow him to battaile so shoulde it be done to his oxen Whereupon the people came roundly as one man for that as the text noteth the feare of the Lord that is of this greate power which the Lord had giuen to the king fell vpon them Saule might haue said with Dauid I am yet a tender and newe king and haue many enemies wherefore it is not meete that I shoulde exasperate the people by threarning them but it was the will of God that the people shoulde see in the beginning to what a kinde of power they had â—â—â—mitted themselues Sect. XII THus much of the power or authority of this kingdome the second part of the doctrine of it is the maiesty of it the fundamental lawes of the kingdom belonging therunto The maiesty of the kingdom is the great glorie and excellency wherein it far passeth other kindes of gouernment and for the which it is much more highly esteemed It was procured by these meanes First by that exceeding great power wherof we haue spoken for whereas the whole administration of all thinges is in the handes of one there the good estate of all men publikely and of euery one particularly doth depend on him whereby it commeth to passe that all mens eyes are set on him yea all men doe honour praise and admire him in whom they see great authoritie and riches and whose wisedome is more conspicuous then any others besides Secondly this kingdome was maiesticall by the first originall of it which it had not from man but from God This law is written Deut. 17.14 When thou hast possessed the land and sayest I will haue a king to raigne ouer me thou shalt make him king whome the Lord thy God shall choose and so the euent proued for the state of this kingdome in generall came from the people to whome also it belonged solemnly to acknowledge him whom God did appoint but the nomination of the particular man on whom this honour should be bestowed came from God who appointed first Saul with his posterity and afterwardes Saul being reiected Dauid and his seed By the which meanes God did choose all the kinges in Israel although he did immediately by his owne voyce onely appoint the first three to wit Saule Dauid and Salomon For euen as the fire wherewith the sacrifices were burnt although it were nourished euerie day by the priest putting fresh wood vnto it and so preserued by the same meanes wherby other fire is kept yet be cause at the first it came downe from heauen miraculously was therfore counted holy and wonderfull euen so was this kingdom because at the first it came from God although afterwardes it were continued by naturall and ordinarie propagation Hence it is that this kingdom is called the kingdome of Iehoua 2. Chro. 13.8 The badge and seale of this diuine originall of this kingdome was that holie vnction whereby these kinges were by the prophets of God solemnly in the name of God inaugurated and therefore the signe being put for the thing signified this annointing betokeneth the holinesse of it insomuch that when the king of Israell is as it were to be painted forth in the natiue colours of his maiestie he is called the annointed of the Lorde Thus 1. Sam. 24.7 God forbid saith Dauid that I should lay my handes on Saule seeing he is the annoynted one of GOD. And 2. Samuell 1.14 hee saith to him who had helpt kinge Saule to kill himselfe Howe was it that thou diddest not feare to put out thy hande to kill the Lordes annoynted The third lawe tending to the maiestie of this kingdome was that it was not any vncertaine and moueable state but constant and fixed in one place it was tyed first to one tribe namely to the tribe of Iuda that by God speaking by the mouth of Iacob the first founder of this nation for in his sonnes it began to be deuided into many tribes and families and so came into the forme of a people the prophesie iâ— written Gen. 49. The rod shall not depart from Iuda nor a law giuer c. Secondly it was tyed to one and the same familie to wit to the house of Dauid for euer and went by hereditarie right and succession in lineall discent so that continually the sonne succeeded the father The which lawe although it was established in the like gouernementes in other places yet it coulde seldome take place for any long time by reason of the want of right successours But it was heere kept in continuall force and that by the marueilous prouidence of God who as he promised did alwaies giue to Dauid his seruaunt a sonne of his owne loynes to sitte vpon his throne The which prouidence of GOD may especially be noted in the straunge preseruation of Ioas from the cruell handes of that monster Athalia 2. King 11.3 By this meanes it came to passe that this kingdom was both naturall and in processe of time ancient yea after a sort immortall For the first we need not doubt but that there was an exceeding great loue and reuerence of this king wrought in the mindes of the people whenas they sawe that he had not obtained that place by ambition faction force of armes or any other sinister or violent meanes but was euen borne vnto them and by nature or rather by God the ruler and desposer of all naturall causes appointed and distinated to that calling Yea also in time by this hereditarie succession the kingdome became of great antiquitie which addeth much to the maiestie of meane thinges much more to those which in many other respectes are excellent Euen as men doe ascribe a kinde noâ— onely of reuerence but euen of religion to okes and other trees which haue a long time kept their standing for so in continuance of time they take so deepe roote and gather such strength as that they cannot be moued whereas at the first they may easely be shaken downe so kingdoms continuing long in the same stocke become firme and maiesticall whereas being often transplanted they are weake and contemptible and doe often fall euen in the beginning Thus fell Abimelech his kingdome and euen this kingdome was sore shaken in the defection of the ten tribes because the memory of Ierobaal grandfather to Abimelech a priuate and base man and of Isai the father of Dauid was not cleane worne away and therefore they said
looketh for another measure of knowledge and thâ—refore other meanes of attaining it are necessarily to be vsed Lastly this is to be noted that this Church-gouernment was neuer altered but by the expresse commaundemenâ— of God as it was ordained by him onely the changing of it being confirmed by miracles to be from God as we may see in the instituting of the legall gouernment by Moses and this vnder the gospell by the Apostles and that change 2. Chron. 8.26 and 35.15 was by speciall direction from God Yea the gouernment of the Church both typicall before the gospel and reall in the time of it was instituted by extraordinary prophets to wit Adam Moses and Christs apostles and so left to ordinary ministers name ly to the first borne then to the Leuits and lastly to the ministers of the word in the time of the gospell Thus much in generall of Church-gouernment and of the three diuers states of it whereof order requireth that we shoulde heere entreate in particular But we cannot in this short treatise enter into this wide and large field and therefore supposing for orders sake this argument to be here handled we goe on to that which followeth CHAP. VI. Of ecclesiasticall humane lawes Sect. 1. How they differ from the lawes of God THus much of the lawes which God hath appointed for the ordering of his church Now we are to come to the humane lawes of the Church the which we will consider first by comparing them with the aforesaid lawes of God and secondly as they are in themselues For the first both kindes agree in name being both called ecclesiasticall and in the end which is the good order of the Church and also in the generall subiect which is the publicke seruice of God together with those actions which belong vnto it Yet they differ in many respectes First and especially in the author or efficient the former kind being made by God himselfe the other by men whereof it commeth that the first kinde is farre more excellent then the other the one consisting wholly and meerely of the wisedome of God the other hauing in them much weaknesse and ignorance the one absolute and perfect the other continually hauing wantes and imperfections And therefore the one kinde is temporarie and mutable the other perpetuall and constant although when the appointed time of them is expired they are changed by God but they admit no alteration from man Further the lawes of God belong to the whole visible Church and to euery particular Church but the other onely to some one or a few of them For as a king who hath dominion oâ—er many cities doth vse himselfe to make the chiefe lawes by â—he which al and each one of those cities are to be gouerned yet he leaueth to them this power to take vp and retaine customes fashions and orders proper to themselues yea to make particular lawes of matters of lesse moment as may best agree to their seuerall states and conditions so hath Christ the king of his Church himselfe made the chiefe orders but left the rest for the Church to make Lastly the first kinde is about the substance very forme of the seruice of God the other about the circumstances of it And therefore the adding of this latter kinde to the former doth not adde any thing to the substance of Church-gouernment but onely doth establish it and maketh that it may conueniently be vsed Euen as we doe often see that the whole and perfect frame of a house in the full proportion of it is set vp not wanting eyther foundation walles or roofe but afterward there are added to it nailes and pinnes to keep the frame fast together yea doreâ— windowes and whatsoeuer is requisite to make the said frame a coÌ„modious dwelling place for the builder of it euen so the gouernment of the Church as it is appointed by God and hath in some part beene described is the perfect frame of the house of God the lawes of men are the other implementes which are added thereunto Sect. 2. Of the matter of ecclesiasticall humane laweâ— and how they ought to be taken out of the word of God THus much briâ—fly of these lawes by way of comparison with the other now we are to consider the nature of them more plainely and distinctly First for the matter of these lawes we see that they are of the circumstances of the gouernment of the Church to wit at what time in what place yea and howe often it ought to be vsed all which are vsually called rites or ceremonies and are as it were the fashions of the Church As for example the lawâ— of God is that there shoulde be ministers in the Church to teach the people but howe often they shoulde teach at what speciall times where and with what gesture these thinges are not determined in the worde of God but left to the ecclesiasticall lawes of men If it be asked why it hath pleased God to decke and beautifie his Church vnder the law not onely with the substance of gouernment but also with so many ceremoniall lawes that scarse any circumstance of any action was left vnappointed by himselfe and to suffer his Church nowe in the time of the gospell to be naked and destitute almost of all ceremoniall lawes but such as are made by men we answere rendering three causes thereof The first is for that the Church vnder the lawe was without that ripenesse of knowledge wherevnto she hath come in the time of the gospell and therefore had neede to haue all the particulars of euerie action prescribed But now the Church being endued with more knowledge hath these thinges lefte to her discretion euen as we see men vse to deale who if they commit any buisinesse to one whome they thinke to be endued with wisedome and experience they doe not tell him the particular manner of doing but onely thus much in generall that they woulde haue such a thing done otherwise if he wante this knowledge then they leaue nothing arbitrarie to him but set downe euerie pointe and the speciall circumstances thereof The second cause is this in the making of these Church-lawes there must be greate regarde had as we afterwarde are to shew of the nature manners behauiour and state of that people for whome they are to be made Nowe vnder the law the visible Church did consist of one nation onely to wit of the Iewes but vnder the gospell all the nations of the worlde are at one time or other of the Church So that lawes agreeable to each people would haue beene so infinite that they coulde not haue beene written neyther doth the worde of God nowe belong in any part to any one nation but generally and equally to all Thirdlie the Church being bound in regarde of her infancy to the obseruation of the legall ceremonies nowe the Church is set in full libertie by the comming of Christ and no further tyed to such outward
is called the visible Church by relation had to the catholik Church the which by reason of the dispersed members of it is inuisible as hath bene declared whenas euery particular Church yea euen priuate Churches and so consequently the visible Church consisting thereof doth make a publick profession of the fayth This visible Church doth continually existe in the world forsomuch as GOD hath appointed that his name shoulde continually as longe as the worlde endureth be called vpon and worshipped in one place or other as the story of the Ch. doth witnes We confesse that it hath often lurcked in secret places and often been so ouer-shadowed with errours superstition and idolatrie that it could hardly be discerned and so hath been euen as the sunne is in the eclipse yet neuer wholly taken away for whenas there was but one particular Ch. in the world yea this particular church was not publick but priuate within one mans family and secret lurking in a corner so that they who liued at that time or in the ages following could not define where the Church was at such a time yet that Church made the visible Church For their profession was visible and open among themselues and also to others although it were not seen at that instant for a thing which is not actually seen may be visible Secondly this is to be noted that in the first ages of the world before the time of the Gospell the visible Ch. did often consist of one only particular church there being no moe in the world but since the publishing of the gospel it hath hitherto shall alwaies consist of many Lastly as touching the place of this visible Ch. although it be not tyed to any certaine place yet it hath alwaies bene cheifly in some one parte of the world So we knowe that first it was wholly in the east partes in the countries of Mesopotania Syria Iurie and others adioyning vnto these Afterwards in the first time of the gospell it was cheifly in Asia And in these last ages we see that it hath been almost wholly in Europe and whether God will change the dwelling place of it again or no euen transporte it to the fourth parte of the world lately found out or to any other place it is knowne to himselfe onely Diuers â—ther points should be added for the full declaration of â—he nature and state of the visible Church But many of them aâ—â— common with the catholick Church and therefore are handled in the first Chapter where they may be considered The rest we cut off for breuities sake because this treatise is already growen beyond our purpose and expectation So then to conclude if to this visible Church we do adde the dispersed members of the catholick Church we haue the catholick Church And so the end of this treatise is brought to the beginning FINIS Why the people desired an alteration of the state The occasion of this alteration Magistracie Gods ordinance The church hath neuer beene without magistracie How God erecteth magistracie among infidels Why God appointed magistracie In what respect the magistrate beareth the image of God The kingdome of Israel a type of Christes kingdome How God was the king of Israel The iudicial law in part abrogated by the erecting of this kingdome God put from his kingdome What authoritie the people had before the time of the Kinges No authoritie in Israel but in the hands of the king The king to his subiects as a father to his children The prophets neuer reproue the people for not resisting the idolatrous kings Vnlawfull to vse violeeÌ„e against the kiâ—g in the maintenance of religion The people could not resume their liberty giuen into the handes of the kings It belonged not to the people but to God to nominate the king Saul remained the lawfull king of Israell after that Dauid was annointed and appointed to the kingdome The rebellion of Ieroboam of the tenne tribes vnlawfull Hazaels rebellion foretold by God but not permitted God would not take the kingdome