I remember some years ago, a virtuoso writ a small tract about worms, proved them to be in more places than was generally observed, and made some discoveries by glasses.  This having met with some reception, presently the poor man’s head was full of nothing but worms; all we eat and drink, all the whole consistence of human bodies, and those of every other animal, the very air we breathe, in short, all nature throughout was nothing but worms:  And, by that system, he solved all difficulties, and from thence all causes in philosophy.  Thus it hath fared with our author, and his independent power.  The attack against occasional conformity, the scarcity of coffee, the invasion of Scotland, the loss of kerseys and narrow cloths, the death of King William, the author’s turning Papist for preferment, the loss of the battle of Almanza, with ten thousand other misfortunes, are all owing to this imperium in imperio.

It will be therefore necessary to set this matter in a clear light, by enquiring whether the clergy have any power independent of the civil, and of what nature it is.

Whenever the Christian religion was embraced by the civil power in any nation, there is no doubt but the magistrates and senates were fully instructed in the rudiments of it.  Besides, the Christians were so numerous, and their worship so open before the conversion of princes, that their discipline, as well as doctrine, could not be a secret:  They saw plainly a subordination of ecclesiastics, bishops, priests, and deacons:  That these had certain powers and employments different from the laity:  That the bishops were consecrated, and set apart for that office by those of their own order:  That the presbyters and deacons were differently set apart, always by the bishops:  That none but the ecclesiastics presumed to pray or preach in places set apart for God’s worship, or to administer the Lord’s Supper:  That all questions relating either to discipline or doctrine, were determined in ecclesiastical conventions.  These and the like doctrines and practices, being most of them directly proved, and the rest by very fair consequences deduced from the words of our Saviour and His apostles, were certainly received as a divine law by every prince or state which admitted the Christian religion:  and, consequently, what they could not justly alter afterwards, any more than the common laws of nature.  And, therefore, although the supreme power can hinder the clergy or Church from making any new canons, or executing the old; from consecrating bishops, or refuse those that they do consecrate; or, in short, from performing any ecclesiastical office, as they may from eating, drinking, and sleeping; yet they cannot themselves perform those offices, which are assigned to the clergy by our Saviour and His apostles; or, if they do, it is not according to the divine institution, and, consequently, null and void.  Our Saviour telleth us, “His kingdom is not of this world;” and therefore,