in each City have obtained the Soveraignty the supreme authority of judging determineing al manner of coÌ„troversies about temporal matters we must see henceforth to whom he hath left the same authority in matters spirituall Which because it cannot bee known except it be out of the word of God and the Tradition of the Church we must enquire in the next place what the word of God is what to interpret it what a Church is and what the will and command of the Church To omit that the word of God is in Scripture taken sometimes for the Sonne of God it is used three manner of wayes First most properly for that which God hath spoken Thus whatsoever God spake unto Abraham the Patriarâ—hs Moses and the Prophets our Saviour to his Disciples or any others is the word of God Secondly whatsoever hath been uttered by men on the motion or by Command of the Holy Ghost in which sense we acknowledge the Scriptures to be the word of God Thirdly in the New Testament indeed the word of God most frequently signifies the Doctrine of the Gospell or the word concerning God or the word of the Kingdome of God by CHRIST as where it is said that CHRIST preach't the Gospell of the Kingdome Mat. 4. vers 23. Where the Apostles are said to preach the word of God Acts 13. vers 46. Where the word of God is called the word of life Acts 5. vers 20. The word of the Gospell Acts 15. vers 7. The word of faith Rom. 10. vers 8. The word of truth that is to say adding an interpretation The Gospel of salvation Eph. 1. 13. And where it is called the word of the Apostles For Saint Paul sayes If any man obey not our word c. 2. Thess 3. vers 14. which places cannot be otherwise meant then of the doctrine Evangâ—licall In like manner where the word of God is said to be sowen to encrease and to be multiplied Acts 12. vers 24. and Chap. 13. vers 49. it is very hard to ceive this to be spoken of the voyeâ— of God or of his Apostles but of their doctrine easie And in this third acception is all that doctrine of the Christian faith which at this day is preacht in Pulpiâ—s and contained in the hooks of divines the word of God XVI Now the sacred Seripture is intirely the word of God in this second acception as being that which we acknowledge to be inspired from God and innumerable places of it in the first and seeing the greatest part of it is conversant either in the prediction of the Kingdome of Heaven or in prefigurations before the incarnation of CHRIST or in Evangelization and explication after The sacred Scripture is also the word of God and therefore the Canon and Rule of all Evangelicall Doctrine in this third signification where the word of God is taken for the word concerning God that is to say for the Gospel But because in the same Scriptures we read many things Politicall Historicall Morall Physicall and others which nothing at all concern the Mysteâ—ies of our faith those places although they contain true doctrine and are the Canon of such kind of doctrines yet can they not be the Canon of the Mysteries of Christian Religion XVII And truly it is not the dead voyce or letter of the word of God which is the Canon of Christian doctrine but a true and genuiâ—e determination For the minde is not governed by Scriptures unlesse they be understood There is need therefore of an Interpreter to make the Scriptures Canon and hence followes one of these two things that either the word of the Interpreter is the word of God or that the Canon of Christian doctrin is not the word of God The last of these must necessarily be false for the rule of that doctrine which cannot be knowne by any humane reason but by divine revelation only cannot be lesse then divine for whom we acknowledge not to be able to discern whether some doctrin be true or not its impossible to account his opinion for a rule in the same doctrine The first therefore is true That the word of an Interpreter of Scriptures is the word of God XVIII Now that Interpreter whose determination hath the honour to be held for the word of God is not every one that translates the Scriptures out of the Hebrew and Greek tongue to his Latine Auditors in Latine to his French in French and to other Nations in their mother tongue for this is not to interpret For such is the nature of speech in generall that although it deserve the chiefe place among those signes whereby we declare our conceptions to others yet cannot it perform that office alone without the help of many circumstances For the living voice hath its interpreters present to wit time place countenance gesture the Counsell of the Speaker and himselfe unfolding his own meaning in other words as oft as need is To recall these aids of interpretation so much desired in the writings of old time is neither the part of an ordinary wit nor yet of the quaintest without great learning and very much skill in antiquity It sufficeth not therefore for interpretation of Scriptures that a man understand the language wherein they speak Neither is every one an authentique Interpreter of Scriptures who writes Comments upon them For men may erre they may also either bend them to serve their own ambition or even resisting draw them into bondage by their forestallings whence it will follow that an erroneous sentence must be held for the word of God But although this could not happen yet as soon as these Commentators are departed their Commentaries will need explications and in processe of time those explications expositions those expositions new Commentaries without any end so as there cannot in any written Interpretation whatsoeve be a Canon oâ— Rule of Christian doctrine whereby the Controversies of Religion may be determined It remains that there must bee some Canonicall Interpreter whose legitimate Office it is to end Controversies begun by explaining the word of God in the judgements themselves and whose authority therefore must be no lesse obeyed then theirs who first recommended the Scripture it selfe to us for a Canon of faith and that one and the same Person be an Interpreter of Scripture and a supreme Judge of all manner of doctrines XIX What concerns the word Ecclesia or Church originally it signifies the same thing that Concio or a congregation does in Latin even as Ecclesiastes or Church-man the same that concionator or Preacher that is to say He who speaks to the Congregation In which sense wee read in the Acts of the Apostles of a Church confused and of a Lawfull Church Acts 19. vers 32 39. That taken for a Concourse of people meeting in way of tumult this for a convocated Assembly But in holy writ by a Church of Christians is sometimes understood the Assembly and sometimes
