66. The thirteenth Chapter. Of a Magistrate, and of the difference b

The thirteenth Chapter. Of a Magistrate, and of the difference betweene Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall power.

¹ NOw it remaineth that I intreate of a Magistrate, who in my iudgement may thus be described: Namely, A person chosen by the institution of God, ² to kéepe the lawes as touching outward discipline, in punishing of transgressors with punishment of the bodie, and to defend and make much of the good. There are vndoubtedly many persons elected by the institution of God, which are not Magistrates: such be the Ministers of Churches, which neuerthelesse are kéepers of the word of God and of his law, but not onely as touching outward discipline. ³ Because it is the office of ministers, through the word of God to pearse eue~ to the inwarde motions of the minde: because the holy Ghost ioyneth his power, both to the right preaching of his word, and also to the sacraments which are ministred in the Church. But the Magistrate onely exerciseth outward discipline and punishment vpon transgressors. The minister in the name of God, bindeth the guiltie and vnpenitent, and in his name excludeth them from the kingdome of heauen, as long as they shall so remaine. The Magistrate punisheth with outwarde punishments, and when néede requireth, vseth the sword. Both of them nourish the godly, but diuersly. The Magistrate aduaunceth them with honors, riches and dignities. The minister comforteth them with the promises of God & with the sacraments. ⁴ Wherefore the Magistrate is appointed to the end that the lawes should be diligently kept, the guiltie punished, and the good holpen and fostered. And certainely the lawe is a dumb Magistrate: and againe, the Magistrate, is a liuing and speaking law, ⁵ and is also the Minister of God (as Paul saieth) to their praise which doe well: and on the otherside he beareth the sworde against the wicked as a iudge and reuenger of God. ⁶ Neither tend these things to any other ende than to the safetie of men.

2 Howbeit the forme of Magistrates is not of one sort but manifolde: as Monarchia, ⁷ [y e gouernment of one] Aristocrasia [the rule of many good men,] and Politia [politike gouernment.] Or else Tyrannis, [where one rules for his owne commoditie,] Oligarchia, [where a fewe be in authoritie,] and Democratia, [when the people beare the sway.] The descriptions and natures of which formes Plato, Aristotle, and other Philosophers, haue elegantly described. Of all these manners of gouernment the best is to be desired. And all men to whom it pertaineth ought to prouide, that a good or tollerable estate, degenerate not into an euill one. But if it happen at any time that Tyrantes or wicked princes obtaine the gouernance, that must bee suffered as much as the worde of God giueth leaue. The Iewes were by violence oppressed of the Babylonians: ⁸ whom neuerthelesse, GOD admonished that they should obey, & to pray for the King although he were a Tyrant, and possessed the kingdom of the Hebrewes most wrongfully. Caesar also helde Iewrie by Tyrannie, and yet Christ said: Giue that which is Caesars vnto Caesar, ⁹ and the things that are of God vnto God. The Apostles also haue taught that we must obey princes and pray for them. ¹⁰ Nero was a most shamefull beast, to whom notwithstanding the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans sheweth that obedience ought to be giuen, ¹¹ not onely for feare but also for conscience sake. Phocas attained to the Empire of Rome, by euill practizes, and most cruelly slew Mauritius his prince, and also his children, whom neuerthelesse the Romans acknowledged for their Emperour: and Gregorie the first, read vnto the people his commandements and writings. But and if thou shalt demaunde what forme of a publike weale y e Iewes had, it may easily be knowen. At the beginning they had Aristocrasia [where the best sort ruled.] For God approoued the counsell of Iethro, ¹² which was, that there should be chosen out wise men and couragious, and such as feared God which shoulde gouerne the publike weale, as it is written in Exodus and Deuteronomie. ¹³ Yea and God himselfe with his spirit did so inspire these 70. men (whom he had commaunded to bée chosen as helpers of Moses in the gouernment,) as they also prophesied. On this wise were the Israelites gouerned, although afterward they were ruled by a king.

¹⁴ 3 But this must not be omitted that princes in the holy scriptures are not onely called Deacons, or Ministers of God, but also Pastors: ¹⁵ Of whom Ezechiel complaineth for manie causes, for that they cruellie and peruerslie fed the people of God. ¹⁶ Homer also calleth his Agamemno~ the pastor of the people. For they ought not to beare rule as théeues or hirelinges, to fléece and to oppresse, but to kéepe, nourish, and féede lyke Pastors. They are also called Fathers, ¹⁷ wherefore the Senators among the Romans were called Patres conscripti, that is, appointed Fathers. Neither was there a greater or more auncient honour in the Commonweale, than to be called, The father of the Countrie. Yea also a Magistrate by the lawe of God is coprehended vnder this commaundemet, Honour thy father and thy mother. ¹⁸ Princes then owe vnto their subiectes a fatherly loue, and they ought alwayes to remember that they are not rulers ouer beastes, but ouer men, and that themselues also are men: who yet should be farre better and more excellent, than those whome they gouerne, otherwise they are not fit to gouerne them. For we make not a shéepe the chiefe ruler ouer shéepe, but the Belwether, and then the shepheard. And euen as a shepheard excelleth the shéepe, so ought they to whome the office of a Magistrate is committed, to excell the people. Nowe must wée consider by whome Magistrates are ordained. That is sometime doone by the consent of the Senate, ¹⁹ sometime by the voyces of the people, or by the will of the souldiers, or else by succession of inheritance. Howbeit these are but instrumentes. ²⁰ But the proper cause of Magistrates is God himselfe, which may be prooued by manie reasons. First there is by God kindled a certaine light in the hearts of men, whereby they vnderstand that they cannot liue together without a guide: and from thence sprung the office of a Magistrate. ²¹ The lawe of God also commaundeth to obay Magistrates. And before the lawe giuen by Moses, as it is written in Genesis, ²² God ordayned that he which sheddeth mans bloud, his bloud also should be shed, not rashlie in déede or by euery man (for that were verie absurd). We may then gather by those wordes, that a Magistrate was plainelie instituted by God, that he should punish manquellers. Paul also writeth that, ²³ all powers whatsoeuer they be, are ordained of God. And Christ aunswered vnto Pilate, ²⁴ Thou shouldest haue no power against me, except it had bin giuen thee from aboue. By these testimonies and reasons it is prooued, that God is the true and proper cause of Magistrates.

4 But here some cauill saying: If all Magistrates be of God, then must all thinges be rightlie gouerned: But in gouerning of publike weales we see that many thinges are doone naughtilie and peruerslie. Doubtlesse, vnder Nero, Domitian, Commodus, Caracalla, and Heliogabolus, good lawes were despised, good men killed, and discipline of the Citie was vtterlie corrupted. But if the Magistrate were of God, such thinges had neuer happened. ²⁵ This reason neither can nor ought any thing to mooue vs, because the office is to be separated from the person. And certainlie it may be that he which hath the office may be a naughtie and wicked man, when as neuerthelesse the authoritie it selfe is good and very profitable. For there is nothing so good, but that men by their naughtinesse may vse it ill. Wherefore it is no maruell, if there haue bin kings and Emperors which sometime haue abused the power giuen them, which notwithstanding they were not so able to corrupt, but that men by it receiued many good thinges and commodities, as I haue before shewed. ²⁶ By the testimonie of Daniel, it is most manifest that Magistrates are of God: For (saith he) he giueth and translateth kingdomes at his owne pleasure. Furthermore, we sée that the Monarch hath sometime bin in the East, sometime in y e South, afterward in the West, and sometimes in the North: and that otherwhile there haue bin good princes, otherwhile euil: sometimes haue reigned noble men, and sometime men of obscure kinred. And we perceiue, it oftentimes happeneth that riches or power further not to the obtainement or holding of a kingdome, and to thinke that these thinges are doone by chaunce without the prouidence of God, it is most absurd.

5 Some Astronomer perhappes will say, ²⁷ that these chages or alterations are brought in by the starres: But Daniel, the Minister of trueth, saith that it is God which changeth times. For euen as he hath in the yeare appointed the seasons of times, so as it pleaseth him dooth he sometimes establish princes, and sometime taketh them away. ²⁸ He cast downe Saul, and he also promoted Dauid. And he foretold that he would so doe, least it might haue séemed to happen rashlie or by chaunce. Yea & kingdomes and publike weales, may be called certain woorkhouses, or shoppes of the will of God. For that is doone in them which GOD himselfe hath decréed to be doone, although princes oftentimes vnderstand it not. God called the Medes and the Assyrians, ²⁹ to afflict the Israelites: and those when it seemed good vnto him he expelled and tooke away. He raysed vp the Persians against the Chaldeans, and the Gretians against the Persians, and lastlie the Romans against all other nations. Who diuided the kingdome of the Hebrewes into Iuda and Israell? God verilie did it. Ahias the Silonit did foretell that it should so come to passe, ³⁰ and sayd that the word was come foorth from the Lord that it should so be. Who ouerthrew Achab? ³¹ who caused Iehu to be annointed, but onelie God? But there are certaine tyrants, which destroy publike weales. I graunt it, but our wickednesse & sinnes deserue it. For there be oftetimes so grieuous sinnes, & so manie that they cannot be corrected by the ordinarie Magistrate, and by a gentle and quiet gouernment of things. And therefore God dooth then prouide Tyrantes to afflict the people: ³² And yet for the most part he tempereth & qualifieth his punishment in placing among them good and godlie princes. After the fall of Nero, he set vp Vespasian: After Domitian he sent Nerua and Traian: After Commodus, Pertinax and Seuerus: After Heliogabalus, Alexander. But they which say: the wicked actes of Tyrantes are not of God, yet doe those thinges spread abroad into kingdomes and Empires: Therefore Empires and kingdomes are not of God: ³³ they I say make a false Syllogisme A secundum quid, ad simpliciter: that is, from that which is in some respect, vnto y • which is absolute. Neither is this a perfect conclusion. Certaine thinges in a Magistrate are not of God, therefore the Magistrate himself is not of God. Or else they reason ill fro~ Accidentes: For vices and wicked actes happen to publike powers, but are not ioyned vnto them by themselues, or by their owne nature. ³⁴ But some man will doubt: If the Magistrate be an Ethnick and also a Tyrant, whether it be lawfull for a godly man to vse his helpe and ayde. What else? Paul appealed vnto Caesar a most wicked Tyrant. But it may séeme, he did against his owne preceptes. ³⁵ For in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, he reprehended those Christians which pleaded causes at the iugement places of the Ethnickes. He iustly reprooued the Corinthians because there were Christians among them which might in the Church haue decided their causes: Neither was it conuenient that Christians should contend with Christians at the iudgement places of the vngodlie. But Paul when he appealed vnto Caesar, had not to doe with Christians, but with the Iewes and president of Rome. Wherefore séeing he had not a faithfull Magistrate, neither could it otherwise be doone, and his life also was sought, he did not ill in crauing the tuition and helpe of the common Magistrate, although he were an Ethnicke. For euen as we vse the Sunne and Moone, so also is it lawfull to vse the publike and ordinarie Magistrate, what manner of man soeuer he be.

