did not pretend to restore him to the Peace of the Church by his own Authority, but fent him to his own Bishop Athanafius to be by him received into the Bofom of the Church. Indeed, the Emperor did alfo fend a Mandatory Letter, requiring Athanafius to receive him; but that Bishop refused to obey fuch a Mandate, and ftill denied Communion to Arius and his Adherents. Nor did the Eufebians, who fecretly favour'd Arius and his Caufe, and for that Reafon bore a deadly Hatred to Athanafius, and had at that time a great Intereft with Conftantine, pretend to fay, that Athanafius had not a Right to judge in this Cafe, notwithstanding the Orders of the Emperor, or to make his Refufal of Communion to Arius after those Orders, a Matter of Accufation, however they might use it as a Motive to incense the Emperor against him. But though they refolved to depofe him, and get him banifh'd, they were forced to frame Accufations against him of another Nature, fuch as his demanding Tribute to be paid by other Churches to his Church of Alexandria, his Breaking a Communion Chalice, Burning Sacred Books, Cutting off a Man's Hand, Stopping Corn which was going from Alexandria to Conftantinople, Matters which belonged to the Cognizance of the Civil Magiftrate. And for these things, (though falfly laid to his Charge, and fufficiently difproved by him) a Synod of Bishops, headed by his profeffed Enemies, was packed at Tyre, that might have the Pretence of a Spiritual Authority to depofe him, and the Emperor was prevailed with to banish him. But his Refufal to admit Arius to Communion notwithstanding the Emperors Orders to do it, though Notorious and Publick, and fuch as he neither could nor would have denied, was not charged upon him as an Offence; he was allowed. to be the proper Judge whether that was to be done or not. But then, as he maintained his own

Right and Authority with relation to the Spiritual Cenfure paffed upon Arius for his Herefy, fo he allowed the Emperor to be the Temporal Judge, in relation to the Worldly Punishment annexed to; the fame Caufe, and blamed not Conftantine for recalling him from Banishment, notwithstanding he had not in his Opinion fufficiently retracted his Error, or renounced his Herefy. Thus both Athanafius and Conftantine, in their respective Spheres, judged the fame Perfon for the fame Offence; they gave different Judgments, the one Spiritual, the other Temporal, and both had their Effect. Arius ftill continued bound by the Cenfures of the Church, because Athanafius refused to abfolve him; but was releafed from his Banifhment, becaufe Conftantine had thought fit to recall him. The Bishop could not continue Arius in his Banishment, neither could the Emperor restore him to the Peace of the Church. Indeed, Conftantine, urged by the Eufebian Faction, who had worked themfelves into his Favour, did proceed fo far as to command Athanafius to restore him, and to threaten him if he would not; but though Athanafius perfifted in his Refufal, Conftantine did not take upon him to do it himself. And afterwards, when Arius came to Conftantinople, and there the Eufebian Party had resolved to force Alexander, the Bishop of that Place, to receive him; juft as they were carrying him into the Church by Violence, against that Bishop's Confent,God himself waspleafed to interpofe, and in a miraculous Manner to vindicate. the Honour of his Servant, who refufed to receive that Arch-Heretick to Communion, though required to do it by the Emperor. For as Arius was triumphantly going towards the Church, attended by the Eufebian Faction, like Guards, through the midft of the City; infomuch that the Eyes of all People were upon him: When he came hear that Place which is called Conftantine's Forum, where the

Pillar of Porphyric ftood, a confcious Terror, accompanied with a Loofenefs, feized Arius himself; hereupon, he enquired for an Houfe-of-Office, and being told there was one behind Conftantine's Forum, he retired thither. A Fainting-fitt feized him, and together with his Excrements, his Fundament alfo fell down, and a great Flux of Blood followed, and his Small Guts and Blood gushed out, together with his Spleen and Livor; whereupon he immediately died. Thus, whilst the Emperor acted only in his own Sphere, and judged as a Temporal Magiftrate, whether Arius ought to be continued in his Banishment or not, though it was for a Spiritual Crime, the Bishops made no Opposition; but when he broke thofe Bounds, and took upon him to determine that Arius ought to be received into the Communion of the Church, and though he would not pretend that it belonged to him to abfolve him, yet attempted to oblige the Bishop to do it by Secular Force; then God thought fit to interpofe, and by inflicting a moft fignal Judgment upon Arius himself, who had been the prime Caufe of all these Disturbances, thewed that the Bishop, and not the Emperor, was the proper Judge whom he fhould admit into the Communion of the Church. Thus then we fee, how the Emperor or King is Supreme Governor in all Caufes, as well Spiritual as Temporal; that is, his Power, in what Caule foever, is only Civil or Temporal, and he can only determine whether that Perfon, whofe Caufe he tries, deferves to be

