derstand by headship is, their only supreme power in ecclesiastical affairs and causes. That which lawful princes are, what should make it unlawful for men in spiritual styles or titles to signify? If the having of supreme power be allowed, why is the expressing thereof by the title of Head condemned. They seem in words (at leastwise some of them) now at length to acknowledge, that kings may have dominion of supreme government, even over all, both persons and causes. We in terming our princes Heads of the Church, do but testify that we acknowledge them such governors. Again, to this it will T. C. lib. peradventure be replied, "That howsoever we interpret ourii. p. 411. selves, it is not fit for a mortal man, and therefore not fit for 22. Col. a civil magistrate, to be entitled the head of the church, which was given to our Saviour Christ, to lift him above all powers rules, dominions, titles, in heaven or in earth. Where, if this title belong also to civil magistrates, then it is manifest that there is a power in earth, whereunto our Saviour Christ is not in this point superior. Again, if the civil magistrate may have this title, he may be termed also the first-begotten of all creatures, the first-begotten of all the dead, yea, the redeemer of his people. For these are alike given him, as Ephes. i. dignities whereby he is lifted up above all creatures. Besides this, the whole argument of the apostle, in both places, doth lead to shew that this title, Head of the Church, cannot be said of any creature. And farther, the very demonstrative articles amongst the Hebrews, especially whom St. Paul doth follow, serveth to tie that which is verified of one, unto himself alone: so that when the apostle doth say that Christ is Kepaλn, the Head; it is as if he should say, Christ, and none other, is the head of the church. Thus have we against the entitling of the highest magistrate, Head, with relation unto the church, four several arguments gathered, by strong surmise, out of words marvellously unlikely to have been written to any such purpose, as that whereunto they are now Ephes. i, used and urged. To the Ephesians the apostle writeth, "That Christ, God had set on his right hand in the heavenly places above all the regency, and authority, and power, and dominion, and whatsoever name is named, not in this world only, but in that which shall be also: and hath under his feet set all things, and hath given him head above all things unto the church, which is his body, even the fulness of him which accomplisheth all in all." To the Colossians in 20-23. like manner, "That he is the head of the body of the Col. church, who is a firstborn regency out of the dead, to 'the i. 18. end he might be made amongst them all in such a one as hath the chiefty:" he meaneth, amongst all them whom he mentioned before, saying, "By him all things that are, were made; Col. the things in the heavens, and the things in the earth, the i. 16. things that are visible, and the things that are invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or regencies," &c. Unto the fore-alleged arguments therefore we answer: first, that it is not simply the title of Head, in such sort understood, as the apostle himself meant it; so that the same being imparted in another sense unto others, doth not any ways make those others his equals; inasmuch as diversity of things is usually to be understood, even when of words there is no diversity; and it is only the adding of one and the same thing unto divers persons, which doth argue equality in them. If I term Christ and Cæsar Lords, yet this is no equalizing Cæsar with Christ, because it is not thereby intended: "To term the emperor Lord (saith Tertullian), I, for my part, will not refuse, so that I be not required to call him lord in the same sense that God is so termed." Neither doth it follow, which is objected in the second place, that if the civil magistrate may be entitled a Head, he may as well be termed, "the first-begotten of all creatures, the first-begotten of the dead, and the redeemer of his people." For albeit the former dignity doth lift him up no less than these, yet these terms are not appliable, and apt to signify any other inferior dignity, as the former term of Head was. The argument of matter which the apostle followeth hath small evidence or proof, that his meaning was to appropriate unto Christ that the aforesaid title, otherwise than only in such sense as doth make it, being so understood, too high to be given to any creature. As for the force of the article where our Lord and Saviour is called the Head, it serveth to tie that unto him by way of excellency, which in meaner degrees is common to others; it doth not exclude any other utterly from being termed Head, but from being entitled as Christ is, the Head, by way of the very highest degree of excellency. Not in the communication of names, but in the confusion of things, there is error. Howbeit, if Head were a name that could not well be, nor never had been used to signify that which a magistrate may be in relation to some church, but where by continual use of speech appropriated unto the only thing it signifieth; being applied unto Jesus Christ then, although we must carry in ourselves a right understanding, yet ought we otherwise rather to speak, unless we interpret our own meaning by some clause of plain speech, because we are all else in manifest danger to be understood according to that construction and sense wherein such words are personally spoken. But here the rarest construction, and most removed from common sense, is that which the word doth import being applied unto Christ; that which we signify by it in giving to the magistrate, it is a great deal more familiar in the common conceit of men. The word is so fit to signify all kinds of superiority, preeminence, and chiefty, that nothing is more ordinary than to use it in vulgar speech, and in common understanding so to take it.a If therefore Christian kings may have any preeminence or chiefty above all others, although it be less than that which Theodore Beza giveth, who placeth kings amongst the principal members whereunto public function in the church belongeth; and denieth not, but that of them which