Gods institution Man had his owne ends of vaine glorie Auarice Reuenge c. But as GOD was therein punishing sinne so also prouyding Order among men and therefore hee taketh with â—rincipalitie as his owne ordinance By mee Kings reigne and Princes decree Iustice. There bee sundrie wayes to come to a Kingdome The suffrages of people in Election Victories in Conquest Birth in Succession But GOD is the Authour of Magistracie who giues Kingdomes and transferres them at his pleasure That Kings are it is the diuine Law written in the hearts of men But that such or such a man is a King is by diuine â—rouidence They are the most eâ—inent and conspicuous Thinges in the World Their beginning course and end seeâ—es to some to be of Fortune And such as contemne that blind idole ascriue them to Fate an imaginary necessitie beside the will of GOD and Man but diuine Providence disposeth all humane Kingdomes Man by sinne hath drawne on manie Necessities but GOD hath appointed lawfull Callings as their Remeede and Supplie and if wee compare him to a Body they goe in foure sorts The first is of Callings absolutlie necessar for our Beeing as Husbandrie and Pasturage the two Legges whereon the great body of man standeth Wee are of the earth wee walke on it and liue by it and these two Callings draw the substance out of it in Fruites and Fleshes for our necessitie The profit of the Earth is for all The King himselfe is serued by the Field The second is of such Callings as beside Necessitie haue great Profit for our well beeing as Crafts and Merchants these are busie about the fruites of the former Callings the first perfecting them by Arte the other changing these fruits of Nature and Arte these are as the two Hands in this great Bodie The third is of such Callings as beside Necessitie and Profite haue also Ornament for our better Being These are as the Heart of this Bodie in liberall Sciences and Professions c. They frame and fashion the Soule which is the Man and make him a Man properlie The fourth is of such Callings as beside Necessitie Profite and Ornament are for human Perfection for our best Beeing in this life that is Principality Gouernement as the Head in the ciuill Body perfecting it with humane excellencie But the Pastorall calling answereth all these respects spirituallie GOD made all this plaine in the beginning First he gaue Adam a Being then appointed him Maintenance and a Law to lead his life And when hee fell his first businesse was tilling of the ground by Cain and pasturage by Abel as meanes to helpe the difficultie of maintenance that came by the curse layd vpon the â—arth for his sins Thereafter came the inuention of Mechanicke Trades to make vse of the fruites of these two simple Callings and Gouernement came in also in the owne degrees and periods Lastly when men were sensible of their miserie spirituall temporall and from that sense Seth called his son Enosh that is Miserable or Calamitous â—hen Religion was solemnlie exercised by in-calling on the Name of the Lord. They found such miserie as neither humane Inuention Industrie nor Gouernement could helpe therefore took them aboue all to the Religious worship of God that he wold mitigate the just curse by his supervenient Blessing and leade them to a better Paradyse than they had lost Three sorts of Gouernement were in Adam The Husbandlie gouernement ouer Eua his wyfe The fatherlie ouer his Children and the Princelie ouer all mankinde so long as hee liued The first was more a bond of loue with his Wife another himselfe The third was a sort of authoritie as a Superiour ouer inferiours And the second was mixed of Loue and Authoritie As mankind increased so GOD drew out the Lyne of principalitie in Families Townes and Countries c. which are both seuerall partes of Principalitie and Images of it to testifie that mankind cannot well subsist without Gouernement Euerie man carieth the image of it in himselfe hee hath a bodie of many parts and euerie part hath the owne temper and forme to bee a seate or instrument of some power in him The Soule likwise hath diuersitie of powers to vnderstand remember will c. And yet notwithstanding of this diuersitie they haue all such a respect vnto other that they submit themselues to a gouernement for the good of euery one seuerally and of the whole man in which respect wee may call Man A little Kingdome Gouernement then is of absolute necessitie without which neither House nor Citie nor Nation can stand no not the nature of things nor the world it selfe For what is a multitude of people without it but a liuelesse and confused masse They are not set to work in their seuerall callings neither haue they fruite of their labours neither vse nor enjoying of their fruites But Gouernement as a vigorous life quickeneth all giues a beautie to the bodie and a sort of abilitie to euerie particular member It is principallie in the head and from thence floweth to euerie member to enable it for its own office I need not to inlarge this point This Citie other places of this Kingdome that were sometimes quickened and warmed civillie by the presence of Kings are now in a languishing Widow-hood because of the farre distance of that warming Sunne Principalitie maketh a great relation in mankind It is the Head and such an Head as receiuing due respects from other Callings imployes it selfe againe to their good They sustaine it by their offices and labours and it recompenceth them with a mutuall sustaining in that it prouydeth for them both libertie to labour in their Callings and peace to enjoy the fruite of their labours without which the better their Lotte be the greater crosse if it bee pulled away by warre or oppression It is Gods Wisedome to rule man by Man and to set vp some of Mankind aboue the rest Thogh Kings be of the same kind by Nature yet their degree and Spirit make them seeme to be of another kind that the mutuall dueties of commanding obeying may be the more distinct And then to make them the more pleasant he hath bound these far distant degrees in the bond of one kind Kings command their Inferiours louinglie as their owne kind Inferiours obey Kings willinglie as their owne kind The communion of the kind distinguished by God in degrees keepes that Relation contentedlie The Head the Hands and the Feete differ in their places offices yet are all one flesh in one Bodie The Head commandeth them not rigorouslie neither doe they obey it grudginglie but all their Offices are done in loue to other The disposing of these places and degrees are absolutely in Gods hand and hee commands euery one to apply themselues to other according to their place This is the Finger of God to make
