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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79995	The civil magistrates povver in matters of religion modestly debated, impartially stated according to the bounds and grounds of scripture, and answer returned to those objections against the same which seem to have any weight in them. Together with A brief answer to a certain slanderous pamphlet called Ill news from New-England; or, a narrative of New-Englands persecution. By John Clark of Road-Island, physician. By Thomas Cobbet teacher of the church at Lynne in New-England. This treatise concerning the christian magistrates power, and the exerting thereof, in, and about matters of religion, written with much zeal and judgement by Mr. Cobbet of New-England, I doe allow to be printed; as being very profitable for these times. Feb. 7th. 1652. Obadiah Sedgwick.	Cobbet, Thomas, 1608-1685.	1653 (1653)	Wing C4776; Wing B4541; Thomason E687_2; Thomason E687_3; ESTC R206875	97,858	126

Synods also for any hereticall decrees of theirs tending to hurt the State or disturb the Christian societies under his charge and if so then he is in a politicall way to Iudge in matters of Christ and of his Church But the former is true Ergo the latter But is not this to make the Civill Magistrate a Pope Ans No he is by duty tyed to his rule the word and to Iudge according to that Yea but he may erre and the Synod be in the right Ans He may so and so may Ecumenicall Synods erre yet many make them the highest Ecclesiasticall Iudge so here possibility of erring hinders not but that the Civill Magistrate and highest Civil Authority in a State or Commonwealth should be the highest politicall Iudge For standum est in aliquo primo If erring Churches should Ecclesiastically censure godly Rulers for righteous politicall Iudging or censures there is no higher Church Court or Iuridicall Iudge If erring Rulers and highest Civill Courts politically censure the Churches met in their messengers in a Synod for their Godly determinations there or if they censure particular Churches for any righteons censures of offending members at home there is no higher Court or Iudge than the highest in that kind Object The same power that maketh Church Canons must define them and Iudge of them The Synod not the Civill Magistrate maketh Church Canons Ergo the Synod not the Magistrate must define and Iudge of them Ans If this whole argument were granted Yet this hinders not but that the Civill Magistrate may both make Laws about the Church and Church matters in a politicall way and in the like way Iudge of such matters albeit he may make no Laws Formally Ecclesiasticall Nor is his Magistraticall Iudgement as such an Ecclesiasticall Iudgement So that this rather confirmeth the conclusion in hand thus Such as may make politicall Laws about Religion or the Church they may politically also define and Iudge of matters respecting the same but the Civill Magistrate and higher Civill powers may do the former as hath been proved Ergo they may do the latter Object He may say some deny his Civill Sanction to the Synods erring Canons albeit he make no penall Laws that way Ans Even this also suffiseth to make him politicall determiminer and Iudge in such matters yea to make him politicall Iudge of such which dogmatically are the highest Ecclesiasticall Iudges surely he must Iudge the Synods Canons to be erring if he be allowed to deny his Civill Sanction to them as erring Object But the regulated Civill Magistrate being by duty a Member of the Church he hath covenanted subjection to the Church and to the Elders of it Ergo he is bound to own their determinations of things in controversie according to the word else as an offending Brother is he liable to be dealt with in a Church-way Ans It is true supposing they judge according to Christs judgement in the words He that hearreth you beareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and so as a covenanted Member Luk. 10. 16. he is bound to hear them and if he by gross contempt of their Counsells when according to Christ do give them offence they may by all good meanes seek to convince such an offending brother and in case he hear not bring it to the Church of which this or that Magistrate is a member and if he hear not the Church he may be cast out of the Church Math. 18. Yet secondly this hindereth not but that that Civill Magistrate is a politicall Judge of others pastorall Judgements whether indeed according to the word before he do establish any conclusions of theirs for Politicall lawes Thirdly Nor doth this warrant any Church to proceed against any Civill Ruler whatsoever for rejecting their erroneous determinations but that it being clavis errans it is an abuse of Church power and bindeth not before God Nor is that What yee bind on earth is bound in heaven verified in the abuse but right use of the power of the keyes whence Christs owning of him whom the Synagogue cast out Joh. 9. 