Chronological History of Popes Intolerable Usurpations

CHAP. I.

Proposition 1. That from Adams Creation, till the Law given by God to Moses, and by him unto the Israelites, (his peculiar people) the Supreme Paternal, Regal, Magistratical, together with that now styled Spiritual, Pontifical, Ecclesiastical Authority or Jurisdiction, both in and over the Family, State, Church Militant, was by Divine and Natural Right vested, united in one person, not divers; to wit, First in Adam himself, but after his decease in the First-born, (unless disinherited by God for some crime or cause) or in the Patriarch, or Master of the Family, Tribe, who was both King and Priest, having the Priesthood annexed to his Paternal or Regal Office, not these to his Priestship.

• O evidence the truth of this Proposition, so far as the light of Scripture or Nature in the first remote obscure age of the world have revealed it, for the Readers satisfaction, I find it generally acknowledged by all or most Divines, and Christian Authors, who have written of the Church, or the Original of Republics, Jurisdictions, or Chronologies.

1. That as God (the Original of all power) at the very Creation gave Adam a Sovereign Dominion over the fish of the sea, & over the foul of the air, and over all the earth, the cattle and every creeping thing therein, to which he gave their several names, (as a badge of his Sovereignty over them) by God's own direction; So he likewise ordained him as well after, as before his fall, to be both a King and Priest over the little world, his family, & posterity issuing from him during his life, not only to govern & correct them when they transgressed, but, to offer sacrifices, prayers to God for, and instruct them in his Worship, Laws, fear. Hence Cedren makes Adam, the first KING & Governor, and that with reason enough, (as Mr. Selden notes, because he governed and commanded all mankind as long as he lived, who by the Law of Nature and Fifth Commandment, are enjoined To honor and obey their Father in the flesh, and he not only obliged to provide for, protect, defend and correct, as a Father; but likewise to * instruct and educate them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, as a Priest: Now Adam being a King and Lord not only over all Creatures, but Eve his wife, before he was a Father, and over his Posterity (by his Paternal right) before they were capable of instruction; And the Title of King, being always prefixed before that of Priest, as most honorable and first in order, when ever mentioned, and meeting together in one person, as in Melchizedek, Christ, Others, who were both Kings and Priests, and the High Priests always inferior, subordinate to the Chief Civil Governors and Kings of Judah, and in Heathen Nations. It thence most clearly follows, that the Priesthood and Spiritual Jurisdiction in Adam was at first united and subordinate to his Kingly, Sovereign Magistratical Office and Authority, and so continued whiles residing in one person; from the Creation till the Law given in mount Sin • i.

2ly. That Cain, Adams first-born, having forfeited his birthright and life too by the murder of his Brother Abel, and thereby Seth becoming his first-born, when Adam deceased, his Kingship and Priesthood descended first to Seth, and after him successively to the Patriarchs, who were not only the Princes and Chief Governers of their Families, Tribes to rule, protect and correct them when they offended, but likewise their Priests, to erect Altars and Houses to God for his public worship, to offer Sacrifices, prayers, vows to God for them, to bless them in his Name, to teach them his Laws, Fear, and the Covenants made by God to them and their seed, and commanded them to put away their strange gods and idols, (as Jacob did.) All which is evident by the examples of Noah, Gen. 8. 20, 21. c. 9. 25, 26, 27. Abraham, Gen. 12. 7. c. 13. 4, 18. c. 17. 1, 2, 8, &c. 23, to 27. c. 18. 19, 23, &c. c. 20. 7. 17. c. 21. 23. c. 22. &c. Melchizedek (both King of Salem and Priest of the most High God) Gen. 14. 18, 19. Heb. 7. 1. Isaac, Gen. 26. 23, 24, 25. • . 27. 21, 28, to 41. & of Jacob, Gen. 28. 8. to the end, c. 31. 54. c. 32. 9, to 13. c. 33. 20. c. 35. 1. to 16. c. 43. 14. c. 46. 1. c. 47. 7. 10. c. 48. 3. to the end. c. 49. 1. to 33. Heb. 11. 21. and affirmed by St. Jerome, the Ordinary Gloss, with most other Commentators on these Texts, Alexander Alensis, and other Schoolmen, Bishop Jewel, Dr. Field, Jacobus Bouldoc, De Ecclesia a Mundi principio usque ad Mosen; Salianus in his Annals Ecclesiasticae, and other Annalists in the times before the Law.

3ly. Upon this account, after the Law given and Priesthood vested in Aaron and the Tribe of Levi, the firstborn (though they lost this privilege of exercising the Priests Office as before, yet they were still the Lord's) to redeem themselves with an oblation of five shekels by the poll, for their exemption from the Priesthood; because God had taken the Levites from among the Israelites, instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, which redemption was given to Aaron and his Sons, who officiated in their steads.

4ly. That upon this original right, privilege of Primogeniture, Christ himself as God's firstborn, was not only made Higher then the Kings of the Earth, King of Kings, Lord of Lord's; but likewise Head over all the Church, that in all things he might have the Preeminence. And had (like the First-born before the Law) the Supreme Priestly Office and Power, united to his Kingly; Yea in some sense Christ hath fully restored this ancient Right to all who are spiritually God's First-born, and the First-fruits of his Creatures, as the Gospel styleth them, having the First-fruits of the Spirit growing in them, whom he hath MADE KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD HIS FATHER, as the Marginal Texts resolve.

5ly. That the very Gentiles and Pagan Nations by the Law and Light of Nature, vested the Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority, and oft times the Priesthood itself in their Kings, and chief Temporal Magistrates, who erected, consecrated Temples, Altars, Groves, constituted by their particular Laws the several Orders, Offices of Priests; the Number, Worship, Services of their God's, and the Sacrifices, Ceremonies and whole manner of their Worship. To instance in some particulars.

Fanus the ancientest of the Kings in Italy, was the first who brought in thither the form of Religion; He cousecrated Groves, erected Temples, from whom they were called Fana; ordained Priests and Sacrifices. Evander his next Successor, introduced many other Ceremonies in the Worship of the God's. Anius, as Virgil relates, was at once, REX IDEM HOMINUM, PHAEBIQUE SACERDOS. After Rome was built, Romulus the first King thereof, and Numa Pompilius who succeeded him, made several Laws concerning the whole Worship, Service, Holy-days, Ceremonies of their God's, instituted their distinct Orders of Priests; as highest Priest, chief Priests, and lesser Priests, Vestals, Salii; distinguishing and limiting all their respective Offices, Jurisdictions, habits, by special Laws, recorded by Dionysius Halicarnasseus, Plutarch, Livy, and others: Yea Godwin observes, That it was A CUSTOME among the Grecians, as likewise afterwards among the Romans, THAT THEIR KINGS SHOULD PERFORM AS WELL THE CEREMONIES AND HOLY RITES OF RELIGION, as Civil businesses, being BOTH KINGS AND PRIESTS, till Numa perceiving that foreign wars did often occasion the Kings absence, whereby the service of the God's was neglected, thereupon ordained several Orders of Priests, (as their Vicars generals or Curates) to discharge their priestly function: Yet after this institution their Consuls, Censors, and some of their Pagan Emperors, as Tiberius, Ve •• atian, Trajan, were created PONTIFEX MAXIMUS, their Highest Priest, (or POPE) and managed the Supreme Civil and Pontifical affairs, and that by election of the Senate, and the people only, without the Priests; as Alexander ab Alexandro, and the Roman Histories record. I shall close this Chapter with that of the Roman Historian, PRINCIPIO RERUM GENTIUM{que} IMPERIUM PENES REGES ERAT, populus nullis legibus tenebatur, arbitria Principum pro legibus erant; and that as well in all Sacred, Religious, as Civil and Military affairs.

BOOK I. CHAP. II.

2. My Second Proposition is, That God, after the Israelites deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, when he first new modelled them into a Commonwealth, and afterwards into a Kingdom; settled their State and Church government, and divided the Priesthood from the Supreme Civil Magistracy and Kingship, vesting the one in Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, and their Royal Successors, the other in Aaron, his Sons, and the Tribe of Levi, did even then leave the Sovereign Ecclesiastical Power and Jurisdiction over all persons and causes, still annexed to, and residing in the Supreme Civil Magistratical Office and Officers, transferring only the Ministerial Priestly Offices to the Priests, not the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. being not different in kind from, but the very same with the Civil, varied only by the Object, not Subject of it.

THis I shall evidence as clear as the noon-day Sun.

1. By Ten memorable particulars recorded in Sacred History, concerning Moses, (the first Supreme Temporal Governor in the Israelites Commonwealth,) demonstrating his Sovereign Jurisdiction in all Sacred, Religious, Church affairs.

1. God himself by the Ministry of Moses (not Aaron) instituted, described, celebrated the feast and Sacrament of the Passover, and sanctified all the firstborn of the children of Israel unto God, and was to Aaron INSTEAD OF GOD, Exod. 4. 16.

2ly. Moses, not Aaron, penned and prescribed that memorable Song of Praise which all the Israelites sang unto the Lord, immediately after their deliverance out of Egypt, and drowning of the Egyptians • n the Red Sea.

3dly. Moses, not Aaron, gave them instructions concerning the gathering, and for reserving of an Omer of Manna to be kept before the Lord, as a Type of Christ, the true Manna.

4ly. God himself immediately appeared unto Moses in Mount Sinai, and by his Mouth and Ministry alone (not Aaron's) delivered the first Covenant, and the Moral, Ceremonial and Judicial Law unto his people Israel, the only rule of their Worship, Obedience, Government Sacred and Civil.

5ly. That when Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the Elders were afterwards called up into Mount Sinai by God; Moses alone was called to come near to God, and Aaron left behind; That Moses alone wrote all the words of the Lord, built an Altar for the 12 Tribes of Israel, read the Book of the Covenant to them, sprinkled the blood of the Covenant both on the Altar, Book, & all the people; received the Tables of stone and Law written therein by God himself; and the pattern of the Tabernacle, Mercy-seat, Altar, and all the furniture and utensils thereof, the garments of Aaron and the Priests, the manner and ceremonies of their respective Consecrations, and all the oblations, sacrifices, and parts of God's worship to be therein performed both by the Priests and people, from God. Hence it is specially recorded both in the Old Testament and New, That these precepts concerning the Sanctuary of God, Let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell amongst them, according to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it: And look that thou make them after the pattern which was shown thee in the Mount; were given only to Moses, the Chief Temporal Magistrate; (Not to Aaron nor the Priests or Levites;) who alone directed all things to be made accordingly. And when all the work of the Tabernacle with the Curtains and the Priests Garments were finished by the Workmen, Moses, not Aaron, survayed and looked upon all the work, and behold they had done it as the Lord commanded, even so had they done it, and Moses (not Aaron) blessed them.

6ly. After all the work was thus finished, Moses, not Aaron, was particularly commanded to rear up the Tabernacle, with all its furniture, and to anoint and consecrate them unto God.

7ly. Which is most observable, Aaron and his Sons did not anoint Moses to be the Supreme Civil Magistrate; but on the contrary, God by Moses not only prescribed all the spiritual Offices, duties, qualifications, vestments, wives, marriages, maintenance, and appurtenances belonging to Aaron and his sons, but also specially designed and commanded Moses, to anoint and consecrate them to their Priesthood, recorded in these words, Exod. 40. 12, to 17. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, THOU shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and wash them with water; and THOU shalt put upon Aaron the holy Garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may Minister unto me in the Priests Office: And Thou shalt bring his Sons and clothe them with coats, and Thou shalt anoint them, as Thou didst their Father, that they may Minister unto me in the Priests Office: For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting Priesthood throughout their generations: Thus did Moses according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he. So Moses finished the Work, without Aaron's, or his Sons assistance. Never did Aaron nor his Sons consecrate or anoint any part of the Tabernacle, Ark, or utensils thereof, their own garments, ointment, nor any one High Priest or Levite of their Tribe, but Moses the Supreame Temporal Magistrate only, by God's own special command, whose consecration alone forever sanctified all their Successors to the High Priests and Priests respective offices: which I desire all Popes, and Romish Prelates, (who now appropriate all consecrations whatsoever of persons or things, to themselves alone by a pretended Divine right, excluding the Civil Magistrate) seriously to consider, and from thence argue a superiority over Kings, Emperors as well as Priests, and exact Canonical obedience from them.

8ly. When Aaron the High Priest during Moses his absence in the Mount, had at the people's request, made, erected a golden calf, who committed idolatry with it; Moses calls him to a strict account for it, to whom he made an excuse, with this memorable preface, Let not the anger of MY LORD wax hot; which style he likewise gave him Nu. 12 11.) Yea Moses, not he, Pronounced the Judgment and punishment upon the people for this Sin of Idolatry, as likewise on him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day, the manner of whose punishment he inquired (not Aaron) and received from God.

9ly. When the Tables of stone formerly broken were renewed, redelivered by God to the people, it was always done (even after Aaron's consecration) by the hand, mouth, ministry of Moses, who with his own mouth always spake and delivered God's Laws, Messages to all the Congregation, Elders, people, during all his Government, and gave them a special charge of things future, and a blessing at his death.

10thly. God made choice of Moses (a Lay-man and Civil Magistrate) to be the fir •• p •• man and Register of all his sacred Laws, and first Five Books of holy Scripture, not Aaron, or any other Priest; And to show that Kings and Temporal Magistrates were the principal keepers of both Tables, God particularly enjoined when the Israelites came into the Land of Canaan, and had set a King over them, that the King when he sat upon the Throne of his Kingdom, shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites; that it may be well with him; and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of this Law, and these Statutes to • o them▪ That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren; and that he turn not aside from the Commandment, to the right hand or to the left, to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

All which particulars laid together, relating to and acted by the very first Supreme Civil Magistrate that God himself set up over his own peculiar people, Church, when he first instituted, modelled both their Magistrates and Priests, with their distinct Offices and powers, will infallibly clear the Superior Jurisdiction of the Supreme Civil Magistrate in and over all Ecclesiastical persons and causes, by God's own institution▪ and that the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is united to the Temporal.

