A Civil Nosegay, Part 5
¶ The power of mageſtrates.
THE power of mageſtrates is not infinite but incluſed with ſuer and perfyt lymyttes for Mageſtrates hauehave not auctorytie to byde or cō maund anythyng contrary to the lawe of nature cōtrary to the cō maundement of god, & cōtrary to the lawes of his realme. The mageſtrate ſuſteyneth his procuracion of an other as who ſayth cō maūded of god, he ought not therfore depart or go fro gods cōmaū dement. As alſo the ryghte good king Ioſaphat the preacher ſaith ye exerſice not ye iudgemēt of mā Kynge Ioſaphat.but of god what ſo euer you ſhall iuge, ſhal redound to your ſelf, let the fere of god be wt you, ſecondarelye ſyens the mageſtrate is the The feare of God to be with Iudgeskeper of the firſt table which doth pertayne to extreme diſcipline, he ought to prohybytte and ponyſhe blaſphemes, ydollytryes, & falſe dogamtes or learnynges, & to prouyde & ſe that Godlye doctryne be propaged & extended, & to defende them that teache ryghtly. All mageſtrates alſo ought to obtemperate & obey the ſeconde precept of the decaloge and to be the kepers therof. The ſecōd precept doth for byd & ponyſhe blaſphemes & falſe doctrynes, then al mageſtrates ought to prohybyt & ponyſhe blaſphemes. The ſecond reaſō is ſūpt of the chyfe fyne of Mageſtrates. The chyfe fyne of mans ſociete is that of men ſome may teache the The chife fyne of mans ſociete.other of god, that ye notice of God may be propaged. The mageſtrate is the chife cuſtos & keper of ſociete, thē he ought alſo to be cuſtos oſ this fine, yt is yt gods knowlege may ryghtly be ꝓpaged & ſhewid abrode, y• conſeqent doth folow of the rule y• is eueryevery thing for y• whiche it is ſuch y• is more ſich, the mageſtrate dothe kepe ſociete for the knowlege of god thē ye mageſtrat ought to kepe the knolege of God ſomo…h as pertayneth to his office. Yf to this ymage we do confer kynges & princes, we ſhal fynde very fewe that loketh for this fyne, & that wyll contend for it, many wt great vehemenſy hauehave don the cō trary, who be al maner of miſchif hauehave cōtaminated & decayed religion, as though for ther ſo doyng thei ſhuld hauehave kingdomes, becauſe they dyd kepe battell wt god as the gian̄ces did in fables. The holy kynges of Iury dyd aboliſhe vngodly Vngodly worſhyppd… ge.& wycked worſhippynges, & therfore they be prayſed & garnyſſhid wt great rewardes & giftes, & god ſayth I wyll gloryfy thē that glorify me. And the law in deuthoromy cōmaūdeth that kynges do hold & kepe in theyr hād a boke of the lawe of god. Theſe exāples becauſe thei do ꝑtaine to ye decaloge our mageſtrates alſo according to their calling ought to imitate & folowe thē. Nabygodoniſor, & darius alſo do propone edictes, yt is, Nabygodoniſor and darius.let nomā ſp…ke blaſphemis againſt God of ye Iſraellites, but here many thingꝭ, many men, wyll obiecte, firſt fayth in ye mind, a mageſtrate cannot touche his mind, therfor y• mageſtrat ought not to puniſhe y• errours of y• mind, an anſwer, the mageſtratꝭ doth puniſhe errours, onelyonly of the mynde but to the extreme & vtter profeſſion & blaſphemes, for the mageſtrate ought to defende extreme diſcipline and pedagogie, Secondarely it is obiectyd. The mageſtrate cannot Iudge but thoſe thinges of the which he hath lawes, and he hath lawes onelyonly of prophane buſynes therfore he cannot iudge the contrauerſys of relygion, the minor is to be denyed, for the mageſtrate hath a lawe to ponyſhe blaſphemes as the lawes of all maner of people do punyſhe periuries, but becauſe it is not alwayes knowen what opynyons be blaſphemous or impius, therfore there ought to go before another Iudgement, as who ſayth a cong…icion of doctryne.
¶ This doth not onelye pertayne Cognicion of doctrineto a mageſtrate but to the church that is not onelyonly to Prieſtes, but alſo to lay perſons apte and mete to iugde▪ as Paule ſayth, yf it ſhal b… reueled… him that ſitteth, let ye former holde … peace. And chriſt wyll that the chife Iudgement b… the iudgement of the church whē he ſayth, ſay or tel it to the church.