35 Luk. 6. 21 37. 28. 39. Hence a blessing pronounced to some unjustly censured Fourthly Nor doth this hinder but that Civill Authority may and must politically judge of the errors of Synodicall determinations and censure civilly such as make them To shut up all that we would say to what is thus objected In case of a right administration the Civill Magistrate in duty subjecteth his Memberly Judgement to his Pastors ministeriall Judgement but in case of Aberration he may not deliver up to any the supremacy of his Politicall Judgement They herc conclude right who say that neither the Civill Magistrates Politicall Judgement is a certain rule either to Synods or Churches Judgements nor is their Ecclesiasticall Judgement an infallible rule to his Politicall Judgement but the revealed word is the onely infallible rule to both Leaving then to either the supremacy of their severall Judgements to the former Politicall to the latter Ecclesiasticall the Magistrate as a Magistrate cannot define ecclesiastically with reference to Church censures in refusall of such determinations of his the Church as a Church cannot define Politically with reference to Civill rewards and punishments Ob. It may seem that each particular Christian subject is to judge rather what is or what is not according to the word because they are to obey those edicts none are to yield blind obedience to obey this or that Politicall law concerning Religion or the Church as in this or that particular according to God because others Judge so but because himself judgeth so a mans own Judgment is to him his own immediate personal Judge of what he is to act or forbear let every man be fully perswaded in his mind and whatsoever is not of faith is sin And the Contrary Rom. 14. tenent making Civill powers highest earthly Judges what particular things are contrary to the word were a way to open a gap to most bloody persecutions without redress since they may Judge that to be contrary to the word which is not And it were a way to justify the Civill acts and Ecclesiasticall too of Popish governments whereby they have made and executed fiery lawes against the Saints for Heresie as judging it to be Heresie and deserving the Faggot as in the Mariau dayes Ans 1. Be it that a Christian be his own next Judge of what he is to do or not as he is a Christian and in reference to his inward Peace or the breach of it nor is he to pin his personall Judgement of matters of Christ or of his Church upon any others Judgement meerly or chiefly but though he have his particular Iudgement as a private Christian in a Christian way yet that hinders not but that the Civil Magistrate hath his publique Political Judgement in reference to Civill rewards and punishments of what is or is not to be expressed and

Corruptions in matters of Religion do some way or other strike at all that good not alone by provoking God in Judgment either to blast all that good unto a people amongst whom such corruptions prevail but the corruptions themselves occasion breaches upon mens natural and civil good even their lives safety estates civil peace and liberty and the like Witnesse the sad fruits of Popery too oft in England of Anabaptisme in Germany in John of Leyden and Cnipper Dollings dayes of Levellisme not long since in England when the better part of the Army were sent down towards Oxford as I remember to suppresse the stirre raised by the Levellers and I wish that might have been the last of the destructive turbulent seditious or trecherous designes of men grosly corrupted in their Judgments in the matters of Religion As for the moral good of subjects under Civil Authority how much such corruptions do intrench thereupon let the woful experience of the loosenesse and even profanenesse of too many in both Englands amongst whom corruptions in matters of Religion have taken place testifie besides the scandal upon Religion which such have brought in the eyes of the common sort which have made little or no profession and the woful miscarriages thereby occasioned amongst them also But how such corrupt persons are branded in Scripture for such mischiefs and miscarriages let these places be duly considered Rom. 16. 18. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. compared with verse 10 12 13 14 18 19. Jude 4. with verse 8 10 11 12 13 16 18 19. 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 4 5. whence also such perilous times 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 13. whence railings strifes and the like 1 Tim. 6. 3 4. whence increase of ungodlinesse 2 Tim. 2. 