with the Bishops that did set up Images in the Churches and if by the mixture be meant their assuming Ecclesiastical power I suppose these Objectors will not charge them with this it being to their great vexation that the Bishops especially the Bishops of Rome claimed and usurped authority over Emperors and Kings as he doth at this day to excommunicate them if they reconciled not themselves to them to depose them and many of the Emperors and Kings did contend against this usurpation in many sore Wars If by mixture of State be meant the assisting of the Popes to destroy the opposers of the Papacy I acknowledge it true that there were too many that did so But in this there was no mixture of civil Ecclesiastical power but rather a concurrence the Ecclesiastical keeping to themselves the judgment of Heresies and putting upon the secular power the execution of their sentence whereby they did debase the civil power in making it subservient to them but made no mixture of State Which appeared in that some of the civil powers that kept their civil government as before yet did oppose this usurpation in Popes and Prelates in making them their Executioners to destroy those who were judged Hereticks by them and therefore this act of theirs was the evil of those persons that did it but not of the civil Government it self 3. It is supposed that then the civil powers were the beast and a whore Which no doubt alludes to that which we read Revel 17. 1 2 c. of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters and v. 3. 7. the whore is resembled by a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast and v. 18. it is said and the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth Which few do deny to be meant of Rome some of the learned Papists themselves granting it to be meant of Rome though they would have it believed that Rome is so called the Whore while it was heathen not since it became Christian. Others there are chiefly Those of the Protestant Churches who do conceive by the Whore is meant Rome Papal as conceiving the descriptions ofher and her practises cannot be applied to Rome as it was Paganish or Ethnick Whether this or the other or any other opinion be right it is not needful now to discuss It is sufficient that the Civil Powers of Rome whether Ethnick or Christian or in a future estate cannot well be termed the Beast and a Whore too sith the text makes them distinct or if they may yet sure the Civil Powers are not the Whore sith it is said v. 2. The Kings of the earth have committed fornication with the Whore and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication therefore the Kings of the earth and inhabiters of the earth must not be confounded with the Whore And v. 16. It is said And the ten Horns who are ten Kings which had received no Kingdom then v. 12. And therefore not while Rome was Ethnick but after it's being Christian Which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire Therefore the Kings which are the Civil Powers are not the same with the Whore but though at first beguiled by her shall at last hate and consume her when they shall be undeceived 4. It is supposed that then the Power of Rome when adulterated from its pure Civil Estate became a mixt Antichristian state or a beastly Antichristian Power What is meant by Antichristian state or Antichristian Power is not easy to resolve It is true the Apostle John makes mention of many Antichrists that should come in the last time among which his words intimate that there should be a special Antichrist that they had heard should come 1 John 2. 18. And v. 22. He saith He is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son And ch 4. v. 3. He saith And every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And this is that Spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even already is it in the world And in his second Epistle v. 7. For many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh This is a or the Deceiver and an or the Antichrist which words seem to import that those erroneous seducing teachers whether gnosticks or other who were risen in that time when these Epistles were written were it is likely called Antichrists from their opposition to the true Doctrine concerning the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh-Nevertheless many of the ancients in after ages did often give hints of the expectation of Christians commonly entertained whether from St. Johns words or some other tradition that there would arise some more remarkable Antichrist who should whether by Power or deceit corrupt or infest the Church of Christ beyond what was done in his daies And this hath been imagined by some of them should be a Roman the same with the man of sin 2 Thes. 2. 3. That wicked or lawless one v. 8. the Beast Revel 13. 11. And the Whore of Babylon Revel 17. 