from Dauids posterity The kingdome so annexed to the house of Dauid that it could not be taken from it God neuer approued any conspiracy made against any of the kings With what weapons this people might fight against their kinges Why absolute monarchies were more in vse in the first ages of the world The gouernment of the kings compared with the former Ecclesiasticall persons subiect to the authoritie and iurisdiction of the king God deferred the building of the Temple till that the kingdome were erected The Church with the common welth make but one bodie Resisting of wicked kings weakeneth the authority of good kings Ecclesiastical constitutions made by the authority of the kinges The kings exempted from the Iudiciall lawes Great power bringeth with it great maiesty The diuine original of this kingdome made it maiesticall The annointing of these kinges signified the holinesse of their persons and functions Long continuance of hereditarie succession made this kingdome strong and maiesticall What made the gouernment of the Iudges to be contemned The statelinesse of this kingdome in the daies of Salomon The maiesty of this kingdome increase and decrease as did the sinceritie of religion The kinge might lawfully exact of the people not only for necessarie vses but for pompe pleasure An absolute Monarchie is a chargeable and costly gouernment The people had this gouernment in great reuerence and estimation This kingdome standeth yet in Christ. The people account the kinges better then ten thousand of themselues This gouernment doth more resemble the authority of God then any other kind doth Why God was offended with the people asking a king God did alwaies like this gouernment and purpose to establish it God the author of kingdomes and the setter vp of kinges The kinge held his kingdome as from God and was subiect to his will and worde This example of Samuel teaching the people the state of the kingdome is to be followed by the ministers of Gods word Nothing better beseeming Christians then due subiection to magistates A compendious abstract of the state of the kingdome of Israel Care to be had of posterity Alteration of gouernment in any common wealth troublesome and dangerous The worde Catholicke not vsed in the scripture The catholicke Church was twise contained in one familie The profession of the true religion maketh one a member of the catholicke Church Infantes are members of the catholike Church Hypocritical professours are members of the catholicke Church Excommunication doth not separate from the catholicke but only froÌ„ the visible Church Heretikes as Arians and papistes are to be counted members of the catholicke Church The papist holdeth the foundation of Christian religion Whole Churches haue held grieuous errours The state of the Church before the comming of Christ. Faith and fundamentall errours together The same errour more pernitious at one time theÌ„ at another Greater hope of the saluation of an ignorant then of a learned
this people shoulde earnestly desire and seeke after wishing rather that euerie one be content with that gouernment which is already established in the place where he liueth not thinking of any alteration which is verie dangerous and bringeth with it as alwaies great troubles so often a finall ouerthrow to the people But we leaue it to them who professe knowledge and experience in these matters to determine what kinde of gouernment is eyther most excellent in the owne nature and in contemplation or most conuenient to be put in practise Onely we purpose to make a bare and historical narration of the state of this kingdome the which we trust is not vnprofitable but will serue for the good of the reader in diuers respectes especially in those which haue bene already mentioned The former treatise hath these Sections SEction 1. Of the occasion meaning and diuision of the wordes of the text Pag. 1 Sect. 2. Of magistracie in generall Pag. 4 Sect. 3. Of the state of this kingdome in generall Pag. 9 Sect. 4. That the authoritie of the land was wholly in the handes of the king all other being priuate persons in respecte of him Pag. 12 Sect. 5. That it was nâ—t lawfull to vse any violence against the persons or the proceedinges no not of the wicked kinges Pag. 17 Sect. 6. Of the obiections which are made against the former position Pag. 22 Sect. 7. What was the behauioâ—r of the subiectes in regarde of iniuries offered by their kiâ—ges Pag. 28 Sect. 8. Whether the setting vp of this monarchicall estate were commodious or hurtful to the people Pag. 30 Sect. 9. That no person whatsoeuer was exempted from this power Pag. 34 Sect. 10. What was the power of this kingdome in ecclesiasticall causes Pag. 39 Sect. 11. That the power of this kingdome was free from positiue lawes and a peremptorie power Pag. 46 Sect. 12. Of the causes of the great maiestie of this kingdome Pag. 50 Sect. 13. Of the particulars in the said Maiesty Pag. 54 Sect. 14. That this kingdome was a lawfull kinde of gouernement and how it was subiect to God Pag. 61 Sect. 15. Of the actions of Samuel Pag. 67 The Argument of the latter treatise is the Church militant considered in general in the first chapter of the catholiick Church sections 8. particular in the members of the catholicke Church dispersed abroad in the second chap. sections 3. ioyned together in a particular Church whereof we are to entreate seuerally declaring in generall the definitioÌ„ of a particular Ch. in the attributes chapter 3. Sections 3. the building of it to wit the laying the foundation Ch. 4. Sect. 4. the setting vp the frame by establishing lawes ecclesiasticall diuine Ch. 5. Sect. 2. humane C. 6. of ecclesiasticall constitutions sect 5. of the diuers states of it Ch. 7. Sect. 11 In particular the diuerse kindes of a Church which is eyther priuate Ch. 8. Sect. 3. or publicke Chap. 9. Sections 9. Ioyntly in the coniunction of some particular Churches Chap. 10. Sect. 4. all the which make the visible Church Chap. 11. The Argument Chapter 1. Of the catholicke Church SEction 1. Of the name and definition of the catholicke Church pag. 1 Sect. 2. Of the place of the catholicke Church pag. 3 Sect. 3. That hypocrites are members of the catholicke Church pag. 4 Sect. 4. That heretickes are members of the catholicke Church pag. 8 Sect. 5. Of those who dissemble their profession pag. 16 Sect. 6. Who are without the catholicke Church pag. 17 Sect. 7. Of the attributes of the catholicke Church pag. 18 Sect. 8. Of the distribution of the catholicke Church pag. 21 Chapter 2. Of the dispersed members of the Church Sect. 1. For what cause men are separated from the Church pag. 22 Sect. 2. How they serue God pag. 25 Sect. 3. What to thinke of their saluation pag. 26 Chapter 3. Of a particular church Sect. 1. Of the originall of it pag. 29 Sect. 2. Of the definition of it pag. 30 Seâ—â— 3. Of the number of iâ— pag. 32 Chapter 4. Of the planting of a particular church Sect. 1. Of what people a Church may consist pag. 35 Sect. 2. By whom a church ought to be planted pag. 37 Sect. 3. How the word should be preached to infidels pag. 39 Sect. 4. How men conuerted ought to be ordered pag. 44 Chapter 5. Of ecclesiasticall gouernment Sect. 1. Of church gouernment in generall pag. 48 Sect. 2. Of the diuers kindes of church gouernment pag. 53 Chapter 6. Of ecclesiasticall humane lavves Sect. 1. How these lawes diffâ—r from the lawes of God pag. 57 Sect. 2. 3. Of the matter of these lawes pag. 58 Sect. 4. After what rules they are to be made pag. 62 Sect. 5. Of the number of them psg 66 Chapter 7. Of the diuers states of a particular church Sect. 1. Of a state vnestablished pag. 67 Sect. 2. Of a pure and perfect state of a church pag. 70 Sect. 3. Of a flourishing state pag. 71 Sect. 4. Of that state wherein the building of the ch is hindred pag. 74 Sect. 5. Of professed hinderers pag. 78 Sect. 6. Of the ch hindred by the ciuil ruler being a professed enemie pa. 79 Sect. 7. Of the church hindred by the ciuill ruler being a member of it p. 83 Sect. 8. Of the church hindered by the ministers of the word pag. 87 Sect. 9. Of an imperfect state of a churâ—h pag. 88 Sect. 10. Of a currupt state of a church namely of idolatrie pag. 90 Sect. 11. Of a church corrupt in doctrine pag. 93 Chapter 8 Of a priuate Church Sect. 1. What a priuate Church is Pag. 95 Sect. 2. Of the specials in planting a priuate Church pag. 120 Sect. 3. Of the state of it being planted pag. 99 Chapter 9. Of a publicke or nationall Church Sect. 1. Of the obiections which are made against publick Ch. pag. 102 Sect. 2. Of the coniunction of the church and the commonwealth p. 106 Sect. 3. That a publicke Church with the commonwealth make but one bodie vnder one head pag. 107 Sect. 4. That ciuill and ecclesiastical functions may be together in the same persons pag. 114 Sect. 5. Of the chaunges which happen eyther â—o the Church or common wealth by this coniunction pag. 116 Sect. 6. Of the first mouer in the planting of a publicke Church pag. 118 Sect. 7. Of the special manner of planting a publicke Church pa. 120 Sect 8. Of the establishing of it pag. 123 Sect. 9. To whom the authorizing and aduising of ecclesiastical lawes belongeth in a publicke Church pag. 125 Chapter 10. Of the coniunction of particular Churches Sect. 1. Of the voluntarie coniunction of particular Churches vnder the gouernment of councels pag. 131 Sect. 2. Of whom counsels may and ought to consist pag. 133 Sect. 3. Of the necessarie coniunction of particular Churches vnder the gouernment of the same ciuill power pag. 134 Sect. 4. How the seuerall prouinces of a national church are to be
gouerned pag. 141 Chapter 11 Of the visible church pag. 143 We pray thee good reader to turne hither when thou meetest with any stay and to read those places as they are heere set downe Our desire was that thou shouldest be eased of this trouble as thou maist perceiue but now we must desire thee to take it in good part Farewel Jn the former treatise Pag. 14. li. 4. who answereth pag. 18.9 necessity the glory pag. 19.1 in his Church pag. 39.2 against whom and when he pag. 59.2 duetifully obeide pag. 65.13 that he spake pag. 70.26 contempt and Jn the latter treâ—tise Pa. 2.17 Of a particular Ch p. 18.6 Arians did therfore p. 28.4 Baalam all of them p. 33.15 of multitude p. 38.32 him call p. 24.23 into those infinite p. 40.34 in that the p. 54.23 the sunâ—e of p. 39.25 an extraordinarie p. 45.23 of the receauers 27. the other gaue p. 49.32 at the same time p. 50.34 perfectly set downe p. 59.35 the Ch. was bound p. 62.23 the direction p. 79.28 as their gift p. 82.2 Church then in p. 89.15 so perfect a state p. 90 30. affectation p. 94.22 Churches of AriaÌ„s p. 95.22 which in all p. 103.25 which is p. 104.10 in number p. 129.25 all meanes p. 56.5 yea farre aboue p. 86.19 professing the faith p. 130.26 of the spirit p. 131.29 national gene p. 134.13 binde that one p. 138.1 for in publicke p. 142.7 and orderiâ—g p. 10.13 to be aliantes p. 24.23 into those infinite p. 40.34 first which will p. â—2 13. in his Apologie p. 66.36 of iudaicall p. 65.16 of lesse moment p. 82.2 Church then in p. 97.1 a priuate Church p. 98.24 moe then one p. 106.6 the fauour p. 112.23 they had an The ground of this treatise we take out of the first booke of Samuel the 10. Chapter the 25. verse where it is thus written And Samuel spake vnto the people the iudgement of the kingdome and wrote in a booke and laide it before the face of the Lorde c. IT pleased God in mercy to choose out of all the nations of the worlde the people of Israel to be a peculiar people vnto him selfe on whome he would set his whole affection and poure foorth the full treasures of his blessings both spirituall to wit his couenant and his promises his word and his Church his worshippe and his visible presence yea which is all in all his owne onely sonne the sauiour of the worlde and with him eternall saluation and also temporall as namely continuall deliuerance from all daungers in Aegypt in the wildernesse and in the lande of Chanaan a fruitfull land to dwell in wise and puisant iudges to gouerne them and to saue them out of the handes of all enemies from Moyses to Samuel But this people was an vnfaithfull that is to say an vngracious people and did neither worthely esteeme nor carefully keepe the blessinges bestowed vpon them but as they were in nature and conditions so they did affect to be in all other respectes like vnto the prophane nations of the earth and therefore they chaunged both the ciuill and also the ecclesiasticall state appointed by God insomuch that for the true worship of God they did often take vnto themselues the idolatrie of the heathen and in steede of the iudges by whome they had beene gouerned now 400. yeares they would needes haue a king set ouer them as other nations had The which desire although it were greately displeasing in the eyes of God and of Samuel yet by the importunitie of the people it was obtained insomuch that in steede of the sonnes of Samuel who gouerned the lande in their fathers age Saule in sonne of Cis was annointed kinge of Israell This chaunge of the ciuill magistrate beeing made it did of necessitie followe that there shoulde bee a chaunge of the lawes also by the which the people were gouerned according to that which is commonly saide newe Lordes must haue newe lawes For although they tooke the occasion of this alteration at the personal faultes of the sonnes of Samuel yet they chaunged not onely the gouernour but also the gouernment it selfe and brought in an other kinde of gouernment farre different from that which was before in force and therefore requiring newe lawes whereupon to stand Yea the processe of this treatise will in part declare that the difference betwixt these two gouernmentes the one of the Iudges and the other of the Kinges was so great that the lawes of the one estate coulde no more agree to the other then the furniture of a mightie gyant will serue a childe or the base apparrell of a meane man beseeme a statelie prince In consideration whereof Samuell or rather GOD by the ministerie of Samuell as hee had giuen to the people a king so in the next place hee giueth vnto them the state of a kingdome and that by establishing those orders and lawes according to the which both the king shoulde rule and the people obey Not that hee did prescribe vnto them any newe iudiciall lawes but onely he made the fundamentall lawes of the kingdome the which are heere called the iudgement of the kingdome that is the verie nature condition and manner of this newe gouernment the proper lawes of it and as it were the verie markes by the which it may bee iudged that is knowen in it self and distinguished from all other kindes of gouernment For so the word heere vsed doth signifie in manie places of the scripture as namely 2. Kinges 1.7 where Achasia asketh his messengers what is the iudgemente of the man whome they saide to be Elias that is what was his behauiour his apparrell his countenaunce and as we doe vsually say what manner of man is hee so heere the iudgement of the kingdome is to be vnderstood Likewise by the face of GOD heere is meant the place of the presence of God to witte the tabernacle wherein God was worshipped or more specially the Arke with the propitiatorie which was a visible signe of the presence of God Thus much of the occasion and meaning of these wordes which wee may handle in this order That first we speake of that which is heere called the iudgement of the kingdome which is the doctrine of it and in the seconde place consider the actions of Samuell mentioned in the text the which are three in number The first is that he spake this doctrine of the kingdome to the people the second that he wrote it in a booke the thirde is that hee laide the booke before the Lorde of these in order Sect. II. BVt before wee come to the speciall doctrine of this kingdome it will not be eyther vnprofitable or impertinent if we doe briefly consider the genenerall doctrine of magistracie The which as it is worthy diligentlie to be handled and commended to the Church of GOD so it will giue greate lighte to this whole treatise following Magistracie therefore is not a meere deuise of
