Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	king_n	pope_n	3,065	5	6.1057	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80811	The magistrates authority, in matters of religion; and the souls immortality, vindicated in two sermons preach'd at York. / By Christopher Cartvvright, B.D. and Minister of Gods Word there.	Cartwright, Christopher, 1602-1658.; Leigh, Edward, 1602-1671.	1647 (1647)	Wing C692; Thomason E401_32; ESTC R201801	22,915	44

power and authority but to this end that he may smite and punish such as do evil for he is the minister of God a revenger c. Private revenge is forbidden Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves But the Magistrate being a publike person and appointed of God to this end to take vengeance on those that do evill he may and ought to do it This is not against that Rom. 12.19 Vengeance is mine I wil repay saith the Lord. No what the Magistrate doth by vertue of his office to which God hath called and of his authority wherewith God hath invested him that is as done by God himself Doct. The words being thus explicated the doctrin which I observe from them is this That Magistrates are ordained of God for the maintaining and defending of those that do well and for the restraining and punishing of those that do evill This doctrine is clear and evident from the text and being thus indefinitly propounded they with whom I have had somewhat to do already in conference and dispute and with whom i. with their opinion I shall still have to do at this time they I say do not deny but they limit it and wil have it understood only in things civill not in matters of religion This therefore is that which I shall apply my self unto to prove that the Magistrate hath a just and lawful power as well in things that concern the first as in things that concern the 2. Table as well in matters of religion as in civil matters But that none may mistake let this be known and considered that we do not ascribe such power to the Magistrate as the Papists do to the Pope We do not hold that the Magistrate may prescribe forms of religion as he pleaseth this was Ieroboams sin 1 King 12.28 c. Nor that he may performe those things which belong to the minister as to preach baptise c. This was it for which Vriah was Plagued because he would needs take upon him to execute the Priests office 2 Chro. 26.16 c. But we hold and maintain that the Magistrate hath a power to erect preserve and establish that religion which God in his word hath commanded and to cause both ministers and others to performe those things in respect of the outward act which God doth require of them and to restrain and punish them if they transgress not only in things concerning the 2. Table but also in things concerning the first Table And this is all that is meant by that title of supream head or supream governer which we give unto the King which makes me to wonder much atsome whom otherwise I reverence esteem for their works sake who have lately inveighed sore against this Title alledging the censures of Calvin and the centurists upon it whereas it is well known that the English Divines long before these times have shewed that Calvin and the Centurists did mistake the meaning of the Title and supposed it to imply such an exorbitant power as is attributed to the Pope by the Papists so that the true meaning of it is no more then what they and all Orthodox Divines do yeeld unto the Magistrate This hath been made so clear that not only * Ject D. Nowel against Dorman Dr. Rainolds Confer forrain Protestants but even * Rivot in Decal Hart in the Conf. with D. Rain Papists also some of them have been Satisfied But to return to the point and the proof of it against those that would so limit the Magistrates power and restrain it to civil affaires 1. It is a rule Non est distinguendum ubi lex non distinguit Argum. 1 i. we must not distinguish where the law doth not distinguish And therefore the Apostle not so limiting the power of the Magistrate we may not so limit it The Apostle in the text and the verse before the text Speaks of the Magistrate as having power from God to punish evil doers and to protect those that do well he doth not limit this to things that concern the 2 Table neither is there any ground for this limitation See also 1 Pet. 2.14 Exception 1. Yes say some the Apostle in the verses following v. 6.10 doth limit that which goes before Answ Let that be considered For for this cause c. verse 6. There the Apostle only shews that therefore tribute is payd to Magistrates and Rulers because they must apply themselves to the execution of that office to which God hath called them viz. the ruling and governing of people the protecting and prefering of those that do well and the correcting and punishing of those that do evil And hereupon v. 7. he exhorts people to render unto Magistratrs and not to them only but to all that which is due unto them Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom c. And v. 8. proceeding in his exhortation as it is generall and concernes the rendering of that which is due unto all he bids Owe nothing to any man but to love one another Intimating that love is such a debt that can never be so payd but stil its due And to shine up to a careful performing of this duty of love which all continually owe unto al he sets forth the excellency of love Saying for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law And that love is of such an excellent nature as that the whole law viz of the 2. Table of which he speaks for he speaks of that love which men owe one to another is fulfilled in it this he proves v. 9.10 for this Thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steal c. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour whence he inferrs Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law Thus the whole Series and Method of the Apostle's discourse being considered it plainly appears that his mentioning of the duties of the 2. Table is not to this end to shew that the Magistrate hath power only in and about things of that nature but quite to another purpose viz. to prove that in loving one another is comprehended the sum and substance of that whole law namely of the 2 Table which concerns the duty of men towards one another Except 2. Others therefore fetch the ground of their limitation from another place viz that Mat. 22.21 Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Answer But surely that place affoords no ground for it our Saviour there indeed intimates that some things belong unto God which do not belong to Caesar of which we make no question for faith and affiance religious worship and obsolute obedience in all things are due unto God not so to Caesar but that it belongs not unto Caesar to intermeddle in matters of religion this our Saviour there shews not no those words Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods were alwaies of force there were always some things viz.

