Moreouer those that belearned knowe, that the gouernment of the Churche which was in the Apostles times, being partly in respect of the people that had to do in the elections & other things popular: partly in respect of the Pastors and Auncients Aristocratical, that is the rule of the best: I say they know that these gouernmentes doe easyly decline into their contraries, and by reason therof both the gouernment of those which were most vertuous might easily be changed into the gouernment of few of the richest, or of greatest power, and the popular estate might easily passe to a confused tumult. Now this incōmoditie were they more subiect vnto vnder a tyrant, than vnder a godlie prince. For they had no ciuile magistrate, which might correct and reforme those declinings when they happened. For the tyrants did not know of it, and if they hav knowne of it, they would haue bene glad to see the churches goe to wracke: therfore now we haue a godlie ciuil magistrate which both will and oughte to remedie suche declinations and conuersions of good gouernment into euill, it followeth that this estate and gouernment by Auncients, is rather to be vsed vnder a Christian prince than vnder a tyrant.
Those that be learned know, that the gouernment of the church is neither populare, nor* 1.1 Aristocratical▪ (as it is before declared where you haue affirmed the lyke) but a Mo∣narchie. For in euery particular church where there is a christian Magistrate, he is chiefe and principall ouer the rest: and you your selfe confesse, that the Pastor is the chiefe of the Seigniorie, whiche ought not to be if the state were eyther Popular, or Aristocraticall. Of the vniuersall churche onely Christ is the head and chief, and ther∣fore the state of it is Monarchicall. But of the state and kinde of gouernmente of* 1.2 the church in euery kingdome or prouince, I haue particularly, and at large spo∣ken in the treatise of Archbishops.
I shal not néed to will the Reader once againe to marke how you bend your force against a Monarchie. For your principle is, that the gouernment of the common wealthe* 1.3 must be framed according to the gouernment of the churche: And therfore it maye not be a kingdome, but rather a Popular estate, or Aristocraticall, bicause the gouernment of the Churche (as you say) is so. But be it as you woulde haue it: what then? Forsooth it maye easylyer decline from a popular estate to a confused tumulte, and from an A∣ristocratical state to the gouernmente of a fewe, when there is no Christian Magistrate, than when there is a Christian magistrate, therefore it is more meete for the gouernmente of the Churche, to be populare or Aristocraticall vnder a Christian Magistrate, than vnder a tyrant.