raigne ouer them but God shoulde still bee their kinge But after that they had made a kinge neyther did the iudiciall lawes retayne their full force neyther did GOD himselfe appoynte Captaines ouer the Armies but all was done according to the will and commaundement of the kinges who although they did keepe the iudiciall lawe in parte and for the greate extremities in warre asked counsell of God yet they were free in both these respectes as we are afterwarde to declare more at large So that by the comming in of these kinges God himselfe if we may so basely speake of his glorious maiestie was put out of his office as hee himselfe doth confesse 1. Sam. 8.7 where hee speaketh to Samuell not to be grieued for that the people had cast off his and his sonnes gouernment for indeede saith God they haue not despised or cast awaie thee but mee and haue refused that I shoulde raigne ouer them In the seconde place the iudges had parte of this supreame authoritie who although in the greatest matters they were ouer-ruled by the worde of God yet in the ordinarie administration especially of warelike affaires they were the chiefe And therefore the state of the common wealth from Moses to Saule the first king is called the gouernment of the Iudges the which did wholly cease after that Saule was created king for the Captaines of the warre were either the kinges themselues or whom it pleased them to appointe So wee â—eade that Dauid placed and displaced Ioab at his pleasure Thirdlie the bodie of the people ioyning together in a general assembly had a part yea the greatest part of this authoritie and likewise the elders who were a compendious bodie of the people had their part especially in ciuill administration in the time of peace Iudg. 20. The children of Israel came together as one man to the Lord in Maspha to whome the leuite maketh his complaint as vnto them who had authoritie to reuenge the villanie done vnto him desiring them to determine of that cause as they did with greate seueritie The causes why the people and the elders had parte of this supreme authoritie were these First for that they did neuer giue the whole power ouer themselues into the handes of anie of the Iudges but onely did as it were vse them to be their Captaines and leaders in the time of warre the which beeing ended vsually the iudge returned to his owne house and priuate estate till the like necessitie called him abroade againe but during the time of peace they did not meddle much with ciuill iurisdiction but onely hearde those causes which were brought vnto them as to fitte arbiters because they were men renoumed eyther for their valour or because they were prophetes as were Debora and Samuell or had the office of the high prieste as had Ely Hence it is that in this booke of iudges there is no mention made of their ciuil iudgements or that they did cal together the Senate or the people vnlesse it were to warre or of any edictes which they made or of faults which they did redresse or punish Only of Samuel it is written that he went about the land to iudge the people and of Debora that the people brought their controuersies to her The second cause of the authoritie of the elders and people was the want a Iudge for whenas the Iudge died they did not streightway put another in his place vntill they had occasion giuen by warre during which time of vacation the elders and people in euery citie did iudge their owne causes and meeting together in a common asseÌ„bly did order publike matters although seldome and negligently as the people vse to gouerne So that they wanted a Iudge as often as they had one But when once they had a king created there did no more any supreame authoritie remaine either in elders or people all being giuen vnto the hands of the king who had no man which did participat with him in his authoritie For we are not to thinke that in this state the king was the chiefe gouernour and the elders senators and inferiour officers fellow gouernours and as it were his mates For all within the land of Israel were to the king meere priuate men so that if any had authoritie in respect of the people they had it all from him as from the fountaine all the officers of the kingdome all the Iudges of ciuill causes and the captaines of the armies were appointted by him Yea they were so farre from hauing any authoritie in respect of the king that all the people with their magistrates and officers of what kinde soeuer are vsually called the kinges seruantes so 2. Chro. 10.6 The counsellers of Salomon are saide to haue stood before his face to wit waiting and attending his pleasure so Esa. 37.5 Officers of the king and elderâ— of the priestes are called the kings seruantes For the state of this kingdome was not such a gouernment as both hath beene and is at this day in vse in many places where the people to auoide confusion and for the administration of iustice and of other publike affaires doe for one ouer them yea and giue vnto him although improperly the name of a king reseruing to themselues authority eyther to displace him at their pleasure or at the least to controll his doings which they thinke to be wrong to call him to account of his administration yea if need be to rise vp in armes against him and to lay violent handes vpon him This was no such gouernment but a kingdome both in name and in trueth wherein none had any iot of supreame authority saue the king onely Sect. V. BVT if it be graunted that there was no authoritie in the land which could associate it selfe with the authoritie of the king or any way intermeddle with his lawful administration as long as he did rule with religion and iustice for the glory of God the good of the people yet it may seeme that there was some authoritie to restraine him if at any time he should be imperious or vniust in his gouernment whereby he should be eyther brought to a lawfull manner of ruling or else if he were incorrigible deposed from his kingdome For otherwise the people might be miserably oppressed religion defaced yea all thinges turned vpside downe and in the ende the commonwealth vtterly ouerthrowen and therefore that both wisedome reason and necessitie iâ— the glorie of God and the good of men doe require that there should be in Israell some other authoritie eyther in the people or in the priestes in the senate or in the inferiour magistrates the which should neuer be eyther vsed or once mentioned but against those kinges which did degenerate into violent and bloody tyrantes euen as men vse a false vnder raine to pull in strong headed horses which otherwise woulde runne into some pit so destroy both themselues the riders This reason taken
from the safety of the people of states and commonwealthes the ground square and end of all good pollicie carieth with it such a faire shew of equitie and necessitie that like vnto a violent streame it hath caried many headlong in heate to condemne and reiect vtterly these absolute Monarchies as tyrannicall and barbarous kindes of gouernment pernitious to men yea altogether vnlawful and vnmeete for the Church of God But we ought not to suffer our selues to be deceiued by any appearance or pretence whatsoeuer or in respect of any inconueniences although neuer so great to iudge that to be vnlawfull and prophane which God by establishing it in his Church hath shewed to be holy and lawfull But for the further resoluing of this question it is requisite that we againe put you in minde that we doe not heere speake eyther what ought to be the state of al kingdomes in this behalfe or that this is the best kinde of gouernment but only doe shew what was the state of this kingdome of Israell In the which it seemeth that the whole power of ruling the lande was giuen by God and by the people into the handes of the king without any exception whatsoeuer insomuch that the people did not reserue to themselues any power whereby they might lawfully resist his authoritie or oppose themselues to his proceedings although vnlawfull and vniust much lesse take from him the kingdome or to offer any manner of violence vnto his person For the authoritie of this king ouer his people was no lesse then is the authoritie of a father in his familie in respect of his children who if he doe iniuriously intreat any of them or not carefully keep his own goods or liue any way disorderly it is the duety of his children if not with silence to suffer it yet with great modesty to admonish him of it But if they should ioyne themselues together and offer any violence vnto him especially if they should throw him out of his house all men woulde count them rebellious and vngratious children But if they shoulde take his life from him they were to be esteemed notoriously wicked ye rather as monsters worthy to be abhorred of all men So it seemeth that the state of this kingdome was such as that no subiect of what place soeuer no not the whol people iointly could lawfully vse any violence against the kings person or proceedinges and that the king might although not lawfully in respect of the lawe of God of men or of nature yet safely and freely in respect of his subiectes doe whatsoeuer pleased him according as Iacob foretelleth Gen. 49.9 that Iuda the king of his brethren should be as the great Lion who when he laieth himselfe downe who shall raise him vppe or disquiet him The trueth heereof appeareth in the whole course of the story of the kings who praesuming vpon this whole and vndeuided authority did neuer feare or doubt to doe whatsoeuer they listed without asking leaue eyther at nobles elders or people Hence came that foolish and tyrannicall answer which RehoboaÌ„ made to the people threatning them 1. King 12.12 in this manner My least part shal be heauier then my fathers loynes whereby he meant that he would encrease those heauie burdens of tributes which his father had laide vpon them For but that he knewe verie well the state of his kingdome to be such as that he might both say and doe what he listed without controlement he had beene more then mad to make such an answere And hence it came that the idolatrous kinges did neuer sticke by their sole authoritie to set vp open idolatrie not once minding who would be offended therewith and likewise the continuall practise of the people doth declare that they did not violeÌ„tly oppose theÌ„selues to the doings eyther of the good or of the wicked kinges but suffered religion to stand and fall according to their pleasure Yea the dealing of God himselfe doth prooue the same who when he purposed to preserue Dauid against the fury of Saule would neuer suffer him to oppose Ceila or any other of Saules citâ—es against him but made him fly first into the mountains and deserts and afterwardes out of the land to the Philistines Yea Dauid although he were appointed by the expresse worde of God to sâ—cceede Saule in the kingdome yet he was so farre from laying violent handes vpon him that as we reade 1. Sam. 24.6 his heart smote him that is his conscience did accuse him that he had behaued himselfe disloyally against the king in that he had offered violence to the kings garment because that was as a threatning of death vnto him and a greate disgrace Yea further we doe not reade that God did euer by any of his prophets stirre vp the people to maintaine his true woâ—shippe by violence against the kinges or euer reproue them because they had suffered them to set vppe idolatrie which is an euident proofe of this point For if it had beene lawfull to resist in any case then surely in the maintenance of the true worshippe of God and of his glorie But heereof there is a great question made for although this king had power in ciuill matters to doe not onely right iustice without the helpe of any other power but also wrong without resistance shall we therefore giue vnto him this power in the cause of religion that he may deface the worshippe of God at his pleasure It may seeme much better that not onely kings should be throwen downe from their thrones but also that heauen and earth shoulde goe togither then that God should be dishonoured and detestable idolatrie erected We confesse that it is a most fearefull thing that the king of Israell who hath his authority from God should vse the same to dishonor God and thrust not only men out of their houses landes but also the great God of heauen earth out of his teÌ„ple and Church yea in trueth in some sort out of the world for God had tyed his visible Church to this land And therefore we answere that as it is vsually saide Si ius violandum regni causâ violandum so Si ius regni sit violandum religionis causa est violandum that if it be lawfull for the people of Israell for any cause to resist their lawfull king it is lawfull in the defence of the true religion and Gods glory But as hath beene said it seemeth that the state of this kingdome would not beare any resistance no not in this case much lesse in any other No man yea no company of men could for any offence committed by the king eyther against God or man the first or second table call him to account summon him to appeare in iudgement or vse any manner of violence eyther in word or deede against him Now we are to answere those thinges which may be obiected against this assertion Sect. VI. FIrst it may seeme agreeable to reason that
nation and prince whoÌ„ he vsed as scourges for the misdemeanor of these kings wherof more hereafter Now we are to answer to the examples which may seeme to be contrary to this rule the which if they be indeed contrary to it yet they do not take away this truth for a few wrong actions caÌ„not preiuâ—ice a law yea a long practise and custome of right But let vs see what they are First the people do seem to haue resisted Saul in that they saued Ionathan from death wherunto he was euen deuoted by the kings solemne oth promise we answere that they did perswade the king by reason not resist him by force as doth appeare by their words 1. SaÌ„ 14.45 but the example of Libna is more plaine the which rebelled against IehoraÌ„ because he did forsake the Lord. 2. Chr. 21.10 but this one example is not sufficient for it is not approued but only barely mentioned by the writer of the story yea many actions in the scripture are coÌ„mended as proceding from a godly mind which in straight examinatioÌ„ would be found vnlawful Thirdly the deposing of Athalia 2. Chro. 23. maketh not against vs. For we do heere speak of a lawful king but she was a meer vsurper because she was not of Dauids seed Lastly as touching the coÌ„spiracies made against Ioas for killing Zacharias the son of Iehoida 2. Chr. 24.25 against Amasia for forsaking the lord 2. Chr. 25.27 the writer of the story doth not meane that the conspirators were moued by those reasons or had any purpose of reuenging those offences moued by other sinister respects not mentioned but that God brought those feareful iudgments vpon these kings for the foresaid sins Sect. VII IT may heere be asked what shoulde then be the issue of the violence and tyranny which any of these kinges might perhaps vse what ordâ—â— was taken and what was the behauiour of loyal subiectes in such cases we answere that the weapons which God gaue vnto his people wherewith to defend themselues against the tyrannie of their lawfâ—ll kinges were these The first is wisedome carefully to auoyde all occasions of the kinges anger and iniurie and because that they who are disposed to be iniurious to their subiectes neuer want occasions which they take where none is offered therefore the next remedie is to auoyde and decline from the violence or iniury it self Thus did Dauid by flying into dens caues and mountaines keepe himselfe from the rage of Saule The thirde remedie where the second is wanting is patience to suffer with a quiet minde the violence or iniustice of the king which could not be by wisedom eyther preuented or auoyded The last remedie is to appeale from the vniust sentence of the king not to any man or to any court heere on earth but to the king of kinges euen to God himselfe whose eares are alwaies open to heare those who are oppressed this remedie is the last and therfore not to be vsed but in cases of greatest extremitie when as the violence is too too grieuous shamefull and to mans infirmity altogether intollerable This meanes did Samuell commend vnto the people whereby they shoulde ease themselues of those intollerable burdens of tributes which their king would lay vpon them 1. Sam. 8.18 saying then you beeing thus oppressed by your king shall not rebell against him but shall cry vnto the Lord. Where it is added that God wil not heare them when they câ—y this is mâ—nt that they could not afterwards put down their kings neyther be freed from their tyranny which by their own wilfulnes they had brought vpon themselues otherwise God doth heare those who being intollerably iniured by their kinges do appeale vnto him So we read 2. Chro. 4.22 that when as Zacharias was stoned by the commaundement of king Ioas hee appealed to God and commended his cause to him Where the spirit of God