in His Church His spirituall judicature and executes this sentence in part at present and hereafter to all eternity Such a sentence no Civill Iudge can passe such a Death no Civill sword can inâ—lict I answer secondly Dead men cannot be infected the civill state the world being in a naturall state dead in sin what ever be the State-Religion unto which persons are forced it is impossible it should be infected Indeed the living the beleeving the Church and spirituall state that and that onely is capable of infection for whose helpe we shall presently see what preservatives and remedies the Lord Iesus hath appointed Moreover as we see in a common plague or infection the names are taken how many are to dye and not one more shall be strucke then the destroying Angel hath the names of So here what ever be the soule infection breathed out from they lying lips of a plague-sicke Pharisee yet the names are taken not one elect or chosen of God shall perish Gods sheep are safe in His eternall hand and counsell and he that knowes his materiall knows also his mysticall stars their numbers and calls them every one by name none fall into the Ditch on the blinde Pharises backe but such as were ordained to that condemnation both guid and followers 1 Pet. 2. 8. Iude 4. The vessells of wrath shall breake and split and only they to the praise of Gods eternall justice Rom. 9. CHAP. XXXIV Peace BUt it is said be it granted that in a common plague or infection none are smitten and dye but such as are appointed yet it is not only every mans duty but the common duty of the Magistrate to prevent infection and to preserve the common health of the place likewise though the number of the Elect be sure and God knowes who are His yet hath He appointed meanes for their preservation from perdition and from infection and therefore the Angel is blamed for suffering Balaams doctrine and Iesabel to seduce Christ Jesus His servants Rev. 2. Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. Truth I answer Let that Scripture and that of Titus reject an Hereticke and Rom. 16. 17. avoid them that are contentious c. let them and all of like nature be examined and it will appeare that the great and good Physitian Christ Iesus the Head of the Body and King of the Church hath not been unfaithfull in providing spirituall antidotes and preservatives against the spirituall sicknesses sores weaknosses dangers of his Church and people but he never appointed the civill sword for either antidote or remedy as an addition to those spiritualls which he hath left with his wife his Church or People Hence how great is the bondage the captivity of Gods owne People to Babylonish or confused mixtures in Worship and unto worldly and earthly policies to uphold State Religions or Worships since that which is written to the Angel and Church at Pergamus shall be interpreted as sent to the Governour and City of Pergamus and that which is sent to Titus and the Church of Christ at Creet must be delivered to the civill officers and City thereof But as the Civill Magistrate hath his charge of the bodies and goods of the subject So have the spirituall Officers Governours and overseers of Christs City or Kingdome the charge of their souls and soule safety Hence that charge of Paul to Tim. 1 Tim. 5. 20. Them that sinne rebuke before all that others may learne to fear This is in the Church of Christ a spirituall meanes for the healing of a soule that hath sinned or taken infection and for the preventing of the infecting of others that others may learne to feare c. CHAP. XXXV Peace IT is said true that Titus and Timothy and so the Officers of the Church of Christ are bound to prevent soule infection But what hinders that the Magistrate should not be charged also with this duty Truth I answer many things I have answered and more shall at present I shall only say this If it be the Magistrate duty or office then is he both a Temporall and Ecclesiasticall officer contrary to which most men will affirme and yet we know the policie of our owne Land and Country hath established to the Kings and Queens thereof the supreme heads or governours of the Church of England That doctrine and distinction that a Magistrate may punish an Heretick civilly will not here availe for what is Babel if this be not confusedly to punish corporall or civill offences with spirituall or Church censures the offendour not being a member of it or to punish soule or spirituall offences with corporall or temporall weapons proper to Delinquents against the temporall or civill state Lastly woe were it with the civill Magistrate and most intolerable burthens do they lay upon their backs that teach this doctrine if together with the common care and charge of the Commonwealth the peace and safety of the Towne City State or Kingdome the bloud of every soule that perisheth should cry against him unlesse he could say with Paul Acts 20. in spirituall regards I am clear from the blould of all men that is the bloud of soules which was his charge to looke after so far as his preaching went not the bloud of bodies which belongeth to the civill Magistrate I acknowledge he ought to cherish as a foster-father the Lord Iesus in his truth in his Saints to cleave unto them himselfe and to countenance them even to the death yea also to breake the teeth of the Lions who offer Civill violence and injury unto them But to see all his Subjects Christians to keepe such Church or Christians in the purity of worship and see them doe their duty this belongs to the Head of the Body Christ Iesus and such spirituall Officers as he hath to this purpose deputed whose right it is according to the true paterne Abimelech Saul Adonijah Athalia were but usurpers David Salomon Ioash c. they were the true heires and types of Christ Iesus in His true Power and Authority in His Kingdome CHAP. XXXVI Peace THe next Scripture brought against such persecution is Luke 9. 54 55. where the Lord Jesus reproved His Disciples who would have had fire come downe from Heaven and devoure those Samaritanesâ— that would not receive Him in these words You know not of what spirit you are the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them With this Scripture Mr. Cotton joynes the fourth and answers both in one which is this 2 Tim. 2. 24. The servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle toward all men suffering the evill men instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded and oppose themselves proving if God peradventure will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Divell who are taken captive by him at his will
I finde not a little in the Testament of Christ Iesus I finde the Church of Christ frequently compared to a Schoole All Beleevers are his Disciples or Scholars yea women also Acts 9. 36. There was a certaine Disciple or Scholar called Dorcas Have not the Universities sacrilegiously stole this blessed name of Christs Scholars from his people Is not the very Scripture language it selfe become absurd to wit to call Gods people especially Women as Dorcas Scholars Peace Some will object how shall the Scriptures be brought to â—ight from out of Popish darknesse except these Schooles of Prophets convey them to us Truth I know no Schooles of Prophets in the New Testament but the particular Congregation of Christ Iesus 1 Cor. 14. And I question whether any thing but Sinne stopt and dried up the current of the Spirit in those rare gifts of tongues to Gods sons daughters serving so admirably both for the understanding of the Originall Scriptures and also for the propagating of the name of Christ. Who knowes but that it may please the Lord againe to cloath his people with a spirit of zeale and courage for the name of Christ yea and powre forth those fiery streames againe of Tongues and Prophecie in the restauration of Zion If it be not his holy pleasure so to doe but that his people with daily study and labour must dig to come at the Originall Fountaines Gods people have many wayes besides the Universitie lazie and Monkish to attaine to an excellent measure of the knowledge of those tongues That most despised while living and now much honoured Mr. Ainsworth had scarce his Peere amongst a thousand Academians for the Scripture Originalls and yet he scarce set foot within a Colledge walls CHAP. CVIII Peace I Shall now present you with their 10. Head viz. concerning the Magistrates power in matters of Doctrine That which is unjustly ascribed to the Pope is as unjustly ascribed to the Magistrates viz. to have power of making new Articles of Faith or Rules of Life or of pressing upon the Churches to give such publike honour to the Apocrypha writings or Homilies of men as to read them to the people in the roome of the Oracles of God Truth This Position simply considered I acknowledge a most holy truth of God both against the Pope and the Civill Magistrates challenge both pretending to be the Vicars of Christ Iesus upon the Earth Yet two things here I shall propose to consideration First since the Parliament of England thrust the Pope out of his chaire in England and set downe King Henry the 8. and his Successours in the Popes roome establishing them supreme Governours of the Church of England since such an absolute government is given by all men to them to be Guardians of the first Table and worship of God to set up the true worship to suppresse all false and that by the power of the Sword and therefore consequently they must judge and determine what the true is and what the false And since the Magistrate is bound by these Authours principles to see the Church the Church officers and members doe thair duty he must therefore judge what is the Churches duty and when she performes or not performes it or when she exceeds so like wise when the Ministers performe their duty or when they exceed it And if the Magistrate must judge then certainly by his owne eye and not by the eyes of others though assembled in a Nationall or Generall Councell Then also upon his judgement must the people rest as upon the minde and judgement of Christ or else it must be confest that he hath no such power left him by Christ to compell the soules of men in matters of Gods worship Secondly concerning the Apocrypha writings and Homilies to be urged by the Magistrate to be read unto the people as the Oracles of God I aske if the Homilies of England contain not in them much pretious and heavenly matter â— Secondly if they were not 〈◊〉 at least many of them by excellent men for learning holinesse and witnesse of Christs Truth incomparable Thirdly were they not authorised by that most rare and pious Prince Ed. 6. then head of the Church of England With what great solemnity and rejoycing were they received of thousands Yet now behold their children after them sharply censure them for Apocrypha writings and Homilies trust into the roome of the Word of God and so falling into the consideration of a false and counterfeit Scripture I demand of these worthy men whether a servant of God might then lawfully have refused to read or heare such a false Scripture Secondly if so whether King Edward might have lawfully compelled such a man to yeeld and submit or else have persecuted him yea according to the Authors principles whether he ought to have spared him because after the admonitions of such pious and learned men this man shall now prove an Hereticke and as an obstinate person sinning against the light of his owne conscience In this case what shall the conscience of the subject doe awed by the dread of the most High What shall the conscience of the Magistrate do zealous for his glorious Reformation being constantly perswaded by his Clergy of his Lieutenantship received from Christ Again what priviledge have those worthy servants of God either in Old or New England to be exempted from the mistakes into which those gloâ—ious Worthies in K. Edwards time did fall and if so what bloudy conclusions are presented to the World perswading men to plucke up by the Roots from the Land of the living all such as seem in their eyes hereticall or obstinate CHAP. CIX Peace DEare Truth What darke and dismall bloudy paths doe we walke in How is thy name and mine in all ages cried up yet as an English Flag in a Spanish bottome not in truth but dangerous treachery and abuse both of Truth and Peace We are now come to the 11 Head which concernes the Magistrates power in worship First they have power say they to reforme things in the worship of God in a Church corrupted and to establish the pure worship of God defending the same by the power of the sword against all those who shall attempt to corrupt it For first the reigning of Idolatry and corruption in Religion is imputed to the want of a King Iudges 17. 5 6. Secondly Remissenes in Reforming Religion is a fault imputed to them who suffered the High Places in Israel and in Gallio who cared not for such things Acts 18. Thirdly Forwardnesse this way is a duty not only for Kings in the Old Testament but for Princes under the New 1 Tim 2. 2. Rom. 13. 4. Esay 49. 23. Neither did the Kings of Israel reforme things amisse as types of Christ but as Civill Magistrates and so exemplary to all Christians And here Reformation in Religion is commendable in a Persian King Ezra 7.
type out a Civill but a Spirituall Sword of the Christian Church No man should be bound to worship nor maintaine a Worship against his own consent Christs labourers worthy of their hire but from them that hire them What maintenance Christ hath appointed his Ministers in the Gospell Universities of Europe a cause of universall sins plagues yet Schooles honourable for Tongues and Arts. Christs church his Schoole and all Believers Scholars Who knowes but God may againe powre forth the gifts of Tongues Tongues attainable out of Oxford or Cambridge Mr. Ainsworth King Henry the 8. set downâ—â— the Popes chaire in England If the Mgistrate must punish in Spirituall 〈◊〉 he must 〈◊〉 be judge 〈◊〉 Spirituall causes also Apocripha Common-Prayer and Homilies pretious to our forefaâ—hers A case Reformations are fallible Bloudy conclusions 11 Head The argument from the Babylonian and Persian kings re-minded The president of the Kings and Governoâ—â—s of Israel and Iudah examined The state of Israel relating to spirituall matters proved typicall The Persian Kings make evidently against such as produce them for maintenance of the doctrine of persecution The Land of Canaan chosen by God to be the seat of the Church but under the New Testament all Nations alike The inhabitants of Canaans Land every soule to be put to death that the Israelites might enjoy their possessions not so now The very 〈◊〉 silver of Caraâ—aesâ— Images 〈◊〉 to be abhorred The Land of Canaan ceremonially holy Greater holynesse in the Antitype under the Gospel then in the types under the Law The Land of Canaan Jehorahs Land Emanuels Land so no Land or country more then another The Blasphe mâ—us titles of the Christned and Christian World The materiall Land of Caâ—aâ—n was to keep her Sabboths so no materiall land or Country now God feedeth his sometimes immediately The Jâ—bilee of Canaan a type of restitution and redemption in the Gospell Canaans land a type of 〈◊〉 Kingdome of God on Earth and in Heaven Why Naboth refused to part with a Garden plot to his King upon hazard of his life The difference of the people of Israel and all other Peoples The people of Israel the seed of one man Only made good in the Spirituall seed the regeneâ—ate or new-borne The people of Israel separate from all Nations in Spâ—â—â— all and in some Civill things No Nation so sâ—parated to God in the Gospel but only the new borne Israel that feare God in every Nation The whole people of Israel 〈…〉 of Egypt Not so any whole Nation now Popeâ—y not so easily turned from as iâ— conceived Wonderfull turnings in Religion in 12 yeares conpasse in England The Pope not unlike to recover his Monarchie over Europe before his downfall Who are now the true Seed of Abraham The people of Israel all holy in a typicall 〈◊〉 All Nations now alike since the comming of the Lord Jesus The children of Israel a figure of the Israel or people of God only uâ—der the Gospel The people of Israel 〈◊〉 rent from all the world in their figurative and ceremoniall worships Israel Gods only Church might well renew that Nationall Covenant and ceremoniall worship which other Nations cannot imitate The hypocrisies prophanations and slaughters which such imitation now in the Gospell produce The difference of the Kings and Governours of Israel from al Kings Governors of the world First they were all members of the Church Excellent Talents vouchsafed by God to unregenerate persons A doctrine contrary to all true Piety and Humanity it selfe The Papists doctrine of deposing Magistrates confessed in effect to be true by the Pâ—â—cestants No civill Magistrate Christian in Christs time Five demonstrative arguments proving the unsoundnesse of that Maxime The Church and Common-wealth are like Hypocrates twins Many flourishing States without a true Church Many of Gods people 〈…〉 from a true Church state Yet â—it for civill services Gods people permitted and favoured by Idolaters Christs church gathered and governed with out the helpe of an arme of flesh Christs true â—pouse 〈◊〉 and faithfull to Christ Jâ—sus in the 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉 from the World The 10 horns Revel 13. 17. The great mysterie of Persecution unfolded Christian Naboths slaughtered 2. Difference The mysterie of the anointing the Kings of Israel and Judah The Name Christian or Anointed A Sacrilegious Monopolie of the Name Christian. The Crown of Christs Kingly power 3. The Kings of Israel and Judah invested with aâ— Spirituall power David immeately inspired by the Spirit of God in his ordering of Church maâ—ters Salomons deposing Abiathar â— Kings 2. 26. 27â— discussed Salomon his putting Abiathar from the Priesthood examined A case put upon occasion of Abiathars case Another â—ase The liberties of Christs Churches in the choice of their officers A civill influence dangerous to the Saints liberties Jehosaphats â—ast examined If civill powers may injâ—yâ—e the time oâ— the Churches wâ—rship the may also forbid her times God will not wrong Caesar and Caesar should not wrong God The famous acts of 〈◊〉 examined Mâ—gistracy in generall from God the particular formes from the people Israel confirmed in a Nationall Covenant by revelations signes and miracles but so not England Henry 8. the first head and governour of the Church of England The wonderfull formings and reformings of Religion by Englands Kings Kings and States often plant and often pluck up Religions A Nationall Church ever subject to turne and returne c. A woman Papissa or head of the Church The Papists neerer to the Truth concerning the government of the Church then most Protestants The Kingly power of the Lord Jesus troubles all the Kings and Rulers of the Woâ—ld A twofold exaltation of Christ. The world â—â—oâ—meth at both A fourth difference Kings of Israel â—ypes They wore a double Crown The Saviours of the Jewes â—igures of the Saviour of the World The Monarchicall and Ministeriall power of Christ. 3 Great Competitours for the Ministeriall power of Christ. The Popes great pretenders foâ— the Ministeriall power of Christ. They also upon the point chalenge the Monarchicall also The second great pretender the Civill Magistrate 3 Great factions chalenging an Arme of Flesh. 1. The Preâ—aciâ— 2. The Presbyterie The Pope and Presbyteâ—iâ— make use of the Civill Magistrate but as of an Executioâ—er 3. Independents The Independents who come neerest to the Bishops The third competition of those that seperate Their neerer conformitie to Christ. The Churches of the Seperation ought in Humanitie and Subjects Libertie not to be oppressed but at least permitted â— Reasons proving that the Kings of Israel and Judah cannot have any other but a Spirituall Antitype Civill Types and figures must needs be answered by Spirituall Antitypes Civill compulsion was proper in the Nationall Church of the Jewes but most improper in the Christian which is not Nationall Neither Christ Jesus nor his Messengers have made the Civill Magistrate Israels Antitype but the contrary Civill Magistracie essentially civill and the same in
