s so angrie wyth him / that as he suffered his
true worshippe to be parted and diuided / as he suffered seruice
to be done partlie to God and partlie to Idolles. Euen so was his
kingdom diuided / parte of it came vnto his sonne / and parte to
Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat. And agayn for doing of this / Achaz /
and other wicked kinges wer reproued of the prophetes. Magistrates
are apointed to be the defenders / and executours of the first
table of the lawe as well as of the seconde: with what obseruation
then of iustice can a magistrate graunte or suffer Idolatrie to be
vsed? It is writon that he hathe the sworde to punishe euill
thinges and vices. If it be his part to punishe theues / and not
to permitt them / the same must he do to Idolatrours. Or ells we
must saie that Idolatrie is no such synne and vice as theft is /
or that with other vices it is not to be punished. And that
theis princes maye do this the better / they muste them selues
take hede that they be cleare from these Idolatries and
supersticions. Augustine writing againste the donatistes dothe in
manye places notablie intreate and handle this sentence of the
psalme.

[[Psal. 2.]]

And nowe ye kinges be wise be warned ye that iudge the earthe.
Serue the lorde wyth feare. &c. It is reason and semyng faithe he
that kinges sholde serue the lorde / neither is it spoken of
kinges in respecte that they are men / for so are they bounde to
obserue commen lawes euen as other men are / but as kinges they be
admonished to vse their power giuen them of God / and their sword
to defende the catholike truithe / and to represse the wicked
which do oppugne the church and truithe of Christ: wherfore it is
not lawfull for princes to graunt vnto the wicked and vnbeleuers
their euill and vngodlie Godds seruice and Idolatries / but they
muste maynteyn to their power / those holy rites and ordinaunces
of godds seruice which do agree with the worde of God / and
forbid those which are contrarie to yt. I do not saie that they
must be to curius in ceremonies / as many are / which wolde that
in any wise all rites and ceremonies sholde be throughli and in all
places of oone sorte / and manier: But this theis princes shold
prouide / that the ceremonies vsed in ther churches sholde not
be contrarie to godds worde / yea and that they sholde most
neerely agre therwith / and shuld make for godly edyfyinge and
decent and comelye ordre in the churche: But of their liknes / and
that in al