16. And is not then the Civil Magistrate whose end partly is the subjects natural and civil good bound in his political way to restrain and redresse the causes of the contrary evil but specially as the Magistrate is a political Minister of God in his civil way and by his Civil means of the subjects spiritual good so he is to improve his Authority that the liberty purity and peace of Gods own instituted worship and wayes wherein their spiritual good externally doth much lye be maintained and defended against all Infesting infringing Impugning or Impairing principles or practises breaking forth to the contrary the Civil Magistrate in Gods Appointment is a Minister to the Churches good as that of Rome to which Paul writ Chap. 1. 7. 13. 4. compared he is the Minister of God to thee for thy good Esay 60. 11. the Gentile Kings shall be brought to the Church to be added to it they shall also as Kings in some respect serve the Church else as verse 12. the Nation and the Kingdome or Authoritative part of the Nation that will not serve thee speaking of the Church shall perish and verse 10. Their Kings shall minister to thee Yea in point of the very Discipline of the Church which is to it as its walls they shall help in the building thereof by their Civil Authority setting up that in their Jurisdictions strengthening setling and establishing the same there Hence vers 10. And the sonnes of strangers shall build thy walls their Kings shall minister to thee namely in that matter of building her walls also there mentioned hence also they are called the builders of the Churches walls Esay 49 16 17. compared Thy walls are before me Thy children or as in the Hebrew thy builders namely of those walls make haste As builders by their Civil Authority they shall break down all manifest unevennesse in the Churches fabrick curb all palpable Intrusions of any bad stuffe therein and redresse whatsoever might visibly undermine the same and all this spoken with reference to the Dayes of the New Testament when the Gentiles should be thus behoveful to the Church verse 22. I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles Verse 23. and Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers they shall bow to thee with their faces toward the earth So Esay 60. 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising Verse 9. Surely the Isles shall wait for me verse 10. The sons of strangers shall build up thy walls and their Kings shall minister to thee So Rev. 22. 24. And the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory to it namely to that new Jerusalem or purest Gospel Church not in heaven but which cometh from God out of heaven vers 2. Now the glory of the Kings of the earth is chiefly their Soveraignty and Civil Authority which Christ by John saith they shall bring to the Church not to be resigned to them or usurped by the Church or any of her Officers they shall be Kings still although ministring as Kings to the Church Esay 60. 10. but they shall bring this their glory to the Church to be improved for the Churches good or for the maintaining the doctrine discipline and waies of God held forth by the Church in the purity and liberty thereof against all opposers impugners despisers depravers disturbers and corrupters thereof And let none say What need the Church any such terrestrial Object Help It hath carried on Church wayes and worship when it had none to help but rather had the Rulers of the earth hindring it Besides the Church is a compleat Polity within it self and hath weapons to avenge all disobedience in its own way and sphear 2 Cor 10. 6. It is true say I this help from Civil Authority is not of Answ absolute necessity to the esse of the Church or to the esse of its operations but it is an accumulative good conferred of God upon the Church to have such builders of her walls and such nursing fathers to curb and hinder whatsoever is destructive to her good and so it is necessary to the optimum esse of the Church Besides when the Church hath used all her power against corrupters of her purity or disturbers of her peace by excommunicating of them from her Society which were of it yet such may grow the more insolent and commonly do wax the more turbulent and pragmatical that way and do more hurt after the Church hath gone to her utmost limits to censure them then before yea turbulent seducers may go from sea to sea to make proselytes and draw disciples after them where the particular Churches have no immediate power over them either then the Civil Magistrates sword and service is needful or else there will be left no ordinary and orderly power to restrain and punish such grosse Abuses in such cases A third Reason of this Assertion may be taken both from Reason 3 the Prayers which the Lord chargeth his people to make for this end and from the praises also which they return to God when such an end is Attained The former is held forth 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I exhort

