in the Holy Ghost and Christ tells us where it is to be set up The Kingdom of God is within you saith the King himself and where should the King be but in his own Kingdom they are blessed that feel him to Rule and that live under the swaying of his Righteous Scepter for when this Righteous One Rules the Earth the Sons of Men rejoyce So that no Man can truly Confess and rightly Believe Jesus to be the Christ and Son of God that do's not receive him to be his King to rule his Heart Affections For can a Man be said to believe in one that he will not receive but To as many as received Christ of Old gave he Power to become the Sons of God which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the will of Man but of God What is this will of God Paul answers the Question The Will of God is your Sanctification for this Christ came into the World So that those that believe and receive Christ he is made to them Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that is he has saved them from their Sins Guilt and Defilement and sanctified them from their Corruptions they live now by the Grace of God that teaches them to be of a Sober Righteous Godlike Life Ye shall know them by their Fruits saith Christ of the Pharisees so shall Men know them that sincerely believe confess Christ by their sanctified Manners and Blameless Conversations And wo to them that make other Distinctions for God has made no other there will be but Goats and Sheep at the Last Day Holy and Unholy Just and Unjust Therefore let that be our Distinction which ever was and will be God's Distinction for all other Measures are the Effects of the Passions and Presumptions of Men. But because it may be expected that I should fix upon some few General Heads of Christian Doctrine from the Mouth of Christ and his Apostles as requisite to Christian Communion I shall proceed to mention what Christ eminently taught He that reads his Sermon upon the Mount will find in the Entrance how many States and Conditions Christ Blessed The Poor in Spirit The Mourners The Meek They that hunger after Righteousness The Merciful The Pure in Heart and the Peace-makers which indeed Comprehend the whole of Christianity By Mourners we understand true Penitents Men of Unfeigned Repentance which leads them not only to Confess but Forsake their Sins This Godly Sorrow makes Men Poor in Spirit Empty of themselves wanting the Light Life and Power of Jesus to support and sustain them in which as they sted fastly walk the Attonement of the Blood is felt and it cleanseth them from all Unrighteousness which makes them Pure in Heart And in this Condition no Food will serve their Turn but Righteousness after this they Hunger and Thirst more than for the Bread that perisheth They are full of Meekness and Mercy Making Peace and Promoting Concord where-ever they come For being themselves reconciled to God they endeavour to reconcile all Men unto God and one unto another In short let us bring it home to our Consciences and deal faithfully with our selves Do we know this Holy Mourning this Godly Sorrow are we Poor in Spirit not Self-conceited but Humble Meek and Lowly in Heart like him that bid us be so Do we Hunger after the Kingdom of God and Righteousness of it and are our Hearts purified by the Precious Faith of the Son of God Infine Are we Merciful Tender-hearted Lovers of Peace more than lovers of our selves Persecuted rather than Persecutors such as receive Stripes for Christ's sake and not those that beat our Fellow-Servants No Man has true Faith in Christ Jesus that is not acquainted with these Blessed Qualifications This is Christ's Doctrine and to believe in him is to obey it and be like him The great Intendment of this Sermon is to press people to a more Excellent Righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees For saith Jesus to the Multitude Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no Case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 1. He taught not only that Killing but Anger without a very Just Cause is Unlawful to his Disciples 2. he prefers Concord above Devotion Mercy before Sacrifice He that will not use his Utmost Endeavour to be reconciled to his Brother shall find no place for his Prayers And Every Man is this Brother 3. He not only forbids Adultery which the Law forbids but Lust the Ax of his Doctrine is laid to the Root of the Tree it reaches to the First Seeds of things to the Innermost and most hidden Conceptions of the Mind 4. From Keeping and Performing Legal Vows to not Swearing at all and indeed what Use can there be of any Swearing where Mens Yea is Yea and their Nay Nay 5. He taught Not to resist Evil but to suffer Loss rather than enter into Contention his Divine Wisdom did fore-see how much easier it would be to Overcome the Violent Passions of Men by Patience than Controversie And he that considers the Unruliness of some Mens Dispositions their Heats and Prejudices it will be found that it is not alwayes a Real Injury or Loss but Passion Revenge or Base Interest that sets them to Sutes and Clamours 6. He taught us the Highest Complesance and Charity If any Man compel thee to go a Mile go with him â—wain Be of an Easie and Ready Mind to Do Good and to all Friendly Offices be easily perswaded and in which rather exceed than fall snort 7. He taught as great Liberality and Charity to give to him that asks and from him that would