Truth that in a word all who are Great Rational and Spiritual in the Kingdom would give their hearts and minds to the most just verity One may observe in the Debates of Religion that which falls out in all other quarrels One never yields to declared Enemies till after they have tryed the misfortune of Armes and then the Submission increaseth the rage of the Over-come and begets such grudges as are the Fathers or Children of desperate Actions but in a Cessation of Fight they speak together they hear one another they joyn their Interests and every one hath time to do Justice to himself and others If we could have in France so sweet a way to perfect Peace we should see a miraculous effect and sooner than one could believe of this desired Unity because every one being dis-engaged from the Authority of Strangers without fearing to be punished by the Kings Orders would bind himself willingly to his Natural Prince who is most Christian rather than to tye himself to the Roman Monarch who appears very jealous and hard to be served and so not parting their Hearts they would Unite their Souls If a French-man were in necessity of having a Dispensation for Marriage would he not be content rather to obtain it of the King than to buy it of Rome especially when in these days they cost four times more than ordinary to make war against Candia I believe not but that Pastors Ordained by the Kings Authority and Canonically received by the Churches would be as satisfactory and as fully Authorized as by the Power of Rome and when we shall have well thought upon the establishment of this sweet Agreement the Fruits which it will produce will be found to be the very things which the King desires for his People 28. This matter of Religion having been discoursed where there were many of both Religions one approved the thoughts of a person who maintained that the Roman-Catholiques whose minds are not cruelly inclined are more easily bent to the Reformed Piety than the Reformed to the Romish Religion The 1st Reason is that it is more easy to cease believing that which is uncertain than to begin to believe that which appears to be false for example I give you the Creed of the reality of the Body and Blood of Christ of the only and Supreme authority of the Pope of Purgatory and of the glory of the Saints departed whom they pray to The reality of Christs being carnally in the bread is so uncertain that it depends upon the well-making of the bread the right Ordination of the Priest upon the true Pronuciation of the Words upon the fixed attention of the Priest all these necessary conditions are only Supposed or believed by a Charitable Faith The Supream Authority of the Pope depends upon his lawful Election which is often so obscure and appears so clearly defective or so openly Criminal that many Decades of years have passed in which one knew not which Pope to obey if there were two chosen and where there is but one Simony is so ordinary that all Popes are Suspected of it Purgatory is proposed as a place in the hollow of the earth holy Authority speaks not a word of it the Ancients Creed speak nothing of it the Greek Church despiseth it eyes cannot see it reason cannot understand it the perfect grace of Christ doth not favour it The vision of Souls who come again cloathed in White or Red is much Suspected for a cheat and convicted of extravagancy this Mystery hath nothing more certain than the fear it gives the people and the good it brings to the Priests The glory of the souls departed to whom they pray cannot be known but by a popular opinion which hath but little discerning or by particular perswasions which may seduce by freindship or by Canonization of the Pope which may be deceived by a false report The mind of a Roman-Catholique finding in its self these proofs to be so uncertain as well in the Essentials as Circumstatials will have much less a do to deny his full consent than a Protestant to give his because Reason and Faith will fly uncertainties and cannot seek for them nor love them the second Reason is that Roman-Catholiques do believe all that which the Protestant do positively avow in respect of God of Jesus Christ of the blessed Virgin of the life and death eternal and generally of all mysteries universally received in all Churches where Christ is worshipped as God and known as a Redeemer In this common belief it is more easie for rational minds tolimit themselves to this Faith so ancient and general than to encrease it by Articles of humane faith which hath not the principles nor just Characters of divine Authority The third Reason is that the Roman Catholick may have the same comfort of Spirit by the Protestant Religion having laid aside the mysteries which are added to the Primitive Faith that which the Protestants may not do when they go to the Roman Communion A Christian soul may comfort it self without the reality of Flesh if it unites it self Spiritually to Jesus Christ by having respect to him knowledg of him and a sincere Love for him One is more satisfied to believe the grace of God capable to carry our souls to Heaven than to leave them at the bottom of a lake of fire The heart is more content to Establish its faith obedience and its good workes upon the Law and words of the Gospel then upon the Politiques of the Decretals and upon the Engin du droit Canon Prayers have much more justice and confiance when they are addressed to God who sees understands and fathoms all things than if they are carried at randome by the Imagination to get the favour of a Saint whose state is unknown to us These three