Kings have no call to make laws in the Church. What does the holy apostle say? ‘And God, indeed, hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly doctors and shepherds’ for the training of the Church. He does not say ‘kings.’ And again: ‘Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls.’ Again: ‘Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the end of your conversation.’ Kings have not spoken the word to you, but apostles and prophets, pastors and doctors. When God was speaking to David about building a house for Him, He said: ‘Thou shalt not build me a house, for thou art a man of blood.’ ‘Render, therefore, to all men their dues,’ St Paul exclaimed; ‘tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour.’ The political prosperity is the king’s business:¹⁶ the ecclesiastical organisation belongs to pastors and doctors, and to take it out of their hands is to commit an act of robbery. Saul rent Samuel’s cloak, and what was the consequence? God took from him his royalty, and gave it to the meek David. Jezabel pursued Elias, pigs and dogs licked up her blood, and harlots were bathed in it. Herod removed John, and was consumed by worms. And now holy Germanus, shining by word and example, has been punished and become an exile, and many more bishops and fathers, whose names are unknown to us. Is not this a persecution? When the Pharisees and the learned surrounded our Lord, ostensibly to listen to His teaching, and when they asked Him if it was lawful to pay tribute to Cæsar, He answered them: ‘Bring me a coin.’ And when they had brought it, He said: ‘Whose image is this?’ Upon their reply, ‘Cæsar’s,’ He said, ‘Give to Cæsar that which is Cæsar’s and to God that which is God’s.’ We are obedient to you, O King, in things concerning our daily life, in tributes, taxes, and payments, which are your due; but in ecclesiastical government we have our pastors, preachers of the word, and exponents of ecclesiastical law. We do not change the boundaries marked out by our fathers: we keep the tradition we have received. If we begin to lay down the law to the Church, even in the smallest thing, the whole edifice will fall to the ground in no short time.