DEERING. 205 14, May any ecclesiastical persons have more eccle- siastical livings than one ?. For one man to have many parsonages, where he cannot possibly reside, is great wickedness. And seeing Christ hath purchased his church with his own blood, whosoever enjoys several livings, considers very little the words of St. Paul : Take heed unto all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God. I, therefore, humbly beseech your honours, to ,have this care- fully reformed. 15. May one be a minister, who has no particular flock assigned him ? And may an ecclesiastical person be exer- cised, also, in a civil function ? Aminister can no more be without a charge, than a king without a kingdom. No man that warreth entangleth him - ,self with the affairs of this life. And I am sure whatsoever person seeketh after civil offices, wanteth that love which should most abound. Our Saviour refused to be judge in the division of lands. Yet 1 judge not him, who, on special occasions, seeketh to do good to others. 16. Are all the commandments of God needful fox sal- vation ? All the commandments are necessary for all men in all places, and are ever to be observed. And as Christ was minister, not of earthly things, but heavenly ; so the observance of all his commandments is necessary to salva- tion; and the breach of the least of them, if imputed to us, kath the just recompence of eternal death. 17. Has the Queen of England authority over the ecclesiastical state, and in ecclesiastical matters, as well as civil ? Let every soul, be subject to the higher powers, whether he be an apostle,or evangelist, or prophet, or whatsoever he be. This subjection is not against his calling. Princes have full authority over all ecclesiastical and, civil persons, and equally over both, to punish offenders, and to praise well-doers. Only this is, the difference in the sovereignty. Over both. The commonwealth cannot be without the magistrate; but if all magistrates fall fromthe church, we must still hold this article, I believe in the catholic church." For Christ, and not the christian magistrate, is the life and head of the church. In the commonwealth What could the commissioners designby proposing this question ? Did they imagine it wasa crime to speak against pluralities, the great plague of the chrishan church, and at whicheven papists blush ?
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