the principall Contents of the Booke TRuth and Peace their rare and seldome meeting Page 15 2 Great complaints of Peace 16 Persecutors seldome plead Christ but Moses for their Authour 17 Strife Christian and unchristian ibid A threefold dolefull cry ibid. The wonderfull providence of God in the writing of the argumentâ—s against persecution 18 A definition of persecution discussed 19 Conscience will not be restrained from its owne worship nor constrained to another 20 A chaste soule in Gods worship compared to a chaste wife ibid. Gods people have erred stom the very fundamentalls of visible worship ibid 4 Sorts of spirituall foundations in the New Testament 21 The 6 fundamentalls of the Christian Religion ibid. The comming out of Babel not Iocall but mysticall ibid. The great ignorance of Gods people concerning the nature of a true Church ibid. Common-Prayer written against by the New English Ministers 23 Gods people have worshipped God with false worships ibid. God is pleased sometimes to convey good unto his people beyond a promise ibid. A notable speech of King James to a great Nonconformist turned persecutor 24 Civill peace discussed ibid. The difference between Spirituall and civill state 25 Six cases wherein Gods people have been usually accounted arrogant and peace breakers but most unjustly 26 The true causes of breach and disturbance of civill peace 29 A preposterous way of suppressing errours 30 Persecutors must needs oppresse both erroneous and true consciences ibid. All persecutors of Christ professe not to persecute him ibid. What is meant by the Hereticke Tit. 3. Pag. 33 The word Heretick generally mistaken 34 Corporall killing in the Law typing out Spirituall killing in the Gospell 36 The cariage of a Soule sensible of mercy towards others in their blindness c. 38 The difference between the Church and the World wherein it is in all places 38 The Church and civill State confusedly made all one 39 The most peaceable accused for peace-breaking 40 A large Examination of what is meant by the Tares and letting of them alone ibid. Sathans subtletic about the opening of Scripture 41 Two sorts of Hypocrites 44 The Lord Iesus the great Teacher by Parables and the only Expounder of them 44 Preaching for conversion is properly out of the Church 45 The tares proved properly to signifie Antichristians ibid. Gods Kingdome on Earth the visible Church 46 The difference between the Wheat and the Tares as also betweene these Tares and all others 46 A civill Magistracie from the beginning of the world 47 The Tares are to be tolerated the longest of all sinners 48 The danger of infection by permitting of the Tares assoyled ibid. The civill Magistrate not so particularly spoken to in the New Testament as Fathers Masters c. and why 50 A two-fold state of Christianitie Persecuted under the Romane Emperours and Apostated under the Romane Popes ibid. 3 Particulars contained in that prohibition of Christ Iesus concerning the Tares Let them alone Mat. 13. 51 Accompanying with Idolaters 1 Cor. 5. discussed 52 Civill Magistrates never invested by Christ Iesus with the power and title of Defenders of the Faith 54 Gods people ever earnest with God for an Arme of Flesh. 55 The 〈◊〉 punishment of the blind Pharises in 4 respects ibid. The point of seducing infecting or Soule killing examined 57 Strange consusions in punishments 59 The blood of Soules Acts 20. lies upon such as professe the Ministrie the blood of Bodies only upon the State ibid. â—surpers and true Heires of Christ Iesus Page 60 The Civill Magistrate bound to preserve the boâ—â—s of their subjects and not to destroy them for conscience sake 61 The fire from heaven Rev. 13. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. examined 62 The originall of the Christian name Acts 11. 63 A Civill sword in Religion makes a Nation of hypocrites Isa. 10 64 A difference of the true and false Christ and Christians 65 The nature of the worship of unbeleeving and naturall persons ibid. Antoninus Pius his famous act concerning Religion 66 Isa. 24. Mic. 4. 3. concerning Christs visible Kingdome discussed ibid. Acts 20 29. The suppressing of Spirituall wolves discussed 67 It is in vaine to decline the name of the head of the Church and yet to practise the headship 68 Titus 1. 9. 10 discussed 69 Vnmercifull and bloody doctrine 70 The Spirituall weapons 2 Cor. 10. 4. discussed ibid. Civill weapons most improper in Spirituall causes 71 The Spirituall artillerie Eph. 6. applied 72 Rom. 13. concerning Civill Rulers power in Spirituall causes largely examined 73 Pauls appeale to Caesar examined 77 And cleared by 5 arguments ibid. 4 Sorts of swords 79 What is to be understood by evill Rom. 13. 4. 81 Though evill be alwayes evill yet the permission of it may sometimes be good 83 2 Sorts of commands both from Moses and Christ. 84 The permission of diverce in Israel Mat. 19. 17 18. ibid. Usury in the Civill state lawfully permitted 85 Seducing teachers either Pagan Iewish Turkish or Antichristian way yet be obedient subjects to the Civill Laws 86 Scandalous livers against the Civill state 87 Toleration of Jesabel and Balaam Rev. 2 14. 20. examined 88 The Christian world hath swallowed up Christianity 89 Christ Iesus the deepest polititian that ever was yet commands be a toleration of Antichristians 91 The Princes of the world seldome take part with Christ Iesus 93 Buchanans items to King James ibid. King James his sayings against persecution ibid. King Steven of Poland his sayings against persecution Page 93 Forcing of conscience a soule rape 94 Persecution for conscience hath been the launcet which hath let blood the Nations All Spirituall whores are bloody ibid. Poligamie or the many wives of the Fathers ibid. David advancing of Gods worship against order 95 Constantine and the good Emperours confest to have done more hurt to the Name and Crowne of Christ then the bloody Noroes did ibid. The language of persecuters 96 Christs Liâ—â—ies may flourish in the Church notwithstanding the weeds in the world permitted 97 Queen Elizabeth and King James their persecuting for cause of Religion examined ibid. Queen Elizabeth confessed by Mr. Cotton to have almost fired the world in civill combustions 98 The Wars between the Papists and the Protestants ibid. The Wars and successe of the Waldensians against three Popes 99 Gods people victorious â—ver commers and with what weapons ibid. The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted ibid. The nature of excommunication 100 The opinion of ancient Writers examined concerning the doctrine of persecution 101 Constraint upon conscience in Old and New England ibid. The Indians of New England permitted in their worshipping of devils 102 In 2 cases a false Religion will not hurt 103 The absolute sufficiencie of the Sword of the Spirit 104 A Nationall Church not instituted by Christ. ibid. Man hath no power to make Lawes to binde conscience 105 Hearing of the word in a Church estate a part of Gods worship 107 Papists plea for
toleration of conscience ibid. Protestant partiality in the cause of persecution 108 Pills to purge out the bitter humour of persecution ibid. Superstition and persecution have had many votes and suffrages from Gods owne people 109 Soul-killing discussed ibid. Phineas his act discussed 111 Eliah his slaughters examined ibid Dangerous consequences flowing from the civill Magistrates power in Spirituall cases 114 The world turned upside downe Page 114 The wonderfull answer of the Ministers of New England to the Ministers of Old ibid. Lamentable differences even amongst them that feare God 115 The doctrine of persecution ever drives the most godly out of the world 116 A Modell of Church and Civill power composed by Mr. Cotton and the Ministers of New England and sent to Salem as a further confirmation of the bloody doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience examined and answered 118 Christs power in the Church confest to be above all Magistrates in Spirituall things 119 Isa. 49. 23. lamentably wrested ibid. The civill Commonweale and the Spirituall Commonweale the Church not inconsistent though independent the one on the other 120 Christ ordinances put upon a whole city or Nation may civilize them and moralize but not Christianize before repentance first wrought 121 Mr. Cottons and the New English Ministers confession that the Magistrate hath neither Civill nor Spirituall power in Soul matters 122 The Magistrates and the Church by Mr. Cottons grounds in one and the same cause made the Iudges onthe Bench and delinquents at the Bar. 123 A demonstrative illustration that the Magistrate cannot have power over the Church in Spirituall or Church causes 124 The true way of the God of Peace in differences between the Church and the Magistrate 125. The tearms Godlinesse and Honesty explained 1 Tim. 2. x. and honesty proved not to signifie in that place the righteousnes of the second Table 127 The forcing of men to Gods worship the greatest breach of civill peace 129 The Roman Caesars of Christs time described ibid. It pleased not the Lord Iesus in the institution of the Christian Church to appoint and raise up any Civill Governours to take care of his worship 130 The true custodes utriusque Tabulae and keepers of the Ordinances and worship of Iesus Christ. ibid. The Kings of Aegypt Moah Philistia Assyria Niâ—â—vch were not charged with the worship of God as the Kings of Iudah were 131 Masters of families not charged under the Gospel to force all the consciâ—uces of their families to worship 132 Gods people have then shined brightest in Godlines when they have enjoyed least quietnesse pag. 134. Few Magistrates few Men spiritually good yet divers sorts of commendable Goodnes beside spirituall ibid. Civill power originally and fundamentally in the People Mr. Cotton and the New English give the power of Christ into the hands of thâ— Commonweale 137 Lawes concerning Religion of two sorts 138 The very Indians abhor to disturbe any Conscience at Worship 139 Canons and constitutions pretended Civill but indeed Ecclesiasticall ibid. A threesold guilt lying upon Civill powers commanding the Subjects Soule in Worship 143 Persons may with lesse sinne be forced to marry whom they cannot love then to worship where they cannot beleeve ibid. As the cause so the weapons of the Beast and the Laâ—â— be are infinitely different 146 Aâ—taxerxes his Dicree examined 147 The summe of the Examples of the Gentile Kings decrees concerning Gods worship in Scripture 149 The Doctrine of putting to death Blasphemers of Christ cuts off the hopes of the Iewes partaking in his blood 18â— The direfull effects of fighting for Conscience 151 Errour is confident as well as Truth 152 Spirituall prisons 153 Some Consciences not so easily healed and cured as men imagine 154 Persecuters dispute with Hereticks as a tyrann call Cat with the poore Mouse And with a true Witnes as a roaring Lyon with an innocent Lambe in his paw 155 Persecuters endure not tho name of Persecuters 156 Psal 101 concerning cutting off the wicked examined 158 No difference of Lands and Countries since Christ Iesus his comming ib. The New English seperate in America but not in Europe 159 Christ Iesus forbidding his followers to permit Leaven in the Church doth not forbid to permit Leaven in the World 160 The Wall Cant. 8. 9. discussed 161 Every Religion commands its professors to heare only its own Priests or Ministers 162 Ionah his preaching to the Ninevites discussed 162 â—â—aring of the Word discussed ibid. Eglon his rising up to Ehuds message discussed ibid. A two-fold Ministrie of Christ First Apostolicall properly converting Secondly Feeding or Pastorall pag. 162 The New English forcing the people to Church and yet not to Religion as they say forcing them to be of no Religion all their dayes 163 The Civill State can no more lawfully compell the Consciences of men to Church to heare the Word then to receive the Sacraments 164 No president in the word of any people converting and baptizing themselves 166 True conversion to visible Christianitie is not only from sins against the second Table but from false Worships also ibid. The Commission Mat. 28 discussed 167 The Civill Magistrate not be trusted with that Commission ibid. Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 1â— a figure of Christ Iesus in his Church not of the Civill Magistrate in the State 168 The maintenance of the Ministrie Gal. 6. 6. examined ibid. Christ Iesus never appointed a maintenance of the Ministrie from the iâ—penitent and unbelieving 169 They that compell men to heare compell them also to pay for their hearing and conversion ibid. Luc. 14. Compell them to come in examined ibid. Naturall men can neither truly worship nor mainteine it 170 The Nationall Church of the Iewes might well be forced to a setled maintenance but not so the Christian Church 171 The maintenance which Christ hath appointed his Ministrie in the Church 172 The Vniversities of Europe causes of universall sins and plagues yet Schooles are honourable for tongues and Arts. 173 The true Church is Christs Schoole and Believers his Scholars ibid. Mr. Ainsworth excellent in the Tongues yet no Vniversitie man 174 K. Henry the 8. set down in the Popes chaire in England 175 Apocrypha Homilies and Common Prayer precious to our forefathers ib. Reformation proved fallible 176 The president of the Kings of Israel Iudah largely examined 178 The Persian Kings example make strongly against the doctrine of Persecution 179 1. The difference of the hand of Canaan from all lands and countries in 7 particulars ibid. 2. The difference of the people of Israel from all other peoples in 7 particulars 183 Wonderfull turnings of Religion in England in twelve yeares revolution Page 185 The Pope not unlike to recover his Monarchy over Europe before his dowâ—fall ibid. Israel Gods only Church might well renew that Nationall Covenant and ceremoniall worship which other Nations cannot doe 187 â— The difference of the Kings and Governours of Israel from all Kings and Governours of the world
in 4 particulars 188 5 Demonstrative arguments proving the unsoundnesse of the maxime viz. The Church and Commonweale are liâ—e Hypocrates twins 189 Asacrilegious prostitution of the name Christian. 192 David immediately inspired by God in his ordering of Church affairs 193 Solomons deposing of Abâ—aâ—har 1 Kings 2. 26 27. discussed 194 The liberties of Christs Churches in the choice of her officers 195 A civill influence dangerous to the State liberties ibid. Jehosaphats fast examined ibid. God will not wrong Caesar and Caesar should not wrong God 196 The famous acts of Josiah examined ibid. Magistracie in generall from God the particular formes from the people ibid. â— Israel confirmed in a Nationall Covenant by revelations signes and miracles but not so any other Land ibid. Kings and Nations often plant and often plucke up Religions 197 A Nationall Church ever subject to turne and returne ibid. A woman Papissa or head of the Church ibid. The Rapists neerer to the truth concerning the governour of the Church then most Protestants 198 The Kingly power of the Lord Iesus troubles all the Kings and Rulers of the world ibid. A twofold exaltation of Christ. ibid. A monarchicall and Ministeriall power of Christ. 199 3 Great competitours for the Ministeriall power of Christ. ibid. The Pope pretendeth to the Ministeriall power of Christ yet upon the point chalengeth the Monarchicall also ibid. 3 Great factions in England striving for the Arme of Flesh. 200 The Churches of the separation ought in humanity and subjects liberty not to be oppressed but at least permitted 201 7 Reasons proving that the Kings of Israel and Iudah can have no other but a Spirituall Antitype 202 Christianitie â—â—des not to the nature of a Civill Commonweale nor doth want of Christianitie diminish it pag. 203 Most strange yet most true consequences from the Civill Magistrates being the Antitype of the Kings of Israel and Iudah ibid. If no Religion but what the Commonweale approve then no Christ no God but at the pleasure of the World 204 The true Antitype of the Kings of Israel and Iudah ibid. 4. The difference of Israels Statutes and Lawes from all others in 3 particulars ibid. 5. The difference of Israels Punishments Rewards from all others 205 Temporall prosperitie most proper to the Nationall state of the Iewe. ibid. The Excommunication in Israel 206 The corporall stoning in the Law typed out spirituall stoning in the Gospel ibid. The wars of Israel typicall and unparalleld but by the Spirituall wars of Spirituall Israel ibid. The famous typicall captivitie of the Iewes 207 Their wonderfull victories 208 The mysticall Army of white troopers 209 Whether the Civill state of Israel was presidentiall ibid. Great unfaithfulnesse in Magistrates to cast the burthen of judging and establishing Christianitie upon the Commonweale 210 Thousands of lawfull Civill Magistrates who never heare of Iesus Christ. 211 Nero and the persecuting Emperours not so injurious to Christianity as Constantine and others who assumed a power in Spirituall things ibid. They who force the conscience of others cry out of persecution when their owne are forced 212 Constantine and others wanted not so much affection as information of judgement ibid. Civill Authoritie giving and lending their Hornes to Bishops dangerous to Christs truth ibid. The Spirituall power of Christ Iesus compared in Scripture to the incomparable horne of the Rhinocerot 213 The nursing Fathers and Mothers Isa. 49. ibid. The civill Magistrate owes 3 things to the true Church of Christ. 