borrow not to turn away in short to be Stewards of our External Substance for the Good of Mankind according to our Respective Abilities 8. He advances the Doctrine of Loving Friends to the Degree of Loving Enemies Ye have heard said Jesus that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and shalt hate thine Enemy but I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you Surely then where no Anger dwells no Revenge can grow and if we must love Enemies there is no Man left to be hated This is the Doctrine of that Jesus that laid down his Life for all and this is the End for which he preached it That sayes he ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Unjust It is as much as if Christ had said No Man can be like God that does not Love his Enemies and who cannot do good to all Consequently he that does Love Enemies and is ready to Do good unto all he
but keeping the Law of God Great Peace have they that love thy Law said David that had known the Trouble of Breaking it Therefore it is that Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ to help us to fulfill the Law not to Excuse our Disobedience of the Law And what before we were Unable this gives us Force to do So that Christianity is not an Indulgence of people under Weakness and Disobedience but the Compleating and Perfection of that Righteousness which without him was but Short and Imperfect through that Grace and Power that came by Jesus Christ Give me leave I beseech you for I have a Godly Jealousy upon me I fear lest the very End of Christs Coming is Mistaken And of how Dreadful a Consequence such a Mistake would be you cannot possibly be Ignorant that believe there is No Salvation in another Name Let us hear the Testimony of Scripture They are the Words of Christ himself I must peach the Kingdom of God for therefore am I sent Now what is this Kingdom of God but God's Government and where is this Kingdom and Government to be set up Christ also tells us Behold the Kingdom of God is within you So that the Reason of this being sent is to destroy the Kingdom and Government of the Devil the Strong Man that kept the House the Heart and to erect and establish the Kingdom and Government of God in the Soul Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done Would to God people would but consider what they Pray for For they are scandal'd at the thing they ask and both neglect and revile the Substance of their own Prayers Thy Kingdom come and thy Will be done but believe neither It was the Office God designed his Son to The Thief says Christ does not come but to kill to steal and to destroy That is To steal away the Heart from God and to kill and to destroy all Good Desires and Inclinations in the Soul for the Devil is this Thief and Destroyer But I am come says Christ that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly O Death 〈◊〉 will be thy Death as if he had said I will kill that which kill'd the Soul I will breath the Breath of Life into it again and by my Spirit and Grace I will beget Holy Motions and kindle Heavenly Desires in it after God after the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof This is the Newness of Life And I will not only restore that Life the Soul has lost but I will encrease it I will add to it that it may have Life more abundantly Indeed he was Anointed of God for this Purpose and is therefore called the Restorer of Paths the Repairer of Breaches and the Builder up of Waste Places that is he is ordained of God for the Recovery of Man from his Fallen and Disobedient State This is the Reason of his Name Thou shalt call his Name Jesus said the Angel for he shall save his People from their Sins Not from Wrath only but from Sin which is the Cause of Wrath. That is Of Bad Men he will make them really good Men and of Sinful and Unholy he will make them Holy and Righteous Men who truly believe in him This is the Burden of John's Testimony There is one says he that cometh after me is mightier than I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand he will THROUGHLY PURGE his Floor And seeing Jesus coming to him said Behold the Lamb of God which TAKETH AWAY the SIN of the World I know the Use that too many make of these Scriptures as if they were an Hebraism borrow'd from the Old Sacrifices which may be said To take away Sin by taking away the Guilt and not that the Natures of Men are restored and perfected And indeed this is that Sense which I dread above all others because it perverts the End of Christs Coming and lodges Men in a Security pernitious to their own Souls For though it is most true that Remission of Sins was and is preached in his Name and Blood and that Sin in a Sense may be said to be Taken away when the Guilt of the Sins is removed by Remission yet this is only of Siâ—s past that upon Repentance are forgiven But this is not the Whole Full and Evangelical Sense as Christ's own words do plainly import For says he the Son of Man is come to save that which was Lost And upon another Occasion he expresseth himself to the same purpose and almost in the same words For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was Lost Now who is this that is Lost but Man and in what Sense can Man be said to be Lost but by Sin and Disobedience that which cast him out of the Presence and Garden of God and put him in a Condition of Eternal Misery If Christ then came to Save Lost Man he must be understood to Save him from that which puts him into a Lost Condition that is Sin for The Wages of Sin is Death and the Servant of Sin is a Son of Perdition Christ has determin'd this Point beyond all Exception in his Discourse with the Jews John 8. 