6 The Christian Church did euen so, ³⁶ when as yet there were no Christian Emperors. For Paulus Samosatenus was condemned as an heretick, and being a Byshop was cast from his dignitie. But because he would not goe out of the house which belonged to the bishop, there was sute made vnto Aurelianus the Emperour, and ayde obtayned at his handes, who compelled him to deliuer his house vnto the newe Byshop. Who can say that the Church herein sinned, because it vsed y e publick Magistrate, though he were an Infidel? But let vs returne from whence we digressed, and let vs constantlie beléeue that y e Magistrate is of God, though oftentimes (our sinnes deseruing the same) many thinges are by him doone wickedly and vniustlie. ³⁷ Howbeit Hosea the Prophet seemeth yet to be against vs whe~ he saith: They haue reigned but not by me. But we must vnderstand that Hosea entreated of tyrantes which neither regarded lawes, neither nourished the good nor tooke away the euill fro~ among the people, and therefore they reigned not by God, but by their owne lustes. They regarded their owne affections, and not the lawe of God. Further they inuaded kingdomes, being stirred vp by their owne lustes, and driuen by their owne ambition: not as they which felt the calling of GOD vnto a kingdome. Neither did they take authoritie vppon them, with a will to obay God, but to satisfie their owne ambition. ³⁸ This was not to reigne by God. But that they were not promoted to the kingdome by the will of God, that is contrarie welneare to the whole scripture. For God called Nabuchad-nezar his seruant, because he would vse his labour to afflict the Israelites, whereas notwithstanding, it might haue bin said that he reigned not by God, because he fought against the Iewes for his owne pleasure sake, and not of a zeale to fulfill the will of God. So that the saying of Osea the Prophet is nothing against vs, but that we may beléeue that the Magistrate is of God, and that we ought to obay him. Paul saith, Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers. ³⁹ The same is written to Titus. ⁴⁰ And in the first Epistle of Peter the 2. Chapter. And Paul to Timothie addeth, That we should praie for them. But the Papistes and they which will be called Ecclesiasticall men, will not giue eare hereunto: ⁴¹ For they cry, that they are exempted from publike and ordinarie powers, whereas yet the Apostle vsed no exception, when he said, Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers: Againe, He which resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. Yea and Chysostome also vppon that place, saith, that the Apostles, Prophets, Euangelistes, and Moonkes are comprehended vnder that Lawe. And Chrysostome wrote these thinges of Ecclesiasticall persons: whenas neuerthelesse he himselfe was Byshop of Constantinople, and we had then Christian Emperours.

7 But it is a worlde to heare the arguments which these false ecclesiastical me~ vse. In the Extrauagants De Maioritate & Obedientia, in the Chapter Vnam Sanctam, Bonifacius the eight whom they write to haue entred in as a Fox, raigned like a Lyon, and dyed like a dog, saith y t there be two swordes in the Church. And least he should séeme to speake it rashlie, he citeth these wordes out of the 22. ⁴² Chapter of Luke: When I sent you without bagge or scrippe, did ye at anie time want anie thing? They saide vnto him, No. Christ added: But now I saie vnto you, let euerie man take his scrippe and wallet, and he which hath none let him sell his coate, and buye a sworde. They saide vnto him, behold heere are two swordes. Christ answered, it is sufficient. ⁴³ Boniface saith: Two swordes are sufficient for the Church: namelie, the spirituall sword, and the temporall. Wherefore they which saie that Peter had not an outward sword, doe séeme not to vnderstand the wordes of Christ, wherein he saide vnto Peter: Put vp thy sworde into thy sheath. Thy sword (saith he) and not an other mans. For he had a sworde of his owne, although he were bidden to put it vp. But there must néedes bée some order kept in these swords: séeing what powers so euer bee, they bee ordained by God. And there would be a great confusion, if, two swords being in y e Church, the one should not be gouerned by the other. So then the Temporall sworde ought to bée gouerned by the spirituall. And to make this Argument more plaine: The Church (saith he) hath two swordes, but it vseth not them after one and the selfesame manner. For it exerciseth the spirituall sworde, but the temporall sworde ought to be drawen onelie at the becke & sufferance of the Church. This is so obscure, that it may in a manner séeme to be a riddle. Howbeit this is his meaning, ⁴⁴ that the sworde of the Emperour ought to be drawen onelie at the will and pleasure of the Pope: That when he commandeth, he must strike: and by sufferance, that is, he must goe foreward in striking, so long as he listeth and will suffer it. These things therefore must be in order: and the order is, that the temporall sworde be reduced vnto God by the spirituall. For as saith that Dionysius, ⁴⁵ (who is thought to be the Areopagite, wheras he is another) All inferiour things are referred to the chéefest, but yet by a meane. Wherefore (saith he) the temporall sworde must be drawen at the Popes becke, that so it may be referred vnto God. Thus we sée it to be doone at this day: For so often as the most holie father doth hold vp his finger to make war against y e Lutherans, he wil haue the Emperor foorthwith to obay. And if any prince will not with competent submission obay him, straight way, legates are sent vp & downe, that all other Kinges and Princes should bend themselues to his becke, and to vex and withstande him that will not obaie him.

8 Boniface addeth moreouer, ⁴⁶ that he himselfe is aboue all Kings and Princes. For principallitie is to be estéemed according to the dignitie of the things which be exercised by it. We (saith he) exercise spiritual things, and they temporall: their sword therefore is inferior to ours, and they vnto vs. He addeth also an other reason: They pay vnto vs tenthes, but tenthes are paide by the inferior vnto the superior: wherefore séeing kings and Princes pay tenthes, they testifie that their lands and reuenewes belong to the Church, and that they are subiect vnto it. Besides this, he which blesseth, is greater tha~ he which is blessed: but Byshops consecrate & annoint Kings. The Glosse addeth, that of Kings, onely the right shoulder is annointed, but Byshops haue their heads annointed. Kings are annointed with Oyle, but Byshops with Chresme: So then wée must néedes confesse that Kings are inferiour to Byshops. Furthermore Kings receiue their crowne and scepter of Byshops. For who (saith he) inuested Saul, ⁴⁷ and who Dauid, but Samuel? Who annointed Iehu, but a Prophet sent by Helizeus? The thing also which is exercised by Byshops is greater, than that whereabout Kings are occupied. For Christ saide vnto Peter: Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth, shalbe bound in heauen. This power is greater than all humane power. And God saide vnto Ieremie: I will set thee ouer nations and kingdomes, that thou maist roote out & destroy, scatter and plant, therefore wee are greater than all the power of Kings, and are exempted from their Lawe: So that the prophane and lay powers of Emperours and Kings must bee iudged by Ecclesiasticall persons, and ought by vs to be appointed, and may by vs be ouerthrowen. For vnto whom it belongeth to builde, to the same it pertaineth to destroie: Therefore the spirituall Magistrate ought to iudge of the Ciuill Magistrate. But if the spirituall offend in any thing, of whom ought he to be iudged? The lesser (saith he) ought to be iudged of the greater. Then of whom shall the Pope which is the highest of all be iudged? Of no man (saith he) except God onelie: because he that is spirituall, ⁴⁸ is iudged of no man, but he iudgeth all things. Hath he not trimlie erected his tyrannie? He calleth onlie himselfe spirituall. The Glosser although he were otherwise grosse ynough, yet could he not be so much a blocke, but that he sawe these things to be spoken verie absurdlie. Howe (saith he) is the Pope spirituall, if he be vnpure and wicked? He expoundeth himselfe by this distinction: ⁴⁹ There is (saith he) one manner of spiritualtie of the person, and an other of the state: Then, if there be some spirituall person, he maie reprooue all men by a brotherlie admonition, but hée ought to be reprehended of no man: for that he being spirituall comitteth nothing amisse. But otherwhile some person which is not spirituall in life and manners, ought neuerthelesse to be called spirituall because of his degrée: as are manie Bishops and Popes. Wherefore we must call the bishop of Rome, whatsoeuer he be, spirituall and most holie. Howbeit, what else is this, but to teache vs to lie, and that if they will haue a shamefull harlot, yet they must be called most holie? Boniface at the last concludeth that all emperours and Kinges must be subiect to his power onelie. And he addeth a reason: vnlesse wee will together with the Manichees appoint two beginnings. Which ought not to be doone: ⁵⁰ for Moses sayde not, In y e beginnings, but in y e beginning God created heaue & earth: wherefore (saith he) we define, determine, & pronou~ce, ⁵¹ y t all men ought of the necessitie of saluation, to obay y e Pope, as the chéefest power. And thus (trimlie forsooth) he concludeth that all ecclesiasticall persons are exempt from the ciuill Magistrate.

9 Before I come to confute this boasting more than Thrasonicall, I thinke it expedient to speake of two manner of powers: namelie, of the Ecclesiasticall power and Ciuill power. ⁵² In that it is saide that the ecclesiasticall power is preferred, aboue all Ciuill function, it is somewhat that they say, so it be rightlie and aptlie vnderstood. All Ecclesiasticall power is established by the word of God, so as without it, it is none at all. But the word of GOD is a common rule, whereby all thinges ought to be directed and tempered. For it teacheth in what manner the outward sword & publike wealth ought to be gouerned: And generally also it sheweth how all things ought to be doone of all men. ⁵³ So Ambrose when as Theodosius the Emperour raged too cruellie & without all consideration against y e Thessalonians, perswaded him, y t in all punishment of death, there should be xxx. dayes space after the sentence giuen, least the Magistrate shoud doe those thinges in a rage and furie, whereof although he afterward repented him, yet they might not be any more remedied. So, ⁵⁴ many Byshops oftentimes in thinges most weightie, vsed their authoritie, and manie times either put away cruell warres, or else pacified them, and euen while warres were in hand preached Sermons out of the word of God. So that the Ecclesiasticall power after this manner comprehendeth all thinges, because out of the word of God it findeth how to giue counsell in all thinges. For there is nothing in the whole world whereunto the word of God extendeth not it selfe. Wherefore they are farre deceiued, which vse to cry, what hath a preacher to doe with the publike weale? What hath he to doe with warres? what with Pothecaries? What with Cookes? But let the~ tell me: when the Minister of the word perceiueth the lawe of GOD to be violated in these thinges, why should he not reprehend them by the word of God? Why should he not admonish them? Why should he not exhort them to cease from sinne? ⁵⁵ Doubtlesse it is his part to correct sinners, not in déede with the sword or punishing by the purse, not by imprisonment, not by banishment, but after his owne manner, that is, by the might and power of the word of God. Againe, ⁵⁶ the Politicall power is extended to all things which pertaine to political power. But after what manner? Shall ciuill power require good motions of y e minde and inward repentance? It cannot cause these things: yet it must wishe they were had, and vse those meanes whereby they may be had. For it ought to haue a care that Byshops, pastors, and teachers in the Church, doe teach purelie, reprehend fatherlie, and by the word of GOD administer the Sacramentes. This in déede the Magistrate dooth not by himselfe, but he ought to haue a regard that those may be in a readinesse which should doe them well. Wherefore either power extendeth most amply, and comprehendeth all thinges, but not after one and the selfe same manner. And the rule of either of them is to be taken out of the word of God, the which dooth plainelie appeare to be in the Church.

⁵⁷ 10 Againe, there are two subiections, one is politicall and ciuill, whereunto all men are subiect: who if they offend in any thing against the lawes, do looke at the iust Magistrates hand for imprisonment, punishment by the purse, banishment, death, & externall punishment: neuerthelesse if they doe well, honours, rewardes, dignities, and prayse. In this sort the ciuill power is not subiect vnto the Ministerie of the word, because it cannot in this manner be punished. The other subiection is spirituall, that is, of faith and of obedience. For straightway, as soone as men heare of their duetie out of y e word of God, and that either this thing or that is to be doone, or this or that to be auoided, they giue place, beléeue and obay, because they perceiue that it is the word of God which is spoken. And these are the endes of either power. ⁵⁸ And so must be vnderstood that saying of Valentinian the Emperor, out of the Tripartite historie: which we also haue in the distinction 63. the Chapter Valentinianus. Chuse (saith he) such a Byshop vnto whom we which gouerne the Empire, may sincerelie put vnder our neckes, and vse his admonitions as it were medicines, &c. By which wordes is vnderstood that it belongeth to the Ecclesiasticall power, to admonish out of the word of God for saluation. Albeit the same Emperor or afterward erred: ⁵⁹ For when he had appointed Ambrose Pretor of the Citie of Millaine, the people did choose him to be Byshop: which when the Emperor knew, he gaue thankes vnto God after this manner: I had appointed him ruler ouer the bodies of men, but thou wouldest haue him ruler ouer the soules &c. Valentinian did not rightlie put a difference betwéene offices: ⁶⁰ why so? Ought Byshops to haue a care onelie ouer soules, and not ouer bodies also? What if they giue themselues vnto Gluttonie or drunckennesse, or liue licentiouslie touching outward behauiour? Must they not reprooue these things? Yes truelie must they, neither must Princes haue onelie a care ouer the bodies of men, and neglect their soules. For we doe not imagine that a Prince is a Neteheard or Swineheard, to whom is committed a care onelie of the flesh, bellie, and skinne of his subiectes, yea rather he must prouide that they may liue vertuouslie and godlie. But what if Christian princes, when they are by the word of God admonished of publike and most grieuous sinnes, will not heare, neither amend that which they haue naughtilie committed? What I say shall the Byshop do in this case? Ambrose excommunicated Theodosius the Emperour, when he exercised so grieuous tyrannie against the Thessalonians. Innocentius also excommunicated Archadius, whe~ he had exiled Iohn Chrysostome, which fréelie and truelie admonished him, as we haue it in the distinct. 96. Chapt. Duo sunt, and in the distinct. 18. in the Chapt. Quoniam quidem. And they be the words of the 6. Synode, where it is decréed that euerie yéere there should be had two Synodes. And if that princes would hinder them, let them be excommunicated.