214 The civill Magistrate owes â— things to false Worshippers 214 The rise of High Commissions 215 Pious Magistrates Ministers consciences are perswaded for that which other â—as plous Magistrates Ministers consciences condemn Page 215 An apt similitude discussed concerning the Civill Magistrate 216 A grievous charge against the Christian Church and the King of it 222 A strange Law in New England formerly against excommunicate persons ibid. A dangerous doctrine against all Civill Magistrates 223 Originall sin charged to hurt the Civill state ibid. They who give the Magistrate more then his duo are apt to disreabe him of what is his 224 A strange double picture 226 The great priviledges of the true Church of Christ. 227 2 Similitudes illustrating the true power of the Magistrate ibid. A marvelous chalenge of more power under the Christian then under the Heathen Magistrate 229 Civill Magistrates derivatives from the fountains or bodies of people 230 A beleeving Magistrate no more a Magistrate then an unbeleeving ibid. The excellencie of Christianity in all callings ibid. The Magistrate like a Pilot in the Ship of the Commonweale 231 The tearmes Heathen and Christian Magistrates ibid. The unjust and partiall liberty to some consciences and bondage unto all others 232 The commission Matth. 28. 19 20. not proper to Pastors and teachers least of all to the Civill Magistrate 233 Vnto whom now belongs the care of all the Churches c. ibid. Acts 15. commonly misapplied 234 The promise of Christs presence Mat. 18. distinct from that Mat. 28. 235 Church administrations firstly charged upon the Ministers thereof 236 Queen Elizabeths Bishops truer to their principles then many of a better spirit and profession 237. Mr. Barrowes profession concerning Queen Elizabeth ibid The inventions of men swarving from the true essentialls of civill and Spirituall Commonweales 239 A great question viz. whether only Church members that is godly persons in a particular Church estate be only eligible into the Magistracie ib. The world being divided into 30 parts 25 never heard of Christ. 240 Lawfull civill states where Churches of Christ are not ibid. Few Christians Wise and noble and qualified for affaires of State ibid. SCRIPTURES AND REASONS written long since by a Witnesse of lesus Christ close Prisoner in Newgate against Persecution in cause of Conscience and sent some while since to Mr. Cotton by a Friend who thus wrote In the multitude of Councellours there is safety It is therefore humbly desired to be instructed in this point viz. Whether Persecution for cause of Conscience be not against the Doctrine of Iesus Christ the King of Kings The Scriptures and Reasons are these BEcause Christ commandeth that the Tares and Wheat which some understand are those that walke in the Truth and those that walke in Lies should be let alone in the World and not plucked up untill the Harvest which is the end of the World Matth. 13. 30. 38. c. The same commandeth Matth. 15. 14. that they that are Blinde as some interpret led on in false Religion and are offended with him for teaching true Religion should be let alone referring their punishment unto their falling into the Ditch Againe Luke 9. 54 55. hee reproved his Disciples who would have had Fire come downe from Heaven and devoure those Samaritanes who would not receive Him in these words Ye know not of what Spirit ye are the son of Man is not come to destroy Mens lives but to save them Paul
the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2 Tim. 24. 2. That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle toward all Men suffering the Evill Men instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentanco that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of that snare of the devill c. According to these blessed Commandements the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdome be established Esa. 2. 4. Mic. 4. 3 4 They shall breake their Swords into Mathookes and their Speares into Sithes And Esa. 11. 9. Then shall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountaine of my Holinesse c. And when he came the same he taught and practised as before so did his Disciples after him for the Weapons of his Warfare are not carnall saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10 4. But he chargeth straitly that his Disciples should be so far from persecuting those that would not bee of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray Matth. 5. when they were cursed they should blesse c. And the Reason seemes to bee because they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat they who are now blinde may hereafter see they that now resist him may hereafter receive him they that are now in the devils snare in adversenesse to the Truth may hereafter come to repentance they that are now blasphemers and persecutors as Paul was may in time become faithfull as he they that are now idolators as the Corinths once were 1 Cor. 6. 9. may hereafter become true worshippers as they they that are now no people of God nor under mercy as the Saints sometimes were 1 Pet. 2. 20. may hereafter become the people of God and obtaine mercy as they Some come not till the 11. houre Matth. 20. 6. if those that come not till the last houre should be destroyed because they come not at the first then should they never come but be prevented All which premises are in all humility referred to your godly wise consideration Because this persecution for cause of conscience is against the profession and practice of famous Princes First you may please to consider the speech of King Iames in his Majesties Speech at Parliament 1609. He saith it is a sure Rule in divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed And in his Highnesse Apologie pag. 4. speaking of such Papists that tooke the Oath thus I gave good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience cause but onely desired to bee secured for civill obedience which for conscience cause they are bound to performe And pag. 60. speaking of Blackwell the Arch-priest his Majesty saith It was never my intention to lay any thing to the said Arch-Priests charge as I have never done to any for cause of conscience And in his Highnesse Exposition on Revel 20. printed 1568. and after 1603. his Majesty writeth thus Sixthly the compassing of the Saints and the besieging of the beloved City declareth unto us a certaine note of a false Church to be Persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are them that are sought the wicked are the besiegers the faithfull are the besieged Secondly the saying of Stephen King of Poland I am King of Men not of Consciences a Commander of Bodies not of Soules Thirdly the King of Bohemia hath thus written And notwithstanding the successe of the later times wherein sundry opinions have beene hatched about the subject of Religion may make one clearly discerne with his eye and as it were to touch with his Finger that according to the veritie of Holy Scriptures and a Maxime heretofore told and maintained by the ancient Doctors of the Church That mens consciences ought in no sort to bee violated urged or constrained and whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret meanes the issue hath beene pernicious and the cause of great and wonderfull Innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries of all Christendome And further his Majesty saith So that once more we doe professe before God and the whole World that from this time forward wee are firmly resolved not to persecute or molest or suffer to be persecuted or molested any person whosoever for matter of Religion no not they that professe themselves to be of the Romish Church neither to trouble or disturbe them in the exercise of their Religion so they live conformable to the Lawes of the States c. And for the practice of this where is persecution for cause of conscience except in England and where Popery reignes and there neither in all places as appeareth by France Poland and other places Nay it is not practised amongst the Heathen that acknowledge not the true God as the Turke Persian and others Thirdly because persecution for cause of conscience is condemned by the ancient and later Writers yea and Papists themselves Hilarie against Auxentius saith thus The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted And lamentable it is to see the great folly of these times and to sigh at the foolish opinion of this world in that men thinke by humane aide to helpe God and with worldly pompe and power to undertake to defend the Christian Church I aske you Bishops what helpe used the Apostles in the publishing of the Gospel with the aid of what power did they preach Christ and converted the Heathen from their idolatry to God When they were in prisons and lay in chaines did they praise and give thankes to God for any dignities graces and favours received from the Court Or do you thinke that Paul went about with Regall Mandates or Kingly authority to gather and establish the Church of Christ sought he protection from Nero Vespasian The Apostles wrought with their hands for their owne maintenance travailing by land and water from Towne to Citie to preach Christ yea the more they were forbidden the more they taught and preached Christ. But now alas humane helpe must assist and protect the Faith and give the same countenance to and by vaine and worldly honours Doe men seek to defend the Church of Christ as if hee by his power were unable to performe it The same against the Arrians The Church now which formerly by induring misery and imprisonment was knowne to be a true Church doth now terrifie others by imprisonment banishment and misery and boasteth that she is highly esteemed of the world when as the true Church cannot but be hated of the same Tertull. ad Scapulam It agreeth both with humane reason and naturall equity that every man worship God uncompelled and beleeve what he will for it neither hurteth nor profiteth any one another mans Religion and Beleefe Neither beseemeth it any Religion to compell another to be of their Religion which willingly and freely should be
beleeve in conscience to be the truth or for practising some worke which you beleeve in conscience to be a religious dutie Truth I acknowledge that to molest any person Iew or Gentile for either professing doctrine or practising worship meerly religious or spirituall it is to persecute him and such a person what ever his doctrine or practice be true or false suffereth persecution for conscience But withall I desire it may bee well observed that this distinction is not full and complete For beside this that a man may be persecuted because he holdeth or practiseth what he beleeves in conscience to be a Truth as Daniel did for which he was cast into the Lyons den Dan. 6. and many thousands of Christians because they durst not cease to preach and practise what they beleeved was by Goâ— commanded as the Apostles answered Acts 4 5. I say besides this a man may also be persecuted because hee dares not be constrained to yeeld obedience to such doctrines and worships as are by men invented and appointed So the three famous Iewes were cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to fall downe in a non-conformity to the whole conforming world before the golden Image Dan. 3. 21. So thousands of Christs witnesses and of late in those bloudy Marian dayes have rather chose to yeeld their bodies to all sorts of torments then to subscribe to doctrines or practise worships unto which the States and Times as Nabuchadnezzar to his golden Image have compelled and urged them A chaste wife will not onely abhorre to be restrained from her husbands bed as adulterous and polluted but also abhor if not much more to bee constrained to the bed of a stranger And what is abominable in corporall is much more loathsome in spirituall whoredome and defilement The Spouse of Christ Iesus who could not finde her soules beloved in the wayes of his worship and Ministery Cant. 1. 3. and 5. Chapters abhorred to turne aside to other Flockes Worships c. and to imbrace the bosome of a false Christ Cant. 1. 8. CHAP. IV. Peace THe second distinction is this In points of Doctrine some are fundamentall without right beleefe whereof a man cannot be saved others are circumstantiall and lesse principall wherein a man may differ in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part Truth To this distinction I dare not subscribe for then I should everlastingly condemne thousands and ten thousands yea the whole generation of the righteous who since the falling away from the first primitive Christian state or worship have and doe erre fundamentally concerning the true matter constitution gathering and governing of the Church and yet farre be it from any pious breast to imagine that they are not saved and that their soules are not bound up in the bundle of eternall life We reade of foure sorts of spirituall or Christian foundations in the New Testaments First the Foundation of all foundations the Corner-stone it selfe the Lord Iesus on whom all depend Persons Doctrines Practices 1. Cor. 3. 2. Ministriall foundations The Church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephel 2. 20. 3. The foundation of future rejoycing in the fruits of Obedience 1 Tim. 6. 4. The foundation of Doctrines without the knowledge of which there can be no true profession of Christ according to the first institution Heb. 6. The foundation or principles of Repentance from dead works Faith towards God the Doctrine of Baptisme Laying on of Hands the Resurrection and Eternall Iudgement In some of these to wit those concerning Baptismes Laying on of Hands Gods people will be found to be ignorant for many hundred yeares and I yet cannot see it proved that light is risen I mean the light of the first institution in practice Gods people in their persons Heart-waking Cant. 5. 2. in the life of personall grace will yet be found fast asleep in respect of publike Christian Worship Gods people in their persons are His most deare and precious yet in respect of the Christian Worship they are mingled amongst the Babylonians from whence they are called to come out not locally as some have said for that belonged to a materiall and locall Babell and literall Babell and Ierusalem have now no difference Iohn 4. 21. but spiritually and mystically to come out from her sins and Abominations If Mr. Cotton maintaine the true Church of Christ to consist of the true matter of holy persons call'd out from the World and the true forme of Vnion in a Church Covenant And that also neither Nationall Provinciall nor Diocesan Churches are of Christs institution how many Thousands of Gods people of all sorts Clergie and Laitie as they call them will they finde both in former and later times captivated in such Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Churches yea and so far from living in yea or knowing of any such Churches for matter and forme as they conceive now only to be true that untill of late yeares how few of Gods people knew any other Church then the Parish Church of dead stones or timber It being a late marvailous light revealed by Christ Iesus the Sun of Righteousnesse that his people are a Company or Church of living stones 1 Pet. 2 9. And however his own Soule and the soules of many others precious to God are perswaded to separate from Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Churches and to assemble into particular Churches yet since there are no Parish Churches in England but what are made up of the Parish bounds within such and such a compasse of houses and that such Churches have beene and are in constant dependance on and subordination to the Nationall Church how can the New-English particular Churches joyne with the Old English Parish Churches in so many Ordinances of Word Prayer Singing Contribution c. but they must needs confesse that as yet their Soules are farre from the knowledge of the foundation of a true Christian Church whose matter must not only be living stones but also separated from the rubbish of Antichristian confusions and desolations CHAP. V. Peace WIth lamentation I may adde How can their Soules be cleare in this foundation of the true Christian matter who persecute and oppresse their own acknowledged Brethren presenting Light unto them about this Point But I shall now present you with Mr. Cottons third distinction In point of Practice saith he some concerne the weightier duties of the Law as What God we worship and with what kind of Worship whether such as if it be Right fellowship with God is held if false fellowship with God is lost Truth It is worth the inquirie what kind of Worship he intendeth for Worship is of various signification whether in generall acceptation he meane the rightnesse or corruptnesse of the Church or the Ministry of the Church or the Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. And because it pleaseth the Spirit
