piety, we are compelled to maintain that the Divine right, or the right of
control over spiritual matters, depends absolutely on the decree of the
sovereign, who is its legitimate interpreter and champion. (85) Therefore
the true ministers of God's word are those who teach piety to the people in
obedience to the authority of the sovereign rulers by whose decree it has
been brought into conformity with the public welfare.

[19:5] (86) There remains for me to point out the cause for the frequent
disputes on the subject of these spiritual rights in Christian states;
whereas the Hebrews, so far as I know, never, had any doubts about the
matter. (87) It seems monstrous that a question so plain and vitally
important should thus have remained undecided, and that the secular rulers
could never obtain the prerogative without controversy, nay, nor without
great danger of sedition and injury to religion. (88) If no cause for this
state of things were forthcoming, I could easily persuade myself that all I
have said in this chapter is mere theorizing, or akind of speculative
reasoning which can never be of any practical use. (89) However, when we
reflect on the beginnings of Christianity the cause at once becomes
manifest. (90) The Christian religion was not taught at first by kings, but
by private persons, who, against the wishes of those in power, whose
subjects they, were, were for a long time accustomed to hold meetings in
secret churches, to institute and perform sacred rites, and on their own
authority to settle and decide on their affairs without regard to the state,
(91) When, after the lapse of many years, the religion was taken up by the
authorities, the ecclesiastics were obliged to teach it to the emperors
themselves as they had defined it: wherefore they easily gained recognition
as its teachers and interpreters, and the church pastors were looked upon as
vicars of God. (92) The ecclesiastics took good care that the Christian
kings should not assume their authority, by prohibiting marriage to the
chief ministers of religion and to its highest interpreter. (93) They