those before specified belonging unto God and not unto Caesar yet it is most vident and undeniable that in some ages Caesar i. the Prince and Ruler hath had and exercised this power which we now contend for and that lawfully and laudably And so I pass to another argument drawn from the just practice of good and Godly Magistrates 2. Therefore I argue thus The best of the rulers of Argum. 2 Gods people of old have put forth their authority in matters of religion and are commended for it I will not stand much upon the examples of David and Solomon not because they were types of Christ as some have answered concerning David and the same may be said of Solomon also but because they were Prophets as wel as Kings and what they did in this kind for the most part they did not as Kings but as Prophets as appears by 1 Chron 9.22 28.19 2 Chron. 8.14 To let pass therefore these examples I wil only urge the examples of those who were Kings only and not Prophets as of Asa Jehoshaphat Ezekiah and Josiah How Asa put down Idolatry and caused the people to enter into a strict and solemn covenant to serve the Lord is recorded 2 Chron. 15. Of Jehoshaphats care concerning religion how he took away the high places the groves out of Iudah and sent Priests and Levites throughout the land to teach and instruct the people we read 2 Chron. 17. How Ezekiah restored religion opening the doors of the Temple which Ahaz his Father had shut caused the Preists and Levites to discharg their offices and the people generally to keep the passover c. we find 2 Chron. 29. 30. 31. And so of Iosiah how he destroyed idolatry repaired the Temple and kept a most solemn Passover 2 Chron. 34. 35. Thus did al these famous Princes that not by any peculiar power and authority but such as is common to all Rulers and Magistrates within the compass of their Iurisdiction which wil further appear by the next argument Argum. 3 3. Therefore I argue from the commendable practice of heathen Magistrates who having the people of God sometimes under their dominion have made good laws and decrees concerning religion which shews that all they ought See to this purpose Ezr. 6.14 22. Ezr. 7.21.23.25.26.27 So whereas Nehemiah caused the chambers belonging to the Preists to be cleansed and the Sabbath to be observed c. Neh. 1.3 He had his commission from Artaxerxes Neh 2. See also what a decree Nebucadnezzar made Dan. 2.29 and Darius Dan. 6.25 26. 4. If this power be not granted to the Magistrate Argum. 4 great evil and mischief wil ensue the Church wil be most miserably pestered with Sects and Heresies and all manner of impiety This is noted as the occasion of Micahs idolatry that there was no King i.e. no Ruler or Magistrate in Israel but every one did what seemed good in his own eyes Judg. 17.6 And so of the Idolatry of the children of Dan Judg. 18.1 In these two places the want of a Magistrate who is to restrain and shame them that do evil Judg. 18.7 Is noted as the occasion of that disorder that was in the Church even as in two other places viz. Judg. 19 1. 21.25 It is noted as the occasion of that disorder that was in the Civil state Object But some may say that in the Apostles days and along time after there was no Magistrate to take care of religion therefore no such necessity of a Magistrate in that respect Answ I answer that the Apostles were indued with an extraordinary power which sometimes they did exercise upon haynous transgressors for the admonition and terror of others Thus Peter struck Ananias and Sapphira with sudden death Acts 5. And hereby great fear came upon all the Church and upon all that heard of it v. 11. So Paul smote Elimas with blindness Acts 13. Whereby the Deputy Sergius Paulus was astonished and converted v. 12. So that the extraordinary power of the Apostles might wel then supply the want of a Christian Magistrate And for the times after the Apostles until Constantine besides that the Church was continually under persecution what a flood of heresies did break in appears by the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian who lived in those times 5. It is promised that in the times of the Gospel Kings shal be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers to the Church Isa 49.23 But this they cannot be except they have power put forth their power in matters of religion which do especially concern the Church as wel as in Civil matters Except 1. Some answer that Kings and Queens are promised to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church in that being converted they shal hold forth the grace of Christ unto others Reply But so may any of the Saints do though of the meanest rank and poorest condition its true the examples of Kings and Queens are more conspicious and more taken notice of but to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers imports a power and a care to cherish and maintain to protect and