11. But what doe I make mention of these latter thinges? ⁶¹ Let vs reade Eusebius in the 6. booke, the 34. Chapter: where he saith that Philip the Emperour, who liued in the time of Origen was the first Christian prince, and that he would haue bin present together with the faithfull on Easter Euen, & haue communicated with them in prayers: but y e bishop, because he was a wicked and naughtie liuer, reiected him among them y t were put to penance, that he should make open confession before the Church and confesse his sinnes, otherwise he could by no meanes be admitted vnto the Communion. This did the Byshop of that time against the Emperour, and chiefe Monarch of the whole world. Wherefore, the ciuill power ought to be subiect to the word of God which is preached by the Ministers. But in lyke manner the Ecclesiasticall power is subiect vnto the ciuill, when the Ministers behaue themselues ill, either in things humane, or things Ecclesiasticall. For these powers are after a sort interchangeable, and sundrie wayes are occupied about the selfesame things, and mutuallie helpe one another, euen as Aristotle vnto Theodectes calleth Rhetoricke and Logick interchangeable artes, ⁶² because either of them are occupied in the selfesame thinges, after a sundrie manner. The Ecclesiasticall power, is subiect vnto the Magistrate, not by a spirituall subiection but by a politicke. For as touching the Sacramentes and Sermons, it is not subiect vnto it, because the Magistrate may not alter the word of God, or the Sacramentes which the Minister vseth. Neither can he compel the Pastors and teachers of the Church to teach otherwise, or in any other sort to administer the Sacraments, than is prescribed by the word of God. Howbeit Ministers, in that they be men and Citizens, are without all doubt subiect together with their landes, riches, and possessions vnto the Magistrate. So Christ payed tribute, ⁶³ so also did the Apostles and the whole primatiue Church there being most holy men. Their manners also are subiect vnto the Censures and iudgements of the Magistrates.

12 We say moreouer that Ministers are subiect vnto the Magistrate, not onelie as touching those things which I haue rehearsed, but also (as I before signified) concerning their function. Because, if they teach not right, neither administer the Sacramentes orderly, it is the office of the Magistrate to compell them to an order, and to sée that they teach not corruptlie, and that they mingle not fables, nor yet abuse the Sacramentes, or deliuer them otherwise than the Lord hath commaunded. ⁶⁴ Also if they liue naughtilie and wickedlie, they shall put them foorth of the holy Ministerie. This did Salomon, who deposed Abiathar, and put Sadock in his place, as it is written in the first booke of kings the 2. Chapter: And in the new Testament. Iustinian displaced Siluerius and Vigilius. And this I doubt not, but was doone sometime by other princes. But how iustlie, I will not presentlie declare. This one thing I will say, that it was lawfull in the causes now alleaged. But some man wil say that I speake now of the fact and not of the right: yea but I speake also of the right. For the king ought to haue with him the lawe of God written because he is ordained a kéeper, not onelie of the first table, but also of the latter. So then he which offendeth in any of them both, ranne in daunger of his power. But although a king may remoue an vnprofitable and hurtfull Byshop, yet cannot a Byshop (on the other side) depose a king if he haue offended. ⁶⁵ Iohn in déede reprooued Herod, but he displaced him not of his kingdome. Ambrose and Innocentius excommunicated Emperours, but they procéeded no further. Yea and Christ called Herod a Woolfe, but he tooke not away his kingdome from him, and he payed tribute vnto Tiberius a most wicked prince. ⁶⁶ Neither was he at any time author to any man to shake off his yoke. Wherefore let Popes take héede: by what right they remooue at their owne pleasure kings and Emperours out of their places. This did neither anie of the Prophets, nor the Apostles, nor yet Christ. The popes boast that they haue great power: but if the same be anie it consisteth wholie in the word of God. Let them teach, preach, and admonish, if they will exercise their power, otherwise the ciuill and temporall power, which they so much boast of is farre from the Ecclesiasticall Ministers. Brieflie, as there is found no king nor Emperour so great that is not subiect to the word of God, which is preached by the Ministers: so on the other side is there no Byshop, which hauing offended, but ought to be reprooued by the ciuill Magistrate. What difference soeuer there be, the same (as I haue said) is wholie as touching the manner of reproouing. This the Ministers of the Church doe by the word, and Princes by outward punishmentes. But our false Ecclesiastickes wil be princes and reigne, and yet Christ would be no king. And when he was sought for to the end he should be made a king, he vtterlie refused it, ⁶⁷ yea rather he plainlie confessed, that his kingdome is not of this world. ⁶⁸ He said also vnto the Apostles: ⁶⁹ Princes of the nations doe beare rule ouer them, but ye shall not so doe. Peter also whose successors these men professe themselues to be, ⁷⁰ warneth Ministers that they should not exercise dominion ouer the Cleargie: But these men will haue prisons, souldiers, and swordes, and stirre vp warres as they list themselues.

13 Perhaps they will obiect vnto vs the Assamonites out of the olde Testament, ⁷¹ who for a certaintie were both kings and Priests, and confounded both the powers. That Historie indéede is written in the bookes of the Machabites. ⁷² But we must sée whether they did it rightlie or else wickedlie and ambiciously. Doubtlesse I thinke they did it not orderly: for God by his word, had many times adiudged the Kingdome to be giuen vnto the Tribe of Iuda, euen vnto the time of Messias. ⁷³ And contrarilie he commaunded the Leuites that they should possesse no landes, and much lesse to occupie a kingdome among their brethren. But if a man had rather say, that they did this by a certaine secret reuelation and hidden iudgement of God, he shal not further the cause of these men; séeing that which is doone after this manner must not be drawen to an example: For I thinke rather that they offende in so doing. Certainlie they did wel, when they deliuered their country from tyrannie: but that being performed, they ought not to haue taken the kingdome vpon them: and God declared plainely that the same Act of theirs displeased him. For as we gather out of Iosephus, that house afterward was neuer voyde of troubles. They further obiect vnto vs, ⁷⁴ that Peter slue Ananias and Saphira, and that Paule strake Elimas the sorcerer with blindnesse. This is true in déede, but they did these things by the word of God, ⁷⁵ not by violence, not by the sworde, neither by helpe of an executioner. Let these men doe the same things by the worde, and we will regard them. Why doe they not heare Paul vnto Timothie: ⁷⁶ Let no man going on Gods warfare, wrap himselfe in cares of this life? If they will goe on warfare for God, why doe they in such sort hinder themselues with worldly businesse? Haue they so much leasure from their owne affaires as they can haue a care ouer other mens? Let them answere plainely: woulde they at this day abide that any king should attempt to teache the Gospell or administer the Sacramentes? They would not suffer it. Neither did God himselfe also suffer it. ⁷⁷ But he strake Ozeas with Leprosie when he woulde haue burnt incense vnto God. Why then doe they inuade the boundes of other men? These functions ought to be separated, ⁷⁸ because either of them requireth a whole man apart by himselfe: yea rather there hath scarcely bin found any one man, at any time, which coulde rightly execute either of them, so hard is the executio~ of them both. Howbeit both of them doe one helpe another: for the politick Prince giueth iudgement: and y e Ecclesiasticall in déede doth not giue iudgement, but he teacheth how iudgement ought to be giuen. Haue not respect (saieth he) of persons in iudgement. ⁷⁹ Afflict not the poore and straunger, receiue no bribes, and so forth. So on the other side, the ciuill Magistrate preacheth not, neither administreth the sacraments. But vnlesse these things be rightly ordered, ⁸⁰ he ought to punish the Ministers. And to be briefe, there are two things to bee considered of vs in this comparison. In the Ciuill Magistrate is to bee considered both the power and also the man which beareth & exerciseth the power. He in respect y t he is a Christian man is subiect to the word of God: and in respect that he beareth authoritie and gouerneth, hée ought also to be subiect vnto the same worde of God; séeing out of the same he ought to séeke rules to gouerne and beare rule. In the Minister of the Church also is to be considered both the ministerie it selfe, & also the person which executeth it. As touching the person, y e minister is subiect vnto y e Ciuil power. For both he is a Citizen, and he also payeth tribute as other men doe, & is vnder the correction of manners. But as concerning the Ministerie, he is also subiect some waie vnto the Magistrate. For if either he teach or administer the sacraments against the word of God, he must be reprehended by y e Ciuil Magistrate. And yet must he not seeke for rules & reasons of his function at the same Magistrates hand, but out of the word of God. By this distinctio~ we may easily vnderstand the differences and agréement of either power.

14 Nowe resteth that we come to that Thraso Boniface, to confute his Arguments. ⁸¹ First out of that saying which the Apostles answered, Behold here are two swordes, and Christ added, It is sufficient: he gathereth that the Church hath two powers and both of them committed vnto him. To this I answere, that it is possible, y t sometimes there may be two swordes in the Church, but they haue not alwayes bin therein, neither perhaps shall euer hereafter be. What outward sword had the Church in the time of Christ and of the Apostles and Martyrs? But yet now (they will say) it hath: I graunt, because Kings and Emperours are Christians which in olde time were Ethnickes. The Church also hath husbandrie, trade of marchandize, the art of building, and other such like. For they which exercise these things, are members of the Church: but that commeth to passe as the Schoolemen speake accidentally: sith there may be a Church though it had none of these things. ⁸² So now because there are princes in the Church, it is saide to haue an outward sword. But because princes in our time are a part of the Church, it doeth not therefore follow that the sword of Princes is the sword of Ministers: euen as although there be in the Church husbandrie and the trade of marchandize, and also the Art of building, it cannot thereby be gathered, that Ministers are husbandmen, marchants, and Carpenters.

15 Now come I to the place of the Euangelistes: The Apostles saie, ⁸³ that they wanted nothing when they were sent without wallet and scrippe: vnto whom Christ said: Let euerie one take vnto him his scrippe and wallet, and he which hath none, let him sell his coate and buy a sworde. What would Christ signifie by these words? Nothing else trulie but to shew that the state and condition of times afterward, should be farre otherwise, than it had béene before. Hitherto saith he (while I was with you,) ye felt no gréefe, neither wanted you any thing. But now harder times are at hand, now shall ye haue néede of coates, scrippes and swordes. By these wordes he declared that he shoulde depart from them, and that he woulde send them into the whole worlde to teache and preache the Gospell in which Ministery, they should méete with so manie aduersities, that they should thinke themselues to haue néede of swordes. It is a figuratiue spéech, whereby is vnderstoode one thing by an other, as is that in Genesis when the Lorde said, ⁸⁴ that he repented that he had made man. For God is not in verie deede touched with repentance, but he doth that, which men repenting haue vsed to doe: that is, he changeth the fact. And in verie déede he then by the floud destroyed mankind which he had created. So now he instructed not his Disciples to fight with the sworde, but onelie by a certaine circumlocution describeth the condition of the time to come. And euen as a long robe ofte~times signifieth tranquillitie and peace, so in this place a sword noteth troublesome and vnquiet times. ⁸⁵ After this maner Chrysostome interpreteth these wordes when he expoundeth this place of Paul, ⁸⁶ Salute Prisca and Aquila. The Lorde (saith he) hath not broken the lawe, which before he made, saying: ⁸⁷ And hee which striketh thee on the one cheeke, turne vnto him the other. Blesse those that curse you: pray for them that persecute you. How then doth he commaunde his disciples to buy themselues swordes? He ment no such thing (saith Chrysostome: ) For it is a figuratiue kinde of spéeche, whereby he signified, that he should be taken away from them, and that they should be afflicted with manie calamities. These words are not so to be taken as they appeare at the first sight. In an other place, ⁸⁸ Christ also saith: That which ye haue heard in the eare, preache vppon the house toppes. And yet we neuer reade, that the Apostles stoode vpon the house tops when they preached vnto the people: Neither in verie déede had it béene decent, that leauing the appointed place and the Temple, they should haue spoken from the house top. The sense was, y t those things which they heard priuately, they should speake openly and manifestlie. The Lorde also said: Destroy this temple, ⁸⁹ and in three dayes I will restore it: Which also is spoken figuratiuelie: For he commaunded not to ouerthrow the Temple of Salomon (as the Euangelist himselfe interpreteth, but he vnderstoode that which he spake as touching the temple of his owne bodie, ⁹⁰ wherein (as Paule saide) dwelled all the godhead bodilie. But to returne to the matter: That Luke so meant, Chrysostome prooueth by these thinges which followe: to wit, that it might be fulfilled of the sonne of man which was spoken of him: ⁹¹ And he was counted with the wicked. But the Apostles vnderstoode not Christ: for he thought that they had treated simply, and spoken (as the wordes sounded) of an outwarde sworde: And so did Boniface wholie interprete the same. And in that Christ addeth: It is ynough, he vnderstoode that two swordes are sufficient in the Church, so as there ought none to be neither more nor feawer. But Chrysostome vnderstandeth it far otherwise. For when Christ perceaued that the Apostles vnderstoode him not, he by that answere declared that he woulde let that matter passe. And indéede so is a Schoolemaister woont to say vnto a Childe, which yet vnderstandeth not that which is taught him: It is well. Otherwise vndoubtedlie two swordes were not sufficient against all the aduersaries of Christ. Moreouer there should haue néeded Corselets and shieldes. Chrysostome therefore concludeth that the spéeche was figuratiue and spoken in a parable. ⁹² Furthermore if the exposition of Boniface be receaued, we must thinke, that the Church in the time of the Apostles, shoulde haue had two swords, which is most farre from the truth.