31 32 33 34. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed vn him if ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you Free What Freedom was this Certainly from Sin sutable to that passage in his Prayer Sanctify them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth But some Jews present proud of their Priviledges apprehended not the Liberty Christ spoke of and therefore answer'd him thus We are Abraham's Seed and were never in Bondage to any Man how sayest thou Ye shall be made Free Jesus answered them Verily verily I say unto you whosoever committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin In which place it is very remarkable that Men are only to be distinguish'd by their Works that no Claims Priviledges Successions or Dissents are available but He that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin So that Christ's Free Man is he that is Freed from Sin this is his Follower and Disciple And as Christ oppos'd the Works of the Jews who unjustly sought to kill him to their Pretensions they made to Abraham's Seed so must we oppose the Actions of Ill Men to their better Professions we must faithfully tell them He that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin From which Servitude Christ came to Save his people and is therefore called The SAVIOUR and the REDEEMER This Doctrine is closely followed by the Apostle Paul in his sixth Chapter to the Romans Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life
the Doctrine that is according to Godliness he is Proud knowing nothing but doting about Questions c. such as used Philosophy and vain Deceit as he writes to the Colossians Beware says he lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit that is draw them away from the Simplicity of the Gospel and the wholsome Words of Christ after the Traditions of men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ He used no humane Wisdom yet he spake Wisdom but it was in a Mystery not to the humble Disciples of Jesus nothing was plainer but it was a Mystery to the Wise Men of this World And truly they that are not unacquainted with the more degenerate Ages of the Greek Philosophers how Philosophy once taken for the Love of Virtue and self-Denial which they esteem'd truest Wisdom and was begun by men of Ordinary Rank became little else than an Art of Rangling upon a multitude of Idle Questions and so they entertain'd the Apostle Paul at Athens may very well guess which way Apostacy entred among Christians especially when we consider that in the third and fourth Centuries the Heathen-Philosophers had the Education of the Christian Youth and that no man had any Reputation among the Christian Doctors who were not well Initiated in the Philosophy Rhetorick and Poetry of the Gentiles Which made way for Impurity of Language and laid a Foundation for great Feuds in the Church Christ and his Doctrine must be prov'd by Aristotle and his Philosophy Yes Aristotle muff explain Scripture and by Degrees Methodize the loose Parts of it and reduce them to Formal Propositions Axiomes and by the Help of such Philosophers the poor Fisher-men were taught to speak Metaphysically and grew Polite in the Sense of Athens that to say true had been neither guilty of Using noâ— Understanding it But as the First Rules of Philosophy were few and plain and consisted in Virtuous Living so the Christian Religion was deliver'd with much Brevity yet much Plainness suited even to the Capacity of the Young the Ignorant and the Poor to inform their understandings subdue their affections and convert their Souls to God as well as Persons of more Age Knowledge and Ability And truly when we consider the Smalness of the Writings of the Evangelists the Shortness of Christ's Sermons the Fewness of the Epistles writ by the Apostles and the Many and Great Volumns of Commentators and Criticks we may justly say The Text is almost Lost in the Comment and Truth hid rather than revealed in these heaps of fallible Apprehensions Where by the way let me say that the Voluminousness of the Books is no small token of the Unclearness of the Writers the more Evident and better digested and Matter is the more easie and short it will be in expressing But after the Christians had declin'd the Simplicity of their own Religion and grew Curious and Wanton Loving God above all Their Neighbours as themselves and Keeping the plain Commandments of Christ that relate to good Life became but Ordinary and Homely things their Easiness rendred them Contemptible They gave but little pleasure to Speculative Minds they had nothing in them above Ordinary Capacities and it seemed hard that men of Inquisitive and Rais'd Spirits should sit down with the Lesson of RUSTICKS and PEASANTS Philosophers did not do so they would be like other Nations 'T was not enough now to know There was a God and that he was but One Just and Good the Observer of their Actions and the Rewarder of their Deeds and that therefore they should serve him But they must be distinctly inform'd of his Nature and all his Attributes his Purposes and his Decrees and the Suitableness of them all to the Line and Plumet of their