with the utmost precision, the principle in
chapter x., "Although kings and princes that be godlie, sumtymes be
their awin authority whan the kirk is corruptit and all things out of
ordor, place ministers and restore the trew service of the Lord efter
the examples of sum godly kings of Juda and divers godly emperours and
kings also in the light of the New Testament; yit quhair the ministrie
of the kirk is anes lawfullie constitute and they that are placeit do
thair office faithfullie, all godlie princes and magistratis aucht to
heir and obey thair voice, and reverence the majestie of the Son of God
speiking be them";[261] or, as in chapter i., where it is laid down, "As
ministeris are subject to the judgement and punishment of the magistrat
in externall things if they offend, so aucht the magistratis to submit
themselfis to the discipline of the kirk gif they transgresse in
matteris of conscience and religioun."[262]

[Sidenote: Limits of Ecclesiastical Power.]

Hill Burton sarcastically remarks that "if we grant that those who
prepared it were what they called themselves--the Church of God,
presided over by the Lord Jesus Christ as the representative of the
Godhead on earth--it would be difficult to refuse assent to what
follows. Nothing can be more perfect than the analysis by which the two
ruling powers are separated from each other, and the ecclesiastical set
above the secular."[263] If this is not quite borne out, one can hardly
help feeling that more care should have been taken to mark out the
limits of ecclesiastical authority, and to show that the power of
ministers and elders was as distinctly limited by the laws of Christ as
that of kings and magistrates ought to be by the laws of the land; or,
in other words, that ministers and elders may err in interpreting the
laws of Christ, just as civil rulers may err in interpreting the laws of
the land. No doubt the limitation contended for is in words admitted,
"the magistrat neither aucht to preich, minister the sacraments, nor
execute the censuris of the kirk, nor yit prescrive any rewll how it
sould be done; bot command the ministeris to observe the rewll commandit
in the Word, and punish the transgressours be civill means. The
ministeris exerce not the civill jurisdictioun, bot teich the magistrat
how it sould be exercit according to the Word."[264] "It is proper to
kings, princes, and magistrates to be callit lordis and dominators over
their subjectis, whom the