hath carefully noted that God receiued his appeale so that within one yeare he sent the Armies of the Syrians who destroyed his princes and spoyled Ierusalem Yea the seruants of the king by the iust iudgement of God although vnlawfully coÌ„spired against him killed him for the death of Zacharias Yea this was the vsuall meanes wherby God did punish the sinne and represse the rage of idolatrous kings euen the power of forraine princes into whose handes he did often giue these kings of Iuda with their people and kingdome but did neuer by his word arme any of their subiects against them therin as in al other his actions obseruing decorum which is the rule of seemlines or ciuil order honesty vnto the which it is agreeable that kings should be chastened controlled not by their subiectes and inferiours but by other kings which are their equals Sect. VIII LAstly it may be obiected that it is a verie vnlike matter that this people with their wise elders and senatours were or could be so farre ouerseenâ—s that liuing vnder a moderate gouerment in the which either they neuer had any iniury offered vnto them by their rulers or if they had might easely haue it redressed by some other lawful authority would permit themselues their wiues and children landes and libertie to any such authority vnder the which they were subiect to iniury yea in such sort as that they had no refuge to fly vnto in any extremitie no superiour authority to appeale vnto no stronger power to oppose and finally which both might easely be come tyrannicall and beeing so could not by any meanes which they could vse be eyther ended or amended Whereunto we answere first as before that heere we doe onely make a bare narration what was done leauing it to those who professe skill in these matters to iudge whether it were wisely done or no. Secondly that we may giue some reason hereof that this was done according to the simplicitie of the first ages of the world wherein men were much more innocent then they are in these daies and did not so easely inferre iniury to others and therfore not feare to receiue hurt from others Whereby it came to passe that men did both safely and securely permiâ—â—hemselues into thâ— handes of others eyâ—her kinges Lordes or masters or any other rulers without making couenantes with them and taking caution of them for their security But the state of the worlde is much altered for nowe men are growen to that hight and ripenes of craft deceit dissimulation violence and all other kindes of wickednesse that almost euerie man feareth and suspecteth each other neyther will haue any dealinges with any other without greate pledges of securitie Heereof it hath come to passe that these greate monarchies endued with absolute power were farre more vsâ—d in the first ages of the worlde then in the times following wherein wee see that although a monarchicall state be thought more excellent and commodious then any other kinde of gouernment yet men dare not giue vnto it this ample and
the Church should be at the call and commaundement of the secular power whereby they might be eyther wholly dispossessed of their places or continually troubled interrupted in ordering the affaires of the Church and the matters of God and finally iniuriously and contumeliously handled which thing the holines of their places and persons wil in no wise suffer For the answere of this doubt it is plaine in the word of God that all ecclesiasticall persons whatsoeuer yea the chiefe priestes in them the high priest himself the prince and head of the priestes who was the type of Christ the Oracle of God and on whom the whole glory and maiesty of the priesthood was bestowed was no lesse subiect to the iurisdiction of the kinge then he which had the basest place and calling in the common-wealth The trueth heereof appeareth by the lamentable tragedie of Abimelech 1. Sam. 2. who being summoned by Saule to appeare came with all the priestes that were with him and being come acknowledged Saulâ— to be his Lord Verse 12. and did not appeale froÌ„ his vniust sentence of death to any other power The same end befel his son Abiather who for that he tooke part with Adonia was by Salomon put out of his office and condemned to die 1. King 2.26 And likewise Zachariah the son of Iehâ—ida 2. Chro. 24.21 Now although two of these kinges did impiously and tyrannically abuse their authority yet it doth appeare that they had authority ouer them yea not onely these examples but the course of the whole scripture and equitie it selfe doth shew that it ought to be so We knowe that euen Christ himselfe more holy in person and office then all the priestes men or angels in the world did throughout the whole course of his life submit himselfe to the ciuill power and at the end of it did suffer himselfe to be violently apprehended contuâ—eliously entreated yea vniustly coÌ„demned by the deputy of a heathen Emperour Likewise the Apostle Paule did appeale and subiect himselfe to the authority of Caesar. Neyther is there any cause or reason why it should be otherwise For howsoeuer the Romish prelates haue not only drawen out their neckes from the subiection of princes but also haue inuaded their thrones and subdued them vnder their feete and the whole cleargie say to the ciuill power come not near nor yet once touch me because I am holier then thou and think themselues too good to be iudged by any but by their owne ordinarie yet the trueth is that all persons as well ciuill as ecclesiasticall are and ought to be by the word of God equally subiect to the ciuill power For shall Christ himselfe and in him God himselfe stand before the iudgement seat of princes and shall sinfull men nay shall wretched wormes thinke them too prophane to be competent iudges in their causes no no the seruant is not aboue the master nor the creature aboue the creator and therefore we say with the Apostle that al soules that is euery man that hath a soule that none shoulde thinke himselfe exempted ought to be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 The ground of the contrary errour is an arrogant opinion which presumptuous men bearing function in the Church haue of their own holinâ—sse in respect of others whereas in the Church of God men who haue ciuil callings are no lesse holy then they who haue ecclesiasticaâ— yea somtimes much more holy they who haue ecclesiastical holy callings being otherwise wicked prophane for it is truly said althougâ— impiously applied by the rebellious company of Corah Numb 16.3 That not only Moses Aaron but euen the whole multitude of the common people much more the Lords annoynted is holy In the next place we are to search whether that as al persons so likewise al causes belonged to the authority of the King of Israell First of ciuill then of ecclesiasticall causes in the first kinde it is not needful that we should insist forsomuch as all men euen they who are most sparing and wary in giuing power to these kinges doe acknowledge that all ciuill causes did properly belong to their iurisdiction And so it was indeede For the king had authoritie to appointe all the publike officers of his kingdome who should be his counsellers at home or his Captaines abroad who shoulde be the iudges of the people and who of the chiefe senate in Ierusalem and good reason it was that he shoulde haue this power in these causes For seeing that his office was especially to iudge the causes of the people and to fight their battailes for the which purpose the people desired a king it could not be denied vnto him to appointe those to be his deputies whom he thought most able to discharge these dueties Yea further it belonged to him to call all publike assemblies and to order them to make peace with whom he would and to goe to battaile against whome â—e when 〈◊〉 thought good The trueth of this pointe doth 〈◊〉 plainely appeare throughout the whole storie that we need not insist in it Sect. X. NOwe we are to enquire what was the authoritie of the kinge in the matters of the Church to wit in ordering the state of religion and of the seruice of God Whereof there is greate question made whilest some doe wholly exclude him out of the Church not permitting him to intermeddle with any affaires belonging vnto it others suffer him to deale in these causes yet not to beare any great sway or to ouerrule in them and the third sort giueth vnto him the greatest part of that ecclesiasticall authoritie which belongeth to man The which distinction is necessarely to be considered for God hath not giuen to any man such ful and absolute authoritie in the Church as in the common-wealth for he hath made Christ the soueraign Lord and King of the Church to rule it by his owne lawes and worde Yet one parte of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction belongeth to men who are to establish the diuine lawes of the worship of God and to make ecclesiastical constitutions for that purpose But who hath authoritie to doe this there is all the controuersie In the first opinion or rather grosse and palpable errour are the Bishops of Rome with their adherentes who that they might through the Church enter into the common-wealth inuade the riches preferments and pleasures of kinges and vsurpe their states and crownes haue thrust out of the Church this king of Israell least that by his example other magistrates shoulde challenge to themselues â—uthoritie in causes ecclesiasticall In the second opinion are men otherwise syncere in iudgement who in a good meaning affection to the Church thinke it not safe or conuenient to permitte her wholly to the ciuill power and in a reuerent opinion of her iudge it vnmeete that ciuill rulers should order diuine matters and so make the Church say vnto the magistrate touch me not for I am more holy then thou
But we follow the thirde opinion thinking that the ecclesiasticall authoritie of this land was chiefely yea in a manner wholly in the handes of the king and that by his authority the state of religion in generall was wholly set vp maintained repaired and ordered yea ecclesiastical lawes for this purpose established howsoeuer in making them the aduise and consent of others were for diuers necessarie causes to be required The trueth heereof will easely appeare if we marke that God did deferre the building of his Temple the inlarging and beautifying of his worshippe vntill the time of the kinges of whome Dauid and Salomon which are in this respect to be counted the first Saule being reiected did make the state of religion most glorious established new orders and lawes and that by their owne authoritie although they had the worde of God both in themselues and from other prophets for their direction Yea the generall practise of all the kinges of Israel of whome euery one by his sole authority did either set vp or pul downe religion doth declare how much they had to doe in the gouerning of the Church and to passe ouer with silence the rest of the kinges let vs onely see how far Ezechia did meddle with Church affaires of whome we read 2. Chro. 29.3 That he opened the doores of the temple brought the priestes into it made a solemne oration vnto them teaching them their dueties and stirring them vp to the carefull perfourmance thereof then when the priestes had according to his direction clensed the temple before they doe any seruice in it they returne to the king to know what he would haue further done Verse 18. Then the king with the nobles came and brought a sinne-offering which the priest offered at the commaundement of the king verse 24. then verse 27. the king commaundeth that the whole burnt-offering should be offered Againe verse 31. he commaundeth that the peoples offeringes shoulde be brought in Further in the 30. chapter he held a councel sent his postes for the keeping of a passeouer yea which is worthy to be noted when as the people being vncleane did receiue the passouer Ezechias himselfe did publikely pray for them and so made them cleane verse 20. likewise chap 31. verse 2. Ezechia appointed sundry companies of the priestes and leuites after the diuersity of the ministrations to serue in the temple and commaunded the people to make prouision of all thinges needfull for them and verse 8. and 9. he came and viewed their prouision and questioned with the priestes about it And vers 11 He bad prepare the chambers in the Temple for store yea it is added verse 20. that according to this manner he did throughout all Iuda and that all the workes about the seruice of God were begunne and prosperously ended by him The same manner of ordering the state of the Church appeareth in the storie of Iosias and other Kinges wherein this may plainely be seene that whatsoeuer was done in Church matters was done by the commaundement and authoritie of the kinge The occasions of the contrary opinions whereby the authoritie of this kingdome in this behalfe is abridged and cut short eyther in whole or in part are these First for that it is thought that as ciuill and diuine temporall and eternall matters do not onely greately differ but also are opposite to each oother so that the common-wealth and the Church are two distinct yea contrary bodies gouerned and ordered by their seuerall heades as in this state they make the king to be the chiefe gouernour of the common-wealth and the high priest of the Church But it is farre otherwise for the Church is not heere a perfect bodie by it selfe but maketh the ciuil body more excellent happie For euen as when any people being rude and barbarous are brought to learning and all kinde of humanitie there is not a new state or body added vnto them but the former estate becommeth better so it is whenas any nation of infidels becommeth religious they haue not one head in respect of their religion and another in ciuill matters but one and the same for both But heereof more at large in the treatise of the publike Church Neyther ought we to thinke that eyther the office authoritie or person of this King was any way prophane or vnholy or in any respect vnfitte to intermeddle with diuine matters for he was and that by the institution of God more holy then oâ—hers As for the hurt which came to the Church by beeing permitted to wicked kinges to be ordered at their pleasure we confesse that it was very greate for many of them did cleane ouerthrow the true worshippe of God Yet there was no remedie for it in the handes of any saue onely of God who is and was able to turne the hearts of kings as the riuers of waters yea to shorten their daies if they continued obstinate in their wickednesse and to raise vppe in their places good and godlie kinges zealous of his glorie who abolishing all idolatrie and establishing the true religion by their soueraigne and absolute authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes did recompence the losse and comfort the griefe which the Church had by the wicked Kinges for if the peoele had resisted the wicked and idolatrous kinges in their proceedinges they shoulde haue diminished the authoritie of godlie kinges and by vsing violence against the wickednesse of the one shoulde haue bounde the hands and hindred the godly indeuours of the other And this is the cause why men vnto whome the good estate of the Church hath beene deare and pretious haue beene loth to permitte the ordering of Churche-causes to ciuill rulers because many of them haue beene open enemies to all religion and godlines and authors of all disorders Yea Emperours Kinges and Princes haue so horribly stained themselues and beene drunke with the blood of the seruantes of God which they ought to haue cherished and preserued and haue so often ouerthowen the Church which they shoulde haue built and maintained that many are afraide to commit the Church to their hands who haue oftner shewed themselues cruel wolues then careful sheepherds And therefore it hath beene said by many that princes should looke to their palaces and leaue the whole care of the Church to the ministers of the worde but we see the contrary in this example And therfore we ought not to speake vntruethes no not in the cause of God or to maintaine the state of religion in Israel by spoyling the king of that power which god hath giuen vnto him Lastly as touching ecclesiastical lawes which were to be made by men for the putting in practise of the worship of God it may seem that although the setting vp and pulling downe the reforming and deforming of religion were in the hands of the king yet to be very vnmeete that he should meddle in the making of them whereunto we answere that if the whole ordering of the