16 Howbeit let vs come to that which Christ said vnto Peter, ⁹³ Put vp thy sword into thy sheath. ⁹⁴ Thy sword (saith Boniface ) not an other mans sword. Now what gathereth he by these wordes? Although Peter haue his sworde, yet if he be commaunded to put it vp, how can he haue it drawen: or to what end hath he a sworde, if he may not vse it? But perhaps Boniface will answere: I haue néeded a sworde, but I vse it not, otherwise than by the hande of an other. Or, I vse not mine owne sworde, but the sword of the Emperour and of other Princes. For they ought to drawe the sworde at the assignement and sufferance of the Church. I would gladlie demaunde, whether Christ, when he bad Peter to put vp his sworde, meant this, that he should indéede vse it, as he listed and would him selfe, but yet by the labour of an other man. ⁹⁵ Assuredlie that which a man doth by an other, he séemeth to doe it himselfe. If a man, by monie or giftes, get one to kill his enimie, although he do it not with his owne hande, yet neuerthelesse he should be a murtherer: otherwise Princes do not with their owne hande kill the guiltie, but commaunde the hangma~ to do the execution. ⁹⁶ There is in this aunswere of Boniface a deceit of Equiuocation. For we demaunde whether an Ecclesiasticall Minister may beare the office of a Magistrate, and vse a ciuill sworde: and they remit vs to the sworde of Peter, a man otherwise priuate. But Bernard in his 4. booke de Consid. vnto Eugenius, séemeth thus to interprete the two swords. I graunt that Bernard hath some such like things, but yet not the same altogether. Howbeit wée must remember in what time Bernard liued, ⁹⁷ he liued at that time when things were corrupted in the Church. And if a man reade those his bookes de Consideratione, he shall sée that hee grieuouslie complaineth of the corruption of his times. Eugenius was by the Romanes excluded the Citie, and perhaps he deuised howe to restore himselfe. Wherefore Bernard exhorted him to preache the Gospell, that he would deale against the Romans, rather with the word & with sermons than by the sword. Eugenius saide: What meanest thou? Wouldest thou haue mée to féede Serpents and Dragons, and Beastes? Yea (saith Bernard ) assayle them, howbeit with the worde, not with the sword. And in an other place hee saith: If thou wilt haue both swordes, thou shalt lose both. Neither are we to thinke, that Eugenius would by himselfe haue fought: but peraduenture hée assayed to mooue war by others: from which purpose Bernard disswaded him. And thus much of him.

17 But that which Boniface added, that those swords of the Church ought to be ordered (namelie that the one should be subiect to the other, which he prooueth by this saying of Paul: ⁹⁸ Those powers which be ordained, be ordained of God ) manifestlie testifieth how he wresteth y e scriptures. For this word ordinatae y t is, ordred, is in Gréeke written ⟨…⟩, which is nothing else than instituted or appointed. Notwithstanding, put the case it be so as Boniface hath expounded it, what maner of order I beséeche you shall this be? Certainlie such as the minister should teach, and that the ciuill power should heare & beléeue. But this toucheth not the Pope, which teacheth not at all. The lowest things (saith Dionysius ) are by meanes reduced to the highest. Wherefore Boniface concludeth, that the externall sword is brought vnto GOD by the spirituall sworde. In verie déede I will easilie graunt, that the sworde of the spirit which is the worde of God, is the meane whereby the other sword, namelie, the externall ought to be tempered and directed vnto God. ⁹⁹ But why doeth not the Pope retaine this meane? Why vseth he not the woorde? Why teacheth he not? Why preacheth hée not? Princes which goe astraie, are not by him reduced into the right waie: nay rather on the contrarie part, the Pope and Byshops of the Church are sometimes rebuked, and iustlie reprooued of Princes. ¹⁰⁰ Doubtlesse Aaron being high Priest, fell grieuouslie in making the golden calfe, and obeying the foolishnes of the people. Moses blamed him grieuouslie who as it appeareth, was a ciuil magistrate. For toward the end of Deuteronomie, he is called a king. And when the priests abused the monie which was offered for the reparations of the Temple, who remedied that but onelie Ioas the king? ¹⁰¹ I will not speake of Dauid and Salomon, and others which distinguished the lots of the Priestes, and orders of the Leuites. And I will not nowe prooue these things by any more examples, séeing they are manifest enough by themselues. Wherefore I graunt that the ciuill power may be corrected by the ministers through preaching of the word of God. But the Pope vseth not this kind of gouernment, but rather an incredible tyrannie. They boast moreouer, that they themselues are greater in dignitie, for that they exercise spirituall and heauenlie things: whereas Princes are occupied onelie about earthlie and ciuill matters. Be it so: For we denie not but that ministers are occupied, about things greater and more diuine than magistrates are. But doeth the Pope alone minister them? Nay rather, he neuer doeth it at all. Wherefore if the dignitie of the ministerie depend of those things, then will it followe, that many Byshops and Priests doe in dignitie farre excell the Pope which neuer preacheth, and to fewe or none administreth the Sacraments.

18 Let vs come to the Tythes, ¹⁰² by the payment of which Boniface laboureth to prooue, that all Princes are subiect vnto him. This argument séemeth to haue some shewe, because at the first appearance it agréeth, with the 7. Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, ¹⁰³ where Paul prooueth the dignitie of Christ to be greater than the dignitie of the priesthoode of the Leuites. For thus he gathereth: Abraham paide tenthes vnto Melchisedeck, at which time Leui was not yet, but was at that time in the loynes of Abraham, and so was tythed in him. And he which payeth Tythes vnto an other, confesseth himselfe by the same thing to be his inferiour. Christ was priest according to the order of Melchisedeck. whereupon the Apostle concludeth that the Leuiticall priesthood was much inferior vnto the priesthood of Christ. I haue opened the fountaine from whence Boniface deriued his Argument. The place is very darke and néedeth explication: And moreouer Boniface dooth not aptly apply it to his purpose. First we must vnderstand that Tythes in the olde time pertained vnto Ceremonies, and that aswell in Melchisedeck, ¹⁰⁴ as in the Leuites: Because in either Priesthood, they were referred vnto Christ. And either Priesthood was in very déede a figure of Christ. For euen as the Leuiticall priest entered once euery yeare into the most holy place, ¹⁰⁵ and that neuer without bloud: So Christ by his owne bloud, entered once into the Tabernacle, that is into heauen. And againe: Melchisedeck, for that he had neither Father nor Mother, resembled Christ, who in respect y t he is God had no mother, & in respect y t he is man wanted a Father. But what signified the tenthes in either priesthood? Truely they signified nothing else, but y t it behooued the olde fathers to acknowledge y t whatsoeuer they had, ¹⁰⁶ came from Christ. By that ceremonie, y e people woorshipped Christ himselfe. And if a man wil compare Melchisedeck & the Priesthood of Leui together, although both of them séeme to be a shadowe of Christ, yet shall he perceiue that he is more expreslie and manifestlie signified by Melchisedeck, ¹⁰⁷ as the Epistle to the Hebrewes testifieth. Boniface saith: We receiue the Tithes of all lay men. Ye take them in déede, but now that Christ is come, ¹⁰⁸ the paying of Tythes is no more a ceremonie, as it was before the comming of Christ, when by Tythes men woorshipped Christ which was to come in the fleshe, and confessed, that they ought vnto him, both themselues, and all that they had. After the very which manner they payed y e first fruites of all y t they had. Neuerthelesse our men in these dayes receiue Tythes: but by what lawe? Truelie not by the ceremoniall lawe, but by a morall Lawe: since it is requisite that the Minister should be sustained by the people: ¹⁰⁹ For the labourer is worthie of his reward: And he which serueth the Gospell ought to liue by it. So then, whether stipendes be paid vnto Ministers out of landes or out of houses, either in readie mony or in Tythes, it maketh no matter, so that they be not maintained dishonestly but honestlie. In déede these rewardes in some places doe retaine the olde manner of Tythes. Howbeit in many places they are not called Tythes, but stipendes or wages. And doubtlesse they be rather rewardes which are due to the labours of Ministers than Tythes.

19 And as concerning the Argument propounded, we must vnderstand, ¹¹⁰ that such rewardes and stipendes are thinges indifferent: for they are sometimes paide vnto inferiours, and sometimes to superiours. For tributes, which are giuen vnto kinges and princes, are their stipendes which we giue vnto them, partlie to nourish and sustaine them, and partelie to confesse that we are subiect vnto them: and lastly that they may haue wherewithall to defend both vs and the Common weale. And sometime inferiours also doe receaue stipendes. For princes pay them vnto souldiers: and yet can we not therefore say, that the souldiers are greater than kinges and princes. Notwithstanding I would not be thought, that I speake these thinges to diminish the dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie, but that it may be vnderstood that these mens Argumentes are verie trifling. ¹¹¹ Neither doubt I to affirme that the Church it selfe which payeth the stipend vnto the Minister, is greater than the Minister. So that if we speake of Tythes as they are at this day giuen vnto Ministers, it followeth not that they should be greater which pay them. ¹¹² But in that kinges and Emperours are consecrated and annointed of Byshops, and in that they receaue the crowne and sword of them, it nothing helpeth their cause. For if we speake of the ciuill power, ¹¹³ that is not giuen by the Byshop but by God. But this is there doone, to the intent that after the king or Emperour is chosen of God in such manner as is agreable, prayers should be made for him in the assemblie of the Church, that God may confirme and strengthe~ his heart that he may increase godlinesse in him, and powre into him the feare of his name, prosper his counsels, and so make happie his actions, that they may prooue profitable vnto the Church and vnto the publike weale. And the Byshop, while these thinges are in doing, is the mouth of the Church, and goeth before it in expressing the prayer. And this annointing was deriued of an old ceremonie and custome of the Iewes. And that the king receaueth not his power of the Byshop, but of God, euen their owne decrées doe testifie. In the distinct. 96. in the Chapt. Si Imperator, Gelasius saith, that the Emperour hath the priuiledges of his power at the hand of God. What dooth Boniface then arrogantlie callenge to himselfe? Euen that which belongeth vnto GOD onelie. For as Paul saith: ¹¹⁴ All power is of God. In the Code, De Iure veteri enucleando, Lawe the first, ¹¹⁵ Iustinian declareth that his power was giuen him by the Maiestie of God. And the glosse in the Extrauaga~ts De maioritate & obedientia, in the Chapter Vnam sanctam, towardes the end saith, that power is giuen vnto kinges by GOD onelie: and that therefore they doe in deede receaue the crowne of the Byshop and the sword from the Altar.

