him, as if it had beene written purposely to confute him
in this our case. But let vs heare what it is. Agreable to
the Scriptures (saith he) did the Fathers teach.Apol. pag. 23.Augustine
speaking of Iulian,August. in Psal. 124. saith thus: Iulian was an vnbelieuing
Emperour, was he not an Apostata? an oppressor, and
an Idolatour? Christiā souldiours serued that vnbelie∣uing
Emperour: when they came to the cause of Christ,
they would acknowledge no Lord, but him that is in
heauen: when he would haue them worship Idolls &
sacrifice, they preferred God before him: but when he
said, go forth to fight, inuade such a nation, they pre∣sently
obeyed: they distinguished their eternall Lord
from their temporall, and yet were they subiect euen
vnto their temporall Lord, for his sake, that was their
eternall Lord and Maister. Thus he.XLII. And can any thing be spoken more cleerly
for vs,How farre we are bound to our tēpo∣rall Prince. and for our cause, then this? For euen thus do
we offer to our King & Soueraigne: we will serue him:
we will obey him: we will go to warre with him: we
will fight for him: and we will do all other offices be∣longing
to temporall duty: but when the cause of
Christ commeth in hand, who is Lord of our Con∣sciences,
or any matter concerning the same, or our Re∣ligion;
there we do, as S. Augustine heere appoynteth vs,
preferre our eternall King, before our Temporall.XLIII. And like to these are all the other places of
Fathers cyted by him, who distinguish expresly be∣tweene
the Temporall honour and Allegiance due to
the Emperour, and the other of our Religion, & Con∣science,
belonging only to God.Apol. pag. 23. And to that playne
sense are Tertullians words cyted by the Apologer:Tertull. ad Scap.VVe
honour the Emperour in such sorte as is lawfull for vs, and expedient
for him▪ as a man second after God, and as hauing receyued from
God, whatsoeuer he is, and only lesse then God. And will not
the Catholicks of England vse this speach also vnto their
King? Or will the Apologer himselfe deny that Tertullian0
|