king or to any but to the right owners and possessours but that it was nowe the parte of all the people to contribute euen of their best thinges to the kinges vses and the setting foorth of his maiesty Yea and that the king might lawfully exact of them thinges needfull for these purposes This account the people did make that this gouernment woulde be verye chargeable vnto them but yet they did not sticke at the cost so they might haue their mindes fulfilled Neyther coulde it be otherwise for euen as a man may dwell in a base and simple house or cottage without any greate cost but if he will needes haue a great and stately palace ouer his head he cannot but thinke that both the building and also the maintaining of it wil be chargeable vnto him so it is in this case the iudges were destitute of this maiesty without chariots horses armies palaces great retinue costly diet and neuer put the people to any charges but seeing they will haue a maiesticall and stately kingdome they cannot but consider that it must be both set vp and also preserued at their charges Yea this opinion of the statelinesse of this kinde of gouernment was generally and as it were naturally helde of all men and therefore Adoniah when he did affect the kingome said thus with himselfe nowe I will raigne and get chariots and horsemen and fiftie men to runne before my face 1. King 1.5 Thus we see the maiesty of this kingdome the which was so great as that it made the kinge to be not onely highly accounted of and had in greate honour and estimation of the people but also verie duetifull and after a sorte religiously obeyed yea in trueth too much obeyed as their often falling to idolatrie by the commaundement and example of their kinges doth declare There was before this time a kingdome in Israell sette vppe by the men of Sechem in the handes of Abimelech Iudg 9.6 but it was soone ouerthrowen and trodden vnder foote because it wanted these lawes to vpholde it For it was not of God but of man not natural but founded vpon bloudshed and violence not auncient but a new vpstart and destitute of all the rest of the priuileges and proppes wherewith this kingdom was endued and vpholden But this kingdome did continue till the vtter desolation of the lande when as the whole nation was caried captiue to Babel Yea we may well thinke that if the subiect of this kingdome which is the people it selfe had not beene so taken away that it would haue continued in the first institution and according to the right order of it euen till the comming of Christ the which was appointed by God to be the last period of it or rather of the outwarde and worldly shew of it for in truth it standeth yet in Christ and shal stand til that Christ giue vp all his power of gouernment into the handes of the father For if we set aside the defectioÌ„ of the ten tribes which was near to the beginning of this kingdome and was done by the speciall worke of God we shall finde that this kingdome was so firmely established that the people neuer offered to make any alteration of the estate for in that they went about to make Absalon king they were perswaded that they did right in setting vp the sonne in steade of his father being nowe stricken in yeares yea the people did not onely continually obey this authoritie but also had the person of the king in such estimation that they did make more account of him then of many thousandes of themselues So they spake to Dauid that he should not goe any more to the battaile in his owne person least he should put out the light that is all the glory and maiesty of Israell adding further that it were much better that ten thousand of themselues should perish then that any euill shoulde befall him 2. Sam. 21.17 And now to conclude this whole matter we see the greatnesse both of the power and also of the maiesty of this kinde of gouernement of both which Iacob did prophecie in the 49. of Genesis 8. verse saying Iuda thy brethren shall praise thee that is they shall magnifie and honour thee for the glory and maiesty of thy kingdome Thy hand in the necke of thy enemies that is thou shalt subdue all thy enemies vnto thee the sonnes of thy father shall bow themselues vnto thee that is they shall reuerence honour and obey thy authority Iuda is the Lions whelpe he hath bowed himselfe and laide him downe that is all his actions and behauiour shal be full of maiesty the which is to be seene in the Lion more then in any other beast and who shall raise him that is who shall controle his doings and call him to account He shal wash his clothes in wine that is he shall haue abundance yea superfluity of the best and most pretious things which are to be had Thus we see both the power and also the maiesty of this kingdom in respect of both which we may say as it is Act. 14.11 that Gods are come down vnto vs in the likenesse of men that is such a pourefull and glorious magistracie as doth after a sorte resemble the infinite poâ—er and maiesty of God Sect. XIIII HItherto we haue spoken of the iudgement or doctrine of this kingdome as it was in respect of the people it followeth that we declare the state of it in respect of God and that by considering first howe this state as it hath beene described did please God secondly whether it were a lawfull gouernment or not and lastly how farre the power of this kingdome was subiect to God For the first it may seeme that God did not like this kinde of gouernment but suffered it to be established not as making for the good of the people but rather as a punishment for their sinne for that he was so highly offended with the people for asking a king as he himselfe doth witnesse by his prophet Ose. 13.11 I gaue them a king in my wrath but the trueth is that this was alwaies most pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God yet the action of the people in making this alteration did iustly offend him and that for diuerse causes to wit for that by desiring a king they shewed themselues vnthankfull diffident proud and disoobedient For the first it was their duetie not onely to be content with what gouernment soeuer GOD did appointe for them but also to thinke themselues the happiest people in the world for that they had the glorious God of heauen and earth to be their kinge and ruler in a speciall manner Secondly thâ—y trusted more in a kinge then in God thinking that the cause of all their disorders and miseries was in their gouernment and that their king woulde certainely deliuer them from all wrong at home and bondage abroade Whereas the cause of all their
law of God from the priest and meditate thereon day and night that he may keepe it without declining to the right hand or to the left Yea the state of this kingdome did depend wholly vppon God and was helde by condition of obeying him so that as a tenant or vassall doth holde his landes and liuing of his liege Lorde or King vpon this condition that he shall doe him seruice and homage and to be at his commaunde the which if he doe not he doth forthwith forfaite his title and dispossesse himselfe of all in like manner this kingdome did holde of God by condition of obeying him This lawe of the kingdome Samuel doth diligently teach 1. Sam. 12.23 if ye doe wickedly then shall you perish both you and your king The which punishment was executed vpon Saul Salomon and the whole race of Idolatrous kinges in the destruction of the kingdome and nation Sect. XV. HItherto we haue declared the doctrine of the kingdome of Israell the which was the first thing we tooke to speake of Nowe we come to the actions of Samuel mentioned in the wordes of the text Whereof the first is that he speake this doctrine of the people and that no doubt for this end that they might knowe the state of that gouernment what dueties they were to performe to their kinges in what manner they were to be subiect to obey him In whose example al the ministers of the worde may marke their duetie that they ought with all care and diligence to teach the people to obey the ciuill power to honor loue fear it to be ready to impart that which God hath bestowed vpoÌ„ theÌ„ on the maintenance of it and finally to performe al those dueties which the law of God or of man doth require at their hands Thus Paul writeth to Titus Chap. 3.2 Warne and put al ChristiaÌ„s in mind that they be subiect to rule to obey the magistrats to be ready to euery good work for there is nothing that doth better beseem a ChristiaÌ„ maÌ„ or people then harty loue ready obedience to the magistrate comming not of constraint and feare of punishment but of conscience neyther is there any thing that doth more disgrace the profession of Christ and lay it open to the reproches of infidels and wicked men then disloyall behauiour to magistrates especially to kinges and great princes to whome all lawes both diuine and humane require that a gâ—â—at measure of honour obedience and maintenance be performed Tâ—e second action of Samuel is that he wrote this doctrine of the kingdome in a booke and that for perpetuity that it might be preserued safe in time to come and so serue for the instruction of the ages following As touching this booke it perished with many others written by the prophets and holy men of God and that by the negligence of the priestes and people yet there is a summe or compendious abstract of it saued from the iniurie of the times and the publike calamities which befalling this nation did bury many notable monumentes The which we haue recorded 1. Sam. 8. verse 10. and so forth to the 19. out of the which place this doctrine which hath beene deliuered in this short treatise of the power and maiesty of the kingdom may be gathered the words are these Now therefore hearken vnto their voyce howbeit yet testifie vnto them and shew them the manner of the king that shall raigne ouer them Hee will take your sonnes and put them to his chariots and make them Captaines ouer thousandes and ouer fifties and will set them to care his ground and to gather in his haruest and to make instruments of warre and thinges that serue for his chariots And he wil take your daughters and make them apoticaries cookes and bakers and he shall take your fieldes and your vineyardes and your best oliue trees and giue them to his seruantes and he shall takâ— the tenth of your seede and of your vineyardes and giue to his Eunuches and to his seruantes and he shall take your men-seruantes and maid-seruantes and the chiefe of your young men and your asses and put them to his worke he will take the tenth of youâ— sheepe and ye shal be his seruantes The second action giueth vs this instruction that according to the example of Samuell aâ—l Christians ought to desire and they to whome God hath giuen giftes fitte for this purpose by all meanes to endeauour that they may profit the Church not onely whilest they lâ—â—e but also after their death by leauing behinde them those thinges which may further the edification of it Thus haue the pâ—ophets Apostles and holy men of God done from time to time whose writinges doe testifie their care diligence and paines taken in this behalfe The which as we doe now inioy to our vnspeakeable profite and comfort so ought we to be stirred vp by their example to performe the like duetie to others euen as we commend the carefull foresight of those men who as they eate the fruite of the trees which their forefathers did plant so they plant other trees which may serue for the vse of their posterity For although no man can hope that his labours should be in any meâ—sure so profitable to the Church as the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles are who had the extraordinarie giftes of prophecie and reuelation and were directed by the continuall assistance of Gods spirit yet the ordinarie gifts of knowledge and wisedom which God hath giuen to be perpetuall in his Church wil helpe forward the building of it chiefly in the ministerie of the word and also by the meanes of writing whereof there will be a necessarie vse as long as the Church endureth not onely for the interpretation of the word of God but also for the scanning of controuersies the confuting of heresies the reproouing of vices the which will continually be new and fresh in the Church The last action of Samuel is that he laid this booke before the face of the Lorde that is in the place of Gods worship where he was so present that he might as it were be knowen and discerned there euen as one man is knowen from an other by his face This Samuell did for this end that God might be both a witnesse of his faithfulnesse in teaching the people their dueâ—ie in this behalfe and also a maintainer of that â—state the which was established by the will of God yea a reuenger of all disorders and of all disloyalty which should be any way committed against the state And so we neede not doubt but that God doth watch with the eye of his prouidence ouer kings and princes after a speciall manner vouchsafing to them who are faithfull and Godly a great measure of wisedome and of all graces of the spirit meete for so high a calling yea and doth seuerely punish the resistance câ—ntempt disgrace offered to those princes which are so
they were brought into the forme of it so we reade Act. 14.23 after that they had beleeued now a good space of time they had elders appointed and so became a Church for most commonly men conuerted are a fewe at the first and therefore must stay till they be a competent number yea when a sufficient number doth beleeue there must be a time to consider the state of the people to prouide fit teachers and rulers and to make humane constitutions for the ordering of them and for the practizing of the lawes of God The lawes orders the establishing and practizing wherof maketh a company of Christians to become a Church are of two sortes The first are the lawes of God appointed for the gouerning of the Church these doe containe the substance of the gouernment of the Church and are the same at that same time to all the Churches in the world the other sort is of humane constitutions made for the establishing of the former in some particular place and doe define the circumstances of the former lawes and therefore are diuerse in euery Church and to be changed as the circumstance of place time persons and the condition of the Church doth require First of the lawes of God then of the lawes of men The lawes commonly called Church-gouernment or from the latter part Church-discipline are that parte of the worde of God which prescribeth howe particular Churches seuerally and ioyntly ought to be ordered in vsing the publicke meanes of the seruice of God The first worde of this definition giueth vs this to vnderstand that God himselfe is the onely law-giuer in his Church as touching the substance of the gouernment which is not any deuise of man but a holy institution of God Yea we must of necessitie graunt this royal prerogatiue to God that he be the author of the lawes by the which his Church is ordered and that because he onelie and no creature can shewe after what manner he will be worshipped So that if there be any other forme of gouernment deuised by man it is wil-worshippe and not onelie not acceptable but euen abhominable in his sight Yea the Church is the house of God wherein he dwelleth and whereof he is the authour and owner And therfore it is good reason that he onelie shoulde beare rule in it he ruleth ciuill societies by the lawes of Kinges and Princes but his Church by the lawes of Christ his sonne whome he hath annointed the onelie king of his Church Hence it followeth that these lawes are not chaungeable but perpetuall and made to continue as long as the Church remaineth in this world So. 1. Tim. 6.14 after that the Apostle had set downe the summe of this doctrine he chargeth Timothie to keepe those thinges which he had enioyned vntill the comming of Christ that is that he endeauour by teaching them to others that they might continue for euer For that these words are to be vnderstood of these lawes it appeareth Vers. 21. oâ— the 5. chapter where the same obtestation is vsed in the same matter The doctrine of this gouernment is fully plainely and perfectly set set downe in the worde of God yea euery parte of it and therefore whatsoeuer parte of the substance of the goâ—â—rnment of the Church cannot be authorized by the worde it is to be reiected for all the offices giftes functions partes and manner of the seruice of God are taught vs both by precept and by example But it is otherwise with the circumstances of this gouernment for they are not neyther could possibly be defined in the worde and therefore are to be changed as the Church shall thinke good But the substance of this gouernment is perpetuall euen as is the worde of God which shall neuer be augmented and as is the worshippe of God which shall not be altered yea as permanent as is the doctrine of faith and as generall For as there is but one faith and one GOD so there is but one meanes of faith and of seruing God not many as if there were tenne thousande Gods to be worshipped and as if the Church of GOD were a birde of diuers colours one being not like or conformable to another And therefore as princes which beare rule ouer many cities doe make them all liue vnder the same forme of lawes and as children of the same parentes are like in countenance and sutable in their apparrell so all the particular Churches in the worlde haue one and the same gouernment appointed for them The chiefe cause whereby many are induced to thinke that no certaine forme of gouernment of the Church is commaunded by God is for that it is not handled at large and of set purpose in the scripture but onely briefely touched and mentioned by occasion Whereunto we answere that so are many waighty pointes of religion not once in plaine tearmes to be founde in any parte of scripture and many brought in onely vpon some occasion the which to call in question were great impiety but there is no part of the substance of this gouernment which is not plainely set downe in the worde Yea in these lawes the wisedome of God doth so cleerely shine that the Angelâ— doe reioyce in beholding that heauenly order by the which the Church is gouerned So did the Apostle Collossians 2.5 with ioy thinkâ— vppon the orders of that Church Although the gouernment of the Church be one and the same at the same time and euen as the worde of God belongeth a like to all there being one vniforme order appointed for all yet the same is chaunged by God himselfe as it doth most fitly agree to the present state of the Church wherein doth appeare that manifolde wisedome of God Ephes. 