¹¹⁶ 20 But let vs more néerelie examine the Argument of Boniface: I (saith he) giue power vnto Emperors: Therefore I am greater than Emperors. Let this most blessed Thraso aunswere me: Who consecrated him when he was chosen Pope? Truelie the bishop Hostiensis: Let vs therefore conclude that the bishop Hostiensis, is greater than the Pope. And if that followe not, then is also the Argument of Boniface weake, because, (as I haue shewed) it is layd vppon a rotten foundation. For it is not the byshops that giue power vnto kinges. ¹¹⁷ Moreouer haue there not bin manie Emperors which were neuer consecrated by byshops, and yet notwithstanding were Emperors no whit the lesse? Neither were the old Gretian Emperors so annointed. It is therefore a new inuention. But what if I prooue that the cheefe byshop was sometime consecrated by the ciuill Magistrate? Vndoubtedlie Moses consecrated Aaron though neuerthelesse (as hath bin said) Moses was a ciuill prince. ¹¹⁸ So that Boniface laboreth in vaine about his consecration, because he gathereth nothing thereby. He boasted moreouer of the kaies: We (saith he) haue y e power of bynding and loosing. But the power of the kayes consisteth herein, ¹¹⁹ that ye should preach the word of God truelie. For he which beléeueth the Gospel, is losed; and he which beléeueth not, is bound. But when ye neither preach nor teach, neither can ye binde nor lose. And farther this subiection which we haue grau~ ted is spirituall: namelie of faith and of obedience: and not ciuill and with dominion. Afterward was Ieremie obiected, vnto whom the Lord said: ¹²⁰ I haue appointed thee ouer nations and kingdomes, &c. First I demaund here what kinges Ieremie directed, or from whom he tooke away their Empire, and what new kinges he ordained? There can be none shewed. Therefore what doe these wordes signifie: I set thee ouer nations and kingdomes? Nothing else than that by the spirit of prophesie, and word of God, he should foretell what kingdomes God would ouerthrowe because of sinne, and what new ones he would institute. ¹²¹ Why doe not the Popes so exercise their power? Let them set before kinges and princes of the earth the threatninges of God, and let them in this manner be ouer nations and kingdomes. Could Ieremie be called the cause of the ouerthrow of kingdomes? He was not properlie the efficient cause, but onelie a certaine occasion. For when he had admonished the king of Iuda, and he beléeued him not, the prophet by his preaching was some occasion, that he should be condemned & ouerthrowen. So Paul saith: ¹²² To some we are a sauour of life vnto life, and to other the sauour of death vnto death. When as yet the Apostle properlie killed no man, but his preaching after a sort brought death vnto those which would not beléeue. It is God therefore that pulleth downe and ouerthroweth, planteth, and scattereth: neither disdayneth he sometimes to call vs his fellow woorkers.

21 Boniface goeth on: The laie power ought to be iudged by the Ecclesiasticall. But by what kinde of iudgement? Verilie by this, that in the Church is set foorth the wrath of God against sinners, and that they be admonished & corrected by the holy scriptures. Neuerthelesse that Byshops may expell kinges and put them out of their kingdomes, where is that permitted? From whence haue they it? What charters will they bring for it? Againe that is most intollerable which he saith: namely that the Pope can be iudged of no man. ¹²³ And yet Iohn the 23 was in the Councell of Constance deposed, and not onely by God, but also by men. Thus doe these men make and repeate Canons, and the same they allow and disalow, as often as they thinke good. Yea and Emperours haue sometimes thrust out and put downe Popes as it is before said. ¹²⁴ Paul to the Galathians saith, If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospell, let him be accursed. If the Pope (which may be and in times past hath bin) obtrude wicked opinions, who shall pronounce him accursed? Shall he in no wise be iudged of anie man? The Church (no doubt) shall giue sentence vppon him, ¹²⁵ & the Magistrate, (for that he is the principal part of the Church) shall not onelie iudge together therewith, but shall also execute the sentence. ¹²⁶ Further it belongeth to the Magistrate to prouide, that the goods of the Church be not giuen to the enemies of godlynesse. So as if Byshops become enemies of the Church, a faithfull Magistrate ought not to suffer the goods of the Church to be wasted by them. The Canonistes haue this oftentimes in their mouth, that for the office sake is giuen the benefit. Therefore when they doe not their office, ought the Magistrate to suffer them to inioy their benefices? But let vs heare how Boniface prooueth that he can be iudged of no man. Because, ¹²⁷ He that is spirituall (saith he) iudgeth all thinges, but he himselfe is iudged of no man. A goodlie and well applyed Argument I promise you. But let vs sée what kinde of iudgement Paul writeth of in that place. Verilie he speaketh not of the common kinde of iudgement, whereby men are either put to death, or put out of their roome, he intreateth there onelie of y e vnderstanding of things diuine, and which auaile vnto saluation. These thinges (I say) belong properlie vnto the iudgement of the spirituall man. But as touching iudgement seate and knowledge of ciuill lawes, Paul neuer thought of them [in that place] which is easilie perceaued by his words: ¹²⁸ We receaue (saith he) not the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God. If thou wilt demaund for what vse the spirit is giuen vs: He aunswereth: To the end, we should know those thinges that are giuen vs of God. And because the spirit of this world cannot giue iudgement of thinges that be diuine, ¹²⁹ it is added: The naturall man perceiueth not those things which be of the spirit of God. The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges. What? Dooth he iudge also ciuill and publike causes? ¹³⁰ No not so: but he iudgeth those thinges which belong to the saluation of men: he himselfe is iudged of no man. Assuredlie, both Peter and Paul, were iudged by the ciuill power, vnto which Paul appealed, that he might be iudged there: and yet were they spiritual. But that place must thus be vnderstood: He that is spirituall in that he is such as one, cannot in things diuine and such as pertaine to saluation, be rightlie iudged of any man, which is not indued with the same spirit that he is of. The wicked sort and worldlinges, account him oftentimes for a seditious, vnpure, and infamous fellowe: But onelie God and his spirit looketh vppon the heartes. Lastlie Boniface concludeth, that there is one chiefe power onelie, and that belongeth to the Pope, least we should with the Manichees séeme to make many beginninges. ¹³¹ And he addeth: that God in the beginning, and not in the beginninges created the world. ¹³² We also detest the Manichees and affirme, that there is one onelie beginning, and pronounce one onelie fountaine, and ofspring of all powers, namelie, God and his word, without which there can be no power either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall. For the foundation of either of them dependeth of the word of God, and so we make but one beginning and not two. Further if Boniface will vrge these wordes in Genesis: In the beginning God created, &c. there ought to be but one onelie king in the world. For when Paul said: One Lord, one Faith, ¹³³ one Baptisme, he added not: One Pope.

22 At the length our Thraso commeth so farre, as he excludeth them from the hope of saluation, which acknowledge not the Pope for the chiefe head and Prince of the Church. ¹³⁴ But when there were two or thrée Popes al at one time, which thing both happened, and also indured for the full space of 60. yeares, ¹³⁵ it must néedes be that those which at that time were of Boniface his opinion, should confesse themselues then to be Manichees, and to haue established two beginnings. Againe, what thinke they of the Gretians, of the Persians and Christians which dwell in the East part, séeing they acknowledge not the Pope, who neuerthelesse reade the scriptures, beléeue in our Lord Iesus Christ, and both are, and also are called Christians? All those Boniface excludeth from the hope of saluation. This is the ambition and vnspeakeable tyrannie of the Popes. When we obiect vnto the Papists these words of Paul: Let euerie soule submit it selfe to the higher powers, they aunswere: ¹³⁶ That euerie soule ought to be subiect vnto the higher power, but yet to their own, not to other mens power: otherwise it were néede that Frenchemen should be subiect to the Spaniards, and the Spaniards to the Germanes, which because it is absurd, it is concluded, that euerie man ought to obey his owne Magistrate. But nowe the Clergie acknowledge the Bishops for their head, and that they should bée subiect vnto them: And the Bishops acknowledge the Archbyshops and Primates, and they lastlie the Pope. After this maner (say they) we obeie the Pope and satisfie Paul. What haue we to doe with Kings, and the ciuill Magistrate? Howbeit this is nothing else than shamefullie to abuse the wordes of the Apostle. ¹³⁷ Doe they not sée that they diuide the publike weale into two bodies, which ought to be but one bodie onelie? For when they diuide the kingdome of the Cleargie from the kingdome of the Laitie, they make in one kingdome two peoples, and set ouer eyther people his Magistrate: and thereby it commeth to passe that the Clergie which be Frenchemen, séeme not to be Frenchemen, and the Germans séeme not to be Germans, and this maketh not coniunction but diuision. Besides this, of what power (I beséeche you) speaketh Paul? Verilie not of Bishops or Archbishops, but of that power which beareth the sword. He doth not without a cause (saith he) beare y e sword. He speaketh of y e power to who~ tribute is paide. For (saieth he) euen for this cause ye pay tribute. But Bishops neither beare sworde, nor yet require tributes of y e people. Wherfore Paul speaketh not of them. And though y t in Germanie Bishops haue the sword, & gather tributes & customes, they doe not y t in respect y t they be Bishops, but in y t by accident they haue y e ciuill power ioyned to the~, how rightly, let the~selues sée to it. But it is manifest y t Paul spake of the ciuill power, vnto which he commaunded that euerie soule should obey. Neither is the interpretation of Origen probable, ¹³⁸ wherein he affirmeth that Paul saide: Euerie soule, and not euerie spirit: Because (saith he) the spirituall man is mooued with no affections, neither possesseth any thing in the world, therefore he is not subiect at al to outward power. And so Paul commandeth euerie soule, that is euerie liuing man to obey the ciuill power. But what? Was not Christ spirituall? Who was more spirituall? And yet he acknowledged the superiour power, and payed tribute. What say you to the Apostles, were not they spirituall? And yet neuer exempted themselues from the ciuill power: nay rather, they obeyed it, & taught others to obey the same also.

¹³⁹ 23 But let vs sée further what answer our Boniface men make. They say y t they haue not this power ordinarily, & by the right of their function, but grau~ted them by the priuiledges & giftes of Princes. And why (say they) is it not lawfull for vs to inioy the priuiledges & liberalitie of Princes? Notwithstanding we ought here to haue a regard not what princes haue don, ¹⁴⁰ but what they ought to haue doone. God w t out doubt hath made subiect euery soule to y e higher power it was neuer lawfull for any Prince to breake that lawe. Neither doeth humane reason sée better than the prouidence of God what shoulde become of the affaires of mankind. And the euent it selfe hath sufficiently declared, howe much that remissenesse of Princes hath profited. For after that Bishoppes and false Ecclesiastickes got themselues once from the subiection of the ciuill power, they straightway became farre worse than they were before, and made the people which were committed to their charge nothing the better. Wherefore let them cease to say that Empeperours and Kings haue giuen them these things: let them rather heare the worde of God, wherein they are commaunded to obey Princes. But they haue not onely withdrawen themselues from obedience towards princes, but haue also claimed to themselues an immunitie or fréedome. And an immunitie is a libertie from doing of homages, ¹⁴¹ and bearing of ciuill burdens. And among burthens, are numbred tributes and customes. Tributes are those which are payde of lands and possessions. Customes are those which are payde of marchandize, & of those things, which are either carried out or brought in. These things Vlpian calleth the Sinowes of the common weale, ¹⁴² as without which it can not either consist or be gouerned. By what right therefore and reason haue these men withdrawen themselues from the publike vtilitie? With what face doe they boast of such liberalitie of Princes, which neither Christ, nor the Apostles, nor the Prophetes vsed? And although they haue this (as they say) by the giftes of Kings and Emperours, yet must they take héede that it be not hurtfull vnto the Citizens, and while they themselues be eased, others bee aboue measure burdened. And yet are they not by priuiledges and lawes of Princes exempted from al burdens. In déede they are freed from personall burdens: and that not without great reason, which euen the Ethnicke Princes sawe also. In the digests De vacatione & excusatione munerum, in the lawe Praetor, Vlpianus saith: If a man haue gotten a benefice, and cannot without hurt of conscience be absent from it, he is acquited. And Constantine the Emperour, ¹⁴³ in the Code De Episcopis & Clericis law y e first & second, exempteth them from personall and vile burdens. Personall burthens are those which are accomplished by the industrie of the minde, and labour of the bodie. Vile burdens are these: as to burnelyme, to digge sand, to kéepe the Conduites, to heate the bath, and such other like sort: from these burdens they are worthily exempted, because the ministerie, by vile exercises would growe vnto contempt. And they are made frée from personall burdens, because when they should giue their mindes to holy things, they ought not to be w t drawn to other thinges. Princes therefore haue rightly graunted these things to Ecclesiastical men, that they should not be absent from the studie of Religion, & because they should not be contemned of the common people.

