that is to say, he restored Religion to its former Purity and was not only present with them as a counsellor and promoter of the mighty work, but also appointed Psalms and Hymns, put in order the Companies, instituted and arranged that whole Solemn Triumph, and was in effect the Head of the Priesthood.*

Solomon, the King, built unto the Lord a Temple, which his Father David had merely designed and at its completion† made a long and eloquent oration to the people concerning Religion and the Worship of God: and afterwards displaced Abiathar, the Chief Priest, and appointed Zadoc in his stead. After this, §when the Temple of God was grossly defiled and

* Chronicles xiii. 3. 6.

† 1 Kings viii. 12. 2 Chronicles vi. 2.

Thus it appears that the wise Solomon thought it lawful to exercise his authority in Ecclesiastical and Spiritual cases of Religion, as well as in matters of temporal government. See this subject copiously and ably treated by Bishop Jewell in his Defence, pp. 650-58.

§ The Holy place of God was fulle of Filthinesse; the Gates of the Temple were shut up, that no man might enter in; the people had turned awaie theire faces from the Tabernacle of the Lorde; there was no Incense; there was no Sacrifice. these thinges had happened through the negligence and wicked

Al

polluted by the Wickedness and Impiety of the Priesthood, Hezekiah the King commanded them to carry forth the filthiness out of the Holy Place; to light the Lamps, to burn Incense, and to offer up sacrifices according to the ancient Institution:* and caused the Brazen Serpent,† which was then impiously adored by the People, to be taken away and pounded to dust.

Jehoshaphat, the King, overthrew and utterly destroyed all the High Places and Groves, whereby he saw that the worship of God was impeded, and the people diverted by a private Superstition from attending at the Great Temple of Jerusalem; whither it was their duty to come from all parts of the Realm at least once a year to offer up their Public Adorations. King Josiah with the utmost diligence admonished

nesse of the Priestes; who did nothinge by waie of Reforme, but by the Kinges Commandemente.

The Defence of the Apologie, p. 657.

* 2 Chronicles xxix. 5-7.

+2 Kings xviii. 4.

2 Chron. xvii. 6.

§ He set the Priests in their Charges, and encouraged them to the service of the House of the Lord, saying, sanctify yourselves, and prepare your Brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord. 2 Chron. xxxv, 2. 6.

the Priests and Bishops of their duty." King Jehoash † curbed the insolence and luxury of the Sacerdotal Order. Jehu put to death all the impious Prophets of Baal: and not to enumerate any more examples from the Holy Scriptures, or Old Testament; let us now consider how the Church has been governed since the Birth of Christ under the Gospel Dispensation, or New Testament.

The Christian Emperors in former times appointed the Councils of the Bishops. § Con

+ This monarch commanded the Priests to receive no more money of the people, but to deliver it for the breaches of the House of the Lord, 2 Kings xii. 7.

2 Kings x. 25.

§ What right Emperoures had in summoninge Councelles by these few authorities, and examples folowinge, it maie soone appeare. Eusebius saithe, Constantinus Synodum Ecumenicam collegit et Episcopos, ut undique accelerarent, honorificis literis convocavit: (not the Pope, but) Constantine geathered a General Councel, and by honourable writes called the Bishoppes of al Countries to repaire thither. Theodoretus saithe, "A greate, and a Holy Councel was geathered to Nice by the Grace of God, and (not by the Pope, but) by the godly Emperoure." Sozomen saithe, (not the Pope, but)

* Eusebius de Vita Constant, Orat. iii.

Theodoret, lib. i. cap. 9.

Sozomen, lib. i. cap. 17.

stantine called the Council of Nice: Theodosius the first that of Constantinople: Theodosius the second that of Ephesus: and Martian that of Chalcedon. And when the Heretic Ruffinus brought forward the authority of a Synod to support his arguments, St. Jerome, his opponent, in order to refute him, exclaimed; "Tell us what Emperor commanded that Synod to be assembled." This same Father also, in his Funeral Oration for Paula, a Roman Lady, cites the Letters of the Emperors who commanded the Bishops both of Greece and Italy to hold a general Council at Rome.

It is an indisputable fact that for the space of five hundred years the Emperor alone appointed the Ecclesiastical Assemblies, and Presided at the Councils of Bishops: and therefore we are the more astonished at the unreasonable de

"The Emperoure Constantine wrote unto al the Rulers of the Churches, that they shoulde be at Nice by a daie; to the Bishoppes of the Apostolique Sees, to Macarius the Bishop of Hierusalem, and to Julius the Bishop of Rome. In which wordes this also maie be noted, that the Pope then was under the Emperours summone no less than others."

The Defence of the Apologie, p. 670.

mands of the Pope of Rome, who, although he well knows that whilst the Roman Empire was undivided this right was vested in the Emperor alone, and that now the Cæsarean or Imperial Majesty has devolved to many Kings, who therefore are entitled to this common Prerogative; we. are I say astonished that he presumptuously arrogates this power to himself alone, and thinks it sufficient to communicate his wishes respecting the Convening a Council to the Greatest Monarch of the Earth, with the same easy indifference as if he were addressing a Servant.* But although the modesty and forbearance of the Emperor Ferdinand may be such as to induce him from ignorance of Papal arts to digest this insult upon his authority: still the Pope, who assumes the appearance of so much sanctity, cannot be excused for offering this affront, and arrogating to himself another man's Right.

Some of our Adversaries may here possibly exclaim, that the power of convening Councils was vested in the Emperor, because the Authority of the Bishop of Rome was not at that

*Pius IV. in Bulla sua ad Imperatorem Ferdinandum.