able enough to interpret those books of antiquity in the which Gods word is contained and that for this cause it is not reasonable that this office should depend on their authority he may object as much against the Priests and all mortall men for they may erre and although Priests were better instructed in nature and arts then other men yet Kings are able enough to appoint such interpreters under them and so though Kings did not themselves interpret the word of God yet the office of interpreting them might depend on their authority and they who therefore refuse to yeeld up this authority to Kings because they cannot practise the office it selfe doe as much as if they should say that the authority of teaching Geometry must not depend upon Kings except they themselves were Geometricians We read that Kings have prayed for the People that they have blest the people that they have consecrated the Temple that they have commanded the Priests that they have removed Priests from their office that they have constituted others Sacrifices indeed they have not offered for that was hereditary to Aaron and his sonnes but it is manifest as in Moyses his life time so throughout all ages from King Saul to the captivity of Babylon that the Priesthood was not a Maistry but a Ministry XVII After their returne from Babylonian bondage the Covenant being renewed and sign'd the Priestly Kingdome was restor'd to the same manner it was in from the death of Ioshuah to the beginning of the Kings excepting that it is not expresly set downe that the return'd Jewes did give up the Right of Soveraignty either to Esdras by whose directions they ordred their State or to any other beside God himselfe That reformation seemes rather to be nothing else then the bare promises and vowes of every man to observe those things which were written in the booke of the Law notwithstanding perhaps not by the Peoples intention by virtue of the Covenant which they then renewed for the Covenant was the same with that which was made at Mount Sinai that same state was a Priestly Kingdome that is to say the supreme civill authority and the sacred were united in the Priests Now howsoever through the ambition of those who strove for the Priesthood and by the interposition of forraigne Princes it was so troubled till our Saviour Iesus Christs time that it cannot be understood out of the histories of those times where that authority resided yet it 's plaine that in those times the power of interpreting Gods Word was not severed from the supreme civill power XVIII Out of all this we may easily know how the â—ewes in all times â—om Abraham unto Christ were to behave themselves in the Commands of their Princes for as in Kingdomes meerly humane men must obey a subordinate Magistrate in all things excepting when his Commands containe in them some Treason so in the Kingdome of God the Iâ—weâ— were bound to obey their Princes Abraham Isaac Jacob Moyses the Priest the King every one duâ—…ng â—heir time in all things except when their commands did containe some treason against the Divine Majesty Now treason against the Divine Majesty was first the deniall of â—is divine providence for this was to deny God to be a King by nature next Idolatry or the worship not of other for there is but one God but of strange Gods that is to say a worship though of one God yet under other Titles Attributes and Rites then what were establisht by Abraham and Moyses for this was to deny the God of Abraham to be their King by Covenant made with Abraham and themselves in all other things they were to obey and if a King or Priest having the Soveraign authority had commanded somewhat else to be done which was against the Lawes that had been his sinne and not his subjects whose duty it is not to dispute but to obey the Commands of his superiours Of the Kingdome of God by the new Covenant I. The Prophesies concerning Christs Dignity II. The Prophesies coneerning his Humility and Passion III. That Jesus was THAT CHRIST IV. That the Kingdome of God by the new Covenant was not the Kingdome of Christ as Christ but as God V. That the Kingdome by the new Covenant is heavenly and shall beginne from the day of Judgment VI. That the government of Christ in this world was not a Soveraignty but Counsell or a government by the way of doctrine and perswasion VII What the promises of the new Covenant are on both parts VIII That no Lawes are added by Christ beside the institution of the Sacraments IX Repent ye be baptized keep the Commandements and the like forms of speech are not Lawes X. It pertains to the civill authority to define what the sinne of injustice is XI It pertains to the civill authority to define what conduces to the Peace and defence of the City XII It pertains to the civill authority to judge when need requires what definitions and what inferences are true XIII It belongs to the Office of Christ to teach morally not by the way of speculation but as a Law to forgive sinnes and to teach all things whereof there is no science properly so called XIV A distinction of things temporall from spirituall XV. In how many seveverall sorts the word of God may be taken XVI That all which is contained in holy Scripture belongs not to the Canon of Christian Faith XVII That the word of a lawfull Interpreter of holy Scriptures is the word of God XVIII That the authority of interpreting Scriptures is the same with that of determining controversies of Faith XIX Divers significations of a Church XX. What a Church is to which we attribute Rights Actions and the like personall Capacites XXI A Christian City is the same with a Christian Church XXII Many Cities do not constitute one Church XXIII Who are Ecclesiasticall Persons XXIV That the Election of Ecclesiasticall Persons belongs to the Church their consecration to Pastors XXV That the power of remitting the sinnes of the penitent and retaining those of the impenitent belongs to the Pastors but that of judging concerning repentance belongs to the Church XXVI What Excommunication is and on whom it cannot passe XXVII That the Interpretation of Scripture depends on the authority of the City XXVIII That a Christian city ought to interpret Scriptures by Ecclesiasticall Pastors I. THere are many cleare prophesies extaâ—…t in the old Testament concerning our Saviour Jesus Christ who was to restore the Kingdome of God by a new Covenanâ— partly foretelling his regall Dignity partly his Humility and Passion Among others concerning his Dignity these God blessing Abraham â—akes him a promise of his sonne Isaac and â—ddes And Kings of People shall be of him Gen 17. vers 15. Jacob blessing his sonne Judah The Scepter quoth be shall not depart from Judah Gen. 49. vers 10. Gâ—d to Moyses A Prophet saith he will I raise them up from
he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power 1 Cor. 15. ver 24. Secondly the words of our Sauiour reproving Jamos and Iohn when they had said VVilt thou that we call for Fyer from Heaven that it may consume them namely the Samaritans who had denyed to receive him going up to Jerusalem and replying The Son of Man is not come to destroy soules but to save them And those words Behold I send you as Sheep among VVolves Shake off the dust of your Feet and the like And those words God seut not his Son into the world to judge the world but that the world through him might be sav'd and those If any man heare my words and keep them not I judge him not for I caâ—e not to judge the world c. doe all shew that he had no power given him to condemne or punish any man We reade indeed that the Father judgeth no Man but hath committed all judgement to the Son but since that both may and must be understood of the day of future judgement it doth not at all repugne what hath beene sayed before Lastly that he was not sent to make new Lawes and that therefore by his Office and mission he was no Legislatour properly so called nor Moyses neither but a bringer and Publisher of his Fathers Lawes for God only and neither Moyses nor CHRIST was a King by Covenant is collected hence that he sayed I came not to destroy to wit the Lawes before given from God by Moyses which he presently interprets but to fulfill And He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the Kingdome of Heaven CHRIST therefore had not a Royall or Soveraigne power committed to him from his Father in