Magistrates ordinate Power extendeth to deal about both onely in a different manner 4 Disputable matters in Religion are either such which are so really and in themselves or so onely Imaginarily and meerly from Humane defects and corruptions as when not so to the most and best Judgements of the ablest Saints and servants of God but to some few and that either through weakness of Judgement or through sophisticall argumentations of men of corrupt minds or through gross neglects and contempts of means of Instruction these allso admit of severall Considerations in Politicall times about matters of Religion Secondly Concerning such Laws about Religion formally considered we distinguish They are either such which are made of equall Authority with the Word and such which of and in themselves doe bind Conscience which Popish Tenent we abhor or they are such which are no other but humane Civill Sanctions and Ratifications and Promulgations of Divine Laws commanding or forbidding what the Law or Word of God either expresly or by just consequence commandeth or forbiddeth so far as openly acted by the outward man with suitable humane rewards or punishments annexed binding Conscience onely so far as the Word it self allowing the Authority and the Laws likewise made by the Authority bindeth the same This we assert Again Humane Laws this way are either such as being made by Civill Authority yet are supposed to come from some Church power residing in the sayd Authority and so to be by virtue of that Civill Authority Properly and Formally Ecclesiasticall Laws which we deny Or such which are materially and Objectively Ecclesiasticall Laws that is politicall humane Sanctions of Gods Rules and Laws respecting the Church also and Church Ordinances which we assert And now having layd down these distinctions let us come to some Conclusions about this weighty matter 1. Negatively Concl. 1. Highest Civil Authority may not impose what form of Worship or of Church Discipline they please as Erastus and some others since him affirm For both the Matter of the Worship of God and the Means of Worship whether Church Discipline or any other Means are limited by our own Law-giver to such and such Rules and Laws made to hand and not left to any humane power to make it way Neither may any humane powers which are his Ministers transgress the Laws of this their Supreme either by adding thereto any Law of their own or taking there-from they may and must in their way ●●d place look to the due execution of his Laws but foist in no new Law of their own in things of his Worship Hence that Injunction given to Joshuah as Judge and Ruler Joshuah 1. 7 8. Observe to doe according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee He is therefore to look to the keeping of both Tables commanded of God by Moses but must not turn from it to the right hand or to the left So gentle Princes must first be instructed even in the Laws and mind of Christ and then serve him as their Lord Psal 2. 10 11. God rooted out Jeroboam for this and Israel for following such like Commandements Hos 5. 11. and brandeth such Ordinances in such matters which are not according to his Word but mans device and will to be Will-worship Col. 2. Concl. 2. Civill Authority may not impose either what circumstantials or significant Ceremonies in Religion they please such significant Washings injoyned are forbidden Mat. 15. 2. 7. 9. God left not them of old either in matter of a very Curtain or the like in the Tabernacle or in the matter of any significant Ceremony to their own wits but if he thought meet of teaching them any such way he himself told them thereof and required it of them as in those significant Ceremonies at the Passeover at first of eating it with their loyns girt with staves in their hand and shooes on their feet to note their hasty coming out of Egypt Exod. 12. 11. And in that of the Plates for a covering of the Altar made of those rebellious ones Censers to signifie that none not of Aarons house might ever after that dare to offer Incense Numb 16. 38 40. And of like significancy was Aarons Rod that budded Numb 17. 10. Concl. 3. Highest Civill Authority hath no power formally Ecclesiasticall to make Church Laws so called under pain of Excommunication to be by virtue of their Authority executed by Ecclesiasticall persons as those who should in their names summon examine and censure such as will not actually conform to such orders This confusion of Civill and Church-power and tyrannicall abuse of Civill Authority will bring confusions upon States which against all admonitions of Gods faithfull servants persist therein as it did to Jeroboam and his house and all the rest of Israels Princes which went in his footsteps Zach. 11. 14 15. 13. 4. 9. 12. 20. Concl. 4. No Civill Authority can by their Laws free any of their subjects either from Ecclesiastical duties to the Church as Members thereof or from Church censures nay they cannot by any such Law exempt themselves if Church members from any such Church duty or censure much less can they exempt others those just duties and censures being authorized by the Soveraign Authority of Christ as King and Law-giver of his Church and laying that bond upon Conscience which no humane no nor Angelicall power can unloose though they should assay it Christ requiring Peter and John to preach him to the people the Jewish Rulers forbid them it is not right in Gods sight themselves being Judges that man should be obeyed rather than God Acts 4. 