A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

2. You may also as easily discern the frivolousness of your exclamation against Protestants for not giving up their differences in Religion to the Umpirage of Kings upon the assignment of that Supremacy unto them which hath been declared. When ⟨p. 412⟩we make the King such an Head of the Catholic Church as you make the Pope, we shall seek unto him as the fountain of our faith, as you pretend to do unto the Pope. For the present we give that honour to none but Christ himself; and for what we assign in profession unto the King, we answer it wholly in our practical submission. Protestants never thought, nor said that any King was appointed by Christ to be supreme infallible Proposer of all things to be believed and done in the Worship of God; no King ever assumed that power unto himself. It is Jesus Christ alone who is the Supreme and absolute Lawgiver of his Church, the Author and finisher of our Faith; and it is the honour of Kings to serve him in the promotion of his Interest, by the exercise of that Authority and duty which we have before declared. What unto the dethroning and dishonour as much as in you lieth of Christ himself, and of Kings also, you assign unto the Pope, in making him the Supreme head and fountain of their faith, hath been already considered. This is the substance of what you except against Protestants either as to Opinion or Practice in this matter of deference unto Kingly Authority in things Ecclesiastical. What is the sense of your Church which you prefer unto your sentiments herein, I shall after I have a little examined your present pretensions manifest unto you, (seeing you will have it so,) from those who are full well able to inform us of it; Fas mihi Pontificum sacrata resolvere jura, —atque omnia ferre sub auras, •Siqua tegunt; tenear Romaenec ligebus ullis. For your own part you have expressed you se•f ⟨p. 413⟩in this matter so loosely, generally and ambiguously, that it is very hard for any man to collect from your words, what it is that you assert, or what you deny. I shall endeavour to draw out your sense by a few enquiries. As 1. Do you think the King hath any An •ority vested in him as King in Ecclesiastical affairs, and over Ecclesiastical Persons? You tell us, That Catholics observe the King in all things as well Ecclesiastic as Civil, pag. 59. that in the line of Corporal power and Authority the King is immediately under God, p.