this world but consiliary and doctrinalâ— onely which himselfe signifies as well then when he calls his Apostles not Hunters but Fishers of men as when he compares the Kingdome of God to a graine of mustard seed and to a little Leaven hid in meale VII God promis'd unto Abraham first a numerous seed the possession of the Land of Canaan and a blessing upon all Nations in his seed on this Condition that he and his seed should serve him next unto the seed of Abraham according to the flesh a Priestly Kingdome a Government most free in which they were to â—e Subject to no humane power on this Condition that they should serve the God of Abraham on that fashion which Moyses should teach Lastly both to them and to all Nations a heavenly and eternall Kingdome on Condition that they should serve the God of Abraham on that manner which Christ should teach For by the new that is to say the Christian Covenant it 's covenanted on mens part to serve the God of Abraham on that manner which JESUS should teach On Gods part to pardon their 〈◊〉 and bring them into his â—…stiall Kingdome We have already spoken of the quality of the heavenly Kingdome above in the 5. Article but it is usually call'd sometimes the Kingdome of Heaven sometimes the Kingdome of Glory sometimes the life Eternall What 's required on mens part namely to serve God as CHRIST should teach containâ—s two things Obedience to be performed to God for this is to serve God and Faith in JESUS to wit That we beleeve JESUS TO BE THAT CHRIST who was promis'd by God for that only is the cause why his Doctrine is to be followed rather then any others Now in holy Scriptures Repâ—ntance is often put in stead of Obedience because Christ teacheth every where that with God the Will is taken for the deâ—d but Repentance is an infallible sign of an obedient mind These things being understood it will most evidently appear out of many places of sacred Scripture that those are the Conditions of the Christian Covenant which we have nam'd to wit giving remission of sins and eternall life on Gods part and Repenting and Beleeving in JESUS CHRIST on Mens part First the words The Kingdom of God is at hand Repent yee and beleeve the Gospell Mark 1. 15. contain the whole Covenant In like manner those Thuâ— it is written and thus i◠〈◊〉 Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and râ—mission of sâ—nneâ— should be preached in his Name among all Nations begining aâ— Jerusalem Luke 24. vers 46 47. And those Repent and be converted that your sinâ— may be blâ—tted ouâ— when the timos of refreshing shall come c. Acts 3. vers 19. And sometimes one part is expresly propounded and the other understood as here He that beleeveth in the Sonne hath everlasting life He that beleeveth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iohn 3. vers 36. Where Faith is exprest Repentance not mentioned and in CHRISTS preaching Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand Mat. 4. 17. Where Repentance is exprest Faith is understood But the parts of this new Contract aâ—… most manifestly and formally set down there where a certain Ruler bargaining as it were for the Kingdom of God asketh our Saviour Good Master what shall I doâ— to inher it eternall life Luke 18. v. 18. But CHRIST first propounds one one part of the price namely observation of the Commandements or obedience which when he answered that he had kept he adjoynes the other saying Yet lackest thou one thing Sell all that thou last and distribute to the poor and thou shalt have Treasune in Heaven and come follow me v. 22. This was matter of Faith He therefore not giving sufficient credit to CHRIST and his heavenly Treasures went away sorrowfull The same Covenant is contained in these words Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16. vers 15 16. Where Faith is exprest Repentance is supposed in those that are baptized and in these words Except a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Iohn 3. vers 5. Where to be born of water is the same with regeneration that is to say Conversion to CHRIST Now that Baptisme is required in the two places cited just before and in divers others we must understand that what Circumcision was to the old Covenant that Baptisme is to the new Seeing therefore that was not of the Essence but served for a memoriall of the old Covenant as a Ceremony or signe and was omitted in the wildernesse in like manner this also is used not as pertaining to the Essence but in memory and for a signe of the New Covenant which wee make with God and provided the will be not wanting the Act through necessity may be omitted but Repentance and Faith which are of the Essence of the Covenant are alwayes required VIII In the Kingdome
the new Testament and therefore could not be done by Christ himselfe much lesse by his Pastors and to remit the impenitent seems to be against the will of God the Father from whom Christ was sent to convert the world and to reduce men unto obedience Furthermore if each Pastor had an authority granted him to remit and retain sinnes in this manner all awe of Princes and civill Magistrates together with all kind of civill Government would be utterly destroyed For Christ hath said it nay even nature it â—elfe dictates that we should not feare them who slay the body but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who can caâ—t both soule and body into hell Mat. 10. vers 28. Neither is any man so mad as not to choose to yeeld obedience rather to them who can remit and retain their sinnes then to the powerfullest Kings Nor yet on the other side it is to be imagined that remission of sinnes is nothing else but an exemption from Ecclesiasticall punishments for what evill hath excommunication in it beside the eternall pains which are consequent to it or what benefit is it to be received into the Church if there were salvation out of it We must therefore hold That Pastors have power truly and absolutely to forgive sinnes but to the penitent and to retain them but of the impenitent But while men think that to Repent is nothing else but that every one condemn his Actions and change those Counsels which to himselfe seem sinfull and blameable there is an opinion risen that there may be repentance before any Confession of sinnes to men and that repentance is not an effect but a cause of Confession and thence the difficulty of those who say that the sins of the penitent are already forgiven in Baptisme and theirs who repent not cannot be forgiven at al is against Scripture and contrary to the words of Christ Whose soever sins ye remit c. We must therefore â—o resolve this difficulty know in the first place that a true acknowledgement of sin is Repentance for he that knows he hath sinned knows he hath erred but to will an errour is impossible therefore he that knowes he hath sinned wishes he had not done it which is to repent Farther where it may be doubtfull whether that which is done be a sin or not we must consider that repentance doth not precede confession of sins but is subsequent to it for there is no repentance but of sinnes acknowledged The penitent therefore must both acknowledge the fact and know it to be a sinne that is to say against the Law If a man therefore think that what he hath done is not against the Law its impossible he should repent of it Before repentance therefore its necessary there be an applicacation of the facts unto the Law but it s in vain to apply the facts unto the Law without an Interpreter for not the words