A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

2. Protestants affirm, that Rex in regno suo, every King in his own Kingdom is the Supreme dispenser of Justice and Judgement unto all Persons, in all Causes that belong unto, or are determinable in foro exteriori in any Court of Judicature, whither the matter which they concern be Civil or Ecclesiastical. No Cause, no difference determinable by any Law of man, and to be determined by Coercive Umpirage or Authority, is exempted from his cognizance. Neither can any man, on any pretence, claim any Jurisdiction over any of his Subjects not directly and immediately derived from him. Neither can any King, who is a Sovereign Monarch, like the Kings of this Land, yield or grant a power in any other to judge of any Ecclesiastical Causes among his Subjects, as arising from any other Spring, or growing on any other root but that of his own Authority, without an impeachment and irreparable prejudice ⟨p. 407⟩to his Crown and Dignity: neither doth any such Concession, grant or supposition make it indeed so to be, but is a mere fiction and mistake, all that is done upon it, being ipso facto null, and of none effect. Neither if a King should make a pretended legal grant of such power unto any, would any right accrue unto them thereby; the making of such a Grant being a matter absolutely out of his power, as are all things whereby his regal Authority, wherein the Majesty of his Kingdom is enwrapped, may be diminished. For that King, who hath a power to diminish his Kingly Authority, never was entrusted with absolute Kingly Power. Neither is this Power granted unto our Kings by the Acts of Parliament, which you mention made in the beginning of the Reformation; but was always inherent in them, and exercised in innumerable instances, and often vindicated with an high hand from Papal encroachments, even during the hour and power of your darkness, as hath been sufficiently proved by many, both Divines and Lawyers. Things of mere spiritual order as preaching the word, Administration of the Sacraments and the like, we ascribe not unto Kings, nor the communicating of power unto any for their performance. The Sovereign Power of these things, is vested in Christ alone, and by him committed unto his Ministers. But Religion hath many concernments that attend it, which must be disposed of by forensical, juridical process and and determinations.

2. Protestants affirm, that Rex in regno suo, every King in his own Kingdom is the Supreme dispenser of Justice and Judgement unto all Persons, in all Causes that belong unto, or are determinable in foro exteriori in any Court of Judicature, whither the matter which they concern be Civil or Ecclesiastical. No Cause, no difference determinable by any Law of man, and to be determined by Coercive Vmpirage or Authority, is exempted from his cognizance. Neither can any man, on any pretence, claim any Jurisdiction over any of his Subjects not directly and immediately derived from him. Neither can any King, who is a Soveraign Monarch, like the Kings of this Land, yield or grant a power in any other to judge of any Ecclesiastical Causes among his Subjects, as arising from any other Spring, or growing on any other root but that of his own Authority, without an impeachment and irreparable prejudice