The reason why God reserved the Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to Moses, the Chief Civil Magistrate, and afterwards to Kings, when he transferred the Priesthood to Aaron and his Sons, and severed it from the Kingship, was, because it would be inconsistent with Monarchy, and the Peace, Unity of the Republic, Kingdom, Church, to erect two distinct Supreme Powers independent on, unsubordinate to each other in one and the same Body Politick, Nation, Kingdom united under one Supreme Civil Head, and a Cause of perpetual Wars, Schisms, Contentions between these different powers, by reason of men's Natural ambition, and desire to enlarge their Juriisdictions to the prejudice of each other. This we find experimentally verified in the Israelites themselves immediately upon their division into two independent kings, kingdoms, of equal power unsubordinate to each other, which produced not only perpetual Wars between them all their days in their Realms, as sacred Story oft records, but a more sad division in their Religion, Worship, Church; Jeroboam erecting two Calves and a new idolatrous worship, with suitable Priests, to promote it, and a new place of worship contrary to that prescribed by God himself, to keep his Subjects from God's true worship at Jerusalem, and returning to their allegiance and obedience to their rightful Kings of the seed of David; which all his Successors persevered in till their final captivity and utter desolation for their idolatry. And it is infallibly evidenced by the manifold sad Divisions, Schisms, Wars, Rebellions in most Christian Empires, kingdoms, ever since the ambitious Popes of Rome and other Prelates, have claimed by a pretended divine independent right, and usurped to themselves the Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over all Persons, Causes, inseparably united by God himself to the Crowns of Christian Emperonrs and Kings. As God therefore out of his infinite Wisdom, at the very Creation, constituted but one natural head over every natural body of Men, Beasts, Fowls, Fishes, and creeping living creatures, though they consisted of two different substances, Soul and Body, not two distinct heads, the one corporal, the other spiritual, to govern each body; because two Supreme head • would have destroyed the unity, harmony, operations of these Creatures in their respective orbs; and made a Schism in their bodies; So he at first united the Supreme Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction over Men at the Creation in one person, Adam, the first sole Monarch of the World; And afterwards, when his Church and people multiplied into such a vast dispersed multitude, that one person could not possibly execute or discharge the Kingly and Priestly Offices (as at first he conveniently might, did whiles all united in one Tribe and Family) so that there was an absolute necessity to divide them into several Hands, Tribes; God did even then reserve the Supreme Ecclesiastical Government and Jurisdiction, as absolutely necessary for, inseparable from the Supreme Civil Head and Governor of his people, to prevent Schisms, Confusions, and preserve Unity, Tranquillity both in Church and State; not transferr it from Moses to Aaron; the Church with all its Officers, Members, being included in & branches of the Kingdom, Republic, not divided from it as a distinct independent spiritual corporation: Therefore still to remain under the sole Government and protection of the Supreme Politick Head. This is most clearly and significantly expressed by Ezekiel's uniting the two divided sticks into one rod in one hand, typifying the uniting of the two divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, into one Kingdom, Church, PEOPLE, under one King and Shepherd Jesus Christ, and making them all but ONE, in their Government and true Worship of God according to his Statutes.

Hence it is most apparent, that the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers, Authorities or Jurisdictions are not thus denominated, because they are vested in different persons hands, or flow from various fountains, or distinct in their natures, (as the Pontificians and others generally assert, and mistake) but merely because they are exercised upon or about different things or objects; the persons wherein they originally and supremely reside and from whence they flow, and the very Powers, Authorities, Jurisdictions themselves in their nature, being but one and the same, only the objects, matters, in, upon, or about which they are exercised, various and distinct, from whence they have these different Epithites. To evidence this truth past all contradiction, being the surest Oracle to resolve all future Controversies concerning these Jurisdictions, yea keenest axe to cut off that ambitious usurping Antichristian Power of Roman Pontifs, which opposeth, exalteth itself above all that is called God, and trampleth under feet both the Crowns, Scepters of all Christian Kings; I shall first clear and confirm it by God's own distribution of various Gifts and powers to the Members of his mystical body the Church, and members, faculties of the bodies, souls of men by one & the self-same spirit, thus emphatically expressed, 1 Cor. 12 4, to 12. Now there are diversities of Gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administrations. but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom; to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit; to another Faith by the same Spirit; to another the Gifts of Healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of Miracles; to another Prophecy; to another Discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; But all these worketh that one & the self-same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will, Compared with v. 18. 25. God hath set the members everyone of them in the body (natural) AS IT PLEASETH HIM, that there should be no Schism in the body, appointing them all their distinct Offices, places under one head the seat of the soul, which rules and directs all the other Members in the discharge of all natural, civil, moral and divine actions, diversified, denominated only by & from their various objects so styled, not the person, power, head or faculty, by which they are all performed, being but one and the same. As God the great King over all the earth, whose is the Kingdom and the power, from whom all Kings and Potentates of the Earth derive their Jurisdiction, as their Ordainer and Orderer, always Soveraignly ruleth in the Kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will; he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings at his pleasure, by his indivisible Supreme authority; And as by one and the self-same power, spirit, he also distributes varieties of Gifts, Graces, Offices, to the Members of his Spiritual body the Church, & distinct faculties to one and the same reasonable Soul in man in which they are united (as vegetation, sense, reason, memory, will, judgment, affections, &c.) with distinct offices places to every member in the body natural: without erecting any plurality of Supreme Powers, parts, principles, heads, souls, in himself or them, from which these diversities of Gifts and their operations issue: So Kings and Sovereign Powers, (God's Vicars and Ministers upon earth) by that one and the same Supreme Authority vested in them by God for Government of all sorts of Subjects, and all sacred or civil Corporations under them, whether Pagans or Christians; may and do exercise all sorts of civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions under them in person, or by their Delegates and Substitutes; without any real division in their Sovereign power, continuing still one the same, or erect • ng two distinct specifical Powers, the one Civil, the other Ecclesiastical in themselves or others. • or, as their Sovereign Royal Power when exercised about Martial affairs, is styled a Military power, and the Courts wherein it is judicia •• y executed are styled Martial Courts, because the matters, persons in and about which it is exercised are such. And when employed in matters, Courts of Law and Justice is called a Civil or Legal Power, and their Courts, Courts of Common or Civil Law, because the businesses are such; And when versed in Maritine affairs or causes, is called A Maritime or Admiralty Power, and Admiralty Court: and when in Civil matters of Equity only, it is then phrased a Chancery or Equitable Power, and the Court wherein it is acted, a Court of Chancery: So by the self-same reason when it is employed in or about divine, sacred, Ecclesiastical things or persons, it is then styled An Ecclesiastical power, the Laws concerning them, and Courts wherein these Laws, powers are exercised, the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws, Courts; without making any fraction, division, or distinction in the Supreme power, which remains still but one and the same, residing entirely in the King himself alone, though the execution of it be distributed to sundry subordinate Courts, persons, who are but the Kings mere Ministers, and act (or ought to act) all in his Name, Right; without claiming any share at all in the Sovereign Regal power as vested in themselves by this distribution: being thus distinguished, denominated only by and from the diversity of the respective objects, which make no more multiplications of nor divisions in the power itself, then diversities of colors, spec • es in the eyes, or varieties of sounds, tastes in the ears or palate; make so many distinct faculties in the Eyes, Ears, Pallate; or as many different eyes, ears, pallats, as there are species, sounds, tastes discerned by them. All which doth evidently appear in this Or • ginal President of Supreme Jurisdiction in Moses, the first Sovereign Governor over God's people, when originally made both a Kingdom, & Church by God's own institution; wherein the High Priest Aaron and his Sons had no share at all in the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, though the Priesthood was settled on them, but Moses enjoyed, exercised it entirely, without any Partition made by God between him and Aaron, to divide these powers equally between them as Co-heirs.

Hostiensis, and out of him Alvarus Pelagius, Thomas Bozius, and Marta resolve, That as it is Heretical to hold duo principia, Two Principles or Authors of the World: So it is Heretical to hold, that there are Two Vicars of God or Christ upon Earth, the one in Spirituals, the other in • emorals; Therefore it is of necessity, that Supreme Temporal and Spiritual Jurisdiction should be entirely vested in the Pope, not in the Emperor or Kings, who derive all their power from him; and it is of necessity to believe, that every creature should be subject to the Pope as well in Temporal as Spiritual things, to avoid the Heresy of duo principia, Dantes the Florentine who held the contrary, being coudemned by the Pope for an Heretic after his death. Indeed their position, That there is but one Supreme Head and Fountain of all Spiritual and Regal power on Earth in every distinct Kingdom and Church, is an undubitable truth, as these Pontificians and Popes themselves assert. But that it was ever vested in the High Priest under the Law, or Popes under the Gospel, but in Moses, Kings, and other Supreme Magistrates; and that they derive all their Temporal Authority from Priests, Popes, not they from Kings and Supreme Civil Governors, is a notorious untruth, as this Original president of Moses and Aaron, with others following will irrefragably evince.

This I the rather mention, and have more largely insisted on, because some Usurping Popes not only ground their Pontifical Crowns, Priestly garments, with their power of consecration, on Aaron's and his Sons, but likewise their Papal Monarchy, Jurisdiction over other Bishops, Ministers, and Kings too, on Aaron's high Priesthood, and imaginary Universal Supremacy, which quite subverts their pretences; Aaron the High Priest being inforior to Moses, and he greater then Aaron, in administration, and in instruction and correction of the people, though not in consecration, (wherein they were both equal) as Bartholomeus Buxiensis, Joannes Thierry, and other Canonists in their approved Glosses on Gratian resolve. Whereupon to prop up the Popes tottering Supremacy as founded upon Aaron's Priestood, Pope Anacletus, with others of his Successors, have bottomed the Popes Sovereign Jurisdiction in Spiritual and Temporal affairs too, upon Moses and Aaron jointly, affirming Moses to be a Chief Priest as well as Aaron, from Psal. 99. 6. Moses and Aaron among HIS PRIESTS; Whence they infer; That as Moses and Aaron were the chief among the Priests in the Old Testament: So Peter was ordained head of the Apostles, and Original of the Apostleship in the New, and the Pope as his Successor: And as Moses was constituted a God unto Pharaoh, and judged the people of Israel: So the Pope is the God of the Emperor, the First Priest, the Vicar of Christ the High Priest, and the Cardinals assisting him, are Priests of the Levitical kind, by whose assistance he Iudgeth all Criminal causes, not only Ecclesiastical, but likewise Civil and mixed; Moses as a Priest being only a Type of the Pope, as were Melchizedek and all those that were Kings as well as Priests before the Law given; as Alvarus Pelagius and other Pontificians conclude, with very great confidence.

To which I answer, 1. That Moses neither before his flight out of Egypt, nor during his absence before his return thither, nor whiles he abode there to deliver the Israelites from their bondage, nor after their deliverance, was ever made or constituted a Priest, much less an High Priest, by God, (for ought we read) but only Aaron, with his sons and Levites. 2ly. Had Moses been an high Priest as well as Aaron, as these assert, there had then been two high Priests at once, and so two Supreme heads of the Church, not one: and so the high Priest could not be a proper Type of Christ, the sole high Priest and head of his Church, nor of St. Peter, or the Pope, his pretended Vicar General by divine Right. 3ly. The Scripture is express, that Aaron only was the chief Priest, not Moses, and that there neither was nor ought to be anymore high Priests but one at a time; Therefore Moses could be no high Priest. 4ly. Moses in the 99 Psalm, and all other Texts where he and Aaron are mentioned, is put and named in the first place before Aaron, and asserted by Bartholomeus Buxiensis, Thierry, and other Glossers, to be greater then Aaron in two respects, in the very Priesthood itself; Therefore he, not Aaron, was the chief high Priest: and so all Popes pretences for their Supremacy drawn from Aaron's high Priesthood, must vanish into smoke; The rather, because we frequently read in Scripture, that Moses not only COMMANDED AARON, but likewise stripped him of his garments, and girt them on Eleazar his Son and successor a little before his death. 5ly. Psalm 99. doth not evince Moses to be a chief Priest as well as Aaron, no more then the rest of the people; as is evident by the coherence with verse 5, 6. Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his footstool, for he is holy; Moses and Aaron among his Priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his Name; these called upon the Name of the Lord and he heard them: this passage relates to Numb. 25. 6. when Moses and Aaron and all the Congregation were all weeping and worshipping God together promiscuously intermixed with Phinehas and the other Priests, as also in Joel 2. 16, 17. So as the sole argument hence is this; Moses and Aaron worshipped and called upon the name of the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle mixed promiscuously with the other Priests, as Samuel did with the people when they called on God's name; Ergo, Moses (and by consequence all the people too) were high Priests as well as Aaron: So that the Popes absolute Sovereign Monarchy as well in Temporal as Civil things being thus grounded on Moses his mistaken Priesthood, must needs fall to the ground, and be forever exploded upon the premised considerations; and because his Successor (no high Priest nor Priest at all) enjoyed, exercised the Sovereign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as well as Temporal in the Israelites Church, and State.