Reasons which I set down amongst many of the same force prove that the Roman-Catholiques not being corrupted by the advantage of the World nor upheld by the power of a Soveraign or animated by violent passions are easily carried to the Approbation of that Faith Piety with which the Protestants content themselves But the Protestant cannot without violence or without interest submit to all the particulars of the Roman Faith because they make the Spiritual adoration carnall the Spirit of God the material Body of Christ Faith in God Fear Certainty Dubious Divinity humanity Pure and Efficacious grace a defective and weak merit 29. Let us not trouble our selves to dispute to which way pious Reason would turn if it were at full liberty whatsoever inspiration one might pretend to have to presage it is the event that must make the Prophecy known But to see some effects in favour of this desired Unity The intire liberty of the two Religions will make the only overture to this Royal design and then considering no body but the King next to the Majesty of God they will lose the fears which the thunder of the Vatican
Punishments which make the People fear the effects of its violence judg consequently what is the Conclusion of the interested hypocritical Party who leave the Princes but a mean power of making themselves to be obeyed in taking away from them the care of Godliness which is the strongest and most sure power The fear of Punishment may hinder the riseing of rebels but true Religion will stifle the design and not admit a thought of it 11. When a Monarch understands that a good Conscience is the strongest and most assured Principle to hold the Subjects in a sweet obedience and when he is perswaded that minds which are Led or conducted by true Piety stifle all the motions of Rebellion by the fear of the judgments of God his own interest with the publique peace will engage him to take care to establish Religion which hinders them from committing actions of disobedience The well fare of his State and the quiet of his Person ought to make him act so judiciously as not to permit that pretence to Religion should imprint in the minds of his People a false Godlyness which inclines them to despise his Person and Ordinances under pretence of revengeing Gods quarrel and protecting the interest of the Church The Age in which we live as well as those which have gone before us have proved what dreadfull effects false interested Piety have produced against our Kings and on the contrarie the holy History and some Chronicles of State shew us how much a good Conscience and true Religion are respectfull to their King even in the hearts of those Subjects who are harshly treated by them David being unjustly persecuted by his prince Saul might have found an occasion to take away his life secretly in the darkness of a Cave but his good Conscience obliged him to respect an unjust enemy of whom he might have rid himself if he had not feared to offend against the justice of God after the mischance or rather the decree of the judgment of God that caused Saul to perish Conscience alone produced and governed by a true Religion obliged David to weep for it and to reveng the death of that wicked Prince whom God himself had rejected Religion truly Christian counsels such practices of patience and goodness with which he King ought to be satisfied but that Religion which perswades co contrary maximes is dangerous and the King may render himself judg of it at least he may believe himself master in his own house without being subject to those who would limit his power and who teach the common people to watch for an opportunity of revolting and disobedience Charles the 8th being at Rome in the time of Pope Alexander the 6th of the house of Borgir who became an odious hated wicked man was intreated by all the Cardinals except two to defend the holy Church against the violence of that Pope who was rather a successor of Judas then of St. Peter and given more to the Alcoran than to the Gospel There are no true and natural French men who will contest with the King the power of repressing the boldness of those pretended Devoto's who teach that Kings Excommunicated by the Pope are no more Kings and that they are no more any thing to their subjects being nothing to the Pope I dare not Speak the rest it being so full of horror see the Censure of Sorbonne against Vernant and Guimenaeus Can one believe that Lewis the 12th had no right to suppress the wicked doctrine and hector like piety off Julius 2d who committed so many wickednesses against the quiet of this excellent Prince that he caused to be stamped upon his coin I will destroy the whore of Babylon The King of Navar John 2d deposed by the same Pope ought he in his condition to detest or adore the Religious thoughts of this very Pope told him by a Spanird in these words I must aid the King of Spain and employ my two Swords both Spiritual and temporal against France and Navar who are enemies to all honest people Pope Sixtus the 5th was resolved to Excommunicate Henry King of Navar and Henry Prince Conde his Bull said that he would draw the sword of Vengeance against Henry late King of Navar and Henry Prince of Conde a Bastard and Detestable Generation that he did declare them and their Successors to be deprived of all their Lordships Lands and Dignities Had not these Princes some right to resist this violence and cause to be Preached one to his Subjects and the other to his Vassals that Religion and Conscience obliged them not to follow the Passions and Usurpations of this Roman Bishop