, from him whom they
had themselves placed there; and in this Darknesse of mind, are made to
fight one against another, without discerning their enemies from their
friends, under the conduct of another mans ambition.

And That The Pastors Are The Clergy

From the same opinion, that the present Church is the Kingdome of God,
it proceeds that Pastours, Deacons, and all other Ministers of the
Church, take the name to themselves of the Clergy, giving to other
Christians the name of Laity, that is, simply People. For Clergy
signifies those, whose maintenance is that Revenue, which God having
reserved to himselfe during his Reigne over the Israelites, assigned
to the tribe of Levi (who were to be his publique Ministers, and had no
portion of land set them out to live on, as their brethren) to be their
inheritance. The Pope therefore, (pretending the present Church to be,
as the Realme of Israel, the Kingdome of God) challenging to himselfe
and his subordinate Ministers, the like revenue, as the Inheritance of
God, the name of Clergy was sutable to that claime. And thence it is,
that Tithes, or other tributes paid to the Levites, as Gods Right,
amongst the Israelites, have a long time been demanded, and taken of
Christians, by Ecclesiastiques, Jure Divino, that is, in Gods Right. By
which meanes, the people every where were obliged to a double tribute;
one to the State, another to the Clergy; whereof, that to the Clergy,
being the tenth of their revenue, is double to that which a King of
Athens (and esteemed a Tyrant) exacted of his subjects for the defraying
of all publique charges: For he demanded no more but the twentieth part;
and yet abundantly maintained therewith the Commonwealth. And in the
Kingdome of the Jewes, during the Sacerdotall Reigne of God, the Tithes
and Offerings were the whole Publique Revenue.

From the same mistaking of the present Church for the Kingdom of God,
came in the distinction betweene the Civill and the Canon Laws: The
civil Law being the acts of Soveraigns in their own Dominions, and
the Canon Law being the Acts of the Pope in the same Dominions. Which
Canons, though they were but Canons, that is, Rules Propounded, and but
voluntarily received by Christian Princes, till the translation of
the Empire to Charlemain; yet afterwards, as the power of the Pope
encreased, became Rules Commanded, and the Emperours themselves (to
avoyd greater mischiefes, which the people blinded might be led i