2ly. I shall demonstrate this Propositions truth, by Joshua, who succeeded Moses in the Supreme Civil Authority, to whom the Israelites not only promised the self same obedience in all Spiritual as well as civil things, which they yielded to Moses, but he likewise exercised the same Sovereign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as Moses had done, as these Ten instances irrefragably prove.

1. He commanded the people to sanctify themselves tomorrow, and commanded, directed the Priests when to take up, and how to carry and dispose of the Ark of the Covenant and declared the words to the people which God himself immediately spake unto him.

2. He circumcised all the uncircumcised Israelites with sharp knives, and kept the Passover, formerly omitted, by special directions given to him from God; not to the Priests.

3. By God's special direction He commanded the Priests to compass Jericho bearing the Ark round about it, seven days one after another, which they obeyed, executed without dispute, marching seven times round about it the last day.

4. He (not the Priests) Ordained a public fast, sanctified the people when he discovered God's wrath against them for Achan's taking of the accursed thing against his command; and examined, punished with stoning to death, even that, which Popes and Canonists style Sacrilege, appropriated by them to their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Tribunals.

5ly. He built an Altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal according to the Law of Moses, and he (not the Priests) there writ upon stones a Copy of the Law of Moses; and read all the words of the Law of Moses, the Blessings and the Curses, before all the congregation of Israel, with their women, little ones, and strangers conversant among them; there was not a word of all that Moses commanded which he read not unto them, and that in presence of the Priests and Levites, who there stood on both sides of the Ark, and bore it.

6ly. He and the Princes (not Priests) descided a case of conscience touching the Oath and Covenant made with the Gibeonites by fraud and circumvention, to spare their lives, against God's positive precept, and gave sentence against them to be Hew • rs of wood and drawers of water for the Altar of the Lord.

7ly. The Sun stood still and the Moon stayed till the people had avenged themselves of their enemies, at his (not the Priests) prayer to the Lord.

8ly. He (not the Priests) assembled all the Congregation of Israel to Shiloh, and there set up the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

9ly. He by God's special command, with advice of the Heads of the Tribes of the children of Israel, appointed and set out the Cities of refuge, and the 48 Cities with their Suburbs given to the Priests and Levites out of all the other Tribes Lots.

10thly. Joshua a little before his death (not the Priests) assembled all the Tribes of Israel to Shechem, and there calling all their Elders, Heads, Judges, Officers, who presenting themselves before God, he repeated the Histories of God's great mercies to them from Terah his time till then, and commanded them to serve the Lord in sincerity and truth, and to put away all the gods which their Fathers had served, renewed the Covenant between God and them, set them a Statute and an Ordinance in Shechem, and wrote all the words thereof in the Book of the Law of God, and set up a stone for a witness unto them, lest they should deny their God. And penned the History styled Joshua

During all this time of Moses and Joshua's Governments, we find not one syllable of any Ecclesiastical Supreme Authority, exercised or claimed by the High Priest, Priests or Levites, severally or jointly, but only by Moses and Joshua themselves, in all the forecited particulars; Which Popes and Popish Prelates would repute most strange and uncouth, should Christian Emperors, Kings, Princes now exercise the like Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and confine them only to Preaching, Administration of the Sacraments, reading Mass or Common-Prayers, and those other essential Ministerial duties, which they delegate for the most part to poor Curates; as they do their pretended Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Judicatories to their Vicars Generals, Chancellors, Officials, Commissaries, and other such party Officers, the more to fleece the people, and ease themselves from Trouble or Clamors.

3dly. After the death of Joshua, though the High Priest, Priests and Levites were all settled in their possessions and offices in his life, yet we read of none of them in all the Book of Judges, when the people of Israel were very idolatrous, wicked and most needed Ecclesiastical censures to reform them, that did ever use the least Ecclesiastical Authority over them: Therefore doubtless they had none vested in them, or else were intollerably negligent, and blame-worthy. And to put it past Dispute, it is no less then four several times specially recorded in that sacred story, Judge. 17. 6. c. 18. 1. c. 19. 1. c. 21. 25. IN THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO KING IN ISRAEL Every man did what seemed good in his own eyes. First, as the chief cause of Micah, his making a graven and molten image, and setting them up in the house of God, and making an Ephod, Teraphim, and consecrating one of his sons, who became a Priest to his Idols, and after that in consecrating a Levite to be his Idols Priest. 2ly. [b] As the occasion of the Danites plundering and taking away Micah's Idol god, and setting up his graven Image in the Tribe of Dan, and making Priests unto it all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. 3ly. Of a Levites taking to him a Concubine, (instead of a lawful Wife) and the Gibionites ravishing her to death. 4ly. Of the Benjamites forceable taking away of the Virgins, who came up to the feast of the Lord at Shiloth, and making them their wives against their will, and that by the Israelites advice and concurrence, contrary to the curse and oath they had made. All properly spiritual and ecclesiastical Crimes, belonging rather to Papal and Pontifical, then regal Jurisdiction and Coertion as they are now reputed; yet all and every of these are recorded to be perpetrated, but not corrected in the least, because in those days there was no King in Israel; Therefore questionless, all the supreme, Civil, Ecclesiastical power to restrain & punish these offenses, was wholly vested in the King; not in the high Priest, Priests, or Levites, of which they had then store in Israel. And had this supreme spiritual Authority been in them, these Texts had been very impertinently inserted, and should rather have run in this Dialect; In those days there was no high Priests or Priests in Israel, (nor any Ecclesiastical Court or Judge, therefore) everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

If any object, that Eli the high Priest judged Israel forty years, Judge. 4. 18. and that Samuel, next high Priest after him, judged Israel all his days, till he was old, built an Altar unto the Lord at Ramah; and when he grew old, made his two sons Judges over the people, Judge. 7. 15, 16, 17. c. 8. 1. to 8. Therefore the high Priests had then the sovereign Jurisdiction as Priests.

I answer; The Argument is most absurd; for by the like Consequence they may argue, Deborah a woman, the wife of Lapidoth judged Israel; and the Children of Israel came up to her for Judgment, and she delivered them out of Sisera his hands, who sorely oppressed them with his Chariots and Army: Ergo, Deborah as a woman had then Sovereign Jurisdiction over them. 2ly. They judged them not as Priests, but supreme Magistrates. 3ly. It seems the chief Ecclesiastical power was not in Eli, when he judged Israel, but in the Elders of Israel, by their sending for, and fetching the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto them in the Camp, to save them from the enemies, against Eli his Will; 4ly. He was very remiss and indulgent to, inflicting no civil nor ecclesiastical punishment upon his sons, though sons of Belial, whose wickedness was great before the Lord, both in lying with the women that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation; and forcibly taking away from those that sacrificed to the Lord, the flesh of the Sacrifices of those that came to offer, how much & when they pleased, without burning the fat presently, so that they made men abhor the offerings of the Lord; His Sons presumed thus impudently to abuse the people, because their father judged Israel, who only gave them a mild Reprehension, when he heard of their evil reports from all the people: Which miscarriages of his sons in their Priest-hood, and himself in his Judicature, sharply reproved by a man of God, were most severely punished of God by their slaughter and untimely deaths, the ruin of their families, and loss of the Priest-hood, the taking of the Ark of God by the Philistines, and slaughter of thirty thousand footmen in one day. This was the Judgment befell the first Priest and his house, who took upon him the supreme civil power and magistracy. 4ly. Though Samuel himself was a just Judge, yet his sons were wicked, (n) turning aside after Lucre, perverting Judgment, in so much that all the Elders of Israel came to Samuel, complaining against them, and peremptorily desired him, (o) TO MAKE THEM A KING OVER THEM to judge them like all the Nations: not a Priest, being so weary of Priests supreme Government, that they would never permit him nor his sons to judge and govern them any longer, and were never satisfied till they had a King, which he made them by God's direct on and Election much against his own will. 5ly. All the Priestly Offices and Jurisdiction he used towards them and Saul, was but to pray without ceasing for them, giving them good instructions, and reprehending them for their sins, telling them, But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed both you and your King, his declaring Saul King by God's election and the people's doubled peremptory demand of a King, and approbation of Saul, when presented to them; and his anointing David when a private person with oil King after Saul's rejection by God, they were only Acts of Ministry; not of Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the High Priest above the King; as I shall prove in its due place more largely in the cloze of this Chapter.

4ly. When God settled the Kingdom of Israel upon David and his posterity, in performance of his promises to Abraham, Sarah and Jacob, that KINGS should come out of their loins, he translated the Supreme Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Jurisdiction to them, which they enjoyed, exercised by God's approbation; not the high Priest, Priests, or Levites: as the Scripture Annals attest.

1. Davia ( a man after God's own heart, which fulfilled all his will) not long after he was anointed King over Israel and Judah, assembled all the whole Congregation, Priests, Levites of Israel, and went and removed the Ark of God from Gibeah, with great triumph, joy and shouting, to the House of Obed-Edom, and afterwards into the place, tabernacle in the City of David which David had there chosen & pitched for it, and offered there burnt-offerings & peace-offerings before the Lord, and he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 2ly. At the second removal of the Ark he assembled not only the Elders, but the chief Priest and Levites; informing them of their error in carrying the Ark in a cart at its first removal, contrary to Moses command, for which God made a breach upon them; and that None ought to carry the Ark of the Lord, but the Levites, for them had the Lord chosen to carry the Ark of God, and to minister unto him forever; For violating which precept, Uzzah was smitten to death before the Lord; Hereupon David commanded the Priests and Levites to sanctify themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel upon their shoulders, as Moses commanded; and to appoint Singers with instruments of music and lifting up their voices, to sing before it, when they removed it to the City of David; which command they punctually obeyed. 3ly. He appointed & ordained certain of the Priests and Levites to minister by turns before the Ark of the Lord, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel continually, prescribing them what instruments of music they should use, what Psalms and Praises they should sing, (most, or all of them compiled by himself) what burnt-offerings they should offer upon the altar of the Lord morning and eveing continually, according to the Law of the Lord, and to minister before the Ark continually, as every days work required: And appointed others of the Priests and Levites to minister continually in like manner before the Tabernacle of the Lord that was in the high place at Gibeon. 4ly. He purposed, contrived, propounded to Nathan, and ordained the building of a standing House and Temple, instead of a moving Tabernacle and Tent, for the Ark and worship of God, and intended himself to build it, had not God inhibited him, because he was a man of War and had shed much blood, and appointed Solomon his Son and successor to build it; he provided all sorts of materials for the building, and exhorted all the Princes and Elders of the people to a liberal contribution towards it. 5ly. The Angel of the Lord commanded David, to go and set up an Altar to the Lord in the threshing-floor of Ornan, who accordingly went up at the saying of the Lord, and build there an Altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and called upon the Lord, who answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering. 6ly. When he was old, and had made Solomon King, he gathered together all the Princes, Priests and Levites, and when he had numbered the Priests and Levites, he appointed them their several Courses, Services, Offices, Duties they should perform before the Lord from time to time, as well before as after the Temple was built, all which he set down in writing. 7ly. He, as Moses, assembled all the Princes of Israel, and before all the Congregation, in the audience of God, gave Solomon & them charge to serve and fear God, and build the Temple. Which done, he gave to Solomon the pattern of the Temple and of the Houses thereof, and of the Treasures thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the Mercy-seat, and the pattern of all that he had BY THE SPIRIT, of the courts of the House of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the Treasuries of the house of God, and of the dedicated things; AND FOR THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES, and for all the work of the Service of the House of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord. And David said unto Solomon, Be strong and of a good courage, and do it; fear not, nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God will be with thee, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord: And BEHOLD THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES FOR ALL THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD; and there shall be with thee for all manner of w • rkmanship every willing skillful man for any manner of service, and ALL THE PEOPLE WILL BE WHOLLY AT THY COMMAND. 7ly. David (as King) not the Priests, compiled all or most of the Psalms and Prayers afterwards sung or used in the Temple, recorded in the Books of Samuel, the Chronicles, and compiled together her in the Book of Psalms, continually read, sung, used not only in the Temple and elsewhere by the Jewish, but in all Christian Churches generally; and more frequently read, sung, commented upon, then any other Book of Canonical Scripture. By all which memorable particulars, and command to the Priests to anoint Solomon King, it is most evident, that the whole Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over persons, causes things, relating to God's Worship remained entirely in David as King, and no part of it in the Priests.

5ly. King Solomon his Son succeeding David, by his Supreme Ecclesiastical power, First, built and finished the Temple according to King David's model, and then commanded all the Elders and Princes of Israel, with the Priests and Levites, to carry the Ark and place it in the Temple. 2ly: The King (not the Priests or Levites though all present) dedicated and consecrated the Temple with a most Divine heavenly from of Prayer, answered and approved by God, in sending down fire from heaven which consumed the burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and filled the House with his glory, so that the Priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's House. 3ly. He also hallowed the middle of the outward Court by offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings there. 4ly. He appointed all burnt-offerings to the Lord after a certain rate every day, (according to the commandment of Moses) on the Sabbath, and on the New Moons, and on the solemn Feasts of unleavened bread, of Weeks and of Tabernacles. 5ly He assembled all the Priests and Levites to Jerusalem at the Temples Dedication, not in their courses: But that solemnity ended, He (as King) appointed (according to the order of David his Father) THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS TO THEIR SERVICE, AND THE LEVITES TO THEIR CHARGES, to praise and minister before the Lord as the duty of every day required; Porters also by their courses for every gate, FOR SO HAD DAVID the man of God COMMANDED: And THEY DEPARTED NOT FROM THE COMMANDEMENT OF THE KING VNTO THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES CONCERNING ANY MATTER, or concerning the Treasures. Here is Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction vested in, and exercised by this King in and over all Ecclesiastical persons, matters, and exact canonical obedience yielded to King David's, and King Solomon's Canons; not to the High Priests, Priests or Levites, who had then no power to make or impose such Canons or Injunctions, as Popes and Popish Prelates now do, without any Scripture president for their warrant. 6ly. This King was the inspired penman of three whole Books of Canonical Scripture, the Proverbs, Solomon's Song, and Ecclesiastes; but no Priest or Levite we read of either in his or his Father David's reign. 7ly. He (as King) thrust out Abiathar FROM BEING PRIEST TO THE LORD, banished him from Jerusalem, and might have put him to death for his Treason in crowning Adonijah King, but saved his life for this reason, because he had born the Ark of the Lord God before David his Father, and been afflicted with him in all his afflictions, and put Zadoc the Priest in his room. Here is Regal Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction exercised over the High Priests themselves.