punished with the Civil Sword or not, which is all the Power, that according to the Declaration in our own Articles, our Kings challenge to themfelves, viz. to punish, with the Civil Sword, the stubborn and Evil-doers,of what Nature foever the Caufe be, whether Spiritual or Temporal.

§ XVIIL

S XVIII. And this Right of Princes to judge, with relation to Spiritual Caufes, in a Civil Manner, that is, to judge whether they deserve a Civil Punishment or a Civil Encouragement, is not peculiar to Chriftian Princes, but is the undoubted Right of all Sovereigns whatsoever, and whatsoever Religion they are of; and was allowed to be fo even by the Apostles themselves. Thus (z) when S. Paul was carried before Felix the Roman Governor, and afterwards before Feftus, though he was called in Queftion concerning an Article of Faith, even the Refurrection of Chrift, (which was certainly a Spiritual Caufe) yet the Event of the Tryal being only to have the Governor's Judgment whether he fhould be kept in Bonds and receive farther Punishment, or whether he fhould be released; he made no Exceptions to the Jurifdiction, but acknowledged that he ftood at Cafar's Judgment Seat, where he ought to be judged, and therefore readily anfwer'd for himfelf, and gave an Account how, and in what manner he was called to his Apostleship by a Voice from Heaven, and how God had fent him to preach that Doctrine; and appealed to Cafar himself to determine whether he deferved a Temporal Penalty' for doing that which a greater than Cafar had commiffioned him to do. It is true, Felix acted the Part of an unjuft Judge in not releasing him, but leaving him in Bonds to pleafe the Jews; yet forafmuch as he did releafe him, and his Succeffor Feftus feemed inclinable to tread in his Steps to curry Favour with the Jews, S. Paul did not pretend to have any Authority to release himfelf by his Spiritual Power, or to require those who were under his Spiritual Government to take up Arms to deliver him out of Prison, but made his

(?) Act, xxiv. xxv. xxvi.

Appeal

Appeal to Cafar, as the Supreme Judge, who ought to determine concerning all Temporal Punishments, for what Caufe foever to be inflicted. But which way foever Cafar judged in that Matter, his Decree could have only a Civil Temporal Effect; he had it in his Power to keep S. Paul a Prifoner if he thought fit, or to put him to Death, or to enlarge him; the A poftle was in his Hands, and as he was his Subject could not employ the Civil Sword against him: But all this had no Effect upon S. Paul's Spiritual Power; he was nevertheless an Apostle of Jefus Chrift, his Preaching, his Miniftration of the Sacraments, his Spiritual Cenfures, his Epifcopal or Apoftolical Letters, which he wrote, during his Imprifonment, to divers Churches or fingle Perfons, were of as full Authority, as if he had been at large, and Cafar himself had protected and encouraged him in the Performance of thofe Miniftrations.

Princes ought to be very tender and careful how they take upon them to judge about Temporal Punifhments for Spiritual Caufes; for if they give a wrong Judgment, and condemn those whom Chrift has fent to act in his Name, that is, if they inflict Temporal Penalties on them for exercifing their Spiritual Power, according to the Commiffion they have received from our Bleffed Saviour, they will be found to fight against God: And though thofe Bishops and Paftors, or other good Cristians who fuffer under them, are barred from lifting up an Hand against them to avenge themfelves; yet God will not fail to take Vengeance of them in fome other Way, as he did of Nero, Domitian, Decius, Dioclefian, Galerius, Maximin, Licinius, Julian, and others that raifed a Perfecution against his Church.

§ XIX. It may perhaps be faid, that according to our Laws Appeals may be made from the Bishop to the Archbishop, and from him to the King in his