least notice of Gods will is sufficient to moue them to doe his will God communicateth his eternall Law to creatures according to their kind and capacitie Hee giveth to heavenly creatures a celestiall Law to adhere to him to reasonlesse creatures a naturall instinct to direct them in their course without either sense of his goodnesse or reflecting on him But to man renewed such a Law where of Reason is capable and Conscience sensible and that both in pietie and righteousnesse The first is all in respect to him the other to man Naturall men can exerce materiallie the workes of Iustice but not spirituallie because they haue no grace nor the bands of a true Religion to God Iustice and pietie of the olde Romans were but a forced curing of the contrare vices that their ambition and pride whereof they were sicke might rule in them Of Princes ruling of their owne Persons and of their Court. THis princely governement is not to bee restrained to the people alone but beginneth at the person of Princes goeth to their Families So David who conceived this Prayer wrote that Commentat on it that hee would sing of Iustice and of Iudgement not onelie exercised amongst his people but also in governing himselfe and his Familie For the first hee sayth I will behaue my selfe in the perfect way That is a good government that beginneth at himselfe Privat men are tolerablie called Kings when by Gods grace they command their own passions For whosoever subdues his owne bodie neither suffereth his Soule to bee troubled with passions while hee refraineth himselfe by a kinglie power is iustly called a King because hee can rule himselfe And if wee rule the earth even this our earthly bodie we are Kings of the earth But this is more in Princes who haue as much natiue corruption as privat men and more power to vtter it The wise ruling of themselues is necessar to moderat their great power The Heathen could say If thou wilt subiect others to thee subiect thy selfe to reason And the Impyre agreeth to none but to such as are better than any of their Subiects But the Divines spake more clearelie by Kings vnderstand these who direct the motions of their soule according to the will of God And they are good Kings who can proue themselues Governours of their Body And iustly they are called Princes who exerce ever a principalitie over their owne thoughts by sound Iudgement It is often seene that greatest power hath greatest righteousnesse joyned with it and that for the good of Princes and people If their passions were like their power they would soone ruine their state or persons or both but Pietie and Iustice ioyned to their power moderateth their passions and preserveth all as the King of the Bees hath a sting but never vseth it to revenge And where shall Iustice haue the owne worke if not in the heart of Kings It must first begin there else it cannot haue the worke on other Iustice distributeth dueties to each one and there must bee in a iust man a iust order that the minde bee subiect to God the body to the Soule and both to God If this bee not there is no righteousnesse in vs and so there cannot be an externall governing righteousnesse This is the glory of Kings when their power is accompanied and sweyed with Iustice in their owne persons when the living law liveth according to the written Law and authoritatiue Iustice becommeth exemplar Iustice their life by example insinuating that to people what the Law and authority commandeth them then Iustice is not so much a gift annexed to their power as a grace changing their persons An evill King is a servant to as many masters as hee hath vices but hee who commandeth his passions is a King indeede because hee ruleth himselfe and is neither taken captiue of sinne nor caried violentlie of vice Man that ruleth over beasts hath beastes within him anger barketh more fiercely than a Dog he that is speedie to wrongs is a Serpent and he that is set for revenge is a Viper Shall man haue Impyre over the outward beasts and leaue the inward beasts loose This is most necessary that rulers of men rule themselues least they fall in contempt For how can hee correct the manners of others who cannot correct his owne An evill man though hee reigne is a slaue to his passions The Kings example is a Law to his Subiects Their mindes are lift vp to his Eminencie and what hee doeth hee seemeth to command The peoples inclination to imitation is the greater because of the greatnesse of his person They passe the good or bad qualitie of the fact and take his greatnesse for a reason The faults of a King overwhelme a people and hee hurteth more by example than by the sinne it selfe And his good example is as forcible to make his people good If they bee godly chast temperate c. they draw many of their Subiects to God but if they bee profaine or dissolute c. they draw multititudes to Hell Pharaoh Herod Nero and such can tell what evill great power ioyned with great wickednesse can doe Therein Sathan exalted sinne when hee vented it by so great persons and disgraced Magistracie when he made it an instrument of monstruous sinnes But God had his good worke therein to teach vs what men clothed with power are in themselues and that principalitie without his Spirit is but a naked sword in a mad mans hand and what a blessing good Princes are who vse their power in such righteousnesse that the world must say They are as good men as they are great Kings This is the Priviledge of Christian Kings God giveth them a greater blessing than other Kings hee maketh them by grace Kings over themselues as well as over their Subiects as they giue Lawes to other so they take Lawes of God and vse their power as they may bee best countable to him they haue principality of authority as Kings and they reigne by grace over themselues as Christians There is no truely free King but a Christian King and such as is neither captivat by the corruption of Nature nor popish superstition but set at libertie by the Law of the Spirit of life in Iesus Christ. Such a King is an Image of God who governeth all in righteousnesse and wisedome and then hee shall most please the King of kings if restraining his power hee thinke that lesse is leasome to him than hee may The other taske of his governement is his Familie I will walke within mine house with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes c. And in all that Psa. he setteth down the dyet of his house or court-governemēt a fit patern for Princes to follow The court of Kings is an abridgement of their Kingdomes and the