18 19 20. This Christ condemned of old in them that by their Injunctions would invalidate the Commandements of God Mat. 7. 9 10 11 12 13. Concl. 5. Highest Civill Authority cannot make any Laws about Religion which do formally and as they are humane Laws bind their subjects Consciences For first neither men nor any Laws of men can loose Conscience from any guilt upon it and therefore neither can they by any power of theirs bind it under guilt For e●usdem est ligans solvens Who can forgive sins but God onely Mat. 9. 6. Who can ease the heart of its burthens or from its yoaks but Christ onely Math. 11. 28. Who can open that door but Christ alone who can shut it and when he shutteth it no man can open Rev. 2. 7. Church Officers with their Churches may indeed bind and loose in earth remit or retain sins ministerially and declaratively but not effectually and regally Mat. 18. 18. John 20. 23. 2. Because men cannot take cognizance of the obedience or disobedience of Conscience it self within it self to their Laws nor can any humane testimony from without be produced how Conscience doth carry it in its internall acts God and Christ onely know and try the heart Jer. 17. 10. Revel 2. 23. No man knoweth what is in man but the spirit of man 1 Cor. 2. 11. 3.

example is shewed that abuses even in externals are by all means to be reformed in which matter godly Magistrates are to lend their help to the Ministers that as they by preaching so Magistrates may even by external repurgation remove those things which are repugnant to the regular worship of God But as for that Christ did it appertaineth not so much to his Priestly Office as to his Kingly Marlorate on the place from this that Christ as well by fact as word casteth out Temple abuses saith They are hence taught who have received authoritie from God in the Church how they ought by work as well as word to purge the Church Although they know the corruptions as superstition idolatrie and such like have taken deep rooting in the hearts of the wicked For therefore hath the Lord armed their hands that they might take chief care of his worship Master Dyke writing upon this fact of Christs purging the Temple and having declared how this fact of Christ was not imitable as Christ did thus as the Sonne of God he propoundeth this question how far forth this fact of Christ is imitable And Ainsworth men are either publick persons or private publick either in the Magistracie or in the Ministery As for Magistrates they being Christs Vicegerents as God in special manner the imitation of this fact belongeth to them For God hath given them the sword not to let it lie rusting in the scabbard but to strike and he hath put the whip into their hands to scourge withall c. Then he sheweth how Ministers in their way of preaching are to doe thus and then how private men in their way of prayer and sighings but not by other violence are to be doing this way Musculus upon Iohn 2d. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. upon that he found in the Temple as soon as Christ came into the citie saith he he visiteth the Temple This should be the first care of all godly ones not of Pastours onely but of all Magistrates whatsoever that the Kingdome and worship of God be sought after And upon that and when he had made a scourge of small cords he cast them all out together with the Sheep and the Oxen he observeth we see by this fact of Christ how distasteful they are and how unsufferable in the Church who under pretence of divine worship exercise merchandize Doubtlesse there were many other crimes by which God was commonly provoked and yet we reade not that Christ used like severitie against them but forthwith he casteth this loathsome plague of such Merchandize out of the Temple Who seeth not hence that those things which concern the Glory and Worship of God are not alone before all other things but with greatest severitie to be purged away and that not without cause since in these sinne is committed against the first Table and under pretence of Divine worship service is done to the Devil and to worldly lusts and beside the plague which ariseth here spreadeth into the whole body more speedily and dangerously then can be imagined Again let such who would have nothing done in a compulsive way against Idolaters and corrupters of Gods worship in the Church but thinke such as doe evil are to be intreated willingly to desist let such answer Why Christ did not here doe thus why he did not meekly request these merchants to carrie their Oxen and Sheep and money out of the Temple None say they