of the Law but the sentence of the Law-giver is the rule of mens actions but surely either one man or some men are the Interpreters of the Law for every man is not judge of his own fact whether it be a sin or not wherefore the fact of which we doubt whether it be a sinne or not must be unfolded before some man or men and the doing of this is confession Now when the Interpreter of the Law hath judged the fact to bee a sinne if the sinner submit to his judgement and resolve with himselfe not to do so any more t is repentance and thus either it is not true repentance or else it is not antecedent but subsequent to confession These things being thus explained it is not hard to understand what kinde of power that of binding and loosing is for seeing in remission of sinnes there are two things considerable one the Judgement or Condemnation whereby the fact is judged to be a sinne the other when the Party condemned does acquiesce and obey the sentence that is to say Repents the remission of the sinne or if he repent not the Retention The first of these that is to say the Judging whether it be a sinne or not belongs to the Interpreter of the Law that is the Soveraign Judge the second namely Remission or retention of the sinne to the Pastor and it is that concerning which the power of binding and loosing is conversant And that this was the true meaning of our Saviour Christ in the institution of the same power is apparent in the 18. of Mat. vers 15 16 17 18. thus He there speaking to his Disciples sayes If thy Brother sinne against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone where we must observe by the way that if thy Brother sinne against thee is the same with if he doe thee injury and therefore Christ spake of those matters which belonged to the civill Tribunall he addes if he heare thee not that is to say if he deny that he hath done it or if having confest the fact he denies it to be unjustly done take with with thee yet one or two and if he refuse to heare them tell it the Church But why to the Church except that she might judge whether it were a sinne or not But if he refuse to hear the Church that is if he doe not submit to the Churches sentence but shall maintain that to be no sin which She Judges to be a sinne that is to say if he repent not for certain it is that no man repents himselfe of that action which She conceives not to be a sinne he saith not Tell it to the Apostles that we might know that the definitive sentence in the question whether it were a sin or not was not left unto them but to the Church but let him be unto thee sayes he as an Heathen or Publican that is as one out of the Church as one that is not baptized that is to say as one whose sinnes are retained For all Christians were baptized into remission of sinnes But because it might have been demanded who it was that had so great a power as that of withholding the benefit of Baptisme from the impenitent Christ shewes that the same Persons to whom he had given authority to baptize the penitent into the remission of sinns and to make them of heathen men Christians had also authority to retain their sins who by the Church should be adjudged to be impenitent and to make them of Christian men Heathens and therefore presently subjoynes Verily I say unto you Whose soever sinnes yee shall binde upon Earth they shall â—ee bound also in Heaven and whose soever sins yee shall loose upon Earth they shall be â—oosed also in Heaven Whence we may understand that the power of binding and loosing or of remitting and retaining of sinnes which is called in another place the power of the keyes is not different from the power given in another place in these words Goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them
insomuch as the interpretation we speak of is the same with the power of defining in all manner of controversies to be determined by sacred Scriptures Now we must shew that that power belongs to each Church and depends on his or their authority who have the Supreme command provided that they be Christians for if it depend not on the civill authority it must either depend on the opinion of each private Subject or some forraigne authority but among otheâ— reasons the inconveniencies that must follow private opinions cannot suffer its dependance on them of which this is the chiefe that not onely all civill obedience would be taken away contrary to Christ his praecept but all humane society and peace would be dissolved contrary to the Lawes of nature for seeing every man is his owne interpretet of Scripture that is to say since every man makes himselfe judge of what is pleasing and displeasing unto God they cannot obey their Princes before that they have judg'd whether their commands be conformable to the Word of God or not And thus either they obey not or they obey for their owne opinions sake that is to say they obey themselves not their Soveraigne civill obedience therefore is lost Againe when every man followes his owne opinion it 's necessary that the controversies which rise among them will become innumerable and indeterminable whence there will breed among men who by their own naturall inclinations doe account all dissention an affront first hatred then brawles and warres and thus all manner of peace and society would vanish We have farthermore for an example that which God under the old Law required to be observed concerning the book of the Law namely that it should be transcribed and publiquely us'd and he would have it to be the Canon of Divine doctrine but the controversies about it not to be determined by private Persons but onely by the Priests Lastly it is our Saviours Precâ—pt that if there be any matter of offence between private Persons they should heaâ—… the Church Wherefore it is the Churches duty to define controversies it therefore belongs not to private men but to the Church to interpret Scriptures But that we may know that the authority of interpreting Gods Word that is to say of determining all questions concerning God and Religion belongs not to any forraign Person whatsoever we must consider first what esteem such a power carries in the mindes of the subjects and their civill actions for no man can be ignorant that the voluntary actions of men by a naturall necessiâ—y doe follow those opinions which they have concerning good and evill Reward and Punishment whence it happens that necessarily they would chuse rather to obey those by whose judgement they beleeve that they shall be eternally happy or miserable Now by whose judgement it is appointed what Doctrines are necessary to salvation by their judgement doe men expect their eternall blisse or perditidition they will therefore yeeld them obedience in all things Which being thus most manifest it is that those subjects who believe themselves bound to acquiesce to a forraign authority in those Doctrines which are necessary to salvation doe not per se constitute a City but are the subjects of that forraign power Nor therefore although some Soveraign Prince should by writing grant such an authority to any other yet so as he would be understood to have retained the civill power in his own hands shall such a Writing be valid or transferre ought necessary for the retaining oâ— good administration of his command for by the 2. Chap. 4. artâ—â— no man is said to transferre his Right unlesse be give some proper sign declaring his Will to transferre it but he who hath openly declared his will to keep his Soveraignty cannot have