have public function, the civil magistrate's power hath all the rest at command, in regard of that part of his office, which is to procure that peace and good order be especially kept in things concerning the first table; if even hereupon they term him the Head of the Church, which is his kingdom, it should not seem so unfit a thing; which title surely we could not communicate to any other, no, not although it should at our hands be exacted with torments, but that our meaning herein is made known to the world, so that no man which will understand can easily be ignorant that we do not impart unto kings, when we term them Heads, the honour which is properly given to our Lord and Saviour Christ, when the blessed apostle in Scripture doth term him the Head of the Church. The power which we signify in that name, differeth in three things plainly from that which Christ doth challenge. First, it differeth in order, because God hath given him to his church for the head, ὑπὲρ πάντα ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς, “ far above all principalities, and powers, and might, and dominion, Ephes. and every name that is named, not in this world only, but i. 21. also in that which is to come:" whereas the power which others have, is subordinate unto his. Secondly, again, as he differeth in order, so in measure of a Pekah is termed the Head of Samaria. Esai. vii. 9. ii. 8. power also because God hath given unto him the ends of the earth for his possession; unto him dominion from sea to sea, unto him all power both in heaven and earth, unto him such sovereignty, as doth not only reach over all places, per- Psal. sons, and things, but doth rest in his own only person, and is not by any succession continued; he reigneth as a head king, nor is there any kind of law which tieth him, but his own proper will and wisdom, his power is absolute, the same jointly over all which it is severally over each: not so the power of any other headship. How kings are restrained, and how their power is limited, we have shewed before; so that unto him is given, by the title of Headship over the Church, that largeness of power, wherein neither man nor angel can be matched nor compared with him. Thirdly, the last and greatest difference between him and them, is in the very kind of their power. The head being, of all other parts of the body, most divine, bath dominion over all the rest; it is the fountain of sense, of motion; the throne where the guide of the soul doth reign; the court from whence direction of all things human proceedeth. Why Christ is called the Head of the Church, these causes themselves do yield. As the head is the chiefest part of a man, above which there is none, always joined with the body; so Christ, the highest in his church, is always knit to it. Again, as the head giveth sense and motion unto all the body, so he quickeneth us, and, together with understanding of heavenly things, giveth strength to walk therein. Seeing therefore, that they cannot affirm Christ sensibly present, or always visibly joined unto his body the church which is on earth, inasmuch as his corporal residence is in heaven: again, seeing they do not affirm (it were intolerable if they should) that Christ doth personally administer the external regiment of outward actions in the church, but, by the secret inward influence of his grace, giveth spiritual life, and the strength of ghostly motions thereunto; impossible it is, that they should so close up their eyes, as not to discern what odds there is between that kind of operation which we imply in the headship of princes, and that which agreeth to our Saviour's dominion over the church. The headship which we give unto kings, is altogether visibly exercised, and ordereth only the external frame of the church-affairs here amongst us; T. C. lib. ii. lib. ii. so that it plainly differeth from Christ's, even in very nature and kind. To be in such sort united unto the church as he is; to work as he worketh, either on the whole church, or upon any particular assembly, or in any one man, doth neither agree, nor hath any possibility of agreeing unto any one besides him. Against the first distinction or difference, it is to be obp. 411. jected," that to entitle a magistrate head of the church, although it be under Christ, is absurd. For Christ hath a twofold superiority; over his, and over kingdoms: according to the one, he hath a superior, which is his Father; according to the other, none, but immediate authority with his Father; that is to say, of the church he is head and governor only as the Son of man; head and governor of kingdoms only as the Son of God. In the church, as man, he hath officers under T. C. him, which officers are ecclesiastical persons. As for the p. 418. civil magistrate, his office belongeth unto kingdoms, and to commonwealths, neither is there an under or subordinate head, considering that his authority cometh from God, simply and immediately, even as our Saviour Christ's doth." Whereunto the sum of our answer is, first, that as Christ being Lord or Head over all, doth by virtue of that sovereignty rule all; so he hath no more a superior in governing his church, than in exercising sovereign dominion upon the rest of the world besides. Secondly, that all authority, as well civil as ecclesiastical, is subordinate unto him. And, thirdly, the civil magistrate being termed head, by reason of that authority in ecclesiastical affairs which hath been already declared that themselves do acknowledge to be lawful, it followeth, that he is a head even subordinated of Christ, and to Christ. For more plain explication whereof, unto God we acknowledge daily, that kingdom, power, and glory, are his; that he is the immortal and invisible king of ages; as well the future which shall be, as the present which now is. That which the Father doth work as Lord and King over all, he worketh not without, but by the Son, who through coeternal generation received of the Father that power which the Father hath of himself. And for that cause our Saviour's words concerning his own dominion are, "To me all power both in heaven and earth is given." The Father by the Son did create, and doth guide all; wherefore Christ hath supreme domi |