y may be received for Doctors, they cannot be acknowledged for
Princes. For if the Apostle had meant, we should be subject both to our
own Princes, and also to the Pope, he had taught us a doctrine, which
Christ himself hath told us is impossible, namely, "to serve two
Masters." And though the Apostle say in another place, "I write these
things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpnesse,
according to the Power which the Lord hath given me;" it is not, that
he challenged a Power either to put to death, imprison, banish, whip,
or fine any of them, which are Punishments; but onely to Excommunicate,
which (without the Civill Power) is no more but a leaving of their
company, and having no more to doe with them, than with a Heathen man,
or a Publican; which in many occasions might be a greater pain to the
Excommunicant, than to the Excommunicate.

The seventh place is 1 Cor. 4.21. "Shall I come unto you with a Rod, or
in love, and the spirit of lenity?" But here again, it is not the Power
of a Magistrate to punish offenders, that is meant by a Rod; but
onely the Power of Excommunication, which is not in its owne nature
a Punishment, but onely a Denouncing of punishment, that Christ shall
inflict, when he shall be in possession of his Kingdome, at the day of
Judgment. Nor then also shall it bee properly a Punishment, as upon a
Subject that hath broken the Law; but a Revenge, as upon an Enemy, or
Revolter, that denyeth the Right of our Saviour to the Kingdome: And
therefore this proveth not the Legislative Power of any Bishop, that has
not also the Civill Power.

The eighth place is, Timothy 3.2. "A Bishop must be the husband but of
one wife, vigilant, sober, &c." which he saith was a Law. I thought that
none could make a Law in the Church, but the Monarch of the Church, St.
Peter. But suppose this Precept made by the authority of St. Peter;
yet I see no reason why to call it a Law, rather than an Advice, seeing
Timothy was not a Subject, but a Disciple of St. Paul; nor the flock
under the charge of Timothy, his Subjects in the Kingdome, but his
Scholars in the Schoole of Christ: If all the Precepts he giveth
Timothy, be Laws, why is not this also a Law, "Drink no longer water,
but use a little wine for thy healths sake"? And why are not also
the Precepts of good Physitians, so many Laws? but that it is not the
Imperative manner of speaking, but an absolute Subjection to a Person,
that maketh his Precept Laws.