5. which in many ages the great corruptions in the Popes of Rome and their Courts caused to be applied ever and anon by some or other of the best and learnedst of their times to the Popes and Papacy And since the time of Luther it hath been almost generally received by Protestant Writers of all sorts that the Popes and Papacy especially since Pope Boniface the third usurped the Title of Oecumenical Bishop as proper to his See and Gregory the seventh the Power of deposing Emperors and Boniface the eight the welding of both swords Civil and Ecclesiastical are the Antichrist Man of sin Beast and Whore of Babylon foretold that he should come by St. Paul and St. John And not a few very learned and sober godly men both of Bishops and Presbyters in England Ireland France and other Nations have asserted it by Preaching and writing and have made it one of their chief pleas for their refusing communion with and enmity against the late Bishops of Rome and the Papal Church although some of late have thought otherwise and have endeavoured to apply those passages to some other whether rightly or not I do not now determin Whence it hath come to pass that as the Papists who still adhere to the Bishop of Rome as Christs Vicar and St. Peters Successor swallow down all that comes from Rome be it never so vain and erroneous so on the other side those who have been induced by the arguments inforced from the places of holy scripture alledged to conceive that the Popes or Papacy or Roman Synagogue have been and are the Antichrist Man of sin Babylon the Whore therein mentioned have been apt to
of absolution merit Martyrdom and Heaven Answ I should not think it worth while to make any answer to this reason which proves that which is granted that the worshipping the Beast and his image the receiving the mark of the beast in his forehead or in his hand or the name of the beast or number of his name or the mark of his name makes men obnoxious to Gods wrath and proves not at all that which is to be proved that to have relation affection subjection to civil power or any of its appertainers is to worship the Beast and his Image to receive the mark of the Beast in the forehead or hand to receive the mark of his name his name or the number of his name but that I find this is made commonly the pretence of separations of every party and their oppositions thereupon Thus not only the Protestants separate from the Papists counting subjection to the Pope receiving the mark of the beast but also among Protestants dissenters term the practice they dislike and are averse from the mark of the beast whence especially the common sort who have most heat and least light as they are prejudiced so they inveigh against their opposites as the beast and the owning them as the re-receiving his mark So Brownists count any acknowledgment of Bishops receiving ordination from them using the Cross Surplice kneeling and such ceremonies as they injoin going to Common-prayer paying tythes being of a national or parish Church with many more things which they except against in Prelatical yea and Presbyterian and congregational government the worshiping the beast and receiving his mark which being got once into the heads of the common sort who usually talk much against that which they understand little inflames them with hatred against those they judge to be the beast and that which they think is his mark so as that without measure they inveigh against them delighting in satyrical scotts and jests put upon them in tales that disparage them are averse from any conference with them or hearing of them speak and altogether irreconcileable to them This fashion which heretofore was only used against Ecclesiasticks the Fifth-monarchy-men it seems have here taken up against the civil powers as useful for their demagogical design to affright the people and to hold them to their party But to shew the vanity of it it is to be observed that they apply the threatnings Rev. 14. 6 7 8 9 10. to the worshipping of the second beast described Revel 13. 11. and to the times near unto Christs coming now that beast by all the descriptions of it appears not to have gotten his power by the sword as civil powers have but by deceit as by pretended miracles v. 13. 14. whence he is termed the false Prophet Rev. 16. 13 14. which stirred up the Kings of the earth to make war against the Rider on the white horse Rev. 19. 19 20. the Whore with whom the Kings of the earth committed sornication Revel 17. 1 2. which being plainly expressed to be Rome or at Rome v. 18. cannot be applyed with any shew or colour to the civil powers of England or other Countries besides Rome especially the Protestants they being no Prophets nor using any arts or devices to draw men to the worship of the first beast or Dragon or to set up any forreign power but seeking to uphold their own civil power and requiring the subjects to renounce the Popes supremacy and power to depose them and therefore it is a most impudent false accusation to make the Protestant civil powers to be either the beast or the Kings that commit fornication with the Whore or the having relation affection subjection to them and their appertainers the worshiping the beast or his image or the receiving his mark name or number of his name But they say 6. We might also further add because the Civil power is that which enforces and compels the consciences and spirits of men to the Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon accordingly the great Harlot or Mystery of iniquity i. e. Antichristian worship and Church state rides upon the Beast Rev. 17. 3. that is she has the preheminence and makes the Beast use his sword for her advantage upon pain of excommunication curses and such like baubles Answ. The Beast which carrieth the Woman Rev. 17. 3 7. is said to have seven heads and ten horns and so is not the Beast with two horns like a Lamb Rev. 13. 11. but the first Beast Rev. 13. 1. of which they say That the Image Mark Name and Number of the Beast are of a later date than the first Beast and his ten horns and so consequently men in former generations might have worshiped the Beast and yet not his Image nor receive his mark c. But if the Beast might be then worshiped then might the Beast be worshiped when the Dragon gave him his Seat and Power and great Authority Rev. 13. 