3.10 But the foundation and groundworke of this gouernment doth alwaies remaine the same as we see the lawes of kingdomes and common-wealthes to be often changed but yet the fundamentall lawes whereon the state standeth doe alwaies remaine firme and vnchaunged This gouernment is alwaies changed vnto a better and more perfect state euen as the Church doth continually growe to perfection For if we compare the latter ages of the Church generally with the former we shall finde that as there is in particular men a growth in their bodies and soules so also in the Church For the latter times doe excell the former not onely in number of professours but also in knowledge and in abundance of all spirituall graces The cause whereof is for that it pleaseth God to reueale himselfe to the world not all at once but by little and little Heb. 1.1 euen as his word hath beene in these last ages more fully declared to the Church then before Thus shall the Church growe till we all meete in the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. And herein we cannot resemble the dealing of God more fitly then to that vsuall manner which parentes vse in bringing vp their children who doe not at
the first lay vpon them that straight and perfect kinde of discipline which afterwardes they vse whenas by reason of their riperyares they are more capable of it Yea this continuall growth of the Church was shewed by Ezech. 4.1 vers 3.4.5 by the rising of the waters to his anckles knees loynes and head Sect. 2. Of the diuers stateâ— of ecclesiasticall gouernment WE find in the worde of God three kindes of Church-gouernment the first of these was in force before the giuing of the lawe the second in the time of the law the third in the time of the gospell The first we may fitly resemble vnto the first infancy of a childe being newly borne in the which although there be all the faculties of the soule and body yet they cannot as yet doe their functions and therefore can hardly be discerned or distinguished So in this first state there are all the partes of Chuch-gouernment although they doe not so plainly appeare as in the other following there was a ministerie of the worde although ioyned or rather confounded with the ciuil gouernment for both the offices lay vppon the first borne in the family The worde of God was in small measure and seldome reuealed the same was confirmed by diuers sacraments and also strengthened by censures against the disobedient But all these things were little practized as also the number of professours was very smale For this time was the first infancie of the Church from which it was continually to growe on to perfection Next vnto this succeedeth the manner of gouernment vnder the lawe instituted by God by the ministerie of Moses being much more perfite then the former euen as is the childhoode to the infancie so that nowe all the faculties do their seuerall functions and may easely be perceaued in themselues and distinguished from the other The worshippe of God greatly inlarged and the number of those that serue God encreased to many millions the will of God so plentifully and largely reuealed that it was of necessitie committed to writing least that it should be forgotten many sacraments to confirme the truth of it against vnbeleife sharpe and seuere censures appointed for offendours and yet this is but the childhoode of the Church â—al 4.1 is so farre yea much more exceeded in perfection of the third as it doth exceede the former The third is in the time of the gospell wherin the Lorde doth as it were put the last hand to the gouernment of his Church bringing it to that perfecton which should continue to the end of the world Now is the number of those who serue God encreased aboue measure in so much that the Church must enlarge her tentes and receaue all the nations of the earth comming to dwell with her Esa. 54.1.2.3 and accordingly there is â— most perfect gouernment appointed by Christ the true nature whereof will the more easely appeare if we compare it with the former from the which it doth differ as doth the ripe age of a man from his childhoode so that nowe the church may truly say When I was a childe I vnderstoode spake and did as a childe but nowe I haue put away childish things The ground of this difference is the comming of Christ in whome all the treasures of the will and wisdome of God were both hid â—nd reuealed to the Church The shadowes and ceremonies vsed before were made of no vse and insteede of them the trueth it selfe came in place Nowe are all the misteries of our saluation vncouered the shadowes being driuen away by the appearing of the sonne of righteousnesse The graces of the spirite are nowe as it were with a full hand poured on those which beleeue which God kept in store till this time that by the plentifull pouring of them out he might celebrate the glorious mariage of Christ with his Church Hereof doth the whole difference arise we knowe that the worshippe of God is either outward consisting in bodely actions or inward in the obedience of the hart this doth the Lorde require the other is not acceptable vnto him but as it proceedeth from this fountaine The outward worshippe will easely be performed although it haue most streight conditions annexed vnto it as we read Mica 6.6 where withall shall I come before the Lorde will he accâ—pt thâ—usands of rams c. but inwarde and spirituall worshippe is not onely hard but also impossible to be performed without the grace of God as being cleane contrary to our nature And therefore it pleased God in a tender regard which he had to his Church vnder the lawe in respect of the weaknes of it to appoint vnto them more of that outward worshippe and to accept their spirituall seruice although it were in smale measure but contrarily nowe vnder the gospell he reâ—uireth a great measure of spirituall worshippe and enioyneth little of the other This distinction is made by Christ Iohn 4.21.23 the time commeth when neither at Ierusalem nor on this mount you shall worshippe my father but in spirite and truth This is also that newe couenant whereof Ioel speaketh whenas God shall poure his spirite vppon all flâ—sh not but that the faithfull vnder the lawe both had the spirite of God and also performed vnto him spirituall worshippe without the which the other is but abhominable vnto him but yet not in so great measure as nowe in the time of the gospell Hence it is that the whole worshippe of God vnder the lawe was verie glorious in outwarde appearance for this end to purchase obedience and reuerence at the handes of the people Which is contrary to the simplicitie of the gospell for nowe the whole worshippe of God is base and contemptible in outward appearance but mighty in the power of the spirite as we read 1. Cor. 14. if all prophecie and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and is iudged of all and so are the secretes of his heart made manifest and so he will fall downe on his face and worshippe God and say plainely that God is in you indeed the which appeareth by the great abundance of spirituall grace in the time of the gospell but vnder the lawe the priestes were not so indued which that measure of spirituall graces but in steed of them they had outwarde helpes to purchase reuerence to the worde of GOD and to themselues amongst the people the temple for outward magnificence most glorious the holy places had in high accounte of all men the priestes separated from the rest of the people in many respects and for the same end the high priest was adorned with glorious robes that so he might the more excell But nowe none of these meanes are in vse onely the powerfull simplicitie of the gospell is insteed farre aboue all The Church then had but a smal measure of knowledge in comparison of these times and accordingly were they taught but nowe the Lorde
memorie and other common giftes Then followeth a corrupt worship consisting in outward rites and ceremonies in vaine babling in suffering hunger or in other bodily exercises Further if in steede of true doctrine errours be publickely taught and generally receaued or if in steede of a christian life sinne doe abounde by these meanes and many other which it is not needefull to rehearse commeth a corrupt state of a Church But heere we are briefely to touch a question which hath beene in part handled alone Chap. 1. Sect. 4. to wit howe farre a Church may be corrupt before it cease to be a true Church that is a Church truely and indeede For answere whereof it seemeth that wheresoeuer a company of men doe ioyntlie and publickely by worshipping the true God in Christ professe the substance of Christian religion which is faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God and Sauiour of the world that there is a true Church notwithstanding any corruption whatsoeuer yea although it be of that nature that it might be made by consequent of argument to fight with the very foundation of christian religion and so hainous as that in respect thereof the people stained with this corruption are worthy to be abhorred of all men and vnworthy to be called the Church of God We will take an instance of a people which together with the profession of the faith doe mâ—intaine and vse idolatrie not worshipping a false God for then they were without all question to be counted infidels but the true God after a false and deuised manner These seeme to be a Church although they doe prophane the worship of God after a most horrible grieuous mâ—nner thus as it may seem some christans did in the first time of the gospel who did both beleeue in some sort yet could not of a sudden shake off that idolatrie wherein they had liued so many yeares For so Paul writeth 1. Cor. 5.11 If any that is called a brother that is a christian be a fornicatour or couetous or a worshipper of Images This kind of wâ—rship is in vse in the Church of Rome the which seemeth to be a Church althogh in the lowest degree that can be imagined vnlesse as it semeth that we may do we wil admit into the church the people of the ten tribs who were idolaters yet by circumcisioÌ„ some otherwaies did professe the name of Iehoua as we may note out of many testimonies of scripture And first out of those places where they are called the people of god as we read Ro. 10.25.26 wher the people of God the beloued of God and the children of the liuing God doe all signifie a true Church In the 1. King 16.2 they are twise so called wher God saith that he made Bahasa the captaine of his people Israell Secondly God is called the God of the ten tribes and said to be among them 1. King 20.28 because the Syrians speaking of the God of the ten tribes of whome they were ouercome said that Iehoua was God of the hils onely and 1. King 18.35 thou art the God of Israel Thirdly for that they alwaies had the true prophets of God and by them did aske and receiue counsell of God in their waightie affaires Thus 1. King 22.5.6.7.11 Achab asked counsel of God 2. King 2.16 Ahazia is reproued by God for that He sent to aske counsell at Baalsebub as though there were not a GOD in Isâ—ael whose worde he might haue sought after Likewise 1. King 5.8 Eliseus saith this is a most certaine thing that Israell is not at any time without a prophet The trueth hereof may be gathered also 1. King 18.21 where Elias saith that the people did halt betwixt God and Baal that is did serue them both together And lastly by that which is often said that the kinges of Israel did euil in the eyes of God that is in that place wherupon God did as yet looke with the eyes of his mercy as vpon his Church So that although they did wante almost the whole publicke worship and therefore are said 2. Chro. 15.3 to be without God without priestes and the law yet because the name of God was generally by circumcision professed of them they seeme to retaine the name of a Church and oâ— the people of God Euen as the Church of Rome serueth God and Christ by baptisme and by professing his name otherwaies although they haue no part of the worship of God vncorruptâ—d And so the ten tribes some christians in the primitiue church the papists and as we may thinke king Salomon with many others ioyned idolatry the worship of the true God together as it is said of the Samaritanes that they feared the Lord and worshipped idols 2. Kinges 17.41 yet these Samaritanes were not a Church for they did only in their mindes slauishly feare God but all their outward worship was done vnto idols Sect. 11. Of a Church corrupt in doctrine NOwe we are to enquire howe farre a people may be corrupt in doctrine and yet remain a Church Whereunto we answere as before that all they who hold the foundation of religion are to be counted a Church although together they be infected with many grieuous errours By the foundation of religion we doe not meane any one particular point no not the waightiest points or those which come nearest to the foundation it selfe but the generall and maine doctrine of Christianitie the which was before the comming of Châ—ist this I beleeue in the Messias who is to come of the seed of Dauid and since his comming it is this I beleeue that Iesus is Christ as the foundation of religion is defined by the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.11 The truth hereof may euidently appeare by considering the state of the visible Church before the comming of Christ especially as it was at the time of his comming in the which although God did reueale his will more clearely to some of his prophets people yet the church generally was altogether ignorant of the waightiest points of the Gospell as of Christ the trinitie two distinct natures the vnion of them of his offices death and resurrection Now although simple ignoraunce be not so grieuous a sinne as wilfull heresie neither an heresie before the comming of Christ as one since his comming yet in this respect they are all one for a man doth erre in that point which he doth not knowe holding the errour contrary to the said trueth Euen as the Iewes not knowing the heades of doctrine before named did alwaies in all ages and doe to this day so many as continue in vnbâ—leife deny the doctrine of the trinitie for they make but one person to wit God the father and the doctrine of the deitie of Christ thinking that the Messias should be a mere man they deny his offices thinking that he should be a temporall king onely and therefore they knewe not the doctrine of regeneration as we see in