addeth moreover an aptitude to vse his Power aright And in Subjects it looseth not the obligement of obedience but confirmes it For if any man thinke because hee is a Christian that he needes not pay tribute nor giue due honour to Superiours hee falleth in a great error And the Iewes sinned not because they said they had not a King but Caesar but because they denyed Christ. It is a singular worke of God to erect and maintaine a right Governement in the world And the Apostle hath commanded vs to render tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour The mysticall Bodie of Christ is not a multitude of one gift one degree one office but in diversity of gifts and Operations doth respect other Preheminency in Princes Subiection in people stand well with grace the holie Spirit can direct the one in commanding the other in obeying without any disparagement of grace for hee who said By mee Kings doe reigne sayes also Let everie Soule bee subiect to the higher Powers Since grace then hath the owne order and degrees in his mysticall Body it can well agree with the order and degrees hee hath made in the civill Body of Kingdomes The like may bee seene in Heathen Princes for their jurisdiction destroyes not their humanitie but they may keepe them both it enableth Humanitie in them to curbe the inhumanitie of oppressors The heavenly City of the Church is here lodged in the earthlie Citie of worldlie Kingdomes and it were a bad requit all for that her lodging to destroy them Therefore let that heavenlie Citie obey the Lawes of that earthlie Citie so long as shee soioâ—â—nes in it that since mortalitie is common to both Cities concord may bee keeped betweene them in things that concerne it These men doe sin against God the law of Nature the good of humane Societies for even reasonlesse creatures haue a King of their own kinde submit themselues to him It is but a fleshly licence that they seek vnder the name of a Christian liberty as was said of old to the Donatists their forefathers according to these deceitfull and vaine opinions the raines are loosed to humane licence and all sinne left vnpunisht that a boldnesse to hurt and a libertie of wantonnesse may reigne without the barre and opposition of Lawes Yea take away that which wholesome Doctrine commandeth wiselie by the holy Apostle for the health of the World Let every Soule bee subiect to the higher Powers The second is a popular errour of some who thinke that Magistrats receiue onely benefite of Subiects and giue no recompence againe But they should remember that dueties betwixt Princes and people are mutuall and their fruites also The wise governing of Kings and peace following is as great a good as people can giue to them GOD hath tyed them together by mutuall respects the more they are keeped by both the parties the more they increase and there is neither possibility nor hope of safetie to either but in their agreement The people of Rome fell in this same errour they departed from their Senate because they sate in ease while the people indured labour and lose of warre But Menenius Agrippa cured that errour by a popular comparison All the parts of the bodie said hee were angrie on a time at the Bellie because by their care and service all things were purchased for it which in the meane time had ease in the midst of the Bodie and enioyed the fruite of their labours Heerevpon they conspired against it that the hands should not beare meate to the mouth nor the mouth receiue it nor the teeth bray it But while by this anger they would dantoun the Bellie all the members of the Bodie fell in extreame consumption whereby it appeared that the service of the Bellie was not in vaine and that it was no more nourished than did nourish the bodie while it sent out prepared foode to everie part Theerfore they resolved to quyte their miscontentment and doe their wonted offices to the Bellie By this rude and populare Oration the people of Rome began to heare of concord and at once were reconciled to their Senate The Bees giue the like respect to their King hee alone among so busie labourers is exeemed from labour and yet is placed in the midst and largest roome of the throng Hyue The directions for people are to pray for Princes obey them in the Lord Gods care of Kings is both for their Place which he assigneth vnto them and for their worke to bee his Instruments for the good of mankind And therefore people are bound in the Lord to honour them for their place so farre aboue them To loue them for their worke so profitable for them And to commend them daylie to GOD that hee would hold their Heart in his hand and magnifie his ordinance in their government So Davids example in this place and the Apostle commands vs to make Supplications Prayers Intercessions for all men for Kings and for these that are in authoritie Their condition also craues this for their education is vsually in libertie without controlement and since corruption in Subjects breaketh out in great insolencies What may it doe in Kings great power without great wisedome and a speciall assistance of God is dangerous both to the possessours and those they rule Their place layes them open to many dangers and therefore a necessitie on our part to pray earnestly for them Our prayers are both for their good and our own thogh the fruit come first on Princes yet in the next roome it commeth to vs The raine that falleth on the mountaines bydeth not there but slydeth downe to the Valleyes So when servent prayers bring downe blessings on Kings the people are therein blessed also When the Apostle biddeth vs pray for Kings hee telleth that our fruite shall bee a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie and when God biddeth his people pray for the peace of the Citie where they dwell in captivitie hee promiseth that in their peace they shall haue peace The standing and falling of Princes importeth their Subiects greatlie So long as David walked in his vprightnes God blessed him his people but wheÌ„ he waxed proud Satan tempted him to number them they were punished And when Rehoboam forsooke the Lord hee fell not alone but all Israel fell with him When one of the people goes wrong he alone perisheth but the error of the Prince involveth many hurteth all that hee ruleth The fall of Kings is the punishment of people for as by their vertue wee are safe so by their errour wee are in danger Therefore wee should pray to God that wee may haue a glorious and perfect King It is then most profitable that good Kings reigne long and that profite is not so