6ly. King Asa (as King) First, took away the Altars of the strange God's, and the High-places, and brake down the Images, and cut down the groves through all the Cities of Judah, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of their Fathers, and to do the Law and the Commandments; and afterward did the like in Benjamin, and the cities he had taken from Mount Ephraim. 2ly. He renewed the Altar of the Lord which was before the porch; and gathered all Judah, Ephraim, Benjamin, and others to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices of the spoils they had taken, unto God; which done, He (as King) made them enter into a Covenant, to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman; and they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shoutings, with trumpets, and with cornets, and all Judah rejoiced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart. 3ly. He removed Maachah his mother from being Queen, because she had made an Idol in a Grove, and burned her Idol at the brook Kidron. 4ly. He brought into the house of the Lord all the things, gold, silver, vessels, himself and his Father had dedicated. All evidences, acts of his Sovereign Spiritual Jurisdiction.

4ly. King Johoshaphat his Son, 1. commanded the Levites, accompanied with some Princes, to oversesee, encourage, assist them to go and teach God's Law to all the people throughout all the Cities of Judah, and to carry the Book of the Law with them, which they did accordingly, 2ly. He went out again the second time through the people, from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their Fathers. 3ly. He appointed not only Temporal Judges, City by City, through all Judah, but likewise Judges Delegates at Jerusalem in cases of appeals between blend and blood, Law and Commandment, Statute and Judgments, wherein he joined some of the Levites, Priests and chief Fathers of Israel, and Amaziah the chief Priest, in all matters of and judgments for the Lord (as his subordinate Judges, receiving their Commissions from him) and gave them an Excellent admonition how to judge, & proceed uprightly. 4ly. He proclaimed a solemn Fast throughout all Judah to come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord for help against a great host of invading Enemies; where he (nor the Priests) stood in the Congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of the Lord before the Court; and made a most pertinent effectual Prayer to God, which God answered with a miraculous victory, causing his enemies to destroy one another, without fighting them; and giving his Army all the spoil: For which victory he commanded them to return to Jerusalem to give public thanks to God.

5ly. King Jehoash commanded the Priests to repair all the breaches of the Lord's House with the moneys, and the dedicated things brought into it; and called for and reprehended Jehoiada the High Priest and the other Priests for their negligence in not repairing them as he commanded; whereupon they received no more money, and repaired the House.

6ly. King Hezekiah by his Regal power, 1. Opened the doors of the House of the Lord, (which had been shut up by his idolatrous Predecessors) and repaired them; gathered the Priests and Levites together, brought them into the Lord's house; commanded them to sanctify themselves and then the house, by carrying all the filth out of the holy place, and cleansing the holy vessels: Then made a second exhortation to them, and strictly commanded them diligently to discharge their respective duties without ceasing. All which they executed according to the Command of the King in the Business of the Lord. 2ly. He (afterwards) commanded the Priests to offer burnt sacrifices, and the Levites to praise God in the Temple, according to the Commandment of David. And He set all the services of the House of God in Order. Moreover the KING, and the Princes, commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David, and they sang praises with gladness. 3ly. This King (taking counsel with his Princes and the Congregation at Jerusalem) made a Decree & sent forth a solemn Proclamation, inviting & commanding all Judah and Israel to keep a solemn Passover at Jerusalem on the second Moneth; whereupon a great multitude then and there assembling, they took away the Idols, altars, and cast them into the book Kidron, and killed the Passover; Whereupon the Priests and Levites being ashamed of their bacwardness in this service, sanctified themselves, brought the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord, stood in their places after their manner, according to the Law of Moses, and sprinkled the blood. 4ly. Hezekiah (not the Priests) publicly prayed to God, to pardon those who prepared their hearts to seek God, though they were not sanctified and prepared according to the purification of the Sanctuary; and spake comfortably to the Levites that taught the good Law of the Lord. 5ly. This King Appointed the Courses of the Priests & Levites after their Courses, every man according to his Service; appointed the Kings portion for all morning and evening sacrifices for every day, Sabbath, Feast, as it is written in the Law of the Lord; and commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the Priests and Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord; whereupon all the people brought in the First-fruits and Tithes of all things abundantly; which Hezekiah commanded to be put in store-houses built by his command, over which he appointed Rulers, to distribute to every Priest and Levite his portion. All undoubted Badges of his Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority.

7ly. King Josiah by his Regal Jurisdiction: 1. Purged Judah and Jerusalem from their high places, groves, carved Images and molten Images, brake down the Altars of Baal, and cut down the Images that were above them, and brake in pieces the carved and molten Images, and stamped them to powder; and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them, and burnt the bones of their Priests upon their Altars: and so did he in the Cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali. 2ly. He assembled all the Elders of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, Priests, Levites, and all the people great and small into the Temple, and HE READ in their ears all the Book of the Covenant that was found in the House of the Lord: Then the King stood in his place, and made a Covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his Commandments, Testimonies and Statutes with all his heart, and with all his soul; and caused all there present to stand to the Covenant and Oath. 3ly. He took away all the abominable things out of all the Countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were found in Israel (Priests and people) to serve the Lord their God: And all his days they departed not from serving the Lord God of their Fathers. 4ly. He assembled the Princes, and he kept a most solemn Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem the 14. day of the first month: And He set the Priests in their Charges; and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord; and commanded the Levites that taught all Israel, to prepare themselves by the Houses of their Fathers after their courses according to the writing of David King of Israel, & according to the writing of Solomon his Son; & said to them, stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites; So kill the Passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your Brethren that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses; Whereupon they all prepared, performed their respective offices and duties in celebrating the Passover, as this pious King prescribed. Lo here no less then 7. most renowned pious Kings recorded in Sacred story by divine approbation, exercising Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over High Priests, Priests, and Levites themselves, ordering all sacred affairs, offerings, sacrifices, Psalms, prayers courses of Priests appertaining to God's worship, building, consecrating, repairing, cleansing the Temple, destroying Idolatry, with other particulars.

5ly. From Moses, Joshuas and their presidents I shall observe, 1. That they are all specially recorded in sacred Writ for their eternal honors, reputations, and the example of all other pious Kings under the Gospel. 2ly. That not one of them was ever taxed by God or the high Priests, for invading or usurping their Jurisdictions or Offices, for any of their forecited actions, injunctions, commands over them, or exercising these high points of Monarchical and Regal Jurisdiction in and over all Ecclesiastical affairs; or the essential, ceremonial parts of God's public worship: Which Popes and Popish Prelates would repute the highest, most sacrilegious Encroachment upon their Ecclesiastical Rights, and Jurisdictions, if now acted by Christian Kings, Magistrates, Rulers, and excommunicate them for it by Bell, Book and Candle. 3ly. That we find no one part of Ecclesiastical power and Jurisdiction in these or any other particulars, either exercised or claimed by the high Priest, Priests Levites, either jointly or severally, all their reigns. 4ly. There are only Two Kings (but no other Magistrate) in sacred History reprehended by the high Priest, and punished by God for invading the Priests Office and Function, and that only in one particular Ministerial, not Jurisdictional sacred action, peculiar unto Priests by God's own restriction. The first is of King Saul, who sending for Samuel to Gilgal to offer Sacrifices and inquire of the Lord for help against the Philistines, and he staying seven days for him, and the people scattering themselves from him; thereupon he calling for a burnt offering and peace offering, offered the burnt offering to the Lord himself; Which he had no sooner done, but Samuel came: and Saul telling him how he had in this extremity forced himself, and offered a burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel thereupon said to Saul, Thou hast done very foolishly, thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee, for the Lord had now established the kingdom of Israel upon thee forever: but now thy kingdom shall not continue. The second is King Uzziah, who being lifted up with pride and prosperity to his destruction, transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the Altar of incense; whereupon Azariah the Priest went in after him with fourscore more Priests of the Lord that were valiant man, and withstood the King, and said unto him, It pertaineth not to thee Uzziah to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense; Go out of the Sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, neither shall it be for thy honor from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth with the Priests, and took a censor in his hand to burn incense; whereupon the Leprosy rose up in his Forehead before the Priests in the House of the Lord, from beside the incense Altar, which Azariah the chief Priest, & all the Priests looking upon, drave, & thrust him out from thence; yea, himself also hasted to go out, because the Lord had smitten him: And he continued a Leper until the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house being a Leper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord, and Jotham his Son was over the Kings house, judging the people of the Land. Had the exercise of Supreme Ecclesiastical power in all the premised particulars been any usurpation of the Priests Office in Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoash, Hezekiah, or Josiah, no doubt God would have punished them as exemplarily for it, as he punished King Saul, and King Uzziah for offering a burnt offering, and burning incense upon the Altar of incense; Or as he did Corah, Dathan and Abiram before them; for rebelling and usurping the Priests Office in burning incense with their censers, as Uzziah intended to do; Or as he punished and slew the men of Bethshemesh, for looking irreverently into the Ark; and Uzzah for stretching out his hand to hold the Ark steady when it •• ook in the Cart; when as none but Levites were by God's special precept to come near, bear, or touch it; whose office all these directly invaded, for which they were thus signally punished by God himself; But since neither of all these Kings, Rulers, received any check, punishment at all from God, or the high Priests, but on the contrary, praise, honor, blessings from God, and cheerful obedience from all the high Priests, Priests, Levites themselves, for these their sacred Ecclesiastical transactions; they were doubtless no parts of the high Priests, Priests or Levites Offices, but of their own proper, inherent Supreme Magistratical and Regal Authority, vested in them for these ends by God himself.

6ly. When the Kings, Kingdoms of Judah and Israel were destroyed for their Idolatry, and both Kings, Princes, people carried away Captives into foreign Nations, so that they had no King nor Magistrate of their own to govern them, the sacred story records, that even Heathen Kings exercised Supreme Authority over them in all Religious and Ecclesiastical matters, as these presidents demonstrate.

1. The King of Assyria sent one of the Priests they had carried away captive, to the Nations he had placed in and about Samaria, instead of the Israelites, to teach them the manner of the God of the Land, and to fear the Lord.

2. God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, to make a public Proclamation through all his kingdom in writing, for every man that would to go up to Jerusalem, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (who had charged him to build it) and that all should assist them with silver, gold, beasts, besides the free-will offering for the House of the Lord; Whereupon God stirring up the spirits of the chief of the Fathers of Judah, Ephraim, Priests, Levites, and others to undertake the work, King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the House of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from thence, and put in the house of his God's, and delivered them to them by number, all which they carried to Jerusalem for the use of the Temple when re-built; and all they that were about them (in obedience to Cyrus royal Proclamation) strengthened their hands with vessels of gold, goods, beasts and precious things, besides all willingly offered. Whence God said of Cyrus, He is my Shepherd, and shall fulfill all my pleasure, saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built, and to the Temple thy foundations shall be laid; and styled him, HIS ANOINTED. Upon which Proclamation and Grant of Cyrus, the Jews set up the Altar, offered Sacrifices, and laid the foundation of the Temple, as King Cyrus, King of Persia had commanded them.

3ly. King Darius confirmed and enlarged this Decree of Cyrus, commanding his Officers not to hinder the building, to furnish them with moneys out of the Kings tribute for the work, and with young Bullocks, Lambs, Rams for burnt offerings of the God of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, oil, according to the appointment of the Priests at Jerusalem, to be given them day by day without fail; that they may offer Sacrifices of rest to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the King and of his Sons; clozing his Decree thus; Also I have made a Decree, That whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his house be made a Dunghill for this; And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all Kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter or destroy this House of God which is at Jerusalem: I Darius have made a Decree, let it be done with speed; Whereupon the Jews built and finished the House, offered Sacrifices, set up God's worship in it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the Commandment of Cyrus, Darius and Artarerres King of Persia.

4ly. This King Artaxerxes sent Ezra the Priest up to Jerusalem, and gave him sundry Vessels for the Lord's house, with a large Commission to like effect with that of Darius, recorded Ezra 7. superadding, Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven, let it be done diligently for the house of the Lord of heaven, for why should wrath come upon the King and his sons. And thou Ezra (as my Commissioner) after the wisdom of thy God, set Magistrates and Judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the Law of thy God, & teach ye them that know it not. And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God, and the Law of the King, let judgment be executed • eedily upon him, whether unto death, or unto banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment; (all Temporal and Ecclesiastical Censures to be executed by Civil Magistrates, not Ezra the Priest) Upon receipt of which Commission, Ezra used this Thanksgiving: Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers, which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart to beautify the House of the Lord, &c. Which Commission he punctually pursued, and delivered it to the Kings Lieutenants and Governors; who thereupon furthered the people and the House of God. This King likewise granted his Royal Letters to Nehemah, commanding the Governors there to give him Timber and stone for the building of the Temple; who as the Kings Lieutenant over the Jews there, exercised Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority in building the Temple directing and ordering the Priests and Levites, setting up the public worship of God, observing the Sabbath and solemn Festivals, constituting public Fasts, and putting the Priests from their Priesthood, and the Levites who could not prove their pedigrees; causing all of them that had married strange wives to enter into a Covenant, to walk in God's Laws, given by Moses, not to marry with strangers, pay all their tithes, offerings, first-fruits for the maintenance of God's worship, Priests and Levites, whom he set in their courses and respective offices; as is recorded at large in Neh. cap. 5. to the end of the Book penned by himself as is conceived, though a Layman, and no Priest,

5ly. Mordecai the Jew, who was next to King Ahasuerus, and Esther the Queen, by this Kings consent, instituted and by their own Decrees confirmed, the days and feast of Purim, wherein God gave them rest and deliverance from their Enemies, to be days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions to one another, and gifts to the poor, and that these days should be remembered and kept through every generation, every family, every province and every City; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them from their seed. And many conceive Mordecai was the penman of this Canonical History, though no Priest.