defend which is much more then to hold forth by example Therefore the Apostle gives this as a reason why we should pray as for all so more especially for Kings and those that are in authority that under them i. e. under the wings of their protection We may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Except 2. Some grant that protection and defence is implyed in the titles of nursing fathers and nursing mothers but this protection and defence they wil have meant only in outward and civil things not in things belonging to Religion Reply But 1. To be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church as the Church must needs imply a protection and defence of the Church in matters of Religion for it is Religion which gives being to the Church and by Religion it is that the Church doth differ from the Civil State or Common-wealth 2. Meer heathens and infidels may have and usually have this benefit by their Kings and Queens to be protected and defended in their civil rights and liberties but the Prophet speaks of a special benefit which the Church shal have by Kings and Queens above others 3. The Apostle 1 Tim. 2.2 requires us to pray for Kings and those that are in authority that under them we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life as wel in all godliness which concerns Religion as honesty Argum. 6 6. It is Prophesied in respect of the times of theGospel Zech 13.3 That if any shal Prophesy falsly to draw away unto Idolatry his father and his mother that begat him shal say unto him thou shalt not live for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord and his father and his mother that begat him shal thrust him through when he prophesieth This shews that in the times of the Gospel of

which times this is Prophesied as appears by v. 1. there shal be a restraining and punishing of false Prophets false teachers and seducers Except Some answer that all that is here held out unto us is this that in the times of the Gospel false teachers that go about to draw from Christ shal be most odious unto true beleevers Reply This is not all but that they shal also be restrained and punished as those words plainly import They shal say unto him thou shalt not live and they shal thrust him through Object But it is objected that the words are not to be taken literally for that so parents should kil their own children whereas it is unlawful for any private persons to kil others and most unnatural for parents to kil their children Answ I answer They are said to do it because they procure it to be done viz. by the Magistrate whom they shal inform against those seducers that so they may receive condigne punishment A parallel place to this and which doth serve fully to illustrate this there is Deut. 13.6 10. If thy brother the sonne of thy mother c. entice thee secretly saying Let us go serve other Gods c. Thou shalt not consent c. neither shalt thou conceal him but thou shalt surely kil him thine hand c. Mark here Thou shalt surely kil him viz. Whosoever thou be'st that art inticed unto idolatry But how is this understood may any one take upon him to kil such as would draw him away from the true God No he must not do it himself but procure it to be done by such as have power and authority to do it as the words before do shew thou shalt not conceal him i. thou shalt complain of him to the Magistrate and shalt inform him against him So the words following shew as much Thine hand shal be first upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hands of all the people i.e. Thou having witnessed against him and the Magistrate having condemned him thou shalt throw the first stone at him For so the witnesses used to do as we see Deut. 17.7 And mark also that which follows v. 11. And all Israel shal hear and fear and shal do no more any such wickedness as this amongst you This reason shews the precept to be moral and to bind in all ages Q. d. The wickedness is exceeding great and therefore he that is found guilty of it shal die for it that so others may fear to do the like I wil add no more arguments these may suffice to prove that Magistrates are ordained of God for the protecting and preserving of those that do wel and for the correcting and punishing of those that do evil and that not in civil matters only but also in matters of Religion Objections Answered Some objections are made which must be answered Object Tit. 3.10 An heretick after the first and second admonition reject Here say some the Apostle requires only that an heretick being obstinate be rejected i.e. Excommunicated cast out of the Church not restrained and punished by the Magistrate Answ The Apostle wrote to Titus and signified what he and the officers of the Church should do as for the civil Magistrate the Apostle had no reason to mention him there being as then none but such as were Aliens from Christ and the Gospel But doth it follow