much to themselues as to these they rule For their Pietie and goodnes which are the Lords great gifts suffice them to true happinesse but the blessings of their good governement commeth downe to their Subjects The next duety required of Subjects is to obey them in the Lord and that not of feare but of Conscienâ—e If it bee of feare onely then their subjection is servitude and themselues are Slaues but when it is of Conscience their obedience is Sonlie and they themselues loyall Subiects Then they obey for Conscience when they reverence Gods ordinance in Princes and haue reference to God the Author of their power and the Iudge and Rewarder of obedience Let everie Soule bee subiect to Superiour Powers for the powers that are are ordained of God And that not for wrath but for Conscience Of Succession in a Monarchie THE KINGS SONNE THis is King Solomon For David was a King but not a Kings Sonne and Absolon and Adonijah were Kings Sonnes but not Kings so according to the Letter this Text is proper to Solomon and his Posteritie whereof two things arise Gods designation appointing him to be King and the Prophets acquiescing thereto Gods designation was that Solomon among all Davids Sons should succeed him in the Throne Behold a Sonne shall bee borne vnto thee who shall bee a man of rest Hee shall bee my Sonne and I shall bee his Father and I will establish the â—hrone of his Kingdome over Israel for ever Wherevpon King David said to his people The Lord hath chosen my Sonne Solomon among all my Sons to sit on the Throne Hee was not a stranger but knowne and neere to David not a friend or Cousing but his Sonne whereby God established the Kingdome in Davids Line by Succession Herein we haue a cleare Doctrine for Succession in Kingdomes Great disputs haue beene made about these three wayes of comming to a Kingdome Election Succession and Conquest but God here concludeth for Succession Everie one of these hath both the owne good and ill but that is best which hath least ill and most good and that is Succession Man by nature is desirous to reigne and oftimes the least worthy are most ambitious to conquer Therefore the ordinarie remeeds against Conquest are Election and Succession Conquest is nothing but violence and a formall tyrannie it beginneth with blood it growes and is keeped with blood Pride and feare in the Conquerour and Hatred in them that are conquered are the due relations of it Their subiection is not of loue but constraint and while their bodies are awed their wills rebell with a continuall wishing and waiting of oportunitie to oppresse their oppressours As it beginneth with violence so it must stand and the vsuall â—illers for that standing are the destroying of the Race of former Rulers and the making of new Lawes that their new Bodie may haue a new life and new sinews and may liue by the death of former Lawes and Races But two things seeme to warrand Conquest Providence and Prescription Providence putteth such a people vnder the Conquest of such a King and Prescription in civill matters seemeth to mend the errour of a faultie right But concerning Providence mens faults should not bee fathered on it GOD is ever just in punishing a Nation by oppressing her liberties when the cup of their sinne is full And vet the Instruments of that oppression doe sinne grieuouslie for while God is in the worke of his Iustice they are serving their owne ambition They haue neither Gods end before them nor the disposition that hee requireth but in their Conquest are like Nimrods mightie Hunters and oppressers while GOD is a iust Iudge So hee speakes of Ashur O Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staffe in their hand is my indignation I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation and against the people of my wrath will I giue him a charge to take the spoile to take the prey and to treade them downe like the myre in the streetes Howbeit hee meaneth not so neither doeth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations not afew They looke neither to Gods glorie nor mans good but to the satisfying of their owne humour Prescription is not a full and iust right it can neither denude the lawfull Possessour of his right nor invest the Vsurper with a sufficient right before God or in conscience It is rather tolerate for eschewing endlesse plâ—aâ—s then allowed Though it make a fashion of right before men yet with GOD it is nothing but a long vsurpation except consent of people follow for what is not valide from the beginning cannot bee made valide by processe of time GOD indeede hath ever iust cause to punish Nations for sinne but if wee aske Conquerours wherefore they trouble peaceable people and destroy men women Children we shall finde no other thing written in their heart but Pride in a burning desire of reigning They trouble the peace of mankinde and shed blood for this onely end that they may bee called Conquerours whereas more iustly they may bee called the Pests of mankinde To make warre on Neighbour Nations and tread downe innocent people for no other end but desire of reigning what should it bee called else but a great Robberie Therefore that Pyrate is â—ustlie commended for his wittie answere hee gaue Alexander who den anded Why hee troubled the Seas with Pyracie Hee answered And why doest thou robbe the world for there is no difference betweene vs but that I doe it with a little Shippe and thou doest it with a Navie So slaugh er committed by one is counted a Crime but don by Armies is counted Courage And the greatnesse of the cruelâ—ie and not Innocencie makes great sinnes vnpunished There is no difference betweene a Brigand and such Conquerours but that the one is lyable to the Lawes and is punished because hee is weake the other is counted a Conquerour and makes Lawes of his owne because hee is strong This Prescription is now the maine ground wherby the Pope maintaines his vsurpation over Kings He sees that Reason hath beaten him from his three olde pretended grounds of divine right Tradition of the Apostles and Donation of Princes Therefore hee is come now to this fourth ground of prescription the last refuge of oppressours But it is as weake as it is new and kindlie to such a new Vsurper They should remember their owne lawes He who alledgeth PrescriptioÌ„ ought also to prooue a iust Title because Prescription without a title is but corruption They could never as yet proue a Title but a late Vsurpation as is manifest in their vsuall sophistrie for when we require a reason from Scripture and antiquitie of their vsurpation over Princes they giue vs the fact or deede of some vsurping Pope Concerning Election to Kingdomes if men were patient to suffer