6ly. King Nebuchadnezzar, as he exercised the Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority within his Empire, in Erecting a golden image, and commanding all his Subjects of what condition or Nation soever, to fall down and worship it, under pain of being cast into the fiery furnace; which Decree all but Shadrac, Mesac and Abednago obeyed; he commanding them to be cast into this furnace for disobeying his Decree: So after their miraculous preservation in, and deliverance out of this furnace without any touch or smell of fire; he made this memorable pious Decree; That every people, Nation and Language, that spake anything amiss against the God of Shadrac, Mesac and Abednago, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a Dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

7ly. The King of Nineveh, when he heard tidings of Jonah his Message from God which he cried in the streets thereof by God's command, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown; to prevent this denounced Judgment, caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh, (BY THE DECREE OF THE KING AND HIS NOBLES, not Priests) saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock taste anything, let them not feed, nor drink waeer, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; yea let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hand; who can tell if God will turn and repent from his fierce anger, that we perish not; whereupon they fasted, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest unto the least, and the King himself was covered with sackcloth and ashes, and they turned from their evil way, and God pented of the evil he said he would do unto them, and did it not.

By all these presidents recorded by the Spirit of God in Canonical Scripture, it is infallibly evident; That from Moses, till the last King of Judah and Israel, and during their Captivity; yea from the very first chapter in Genesis, till the last of Malachi, the Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in and over all persons, things, causes in and over the Church and people of God, resided totally in, and was executed by the Supreme Temporal Magistrates, Kings, Governors, (and so in Pagan kingdoms too) and was never so much as once seated in, claimed, usurped, or managed by any one High Priest, Priest, Levite, or other Ecclesiastical person whatsoever, no not in divine and sacred affairs; much less is there the least shadow of any such transcendent Jurisdiction in them, over Kings and Civil Magistrates, or their Subjects, as all Popes, (and most Popish Prelates, Priests too of inferior rank) now claim, usurp, exercise, by a pretended Divine Right, not to be found out or really grounded in the least on any place or president in the Old Testament, from Adam till our Savior's incarnation.

7ly. After the Jews return from the Babylonish Captivity, though the High Priests during their unsettled estate, frequent wars with, and captivity to the Romans, and others, usurped, exercised some kind of Ecclesiastical and Civil Jurisdiction too, which God never transferred to them by divine Authority, nor any of their predecessors exercised under their Judges or Kings; yet the Supreme Civil and Ecclesiastical Authority (which they frequently annexed to the Civil) remained always in their Chief Temporal Princes, Kings, whom they made their High Priests too, or they made themselves both Princes, Kings and High Priests by usurpation, fraud and bloodshed. After the extinction of the whole linage of Aaron, the Kings of Syria translated the high Priestood to Simon and his family of the Asmoneans, in which there were 20. high Priests, (as Paul Eber and others observe) whereof 5. were likewise Princes and Chief Temporal Governors; to wit, Matthias, Judas Maccabeus his Son, Jonathan his Brother, Simon, and Hyrcanus; six usurped the Crown, styling themselves both Kings, and High Priests, as Aristobulus the 1. and 2. Alexander 1. & 2. Hyrcanus and Antigonus. After their Conquest by the Romans, the Roman Emperors and their Deputies, had the Sovereign power even in Ecclesiastical things and causes, though the high Priests, Princes, Elders and Rulers of the people assembled in a Council (in imitation of their Sanhedrim) usurped to themselves both a Civil and Ecclesiastical power in religious matters, having a Captain of the Temple, Officers and Soldiers under them, whom they sent forcibly to apprehend our Savior Jesus Christ and bring him before them Prisoner in their Council, where they examined and accused him first of blasphemy, and then delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor, where he was accused by them in the Judgment hall before Pilate and at last condemned to be crucified, as the Evangelists record at large. By which it is evident that Pilate had the Sovereign power; they having no power to put any man to death, but only to put men out of the Synagogue, scourge, beat, imprison them at their discretion. After Christ's death, this Conventicle of Chief Priests, Elders, Priests, Pharisees and Scribes, twice apprehended, examined the Apostles for preaching in the Temple, commanding them to preach no more in the name of the Lord Jesus; which they refused to do: whereupon they only threatened and let them go at first; but when brought before them the second time for preaching openly in the Temple, and filling Jerusalem with their doctrine, notwithstanding their threats and inhibitions, they then beat and let them go; charging them, not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus. Yet they were so far from obeying their commands as Legal, or them as the Supreme Ecclesiastical power to which they were bound in conscence to submit, that on the contrary, they daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Soon after Stephen was brought before this Council, and there accused of blasphemy, and in the midst of his Apology stoned to death by the rude multitude. Yea Paul, by Letters and Authority from the High Priest, made havoc of the Church, and apprehended those that professed Christ, whether men or women, and hailed them to prison, persecuting them even to strange Cities, and left them in bonds: Yet when he was converted, and preached Christ, himself was apprehended and brought before the Council, and Ananias the High Priest, who commanded him to be smitten on the face when he began to speak, and he was 5. times beaten with rods, receiving 40. stripes save one, as a penal punishment; Yet neither the high Priest nor the Council were the Supreme Judges in Causes Ecclesiastical, but the Roman Governors, Rulers, and Caesar; Hence the high Priest, with the Elders and Council, by Tertullus their Orator, accused Paul, first before Felix the Governor for being a stirrer up of sedition among all the Jews in the world, and ringleader of the sect of the Nazarens; before whom Paul made his defense; Afterwards he was accused by them before Portius Festus the succeeding Governor, who demanded of him, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and THERE BE JUDGED BEFORE ME, (not the High Priest or Council) of those things whereof he was accused? Whereupon Paul doubting his justice, made this Appeal to Caesar himself, (as Supreamest Judge in all Ecclesiastical causes) I STAND AT CAESARS JUDGEMENT SEAT WHERE I OUGHT TO BE JUDGED, &c. No man may deliver me to the Jews, I APPEAL UNTO CAESAR: Then Festus when he had consulted with the Council, answered; Hast thou appealed unto Caesar, UNTO CAESAR SHALT THOU GO. Festus soon after informing King Agrippa that Paul had referred himself to the hearing and Judgment of Augustus, heard him again the second time before King Agrippa; who resolved, This man might have been set at liberty, had he not appealed unto Caesar, to whose Tribunal he was thereupon sent a prisoner to Rome to Caesar himself, as the Sovereign Judge as well in Religious as Civil causes, persons, though a Pagan. Moreover Saint Paul having cast a spirit of divination out of a Damsel at Philippi, the chief City of that part of Macedonia, it is specially recorded, When her Masters saw that the hope of their Gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market-place unto the Rulers, and brought them to the Magistrates, saying, These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our City, and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans: And the multitude rose up together against them, and the Magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them; And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the Jailor to keep them safely: who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the flocks; But the next morning upon Paul's message, the Magistrates released and brought them out of prison themselves. In fine, our Savior foretold his Apostles They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the Synagogues, and into Prisons, being brought before KINGS & RULERS for my name sake, for a testimony against them: compared with Christ's prohibition to his Disciples; The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them, and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors; But ye shall not be so: and with the forecited Texts, are a most clear convincing Evidence, that although the Jewish high Priests and Priests usurped rather a Temporal then Ecclesiastical power to fetch the Apostles before and scourge them in their Synagogues to apprehend them by their Officers, Soldiers, drag and cast men and women into prison for preaching and professing Christ, and that not severally by themselves, but in a mixed Council of Elders, Scribes and Pharisees, (who were no Priests) sitting, advising, and voting with them; Yet the Supreme power in matters of Doctrine and Religion even amongst the Jews during our Savior's abode with them, and after his Ascension, continued in the Roman Deputies, Kings, Emperors, and chief Civil Magistrates alone, as they did by divine institution in Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, and other their own forementioned Kings and Supreme Temporal Governors.

As for the Jewish Supreme Court, generally styled their Sanhedrim, consisting of 71. persons of the Elders, Heads and Princes of Israel, as the Jewish Rabbins and those who write of the Jewish Courts collect from Numb. 11. 16. where (they hold) it was first erected; and conceive it was like our Parliaments, having conusance of all highest affairs. I confess I could never yet be satisfied by any Text of Scripture, or solid Antiquity, 1. That this Court of 71. or Sanhedrim, was a settled standing Court sitting usually at Jerusalem, and that during the Judges, Kings, and inter-regnums too, till Herod put it down. 2ly. That the high Priests or any Levites were anciently Members of it; which Godwin and others utterly deny. 3ly. That they intermeddled with any Ecclesiastical causes as Supreme Judges of them, as some allege they did in the case of the Prophet Jeremiah, where when the malicious Priests, Prophets, and all the people pronounced him (I conceive only by way of accusation, as in the case of Christ before Pilate, when they cried out, Let him be crucified; not vote or Judgment) to be worthy of death; the Princes of Judah who heard tidings thereof, came up from the Kings house and sat down in the Porch of the house of the Lord, and when they had heard Jeremiah his Apology and their clamours, adjudged, voted the contrary, that he was not worthy to die, and saved his life, which proves the Princes only, not the Priests or Prophets, to be Judges paramount, even in Ecclesiastical causes, persons; not the Priests, in their imaginary Consistory, Church, Council, 4ly. It is granted by Sigonius, Dr. Field, most Jewish Rabbies, Antiquaries, that the Princes of Judah and Israel before the Babylonish captivity, sat Chief Presidents in this high Court, as they do in our Parliaments, and that nothing was there passed but by their assents thereto, till the high Priest after that restitution by usurpation, not right, sat Chief therein. Therefore if we admit any such Sovereign standing Court erected and continuing so long, (as some pretend, to erect such a Presbytery in themselves) having conusance of Ecclesiastical persons or causes as well as Temporal, or a kind of Ecclesiastical Consistory styled a Council, which some would difference from it, (though I hold them both one and the same, erected, devised by their Elders, Princes, Priests after their return from the Babylonish captivity) it will no ways enervate, but ratify my second Proposition; That the Sovereign Ecclesiastical Authority in the Israelitish Church of God under the Law, remained always settled by Divine and Natural Right in their Kings and chief Civil Magistrates, Princes, Councils, not in their High Priest, Priests or Levites separated or conjoined; and that the Civil and Ecclesiastical power are but one and the same in nature, distinguished only by the Civil or Ecclesiastical objects, about which they are exercised, not in their original, subject, or power itself.

Before I proceed to the next Proposition, it will be necessary to answer 4. principal Arguments, Presidents, out of the Old Testament, before and under the Law, produced by Popes and their Parasites, to evidence their pretended Universal Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction too, over the Persons, Crowns, Kingdoms of all Kings, Princes, and the Emperor himself, to dispose of them at their absolute Wills, as derived only from, and held under them; which my Chronological Method confines me here to propound and answer in their order.

The first is that alleged by Pope Innocent the 3d. the first Pope who interdicted the Realm of England, Excommunicated King John, and by force and frauds induced him to resign his Kingdoms of England and Ireland to, and resume them from him under an Annual rent, and to do Homage to him for them as his Vassal: This Pope in an Epistle to the Emperor of Constantinople, useth this Argument, before Adams creation, to maintain his Temporal Monarchy: Moreover, you ought to know, that God hath made two great Lights in the firmament of heaven; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: both of them great, but the other greater; Ad firmamentum igitur Coeli, hoc est Universalis Ecclesiae, fecit Deus duo magna luminaria, &c. Therefore God hath made two great lights to rule the firmament of heaven, to wit, of the Universal Church; that is, he hath instituted TWO DIGNITIES, quae sunt Pontificalis authoritas, & Regalis potestas, which are The Pontifical Authority, and the Regal Power. But that which ruleth in the day, that is, in Spiritual things, major est, is the Greater, but that which in carnal things, minor, is the Lesser, ut quanta est inter Solem & Lunam, tanta inter Pontifices & Reges differentia cognoscatur, (mark it) that it might be known there is as great a difference between Popes and Kings, as there is betweeen the Sun and Moon. How great this difference is, this Pope defines not; But some illiterate Canonists and Glossers on this Text (not well versed in Astronomy) resolve the Sun to be 47. times greater then the Moon; whereas Johannes Clavius and other Astronomers determine it to be no less then 6529. degrees greater then it: and by consequence the Pope to be so many degrees greater then the Emperor, by this Popes Resolution in his over-erring chair. He subjoins. If his Imperial Highness would prudently consider these things, he would not make or permit the Patriarch of Constantinople, a great and honorable Member of the Church, to sit on the left side near his Footstool; when as other Kings and Princes (sicut debent) AS THEY OUGHT, reverently rise up to, and assign them a venerable Chair next them (on their right hand:) Nos autem, etsi non increpando scripserimus, potuissemus tamen rationabiliter increpare.

