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authority_n church_n power_n spiritual_a 6,456 5 6.8547 4 true
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A38437 Englands settlement mistaken, or, A short survey of a pamphlet called England's settlement upon the two solid foundations of the peoples civil and religious liberties, pleading for a toleration of all religions wherein his ten arguments for toleration are confuted as so many sophisms and fallacies / by a well-willer to both civil and religious liberties of the people. Well-willer to both civil and religious liberties of the people. 1660 (1660) Wing E3050; ESTC R26794 23,668 34

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the Church c. Ergo Not to the Magistrate But 1. Why did he leave out in matters of Faith that might have given us cause to suspect the Jesuite who allowes to his Pope power in matters of Faith in his Trent Creed but in worship the Church he would have us believe have some latitude of power which she hath not except in meer circumstances not to appoint the worship it self 2. For I ask Hath Christ committed his Authority to the Church to coin new Articles of Faith and new forms of Worship If not the Church and Magistrate are herein equal in their power between whom this Argument would insinuate a difference The Church hath no Authority Coercive upon mens consciences in matters relating to Faith and Worship more then the Magestrate hath but both are in their own way to publish and look to the execution of Christs rules in both The only difference is that the power of the Church is Spiritual that of the Magistrate Corporal And they may not meddle with each other Powers the Magistrate may no more exercise the spiritual power of the Church than the Church may exercise power over mens bodies or estates 3. This Disputer if he understand what he sayes would insinuate that Christ hath committed Authority over mens consciences to the Church which the Apostle earnestly disclaims 2 Cor. 1.24 And yet the Church hath some kind of Coercive power over her Members as appears in her censure of Excommunication which our Author sayes is a worse punishment than all the Magistrate can inflict upon the body as giving men over to the World and to Satan Now look back a little and sum up all It is a general rule laid down by all sides Conscience may not must not be forced in matters of Religion by any Coercive power Then neither by the Church nor Magistrate neither spiritually nor corporally The Church may no more force conscience than the Magistrate yet the Church exercising and executing Examination upon an Heretick or scandalous person exercises a Coersive power and as they will say over their consciences for they verily believe themselves in the right Religion Therefore either the exercise of Coercive power by the Church is also unlawful and so he hath destroyed the power of the Church in matters of Religion as well as of the Magistrate or else it is no force over mens consciences but over the errors of their consciences And laftly If it be lawful for the Church to restrain and chaftise an Heretick by her spiritual censures without any force to her conscience Why may it not be lawful for the Magistrate to restrain such a soul destroying Heretick by bodily punishments and yet without force upon his conscience Why may not the Magistrate deliver such a man to the Jaylor as the Church delivers him to the Devil Especially the end of both being as much as in them lies to save his soul Whence I conclude against him this Power of the Magistrate is no Vsurpation of the Dominion of Christ or the Power of the Church much lefs Treason against Christ Thus weakly hath M. Collier argued hitherto we shall hear of him again are long 3. His third Reason is borrowed from as wise an Author The Vindicatour of Sir Henry Vane Nothing can be more against the spiritual good of People than to make them hypocrites in Religion professing to believe what they do not Learned Soul Hath not the State and Church of England commanded all their People to frequent our Congregations under a penalty every Lords Day Hath not this man accordingly frequented them And hath he been all this while an hypocrite professing to believe what he doth not But if force in Religion make men hypocrites why did God commend Abraham to circumcise all the males of his family Why did the Godly Magistrates command all their Subjects under the Old Testament to serve the Lord according to the worship prescribed Did God or men intend to make them hypocrites Which they must have done if Coercive power did make them so Alas most men are hypocrites already though they be not forced to worship God therefore Coercive power does not make but find and discovers hypocrites Must not God be obeyed though men be hypocrites But real Christians who only can truly be forced against conscience do not turn hypocrites but refuse obedience and chuse to suffer which discovers their faith and patience and bring much glory to God There must be persecution as well as Heresies that they which are approved may be known It is therefore by accident that such force makes men appear hypocrites by commanding them to obey the Laws of God the Law of God irritates corruption but causes it not Rom. 7.13 23. If then God or men from God command men to worship God according to his will they find many hypocrites but do not make them such They sin if they serve him not and if hypocritically they sin also and its hard to say which is worst But this is some of the new light of this age that Children must not be taught their Commandments Creed or Lords Prayer or to read the Scriptures because they are yet hypocrites or none must receive the Lords Supper that knows not himself regenerate lest it make him an hypocrite Enough of this 4. His fourth Reason is taken out of the Levellers Catechism A Levelling Principle indeed to deny the Magistrates power in matters of Religion first and then in civil affairs If all were levelled and but content to be so what need what use of a Magistrate But hear their worthy Reason It 's against the nature of faith and worship to be forced Christ hath ordained the preaching of the Gospel to be the outward means of converting souls and spiritual Ordinances for punishment of erroneous and heretical persons c. This hath been spoken to in answering Mr. Colliers first and second reasons and in the last before But I add further it contradicts it self twice 1. In saying that the preaching of the word is the outward means of Conversion and yet denies any force to bring professed Christians to the attending on that means 2. That they allow spiritual punishment which is a greater force for reducing erroneous and heretical persons and yet denies not only the Magistrate to use any the least force to the bodies or estates of men but any force at all over mens consciences If no force may be used then not the spiritual as was said afore Lastly he takes for granted what we utterly deny that we allow the Church a power to punish mis-believers or mis-livers in bodies or purses Some have done so but I hope they have had time to repent it for so dishonouring the Church 5. The next is from a better Author but to as little purpose From the parable of the Tares among the Wheat both must be let alone till the Harvest the Wheat are the elect the Tares are Hereticks c. It might be