And Hilarius against Constantius what ever is with thee beside that one faith it is perfidie and not faith They know the force of this prescription and for eschewing of it maintaine both a current or ambulatorie faith and an vnbounded power in their Church to expone Scripture according to time and their Mitigators helpe them in this straite with their new Maxime that haeresis non est in excessu sed defectu that haeresie is not in excesse but defect as though it were not an heresie to haue mo Gods but to deny the true God Or as though it were no deformitie to a mans body to haue three or foure hands but only to want one By this rule of prescription wee finde their Vsurpation to be a Novaltie and that both negatiuely and positiuely Negatiuely because it was not so from the beginning for a thousand yeares as shall bee seene in this induction First not before Christ for then the high Priest though a Type of Christ and bearing the Vrim and Thummum was subiect to their Kings Secondly not in Christs tyme for hee vsed no such temporall power as they themselues confesse In his Mothers wombe he subâ—ected himselfe to the Emperours edict and went to Bethleem and in that one Act fulfilled both his Fathers prophesie to bee borne in Bethleem and obeyed the Emperours Edict in going to his Familie to bee taxed After his birth he yeelded to Herods cruelty who sought to kill him and fled to Egypt whereas hee might haue destroyed Herod if hee pleased Hee was subiect to his suposed Father and commanded to giue to Caesar the things of Caesars and payed tribute to himselfe Thirdlie not by his Disciples for they followed his example and command Paul commandeth everie soule to bee subiect to superiour powers Put them in minde to bee subiect to principalities and powers And appealed to Nero though hee was a tyrant And Peter from whom they fetch all this power commands vs to bee subiect to authoritie for the Lords sake whither it bee to Kings as supreme And all of them submitted themselues to Princes they neither inveyed against them neither stirred vp people to rebell but patientlie suffered Martyrdome Fourthlie not the Primitiue Church though we take it for the first Ages They followed Christ and his Apostles in doctrine and practice They suffered persecution and did neither practise against their persons nor their estates So Tertulian Christians were never found Albinans nor Nigrians or Cassians c. A Christian is enemie to no man farrelesse to the Emperour whom knowing to bee appointed of God it is necessar that hee loue reverence and honour him c. And againe wee incall the eternall the true and living God for the saftie of Emperours And thus these Fathers did both to approue themselues to God to cleare the Christian Religion from the calumnies of Pagans who charged it with sedition and rebellion But these godly Fathers let them see that Christ commanded his people subjection and obedience to authoritie And so a zealous Papist remarketh that from the death of Christ to Diocletian for the space of three hundreth years albeit the Christians suffred innumerable and cruel torments so that twentie thousand were killed at once and some times whole cities destroyed yet it is no where red that Christians albeit equall in number and power did attempt any thing against the Lawes or the Magistrate or his Security or any wayes rebelled by this argument shew that their Religion should bee embraced And that they were called Christians from him whose holy precept was this to obey the Magistrate And Tertullian long before him Wee are forbidden to wish ill doe ill speake ill to thinke ill of any that which wee may not doe against any farre lesse may wee doe against him to wit the Emperour who is so great by Gods ordinance Fiftlie Not the Fathers of the following Ages who though they vsed popular comparisons of the Pastorall and princelie calling that the Pastorall excelled the other as far as the Soule did the Bodie Gold did Lead and the Heaven did Earth Yet they never dreamed of the Popes abuse of their comparisons But in their practice how ever the Trueth held in the callings Nazianzene Chrysostome and Ambrose were most obedient to Princes Ambrose alone will serue in the two great instances of censuring the Emperour and answering his vnjust command For the first hee abstained Theodosius rather than excommunicate him For the second hee refused to render the Churches of God to the Arians In the first hee did not depose Theodosius or absolue people from his obedience as Popes doe In the second hee did not fight but pray and request Lastlie Not the Popes of the first Ages for they all gaue odedience as Bellarmine confesseth When the Emperours were Heathen the Pope was not their Iudge but contrariewise subiect to them in al civill causes no les than other men And after that Emperours were Christians the Popes gaue them that same respect As Leo the â— zealous enough for greatnesse writing to the Emprâ—s Pulcheria I intreate thee that thou wouldst daigne to present our Supplication to the most clement Emperour And againe to Eudoxia I haue most humblâ—e supplicate And to Martianus d By all meanes wee ought to obey your Pietie And he praiseth his zeale for the Christian Faith and that hee found a princelie affection in a most Christian Prince Hee craveth also the gathering of the Chalcedon Councell and that hee would compell a Bishop to returne to the profession of his faith e And that hee would vse his power in matters of Religion In like manner to Leo the Emperour I received the Letters of your Clemencie which I am willing to obey And acknowledge in a word that per vos in totius Ecclesiae salutem operatur Spiritus Sanctus That by you the holy Spirit worketh for the saftie of the whole Church And Gregorie the first to Mauritus Most glorious Lord so far as concerneth mee I giue obedience to your commandements And speaking of the Longobards who were but vsurpers If I would haue revenged my selfe by the slaughter of men the Longobards this day had not beene extant I must say to usurping Popes as Erasmus did to the Sophists of his ti ne concerning Ieromes graue censure of such who spiced and powdred divinitie with Philosophie Either they read not these things or else preferre their owne opinion vnto Ieromes So say I that the later Popes either read not these speeches of the olde Popes or else prefer their judgement to theirs Why then haue the later Popes departed from the example of the former and better times and of their own predecessours They can giue none other reason but to acknowledge their Donatisme or Anabaptisme Therefore as their Canon Law spake of the Eucharist old golden priests did minister in treene
