which he alleged for his not compearing, because it hath been at no time
heard of that emperors judged bishops in matters of faith, and if that
were granted, it would follow that bishops should learn of laymen; which
reason holdeth ever good, even though the thing hath not been formerly
judged by a council.

And, furthermore, if those (which the Doctor mentioneth) were the true
reasons of his refusing to be judged by Valentinian, then why did he
pretend another reason (whereof we have heard), and not rather defend
himself with the real and true reason? Wherefore we gather, that the
reason which made Ambrose refuse to be judged by him was no other than
this, because he considered that princes, neither by themselves, nor by
any whom they please to choose, may, without a lawfully assembled and free
council, usurp a public judgment and decisive sentence in controversies of
faith, which, if they arrogate to themselves, they far exceed the bounds
of their vocation; for it is not said of princes, but of priests, that
their lips should preserve knowledge, and that they should seek the law
from their mouths, Mal. ii. 7. And the priests did Jehoshaphat set in
"Jerusalem, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies," 2 Chron.
xix. 8, 10, and for judging betwixt law and commandment, statutes and
judgments.

In the meanwhile we deny not but that in extraordinary cases, when lawful
councils cannot be had, and when the clergy is universally corrupted
through gross ignorance, perverse affections, and incorrigible negligence,
in such a case the prince, notwithstanding the defect of the ordinary and
regular judges, may yet, by the power of the civil sword, repress and
punish so many as publish and spread such doctrines as both he and other
Christians, by the judgment of discretion, plainly understand from
Scripture to be heretical.

Next, I say, that the prince, having assembled a council, may not take so
much upon him as imperiously to command what he thinketh good in the
disputes and deliberations, and to have everything ordered, disposed, and
handled according to his mind. "To debate and define theological
controversies, and to teach what is orthodoxal, what heretical, is the
office of divines, yet, by a coactive authority, to judge this orthodox
faith to be received by all, and heretical pravity to be rejected, is the
office of kings, or the supreme magistrates, in every commonwealth," saith
the Bishop of Salisbury.(1060)