24 But what if a man claime himselfe to be a minister, onely by his apparell and garments, and doeth nothing in the Church, should this immunitie also be graunted vnto him? No vndoubtedly. ¹⁴⁴ Yea Iustinian in the Code De Episcopis & Clericis, in the law Generaliter Sancimus, saieth, that he meaneth onely of those, which diligently giue themselues to holy things, and not of Vagabunds and Idle persons which onely bragge of the name of the ministerie. Moreouer Ministers are not loosed fro~ ordinarie charges although they be exempted from extraordinarie burdens. ¹⁴⁵ Ordinarie burdens be those which are alwayes imposed by the commandement of the lawes: extraordinary are those, which be exacted onely for some present necessitie, and afterward cease. So that if Ecclesiasticall men haue manors or landes as other Citizens haue, they ought to pay for them. For the Church when it receiueth possessions, it taketh them together with their burthens. But they are frée from extraordinarie tributes, ¹⁴⁶ because in the olde time Ecclesiasticall men were poore, and besides necessarie foode and apparell had nothing remaining vnto them, or if perhappes there remained any thing, all the same whatsoeuer it were was bestowed vpon the poore, but now it is cleane contrarie: for both they abounde in riches, and they bestowe verie little vpon the poore. And yet if any great necessitie happened, they were also constrained to pay extraordinarie charges: ¹⁴⁷ as if there were any high wayes to be amended, and any bridges to bee made, or any shippes to be builded for transporting of an armie as appeareth in the Code, by the lawes of Emperours. Neither doeth brotherly charitie suffer, that when other are burthened, they should lie still idle in wealth and riches: ¹⁴⁸ neither is it to be abidden, that they shoulde bee eased and others charged.

25 Yet y e Pope in his decretals ( De Immunitate Ecclesiae, in y e Chapter Non minus, where the words of the Lateran Councell are cited, and in the Chapter, Aduersus consules ) will haue the ecclesiasticall men to be vtterlie exempted. And Boniface the 8. in 6. De immunitate Ecclesiarum, in the Chapter Clericis Laicos, permitteth them not to paie any thing: yea and hée excommunicateth the Prince, which taketh tribute of a Minister of the Church, and also the minister himselfe which payeth it. This lawe as being too cruell, Benedictus the 11. after a sort mitigateth in the Extrauagants De immunitate Ecclesiae, in the Chapter Quod Olim. Yet he permitteth not the Prince to doe any thing without asking Counsell of the Bishop of Rome. For he indéede doth not excommunicate those Princes which receiue tribute of ecclesiasticall men, but onelie those which exact it of them. Séeing hee permitteth not, that Princes should exact anie thing in their owne right, which yet he sometimes permitteth in case of necessitie: as in danger of Religion and life: so that first there be had the consent of the Bishop & clergie, and afterward also the Pope to allow of the fact. So long then hath he decréede that they must tarry. So these men exempt themselues from the obedience and tributes of Princes and Kings: which (as I haue before said out of Vlpian ) are y e strength and sinowes of the commonweale. When I thinke vpon these things, I call to remembrance a profitable saying of Dioclesian: ¹⁴⁹ of whom, when a Philosopher had desired an immunitie, This request (saide he) disagréeeth with thy profession. Thou (said he) professest, that thou wilt ouercome thy affections, but thou shewest that thou art ouercome of auarice. So these men professe themselues to be spiritual, but in a spiritual man there is nothing more required than charitie, which counselleth vs not to liue franchised & securely, when others are oppressed with cares and burthens. ¹⁵⁰ Aquinas bringeth a place of Genesis, to shew y e Priests are exempted from tributes, not indéede by the law of God, but by a law made by Princes, and yet neuerthelesse agréeing with the law of nature. For Pharao King of Egypt prouided, that the Priestes should not pay the fift part of their fruite for tribute, when as neuerthelesse so much was exacted of all the Egyptians. Wherefore he concludeth that Priestes are exempted. This place is diligentlie to be considered. First let vs note that the Egyptian Priestes had their daylie liuing out of the treasurie of the King. They had prouisio~ giuen them to liue by. Afterwarde it came to passe, that when the hunger waxed great, all the Egyptians solde their landes vnto the King, therewith to buy corne to satisfie hunger. But when that famine was past, the King restored the lands vnto y e owners: yet vpon this condition, that euery yeare, they should pay him the fift part; but of the landes of the Priests, there was no fift part payde. And no maruaile: because they soulde not their landes vnto the king, séeing they were maintained at the common charge. Yet it is to be thought, that they paide so much tribute of their landes, as they were woont to pay before the famine. Neither vndoubtedly can any other thing be gathered out of that place, except that Priests ought to be maintained of the common cost. And in that they payde not the fift part, that happened for an other cause, as we haue nowe declared.

26 They alleage also the vij. ¹⁵¹ Chapter of Esdras, where Artaxerxes prouided that when he had laid a tribute vpon the Iewes, there should be nothing leuied vpon the Leuites in the name of a tribute. But this is not to be maruelled at, séeing the Leuites had no landes to pay tribute of: in as much as to them pertained onely the oblations, first-fruites and tenthes, for which cause they were released of tributes. Also Iulius Caesar in his Booke of the French warres saith that the Druids which were the French Priests, paide no tributes. ¹⁵² But Plinie in his 16. booke and 44. Chapter writeth that the Druids had no landes. And yet are not these things spoken to this ende, ¹⁵³ that I would not thinke it lawfull for Magistrates, to deale somewhat gently with Ministers, and to beare somewhat with them: because they must alwaies applie themselues to holy things, and studie for nothing else. Whereby it commeth to passe that they can not increase their substance: yea rather they verie oftentimes suffer great losse, neither haue they their substance but during their life. Onely this I disallow, that they claime vnto themselues immunitie both reall & personall, that they vtterly refuse both ordinarie & extraordinarie charges, and that by tyrannie or contrarie to the authoritie of the word of God: and for that the Pope will not suffer Princes to exact tributes of Bishops and Ecclesiasticall men after their owne minde: and because they will not yéelde them if they be required. The word of God hath otherwise commaunded, when it saith: Let euerie soule bee subiect to the higher power. ¹⁵⁴ And therefore (saith he) ye paie tributes. None is exempted, neither woulde Christ himselfe bee exempted. Chrysostome vppon that place of Paule: ¹⁵⁵ It may (saith he) séeme gréeuous vnto Christians, for that they being the Children of God, and appointed for the Kingdome of heauen, are subiect vnto the Princes of this worlde: But he answereth: While we are in this life, our dignity is hidden. For it appeareth not what we shalbe. Wherefore whilest we liue héere, let it not be gréeuous vnto vs to do reuerence to Magistrates, to giue them the way, and to honor them, these things are full decent and well beséemeth saints. Now that we are regenerate by the word and the Spirite, it might seeme that we néede no Magistrate. Whereupon the Iewes, because they were the people of God, tooke it verie greeuouslie, that sometime the Babylonians raigned ouer them, sometime the Persians, sometime the Gretians, sometimes the Romanes, and other nations which were strangers from God. ¹⁵⁶ The Anabaptistes and Libertines crie, that it is a thing vnworthy for a Christian to suffer a Magistrate ouer him. The clergie of the Pope also haue shaken off this yoke from themselues. But the Apostles, which foresawe that this would come to passe, did oftentimes vrge that the ciuill power should be obeyed. ¹⁵⁷ Which precept is two waies transgressed: One is when men saie, that they will not obey the Magistrate and doe sediciously take armes against him. The otherwaie is, when they circumuent him by subtiltie and guile, so as he cannot execute his office. For in Courtes there be such, as flatter in the eare of Princes, dispraise and praise whom they list, accuse the good in stead of the euill, and commend the euill for good. So according to their mind some are made gouernours ouer countries, and other some are displaced. ¹⁵⁸ Wherefore Dioclesian said: A good, wise and warie Emperour is oftentimes set to sale by his subiects. The Prince is at home in his palace, they that are familiar with him accuse and defend before him whom they will. Yea and among the Romanes, the Senators were many times circumuented. The course of iustice, is by many deceites hindred: neither doeth it much force, whether it be doone by violence or by guile, because the publike weale is hurt both wayes, and the institution of God contemned. And thus farre as touching these things.

27 Neither must we héere passe ouer that, which hath bin often said that the Magistrate must not be obayed, if he commaund anie thing against the word of God. For when he so dooth, he is no Magistrate. ¹⁵⁹ Because (as Paul saith) He is the Minister of GOD to good: So as if he commaund thinges contrarie to the word of God, in that behalfe, he is not his Minister. But thou wilt say, that sometime grieuous, troublesome, and difficult thinges are commaunded, which neuerthelesse are not against the word of God. What is to be doone in these cases? We must obay. For we are commaunded to obay our Masters though they be seuere, so that they commaund nothing against the word of God: which if they doe, we must aunswere them with the sentence of Peter, who saith: ¹⁶⁰ We ought rather to obay God than men. Nabuchad-nazer would haue his Image woorshipped: ¹⁶¹ The faithful Hebrewes aunswered: Thy Image O king we will not woorship. ¹⁶² Antiochus commaunded the Hebrewe woman, to eate swines flesh: but she choosed to die together with her seuen sonnes, rather than to commit anie thing against the law of God. Also the Martyrs both in the olde time, and also in our time, suffered most extreme punishmentes and most cruell deathes, because they would not sinne against the Lawe of God. ¹⁶³ Eusebius Caesariensis writeth that Constantius the father of Constantine fained vppon a time as though he would put out all the Christians, ¹⁶⁴ which would stand to their Religion, out of their honors and offices. But they which were godlie in déede, fréelie gaue ouer their dignitie, and chose rather to leaue their honors, than to depart from Christ. But this turned to their good: for the Emperor imbrased the~: And those which had denyed Christ for to kéepe their dignities, he vtterlie remooued from his person; saying, that they also would not be faithfull vnto him, which were vnfaithfull to God. ¹⁶⁵ Afterward Constantius, the sonne of Constantinus being an Arrian, went about to drawe the faithfull Byshops to his heresie. But they chose rather to be banished than to followe that wicked purpose of the Emperor. Afterward Iulian the Apostata opened the Temples of the Idols, ¹⁶⁶ & labored to driue the Christians to the Ethnick Religion and woorshipping: yet such as were godlie in déede, held the Religion of Christ, more deare and néere vnto them than their life. Yea and Achilles in Homer saith: ¹⁶⁷ I will obay princes, but yet so they commaund thinges honest and iust. And these thinges not onelie belong to subiectes but also to inferiour Magistrates. ¹⁶⁸ For what if the superiour prince commaund the inferiour Magistrates to receaue the Masse in their Cities, vndoubtedlie they ought not to obay. If a man will say: he is the superiour power, and therefore ought to be obayed: I will aunswere, in thinges that be ciuill and humane let them obay, asmuch as behooueth, but in no wise against God. We must alwayes runne vnto that principle: Propter quod vnumquodque est tale, id ipsum est magis tale. That is to say: That whereby a thing is such as it is, is the more such it selfe. And therefore if we obay the Magistrate, for Gods cause, much more must God himselfe be obayed. So then the inferiour Magistrate ought not in such cases, to haue a regard what the superiour power chargeth, but what GOD himselfe hath commaunded.