of God to make the Ministry one of the foundations of the Christian Religion Heb. 6. 12. and also to make the Ministrie of the Word and Prayer in the Church to be two speciall works even of the Apostles themselves Acts 6. 2. I shall desire it may be well considered in the feare of God First concerning the Ministery of the Word The New-English Ministers when they were new elected ordained Ministers in New EnglaÌ„d must undeniably grant that at that time they were no Ministers notwithstanding their profession of standing so long in a true Ministry in Old England whether received from the Bishops which some have maintained true or from the People which Mr. Cotton others better liked and which Ministrie was alwayes accounted perpetuall and indelible I apply and aske Will it not follow that if their new Ministry and Ordination be true the former was false and if false that in the exercise of it notwithstanding abilities graces intentions labours and by Gods gracious unpromised extraordinary blessing some successe I say will it not according to this distinction follow that according to visible rule Fellowship with God was lost Secondly concerning Prayer The New English Ministers have disclaimed and written against that worshipping of God by the Common or set formes of Prayer which yet themselves practised in England notwithstanding they knew that many servants of God in great sufferings witnessed against such a Ministrie of the Word and such a Ministrie of Prayer Peace I could name the persons time and place when some of them were faithfully admonished for using of the Common prayer and the Arguments presented to them then seeming weake but now acknowledged sound yet at that time they satisfied their hearts with the practice of the Author of the Councell of Trent who used to read only some of the choicest selected Prayers in the Masse-booke which I confesse was also their own practice in their using of the Common-Prayer But now according to this distinction I ask whether or no fellowship with God in such prayers was lost Truth I could particularize other exercises of Worship which cannot be denied according to this distinction to be of the waightier points of the Law to wit What God we Worship and with what kind of worship wherein fellowship with God in many of our unclean and abominable Worships hath been lost Only upon these premises I shall observe First that Gods people even the standard-bearers and leaders of them according to this distinction have worshipped God in their sleepy ignorance by such a kind of Worship as wherein fellowship with God is lost yea also this it is possible for them to do after much light is risen against such Worship and in particular brought to the eyes of such holy and worthy persons Secondly there may be inward and secret fellowship with God in false Ministeries of Word and Prayer for that to the eternall prayse of Infinite Mercy beyond a word or promise of God I acknowledge when yet as the distinction saith in such worship not being right fellowship with God is lost and such a service or ministration must be lamented and forsaken Thirdly I observe that Gods people may live and die in such kindes of worship notwithstanding that light from God publikely and privately hath beene presented to them able to convince yet not reaching to their conviction and forsaking of such wayes contrary to a conclusion afterward exprest to wit That fundamentals are so cleere that a man cannot but be convinced in Conscience and therefore that such a person not being convinced he is condemned of himselfe and may be persecuted for sinning against his conscience Fourthly I observe that in such a maintaining a clearnesse of fundamentals or waightier points and upon that ground a persecuting of men because they sinne against their consciences Mr. Cotton measures that to others which himselfe when he lived in such practices would not have had measured to himselfe As first that it might have beene affirmed of him that in such practices he did sinne against his conscience having sufficient light shining about him Secondly that hee should or might lawfully have beene cut off by death or banishment as an Hereticke sinning against his owne conscience And in this respect the Speech of King Iames was notable to a great Non-conformitant converted as is said by King Iames to conformity and counselling the King afterward to persecute the Non-conformists evâ—n unto death Thou Beast quoth the King if I had dealt so with thee in thy non-conformity where hadst thou beene CHAP. VI. Peace THe next distinction concerning the manner of persons holding forth the aforesaid practices not onely the waightier duties of the Law but points of doctrine and worship lesse principall Some saith he hold them forth in a meeke and peaceable way some with such arrogance and impetuousnesse as of it selfe tendeth to the disturbance of civill peace Truth In the examination of this distinction we shall discusse First what is civill Peace wherein we shall vindicate thy name the better Secondly what it is to hold forth a Doctrine or Practice in this impetuousnesse or arrogancy First for civill peace what is it but pax civitatis the peace of the Citie whether an English City Scotch or Irish Citie or further abroad French Spanish Turkish City c. Thus it pleased the Father of Lights to define it Iorem. 29. 7. Pray for the peace of the City which peace of the City or Citizens so compacted in a civill way of union may be intire unbroken safe c. notwithstanding so many thousands of Gods people the Iewes were there in bondage and would neither be constrained to the worship of the Citie Babell nor restrained from so much of the worship of the true God as they then could practice as in plaine in the practice of the 3 Worthies Shadrach Misach and Abednego as also of Daniel Dan. 3. Dan. 6. the peace of the City or Kingdome being a far different Peace from the Peace of the Religion or Spirituall Worship maintained professed of the Citizens This Peace of their Worship which worship also in some Cities being various being a false Peace Gods people were and ought to be Nonconformitants not daring either to be restrained from the true or constrained to false Worship and yet without breach of the Civill or Citie-peace properly so called Peace Hence it is that so many glorious and flourishing Cities of the World maintaine their Civill peace yea the very Americans wildest Pagans keep the peace of their Towns or Cities though neither in one nor the other can any man prove a true Church of God in those places and consequently no spirituall and heavenly peace The Peace spirituall whether true or false being of a higher and farre different nature from the Peace of the place or people being meerly and essentially civill and humane Truth O how lost are the
civill sword I have at large there answered CHAP. LXIX Peace IN the next place he selecteth one passage out of Hilarie although there are many golden passages there exprest against the use of Civill Earthly Powers in the Affaires of Christ. The passage is this It is true also what he saith that neither the Apostles nor We may propogate Christian Religion by the Sword but if Pagans cannot he won by the Word they are not to be compelled by the Sword Neverthelesse this hindreth not saith he but if they or any other should blaspheme the true God and his true Religion they ought to be severely punished and no lesse doe they deserve if they seduce from the Truth to damnable Heresie or Idolatrie Truth In which Answer I observe first his Agreement with Hilarie that the Christian Religion may not be propagated by the Civill Sword Unto which I reply and aske then what meanes this passage in his first answer to the former speeches of the Kings viz. We acknowledge that none is to be constrained to beleeve or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in judgement of the Truth of it implying 2 things First that the Civill Magistrate who is to constraine with the Civill Sword must judge all the Consciences of their Subjects whether they be convinced or no. Secondly when the Civill Magistrate discerns that his Subjects consciences are convinced then he may constraine them vi armiâ— hostily And accordingly the Civill State and Magistracie judging in spirituall things who knowes not what constraint lies upon all consciences in Old and New England to come to Church and pay Church duties which is upon the point though with a sword of a finer gilt and trim in New England nothing else but that which he confesseth Hilarie saith true should not be done to wit a propagation of Religion by the Sword Againe although he confesseth that propagation of Religion ought not to be by the sword yet he maintaineth the use of the sword when persons in the judgement of the Civill State for that is implied blaspheme the true God and the true Religion and also seduce others to damnable Heresie and Idolatrie Which because he barely affirmeth in this place I shall defer my Answer unto the after Reasons of Mr Cotton and the Elders of New English Churches where Scriptures are alleadged and in that place by Gods assistance they shall be examined and answered CHAP. LXX Peace THe Answerer thus proceeds Your next Writer is Tertullian who speaketh to the same purpose in the place alleadged by you His intent is only to restraine Scapula the Roman Governour of Africa from persecuting the Christians for not offering sacrifice to their Gods and for that end fetcheth an Argument from the Law of Naturall equity not to compell any to any Religion but permit them to believe or not to believe at all Which we acknowledge and accordingly we judge the English may permit the Indians to continue in their unbeliefe neverthelesse it will not therefore be lawfull to tolerate the worship of Devils or Idols to the seduction of any from the Truth Truth Answ. In this passage he agrees with Tertullian and gives instance in America of the English permitting the Indians to continue in their unbeleefe yet withall he affirmeth it not lawfull to tolerate worshipping of Devils or seduction from the Truth I answer that in New England it is well known that they not onely permit the Indians to continue in their unbeliefe which neither they nor all the Ministers of Christ on Earth nor Angels in Heaven can helpe not being able to worke beleefe but they also permit or tolerate them in their Paganish worship which cannot be denied to be a worshipping of Devils as all false Worship is And therefore consâ—quently â—ccording to the same practice did they walke by Rule and impartially not onely the Indians but their Countrymen French Dutch Spanish Persians Turkes Iewes c. should also be permitted in their Worships if correspondent in civill obedience Peace He addes further when Tertullian saith That another mans Religion neither hurteth nor profiteth any It must be understood of private worship and Religion professed in private otherwise a false Religion professed by the members of the Church or by such as have given their names to Christ will be the ruine and desolation of the Church as appeareth by the threats of Christ to the Churchesâ— Revel 2. Truth I answer passing by that unsound distinction of members of the Church or those that have given their Names to Christ which in point of visible profession and Worship will appeare to be all one it is plaine First that Tertullian doth not there speake of private but of publike Worship and Religion Secondly Although it be true in a Church of Christ that a false Religion or Worship permitted will hurt according to those threats of Christ Revel 2. Yet in 2 cases I believe a false Religion will not hurt which is most like to have been Tertullians meaning First a false Religion out of the Church will not hurt the Church no more then weedes in the Wildernesse hurt the inclosed Garden or poyson hurt the body when it is not touched or taken yea and antidotes are received against it Secondly a false Religion and Worship will not hurt the Civill State in case the worshippers breake no civill Law and the Answerer elswhere acknowledgeth that the civill Lawes not being broken civill Peace is not broken and this only is the Point in Question CHAP. LXXI Peace YOur next Authour saith he Ierome crosseth not the Truth nor advantageth your Cause for we grant what he saith that Heresie must be cut off with the sword of the Spirit but this hinders not but being so cut downâ— if the Heretick will persist in his Heresie to the seduction of others he may be cut off also by the Civill Sword to prevent the perdition of others And that to be Ieromes meaning appeareth by his note upon that of the Apostle A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Therefore saith he a sparke as soon as it appeareth is to be extinguished and the leaven to be removed from the rest of the dough Rotten pieces of flesh are to be cut off and a scabbed beast is to be driven from the sheepfold lest the whole House Body masse of Dough and Flock be set on fire with the sparke be putrified with the rotten slesh sowred with the leaven perish by the scabbed beast Truth I answer first he granteth to Tertullian that Heresie must be cut off with the sword of the Spirit yet withall he maintaineth a cutting off by a second sword the sword of the Magistrate and conceiveth that Tertullian so meanes because he quoteth that of the Apostle A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Answ. It is no Argument to prove that Tertullian meant a civill sword by alleadging 1 Cor. 5. or Gal. 5. which properly and only
appâ—ove a cutting off by the sword of the Spirit in the Church and the purging out of the leaven in the Church in the Cities of Corinth and Galatia And if Tertullian should so meane as himselfe doth yet First that grant of his that Heresie must be cut off with the sword of the Spirit implies an absolute sufficiencie in the sword of the Spirit to cut it down according to that mighty operation of Spirituall weapons 2 Cor. 10. 4. powerfully sufficient either to convert the Heretick to God and subdue his very thoughts into subjection to Christ or else spiritually to slay and execute him Secondly it is cleare to be the meaning of the Apostle and of the Spirit of God not there to speake to the Church in Corinth or Galatia or any other Church concerning any other dough or house or body or â—lock but the dough the body the house the â—lock of Christ his Church Out of which such spaâ—ks such leaven such rotten slesh and scabbed sheep are to be avoided Nor could the eye of this worthy Answerer ever be so obscured as to run to a Smiths shop for a Sword of iron and steale to helpe the Sword of the Spirit if the Sun of Righteousnesse had once been pleased to shew him that a Nationall Church which elsewhere he professeth against a state Church whether explicite as in Ola England or implicite as in New is not the Institution of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Nationall typicall State-Church of the Iewes necessarily called for such weapons but the particular Churches of Christ in all parts of the World consisting of Iewes or Gentiles is powerfully able by the sword of the Spirit to defend it selfe and â—ffend Men or Devils although the Statâ— or Kingdome wherein such a Church or Churches of Christ are gathered have neither carnall speare nor sword c. as once it was in the Nationall Church of the Land of Canaan CHAP. LXXII Peace BReutius whom you next quote saith he speaketh not to your cause Wee willingly grant you that man hath no power to make Lawes to binde conscience but this hinders not but men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe binde conscience Truth I answer In granting with Breutius that man hath not power to make Lawes to binde conscience hee overthrowes such his tenent and practice as restraine men from their Worship according to their Conscience and beleefe and constraine them to such worships though it bee out of a pretence that they are convinced which their owne soules tell them they have no satisfaction nor faith in Secondly whereas he affirmeth that men may make Lawes to see the Lawes of God observed I answer as God needeth not the helpe of a materiall sword of steele to assist the sword of the Spirit in the affaires of conscience so those men those Magistrates yea that Commonwealth which makes such Magistrates must needs have power and authority from Christ Iesus to sit Iudge and to determine in all the great controversies concerning doctrine discipline government c. And then I aske whether upon this ground it must not evidently follow that Either there is no lawfull Commonwealth nor civill State of men in the world which is not qualified with this spirituall discerning and then also that the very Commonweale hath more light concerning the Church of Christ then the Church it selfe Or that the Commonweale and Magistrates thereof must judge and punish as they are perswaded in their owne beleefe and conscience be their conscience Paganish Turkish or Antichristian what is this but to confound Heaven and Earth together and not onely to take away the being of Christianity out of the World but to take away all civility and the world out of the world and to lay all upon heapes of confusion CHAP. LXXIII Peace THe like answer saith he may bee returned to Luther whom you next alledge First that the government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of their subjects not over their soules and therefore they may not undertake to give Lawes unto the soules and consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the truth for this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted not compelled But this saith hee hindreth not that Christians sinning against light of faith and conscience may justly be censured by the Church with excommunication and by the civill sword also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules Truth I answer in this joynt confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of their subjects not over their soules who sees not what a cleare testimony from his own mouth and pen is given to wit that either the Spirituall and Church estate the preaching of the Word and the gathering of the Church the Baptisme of it the Ministry Government and Administrations thereof belong to the civill body of the Commonweale that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemes monstrous to imagine Or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his office meddle with those spirituall affaires Againe necessarily must it follow that these two are contradictory to themselves to wit The Magistrate power extends no further then the bodies and goods of the subject and yet The Magistrates must punish Christians for sinning against the light of faith and conscience and for corrupting the soules of men The Father of Lights make this worthy Answerer and all that feare him to see their wandring in this case not only from his feare but also from the light of Reason it selfe their owne convictions and confessions Secondly in his joint confession with Luther that the Church doth not use the secular power to compell men to the Faith and Profession of the truth he condemneth as before I have observed First his former Implication vizâ— that they may bee compelled when they are convinced of the truth of it Secondly their owne practice who suffer no man of any different conscience and worship to live in their jurisdiction except that he depart from his owne exercise of Religion and Worship differing from the worship allowed of in the civill State yea and also actually submit to come to their Church Which howsoever it is coloured over with this varnish viz. that men are compelled no further then unto the hearing of the word unto which all men are bound yet it will appeare that teaching and being taught in a Church estate is a Church worship as true and proper a Church worship as the Supper of the Lord Act. 2. 46. Secondly all persons Papist and Protestant that are conscientious have alwayes suffered upon this ground especially that they have refused to come to
