Religion and loyalty, the second part, or, The history of the concurrence of the imperial and ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the government of the church from the beginning of the reign of Jovian to the end of the reign of Justinian / by Samuel Parker ...

TO THE READER.

THE Church of England ha∣ving acknowledged and declared His Majestie's Su∣premacy in Causes Ecclesiastical, to be of the same Nature and Extent with that Authority that the Chri∣stian Emperors claim'd and exer∣cised in the Primitive Church: I deem'd it no unuseful piece of Ser∣vice to my King and Country, to inform my self and my Fellow-Subjects out of the Records of those times of our true Duty to the Royal Supremacy. And to this end I have drawn up as exact a Chart, as my little Skill could reach, of the Primitive Practice of the

Three first Centuries after the Empire became Christian. Nei∣ther have I only Surveyed and coasted the general History, but have sounded every part of it, and not only described the safe Passages and right Chanels through which the abler Pilots steer'd their Cour∣ses: but the Shallows, the Gulfs, the Rocks, and the Sands, upon which the less Skilful or less For∣tunate Shipwrackt their Govern∣ments. Neither have I presumed to make any Political Remarks of my own; but have only observed the Natural and Historical Events of Matters of Fact. And by the Experience of 300 years, in which all Experiments were tryed, we are fully instructed in all the right and all the wrong Measures of Govern∣ment in the Christian Church. In the Reigns of the great Constantine, Jovian, Gratian, Theodosius the Great, Arcadius, Honorius, Theodosius the

younger, Marcian, Leo, Justin and Justinian, are exemplified the Natural good Effects of abetting the Power of the Church by good Laws, and their effectual Execution. In the Reigns of Julian and Valentinian we may observe the inevitable Mis∣chiefs of Toleration and Liberty of Conscience. In the Reigns of Constantius and Valens, but especially of Zeno and Anastasius, are to be seen the fatal and bloody Conse∣quences of pretended Moderation, or (as we phrase it) comprehension, that indeed unites all Parties, but then it is like a Whirlpool, into one common Gulf of Ruin and Confu∣sion. This is the short account of this Undertaking, and the Historical Events of things being withal so very Natural, they will of them∣selves amount to a fair Demonstra∣tion of the Necessity of Discipline in the Church and Penal Laws in the State. All that I can ensure for

the Performance, is its Truth and In∣tegrity; I have faithfully and im∣partially perused all the most Ma∣terial and Original Records both of Church and State, and out of them, and them alone have Collected the ensuing History, and if that prove true, (and for that I stand bound) the Conclusion that I aim at will make it self.

Notes

• Can. 2.