are by force to be compelled to godlinesse be it so but are they not by force to be restrained yea and driven away who exercise gainfull trades in the Temple what shall we say that Christ here sinned God forbid he compelled them not to Pietie yet he casteth that merchandize out of the Temple Furthermore they have hence ground to change their opinion who teach that external evils in the Church are not to be taken away unless they be first taken out of mens hearts for according to this Doctrine Christ should first have cast that inward evil of covetousnesse out of the Jewes hearts and then have cast them out of the Temple but we see it quite otherwise in what Christ did here he cast these merchants out of the Temple although they kept their covetousnesse still in their hearts giving hence an example whereby he might teach us that publick evil is not to be suffered in the Church although it cannot be rooted out of mens hearts If any reply It is but vain to remove it out of the Church if it be not removed out of the hearts of men surely saith he Christ knew this well enough yet he did his office having made a scourge he hunted these dogs out of the Temple Snecanus in his Tract de Magistratu he maketh use of this example of Christs purging the Temple with a scourge in his hand to prove the Magistrates power now under the Gospel in matters of both tables Beza in his Tract de haereticis à Magistratu puniendis saith In or by what right did Christ twice take the Whip in hand both John 2. 14. and Matth. 21. 12 13. by what right did Peter kill Ananias and Sapphira by what right did Paul strike Elimas blind what by that of the Ecclesiastical Ministry surely no unlesse you would confound the Jurisdictions therefore by the right of the Civil Magistrate for there is no third Yet I acknowledge this power put forth by Ministers of the Word was in them extraordinary and the manner of exercising it after a sort divine but I prove that though the Lord doth not alwayes make use of the help of the Magistrates yet in all ages he doth make use of the Power whereof the Magistrate is the onely ordinary Minister according as himself seeth it meet for the preservation of his Church Now then if any object against this example as Imitable because Object 1 Christ did this as God or at least as the Messiah It is answered first That Civil Rulers are Christs Vicegerents Answ 1 considered as God and are therefore called gods Psal 82. 1 6. and said to judge for God 2 Chron. 19. 6. and called the Ministers of God Rom. 13. 4. the ordinary publick Avengers who are to take vengeance namely in Gods stead to whom alone vengeance doth belong so are they Christs Vicegerents as Mediatour as one that hath all power committed to him in earth as well as heaven Matth. 28. 18. and from him therefore as political head of his people Magistrates power on earth must come Prov. 8. 15 16. by me saith the essential wisdom of God Princes rule hence called King of kings and Lord of lords 1 Tim. 1. 16 17. Rev. 19. 16. yea he maketh Civil Rulers nursing Fathers and Mothers to his Church and so committeth his Church which Esay 49. 23. 1 Tim. 3. 15. is his house into their hands as those who in their civil officed way are every way to further its welfare What Christ did here immediately as an act appertaining

therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Whence it will necessarily follow First that it never cometh of God for any to desire to lead a quiet and peaceable life or to be let alone without any molestation from Civil Authority in any way contrary either to godlinesse or honesty the contrary desire being that onely which God here putteth his upon Secondly that civil Rulers by their Office and place now in the dayes of the New Testament are to looke to matters pertaining to Godlinesse whether Doctrinal or practical so far as acted by the outward man and appearing in outward view in their life or the like as well as they are in the like way to looke to the matters of honestie As he that is taught to pray that he may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godlinesse and Honestie prayeth that he may lead a life in all Godlinesse and honestie without which to pray for peace and quiet in any other life or to pray to be let alone unmolested in any ungodly or dishonest way of his life even but to aske leave and libertie to sinne So he that prayeth to the Lord for all that are in highest civil Authoritie as for Kings or the like for this end that he may live in all Godlynesse and Honestie quietly and peaceably he prayeth to God to cause the persons in such civil authoritie to further by their civil authoritie such an end to which under God they are an externall means and surely then he prayeth that persons in civil Authoritie may in such sort attend and look to matters as well of pietie as of honesty appearing in any acts or wayes of their subjects lives as that their subjects