Conviction and any other scandalous and heynous offender may be tolerated either in the Church without Excommunication or in the Common-weale without such punishment as may preserve others from dangerous and damnable infection CHAP. LXXIX Truth I Here observe the Answerers partiality that none but such as truly feare God should enjoy Libertie of Conscience whence the Inhabitants of the World must either come into the estate of men fearing God or else dissemble a Religion in hypocrisie or else be driven out of the World One must follow The first is only the gift of God the second and third are too commonly practised upon this ground Againe since there is so much controversie in the World where the name of Christ is taken up concerning the true Church the Ministrie and Worship and who are those that truly feare God I aske who shall judge in this case who be they that feare God It must needs be granted that such as have the power of suffring or not suffring such Consciences must judge and then must it follow as before I intimated that the Civill State must judge of the truth of the Spirituall and then Magistrates fearing or not fearing God must judge of the feare of God also that their judgement or sentence must be according to their conscience of what Religion soever Or that there is no lawfull Magistrate who is not able to judge in such cases And lastly that since the Soveraigne power of all Civill Authority is founded in the consent of the People that every Common-weale hath radically and fundamentally in it a power of true discerning the true feare of God which they transfer to their Magistrates and Officers Or else that there are no lawfull Kingdomes Cities or Townes in the World in which a man may live and unto whose Civill Government he may submit and then as I said before there must be no World nor is it lawfull to live in it because it hath not a true discerning Spirit to judge them that feare or not feare God Lastly although this worthy Answerer so readily grants that Libertie of Conscience should be suffred to them that feare God indeed yet we know what the Ministers of the Churches of new-New-England wrote in answer to the 3 Question sent to them by some Ministers of Old England viz. that although they confest them to be such persons whom they approved of far above themselves yea who were in their hearts to live and die together yet if they and other godly people with them comming over to them should differ in Church constitution they then could not approve their Civill cohabitation with them and consequently could not advise the Magistrates to suffer them to enjoy a Civill being within their Iurisdiction Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth yea let the Heavens be astonished and the Earth tremble at such an Answer as this from such excellent men to such whom they esteeme for godlinesse above themselves CHAP. LXXIX Peace YEa but they say they doubt not if they were there but they should agree for say they either you will come to us or you may shew us light to come to you for we are but weak men and dreame not of perfection in this life Truth Alas who knowes not what lamentable differences have beene betweene the same Ministers of the Church of England some conforming others leaving their livings friends country life rather then conforme when others againe of whose personall godlinesse it is not questioned have succeeded by conformity into such forsaken so called Livings How great the present differences even amongst them that feare God concerning Faith Iustification and the evidence of it concerning Repentance and godly sorrow as also and mainly concerning the Church the Matter Forme Administration and Government of it Let none now thinke that the passage to New England by Sea or the nature of the Countrey can doe what onely the Key of David can doe to wit open and shut the Consciences of men Beside how can this bee a faithfull and upright acknowledgement of their weaknesse and imperfection when they preach print and practise such violence to the soules and bodies of others and by their Rules and Grounds ought to proceed even to the killing of those whom they judge so deare unto them and in respect of godlinesse far above themselves CHAP. LXXX Peace YEa but say they the godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience c. Truth Sweet Truth if the Civill Court and Magistracy must judge as before I have writâ—en and those Civill Courts are as lawfull consisting of naturall men as of godly persons then what consequences necessarily will â—ollow I have before mentioned And I adde according to this conclusion it must follow that if the most godly persons yeeld not to once or twice Admonition as is maintained by the Answerer they must necessarily be esteemed obseinate persons for if they were godly saith he they would yeeld Must it not then be said as it was by one passing sentence of Banishment upon some whose godlinesse was acknowledged that he that commanded the Iudge not to respect the poore in the cause of judgement commands him not to respect the holy or the godly person Hence I could name the place and time when a godly man a most desirable person for his trade c. yet something different in conscience propounded his willingnesse and desire to come to dwell in a certaine Towne in New England it was answered by the Chiefe of the place This man differs from us and wee desire not to be troubled So that in conclusion for no other reason in the world the poore man though godly usefull and peaceable could not be admitted to a Civill Being and Habitation on the Common Earth in that Wildernesse amongst them The latter part of the Answer concerning the Hereticke or obstinate person to be excommunicated and the scandalous offender to be punished in the Commonweale which neither of both come neere our Question I have spoken I feare too largely already Peace Mr. Cotton concludes with a confident perswasion of having removed the grounds of that great errour viz. that persons are not to be persecuted for cause of conscience Truth And I beleeve deare Peace it shall appear to them that with feare and trembling at the word of the Lord examine these passages that the charge of errour reboundeth backe even such an errour as may well bee called the bloody tenent so directly contradicting the spirit and minde and practice of the Prince of Peace so deeply guilty of the blood of soules compelled and forced to â—â—ypocrisie in a spirituall and soule rape so deeply guilty of the blood of the Soules under the Altar persecuted in all ages for the cause of Conscience and so destructive to the civill peace and welfare of all Kingdomes Countries and Commonwealths CHAP. LXXXI Peace TO this Conclusion deare Truth
then say the case is not alike for when the Lord appointed the Government of Israel after the rejection of Saul to establish a Covenant of succession in the type unto Christ let it bee minded what patterne and president it pleased the Lord to set for the after Kings of Israel and Iudah in David the man after His owne Heart But now the Lord Iesus being come Himselfe and having fulfilled the former types and dissolved the Nationall State of the Church and established a more Spirituall way of worship all the World over and appointed a Spirituall government and governours it is well knowne what the Roman Caesars were under whom both Christ Iesus Himselfe and his Servants after him lived and suffered so that if the Lord Iesus had appointed any such Deputies as we finde not a tittle to that purpose nor have a shadow of true reason so to thinke he must I say in the very first institution have pitched upon such persons for these Custodes utriâ—â—que Tabulae keâ—pers of both Tables as no man wiâ—e or faithfull or loving would have choâ—en in any of the former Instances or cases of a more inferiour nature Beside to that great pretence of Israel I have largely spoken toâ— Secondly I aske how could the Roman Caesars or any Civill Magistrates be custâ—des keepers of the Church and worship of God when as the Authours of these positions acknowledge that their Civill power extends but to bodies and goods And for Spirituall power they say they have none ad bonum temporale to a temporall good which is their proper end and then having neither Civill nor Spirituall power from the Lord Iesus to this purpose how come they to be such Keepers as is pretended Thirdly If the Roman Emperours were Keepers what Keepers were the Apostles unto whom the Lord Iesus gave the care and charge of the Churches and by whom the Lord Iesus charged Timothy 1 Tim. 6. to keep those commands of the Lord Iesus without spot untill his comming These Keepers were called the foundation of the Church Ephes. 2. 20. and made up the Crowne of 12 Stars about the head of the Woman Rev. 12. whose names were also written in the 12 foundations of New Ierusalem Rev. 21. Yea what Keepers then are the ordinary Officers of the Church appointed to be the Shepherds or Keepers of the Flocke of Christ appointed to be the Porters or Dore-keepers and to watch in the absence of Christ Mark 13. 34. Acts 20. Yea what charge hath the whole Church it selfe which is the pillar and ground of Truth 2 Tim. 2. in the midst of which Christ is present with his Power 1 Cor. 5. to keep out or cast out the impenitent and obstinate even Kings and Emperours themselves from their Spirituall society 1 Cor. 5. Iam. 3. 1. Gal. 3. 28. 4. I aske whether in the time of the Kings of Israel and Iudah whom I confesse in the typicall and Nationall state to be charged with both Tables I aske whether the Kings of the Assyrians the Kings of the Ammonites Moabites Philistims were also constituted and ordained Keepers of the worship of God as the Kings of Iudah were for they were also lawfull Magistrates in their Dominions or whether the Roman Emperours were custodes or keepers more then they or more then the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar under whose Civill government Gods people lived and in his owne Land and City â—er 29. CHAP. LXXXIX Peace YOu remember deare Truth that Constantinâ— Theodosâ—us and others were made to beleeve that they were the Antitypes of the Kings of Iudah the Church of God and Henry the 8. was told that that Title Defensor Fidei Defendour of the Faith though sent him by the Pope for writing against Luther was his owne Diadem due unto him from Heaven So likewise since the Kings and Qâ—eens of England have been instructed Truth But it was not so from the beginning as that very difference between that Nationall state of the Church of God then and other Kings and Magistrates of the World not so charged doth clearly evince and leadeth us to the Spirituall King of the Church Christ Iesus the King of Israel and his Spirituall Government and Governours therein Fifthly I aske whether had the Roman Caesars more charge to see all their Subjects observe and submit to the worship of God in their dominion of the World then a master father or husband now under the Gospel in his Familie Families are the foundations of government for what is a Commonweale but a Commonweale of Families agreeing to live together for common good Now in families suppose a beleeving Christian Husband hath an unbeleeving Antichristian wife what other charge in this respect is given to an husband 1 Cor. 7. but to dwell with her as an husband if she be pleased to dwell with him but to bee so farre from forcing her from her conscience unto his as that if for his conscience sake she would depart he was not to force her to tarry with him 1 Cor. 7. Consequently the Father or Husband of the State differing from the Commonweale in Religion ought not to force the Common-weale nor to be forced by it yet is he to continue a civill husbands care if the Commonweale will live with him and abide in civill covenant Now as a husband by his love to the truth and holy conversation in it and seasonable exhortations ought to indeavour to save his wife yet abhorring to use corporall compulsion yea in this case to childe or servant so ought the Father Husband Governor of the Commonweale endeavour to win and save whom possibly he may yet farre from the appearance of civill violence Sixthly if the Romane Emperours were charged by Christ with his Worship in their dominion and their dominion was over the world as was the dominion of the Grecian Persian and Babylonian Monarchy before them who sees not if the whole world bee forced to turne Christian as afterward and since it hath pretended to doe who sees not then that the world for whom Christ Jesus would not pray and the God of it are reconciled to Iesus Christ and the whole field of the world become his inclosed garden Seventhly if the Romane Emperors ought to have been by Christs appointment Keepers of both Tables Antitypes of Israel and Iudahs Kings how many millions of Idolaters and Blasphemers against Christ Iesus and his worship ought they to have put to death according to Israels patterne Lastly I aske if the Lord Iesus had delivered his Sheepe and Children to these Wolves his Wife and Spouse to such Adulterers his precious Iewels to such great Theeves and Robbers of the world as the Romane Emperours were what is the reason that he was never pleased to send any of his servants to their gates to crave their helpe assistance in this his worke to put them in minde of their office to chalenge and claime such a service
and Cities out of which all false worshippers and wicked persons were to be cut Rev. 2. 3. The Divells throne was in the City of Pergamus in respect of the state and persecution of it and yet there was also the Throne of the Lord Iesus set up in His Church of worshippers in Pergamus out of which the Balaamites and Nicholaitans and every false worshipper was to be cast though not out of the City of Pergamus for then Pergamus must have beene throwne out of Pergamus and the World out of the World CHAP. CI. Peace OH that my head were a fountaine and mine eyes Riverâ— of teares to lament my children the children of peace and light thus darkning that and other lightsome Scriptures with such darke and direfull clouds of bloud Truth Sweet Peace thy teares are seasonable and precious and botled up in the Heavens but let me adde a second consideration from that Scripture If that Scripture may now literally be applied to Nations and Cities in a parallel to Canaan and Ierusalem since the Gospel and this Psal. 101. be literally to be applied to Cities Townes and Countries in Europe and America not only such as assay to joyne themselves as they here speake in a corrupt Church estate but such as know no Church estate nor God nor Christ yea every wicked person and evill doer must be hanged or stoned c. as it was in Israel and if so how many thousands and millions of men and women in the severall Kingdomes and governments of the World must be cut off from their Lands and destroyed from their Cities as this Scripture speakes Thirdly since those persons in the New English plantations accounted unfit for Church estate yet remaine all members of the Church of England from which New England dares not separate no not in their Sacraments as some of the Independents have published what riddle or mysterie or rather fallacie of Sathan is this Peace It will not be offence to charity to make conjecture First herein New England Churches secretly call their Mother whore not daring in America to joyne with their owne Mothers children though unexcommunicate no nor permit them to worship God after their consciences and as their Mother hath taught them this secretly and silently they have a minde to doe which publickly they would seem to disclaime and professe against Secondly If such members of Old England should be suffered to enjoy their consciences in New however it is pretended they would profane Ordinances for which they are unfit as true it is in that naturall persons are not fit for Spirituall worship yet this appears not to be the bottome for in Old England the New English joyne with Old in the ministrations of the Word Prayer singing contribution maintenance of the Ministrie c. if I say they should set up Churches after their conscience the greatnesse and multitudes of their owne Assemblies would decay and with all the contributions and maintenance of their Ministers unto which all or most have beene forced Truth Deare Peace These are more then conjectures thousands now espie and all that love the purity of the worship of the living God should lament such halting I shall adde this not only doe they partially neglect to cut off the wicked of the Land but such as themselves esteemed beloved and goldy have they driven forth and keep out others which would come unto them eminently godly by their owne confession because differing in conscience and worship from them and consequently not to be suffered in their holy Land of Canaan But having examined that Scripture alledged let us now weigh their Reasons First say they the not cutting off by the sword but tolerating many Religions in a State would provoke God unto which I answer first and here being no Scripture produced to these Reasons shall the sooner answer that no proofe can be made from the Institutions of the Lord Iesus that all Religions but one are to be cut off by the Civill Sword that Nationall Church in that typicall Land of Canaan being abolished and the Christian Commonweale or Church instituted Secondly I affirme that the cutting off by the Sword other Consciences and Religions is contrarily most provoking unto God expressely against his will concerning the Tares Matth. 13. as I have before proved as also the bloudy mother of all those monstrous mischiefes where such cutting off is used both to the soules and bodies of men Thirdly let conscience and experience speake how in the not cutting off their many Religions it hath pleased God not only not to be provoked but to prosper the state of the united Provinces our next neighbours and that to admiration Peace The second reason is such tolerating would leaven divide and destroy the peace of the Churches Truth This must also be denied upon so many former Scriptures Reasons produced proving the power of the Lord Iesus and the sufficiencie of his Spirituall power in his Church for the purging forth and conquering of the least evill yea and for the bringing every thought in subjection unto Christ Iesu 2 Cor. 10. I adde they have not produced one Scripture nor can to prove that the permitting to leaven of false doctrine in the World or Civill State will leaven the Churches only we finde that the permission of leaven in persons doctrines or practices in the Church that indeed will corrupt and spread 1. Cor. 5. Gal. 5. but this Reason should never have been alledged were not the particular Churches in New England but as so many implicite Parish Churches in one implicite National Church Peace Their third Reason is it will dissolve the continuity of the State especially theirs where the walls are made of the stones of the Churches Truth I answer briefly to this bare affirmation thus that the true Church is a wall spirituall and mysticall Cant. 8. 9. Then consequently a false Church or Company is a false or pretended wall and none of Christs The civill State Power and Government is a civill wall c. and Lastly the walls of Earth or stone about a City are the naturall or artificiall wall or defence of it Now in consideration of these foure wals I desire it may be proved from the Scripture of Truth how the false spirituall wall or company of false worshippers suffred in a City can be able to destroy the true Christian wall or company of beleevers Againe how this false spirituall wall or false Church permitted can destroy the civill wall the State and Government of the City and Citizens any more then it can destroy the naturall or artificiall wall of earth or stone Spirituall may destroy spirituall if a stronger and victorious but spirituall cannot reach to artificiall or civill Peace Yea but they feare the false spirituall wall may destroy their civill because it is made of the stones of Churches Truth If this have reference to that practice amongst them