2. at which time they term the power of Rome the Ordinance of Hell p. 51. And if then the Civil power of Rome might be owned as the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. 1. when they compelled men to worship their Idols in like manner the Civil powers now should be owned as Gods Ordinance though they should compell men to the Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon which though idolatrous are not worse than the Pagan worship to which the persecuting Emperors did compell the Christians But however this Reason may give some colour for separating from those Kings and States which use the Roman Inquisition and force their Subjects to go to the Masse and to worship the consecrated wafer Cake which they call The Hoste and the Body of Christ and to acknowledge the Pope as the Head of the Universal Church the Roman Church as the Mother of all Churches which may be truly termed the Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon the mystery of iniquity the Antichristian worship and Church-state yet this doth not at all reach the Protestant Kings and Civil powers who do not enforce and compell men to these Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon nor support the great Harlot nor let her have the preheminence nor use their sword for her advantage nor regard her Excommunication Curses and such like baubles but use their power and sword against her deride her Excommunications Curses Indulgences and Threats and urge their Subjects to disclaim her jurisdiction and worship If any say that the Civil powers in England do compel men to be under Diocesan Bishops and Priests who have their succession and ordination from Rome and to be present at the Common Prayer which is nothing but the Masse translated out of Latine into English and to be members of a National Church which is Antichristian I answer that neither do the Bishops derive their succession from Rome nor is their consecration as the Roman with any oath to the Pope though Mr. Francis Mason have pleaded against
Champney the validity of their succession by the ancient Canons which the Papists allow nor are the Ministers ordained by the Bishops Priests to offer sacrifice for the quick and dead as Popish Priests nor hath the Common prayer Book the Sacrifice properly so called the adoration of the host invocation of Saints and other rites which make the Masse abominable nor is the Church of England made national as subject to the Pope or communicating with the Roman Church in the Trent doctrine and therefore are not chargeable with the Antichristian forms Church state and worship of Babylon nor the civil powers which require conformity thereto to be judged to compel mens persons to Antichristianism But perhaps we shall find Mr. Tillinghast arguing to better purpose That which I meet with as tending to the justifying of the Quinto-Monarchians way is in the 3. of the 8. sermons published since his death p. 57. of the 3. edition in which he tels his auditors that he did conceive it to be one great article of his and their faith that the work that God doth call his Children to at this day and he calls upon them from Heaven to attend to had been the work of Christs visible Kingdom over the world which he takes for granted nor in that do I at present oppose him though I do not assert such a visible Kingdom as he believes nor do I gainsay his distinction p. 59. Of two parts of Christs Kingdom one of the Stone the other of the Mountain used before by Mr. Mede but deny that in the Kingdom of the Stone the Saints are imployed in a glorious work for Christ to pluck down all that Jesus Christ when he comes may have his enemies his footstool and that the command is beat your Plow-shares into Swords intimating that in the time of this Kingdom there shall be wonderful use of Swords Weapons of War p. 60. But that which I oppose is his speech p. 63. And though this Stone Dan. 2. 34. fundamentally is Christ himself yet considered as smiting the great Image it can be no other but Christ mystical in his members and the cutting out of this Stone cannot be meant as some would have it of Christs first coming for these reasons first because the Kingdom of the Stone it doth arise in the dayes of the ten Antichristian Kings And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom What Kings are these These Kings are not the Four Monarchies for the Kingdom of God was not set up in the time of those Monarchies but in the fourth and last only and here is spoken of Kings in the plural Number those Kings therefore are the ten Antichristian Kings which are set forth by ten toes where the work begins and the first stroak is struck and are called the ten Horns in another place and in Dan. 7. Those ten Horns are interpreted ten Kings and in the time of those Kings the Stone is cut out they are the ten Antichristian Kings and if so the Stone cannot be so early cut out as the birth of Christ for that was long before the ten Antichristian Kings had being or existence in the world therefore the Kingdom of the stone must be cut out later Answ These Kings cannot be meant of any other than the Kings and Kingdoms which the Kingdom of the Stone shall break in pieces which are v. 45. the Iron the Brass the Clay the Silver and the Gold and not the toes only and therefore must be meant of the four Monarchies and not only of the ten Antichristian Kings And in the days must be understood Synecdochically one of them as when Jephthab is said Judg. 12. to be buried in the Cities of Gilead that is in one of them Jonah was gon down into the sides of the Ship Jonah 1. 