given a sufficient sign of transferring the means necessary for the keeping it This kinde of Writing therefore will not be a sign of Will but of Ignorance in the contractors We must consider neâ—t how absurd it is for a City or Soveraign to commit the ruling of his Subjects consciences to an enemy for they are as hath been shewed above in the 5. Chap. 6. artic in an hostile state whosoever have not joyn'd themselves into the unity of one Person Nor contradicts it this truth that they doe not alwayes fight for trâ—ces are made between enemies It is sufficient for an hostile minde that there is suspition that the Frontiers of Cities Kingdomes Empires strengthned with Garisons doe with a fighting posture and countenance though they strike not yet as enemies mutually he hold each other Lastly how unequall is it to demand that which by the very reason of your demand you confesse belongs to anothers Right I am the Interpreter of Scriptures to you who are the Subject of anothers Realme Why By what Covenants past between you and me By Divine authority Whence knowne Out of holy Scripture Behold the Book read iâ—… in vain unlesse I may also interpret the same for my self That interpretation therefore doth by Right belong to me and the rest of my private fellow-subjects which we both deny It remains therefore that in all christian Churches that is to say in all christian Cities the interpretation of sacred Scripture depend on and derive from the authority of that man or Councell which hath the Soveraign power of the City XXVIII Now because there are two kindes of controversies the one about spirituall matters that is to say questions of faith the truth whereof cannot be searcht into by naturall reason such are the questions concerning the nature and office of Christ of rewards and punishments to come of the Sacraments of outward worship and the like the other about questions of humane science whose truth is sought out by naturall reason and Syllogismes drawne from the Covenants of men and definitions that is to say significations received by use and common consent of words such as are all questions of Right and Philosophy for example when in matter of Right it s questioned whether there be a Promise and Covenant or not that is nothing else but to demand whether such words spoken in such a manner be by common use and consent of the Subjects a Promise or Covenant which if they be so called then it is true that a Contract is made if not then it is false that truth therefore depends on the compacts and consents of men In like manner when it is demanded in Philosophy whether the same thing may entirely be in divers places at once the determination of the question depends on the knowledge of the common consent of men about the signification of the word entire for if men when they say a thing is entirelyâ—…somewhere doe signifie by common consent that they understand nothing of the same to be elsewhere it is false that the same thing is in divers places at once that truth therefore depends on the consents of men and by the same reason in all other
questions concerning Right and Philosophy And they who doe judge that any thing can be determin'd contrary to this common consent of men concerning the appellations of things out of obscure places of Scripture doe also judge that the use of speech and at once all humane society is to be taken away for he who hath sold an whole field will say he meant one whole ridgâ— and will retaine the rest as unsold nay they take away reason it selfe which is nothing else but a searching out of the truth made by such consent These kinde of questions therefore need not be determin'd by the City by way of interpretation of Scriptures for they belong not to Gods Word in that sense wherein the Word of God is taken for the Word concerning God that is to say for the Doctrine of the Gospell neither is he who hath the Soveraigne power in the Church oblig'd to employ any Ecclesiastical Doctours for the judging of any such kind of matters as these but for the deciding of questions of Faith that is to say concerning God which transcend humane capacity we stand in need of a divine blessing that we may not be deceiv'd at least in necessary points to be deriv'd from CHRIST himselfe by the imposition of hands For seeing to the end we may attaine to aeternal Salvation we are oblig'd to a supernatural Doctrine which therefore it lis impossible for us to understand to be left so destitute as that we can be deceiv'd in necessary points is repugnant to aequity This infallibility our Saviour Christ promis'd in those things which are necessary to Salvation to his Apostles untill the day of judgement that is to say to the Apostles and Pastors succeeding the Apostles who were to be consecrated by the imposition of hands He therefore who hath the Soveraigne power in the City is oblig'd as a Christian where there is any question concerning the Mysteries of Faith to interpret the Holy Scriptutes by Clergy-man lawfully ordain'd And thus in Christian Cities the judgement both of spirituall and temporall matters belongs unto the civill authority And that man or councell who hath the Supreme power is head both of the City and of the Church for a Church and a Christian City is but one thing CHAP. XVIII Concerning those things which are necessary for our entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven I. The difficulty propounded concerning the repugnancy of obeying God and Men is to be remov'd by the distinction betweene the points necessary and not necessary to Salvation II. All things necessary to Salvation are contain'd in Faith and Obedience III. What kind of Obedience that is which is requir'd of us IV. VVhat Faith is and how distinguisht from profession from science from opinion V. VVhat it is to beleeve in CHRIST VI. That that Article alone THAT JESVS IS THE CHRIST is necessary to Salvation is prov'd from the scope of the Evangelists VII From the preachings of the Apostles VIII From the easinesse of Christian Religion IX From this also that it is the foundation of Faith X. From the most evident words of CHRIST and his Apostles XI In that Article is contain'd the Faith of the Old Testament XII How Faith and Obedience concur to Salvation XIII In a Christian City there is no contradiction betweene the commands of God and of the City XIV The Doctrines which this day are controverted abâ—â—t Religion doe for the most part relate to the Right of Dominion I. IT was ever granted that all authority in secular matters deriv'd from him who had the Soveraigne power whether he were one Man or an Assembly of Men that the same in spirituall matters depended on the authority of the Church is manifest by the next foregoing proofs and besides this that all Christian Cities are Churches enduâ—d with this kind of authority From whence a man though but dull of apprehension may collect that in a Christian City that is to say in a City whose Soveraignty belongs to a Christian Prince oâ— Councell all power as well spiritual as secular is united under Christ and therefore it is to be obey'd in all things but on the other side because we must rather obey God then Men there is a difficulty risen how obedience may safely be yeelded to them if at any time somewhat should be commanded by them to be done which CHRIST hath prohibited The reason of this difficulty is that seeing God no longer speakes to us by CHRIST and his Prophets in open voice but by the holy Scriptures which by divers men are