may in such godly and honest acts and wayes of their life and in no other injoy peace and quiet If this kinde of prayer here exhorted unto be in the matter according to Gods Will as it must needs be being what the Holy Ghost by part exhorteth unto It is then according to Gods own Will that civil Magistrates should Authoritatively see to it that their subjects lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godlynesse and honestie which quiet and peaceable life is not alone a life free from disturbance by persecution for any act or way of Godlynesse or honestie appearing outwardly but a life free from disturbance in any such acts or wayes of Godlinesse or honestie by any other open and manifest disturbers thereof whether such as by open violence combine together to hinder the Godly from meeting together publikely or privately to worship the Lord according to his mind or such as prophanely rise up in their Assemblies or Families and openly disturb them in that worship or interrupting them by unseemly and unconvenient gestures talking showting singing or the like or such as openly revile them rail upon them or at least rashly censure and condemn them and openly protest against them and the worship and wayes of God held forth and practised by them and by the rest of the Assemblies and Families of the Saints amongst them or take any other wayes undermining and striking at their quiet and peaceable living in all godliness or honestie The Greek words in this text 1 Tim. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are observable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that quiet of a Serene sea when free from turbulent winds and by proportion it is a quiet life in all godliness and honestie when not alone gusts of persecution disturb it not but when winds of false doctrines too as Eph. 4. 14. They are called are not suffered to molest and unsettle the same This then is the sum that the truly godly do even beg of God on the behalf of Magistrates that they may discharge their dutie in their authoritative care and indeavour that their Subjects may first lead godly and honest lives secondly Lead their godly and honest life in such sort as to be free from what ever may undermine unsettle or disturb their quiet and peace therein Touching the latter namely the Saints praises when such an end is attained we se it is in Ezras time they thankfully acknowledge it as put into their Rulers hearts not from Satan the world or the slesh but from the Lord himself to take such effectual and exact care of pure peaceable and comfortable carrying on the whole work of God committed to them Ezra 7. 25 26 27 28. verses compared Revel 11. 15. It is acknowledged to the Lords praise that the kingdoms of the earth are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that as v. 17. He taketh to him his Kingdome Now the kingdoms of the earth become Christs Kingdoms not alone when either the people thereof become godly or when their Rulers with them subject themselves as godly to Christs government in his Churches but when the Rulers who rule under Christ and by Christ doe rule likewise for Christ and by their civil power seek to suppress such as openly oppose or cross or attempt to subvert or pervert his royal lawes and blessed rules and institutions held forth in his holy word Surely where substitute Rulers doe rule for another they must needs be such as do authoritatively vindicate all injuries done to the lawes of their Soveraign So is it in the case of civil Rulers ruling under and for Christ It is indeed a mercy to the Saints and Churches of Christ when kingdomes in their ruling part give free libertie to hold forth and exercise the wayes of Christ but yet this is not enough to make it out all here spoken yet their Christ taketh to him his Kingdom or that such kingdoms be become thereby the Kingdoms of Jesus Christ for beside that such a toleration in case may put no more honour upon Christ then upon Antichrist For they may happily tolerate and often do tolerate in their dominions properly as well as the pure worship and wayes of Jesus Christ such a toleration of the purer wayes and doctrines of Christ may be yielded unto and allowed by the authoritie of kingdoms which professedly avow the Pope to be head of the Church and prefer the Decrees Lawes and Customes of the Church as they call it above the Lawes of Christ and by their secular power maintain the power and kingdome of the beast openly as doth the kingdome of France at this day and yet none will say that Christ hath taken to him his Kingdome in France or that France is become already the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Christ in any other way then in that general way in which all power in earth as wel as heaven is his which is not that at which that text Rev. 11. 15. looketh The like might be said of the Mahumetan kingdome of the Turks which professedly adoreth