5. that is one of the sides and of which Mr. Mede in his answer to Mr. Hayn hath given more instances and proved it to be meant of the last of those Kings which he determines to be the Roman against Mr. Haynes holding it to be the Kings of Alexanders Successors and that it must needs be referred to Christs incarnation or preaching which he shewes in his exercitation on Mark 1. 15. to have been by Christ himself signifyed when he said the time is fulfilled that is the time foretold Dan. 2. 44. And the Kingdom of God is at hand which the God of Heaven will set up The plural Number notes not the ten Horns for these Kings can be meant of no other than the four Monarchies or Kings which are mentioned in the plural Number not because the Kingdom was set up in all their dayes but in the dayes of the last into which the power of the rest came and by smiting of it they were all broken to pieces Secondly Saith he Because Daniel doth not see the Stone to smite until such time as he had a view and representation of the great Image in all the parts of it before him He saw it all come forth and exist in its state before the Stone smites therefore I conclude that the cutting out of the Stone was not until every part of it was come forth and was in being in the world But if so be we conceive the cutting out of the Stone to be as high as Christs coming then was the Stone cut out long before the last part of the great Image the Iron and the Clay was in being and if the Stone was cut out so long before then did the Stone lye still and not do its work for many hundred years for the very first stroke the Stone strikes is upon the feet of Iron and Clay which it could not do before they were in being Answ If the argument be good from the seeing together of all the parts of the Image to the coexistence of the things represented then all the four Monarchies should exist together because they were represented and viewed together which is absurd 'T is true the Stone was not cut out till all the Monarchies were in being yet it was cut out afore every state of the last Monarchy was in being The Stone is said to smite the Image in the feet not because it began not to smite till the last state and period of the fourth-Monarchy But because the former Monarchies were brought under the power of the fourth and rested upon the fourth as the head and other parts of the body do upon the feet and so by smiting it the Whore is cast down If this reason were good Christs Kingdom should not begin till every part or state of the fourth-Monarchy were existent and then the Saints should not begin to smite till the existence of the last of the ten Kings which is unknown to them and then he could not conclude it must be the work of this generation Thirdly saith he because Daniels smiting stone that he speaks of in the 2. ch and his Ancient of daies siting that
insufficient Rule to guide us to God about the Oaths of the King's Supremacy and Allegiance to him and upon that occasion somewhat an ample Treatise about Swearing asserting That under the Gospel there is yet a lawfull use of swearing being now debarred of other Ministerial imployment I have conceived it a necessary work to shew the weakness of those suppositions upon which the Quinto-monarchians have been drawn to such an hideous practice as that accursed action forementioned was § 2. The words of Quinto-monarchians expressing their Opinions about seeking Christ's Kingdom in this Age are recited THere was a Book printed made in the year 1656. as is noted pag. 18. bearing this Title The Banner of Truth displayed or a Testimony for Christ and against Antichrist being the substance of several Consultations holden and kept by a certain number of Christians who are waiting for the visible appearance of Christs Kingdom in and over the World and residing in and about the City of London In the first page of the Epistle Dedicatory are these words And truly it evidently appeareth that Rome and the Nations of Europe commonly called the Protestant but are the Antichristian Countries which are the streets of the Great City and Rome-Babylon are the Akeldama or Field of bloud And some pages after mentioning powers since the rise of the Beast with ten horns and ten crowns and their success it is said Now for that we apprehend that the present Generation in which we live is that time in which this great work of Reformation rending and tearing the very foundations of the Beasts Civil power up by the roots the fall of the tenth part of Rome's Dominions a great slaughter amongst the great men and implacable Enemies of Christ and the final result the Kingdoms of the world becoming Christ's possession will begin and that time in which the first dispensation of our Lord's Kingdom shall take place and that it shall not pass before these things be fulfilled Therefore we are against these Governments as now constituted and growing upon the old root of wickednesse and bitternesse that time out of mind have brought forth and produced nothing but bloud-Monsters and to Rule by those Laws that Bastards Tyrants and Conquerors have made for their Lusts sake in opposition to the Law and the Testimony Isay 8. 