Maurice de Alzedo, a Spanish Doctor of the Canon Law, in his highly approved and applauded Book, De Praecellentia Episcopalis dignitatis, concludes from this Popes Text; That there is as vast a difference between the Episcopal and Regal dignity (not Papal only) as there is between the Sun and Moon; quoting many Canonists, Divines, Politians, and Cardinal Bellarmine himself, in his Apologia pro Responsione ad JACOBUM REGEM ANGLIAE, averring it; Yet Pope Sixtus the 5. was so angry with Bellarmine, for not asserting the direct, but oblique, dominion of Popes over Kings in all Temporal things in this Apology, that he purposed to have burnt and totally abolished this his Book AS HERETICAL; And that upon reading of Alex: Carerius his Book (purposely written against Bellarmins) Adversus Impios Politicos & Haereticos hujus Temporis; branding all for impious Heretics who denied the Popes direct Universal Dominion in Temporal things, though they acknowledged it obliquely in-order to, and absolutely in all Spiritual things: In this applauded Book, Carerius asserts, There is that proportion between the Pope and the Emperor, as is between the Sun and Moon, not only in Magnitude, but Splendor too. For, as the Sun is far more excellent and eminent then the Moon, seeing she borrows her splendor and light of the Sun; SO IS THE POPE THEN THE EMPEROUR; seeing his Authority depends on the Pope, and is derived from him: Our own Thomas Waldensis alluding thereunto, professedly asserts against Wycliffe’s defense of our Kings Supreme Jurisdiction over Priests and Prel • tes, That Priests (as well as Bishops) ARE TO BE PREFERRED BEFORE ALL OTHER EARTHLY PRINCES WHATSOEVER, and the Priesthood before the Kingship, as far as the Flesh before the Spirit, Gold before Lead, the Soul before the body, and Heaven BEFORE EARTH; in proof whereof he spends two whole Chapters, and Alvarus Pelagius above forty Articles.

To all which I answer: 1. That God created the Sun to Govern the day, and the Moon the night, by a direct divine inviolable and irrevocable Institution, observed from the Creation till now: when Pope Innocent and his flatterers can produce any such divine Law and constitution, made either by God at the creation, or by Moses for the Jews High Priests Supremacy, or by Kings, Princes, or Christ himself under the Gospel, to convince any rational Christian, that Popes and Prelates are the sole Universal Governors in the Church, but Kings and Emperors only in the World; That Popes or Bishops were ever typified by the Sun and Moon; the Church and Earthly kingdoms by Day and Night; That there is as vast a difference between the Amplitude of Jurisdiction, and Splendor of Popes, Bishops, Kings and Emperors, as is between the Grandeur and Brightness of the Sun and Moon; That Kings and Emperors derive all their Regal Authority, Crowns, Kingdoms; Splendor, Excellency in the world from Popes Miters, or Bishops Crosiers; not God himself; (as the Old and New Testament, Paul and Peter (the first pretended Bishop of Rome itself) dogmatically resolve) as the Moon borrows her light and splendor from the Sun, (as some assert, but others rationally deny, being both made at once by God on the fourth day, two days before Adam the first man was created, and some thousands of years before Popes, Prelates, the Grecian or Roman Emperors were extant in the world (and so could not typify either of them, as these Pontificians dream.) Or when they can evidence, that God hath constituted Popes to rule, govern, and give light to the whole World by day only; and to the Emperor alone (not Pope) by night; as the Sun and Moon govern, alternis vicibus, without encroaching on one the others turns; when as Popes, Prelates usurp the Temporal Rights of all Emperors, Kings, as well as Ecclesiastical all the year long; I shall then subscribe these Popes and Doctors conclusions as Catholic verities; whereas yet I cannot but conclude them strong Antichristian delusions, lies, which few sober men will credit. In the mean time, since Kings, Emperors were long before Popes, Bishops, who derive all their Lordly power, Splendor, Temporalties, Jurisdictions, Bishoprics, precedency above other Ministers only from their donations; not they their Crowns, Kingdoms or Regal Authority from Popes or Bishops, as all Histories attest, against their Papal pretences to the contrary: Since the Moon doth frequently eclipse the Sun by the interposition of her body between it and the earth; as the Papal and Pontifical power hath frequently eclipsed more or less the power, splendor of our own and other Kings and the Roman Emperors) but these Suns ver ecclipseth the Moons, but only the interposition of the earths Ball betwixt them, in their Divine jurisdiction, being very little, granted to them out of mere bounty, not duty, as I shall prove in due place; Since the Jurisdictions, Constitutions, Decrees, Ceremonies, Franchises of Popes, Prelates, are still various and subject to change, like the Moon; the Light both of their Doctrine and Life, (since Pope Gregory the seventh, Innocent the third, Adrian the fourth, Boniface 8.) hath been rather Moon-light, yea darkness itself, then Sun-shine, and the Popes, Bishops, Priests, Monks of the Church of Rome itself more carnal, earthly, ambitious, vicious, and dark, then the Kings, Princes, Civil Magistrates, and Lay-people, as St. Bernard, and many of their own Authors, (as well as Protestants, assert) that the Papacy opposing and exalting itself (ever since these Popes) above all Christian Kings and Emperors, is that Man of sin, which Christ himself shall destroy with THE BRIGHTNESSE OF HIS COMMING, & LIGHT of the Gospel; I shall rather conclude, that the Pope, with his Prelates, Priests, are the Moon, and their Church the Night; the Emperor and Christian Kings the Sun, and their kingdoms the Day signified in Genesis 1. then Popes and Prelates of the Church of Rome, if rightly paralleled.

The 2d. Text alleged for the Popes Supremacy over Kings and Emperors, as well in Temporals as Spirituals, is, The High Priest and Priests anointed, crowned Saul, David, Solomon, Jehu, Joash, Kings of Judah and Israel; as Popes and Bishops do Kings now: Ergo, they were paramount their Kings, as well in Temporals as Spirituals, because they were anointed by, and received their Crowns and Kingdoms from their hands alone; who might dispose of them at their pleasures. Thus Pope Adrian the 4th. argued from Popes coronations of the Roman Emperor deduced from the Jewish high Priest; Whence hath he (King Frederick) the Empire, but FROM US? By election of the Princes he hath the Name of King; by OUR CONSECRATION he hath the name of Emperor; Imperator quod habet totum habet a nobis, Whatever the Emperor hath, he hath the whole from Vs, It is in our Power to give the Empire to whomsoever we will. Hence Laurentius, Ostiensis, Alvarus Pelagius, Marta, with sundry other Pontificans, thus second Pope Adrian, Since Kings are made Kings by their Unction; (which can be had from none BUT A PRIEST, as Saul and David by Samuel:) It is apparent they are above above Kings, and That all Kings receive both the Confirmation and Administration of their Kingdoms from the Spiritual Judge, The Emperor receives his Temporal power from the Pope and Church of Rome, who Confirms, Annoints, Crowns him; therefore approves, rejects, and deposeth him at his Pleasure.

To which I reply, 1. That Samuel anointed Saul and David to be Kings, not at, but before their Coronations, and that by God's special command, as his Minister only, not their Superior: whence Samuel told Saul, The Lord anointed thee King over Israel: and David always styled him, THE LORD'S ANOINTED, not Samuel's; refusing to offer the least violence to his person, upon this account: So David is styled God's anointed, who tells him, I anointed thee KING over Israel; and called him, Mine anointed; adding, With my Holy oil have I (not Samuel) anointed him. 2. Neither Samuel, nor any other of the High Priests who anointed Saul, David, or any King of Judah or Israel, did ever from thence either claim or exercise the least Jurisdiction or Superiority over their Persons, Crowns, Kingdoms, in Spiritualties or Temporalties, as Popes and Prelates claim, exercise over Christian Kings and Emperors, Crowned by them: Nor yet Jehojeda the High Priest, who not only Anointed and Crowned Joash King, but was the principal Instrument in preserving and restoring him to his Crown, when Usurped by Athaliah; But they all dutifully submitted to, and obeyed their Royal commands, ordinances, in all Ecclesiastic and Divine, as well as civil things, as the premises evidence. 3ly. Not only the High Priests, but Elders and People anointed David and Jehoahaz Kings, without any Priest or High Priest that we read of: Yet none of them claimed, exercised any Supremacy over these Kings upon this account. 4ly. Zadoc the Priest, and Nathan anointed Solomon King, by King David's special command, not their own Authority, who put Abiathar the chief Priest from being Priest unto the Lord, because he sided with Adonijah, and crowned him King, and made Zadok Priest in his place. Here the very King deposeth the chief Priest, and tells him he deserved also to die for anointing Adonijah: not the high Priest the King, for being crowned and anointed by Zadok. 4ly. One of the sons of the Prophets a young man by the Prophet Elisha his command from God (not the high Priest) anointed Jehu King, saying; Thus saith the Lord, I HAVE ANOINTED THEE KING OVER ISRAEL; which having executed, he opened the door and fled. If this young Prophets mere anointing Jehu King, gave him an absolute Jurisdiction over him, in spiritual and temporal things, (as these Pontificians argue) then this Minor Prophet likewise gained the supreme Jurisdiction over the high Priests themselves, and Zadok and Nathan over Abiathar the chief Priest, by anointing Solomon King, as well as over Jehu and Solomon, which they dare not aver. 5ly. Popes themselves (who pretend to this absolute Sovereign power over Emperors, Kings, by reason they crown and anoint them) are both elected, crowned and anointed Popes by Bishops and Cardinals only, not Popes, as all their Historians, Pontificale & Ceremoniale Romanum attest: Will Popes then infer, Ergo they are higher, greater in Power, Jurisdiction then Popes, and may dispose of the Papacy, Popes, and depose them at their wills? Besides in the Church of Rome, all other Episcopal Churches, and our English Church, mere Presbyters at first, and of latter ages inferior Bishops and Clergymen both elected, anointed, consecrated and installed all their Patriarchs, Metropolitans, and Archbishops: Will it therefore follow, that they are superior to Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Archbishops in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and may remove them at their wills? If not, then this grand Argument of Popes, Popelins, for the Popes, Prelates supremacy over Emperors, Kings, Churches, kingdoms in Temporals and Spirituals, because they anointed, crown them, is a mere ridiculous Non-sequitur. 6ly. The Kings of England, France, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Bohemia, Scotland, Cyprus, and others have been usually anointed, crowned by their own Bishops, the Kings of England most frequently by the Archbishops of Canterbury, yet sometimes by the Archbishop of York, or Bishop of London, or Winchester: Are therefore these Bishops that crown, anoint them Kings, thereby entitled to be their Sovereign Lord's in all Temporal and Spiritual things, and advanced above all other Archbishops and Bishops in their Realms not present at their Coronation, Consecration, and may dispose of their Bishoprics, Crowns, kingdoms at their pleasures? If not, I hope the Roman Pontifs will from henceforth disclaim this grand Argument for their Supremacy, as most false and absurd. The rather because none of the Jewish high Priests, Priests ever pretended to, much less exercised such a power over any of their most impious, idolatrous Kings, as Popes both claimed and exercised over pious Christian Kings, Emperors, to their eternal infamy: And because Kings are actual Kings by desent or election, before their Coronations.

The 3d. and principal warrant from the Old Testament which Popes and their Parasites insist on for their Supreme Athority over all Christian, Pagan Kings and Emperors Persons, Crowns, Kingdoms, to dispose, depose, root out, destroy them at their wills; is that Text of Jeremy 1. 10. The Lord said unto Jeremiah; See, I have this day set thee over the Nations, and over kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Whence they thus argue. Jeremiah the Priest, to whom this power under the Law was given, was but a Type of the Popes, Christ's Vicar General his absolute Dominion, power under the Gospel, of whom this Text was principally meant; Therefore Popes may pull down, root out, destroy and throw down all Kings, Emperors, Kingdoms at their pleasures, and dispose of them at their wills. Thus Pope Gregory the 7th. in his Confirmation of his Execration of Henry the Emperor, Pope Innocent the 3d. Pope John the 22d. Ostiensis, Alvarus Pelagius, Augustinus Triumphans, Caspar Scoppius, Carerius, Radulfus Cupers, Lelius Zecchus, Bozius, Marta, Bellarmine, and other Romanists conclude, with very great Confidence from this Text.