Royal Dignity is of a larger extent than vulgar thoughts can apprehend and beyond the limits which the Ambitious and Covetuous men do prescribe it for their own advantage by an affected or ignorant malice This Royal greatness is joyned to the Pontifical by a kind of necessity from which it cannot be parted neither by Reason nor Conscience and though the King doth not execute actually the functions of it yet he ought to render them so really effected that true Judgment and Power should maintain them and put them in good order The animated heats against my Proposition opposeth the punishment of King Hozias when he offered Incense upon the Altar of perfumes but those who consider his crime will find that he offended by neglect or by Pride against an express order Established by Divine Authority which ordained that the Levites only should serve in the Ministry excluding every other Family and Person whether Royal or not If this Prince had commanded the Sacrifices and Incense to be performed as God had ordered him I do not believe that he had been reproved either by God or Man My notion proves it self by the words of the high Priest which attributes to the King only the sin of contradicting Gods order in these words 2 Chron. 26.18 It appertaineth not unto thee to burn Incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are Consecrated to burn Incense in the 4. Chap. of Numb you may see the Law expresly So Uzza not being of the Family of Levi was stricken by God because he stretched forth his hand to touch and bear up the Ark 1 Chron. 13.9 These examples cannot prove but that a Christian King may have the care of Religion and of the Law of God The Head and Finisher of our Faith Jesus Christ the Son of the living God hath not bound the exercises of Religion to some particular people conditions all those who have Authority do not sin if they imploy it in the Service of the all-powerful God if a Father oweth this justice to his Children a King certainly is ingaged to it for his Subjects Do you think that the King doth commit an Injustice against God when he causeth Justice to be Executed among men 12. Since all which I have shewed proveth that the King may and ought
resemblance of being the Principles of good Morality and Piety they know that Divine Will ought to Govern and Rule these Vertues and then they may believe and conclude that all practices established by Humour or by the Interest of Men are Ambiguous Incertain Indifferent or Criminal And that Prince who bears a good Mind as well as a good Sword may as well judg of Religion as of War St. Paul himself tells us that the Spiritual man discerns all things But without going to spiritual exactness I have seen Peasants brought up in the labour of the fields who being born with good Wit despise many Grotesque Devotions and could distinguish with a solid judgment There is much reason to believe that if his Majesty would imploy his excellent Wit about the two Religions exercised in his Kingdom he would discern with an exact clearness the Good from the Evil the Necessary from the Superfluous Divine from Humane the True from the Dubious the Hypocritical from the Sincere the Dangerous from the Useful the Material from the Spiritual and the Rational from the Brutal A regular mind easily seeth that which raiseth him to Heaven or that which amuseth him upon the Earth 24. It is certain that his Majesty may discern without any great difficulty the form of that Religion which falls under the knowledg of a good natural judgment but to satisfie himself more fully he may command experienced men who are capable of greater labours to represent to him chat which is Old and New Christian and Roman Apostolical and Pontifical to the end his Majesty may be able to discern what is established by the Antiquity of the Apostles and all that which is added by a Modern Antiquity This Representation cannot be done but by minds very laborious and knowing in both Religions and whose Souls are sincere and generous They ought also to consider the respect they owe to their Prince and repay his kindness with a solid sincerity by this means one shall find that nothing is more ancient than that which is most true and that which doth appear most true will be best maintained and defended 25. I consider in the Oeconomy of this Peace both Royal and Heavenly that the difficulty must be but mean upon the Propositions disputed in the Schools by Divines on either side as the mysteries of Justification the grace of Praedestination this Controversie may raise divers Opinions and yet leave men Friends But the worst Obstacle is of Practices Customs and outward Devotions which appear of great moment to the Vulgar when as they are looked upon but as low things and indeed but tricks by Wise men The Roman-Catholick doth not believe that there can be either Piety or Christianity where he finds not Images Ornaments Ceremonies Processions and Pompous Appearances He accounts nothing worthy enough for his Adoration nor real for his Salvation if one does not perswade him that Christ in the flesh is kept in a box in the Church He is much a slave to Custom and believes that the Sacraments and Service administred privately and in an unknown Language where they hear the voice only without understanding the words begets more Reverence His mind is so ill-dispos'd by this Custom that he imagines that all will be in a disorder if the King should declare himself next under God as well Protector of Religion as of Justice and because of the loud and continual bawlings of the Emissaries of Rome He imagins