20. We cannot contend for any Government whatsoever that is of Mans erecting building and planting where any thing of this old Foundation may remain and be left and which good men moral men civil men may exercise upon a meerly civil accompt for all men as they are men have lost their rights and priviledges in respect of Government in the first Adam but Saints have regained them in the second Adam or Lord from Heaven and by force and vertue of mens Laws though but the best of those Laws those called fundamental so they are where no more righteous is found for the Lord will pluck up and destroy root and branch and the Lord will not have a stone of Babels confused building for a corner nor a stone for a foundation We cannot therefore but as in duty by our Allegiance to this King bound proclaim That Jesus Christ is the only lawful and true begotten Heir and lawful King and Potentate of these three Nations and of all the Nations of the Earth and as he is the seed of Abraham shall possesse the Earth yea and the very Gates of his Enemies and that the sole Legislative power of the Nations is and doth of right appertain and belong to him and shall be exercised by him Dan. 7. 27. Jer. 10. 7. Isa. 9. 6 7. Gal. 3. 16. c. Hence then it necessarily follows That those beast-like powers now in being in the world and those if any which shall succeed upon that bottom that Rebel-like will not assign their said power Crowns and Scepters to this great Monarch are and shall be deemed and adjudged Traytors and proceeded against accordingly by vertue of this Kings Laws And truly we are soberly and humbly bold in the Lord Jehovah's strength to assert That the Saints of the most High be they who or where they will and faithfull remnant are a people distinct from the world and formal Professors and are but Pilgrims and strangers in this state of affairs men of another Kingdom and World and are by themselves a Common-wealth and Free-State and therefore 't is to be desired from good and sound grounds that they would exercise that Royal Authority which God has given unto them and invested them with as they are Saints by calling And upon this accompt we humbly conceive that 't is lawful for them to use all honest and just means to defend themselves and offend their enemies and to contend against those that do or shall oppose them in their work and business which is according to the pattern shewed unto them in the Mount and Law of Christ ordained and declared throughout the Scriptures It is observable that we are even already arrived the overturning daies we mean those times in which God will begin to smite the Governments and powers of the great Image which is a little after expressed thus the total annihilation and subversion of all the powers of this World of what quality soever ruling either in Antichrists earth or civil State or in his Heaven or Christ-state by the first dispensation of Christs visible Kingdom which we have spoken of or that of the stone Hence it is that we bear a constant and publick testimony against powers as the subject of Gods displeasure and that which must be plucked up We expect the Gentile Saints shall begin this great work In the Book it self having p. 1. said They were resolved to proceed in their way of Consultation for the clearing up these matters of their faith and principles of their hope they thus write That there is oppression in the earth in all Nations as also in England at this present time is undeniable for no man can say that there is no oppression unless we will also affirm that there is no Dragon in power no Antichrist Beast Babylon Whore nor false Prophet which how absurd a thing it is let all judge But the Man of Sin is still in the Seat of Authority the Governments of these Nations are Antichristian therefore oppression is not ceased Neither will there be any lasting Cessation of cruelty untill the fifth Kingdom be set up when the whole Earth shall be at rest and the fourth Kingdom which divides it self into two Iron legs ten toes and a little horn be wholy destroyed in all the Laws Constitutions Governments and Reliques thereof for the Spirit and life that is in that Beast or Kingdom is the Spirit of the old Dragon who is the Devil and Satan that old Serpent whose seed do continually war against the Woman which is Christs Mystical body there being great enmity between them two p. 4. That dispensation which Jehovah by his
called ch 8. 10. The host of Heaven v. 24. The holy People or People of the holy ones ch 9. 15 16 19 24. Gods People and their City Jerusalem called by Gods name his Sanctuary the holy City ch 11. 28. 30. The holy Covenant ch 12. 7. the holy People Yea sundry of those that are much followed in this argument as Mr. Mede Comment on Revel 16. 12. do conceive that by the Kings of the East who shall have their way prepared for expedition against the Beast are meant the Jews And sundry Prophecies there are in the Old and New Testament which do seem to foretel the Kingdom to be restored to Israel according to the question Acts 1. 