Chronological History of Popes Intolerable Usurpations, History · Book 1 · Chapter 1
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 ſtiled 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, (unleſſe 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 mSee Biſhop Carlton of Juriſdiction Regal, Epiſcopal, Papal, ch. 2. Alvarus Pelagius de Planctu Eccleſiae l. 1. Artic. 13, 36, 52, 52, 68.Divines, and Chriſtian Authors, who have written of the Church, or the Original of Republikes, Juriſdictions, or Chronologies.
1. That as God (the *Pſ. 62. 11. Mat. 6. 13. Rom 13. 1, 2.Original of all power) at the very Creation gave cGen. 1. 26, 27, 28, c. 2 19, 20. c. 9 2, 3, 4. Pſal. 8. 6, 7, 8. Heb. 2. 7, 8.Adam a Soveraign Dominion over the fiſh of the ſea, & over the foul of the ayr, and over all the earth, the cattle and every creeping thing therin, to which he gave their ſeveral names, (as a badge of his Soveraignty over them) by Gods own direction; So he likewiſe ordained him as well after, as before his fall, to be both a(d)Dr. Field of the Church, b. 5. ch. 1. Jacobus Bouldo…, Ordo Eccleſiae à Mundi principio uſ que ad Legem. 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(e)Annales. Cedren makes Adam, the first KING & Governor, and that with reaſon enough, (as(f)Titles of Honour, b. 1. ch. 1. p. 4. Mr. Selden notes, becauſe he governed and commanded all mankind as long as he lived, who by the Law of Nature and Fifth Commandement, are enjoyned (g)Exod. 20▪ 12. Deut 5. 16. Mat. 15. 4. Eph. 8…, Col. 3. 10 1 Tim. 5. 8. Eph. 6 4. Gen. 18. 19. Pſal. 34 11. Deut. 6. 7.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(h)Gen 3. 16. 1 Tim. 2. 12, 13 1 Pet. 3. 5, 6. Eph. 5. 22, 23, 24. Col. 3. 18. (h)Gen. 1. 4. 18 Hebr. 7. 1.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 alwaies prefixed before that of Prieſt, as moſt honourable and firſt in order, when ever mentioned, and meeting together in one perſon, as in (i)Pſal. 110. 1, 2, 4.Melchiſedec, (k)Rev. 1. 6. c. 5. 10. c. 20. 6. 1 Pet: 2. 6. Lam. 2. 6.Chriſt, (l)2 Kings 23. 4. 1 Kings 1. 32. to 46. c. 2, 22, 26, 27, 35. 2 Kings 12. 7.Others, who were both Kings and Prieſts, and the High Prieſts alwayes inferiour, 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, Soveraign 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 murther of his Brother Abel, and thereby(o)Gen. 4. 11. 14. Seth becomming 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(p)Bou…doc, Ordo Eccleſiae a mundi principio uſque ad Moſen, l. 1 c. 17 Salianus Annales Eccleſ. Dr. Fi…ld of the Church, b. 5. c. 2, 3. 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 publique worſhip, to offer Sacrifices, prayers, vows to God for them, to bleſſe them in his Name, to teach them his Lawes, 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. Melchiſedec (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. Jerom, the Ordinary Gloſſe, with moſt other Commentators on theſe Texts,(q)Gen. 23. 6. c. 32. 28. (q)Summa Theol. pars 4. qu. 2. m. 1.Alexander Alenſis, and other Schoolmen,*Quaeſt: He…. in Gen. & in Iob. c. 1. Biſhop Jewel, Defence of … Apol… part 6. … div… 4…(r)Of the Ch. b. 5. ch. 2, 3.Dr. Field, Jacobus Bouldoc, De Eccleſia a Mundi principio uſque ad Moſen; Salianus in his Annales 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(ſ)Exod. 13. 13. c. 22. 29. c. 34. 20. Numb. 3. 12, 13. 42, to 51. c. 8. 16, 17, 18. firſtborn (though they loſt this priviledge of exerciſing the Prieſts Office as before, yet they were ſtill the Lords) 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 Sonnes, who officiated in their ſteads.
4ly. That upon this original right, priviledge of Primogeniture, Chriſt himſelf as(t)Pſ. 89. 27. Gods firstborn, was not only made Higher then the Kings of the Earth, (u)1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 17. 14. c. 19. 16.King of Kings, Lord of Lords; but likewiſe(x)Col. 1. 15. to 20. Head over all the Church, that in all things he might have the Preeminence. And had (like the Firſt-born before the Law) the Supream Prieſtly Office and Power, united to his Kingly; Yea in ſome ſence Chriſt hath fully reſtored this antient Right to all who are ſpiritually Gods (1)Heb. 12. 23First-born, and the (2)Rom. 16. 7. Jam. 1. 18. Rev. 14. 4.Firſt-fruits of his Creatures, as the Goſpel ſtileth them, having the (3)Rom. 8. 23.Firſt-fruits of the Spirit growing in them, whom(4)Rev. 1. 6. c. 5. 10. c. 20. 6. 1 P…t 2. 5. 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 Supream Eccleſiaſtical Authority, and oft times the Prieſthood it ſelf in their Kings, and chief Temporal Magiſtrates, who erected, conſecrated Temples, Altars, Groves, conſtituted by their particular Lawes the ſeveral Orders, Offices of Prieſts; the Number, Worſhip, Services of their Gods, and the Sacrifices, Ceremonies and whole manner of their Worſhip. To inſtance in ſome particulars.
(y)Godwins Roman Antiq. l. 2. Sect 1. &c. 9. & … Moſes & …, l. 1. c. 4.Fanus the antienteſt 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 Gods. Anius, as(z)… l. 3. … Roman Ant…q. l. 2. c. 9. 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 Lawes concerning the whole Worſhip, Service, Holy-dayes, Ceremonies of their Gods, 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(d)Antiq. Rom l. 3. Sect. 3, 8, Dionyſius Halicarnaſſeus, (e)In Romu…s, & Nama.Plutarch, (f)Rom. Hiſt. l. 12.Livy, and*Paulus Manut…us Anttiq. l. 1. others: Yea(g)Rom. Ant. l. 2. c. 9. Godwin obſerves, That it was A CUSTOME among the Graecians, 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 (h)See Dionyſ. Ha…n. Ant. Rom. l. 2. & Plutarchi Numa.Numa perceiving that foreign wars did often occaſion the Kings abſence, whereby the ſervice of the Gods 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(i)Cor. Tacit. Annal. l. 3. …p. …, Defence of the Apol. pa…t 6. c. 11. d…viſ. 4, 5. p. 711. Tiberius, Ve…atian, Trajan, were created PONTIFEX MAXIMUS, their Higheſt Prieſt, (or POPE) and managed the Supream Civil and Pontifical affairs, and that by election of the Senate, and the people only, without the Prieſts; as(k)Gen. dierum l. 2. c. 8. Alexander ab Alexandro, and the Roman Hiſtories record. I ſhall cloſe this Chapter with that of the Roman Hiſtorian, (l)J…ſtinus …toriae, lib. 1.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.