2 lem affert again with our Forefathers," that the King "within his own Realms and "Dominions, has,and may exer- Epifcopos, Clericos, & alios Rex tam in Archiepifcopos, "cife,a full and compleat Jurifdi- Miniftros,quam in Laicos intra "ation both Civil and Ecclefiafti- fua regna & Dominia pleniffical, over all Arch Bishops, Bi- mam Jurifdictionem tam civifhops, Clergy-men and other & exercere poteft; cum omnis quam ecclefiafticam habet "Minifters of the Church, as Jurifdictio &ecclefiaftica & fe"well as over the Laity; fince cularis ab eo, tanquam ex uno "all Jurifdiction both Ecclefia- & eodem fonte, derivantur.Reformat. Leg. Ecclefiaft. p. 95. "ftical and Secular, are derived "from him as the one and fole Fountain of "them both." We affert, yet farther with the Convocation, in theYear 1640. in their Canons, that "The Care of God's Church is fo committed Vid. Acta << to Kings in Scripture, that they are commen- Synodi "ded when the Church keeps the right Way, " and taxed when it runs amifs; and therefore Collecti"the Government of the Church belongs in chiefon, p. 346. to Kings: For otherwife one Man would be "commended for another Man's Care, and tax"ed for another's Negligence, which is not "God's Way. The Power to call and to dif"folve Councils both National and Provincial, "is the true Right of all Kings within their 66 own Realms and Territories: And for any "Perfon or Perfons to fet up, maintain or avow "in any their faid Realms or Territories refpe Aively under any Pretence whatsoever, any "independent coactive Power, either Papal or "Popular, whether directly or indirealy, is s to undermine their great and Royal Office, "and cunningly to overthrow that most facred "Ordinance which God himself hath establish'd; "and fo is treasonable as well against God as "against the King. VOL. II.. D These 1640. in Sparrow's These Principles are fo much agreeable to the Nature of Chriftianity, and fo infeparable from it, that that Meeting call'd The Aembly of Divines at Westminster, when they met there in direct Oppofition to the pofitive Commands of their lawful Sovereign, and when they were every Day blowing up the Flames of Rebellion against him, yet could not but acknowledge, Affem- "That the Civil Magiftrate hath Authoribly's Con-" ty, and it is his Duty, to take Order that feffion of Unity and Peace be preferv'd in the Church, Faith. c. that the Truth of God be kept pure and en 23. "tire, that all Blafphemies and Herefies be fupcr prefs'd, all Corruptions and Abuses in Worhip or Difcipline prevented or reform'd, and all the Ordinances of God duly fettled, ad"miniftred and obferv'd. For the better effect ing whereof he hath Power to call Synods, to "be prefent at them, and to provide that what"foever is tranfa&ted in them be according to the "Mind of God." And they declare farther, that "It is the Duty of the People to obey the law"ful Commands of their Magiftrates, and to be fubject to their Authority for Confcience Sake; "that Infidelity or Difference in Religion doth ર not make void the Magiftrate's just and legal Authority, nor free the People from their due Obedience to him, from which Ecclefiaftical Perfons are not exempted; much less "hath the Pope any Power or Jurifdiction over "them in their Dominions, or over any of their People, and leaft of all to deprive them of "their Dominions or Lives, if he fhall judge "them to be Hereticks, or upon any other "Pretence whatfoever." Thefe are our Principles as faithful Members of the Church of Eng England, and we agree with whatsoever is to be met with in the Harmony of the Confeffions of all other reformed Churches, fo far as fuitable to them. us, Η βασιλικὴ Εξεσία ἀπὸ ἐλαττονος τιμῆς 2. We affert and maintain, that where feveral Perfons duly qualify'd for Ordination to the Paftoral Office, according to the Prescriptions of the Gospel, offer themselves to the Bishops of. the Church; there it is in the Power, and belongs to the Prerogative of the Chriftian Prince or Sovereign, it he thinks fit, to determine which of them fhall be ordain'd and admitted to that Office within their Dominions. Hence Balfamon in his Glofs upon the Fourthous Canon of the Council of Chalcedon, tells Tinos. vid. Bev. "that