to the other civillie the other spiritually Pastours are subiect to Princes Let everie soule bee subiect to superiour powers And Princes are subiect to Pastours spirituallie Obey them who haue the over-sight of you and submit your selues And yet not withstanding of the comparision of the callings GOD hath wiselie subiected Pastours to Princes First because the Kingdome of the Church is not in this World But principallitie hath the beginning vse and end in this life and therefore heere must they haue the preheminence or else never Next because of vniversalitie For the Church of God is not in everie place And yet these humane Societies without a Church haue both neede of and are governed by principalitie Thirdlie because of Ancietie for albeit God had a Church ever since hee called on Adam in Paradise yet ere the Church came to any greatnesse in number or conspicuousnesse in the vse and worke of spirituall power Principalitie had the own Governement and eminencie among men For this cause some haue pressed the name of secular power from the Ancietie as though it beganne cum saeculo Though more properlie it bee called a temporall power from the obiect and meanes This great blessing reformation bringeth vnto Kingdomes to ridde merches betweene these powers Amongst other things this inrageâ— Luther b that hee saw Princes mocked and abused as beasts Therefore hee vendicate their honour from the Popes tyrannie Wee teach according to Gods word that Princes and Preachers are mutually sheepe to other Princes to Preachers in respect of their spirituall office informing and counselling them out of the word of God And Preachers to Princes in respect of a temporall coactiue power to protect them or correct them if they offend If wee consider in Mankind a spirituall Sphere Preachers are aboue all In which sense Nazianzen sayeth that the Law of Christ hath subiected the Impire to the Priest But if wee consider it in the Sphere of Temporalitie then Princes are aboue all And so that same Nazianzen Wee are subiect to super eminent powers but they will haue Princes as Sheepe to Preachers simplie and their Priests to bee sheepe to none but to the Pope of whom they will bee ruled not onely in spirituall things but also in temporall When these two Powers keeped them within their boundes they were helpfull to others Pastors by religion wrought the consciences of people to the obedience of Princes and Princes by their coactiue power held people in the obedience of the Gospell And Leo commendeth this concurrance For humane things saith hee can not bee safe vnlesse both the Kingly and Priestly authoritie defend these things that pertaine to religion And our more royall Leo said that these two powers are so straitly conioyned that either of them dependeth vpon the safetie and incolumitie of the other And Isiodore Civile powers were not necessarie in the Church except to fulfill that by terrour which the Priest can not doe by his doctrine Oft-tymes the Kingdome of Heaven is furthered by the earthly Kingdome that such as doe contrare to the faith and discipline of the Church may bee broken by the rigour of Princes c. And Bernard sheweth both the possibilitie and expediencie of their agreement in his peaceable resolution Non veniat anima sayeth hee in concilium eorum non enim viris usque institutor Deus in destructionem ea connexuit sed in aedificationem Let not my Soule come in their counsell who say that the peace and libertie of the Churches will hurt the impyre or that the prosperitie and glorie of the impire will hurt the Churches for God the Author of both hath not conioyned them for destruction but for edification It had beene good for them if they had followed his advice that these two powers would ioyne their myndes together who were ioyned by Gods institution let them mutually cherish other and mutually defend other But where Princes and Pastors passe their boundes and incroached vpon other the exercise of their power was the Apple of strife The matter it selfe was two great powers in their kinde and the respects of mutuall subordination and subiection was a faire colour for ambition to vsurpe and for the rebellious to resist It cannot bee denyed but there were faults on both sides Some Princes haue given too much to Cleargie men as they who gaue homage to Popes This came of Superstition which first playeth the Iugler to blind and then the tyrant to force them to doe as that blindnes leadeth them When they were possessed with Superstition the Popes ambition could exact nothing of them which they thought not reasonable Some Princes againe haue fallen in the defect and given too little respect to Pastours They saw their persons base in worldly things and considered neither their calling nor their worke and so counted them baser than any of their Estats This misreguard was helped by some flatterers of authoritie who either of ignorance or Invy haue spoken and written disdainfullie of Pastours Calling and equalled it to the basest handie craft in Cities To let that passe in respect of personall subiection to outward Governement and of civill censure in case of breaking the common peace yet the comparison of these Callings is odious for both iudicious Princes and auncient Divines without passion or contest haue giuen it greater respect and casting these two powers in the Ballance Nazianzen compared the one to the Soule the other to the Bodie Chrisostome vse the comparison of the Heaven to the Earth And Ambrose the comparison of Gold and Lead We allow not the bad Consequences and Practise which Papists draw out of these popular comparisons yet there is a considerable Trueth in the things for the Pastours calling is only about things spirituall and eternall The Angels would thinke it no disparagement to dispense the mysteries of the bodie and blood of Christ to cleanse men in the Lawer of Regeneration and to stand betweene God and man in delyvering his will to them and presenting their prayers to him Beside that comparison of Callings the person of Pastors haue a great excellencie in respect of Gods chusing them to the worke his furnishing and assisting of them in it Mens greatest excellencie indeede is by the Grace of Christ as they are Christians renewed and sanctified But particular callings giue also some qualification to the persons that are cled with them and the Pastorall calling qualifyeth their persons with a spirituall respect because they are Gods instruments in a spirituall worke Their aptitude to a spirituall worke giveth them a spirituall habitude and Gods imployment therein giveth a sort of transcendent specification Second causes though of one kynde take a diverse respect both from the object and from the imployment of the first cause And it is greatest excellencie to bee Gods instrument in converting renewing and saving men For they that turne Soules shall shine
