Common Places, Part 4 · Chapter 14 · Section 2
That the charge of Religion belongeth vntounto Princes.
2 But thou wilt ſay: In 1. Sam. 28. 3. Whether it be lawfull for a King to decrée as touching Religion. Deu. 18. ve. 10. 11. & 12Is it lawfull for Princes to determine of Religion? Vndoubtedly it was lawfull for Saule to abandon Witches and Southſayers, ſith God commanded them to be taken away. But they which ſaie that Prophane Princes (as they call them) ought not to deale in theſe things, they prouide verie ill for the ſafetie of the Church. Two obiections.For what if a Paſtor become a Wolfe, who ſhall take him away but the Magiſtrate? Or if the Biſhops as it happeneth gouerne not according to the dignitie of the Church nor by the worde of God, who ſhall puniſh them? But King Ozias (they ſay) when he woulde ſacrifice was ſtriken with a leproſie. 2. Par. 26. ver. 19. 2. Sam. 6. 7And Oza when he had put his hand to the Arke that was falling out of the Cart, was ſtriken to death. Wherefore Princes (ſay they) ought not to intermeddle with theſe things. What ſhall they then do? They feigne that in the Church there bee two great lightes, Two great lights fayned in the Church by the papiſts.and that the Pope with the Biſhops be the greater light: & that the Emperour and kings and Magiſtrates bée the leſſer light: Theſe ought to take care, that is as much to ſay, as deſtroy their bodies, but the other the ſoules. So would they hauehave Princes to be onelyonly certaine herd men to pamper the bodie. But the verie Philoſophers doe not ſo abſurdly iudge. For Ariſtotle in his Politicks ſaieth, The office of a Magiſtrate.that the office of a Magiſtrate is, to prouide that the people may liue well and vertuouſly. And no greater vertue there is, than Religion. And God commaundeth in Deuteronomie that the prince ſhould write out for himſelfe the booke of the lawe, not onelyonly for himſelfe to kéepe, but alſo to compell others to kéepe it. And the law containeth not onelie ciuil gouernment, but alſo Ceremonies and the worſhipping of God. And whereas the lawe is diſtributed into two tables, both of them are committed to the power of the Magiſtrate. Moreouer Paul ſaieth, that the Magiſtrate ſtandeth in the ſtead and place of God, and that euerie ſoule ought to be ſubiect vntounto the higher power. Rom. 13. 1. Chryſoſt.From which place (ſaith Chryſoſtome) neither Biſhops nor Euangeliſtes nor Apoſtles be excluded. And Auguſtine againſt the Donatiſtes: It were a goodly matter in déede (ſaieth he) if Magiſtrates ſhould hauehave power to puniſh adulteries, but might not puniſh ye whoredomes of the ſoule. And he addeth that kings ought to ſerue God, not onelie yt they themſelues may liue modeſtly and godly, but alſo that they may bring others vntounto godlineſſe, and defende the worſhip of God. In all Artes (as ſaieth Ariſtotle) there is a certaine reſpect vntounto the principall Art. For example, the Art of Riding commandeth the Sadlers craft. Alſo the Art of Nauigation is aboue that Art which maketh Oers and ſayles, wherefore ſéeing the office of a Magiſtrate is the chiefe and principall ſcience, he ought to rule all the partes of a Common weale. In déed he himſelf exerciſeth not thoſe Arts, but yet ought he to ſée that none doe corrupt and counterfeit them. If a Phiſitian cure not according to the preſcript of Galen or Hypocrates, or if an Apothecarie ſell naughtie and corrupt drugges, the Magiſtrate ought to correct them both. And if he may doe this in other Artes, I ſée no cauſe why he may not doe it in Religion. So Ezechias, Ioſias, Dauid, Salomon, Conſtantine, and Charles ſhewed verie well that religion belonged vntounto their charge. 2. Par. 26. ver. 19.Ozias was ſtriken and that iuſtly. For God appointed him to be a king & not a Prieſt, he notwithſtanding contrarie to the commaundement of God would offer ſacrifice. But if he had corrected the Prieſt when he offended, or had made him doe his duetie, there ſhoulde not any euill hauehave happened vntounto him for that matter. 2. Sam. 6. 7.Oza was ſtriken vntounto death becauſe he raſhly laide his hand vponupon the Arke. The Leuites ought to hauehave carried it vponupon their ſhoulders: neuertheleſſe they laide the ſame in a Cart. And he was puniſhed for laying hold vponupon it when the Cart ſtaggered.
