Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
... For those men that say temporal magistrates have nothing to do but with temporal matters, and would have them utterly to abstain from intermeddling in ecclesiastical affairs, are in no wise to be regarded? which men seem to me to be of opinion, that they would have common weals exempt from God’s providence, without the which the very Gentiles perceived they could not stand or be preserved. And who knoweth not that sentence of the Godly and princely Prophet: Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Which also exhorteth kings and Princes to suffer themselves to be instructed in the word of God, and to kiss and reverence Jesus Christ the Son of God.
But to what end should kings be taught the word, if there be no use of the same, in the administration of the common weal? And how shall they kiss or reverence Christ, if they neglect his Church, which he esteemeth dearer than the apple of his eye, yea, than his life? And how can they neglect that body, whereof if they be not members under Christ their head, they cannot be saved? We must hearken rather unto Esaias, who prophesying of Christ’s Church, among other things saith. Kings and Queens shall be thy Nurses. In which words, he seemeth not so much to comfort the Church as to set forth the office and dignity of Kings and Rulers, which chiefly appeareth in this, that God doth vouchsafe to commit unto them the care of his Church, which he hath redeemed with the blood of his son.
Indeed we must confess that God hath herein no need of man’s help, if he would use his absolute & peerless power. Neither deny we that many times Churches are increased and defended rather by the power and unspeakable counsel of God, than by the industry of man. But this cometh not so to pass because God disalloweth the care and duty of Magistrates, but that it might appear how all praise and glory, is to be ascribed to him only, because no man should think religion depended more upon the will of man, than upon God’s providence. ...
For more, see:
reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com
But to what end should kings be taught the word, if there be no use of the same, in the administration of the common weal? And how shall they kiss or reverence Christ, if they neglect his Church, which he esteemeth dearer than the apple of his eye, yea, than his life? And how can they neglect that body, whereof if they be not members under Christ their head, they cannot be saved? We must hearken rather unto Esaias, who prophesying of Christ’s Church, among other things saith. Kings and Queens shall be thy Nurses. In which words, he seemeth not so much to comfort the Church as to set forth the office and dignity of Kings and Rulers, which chiefly appeareth in this, that God doth vouchsafe to commit unto them the care of his Church, which he hath redeemed with the blood of his son.
Indeed we must confess that God hath herein no need of man’s help, if he would use his absolute & peerless power. Neither deny we that many times Churches are increased and defended rather by the power and unspeakable counsel of God, than by the industry of man. But this cometh not so to pass because God disalloweth the care and duty of Magistrates, but that it might appear how all praise and glory, is to be ascribed to him only, because no man should think religion depended more upon the will of man, than upon God’s providence. ...
For more, see:
Rudolf Gwalther on the care of the church being committed to kings
IT is an old custom, and confirmed by examples of holy Fathers that the professors of good Arts and learning, use to dedicate the fruits of their studies, either to their friends, or to men of hono…
reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com