viz. that none but members of Churches enjoy civill freedome amongst them ordinarily in imitation of that Nationall Church and State of the Iewes then I answer they that follow Moses Church constitution which the New English by such a practice implicitely doe must cease to pretend to the Lord Iesus Christ and his institutions Secondly we shall finde lawfull civill State both before and since Christ Iesus in which we finde not any tidings of the true God our Christ. Lastly their civill New English State framed out of their Churches may yet stand subsist and flourish although they did as by the word of the Lord they ought permit either Iewes or Turkes or Antichristians to live amongst them subject unto their Civill Government CHAP. CII Peace ONe branch more viz. the third remaines of this Head and it concerns the hearing of the Word unto which say they all men are to be compelled because hearing of the word is a duty which even Nature leadeth Heathens to for this they quote the practice of the Ninevites heaâ—ing Ionah and Egloâ— King of Moab his rising up to Ehuds pretended message from God Iudg 3. Truth I must deny that position for light of Nature leadeth men to heare that onely which Nature conceiveth to be good for it and therefore not to heare a Messenger Minister or Preacher whom conscience perswades is a false messenger or deceiver and comes to deceive my soule as Millions of men and women in their severall respective religions and consciences are so perswaded conceiving their owne to be true Secondly as concerning the instances Ionah did not compell the Ninevites to heare that message which he brought unto them Besides the matter of compulsion to a constant worship of the world in Church estate which is the Question comes not neare Ionahs case Nor did Christ Iesus or any of his Embassadours so practice but if persons refused to heare the command of the Lord Iesus to his Messengers was onely to depart from them shaking off the dust of their feet with a denunciation of Gods wrath against them Math. 10. Act. 14. Concerning Eglon his rising up First Ehâ—d compelled not that King either to heare or reverence and all that can bee imitable in Eglon is a voluntary and willing reverence which persons ought to expresse to what they are perswaded comes from God But how doe both these instances mightily convince and condemne themselves who not onely professe to turne away from but also persecute or hunt all such as shall dare to professe a Ministry or Church estate differing from their owne though for personall godlinesse and excellency of gifts reverenced by themselves Thirdly to the point of compulsion It hath pleased the Lord Iesus to appoint a two fold Ministry of his Word First for unbeleevers and their conversion according to Math. 28. 19. Marc. 16 15 16. and the constant practice of the Apostles in the first preaching of the Gospel Secondly a Ministry of feeding and nourishing up such as are converted and brought into Church estate according to Ephes. 4. c. Now to neither of these doe we finde any compulsion appointed by the Lord Iesus or practised by any of his The compulsion preached and practised in New England is not to the hearing of that Ministry sent forth to convert unbeleevers and to constitute Churches for such a Ministry they practise not but to the hearing of the word of edification exhortation consolation dispenced onely in the Churches of worshippers I apply When Paul came first to Corinth to preach Christ Iesus by their Rule the Magistrates of Corinth ought by the Sword to have compelled all the people of Corinth to heare Paul Secondly after a Church of Christ was gathered by their rule the Magistrates of Corinth ought to have compelled the people still even those who had refused his Doctrine for the few onely of the Church embraced it to have heard the Word still and to have kept one day in seven to the Christians God and to have come to the Christians Church all their dayes And what is this but a setled formality of Religion and Worship unto which a people are brought by the power of the sword And however they affirme that persons are not to be compelled to be members of Churches nor the Church compelled to receive any Yet if persons be compelled to forsake their Religion which their hearts cleave to and to come to Church to the worship of the Word Prayers Psalmes and Contributions and this all their dayes I aske whether this be not this peoples Religion unto which submitting they shall be quiet all their dayes without the inforcing them to the practice of any other Religion And if this bee not so then I aske Will it not inevitably follow that they not onely permit but enforce people to bee of no Religion at all all their dayes This toleration of Religion or rather irreligious compulsion is above all tolerations monstrous to wit to compell men to bee of no Religion all their dayes I desire all men and these worthy Authors of this Modell to lay their hands upon their heart and to consider whether this compulsion of men to heare the Word as they say whether it carries men to wit to be of no Religion all their dayes worse then the very Indians who dare not live without Religion according as they are perswaded Lastly I adde from the Ordinance of the Lord Iesus and practice of the Apostles Acts 2. 42. where the Word and Prayer is joyned with the exercise of their fellowship and breaking of Bread in which Exercises the Church continued constantly that it is apparent that a Civill State may as lawfully compell men by the civill sword to the breaking of bread or Lords Supper as to the Word or Prayer or Fellowship For first they are all of the same nature Ordinances in the Church I speake of the feeding Ministrie in the Church unto which persons are compell'd and Church Worship Secondly every conscience in the World is fearfull at least shie of the Priests and Ministers of other Gods and Worships and of holding Spirituall fellowship in any of their Services Which is the case of many a Soule viz. to question the Ministers themselves as well as the Supper it selfe CHAP. CIII Peace DEare Truth This pressing of men to the Spirituall Battels of Christ Jesus is the cause why as it is commonly with prest Souldiers that so many thousands flie in the day of Battell But I present you with the 9. Question viz. What power the Magistrate hath in providing of Church-Officers First say they the Election of Church officers being the proper Act of the Church therefore the Magistrate hath no power either as Prince or Patron to assume such power unto himselfe When Christ sends to preach by his supreme power the Magistrate may send forth by his power subordinate to gather Churches and may force people to heare
23. And it is well knowne that remissenes in Princes of Christendome in matters of Religion and Worship divolving the care thereof only to the Clergy and so setting the Hornes thereof upon the Churches head hath been the cause of Antichristian inventions usurpations and corruptions in the Worship and Temple of God Secondly they have not power to presse upon the Churches stinted Prayers oâ— set Liturgies whether New or Old Popish or others under colour of uniformity of Worship or morall goodnesse of them both for matter and forme conceiving our arguments sent to our Brethren in England concerning this Question to evince this Truth Thirdly they have no power to presse upon the Churches neither by Law as hath been said before nor by Proclamation and command any sacred significant ceremonies whether more or lesse Popish or Jewish rite or any other device of man be it never so little in the worship of God under what colour soever of indifferencie civility using them without opinion of sâ—nctity publicke peace or obedience to righteous Authority as Surplice Crosse kneeling at Sacrament Salt and Spitle in Baptisme Holy dayes They having beene so accursed of God so abused by man the imposing of some ever making way for the urging of more the receiving of some making the conscience bow to the burthen of all Fourthly they have not power to governe and rule the acts of worship in the Church of God It is with a Magistrate in a State in respect of the acts of those who worship in a Church as it is with a Prince in a Ship wherein though he be governour of their persons else he should not be their Prince yet is not governour of the actions of the Maâ—iners then he should be Pilot Indeed if the Pilot shall manifestly erre in his action he may reprove him and so any other passenger may Or if he offend against the life and goods of any he may in due time and place civilly punish him which no other passenger can doe For it is proper to Christ the Head of the Church as to prescribe so to rule the actions of his own worship in the wayes of his servants Esay 96 7. The government of the Church is upon his shoulder which no Civill officer ought to attempt And therefore Magistrates have no power to limit a Minister either to what he shall preach or pray or in what manner they shall worship God lest hereby they shall advance themselves above Christ and limit his Spirit Truth In this generall Head are proposed two things First what the Magistrate ought to doe positively concerning the worship of God Secondly what he may doe in the worship of God What he ought to doe is comprised in these particulars First he ought to reforme the worship of God when it is corrupted Secondly he ought to establish a pure worship of God Thirdly he ought to defend it by the sword he ought to restrain Idolatry by the sword and to cut off offendours as former passages have opened For the proofe of this positive part of his duty are propounded three sorts of Scriptures First from the practice of the Kings of Israel and Iudah Secondly some from the New Testament Thirdly from the practice of Kings of other Nations Unto which I answer First concerning this latter the Babylonian and Persian Kings Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes I conceive I have sufficiently before proved that these Idolatrous Princes making such Acts concerning the God of Israel whom they did not worship nor know nor meant so to doe did onely permit and tolerate and countenance the Iewish worship and out of strong convictions that this God of Israel was able to doe them good as well as their owne gods to bring wrath upon them and their Kingdomes as they beleeved their owne also did in which respect all the Kings of the world may be easily brought to the like but are no president or patternes for all Princes and Civill Magistrates in the World to chalenge or 〈◊〉 the power of ruling or governing the Church of Christ and of wearing the spirituall Crowne of the Lord which he alone weareth in a spirituall way by his Officers and Governours after his owne holy appointment Secondly for those of the New Testament I have as I beleeve fully and sufficiently answered So also that prophesie of Isa. 49. Lastly however I have often touched those Scriptures produced from the practice of the Kings of Israel and Judah yet because so great a waeight of this controversie lyes upon this president of the Old Testament from the duties of this nature enjoyned to those Kings and Governours and their practices obeying or disobeying accordingly commended or reproved I shall with the helpe of Christ Iesus the true King of Israel declare and demonstrate how weake and brittle this supposed Pillar of Marble is to beare up and sustain such a mighty burthen and waight of so many high concernments as are laid upon it In which I shall evidently prove that the state of Israel as a Nationall State made up of Spirituall and Civill power so farre as it attended upon the spirituall was meerly figurative and typing out the Christian Churches consisting of both Iewes and Gentiles enjoying the true power of the Lord Iesus establishing reforming correcting defending in all cases concerning his Kingdome and Government CHAP. CX Peace BLessed be the God of Truth the God of Peace who hath so long preserved us in this our retired conference without interruptions His mercy still shields us while you expresse and I listen to that so much imitated yet most unimitable State of Israel Yet before you descend to particulars deare Truth let me cast one Mite into your great Treasury concerning that Instance just now mentioned of the Persian Kings Me thinkes those presidents of Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes are strong against New Englands Tenent and practice Those Princes professedly gave free permission and bountifull incouragement to the Consciences of the Iewes to use and practise their Religion which Religion was most eminently contrary to their owne Religion and their Countries worship Truth I shall sweet Peace with more delight passe on these rough wayes from your kinde acceptance and unwearied patience in attention In this discovery of that vast and mighty difference betweene that State of Israel and all other States onely to bee matched and parallel'd by the Christian Church or Israel I shall select some maine and principall considerations concerning that State wherein the irreconciliable differences and disproportion may appeare First I shall consider the very Land and Country of Canaan it selfe and present some considerations proving it to be a Noneâ— such First this Land was espyed out and chosen by the Lord out of all the Countries of the World to be the seat of his Church and people Ezek. 20â—6 But now there is no respect of Earth of Places or Countries with the Lord So testified the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe
to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. professing that neither at that Mountaine nor at Ierusalem should men worship the Father While that Nationall State of the Church of the Iewes remained the Tribes were bound to goe up to Ierusalem to worship Psal. 122. But now in every Nation not the whole Land or Country as it was with Canaan he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Act. 10. 35. This then appeared in that large Commission of the Lord Jesus to his first Ministers Goe into all Nations and not onely into Canaan to carry tidings of Mercy c. Secondly the former Inhabitants thereof seven great and mightie Nations Deuter. 7. were all devoted to destruction by the Lords owne mouth which was to bee performed by the impartiall hand of the Children of Israel without any sparing or shewing Mercy But so now it hath not pleased the Lord to devote any people to present Destruction commanding his people to kill and slay without Covenant or Compassion Deuteronomy 7. 2. Where have Emperours Kings or Generals an immediate call from God to destroy whole Cities City after City Men women Children Old and Young as Ioshua practised Ioshua 6. and 10. Chapters c. This did Israel to these seven Nations that they themselves might succeed them in their Cities Habitations and Possessions This onely is true in a spirituall Antitype when Gods people by the Sword the two-edged Sword of Gods Spirit slay the ungodly and become Heires yea fellow Heires with Christ Iesus Romanes 8. Gods meeke people inherit the earth Matthew 5. They mystically like Noah Hebrewes 11 condemne the whole unbeleeving World both by present and future sentence 2 Corinth 6. 2. CHAP. CXI THirdly the very materials the Gold and Silver of the Idols of this Land were odioâ—s and abominable and dangerous to the people of Israel that they might not desire it nor take it to themselves Deut. 7. 25. 26. lest themselves also become a curse and like unto those cursed abominable things Whereas we finde not any such accursed nature in the materials of Idols or Images now but that the Idolatrous formes being changed the silver and gold may be cast and coyned and other materialls lawfully employed and used Yet this we finde in the Antitype that gold silver yea house land yea wives children yea life it selfe as they allure and draw us from God in Christ are to be abominated and hated by us without which hatred and indignation against the most plausible and pleasing enticings from CHRIST IESVS it is impossible for any man to bee a true Christian Luke 14. 26. Fourthly this Land this Earth was an Holy land Zâ—ch 2. 12. Ceremonially and typically holy Fields Gardens Orchards Houses c. which Holines the World knowes not now in one Land or Country House Field Garden c. one above another Yet in the Spirituall Land of Canaan the Christian Church all things are made holy and pure in all Lands to the pure Tit. 1. meats and drinkes are sanctified that is dedicated to the holy use of the thankfull Believers 1 Tim. 4. vea and the unbelieving Husband Wife and their Children are sanctified and made holy to Believers insomuch that that golden inscription peculiar to the forehead of the High Priest Holines to Iehovah shall be written upon the very Bridles of the Horses as all are dedicated to the service of Christ Iesus in the Gospels peace and holines Fifthly the Lord expresly calls it his own Land Levit. 25 23. Hos. 9. 3 Iehovah his Land a terme proper unto Spirituall Canaan the Church of God which must needs be in respect of his choice of that Land to be the Seate and Residence of his Church and Ordinances Buâ— now the partition wall is broken down and in respect of the Lords speciall proprieâ—ie to one Country more then another what dâ—fference between Asia and Africa between Europe and America between England and Turkie London and Constantinople This Land among many other glorious Titles given to it was called Emanuels land that is God with us Christ his land or Christian land Isa 8. 8. But now Ierusalem from above is not materiall and Earthly but Spirituall Gal. 4. Heb. 12. Materiall Ierusalem is no more the Lords citie then Iericho Ninivie or Babell in respect of place or Countrey for even at Babell literall was a Church of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 5. It is true that Antichrist hath christned all those Countries whereon the Whore sitteth Revel 17. with the Title of Christs land or Christian land And Hundius in his Map of the Christian World makes this land to extend to all Asia a great part of Africa all Europe and a vast part of America even so farre as his unchristian Christenings hath gone But as every false Christ hath false Teachers false Christians false Faith Hope Love c. and in the end false Salvation so doth he also counterfeit the false Name of Christ Christians Christian land or Countrey Sixthly this Land was to keepe her Sabbaths unto God Sixe yeares they were to sow their Fields and prune their Vines but in the 7. yeare they were not to sow their Fields nor prune their Vineyards but to eat that which grew of it selfe or own accord But such Observations doth not God now lay upon any Fields Vineyards c. under the Gospell Yet in the Spirituall land of Canaan the true Church there is a Spirituall Soule-rest or Sabbath a quiet depending upon God a living by Faith in him a making him our portion and casting all care upon him who careth for us yea sometimes he feedeth his by immediate gracious workes of Providence when comforts arise out of the Earth without secondary meanes or causes as here or as elsewhere Manna descended from Heaven Seventhly such portions and possessions of Lands Fields Houses Vineyards were sold with caution or proviso of returning againe in the yeare of Iubilee to the right owners Levit. 25. 23. Such cautions such provisos are not now injoyned by God in the sale of lands fields inheritances nor no such Iubilee or Redemption to be expected Yet this also finds a fulfilling in the spirituall Canaan or Church of God unto which the silver Trumpet of Iubilee the Gospel hath â—ounded a spirituall restitution of all their spirituall rights and inheritances which either they have lost in the fall of the first man Adam or in their particular falls when they are captive and sold unto sin Rom. 7. Or lastly in the spirituall captivitie of Babele bondage how sweet then is the name of a Saviour in whom is the joyfull sound of Deliverance and Redemption Eightly this Land or Country was a figure or type of the kingdome of Heaven above begun here below in the Church and Kingdome of God Heb. 4. 8. Heb. 11. 9. 10. Hence was a Birthright so pretious in Canaans Land Hence Naboth so inexorable and resolute in refusing to