the Royal Authority reaches Synodic. "fo fo far as to promote Bishops." And another Author tells us, to the fameux troixΝομοθετεί βασιλούς Purpose, " that_ the Royal or Imperial κλησιῶν, ἀνάγει δὲ μὲ "Power gives Laws to vacant Sees, eis era, unadha" and advances the Clergy from leffer "Honour to greater; as for Example, from bare Epifcopal to Metropolitan "Cities, either out of refpect to the "Vertue of the Perfon who is to be "made Bishop there, or out of refpect to the "City in which He's to be fix'd." And by this Power, even the Bishop of Rome was, for fome Ages, chofen by the Eastern Emperors; and afterwards, when their Authority was loft in Italy, he was chofen by Charles the Great, and feveral of his Succeffors. To give other Inftances of this is needlefs, fince they are so many and fo very obvious. The Chriftian Prince may, by Virtue of his Royal Authority, take away the D 2 τὸ ἐπισκόπων εἰς μη τρόπολιν ἡ ἀνδρὸς ἀρε την η πόλιν τιμών. Demetrius Chomatenus in Ref ponfis. Pub publick Revenue or Maintenance from fuch or fuch a Bifhop himself, tho not from his Bishoprick; and forbid his exercifing Episcopal Jurifdiation, within any particular Province or Precinct; always fuppofing fuch Bishops or Paftors to have behav'd themselves feditiously or difloyally, or to have fallen juftly under the Cenfures of the Church; and the Church of God to be competently provided of fufficient Paftors or Bishops without them, which both Princes and Bishops are obliged to take Care of. Thefe Things the Chriftian Prince may do, as having the Power of Rewards and Punishments in his own Hands; and therefore he may difpenfe them, according to their different Behaviours and Merits, to Church-Officers as well as to other Men. He may forbid this, or that Bishop or Presbyter preaching in Publick, adminiftring Sacraments, ordaining, confirming, cenfuring, or executing any Part of the Prieftly Office, if he be a Breaker of the Laws of the Kingdom, or an Enemy to the Regal Crown. or Dignity He may imprison fuch a Criminal, feize his Fortunes, take away his Life, without abufing his own Authority: But ought, at the fame Time, to provide another Perfon duly qualified to execute the fame Office; that the Church may be no Sufferer when any of her faulty Paftors are juftly punifh'd. And were this Power taken from the Crown, or the Sovereign Power of any Nation; it would not only exempt meer Spiritual Governours from the Reach of the Civil Sword, how rebellious foever they might prove; but it would fix them in a State fuperior to their Temporal Governours which would be of the most pernicious Confequence to So-, Sovereign Princes in the World. For tho' it is true, that in a Church regularly conftituted under the Protection of National Laws, this particular Branch of the Sovereign's Authority be very little taken Notice of, either by the Prince Himself, or by the People; yet were the Temporal Sovereignty depriv'd of it, those who are the Paftors and Governors of the Church, as fuch, might become Boutefeus or Incendiaries in the State; and tho' they were concern'd notoriously in Seditions and Rebellions, there would be none upon Earth who could juftly call them to an Account for their Misbehaviour; which is no great News in a Church of vitiated Principles, like that of Rome; but would look very oddly among a People pretendedly reform'd from the Errors of that malignant Body. All these Powers which we thus affert to be in Christian Sovereigns, we cannot deny to Heathens or Infidels on the like Occafions; provided always, that the Bishops of thofe Churches, which are under their Government, take Care to fill up fuch Vacancies in a regular Manner. 3. We affert, that it is the greatest Addition to the Felicity of a Chriftian Church which it is capable of in this World, when the Laws made by its immediate Spiritual Governours for its Conduct either in Faith or Difcipline, are confirm'd by Sovereign Authority. It was look'd upon of old, as the Glory even of Pagan Emperors, (where they acknowledg'd the Being of a God,) to honour that God, to reverence him, to promote his Worship among their Subjects, and by their own Laws, and a due and feasonable Execution of them, feverely D 3 |