diversly understood they know indeed what Princes and a congregated Church doe command but whether that which they doe command be contrary to the word of God or not this they know not but with a wavering obedience between the punishments of temporall and spirituall death as it were sailing betweene Scilla and Caryâ—â—is they often run themselves upon both But they who rightly distinguish betweene the things necessary to Salvation and those which are not necessary can have none of this kind of doubt for if the command of the Prince or City be such that he can obey it without hazard of his aeternnll Salvation it is unjust not to obey them and the Apostles praecepts take place Servants in all things obey your Masters according to the flesh Children obey your Parents in all things Col. 3. v. 20 22. And the command of CHRIST The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moyses chair all things therefore whatsoever they command you that observe and doe Mat. 23. v. 2. On the contrary if they command us to doe those things which are punisht with aeternall death it were madnesse not rather to chuse to dye a naturall death then by obeying to dye eternally and then comes in that which CHRIST sayes Feare not them who kill the body but cannot kill the Soule Mat. 10. v. 28. We must see therefore what all those things are which are necessary to Salvation II. Now all things necessary to Salvation are comprehended in two vertues Faith and Obedience The latter of these if it could be perfect would alone suffice to preserve us from damnation but because we have all of us beene long since guilty of disobedience against God in Adam and besides we our selves have since actually sinned Obedience is not sufficient without remission of sinnes but this together with our entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven is the reward of Faith nothing else is requisite to Salvation for the Kingdome of Heaven is shut to none but sinners that is to say those who have not perform'd due Obedience to the Lawes and not to those neither if they beleeve the necessary articles of the Christian Faith Now if we shall know in what points Obedience doth consist and which are the necessary articles of the Christian Faith it will at once be manifest what we must doe and what abstaine from at the commands of Cities and of Princes III. But by Obedience in this
for a Parâ—… because we suppose Justice Obedience and a mind reformed in all manner of vertues to be contained in it so when I say that the Faith of one Article iâ— sufficient 〈◊〉 salvation it may well be lesse wondred at seeing that in it so many other Articles are contained for these words Jesus is the Christ do signifie that Jesus was that Person whom God bad promised by his Prophets should come into the world to establish his Kingdom that is to say that Jesus is the Sonne of God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth born of a Virgin dying for the sinnes of them who should beleeve in Him that Heâ— was Christ that is to say a King that He reviv'd for else He were not like to reign to judge the world and to reward every one according to his works for otherwise he cannot be a King also that men shall rise again for otherwise they are not like to come to judgement The whole Symbol of the Apostles is therefore contained in this one Article which notwithstanding I thought reasonable to contract thus because I found that many men for this alone without the rest were admitted into the Kingdome of God both by Christ and his Apostles as the Thief on the Crosse the Euâ—uch baptized by Philip the two thousand men converted to the Church at once by Saint Peter But if any man be displeased that I doe not judge all those eternally damned who doe not inwardly assent to every Article defined by the Church and yet doe not contradict but if they be commanded doe submit I know not what I shall say to them for the most evident Testimonies of Holy Writ which doe follow doe witâ—â—old me from altering my opinion VII Secondly this is proved by the preaching of the Apostles For they were the Proclamers of his Kingdome neither did Christ send them to preach ought but the Kingdome of God Luke 9. vers 2. Act. 15. vers 6. And what they did after Christ his Asâ—â—nâ—â—on may be understood by the accusation which was brought against them They drew Jason saâ—… Saint Luke and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City â—rying These are thâ— men that have turned the world upside down and are come hither also whom Jason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King one Jesus Acts 17. vers 6 7. It appears also what the subject of the Apostles Sermons was out of these words Opening and alleadging out of the Scriptures to wit of the old Testament that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that THIS JESUS IS THE CHRIST Acts 17. vers 2 3. VIII Thirdly By the places in which the easinesse of those thingâ— which are required by Christ to the attaining of salvation is declared For if an internall assent of the minde were necessarily required to the truth of all and each Proposition which this day is controverted about the Christian Faith or by divers Churches is diversly defined there would be nothing more difficult then the Christian Religion and how then would that be true My yoke is easie and my burthen light Mat. 11. vers 30. and that litle ones doe beleeve in Him Mat. 18. vers 6. and that it pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save those that beleeve 1 Cor. 1. vers 21. or how was the thiefe hanging on the Crosse sufficiently instructed to salvation The confession of whose Faith was contained in these words Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome or how could Saint Paul himselfe from an enemy so soon become a Doctor of Christians IX Foutthly by this that that Article is the foundation of Faith neither rests it on any other foundation If any man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or He is there beleeve it â—ot for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders c. Mat. 24. vers 23. Whence it followes that for the Faiths sake which we have in this Article we must not beleeve any signes and wonders Although we or an Augell from Heaven saith the Apostle should preach to you any other Gospel then what we have preacht let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8. By reason of this Article therefore we might not trust the very Apostles and Angels themselves and therefore I conceive not the Church neither if they should teach the contrary Beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world hereby know yee the spirit of God every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God c. 1 John 4. vers 1 2. That Article therefore is the measure of the Spitits whereby the authority of the Doctors is either received or rejected It cannot be denied indeed but that all who at this day are Christians did learn from the Doctors that it was Jesus who did all those things whereby he might be acknowledged to be the Christ yet it followes not that the same Persons beleeved that Article for the Doctors or the Churches but for Jesus his own sake for that Article was before the Christian Church although all the rest were after it and the Church was founded upon it not it upon the Church Mat. 16. vers 18. Besides this Article that Jesus is the Christ is so fundamentall that all the rest are by Saint Paul said to be built upon it For other foundation can no man lay then that which is layd which is Jesus Christ that is to say that Jesus is the Christ now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stone wood hay stubble every mans work shall be made manifest if aâ—y mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward if any mans work shall be buâ—nt he shall suffer losse â—ut he himselfe shall be saâ—ed 1 Cor. 3 vers 11 12 13. c. From whence it plainly appears that by foundation is understood this Article THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST For gold and silver precious stones wood hay stubble whereby the Doctrines are signified are not built upon the Person of Christ and also that false Doctrines may be raised upon this foundation yet not so as they must necessarily be damned who teach them X. Lastly that this Article alone is needfull to he inwardly beleeved may be most evidently proved out of many places of holy Scriptures let who will be the Interpreter Search the Scriptures for in them yee think yee have eternall life and they are they which testify of me John 5. 