¹⁶⁹ 28 There be some which say, that before we depart from the obedience of the Magistrates as touching Religion, we must expect the consent of the Church. They which thus speake let them consider, that Christ neuer so commaunded: euerie man for himselfe, is wholie bound to the lawe of God, whether others consent or dissent. If the goodman of a house haue manie seruantes which he commaundeth to doe his woorke in the countrie, ¹⁷⁰ but some of them when their Maister is absent will loyter, ought the rest therefore to be idle, because some consent not to their common businesse? ¹⁷¹ Did Paul when he was called to preach Christ, tarie for the consent of his other brethren? No truelie. But as he writeth to the Galat. ¹⁷² When it had pleased God to reueale vnto me his sonne, that I should preach him among the gentiles, I did not straightway aske counsell of flesh and bloud, neither went I to the Apostles which were before me, but I went into Arabia. Wherefore he taried not for the consent of other, but straightway obayed his calling. So also ought we to doe: after that God hath opened vnto vs his trueth, we must not tary. ¹⁷³ In déede, if the thing be doubtful and darke, we must tarie for a consent. But our cause is manifest, and without all obscurenesse. Which if we will omit till a consent be had, the thing it selfe is lost and good occasions broken off. Tyberius would haue brought Christ into the number of the Gods, howbeit he thought that the consent of the Senate should be had. But the Senate would not, and by that meanes it came to passe, that, while consent was expected Christ could not be counted among the Gods: whereas Tyberius had bin able to bring it to passe by himselfe. But I pray you let them tell vs, for whose consent will they tarie? For the Byshops consent? But they no doubt will neuer consent, since they are sworne enemies of the trueth.

29 Now let vs returne vnto the inferior Magistrates of whom we spake before. ¹⁷⁴ We must remember what God hath commaunded children concerning their parentes. Honor thy father and thy mother. ¹⁷⁵ By which wordes vndoubtedlie, is commaunded honor and obedience towardes higher powers. For they haue the place of parentes, towardes the inferiour Magistrates. But let vs see what Christ hath pronounced as touching this matter. ¹⁷⁶ He that loueth (saith he) father or mother more than me, is not woorthie of me. The same without doubt must we think of the Magistrate, which is the father of the countrie. We must obay him, but yet not aboue the Lord. Yea if he commaund anie thing against him, he is both to be hated and also denyed. Neither is it lawfull for anie man to professe himselfe to be a Christian, which will not dissent from the superiour Magistrate in those things which be against the word of God. ¹⁷⁷ This were to haue a will to serue two Maisters, and to halt on both sides. If God be God, let vs follow him, and that not by halues, but wholie. But it is to be feared (say they) least while we are against the superiour power, we bring daunger to the publike weale. To this I will answere, contrarie to that which Demades in the olde time aunswered vnto the Athenians. ¹⁷⁸ Cassander the Macedonian which succéeded Alexander the Great, intreated with the Athenians, that they would woorship Alexander for a God. They stayed thereat: But Cassander séemed that vnlesse they would consent, he would make warre vppon them. Wherefore Demades spake thus vnto the people: That it was to be feared, that while they retained heauen they should lose the earth. So doe I aunswere these men, onelie changing the wordes: That it is to be feared least while they ouermuch regard and defend the common weale, they lose heauen. For although the superiour power, doe fume and threaten, we must valiantlie deale in a good cause. Séeing that God must be woorshipped sincerelie and godlie, although all Magistrates and all the world were against vs: And therefore if that superiour power commaund anie thing against the lawe of God, it must not be obayed. ¹⁷⁹ So did Nabaoth the Iizraelite behaue himselfe, he would not graunt vnto Achab his vineyard, which was his inheritance: neither had he therein anie other respect, than that the lawe of GOD should remaine inuiolate: wherein it was commaunded that the tribes and families of the Israelites, (as touching possessions) should remaine distinct and separate. So by reason thereof, it was not lawfull for Nabaoth to alienate his inheritance for euer. Yet a man being farre indebted, might haue sold his inheritance till the yeare of Iubile, but after that yeare, it returned to the olde possessor againe. God would by this meanes, that the inheritances of the Israelites should not be confounded. Wherefore Nabaoth, would not sell his auncient inheritance, least the lawe of God should be broken. Him also ought the Magistrates to followe, and not to giue place in their Cities and dominions, vnto most vnpure Masses, and papisticall Idolatrie. ¹⁸⁰ The Iewes when they were oppressed by the Macedonians, did rather chuse to suffer anie thing than that the Image of Iupiter Olympius should abide in the Temple of God. And when the Romans bare rule ouer them, how great sedition and tumult stirred they vp, rather than they would suffer the siluer Eagle, or the Image of Caligula to be set vp in the holie place? Yea and Valentinian the Emperour, being an Arrian (as both Eusebius writeth, and also Ambrose in his Epistles) would haue had the Church of Millaine deliuered vnto him, there to haue celebrated together with his hereticks prayers and holie seruices. ¹⁸¹ But Ambrose would not giue place, but rather abode day and night in the Temple, together with the people, than that the Emperour should finde it voyde, and so to possesse it. If the Hebrewes would not haue the Temple of God polluted with Idols, and Ambrose suffered not the Church to be contaminated with heretickes, why doe faithfull Magistrates suffer their Temples to be defiled with Idolatrie, and vncleane seruices of the Papistes?

30 They say that these thinges belong nothing at all vnto them, and that these temples are not in their power. What then? If murther should be co~mitted in those temples, or that anie should there conspire against the publikeweale, would they there leaue murtherers and conspirators vnpunished? And would they say, that these wicked crimes belong nothing vnto them? Would they willinglie and wittinglie suffer these thinges? I thinke not, if they were wise, and would haue the commonweale safelie prouided for. If a man should obiect vnto them: This Temple is not yours, neither maketh it anie matter vnto you what is there doone: yes (would they then aunswere) séeing it is in our Citie, euen for that verie cause it pertaineth sufficientlie vnto vs. But wicked actes, ¹⁸² far more grieuous than murthers and conspiracies, are there committed: I meane Idolatrie, sacrilege, and blasphemie. And shall a Magistrate which will be called a Christian thinke that these thinges belong nothing vnto him? But (say they) the superiour power hath commaunded them to be doone. To this I haue before aunswered at large. Now this will I adde, that if the same power should goe about to destroy the Citie, or to take away or diminish the priuileges, they would neuer suffer it: they would rather proclaime warres. Yet notwithstanding these thinges, which are farre more gréeuous and cruell, are openlie and manifestlie doone and suffered. And which is most gréeuous of all: those thinges are there suffered, where the Gospell of Christ hath manie yeares béene receiued.

31 Now there resteth (because the Magistrate oftentimes excuseth himselfe, ¹⁸³ in saying that Ecclesiasticall causes belong not vnto him) to declare that to be vntrue. Although it be manifest enough by those things that I haue alreadie spoken, yet for the more easie vnderstanding, I thinke it good to adde thus much. First I say that the Magistrate is the kéeper of the lawe of God, which containeth not onelie the latter Table but also the first: Wherefore the Magistrate is a kéeper aswell of the one as of the other. ¹⁸⁴ I adde also that which Augustine saith: that not onelie priuate men, but also kinges, ought to serue the Lord. For in the Psalme it is written: ¹⁸⁵ The people came together, and kinges to serue the Lord. And in another place: ¹⁸⁶ And now O kinges vnderstand, be learned ye that iudge the earth, serue the Lord in feare &c. A priuate man saith Augustine serueth the Lord, ¹⁸⁷ if he cofesse his name, and liue vprightlie: But this is not sufficient for a king and Magistrate, séeing he ought so by his authoritie and power to serue the Lorde, that he punish those that be his enemies: which vnlesse he doe, he séemeth to consent vnto blasphemours and heretickes. For the king when he séeth these men and suffereth them, is as much in fault as if he should ioyne himselfe with the, & maintaine their wickednesse. Nabuchadnezar, ¹⁸⁸ as soone as euer he knew God, made a decrée, y t whosoeuer spake blasphemie against y e God of Daniel, should dye. The like decrée made Darius afterward. ¹⁸⁹ So likewise our Magistrates ought wholie to take away all Idolatries, blasphemies, and superstitions, so soone as euer they shall finde them out. The Ethnick princes neuer thought that the care of Religion appertained not vnto their power. ¹⁹⁰ Why was Socrates condemned at Athens? I demaund not now, how rightlie or iustlie (for as it is thought in a manner of all men Anitus and Melitus lyed against him.) This I speake for that he was for no other cause condemned, but for Religion: ¹⁹¹ as though he taught new Gods and led away the youth from the auncient and receaued woorshipping of the Gods: and he was by a prophane Magistrate condemned. Wherefore the Athenians thought that the preseruation and care of Religion belonged to their Magistrate. ¹⁹² The lawe of God commaunded, that the blasphemour should be put to death, not I thinke by euerie priuate man or by the priestes, but by the Magistrate. The Ethnick Emperours also in those first times did for no other cause rage against the Christians, but because they thought that the state of Religion belonged vnto their iudgeme~t seate. And assuredlie as touching this opinion, they were not deceaued. For none (as Chrysostome saith) either Apostle or Prophet, ¹⁹³ reprooued the people, either Iewes or Ethnickes, because they had a care of Religion: but they were deceaued in the verie knowledge as touching Religion, because they defended their owne as true, and condemned the Christian as vngodlie and blasphemous. Constantine and Theodosius and manie other godlie princes are commended, because they tooke away Idols, and either closed vp, or else ouerthrew their Temples. Howbeit they did not these thinges in anie other respect than that they thought the charge of Religion to belong vnto them: otherwise they should haue bin busie fellowes, and should haue put their Sickle into an other mans haruest. The Donatists tooke this in verie ill part, and gréeuouslie complained thereof in Augustines time, because the Catholick Byshops required ayde of the ciuill Magistrate against them. ¹⁹⁴ But Augustine confuted them by the selfe same Argument which I haue a little before rehearsed: And addeth this moreouer: why did ye accuse Caecilianus Byshop of Carthage, before Constantine, if it be wicked for an Emperour to determine concerning Religion?

32 Furthermore there is gathered by those things which the same Father wrote against Petilianus, and against Parmenianus, & also in manie other Epistles, how that the Donatists accused Caecilianus, as it is said, before Constantine y e Emperor: who first referred the cause to Melchiades bishop of Rome. And when by him they were ouercome, they againe appealed to the Emperor: neither reiected he their appellation fro~ him, ¹⁹⁵ but committed the matter to the Bishop of Orleance, by whom they were againe codemned. Neither rested they so: but they appealed againe to the Emperour, who heard them, decided their cause, condemned them, and by his sentence quitted Caecilianus. Where are they now, which so often and so impudently crie, ¹⁹⁶ that there is no appealing from the Pope, and that the causes of Religion belong not to the Ciuill Magistrate? To whom in the olde time belonged the right of calling generall Councels, pertained it not vnto Emperours? As for the Councell of Nice, the Councell of Constantinople, of Ephesus, and of Chalcedon, Emperours called them. Leo the first of that name, prayed the Emperour to call a Councell in Italie, because he suspected the Gretians about the errour of Eutiches, and yet could he not obtaine it. And the Bishops were called togther to Chalcedonia, whereat the Emperour was also present, as was Constantine at the Cou cell of Nice. Neither doe I thinke that they were there present, to sit idle and to doe nothing, but rather to set forth vnto y e Bishops what they should do, and to prouoke them to define rightly. ¹⁹⁷ Theodoretus telleth that Constantine admonished y e fathers to determine al things by y e scriptures of the Euangelists, Apostles, Prophets, and scriptures inspired from God. Iustinian also in the Code, wrote many Ecclesiasticall lawes of Bishops, of Priestes and other such like. Yea and Augustine himselfe hath taught that the Magistrate ought after the same maner to punish Idolaters and Heretikes, ¹⁹⁸ with the same punishment that he punisheth adulterers withall: for so much as they commit whoredome against God in minde: which is much more heinous, tha~ to commit whoredome in bodie. And looke by what law murtherers are put to death, ¹⁹⁹ by the same also ought Idolaters and Heretickes be punished, for that by them are killed not the bodies, but the soules: Although the common people are stirred vp onelie against Homicides, because it séeth the bloud of the slaine bodies, but séeth not the death of the soules. Surelie it is profitable that the Magistrate should take this care vpon him, and by his authoritie compell men to come to the Sermons, and to heare the word of God: for by that meanes it commeth to passe, that through often hearing, those things begin to please which before displeased. ²⁰⁰ As the histories teach God hath oftentimes made godlie Princes famous through most noble victories which haue had a care of these things.