because the Church must reject and excommunicate an Heretick that therefore the Magistrate hath no power to restrain him from preaching and publishing Heresie and to punish him for it Surely no more then it follows that the magistrate may not punish for incest because the Apostle writes to the Church at Corinth to cast out the incestuous person 1 Cor. 5. Object But they object again and say what punishment doth the Gospel appoint for Heretical teachers and maintainers of false opinions in matters of Religion Answ 1. I may demand also what punishment doth the Gospel appoint for theeves murtherers incestuous persons c. I do not find the Gospel to express any punishment to be inflicted by the Magistrate more upon these then upon the other expresly nothing that I know is prescribed against either but by consequence something is prescribed against both in that the Gospel doth approve confirm and ratifie the Magistrate to be a terrour unto evil works and a revenger to execute wrath upon those that do evil Rom. 13.3 4. which as hath been said holds as wel in things concerning the first as the second Table 2. As it is in respect of offences against the second Table so it is also in respect of offences against the first Table greater or lesser punishment is to be inflicted as the offence is more or less heinous That place Zech. 13.3 being a Prophecy concerning the times of the Gospel shews that in some case death it self may and ought to be inflicted upon false teachers Object But say some if the Magistrate be allowed this power to preserve and maintain truth in matter of Religion and to curb and restrain error he may either through ignorance or malice or both happen to do quite contrary to restrain truth and maintain error Answ It may so happen indeed and hath often so happened otherwise there had not been so many Martyrs But what then The power in it self is good and being rightly used doth work good and shal it therefore be denyed and disanulled because it may be abused and so work evil By this reason the Magistrate shal have no power at all not so much as in civil things for he may abuse and pervert also this power he may condemn some as being theeves murtherers traytors c. who are no such men but most innocent persons Object But some object that in the Parable of the tares Math. 13. where the master would not let the servants pluck up the tares as they would have done but bid them let them grow till the harvest and then they should be plucked up Hence they gather that Hereticks and such as maintain false doctrines whom they understand by the tares must not be punished nor restrained but let alone until the end of the world which Christ himself shews to be meant by the harvest Answ This Parable makes no more for a toleration of Hereticks then of theeves murtherers and all wicked ones whatsoever for if we wil heed our Saviours own explication by the tares are meant generally the children of the wicked one v. 38. All things that offend and they that work iniquity v. 41. Object But are all the workers of iniquity to be let alone until the end of the world Answ No that 's not our Saviours meaning but the scope of the Parable is to shew that however some may imagine yet there wil be a mixture of good and bad here even until the end of the world and that then and not before shal be a full and perfect separation of the one from the other The same is signified

by the Parable of a draw-net Mat. 13.47 50. Thus the Doctrine being sufficiently confirmed and the Objections made against it answered let us come to the Uses of it Vse 1 And 1. It serves to convince and recliam if it may be those that are of the contrary opinion and to teach and admonish all to beware of that opinion It is an opinion injurious unto God injurions to his vicegerent injurious to his people 1. Injurious unto God opposing his ordinance 2. Injurious to Gods vicegerent the Magistrate devesting him of that power wherewith God hath invested him 3. Injurious unto Gods people depriving them of that benefit which they might and should have by the Magistrate and for want thereof exposing them to great and manifold inconveniences Vse 2 2. To confute the Papists who though they seem to give unto the Magistrate this power yet indeed they withhold it from him For they make him only a Vassal to the Pope and those of that Hierarchy to execute their Canons and Decrees to punish such as they have pronounced Hereticks and to cause that doctrine which they propound to be embraced and those rites which they enjoyn what ever they be to be observed Whereas if private persons must prove all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 then much more must Magistrates do it Though they must not do things of themselves but must advise with godly and able Ministers and be instructed and directed by them out of Gods Word yet must they not tye themselves to the dictates of men