39. But Christ meant the Scriptures of the old Testament only for the new was then not yet written Now there is no other testimony concerning Christ in the old Testament but that an eternall King was to come in such a place that He was to be born of such Parents
excepting this one Article that IESUS IS THE CHRIST which only is necessary to salvation in relation to internall faith all the rest belong to obedience which may be performed although a man doe not inwardly beleeve so he doe but desire to beleeve and make an outward profession as oft as need requires of whatsoever is propounded by the Church how it comes about that there are so many Tenets which are all held so to concern our Faith that except a man doe inwardly beleeve them He cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But if he consider that in most controversies the contention is about humane Soveraignty in some matter of gain and profit in others the glory of Wits he will surely wonder the lesse The question about the propriety of the Church is a question about the Right of Soveraignty for it being known what a Church is it is known at once to whom the Rule over Christians doth belong for if every Christian City be that Church which Christ himselfe hath commanded every ChristiaÌ„ subject to that city to hear then every subject is bound to obey his City that is to say Him or them who have the supreme power not only in temporall but also in spirituall matters but if every Christian City be not that Church then is there some other Church more universall which must be obeyed All Christians therefore must obey that Church just as they would obey Christ if He came upon Earth She will therfore rule either by the way of Monarchy or by some Assembly This question then concerns the Right of ruling To the same end belongs the question concerning infallibility for whosoever were truly and internally beleeved by all mankinde that he could not erre would be sure of all Dominion as well temporall as spirituall over all mankinde unlesse himselfe would refuse it for if he say that he must be obeyed in temporalls because it is supposed he cannot erre that Right of Dominion is immediately granted him Hither also tends the priviledge of interpreting Scriptures For he to whom it belongs to interpret the controversies arising from the divers interpretations of Scriptures hath authority also simply and absolutely to determine all manner of controversies whatsoever but he who hath this hath also the command over all men who acknowledge the Scriptures to be the Word of God To this end drive all the disputes about the power of remining and retaining sinnes or the authority of excommunication For every man if he be in his wits will in all things yeeld that man an absolute obedience by vertue of whose sentence he beleeves himselfe to be either saved oâ— damned Hither also tends the power of instituting societies for they depend on him by whom they subsist who hath as many subjects as Monks although living in an Enemies City To this end also refers the question concerning the Iudge of lawfull Matrimony for he to whom that judicature belongs to him also pertains the knowledge of all those cases which concern the inheritance and succession to all the goods and Rights not of private men onely but also of Soveraign Princes And hither also in some respect tends the Virgin-life of Ecclesiaâ—ticall Persons for unmarried men have lesse coherence then others with civill society and besides it is an inconvenience not to be slighted that Princes must either necessarily forgoe the Priesthood which is a great bond of civill obedience or have no hereditary Kingdome To this end also tends the canouization of Saints which the Heaâ—heâ— called Apotheosis for he that can allure forraign subjects with so great a reward may bring those who are greedy of such glory to dare and doe any thing For what was it but an honourable Name with posterity which the Decii and other Romans sought after and a thousand others who cast themselves upon incredible perils The controversies about Purgatory and indulgencies are matter of gain The questions of Free-will Iustification and the manner of receiving Christ in the Sacrament are Philosophicall There are also questions concerning some Rites not introduced bur left in the Church not sufficiently purged from gentilisme but we need reckon no more All the world knows that such is the nature of men that dissenting in questions which concern their power or profit or preeminence of Wit they slander and curse each other It is not therefore to be wondred at if almost all tenets after men grew hot with disputings are held forth by some or other to be necessary to salvation and for our entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven insomuch as they who hold them not are not only condemned as guilty of disobedience which in truth they are after the Church hath once defined them but of Infidelity which I have declared above to be wrong out of many evident places of Scripture to which I adde this one of Saint Pauls Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. v. 3 5. FINIS The Introduction That the beginning of mutuall society is from fâ—ar Annotation Annotation That men by nature are all equall Whence the wil of mischieving each other ariseth The discord from comparison of wits From the Appetite many have to the same thing The definition of Right A right to to the end gives also a right to the means By the right of nature every man is judge of the means which tend to his preservation By right of nature all men have equall right to all things Annotation The right of all to all is unprofitable The state of men without Society is a state of War The definition of War and Pace War is an adversary to mans preservation That by the right of nature it is lawfull for any man to compell him whom he hath in his power to give him caution for his future obedience That the Law of nature is not an agreement of men but the Dictates of Reason Annotation That is the fundamentall Law of Nature to seek Peace where it may be had and where not to defend our selves The first special Law of Nature is That our Rights to all things ought not to be retain'd What it is to quit our right what to convey 〈…〉 it The will of the receiver must necessarily be declar'd before the right be convey'd Words convey not except they relate to the time present Words of the future suffice to convey if other testimonies of our will be not wanting In matters of free gift words of the fiâ—ure â—onveigh no Right The definition of Contract and Covenant In Covenants we passe away our Rights by words signifying the future Covenants in the state of nature are in vain and of none effect not so in Civill Government Annotation That no man can make Compacts with Beasts neither with God without