when they should haue led them to Heaven The pietie of olde Prelats turned Pagans to Christianitie But they did what they could to make Princes and people forsake the Religion of so proude and fleshlie Prelats That which seemed to bee peace betweene Emperours and Popes for some three or foure Ages was but a conspiracy each of them flatetred other in offending God but hee turned this â—ust irritation of Princes in a preparatiue to reformation that Princes being sensible of the Effronts done to their honour by the Popes tyrannie might bee led to feele the wounding of their Soule by his heresie so stirred vp to reform the Church in both People were also irritate For beside their defrauding of spirituall coÌ„fort wherof as then they were senseles they were cast in civill discord The factions of the Guelfs Gibelins so called from Guâ—lfus D. of Baveere Conradus Giblingen Ann. 1140. c. The excoÌ„municatioÌ„ of Princes turned them all in division some of duetie conscience adhering to their princes other of superstition and treason falling froÌ„ them Kingdome against Kingdome Kingdomes Cities and Families divided amongst themselues So soone as the alarme was given by excommunication there was neither peace nor place for Neutralitie but the olde bloodie proscriptions of Sylla and Marius were acted everie where This made them wearie of such broiles and disposed them to embrace a more peaceable Religion that would keepe them in peace with their Princes and Neighbours Their intolerable crueltie against the Emperours inforced the world to this remeede Gregorie the seventh against Henrie the fourth Paschal the second against Henrie the fifth Innocent the third against Philip. Innocent the fourth hyred men to poyson and stobbe Fridericke and Conrad Iohn the twentie two and Benedict the eight vexed Lodovicus Bavarus They excommunicat them stirred vp other Princes to invade them and forced them to base vnreasonable conditions of peace they poysoned them with the hostie or cup. It is impossible to consider what miseries these iarres brought on people For Otho testifieth that they brought so many evills and Schismes and involved the bodies and soules of men in so many dangers that the crueltie and durance of that persecution was sufficient to proue the miserie of mankind In all these broylâ—s people smarted being brought to desperation were forced to take some course to vendicat themselues Their law provyds that feudum meretur amittere qui feudum inficiatur CHAP. XXIII Of the second fruit of their folie An exact inquirie of the matter THe second fruite of their foolishnesse is an exact inquirie of the matter When men saw their tyranny they inquired the cause and as Tertullian speaketh of the Martyrs when they know the trueth they follow it For as hee speaketh in another place who so studieth to vnderstand shall bee forced to belieue Their tyrannie is so grosse and manifest that the world shall bee forced to see the thing they could not imagine The more that Princes inquired the more they found their owne innocencie and the tyrannie of the Pope Moderate iniuries are tolerable but extreme indignities put men to the highest degree of redresse so bring them neerer to a remeed thaÌ„ lesser wrongs This was a meeting of their Inquisition For their bloody inquisitours inquire persons to destroy them But this inquirie seeketh out the cause to follow the trueth If they had keepâ—d themselues in moderation the world possiblie would haue bidden in their implicite Faith in the point of iurisdiction as well as in doctrine But when they went to intolerable insolencies men were forced to inquire in the state of the matter as a man brangled in his Possession searcheth all his writs So Princes set Lawyers Divines c. to worke to plead their cause at least by writ for there was no place for iudiciall pleading their partie beeing their Iudge and stopping all meanes of redresse by his tyrannie Everie onset that the Popes made brought both a new search of the matter a new discovery of their shame Divines Politicks were divided amongst themselues and their contraire disputs and treatises made the world see more in these deepes than otherwise they could haue seene Their strife with the two Henries gaue some light the other with Fridericke Barbarossa gaue more Even in these times of greatest tyrannie God raised vp some good Patriots to plead the cause of Princes as well as hee had Witnesses of the truth And though the Pope bare downe the one vnder the name of Hereticks and the other vnder the name of politicke Shismaticks yet their workes testifie that God lette not Antichrists pride goe without a witnesse It is a wonder that so many durst write so plainelie in those Ages and of that argument that was then tossed de potestate imperiali Papali Beside the Sorbone who proved loyall to their Princes Many Divines else where made it their taske as may bee seene in Otho Frisingensis I read and I â—read over againe the doings of the Romane Bishops c. And the fruite of their reading at least so many of them as were honest minded was with Occam to implore the Emperours protection Defend mee O Emperour with thy Sword and I shall defend thee with mâ— Penne so dangerous a thing it was then to write the trueth Goldastus hath done good service to God and authoritie but hath given a blow to the Pope in gathering together in great volumes these many Treatises which were scattered in obscure corners As a Physitian by seeing the Recepts and Medicine of a diseased Age will easelie know what hath beene the Epidemicke disease of the time So a iudicious Reader will perceiue that Christendome was then in a burning fever by the Popes ambition Such were then the Emperours best defences with Apologies Protestations c. Their authoritie was broken the Maiestie of the Impyre defaced and their Sword so blunted by Superstition in their people that they could neither defend their right nor revenge their wrong And if wee consider exactlie the ingynes of these times wee shall finde that God stirred vp for the defence of Princes the most godly iudicious and learned men but a rable of fleshlie flatterers defended the Pope This great exact search of the matter was a second preparatiue to reformation Irritation gaue the first by the Alienation of Princes minds from the Pope And this inquirie gaue the second by the illumination of their mindes in the trueth It will befall him as to the Asse who not content with his long eares asked two hornes of Iupiter And beeing importune in his pleading hee got his eares cut off And when the Persians were not content with their dominions in Asia but incroached on Greece they stirred vp Alexander to â—ast them out both of Greece and Asia So the Pope not content with his spirituall power but vsurping on the