What the duetie of Princes is in ſetting forwarde of Religion, looke the Epiſtles in the end of this worke.
3 Howbeit becauſe the power of a Prince is féeble and without limits, therfore he hath néede of manie eies, manie hands, and manie féete. 2. Sam. 8. 16Wherfore it is deſcribed by whom Dauid ruled the common weale, not onelie in prophane, but alſo in Eccleſiaſticall affaires. Ioab being a valiant man, By whom Dauid ruled the Cō mon weale.and ſkilfull in the art of warre, the kinſman of Dauid, and of an approoued faithfulneſſe, had the rule and gouernment of the warres. 1. Par. 11. 6.That office was due vntounto him by promiſe, becauſe he did firſt ſmite and vanquiſh the Iebuſites. Furthermore Dauid, to the intēt that nothing ſhould be done vnorderlie or be forgotten: he would hauehave a reconder or maiſter of the requeſts, to put him in mind of cauſes both priuate and publike. Him the Italians call Referendarium: The French men, Maiſtre des requeſtes, A Maiſter of the requeſts. Afterward he bent his mind to Eccleſiaſticall affaires, and agréed together two families of Prieſts which were at variance. For thoſe (as it oftentimes happeneth among Eccleſiaſticall men) contended for the principall place. For which, although there be woont to be great debate betwéene prophane Princes, yet no where greater than betwéene them which ought moſt of all to contemne theſe follies. The two families of Ithamar and Eleazar contended betweene themſelues for the high Prieſthood. Two families contended for the prieſthoods.And leaſt we ſhould thinke that there were two high Prieſtes, wee muſt vnderſtande that there was onelie one. Abiathar was he, whoſe ſonne Ahimelecke Dauid made equall with Sadoch, yt they two might bee next vntounto the high Prieſt. Howbeit ſome think that thoſe two were as the kings chaplines, that whereſoeuer he ſhould be, eyther at home or abroade, he might alwaies by them aſke counſel of the Lord. Afterward in the time of Salomō, Achimileck was conſtrained to giuegive vp his place, and in ſtead of him came Sadock. God had then long before commanded that ye Prieſts ſhould be choſen out of the familie of Aaron: So as Dauid admitted not other families, but onlie followed the preſcript rule of the lawe of God. This would not the Pope at this day ſuffer, to wit: that the Emperour ſhould ordaine orders among Biſhops and cardinals. And yet neuertheleſſe Dauid did this, and thought not that he did any thing againſt his owne office. Dauid tooke the ſhildes of Golde of Hadarezer, and whatſoeuer Gold, ſiluer, In 2. Sam. 8Dauid heaped vp gold for the building of the Temple.and braſſe he had gathered out of Beta and Berothay and of King Thoi, he conſecrated all wholly vntounto the Lord. So in the booke of Numbers, what monie ſoeuer the Iſraelits tooke from the Moabites they did conſecrate to the tabernacle. Rightlie did Dauid, and as it became a godlie King. For although he were prohibited by the Kings lawe that he ſhould not heape to himſelfe treaſures, yet was there no let but that he might ſéeke for and kéepe thoſe things, whereby the Temple of God might be builded and adorned. Yea and Moſes commaunded all the veſſels of the Tabernacle to be made of the ſpoiles of Egypt. God had before forbidden Dauid that he ſhould not build him a Temple, yet he forbad him not to gather together the ſtuffe for that building. Godlie Kings imploy all things to the building and beautifying of the Church of God, The care of the Church belongeth to Princes.and in the meane time, contemne not the outward ornaments of Temples: but the wicked Nabucadonezers, and Dionyſij doe pull away all, euen with a contempt of