honoured with that mysticall and glorious Title of the Anointed 〈◊〉 Christ of the Lord Lam. 4. 20. the Breath of our Nostrils the Anointeâ— of Iehovah was taken in their pits c. Which anoynting and title however the Man of Sinne together with the Crowne and Diademe of Spirituall Israel the Church of God he hath given to some of the Kings of the Earth that so he may in lieu thereof dispose of their Civill Crownes the easier yet shall we finde it an incommunicable priviledge and prerogative oâ— of the Saints and people of God For as the Lord Iesus himselfe in the Antitype was not annointed with materiall but spirituall oyle Psal. 45. with the oyle of Gladnes and Luke 4. 14. from Isa. 61. 1. with the spirit of God The spirit of the Lord is upon me the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings c. So also all his members are annointed with the holy spirit of God 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 John 2. Hence is it that Christians rejoyce in that name as carrying the very expresse title of the Anointed of the Lord which most superstitiously and sacrilegiously hath been applied only unto Kings Peace O deare Truth how doth the great Searcher of all Hearts finde out the thefts of the Antichristian World how are men caried in the darke they know not whither How is that heavenly charge Touch not mine Anointed c. Psal. 105. common to all Christians or anointed with Christ their Head by way of Monopoly or priviledge appropriated to Kings and Princes Truth It will not be here unseasonable to call to minde that admirable Prophecie Ezek. 21. 26 27. Thus saith Iehovah God Remove the Diadem take away the Crowne this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturne overturne overturne untill he come whose right it is and I will give it him The matter is a Crown and Diadem to be taken from an Vsurpers head and set upon the head of the right Owner Peace Doubtlesse this mystically intends the spirituall Crowne of the Lord Jesus for these many hundreth yeares set upon the heads of the Câ—mpetitours and Corrivals of the Lord Iesus upon whose glorious head in his Messengers and Churches the Crown shall be established The anointing the title and the crown and power must returne to the Lord Iesus in his Saints unto whom alone belongs his power and authoritie in Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall cases CHAP. CXVII Truth I Therefore proceed to a third difference between those Kings and Governours of Israel and Iudah and all other Kings and Rulers of the Earth Looke upon the Administrations of the Kings of Israel and Iudah and well weigh the Power and Authoritie which those Kings of Israel and Iudah exercised in Ecclesiasticall and spirituall causes and upon a due search we shall not find the same Scepter of Spirituall power in the hand of Civill Authoritie which was setled in the hands of the Kings of Israel and Iudah David appointed the Orders of the Priests Singers he brought the Arke to Ierusalem he prepared for the building of the Temple the patterne whereof he delivered to Salomon yet David herein could not be a type of the Kings and Rulers of the Earth but of the King of Heaven Christ Iesus for First David as he was a King so was he also a Prophet Acts 2. 30. and therefore a type as Moses also was of that great Prophet the Son of God And they that plead for Davids Kingly power must also by the same rule plead for his Propheticall by which he swayed the Scepâ—er of Israel in Church affaires Secondly it is expresly said 1 Cron. 28. 11. 12. 13. verses that the patterne which David gave to Salomon concerning the matter of the Temple and Worship of God he had it by the Spirit which was no other but a figure of the immediate inspiration of the spirit of God unto the Lord Iesus the true Spirituall King of Israel John 1. 49. Rabbi thou art the Son of God Rabbi thou art the King of Israel Againe What Civill Magistrate may now act as Salomon a type of Christ doth act 1 King 2. 26. 27. Salomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto Iehovah Peace Some object that Abiathar was a man of death ver 26. worthy to die as having followed Adonijah and therefore Salomon executed no more then Civill justice upon him Truth Salomon remits the Civill punishment and inflicts upon him a spirituall but by what right but as he was King of the Church a figure of Christ Abiathar his Life is spared with respect to his former good service in following after David but yet he is turned out from the Priesthood But now put the case suppose that any of the Officers of the new-New-England Churches should prove false to the State and be discovered joyning with a French Monsieur or Spanish Don thirsting after conquest and dominion to further their invasions of that Countrey yet for some former faithfull service to the State he should not be adjudged to Civill punishment I aske now might their Governours or their Generall Court their Parliament depose such a man a Pastour Teacher or Elder from his holy Calling or office in Gods House Or suppose in a partiall and corrupt State a Member or Officer of a Church should escape with his life upon the commission of marther ought not a Church of Christ upon repentance to receive him I suppose it will not be said that he ought to execute himselfe or that the Church may use a Civill sword against him In these cases may such persons spar'd in civill punishments for some reason of or by partialitie of State be punished spiritually by the Civill Magistrate as Abiathar was Let the very Enemies of Zion be Judges Secondly If Salomon in thrusting out of Abiathar was a pattern and president unto all Civill Magistrates why not also in putting Zaâ—â—k in his roome ver 35. But against this the Pope the Bishops the Presbyterians and the Independents will all cry out against such a practice in their severall respective claimes and challenges for their Ministries We find the Libertie of the subjects of Christ in the choice of an Apostle Act. 1. of a Deacon Act. 6. of Elders Act. 14. and guided by the assistance either of the Apostles or Evangelists 1 Tim. 1. Tit. 1. without the least influence of any civill Magistrate which shewes the beauty of their liberty The Parliaments of England have by right free choice of their Speaker yet some Princes have thus farre beene gratified as to nominate yea and implicitely to commend a Speaker to them Wise men have seene the evill consequences of those influences though but in civill things how much farre greater and stronger are those snares when the golden Keyes of the Sonne of God are delivered into the hands of civill Authority Peace You know the noise
raised concerning those famous acts of Asa Hezekiah Iehosaphat Iosiah What thinke you of the Fast proclaimed by Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20. 3. Truth I finde it to be the duty of Kings and all in authority to incourage Christs Messengers of Truth proclaiming Repentance c. But under the Gospel to enforce all naturall and unregenerate people to acts of worship what president hath Christ Iesus given us First t is true Iehosaphat proclaimed a Fast c. but was he not in matters spirituall a type of Christ the true King of Israel Secondly Iehosaphat calls the members of the true Church to Church service and worship of God But consider if civill Powers now may judge of and determine the actions of worship proper to the Saints Iâ— they may appoint the time of the Churches worship Fasting and Prayer c. why may they not as wel forbid those times which a Church of Christ shall make choice of seeing it is a branch of the same Root to forbid what likâ—th not as well as to injoyne what pleaseth And if in those most solemne duties and exercises why not also in other ordinary meetings and worships And if so where is the power of the Lord Jesus bequeathed to his Ministers and Churches of which the power of those Kings was but a shadow CHAP. CXVIII Peace THe liberty of the Subject sounds most sweet London and Oxford both professe to fight for it How much infinitly more sweet is that true soule liberty according to Christ Iesus I know you would not take from Caesar ought although it were to give to God And what is Gods and his peoples I wish that Caesar may not take Yet for the satisfaction of some be pleased to glance upon Iosiah his famous Acts in the Church of God concerning the worship of God the Priests Levites and their Services compelling the people to keepe the Passeover making himselfe a covenant before the Lord and compelling all that were found in Ierusalem and Benjamin to stand to it Truth To these famous practices of Iosiah I shall parallell the practices of Englands Kings and first de jure a word or two of their right then de facto discusse what hath been done First de jure Iosiah was a precious branch of that Royall Root King David who was immediately designed by God and when the golden linkes of the Royall chaine broke in the usurpations of the Romane Conquerour it pleased the most wise God to send a Sonne of David a Sonne of God to beginne againe that Royall Line to sit upon the Throne of his Father David Luc. 1. 32. Acts 2. 30. It is not so with the Gentile Princes Rulers and Magistrates whether Monarchicall Aristrocraticall or Democraticall who though government in generall be from God yet receive their callings power and authority both Kings and Parliaments mediately from the people Secondly Iosiah and those Kings were Kings and Governours over the then true and onely Church of God Nationall brought into the Covenant of God in Abraham and so downward and they might well be forced to stand to that Covenant into which with such immediate signes and miracles they had beene brought But what Commission from Christ Iesus had Henry the eight Edward the 6. or any Iosiah like to force the many hundred thousands of English men and women without such immediate signes and miracles that Israel had to enter into an holy and spirituall Covenant with the invisible God the Father of Spirits or upon paine of death as in Iosiaâ—s time to stand to that which they never made nor before Evangelicall Repentance are possibly capable of Now secondly de facto let it be well remembred concerning the Kings of England professing Reformation The foundation of all was laid in Henry the 8. The Pope chalengeth to be the Vicar of Christ Iesus here upon earth to have power of reforming the Church redressing abuses c. Henry 8. falls out with the Pope and chalengeth that very power to himself of which he had despoiled the Pope as appeares by that Act of Parliament establishing Henry 8 the supreme Head and Governour in all cases Ecclesiasticall c. It pleased the most High God to plague the Pope by Henry the 8. his means but neither Pope nor King can ever prove such power from Christ derived to either of them Secondly as before intimated let us view the Workes and Acts of Englands imitation of Iosiahs practice Henry the 7. leaves England under the slavish bondage of the Popes yoake Henry the 8. reformes all England to a new fashion halfe Papist halfe Protestant King Edward the 6. turnes about the Wheele of the State and workes the whole Land to absolute Protestanisme Queene Mary succeeding to the Helme steeres a direct contrary course breakes in peeces all that Edward wrought and brings forth an old edition of Englands Reformation all Popish Mary not living out halfe her dayes as the Prophet speakes of bloudy persons Elizabeth like Ioseph advanced from the Prison to the Palace and from the irons to the Crowne she pluckes up all her sister Maries plants and sounds a Trumpet all Protestant What sober man stands not amazed at these Revolutions and yet like Mother like Daughter and how zealous are we their off-spring for another impression and better edition of a Nationall Canaan in imitation of Iudah and Iosiah which if attained who knowes how soone succeeding Kings or Parliaments will quite pull downe and abrogate Thirdly in all these formings and reformings a Nationall Church of naturall unregenerate men was like wax the subject matter of all these formes and changes whether Popish or Protestant concerning which Nationall State the time is yet to come when ever the Lord Jesus hath given a word of institution and appointment CHAP. CXIX Peace YOu bring to minde deare Truth a plea of some wiser Papists for the Popes supremacy viz. that it was no such exorbitant or unheard of power and jurisdiction which the Pope chalenged but the very same which a Woman Queene Elizabeth her selfe chalenged stiling her Papissa or she Pope withall pleading that in point of Reason it was far more suitable that the Lord Jesus would delegate his power rather to a Clergie man then a Lay man as Henry the 8. or a woman as his daughter Elizabeth Truth I beleeve that neither one nor t'other hit the white yet I beleeve the Papists arrowes fall the nearest to it in this particular viz. That the government of the Church of Christ should rather belong to such as professe a Ministry or Office Spirituall then to such as are meerly Temporall and Civill So that in conclusion the whole controversiâ— concerning the government of Christ Kingdome or Church will be found to lye between the true and false Ministry both chalenging the true commission power and keyes from Christ. Peace This all glorious diadem of the Kingly power of the Lord Iesus
Ministers of the Gospel The civill Magistrate not so particularly spoken to as Fathers and Masters in the New TestameÌ„t and why Eph. 5. 6. Col. 3. 4. c. A twofold state of Christianity the persecuted under the Roman Emperors and the Apostate ever since Christs Messengers receive a threefold charge in that prohibition of Christ Let them alone Gods people not to pray for â—hâ— present ruine and destruction of idolaters although their persecutors but for their peace and salvations The word of God â—â—ghtly deâ—ounced plucks up kâ—ngâ—â—ms Gods Ministers are 〈◊〉 to provoke 〈…〉 1 â—et 2. 9. 1 Cor. 5. Companying with 〈…〉 1 Cor. 5 discussed Lawfull converse with idolaters in civill but not in spirituall things Dangerous and ungâ—ounded zeale Mâ—â—th 15. 14. the seâ—â—â—â— Scripture controvâ—rted in this cause Christ Jesus never directed his Disciples to the civill Magistrate for help in his cause Pauls appealing to Caesar. Civill Magistrates never appointed by God Dfenders of the Faith of Jesus Every oâ—â— is bound to put forth him selfe to his utmost power in Gods businesse whâ—re it stops the guilt will lie Christ could have easily been furnished with godly Magistrates if he had so appointed Gods Israel earnest with God for in Arme of Flesh which God gives in his anger and takes away in his wrath The punishment of blind Pharises though let alone yet is greater then any corporall punishment in the world in 4 respects The eye of the 〈◊〉 struck out is worse then for both right and left eye of the body to be 〈◊〉 out tenne thousand times Some soules incurable whom not only corporall bâ—â— spirituall physâ—â—ke can nothing availe The bottom 〈…〉 blind â—all Soul killing the châ—efest murder No Magistrate can execute true justice in killing soule for soule but christ Jesus who by typicall death in the Law typed out spirituall in the Gospel A great mistake in most to conceive that dead men that is soules dead in sin may be infected by false doctrine All naturall men being dead in sin yet none die everlastingly but such as are thereunto ordained The Lord Jesus hath not lest his Church without spirituall antidotes and remedies against infection The miserable bondage Gods people live in The Kings and Queens of England Governours of the Church Strange confusion in punishments Woe were it with the civill Magistrate if he bloud of soules beside the ordinary care of the boâ—ies â—â—d goods â—f 〈…〉 shâ—uld â—â—ry 〈◊〉 him The Magistrates duties toward the Church the Spâ—â—se of Christ. Usurpers and true heires of the spirituall Crowne of Jesus Luke 9. 54. 55 discussed An excellent saying of persecutors themselvesâ— The Answerer when he should speake to toleration in the State â—unnes to punishments in the Church which none can deny If the Civill Magistrate be a Christian he is bound to be like Christ in saving not destroying mens bodies The civill Magistrate bound not to inflict nor to suffer any other to inflict violence stripes or any corporall punishment for evill against Christ. Revel 13. 13. Fire from heaven What the fire from heaven is which the fals Prophet bringeth downe 2 Tim. 3. 25. 26. examined A quaere what the Answerer meanes by his unconverted Christian in Crete The originall of Christians The Answerer yet in the unconverted Churches and worships Gods people sleepy in the matters of Christs Kingdome Cant. 5. 2. 1 Cor. 14. Patience and â—eeknesse required in all that open Christs mysteries The civill Sword may make a Nation of Hypocrites Antichristians but not one Christian Wonderfull changes of Religion in England Englands changes in point of Religion The miserie of opposites against the Truth A difference between the true and false Christ and Christians The worship of unbelieving unregenerate persons The danger mischiefe of a civill sword in Soule matters which makes the civill Magistrate deeply guilty of all those evils which he aims to suppresse That cannot be a true Religion which needs carnall weapons to uphold it Persecutors beget a perswasion of their crueltie in the hearts of the persecuted Antoninus Pius his golden act Isa. 2. 4. Mic. 4. 3. Isa. 11. 9. concerning Christs peace able Kingdom discussed Mr. Cottons excellent interpretation of those Prophecies His doctrine and practice condemned by that interpretation Spirituall and mysticall Wolves Act. 20. 29. opened What those Wolves were Act. 20. 29. Charges directed to Ministers of the spiritual kingdome fasly applyed to the Magistrates of the civill No word of Christ to the civill Magistrate to feed his flock but to his Ministers who if true have spirituall power sufficient against spirituall Wolves Magistrates decline the name of Head of the Church and yet practise the headship or government The Elect shall not be devoured Christ Jesus furnisheth his Shepherds with power sufficient to drive away Wolves Tit. 1. 9. 10. opened Job 26. 1 2. Unmercifull and bloody doctrine John 6. 15. 2. Cor. 10. 4. discussed The difference of the civill spirituall estate Civill weapons most improper in spirituall causes fitly exemplified by that similitude 2 Cor. 10. 4. Spirituall weapons only effectuall in spirituall soule causes Civill weapons not only improper but unnecessary in spirituall causes No earthly Kings or Governours will be so served as we pretend to serve the King of Kings Psal. 45. The white Troopers Spirituall Ammunition Eph. 6. applied Materiall and Spirituall â—â—htly joyned together An alarme to civill or earthly Rulers Concerning the civill Rulers power in spirituall causes discust Rom. 13. speakes not at all of spirituall but civill affaires The scope of Rom 13. Love to man the duty of the whole second Table How love fulfilleth the Law Rom. 13 so interpreted even by them that held persecution for conscience Calvins judgement of Rom. 13. Gods people loath to be found yet proved persecutors Caelvin confesseth that the first Table concerning Gods worship is not here in Rom. 13. touched Beza upon Rom. 13. Paul writes not to the Romane Governors to defend the truth and to punish hereticks Pauls appeale to Caesar discussed If Paul had appealed to Caesar in spirituall things he had committed 5. evils Imperours than them selves if Christians subject to the Apostles and Churches in spirituall things Lawfull appeales in civill things to Civill Magistrates Foure sorts of swords mentioned in the New Testament The Civill Sword Tribute Custome c. meerly civill recompences for civil work Magistrates called by God Gods Ministers The spirituall Ministery The civill Ministery or service What is to bâ— understood bâ— Evill Rom. 13 4. Some give to the Magistrate what is not his and take from him that which is proper to him Toleration discussed Upon this point hath Mr. John Goodwin excellently of late discoursed Evill is always Evill yet permission of it may in case be good Deut. 24. Two sorts of commands both by Moses and Christ. Math 16. 17. 18. The permission of divorce in Israel Usurie in a Common-weale or Civill State lawfully permitted