each other and their generall affaires are so lincked together as that neither can be well ordered without respect had to the other as that we rather take it agreeable to the worde of GOD that the cheife stroke in this action be giuen vnto him For the further declaration hereof the making of lawes hath two partes the first is the counselling or aduising of them the second is the establishing or enacting of them both which as it seemeth belong to the ciuill ruler the first in parte the second wholly The enacting of the lawes is the making of them and therefore in the first place we will endeauour to shewe that those thinges which are aduised for the ordering of a publick Church haue both the name and the force of lawes from the ciuill power for first this must of necessititie be graunted to it in the first founding of the Câ—urch wherein we are to suppose that there are neither ministers nor any beleeuing people only the magistrate hauing the knowledge of the true God goeth aboute to bring the people thereunto The which thing he cannot do without making and establishing lawes for that purpose So that as we see it to be in other matters in that the ciuill ruler is the first and sole founder of these publick Churches he hath the power of enacting those lawes whereby the whole worke is both begun continued and preserued thus the Apostles being the first founders of the Churches did make lawes and constitutions for the ordering of them as we may see 1. Cor. 4.17 Where Paule witnesseth of himselfe that he did make the same coÌ„stitutions in al Churches In like manner the cheife rulers although they haue not Apostolicall callings offices and giftes yet for that in planting publick Churches they do supplie thier places we are to grant vnto them authority in this behalfe And as this poâ—er cannot be denyed to the magistrate in the first founding of a Church so whenas the Church is built his authoritie is not diminished or abated or giuen to any other but remaineth still in his owne handes The trueth whereof may be declared in this manner to make a lawgiuer there must these things concur First a publick calling whereby he hath care and câ—arge of the people to procure their good as by all other meanes so especially by giuing them good and righteous lawes by the which they may be ordered Secondly authoritie to command and also power to compell those who are rebellious to yeeld obedience vnto the said lawes The which thinges for so much as they are wanting in all others saue in the cheife ruler hereof it commeth to passe that the giuing of lawes cannot belong to any saue to him onely For the greater euidence of this point we are to consider to whom this making of ecclesiasticall lawes is giuen being denied to the ciuill ruler namely to the whole ministerie of the Church established who as they haue the ordering and ruling of the Church and the greatest measuâ—e of knowledge in these affaires so it may seeme most meete that the making of lawes be permitted vnto them For the answering whereof this is to be marked that we do not here enquire who aâ—e most meet to aduise ecclesiasticall lawes and to be admitted into consultation of them for we cannot doubt but that the ministers of the word are vsually most fit for this purpose but who hath this calling office and authority to make these lawes All which seeme to be wanting in the ministerâ— whose calling and office is to be in particular Churches the ministers of the word of prayer of the sacraments of discipline but not to be lawgiuers in the Church For so they should rule ouer it as Lordes which is forbidden 1. Pet. 5.3 yea they haue no power to make and authorize lawes no not in a priuate Church which is free from the ciuill power For although they beare the chiefest sway in this and in all other actions yet the lawes take their authoritie not from the ministers but from the whole bodie of the Church consisting of ministers and people But in a publicke Church this authoritie goeth from the people to the ciuill ruler by whose authoritie it is planted built and preferred the worde lawfully preached in great assemblies of the people the which otherwise were tumultes yea the positiue lawes of the Church authorized put in force So that in a priuate Church the state iâ— popular but in a publicke Church it is according to the ciuill state as namely monarchicall in the rule of one If any doe here obiect that definition of the office and duetie of a ruler which the people of Israel make 1. Sam. 8.20 saying We wil haue a king who shall iudge vs and fight our battailes for vs and thereof gather that he being otherwise busied cannot vse the meanes of attayning a sufficient measure of knowledge in ordering of the Church we answere that this people had no care but of worldly matters And further that there is no ruler in his owne person so continually imployed in ciuil or warlike affaires but that he may and ought to giue himselfe to the studie of the worde of GOD and to the vse of all men whereby he may be made able for the discharging of this duety to the Church The trueth of this pointe appeareth in the example of Iosua who had a more waightie and troublesome charge laide vpon him namely to bring the people of Israel into the land of Chanaan and to giue them quiet possession of it then any ruler hath in the ordinarie gouernment of his realme and yet the Lorde gaue him this commaundement in the first place Ios. 1.8 That the booke of the lawe should neuer depart from him but that he should meditate on it day and night If it be further asked why the Apostles neuer make mention of any such authority that princes should haâ—e in the church the answere is plaine to wit that there were no publicke Churches in their daies And therefore the ciuill ruler had no further to deale with them then to tolerate them within their dominions and to see that they liued in ciuill peace and order As touching the aduising of lawes although the ciuill ruler haue the authoritie of enacting them yet he ought to be very sparing and moderate in vsing it The which thing as it is necessarelie to be obserued in the ciuill gouernment of all rulers who desire to haue a quiet and peaceable estate so it is much more requisite in ordering the Churrch which ought to be ruled after a most gentle and milde manner euen as the prophet Esay doth teach vs saying that in the time of the gospell Kings Queenes shal be nourse-fathers and nourse-mothers to the Church that is they shall rule and order it not tyrannically by force and violence but in a louing and tender sort euen as we see nourses deale with young children The which affection a christian ruler
reuerenced and obeyed yet this is to be noted that this authority doth not stretch it selfe to any Churches saue only to those which ioyne themselues together in this kinde of gouernment or rather in this subiection And therefore a councell which is gathered out of all the Churches of some countrie or parte of the world cannot impose lawes vpon the Churches of other countries yea if in an oecumenicall councell any one Church should refuse to ioyne it selfe with the rest the lawes of that councell should not builde that one Church for councels haue no authoritie but ouer those Churches from the which they haue authority Sect. 2. Of whom councels may and ought to consist SEcondly we are to see of whom these councels ought to consist the answere is of men whom the common consent of the Churches ioyned together vnder this common gouernment doth in respect of the excellencie of their giftes to wit of zeale godlines wisdom learning experience faithfulnesse boldnesse diligence and such other graces requisite in this behalfe iudge fit for this purpose Here we haue two questions to answere The first is whether that any besides the ministers of the word ought to be of these councels the second is whether that a councell may conueniently consist wholly of those who are not ministers of the word For answere of both these questions we confesse that the ministers ought to be accounted most fit to be admitted into consultation of these waighty matters for that they ought not only to know the state and condition of the particular churches better the any other it being their calling and office to looke vnto them but also to be endued with more excellent giftes then are to be expected vsually in others yet these councels may lawfully according to the word of god coÌ„sist of others Yea the constitutions or decrees of such councels are no lesse to haue the force reuerence and obedience of ecclesiasticall lawes then if they had been made by a councell consisting wholly of ministers For it is in the power of the Churches which do consociatâ— themselues in this manner to delegate their authority to whom they will of what calling or condition soeuer he be For although the knowledge and care of the state of the Church and all other graces haue in corrupt times bene appropriated to the ministers the people being accounted ignorant and prophane idoles neither able nor worthy to deale with ecclesiasticall matters much lesse to iudge deterâ—ine and aduise of mattâ—rs of great importance yet we learne out of the worde and see it ratified by experience that the spirite of GOD and all spirituall graces do as well belong and are as often as plentifully yea some times in greater measure granted to other Christians then to the ministers of the word So that the ministers of the worde cannot challenge to themselues authority and abilitie to be the only doers in this action but must admitte into their company and consultation those of the people that are iudged fitte for this purpose yea although there be a sufficient nomber of ministers able to performe whatsoeuer is required in this behalfe yet it is diuers waies inconuenient that councels shoulde consist wholly of them For first we knowe that a great parte of these lawes do concerne the ministers themselues and the performance of their duties and functions wherein if there be any generall negligence want or ouersight and errour which is no straunge thing as they knowe who are acquainted with the histories and state of the Church who shal lay open the faulte make lawes for the redressing of it For although it may be supposed that they wil doe it of their owne accord yet it standeth not with their wisdome who haue the choosing of fit men for these councels to commit the matter wholly to them especially whenas the amending of the errour is against the credite commoditie or ease of the ministers yea it is not agreeable to any reason that they should appoint to themselues the duties and worke which they ought to doe and correct whatsoeuer is amisse therein for we know that most of all those corruptions wherewith the Church hath bene polluted and defaced these many ages haue bene both brougâ—t in and continued by the meanes of these councels consisting of ministers onely Besides this reiecting of the whole Church as vnfit to aduise any thing for their owne good is both iniurious to God who especially in this time of the Gospell poureth foorth his spirite with a full and indifferent hand on all his seruants that call vpon him so that his graces bestowed on the Church are as the oyntment which being poured vpon Aarons head ran downe euen to the skirtes of his garments and also reprochfull to the Church as being destitute of all spirituall wisdome and vnderstanding Lastly the excluding of all the people from councels maketh the lawes enacted by them to be vnwillingly receaued for that the ministers taking all the authoritie into their own handes doe easely incurre the suspition of tirannizing ouer the Church whereas the lawes would be readely obeyed without murmuring or repining if that some of the people had a hand in the making of them As touching the second question although a councell gathered about ecclesiasticall matters might lawfully consist wholly of those who are not ministers of the word yet it is seldome conuenient that this shoulde be put in practise for first the ordinary authority wherewith the ministers are endued in that they are the teachers and gouerners of the people although it be not sufficient to make lawes yet it requireth that they shoulde vsually beare the greatest sway in making those humane lawes whereby the Church should be gouerned yea by this meanes it commeth to passe that the lawes haue greater force and authoritie among the people then when they come from men otherwise meerly priuate Yea the state of many Churches is so that fewe men of other callings besides the ministers of the word giue themselues to the studie of the word of God or haue sufficient knowledge for this purpose thinking that it doth belong to ministers onely to know the manner of the worshippe of God and of the gouernment of his Church And if we doe suppose a flourishing state of a Church wherein knowledge doth abound not onely in the ministers but also among the people so as they are able to giue a sounde iudgement and good aduise in these waightie matters yet the ministers ought not to be excluded for if the people doe abound with knowledge it is like yea necessarie that the ministers be much more filled with all spirituall vnderstanding and wisedome yea it is seldom seene that others know the state of the Church and of the people which in making these lawes is chiefly to be regarded so wel as the ministers do who are coÌ„tinually exercised in looking vnto theÌ„ Sect. 3. Of the necessarie coniunction of particular Churches vnder the gouernment
of the same ciuill power THus much of the voluntarie coniunction of particular Churches vnder the gouernment of councels now followeth the necessarie coniunction of them so called because it is not in their power to shake off that common authoritie whereunto they are subiect This necessarie coniunction hath place then whenas diuerse particular Churches are tyed together in obedience to the same ciuill authoritie by the which they are ruled as hath beene declared in the former chapter Yea it may be seene almost in all publick Churches the which vsually consist of so great a number of professours as cannot possiblie be contained within the compasse of one Câ—urch for if any one populous citie doe generally professe the gospell it must of necessitie be deuided into diuers particular Churches much more a christian country nation or kingdome cannot but containe in it many particular Churches All which although they haue their proper rulers or teachers and orders as free Churches haue yet they haue also a common gouernment and lawes proceeding from the ciuill power to the obedience whereof they are all bound For in publicke Churches the ciuill power hath the greatest sway in gouerning by the which being one the whole Church and euery particular assembly is brought to a conformitie both in doctrine as also in gouernment yea it is requisite needfull that it should be so for otherwise if euery particular Church did differ from the rest in gouernment the whole Church could not be ordered without great trouble and confusion But yet this common gouernment of the magisâ—â—ate doth not take away the grouernment of particular Churches no more then the councels whereof we haue spoken do from free Churches This is to be done by the authoritie of the ciuill ruler yet by the aduise of others In the choise of whom as it is lawfull for the prince to call or passe ouer whom he thinketh meete or vnmeete so it will be conuenient for the good of the Church the which it is not lawfull for him eyther wholly to neglect or lightly to regard to call of all sortes of men those who are endued with best giftes yet so that some be had out of euery particular Church as if they were free Churches And especially the ministers of the word are to be called for the reasons declared in the former section when they by his authoritie are gathered together he is to take vnto himselfe the ruling of the whole action vnlesse it be needful that he delegate his authoritie to some other and by praying for the blessing of God vpon their consultations declaring the cause of their meeting to begin it Then he is to propound in the first place those wants faults and corruptions of the Ch. which he himselfe hath obserued would haue supplied and taken away to shewe the manner how he thinketh it most meet to be done which being done he is to giue liberty to euery one present to speake their mindes freely of those things which he hath propounded as also of any other thing which they thinke good for the Church that which is agreed vpon doth appeare to al or to the most of them right meete to be decreed he is to establish giuing vnto it the vertue of an ecclesiastical law the which the whole Ch. ought to obey That which cannot be agreed vpon is to be deferred to another time of meeting which ought to be somuch the sooner as the