Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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B20727
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The keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word of God / by Mr. Iohn Cotton ...
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Cotton, John, 1584-1652.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing C6437
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60,953
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71
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power of the sword in matters which concern the civill peace The matters which concern the civill peace wherein Church-subjection is chiefly attended are of foure sorts 1. The first sort be civill matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of this life as is the disposing of mens goods or lands lives or liberties tributes customes worldly honours and inheritances In these the Church submitteth and referreth it self to the civill State Christ as minister of the circumcision refused to take upon him the dividing of Inheritances amongst Brethren as impertinent to his calling Luk. 12.13 14. His kingdome he acknowledgeth is not of this world Joh. 18.36 Himself payed tribute to Cesar Matth. 17.27 for himself and his disciples 2. The second sort of things which concern civill peace is the establishment of pure Religion in doctrine worship and government according to the word of God as also the reformation of all corruptions in any of these On this ground the good Kings of Iudah commanded Iudah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to worship him according to his own statutes and commandments and the contrary corruptions of strange gods high places Images and Groves they removed and are commended of God and obeyed by the Priests and people in so doing 2 Chron. 14.3 4 5. 2 Chron. 15.8 to 16. 2 Chron. 17.6 to 9. 2 Chron. 19.3 4. 2 Chron. 24.4 5 6. 8 9 10. 2 Chron. 29.3 to 35. 2 Chron. 30.1 to 12. 2 Chron. 34.3 to 33. The establishment of pure Religion and the reformation of corruptions in Religion do much concerne the civill peace If Religion be corrupted there will be warre in the gates Iudg. 5.8 and no peace to him that cometh in or goeth out 2 Chron. 15.3 5 6. But where Religion rejoyceth the civill State flourisheth Hagg. 2.15 to 19. It is true the establishment of pure Religion and reformation of corruptions pertain also to the Churches and Synodicall Assemblies But they go about it onely with spirituall weapons ministery of the Word and Church-censures upon such as are under Church-power But Magistrates addresse themselves thereto partly by commanding and stirring up the Churches and Ministers thereof to go about it in their spirituall way partly also by civill punishments upon the wilfull opposers and disturbers of the same As Iehosaphat sent Priests and Levites and them accompanied and countenanced with Princes and Nobles to preach and teach in the Cities of Iudah 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9. So Iosiah put to death the idolatrous Priests of the high places 2 King 22.20 Nor was that a peculiar duty or priviledge of the Kings of Iudah but attended to also by heathen Princes and that to prevent the wrath of God against the Realme of the King and his sons Ezra 7.23 yea and of the times of the New Testament it is prophesied that in some cases capitall punishment shall proceed against false Prophets and that by the procurement of their neerest kindred Zach. 13.3 And the execution thereof is described Revel 16.4 to 7. where the rivers and fountains of waters that is the Priests and Iesuites that conveigh the Religion of the Sea of Rome throughout the countreys are turned to blood that is have blood given them to drink by the civill Magistrate Neverthelesse though we willingly acknowledge a power in the Civill Magistrate to establish and reform Religion according to the Word of God yet we would not be so understood as if we judged it to belong to the civill power to compell all men to come and sit down at the Lords table or to enter into the communion of the Church before they be in some measure prepared of God for such fellowship For this is not a Reformation but a Deformation of the Church and is not according to the Word of God but against it as we shall show God willing in the sequell when we come to speak of the disposition or qualification of Church-members 3. There is a third sort of things which concern the civill peace wherein the Church is not to refuse subjection to the Civill Magistrate in the exercise of some publick spirituall administrations which may advance and help forward the publick good of Civill State according to God In time of warre or pestilence or any publick calamitie or danger lying upon a Common-wealth the Magistrate may lawfully proclaime a Fast as Iehosaphat did 2 Chron. 20.3 and the Churches ought not to neglect such an administration upon such a just occasion Neither doth it impeach the power of the Church to call a Fast when themselves see God calling them to publick humiliation For as Iehosaphat called a Fast so the Prophet Joel stirreth up the Priests to call a Fast in time of a famine threatning the want of holy Sacrifices Ioel 1.13 14. It may fall out also that in undertaking a warre or in making a league with a forraine State there may arise such cases of conscience as may require the consultation of a Synod In which case or the like if the Magistrate call for a Synod the Churches are to yeeld him ready subjection herein in the Lord. Jehosaphat though he was out of his place when he was in Samaria visiting an idolatrous King yet he was not out of his way when in case of undertaking the war against Syria he called for counsell from the mouth of the Lord by a Councell or Synod of Priests and Prophets 1 King 22.5 6 7. 4. A fourth sort of thinge wherein the church is not to refuse subjection to the Civill Magistrate is in patient suffering their unjust persecutions without hostile or rebellious resistance For though persecution of the churches and servants of Christ will not advance the civill peace but overthrow it yet for the church to take up the sword in her own defence is not a lawfull means of preserving the church peace but a disturbance of it rather In this case when Peter drew his sword in defence of his Master the Lord Iesus against an attachment served upon him by the Officers of the high Priests and Elders of the people our Saviour bade him put up his sword into his sheath again for saith he all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword Mat. 27.50 51 52. where he speaketh of Peter either as a private Disciple or a church-officer to whom though the power of the keys was committed yet the power of the sword was not committed And for such to take up the sword though in the cause of Christ it is forbidden by Christ and such is the case of any particular church or of a Synod of churches As they have received the power of the keys not of the sword to the power of the keys they may and ought to administer but not of the sword Wherein neverthelesse we speak of churches and Synods as such that is as church-members or church-assemblies acting in a church-way by the power of the keys received from Christ But if some of the same persons