but must have the book of God the holy Scripture continually with them and exercise themselves diligently therein and by it try things Deut. 17.18 19 20. before either they receive them themselves or cause others to submit unto them Vse 3 3. To stir us up to pray continually unto God in the behalf of our Magistrates that they may be enlightned by his Spirit to discern of things that differ that so they may be able to use their power aright to edification and not to destruction for the supporting of the truth not for the suppressing of it and that they may be incited and stirred up to do it Thus the Apostle exhorts and requires us to pray and make supplications as for all so more especially for Kings and those that are in authority that under them we may lead a peaceable and a quiet life in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 We may see and it is worthy to be observed that according as the Kings and Rulers of Gods people were good or bad so Religion either flourished or decayed under Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah and Josiah it flourished Under Rehoboam Ahas Manasses c. it decayed Vse 4 4. To stir us up to praise and glorifie God for such Magistrates when any good doth accrew unto the Church by them As we must honour the Magistrates themselves so much the more by how much the more they put forth themselves and exercise their authority for the preserving and maintaining of Religion and for the procuring of the welfare and happiness of the Church as they did Jehoiada the high Priest who had been Tutor to King Joash in his non-age and carryed himself worthily in that place of dignity and power at his death they did him the honour to bury him among the Kings because he had done good in Israel both towards God and towards his house 2 Chron. 24.16 So chiefly our care must be to acknowledg the good hand of God upon us in vouchsafing to give us such Magistrates and to make them so instrumental to our good and to give him the praise and glory of all The King granted me said Nehemiah according to the good hand of my God upon me Nehemiah 2.8 So of Ezra it is said that the King granted him all his request viz. which he made in the behalf of Ierusalem and the service of God according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him Ezra 7.6 And having rehearsed the decree that the King had made and the commission that he had given him concerning the worship of God and the affairs of the Church he breaketh out into this doxology Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem And hath extended mercy unto me before the King and his Counsellors and before all the Kings mighty Princes and I was strengthned as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me Ezra 7.27 28. ECCLES 12.7 Then shal the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shal return to God that gave it IN the beginning of this Chapter Solomon bids Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth and he shews why every one ought to have this care viz. because in old age we can neither be so serviceable neither can our service be so acceptable this is signified in those words before the evil daies come and the years draw nigh wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them the daies of old age are evil daies i. e. full of trouble and sorrow in which sense Iacob said that his daies were evil Gen. 47.9 Old age is subject to diseases and distempers Senectus ipsa morbus it is it self a disease And therefore also the years of old age are years wherein a man hath no pleasure see Psal 90.10 and 2 Sam. 19.35 And are we then in old age fit to do God service Or is it fit to put off the serving of God until old age Shal we think that God wil have pleasure in that service which we put off till those years come wherein we our selves have no pleasure Solomon having thus generally set forth in the first verse how unmeet it is and unreasonable to cast off the remembrance of God until old age come he goes on in the next five verses to describe old age and to set forth the troublesome and uncomfortable condition of it more particularly the description is very elegant but allegorical and therefore obscure I may not now stand to explain it but must come to the 7. ver which I am to insist on wherein he shews what old age tends to and what follows upon it viz. death and judgment Then shal the dust return c. Then viz. when old age hath worn and weakned the body and dissolved the frame and temperature of it Shal the dust i. e. the body which was made of dust Gen. 2.7 Return to the earth as it was According to that Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground or earth for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return And the Spirit i. e. the soul as the word Spirit is taken 1 Cor. 6.20 and so in other places Shal return unto God viz. as the Chaldee Paraphrast dothwel interpret