Permission of the Tares in the field of the world for a twofold good 1 Of the good Wheâ—e 2 Of the whole world â—he field it selfe Seducing teachers either Pagan Jewish or Antichristian may yet be obedient subjects to the Civill lawes Scandalous livers against the Civill state who they are Toleration Rev. 2. 14. 20. examined Christ Ministers Churches have power sufficient from Christ to suppresse Balaam and Iesabel seducing to false worship The Christian world hath swallowed up Christianity The second head of Reasons against such persecution viz. the profession of famous Princes K. James Steven of Poland and K. of Bohemia Isa. 40 6. 2 Pet. 2. Mr. Cottons unequall dealing with Princes The Answerer a knowledgeth a necessiâ—y of some tolâ—ration Christ Jesus the deepest politician that ever was and yet he commands a toleration of Antichristians The Princes of the world seldome take put with Christ. Princes not persecuting are very rare Buchanans Item to King Iames. King Iames his sayings against persecution King Steven of Poland his speech against Persecution Forcing of Conscience is a Soule rape Persecution for conscience the Launcet that letteth blood Kings Kingdomes All spirituall Whores are bloody The Godly somotimes evill actors and the Ungodly good actors Poligamie or the many wives of the Fathers Davids advancing of Gods Worship against Gods Order Constantine and the good Emperours are confest to have done more hurt to the name and crown of the Lord Jesus then the persecuting Neroes c. The Garden of the Church and Field of the World made all one by Antichrististianisme The language of Persecuters the wolves and hunters of the World Christs Lilies may flourish in his Church notwithstanding the abundance of weeds in the world permitted The persecution of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames compared together In his opening of the 7. Viols in print Mr. Cotton confesseth that Queen Elizabeth her persecuting the Papists had almost ruined the English Nation The Wars betweene the Papists and the Protestants Eventus omnis 〈…〉 The wars and successe of the Waldenâ—â—an witnesses against three Popes and their popish Armies Gods people victorious overcommers and with what weapons The third head of Arguments from ancient and later writers The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted Persecuting 〈◊〉 cannot be Christs Churches The nature of excommunication What persecution or hunting is Christs Spouse noâ—ser â—tcher or fighter Who cannot be won by the Word must not be compelled by the Sword Constraine upon Consciences in Old and New England Tertullian his speech discussed The Indians of New England permitted by the English not only to continue â—n their unbeleâ—f which they canâ—â—â—â—ure but also in their fâ—lse worshâ—p which they might by the civil sworrestraine In a cases a false Religion will not hurt the true Church or the State The seducing or infecting of others discussed The Answerer trusâ—eth not to the sword of the Spirit only in Spirituall causes The absolute sufficiencie of the sword of the Spirit The Church of Christ to be kept pure A Nationall Church not instâ—â—â—tâ—d by Christ Jesus The nationall Church of the Jewes 1 Sam. 13. Man hath no power to mâ—ke lawes to binde conscience Desperate consequences unavoidable Luthers testimony in this case discussed Mr. Cottons positions evidently proved contradictory to themselves Hearing of the Word of God in a Church estate a part of Gods worship Papists plea for toleration of conscience The Protestants partiall in the case of persecution A false balance in Gods matters abominable to God Sheep cannot hâ—nt no not the wolves Pills to purge out the spiâ—it of persecution Superstition persecution have had many votes from Gods owne people Austins saying for persecution examined Soul-killing Punishments provided by Christ Jesus against Soule-killers and Soule-wounders Men dead in Sin cannot be Soule kill'd A Nationall enforced Religion or a Civill War for Religion the two great preventers of soule conversion and life Soule killers prove by the grace of Christ Soule savers Optatus examined Persecuters leave Christ flie to Moses for their practice Phineas his act discussed Eliaâ—s slaughters examined Eliahs consuming the 2 Captaâ—nes and their companies by â—iâ—e discussed Dangerous consequences flowing from the Civill Magistrates judging in Spirituall causes The World turned upside down The wonderfull answer of the Ministers of the Church of New England to the Ministers of the Church of Old England Lâ—mentable differences even amongst them that â—ear God Betweene the Presbyterians and Independants Covenanters and Noncovenanters of both which many are truly godly in their persons The doctrine of persecution necâ—ssâ—râ—ly and most commonly falls 〈◊〉 viâ—st upon he â—â—ost godly persons The doctrine of persecution drives the most godly persons out of the world The bloody Tenent Warres for Conscience The blessed Magna Charta A strange Modell of a Church and Common-weale after the Mâ—sâ—call and Jewish pattern Mat. 16. 19. with â—oh 20. 23. Rom. 13. 1. Mat. 10. 18. T it 3. 1. Acts 15. 20. Isa. 49. 2â— Gal. 3. â—8 Christs power in his Church confest to be above all Magistrates in 〈◊〉 all things Isa. 49. 23. lamentably wrested The first head examined John 18. 36. Jâ—r 29. 7. Ezta 7. 23. Rom. 1. 2. 3. Tim. 2. 2. The Civill Commonweal and the Spirituall Commonweale the Church not inconsistent though independent the one on the other Christs Ordinances put upon a whole City or Nation may more civilize and moralize but â—ever Christianize them The second head concerning superiority of each power Rom. 13. 1. 5. 6 Isa. 49. 23. Isa. 49. 23. Luc. 12. 14. Joh. 8. 11. And that judicium of the church in law suits 1 Cor. 62 is only arbitrarium not coastiâ—â—m Ans. Truth A contradiction to make the Magistrate supreme judge in spirituall causes and yet to have no spirituall power The Civill Magistrate confest to have no Civill power over the soules of men Nor spirituall The Magistrate and the Church by the Authors grounds at one and the same time in one and the same cause made the Judges on the Bâ—â—â—h and Dâ—â—â—quents â—â—â—th Bâ—â—re An illustration demonstratâ—ng thâ—â— the Câ—vill Magâ—stâ—atâ— câ—nnot hâ—ve power over the Church 〈◊〉 spirituâ—ll or Church causes The punishments Civill which the Magistrate insticts upon the Church for Civill crimes lawfull and necessary The true way of the God of Peace in differenâ—es between the Church the Magistrate Châ—mer de Ec. lâ—s p. 376. Park part polit lib. 1. cap. 1 The Gâ—rden of the Church and the Wildernesse of the World maâ—e all one The Commonweale more charged by these Authors with the Wâ—â—shâ—p and Ordinances then the Church The authors of these Positionâ— never yet sâ—w a true dâ—fference betweene â—he Church of Châ—â—â—t â—nd the world in poâ—â—t of worshâ—p 1 Tim 2. 1. discussâ—d The word honesty in this place of Timothy cannot signifie here the honesty or righteousnesse of the second Table The scope of Gods Spirit in this place of
all parts of the World Christianitie adds not to the nature of a Civill Commonweale nor doth want of Christianitie diminish it Rom. 13. evidently proveâ— the Civill work and wages of the Civill Magistrate Most strange yet most true consequences from the Civill Magistrates now being the Antitype of the Kings of Israel and Judah If no Religion but that which the Common-weal approves theÌ„ no Christ no God but at the pleasure of 〈◊〉 world â— Ep. Jo 9. The true antitype of the â—â—ngs of Israel and Judah A fourth difference of Lawes and Statutes from all others Moses a type of Christ. The Lawes of Israel unparallel'd Gods owne finger penn'd Lawes for Israel Fift difference Temporall prosperity most proper to the temporall Nationall State of the Jewes The spirituall prosperity of Gods people now the antitype What Israels excommunication was The corporall stoning in the Law typed out spirituall sâ—oning in the Gospell The rewards or punishments of the Lawes of Israel not to be parallel'd The wars of Israel typicall Israels Enemiâ—s round about The Enemies of mysticall Israel Enemies against Israel in her owne bowells The famous typically captivities of the Jews Their wonderfull victories The mysticall battells of Gods Israel now The mysticall Army of white troopers R. 19. Whether the Civill state of Israel was presidentiall The true Christendome Great unfaithfulnesse in Ministers to câ—st the â—hiefest burden of judging and establâ—shâ—ng true Christiâ—nity upon the Commonweal or worlâ— it selfe To governe judge in civill affâ—â—â—es load enough on the Civill Magistrate Magistrates can have no more power then the common consent of the people shall betrust them with Thousands of lawfull Magistrates who never heare of the true church of God The Spirituall and Civill Sword cannot be managed by one and the same person The Lord Jesus refused so manage both Nero and the persecuting Emperours not so injurious to Christianity as Constantine and others who assumed a power in Spirituall things Under Constantine Christianity fell into corruption and Christians fell asleep Who force the consciences of others yet are not willing to be forced themselves Constantine and others wanted not so much affection as information of conscience Sad consequences of charging the Civill powers with the care of Spiritualls Civill Rulers giving and lending their Horns or Authority to Bishops both dangerous to the truth of Christ. The Spirituall power of the Lord Jesus compared in Scripture to the incomparable horne of the Rhinocerot A time when Gods people are wholly at a losse for Gods worship Nursing fathers and mothers The Civill horne or power being of a humane constitution cannot but be of a humane operation The Civill power owes 3 things to the true Church of Christ. 1. Approbation 2. Submission 3. Protection The Civill Magistrate owes to false worshippers 1. Permission 2. Protection The Civill Magistrates conscience torne and distracted between the divers and contrary affirmations even of the most godly Reformers The Authors of these positions deal with the Civill Magistrate as the souldiers dealt with the Lord Jesus The rise of high Commissions c. Pious Magistrates and Ministers consciences are perswaded for that which other Magistrates consciences condemne To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to her duty and yet must not judge what that is what is it but to play in Spirituall things An apt similitude discussed concerning the Civill Magistrate First quaerie what if the 〈◊〉 command the Mr. or Pilot to steere such a course which they know will never bring them to the harbour 2. Quaerie If the Mr. of the Ship command the 〈◊〉 thus the Prince command the contrary who is to be obeyed If the Prince have as much skill as the Mr. or Pilo c. 4. Quaerie 5. Quaerie Whether the meanest saylor in respect of his skill and service be not to be preferred before the Prince himself 6. Quaerie Whether if the Mr. of the ship gratifie the Prince to the casting away of the ship and Prince c. he be not guilty and 〈◊〉 to answer The application in generall of the ship to the Church c. The meanest Christian according to his knowledg and grace to bee preferred before the highest who have received none or lesse grace of Christ. A true Minister of Christ ought to walk by another rule then the command of Civill Authority in Spirituall causes Former positions compared with this similitude and found to contradict each other The similitude of the Magistrate prescribing to the Physician in civill things but the Physician to the Magistrate concerning his body The 12 Head examined To give the government of the Church to the Civill Magistrate as before and yet to abridge his conscience what is it but to sport with holy things c. An evident contradiction An excellent confession of the proper end of Civill Government When Civill Lawes are not broken it is confest that Civill Peace is not hurt A grievous charge against the Christian Church and the King of it A strange law in New England formerly against Excommunicate persons A dangerous doctrine against all civill Magistrates Many sins prohibited to be punished by the Magistrate and yet they also charge him to punish all sin Rom. 13. Originall sin charged to hurt remotely but falsely the civill state Magistrates strangely forbidden to hear civill complaints Thousands of Common-weales where no true church of Christ. The complaints of families properly fall into the cognizance of the civill Mastrate They who give to Magistrates more then is due are most apt to disâ—o to be them of what is theirs 13. Head A strange double picture The great priviledges of the true Spouse or Church of Christ. To hold with Iâ—ght and walk in darknesse The Magistrate lift up to be the chief 〈◊〉 of the Church and yet cast downe not to have power to appoint the place or time of meeting 2 Similitudes illustrâ—ting the Magistrate 〈◊〉 be â—oth governor of the Church and yet usurpâ—r in commanding If a Church may assemble without and against the Magistrates consent as is assiâ—â—ed then much more constitute and become a Church c. Grosse partiality If the Civill Magistrate be to build the Spirituall or Christian house he must judge of the matter A close and faithfull intergatory to the consciences of the authors of these positions A sad quaerie to some concerning their practice A marvallouâ— challenge of more Libertie to Christians under a Christian Magistrate then under the Heathen If Magistratesâ— were appointed by Christ Jesus Governours of his Kingdome it were not reasonable that Christians should more freely breake the commands of the Christian then of the Heathen Magistrate The necessry of Civill government in generall of God but the speciall kindes of men 1 Pet. 2. 13. Civill Magistrates are derivatives from the fountaines or bodies of people A beleeving Magistrate no more a Magistrate thâ—n an unbeleeving The excellenâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Christs 〈…〉 The Magistrate like a Pilot in the Ship of the Common-weale Christianitie steâ—â—es a Christian Pilots course The Christian Pilot hath no more power over the soules of his Mariners or passengers then the unchristian or Pagan Pilot. The tearmes Heathen and Christian Magistrate All out of Christ are heathens that is of the Nations or Gentiles Josiah a type of Christ Jesus the King of the Church An unjust and partiall desire of liberty to some coâ—sciences bondage unto all others The Commission Mat. 28. of preaching and baptizing not properly directed to the Churches or fixed Teachers of it least of al to the Commonweale A quaerie who have now the care of all the Churches A Ministrie before the Church Acts 15. commonly misapplied Christs promise and presence only makes an Assembly blessed The promise of Christs presence Mat. â— 8. distinct from that Mat. 28. 14. Position examined Church administrations are charged firstly upon the Misters thereof The Ministers or Governors of Christs Church to be acknowledged in their dispensations A paradox Magistrates made the Judges of the Churches and Governours of them yet censurable by them Queene Eliz. Bish pâ—truer to their principles then many of a better spirit and profession Mr. Borowes profession concerning Queen Elizabeth Is not this too like the Popes profession of servuâ— servorum Dei yet holding out his slipper to the lips of Princes Kings and Emperours 15. Head examined The inventions of men in swarving from the true essentialls of Civill and Spirituall Common-weales 16. and last Head examined A great Quegion viz. Whether only Church members that is as is intended Godly persons in a particular Church estate be only eligible or to be chosen for Magistrates Lawfull Civil States where Churches of Christ are not The world being divided into 30 parts 25 never heard of Christ. Lawfull heires of Crownes Civill Government although not Christian and godly Few Christians wise and noble and qualified for affaires of State Some Papists and some Protestants agree in deposing of Magistrates Those Scriptures Exod. 18 Deut. 17. 18. c. parallel'd in the true spirituall Israel by 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. The Ninevites Fast examined Object Answ. Object Answ. How England and London may yet be spared Luc. 22 the felling of the Coat to buy a Sword discussed A threefold taking of the Sword Revel 17. 16. the Kings having of the Whore discussed