we confesse we were filled with wonderment at that Divine hand that had thus led the judgements without the least mutuall interchange or intimation of thoughts or notions in these particulars of our Brethren there and our selves unworthy to be mentioned with them here Onely we crave leave of the reverend Author and those Brethren that had the view of it to declare that we assent not to all expressions scattered up and down or all every Assertion interwoven in it yea nor to all the grounds or allegations of Scriptures nor should wee in all things perhaps have used the same terms to expresse the same materials by For instance wee humbly conceive Prophecying as the Scripture tearmes it or speaking to the edification of the whole Church may sometimes be performed by Brethren gifted though not in Office as Elders of the Church onely 1 Occasionally not in an ordinary course 2. By men of such abilities as are fit for Office And 3. not assuming this of themselves but judged such by those that have the power and so allowed and designed to it And 4. so as their Doctrine be subjected for the judging of it in an especiall manner to the Teaching Elders of that Church And when it is thus cautioned wee see no more incongruity for such to speake to a point of Divinity in a Congregation then for men of like abilities to speake to and debate of matters of religion in an Assembly of Divines which this reverend Author allows and here with us is practised Againe in all humility we yet see not that Assembly of Apostles Elders and Brethren Acts 15. to have beene a formall Synod of Messengers sent out of a set and combined association from neighbour Churches but an Assembly of the Church of Jerusalem and of the Messengers from the Church of Antioch alone that were farre remote each from other and electively now met Nor are we for the present convinced that the Apostles to the end to make this a Precedent of such a formal Synod did act therein as Ordinary Elders and not out of Apostolicall guidance assistance But we rather conceive if we would simply consider the mutual aspects which these two Churches and their Elders stood in this conjunction abstracting from them that influence and impression which that superior Sphere the Apostles who were then present had in this transaction this to have been a Consultation as the learned Author doth also acknowledge it to have beene in its first originall onely rising up to be a Generall Councell by the Apostles presence they being Elders of all the Churches or if you will a reference by way of Arbitration for deciding of that great controversie risen amongst them at Antioch which they found to bee too difficult for themselves and so to be a warrant indeede for all such waies of communion between all or any especially neighbour Churches and upon like occasions to bee Ordinances furnished with ministeriall power for such ends and purposes Our reasons for this wee are now many waies bound up from giving the accompt of in this way and at this season But however if it should have beene so intended as the learned Author judgeth and the Apostles to have acted therein as ordinary Elders yet the lines of that proportion of power that could bee drawne from that patterne would extend no further then a Ministeriall Doctrinall power c. in such Assemblies which we willingly grant And it may bee observed with what a wary eye and exact ayme hee takes the latitude and elevation of that power there held forth not daring to attribute the least either for kind or degree then what that example warrants which was at utmost but a Doctrinall decernement both of the truth of that controversie they were consulted in as also the matter of fact in those that had taught the contrary as belyers of them and subverters of the faith without so much as brandishing the sword and power of Excommunication against those high and grosse delinquents or others that should not obey them by that Epistle Onely in the last place for the further clearing the difference of the peoples intrest which the reverend Author usually calleth Liberty sometimes Power the Elders rule and authority which makes that first distribution of Church power in particular Congregations as likewise for the illustration of that other allotment of Ministerial doctrinal power in an association or communion of Churches as severed from the power of Excommunication which is the second We take the boldnes to cast a weake beame of our dimne light upon either of these to present how these have layne stated in our thoughts to this end that wee may haply prevent some readers mistake especially about the former For the first we conceive the Elders and Brethren in each Congregation as they are usually in the New Testament thus mentioned distinctly apart and this when their meeting together is spoken of so they make in each congregation two distinct intrests though meeting in one Assembly as the intrest of the Common-Councell or body of the people in some Corporations is distinct from that of the company of Aldermen so as without the consent and concurrence of both nothing is esteemed as a Church act But so as in this company of Elders this power is properly Authority but in the people is a priviledge or power An apparent difference betweene these two is evident to us by this That two or three or more select persons should be put into an Office and betrusted with an intire intrest of power for a multitude to which that multitude ought by a command from Christ to bee subject and obedient as to an ordinance to guide them in their consent and in whose sentence the ultimate formall Ministeriall act of binding or loosing should consist this power must needs bee esteemed and a knowledged in these few to have the proper notion and character of Authority in comparison of that power which must yet concurre with theirs that is in a whole body or multitude of men who have a greater and neerer interest and concernement in those affaires over which these few are set as Rulers This difference of power doth easily appeare in comparing the severall interest of Father and child in his disposement of her in marriage and her concurrence with him therein although we intend not the paralell between the things themselves A virgin daughter hath a power truly and properly so called yea and a power ultimately to dissent upon an unsatisfied dislike yea and it must be an act of her consent that maketh the marriage valid But yet for her Parents to have a power to guide her in her choyce which she ought in duty to obey and a power which must also concurre to bestowe her or the marriage is invalid this comparing her intrest wherein she is more neerly and intimately concerned with theirs doth arise to the notion of an extrinsecall authority whereas that power is in