that God will not remain in France if the Pope should not be Mediator between Christ and the King to keep them Friends without thinking that St. Peter who writ plainly saith that he that honoureth the King sheweth his fear to God whereby he declareth the near Relation between God and the King for he writes Fear God and Honour the King Such is the disposition of the Roman-Catholick from whence follow such Practices Devotions and Customs which cannot be taken from it without its destruction and one feels as much pain when one plucks away an unprofitable and idle excrescence from the flesh as in cutting off a Member which is very serviceable to the body The Protestant hath a Soul inclined quite another way He seeks God with a Worship of Spirit and Truth He believes not his Faith divinely Established but by the Word of God nor the equity of his Conscience well regulated but only by the Law of God He seeks not the flesh of Jesus Christ upon the Earth but his Spirit and his Grace He Worships him as he is in Heaven not by the Image of his body but in respect of his Divinity he can easily pass by Images and Statues looking upon them as false Representations and very unprofitable to solid Pâ—etâ— If he esteems the Right of the Church and the Decency of it in the external practice of Religion he despises the multitude of Proud Ceremonies and the glittering of so many affected Ornaments He believes not that the Popes Authority is necessary for the French Church He saith confidently that the Gallique Church may stand without the Roman and that she can never render her self more just and happy than by banishing strange Power He looks upon the King as the Head of Justice which is principally established by the Divine Laws that Sovereigns who are according to Gods own heart ought to know and cause to be observed the Law of God without turning either to the right or to the left hand with this disposition of mind so different between the Roman-Catholiques and French Protestants if divers Opinions remained in the mind only without breaking forth they would not produce dreadful Enmities and those Obstacles which are so hard to be overcome but when one endeavours to draw a Roman-Catholick from his painted Devotions and oblige a Protestant to conform to them they suffer frightful Vexations if they be constrained and can hardly take any Resolutions except they are brought to them by Reasonings and Perswasions 26. I have known the thoughts of many rational minds even of the Roman-Catholiques who believe that the King would do an act of Wise Bounty if he would permit without any reserve the satisfaction of Consciences without shewing any aversion either to Protestants or Papists provided that all would dwell in a mutual Peace without malediction or quarelling This State of Cessation would be a principle of Peace and all the World would be contented if his Majesty would not permit that any one of his Subjects should be debarred from bearing Offices and Honours that those of either Religion may live without trouble and disquiet in the Service due to his Majesty By this Liberty we should all have a Peaceable Conversation and a Charming Commerce the heats of disputes animated by Hatreds would cease they would become Conferences of Friendship by which every one might be Instructed Aversion which disorders the blood should have no more force against the calme lights of our minds and all would be so agreeably disposed to
see already you may conclude easily by the train of our Experiences that if his Majesty desires one only Religion in France he desires a very good thing 6. I cannot easily bear the Opinion of those who endeavour to maintain that it doth not belong to Kings to intermeddle with Religion as if Piety and Holiness were not used by great Ones This apprehension is False most Unjust and most Malicious it is the daughter of a wicked Politician of an interested Cabal or of down-right and crafty Tyrany Then Kings suffer themselves to be Cheated when they are perswaded that all that which has regard to Devotion is no part of their Empire nor subjected to their Government This Maxime appeares very sweet to those who would render themselves Monarchs over Kings by the pretences of Piety the least incroaching upon this matter stirs up and animates their jealousie The Cardinal of Perroun being yet but the Bishop of Everuse was in election to have publick conference with Du Plessis Mornay the Popes Nuntio Bishop of Modena went to King Henry the fourth and told him that this action of deputing Comissaries in the matters of Religion was of Ecclesiastique Authority and he beseeched his Majesty not to be surprised at the request which he made to him The King contented him with assuring him that no one should treat of the Fundamentals of Religion but of some little things only Popes have never been more stirred up against the Emperour Charles the fifth and consequently against Ferdinand his brother and Successor then by the cares which they had taken to reconcile the Estranged sentiments of Religion the Roman court maintained that these vertuous designs were ranked among wicked Enterprises and rebellious Rashness The shortness of a Letter will not suffer mee to write the Resolves of this Debate I will only tell you something of it to satisfy mine own mind as well as yours The first practises of the World let us see that the heads of Families were the Princes and Priests of them The two first sons of Adam who were Princes of the two great Families of the World were both Priests although by a secret of divine Providence that