e with absolute donation and
devidinge of mere temporalties and earthly kingdomes. St. Chrisostome, in
his dialogue De dignitate sacerdotali, saieth that the mynisterie is a
chardge geven by God to teache withoute armes or force, and that the same
is no power to give or to take kingdomes, nor to make lawes for the
publique governemente. St. Hillary writes as moche to the Emperour
Constantine againste Auxentius, Bisshoppe of Milan. Our Saviour Christe
himselfe saieth to his desciples, that while they were in the worlde, they
shoulde be broughte before kinges and pollitique magistrates for his names
sake. So then they shoulde not be judges and magistrates themselves,
especially in the devisions of kingdomes; and, to leave all spirituall men
an example, he paid tribute and toll for himselfe and Peter, and submitted
himselfe and his apostles under the civill magistrate and politique
governemente; yet the Pope, whoe saieth that he is Peters successor, will
be a disposer of civill causes and temporall domynions. The apostle
saieth, Romaines the 13: Let every soule be submitted unto the higher
powers. Nowe, if the Popes will not beleve the worde of God withoute the
exposition of the Fathers of the Churche, at leaste let them beleve St
Chrisostome, and give eare to that which he hath written upon this place:
That these thinges be comaunded to all men, saieth he, bothe to prestes
and monckes, and not onely to secular or laymen, the Apostle declareth,
even in the very begynnynge, when he saieth in this manner: Let every
soule be subjecte unto their higher powers, thoughe thou were an apostle,
thoughe thou were an evangeliste, thoughe thou were a prophet, or thoughe
thou were any other whatsoever. For obedience dothe nothinge hinder
godlines.

But the Popes woulde prove that they may give and bestowe kingdomes upon
whome they please, by Samuels example that annoynted Hazaell Kinge of
Siria insteade of Benhadad, and Jehu Kinge of Israeli insteade of Jehoram;
as, also, by the example of Jehoada, the highe preste, that put the Queene
Athalia to deathe, and placed Joas, the younge sonne of Ochosias in the
kingdome. All those examples make nothinge at all in the worlde for them;
for neither Samuell, nor Elias, nor Elizeus did any thinge in that matter
withoute an expresse commaundement and all circumstances from the mouthe
of God himselfe, as appereth moste evidently by their severall histories
in the Bible. Samuell also did his comissi