Understandings So that God was to be what their Conclusions would allow him to be that yet knew not themselves their own Beings and their Extents Nor did it satisfie that there was a Christ that this Christ was the Son of God that God so loved Mankind as beholding him in a way of Destruction he sent his Son to proclaim pardon upon true Repentance and offer'd a General Reconciliation to as many as received and embrac'd his Testimony and that to that End he laid down his Life a Ransom Rise and Ascended and gave his good Spirit to lead his Followers in the Way of Truth and Holiness But they must search into the Secret of this Relation how and after what manner he is the Son of God his Nature Power and Person must be discus'd they will be satisfied in this before they can find in their Hearts to believe in him Next Whether he be the Cause or the Effect of God's Love What was that Prize he paid that Ransom he gave and how he died for us if Properly and strictly or Tropically and elegantly to satisfie the Justice of God and whether God could or could not have Saved man an other way If this Mercy were offer'd to all or but some and whether Acceptance and Repentance be with the Consent of the Creature or by an Irresistible Grace what Body he Rise Ascended with and what Bodies we shall have in the Resurrection in Nature Stature and Proportion Lastly What this Spirit is that comes from Christ if it comes from God also whether it be God or an Inferior Minister how it Exists If a Person in what Relation Degree or Dignity it stands to the Father and Son with abundance more of this Unreasonable Strain flowing from the Ungovern'd and Restless minds of men No man would be used by his Servant as they serve God he must wait our Leasure before we will believe receive and obey him his Message is Obscure we don't understand it he must gratifie our Couriosity we desire to be better satisfied with it before we believe or deliver it It comes not presently up to Mens's Understandings 't is too obscurely exprest we will explain it and deliver it with more Caution Clearness and Success then it is deliver'd to us Thus God's Revelation hath been scan'd and his Precepts examin'd before Licens'd Men would be wiser then God more wary then the holy Ghost Our Lord it should seem understood not what a kind of Creature Man was he wanted his Wisdom belike to admonish him of the Danger or haply he thought not upon that Corruption which should befall Mankind in these Latter Ages of the World which might require the Abilities of Men to supply the Wants and Defects left by the Holy Ghost in the Wording of the Scripture I wrong not this Practice I render it not more Odious than it is 't is an Inexcusable piece of Presumption that which debases the External Testimony of God and draws men off from that which is Eternal too It introduces the Traditions of men in the Room of God's Records and maketh their Judgment and Results the Rule of Christian Faith and Canons of Christ's Church This is one of those
is but FIGMENT they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a Necessity of Entertaining Conclusions of that Nature and to strengthen themselves have broken out into Divisions and Factions opposing Man to Man Synod to Synod till the Peace of the Church vanished without all Possibility of Recall Hence arose those Ancient and many Separations amongst Christians Arianism Eutychianism Nestorianism Photinianism Sabellianism and many more both Antient and in our Time And as he hath told us one great Occasion of the Disease so he offers what follows for the Cure And were Liturgies sayes he and Publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms on Opinion were utterly vanished Whereas to load our Publick Forms with the Private Fancies upon which we differ is the most-soveraign Way to perpetuate Schism unto the World's End Remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the Event shall be that the Publick Service and Honor of God shall no wayes suffer For to charge Churches and Liturgies with Things Unnecessary was the First Beginning of all Superstition If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of Incumbring Churches with Superfluities and not over-rigid either in reviving Obsolete Customs or imposing New there were far less Danger of Schism or Superstition Mean while wheresoever false or suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Church Liturgy he that separates is not a Schismatick for it is alike Unlawful to make Profession of known or suspected Falshoods as to put in Practice Unlawful or Suspect Actions He further tells us in his Sermon of Dealing with Erring Christians That it is the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and not the Identity or Oneness of Conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the Hands of Christians A better Way my Conceit cannot reach unto then that we should be willing to think that these things which with some Shew of Probability we deduce from Scripture are at the best but Our Opinions For this peremptory Manner of setting down our Conclusions under this High Commanding Form of Necessary Truths is generally one of the greatest Causes which keeps the Churches this Day so fâ—r assunder whenas a Gratious Receiving of each other by Mutual Forbearance in this kind might peradventure in time bring them nearer together Thus much of this Great Man concerning Schism