Or does the Episcopal Character rest on a mere empty Title, and a change of Garments? It is undoubtedly both unjust, dishonourable, and disgraceful, and not to be endured by wellinformed Christian Princes, to entrust the chief support of all things to the management of those persons alone who neither know, nor wish to know, nor indeed consider Religion of the least value; (except as far as regards their own vitiated appetites, and the gratification of their lusts;) and thus constitute them sole judges who are in fact no better than blind men placed in a Watchtower. Such however is the design of the *Pope; who wishes to see a Christian and Catholic Monarch stand like a Stock or Stone without a Vote; without the power of giving an opinion: who desires him to pay implicit obedience to his By what Woorde of God, says Bishop Jewell, can the Pope claime himself to be the Heade of the Universal Churche of God? Where is it recorded? Where is it written? In what parte of the Testamente newe, or olde? In what Lawe? In what Prophete? In what Epistle? In what Gospel? Where is his Headship? Where is his Universal Power? If the Papists can finde it, then maie they shewe it; if it cannot be founde, then shoulde they not saie it. The Defence of the Apologie, p. 648. commands and wishes; as if he were destitute of Eyes, Ears, Soul, and Understanding: who ordains that whatever the See of Rome is pleased to sanction, must be received without demur, and with Blindfold Submission, however wicked and blasphemous it may be: even should the Extinction of all Religion and the Crucifixion of our Saviour be comprehended in its decrees. What then? Can Annas and Caiaphas form a more correct judgment on matters of Religion, than David and Hezekiah? And is it lawful for a Cardinal, a Soldier and a Man of Blood to sit in that Council wherein an Emperor and a Christian Monarch is refused admittance? For we have no intention of attributing any thing more to our Magistrates, than that which we know is allowed them by the Word of God, and approved by the most perfect Models of Government.* The care of both Tables is besides com * Touchinge the Right belonginge unto all Christian Princes, it hath benne invested, and planted in them from the beginninge; for to leave the authorities of the Scriptures, Pope Eleutherius himselfe wrote thus unto Lucius sommetime Kinge of this Realme of Englande ;* Vos estis Vicarius Dei in Regno, Epist. Eleutherii. Citatur inter Leges Edwardi Primi. mitted by God to the Custody of a Faithful Prince, that he may understand, that not only the Civil but the Ecclesiastical Polity also is attached to his Office.* God likewise has frequently given express commands to Princes to cut down the Groves, to destroy the Altars and Statues of Idols, and to transcribe for themselves a Book of the Law:† and Isaiah ‡ saith; that juxta Prophetam Regium, You are God's Vicar within your own Realm, according to the Prophet David. The Defence of the Apologie, p. 644. * The two Tables of the Law of God, that is both the Religious and Civil Government of the State, are entrusted to the King's hands, not merely that he himself should keep and duly perform them in his own person, for that is the duty of every private man, but that he should take care that all his subjects, both Priests and Laymen, should in their several callings faithfully observe the same. * + Goddes meaning, touching this ceremonie was this, that the Kinge's Booke shoulde be true and faultlesse. And therefore God commaunded him to take a Copie thereof out of the Registrie or Recordes, which were thought to be voide of al corruption, and were evermore keapte in the Temple, under the Custodie of the Priestes. Paulus Phagius saithe, Every private man was commaunded to have one Booke severally to himselfe : but the Kinge was commaunded to have twoo; and for as mutche as the Kinge was a Publique Persone, therefore God willed him to take his Copie out of the publique Records of the Temple. The Defence of the Apologie, p. 648. * Paulus Phagius. in Deuteron. cap. xvii. Isaiah xlix. 23. Kings should be nursing Fathers to the Church; and their Queens her nursing Mothers: and independent of all these things we learn from Histories, and the Examples of the best Ages, that the administration of Ecclesiastical Affairs has always been considered by pious Monarchs as constituting a very essential part of their Duty. * Moses, being a civil magistrate, and chief guide of the People, both received from God, and delivered to the people, the whole System of Worship and Sacrifices; and gave Aaron the High Priest a sharp and sore Rebuke for making the Golden Calf, and suffering the Corruption of Religion. Joshua* also, though merely a civil *When Aaron the High Priest had consented to the makinge and woorshiping of the Golden Calfe, Moses, being then the Temporal Prince, rebuked him sharpely unto his face; and in so dooinge did not the Bishoppes office, but onely his owne. As touchinge Josua, whom the Papists would fain have restreined from al Ecclesiastical Causes, he caused the people to be Circumcised; he caused Aultars for theire Bloudy Sacrifices to be erected; he caused the Priestes to make theire Sacrifices; he caused the Deuteronomie to be written on Stoaues; he caused bothe the Blessinges and the Cursses of GOD to be pronounced; he spake openly to the people, and freed them from + Exodus xxxii. 19, &c. magistrate, yet, when he was first chosen by God and set as a Ruler over the People, received express commands on the subject of Religion and the Worship of God.* David, the King, when the whole Religion of God was corrupted by the Practices of the wicked Saul, † brought back the Ark of God; Idolatrie. All these were cases not of Civile Policie, but of Religion. The Defence of the Apologie, p. 654. In the opinion here expressed, St. Augustin considers, "In hoc reges Deo serviunt, sicut eis divinitus præcipitur in quantum sunt reges, si in suo regno bona jubeant, mala prohibeant; non solum quæ pertinent ad Humanam Societatem, verum etiam quæ ad Divinam Religionem." Herein do Kings serve God, as they are commanded from above, being Kings, if in their Dominions they enjoin that which is good, and restrain evil; not only with respect to Human Society, and in things which pertain to the Religion of God. Augustin Contra Cresconi, lib. iii. cap. 51. * Joshua i. 8. + Kinge David called the Bishoppes and Priestes togeather; (not as a Prophet, as the Papistes vainly assert, but as a Kinge) he shewed them in what sorte the Religion of God was defaced; he willed them to bringe the Arke into Sion; he was presente himselfe; he appointed and ordered the whole Triumphe; he assigned whiche of the Levites, and in what order they shoulde serve before the Arke; he allotted Aaron's Children, whiche were the Priestes, to walke eche man in his several office. The Defence of the Apologie, p. 655. |