God. Neither is it any maruell: In mindes that be vnlike, the indeuours be vnlike alſo. Howbeit Dauid and other Princes, to whom this care belonged, meant to ſignifie nothing elſe ſaue that they allowed of the worſhipping of God. This alſo doe the Princes of the Papiſtes at this daie, and euer hauehave doone, and that oftentimes of goods euill gotten. But Dauid caried awaie theſe things from the Enimies, yea from thoſe enemies, whom he knew to be condemned and iudged by God, that he might not ſéeme to hauehave doone any thing againſt the lawe of God. The people for adorning of the temple brought manie vowed oblations, much rather behooued it kings to doe the ſame. The Ethnickes alſo conſecrated their goodly ſpoyles vntounto Iupiter Feretrius: and whatſoeuer they had taken from their enemies, they committed a part thereof to their goddes. Theſe things may be a ſufficient argument that Dauid tooke not this warre in hande for couetouſneſſe ſake, but to augment the glory of God. Euen ſo Chriſt, our true Dauid, when he had ſpoyled the houſe of his ſtrong and armed enemie, turned all his ſpoyles vntounto his owne vſe: and of them which he had before helde captiues, made ſome Apoſtles, ſome Euangeliſts, ſome teachers: and good Arts, as Logicke, Rhetoricke, and Philoſophie, which before had ſerued Diuels, he imployed vntounto the buildings of his Church.
In 1. kings. 20. ver. 31. That clemencie is méete for Princes.4 Doubtleſſe clemencie is a goodlie commendation and woorthie for princes. Which alſo they themſelues vnderſtāding doe place it almoſt in the firſt front of their Tythes: and of their ſubiectes will be ſaluted by the name of Moſt mercifull. And by thrée reaſons they ſhould be led to be gentle. That Princes are Gods Vicars vponupon the earth.The firſt is, becauſe they be Gods lieftenantes vppon the earth, and therefore abooue others ought to imitate him. For, to hauehave merciemercy and to forgiue, is proper vntounto God. Secondlie they rule and gouerne men, not wilde and brute beaſtes. Wherefore it is méete they ſhould deale curteouſlie with them. Laſtlie by gentle dealing, they get themſelues the goodwill of the people. Wherefore Salomon in the 20. Chapter of the Prouerbes ſayd: Verſe. 28.That by merciemercy is the kinges ſeate eſtabliſhed. Cicero.And Cicero when he prayſed or flattered Caeſar ſaid: that his valiant courage, his artes of warre, his victories & his triumphes, were cōmon vntounto him with other ſouldiers, but that his clemēcie, his ſincere and perfect goodneſſe pertained to himſelfe. Therefore clemencie is woorthie to be prayſed, Clemencie muſt be vſed in time and place. A definition of Clemencie.but yet not alwayes to be vſed: For there is a time which requireth ſeueritie. Clemēcie is a certaine affection of the minde, whereby we are prone to forgiue, and turne aſide from reuenge. And the ſame (if it be not againſt iuſtice, if it doe not violate right and lawes, nor yet bréedeth a confuſion of thinges) amongeſt men it is the matter of vertue: but if ſo be that it bring in thoſe thinges which I hauehave recited, now is there no vertue there: but it dooth degenerate into vice, and is changed into ſlackneſſe, negligence, 1. kings. 20. 32. 1. Sam. 15. 9and fooliſh pitie. Thus ſinned Achab that would be more pitifull than God. So alſo ſinned Saul, which ſpared Agag the king of the Amalechites, contrarie vntounto that which the word of God had preſcribed. So then this their pitie, is no vertue but a vice, ſéeing it hath no iuſtice ioyned with it. Dauid alſo was ſometime infected with this vice what time as he was ouerpitifull towardes Abſolon his ſonne, and towardes Ammon.