the Cause and Cure of it and for the Notion of Hereticks he will help us altogether as well For though they are generally taken for such as err in Judgment about Doctrines and Articles of Faith yet if this Man may have any Credit and perhaps none of his Profession has deserv'd more he tells us that Heresie is an Act of the Will not of Reason and is ind eeda Lye not a Mistake else sayes he how could that known Speech of Austin go for true Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo I may err but I am unwilling to be an Heretick And indeed this is no other than what Holy Scripture teacheth A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF Which is as much as to say that no body is an Heretick but he that gives the Lye to his own Conscience and is Self-condemned Which is not the Case of Men meerly Mistaken or who only err in Judgment And therefore the Term of Heretick is as Untruly as Uncharitably flung upon those that Conscientiously dissent either in point of Discipline OF Doctrine from any Society of Christians and it is not hard to observe that those who have best merited it have most liberally bestow'd it But to show you that neither true Schismatick who is One that unnecessarily and unwarrantably separates from that part of the Visible Church of which he was once a Member nor true Heretick who is a Wilful Subverter of True or an Introducer of false Doctrines a Self-condemned Person can ever shelter himself under this Common Confession of Christianity sincerely made Let us consider that who-ever so declares Jesus to be the Messiah and Anointed Saviour of God to Men must be supposed to believe all that of him with respect to which he is so called Now that for which he is so denominated is that which God sent him to do the Reason and End of his coming he could best tell who hath told us thus I am come that ye may have Life and that ye may have it more abundantly The World was as dead in Trespasses and Sins the guilt and defilement of Transgression had kill'd the Soul as to Spiritual Life and Motion and from under this powerful Death he came to redeem the Soul unto Life in short to restore Man from this Fearful Degeneracy his Disobedience to God had reduced him to The Way he took to accomplish this Blessed Work was First To preach Repentance and the Approach of the Kingdom of God which is his Rule and his Authority in the Hearts of men which brings us to the Second thing to be believed namely What he Taught 1. First his Doctrine led Men to Repentance Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand No Man could receive the Kingdom of God whilst he lived under the Kingdom and Power of Satan so that to Repent is not only to bring their Deeds to the Light which Christ exhorteth Men to but to forsake that which upon Examination appeared to be Evil. Wherefore I conclude that such as have not been acquainted with this Holy Repentance do not sincerely believe neither can Rightly confess Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God the Saviour of the World Therefore saith the Apostle Let him that nameth the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquity plainly implying that those do rather Prophane than Confess the Name of the Lord who do not Depart from their Iniquities And saith the Apostle in another place No man can call Jesus LORD but by the Holy Ghost Which opens to us the Nature of the True Confession to wit That the True Confession of Jesus to be both Lord and Christ is from such a Belief in the Heart as is the work of the Holy Ghost and those that do not Confess him or call upon him by Virtue of the Overshadowings of this Divine Spirit and Power are not truly Christians true Worshippers Believers and Disciples Furthermore they that receive Christ receive his Kingdom his Power and Authority in their Souls the strong Man that kept the house becomes bounâ— and his Goods spoil'd by this stronger man the LORD 's CHRIST who is come from Heaven to dwell in us and be the Hope of our Glory for so he was preached to the Gentiles This Kingdom the Apostle tells us stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy
those that Persecute for Religion are Irreligious 2dly The next Cause of Persecution is the gross but general Mistake which People are under concerning the Nature of the Church Kingdom of Christ for the lamentable Worldliness of mens minds hath put them upon those Carnal Constructions which have made way for all the external Coertion and Violence used by bad and suffer'd by good Men on the score of Religion from the beginning And no wonder if ordinary Persons tumble upon this Construction when the Disciples of Jesus shew'd themselves so ill read in the Mysteries of his Kingdom that after all the Intimacy they had had with him they resrain'd not to ask When shall the Kingdom be restored to Israel They look't abroad had a Worldly Idea in their minds Jew like they waited for external Deliverance from the Power of the Romans rather then an Internal Salvation from the Dominion of Satan and interpreted that to Worldly loss and freedom which did relate to the loss and Redemption of the Soul but Jesus taught them better things yet so as not to deny or flatly discourage and rebuke them that though true might have been more then they could have borâ— therefore he winds off with them upon the Time and the Season of the thing knowing that the Time was at hand that they