But to dismount these aspring Roman Bishops and Rooks, I shall desire them to demonstrate; first, how Jeremiah, only one of the private Priests of Anathoth, not the high Priest of the Jews, was in this and this alone, a Type of the Pope, or Peter? If not, then their pretences, argument are false: If yea; then let them produce some Scripture warrant for it. 2ly. How Jeremiah and the high Priest too, from whom they claim their power, can be both Types at once of the Pope and his Papal pretended prerogatives? 3ly. Whether the High Priest had any such Supremacy vested in him, as Jeremiah here received. If not, then Jeremiah was paramount him in Jurisdiction, and might remove, extirpate him at his pleasure, as well as whole Nations, Kingdoms, being a Member of the Israelitish Nation and Realm, and so the High Priest not Supreme, as they formerly argued? If yea; What need of any such special Commission from God to Jeremiah, alone; without the high Priests privity or delegation, to the prejudice of his inherent high priesthood? 4ly. Whether this transcendent power was given only to Jeremiah as an extraordinary Prophet of God sanctified in, and called from the womb? or, as he was an ordinary Priest? If as an extraordinary Prophet only, as the Text expressly resolves; then Popes can lay no Title to it, till they can prove themselves such extraordinary, sanctified, called Prophets, as Jeremiah, and produce the like special divine Commission to each of them from God himself, as he received. If as to an ordinary Priest alone; then every ordinary Priest among the Jews heretofore had, and by like consequence every ordinary Mass-priest in the Church of Rome hath as absolute a Sovereign power over all Kings, Emperors, Nations, Kingdoms of the world, as the high Priest or Pope himself pretends to from this Text; and then where is his sole Monarchy over them when equally and entirely divided amongst so many inferior Priests, or any Kings or Kingdoms safety? 5ly. Whether it extends to Kings, there being not a word of Kings, but only of Nations & Kingdoms, in this Text? 6ly. Whether Jeremiah by virtue of this Commission, did either challenge or exercise any such Sovereign Authority over Amon, Jehoiakim, or Zedekiah Kings of Judah, & their kingdom, under whom he lived; (though very wicked and idolatrous) by deposing them from their thrones, absolving their Subjects from their allegiance, and setting up other Kings in their steads? If not, it is infallible, then this was no Commission, for such a rooting out, destroying, pulling and throwing down, as these Pontificians dream of, but of far different Nature; to wit, only by denouncing God's judgments against them, that if they persevered in their sins, God himself would root out, and destroy, pull and throw them down; but if they repented upon his menaces, he would build and plant them. This God himself declared to be his only meaning, even to Jeremiah himself and to us, ch. 19. 5. to 11. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying; O House of Israel, cannot I do with you as this Potter, saith the Lord? Behold as the clay is in the Potters hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and pull down and to destroy it; If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them: Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying; Thus saith the Lord; Behold I frame evil against you, and devise a devise against you, return ye now everyone from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. This way of working out, pulling down, building up and planting Kings and kingdoms, and no other, he useth throughout his prophecy, especially ch. 25. 17. to 38. where God commands him to take the wine cup of his fury at his hand, and to make all the Kings and kingdoms of the world to drink it, that so they may spew and fall and rise no more, and become a desolation for their sins, if they repented not. This was the rooting up and pulling down which Samuel exercised towards Saul the first King of Israel and his kingdom; when he thus publicly menaced them, But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be destroyed, both you and your King. Because thou [Saul] hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being King; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee, therefore thy kingdom shall not continue, the Lord (not I) hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee; The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be Captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded. This was that rooting, up, pulling down, rending, removing of Kings, kingdoms, Nations used by all the Prophets and Prophecies in the Old Testament, and particularly by God's own denunciation against Nineveh by Jonah, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed; which the Kings and people's joint humiliation, and repentance upon his preaching, in turning from their evil ways, prevented. 7ly. S. Bernard, when Pope Eugenius, like his Predecessors, insisted on this Text, as giving him and them a transcendent power, Dominion over Kings and kingdoms, returned this answer thereunto; That it gave them no Dominion at all over their Persons, Crowns, possessions, but only to extirpate their Vices Non est quod blanditur Celsitudo; Sollicitudo major. Quale est hoc de paupere & abjecto levari super Gentes et regna? Non ad dominandum, opinor; Nam & Propheta cum similiter levaretur audivit, Ut evellas & destruas, & disperdes, & dissipes, & aedifices & plants: Quid horum fastum sonat? Rusticani magis sudoris schemate quodam labor spiritualis expressus est. Et nos igitur ut multum sentiamus de nobis, impositum senserimus Ministerum, non dominium datum. Non sum ego major Propheta, & si forte potestate; sed meritorum non est comparatio. Haec loquere tibi, & doce teipsum qui alias doces Puta te velut unum aliquem de Prophetis: An non satis ad te? et • mium. Sed gratia Dei es quod es. Quid? Esto quod Propheta, nunquid plus quam propheta? Si sapis eris contentus mensura quam tibi mensus est Deus: nam quod amplius est, a malo est: Disce exemplo Prophetico praesidere, non tam ad imperitandum, quam ad sactitandum quod tempus requirit: disce sarculo tibi opus esse, non sceptro, ut opus facias prophetae. Et quidem Ille, non regnaturus ascendit, sed extirpaturus. Putas ne et tu invenias aliquid elaborandum in agro Domini tui? Et plurimum Non plane totum quivere, emundare Prophetae aliquid filiis suis Apostolis, quod agerent reliquerunt, aliquid ipsi Parentes tui tibi. Sed nec tu ad omne sufficiens. Aliquod profecto tuo relicturus es Suecessori, & ill aliis, & alii aliis usque in finem. This was St. Bernard's sense of this Text, and severe check to the Pope himself for abusing it, against the true scope and meaning.

8ly It is God's incommunicable Prerogative which no mere mortal is authoritativly capable of; To loose the bond of Kings and gird them with a girdle; to lead Princes away spoiled, overthrow the mighty, and pour contempt upon Princes; To strike through Kings in the day of his wrath, and break Kingdoms in pieces like a Potters vessel; To bind Kings in chains, and Nobles in fetters of iron, for their crying Rebellions against his Sovereign Majesty (as he did Hoshea, Zedekiah, Manasseh, Jehoiakim, others, thus bound and carried away captive to Egypt and Babylon by their invading Kings) He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings; The most high King of heaven only ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and those Kings that walk in pride against him, he is able to abate, and translate their kingdoms to others, as he did Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar, who recognised this Sovereign Empire to be peculiar to him alone. Let Popes therefore beware, how they usurp or intrench upon this Prerogative of the most high, to the prejudice of any anointed Christian Kings who sit upon his throne as his Viceroys; and highest affront to the Sovereign Jurisdiction of Christ himself, the King of Kings.

The Fourth and most colorable pretext, is from the president of Azariah the Chief Priest and other Priests withstanding King Uzziah to burn incense upon the altar, and thrusting him out of the Temple; (the only example in the Old Testament of any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction exercised by the Jewish high Priest and Priests, on Prince or Subject) Whence Bellarmine and others conclude; That it is Lawful for Popes, Bishops and Priests by their own inherent Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to excommunicate, dethrone Kings and Emperors too, and absolve their Subjects from their allegiance, for disobeying their Papal commands and injunctions.

I answer 1. That all this president warrants is; That Chief Priests may lawfully dissuade ambitious, willful Kings from doing any unlawful actions against the express will of God, and perchance resist them too when they attempt to offer sacrifices or act ought belonging peculiarly to their own office in their own Churches. But that they may either excommunicate, resist, or thrust them forth of the Temple, for any other Offence, especially for violating or not obeying their own Papal or Pontifical Orders, Injunctions, Mandares, not expressly grounded on God's word, this president will no ways warrant. 2ly. They did not thrust King Uzziah out of the Temple, where he actually invaded their function against God's word, till God himself the King of Kings, whose Law he had violated, had first miraculously passed sentence upon, and smitten him with the plague of Leprosy in the forehead, which they all visibly beheld: Therefore Popes and Priests may not thrust any King or Prince out of the Church for any Crime, till God himself the only King and Judge of Kings) hath first given visible sentence against him by some signal Judgment. 3ly. They thus thrust him out of the Temple, not principally because he attempted to burn incense, but because God had thus miraculously smitten him with Leprosy in his forehead, and so by God's express command he was to be shut out of the Congregation and Church by the Law, and dwell in a house alone, that he might not infect others; this the Text renders to be the sole or main cause of his thrusting out of the Temple, dwelling in a several house, and of his Sons judging the people in his stead; not by the Priests, but his own appointment. 4ly. This King himself when God had thus smitten him, as the Text precisely records, hasted to go out of the Temple of his own accord, voluntarily dwelt in a house alone, and delegated the government of his house and people to his Son; So as there was only a voluntary expulsion of him out of the Temple by the Priests with his own consent, not against it; but no sequestering or deposing of him by them from his throne; he continuing King till his death, and making his Son his Viceroy to supply his Government and order his house. 5ly. Here was no sentence of Excommunication thundered out against him with Bell, Book and Candle; no absolving of his Subjects from their oaths of Allegiance, no exciting of them to rebel, or take up Arms against him to dethrone him; Wherefore Popes and Popish Prelates can no ways justify from this president, their excommunicating, deposing Kings, Emperors, or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance, against their wills for the greatest crimes.

Having removed these 4. Grand Romish stumbling-blocks, before, under the law and Gospel, out of the way of my Chronological Progress, I now proceed to my third Conclusion.

BOOK II. CHAP. III.

III. My Third Proposition is, That the Supreme Government of the Church after Christ's Incarnation, under the Gospel, was and is vested in Jesus Christ himself, God and Man, only as he is the King (not Priest or Prophet) thereof, and as it is His KINGDOM. And that his Priestly and Prophetical Office are united to his Kingly, as the first, highest in dignity, order; not his Regal to his Prophetical or Kingly Office.

BEcause this is of very great Consequence, and may seem strange to Usurping Pontifs, and other Prelates, who appropriate the Sovereign Spiritual Jurisdiction Government over Christ's kingdom, Church to themselves, as united to his Priestly and Prophetical, not Regal Office, and so derived wholly and immediately to themselves by Christ, as Bishops, Priests; not to Kings, by, from, and under whom they will not claim nor exercise it, as a flower of Christ's Crown, though delegated to Kings, his sole Vice-royes upon Earth, not Popes or Priests, who are no Kings; I shall fully demonstrate its verity by pregnant Scripture-proofs.

1. It is generally asserted by all Divines Old and New; Pontificans and Protestants, That King David and Solomon, (both of them anointed by God's special command, to sit upon God's throns, to be Kings for the Lord their God, 〈…〉 his people Israel, to do Justice and Judgment, to reign over, rule 〈◊〉 in the fear of God, and to establish them forever; as likewise to prepare, build, consecrate a most 〈…〉 , and holy Temple for him under the Law; were both lively Types of Christ; 〈◊〉 by God with the oil of gladness above his fellows, as the son and seed of David, to be the Sovereign King (as God incarnate) over his Church, Saints under the Gospel, which he redeemed, built, sanctified with his own blood, adorned with all saving graces, and in which he should sit, rule as King and Sovereign Lord forever, to govern, rule, help, protect, save, glorify it for eternity.

2ly. That Christ's coming in the flesh to rule, reign in and over his People for ever, is always prophesied of, and promised in the Old Testament, under the Title and Office of a King, not Priest or Prophet; and that he shall sit upon the Throne of David his Father to govern them as a King, not Priest; Witness I say 32. 1, 2. ch. 16. 5. & ch. 9. 6, 7, 8. Behold a KING shall reign in righteousness, and Princes shall rule in Judgment: and a man shall be as an hiding place from the Wind, and a covert from the ten post: as rivers of waters in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And in mercy shall his Throne be established, and he shall sit upon it in truth in the Tabernacle of David, Iudging and seeking Judgment, and hasting righteousness: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the Government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be call: Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the PRINCE of Peace: Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. Isaiah 33. 22. Forthe Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law giver, the Lord is our King, he will save us. Jer. 23. 5, 6. The days come saith the Lord, that I will raise 〈◊〉 avid a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel 〈◊〉 dwell safely, and this is his name wherewith he shall be called, the Lord our righteousness, &c. Ezek. 27. 22, 24, 25. And they shall be no more two Nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. And David my servant shall be King ever them, and they all shall have one Shepherd, and they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the Land which I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt, and they shall dwell therein even they and their children, and their children's children forever, and my servant David shall be their Prince forever. Hosea 3. 5. & ch. 13. 9, 10. Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, and shall fear the Lord and his Good • esse in the latter days. O Israel thou hast 〈◊〉 thyself, but in me is thy help; I will be thy King, where is any other that may save thee in all thy Cities? Jer. 33. 15, 16, 17. chap. 8. 19. ch. 9, 10. In those days and at that time will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the Land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is the name wherewith he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness; For thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel. Is not the Lord in Zion, is not her King in her? The Lord is the true and living God, and an everlasting King, or King of eternity, Micah 2. 13. Their King shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them, cap. 4. 7, 8, 9. I will make her that was cast off a strong nation, and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth forever: Unto thee shall it come, even the first Dominion, the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. Now why dost thou cry out aloud, Is there no King in thee? Zach: 9. 9. Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, shout O daughter of Jerusalem, Behold thy King cometh unto thee, he is is just, having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an Ass, and upon a Colt, the fole of an Ass. Actualy fulfilled at Christ's triumphant riding into Jerusalem, and crying 〈◊〉 to the Son of David, blessed is the King of Israel, and blessed be the kingdom of our Father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest; as all the four Evangelists record. Zech: 14. 9. 16. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth, and in that day shall there be One Lord, and his name One. And it shall c • me to pass, that everyone that is left of all the Nations that came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosits. To which I shall subjoin these prophecies of King David himself concerning the Kingship and kingdom of Christ, God's Son, of his seed. Psalm 2. 6, 7, 8. Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion. I will declare the Decree; the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee: Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession; Thou shalt break them with a rod (or Scepter) of Iron, &c. • salm 10. 16. The Lord is King forever and ever, &c. Psalm 29. 10, 11. The Lord sitteth King forever: The Lord will give strength u • to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace. Psalm 24. 7, 8, 9, 10. Lift up your Heads O ye Gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in; Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, The Lord of Hosts he is the King of Glory &c. Psalm 47. 6, 7, 8. Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises unto our King, sing praises; For God is the King of all the earth, sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the Heathen, God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holiness. Psalm 96. 9, 10, &c. & 98. 6, 9. & 99 1, 2. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, fear before him all the earth. Say among the Heathen, that the Lord reigneth, the world also shall he establish that it shall not be moved, he shall judge the world uprightly. With trumpets and sound of a Corn it make a joyful noise before the Lord the King, &c. For he cometh to judge the earth, with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity, More especially Psal. 95. 3. & 99, to 2. The Lord is a great God, and a Great King above all God's. The LORD REIGNETH, let the people tremble: The Lord is great in Zion, and high above all people. The KINGS strength also loveth judgment, thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Psal. 149. 2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let the children of Zion be joyful in THEIR KING: Let them praise his name in the Dance, &c. Psalm 89. 18. 34, 35, 36, &c. For the Lord is our defense, and the holy one of Israel is our King, Also I will make him my first-born, higher then the Kings of the earth. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David, His seed (King Jesus) shall endure forever, and his Throne as the Sun before me, It shall be Established forever as the Moon and as a faithful witness in heaven. In all these Texts of sacred Story (to omit others) Christ is still prophesied of, and promised to his Church only, under the style of a King, Lord or Great King of the Seed of David, sitting upon his Throne, righteously judging and reigning over his people as a King, and he is sometimes styled David their King (he being a Type of Christ) his Supreme government of them being attributed, annexed only to his Kingship, not to his Priesthood or Prophetical office, as it was in King David his Father, and the forecited kings.