of Abel was extinguished in his person it was repaired by the birth of Seth continued by Enoch and by all those who were named the race or children of God After the ruine by the deluge Noah remained Prince of his Family did the office of a Preist and before that severe vengeance of the flood he is represented to us as a Herauld of justice who condemned the World by preaching against the wickedness of it Was not Abraham Father Prince and Priest of his Family he was found worthy to receive this praise in a strange Land by the principal men of the Countrey Thou art among us a Prince of God In the same Age the Prince of Salem bore the title Melchizedeck King of justice and he is signefied to us as a Priest of the most high God They say that God separated these two Governments after the going out of Egypt giving the politique to Moses and the care of holy things to Aaron This Objection is ill grounded for two Reasons the first is because Moses and Aaron were of the same Family and Brother-Germanes so these two Powers were in a manner in the same person and secondly Moses who according to this opinion was in the quality of King to govern the Politique did he not meddle with that of Religion He who censured Aaron vigorously after his sinfull compliance to the Golden-Calfe who caused the Idol to be broke to Pouder and made it be disesteemed by those who had adored it who received and gave all the orders for the building of the Tabernacle and for the regulating of the Sacrifices and who condemned and punished him who was found carrying wood on the holy day of Rest Moses took these cares and these Authorities In the process of time the Kings of Judah who have had the knowledg and zeal of Religion have they not medled with it Joash Ezekias Aza and Josias did they not break the Idols to pieces cause the Law of God to be searched for and re-establish the true service of the antient Religion appointed by the voice of God himself 7. But to come to the times of the Gospel Jesus head and finisher of our Faith did not take his birth according to the flesh in the Tribe of Levi but in that of Judah and in the house of David where is found the Royal Dignity of the Hebrews and he who ought to be eternal Priest according to the order of Melchizedeck hath willed that his Pontifique grandeur be in some manner ingrafted upon the Royal they published his Birth they took off the shame of his Death by the title of King himselfe taking the quality of it when he answered those who asked him Art thou King c. Yes I am It is then true that the care of Priests and Kings cannot be judged incompatible but it behooveth us to take singular notice of this splendid Alliance and of the miraculous conduct of God in it We find not that Priests have become Kings and presumptiously sought after Empires but we find that Princes by their Birth or by the Election of Divine Providence have been ordained Priests God hath not permitted that high Priests should be made Kings to increase their Vanity but that Princes or Sovereigns should take upon them the Pontifical care and title to enlarge and crown their Piety Paganisme it self never saw the Roman Priests raised to an Empire but the Emperours were bound with the Title and Authority of Priests we may see in ancient Medals they did Engrave Tib. Nero Pont. Max. Traj Imper. Pont. Max. Heliogabalus summus sacerdos in Rev. 5.10 he hath made us Kings and Priests 8. I do not pretend to maintain that all Kings ought to joyn to their soveraign Empire all the actual performances of the Ministry of God but I cannot but believe that they ought to have a most diligent care to maintain it with Purity or to re-establish it after any introduced Corruption Joshua was neither of the Family nor of the actual office of Priests nevertheless from that very time that the holy History represents to us his Employ which was to conduct the people in War it gives us also to know the commandment which God gave him to study the divine Law without ceasing and to turn neither to the left nor right Hand he performed consequently all the actions of a Prince who took care of Religion he said to the Peoples Sanctifie your selves he ordered all the preparation for the Ark and the Priests in going to Jordan he commanded them by order from God himself that they should raise up a heap of Stones for a Pious Memorial of Gods Goodness and he Ehxorted the People to to serve God with thankfulness After that Christianity had tasted the Pleasure of Quietude for some Years did not
Constantine the Great order the Bishops to assemble at Nice where he himself sate President in person the Bishops of those times made no Scruple of proposing Eclesiastiques to the Prince since they presented him with an Account of all their Disputes and though he would not judg of them but cast the Writings into the Fire yet his great Discretion was a prudent Management of his Grandeur either to Confound or Convert them Those that shall read that which passed in the Churches some Ages after will see that the Sovereign-Authority of Princes hath regulated the conduct of Synods after they had assembled them the Emperour Arcadius sent Count Candigian to Rule in his Name the Synod at Ephesus that of Chalcedon had for its Soveraign President the Emperour Mortian or the Commissaries whom he Deputed and that of Constantinople held in the Imperial Palace was governed by the order of Constantine Le-Barbu the Emperour The celebrated Author of the History of the Councel of Trent specified all these passages to draw this conclusion in the second Book that it was a custom