provision of some hundreth at their pleasure Henrie the third in a survey of the Church-rents found sixtie thousand merkes sterling to bee provided for Romanes Wherevpon with his Nobles hee supplicat Innocent the fourth at the Councell of Lions to ease that burthen They got faire promises but their burthen doubled ' For a new survey within six yeares found tenne thousand merkes more was yearelie assigned vnto them They whipped Henrie the second by Discipline as a Boy for Beckets punishment and canvased King Iohn so fearefullie that hee found no rest at home but sought desperate courses with Mahumetan Princes and in end was forced to resigne his Kingdome to the Pope and take it holden of him and lastlie was poysoned in the Eucharist Navarre also found the like crueltie and when their King was excommunicate and cast out of his Kingdome by Iulius the second his Subiects deserted him when hee was invaded by Ferdinand But their first blowes came from these abused Nations Everie people hath their owne Genius I meane neither of the Platonicke conceats of attending Spirits nor Paredri Daemones but a Gentilitious disposition of a Nation It is not mortall with persons and therfore neither so soone irritate nor appeased Persons lay their quarrels at their death but the surviving Genius or Spirit of a Nation liveth longer than persons and in the owne time doeth resent olde iniuries and revenge them Therefore long oppressed Germanie finding a light in Luthers time gaue such a blow to Antichrist that hee could not as yet cure It had beene good if they had not run on the other extremitie about Church maintenance but they fearing that the Cleargie would againe abuse authoritie did spoyle the Church of her Patrimonie and defyled the the reformation of Religion with horrible sacriledge As Germanie began so England followed and shook off his yoak vnder Henrie the eight brought foâ—rth at last that great and ever-memorable fact which overcome with oppression for manie Ages shee had conceived with great sorrow And what ever personall disposition they alledge to haue beene in Henrie the eight yet GOD had his hand in the worke And though hee had not beene at all yet God would haue provided him meanes to doe that that was done Therefore in the reformation of England we should not looke to the time of Henrie alone but to fiue or six Ages preceeding wherein that Kingdome was long grievouslie oppressed by the Popes but the fulnesse of the Popes cup and Gods iust anger to breake his power in that Kingdome did meete together in that time In like maner the King of Navarres Posteritie payed the Pope home againe for his excoÌ„munication they were stirred vp with privat hatred syded with them who coÌ„spyred against the Sea of Rome By their forwardnesse the truth was first spread abroad in France and to this day they haue beene shaking France from the obedience of Rome and who knoweth but some branch of that stemme shall helpe to giue the Pope his fatall stroke in France also Let vs heare from a bygot Papist what vantage Pops haue made by their tyrannie over Kings Event us rerum sayeth hee satis docent nihil proficere Pontifices dum hac via incedunt The event hath clearelie proven to this day that the Popes haue profited little while they walke in this high slipperie and steepe way But they rather make broyles schismes and wars in Christian Nations then propagate the Faith of Christ c. And when hee hath reakoned out the pernicious course of Gregorie the seventh against Henrie the Emperour of Boniface the eight against Philip of Iulius the second against Lodowicke the twelth of Clement the seventh and Paul the third against Henrie the eight of Pius the fifth against Elizabeth c. Then hee inferres Did not all these Princes contemne and mocke the Papall Impyre as an intolerable pride nonne hi omnes Principes papale illud Imperium ut meram arrogantiam riserunt And concludeth that that tyrannie was the cause of the overthrow of Poperie And in another place hee affirmeth that the strength of the Protestants in France and Britaine is hatched of the miserable heate of the Popes temporall power This testimonie is true and out of their owne bosome This is like the ruine of olde Rome shee forced out her tyrannie on farre Countries and her furthest extension met with the greatest opposition of mightie Nations and had in it the period both of her furthest reach and the beginning of her ruine as the sea marke is both the point of the highest flowing and the beginning of the ebbe So when she streached out her selfe to Britain Saxonie Persia c. In Gods time shee beganne to find her stresses there was compelled to call home her Legions to guard her head and heart Italie and Rome it selfe from the incâ—ersion of the Barbarians So now Rome stretching out her ambition to farre Countries hath found her curbing to beginne there and in Gods time by reformation which is her consumption shee will bee put to the defence of her Antichristian Seate which in end shall fullie bee destroyed This is the measure of his cup Hee is called the child of perdition first actiuelie because hee destroyeth mens Soules by herefie and their bodies by persecution and soundeth nothing but destruction Santarellus the Iesuite discovered a secret when citing the Apostles text that hee had power to Edification but not to destruction hee left out the word of Edification to tell that the Popes power is onelie for destruction And though he was justlie censured by the Sorbone yet their practice goeth broad according to his reading and they inculcate for that same end the words of Ieremie I haue sent thee to roote out and destroy Next hee is the childe of perdition passiuelie because God will destroy that Destroyer Doe to her as shee hath done to other It is his doome that Kings shall eate vp her flesh and burne her with fire And yet he is so blinded that hee falleth in controversies with Kings and by that provocation sharpeneth them as Gods instruments to his owne destruction But in this time their prevailing against the Protestants seemeth to stay the course of their destruction But indeede it is a furtherance of it God is iustlie punishing Protestants for their contempt and abuse of the restored Light And their sinnes are now greater than in the time of darknesse Yet the Pope also therein is filling his cup and like Pharaoh hardning his heart both to hold Gods people in thrall and to pursue them when they depart God hath charged his people to come out of Babel and manie haue alrea lie obeyed This inrageth the Pope for hee seeth that his lies and deceit by Iesuits and Emissaries cannot recall them who haue departed from him therefore hee vseth the force of Armes to destroy them and in so doing hasteneth his owne