by the Lawes Subjects must have right restored to them against corrupt Judges How Law differs from Counsell How it differs from a Covenant Annotation How it differs from Right The division of lawes into divine and humane and of the divine into naturall and positive and of the naturall into those lawes of single men and those of Nations The division of humane that is to say civill lawes into secular and sacred Into distributive and vindicative Distributive and vindicative are not two Species of the Lawes All Law is supposed to have a Penalty annext to it The Precepts of the Decalogue of honouring Parents of murther adultcry these false witnesse are the civill Lawes It is not possible to command ought by the civill Law contrary to oâ—e Lawes of nature It is essentiall to a Law that both it and the Legislator be knowne Whence the Legislator is knowne Promulgation and interpretation are necessary to the knowledge of a Law The civill Law divided into written and unwritten That the naturall laws are not written laws neither are the sentences of lawyers or custome laws of themselves but by the consent of the supreme power What the word Sin taken in its largest sense signifies The definition of Sin The difference betweene a sinne of infirmitie and malice Under what kind of sin Aâ—hâ—isme is contained Annotation What the sinne of Treason is Treason breaks not the civill but the naturall Law And therefore is punisht not by the Right of Soveraignty but by the Right of Warre Obedience not rightly distinguisht into Active and Passive The Proposition of the following contents Over whom God is said to raign The word of God three fold Reason Revelation Prophesy The Kingdome of God two-fold Naturall and Prophetique The Rigbt whereby God governs is seated in his omn pâ—teâ—â—e The same proved from Scripture The obligation of yeelding obedience unto God proceeds from humane infirmity Annotation The Lawes of God in his naturall Kingdome are those which are above set down in the second and third Chapters What honour and worship are Worship consists either in attributes or in actions And there is one sort naturall and another arbitrary One commanded another voluntary 〈…〉 What the end or aim of worship iâ— What the naturall Lawes are concerning Gods attributes 〈◊〉 What those actions are whereby naturally we do give worship In the naturall kingdom of God the City may appoint what worship it pleaseth God ruling by nature onely the City that is say that man or Court which under God hath the Soveraignty is the Interpreter of all the Lawes Certain doubts removed Annotation What is sin in the naturall Kingdom of God and what Treason against the divine Majesty Superstition possessing forraign Nations God â—nstituted the true Religion by the means of Abraham By thâ— Covenant between God and Adam all dispute is forbidden concerning the commands of superiors The manner of the Covenant between God and Abraham In that Covenant is contained an acknowledgement of God not simply but of him who appeared unto Abraham The Lawes to which Abraham was tyed were no other but those of nature and that of Circumcision Abraham among his own was the Interpreter of the word of God and of all Lawes Abrahams subjects could not sin in obeying him Annotation Gods Covenant with the Hebrewes at Mount Sinai From thence Gods government was called a Kingdom What lawes were by God given to the Jewes What the word of God is and how to be knowne What was held for the written word of God among the Jewes The power of interpreting the word of God and â—he supreme civil power were united in Moyses while he lived They were also united in the High Priest during the life of Joshuah They were also united in the High Priest untill King Sauls time They were united in the Kings untill the Captivity The same were united in the Priests after the Captivity Among the Jewes the deniall of the Divine providence and Idolatry were the onely Treasons against the Divine Majesty in all other things they ought to obey their Princes The Prophesies of Christs dignity The Prophesies of Christs Humility and Passion That Jesus was the Christ That the Kingdom of God by the new Covenant was not the Kingdome of Christ as Christ but as God That the Kingdome of God by the 〈◊〉 Covenant is heavenly and begins from the day of Iudgement The government of Christ in this world was not a Soveraignty but Counsell or a government by way of doctrine and perswasion What the Promises of the new Covenant are on both parts There are no Lawes added by Christ beside the institution of the Sacraments That these and the like forms Repent be baptized keep the Commandements are not Lawes It belongs to the civill authority to define what the sinne of injustice is It belongs to civill authority to define what conduces to the Peace and safety of the City It belongs to the civill authority to judge when need requires what definitions and what inferences are true It belongs to the Office of Christ to teach morality not as a speculation but as a Law to forgive sins and to teach all things whereof there is no science properly so call'd A distinction of things temporall from spirituall The word of God many wayes taken All things contained in Scripture belong not to the Canon of christian faith The word of a lawfull Interpreter of Scriptures is the word of God The authority of interpreting Scriptures is the same with that of determining controversies of faith Divers significations of a Church What a Church is to whom we attribute Rights actions and the like appellations proper to a Person A Christâ—… City is the same with a Christian Church Many Cities doâ— not constitute one church Who are Clergy-men The Election of Church-men belongs to the Church their consecration to the Pastors The power of remitting sinnes to the penitent and retaining those of the impenitent belongs to the Pastors but judgement of the repentance to the Church What excommunication is and on whom it cannot passe The interpretation of Scripture depends on the authority of the Ciâ—y A christian city must interpret Scriptures by clergy-men The difficulty propounded concerning the repugnaney of obeying God and men is to be remov'd by the distinction betweene the points necessary and not necessary to Salvation All things necessary to Salvation are contain'd in Faith and Obedience What kind of Obedience that is which is requir'd of us What Faith is and how distinguisht from profession from science and from opinion What it is to beleeve in Christ That that article alone that Iesus is the Christ is necessary to Salvation is prov'd out of the scope of the Evangelists Annotation By the Apostles Sermons By the easinesse of christian Religion By this that it is the foundation of Faith By the plaiâ— words of Christ and his Apostles In this Article is contained the Faith of the old Testament How Faith and Obedience doe conâ—ur to Salvation In a Christian City there is no contrariety be weene the Command of God and of the City The Doctrines which this day are controverted about Religion doe for the most part belong to the Right of Dominion