very proper where they governed with Liberty which was when the world was without a Pope il che come e un uso molto proprio diove si Governa in Liberta quale era all hora quando il mondo era senza Papa When the Empire of the West was governed by the house of France Charlemaing the Emperour preserved his Power Gloriously which his Successors have lost by too much yielding The Acts of the Council of Mayence held in the Year 813 under the Authority of that Emperour began with these Words to Charles Augustus Governor of the true Religion and Frotector of the Holy Church of God Another Council held at the same Place gave the same Title to Lewis the Emperour surnamed the Debonair and in the Records of the Synod named Francisque we may read the procedings of Carloman under the title of Duke Prince of the French who spoke in this manner we have ordained Bishops in every City and have Established over them the Arch-Bishop Boniface All those who have any knowledg in History know that the Bishops of Rome whom they give out and believe at present to be so soveraignly Soveraign have written to the Emperours as to their Masters and asked Pardons or Favours intreated to have Synods in the stile of humble Suppliants We read that the Emperour Charlemaign took without contradiction the liberty of chusing the Bishops of Rome The Books of Stella Platin and of Sigonius testify that this right was preserved a long time after When the Empire passed into the house of Saxony Otho deposed Pope John the Thirteenth and put Leo the Eighth in his Place and another Otho caused the Eyes of John the Seventeeth to be put out because he resisted Bruno a Germane named Gregory the Fifth which the Emperour had chose Bishop of Rome Let the Wise and Prudent search over the Antiquities in the Hebrew and Christan Churches and they will find that Princes have never made any scruple to regulate Religion 9. If Authority upholds my thoughts reason either natural or politique will be advantagious to them since that Monarchs cannot as sure themselves of the wellfare of their Countrey the dignity of their condition nor the quiet of their minds if they take no care in the government of Religion Let us consider the condition of Sovereigns without having any respect to the practice of Religion we cannot deny that they are established in the conduct of two things which appears more important in the politique state the first is War against a forreign enemy the second is Justice against the wicked men in his own nation These two actions which ought to take up all royal Authority obliged the Hebrewes when they demanded a King to say that we also may be like all the nations and that our King may judg us and go out before us and fight our battels Sam. 1.8.20 But since one cannot reject the thoughts of St. Paul when he saith that righteousness is profitable for all things one ought to believe that war is an unhappiness and that justice cannot subsist without true Piety from whence it was that the generous and wise Joshua seeing himself ready to make war against the Infidels heard these Words Streng then thy self and be not dismaied the Lord is with thee whither thou goest And when he went to do justice to Hacon he said to the People Sanctify your selves for to morrow and say to the sinners give I pray you glory to the God of Israel Joshua 7.19 17 from whence I conclude that the King who will succeed well in both his politique Employs ought necessarily to take a special care to establish the true Religion and to rule his conduct he ought to remember that which God said to Joshua Fortify thy self more more to the end thou mayst take care to do according to all the law which Moses my servant hath commanded thee and turn neither to the right hand nor to the left that thou mayst prosper whither soever thou goest Josh 1.7 He ought to remember the command of God which orders that the King sitting upon the throne of his Kingdome should take a Copy of the written Law and read it every day that he might learn to Fear the Lord Let not his Heart be lifted up above his brethren let him not turn from this Law neither to the right nor left hand Let his dayes be long and let him reign him and his Posterity in the midst of Gods people I know not how one can maintain after this reason confirmed by Sacred Authority that the King doth an unjust Action if he takes care of Religion is it not the perfect Equity of the divine Law which conducts principally the orders of War and rules of Justice and cannot one easily prove that War is a tyrannick usurper or a savage beastliness if not bridled by Religion is it not true that without Piety which begets the fear of God the Authority of the Magistrate is barbarously Executed unprofitably Established for without Religion men would be as imaged Lions but Justice would destroy them all if she were strong enough but where she suffers all she is found weak if then the King is the first Captain and the first Magistrate of his Kingdome he may name himself and ought to appear the principal Bishop 10. The King may find a great advantage in the words of St. Paul who speakes very Christianly when he ordered that Subjects should be held under the Powers Authorized by God not only to shun the violence of anger but to acquit themselves also of the duties of conscience This Doctrine establisheth obedience in the Subject more strongly by Religion than by Force If then the King will preserve himself in a just and full Authority his care must be to endeavour to Establish true Religion which tyeth the Subjects more to his will than Force or