should be better taught and satisfied of the nature of his Kingdom unto which he referred them When the Spirit of Truth comes it shall lead you into all Truth c. That the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World has been before observed and the Reason is so great that all men of common Sense must allow it upon Christ's Principle for says he then would my Servants fight for me truly implying that because the Kingdoms of this World are evidently set up and maintained by Worldly Force and that he will have no Worldly Force used in the Business of his Kingdom therefore it is not of this World Consequently those that attempt to set up his Kingdom by Worldly Force or make that their Pretence to use it are none of his Servants they are truly but Men of this World such as seek an Earthly and not an Heavenly Kingdom themselves and not Christ Jesus Where by the way let me observe That though the Jews to engage Pilate the more easily to their side impeach't Christ of being an Eâ—â—e my to Casar they were Enemies and He a Friend to Caesar for he came to reform the Lives of Men to make them better Subjects to obey Caesar not for Fear but for Conscience sake so would Caesar's Provinec have been easie and safe But the Jews would have had him Caesar's Enemy one that should have forcibly rescued them from Caesar's Power they waited for a Captain General to begin the Revolt and with an high Hand to over bear and captive Caesar as he had done them and 't is more than probable that his Appearance being to another End they therefore rejected him their Heart being set upon this But to return Christ told his Disciples that he had chosen them out of the World how not to converse or live bodily in it no such matter but he had chosen or singled them from the Nature Spirit Glory Policy and Pomp of this World How Persons so qualified can make a Worldly Church or Kingdom unless they desert Christ's Doctrine is past my Skill to tell So that the Capacity that Christians stand in to Christ is Spiritual and not Worldly or Carnal and therefore not Carnal or Worldly but Spiritual Methods and Weapons only are to be used to inform or reclaim such as are Ignorant or DisobediÌ„ent And if we will give Antient Story credit we shall find that Worldly Weapons were never employed by the Christian Church till the became Worldly and so ceast to be truly Christian But why should I say the Church the most abused word in the World her Leaders have taught her to eâ—â— and that of believing as the Church believes is so far from being true in point of Faith as well as Reason that the Church her self his ever believed as the Clergy that is the Priests believed since that sort of Men have practised Distinction from and Superiority upon the Laity He that will peruse the Ecclesiastical Story delivered us by Eusebius Pamphili Secrates Scholasticns Evagrius Ruffinus Sozomen c. will find but too many and sad Instances of the Truth of this In short Peoples apprehending the Church and Kingdom of Christ to be Visible and Worldly like other Societies and Government have thought it not only to be Lawful but Necessary to use the Arts and Force of this World to support that Church and Kingdom especially since this Interest of Religion hath been embodied with that of the Civil Magistrate for from that time he hath been made Custos utriusque tabulae and such as offend though about Church Matters have been reputed Transgressors against the State and consequently the State interested in punishing the Offence Whereas had Christians remain'd in their primitive Simplicity and Purity in the Self-denying Patient and Suffering Doctrine of Christ Christianity had stood in Holy Living not in Worldly Regiment and its Compulsion would have been Love its Arms Reason and Truth and its utmost Rigour even to obstinate Enemies or Apostates but Renouncing of their Communion and that not till much Forbearance had been used to them To sum up all The Kingdoms of this World stand in outward Bodily and Civil Matters and here the Laws and Power of Men reich and are effectual But the Kingdom and Church of Christ that is chosen out of the World stands not in Bodily Exercise which the Apostle says profits little nor in Times nor Places but in Faith and that Worship which Christ tells us is in Spirit and in Truth to this no Worldly Compulsion can bring or force men 't is only the Power of that King of Righteousness whose Kingdom is in the Minds and Souls of the Just and he rules by the Law of his own free Spirit which like the Wind Bloweth where it listeth And as without this Spirit of Regeneration no man can be made a Member of Christs Church or Kingdom so neither is it in the Power of Man to command or give it and consequently all Worldly force employ'd to make men Members of Christs Church and Kingdom is unnatural and ineffectual I could be very large upon this point for 't is very fruitful and so much the cause of Persecution that if there were never another to be assign'd this were enough for upon due consideration it must needs meet with every mans Judgment and Experience I will here add the sense of memorable Hales of Eaton upon this subject When our Saviour in the Acts after his Resurrection was Discoursing to his Disciples concerning the Kingdom of God they presently brake forth into this Question Wilt thou now restore the Kingdom unto Israel Certainly this Question betrays their