matters controuersed are of greater importance for more mature deliberation with themselues and others will make that cleare and euident which before was doubtfull If there be any thing which neyther can be agreed vpon by the consent of the greater part neither yet deferred without great hurt to the Church the chiefe ruler may with the consent of some of the councell decree and enact that which they thinke needfull to be done Yet he is not to vse this authority in this manner but vpon vrgent necessitie for many inconueniences do follow the enacting of ecclesiasticall laweâ— without the full consent of the councell yea the suspitioÌ„ of tyrannizing ouer the Ch. of God is by al meanes to be auoyded In regard wherof many christian Emperors rulers did resigne their authoritie which they had in gouerning the ch to these councels insomuch that they had the ful power not only of aduising lawes but also of enacting or the giuing vnto them the force of laws But as hath bene shewed this mâ—y easely turne to the hurt of the Ch. and therefore it ought not wholly to bâ— followed yet it sheweth how great regard ciuil rulers ought to haue of the iudgement aduise of those who are godly wise and learned in the ordering of the Churches subiect vnto them And therefore that which the councell thinketh good to be done or the greater part of them ought to be greatly regarded Yet if the chiefe ruler cannot be brought to giue his assent vnto it it cannot haue the force of an ecclesiastical lawe or be imposed vpon the whole Ch. in that name As touching the number wherof any national councel doth consist there caÌ„not any be defined but it must be left to the appointmeÌ„t of the chief ruler to whom the deposing authorizing of this whole action doth belong Yet it ought to be proportionable to the quantity of the Ch. to the number of the particular Churches so that if some be had out of euery one of theÌ„ it wil make the lawes enacted to be much more willingly receaued obeyed whenas it shal be knowen that some of theÌ„ selues did in the name of the rest consent vnto them And especially this is requisite in respect of the chiefe end and vse of these councels both in free and publicke churches whereof we will briefly speake The which is to bring the whole Church to a conformitie of doctrine this is needfull and good to be done and that for these causes first for the repressing of heresies which doe continually arise in the Church For the which purpose the generall consent of the Church is very forcible for eyther the consent and iudgement of the whole Church will be of great waight to take the said heresies out of the mindes of those who doe maintaine them or else the authoritie by which the trueth oppugned is publickly established will be able to remooue the maintainers of them out of the Church Secondly this forme of doctrine agreed vpon by many will be effectuall to strengthen and confirme those who are weake in the faith and not fully grounded in some pointes of christian religion Yea it may be a meanes to helpe forward those who haue not as yet taken vpon them the profession of the gospel Not that we ought to build our faith vpon the authority of men but for that we ought to take from the Church a confirmation of our faith seeing we may be greatly helped and strengthned by this meanes And lastly this forme of
euils was in their owne wickednesse and idolatrie in that they did forsake the true worship of God and therefore God did forsake them and tooke from them their iudges in whose daies they liued in religious order and peaceable estate And so the people according to that which is written Iudg. 9.13.14.15 forsooke the vine the figtree and the oliue tree euen God the fountaine of all blessinges and saide to the brier come and raigne ouer vs and we will trust in thy shadowe For to haue a king and to trust in his power doe vsually goe together Rom. 15.12 He shal raigne ouer them and they shall trust in him Thirdly the people in the pride of their heartes did despise the gouernment of the iudges as base and contemptible for that howsoeuer it was mightie in the power of the spiritte of GOD yet it had not that outwarde shew of glorie and maiestie which the stately Monarchies of other nations did carie with them The last sinne which they committed in this action we call by the generall name of disobedience for that contrarie to the expresse commaundement of God they had a crooked and peruerse desire to be transformed into all the fashions of the prophane nations amongest whome they dwelt as in all other respectes so also in their gouernment and therefore they â—id affect a kingdome which was the most vsuall kinde of gouernment Thus we see why God was offended with this alteration of the state as for the gouernment it selfe he did neuer mislike it for although he suffered it to be brought in by this cooked meanes yet he did alwaies purpose that it shoulde be established as may plainlie appeare by these reasons First for that he promised Abraham Gen. 17.6 That of his seede should come kings and nations the which is to be vnderstood chiefly of this faithfull nation of the Iewes although beside them others came of Abraham Secondly Moses did foretell this Deut. 17. That assoone as the people were quietly possessed of the lande of Chanaan they would haue a king to raigne ouer them But this doth most euidently apppeare by the prophesie of Iacob who saith Genesis 49. That the rodde shall not departe from Iuda nor a Lawe-giuer cease to be of his ofspringe till Silo come and vnto him shall be the obedience of the people Nowe this cannot be vnderstoode of the iudges for of them all onely Othoniell was of the tribe of Iuda Yea GOD did alwaies purpose that Christe shoulde succeede the kinges of Israell in the kingdome for the wordes are plaine and the euente hath shewed it to be true that of the tribe of Iuda should come the Lion and the Lions whelpe that is the stately kingdome of Israell and the continual discent thereof yea the great lion the little lion that is the Messias the great eternaâ—l king of glory and the temporall and earthly kings of Israel For this cause the most plaine and euident promises which God made of the messias were deferred vntil the time of the kings were made to Dauid who in this respect is to be counted the first king and therefore is called Math. 16. Dauid the King that is the first king of the forefathers of Christ as hath beene alreadie touched And lastly this gouernment may seeme in some sort to be the more acceptable to God because it doth most liuelely represent the power and maiesty of God for although all magistrates doe beare the image of God yet they chiefely doe it whose authoritie being absolute and their glorie great come nearest to the infinite power and glorie of God As touching the lawfulnes of this kinde of gouernement although it be inferred of the former point for whatsoeuer is acceptable to God ought to be accounted lawful for vs yet it may briefly be considered by these reasons for that this gouernment was set vp by the appointment of God and that by Samuel a faithful prophet and so accounted of al Israel yea for that it was practised by Dauid a man according to Gods owne hearte by Salomon the glorie of the worlde by Asa Iehosophat and other religious kinges by good Ezechias and by zealous Iosias who would neuer haue born this office if the kinde of gouernment had beene in any respect vnlawfull the exception which is vsually taken against this kinde of Monarchie is as touching the greatnesse of the power maiesty of it in this manner that howsoeuer the prophane nations of the world doe suffer tyrantes to spoyle them of their liberty and whatsoeuer they haue yea and doe foolishly in the pride of their heartes desire such a loftie gouernment yet that in the Church of God it is a thing both intollerable altogether vnlawfull that one should so haue all the power in his owne hands that he may at his pleasure ouerthrowe all or that a great part of the substance of the land should be imployed to maintaine him in his iolitie vpon sumptuous buildings costly attyre dainty fare great rewardes and other thinges of the same kinde which would serue for many necessarie vses both of the Church and of the commonwealth For answere heereof we are farre from going about to perswade any people which liue vnder a moderate gouernment by this wicked example of this people to affect or desire this estate yea we leaue it to others to determine whether it be the most conuenient kinde of gouernment in respect of the Church of God and the safe constance and good estate of it yet we doe not doubt to affirme that it was a lawful kinde of gouernment among the Iewes and may lawfully be practised amongest Christians at this day For howsoeuer some kindes of gouernment and magistracy are conuenient or inconuenient safe or dangerous yet this and all other kindes are to be accounted lawfull For there is no power but from God and all the powers which are haue beene instituted by God Rom. 13.2 and especially of this gouernment now in question we may see Daniel 5.18.19 that God doth professe himselfe to be the author and giuer of it for there it is saide O King God gaue Nabuchadnezzer thy father a kingdome then followeth a description of the nature of a kingdom euen maiesty honour and glorie he slewe wâ—ome he woulde and smote whome he would he aduanced and debased whom he pleased Now that we see that this kinde of gouernment was acceptable vnto God we are in the second place to consider how farre it was subiect vnto him For the which point it shal be sufficient that we know that as al other powers authorities principalities and dominions whatsoeuer they be whether in heauen or in earth so also this kingdome was wholy absolutely subiect to God and to his power and bound to obey his will and commaundementes and to set forth his glory in all things as it is written in the 17. of Deutronomie that the king whensoeuer he were made shoulde take an excript of the
Necodemus a maister in Israell Iho. 3.10 Neither did they looke so much for forgiuenes of sinnes and eternall life by the Messias thinking to be iustified by keeping the law as for temporall commodities And lastly they denied the doctrine of the death of Christ for they held that the Messias should not dy Iohn 12.34 That these and other such errours were popular and common in the Church of the Iewes we may both gather out of their saying recorded by the euangelists as also by their continuall silence in these matters the which we doe not reade that any of them doe mention vppon any occasion And lastly by the open confession of the Iewes in all ages since the comming of Christ. For it is plaine that they holde euen to this day those opinions which they receaued from their auncestours and were commonlie helde of that nation Notwithstanding all which errours we thinke as it is generally thought that the people of the Iewes professing generally faith in the Messias to come were then the true Church and the people of God but this confession will not serue now in the time of the Gospell to make them a Church because they doe reiect Christ himselfe in his very person As for the hereticall Churches since the time of the gospell as the Church of Arians papists or any other maintaining grieuous errours contrarie to the worde of God it seemeth that they are to be accounted the Churches of God because they doe all hold the foundation of the Gospell which is faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God and the sauiour of the world CHAP. VIII Of a Priuate Church Sect. 1. What a priuate Church is HItherto we haue entreated in generall of a particular church now we are to speake of the kindes of it which are two in number to wit priuate publick A priuate Church is a company of Christians seruing God together in the midst of infidels or there where the whole multitude or the whol body of the people generally publickly considered abideth in infidelity Of this kind of churches we haue many examples First from the beginning vntill the daies of Moses in all which time the Churches were priuate Secondly after the nation of the Iewes did cease from bâ—ing a Church for from their comming out of Egipt vntill the time wherein they reiected christ and the gospel they were a publick church til the dayes of Constantine the great all the chuâ—ches of the christans were priuate For we doe not read of any one citie or countrie within al that time being about .300 yeares did publickly embrace the gospell but a fewe in respect of the infidels in this and that citie as in Ierusalem Antioch Corinth Rome and the rest So that al the churches planted by the Apostles Euangelists or any other in the first ages of the gospel were priuate Thirdly of this kinde are those churches at this day if there be any such which are amongst the Turkes or any other kind of infidels Out of the which examples we may gather that the cause of this priuat estate of the church was in the first ages of the world the smal nuÌ„ber of the tru worshippers of God is in these latter ages the infidelitie of magistrates who being themselues infidels do not go about to bring their subiects to the faith but are perhaps content to tolerate the same within their dominions and that for some ciuill respect as namely to make their cities and countries more resorted vnto for encrease of the tribute due vnto them for the preseruation of peace or for some other such consideration Lastly the cheife cause of these priuate Churches is to be taken from the very nature of the Gospell the which being contrary to mans reason is hardly beleeued and therefore it is vsually receaued only of a fewe As it is written Rom. 10.16 who hath beleeued our report that is very fewe in respect of the infidels do beleeue the doctrine of the Gospell For howsoeuer the force of ciuill authoritie and other outward respects make the gospell to be generally receaued in many places yet this generall profession is contrary to the nature of the gospell the which hardly and seldome is truly receaued as hath bene said But here it may easely be obiected that no Church can be called priuate seing that we haue here before defined a church in generall by the publick seruice of God We answere confessing that euerie church is publick in respect of the seuerall members of it yea although it be in a priuate house or family or in the most secrete corner that can be And yet a church contained within a priuate place and consisting of a small company may truly and fitly be called priuate in respect of that Church which consisting of the whole body of the people doth not lurke in a corner but is openly established amongst all and in euerie place Yet the ministerie of the word and al other actions of such a church are to be counted publick and not priuate So that this kinde of Churches is called priuate from the subiect because they are in priuate places but the subiect of the other kindes is a publick citie or countrie Sect. 2. Of the the specials in planting a publicke Church NOW that we see what a priuate Church is we are in the next place to come to the specials in the planting of it And first we are to declare by whom this kinde of Church ought to be founded as for the secondarie workers to wit the ministers of the worde we haue spoken of them in the generall treatise of planting a Church So that here we are to search out â—he first workers in this action who are the chiefe in that they begin the worke and procure the ministrie of the worde The answere is that euery man may be the chiefe and first builder of a Church so farre foorth as his calling power and authority doth stretch So that in this case priuate men may be lawfully and are vsually the first and chiefe builders Yea it is not onely lawfull but that wherunto the duetie which we owe both to God to seeke his glory and to men to seeke their saluation doth necessarelie binde vs that if God giue vs occasion the Church standing in neede of our helpe we be not wanting in this behalfe For so we are to vnderstande that this is to be done whenas the Câ—urch is destituâ—e of christian magistrates and likewise of other gouâ—rnours and teachers As it is in those places where eyther there is no Câ—â—rch aâ— all or else so decayed that there remâ—inâ—th nothing but the professiâ—n of religion amongest some fewe In the which case it is lawfull for any christian whom God hath endued with the zeale of his glorie and the saluation of his brethren and also witâ— some measure of knowledgâ— how this thing ought to be done to labour both in bringing tâ—ose who are infidels to the