33 Besides it cannot be denied, but that it is the Magistrates dutie, to defend those Cities, and publike weales ouer which they are gouernors, and to prouide that they take no harme. Seeing then Idolatry is the cause of captiuitie, plague, famine, & ouerthrowing of publike weales, shall it not belong vnto the Magistrate to represse it, and to preserue both the true and sounde Religion? Lastlie Paule teacheth fathers to instruct their children in discipline and in the feare of God: But a good Magistrate is the father of the countrie, wherefore by the rule of the Apostle he ought to prouide that subiects be instructed as common children. Neuerthelesse Kinges and Princes which saie that these things pertaine not to them, do in the meane time, let, giue, and sell Bishopricks, Abbies, and benefices to whom they thinke good: neither thinke they that this belongeth not to their office: onelie they thinke that they ought not to take knowledge of matters of Religion, and they neglect to prouide that they whom they promote to most ample dignities, should execute their office rightly. This therfore onelie remaineth for them, euen that God himselfe will at length iudge of these things, and reuenge their negligence.

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← 65. The twelfth Chapter. Of the Masse, Also · Contents · 67. The fourteenth Chapter. Of the office →

Footnotes

1. In Iud. 19. at the end. Looke in Iud. 8. 23. ↩

2. The definition. ↩

3. The difference betwéene the office of a magistrate and a Minister. ↩

4. The end of a Magistrate. ↩

5. Rom. 13. 3. ↩

6. Looke In 1. Sam. 8. 6. ↩

7. The forme of a Magistrate is manifold. ↩

8. Ier. 27. 11. & 29. 7. An example of y e Iewes for obeying of the Magistrate. ↩

9. Mat. 22. 21. ↩

10. Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. ↩

11. Rom. 13. 5. ↩

12. Exo. 18. 14 ↩

13. Deut 1. 9. Numb. 11. 16. ↩

14. That Princes are called pastors. ↩

15. Ezech. 34. ↩

16. Homer. ↩

17. Magistrates are called Fathers. ↩

18. Exo. 20. 12 ↩

19. By whom Magistrates are appointed. ↩

20. God is the first appointer of Magistrates. ↩

21. Deu. 17. 12 ↩

22. Gen. 9. 6. ↩

23. Rom. 13. 1. ↩

24. Ioh. 19. 11. ↩

25. The office must be distinguished from the person. ↩

26. Dan. 2. ver. 12. & 37. ↩

27. The alterations of Princes must not be attributed to the starres. ↩

28. 1. Sam. 16. 1
    ↩

29. Esa. 10. 5. & 12. ↩

30. 1. kings. 11 30.
    ↩

31. The cause why Tyrants are placed. ↩

32. After Tyrants God causeth good Princes to succéede. ↩

33. A false argument. ↩

34. Whether a godlie man may vse the helpe of a Tyrant. Acts. 25. 11 ↩

35. 1. Cor. 6. 1.
    ↩

36. The church vsed an Ethnicke Magistrate ↩

37. Hose. 8. 4. How Tyrants may be saide not to raigne of God. Looke In Rom. ⟨…⟩3. ↩

38. Ier. 27. 6. ↩

39. Rom. 13. 1. ↩

40. Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 1. Tim. 2. 2. ↩

41. That the ministers of the Church are not exempted from the ordinarie power. Rom. 13. 1. Ib. ver. 2. Looke the 3. Chapter of this booke. Act. 6. Chrysost. ↩

42. Verse. 35. ↩

43. The trifeling which the false ecclesiasticall men make about their double sword. Looke before pl. 3. Art. 6. ↩

44. The Emperors sword subiected to the Pope. ↩

45. The supposed Dionysius Areopagita. ↩

46. The Pope preferreth himselfe aboue all Kings and Princes, ↩

47. 1. Sam. 10. 1. 1. Sam. 16. 1. 2. kings. 9. 1. Reasons why the Pope will not be iudged or gouerned of any man. Mat. 16. 19 Ier. 1. 10.
    ↩
48. 1. Cor. 2. 15
    ↩

49. Two maner of the spiritualties of the Canonists. ↩

50. Gen. 1. 1. ↩

51. The Pope dec⟨…⟩eth that he must be obei⟨…⟩ of necessitie to saluation. ↩

52. Of the two powers, Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall. ↩

53. Ambrose instructed Theodosius ↩

54. The preaching of the word of God hath al men subiect to it. ↩

55. The Minister of the Church must deale by the word not by the sword. ↩

56. How the Ciuil power extendeth ↩

57. Two kinds of subiectio~. ↩

58. The saying of Valentinian Cesar. ↩

59. The error of the saide Valentinia~. ↩

60. Byshops ought to haue a care, not of the soule onely nor of the bodie onelie ↩

61. Eusebius ↩

62. Aristotle. ↩

63. Mat. 17. 27 ↩

64. Princes may put the ministers out of their places, if they behaue not themselues well. Verse. 26. ↩

65. Matt. 14. 4. Prelates of the Church haue no authoritie to depose Kings and Princes. Luk. 13. 32. ↩

66. Mat. 17. 27 ↩

67. Iohn. 6. 15. ↩

68. Ioh. 18. 36. ↩

69. Mat. 20 25. ↩

70. 1. Pet. 5. ver. 3.
    ↩

71. Of the Assamonites or Machabées. ↩

72. Machab. ↩

73. Gen. 44. 10 Psal. 89 39 Numb. 18. 20. ↩

74. Acts. 5. ver. 5. & 9. Acts. 13. 11 ↩

75. By what instrumets the Apostles vsed sometime outward punishmets ↩

76. 2. Tim. 2. 4.
    ↩

77. 2 Par. 26. ver. 16. ↩

78. Why these functions ought to be seuerall. ↩

79. Deut. 1. 16. ↩

80. In the ciuill Magistrate and Minister of the Church is to be considered both the person & the office. ↩

81. To the arguments of Boniface. ↩

82. Howe the Church may be said to haue two swords ↩

83. Luk. 22. 35. ↩

84. Gen. 6. 6. ↩

85. Chrysost. ↩

86. Rom. 16. 3. ↩

87. Matt. 5. 39. ↩

88. Mat. 10. 27. ↩

89. Iohn. 2. 19. ↩

90. Col. 2. 9. ↩

91. Mar. 15. 28 Esa. 32. 12. ↩

92. In the Apostles time the Church had not two swords. ↩

93. Mat. 26. 52. ↩

94. Boniface. ↩

95. That which man doth by an other, he is saide to doe it himselfe. ↩

96. A deceit of Acquiuocation. ↩

97. Bernard. ↩

98. Rom. 13. 2. ↩

99. The Pope vseth not the sword of the word. ↩

100. Exod. 32. 2. It is y e part of Princes sometime to admonish and correct Ecclesiasticall men. Deut. 33. 5 ↩

101. 2. Kings. 12 2. 1. Par. 23. 2. Par. 8. 14. 2. Par. 29. 5
     ↩

102. Of the Tenthes. ↩

103. Hebr. 7. ↩

104. The priesthoode aswel of the Leuites as of Melchisedeck represe~ted Christ ↩

105. Hebr. 9. 7. Hebr. 7. 3. ↩

106. That of Melchisedeck did more represent Christ than that of Leuie. ↩

107. Heb. 7. &c. ↩

108. At this day the tenthes is no more a ceremonie but stipends. ↩

109. Mat. 10. 10 ↩

110. Stipends are paid aswell to superiors as inferiors. ↩

111. The church which payeth a stipend vnto the minister is greater than he. ↩

112. Why kings be consecrated by Byshops & in the Church ↩

113. To Princes the power is giuen by God, not by Byshops. ↩

114. Rom. 13. 2. ↩

115. Iustinian. ↩

116. Pope Boniface by his owne argument is inferior to Byshop Hostiensis. ↩

117. Many Emperors haue not béene consecrated by the Pope. ↩

118. Exo. 40. 10 ↩

119. Wherin the power of the keies consisteth. ↩

120. Ier. 1. 10. ↩

121. The Prophets be no efficient cause of the ouerthrowing of kingdomes. ↩

122. 2. Cor. 2. 15
     ↩

123. The Pope ought to be iudged of the Church ↩

124. Gal. 1. 8. ↩

125. The Magistrate is the principall part of the Church. ↩

126. He may execute the sentence of the Church against the Pope. He must ouersée the Bishops in their reuenewes. ↩

127. ⟨…⟩. Cor. 2. 15 ↩

128. Ib. ver. 12. ↩

129. Verse. 14. ↩

130. Peter and Paul were iudged by the Ciuill power. Acts. 25. 10 ↩

131. Gen. 1. 1. ↩

132. Note. We affirme one beginning, not many. ↩

133. Ephe. 4. 5. ↩

134. A schisme of Popes. ↩

135. Two or three Popes 60. yéeres together. ↩

136. Rom. 13. 1. ↩

137. The Papists made a diuision of a kingdome into two parts. ↩

138. Origen. ↩

139. Look part. 4 cap. 2. Ar. 10 ↩

140. Whether it were lawfull for Princes to ⟨…⟩emp⟨…⟩ Ecclesiasticall men from their subiection. ↩

141. What is Immunity, Tributes, & Customs ↩

142. Vlpian. ↩

143. The Ministers exempted fro~ personall and vile burthens and why. Which be personall and vile burthens. ↩

144. Iustinian. ↩

145. Ordinarie burthens and extraordinarie. ↩

146. Why they be frée from extraordinary burthens ↩

147. Somtimes they are not exempted from extraordinarie burthens. ↩

148. 2. Cor. 8. 13
     ↩

149. A saying of Dioclesian. ↩

150. Thomas Aquinas. Gen. 47. 11 ↩

151. Esdr. 7. 23. ↩

152. Plinie. The Druids paid no tributes. ↩

153. It would be honourable for the magistrates to deale somewhat gently with the Ministers. ↩

154. Rom. 13. 1. ↩

155. Chrysost. ↩

156. The Anabaptists & Libertins. ↩

157. We sin two maner of waies against the Magistrate ↩

158. A saying of Dioclesian. ↩

159. Rom. 13. 3. ↩

160. Acts. 4. 29. ↩

161. Dan. 3. 18. ↩

162. 2. Mach. 7.
     ↩

163. Eusebius. ↩

164. An example of Constantius the first. ↩

165. Constantius the second an Arrian. ↩

166. Iulian the Apostata. ↩

167. Achilles. ↩

168. Of meane or inferior powers. ↩

169. Whether the consent of y e Church must be expected in the reforming of religion. ↩

170. A similitude ↩

171. Paul waited not for a consent. ↩

172. Gal. 1. 15. ↩

173. When a consent must be attended for. ↩

174. Look part 2. cap. 4. Ar 42 ↩

175. Exo. 20. 12. ↩

176. Mat. 10. 37 ↩

177. Matt. 6. 24. 1. Kings. 18. 21. ↩

178. The aunswere of Demades. ↩

179. 1. king. 21. 3 The exa~ple of Nabaoth
     ↩
180. 1. Mach. 1. 57. 2. Mac. 6. 2. The constancie of the Iewes against the Macedonians and Romanes.
     ↩

181. Ambrose. ↩

182. Idolatrie is a more haynous crime than homicide. ↩

183. Looke In 1. Sam. 28. verse. 3. ↩

184. Augustine ↩

185. Psa. 102. 23 ↩

186. Psal. 2. 10. ↩

187. The difference of the seruing of God of a priuate man and of a King. ↩

188. Dan. 3. 96. ↩

189. Ib. 6. 23. ↩

190. The Ethnick Princes accounted the care for religion to be in the~. ↩

191. Socrates was condemned by the Magistrate for matters of Religion. ↩

192. Leui. 24. 16 ↩

193. Chrysost. ↩

194. Augustine ↩

195. Appellatio~ from the Pope to the Emperour in matters of religion. ↩

196. The right of calling Councels in the Emperours. ↩

197. Theodoretus. ↩

198. Augustine ↩

199. Whoredom a more grieuous crime than adulterie. ↩

200. God hath prospered those Princes which haue had a care of Religion. ↩