6. And therefore the more likely when they are converted to Christ if any Saints on Earth to be chief instruments of destroying Babylon which hath oppressed them Or that fourth Kingdom which hath been as strong as Iron and broken in pieces and subdued all 9. It is supposed that this smiting work is the work of this generation and to be begun by the pretended publick spirited Saints of this Nation Whereas Mr. Tillinghast himself Serm. 1. p. 25. saith the work of Christs Kingdom the glorious beginning of it it shall be about the time of the Jews coming in And indeed the coming in of the Jews shall be a very great advancement of this Kingdom I omit what Mr. Parker conceives of the Waldenses and others as long since beginning and carrying it on There is nothing yet appears but a violent heady presumptuous spirit in those persons who have thought themselves fit to begin the work nor in the times but the commotions that have been which gives colour to this supposition § 6. Quinto-Monarchians Hypotheses about the Civil Governments being from the Fourth Monarchy Rome and the Dragon are shewed to be groundless 10. IT is supposed That the Civil Powers that be are of old Rome or the Fourth Monarchy or as they speak growing upon the old Root of wickednesse and bitternesse or being a remnant of the old foundation which is their expressions in the Banner displayd p. 1. There will be no rest till the fourth Kingdom which divides it self into two iron legs ten toes and a little horn be wholly destroyed in all the laws constitutions Governments and reliques thereof p. 29. The fifth Kingdom which is Christs with its holy just and righteous Laws and Officers must arise with destruction to and stand up in the place of the fourth Kingdom and the Laws and Officers thereof shew to be the Laws Constitutions Governments and orders of the Roman Empire and they assert a Legislative Power to make Laws to govern the Nations only in Christ and his Laws and Officers only are to have place and in the Book entituled The Standard set up Printed 1657. p. 15. they say That the Scriptures being given by Inspiration of God with his Holy Spirit are the revealed will and Rule of this Legislator to be constantly owned and submitted unto in times of War and Peace as a constant standing Rule for the inward and outward man wherein are Laws Statues Precepts and Judgments for all cases conditions and actions of Civil Military and Spiritual concerns either in particular or more general terms For so they were to the Common-wealth of Israel the only type of the Lambs Government But these suppositions in a great part are notoriously false For the Government by King Lords and Commons as it is constituted in England is quite different from old Rome whether under the Caesars or Popes not derived from them but from the Saxons of Normans or some other of the ancient Rulers of this Island nor are the Laws of England by which it is governed in civil Affairs the Laws of the Emperors which are that which we call the Civil Law consisting of the Edicts and constitution of Roman emperors nor the Canon Law consisting of Popes Decrees and Decretals but the Common and Statute Laws of these Nations which he that reads the Chronicles of England the Writings of Sir Thomas Smith of the Common-wealth of England Mr. Cambdens Britannia Sir Edward Cookes Institutes the Preface of Sir John Davis to his Irish Reports the Book of Statutes may easily perceive to have another original and to be much different from them If there were no more but the daily practice of the Courts of Justice and the manner of choosing making Judges and Officers to refute this Calumny it were enough to shew the grosse falshood of this supposition And yet were the Laws and form of Government the same with old Rome they were not therefore Antichristian and we released from obedience to them For not only Christ and his Apostles required obedience to them but also S. Paul both made use of them and commended them Acts 16. 37. and 22. 25. and 25. 10 11 16. which if they had been Antichristian as they give out clamorously but ignorantly and to be opposed with greatest hatred doubtlesse they would not have done As for the other part of the supposition though we grant that our Lord Christ is the supreme Legislator and wherein he hath determined any thing his Laws are to stand in force above and against all constitutions and Laws of men yet we find not that Christ did or intended to make any particular Laws for thousands of things which pertain to Civil Government no nor for many things pertaining to Gods worship and Church-Government which yet require a determination by some Laws or Rules for good order to be kept thereabout When one of the company said unto him Master speak to my Brother that he divide the inheritance with me he said unto him man who made me a Judge or divider over you Luk. 12. 13 14. Nor did the Apostles or the Governors after them or Christians as such intermeddle with making laws or judging civil Affairs any farther than they were intrusted either by the Roman Governors or according to Christs appointment Matth. 18. 15 16 17. or the Apostles directions about composing differences between Christians 1 Cor. 6. 1. c. or the exercise of Ecclesiastical censure or miraculous power did require Though it is not to be denied that in aftertimes too much of this work was either commited by Christian Emperors or assumed by the Rulers and Governors of Christian Churches especially by Popes of Rome to the great detriment of Christianity As for the holy Scriptures though we acknowledge their sufficiency for a rule in matters of Faith and holy life in order to the end wherefore they were inspired of God to wit the honouring and serving of God and our own salvation yet we do not find in them sufficient Laws in particular for the governing of all civill Commonwealths but that Judges and Officers notwithstanding what we find in the books of Mâ—ses and the Prophets and other holy writings would be to seek how to pass sentence and to administer Justice in thousands of cases that