3ly. That as the Scripture prophesied of, and promiseth Jesus Christ in the flesh under the Title of a King; so it stiles the Church and Saints he should reign over under the Gospel, a kingdom, wherein and over which he sits and reigns as a King forever. This is evident by all the last recited Texts; and those I shall add unto them. 2 Sam: 7. 13. 29. 1 Chron: 28. 7. I will establish his kingdom forever; 1 Chr. 29. 11. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the praise; for all in the heaven and in the earth is thine, thine is the kingdom, O Lord, & thou art exalted as head, above all, (as a King, not Priest or Prophet) both riches & honor come of thee, and thou reignest overall, and in thin: hand is Power and Might, to • ache great and to give strength to all, Psal. 103. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven, and his kingdom ruleth over All: Yea the contemplation and discourse of the Glory and excellency of Christ's everlasting kingdom over his Church and Saints, is thus prophesied of by David, as one principal part both of their and all other Christians duty and felicity upon earth. Psal: 145. 10, 11, 12, 13. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy Saints shall bless thee; they shall speak of the Glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom: Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth through all Generations. In pursuance of which duty, King David himself penned two special Psalms of praise, Ps. 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter, I speak of the things I have made for the King &c. Gird thy sword (not Peters or the Popes keys) upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty; and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness, &c. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the Scepter of thy kingdom (not Peters keys) is a right Scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows, Hearken (O daughter) and consider, &c. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty, for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. The King daughter ( 〈◊〉 the Church) is all glorious within, &c. She shall be brought unto the King, (Christ Jesus) in raiment of needle work, they shall enter into the Kings passage, &c. To which he addeth many Psalms of like nature, especially two begenning thus: Psal: 97. 1 The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of the 〈◊〉 (and ours amongst others) be glad thereof. Psalm: 99. 1. The Lord reigneth, let the earth tremble, &c. The Prophet Daniel presents us with this excellent description and prediction of Christ's Kingdom, Dan: 2. 41. And in the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consum: all these Kingdom, and it shall stand forever: Thus farther illustrated Dan: 4. 3. How great are his signs? how mighty are his wonders? and his dominion is from Generation to Generation. Upon which consideration King Nebuchadnezzar himself upon his restauration to his understanding and kingdom, ver. 34, 35, Blessed the most high, and praised and honored him who liveth forever; whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdom from Generation to Generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doth according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and who can say unto him, what doest thou? King Darius thus seconded him, Dan: 6. 26. He is the living God and steadfast forever, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion that which shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, &c. Dan. 7. 13, 14, 27. I saw in the night Vision, and behold one like the son of man (Christ Jesus) came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him; and there was given him Dominion, Glory, and a Kingdom that all people, nations and languages shall serve him; his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed: An the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints which are of the most high; whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all Dominions shall serve and obey him. To which the Prophet Micah superadds this prophecy, ch. 4. 7. I will make him that was cast far off a strong Nation; and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion, from henceforth even forever.

All these memorable Prophecies and Promises in the Old Testament, were particularly applied to Christ and ratified by the Angel Gabriel when sent by God to the Virgin Mary with the blessed Tydings of our Savior's miraculous conception by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost in her womb, thus recorded by St. Luke in the New Testament, Luc. 1. 21, 31, 32, 33. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name JESUS; He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him, the Throne of his father David, an he shall reign over the House of Israel forever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end. All these recited memorable Prophecies, promises applied to Christ himself, his Reign, Kingdom, Kingly Office in the New Testament, Lu. 1. 32, 33. Hebr. 1. 7. to 14. 1 Cor. 15. 25. 2 Pet. 1. 11. infallibly resolve, That all Spiritual Dominion, Rule; Power, Judicature and Jurisdiction over the Church and members thereof, are actually vested in Christ by God the Father & forever inseparably annexed only to his Regal, not Priestly or Prophetical Office; and that he exerciseth this Supreme Lordship and Dominion over them only as a King sitting in his Regal throne, reigning over, giving Laws to, judging, rewarding, punishing them, as they are his Kingdom, Subjects, who serve and obey him as their King; whose Kingdom and Sovereign Dominion over them is an everlasting Kingdom, Government, Dominion, which shall never be altered nor destroyed, nor the rights thereof invaded by his Priestly Office, nor any Apostle, Pope, Bishop, Priest, or Usurpers whatsoever.

4ly. Upon this account, we find these secondary Prophecies recorded in the Old Testament, that not only all Nations, but their very Kings, Princes, Kingdoms should obey, serve, and do him homage with all humility as their Sovereign King and Lord, by, from, and under whom they hold their Crowns, and whose 〈◊〉 , Ministers they are. Hence is that memorable prophecy of 〈◊〉 David 〈…〉 , on 〈◊〉 throne he is sad to sit. Psal. 68. 24, 29. 32. They have se • n thy going O God, the going of my God, my King, in the Sanctuary, &c. Kings •• all bring presents unto thee; Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the earth, O sing praises unto the Lord. Psal: 72. 4, 9, 10, &c. a mere prophecy of Christ and his Kingdom under the person o • King Solomon his predecessor, and type; Give the King by Judgment, O God, and thy righteousness unto the Kings Son; He shall judge thy people with righteousness, &c. He shall have Dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River unto the en • s of the earth; They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his 〈…〉 shall li • ke the dust: The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents, the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer Gifts: Yea all Kings shall fall down before him, and • hem by their examples and authority) all Nations shall serve him. 〈◊〉 102. 15, 16. The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, & 〈◊〉 Kings of the earth thy glory Psal. 138. 4, 5. All the Kings of the Earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when 〈◊〉 hear the words of thy mouth; yea, they shall sing in the praises of the Lord, for great is th • glory of 〈◊〉 Lord: Whence King David exhorting all celestial, terrestrial, and then the rational 〈…〉 as to praise the Lord, Psal. 14. 8. begins thus with Kings: verse 11. Kings of the earth and all people, Princes & all Judges of the earth, &c. Let them praise thy 〈◊〉 of the LORD, for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven. Isaiah 41. 1, 2. Keep silence before me O Islands, &c. who raised up the righteus ma • from the east, and called him to his foot, gave the Nations before him, and made him Rule over Kings; he gave them as dust to his sword, and as driven s • ubble to 〈…〉 . Isaiah 49. 7, 23. Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, because of the Lord, that is faithful, and the holy one of Israel. Kings and Queens shall bow down to thee, with their faces towards the earth. Isaiah 52. 15. He (Christ with his 〈◊〉 ) shall •• rinkle many Nations, THE KINGS shall shut their mouths at, (or rather before) him; for that which hath not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Isaiah 60. 3. 10, 11, 16. chap. 62. 3. The Lord shall 〈◊〉 upon thee, and his glory shall be shewn in thee, The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and KINGS to the brightness of thy rising; THE KINGS of the sons of strangers shall come unto thee; unto thee the riches of the Gentiles, and THEIR KINGS shall be brought; The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and ALL KINGS thy glory.

Hence the Royal Psalmist David upon this consideration, that God in despite of all heathen people, Kings and Rulers of the earth, should set up his Son Jesus Christ, 〈◊〉 KING upon his holy hill of Zion (which cannot be removed, but standeth fact forever) to whom he had given the Heathen for an Inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession; concludes with this admonition to them, to subject themselves to his Royal Scepter and Government: Be wise now therefore O YE KINGS, be instructed ye JUDGES of the earth; Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling; Kiss the Son (a Ceremony used by Subjects, f •• datories to Kings & Sovereign Lord's, when they kneeled down before & swore Homage and Fealty to become their Men and Vassals from that day forwards of life, limb, or terrene honor; and to be true, faithful, bear faith and true allegiance to them, continued in England till this day) lest he be angry and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is 〈◊〉 : but a little; Blessed are all they that trust in him. In all these Prophecies of Christ's kingdom and Government under the Gospel in the Old Testament, Christ 〈…〉 and set forth only as a KING and Sovereign Lord, reigning and 〈◊〉 over his • ubjects as a King, not as a Priest or Prophet; and his Church styled described 〈◊〉 by the Name of a Church, (never once used throughout the Old Testament) but only of a KINGDOM, or of Mount Zion, or Jerusalem, THE CITY OF GOD, where the House of the Lord was built, his public worship settled by David and Solomon, the Metropolis of all Kings of the seed of David, where they were crowned, reigned, and gave Judgment, as Kings; whence it was styled THE CITY OF DAVID, for there were set THRONES OF JUDGEMENT, even THE THRONES OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: and the CITY OF THE GREAT KING (in relation to Christ himself) whence the Church under the Gospel 〈◊〉 likewise styled, The City of the living God, and described in all her glory, under the 〈◊〉 of A CITY, (Rev. 21. 13. to the end; and ch. 22. 1, to 27.) wherein his Subjects serve and worship him as their LORD, GOD, KING, and shall REIGN WITH HIM FOR EVER AND EVER; All which considered, infallibly demonstrate, the Supreme Rule and Government of the Church on earth under the Law, to be vested only in, and exercised by the Kings, and Sovereign Rulers of God's people; not in & by the High Priests or Levites; and under the Gospel in & by Christ himself only as KING and Supreme Lord thereof, as it is his kingdom; not as a Priest or Prophet: and that his reign, Dominion, Jurisdiction in and over it is forever appropriated to his Regal, not Pontifical or Prophetical office.

5ly. As the Angel told Mary a little before Christ's Conception, the Grandeur, stability & perpetuity of his kingdom: So the Wisemen which came to Jerusalem to worship him, being the first-fruits of his Kingdom and Church under the Gospel, inquired after him only as a King: saying, Where is he that IS BORN KING OF THE JEWS? for we have seen his Star in the East, and are come to worship him; Whereupon he Chief Priests and Scribes being assembled by King Herod to inform him where Christ should be born; answered, At Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the Prophet: And thou Bethlehem art not the least among the PRINCES of Judah, &c. for out of thee shall come A GOVERNOR, WHO SHALL RULE MY PEOPLE ISRAEL: where these Wisemen finding him with Mary his mother, they fell down and worshipped (not his mother Mary with an Impera filio, Monstra te esse matrem; Jube benedicere, &c. as Popes and their disciples daily pray unto her even now in their Offices, Primers, Mass-books set forth by Papal authority) but the Babe, & when they had brought forth their gifts, they offered unto him Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh; On which place Saint Cyprian first, and others after him, have this observation; In auro REGEM, in thure Sacerdotem, in myrrha Incorruptibilem; quamvis pa • sibilum demonstrate. In loco humili & supellectile vili REX Regum, & DOMINUS Dominorum invenitur, recognoscitur, & ab aliis adoratur. And although Christ never claimed nor exercised any temporal Authority over the Kingdom of David (to which he was born heir, as Herod feared) but only over his Spiritual kingdom, which he affirmed, Not to be of this world; yet he owned himself to be A KING; and Pilate himself positively professed it; (though the Jews would not) by demanding of them (when they cried out, to have him crucified) shall I crucify your KING? and fixing this written Title on his Cross (which he would not alter at the high Priests importunity) in Hebrew, Greek and Latin; —JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS; to evidence his Kingship (over his Kingdom the Church) which none of the Princes of this world (then) knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord (or King) of glory; as the Apostle, and Psalmist style him:) yea the very multitude of people proclaimed him a King, when he rode into Jerusalem in regal Triumph, by strowing their garments and bough • of trees in the way, singing with a loud voice; Hosanna, Blessed be the King, and kingdom of our father David that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. After which he went into the Temple, and threw out them that bought and sold therein, overthrew the Tables of the money-changers, and them that sold Doves; by virtue of his Regal, not Sacerdotal power.

6ly. It is very observable, that Jesus Christ whiles on earth, was most usually styled both by Mary his Mother, all his Disciples, (especially by Saint Peter) and by all sorts of persons who addressed themselves unto him by petition or otherwise, Lord, the Lord, my Lord, our Lord, and his other Titles of Jesus, Savior, Christ, &c. are very seldom mentioned throughout the New Testament, by Angels, Saints, Evangelists, Apostles, or any others, but with this addition: Christ the Lord, Jesus our Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Lord God, &c. every tongue of Angels, Saints, yea of Devils and damned spirits, confessing, that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of all, Lord and Christ, Lord both of quick and dead: which Title many Hypocrites, and the foolish Virgins reiterated, saying, Lord, Lord open, &c. Which Appellation Christ himself resolved to be true; You call me Lord & Master, so I am; his Father having put all things in subjection under his feet, especially his redeemed ones, who profess this as an Article of their faith; (r) But unto us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him: